Mixed message: Progressive Evangelical let down but not surprised by Obama
by Carder
This another casualty – somewhat – on the left regarding President Obama’s withering agenda. This time it’s progressive Evangelical Tony Campolo, a Baptist minister from Philadelphia, former spiritual adviser to President Clinton, and founder of the Red Letter Christian Movement, an “evangelical movement that focuses on the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly in regard to social issues” that would transcend party politics.
From the Daily Caller…
A year into his first term, Obama has yet to sign a health-care bill with provisions that would help reduce the number of abortions, or increase funding for faith-based initiatives. Because of this, Campolo says, progressive evangelicals like himself “are angry” at both parties [?], frustrated with the White House and “still concerned” about abortion.
“I felt, and very strongly felt, that certain women’s groups were pressuring the Obama organization so that the language that was in the statement on abortion was really muted,” he said. “But even if you don’t agree that abortion is a sin against God, you want to be able to say that abortion is regrettable. If you’re a pro-lifer, you want that language in there. You want a statement made that abortion is looked upon as something that is a tragedy. Not something that is simply another form of contraception.”
How could Mr. Campolo be that gullible? Obama is beholden to Big Abortion; campaign contributions attest to that. To admit abortion is a tragedy is anathema to their cause. We don’t see them holding signs saying “My Body, My Tragedy.”
In hindsight, Campolo isn’t surprised that Obama hasn’t been more sympathetic to abortion issues. “There’s nothing to be disappointed about,” he said, besides the fact that Obama “has a pro-choice position.
Let’s try to understand this. Mr. Campolo and his camp “are angry” and “frustrated” over the letdown in the pro-life agenda that somehow, some way was going to appear with Obama’s presidency. But neither is Campolo surprised about it?
When one can deliver the evangelical vote to a candidate, expect to be used, Mr. Campolo.
And the dwindling possibility of a pro-life-friendly health-care bill – or any bill – has Campolo feeling nostalgic for the days when a Hillary Clinton nomination was possible. “We really feel that Hillary Clinton was more committed to a pro-life position by far than Obama. We saw it, as she sees it, that something is very, very wrong.”
Hillary Clinton was more committed to a pro-life position than President Obama? Granted, she did not object to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, but that’s all. Recall she and Obama fought during their campaign over who was more pro-abortion.
Campolo is one mixed up liberal Christian, which is no surprise, really, since the terms are pretty much incompatible.
[Photo attribution: RelevantMagazine.com]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
The US Church has lost it’s way Jill. The many confused doctrines at worst justifying and at best softening the pro-death mindset is evidence of this.
And a lot of it is due to these celebrity preachers who have strayed from the truth.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Agreed Phil & Jill,
He is one confused dude.
I think I’d have more respect for someone who takes a stand, one way or another, and is passionate in their conviction as opposed to this mealy mouthed doublespeak.
He sounds like a politician, a compromiser, a man-pleaser.
“How could Mr. Campolo be that gullible?”
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Maybe this is an example of what Karl Marx was referring to when he asserted that “religion is the opiate of the masses.”
Religion does make you wiser.
It compounds the inherent stupdity of being human.
Only GOD can fix stupid.
yor bro ken
Religion does NOT make you wiser.
Religion does NOT make you wiser.
Religion does NOT make you wiser.
Religion does NOT make you wiser.
It compounds the iherent stupidity of being human.
Only GOD can fix stupid.
yor bro ken
If the Bible is your standard you must reject Campolo’s doctrine as documented by David Cloud’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service:
“Beware of Tony Campolo”
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/campolo.html
Article info: Updated July 4, 2008 (first published March 5, 2008) David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143
Tony Campolo has long claimed the Evangelical trademark while, it has seemed to me, he has promoted liberal/progressive politics and culture as the main goal of his life. He is associated with the American Baptist Churches USA, which is the most liberal of the many Baptist groups. Although the Baptist school which he is associated with was originally founded by conservatives in his denomination.
The struggle for the preborn, for faithful traditional marriages and for godly living is not confined to any particular denomination. Some of the pro-life Catholics I used to labor with would comment that a lot of their fellow Catholics were Democrats (or liberals) first, then pro-life, if indeed they were right-to-life at all.
The true believers, in this instance those who drank the Obama koolaid, are always the last to wake up. When stirrings of disillusionment and disappointment first start they make excuses for their guy, and when they can no longer do that they often get mad or get even.
Oh heavens, even the Obama Girl is faltering in her support of him.
“liberal Christian…since the terms are pretty much incompatible.”
Yes, because the GOP is the ordained party of God – I forget that sometimes.
“Oh heavens, even the Obama Girl is faltering in her support of him.”
Haha, good point Jerry.
I figured Father Jenkins and Rev. Campolo would see the truth before the Obama girl…but not so!
“liberal Christian…since the terms are pretty much incompatible.”
Yes, because the GOP is the ordained party of God – I forget that sometimes.
Posted by: Ex-GOP Voter at February 3, 2010 9:41 PM
Well, abortion is in the party platform on the dem side. I would think a mother killing her child and that being legal would be (or should be) considered pretty contradictory with “thou shalt not kill.”
xalisae –
Thou shall not kill…yes, while the GOP launches wars and supports the death penalty.
Plus, the GOP is mostly talk about abortion. They had the presidency for 20 of 28 years until Obama. Was there an executive order banning abortion? Or where was the constitutional amendment push? Or how about big push for congress to ban abortion?
So maybe we just vote for the party that talks the best game, right?
I’m not saying the Dems are perfect – far from it (in fact, big fan of Jim Wallis’ book subtitled “Why the Right is wrong and the Left just doesn’t get it”. I’m just saying that the notion that GOP=GOD and DEMS=The Devil is flat out wrong in my book – and quite frankly, stinks a little bit of ideology (plus, I think like the Dems and the black vote – the GOP takes advantage of the Christian vote).
Quick correction at the end…too early in the morning:
ideology should be idolatry
That you cannot see the difference between fighting a war/preventing a dangerous criminal from harming any more people and abortion I think says it all. Duh.
Ex-Gop voter, there are plenty of us who are so disgusted by each party that we refuse to align with either and remain INDEPENDENT! I have one word to describe both parties — CROOKS!
I agree that the GOP takes advantage of the SoCons (social conservatives) — secretly I think many of the country-club Republican operatives laugh at them behind their backs.
“Red-Letter Christianity” is a flawed understanding of the Christian faith. At its best, “Red-Letter Christianity” is merely a misguided attempt to focus on Jesus, which would normally be the right thing to do. At its worst, “Red-Letter Christianity” is another excuse to pick and choose those parts of Scripture with which someone already agrees….
Focusing on Jesus is absolutely the right thing for a Christian to do. Our priorities should be His priorities. If we claim Jesus as Lord, then we need to allow Him to exercise complete sovereignty over our lives. The obvious “catch” is that Jesus is in Heaven, while we’re stuck here on Earth. How do we know what Jesus wants us to do?
That’s why He gave us His Word, the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is the very Word of God, divinely inspired & insured against error. It is truth. No, make that Truth with a capital T.
The beginning of John’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus is the Word of God. Therefore, when we read the Scriptures, we are encountering Jesus Himself. When we allow God’s Word to enter our minds & transform our hearts, we are proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Bible study is an act of worship … if we do it properly.
And that’s where the “Red-Letter Christians” go wrong. By placing undue emphasis on the quotations of Jesus, they ignore the fact that all of Scripture is the Word of God. Just because Jesus didn’t speak it with His lips during His earthly ministry does not mean that it doesn’t count. All of Scripture is the Word of God. All of Scripture was given to us by the Three Persons of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Basically, the entire Bible comes from Jesus and speaks with His authority.
If we’re going to print the words of Jesus in red, then let’s just print the whole Bible in red. :)