Coral Ridge broadcaster is first Christian group to take Southern Poverty Law Center ( SPLC ) to court over ‘anti-LGBT’ label.
D. James Kennedy Ministries shares sermons, devotionals, and religious liberty messages inspired by the late founder of Coral Ridge Presbyterian, a prominent Florida megachurch. In media coverage after Charlottesville, the Christian broadcaster was mapped alongside about 60 “hate groups” in the Sunshine State, using designations from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
“Enough is enough,” said Frank Wright, president of D. James Kennedy Ministries, which filed a lawsuit against the SPLC on Wednesday. The organization also sued GuideStar and AmazonSmile for their use of the SPLC list.
Conservative Christian organizations have challenged the SPLC’s “anti-LGBT” category for years, but Wright’s is the first to take legal action—spurred by the controversial watchdog group’s increasingly vocal activism during Donald Trump’s presidency. The SPLC recently received a prominent boost from Apple, which pledged a $1 million donation and will launch a new feature to allow users to donate directly from iTunes.
The civil rights advocacy organization made a name for itself in the 1970s, providing legal defense for victims of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists. (Wright and other conservative Christian leaders are quick to applaud them for this history.) However, as the SPLC expanded beyond race to other cultural issues like sexuality and immigration, it has also shifted attention toward what it calls the “radical right,” drawing allegations of bias from many conservatives and some on the left as well.
D. James Kennedy Ministries—formerly called Truth in Action—claims that the SPLC falsely labeled it as a hate group with the intention to hurt its reputation and fundraising efforts, according to a 39-page lawsuit filed in federal district court in Alabama (where the SPLC is headquartered).
The suit alleges that the ministry’s inclusion on the list of hate groups amounts to defamation—spreading false, harmful information—as well as a trademark violation, misrepresenting the ministry in order to drum up fundraising support. Wednesday’s filing made the same claims against the charity-research site GuideStar for promoting the SPLC designation, seeking an injunction against further use of the “hate group” label and damages from both organizations.
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Good, this is the best news I have heard today. It’s about time we fight back, the SPLC is nothing more than a left wing hate group (who by the way have very “interesting” financial arrangements) whose ONLY goal is to silence Christians. I hope thy mop the floor with them. There’s a difference in between turning the other cheek and getting ran over. What the SPLC is doing is libel , pure and simple.
When I was able to successfully put my 3 year old grandson down for a nap after my wife tried and failed my explanation of simple. “I do not negotiate with terrorists.” A useful philosophy I have applied to all matters of dealings, from the “resistance” social justice mobs from the Presbytery, to other representatives of the social and academic Left. And lets be clear the SPLC is nothing more than a Leftist terrorist organization enriched by shakedowns of Silicone Valley and SP 500 corporations, whose only purpose is anti-Christian, anti-faith bigotry. Very simple when like the old Soviet Politburo you get to define just who is the object of your ire. And define the terms of such, without push back or commentary to the otherwise.
There is really no discussion or give and take, no rational discourse on just why they act they way they do, only their sanctimonious pronouncements and snide assumed moral superiority to those who they are addressing. Much like discourse with any office of the PCUSA. Serving in many joint exercise with the Israeli IDF, one learned that true survival, resiliency and true resistance to being surrounded by 300 million that call for your destruction and annihilation daily is again, do not negotiate with terrorists. Ever. Good on DJK. Give no ground and call evil for what it really is. And a lesson that should not be lost when churches find themselves in property or assets disputes with the denomination. To God be the Glory.
These so called non-profit charities such as SPLC do indeed ‘shake down’ companies. My first hand experience as a business owner brings me in contact with these ‘travelers.’ It’s more like blackmail or extortion. On the other hand, the Coral Ridge Folks could quickly resolve this attack by writing a big check to Southern Poverty Center’s off shore tax exempt equity accounts. The problem with paying the bribe is that these types continue the scheme, demanding more money every year.
Timothy –Your comment is knowingly false and libelous. SPLC is the target of al-right hate groups that vilify minorities, LGBT community, Muslims and non-Christians. Its ethics are exemplary as they call out the haters including the KKK and the Nazis.
The SPLC does not have off shore accounts, and it does not shake down businesses. To bear false witness is a sin, if not a crime.
It does maintain offshore accounts and is worth tens of millions. Don’t fall for the baloney.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/new-report-finds-southern-poverty-law-center-pours-millions-into-offshore-accounts/article/2633194