Army of God (AOG) is a Christian terrorist anti-abortion organization that sanctions the use of force to combat abortion in the United States. HBO produced a documentary on the Army Of God entitled Soldiers In The Army Of God.^[1] Clayton Waagner's fake anthrax letters have resulted in their being mentioned among terrorist organizations at the FBI.^[2]

The earliest documented incidence of the Army of God being involved with anti-abortion activity occurred in 1982. Three men associated with the organization held an abortion doctor and his wife hostage. The hostages were later released unharmed. ^[3]

AOG supports the Second Defensive Action Statement, as produced by the Defenders of the Defenders of Life, which reads:^[4]

• We the undersigned, declare the justice of taking all Godly action necessary, including the use of force, to defend innocent human life (born and unborn). We proclaim that whatever force is legitimate to defend the life of a born child is legitimate to defend the life of an unborn child.
• We declare and affirm that if in fact Paul Hill did kill or wound abortionist John Britton, and accomplices James Barrett and Mrs. Barrett, his actions are morally justified if they were necessary for the purpose of defending innocent human life. Under these conditions, Paul Hill should be acquitted of all charges against him.

Hill was head of a precursor organization called Defensive Action, which issued signed statements to members of Congress in the early 1990s expressing similar sentiments about "killing the killers". In 2000, The Army of God has promoted an annual White Rose Banquet in Washington D.C. from 1991 through at least 2003, for supporters of the Defensive Action Statement.^[5]

Associated individuals

The Army of God uses "leaderless resistance" as its organizing principle,^[6][7] but several individuals have publicly associated themselves with the group:

• Rev. Michael Bray, considered the "chaplain of the Army of God".^{[citation needed]} Newsday ^[8]

• Neal Horsley head of the Georgia-based Creator's Rights Party.^{[citation needed]}
• Shelley Shannon, non-fatally shot Dr. George Tiller
• Rev. Donald Spitz, head of Pro-Life Virginia and keeper of the AOG web site^{[citation needed]}
• Clayton Waagner

Others loosely affiliated with, or in some support of, the "AOG" include:

• Jack Cashill, columnist/reporter for WorldNetDaily^{[citation needed]}
• Wiley Drake, California Southern Baptist pastor and former 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate of the American Independent Party^{[citation needed]}
• Drew Heiss, Streetpreach.com
• Dan Holman, Missionaries to the Preborn - Iowa ^[9]
• Stephen Jordi, convicted of plotting clinic attacks.
• Dave Leach, publisher of Prayer & Action News magazine
• Bob Lokey^[10]
• Scott Roeder, American anti-abortionist convicted of the murder of George Tiller ^[11]
• Eric Robert Rudolph, American anti-abortionist and convicted bomber.
• Chuck Spingola of Unashamed & Associates, Newark, Ohio
• Matthew Trewhella, Missionaries to the Preborn - Wisconsin^{[citation needed]}
• Father David Trosch^{[citation needed]}
• Stephen Wetzel (Missionaries to the Unborn)^[10]
• Bill Whatcott, Canadian anti-abortion crusader^{[citation needed]}
• Troy Newman, President Operation Rescue West. ^[12]

See also

• Anti-abortion violence
• Anti-abortion violence in the United States
• Abortion in the United States
• Domestic terrorism in the United States
• Nuremberg Files
• Lone wolf (terrorism)
• Leaderless resistance
• Clandestine cell system
• Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act

References

External links

• Army of God
• History of the Army of God by the National Abortion Federation.
• HBO documentary: "Army of God: Skewing the Truth in all Sincerity: A Case Study," by David Leach (hosted on his Prayer & Action News website)