Like most evangelical Christians, Alessandra Gonzalez tends to be conservative and Republican in her politics.<\/p>\n
But for the 25-year-old and her peers, that means different things than it does for their elders.<\/p>\n
For many conservative evangelical Christians younger than 30, family values mean more than the issues of gay marriage, abortion and prayer in school. Poverty, health care and the environment are also matters of faith.<\/p>\n
“There’s an awareness to be more savvy and to say, ‘I can’t be completely captured and represented by someone like Jerry Falwell.’ I don’t think that flies anymore,” said Ms. Gonzalez, a graduate student at Baylor University. “Family really shapes your definition of values more than attending a political rally or being involved politically.”<\/p>\n
Evangelical Protestants have been one of the most faithful Republican voting blocs in recent presidential elections, but there are abundant signs the movement is fracturing as the 2008 contest approaches. The younger generation in particular is less wedded to the GOP and to the moral-values agenda espoused by an influential corps of Christian conservative leaders.<\/p>\n
“The fact that these younger evangelicals have somewhat more diverse views than their elders means there’s a possible change in their political behavior,” said John Green of the Pew Research Center, who has long studied how religion affects voting habits.<\/p>\n