Christian Coalition

The Christian Coalition was founded by Pat Robertson, the right wing social conservative host of the 700 Club, who is also a member of the Council for National Policy.[1] The Coalition’s former President, Paul Hodel, is currently President of Focus on the Family,[2] and was the President of the Council for National Policy in 2002.[3] The Christian Coalition aims to offer “people of faith the vehicle to be actively involved in shaping their government - from the County Courthouse to the halls of Congress.”[4] It accomplishes these goals by working from the grassroots up and training and electing pro-family, Christian candidates for public office. The organization’s influence is best illustrated by the “Who’s Who” of the right wing in the United States that attends its annual conferences: in 2000, for example, the speakers at its “Road to Victory” meeting included Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Republican National Committee Chair Jim Nicholson, and President Bush via videotape.[5]

Ralph Reed, who came to Toronto at the end of November to provide election strategy to grassroots conservative organizers and Conservative candidates at a conference hosted by the Canada Family Action Coalition,[6] is the former Executive Director of the Christian Coalition, where he is credited with building “the most influential grassroots organization in recent U.S. politics.”[7]  Previously, Mr. Reed has counselled social conservatives to practice “stealth politics” and “fool voters” by “hid[ing], or disguis[ing], their religious agenda by promoting popular issues such as tax reform.”[8] Conservative candidates in attendance included Tim Dobson, Conservative Candidate for Pickering-Scarborough East,[9] John Carmichael, Conservative Candidate, Don Valley West,[10] Michael Mostyn, Conservative Candidate for York Centre,[11] Rondo Thomas and Jim Flaherty.[12]

The organization’s Canadian arm, Christian Coalition International (Canada), fights for “the public maintenance and defense [sic] of Judaeo-Christian Values, and the mainstreaming of such values in public policy of our nation and culture.”[13] It sends delegates to conventions run by its American counterpart,[14] and lists the following right wing organizations on its website as partner “pro-family” actors, all of which are connected to the Council for National Policy: Focus on the Family Canada, Canada Family Action Coalition, Canada Christian College, Christian Coalition America and Concerned Women for America.[15] Sandy Rios, former President of Concerned Women for America, spoke at the Coalition (Canada) conference entitled "Judaeo-Christian Values in a Secular Society" in November 2004.[16]

The organization has made the 2006 Election a special priority, echoing the rhetoric of Concerned Women for America on denigrating Canadian legislation that recognizes same sex marriage and expands hate crime law to cover discrimination based on sexual orientation.[17] Criticizing the Canadian Courts for a “propensity for radicalism,” the Christian Coalition International (Canada) calls upon Canadians to “Wake Up!” and endorses Conservative Leader Stephen Harper for his promise to hold a free vote on same sex marriage legislation.[18]