Why Aren't They All Religious Left?

From the archives:

Somehow, the following post never actually got posted. But I couldn't let it rest, so here it is. The post is about Huckabee - remember him? He was a candidate for president in the Republican primaries. I know, it seems like such a long time ago. Anyway...

I don't talk about religion on here much, but when I see statements like the following (from this NY Times article), I have to say something.

Since Mr. Huckabee’s success in Iowa, however, his campaign has faced a barrage of attacks on his conservative credentials. Rush Limbaugh has accused him of "class warfare." The Wall Street Journal editorial page has called him "religious left." And his Republican rivals have escalated their criticism. In a debate on Thursday, Mr. Thompson called Mr. Huckabee a "Christian leader" who would support "liberal economic policies" and "liberal foreign policies."

Just to give a little context, the people quoted above are criticizing Huckabee's populist policies, i.e. policies to help the poor and lower middle class. This type of talk baffles me almost as much as it angers me. How can a religious person criticize another religious person for wanting to help the poor? Which Bible are these people reading that suggests free market principles are what God supports and the poor should be left to fend for themselves? Fortunately, Huckabee's supporters do a pretty good job at rising to the defense:

"Can you imagine Jesus ignoring the plight of the disenfranchised and downtrodden while going after the abortionist?" Mr. Scarborough wrote on the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com.

Christian Conservative policy, speaking from a religious doctrine point of view, has long strayed from what seems to me to be the message of the New Testament's teachings. By saying this, I mean to argue with Christians using what they say is the basis for their beliefs. I encourage anyone to read the Gospels and tell me why we shouldn't do more to help those in need.

My hope is that Huckabee can use his appeal to shake up Christian Conservatives. There is some evidence that this is already happening. Maybe sometime soon, the Religious Right can get back their soul and focus on helping the poor.