Washington D.C. — On Monday, March 12, the Center for American Progress and People for the American Way will host a conversation on the legacy of the Moral Majority.
The Moral Majority, the powerful political constituency that Rev. Jerry Falwell created more than 30 years ago to organize religious conservatives still affects the political debate today. From promoting school prayer to attempting bans on stem-cell research, abortion and same-sex marriage, Falwell’s Religious Right claimed a monopoly on morality and God—and in so doing, continue to influence public attitudes towards religion and politics. While the 2012 election was supposed to focus on the economy and jobs, presidential candidates are making headlines with talk about the immortality of contraception, the sin of homosexuality, and more.
What is the legacy of the Moral Majority? How did Jerry Falwell build his empire and how does it shape politics today? What is the connection of the Tea Party to the Religious Right? What can we expect in the coming months as candidates try to appeal to conservative religious voters, as well as the growing numbers of voters who are not religious? Author Michael Sean Winters and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne will address these questions and more during a lively and insightful discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress and People for the American Way.
WHO
Welcome:
Sally Steenland, Director, Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative, Center for American Progress
Opening Remarks:
Peter Montgomery, Senior Fellow, People for the American Way Foundation
Featured Speakers:
Michael Sean Winters, reporter and blogger, National Catholic Reporter and author of God’s Right Hand: How Jerry Falwell Made God a Republican and Baptized the American Right
E.J. Dionne, opinion writer, Washington Post PostPartisan blog and senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution
WHEN
March 12, 2012, 12:00pm–1:00pm
A light lunch will be served at 11:30am.
RSVP
RSVP for this event For more information, contact Madeline Meth at [email protected] or 202-741-6277
Location
Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Map & Directions Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to McPherson Square or Red Line to Metro Center
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