Date: Sun, 30 Jan 1994 12:47:13 -0700 (MST) From: Maria Lasaga Subject: Successful Protest Against CHRISTIAN COALITION (Wyoming) We conducted a demonstration yesterday against the Christian Coalition's Leadership School that was held in Torrington, Wyoming. The demonstration got extensive television coverage on one of our major stations (which mainly relayed our message and put them on the defensive!) and resulted in one newspaper article so far (which consisted of our press release, verbatim). This, in conservative Wyoming!! The newspaper article appeared in the CHURCH section, by God! :-) We pulled off the demonstration despite a blizzard in the southeastern section of the state (where most of us who were organizing the demonstration live). In fact, a couple of the organizers slid off the road and got stuck in the snow so they never made it (they're fine, but not happy to have missed what is probably the first demonstration in the history of Torrington, to our knowledge!). There was no snow in Torrington, thank goodness, but it sure was frigid... At any rate, I wanted to share our press release with you, in case anybody else wanted to try something similar. The message seemed to come across well, and we've gotten very positive and supportive responses from a number of Christians (not of the Christian Coalition, of course!) who saw the news broadcast. -maria lasaga ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE ------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release: January 29, 1994 NO REINS ON RELIGION IN WYOMING: Concerned Citizens Defend Against Christian CoalitionUs Assault on Religious Freedom A proactive demonstration that advocated acceptance of and respect for all beliefs was held today to rally against the Christian Coalition's Leadership School in Torrington, Wyoming. The Christian Coalition, a national organization headed by Pat Robertson and Ralph Reed, Jr., conducts leadership training sessions throughout the United States. These political seminars teach campaign strategies that rely on stealth tactics to get local Christian Right candidates elected to office. In the words of their executive director, Ralph Reed, Jr., "It's like guerrilla warfare. If you reveal your location, all it does is allow your opponent to improve his artillery bearings. It's better to move quietly, with stealth, under cover of night." Political candidates are even instructed by the Christian Coalition's organizing manual to never reveal their affiliation with the Coalition. However, once elected, their goal is to base our government on their narrow interpretation of the Bible. Other Christian groups are quick to stress that the Christian Coalition does not speak for the majority of Christians. Many new Christian organizations, such as People of Faith Against Bigotry, have been forming specifically to oppose the narrow scope, intolerance, stealth tactics, and political aspirations of groups such as the Christian Coalition. The message of the proactive demonstration in Torrington was that _all_ beliefs are sacred. Various holy texts (e.g., Book of Mormon, Bible, Talmud, etc.) were displayed on an altar to underscore the importance of respecting all beliefs. A graphic display depicted the Christian Coalition's desire to be the gatekeepers of faith in our country: Sacred symbols of a variety of religions (e.g., Hindu, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, etc.) were shown behind bars with a caricature of Pat Robertson holding the key. The proactive demonstration for freedom of belief was held from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m., at 3200 West C Street, Tebbet Building, Eastern Community College, Torrington, Wyoming. ### ----------------------------------------------------------------------------