ALEC Resorts to Religious Hate to Raise Cash

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem (UUSalem.org) welcomes all who would be pleased to earn the ire of corrupt Koch-Brother-owned tools like ALEC. 

Although UUCS, like all UU congregations, is nonpartisan and never involves itself with candidate races, the congregation is proud to count among its members many socially conscious folks who work tirelessly on a huge range of issues to make Salem, Oregon, the U.S. and the Earth a better place.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/18/1337485/-ALEC-Resorts-to-Religious-Hate-to-Raise-Cash?detail=email

ALEC Resorts to Religious Hate to Raise Cash

Something truly curious happened yesterday.  In a fundraising effort, ALEC railed against the Unitarian Universalist Church as a bunch of professional activists trampling on their "freedom."

At first glance, this is truly curious.  If you're a member of any of the mainline Christian denominations in the Midwest under attack by religious fundamentalists, it's all too familiar. Stripped of the usurped trappings of true Christianity, these individuals endeavor to turn the love of Christ, the very basis of our faith, into justification for them to deny the humanity of those who disagree with them. They appeal to the same baser instincts that motivate those Muslims drawn into the orbit of the Islamic State.

They alone are the chosen few.  Chosen by God to condemn, and cleanse, the Earth of those who would dispute their warped interpretation of the Christian faith. At best the impulse is deeply irritating, at worst we've seen what's been happening in Iraq.

Why would ALEC impune the character of an entire religious denomination?  Because, anyone who gets the dog whistle knows that these fundamentalists believe that Unitarian Universalists (UU) are anti-Christian:

According to John Ankerberg, president and founder of The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, UU followers have varying ideas about God. They "believe anything or nothing: one is free to be atheist, pantheist, polytheist, agnostic, deist, theist or even Satanist," Ankerberg writes in his website post on UU theology at www.johnankerberg.org.

"Basically, it is spiritual humanism," explained Craig Branch, director of the Apologetics Resource Ministry, in an interview with The Christian Post. "All roads lead to God."

...

Therefore, UUs deny Christianity by default, at least in the orthodox understanding, Miller told CP.

"They are anti-Christian. Everything we believe in, they don't," he stated.

Branch agreed. "Any religion like orthodox Christianity that says there is one is essentially false [to a UU believer]," he said.

 

Willingly drawing upon this religious hate in order to raise cash is a sign of desperation. Earlier this year, ALEC had to sublet their swank offices in the District, and move their operations out to Crystal City. Their spooked, and they know that in the wake of the exodus from the group kicked off by the role of Stand Your Ground in the Trayvon Martin case, that appealing to cultural warriors such as those above is a solid way to bring in cash that won't flinch when the next PR crisis hits.  The problem for them is that when dog whistles like this get called out, it will further alienate the corporations which have been their principle source of support. Why not ask an ALEC funder close to you?

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"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."