Three months ago, Tom Perriello, the Democratic challenger in Viriginia’s fifth congressional district, announced that his campaign workers would be required to spend a tenth of their time doing volunteer work. Previous campaigns have done the odd bit of community service, but this appears to be the first to make it an integral part of the enterprise, and to couch it in religious terms as a form of tithing.
While there has been a great deal of attention about the importance of faith to the 2008 Presidential election, there has been less attention paid to the fact that “faith friendly” Democrats look to gain some seats in Congress this fall.
Just four years ago, during the last Presidential election, leaders on the religious right were the only white evangelicals whose voices were heard in the public arena. This year, however, is very different.
The Washington Post today has a piece on how the Epistle of James is being invoked again and again by Democrats. The epistle, at times maligned for its emphasis on works (which, say critics through history, implies that it downplays faith), is regarded by many as one that emphasizes community and ethics.
The world, both rich and poor countries, is clearly facing multiple crises. Unfortunately it is poor people who suffer the most, suffering immensely from food price increases. We expected this year’s G-8 summit to reflect the gravity and urgency of the situation; but rather we got more and more talk and zero practical, measurable and tangible commitments with set timelines.
Ted Widmer writes in the New York Times magazine that the connection between liberals and evangelicals may be stronger than we think and as old as the nation.
Last Tuesday, presidential candidate Barack Obama attempted to reclaim the partnership between government and faith-based agencies, which he no doubt witnessed in his days as a community organizer, but six little words ignited an explosion he may not have anticipated.
Douglas Kmiec is the kind of Catholic voter the G.O.P. usually doesn’t have to think twice about. The Pepperdine law professor and former Reagan Justice Department lawyer (Samuel Alito was an office mate) attends Mass each morning. He has actively opposed abortion for most of his adult life, working with crisis pregnancy centers to persuade women not to undergo the procedure. He is also a vocal supporter of Barack Obama. Kmiec made waves in the Catholic world in late March when he endorsed the Democratic candidate.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town today called on the Southern African Development Community to establish mechanisms in Zimbabwe to bring about an end to political violence. He also urged Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF to recognise the legitimacy of its political opponents. Read his statement.
The New York Times examines Barack Obama’s courtship of evangelical voters who cast their ballots for George Bush, and notes that it has been met “by an increasingly intense reaction from the religious right.”