The White House has an oft-overlooked religious ally for solving the country's social problems through greatly expanded government programs, if a new survey of senior pastors in mainline Protestant churches is a good indication.

Republican politicians and commentators have opposed President Obama's economic stimulus initiatives and proposals to improve health care, education and the budgets of middle-class Americans as an overly expensive shift to "big government" bordering on socialism. But three-quarters of pastors in seven mainline denominations agreed in the mid-2008 survey that the federal government "should do more to solve social problems such as unemployment, poverty and poor housing."

Most of the queried clergy accepted the likely price of such reforms. Some 67 percent favored government-guaranteed health insurance "for all citizens, even if it means raising taxes." Moreover, 69 percent said that more environmental protection is needed, even if it raises prices and costs jobs.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * Economics, Politics • Politics in General • Office of the President • President Barack Obama • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Lutheran • Methodist • Presbyterian

1. Sidney wrote: even if it raises prices and costs jobs Whose jobs? The question should have been “do you support more environmental protection if it meant that YOU would lose YOUR job and have to go back to school, sell your house, and start a whole new career mid-life NOW?” I bet the answers would have been a little different. April 8, 4:35 pm | [comment link]

2. Words Matter wrote: Why always the federal government? It has always seemed to me that pushing things way over there to Washington is an excuse for not getting your hands dirty in local affairs, where common sense and the bond of the local community can (often) prevail over the theater of the national government. April 8, 11:41 pm | [comment link]

3. David Fischler wrote: My experience has been that the typical mainline pastor knows as much about economics as he or she does about astrophysics. This survey indicates that the bulk of them are political liberals—so where’s the news in that? April 9, 5:43 am | [comment link]

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