The GOP can’t rely on white evangelicals forever

[Guno צְבִי]

White evangelicals are still Trump’s base. But they’re in decline.


“The percentage of white evangelicals is declining,” she told Vox on Tuesday, “so it represents a return to ‘normal’ white evangelical voting levels in a shrinking demographic.” While some of that decline is due to an aging population — 62 percent of white evangelicals are over the age of 50 — some of that, too, is due to younger evangelicals actively leaving the church.

Many younger evangelicals, disillusioned with what they see as the rise of Christian nationalism in America, are leaving their churches. Some are relocating to more progressive mainline Protestant traditions, or leaving religion altogether. A Pew Research Center poll found that nearly one-third of young adults raised in white evangelical households leave their faith behind.


For now, at least, plenty of evangelical leaders are leaning into the conflation of nationalism and Trumpism and Christian identity — and are willing to reinterpret the words of Jesus in the process. Just this week, Liberty University president (and Trump supporter) Jerry Falwell Jr. told the New York Times that he doesn’t “look to the teachings of Jesus for what my political beliefs should be.” This was a stunning about-face for a man who has previously made Christian opposition to LGBTQ identity — something more conservative Christians interpret as condemned by Jesus in the Bible — a mainstay of his public political identity.

For now, though, white evangelical voters are also emphasizing turnout. As Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Initiative (PRRI), pointed out on Twitter on Wednesday, white evangelicals comprised 26 percent of voter turnout in this election, despite only being 15.3 percent of the general US population. They have, Jones says, consistently comprised 26 percent of turnout in every election since 2012, when evangelicals made up 20 percent of the US population.



https://www.vox.com/2018/11/7/180706...rms-trump-2020

[kudzu]

White evangelicals are still Trump’s base. But they’re in decline.


“The percentage of white evangelicals is declining,” she told Vox on Tuesday, “so it represents a return to ‘normal’ white evangelical voting levels in a shrinking demographic.” While some of that decline is due to an aging population — 62 percent of white evangelicals are over the age of 50 — some of that, too, is due to younger evangelicals actively leaving the church.

Many younger evangelicals, disillusioned with what they see as the rise of Christian nationalism in America, are leaving their churches. Some are relocating to more progressive mainline Protestant traditions, or leaving religion altogether. A Pew Research Center poll found that nearly one-third of young adults raised in white evangelical households leave their faith behind.


For now, at least, plenty of evangelical leaders are leaning into the conflation of nationalism and Trumpism and Christian identity — and are willing to reinterpret the words of Jesus in the process. Just this week, Liberty University president (and Trump supporter) Jerry Falwell Jr. told the New York Times that he doesn’t “look to the teachings of Jesus for what my political beliefs should be.” This was a stunning about-face for a man who has previously made Christian opposition to LGBTQ identity — something more conservative Christians interpret as condemned by Jesus in the Bible — a mainstay of his public political identity.

For now, though, white evangelical voters are also emphasizing turnout. As Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Initiative (PRRI), pointed out on Twitter on Wednesday, white evangelicals comprised 26 percent of voter turnout in this election, despite only being 15.3 percent of the general US population. They have, Jones says, consistently comprised 26 percent of turnout in every election since 2012, when evangelicals made up 20 percent of the US population.



https://www.vox.com/2018/11/7/180706...rms-trump-2020

"Christian Nationalism" turns out to be pretty ugly and not very Christian.