Here are recent writings by others on the growing corruption and apostasy of the religious Right, and efforts at renewal offered by other Christians who haven’t sold their souls to lobbyists.
From Salon.com via Liberal Catholic News:
Rescuing Jesus From the Right
(Salon subscription required.)
Alessandro Camon builds a strong case that Bush and some of his backers on the religious right have literally turned the Gospel on its head, violating almost every principle taught in the Gospels.
From FrederickClarkson.com via Jesus Politics:
Rev. John Thomas, president of the United Church of Christ acknowledged on Friday what mainline church leaders have been reluctant to address for two decades. The rightist Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) and allied groups are seeking to undermine if not destroy the mainline Christian churches in the United States.
The conservative movement and parts of the corporate sector have loathed the rise of the social gospel in the mainline churches for a century. They have loathed the social justice traditions that were catalysts for the civil rights movement, women’s rights, and principled opposition to the excesses of American foreign policy from Vietnam to Central America. It was the latter that led to the formation of the IRD as a hub of antichurch organizing.
According to Clarkson and the UCC, the IRD would seem to be a Republican-aligned serpent organization whose purpose is to commit the sin of scandal against New Testament-based churches:
The sin of scandal. The word scandal, skandala in Greek, means things that induce somebody to sin; Jesus pronounces Himself against those who scandalize; Jesus says: Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown in the sea (Mark 9:42; Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:1-2). Whoever tries to separate anybody from his faithfulness to Jesus Christ, is guilty of scandal.
From Chip Berlet via Jesus Politics:
The Religious Right does not speak for all Christians or even all evangelicals. The leaders of the Religious Right sometimes argue for policy positions that make their own followers uncomfortable. In a constitutional democracy, the ideal path for the nation is always open to debate; and the idea of God is too big for small minds to shackle. If we want to defend the Constitution, we must learn the religious beliefs of those evangelicals who dominate the Religious Right, treat them respectfully, and yet engage them in a critical public conversation over the appropriate boundaries for civic political debate set by the founders and framers of our nation.
Finally, Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones of Oklahoma City’s Cathedral of Hope, via Jesus Politics, preaches a sermon that connects Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi to National Coming Out Day and the quest to be an authentic Christian.
I’m not sure where to put this, but it might be of interest to anyone in the Washington DC/Metro area:
Coming up on Tuesday, November 8:
Award-winning Author Marc Adams to Speak at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, DC
Marc Adams, author of the Lambda Literary Award finalist and Silver Pen Award recipient autobiography, The Preacher’s Son, will speak at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church auditorium on Tuesday, November 8, 2005, 7:00 p.m. The Preacher’s Son chronicles Adams’ life growing up gay as the son of a fundamentalist Baptist minister in rural Pennsylvania where he endured a childhood of physical, emotional and spiritual abuse. He went on to Attend “by choice” Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University where he also was employed for 3 + years in the student recruiting/university relations department. His book articulately reveals life at Liberty and the struggle to conform to the standards for which he would have been a martyr. He shares about his years as an ex-gay. It culminates with his coming to terms with being gay and his coming out to his fundamentalist Christian family. In his talk to students, campus ministers, parents and friends of gay and lesbian youth, Adams will share some of his life’s story, share from his new book (lost)Found, as well as talk about HeartStrong, Inc., the non-profit organization he co-founded. HeartStrong, Inc., is a non profit educational organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students of religious schools, colleges and universities. It is the only such outreach of its kind in the world. Since its release at the end of 1996, The Preacher’s Son has garnered praise from bookstores, reviewers, the mainstream press and the gay and lesbian media. Not to be discounted, Adams says, are the thousands of letters and emails that he has received from men and women, gay and straight, who have read his books and found themselves changed. “Every time I open my mailbox and find another letter, I am incredibly humbled. I knew I had a responsibility to share my story. I just didn’t expect to get such emotional and heart breaking letters. I feel such an awesome responsibility when I read about how what I’ve shared has touched people.” Marc Adams will also share from his brand new book (the much-anticipated follow up to The Preacher’s Son) (lost)Found. All of Marc Adams’ books and resources will be available at the event.