Calvary Chapel endorses Madison Miner against Recall… WAIT, isn’t that illegal?

Whoops! Calvary Chapel East Anaheim went too far this time, when they posted the above on all their social media, urging their flock to vote against the Recall of Orange USD trustee Madison Miner. Turns out the Church had a whole page on their website dedicated to helping Madison beat the recall, which is saved HERE for posterity on the Wayback Machine. Apparently Pastor Ken Chinn even made a video (now removed from YouTube) urging a no vote on the Recall:

Well, first and last of all, this was illegal, as Calvary Chapel as much as admitted when they removed all this after public complaints (trying to un-ring the bell.) [UPDATE: Who knows what they say about this at their services? People will have to come and check on that, between now and the March 5 election.]

As most of us know, churches enjoy tax-exempt status so they can do their “charitable works” (although most of what Calvary does charitably seems to be in places like Africa) – on the condition that they stay out of politics. Not long ago (mid-22) Tennessee’s Global Vision Bible Church lost its tax-exempt status when their controversial preacher Greg Locke decreed that “Christians can’t vote for Democrats” because “they are God-denying demons that butcher babies and hate this nation.”

We’re sure there are nice people who attend Calvary Chapel, so we don’t want to antagonize them, and we’re happy to hear from any flock members who also read this blog. But would it be such a bad thing if that outspoken Church paid taxes in return for their political involvement, as Global Vision agreed to?

Calvary Chapel is a huge global chain, centered in Costa Mesa, with 1800 branches worldwide, of which the East Anaheim branch is but one. Zippia.com says that Calvary Chapel makes $2.6 million a year, but it’s not clear if that’s one branch or the whole chain – if the latter, it’s certainly a low-ball figure.

And the very REACTIONARY church (I wouldn’t use the word “conservative” as fiscal responsibility and respect for the law are not at all on their radar) has long been driven by hostility to the world’s sexual diversity (given to us by God.) Recently, slowly moving with the times, they have shifted from blaming 9/11 and natural disasters on the existence of gays in America, to Terror of the Transgender.

That’s what they mean by their catchphrase “Parental Rights” – everyone believes in parental rights, but these reactionaries are obsessed with the small percentage of minor students who begin to question their sexual identities, and the even smaller minority of those who are not yet comfortable discussing that with their parents. (A situation that sometimes ends tragically.)

But obsessing over that issue, Board majorities like Miner’s on the OUSD are again defying state law, fighting a losing and expensive battle, and they should focus their worried energies (if at all) on changing state law. And the true mission of majorities like Miner’s on the OUSD – where their real funding comes from – is only secondarily such “cultural” issues, and primarily the decimation of public education for the benefit of private, for-profit charter schools (like the one Madison Miner sends her kids to.)

You could say, this prurient obsession over kids’ sex lives helps make these reactionaries useful idiots for the burgeoning Charter School industry. Just saying.

Madison Miner was always the Calvary Chapel candidate, chosen and promoted by (out-of-town) Calvary Chapel Chino Hills pastor Jack Hibbs, who’s known for his theory that “Homosexuality is a Sign of the End Times” because homosexuals can’t procreate. Madison’s parents stood beside the late Fred Phelps 22 years ago when he brought his Westboro Baptist “God Hates Fags” rally to the OC.

And Madison sends her kids, NOT to any public school in the district she runs, but to the OC Classical Academy, which is directed by extremist Dr. Stefan Bean, whose outrageous and unsubstantiated claim that public schools teach “inappropriate sexual matters” to KINDERGARTENERS was too extreme for The Register, which endorsed his opponent for OCDE Superintendent.

On top of that, Madison Miner is juvenile and irresponsible, encouraging and laughing at school board meeting violence, as last week when an out-of-town agitator joked that he’d rip out one of her opponent’s throat with his teeth, and she joked that she’d “bring the popcorn.”

It’s time for a return to sanity, fiscal prudence, respect for the law, and a focus on just educating our children. And in just a few weeks, Orange and surrounding areas will have an outsized vote on making that happen, by not only recalling Madison Miner and Rick Ledesma, but also voting for the brilliant Dr. Nancy Watkins for OC Board of Education.

And for now, if you’re troubled by the inappropriate and misguided political activities of Calvary Chapel East Anaheim, you can report it HERE.