Christian Coalition positions stated (excerpts)

There is, it seems to me, a gulf separating truth and perception of what religious conservatives really want. I am especially concerned about four charges repeated often but unsupported by the facts.

1. Intolerance - The perception is that we think we are right and everyone else is wrong. We are bent on hijacking the political process and will not rest until we impose our values on the rest of the nation. It is true that in a culture that has embraced moral relativism as its cardinal virtue, talk of right and wrong sounds shrill. But religious conservatives will continue to take their stand and engage in the dialogue we call democracy. And for doing so they should not be branded "intolerant."

2. Government as savior - In our view, government clearly plays a vital role ion the life of the nation. It protects its citizens, punishes criminals and maintains order. At its best, it creates an environment in which the family and the church are free to grow. It cannot save the family, but in its proper role it can protect and promote it. Our goal is to ensure that government remains the servant of the family, not its master.

3. Secret agenda - This is the mantra of those who seek to manipulate through fear. To those concerned that religious passions are pressing into the political arena, I ask you to try to understand that for those of us who believe we have witnessed the failure of liberalism (defined as the belief in the goodness of man and of government), the prospect of change is exciting indeed. We want better schools, safer streets, stronger families and less government interference. We believe that the true welfare institutions are the family, the church and the private sector and that, unhindered by government, they can produce the change we all want. Let's talk.

(Boston Globe, March 24, 1996)