"End Times for Evangelicals?"

The title of the cover article in yesterday's New York Times Magazine, "End Times for Evangelicals?" fits this blog to a tee as I often explore the juxtaposition of my Democratic viewpoint and Pentecostal beliefs. Here are some quotes from prominent evangelicals quoted in the article. They show, despite the title of this piece, American Evangelism is alive and well. In fact, it is expanding into a more mature movement, something the religious right is too narrow-minded to understand.

1) "In the evangelical church in general there is kind of a push back against the Republican party and a feeling of being used by the Republican political machine. There are going to be a lot of evangelicals willing to vote for a Democrat because there are 40 million people without health insurance, and a Democrat is going to do something about that." (p. 64, Paul Hill, Pastor, Wheatland Mission, former Associate Pastor at Central Christian, 7,000 members)

2) "We shouldn't allow a child to live under a bridge or in the back seat of a car. We shouldn't be satisfied that elderly people are being abused or neglected in nursing homes...You can't just say 'respect life' exclusively in the gestation period." (p. 66, Mike Huckabee, Soutern Baptist minister, Governor of Arkansas, Presidential candidate)

3) "There is this sense that the personal Gospel is what evangelicals believe, and the social gospel is what liberal Christians believe, and, you know, there is only one Gospel that has both social and personal dimensions to it." (p. 60, Gene Carlson, former Senior Pastor, Westlink Christian Church, 7,000 members)

4) "If there is racial injustice in your community, you have to speak to that. If there is educational injustice, you have to do something there. If the poor are being neglected by the government or being oppressed in some way, then you have to stand up for the poor." (pp. 44-45, Bill Hybels, Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church --12,000 member churchs in Willow Creek Association)

5) "The Indians are saying to the chiefs, 'We are interested in the poor, in racial reconciliation, in global poverty and AIDS, in the plight of women in the developing world.'" (p. 45, Bill Hybels)

6) "If more Christians worked to alleviate needs in their local communities, the church would become known more for the love it shows than for what it is against." (p. 44, Rick Warren, Senior Pastor, Saddleback Church, author of the bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life)

7) "I think that a superpower ought to be the exemplification of a commitment to peace...This is just a simple but important extrapolation from what a human being ought to do, and what a human being ought to do is what Jesus Christ did, who was a champion of peace." (p. 44, Jimmy Carter, former President)

These quotes speak for themselves.