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93-596: Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The Alliance Defending Freedom ( ADF ), formerly the Alliance Defense Fund , is an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group that works to expand Christian religious liberties and practices within public schools and in government, outlaw abortion , and oppose LGBTQ rights . ADF

186-515: A law criminalizing same-sex sexual acts in Belize (ruled unconstitutional in 2016). The ADF denied playing any role in the case. In the United Kingdom, ADF International advocated in favor of a mother's custody of her child, against the custody of the child's father and his same-sex partner. ADF also has links to the former prime minister of Australia, Tony Abbott , an outspoken opponent of

279-647: A right to abortion in America in 1973. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) designates ADF as an anti-LGBT hate group , saying in 2017 that since the election of President Donald Trump ADF had become "one of the most influential groups informing the [Trump] administration's attack on LGBTQ rights ". The ADF has taken many anti-LGBT positions: it opposes same-sex marriage , decriminalization of same-sex sexual activity , and anti-discrimination laws , and takes an active role in writing model anti- transgender bills for state legislators. The Alliance Defense Fund

372-663: A 2007 interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that after he mentioned the term "moral majority", Falwell "turned to his people and said, 'That's the name of our organization. ' " Weyrich would then engineer a strong union between the Republican Party and many culturally conservative Christians. Soon, Moral Majority became a general term for the conservative political activism of evangelists and fundamentalists such as Pat Robertson, James Robison , and Jerry Falwell. Howard Schweber, Professor at

465-415: A 6–3 vote. The organization has worked to prevent transgender athletes from playing sports with the gender they identify with, through lawsuits and by lobbying state legislatures. In April 2022, ADF-affiliated lawyers defended a professor at Shawnee State University , Ohio, who refused to use preferred pronouns when referring to a transgender student; the university agreed to a $ 400,000 settlement with

558-571: A constitutionally protected right in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling was the driving force behind the rise of the Christian Right in the 1970s. Changing political context led to the Christian Right's advocacy for other issues, such as opposition to euthanasia and campaigning for abstinence-only sex education . Ralph Reed , the chairman of the Christian Coalition, stated that the 1988 presidential campaign of Pat Robertson

651-459: A donation from Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Net assets were approximately $ 49 million in 2020, $ 57 million in 2021, and $ 78.5 million in 2022. ADF won a Supreme Court case that ended California's requirement for non-profits to release the names of their major donors, Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta (2021). Thus, while donors' identities are reported on federal tax returns, that information

744-421: A married mother and father." ADF provided legal support to the defendants in two Supreme Court cases dealing with the intersection of freedom of religion against Colorado's anti-discrimination laws for public-serving businesses, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018) and 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (2022); in both cases, the underlying issue was whether Christian business owners, under

837-621: A powerful force for political Christianity today. The role of the media for the Religious right has been influential in its ability to connect Christian audiences to the larger American culture while at the same time bringing and keeping religion into play as both a political and a cultural force. The political agenda of the Christian right has been disseminated to the public through a variety of media outlets including radio broadcasting, television, and literature. Religious broadcasting began in

930-539: A time period labeled the New Christian Right . While the platform also opposed abortion and leaned towards restricting taxpayer funding for abortions and passing a constitutional amendment which would restore protection of the right to life for unborn children, it also accepted the fact that many Americans, including fellow Republicans, were divided on the issue. Since about 1980, the Christian right has been associated with several institutions including

1023-523: Is also known as the New Christian Right (NCR) or the Religious Right , although some consider the religious right to be "a slightly broader category than Christian Right". John C. Green of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life states that Jerry Falwell used the label religious right to describe himself. Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media and public relations for Focus on

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1116-652: Is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona , with branch offices in several locations including Washington, D.C. , and New York . Its international subsidiary, Alliance Defending Freedom International, with headquarters in Vienna , Austria, operates in over 100 countries. ADF is one of the most organized and influential Christian legal interest groups in the United States based on its budget, caseload, network of allied attorneys, and connections to significant members of

1209-690: Is incorporated in a number of European countries under "ADF International": Belgium, Germany (as ADF International Deutschland), France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Austria (as ADF International Austria GmbH). The organization also lobbies the European Union Parliament via ADF International Belgium, which participates in the intergroup organization "Freedom of Religion and Religious Tolerance." As part of EU advocacy, its members have presented on issues including Christian minority persecution in Iraq and Myanmar. ADF International's budget

1302-481: Is justified, because "We look like a social service agency, but we're a community of Christ followers and our faith in Christ is the most important part of who we are." A Catholic woman sued the agency after being rejected on the basis of religion, but the agency later changed its rules to permit "Catholics who affirm Miracle Hill's doctrinal statement in belief and practice to serve as foster parents and employees." At

1395-697: Is not required to be made public under IRS regulations. The Servant Foundation donated over $ 50,000,000 to the Alliance Defending Freedom between 2018 and 2020, via the foundation's financial arm, The Signatry. The most public use of these funds has been the " He Gets Us " campaign during Super Bowl commercial breaks. Other donors include: the Green family , the Covenant Foundation, the Bolthouse Foundation ,

1488-565: Is regarded as the originator of the process. Members of and organizations associated with the Christian right, such as the Discovery Institute , created and popularized the modern concept of intelligent design, which became widely known only with the publication of the book Of Pandas and People in 1989. The Discovery Institute, through their intelligent design initiative called the Center for Science and Culture , has endorsed

1581-618: Is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority ... each of you, all of us." The organization pursues "strategies for reclaiming the judicial system as it was originally envisioned," most notably through litigation. The ADF has been involved in several United States Supreme Court cases that would permit use of public buildings and public funds for religious purposes, such as Rosenberger v. University of Virginia (1995) and Good News Club v. Milford Central School (2001). ADF also supports allowing Christian prayer at public town meetings (see Town of Greece v. Galloway ) and

1674-479: Is warier of the political spectrum and much of the resources of his group are devoted to other aims such as media. However, as a private citizen, Dobson has stated his opinion on presidential elections; on February 5, 2008, Dobson issued a statement regarding the 2008 presidential election and his strong disappointment with the Republican party's candidates. In an essay written in 1996, Ralph Reed argued against

1767-451: The 2020 presidential election and made false claims of voter fraud, Farris worked to overturn the election results , drafting a legal complaint with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the unsuccessful case Texas v. Pennsylvania . On October 1, 2022, Kristen Waggoner succeeded Farris as CEO and President of ADF, retaining her role as General Counsel. Since 2010, ADF's global arm, ADF International, has been increasingly active around

1860-524: The Bruderhof Communities , Schwarzenau Brethren , River Brethren and Apostolic Christians ) are theologically, socially, and culturally conservative; however, there are no overtly political organizations associated with these Christian denominations , which are usually uninvolved, uninterested, apathetic, or indifferent towards politics. Evangelical theologian and pastor Tim Keller stated that conservative Christianity (theology) predates

1953-647: The Christian Coalition of America has used the Internet to inform the public, as well as to sell merchandise and gather members. The Christian right strongly advocates for a system of educational choice, using a system of school vouchers , instead of public education. Vouchers would be government funded and could be redeemed for "a specified maximum sum per child per years if spent on approved educational services". This method would allow parents to determine which school their child attends while relieving

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2046-789: The Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation , the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation , the Bradley Foundation , and the Charles Koch Institute. The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust , one of largest charities in the Pacific Northwest , donated nearly $ 1,000,000 to ADF from 2007 to 2016. ADF's positions include supporting religion in public institutions, opposing LGBTQ rights, opposing abortion and contraception, and other positions aligned with conservative Christianity in

2139-816: The Moral Majority , the Christian Coalition , Focus on the Family , the Alliance Defending Freedom the Family Research Council and the American Center for Law & Justice . While the influence of the Christian right is typically traced to the 1980 Presidential election, Daniel K. Williams argues in God's Own Party that it had actually been involved in politics for most of the twentieth century. He also notes that

2232-581: The Reagan administration Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, which produced the 1986 Meese Report . Sears led the organization for over 20 years, until 2017. From 2017 to 2022, Michael Farris , the founder of Patrick Henry College , was CEO of ADF. Farris lobbied Congress for the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. He has been closely associated with the Christian homeschooling movement since

2325-665: The Salem Media Group , also served as president and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters for 10 years, and as the founding executive director of the Center for Christian Statesmanship, at its launch by DJKM in 1995. The National Religious Broadcasters association (NRB) named The Coral Ridge Hour “Television Program of the Year” in 2003 and gave its “Best Radio Teaching Program for 2004” to

2418-493: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the plaintiff, represented by ADF, for the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis case. The ruling sparked widespread criticism regarding whether the plaintiff lacked standing. These criticisms prompted several articles myth-busting the attackers on the plaintiff's standing. ADF has long opposed abortion , and has litigated to restrict access to abortion and contraception in

2511-433: The birth control mandate in employee funded health plans violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 since there existed a less restrictive means of furthering the law's interest. The ADF's first president, CEO and Chief Counsel was Alan Sears, who was also a founder of the organization. Sears has been described as "an ardent antipornography crusader", and had previously served as staff executive director of

2604-548: The moral absolutist tone of Christian right leaders, arguing for the Republican Party Platform to stress the moral dimension of abortion rather than placing emphasis on overturning Roe v. Wade. Reed believes that pragmatism is the best way to advocate for the Christian right. Overtly partisan actions by churches could threaten their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status due to the Johnson Amendment of

2697-466: The political right . Mike Johnson , a former ADF attorney, was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on October 25, 2023. Others who have been associated with ADF include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett , former vice president Mike Pence , former attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions , and Senator Josh Hawley . ADF attorneys have argued a number of cases before

2790-527: The recriminalization of homosexual acts in the U.S. ( prior to 1962, sodomy had been a felony in every U.S. state ), filing a Supreme Court brief supporting Texas' sodomy law in the landmark Lawrence v. Texas case which declared sodomy laws unconstitutional; it linked homosexuality to pedophilia . ADF also opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions , as well as adoption by same-sex couples , based on its leaders' "belief that God created men, women, and families such that children thrive best in homes with

2883-752: The religious right , are Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with their interpretation of the teachings of Christianity . In the United States, the Christian right is an informal coalition which was formed around a core of conservative Evangelical Protestants and conservative Roman Catholics . The Christian right draws additional support from politically conservative mainline Protestants , Orthodox Jews , and Mormons . The movement in American politics became dominant in American conservatism starting in

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2976-466: The state atheism espoused by communist countries, secularization came to be seen by many Americans as the biggest threat to American and Christian values, and by the 1980s Catholic bishops and evangelicals had begun to work together on issues such as abortion. The alienation of Southern Democrats from the Democratic Party contributed to the rise of the right, as the counterculture of

3069-468: The teach the controversy approach . According to its proponents, such an approach would ensure that both the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory were discussed in the curriculum. This tactic was criticized by Judge John E. Jones III in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District , describing it as "at best disingenuous, and at worst a canard." Coral Ridge Ministries Best known in

3162-560: The "SPLC's labeling of the group as [a hate group] is protected by the First Amendment." On June 27, 2022, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, ending the legal battle. In response, SPLC president J. Richard Cohen , said the lawsuit is "meritless" and that the ministry’s Bible -based views are not immune from criticism. He added: "We have a First Amendment right to express our opinions, just as Coral Ridge has

3255-502: The 1920s through the radio. Between the 1950s and 1980s, TV became a powerful way for the Christian right to influence the public through shows such as Pat Robertson's The 700 Club and The Family Channel (now Freeform ). The Internet has also helped the Christian right reach a much larger audience. These organizations' websites play a strong role in popularising the Christian right's stances on cultural and political issues, and inform interested viewers on how to get involved. For example,

3348-494: The 1960s provoked fear of social disintegration . In addition, as the Democratic Party became identified with a pro-abortion rights position and with nontraditional societal values, social conservatives joined the Republican Party in increasing numbers. In 1976, U.S. President Jimmy Carter received the support of the Christian right largely because of his much-acclaimed religious conversion. However, Carter's spiritual transformation did not compensate for his liberal policies in

3441-577: The 1980s and 1990s for its flagship one-hour television program, The Coral Ridge Hour , which claimed an audience of three million nationwide, D. James Kennedy Ministries now broadcasts a weekly half-hour TV program Truths That Transform . Hosted by ministry president, Rev. Robert J. Pacienza, Truths That Transform airs nationwide on four cable networks and seeks to give a “biblical perspective” on “moral and cultural controversies.” The program includes interviews, news segments, and video excerpts from sermons preached by D. James Kennedy (1930–2007),

3534-418: The 1980s and is the founder of the Christian organization Home School Legal Defense Association , which offers legal representation to home-schooling parents. In 2016, Farris voiced opposition to Donald Trump 's candidacy for president , opining that "Trump most clearly fails the traditional standard championed by the Christian right on the subject of personal character." However, after Trump refused to concede

3627-461: The 2000s. It claims that DJKM engages in “anti-LGBT organizing and ideology . . . [and] demonizes LGBT people as threats to children, society and often public health.” The DJKM suit alleges the SPLC "illegally trafficked in false and misleading descriptions of the services offered by DJKM and committed defamation against DJKM arising from the publication and distribution of false information that libels

3720-529: The ADF was part of a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that religious clubs must be afforded equal access to use public school facilities. In 2022, ADF took on a case defending a Tennessee-based Christian adoption agency that refused to work with Jewish prospective parents. The case, which names the State of Tennessee as a defendant for its law permitting religious organizations to reject applicants based on faith,

3813-702: The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. US Food and Drug Administration , a case where the plaintiff has challenged the U.S Food and Drug Agency's longstanding approval of mifepristone , a drug frequently used in medical abortion procedures. Christian right Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The Christian right , otherwise referred to as

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3906-456: The Center is a discipleship and evangelism outreach to train and equip “Christian statesman.” It awards a "Distinguished Christian Statesman Award" annually to high-profile Christian political leaders. Past award recipients include Mike Pence , Tom DeLay , Sam Brownback , John Ashcroft , and Mike Huckabee . DJKM founded its social action branch, The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ , in 1996. With an emphasis on cultural engagement,

3999-574: The Christian right (politics). Keller asserted that being a theological conservative does not require a person to be a political conservative, and that some political progressive views around economics, helping the poor, the redistribution of wealth , and racial diversity are compatible with theologically conservative Christianity. Conservative writer Rod Dreher has stated that a Christian can be theologically conservative while still holding left-wing economic views or even socialist views . In 1863, representatives from eleven Christian denominations in

4092-580: The Christian right had previously been in alliance with the Republican Party in the 1940s through 1960s on matters such as opposition to communism and defending "a Protestant-based moral order". Similarly, scholar Celestini Carmen traces the John Birch Society (JBS)'s focus on culture war issues and rhetoric of apocalypticism , conspiratorialism , and fear to the rise of the Christian right through JBS members and Christian right activists Tim LaHaye , Phyllis Schlafly , and others. In light of

4185-553: The Christian right supported the aims of the temperance movement . Since the late 1970s, the Christian right has been a notable force in both the Republican Party and American politics when Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell and other Christian leaders began to urge conservative Christians to involve themselves in the political process. President Jimmy Carter's backing of the Equal Rights Amendment led to

4278-491: The Christian right's power within the American political system is attributed to their extraordinary turnout rate at the polls. The voters that coexist in the Christian right are also highly motivated and driven to get out a viewpoint on issues they care about. As well as high voter turnout, they can be counted on to attend political events, knock on doors and distribute literature. Members of the Christian right are willing to do

4371-499: The D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Leadership, as an initiative of its Center for Christian Statesmanship in Washington, D.C. The Center for Christian Leadership provides comprehensive leadership training to those preparing to seek elected office and to those seeking other areas of service in the public policy arena. Pacienza, who was mentored by Kennedy, is Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (CRPC) and served on

4464-631: The DJKM Board of Directors prior to being named president and chief executive officer (CEO) in June 2022. Pacienza has served as CRPC Senior Pastor since 2016. The author of the forthcoming book, The Hope Of The World: Christian Cultural Engagement in a Secular Age , Pacienza said his ministry philosophy is to "equip gospel-centered, culture-shaping Christians." Pacienza succeeds Frank Wright who served as president and CEO of DJKM from 2015 to 2022. Wright, formerly president and chief operating officer (COO) of

4557-454: The Family , states that "[t]erms like 'religious right' have been traditionally used in a pejorative way to suggest extremism. The phrase 'socially conservative evangelicals' is not very exciting, but that's certainly the way to do it." Evangelical leaders like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council have called attention to the problem of equating the term Christian right with Evangelical Protestants . Although evangelicals constitute

4650-520: The Family ; D. James Kennedy , Evangelist pastor and founder of Coral Ridge Ministries ; Marlin Maddoux , a Christian radio radio personality ; Mark Siljander , former U.S. Congressman; and Alan Sears , former director of the Meese Commission and a devout Catholic . In its early years, Alliance Defense Fund funded legal cases rather than litigating directly. It particularly targeted

4743-653: The Internal Revenue Code. In one notable example, the former pastor of the East Waynesville Baptist Church in Waynesville, North Carolina "told the congregation that anyone who planned to vote for Democratic Sen. John Kerry should either leave the church or repent ". The church later expelled nine members who had voted for Kerry and refused to repent, which led to criticism on the national level. The pastor resigned and

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4836-572: The Supreme Court, taking positions including support for religious activity in public school and Christian prayer at town meetings , narrowing insurance coverage for contraceptives , prohibiting same-sex marriage , and supporting businesses in the wedding industry that refuse to service gay marriages. ADF lawyers wrote the model for Mississippi's anti-abortion legislation, leading to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to overrule Roe v. Wade that had established

4929-471: The US and in other countries. In the 2022 decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , the Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law that was the nation's first-ever 15-week abortion ban, thereby overturning Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). The Mississippi law was based on ADF's model legislation, specifically designed to provoke a legal challenge that would be appealed to

5022-544: The United States organized the National Reform Association . The organization's goal was to amend the U.S. Constitution to make the country a Christian state . The National Reform Association is one of the first organizations through which adherents from several Christian denominations worked together in an attempt to enshrine Christianity in American government. The Christian Civic League of Maine , founded in 1897, and other early organizations of

5115-419: The United States, aimed at restricting transgender people's use of public bathrooms. In 2020, the ADF lost a Supreme Court case in which they argued that employers should be allowed to discriminate against transgender people. ADF attorneys defended a funeral home that fired a trans employee in the Supreme Court case, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , losing in

5208-535: The United States. Issue advocacy as a function of press releases (2017) According to materials for its donors, ADF seeks to spread a belief in "the framers' original intent for the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights as it reflects God's natural law and God's higher law." Before taking the oath of office as Speaker of the House of Representatives, current, former ADF lawyer Mike Johnson stated, "The Bible

5301-943: The University of Wisconsin-Madison, writes that "in the past two decades", "Catholic politicians have emerged as leading figures in the religious conservative movement." An early attempt to bring the Christian right into American politics began in 1974 when Robert Grant , a movement leader, who founded the American Christian Cause to advocate Christian ideological teachings in Southern California. Concerned that Christians overwhelmingly voted for President Jimmy Carter in 1976, Grant founded Christian Voice to rally Christian voters behind socially conservative candidates. Prior to his alliance with Falwell, Weyrich sought an alliance with Grant. Grant and other Christian Voice staff soon set up their main office at

5394-574: The anti-discrimination law, were compelled to create works with LGBT messaging that they said went against their Christian faith. In 2021, the Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal from ADF attorneys on behalf of a florist who refused to serve her clients' same-sex wedding , with three of the nine justices indicating they were willing to hear the case. The organization has worked internationally to prevent decriminalization of homosexuality in Jamaica and Belize. The SPLC has reported on ADF support for

5487-586: The blessing of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York . Under the leadership of Reed and Robertson, the Coalition quickly became the most prominent voice in the conservative Christian movement, its influence culminating with an effort to support the election of a conservative Christian to the presidency in 1996 . In addition, they have encouraged the convergence of conservative Christian ideology with political issues, such as healthcare,

5580-479: The broadcast to the 2000 Peter Jennings -hosted ABC News documentary, The Search for Jesus , contending the program “achieved more journalistic success than Jennings at one point” by providing a broader cross-section of experts. The ministry launched the Washington, D.C. -based D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship (CCS) in 1995. A Capitol Hill outreach to lawmakers and congressional staff,

5673-623: The case by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Commenting on an earlier case in South Carolina, an ADF spokesperson expressed support for an evangelical foster care provider in South Carolina that rejects Jewish prospective parents, as well as LGBTQ people, atheists, and other non-Christians. The agency, Miracle Hill Ministries, is the largest foster and adoption agency in South Carolina and receives public funding; its president has stated that its religious discrimination policy

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5766-441: The core constituency of the Christian right, not all evangelicals fit the description, and a number of Roman Catholics are also members of the Christian right's core base. The problem of description is further complicated by the fact that the label religious conservative or conservative Christian may apply to other religious groups as well. For instance, Anabaptist Christians (most notably Amish , Mennonites , Hutterites ,

5859-458: The development of the Christian right and the embrace of many evangelical conservatives to Republican Party candidates. In response to the rise of the Christian right, the 1980 Republican Party platform assumed a number of its positions, including adding support for a restoration of school prayer . The past two decades have been an important time in the political debates and in the same time frame religious citizens became more politically active in

5952-419: The disparate group of homeschooling families into a cohesive bloc. The number of homeschooling families has increased in the last twenty years, and around 80 percent of these families identify themselves as evangelicals. The main universities associated with the Christian right in the United States are: The media has played a major role in the rise of the Christian right since the 1920s and has continued to be

6045-421: The economic burden associated with private schools. The concept is popular among constituents of church-related schools, including those affiliated with Roman Catholicism. The Protestant members of the Christian right in the United States generally promote the teaching of creationism and intelligent design as opposed to, or alongside, biological evolution. Some supporters of the Christian right have opposed

6138-567: The economy, education and crime. Political activists lobbied within the Republican party locally and nationally to influence party platforms and nominations. More recently James Dobson's group Focus on the Family, based in Colorado Springs, and the Family Research Council in Washington D.C. have gained enormous respect from Republican lawmakers. While strongly advocating for these ideological matters, Dobson himself

6231-496: The electoral work needed to see their candidate elected. Because of their high level of devotion, the Christian right does not need to monetarily compensate these people for their work. Led by Robert Grant advocacy group Christian Voice , Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, Ed McAteer 's Religious Roundtable Council, James Dobson 's Focus on the Family , Paul Weyrich 's Free Congress Foundation and The Heritage Foundation , and Pat Robertson 's Christian Broadcasting Network ,

6324-668: The former senior minister of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida . DJKM airs sermons preached by Kennedy on its weekly half-hour program, Kennedy Classics . Truth in Action Radio is an Internet-only program featuring weekly messages from Kennedy. DJKM began in 1974 as “Coral Ridge Ministries Media,” the media outreach of D. James Kennedy. The ministry was re-branded as “Truth in Action Ministries” in 2011. At Kennedy’s direction,

6417-596: The headquarters of Weyrich's Heritage Foundation. The alliance between Weyrich and Grant fell apart in 1978. In the late 1980s, Pat Robertson founded the Christian Coalition of America , building from his 1988 presidential run , with Republican activist Ralph Reed , who became the spokesman for the Coalition. In 1992, the national Christian Coalition, Inc., headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, began producing voter guides, which it distributed to conservative Christian churches, both Protestant and Catholic, with

6510-532: The largest legal force of the religious right , arguing hundreds of pro bono cases across the country." In 2014, ADF literature described part of its mission as "[seeking] to recover the robust Christendomic theology of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries." The ADF garnered national attention in its 2014 challenge to the Affordable Care Act . In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. , the Court ruled that

6603-695: The late 1970s. The Christian right gained powerful influence within the Republican party during the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the United States in the 1980s. Its influence draws from grassroots activism as well as from focus on social issues and the ability to motivate the electorate around those issues. It is part of social conservatism in the United States . The Christian right has advanced socially conservative positions on issues such as creationism in public education , school prayer , temperance , Christian nationalism , Christian Zionism , and Sunday Sabbatarianism , as well as opposition to

6696-519: The legalization of same-sex marriage in Australia. Abbott gave a speech to ADF regarding marriage in 2016. ADF opposes transgender rights based on an idea that "God creates each person with an immutable biological sex — male or female..." The organization has litigated against transgender employment protections, access to bathrooms, and participation in sports for transgender people. Members of ADF also authored model legislation for bathroom bills in

6789-827: The minds of Christian conservatives; according to Jerry Falwell, "Americans have literally stood by and watched as godless, spineless leaders have brought our nation floundering to the brink of death." In 2016, Patricia Miller said that the "alliance between evangelical leaders and the Catholic bishops has been a cornerstone of the Christian Right for nearly twenty years". The Christian Right has engaged in battles over abortion, euthanasia , contraception , pornography , gambling, obscenity , Christian nationalism , Sunday Sabbatarianism (concerning Sunday blue laws ), state sanctioned prayer in public schools , textbook contents (concerning creationism ), homosexuality , and sexual education . The Supreme Court's decision to make abortion

6882-536: The ministry also hosted Reclaiming America for Christ conferences in Fort Lauderdale to inspire Christians to become involved in politics and Christian social action. Speakers included former vice president Dan Quayle , then-Sen. John Ashcroft , House Majority Leader Dick Armey , Jerry Falwell , and Judge Roy Moore . DJKM closed the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ in April 2007. In 2018, DJKM began

6975-526: The ministry produced and broadcast Who Is This Jesus? , a one-hour television special aired on CBS affiliates at Christmas 2001. The program, co-hosted by Kennedy with actor Dean Jones , reached a claimed 20 million viewers, with its Easter follow-up, Who Is This Jesus: Is He Risen? The program offered scholarly viewpoints on the reliability of the Gospels , especially the resurrection claim. Associated Press religion writer Richard Ostling contrasted

7068-444: The ministry's reputation and subjects the ministry to disgrace, ridicule, odium, and contempt in the estimation of the public," a ministry statement said. On February 21, 2018, a federal magistrate judge recommended that the suit be dismissed with prejudice, concluding that D. James Kennedy Ministries could not show that it had been libeled. On September 19, 2019, the lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Myron H. Thompson , who ruled that

7161-590: The ministry’s daily radio program, Truths That Transform . NRB inducted Kennedy into its Hall of Fame in 2005. DJKM filed a defamation suit in federal court against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Aug. 22, 2017 after the group listed the ministry as an “anti-LGBT hate group.” The SPLC has exposed and sued white-supremacist groups under the direction of its founder, Morris Dees , but began focusing on immigration control groups and opponents of gay rights and same-sex marriage in

7254-518: The new Religious Right combined conservative politics with evangelical and fundamentalist teachings. The birth of the New Christian right, however, is usually traced to a 1979 meeting where televangelist Jerry Falwell was urged to create a "Moral Majority" organization. In 1979, Weyrich was in a discussion with Falwell when he remarked that there was a "moral majority" of Americans ready to be called to political action. Weyrich later recalled in

7347-598: The ousted church members were allowed to return. The Alliance Defense Fund , a Christian right group now known as the Alliance Defending Freedom, started the Pulpit Freedom Initiative in 2008. ADF states that "[t]he goal of Pulpit Freedom Sunday is simple: have the Johnson Amendment declared unconstitutional – and once and for all remove the ability of the IRS to censor what a pastor says from

7440-719: The professor. In Europe, ADF International has supported mandatory genital surgery (and consequent sterilization ) of transgender people before they are allowed to change the gender marker on government IDs . However, a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, A.P., Garçon and Nicot v. France , has led France, Greece, Portugal, and several other countries to allow non-medical pathways to gender marker change. In June 2022 several groups opposing trans rights, including Alliance Defending Freedom, WDI USA ,  Family Research Council and Women's Liberation Front , organized an anti-trans rally in Washington D.C. In June 2023,

7533-400: The pulpit." Both Christian right and secular polling organizations sometimes conduct polls to determine which presidential candidates will receive the support of Christian right constituents. One such poll is taken at the Family Research Council 's Values Voter Summit. George W. Bush's electoral success owed much to his overwhelming support from white evangelical voters, who comprise 23% of

7626-486: The request of South Carolina governor Henry McMaster , the Trump administration granted the organization a waiver of federal non-discrimination law. An ADF spokesperson indicated that the organization is "grateful [to] HHS and South Carolina" for granting the waiver, which allows the agency to continue to restrict fostering and adoption work to those who endorse evangelical beliefs. In 2003, ADF unsuccessfully called for

7719-433: The teaching of biological evolution , embryonic stem cell research , LGBT rights , comprehensive sex education , abortion , euthanasia , use of drugs , and pornography . Although the term Christian right is most commonly associated with politics in the United States, similar Christian conservative groups can be found in the political cultures of other Christian-majority countries . The Christian right

7812-610: The teaching of evolution in the past, but they did not have the ability to stop it being taught in public schools as was done during the Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee , in which a science teacher went on trial for teaching about the subject of evolution in a public school. Other "Christian right organizations supported the teaching of creationism, along with evolution, in public schools", specifically promoting theistic evolution (also known as evolutionary creationism) in which God

7905-540: The ultraconservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals , and then to the Supreme Court. ADF lawyers served on the Mississippi Attorney General's legal team to defend the ban. That strategy succeeded in ending the legal right to abortion in the United States, and giving states the power to restrict or ban medical care related to pregnancy termination. The ADF has links to at least one Justice of the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett . The ADF represents

7998-425: The use of religious displays (such as crosses and other religious monuments) in public buildings and on public lands . ADF has argued that parents who object to sex education on religious grounds should have the right to opt not to have their children attend. The organization has been involved in many cases religious practice in public schools. In Good News Club v. Milford Central School (2001), for example,

8091-489: The vote. In 2000 he received 68% of the white evangelical vote; in 2004 that percentage rose to 78%. In 2016, Donald Trump received 81% of the white evangelical vote. The Home School Legal Defense Association was co-founded in 1983 by Michael Farris , who would later establish Generation Joshua and Patrick Henry College , and Michael Smith. This organization attempts to challenge laws that serve as obstacles to allowing parents to home-school their children and to organize

8184-508: The work of the American Civil Liberties Union , which its founders saw as contributing to an erosion of Christian values . The Alliance Defense Fund changed its name to Alliance Defending Freedom in 2012. The name change was intended to reflect the organization's shift in focus from funding allied attorneys to directly litigating cases. By 2014 the organization had more than 40 staff attorneys, and had "emerged as

8277-795: The world. In 2015, ADF International stated that it had been involved in "over 500 cases before national and international tribunals," in the United States of America, Argentina, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, the European Union Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The organization reported 580 "ongoing legal matters" in fifty-one countries as of 2017, and had a budget of $ 11.5 million worldwide in 2020–2021. The organization established an affiliate group in India (ADF India) in 2012, headquartered in Delhi. In addition, ADF

8370-586: Was US$ 11.5 million (€9,489,000) in FY 2020–21. In the EU , the organization spent about $ 9.8 million (€8.7 million) from 2008 to 2016. In 2020, it reported a budget of about $ 2 million per year (£1.5 million), including approximately $ 430,000 on lobbying EU officials. Its registered EU lobbying group, ADF International Belgium, had five employees and a $ 585,000 budget for the 2022-23 financial year. In its financial disclosure information, ADF International Belgium lists its source as

8463-577: Was dismissed on technical grounds. As of late July 2022, the case is being appealed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals on behalf of the couple and several other plaintiffs. On August 24, 2023, the Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed the trial-court panel's decision, agreeing that the Rutan-Rams and all the other plaintiffs have the right to bring the lawsuit. The Tennessee Department of Children's Services then filed an application seeking review of

8556-482: Was founded by members of the Christian right movement to prevent what its founders saw as threats to religious liberty in American society. ADF was incorporated in 1993 by six conservative Christian men, most of whom belonged to evangelical movements. The co-founders were Bill Bright , who also founded Campus Crusade for Christ ; Larry Burkett , an evangelical financial advisor; James Dobson , founder of Focus on

8649-712: Was the 'political crucible' that led to the proliferation of Christian Right groups in the United States. Randall Balmer and other scholars on the other hand, have suggested that the New Christian Right Movement's rise was not centered around the issue of abortion, but rather Bob Jones University 's refusal to comply with the Supreme Court's 1971 Green v. Connally ruling that permitted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect penalty taxes from private religious schools that violated federal laws regarding integration . Much of

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