News
ADL Urges Joint Effort Against Right
Blasts Campaign To 'Christianize' American Life
By E.J. KESSLER
November 11, 2005

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Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family's vice president of government and public policy, called Foxman's speech "perplexing." Noting that the evangelical groups Foxman cited are staunch supporters of Israel, Minnery told the Forward, "If you keep bullying your friends, pretty soon you won't have any." He suggested that Foxman is prone to exaggeration. With his effort against "The Passion," Foxman "predicted the sky would fall, and the sky has not fallen," Minnery said.

Minnery also defended his group's domestic agenda as being compatible with civil liberties for Jews and others. "To the extent that America remains Christian, it remains free for non-Christian belief to flourish," he said. "You don't see that in other parts of the world."

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In his speech, Foxman cited a new poll commissioned by the ADL as evidence that the Christian groups were intent on imposing what he called "the tyranny of the majority." According to the survey, which will be released next week, almost 64% of Americans think religion is under attack (57% think Christianity is being assaulted) and 56% think creationism should be taught in schools. In addition, 64% think religious symbols such as the Ten Commandments should be displayed in public buildings, and almost half think the courts have gone too far in removing religion from American life. Those numbers rise steeply for those who attend church once a week or who describe themselves as evangelicals.

"If 60% think religion is under attack, who do they think is attacking them? Hollywood, the media and the ACLU? And who is behind those three institutions? The Jews, right?" Foxman told reporters after the speech.

In a telephone interview, Foxman said he raised the alarm because he sees a "mood change" nationally in which talk of God and religious values has been replaced with talk of Jesus and Christian values. This Christian "arrogance" is threatening traditional church-state separation in a variety of areas, he said, citing the controversy over Christian proselytizing at the U.S. Air Force Academy and a case recently won by the Salvation Army. The case had the support of the Bush administration, allowing it to engage in religious-based employment discrimination. Foxman also pointed to the debate over abortion and the Supreme Court.

More:
http://www.forward.com/articles/6856

It really should be cross-posted outside this forum.

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