WINTER PARK – While the rest of the country observed a National Day of Silence to commemorate the victims of anti-gay bullying and hatebased violence, Christian conservatives descended upon Central Florida on April 20 to participate in a two-day gathering called “The Awakening,” a multipurpose affair meant to develop a political strategy based upon conservative religious principles to defeat President Obama in November and put a stop to the momentum that has advanced LGBT rights and other progressive causes.
The Awakening kicked off on Friday at Orlando’s Calvary Assembly megachurch with all the trappings of a religious revival meeting (with the giant tent substituted in favor of a gargantuan air-conditioned tabernacle). Billed as a “federation of multi-racial, multiethnic and multi-generational faithbased and policy organizations,” the mostly-white attendees were told about the importance of retaining the Latino vote within the conservative fold, although polling data suggests that Hispanics still favor Obama over a potential Republican rival. Latino pastors lectured about conservative values while stressing the need to show compassion towards immigrants (although not for gays).
On Saturday, the meeting broke into strategy sessions that focused on important issues, including “Winning the Battle” against gay rights, and “Families under Attack” from such familiar bogeymen as abortion rights, pornography, and sexual promiscuity.
Among those scheduled to speak at the event were Rep. Allen West (R-FL) and Rep. Jon Mica (R-FL), as well as Lou Engle, the Kansas City minister and head of The Call Ministries, who has applauded Ugandan lawmakers for their “courage” calling for capital punishment against persons with HIV/AIDS and those who engage in consensual gay sex. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) appeared via satellite from Washington.
Organizers said they expected about 1,000 people to attend the conference, which was sponsored by the Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal advocacy group that supports and litigates right wing causes. The group is affiliated with Lynchburg, Virginia-based Liberty University, which was founded by the late Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell as a training ground for future social conservative lawyers and public policymakers. “The trajectory we are now on is counter to the vision of our founding fathers, counter to the biblical principles on which our nation was founded,” said Matt Barber, vice president of Liberty Counsel Action.
