
Freedom Writer - November 1995

Religious Right update


Buckley's advice to Coalition

Washington, DC  In an article titled "Listening to 
Mr. Right," Michael Cromartie, for _Christianity_Today_, 
recently interviewed _National_Review_ founder William 
F. Buckley, Jr. One of the questions posed was: "What 
warnings would 
you have for the leaders of the Christian Coalition 
and other evangelical organizations and individuals 
speaking out on social issues?"

Buckley replied: "What frightens people most about 
the Religious Right is the rhetoric that is sometimes 
used. There ought to be some thought given, for example, 
as to how you formulate your antihomosexual position: 
it should be more pastoral than vitriol
ic.

"Now, I haven't entirely figured out a way to do it, 
and I haven't given it as much thought as I should 
have. But I have found myself consciously, in the last 
several years, avoiding just plain old-fashioned gay 
bashing. In the first place, it is unchrist
ian, and in the second place, it just doesn't work. 
It doesn't persuade anybody of anything."

CNP honors D'Souza

Nashville, Tennessee  With about 360 members and guests 
present, the Council for National Policy, at its September 
29th and 30th meeting at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, 
honored Dinesh D'Souza, a fellow at the American Enterprise 
Institute, with its W
inston Churchill Award. Mr. D'Souza is the author of 
the controversial book, _The_End_of_Racism:_Principles_
of_a_Multiracial_Society_.

As a result of D'Souza's book, other fellows at the 
American Enterprise Institute, a leading conservative 
think tank, have disassociated themselves from the 
organization. Glenn Loury, economics professor at Boston 
University, and Bob Woodson, president of
 the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, both 
black, denounced the book. Woodson called D'Souza "the 
Mark Fuhrman of public policy." He said, "_The_End_
of_Racism_, the title itself a deceit, fans the flames 
of racial animosity."

Other black conservatives, including writer Shelby 
Steele and magazine editor/publishers Gwen and Willie 
Richardson, have also denounced the book.

With chapter titles such as "Uncle Tom's Dilemma: Pathologies 
of Black Culture," and "The Content of Our Chromosomes," 
D'Souza writes about "a natural hierarchy of racial 
abilities." He also suggests that segregation was a 
system designed "to protect blac
ks."

Michael Cromartie, senior fellow at the Ethics and 
Public Policy Center, said, "There are certain phrases 
and arguments Dinesh uses in the book that could either 
have been edited out or not said."

With almost 600 members, the secretive Council for 
National Policy is a virtual "Who's Who" of the radical 
political and Religious Right. The group meets four 
times a year to socialize, network, and plan national 
conservative strategy. 

Police prevent abortion

Blair, Nebraska  Within 48 hours after making an appointment 
for abortion counseling, a 15-year-old high school 
freshman was picked up by the police and placed in 
a foster home in order to prevent her from having an 
abortion.

Now, a year later, "Mary Smith" is suing the parents 
of her baby's now 17-year-old father, local police, 
county officials, a doctor, and a physician's assistant, 
in a federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. The girl is 
charging trespass, false arrest, and ass
ault.  

Last year, after the young couple confirmed the pregnancy, 
Mary decided to have an abortion. However, Heath Mayfield, 
her boyfriend, begged her not to. Then, Heath's mother, 
Cathy Tull, got a local physician's assistant to write 
a letter saying an abortio
n would be "harmful...even fatal...to the mother." 
A doctor co-signed the letter, even though neither 
of them had examined the girl.

Tull took the letter to the police, who consulted the 
county attorney. Next, the complaint says, the police 
responded with 10 squad cars to take the teenager into 
custody and place her in a foster home. According to 
the police report, the action was based
 on "the health risk to Mary if an abortion was performed 
at this stage and due to the fact that an abortion 
was planned." By the time Mary appeared in court, her 
pregnancy was too far along to opt for an abortion. 
 

The Rutherford Institute, a Radical Religious Right 
legal organization, is defending the boy's parents 
on the grounds of "free speech  the father's right 
to express his concerns and convictions to the mother."

The American Civil Liberties Union is representing 
Mary Smith. The group is applying the Freedom of Access 
to Clinic Entrances Act, saying the 1994 law applies 
to pregnant women in all places at all times. The case 
is expected to be heard before the end o
f this year.

Thousands pray at their poles

Colorado Springs, Colorado  What began five years 
ago when a small group of Texas high school students 
gathered to pray around their school's flagpole has 
now become a worldwide movement that embraced an estimated 
2 million students last year.

Although a final count is still being tabulated for 
the September 20, 1995 event, Doug Clark, promotion 
coordinator for "See You at the Pole," told _Pastor's_
Weekly_Briefing_, "We're seeing a significant increase 
in the number of kids praying t
his year despite terrible weather in may cities across 
America. For instance, 1,200 participated last year 
in Wichita. This year, it was 2,100."

Organizers estimate 75% of all high schools have students 
participating. In addition, Clark said the number of 
"post-pole" rallies and other results appears to be 
up from last year. "They are not just praying one day," 
explained Clark. "They are starting 
campus Bible Studies by the thousands and ongoing prayer 
meetings to reach their friends for Christ. 'See You 
at the Pole' is just the tip of the iceberg." (_The_
Pastor's_Weekly_Briefing_, 9/23/95)

Back to basics with Baldwin

San Diego, California  Although he has been in office 
for only nine months, Assemblyman Steve Baldwin has 
worked tirelessly to promote his agenda. Though education 
was not one of his initial priorities, he has directed 
most of his attention toward Califo
rnia's public education policies and programs since 
he was appointed vice-chair of the Assembly Education 
Committee. 

Earlier this year, Baldwin participated in a public 
education conference in San Diego sponsored by Concerned 
Women for America, a right-wing Christian women's group. 
During a panel discussion Baldwin stated, "The things 
that are going on in our school sys
tem today regarding levitation exercises and dialectical 
journalism and fixated on feelings and attitudes and 
beliefs to me is one of the key issues that we must 
fight. There's an agenda out there in our schools that 
we must fight."

Although Baldwin's views may seem laughable, some California 
politicians apparently take him seriously. "Steve Baldwin's 
greatest weakness as vice chair of Assembly Education 
is that he is an intellectual," commented Assemblyman 
Jim Rogan. "When you have 
someone with great intellect in the lead, people can 
be threatened." (Adapted from _Mainstream_Voters_Project_
Bulletin!_)


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