reddogs
16th April 2008, 01:10 PM
I was sent this and it makes for interesting reading....
"...One of the most important policy making agencies behind the White House and the Christian Coalition. It is known as the CNP or Council for National Policy. It wields as much, if not more, advisory political power than any other right-wing conservative group.
"By the early “70’s” three key men Richard Viguerie (a Roman Catholic), Howard Phillips, and Paul Weyrich (A Roman Catholic) had laid the foundation for a conservative revolution in the U.S. Weyrich (remember that name) obtained financial backing from a Colorado beer magnate Joseph Coors (a Roman Catholic) to found the Heritage Foundation. This is a rightwing think tank that has exercised great influence on Republican presidential administrations since Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 ....
"In 1974 and 1975 a group of key leaders, including Richard Devos, president of the Amway Corporation, and Bill Bright, president of Campus Crusade for Christ convened a series of secret meetings to plan the development of the religious right. This group published a blue print for Christians to win elections and a annual designed to persuade evangelical Christians to adopt conservative positions on a whole range of issues Organizations arose to mobilize women by appealing to 'family values' and anxieties [against] ... the emerging feminist movement. In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly (a staunch Roman Catholic) founded the Eagle Forum to organize opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, which she saw as a threat to the traditional family .... Grassroots organizations such as the Moral majority and eventually the Christian Coalition joined their voices.
"Clothed in secrecy since its founding in 1981, the Council for National Policy is a virtual 'Who's Who' of the Hard Right.” Its membership comprises the Right's Washington operatives and politicians, its financiers, and its hard-core religious arm."
Major thought leaders, organizers, financial is Right! This list of members obtained through ABC.com includes the likes of Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Congressman Tom Delay, Congressman Dick Armey, Karl Rove (Chief advisor for President Bush), Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, Judge Robert Bork, Attorney General John Ashcroft (he's listed as a former member), theologian John Ankerberg, Pat Robertson, Jeffrey Coors (Coors Brewery money magnate), Richard DeVos (Amway and Orlando Magic entrepreneur), Bill Bright (Campus Crusade), Senator Jesse Helms, Larry Burkett, Rev. Donald Wildman (American Family Assoc.), D. James Kennedy (Save our Sundays and Save our America), Sam Moore (President of Thomas Nelson Bible Publishers),
Oliver North, Roberta Combs (President of Christian Coalition), Ralph Reed (former head of Christian Coalition and Bush's presidential campaign director), Keith Fournier (attorney and Catholic spokesman), Phyllis Schlafly (women's activist), Tim LaHaye (Author of the deceptive Left Behind series and "a founding father of the CNP), John Whithead (Rutheford Institute founder), Alan Keyes (Roman Catholic talk show host), Nelson Baker Hunt (son of billionaire H. L. Hunt and connected to the John Birch Society, the Reagan political network and a founding father of the CNP), and the list goes on .
On November 20, 1975, The AMERICAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS issued their PASTORAL PLAN for Pro-life Activities. This plan is a superbly detailed blueprint of the bishops' strategy for infiltrating and manipulating the American democratic process at the national, state, and local levels. It creates a political machine controlled by the bishops. This plan has been called by Timothy Byrnes (Author of Catholic Bishops in American Politics.) the most “focused and aggressive political leadership ever exerted by the Catholic Hierarchy. So much for... separation of church and state!
“Jesuit priest Virgil Blum,” proposed this strategy (a strategy to undermine the American political will) in a 1971 American' magazine article titled, 'Public Policy Making: Why the churches Strike Out.' He stated, 'If a group is to be politically effective, issues rather than institutions must be at stake.'
Abortion was simply the issue created to achieve this effectiveness. Blum's article set the stage for the creation of the Pastoral Plan, offering the bishops a set of well thought out guidelines which capitalized on centuries of experience of Jesuit manipulation of governments. (Pg. 155)
"In another of his guidelines, Blum concluded that If the Catholic leadership Is to succeed, it must make their efforts look non-Catholic. Blum also concluded that to accomplish this goal, the bishops must create a strong ecumenical movement ....
Blum recognized early on that “Ecumenism” would be an essential weapon to counter the criticism certain to come with the blatant involvement of the bishops in making public policy. (Pg.159, 160)
"The Pastoral Plan specifically directed the creation of 'grass roots' organizations (like the Christian Coalition) for the purposes of advancing the papal agenda. During the period 1976-1980, nearly all of the organizations that became known as the 'New Right Movement' or the 'Religious New right' were organized, such as 'The Moral Majority,' 'The Heritage Foundation,' 'Eagle Forum,' the 'National Right to Life Political Action Committee' and many others .... Catholics were key players in the creation of all of these organizations and in their leadership.
"Vital to the success of the Pastoral Plan has been the creation of first, the Moral Majority, followed by the Christian Coalition.... The evidence shows that both of these organizations, for all practical purposes, were created by the bishops because of the Plan, and these organizations have derived their energy, organization and direction from the Catholic Church.
"Perhaps the most convincing link between Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition and the activists who are implementing the Bishops' Pastoral Plan is Robertson's link with Paul Weirich (a staunch Roman Catholic and the money and the brains behind the Heritage Foundation). Weyrich (the Catholic activist) recruited Jerry Falwell to become the nominal leader of the Moral Majority. Weyich also claims to have suggested the Moral Majority name. When Falwell dropped out of politics in the late '80's, Weyrich sought out another Protestant to take his place in order to continue the ecumenical activity called for in the Bishops Pastoral Plan: ... Pat Robertson ... Weyrich is deeply involved in the Christian Coalition and planned to serve as a faculty member at 70 Christian Coalition 'leadership schools' in 1994 .... (Pg. 175.177)
"Catholic leadership of Robertson’s so called Protestant network is clearly established. In an Apri11993 article in Church and State magazine, Joseph L. Conn reveals the close connections between Weyrich and other Catholic activists and Robertson .... Marlene Elwell, co-founder of the Catholic Campaign for America, has long been a close ally of Robertson .... And was active in his political campaign. Thomas Monaghan (a staffer on a legal firm sponsored by Catholics United for Life) is senior counsel of Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Catholic activist Keith Fournier heads ACLJ and also serves on the Catholic Campaign for America .... (Pg. 178)
"According to Conn, 'Simply put, the emerging alliance between these Protestant and Roman Catholic conservatives links Pat Robertson's grassroots army - estimated at 350,000 (this year it was reported at 1.7 million) with the Catholic Rights' wealth, political expertise and high-tech capabilities.' It also gives that very desirable Protestant look to the movement as sought by the Bishops' Pastoral Plan. (Pg. 178)
"The evidence continues to mount that the Christian Coalition is fundamentally Catholic not Protestant.... Political science professor Mary Bendyna told the Religious News Service that she was surprised to find that even before the creation of the Catholic Alliance (a Catholic appendage of the Christian Coalition created in 1995) - even before that - all five staffers in the Christian Coalition's Washington, D.C., office were Catholic.
It is vital that Catholic continue to be perceived as a Protestant organization in order to 'stealthily' promote a Catholic agenda. "Since its (the CC's) creation, the Press (Mumford goes into the extremely important role the vastly network Catholic media plays in this intricate drama) (Catholic and secular) has given Americans the mistaken impression that the Coalition is a Protestant organization ....
By October 1995 it was deemed safe for this 'Protestant' organization to more openly identify with Catholics but only as individuals .... Reed told the Associated Press: 'It was time to at least "peek their heads out of the closet door." After all, they had signed the "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" in 1994 and we had seen them all clasp hands in solidarity - so why not?' We came to expect a certain Catholic presence after that."
“Weyrich (the Catholic who sought out Falwell to head up a Right Wing Movement) was giving a briefing to Falwell on the current state of American politics when he remarked, “there is what you might call a moral majority. They are politically and socially conservative. If we could get these people active in politics there is no limit to what we could do.... 'A moral majority' Ed McAteer (who had arranged the meeting) mused, 'that's a great name.' Falwell, too, was struck by it, 'That's it. That's the phrase I've been looking for.' And thus the Moral Majority was born .... "The Conservative Revolution" by Lee Edwards
John Swomley authored a book entitled, Catholic Power vs American Freedom. He states: "It seems clear that Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority and Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition would not have been organized if the Vatican through its agents, the American bishops, had not decided it was necessary to involve articulate right-wing Protestant leaders in their anti-abortion campaign. (Pg.169).
"The Bishops Plan also Indicates that their action against abortion must not be thought of as a Catholic movement, but must be seen as ecumenical. This was probably their most important decision because it resulted in the enlistment of much of the Protestant right-wing as both allies and followers of the bishops' strategy.... (Pg.168)
"Other developments reveal the success of the bishops' strategy. The Southern Baptist Convention came under right-wing control and accepted the Catholic position on abortion." (Pg.171) "Another major accomplishment of the [Bishops'] Pastoral Plan has been its effect on Protestantism in America
The Plan has taken the protest out of Protestant. No wonder when I asked Ralph Reed why he called himself an Evangelical and not a Protestant he said, "Why should I? I'm no longer protesting anything."
"It is obvious that the victory of the Baptist fundamentalists benefits the Papacy. The bishops can now speak for 14.7 million Baptists on this issue and will wield the additional political power derived from this arrangement… By1979, the bishops had identified their man to engineer the Baptist rift. Judge Pat Pressler is on the board of directors of the Council on National Policy which promises the adoption of Papal policy (he was actually one of the organizer along with fanatical Religious right Catholics, Richard Viguerie, Phyllis Schlaftly and Joseph Coors. The Judge Pressler had been exposed - as had been the real actors behind the Baptist rift." (Pg.312).
No wonder W. A. Criswell, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention said without any qualms: "I don't know anyone more dedicated to great fundamental doctrines of Christianity than the Catholics." And Billy Graham, another Baptist minister, professed: "I've found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of Orthodox Roman Catholics."....
"God has revealed what is to take place in the last days, that His people may be prepared to stand against the tempest of opposition and wrath .... We are to be as men waiting for their Lord, not in idle expectancy, but in earnest work, with unwavering faith. It is no time now to allow our minds to be engrossed with things of minor importance. 5T p452.
"Will the people of God now arouse from their carnal lethargy? Will they make the most of present blessings and warnings, and let nothing come between their souls and the light God would have shine upon them? ... "If you wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light will be withdrawn, 5T 719,120.
"...One of the most important policy making agencies behind the White House and the Christian Coalition. It is known as the CNP or Council for National Policy. It wields as much, if not more, advisory political power than any other right-wing conservative group.
"By the early “70’s” three key men Richard Viguerie (a Roman Catholic), Howard Phillips, and Paul Weyrich (A Roman Catholic) had laid the foundation for a conservative revolution in the U.S. Weyrich (remember that name) obtained financial backing from a Colorado beer magnate Joseph Coors (a Roman Catholic) to found the Heritage Foundation. This is a rightwing think tank that has exercised great influence on Republican presidential administrations since Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 ....
"In 1974 and 1975 a group of key leaders, including Richard Devos, president of the Amway Corporation, and Bill Bright, president of Campus Crusade for Christ convened a series of secret meetings to plan the development of the religious right. This group published a blue print for Christians to win elections and a annual designed to persuade evangelical Christians to adopt conservative positions on a whole range of issues Organizations arose to mobilize women by appealing to 'family values' and anxieties [against] ... the emerging feminist movement. In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly (a staunch Roman Catholic) founded the Eagle Forum to organize opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, which she saw as a threat to the traditional family .... Grassroots organizations such as the Moral majority and eventually the Christian Coalition joined their voices.
"Clothed in secrecy since its founding in 1981, the Council for National Policy is a virtual 'Who's Who' of the Hard Right.” Its membership comprises the Right's Washington operatives and politicians, its financiers, and its hard-core religious arm."
Major thought leaders, organizers, financial is Right! This list of members obtained through ABC.com includes the likes of Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Congressman Tom Delay, Congressman Dick Armey, Karl Rove (Chief advisor for President Bush), Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, Judge Robert Bork, Attorney General John Ashcroft (he's listed as a former member), theologian John Ankerberg, Pat Robertson, Jeffrey Coors (Coors Brewery money magnate), Richard DeVos (Amway and Orlando Magic entrepreneur), Bill Bright (Campus Crusade), Senator Jesse Helms, Larry Burkett, Rev. Donald Wildman (American Family Assoc.), D. James Kennedy (Save our Sundays and Save our America), Sam Moore (President of Thomas Nelson Bible Publishers),
Oliver North, Roberta Combs (President of Christian Coalition), Ralph Reed (former head of Christian Coalition and Bush's presidential campaign director), Keith Fournier (attorney and Catholic spokesman), Phyllis Schlafly (women's activist), Tim LaHaye (Author of the deceptive Left Behind series and "a founding father of the CNP), John Whithead (Rutheford Institute founder), Alan Keyes (Roman Catholic talk show host), Nelson Baker Hunt (son of billionaire H. L. Hunt and connected to the John Birch Society, the Reagan political network and a founding father of the CNP), and the list goes on .
On November 20, 1975, The AMERICAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS issued their PASTORAL PLAN for Pro-life Activities. This plan is a superbly detailed blueprint of the bishops' strategy for infiltrating and manipulating the American democratic process at the national, state, and local levels. It creates a political machine controlled by the bishops. This plan has been called by Timothy Byrnes (Author of Catholic Bishops in American Politics.) the most “focused and aggressive political leadership ever exerted by the Catholic Hierarchy. So much for... separation of church and state!
“Jesuit priest Virgil Blum,” proposed this strategy (a strategy to undermine the American political will) in a 1971 American' magazine article titled, 'Public Policy Making: Why the churches Strike Out.' He stated, 'If a group is to be politically effective, issues rather than institutions must be at stake.'
Abortion was simply the issue created to achieve this effectiveness. Blum's article set the stage for the creation of the Pastoral Plan, offering the bishops a set of well thought out guidelines which capitalized on centuries of experience of Jesuit manipulation of governments. (Pg. 155)
"In another of his guidelines, Blum concluded that If the Catholic leadership Is to succeed, it must make their efforts look non-Catholic. Blum also concluded that to accomplish this goal, the bishops must create a strong ecumenical movement ....
Blum recognized early on that “Ecumenism” would be an essential weapon to counter the criticism certain to come with the blatant involvement of the bishops in making public policy. (Pg.159, 160)
"The Pastoral Plan specifically directed the creation of 'grass roots' organizations (like the Christian Coalition) for the purposes of advancing the papal agenda. During the period 1976-1980, nearly all of the organizations that became known as the 'New Right Movement' or the 'Religious New right' were organized, such as 'The Moral Majority,' 'The Heritage Foundation,' 'Eagle Forum,' the 'National Right to Life Political Action Committee' and many others .... Catholics were key players in the creation of all of these organizations and in their leadership.
"Vital to the success of the Pastoral Plan has been the creation of first, the Moral Majority, followed by the Christian Coalition.... The evidence shows that both of these organizations, for all practical purposes, were created by the bishops because of the Plan, and these organizations have derived their energy, organization and direction from the Catholic Church.
"Perhaps the most convincing link between Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition and the activists who are implementing the Bishops' Pastoral Plan is Robertson's link with Paul Weirich (a staunch Roman Catholic and the money and the brains behind the Heritage Foundation). Weyrich (the Catholic activist) recruited Jerry Falwell to become the nominal leader of the Moral Majority. Weyich also claims to have suggested the Moral Majority name. When Falwell dropped out of politics in the late '80's, Weyrich sought out another Protestant to take his place in order to continue the ecumenical activity called for in the Bishops Pastoral Plan: ... Pat Robertson ... Weyrich is deeply involved in the Christian Coalition and planned to serve as a faculty member at 70 Christian Coalition 'leadership schools' in 1994 .... (Pg. 175.177)
"Catholic leadership of Robertson’s so called Protestant network is clearly established. In an Apri11993 article in Church and State magazine, Joseph L. Conn reveals the close connections between Weyrich and other Catholic activists and Robertson .... Marlene Elwell, co-founder of the Catholic Campaign for America, has long been a close ally of Robertson .... And was active in his political campaign. Thomas Monaghan (a staffer on a legal firm sponsored by Catholics United for Life) is senior counsel of Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Catholic activist Keith Fournier heads ACLJ and also serves on the Catholic Campaign for America .... (Pg. 178)
"According to Conn, 'Simply put, the emerging alliance between these Protestant and Roman Catholic conservatives links Pat Robertson's grassroots army - estimated at 350,000 (this year it was reported at 1.7 million) with the Catholic Rights' wealth, political expertise and high-tech capabilities.' It also gives that very desirable Protestant look to the movement as sought by the Bishops' Pastoral Plan. (Pg. 178)
"The evidence continues to mount that the Christian Coalition is fundamentally Catholic not Protestant.... Political science professor Mary Bendyna told the Religious News Service that she was surprised to find that even before the creation of the Catholic Alliance (a Catholic appendage of the Christian Coalition created in 1995) - even before that - all five staffers in the Christian Coalition's Washington, D.C., office were Catholic.
It is vital that Catholic continue to be perceived as a Protestant organization in order to 'stealthily' promote a Catholic agenda. "Since its (the CC's) creation, the Press (Mumford goes into the extremely important role the vastly network Catholic media plays in this intricate drama) (Catholic and secular) has given Americans the mistaken impression that the Coalition is a Protestant organization ....
By October 1995 it was deemed safe for this 'Protestant' organization to more openly identify with Catholics but only as individuals .... Reed told the Associated Press: 'It was time to at least "peek their heads out of the closet door." After all, they had signed the "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" in 1994 and we had seen them all clasp hands in solidarity - so why not?' We came to expect a certain Catholic presence after that."
“Weyrich (the Catholic who sought out Falwell to head up a Right Wing Movement) was giving a briefing to Falwell on the current state of American politics when he remarked, “there is what you might call a moral majority. They are politically and socially conservative. If we could get these people active in politics there is no limit to what we could do.... 'A moral majority' Ed McAteer (who had arranged the meeting) mused, 'that's a great name.' Falwell, too, was struck by it, 'That's it. That's the phrase I've been looking for.' And thus the Moral Majority was born .... "The Conservative Revolution" by Lee Edwards
John Swomley authored a book entitled, Catholic Power vs American Freedom. He states: "It seems clear that Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority and Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition would not have been organized if the Vatican through its agents, the American bishops, had not decided it was necessary to involve articulate right-wing Protestant leaders in their anti-abortion campaign. (Pg.169).
"The Bishops Plan also Indicates that their action against abortion must not be thought of as a Catholic movement, but must be seen as ecumenical. This was probably their most important decision because it resulted in the enlistment of much of the Protestant right-wing as both allies and followers of the bishops' strategy.... (Pg.168)
"Other developments reveal the success of the bishops' strategy. The Southern Baptist Convention came under right-wing control and accepted the Catholic position on abortion." (Pg.171) "Another major accomplishment of the [Bishops'] Pastoral Plan has been its effect on Protestantism in America
The Plan has taken the protest out of Protestant. No wonder when I asked Ralph Reed why he called himself an Evangelical and not a Protestant he said, "Why should I? I'm no longer protesting anything."
"It is obvious that the victory of the Baptist fundamentalists benefits the Papacy. The bishops can now speak for 14.7 million Baptists on this issue and will wield the additional political power derived from this arrangement… By1979, the bishops had identified their man to engineer the Baptist rift. Judge Pat Pressler is on the board of directors of the Council on National Policy which promises the adoption of Papal policy (he was actually one of the organizer along with fanatical Religious right Catholics, Richard Viguerie, Phyllis Schlaftly and Joseph Coors. The Judge Pressler had been exposed - as had been the real actors behind the Baptist rift." (Pg.312).
No wonder W. A. Criswell, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention said without any qualms: "I don't know anyone more dedicated to great fundamental doctrines of Christianity than the Catholics." And Billy Graham, another Baptist minister, professed: "I've found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of Orthodox Roman Catholics."....
"God has revealed what is to take place in the last days, that His people may be prepared to stand against the tempest of opposition and wrath .... We are to be as men waiting for their Lord, not in idle expectancy, but in earnest work, with unwavering faith. It is no time now to allow our minds to be engrossed with things of minor importance. 5T p452.
"Will the people of God now arouse from their carnal lethargy? Will they make the most of present blessings and warnings, and let nothing come between their souls and the light God would have shine upon them? ... "If you wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light will be withdrawn, 5T 719,120.