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Previous Current News itemsReligious right head and body pull in opposite directionsChristocrat leaders warn Republicans and try to hold onto their followersby JewsOnFirst.org, March 23, 2006 Links to the articles cited follow the report. Leaders of several major religious right organizations held a news conference in Washington on March 16 to tell the Republicans that they had better act on the movement's issues if they want to keep right-wing evangelicals' loyalty. At the same time the leaders sent a nuanced message to their supporters. They suggested that a lack of congressional action was the cause of discouragement and activist fatigue picked up by their polling. And they unveiled plans for a Values Voter Summit 2006, to be held in advance of the elections. There are signs, however, that the evangelical values voters who elected George Bush are turning away from the narrow and ideological issues of the religious right leadership. According to a stunning article in the Washington Monthly (links below), they are looking for leaders (perhaps even Democrats) who will address their social and environmental concerns. They don't like the Bush administration's corporate agenda, which the religious right leadership has largely supported. Coverage of the March 16 news conference (there wasn't much beyond the organizations involved in the summit) follows the excerpt from the Washington Monthly When Would Jesus Bolt?Meet Randy Brinson, the advance guard of evangelicals leaving the GOP.By Amy Sullivan, Washington Monthly, April 2006 Sullivan reports that evangelical Christian activists and voters are turning away from the Republicans. Her main case in point is Randy Brinson, founder of Redeem the Vote, who was welcomed into the highest echelons of the religious right and decided it wasn't for him. When religious conservatives convened a meeting at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington a few weeks after the election, Brinson was invited. The room was full of men who had played some role in keeping the White House in Bush's hands. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention sat at Brinson's table. Rick Warren, author of the bestseller The Purpose-Driven Life, wasn't far away. Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) came over from the Hill to talk with the group. The mood was celebratory, but with an aggressive, hostile edge. They had won, and now they wanted to collect. The main item of business that day was what to do with Santorum's colleague, the pesky pro-choice Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.). Specter held a crucial position as chair of the Judiciary Committee and had recently outraged this group by telling the press that he would apply “no litmus test” to judicial nominees. Now they wanted him gone, ousted, stripped of power. When, in the midst of escalating rhetoric, Brinson spoke up to suggest that perhaps punishing Specter wasn't the wisest decision, the idea wasn't well received. “That,” he says, “was my first inkling that I wasn't one of them.” If being a player in this world meant calling for the heads of moderate Republicans and ginning up fake controversies like a supposed “war on Christmas,” Brinson wasn't terribly interested. Brinson is now working with the Democrats. Click here for Sullivan's report. US evangelicals warn RepublicansBy Jamie Coomarasamy, BBC News, Washington, March 17, 2006 "Prominent leaders from the Christian right have warned Republicans they must do more to advance conservative values ahead of the US mid-term elections. "Their message to Congress, controlled by Republicans, is "must do better". "Exit polls suggested that more than three-quarters of white evangelical Christians voted for President Bush in 2004. "But according to a recent opinion poll, the number of them who want Republicans to retain their Congressional majority is not much above 50%." Click here for the report. The Values Voters SummitFamily Research Council, Washington Watch, March 16, 2006 FRC released a new public opinion poll today that reveals that Values Voters remain very interested in national politics but their expectations remain largely unmet since the 2004 election cycle. We released the findings of the poll at the National Press Club as we announced FRC Action's Washington Briefing; Values Voter Summit 2006. The national event will be held here in Washington this September, just prior to the mid-term elections. FRC Action, our legislative arm, is being joined in this endeavor by our close allies, Focus on the Family Action, Gary Bauer's Americans United for Traditional Marriage, and Don Wildmon's American Family Association Action. The Values Voters Summit will raise the bar of achievement for this Congress. These poll results support our view that Congress must move on the concerns that brought Values Voters to the polls just two years ago. Click here for the report. See also: the Family Research Council's web page for its Values Voter Summit. (Click here.) Values Voters Summit SetDr. James Dobson, national leaders to appear at Sept. 22-24 D.C. event.Citizen Link (Focus on the Family), March 17, 2006 "The 2004 election is often referred to as 'the year of the values voter,' but a recent poll shows many of those social conservatives are disgruntled with the results of their hard work." "Many are beginning to lose heart, so pro-family groups are looking for a way to get them engaged again. "Representatives of Focus on the Family Action, FRC Action and the American Family Association were just a few of the pro-family leaders who on Thursday announced a "Values Voters Summit" to be held Sept. 22-24 in Washington, D.C. Spokesman Buddy Smith said the event's purpose — which will feature appearances by Focus on the Family Action's Dr. James Dobson and possibly President Bush — is to make a difference in elections this November and in 2008." Click here for the report. Pro-Family Leaders Call Summit for Disgruntled 'Values Voters'By Bill Fancher, Agape Press, March 21, 2006 "A coalition of pro-family organizations has planned a "values voters" summit this fall because those voters are not happy with how Congress is treating their issues." Click here for the article. Additional items added after publication Indentured FamiliesBy Allan Carlson, The Weekly Standard, March 27, 2006 "In the internal politics of the Republican coalition, some members are consistently more equal than others," Carlson begins in this essay about how the governing Republicans sold out the working class voters who put them in office by passing the punitive bankruptcy bill the banking and credit industries wanted. Click here. Right Is Might for GOP's AspirantsBy Janet Hook, The Los Angeles Times, March 25, 2006 Even as some Christian conservative voters are turning left, Republican presidential hopefuls are outdoing one another to appeal to religious right voters. Click here to read the report.
Televangelist Pat Robertson calls Islam "satanic"Billy Graham's son Franklin disdains Islam, too.by JewsOnFirst, March 16, 2006 Links to the articles mentioned in this report immediately follow it. It's hardly news anymore when televangelist Pat Robertson says something offensive. His prounouncement that Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for withdrawing from Gaza leaps to mind. What is newsworthy about Robertson's latest statement -- that Islam is "satanic" and bent on world domination -- is that none of the major organizations of the religious right dissociated themselves from it. Does that mean they agree with it? In fact, one religious right preacher, Franklin Graham, son and heir of Rev. Billy Graham, all but affirmed Robertson's calumny.
These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power. It is satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with. Franklin Graham, who in 2001 called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion," told an interviewer for Wednesday's edition of ABC News "Nightline" that he hasn't changed his mind about Islam. A widely distributed Associated Press report recounted that and several other derogatory statements Graham has made about Islam. The report, which included a quote from Robertsons March 13th statement, appears to be the most widely distributed record of that statement.
Americans United calls attention to Robertson statement The Washington Post's "In the Loop" columnist Al Kamen wrote that a spokeswoman for Robertson's network, Angell Watts, told the Associated Press the comments were expunged from the Web site because they might be misinterpreted. When we e-mailed Watts to ask why they were censoring Robertson, she wrote back: "We did not censor Pat's comments. We sent out the attached statement with Dr. Robertson's comments in their full context." (But the commentary is still not on the Web site, only in the press statement.) In an editorial, the Decatur (Alabama) Daily admonished Robertson for painting Islam with "too broad a brush." Noting his recent stream of "injudicious" statements, the paper said: "We hope Muslims don't judge all Christians by Mr. Robertson's behavior." Noting Franklin Graham's remarks to Nightline and the silence from organizations on the religious right (Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, Traditional Values Coalition, etc.) we would not blame Muslims for concluding that the politically powerful religious right organizations share Robertson's hostility toward Islam. UPDATE: After we posted this article, we found this item in a blog associated with the Christianity Today website. We quote it in full: Pat doesn't like Islam Americans United Deplores TV Preacher Pat Robertson's Inflammatory Attack On IslamRobertson Remarks 'Throw Gasoline On Fire' Of Inter-Religious Tensions, Says AU's LynnNews Release, Monday, March 13, 2006 "Americans United for Separation of Church and State today criticized TV preacher Pat Robertson for a virulent attack on Islam. On the live version of his “700 Club” program today, Robertson charged that Islam is not a religion of peace, that Muslims are demonic and satanic and that they are trying to take over the world... (continue) Franklin Graham Reaffirms Scorn for IslamBy Richard N. Ostling, Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle, March 15, 2006 The Rev. Franklin Graham, who outraged Muslims in 2001 when he said that Islam "is a very evil and wicked religion," told an interviewer for Wednesday's edition of ABC News "Nightline" that he hasn't changed his mind about the faith. Click here to read the report. Robertson paints Islam with too broad a brushEDITORIAL, The Decatur Daily, March 15, 2006 Television evangelist Pat Robertson needs to step back and take a good look in the mirror. Read the editorial. It's Demonic, Satanic and Titanicfrom Al Kamen's "In The Loop" column, Washington Post, March 15, 2006 Longtime Loop favorite and broadcaster Pat Robertson is coming through for us again, spicing up his "700 Club" television show Monday by saying things such as "the goal of Islam . . . is world domination," and Islam "is not a religion of peace." Robertson, after watching a "very insightful report" on radical Islam and the reactions in Europe to the cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad , said: "The fact that this elicited this incredible outpouring of rage just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power, it is satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with." ". . . [T]he goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination," he continued. "That's their goal. And why don't we wake up to the fact who we're dealing with? And by the way, Islam is not a religion of peace." The Robertson commentary has been removed from the TV show's Web site. Lauren Smith , who monitors the 700 Club each day for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, had the transcript. Angell Watts, spokeswoman for Robertson's network, told the Associated Press the comments were expunged from the Web site because they might be misinterpreted. When we e-mailed Watts to ask why they were censoring Robertson, she wrote back: "We did not censor Pat's comments. We sent out the attached statement with Dr. Robertson's comments in their full context." (But the commentary is still not on the Web site, only in the press statement.) The remarks are vintage Robertson. Back in 2002, he said Islam "is not a peaceful religion" and that it wants to "control, dominate and then . . . destroy." Then there was his suggestion that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez should be assassinated and that former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon 's stroke occurred because he pulled Israel out of Gaza. Robertson promised after that to be more careful, but he's just irrepressible. Watts told the AP it was "very clear" that he was talking "about radical Islam." Maybe not crystal clear. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, said taking the comments off the Web site was too little, too late, because "millions of viewers had already heard them." Hey, how about a little credit for trying?
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The National Omnibus Riehle-Tarrance Poll surveyed over 1,000 adults March 9-12. A sizeable percentage - 41%- were self-described evangelical Christians, the core of the Values Voters. The poll revealed strong support for key values issues like marriage, increased fines for broadcast indecency, pro-family tax reform and further efforts to create a culture of life. A red flag that was raised by the poll results was that 63% of core Values Voters feel Congress has not kept its promises to act on a pro-family agenda.
Here's what Robertson, commenting on a news report about Muslims in Europe, said on his 700 Club television show on Monday, March 13th:
