Younger evangelicals are increasingly feeling disconnected from the older generation when it comes to politics, said an expert on Monday.
Michael Gerson, a former President George W. Bush speechwriter and advisor who is now with the Council on Foreign Relations, said that while young born-again voters continue to carry on the evangelical mantle of pro-life champion, they are markedly different from “traditional” evangelical institutions, according to Time magazine’s “Swampland.”
These young evangelicals see the pro-life cause as a social justice issue moreso than simply a moral value. They also see a deep connection between their faith and global social justice issues such as Darfur, global warming, and poverty, which they put on the same level of priority as abortion.
The former top Bush aide offered evidence for a possible coalition between these young evangelicals and the Democratic Party, which has long campaigned on social justice issues.
Gerson said Democrats polled about America’s role in global social justice issues showed the strongest support for active U.S. participation among college-educated voters, and the least support among blue collar workers.
On the Republican Party side, the most noticeable divide on the question was along religious lines. Evangelicals were for America taking a strong, active role, while secular, libertarian conservatives were against it.
In other words, young evangelicals would be among the most likely to be for an active U.S. role in the world on social justice issues, which could make them attracted to the Democratic Party – a strong advocate on such issues.
Mike Gerson’s analysis was among the first presentations at the Pew Forum’s biannual conference on religion and public life, which kicked-off on Monday in Key West, Fla.
Also on Monday, William Galston of the Brookings Institution talked about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her support base of Catholic voters.
Galston spoke of Clinton’s disproportionate support among white Catholic voters and offered a few theories on why Protestants leaned towards Obama and Catholics to Clinton.
Protestants, he said, have a liking to the idea of “reform,” which Obama has promised and an idea which he has built his campaign on.
“Catholics are generally on the side of the ‘the regulars,’” Galston noted.
Clinton’s focus on “bread and butter” issues also appeals to Catholics’ concern with social justice, he offered. And her older age may appeal to Catholics who tend to associate age with leadership.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life’s “The Faith Angle” conference ends Tuesday.
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I tend to agree that the split of church is simply because of their own personal preference politics.
Sure, you can have your opinion on issues, but as christians we need to go back to the Word and see what God says about what our stand should be. If people ACTUALLY practiced that, there would be a lot less division on important issues.....can you say 'UNITY"?
song2vs4
You are correct.
But this election season has made it clear that there is a greater divide in the church than was ever thought.
This divide is the result of the church being focused on political party influences rather than being Christ centered.
This dovetails with a book I'm reading, Millennial Makeover, which asserts that the upcoming generation is service minded rather than idealist, and will focus on societal issues that favor the Dem party. If the Pubs don't reframe the debate quickly they are going to be hurting.
This dovetails with a book I'm reading, Millennial Makeover, which asserts that the upcoming generation is service minded rather than idealist, and will focus on societal issues that favor the Dem party. If the Pubs don't reframe the debate quickly they are going to be hurting.
Pope John Paul the II once said, "When social justice issues like health care and fair housing are equated with issues like abortion, then all civilization is undermined. For you cannot have social justice issues if you are unwilling to protect the unborn because life and family are foundational to soceity and all other issues become illusory if the right to life is not defended."
Wise words from a Holy man.
Hiearchy of values: Non-Negotiables
1. No Abortion
2. No Gay Marriage or civil unions
3. No embryonic stem cell research
4. No Euthanasia
5. No Cloning
If your candidates supports these issues, then you need to find the person who supports the least amount of intrinsic evil. The answer would be: McCain.
When issues such as poverty, Darfur and global warming (total confusion about) have the same priority as murder (abortion) we are in trouble. They have not been influenced by God and the Bible. It is noble to care about suffering and the environment However good works is not how we will be measured. How many times in the Bible does it say that good works will get you nowhere.
Eventually abortion and other moral issues will bite the dust with these people when they are criticized for expressing those values. This is the first step to the path of least resistance.
Is it possible that most young people are being influenced more by goverment schools, liberal universities and the media, rather than being influenced by their parents and the Church?