As we explain in the text, there is a long history of religious involvement in policy issues and social movements, from abolitionism to abortion. As Tocqueville explained, however, there is a danger when religions
affiliate with a specific political party. "Hence
any alliance with any political power whatsoever is bound to be burdensome for religion. It does not need
their support in order to live, and in serving them it may die."
Tom Jacobs at Pacific Standard:
Religion in America has been rocked in recent decades by two societal shifts: the rise of Christian evangelicals as a right-wing political force, and the increasing number of people who decline to affiliate with any faith tradition.
New research presents evidence that these trends, usually discussed separately, are in fact related. It reports the rate at which people disassociate themselves from religion is higher in states where the Christian right exerts its political muscle.
"Religious attachments fade in the face of visible Christian right policy victories," writes a research team led by Denison University political scientist Paul Djupe. "There is clear evidence that people—probably those without strong relationships with houses of worship—use the Christian right as a proxy for religion as a whole, and discontinue their religious identities as a result."
