Religion at the Polls: Strength and Conflict

His forehead sweating under television floodlamps during a pre-election debate, California state senator John V. Briggs declared: “We have the people, we have God, we have right, and we’re going to win it.”

As sponsor of the so-called Proposition 6 referendum, Briggs may have been right on the first three counts. But his last statement proved wrong. His bill—which would have given California school boards the power to fire teachers and other school employees who practice or advocate homosexuality—lost by one million votes.

Proposition 6 was only one of several November election referendums that attracted church interest. In many cases, individuals and groups carried the name of God and church into the campaign fray. In scattered cases, some evangelical candidates for political office were supported on the basis of their Christian identity.

Potent election issues—including abortion, homosexuality, gambling, and pornography—sometimes divided church groups. In Seattle, Washington, for example, separate church associations took opposite views on a homosexual rights bill. Each brought out financial artillery for the election battle.

In many cases, the issues made the candidate. Anti-abortionists in Iowa, for instance, were partially credited for the defeat of liberal Democratic senator Dick Clark, a United Methodist, by Republican Roger Jepson—a Lutheran who took a strong campaign stand against abortion.

Parting Over The Issues

Campaigning may have been fiercest in California, both for and against Proposition 6. Supporters and opponents of the bill each spent over $1 million.

Senator Briggs, a self-described “born-again” Christian, claimed the support of about 500 mostly fundamentalist California churches. Several Baptist denominations and the Assemblies of God supported the bill.

But leaders of Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and Jewish groups advised against the bill—saying either that it infringed on homosexual rights, that it unfairly singled out certain sins, or that existing California laws already protected children against homosexual teachers.

Reflecting on the loss of Proposition 6, Briggs’s campaign manager Steven Bailey said church support was needed sooner: “They [the churches] don’t understand that campaigns have to be put together in July and August, not in October.

The Church Council of Greater Seattle, representing twenty-two mostly mainline denominations, successfully opposed a bill that would have removed gay rights from housing and employment ordinances. It sponsored a pray-in at a Seattle park, hired a staff person to lead “education programs” in member churches, and conducted media campaigns saying the bill would take away rights of homosexuals.

The smaller Seattle Association of Evangelicals supported the bill, as did Alexander Burghard, pastor of Judson Baptist Church, who rallied about 300 churches under the name Church Leaders for Community Standards. But this support came too late for the bill, which lost by a 2 to 1 vote margin.

Dade County (Miami area), Florida voters rejected a broadened version of the homosexual rights ordinance that they had rejected seventeen months earlier. Again, singer Anita Bryant led the opposition. This time, though, the campaign on both sides was more low key, and campaign expenditures were down 90 per cent.

The defeat of a parimutuel betting referendum in Virginia was significant because church leaders brought in political pros to fight beside them. Richard Hobson, state legislator and Episcopal layman from Alexandria, organized lawmakers, law officers, and church leaders into the “Virginians Opposing Pari-Mutuel Betting”—a group that hired veteran political strategist Dennis Peterson to conduct a media and voter mobilization campaign. The Sunday before the election, pastors in 8,500 pulpits called for the defeat of betting on racehorses. Television evangelist Jerry Falwell raised about $50,000, bought media spots, took out full-page newspaper ads, and mailed letters to 100,000 Virginians in opposition to the bill.

Outgoing Florida governor Ruben Askew, a ruling elder in a Pensacola Presbyterian church, rallied Florida voters to defeat by 2 to 1 a proposition to legalize casino gambling. Askew said gambling would encourage organized crime “the way blood attracts sharks.” Casino backers spent over $2 million in the campaign.

Other election issues included:

• Drinking: Michigan voters raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 21, as did Montana voters to age 19.

• Pornography: By a 3 to 1 margin, South Dakota voters rejected an antipornography bill, which opponents (many of them Protestant church leaders) criticized as having too harsh penalties, questionable due process in the courts, and vague and obscure wording.

• Abortion: Oregon voters refused to cut off state funds to finance abortions for women on welfare.

• Women’s rights: A Roman Catholic bishop and Mormon church officials helped defeat a measure asking the Nevada state legislature to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Florida voters nixed an equal rights amendment to their state constitution.

Choosing Between Believers

Anti-abortionists figured in the collapse of Minnesota’s liberal Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Republican Rudy Boschwitz (Jewish) and David Durenberger (Catholic) won Senate seats, and Albert Quie, a twenty-year-veteran House member, took the governor’s chair. All came out against abortion.

Quie, a Lutheran active in Washington’s prayer breakfast movement (he offered to serve Charles Colson’s prison sentence in the Watergate aftermath), campaigned vigorously on the issue. His supporters distributed 250,000 leaflets to churchgoers throughout the state on the Sunday before election day, and they made 200,000 election-day telephone contacts to get out the vote, according to campaign sources.

The fledgling Right to Life Party in New York rang up 120,000 mostly church-inspired votes for its gubernatorial candidate, Mary Jane Tobin, a Catholic. As a result, the party has qualified to list candidates for all offices on the state ballot for the next four years.

Some campaigns pitted believer against believer. In the North Carolina Senate race, incumbent Republican Jesse Helms—a Southern Baptist well known for his born-again views—survived a bruising challenge by Democrat John Ingram, a United Methodist. Both candidates appeared on the “PTL Club” television show. On the Sunday before the election, Helms—who spent a record $7 million on his campaign—attended a dedication service at the 1,300-member Calvary Church (independent Presbyterian) in Charlotte, where evangelist Billy Graham gave the main address. Graham publicly acknowledged Helms’s presence but later told reporters that he didn’t mean to imply an endorsement. “In fact,” he said, “I saw Mr. Ingram just the other day. He came up to my home [in Montreat] and we had a long talk and drank tea together.” Religion cropped up throughout the bitter campaign, with Ingram’s supporters angrily insisting that their man was just as much a Christian as Helms.

In Oregon, Republican officeholders created their own campaign organization after ex-Four Square preacher Walter Huss, a rightist, captured the chairmanship of the state’s Republican Party. Among other things, Huss said he preferred that candidates be Christians, a remark that alarmed the state’s sizable Jewish community and embarrassed party regulars. He was openly critical of the political stance of well-known evangelical Mark Hatfield, who had trounced him in the 1966 Senate primary.

In Virginia, Republican John W. Warner and Democrat Andrew Miller openly courted the church vote in their bid for a Senate seat. They campaigned among black church leaders, and both showed up for a service at the big Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, where Jerry Falwell introduced them to his television audience. In the end, Episcopalian Warner won.

In another development, New Hampshire governor Meldrim Thomson, Jr., a Republican and Conservative Baptist who mixed religion with politics (he ordered state flags to be flown at half-mast on Good Friday, for example), was defeated in his bid for reelection.

A Religious Analysis of the 96th Congress

The Ninety-sixth Congress will be more conservative, more youthful, and more Republican than its predecessor, according to analyses of last month’s elections.

It will not be any more Catholic, though, CHRISTIANITY TODAY has found, in its biannual religious census of Congress. Roman Catholic representation remained the same for a total of 129, equalling last year’s record high (up from ten years ago).

Although 20 per cent of both House and Senate seats will have new occupants, no major shifts occurred in religious-affiliation listings. Episcopalians show an increase of five, Lutherans three, and Baptists two. The Jewish contingent on Capitol Hill is stronger by three persons, matching a similar gain in the 1976 elections. Presbyterians, who lost eighteen seats in the last two elections, this time managed to hold their own with sixty. United Methodists, however, lost six seats, and there are five fewer members of the United Church of Christ.

(Because of the difficulties encountered in trying to pinpoint the exact Baptist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran denominations cited in affiliations, these groups have been listed generically in the census, compiled by special Washington correspondent Douglas Crow.)

Another clergyman was elected to Congress: Democrat William H. Gray III, pastor of the 3,000-member Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia. He joins several ordained congressional incumbents who were reelected to the House: Catholic priest Robert F. Drinan of Massachusetts, United Methodist Robert W. Edgar of Pennsylvania, John Buchanan of Alabama (Southern Baptist), and delegate Walter Fauntroy of Washington, D.C. (Progressive National Baptist). Buchanan is a Republican; the others are Democrats. In Wisconsin, Catholic priest Robert J. Cornell was ousted from his House seat by Republican challenger Toby Roth—a Catholic layman. The only ordained minister in the Senate is John Danforth of Missouri, an Episcopalian whose seat was not up for grabs this year.

In the census, which follows, Senators are listed first in bold face, then House members; an asterisk (*) denotes an apparent winner:

BAPTIST (57)

Byrd (D-W.Va.)

Cochran (R-Miss.)

Ford (D-Ky.)

Hatfield (R-Oreg.)

Helms (R-N.C.)

Humphrey (R-N.H.)

Johnston, Jr. (D-La.)

Morgan (D-N.C.)

Talmadge (D-Ga.)

Thurmond (R-S.C.)

Ashbrook (R-Ohio)

Andrews (D-N.C.)

Barnard (D-Ga.)

Bevill (D-Ala.)

Bowen (D-Miss.)

Brinkley (D-Ga.)

Broyhill (R-N.C.)

Buchanan (R-Ala.)

Burlison (D-Mo.)

Carr (D-Mich.)

Carter (R-Ky.)

Collins (D-Ill.)

Collins (R-Texas)

Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.)

Daniel (D-Va.)

Deckard (R-Ind.)

Diggs (D-Mich.)

Fauntroy (D-D.C.)

Ford (D-Tenn.)

Gingrich (R-Ga.)

Ginn (D-Ga.)

Gore (D-Tenn.)

Grassley (R-Iowa)

Gray, III (D-Pa.)

Hance (D-Texas)

Hefner (D-N.C.)

Hightower (D-Texas)

Hinson (R-Miss.)

Hubbard, Jr. (D-Ky.)

Hutto (D-Fla.)

Ichord (D-Mo.)

Jenkins (D-Ga.)

Jones (D-N.C.)

Long (D-La.)

Lott (R-Miss.)

Lowry (D-Wash.)

Mathis (D-Ga.)

Mattox (D-Texas)

Mollohan (D-W.Va.)

Natcher (D-Ky.)

Pepper (D-Fla.)

Perkins (D-Ky.)

Runnels (D-N.M.)

Thomas (R-Calif.)

Thorsness (R-S.D.)*

Wilson (R-Calif.)

Whitley (D-N.C.)

CHRISTIAN CHURCH

(DISCIPLES) (6)

Bafalis (R-Fla.)

Bennett (D-Fla.)

Evans (D-Ga.)

Skelton (D-Mo.)

Whittaker (R-Kans.)

Winn, Jr. (R-Kans.)

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE (3)

Percy (R-Ill.)

McClory (R-Ill.)

Rousselot (R-Calif.)

CHURCHES OF CHRIST (4)

Flippo (D-Ala.)

Hall (D-Tex.)

Latta (R-Ohio)

Williams (R-Ohio)

EASTERN ORTHODOX (5)

Sarbanes (D-Md.)

Tsongas (D-Mass.)

Mavroules (D-Mass.)

Snowe (R-Maine)

Yatron (D-Pa.)

EPISCOPAL (70)

Byrd (I-Va.)

Chafee (R-R.I.)

Danforth (R-Mo.)

Exon (D-Neb.)

Goldwater (R-Ariz.)

Heinz, III (R-Pa.)

Kassebaum (R-Kans.)

Mathias (R-Md.)

Matsunaga (D-Hawaii)

Pell (D-R.I.)

Proxmire (D-Wisc.)

Roth (R-Del.)

Simpson (R-Wyo.)

Stevens (R-Alaska)

Wallop (R-Wyo.)

Warner (R-Va.)

Weicker, Jr. (R-Conn.)

Alexander (D-Ark.)

Andrews (R-N.D.)

Anderson (D-Calif.)

Anthony (D-Ark.)

Ashley (D-Ohio)

Aspin (D-Wisc.)

Bolling (D-Mo.)

Butler (R-Va.)

Byron (D-Md.)

Campbell, Jr. (R-S.C.)

Coughlin (R-Pa.)

Daniel, Jr. (R-Va.)

Davis (R-Mo.)

Derrick (D-S.C.)

Dixon (D-Calif.)

Edwards (R-Okla.)

Evans (R-Del.)

Fazio (D-Calif.)

Fish (R-N.Y.)

Goldwater, Jr. (R-Calif.)

Gramm (D-Tex.)

Hughes (D-N.J.)

Ireland (D-Fla.)

Kastemayer (D-Pa.)

Leach (R-Iowa)

Leach (R-La.)

Livingston (R-La.)

Lloyd (D-Calif.)

McKinney (R-Conn.)

Mitchell (D-Md.)

Montgomery (D-Miss.)

Moore, III (R-La.)

Moorhead (D-Pa.)

Myers (R-Ind.)

Neal (D-N.C.)

Nelson (D-Fla.)

Paul (R-Tex.)

Peyser (D-N.Y.)

Regula (R-Ohio)

Reuss (D-Wisc.)

Satterfield (D-Va.)

Sawyer (R-Mich.)

Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wisc.)

Steiger (R-Wisc.)

Synar (D-Okla.)

Traxler (D-Mich.)

Trible (R-Va.)

White (D-Tex.)

Young (R-Alaska)

VanDeerlin (D-Calif.)

Wirth (D-Colo.)

Wydler (R-N.Y.)

Zeferetti (D-N.Y.)

JEWISH (30)

Boschwitz (R-Minn.)

Javits (R-N.Y.)

Levin (D-Mich.)

Metzenbaum (D-Ohio)

Ribicoff (D-Conn.)

Stone (D-Fla.)

Zorinsky (D-Neb.)

Beilenson (D-Calif.)

Frost (D-Texas)

Gilman (R-N.Y.)

Glickman (D-Kans.)

Gradison (R-Ohio)

Green (R-N.Y.)

Holtzman (D-N.Y.)

Kramer (R-Colo.)

Lehman (D-Fla.)

Levitas (D-Ga.)

Marks (R-Pa.)

Mikva (D-Ill.)

Ottinger (D-N.Y.)

Richmond (D-N.Y.)

Rosenthal (D-N.Y.)

Scheuer (D-N.Y.)

Spellman (D-Md.)

Solarz (D-N.Y.)

Waxman (D-Calif.)

Weiss (D-N.Y.)

Wolff (D-N.Y.)

Wolpe (D-Mich.)

Yates (D-Ill.)

LATTER-DAY SAINTS (10)

Cannon (D-Nev.)

Garn (R-Utah)

Hatch (R-Utah)

Burgener (R-Calif.)

Hansen (R-Idaho)

Heftel (D-Hawaii)

Marriott (R-Utah)

McKay (D-Utah)

Shumway (R-Calif.)

Udall (D-Ariz.)

LUTHERAN (19)

Armstrong (R-Colo.)

Hollings (D-S.C.)

Jepsen (R-Iowa)

Magnuson (D-Wash.)

Badham (R-Calif.)

Bereuter (R-Neb.)

Clausen (R-Calif.)

Dannemayer (R-Calif.)

Dicks (D-Wash.)

Erdahl (D-Minn.)

Hagedorn (R-Minn.)

Loeffler (R-Tex.)

Marlenee (R-Mont.)

Sabo (D-Minn.)

Simon (D-Ill.)

Snyder (R-Ky.)

Spence (R-S.C.)

Stenholm (D-Tex.)

Strangeland (R-Minn.)

PRESBYTERIAN (60)

Baker (R-Tenn.)

Bellmon (R-Okla.)

Bentson (D-Tex.)

Chiles (D-Fla.)

Church (D-Idaho)

Culver (D-Iowa)

Glenn (D-Ohio)

Jackson (D-Wash.)

Pryor (D-Ark.)

Stennis (D-Miss.)

Williams, Jr. (D-N.J.)

Applegate (D-Ohio)

Brown (R-Ohio)

Broomfield (R-Mich.)

Clinger (R-Pa.)

Duncan (R-Tenn.)

Eckhardt (D-Tex.)

Edwards (R-Alaska)

Fountain (D-N.C.)

Fowler (D-Ga.)

Fuqua (D-Fla.)

Gibbons (D-Fla.)

Hall (D-Ohio)

Hammerschmidt (R-Ark.)

Harsha (R-Ohio)

Hillis (R-Ind.)

Holt (R-Md.)

Horton (R-N.Y.)

Jeffries (R-Kans.)

Johnson (D-Calif.)

Johnson (R-Colo.)

Jones (D-Tenn.)

Kelly (R-Fla.)

Kemp (R-N.Y.)

Kindness (R-Ohio)

Leath (D-Tex.)

Lewis (R-Calif.)

Long (D-Md.)

Martin (R-N.C.)

Matsui (D-Calif.)

McCloskey (R-Calif.)

McEwen (R-N.Y.)

Moorhead (R-Calif.)

Preyer (D-N.C.)

Pritchard (R-Wash.)

Rahall, II (D-W.V.)

Rose (D-N.C.)

Schulze (R-Pa.)

Seiberling (D-Ohio)

Shelby (D-Ala.)

Slack, Jr. (D-W.Va.)

Solomon (R-N.Y.)

Stratton (D-N.Y.)

Ullman (D-Oreg.)

Vander Jagt (R-Mich.)

Walker (R-Pa.)

Wampler (R-Va.)

Watkins (D-Okla.)

Whitten (D-Miss.)

Wright (D-Tex.)

ROMAN CATHOLIC (129)

Biden (D-Del.)

Domenici (R-N. Mex.)

DeConcini (D-Ariz.)

Durenberger (R-Minn.)

Durkin (R-N.H.)

Eagleton (D-Mo.)

Kennedy (D-Mass.)

Laxalt (R-Nev.)

Leahy (D-Vt.)

Melcher (D-Mont.)

Moynihan (D-N.Y.)

Muskie (D-Maine)

Pressler (R-S.D.)

Addabbo (D-N.Y.)

Albosta (D-Mich.)

Ambro (D-N.Y.)

Annunzio (D-Ill.)

Archer (R-Tex.)

Atkinson (D-Pa.)

Baldus (D-Wisc.)

Bauman (R-Md.)

Beard (D-R.I.)

Biaggi (D-N.Y.)

Boggs (D-La.)

Boland (D-Mass.)

Bonior (D-Mich.)

Breaux (D-La.)

Brodhead (D-Mich.)

Carney (R-N.Y.)

Cavanaugh (D-Neb.)

Clay (D-Mo.)

Coelho (D-Calif.)

Conte (R-Mass.)

Corcoran (R-Ill.)

Cotter (D-Conn.)

D’Amours (D-N.H.)

de la Garza (D-Tex.)

Derwinski (R-Ill.)

Dingle (D-Mich.)

Dodd (D-Conn.)

Donnelly (D-Mass.)

Dornan (R-Calif.)

Dougherty (R-Pa.)

Drinan (D-Mass.)

Early (D-Mass.)

Erlenborn (R-Ill.)

Ertel (D-Pa.)

Evans (D-Ind.)

Fary (D-Ill.)

Ferraro (D-N.Y.)

Flood (D-Pa.)

Florio (D-N.J.)

Foley (D-Wash.)

Gaydos (D-Pa.)

Giaimo (D-Conn.)

Gonzalez (D-Tex.)

Guarini (D-N.J.)

Hanley (D-N.Y.)

Harkin (D-Iowa)

Harris (D-Va.)

Heckler (R-Mass.)

Hollenbeck (R-N.J.)

Howard (D-N.J.)

Hyde (R-Ill.)

Jacobs (D-Ind.)

Jones (D-Okla.)

Kazen, Jr. (D-Tex.)

Kildee (D-Mich.)

Kogovsek (D-Colo.)*

La Falce (D-N.Y.)

Lagomarsino (R-Calif.)

Lederer (D-Pa.)

Leland (D-Tex.)

Lujan, Jr. (R-N.Mex.)

Luken (D-Ohio)

Lungren (R-Calif.)

Madigan (R-Ill.)

Markey (D-Mass.0

Mazzoli (D-Ky.)

McDade (R-Pa.)

McHugh (D-N.Y.)

Mica (D-Fla.)

Mikulski (D-Md.)

Miller (D-Calif.)

Minish (D-N.J.)

Moakley (I-Mass.)

Moffett (D-Conn.)

Mottl (D-Ohio)

Murtha (D-Pa.)

Murphy (D-Ill.)

Murphy (D-N.Y.)

Murphy (D-Pa.)

Myers (D-Pa.)

Nedzi (D-Mich.)

Nolan (D-Minn.)

Nowak (D-N.Y.)

Oakar (D-Ohio)

Oberstar (D-Minn.)

Obey (D-Wis.)

O’Brien (R-Ill.)

O’Neill, Jr. (D-Mass.)

Panetta (D-Calif.)

Patten (D-N.J.)

Price (D-Ill.)

Rangel (D-N.Y.)

Rinaldo (R-N.J.)

Rodino (D-N.J.)

Roe (D-N.J.)

Price (D-Ill.)

Roth (R-Wisc.)

Royball (D-Calif.)

Rudd (R-Arizona)

Russo (D-Ill.)

Ryan (D-Calif.)

Santini (D-Nev.)

Shannon (D-Mass.)

Stanton (R-Ohio)

Stewart (D-Ill.)

St. Germain (D-R.I.)

Tauke (R-Iowa)

Thompson, Jr. (D-N.J.)

Vanik (D-Ohio)

Vento (D-Minn.)

Volkmer (D-Mo.)

Walgren (D-Pa.)

Williams (D-Mont.)

Wyatt (D-Tex.)

Young (D-Mo.)

Zablocki (D-Wisc.)

A FORD IN THE HOUSE

The new chaplain of the House of Representatives will be Lutheran James Ford, CHRISTIANITY TODAY has learned. Ford, 49, who has served for the past fourteen years as Chaplain of the United States Military Academy at West Point, will replace United Methodist Edward G. Latch, who is retiring after twelve years. A search committee of three congressmen will present Ford’s name at a caucus in early December, all but guaranteeing his election.

UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST (12)

Cohen (R-Maine)

Gravel (D-Alas.)

Packwood (R-Oreg.)

Stevenson, III (D-Ill.)

Blanchard (D-Mich.)

Burton, John (D-Calif.)

Burton, Phillip (D-Calif.)

Edwards (D-Calif.)

Fisher (D-Va.)

Ratchford (D-Conn.)

Ritter (R-Pa.)

Stark (D-Calif.)

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (16)

(Includes Congregational)

Baucus (D-Mont.)

Burdick (D-N.D.)

Stafford (R-Vt.)

Akaka (D-Hawaii)

Bingham (D-N.Y.)

Downey (D-N.Y.)

Emery (R-Maine)

Findley (R-Ill.)

Ford (D-Mich.)

Jeffords (R-Vt.)

Lloyd (D-Tenn.)

Patterson (D-Calif.)

Railsback (R-Ill.)

Schroeder (D-Colo.)

Shuster (R-Pa.)

Wilson (D-Calif.)

GOVERNORS

Roman Catholic

Babbitt (D-Ariz.)

Brennan (D-Maine)

Brown (D-Calif.)

Byrne (D-N.J.)

Carey (D-N.Y.)

Edwards (D-La.)

Gallen (D-N.H.)

Garrahy (D-R.I)

Grasso (D-Conn.)

Judge (D-Mont.)

King (D-Mass.)

Teasdale (D-Mo.)

United Methodist

Riley (D-S.C.)

Hammond (R-Alaska)

United Church of Christ

Ariyoshi (D-Hawaii)

Godwin, Jr. (R-Va.)

Graham (D-Fla.)

Milliken (R-Mich.)

Episcopal

Atiyeh (R-Ore.)

Clements, Jr. (R-Tex.)

Dreyfus (R.-Wis.)

duPont (R-Del.)

Herschler (D-Wyo.)

Hughes (D-Md.)

James (D-Ala.)

Thornburg (R-Pa.)

Presbyterian

Alexander (R-Tenn.)

Carroll (D-Ky.)

Hunt, Jr. (D-N.C.)

Janklow (R-S.D.)

List (R-Nev.)

Rhodes (R-Ohio)

Rockefeller, IV (D-W.Va.)

Thompson (R-Ill.)

Thone (R-Neb.)

Baptist

Busbee (D-Ga.)

Clinton (D-Ark.)

Finch (D-Miss.)

King (D-N.M.)

Nigh (D-Okla.)

Ray (D-Wash.)

Christian Church (Disciples)

Ray (R-Iowa)

Latter-Day Saints

Evans (D-Idaho)

Matheson (D-Utah)

Unitarian-Universalist

Lamm (D-Colo.)

Snelling (R-Vt.)

Lutheran

Bowen (R-Ind.)

Carlin (D-Kans.)

Link (D-N.D.)

Quie (R-Minn.)

UNITED METHODIST (75)

Bayh (D-Ind.)

Boren (D-Okla.)

Bumpers (D-Ark.)

Dole (R-Kans.)

Heflin (D-Ala.)

Huddleston (D-Ky.)

Inouye (D-Hawaii)

Long (D-La.)

Lugar (R-Ind.)

McClure (R-ldaho)

McGovern (D-S.D.)

Nelson (D-Wisc.)

Nunn (D-Ga.)

Riegle (D-Mich.)

Sasser (D-S.D.)

Schmitt (R-N. Mex.)

Stewart (D-Ala.)

Tower (R-Tex.)

Abdnor (R-S.Dak.)

Beard (R-Tenn.)

Bedell (D-Iowa)

Bethune (R-Ark.)

Boner (D-Tenn.)

Brademas (D-Ind.)

Brooks (D-Tex.)

Brown (D-Calif.)

Chappell, Jr. (D-Fla.)

Cheney (R-Wyo.)

Chisholm (D-N.Y.)

Conable (R-N.Y.)

Corman (D-Calif.)

Courter (R-N.J.)

Crane (R-Ill.)

Crane (R-Ill.)

Davis (D-S.D.)

Devine (R-Ohio)

Dickinson (R-Alaska)

Duncan (D-Oreg.)

Edgar (D-Pa.)

English (D-Okla.)

Fithian (D-Ind.)

Goodling (R-Pa.)

Grisham (R-Calif.)

Gudger (D-N.C.)

Hamilton (D-Ind.)

Hawkins (D-Calif.)

Holland (D-S.C.)

Hopkins (R-Ky.)

Huckaby (D-La.)

Jenrette (D-S.C.)

Lent (R-N.Y.)

McDonald (D-Ga.)

Miller (R-Ohio)

Mineta (D-Calif.)

Mitchell (R-N.Y.)

Nichols (D-Alaska)

Pickle (D-Tex.)

Quillen (R-Tenn.)

Rhodes (R-Ariz.)

Roberts (D-Tex.)

Sebelius (R-Kans.)

Sharp (D-Ind.)

Smith (D-Iowa)

Smith (R-Neb.)

Staggers (D-W.Va.)

Steed (D-Okla.)

Stockman (R-Mich.)

Stokes (D-Ohio)

Swift (D-Wash.)

Taylor (R-Mo.)

Treen (R-La.)

Whitehurst (R-Va.)

Wilson (D-Tex.)

Wylie (R-Ohio)

Young (R-Fla.)

OTHERS (15)

Apostolic Christian

Michel (R-Ill.)

Armenian Church of America

Pashayan (R-Calif.)

Bible Church

Quayle (R-Ind.)

Church of the East (Assyrian)

Benjamin (D-Ind.)

Churches of God in North America

Guyer (R-Ohio)

Evangelical Free Church

Anderson (R-Ill.)

Free Methodist

Symms (R-Idaho)

‘Pentecostal’

Garcia (D-N.Y.)

Schwenkfelder

Schweiker (R-Pa.)

Seventh-day Adventist

Stump (D-Ariz.)

Seventh Day Baptist

Randolph (D-W.Va.)

Society of Friends

Forsythe (R-N.J.)

Robinson (R-Va.)

Reformed Church in America

Maguire (D-N.J.)

Reorganized Church of Latter-Day Saints Young (R-N.D.)

“CHRISTIAN” OR “PROTESTANT” (19)

(No Specific Denomination)

Bradley (D-N.J.)

Cranston (D-Calif.)

Hart (D-Colo.)

AuCoin (D-Oreg.)

Bailey (D-Pa.)

Bonker (D-Wash.)

Cleveland (R-N.H.)

Coleman (R-Mo.)

Danielson (D-Calif.)

Dellums (D-Calif.)

Fascell (D-Fla.)

Fenwick (R-N.J.)

Gephardt (D-Mo.)

Lee (R-N.Y.)

Lundine (D-N.Y.)

Pease (D-Ohio)

Pursell (R-Mich.)

Studds (D-Mass.)

Weaver (D-Oreg.)

UNAFFILIATED (6)

Hayakawa (R-Calif.)

Barnes (D-Md.)

Frenzel (R-Minn.)

Kastenmeier (D-Wisc.)

McCormack (D-Wash.)

Stack (D-Fla.)

A VERY PRESENT HELP

When the Kelley Barnes dam collapsed at Toccoa Falls (Georgia) Bible College a year ago, thirty-nine persons drowned and property damage totaled $1.5 million. But survivors there are in better mental health than victims of similar disasters, says Boston College researcher Ronald Nuttall.

Nuttall studied the psychological reactions of victims of similar disasters in five other states, and he said “The people at Toccoa came out very well.” He credited their mental well-being to their religious faith that helped them understand the tragedy, and to “the great outpouring of assistance” that helped them regain lost jobs and possessions.

“Because of Toccoa,” Nuttall said, “we had to change our theory about psychological reaction to disaster to include cultural values.”

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