The Duggars might lose their show, but the toxic culture they promote persists

The successful STOP ERA campaign led by activist Phyllis Schlafly, which brought together conservative Protestants, Catholics, Mormons and Jews, along with outrage over proposed IRS rules threatening the tax exemption of religious schools that discriminated on the basis of race, helped expose the potential political potency of religious voters. Republicans began courting them, and figures such as the Revs. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson began organizing evangelical Christians into a political movement to exert itself in Republican politics. They started organizations like Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council (FRC), aimed at influencing elections and policies. For example, the FRC launched in 1983 with the goal to influence politicians through policy research that offers a “biblical worldview” on family issues to the media, academia and corporate America.