This case is the latest in a new trend for the DOJ civil rights office. Three years ago, the department launched a new unit aimed at protecting the rights of religious groups and individuals. Some cases, such as defending the right of a Muslim schoolgirl in Oklahoma to wear a traditional head covering are consistent with what average Americans understand religious liberty to mean.
That kind of case, however, is far from the primary focus of the government's new legal team. Eric Treene, formerly of the right-wing Becket Fund, wields tremendous power in selecting which cases will be pursued.
Many cases are designed to advance the goals of the Religious Right.
The unit has supported the Child Evangelism Fellowship's efforts to start afterschool Good New Clubs, investigated a school that prohibited distribution of religious material during school-sponsored holiday parties and threatened a biology professor who required students to accept evolution as a core principle of biology in order to receive letters of recommendation.
Using government lawyers as advocates for the Religious Right corrupts the purpose of the civil rights division. The work of this new division betrays the legacy of the civil rights movement and the founding fathers. Defending the Salvation Army's efforts to use government money to discriminate on the basis of religion does not protect religious liberty; it violates the establishment clause.
09/29/05 - Posted from the Daily Record newsroom Christ Church: We never sought Corzine's help Spokesman says senator not linked to probe
BY ROB JENNINGS DAILY RECORD
Amid charges that ministers endorsed U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine's run for governor after he donated more than $2 million to their congregations, Christ Church of Montclair declared on Wednesday that it never sought his help in securing a federal investigation into Rockaway Township's handling of its controversial mega-church plan.
Church spokesman Marc Weinstein said he wanted to dispel unsubstantiated speculation on the Internet linking the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation to Corzine, the Democratic candidate for governor.
Corzine visited Christ Church several years ago and appeared in a promotional video distributed to potential new members.
"If people are trying to make a connection between the Corzine campaign and what Dr. (David) Ireland is trying to achieve in Rockaway Township, I think they're heading down the wrong road. It's idle speculation at best," Weinstein said.
Weinstein said he met with Ireland, the church pastor, on Tuesday to discuss the matter after media reports centered on $2.5 million in donations from Corzine's foundation to churches affiliated with the Black Ministers'Council of New Jersey.
Corzine's spokesman, Anthony Coley, said on Tuesday that Corzine "is not involved with the case involving Rockaway Township and Christ Church." He declined to elaborate.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester charged that the donations -- including $1 million and an $800,000 loan to the Calvary Baptist Church in Garfield in 2003 -- might have influenced endorsements of Corzine by 15 black ministers.
Weinstein said that Ireland, who leads a predominantly black congregation of 5,000, told him he wasn't part of the minister's council and hadn't endorsed Corzine -- either for governor or in the past.
Weinstein added that Christ Church hadn't received any money from Corzine's foundation.
"People are going to try and put two and two together here, but it doesn't equal four," Weinstein said.
The Department of Justice hasn't said what prompted its investigation, which will focus on whether the township's handling of Christ Church's application had violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.
Rockaway Township Councilman Max Rogers said investigators should say whoever tipped them off.
"I wish I knew and I hope we find out," Rogers said. "I think the residents of Rockaway deserve to know ... Everyone has a right to know their accuser."
Rogers said he had no idea whether Corzine was involved and speculated that investigators might have fielded a tip from one of the handful of local residents publicly supporting Christ Church.
Russell Jones, a Rockaway Township resident who supports Christ Church, said he didn't know who started the investigation and added that he would be "really shocked" if it was Corzine.
Jones noted that numerous high-profile politicians, including former Republican gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler, have friendly relationships with Christ Church.
"In terms of his constituency, I would think that a conservative Christian church would not be a place where Corzine would hang his hat," Jones said.
Rockaway Township planning board hearings have been under way since Dec. 15, 2003, and a 20th hearing was held Monday night. Christ Church filed a federal lawsuit in April against Mayor Louis Sceusi, the planning board, the council and the environmental commission.
"I'm certainly curious as to who could have pushed to have it launched," township resident Charles Mueller, who opposes the church plan, said of the investigation.
"It has to be somebody with political clout," Mueller said. "It had to be somebody connected high enough up to make a stink and get them to do something."
Weinstein, though, maintained that it was possible that the federal investigation stemmed simply from news reports.
"It just generated widespread publicity over the past two years," Weinstein said.
Weinstein is a piece of sh*t and damn well knows who made the call. All in the name of the almighty $$$ - no wonder our local religious leaders have distanced themselves from this circus side show...
I want to know where is the "Christian Outcry" from some other Christian religious organizations which should be against ireland and his methods of "following the cross". The mans behaviour is clearly morally repugnant; what he is doing is tantamount to exthortion and should be prosecuted for it.
But that will never happen, and of that I am certain.
I believe that in most cases, one of the most obvious traits of religious people in general tends to be a blind sense of trust in the good intentions of others -- especially other religious people of their own faith, and ESPECIALLY religious leaders who seem to be held in high esteem due to the number of people who follow them.
Unfortunately it seems that the days where a person could trust other followers to adhere to what should be a very simple belief and behavior system, are long over.
my understanding is that most of the locals are in a "wait & see position" ... the pastors comments from Rockaway Pres were not appreciated by many of the members
While I know many opponents have said the Rev is not telling the truth, the papers have not been reporting that.
The silence from other rockaway clergy certainly is a telling sign that cc lacks support from them. My understanding was that a few supported them initially & he has lost them. Had he used different PR tactics, I think he would have had alot of support even though most think it was a bad site selection
Seems like most think this has turned into an ugly legal battle & most think that is how it will be decided
You have it! It will be decided by the courts, not by RT. The town has lost control of its own destiny, a very foolish position to have landed in. That is why we are getting out.
BTW ... if cc is unable to build a campus with dorms they will most likely look to buy local properties for housing rehab people, missionaries, bible college students etc. (your house is probably too expensive)
would they have to go before the pb for that kind of occupancy as well?
Yes, because they are a black church, they CAN get what they want, right or wrong. Although they are not better than us, they clearly have many more rights than we do. WAKE UP? What country do you live in?
As for being a pussy, maybe I am, or maybe I am just a realist. But at least I will not become a financially poor pussy which is what will become of a lot of folks in town when its entire structure changes after the church gets approved by the court system.
