NEW YORK -
Institutionalized Christianity in the U.S. has grown so extremist that it poses
a tangible danger to the principle of separation of church and state and
threatens to undermine the religious tolerance that characterizes the country,
the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, warned in
his address to the League's national commission, meeting in New York City over
the weekend.
"Today we face a better financed, more sophisticated,
coordinated, unified, energized and organized coalition of groups in opposition
to our policy positions on church-state separation than ever before. Their goal
is to implement their Christian worldview. To Christianize America. To save us!"
he said.
Foxman proceeded to describe the process and to name names:
"Major players include Focus On Family. Alliance Defense Fund, the American
Family Association, Family Research Council and more. They and other groups have
established new organizations and church-based networks, and built
infrastructure throughout the country designed to promote traditional Christian
values." |
The ADL, considered the
largest Jewish organization in America, has in the past spearheaded campaigns
against religious preachers and Christian elements deemed unusually extreme. But
this is the first all-out media assault by an ADL head on the U.S. Christian
establishment.
"In 2002, leaders from 10 conservative Christian
organizations formed the `Arlington Group,' an alliance of over 50 of the most
prominent Christian leaders and organizations. Their Web site documented in
considerable details the agenda of a wide range of issues, including judicial
nominees, stem-cell research, same-sex marriage, abortion restrictions and the
faith-based initiative - and their expectation of success on these issues [was
high] because of their perceived political strength," Foxman said.
He
noted that churches and organizations of this sort have always been active in
America, but they had never before been so aggressive and determined. "They
intend to Christianize all aspects of American life, from the halls of
government to the libraries, to the movies, to recording studios, to the playing
fields and locker rooms of professional, collegiate and amateur sports; from the
military to SpongeBob SquarePants," Foxman charged. "No effort is made to hide
their goals or their ambitions, and their vision of America is far different
from ours."
Foxman traced the growing spread of Christian extremism to a
crisis in values among large segments of the American population and a
corresponding yearning for religious content, along with the presence of
President George Bush as an encouraging ally. However, Foxman identified the
central cause as a sense of persecution and the perception that religion, in
general, and Christianity, in particular, are under attack from the liberals in
the U.S.
In his speech, Foxman presented the as yet unpublished results
of an opinion poll commissioned by the ADL. The survey found that an
overwhelming 75 percent of Americans who attend church once a week believe that
religion is under attack in America. Among evangelicals, that figure rises to 80
percent. Among those who attend church regularly, 70 percent think that
Christianity is particularly threatened; 76 percent of evangelicals
agree.
The poll also revealed that 60 percent of church members, and 69
percent of evangelical favor instituting organized prayer in America's public
schools.
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