When did I become an "Evangelical" voter?

[EE-BO]

I take pride in my Christian faith and values. And those values impact my choices in governmental elections- just as personal values influence all voters whether or not they have the courage to admit it.

But when the hell did I become an "Evangelical" or "born again Christian" voter?

The term evangelical has a very specific meaning within the realm of the various Christian denominations- in modern terms its primary shade of meaning is in reference to those who proselytize; kind of like the weirdo who approached me at a gas station recently, told me I had a really nice car but then asked me if I "knew the Lord".

We don't all act like this- and many of us, myself included, think evangelical behavior is a greater harm to Christianity and our ideals than it is a benefit.

And I don't think I need to explain the images conjured up in the average mind when the term "born again" comes out.

It really bothers me to see media references to the "Evangelical vote" as though all Christians are some voting block of proselytizing fanatics out to force some fundamental viewpoint on America.

This is not just some left wing media conspiracy either- even Fox News has jumped on the bandwagon. I think this is all just about making the news more interesting by getting people worked up over demons that do not exist.

I will say this, for a few years I have watched Al Sharpton rail against the concept of the "African American vote" as some sort of block of people who all think the same because they are black and who are to be pandered to for votes even though the underlying complex issues they face are diverse and important to America overall.

I never really understood what he was talking about it.

But now I think I get it.