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Posted on 08/14/2005 3:40:33 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Speakers will include former Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.); Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly; Bill Donohue of the Catholic League; Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in College Park, Md., and Chuck Colson, a former aide to President Richard Nixon arrested in the Watergate scandal who later founded the Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Nashville — Before "Amen" sounds on "Justice Sunday II" tonight, Jett Williams promises to sing the gospel song her daddy, Hank, left her: "I Saw the Light."
Organizers of this meeting of politics and preaching want God-fearing Americans to see the light of a new day in which they can help Supreme Court nominee John Roberts get confirmed and reverse what they view as anti-religious bias in the federal court system.
"This is about one of those moments in history we don't want to miss. We want to get it right," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a sponsor of "Justice Sunday II: God Save the United States and The Honorable Court."
"We saw in the 1980s the Reagan Revolution break the grip of liberalism on the country. We saw in the 1990s a conservative resurgence in Congress that broke the liberalism there," said Perkins. "Now we stand with the opportunity to see the Supreme Court righted."
But others among the nation's varied communities of faith want to shine a different light on the event at the Two Rivers Baptist Church, a megahouse of worship located not far from country music's Opryland. They call "Justice Sunday II" an unholy attempt to impose religious conservatism on a secular judicial confirmation process.
"You mean 'Injustice Sunday II'," said Timothy McDonald, pastor of the First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta and chairman of African American Ministers in Action. The gathering "is using religion to alienate people rather than to bring people together. It has more to do with politics than with theology. I'm disappointed that clergy would be leading such a divisive call."
Both sides see tonight's 90-minute telecast as part of a broader campaign by conservative religious activists to motivate churchgoers to make their voices heard as never before in the judicial confirmation process.
"Justice Sunday I" was telecast from Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., in April and called for congregants to turn Democrats away from filibustering President Bush's judicial nominees.
From Sunday School classes to Internet chat rooms on religion, Perkins said, the lessons need to be "about how the courts have steadily chiseled away at religious foundations of the country for the past 40 years."
These decisions "were never made by democratically elected representatives," Perkins said, but always by "activist"-appointed justices.
Critics of the Christian conservatives argue that such rulings uphold a separation of church and state the founders of the country envisioned and diverse modern America depends upon.
"America has become the most religiously pluralistic society the world has ever known." said Bill Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. "We cannot remain silent when anyone claims to represent all people of faith."
Multitudes in church pews and in living rooms and in front of computer screens around the country will tune into tonight's simulcast from the cavernous home of one of the largest Southern Baptist congregations in the Bible Belt.
Speakers will include former Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.); Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly; Bill Donohue of the Catholic League; Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in College Park, Md., and Chuck Colson, a former aide to President Richard Nixon arrested in the Watergate scandal who later founded the Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Notably missing will be Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Although he spoke at "Justice Sunday I" and tonight's event is taking place in his hometown, Frist was not invited.
Many of the organizers were displeased when Frist recently spoke out in favor of increased federal funding for stem cell research using human embryos.
"It is an understatement to say that the pro-life community is disappointed," said Dobson.
If Frist changed his position "to improve his chances of winning the White House in 2008 should he choose to run, he has gravely miscalculated," said Dobson.
Perkins, who has also expressed disappointment in Frist's switch, denied that the Tennessee senator was "disinvited."
"This has nothing to do with Senator Frist's position on stem cell research," Perkins said. "He spoke at the last one" and organizers lined up new speakers for the second event.
But political analysts believe Frist has hurt himself should he seek the presidency in 2008.
"Frist has managed to work himself into the worst of both worlds," said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "He has alienated moderates because of his positions on Terri Schiavo. Then he has alienated conservatives on embryonic stem cell research."
Anyone think Frist will be watching?
Frist probably received bad advice from someone who told him the "polls" indicated that Americans wanted the Federal Government to fund embryonic stem cell research unconditionally.
Probably didn't mention to him the polls were likely to be slanted with over samplings of liberals and Democrats.
The article indicates it can be watched on the Net. Can anybody direct me? I'm sure it won't be on the air in Soviet Kanukistan, where Muslim is the only religion we are permitted to hear about.
Hmm. And someone was trying to make the case social conservatives were abandoning Roberts en masse.
To: National Desk
Contact: Amber Hildebrand, Family Research Council, 202-393-2100
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 /Christian Wire Service/-- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R- TX) has joined the list of distinguished speakers for Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court!" The program is set for Sunday, August 14th at Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee and will be broadcast live in churches across the nation in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio stations, via satellite and web-cast on www.justicesunday.com.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) is a welcome addition to our list of distinguished speakers at Justice Sunday II. As a stalwart ally of the American family, the Majority Leader has led the effort in the House to reign in activist judges who threaten the very foundations of marriage and family.
"With so much at stake, it is fitting that the Majority Leader address the Justice Sunday II audience on what pro-family Americans can do to protect family, faith and freedom," said Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council.
Representative DeLay will join Senator Zell Miller, Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship Ministries, Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who will appear by video, and a host of prestigious and witty speakers.
For more information regarding the "Justice Sunday II -God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" live simulcast, log onto www.justicesunday.com or call the FRC Press Office at (202) 393- 2100.
Members of the media must register for FRC media credentials prior to the event. Fax your name, phone number and e-mail address on company letterhead to Amber Hildebrand at 202.393.2134.
Bump!
Call me a nay-sayer, but I don't think this belongs in church.
Well it's a nice change from sex and blasphemy, which is mainly what we seem to have going on in churches these days.
Just the usual liberal suspects.
This is a relatively new Baptist church down on Moreland Avenue in Atlanta. They do have a website, but it's quite primitive. Most of the menu is empty -- and in the Press Release section the webmaster left a piece of the old Lore Ipsum floating around. Assuming the pastor reads Latin, he probably thinks it's a piece of Papist mumbo-jumbo (actually it's a slightly garbled excerpt from Cicero).
bump
If Frist lets "the polls" tell him where to stand on such an important basic issue, he's not worth a cracker!
Did somebody say PAPIST???? :)
Our infiltration plans are not yet complete!
Hahahaha, my portion of the plan is complete. I await the green light from the Vatican to commence the operation. These people will never know what hit them... Did I just type that all out? Nah.....
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