Ariz. group takes on Allentown's gay-rights law

The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal-aid group with an army of lawyers and a pile of court victories, has extended its reach far beyond its Arizona base.

Last year, the conservative group financed a challenge leading to the rescinding of a Philadelphia ordinance that extended benefits to the partners of gay city employees.

It also helped pave the way for a sixth grader in Colorado to do a book report on the Bible; for an antiabortion group to display giant pictures of aborted fetuses at the University of Houston; and for religious groups to rent space in New York public schools.

Now the alliance and a lawyer trained by the group are joining to challenge an Allentown ordinance that protects homosexuals and transgendered people from discrimination.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/6474787.htm

What do we know about this group?

From: People for the American Way:

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=4457

Alliance Defense Fund
15333 N. Pima Road, Suite 165
Scottsdale AZ 85260
Phone: 1-800-TELL-ADF
www.alliancedefensefund.org

ADF’s Founders:
# Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ
# Larry Burkett, founder of Christian Financial Concepts
# Rev. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family
# Rev. D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries
# Marlin Maddoux, President of International Christian Media
# Don Wildmon, founder of American Family Association
(And 25+ other ministries)
President and General Counsel: Alan Sears
Date of founding: 1994
Finances: $15,411,093 (2001 budget)
Alliance Defense Fund’s Principal Issues:
Alliance Defense Fund’s Background:
Alan Sears’ Background:
Alliance Defense Fund’s Principal Issues:
# ADF is a Christian legal firm established by more than 30 Christian ministries to help defend “family values” and work against the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
# ADF defines itself by its ability to strategize and coordinate with lawyers all over the United States. Lawyers who sign up for their “Blackstone Legal Institute” are expected to donate 450 pro bono hours over a three year period.
# ADF has coordinated over 400 lawyers, over 125 right-wing organizations, and many conservative ministries on behalf of ADF-defined Christian legal issues.
# ADF has been involved with 16 “victories” before the Supreme Court, including such high profile cases as Boy Scouts of America v. Dale and Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network. ADF has had success in anti-gay cases all over the US, from Alaska to Massachusetts.
# ADF has linked over 125 groups to create a combined effort to fight issues and on behalf of their views. ADF has brought together attorneys and allied legal groups to help develop a national strategy on controversial social issues, for example it has worked to develop a national strategy to “protect marriage” across the United States after Vermont's decision to legalize civil unions for gays and lesbians.
# In addition to organizing lawyers and ministries, ADF also trains and recruits and provides grants to support legal cases as well as pro-bono assistance.
# ADF also defends the right of Christians to “share the gospel” in workplaces and public schools, claiming that any efforts to curb proselytizing at work and school are anti-Christian.
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Alliance Defense Fund’s Background:

# Unique to ADF is their collective of high-power founders, including wealthy right-wing organizations such as Dobson’s Focus on the Family and D. James Kennedy’s Coral Ridge Ministries.
# The ADF embodies the beliefs of its founders, harnessing the efforts of a cadre of right-wing groups that have hundreds of million dollars at their disposal. All of these groups are influential members of the Right, they are pro-life and anti-gay and their ultimate goal is to see the law and government of the US enshrined with conservative Christian principles.
# The relationship between ADF and it’s founders is one of mutual self-interest, the ADF has access to the resources and networking of these large organizations, meanwhile the large organizations have an endless supply of lawyers at their command.
# ADF’s strength goes beyond their budget, and extends much further due to their influence with well-funded religious-right groups.
# Two issues that all of the founders have in common is their work against the right to abortion and gays and lesbians. They are particularly tireless in attacking any and every attempt by gays and lesbians to have families, domestic partnership or civil unions, or be protected from discrimination in employment or housing.

...is inherently evil and does not deserve to exist.

These assholes use religion to pull people apart, and should be opposed as strongly as possible.

... well here it is.

Axe yourself this... what kind of "god" would allow these hate-mongering myopic zealot nutcases to act on its behalf.

-- Allen

would spend any of their time to learn about the teachings of Christ, they might not spend so much of it sticking their noses where they don't belong. They are vile, evil minded misfits, whose only apparent reason to exist is to cause trouble.

Ever notice how "ADF" looks like "ADL?"

Notice how "ACLJ" looks like "ACLU?"

There's even a "CNP" with a mirrored agenda to the "CFR" (Council on Foreign Relations.)

The religious right- undergirded by their John Birch Society theocratic paranoia has set up "shadow" groups for all the other groups they believe are their "enemies."

So.... you've got the "commie" ACLU being opposed by the "Christian" ACLJ...you've got AU and PFAW being opposed by ADF, AFA(American Family Association), CWA (Concerened Women for America), and so on.

Regarding the Christian Coalition, despite its being deadness trumpeted in the media, there realy isn't, save somewhat for PFAW (often marginalized, esp. by the NY Times).

ADF, btw, was founded by the dead gold-bug scammer Larry Burkett, and the "Campus Crusade for Christ" (Muslims must loooove that one!) Bill Bright, along with religious bigot and child abuse advocate James Dobson (for an example, just go to his website).