Rick Scarborough

Last updated

Rick Scarborough is a Christian political advocate and former Southern Baptist pastor from Pearland, Texas, who leads Recover America and Recover America Action.

Contents

Rick Scarborough received a B.A. from Houston Baptist University, [1] in 1978 he received a M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, [2] and a D.Min. from the unaccredited Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996. [2] From 1990 to June 2002, he served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Pearland in Houston, Texas. In 1998, he founded Vision America. He has been involved with Focus on the Family.

In 2016, Scarborough gave the reins of Vision America to a subordinate and took a position in Washington DC as the Skyline DC Executive Director, with the assignment to lead Bible studies with governmental officials. He conducted studies with members of Congress, the State Department, and the Pentagon, as well as personally discipling members of the World Bank.[ citation needed ]

After Beto O’Rourke came within 1.6 percentage points of defeating Senator Cruz, Scarborough moved back to Texas to mobilize pastors. That event was the catalyst for Scarborough to return to Houston and start Recover America Now![ citation needed ]

He has traveled extensively and was viewed by some conservative leaders as the Christian right leader in 2006 and in 2008. [3] [4]

Views

Scarborough advocates for Christian right political values. [5] He was quoted on Christiane Amanpour's documentary series " God's Warriors " on CNN as saying, "I'm not a Republican, I'm not a Democrat. I'm a Christocrat. My allegiance is to Jesus Christ". [6] [7] He has said, "America is at war with the devil", and he supports "voting Biblically." [8] In 2006, he criticized former Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Senator John Danforth for supporting embryonic stem cell research. [9] He has publicly supported Justice Antonin Scalia. [10]

Scarborough opposes same-sex marriage, describing it as a sign America is moving "closer to hell" [11] and told E. W. Jackson he is willing to be burned to death opposing gay rights. [12] After the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized Same-sex marriage in the United States with the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the media reported that Scarborough had not set himself on fire. [13] He describes AIDS as "God's judgement" [14] and supports filing class-action lawsuits against homosexuals for "subjecting people to becoming AIDS sufferers". [15] [16] [17] [18]

Concerning the decision of Texas Governor Rick Perry to vaccinate all 6th grade girls against those HPV strains that are most likely to produce cancer after infection, Scarborough said, "Nor we can not overlook the moral dimension. The governor's action seems to signify that God's moral law regarding sex outside of marriage can be transgressed without consequence." [19] [20]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

Within Christianity, there are a variety of views on sexual orientation and homosexuality. The view that various Bible passages speak of homosexuality as immoral or sinful emerged in the first millennium AD, and has since become entrenched in many Christian denominations through church doctrine and the wording of various translations of the Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Dobson</span> Evangelical Christian psychologist, author, and radio broadcaster

James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for conservative social positions in American public life. Although never an ordained minister, he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by The New York Times while Slate portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

The Christian right, otherwise referred to as the religious right, are Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with their interpretation of the teachings of Christianity. In the United States, that means opposing any interpretation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution that implies a "separation of church and state".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Research Council</span> American evangelical activist group

The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American evangelical 501(c)(3) non-profit activist group and think-tank with an affiliated lobbying organization. FRC promotes what it considers to be family values. It opposes and lobbies against: access to pornography, embryonic stem-cell research, abortion, divorce, and LGBT rights—such as anti-discrimination laws, same-sex marriage, same-sex civil unions, and LGBT adoption. The FRC has been criticized by media sources and professional organizations such as the American Sociological Association for using "anti-gay pseudoscience" to falsely conflate homosexuality and pedophilia, and to falsely claim that the children of same-sex parents suffer from more mental health problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Family Association</span> American nonprofit organization promoting fundamentalist Christian values

The American Family Association (AFA) is a conservative and Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States. It opposes LGBT rights and expression, pornography, and abortion. It also takes a position on a variety of other public policy goals. It was founded in 1977 by Donald Wildmon as the National Federation for Decency and is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Warren</span> Christian religious leader

Richard Duane Warren is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical Baptist megachurch in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he is director of the Finishing the Task mission coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Campolo</span> American sociologist and pastor

Anthony Campolo is an American sociologist, Baptist pastor, author, public speaker and former spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Campolo is known as one of the most influential leaders in the evangelical left and has been a major proponent of progressive thought and reform within the evangelical community. He has also become a leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement, which aims to put emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. Campolo is a popular commentator on religious, political, and social issues, and has been a guest on programs such as The Colbert Report, The Charlie Rose Show, Larry King Live, Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect and The Hour.

"Gay agenda" or "homosexual agenda" is a term used by sectors of the Christian religious right as a disparaging way to describe the advocacy of cultural acceptance and normalization of non-heterosexual sexual orientations and relationships. The term originated among social conservatives in the United States and has been adopted in nations with active anti-LGBT movements such as Hungary and Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Perkins (politician)</span> Christian political figure in the United States

Anthony Richard Perkins is an American politician and Southern Baptist pastor, who has served as president of the Family Research Council since 2003. Previously, he was a police officer and television reporter. From 1996 to 2004, he served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002. On May 14, 2018, he was appointed to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and on June 17, 2019, the Commission elected him Chairman.

The Arlington Group was a coalition uniting the leaders of prominent Christian conservative organizations in the United States. Founded in 2002 principally through the efforts of American Family Association President Donald Wildmon and Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul Weyrich, the group sought to establish consensus goals and strategy among its members and translate its combined constituency into an overwhelming force within the Republican Party, particularly at its highest levels. Its membership and purpose overlapped to a high degree with the Council for National Policy; but the group is much more narrowly focused, choosing to emphasize such issues as same-sex marriage, abortion, and confirmation of like-minded federal judges.

Eddie Lee Long was an American pastor who served as the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, from 1987 until his death in 2017.

Many views are held or have been expressed by religious organisation in relation to same-sex marriage. Arguments both in favor of and in opposition to same-sex marriage are often made on religious grounds and/or formulated in terms of religious doctrine. Although many of the world's religions are opposed to same-sex marriage, the number of religious denominations that are conducting same-sex marriages have been increasing since 2010. Religious views on same-sex marriage are closely related to religious views on homosexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TheCall (organization)</span> Prayer meeting organization

TheCall was an organization which sponsored prayer meetings led by Lou Engle along with other Christian leaders pastors in the United States. The meetings requested prayer and fasting by Christians in protest against issues such as same-sex marriage and legal access to elective abortion. TheCall drew support from American Evangelical leaders, but was also criticized for intolerance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Houston</span> Australian pastor and evangelist

Brian Charles Houston is a New Zealand-Australian former pastor and evangelist. He was the founder and senior pastor at Hillsong Church, based in Sydney with locations around the world. He was the national president of Australian Christian Churches, the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God, from 1997 to 2009.

David Lane is an American political activist who works to increase the political strength of religious groups on the Christian right, to promote social conservative values in the United States.

Social conservatism in the United States is a political ideology focused on the preservation of traditional values and beliefs. It focuses on a concern with moral and social values which proponents of the ideology see as degraded in modern society by liberalism. In the United States, one of the largest forces of social conservatism is the Christian right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Jeffress</span> Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas

Robert James Jeffress Jr. is an American Southern Baptist pastor, author, radio host, and televangelist. He is the senior pastor of the 14,000-member First Baptist Church, a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, and is a Fox News Contributor. His sermons are broadcast on the television and radio program Pathway to Victory, which is broadcast on more than 1,200 television stations in the United States and 28 other countries, and is heard on 900 stations and broadcast live in 195 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture in Houston</span>

Houston has a large and diverse LGBT population and is home to the 4th largest gay pride parade in the nation. Houston has the largest LGBT population of any city in the state of Texas.

References

  1. ↑ Vision America biography
  2. 1 2 Murray, Shailagh. "Filibuster Fray Lifts Profile of Minister: Scarborough Has Network and Allies", The Washington Post , May 8, 2005. Accessed December 19, 2007
  3. ↑ "Pastors Guiding Voters to GOP" Stephanie Simon The LA Times from the October 2, 2006 print edition. URL accessed 10/16/2006
  4. ↑ "Christian conservatives mobilize to rev up values voters" Matt Stearns Lexington Herald-Leader , September 25, 2006
  5. ↑ "Religion and Politics in America" Morning Edition, NPR October 22, 1996 John Burnett URL accessed 05/09/2006
  6. ↑ "New Report Says Iraq's Leaders Are Unable to Govern; Interview With Barack Obama". CNN.
  7. ↑ Michael Wolraich (2010). Blowing Smoke: Why the Right Keeps Serving Up Whack-job Fantasies about the Plot to Euthanize Grandma, Outlaw Christmas, and Turn Junior Into a Raging Homosexual. Da Capo Press. p. 251. ISBN   978-0-306-81937-7.
  8. ↑ Barbara G. Walker (April 2010). Man Made God: A Collection of Essays. Stellar House Publishing. p. 244. ISBN   978-0-9799631-4-8.
  9. ↑ Brian Kaylor (1 January 2007). For God's Sake Shut Up!: Lessons for Christians on how to Speak Effectively and when to Remain Silent. Smyth & Helwys Pub. p. 30. ISBN   978-1-57312-485-0.
  10. ↑ Glenn H. Utter; James L. True (1 January 2004). Conservative Christians and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 79. ISBN   978-1-85109-513-1.
  11. ↑ R.G. Ratcliffe (23 Mar 2015). "Hell, Satan and a Ghost from the Past". Texas Monthly.
  12. ↑ "Rick Scarborough Is Ready To Burn To Death To Fight Gay Marriage". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. 18 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Pastor Vows to Burn over Same Sex Marriage". NBC 12. 27 June 2015. A former Baptist minister, who reportedly vowed to set himself on fire if the high court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, is still alive.
  14. ↑ "Right-Wing Tea Party leader Rick Scarborough wants to sue gays in class action". News.com.au. 20 Oct 2013.
  15. ↑ "Scarborough: We Need A Class Action Lawsuit Against Homosexuality". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. 17 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "Tea Party Leader Wants to File Class Action Suit Against Homosexuality". Gawker. 18 Oct 2013.
  17. ↑ Richard Dawkins (16 January 2008). The God Delusion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 45–46. ISBN   978-0-547-34866-7.
  18. ↑ 'Far Right: Saving America from Gays', in The Advocate, May 9, 2006, p. 16 (Here Publishing (9 May 2006). The Advocate. Here Publishing. p. 16. ISSN   0001-8996.)
  19. ↑ "God, sex, drugs, and politics: A new vaccine sparks controversy" . The Economist . February 8, 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Mandatory HPV Vaccination for Texas 6th Graders Bypasses Democracy, Violates Parental Rights and Assaults Morality". PR Newswire (Press release). February 6, 2007. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved August 13, 2021.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.