LAT: Evangelicals (allied with Democrats) Rally Behind Environmental Cause

[DeepModem Mom]

Evangelicals Rally Behind Environmental Cause
By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
October 18, 2006

Democratic strategists are joining forces with conservative evangelicals to promote a faith-based campaign to raise awareness about global warming, in an improbable alliance that could boost Democratic hopes of taking control of Congress.

At a news conference Friday, the president of the Christian Coalition and a board member of the National Association of Evangelicals will announce Call to Action, an effort to make global warming a front-and-center issue over the next three weeks for Christians in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado and several other states with pitched election campaigns.

Through ads on Christian radio, sermons from the pulpit, Bible studies, house parties and a documentary film, "The Great Warming," Christians will be urged to view protecting the environment as a religious and moral issue, every bit as urgent as opposing abortion and gay marriage....

***

The religious leaders say they are not trying to tip control of Congress to Democrats; under federal law, churches cannot endorse candidates. Pastors can campaign on issues, however, and they acknowledge that the election-season focus on global warming is designed to send a message to the GOP: Don't take us for granted....

***

Democratic consultant Eric Sapp calls the greening of the religious right a "godsend for Democrats." His firm, Common Good Strategies, has drafted a guide for pastors who want to talk about global warming, which includes quotes from scripture and this suggested prayer: "We lament what creation is become due to our sin."...

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-warming19oct19,0,7028600.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[robbibaba]

1. Hot Damn!

[maseman]

2. Gee, the Jesus Christers are finally realizing

that hating homos might not be as important as saving earth from being a complete environmental disaster. God created earth...maybe we should take care of it.

[Hand]

3. Glory Hallelujah! nt

[w4rma]

4. Good News. (nt)

[Robbien]

5. These Evangelicals are also pushing for WH help in Darfur

See all the good they can do when they are not so busy walking lockstep with the RNC.

[physioex]

6. Yea.....

But they are still a little "goofy".....

[Raine]

7. It's about time

I have never been able to understand why anyone who claims to be a Christian isn't more concerned about taking care of the Earth which is God's ultimate creation.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Amen!

[rodeodance]

9. Evangelicals Ally With Democrats on Environment

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-warming19oct19,0,7028600.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Evangelicals Ally With Democrats on Environment
Religious leaders hope the global-warming campaign sends a message to the GOP.

By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
October 19, 2006

Democratic strategists are joining forces with conservative evangelicals to promote a faith-based campaign on global warming, in an improbable alliance that could boost Democratic hopes of taking control of Congress.

At a news conference today, the president of the Christian Coalition and a board member of the National Assn. of Evangelicals — both groups closely tied to the religious right — will announce Call to Action, an effort to make global warming a front-and-center issue over the next three weeks for Christians in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado and several other states with pitched election campaigns.

Through ads on Christian radio, sermons from the pulpit, Bible studies, house parties and a documentary film, "The Great Warming," Christians will be urged to view protecting the environment as a religious and moral issue every bit as urgent as opposing abortion and same-sex marriage.

"We're not abandoning our previous positions: We're still pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-morality. But one or two issues can't adequately express the Gospel," said the Rev. Joel Hunter, new president of the Christian Coalition of America.

[rodeodance]

10. "The Great Warming" is heavy on science, but it also lays out the biblical

......Some top evangelicals now worry that they've become too predictably right-wing. Global warming offers a way to get out of that box. The issue is widely seen as an advantage for Democrats because Republicans, led by Bush, have resisted steps such as ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.

"Frankly, I'm conservative…. we're letting our principles lead us where they will," said the Rev. Richard Cizik, a leading evangelical voice on the right.

Democrats stand ready to take advantage. At a recent forum on global warming at Messiah College, a conservative evangelical institution in Grantham, Pa., the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Bob Casey Jr., endorsed the Kyoto Protocol — and got a warm reception. (The incumbent, Republican Rick Santorum, did not appear; instead, he sent a brief campaign video about other environmental issues.)

In western North Carolina, Democratic candidate Heath Shuler plans to attend a church-sponsored screening of "The Great Warming" as he fights to unseat Republican Rep. Charles H. Taylor.

"The Great Warming" is heavy on science, but it also lays out the biblical case for acting on global warming, starting with God's command to Adam to be a good steward of the Earth. Faith leaders increasingly make a moral argument as well, saying that floods, hurricanes and other effects of global warming will disproportionately affect the poor — whom Christ commanded his followers to help.
........

[Dob Bole]

11. Even the Christian Coalition? Wow...

The evangelical left has always supported the environment, but now the right as well...good news all around.

[Ian David]

13. "christian" Coalition teamed-up with MoveOn.org on Net Neutrality

But before you're too impressed, the "christian" coalition is over a million dollars in debt and has been practically reduced to being run out of the basements of nerdy church-geeks.

[Ian David]

12. Dear gawd, I hope we don't have financial entanglement with those people

The "christian" coalition and their fellow travelers are a corrupt band of money changers on the temple steps.

I'm glad we've found a way to re-direct their slackjawed flocks into some kind of useful activity.

But there must be absolutely no exchange of money with them.

Period.

[Dob Bole]

14. Personally, I'll probably use their video

and show it to some people. I have Christian Coalition-type people in my family, who don't believe in global warming. I've been winning them over an issue at a time...so here's another one!

[tinfoilinfor2005]

15. Good.

n/t

[KittyWampus]

16. this is encouraging.