-Caveat Lector-
from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS
subject: AANEWS for July 1, 1999
A M E R I C A N A T H E I S T S
#602 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7/1/99
http://www.atheists.org
ftp.atheists.org/pub/atheists/
http://www.americanatheist.org
---------------------------------------------
A Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS
"Leading The Way For Atheist Civil Rights
And The Separation Of State and Church"
----------------------------------------------
In This Issue...
* "The Senator From LDS"
* Help us stop the Religious Liberty Protection Act!
* TheistWatch: Apocalypse, live from Jerusalem
* Resources
* About this list...
HATCH POISED TO ANNOUNCE PRESIDENTIAL RUN -- IN CASE
BUSH STUMBLES
He is entering a political race already crowded with ten other
candidates. He is far behind in polls, has little money, and is only
now establishing a campaign organization. Yet, Utah Republican
Senator Orrin Hatch says he is a man who believes in miracles and,
addressing what he sees as division within his party, "Can bring both
sides together"."
Hatch is overshadowed in media coverage and resources by a host of
other candidates now chasing the GOP nomination. Front runner Texas
Gov. George W. Bush has "sucked up the oxygen," raising record
amounts of cash in his quest for the presidency. Others like
publisher Steve Forbes and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander have
had their campaigns in place for years. Hatch enters this contest on
the ground floor with other struggling hopefuls like Sens. John
McCain of Arizona and Robert Smith of New Hampshire. The first three
or four primaries could well prune this field down to two or three,
with Bush a likely first place runner.
But who knows? Hatch is already positioning himself not so much as a
"dark horse" who comes out of obscurity when the party is deadlocked,
but a "clutch candidate" Republicans can turn to when and if Bush
stumbles. Like Bill Clinton, the Texas governor has a thick Teflon
coating -- whether it can last into primary season remains to be seen.
Right now the pundits are writing off the 65-year old Utah Senate
veteran, but a lot can happen between now and the Philly GOP
convention next year. Over the weekend, Hatch told some of the
talking head programs including "Fox News Sunday" that while Bush
presently enjoys a commanding lead in the polls, he faces a "high
learning curve" on national issues. Questions posed by reporters
about international issues like the Balkans suggest that Bush lacks
expertise in foreign affairs as well. "He believes -- and certainly
this is a possibility -- that George W. Bush may stumble, and if he
does stumble (Hatch) has the credentials just as valuable as anyone
else in the field," observed Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah), who
has been helping Elizabeth Dole's campaign effort. Others like
political analyst Stu Rothenberg say that it is "impossible" for Hatch
to capture the GOP nomination. Or is it? Echoes of Gary Hart can be
heard, the man who had the nomination and the presidency locked up,
until a photographer snapped a revealing shot of a curvaceous Donna
Rice on board a party boat with the White House hopeful.
Scanning the list of Republican contenders is like looking at an
invite list to a Christian Coalition awards banquet. Lamar Alexander
and Steve Forbes have both been courting the religious right, even
revising and strengthening their positions on culture war issues like
abortion. Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council has an impressive
grassroots organization, and some surprising financial backing that
has yet to be tested. Rep. John Kasich of Ohio and Sen. Bob Smith
of New Hampshire are both favorites of religious conservatives. Pat
Buchanan is so far to the right he dovetails with the left on issues
like international trade. Elizabeth Dole fools no one, and former
Vice President Dan Quayle is one of the early articulators of the
culture war slogan. John McCain of Arizona is a respectable
conservative. And so is Orrin Hatch.
But though he starting late in the game, Hatch already has a
potentially strong base in Utah, thanks to the powerful Mormon Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is one of the
fastest growing denominations in the country, and Hatch -- sometimes
referred to as "The Senator From LDS" -- is plugged in to the sect's
sprawling network of voters and potential financial backers.
On most issues, Hatch passes the religious right litmus test of
political reliability. He told the New York Times that he begins each
day reading passages from the Bible; he is spearheading the
controversial Religious Liberty Protection Act, and Hatch endeared
himself to many conservatives on the national scene when he defended a
chastised Clarence Thomas against the sex-charged accusations of Anita
Hill in 1991. But his lifelong involvement with the Mormon Church
could be a problem down the line, even though Mike Russell of
Christian Coalition describes Hatch as "a solid conservative" who is
now part of a field of candidates who can "excite religious
conservatives."
According to a profile in the Salt Lake Tribune, pundits say that the
religion issue might surface if and when Hatch becomes a serious
contender. His affiliation with the Mormon establishment "already is
drawing attention, similar to the 1960 race in which John F. Kennedy
became the first Roman Catholic to hold the office of president of the
United States." Hatch twice mentioned the fact that Mormons are
Christians during the weekend media appearances, and he downplays a
Gallup poll survey published last March that says that 17 percent of
voters would not cast their franchise for a Mormon.
Still, Mormonism remains a touchy subject, especially among American
Christians. Some fundamentalists consider the LDS to be a "sect"
which teaches false doctrines. The Mormon faith is based, in part, on
"another testament of Jesus" which weaves an elaborate tale of lost
tribes, wandering groups, and a ministry by Jesus Christ in "the new
world." Although the LDS church takes a strong stand against
abortion, homosexuality and other bete noirs in common with the religious
right, many Christians feel uncomfortable with the esoteric doctrines,
bizarre rituals and origins of the Mormon faith.
Hatch is not the first Mormon to seek the White House. Joseph Smith,
whose vivid revelations -- and some say fabrications -- are the
foundation of the religion, ran for president in 1844. In 1968, the
late Michigan Gov. George Romney of American Motors fame tried for
the nomination, but dropped out early in the race. Notes Tribune
reporter John Heilprin, "Romney was accused during the campaign of
feeling that he had a pipeline to God..." Democratic congressman Mo
Udall of Arizona also tried in 1976, but Udall was often at odds with
the church hierarchy for his liberal political stance. In 1992,
former Green Beret commander James "Bo" Gritz, considered one of the
patriarchs of the modern militia movement, ran on the Populist Party
ticket.
A serious Hatch candidacy could split the religious right, especially
if Christian conservatives suddenly find that they are uncomfortable
with a candidate who, while passing their political litmus test on
issues like abortion or school prayer, is wide of the mark on
theological correctness. And more: the Tribune notes that for the LDS
church, Hatch may serve "as a barometer of how well the religion has
been accepted into modern American culture." John West a political
scientist and senior fellow with the conservative Discovery Institute,
said that the American voters "really haven't had a lot of experience
with alternative or other religions in the presidential race." He
admonishes that evangelical Christians "have theological problems with
Mormons," and that "it's not easy to say how that will play" in a
serious campaign.
For secularists, it is not so much Hatch's Mormon faith that is a
concern as it is the tendency of the church to mix politics with
religion and demand that its followers do the same. State-church
separation remains a major problem in Utah and other areas with heavy
church influence. And both Sen. Hatch and the LDS are likely to play
fast-and-loose in applying notions of civil liberties and religious
rights when non-approved groups are involved. Recently when high
school students in Salt Lake City attempted to form a Gay-Straight
Alliance club, school administrators, government officials and church
leaders denounced the effort. Hatch had been a supporter of the Equal
Access Act, passed by Congress to provide rights for students seeking
to form Bible study clubs and other non-curriculum related groups.
When the Gay-Straight Alliance cited the Act for legal protection,
Hatch promptly declared that the legislation was not crafted "for
those kinds of groups."
Dr. Lewis Wolfson of American University sees another potential
problem with a Hatch candidacy. He told the Tribune that religion "is
obviously going to be a factor" if Hatch begins showing unexpected
strength in the primaries. The Utah senator is likely to face
questions on Mormon doctrine, and the perception that the LDS is a
cult. And more, says Wolfson. "The question is whether a Mormon can
ignore his own church on some core issues that he would have to face
as president."
Religion may help Orrin Hatch, though, particularly in primary races
in the American west where LDS influence is felt. Rod Julander of
Weber State University's political science department thinks that
Hatch "will do better than expected," and adds that heavy Mormon
voting strength in California "will make him a real candidate." As
the Mormon question comes into play, the church will likely distance
itself -- at least publicly -- from the Hatch candidacy.
Even without big primary wins, Orrin Hatch could play another role
when Republicans hunker down in Philadelphia. Gov. Bush may indeed
have a cakewalk to the nomination, but Hatch could prove to be a
suitable running mate, bridging the gap between the GOP moderates and
the religious right wing. On the hill, Hatch enjoys a reputation as a
negotiator who is able to talk even to liberal democrats like Sen.
Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. But Hatch is also likely to remain
intransigent on the key culture war issues like abortion rights, gays
in the military, school prayer and other questions of the role of
religious faith in society. From the perspective of First Amendment
separation, we can expect few positive surprises from The Senator From
LDS.
**
KEEP THE PRESSURE ON! HELP AMERICAN ATHEISTS STOP THE
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION ACT!
It's time to let Congress hear from you as it deliberates the
Religious Liberty Protection Act (RLPA). Based on the old Religious
Freedom Restoration Act, RLPA would require government to use a
discriminatory "compelling interest" test when dealing with
faith-based groups and practices. American Atheists takes the
position that RLPA is a clear violation of state-church separation,
and creates "special rights" for churches, mosques, temples and other
religious groups.
We're asking atheists and separationists to contact their elected
representatives now, and speak out on RLPA. You can visit our web
site at http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/rlpalob.htm for more
information about the act. In addition, you can "sign" a special
letter that American Atheists President Ellen Johnson will personally
deliver to the Senate Judiciary Committee, when it again takes up
deliberations on the Senate version of RLPA. Visit
http://www.atheists.org/action/rlpa.html and check out the letter.
Together, we can stop the Religious Liberty Protection Act!
**
THEISTWATCH SHORT SHOTS
The interpenetration of technology with traditional superstition has
created a situation which, to a rational observer, is both ironic and
absurd. The Pope, for instance, addresses his throng on television,
and hops on a giant 747 airplane to carry his message across the
world. At one time, the church would likely have condemned the idea
behind either of these now-prosaic wonders of human ingenuity as
nothing short of the devil's mischief.
So, just in case He does happen to return, Jesus Christ can now be
assured that His arrival in Jerusalem -- an event awaited with
breathless anticipation by many apocalyptic Christians -- will be
televised live on the world wide web, and available for downloading.
Daystar International Ministry has announced that it is setting up a
webcam to cover the expected events when Jesus returns in the year
2000. The "messiahcam" is focused on the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem
through which Jesus is expected to triumphantly march into the ancient
city.
"We're a multimedia ministry," Daystar president Christine Darg told
the Wall Street Journal newspaper recently. "This seems like the
obvious thing to do." She adds that "Virtual watchmen can call up our
web site and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, right over the
computer." She says that the inspiration for the messiahcam is a
passage from the book of Isaiah that calls for "watchmen" on the walls
of the old city until peace is restored.
**
RESOURCES FROM AMERICAN ATHEISTS...
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articles from the current or back issues, as well as special web-only
features. Visit us at http://www.americanatheist.org
* If you are a current member of American Atheists, sign up for our
e-mail discussion group, aachat. We have over 120 participants who
discuss topics such as Atheism, religion, First Amendment issues and
lots more! Contact Margie Wait, the Moderator, through
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