The current criticism of Progressive Revival by Street Prophets at Daily Kos highlights the tension in both religion and politics over who is "progressive enough" in this campaign season. They write that the Revivalists are not "an expression of the Religious left....Tthe people I recognize are really political centrists, and if you count social issues, some of them wind up being on the right of center."
"Certainly they're not progressives as I understand the term's meaning today. It's great that people oppose the war or want more spending on poverty. But to be really progressive requires a willingness to confront the creeping authoritarianism of the conservative movement and an understanding that the American political and media systems are in dire need of reform. It's really not enough to say "we should all get along and do the right thing.""We've got to do something different, in other words, not just the same thing only better. That involves being able to step outside the system to critique people like Steve Waldman's new boss Rupert Murdoch. It also involves the ability to critique even allies who aren't stepping up to the plate on needed reforms. Somehow, I don't see this roster having the heart to do the latter, and I'm pretty sure they won't be encouraged to do the former.
"Which means that the outer edge of allowable discourse from religious progressives will be fixed well before the point that would produce any meaningful change. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they'll all surprise me. But at the moment, I'm thinking this is a problem."
It was intentional that we invited a mix of voices on Progressive Revival. One of the things I most deplore about President Bush is his self-satisfaction and his narrow circle of advisors that insist on the "God given" righteousness of their actions. I say widen the circle so that the tax collectors, the Pharisees, the sinners and the poor all come together at one table and are inspired to create new solutions so that God's kingdom might be formed on earth, deliberately, and progressively. That is not moving to the center -- that is creating a new center where we are.
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Paul:
This is a fine response to my post. I'll return the favor in the morning - I've got something to say about it.
But do me a favor: the name of my site is Street Prophets. We're affiliated with Daily Kos, but we're not "at" them. Separate site, separate editorial control. Markos isn't responsible for what I say, I'm not responsible for him.
Thanks, Dan
I've been reading Street Prophets for a few weeks now. I enjoy PastorDan's approach. However the context of that blog seems to be primarily Christian. Not exclusively, at least from what I have seen, but the majority of posts there come from the Christian religious perspective.
By explicitly inviting non-Christians to post here, this environment may indeed seem somewhat more centrist than Street Prophets. I strongly suspect, however, that the difference is much smaller than either PastorDan or you would believe it to be. On a variety of issues the two blogs will come down very close to each other. On a few there might be some significant differences, but I think those instances will be few and far between.
Should we care what anyone at Daily Kos thinks?
Talk about something real, please!
"One of the things I most deplore about President Bush is his self-satisfaction and his narrow circle of advisors that insist on the "God given" righteousness of their actions."
Calm down. Mr. Bush is leaving the White House in 175 days. Either Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama will be the next president. And you can leave the judgement of Mr. Bush to the only One who matters. Advice: Can't build a progressive movement by bashing your enemies. Not constructive. Makes you look just like them, only with opposite views. Get over Bush. BTW right-wing bashing is very passe. We can certainly talk about something else.
It is true that general tone of Street Prophets is Christian, particularly in its congregational aspects, like the daily "Prayer Closet," which developed organically in the first year of the site. Indeed, there many Christians of orthodox belief including Pastor Dan himself. But one doesn't have to look far to find other views, & discover they are in our mainstream. We tend to agree over there that this "widening circle" encompasses a more tolerant, liberal cultural sensibility than the political establishment concedes to the nation-at-large. & we probably also agree that if one's personal religious goal is to form God's Kingdom on Earth - worthy enough dream - one doesn't have to put that on the written agenda & bring it up for a vote. Keep it off the table.
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