Young Evangelicals' Broader Views Alter Political Landscape

The Dallas Morning News had a story with the title, Young Evangelicals' Broader Views Alter Political Landscape. It suggest that younger adults born into evangelical families are broadening their views beyond the usual gay marriage and abortion issues. Two years ago, 55 percent of evangelicals younger than 30 called themselves Republicans. Now, just 40 percent do, according to a recent Pew survey. The study found that they are more likely than their parents to champion environmental causes, less concerned about gay marriage and more interested in improving health care and combating poverty.

The article says, " For many conservative evangelical Christians younger than 30, family values involve more than the issues of gay marriage, abortion and prayer in school. Poverty, health care and the environment are also matters of faith. "

It goes on to say: The fact that these younger evangelicals have somewhat more diverse views than their elders means there's a possible change in their political behavior," said John Green of the Pew Research Center, who has long studied how religion affects voting habits. "There might be an opening for more moderate Republicans in the Republican primaries among these voters," he said. "And there might be an opening among Democrats among some of these folks."

To me is seems obvious that evangelical parents cannot close the world to their children, and cannot expect their children to carry the same crusader flags that mom and dad carried. Children are way too savvy to be conned into believing that they ought to vote for candidate A because he/she supports 'traditional marriage' and is against abortion.

This is a complex world which will no longer be captured in a few sound bites.