Re: Stealth attack on evolution

Ted wrote: "I know people who know Ahmanson, and my understanding is that he has not held a thenomist position for many years. He is very conservative politically and religiously, but no longer a follower of Rushdoony. It is IMO fair to discuss this as part of his personal history, but unfair to say that it remains central to his belief structure."

fair enough. TIME this week seems to reinforce your comment. But Google searches (so far) don't support your comment. I have not been able to find anyplace Ahmanson has repudiated his TWENTY YEAR position on he Board of the Chalcedon Institute. Nor have I found ant quote from him that might indicate such a repudiation. Google is not perfect -- I know -- and there are references I have not (yet) looked at.

I did find the following:

"From a Feb 2004 Columbus Ohio paper -- "Ahmanson is also a chief contributor to the Chalcedon Institute that supports the Christian reconstruction movement. The movement’s philosophy advocates, among other things, “mandating the death penalty for homosexuals and drunkards.”

Newspapers are not, of course, the most reliable source. But then I found the following from an essay written by the group "Americans United for Separation of Church and State:

"Anti-evolution crusader Phillip Johnson, dedicated his 1997 book, Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds, to "Roberta and Howard, who understood 'the wedge' because they love the Truth."

The mysterious reference is apparently a note of thanks to Howard F. Ahmanson Jr. and his wife Roberta, a wealthy and secretive Orange County, Calif., couple who have generously funded the anti-evolution movement and other right-wing causes that advance their fundamentalist Christian outlook.

Howard Ahmanson, however, is no ordinary fat-cat. The savings and loan heir has maintained a long-time relationship with Christian Reconstructionism, an extreme faction of the Religious Right that seeks to replace American democracy with a harsh fundamentalist theocracy.

Reconstructionists believe conservative Christians should take "dominion" over American society. Under their version of "biblical law," the death penalty would be required for over a dozen categories of offenders, including adulterers, homosexuals, witches, incorrigible children and those who spread "false" religions. They regard the teaching of evolution as part of a "war against Genesis."

Ahmanson served for over two decades on the board of directors of the Chalcedon Foundation, Rousas J. Rushdoony's Reconstructionist think tank that serves as the intellectual center of the movement. Ahmanson has also generously supported the Foundation's work.

Mrs Ahmanson funded a lecture called "Christian Scholarship" by Bill Dembski -- this was about 5 years ago, I believe.

In the January/February 1997 issue of Religion & Liberty, published by the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, Ahmanson argued that the Bible opposes minimum wage laws. He is, on every issue I can find, far to the right of Jerry falwell. Only age 55, he is in a position to do deadly harm.

jb

Burgy (John Burgeson)

www.burgy.50megs.com/morse.htm (Review of the accursed life of Samuel F. B. Morse)

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Received on Thu Feb 3 11:14:31 2005