This week has been the busiest of John Giles’s year. He is responsible for the distribution of 1.7m “voter guides” that will be offered to worshippers at churches across Alabama this Sunday, two days before the mid-term elections.

Mr Giles is careful to make sure his pamphlets do not violate laws that bar churches from making political endorsements. But by detailing candidates’ views on issues such as abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research, the guides leave little room for doubt about how God-fearing Christians should cast their votes.