Difference between revisions of "Religious right"
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There was an undertone of anxiety, as shown when Robertson hosted a "God and Country" rally which attracted 3000 supporters of his Christian Coalition. Denying that the Religious Right had lost its political power, Robertson declared, "This is a resurrection here today. Reports of our death are greatly exaggerated." | There was an undertone of anxiety, as shown when Robertson hosted a "God and Country" rally which attracted 3000 supporters of his Christian Coalition. Denying that the Religious Right had lost its political power, Robertson declared, "This is a resurrection here today. Reports of our death are greatly exaggerated." | ||
| − | The GOP platfor, while affirming its neutrality toward any particular religion, declared, "We must not remain neutral toward religion itself or the values religion supports," particularly "our country's Judeo-Christian heritage." | + | The GOP platfor, while affirming its neutrality toward any particular religion, declared, "We must not remain neutral toward religion itself or the values religion supports," particularly "our country's Judeo-Christian heritage." It charged that elements in the Democratic party, along with the media, entertainment industry, and academia, "are waging a guerilla war against American values" and "disparage traditional morality, denigrate religion, and promote hostility toward the family's way of life." |
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| + | Shortly after the convention renominated him, Bush was the keynote speaker in Dallas at the Religious Right political rally, "National Affairs Briefing". Other speakers included Falwell, Donald Wildmon, Phyllis Schlaffly, Oliver North, W.A. Criswell, Richard Land, Adrian Rogers, Tim LaHaye, Gary Bauer, Pat Buchanan, Paul Weyrich, and Ed McAteer. | ||
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| + | Much of the Religious Right organizing in 1992 was handled by he Traditional Family Values Coalition (TVC), headed by Louis Sheldon; the Christian Coalition (CC), created and led by its president, Pat Robertson; Concerned Women for America (CWA), led by Beverly LaHaye; and the Family Research Council (FRC), a division of [[James Dobson]]'s Focus on Family organization, but led by Gary Bauer. The groups sent out 40 million "Family Values Voters Guides '92" to churches across the nation. The Guided hinted that Bush was the best choice, without flatly stating so. | ||
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==Religious Left== | ==Religious Left== | ||
There are not many advocates on the "[[Religious Left]]," a newly founded movement meant to weaken the impact of the religious right, argue that moral issues and traditional family values are not important, but focus should be placed in government run and administered secular social programs instead. | There are not many advocates on the "[[Religious Left]]," a newly founded movement meant to weaken the impact of the religious right, argue that moral issues and traditional family values are not important, but focus should be placed in government run and administered secular social programs instead. | ||
Revision as of 11:32, October 20, 2009
The "Religious Right" also called the Christian Right was the organized Christian conservative movement in the politics of the 1970s and 1980s. The name fell out of use after 1992.
It was based on the belief that the morality of our nation was eroding and that Christians had to be mobilized at the local level to pressure the political system to reverse the damage.
1992
At the 1992 GOP National Convention in Houston renominating President George H.W. Bush, many speakers appealed to the Religious Richt, including Pat Buchanan, Pat Robertson, Marilyn Quayle, Sen. Phil Gramm, and Vice President Dan Quayle. They repeatedly proclaimed the party's mission to uphold religious and "traditional moral values" and accused the Democrats of a "radical plan" that would destroy these values. Declaring that the nation is in both a political and religious war, Buchanan charged that the nation is being overtaken by "barbarians" produced by the "public schools where God and the Ten Commandments and the Bible were long ago expelled." Important podium appearances were made by Ed Young, president of the Southern Baptist Convention; James Kennedy, pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church; E.V. Hill, pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles; and Don Argue, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
In his prime-time speech Rev. Robertson accused Democratic nominee Bill Clinton of devising a plan to "destroy the traditional family and transfer many of its functions to the federal government." Jerry Falwell denounced the Democrats for failing to mention God in their platform, as did President Bush himself.
There was an undertone of anxiety, as shown when Robertson hosted a "God and Country" rally which attracted 3000 supporters of his Christian Coalition. Denying that the Religious Right had lost its political power, Robertson declared, "This is a resurrection here today. Reports of our death are greatly exaggerated."
The GOP platfor, while affirming its neutrality toward any particular religion, declared, "We must not remain neutral toward religion itself or the values religion supports," particularly "our country's Judeo-Christian heritage." It charged that elements in the Democratic party, along with the media, entertainment industry, and academia, "are waging a guerilla war against American values" and "disparage traditional morality, denigrate religion, and promote hostility toward the family's way of life."
Shortly after the convention renominated him, Bush was the keynote speaker in Dallas at the Religious Right political rally, "National Affairs Briefing". Other speakers included Falwell, Donald Wildmon, Phyllis Schlaffly, Oliver North, W.A. Criswell, Richard Land, Adrian Rogers, Tim LaHaye, Gary Bauer, Pat Buchanan, Paul Weyrich, and Ed McAteer.
Much of the Religious Right organizing in 1992 was handled by he Traditional Family Values Coalition (TVC), headed by Louis Sheldon; the Christian Coalition (CC), created and led by its president, Pat Robertson; Concerned Women for America (CWA), led by Beverly LaHaye; and the Family Research Council (FRC), a division of James Dobson's Focus on Family organization, but led by Gary Bauer. The groups sent out 40 million "Family Values Voters Guides '92" to churches across the nation. The Guided hinted that Bush was the best choice, without flatly stating so.
Religious Left
There are not many advocates on the "Religious Left," a newly founded movement meant to weaken the impact of the religious right, argue that moral issues and traditional family values are not important, but focus should be placed in government run and administered secular social programs instead.
The religious left are declining in terms of influence and conservative Christianity is growing in influence because the religious left in Christianity are losing many members and conservative Christianity is growing especially overseas.[1][2][3]
Leaders of the Religious Right
Further reading
- Blanchard, Dallas A. The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Rise of the Religious Right: From Polite to Fiery Protest (1994)
- Martin, William. With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America (1996)
- Micklethwait, John, and Adrian Wooldridge. God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World (2009) excerpt and text search
- Thomas, Cal, and Ed Dobson, Blinded By Might: Can the Religious Right Save America? (1999).
- Wilcox, Clyde, and Carin Robinson. Onward Christian Soldiers?: The Religious Right in American Politics (2nd ed. 2006) excerpt and text search