I recently went to a U2 concert in Philadelphia with a group of evangelicals who have been working with Bono to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa. A few years ago, U2 took a tour of the heartland, stopping off at places like Wheaton College and the megachurch at Willow Creek to urge evangelicals to get involved in Africa. They've responded with alacrity, and now Bono, who is a serious if nonsectarian Christian, is at the nexus of a vast alliance between socially conservative evangelicals and socially liberal N.G.O.'s.

Today I'll be at a panel discussion on a proposed antipoverty bill called the Aspire Act, which is co-sponsored in the Senate by social conservatives like Rick Santorum and social liberals like Jon Corzine.

And when I look at the evangelical community, I see a community in the midst of a transformation - branching out beyond the traditional issues of abortion and gay marriage, and getting more involved in programs to help the needy. I see Rick Warren, who through his new Peace initiative is sending thousands of people to Rwanda and other African nations to fight poverty and disease. I see Chuck Colson deeply involved in Sudan. I see Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals drawing up a service agenda that goes way beyond the normal turf of Christian conservatives.

Rick Santorum, wants to dispense with social security and minimum wage.

I don't want anything to do with the ONE campaign.  It can be proven that the involvement of these far right members has made caused the program to be all hype and no substance.  We are concerned about aids but fight it with abstinence only.  We are concerned about poverty, but fight it by eliminating safety nets.

It doesn't work, and lefties should stop supporting the program because of their friendship with bono.  Liberals unfortunately tend to fawn on bono because he was a liberal back in the 80s.

Bono should promote religious moderates, not the religious right.


by strayroots on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 01:35:02 AM EST
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