This, according to Dr. Bob Edgar, who was interviewed by CBS News.  Edgar is General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, which represents about 50 million Christians in America — the majority of them mainline Protestants.

“Jesus never said one word about homosexuality, never said one word about civil marriage or abortion,” Edgar said.

He calls this movement the “center-left” — and it’s seeking the same political muscle as the conservative Christians, a group with a strong power base in the huge Evangelical churches of the South.

But the left has its own Evangelical leaders, such as the Rev. Tony Campolo.

“We are furious that the religious right has made Jesus into a Republican. That’s idolatry,” Campolo said. “To recreate Jesus in your own image rather than allowing yourself to be created in Jesus’ image is what’s wrong with politics.”

The movement is focusing on fighting poverty, protecting the environment and ending military involvment in Iraq

“Right now the war in Iraq costs us $1 billion per week,” said Rev. Jim Wallis, a Christian activist. “And we can’t get $5 billion over ten years for child care in this country?”