A Unique Opportunity For Our Voice To Be Heard

Usually when forums on the role of religion in politics happen, modern Pagans, not generally considered a useful political demographic to target (yet) are not invited. But when that forum is held on the web, it gives a unique opportunity to make our ideas and voices heard. Philocrites points to a two-week progressive religious forum hosted by The Rockridge Institute, home to George Lakoff (a participant in the forum) author of “Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values, Frame the Debate”.

The forum’s stated goal seems to be creating a new “religious left” to offset the monopoly of the “religious right”:

“The success of the religious right in appropriating the language of Christianity has led many progressives to become wary of religion in the public sphere. Because of this, fundamental religious values like compassion, justice and peace are largely absent from our political discussion, and progressive people of faith do not see their concerns addressed. To counter this trend, a group of leading progressive organizations has joined together in this online event to discuss how left-of-center values and spirituality can be combined to create a political movement by learning how to frame ideas in the context of the greater American experience.”

Sounds good but Philocrites has a very good point to make about the efforts to build a religious progressive coalition up to this point (emphasis mine):

“Why am I not jumping up and down for joy? Actually, I am, although I suspect that the much-anticipated religious left will fumble around for a bit longer before finally finding its groove. At some point it simply must grow broader than the Jim Wallis, Michael Lerner, and Bob Edgar Show ? each of whom I greatly admire. Experimental networks of religiously oriented political activists keep springing up, mostly to no avail, but someone is going to put the pieces together eventually in a way that makes a difference. Hopefully with some local congregational or social oomph.”

For me that means full inclusion and participation by all progressive faiths. Not just the Christian and Jewish groups that won’t offend voters in the “red” states. So I urge my fellow Pagans, Heathens and Goddess-worshipers who are concerned about the role religion has been playing in politics lately to sign up and participate in the forums.

Tags: Neopaganism