“Renewal or Ruin?” from Steven D. Martin on Vimeo.
I’d heard of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) because during my freshman year of college, I contacted a representative from the organization to comment on the persecution of Christians in Sudan. I was writing a paper on the topic, and I had found some information on the web courtesy of the IRD, and wished to learn more. Since then, I hadn’t really heard anything from the IRD until I received an email yesterday letting me know about a documentary that has been put together discussing, basically, the IRD’s intention to bring about the demise of mainline Protestant denominations (Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopals, etc).
I just finished watching the 20-min documentary “Renewal or Ruin?” detailing the ways in which the IRD consistently attacks the mainline church and its leaders and serves as a front for the Religious Right. I also did some more looking around the IRD’s website and you get a pretty good sense of what the organization is about when you look at their top two issues: marriage (meaning homosexuality) and life issues (meaning abortion). It was also pretty revealing to take a look at their staff bios, and see some familiar faces (at least when it came to some contentious Presbyterians). Jim Tonkowich, current President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, wrote in an article entitled “Religion Without Foundations” that “This same confusion over truth is rapidly infecting the evangelical world as churches drink the ‘emerging church’ Kool-Aid.”
So if you have 20 minutes or so, you should watch the above documentary and become more informed on what the Institute on Religion and Democracy is about. And if you want more info, check out ird-info.com for more information on the documentary, “Renewal or Ruin? The Institute on Religion and Democracy’s Attack on the United Methodist Church.”
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Let me begin by saying, like Adam, I know next to nothing about the IRD. (Perhaps that is an indication that their influence is overstated in the video?)
Having pleaded a certain level of ignorance, I must say that this video seems to be as inflammatory as it claims the IRD to be. For example: is it really to be believed that the IRD is supported by BOTH the KKK and (gasp!) Catholics? This must be the first time the KKK and Catholic church have united, the KKK being virulently anti-Catholic. Also, I was struck by what I can only described as anti-Catholic bias and fear-mongering. Am I the only one who saw that? (“The Catholics are trying to destroy the Protestants!”)
Seems to me that inflammatory rhetoric is not copyrighted by either the left or the right. It’s just that when one already agrees with the rhetoric, it is not considered inflammatory.
This video seems so inherently unfair (“The Catholics are coming!” “The KKK is coming!” “The Religious Right!”) that it is counterproductive. I am one ignorant person who, having watched this video, comes to the conclusion that the IRD can’t possibly be as bad as all that.
…as if the Religious Left is a better alternative…
I’ve never heard of the IRD prior to this – though I’m familiar with some of the individuals mentioned in the story (Neuhaus and the First Things folks). But then again, I’m not on their radar, being a member of an SBC church – probably the very people that would be most publicly against many of the mainstream “liberal” issues. There is no reason to doubt that the individuals in this documentary are actual targets of an organization that opposes such perspectives on gender, ordination, etc. (I would be shocked if they weren’t).
What comes across in the video is a major X-Files conspiracy: a story that runs deep, powerful and sinister. The IRD may be bad guys, but the way things are stated, they can call the President (through his favorite ex-Lutheran Catholic priest) and have these churches destroyed as retribution for their support of MLK and opposition to Vietnam.
The reality is probably much more frustrating and believable: that an organization of politically-driven, fundamentally-minded religious folk think a group of differing Christians are destroying all that is holy and good. So they form a group and start naming names.
There is truth to the tone from the religious right: the accusation that all mainline churches care about these days – especially Episcopalians, United Methodists and PCUSA – is the ordination of homosexuals. There is also the utter neglect from the religious-right evangelical movement to credit the mainline church with any good. This is a major problem.
Unfortunately, the documentary, by focusing on one group as the whole picture, misses the much larger problem of distrust between Christian churches.
Jason Byassee reviews a similar critique fo the IRD in the Christian Century (http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=2060). He is by no means supportive of the IRD, but has a more complex view…here are some quotes that express my sentiments better than I could:
“Let’s tone down the alarm bells to suggest an alternative explanation: perhaps conservatives just think they’re right, and are fighting for their views.”
And even better:
“Each side screams, face red and veins bulging, at the other’s evil, nowhere confessing its own sin or admitting its own susceptibility to grabbing power within the denomination for its own gratification. Just once I would like to hear one side say, “I may be wrong about this,” or, miracle of miracles, “Forgive me.” If both sides humbly realized that they have more in common with one another by virtue of their common ecclesial and sacramental life than with those of similar political persuasions at Fox News or Air America, we could have a far less dreary argument.”
I as well had never heard of the IRD, but find it very interesting after watching this video. Being UCC and United Methodist, I guess my religion is under attack. As many said above, I think its kind of blown out of whack. The UCC is always under attack for being crazy left (need I say more than the Barack’s pastor, yeah pretty much).
But if say all the protestant churches fell down tomorrow, what would there be left?
There would be no social justice. The IRD would lose a D and become the IR. Hell, lets add a S. Hey then they could become the IRS. Life would be much simpler, don’t ya think?
Scott.
I have been a United Methodist Clergy for many years. I have witnessed for myself the devastating work of the IRD. While I will not comment on the specifics of this report, I will say that all I have encountered and experienced supports the central claims and themes of this report. I remember all too well the many ways in which the IRD has from it’s inception misrepresented and misinformed the public related to the work of the United Methodist Church and other mainline denominations. As a pastor I have struggled with the negative impact the IRD has had on me as a pastor and on my denomination. I would encourage all Christians be wary of the IRD and any information reported by them about anyone.
I concur with Randy. They have whipped up a frenzy in the conservative wing of The Episcopal Church.
It is important to remember that while they do a LOT of media work as so-called religion “experts” (in fact Alan Wisedom of IRD was of Fox this morning speaking about the Obama/McCain forum held last night at Saddleback church in Orange County, CA), they operate very discreetly and covertly INSIDE churches. There is a wealth of information from groups who have studied the IRD on line, and you may want to start here:
http://www.publiceye.org/
http://www.theocracywatch.org/
The group is largely funded by secular foundations associated with right wing politics such as Coors, Scalin etc., by right wing individuals who have made it quite clear they intend to drag these mainline protestant churches to the far right, including the heir to the Home Savings and Loan Fortune, Howard (and Roberta) Ahmanson of Orange County, CA.
There are, however, those, now, that have devised ways to ferret them out of congregations (you can find this information in the first link above, through links) and this information needs to get out.
Among members of their Board of Directors is an ex-CIA agent, Tooly, Fred Barnes who is also a political contributor to Fox News and editor of the Weekly Standard, Roberta Ahmanson, and the wife of former Supreme Court Nominee Bork, among other notables. Founders include someone closely affiliated with Ollie North. In fact, the group, prior to attacking religion, was rather famously involved in some right wing propaganda problems in Latin America.
They’re real. They’re trouble.