The election season of 2008 has been called remarkable for the amount of public participation and interest that the political race has generated. Voter turnout, which has been slipping for the past few decades, appears to be reversing itself as more Americans weigh-in on the presidential election this year.
There is also another factor which makes 2008 unique: the degree to which religion has played a role in the electoral process thus far.
Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, campaigned on his faith
in Christ, attributed his
Mitt Romney, an avowed Mormon, ran as a "man of faith" and
portrayed himself as the candidate of family values while attempting to win
over voters who were turned off by his adherence to the
Barack Obama has addressed crowds of churchgoers and speaks often of his faith. At the same time, his campaign has had to debunk rumors which allege that he is a Muslim, and other questions have been asked about the "afro centrism" espoused by the pastor of Obama's home church.
The fact that religion is such an important component in the electorate's search for the country's next leader is encouraging, and is also a sign that more work needs to be done.
The Judeo-Christian tradition under-girds and reinforces
And yet, there is cause for concern. Though over 78% of
Americans consider themselves Christians[i],
the percentage of Christians in
That is why we must make it our mission to not only educate voters on the enduring connection between Judeo-Christian values and the American way of life, we must also show them why the Judeo-Christian tradition is worth subscribing to and maintaining. In order to do that, we must speak directly to citizens' fears and concerns, by providing answers which are both relevant and true.
Then--and only then--can we begin to make strides towards becoming one nation, under God, indivisible.
