The Twelve Tribes of American Politics

Inspired by the Twelve Tribes of Biblical Israel, a new study done between June and August separates religiously-inclined voters in America into the "Twelve Tribes of American Politics." Apparently, and of course, it's a little more complex than simply the "religious right" verses the secularists. Note… all of us are "religious-inclined" - see below. The Twelve Tribes of American Politics are as follows;

1) The Religious Right (12.9%) Dobson, Palin

2) Heartland Culture Warriors (11.3%) Romney, GW Bush

3) Moderate Evangelicals (9.2%) Rick Warren, Joel Osteen

4) White Bread Protestants (7.3%) McCain, Hillary

5) Convertible Catholics (8.4%) Biden, A. Schwartzenegger

6) The Religious Left (12.7%) Jim Wallis

7) Spiritual but not Religious (5.6%) Oprah

8  ) Seculars (10.1%) Bill Mahar, Sam Harris

9) Latinos (9.6%) Bill Richardson

10) Jews (1.5%)  Joe Lieberman, Al Franken

11) Muslims and other faiths (2.7%) Keith Ellison, M. Ali

12) Black Prostestants (8.5%) Obama, TD Jakes

The percentage number by each tribe represents the percentage of voting-age population. The name listed is an example of a well-known person in the tribe. You can find the study here - pdf alert.

If any of you are still under the delusion that there is any way to separate "church and state" perhaps the above list will help you see that everyone approaches everything they do through a religious lens. The only question is whose religious worldview do we want shaping society - that's where democracy kicks in - we all get to contribute to the discussion - majority voice/vote rules. 

In his analysis of this study Steve Waldman notes "this year, thanks to the economic problems, even those "values voters" care less about values - 13% of voters now listed moral issues as their primary concern, half the percentage who did in 2004."

Let me sum up the entire Bible for you in two sentences… when the people throw morals aside, God's patience at some point lifts and economic problems are just the beginning of the woes.  If/when they repent and return to God his favor on the land returns. Don't kid yourself, that we care more about gas prices than the plight of the unborn does not go unnoticed in heaven. That the stock market fell 777 points on the first day of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) was not a detail lost to prophetically-inclined people.  Watch and pray folks, watch and pray.

Here's where the Twelve Tribes of American Politics come down on abortion. No surprises here except I did do a double-take on the Catholic numbers…