The Family and the Logan Act
In Jeff Sharlet's book, The Family, he lays out the agenda of a powerful organization few knew about. The connections with power that have a longstanding relationship with U.S. government officials is portrayed by the work. This Para church organization, loosely connected, sought out influential men to peddle their viewpoints in the nation and around the world. The organization's Bible studies served to connect with many of the most powerful people in Washington. D.C. and thus had its own meeting place in the city. The author brought up the Logan Act, this was the first time I recall hearing of such.2 I was puzzled as to how groups like this were allowed to directly engage in foreign affairs in other countries without placing our own national policies in jeopardy. Sharlet said that in 1990 President George W. Bush praised The Family leader, Doug Coe, for his secretive activity. The author stated the President was obviously unaware of the Logan Act. I wanted to find out more about this law I had never heard about. In 1799 a doctor who was a legislature in the nation decided to go to France. He was a Quaker and an adherent to the peace movement. He took it on himself to seek out French officials to negociate some settlement in the embargo going on between the U.S. and France. This was during the John Adams reign as President. When citizens in the nation have taken it on themsleves to visit foreign dignitaries some have accused them of violating this act. Reagan accused Jesse Jackson of such. I was watching Tom Hanks play our recent Congressman, Charlie Wilson, in the block buster movie. In the story Wilson was supposed to mention the Logan Act as a concern. In Wilson's case he was working with the CIA under the suspervision of the Congress and Whitehouse. Even though his actions were under the table, it was connected to an administration which knew what was taking place. Constitution issues are also at stake. For instance when Rev. Jeremiah Wright visited Libya or when private citizens wish to speak out as in the case of the woman behind Charlie in Houston. She appears to have had more direct access to some foreign leaders than our own state department. Free speech and individual rights play into the law. Truth is there appears to have been little if any enforcement of this act besides a few idle threats. Pat Robertson has sought to connect with world leaders and had used his influence to place the head of Zaire on a platform with government agencies.3 Some Baptists were concerned when a recent past head of a mission organization, Robert Reccord, appeared on Pat Robertson's 700 Club. He was on the program using Christian Nation terminology set in a dominion framework. The tape Reccord made of his work has an endorsement by Peter Marshall Jr. A leading advocate for shelving the idea of separation of church and state.4 Sara Diamond has an entire chapter in her book, Spiritual Warfare, about the religious right's entanglement in affairs in South America. Gerald Winrod, the Lutheran minister from Kansas, journeyed to Hitler's Third Reich to be entertained by Nazi officials just before World War II.5 In 1997 a group of Christian dominion types traveled to Zambia to instruct the churches there on taking dominion over the government.6 Representing the Chalcedon group from California, these mission workers hoped to stir up people to behave in Zambia much like The Family does in the U.S. Hammering out just exactly how much the government will tolerate religious people like the Quaker in 1799 seeking to conduct foreign relations will be a topic to be dealt with. Finding common ground on enforcing he Logan Act might neeed to be placed on the front burner for future discussion. So far it has become a forgotten rule that most look the other way regarding. This has helped set the table for organizations like The Family to carry on business as usual.
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The Family and the Logan Act | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
The Family and the Logan Act | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
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