Chapter 20: Myth—Politics Doesn’t Matter

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The above table was part of an “Election 2004 Analysis” of the

religious vote found on www.pbs.org 12. Anchor Bob Abernathy as his introduction to a discussion of this issue said: “The religious vote was decisive in President Bush’s reelection this week. Massive get-out-the-vote efforts among evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics provided

the margin of victory for the president. Despite the Democrats’ attempts to reach out to people of faith, experts say an ongoing ‘religion gap’ in American politics was even more pronounced… Among all voters, ‘moral values’ edged out terrorism, the economy, and Iraq as the top issue of

concern. This was particularly true for evangelicals. Many of them were galvanized by the issue of Gay marriage.”

Anchor Abernathy asked Professor John Green, an expert in religious voting the following: “John, moral values means different things to different

people. Is there any consensus about that?” Professor Green answered, “No, there really isn’t. To conservative Christians the phrase ‘moral values’ tends to refer to sexual behavior and issues such as marriage and abortion. To more liberal Christians, secular people, Jews, and Muslims, that tends to

oftentimes mean social justice questions — poverty, the environment, war and peace. We all think that morality is important, but we can’t agree on what is moral.” 12

Religious People Can’t Agree On Morality!

Why can’t religious people agree on what is moral? What is going on in the culture that prevents Christians from a unified understanding of moral

values? After all, our country was founded on the same moral values and those values held until the 1960’s. If there is a moral concern from people of faith, there should be. There is a culture war going on and whether this will be a “moral” nation as defined by God in the Holy Bible is exactly what

is up for grabs. Can 22% of “born-again evangelicals” vote against God’s moral values with impunity? What about 47% of white Protestants? Can they vote against the mores in the Holy Bible they base their faith upon? Can social justice even take place in a society that does not adhere to God’s moral values? I for one do not believe you can have justice if you don’t

have God’s morality. He defined morals, justice and injustice, didn’t He?