Contact: Gary Cass, DefendChristians.Org, 954-551-9770

VISTA, Calif., Nov. 24, 2010 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Southern Poverty Law Center has released a new list of "hate groups" that includes many highly regarded, mainstream Christian organizations because of their opposition to homosexuality.

"The Southern Poverty Law Center has utterly discredited themselves by this provocative attack on organizations that promote traditional family values," said Rev. Gary L. Cass, of DefendChristians.Org, a ministry of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.

"Labeling mainstream conservative organizations as 'Hate groups' is defamatory and is simply an intimidation tactic. We call on Congress to cut off their funding."

"Defend Christians.Org will work to form a coalition of organizations to lobby Congress to withhold funds from SPLC. We will also demand Congress restrict Federal law enforcement from relying on the biased SPLC reports, like the discredited 'Report on Right-Wing Extremism' SPLC wrote for the Department of Homeland Security," said Cass.

"The SPLC has been reduced to a far left propaganda organization that uses hype and hysteria to enrich a few liberal attorneys at taxpayer expense and has long out lived its usefulness," said Cass.

The new SPLC "Hate Group" list has eighteen organizations including large, mainstream ministries like the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America, Coral Ridge Ministries, Liberty Council, Family Research Council, Traditional Values Coalition and the National Organization for Marriage.