On Wednesday, we posted that Kandiyohi Co Commish Steve Ahmann was the only MN elected official to sign Say No to Interfaith Dialogue declaration circulated by Washington State anti-Muslim preacher Shahram Hadian.
As we reported in Like Branson for Islamophobes: Shahram Hadian brings shows back to central Minnesota, the THEE Book Club hosted Hadian from November 27 through November 30, 2018. Ahmann's wife is a central figure in organizing the group, which frequently hosts anti-Muslim speakers from outside the Willmar and West Central Minnesota area.
Over 400 people have signed the anti-dialogue declaration, according to the initial list of signatories. While Ahmann maybe the only Minnesota elected official to sign the declaration (embedded in Wednesday's post), key Minnesota anti-Muslim activists have signed the document. Two--AJ Kern, Beth Schlangen--unsuccessfully sought public office.
We're not posting about private citizens or leaders of individual congregations in this post, only those signatories who are public leaders in the theater of conservative activism.
Listed by the number on the roll of signatories, these are the Minnesota conservative activists who have signed the Say No to Interfaith Dialogue declaration promoted by anti-Muslim speaker Hadian.
161. Debra Anderson
Minneapolis, MN
Anderson is "MN State Mentor and Minneapolis Chapter Coordinator of ACT for America," according to the bio published on the Minnesota Federation of Republican Women's website for an event the group sponsored in 2018.
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported in Mar-a-Lago Won’t Host Anti-Muslim Group’s Gala, Trump Organization Says:
An anti-Muslim organization had planned to host its annual gala next month at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Fla., before an apparent reversal on Sunday, a day after news reports appeared about the event.
The group, ACT for America, claims to be the nation’s largest grass-roots national security organization, and is considered the largest anti-Muslim group in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks such groups. . . .
On Sunday, the invitation was removed from the website and a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization said in an email, without elaboration, “This event will absolutely not be taking place at Mar-a-Lago.”
Anderson's activities caught our attention long before Trump was elected. In 2013, we posted Act! for America Mpls Chapter Leader distributed anti-Somali American handout in Mankato. (The document can be read here). Anderson played a role in efforts to prevent Muslims from attending the 2018 Republican precinct caucuses, as we reported in Cindy Pugh shares delight in passing anti-Muslim resolutions on Act! for America leader's page.
Other posts in which Anderson makes an appearance include Act! for America & Central MN Tea Party petition against St. Cloud "Islamic enclaves"(2013) and Opponents heckle, Islamic Center of St. Cloud withdraws mosque proposal during meeting (2013).
165. AJ Kern
Sartell, MN
Kern twice primaried Minnesota Sixth District Congressman Tom Emmer, the St. Cloud Times reported in Familiar foes: Emmer faces same GOP primary as 2016 — A.J. Kern and Patrick Munro:
The three Republicans competed in the 2016 GOP primary for the same seat. Emmer secured 69 percent of the votes in that primary. Kern took 26 percent and Munro 5 percent.
Kern is a former member of the volunteer St. Cloud Times Writers Group, whose columns appear on Times Opinion pages. She wants to terminate refugee resettlement and help Trump "drain the swamp," she writes in her campaign materials.
She criticizes Emmer for his involvement with the National Republican Congressional Committee, a "swamp snake" for Republicans, according her website and a campaign press release.
In 2016, City Pages' Susan Du reported Anti-Muslim writer A.J. Kern wants Bachmann's old congressional seat and St. Cloud Times columnist A.J. Kern fans the flames of anti-refugee fears.
She lost badly each time.
Bluestem posted about her in such posts as Motivated thinking in Minnesota's 6th: AJ Kern was against Emmer before she was against him; No longer the Tea Party darling, Emmer draws 2 outstanding whackadoodle primary challengers and other such posts.
172. Corrine Braun
Minneapolis, MN
Braun, a MN05 Republican activist, thought the Parkland Florida school shooting was a "false flag," we reported in February 2018. Braun was a national organizer of March 4 Trump rallies in 2017.
299. Beth Schlangen
St. Cloud, MN
Schlangen ran for school board in St, Cloud in 2018, making it through the primary and coming in fourth; the top three vote getters now serve on the board. The St. Cloud Times reported in School board candidate wants biblical principles taught in St. Cloud:
A St. Cloud school board candidate is calling for biblical principles to be taught in public schools.
"We need to restore education. Education started using the Bible as the textbook, and we've gotten away from that and it's not going good for us," said Beth Schlangen, 65, of St. Cloud.
But her call to teach Christian principles in school goes against school district policy and state law — and the other five school board candidates are in stark opposition to her proposal.
331. Dale Witherington
Saint Michael, MN
Bluestem was surprised to see this name on the list, if the signatory actually is the Dale Winterington who heads the Minnesota Prayer Caucus. We wrote about him in our 2018 post, Wed. morning MN Prayer Caucus bible study in State Office Building might not be for everyone:
. . .[his] Linked In profile tells readers he's Director of Community Engagement for the Minnesota Family Council (a conservative Christian group that lobbies and grades the state legislature), Chief Steward of Restore Minnesota (a group that espouses Dominionist Seven Mountain precepts) and who claimed to "represent Jesus Christ and provide pastoral support to the political leaders, lobbyists, their families and staffs of the state of Minnesota" for the Capitol Commission Minnesota from 2012 through 2015.
It was in the latter capacity that he drew Column editor Andy Birkey's attention in the article MN Pastor: Anti-bullying bill is part of secret 45-point plan to create godless society.
That guy.
In June 2016, Witherington shared his political and theological positions with His Legacy TV talent Nonie Tanner in a Youtube here. . . .
Nor is Witherington in any way advocating interfaith dialogue and prayer. While the mission statement of the parent organization Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation states that its vision is to "Protect religious freedom, preserve America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and promote prayer," in a video published in January for Religious Freedom Day, Witherington calls the state caucus "a group of Christian legislators..."
Witherington responded to that last paragraph in a comment on the post:
Dale Witherington here. Yes. That guy.
. . .The only statement worth addressing here and now that is your opinion based on no facts whatsoever is the statement, "Nor is Witherington in any way advocating interfaith dialogue and prayer." That statement is a flat out lie. I would WELCOME interfaith dialogue and I welcome anyone to pray as his or her conscience dictates. [ emphasis added] I may or may not agree with the prayer or to whom the pray-er is praying any more that he or she might not agree with my prayer or to whom I am praying but don't we call that "religious freedom"? The problem is, no one on your side seems interested in dialogue as much as you enjoy slamming those with whom you disagree. You want dialogue? LET'S DO IT! Pick a venue and let's get something on the calendar. We can dialogue about interfaith issues to your heart's content. No slamming others. No disrespect. Just open, honest dialogue. I'm game. Are you?
We emailed Witherington Wednesday afternoon to see if he had indeed signed the Say No to Interfaith Dialogue declaration. Has he changed his mind from 2018's ALL CAPS WELCOME for interfaith dialogue--or did someone prank him?
Should we hear back from him, we'll update this post with his response.
Witherington also made an appearance in our July post, Welcome to Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote, or maybe not under Christian right's Project Blitz:
Afterward, Prayer Caucus state director, Rev. Dale Witherington, along with several Caucus members wrote again, this time demanding that the Society schedule someone who represented their point of view (which they had been casting as the “truth”) to speak or debate before “we begin reviews of the budgetary requests of the MHS.”
Witherington wrote that “we are here to encourage prayer, and to defend our religious freedom. The third pillar for the existence of our Caucus is to preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage. Prof. Green’s argument is a direct attack on that pillar. We cannot let that go. We will not be silenced.”
Sen. Marty*, who is a Democratic member of the finance committee, thought it was odd and concerning that the letter came from Witherington. “The minister, who is director of their prayer caucus,” he told RD, “is not a member of the legislature, is not a state employee, and should have no control over the state budget for the Historical Society.” . . .
The secret controversy then, is actually that the Minnesota Legislative Prayer Caucus made good on their veiled threat: that they would axe the budget unless the Historical Society acceded to their demand to commandeer the program. That the effort to punish the Historical Society in this way failed, should not obscure the fact that they tried.
335. James Gauss
Spicer, MN
His James F. Gauss' Blog provides an extensive biography:
James F. Gauss, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, researcher and author of 19 books and a frequent public speaker. His most recent books are Bond Slaves: Confessions of Hard Core Bikers, Be Pruned: To Bear Fruit That Will Last, Overcoming the Storms of Life, Hop-A-Long: Abandoned but not forgotten, Wall of Separation: Jefferson’s Intention or Judicial Fabrication, We the People: Laying the Foundation, We the People: The Birth of a Nation, Islam & Christianity: A Revealing Contrast, Revelation 18 and the fate of America and other books. A former financial advisor and educator, Dr. Gauss has been writing for publication since 1960 and is well informed on matters of vital importance to the American public and Christian believer.
His latest work is an extensive, invaluable compendium, Understanding Islam in the Light of Christianity, due to be released in the Spring of 2019. It is a powerful resource for the Christian community, churches, homeschooling parents and organizations, Christian primary and secondary schools and seminaries. The extensive, one-of-a-kind work not only provides a wealth of information on the complexities of Islam but also prepares Christians on how to engage Muslims with the truth of the Gospel. For individual or bulk/discounted orders, call (800) 371-5849.
For more details see: http://booksbygauss.wordpress.com.
Gauss's work is repeatedly praised on the THEE Book Club Facebook page.
Screengrab: Dale Witherington. Did the state director of the Minnesota Prayer Caucus sign the Say No to Interfaith Dialogue declaration? We've emailed him to ask if this is indeed so, but have yet to hear back from him.
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