Online ministry and Facebook Page The Christian Left has all but formally endorsed the presidential candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
A statement released by the page Tuesday reads: "Senator Bernie Sanders is by far the most progressive candidate... we can't have business as usual any longer in this country. Too many people are suffering... We don't want to hear 'He can't win.' That's the same lie people told about one Barack Obama."
The Christian Left ministers to nearly 225,000 Christian progressives and their allies. They support free universal healthcare as a "God-given right," full LGBT equality and legal protection, abortion rights and have frequently spoken out against income and wealth inequality, all important issues for the Sanders campaign.
Because their diverse membership includes many different viewpoints, the group's admins stopped just short of calling their statement a formal endorsement, however they did address what some members see as an anti-Clinton bias.
"We're going to raise questions about Hillary every single step of the way," the statement continued. "If you want to support Hillary you are welcome to do so, but be prepared to defend your choice every step of the way. We're not going to give her a free pass."
The group alluded to what they see as comparisons between Sanders and Jesus, closing the statement with: "It's a tough job supporting people who rise up against all odds, speaking truth in a dogged quest to do the most good for the most people while naysayers scoff...but consider who we follow here."
It is not the first comparison between the founder of Christianity and Bernie Sanders; Dr. Cornel West, a noted Christian philosopher and activist, has been stumping for Sanders, often quoting scripture and making appeals to spirituality in his speeches.
And there's also this.
In September, Sanders spoke at Liberty University, calling for "common ground" between his own views and those of the conservative Christian studentry. He quoted from the Gospel of Matthew and made repeated pleas for the type of social justice typified by the Old Testament prophets, such as Amos. It was a remarkable case for the progressive side of Christianity and surely laid some of the groundwork for The Christian Left's affinity for the Vermont senator.
Not all of The Christian Left's Facebook followers are happy with the apparent endorsement, with many complaining in the comments about "divisiveness." The page is holding strong, insisting that their admin team is unanimously in agreement.
For their part, The Christian Left promised to support Clinton should she win the Democratic nomination.
For more information about The Christian Left, click here.