Evangelicals Are Crucial to Winning the 2008 Election

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Young evangelicals reflect their pastors' diffidence. As conservative as their parents in most respects—and more conservative in opposing abortion—many young evangelicals are fatigued by the culture war (and have greater worries about $4 gas). They say they don't want to be Republican just because that's what's expected. Only 40 percent of evangelicals 18 to 29 identify as Republican, down from 55 percent in 2001, according to the Pew Research Center. This slide correlates to the recent broadening of the evangelical agenda to encompass social-justice and global-poverty issues, as well as to Bush's low popularity ratings. Alan Jacobs, 49, an English professor at Wheaton College in Illinois, says the younger evangelicals he teaches tell him, "I have a very deep and instinctive attachment to the pro-life movement, and I don't think I'm going to be able to vote for someone who holds the views that Obama has, but I don't see how I can vote for John McCain. So I'm kind of stuck."

The right's influence may be felt in unexpected ways. Jim Wallis, editor of the progressive evangelical journal Sojourners, sees an opportunity for Obama in the swayable Christians that Jacobs talks to. He says Obama could get between 35 and 40 percent of the evangelical vote (and late last month Wallis encouraged Obama to advocate for fewer abortions as a way to gain evangelical support). That's irrationally exuberant, but defections by young and moderate evangelicals don't help McCain with the base.

To which the McCain camp might say: so what? That's not where McCain needs to concentrate his attention to win. In 2004, so the gospel goes, Karl Rove found every last evangelical voter in every country church—and found 4 million Christian votes that he credited with defeating John Kerry. This year, it's the middle that matters, not the margins. The religious voters who are most critical may be America's 54 million Roman Catholics—conservative on abortion and gay marriage, but progressive on education and health care. While the right sorts through its growing pains, McCain may be focusing less on megachurches, more on mass.

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Posted By: ruizjon @ 11/07/2008 5:30:41 AM

I admit the election was confusing for some. But now is the time for the Church to be the Church. Unfortuantely the Presidential election is a binary decision. Don't count the impact of Bible Believing Christians out just yet. Consider how is it that California, Florida, and Arizona passed laws prohibiting Gay marriage. Perhaps freed from having to be one party or another, the Church can finally rise up as the Church. (Protestent and Catholic - all the Bible beleiving variations therein). I call on all Christians who didn't want to be called "single issue voters" to now rise up and confront the Democratic Regime that you put into power on those single issues your Biblical convictions will compel you to take action on. Peace.
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Posted By: qartha @ 10/12/2008 10:13:58 PM

It is common knowledge that the father of Muhammad was Abdallah; and his mother, Amina. Muhammad was a man born of an acknowledged father and a respected mother. Neither the Quran nor Muslim scholars claim that Muhammad was born in a supernatural way. His birth was not announced by an angel, nor was he born by the Word of God. He was born in a natural way as we all are, from a human father and a human mother.

As for Christ, the Quran states several times that He was not born in the normal way, as we are. His Father was not a human being. He was conceived in the Virgin Mary without the interference of a human father, for Allah breathed His spirit into her. This makes Christ - exclusively - the only one in the whole world who was born of the Word of God and His spirit.

Truly, the Messiah, Isa, Son of Mariam, the ambassador of Allah, is His word that He bestowed upon Mariam; and He is Spirit of Him (Women 4:171).

We breathed in her of our Spirit (The Prophets 21:91).

We breathed in Him of our Spirit (The Forbidding 66:12).

Christ is not a usual man, but the divine Spirit incarnated in human flesh. Thus He was born of the Spirit of God and the Virgin Mary. In contrast, Muhammad was born of a father and a mother, like all humans. He was not born of the Spirit of God.
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Posted By: collymore @ 08/07/2008 5:02:44 PM

once again i must ask,are you god himself? how can you judge people?god did not ask us to be judges,jury,lawyers or executioners but to be witnesses.i am conservative and christian but i've come to realize that american conservatism hems real close to bigotry, intolerance and hatred.how about genocide,poverty,injustice etc? how about the vehement scoffing of other nations just because they hold a different opinion? how about kids on both sides of the iraq war who would never get a chance to meet their mothers and fathers? though i believe in the preservation of life, one cannot over look that in every hamlet of society,all over this world there is and will be abortions. our instructions are to pray for our leaders whether they are just or unjust.in this world of instant communication, can america live in isolation?what good is a man(gender neutral) if he prays but does not give his prayers wings, hands and feet? you cannot be that closed minded and judgemental.true strength is the ability to listen and analyze. no matter how right we think we are,we should stop and listen to the advice of others.