Christian Coalition crumbling
Apparently, the Christian Coalition isn't radical enough for some state chapters. Alabama, Iowa and Ohio recently left the national organization, and now Georgia is the latest to secede:
Today Christian Coalition of Georgia officials announced the formal notice of a name change. In a letter sent overnight via Federal Express to Roberta Combs dated September 25, 2006, Christian Coalition of Georgia State Chairman Sadie Fields stated, "I have been authorized by the Board of Directors of the Christian Coalition of Georgia, Inc. to notify you as Chairman and President of the Christian Coalition of America of our plans to change the name of our state organization." Georgia joins Iowa, Ohio and Alabama state chapters in the departure as state affiliates of the Christian Coalition of America.
Today Fields confirmed: "Our new organization will maintain the same board of directors, officers and staff and will be issues driven based on our long-standing, tried, true and tested mission and tenets that have guided our organization since 1989."
Our standing mission statement is: "We believe that people of faith have a right and a responsibility to be involved in the world around them; that involvement includes social, community and political action." The long-standing tenets that bring unity among conservative members of our coalition of Christians are: strengthening the family, protecting innocent human life, returning education to local & parental control, easing the tax burden on families, punishing criminals & defending victims' rights, protecting young people & our communities from the pollution of pornography and the expansion of gambling, defending the institution of marriage and protecting religious freedom.
"In every major public policy debate, it is almost guaranteed that the liberal forces opposing our view will try to redefine who we are and feverishly attempt to amend our tenets and mission. The Christian Coalition of America has demonstrated by their actions in word and in deed a desire to drift from our founding tenets. The Christian Coalition of America has left us, we have not left them," Fields concluded.
News reports cite the Christian Coalition's involvement in environmental issues (perhaps resulting from founder Pat Robertson's recent conversion) and their backing of an increased federal minimum wage as examples of how the CC has left the state chapters behind. Other news reports also mention Ralph Reed and revelations about his involvement in the Abramof scandal.
Whatever the reasons, there appears to be a growing rift among the once-solid core of right-wing conservatives. This is the latest example. Perhaps some on the right are coming to the realization that their policies aren't working and that there might be other approaches to solving national problems, holdouts in Georgia and Alabama notwithstanding, and that their faith and progressive social policy needn't be mutually exclusive.