Churches tread lightly on politics in 2012 election

[cbayer]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-05-21/church-politics-religion-election/55118380/1

By G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Religion News Service

With the 2012 election less than six months away, congregations are getting the message that Americans want religion out of politics. But that doesn't mean they plan to keep mum in the public square.

Instead, they're revamping how congregations mobilize voters by focusing on a broader set of issues than in the past. Preachers are largely avoiding the political fray, and hot-button social issues are relegated to simmer in low-profile church study groups.

Why? For one, Americans are growing impatient with religious politicking: 54% want houses of worship to keep out of politics (up from 52% in 2008 and 43% in 1996), according to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Churches seem to be responding.

"The biggest change we see is a drop-off in the percentage of people saying they hear politics from the pulpit," said David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame political scientist whose Faith Matters project tracked 3,100 people over five years.

more at link

[cleanhippie]

1. I wonder what is driving the change?

Is it the fundies pissing most everyone off?

Is it the more liberal sects seeing the dangers of mixing religion and politics?

Is it a general mistrust of religious institutions?

Is it an increase of vocal non-believers getting a new message out?

Is it that more and more people are finding the ancient religions to be no longer compatible with modern science and society?

It certainly must be some combination of them all (as well as other reasons, im sure) but it would be interesting to find out just what the main force is driving this.

[jeepnstein]

7. Many of my friends...

are saying they felt they've been sold down the river by the Republicans. For years they were smug in the belief that voting Republican meant voting Gods' will, because that's what they were told. Then they began to notice a disconnect between what they were being told and what was happening. This has been brewing for a couple of years now.

[cbayer]

8. Agree. They were sold on abortion and gay marriage and got little of what they had been promised.

[longship]

2. Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

Am I the only one who sees this org as appropriately named?

I sat in many pews in my formative years.

Thanks. Good post. But I am not sure that the conclusions are correct. The state legislators have apparently not got the memo since they are using Biblical quotes to justify all sorts of religious flapdoodle.

Maybe the churches are backing off because they've already done the spade work.

[cbayer]

5. Never made that connections, lol.

Of course, PEW does a lot more than work on religious issues, but they do have a big footprint in this area (and quite reliable, imo).

Agree that the legislators are still doing it. Will be interesting to watch what happens to them in upcoming elections.

[monmouth]

3. People threatening to call the IRS on them? Just a thought..n/t

[cbayer]

4. Churches can champion political causes from the pulpit, just not political candidates.

But they may be backing off in part because the line is not always clear.

[CrispyQ]

6. The collection plate isn't as lucrative as it once was.

Gotta temper the message to get the bucks flowing again.