Why is the GOP losing “values” voters? Because people of faith have clued into the fact that being opposed to abortion and same sex marriage and being for torture, bombing random countries and invading them for the hell of it does not make you a Christian.

An important new exit poll, commissioned by Faith in Public Life and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and conducted by Zogby International, now shows why that shift [41% of protestant evangelical voters and 55% of Catholic voters voting for Democrats] occurred. The poll, released at a press conference today, offers more explanation of the substantial shift in religious voters in the midterm elections. Complete results are available from Faith in Public Life.

The poll shows that:

*Faith groups urging people to vote according to “kitchen table” moral issues like peace in Iraq, poverty and economic justice had a 20-point higher national favorability rating and a 20-point lower unfavorable rating than religious groups urging people to vote according to abortion and same-sex marriage. This difference was even more stark between Catholic groups.

*In Ohio – an epicenter of faith-based organizing – religious groups urging people to vote according to “kitchen table” moral issues had a 25-point higher favorability rating and a 26-point lower unfavorable rating compared to those urging people to vote according to the wedge issues.

*Iraq was considered the “moral issue that most affected your vote” by 45.8% of voters, almost six times as many voters as abortion, and almost five times as many as same-sex marriage. Iraq was the top moral issue among Catholics, born-again Christians, and frequent church attendees.

*Poverty and economic justice topped the list of “most urgent moral problem in American culture.”

*When Catholics were asked to name the most important value guiding their vote, 67% chose “a commitment to the common good – the good of all, not just the few,” while 22% chose “opposing policies such as legal abortion, gay marriage, and embryonic stem cell research.” – Sojourners