Like it or not, religion and politics do mix

This past year an enormously important book was published under the title “AMERICAN GRACE, How Religion Divides and Unites Us.” It is a massive study of American religion during the last half of the 20th century and into the 21st.

The reader can become weary of the endless statistics and ever-present graphs; however, the reader is also lured on by the vignettes about individual congregations of all kinds across the country, which the authors studied in detail. The authors are Robert Putnam of Harvard and David Campbell of Notre Dame. Both are sociologists.

I found chapter 11 of special interest. Its title is “Religion in American Politics.” For most of American history church and politics were not mixed. Government stayed out of the churches and churches stayed out of politics and government. People with differing political affiliations worshipped together and did not talk politics in the context of the church. Party affiliations of church members were split amazingly even.

The growth of Evangelicals in America hit its stride in the 1970s and ‘80s. While the great leader of the Evangelical movement, Billy Graham, maintained a nonpartisan stance throughout the years of his preaching, Evangelicals of a more conservative mind began to understand their potential in the political arena. Television evangelist Jerry Falwell set in motion the moral majority movement. Shrewd politicians captured the movement. Conservative religion became identified with the Republican Party. Two issues drew conservative religion and party politics together — abortion and homosexuality. Religion, abortion, homosexuality and partisanship marched forward interlocked. Statistically and visibly on a graph, religion, social issues and party politics became inseparable.

The issues of abortion and homosexuality became the two top concerns of conservative religious voters. The issues were more important than death penalty, foreign aid, immigration, U.S. intervention in world affairs and government involvement in efforts to improve the economic well-being of the poor. The Republican Party put strong anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage statements in their platforms.

This highly emotional and effective political union was nearly entirely white. Black churches, which are typically Evangelical, maintained their loyalty to the Democratic Party. The issues of homosexuality and abortion drew significant numbers of Roman Catholics from being strongly Democratic into a highly unlikely religious coalition in the Republican Party. Roman Catholics found themselves partners with white Evangelicals.

As I read “AMERICAN GRACE,” I began noting the dates on the studies on which the authors were drawing. Almost none of the research covered the past five years. This is understandable. It is impossible to write a book based on massive research and have all the research current with the publication date. The authors admitted that religion in the 21st century in America is fast moving and in flux. A new generation is continually being replaced with an even newer generation. It is in the new generations that religion, political affiliations and social associations are most volatile.

A crack in the coalition of religion and the Republican Party was beginning to appear as they wrote. In the latest surveys that were available to Putman and Campbell, the acceptance of marriage of same-sex couples was growing by about 2 percent per year. The change is almost entirely among the younger generation. The authors point out that past patterns do not predict future patterns, but some sort of significant change is in the air. Predictably, politicians begin stepping back from issues that represent a shrinking minority.

The Barna Group is a well-respected research organization that researches religious issues and movements. This past month the Barna Group published its latest research about religion and politics. The Barna study shows some significant movement in voter attitude. Voter attitude, including the attitudes of all kinds of religious groups, is changing. The two most influential issues that will influence voters are health care and tax policies. Notably, abortion and homosexuality have slipped far down the list of voter concerns. I was not surprised at the demise of same-sex marriage and gay rights as vital issues. An observer could see it coming. The younger generation is moving away from religious influences and is increasingly comfortable with the gay population. Opposition to same-sex marriage is fast becoming a political liability.

Putnam and Campbell make the observation that anti-abortion activists have largely abandoned the hope of overturning Roe v. Wade. They now work at tweaking abortion practices rather than repealing them.

I suspect the particular era of joining religion to political parties that occurred in late 20th century is passing. What lies ahead is unknown. However, like it or not, religion and politics will continue to mix in a unique American way.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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