Bush, with some moderates claiming that the group has taken over the Republican Party (Apple 2001 p. 161). Bush himself is a Methodist and born Christian and has made many statements testifying to his strong belief in the importance of "a relationship with the Lord' (Harris 2005). Of particular concern to moderates is the agenda of some in the movement to unite the church and the state. Pat Robinson, one of the most influential figures in the Christian Right, has argued that the current separation of church and state is an "intellectual scandal" and that for the sake of our children we must bring God back into the classrooms homes and businesses of America (cited in Apple 2001 170). President Bush's initiative to establish the Federal Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is seen by liberals as a step in this direction It will establish policies, priorities and objectives for the Federal government's comprehensive effort to enlist, equip, enable, empower and expand the work of faith-based and other community organisations to the extent permitted by law' (Parent 2003, p. 20). Accord ing to Parent, it represents potentially the most com prehensive integration of government and religion in the United States since prohibition (2003, p. 20) Nonetheless, many analysts, such as Bruce (2002) and Green, Rozell and Wilcox (2003), argue that although the New Christian Right is a highly visible force in American politics and has succeeded in having