The authors of the 40-page report\u201d\u201da cross-section of evangelical leaders and Third Way staffers and consultants\u201d\u201dacknowledge the difficulties involved in bridging the considerable political and cultural divide on such thorny issues. (Indeed, a leader of the National Right to Life Committee has called the Third Way approach \u201ca political ploy to silence the debate.\u201d\u009d) But consensus is possible, the authors argue\u201d\u201dthrough better communication and a greater willingness to focus on common goals. Those goals include reducing the need for abortions through better access to birth control, and also by providing more financial support for would-be mothers who might otherwise abort due to financial concerns. One of the evangelical leaders who has endorsed the idea of working together is the Rev. Joel C. Hunter, pastor of the Orlando-based Northland Church, who also serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Evangelicals. The former president of the Christian Coalition, who now preaches to a congregation of 12,000, talked with NEWSWEEK\u2019s Eve Conant on the prospects of bridging the cultural divide as the 2008 election looms. Excerpts:<\/p>\n
NEWSWEEK: You are endorsing a paper that talks about bridging a gap between evangelicals and progressives. Does that mean that you are a progressive evangelical yourself?
\nRev. Joel C. Hunter: It depends on the issue. I\u2019m pro-life, I\u2019m against the redefinition of marriage, and I\u2019m against pornography and gambling. On issues related to compassion I\u2019m more progressive\u201d\u201dsuch as doing all we can for the environment, fighting poverty and the AIDS epidemic.<\/p>\n