A 21st century Moral Majority

Following the sweeping re-election of President Bush and a new generation of conservative lawmakers nationwide, a new organization, The Faith and Values Coalition, has been launched. The group’s central premise is to utilize the momentum of the Nov. 2 elections to maintain an evangelical revolution of voters who will continue to go to the polls to “vote Christian.” Essentially, TFVC is a 21st century resurrection of the Moral Majority.

At age 71, I am committing to a four-year stint as national chairman of The Faith and Values Coalition, or TFVC. In addition, Mathew Staver, founder and general counsel of the Orlando, Fla.-based Liberty Counsel, will serve as vice-chairman, while my son, Jonathan Falwell, will serve as executive director. Additionally, renowned author and theologian Dr. Tim LaHaye will serve as the coalition’s board chairman.

One of our primary commitments is to help make President Bush’s second term the most successful in American history. He will certainly need the consistent prayer and support of the evangelical community as he continues to spearhead the international war on terror and the effort to safeguard America.

The 3-pronged TFVC platform

Our three-fold platform is: 1) the confirmation of pro-life, strict constructionist U.S. Supreme Court justices and other federal judges; 2) the passage of a constitutional Federal Marriage Amendment; and 3) the election of another socially, fiscally and politically conservative president in 2008.

My new leadership role in TFVC reminds me of a similar commitment I made more than a quarter-century ago. It was April 1979. I had just founded the Moral Majority and agreed to devote five years to its leadership. I actually gave 10 years of my life before disbanding the organization in 1989 to focus on the expansion of Liberty University.

At that time, God burdened my heart to mobilize religious conservatives around a pro-life, pro-family, strong national defense and pro-Israel platform, designed to return America to her Judeo-Christian heritage.

And I distinctively feel that burden again. Our nation simply cannot continue as we know it if we allow out-of-control lawmakers and radical judges – working at the whims of society – to alter the moral foundations of America.

During Moral Majority’s heyday, we registered millions of new voters and re-activated millions more. More than 100,000 pastors, priests and rabbis and nearly 7 million families joined hands and hearts to reclaim America for God. Many historians believe the result was the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and the genesis of what the media calls the “Religious Right.”

Vote Christian! A new revolution

On Nov. 2, my wife, Macel, and I watched the election returns until early the next morning. President Bush was re-elected (despite apparent manipulation of the early exit polling). Eleven family initiatives passed overwhelmingly in favor of traditional marriage and opposing same-sex marriage. Unprecedented victories in the Senate and the House strengthened the president’s hand for future congressional action.

Tom Daschle, the Senate minority leader who had consistently obstructed President Bush’s efforts to appoint constructionist judges, was defeated. His defeat should serve as a powerful indicator that we have the power to effectively take on politicians who are under the spell of the potent abortion-rights organizations across this nation.

On election night, I actually shed tears of joy as I saw the fruit of a quarter century of hard work. Nearly 116 million Americans voted. More than 30 million were evangelical Christians who, according to the pollsters, voted their moral convictions. I proudly say … they voted Christian!

Christian giants like Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, provided energetic and courageous leadership. Dr. Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association, Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, Dr. John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, the many national leaders of the Arlington Group, the upstart alternative Internet newssites and more than 225,000 evangelical pastors helped turn out the largest electorate ever. And, I repeat, they all voted Christian!

We must now diligently work to multiply our turnout for the 2006 and 2008 elections.

As national chairman of TFVC, I am committed to lending my influence to help send out at least 40 million evangelical voters in 2008. The thought of a Hillary Clinton or John Edwards presidency is simply unacceptable (and quite frightening).

‘Finish what you started 25 years ago’

Over the past few days, I have been inundated with requests from across America to “finish what you started 25 years ago.”

With more than seven decades now in the rear view mirror, I can honestly say that I feel the leading of the Holy Spirit to answer that call and to once again mobilize people of faith to reclaim this great country as “one nation under God.” My primary “light of the world” calling is to continue serving as pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church and chancellor of Liberty University.

But I am praying for the strength and wisdom to also successfully complete my “salt of the earth” ministry. America is worth saving. Our children and children’s children will hold us accountable if we fail.

We will be organizing in all 50 states and enlisting and training millions of Americans to become partners in this exciting task of bringing this nation back to the moral values of faith and family on which it was founded. My National Liberty Journal newspaper will serve as a springboard for this great effort.

I urge my friends around the country to immediately get involved and join me in this four-year commitment, which is really an investment in America, in our children and in our children’s children.