'Religious left' emerging as U.S. political force in Trump era
Since President Donald Trump's election, monthly lectures on social justice at the 600-seat Gothic chapel of New York's Union Theological Seminary have been filled to capacity with crowds three times what they usually draw.
In January, the 181-year-old Upper Manhattan graduate school, whose architecture evokes London's Westminster Abbey, turned away about 1,000 people from a lecture on mass incarceration. In the nine years that Reverend Serene Jones has served as its president, she has never seen such crowds.
(hat-tip to my brotha Kavika who tried to post this seed originally but it didn't work right, and graciously allowed me to do so)
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"The election of Trump has been a clarion call to progressives in the Protestant and Catholic churches in America to move out of a place of primarily professing progressive policies to really taking action," she said.
Although not as powerful as the religious right, which has been credited with helping elect Republican presidents and boasts well-known leaders such as Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, the "religious left" is now slowly coming together as a force in U.S. politics.
This disparate group, traditionally seen as lacking clout, has been propelled into political activism by Trump's policies on immigration, healthcare and social welfare, according to clergy members, activists and academics. A key test will be how well it will be able to translate its mobilization into votes in the 2018 midterm congressional elections.
"It's one of the dirty little secrets of American politics that there has been a religious left all along and it just hasn't done a good job of organizing," said J. Patrick Hornbeck II, chairman of the theology department at Fordham University, a Jesuit school in New York.
"It has taken a crisis, or perceived crisis, like Trump's election to cause folks on the religious left to really own their religion in the public square," Hornbeck said.
So much for the multitude of seeds that states that the left is anti Christian.
It's important to note that just because one group is more vociferous doesn't mean they are more.
Chicago has one of the largest Catholic populations in the U.S. It also votes heavily Democratic in most elections. There have always been a lot of liberal Catholics.
You have a unique perspective there in Chicago John. The Windy City has always been a prime mover in the Midwest, culturally and financially as well; but, a lot of that starts fading as you get closer to the Dakota's borders where I live. Here it is a lot of Lutheran background; where, you do not discuss politics (or anything that might make the conversation uncomfortable,,,LOL,,,even religion) as a religious matter, or visa-versa.
To me the interesting thing is the religious dynamic we see coming to the foreground in recent years.
Although I always knew about the religious left I think this is an interesting topic. It goes to show how differently people can interpret the bible. This fact is the biggest part of the equation.
So in the very near future, we'll have ''the battle of the bibles''....
I would like to think that the religious left and the agnostic and atheist left could join forces. We don't have agree on strictly religious grounds or even the existence of a god to agree on morality ground. Morality and a supreme being do not necessarily hand in hand.
Morality and a supreme being do not necessarily hand in hand.
Oh God no...
I'm an angel myself but never hold it against others...
LOL! I'm an angel too...which is strange considering I'm an atheist!
Are you an angel in disguise, Larry?
Exactly Randy.
I graduated from a Jesuit run university where my oldest, is also now attending. The campus isn't and never was, a hot bed of political activity...almost the antitheses. It's rather academic oriented. However, amongst the student body, there was a definite liberal/progressive perspective.
I feel that it is way past time for this to happen. Although the extreme far right Christians don't have a monopoly on Christianity, they portray themselves as having THE word. And everyone that doesn't believe exactly as they do are considered to be despicable.
What about everyone else? What about the Jewish people, the Buddhists, the people that are atheists or agnostics? There are good and decent, moral, sweet people of all faiths-- not just that one faith.
I've always been proud to be an environmentalist, because I worked hard to protect people's drinking water. So that everyone could have clean drinking water... So what's wrong with that? I like trees, I like rocks, and water, and animals. And blue skies and fresh, un-stinky, un-smoky air, etc. Trying to take care of that has always been my mission, and made me feel good. Yet, this past weekend, one of the far right said that environmentalists were loathsome and evil. At the least, unpleasant to be around-- to much applause.
Somehow, the far right has gotten too many people to believe that their only ticket to heaven is through their narrow party/religious lens. I think that most of us just want to live and be left alone. The left feels a responsibility for others, and the very fabric of society-- the far right does not. The left seems to believe that there should be room for everyone in a society-- the far right does not.
So, to me, this is way past time coming. There is room for all, here. You don't have to be a Christian to be a decent person. Nor do you have to be an extreme far right Christian to want to do good in the world. All of us can make a positive contribution to the world, even if it's just smiling at little old ladies in the grocery store...
I'm ready for this, and, as described here, On Board.
"they portray themselves as having THE word. And everyone that doesn't believe exactly as they do are considered to be despicable."
Ironically this is how the liberals lost the last election and still seem to be using this as their main party platform.
Did you read the seeds this weekend? I didn't see anything calling conservatives loathsome and evil-- or even unpleasant. Forgive me, for reading what was there on display for all to see.
I don't know that you're far right, 96. At least you're not far right in my book. I mean, I will still make you an apple pie someday.
I wasn't aware Satanism is on the rise. Thanks for the heads up.
I bet you never smile at little old ladies in the grocery store... That's ok. If I ever run into you at the grocery, even though you're not a little old lady, I'll smile at you.
Isn't Satanism and libertarian the same thing.
LOL!
That's right!!!