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October 27, 2008 | 4:29 am

Evangelical voters and the presidential election

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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Biola mural

The times they are a-changing. Younger religious voters, even evangelicals, harbor more liberal values than their counterparts in years past. They’re also less tied to the Republican presidential nominee.

Just take a look at Biola University—that name began as Bible Institute of LA, and the school’s student “contract” underlines its conservative foundation. The Los Angeles Times explains:

Biola University has long been a Republican citadel, helping its La Mirada precinct deliver 93% of the vote in each of the last two elections to George W. Bush, the president’s best showing in any Los Angeles County polling area that cast more than 20 ballots. But change has come this year to the 95-acre campus on the border of Los Angeles and Orange counties, and not without turmoil.

For the first time in memory, a Biola College Democrats club has formed, marking campus walls with slogans such as “You are the change you hope for” and “If you want peace in the Middle East, you’re a Democrat.” After GOP groups protested that the content was “offensive,” the posters came down. Joint debate-watching parties with the Republicans were nixed after some political invective was aimed at Democrats at an early gathering.

“For some reason, here on campus they think you can’t be a Christian and a Democrat,” said Biola Democrats president Athena Fleming, 24. “We have to act with the utmost diplomacy.”

This year’s presidential race has been generally polarizing. But political friction on the Biola campus reflects a deeper tension as the onetime Bible school feels its way to the modern ideals of pluralism, while striving to preserve its conservative core values.

Biola today is an accredited university offering advanced degrees and preparing 5,900 students from across the nation for a wide array of secular occupations, from business to archaeology. Minority students now make up 39% of the school’s undergraduate student body of 4,800, and President Barry H. Corey has made social justice and diversity centerpieces of his administration. Students from “mono-cultures” of suburban or rural Christian high schools or home-schooling are encouraged to take an “urban plunge” to study inner-city churches and schools.

At the same time, Biola does not admit nonbelievers, and there is no drinking or dancing allowed on campus. Students agree to abide by what they call “the contract,” prohibiting premarital sex and homosexuality. The college also posts a “doctrinal statement” condemning “abortion on demand.”

Pete Menjares, Biola’s associate provost for diversity leadership, acknowledged that navigating the shoals of modern pluralism has been difficult.

“One of the concerns we have is the level of isolation a number of our students have grown up in,” Menjares said. “Diversity is much more complex than racial diversity. It’s gender diversity and idea diversity. It requires change at a deep level.”

Students, both Republican and Democratic, said they embrace the school’s diversity mission. Still, the Democratic Club’s recent debate-watching party in a Biola classroom began as a lonely vigil by Fleming. Of the few students who showed up, several identified themselves as independents or Libertarians.

OK, so maybe the Times jumped the gun on this story. It isn’t quite the changing-of-the-guard that the headline made it out to be. And you can find outliers in any sample pool. But, anecdotally, many more of my Christian friends are voting for Barack Obama than did for Al Gore or John Kerry. There is no uniform transformation occurring in American evangelicalism, but I have certainly seen and read about shifting priorities across the board.

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brad,
i am an evangelical who attended Biola’s Graduate Seminary school; and I am one of the many who no longer follow the Republican party.  I have left that party and will not vote for John McCain because he does not represent my view of the world, more specifically neo-conservative values.

However, if I am to allow my faith to inform my vote, than I must admit that I struggle with the idea of voting for Barack Obama.  My faith says very little about the economy; but it says plenty about the poor and needy…so Barack gets my support on that.

The Bible does say quite a bit about the value of life, and our being created in God’s image…and I think abortion has got to be the greatest battle ground for evangelicals today.  While I will vote for Prop 8 based on MY beliefs, I could really care less if others support defining marriage as more than between a man and a woman…I will always hold to the Biblical definition of one man and one woman.

Abortion isn’t as easy to dismiss.  I am willing to allow first, and possibly 2nd trimester abortions, based on the idea that life doesn’t begin until it is viable.  3rd Trimester abortion and more specifically partial birth abortion is abhorrant and should be fought against actively.  Unfortunately, Barack Obama has supported what he calls a woman’s right to choose (which actually means, the invalidation of the life of a 3rd trimester baby…contrary to what the courts say…just ask someone who has killed a pregnant woman in an accident and got charged with 2 counts of manslaughter) even in the case of partial birth abortion.

This policy is dispicable.  It has nothing to do with a woman’s right…rape and incest abortions should be handled in 1st trimester anyways.  So if you carry a baby that long…this should be absolutely banned not just for it’s lack of morality, but for it’s lack of constitutionality; especially in light of our calls for liberty for all.

Brad, I contend that as an evangelical, we should not feel comfortable voting for any candidate in support of such un-Biblical views.  That does not mean a vote for John McCain…we evangelicals shouldn’t have our hands tied to two major parties anyways.  Please answer me this…how can you support anyone who supports this act regardless of party?  And I realize this is only one issue on the multi-issue platform, but would you agree that this is the biggest issue facing evangelicals?  while the economy and Iraq are the biggest issues facing Americans?  and Iran the biggest issue facing Israel?

Comment by ethan on 10/27/08 at 5:06 pm

after writing the last post, i thought a while and i really want to know.

what is the key issue for jewish americans?  I always hear about Israel, and thus the issue of how we respond to Iran, but is the nationalistic ideas of Israel the number 1 issue to Jews?  Realizing that there are a vast number of issues, is there an ultimate issue for which many or most Jews would base their vote?  If the ultimate issue is Israel, is that an issue based on faith or more on culture and nationality?

as an evangelical Brad, living within a Jewish cultural identity, while also being an American; what is your ultimate issue…if you have one?  Where does your basis for such a stance come from?  What role does your faith play in informing your political stance?

Comment by ethan on 10/27/08 at 10:29 pm

So many questions, so little time before Election Day ...

To start with, I agree that I’m not entirely comfortable with either the Republicans or Democrats, John McCain or Barack Obama. As a Christian, they both support policies that I support and others that I find reprehensible. Such is life in a two-party democracy.

I have a difficult time identifying a primary issue in this election. I certainly don’t have one but opt for a more holistic approach. (That sounds a bit too New Age, but you get the point.)

I would agree, though, that for many evangelicals, maybe even most, fighting abortion and gay marriage take top billing.

Jewish voters are a bit more difficult to typecast. There are a lot of Israel-first voters out there, but this bloc is far from the majority. The AJC takes an annual survey that asks Jews what issues are most important to them. When the survey was conducted last month, 54 percent of American Jews said the issue they wanted to hear the candidates talk most about was the economy, followed by 11 percent who wanted to hear about health care. These are both perennial favorites. In the 2008 survey, Israel was identified by only 3 percent of Jews—and that is in an election when we’ve heard a whole lot about Israel and the Democratic candidate has been pilloried from the right as a closet anti-Zionist.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 10/27/08 at 10:53 pm

the economy is the biggest issue for americans in general.  but i am of the opinion that economic issues have little if anything to do with religious affiliation.

being that this is a religious blog…and you and i are both fervent evangelicals, how does our and Jews faith inform their vote?  should it?

seems to me God could care less if we are a democracy or socialist in nature…so he doesn’t seem to be too interested in our economy (beyond his disapproval of usury…which we flatly ignore).  should we be?  i mean i love talking economics with anyone and everyone, but i have been convicted over my new found obsession.  how influential should i make my faith?  should i really only vote based on the things that my faith really do speak to?  if so, Obama represents both the most positives for my faith (supporting the poor, social security, and universal health care) and the most negatives (support of abortion, specifically partial birth abortion!).  tough call…McCain offers nothing but negatives in my opinion, though he doesn’t support abortion which is nice, but he is a negative on everything else in my opinion.  i am debating voting for obama or a 3rd party candidate.  thoughts?

Comment by ethan on 10/28/08 at 12:23 am

No one *supports* abortion. 

It is a horrible, agonizing procedure to be avoided at all costs.

Most Americans, however, leave this agonizing choice to the woman involved—especially important if the pregnancy is due to rape or incest.  Otherwise, a rapist gets to legally pick the mother mother of his child.

Jewish tradition (per the Talmud) explicitly OKs abortion —at any stage of pregnancy—if the mother’s life is in danger:

Mishnah Ohalot 7:6 clearly states that a woman whose life is in danger is obligated to choose an abortion because the fetus is not yet considered to be a human

http://www.jewishjournal.com/elections/article/abortion_notification_prop_4_draws_opposition_20081022/

Comment by The Web Guy on 10/28/08 at 12:37 am

It’s a tough call as to how much we should vote based on religious convictions, mainly because I think politicians should never be trusted, particularly not when they may be pandering to what they think the “religious crowd” wants to hear.

I think as godly people that our faith shapes our worldview and, therefore, does and should influence the way we vote. But I also think there is a danger to be a one-issue voter. Logic and reason are part of religion too, and I think that means weighing the pros with the cons. A candidate’s opinion on Roe v. Wade should not, in my opinion, have veto power.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 10/28/08 at 2:58 am

web guy,

thank you for a clear answer.  i understand the idea of ‘support’ being the wrong wording…i agree, no one supports abortion.  the clearer picture is a women’s right to choose vs. the fetus’ right to choose.  i argue this all the time with my fundamental conservative parents.  the real question should be, when does life begin?  if and when life begins, we should safeguard that life, with the constitutional rights it deserves.

your passage from the Talmud is an excellent response for the Jewish community.  If the fetus is not considered human, that I would totally agree that the woman should have every right to choose (though I think I will always be opposed to systematic abortion as we hear of in China).

I think the Christian tradition, and more specifically the evangelical position, has held a view more in line with life beginning at conception (sighting the Psalm referring to God knowing the child in the womb).  I think that is far-fetched and personally don’t hold to that viewpoint.  I think what really bothers me is partial birth abortion.  The idea that birthing a child feet first and then killing it before the head comes out to say it was never born is manipulation of the truth in order to end a life.  I view that fetus as human and thus feel it deserves as much a right to life as the woman claims a right to her body.

Anyways, this is an issue that no one can know for sure, since who can really say when their own soul entered their body (and for the materialist, this is a moot point.)

Brad, I am not advocating one-issue voting, as i agree that candidates will always pander.  I will not vote for an opponent based on one-issue; however, I will choose not to vote for a candidate due to one-issue.  And again, it isn’t Roe v. Wade I am concerned over…it is Partial Birth Abortion I am interested in dealing with.  It is currently illegal; however, when it came to the Illinois legislature State Senator Barack Obama voted present rather than no.  He stated that there was not enough protection for women who were at risk.  Seems to be playing politics, which is understandable; but, this is a scary issue I feel he should be clearer on.  When Rick Warren tried to nail him down on the issue, he skillfully dodged the question with a wonderful answer regarding the need for fewer unwanted pregnancies.  I view Obama as a risk on this issue, but not a true threat.  That is why I can’t outright oppose him, he has stayed vague enough to avoid that.  I was just more curious to see if you felt this issue, not Roe v. Wade, was more important to you, as a Christian American voter, than what many Americans view as important, i.e. economy, foreign policy, etc. (largely secular issues).

As I reflect on my faith in light of the latest election, I am redefining how my faith informs my vote.

Comment by ethan on 10/28/08 at 3:31 am

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