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XVI.)
BJCPA Board Includes President of People for the American Way.
1.
The
primary purpose of this section was to show that the president of People for the
American Way, one of the best-known, far-left groups in American politics,
serves on the board of the BJC. Carole
Shields, who became a PAW board member in 1992 and has served as chairman of the
board, now serves as the group’s president, serving on PAW’s “Senior
Staff.” 2.
Acknowledging
that Dunn had served on the PAW board while he was executive director of the BJC,
Mr. Tichenor states: “James Dunn did serve for a time on the PAW board.
In 1984 Dunn declined re-nomination to the PAW board.”
Dunn actually served a full three year term on the PAW board of
directors. His term was up Dec. 31,
1983, at which time Dunn declined a second term due to pressure from
conservative Southern Baptist leaders angered over Dunn’s giving of SBC
credibility to PAW. But Dunn never
severed ties with PAW. According to
a Baptist Press article: “[Dunn]
commented he remains ‘one of the 104,000 members of People for the American
Way,’ which he described as a ‘broad-based people’s movement.’”
(Baptist Standard, Jan 24, 1984, p. 3) PAW has always had strong ties to the BJC, as well as the
Christian Life Commission when moderates controlled the SBC.
Former president of PAW, John H. Buchanan Jr., a former Republican
congressman from Alabama and Baptist minister (and whose father served on the
board of AU), served as a consultant for the CLC under the leadership of Foy
Valentine, receiving “$1000 a month from January, 1981 to at least January,
1984.” Buchanan represented the
CLC in Washington while at the same time serving as a top leader of People for
the American Way. (AU’s Church
and State, Sept. 1981, p.12, also see Truth
in Crisis, Vol 4, p. 170-171) 3.
Mr.
Tichenor states, “James Dunn’s service on the PAW board over 13 years ago
and the current relationship of Carole Cothen-Shields to the PAW certainly
cannot justify the termination of exhibition space [at the annual meeting of the
Missouri Baptist Convention] for the BJC.”
What, we might then ask, would it take to justify removing the BJC from
the Missouri Baptist Convention exhibit hall?
PAW stands openly in support of everything we as Missouri Baptists stand
against - starting with abortion, homosexuality and pornography. (See
section IX.4-6 for PAW’s stated positions on key moral issues.)
PAW, like Americans United, has long been working on its “Clergy
Network,” an effort to raise up liberal (progressive) clergy to oppose
everything we as Missouri Baptists have passed resolutions against.
PAW’s former president, Arthur J. Kropp, was an open homosexual.
According to the Washington Times, Kropp “directed PFAW’s expansion into a range
of new issues and activities, including voter registration, race relations,
abortion rights, opposition to what he viewed as Congress' efforts to 'censor'
art funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and protection of civil
rights for homosexuals.” (Washington Times, June 14,
1995, “Kroop’s death speeds search for successor”) Mr. Kropp died in June, 1995 at the age of 37 from AIDS.
4.
Lastly,
Mr. Tichenor did not mention the $40,000 that came from Playboy to start PAW.
It should also be noted that PAW continues to receive funding from
Playboy. (PAW 1995 Annual Report, p. 44) And, as mentioned previously, PAW was a major player in the How
to Win training manual. The
manual can be ordered from the PAW resource catalog.
(See section IX for more
information on the How to Win manual) |