# Why no Christian party in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 28, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011 "2004-08-28T23:03:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/21 "2004-08-29T06:14:12Z")
I guess that answers the OP’s question: There never was a prominent movement in the US that would have necessitated the formation of such a party. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/22 "2004-08-29T14:34:31Z")
You got me, yes what I stated was an opinion, and a harsh one. Anymore, anthing that starts with Moral or Christian immediately sets me to thinking of certain intolerant or extreme groups that want to cram their own narrow views down someone else’s throat, I tend to think this way automatically these days. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/23 "2004-08-29T14:59:10Z")
I think **UDS** did a very good job at explaining the background in Europe. The Christian Democrats, CD, of Sweden was founded by Pentecostals (who are among the biggest non Lutheran church of Sweden, followed by the Covenant Church). Nowadays it’s a general social conservative party and while the majority of the members and voters are Christians, as in devout and churchgoing, there are indeed atheists who are attracted to the conservative values. While there are disagreements between different churches, they share many common political goals, and are keeping faith out of the party. There are som hot topics here too, especially gay marriage, where all the other political parties are pro and the CD are afraid of being perceived as reactionary, so they just avoid the issue, whenever it’s possible. They agree to gay adoptions provided that one of the parents is the biological mother/father of the child, something I think would be considered very liberal in the US, at least by the conservatives. **Zoe** , I’m afraid not. It’s so close but I’ve never got around to it. I hear it’s beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/24 "2004-08-29T15:51:07Z")
The reason that we don’t have a Christian Party in the United States is that we elect our Congressmen in winner-take-all single representative elections. This form of electoral selection of representation virtually assures a two-party system. There simply isn’t any room for a Christian Party in a two-party system, and so there isn’t one. (There might be if Christians were, say, 45% of the population instead of 80%.) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/25 "2004-08-29T16:53:55Z")
**rfgdxm** has raised a common misconception, that is, that devout Christians cannot support abortion rights and gay rights. That myth ignores millions of US Christians who believe in reproductive choice. Here’s a link to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which should clear things up a bit. [http://www.rcrc.org/](http://www.rcrc.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/26 "2004-08-29T17:24:20Z")
Another thing about the “Christian Democat” label: it’s not necessarily intended as exclusive rather that inclusive. For example, the Christian Democrats in Germany were founded, post-WWII, as a nondenominational conservative party because the organization of political conservativism in the Weimar Republic (split mainly along denominational lines) was seen as a mistake. Nowadays “Christian Democrat” means “moderate Conservative” in Germany, without a strong religious connotation - they happily accept avoved atheists, Jews and Muslims as members. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/27 "2004-08-30T23:10:04Z")
There is a Christian party: the Constitution Party, formerly the U.S. Taxpayers Party: [http://www.constitution-party.net/](http://www.constitution-party.net/) From [politics1.com](http://politics1.com) (): > [@](#): > > Constitution Party - Former Nixon Administration official and Conservative Coalition chairman Howard Phillips founded the US Taxpayers Party in 1992 as a potential vehicle for Pat Buchanan to use as a third party vehicle – had he agreed to bolt from the GOP in 1992 or 1996. The USTP pulled together several of the splintered right-wing third parties – including the once mighty American Independent Party – into a larger, more visible political entity (although some state affiliate parties operate under names other than the USTP). Renamed as the Constitution Party in 1999, the party is strongly pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-tax, anti-immigration, protectionist, “anti-New World Order,” anti-United Nations, anti-gay rights, anti-welfare, pro-school prayer … basically a hardcore Religious Right platform. When Buchanan stayed in the GOP, Phillips ran as the USTP nominee in both 1992 (ballot status in 21 states - 43,000 votes - 0.04%) and 1996 (ballot spots in 39 states - 185,000 votes - 6th place - 0.2%) – and as the Constitution nominee in 2000 (ballot status in 41 states - 98,000 votes - 6th place - 0.1%). The party started fielding local candidates in 1994. Still, for a new third party attempting to grow, the party has fielded disappointingly few local candidates since 1998 (and the few they have fielded have not performed well). The party received a brief boost in the media when conservative US Senator Bob Smith – an announced GOP Presidential hopeful – bolted from the Republican Party to seek the Constitution Party nomination in 2000 (although Smith exited from the Constitution Party race just two weeks later). At the 1999 national convention, the party narrowly adopted a controversial change to its platform’s preamble which declared “that the foundation of our political position and moving principle of our political activity is our full submission and unshakable faith in our Savior and Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ” – although the party officially invites “all citizens of all faiths” to become active in the party. Any national candidate seeking the party’s nomination is explicitly required to tell the convention of any areas of disagreement with the party’s platform. In Spring 2002, Pat Buchanan’s 2000 VP runningmate Ezola Foster and many Reform Party leaders from California and Maryland defected to the Constitution Party, providing a nice boost to the party. Conservative attorney Michael Peroutka is the CP’s 2004 Presidential nominee. The CP’s old site is still online, too. There’s also the American Heritage Party – [http://www.americanheritageparty.org/](http://www.americanheritageparty.org/) – and the American Party – [http://www.theamericanparty.org/](http://www.theamericanparty.org/). And the Christian Falangist Party ([http://www.falangist.com/](http://www.falangist.com/)), but that’s neither here nor there nor, I should hope, anywhere ever. ---
**Author:** ![WoodCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7bcc69/32.png) [@WoodCM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodCM)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011/28 "2004-09-01T01:57:51Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > Well, there might be. But not with a candidate that has a serious chance of winning in November. > I get the impression that church going is higher in the US than in most other ‘western’ countries. And I understand that the morally conservatives vote for the GOP. But there are a lot of ‘Christian Democrats’ in European countries where church going is low or nil. In the EU parliament they belong to the largest group, I think around 300 of the 626 seats. Of course, they have a bif opportunity to influence things. Is the GOP getting these votes by design or by default. It seems to me that Republicans always try to steer clear of the hot topic issues (abortion, stem cells ASF), placating the religious, trying not to upset them, but not really pushing their agenda. > And I think the Religious group might consist of people who’re conservative when it comes to moral issues, but might contain people who’re both fiscally conservative and liberal. > I’ve read talk abot the greens and how they might never get to be a serious player, but what about a Christian Coalition? Would it be feasible to try to get a candidate elected? Would he (I don’t think ti would be a she) have a chance? And if not - how would it affect the ballance between the Elephant and the Donkey? I don’t understand. Hasn’t the president proclaimed he is a Christian. Not just any old christian by the way, but a ‘born again’ one. These type of Christians are usually known as being even more fervent than the more old fashioned types like Roman Catholics. Are you saying that the president is a liar? Ooh, you are naughty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-christian-party-in-the-us/262011.md?page=1)