Nothing like a side trip!

Alexandra Pelosi, documentary filmmaker and daughter of Nancy Pelosi, took a little 'side trip' to the red states, those who are conservative. She was making a film that takes a look at the evangelical movement in the United States.

Pelosi was interviewed by Diane Sawyer of Good Morning America on Monday morning. They discussed the now defrocked pastor of New Life Church, Ted Haggard, who was Pelosi's tour guide. Pelosi was under the impression that most evangelical Christians are 'holy roller Jesus freaks'. But, when she met Haggard, he didn't fit into that category.

I can understand that evangelicals are thought to be different but not as bad as they are thought to be. Just read the following transcript from the Good Morning America interview.

Sawyer: "You know, it's got to strike a lot of people who live in middle America, church going people, as very quaint that you have to come visit them to learn about them. Where did this begin? Did you feel you had to get a visa to a foreign country?"

Pelosi: [Laughs] "Well, I had made two political documentaries and I was trying to get away from politics. And growing up, they always said the two things you're not supposed to talk about in polite conversation is politics and religion. So, since I’d done politics, I thought it was a chance to go and explore religion."

"Visa to a foreign country?" Is Diana Sawyer so far removed from Christianity that she would suggest that we Christians are from another country or perhaps PLANET? Actually, Pelosi said she felt like she was on a 'sociological field trip'.

Despite her clumsy language, Pelosi actually stated she now understands the importance of religion and even suggested that if she had to make a choice in the culture wars, the daughter of liberal Speaker of the House would go with the conservatives:

Pelosi admitted that she was bothered by what happened to Haggard because he seemed so nice. She said she even came away with a respect for the evangelicals. She thinks they are organized and everybody could learn something from them. She went on to tell Sawyer that the church provided a strong foundation of values and she thought that was good for our teenagers today.

Sawyer: "So, this is a shift for you. You have a two week old son and you're going to make sure he goes to church?"

Pelosi: "Well, yeah. Yes. It’s important for me now. On a personal note, something I took away from this: It is important to expose your children to religion, any religion, whatever is important to you. Because otherwise they'll be called unchurched, and those are the ones who may later in life fall into more extreme religions."

Sawyer: "So you came away a changed person in some ways."

Pelosi: "Nothing like a road trip."

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Technorati Tags: Alexandra Pelosi, Road Trip, Evangelicals, Ted Haggard, Christians, Christianity, Religion, Church, Jesus Freaks