There is no question that religion is an active force in American politics today. The organization known as the Christian Coalition claims that up to 35 percent of the votes that created the sea change in the Congress last November came from the religious right. Names like Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and Jerry Falwell are as well known in political circles today as they are in religious circles. So powerful is this influence that candidates for the presidency, from the incumbent Democrat to the challenging Republicans, seem increasingly willing to dance to the tune of the religious right. The appeal of the religious right rises, I believe, out of deep levels of frustration, anger and fear that are present in the body politic of this land today.
Family life is, in fact, under stress.
The divorce rate is rising. The consumption of alcohol and the use of drugs also reveals an upward statistical chart among young Americans. All of these are symptoms of an underlying dis- ease present in this society. Beyond those symptoms other economic realities press in upon us creating national anxiety. The wealth of America is expanding, but that expansion does not seem to embrace many middle-class citizens.