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) 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.
An area we can hit dominionism where it hurts | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)
An area we can hit dominionism where it hurts | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)
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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)
Palin: "A Natural Choice" for Catholics?
The Catholic Right, Part Sixty-eight Is Governor Sarah Palin really "a natural choice" for Catholics as Fidelis's Brian Burch suggests? The answer is obviously,...... By Frank Cocozzelli (6 comments)
Major Christian Organization Endorses the Military Religious Freedom Foundation
With all the attention being given to the radical fundamentalist brand of Christianity espoused by churches like that of Sarah Palin -- a brand...... By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Palin's Church Promotes Gay Conversion
The Associated Press reports that the Wasilla Bible Church where Sarah Palin is a member is promoting a conference on the crackpot notion of...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Palin's Pastor: God "Is Gonna Strike Out His Hand Against... America
On July 20, 2008, the pastor of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's home church, Larry Kroon, delivered a sermon called "Sin Is Personal To...... By Max Blumenthal (1 comment)
Sarah Palin and the Servant Heart
<small>Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates (author info)</small>Sarah Palin's references to the Servant Heart comes from the idea that Jesus of Nazareth asked his...... By Chip Berlet (5 comments)
Short Takes: Sarah Palin Edition
Religion Dispatches: Kathryn Joyce profiles Palin -- as McCain's mad pander to the Religious Right continues to unfold. Gay City News: The accumulating evidence...... By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave
Part Two This posting documents the extensive involvement of several of Sarah Palin's churches in the Third Wave Movement, also known as the New...... By Ruth (3 comments)
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave
Part One History and Theology of the Third Wave Sarah Palin has refused to acknowledge belonging to any specific denomination or any particular religious...... By Ruth (6 comments)
What is Dominionism? Palin, the Christian Right, & Theocracy
Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates (author info)Sarah Palin is a "Dominionist" with an apocalyptic End Times theological viewpoint that sees the war in...... By Chip Berlet (4 comments)
EVENT CANCELLED Speaking in Philadelphia on September 27th
Update [2008-9-5 12:26:36 by Frederick Clarkson]: Buzzflash has announced that the event has been cancelled, but that the themes will continue to be pursued...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Sarah Palin's Theocratic End Times - UPDATED
I have never believed that the evangelical views of George W. Bush ran deep -- at least as far as relating interpretations of the...... By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
Dobson and the Religious Right Rally for McCain/Palin
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At Palin Church, Jews For Jesus Head Says Terrorism vs Israel Is God's Punishment
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Theocrats to Pray for McCain's Death
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Rest Assured New Orleans, I'm Sure Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp is Praying for You
For those who don't know who Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp is, he's the Commanding General of the Army Corps of Engineers --...... By Chris Rodda (2 comments)
The problem with Sarah Palin
In light of John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for Vice President, I feel compelled to write this letter. ...... By sirius (0 comments)
Future links to upcoming documentaries on Palin's Churches
Will live here, at this URL address. ...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Sarah Palin used AK tax dollars to fund dominionist churches
Over the past few days, I've done reporting on Sarah Palin's extensive dominionist connections--including the attempt to run her as a "stealth" dominionist candidate and her connections to some scary dominionist groups including not...... By dogemperor (1 comment)
Palin Steals Hockey Mom Joke from John Hagee?
Hockey mom Sarah Palin got a great reaction during her convention speech with an unscripted joke (which she also used somewhere the day before) addressed to her fellow hockey moms. Noticing the "Hockey Mom"...... By Chris Rodda (1 comment)
The Irony of Sarah Palin's "Choice"
Republican operatives and religious conservatives are ecstatic over Sarah Palin. Most of all, they are ecstatic that she is a "pro-life" mother who chose not to have an abortion after she found of she...... By tacitus (0 comments)
New revelations re "stealth dominionist" Sarah Palin
A few days ago, I wrote one of the first articles out there regarding Sarah Palin's VP nomination as a "stealth dominionist"--a "stealther" with extensive Assemblies connections (and to particularly scary segments of the...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Sarah Palin: Dominionist Stalking Horse
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Richard Land Picks Republican Veep Candidate
Yesterday the media was all atwitter about Karl Rove's supposed Republican V.P. pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. However, it seems that instead SBC President Richard Land, well known among readers of Talk2Action for his...... By ulyankee (1 comment)
"Yes on 8" RSVP? Need your advice.
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Alabama PSC Cantidate Matt Chancey: His Views on Suffrage, Women, Marriage, etc.
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Jews and Christians Unite against the Empire of Neo-cons and 'Christian' Zionists
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Patriot Follows the Money and Exposes Foreign Agents
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official."-Theodore Roosevelt ...... By eileen fleming (0 comments)
The Alleged "Church of Liberalism"
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Hope Never Dies for Extremists
The extreme political Religious Right hasn't given up hope of getting something out of this election. Their latest ploy involves petitioning the parties for a "True Christian" in the vice-presidential slot. The Christian Anti-Defamation...... By John McKay (0 comments)
Catholic religious right wing: Legion of Christ
Frank L. Cocozzelli's weekly series of posts on "The Catholic Right" (listed here) includes quite a few posts about Opus Dei. There's another, similarly ultra-orthodox Catholic religious order he might want to examine in...... By Diane Vera (3 comments)
Prosyletization in Iraq: A threat to national security
As amazing as it sounds, dominionists may in fact be fomenting terrorism--not just the domestic terrorism like bombings of women's clinics we normally associate, but the very "Islamist terror bombings" that the GOP loves...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Proselytization in Iraq: A minor history
The recent incident where a Marine was recently found distributing "Bible coins" promoted by a fundamentalist "Bible church" is, sad to say, far from the first incident of overt prosyletisation in Iraq. The truth...... By dogemperor (1 comment)
Source of "Bible coins" distributed by USMC in Iraq discovered
In what is--sadly--yet another case of the extent of which blatant prosyletisation is tolerated in the modern US military, a recent incident where members of the US Marine Corps were handing out coins to...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
What Does the Religious Right Fear the Most?
A poll that one of the giants on the right, Coral Ridge Ministries, sent to their members gives a revealing insight into their world view. ...... By John McKay (3 comments)
UK Abortion Limit Stays at 24 Weeks Despite Washington Think Tank's Tactics
IN GOD'S NAME is a revealing documentary about how the Alliance Defense Fund is using its tactics to try to restrict abortion in Europe as well as in America. Watch this trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeTfW8-dCNE ...... By TMurray (3 comments)
'Christians United For Israel' Joyfully Sing of Israel's Invasion and Destruction
An open letter, from Ray McGovern, a 27-year intelligence analyst with the CIA, to Admiral William J. Fallon, warns of an impending US attack on Iran. If such an event occurred, the resulting war...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
The Petrification of John McCain
We are very pleased to welcome Frederick Lane as a guest front pager. He is the author of several books,most recently, The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme...... By Frederick_Lane (3 comments)
More Biblical Precedent for Allowing Abortion
This is a follow up to my most recent diary entry. ...... By TMurray (3 comments)
John Hagee Says God Made AIDS and Bird Flu But Lord will Protect Him Personally
John Hagee claims 1) that he knows with absolute certainty the will of God (as he told a BBC interviewer in 2003), is 2) sure that he, John Hagee, has a place in heaven...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Biblical support for abortion, who knew?
It turns out that our present legal understanding of when a life is entitled to legal protection is consistent with the Old Testament Biblical understanding of when a fetus becomes a 'life' warranting legal...... By TMurray (2 comments)
2001 John Hagee Film Shows Gangsterish Rabbi, Foppish Catholic Priest In League With anti-Christ
The following somewhat satirical video is built around a brief excerpt from Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee's 2001 55-minute film "Vanished", which followed the prophetic, premillennial plot line of Tim LaHaye's and Jerry Jenkin's...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
PBS "Carrier": A Mixed Blessing
Watching the PBS miniseries "Carrier" was a revelation, but not always a pleasant one... ...... By bughouse square (0 comments)
Will We Ever Learn?
Ever looked at something or did something which at the time seemed good and beneficial only to learn that it was not what you thought? If we could all have the opportunity to live...... By truthngrace (0 comments)
McCain-Endorser's Church Casts Out "Demon of Anal Fissures", Teaches Vomiting Evil Spirits
[NOTE: for a related story, see Mai Tai Dogs: Pics Show Bush Administration, McCain-Endorser Hagee Schmoozing at Chinese Restaurant] I have to admit, on one level it sounds more entertaining than a church full...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
Bush 41 salutes Sun Myung Moon's effort to subdue the planet.
Sun Myung Moon's end time political front, the Universal Peace Federation had a summit from April 28 to May 2 in Washington DC. The participants took a tour of the Moon owned Washington Times...... By Lou (2 comments) More Diaries... |
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