Source: Faith In Public Life/The Star-Ledger

http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/content/news/2006/08/they_mix_religion_and_liberali.html

On August 2, 2006 Faith In Public Life/The Star-Ledger reported, "He is a blogger known in some circles as 'Xpatriated Texan -- a Maverick Believer in the Garden State,' and most days Thurman Hart spends two hours putting his liberal Christian views online, typing near the window of his Jersey City condo. A 38-year-old Democrat and United Methodist, Hart says he detests when political conservatives call their own views against abortion and same-sex marriage the truly Christian positions. He wishes Democratic politicians would more often link their policy ideas to faith. Here's a recent post of his on www.xpatriatedtexan.com -- which about 50 people read daily -- hoping to convince Democrats that in this politically divided nation, it is all right, even important, to mix religion into public policy debates: 'Faith should not dominate the public square, but it must have a place there. To fight that is to embrace defeat. This does not mean that faith should have an elevated position in the public square. No, it must join the battle of ideas and be met on its merits. It must carve out a sphere where it can show itself plainly.' Hart, who is an adjunct professor of political science at Montclair State University, recently coordinated a 'Progressive Religious Bloggers Conference' with 25 like-minded people from around the country -- most of them liberal bloggers on religion, spirituality or politics."