Church and State ; Falwell Gave Christian Conservatives Clout

Summary

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The passing away Tuesday of the Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., coincides with what might be a waning of the political movement he helped launch. Falwell struck us as a decent person, though the movement perhaps has been tainted by a fixation on politics. In particular, the Christian right has had trouble separating religious from political goals. He and other movement leaders view government as the means to achieve social aims -- which made them the mirror image of left-wing activists who worship the state as an all- powerful benefactor.

Christian conservatives deserve a voice in American politics, just as any other group does. They understandably feel the need to organize and be heard in a society whose values frequently seem at odds with their own. Thus, we aren't among those who argue that religious people, whether from the political left or right, should stay out of politics.

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Extract

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Church and State ; Falwell Gave Christian Conservatives Clout

However, we grow concerned when such groups seek to use the power of the state in coercive ways, to impose moral or religious values on Americans who don't share them. These efforts can be as corrupting of religion as they are of politics.

Befo...

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