NYT/AP: Democrats Push for Own Religious Voice

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats Push for Own Religious Voice
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 4, 2006

....With a leading poll showing only one in four Americans viewing the Democratic Party as friendly to religion, (David) Wilhelm and a broad-based group of Christian Democratic activists are starting an Internet effort to organize religious voters whose views might be compatible with Democrats.

The site, www.FaithfulDemocrats.com, will go online Tuesday and showcase theologians, party strategists, political leaders and bloggers in hopes of conducting a national discussion on politics and faith.

''It struck me as strange that people whose political world is motivated by faith had to be Republican. Democrats need to be on the playing field,'' said Wilhelm, who recalls the unfriendly reception he received 13 years ago when, as chairman of the Democratic Party, he suggested to Christian Coalition members that good Christians could belong to either party.

He said the new Internet site will give religious Democrats ''the moral support and some language they can use.''...

***

The Web site and its place as an alternative to Christian conservatism comes as churchgoing voters who consider themselves politically liberal have tried to link their religious values to causes such as social justice, opposition to the Iraq war and the environment....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Democrats-Getting-Religion.html

[lvx35]

1. GREAT news, I suport em...(But I wouldn't join)

And absolutely good for the Democrats. Polls show that something like 85% believe in God in some way, while only like 28% are evengelicals...There are really a lot of very moderate people with some kind of faith, and the Democratic party should show that they support religious freedoms.

edit: I checked out this group, and it's a purely Christian group. I really think any group religious supporting the Dems I would want to join would be Interfaith. I really think Dems should lash out against fundies and embrace interfaith on the whole.

[bluestateguy]

2. David Wilhelm was DNC Chair in 1994

Just throwing that out. Do with that information what you wish.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[krispos42]

4. The fundies hate Dems cuz we don't legislate Jesus into the USC

The Fundies regard "friendly" as "actively working in government to use government to promote and legislate evagelical fundamentalist Christianity into the United State Code AND all state, county, and municipal laws and ordinances"

I'd settle for "not actively hostile to any religion" and leave it at that.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[truthisfreedom]

6. we need MASSIVE talking point distribution.

[keopeli]

7. This is necessary if Dems ever want to re-take the South.

The Democrats used to be the smart and wise Christian politicians, right up through Jimmy Carter. The Lewinsky debacle was used to foment a huge rift between the Democrats and conservative Christians at large.

As to Wilhelm's credentials after his service for the DLC, let's test their strength by getting Open and Affirming churches to join and demand a voice.

[Skittles]

8. I truly resent the idea of catering to hypocrites

but I guess if that's what it takes...

[DeepModem Mom]

9. I'm sorry -- who are the hypocrites? nt

[Skittles]

15. religious folk who vote repuke

they are "pro-life" yet give a big thumbs up to the war in Iraq and the war on the vulnerable in America

[DeepModem Mom]

18. Thanks, Skittles! nt

[Omaha Steve]

10. Some Democrats go online to click with religious voters

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060905/a_faithfuldems05.art.htm

Some Democrats go online to click with religious voters

By Martin Kasindorf
USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — The Democratic Party, saddled with a secular image that has hurt it in elections, is getting religion.

Some Democrats have been mentioning God more often since the party lost the 2004 presidential election. To encourage that trend, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman David Wilhelm, an Ohio investment banker and churchgoing Methodist, is launching a website today that is aimed at persuading more devout Christians to vote Democratic.

Wilhelm's website — FaithfulDemocrats.com — is a collection of blogs, theological essays and candidate features and is not officially affiliated with the Democratic Party. The site is designed to rally Christian Democrats and attract socially moderate evangelicals.

One factor in the defeat of Democrat John Kerry in 2004 was a big turnout of socially conservative Christians. Many of these voters told pollsters they were attracted by Republican-supported ballot measures opposing same-sex marriage in Ohio and other key states.

FULL story at link above.

[Radical Activist]

11. Nice

The modern left was founded upon the social gospel espoused by people like William Jennings Bryan. We need to get away from the phobia some on the left have of religion. The fact that some people had a bad experience with religion is not a good reason to keep losing elections.

[GeorgiaDem69]

12. Agreed.

I think this is something the Dems should have done earlier -- too many religious Americans who have been turned off by the Right's rhetoric that Dems are against faith.

[54anickel]

13. The NCC has the faithfulamerica.org site that I subscribe too. I see it

is linked to on this new Dem site (though NCC does not yet have a link to the Dem site).

I am torn on this, as I fully believe in the separation of church and state and this just goes against my own convictions. Will being associated with the Dem party help or hinder the efforts of the NCC? :shrug:

I understand where the Dems are coming from and how they might feel this is needed. I can't put my finger on it other than I'm uncomfortable with it. Time will tell.

[GeorgiaDem69]

14. I fully favor separation of church and state as well

but I'm pretty sure this doesn't violate separation of church and state. The Democratic party isn't a "state" and the "party" can't establish any sort of religion. Also, there's nothing in the Constitution about keeping religion out of the public arena.

[54anickel]

16. Yeah, I realize it doesn't legally violate the separation, it just "feels"

strange to me. I do understand the party feeling it needs to counter the "heathen" label the extreme right-wing fundies have tried to stick them with.

I am very impressed with the articles and links I've found on the new site so far. A nice collection that contains many of the sites I've had to hunt and peck for on my own.

I certainly like the idea of having such a diverse selection of resources available at one site. But I don't like the fact that the url stays set to their site...but that's just me.

[54anickel]

17. Heh-heh, they fixed that url problem. n/t