Conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly and Christian broadcasting and publishing standard-bearer James Dobson – neither of whom is known for concealing their opinions about America and Christianity – are throwing their considerable influence behind a report advising Republicans how to elect a conservative, pro-family, GOP president in 2016.
The "Grassroots Report" by Paul Caprio, director of Family-PAC Federal, was delivered to members of the Republican National Committee at their meeting in San Diego.
Christian churches, the report says, can play a major role in the upcoming election.
"The real 'ground game' for the grassroots base is comprised of two major elements," the report says.
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The first is church voter registration and voter guide distributions, and the second is candidate voter information distributed by Second Amendment groups to millions of gun-owning Americans.
Caprio confirmed Dobson and Schlafly have signed onto the report, which states: "There are more than 90,000 biblically based churches in the U.S. which are the heart of voter education and candidate evaluation for millions of Christians who are unmoved by political commercials and direct mail from campaigns."
It is those people who will, sometimes by choosing whether or not to vote, decide the next presidential election, the report makes clear.
"Elections are won by coalitions and by energizing that coalition," Caprio told WND on Wednesday.
His report told the RNC: "An energized grassroots voter coalition is the most essential element in producing the high base turnout necessary to put pro-family Republican candidates in the winner's circle and in the White House."
The participation of Schlafly and Dobson, neither of whom was available for an interview immediately Wednesday, should get considerable attention from the RNC members.
Schlafly runs Eagle Forum and has been blunt in her assessment of the failures of the Obama administration.
Asked recently whether she trusts the president to secure the nation's borders, she said, "No."
Asked whether Obama would keep illegal aliens from getting federal Obamacare benefits, she said, "No, I don't think he will deny them Obamacare."
So is the president lying?
"I think he lies about everything," Schlafly said.
Dobson, founder of Family Talk Radio, also has been pointed in his criticism of what he believes are actions by the president that fall short of Christian standards.
WND reported when Dobson talked in his October 2014 newsletter about America's depravity.
He cited the Old Testament account of Abraham's nephew, Lot, "who chose to take his family into the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah."
"The men living there had become desperately depraved, burning with lust for each other. Jehovah told Abraham that their sin was so grievous that the Lord decided to rain utter destruction upon them. Abraham pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the people, but the patriarch could not find even ten righteous men in either of the cities to justify mercy," he wrote.
"Why have I chosen to recount this biblical story from so long ago? Because I am convinced that America and other Western nations are sliding in the same direction," he warned. "We have not yet reached the depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah, but that appears to be where we are headed."
Dobson also has called Barack Obama the "abortion president."
And he pinned much of the blame on federal judges who have undermined traditional marriage by opening it up to homosexual duos.
"Modernists, libertarians and atheists today recognize no condemnation of sexual perversion in the Bible. However, this historical account illustrates how God views it. The outrageous behavior of the wicked men of Sodom and Gomorrah sealed their doom. Fire and brimstone fell from the sky on both cities and utterly destroyed them," Dobson said.
"The story of Abraham and Lot also illustrates how entire societies can become so corrupted by evil that divine judgment eventually destroys them, or they simply fade away. It happened to the people of Greece, Rome, Pompeii and other cities and cultures where wickedness became the order of the day. One thing is certain. God is the holy Sovereign Lord of all heaven and earth, and He will not be mocked."
He also issued a blunt refusal to Obama regarding Obamacare's requirements that his organization fund abortions.
"I believe in the rule of law, and it has been my practice since I was in college to respect and honor those in authority over us. It is my desire to do so now. However, this assault on the sanctity of human life takes me where I cannot go. I WILL NOT pay the surcharge for abortion services. The amount of the surcharge is irrelevant. To pay one cent for the killing of babies is egregious to me, and I will do all I can to correct a government that lies to me about its intentions and then tries to coerce my acquiescence with extortion. It would be a violation of my most deeply held convictions to disobey what I consider to be the principles in Scripture. The Creator will not hold us guiltless if we turn a deaf ear to the cries of His innocent babies. So come and get me if you must, Mr. President. I will not bow before your wicked regulation."
He won his court fight against Washington over the Obamacare mandate.
Caprio told WND that the growing influence of churches and people of faith was demonstrated in the 2014 elections.
His letter noted that in Arkansas, where 90 churches previously had asked to participate in the Arkansas Policy Council voter guide distribution, in 2014 there were 290 churches.
In Caprio's state of Illinois, participation rocketed from 378 churches in 2012 to 705 in 2014.
"Why the great increase in church participation? Pastors who have never been involved before are seeing the effects of government attacks upon their exercise of religious freedom; government telling churches who they can hire and fire, what must be included in an insurance policy; who they can marry and what they can and cannot preach."
His advice to the RNC: "If these attacks on free exercise of religion, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, continue and if the GOP presents a clear pro-family, conservative alternative in concert with our grassroots coalition, expect to see a large increase in faith based turnout from 2012 in the upcoming president election.
"Many Christians don't accept the notion of 'the lesser of two evils' … to them, evil is evil and not worth their vote. We need stark contrasts in 2016, not weak pastels to energize our base," he continued.
He told the RNC the GOP "must present a clear, conservative vision of America to voters in the coming two years regardless of Obama's discredited views."
And he said the party's platform needs to address "abortions, traditional marriage, religious freedom, local control of and diversity in education, tax reduction for small businesses and families, pro-growth economic polices and illegal immigration."
Caprio noted the 2014 results in the U.S. Senate, where the GOP recaptured the majority.
Of 11 major Senate contests, he said, nine were running pro-family candidates.
The turnaround, he said, has been prompted "by the unlimited growth of the government, and limitations on our freedoms. The fact the government is getting into every aspect of our lives."
He told WND, "What is happening is pastors and deacons are sitting back and saying we can't be silent anymore. They're telling us what kind of health insurance policy to provide, trying to tell us to redefine marriage, telling us who we can hire and who we can fire.
"What they're starting to see is the government is closing in on freedom of religion and free exercise as guaranteed by our Constitution, and they need to stand up before it's too late," he said.
The Christian Broadcasting Network reported this week another way the movement is manifesting.
According to a Brody File report, a move is under way to recruit 1,000 pastors across America to run for some sort of political office.
"It's the Lord's army at work," said the report.