The Institute on Religion and Democracy, a certainly right of centre group, seems to be upset that some American religious leaders are going to visit Iran on a visit of peace. The delegation, organised by the Mennonite Central Committee and American Friends Service Committee, is described in the IRD news release as a "coalition of liberal religious leaders" (emphasis mine). I grew up in Pennsylvania and one would have to stretch the truth at least twice as far as the Bush administration average to call the Mennonites liberal. It is laughable. Even many members of the Religious Society of Friends, who were prevalent in Chester County, were really "small c" conservative in many ways. Both groups are, however, strictly pacifist (Richard Nixon being a notable exception) and strongly concerned with human rights and dignity. I guess these are to be considered traits of the "loony left" these days. I guess Jesus is on my side now!
1 comment:
Well, there are very few Mennonites and Friends, in the US. Probably less than half a million. Most pacifist Christians in the US are members of the more politically liberal mainline denominations like the PCUSA, United Methodists, and Episcopalians. So I'm not sure who's stretching more, here--you or them. As a matter of shorthand, it isn't wrong to say that most Christian pacifists in the US today are on the political left.
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