Cameron Strang, editor and publisher of Relevant magazine, has decided not to give a benediction at the Democratic National Convention Monday night as scheduled. Strang, a registered Republican until he switched his affiliation to independent this week, has been courted and consulted by the Obama campaign as a means of reaching out to younger evangelical voters. Strang was one of the thirty or so religious leaders at an off-the-record meeting with Obama in June; in July his published interview of Obama touched off a firestorm over comments Obama made about abortion.
On his blog, Strang, who is the son of charismatic evangelical publishing powerhouse Stephen Strang, who endorsed McCain, wrote on his blog that he was intrigued by the DNC's invitation of a few weeks ago because, he thought, why not "continue positive dialogue, show support for an emphasis on faith issues and pray in a forum where faith isn’t typically thought to be emphasized? To quote someone close to me—and meaning no disrespect whatsoever to Christian Democrats—it was a chance to be 'light in the darkness.'" Strang wrote that there was an understanding that he wasn't being asked to endorse Obama, but when he found out his prayer would be on the main stage, "it gave me serious pause. Through RELEVANT I reach a demographic that has strong faith, morals and passion, but disagreements politically. It wouldn’t be wise for me to be seen as picking a political side, when I’ve consistently said both sides are right in some areas and wrong in some areas. (And truth be told, I haven’t yet made up my mind about who I’m going to vote for this November. There are a lot of specifics I’d like to hear the candidates talk about before my decision will be made.)"
Often touted by left-leaning religious advocates as the face of a new evangelical generation, Relevant, marketed as "LIFE + GOD + PROGRESSIVE CULTURE," claims a print subscriber base of 80,000. Strang made clear in his post that abortion remains a pivotal issue for him and his readership.
--Sarah Posner
