The Religious Left Must Speak Out!

In response to “Pastor To Political Activist” as Printed in Wednesday’s Globe:

Pastor Roberto Miranda of Congregacion Leon de Juda in Roxbury is a threat to Boston’s welcoming culture. In Wednesday's Globe Miranda boasted of his meetings on how to "market" right-wing Christianity to people as a "product." Since when is Christianity a product that should be marketed? Is Miranda admitting that his version Christianity does not stand on its own? Is he calling for a well-funded campaign of deceitfulness?

It is disgusting when radical pastors like Miranda spend millions of dollars building mega-churches in lower-income neighborhoods while promising to have the answers to life's difficulties. They tirelessly utilize their well-rehearsed dynamic personalities to recruit more followers and instill their congregations with a fear of the unknown. And their Karl Rove style campaigns are a tricky combination of lies and fear mongering.

Marc Solomon of MassEquality said, ''…beneath a gentle exterior is someone who holds truly extremist views about being gay. His views are so out of the mainstream that they would be laughable if they weren't so hurtful toward gay people."

Solomon is correct, but the troubling fact is that Miranda does not just hold extremist views on gayness. His entire worldview is a dangerous violent attack on our diverse humanity. He wishes to "reclaim" Massachusetts and “give it back” to “true Christians.” What about the Mainstream Christians, Jewish People, Buddhists and Muslims who reside here?

Miranda should focus on living in the example of Christ’s compassion instead of angrily proclaiming judgment throughout our communities. Those of us in the true mainstream of political thought must not allow the right-wing views of people like Miranda to gain momentum. We need to be equally loud and proud of our more tolerant worldview.