Some Young Religious Voters Focus on Social Justice

By Lillian Cunningham
Medill News Service for The Associated Press
Fri, Apr. 25 2008

CHICAGO (AP) - Beau Underwood is putting his faith in politics. He's a 22-year-old at the University of Chicago Divinity School, an active member of the Disciples of Christ and — in his spare time — he's showing candidates that the path to political righteousness doesn't always veer right.

Underwood and a growing number of other young, left-leaning believers are entering the political arena as campaign aides, lobbyists, grass-root activists and engaged voters. They are trying to expand the focus of faith-based politics beyond the religious right's hot-button issues of abortion and gay marriage. And they are placing social justice issues, like poverty and war, at the intersection of their moral and political decision making. the rest