Venkatachalapathi Samuldrala - Family Research Council Response

Family Research Council Response

On September 21, 2000 the Family Research Council (FRC) published a response to the prayer on their website and in mailings of their weekly newsletter. In the newsletter Robert E. Regier and Timothy J. Dailey, in a section titled "Religious Pluralism or Tolerance?", examined the question "A Hindu priest was recently invited to give the opening invocation in the House of Representatives. What's wrong with this?"

They responded saying "What's wrong is that it is one more indication that our nation is drifting from its Judeo-Christian roots...Alas, in our day, when 'tolerance' and 'diversity' have replaced the 10 Commandments as the only remaining absolute dictums, it has become necessary to 'celebrate' non-Christian religions - even in the halls of Congress...Our founders expected that Christianity -- and no other religion -- would receive support from the government as long as that support did not violate people's consciences and their right to worship. They would have found utterly incredible the idea that all religions, including paganism, be treated with equal deference. Many people today confuse traditional Western religious tolerance with religious pluralism. The former embraces biblical truth while allowing for freedom of conscience, while the latter assumes all religions are equally valid, resulting in moral relativism and ethical chaos... As for our Hindu priest friend, the United States is a nation that has historically honored the One True God. Woe be to us on that day when we relegate Him to being merely one among countless other deities in the pantheon of theologies."

In response to media stories picking up on the FRC position Rep. Sherrod Brown's spokesperson, Bridget Fisher, stated that it is "unfortunate that the Family Research Council interprets the Constitution to say that religious freedom means Christian supremacy." Brown also personally responded to the FRC statement, he said "I'm disappointed the Family Research Council doesn't understand what this country is all about. This country was founded on freedom of religion and religious diversity." He stated their comments were "bigotry, plain and simple."

Reverend Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said the FRC's statement "reeks of religious bigotry... remarkable lack of respect for religious diversity." He also stated "It is truly rare, even within the Religious Right, to see a group display simultaneously such a poor understanding of history and a remarkable lack of respect for religious diversity. Usually such profound ignorance like this is commonly found in the 18th, not the 21st century."

After the comments were reported by the Associated Press, the section critical of the prayer was removed from FRC webpages and Kristin Hansen, an FRC spokesperson, told reporters "the piece had not been approved by FRC officials and was published accidentally." In addition to this the Executive Vice President of FRC, Chuck Donovan released a press release on September 22, 2000. In the statement he said "It is the position of the Family Research Council that governments must respect freedom of conscience for all people in religious matters ... We affirm the truth of Christianity, but it is not our position that American's Constitution forbids representatives of religions other than Christianity from praying before Congress." Donovan also decried secularization in the American culture, pointed out his groups support for religious freedom legislation. Donovan also wrote against the persecution of Christians across the globe, calling on India to protect the Christian minority there just as the United States insures the rights of the American Hindu minority.