Moral Majority

Moral Majority
Liberty University · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Moral Majority
Founded	1979
Founder	Jerry Falwell
Dissolved	1989
Headquarters	Lynchburg, Virginia
Key people	Paul Weyrich, Tim LaHaye
Focus	Christian right, Social conservatism in the United States
Merged	Liberty Federation

Moral Majority was a prominent American political organization associated with the Christian right, founded in 1979 by Baptist minister Jerry Falwell. It played a pivotal role in mobilizing evangelical voters around a platform of social conservatism, influencing elections and national policy debates throughout the 1980s. The group advocated for a traditionalist agenda, opposing abortion, LGBT rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, and advocating for school prayer, while strongly supporting Israel and a robust national defense. Its activism marked a significant realignment in American politics, demonstrating the electoral power of organized religious conservatives.

History and founding

The organization was formally established in June 1979, emerging from strategic discussions among key figures of the burgeoning New Right. Its creation is widely credited to the collaborative efforts of Jerry Falwell, political strategist Paul Weyrich, and author Tim LaHaye. Weyrich, a co-founder of the Heritage Foundation and the Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress, is often cited for coining the name "Moral Majority." The founding was announced at a press conference in Washington, D.C., with Falwell leveraging his national platform from the Old Time Gospel Hour television program and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. This period followed the political mobilization seen in the aftermath of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and controversies like the IRS vs. Christian schools issue, which galvanized many evangelical leaders. The group's formation was also a direct response to the perceived moral decline during the administration of President Jimmy Carter, a fellow evangelical whose policies disappointed many conservatives.

Political activities and influence

Moral Majority operated as a political action committee and lobbying group, aiming to register millions of evangelical Christians to vote and to endorse candidates aligned with its values. It was instrumental in the 1980 presidential election, providing critical grassroots support for the successful campaign of Ronald Reagan. The organization maintained a strong focus on the United States Congress, lobbying against federal funding for abortion through the Hyde Amendment and opposing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. It also campaigned for the restoration of prayer in public schools, supporting initiatives like the proposed School Prayer Amendment, and took hardline stances against pornography and what it deemed "secular humanism" in textbooks. Internationally, it was a staunch supporter of the state of Israel and anti-communist causes, aligning with Reagan's foreign policy against the Soviet Union. Its model of direct-mail fundraising and voter guides distributed through local churches became a blueprint for later groups like the Christian Coalition.

Controversies and criticism

The organization faced significant criticism from both liberal and moderate circles, as well as from within the religious community. Detractors, including groups like People for the American Way founded by Norman Lear, accused it of seeking to impose a sectarian religious viewpoint on public policy, violating the principle of separation of church and state. Theological critics, such as prominent evangelist Billy Graham, expressed concern over the perceived merger of evangelical faith with partisan politics. Moral Majority was also frequently criticized for its association with controversial figures and positions, including Falwell's assertions about the AIDS crisis and his support for the apartheid government in South Africa. Internal tensions existed over its close alignment with the Republican Party, with some arguing it compromised prophetic witness for political access. These controversies fueled a persistent public debate about the proper role of religion in the American political arena.

Legacy and dissolution

Jerry Falwell announced the dissolution of Moral Majority in 1989, declaring its mission of mobilizing the Christian right accomplished. Its infrastructure and remaining assets were absorbed into the Liberty Federation, a broader lobbying entity. The group's enduring legacy is its demonstration of the electoral potency of organized evangelical voters, which permanently altered the coalitional base of the Republican Party. It paved the way for successor organizations, most notably Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition under Ralph Reed, which refined its political tactics in the 1990s. The movement it spearheaded influenced numerous national debates, from judicial appointments to the Congress to cultural issues like the National Endowment for the Arts controversies. The political vocabulary and activist model pioneered by Moral Majority continue to resonate in American politics, evident in later movements such as the Tea Party movement and the campaigns of figures like Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. Category:Christian right in the United States Category:Defunct political advocacy groups in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1979