Target May Face Backlash on Salvation Army (Concerned Women of America)

[Khephra]

MINNEAPOLIS -- A backlash could be brewing against Target Corp. after it decided to ban Salvation Army bell-ringers and their red kettles from its store entrances this holiday season.

The company announced the decision months ago, but the criticism didn't start to mount until Salvation Army officials recently noted the problems it could cause to their fund raising plans, and shoppers noticed the bell ringers' absence.

The latest reaction has come from several national Christian groups, who are denouncing Target's decision.

"For Target to say that the Salvation Army is no longer welcome at the inn should send a message to Christians that perhaps they'd like to do their shopping elsewhere," said Robert Knight, a spokesman for Concerned Women of America, a Christian activist group that claims more than 500,000 members.

http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-target-backlash,0,2662212.story?coll=sns-ap-business-headlines

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FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE CWA:

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Right Wing Organizations


Concerned Women for America

1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20005
www.cwfa.org

Founder and Chairman: Beverly LaHaye
Date of founding: 1979
Place of founding: San Diego, CA
Finances: $11.9 million dollars (2002)
Membership: CWA claims over 500,000 members.
State chapters: 500 regional groups across the country. Staff: 34
Publications: Family Voice (published monthly, has 200,000 subscribers) and Issues at a Glance (monthly). Family Watch, a church communication, reaches 500,000 people in churches across the country. CWA also offers many books, cassettes, and video tapes to their supporters on a wide variety of subjects.
Radio: CWA's daily radio show, "Concerned Women Today," is broadcast on 75 stations and reaches an estimated weekly audience of over 1 million.
Affiliate groups: Concerned Women for America Education and Legal Defense Foundation, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the Beverly LaHaye Institute, and the Culture and Family Institute.


CWA’s Principal Issues:
CWA’s Activities:
CWA's History:
CWA State Activities:
Quotes by Beverly LaHaye:


CWA’s Principal Issues:


Concerned Women for America is “the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization… to protect traditional values that support the Biblical design of the family.”

CWA is anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-feminism and anti-sex education. Beverly LaHaye started CWA to respond to the advances of feminism after watching NOW’s founder Betty Friedan on television in 1978. CWA identifies feminism as “anti-god, anti-family.” CWA identifies state-level Equal Rights Amendments (ERAs) as responsible for the breakdown of families, “The ERA proposes the elimination of our God-given roles as men and women, resulting in the redefinition -- and eventual destruction -- of family.”


CWA’s Activities:


CWA has lobbied against the Freedom of Choice Act and gay rights legislation in many states. Grassroots activity for most states is headed by a CWA Area Representative and a steering committee.

This group monitors state legislation, organizes Prayer/Action chapters and coordinates the CWA's “Project 535” grassroots congressional lobbying program. (“Project 535” refers to the total number of congresspeople in both the House and Senate.)

CWA fights against sex education curricula that is not completely abstinence based and opposes anti-drug and alcohol abuse programs that emphasize self-esteem. Many challengers to books and curricula in public schools use CWA's materials.

CWA has been active in the fight against using Harry Potter books in schools. Publications such as “Harry Potter: Seduction of the Occult” claim that the books promote the practice of witchcraft among children. CWA offers books and videos such as, “Harry Potter: Withcraft Repackaged: Making Evil Look Innocent.” (Produced by Tim LaHaye, Beverly LaHaye’s husband.)

CWA has also been active in supporting teaching creationism and “intelligent design theory” in science classrooms.

CWA anti-gay work covers many issues, from supporting the Boy Scouts of America ban against gay participants, to opposing any “out” gay people in President Bush’s administration. CWA has been active in opposing any and all gay and lesbian civil rights measures, including supporting the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians in employment. CWA supports the “Truth in Love” campaign that says that homosexuality is a sin and claims gays and lesbians can become “straight” through “the love of Jesus Christ.” CWA established the Culture and Family Institute (CFI) to combat gay and lesbian civil rights. Bob Knight and Peter LaBarbara, long time anti-gay crusaders, lead the Culture and Family Institute.

During John Ashcroft’s confirmation hearings in the Senate, CWA and many other “pro-family” groups held a press conference of conservative women leaders, which they claim resulted in 13,000 e-mails to senators, phone calls from members, hand-delivering information to senators and appearing on several major news networks in his support. CWA called Ashcroft’s critics “anti-religionists.”

As a leader of the religious right, Beverly and her husband Tim LaHaye are strong supporters of other religious-right groups and leaders. For instance, in the summer of 2001 the LaHaye’s gave Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University $4.5 million dollars. (Beverly LaHaye is a trustee of the university.)

Beverly LaHaye, alongside many other conservative leaders, has lobbied to de-fund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In 1991 Beverly LaHaye testified before the Committee on Appropriations, Interior Subcommittee, of the House of Representatives to argue for de-funding of the NEA.



CWA's History:


In 1994 CWA filed suit on behalf of an anti-abortion protester, who was arrested during a protest, against the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), which banned protesters from blocking clinic entrances. In 1995 the Court of Appeals upheld FACE and CWA appealed to the Supreme Court, although the Court refused to hear the case.

A lot of CWA’s history involves legal issues:

In 1994 Virginia State Democratic Committee filed an injunction against CWA to stop the distribution of CWA’s “nonpartisan” voter guides. CWA and the Family Foundation (of Virginia) appealed to the courts, which ordered the ban lifted.


In 1993 CWA-Iowa claimed victory by helping to defeat the state ERA with a 52 percent majority vote.


In 1988, Beverly LaHaye testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the confirmation hearings for Judge Anthony Kennedy to the U.S. Supreme Court.


During the 1987 Robert Bork Supreme Court nominee hearings controversy, CWA led a national petition drive, sponsored a “Women for Bork” rally and organized 350 people to lobby senators on Bork’s behalf.



CWA State Activities:


Many of the CWA state groups are very active and effective on local issues. For instance, in 1998 the CWA-California Bay Area chapter helped gather 60,000 necessary signatures to force the Board of Supervisors to repeal or place on the ballot a domestic partnership ordinance. The Board repealed the ordinance.




Quotes by Beverly LaHaye:

“Most women know the feminist agenda has failed. They see our culture crumbling from its influence. In fact, feminism has harmed women and families worldwide as its proponents have used the United Nations to spread their agenda." (http://www.cwfa.org/library/_familyvoice/1999-07/4-5.shtml)

"Yes, religion and politics do mix. America is a nation based on biblical principles. Christian values dominate our government. The test of those values is the Bible. Politicians who do not use the bible to guide their public and private lives do not belong in office." (“Ms.” magazine, 2/87)

On censorship: "I am aware that America is and must always be a land of freedom including freedom of speech. But there is a right time and place for everything." (CWA News, 3/91)

Mrs. LaHaye warned her members that homosexuals "want their depraved 'values' to become our children's values. Homosexuals expect society to embrace their immoral way of life. Worse yet, they are looking for new recruits!" (CWA direct mail, 5/92)



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