Political Studies Professor To Weigh Values, Ideologies

The religious right, the radical left - both are generalizations that are too easily thrown around.

If a person’s political stance or religious beliefs can be simply pigeon-holed, there’s no reason to further examine their ideology or motivations.

Dr. Julia Stronks, a professor of political studies at Whitworth college, would like to change that. Stronks will begin a three-part series at Opportunity Presbyterian Church called “Christian Political Perspectives, or When Sin Should be Illegal” starting Wednesday.

Stronks, a former Washington, D.C., attorney and public policy analyst, will examine such issues as whose values determine how Americans live, how Christians of varying political opinion view one another and whether a rank-and-file party allegiance is consistent with Christianity.

“Part of the message I’d like to bring is that those labels are misleading,” Stronks says. “I’d like people to step outside those labels.”

Being a politically active person of faith should be more complicated, she says. Christians of both the social justice and moral majority camps should understand one another and form their beliefs by being leaders, not lemmings.”

Each night, Stronk will speak, and then open the floor for discussion. The presentations will begin at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday through Feb. 7 at Opportunity Presbyterian, 202 N. Pines Road.

Religious liberties speaker

Wintley Phipps, a religious liberties expert, speaks tonight at Spokane Valley Adventist Church, 12323 E. Mission, a at 6 p.m.

Gang awareness seminar

Valley Church of Christ, 17221 E. Broadway in Greenacres, will host a gang awareness seminar on Sunday at 5 p.m. The seminar is intended for adults only. For more information, call 928-0518.

, DataTimes