What's a 'Red-Letter Christian'?

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**Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. That’s why we created a new name for our Christian political movement. **

http://images.beliefnet.com/imgs/x.gif http://images.beliefnet.com/imgs/x_ccc.gif Recently, I met with a group of religious leaders who have become increasingly disturbed by the alliance between evangelical Christians and the Republican Party. Karl Rove, President Bush’s political strategist, has brilliantly and successfully served as the matchmaker to arrange this union, which was consummated in the last presidential election when 83 percent of evangelicals voted Republican.

The meeting was joined by the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine; Father Richard Rohr, a well-known Catholic writer and speaker; Brian McLaren, a leader of the emergent church movement; the Rev. Dr. Cheryl J. Sanders, a prominent African-American pastor; the Rev. Noel Castellanos, a strong voice in the Hispanic community; and several other outstanding Christian communicators.
The purpose of this gathering was not to create a religious left movement to challenge the religious right, but to jump-start a religious movement that will transcend partisan politics. Believing that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, we want to unite Christians who are concerned about what is happening in America.
 
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cestusdei:
Sounds like another left wing democrat movement to me. Yawn.
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Sounds like people interested in showing Gods love.
BH
 
I was just watching the colbret report (Great show) and they had Clinton’s former spiritual advisor which he said he was a red-letter christian… I didnt get it but I usually dont get a lot of things.

Off topic but Colbret did recite the Apostles Creed on his show and then said “We are not here just to discuss the one true religion but other religions as well” it was great.

Then he introduced this guy as “Clinton’s former spiritual advisors” Then asked “Do you know who my spiritual advisor is?.. God”

Funny show, sorry to get off topic.
 
If the Democratic Party or any other party besides the Republicans would allow people with Pro-Life and conservative Pro-Family views a voice, they might not have this lopsided situation. Until they rectify that, I don’t think it matters how many religious leaders get all excited about this, it won’t change.

You have to wonder about religious leaders raising this issue and not at least addressing the fundamental reason for it being this way to begin with.

You think the Clinton’s would put a hard line Pro-Life’r / Anti-Homosexual Marriage candidate on their next campaign ticket? I don’t think so. And I wouldn’t trust them if they tried it. Their track record proves where they stand, as does the Democratic Party’s track record to date. They’ve made it a point to shut down any voices within their own party that raise these concerns.

So Jesus may not be either Democratic or Republican, but I think it’s safe to assume that Jesus, being the Creator of life and the marriage sacrament, is anti-baby killer and pro-man/woman marriage, whichever party that may turn out to be.
 
What would happen if the Evangelicals deserted the only party that has given them any voice whatsoever? What happened when people deserted their party in the past to vote for someone who had no chance whatsoever to win in a major election? Does Ross Perro (sp?) ring a bell? Or Ralph Nader (on the liberal side)? The only party that Evangelicals have a real chance to be heard at all and possibly effect change, will lose miserably, and you have just given a free pass for the other side.

I understand the idealistic dream, but it hasn’t worked in the past, I don’t think it would serve the Evangelical community who’s largest concern at this point in time, is Culture of Life and conservative Pro-Family issues. This is where the battle will be won or lost for everyone.
 
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cestusdei:
Sounds like another left wing democrat movement to me. Yawn.
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Way to prove the need for this. It’s attitudes like this that ensure nothing ever gets any better for anyone.
 
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BrianH:
Sounds like people interested in showing Gods love.
BH
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Don’t confuse “showing God’s love” with “abandoning God’s standards”.
 
If the Republicans put up a pro-choice candidate, I’m sure the results would be a lot less lopsided. I think a lot of people where torn on the war, but the abortion issue made a big differance.
 
sounds like another losing party to me — remember history, who did third party recently put into office in our live time?
 
Well, let’s see what their party actually stands for and promotes before making any judgments-- but it does sound like a rehash of Democratic party ideology. Where can one find their official stance on such things as abortion, euthanasia, unethical biotechnology, homosexual marriage, etc.

We already have a reliable source for guiding our conscience when voting for candidates: The Magesterium.

Unless a ‘party’ lines up with Catholic moral teaching, they should be approached with the same caution as Democrats and Republicans.
 
Community action does not have to be government action. I think they have the right destination in mind, they’re just trying to board the wrong train. The real need is to rally the Christian community into more organized acts of social service, APART from government. Let’s face it, government agencies screw up everything they get their hands on. We already have a welfare system, a social security system…, all horribly run and none able to serve the public as envisioned.

If Christians would stop looking to the government to solve ALL social problems and rally themselves in great numbers to get involved in charitable community service, we would not have the need to involve an out of control government machine that is bound to take the money and make it disappear before it reaches those in need. Look at Habitat for Humanity, a perfect example of harnassing the spirit of giving and keeping the momentum going for a real impact in communities. It can be done.

American Christians are not stingy. We have always stepped up to the plate to give, both nationally and internationally, especially in times of crisis. That giving spirit needs to be motivated and harnessed in a more consistent fashion and things could be accomplished without involving government. This is where they need to focus, not on creating another political party which is doomed to fail.

If Christians have not been able to agree and get along with each other over the past 500 years in matters of faith, which we are admonished to do in the scriptures themselves, how in the world are they going to form a political party and not end up killing each other! Let’s be real.
 
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Ahimsa:
The meeting was joined by the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine; Father Richard Rohr, a well-known Catholic writer and speaker; Brian McLaren, a leader of the emergent church movement; the Rev. Dr. Cheryl J. Sanders, a prominent African-American pastor; the Rev. Noel Castellanos, a strong voice in the Hispanic community; and several other outstanding Christian communicators.
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I don’t know about the others, but Richard Rohr supports cultic exercises such as enneagram. He is in favor of radical feminism and is a public dissenter of Humanae Vitae. His retreat centers promote unorthodox instruction and false teaching.

Classic dissention. :rolleyes:
 
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Ahimsa:
Code: 
  Recently, I met with a group of religious leaders who have become increasingly disturbed by the alliance between evangelical Christians and the Republican Party. Karl Rove, President Bush’s political strategist, has brilliantly and successfully served as the matchmaker to arrange this union, which was consummated in the last presidential election when 83 percent of evangelicals voted Republican.
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The Democrats just dont get it. Karl Rove didnt convince 83% of Evangleicals to support Republicans. It is the Democrat party’s oppostion and downright mocking of just about everything Evangeleicals hold dear. If Democrats want the support of Evangelicals they need to drop their support of taxpayer funded abortion on demand, their hostility to Faith being expressed in public and their support of so called homosexual rights.

.
 
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estesbob:
The Democrats just dont get it. Karl Rove didnt convince 83% of Evangleicals to support Republicans. It is the Democrat party’s oppostion and downright mocking of just about everything Evangeleicals hold dear. If Democrats want the support of Evangelicals they need to drop their support of taxpayer funded abortion on demand, their hostility to Faith being expressed in public and their support of so called homosexual rights.

.
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Thank God Democrats don’t want those people.
 
Problem I have with people who label themselves as “Red-Letter Christian” is this.

They do so because in many modern Bibles the words of Jesus are rendered in red ink instead of black.

What I see wrong with this is that it gives the impression that what Jesus said is a different message than the rest of the Bible.

It isn’t.
 
Actually, I believe Colbert quoted the Nicene Creed, not the Apostle’s creed. It surprised me, he came across as quite faithful to his religion (mentioned 41 years of Church going for instance).

I think the Early Christians did take the words of Jesus very seriously as one of the reputed early sources for the Gospels was a Jesus says book, that literally had Jesus quotes in it. So this was important to the disciples. I would take Jesus far more seriously than I would Paul as Paul was just a man, Jesus was both man and God.
 
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a_cermak:
Actually, I believe Colbert quoted the Nicene Creed, not the Apostle’s creed. It surprised me, he came across as quite faithful to his religion (mentioned 41 years of Church going for instance).

I think the Early Christians did take the words of Jesus very seriously as one of the reputed early sources for the Gospels was a Jesus says book, that literally had Jesus quotes in it. So this was important to the disciples. I would take Jesus far more seriously than I would Paul as Paul was just a man, Jesus was both man and God.
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But are the words of Jesus in the Bible truely the words he actually said?

The Bible is the Word of God. It is Inspired. But part of what we need to remember is that it is also the work of man. God worked though man in the writing of the Bible.

We can not take one part of it as greater than any other part of it. That is nothing more than picking and choosing.

And while there might have been a collection of the sayings of Jesus you will notice that this book did not make it into the Bible which, again, is the collection of the Inspired Books, the Word of God.
 
I suspect the reason they call themselves “red-letter Christians” is because in some Bibles, especially protestant ones, the words of Jesus are printed in red letters, and liberals are fond of pointing out that “Jesus never spoke about homosexuality or abortion but He spoke about helping the poor a lot.” I won’t talk about the fallacy of that argument now but that is probably the reason they call themselves “red letter christians.”
 
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