Moral Majority

Moral Majority, American political organization that was founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, a religious leader and televangelist, to advance conservative social values. Although it disbanded in 1989, the Moral Majority helped to establish the religious right as a force in American politics.

The Moral Majority was formed in response to the social and cultural transformations that occurred in the United States in the 1960s and ’70s. Christian fundamentalists were alarmed by a number of developments that, in their view, threatened to undermine the country’s traditional moral values. These included the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the gay rights movement, the relatively permissive sexual morality prevalent among young people, and the teaching of evolution. Furthermore, they opposed the U.S. Supreme Court rulings that banned institutionally initiated group prayer and Bible reading in public schools (School District of Abington Township v. Schempp) and that affirmed the legal right to abortion (Roe v. Wade).

Against this backdrop, Falwell established the Moral Majority, which he described as pro-family and pro-American. It advanced conservative social values, notably opposing abortion, pornography, the ERA, and gay rights. In addition, the organization supported increased defense spending, a strong anti-communist foreign policy, and continued American support for Israel. The organization energized the religious right—though some opposed its inclusion of Catholics, Mormons, and Jews—and it quickly grew to several million members. The Moral Majority’s activities included voter registration, lobbying, and fund-raising. Its impact on American politics was almost immediate as it was credited with helping Republican Ronald Reagan win the presidential election in 1980.

The Moral Majority remained a political force during the first half of the 1980s, working at both the state and national levels. However, near the end of the decade, the organization faced internal difficulties and dwindling support. In 1987 Falwell resigned as president, and around this time several prominent evangelists became embroiled in scandal. Differences within the movement were apparent when Falwell backed George H.W. Bush rather than Pat Robertson, another televangelist, in the 1988 presidential campaign. In addition, the group saw its fund-raising dramatically decrease. In 1989 the Moral Majority was dissolved. Although Falwell declared that the organization had accomplished its mission, he admitted that a number of “problems” persisted, such as abortion. However, the Moral Majority was credited with making a lasting contribution to American politics by establishing the religious right as an influential political player.