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This is speaking of faith conversation about belief, meaning, ethics, and ideas. I'm Christa

Tippett. Today, Beyond the Godgap. The theory of the Godgap has been prominent in press reporting

and political maneuvering in the 2004 presidential race. The theories often broadly stated like this.

Religious Americans are conservative and will vote Republican. Non-religious Americans are

liberal and will vote Democratic. And at their recent conventions, both parties seem to grapple

with faith dynamics and respond to the perceived Godgap in interesting, unexpected ways.

I believe all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world. It is the Almighty

God's gift to every man and woman in this world. I don't want to claim that God is on our side.

As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side.

I thank God that on September 11th, we had a president who understood that America was attacked,

not for what we have done wrong, but for what we do right.

The abundance like the slice and dice our country into red states and blue states. But I've got

news for them too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states.

My guest today, Stephen Waldman, says that strictly speaking, the Godgap is a myth.

As an editor for U.S. News and World Report in the 1990s, he founded beliefnet.com,

which has become a preeminent internet site for religious ideas, reflection, and resourcing

across the world's faith traditions and used by millions. The fact is, Stephen Waldman says,

a majority of Americans who will vote for either George Bush or John Kerry have lives of faith.

He studies the same polls that are widely reported and sees only a church attendance gap,

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