Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania

U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania, Joe Pitts of District 16, including Lancaster County, is being asked a lot of questions regarding his role within the affairs of the East African country Uganda, specifically, the Ugandan bill to place their homosexual citizens in jail for life, and in many cases sentence them to death by hanging.  Congressman Pitts is chairman of the House Values Action Team (VAT), a legislative caucus group in the House of Representatives. Reports from VAT can be found on the internet:

http://johnshadegg.house.gov/RSC/vat.htm

According to the book "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power", by Jeff Sharlet, VAT grew out of prayer meetings conducted by a secretive Fundamentalist Christian Fellowship in Washington DC, named The Family.  Since the book, and the introduction of the Ugandan bill, The Family has identified itself, and confirms its Christian value influence in Ugandan politics.

http://wthrockmorton.com/2009/12/16/the-fellowship-aka-the-family-opposes-uganda%e2%80%99s-anti-homosexuality-bill-guest-post-by-jeff-sharlet/

You'll find the name of Congressman Pitts in this article with implications as a member of the Family.

Congressman Pitts uses his position on the VAT to insert into U.S. Legislation the requirement that for Uganda to receive U.S. aid for HIV/AIDS prevention, they must teach abstinence-only sex-education. Details can be found in Jeff Shalet's book p.328, and in the congressman's own words:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/pa16_pitts/PEPFAR.shtml

For an alternate view of the effectives of absence-education, see an article from Human Rights Watch:

http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/03/29/less-they-know-better

http://www.avert.org.uk/aids-uganda.htm

- Who is on the House Values Action Team, and who do they represent?

- What is the agenda of the House Values Action Team, and who sets it?

- What is the relationship of the House Values Action Team to "The Family" (also called "The Fellowship"), and what is the influence of that secretive fundamentalist fellowship on the Congress through the Values Action Team?

- How much of the agenda of the Values Action Team in both the House and the Senate is developed in prayer meetings?

PA Non-Believers (PAN) made a request to erect a sign celebrating the winter solstice alongside a pre-existing nativity scene at the Memorial Fountain in Chambersburg. The Borough Council, rather than deciding to allow the alternative sign, chose to disallow all displays. According to Carl Silverman, PAN Capital Area director, "We didn't want to take Jesus out of the public square. We want to put atheism in the public square." The Harrisburg Patriot-News reported that the Chambersburg council made this decision so as not to allow other groups that they considered to be much more "odious" to also display signs or messages. Members of the Chambersburg community responded defensively, holding a demonstration at the Memorial Fountain, and affirming their belief that only Christian messages should be displayed during the winter holidays.

Perhaps a better solution would have been for Chambersburg to practice inclusion, and allow all forms of holiday well wishes.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/11/chambersburg_bans_town-square.html