Posted on 08/05/2004 10:44:08 AM PDT by truthandlife
The Democratic National Committee's appointed religion adviser has resigned after a Catholic group criticized her for supporting an atheist's claim that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional.
Rev. Brenda Bartella Peterson stepped down as the DNC's senior religion adviser, telling the Religion News Service that "it was no longer possible for me to do my job effectively."
"The only question now is whether [Democratic presidential candidate] John Kerry and the DNC have finally got the message. When we exposed Mara Vanderslice as a Left-wing activist who cavorts with anti-Catholics, the Kerry camp silenced her as its Religious Outreach Director," said Catholic League President William Donohue.
Vanderslice was criticized recently for openly embracing Marxism-Leninism and for her college membership to a group that supports convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Donohue applauded Peterson's resignation. "When we exposed Rev. Peterson as a Left-wing activist who went into the U.S. Supreme Court on the side of atheist Michael Newdow to censor the words 'under God' in the Pledge [of Allegiance], she was forced to quit her role with the DNC," Donohue said.
"The first hire may have been a mistake, but it is not credible to maintain that the DNC erred in hiring Rev. Peterson: they knew what they were getting and they knew what happened to Vanderslice, and yet they persisted anyway," he said.
The Catholic League had also criticized Peterson's previous position as executive director of the Clergy Leadership Network, which claims on the Debate section of its website that 'Taxes provide a way to look out for our neighbors...Slashing taxes denies that!'
"In other words, the greedy want to keep the money they've earned; those who want to take it from us are the altruists. No wonder Rev. Peterson says, 'The federal budget is a moral document," Donohue said in a press release.
He also pointed out CLN's focus statement, which says that 'gay, lesbian, bisexual [and] transsexual people are being attacked through legislation and even constitutional amendments.'
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what Rev. Peterson believes," Donohue said.
"Why are Kerry and the DNC imploding on religion? Because too many of the elites running the show are devout secularists who put a premium on freedom from religion. Their idea of religious liberty is banning nativity scenes on public property. Their idea of diversity is censoring 'under God from the Pledge," he said.
"Their idea of tolerance is forbidding a moment of silence in the schools. Their idea of a good Catholic is Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice. Their idea of compassion is hiking taxes. Their idea of helping the poor is giving them directions to a soup kitchen. And their idea of choice is abortion, not school vouchers," Donohue said.
John Kerry would like to express how sorry he is . . . that this became an issue.
Well stated and worth repeating.
Isn't Kerry really hiring some great people? (sarcasm off)
Between now an election day, she'll go to medical school in Damascus..then, if Kerry wins, she'll be nominated as Surgeon -General.
hats off to the catholic league!
Amen
I thought it was funny when they hired this idiot. The Democrats try to reach out to religious people by hiring some guy who opposes public displays of religion. The guy's whole philosophy is just the opposite of the job he was hired to do.
More alumni from the "Axis of Gerbils" theological seminary.
So, Rev. Peterson thinks that the Bible should read, "When I was hungry, you taxed the populace to provide me with food stamps, when I was naked, you legislated tax incentives for people to give me their throw away clothing, and when I was sick and imprisoned, you sent your representative to visit me."
With the way John Kerry keeps tossing people overboard, eventually somone is going to plant a political bomb on the Kerry campaign scow.
Maybe someday these traditional democrats will wake up and discover that they are really Republicans. When that happens the Democratic Party will be doomed.
It was never possible to perform your job effectively if you have issues with the PLedge.
"Why are Kerry and the DNC imploding on religion? Because too many of the elites running the show are devout secularists who put a premium on freedom from religion. Their idea of religious liberty is banning nativity scenes on public property. Their idea of diversity is censoring 'under God from the Pledge," he said."
Amen!
This Christian will no longer be silent while under attack. People have died to defend the gospel, we've no less of a duty to defend our freedom to worship the God of our Choice. Those that seek to limit our right WILL be confronted.
Remember just a few days ago, when Kerry "warned" President Bush to not make homosexual marriage a campaign issue? Gee, I wonder why he did that?
Gee The Kerry Camp sure has a lot of folks stepping down these day
At catholicsagainstkerry.com we have recognized the danger that John Kerry is to Catholic values.
We're not waiting to have Kerry do history to us. We are soldiers in the battle against attacks on our sacred beliefs.
Join us. Learn how it feels to truely live up to youe Confirmation vows.
Fry Mumia!!!!
"Maybe someday these traditional democrats will wake up and discover that they are really Republicans. When that happens the Democratic Party will be doomed."
Remember all those so-called "Reagan Democrats" who became Republicans? We could be seeing movement towards "Bush Democrats" - Christian conservative-minded Democrats seeing that voting Republican (and for Bush) and against same-sex unions is the best moral decision they can make in the next few elections.
The GOP needs to be as rampant and effective as the Catholic League.
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