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A Promise To Do What?

Local women question the political motives of Promise Keepers.

LISA GAYLE
Special to The Jewish News

gations and nearly 200,000 messianic
believers across the United States."
Shapiro questioned the Promise
Keepers' insistence that they are apo-
litical.
"Why Washington, D.C.? Why
the Mall? Why are so many of the
board members, leaders and_ speakers
connected with conservative political
groups? Why does the rhetoric
include phrases such as 'bringing God
back into the classroom' and in our
local community governments'?" she
asked.

newspaper story covering Promise
Keeper Phil Brumley, who is running
for mayor of Center Line. Brumley,
he Promise Keepers: sensi-
37, a divorced father of three, left the
tive Christian men who
Center Line police force in February -
repent, cry and embrace
to run for the $95-per-meeting job of
each other? A political
mayor. According to the story
movement seeking to bring funda-
Brumley has two goals: to carry his
mentalist Christian ideology into the
Christian faith into city government
public schools and government?
and to reach out to kids.
To Sharona Shapiro, Michigan area
Also speaking was Shea Howell,
director of the American Jewish
professor of communications at
Committee, the Christian men's orga-
Oakland University. She quoted
nization that brought 850,000 men to
Promise Keeper leader Tony Evans on
an October rally in Washington, D.C.,
relationships between men and
is both.
women: "Get tough with your wives,"
"For these Christians, Jews must see
and, "We must be willing to discipline
the light — accept Jesus as America's
our children."
savior," said Shapiro. "If Jews don't
She questioned what it really
voluntarily follow, they will use other
means for a Promise Keeper to com-
means."
mit to his marriage and family.
Shapiro spoke at a Detroit
"In a country where nearly 30 per-
Women's Forum luncheon held in
cent of all women murdered were
Detroit's First Congregational
killed by an intimate male, where
Chuich last week. Fifty Jewish and
three children are killed every day,
non-Jewish women attended. The
where 24 million women were abused
event was organized by Forum co-
last year, there is not one word about
chair Arlene Frank, who is also a
violence," she said. Howell fears that
Workmen's Circle member.
the Promise Keeper rhetoric gives
On the one hand, Shapiro sees
men a license to demand submission
Promise Keepers as filling a spiritual
from their wives and children.
void in Christian men's lives. She wel-
The Promise. Keepers have not hes-
comes men promising to be better
itated to put pressure on those who
husbands and fathers.
disagree with them. Before a
On the other hand, ShapirO said,
Michigan rally in 1995, the Oakland
there are indications that Proniise .;
,Press quoted Mary Pohutsky, the
Sharona Shapiro speaks out about
Keepers has a political agenda that
Promise Keepers.
executive director of the Sanctuary, a
includes abolishing the separation ti
service agency in Detroit, voicing
between church and state, further dut-
concerns about the group. Two days
ting social programs and eroding the
Promise Keepers, founded in 1909
later, she received 100 phone calls
rights of non-Christians, women, gays
by former University of Colorado
protesting her statement. Her board
and lesbians.
football coach Bill McCartney, has a
of.directors received calls demanding
Shapiro called "offensive" the
$115 million budget and a paid staff
her removal and some tried to orches-
Promise Keepers' continuous use of
of 400. Much of this support comes
trate her dismissal.
Jewish symbols. The Washington rally
from long-established right-wing
The Oakland Press received 300
last month began with "messianic'
Christian organizations such as Focus
complaints about Pohutsky's cam-
Jews" blowing shofarot. Testimonies .
on Family and Campus Crusade for
- ments, the most it ever received. The
by these "Jews" were interspersed
Christ. Support also comes from polit-
paper subsequently ran a column
throughout the rally. At one point,
ically prominent men such as former
indicating that the paper should not
prayer was led by a "Jew" in yarmulke
Republican presidential candidate Pat
have devoted so much space to dis-
and tallit, on bent knees, hands
Robertson.
senters.
clasped in prayer. "This is not how
At a 1996 rally, McCartney called
"We live in a complex pluralistic
Jews pray," Shapiro said.
upon 39,00 0 male pastors in atten-
society," said Shapiro. "If the rights
Promise Keepers has targeted Jews
dance to "take this nation for Jesus"
and values of one group are not
for conversion. It speaks of this as
and "whoever stands with the messiah
upheld as being just as important as
"the next frontier in reconciliation."
will rule with him." No women pas-
the rights and values of another
Promise Keeper News claims "approxi-
tors were allowed.
group, the next time, our communi-
mately 150 messianic Jewish congre-
Shapiro distributed copies of a
ties' values might be questioned."

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