>From the L.A. Times this morning: Evangelicals battle over agenda, environment
By Stephanie Simon Times Staff Writer A struggle for control of the evangelical agenda intensified this week.... A new generation of pastors has expanded the definition of moral issues to include not only global warming, but an array of causes. Quoting Scripture and invoking Jesus, they're calling for citizenship for illegal immigrants, universal healthcare and caps on carbon emissions.... The renewed debate on moral priorities came as the National Assn. of Evangelicals which represents 45,000 churches and 30 million Christians gathered for a board meeting Friday in Eden Prairie, Minn. The board...appeared to embrace a broad view of the evangelical agenda, endorsing a sweeping human rights declaration. The board also reaffirmed its support for a 2004 Call to Civic Responsibility that urged evangelical engagement on seven key issues, including religious freedom, the sanctity of life, justice for the poor, and environmental protection.... [Rev. Jim Wallis] and others have sought to re-brand traditional slogans of the religious right, such as "pro-life," to encompass a range of programs, from working with AIDS victims in Africa to helping illegal immigrants achieve legal status so they can continue to live with their U.S.-born children. The Rev. Jim Ball, president of the Evangelical Environmental Network, has worked global warming into his definition of pro-life; he argues reducing carbon emissions will cut back on air and water pollution and that in turn will improve the health of pregnant women and unborn generations. "We're saying we can be pro-life and take care of global warming," Bal said. "There's a strong connection there."... [Randall] Balmer], [a Columbia University] religion professor, says he senses an unstoppable momentum for the new generation of social- justice evangelicals. But though he criticizes the traditionalists for "moral myopia," he's not willing to write them off yet.... "They're still very powerful," Balmer said. "And they're not giving up." http://tinyurl.com/2zugca
