August 26, 2007 at 10:01:28

Government training clergy to "quell dissent"

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By Joe Parko (about the author) Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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For OpEdNews: Joe Parko - Writer

A KSLA-TV news report from Louisiana has confirmed the story that Clergy
Response Teams are being trained by the federal government to "quell dissent" and pacify citizens to obey the government in the event of a declaration of martial law.

The report confirms the existence of a nationwide Homeland Security program which is training pastors and other religious
representatives to teach their congregations to "obey
the government" in preparation for a declaration of martial law.

A whistleblower who attended one of the training sessions reports that the feds were recruiting religious leaders to help implement government Homeland Security directives in anticipation of a terrorist attack or a nationally declared emergency.

The first directive was for pastors to preach to their congregations Romans 13, the often taken out of context bible passage that was used by Hitler to hoodwink Christians into supporting him, in order to teach them to "obey the government" when martial law is declared.

It was stressed that the pastors needed to preach subservience to the authorities ahead of time in preparation for the round-ups and to make it clear to the congregation that "this is for their own good."

Pastors were told that they would be backed up by law enforcement in controlling uncooperative individuals and that they would even lead SWAT teams in attempting to quell resistance.

Though some doubted the accuracy of earlier reports about government training the clergy, the story has now been confirmed by a
<http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=6937987>KSLA 12 news report, in which participating clergy and officials admit to the existence of the program.

Watch the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-BtWhs8qlg

The report entertains the scenario of martial law as depicted in the movie The Siege andstates that "quelling dissent would be critical."

Dr. Durell Tuberville serves as chaplain for the Shreveport Fire Department and the Caddo Sheriff's Office. Tuberville said of the clergy team's mission, "the primary thing that we say to anybody is, 'let's cooperate and get this thing over with and then we'll settle the differences once the crisis is over.'"

Such clergy response teams would walk a tight-rope during martial law between the demands of the government on the one side, versus the wishes of the public on the other. "In a lot of cases, these clergy would already be known in the neighborhoods in which they're helping to diffuse that situation," assured Sandy Davis. He serves as the director of the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

For the clergy teams, one of the biggest tools that they will have in helping calm the public down or to obey the law is the bible itself, specifically Romans 13. Dr. Tuberville elaborated, "because the government's established by the Lord, you know. And, that's what we believe in the Christian faith. That's what's stated in the scripture."

Screenshot from the KSLA 12 news article that accompanies the video report
(<http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=6937987>
http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=6937987).

So there you have it - Homeland Security is working with local police departments and religious leaders to prepare for a declaration of martial law and in particular to develop techniques they will employ during the crisis to "quell dissent."

When the government starts training clergy on how to make citizens do the government's bidding, then the wall between church and state has been breached and we are on the dangerous road to our churches becoming servants of the state.

Separation of church and state is not just about protecting the government from interference by the church. It is also about protecting the church from interference by the government.

www.mytown.ca/parko

Joe Parko is a retired college professor who taught in the School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. He is a founding member of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition.

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

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