Good to hear, especially today. --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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 >
