THE Christian Coalition is reportedly suffering financial problems. Promise Keepers has gone broke. Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network has just been fined for violating campaign-finance laws (ten years ago!). James Dobson of Focus on the Family has threatened to disown the Republican Party. The Family Research Council’s Gary Bauer, contemplating a run for President, laments that religious conservatives have almost nothing to show for their 18-year commitment to the Republican Party. Is the religious Right finished as a major force in American politics? Are Christian conservatives and the Republican Party headed for divorce?
To understand what’s going on it is best to take a long view. The two major sources of energy, enthusiasm, and élan in the two parties today are the religious Right and the feminist Left. Both speak for millions of Americans.
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