pursued under the CoalitionÆs first leader, Pat Robertson. RobertsonÆs involvement of the group in political activism was given the following theological justification by the Coalition founder: ôGod has endowed us with the authority to govern the world, and with that comes the duty to exercise it. If we are going to be good stewards, we will learn to exercise the precious gift of freedom that God has given us. Without a well-founded strategy, even the most powerful vision may failö (Lesage 2004, 18).
The Christian Coalition is driven by the belief of members that they have a Christian obligation and duty to involve themselves in community, social, and political activism. Pro-life, pro-family, anti-homosexual, and against separation of church and state, the following goals are listed by the Christian Coalition on its Web Site:
Returning education to local and parental control
Punishing criminals and defending victimsÆ rights
Protecting young people and communities from the pollution of pornography
Defending the institution of marriage
The Christian Coalition and the Religious Right have been enormously influential in acting as a powerful political lobby. Recently enacted legislation, like the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as between one man and one woman, and the ban on one kind of late-term abortions. The Christian Coalition uses its literal interpretation of the Bible as a means of undermining legislation of which it does not approve. Many feel that President BushÆs appointment of 160 conservative federal judges is a move backed by the Christian Coalition to make the agenda of the Religious Right gain legal sanction. With respect to the legislation signed by President Bush banning late-term abortions, one critic maintains that it masks a larger agenda of the Christian Coalition and Religious Right, ôIt came about thanks largely to incessant lobbying by Religious Rights groups that see th...