Christian Defense Coalition: Many evangelicals 'feel used, taken for granted' by GOP

Raw Story
Nov. 02, 2006

Many evangelicals "feel used and taken for granted by the Republican Party," according to a release issued by the Washington, D.C. based Christian Defense Coalition.

"If Republicans lose the House or Senate, they only have themselves to blame," said the group's director, Rev. Pat Mahoney, who was formerly with the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. "They have failed to energize and empower faith and value voters which provide a critical base of support for the Republican Party."

Rev. Mahoney claims that many evangelicals believe that the Republican Party "courts them during elections and then abandons and ignores them after the election is over."

According to another press release issued by the group, the Christian Defense Coalition will lead a prayer vigil on the lower western plaza of the United States Capitol this Sunday "to seek God's blessing, guidance and direction for the most important mid-term elections in many years."

The Coalition believes that even after years of GOP control of the House, Senate and White House, "there is little to show in the area of real change in Washington" which "translates into a lack of passion and energy for the mid-term elections."

"Comments I often hear are thing like; 'Why should I pass out literature in the freezing cold or the pouring rain?'" Mahoney said. "'Or, spend hours manning a phone bank for candidates that deliver so little.'"

"Republican leadership can no longer assume that the faith community will vote for them just because they are 'Republicans,'" the press release continues.

The Coalition also plans to "help organize" a day of prayer at the United States Supreme Court beginning on Tuesday, November 7th through the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban arguments on November 8th.