In America, the most vocal Christians also tend to be the most conservative and right-wing. We don't hear much religious talk from moderate and liberal Christians. In some ways, that's fine - not every public conversation should be infused with religion. In other ways it's not fine because it leaves the most conservative voices with a monopoly on public religion.

Robyn Blumner argues that moderate Christians need to start making more noise:

If the Christian Right is going to turn its followers into Republican Party operatives and its churches into political war rooms, then the moderate Christian community has to push back. [...]

John Danforth, an Episcopal priest, retired U.S. senator from Missouri and lifelong Republican, has been speaking out. He says the embrace of the Christian Right agenda by Republicans has made the nation meaner and has stymied action on vital national issues such as Social Security and health care.

“As a senator, I worried every day about the size of the federal deficit,” Danforth wrote last year in the New York Times. “I did not spend a single minute worrying about the effect of gays on the institution of marriage.” He’s writing a book to call moderates to arms.

I agree with Blumner that more moderate voices are needed — if nothing else, public and religious discourse are better off when there is more variety of perspectives and ideas. Just how likely is it, though, that moderates will start making more noise? The Christian Right is influential because they are committed to a cause and a vision. There won’t be a Christian Left with anything close to the same influence and power unless they, too, have a cause and a vision to fire up voters and activists.

 

Christian Right & Christian Nationalism:

• Religious Right News
• Christianism & Christian Nationalism
• Religion in America

 

Christian Nationalism & Dominion Theology:

• Dominionism & Dominion Theology
• Christian Reconstructionism
• Leading Christian Reconstructionists
• Reconstructionism & Christian Right: Common Goals, Beliefs

 

Christian Right Issues & Agenda:

• Religious Privilege
• Christian Privilege
• Christian Supremacy