The
future of our society will be shaped by the moderate majority, for the
first time in our long history, the moderates have discovered that they
don't need to bang their fist on the table, or scream bloody murder to
be heard, they have done it effectively at the ballot box, they waited
for the left or the right to move towards moderation, and the left
jumped on it and got the ride in 2012, and now the right is scrambling
for the ride. Continued at: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/01/texas-faith-is-religious-left-too-nice.html
…..
Texas Faith, Is the religious left too nice and without influence?
By Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist, Dallas Morning News, January, 29, 2103
The
Washington Post's Lisa Miller wrote earlier this month about how "nice
isn't going to win the battle for the religious left."
Miller
noted how the religious left once made the case for issues of great
consequence, such as women's suffrage and civil rights. But she contends
the religious left needs to greatly improve how it makes its priorities
and activities more compelling and newsworthy.
Wrote Miller:
"Kumbaya is not a story. Why can't we all just get along is not a story.
Since the rise of the religious right in the 1970s in reaction to the
Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade, the religious left has failed to
gain any comparable visibility, traction or voice on major issues in the
political sphere.
"News releases from the precincts of the
religious left continue to emphasize niceness over moral
authority….There's nothing wrong with being polite, of course. But a
great, galvanizing, undeniable moral argument is better. 'Civility is a
great friend of the status quo,' says Jim Naughton, partner at Canticle
Communications, which advises faith-based groups. 'People aren't going
to change because you're nice to them.'"
What do you think of her
point? Is the religious left indeed without the same influence and
profile as the religious right? If so, is it because the religious left
has tried more to be civil and nice than to make a compelling moral
argument?
MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism,
Dallas
We are conditioned to
seeing everything from a binary perspective; left or right. We lose
sight of the critical third dimension; the deadbeat moderate majority.
This is the group that is meek, civil and polite, but does act
decisively while casting the ballot.
Indeed, the religious left is more influential than the right in pulling the moderate votes.
Obama
is reelected with a greater margin over his rival on the right. The
public support for legal abortion is accumulating despite the religious
right. Same sex marriage is gaining greater acceptability. Obama care is
in, Immigration reforms are underway, and gun safety regulation is
gathering momentum. Heck, the wars will end with no desire to engage in
another senseless war.
On the other hand, the religious right is
losing, not because of inadequacy in their principles, but because of
their belligerent, unintelligent pounding on the airwaves, and turning
the moderate majority off.
Jim Naughton makes a powerful point
that Civility is a great friend of the status quo; he is talking about
the moderates, and not the ones on the left. Whether it is the city
council meeting, church gathering or in informal gatherings, it is
always the people on left or the right who drive the conversation, they
have no qualms in speaking out passionately, even though they get shot
at alternatively by the other, they don’t lose the enthusiasm for their
point of view. Whereas the moderates, keep raising their hand politely,
hoping to get their turn, but never get a chance to get their point
across, they don’t know how to bang their fist on the table, such an act
is rude and stupid to them.
Years ago, a Nun made a remarkable
point on Tim Russert’s Meet the press. The right will frighten the
public and attempts to win by guaranteeing to take care of them, the
left will match their tall claims, while the moderates have difficulty
in embellishing and giving false hopes, they lack passion.
America
is moving towards the center, the moderate majority is realizing its
power to keep things at an even keel; they want an America that is good
for every one of her citizens, in fact they made that difference in 2012
through the ballot, as they do not have the passion to speak out.
Indeed, Americas’ future will be shaped by the moderates.
. . . .
------------
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a
writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at
work place and standing up
for others as an activist. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and
offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. Mike has a
presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent
guest on Sean Hannity
show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he
contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News, fortnightly
at Huffington post, and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes everything you
want to know about him.
