Name a very prominent American political figure who was born in the Midwest and was a devout evangelical who spent much time on the lecture circuit defending the Christian faith and arguing that religion is the only reliable foundation for morality. He was also a progressive Democrat (though, alas, he shared in the white supremacism that marked the Democratic Party for so long) who vigorously opposed unbridled capitalism. In foreign policy, he is known as a staunch advocate of peace.
If you think you know the name of someone who fits this interesting (I think) profile, post it in a comment. American history graduate students are disqualified!
– Sydney
Alan Schmierer
Hmm. William Jennings Bryan?
William Jennings Bryan?
You got it, Jared. Too bad he’s only remembered for the Scopes trial these days. When do you think will be the next time that we’ll have a devout evangelical as a Democratic preidential candidate?
Real devotion does not exist in politics. To succeed in that arena, you have to be driven by the belief that government is the last, best hope of humanity. Astute persons will note that this is a doctrine somewhat at odds with orthodox Christian theology. If I remember correctly, Jennings Bryan’s political career was not especially successful, particularly when compared to his abilities and qualifications.
But we’ll have an evangelical Democrat poser the next time it’s politically expedient. Given the demographics of the country, that shouldn’t take too long. The further apart we move the extreme polarities of “left” and “right,” the closer they get to each other on the back side of sanity.
Have you heard Lisa’s observations about organic food and alternative health care being embraced by people at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum? What else would my parents and New York liberals have in common? 🙂 Maybe “sanity” isn’t the word for it–the point is that “spectrums” can be circular.