Together with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, The Interfaith Alliance Foundation released a major report on the political activities and goals of Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition. The report, entitled "Road to Victory? Warning: Hazards Ahead!", highlighted the ways in which the Christian Coalition has engaged in deceptive campaign tactics and supported a divisive legislative agenda, both of which threaten to undermine our democratic freedoms. The areas covered by the report include:

campaign practices that may violate both the spirit and the letter of Federal election laws.

legislative proposals that reveal the extremist agenda of the far right and its candidates.

examples of the "bait and switch" routine in which Ralph Reed says one thing to the public and the press while his boss, Pat Robertson, says something more extreme to his followers.

exposure of the "Trojan Horse" strategy by which stealth candidates pose as "mainstream conservatives" and hide their true agenda behind phrases carefully constructed from polling data and focus groups.

details of the ways in which the Christian Coalition is increasingly gaining control of the Republican Party and its candidates.

The most alarming section of the report details the radical agenda of Pat Robertson based on his own statements. Robertson believes that the separation of church and state is ". . .a lie of the left, and we're not going to take it anymore." Robertson has suggested that "tax money spent on education instills atheism in our society." The report clearly documents his anti-semitic views from which he has recentley tried to distance himself. Robertson wrote in his newsletter that ". . . Perhaps we can assume that the current wave of anti-semitism is being allowed by God to force the large numbers of the chosen people residing in the Soviet Union out of what the Bible calls the land of the north?"

Furthermore, the report examines the steps being taken to enact this radical agenda by those Members of the 104th Congress who have been dubbed "pro-family" by the Christian Coalition. Among the findings TIA discovered that an alarming 165 members of the House and 33 Senators are willing to endorse the Christian Coalition at least 86% of the time.

The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church and State held a joint press conference to release the report. Speaking at the press conference was Herbert D. Valentine, Executive Presbyter for the Baltimore Presbytery and Chair of The Interfaith Alliance Board of Directors. According to Rev. Valentine, "This report is the most comprehensive to date of the Christian Coalition's grassroots, legislative and political activities."

The Reverend Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, haled the release of the report as a major step in exposing the true agenda of groups like Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition: "In America we have built a wall of separation between church and state, and it's clear that Robertson and company want to tear it down and impose their religious beliefs on everyone else." Rev. Lynn went on to say that "American democracy and church-state separation are ill-served by this kind of religiously based politicking."

The Reverend Willie Allen-Faiella, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and co-chair of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Interfaith Alliance, warned, "I and others with me will no longer stand idly by and watch the name of our Lord be taken in vain." Commenting on her local Alliance's efforts to counter the growing influence of the extreme right, Rev. Allen-Faiella remarked, "We are holding public forums to seek a balance in American religious and political life. We are monitoring school boards and, with other civic groups, we are preparing for next year's elections. And our numbers are increasing daily."

The Reverend Rick Morris, pastor of the Lake Washington Christian Church in Kirkland, Washington, and co-chair of The Interfaith Alliance of Washington State, said, "We have seen things go from bad to worse in our state, but we are not sitting on the sidelines anymore. The faith community is no longer silent when faced with those who use religion as a weapon to attack opponents, sow the seeds of unrest, and further polarize our citizens. We are speaking out, and we are here to stay."

Putting both the report and the activities of the Christian Coalition in perspective, the Reverend Joan Brown Campbell, a member of The Interfaith Alliance Board and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, said the following: "The report we are releasing today illuminates the great influence the Christian Coalition has had over political candidates for public office. But I want to send a message to all candidates for public office: There are far more religious Americans who profoundly disagree with Pat Robertson's vision for America than those who agree with it. And I assure you, we will be working very hard to make sure those majority voices are heard on election day."