Robertson Charity Wins 'Faith-Based' Grant

By a Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 3, 2002; Page A02

Early this year, Pat Robertson denounced the Bush administration's "faith-based" initiative, warning that the program is a "Pandora's Box" that could make legitimate religious charities dependent on government and finance cults that "brainwash" prospective adherents.

Today, Operation Blessing International, a Virginia Beach charity created by Robertson, is to get $500,000 in the first wave of grants to be distributed under the faith-based initiative, which gives federal money to religious organizations that provide social services.

Back in March, Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, told his 700 Club television audience that the groups getting funds "will begin to be nurtured, if I can use that term, on federal money, and then they can't get off of it." He added, "It'll be like a narcotic; they can't then free themselves later on."  [...]

Not really a whole lot to add to this one.  I've never been fond of the idea of funding "faith-based" programs, because I do believe that it ends up in an illegal govenment funding of religious activity. I just am completely taken aback at Pat Robertson's gumption to first complain about the whole "faith-based" concept and then turn around and ask for half-a-million dollars from that very program. The man truly has no shame.

Rusty Yates Moves On

Exclusive: As Andrea Yates begins her appeal with help from an anonymous $50,000 donation, her husband says, ‘I’ve given all that I want to give’

By Anne Belli Gesalman
NEWSWEEK

When a family has been destroyed and a couple split up because one is imprisoned, it's generally not that shocking when the marriage itself disintegrates.  In some situations, though, its a bit more surprising than others, especially if an issue has previously been made of the family adhering to a strict or fundamentalist faith.

In the case of the Yates family, there was a fair amount of speculation that Rusty's fundamentalist-like beliefs may have contributed to the worseining of the post-partum psychosis that his wife Andrea suffered from and which, ultimately, resulted in her murdering all 5 of their children by drowning them in a bathtub.

It's been noted that he believed they were obligated to have 'as many children as God gave them', an even impregnated her while she may still have been dealing with the effects of severe post-partum depression after the birth of her fourth child.  The fact that she had suffered such severe depression, and had even tried to kill herself, should have been a signal that having more children might not be a good idea, but reports have indicated that Rusty was not concerned about that, and simply wanted to keep having children, regardless.  During Andrea's trial, Rusty testified that their house had the "traditional division of labor" - the man earned the money and the woman did all of the work around the home; they also lived by the traditional division of power - the man makes all of the decisions and the wife obeys.

One of the more controversial stances Rusty had taken was that, for spiritual reasons, the family needed to live simply, which he interpreted as living in a bus and home-schooling the children.  In explaining why he felt this way, he once stated: "The social integration that the world claims is so essential is exactly what we need to protect our children from." 

Now, it seems, simple living isn't so important to Rusty Yates, nor, from the sound of it, is loyalty or the idea that marriage is forever - both views usually associated with fundamentalist beliefs.  According to Newsweek, Rusty is now contemplating divorcing Andrea, and has moved into a new home, which is described as:

[...] a nearby luxury-apartment complex that boasts a stocked fishing pond, white-sand beach, resort-style pool with cabana and gym. One-bedroom units in the pink Mediterranean-style complex rent for nearly $1,000 a month.

Currently, Andrea is attempting to get an appeal of her conviction started, and an anonymous doner has donated $50,000 to help her in her endevour.  Rusty, however, says that he's now "given all that I want to give" and does not plan on contributing any more to Andrea's legal costs.  He also notes that he has "lost money on this, not made it".  He is, however, still considering suing Andrea's doctor as well as the hospital that had released her from their mental health facility shortly before she killed her children.

I have to admit, I never had much respect for Randy Yates.  In the interviews I saw with him and the statements he made that I read, there was very much a feeling of him being quite self-involved and more concerned with having things go as he felt they should, rather than acknowledging anyone else's needs.  This latest development does nothing to improve my opinion of him.  If anything, it makes it worse.

I am constantly astounded at the number of people who will make a big deal about how important living by their faith is, until it become more convenient to live otherwise.  And this isn't a fault that is unique to fundamentalist Christianity.  I've seen it in people of most all religions.  One might think that if a man's commitment to his faith is so strong that he will force his five children and his wife to live with him in a bus that it would also be strong enough for him to stand by his wife even in the face of a tragedy - especially a tragedy he himself may well have contributed to by ignoring her need for help and the rigid strictures he put about their lives.

I can only hope that if he does divorce Andrea, any woman who is tempted to consider being the mother of his next children will give serious consideration to his history and how he's handled this situation. 

Article Last Updated:
Friday, September 27, 2002 - 10:04:13 AM MST

High school Satanism club prompts parental outrage

Students say lunchtime meetings do not worship Lord of Underworld
By T.S. Mills-Faraudo
STAFF WRITER

SAN MATEO -- A group of San Mateo High School students trying to stir up controversy formed a club based on Satanism, a religion typically associated with hedonistic philosophy and with the rituals of black magic.

[...]

While McEvoy said she has received calls from members of the religious community angry about the club's formation, Father Harold Snider of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Burlingame said the First Amendment is behind these students. [...]

This is something that the people who are trying to get prayer and other religious activities put back into the school really need to contemplate.  Every bit of ground they gain for their own faith they also gain for every other faith - and the more they try to push their beliefs into the schools, the more they'll find smaller, less well-known and less popular religions expecting equal treatment (which, under the First Amendment, they have a right to expect).

The difficult part, of course, is often in getting those who practice the more mainstream faiths to understand this concept.  When a religion teaches that it is the only acceptable religion, its followers often believe that their religion should then be the only one entitled to Constitutional protection.