THEISTWATCH FOR MAY 5, 1995 United States - A CHOICE OF DIFFERENT EVILS (Part 1 of 2) Unit
THEISTWATCH FOR MAY 5, 1995
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United States--A CHOICE OF DIFFERENT EVILS (Part 1 of 2)
United States--EMBEZZLEMENT CASE REVEALS MORE CHURCH WEALTH
District of Columbia--DOLE PROMISES TO BLOCK FOSTER VOTE
New York--SET-BACK FOR GAYS IN NEW YORK
Colorado--DOBSON TAKES THE GOP TO TASK
Cyberspace--FEEDBACK FROM A READER
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A CHOICE OF DIFFERENT EVILS
Victims Are Easy to Identify; But Finding Genuine Heroes in
the Conflict Between the Feds and the Christian/Militia Right
Poses is a Daunting Task for Secularists Concerned About
Civil Liberties
(Part One of Two)
by Conrad F. Goeringer
Somebody once said that there are few easy choices in
life. Making choices in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City
bombing leaves people worried, angry, confused; it is
certainly obvious that the tragedy which has claimed well
over a hundred lives cannot be justified by any rational
standard. No political statement was issued by the person or
persons responsible for the blast -- something which is s.o.p
(standard operating procedure) for "terrorists" or "freedom
fighters" throughout the world, from the Irish Republican
Army to the Hezbollah Militia. And the target was vague,
ill-defined. It wasn't a draft board, a favorite of militant
1960s radicals. Was it the FBI office in Oklahoma City? Or
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms? Could it even
have been the day care center, a symbolic revenge for the
Waco shootout which happened two years prior to the Oklahoma
City blast? Even now, no one is really sure -- except
perhaps the person or persons who did it. If Timothy McVeigh
is one of those people, he isn't talking.
From Waco to Idaho
But the links between McVeigh and the militia/survivalist
right-wing in America has investigators, and at times the
public imagination, working overtime. It is known that
thousands --maybe even hundreds of thousands -- of mostly
white males, are deeply immersed in a peculiar sub-culture.
It is simplistic to say that it is based simply on "hatred. "
There is elaborate, convoluted theo-political "weltenshauung"
or world-view motivating these people, a view of the world
mixing Bible fundamentalism with "Mad Max" scenarios of
doomsday and post-apocalyptic utopias. It is described as
"anti-government," which is like saying that tainted meat is
"food." Anti-government may describe tens of millions of
other Americans too, covering a wide waterfront of issues.
No, this is a movement which while somewhat diffuse is
nevertheless clearly marked in our culture's political
topography.
The watersheds for this movement are identified as two
events -- the burning of the Branch Davidian Compound in
Waco, Texas, in 1993, and the shootout between federal agents
and a man named Randy Weaver in 1991. In both cases, the
targets were clearly outside of the cultural, political and
even theological mainstream. Weaver and his family were "off
the grid," survivalist types who had retreated to the
mountains of Idaho and embraced a weird mix of self-
sufficiency, survivalism, biblical fundamentalism, and the
doomsday prophesies of groups like the Aryan Nation. Idaho
was to become a "stronghold," a redoubt for white
nationalists who wanted to segregate themselves -- get go
"off the grid" in the words of N.Y. Times Magazine writer
Philip Weiss -- and prepare for an immanent confrontation
with invading U.N. troops who planned to subjugate America to
a Jewish cabal. Guns, explosives, stores of food and a
constant preparedness were the order of the day.
The Branch Davidians wanted to get away as well, away from
a secular, corrupt world which certainly did not accept the
teachings and prophesies of the messiah, the incarnate Jesus
Christ, a mediocre rock 'n roll musician who called himself
David Koresh. What came to pass within the Davidian cult
reads like a script from a sequel to "Guayana Massacre." It
was Jim Jones all over again, complete with the segregation
of followers in compounds and, eventually, dormitories, and a
flock of available females for the charismatic leader. Both
groups had remarkable similarities, but unless one accepts
the rather outlandish scenario that paints the Jonestown
suicides as some elaborate CIA plot, it was the Branch
Davidians that really got the attention of a bungling, inept
U.S. government.
David Koresh was apparently wanted on a weapons possession
charge (as was Randy Weaver). Unlike Jim Jones, Koresh was
still sufficiently plugged into the real world to where he
would drift into nearby Waco and surrounding towns and stroll
into a local saloon -- some say a strip joint. But the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had other plans. They
decided to raid the Branch Davidian compound, even after it
was learned that the sect had been tipped-off. After weeks
and months of Koresh-Davidian life-style, the compound
dwellers probably thought that surrender was impossible, that
they would be killed -- and the only alternative left was to
fight.
The feds, of course, like to talk about the children in
the Waco stronghold. Were the parents convinced that the
government would take the children from them if they
surrendered? Probably. Was there child molestation or
physical abuse? Doubtful. But there was the steady
indoctrination of vulnerable children into a bizarre and
apocalyptic religious cult. When the feds moved the first
time, it was a "kill or get killed" scenario for the adult
Branch Davidians.
And by the time of the second and final assault, both
sides were in a "can't back down" situation -- especially the
feds. BATF had bungled the initial raid; even the local law
enforcement folks claimed that they could have picked up
Koresh and possibly other Branch Davidian leaders during one
of the bar-trips into town. To many observers, BATF was a
combination American Gestapo with the antics of the Keystone
Cops, the botched segments that don't get shown on "Top
Cops." They were the cowboys, the kick-the-door-in types who
had watched too many Dirty Harry movies, or believed their
own mythology.
The FBI was called into Waco to take over the Branch
Davidian operation and do spin-control -- if possible. By
now the Davidians probably knew that there was no turning
back. Caught between the blaring loudspeakers which
broadcast everything from music to chanting, and the
preaching of David Koresh that he was Jesus Christ, there
wasn't much room for compromise or negotiations. Some of the
Davidians may have been killed by Koresh's top lieutenants.
Was there a revolt in the compound? Or was there a mutual
suicide pact. We may never know.
For Bill Clinton and Janet Reno, Waco was also a no-win
situation. Backing off was something that Clinton couldn't
do -- he had to project a position of strength and resolution
if he hoped to overcome the image of a draft-dodging college
kid who became president. Reno had to back the troops.
Koresh needed his apocalypse, and the devout were along for
the ride. The children had no say in the matter.
Something died, though, in the Waco disaster. It was
during the first BATF assault that heavily-armed federal
agents armed with automatic weapons and flak jackets started
to, in modern parlance, "get their asses kicked." These guys
WEREN'T the "top cops." They made mistakes, bungled, got
wounded and killed --and most symbolic of all, people were
shooting back. It was a federal agent's worst nightmare come
true -- it made shootouts with groups like the Black Panthers
during the 1960s and 1970s a picnic by comparison. No wonder
they brought in a tank.
So in the Waco aftermath, a question overwhelmed the
country which still hasn't been adequately answered to this
day; who was "right"? The feds certainly weren't heroes
despite the spin-doctoring of Janet Reno; not only had they
bungled both assaults, but it is still not clear that the
shootout was necessary or practical.
And what about the Branch Davidians? Freedom of religion
is a tenet of the U.S. Constitution, but the consequences of
religious belief -- especially when children are involved --
raises other problems. How free were individuals to leave
the Waco compound? In Jonestown, a point was quickly reached
where no one was permitted to leave -- not even the party
trying to escape the cult with Congressman Leo Ryan, who were
massacred at the Georgetown, Guyana, airport. When the
cyanide-laced kool-aid was being handed out, some Jones
followers tried to flee. Their bodies were later found with
bullets in the back.
The situation in Waco may have been different, though, at
least for adults. Kids inevitably follow their parents and
guardians, and their tragic fate was sealed along with that
of David Koresh.
In Waco, there were only victims. The Davidians were a
fringe religious group victimized not only by their own
theology and the predation of David Koresh, but by an inept,
bungling, perhaps frightened federal bureaucracy. Perhaps
Clinton and Reno wish they could go back in time and alter
their strategy, but they can't. The shootout at Waco left
Americans -- and the survivalist-right -- with a image of
buildings in flame beneath the wind-driven flag of the Branch
Davidians.
For the government, it was at best a hollow victory, and
at most an embarrassment. For others, it was a "call to
arms," a turning-point.
(end of Part One)
Next -- Randy Weaver and the Selkirk Mountains Shootout
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EMBEZZLEMENT CASE REVEALS MORE CHURCH WEALTH
by Conrad F. Goeringer
Skimming money requires two things: a competent and
larcenous personality and enough cash "flowing through the
system" so that no one notices. And often, the more money
which "flows," the less impact stealing appears to have -- at
least for a while.
In the Episcopal church, the cash has indeed been flowing,
and not all of it to the coffers. Some allegedly lined the
pockets of Ellen F. Cooke, former treasurer of the church,
who embezzled $2.2 million in a buying spree which included
college tuition for the kids, jewelry, and a new home. Cooke
has not been formally charged, though, and is cooperating
with the investigation into church finances. She earned a
hefty $120,000 salary as the treasurer of the denomination.
But the two million came out of a yearly budget which
totalled $42.6 million in 1995, and over $46 million in 1994.
The stolen loot was funneled from church accounts in
Washington and a New York City brokerage house to personal
accounts. In addition, Cooke allegedly ran up another
$325,000 on credit cards, and $225,000 from church checking
accounts to third parties. The scam operated between
February of 1990 and this past January.
Tip of the Iceberg?
The Cooke scandal gives the public some insight into the
budget and holdings of one of the nations wealthier religious
groups relative to its size -- it has only about 2.5 million
members. According to news reports, the national office
staff of the church was cut by about one-third during the
past four years.
But the annual budget does not reflect total church
wealth, nor do the revelations from the Cooke affair reflect
total church earnings, since large, institutional investors
(like religious organizations) spread their holdings "across
the board" through numerous banking and brokerage houses.
There is no sure way of knowing exactly how much wealth a
particular church has -- churches are tax exempt and do not
have to file the types of rigorous paperwork and reports
which other profit-making enterprises do.
One of the few studies into church wealth, including the
holdings of the Episcopalian religion, was done over 20 years
ago in the book FREEDOM UNDER SIEGE by Madalyn Murray O'Hair.
While the figures are by now out of date (and probably quite
low), her research of public record sources indicated that
the economic wealth of the Episcopalian church was
considerable. And it was somewhat disproportionate compared
to other religions. The Roman Catholic church, for instance,
with over 40,000,000 claimed followers, had admitted real
estate holdings in excess of $374 million; the Episcopalians,
however, with less than 5 percent of that membership, boasted
nearly $165 million in real estate. Per Capita, the church
surpasses holdings for Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians
as well, confirming the reputation of being an
"establishment" religious organization.
Total church wealth in America is a closely guarded
secret; much is tied-up in stock investments, land, business
operations, trusts and other financial instruments. And it's
all tax free.
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DOLE PROMISES TO BLOCK FOSTER VOTE
by Conrad F. Goeringer
Following two days of emotional testimony before the
Senate Labor Committee, Henry Foster still faces major
obstacles in his quest to become the nation's next surgeon
general.
Foster has encountered considerable opposition since his
name was first placed in nomination. Anti-choice groups
targeted the Clinton administration nominee, especially when
it was revealed that he had performed numerous abortions.
With the new GOP majority in Congress, it even looked
doubtful that Foster's name would clear committee.
Now Presidential candidate and Senate Majority Leader Bob
Dole (R-Kansas) promises to not even permit a floor vote,
citing other nominations that died in committee during the
Reagan and Bush eras. And even if Foster's name makes it to
the Senate, another right-wing standard-bearer -- Phil Gramm
of Texas -- threatens to filibuster.
Any of these developments would be a victory for anti-
abortion groups, and Foster's defeat would present the
Clinton administration with a tough choice -- a surgeon
general who is not pro-choice or the choice of no surgeon
general at all.
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SET-BACK FOR GAYS IN NEW YORK
Judge Removes "Sexual Orientation" from Job Discrimination
Rules: State Senate says 'No' to "Domestic Partners"
by Conrad F. Goeringer
Responding to political pressure from right-wing Christian
evangelicals, the New York State Senate has barred "domestic
partners" from receiving health insurance benefits if one of
them happens to be a Senate employee. Joseph Bruno, newly
elected majority leader of the State Senate, declared: "It
was never the intent of the state to provide health care
benefits to homosexual lovers. The intent was to have it for
individuals, married couples, parents and their children."
Meanwhile, New York's newly elected Republican attorney
general has removed "sexual orientation" from the list of
protected categories governing employment in his office.
Dennis Vacco has been sharply critical of the gay community;
he defeated a lesbian candidate in last November's election.
According to the New York Post, Vacco will now be able to
fire "political appointees who happen to be gay" without
risking what were termed "groundless 'civil rights'
lawsuits."
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DOBSON TAKES THE GOP TO TASK
The Republican party is "insulting" Christians,
according to James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family,
the Christian conservative.In a letter sent on May 1 to Haley
Barbour, chairman of the Republican National Committee,
Dobson claimed that 43 percent of the votes for Republican
nominees in the 1994 election were from "evangelical
Christians" -- and that bill had to be paid.
The letter was sent in response to a recent fund appeal
letter distributed by the Republican National Committee which
included voter survey on various issues such as economics and
taxation. What's wrong with that? According to Dobson,
"Virtually none of the items dealt with the great moral
issues of our time." Saying that it was "simplistic" to think
that voters find economic issues to be the most pressing
concern, Dobson attacked "safe-sex ideology," "homosexuality
in the military, the killing of unborn babes, fetal tissue
experimentation, and the assignment of women to combat
situations." But most important of all, according to Dobson,
is that voters "want religious liberty restored to the
nation's schools, and they demand the right to acknowledge
God in the public square." The last was an obvious reference
to the proposed "religious liberty amendment" which purports
to "guarantee" students the right to pray in school.
Alienating even 5 percent of such voters, Dobson warned,
"could prove fatal in 1996."
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FEEDBACK FROM A READER
[The following was sent in response to the "Message from the
Moderator" in the May 4 (National Day of Prayer) mailing. The
debate concerning TheistWatch our correspondent mentions
concerns a complaint made on alt.atheism.moderated that
TheistWatch should not have included an article on a comment
made by an anti-choice legislator that women who were
"really" raped could not become pregnant. The complainer felt
that the abortion right controversy was not relevant to an
Atheist discussion group.]
From: nwiles@mail.utexas.edu
To: theistwatch-l@atheist.org (Theistwatch-l)
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 21:43:40 -0600
Subject: Re: TW: May 4, 1995
Theistwatch is a superb service! I have been very happy with
the coverage and focus so far and would prefer to continue to
receive it as a unit rather than as separate articles.
In regard to the recent debate about Theistwatch on
alt.atheism moderated, I would just like to say that I am
primarily interested in the dangers presented when the xian
right and its allies try to force their values down everyone
else's throat. As far as I am concerned, the issues of the
existence of god and the validity of the bible were settled
in the nineteenth century and do not need to be rehashed for
an atheist audience. The xians are a political, not an
intellectual threat.
Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Bill Stouffer
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TheistWatch is a regular news survey on religion and
religious belief, and the foibles and follies of religion, as
reported from an Atheist standpoint. TheistWatch originates
from the headquarters of American Atheists, Inc., in Austin,
Texas, as a service to members and potential members and all
Atheists concerned about the problems created by organized
and unorganized superstitions. Unless otherwise noted,
articles appearing in TheistWatch are contributed by the
staff of American Atheists.
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