(23) Sat 12 Apr 97 19:15 By: Charles Sumner To: All Re: Re: Re: [chstate] Promoting Lawlessness and Theocracy St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:716e 228c99e0 @MSGID: 1:18/14 33501796 @PID: GenMsg 5.00 [0002] @Date: 12 Apr 97 23:15:34 UTC * Copy of message posted via CHURCH&STATE * Date: 12 Apr 97 19:13:47 * From: Charles Sumner * To: All * Forwarded by: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14 * Message text was not edited! @MSGID: 1:18/14 3350172B @PID: GenMsg 5.00 [0002] @Date: 12 Apr 97 23:13:47 UTC * Copy of message posted via NETMAIL * Date: 12 Apr 97 05:30:44 * From: Charles Sumner @ 1:374/103 * To: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14 * Forwarded by: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14 * Message text was not edited! @MSGID: juno.com 89a708fc @RFC-Message-ID: <19970412.060949.6639.0.charles.sumner@juno.com> @RFC-X-Mailer: Juno 1.15 @RFC-X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0,2,4-13,15-18,20,22-25,27-28,30,32,34-39,41,43, 45- 48,50,52,54-59,61-62,64-67,69,71-79,81-86,88-90,92,94-107 @RFC-Sender: owner-chstate@unidial.com @RFC-Precedence: bulk @RFC-Disclaimer: Opinions are those of the author, not necessarily of Ecunet Received: from mail.unidial.com (mail.unidial.com [206.112.1.5]) by bbs.mpcs.com (8.8.5/8.8.5/MPCS) with ESMTP id SAA21801; Fri, 11 Apr 1997 18:17:26 -0400 Received: from ecunet.org (pcusa01.ecunet.org [206.115.64.2]) by mail.unidial. com (NTR*NET 2.1.0) with SMTP id SAA07888; Fri, 11 Apr 1997 18:15:15 -0400 (EDT) Received: from m4.boston.juno.com by pcusa01.ecunet.org id aa08403; 11 Apr 97 18:13 EDT Received: (from charles.sumner@juno.com) by m4.boston.juno.com (queuemail) id S^S17761; Fri, 11 Apr 1997 18:10:20 EDT To: chstate@ecunet.org From: charles.sumner@juno.com (Charles Sumner) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Joseph Conn April 10, 1997 Rob Boston RELIGIOUS RIGHT RALLY FOR TEN COMMANDMENTS MASKS RADICAL AGENDA, SAYS AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE RALLY PROMOTES LAWLESSNESS AND THEOCRACY, WATCHDOG GROUP CHARGES A Religious Right-sponsored "Save the Commandments" rally this Saturday in Montgomery, Ala., is a scam intended to lure Christians into a radical crusade against the Constitution and the rule of law, a national church-state watchdog group has charged. Americans United for Separation of Church and State says organizers of the Montgomery, Ala., event are supporting Alabama public officials who have threatened to defy court orders upholding the constitutional separation of church and state. Etowah County Judge Roy S. Moore has vowed to defy a court decision ordering him to take down a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments displayed in his courtroom and discontinue Protestant invocational prayers before court proceedings. Alabama Gov. Fob James has threatened to call out the National Guard and use state troopers to keep the Christian religious activities in place. The issue has become a cause celebre among Religious Right activists, and a rally to support Moore and James has been set for this Saturday in front of the state capitol in Montgomery. Thousands are expected to attend. Christian Coalition Executive Director Ralph Reed, the American Family Association's Donald Wildmon, author George Grant and 1996 Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes are scheduled to speak, as are the governor and Judge Moore. Said Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn, "The organizers of this rally are courting anarchy and promoting theocracy. Many Christians have been fooled into thinking this rally is about support for the Ten Commandments. In fact, it's about opposition to the rule of law and church-state separation. When public officials threaten to defy lawful court orders and vow to enforce their personal religious agenda, the American form of government is placed in jeopardy. "Ralph Reed has tried to moderate the image of the Christian Coalition and the rest of the Religious Right," Lynn continued. "But Reed's support for this rally shows his extreme agenda. The Religious Right's crusaders won't rest until they impose their religion on all of us by law." Lynn, a United Church of Christ minister and civil liberties attorney, charged that the radicalism of event organizers is apparent in their choice of speakers. Reed will be sharing the stage with George Grant, an activist affiliated with Christian Reconstructionism, the most radical wing of the Religious Right. Reconstructionists seek to replace American secular law with "God's law," including the harsh penal code of the Old Testament. In his 1993 book, Legislating Immorality, Grant expressed regret that unrepentant homosexuals are no longer executed by the government in keeping with Old Testament requirements. The rally is also being cosponsored by anti-abortion zealot Randall Terry and others from the farthest fringes of the religio-political camp. Last week, one rally cosponsor, the Council of Conservative Citizens, withdrew from participation after its record of racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric was made public by Americans United. Despite the CCC's clear pattern of extremism and bigotry, rally organizers refused to repudiate the group and its views. Americans United for Separation of Church and State represents some 50,000 individual members, as well as hundreds of churches, synagogues and other houses of worship. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization is marking its 50th anniversary this year. Americans United for Separation of Church and State 1816 Jefferson Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 202.466.3234 202.466.2587 fax E-mail: americansunited@au.org WWW site: http://www.au.org/ Distributed by charles.sumner@juno.com --------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this list, send just the word unsubscribe in the body of a note to chstate-request@ecunet.org --------------------------------------------------------------- @Via ifmail 1:374/103@fidonet, Fri Apr 11 1997 at 18:17 (2.8b) @Via 1:374/98 @19970412.053517 GEcho/32 1.20/Pro - GenMsg [0002] (cbaker84@digital.net) @ Origin: Rights On! for Privacy! It's a Right not a privilege! 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