On God’s side

For as long as most of us can remember, the American public has been told that it is exceptionally religious. Unfortunately, this belief has had a huge effect on the way politicians campaign, making it almost mandatory for political candidates to bring up God in one way or another. Karl Rove may be to blame for this. He convinced George Bush that he would need to reach out to Christian evangelicals to get re-elected in 2004 – advice that seems to be responsible for his countless references to his religion and God.\nBut, God willing, there might be a change in the wind. America seems to value religion less, at least in the political sphere.\nAccording to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, the presidential candidates who are viewed as the least religious are, in fact, are doing best in national polls. This fact might not surprise anyone if it just held true for Democrats, but – take a deep breath – it’s true for Republicans, too. \nSo does this represent a real change in the national attitude in the Republican Party? Religion has always been an important part of the GOP. President Bush claimed that he ran for president in 2000 in part because he believed God wanted him to. David Kuo, the former special assistant to the President, charged the Republican administration with trying to create faith-based initiatives intended to mobilize Christian voters to support the GOP, an idea that is a surprise to no one familiar with Rove’s grand plan to get Christian evangelical votes.\nSo is religion becoming less important in America? Are people finally figuring out that whether you believe that a virgin gave birth 2,000 years ago has little to do with whether you’re a moral person?\nLet’s hope so. \nAlthough it is still early, the fact that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, viewed as the least religious among those surveyed, are leading in the polls may be a positive sign that religion is taking a back seat to other issues\nOne thing, however, is for sure: The religious right is worried, and it should be. There appears to be a change in attitude in America, especially toward atheists and agnostics. I believe atheism was once viewed as a small group of scary people unable to believe in the wonderful and transcendent. Now, it seems atheism is turning into a more humanistic movement; one that emphasizes science and reason, instead of religious dogma, as the way for humanity to improve itself.\nThis has not gone unnoticed by the religious right, and it is desperately trying to show that evangelicals are still an important voting block. James Dobson, leader of Focus on the Family, has actually threatened to run as a third-party candidate if the Republicans nominate a “pro-abortion” candidate such as Giuliani. The message is clear: Don’t take the religious right for granted. \nFewer and fewer people attend church in our country while more and more are realizing that they need no supernatural figure to guide them politically. Maybe politicians should pursue this growing voting bloc.