Love and BB to all, Vinni
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Forwarded message:
Subj: Faces of hate Vol 4
Date: 97-10-04 16:09:04 EDT
From: Raoulinn
I realize this issue has been a few months in coming, but, In light of the
most recent activity in Washington, I felt this was important to share.
When the president decided to praise this obvious hate group, I decided, we
need to become aware and make others aware of what is going on in this
country. How can we ever hope for equality, fair treatment or even tolerance
when groups like this are given free reign?
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MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT THE PROMISE KEEPERS
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*MYTH: "It is not a political movement, it is a religious movement..."
*MYTH: "The Promise Keepers are good for women"
*MYTH: "PK promotes love---not hate"
*MYTH: "PK advocates an end to racism"
*MYTH: "PK is a grassroots movement founded in the community"
*MYTH: "PK is building our community through volunteer service"
*MYTH: "PK is creating Men of Integrity"
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MYTH: "It is not a political movement, it is a religious movement..."
FACT: The goal of the Promise Keepers (PK) is to take their message from
the pulpit to the public sphere. PK Leader Raleigh Washington has been
quoted as saying "There is no way this group can restrict itself when it
comes to public policy. We are producing leaders in this organization.
They will enter the political sphere."
Many of the well-financed leaders of the religious right publicly
support the PK ministry, such as Jerry Falwell, Bill Bright of the
Campus Crusade for Christ, and James Dobson of Focus on the Family.
Bright and Dobson speak at PK conferences and contribute articles to the
group's books and magazine.
James Dobson, whose Focus on the Family organization is one of the
largest religious right entities in the country, bankrolled PK in its
early days. He has also lent a substantial number of staff to the
Promise Keepers. PK had a 1996 budget of $115 million, which is expected
to double by 1998.
MYTH: "The Promise Keepers are good for women"
FACT: As feminists, we have long urged men to take responsibility in the
home, as the Promise Keepers claim to do. However, when they say "taking
responsibility" they mean taking control. Promise Keepers openly call for
wives to "submit" to their husbands.
Promise Keepers do not encourage a relationship of equals in a marriage.
Rather, they call for men to "take" their role as the leader in the
family. Promise Keeper Tony Evans stated "I am not suggesting that you
ask for your role back, I am urging you to take it back. There can be no
compromise here."
A young woman at a recent "Chosen Women" Rally, a female counterpart to the
all-male Promise Keepers, stated "Our job is to submit to our
teachers and our Professors...even if we know they are wrong. It is then
in God's hands." PK expects women to submit not only in our homes but
also in the secular world of the classroom and workplace.
MYTH: "PK promotes love---not hate"
FACT: Founder Bill McCartney was instrumental in passing Colorado's
anti-lesbian and gay Amendment 2, which was so extreme that it was later
ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. He has referred to
homosexuality as "an abomination of Almighty God". McCartney has also
been a featured speaker at rallies of Operation Rescue.
MYTH: "PK advocates an end to racism"
FACT: While the Promise Keepers claim to want to end racism, they are
only giving lip service. They are not working to end the institutional
racism in society today, but are working on programs of "racial
reconciliation" through personal relationships.
Wellington Boone, a frequent PK rally speaker and member of the
editorial board for the original PK journal, states that "the black
community must stop criticizing Uncle Tom and in fact should hold him up
as a role model."
MYTH:"PK is a grassroots movement founded in the community"
FACT: The Promise Keepers, Inc. boasts an annual budget in excess of
$115 million in 1996 and a permanent staff of more than 400; they expect
to double both by 1998. They are growing by leaps and bounds. With the
money they have and the momentum they are building, they are positioning
themselves to be a powerhouse in the political arena. In the early days of
the Promise Keepers, they were loaned staff members from James Dobson's Focus
on the Family Organization-- a group that thinks the Republican Party is too
moderate.
MYTH: "PK is building our community through volunteer service"
FACT: Promise Keepers rally participants are urged to spend a pre-rally
day providing service to rebuild communities. While we welcome the
service, most of the people they help would not want to pay the high
price PK is asking-- submission, racism and homophobia.
MYTH: "PK is creating Men of Integrity"
FACT: The PK is modeling some unbelievable double-talk. Honor your wife,
but be sure you're the head of the household. Seek racial
"reconciliation" with hugs and tears among the biblically correct but
ignore racial injustice when it comes to housing, education, jobs. Then
march on Washington, but claim it is not a political action.
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