An Open Letter to Liberal Bloggers

Over the past couple of weeks our theme has been trying to find ways to promote an agenda of economic fairness as a way of expressing our moral values as a society and our religious values as moderate and progressive people of faith. In some of its most central economic and tax policies, the Bush Administration has favored the economic interests of the wealthiest two percent and opposed attempts to help the less advantaged such as recent efforts to raise the minimum wage. Two things are clear from responses to our recent posts. First, many (especially white) secular liberals are uncomfortable with those of us who express our values in moral or religious terms; second, there is a longstanding history of such action among African American church leaders and there seems to be a greater comfort level in doing so in the black community.

In her recent FP Interview, BlackandChristian.Com founder Jacqueline Trussell expressed the second point very well:

"FP: We have been very impressed with the unity and progressive agenda of the various mostly Black Baptist groups (Please see our post: Black Baptists Unite on Progressive Agenda) Do you have any thoughts on this effort?

JT: Yes in fact my mother attended the meeting and is active in one of the Black Baptist groups that convened. The four Baptist groups that met represent a significant portion of Black Christians. They have the ability to reach a great number of people every Sunday morning and through various other media. There is potential for great things to happen around an agenda that speaks of "uplifting the race" through social, political and economic change. What remains to be seen is how this will be implemented. The Black Church, whether Baptist, Methodist or Church of God In Christ, has always been at the forefront of any movement for change as it relates to people of African descent."

FP found it very interesting that when 15 million Americans came together and united on a common progressive agenda after the election it received almost no coverage in the liberal press. The fact that it happened under the auspices of Black Baptist groups that had been battling each other for decades made this story all the more newsworthy. But there was almost no coverage in the liberal magazines, still less on the lefty blogs. If 15 million Move On activists had met after the election, FP suspects we would have heard a little more about it! But a black friend told me the lack of response from the liberal press is "nothing new."

Why do I raise this potentially controversial issue? Certainly the last thing we want to do is create any hard feelings between groups that need and respect each other. FP simply asks that even the most secular liberals afford some respect to people of faith.

So here's our advice, which I seriously doubt will be followed, but which I hope you will at least consider before you post some anti-religious screed on a blog or snark about people of faith of the left or right. Please remember that there are tens of millions of us black, white and brown Americans whose participation in the political system is largely inspired by our religious and moral values. Please remember that we have been involved in every struggle for justice, peace and civil rights this country has ever had and that many of those battles would not have been won without these efforts. Unlike some on the religious right, moderate and progressive people of faith do not seek to tell you how to live your own life. But we do demand respect, just as we attempt to give it to others who disagree with us.

Peace, FP