Many young evangelicals are abandoning their churches , says Laura Sessions Stepp . So far , however , Obama and mainstream Democrats have done little to reach out to younger voters other than ease the burden of paying off college loans , a not-insignificant move . These young dropouts are tired of being told how they should live their lives , Stepp says . Because of social issues , former evangelicals may very well vote Democratic , she says . The Pew Research Center found that the percentage of Americans who identify as evangelical Protestants has fallen from about a third in 2000 to less than half today. In a very tight presidential race , millennials ' votes might make the difference .
Many young evangelicals are abandoning their churches , says Laura Sessions Stepp . These young dropouts are tired of being told how they should live their lives , Stepp says . Because of social issues , former evangelicals may very well vote Democratic , she says . The Pew Research Center found that the percentage of Americans who identify as evangelical Protestants has fallen from about a third in 2000 to less than half today. In a very tight presidential race , millennials ' votes might make the difference .