Traditional Values Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) is a conservative Christian
organization that represents, by its estimate, over 43,000 Christian
churches throughout the United States of America. Headquartered in Washington, D.C.
, its belief is in Bible-based traditional values as "[a] moral code and behavior based upon the Old and New Testaments." The group considers traditional values to include a belief "that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Lord has given us a rule book to live by: The Bible" and a commitment to "living, as far as it is possible, by the moral precepts taught by Jesus Christ and by the whole counsel of God as revealed in the Bible".
The organization was founded by the Reverend Louis P. Sheldon who is the current chairman. His daughter Andrea Sheldon Lafferty
is the executive director.
The group then explains in paragraphs titled "Discrimination and Tolerance" and "Love and Hate" how it aims to deal with accusations that its activities are based on hatred of those not following similar beliefs. Without stating what action should be taken, the organization maintain that "Individuals may be free to pursue such behaviors as sodomy, but we will not and cannot tolerate these behaviors". Reflecting this, its stances against homosexuality
and the LGBT rights movement are somewhat more confrontational than those of many groups with similar views. There are a number of smaller groups that take a harder line, most notably Westboro Baptist Church
, which the TVC has criticized for many years, likening it to a false flag
operation. The gap between the TVC and other groups on the Right was described by Winnie Stachelberg of the pro-gay marriage Human Rights Campaign
as follows: "They’re out there every day supporting discrimination against gay people on nearly every issue, and you don’t see that so much from other groups". The Coalition took this as a compliment. By comparison, Jerry Falwell
stated in his later years "Civil rights for all Americans...gay, straight, et cetera, is not a liberal or a conservative value. It’s an American value that I would think that we pretty much all agree on."
The TVC will sometimes suggest that homosexuals pose a threat of child molestation; they "have long sought unrestricted access to children for recruitment purposes", as well being more willing than others on the right to use the word sodomy
in reference to gay men. Historically, the group has called for "Cities of refuge" to keep AIDS patients from infecting the general population.
Lafferty's response to a Gallup poll suggesting a tilt in public opinion towards gay rights was "Jesus
didn't ask for a 'show of hands' at the Sermon on the Mount. We, His followers, should not ask America to vote on which of his teachings they choose to obey."
. It has attracted some attention for distributing financial appeals designed to be confused with census
material.
decided to list the TVC as a hate group
.
On the conservative "Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan Program", Sheldon's modus operandi was likened to a "protection racket"
, the Republican lobbyist jailed for influence peddling
. Sheldon lobbied
members of the US Congress
to kill the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
. Abramoff directed his client, eLottery, to pay $25,000 the Traditional Values Coalition.
TVC has also been linked to the Mariana Islands worker abuse scandal
. The organization was used by Abramoff to pay for the trip of then-Congressman Bob Schaffer to visit the island. The Denver Post reported that the TVC paid the $13,000 travel bill for the trip, organized by Abramoff's lobbying firm.
The congressional junkets to the Mariana Islands were designed to build support in Congress among Republican lawmakers to block labor and immigration legislation for the islands, which had been found to harbor squalid working conditions and abusive labor practices.
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
organization that represents, by its estimate, over 43,000 Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches throughout the United States of America. Headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, its belief is in Bible-based traditional values as "[a] moral code and behavior based upon the Old and New Testaments." The group considers traditional values to include a belief "that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Lord has given us a rule book to live by: The Bible" and a commitment to "living, as far as it is possible, by the moral precepts taught by Jesus Christ and by the whole counsel of God as revealed in the Bible".
The organization was founded by the Reverend Louis P. Sheldon who is the current chairman. His daughter Andrea Sheldon Lafferty
Andrea Sheldon Lafferty
Andrea Sheldon Lafferty is the executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, working from the organization's offices in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of the organization's founder and current chairman, Lou Sheldon....
is the executive director.
Traditional values defined
In some ways, the aims of the group are those of a wider movement. Beyond this, it does not provide formal position statements but outlines the traditional values it is fighting for as follows:- Right to life (against abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
) - Sexual fidelity in marriage and abstinence before marriage
- Opposition to homosexuality and other "deviant sexual behaviors" (see below)
- Opposition to pornographyPornographyPornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
- Patriotism (supporting national boundaries, the Armed Forces, political participation, free enterprise, limited government, low taxes, personal responsibility, and Christian America as the New Israel of God's Covenant to His People)
- Opposition to "liberal" immigration reform (reform without first securing the U.S.-Mexico border)
- Freedom of Christians attempt to convert non-Christians
- Addictive behaviors (with opposition to gambling, the legalization of addictive drugs, alcohol, and smoking)
The group then explains in paragraphs titled "Discrimination and Tolerance" and "Love and Hate" how it aims to deal with accusations that its activities are based on hatred of those not following similar beliefs. Without stating what action should be taken, the organization maintain that "Individuals may be free to pursue such behaviors as sodomy, but we will not and cannot tolerate these behaviors". Reflecting this, its stances against homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and the LGBT rights movement are somewhat more confrontational than those of many groups with similar views. There are a number of smaller groups that take a harder line, most notably Westboro Baptist Church
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church is widely described as a hate group and is monitored as such by the...
, which the TVC has criticized for many years, likening it to a false flag
False flag
False flag operations are covert operations designed to deceive the public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by other entities. The name is derived from the military concept of flying false colors; that is flying the flag of a country other than one's own...
operation. The gap between the TVC and other groups on the Right was described by Winnie Stachelberg of the pro-gay marriage Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
as follows: "They’re out there every day supporting discrimination against gay people on nearly every issue, and you don’t see that so much from other groups". The Coalition took this as a compliment. By comparison, Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
stated in his later years "Civil rights for all Americans...gay, straight, et cetera, is not a liberal or a conservative value. It’s an American value that I would think that we pretty much all agree on."
The TVC will sometimes suggest that homosexuals pose a threat of child molestation; they "have long sought unrestricted access to children for recruitment purposes", as well being more willing than others on the right to use the word sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
in reference to gay men. Historically, the group has called for "Cities of refuge" to keep AIDS patients from infecting the general population.
Lafferty's response to a Gallup poll suggesting a tilt in public opinion towards gay rights was "Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
didn't ask for a 'show of hands' at the Sermon on the Mount. We, His followers, should not ask America to vote on which of his teachings they choose to obey."
Christian Seniors Association
The TVC operates a subsidiary under the name of "Christian Seniors Association", under the leadership of James Lafferty, the husband of Andrea Sheldon Lafferty. This group aims to provide a non-liberal alternative to the AARPAARP
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
. It has attracted some attention for distributing financial appeals designed to be confused with census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
material.
Criticism
The Southern Poverty Law CenterSouthern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
decided to list the TVC as a hate group
Hate group
A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other designated sector of society...
.
On the conservative "Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan Program", Sheldon's modus operandi was likened to a "protection racket"
Link to Jack Abramoff
Sheldon was an associate of Jack AbramoffJack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
, the Republican lobbyist jailed for influence peddling
Influence peddling
Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favors or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. Also called traffic of influence or trading in influence ...
. Sheldon lobbied
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
members of the US Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to kill the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was a 1999 bill in the US Senate to ban Internet gambling. Passage of the bill was defeated, in large part, by the lobbying efforts of Jack Abramoff...
. Abramoff directed his client, eLottery, to pay $25,000 the Traditional Values Coalition.
TVC has also been linked to the Mariana Islands worker abuse scandal
Jack Abramoff CNMI scandal
The Jack Abramoff CNMI scandal involves the efforts of Jack Abramoff, other lobbyists, and government officials to change or prevent, or both, Congressional action regarding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and businesses on Saipan, its capital, commercial center, and one of its...
. The organization was used by Abramoff to pay for the trip of then-Congressman Bob Schaffer to visit the island. The Denver Post reported that the TVC paid the $13,000 travel bill for the trip, organized by Abramoff's lobbying firm.
Abramoff's lobbying team would prepare questions and "factual backup" for friendly lawmakers. Trips to the island for congressmen and staff would be a key tool to "build permanent friends," the memo said.
The congressional junkets to the Mariana Islands were designed to build support in Congress among Republican lawmakers to block labor and immigration legislation for the islands, which had been found to harbor squalid working conditions and abusive labor practices.
See also
- List of organizations designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups