Goldwater vows to fight Moral Majority, pro-life

WASlllNGTON (AP) – Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., pledged Tuesday to “fight every step of the way” against efforts by such groups as the Moral Majority and Pro-Life to “dictate their moral convictions to all Americans.” Goldwater, the 1964 Republican candidate for president and a leading congressional conservative, said in a Senate speech that such “single issue religious groups . . . are not using their religious clout with wisdom.” . “Just who do they think they are?” he asked. “And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?” Goldwater specifically mentioned the Moral Majority and Pro-Life, an anti-abortion group known also as March for Life. Nellie Gray, national chairman of March for Life, responded: “Shall I dictate my moral views? Yes, I shall. Just as the abolitionists stood up against slavery so the pro-life people shall stand up against the slaughter of the innocents. That’s who I am.” The Rev. Jerry Falwell, head of the fundamentalist and conservative Moral Majority, could not immediately be reached for comment on Goldwater’s speech. Goldwater said the Moral Majority, Pro-Life and similar groups are often referred to as elements of “the new conservatism.” But he said, “I can say with conviction that the religious issues of these groups have little or nothing to do with conservative or liberal politics. “The uncompromising position of these groups is a divisive element that could tear apart the very spirit of our representative