DAYTON – Two conservative policy organizations will bring their “values bus tour” to Ohio this week, with multiple stops planned in southwest Ohio as the groups aim to register Christians to vote.

Family Research Council, which focuses on issues such as abortion and marriage, and the Heritage Foundation, which is promoting its Saving the American Dream fiscal plan, have taken the tour to about a dozen states.

“The main thing we’ll be doing, and we’ll do this at all the stops, is our voter registration project,” said Tom McClusky, senior vice president of the Family Research Council’s political action committee. “There are a lot of Christians who have not been engaged (in the political process).”

The Dayton area events are:

• A rally at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Fairfield from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

• On Thursday, there will be a “family rally” at Middletown Christian Academy in Franklin from 10 to 11 a.m.

• A Dayton Tea Party education event at Hara Arena in Trotwood from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has questioned the Family Research Council’s research and termed them a “hate group” because of their anti-gay stance. McClusky said his group’s stance is a matter of natural rights.

“You can’t redefine something just for a special interest group,” McClusky said. “They have the right to marry, of course, if a man were to marry a woman. ... But two men don’t have a right to marry any more than I have a right to play in the NBA. It’s just not going to happen.”

McClusky said Citizens for Community Values president Phil Burress, abortion activist Janet Folger Porter and other local leaders will make appearances at some stops to discuss Ohio-specific issues, like the Heartbeat Bill on abortion and the marriage amendment that’s expected on 2013 ballots.