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Christian Action Research and Education
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Christian Action Research and Education is the successor organisation to the Nationwide Festival of Light
set up by Mary Whitehouse, launched in 1983.[1]
Beliefs
CARE has been described as "an evangelical charity that promotes traditional family values";[2] the organisation has actively campaigned against LGBT rights, abortion, stem cell research and assisted dying bills. Its work has been dismissed in the House of Lords as "propaganda".[3]
Homosexuality and abortion
The organisation believes that the Bible is literal truth, and has stolen the tactics of the religious right in the United States to persue its agenda through its association with Care for the Family, the European arm of Focus on the Family.[4] In 2009, CARE sponsored a "Judaeo-Christian" event held on the Sabbath[5] about homosexuality and promoting "'gay cure' therapy", which CARE billed as "mentoring the sexually broken". The conference also included a keynote speech from National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) founder Joseph Nicolosi,[6] alongside Arthur Goldberg, co-founder of Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH).[7] The organisation also was influential in mounting pressure against the repeal of the homophobic Section 28 legislation.[3] CARE has received media criticism for its stance on abortion and homosexuality and Ben Bradshaw described the organisation in 2000 as "a bunch of homophobic bigots".[8][9]
CARE have funded the network of CareConfidential crisis pregnancy centres in the UK, some of which came under criticism in an investigation by The Daily Telegraph when counsellors were filmed undercover claiming abortions would increase chances of breast cancer and could predispose women to becoming child sexual abusers.[10]
Connections to politicians
CARE was condemned[11] in 2012 when it was revealed to have placed paid-for interns in 20 MPs’ offices, from Labour, the Conservatives – including Stephen Crabb, who formerly worked for the organization as an intern and consequently hired interns from the charity – and the Liberal Democrats – including the Lib Dems' former leader, Tim Farron, who upon becoming leader of the party wouldn't say whether he thought gay sex was a sin.[12][13]
External links
- Christian Action Research and Education at Skeptical-Voter.org. A very good resource.
References
- ↑ "About Us", via the official website of CARE.
- ↑ "In bad taste?". (4 October 1988). The News-Journal. p.2A.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Exclusive: right-wing Christian group pays for Commons researchers" (30 March 2008). The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009.
- ↑ Modell, David (18 May 2008). "Christian fundamentalists fighting spiritual battle in Parliament". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ↑ "100 protest outside London 'gay cure' conference". PinkNews.
- ↑ Booth, Robert; Ball, James (13 April 2012). "'Gay cure' Christian charity funded 20 MPs' interns".
- ↑ Joseph Patrick McCormick. "MP who took interns from 'gay cure' event sponsor, appointed as Welsh Secretary". PinkNews. 14 July 2014, 11:16 PM.
- ↑ Kamal Ahmed (2000-07-30). "Onward Christian lobbyists". London: The Observer.
- ↑ Tris Reid-Smith (2012-03-16). "UK MP cuts ties to Christian gay ‘cure’ charity". Gay Star News.
- ↑ "Abortion scandal: women told terminations increase chance of child abuse". Daily Telegraph (London). 10 February 2014.
- ↑ "Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb's close shave with 'gay cure' group". Daily Telegraph. 20 July 2014.
- ↑ Booth, Robert; Ball, James (13 April 2012). "'Gay cure' Christian charity funded 20 MPs' interns". The Guardian.
- ↑ Wintour, Patrick (18 July 2015). "Tim Farron avoids saying whether he considers gay sex as a sin". The Guardian.