Traditional Values Coalition

The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) is an American interest group, of the Christian Right, which represents 43,000 churches. TVC proper describes itself as a "lobbying organization", while "its sister organization, Traditional Values Coalition Education & Legal Institute, is a foundation dedicated to educating and supporting churches in their efforts to restore America’s cultural heritage." It "focuses on such issues as religious liberties, marriage, the right to life, the homosexual agenda, pornography, family tax relief and education."

It was founded in 1980 by Louis Sheldon, who continues as its head, with Andrea Lafferty as Executive Director. Lafferty is Sheldon's daughter.

They define "traditional values" as coming from the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the "writings of the Founding Fathers"... "We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Lord has given us a rule book to live by: The Bible. We are committed 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." Their principles are stated as deriving from the Bible:


 * Right To Life: We believe that every human deserves the right to life—from conception to death". They oppose abortion and active euthanasia, and "support the death penalty. The Bible is clear that the government has the responsibility to provide for peace and security for its people. We also believe the government has the power to take the lives of those who murder others and to wage war against our enemies."
 * Fidelity In Marriage And Abstinence Before Marriage: "Based upon biblical principles, we believe that marriage is to be a lifelong commitment." They support abstinence before marriage and fidelity in marriage. "The epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases running rampant in our culture is evidence of the failure of the sex education movement. Violating God’s principles on chastity has dire consequences. We support the God-ordained institution of the family, which is a union of a man and woman, with or without children—and is based upon marriage, blood, or adoption."
 * Homosexuality, Bi-Sexuality, Transgenderism, And Other Deviant Sexual Behaviors: "The Bible clearly condemns all sexual behaviors outside of marriage between one man and one woman. Homosexual behavior is explicitly condemned in both the Old and New Testaments as an abomination and a violation of God’s standards for sexuality. We oppose the normalization of sodomy as well as cross-dressing and other deviant sexual behaviors in our culture."
 * Pornography: "The spread of pornography in our culture is a threat to the stability of families and frequently results in family break down, child molestations, and spousal abuse. We oppose this threat because it destroys families and it destroys the person who has become addicted to it. Pornography is a progressive addiction that ruins the conscience of the person. Frequently, this person acts out his sexual fantasies by molesting children, raping girls, and committing other sexual crimes—including murder."
 * Patriotism, Loyalty To Country, And Political Involvement: We believe that we are to be good citizens. This means we are loyal to our nation (not blind loyalty, however); we are to support our Armed Forces, law enforcement officials, and we should participate in the political process. We live in a free country but we will not remain free if we do not exercise our rights as citizens... We do not believe that the federal government should extend its power over every aspect of our lives. The best government is the one that governs the least."
 * Religious Freedom: "We are advocates of religious freedom. We believe the First Amendment to our Constitution gives all of us the right to freely exercise our religious faith and that religious faith is the cornerstone of freedom in this nation."
 * Addictive Behaviors: "We are opposed to the spread of legalized gambling in our society because this behavior frequently leads to addictions, the destruction of families, and the abuse of children. We oppose the legalization of addictive drugs and support strong law enforcement efforts against this societal scourge."
 * Discrimination And Tolerance: "We are not tolerant of behaviors that destroy individuals, families, and our culture.Individuals may be free to pursue such behaviors as sodomy, but we will not and cannot tolerate these behaviors. They frequently lead to death. We do not believe it is loving to permit someone to kill themselves by engaging in a self-destructive behavior. We believe in “discrimination” in the good sense: choosing between good and evil, right and wrong, the better and the best."
 * Love And Hate: "The Bible teaches us that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us. We believe it is a loving response to oppose behaviors that destroy individuals and families. It is not loving to allow someone to kill themselves or other individuals. It is not “hate” to fight against such cultural forces as" pornography, drugs, abortion, and homosexuality.

Positions on homosexuality
Their video, Gay Rights/Special Rights exposes "the homosexual agenda and how it impacts Christianity, the business community, public schools, the Church, Congress and the individual." TVC's website says "The good news is that no one is born homosexual or transsexual. These are mental conditions that can be treated through religious-based or psychological therapies...There are literally hundreds of ministries and counseling services available throughout the U.S. and the world for individuals who are struggling with homosexual attractions or related Gender Identity Disorders. Contrary to what homosexual activist groups or homosexual-affirming psychological associations may suggest, there is hope for individuals who wish to break free from unwanted same-sex attractions, sexual compulsions, cross-dressing, or transsexual feelings."

It frames much of its concern with homosexuality in terms of child abuse, saying "Homosexuals claim that “heterosexuals” molest most children but statistics show that homosexuals molest at far higher rates than do heterosexuals...Homosexual activists routinely claim that most child molesters are “heterosexual” males, thus shifting the focus away from their own very high rates of molestation. Since 98-99% of the population is heterosexual, it is technically correct to say that most molestations are done by heterosexuals. However, statistics indicate that homosexuals pose a far more serious threat to children than do heterosexuals." They cite the danger of child molestation in their support of the Boy Scouts of America exclusion of homosexuals.

"Americans should understand that their attitudes about homosexuality have been deliberately and deceitfully changed by a masterful propaganda/marketing campaign that rivals that of Adolph Hitler. In fact, many of the strategies used by homosexuals to bring about cultural change in America are taken from Hitler's writings and propaganda welfare manuals."

Free speech
In 2007, it joined with the American Civil Liberties Union to block passage of Section 220 of “Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007”, which, in the opinion of groups often on different sides including National Right to Life Committee, American Civil Rights Union, Free Speech Coalition and the American Conservative Union could have a chilling impact on free speech. The legislation would have required organizations, in communicating with the public, to go through the registration and lobbying requirements of lobbyists.