[CS-FSLUG] PD: Robertson and Falwell final denounced by religious leaders

[Ralph De Witt]

A broad group of evangelical, mainline and Catholic Christian leaders 
has issued a high-profile response to recent comments by Religious 
Right leaders.
---------- 

Christian leaders denounce Falwell, Robertson in New York Times ad
By Robert Marus
Associated Baptist Press
September 1, 2004

NEW YORK (ABP) -- Declaring that "God is not a Republican. Or a 
Democrat," a broad group of evangelical, mainline and Catholic 
Christian leaders has issued a high-profile response to recent 
comments by Religious Right leaders appearing to endorse President 
Bush's re-election campaign.

The signers, organized by the Christian anti-poverty group Call to 
Renewal, took out a full-page advertisement in the Aug. 30 New York 
Times denouncing recent statements by Virginia pastor Jerry Falwell 
and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson. Its appearance was 
timed to coincide with the opening day of the Republican National 
Convention, meeting in New York.

The ad led with a quotation from Falwell that appeared in the Times 
in a July 16 story. "It is the responsibility of every political 
conservative, every evangelical Christian, every pro-life Catholic, 
every traditional Jew, every Reagan Democrat, and everyone in between 
to get serious about re-electing President Bush," Falwell said, 
according to the story.

The ad also highlighted a January quote from Robertson in which he 
said he believed God was telling him that Bush was "going to win in a 
walk" and that God had "just blessed [Bush]...it doesn't make any 
difference what he does, good or bad."

The religious leaders' petition said the quotations prove that 
Falwell and Robertson -- and other unnamed conservative Christian 
leaders -- "mistakenly claim that God has taken a side in this 
election, and that Christians should only vote for George W. Bush.

"We believe that claims of divine appointment for the president, 
uncritical affirmation of his policies, and assertions that all 
Christians must vote for his re-election constitute bad theology and 
dangerous religion," it continued, saying that "sincere Christians 
and other people of faith can choose to vote for President Bush or 
Senator Kerry -- for reasons deeply rooted in their faith."

It also called attention to a host of moral issues -- such as 
poverty, taxation and war -- that should be of equal concern to 
Christians when voting as abortion, gay rights and other hot-button 
issues often cited by conservatives.

The ad concluded by calling on "both parties and candidates to avoid 
the exploitation of religion or our congregations for partisan 
political purposes."

Its signatories included Call to Renewal director Jim Wallis, as well 
as evangelical theologians Stanley Hauerwas, Glen Stassen and Randall 
Balmer. Baptist signers included Wake Forest Divinity School 
professor James Dunn and sociologist and evangelist Tony Campolo.

According to a spokesman for Call to Renewal's magazine, Sojourners, 
more than 40,000 people have signed onto an online version of the 
statement. About 3,500 people donated funds for the ad, as well as 
identical pieces placed in the Aug. 30 editions of the Virginian-
Pilot in Robertson's base of Virginia Beach and the News & Advance in 
Falwell's hometown of Lynchburg, Va.

During the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July, Wallis 
gave a speech exhorting religious Democrats to also avoid identifying 
God too closely with one political party. However, the group did not 
do a similar ad buy. 

Reached by telephone in Washington, Wallis defended the timing of the 
Times ad buy by saying it was a non-partisan effort. "Those who 
signed it have voted both Democratic and Republican in the past," he 
said. "No one's saying Christians can only vote for John Kerry -- no 
one's saying that. But Jerry Falwell is saying that Christians can 
only vote for Bush."

Wallis said the ad -- whose full text can be found on the Internet at 
www.takebackourfaith.org -- was necessary because "the Religious 
Right's attempt to ordain George Bush as God's candidate in this 
election is theologically outrageous."

The advertisement came on the heels of a speech former President Bill 
Clinton delivered during the Aug. 29 morning worship service at New 
York's famously progressive Riverside Church. In it, Clinton quoted 
Scripture to criticize Bush's approach to some moral issues. He also 
implored Democrats and other progressives to stop ceding religious 
language and arguments to conservatives when debating moral issues.

"I believe President Bush is a good Christian. I believe that his 
faith in Jesus saved him. I believe it gave him new purpose and 
direction to his life. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't see 
through a glass darkly," Clinton said, alluding to the apostle Paul's 
words in I Corinthians.

In an attempt to reach out to moderate voters, Republican officials 
have downplayed religious talk and divisive social issues during the 
convention -- including scheduling a line-up of prime-time speakers 
heavy on GOP moderates who support abortion rights and gay rights.

-30-
-- 
 Yours,
 Ralph.
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