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April 27, 2005
Instapundit's Worry
Andrew Sullivan notes that Glenn Reynolds is concerned over the GOP's direction. See the first point in the update. Also check out Glenn's post on the matter.
In all honesty, I don't think that Glenn's worries are unfounded. If nothing else, we must be aware of public perception. The GOP is running a very real risk of convincing the swing voters of this country that it is the party of James Dobson and Jerry Falwell. I don't for one second believe that to be the total truth, but if you're naive enough to be a swing voter, chances are you won't be sharp enough to tell the difference between George W. Bush and Pat Robertson.
Conversely, I think it is legitimate to worry that non-Christians, or at least the unchurched, may percieve that traditional evangelicals and, I suppose in some cases, Catholics, are the religion of the GOP. I doubt very seriously that Justice Sunday helped to dispell that notion. As with the GOP itself, I don't think it's an entirely fair stereotype. Nevertheless we must be aware of public perception, however skewed it might be.
Allow me to simplify. Even if you and I, as conservatives, understand that James Dobson isn't running the GOP ship, we're still in trouble if enough Americans believe that in fact is the case. The truth as you and I know it is just an anecdote if 50% of the electorate thinks the GOP is out to turn the whole country into a church. Likewise with the Church. I know good and well that Al Mohler cares more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ than about the programs of the Republican Party. I do my best to explain this to others when the topic comes up. But what about the guy down the street who can't tell the difference? If the lines are blurred too often, I think it's a serious concern that the church will lose its effectiveness as the Body of Christ.
Posted by Matt at April 27, 2005 01:59 PM
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» It's the theocons! from The Unalienable Right
Matt at Stones Cry out links to a post on Instapundit that expresses worry the Republican party is becoming the party of Dobson and Falwell. Glenn Reynolds said,
The Republicans' weakness is that people worry that they're the party of Jerry Falwell a... [Read More]
Tracked on April 27, 2005 07:16 PM
Comments
I am a Catholic, and please, let me say, the GOP does NOT represent me at all. The Dems and Reps are just different shades of the same color.
Posted by: Billy D at April 27, 2005 02:54 PM
Let's face it. The MSM will continue to exagerrate the ties between the Republican Party and evangelical Christians. They want to scare moderate people into thinking we're just one election away from an American Taliban.
Hogwash! The culture is slipping into darkness, and the GOP hasn't managed to provide any traction to stop it. Where have we truly won on a religious issue? The unborn still die, the defenseless get starved and dehydrated to death, and our entertainment choices consist of picking the least offensive pieces of sewage from the effluvia of Hollywood.
Posted by: Kelly at April 27, 2005 03:19 PM
While I'm a Christian and a Republican, I'm no fan of James Dobson as a political activist.
But I am far less concerned with whether Dobson is running the Republican Party than I am with Christian leaders who make it seem that being Christian equals being Republican. They are allowing Republican ideology to run the Church!
I know, to use a dated metaphor, I will seem like a broken record on this. But there is simply no way to say that being a Christian means that one must be a conservative or a Republican.
In past generations in fact, and even among some Christians today, it would be unthinkable for them to be anything other than liberal Democrats.
Both are wrong.
Posted by: Mark at April 28, 2005 12:25 AM