The God Gap

I recently read some of The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap. Essentially, it discusses the omnipresent stereotype that Conservatives/Republicans are religious/spiritual and Liberals/Democrats are, well, not.

The term "the God gap" was coined in the aftermath of the Kerry/Bush election: "Come Election Day, so many churchgoing Americans cast their votes for George W. Bush that pundits created a new phrase - "the God gap" - to explain their voting patterns. The more often you attended church, the more likely you were to vote Republican."

While I will reserve my rant on that mistake for another day (I think everyone gets enough of that on a daily basis), I read on -

"The arrogant assumption of conservatives that they had a patent on piety was bad enough. But Democrats seemed to buy into this conventional wisdom as well, believing that religious Americans were all conservative." This was not always the case, of course. Democrats were not always viewed as the Godless (or at least the "less moral" of the God-fearing). In fact, "liberals" were most often (and aptly) viewed as the people who cared more for human rights. You know, like women having the right to vote.

"National polls consistently show that two-thirds of Democratic voters attend worship services regularly."

"The tale that remains untold involves the left's response to the rise of the Religious Right... For while the political, religious, and cultural forces that gave rise to the Religious Right formed a perfect storm that was bound to have a significant impact on American politics, Democrats and liberals weren't just passive nonactors who stood by helplessly on the sidelines while it all happened. Instead of pushing back, they chose to beat a retreat in the competition for religious voters and the discussion of morality, effectively ceding the ground to conservatives. The emergence of the God gap represents a failure of the left as much as it does an achievement of the right." (emphasis added)

Throughout my life, I have heard friends and acquaintances mention their affinity for Democratic candidates, but some sort of religious guilt kicks in and makes them feel like they should vote against their personal conscience. But, as the article also mentions, "as recently as the 1960's, religion was a decidedly nonpartisan affair in the United States. Presidents of all political stripes sprinkled their speeches with references to the Almighty." Yes, they did, and most likely they felt free to do so without alienating their constituency.

"The twin disappointments of Vietnam and Watergate led to widespread disillusionment with traditional institutions, and the cynicism tainted religious authority as well. The postmodern argument that advances societies would progress beyond the need for religious practice or belief in a higher power took hold in educated circles and further deepened the divide between secular elites and religious believers." (emphasis added)

Dearest friends - believing in God and following His commandments does not equate to blindly voting Republican. Know the person in whom you're casting your confidence.