Religious advocacy triples

Religious advocacy groups in the nation's capital have more than tripled since the 1970s, with conservative organizations seeing the biggest growth.

Faith-based lobbying and advocacy groups spend $390 million a year to influence lawmakers, mobilize supporters and shape public opinion, according to a November report ("Lobbying for the Faithful: Religious Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C.") by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

"Religious advocacy is now a permanent and sizable feature of the Washington scene," said Allen Hertzke, author of the report that reflects shifting fortunes in religion and politics: the rise of the religious right 35 years ago and the decline of mainline Protestant churches.