CHESAPEAKE
It's another day, and the Rev. Donald Spitz is protesting alone outside the Hillcrest Clinic in Norfolk, just as he has for years.
Spitz pickets there a few days a week. Then he goes home to Chesapeake, and he continues his protests online. There, he's not alone.
His friends and allies call him a religious man of passion. His detractors insist he remains a dangerous figure in a bloody, underground movement responsible for clinic bombings, killings of abortion doctors, and anthrax threats. Some even call him one of the worst possible names in this day and age: terrorist. He's proud to count as friends people who have been to prison - and one who has been executed - for anti-abortion violence.
But, sitting in his home in rural, southern Chesapeake, Spitz seemed unfazed by the taunts.
"I think it's obvious, I'm not a terrorist," the 60-year-old said. "I'm just old Don doing my thing."
When he puts down his bullhorn and picket signs, he likes to relax at home watching gospel shows on TBN and crime-solver-type programs such as Forensic Files, he said. Sometimes he uses his exercise equipment.
His home, surrounded by tall pines, sits in a peaceful section of the city. Sounds of a mule, dogs and birds from neighboring farms can be heard.
A sign on the narrow, dirt turn-in to his home reads: "Jesus Forgives and Heals." Another reads: "Abortion Kills Children."
Farther down the driveway is a "Beware of Dog" sign.
Spitz has several dogs. His property has birdhouses and ornamental grass. This is where Spitz retreats - when he's not demonstrating.
He tries to picket five times a week, usually by himself and without violence.
"I've been in Hampton Roads over two decades," he said. "I've never hurt a soul."
A report from the Southern Poverty Law Center describes Spitz as "a wild-eyed extremist."
"He obviously applauds murdering people," said Heidi Beirich, director of research and special projects for the center. "He himself has not been engaged in any murders we know of. His ideas are encouraging this behavior. So, yes, he's dangerous."
Vicki Saporta, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation in Washington, D.C., said Spitz "must be praying to a different God than most of us."
"He's an anti-abortion extremist who believes in justifiable homicide and hosts the Army of God Web site, which walks a very fine line in terms of encouraging others to commit acts of violence."
Spitz's friends contend he is driven by a passion for the lives of innocent babies. They call his attackers "anti-Christian leftist organizations."
"They have nothing to fear from him," said John Brockhoeft, who has known Spitz for 10 years. "He has never used any kind of violence. He's a peaceful protester. They don't like him because he sheds light on wickedness."
Brockhoeft was convicted of firebombing a Cincinnati clinic in 1985 and again in 1988 after he was caught in Florida with bomb parts. He served two separate prison sentences totaling nearly seven years.
Another friend, Paul Hill, was the first person to be put to death in the United States for murdering an abortion provider.
Spitz was Hill's spiritual adviser in 2003 when he was executed in Florida. Nine years earlier, Hill shot a 69-year-old doctor and his unarmed escort outside a Pensacola clinic.
Such violence still remains justifiable to Spitz, who figures unborn babies scheduled to be aborted that day were saved by the assassination of one doctor.
"Paul Hill was my best friend," Spitz said. "To me, he's a hero. I know it's controversial but that abortionist was going to kill 32 unborn children and Paul stopped him."
Spitz also is close to Eric Rudolph, the anti-abortion extremist who carried out a series of bombings in the South. After a five-year manhunt, Rudolph was captured and convicted in deadly bombings at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and a Birmingham abortion clinic.
He is serving life in prison but still gets his message across through Spitz's Army of God Web site.
Spitz is a first-generation American who moved with his wife to Hampton Roads from Queens, N.Y., more than two decades ago. He has no children and declines to talk about how he supports himself and his cause.
His strict Roman Catholic upbringing as a child started him on his path, he said. With a military father, Spitz moved across the country often. He joined the Navy at 18 and served for two years during the Vietnam conflict.
In New York, Spitz ran a street evangelism ministry on Times Square. He's an ordained minister without a congregation and founder of Pro-Life Virginia. He also operates the Army of God Web site. At the top of the page are two pictures of aborted fetuses, and it includes a collection of links to essays by and about "anti-abortion heroes" and to news articles.
His activities haven't gone unnoticed.
"The FBI has been to this house many times," Spitz said.
He appeared before grand juries in Alexandria and Philadelphia during separate investigations into Hall and Clayton Waagner, the man who sent hundred of anthrax scare letters to abortion providers in 2001.
The letters, containing white powder, stated: "You have been exposed to anthrax. We are going to kill all of you. From the Army of God, Virginia Dare Chapter."
Spitz sees nothing wrong with Waagner's tactics.
"It's fine with me," he said. "My two goals in life is to stop unborn babies from being murdered and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Spitz has no intentions to stop his crusade any time soon.
"I'm compelled to do it," he said. "This is the job God has given me to do, so I keep doing it."
Spitz has no illusions that he will change abortion laws. He's given up long ago the hope of a Supreme Court reversal of Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision legalizing abortion.
"We're saving individual babies from being killed," he said. "That's what we're doing."
In the trunk of his white Chevrolet Lumina, Spitz keeps his anti-abortion picket signs, a bullhorn and a black briefcase filled with pro-life pamphlets. A large sign in the back window of his car reads, "Jail Abortionists."
He'll let God judge his actions here on earth, he said.
"When I die, he's the one I'll stand before to give my account of my life. So, people can say or do whatever they want to do."
John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com
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Sick old man
Spitz is a rabid dog and the handful of sick people who have shown support for him here should seek help. Your immortal soul is in real danger.
Why the newspaper felt it was necessary to give this man a mass audience is beyond my comprehension.
God Bless Rev Don Spitz!!!
In the beginning God made man in His image. Then man returned the favor. The false "god" of the 501(c)3 churchs today hate men of God, like Doz Spitz because he stands for the Bible, which is the Word of God. Not some feel good drivel to make money and fill pews or get another lying RepubliCON in office.
Jesus, the voice of the Burning Bush Commanded Moses and the Israelites to KILL all the people in the promised land. When people were to "kind and compassionate" and found a better way to do it they lost the land or were punished by God.
Yeah Rob!!
You said it all!
The same things were said about abolitionists
I am sure the same hateful and bigoted things were said about the abolitionists as are being said about this man. He cares for the innocent in a culture that obviously doesn’t. Slavery would still be around if it weren't for brave individuals like Rev. Spitz that publically confront the unspoken evil that is perpetrated against the innocent unborn. I applaud him for making a stand in a culture of death. God Bless you Rev. Donald Spitz.
Virginia in disgrace
No wonder Virginia kills so many unborn children with the likes of you people chiming in. Rev. Don Spitz stands for saving unborn children from death, while the rest of you play "Ostrich Christianity" with your heads buried in the sand hoping you will never be confronted with the fact that babies are dying right outside your church doors.
You people should be ashamed of yourselves. Not the heathen - as they are ignorant. I speak of you who call themselves "Christian."
Christian? Yeah, well ... not so much.
Real Christians don't justify murder
This is another example of how a person can warp religious belief into whatever they want it to be.
He justifies killing to prevent more killing. Now there's a concept to think about.
My .02
I have always felt that unless you personally are equipped with the anatomy for being pregnant, are currently pregnant, and need to make the decision, your opinion about it doesn't really matter and you should keep it to yourself...
Call me crazy
"I'm compelled to do it," he said. "This is the job God has given me to do, so I keep doing it."
I thought God was a peaceful God. I find it hard to believe that God would commission anyone to carry out senseless activities like this. As far as I know and by all accounts, God is perfectly capable of taking care of those who need to be taken care of.
This religious con is a terrorist. I put him in the same class with the Phelps Klan.
Thank you Ethan...saved me some time...
Don and I work for the same agency (I'm assuming he's still working). Gosh, Don, we're all so proud of you. I wish I could put spiritual advisor to a murderer on my resume; would surely make my chest swell with pride and make me walk tall. God told you to do this....hearing voices again Don? Hey, maybe the Haldol ain't working.
Ok, folks. Just once please...once....allow us to have an atheist president, governor, senator....hey, Boy Scout leader....
Faith: The delicate art of defending fantasy.
Enough for now........
Don Spitz
I have known Don Spitz for years. He has more love in his trigger finger than all the seemingly pro-life professing, Christ confessing people in the Chesapeake area.
How do I know? Jesus said you can tell them by their fruits.
Who else in the Chesapeake area is standing so boldly against baby-murder?
Pathetic and Dangerous
This man is obviously not mentally stable, yet he roams society openly and supports his friend because he murdered a Doctor because he was going to perform 32 abortions that day. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before he is caught committing a similiar crime and it will be too little to late. I hope the FBI is keeping a close watch on him.
He makes no sense, obviously, since he seems to think he is saving lives but supporting murder? Aren't those adults he would like to see killed former embryos and babies?
He is doing exactly what he is protesting, supporting senseless killing.
Rev Spitz
"He's an ordained minister without a congregation" .No congregation..why am I not surprised. Who would want to live their lives by this man's teachings?....Ordained Minister..probably more or less just some tax scheme..
Rev. Spitz
Maybe alot of people don't agree with his methods, but he IS shining the light on wickedness and evil. Most abortions are because of selfishness.
It takes a big man to stand up and do the right thing. A small man just goes with the crowd.
This man is insane
and so are those that think like him. I agree with most here. I do not care for abortion, but accept it in certain situations. But never, never, would I wish anyone dead for doing abortions. God will do the judging when the time comes.
And a side note to Ethan. Sorry you don't like churches, but that is your right, just as it is the right of those parents to take their children to any church they please. These rights are guaranteed by the constitution.
Praise the lord and
Praise the Lord and pass the hate. This kind of Rev. scares me to death.
MMMM okay then....
Yeah..that's right let's condemn ppl for aborting their babies and call them murderers and then turn around w/the same mouth that you used to kiss your mother, justify bombings and the murder of physicians and nurses who work in these clinics! Whatever happened to letting God hand out the judgements? Whatever happened to letting God take care of such things?
Yeah..Mr. Spitzer...you're a real "christian" guy . To me you're no different than those that work in those clinics. Both of you promote taking the lives of ppl.
Sorry..misspelled your name..should have been Spitz...not spitzer. Don't want you thinking I wasn't addressing you! lol.
He's right...
God WILL judge him for murderous thoughts, and whatever else he has done to instigate the murder of innocent fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. In the meantime, I hope the FBI gets busy and puts this man away for something.
I guess it all depends on WHO is doing the murdering that makes it right or wrong for Mr. Spitz. Murder is murder--& Mr. Spitz can't justify his version of murder rationally.
A contradiction
Rev Spitz is contradicting himself, as do other "religious" leaders who follow the same thinking. They condemn abortions, but in the very next breath they applaud the killings of the doctors and nurses that provide the abortion services.
RELIGIOUS POISON
Reverend Spitz is an example of what can go wrong with religion. He, like so many others before him, uses religion to justify hatred and violence. Throughout the world, people like Spitz have kept polio vaccine out of the hands of children, have frustrated attempts to curtail AIDS, and have justified slavery and other atrocities. Religion, in the wrong hands, is dangerous. The Wrong Reverend Wright is a prime example.
WE CAN ALL BE GRATEFUL...
...at least this man hasn't reproduced, which I find EXTREMELY interesting. I'd love to know what church ordained this man. I am rabidly pro-choice, which, despite what pro-lifers say, does NOT mean pro-abortion. To AshleyM90912, where would you be now if you HADN'T had that choice? It's for that one instant, that one circumstance, that awful timing, that choice must be preserved, regardless of lunatics like Spitz and Rudolph. Abortion is regrettable, but it should never be illegal, because we cannot and should not generalize every woman's situation; when we do that, we relegate every woman to accepting a decision that may not be right for her--or her existing children. Evil certainly exists in this world, but it is in these frigthening men and women, not in the physicians who are bravely performing a necessary service.
To Mr Fergus: I'm a born
To Mr Fergus: I'm a born again Christian and am not in agreement with you on your methods. As a matter of fact,I'm ashamed of you. I sincerely doubt God will say "well done,good and faithful servant" to you based on the fact that you keep many people from coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ with your hateful methods. Why not put all that effort you spend daily into screaming at people at the abortion centers into something productive this week? Maybe like HELP those poor tornado victims in Suffolk ! I think a week of helping them clean up their property and feeding them should tire you out enough you may have time enough to reflect on how many lost souls you kept coming hearing the Gospel because of your hateful ways.
Please don't follow his example
In the same way that al Qaeda does not represent the majority of people who practice Islam, this Reverend does not represent the majority of people who are Christian. You will find that this pastor's beliefs are against God's Word, which tells us not to murder, to love our neighbor, and to pray for our enemies. Even when Christ was being arrested, he admonished Peter for pulling out his sword to fight and healed the ear of the man he injured. This man is using religion to justify his support of murder. Interesting that he would never commit murder himself -- perhaps he has a grain of doubt about it after all. As a Christian myself, I am frustrated by his statements and hope they will not inflame people against Christians as a whole.
Ban it!
Children under the age of 18 shouldn't be allowed in church. When kids are young, they are biologically programmed to look up to adults. So this results in the adults programming kids with religious folklore as fact, before young people can reason. I mean, we eventually tell them that Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny are false, but too many people still believe in the one all knowing invisible sky wizard. There is also a guy in downtown Norfolk carrying around a huge sign which gets lots of laughs. In modern times this kind of stuff looks silly, but provides GREAT entertainment for lunch.
KILLING THE MESSENGER
Those of you who are blaming the Pilot for running this article on Spitz are confusing whom is to blame. The newspaper, or the writer of the article, has not committed any of the acts it reported on, nor is the tone of the article condoning.
It's sickening to find out someone/something like this is in our own backyard, but wouldn't your rather know than not?
What is Spitz did something horrific (beyond what he has) - whom among you would then blame the Pilot for NOT having run an article about him?
If you are angry about what Spitz does and says, redirect that anger toward him and his advocates, not the newspaper that is merely reporting on it.
Another spineless criminal hiding behind religious fiction
People like this coward have no place in society. He advocates sanctity of life (as most do-myself included), while at the same time condones the death of those whose opinons differ. He hides behind like minded narcissists that are so consumed in religious fiction they conveniently ignore that if their "god" was all powerful as claimed, this would be a non-issue.
Of course, people of faith regularly assure one another that god is not responsible for human suffering. But how else can we understand the claim that god is both omniscient and omnipotent? There is no other way. If god exists, either he can do nothing to stop the most egregious acts against human life, or he does not care to. The pious regularly espouse the following pirouette: god cannot be judged by mere human standards of morality. But, of course, human standards of morality are precisely what the faithful use to establish god’s goodness in the first place. Go figure...
Exposing Him Good?
I disagree about not exposing him. What about people who are pro life but don't realize how dangerous he his. What about people who want to donate money to a pro life organization but NOT to an extremist? For instance me. I am pro life, I have heard of him but don't know about him and NEVER have I given money or supported him in anyway, but now that I KNOW who he really is, my money will NEVER go to him. I do support a different group that I know very well and who isn't an extremist group but I do think it's important to expose people like this so those of us who don't want involvement like that don't support groups like this financially and help with his organization. That's just my opinion.
Another community disservice
Given all of the newspaper's recent lapses in judgment, I suppose it's not surprising that they would provide a platform for this sick, old man. How disappointing. This man will be spewing bile as Satan drags him home. He doesn't need to be exposed. He needs to be ignored.
The so-called Rev. and his efforts.
He scares me more than any known terrorist around. He keeps the label of "Rev." yet advocates murder and supports known killers. Talk about hypocritical! Talk about radical thinking! I just don't see how people can support him in his efforts; or how his friends can condone his behavior and/or his actions. I can agree with the first poster.
Terrorist
Using religion to justify the murder of those who you disagree with sounds strangely familiar.
jmo
Roman Catholic upbringing??
Something went way wrong then, it is not the habit of the Roman Catholic church to condone violence against anyone. Yes, we may stand outside a clinic and pray for those inside and hope to persuade young mothers from going in, let them know they have a choice, but never would we think that the actions of those that hurt other people are justified. Pray for the doctors, nurses, office staff, mothers and especially the babies.