TIME Magazine, Which Once Exulted that "God is Dead", Now Proclaims Death of So-Called "Religious Right"

TIME declares "The Religious Right's Era is Over":

As I have traveled around the country, one line in my speeches always draws cheers: "The monologue of the Religious Right is over, and a new dialogue has now begun." We have now entered the post-Religious Right era. Though religion has had a negative image in the last few decades, the years ahead may be shaped by a dynamic and more progressive faith that will make needed social change more possible.

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Evangelicals — especially the new generation of pastors and young people — are deserting the Religious Right in droves. The evangelical social agenda is now much broader and deeper, engaging issues like poverty and economic justice, global warming, HIV/AIDS, sex trafficking, genocide in Darfur and the ethics of the war in Iraq. Catholics are returning to their social teaching [ED.: Got that? After years in the wilderness of focusing too much on abortion, Catholics are finally being led back into the Promised Land of "progressive" politics by such Democrat-funded front groups as Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.]; mainline Protestants are asserting their faith more aggressively [ED.: By telling Catholics and evangelicals to "butt out" of such issues as same-sex marriage and adoption.]; a new generation of young black and Latino pastors are putting the focus on social justice; a Jewish renewal movement and more moderate Islam are also growing; and a whole new denomination has emerged, which might be called the "spiritual but not religious."

Even more amazing, the Left is starting to get it. [ED.: B.S. The John Edwards blogette imbroglio gives lie to this nonsense. The left is just as hostile as ever to those who take their faith seriously.] Progressive politics is remembering its own religious history and recovering the language of faith. Democrats are learning to connect issues with values and are now engaging with the faith community. They are running more candidates who have been emboldened to come out of the closet [ED.: What an interesting choice of words.] as believers themselves.

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Mark Shea nails it:

... This is not to say I'm an unqualified fan of the "Religious Right". Insofar as the "Religious Right" betrays the gospel for the sake of earthly power, I'm a big opponent of it, just as I am an big opponent of the (tiny and impotent) Religious Left when it sells its soul to defend blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

But what TIME means by the "religious right" is usually "Christians who take seriously the gospel and try to apply it in the public square in ways unapproved by the editors of TIME." And that means the usual pelvic issues. It also means things like public evangelism. Anything that "imposes" those values unapproved by TIME.

Martin Luther King did not "impose values" because he stood for gospel values TIME approves of. Fr. Frank Pavone *does* "impose values" because he stands for gospel values TIME disapproves of. And Alveda King, the outspoken neice of Dr King who says that abortion is the civil rights movement of our time? Well, she doesn't even exist at all, according to TIME, which never tells you anything about her.

That's a little clue about why you should take these "death of Religious Right" stories with a grain of salt. Remember: dock 50 IQ points when the MSM talks about religion.

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