Gary Hart, ìWhen the Personal Shouldnít Be Political,î New York Times (November 8, 2004).

A neglected thread of [Nazarene] church doctrine was the social gospel of John and Charles Wesley, the great reformers of late 18th-century Methodism. The Wesley brothers preached salvation through grace but also preached the duty of Christians, based solidly on Jesusí teachings, to minister to those less fortunateÖ. Having claimed moral authority to achieve political victory, religious conservatives should be very careful, in their administration of the public trust, to live up to the standards they have claimed for themselves. They should also be called upon to address the teachings of Jesus and the prophets concerning care for the poor, the barriers that wealth presents to entering heaven, the blessings on the peacemakers, and the belief that no person should be left behind.

[via Blue (formerly Pink) Bunny of Battle]

Bonus link! John Wesley’s sermon on “The Danger of Riches“:

I ask, then, in the name of God, Who of you “desire to be rich?” Which of you (ask your own hearts in the sight of God) seriously and deliberately desire (and perhaps applaud yourselves for so doing, as no small instance of your prudence) to have more than food to eat, and raiment to put on, and a house to cover you? Who of you desires to have more than the plain necessaries and conveniences of life? Stop! Consider! What are you doing? Evil is before you! Will you rush upon the point of a sword? By the grace of God, turn and live!

Both George Bush and Dick Cheney are Methodists, by the way.

Extra Bonus Link! The international headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene is right here in Kansas City.