Editing Christian left (section)

== Beliefs ==
=== Homosexuality ===
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2018}}
The Christian left generally approaches [[homosexuality]] differently from some other Christian political groups. This approach can be driven by focusing on issues differently despite holding similar religious views, or by holding different religious ideas. Those in the Christian left who have similar ideas as other Christian political groups but a different focus may view Christian teachings on certain issues, such as the Bible's prohibitions against killing or criticisms of concentrations of wealth, as far more politically important than Christian teachings on social issues emphasized by the [[Christian right|religious right]], such as opposition to homosexuality. Others in the Christian left have not only a different focus on issues from other Christian political groups, but different religious ideas as well.

For example, some members of the Christian left may consider discrimination and bigotry against homosexuals to be immoral, but they differ on their views towards homosexual sex. Some believe homosexual sex to be immoral but unimportant compared with issues relating to social justice, or even matters of sexual morality involving heterosexual sex. Others assert that some homosexual practices are compatible with the Christian life. Such members believe common [[The Bible and homosexuality|biblical arguments]] used to condemn homosexuality are misinterpreted, and that biblical prohibitions of homosexual practices are actually against a specific type of homosexual sex act, i.e. [[pederasty]], the sodomizing of young boys by older men. Thus, they hold biblical prohibitions to be irrelevant when considering modern same-sex relationships.<ref>[http://www.tcpc.org/library/article.cfm?library_id=152 Why TCPC Advocates Equal Rights for Gay and Lesbian People] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212223001/http://www.tcpc.org/library/article.cfm?library_id=152 |date=12 February 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianalliance.org/site/c.bnKIIQNtEoG/b.667209/k.5987/Equality_for_Gays_and_Lesbians.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201012003/http://www.christianalliance.org/site/c.bnKIIQNtEoG/b.667209/k.5987/Equality_for_Gays_and_Lesbians.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 December 2005|title=Equality for Gays and Lesbians – Christian Alliance for Progress|date=1 December 2005}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pflagdetroit.org/BibleandHomosexuality.html Bible & Homosexuality Home Page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224172958/http://www.pflagdetroit.org/BibleandHomosexuality.html |date=24 February 2015 }}. Pflagdetroit.org (11 December 1998). Retrieved on 2013-08-24.</ref><ref>[http://www.whosoever.org/gayxian/articles.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070521212158/http://www.whosoever.org/gayxian/articles.html|date=21 May 2007}}</ref>

=== Consistent life ethic ===
{{main|Consistent life ethic}}
A related strain of thought is the (Catholic and progressive evangelical) [[consistent life ethic]], which sees opposition to [[capital punishment]], [[militarism]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and the global unequal distribution of wealth as being related. It is an idea with certain concepts shared by [[Abrahamic]] religions as well as some [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], [[Hinduism|Hindus]], and members of other religions. The late Cardinal [[Joseph Bernardin]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Chicago]] developed the idea for the consistent life ethic in 1983.<ref>Bernardin, Joseph. ''Consistent ethics of life'' 1988, Sheed and Ward, p. v</ref> [[Sojourners Community|Sojourners]] is particularly associated with this strand of thought.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NNqa8dmAZusC&q=sojourners+%22seamless+garment%22&pg=PT230 |title = Prophetic Encounters: Religion and the American Radical Tradition|isbn = 9780807013168|last1 = McKanan|first1 = Dan|date = November 2011| publisher=Beacon Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gXp5jJI1bZ8C&q=sojourners+%22seamless+garment%22&pg=PA514 |title = Social Ethics in the Making: Interpreting an American Tradition|isbn = 9781444305777|last1 = Dorrien|first1 = Gary|date = 25 March 2009| publisher=John Wiley & Sons }}</ref>

=== Liberation theology ===
{{Main|Liberation theology}}
{{Further|Latin American liberation theology}}
[[Liberation theology]] is a theological tradition that emerged in the [[developing world]], primarily in [[Latin America]].<ref>{{cite journal |author-last=Løland |author-first=Ole Jakob |date=July 2021 |title=The Solved Conflict: Pope Francis and Liberation Theology |url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s41603-021-00137-3.pdf |editor-last=Usarski |editor-first=Frank |journal=International Journal of Latin American Religions |volume=5 |issue=2 |location=[[Berlin]] |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |pages=287–314 |doi=10.1007/s41603-021-00137-3 |doi-access=free |issn=2509-9957 |eissn=2509-9965}}</ref> Since the 1960s, Catholic thinkers have integrated left-wing thought and Catholicism, giving rise to Liberation theology. It arose at a time when Catholic thinkers who opposed the despotic leaders in [[South America|Southern]] and [[Central America]] allied themselves with the communist opposition. However, it developed independently of and roughly simultaneously with [[Black theology]] in the U.S. and should not be confused with it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://koinoniarevolution.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/prophets-of-a-modern-era-an-introduction-to-liberation-theology/ |title=Prophets of a Modern Era: An Introduction to Liberation Theology | website=Koinonia Revolution |access-date=2013-10-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027004008/http://koinoniarevolution.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/prophets-of-a-modern-era-an-introduction-to-liberation-theology/ |archive-date=27 October 2013 }}</ref> The [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] decided that while liberation theology is partially compatible with Catholic social teaching, certain Marxist elements of it, such as the doctrine of perpetual class struggle, are against Church teachings.