18 October 2005

The Institute on Religion and Democracy.

A group called the Institute on Religion and Democracy (I can't bear to call it IRD since my tax brain thinks that means "income in respect of a decedent), is actively trying to help fundamentalists take the reins of the nation's mainline Christian denominations. The leaders of movements like the ones it sponsors are driving mainline denominations to schism across the country. These efforts include the:

"Reforming America's Churches Project, which aims to 'restructure the permanent governing structure' of 'theologically flawed' mainline churches like the Episcopal Church in order to 'discredit and diminish the Religious Left's influence.' This has translated into a three-pronged assault on mainline Presbyterian, Methodist and Episcopal churches. With a staff of media-savvy research specialists, the institute is able to ply both the religious and mainstream media, exploiting divisive social issues within the churches."


If those who still have faith in Christianity want to save it from the fundamentalists, they have their work cut out for them.

2 comments:

Andrew Oh-Willeke said...

The American Baptist Church, the most mainline of the several Baptist denominations (if broke with the Southern Baptists over slavery), has narrowly avoided the departure of the West Virgina branch in a move orchestrated by an Institute supported group within the ABC.

Andrew Oh-Willeke said...

Part of the church appears to have already left in the article above.