By the same logic, people in Germany should have voted for Hitler because he helped the economy and built good roads. He really lifted up the poor in Germany-- well, at least, most of them. And in our society we help the poor by telling them to kill off their babies. Not a major issue? Jim Wallis, you are selling out for the sake of some good roads!

"In other words conservative evangelical issues like the definition of marriage, the sanctity of life, prayer, and answering the ultimate metaphysical question of our cosmological origins are divisive and should be abandoned. But liberal (or progressive) evangelical issues such as better pay, universal health care, and genocide outside the womb are issues that unite and should be embraced by everyone."

I think Doctor Tony Beam needs to consult with our Lord God Almighty, the Physician and Creator.

Abortion aside - do you really believe that:
-putting the definition of marriage down on paper
-the right to pray freely (which, in effect, exists already)
-teaching creationism (teach your kids what you like; but look at the polls)

...should take precedence over

-making sure Americans have enough to eat
-making sure Americans have the right to good medical care
-stopping the needless, holocaust-like killing of people in Sudan and other places (and in the Sudan, most of the torture and death is wrought upon Christians)
-stopping the needless destruction and killing that is happening in Iraq, merely by American PRESENCE there; not to mention the thousands of our own soldiers and civilians killed there...

Do you really think that people are still going to put the "important Conservative Issues" above the issues that are right in front of everyones' eyes? I am sorry, but it doesn't compute.

If anything, I believe that the extreme fundamentalist so-called Christians in Washington have to learn what the PRIORITIES are, and what TRUE CHRISTIAN VALUES are; and in turn, they have to learn WHICH CHRISTIAN VALUES SHOULD BE INTERTWINED INTO THE POLITICS of our nation.

I think we will all see that, this time around, Christians - indeed, most all of the diverse and beautfiul people of our nation will realize that the so-called "moral issues" are so far-off from the center of the issue spectrum, that they will vote with their real conscience - the one that they see DAILY and feel DAILY and hear about DAILY on the news. The proclamation signed by Christian leaders may be an agenda of its own, but maybe it winks in the path of what is really righteous and true - the health, safety, and welfare of every living soul - and the terrible spiral that we are headed down if some major things are not fixed.

What would JEsus do? He would vote in a way that would save as many lives and improve as many lives as possible, for his love knows no boundaries. But these conservative values are nothing BUT boundaries - an effort to force one theological perspective upon 300 million people, if not the entire planet. And right now we need to break down the boundaries - for in the real Christ, there are none.