Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 11

Miliar nirf 11,1 I .11 r- iijiimiaaaEtit! Tactics Mireate edMcaHioE Te state's largest teacher's organization believes the Christian Right is a threat to public education. "If I'm a Jewish student in a class and every other student is Christian and the teacher decides to use Christian religious precepts, then my rights as an American in that public institution have been violated." Craig Christiansen, president, NSEA "it really is a problem that has reached every single school building in at some level," said Craig Christiansen president of the'' Nebraska State Education Association. "I have a hard time understanding what multiculturalism and outcome-based education has to do with undermining Christianity," Christiansen said. "One of the real damning charges is that a part of multicultural education somehow promotes homosexuality. That is just ludicrous." As a result, teachers and administrators are becoming reluctant to try new ways of teaching for fear they may be criticized, he said.

When educators defend themselves they are often accused of an anti-Christian bias. The NSEA represents 22,000 teachers, principals, superintendents and other certified school employees. Christiansen said there have been so-called stealth candidates in Nebraska, many of whom run for school board seats. These candidates have strict fundamentalist agendas but seek to conceal them by avoiding forums, questionnaires and the other traditional said. Local members of the far right are taking their cues from such national organizations as the Traditional Values Coalition, Focus on the Family, and Coral Ridge Ministries, Christiansen said.

Sometimes debate on local issues is made more confusing by their influence. "Much of the criticism of outcome-based education was based on a Pennsylvania experience," Christiansen said. "And I would have some criticism of the Pennsylvania program but the assumption then by the extreme right is that if it's called outcome-based education in another state and there were problems there, we will have the same problems in Nebraska," he said. "But the reality is that there are many different ways to approach outcome-based education. Consequently, criticism based on a national newsletter doesn't hold water here." The Coral Ridge Ministries leader, D.

James Kennedy, said the "National Education Association stands for all that is evil in schools today abortion, health clinics in schools, sex education and gay rights." "That's the kind of position we constantly have to defend against," Christiansen said. "In fact, what we are trying to do is help local school districts and deal with severe social and demographic problems that students bring to school with them." Christiansen said part of the reason -for debate may be a reaction to a growing diversity among Americans that includes religions. "If I'm a Jewish student in a class and every other student is Christian -and the teacher decides to use Christian religious precepts, then my rights as an American in that public institution have been violated," Christiansen said. "America has to come to grips with its growing diversity, not only cultural and racial but religious diversity as welL" Members of the Craig Christiansen far. right are run campaign events.

Some have been elected, Christiansen said, but he declined to name them, saying that teachers and administrators have to work with the school board members. Christiansen said he has been told that some churches actively encourage their members to run for public office. Teachers from Lincoln, Grand Island and Omaha all have told the NSEA they have heard such political endorsements issued from the pulpits of churches in their communities. "They are told that, 'You should vote for this candidate and that he said. "There is nothing more blatant than that" Some conservative groups do not seem to be well-organized in Nebraska, but Christiansen said the influence of national groups is evident by the use of newsletters, videotapes, books and other materials.

Christiansen said he has read such materials, including advice on how to disrupt a school board meeting by using stenographers, videotaping the participants and continually asking questions. Such tactics are used by opponents of outcome-based education at State Board of Education meetings, he said. The result of such tactics is a effect on public discussion, he ning for school boards as "stealth candidates," he said. They push for tax credits or vouchers for private schools, threatening the financing of public education. They also use disruptive tactics at meetings and continually attack public educators for having a hidden anti-Christian Pastor says humanists creatures of the state i 4 Concern for kids led ftiom to political action 1 hings are pretty clear to John Morrow.

Morrow, pastor of an independent, charismatic evangelical church in wasn't a better job that brought Cyndi Lamm and her family to Nebraska six years ago. With drive-by shootings and 'These are among issue positions that tend to be emphasized by members and fr't: -V- tK-i other violence, Lamm found life in Southern California threatening. Wien her two children started public school she found a lack of reading, writing, arithmetic and other basics. Utfhen a movement began to teach ptiblic school students that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle, Lamm decided the Midwest was a belter place to raise her family. "I really moved to get away from the California environment," she said.

But Lamm has done more than just move. Last year, after becoming a vocal critic of Lincoln Public Schools administrators, she became the state director of the Traditional Values Coalition. group is a pro-life, pro-family group that believes in the "heterosexual ethic, religious liberties and educational fairness," Lamm said. The latter includes school vouchers afjtdl tax credits for private schools and a larger tax deduction for people what is wrong with American politics. He flips through the pages of "The Conscience of a Conservative" by Goldwater to explain the right way.

The rejection of God as the source of truth in personal and political life has led to many of the nation's problems, he said. Teaching evolution in public schools "is the religious doctrine of the humanist," Morrow said. "It is not scientific fact. It is theory. Every- thing in their mentality demands evolution.

They must have it to justify everything they do. It's an article of faith. "If you believe that God is the crea-tor and has established laws for man's conduct all you do is apply that to our problems. But if you believe in evolution, you are always in the pro- cess of discovering. It's always evolving.

That is not based on objective truth. It's based on relative truth." Morrow, 59, became inspired by the election of Ronald Reagan and got involved in the Lancaster County Republican Party about a dozen years ago. "It seemed to me that the direction of this country was headed downhill from a lot of different standpoints," he said. "We were headed toward socialism, one world government, loss of national sovereignty and individual freedoms. And judicial activism was revising the Constitution.

"I believed that if I didn't get involved I had no right to complain about it" Liberals and humanists "are looking at a whole revision of society as we know it," he said. "I want to conserve society as we know it In this country, I do not want a new godless, socialistic state." Lincoln, quotes Barry Goldwater and says the "first obligation of a political thinker is to understand the nature of man." Long active in the Lancaster County Republican Party, Morrow said the nature of man is flawed and people must rely on God for moral guidance, both for their personal behavior and their lawmaking. But, Morrow said, many liberals or "collectivists" subscribe to the humanist view that people are the center of the universe and need no help from God. "Essentially the whole difference between liberal and conservatives the right and left is all a different view of mankind," he said. "The humanist does away with absolutes and, therefore, everything becomes relative.

Morality becomes situation ethics. "The Christian says that man has a flaw in character and cannot be trusted to always do what is right," said Morrow, pastor of the Living Word Church. "The humanist says in order for man to do his best he only needs more education. So rules increasingly come from a bureaucracy and legislators instead of God. He is becoming a creature of the state instead of a creature of God." During the interview in his north Lincoln home, Morrow refers to passages from a copy of the "Humanist Manifestos" to make his points about supporters of the so-called Christian Right: Anti-abortion Anti-gay rights Anti-sex education in schools Pro-home schools Pro-tax credits or vouchers for private schools AmV'outcome-based" education In addition, many favor teaching creationism and prayer in public schools, and are involved in anti-pornography efforts.

Not all people with similar views on these issues can be fairly categorized as being part of the movement, nor do all members of the movement necessarily hold the same positions on all these issues. mmm 3 5 if who have children. "Our primary objective is to educate and mobilize people who support pro-family issues to be involved in the political process," she said. Lamm got involved with the coalition last year after learning that GAIL FOLOAUNCOLN JOURNAL John Morrow, pastor of the Living Word Christian Outreach Center, has been a Republican activist since the mid-1980s. Cyndi Lamm Board member wants to make sure schools do their job ill Meier's conservative, religious views on sex education, school prayer and other subjects often have left him in the He opposed a learning kit for lOth-graders that contained condoms, birth control pills and intrauterine devices.

The proposal drew flak from Metro Right to Life, but the oro- bill to prohibit employers from discriminating against someone on the basis of their sexual orientation. It published about 100,000 "Citizen Guides" on the issue, which were distributed to churches in every legislative district. The coalition also produced weekly "Action Alerts" during the legislative session on that topic and others that also were sent to churches. In May, the group produced a voter guide for the primary. Lamm recently took her 13-year old daughter and 15-year old son from public schools and enrolled them at Parkview Christian School.

And there were extracurricular activities that did not sit well with Lamm. For example, she said, students are shown PG-rated movies without parents' permission. Lamm, a born-again Christian who attends church at Christ's Place in Lincoln, said her beliefs have been shaped by her own experiences. Raised in a family without strong moral values, Lamm said she knows what drugs, immorality and sexual promiscuity are all about. "I know the mistakes that people can make," she said.

"I made them." Lincoln Public Schools planned to present a sympathetic view of homosexuality in its multicultural educa-. tion curriculum. Lamm says the sexuality of children is "fluid" between the ages of 12 17 Giving them information about homosexuality during this time could cause teen-agers to experiment sexually with people of their own sex. "Plus, it's a morally controversial issue, so for the state or school system to decide that it's a morally acceptable lifestyle is way out of line with many parents," Lamm said. The coalition has a seven-member board, including two evangelical pastors, college students and business people.

The group uses a mailing list of 2,000 Nebraskans who attend about 50Q different churches to distribute word about their activities. "We would like to start local boards uf all three congressional districts," Lamm said. The coalition opposed a legislative 2' forms. "We have tried to meet every social ill in society and I don't think that should be the goal," he said. "We should educate.

"We have a difficult task in that many parents have shirked their responsibilities to their kids and the only parenting the kids get is from the public schools," he said. "But schools can't be the parents and it's not fair to balance that on the back of taxpayers. With three children in public schools, Meier said his motivation is simple. "This is important to me. I am turning my children over to the public schools and asking them to teach them academics and thinking skills," he said.

"I am not in this for anything other than making Sure that gets done." around in a room of boys and girls and then five minutes later encouraging kids to practice abstinence. It's a dual message." In April, Meier led a move to give high school seniors the ability to de-cide whether they would have prayer at their graduations. "It's a matter of free speech," he said. His motion was defeated. Meier, who sells architectural and engineering supplies, was raised Lutheran but found himself spiritually adrift by adulthood.

A few years later, he joined what is now called Christ Community Church. "It's changed my life," Meier said. "I have been blessed far more than I deserve." Now also active in the Douglas County Republican Party, Meier said many Nebraskans want school re minority on the board of Nebraska's largest school district. But, Meier is not discouraged about serving on the Omaha Board of Education or being on the losing end of common 8-4 votes. "We're not talking about proselytizing," Meier said.

"We're talking about what is right" A member of one of Omaha's largest evangelical churches, Meier decided to run for the school board in 1992 during a debate on a proposed sex education course. Ufe Meier said he Bill Meier objected because the kit would send a conflicting message to students. He recalls talking with his school board member about the topic and concluding that she did not represent him. "I felt we were in the mainstream," Meier, 45, said. "And we were against passing out condoms and IUDs RightNewer breed of conservatives seek political solutions on moral issues mm.

Some commonly used terms when referring to members of the Christian Right: Evangelicals: Doctrinally conservative Christians who emphasize the need for a definite, adult commitment or conversion to faith in Christ and the duty of at) believers to persuade others to accept Christ. Evangelicals make up some conservative denominations and are numerous in other denominations. Fundamentalists: Christians who stress strict, literal interpretations of Scripture and separation from other Christians. Distinguished from modernists, who ish views of (religious leaders) get the headlines, the majority of these people want to rally around somebody who will stand up for them." Davy started the Nebraska Prayer Network six years ago. Now, 120 people unite in prayer and lobby the Legislature against abortion and homosexual rights, and on bills related to family values.

"One of the most important things we can do in a democratic society is to be active participants," Davy said. "Our forefathers said no democracy can stand unless people are morally restrained. And as we are throwing out standards of moral absolutes, we are beginning to see what we were warned about." Motivated by their opposition to abortion, many religious conservatives like Morrow, pastor of the Living Word Christian Outreach Center, became involved in Republican politics in the mid-1980s. Working in their church and social circles, they recruited delegates to county conventions, overwhelmed pro-choice Republicans and succeeded in adopting pro-life language In their party's platform statement Still strongly pro-life, these conservatives, many of whom belong, to. evangelical churches, have since turned their attention to other issues.

Generally, they object to gay rights and to all or most sex education taught in schools. They support home schooling and tax credits or vouchers for private schools. Some favor prayer and, in some cases, teaching creationism in public schools. They question outcome-based and multicultural education. Some are involved in anti-pornography efforts.

"Christians would like to see a little more support for the traditional family," said Rick Duncan, a University of Nebraska law professor and a conservative, pro-life Republican. There has always been an unfair characteri- zation of pro-life people as being single issue. What you are seeing now is a great depth to conservative politics." Much of religious conservatives' attention is focused on public education. Some, like Meier, have been elected to school boards after objecting to sex education and other courses they believe undermine their teachings at home. Their views are portrayed as radical by some, but Duncan said, "Frankly, that's why the so- called religious right is going to win this battle.

It's because their values are mainstream." Moody, an attorney and lobbyist says the abortion issue was the first litmus test that ended up excluding Continued from page 1 iport if you are going to be a viable candidate," he said. "If the party is dominated by the radical right that espouses religious principles that you dont espouse, you will not get the party's support. That's fine and the radical right has a right to do that, but you can see what it has done to the Republican Party in this state. "We have a Democratic governor, two-Democratic United States senators Democratic state auditor and treasurer," Moody said. "My point is that people are not voting for Republicans, and the reason is that Republican Party has become a party of extremism." But Cleary and Sigerson said the movement has less to do with religion and more to do with conservative politics.

s'Fll admit that there1 are Republican candidates who play on such issues as homosexuality and they deserve the title of the religious right" Cleary said. "But the backlash happening in the United States right now has nothing to do with religion. It's a conservative backlash that has to do with 30 years of Democratic congressional rule, liberal policies, spending and crime. This is sort of like another silent majority that's not quite silent anymore. Though the more outland him and other pro-choice Republicans from leadership in the party.

He cites his own experience. Moody, who worked for Republican politicians, once served on the GOP executive committee, was chairman of the Lancaster County Republican Party and was a delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention. Now, he said, "I don't even get invited to blow up the balloons at Republican events." Other philosophical tests for Republicans are becoming apparent Moody said, including on such issues as gay rights and belief in Christian religious principles. That's a shame," he said. "It excludes other people and ends up in losing politics." The conservative religious movement in Nebraska politics is loosely organized compared with pro-life efforts within the Nebraska Republican Party.

The well-publicized Christian Coalition of the Rev. Pat Robertson, for example, appears to have minimal presence in Nebraska. Other conservative groups such as the Traditional Values Coalition are trying to get a toehold. But several evangelical pastors, such as some clergy in older, established churches, continue to encourage their members to get involved in interpret the Bible in accordance with more modem scholarship or scientific knowledge. Pentecostals: Christians distinguished by belief in tangible manifestations of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in toungues or faith healing.

Pentecostal denominations include Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Holiness Church, United Pentecostal Church Inc. and Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Within mainstream denominations, Pentecostals are often referred to as charismatics. SOURCES: ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK; RELIGIONS OF AMERICA EDITED BY LEO ROSTEN; DR. JAMES QUTH OF FURMAN UNIVERSITY.

politics. "We dont stand on the pulpit and support a candidate," said Doug Shada, associate pastor of Lincoln Berean Church. "But we do challenge people to get involved with all facets of life in the society in which they live, and politics is a part of that "Are they Americans?" Shada asked, before beginning to answer a series of his own questions. "Yes. "Are they voters? Yes.

"Are they concerned about what is going on in this country? Yes. "Is it wrong to get involved? Not the last time I looked up the word It 1.