At one point in our not so distant history, Republicans had a party platform that Chrisitan conservatives could identify with. The 2014 GOP platform protected life at conception, identified marriage as between a man and a woman, and clearly communicated a promise to protect the 2nd Amendment.
It also promised it would fight against the mass surveillance by the government in our daily lives.
Eight years later, the Republican Party re-wrote their platform, under the Chairmanship of Senator Marsha Blackburn and with the direction of President Trump. The platform shifted from a values-focus to a shortened “play book” with a focus on the hot button topics at the time.
Delegates like Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council expressed their disappointment in the process, stating “Delegates were only given a few minutes of discussion before ‘debate’ was ended and a vote was taken. Ironically, the document calls for a vigorous defense of free speech and the end of government censorship. Deprived of the opportunity to discuss amendments to the ‘draft’ platform document, we have submitted a minority report to supplement that campaign’s platform.”
Perkins, along with 18 other delegates, submitted a minority report countering the updated platform’s position on life. Because the votes were done blindly rather than in public, there is no way to know who voted to support the changes, but one could assume those who signed this report voted to oppose it.
In 2016, seven paragraphs were committed to the protection of life.
The section starts with:
“The Constitution’s guarantee that no one can ‘be deprived of life, liberty or property’ deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation that ‘all’ are ‘endowed by their Creator’ with the inalienable right to life. Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth.”
It ends with this:
“The Democratic Party is extreme on abortion. Democrats’ almost limitless support for abortion, and their strident opposition to even the most basic restrictions on abortion, put them dramatically out of step with the American people. Because of their opposition to simple abortion clinic safety procedures, support for taxpayer-funded abortion, and rejection of pregnancy resource centers that provide abortion alternatives, the old Clinton mantra of “safe, legal, and rare” has been reduced to just “legal.” We are proud to be the party that protects human life and offers real solutions for women.”
The current Party Platform (2024) states:
“Republicans Will Protect and Defend a Vote of the People, from within the States, on the Issue of Life. We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights. After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People. We will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”
Others expressed their disappointment to see language removed that supported a marriage between a man and a woman.
Here is the text from the 2016 GOP Platform:
“Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values. We condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Windsor, which wrongly removed the ability of Congress to define marriage policy in federal law. We also condemn the Supreme Court’s lawless ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which in the words of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, was a ‘judicial Putsch’ — full of ‘silly extravagances’ — that reduced ‘the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Storey to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie.’”
Compare that to 2024:
“Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundational role of families, and supports working parents.”
The 2nd Amendment protections also were drastically reduced, from several paragraphs to six words.
In 2016, the GOP Platform stated:
“We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a natural inalienable right that predates the Constitution and is secured by the Second Amendment. Lawful gun ownership enables Americans to exercise their God-given right of self-defense for the safety of their homes, their loved ones, and their communities…
…We support firearm reciprocity legislation to recognize the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms to protect themselves and their families in all 50 states. We support constitutional carry statutes and salute the states that have passed them. We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle. We also oppose any effort to deprive individuals of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law.
We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the current Administration’s illegal harassment of firearm dealers. We oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, registration of ammunition, and restoration of the ill-fated Clinton gun ban. We call for a thorough investigation — by a new Republican administration — of the deadly “Fast and Furious” operation perpetrated by Department of Justice officials who approved and allowed illegal sales of guns to known violent criminals.”
Compare that to the current platform:
“…Defend our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to keep and bear arms.”
These were all commonly discussed among conservatives at the time, the changes to the Platform were clearly an attempt to bring our party in line with a more moderate Republican view, rather than continue to be the Party of principle.
But there’s one more important piece that was taken out.
In 2014, the GOP Platform protected the 4th Amendment by stating the following:
“Affirming the Fourth Amendment ‘right of the people to be secure in their houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,’ we call for strict limitations on the use of aerial surveillance on U.S. soil, with the exception of patrolling our national borders for illegal entry and activity. We oppose any attempts by the government to require surveillance devices in our daily lives, including tracking devices in motor vehicles.”
This language and anything referring to the 4th Amendment was removed and has no reference in the current party platform.
The 4th Amendment clearly states that warrantless searches are unlawful. In 2014, the GOP wanted to make sure voters knew this was a priority and privacy was something they wanted to protect.
In 2024, the language was removed and was not replaced with anything similar. We know now that surveillance through AI cameras are a part of our daily lives in Tennessee. If the GOP had kept the 4th Amendment a priority, would we be in the situation we’re in today? With Flock camera contracts being questioned in almost every county across the state? In 2026, President Trump’s trust purchased several million in Axon stock, a company whose software collects data from various sources, such as body cams and stationary cameras (like automated license plate readers) and creates a digital footprint for surveillance. Would he have been able to make this financial investment if his party platform clearly stated the government would protect us from this type of over-reach?
Unfortunately, we are all experiencing the fall-out from the Republican Party moving more moderate, rather than prioritizing principles.
It was made very public that the way the current platform was written and approved on was different than years prior. This time, delegates voted in secret, their phones were not allowed in the room during the process and numbered copies were handed out to ensure no one was able to leak any drafts.
We are in a new era as Christian conservatives. The Republican Party Platform has been weakened in several areas, areas that are vital to someone with a Biblical worldview. We must be alert to these changes and we must start acting upon them. The most effective way to bring about change is to find candidates who will stand on principles, who will fight to preserve the Constitution, and not be willing to weaken their position in order to grow their power or their wallet.
Resources:
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2016-republican-party-platform#rebirth
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frc-actions-tony-perkins-statement-on-the-adoption-of-the-2024-republican-party-platform-302191367.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/08/rnc-platform-national-abortion-limits-00166788
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/29/trump-axon-stock-ice-taser-immigration-enforcement.html
The Republican Party’s Shift Toward Moderation, from Abortion to Surveillance
At one point in our not so distant history, Republicans had a party platform that Chrisitan conservatives could identify with. The 2014 GOP platform protected life at conception, identified marriage as between a man and a woman, and clearly communicated a promise to protect the 2nd Amendment.
It also promised it would fight against the mass surveillance by the government in our daily lives.
Eight years later, the Republican Party re-wrote their platform, under the Chairmanship of Senator Marsha Blackburn and with the direction of President Trump. The platform shifted from a values-focus to a shortened “play book” with a focus on the hot button topics at the time.
Delegates like Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council expressed their disappointment in the process, stating “Delegates were only given a few minutes of discussion before ‘debate’ was ended and a vote was taken. Ironically, the document calls for a vigorous defense of free speech and the end of government censorship. Deprived of the opportunity to discuss amendments to the ‘draft’ platform document, we have submitted a minority report to supplement that campaign’s platform.”
Perkins, along with 18 other delegates, submitted a minority report countering the updated platform’s position on life. Because the votes were done blindly rather than in public, there is no way to know who voted to support the changes, but one could assume those who signed this report voted to oppose it.
In 2016, seven paragraphs were committed to the protection of life.
The section starts with:
“The Constitution’s guarantee that no one can ‘be deprived of life, liberty or property’ deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation that ‘all’ are ‘endowed by their Creator’ with the inalienable right to life. Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth.”
It ends with this:
“The Democratic Party is extreme on abortion. Democrats’ almost limitless support for abortion, and their strident opposition to even the most basic restrictions on abortion, put them dramatically out of step with the American people. Because of their opposition to simple abortion clinic safety procedures, support for taxpayer-funded abortion, and rejection of pregnancy resource centers that provide abortion alternatives, the old Clinton mantra of “safe, legal, and rare” has been reduced to just “legal.” We are proud to be the party that protects human life and offers real solutions for women.”
The current Party Platform (2024) states:
“Republicans Will Protect and Defend a Vote of the People, from within the States, on the Issue of Life. We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights. After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People. We will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”
Others expressed their disappointment to see language removed that supported a marriage between a man and a woman.
Here is the text from the 2016 GOP Platform:
“Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values. We condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Windsor, which wrongly removed the ability of Congress to define marriage policy in federal law. We also condemn the Supreme Court’s lawless ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which in the words of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, was a ‘judicial Putsch’ — full of ‘silly extravagances’ — that reduced ‘the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Storey to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie.’”
Compare that to 2024:
“Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundational role of families, and supports working parents.”
The 2nd Amendment protections also were drastically reduced, from several paragraphs to six words.
In 2016, the GOP Platform stated:
“We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a natural inalienable right that predates the Constitution and is secured by the Second Amendment. Lawful gun ownership enables Americans to exercise their God-given right of self-defense for the safety of their homes, their loved ones, and their communities…
…We support firearm reciprocity legislation to recognize the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms to protect themselves and their families in all 50 states. We support constitutional carry statutes and salute the states that have passed them. We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle. We also oppose any effort to deprive individuals of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law.
We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the current Administration’s illegal harassment of firearm dealers. We oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, registration of ammunition, and restoration of the ill-fated Clinton gun ban. We call for a thorough investigation — by a new Republican administration — of the deadly “Fast and Furious” operation perpetrated by Department of Justice officials who approved and allowed illegal sales of guns to known violent criminals.”
Compare that to the current platform:
“…Defend our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to keep and bear arms.”
These were all commonly discussed among conservatives at the time, the changes to the Platform were clearly an attempt to bring our party in line with a more moderate Republican view, rather than continue to be the Party of principle.
But there’s one more important piece that was taken out.
In 2014, the GOP Platform protected the 4th Amendment by stating the following:
“Affirming the Fourth Amendment ‘right of the people to be secure in their houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,’ we call for strict limitations on the use of aerial surveillance on U.S. soil, with the exception of patrolling our national borders for illegal entry and activity. We oppose any attempts by the government to require surveillance devices in our daily lives, including tracking devices in motor vehicles.”
This language and anything referring to the 4th Amendment was removed and has no reference in the current party platform.
The 4th Amendment clearly states that warrantless searches are unlawful. In 2014, the GOP wanted to make sure voters knew this was a priority and privacy was something they wanted to protect.
In 2024, the language was removed and was not replaced with anything similar. We know now that surveillance through AI cameras are a part of our daily lives in Tennessee. If the GOP had kept the 4th Amendment a priority, would we be in the situation we’re in today? With Flock camera contracts being questioned in almost every county across the state? In 2026, President Trump’s trust purchased several million in Axon stock, a company whose software collects data from various sources, such as body cams and stationary cameras (like automated license plate readers) and creates a digital footprint for surveillance. Would he have been able to make this financial investment if his party platform clearly stated the government would protect us from this type of over-reach?
Unfortunately, we are all experiencing the fall-out from the Republican Party moving more moderate, rather than prioritizing principles.
It was made very public that the way the current platform was written and approved on was different than years prior. This time, delegates voted in secret, their phones were not allowed in the room during the process and numbered copies were handed out to ensure no one was able to leak any drafts.
We are in a new era as Christian conservatives. The Republican Party Platform has been weakened in several areas, areas that are vital to someone with a Biblical worldview. We must be alert to these changes and we must start acting upon them. The most effective way to bring about change is to find candidates who will stand on principles, who will fight to preserve the Constitution, and not be willing to weaken their position in order to grow their power or their wallet.
Resources:
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2016-republican-party-platform#rebirth
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frc-actions-tony-perkins-statement-on-the-adoption-of-the-2024-republican-party-platform-302191367.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/08/rnc-platform-national-abortion-limits-00166788
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/29/trump-axon-stock-ice-taser-immigration-enforcement.html
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Anne Lowery
Anne Lowery