THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701150187
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SANDRA J. BARKER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 73 lines
The November issue of ``Christianity Today'' featured 50 evangelical leaders age 40 and under who are considered to be ``up and comers'' on the American scene. Among the 50 faces was Steven W. Fitschen of Chesapeake.
Fitschen, 39, lives with his wife, Donna, and four children, in the Western Branch area.
Fitschen was cited for his work as executive director of the National Legal Foundation, which has its headquarters in Virginia Beach. Fitschen is credited with rejuvenating the public-interest law firm, which was founded in 1985.
``I was quite surprised to be chosen,'' Fitschen said. ``It was a real honor.''
Eight employees and five volunteers staff the independent, non-profit firm, whose main thrust is defending cases involving religious liberty. Although the organization is small, its influence is growing. Last year, NLF was involved in an effort that culminated in the Defense of Marriage Act being passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton. Fitschen is pleased with the part he had in drafting DOMA.
``I know that in some small way I was involved in that and if I died tomorrow, I've done something. I've left something for my children that will make a difference in the future of American society.''
There are a number of key areas in which NLF concentrates. There are simple cases that are easily resolved, such as a high school student who is told he cannot be part of a Bible club. Such an act has been ruled unconstitutional, and the student's rights are usually won by simply sending a letter, Fitschen said.
``We have many, many cases for legal help that never go to court,'' he said.
But then, there are the major cases and areas where the course of the nation is at stake.
``One of the big things we are working on right now is our drive to educate people about the possibility of impeaching federal judges, up to and including Supreme Court judges,'' Fitschen said. ``Any judge that is acting in a tyrannical way is subject to impeachment.''
Impetus for the impeachment movement was last term's case out of Colorado. The people of Colorado voted that homosexuals should not receive minority status. The Supreme Court declared the amendment unconstitutional.
``That was wrong,'' Fitschen said. ``So, we began to call for impeachment and more and more groups are starting to get on the bandwagon.''
Other weighty matters in which NLF is involved include, a fight against same-sex marriages. Fitschen serves on the steering committee for the National Campaign to Protect Marriage, which is a coalition of about 16 organizations that work together.
NLF also has sued the State of Oregon. Along with another group, they are challenging the state's public education system.
``It has a particularly nasty version of outcome-based education where they see the children as a natural resource,'' Fitschen said. ``One bureaucrat even stated that they are like trees and cattle and should be managed.''
All of these controversial areas can create a dangerous climate.
``One day we thought I had received a bomb,'' Fitschen recalled. ``It was not true, but that was a turning point. I called my wife and said, `Is freedom for the gospel and what America is all about worth this price?' We decided it was worth it, and we've never looked back. My heartbeat is this nation and what God intended this nation to be.''
Two lawsuits before the Supreme Court at present are being watched carefully by the NLF. The lawsuits concern the ``right to die'' issue.
``If they come down and say there is a constitutional right to kill yourself, it's just silly,'' he said. ``That is nowhere in the Constitution. If they do, the impeachment issue might take off in a big way. People will say the court is out of control, making things up, engaging in social engineering, not deciding legal cases.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Steven W. Fitschen, 36, of Chesapeake is executive director of the
National Legal Foundation, headquarterd in Virginia Beach.