Thanks to Jim Wallis and Sojourners for providing this opportunity, and best wishes!


Mike Hayes



I think that true bipartisan cooperation and discussion among members of congress and the administration will lead to confidence in our government by a significant majority of citizens, when and if that ever does occur.



Otherwise, we will continue to have alternating periods of time in which either conservatives or liberals (at best, a slight majority of all citizens) have confidence in our government.



I think the "Change the Wind" concept suggested in "God's Politics" may provide the opportunity for true bipartisan cooperation to begin to occur, in our national government.>

Those of us in Asia will be eavesdropping :-)>

I would hardly call Mr. Reed a credible voice for principled religious conservatives, for he's discredited himself with his cynical and disingenuous involvement with disgraced
lobbyists and played both sides of the fence on the gambling issue. He recently lost his bid for elective office due to religious conservatives abandoning their support for him. Religious conservatives are strongly opposed to gambling, and Mr. Reed's stunning hypocrisy exemplified by his own written statements now made public disqualifies him from representing anyone, save perhaps, his own cohorts who have done so much to damage both their country, and in his case, the name of Christ.>

Hum, M Southall. I tend to agree, but perhaps we need to see what he writes. It will surely be very interesting.>

M Southall and Kitty: After reading your posts I located a Wickipedia article about Ralph Reed, which was helpful to me and might also be helpful to others who, like me, aren't as familiar with who he is (the photo also helped).


I do think the opportunity to observe and to participate in this bog will be very helpful to me. It surely will bring together persons whose views differ, greatly, which will benefit all of us.



Wickipedia link follows:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_E._Reed,_Jr.



Mike>

Jim Wallis says that this blog will be a place for real dialogue and that he finds "...people across the political and religious spectrum who are looking for the 'moral center' of our public life, for the moral choices and challenges below the surface of our political debates, for a true values politics that challenges the selective moralities of both the right and the left...".


I hope we will have opportunity, here, to get some sense of that... opportunity for liberals and conservatives to realize that we do share in the values that are described in the book, and that, together, we can speak out to candidates and elected officials of both major parties (for example, in support of persons in poverty here in our country and in countries which experience extreme poverty).



And, on what might be one of the most difficult topics, may we have the opportunity, here, to learn what liberals and conservatives might be able to do, together, to encourage candidates and elected officials to support programs that will actually do something to reduce the number of abortions in our country.



Jim Wallis encourages us, liberals and conservatives, to "Change the Wind", a term he uses to characterize this outreach to candidates and elected officials of both parties.



May this blog help us all gain some understanding of how conservatives and liberals might accomplish that, together, in our various legislative and congressional districts and states.



Perhaps participation by well known conservative personalities (for example, Ralph Reed) will encourage participation by other conservatives, thereby allowing the necessary dialogue to occur, here, and thereby enabling us to begin the effort to "Change the Wind".



I've been hesitant to try, in part because I don't want to do more harm than good. Being able to observe and participate on this blog may give me the wisdom and confidence to try.>

An interesting proposal.


Of course, dialogue between two or more people is a possiblility only if all parties are willing to participate in the exchange of ideas and the communal testing of valid arguments.



Naturally, I hope that the religious Trolling that undermines dialogue in so many other areas of social life is not permitted to sabotage dialogue here.>

Ralph Reed has long represented and helped set direction for the Religious Right . . . and he is certainly not alone among those of his ilk who have been recently discredited. Frankly, I'm not sure Reed would have accepted the invitation before recent revelations; politically, I imagine he would have thought he had nothing to gain. And, personally, I find him no less credibly now than before. I'm sure that Wallis would be quite willing to accept others that aren't considered tarnished; the question is, would they accept the invitation? In the meantime, let's hear what Reed has to say.


Besides, remember that Jesus guy--He was known for hanging out with bribe-takers and assorted other sinners . . . ;-)>

Looking forward to hearing more from Jim...>

Dropping by at the eaves ;)>

Great; I'm looking forward to it.


It's very necessary for Christ's Church in the US today, certainly



A housekrrping detail: The comments window is riny, and has no option to enlarge the font that is, my old eyes can't read it! Help!



Thanks!



TV2 aka Ted Voth Jr>

Jim - Looking forward to it!>

Best wishes with this new project!


pax,

Mark Bushor>

Can't wait to read it, Jim. Thanks for putting this together.>

My hopes are that Ralph Reeds will demonstrate a brokenness over how he has let himself become captivated into politics as usual and tarnished the Christian witness.


I also hope that both Wallis and Reed will find time to consider my Pragmatic Prolife Manifesto, which I think could be something where common ground could be found.



dlw>

I was absolutely thrilled when I first heard about this project, and I'm even more excited now that I've read more of what's to come.


Jim Wallace has single handedly renewed my faith in the power of the Christian community to be a powerful, but gentle, force for justice and peace in the world. So many times I've become frustrated and discouraged by the harsh, authoritarian Christian groups dominating the political landscape in America, but the people at Sojo have given me hope that humble dicipleship is still alive and well. I can't thank you enough.



Best wishes on the blog!>

Colorado and a few other states have a wonderful system of neighborhood meetings that are held every two years for the purpose of nominating to the primary ballot.


This caucus system provides the average person with the best chance of getting on the ballot and getting elected to office.



That is why powerful forces constantly work to undermine it. Here in Colorado there was a constitutional amendment put before the voters by these forces in 2002 which would have distroyed it in Colorado.



GK Chesterton said that Jesus meant it when he said to love your neighbor, the people that live right next door.



Local politics gives us the chance to meet these people. It's hard to love people if you don't know their name!



I hope you'll address this issue, the grassroots in politics today, the positive side of party politics, and not just focus on issues and phone-banks politics.>

Well...this should be fun!>

Looking forward to reading your insights, I might be an Australian, but your ideas are certainly something we need to hear!>

Welcome!!!! This should be fun...


And please bring Anne Lamott aboard!!!>