Why does Wallis keep insisting he is somehow unaffected by Left-Right politics, or that he is somehow objectively moderate in his beliefs? I can respect someone on the Left, but honesty as to where they stand is a prerequisite.>

HAC, I don’t understand your post. Jim has never hidden his political persuasion. For at least the past 25 years, maybe longer, he has consistently referred to himself as a progressive evangelical.>

RTY, I think any discerning person would recognize Wallis’ political preferences. But he continues to put across the idea that he is somehow above the Left-Right debate (by his own admission). By saying, “the Left-Right debate is failing to resolve our deepest crises,” he is either criticizing himself, or saying he is above this debate. I believe he’s saying the latter, and I don’t buy it. Even his book’s title implies some nonpartisan viewpoint, as if he were beyond the political debates the rest of the country is in.>

HAC I think you miss the point if you insist on categoriing everything as right/left/moderate or whatever. As followers of Jesus; let’s do as he commanded us. He said, how can you call me Lord and not keep my commandments. To say, Jesus is Lord, puts ones allegance to him rather than to any earthly kingdom or ideology. Most of the time I agree with Wallis; but he is not God. I did not vote for “W”; but I also e-mailed Kerry about issues I disagreed with him. (Now I get fundraising e-mails from him regularly) HAC, honestly, whatever label you claim, where lies your allegance?>

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 4:15 HAC, whom do you serve?>

HAC, whom do you serve? God through Christ.>

And you?>

[HAC, whom do you serve? God through Christ.] HAC I trust that much of the conversation can thus be about how best to serve. Personally I have a problem with labels. Being from Kansas, many of my friends see “liberal” as evil. I sometimes try to make them think by calling myself a liberal and thus opposing abortion. Jesus came down pretty hard on the self-righteous. I believe self-righteousness is a problem no matter what one labels her/himself. In fact, that, in my opinion, lies behind most “labels”.>

What software is necessary to listen to the audio? I can access the audio on the next blog topic, but not this one.>

I agree with HAC. I think Wallis is disingenuous when he implies that he is somehow above the Left-Right debate. Were he truly beyond both right and left, we’d see him criticizing each of these groups, not just offering caricatures of conservatives.>

Timbo While I see/hear Wallis noting the failings on both “sides;” I agree that none of us are truly above the fray. I doubt that he sees himself perfect. You and he might be able to discuss that sometime. While, I can “understand” the one who simply cannot vote for someone who is not opposed to abortions; I simply cannot vote for someone who claims to follow Christ and yet sees killing our enemy as the right way to respond. I heard a sermon recently in which the preacher said that the worst four letter word in use today is “them.” Victory, in God’s sight, is not in killing the enemy; but in becoming reconciled. Reconciled with each other and with Christ!>

“While I see/hear Wallis noting the failings on both “sides;” I agree that none of us are truly above the fray.” I don’t think we are calling on him to be above the fray. We are calling on him to acknowledge that he is not above the fray. Jim Wallis’ recent burst of popularity is predicated on the misperception that he is a political moderate. If he were to simply say he was an evangelical progressive, he would lose his appeal. In response to criticism along these lines, Wallis offers an evasive response that seems to agree with the person drawing the distinction. Take the abortion issue. Wallis says that, while the sanctity of life is important, there is more to faithful political involvement than abortion. The natural assumption, then, is that Jim Wallis is not pro-choice. He is, however, although he doesn’t use the term. He believes abortion should be legal in virtually all circumstance because he does not want to criminalize women who have put themselves in lonely and dangerous corners. If he were to simply say “I am pro-choice”, he wouldn’t sell books. More disconcerting, for me, is his unwillingness to use the word Christian, or to say that Christ is the way to heaven. He has been given the opportunity to say this in public (Jon Stewart asked him the question directly) but has been as evasive as possible. For someone who claims to be a “red letter” Christian, this is sad. In his debate, listen to how often he uses the word America vs. Christian. Seems ironic from one who levels the charge that Christians put their patriotism before God.>

I don’t think we are calling on him to be above the fray. We are calling on him to acknowledge that he is not above the fray. Exactly.>

Ditto.>

“the Left-Right debate is failing to resolve our deepest crises,” This point ignores the fact that the “right” have created these crises where NONE exists. Fer example: gay marriage does not “threaten” heterosexual marriages, nor society. It does not need “protecting” nor “defending”, yet because the “right” says they do, there’s a culture war. There IS a fiscal crisis and perhaps that could be ‘resolved’, but the “debate” on it isn’t ahpening much, certainly not while we ‘discuss’ Zippergate III.>

It seems that in some ways we have all missed the boat. None of us really get it right. How can we? We aren’t God. And Praise Him for that for where would we be. For me when I read scripture – Who is this Man who died for me, for me while I was still a sinner. While Jesus was on the earth what did he do? He healed the sick, he fed the masses, he raised the dead, he healed the demon-possessed. What else did he do? He came down hard on the ones in whom had been given the authority to lead the people. But what had they done? They were about putting their own interests first, they oppressed by rule and regulation the very people they were to be lifting up. Scripture says that Christian’s are the Body of Christ made of many parts all are to work together to serve the Lord. Jesus had the opportunity when the woman was brought to him accused of adultery to be the first to stone her, but he didn’t. He said, You without sin cast the first stone. Jesus had something that the religious leaders of that day didn’t have and that was compassion. Compassion on a lost soul and a lost world. When given the opportunity Jesus ate with the sinners. How do we as Christian’s help change others behavior – I believe it is by looking to Him who changed us. It is in His saving Grace that our lives are transformed. When we as a Body of Believers look to others with the compassion that the Lord looks upon us all, then maybe as His followers we can begin to do some good. Yes, yes, yes abortion is a sin. Yes, yes, yes, homosexuality is a sin, God doesn’t want any to die without knowing him as Lord and Savior, this is the Key guys. How many have been sentenced to an enternity without him because of death at anothers hand. Whether it is war, terrorism, or the devastation going on in many other parts of the world because of ethnic or religious differences. How sad our Lord and Savior must be and the loss of so many souls. But you know what else is sin all sexual immorality,impurity, debauchery, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, orgies – Are we going to regulate these as well? Scripture says that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God – GAL 5:20. Look to Titus 3:9 Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. How about 1 Cor. 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside. God will judge those outside. Scripture tells us that we as a Body need to be united under Christ. And as a Body we are to serve one another as Christ served us. He died so that we may live. Who did Jesus condemn, the leaders with didn’t show any love nor compassion to their neighbor. The whole point of the Good Samaritan. The leaders all walked by the ones with whom should have offered help and didn’t, it was the Samaritan despised by his enemy that offered compassion and help. Jesus asked who was the neigbhor, the man answered, the one who offered help. How in changing laws are we offering help? We as believers have got to get this love thing down or we won’t be of any service to our Lord. We can’t change peoples hearts by changing laws. And the Glorious thing about knowing God serving God, it isn’t necessary to change the laws if you love and serve him. It is a desired born with in you to dedicate who you are to Him. Why?, Because He has transformed your life and you desire others to know the same love, His love. It’s a beautiful, wonderful, thing. Compassion, love and hope my friends is the answer. We are to model Jesus. Jesus didn’t change laws, he changed people one heart at a time and how did he change hearts by showing love, compassion and hope.>

Jesus was himself not a Christian. He was a Jewish rabbi. He never asked people to worhip him, he said, “follow me”. As a rabbi, he taught in the language of religion: symbolism, parable and metaphor. Faith and politics can coexist, but not in the way of the Christian Right. If you want a good read, pickup a copy of Karen Armstrong’s book, “The Battle for God”. It points to how we may work through the maze of faith and politics through understanding and a knowledge of the historical underpinnings of all this religious strife. It will open your eyes, as it has mine.>