the midterm elections with sex and greed scandals, and paying the price, by losing control of Congress.
In a statement, James Dobson, the founder of the pro-life ‘Focus on the Family’ group, said the Republican Party walked away from "their pro-moral, pro-family and pro-life base." He also was to discuss the election results on his national radio broadcast, which reaches 1.5 million people.
"They consistently ignored the constituency that put them in power until it was late in the game, and then frantically tried to catch up at the last minute," said Dobson, who argued that religious conservatives, including evangelicals, ensured Republican wins in 2004.
"Without the support of that specific constituency, John Kerry would be president and the Republicans would have fallen into a black hole in ’04," Dobson said. "In fact, that is where they are headed if they continue to abandon their pro-moral, pro-family and pro-life base. The big tent will turn into a three-ring circus."
SCANDALS IMPORTANT
Exit polls released by The Associated Press news agency and networks showed that concerns over the war in Iraq was not the only reason why Republicans lost More than four in 10 evangelicals said corruption and scandals were extremely important, and those who felt that way were more likely to vote for Democratic candidates than other evangelicals.
About a third who were most concerned about corruption cast their votes for Democrats, according to the exit polls. Tensions already began after author David Kuo, a former aide in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, wrote in his book, "Tempting Faith, An Inside Story of Political Seduction," that Bush aides privately called conservative Christians "nuts," "ridiculous" and "goofy."
In addition, Dobson criticized other conservatives, including former Majority Leader Dick Armey, an architect of the 1994 House takeover by the Republican Party, for reportedly complaining that the religious right was "too involved" with the party.
He suggested voters were also disappointed by the recent cybersex scandal involving former Republican Rep. Mark Foley of Florida and the fall of Ted Haggard, the evangelical leader and a counselor of the White House who was forced to resign as president from the United States National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and as Senior Pastor of his New Life Church.
BIBLICAL RESPONSE
However in a statement to BosNewsLife, Mary Marr, who leads the Christian Emergency Network (CEN), said it was time for a more "Biblical response" to the crisis faced by Haggard. "For Christians, the disaster itself should not be the focus of our attention, rather the faithful act of praying, caring and appropriately sharing about the love and restoration that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ," said Marr.
"The question is not, ‘Why do we all keep sinning and letting each other down?’ The question is, ‘Why does it take such an awful situation to remind us of our need for daily repentance and forgiveness?’, she added.
CEN was founded after the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States with several national ministry leaders. It claims to have over 7,000 ministry, church and media organizations who it says, "partner to Pray-Care-Share the Hope of Christ together before, during and after national disasters." (With BosNewsLife Research and reports from the United States).
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