Barry Black talks back. . .to the religious right

By Alexander Carpenter
YEAH! That’s what we’re talking about. Mad props to Chaplain Barry Black for takin’ a stand for informed religious values. Already a friend of mine, an Episcopalian Reverend priestess, mentioned his action. What people do makes a difference. [updated thanks to xy.]
From the AP:
WASHINGTON — Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black has canceled his
scheduled appearance at a Christian evangelical conference after he was
pictured with columnist Ann Coulter and other prominent conservatives
in a brochure promoting the event.
Black told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that he
wouldn’t be addressing next month’s Reclaiming America for Christ
Conference because his appearance wouldn’t uphold the Senate chaplain’s
“historic tradition of being nonpolitical, nonpartisan, nonsectarian,”
a spokeswoman for the chaplain said Thursday.
Spokeswoman Meg Saunders said Black, a Seventh-day Adventist and a
former Navy chaplain, had received “a very generic invitation” in fall
2005 to speak at the March conference and had agreed because there was
room on his schedule.
After learning more about the other speakers and the event’s
featured topics, Black became “concerned” and canceled his appearance,
Saunders said. “He felt the information had been incomplete,” she said.
Other featured speakers at the conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
include Father Frank A. Pavone, a Catholic priest and abortion
opponent; conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly; and Family Research
Council President Tony Perkins. Listed topics include “making America
safe for the unborn,” “the battle to defend marriage,” “homosexuality
and the church” and “Darwin’s deadly legacy.”

Catch the whole story here.