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Christian Exodus leader has a history
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The head of Christian Exodus -- an organization trying to influence South Carolina politics through mass immigration to the Upstate -- is a former regional director of the neo-Confederate organization the League of the South.
Christian Exodus hopes to advance its goals of biblical- and constitutional-based government, which include secession from the United States, in a three-day conference in Greenville this weekend.
Cory Burnell's plans of a separate South Carolina, however, predate his March 2004 launch of Christian Exodus:
"We must realize that demographic changes of 140 years make it impossible to reclaim the entire geography once controlled by our Confederacy," Burnell wrote as the Northeast Texas Regional Chairman of the League of the South.
The League of the South actively supports Southern independence.
"We must admit that the enemy is among us, not in Washington," Burnell wrote in the same essay posted on the South Carolina League of the South Web site. "These circumstances de-mand that we sift through the populace of all 50 states and call our people out. We must separate the wheat from the chaff and then concentrate our numbers geographically so we're no longer dispersed and diluted among the enemy."
Burnell continued to write that South Carolina would be among the best states to move to en masse because of its rural make-up and heavily Christian population.
Burnell described his work as a "formative essay" that he wrote when he was planning the Christian Exodus movement.
Christian Exodus describes itself as "an association of Christians who no longer wish to live under the unjust usurpation of powers by the federal government and therefore resolves to disassociate itself from this tyrannical authority…"
The group believes programs such as Social Security and Medicaid are illegal federal programs that should be left to the states.
Christian Exodus currently has about 1,000 members, according to Burnell, though only 12 adults have moved to South Carolina.
Burnell lives in California but is planning to move to South Carolina at the end of next year.
The group hopes to have 2,500 members moved into two unnamed South Carolina counties by the end of 2006. Members have already moved to the Greenville and Columbia areas.
"We will grow exponentially," Burnell said.
By 2014 the group hopes to have enough support to "overwhelmingly impact" statewide elections.
Burnell said his past connection to the League of the South was irrelevant, and that the two organizations are very different.
"What's germane is we desire limited decentralized government and so do they," he said.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group based in Alabama, calls the League of the South a hate group.
"What the League of the South is really all about is white supremacy," said Mark Potok of the SPLC.
An SPLC report on the League of the South quoted its president, Michael Hill, writing, "It is time for us, as Southern whites to look at our own well being and defense against these thugs."
Hill was referring to crimes committed by black people against white people.
SPLC quoted him as continuing with, "Let us not flinch when our enemies call us 'racists'; rather, just reply with, 'So, what's your point?"
In an interview, Hill said that the League of the South is not a hate group.
He said he did not consider racial groups to be equal, but instead said each had different strengths and weaknesses.
Black people, for example, as a group tend to be talented athletes and entertainers and some are also good at academics, said the former university professor.
"It's very hard to say one (race) is superior," Hill said.
Hill said that he personally was against interracial dating but that the League had no such stand.
Hill said there was an "unofficial alliance" between the League of the South and Christian Exodus.
"We have a lot of the same philosophies and ideas," Hill said. "We support what they're doing and they support what we're doing."
But Burnell said that Christian Exodus has "no heritage issues" and added that the group would try to secede only if its efforts to enormously limit the federal government's power failed.
"Racism is pure evil," Burnell said. "If ever it could be shown to us that (the League of the South is a hate group), we would disavow the league."
One of the frequently asked questions on Christian Exodus's Web site is: "Does it matter if I am an African-American?"
"Not one bit …" is the answer.
Christian Exodus, however, holds the 14th amendment -- which requires equal protection under the laws and is the foundation for civil rights legislation -- to be invalid because the Southern states were forced to ratify it after the Civil War.
Alexander Morrison can be reached at 562-7215 or alex.morrison@shj.com.
User Comments
Add your comment now.Re: Christian Exodus = League of the South
| Hi "Respect All",
| I understood, you quite likely, were not aware, what you posted was 'out of context'.
|
| I'm also aware the site 'FreeRepublic', is a forum for discussion. Selecting replies to a post, without knowing what the previous post--or thread--referenced to has questionable credibility. (Like reading a footnote, without what it referenced)
|
| Kirk Lyons is not a white supremacist, by any means. Stating someone said, that someone said....is like a bad phone connection.
|
| Kirk Lyons is an attorney, who has represented thousands of clients over the years--as all attorneys do. Representing a client, does not make an attorney similar to their client, not more than an auto mechanic makes them similar to their clients!
|
| Mr. Lyons also happens to be very knowledgeable about American History, and the 'American Civil War'. (most of those 'snippets' you posted, concerned 'the War'.)
|
- Respect All
Re: Its Embarrassing
----- Original Message -----
From: "None None" " Like I said...move up to his millenium. I'm surprised you even know how to use a computer since you like pre-civil ware quotes so much..ROTFL. ye..haw! Giddy up horse....Gotta go lynch some blacks for fun!"
- (Anonymous)
Re: Its Embarrassing
To Mr. Lamb and other posters in response to my message I would like to offer clarity:
1) I'm white
2) I'm from Spartanburg but I have happily relocated - I didn't have to ride a horse. I drove my Mercedes Benz that I bought with the money I earn in corporate America after earning my MBA (MBA...do you know what that means?)
3) I really don't care what color my child's skin is as long as they are a good person that grows up to be kind to others, gives back to their community, loves the Lord and obeys the law.
- None None
Re: Its Embarrassing
I agree with Mr. Lamb, If 'none none' is not happy in South Carolina, he should move back up North.
He wants to 'cherry pick' our History; let's look at what the Yankees did in their history & at what they did to us!
1.) (click on this link below, white mobs chasing black people, shooting them in the street)
The 1943 Detroit race riots
http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=185&category=events
**************************************
2.) (Below taken from the Slave Narratives. Another example of Yankee compassion)
State: Alabama Interviewee: Leslie, Mandy
"Yassum, I 'members de war, but I don't lak no wars.
Dey give folks trouble and dey's full of evil doings.
When de Yankees come through here, dey took my mammy
off in a wagon, and lef' me right side de road, and
when she try to git out de wagon to fetch me, dey hit
her on de head and she fell back in de wagon and didn't
holler no more. Dey jes' drive off up de big road wid
- (Anonymous)
Re: Christian Exodus = League of the South
Hi "Respect All",
I understood, you quite likely, were not aware, what you posted was 'out of context'.
I'm also aware the site 'FreeRepublic', is a forum for discussion. Selecting replies to a post, without knowing what the previous post--or thread--referenced to has questionable credibility. (Like reading a footnote, without what it referenced)
Kirk Lyons is not a white supremacist, by any means. Stating someone said, that someone said....is like a bad phone connection.
Kirk Lyons is an attorney, who has represented thousands of clients over the years--as all attorneys do. Representing a client, does not make an attorney similar to their client, not more than an auto mechanic makes them similar to their clients!
Mr. Lyons also happens to be very knowledgeable about American History, and the 'American Civil War'. (most of those 'snippets' you posted, concerned 'the War'.)
- (Anonymous)
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