God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It

I'm going to pick this book up at Borders tomorrow, It sounds like an excellent read.

since I'm too lazy to click that link and look around.... why don't you give me a quick overview of what the book is actually about, and why I should check it out

gosh, I feel like a teacher.... "did you do your homework sonny?"

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Since when did believing in God and having moral values make you pro-war, pro-rich, and pro-Republican? And since when did promoting and pursuing a progressive social agenda with a concern for economic security, health care, and educational opportunity mean you had to put faith in God aside?

While the Right in America has hijacked the language of faith to prop up its political agenda -- an agenda not all people of faith support -- the Left hasn't done much better, largely ignoring faith and continually separating moral discourse and personal ethics from public policy. While the Right argues that God's way is their way, the Left pursues an unrealistic separation of religious values from morally grounded political leadership. The consequence is a false choice between ideological religion and soulless politics.

The effect of this dilemma was made clear in the 2004 presidential election. The Democrats' miscalculations have left them despairing and searching for a way forward. It has become clear that someone must challenge the Republicans' claim that they speak for God, or that they hold a monopoly on moral values in the nation's public life. Wallis argues that America's separation of church and state does not require banishing moral and religious values from the public square. In fact, the very survival of America's social fabric depends on such values and vision to shape our politics -- a dependence the nation's founders recognized.

God's Politics offers a clarion call to make both our religious communities and our government more accountable to key values of the prophetic religious tradition -- that is, make them pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-environment, pro-equality, pro-consistent ethic of life (beyond single issue voting), and pro-family (without making scapegoats of single mothers or gays and lesbians). Our biblical faith and religious traditions simply do not allow us as a nation to continue to ignore the poor and marginalized, deny racial justice, tolerate the ravages of war, or turn away from the human rights of those made in the image of God. These are the values of love and justice, reconciliation, and community that Jesus taught and that are at the core of what many of us believe, Christian or not. In the tradition of prophets such as Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, and Desmond Tutu, Wallis inspires us to hold our political leaders and policies accountable by integrating our deepest moral convictions into our nation's public life.

That sounds like an interesting read... but I find less and less time to read as the year progresses, so chances are I won't read it.

Acctually no it doesn't. This sounds like a harsh generalization. On how dems and some how say that republicans aren't those things. They are all those things, they care about human life, they are for equality, they are for the enviroment. Its just a propaganda book that runs on BAD stereo types.

Haha, Somehow I knew you'd say that.

Despite it not leaning towards the left nor the right.

Telling it exactly the way it is, You claim it's propaganda because it doesn't line up with your view of the world and the republican party.

Atleast us 'lift wing liberal nutjobs' can accept our chosen party isn't perfect.

It's written by a Christian fed up with being called a liberal or a conservative from what little he talked about the book.

I wouldn't actually read that book. But I apreciate somthing it looks like it's trying to say. I have to agree with what it sais that God is being put in things it shouldn't, like politics, nationalism, govermental affares. For example: "God bless Amarica" (or canada or any other country, it's just the most heard it Amarica) Now why would God pick a country over the other, why would God pick a political party over the other, when God is supost to have his own kindome and be part of none other. God son himself said, acording the Bible: "My kindome deos not riside on earth" I mean REALLY God should not be intertwined with worldly affares. Theres nothing wrong with living in Godly morals, but politics and this and that... leave it out. So the book does look interesting.

I'm picking the book up mainly for my mom, she voted for Bush mainly due to the religion issue.

I showed the book to her on the website and she felt it would be an interesting read.

Looks like an interesting book, my mom also voted Bush this election, On some moral grounds, but it had to do with christianity in the end...

Kerry was not morally bankrupt, and its a shame he wasn't more open about his faith. I have no problem with leaders being religious, or being open about religion as long as it doesn't begin to take over their legislation, which is what I believe is slowly happening with the Republicans. Clinton had the perfect balance. He was a religious man and showed it through his politics, instead of making religion his politics.

I wouldn't read that, cuz it just uses generalizations and stereo types. Thats part of what is wrong with this country.

P.S.
Here are is interesting stuff i found out about
Link to the text its the second article
Commentary
Even though i know most of you dont want to listen or read that, i really wish you would. I think it really has some excellent points.

Ya I wouldn't read it too, it does look interesting and I would enjoy reading some, if not most of it, but some of the metireal would probobly end up making stop reading it anyway.