The Religious Left
Yesterday on the way to pick up presents for my nephew, I heard an interview of Jim Wallis on BBC World Service. I thought it was interesting, and heard it again on my way home from dinner, prompting me to do some more thinking on it. In a nutshell, he's a progressive evangelical preacher who's had the ear of Bush and Blair and is fairly prominent in politics.
What gets me is the juxtaposition of "progressive" and "evangelical". I hear "evangelical" and at best think of well-meaning social conservatives, and at worst am reminded of intolerant sheep with a nice streak of hypocrisy. Anyone from the South can relate to the "Guns 'n' Jesus" mentality that is quick to praise someone as "a good Christian man" and just as quick to beat the shit out someone for being different.
That's unfortunate, because I've never seen anything inherently wrong with religion. It's all in how it's implemented. People are quick to point out all of the evil done in the guise of being pious, but there is quite a bit of good that comes out of it, as well. For every zealot out there slavishly devoted to doctrine, there are people who have faith and do good works.
I was interested in listening to Jim Wallis because he seems to fall into the latter camp. He has a social agenda that focuses on poverty and human rights, which is refreshing. In the last 20 years, it seems that the role of religion in American politics has focused on the proscription of abortion and gay rights, which really seems to miss the point. Given that this is a religious country and that religion and politics are inextricably entwined, I think shifting the focus to something more positive is a good thing. I think the Religious Right is a scary phenomenon, and wresting power from them is a good thing.
At any rate, it set me to thinking about it all. I think it's possible to be able to critically think and at the same time have a faith. I also think it's possible to have morals without being religious. I'm somewhere in the middle; I reject the notion of a personal god that interfaces with us on a level that we understand, but I can't help but wonder at the existence of a removed higher power. Either way, I figure that I'm responsible for myself, and to a degree, those around me. I like hearing about movements like the Religious Progressives, though - and I'm well aware that they're not a new phenomenon.
End Sunday morning ramblings - and yes, I could have been faster on my ride. :)
