ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – They are 21st-century born-agains, unorthodox in their orthodoxy, a new generation of evangelical Christians.

Lucid, passionate and unpredictable, 41 students in professor Kathy Lee’s political-science class at Eastern University, a Christian school in St. Davids, Pa., filled a rollicking hour last week busting stereotypes while debating God and country.

Exhibit A: “Being a good Christian hasn’t made George Bush a good president,” said 21-year-old senior Bob Grant, from Haddon Heights, N.J. “I want a good president, not necessarily a Christian.”

And Exhibit B: “People don’t see that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton profess their Christianity and act their faith by telling us to love each other,” said Chelsea Holden, 19, a sophomore from York, Pa.

It was clear that the students, who describe themselves as evangelicals, fully realize that their influence will be felt in this election and future contests.

“We’re young, and we see the other side of things,” said Nate Riedy, 18, a freshman also from York, Pa. “Eventually, we’ll be shaping evangelical thinking about politics.”

There’s evidently a disconnect when it comes to the nation’s perception of evangelicals and the Christian reality.

Around America, many of the “unchurched” – defined by some as the 75 million or so Christians who have not attended a regular church service in the last six months – believe people like James Dobson, 71, represent the Christian right.

Founder of the conservative Focus on the Family advocacy group, Dobson speaks daily on the radio to 220 million people worldwide.

After evangelical Republican Mike Huckabee dropped out of the presidential race, Dobson said he would not vote for anyone for president.

He saved much of his ire for Republican John McCain, whom he criticizes for not supporting torture, not backing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, looking for ways to combat climate change, and being “soft” on illegal immigrants.

Well, don’t make the mistake of lumping the Eastern kids with Dobson.

“People like Dobson are very, very loud,” Grant said. “Non-Christians hear them and think they speak for anyone who wears a cross. Dobson is only heard by the unchurched because he has a microphone. And I get judged for what he thinks.”

What most Americans don’t realize is that evangelicals are not monolithic. In fact, there’s a wide split between the under-35s and over-35s, according to polls.

Older evangelicals are concerned mainly with stopping abortion and gay marriage.

Younger ones count ending poverty and saving the environment as imperatives.

That thinking was evident in Lee’s class Wednesday.

“Gay marriage, abortion and the family are important, but poverty is the key issue in determining who I’d vote for,” said Amelia Nielson, 21, a junior from Lafayette Hill, Pa.

“Education and health care for poor people – that’s vital, and that’s why I’m leaning toward Obama,” she said. “His stand on abortion collides with evangelicals’, but poverty is more important than abortion.”

Gedeon Hakizimana, a 28-year-old senior from Rwanda, agreed. “Jesus didn’t only care about the soul but the body as well,” he said. “That’s why health care for the poor is so important.”

Don’t forget the environment, said senior Krista Rubadue, 25, another York, Pa., resident.

“The Republicans under Bush let the states get away with loosening environmental restrictions,” she said. “They’re not environmentally aware, and focus more on business.”

Grant jumped in to defend the GOP, saying it’s the party of the American family and its values.

“Well, I’m the exact opposite,” chimed in Elise Yarnell, an 18-year-old freshman from Oregon. “I want to have a country that stresses family, but we should represent all ideas about what a family is, gay and nongay.”

No thunder rumbled, no lightning struck.


Of course, airing those ideas in a classroom is different from uttering them at home.

“When I told my grandparents I was voting Democratic, they seriously told me they were writing me out of their will,” said Brittany Bennett, 18, another York, Pa., freshman.

“Things are horrible in my house,” added Andrea Stennett, 19, a Harrisburg, Pa., sophomore. “I’m a heathen in my home, according to my parents. I’m not for gayness, but everyone deserves to have a great life. I’m not for killing babies, but I’m pro-choice. My folks are a lot more conservative than I am.”

Bennett jumped back in: “I tell my family I think Obama represents Christians better. And he doesn’t believe abortion is right, but it should be a woman’s right.”


On and on the conversation went, until Lee had to ask the kids to leave the classroom.

But not before asking for a vote.

Twenty-seven students voted for Obama, 10 for McCain, and two for Clinton. One voted for Huckabee, while one wag (it is college, after all) cast a ballot for TV comedian-commentator Stephen Colbert.


“Evangelical belief is really very broad,” said Ashley Cook, 20, a junior from Washington Township, N.J., as the class filed out.

Taking the last word, Lee agreed: “When you think Christian, you think gay marriage and abortion,” she said. “But there’s a lot more.”

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(c) 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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AP-NY-04-05-08 1427EDT