Preach to me

“CHURCHES have a tremendous amount of power and a stupid amount of money,” complains David Silverman of American Atheists, a non-profit group. He thinks the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should crack down harder on churches that meddle in politics. Under American law, churches that explicitly endorse or oppose a political candidate can lose their tax-exempt status, but Mr Silverman thinks the IRS is often too scared to go after them.

Few Americans share his priorities. Almost three-quarters think the influence of religion on American life is waning, according to the Pew Research Centre, a think-tank (see chart). More than half of this group see this as a bad thing—including 30% of those who have no religious affiliation. A third of the unaffiliated still want politicians to have a strong faith. Knowing that they do is comforting in times of crisis, believes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Centre, another think-tank.

Overall 49% of Americans think churches should speak out about political matters; 48% disagree. That has changed markedly since 2010, when 52% wanted preachers to keep their noses out of politics and only 43% didn’t. The new urge to hear pastors pillory politicians is felt mostly by Republicans, who are angrier with Barack Obama. Most Americans still think churches should stop short of endorsing candidates for office (63% oppose, 32% favour), but the gap has narrowed since 2010 (when it was 70-24%).

Some religious folk fear that the state is meddling with their faith. The city of Houston, for example, has served five pastors with subpoenas for copies of sermons they have preached about homosexuality. “If this reckless violation of religious liberty can happen in Texas,” says Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention, “then it can happen anywhere.” He thinks the issue will trump all others for religious voters in November.

That seems unlikely. Faith will play a role in the election, but a subtle one. Only 29% of Americans see the Democratic Party as friendly to religion; 47% see the Republicans that way. So in the most devout parts of the country Democratic candidates tend to distance themselves from the party’s national stereotype, and vice versa.

In Mississippi, the state with the highest proportion of regular churchgoers, Senator Thad Cochran, a Republican, is running against Travis Childers, a Democratic congressman. Both men are Southern Baptists, but only Mr Childers has to remind people of this fact. “I do trust in God,” he told the multitude assembled at a fish fry in Tupelo, before asking whether it was really necessary for the Mississippi state legislature to pass a law adding “In God We Trust” to the state seal this year. Other speakers were more forthright. Steve Holland, a Democratic state representative, said the fact that many families still struggle with health-care costs was “an abomination against God”. Another speaker declared: “If Jesus were alive today, he’d be a Democrat!”

Mr Cochran makes no such claims. Asked if his faith had influenced his decision to run for a seventh term in the Senate, he cited instead the support of his friends, positive polls and the need to “protect the environment for future generations”. Mr Cochran is 13 points ahead in the polls.

By contrast, in Oregon, a less churchy state, it is the Republican Senate candidate who has to run from her party’s reputation. Monica Wehby, a brain surgeon, is trying to unseat Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat. While Catholic and “personally pro-life”, she says the federal government should leave issues such as abortion and gay marriage to the states. She stresses that she is “data-driven”. Serving as a senator is like brain surgery, she says: “You can’t be ruled by emotion in either situation.” Asked whether her faith informs her campaign, she changes the subject.

Mr Merkley has an easier task. Convincing Oregonians to support the more secular party is (as it were) like preaching to the choir. He co-sponsored a bill in July to reverse the effects of the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling, which said that the government cannot force closely-held private companies to pay for contraceptives for their staff if that violates their owners’ faith. The bill failed, but Democrats think it will help them at the polls, since it fits with their charge that Republicans are religious zealots waging a “war on women”. “Monica Wehby Would Allow Employers To Deny Women Access To Contraceptives”, trumpets Mr Merkley’s website. Ms Wehby trails by 14 points.