The Religious Left

[Khephra]

Steven Waldman, the editor of Beliefnet, a leading religion Web site, recently wrote an article for Slate pointing out that 61 percent of the voters for one of the nation's two major political parties claim to pray daily and more than 90 percent of them believe in life after death.

Mr. Waldman added, "There's a hard-core subgroup in this party" of particularly zealous Christians. Not only are these party loyalists largely hostile to gay marriage, half of them would prefer even more religious language from President Bush rather than less and believe that the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state is a divinely ordained step toward the Second Coming of Jesus.

The voters Mr. Waldman is describing are Democrats. And that highly religious core of party loyalists consists of blacks.


Mr. Waldman was not denying that more Republicans than Democrats are religious and regular churchgoers, nor that the small but growing group of secular Americans is more likely to be Democrats than Republicans. He admits that both these tendencies - the growing place of religious conservatives in the Republican Party and of secular liberals among the Democrats - have come to weigh more heavily in the way the two parties define themselves.
more..........

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/national/10beliefs.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1089476488-58MKchKz2ulhu9QUv0XGPA

[w4rma]

1. I was expecting to read about the Religious left, but instead got nothing.

If the NY Times editors title a story "The Religious Left", I want to read about the Religious LEFT, not the right-wingers.

[Jerseygirltoo]

3. another misleading headline from the Times

Besides that, they are not even checking the veracity of Waldman's statements. I have yet to meet a black person who is supporting Israel because they believe it will hasten the coming of the Rapture.

[AndyTiedye]

2. This Is Just More about the Fundies Taking over Everything

and eating up the Democratic base in the process. Nothing left about it.

Seems to be trying to push Kerry and the Dems into adopting the ReThugs'
theocratic policies.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. So, there are intolerant thugs who call themselves "Christians"

and "Democrats" in the same breath. This is just more evidence that labels mean nothing. People's actions identify them; not their titles...whether they be declared by society or their selves.