The challenge for congregations is to take both liberals and conservatives seriously, and not write off or disparage the beliefs of either wing of the church. “I’m not left-wing ,and I’m not right-wing,” Warren often says. “I’m for the whole bird.” Being a whole-bird Christian means accepting that moral clarity rises out of the covenant made between God and Abraham, when God said, “Walk before me, and be blameless (Genesis 17:1).” But it also requires affirming that charity is equally biblical, and grounded in the exodus of God’s people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3:7-8). Thus, both clarity and charity should be seen as critical parts of a fully formed Christian faith.<\/p>\n
A church can be a meeting ground \u201d\u201d a place where people of diverse opinions and perspectives may gather, talk and even debate. I believe that church is the healthiest place for people to wrestle with difficult and divisive issues, such as immigration and abortion, because it is a community with a set of shared religious values. After a class on the importance of covenant and exodus in Christian life, church member Sharon Winstead said to me, “One side’s rhetoric still makes me grit my teeth, but at least now my head is saying, ‘They are being faithful to one interpretation of our religious heritage.’ ”<\/p>\n
Such discussions in the church might not be comfortable, but they can lead to greater understanding.<\/p>\n
Nearly 20 years ago, I wrote a review of Michael D’Antonio’s book Fall from Grace: The Failed Crusade of the Christian Right. Despite the wishful thinking of some at the time, the Christian Right hadn’t failed, and it cannot be pronounced dead today. Nor should it, because the right wing is just as important as the left wing for any bird that really wants to fly.<\/p>\n