Red Letter Christians

As we enter into another U.S. presidential election season, there is one thing that is becoming apparently clear. The Republican party is losing its stranglehold on one of its core constituencies -- evangelical Christians. A growing number of Christ-followers who are defined as evangelicals are turning their focus beyond the issues typically defined by the far-right wing of conservative Christians (e.g. gay marriage, abortion, etc). While acknowledging the importance of addressing these issues, there are a number of us that believe that the Christian faith affects more areas of life than just those that deal with sexuality.
As Democratic presidential candidates are becoming more vocal about their own faith, I hope that we can enter into a time of healthy dialogue whereas the issues that are most on God's heart, according to Scripture, can be discussed in a mature and helpful manner. Among this growing group of Christians that are dissatisfied with how the extreme Christian right represents our faith to the world are some leaders that noted author and speaker Tony Campolo has labeled "Red Letter Christians." Who are they?

"These people, named after the red ink some Bible publishers use to denote the words of Jesus, hold to traditional Christian beliefs and believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, which they view as authoritative and relevant for faith and practice. But unlike many evangelicals, the red-letter Christians have broadened their agenda to include issues that, in the past, had seemed like the province of liberals: environmental protection, gun control and opposition to war and capital punishment. They also affirm a Christianity that sees Jesus as transcending partisan politics.
"We are people who want to assure that Jesus is neither defined as a Republican nor a Democrat," Campolo said. "When asked about party affiliation, the red-letter Christian is prone to answer, ‘Please name the issue.’"

If you want to learn more about Red Letter Christians and the rise of Christians not satisfied with the current discussions that revolve around American religion and politics, check out this article
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