Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 11-13-2002, 09:23 PM

<a href="http://www.au.org/press/pr021113.htm" target="_blank">House GOP Liaison To Religious Right Scheduled To Share Podium With Speakers Who Favor Executing Juvenile Delinquents, Gays And Abortion Providers</a>

Quote:

Pitts, who serves as the House Republican leadership's liaison to religious conservatives, is scheduled to speak at a conference of the National Reform Association in Ephrata, Pa. Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn sent Pitts a letter yesterday asking him to bow out.

"The National Reform Association advocates extreme policies that run counter to our Constitution and the American way of life," Lynn wrote to Pitts. "Your appearance at this event will inevitably lend credibility to that dangerous agenda.

Lynn concluded, "Accordingly, I ask you to withdraw from the event this weekend and issue a public statement repudiating the extreme views of the National Reform Association."

Lynn noted that the National Reform Association is the political arm of a movement called "Christian Reconstructionism." Adherents of this religio-political agenda favor scrapping democracy in America and establishing a �Christian� religious state according to their interpretation of the Old Testament's legal code.

"These people are so extreme they would make the mullahs in Iran blush," said AU's Lynn. "Their bizarre agenda should be repudiated, not endorsed, by members of Congress."

In the Reconstructionists' model society, homosexuality, worshipping "false" gods, "witchcraft" and marital infidelity would merit the death penalty. One sponsor of this weekend's event, the Rev. William Einwechter, argued in a 1999 article that juvenile delinquents should be stoned to death. Another speaker at the event, Gary DeMar, asserted in a 1987 book that gay people, abortion doctors and parents who seek abortions for their daughters should be executed.

Four years ago, Pitts was appointed by House Majority Whip Tom DeLay and other House Republicans to serve as a liaison between the GOP and the Religious Right. But Lynn said the agenda of the Christian Reconstructionists goes far beyond the bounds of reasonable discourse.

"The American people may disagree about homosexuality and abortion," said Lynn, "but only extremists favor executing gay people and abortion providers. No member of Congress should give credibility to these extremists by appearing at their events. "

<a href="http://www.natreformassn.org/" target="_blank">National Reform Association</a> (the other NRA)

<a href="http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/97/amking.html" target="_blank">The NRA position on church and state</a>:

Quote:

Americans were right to fear monarchy. They were justified in rejecting the office of king and establishing the office of president with carefully circumscribed power. But they were not justified in their failure to officially recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ over this nation in the Constitution. Christ's kingship is not dangerous to our liberty; rather a submission to Him is the only way to true freedom.

You see, America does have a king! America's king is Jesus Christ, and He was placed over us in that capacity by Almighty God. We failed to recognize that in 1787, and the fruit is the thoroughly secularized American government of today. God will not be pleased with America until we recognize and submit to Christ our king.

Toto · 11-14-2002, 12:09 AM

The title of this NRA tract speaks words. .

<a href="http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/00/spirit76.html" target="_blank">The Declaration of Independence: Christian Masterpiece or Humanist Tripe?</a>

RufusAtticus · 11-14-2002, 12:26 AM

Looks like a bunch of Nuts that need to be Watched...

SanDiegoAtheist · 11-14-2002, 01:48 AM

Gee, what's next?

Is the liason going to wander off after that soiree and talk to the KKK? Maybe the World Church of the Creator? Nah, just send the ****head to prison to talk to the Aryan Brotherhood.

Gawd the Republicans make me sick right now.

Imagine the stink they would make over an official Democratic Party rep headlining a meeting of TerraFirst or GreenWar (eco terrorist orgs).

Bah - I'm beginning to think that the Nazi's were reborn in the US - and make up the current Repub party.

Send the idiots to Iran, if they want to find out how a theocracy inevitably develops.

I don't care how many votes they represent - they're reprehensible - just like the KKK. They represent the witchburners, the Inquisition, the Crusades - everything BAD about Christianity, or, for that matter, ANY religion.

No cheers for bigots, racists, and any Republican who won't stand up and write their representative that this is WRONG!,

The San Diego Atheist

butswana · 11-14-2002, 08:04 AM

Well, at least they are honest about it. They admit the U.S. was not founded as a Christian nation. They are still some pretty creepy mother fuckers though.

Buffman · 11-14-2002, 08:33 AM

I wonder what our resident Republican Conservatives think about these Christian, Anti-Democratic, Conservatives? I wonder if these are fundamentalist or evangelical Christians? I only wish I could call them insane Christians...which they most certainly are not if the Republicans send a direct liaison to them from Congress/White House.

Stephen Maturin · 11-14-2002, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Buffman:
<strong>I wonder what our resident Republican Conservatives think about these Christian, Anti-Democratic, Conservatives? </strong>

Can't speak for our resident conservatives, but I suspect that the vast majority of Republicans are appalled by these reconstructionist nutjobs. However, loathing alone won't stop the Republicans from soliciting campaign contributions. Trouble is, once you've grabbed the wolf by the ears, letting go is no easy matter.

simian · 11-14-2002, 01:03 PM

Current News:

<a href="http://www.au.org/press/pr021114.htm" target="_blank">Rep. Pitts, House GOP Liaison To Religious Right, Tells Reporters He 'Doesn't Believe In Stoning Anybody'</a>

Of course, this meeting should have never been scheduled in the first place.

Simian

Grumpy · 11-14-2002, 02:06 PM

As an aside, I've observed that most Americans United press releases sound too much like Barry Lynn speaking about himself in the third person.

"Hey, Barry, how's it going?"

"Americans United Executive Director Barry Lynn is doing fine."

"Uh, okay."

Toto · 11-14-2002, 02:50 PM

Grumpy - give the man a break. I'm sure it is Rob Boston speaking about Barry Lynn. And I can't think of a better use of a degree in divinity than fighting the so-called Religious Right, and keeping the nation up to date on how far off the scale these nuts really are.

Quote:

Einwechter, asked by reporters yesterday about his radical ideas, defended his beliefs by insisting that harsh criminal penalties such as stoning incorrigible youths are "in the Bible." He added "To attack that is to attack Christians, to attack Jews, and it is its own sense of discrimination."

. . .

Groups such as the National Reform Association may be trying to take advantage of the liaison role as part of a drive to increase Reconstructionists' political influence in Washington, D.C.

In April 2001, for example, National Reform Association officials met with several House members, including DeLay and J.C. Watts (R-Okla.), who at the time served as the House Republican Conference Chair. During the visit, the Reconstructionist delegation also stopped at the White House, where it was warmly received by an official in the Office of Public Policy and Liaison. They also visited with the staff of Attorney General John Ashcroft.

"Christian Reconstructionists may be on the fringes of the American political and theological spectrum, but they're clearly working to build influence in Washington," said AU's Lynn. "Anyone concerned with protecting religious liberty in America should find this both remarkable and disturbing."

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11-14-2002, 12:09 AM	#2
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	The title of this NRA tract speaks words. . <a href="http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/00/spirit76.html" target="_blank">The Declaration of Independence: Christian Masterpiece or Humanist Tripe?</a>

11-14-2002, 12:26 AM	#3
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	Looks like a bunch of Nuts that need to be Watched...

11-14-2002, 01:48 AM	#4
SanDiegoAtheist Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 281	Gee, what's next? Is the liason going to wander off after that soiree and talk to the KKK? Maybe the World Church of the Creator? Nah, just send the ****head to prison to talk to the Aryan Brotherhood. Gawd the Republicans make me sick right now. Imagine the stink they would make over an official Democratic Party rep headlining a meeting of TerraFirst or GreenWar (eco terrorist orgs). Bah - I'm beginning to think that the Nazi's were reborn in the US - and make up the current Repub party. Send the idiots to Iran, if they want to find out how a theocracy inevitably develops. I don't care how many votes they represent - they're reprehensible - just like the KKK. They represent the witchburners, the Inquisition, the Crusades - everything BAD about Christianity, or, for that matter, ANY religion. No cheers for bigots, racists, and any Republican who won't stand up and write their representative that this is WRONG!, The San Diego Atheist

11-14-2002, 08:04 AM	#5
butswana Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 1,804	Well, at least they are honest about it. They admit the U.S. was not founded as a Christian nation. They are still some pretty creepy mother fuckers though.

11-14-2002, 08:33 AM	#6
Buffman Beloved Deceased Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: central Florida Posts: 3,546	I wonder what our resident Republican Conservatives think about these Christian, Anti-Democratic, Conservatives? I wonder if these are fundamentalist or evangelical Christians? I only wish I could call them insane Christians...which they most certainly are not if the Republicans send a direct liaison to them from Congress/White House.

11-14-2002, 01:03 PM	#8
simian Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 1,924	Current News: <a href="http://www.au.org/press/pr021114.htm" target="_blank">Rep. Pitts, House GOP Liaison To Religious Right, Tells Reporters He 'Doesn't Believe In Stoning Anybody'</a> Of course, this meeting should have never been scheduled in the first place. Simian

11-14-2002, 02:06 PM	#9
Grumpy Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,535	As an aside, I've observed that most Americans United press releases sound too much like Barry Lynn speaking about himself in the third person. "Hey, Barry, how's it going?" "Americans United Executive Director Barry Lynn is doing fine." "Uh, okay."

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