Freedom Writer - September 1995

ACTIVISTPROFILE
_Julie_Schollenberger_and_Paula_PileckiInstitute for the Study of 
the Religious Right_

One of _The_Freedom_Writer_'s new features is our Activist Profile. 
Each month we will profile individuals who, at great sacrifice, promote 
the democratic ideals of diversity, dissent and debate. If you know 
someone worthy of attention out on the front lines, please write and 
tell us. For our first profile, we are pleased to present Julie Schollenberger 
and Paula Pilecki, the founders and directors of the Institute for 
the Study of the Religious Right (ISRR).

Julie Schollenberger, 38, a Los Angeles native, attended Roman Catholic 
schools, has a master's degree in communications disorders, and a 
law degree from UCLA. Formerly a speech pathologist, Julie currently 
practices health care law.

In 1989, Operation Rescue (OR) turned its guns, so to speak, on Los 
Angeles. Julie became a coordinator of the Clinic Defense Alliance 
of Los Angeles, a project of the Feminist Majority Foundation. For 
a full year, she and many others defended clinics on a monthly basis. 
After the first year, the assault let up a bit.

In an effort to learn more about Operation Rescue, Julie attended 
OR rallies. It became increasingly clear that OR's agenda included 
much more than outlawing abortion. "Listening to the sermons of OR 
leaders was a real eye-opener," Julie said.

 She realized that research was needed to focus broader attention 
on the whole Religious Right movement. After three years of clinic 
defense, Julie would decide that she had done all she could for clinic 
defense, and that her skills could be better utilized elsewhere.

One night, after giving a talk, Julie was approached by Paula Pilecki. 
Paula, 39, explained that, as a former fundamentalist Christian, she 
understood the mindset of the Religious Right. Also, her partner, 
Lisa, worked for Planned Parenthood, an organization she strongly 
supported. 

Paula became a born again Christian in 1971 through the Jesus People 
movement while in high school in Pennsylvania. Soon she found herself 
being "discipled" in Bob Mumford's "shepherding movement."

Later, Paula attended Messiah College, in Grantham, Pennsylvania, 
just outside of Harrisburg. Attending a Christian school with solid 
roots in social justice caused Paula to see that fundamentalism is 
only part of the big picture — all Christians weren't wild-eyed Bible 
thumpers.

Eventually, Paula tired of "trying to pray every day, and of feeling 
guilty about everything." In a gradual process, she broke away from 
Christianity. "It was rough," she said, but is glad she did it.

After meeting Julie, Paula was willing to do anything she could to 
help. The two devised a plan to infiltrate Operation Rescue. Paula, 
knowing the mindset and the language, was a natural. With a good cover 
story, she began attending OR mustering sites and joined OR caravans 
going to clinics they were attempting to shut down.

"It took almost a year before they invited me to a core group meeting," 
she said. After becoming fully accepted, Paula stayed with OR for 
two-and-a-half years. In 1992, she traveled with OR to Houston. For 
two weeks she was part of OR's videography team.

All the time Paula was with OR she secretly kept in touch with Julie. 
On a regular basis she related OR's plans and strategies, so the defense 
team could stay ahead of OR. She also produced personality profiles 
of OR leaders.

"Had we not had Paula infiltrating OR, they would have been active 
here much longer," Julie said. "Our victories demoralized OR time 
after time. We couldn't have done it without Paula."

"Well, it was really a team effort," Paula interjected.

In 1992, Julie and Paula began planning a long term effort to challenge 
the Radical Religious Right. In 1993, they incorporated the Institute 
for the Study of the Religious Right as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational 
and research organization. Educating the activist community and the 
media is a primary purpose of ISRR.

One of the problems Julie and Paula see comes not from the Radical 
Right, but from the progressive funding community on the left. "What 
we do is so behind the scenes," Julie said, "It isn't sexy in the 
media." They contend that funders "are typically excited about something 
that gets a great deal of media exposure, but behind the scenes research 
is critical for activism."

Because first hand sources are so important for good research about 
the Religious Right, ISRR collects a vast amount of original material 
from groups they monitor. Besides being on many mailing lists, they 
take great effort in attending Religious Right conferences and meetings 
all over the United States.

Over the past year, ISRR and the Institute for First Amendment Studies 
have formed a close working relationship. The two groups work together 
on special projects.

Currently, ISRR is working with progressive and multicultural groups 
in Southern California in order to build a cohesive community. This 
endeavor has brought ISRR in contact with a number of religious groups. 
"The religious left should be organized as effectively as the Religious 
Right," Julie said.

"One problem is," according to Julie, "that we don't`have a Martin 
Luther King today. No one has that charisma, or is making that sacrifice."

One of the objectives of ISRR is to provide the level of long-term 
information which the progressive community has got to have for defeating 
the Religious Right's agenda. "We are laying the ground work that 
will be necessary for many, many years," Julie said. "To keep up the 
fight we have to emulate the Religious Right's endurance."

While Julie and Paula are convinced that the historical pendulum will 
eventually shift back, they hope it doesn't swing too far to the right 
first. "We have to step in before it goes too far right," Paula said.

ISRR receives some funding from progressive foundations, individual 
donors, and membership fees. ISRR members receive a subscription to 
_The_Freedom_Writer_ under the group membership plan.

Julie and Paula believe that those who want to counter the Radical 
Religious Right should tie into organizations that are doing this 
kind of work already. "Don't reinvent the wheel," Julie commented, 
"join good groups and help them."

"And don't try to start a group as a way to make money!" she quipped.

_Contact_ISRR_at_PO_Box_26656,_Los_Angeles,_CA_90026,_or_call_(213)_
653-7551._Email:_[ref001]isrr@aol.com._


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