INDIANAPOLIS, IN: IRD Faces Potential Legal Threat from Three Denominations
By David W. Virtue in Indianapolis
www.virtueonline.org
July 6, 2012
The Washington-based Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD) has been put on notice that it faces a legal challenge from three mainline Protestant denominations for what they consider is a threat to "religious freedom posed by the activities of the IRD."
A resolution at the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church to establish a joint task force and a budget allocation of $2,500 is proposed to "develop recommendations to mitigate such threats, and ascertain the cost to the three denominations of litigation to prevent the alienation of church property and other assets."
According to the resolution, for nearly 30 years IRD has publicly stated its goal of "returning" the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and United Methodist church along "orthodox" lines even though it is not accountable to any of those churches.
Each denomination has produced films, documentaries and exposees about IRD's damaging activities, but each continue to treat the problem as internal discontent rather than a coordinated assault on religious freedom.
This approach has resulted in costly litigation in all three denominations, they said.
Episcopal Church liberals say that what is wanted is a joint task force to share information and develop common strategies to safeguard the freedom and financial health of the three target denominations.
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