Christianity Today

The Democrats took the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday night, while control of the Senate remains uncertain as votes continued to be counted in Virginia.

Analysts had predicted that the battle for the Senate could come down to Virginia, where incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen was running slightly behind Democratic challenger Jim Webb, and could request a recount.

Evangelicals working to bolster the Democratic Party exulted in the resounding victory. They moved quickly to claim credit for the strong Democratic showing nationwide.

"The Religious Right's dominance over politics and evangelicals has come to an end," said Jim Wallis, leader of the Sojourners/Call to Renewal movement and an adviser to Democrats. "I would say the Religious Right has lost, and the Secular Left has lost."

His organization distributed more than 300,000 "Voting God's Politics Issues Guides" in an effort to thwart religious conservatives and prompt voters to think more broadly about what he believes a biblical political agenda entails.

"The Democratic leadership needs to recognize how the winds are changing," Wallis told Christianity Today. "I really think there is a third force. Not a third party but a broader, deeper agenda that reflects a more biblical political agenda. [Focus on the Family founder James] Dobson can't be happy this morning, but neither can the Secular Left."

Wallis said evangelicals have been breaking with President Bush, not only on the war in Iraq but on economic issues as well. Wallis cited six successful state efforts to raise the minimum wage.

"The candidates who won are genuinely either people of faith or friendly to faith. A lot of them are pro-life, and pro-poor," he said. "The religious faith communities were deeply ...

This article is currently available to CT subscribers only.

To continue reading:

or