The Left in Religion Will Win

For the decade I've been reading Christian sites, books about religion and entertaining myself by writing this blog, I've become convinced the Christian left would survive the downward drift of religion longer than the right. If history repeats itself, neither will last forever. A new unexpected development is several "mainline" preachers running for high political offices and polling well. While predicting the outcome of elections has been embarrassing for me and many others, I think some of these mainline preachers will win. When they do it will energize, perhaps only a little, the view that Christianity is not exclusively gay bashing, anti women and anti abortion. The term "real Christian" or "genuine Christian" will broaden to include something besides the right wing.

One of the pleasant recollections of my many years as a mayor was sitting at head tables of conferences and banquets waiting to give a welcome from the city. Often, a pastor was there waiting for his or her brief time at the podium giving a prayer. Since other people usually knew each other, the pastor and I were left to visit with each other. With encouragement, they would share a bit about the tensions in their church and demands of the work. I came away from those experiences with admiration for the patience and negotiating skill it takes to be a preacher.

With that in mind, it should be no surprise that pastors would run for political office and have some success. They come prepared better than most of us. First among the giant political figures are Rev. Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. In recent history, John Danforth served in the Senate. Rev Ralphael Wornock now congress is head pastor of King's Church in Atlanta. There are a dozen or more in Congress who hold some credentials as clergy but few made it their occupation.

The current crop of preachers, men and women, who are running is something new. They are white mainline pastors with moderate and tolerant views on social issues. That they stand in and take the criticism from the self-righteous right signals, in my view, reflects the staying power of moderate Christian views and the reason these views will outlast those on the right.