tinythinker Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 From their "About" page... The success of the Religious Right in appropriating the language of Christianity has led many people to become generally wary of religion in the public sphere and of Christianity in particular. The Religious Right has used the language of Christianity to promote an extreme and divisive political agenda that has helped polarize our nation. But foundational Christian values like compassion, justice and peace are largely absent from our political discussion. And there are millions of Christian Americans who share progressive views, or, at a minimum, are increasingly turned off by the extreme rhetoric and political agenda of the Religious Right. The Christian Alliance for Progress is a national movement that started in Jacksonville, Florida among ordinary Americans who want to reclaim Christianity and change this current political picture. Members in the movement want to restore core values of Christianity while honoring diverse views about religion and Christian life. Many Americans, especially people of faith, are ready to hear from Christians who are tolerant, and who understand the many ways that our faiths impact our views of public life. The Christian Alliance advances a renewed, progressive vision of Gospel values and seeks to help Americans express this moral vision in our lives and in our politics. We believe we have an obligation to speak out about politics from our deep beliefs; but we do so in the tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr, we speak to the government as conscience. We do not seek to be the master of the government. We affirm a well-established American commitment to a clear separation of church and state. Insights? Opinions? Experiences?
October's Autumn Posted April 26, 2008 Posted April 26, 2008 It sounds good... it would be better if it were interfaith, imo.
tinythinker Posted April 30, 2008 Author Posted April 30, 2008 It sounds good... it would be better if it were interfaith, imo. I have a list of various interfaith movements working for social justice, and I do agree that interfaith and multifaith efforts are crucial to effective change. So I checked to see if the CAFP had an explanation for why they are not an interfaith group. I found this on their F.A.Q. page: Why are you not an interfaith movement? We are strong supporters of the progressive interfaith movement, but it is critical to have a clear and strong Christian voice within that movement because the name of Christianity has been hijacked. It’s been made into a synonym for the radical religious right and used to divide our nation. We are determined to reclaim Christianity. We can do this and still show respect for all faith traditions and for our country’s proud tradition of religious freedom. I am not sure I want to be part of an organization that is called "Christian." Many of us feel pain about the way the name of Christianity has been hijacked. It is being used to promote beliefs and actions that violate the values Jesus lived and taught. This organization is determined to reclaim Christianity. That is why we are here. We stand for values that are basic to both the Christian tradition and the American tradition. You do not have to identify as a Christian to be a part of this movement. We welcome anyone who wants to defend these values from right-wing extremists. I am not certain how active they are now, though. They seemed much more involved when they started.
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