Barack Bashes Right for 'Hijacking' Faith

Dem candidate inveighs against evangelicals for dividing the country
By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 24, 2007 2:23 PM CDT
Barack Bashes Right for 'Hijacking' Faith
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama addresses the biennial General Synod meeting of the United Church of Christ, Saturday, June 23, 2007, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)   (Associated Press)

Barack Obama assailed right-wing evangelical leaders yesterday, accusing them of "hijacking" faith and politicizing religion, the Daily News reports. Addressing the national conference of the United Church of Christ, he criticized "so-called leaders of the Christian right" for demonizing Democrats and convincing Americans that Christians' main concerns are gay marriage and abortion.

Obama, a long-time member of the UCC, proposed an alternative set of "matters of conscience" such as universal health care, an issue the church champions. One Republican in attendance said the event fell nothing short of a "Democratic pep rally," the Chicago Tribune reports. (More evangelism stories.)

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