You guys really need to read Brian McClaren's "Everything Must Change". The whole premise of it is question #2

 

Here is how he frames the book

 

What are the greatest problems facing the world today?

 

What does Jesus say about those problems?

 

It is pretty powerful, especially the chapters on African missionaries. At some point in the next few weeks I will exerpt a couple of paragraphs here and there so you can get a feel for it.

Prop 8.

 

Many African American families and Latino families have very strong streaks of conservatism running through them despite their propensity to vote primarily for Democratic candidates as of late. I think this is simply an issue where blacks and latinos fall into the conservative category. One thinks of the traditional "black" church and you envision a passionate people worshipping our God and singing hymns of praise (the way worship was meant to be imo).

 

When I was very young, a friend and I were downtown in Nashville following a heavy night of partying. We were getting ready to drive back to school but as we were walking we passed a church we knew to be an African American Baptist church and decided to enter (as a joke sad to say) and see what happened. When we entered, we were literally the only white dudes amongst a sea of African Americans. What started as a stupid joke ended as one of the most meaningful moving experiences I have EVER had in ANY church I have attended. People swarmed to us, greeted us, and welcomed us in as no other church has since that day. To my dying day, I will never forget that wonderful experience.

:thumb:

Good stuff, Getslow.

 

Your response to Question #1 brings out my intended sub-plot question:

 

Knowing that black and Hispanic voters (as evidenced by that vote on Prop 8) are a church-going segment of our culture and are NOT necessarily in lockstep with Democratic social agendas, what can the Republican Party do to cultivate its relationship with the black and Hispanic communities and break the stranglehold the Democratic party seems to have on those communities?

As I've said many times before if the Republican Party wants to bring more blacks into their party the church is the perfect place to start. Also I mentioned before that I was a Reagan Democrat. I also stated that I almost changed my voter registration to Republican. I felt more in tune with the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan. I became frustrated with what the Republican Party had become and decided not join.

 

I can tell you with absolute confidence that more blacks would go with the Republican Party. I'm really happy to see some of the comments in this thread.

 

Getslow is really hitting on what needs to be done. Have you ever thought about running for political office? :thumb:

I offer two topics. I will zealously defend my thread from any piracy:

 

1. Black and Hispanic voters in California SUPPORTED Proposition 8 in Calfornia by a margin of 75% to 25%, carrying it to a surprise victory. What are the implications, political and cultural, of that vote?

 

2. In scripture we are instructed to obey our leaders, "as they are appointed by God." I have often heard it paraphrased that we are called to "live in this world but not be of this world." To what extent should the Church be equipping its saints with instruction from the pulpit and the Sunday School about how to live in this world, including involvement in politics, government, and business?

 

Yarrr, if ye wants me off your schooner all ye needs ta do is asks, me hearty.

 

In regards to topic 1: I'm too lazy an inept to know what Prop 8 is.

 

Topic 2: The Church has every right to express their beliefs, but they must keep in mind that they are teaching exactly that: BELIEFS. Not FACTS. Not ASSURANCES, but teaching a faith, and people can choose whether to be faithful or not. Our politics, government, and businesses are things that we have developed to help our families grow in a way that's different from the way religion helps our families. The two can often intertwine and influence, but I don't think any church should make it a POINT to do that.