LAT: Dems Are Trying to Make a Leap of Faith ("People of Faith for Kerry")

[DeepModem Mom]

THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Democrats Are Trying to Make a Leap of Faith
Kerry's campaign is working to connect with churchgoers, who tend to vote Republican.

By Matea Gold, Times Staff Writer


Hoping to loosen President Bush's hold on voters who regularly attend church, Sen. John F. Kerry's campaign has launched what many observers say is the most ambitious Democratic effort in recent times to reach people of faith.

Through values-laden language, grass-roots organizing and Kerry's increased discussion of his faith, the Democrats are trying to show that the party's presidential ticket reflects religious principles, pointing to their platform on healthcare, poverty and the environment.

The Kerry campaign — which has three staff members assigned as liaisons to various denominations — is aiming to create "People of Faith for Kerry" groups in every state.

And it recently launched community service projects to bring together Kerry supporters with strong religious beliefs....


http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-faith8aug08,1,3034304.story?coll=la-home-politics

[Coventina]

1. Thank..er, God for this!

It's about time to try to win the religious back from the right.


I was raised to believe that Godliness and Conservative Republican were synonymous. That kept me in fear and religious paranoia for a long time.

Of course, now I don't practice the brand of Christianity I did then, but that's a whole 'nuther story!!

[truthisfreedom]

2. nice day of the week to break this story. people should open up their eyes

to the destructiveness and anti-God policies of the rethuglicans.

[olddem43]

3. Bill Mahr said that the Admin. was really going after the

Amish vote. Dick Cheney was even heard telling someone to "Go ----
thyself."

[xchrom]

4. consider, if you will, that for years

christianity has been presented as an enitiy and institution hostile to liberal, thinking people of faith.
this election may be providing extraordinary media exposur for people of faith who have been feeling like they have been in exodus for a long time.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Kerry was not my candidate, but he is bringing his campaign...

to the whole of America. I saw a report on TV of his train going into Colorado, because the campaign now thinks they have a chance in that Republican state; there's an article in the NYT today that he's running right down the center because his base is now more solid than Bush's. I'm impressed. For the first time, I'm allowing myself to hope that we might begin to take back some of our national institutions, including religion and faith. (Someone noted in another thread that my particular denomination, Episcopal, is hardly regarded as a church at all by the fundies.)

[T_i_B]

8. Yes

Consider, if you will, that for years Christianity has been presented as an enitiy and institution hostile to liberal, thinking people of faith.

I must add that the anti-Christian part of the left do this as much as anyone and this is one of the big reasons why the left does not get too many Christian votes.

I've been thinking about this recently as I have always been aware of the emphasis placed in Christianity on concepts as helping the poor and needy and loving your neighbour, I have always found a great emphasis in church on charity and many denominations even opposed the Iraq war.

Yet many just automatically lump us in with the right and try to reduce 2000 years of history into the persona of Jerry Falwell. This suits those of that political dispostion, particularly when they are the ones getting all the media attention.

Ultimatly I think the incessant and in some cases quite bigoted attacks made on Christians by some on the left (as can be witnessed by the incessant use on this board of the term "fundie" as an anti-Christian slur) are the biggest factor in putting Christians off the left. The right is seen as more Christian simply beacuse they make the biggest attempt to appear pious and many on the left do not view the Christian faith with respect.

[ItsMyParty]

6. There was a real big article on this the other day

..and I foreget where (Time, perhaps?). Anyway, it was pointed out that we are missing the boat here because most mainstream religions (like Catholics) have a long history of voting for Democrats. Somehow the ultra right, born again facists have hijacked the issue and made people believe that ALL Christians hate Dems and love Republicans. It just isn't so. Someone must have read it and realized there is a big base out there of Christians who very much share the values of the Dems----you know such really outrageous, evil things like "loving thy neighbor" and helping him, etc....obviously, they really do read the Bible and not just listen to creeps like Robertson and Falwell interpreting it for them.

[The Zanti Regent]

7. The way to stop the Nazi Religious Reich is to tax them.

Sorry, but here in Los Angeles, hate mongering preacher after preacher is in the Nazi Party camp. The only way to stop them is to tax them!

[opihimoimoi]

9. About Time.....who were the faction holding this up...wrong, this is

a good thing...the Pubs don have a lock on God....