Asheville, North Carolina — According to a cover story in
World magazine (Oct. 26, 1996), conservative Christian
donors strive to keep their philanthropy secret. The article said that
many such donors see anonymity as the key to their strategic success.
The author, Bob Jones IV, said a series of articles in The Los
Angeles Times about the bankrolling of conservative Christian
candidates "infuriated" a group of four Christian businessmen. [See
"CNP leads the way in California," by Jerry Sloan in the
January/February 1996 Freedom Writer.]
"These people aren't out for publicity," said Craig Hammon, executive
vice president of Gordon College, "and more often than not, they don't
like to see their names in print."
Those interviewed for the article, "Is Christian philanthropy
Christian?" agreed that good numbers on conservative Christian
philanthropy are hard to come by.
Christian conservatives tend to believe that life hereafter is more
important than this life, so Christian philanthropists, as a rule,
give to evangelistic causes. "While Christian donors care about the
poor in general," according to Christian philanthropist Karol
Emmerich, "many want to make sure that the delivery mechanism is done
by Christians so that you don't end up with a full belly and a lost
soul."
Emmerich is a member of a secretive group of conservative Christian
philanthropists called The Gathering. The group held its annual
meeting on November 1-2, 1996 behind closed doors at the Ritz-Carlton
in Philadelphia.
Author Jones added that there are "scores of wealthy believers looking
for ways to use their earthly riches to advance the heavenly
kingdom."
Christian philanthropists differ from their non-Christian counterparts
in other ways, as well. For instance, some monied Christians believe
they should dispose of all their wealth, a concept familiar to
television evangelists. "The concept of sacrificial giving is not
talked about in secular circles," Emmerich noted. "If you use the
term, they don't know what you are talking about. I know few wealthy
non-Christians who would consider giving away the majority of their
wealth," a practice not uncommon among believers, she said.
There is also a major difference in the types of causes supported by
conservative Christian philanthropists. "Many nonbelievers put a very
large percentage of their donations into the arts," Emmerich said.
"That's not where the bulk of Christian money goes. I'm seeing more
support for conservative think tanks that aren't necessarily
explicitly Christian, but support Christian values. Also, the
breakdown of society and family has led to support for groups like the
Council for National Policy, and Promise Keepers. That's a major
wave."
Williamsburg, Virginia — The Council for National Policy held its fall
meeting at the Colonial Williamsburg Lodge and Resort on November 8th
and 9th, 1996.
CNP Executive Committee member Ed Feulner took a leave of absence from
the Heritage Foundation to be a counselor to CNP member Jack Kemp's
vice presidential campaign.
CNP member Howard Phillips accepted the presidential nomination from
the U.S. Taxpayers Party. Herb Titus, former dean at Robertson's
Regent University School of Law, was Phillips' vice presidential
running mate. Phillips appeared on the ballot in 40 states, including
New York and California.
Clinton, Maryland — A Jehovah's Witness who refused to sing "Happy
Birthday" to customers in a Mexican restaurant was fired from her
waitressing job. Cora Miller, 43, told the manager of a Chi-Chi's
restaurant that her religion forbade the celebration of birthdays
because the practice originated with atheistic kings.
Chi-Chi's, a restaurant chain, practices the custom of having
waitpersons sing "Happy Birthday" to customers on their birthday.
Miller refused to comply, although she volunteered to wait on tables
or work in the kitchen during the singing.
Miller is suing Chi-Chi's for violating her civil rights. She is
seeking back pay, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) is seeking punitive damages against the chain, claiming that
the restaurant acted with "malice or reckless indifference" to
Miller's freedom of religion.
Colorado Springs, Colorado — Two evangelicals have been appointed by
Newt Gingrich to the nine-member National Gambling Impact Commission.
Dr. James Dobson, of the conservative Christian group Focus on the
Family, has been joined by Kay Cole James, a Focus on the Family board
member. James is also dean of the Robertson School of Government at
Pat Robertson's Regent University. Also appointed was casino industry
executive J. Terrence Lanni, chairman and CEO of MGM Grand, Inc.
Washington, DC — The Family Research Council (FRC), co-sponsored a
press conference for the "Second Annual Coming Out of Homosexuality
Day" on October 11, 1996, with a new support group, Parents, Family
and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX). Hosted by Michael Johnston, "a former
homosexual" who is HIV-positive, the event was taped for C-SPAN.
Speakers included: FRC cultural studies director Bob Knight; Lambda
Report editor Peter LaBarbera; the Philadelphia Family Policy
Council's Bill Devlin; Tom and Ann Taylor, who have a gay son; and
"ex-homosexuals" Anthony Falzarano and Jane Boyer.
Washington, DC — Speaking at Catholic University's School of
Philosophy this past October 18, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
said it is "absolutely plain that there is no right to die." Scalia
told the audience that courts should not recognize constitutional
"rights" — such as the right to abortion — that did not exist when the
Constitution was drafted.
Scalia's remarks stunned Court observers because it is generally ill
advised for Justices to engage in public discussions about their
positions on issues which are destined to come before the Court.
Washington, DC — "Today, though polls show millions of us are
'Christians,' who spend billions and billions of dollars, there is no
Biblical/Christian media," according to columnist John Lofton. "There
is no Biblical/Christian radio-TV network, no Biblical/Christian wire
service, no such national news magazine (such as
cite>Time/Newsweek)," he added.
One might respond, what about the Christian Broadcasting Network,
Trinity Broadcasting Network, World and the New
American magazines? "And those that purport to be such media
are a joke, but not funny," Lofton says.
Writing in the Christian Reconstructionist magazine,
Chalcedon (November 1996), Lofton suggests that God has
constructed an "information highway" called the Internet, "over which
can go the Gospel and solidly Biblical teaching regarding all areas of
life."
Lofton has appealed to conservative Christian activists that he be
their "Man in Washington," a "one-man Christian/Biblical news bureau."
For a fee, he plans to e-mail subscribers a weekly Biblical
perspective on the news. "There is no longer any excuse," Lofton
wrote, "for serious Christians having to rely on our enemies for our
news." Readers interested in contacting John Lofton may do so at jlof@aol.com.
Asheville, North Carolina — World magazine TV writer
Pamela
C. Johnson
panned "Genesis: A Living Conversation," the ten-part series produced
by Bill Moyers for PBS. World is a leading conservative Christian
weekly magazine.
Referring to the producer as "Televangelist Bill Moyers," Johnson
wrote that PBS "has pretensions of becoming a parachurch." She
complained that the series "adapts the approach to studying the Bible
pioneered by Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky of the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America." She explained that "Mr. Visotzky notes that the
Scriptures detail both human foibles and high ethical teachings; but
instead of juxtaposing human sin and God's holiness, the rabbi uses
the occasion to apply Law-rence Kohlberg's psychological theory of
ethics, which assumes that people grow more 'tolerant' as they
mature."
Johnson whines that "There is only a small handful of conservative
Christians, including a couple of evangelicals, but their voice can
scarcely be heard. The mix changes with every episode, but the
specious interpretations of Scripture do not."
"The participants represent a smorgasbord of religious choice," she
wrote. They include: "Zen Buddhism, Islam, orthodox and reformed [sic]
Judaism, mainline and liberal Protestantism, Roman Catholicism,
existentialism, gnosticism, feminism, environmentalism, Holocaust
theology, liberation theology, literary metaphysics, and atheism."
"The Bible is not treated as the authoritative Word of God, but as an
interesting work of literature. The participants might just as well be
discussing Masterpiece Theatre."
The reviewer seemed most upset that a Christian on the panel failed to
mention Christ as a sacrifice for sin while discussing the story of
Abraham when he was about to sacrifice his son.
When Seyyed Hossein Nasar, a professor of Islamic studies, espoused a
firm position, "a new question is thrown onto the table and the viewer
is taken off in another direction," Johnson noted. "Islam at least
retains its doctrinal integrity. Judaism appears mired in endless
dialogue and Christianity looks apologetic and confused."
Raleigh, North Carolina — "We must eliminate public education as it is
structured today and reinvent it in a new form," according to Roxane
Premont, director of the North Carolina Education Reform Foundation
(NCERF). If successful, the "new form" of public education will
ultimately result in private religious schools paid for by taxpayer
money.
Premont addressed Christian Coalition members in a Saturday afternoon
workshop at the annual Road to Victory conference last September in
Washington, DC. Literature outlining the plan to eliminate public
education was distributed during a workshop called "Vouchers and Tax
Credits — It's Time for Parents to Choose."
The first step in the proposed plan is to establish charter schools,
which are, according to Premont, "public schools that operate
independently of local school district jurisdiction and operate much
like private schools."
According to NCERF literature: "Charter schools will provide a pool of
independent schools that can readily be converted to private schools
to meet increased demand for private education once voucher laws are
passed. Charter schools that are converted into private schools will
be initiated by those persons who want religious education.
"With charters the money goes directly from the state to the charter
school. With vouchers it goes directly to parents who then take it to
the school.
"What is called for is an incremental strategy that helps acclimatize
the public to school choice readying them for phase 2 — vouchers.
Converting all current existing public schools to charter schools is
the necessary transition. The creation of large numbers of charter
schools will weaken our union-led opposition — giving us the chance of
passing vouchers."
Premont encouraged Coalition members to:
Premont works closely with Vernon Robinson, also a leader in North
Carolina's school choice movement. Robinson drafted North Carolina's
first charter school law. According to Premont, "It is his vision to
convert every North Carolina public school to a charter school. Hush money
CNP update
Waitress can't sing
Evangelicals have impact on
gambling
FRC comes out
Scalia speaks out
Man in Washington
Moyer's "Genesis" attacked
Coalition called to eliminate
schools
"Once we convert substantial numbers of traditional district-run
public schools to charter schools," Premont wrote, "the majority of
Americans will start to change their paradigm of how schools can be
created, where they can be located, and who can run them."