Support for Israel
was the major theme of this year's Road to Victory conference
recently held by the Christian Coalition in Washington, DC.
Long known as a major
source of troops for the right-wing of the Republican Party, the
CC has undergone a lot of changes in the last few years. It has
always advocated Christian support for the Israeli state, but
never so thoroughly and vociferously as this year. At the conference
and in the exhibit area there were more Israeli flags than American
flags and stars of David vastly outnumbered crucifixes.
At a solidarity rally
scheduled for the Ellipse but moved to the convention center due
to rain, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert thanked the "lovers of Zion"
for their help and support. His Christian audience gave him a
standing ovation while waving a sea of Israeli flags. In the meantime,
about 300 Jewish attendees who had not learned that the rally
had relocated, heard their own speakers on the Ellipse.
Israel and groups supporting
Israel were major financial backers of the 2002 conference. The
Israel Ministry of Tourism contributed over $10,000 and cognate
organizations gave many thousands more.
Another significant
change was in the Coalition's leadership. Roberta Combs took over
as President last December, after Pat Robertson resigned to return
to "spiritual ministry." Robertson founded the Christian Coalition
in 1989 with a $64,000 grant from the National Republican Senatorial
Committee in the wake of his 1988 Presidential campaign. From
its founding until 1997, executive director Ralph Reed ran the
CC, while Robertson made occasional speeches. Combs organized
and led the South Carolina CC until Robertson brought her into
the national leadership as Executive Vice President. She had previously
managed his Presidential campaign in that state.
Under Reed's leadership,
the CC became a political power in the 1990s, mobilizing its adherents
to vote for conservative candidates who opposed abortion for any
reason, promoted prayer in public schools, and were intolerant
of feminists, liberals and homosexuals. The voter guides it passed
out in churches told conservative Christians how to vote on election
day, helping Republicans gain control of Congress in 1994. Its
aggressive campaigning also led to loss of the CC's tax exemption
in 1999, compelling a significant reorganization.
This change in tax
status, in addition to the departure of its top leadership, left
the CC in debt and under attack. Its mixture of fundamentalist
religion and politics motivated followers to defeat many moderate
Republicans, but made it difficult for the Republicans who took
their place to defeat Democrats or to pass their own bills if
elected. Robertson's provocative statements stirred his fundamentalist
followers to action but alienated political leaders even when
they agreed with him on issues.
The CC often finds
itself torn between its values and the real world of politics.
It supported the election of George W. Bush, who acknowledged
the CC's importance with a videotaped recording to the 2002 conference,
but doesn't agree with many of his policies, especially those
on the Middle East. Bush supports the creation of a Palestinian
state; the CC does not. It wants the US to recognize an undivided
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving the US embassy there.
After September 11,
Bush told Americans not to blame Moslems, because Islam was a
religion of peace. Combs believes it is a religion of conquest.
"So many Moslems hate us [because] their religion commands it,"
she told the magazine Israel Today. "The terrorist war on Israel
of the last two years is the direct result of appeasement." She
admonished Jews and Christians to unite for mutual defense.
The CC doesn't really
believe in the separation of church and state. It believes that
this country was founded as a Christian republic and should stay
a Christian republic. That is why it is so deeply offended at
court decisions prohibiting prayer in public schools, the removal
of the Ten Commandments from public buildings and proposals to
remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. It believes
that Christianity is what makes America good. "If you take ‘God'
out of ‘good', you have ‘0'," one speaker told the 500 devotees
who came to the first plenary.
The CC lobbied heavily
for a bill that would have allowed churches and other nonprofit
religious organizations to endorse political candidates and spend
money to help elect them. It was recently defeated in the House
by 239 to 178.
Under Combs leadership,
the "new" Christian Coalition is returning to its "spiritual foundations,"
with more emphasis on "prayer and Christian fellowship." Whereas
Ralph Reed was a political pragmatist who submerged religion to
the necessities of a broad public appeal, Combs wants to do the
reverse. She quotes Scripture to explain her every action. Political
strategy sessions at CC's headquarters south of the Capitol resemble
prayer meetings and revivals. Pastors and church officials have
become partners in politics.
Partially to reflect
its revived religious orientation and partially offset the cost,
Combs brought in Joyce Meyer Ministries as a cosponsor of the
2002 conference. From her home in St. Louis, Meyer and her husband
produce TV programs, radio broadcasts, tape recordings and books
teaching that the Bible is the Word of God. She preached a lengthy
sermon at each of the four main sessions. But she spent the first
one praising her husband and explaining why he was the business
manager and not the one behind the podium. It's not his calling
she said. God called me to preach. Otherwise, she stuck to religion,
extolling the Bible as the answer to all problems. "It helps you
when your husband tells you to do something you don't want to
do," was one example.
Despite the religious
emphasis, the convention still had a panoply of political speakers,
but not the "big names" it has had in the past. Apart from Bush's
videotaped welcome, no one from the Administration spoke. The
highest elected official was House Majority Whip Tom Delay (TX).
The other non-elected political speakers were from the fringes
of the right — Phyllis Schlafly, Alan Keyes, Oliver North — not
its intellectual center where conservative policies are debated
and written.
There were several
African Americans among the speakers and more in the audience.
Although basically white and fundamentalist, the CC has always
reached out to Catholics, Jews and African-Americans, but with
mostly token success. Last February, several black employees filed
a discrimination lawsuit.
For those who agree
with its conservative values, the Christian Coalition's public
face is inclusive — more so than most conservative organizations.
However, until recently, the annual Road to Victory conference
was held over the Jewish High Holy Days.
