Associated Baptist Press - 11/6/2008

Associated Baptist Press
November 6, 2008 · (08-108)

David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Acting Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer

In this issue
Experts: Obama win may signal start of religious-voter shift (1,069 words)
Black Baptist leaders: Obama win moves us closer to King's dream (925 words)
Dobson claims Obama election sets pro-lifers back severely (684 words)
Opinion: Baptists, bigotry and Barack Obama (917 words)

Experts: Obama win may signal start of religious-voter shift
By Bob Allen and Robert Marus (1,069 words)

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Barack Obama's election as president could signal waning influence by the Christian Right in American politics, according to several experts -- but his improvements over previous Democratic nominees' appeal to religious voters could also simply be a variation on an old pattern.

Panels of religious and polling experts, in two separate Nov. 5 conference calls with reporters, noted that Obama had improved on both John Kerry's and Al Gore's performance in most categories of religious voters.

"The religion gaps are alive and well, and in 2008, favoring the Democrats," said John Green, a religion-and-politics expert with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The Democratic nominee garnered about 53 percent of the popular vote to GOP nominee John McCain's 46 percent.

Green noted that Obama improved slightly but significantly on John Kerry's performance in every major religious category. The 2004 Democratic nominee lost white evangelicals by huge margins -- and Catholics by a narrower margin -- to President Bush.

But Obama did better among evangelicals and won a majority of Catholics. He also scored significant increases in support from Jews, Protestants in general and those not affiliated with any religion.

Among white voters who identified themselves to exit pollsters as evangelical or "born-again" Christians, 26 percent voted for Obama and 73 percent voted for McCain. That's a 5-point improvement over Kerry's performance among white evangelicals.

However, Obama did significantly better among white evangelicals in Midwestern and Rust Belt states than he did in the South. For instance, in Alabama, only 8 percent of white evangelicals supported Obama, whereas in Iowa, 33 percent did.

Nationwide, Obama won a significant majority -- 54 percent -- of Catholics. That was a demographic in which Bush bested Kerry 52-47 percent in 2004, giving Obama a 7-point boost among Catholics.

Obama's biggest boost in terms of religious categories over previous Democrats came among those who are not formally affiliated with any religious group. Those listing no religious affiliation favored him over McCain 75-23 percent. That's an increase of 8 points over Kerry's showing among the unaffiliated -- and an increase of 14 points over 2000 Democratic nominee Al Gore's 61-percent share of the same category.

Obama also did better than Kerry among all religious categories in terms of attendance at worship services. His biggest increase was among those who worship more than once a week, 43 percent of whom voted for him. That was an 8-point gain over Kerry's 2004 share of frequent worshipers. The Pew experts said much of that increase may owe to Obama's strong support among African-American Protestants and Latino Catholics.

A separate panel of moderate-to-progressive religious leaders, assembled by the advocacy group Faith in Public Life, said the trends indicate many religious voters are moving away from traditional religious-conservative political leanings.

David Gushee, professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, said the election revealed a "fracture" between the Christian Right and the general public. Whether that fracture is permanent, he said, depends a great deal on whether the Religious Right positions itself as "flat-out opposition" to a Democrat-controlled Washington or tries to build coalitions aimed at achieving goals for the common good.

Rich Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said the Religious Right has treated politics as a "zero-sum game," where in order for them to win someone else had to lose.

But Cizik said "a spiritual renaissance" is underway, in which evangelicals are learning to achieve goals through cooperation instead of control. "We have learned as evangelicals how to collaborate with those with whom we disagree," he said.

"Don't put the evangelicals out of this picture at all," Cizik said. "We are standing ready to work with him [Obama] on things we can work together on."

Gushee, who also writes a regular opinion column for Associated Baptist Press, said attempts by the Religious Right to make the election about abortion and gay marriage apparently failed, with very few voters citing those issues as important in determining their votes.

Also, Gushee added, "apocalyptic" communiqués from Religious Right leaders in the final weeks of the campaign predicting a nightmarish scenario unfolding as the result of an Obama presidency seemed to bear little fruit.

Gushee said the Religious Right is losing ground particularly among younger evangelicals, who want to expand the "values voter" agenda beyond the traditional issues of religious conservatives -- abortion rights and gay rights -- to include broader concerns like poverty, human rights and climate change.

"I think there is perhaps a shift in the religious landscape and political landscape that may be a long-term shift," Gushee said.

"I think with the generational change it's hard to imagine that the Religious Right will ever have more power in the Republican Party or the nation than it had in 2004," he added. "I think it's in decline, so it's up to them what they're going to be -- whether they're going to broaden the agenda and come to the center."

Gushee said he believes that abortion "remains a primary obstacle" for many evangelicals who otherwise would have voted for Obama but just "couldn't get over the hump" on the issue. He said it is too early to predict whether an "abortion-reduction strategy" as an alternative to attempting to overturn Roe v. Wade will win over conservative evangelicals.

Robert Jones, president of Public Religion Research, called the five-point gain by Democrats a "very important shift" for a group that traditionally votes Republican indicating a "religious rebalancing" and "diversification of the evangelical vote."

But the Pew Forum's Green was more cautious in analyzing the results, saying it could be the beginning of a trend -- or simply a return to normalcy.

"Some of this may be returning evangelicals to the previous level of support [for Democrats] before George Bush," Green said, noting Bush's appeal to evangelicals as someone who spoke their language well and identified with their religious experience.

Whatever the case, he said, the so-called "God gap" between the parties in appeal to the most religious of voters persists, despite Obama's gains among them.
"It really doesn't look to me like a realignment," Green said. "We may seem some realignment in the future depending on the Obama presidency."

He added that Obama's "biggest gains were among groups that were already Democratic. And although he did make gains among groups that are Republican ... he didn't change the overall pattern of the groups."

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Black Baptist leaders: Obama win moves us closer to King's dream
By Ken Camp (925 words)

AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) -- Black Baptist leaders said Barack Obama's election as the first African-American president of the United States does not mean Martin Luther King's dream of racial justice has been fully realized -- but it's a lot closer to reality than ever before.

Marvin Griffin, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, called the election "a manifestation of how far we have come."

"I never dreamed I would live to see this day come to pass," Griffin said. "Growing up as a boy in Dallas, I never imagined this. I rejoice to see this come to pass in my lifetime."

Frederick Haynes, pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, called the election "a phenomenal sign of the progress we have made, thanks to the sacrifices of others who have gone before."

"Their shed blood fertilized the ground out of which this amazing -- even miraculous -- accomplishment has grown," he said, "and we are reaping the fruit of their labors."

Haynes recalled King's dream of the "Beloved Community." He said the election of an African-American president signified "a huge step, if not a quantum leap, in that direction."

Jeff Haggray, executive director of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, called Obama's election "a significant milestone in American history."


"Of course, he is not the first person of color to achieve something great," Haggray said, but his election "transcends every other achievement and surpasses all other milestones."

Aidsand Wright-Riggins, executive director of American Baptist National Ministries, offered a more cautious appraisal. He called Obama's election "a giant step toward the commencement of serious racial dialogue, rather than a graduation from America's often-racist past."

King's vision of "the Beloved Community did not miraculously appear around midnight [Nov. 4] ... as Obama moved past the magic 270 electoral college votes he needed," Wright-Riggins noted.

"America proved itself capable of electing an African-American, Harvard-educated ... best-selling author as its 44th president," he said. "That is commendable and a tremendous cultural leap for this country and well-worth applauding."

But, he asked: "Is that same America capable of addressing a criminal-justice system that incarcerated people if color at rates far out of proportion to their population in this country? That and similar questions remain on conversational agenda."

Ebenezer Baptist's Griffin, 85, is one of the first African-American graduates of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He recalled the segregated schools, separate public accommodations and poll taxes of the last century, citing "growth in every quarter -- in religion, education, constitutional changes -- that contributed toward making this possible."

Griffin particularly noted the sacrifices made by civil-rights leaders -- some who gave their lives -- so people of color in the United States would have equal opportunities and the right to make their voices heard.

"I see this as the removal of another barrier that moves us closer to the open society we dream of seeing," he said.

Griffin described America's progress in race and human relations as a journey.
"We have come a long way and taken great strides toward the humanizing of our society," he said. "We still have a distance to travel, but we have come a long way."

Griffin said Obama's election sends a positive message to young people of all races and backgrounds -- but particularly children of color.

"The door is open. We can ascend to reach our highest aspirations," he said.

Haggray also said Obama's election sends a powerful message to his sons, ages 8 and 9, and his 4-year-old daughter. "It means they can be anything they feel called to be, if they work hard enough," Haggray said.

Wright-Riggins said Obama's freedom to succeed or fail on the basis of his character and vision rather than his race remains an open question.

"Yes, we have elected the first African-American president of the U.S.A.," he said. "Our next step is to elect a president of the U.S.A. who happens to be African-American." He called Obama's election "a serious step in that direction."

Having cleared the hurdle of Election Day, Haggray said Obama now faces the hurdle of winning the allegiance of those Americans who did not vote for him.

"His challenge is to convince all those people he is their president, too," he said.

And white Americans must learn a lesson African Americans long have had to deal with regarding people in positions of authority -- trusting a leader who is different.
"It's a fundamental act of trust to say that even though he doesn't look like us or share our personal history, we still trust him to be our president," Haggray said.

Haynes said he believes the president-elect possesses the potential to win the allegiance of all Americans. Obama's success as a campaigner took America far down the road toward racial justice, he observed, but his success in office can advance the cause even further.

"The success of an Obama administration will go a long way toward erasing the fears of those who still are trapped in the negativity of the past," he said.

Griffin anticipates Obama facing special challenges as president because of his racial background -- not only from whites, but also from some African Americans "who say he's not black enough."

Expectations are high for Obama, and the pressures will be great, he noted. But "he is not the Messiah," and nobody should expect all the nation's ills -- including its racial divisions -- to be healed overnight.

"The Kingdom has not come in its fullness," Griffin said. "We must continue to be instruments of good, practicing faith and love."
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-- Bob Allen contributed to this story.

Dobson claims Obama election sets pro-lifers back severely
By Bob Allen (684 words)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (ABP) -- Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said Nov. 6 that Barack Obama's election could set America's pro-life movement back 35 years.

In the first of a two-part broadcast on his radio show, Dobson admitted he is "in the midst of a grieving process" over election results the day before. "I'm not grieving over Barack Obama's victory, but over the loss of things that I've fought for for 35 years," he said.

Dobson said he understands the excitement over election of the country's first black president and that he wished he could have voted for Obama for that reason.

"But to be honest, I have to say that his win causes me enormous concern, because he will be the most committed pro-abortion president in our history, even supporting infanticide for babies who survive botched abortions," Dobson said. "He's in favor of much of the homosexual agenda, and he's going to appoint the most liberal justices to the Supreme Court, perhaps, that we've ever had. So there are many reasons why I'm struggling today over the likely path that nation has taken."

Obama and his campaign spokespeople have repeatedly disagreed with characterizations of his views on abortion rights such as Dobson's comment on "infanticide." When in the Illinois Legislature, Obama opposed a purported infanticide ban because he said it was unnecessary due to other laws already on the books and was simply a back-door attempt to restrict abortion in violation of federal Supreme Court precedent.

American Values President Gary Bauer, one of Dobson's guests on the program, found it ironic that both Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King appealed to the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence to argue for treating black Americans with equality.

"That is also our basis for support of the sanctity of life of innocent unborn children," Bauer said. "Because that paragraph says that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator -- that's God -- with certain unalienable rights -- rights that can't be taken away -- among them, and the first one as we all know was the right to life. So what an irony -- that our first African-American president appears to be confused about the meaning of the words of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence."

Dobson said Obama's election created a "dilemma" for him, because he wants to join the excitement and congratulations due after such an historic achievement.
"Yet I look at what this man and wants to implement, and it scares me," he said.

"The Freedom of Choice Act [a bill Obama said he would sign if Congress approved it; it would legalize abortion in all states even if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade] would instantly, if it passed, invalidate more than a hundred laws and provisions that would protect the unborn child. I mean it would set back to 1973 the efforts to have parental notification and waiting period -- all those things that have been done in various places -- gone, because he wants no restriction on abortion whatsoever."

"Our movement has crawled across broken glass for years to get each one of those limitations put in place," Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family's vice president for public policy and government, chimed in.

While licking their wounds over losing the presidency, the panel featured two guests celebrating victories for gay-marriage bans in California, Florida and Arizona.

Bauer lamented that too many churches around the country have been "AWOL" on such moral debates.

"They've claimed it's about politics or they don't want to jeopardize their tax status," he said. "There's all kinds of excuses, and in fact what we saw in California and Arizona and I believe also in Florida is that when the church steps up and speaks moral truth to the flock, people will respond. So yes, when we rely on God he does great things, but God works through his people and God counts on his leaders, his church leaders, to not be silent during these great debates about America, our families, the sanctity of life and our future."

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-- Robert Marus contributed to this story.

Opinion: Baptists, bigotry, and Barack Obama
By Benjamin Cole (917 words)

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- The election of 2008 was historic, and now it is history. A tough-fought campaign has ended with a number of firsts for the country, the most notable of which is the highest number of votes -- and the election -- going to an African American. Among the other firsts is the Republican Party's nomination of a woman to share a place on the national ticket. Also, as of Nov. 6, it looks like a convicted felon has been elected to the United States Senate for the first time.

Obviously, some noteworthy firsts are better than others.

The streets of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Washington were wild on election night with celebration over the election of Barack Obama to serve as the 44th president of the United States. Across from the White House, cheering, singing, crying and shouting pierced the unseasonably mild November night.

For most of the final weeks of the campaign, I was working day and night in a battleground state to help re-elect a vulnerable incumbent senator. On election night, the room where I sat with friends and fellow campaign workers was starkly different from the celebrations we watched on the flat screens. There were tears, confusion, dismay and, at times, a sense of relief.

Nevertheless, I had to reflect on the fact that the man elected to lead the nation was the first Illinois politician since Abraham Lincoln elevated to the presidency. I thought about how divided the nation was in 1860, and how painful the process of healing was. I thought about the division of North and South, and of Red and Blue.

Then, as now, the president needed wisdom, courage, and calm. The record reflects the leadership of Lincoln, and the nation is watching to see whether Obama will transform soaring rhetoric into successful policy.

Throughout election night and into the next day, my e-mail inbox was filled with woeful warnings about what America will look like with Barack Obama in the White House. Some of the messages were silly, like the one that questioned whether or not President-elect Obama would appoint the notorious William Ayers -- a former domestic radical whose association with Obama became the subject of Republican attack ads -- to serve as education secretary. Some of the e-mails were downright offensive, like the one that resurrected old images of sharecroppers and slave-traders.

The silliest and most offensive of them, I should add, came from Baptist pastors.

At Baylor University, the largest Baptist school in the world and my alma mater, campus police had to break up a heated argument between white and black students. According to reports, a noose was suspended from a tree on the Waco, Texas campus. Baylor's interim president, Dr. David Garland, has rightly condemned those actions and has made it clear that the university will countenance no form of racial intolerance.

And while Barack Obama has professed a Christian faith, many of my Baptist friends have rumored about a hidden Muslim faith. That a man's faith would matter to Baptists seems to me an odd twist for a people who fought to eliminate any religious test for office from the nation's founding documents.

Old biases, however, never die easily, as evidenced by the aforementioned e-mails I received. That these biases remain strongest among those Americans who consider themselves Christian is both troubling and contemptible. But the fact remains that many Baptists still have some lessons to learn about tolerance. It should unsettle us that a people once known for their commitment to tolerance would continue to struggle with practicing consistently what our earliest forbears so faithfully preached.

During the course of the past year, I too have been forced to wrestle with my own prejudices. At times, I've joined the bigoted banter and helped to scratch the old wounds of racism. Yet on a quick flight back to Washington Nov. 5, I was able to get past my own persuasion about the political consequence of Barack Obama's election and be thankful that America has become a place where a man with dark skin and an African surname can become president.

The Democratic Party now holds both houses of Congress by substantial margins, and on January 20, 2009, it will hold the White House. While vote totals are not yet certain in Minnesota, Georgia, and Alaska, it is clear that the Democrats have their first chance since the 103rd Congress to promote an agenda unimpeded by counter-balancing Republican majorities. I'm reminded of the old story about the dog that caught the car he was chasing and wasn't sure what to do with it when he got it. These are no easy days to govern the country and lead the world, and I almost pity those who are entrusted with the task.

The Democrats will have to show that they can rein in federal spending, and Republicans will have to show that they value the need for regulations and oversight within a free market. Barack Obama is going to have to demonstrate that he can be decisive as well as reflective, and John McCain is going to have to work more closely with his party rather than run against it. All Americans are going to have to learn the virtues of patience and frugality.

And Baptists are going to have to reacquaint themselves with the virtues of religious and racial tolerance if, indeed, this government of the people, by the people, and for the people is not to perish from the earth.

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-- Benjamin Cole is a former Southern Baptist pastor who now works on public-policy issues in the nation's capital.