The Holy Vote : The Politics of Faith in America

The Holy Vote examines the way Americans worship, how organized religion and politics intersect in America, and how this powerful collision is transforming the current and future American mind-set Not since the Civil War has the United States been so polarized—politically and ideologically. But at the very heart of this fracture is a fascinating rig and paradoxical marriage between our country’s politics and religions. Over the past several election cycles, the differences between so-called "Red America"—conservative, church-affiliated, suburban, and rural—and "Blue America"—urban, secular, and socially liberal—have hardened. Although on most days, these two big American mainstreams move on parallel tracks, they increasingly find themselves head to head, ready to fight at the slightest offense. They react to new stories in different ways. They react to government power in different ways. They certainly vote in different ways. With The Holy Vote, Ray Suarez explores the advent of this polarization and how it is profoundly changing the way in which we live our lives. With hands-on reporting, Suarez explores the attitudes and beliefs of the people behind the voting numbers, the places in which these new beliefs are being born, and how the political divide is manifesting itself across the country. The reader will come to a greater understanding of how Americans believe, and how this belief structure fuels the debates that dominate the issues on our evening news. Credo-- I Believe : Love Note To A Lost America, And A Look At The Current Predicament -- How Did We Get Here? : The Fall Of Secularism, And The March Toward A New Politics -- Demolishing The Wall Of Separation : Winners And Losers In The Battle Over Church And State -- Onward Christian Soldiers : Theology, Politics, And The Christian Art Of War -- To Have And To Hold-- Over My Dead Body : The Nasty Battle Over Marriage-- What It Is-- And Who Says So -- Take Two Tablets-- And Call Me When The Fighting Starts : Ten Commandments, A Hundred Court Cases, A Million Opinions -- Child Soldiers In The Culture War : Public Schools, Evolution, And Human Sexuality -- Now, In The Center Ring-- Abortion As The Main Event : Abortion In Religion And Politics -- From Al Smith To John Kerry : Roman Catholics' Eighty-year Pilgrimage In National Politics -- Shifting Battle Lines And The Browning Of America : Blacks, Latinos, And A Very Different View Of Church And Politics -- Render Unto Caesar : Alabama's Adventure With Biblical Policy Making -- Okay Wise Guy-- Now What? Ray Suarez. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [301]-310) And Index. Credo ... I believe: love note to a lost America and a look at the current predicament How did we get here?: the fall of secularism and the march toward a new politics Demolishing the wall of separation: winners and losers in the battle over church and state Onward Christian soldiers: theology, politics, and the Christian art of war To have and to hold ... over my dead body: the nasty battle over marriage ... what it is ... and who says so Take two tablets ... and call me when the fighting starts: ten commandments, a hundred court cases, a million opinions Child soldiers in the culture war: public schools, evolution, and human sexuality Now, in the center ring ... abortion as the main event: abortion in religion and politics From Al Smith to John Kerry: Roman Catholics' eighty-year pilgrimage in national politics Shifting battle lines and the browning of America: Blacks, Latinos, and a very different view of church and politics Render unto Caesar: Alabama's adventure with biblical policy making Okay wise guys ... now what? Not since the Civil War has the United States been so polarized, politically and ideologically. At the heart of this fracture is a fascinating, paradoxical marriage between our country's politics and religions. In The Holy Vote , Ray Suarez explores the advent of this polarization and how it is profoundly changing the way we live our lives. With hands-on reporting, Suarez explores the attitudes and beliefs of the people behind the voting numbers and how the political divide is manifesting itself across the country. The reader will come to a greater understanding of what Americans believe, and how this belief structure fuels the debates that dominate the issues on our evening news broadcasts. A journalist analyzes the influence of religion on American politics to explore the ways in which religious ideology affects voters and how a growing polarization in religious belief is transforming the political system. Title from eBook title screen (viewed Oct. 5, 2006).