There are several reasons that the Religious Right leaders are often so angry. They have gotten more extreme and angrier over the decades. Gone are the days where they tried to find the middle ground on many issues.
Here are just a few:
1. They lost a culture war.
They have been fighting many culture battles over the last few decades. The two biggest ones being abortion and gay rights. They’ve definitely lost the battle over gay rights for now. The Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges legalized gay marriage across the land in 2015.
On the abortion front, they may be winning right now. They have a conservative Supreme Court Justice and conservatives in the presidency and vice presidency. They’ve already managed to defund Planned Parenthood, which has caused abortion rates in many states to rise.
2. They’re no longer relevant.
For the religious right, the 1980s were their era. These folks never advanced past their glory days. Instead of trying to reach their congregations, they got caught up in trying to get political power and influence by shoving their way into government.
3. They lost the generation they thought would replenish their ranks.
Most Millennials aren’t really interested in being the next generation of the Religious Right, which is so focused on power and haven’t really moved with the times. The Religious Right hasn’t done anything to secure this generation so that it would be interested in joining their ranks.
Ralph Reed is probably the only one interested in that. He founded the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which is a big Evangelical organization. From their About page:
Our Principles
- Respect for the sanctity and dignity of life, family, and marriage as the foundations of a free society
- Limited government, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility to unleash the creative energy of entrepreneurs
- Education reform that puts children first
- Help the poor, the needy, and those who have been left behind
- Free markets and free minds to create opportunity for all
- Victory in the struggle with terrorism and tyranny while supporting our democratic allies, including Israel
Here is Samantha Bee’s great segment on the history of the Religious Right:
Featured image via Twitter.