WASHINGTON, DC — Two dozen conservative Christian groups banded together Tuesday to form what they hope will become a single force for advancing shared political and social agendas.The newly formed Freedom Federation plans to oppose such issues as abortion, pornography and same-sex unions. It plans to support parental rights, religious liberty, limited government and private firearms ownership.
According to a prepared statement, “The Freedom Federation is a new and unique federation of some of the largest multi-ethnic and transgenerational faith-based organizations in the country committed to plan, strategize and work together on common interests within the Judeo-Christian tradition to mobilize their grassroots constituencies and to communicate faith and values to the religious, social, cultural and policymaking institutions.”
Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and an organizer of the Freedom Federation, told reporters with whom leaders met after the meeting, “We are not wed to a particular partisan candidate or party. We are wed to core shared values.”
One key aspect of the coalition’s plan is to put a “new face” on the conservative Christian voice in the U.S. The group was particularly careful to include youth, women and minorities among its members.
“The stereotypical media-exacerbated image of the angry white evangelical will be replaced by an evangelical movement that will reconcile uncompromised values of compassion, truth with mercy and righteousness with justice,” the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, told assembled reporters, who primarily represented religious news services and publications.
Concerned Women for America President Wendy Wright added biblical guidelines are a unifying principle.
“[The Freedom Federation] is bringing together the different voices and different faces that all believe in the same core principles,” she said. “We are on the same page. We do believe the same things, regardless of our sex or our ethnicity.”
The roster of founding member groups reads like a Who’s Who of the American right wing. Among those present at the organizational meeting and subsequent press conference were representatives of the American Association of Christian Counselors, the American Family Association, Americans for Prosperity, Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, Campaign for Working Families, Catholic Online, Concerned Women for America, Conservative Action Project, Eagle Forum, Exodus International, Faith and Action, Family Research Council, High Impact Leadership, Liberty Alliance Action, Liberty Council, Liberty University, Life Education and Resource Network, Marc Nuttle, Morning Star Ministries, National Clergy Council, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Renewing American Leadership, Strang Communications, Teen Mania, The Call to Action, Traditional Values, Coalition and Vision America.
As yet, the coalition has no formal organizational structure, action plan, funding or website.
