DATE: Wednesday, April 30, 1997             TAG: 9704300575

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   39 lines

GROUP BLASTS ROBERTSON'S COMMENTS ON VOLUNTEERISM

Pat Robertson's reference to the Hitler Youth in his criticism of mandatory student volunteerism programs drew fire Tuesday from a liberal interfaith group.

Robertson's remarks followed a Monday report on his news and spiritual show, ``The 700 Club,'' about the Presidents' Summit for America's Future in Philadelphia.

The report focused on debate over requiring kids to volunteer, including a statewide program in Maryland that makes volunteer work a requirement for high school graduation. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected several challenges to mandatory service programs.

Robertson began by praising volunteerism as ``a very worthwhile initiative,'' then blasted mandatory programs.

``We just don't want Big Brother coming into everything we do and saying, `Well, you've got to.' Because what starts out as a noble initiative becomes coercive,'' he said. ``And then you've got the Hitler Youth corps, you know, where all the young frauleins have to line up in their little uniforms to march for the Fuhrer. We can't have that kind of thing.''

On Tuesday, the Washington-based Interfaith Alliance - a liberal group formed to respond to grass-roots Christian conservatives - drew attention to Robertson's remarks with a press release.

``This is yet another example of how Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition are completely out of touch with the broad spectrum of people of faith,'' said Albert M. Pennybacker, the alliance's president, in the written statement.

Robertson's spokesman, Gene Kapp, called the alliance's release a ``cheap political shot'' and ``a blatant distortion.''

Robertson's ``whole life in ministry utilizes that very important principle of volunteerism. It's biblically based, serving others,'' Kapp said.

Robertson is the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and the founder and president of the Chesapeake-based Christian Coalition.

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