Religious Right Leaders Congregate

By WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune

Published: Sep 22, 2007

BRANDON - Some of the best-known national leaders in the religious right movement have converged on a Brandon church this weekend for a conference to discuss gay rights issues, Islam, abortion, and other issues from what they call the "culture wars."

The event is provoking protests from local gay rights groups, starting with a news conference Thursday and a vigil by protesters expected today, the last day of the event.

The Family Impact Summit at Bell Shoals Baptist Church includes speakers very familiar to religious and social conservative movement members - Don Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association; Gary Bauer, past president of the Family Research Council, and Tony Perkins, its current president; Ken Blackwell, former Ohio secretary of state; and others.

Harris Makes An Appearance

It also included one of the first public appearances by Katherine Harris, former Florida secretary of state and U.S. House member, since her unsuccessful Senate candidacy last year. She spoke on the need for political involvement by religious people.

Asked whether she's likely ever to seek public office again, Harris suggested she's happy to be out.

"You never say never, but right now I thank God for unanswered prayers," she said, referring to her loss last year to Sen. Bill Nelson.

The magnitude of the event is a measure of the growing importance of Florida and the Tampa Bay area in national politics, organizers said.

They said it is also a signal that the religious and social conservative movement, although it has faced political setbacks recently, is not giving up on influencing American politics and current affairs.

"This is a very remarkable assembly of national social conservative leaders," said Bill Bunkley of Tampa, a lobbyist and political commentator on a local Christian talk radio station. "It's amazing. It's just another sign of the importance of the I-4 corridor and state of Florida."

Several of those involved gave credit for recruiting the speakers to Terry Kemple, a Bell Shoals Baptist member and founder of a local community action group that unsuccessfully opposed a bikini bar in Brandon.

He said the purpose of the event is to inform local social conservatives and inspire them to do political and civic work in the community.

Protesters Charge 'Bigotry'

Homosexuality is only one of several topics on the conference schedule, but it's the one that has drawn protesters. Local gay rights groups have referred to the event as a "hate summit."

Nadine Smith, head of Equality Florida, said the event "encourages bigotry."

"The poison they inject into a community has real consequences for gay people: It makes schools less safe; it increases the level of hostility," she said.

Speakers at the event said they don't spread hatred of homosexuals, but made it clear they consider homosexuality an abomination.

"We love these people." Bell Shoals pastor the Rev. Forrest Pollock said of the expected protesters. "I think they'll discover that this is a church that loves them and wants to pray for them."

He said the church intended to provide water and restroom facilities for protesters.

He said, however, "We don't intend to back down on what the Bible says about moral issues."

He said the practice of homosexuality "has a ripple effect - a continuing decline of the culture" that diminishes quality of life, which he compared to a neighbor leaving garbage cans in his yard.

Peter Sprigg, who spoke in a panel discussion on "The Homosexual Agenda," called homosexuality "immoral, unnatural, dangerous to the public health and to their own health. … We do affirm that it is a sin."

He said, however, "Everything we do is motivated by our love for our brothers and sisters. We want what is best for them, … the best life they can lead."

Harris, famous for her role in the 2000 presidential election recount, is a celebrity to the religious right.

"Right now, I'm actually getting to catch up for those 12 years" spent in public office, when she was able to spend little time with her family and friends, Harris said.

Many attendees are involved in local religious and political organizations, but others, including Danny and Stacy Tapscott of Valrico, came to learn about the issues being discussed, they said.

Describing himself as a conservative who votes based largely on social issues including abortion, Tapscott said he thinks Republicans lost heavily in 2006 "because conservatives wanted to let them know they weren't happy."

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com