White Supremacists infiltrating Conservative Churches in the Bible Belt

[ck4829]

Key members of a white supremacist organization, the League of the South (LOS), are moving to take control of conservative churches around the South, prompting a possible split in a major Presbyterian denomination.

The central player in this little-noticed drama is the Rev. Steven J. Wilkins, pastor of the Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church in Monroe, La., and a founder and current board member of the neo-Confederate LOS. Wilkins is an advocate of Christian Reconstruction, a theology that seeks to impose draconian Old Testament law on civil society.

The League's goal, Wilkins has said, is to save America from "paganism" and restore it as "the last bastion of Christendom" — a Christendom that, in Wilkins' view, sees slavery as "perfectly legitimate."

Last summer, Wilkins almost caused a rupture within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a conservative Southern denomination founded in 1973 that has more than 300,000 North American members.

Persuading 10 churches to join him, Wilkins called a meeting of the PCA'S Louisiana Presbytery to consider the possible departure from the PCA of those with "theonomic" views — the idea that the Bible, not man-made civil law, should form the legal basis of society.

Although the debate was temporarily tabled, PCA officials say that a schism may be imminent.

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=235

[winston61]

1. Brothers and Sisters, they are already there

[Kerrytravelers]

2. What kind of tragic homes are people like this raised in that would make them so full of hate?

It's terribly sad. Whatever has been done to them is causing them to inflict hatred and pain on thousands of others.

[Deep13]

3. Infiltrating? I thought that was a prerequisit.

:shrug:

[Kelly Rupert]

4. That's like claiming "New Yorkers infiltrating Manhattan." n/t

[AllegroRondo]

5. infiltrating? or just coming out of the closet?

I think many of them have been in these churches for a LONG time.

[Skidmore]

6. These people were already there.

They've always been there. In the South and other parts of the nation, there have always been this element. The "Conservative" movement came into power because of this ideology. Remember that it was the Dixiecrats who moved over to the Republic Party. They took their racism with them. The * regime has just made it easier to be any kind of -ist you want to be--racist, mysongynist....

[skypilot]

7. draconian Old Testament law???

Why do these assholes think they want that? With those kinds of strictures I'm sure they'd wipe themselves out before sundown. Hey, on second thought...

[JoDog]

8. Old Testament law?

Well, I guess that means Red Lobster's days are numbered. Same for Jimmy Dean's sausage company.

[AX10]

9. Infiltrating? I though that they already were....

[Beelzebud]

10. I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you!

[Colobo]

11. They have always been there

[Madspirit]

12. I live in the Bible Belt

Conservative churches, like the Southern Baptists, are already taken over by white supremacists.
This is nothing new at all. Most of the members are white supremacists, even if not in an organization.
Lee

[Selatius]

13. I hate to say it, but I generally agree with you, and I live here in Mississippi.

There may not be overt racism being preached, but there is latent racism in some of the attitudes they hold.

[MountainLaurel]

14. Depending on the church, it may not be that latent

I remember having a conversation with our pastor when I was about 12, about why he believed that interracial marriage was a sin.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Oh, it's just part of their "heritage", like that pretty flag.

[stanwyck]

16. How convenient for GOP candidates

they can reach their base during Sunday morning services and only make one stop.

[bumblebee1]

17. With stories like this coming out of the South,

you wonder why the stereotypical southerner is depicted as ignorant, backward and dumb? When I was living in South Carolina for six years, I saw a local commercial on tv. The main character was the "stereotypical" southerner. My roomie's husband then commented, "And they wonder why people think southerners are viewed as dumb."

[Bluebear]

18. Infiltrating lol. nt

[Bronyraurus]

19. Yikes!

[Madspirit]

20. I'm all for...

..not blaming the region as much as the bible. That is how they justify it, ya know...
Religion is the single more harmful thing on the planet. ...behind most wars, most racism, most homophobia, etc.
Lee