GETTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE

Recognizing that church attendance is the most significant indicator of voting preference, Melinda Henneberger ponders whether people instead are choosing churches based on politics:

The fact that die-hard conservatives are not going to vote for Kerry in any event is not news to me, of course. But the people at Advent Lutheran did leave me wondering whether it's the way we vote that influences the way we pray—and with whom—rather than the other way around.

In America in 2004 there are very definitely Red State churches, like theirs, and Blue State churches, like my Roman Catholic parish in Georgetown, where John Kerry, who lives in the neighborhood, received communion not long ago.

A priest there who announced at a later mass that Kerry had been given communion at the church received a hearty ovation, amid the controversy over whether pro-choice lawmakers are entitled to receive the sacraments. (I would like to believe the applause was not for the candidate, but for the principle that no one should be turned away from the communion rail.)

Yet I have to concede that we do tend to worship with people we agree with politically. (If we instead voted for those we pray with, Kerry would have the Catholic vote sewn up. He doesn’t.)

Yes, there is a cultural divide in this country between believers and nonbelievers. The other night at a dinner, my jaw dropped when a man I had just met said of the religious right, “Those people scare me more than the terrorists do.” (Not me; I’ll take the roomful of Biblical literalists every single time.)

As Russell Kirk has pointed out--endorsing Cardinal Manning--political questions are at root religious and moral questions. I doubt there are many conservatives who chose a church based on the overall party registration of a church. I wouldn't be too surprised if some liberals had, however. When you have a particular view of God, the Bible and religion you almost certainly will tend toward certain political views. But you will rarely find someone who became a Christian because they were already, say, anti-abortion or opposed to the welfare state.

Quite frankly, even if Ms. Henneberger had not revealed that the church she attends is the one where people cheer and hoot about John Kerry taking communion (in clear violation of their church's teaching, by the way) I think we could have figured out where she stands. Those who take God and religion seriously simply don't make any sense to her and those like her.

(Hmmm, I wonder if the IRS is investigating that Catholic priest....)