Watching the evangelicals

February 15, 2005 9:19 AM

I'm worried about the aggressive attempt at cultural and political dominance being perpetrated by evangelical groups like this. Can anyone point me to grassroots watchdog groups / info clearninghouses / think tanks? Basically, I'm looking for any organization that is tracking and analyzing the strategies and propoganda of evangelical christian groups. I want to start paying some serious attention.

(No matter how I construct my terms, My Google searches are only returning grassroots watchdog groups made up of evangelical christians who are keeping an eye on the rest of us).

And if there aren't any ...wanna start one?

posted by Miko to law & government (13 comments total)

Look around in the forums at Democratic Underground. It isn't exactly a one-to-one match, but I suspect you can find some people with the background you're looking for.
posted by Doohickie at 9:50 AM on February 15, 2005

You could try joining some... I got on the Focus on the Family mailing list a few months ago when I responded to a gay marriage survey. Ever since then I get about an email a week about some urgent issue that's sure to bring down society and Christianity as we know it. Which sounds good to me, so I make sure to go to whatever website, email whatever person they refer to, and do exactly the opposite of what FOF has asked me to do.

How better to keep on top of their propaganda than to receive it?
posted by Gortuk at 9:52 AM on February 15, 2005

Heh... I like that, Gortuk. I tried that on FreeRepublic, but they banned me in milliseconds! (Free, my ass!)
posted by Doohickie at 9:57 AM on February 15, 2005

In general, groups interested in free speech, separation of church and state, and the first amendment do some tracking of the christian right's more outrageous behavior. Try starting with the ACLU. If you contact your local chapter, they might be able to steer you towards some other groups.

Googling "monitoring 'christian right'" also brought up some of the following:

The American Religious
Right

Americans United for Separation of Church and State

American Atheists
posted by googly at 10:05 AM on February 15, 2005

troutfishing is really interested in this topic. And he has some interesting ideas as to how to go about doing it. He hasn't been around here lately, but you might try to get a hold of him....
posted by mr_roboto at 10:08 AM on February 15, 2005

I definitely second AU, keep an eye on their Wall of Separation blog.
posted by inksyndicate at 10:12 AM on February 15, 2005

For keeping up with the Right, I subscribe to all the big mailing lists: FoF, Parents Television Council, Family Research Council, etc. I also have a ton of google alerts devoted to these groups.

AgapePress is a news site for the Right. There's also TownHall.com, Baptist Press News, CBN (aka Pat Robertson).

In terms of a grassroots org that fights the more egregious right-wingery, I think People for the American Way does a great job. The Southern Poverty Law Center also takes them on as part of their tolerance campaign.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:23 AM on February 15, 2005

This article by Bill Moyers got me wondering the same thing, and gave me some ideas for google searches that eventually led me to the website for the new Moral Majority Coalition. Click on their "Our Purpose" link for an eye-opening rundown of what they're all about. I wasn't able to find any highly organized opposition groups.
posted by Buzz at 10:25 AM on February 15, 2005

You could also try This is not over, a site with all sorts of links. It looks like they are still tweaking format and content, but I've picked up some good info from there.
posted by gaspode at 10:37 AM on February 15, 2005

mudpuppie beat me to People for the American Way, but let me second the recommendation. Specifically, you might be interested in their Right Wing Watch. I have contacted them in the past (it's been a few years) and they were very interested in setting up local, grassroots contacts to monitor the Religious Right's efforts to influence local school boards, city politics etc.
posted by Otis at 10:49 AM on February 15, 2005

Texas Freedom Network has been fighting the religious right for some time now. They are (obviously) mostly limited to activity in Texas, but their website has a ton of links to related organizations worth joining and fundamentalist organizations worth keeping an eye on.
posted by conquistador at 3:30 PM on February 15, 2005

Somewhat related, Ex-Gay Watch monitors groups like Exodus who seek to "cure" people of homosexuality. Such groups are usually (always?) religious in nature.
posted by heatherann at 3:54 PM on February 15, 2005

Also, The Door magazine is put out by an organization that has a mission similar to what you might be looking for.
posted by Dagobert at 11:15 PM on February 15, 2005