Y E S ! ! ! ! !

Finally, the liberal religious community is speaking up.

While the political right wing has been co-opting religion as if they were ordained by God to impose ultra-conservative political priorities, I have repeatedly wondered where the liberal religious community was hiding. They were such a powerful force for change during the civil rights movement.

Rep. Todd Akins (R-MO), a member of the House Budget Committee and Chair of the Armed Services Committee, made news a few days ago, by saying on Christian radio that: “[A]t the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God and a belief that government should replace God.”

Religious leaders are calling him out for this. “. . . Jesus did tell his followers that the best way to tell if someone loves or hates God is to find out how they treat the poor," wrote a spokesman for the progressive religious organization Sojourners.

An ecumenical group of religious leaders in Akins' home state of Missouri wrote him:

As Missourians of faith, we found your statement . . . to be ignorant and offensive. Scripture clearly warns us to “judge not, lest ye be judged,” yet you condemn in disrespectful, stereotypical terms those with whom you disagree. Such insulting pronouncements degrade our nation’s political dialogue and are unworthy of a public servant who claims to represent the interests of all of his constituents.

And in light of your support for a federal budget that mainstream faith leaders have overwhelmingly condemned as punitive toward the poorest among us, we call on you to reconsider not only your words, but also your moral priorities as a political leader. Accusing others of being inspired by hatred of God while you vote to deprive the weakest and most vulnerable of medicine and basic sustenance is the antithesis of moral leadership. We call on you to apologize, and we pray that you are moved to act in a spirit of civility, compassion and justice in the future.

Thanks for speaking up, folks. We've been needing you to reclaim the social gospel of Jesus from the perversion the right-wing "Christianists" have made of it.

Ralph