How the fall of Jimmy Swaggart shaped the presidential run of Pat Robertson
Jimmy Swaggart was caught in a major controversy in the late 1980s. It involved the famous American televangelist, who was a leading figure in Pentecostal Christianity. In 1988, Swaggart publicly admitted to “moral failure” after reports surfaced that he had been involved with a prostitute, behavior that directly contradicted the strict moral standards he preached. The revelation led to his suspension by the Assemblies of God, his church denomination, and caused significant damage to his reputation and ministry. Swaggart delivered a widely televised, tearful confession, which became one of the most memorable moments in religious broadcasting, symbolizing broader concerns at the time about hypocrisy, accountability, and power among high-profile televangelists.
When Pat Robertson’s run for president failed, he kept going
This proved to be a problem for Pat Robertson, who was running for president. Just as he needed his conservative brothers and sisters on his side… they disappeared or chose another politician.
When he lost the race, he continued his streak of being shelved by politicians. He and other evangelicals with large followings placed their hope in politicians to save them. Only to find disappointment.
Sources:
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
Pat Robertson: A Life and Legacy by David Edwin Harrell Jr.
Andrews, T. M. (2017). The Rev. Marvin Gorman, who prompted Jimmy Swaggart’s downfall in the ’80s, dies at 83
Art Harris, W. P. (1988, Feb 26). Jimmy Swaggart’s secret life in the world of no-tell motels ‘shouting, weeping’ Preacher was just another man on prowl. Toronto Star
RNC National Convention speeches 1988, around 2:35:00
God’s Own Party by Daniel K Williams
PETER STEINFELS (1989, Jun 12). Moral majority to dissolve; says mission accomplished. New York Times
Rolling Stone Magazine article on Jay Sekulow. By Andrew Perez, January 3, 2024
A lot of evangelicals are now single-issue voters, and that issue is abortion. But that was not always the case. In fact, for a great deal of American history, abortion was largely seen as a Catholic issue. There are, of course, exceptions. But most evangelicals and Protestants were divided on the subject, even favoring abortion when it came to preserving the health of the mother, or in cases of rape and incest.
The moral decline of the US pushes evangelicals to support the pro-life movement
On this episode, Chris interviews historian and author Daniel K. Williams about the history of the abortion debate in the United States. A major turning point was the availability of elective or “on-demand” abortions in places like New York. As evangelicals grew more upset with the moral decline of the country, they lumped abortion together with gay and lesbian rights fights, the proliferation of pornography, and decided that it needed to stop. Plus, big money through New Right PACs entered the field, and politicians were soon chosen on their allegiance to pro-life legislation.
Sources:
Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade by Daniel K Williams
How Bob Jones University fought against integration
Bob Jones University v. United States (1983) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that addressed whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could deny tax-exempt status to private religious schools that practiced racially discriminatory policies. Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian institution, prohibited interracial dating and marriage among its students based on its religious beliefs. In 1970, the IRS revised its policy to deny tax-exempt status to private schools with racially discriminatory admissions policies, prompting Bob Jones University to file suit after losing its exemption.
Evangelical support of segregation academies had a lot to do with tax exemptions
The university argued that the IRS’s actions violated its First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion. The central question for the Court was whether the government’s interest in eradicating racial discrimination in education outweighed the burden on religious freedom imposed by the denial of tax-exempt status. The case thus pitted two core constitutional principles against each other: religious liberty and the government’s interest in promoting equality.
In an 8–1 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the IRS’s position. Chief Justice Warren Burger, writing for the majority, stated that tax-exempt status is a form of government subsidy and that organizations seeking this benefit must serve a public interest. The Court held that eliminating racial discrimination in education was a “fundamental, overriding interest” that justified the burden on the university’s religious practices. It emphasized that the government is not required to subsidize discriminatory behavior, even when it is religiously motivated.
Why was Bob Jones University v. The United States important?
The ruling had significant implications. It clarified that tax-exempt status is conditional upon compliance with fundamental public policy, including civil rights laws. The decision reinforced the principle that religious freedom, while protected, does not allow institutions to violate core public values when receiving government benefits. This case remains a key precedent in balancing religious liberty with broader societal interests in equality and nondiscrimination.
McNamar’s testimony, pp.225, Hearing Before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Second Session, February 1, 1982. (Thanks to the Senate Historian’s Office)
“The Bob Jones Decision: A Dangerous Precedent” by Kenneth S. Kantzer. September 2, 1983, issue of Christianity Today.
Randall Balmer’s article for Politico that narrows the blame for the bonding of evangelicals to the GOP to race
Arthur Laffer creates trickle-down economics. And it doesn’t work.
Gerald Ford’s administration was in trouble. The country was experiencing stagflation, where prices were going up but employment was going down. What could he do? He announced his desire to lower taxes. This proposal was met with opposition by… Ronald Reagan. Reagan was worried that these cuts would increase the national debt. Then, just a few years later, Reagan changed his mind.
Two major things happened. One was the invention of supply-side economics (also called trickle-down economics) and the other was the tax revolt of the 1970s.
Supply-side economics was invented by an economist named Arthur Laffer. His ideas were based on an old concept but with a new twist. Laffer and his friends published their ideas in The Wall Street Journal and shared them with people like Dick Cheney.
Author and historian Rick Perlstein joins us for this episode. His books are The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland.
Sources:
The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
The New Right Manipulated Evangelicals into Conservative Republican Politics
A small group of men calling themselves The New Right had a major role to play in bonding some evangelicals to the Republican Party. Yet many Christians don’t know who these guys were or how they used money and influence to accomplish their goal.
Let’s meet the fellas. One was named Paul Weyrich. Weyrich’s contribution to the movement is that he knew how to organize people, a skill he learned from watching liberal protests. He was a former radio newsman from Wisconsin, member of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church when he thought the Roman Catholic Church became too liberal. He saw how liberals were organizing in the US and decided to do something similar with conservatives. The goal was to bring together politicians, activists, money, and the press to have a unified front. Organizational skills were his secret weapon.
Howard Phillips was a follower of RJ Rushdoony’s Christian Reconstruction plan. He gutted the Office of Economic Opportunity for Richard Nixon and then founded a think tank called The Conservative Caucus. He said “we organize discontent” meaning that the New Right used emotional issues to rile up their base.
Then there was Richard Viguerie. He was the king of bulk mail. The New Right used his services to advocate for their kind of politicians, for Anita Bryant, and to raise money. His company RAVCO was investigated for fraud.
These men and more were vital in bringing some evangelicals into the Republican Party.
Our guest today is Rick Perlstein, author of amazing history books like Reaganland and The Invisible Bridge. Special thanks to my friend Paul Hastings of the Compelled podcast for lending me his voice about the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.
Sources:
Reaganland and The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein
Mobilizing the Moral Majority: Paul Weyrich and the Creation of a Conservative Coalition, 1968-1988 by Tyler J. Poff pages 22-23
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
Weyrich, Memorandum, April 16, 1973, Paul M. Weyrich Scrapbooks. But accessed through Mobilizing the Moral Majority: Paul Weyrich and the Creation of a Conservative Coalition, 1968-1988 by Tyler J. Poff page 18
Christian Reconstruction: RJ Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism – by Michael McVicar
