1 Boring Old Man

U.S. evangelicals call for step back from politics

A group of U.S. evangelical leaders called on Wednesday for a pullback from party politics so that followers would not become "useful idiots" exploited for partisan gain.

One in four U.S. adults count themselves as evangelical Protestants, giving them serious clout in a country where religion and politics often mix. Conservative evangelicals have become a key support base for the Republican Party.

But the movement has had growing pains and the statement issued on Wednesday, called an "Evangelical Manifesto," is the latest sign of emerging fractures as some activists seek to broaden its agenda beyond hot-button social issues such as opposition to abortion and gay rights.

"Christians from both sides of the political spectrum, left as well as right, have made the mistake of politicizing faith," the manifesto declares.

"That way faith loses its independence, the church becomes ‘the regime at prayer,’ Christians become ‘useful idiots’ for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology in its purest form," it said…

… Car No. 78, owned by Furniture Row, was painted red, white and blue and named “The National Day of Prayer.” It was driven by Joe Nemechek, who qualified the car for the coveted pole position. The car was in the eighth position on the last lap before crashing just a mile from the finish line. Nemechek was not injured. Very special thanks are in order to the sponsor, Furniture Row Racing, and our new friends at NASCAR.

From Talladega, Dr. Dobson joined his wife, Shirley, in Washington, D.C., for the annual NDP* observance ceremonies. In addition to meeting privately with various government officials and supporters of Focus on the Family, Dr. and Mrs. Dobson hosted a regal prayer reception at the Willard Hotel on the Wednesday evening preceding Thursday’s national commemoration. On Thursday, May 1, the Dobsons joined several hundred friends for a grand ceremony hosted by President George W. Bush in the East Room of the White House.

* National Day of Prayer