Faith talk losing appeal to voters
Has America gotten more religious, or is religiousness just a vocal
strain in American politics? The country has grown less religious since
the 1970s, according to recent studies, but researchers say that
frequent churchgoers are now much more likely to vote Republican or
support the Tea Party.
As a result, faith-filled rhetoric and
campaign stops make Americans seem more Christian than they really are,
according to Mark Chaves, a Duke University professor of sociology and
religion. The rise of megachurches also fuels the misperception that
most Americans attend services weekly, whereas only one in four
Americans actually do, he added.
"The Michele Bachmanns and Rick
Perrys of the world are playing to a base that's much smaller than it
was in the 1970s and 1980s," said Chaves, whose new book, American Religion: Contemporary Trends, analyzes data from the General Social Survey and the National Congregations Study.
