A few weeks ago, John McCain met with the Rev. Billy Graham in what was widely seen as an effort to step up his outreach to religious people. And little wonder: The conventional wisdom has decreed that the senator, who is generally reticent about his own faith, needs to do something drastic to shore up his appeal among religious voters. But it is not only Republicans who feel the need to court the “value voter” bloc. Ever since John Kerry’s loss in 2004, the Democratic Party has been trying to “broaden the agenda” of religious folks, pushing global warming, Iraq withdrawal and income inequality as issues of “faith.” To push such matters, Howard Dean, the man who left his own church over a bike path, started the Faith in Action initiative at the Democratic National Committee.
Has it worked? Are religious voters feeling the stirrings of a new, leftward-leaning faith agenda? Not really, according to a recent study out from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. “The connection between religious intensity and political attitudes appears to be especially strong when it comes to issues such as abortion and homosexuality,” the researchers report. Almost three-quarters of the evangelicals who attend church weekly — the majority of evangelicals and the religious group that is most responsible for Mr. Bush’s victories — believe abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. An even higher percentage say that homosexuality should be discouraged by society as a way of life.
Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention is not surprised. Evangelicals, he says, are not about to “exchange global warming for the sanctity of life or traditional marriage.”
I’m not buying it either. The whole “Red Letter Christian” movement does have a point when they say that Evangelical Christians (and us orthodox “Mainstreamers”, I imagine) should be more energized in speaking out politically for social justice issues as we are with abortion and homosexuality. Where I disagree is that there seems to be an implicit assumption that Evangelicals are no where to be found on social justice issues. Is there some supporting data on this or is it all another clever political guilt trip?
Obama for one term or McCain for two – I don’t know what is worse.
My efforts will go into congressional/senate races.
Don
I don’t believe it comes to a choice of one or the other. I support right to life, and biblical morality. I think that social justice issues are better handled by faith based outreach. The govenment has done such a splindid job with it’s social service programs!!
Palagious,
I think it is a politically motivated guilt trip. Remember a few months ago (way back in May) there was all that furor over the study and book by Albert Brooks that showed religious conservatives gave more to charity and actually did more socially conscious work (including donating blood) than their liberal counterparts?
Jim Elliott <><
All this info seems to be completely ignorant of the very strong undercurrent of YOUNG Evangelicals who are quite independent of the older (even if it is the majority) generations obsessions with political control.
amen adhunt
the piece in the WSJ from the Journal’s deputy Taste editor reads more like an advocacy piece – what a surprise – than commentary or reporting
There are a huge percentage of kids my age who were just old enough to vote in 2004, and, feeling pressure to be a ‘true’ Christian and vote Republican did so. Now they are completely disillusioned to the uncomfortable bed-relationship of Republican and Evangelical.
Perhaps because most of these kids are not in denominations that are dealing with homosexuality in public (as we are), they do not put homosexuality on their priority list at all. Most, thanks to people like N. T. Wright put more emphasis on ‘Resurrection Justice’ than on moral control over non-believers stemming from an out-of-date and incorrect belief that the US is a ‘Christian’ nation.
See for instance:
Greg Boyd “The Myth of a Christian Nation”
N.T. Wright “Surprised by Hope,” “Challenge of Jesus,” etc…
Brian McClaren “Everything Must Change”
Anything by Lesslie Newbigin
Jim Wallace “God’s Politics”
Anything by Shane Claiborne
To name just a few Evangelicals not enamored with the Republican party. The WSJ should do some homework