Before I suggest that readers take a look at a more detailed post-election document, I wanted to note something about your last post.  If prayer is to be taken seriously, we have to know what the praying is for.  I’m always skeptical of signing on to a prayer train when I don’t know where it is going.  Does the prayer campaign you suggest include Obama changing his mind on reproductive rights or the dozens of other issues with which he and conservative evangelicals disagree about?  If so, count me out.

Now, to more mundane matters.  Jay, the access to the White House by the Religious Right will, I hope, be severely curtailed in the new Administration.  I don’t object to President-elect Obama meeting with people with diverse viewpoints, but I think he has a mandate to move in a new direction on judicial appointments, the faith based initiative, reproductive justice, and dozens of other matters.  The sooner, the better.

The Right had some big victories in states on election night, however.  I feel miserable about the fact that three states wrote religiously-based definitions of marriage into their constitutions.  I was glad to see that Proposition 8 in California is already being challenged in the state courts.

Those victories though probably point to the most likely place for Religious Right activists to go in the near term.  More initiatives in more states; more legislative activity in state capitals; and more local school board controversies will likely be the thrusts of their next campaigns.

Finally, I strongly urge our readers to take a look at the report on the election that our Americans United staff completed yesterday.  Your thoughts, as always, would be appreciated.

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