Onward, Moderate Christian Soldiers

I know a definition of moderate Christianity and how it looks in political practice may have been written before and will be again, but kos found this link to an explanation by ex-senator John Danforth (a Republican and Episcopal minister). Although I have quoted less of it than kos I present a snippet. For my money Danforth's brief, elegant piece is the one I'll print and carry in my pocket to whip out at those handy moments when I'll need something with which to hit (or avoid hitting) the next Chrisitan wingnut that gets in my face...

"Moderate Christians are less certain about when and how our beliefs can be translated into statutory form, not because of a lack of faith in God but because of a healthy acknowledgement of the limitations of human beings. Like conservative Christians, we attend church, read the Bible and say our prayers.

But for us, the only absolute standard of behavior is the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Repeatedly in the Gospels, we find that the Love Commandment takes precedence when it conflicts with laws. We struggle to follow that commandment as we face the realities of everyday living, and we do not agree that our responsibility to live as Christians can be codified by legislators."