The rise of the Christian right in the U.S. is illustrated through two competing narratives. One narrative, favored by conservative evangelicals, suggests it emerged as a reaction against the sexual revolution, the cultural stance of the New Left, and the atheistic threat of the Soviet Union. The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is highlighted as a pivotal moment, prompting a political and personal response advocating for electing morally upright officials to protect human life and religious freedom, all within a framework of constitutional integrity.
According to this narrative, the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973 was the seminal domestic event that inspired Christian conservatism.
The response of the Christian right was both political and personal, boiled down to a single sentence: Elect people of good personal character who will defend human life and religious liberty.
The movement placed a heavy emphasis on constitutional fidelity, seeing the Constitution as a bulwark against authoritarian overreach.
As the Southern Baptist Convention declared at its annual meeting in 1998, 'We urge all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office.'
#christian-right #political-conservatism #religious-liberty #cultural-revolution #constitutional-fidelity
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