Americans want to give more power to religious leaders

According to a report by the BBC, people in the United States would like to give more power to religious leaders! Here’s a brief excerpt from the article:

Forty percent of people in the US would like religious leaders to be given more power, a Gallup International poll commissioned by the BBC World Service suggests.

In the US and Canada, 49% of people said they trusted religious leaders, compared to a global average of 19%.

This would seem to confirm the view of many that religion played a big role in President Bush’s victory, analysts say.

I wonder if the same would be said by church people with regard to their pastors. What do you think? Do people in general want to give religious leaders more authority? Do churches desire pastors and leaders with more authority? Post a comment and let me know what you think.