The Enigma of the Politically Active Conservative Christian
Carlos printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 01:06:35 PM EST
One of the hardest things to understand is how conservative Christians have become so politically active over the last 20-30 years. The political mobilization of conservative Christians has had to overcome significant resistance. Conservative Christians have not traditionally been that interested in politics and even to this day, the leadership in the churches, both small and large, are mostly not pushing an explicit political agenda. A recent study of mega-churches gives further evidence that political activity in these churches is mostly overstated by the media.
Rick Warren, pastor of one the more successful mega-churches, said last year:

The second myth is that mega-churches are politically active. In fact, you don't get to be a mega-church if you get involved in other issues. You would find that most of the churches that are politically active tend to be medium- or small-size churches. They are not the largest churches. And because they tend to get caught up in a political agenda, they don't grow to the size of others.

What he said is confirmed by a recent comprehensive study:

The perceived political outlook of the majority of megachurch members is much as the popular media portray it. Over 50% were predominantly conservative, with another 33% somewhat conservative. Only 11% chose "middle of the road," 4% "somewhat liberal" and 2% selected "liberal." However, such conservatism of megachurches is often touted in articles claiming them to be powerful political players. The data from this study does not support that perception of megachurches as highly political. Only 16% of churches claimed they partnered with other churches in political involvement activities in the past 5 years and three quarters of churches (76%) say they have never done this.

Not only are these churches not as committed to a conservative political agenda as we think, but they also seem to be more liberal, inclusive and involved in social jusitice activism than is largely assumed. The study reports:

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they were making efforts to become intentionally multi-ethnic. These efforts seemed to be effective since on average 19% of persons in the congregations were of the non-majority racial group. Thirty-six percent of churches reported having a 20% or more minority presence and 10% of congregations claimed to have no majority racial group.

Another claim that is often made against megachurches is that they neglect the needs of their surrounding communities in favor of helping their own membership. While this study did not address this question as extensively as the 1999-2000 study, two questions in the survey challenge that criticism somewhat. Nearly half of megachurch say they partnered with other churches in the past 5 years on a local community service project (54%) or on an international missions project (46%).

Here is another way the study summarizes its findings:

MYTH #5: These large churches only care about themselves and are not seriously involved in outreach and social ministry.

FACT: Considerable ministry is going on at the megachurches from solitary outreach to the local communities, joining with other churches in an area to tackle problems, as well as contributing to efforts nationally (say in New Orleans) and internationally (such as ministry to persons with AIDS in Africa)

MYTH #6: All megachurches are major political players and pawns or powerbrokers to the Republican Party or George Bush.

FACT: A vast majority of megachurches surveyed said they are not politically active. This parallels survey data on smaller churches, most churches have an internalized separation of church and state. A few megachurches and their pastors are vocally politically active but not most, not even a majority.

MYTH #9: All megachurches are homogeneous congregations with little diversity.

FACT: A large and growing number of megachurches are multi-ethnic and are intentionally so. Likewise, many of them have considerable diversity in terms of class, education levels, income, ages, backgrounds, occupations, and even theological and political styles.

At the very least this study suggests that the conservative and Republican hold on these Christians and churches is not as strong as we sometimes imagine.  There are also hopeful signs that Pastors like Rick Warren are beginning to challenge their large audiences to think politically in more progressive ways.




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I think anyone who has studied the rise of dominionism or megachurches knows it is not the followers who are pressing the political agenda for the most part, but the leaders of these megachurches. The followers simply...follow.

Like all cults, they use isolationism. The members of the church have their lives and livlihoods intertwined. They have their own news reporters and media sources, their own stores run by the church or other members, schools or homeschool coops, physicians, hairdressers, restaurants, etc...

Although members do not feel they are isolated, they are kept focused on what the leaders want them focused on. Rarely do these members only attend services once a week but sometimes up to 5 or six nights when you count the different services or meetings for different aspects of the ministry. They rarely have time to explore other viewpoints.

Part of the success of many of these churches is the ability to collect tithes. If a member's boss is the Deacon, for example, they are are more apt to be honest and always pay up.  

They are set up like giant pyramid schemes.

by rational on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 03:02:12 PM EST

I think what you are saying is true to some extent, but we also need to consider, I think, how the dynamic works in reverse sometimes.

It seems to me that in a good number of churches it is the members themselves and not the pastors who are pushing a political agenda. With the growth of the internet and other decentralized media outlets, groups like the American Family Association, are capable of making an appeal directly to the church members.

by Carlos on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 03:36:16 PM EST
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Most churches are not cults or cultic in the least, although some certainly are. I do not agree with those who say that there is necessarily such a vast difference between the leaders and the followers. As in any movement there are followers who are indeed, just followers. But many who are not in official leadership positons, are knowledgeable, capable, thoughtful people, who exert leadership in other ways and believe in ways similar to, but not always identical to the official leadership. The larger portion of the religious right is not nearly as stereotypically uniform and in lockstep as we sometimes make it out to be.

by Frederick Clarkson on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 04:00:18 PM EST
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are cultic, then the problem they pose will never be solved.

I am not talking about the average rural church, I mean the empires(megachurches) led by Haggard, Robertson, and ilk.

by rational on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 04:18:37 PM EST
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I know Robertson runs several ministries and a university, but is he a church pastor?

How cultic are mega-churches? It is an interesting question and we should investigate this more. Read what Rick Warren says in the Pew Forum link above. There may be some cultic elements but he seems relatively progressive compared to some evangelical preachers.

by Carlos on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 05:01:01 PM EST
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he is promoting a book. He states he is not part of the religious right and then goes on to state the biggest meme of the religious right regarding getting back to our(America's) religious roots. Last I heard, our roots are laid out pretty well in the Constitution and religion has no part in it.

He also states China needs a replacement for Marxism and he thinks Christianity fits the bill. Is Christianity a form of capitalistic philosophy now?

I will explore the links above further of course, but the myths listed in your op are not things I ever believed about the movement.

by rational on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 05:16:13 PM EST
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is not a church pastor of any church, let alone a large one.

by Frederick Clarkson on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:22:47 PM EST
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If  by "the problem," you mean the power of the religious right as a social and politial movement and the public policy consequences, which is the topic of this site, I submit that knowing enough about the subject is a good start. Additionally, being open to the possibility of learning something new, is vital.

I would suggest that one important distinction is knowing the difference between a cult and religious groups with whom you happen disagree.

by Frederick Clarkson on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:32:28 PM EST
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Have I mischaracterized any group as a cult that is not? If so, I apologize.

by rational on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 07:51:10 PM EST
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showing that a particular group is a cult in the first place; using some reasoned criteria, of which there are several approaches; rather than asserting a vast array of unrelated entities are cults.  

by Frederick Clarkson on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:07:41 PM EST
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...there are quite a number of good checklists, of which one of the best is Steve Hassan's BITE Assay (it is an extensive checklist which covers coercive tactics in four separate categories).

While I have yet to do a BITE analysis of dominionism in general (thanks for the reminder, by the way!), I have done an informal analysis of coercive tactics within dominionism (and in particular dominionist pentecostal churches into the "dominion theology" movement, which is frankly the part of dominionism I'm most familiar with) here.

That said, I do agree that a considerable amount of caution needs to be taken in listing groups as coercive or cultic.  Whilst there are certainly movements in dominionism that fit the bill (especially the whole "Third Wave" movement), and it can be argued dominionism itself arises from a coercive religious group and has quite a bit of "bad habits" picked up from the more hardcore followers, it should be noted the degree of "coerciveness" does vary.  (The Assemblies of God likely meets the criteria of a coercive group (and at least two major exit counseling groups DO consider the Assemblies and similar groups coercive, a larger number considering the Brownsville "Third Wave" stuff coercive); the Southern Baptists less so, partly because of the structure of the church, but there are things there which need to be watched very carefully.)

I do think we do need to be aware of the general tactics used by coercive religious groups in general, as a good portion of dominionism is related to coercive religious movements.  Before formally labeling anything cultic, though, I'd probably run it through multiple checklists of "coerciveness".  Just my two pence (as someone who can legitimately say the group I was involved in was essentially a Bible-based cult!).

by dogemperor on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 07:56:24 AM EST
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I also highly recommend Steve Hassan as a fair, authoratative and credible source on evaluating cults. It is a term with some reasonably clear meanings that deserve to be rigorously applied.

It is a term that is subject to much misunderstanding and misuse. At the same time, the general matter of cults is an area that does not get nearly the attention it deserves. It is, of course a topic here only in so far as it helps us to understand the religous right political and social movement and what to do about it.

Topicality is tricky in this, as in many areas. But it is nevertheless important to be able to address these things while not losing focus.

by Frederick Clarkson on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 05:36:59 PM EST
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the internet and such are more akin to recruitment tools. AFA is an example of one of the "approved media sources/organizations" I noted.

These cults implant the memes not the other way around.

by rational on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 04:09:05 PM EST
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The comment quoted below was originally posted on Jesus Politics, but is also relevant to our discussion here.
------------------

"To me, it's easy to understand why evangelical Christians became politically active beginnning in the early 1980's. They saw (and continue to see) cultural degradation all around them with their values not represented in the public arena. Liberal Christians had been active since the late 1950's and espoused some values (and continue to do so) that they can't relate to (same-sex marriage, 'pro-choice' ethic, etc.). I agree that the churches themselves are not politically active (mega-church or not), but it seems that most congregants are in tune with what's going on (culturally and politically), largely due to the emergence of Christian radio programs and 'talk-radio,' in general. These 'values voters' began to emerge in the 1980's and came out in force for the 2004 election.

My own opinion is that the Democratic Party has lost these people for good."

by Carlos on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 07:06:55 PM EST

The conservative sense of "cultural degradation" is likely rooted in accurate perceptions of a trend  - increasing societal anomie that peaked in 1990 or so. But the recent decade and a half reversal of that trend has not been noticed.

The world may always be running down in some people's minds, but that perception can run far afield of the facts. Perhaps the myth of eternal collapse is rooted in our personal sense of mortality ?

by Bruce Wilson on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 12:00:13 AM EST
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