Conservative evangelicals, buoyed by President Bush's stance on abortion and a movement to ban gay marriage, heavily supported his re-election in 2004. Analysts talked about the "God gap," the difference in political philosophy between conservative religious people and more liberal and secular voters.

This year, the religious vote was drastically different, according to exit polls.

Barack Obama was popular with Jewish voters and those not affiliated with any religion, as was Democrat John Kerry in 2004. But Obama also won the majority of votes among Catholics, who supported Bush four years ago.

Robert Jones, president of Public Religion Research, called it "religious rebalancing," a shift away from the political extremes of 2004. He said Obama won the religious middle that eluded Kerry.

Jones noted that Obama made his biggest gains over Kerry's 2004 performance among voters who attend church more than once a week, closing the gap by 8 points among a strongly Republican group.

Obama made some gains in every religious group, including the evangelicals who supported Bush in 2004. The exit polls showed that Republican John McCain won over Protestants and evangelicals, but not as solidly as Bush did four years ago.

The changes might have as much to do with changing religious demographics as they do with swaying faithful voters.

Latinos, who tend to vote for Democrats, make up more and more of the Catholic Church.

And much of Obama's gains among Protestants might have to do with support from black worshippers. Young evangelicals who support a broader agenda, including poverty, global warming and peacemaking, share many of the values Obama espoused in his campaign.

The apparently diminishing influence of the religious right doesn't mean there is a new religious left, said Bishop Timothy Clarke, pastor of First Church of God on the East Side. He disagrees with Obama's stand on abortion rights and said many Obama supporters aren't necessarily liberal. They just believed in his potential.

Some black church members believe Obama is an answered prayer for blacks who suffered because of slavery and racism, said the Rev. Eddie T. Parker III, pastor at the Word Church of God in Christ on the near East Side.

Clarke agreed. "Certainly it's an answer to not just my prayers but to the prayers of people who are now departed, that America would indeed rise up to her creed," he said.

David Gushee, professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, said Southern voters were still inundated this election cycle with apocalyptic warnings from conservative religious groups about the consequences of electing a Democratic president.

"But I think it's striking these fears had less impact than in 2004," he said.

John Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss School of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said this isn't the end of divisiveness among religious groups.

"The religion gaps are alive and well and, in 2008, are favoring the Democrats," he said.

klecker@dispatch.com

mheagney@dispatch.com

The changes might have as much to do with changing religious demographics as they do with swaying faithful voters.