
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 24, 1995                   TAG: 9505240101
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

ECUMENICAL CHALLENGE ISSUED

An ecumenical group of more than 80 Christian leaders Tuesday issued a challenge to the religious right and claimed to offer an alternative to those they accused of using the church to pursue a narrow partisan agenda and abandoning Jesus's call to serve the poor.

The group representing evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics and Greek Orthodox, as well as black church members, seeks to amplify the voices of Christians who have been whispering with dismay among themselves about the recent resurgence of the religious right in local and national politics.

``Even the word `Christian' has become associated with a particular brand of very conservative Republican politics,'' said the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Soujourners magazine, based in Washington. ``The religious contribution to the political debate of late has made it more divisive, polarized and less sensitive to the voiceless.''

The ecumenical leaders said they do not plan to form a national organization or organize coherent opposition to politically potent groups like the conservative Christian Coalition. Instead they said they plan to foster ``partnerships'' between churches, local governments and businesses to combat problems such as unemployment, poverty and violence.

The group met Tuesday with House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; House Majority Leader Dick Armey R-Texas; and other Republicans, and separately with Democratic legislators. Wallis said his group emphasized that ``there really is another voice, and the Christian Coalition does not represent the whole evangelical community, let alone most of the churches.''

Last week the Christian Coalition unveiled a new 10-point ``Contract with the American Family,'' winning a pledge from Gingrich to bring each measure to a House vote. Tuesday, Gingrich told the ecumencial leaders he would hold an extended session with them next month to listen to the grievances of Christian activists whose community programs have been threatened by Republican-backed budget cuts.

At a news conference at the National Press Club, the ecumenical leaders issued a two-page manifesto called ``The Cry for Renewal,'' rejecting ``the old political language and solutions of right and left, liberal and conservative'' as ``completely dysfunctional.''

The statement criticizes the ``almost total identification of the Religious Right with the new Republican majority in Washington.'' It also condemns religious liberals whose alliance with the Democratic Party was ``lacking in moral imagination or prophetic integrity.''

Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.

by CNB