Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life

Opposition remains strongest among white evangelical
Protestants, 58 percent of whom oppose same-sex marriage,
and Mormons, with 53 percent opposed. The views of black
Protestants, who have traditionally been more socially
conservative, are changing: in 2013, 57 percent of black
Protestants opposed same-sex marriage, but by 2017, 43 percent
opposed it and 48 percent expressed support. 18
As we have seen, some religious groups tend to favor Republican
politicians and conservative issue positions, while others favor
Democrats and more progressive stances. Because religious
principles and partisan affinities tend to reinforce each other in
contemporary American politics, it is difficult to isolate distinctly
religious motivations from other factors that affect political
behavior.
EMERGING TRENDS
The changing religious landscape reveals important trends with direct implications for politics. The largest demographic shift
is the rise of the religiously unaffiliated, a number that continues to increase rapidly even as the percentages of Christians
decline. At the same time, immigrants, who are often religiously fervent, help bolster and revive existing congregations
and expand religious diversity. Although most immigrants to the United States are Christian, immigration has contributed
significantly to the growth of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Both political parties face challenges adapting to these shifts. As religiously unaffiliated voters have become an essential
Democratic voting bloc, the party has crafted issue positions and expanded outreach efforts designed to court the religiously
unaffiliated. Such tactics are not without risk: if the party distances itself too much from religion, it risks alienating the
many Democratic voters who are religious. Democrats will have difficulty winning national elections if they are seen as the
“godless” party.
In contrast, Republicans directly court evangelical voters, a key Republican voting bloc. Although such religious outreach is
strategically important, if Republicans become identified too closely with religious conservatives, they risk alienating other
important partisans. According to aggregate data from recent Pew Center studies, one in six Republicans are religiously
unaffiliated (16 percent) or identify with non-Christian religions (4 percent). 19 As white evangelicals and other core Republican
voting blocs age, the party needs to expand its appeal to win national elections.
18
Alex Vandermaas-Peeler, Daniel Cox, Molly Fisch-Friedman, Rob Griffin, and Robert P. Jones, “Emerging Consensus on LGBT Issues:
Findings from the 2017 American Values Atlas,” Public Religion Research Institute, May 8, 2018, Accessed September 23, 2019. Available
at: https://www.prri.org/research/emerging-consensus-on-lgbt-issues-findings-from-the-2017-american-values-atlas/.
19
“In the U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.”
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