Reply #94: Fantastic post...

[BeTheChange]

I'll go ahead and start out by saying Im a Christian, and a liberal. I came to du looking for liberals and I found them.. I just didnt find many that were very liberal about my Christianity. I dont know that I call myself a democrat anymore. Infact, if I look at what a democrat is supposed to be, vs what a republican is supposed to be, I fall halfway in the middle. I dont believe in big govt - this was historically a republican idea. But I dont believe that social services shouldnt be supported.. this is obviously democrat. What I do believe is that something is wrong with this country, so I get in where I moderately fit in.. and for now, on some occassions.. I fit in here. I definately dont fit into freerepublic.

I believe that no matter what side of the coin you are on, you have to acknowledge that faith plays an important role in the lives of the majority of the population. MLK was a Baptist minister and look what he did. I dont know if anyone on this site can dispute the strides he made towards democracy in this country. He took Christianity back to Christ and appealed to the commonsense of the people. But, as we know... MLK had his faults too.. just like every man or woman. Those faults didnt end up crucifying him because his message was pure.

The modern Christian movement and involvement with worldly things like government didnt even start in this country till Reagan. The spin masters aligned with big money ministers and started branding Christianity republican. People can call them all sheeps if it makes them feel better.. But they are just people, like you, trying to do the best they can with what they have. With what surrounds them and shows them kindness, some type of human connection with others. For alot of people, that is a church community. In our disconnected and toxic culture, people grasp at what is tangible. So, if Pastor so and so says GWB is great, maybe they trust his word.. because he helped feed them when they were hungry, or lent them an ear when they needed to be heard. That doesnt make them bad. It makes them human.

Democrats should be working to bring the good voices to the forefront. And sadly, here on DU, atleast daily Im very disappointed in the responses to threads about Christianity. Im sad that the words of Christ have been so twisted and that the experiences of so many have left them so jaded as to not see the opportunity that could be had. I'm sad that I see the same hypocrisy that keeps me out of the churches of TD Jakes and Jerry Falwelly, right here masquerading as liberalism. Not all Christians are bad.. not even the republican ones.. not even my mother in law who voted for Bush because she has been a pastor's wife and a mother for 35 years and she thinks that abortion shouldnt be legal because who she is is a mother, that is all she knows. She isnt a bad person. She would give anybody anything they needed even if she didnt have it to give.. she would find a way. She isnt a lost cause or a sheep, or an idiot... she is just doing the best she can.

We should all be doing the best we can to stop what is happening in the world right now and that might just be bringing Christians back to Christ. There is power in that. The Christ that is in their bible, the Christ that is in their heart.. in the world around them. Not in the pockets of a bunch of Pharisees.

I think your post makes excellent points and I dont know all the answers.. but if we can start groups to investigate BBV, or the Downingstreet memo, or blast the media about the latest atrocity, Id love to see a democratic group of Christians trying to change the way Christianity is being contorted.