
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, November 5, 1995                   TAG: 9511060069
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Short

COALITION DISTRIBUTES `VOTER GUIDES'

Christian Coalition members are busy distributing political fliers to churches for today's services, two days before the state's General Assembly elections.

The Chesapeake-based, conservative grass-roots organization founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says its ``voter guides'' are educational and nonpartisan, in keeping with its tax-exempt status.

Critics - particularly Democrats who routinely fare poorly in them - say the guides smack of partisan politics and their brevity distorts issues.

``It's not that people object to Christians and people of faith being involved in the public square,'' said Gail Nardi, spokeswoman for Virginia's Democratic Party. ``This is about the pretext, the ruse, that the coalition's voter guides are nonpartisan. They behave as an arm of the Republican party in Virginia and nationwide.''

The 8-by-5-inch guides display opposing candidates' views on a narrow band of issues. For the legislative races, issues include prayer in school and parental notification when teen-agers seek abortions..

- Associated Press

by CNB