Wa-huh? "Religious left gears up to face right counterpart"

An amusing little story:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The religious right, which helped re-elect
President Bush in 2004 by rallying opposition to abortion and gay marriage, is now facing a pushback from the religious left.

With a faith-based agenda of their own, liberal and progressive clergy from various denominations are lobbying lawmakers, holding rallies and publicizing their positions. They want to end the Iraqwar, ease global warming, combat poverty, raise the minimum wage, revamp immigration laws, and prevent "immoral" cuts in federal social programs.

Some, like the Rev. Robin Meyers of the United Church of Christ in Oklahoma, marry gay couples and seek to reduce abortions while rejecting calls by the right to outlaw them.

"I join the ranks of those who are angry because I have watched as the faith I love has been taken over by fundamentalists who claim to speak for Jesus but whose actions are anything but Christian," declared Meyers, who has written a new book, "Why the Christian Right is Wrong.

...

Some progressive clergy, reaching out to the sick, joined a diverse coalition that took on the right in a battle this month to expand federally backed embryonic stem cell research. [because the "right" is just so opposed to helping sick people...]

...

But it's unclear how big an impact the religious left will have.

Laura Olson, a Clemson University expert on religion and politics, said the religious left is energized, but "a lot of times it shoots itself in the foot. It often pushes an overly broad agenda that results in conflicting priorities." [Exactly.]

And analysts warn that greater activism can worsen the political divide.

"Religion has never been as politicized in recent times as it is right now," said Allen Hertzke, who teaches religion and politics at the University of Oklahoma.

... and the "religious left" has never been as confused in recent as it is right now. It's hard to find a leader when there is nothing - no truths - to unite the movement. I guess they'll settle on their common dislike of the right?

Why am I so strongly reminded of the Vestibule of the Futile in Dante's Inferno? The banner is as blank as ever, but everyone is still so very eager to rush around after it... in circles, that is.