In this just-released memo, Tony Perkins pulls the “George, we hardly knew ye” card:
In the past 24 hours FRC has received calls regarding Dr. George Rekers and his connection with the Family Research Council. After reviewing the historical records we did verify that Dr. Rekers was a member of the original Family Research Council board prior to its merger with Focus on the Family in 1987.
Reports have been circulating regarding Dr. Rekers relationship with a male prostitute. FRC has had no contact with Dr. Rekers or knowledge of his activities in over a decade so FRC can provide no further insight into these allegations.
While we are extremely disappointed when any Christian leader engages in the very activities that they “preach” against, it is not surprising. The Scriptures clearly teach the fallen nature of all people. We each have a choice to act upon that nature or accept the forgiveness offered by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and do our best to ensure our actions, both public and private match our professed positions.
Simply due to the echo chamber nature of the Religious Right, I find Perkins’ statement that FRC has had “no contact with Dr. Rekers or knowledge of his activities” extremely suspect. Groups like FRC and NARTH feed off each others’ work, and all one has to do is visit one of their conferences to see just how interrelated the groups really are.
That said, the thing about us all being “fallen people” is super-lame, and it’s testament to the sad state of morality within conservative/fundamentalist Christendom that they think they can pawn all responsibility off on a piece of fruit a mythical woman ate a long time ago.
The only “fallen people” are the people who fall for that malarkey. Christianity is just a phase and mankind will grow out of it.
From http://www.frc.org/faqs (but watch for it to be scrubbed at any minute):
Q – Who founded Family Research Council? Answer…
A – Dr. James Dobson, Gerald P. Regier, and a few other like-minded pioneers first saw the need for an organization like Family Research Council during the 1980 White House Conference on Families. Following the Conference, Dr. Dobson, Jerry Regier, and five other Christian leaders met to discuss ways to make it easier for public policymakers to receive input from scholarly experts who have an appreciation for strong families and a respect for the time-honored truths that undergird family well-being.
Their idea became a reality in 1983, and Jerry Regier became FRC’s first president. The founding board included Dr. Dobson and two noted psychiatrists, Armand Nicholi Jr. of Harvard University and George Rekers of the University of South Carolina medical school.
They have such a deal for you. They tell you that you are a sinner, and that they have the only cure.
Problem is, their premise is faulty.
Karma is such a b***h! I guess lying through their teeth is part of their ‘fallen nature’. Fallen like the suitcases if muscle boy weren’t their to give Reker’s a hand job (with the luggage of course). >:-)