Show IN THE NATION Clergy aim to show that Faith unifies Alan Cooperman The Washington Post WASHINGTON The Rev Rob Schenck is an evangelical Christian and anda a leader of the religious right Rabbi David is a Reform Jew and a aleader aleader aleader leader of the religious left Both head political advocacy groups in Washington and they have battled for years over abortion gay rights stem cell research and school prayer This summer each intends to preach a abit abit abit bit of the others other's usual message Schenck said he plans to tell young evangelicals at a Christian music festival festival festival festi festi- val on July 1 that homosexuality is not a choice but a predisposition something something something some some- thing deeply rooted in many people That may not sound shocking to you but it will be shocking to my audience he said said he e is circulating a paper urging political moderates and liberals to demonstrate their commitment commitment commitment commit commit- ment to reduce abortions by starting a campaign to reduce the number by half within two years Schenck and disclosed their plans in separate interviews They are not working together The minister remains a hard die-hard opponent of same- same sex marriage the rabbi staunchly supports supports supports sup sup- ports a womans woman's constitutional right to choose an abortion But both are trying to find common ground between liberals and conservatives on moral issues and 3 s v vl l f l J fr rd R X d F r w r YI v. v i a r r Y c i w The Rev Bob Schenck center says a willingness to reach across partisan partisan partisan parti parti- san lines is attractive especially to people After young a year in which religion played a polarizing role in US U.S. politics many religious leaders are eager to demonstrate that faith can be a not just a divider The buzzwords today in pulpits and seminaries are crossover convergence common cause and shared values they are not alone After a year in which religion played a polarizing role in US U.S. politics many religious leaders are eager to demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate demon demon- strate that faith can be a not just justa a divider The buzzwords today in pulpits pulpits pulpits pul pul- pits and seminaries are crossover convergence convergence convergence con con- common cause and shared values Last week in Washington representatives representatives representatives tives of more than 40 US U.S. denominations denominations denominations took part in the Convocation on Hunger at the National Cathedral where they sang a Tanzanian hymn while the choir director shook a gourd full of seeds and children laid breads from around the world on the altar It may have been mistaken for a hippie hippie hip hip- pie c ceremony remony were it not for the sight of clergy from the Southern Baptist Convention Assemblies of God and other evangelical churches praying alongside Muslims Buddhists Sikhs Roman Catholics Greek Orthodox Orthodox r mainline Protestants and Jews The show of solidarity was partly a reaction against the recent manipulation tion of religion in ways that are divisive and partisan said David Beckmann a Lutheran minister and president of Bread for the World a nonprofit group that helped organize the service Because religion has been dragged into political life in some ways this is the religious leadership of the nation saying No let us show you what religion reli reli- religion gion in the public square should really be about he said Schenck who is president of Faith and Action an evangelical organization on Capitol Hill said that a willingness to reach across partisan lines is attractive attractive tive particularly to young people I I I think evangelicals are awakening to the vulnerability to being used in a political way I hear a lot of people talking talking talk talk- ing about that about not being owned by a political party he said 1 |