I love Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama...

This week a manifesto of sorts will be released by a subset of the conservative evangelical community.  Although I think I will be in agreement with its core, I can't really comment until I have read it.

Reform is needed... I am not saying we need to be apolitical, but I am saying I am so darned tired of the stereotypical ideology of the Religious Right.  It is almost as if the platform of the Religious Right and Moral Majority has eclipsed the tenets of Evangelicalism.  I am first a follower of Christ.  I am evangelical in its fundamental sense.  I care more about the my relationship with Jesus, His perfect Word, salvation through grace alone, His kingdom and soon return, sharing the love of Jesus with others, as well as loving the inclusive not exclusive body of Christ the Church, than I do about politics.  Evangelicalism should not be a political word.

Don't get me wrong, I am personally against abortion, I am for marriage, I am for a reduction in government and taxes, I am against socialistic policies.  But I am first a lover of Jesus and my neighbor.  These loves influence, yet supercede my political viewpoint.  There is no difference between my love for Howard Dean and my love for Billy Graham.

Here is a quote from the AP article, "Evangelicals say faith is now too political", written by Rachel Zoll and Eric Gorski

"Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word "evangelical" has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars."

See this ap article here.  I look forward to reading the manifesto...

Rob