For Young Bush Supporters, Religion and Politics Do Mix

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For Young Bush Supporters, Religion and Politics Do Mix

by David Tarrant
The Dallas Morning News

Early in his campaign for the presidency four years ago, George W. Bush was asked in a debate which political philosopher he most admired.

He replied: Jesus Christ "because he changed my heart."

At the time, his answer caused a stir. Christian conservatives cheered, but political experts wondered whether his response was wise, or perhaps less than presidential.

Today, as he campaigns for a second term, the president's unabashed candor about his faith is hitting the mark among an emerging group of voters: young conservative Christians.

"It comforts me to know that President Bush is a man who walks with the Lord," says Allison Hicks, 19, a sophomore political science major at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

In contrast to Mr. Bush, John Kerry, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, is a practicing Catholic whose religious views are less a part of his public bearing.

"You wear it in your heart and in your soul, not necessarily on your sleeve ... [It's] not something you ought to push at people every single day in the secular world," Mr. Kerry told the Washington-based Interfaith Alliance in January.

Nevertheless, on college campuses and in youth-oriented organizations across the United States, the ranks of Christian conservatives are growing. Many say they are inspired – and emboldened – by Mr. Bush's example.

Complete Story



-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), March 17, 2004

Answers

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-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), March 17, 2004.

I believe that pollsters who measure that sort of thing, indicate that today's youngsters are more conservative than their parents' generation, for a variety of reasons, especially regarding abortion. I've also heard of a new term to describe the new breed of conservative young priests and seminarians: "young fogeys." These young fogeys are causing much consternation among the aging liberal priests and bishops.

-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), March 18, 2004.

The young fogeys see the fruits of their elders' labors, no doubt.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), March 18, 2004.


The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy

Book Description:
Born between 1965 and 1983, the young adults of Generation X grew up in an era of unprecedented wealth and consumerism. Rebelling against the liberal family, social, and academic environments in which they were raised, some have made strengthening their faith a priority. This is a groundbreaking new book that examines the growing trend toward religious orthodoxy among today’s young adults. Author and journalist Colleen Carroll offers strong opinions on how this movement might transform an American society steeped in moral relativism and secularism.

Blending investigative journalism with in-depth analysis, Carroll seeks the reasons behind the choice of orthodoxy in a society that often denigrates traditional morality and rejects organized religion.



-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), March 18, 2004.


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