In a very interesting article summarizing some research being done for a forthcoming book on public opinion surveys, Tobin Grant explains that research shows (as well documented) that increased church attendance correlates with more conservative moral viewpoints and voting patterns. Thus, the widespread perception that if you go to church, you vote Republican. However, it turns out that there are actually two political trends here. On the one hand, attending church DOES tend to make people more conservative about some “personal holiness” issues like abortion and homosexuality. On the other hand, attending church ALSO seems to have the effect of making people more liberal on “social justice” issues like helping the poor and health care. What I find fascinating about this is that both are on a trajectory away from libertarianism, one in the moral realm and the other in the economic realm. But for me this also points to the real artificiality of the distinction between politically liberal and politically conservative Christians. We probably each have half of the right answer and should work together to promote BOTH personal holiness and social justice, much to the great chagrin of the libertarians, whose moral neo-anarchy we should eagerly reject.
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