基督徒對美國總統選舉的影響

Evangelical Christians are influencing recent U.S. elections! One in four U.S. adults count 認為 themselves as evangelical 新教徒;福音派教徒 or "born-again" Christian, giving them electoral clout 選舉力量 in a country where religion and politics often mix. And, the evangelical community is more fractured 破裂 than it has been in the past.

All of the contenders 爭奪者 in the presidential race -- Republican presumptive 可據以推定的nominee 被提名人 John McCain and Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton who are battling for the Democratic crown 錦標 -- are Protestant Christians.

Obama importantly in evangelical eyes had an adult "conversion experience 改變信仰經驗" into the United Church of Christ 基督聯合教堂 while Clinton was raised a Methodist (基督教)循道宗教徒. McCain grew up in the mainline Episcopal faith 英國國教的信仰 but now attends a Baptist church 浸禮會教友教堂 in Phoenix 鳳凰城.

Analysts say if Obama is the Democratic nominee he could make inroads into this Republican bloc 團體 because of his frank talk about faith and appeal 迎合 to young evangelicals.

McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam and Arizona senator, faces the difficulty of wooing 懇求;爭取 skeptical 懷疑論的,不可知論的 religious 虔誠的 conservatives 保守支持者 within his own party who view him as soft on some of their core issues, such as stem-cell research and gay marriage.

But Clinton, a New York senator who is an object of wrath 憤怒 in many conservative Christian circles because of her liberal positions and feminist image, could draw them to the polls for McCain in numbers that a match-up with Obama might not.

Is U.S. evangelical vote in play? Reuters Fri Mar 7, 2008 8:32am EST

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0623808120080307?pageNumber=4&virtualBrandChannel=10112