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Pat Robertson's new crusade:
churches to endorse political candidates |
TV PREACHER RESUMES POLITICAL CRUSADE
a press release from Americans
United for Separation of Church and State
1/7/02 -- posted here 1-8-02
Pat Robertson pushes house bill allowing churches
to endorse political candidates
Only a month after Pat Robertson resigned from the
Christian Coalition and promised to devote his time to religious
ministry, the TV preacher has returned to hardball politics.
On his Christian Broadcasting Network show today,
Robertson promoted a House bill that would revise provisions of federal
tax law and allow houses of worship to endorse political candidates. The
measure, H.R. 2357, has been introduced by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.)
and has 110 cosponsors, almost all of them Republicans.
Appearing as a guest on Robertson's "700
Club," Jones urged the program's estimated one million viewers to
contact their House members and pressure Rep. Bill Thomas, chair of the
Ways and Means Committee, to schedule a hearing on the bill in March.
Jones said the measure was drafted by the American Center for Law and
Justice, the legal arm of Robertson's religio-political empire.
The push for the Jones bill comes in an election year
when control of Congress is up for grabs. In recent weeks, White House
political strategists have expressed concern that evangelical Christians
did not vote for Bush in 2000 in expected numbers. The Jones bill and
Robertson's enthusiastic support for it may be part of a move to spark
GOP endorsements by conservative churches in the 2002 and 2004
elections.
Robertson made the partisan character of the Jones
bill clear. Railing against the "draconian" character of
federal tax law, Robertson said on the show, "As it is now, if
somebody comes out and says, 'I support George Bush,' theoretically the
IRS can come in and take away their tax exemption."
Robertson's attempt to change federal tax law and prod
America's churches into partisan politics comes only four weeks after
his Dec. 5 announcement that he was quitting as president of the
Christian Coalition to push national revival and "focus on those
things that will bring forth the greatest spiritual benefit."
Robertson's critics were not surprised at his quick
relapse into partisan politics.
"This leopard will never change his spots,"
said Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation
of Church and State. "Robertson is as interested in winning votes
for the Republicans as he is in winning souls."
During today's show, Robertson charged that Americans
United has sent a "scare letter out to churches which was filled
with misinformation" about involvement in politics. In fact,
Americans United has simply provided accurate informational materials to
church leaders about the kinds of activities that are allowed and
forbidden under federal tax law.
Said AU's Lynn, "Robertson will never give up his
dream of forging churches into a partisan political machine. If that
dream ever comes true, it will be a nightmare for America. Both religion
and government are harmed when the two are recklessly mixed."
Americans United is a religious
liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947,
the organization educates Americans about the importance of
church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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