The right-wing claims to have some sort of monopoly on Christianity and they claim that liberals are godless heathens who have no values. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The left-wing has Christians too, and they are collectively known as The Christian Left.
The Christian Left is a group of liberal Christians who support political and social movements that promote social justice. They believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, like caring for the poor and healing the sick, and in that effort, they also support universal health care, welfare provision, subsidized education, foreign aid, pacifism, and Affirmative Action for improving the conditions of the disadvantaged.
The Christian Left follows the true teachings of Jesus as written in the Bible and believe the Christian Right has their priorities wrong. Jesus consistently advocated for the poor and the helpless over the wealthy, the powerful, and the religious. If the Christian Right actually read the Bible, they would find that it contains over 300 verses on social justice, the poor, and God’s concern for both.
Ps. 140:12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.
Luke 6:20-21. Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
James 2:5. Did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
In the Bible, God commands us to help the needy and the sick. Sadly many churches, especially on the Christian Right, have abandoned these core principles upon which the Christian religion was built. The Christian Left, however, has NOT abandoned them. They have embraced them.
Deut. 15:7. If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.
Prov. 31:8ff. [Commandment to kings.] Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.
Jer. 22:3. Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
According to the Bible, there are serious consequences for those who seek to oppress and take from the poor.
Is. 10:1-3. “Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights… Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar?”
The Christian Left has made it their mission to fight for the poor and the sick. Here is their mission as stated on their Facebook page.
“To follow Jesus by taking actions on behalf of the oppressed, the sick, the hungry, the poor, the incarcerated, the lonely, the disabled, the mentally ill, the mistreated, the war-torn, and the weak.”
The Christian Right on the other hand, has made it their mission to punish the poor on behalf of the wealthy. They have chosen war over peace, hate over love, believe in the death penalty, and believe the disabled are inferior. I believe the following Bible verse talks about both sides. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell which side is the righteous side.
Prov. 29:7. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor; the wicked does not understand such concern.
It’s pretty clear that the Christian Left is a righteous group that strives to improve the plight of the poor, while the Christian Right strives to steal from the poor so that the rich can be richer. Do you sometimes wonder exactly who is being robbed when the Right advocates against the poor? The answer comes to us straight out of the Bible itself.
Prov. 14:31. He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
When the Christian Right turns their backs on the poor, they turn their backs on God. That’s not righteous at all.
The Christian Left is also all-inclusive. They believe everyone has a place at God’s table, no matter their color, nationality, sexuality, or gender. They are the complete opposite of the Christian Right who believe only wealthy white people deserve to eat with the Lord. Unlike the right-wing, the Christian Left believes homosexuals are God’s children too. The only sexual morality we should each be concerned with is our own. Concerning ourselves with abortion and homosexuality only divides us and distracts us from real issues like making sure everyone has health care and making sure the poor are cared for. Even the Bible acknowledges this. Sodom wasn’t destroyed because of sexual immorality; it was destroyed because it “had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease”– a pretty accurate description of America isn’t it?– and it “did not help the poor and needy”.
Members of the Christian Left do not always march in lockstep, but they agree that we need to practice the true teachings of Jesus and care for our fellow human beings in need. In a world where money and greed have become values, the Christian Left opens their hearts every day to those in need. They travel on a righteous and spiritual road toward salvation and love, and have committed themselves to the noble work of Jesus Christ. The Christian Left also welcomes anyone who would like to join them and their cause. If you consider yourself a member of the Christian Left or if you’re interested in learning more about them, you can visit their Facebook page, facebook.com/TheChristianLeft or you can visit them on the web at http://www.thechristianleft.org/.
I count myself as a member of the Christian Left, and I hope you will take the time to support them as well. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone and make sure that the true teachings of Jesus flourish in America.
The “Christian Right” definitely does NOT reflect Biblical Christianity as it only reflects the interests of the status quo. The Left isn’t exactly right either, because Biblical Christianity isn’t divided into either/or categories of Compassion and Morality (not speaking of the “Christian Right”), but those who are only interested in preaching the Gospel, but not in practical and tangible ways like social justice. It is both / and. If it’s only one sided, it’s not Christianity. You can’t be one without the other – you can’t be morally right only and not love others and also you can’t just love others and not be a worshiper of God in private / lifestyle. You can be morally upright or a champion of social justice without loving God. If it is only about the left, you don’t have to be a Christian to do that, there are other religions or atheists who serve others much better. If it is only the Right, there are other religions or atheists who are more moral and upright than they are. Christianity is both inclusive and exclusive – as Mark Driscoll (sorry, I know you love him. lol)puts it, “All are welcome to walk through the narrow gate.” if you want to talk about lifestyle. All are welcome to deny themselves and whatever their proclivities and propensities may be. Gay or straight the expectations on sex are the same whether married or single. Are we willing to surrender our all, our desires, our thoughts, our appetites, our plans, our ways for God’s enjoyment and glory to receive his best? Anyone can come to the narrow gate, but not everyone will want to (this is what it all comes down to) if it is presented clearly for people to make a clear and conscious choice, so that they will truly receive what they choose without any illusions or else we will “convert” folks into people into thinking they are Christians while, unknowingly, are really non-Christians. I agree, folks on the Right are merely worshiping their own comfort and status, but it can’t only be about social justice. I used to be on the Left and noticed that they(we)were also the most morally weak, lacking discipline in their our own lives, because we love people more than we loved God. I woke up out of that one day and realized that our service does not (and cannot) replace our worship in our private living – being more devoted to the cause of Christ than Christ himself. We must love and serve God AND others, in that order. Loving God leads to loving others as he would have us, but it does not work in the reverse. It may feel that it does and perhaps it might encourage more gratitude to God, but chances are if unchecked, can lead to something less, and more dangerous – a self serving kind of Christianity, not unlike the Right.
I have a rather nit-picky comment to make, but I hope that the author of this article sees it.
In the article, 7 times Jesus is referenced as the basis of the “Christian Left”, including the quote from the FB page. However, of the 9 Biblical verses quoted to support the idea that Jesus is the basis of this movement, 7 of those verses are from the Old Testament, which of course predates Jesus, and never once mentions him.
While I agree that Jesus preached on behalf of the poor, and that he would probably be disgusted with the American Christian Right, I think that it would be helpful of the author could produce some Biblical verses in support of that idea.
I hope that this comment isnt misconstrued to think that I am either allied with the right wing, or anti-Christian; I simply think that the article failed to cite sources that would effectively make the point that it purported to make.
The story of the good Samaritan is probably the best example of who Christians are to be when dealing with the needs of others. In this story the historical enemy of a sick man stops to help him when the religious leaders had passed him by. The Samaritan provided for the sick mans healthcare by transporting him to a doctor and then paying for his services!
Yeah, the Christian Left supports taking money away (by force and/or threat of force) from those of use who have worked very, very hard to earn it and give it to the entitlement-mentality ne’er-do-wells that they so love.
Well, if they love them so damned much, then they can give all of *THEIR* stinkin’ money to support them. I have no problem with charity practiced on a voluntary level — it should have stayed there, instead of becoming institutionalized theft to support a party who wants to maintain their “power base.”
Because Wall Street brokers, Paris Hilton, and Charlie Sheen “worked really really hard for that money.” You sound as stupid as I’m sure you are.
“The right-wing claims to have some sort of monopoly on Christianity and they claim that liberals are godless heathens who have no values.”
There are two main reasons why they say this and can get a free pass from the MSM.
1. Most liberals are woefully unaware of what’s in the Bible, just like those who claim to use it as their foundational law book. The vast majority of those who claim to believe in that book of mythology have never actually read it. I recommend reading it. You will quickly become an atheist. It would be literally impossible not to become an atheist after reading it.
2. Those who proclaim themselves to be ‘moderate’ Christians are ENABLERS of the lunatic zealot fringe. They’re precisely like enablers of alcoholics.
And there you go.
Also, I think the harshness of the words spoken about the conservative Christians is very judgemental, and makes your values seem hypocritical. You may want to think about it, and show love to all of God’s children.
Peace to you.
I personally do not align with any particular political party. I do follow Jesus and his teachings, though. One area that I am confused on is the areas that the Christian left states “concerning ourselves with abortion and homosexuality only divides us and distracts us from real issues like making sure everyone has health care and making sure the poor are cared for.”
By stating that the left does not concern themselves with these issues mean that they have no opinion on them? Or does it mean that even though the God is very clear about these issues, we will leave the judgement up to Him? I am all for loving our brothers and sisters. I’m all for leaving judgement up to God. I am not an advocate of pretending that sin doesn’t matter, that immorality of any kind doesn’t break our Father’s heart. Just as judgementalism is sinful, the Bible is very clear that homosexuality and murder are sinful too. Not our place to judge, but also not our place to ignore his commands.
I post this just because it confuses me. God does not command that we only be concerned about ourselves. We should also be concerned for our brothers and sisters on Earth, his children. And the new Christianity that says that agrees with the worldly view that “whatever you choose is ok” just doesn’t seem to be Biblical to me.
it’s not “whatever you choose is ok,” it’s “stop telling folks their natural inclinations, if not harmful, are NOT ok.” You see, the issue is not whether the Bible says so, because the Bible, in the same book that condemns homosexuality, also condemns eating shell-fish, touching dead people and mixing meat and milk together. According to Jews, anyone that TODAY mixes meat and milk on the same plate, or even USES a plate that has had such double contact, is a SINNER. Not ALL Jews, but certainly some. So, your absurd idea that “shell fish eating” is ok now, and not proscribed by DEATH, is just that: absurd. Because folks still live by these commandments you so easily toss off. You just choose WHICH commandments you feel like following. And, painfully, you choose ones that clearly fly in the face of science and common sense. You have no problem eating shrimp, which is also PUNISHABLE BY DEATH, but you think it’s ok to tell humans that they can’t love who they wish physically because “it doesn’t sit right with YOU,” not the Bible. If you followed the BIBLE, you would NEVER EAT SHELL FISH OR MIX MEAT AND MILK. Instead, you follow WHAT YOU WISH TO, and some of those things are hurtful and WRONG. You have no problem with people petting dogs, but you do if two men pet each other! You are INSANE. You love dogs more then your own brothers and sisters! You think affection is ok between you and a dog,but not between two men! You are CRAZY! And you can’t even back up your irrational, hateful assertions with science and measurement! The entire animal kingdom is filled with homosexual activity, and at a GENETIC LEVEL 10-15% of the human population is predisposed to loving their own sex! So, please, stop referring to the Bible as your “guide” until you actually use it in ALL things, not just the cherries you pick and choose!
Did you know both the “Christian Right” and Christian Left are Christian? They have different opinions about things like whether it is the responsibility of the individual or of the government to care for the poor. Research has demonstrated that people who identify themselves as liberal give (on the whole) significantly less to charity than those who identify themselves as conservative. Is this not because the Left pays taxes with the goal of helping the poor while the Right gives to private organizations for the same purpose? Both see themselves as giving to help others.
We can disagree about where help for the poor comes from and where it should come from, but that doesn’t mean that the Christian Right does not work diligently to provide assistance for the poor and disadvantaged, just because they do not see it as the government’s role. To say that the Christian Right believes “only wealthy white people deserve to eat with the Lord,” or that they “have turned their backs on the poor” is not only cruel and unjust, it’s inaccurate. It’s also hurtful to be called a racist, especially when it is an unfounded accusation that does nothing but slander a large group of Christians. (This is not to say that all people who call themselves Christians are not racist, nor is it to say that all people who call themselves Christian are Christians.)
It is okay to have disagreements and discourse in the body. The vast differences in denominations indicate that people have been interpreting the Bible differently since Jesus ascended into heaven. But in the end, are we not all brothers and sisters in Christ? Is it right to speak so disparagingly of fellow believers? Even though we can disagree on the right policy prescriptions and the amount of government involvement we want to see (a valid disagreement, as Jesus did not speak to using the government specifically as the means to help the poor), as believers we’re still members of the same body. Shall we really cut off our nose to spite our face?
I consider myself a member of The Christian Left (both generally, and with the organization on Facebook) too, and while of course there’s always a lot more complexity and nuance on both ends of the spectrum than labels like “right” or “left” might paint it, there are clear distinctions too.
I know of plenty of sincere Christians, including some ministers, who align very strongly with the values of love, compassion, and mercy outlined in this article — and in the case of the ministers I’m thinking of, who have taken a vocal stand against the religious right — yet who also may either draw the line at some other social issues (abortion and same-sex relationships seem to be the Big Two bogeymen, usually), or maybe have a different approach to some things (say, healthcare) than others do. And they might be uncomfortable with identifying themselves with the term “Christian Left”. (Part of that also stems from the social and political baggage, as some see it anyway, that comes with the catchall term “left”, which I trust open dialogue will clear up in time.)
And of course, there are those on the Right too, who don’t march in quite the lockstep on every issue that a lot of public voices might give the impression they do. I grew up religiously and politically conservative — though, in the 1960s and ’70s, before “the Right” began its headlong lunge toward ever-further-right polarization and hardcore ideology — and it was exactly over the Right’s growing “hardcore-ism” in the 1980s that I began standing more and more at arms’ length from what called itself “conservative”, and not keeping in step with them.
Eventually (in the early ’90s), I found myself at a wonderful church, whose pastor was one of those I mentioned earlier, who took an outspoken stance against the religious right (which was his background, as well — and he’s the son of a prominent pastor who heads a large, conservative denomination), although at the same time he was one of those who wouldn’t consider himself on the “Left”. He just didn’t see that the Christian “right” was actually following Jesus, whom they said they wanted to follow — not when you compare their acts, words, and attitudes to his, anyway.
Finally, the protracted national debate over healthcare a few years ago shocked me as I listened to the ever-more-openly callous position that both the political and religious Right dug into, and it forced me back to review the abundant biblical passages (I’ve been a 35-year Bible student, and went through an excellent, conservative graduate theology school) concerning care for the poor, ill, or oppressed.
To my real dismay, I found that for decades I had practiced denial ignoring the very obvious stance of the Bible: that it IS very much part of government’s responsibilities to care for the poor and needy (as it is also everyone’s responsibility to help, of course); I had simply always believed what I’d been told in my youth, that “the Bible’s commands to help the poor are directed at individuals or the church, not at the government” (and, trusting those who taught me that, I never questioned it). Jeremiah 22 and the first half of Proverbs 31 are but two of very many passages that bluntly state government’s responsibility to help the poor.
The answer was so clear as to make me ashamed that I’d denied it for so long: it is absolutely part of government’s direct job to care for the poor (including, in this case, those who can’t afford healthcare for themselves or their families), for the direct reason that the Golden Rule is a responsibility for all people to practice toward all others, and of course every act or policy of government is not only enacted by people, but has real effects on the real lives of other real people.
That, if anyone asks, is the central reason that governments are NOT exempt from responsibility to practice the Golden Rule (“In everything, do for others what you would want them to do for you”). Government “of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE, for the PEOPLE [and an observer who heard Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address noted that he emphasized the word "people" all three times]” — remember that? There’s no abstraction in government: whatever government does has direct impact, sooner or later, on people, an impact that people in government are accountable to take thought for, “in everything”.
“Fiscal accountability”? Fine; as long as consideration for the direct and immediate impact on people is put first. Will a “fiscal accountability” measure first have a direct impact of threatening more people’s livelihoods, homes, ability to feed their families, to afford healthcare, to keep from getting ill or dying sooner? Then that gets taken care of first — that’s where “responsibility” should show up first, as care for people. The nation is “we the people”, not “we the financial bottom line” (which is what emphasis on putting “fiscal accountability” first ends up making it into).
Long-term impact is vital too, of course; but trumpeting a policy’s alleged long-term impact, when the immediate impact is real hardship and agony for people, ends up valuing natural selection (as even some conservative voices are now saying openly: “These are tough choices, and some will suffer, but …”) over genuine care for people. “We the people”, by the way, implies a concern for one another, to stand together as one, not a national policy of “survival of the fittest.”
Care for the poor, the sick, the needy? Yes: that’s a responsibility for people in government to extend to ALL the people in the nation they serve. There’s no excuse to skirt around that.
And since, in a free country, We the People ARE the government, and our taxes are our contributions to a pool of funds to be used for the common good (contrary to a lot of conservative objections, taxes are not “the government taking” anything, which is the most common right-wing canard to dodge that) — the only clear solution is for our taxes to support a program of national healthcare, the public healthcare that other developed and prosperous nations provide to all their citizens.
So have I gone through my own evolution to become part of The Christian Left? You bet I have. Now I’m joining with thousands of others (as of this writing, The Christian Left on Facebook counts more than 26,000 members) to call the Christian Right, Middle, or Anywhere Else, to just do what they say they want to do: follow Jesus.
Oh yes, and speaking of his views on the poor and needy, those who say they want to follow him might keep this in mind: “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’” (Mt 25.44-45).
People matter. Our care for them, for the “least”, for those who cannot provide for themselves, matters. If we want to live in a society where we believe “We the People” are what comes first — and if those who say they want to follow Jesus care about actually having the same care for others that he does (let’s hope they do) — then the values of The Christian Left (which, we are glad and privileged to find, are also held by very many of our friends there who are NOT Christian, or not religious at all!) are values that our whole society should be sharing.
“We the People”: the Golden Rule, not survival of the fittest.
So you came to the typical “Christian Leftist” conclusion: take the resources (by force) from those who work hard for it and give it to “the deserving.”
Spare me. Some compassion, buckwheat.
Thank you for your post, I especially appreciate the last sentence. It’s important to remember that Christians don’t have the monopoly on being good people with good values. And, as you found, if we pay attention we often find that those who are loudest about their self-proclaiming Christian status are often living the worst examples of true “Christian” values (as in what would Jesus REALLY do?). Unfortunately, that behavior turns many away from Christianity because so much of the Christian Right comes across as pompous and self serving. Most of them are even too closed minded to realize that there ARE Christians on the Left!
So much of what we believe is a learned behavior from our childhood, we can learn hatred and judgment or we can learn love and tolerance. I’m thankful for how my parents raised me, we may not have been raised in a church but they taught us by example how to be kind, loving, & generous human beings.
It IS possible to raise good citizens without a religious foundation. I tried going to Christian churches as an adult, but I was turned off when I realized that I was taught better values than any of them were preaching and/or living. I can’t watch Fox news for 5 minutes without horrible flashbacks of what I witnessed in organized religion!
Sadly, I think many people who link themselves to “The Christian Right”, probably have never tried to examine the beliefs logically or haven’t tried to use the brain they were given to think for themselves. It seems that “The Right” now stands for “We’re RIGHT and everyone else is WRONG”! It has become a type of “mob mentality” and it can be very scary to look that in the eye.
Well, very well written! I wish more people would understand this stuff and stop being so cynical.
There’s a phrase (“The Christian Left”) you don’t hear every day! LoL
Don’t mistake my comment as ‘mocking’, though, as I’m in the same boat as many of the awesome people here. (White, 30 y/o male, Catholic, Liberal)