« Christian Anti-Defamation Commission
July 21, 2008
Religious Right Claims Obama's Faith Itself to be 'Attack' on Christianity
When James Dobson decided to begin a radio broadside against Barack Obama’s religious faith, he responded to criticism that he was “throwing stones” by repeating his attack—even implying Obama is “deceitful” when claiming to have become Christian—all while expressing outrage that anyone might take issue with his pronouncements.
Now Gary Cass, a former lieutenant of the late D. James Kennedy, is trying out the same reverse-umbrage. Cass started a group last year called the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, which clumsily tried to equate gay-rights legislation, a TV report on the Religious Right, and a killing spree at a Colorado church under the general rubric “Christian-bashing.”
But Cass really seemed to hit his stride when he fine-tuned his “Christian-bashing” concept to focus on attacking the faith of his political opponents, starting with Mitt Romney’s Mormonism. He launched a “True Christian VP” campaign last month to advance the notion that those who disagree with his position on abortion and gay marriage are not “real Christians.” That included Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Responding to Dobson’s attack on Obama, Cass reiterates his claim that Obama is not Christian—and makes Obama out to be the “bully”:
"Like a typical playground bully, Obama takes the first swing then get's angry when the victim of his attack tries to defend themself.[”]
According to Cass, Obama’s “first swing” was to say he is Christian.
"In a calculated ploy to strip away votes from Christian pro-life / pro-family conservatives, Obama has made a concerted effort to make his faith a campaign issue. But when his faith and ethics are scrutinized and revealed not to be Christian, Obama then claims he is a victim of conservative Christians like Jim Dobson and organizations like CADC.
"If Obama is a victim, he is a victim of his own radical theology and policies. They are so radical in fact that faithful Christians cannot simply stand by and let Obama defame and attempt to redefine the Faith by associating it with his wildly aberrant beliefs and radical policies. …
"To the extent that Obama wants to make headlines by making his faith an issue, he should be required to define and defend his beliefs and actions. The mainstream media cannot or will not do it. Thank God for Dr. Dobson and others who will not sit back and watch the Christian faith be defamed by being associated with Obama's most radical beliefs and policies.
"CADC pleges be there to defend those who will oppose any politican like Obama who seeks to exploit the Faith by distorting and attacking the scriptures."
Posted by Ezra at 5:52 PM | Permalink
June 2, 2008
Religious Right: 'True Christians' Only Those with 'Right' Politics
Impugning the religious faith of others based on their political views is one of the basic themes of the Religious Right, but it’s still refreshing to hear it as openly stated as this simple test: a “True Christian” is one who opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.
That’s the message of “True Christian VP,” a petition drive from Gary Cass’s “Christian Anti-Defamation Commission,” which is “calling for each candidate to select a true Christian as a running mate for the all important 2008 elections.” And in case there might be any confusion, the group has narrowed down the definition of “true Christian” to two criteria:
What qualifications are embodied in a truly Christian candidate for the Vice Presidency? Quite simply, the candidate will demonstrate actions and hold the beliefs personified by all of us who proclaim the name of Jesus Christ as Savior: the need to be re-born in Christ and the affirmation of historic Christianity, having a demonstrable and proven record of support for traditional Christian morality.
A life of dedicated Christian service to the public is demonstrated by the following:
Support for traditional marriage. As a Christian, the candidate for Vice President must affirm that marriage is an institution created by God and defined as a union between one man and one woman. …
Support for the Right to Life, proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, without exception.
The group also clarifies that, for example, the two Democratic candidates for president would not qualify as “real Christians”:
Who is the real Christian seeking the Presidency of the United States?
The three major presidential candidates, Democrats Barrack [sic] Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain have presented Christian voters with a vexing problem for Christians. Both Mr. Obama and Ms. Clinton have declared they are Christians, yet based on their votes, both have consistently demonstrated a failure to support the values and policy positions important to Christians. While Mr. McCain proclaims support for traditional Christian values and morality, he has chosen to not discuss his own religious beliefs.
Since founding his group last year, Cass has concentrated on promoting two ideas: one, that Christianity is being persecuted (or “bashed”), and two, that other people’s faith is fair game. In particular, Cass attacked Mormon candidate Mitt Romney for his religion’s supposed “secret rituals” and “hostility to Christianity.” Presumably Cass isn’t happy that Romney is being floated as a potential running mate for McCain.
This counterintuitive notion—that Christianity is to be defended from persecution in public culture by attacking others’ faith—is apparently shared by the so-called Christian Defense Coalition, which attacked Obama over the weekend for resigning from his church after public disagreements. “[I]f his church membership was truly spiritual -- then this action shows a fundamental lack of integrity,” declared Patrick Mahoney, who has attacked Obama’s religious credentials for some time. “Obama's resignation of membership in Trinity United Church demonstrates that he will trade even on his faith for political advantage.”
Posted by Ezra at 5:02 PM | Permalink
February 7, 2008
The CADC Won't Let It Go
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is still protesting ESPN: "The CADC is calling all those who oppose Christian bashing and a culture of corporate sponsored blasphemy to be part of a protest outside of ESPN's corporate headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut next Monday, February 11th at noon, across from the McDonald's on West Street. This rally is in response to the gross mishandling of the incident where Dana Jacobson, the co-anchor of ESPN's program, First Take, made the most inflammatory anti-Christian remarks."
Posted by Kyle at 3:01 PM | Permalink
December 20, 2007
Fred Thompson Ally: 'Anti-Christian Hysteria' Becoming 'Deadly'
On Monday we noted that former Center for Reclaiming America for Christ Director Gary Cass is banking on the “persecuted majority” card with his new group, the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. In case you needed some concrete illustration of what that means, WorldNetDaily reports on Cass’s list of “the seven worst incidents of Christian-bashing that happened in 2007.” It might sound strange coming from one of the few on the Religious Right willing to attack Mitt Romney’s faith (its “secret rituals” and shady financiers), but that’s by no means the most absurd part.
According to Cass, “Anti-Christian sentiments” are becoming “deadly”: His top item is the horrific shooting by a disturbed Colorado 24-year-old that left four people dead at a megachurch and a youth missionary training center a week and a half ago. While the senseless rampage, apparently motivated by the man’s rejection from the missionary program, was certainly tragic, Cass sees it as a consequence of an “amoral entertainment industry” and gay rights politics, calling on “anti-Christian politicians, Hollywood and New York media elites to stop the Christian bashing and take responsibility for the culture of hate towards Christians they have helped to create.”
Indeed, his list makes pretty clear where he’s trying to channel outrage over the shooting:
1. Colorado Church Murders …
2. Federal Hate Crimes Bill …
3. Violence [sic] on San Francisco Church … [Note: See here]
4. Attack [sic] on Jerry Falwell: … Hitchens made the most reprehensible and offensive remarks one can imagine against a Christian minister …
5. CNN's "God's Warriors" and "Friends of God" … [Note: See here]
6. John Edwards' Campaign Bloggers …
7. Golden Compass, the movie
As Fred Thompson pushes hard to making a surprise showing in Iowa, touting Cass’s recent endorsement, will the candidate be linking hate crimes protections for gays to killing sprees? Will he demand an apology for the Colorado shooting from “New York media elites”? Stay tuned.
Posted by Ezra at 6:19 PM | Permalink
December 17, 2007
Former 'Reclaiming America' Director Resurfaces, Taps Thompson
When the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ shut down earlier this year, all eyes were on its founder, televangelism titan D. James Kennedy, who passed away a few months later. But what about its low-key director, Gary Cass—whatever happened to him?
Well, he’s recently set up a new group called the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. Like the Catholic League front group Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, Cass’s organization plays on the reputation of the Anti-Defamation League to signify that there is currently a trend of “bigotry” against Christians in the U.S. on par with the anti-Semitism that marked the period leading up to the Holocaust.
The “persecuted majority” theme is nothing new on the Religious Right; nor is it new territory for Cass, who spoke at the “War on Christians” conference in 2006. Cass has apparently written a book called “Christian Bashing”: “It is time for Christians to stand up and call bigotry by its rightful name and to fight back when defamed," he cries.
And now Cass is turning to the presidential primary. He denounced Rudy Giuliani after the candidate said he didn’t take the biblical story of Jonah and the whale literally. “It’s either Jesus and Jonah or Giuliani. I prefer Christ’s approach to the Bible,” wrote Cass. When Mitt Romney gave his religion speech, Cass was quick to tread where few other religious-right activists would go, attacking Romney’s “Mormon dollars” and the church’s alleged “hostility to Christianity”:
As a Bishop in the Mormon Church, Mitt Romney is free to believe Mormonism's doctrines, practice their secret rituals and take their sacred vows, but Romney's Mormon beliefs are not Christian. More importantly, he has not renounced Mormonism's historic antipathy toward Christianity. This is an important aspect of any evaluation the American voters make regarding his fitness for office.
And last week, rather than follow in the footsteps of Mike Huckabee-booster Janet Folger, Cass’s predecessor at the Center for Reclaiming America, Cass endorsed the slumberous campaign of Fred Thompson. Thompson, who appears to be hoping for a “strong third” in Iowa, said that he was “deeply grateful” and that Cass was “held in high regard by conservative Evangelical Christians across the country.” So can we expect Thompson to liven up his campaign by alleging widespread “bigotry” against Christians and muttering about the “secret rituals” of his opponent’s religion?
Posted by Ezra at 6:06 PM | Permalink
December 10, 2007
Playing the Victim
Concerned Women for America’s Janice Shaw Crouse comments on Mitt Romney's "faith" speech, saying "The hostility and distrust of Evangelicals far exceeds that faced by the Mormons," while Gary Cass, Chairman and CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, calls on Romney to "renounce the historic Mormon hostility to Christianity."
Posted by Kyle at 2:37 PM | Permalink