Newspapers / Lambda (Carolina Gay and … / Oct. 1, 1980, edition 1 / Page 7
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we 5 Crusad The Rev. Jeny Falwell is on a self-proclaimed crusade to save America, which includes expanding his well-established ministry into a political machine. In ’1976 Falwell began to con solidate his efforts into a '’Cru sade to Save America.” By inserting "morality polls" as paid advertisements in national publi- * cations, he compiled a mailing list of over one million names. •In 1977 he wrote to his . followers and mailing list, "I believe God has called me to be an instrument in His hands to bring this nation back to God." 'The Moral Majority assigns a rather low rank to truthfulness On its scale of moral values/' In August 1979f the creation of Moral r-Iajority Inc., a national lobbying organization, was announced. Moral Majority Inc. was an off spring of the alliance of the New Right and fundamentalist Christians. For several years, a New Right movement had been growing in Amer ican politics. The New Right advo cates a "pro-family" position, emphasizing three issuesi homo-, sexuality, pomograpny, and abor tion. Originally, the New Right had had no ties to fundamentalist Christians like Falwell. But both groups soon recognized thoii' area^ of agreement ajid common effort. >• According to a story in the Charlotte Obser-zor of 7 Sept 1980, Falwell told a crowd of supporters in Alaska in August that he had demanded of President Carter in January, "Sir, why do you have known, practicing homosexuals on your senior staff here in the White House?" According to Falwell, the President said he wanted to repre sent all people. Falwell said that he replied, "Why don’t you have some murderers and bank robbers to represent?" A tape of the conversation reveals that the alleged question had never been asked. According to the Charlotte Observer, Carter advisor Bob Max- well cheerfully attacked Falwell and Moral Majority, Inc. for lack . of integrity. Press aide Ray Jenkins said,’ ''The Moral Majority assigns a . rather low rank to truthfulness on its scale of moral values." One of Moral Majority Inc’s first goals was to secure the pas sage of the Family Protection Act introduced in 1979 by Rep. Paul Laxalt (R-Nev), a Reagan advisor. The act is a collection of school prayer, anti-union, and anti-feminist proposals. Ixiree of the 38 items are explicitly anti gay. Moral Majority Inc.,seeks to create a power base by using pre viously untapped political resour ces. Its pollsters discovered that there were approximately eight million non-voters who were sympathetic to I^M’s goals, Manj'' were also fundamentalists. (FALWELL, cont. p. 13) ff ?■ Moral Majority Upsets Two Primary Elections Moral Majority, Jerry Falwell’s fundamentalist Christian, anti gay lobby, is receiving substan tial credit for two upsets in recent primary elections. Gay Rights Nauional Lobby reports that in the Alabama GOP primary. Moral I-lajority’s candi date, former Vietnam POW Jeremiah Denton, upset by an overwhelming margin Aimistead Seldon. The "born-again vote" was 'pointed to as the key factor in the upset by GRNL. Denton is now given a fair chance of defeating inc'jmbent Democratic Senator Donald Stewart. In another Alabama primary, Rep* John,Buchanan, a Southern Baptist minister was. upset by Moral Majority-backed Albert Smith. Buchanan, who had not supported lesbian or gay rights, nevertheless apparently offended Moral Majority, by his support for black civil rights and women’s rights and by initially opposing prayer in schools legislation, according to GRNL. 1^1 m I iN
Lambda (Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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Oct. 1, 1980, edition 1
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