"Justice Sunday" Event in Nashville presents challenges, opportunities

Yesterday's "Justice Sunday II" event, held in Nashville, surely lays down a gauntlet of challenges for Southern progressives in the coming years. Coverage from today's Tennessean highlights some of the event's more notable moments; here are James Dobson's comments:

Via video, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said, "America's court system is tearing at the very fabric of this nation." He said an "unelected, unaccountable, and often arrogant" judiciary, is imposing "judicial tyranny" as judges legislate from the bench, being guided by Western Europe "that most liberal place on the planet." Dobson urged viewers to defend President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts, from the likes of Sens. Edward Kennedy, Patrick Leahy, and "all the other minions on the left."

What does an event like this mean to Southern progressives, especially those of faith? First, it presents a daunting challenge to those of us who do not see religion as a purely political medium - they don't call it the "bully pulpit" for nothing. Second, it further reveals a political environment that is filled with vitriol for those who disagree with the conservative message espoused by those who plan these events. Another example from the event, this one from the vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention:

Sutton, first vice president of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant body, closed with five sentences: "It's a new day. Liberalism is dead. The majority of Americans are conservative. You can count on us for showing up and speaking out. And ... let the church rise."

In spite of the obvious challenges, though, there are also important opportunities here for Southern progressives. We must work to partner with those members of faith communities who see the need to improve the quality of education in our region, to reduce poverty and be better stewards of our natural resources. Events such as this provide an opening for Southern progressives to be the positive, alternative voice in the conservative cacophony afflicting our region today.