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In recent years, religious progressives have been the neglected stepsister compared to her big brother, the religious right. Big brother gets all the attention from the media, while little sister is ignored. She also goes around with a tin cup begging for nickels and dimes while big brother has lots of money to spend.

Does little sister have future?

Yes, argues William A. Galston, E.J. Dionne Jr., Korin Davis, and Ross Tilchin in Faith In Equality: Economic Justice and the Future of Religious Progressives, a report from the Brookings Institution.

For one thing, age is on the side of religious progressives. Only 36 percent of religious conservatives are under 49 years of age, as opposed to 66 percent of religious progressives. Most of religious conservatives (62 percent) are baby boomers or older. "What's clear is that the religious right is not the wave of the future," the authors write.

But they also admit that "large-scale religious disaffiliation among the young means that religious progressives do not have a foothold in the new generation comparable to the powerful sentiments in favor of religious conservatism among older Americans."

"The National Catholic Reporter is an honest place, filled with honest people. I read it regularly, especially now that we Protestants find that we love the new Pope." - Donna Schaper, contributor

Or as David E. Campbell and Robert D. Putnam explain in "God and Caesar in America," for young adults " 'religion' means 'Republican,' 'intolerant,' and 'homophobic.' Since those traits do not represent their views, they do not see themselves -- or wish to be seen by their peers -- as religious."

The report does not soft-pedal other challenges religious progressives face.

There is need to overcome the identification of "religious" with "conservative" by the media and much of the public.

There are also tensions over religion in the Democratic Party. Democrats are "often tongue-tied about faith and uneasy about discussing it in public," the Faith in Equality authors write. Some secular Democrats oppose any use of religious language.

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The political future of religious progressives