Donate to or support
Talk to Action








The Indian River Incident : What You Can Do

link > The "Stop the ACLU Coalition" Shaming Project
How you can help stop "Stop The ACLU" just by sending a few emails



 'Left Behind' video game imageThe Shaming Project

does the violence of "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" bother you ? If so, what can you do ? Well, to begin with you can email Jonathan Hutson's stories to people you know. That will help to bring more public scrutiny of the game. Public shaming really works ! Just click on the "email" icon and link at the top or bottom of the story and you'll be taken to a form that will allow you email the first story, The Purpose Driven Life Takers or the latest installment without leaving this site. Thanks. 'Left Behind' video game image




An area we can hit dominionism where it hurts
By dogemperor Thu Dec 15, 2005 at 11:53:58 AM EST printable version print story
As the recent Ford controversy has proven, many companies are threatened by AFA with boycotts--and tend to come around when threatened with counter-boycotts by progressive groups.

One area where dominionist groups get a lot of their funding is via "affiliate programs" with major corporations--and in many cases, the corporations are unaware of just WHAT they are funding.

In this post, I will detail how progressive groups defeated just such a funding attempt by an Assemblies of God front-group that actively funded the American Family Association, and how dominionist groups--often associated with the AFA--tend to abuse nonprofit "affiliate" programs and how organised campaigns can "starve the beast".


Many major corporations have general nonprofit programs--usually allowing one to donate a certain percentage of a purchase to a charity, or giving discounts for charities, or both--that are generally done for both the tax writeoffs (for the corps) and for good PR and community support.

Dominionist groups--partly because the vast majority are organised as 501(c)3 tax exempt groups--have taken advantage of this increasingly as a funding source.  An example that I've found is with the American Family Association of Kentucky (run by notorious gaybaiter Frank Simon), who per their own website maintain "charity affiliate" relationships with Kroger's, Office Depot, Staples (yes, fully two of three office companies here), Thorton's Gas, and Everycall USA.

Very often, companies are not aware of what they are funding.  To give an example of some of the stuff AFA-KY and/or Frank Simon have pulled in past:

Quotes from Simon and other dominionists (compared with comments from the Nazi Party regarding Jews)
More quotes from Simon and other AFA leaders
Info re the latest anti-Fairness Ordinance mailing from Simon (in which he literally mailed sadomasochistic gay porn to 60,000 households with the stinger "Remember what the homosexual priests did to the children")
Anti-Islamic comments from the dominionist church Simon is affiliated with (Not Southeast Christian, the other one)
More info on the sadomasochistic gay porn Simon mailed in the latest attempt to derail approval of Fairness
Info on how the "gay porn mailing" literally caused two chairpersons to vote pro-Fairness (both of whom have stated they would have voted against Fairness were it not for Simon's mailing)
history on how Simon bought radio ads during the last Fairness vote claiming gay men would rape children (Fairness passed, by the way; the second vote was for a renewal of the ordinance post-governmental-merger)
Info on how Freedom's Heritage Forum has been investigated for illegal electioneering
Inf on how Simon literally accused a mere supporter of Fairness of supporting paedophilia
Info on how Simon attempted to accuse a gay newspaper editor of being a paedophile in support of a political candidate--this led to a libel suit

Simon also, notably, has promoted The Pink Swastika in his literature--that book is a bit of Holocaust revisionism that claims not only that gays were not murdered en masse by the Nazis but that the gays were, quite literally, not only Nazis but the very architects of the Holocaust (which is a bit of Holocaust revisionism designed specifically to appeal to "Christian Zionists"--Simon is the head deacon of the specific Assemblies of God church I walked away from, and the church itself is heavily involved in "Christian Zionism").

There is info re AFA state affiliates here.  Many of them take the same tactics--and partly because these are state affiliates, national and multinational companies may not be aware of the histories of these groups.

I mention this in part because--much like how pressure from progressive groups successfully got Ford to stop kowtowing to AFA's bullying--progressive groups have also successfully cut off funding sources to dominionist groups that are abusing affiliate programs.

One notable example is that of Kingdombuy.com.  Kingdombuy was a front group of the Assemblies of God that operated as a web portal for purchase--essentially, KingdomBuy would specifically register with affiliate programs of major companies, and when people would buy products online through KingdomBuy the latter would donate the money it received from affiliate programs to a number of dominionist groups.

Like the vast majority of Assemblies of God frontgroups, the group never advertised its links to the AoG, but the AoG was more than happy to note its links in its news service and the group was heavily promoted by Assemblies of God churches.  (It is also one of at least forty groups of national or international focus that qualify as AoG front-groups; this is a number comparable with other coercive groups like the Moonies or Scientology.)

One of the particular groups that KingdomBuy partnered with was the American Family Association; another was a group called Abiding Truth Ministries--the same group that publishes "The Pink Swastika".

There were quite a number of companies that KingdomBuy had suckered in as a "charity" towards its peak.  

One group--the Mississippi Gay Lobby, now Equality Mississippi--began the process of a boycott of each of the hundreds of retailers who were promoted via KingdomBuy--and also wrote the companies to inform them of just what their religious affiliate programs were supporting.

Quite a number of the companies were, to put it mildly, rather horrified and started dropping KingdomBuy affiliations.  Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Nordstrom, Wal-Mart (for a time, anyways) and J.C. Penney were among companies that promptly dropped KingdomBuy like a hot potato.

Dominionist groups were not happy.  AFA practically crucified the head of Nordstrom after the CEO mentioned the promotion of the AFA was one of the main reasons they were dropping the KingdomBuy account, including literally accusing the companies that were dropping accounts of "supporting pornography".  

Companies kept dropping accounts after finding out just what KingdomBuy was supporting.  J. Crew specifically even condemned the AFA.  CVS also joined the growing list dropping their affiliations.

Dominionists stepped up and accused boycotters themselves of being pornographers.  The protest was made out in dominionist rags as being  run "by pornographers".

The result of people working together?  Multiple companies--most of whom were unaware of what the American Family Association or its ilk promote--left in droves, and kingdombuy.com's webpage is now dead (there is no longer a web portal operating at the site).

This shows the importance of watching not only national but state affiliates of dominionist groups, and watching specifically who they claim support from--if it's an affiliate program, more often than not (especially if it's an AFA or Family Research Council affiliate) the headquarters--often in another state--don't always know what's up.

We've beaten them before.  This is a way we can starve the beast, folks--to put some action in Talk2Action:

a) research what companies have partnerships with dominionist groups in affiliate programs (this requires going onto dominionist websites themselves--including websites of the churches behind the dominionist movement)

b) write those companies, call them, don't let pressure till they drop the affiliate programs (this is how KingdomBuy's racket was beat).  Include documentation in your letters including examples of the kind of stuff dominionist groups are spewing (this was a big part of the success in the campaign against both Ford's AFA capitulation and against KingdomBuy's racket).

c) For active supporters of dominionism (like Chick-Fil-A or Hobby Lobby--both companies that actively fund the dominionist movement and are very close to dominionist groups), actively boycott them and be sure to tell folks exactly why--explain to them what kinds of stuff dominionist groups explicitly are supporting.




Display:
Which deserves to be in a special section reserved for the best ideas to emerge from this site.

by Bruce Wilson on Thu Dec 15, 2005 at 12:22:59 PM EST

I've always advocated going after their funding- if they're hit in the wallet, that will take a lot of wind out of their sails.

by Lorie Johnson on Thu Dec 15, 2005 at 01:02:38 PM EST

this is a very interesting post!

by IseFire on Thu Dec 15, 2005 at 02:33:43 PM EST

Dominionism and the free market economy cannot grow together peaceably, since dominionists, if given all the power that they seek, would actually shut down many businesses or drive away their customers. It's time to explore the tensions between free enterprise (which thrives upon freedom of conscience, freedom of choice, and freedom of expression) and dominionism (which thrives upon condemnation, control, and limitation of liberty).

by jhutson on Thu Dec 15, 2005 at 05:55:19 PM EST

rational thinkers from taking advantage of such programs as well?

An ongoing topic of conversation at my house is that fundamentalist groups are used to digging deep to fund the desires of their chosen forms of religious expression. Unfortunately, rational thinkers tend to sit back and in their own form of dogmatism, truly believe people will change their minds when they see reason. Wake-up call...not gonna happen.

I really feel strongly that groups such as this one and those affiliated with it have no choice but to begin marketing IN THE SAME way as groups like Focus do -- only beating them at their own game. And, that, friends, will take money...so, why not have groups that are qualified join affiliate programs to fund efforts which at the very least will publicise the current battle, but as well will make moderates aware of the direction the country is truly taking?

Yeah -- I'm a PR professional...this is how I see the world -- not only in terms of speaking up, but in terms of using all the powers of modern media to effect change, not just dull minds.

by Irrevelations on Thu Dec 15, 2005 at 07:07:51 PM EST
I agree, rational people -and people of good faith and good will generally- should organize similarly to raise funds for promoting our ideas.  

What's needed is to set up a large number of 501c3 tax exempt organizations and get them into the affiliate programs for funding.  

This very website is one example that could be turned into a 501c3 educational foundation, whose purpose is "to inform Americans about religious intolerance."  

Generally though, the new network of 501c3s should start with underlying issues that are not in and of themselves controversial, and do not directly engage controversy.  For example, to promote progressive religious charities and educational efforts, to promote alliances between progressive religion and science, to promote better understanding of mathematics, probablility & statistics, and scientific method, and so on.  The key here is to promote and advance core ideas, specific attitudes, and emotions that "vaccinate" people against extremism.  

For example, the attitude "God-loving" is antithetical to "God-fearing"; where fear inspires hatred, love inspires compassion.  The attutide of curiosity, combined with knowledge of scientific method, is antithetical to the attitude of closed-mindedness and obscurantism.  

One of the best examples of this type that I've ever seen is the series of radio & TV ads run by the Latter Day Saints' Church (Mormons), which consist of vignettes depicting togetherness between parents and children, and close with the line, "Family: Isn't it about time?" (meaning, to encourage parents to spend more time with their kids).  Regardless of whatever political controversies may arise around the LDS Church's positions on various issues, these ads are 100% wholesome and free of any controversial content. They promote a positive relationship between parents and children; and in doing so they reinforce the strengthening of family bonds without even touching hot-button issues.  

We can do this in a wide range of areas: faith, good will, science, open-mindedness, attitudes such as curiosity and compassion, and so on.  Linking up with funding sources such as these affiliate programs will provide the financial means to put these messages together and get them seen and heard.  

by gg on Fri Dec 16, 2005 at 05:18:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

You have expressed exactly what I have been saying at home -- positive associations are key!

by Irrevelations on Fri Dec 16, 2005 at 08:41:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]



Thank you for providing a postive action that people can take to stop these creeps. I have spammed several key e-groups with your article.

My only problem is Hobby Lobby. Ouch! It's one of my favorite stores.

by RedSonja2000 on Fri Dec 16, 2005 at 10:28:14 AM EST

Good to know it's getting out at any rate...curious as to where this will end up, but yes, I think an organised campaign needed to be started to hit dominionism in the pocketbook.

Re Hobby Lobby: We don't have one where I live, but I've had several inquiries about it and found out disturbing info:

(from this list of dominionist sponsors)

Hobby Lobby (dominionist-run store that (per http://www.usatoday.com/life/2005-10-19-starbucks-quote_x.htm) even goes so far as to only play "Christian contemporary" music in its stores; http://forums.desmoines.craigslist.org/?act=Q&ID=35007861 notes how Hobby Lobby may in fact violate federal law by discriminating against non-dominionists in hiring; http://www.pubtheo.com/page.asp?pid=1190 notes how owner of Hobby Lobby is major contributor to Jerry Falwell and his Christian Reconstructionist efforts; http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/ministry/ministry.cfm is pretty damning in and of itself in regards to dominionist ministries funded (which includes at least one "godcasting" group, Bearing Fruit Communications, associated with PAX TV)

So not only do they fund dominionist causes directly, but may even discriminate in hiring.  (I have heard that Chick-Fil-A, a company that is among the top promoters and funders of dominionist causes, also discriminates against dominionists in hiring illegally.)

Then again, I'm in sort of a bind myself in my own area.  The only wholesale club in my area is, unfortunately, Sam's Wholesale (and even in grocery shopping Wal-Mart, Kroger's and Meijer's are the three major players here--the three-way competition literally drove Winn Dixie out of business, Kroger's still has the AFA misusing its charity program, and Wal-Mart has its own issues).  

You have no idea how badly I'd love for there to be a Costco or any alternative to Sam's for wholesale clubs :3  Unfortunately for me, Costco has no plans to expand anywhere near Kentucky (the closest Costco is in the Nashville metro area, to give an idea).

by dogemperor on Fri Dec 16, 2005 at 10:46:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]



That is: "Abiding Truth Ministries" rang a bell. I'm out here in the Murrieta/Temecula Valley, and a couple of the attorneys out here link to a site called "defendthefamily.com."  It is sponsored by Abiding Truth Ministries.  Apparently, these attorneys back this "ministry."  One of the attorneys is Mr. S.L., author of the "Pink Swastika."  His partner ran for the local school board, and did not win, clearly articulating during his campaign that he was a conservative Republican and member of a very conservative Christian church out here.  The local progressives, myself included, encouraged voters to go to the polls, and two other fairly progressively-minded candidates were elected.  Small world.

by Maat on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:27:01 PM EST
Mr. S.L. co-authored "The Pink Swastika."  It was certainly startling to realize that certain fairly prominent members of the Religious Right lived right in the area.  There's an office of the Alliance Defense Fund down the street (the legal organization founded by James Dobson and D. James Kennedy, of the Relgious Hardright).

by Maat on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:44:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]



WWW Talk To Action


Author of Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the "College of Prayer International"
The Uganda New Vision reports the latest on David Bahati, the MP behind the proposed draconian "Anti-Homosexuality Bill"; he was among attendees at a......
By Richard Bartholomew (2 comments)
Rick Warren Repudiates Martin Ssempa
From Warren Throckmorton's blog: STATEMENT FROM PASTOR RICK & KAY WARREN REGARDING ACTIVITIES OF MARTIN SSEMPA IN UGANDA Martin Ssempa does not represent me,......
By Richard Bartholomew (2 comments)
Dobson And Destiny: Will Religious Right Leader Turn His Focus To Electioneering?
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family (FOF), is not a happy camper these days.  "What is happening in Washington right now is......
By Rob Boston (4 comments)
Resource Page on John Hagee and Christian Zionism
Special Focus:  Christian Zionism Following are a list of articles on Christian Zionism that have been posted on Talk2action.org over a period of several......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Progressive Catholics in Maine Push Back on Question One
On Tuesday November 3rd, voters in Maine can either vote yes or no on "Question One," a potential people's veto of recently enacted legislation......
By Frank Cocozzelli (7 comments)
Renewed Controversy Over Hagee's Sermons
Hagee's controversial sermons are again an issue in the aftermath of Elie Wiesel's appearance at Hagee's church.  This was further escalated after Max Blumenthal......
By Rachel Tabachnick (0 comments)
Back to Israel, Back To Africa ? : The Economist on Pro-Israel Anti-Semitism
As The Economist's Democracy In America blog notes , support for Israel doesn't preclude anti-Semitism: Bigotry comes in many forms, and can easily be......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
CBN Scrubs "Witch Candy" Blog Post
The Christian Broadcasting Network has caved in to scoffers and mockers and scrubbed a blog post which explained the dangers of Halloween - specifically,......
By Richard Bartholomew (8 comments)
Rick Warren Must Denounce Antigay Bill in Uganda
We here at Political Research Associates are calling on Pastor Rick Warren to denounce a bill now being debated in Uganda that criminalizes homosexuality.......
By abbyscher (1 comment)
Family Member Stupak: "I am not trying to kill health reform"
Blue Dog Democrats in Congress played a "magnificent" role in blocking health care reform during the Clinton administration. And, under the "courageous" and "smart"......
By Bruce Wilson (2 comments)
Extreme Lobbying : Southern Baptists' Richard Land Defends Nazi Analogies
Earlier this month I criticized some offensive comments about health-care reform made by Richard Land, the top lobbyist for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).......
By Rob Boston (5 comments)
An Open Letter To Elie Wiesel
Dear Mr. Wiesel, Your years of tireless campaigning for human rights and against anti-Semitism have earned our deepest respect. For this reason we have......
By Rachel Tabachnick (1 comment)
Donohue, Scalia, and Religious Supremacy
On October 7, 2009 the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of a seven-foot cross currently standing in the Mojave National Preserve......
By Frank Cocozzelli (6 comments)
Worldwide Biblical Zionists
This is Part Three in a series of articles on why we need J Street, and a new perspective on the meaning of "pro-Israel."......
By Rachel Tabachnick (1 comment)
Top Ten Reasons Christian Zionism "Impairs Israel's Interests"
This is Part Two in a series about the dangers of Christian Zionism, and why organizations like J Street are badly needed to provide......
By Rachel Tabachnick (0 comments)

US News & World Report Showcases Creationist Ray Comfort
US News and World Report's Dan Gilgoff has charitably provided evangelist Ray Comfort a media platform in the form of a US News & World "exclusive" through which Comfort defends his efforts to distribute,......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Atheist billboard in Central Florida
The organization "Atheists of Florida" sponsored a billboard promoting atheism in Lakeland, Florida.  I, however, have some concerns. ......
By ArchaeoBob (1 comment)
Transcript: Billy Graham and Richard Nixon, February 21, 1973
The following is my own transcript of a 20 minute phone conversation between Richard Nixon and Billy Graham, on February 23, 1973. As far as I am aware this is the only publicly available,......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Rifqa Bary being sent back to Ohio now
Well, there's a change in this case.  After the judge gets immigration documents and so on from the parents, he will send her back. ......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
The War on The War on Christmas Goes To Pot
The first day of Fall could be considered the official launch date for the annual war on the war on Christmas, which represents a significant part of the the American Family Association business model......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
School Officials off the hook
Today it is reported that the judge excused the school officials who violated the agreement they had over separation of Church and State. ......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
Dominionists trying to outlaw birth control
Well, they're at it again in Florida. ......
By ArchaeoBob (2 comments)
No Danger for Rifqa Bary
The FDLE just completed an investigation and found "no credible reports of threats" against Rifqa Bary. ......
By ArchaeoBob (1 comment)
Truth hitting the mainstream!
I've despaired of ever seeing anything critical or exposing Dominionism hit the mainstream press.  There is now an exception. ......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
Extremism?
The term extremism is currently in vogue to describe hate groups and other malcontents listed as such by knowledgeable monitors like SPLC and others in the T2A sidebar, but while we all know what......
By Jay Taber (2 comments)
My Netroots Nation Panel Talk
Where Do We Stand in the Bright Light of History? Netroots Nation August 14, 2009 Thank You, Professor Ledewitz, for initiating this discussion of a progressive vision for church and state -- and Netroots......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Transcript, Jan. 18, 2009 Steven Anderson Sermon Excerpt
Note: the sermon excerpt video and transcript below, from a January 18, 2009 sermon by pastor Steven Anderson of the Tempe, Arizona Independent Baptist Church, begins at approximately 21:30 into Anderson's  one hour, four......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
More anti-Muslim provocation
The local paper reports that students in Gainsville, Florida are wearing T-shirts with "ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL" printed on them. ......
By ArchaeoBob (1 comment)
Rifqa Bary to stay in Florida
The young ex-Muslim girl who ran away from her parents will be allowed to stay in Florida.  The news article has strong indications that this is purely political. ......
By ArchaeoBob (10 comments)
Framing Fascism
In her recent article, Sara Robinson argues the United States is well on its way to becoming a totalitarian, fascist state. As evidence of this inevitability, she cites current town hall disruptions and threats......
By Jay Taber (11 comments)
Rock Paper Scissors
GOP-sponsored vigilantism has happened before. It is an integral part of domestic terrorism aimed at ethnic minorities and other sub-populations targeted by White Nationalism and Christian Fundamentalism. Catholics, Jews, Blacks, and Native Americans have......
By Jay Taber (2 comments)
PA Shooter's Church taught: "You can commit mass murder, then still go to heaven"
George Sodini, the 48-year-old misogynist who shot up a Pennsylvania Gym full of women on Aug. 4th, killing three women before turning the gun on himself, believed God wouldn't judge him by his actions.......
By Stacey Tallitsch (0 comments)
Vatican grilling Catholic sisters
While I am not Catholic, I accidentally ran across this article which is of interest to us on this blog - it involves Vatican actions that concern attempts at political control... ......
By ArchaeoBob (3 comments)
Sect Controls Women's Destinies
by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer On The Issues Magazine Had I not escaped one night five years ago with my eight children from the manipulation and control of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of......
By On The Issues Magazine (4 comments)
The Religion of Fear
<h2> Living on Guard</h2> In The Religion of Fear, Jason C. Bivins examines conservative evangelical culture as it intersects with America's love affair with spectacular violence and the popular culture of fright that has......
By Jay Taber (2 comments)
Monvee: Profiles of the Mega-churched.
[ed: updated from diary section] Over the last 20 years, a consolidation from the small protestant church has given way to the "Mega-church" where community fellowship goes to die, and prosperity-gospel-rock-concerts are born. Just......
By Stacey Tallitsch (10 comments)
Woman Shoots ex-Husband in Groin, To "Let The Demons Out"
An investigating detective read an entry from a three ring binder, written shortly before the crime: "I know now what I have to do. There are three demonic spirits in (Dr. Loher), one assigned......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Separation of Church and State attacked in Florida
A Central Florida organization, "The Community Issues Council" has funded a number of billboards attacking the separation of Church and State, using "Quotes" from some of the Founding Fathers. ......
By ArchaeoBob (5 comments)
Radio host: We're only united through Christianity
Most of you in Indiana may know about Peter Heck, who hosts a daily radio show in Kokomo and puts out a column that appears in several newspapers across the state and in OneNewsNow.......
By Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Cindy Jacobs--the new leader of the NAR
You may remember that Lou Engle has made moves of late to position himself as the new power in the religious right.  He's a member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, a group......
By Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
James F. Linzey Espouses anti-Semitic, White Racialist Conspiracy Theory
James F. Linzey is a prominent, active duty chaplain in the United States military. Linzey has stated that he was the command chaplain for the Operation Iraqi Freedom troop mobilization prior to the US......
By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
White Supremacist named as Holocaust Museum Shooter
An 89 year old, vehemently antiSemitic  Ron Paul supporter has been named by police as the gunman who opened fire in the Holocaust Museum shortly after noon today: Gunman, guard shot at Holocaust museum......
By CynthiaGee (0 comments)
From Focus On The Family to La Familia Michoacana
I didn't think my work on the religous right would converge with what I'm doing on the narcoguerra in Mexico...but here it is: the Faith-Based Cartel. ......
By julydogs (2 comments)
A Pagan Among the Mainstream Churches in Boise
The participation by an "out" Pagan in the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force proves that some religions will accept and welcome help from all quarters, in recognition that we are all human.  The glaring......
By Chiawana (3 comments)
Clarkson on CounterSpin
Hear me discuss the Tiller assasination this week on the nationally syndicated radio program CounterSpin, the progressive media criticism show produced by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR).  You can also listen via Mp3......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)

More Diaries...


Donate to or support
Talk to Action

Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here
(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)