David Barton: Six Or Eight Races Being Won By Democrats Will Stop Religious Right’s Agenda In Texas
By Vince Leibowitz on Nov 3, 2006 in 2006 Texas Elections
Former Republican Party Vice Chairman David Barton recently held a conference call for pastors in which he said that if “six or eight races” are won by Democrats, the religious rights’ agenda will go “completely in the wrong direction” in the Texas House.
Barton specifically noted that specific items on the right’s legislative agenda including a gay adoption ban and stem cell research ban would not happen.
Barton said the only thing that the Right would be able to get through the legislature that is part of the Right’s agenda was legislation to make divorce more difficult (this would mean an end to “no-fault” divorce). He also claimed that the loss of these few seats would result in casino gambling, a failure to ratify a federal marriage amendment (if one were passed) and that a move would be made to start appointment of judges.
Barton and Kelly Shackelford of the Free Market Foundation also both offered misleading information to contradict court decisions and the work of Americans for Separation of Church and State concerning distribution of voters’ guides in churches.
Barton and Shackelford also noted that if Texas went to a system of appointed judges much of the conservative legislation, it would be devastating to the right’s agenda. He also did his best to scare pastors into thinking that, if less right-wing judges were appointed, churches would be wide-open to lawsuits because plaintiff’s attorneys would realize they have big coffers.
Shackelford specifically talked about appearing before the Texas Supreme Court a few weeks ago arguing a case about a church lawsuit. Shackelford intimated that he knew with the type of judges on the bench, he knew they would never allow a church lawsuit such as the one he was arguing to move forward:
I’ll tell you, three weeks ago when I was standing in front of the Texas supreme court arguing a case about whether or not for the first time in the history of our state, we were going to open up the ability for people twho are disg in their own church to being suit against their own church. That would open the floodgates around the state.
I looked around right as we started and I gotta’ tell you, I was so gratedul that we get to elect these guys.
‘Cause I looked around and I saw one believer who I know is a solid believer. I looked at another guy who is a pastor’s son who is a sloid beliver. I looked at another guy who used to be one of our volunteer attorneys many years ago and I knew this is a court that would never have come through the smoke filled rooms yet this is a court that really represents Texas.
Amazing.
[...] [UPDATE]:Â More on Perry and the “Wing-nuts” morality legislation from Vince. [...]
Now you got ME praying.
Joe Barton, in the conference call, reminds the pastors they need to do their part to help elect Republicans. “This is the final Sunday we have before the election,” Barton says.
Here you have a Republican member of Congress encouraging the leaders of tax-exempt churches to engage in political campaigning for Republicans. This is no surprise to anyone who has been to a church of any size over the past six years, but I find it alarming that a member of our government is asking pastors to put their tax exempt status at risk by becoming mouthpieces for a political party.
Of course, there’s reaslly no chance that the pastors who follow Barton’s advice and illegally campaign while claiming religious tax exemptions will be punished. The Republican executive branch has gutted enforcement, given right-leaning ministers a free pass and have even poured tax money into the offering plate using Bush’s Faith-Based Initiatives.
To have the party of torture and war claiming the high holy ground, while programs for children and the needy are gutted is a morally repugnant position in total opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Ministers that engage in this clearly don’t practice what they preach. They’re too much like the hypocrite Rev. Ted Haggard, who engage in exactly the behaviors they preach are sins. Lord, have mercy on their souls, but please wake up the flock so they realize how they’re being lyed to and manipulated.
I disagree, I think loses will motivate the right for ‘08…it might be good for us