The backstory on Randall Terry’s new organization
Randall Terry emerged as a charismatic pro-life leader in the 80s, helping advance the “rescue” protest mentality.
Terry dropped out of sight for several reasons, both personal and pragmatic. Blogger Les Femmes has more details on Terry’s history as does Austin Ruse at the Catholic News Agency.
One of Terry’s pragmatic moves was to shut down the organization he created, Operation Rescue, in the wake of the 1986 NOW vs. Scheidler lawsuit, which came indirectly as a result of Bill Clinton’s clampdown on pro-life protesters at abortion mills.
Scheidler actually had nothing to do with the protests for which he was sued.
Terry, who did, was also originally named in the suit. He attempted to bail, first by disbanding OR when legal bills skyrocketed. His attorneys went on to claim in court neither it nor he had any financial obligation since OR no longer existed.
When that didn’t work Terry personally bailed….
“The National Organization for Women kept offering settlement opportunities to all of us – to Joe [Scheidler], Tim Murphy, Andy Scholberg and Randy,” Ann Scheidler told me this morning.
“The attorneys were required to notify us, and we all dismissed it,” said Ann. “But in December 1997 Terry settled with NOW and dropped out. Randy agreed not to block the entrance of abortion clinics or harass women for 12 years, essentially the injunction we ended up with at the end of the trial.”
When Terry settled he left the others holding the huge financial bag.
Most in the movement will have nothing to do with Terry, including the Schindler family, who parted company with Terry in the wake of their daughter and sister Terri Schiavo’s death when “it became clear that his priorities changed,” Bob Schindler, Sr., told me this morning, adding, “His priorities aren’t always what they appear to be.”
But Terry is back and a pro-life mouthpiece, whether we like it or not. Blogger Hercegovac at Daily Kos had a bit of fun last week covering Terry’s press conference no one attended (photo below right).
But to the point of my post. The Washington Times reported yesterday on a “hastily arranged ’emergency pro-life training conference'” held in DC Saturday of “45 people from 16 cities… all white, nearly all over 40 and mostly Roman Catholic.” Speakers included Norma McCorvey and Alan Keyes.
At this meeting Terry announced the formation of a new group, Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex, “the latter 2 words meaning ‘insurrection against death’ in Latin – and is trolling for new affiliates,” according to WT.
I previously wrote that Terry is in the midst of suing for OR’s name, which Troy Newman says Terry gave him when exiting activism. This sounds entirely plausible, particularly given Terry’s snarky shutdown of OR to escape the financial obligations of the NOW vs. Scheidler scenario. He admitted in so many words to the WT that he did so “owing to a string of lawsuits from pro-choice groups.”
But according to the WT Terry now says “Newman claimed the Operation Rescue title and Mr. Terry is suing to retain it for himself.”
I detest the lawsuit but in addition think it bad form if not a trademark violation for Terry to launch a new organization obviously copycatting the name of the organization he is suing to reclaim.
For awhile I was stymied by the fuss over the OR brand but now think I understand. It clicked for me when reading Dan Zanoza’s June 1 piece at RFFM.org:
“We’re not looking for money,” said Terry. “I just want my name back.”
Terry also said he believes the loss of the OR trademark is identity theft. “I’ve attended events where people have asked me if I received their recent donation,” added Terry. “I told them ‘if you sent a contribution to Wichita, I didn’t get it.'”
Terry in one breath said reclaiming the OR brand wasn’t about money and in the next said it was.
I previously determined not to discuss Terry again, but his attempt to circumvent a smelly lawsuit he initiated in order to obfuscate and basically steal the Operation Rescue brand forces me to speak out again.
The crux of this post: Donors of Terry’s new organization beware.
[Attribution for photo of Randall Terry with members of the Schindler family: Washington Post; for photo of empty chairs: Daily Kos; for photo of Terry: Washington Times]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
When my wife & I helped with the Terry N.Y. Congressional campaign, back in 1998, we were told, by Randy, that he “dealt out” so that he could make the Congressional run. I found that strange then as most of us agreed we should never make deals with the pro-abortion forces.
In point of fact, Mr. Terry handed control of the subsequent Operation Rescue National to Rev. Keith Tucci. Several years later, when Pastor Tucci form his internationally-focused group, he handed over ORN to Rev. Flip Benham. Pastor Flip abandoned the OR & ORN names for Operation Save America.
During all this time Jeff White, and then Mr. Newman, were directors of what was known as Operation Rescue West. Mr. Newman moved ORW to Wichita to be able to more directly deal with the late George Tiller. Mr. Newman attained the rights to the OR name. This set him at odds with Pastor Benham. Randall Terry THEN entered the fray saying, “I want my name back.”
I cannot speak to Pastor Benham’s intentions. However, from my observations of RT over the years, to include his whole personal & familial “muddy waters” (mostly of his own making), I would not be surprised if you were correct in the belief that he is moving back in on the OR name for the money.
It really makes me mad how the pro-life position is constantly being represented. “… all white, nearly all over 40 and mostly Roman Catholic.”
That is only the more vocal majority, I suppose, but it’s not who we all are as a unit, and I’m sick of feeling as though I am not being spoken for, and I wish I knew what to do about it.
Thanks for this post as it clarifies and fills in for me a lot of missing info. I usually post Operation Rescues news releases on my blog. Now I have to make sure which one comes from Mr. Newman.
Blessings on your good works+
I am a white, protestant, 27 year old woman and I am pro-life. :)
Sadly, men like Terry have long tainted the movement’s reputation and have done their best to keep stereotypes alive. In my 6 years of full-time pro-life work I’ve seen a lot of ethnically, politically and religiously diverse people, in all age ranges, working together to stand for the unborn, handicapped and elderly.
Jill, thank you for having the guts to post about Mr. Terry’s history and current actions. Our movement is stronger when we’re honest about who is “in the camp.”
Jill, you talk about Randall a lot in your blog. Have you actually even had a conversation with him? have you even interviewed him? I don’t have time in this small space to correct your many errors in your blog. Some of the answers can be found at http://www.operationrescuetheft.com
At least in the secular media, while they attempt to discredit Randall in their article, they have the journalistic integrity to give him a call to get his side of the story.
I am male, white, Catholic and well over 40, but have met many in the movement that are not, but are much more fervent in their zeal than I could ever be. I think those outside the movement do not really know how or why we tick. It is not our outward appearance that is important but what’s inside us. My favorite thing to remember is Christ’s admonishment ‘Whatever you do for these, the least of my brethren, you do for me.’
God bless you Jill in your work.
When meeting converts to the pro-life cause, they’re almost always hesitant to get involved in any activism because of the flavor of activism RT throws into the mix. He is the stereotype that the media loves to direct its cameras, and it is that stereotype that pro-life-converts are familiar with. Sometimes I’ve had to explain that RT is a goofball and much of the pro-life movement thinks so too.
Joseph,
I have met Terry a couple times. This past January was the first. He requested the opportunity to speak at a movie premiere hosted and paid for by BornAliveTruth.org and Operation Rescue. I was caught off guard by Terry’s audacity and said yes, hoping he would not use his pulpit to publicly slander Troy. Thankfully he did not.
I have not ever discussed the Terry/Newman disagreement with Terry. I am aware of his website.
It would frankly do no good to speak with Terry about this. This is a case of “he said vs. he said,” the sort of fight of which I do not normally involve myself and about which there is typically be no resolution.
But this one spills over into the movement and is actually bigger than Terry vs. Newman. Terry has a history of doing harm or taking advantage of pro-lifers I know to be honest and good, such as the Scheidlers and Schindlers.
Are all these people wrong and Terry right? I didn’t even bring up in my post Terry’s total diss of Archbishop Burke, which was simply wrong and disrespectful.
Although I’ve heard and read many unflattering things about Randall Terry over the years, the one that really makes me want to keep him at arm’s length is his efforts to prosecute a civil lawsuit in the headlines. And copyright issues should be resolved quietly in a court of law, not spread around like it was a reason to donate to the party behind the lawsuit. It’s disgusting.
Unfortunately, when it comes to matters of infanticide, the media is not usually accurate. I agree with you, Xalisae. I’m not Anglo, over forty, or religious (though I do believe in God), and anyone who is pro-life and does not fit the bill is never given the opportunity to speak.
However, I think that pro-lifers have to accept some of the blame for this. We need to get more involved in other issues related to human rights, because, tragically, most human rights crises are against non-Anglos (not that Anglos should have their rights taken away). I think that we could really expand our outreach by, in our literature, advertisements, and other media include more Asians, Hispanics, Arabs, African Americans, et cetera.
Since the pro-choice movement adamantly refuses to acknowledge that women don’t do this to “live their Constitutional rights,” and women aren’t just aborting casually “because it’s no big deal,” they rarely acknowledge that it is not Anglo women who have the most abortions.
So, all in all, non-Anglos are almost never acknowledged in either side. But we can change that; we can appreciate the fact that Hispanics contribute greatly to the pro-life movement. We can acknowledge and thank Native Americans for their staunch beliefs of peace and the value of life (well, not all Native Americans follow the traditional ways, but that doesn’t change their humanity any). We can work to change the racism that surrounds this debate into racial equality.
I have known Randall Terry for a very long time and I saw first hand how he took thousands and thousands of dollars that belong to the Schindler’s foundation and he never gave the money to the family or the foundation. To him, Terri Schiavo was nothing more than a way he could gain fame and money for himself. I hope someday he will be able to be healed from his deep seeded narcissism!
Lord, please make me an instrument of your peace, help me to see your face in the face of both the abortionist who murders and in the face of my brother in the prolife movement who grates my nerves. Help me to help him carry his cross, that my words may be those that forgive seventy times seven.
Hey, I just went to the training Terry held in DC with Keyes, McCorvey, and local prolife leaders–Fr. WESLIN, JACK AMES, MISSY SMITH, DICK RETTA.
It was good. What’s up with the gossip? We’re not saints yet.
Your example is needed, Ms. Stanek.
What’s up with the gossip?
***************************
Is it only gossip when it’s something you’d rather not hear or choose not to believe, even though Jill has reported actual fact?
I’m curious about that. Just seems a little odd to me to accuse Jill of “gossip” when I don’t really see how it qualifies as “gossip.” Is this account of Terry’s activities somehow inaccurate? If so, would you care to elaborate?
BTW, “John,” “Susan S” and “Ron” on the other thread, please pick one name and stop posing as three different people. Thanks.
I guess the post with the prayer of St. Francis was meant for me.
Yes, we must love our brother, however, sometimes we have to give a prophetic witness when others are being greatly harmed. This has nothing to do with forgiveness! Remember even Satin could and can quote the sacred scriptures. This is about honesty, integrity, and credibility.
Randle Tarry, Get out of the movement, if all you’re going to do is start trouble! RJ
The anti-slavery movement had it’s John Browns and William Lloyd Garrisons, but it also had people who quitely went about the business of assisting those in need and never sought nor desired notoriety.
The apostle Paul wrote that he new some men preached the gospel for ‘profit’, but what did he care as long as the gospel was preached.
Jesus said just because people you do not know do things in His name, do strive with them. They cannot easily glorigy God in one breath and fight against you in the next.
Finally, Gamaliel, cautioned the Jewish leaders of his day to be careful what they did with the followers of Jesus, lest they find themselves striving against God.
If Randal Terry is ‘sinning’ in some way, then you who have first hand knowledge of his sin have a responsibility to God, to the body of Christ and to Randal Terry to confront him in a Matthew 18 way. (This may have already been done, but if it has I am unaware.)
To it’s credit a Lutheran congregation excommunicated/disfellowshipped George Tiller, but where they dropped the ball was not notifying the body of Christ.
The goal of this ‘discipline’ is not punishment, but repentance and restoration to fellowship, according to the apostle Paul.
I do not have first hand knowledge of Randal Terry’s sin, but I do know that at one time he was confronted by his own pastor.
Randall Terry’s response was to leave his wife and the congregation he was part of and convert to another denomination.
This is the same strategy that George Tiller adopted.
Tiller found a congregation that would ‘tolerate’ his sin.
Those who are tasked by God with watching over the souls of men and women God has put under their care will not long be deceived about who is in their midst.
If a member of the body of Christ will not receive Godly counsel and sound doctrine, but rejects it and continues in his way, then those who have knowledge and are in a position of authority have an obligation to warn the body of Christ to stand aloof from the one who has rejected God.
If you wait for the ‘organized religious estblishment’ to act, then you will be doing a disservice to the brother/sister who is in error and to the body of Christ at large.
Paul asked, “Will you join the body of Christ to a whore?” What we as members of the body do effects the whole body of Christ.
I probably wrote too much, but he/she who is spiritually mature let her/him judge.
yor bro ken
That was really, really well said, Ken.
The two things that make me cautious about Randall Terry is that he seems to be confused about what “until death do you part means” and what Jesus said about divorcing your wife and marrying another. I’m sorry there is such a scandal in the Church that he was allowed to get away with this (annulments passed out like candy.
Ken:
In today’s seeker friendly churches, your refrain, which is biblically sound, is not practiced today with any sort of vigor.
Jill,
1. I was there in the audience at that viewing and you had offered that if anyone wanted to say anything they could.
2. Being aware of a website doesn’t mean you read it.
3. You got involved by even mentioning the issue and worse yet with falsehoods.
4. Your blog is full of gossip about other prolifers. And Randall is hurting the cause?
5. With regards to Burke, again there are two sides to a story and you got involved only knowing one side. I happened to be sitting next to Burke during the interview and he full well knew what was going to happen. I have my theories about why he denies it, but I don’t have a tabloid gossip blog like yours to let everyone know.
I repeat. At least secular media has the INTEGRITY to get both sides of a story, then report after hearing both sides.
Joseph Landry, you keep claiming Jill is lying, yet you haven’t actually refuted a single thing she’s said or explained what exactly what she has said that is false. Why is that?
Joseph,
We’re getting off on a side issue, but I did not offer to avail the mic to whoever wanted to say anything. That would be ridiculous. Terry asked me beforehand if he could speak, which again, I thought was audacious.
Joseph, again, is everyone wrong but Terry right? Now you’re saying Archbishop Burke can be added to the list along with the Scheidlers and Schindlers?
Thanks for the interesting and informative post Jill.
I’ve always had a lot of respect for Scheidler (met him once years ago) and of course the Schindlers too.
Randall Terry is doing great harm to the prolife movement. I think his theatrics do not win people over to protect unborn babies.
We know that arguments for abortion rights are unreasonable and filled with holes. The more we can present the sane, reasonable case for life the greater chance we have of identifying with everyday Americans and winning. One way to accomplish this is through our image in the public square. Randall Terry’s image does not do this. His antics do not make people understand the issue. If your persona is bigger than the issue the focus is on you and not the babies and moms.
(Did somebody mention narcissism?)
Jill,
I have known Mr. Terry for several years, and I don’t see anything in this post that gives an accurate description of his character. His main focus for all the years I have known him, has always been to save the babies, and to uphold hte dignity of all human life. Period. I have never seen him do anything merely for money, and in fact, I have only seen him do the opposite.
It seems to me that you are nothing more than a bitter woman who can’t help but gossip about others. You need Jesus. And probably a trip to confession would do you some good, but I will leave that one up to your own conscience…
Gossip is a terrible thing. It’s an immature thing. And you should be ashamed of yourself for taking part in it. God have mercy on you, and your soul.
Deborah,
While you might be blinded by Randall’s words, I have seen him to be out for the money! Sorry, reality hurts! I think as far as confession goes, Randall should start with the Schindler’s and give them about 20 thousand dollars that he made off of their dead sister and daughter!
Paul,
I was working for Mr. Terry at the time he was helping the Schindler’s, and I saw him put out his own money in order to be in St. Petersburg. So, I am sure I don’t know what you are talking about.
And, really the whole point anyway is, Jill needs to quit gossiping as though she were in High School. Probably, you should too.
I will confess that I neither know Randall Terry very well nor his “backstory” as rather tantalizingly alluded to here.
He may very well have failings. He probably has very many very significant failings. But, then again, who doesn’t? Thank God for grace, right?
You (and by “you” I mean Ms. Stanek as well as anyone and everyone else who may read this) might do well remember that Christ dined with even tax collectors and Mary Magdalene was a prostitute before she was one of his most devoted followers. Whether you are Christian or not, the point is that we can all be used to accomplish extraordinary things regardless of where we come from.
Randall Terry may do things that you, Ms. Stanek (and those involved in your branch of the pro-life movement), do not agree with. What you do and do not choose to participate in is your business, something you have to reconcile with your own conscience. But there are people, myself included, who believe that Randall, perhaps and at times in spite of himself, does good work for the pro-life movement and we need all of the soldiers, of all ilks, in the movement we can get.
Today is a good day to remember “A house divided against itself cannot stand . . .” and try to muster a little more charity. At least the charity to not say anything if you can’t say anything nice.
Me..harkens back 2 weeks, when I said…
a. You’re movement has been hi-jacked by extremeist.
b. You need to be more about the “Life” part of Pro-life by getting involved in other quality of life issues. (Like what Vannah said)
I got flamed…I guess I was right after all.
It’s good to see you guys come around.
Addressing a couple points:
~ That I’m gossiping: This is a blog. I report pro-life news as well as opinion. I directly quoted 2 trustworthy people yesterday who gave me permission to put them on record explaining how Terry has wronged them. I read their quotes back to them to ensure they were accurate. This is not Chinese telephone. Bro. Paul would a 3rd witness. He is directly connected to the Schindler family and was their spokesperson before, during, and after Terri’s murder. I could have added Archbishop Burke’s statement about Terry (another direct quote) but didn’t want to digress. Red flags abound re: Randall Terry. People can do with that information what they want.
~ Alison, you’re missing the point of this post as well as mixing apples and oranges. The point of this post is not to disagree with Terry’s tactics, although I do think the bloody doll thing is unnecessary, hyperbolic, and actually disrespectful to the babies when we have their actual photos. (Imagine skeletel blow-up dolls of Holocaust victims.)
But that wasn’t the point of this post. The point of this post was to question Terry’s character in light of his history. Evidence was provided. The focal point of the post was Terry’s hijacking a name for his new organization that he is currently suing to reclaim – going around a lawsuit, ridiculous as it is, that he himself invoked. I have not read any of Terry’s defenders defend that. I am still shocked they say everyone else is wrong and Terry is right, that there is an explanation for it all – the Scheidlers, the Schindlers, Archbishop Burke, etc. – that everyone either misunderstands Terry or slanders him for unexplainable reasons.
Would Terry be considered simply one of the sinners Jesus hung around with or one of the leaders Jesus condemned? I don’t know. That’s not my call. Either way, Jesus calls for repentance and to right wrongs.
For all of you who would like to harp on Mr. Terry’s short comings: we all have short comings but God uses us despite our faults, flaws, and sins. At least he is out there, at great personal expense, working tirelessly to save the babies and has a vision. He has put together a great training series that you really should watch before you criticize.
As for his past personal life I will only say this: the Roman Catholic Church does not hand out annulments “like candy” as was commented on. It takes 2 tribunals, witnesses, and much time to prove a prior marriage was not valid. It is not taken lightly. Staying in an invalid marriage for many years doesn’t make it valid. The annulment process itself is painful but can bring about great healing. Please do your homework before making comments on something that you do not understand.
I’m sure the Devil himself is pleased with all the in fighting taking place in the pro-life movement. We all have our roles to play and need to stop attacking others because they don’t behave the way we think that they should. We could be so successful if we would just stop fighting and get out there and work to save the babies.
Kathy, this isn’t about “shortcomings.” It’s not that simple. You’re not addressing valid, serious, unresolved charges lodged against Terry by reputable people, up to and including an archbishop at the Vatican.
My point, Ms. Stanek, was that you would do well to let the issue of the lawsuit, the name, and Randall Terry’s past indescretions lie and be sorted out via their legitimate channels rather than opening fire on him in a snarky and underhanded way on your blog.
What purpose does this post serve? How does it help the pro-life movement? How does it help your efforts in the pro-life cause?
You don’t like him, as evidenced by this and other posts you have made, we get it. That’s fine, you don’t have to. But what good is it doing anyone for you to air his dirty laundry (or, put another way, confess his sins) for him? I believe THAT is why people are calling you a gossip.
This being a blog does not excuse the fact that you are gossiping. You have dedicated this entire blog to gossiping about Mr. Terry. That is Not only immature, but it is sinful. What exactly is your motive in all of this anyway? What exactly would you like to see happen to Mr. Terry? I really would like to understand why you would want to bring someone down so much. I mean, I know that in high school, girls would lean towards gossip and all, but you are no longer in high school Ma’am, you are a grown up now. One who claims to fear the Lord. So, why are you doing this?
Also, having worked with Mr. Terry during the time he was helping the Schindler’s, I saw first hand that he helped them raise more than $20,000 for Terri’s foundation. So, regardless of what you say, you really don’t have all of your information, in fact, correct.
Please, for the sake of your own soul, stop this sinful gossip, and perhaps focus more on reading the Gospels and what Jesus said about such things. You may be out to hurt Mr. Terry, but in fact, you are only hurting yourself, and those around you. So, please, stop leading others into sin. Trust me, it won’t be worth it in the end.
Again, my prayer is that, God have mercy on you and your soul.
Being relatively new to working in the pro-life movement, I am struck by this strange way the various organizations work. I thought we would all work together, but I am finding out that many of you like to “eat” your own. Why are you attacking, tearing down, and discrediting others in the movement, but not of your association? We all have a part to play, we all have different talents. Why are so many of you divisive rather than unifying? Don’t you realize that this is exactly what Satan’s side wants to have happen.
I have known Randall Terry for almost 2 years. I find him of righteous and upright character. Yes, his rhetoric is strong, but this battle needs courageous warriors out there. He is about the only person out there not afraid to speak the truth. People need to hear the truth.
I attended the conference and it was inspiring. I am the white over 40 year old Roman Catholic, but I would welcome anyone else in this movement, just show up once in a while to do something other than just blogging! I am going to do my best to rally more troops for Randall’s Insurrecta Nex.
Sandra Paveglio,
“Why are you attacking, tearing down, and discrediting others in the movement, but not of your association? We all have a part to play, we all have different talents…”
“..I attended the conference and it was inspiring. I am the white over 40 year old Roman Catholic, but I would welcome anyone else in this movement, just show up once in a while to do something other than just blogging! ”
Hmmmm. “We all have our different talents…” That’s not fair. People who blog here are involved in many different ministries. Stick around a while and you’ll see.
Why can’t Terry just pick a different name? Has anyone suggested that? Is he just trying to be obstinant? Could that be Jill’s message here? I don’t know, just a guess.
Let’s get along. God bless you and all those who stand up for LIFE.
Correction (Janet @ 3:02)
not *obstinant*, but obstinate
Would all of you Randall Terry defenders quit hiding behind “the Christian thing to do” and instead address the fact that the man has an extremely shady past, a gigantic ego, and makes pro-lifers look crazy.
Kathy,
JP2 was critical of the way decrees of nullity are handled in the US. Let me clarify my “like candy” comment. If you have a civil divorce, witnesses, fill out the paperwork and wait about a year give or take, you will get a decree of nullity in the US in 99% of cases. Not quite like candy but close. You don’t even have to come up with grounds for why you think your marriage is invalid, the diocesan tribunal staff will fish for the grounds for you. The Roman Rota overturns the majority of nullity cases that go there for 3rd instance review. It is scandalous and cheapens marriage.
Jodi,
Could the high percentage rate of approved annulments do with the fact that it is such a diffficult, painful process that only legitimate cases move forward? It takes a series of meetings with a priest, delving into every aspect of your personal life to see if you indeed entered properly into marriage. Then after all that painful exploration, I’m sure many give up. Next it goes to a tribunal followed by a second tribunal. It is a very long process to go through if you don’t have a valid case. One last thought, American culture does not promote strong families and so many people in the US are truly unprepared to enter marriage. Could this be another reason for so many American annulments being granted? Maybe we should prepare our young people better. Just a thought. Also, if you don’t know the specifics of the case, you really shouldn’t make the decision the ruling was invalid and air a misconception/gossip in a public forum.
All of you who are telling Jill what “Jesus would do”…don’t you know that Jesus publicly condemned hypocrites and liars?
And Jill isn’t even doing that. She’s simply stating facts about Randall Terry.
Except, most of her “facts” are not correct. Also, Jill isn’t Jesus. Nowhere close even. She has made that very clear by the fact that she only seeks to destroy others….
I think Jill needs to spend more time reading her bible, and less time gossiping, and leading others to sin. She is putting her own soul along with the souls of others in danger with her actions. And that is the greater tragedy.
Jill,
you want to debate the facts. You level charges at Randall Terry from reputable sources, but then don’t interview Randall Terry. sounds one sided to me, and maybe you already had your conclusions drawn to being with.
you said: Scheidler actually had nothing to do with the protests for which he was sued.
I attended a public talk by Joe scheidler, who introduced himself as a “racketeer for Christ” Mr. Scheidler openly admitted the NOW law suit against him was from his book “99 ways to stop abortion” published in 1985. This was prior to OR blocking clinics in 1987-1988. Mr Schiedler states one of his tactics in his book was to block entrances, and that tactic is what was named in the law suit. This came directly from Mr. Scheidler, and I and 30 other people witnessed this, and the law suit according to Mr. Scheidler was a direct result from the tactic in the book.
Pertaining to Troy Newmann and character. He is associated with Chearyl Sullinger, his senior policy advisor. Are you aware she was convicted of trying to blow up an abortion clinic in California in 1988, and served 2 years in prison? Also that the shooter of Dr. Tiller, Scott Roeder had OR’s number with Cheryl’s name on it. Does character really matter to you with some and not others? Why was their site taken down almost immediately after the shooting? Have you looked into this?
you said: I previously wrote that Terry is in the midst of suing for OR’s name, which Troy Newman says Terry gave him when exiting activism. This sounds entirely plausible, particularly given Terry’s snarky shutdown of OR to escape the financial obligations of the NOW vs. Scheidler scenario.
Now your use of “this sounds entirely plausible…” does not smack of objective journalism but of conjecture. So, you are taking the word of someone who associates with another who has a conviction of a violent act, and will not talk to a man who served jail time for showing a fetus to a presidentail candidate and saving lives? Strange ethics you have. Have you actually done research on the copyright claims and tried to validate your claims?
No one can know for sure what was said during your interviews with the Scheidlers or the Schindlers, but your refusal to talk to the man you are trashing is despicable and unprofessional.
Jill, are you not white and over 40 yourself? Does that mean no one should give credibility to your site? you need to hold yourself to your own standards. The last I read in scripture is that Jesus died for all sinners and all sins and I tire of you thinking you are the final arbiter of right and wrong, and who is guilty or not, and ignoring the many posts that correctly point out your errors. “Pride cometh before the fall” Jill.
As I’ve read the numerous posts here, I feel I must respond to several of them:
1. For all: Randall WAS confronted as set forth in Matthew. He was confronted by his pastor at the time AND by numerous pro-life leaders who were aware of the circumstances.
His response to the church discipline put forth by his pastor was to leave the church & shop around for a denomination that would whitewash him abandoning his wife. He went from his old church to the Episcopal denomination &, finally, to the Roman Catholic church.
2. Although not a “national leader”, I saw things when my wife & I worked on his campaign that I did not address. Other things which my wife brought to my attention, I tended to make less important than they were as I made the mistake of looking at the man, instead of God. By this, I mean that I thought to myself, “There has to be an explanation. After all, this is Randall Terry.” I’ve regretted that tact ever since.
In addition, I witnessed his less than kind (outright derisive & vulgar) toward Pat Ireland at a national D.C. rescue event.
I subsequently made national leaders aware of what I knew ONLY after they had already tried to deal with him on their own.
3. Jill has been accused of lying (as has Archbishop Burke now). I have no first-hand knowledge of the rift between RT & the archbishop. I do know that the circumstantial evidence of his past actions tend to lend credence to the archbishops side of this complaint.
Personally, I believe the whole flap over a name is ridiculous. IT IS ONLY A NAME. That being said, Mr. Terry abandoned it, as did Pastor Benham. It was not protected, in the legal sense. Mr. Newman has used the name in a manner closest to its original intent.
For all involved, one of the ways to tell the veracity of some of the statements that Randall has made, as well as his actions, is to look at where those who were closest to him are now. With the exception of one or two people, Gary McCullough for example, those who were closest to him AND were aware of what was going on, confronted him in love and, when rebuffed, moved away & continued the fight in their own manner.
Now, some of those people can be loud & abrasive in their own right, but I know them to be people of integrity.
To be honest, I’ve not seen the same integrity from Randall Terry. For that, I grieve.
Except, most of her “facts” are not correct. Also, Jill isn’t Jesus. Nowhere close even. She has made that very clear by the fact that she only seeks to destroy others….
Deborah, I never claimed Jill was Jesus. I was responding to your post which was asking “what would Jesus do”?
As for her “seeking to destroy others”, on the contrary. Jill has dedicated her life to saving lives. If she sees someone being a hinderance to that cause, I think she should be able to speak out about it, to warn others.
Bethany,
You are wrong. Jill is in fact seeking to destroy Randall Terry. Her “information” about him is, for the most part, incorrect. And honestly, if she isn’t out to destroy Mr. Terry, what exactly is she doing then? I don’t buy that she is merely wanting to “warn” people about him. Because there isn’t anything to be cautious of. Randall has always wanted to save the lives of innocent children. And that’s it.
Probably, she just wishes she had as much courage as Randall does…and that is why she is acting like a 16 year-old gossiping girl. If Jill actually cared about saving lives, then she wouldn’t feel the need to gossip about Mr. Terry, but instead try and, oh I don’t know, unite with him in the cause to save lives. But she hasn’t, nor will she ever. Probably because that would mean less money and credit for her…
I really don’t see how anyone expects abortion to actually come to an end when those of us in the cause can’t even come together and work as one. No, instead we tear one another down, and spread gossip about our fellow brothers and sisters. I think perhaps Jill might consider taking plank out of her own eye before she points out the speck in Mr. Terry’s.
My whole point is that Jill is gossiping, and that is a sin. She is saying things about Mr. Terry that she really doesn’t know much about. She has only met him once or twice, and she really doesn’t know much about some of the things she is accusing him of…so, she goes like an adolescent girl, looking for dirt on him. And for what? That’s what I want to know — what is her motive? Jill? Have any comments to add? No? I thought as much.
Probably, she knows that she is a gossip, and that is why she won’t respond to any of this — because she knows that it is true, and that what she is doing is sinful. And what is worse, she is leading others to sin…putting other peoples souls in danger…that is terrible, and she really ought to be ashamed.
None of this is helping the pro-life movement. There are private disputes that need to be resolved, I get that, but they should not be played out on a blog.
We need to focus on the actual work that is being done to save the babies that are dying today, tomorrow, and every day after that until we can pull ourselves together and work to end it. Right now, the whole pro-life movement is working to destroy itself from the inside out. This is very sad. We each have a role to play. Randall is the one that is good at getting the media attention to get the word out to the masses. He is willing to do it even at the expense of his reputation.
As I said, his training video is really very good. He has put a lot of time, effort, and money into this. He has really studied what made the past human rights movements successful.
Others in the movement are also doing very commendable things. We need all of these things if we are going to succeed.
Probably, she just wishes she had as much courage as Randall does…and that is why she is acting like a 16 year-old gossiping girl. If Jill actually cared about saving lives, then she wouldn’t feel the need to gossip about Mr. Terry, but instead try and, oh I don’t know, unite with him in the cause to save lives. But she hasn’t, nor will she ever. Probably because that would mean less money and credit for her…
Deborah, is it acceptable for you to make assumptions about Jill’s intent (without getting her side of the story first), but it’s not okay for anyone else to do the same?
You seem to “know” why Jill posted this, when Jill told you flatly that you were wrong. You seem to “know” that she’s “concerned about losing money”, etc, instead of trying to find out what she is really concerned with, or asking her privately about what she is trying to do.
I’m not trying to be mean but you are sounding like a hypocrite. You expect Jill to do things you are unwilling to do yourself.
To Miss Hollingsworth: I’ve noticed that you’ve accused Mrs. Stanek of gossiping, and have done it in a particularly belligerent manner.
You can’t possibly be aware of how much she knows, unless you were to listen to her as she tells you. You don’t know to whom she has spoken or what information she is truly privy to.
Of greater concern is the tone of your “rebuttal”. In themselves, they appear to be almost vicious. Even if you were right as to what you are saying, to state your assertions in such a tone hardly presents the Christian love that you seem to accuse Jill of lacking.
IF she is gossiping, then that would, indeed, be a sin. However, it has never been established that what she is stating is untrue. In point of fact, what she has said has been documented elsewhere. She seems to merely be warning people of what confusion seems to be deliberately sown by Mr. Terry.
I will say that what she presents appears accurate, insofar as it jibes with what I know to be true. Now, even with it being true, her intentions would determine whether it is actually gossip, as you so vehemently state. I’ve seen no such indicator in what she has blogged.
I agree that a blog is a sad place to bring this out. However, many did not know the particulars until they saw them here. As RT, himself, stated, there is confusion amongst the everyday pro-lifers as to who is associated with whom & under what name. An article like that written by Jill serves to clarify that confusion.
Now, not once have I seen you rebut anything she’s stated with actual fact. If you feel that she is error, then be specific. It’s extremely easy to just make a blanket statement, filled with generalities. If she is wrong, or if I am, then show where. All that’s been done by the Terry apologists has been to attack Jill & others. That is the tactic I expect from the other side.
Deborah, I explained the point of my post in my post when I wrote, “But to the point of my post.”
But I’ll say it again.
Randall Terry is wasting valuable pro-life donations and energy to get the name of an organization back that he admittedly relinquished, as stated in the WT article, and I quote again, “He shut down the organization in 1991, owing to a string of lawsuits from pro-choice groups….”
This is bad enough. But to try to make an end run around the legal determination, in process – that he initiated – by devising this new name, “Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex” is ridiculously immature if not a trademark violation.
All this is inexplicable, really, unless you read what he said, and I quote again, “I’ve attended events where people have asked me if I received their recent donation,” added Terry. “I told them ‘if you sent a contribution to Wichita, I didn’t get it.'”
Randall Terry is a bully. I now more fully understand that today than I did 2 days ago by the atrocious phone calls he’s been making.
Randall Terry may do good. He may be saving babies. But that does not excuse the damage he has left in his wake. He needs to repair that damage, or attempt to, and I would consider respecting him.
To that end Terry needs to stop making insulting, degrading, and threatening phone calls and make humble, reparative calls instead. As I’ve previously stated, a lot of solid people are wrong about Terry if he’s right. Does anyone who worked with Terry in the past work with him currently?
And Terry needs to stop wasting pro-life donations, drop his complaint against Troy Newman, and move on.
He knows I’m not the only one saying this.
Jill,
You claim the name thing is about the money. OK, I’ll go with you on that. Why would Troy Newman want to take the name of an organization founded by someone else? Could it be that he saw the money he could bring in by using that name rather than create his own? Many people gave to Troy’s organization believing that they were giving to Randall’s, it was deceitful if not fraudulent, to accept donations from those that intended it to help Randall with his work. It appears to me that Randall merely pointed out that people were being deceived and took steps to correct this deceit.
Kathy, I can’t speak for Troy re: his rationale for assuming the OR brand. I only know he was associated with OR before that time.
But this was over 10 years ago. During that time Randall Terry got completely out of pro-life work, ran for NY Congress, ran for FL state senate, and attempted a career in country music (http://is.gd/15nMD and http://is.gd/15nZv), to name 3.
(NYT, 7-20-01: “He also continues to rely on direct-mail ‘gifts’ to finance his way. Donations to the ‘Randall Terry Sabbatical Fund’ paid for a yearlong break, he said, which included time spent in a Nashville studio, recording country-western and gospel music.”)
If people are still giving to OR because they think they’re giving to Terry, it is through no fault of OR.
Having read your blog (Big Load Of Garbage) I have to conclude that your intent and objective is to discredit Randall Terry and his efforts in the Pro-life movement.
This is obvious from the manner in which you begin your post. You present a litany of half-truths, circumstantial and here-say evidence so as to prejudice and manipulate the reader’s mind to your ultimate point of view – Randall Terry is a bad man.
Next you try to ridicule and discredit Randall Terry by providing a picture of a room with empty chairs and just a couple of individuals sitting in the room placed next to the paragraph regarding the “hastily arranged emergency pro-life training conference.” The inference being that no one attended.
As a matter of fact the picture was taken at the press conference that Randall Terry called earlier in the week. The reason that it was poorly attended was that every media outlet was drawn to the Holocaust Museum for the press conference regarding the shooting that occurred the previous day. Something that you have failed to mention.
You state “the point of my post” and then quote excerpts of the article written in the WT. We all could and did read it for ourselves in the WT. You didn’t have to regurgitate it to us. The reason that you posted what you did was to satisfy your sense of vengeance towards Randall Terry and to discredit him for whatever perceived wrong you harbor.
I have had the privilege and honor to personally know and work with Randall Terry for the last two years. During that time I have gained respect for his zeal to end legalized child-killing in this nation, have seen first-hand the sacrifices he and his family have made for the pro-life movement, and have come to appreciate his courage to speak the truth regardless of the consequences.
If the pro-life movement is serious about ending legalized abortion in this country it can only do so by banding together. Selling carnations, precious feet pins and ribbons are not going to accomplish much to save lives of the unborn. Getting the laws changed that allow this atrocity to be condoned is what is needed. And that takes a leader who is not afraid to place himself in the front and center of the battle.
Mario, you make my point it appears only people currently involved with Terry are defending him. Does it not concern you that he has burned just about every bridge from his past? And the list doesn’t simply include people you disparage as “selling carnations, precious feet pins and ribbons.” These are activists – good people – who have been and are on the front lines.
I harbor no sense of vengeance against Terry. Why would I? I simply am observing several red flags – and I am by no means the first.
The kicker for me was Terry’s attempt to circumvent the rule of law by copycatting an organizational name he is currently suing to reclaim. I’m crying foul. He cannot wait for the decision?
For Mario:
Jill is perfectly capable of standing up for herself, so she doesn’t need me to do it for her.
I will address some of what you have said:
You have been working with him for the last two years. I, and many of the people I associate with in the pro-life movement, worked with RT from the early days of rescue up until @ 1999, when it became obvious that he was moving in a direction detrimental to himself, his walk with the Lord, his family & the pro-life movement in general. I would daresay that his running askew started way before this time. However, it became most apparent around this time when he was confronted by his then-pastor & others that were close to him at the time. Instead of listening to these people & attempting to clean up what was going on then, he ran, leaving his church & his family, and seeking a more “friendly” denominational atmosphere.
You speak of his zeal to end abortion & the “sacrifices” that his family has made. The question is then begged, “Which family?” Remember that he left his wife & family. He chose to desert them & start a new family with a woman who is not biblically his wife (Yes, I know he & Andrea are married, legally. Again, I’m talking biblically.). He did this to the point of denying the children of his first marriage (3 of which he was active in rescuing from death & a much rougher life that they once had.) help when they later approached him.
When my wife & I worked with Randall, I also considered it an honor & a privilege. The mistake that I made, and that you are making, is that I saw Randall Terry, the pro-life icon. I refused to see Randall Terry, the flawed human being. I fell into the trap of “fearing men’s faces”, as we are warned against in the Bible, rather than fearing God.
Randall has many strong qualities. However, he is weak in many ways (as we all are). Those weakness are what are controlling him, at this time. As such, wee must pray for his healing and, more importantly, his repentance. However, we must also confront him when his actions bring dishonor to the name of Jesus.
Mr. Terry has become the Hebrews chapter 6 man, specifically: “Heb 6:4 For when people have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become sharers in the Ruach HaKodesh,
Heb 6:5 and tasted the goodness of God’s Word and the powers of the `olam haba —
Heb 6:6 and then have fallen away — it is impossible to renew them so that they turn from their sin, as long as for themselves they keep executing the Son of God on the stake all over again and keep holding him up to public contempt.
Heb 6:7 For the land that soaks up frequent rains and then brings forth a crop useful to its owners receives a blessing from God;
Heb 6:8 but if it keeps producing thorns and thistles, it fails the test and is close to being cursed; in the end, it will be burned.” (Complete Jewish Bible)
Randall is producing “thorns and thistles”. He is recrucifying Christ through his actions and “holding him up to public contempt”. An objective look at his past associates & their stance on his actions, from some of his early OR partners to the Schindlers to Archbishop Burkes, shows a continued pattern of behavior that should alarm anyone who is not in love with the personna of Randall Terry, pro-life icon.
Please don’t attack Jill for alerting people to the actions of Mr. Terry. Call on him to come to repentance, knowing that it is the Lord who will actually bring him to that repentance, when Randall allows his heart to be broken through the Holy Spirit.
Your brother in Christ.
Jill,
It’s been 3 days since I made my last post, and you have yet to respond to any of the facts I brought up. You insisted on debating the facts, yet you continue to justify unjustifiable positions, something you accuse Randall Terry of doing. I responded to the blogger les femmes in the same fashion, with facts, and she ignored them just as you are doing now. It is as if I never sent this and it’s too inconvenient for you. it is becoming more obvious to me that you are holding more of an emotional positon than factual, and that is a moral problem.I guess the facts get in the way of a good story.
you said: That I’m gossiping: This is a blog. I report pro-life news as well as opinion. I directly quoted 2 trustworthy people yesterday who gave me permission to put them on record explaining how Terry has wronged them. I read their quotes back to them to ensure they were accurate. This is not Chinese telephone. Bro. Paul would a 3rd witness. He is directly connected to the Schindler family and was their spokesperson before, during, and after Terri’s murder. This is one of your main quotes from Ann Schiedler.
“The attorneys were required to notify us, and we all dismissed it,” said Ann. “But in December 1997 Terry settled with NOW and dropped out. Randy agreed not to block the entrance of abortion clinics or harass women for 12 years, essentially the injunction we ended up with at the end of the trial.”
Randall took a plea, that was offered to all of them and after 12 years of fighting, the reamianing litigants ended up with the same injunction after all. So no one has a right to self determination? I already covered Mr Schiedler’s involvement in my last entry and will not rehash it here.
you said: Most in the movement will have nothing to do with Terry, including the Schindler family, who parted company with Terry in the wake of their daughter and sister Terri Schiavo’s death when “it became clear that his priorities changed,” Bob Schindler, Sr., told me this morning, adding, “His priorities aren’t always what they appear to be.”
One small quote from Mr. Schindler out of a whole conversation that you have not posted. What does this even mean? What was the context of that remark? also, as your quoted third witness, brother Paul’s comments are very tied into this.
Brother Paul says: I have known Randall Terry for a very long time and I saw first hand how he took thousands and thousands of dollars that belong to the Schindler’s foundation and he never gave the money to the family or the foundation. To him, Terri Schiavo was nothing more than a way he could gain fame and money for himself. I hope someday he will be able to be healed from his deep seeded narcissism!
So, brother Paul, you have evidence of this seeing it FIRST HAND? Are you in the habit of watching criminal behavior and not reporting this? You are outright accusing Randall of thievery: In your own words: I think as far as confession goes, Randall should start with the Schindler’s and give them about 20 thousand dollars that he made off of their dead sister and daughter!
Jill, I find it hard to believe that supposedely after stealing 20K from the Shindler family trust that Mr. Shindler would have forgotten this little tidbit. Also, why have charges never been filed. Where is the evidence of this thievery? Surely there would have to be a paper trail, unless 20k was sitting unguarded on a coffee table (brother Paul evidently was not guarding it well but witnessed this). Do you always not check your facts prior to declaring this 3rd witness? Who is brother Paul anyway?
Jill, this is one time I agree with you that you are not a gossip.. This is SLANDER! Frankly if I were Mr. Terry, I may pursue this point. Someone is a LIAR.
Notre Dame was in the world’s spotlight for one reason only: Randall Terrys witness. Alan Keyes was there due directly to Randall Terry’s witness and getting arrested. 4 days of world wide press would have a price tag of millions. I would call that an efficient use of donations. Jill maybe this sticks in your craw, or jealousy may be a motive, but it was not your blog, or PLAL’s demonstration or Troy Newmann’s OR that accomplished this, but a group of people willing to partake of tactics you (along with most of the movement) condemn. Don’t you think that 35 years is enough time to see that “changing hearts” has not been effective. Our enemies play hardball, so must we.
Unless you can prove these allegations true, you need to make a public appology and retract your error on this blog. It should not be difficult to have the Shiedler’s and Schindlers give full testimony, or release transcripts of the whole conversation, so we can judge for ourselves what was said. You definitely need to have proof of Brother Pauls allegations of 20K of money stolen. It’s the least you can do.
George, I’ll not regurgitate the points I made about good people who believe Terry has wronged them.
I do want to address your point, “Notre Dame was in the world’s spotlight for one reason only: Randall Terrys witness….”
You’re not the first of Terry’s followers to say this, so I’m surmising it came from him. I find it more than a prideful statement. It is the thought of either a megalomaniac or extremely insecure person. No other people or groups would say such a egotistical thing.
Furthermore, To stand on that point to defend Terry against his entire history is weird as well as incorrect.
CBR got worldwide coverage for its “abortion plane” weeks before May 17. I know, I covered it. Pro-Life Action League/Citizens for a Pro-Life Society paid for 2 billboards on I80 that also got much attention. Then the day of the event, PLAL, CBR, and CPS organized what may be the longest continuous pro-life activist protest ever – 2 miles from I80 to the entrance of Notre Dame. Thousands of pro-lifers from all over the country descended on ND in protest that day.
This is not to say Terry and Keyes had no impact. They did. They deserve credit, although I dispute the bloody dolls in Spongebob carriages were helpful.
That said, the student group which organized many thoughtful events the day of Obama’s speech felt Terry sucked the oxygen out of their plans (media attention), another of Terry’s traits.
But your entire point is one of Terry’s problems. Taking over and taking credit when no one should. It’s unbecoming of him and his followers to show such immaturity.
And so what if what you say is true? Is your point to excuse Terry’s pattern of infractions dating back decades?
George, your arguments are ridiculous and petty. You miss so many points and are factually incorrect on others. You’re going to think what you’re going to think, which is fine. I’m unpublishing your comment and closing down comments here, which we do after a week anyway.
But just so you know, I take no money from PLAL or OR for posting ads about their organizations.