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Title:

Americans mix politics and religion, dulling line between church-state.By: Marquand, Robert, Christian ScienceMonitor, 08827729, 6/26/96, Vo! 88, "ssue #$8

AMERICANS MIX POLITICS AND RELIGION, DULLING LINE BETWEEN CHURCH-STATE

%ateine: &ashin'ton

(or )ore than a decade, conser*ati*e Christians ha*e been )a+in' oitica inroads in the -S . caturin' seatsin oca schoo boards and inuencin' nationa eections ith stron' *ies on socia issues ran'in' ro)abortion to 'ay ri'hts!

1or are they about to disaear! oday, i anythin', both the intensity o conser*ati*e *aues and the nu)ber ooiticay in*o*ed Christians are risin'!

hese trends ha*e contributed to a seein' chan'e in 3)erican society, accordin' to a athbrea+in' studyreeased uesday! 3 )a4ority o aduts in the -nited States no beie*e that churches shoud be abe toe5ress oitica *ies . an attitude that is aready chan'in' the on'standin' searation beteen church andstate!

here is a ot o rei'ion in oitics and oitics in rei'ion these days, says 3ndre ohut, ho ed the studyby the e Research Center! 3nd there is )ore accetance o it than 0 years a'o! he increase o hite

*an'eica rotestants is o articuar oitica si'niicance! So)e e5erts reer to the heno)enon as theoitica )ainstrea)in' o hite *an'eicas! hese indi*iduas, )any o ho) esche traditiona od.inedeno)inations i+e Methodist or iscoa, reresent 2$ ercent o a re'istered *oters! hat is u ro) #9ercent in #987, the study inds!

he eoe ho do hard.core day.to.day oitics in &ashin'ton ha*e ne*er oo+ed in a detaied ay aboutho the *otes ;o *an'eicas< stac+ u, notes Maureen Steinbruner, resident o the Center or 1ationaoicy, a nonartisan &ashin'ton oitica study 'rou that o*ersa the sur*ey! 1o they are!

he intensity o conser*ati*e rei'ious *aues a)on' these *an'eicas is dri*in' the chan'e! heconser*atis) o hite *an'eica rotestants is ceary the )ost oeru orce in oitics today, said thestudy, he %i)inishin' %i*ide!!! 3)erican Churches, 3)erican oitics! here is itte indication o a coherentattern o ibera beie associated ith any )a4or !!! rei'ious 'rou!

"n a shit, =$ ercent o 3)ericans no say churches and cer'y )e)bers shoud e5ress their *ies on day.to.day socia and oitica questions! hirty years a'o, in a >ao o, = ercent o 3)ericans said oiticsand rei'ion shoud re)ain searate! 1ot surrisin', this indin' troubes so)e 'rous!

&e ind that 3)ericans don?t )ind reachers ta+in' about oitica issues, says Rob Boston o 3)ericans-nited or the Searation o Church and State in &ashin'ton! But there is sti disco)ort a)on' arishionersabout bein' tod ho to *ote!

3ccordin' to the study, so)e # in 7 Christians today can ind oitica ca)ai'n )aterias in their churches!

So ar, the Reubican arty has been the )ain oitica beneiciary o the ne trend! @oe*er, in an ano)ay,and arty due to di*isi*e eein's in the Reubican arty o*er abortion and other socia issues, it is not yetcear hether >A candidate Bob %oe i ic+ u the ion?s share o the e*an'eica *ote in 1o*e)ber! Anune 22, Mr! %oe?s )ore toerant ator) on abortion as handed a deeat in e5as, here )ost o %oe?sone Star state dee'ates to the >A con*ention in San %ie'o ere deeated by or'aniDed rei'ious

conser*ati*es in the arty! Rei'ious conser*ati*es in the >A are ositioned to set a er*ent tone in thecon*ention and inuence %oe?s choice o a runnin' )ate!

he rise o a conser*ati*e rei'ious inuence in oitics is 'roin' ordide! "n the ast si5 ee+s, ore5a)e, conser*ati*e and orthodo5 oitica arties in "ndia, "srae, and ur+ey, ha*e either catured or arearty controin' their resecti*e 'o*ern)ents! Most ad*ocate an end to corrution in oitics, and aea to*oter?s desire or security and a stron' traditiona identity in a ti)e o )ora decay and raid chan'e!

(or )uch o the 20th century, co))itted *an'eicas considered articiation in oitics an anathe)a . oiticsas ordy, a dirty trade, and 'ood Christians sent their ti)e in ursuit o a)iy, rayer, and rearation or

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the +in'do) o hea*en! Eet schoars oint to a 'roin' se')ent o 3)ericans ho ee isoated and troubed,not eein' at ho)e in the ord, and oo+in' or a ace o identity and security, as one theoo'ian ut it!

*an'eica schoar %a*id &es o the >ordon.Cone Se)inary in @a)iton, Mass!, says the )edin' orei'ion and oitics is art o on'oin' cuture ars in 3)erica! here is a search or so)e +ind otranscendence in the oitica shere!

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By Robert Marquand, Sta riter o he Christian Science Monitor