Winter Haven, Florida — The controversial Christian Coalition voter
guides seem to be showing up everywhere these days. A Freedom
Writer subscriber sent us a piece of mail he received from a
veterans' organization to which he belongs. The group, American
Ex-Prisoners of War, mailed Christian Coalition Congressional
Scorecards out with its July, 1996 newsletter.
The Freedom Writer subscriber is Jewish and served with the U.S. Army
in World War II. He was captured by the Germans and held in a POW
camp. As a new member of American Ex-Prisoners of War, he was
displeased with the group's mailing.
In an attempt to reach Owen Boothroyd, Jr., commander and editor for
the American Ex-Prisoners of War, Freedom Writer spoke to
his wife, Anna Boothroyd. "The voter guide doesn't have anything to do
with whether you're Jewish or Catholic or Protestant," she said. "The
Christian Coalition is the only one we know of that spends the money
to produce these guides showing how our congressmen voted. It has
nothing to do with religion, it's a favor to the community," she
added. The Christian Coalition voter guides have caused considerable
controversy since their inception. Many view them as blatant campaign
literature for the Republican Party. Now, with its lawsuit against the
Christian Coalition, the Federal Election Commission agrees.
Washington, DC — A full-page ad appearing in Roll Call
(June 24, 1996) featured the headline: "Is the Supreme Court pushing
America toward civil war?" The ad, sponsored by Loyal Opposition, a
group headed by Randall Terry, attacked members of Congress as
"cowards," and called for the impeachment of six U.S. Supreme Court
justices: Kennedy, Souter, Breyer, Stevens, O'Connor, and Ginsburg.
Terry attacked them because, the ad said, they have "unleashed a flood
of pornographic filth on the nation...banished corporate Bible reading
and the posting of the Ten Commandments from government schools ...
drove corporate prayer from government schools ... legalized the
slaughter of unborn children ... struck down the American people's
attempts to keep homosexuals (practicing unspeakable perversions) from
having special rights.
"We urge our fellow, God-fearing Americans," the ad went on, "to
demand of their congressmen that they impeach these six members of the
Supreme Court." If Congress fails to take action, "disgust and
cynicism will creep into the American public, and your cowardly
inaction may help inch us close to that black chasm into which no sane
man desires to look, and few dare."
Terry is the founder of the radical antiabortion group Operation
Rescue, and he views many Religious Right groups, such as the
Christian Coalition, as too moderate.
Monroe, Louisiana — Police arrived at nearly the witching hour to
disperse a group of fundamentalist Christians protesting a bookstore's
celebration of Anne Rice's latest novel of the supernatural. Employees
of Books-A-Million called police at 11:33 p.m.; after asking the
protestors four times to stop harassing customers.
The protestors were all members of the Eagle's Nest Church. One of the
protestors said that the idea to demonstrate originated earlier in the
evening during a prayer meeting at the church. A spokesperson for the
group, Everett Aaron, said the prayer group felt led by God to
demonstrate at the bookstore.
Published reports said the party at the store was orderly, "There was
no alcohol or anything bad...just cake, costumes, and door prizes. It
was all in good fun." The store held the party to promote Rice's 16th
novel, Servant of the Bones, a fictitious book about a
spirit named Azriel and his centuries-long existence.
"We won't let witchcraft and Satan into our community," Aaron said.
"The staff [of the store] is all dressed up in black. That's just one
sign of the darkness they are promoting. We came out to show these
folks the light."
He said that he understood that the book was about a vampire. After
being told that the central character was a wandering Hebrew spirit,
and that the book had no vampires, he remarked that people who read
Rice's books are "opening the door for Satan to come in."
The demonstrators stayed until the party ended after 1 a.m. Police
made no arrests.
Greenville, South Carolina — Political preferences of Southern Baptist
clergy have changed radically over four presidential elections. In
1980, 33% of Southern Baptist clergy preferred the Republicans; but by
1992, 72% leaned towards Republican, said James Guth, a political
science professor at Furman University, in Greenville, South
Carolina.
Washington, DC — The so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Amendment
is back before the House of Representatives after languishing for
seven months. House majority leader Dick Armey's proposed amendment
forbids the federal and state governments from denying "equal access
to a benefit, or otherwise discriminate against any person on account
of religious belief, expression, or exercise." If adopted, it would
allow religious charitable groups, day care centers, and schools to be
eligible for public funds or vouchers, the National Association of
Evangelicals' Forest Montgomery told the National &
International Religion Report. The proposal also specifies that
the constitutional amendment does not authorize the government to
"coerce or inhibit religious belief, expression, or exercise."
Some religious groups contend that the amendment is unnecessary and
violates the separation between church and state. "I'm a born-again,
Bible-bred, Texas-born Baptist preacher. And that's why I oppose any
government meddling in my religion," James M. Dunn of the Baptist
Joint Committee said.
Dunn and representatives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the
United Methodist Church, and Unitarian Universalist, Buddhist, and
Jewish groups voiced their opposition at a news conference. They said
the proposal is part of a Republican effort to use religion as a tool
to garner votes in the November elections. (Source: National &
International Religion Report, August 5, 1996)
Virginia Beach, Virginia — Television evangelist Pat Robertson
responded angrily to religious leaders opposed to the Religious
Freedom Restoration Amendment. "Ladies and gentleman," he said on the
July 24, 1996 broadcast of his "700 Club," "I think this [amendment]
is one of the key things...and it, just frankly turns my stomach to
hear a gentleman who says he represents the Baptist Joint Committee —
when I happen to know as a Southern Baptist that the largest
denomination in the country has withdrawn funding from his
organization and does not fund him — to have him come up and say 'I'm
against children praying in school. I mean it's...when we see the
vendetta [emphasis his] against religious faith that is being carried
on in the schools of America, it's nothing short of appalling.
"Because I happen to be the president of Jay Sekulow's organization
[American Center for Law & Justice] and I know the numbers of cases
that come in. We have something in the neighborhood of forty to fifty
complaints a week of persecution or discrimination against people of
faith. And some of them are Jewish, some of them are Catholic and some
of them are Protestant. There has been a vendetta by the people with a
liberal mindset."
After a little more ranting, Robertson urged his viewers to call their
congressmen and senators and let them know that they want the
Religious Freedom Restoration Amendment added to the U.S.
Constitution.
New York, New York — A new public survey of Americans aligned with the
Religious Right reveals a strong current of "Christian nationalism,"
that is, the belief that America's political troubles can be
alleviated by making a Christian outlook more central to government.
The survey, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, "A Survey of
the Religious Right: Views on Politics, Society, Jews and Other
Minorities," compares the attitudes of 507 Americans aligned with the
Religious Right and 503 other Americans.
The survey found that those aligned with the Religious Right
constitute 14 percent of the total American population. Compared to
other Americans, they are more likely to be from rural areas and the
South, older, less educated, less financially well-off, and more
likely to call themselves Protestant and Republican.
Majorities of those aligned with the Religious Right agree that
"Christians should get involved in politics to protect their values"
(76 percent), that a constitutional amendment should be adopted
"declaring that the United States is a Christian nation" (48 percent),
and that "on most political issues there is one correct Christian
point of view" (44 percent). Likewise, pluralities of those aligned
with the Religious Right disagree with the statements that the
"religious views of politicians are not relevant in
determining...fitness for public office" (47 percent, as against 33
percent of other Americans), and that "religious leaders should not
try to influence how people vote in elections" (42 percent, in
contrast to 27 percent of other Americans).Veterans group promotes Coalition
Impeach the Supreme Court?
Fundamentalists protest at
bookstore
Baptist clergy go for GOP
Religious Freedom Restoration
Amendment
Robertson assails religious leaders
Survey reveals strong Christian
nationalism