A New Faith Coalition

Most elections are just power rearrangements; this one was a transformational moment in our history. A fundamental shift is taking place in America, and we saw the evidence on November 4th. It is a political shift, a cultural and racial shift, a generational shift, and a religious shift.
The leadership of African-American and Latino Christians along with a new generation of the faithful in white America are ending an age of narrow and divisive religion. This new faith coalition voted for a broad new moral agenda for faith in public life. Racial and economic justice, creation care, peacemaking, and a more consistent ethic life will be the keystones of this growing shift.

This changing face of religion in America gave Barack Obama a 4.4 million voter net gain of Protestants and Catholics over John Kerry and helped lock up key swing states across the country. Real number gains were made among a new generation of white evangelicals. In James Dobson's home state of Colorado, the percentage of white evangelicals voting for Obama nearly doubled from those voting for Kerry. In Indiana, a state Obama won with little more than 26,000 votes, he picked up over 160,000 white evangelical votes over 2004. In Florida, Christian voters of all stripes swung hard for Obama giving him a net gain of 485,000 Catholic and Protestant voters over 2004. This year it was just about 200,000 votes in Florida that made the difference; in years past it was just a few hundred votes that swung the state.

Further polling results will help to answer the critical question of why religious voters cast their ballots the way they did. But three factors are likely key to understanding the religious shift.

First, the leadership of the African-American and Hispanic churches was more important than ever before in an American election. This time, white evangelicals played a supporting role while it was Christians of color -- who are almost all "evangelical" in their theology -- who led. The election results reflect a surge of support among black and Latino voters, galvanized by a campaign and a candidate who better spoke to their aspirations and values. Their overwhelming support marks a growing shift within the religious landscape toward marrying social conservatism with a deep commitment to social justice. Recent studies indicate that Latino voters are very pro-life on abortion yet also consider the debate on immigration as a key religious and "life" issue for their community.

Second, a new generation of pastors and students cast a "post-Religious Right ballot" this election. Polls leading up to the election showed a significant break from the previous generation on issues like gay marriage and abortion, which while still a top concern, it is not the only one. For those Christians, sanctity of life now includes poverty, war, genocide, and climate change. Healthy families are also still a top concern, but many Christians don't see gay and lesbian rights as a primary cause of family breakdown. These religious voters refuse to be distracted by the culture wars of the previous generation. This new generation are not the evangelicals the country is used to seeing and hearing about in the media, and they are already reshaping the future agenda. The break is so stark that several conservative evangelical college newspapers endorsed Obama.

Third, we see a broadening of the agenda with fewer single issue voters. "Pro-life" voters are realizing that their faith calls for a consistent ethic of life from "womb to tomb." Voters are now judging candidates based on who best addresses all the threats to human life and dignity. And for some, a more pragmatic strategy of serious abortion reduction, rather than a strategy of continuing only to try to make abortion illegal, is appealing. It is becoming a common ground that could break the ideological deadlock of the past 30 years. This consistent ethic of life has caused a significant shift in the political agenda of many Christians by expanding their definition of what it means to be pro-life. They are tired of political pandering to the issue that seems to be more about winning elections than pragmatic solutions.

Christians of color, younger white Christians, "new evangelical" pastors and leaders, and progressive Catholics and Protestants from many denominations are reaching across barriers to change the face of Christianity in this country -- and also to engage with allies in other faith communities. They have learned many lessons from the mistakes of the Religious Right and aren't about to repeat them. And they are not about to become a new "Religious Left." When asked if they are liberal or conservative, many answer "yes," depending on the issue. And because they don't easily fit the political categories of left and right, they could become bridge-builders, bringing a divided nation together on the really big and politically transcendent issues like poverty, human rights, climate change, energy transformation, and the urgency of peace. And isn't that just what our new president is calling for?

Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening, Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

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Comments

[xdevildawg4u]

"...many Christians don't see gay and lesbian rights as a primary cause of family breakdown."

What? It's not the PRIMARY cause? Please explain to me how it is in ANY way the cause of family breakdown?

The fact that you completely fail to mention the exclusion of gay people and their families from CIVIL protections in your glowing comment about "transformational moments", "fundamental shifts" and "faith realignments" in America tells me a lot about how progressive and inclusive you really are. The fact that you could even utter a shameful statement like the one I referenced above also says a lot about you and your "progressive" faith. It tells me that you haven't progressed nearly enough.

I'm personally not impressed with your selective progresivism and your selectivity in who is and who isn't part of the FULLY included family of America and family of God.

You clearly still have a long way to go before you fully understand and demonstrate the compassion and inclusion shown by Jesus the Christ. I never heard him condemn ANYONE or ask for anyone to be denied CIVIL rights; not even with a "love the sinner not the sin" disclaimer.

[wordvarc]

Many Evangelicals realized they were scammed a few 'leaders' like Dobson, morally bankrupted by other corrupt leaders, and used by political rovian neocon double speak.

Many are educated and moving beyond the 'litmus test issues' to be advocates for the poor and protectors of the planet. Many, however unfortunately, still watch only Fox 'news.'

[OtayPanky]

Unfortunately, the pervasive presence of religion in American political life continues to be a double-edged sword. How else to explain the passage of Prop 8 in California...not to mention our current dear leader believing he was called by God to the deeds he has done.

A secular society is a safe society - for ALL citizens. By all means bring your values into the public square like anyone else - but keep your holy beliefs in your holy temples, please.

[angryveteran]

CNN actually listed "Evangelical Christians" as one of the losers following Tuesday's election. I felt weird because I'm an evangelical and I feel pretty good about the results. I'm sick of the extremists who have hi-jacked Christianity and claimed that you can't be pro-choice and 'Saved' at the same time. Real believers know that right now the president elect has been chosen and we're called to pray for our leaders (no matter their political affiliation!).

[write2bheard]

Christianity has been hi-jacked by the right wing fundamentalists and all Christians have been tarred with that dark brush as intolerant, condemning, and hateful. This article accurately summarizes the beliefs and attitudes of the Christianity I and many others practice. I realize full well that we live in a democracy and not a theocracy and I don't have the right to impose my Christian beliefs on nonbelievers and all citizens in a democracy have a guarantee of civil rights.

[kjstjohn]

Our laws guarantee that the government shall not establish a religion or interfere unduly with a person's right to exercise his religion (or no religion). Subject to the foregoing limitation, our laws in no way prevent citizens from participating in faith-inspired political movements or from taking their religious values with them into the voting booth.

For people who believe that socially-regressive faith-based movements are no different from socially-progressive faith-based movements, consider the difference between the 19th-century Southern Baptists who believed that slavery was divinely ordained and the Quaker abolitionists who believed that it was an abomination. For people who believe that faith should not influence the secular community consider what our community might look like if MLK did not believe that the laws of men were subordinate to God's promise of the deliverance of His people.

[old lady]

I was hoping that after 8 years of megalomaniac fundamentalism (our own home-grown and that practiced abroad ) would have clearly demonstrated the incipient danger in confusing religion with politics. Does the word inquisition ring a bell?

[susangg]

Didn't you leave some folks out? Despite its reliance on "Muslim hate" rumors on the internet, the Republicans lost the Jewish vote to Obama by at least as wide a margin as Kerry got. And while nobody has bothered to investigate this, I'll bet that the pagan community also voted for Obama by a very wide margin. And what about Muslim Americans? Has anybody bothered to exit poll them?
Get a clue. Every spiritually oriented American is not Christian.

[HamletsMill]

WRONG. If you want to get some REAL SPIRITUAL INSIGHT and start writing some actual insightful pieces for Sojourners I suggest you start reading Richard Tarnas.

The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that Have Shaped Our World View
by Richard Tarnas
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n21_v43/ai_11597179

Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View
by Richard Tarnas
http://www.cosmosandpsyche.com/

Spiritually and psychologically as systems of human personality there is not a dimes worth of difference between fundamentalist Taliban Christians, fundamentalist Taliban Muslims, fundamentalist Taliban Jews, fundamentalist Taliban Republicans, and fundamentalist Taliban Chicago School Economists. All have the same straight jacketed brain chemistry of obsessive-compulsive ideologues not thinking outside the box. All are now going to go to the same end as the planes of consciousness shift. Your analysis is nice but it is a totally conventional (yawn) and thereby merely superficial analysis.The big factor now is a change in consciousness COMBINED with the power of communication via the Internet. This time it is going to get very interesting. It started out with long time Reagan Republicans partially nationalizing banks as the new Financial Politburo Red Comintern. Now that is original! Fasten your seat belts.

The times they are a chang'in.

[cheforacle]

I don't agree with Wallis on everything he said but the manner in which you derisively dismiss his arguments undermines your advocacy of Tamas's ideas. To use that term "Taliban" so lightly is frankly offensive. My grandfather was an orthodox Jew whose faith seemed superstitious to me. But his life work included spearheading public housing for African-Americans who had been living in homes without plumbing (and in some cases electricity. To belittle people of faith like you do but lumping all people who believe in a religion or economic view with you disagree or harbor contempt is frankly sad and, IMHO, indicates a lack of respect for other people.

[HuffPoFan]

Even though the Catholic Church was pushing a single issue (anti-abortion) which was a veiled endorsement of John McCain, they lost at the ballot box. They also lost on California's Prop 4 (parental notification) but won on Prop 8 (gay marriage). Catholics like other church goers appear to have voted their wallets and not as commanded by Rome. Rome hasn't admitted to itself that the old days of "pray, pay and obey" are gone forever. When times are good people can afford to be ideological, but when they are bad ideology is less important.

I don't see any long range changes in voting patterns, this was a unique election and Obama was at the right place when the economy tanked. If it was Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Edwards etc, they would have also benefited. As Churck Todd stated McCain had three problems, "Bush, Bush, Bush".

I live and work in red counties that went blue this election, but I have no doubt that they are still red counties. One election doesn't make a lasting trend, political allegiances don't change that easily.
I do believe that many voters will change their party registration from Republican or Democrat to Independent status (unaffiliated/decline to state). The number of Independents have been growing over the years and people don't see the benefits of party affiliation.

[macohmz]

None of the above or below means anything if there's nothing to eat.

[BigBagel]

I'll take a chicken sandwich.

[BottomLine2008]

Very good column!

[JohnJames]

Unfortunately there's actually little evidence of an embrace of more progressive positions among evangelicals, Baptists, Mormons etc. This is mostly wishful thinking on Mr. Wallis's part. To the extent that some conservative Christians voted Democratic this time it's because they were thinking about their wallet. Wish that weren't true but it is.

[Montanagramma]

HuffPost's Pick

I have always thought freedom of religion meant we are all free to practice our own religion. I also thought the separation of church and state meant just that: government doesn't mess with our religion, and our religion doesn't mess with our government. What did I miss??

[BigBagel]

The last twenty years.

[IndepFloridian]

Awesome article. As a registered Republican/socially conservative moderate, I couldn't agree more. We'll see what happens over the next four years. All of us who crossed over in Florida (and there are MANY) are anxious to see President-Elect Obama govern as the centrist so many believe and hope him to be. WE SHALL SEE.......

Reading the comments below mine are trippy, though. HuffPo commentators, we all don't have your worldview...and that's okay. Take a minute and think that over. Do you want to work together w/ folks w/ differing opinions or do you want to keep acting as if your way is the only way to see things and thus, accomplish nothing?