Beau Underwood is
putting his faith in politics. He's a 22-year-old at
the University of Chicago Divinity School, an active member
of the Disciples of Christ and -- in his spare time --
he's showing candidates that the path to political
righteousness doesn't always veer right. Underwood and
a growing number of other young, left-leaning believers are
entering the political arena as campaign aides, lobbyists,
grassroots activists, and engaged voters. They are
trying to expand the focus of faith-based politics
beyond the religious right's hot-button issues of
abortion and gay marriage. And they are placing social
justice issues, like poverty and war, at the
intersection of their moral and political decision
making.
Beau Underwood is
putting his faith in politics. He's a 22-year-old at
the University of Chicago Divinity School, an active member
of the Disciples of Christ and -- in his spare time --
he's showing candidates that the path to political
righteousness doesn't always veer right.
Underwood and a
growing number of other young, left-leaning believers are
entering the political arena as campaign aides, lobbyists,
grassroots activists, and engaged voters. They are
trying to expand the focus of faith-based politics
beyond the religious right's hot-button issues of
abortion and gay marriage. And they are placing social
justice issues, like poverty and war, at the
intersection of their moral and political decision
making.
''The religious
voice in politics is not one unified voice,'' said
Underwood, a self-described moderate who has worked as an
aide on several Democratic local and congressional
campaigns in his home state of Illinois.
''There are times
when the media paints a very narrow picture of the
religiously minded voter as being very conservative and
fundamentalist,'' Underwood said. ''People and groups
who don't fit that stereotype aren't given the same
amount of attention.''
But this election
year the tide may be turning. Liberal, religious voters
are making their voices heard. And the youngest voices are
often the loudest, as a new generation of believers
begins to reshape the public discourse on faith in
America.
''In three
decades I've never seen this sort of student-youth
involvement,'' said Jim Wallis, author of the best-seller
The Great Awakening. ''I do think there's a
major shift under way.''
The shift of
young faith-based voters is both dramatic and complex.
''They're leaving the Republican Party in droves, but
they're not automatically Democrats,'' Wallis said.
''They're not going to jump in the pocket of the
Democratic Party the way they did with the Republican
Party.''
A study in
February by the Barna Group, a firm specializing in
researching data on religion and society, shows the dynamism
of this upheaval. It found 40% of likely born-again
voters planned to vote Democratic this year, compared
with 29% who planned to vote Republican. And, perhaps
most surprising, large percentages of born-again and
evangelical voters remain undecided compared with previous
election years.
''The youth of
America today are very divided,'' said Esther Winne, 18, a
Christian conservative from Lancaster, Pa., who originally
backed Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination but
now favors Sen. John McCain. ''I think we're looking
for change. I think we're looking for something new.
But I think people are looking in different places.''
This is a notable
change from the 2000 and 2004 elections, when the
so-called religious bloc anchored GOP victories.
''The message of
compassion and conservatism hasn't fallen on good
soil,'' said Pastor Bill Devlin, president of Redeem the
Vote, a nonprofit organization focused on engaging
young believers in politics. ''Young voters of faith
don't see a genuine push from the Republicans to make
that a reality.''
Instead, many
young faith-based voters are linking their religious
callings with social justice efforts, such as quelling
poverty and war.
''We're going to
see a huge trend and shift as young voters of faith
leave the Rs and move over to the Ds because they have a
vision for social justice,'' Devlin said, adding that
community service and outreach is at an all-time high
among today's youth.
Wallis, an
evangelical Christian who also runs Sojourners, a social
justice community, said these young adults ''want their
faith to make a difference. They're asking the
question of vocation more than of career.''
This resonates
with Underwood, who hopes to use his divinity school
studies and political involvement as a vehicle for social
change.
''The one thing
that I do think that I'm called to do is to help bridge
the gap between the moral voices coming from the church and
the moral decisions being made by those running the
government,'' Underwood said. ''Faith can unite people
across party lines.''
That may help
explain the strong following Sen. Barack Obama maintains
with young faith-based voters of different denominations.
''The message
that Barack Obama tends to have definitely appeals to
people in my generation, especially people in the faith and
justice movement,'' said Jon Gromek, a 22-year-old
organizing associate at Network, a Catholic social
justice group based in Washington.
Gromek, who
favors Obama, majored in theology and political science and
sees his faith-based social work as part of a larger
generational shift. ''There's a growing movement of
people, especially youth, who are ready to work on
these issues, whether from a political or social
standpoint.''
Part of this
increased activism may be tied to technology.
''With the advent
of 24-hour media it's easier to see the injustices, and
it's very easy to see how these injustices affect
everyone,'' Gromek said. The result is a generation of
young people finding new callings and new, dynamic
issues to engage in tandem with their religious pulls.
''This is the
most globalized generation we've ever had,'' Wallis said.
''They're not just stuck in an American framework. They talk
to people around the world, they go to places around
the world -- which is changing their politics and
changing their faith.'' (Lillian Cunningham, AP)
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