For decades, faith and family have been at the center of the conservative movement. But as the Tea Party infuses conservatism with new energy, its leaders deliberately avoid discussion of issues like gay marriage or abortion. God, life, and family get little if any mention in statements or manifestos. The motto of Tea Party Patriots, a large coalition of groups, is 'fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.' The Independence Caucus questionnaire, which many Tea Party groups use to evaluate candidates, poses 80 questions, most on the proper role of government, tax policy, and the federal budgeting process, and virtually none on social issues. Tea Party leaders argue that the country can ill afford the discussion about social issues when it is passing on enormous debts to future generations. But the focus is also strategic: Leaders think they can attract independent voters if they stay away from divisive issues. The Tea Party defines economic conservatism more strictly than most Republicans in Congress would -- the Tea Party agrees about the need to do away with earmarks, but also wants to scrap the tax code and replace it with one no longer than 4,543 words (a number chosen to match the length of the Constitution, unamended.) It would limit the growth of federal spending to inflation plus the percentage of population growth and require a two-thirds majority for any tax increase. Advocacy groups that have helped grow the movement, like Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works, have also emphasized the importance of focusing on economic conservatism. Raising social issues, the movement's leaders say, risks fracturing the strength it has built. 'Every social issue you bring in, you're adding planks to your mission,' said Frank Anderson, a founder of the Independence Caucus, based in Utah. 'And planks become splinters.' They also recognize that support for gay marriage has increased, particularly among the young, and so opposing it may alienate supporters. At a candidate forum sponsored by the Kitchen Table Patriots in suburban Philadelphia in January, nine candidates, mostly first-time politicians seeking office after getting involved in the Tea Party, were asked whether they believed that Roe v. Wade should be repealed. Only one said yes. 'I think that it's also going to get Democrats over, if you're not so rigid,' said Anastasia Przybylski, the co-founder of the Patriots. 'I have friends where that's a big turnoff -- they're registered Democrats because of abortion but they're totally freaking out about the debt.' 