Religious Right Watch

You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, the front group for the punk rock ministry of Bradlee Dean, took his brand of fundamentalist Christianity to a DFL gubernatorial meet-and-greet several weeks ago to confront Sen. John Marty about his support for “sin” and homosexuals. Dean and fellow group frontman Jake McMillian repeatedly asked Marty about [...]

A prominent pastor and GOP activist says Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature are blocking a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in order to save face in the 2010 elections. Pastor Brad Brandon, who was a staffer for former Senator Rudy Boschwitz, sent out an appeal to his radio show listeners to pressure the Republican Caucus [...]

Sen. Don Betzold, DFL-Fridley, told City Pages’ Matt Snyders on Thursday that Gov. Tim Pawlenty has diverted funds from the “Support Our Troops” license plate program to his Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, an office that works to connect religious organizations with state funds.

On Monday, the Minnesota Family Council and several GOP lawmakers held a press conference announcing their intent to push for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships in Minnesota. MFC warned that same-sex marriage could be legal in Minnesota as soon as next year, citing legislation and comments by Sen. John [...]

The Tea Party and religious right movements will collide — or coalesce — when the Worldview Weekend rally comes to Rochester April 9. Worldview Weekend founder Brannon Howse (pictured) will present his brand of evangelical Christianity, sprinkled with conspiracy theories about liberals and President Obama.

Rep. Michele Bachmann appeared in a video promotion this week for the upcoming Keep God in America Rally, which will be held in Jacksonville, Fla., in March. Organizers say the event is intended to bring the God of the founding fathers back into glory. “Today, in the name of ‘equality’ and ‘political correctness’ the basic [...]

Mike Huckabee is invading Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s turf. The former Arkansas governor and likely 2012 presidential candidate will be visiting Minnesota in April to headline a fundraising dinner for local religious right outfit the Minnesota Family Council.

Rep. Michele Bachmann will head to St. Louis next week to speak at the Educational Policy Conference 21 put on by the Constitutional Coalition, a Missouri-based conservative group. The conference, “What makes America work?,” will be headlined by Fox’s Glenn Beck and will feature religious right luminaries such as Phyllis Schlafly, Joseph Farah and Rick [...]

Pat Robertson generated outrage last week when he said he believes Haiti’s problems stem from a pact the nation made with the devil in 1804, but his remarks aren’t unique among evangelical Christians, even in Minnesota. While not all subscribe to the view that Satan is to blame for last week’s devastating earthquake, some say Haiti’s salvation will only come about if its inhabitants abandon their Vodou religious practices and turn to Jesus Christ.

On Thursday morning, televangelist Pat Robertson featured an interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann. It’s Bachmann’s second feature interview by Robertson in two months. “She’s a wonder,” Robertson said of Bachmann and noted that Bachmann got her law degree at Robertson’s Regent University.