Religion
Moderate theologians ask: How would Jesus vote?

By BOBBY ROSS JR
The Associated Press

HARRY CABLUCK / AP John Moyers, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, shouts, "We are here," during a panel discussion in Austin, Texas. "It's not enough to be," Moyers says; progressive people of faith must announce their presence.

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AUSTIN, Texas — At a conference of moderate and left-leaning religious and lay leaders here this week, a provocative question emerged: How would Jesus vote?

It's a complex topic that can't be boiled down to simple political terms, said religious leaders at a Texas Faith Network conference. James C. Moore, co-author of "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George Bush Presidential," drew laughter and applause when he offered his view that "if ever there were a bleeding-heart liberal, it was Jesus Christ."

"I think the carpenter from Galilee was the original Democrat."

A backdrop for the conference is, of course, a presidential race that pits President Bush, a Republican who openly professes his evangelical Christian beliefs, against Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, a Democrat and Roman Catholic who is more reluctant to discuss his faith publicly.

Many at the conference voiced concerns that the religious right dominates discussions of faith and morality in politics. They complained that abortion and gay marriage seem to take priority over hunger, corporate crime and even the war in Iraq.

"The sound bites and headlines have co-opted people of faith," said the Rev. Tom Heger, pastor of St. John's Presbyterian Church in Manchaca, south of Austin. "It would be a surprise to a lot of folks to discover that there are some very faithful, regular church attendees who aren't going to vote for Bush."

Conservative pastors such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "would have us believe that morality is all about where you stand on abortion, how you treat homosexuals. I think that is simply wrong," said John Moyers, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for American Progress.

The Rev. Timothy Tutt, pastor of United Christian Church in Austin, balked at the perception that Bush is the only choice for people of faith.

"As I read the Scriptures and as I understand faith, God's side is the group that's feeding the poor, caring about children, making sure that people have enough food to eat — not killing others."

Juan Galvan, Texas president of the Latino American Dawah Organization, a group of Hispanic Muslims, said he's certain Jesus would not vote strictly for Republicans or Democrats.

"Prophet Jesus, or Isa as Muslims call him, would look at the stance of politicians on various issues before voting," Galvan said. "He would weigh in the good and bad of each individual."

Michael Jinkins, a pastoral theology professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, said: "Based on my reading of the Gospels, I think Jesus might surprise us all on his voting record. He was far less 'religious' than the people who criticized him most. In fact, Jesus might not support Bush or Kerry — or anyone else, for that matter."

"Jesus was not one to take sides on political issues," said Derek Davis, director of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University in Waco.

While there were obviously no Democrats or Republicans during the time of Jesus, different groups vied for attention, including the fundamentalist Pharisees, the aristocratic Sadducees, the spiritually devout Essenes and the revolutionist Zealots.

"Interestingly, Jesus never sided with any of these groups but remained above such earthly disputes," Davis said. "This does not mean we should do the same. He was God. We are mere humans."

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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