Religious Folk More Often Politically ... Liberal?

Is the term "Christian liberal" about to enter our political lexicon? So says a British report, which finds that 55% of religious people say they're political lefties, compared to 40% who identify conservative, reports the Guardian. And 41% of the faithful say they value equality over freedom, compared to 36% among secular people. What seems counterintuitive to Americans is explained by two key findings in the report, according to the Daily Mail.

"First, religious people are more active citizens—they volunteer more, donate more to charity and are more likely to campaign on political issues," says Jonathan Birdwell, who wrote the report. Second, "religious people ... put a greater value on equality than the non-religious, [and] are more likely to be welcoming of immigrants as neighbors." If you haven't passed out yet, consider Birdwell's conclusion, that many "see faith as a moral refuge from the otherwise nihilistic, dog-eat-dog values of consumerist, capitalist democracies." (More liberals stories.)