Re: Stealth attack on evolution

Some years ago a student produced a project for his final year degree on
John Newton the slave trader turned abolitionist.

Despite all my input he argued that Newton's faith was insincere because he
was a slave trader and a brutal one at that. Before conversion and for a
time afterwards Newton was a brutal slave trader and then repented of his
slaving. Later he became one of Wilberforce's lieutenants and gave evidence
(against himself?) on slavetrading. Also if the bible is true then Paul once
attacked Christians!

Now how many of us have dabbled in things dubious since becoming Christians?
I even read Rushdoony with enthusiasm many years ago and fairly soon
rejected it. Where does that put me? I even nearly adopted ID (never meant
to say that!!)

anyway thanks to Ted for giving us the new and not the old Ahmanson. Even
then I think I am slightly to his left!!!

Michael
----- Original Message -----
From: "Burgy" <jwburgeson@juno.com>
To: <TDavis@messiah.edu>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 4:12 PM
Subject: 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 mmovement'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 13:23:22 2005