Today, as I write this letter to you, the Christian Coalition has over 2,000 chapters across America.

 

It claims nearly 2 million members.

 

The Christian Coalition is the cutting edge of the movement we have come to know as the Radical Religious Right.

 

"We don't have to worry about convincing a majority of Americans to agree with us," a Christian Coalition activist told The Phoenix Gazette. "Most of them are staying home... They are not involved, they're not voting, so who cares?"

 

We care.

 

We are The Interfaith Alliance (TIA). And as deeply committed men and women of faith, we cannot be silent when political extremists try to seize for their own narrow purposes the language and symbols of religious faith.

Pat Robertson

Will he be able to fulfill his promise to reshape the Republican Party?

That is why we have come together. It is why we have resolved to stand and fight. And it is why Walter Cronkite and I are writing to you today.

The Interfaith Alliance is a faith-based group, established by religious leaders of many faith traditions. Our national board consists of very distinguished religious leaders. We are a diverse group -- as diverse as America. And we have come together to stand up to the growing and ominous power and influence of the Christian Coalition and other religious political extremist groups and individuals.

TIA is non-partisan. But non-partisan does not mean non-involved. Through The Interfaith Alliance, we are providing women and men of faith in this country a platform from which to speak out against the politics of division.

 

We are making a difference.

 

In the recent elections, we introduced our Pledge of Civility, urging more than 1,000 candidates to "repudiate the use of religion to demonize those whose religious or political beliefs are different from mine."

 

We distributed over 5 million voter guides, in which TIA countered the Christian Coalition's exclusive claim on "family values," advocating that the concept should be expanded to include such issues as Medicaid and Medicare funding...clean water for kids to drink...student access to college loans.

 

We alerted over 50,000 clergy to the misleading and inaccurate voter guides being distributed by the Christian Coalition. And we distributed tens of thousands of Call to Faithful Decision voter pledges urging people of faith to make a personal commitment to vote on Election Day.

 

TIA has come a long way in a very short period of time. But we also know how far we still have to go.

Just one day after the 1996 election was over, Reverend Pat Robertson promised that the Religious Right would immediately begin to shape the message of the Republican presidential campaign in the year 2000. Ralph Reed pledged that with powerful allies in Congress "we can take a very aggressive posture of trying to advance more of our legislative agenda."

 

That's why TIA must redouble our efforts and why we are asking you to stand with us. Will you join Walter Cronkite and me in saying "enough is enough" to Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and their fellow extremists? I hope that you will. Whether you can afford to send $250 or $25, I urge you to please send something today. We must act now.

Ralph Reed

Waiting for assistance from allies in Congress

 I look forward to welcoming you to The Interfaith Alliance.

Sincerely,

Reverend Albert M. Pennybacker

President