While organizations like the Church of Latter-day Saints and the Knights of Columbus are getting gay flack for their roles in pushing Proposition 8, which would overturn gay marriage in California, there’s one man who deserves more public outcry: Howard F. Ahmanson.
The reclusive banking heir has given more money than any other individual – $800,000. And his mission’s far more insidious than simply destroying same-sex marriage right.
He’s looking to establish an entire Christian nation.
Max Blumenthal helps paint the horrific picture over at The Daily Beast:
While Ahmanson once resided in a mental institution in Kansas, he now occupies a position among the Christian right’s power pantheon as one of the movement’s most influential donors. During a 1985 interview with the Orange County Register, Ahmanson summarized his political agenda: “My goal is the total integration of biblical law into our lives.”
Blumenthal goes on to explain that Ahmanson, has been heavily influenced by Armenian theorist R.J. Rushdoony, who wanted nothing more than to collapse the division between church and state:
How about we take this to the next level?
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Describing his philosophy as “Christian Reconstructionism,” Rushdoony painstakingly outlined plans for the church to take over the federal government and “reconstruct” it along biblical lines. He provided detailed plans for how it would provide healthcare, pave roads and reorganize schools, and how it would mete out justice.
While certainly dangerous to the lavender set, Ahmanson’s vision spells disaster for American democracy. It’s for that reason – among others – that he and his ilk must be defeated today. They need to be taken down a notch.
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Jennifer
Today is Ahmanson’s Armaggedon.
james
Please, Californians! NO on Prop 8.
earl trowbridge
It should be noted that Howard Ahmanson has Tarette’s syndrome. Listen to him talk and you realize it is true. Is it a mark of those who speak with the Divine?
Susan
YES on 8!! The only way!
path
These are the days that tyrants and fools like this see their fates approaching. They struggle and fall, and with them go their little blocks.
Chris
Fuck you, Susan!
Religion is discriminatory garbage. Nothing but cash cows for cult leaders to manipulate masses of feeble minded naive sheep.
ted Cory
YES ON 8 and it looks like it will be a yes. The other two states are already called a YES.
JIM CUMMINGS
Cry all U want, but U lost. The people have spoken.
Ha Ha
Spoken by a true fag, Chris.
sad
To see all this hate is sad…..calling names and judging others is not the way to peace.
DEEPAK
Its a shame that they try to force religious beliefs and rules on domestic lives of people. By allowing gays to marry wat is going to change except that they also feel secure and happy? Its surprising that so many people are hate filled and homophobic. Remember, there was once when blacks suffered the same way and today there is a black president. By Voting against gay marriage, you have just started a more determined struggle that will defenitely see equal rights to GLBT community. So thank you !
val
Prop 8 is a moral issue. It is not morally right for two people of the same sex to be married. It never was right and will never be right. Why does it take so long for a gay person to come out of the closet? Guilt? Because it’s not natural for a man/man or woman/woman to be together? just as it is not natural for a grown man and a young boy to have sexual relations. It’s not right! Just because a bunch of liberals say it’s okay, doesn’t make it right. Love is a powerful thing, everyone should love and be loved, but leave marriage as it has always been, sacred, ordained of GOD and between man and woman. God created man and woman to procreate and produce children…man and woman. it’s impossible for 2 men to produce children…impossible! a sex change does not count! it is impossible for 2 women to have sex and produce children. do you see how unnatural this is? pretty soon we will read in the paper that a man loves his dog and they will be married by the mayor of San Francisco. Shame on all of you who are against the true definition of marriage…one man, one woman.
Michael Brock
Obama’s candidacy caused a huge voter turnout amongst African-Americans. It will be interesting to see how this demographic impacted Proposition 8. African-Americans have long held a dismissive view of gay civil rights.
Disgusted
I find it DISGUSTING that all minority groups that were responsible for the majority of passing 8 have the NERVE to cry about”discrimination”, and then go and do the same to others. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.. If they can TAKE AWAY this EXISTING right, who’s to say some day , somoeone won’t TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHTS and send you race card carrying crybabies back to Africa and Mexico? Who’s to say YOU won’t have to sit in the back of the bus and drink out of seperate water fountains ONCE AGAIN. Yes the judges went “against the people” and approved same sex marriage , because it was the RIGHT THING TO DO. Do you think the “people” wanted YOU to be freed of slavery when you were, or able to to marry into other races when that was struck down? NO. The “people” wanted everything to stay the same at the time. The GOVERMENT STEPPED IN and said that was wrong – AGAINST THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, which is the ONLY reason you are now free to do as you wish today. Karma.
james
Wow ‘disgusted’!
Way to make sweeping and simple generalizations about certain groups. Passions run high at times like this, but easy tiger. Lots and lots of white people voted in support of Prop 8 as well. The percentages may have been higher in certain visible or ethnic minority groups, but the actual numbers are comparable. Incidentally, everyone could conceivably leave North America to its earlier inhabitants – the Native American population. Much of the richness of America, Canada, and other multicultural places comes from diversity and a place where even comments like yours are allowed to be debated, and consequently, either accepted or rejected.
Lee
I really think it is sad that there is so much hate on both sides of this issue. I can certainly understand strong feelings on both sides. I certainly have strong feelings opposing this proposition, and wish it hadn’t passed. However, I don’t believe that the passing of this is the worst part. It certainly does affect many, many committed couples in California right now, but I think the worst thing is the hatred that has come out of this. At the same time, I have seen that same hatred bring a community together to later overwhelmingly defeat the very same act that had originally caused the rift. I think over all, this is what we needed. We need to show the rest of the country, just exactly where this type of discrimination originates from. It doesn’t come from God and the Bible as many will state. God and the Bible represent Truth and Love. This type of discrimination comes from the exact opposite. It comes from IGNORANCE and FEAR. Many people fear what they do no know or understand. Fear can bring out a lot of terrible emotions. Anger, Rage, Hatred to name a few, but it never brings up Love. Some people are curious about things they do not know or understand. It is those people that will learn to tolerate change and possibly learn to accept and embrace change.
I do hope that the eventual outcome of this passage of intolerance will result in the overwhelming acceptance and embrace of the change that is inevitable. Please just be kind to one another. I believe that all Christians know that to be the Golden Rule.