Numerous conservative pastors and commentators have declared to their flocks that true Christians must vote Republican if they are faithful. Chief among those is Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who told a conservative political action group this…
It’s not your imagination: Polling data confirm conservatives’ flip on morality in candidates, and Herschel Walker is Exhibit B
That conservative evangelicals appear to be turning a blind eye to Herschel Walker’s documented moral failures illustrates the flip-flop on valuing moral behavior found within the Republican Party over the past 20 years, according to research by journalist Aaron Blake…
Most Republicans want U.S. declared ‘Christian nation,’ even though they know that’s unconstitutional
A solid majority of Republicans favor declaring the United States a Christian nation, even though almost as many acknowledge the U.S. Constitution does not allow such a declaration, according to the latest Politico/University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll. Zeal for…
Al Mohler derides a dead man, and the dead man’s friends aren’t happy
Al Mohler has not come to praise Ron Sider but to bury him — with posthumous damnation, no less. Sider, an early leader of the modern progressive left within Christianity, died July 27. His most influential book was Rich Christians…
New data show America’s challenge is not because ‘both sides are wrong’
There is a popular trend among some evangelicals to criticize both sides of political and religious debates equally while proposing a third way that appears to be above the fray. They might say, “While the right says this and the…
Ryan Burge has some important things to say about white evangelicals, partisan politics and the future
If you’re interested in fascinating yet random facts and trends about American religion and culture, follow Ryan Burge (@ryanburge) on Twitter. Burge, who is an American Baptist pastor and a professor at Eastern Illinois University, loves to make graphs. And…
‘It’s still the economy, stupid’
Think what you will about the raging culture wars, but that’s not the major driver of public opinion today any more than it was when Bill Clinton first ran for president in 1992. That’s when Clinton campaign analyst James Carville…
The futility of framing one another as progressives and evangelicals, devils and dummies
In politics, “framing” is the attempt to alter reality by selecting words, slogans and tropes that convince the public to see the other side in a certain negative way. As Robert Entman explains, “To frame is to select some aspects of a perceived…
I teach the things Republican legislators are trying to outlaw; here’s what we actually teach
Once again, I’m so grateful I live in Oregon. Across conservative states, legislators are interfering with what’s taught in K-12, colleges, universities and workplaces. They’ve targeted content that addresses issues of race, gender and sexuality, with a special emphasis on…