religious right

terms like "the Christian right" and "the religious right" are sometimes—but not always correctly—used interchangeably. The terms are also considered by many to be pejorative as they are used mostly by opponents. However, the Christian Coalition, which describes much of what is understood by these terms, is a self-chosen name and thus acceptable. Because this coalition is a many-tentacled thing, verify who and what it includes before writing about any of its aspects. For example, Citizens for Excellence in Education, a division of the National Association of Christian Educators, was formed to take over school boards across the U.S. (Cecile Richards, in Sisterhood Is Forever). Other well-funded and highly activist organizations with a heavily Christian orientation and huge memberships include the American Family Association (designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center), Focus on the Family, and Concerned Women for America. See also Christianity, stereotypes.