The Southern Poverty Law Center recently published its annual “Hate Map” and report, “The Year in Hate and Extremism.”
The organization targets conservative and Christian organizations such as Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the Family Research Council (FRC) and the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) as “hate groups.”
Of course, none of these are hate groups. Of course, none of these are hate groups. Instead, they promote parental rights, life, religious freedom and free speech. They work to protect children from inappropriate sexualization and false “transgender” ideology.
ADF is a legal organization that fights for religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and free speech. Founded in in 1994 by a group of Christian leaders that included Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Bill Bright and Dr. D. James Kennedy, ADF has gone on to play a role in 64 victories at the United States Supreme Court.
FRC is a nonprofit research and educational organization that promotes a biblical worldview and works to advance faith, family and freedom in public policy. ACPeds is a scientific medical association of healthcare professionals that advocates for policies that promote the optimal health and well-being of children.
The SPLC, founded 50 years ago, initially focused on civil rights legislation and on filing lawsuits against white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
The law center labels Christian groups and individuals “Anti-LGBTQ,” linking religious-based opposition to homosexual and transgender ideology together with real hatred from antisemitic and racist groups like the KKK, neo-Nazis and white skinheads. In doing so, the organization paints them all with the same brush, maligning legitimate, mainstream conservative and Christian groups.
The report lists 65 “anti-LGBTQ” groups, citing their opposition to biological males, who believe they are girls, from participating in girls sports as evidence of their “hatred.” The SPLC also mentions that these groups promote “parental rights” and “religious liberty,” using air quotes around the terms to invalidate the beliefs and goals of these Christian and conservative organizations.
Other mainstream conservative and Christian groups and individuals listed by the SPLC include Liberty Counsel, the Pacific Justice Institute, the American Family Association, D. James Kennedy Ministries (DJKM), the Ruth Institute and Lou Engle, who recently called believers to pray and fast for LGBT-identified individuals.
Morris Dees, who founded the SPLC in 1971, was fired in 2019 after he and the law center faced allegations of racial discrimination and sexual harassment.
The organization, headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, has also been derided for spending a large percentage of its budget on fundraising and a small percentage actually fighting legal cases. In 2018, the organization raised $117 million and had $529.8 million in resources.
The SPLC launched its “Teaching Tolerance” program 30 years ago, providing curriculums, downloadable resources and publications for teachers and schools. Recently rebranded as “Learning for Justice,” the program promotes identity politics, critical race theory, homosexuality and transgenderism in the classroom.
The law center has denounced efforts to preserve privacy and safety in locker rooms, restrooms and changing rooms, and it promotes efforts to damage, disfigure and sterilize children with puberty blockers, opposite sex hormones and surgeries.
Being designated a “hate group” has real world consequences, as Amazon has excluded groups like ADF, DJKM, FRC and the Ruth Institute from its charitable giving program, AmazonSmile, based on the SPLC’s designation.
The SPLC has taken other hits in recent years, as it was forced to pay $3.375 million and issue a public apology to settle a threatened defamation lawsuit by Muslim reformer Maajid Nawaz, whom SPLC falsely labelled an anti-Muslim extremist.
DJKM is suing both the SPLC and Amazon for defamation and religious discrimination. While two lower courts have blocked the suit, DJKM has appealed the case to the Supreme Court.
Related articles:
Alliance Defending Freedom: Slandered for Christ’s Sake
Christian Ministry Asks Supreme Court to Hear Case Over ‘Hate Group’ Designation
Cleaning House at the Southern Poverty Law Center
Photo from Facebook.
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