Despite the trend among younger Americans to turn their backs on organized religion to protest its right-wing excesses, the religious right will continue to dominate in the United States. That is the argument made by progressive evangelical sociologist Tony Campolo in a recent contribution posted to The Huffington Post:
There are reasons why Religious Right Evangelicals will continue to dominate religious discourse, not only in their own sector of the Christian community, but also in what transpires in mainline denominations. Moderate voices, for the most part, are being sidelined and those with liberal views will find fewer and fewer means to express their opinions or gain an audience for their convictions.
It boils down to dollars, technology, and institutional capacity. Unless more moderate or progressive Christian groups can catch up with the religious right on these factors, they will continue to lead a shadowy existence.
Read Tony Campolo’s article here.
I agree with the description but not the prescription. Does “catching up” require the pursuit of “dollars, technology, and institutional capacity?” That seems to be the assumption. If so, is that pursuit worth it?