Lazy Christians Supporting Bernie Sanders, Socialism, Millennial Evangelical Author Says
An evangelical author and former feminist recently stated that Christians who support socialism and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders are "lazy."
Chelsen Vicari, author and Evangelical Program Director with the Institute on Religion & Democracy, told the Daily Caller in a recent interview that these "lazy Christians" expect government to take care of problems that Christians and the Church should address.
"Young Christians are confusing individual Christian compassion and the Church's role and responsibility in public life with the government providing entitlements and expanding welfare programs," said Vicari.
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"It's being a lazy Christian if you think that socialism is going to take care of the problems that we have in society."
Vicari also stated that "there are so many ways we should be helping and we're not because instead we're going to vote for Bernie Sanders, because we think he's going to take care of everyone."
"That's not the answer and again, I think it's just being a lazy Christian. We should be doing and acting instead of having the government … take care of all the problems we see," continued Vicari.
"But we don't want to do that. We'd prefer to get on our laptops and complain and then vote for someone who says they will take care of everything."
While some are critical of Christians voting for Sanders, others have argued that Sanders' positions most reflect the teachings of Jesus regarding the poor and the vulnerable.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson of the liberal publication Politics USA argued that Sanders "is coming from that same place Jesus came from, that same place Pope Francis is coming from now."
"You can even make a case against everything Bernie Sanders told the crowd at Liberty University. All you have to do is ignore everything Jesus said," wrote Haraldsson.
"I think somebody is missing an important lesson here — one Jesus clearly taught — and it's not me. Or Bernie Sanders."
Last September, Sanders spoke at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia where he told his largely evangelical Christian audience that "we can find common ground" on issues regarding economic equality and race relations.
"I am motivated by a vision which exists in all of the great religions, in Christianity, in Judaism, in Islam, in Buddhism, and other religions," stated Sanders.
"That vision is so beautifully and clearly stated in Matthew 7:12 and it states, 'so in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.'"
Vicari's statements about Sanders and socialism come as the self-described Democratic Socialist candidate picked up three state primary wins.
Sanders defeated Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton on Saturday in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington State.
"Mr. Sanders found a welcome tableau in the largely white and liberal electorates of the Pacific Northwest, where just days after resoundingly beating Mrs. Clinton in Idaho he repeated the feat in the Washington caucuses, winning 73 percent of the vote," reported the New York Times.
"He did even better in Alaska, winning 82 percent of the vote, and in Hawaii, he had 71 percent with a few precincts still be counted …"
Nevertheless, Sanders still greatly trails Clinton in the race to get the 2,383 delegates necessary to secure the Democratic nomination, with Sanders having 1,004 to Clinton's 1,712.
"Mrs. Clinton will have a chance to regain momentum, and a wash of delegates, when the Democratic primary moves to her adoptive home state, New York, on April 19," continued the New York Times.
"Her national campaign headquarters is in Brooklyn; on Saturday, Mr. Sanders opened an office in the borough's Gowanus neighborhood, just a few miles from where he grew up."
