Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Friday, December 28, 2007

Cato Report: Mike Huck-a-Bible Has Fundraiser at Home of Reconstructionist

A Cato Institute report has found that Mike Huckabee held a fundraiser at the Houston home of Dr. Steven Hotze. As columnist Bob Novak notes, Hotze is "a leader in the highly conservative Christian Reconstruction movement."

Christian Reconstructionists, for those unfamiliar with the term, are Religious Right radicals who believe that America, and the rest of the world besides, should be governed in accordance with strict Biblical law. And yes, that includes stoning adulterers. Here's a snippet from "A Manifesto for the Christian Church," a 1986 document from an outfit called the Coalition on Revival that was signed by, among others, Steven Hotze:

"We affirm that the Bible is not only God's statements to us regarding religion, salvation, eternity, and righteousness, but also the final measurement and depository of certain fundamental facts of reality and basic principles that God wants all mankind to know in the sphere of law, government, economics, business, education, arts and communication, medicine, psychology, and science. All theories and practices of these spheres of life are only true, right, and realistic to the degree that they agree with the Bible."

Forget, Huck-a-Bible's joking ways - the views of his friends are no laughing matter. If Huckabee cavorts with Reconstructionists, he is unfit to serve as President.

30 Comments:

Sounds like the socalled "christian" equivalent to fundamentalist islam using sharia law to govern. They both have much in common. If the tradtionally dumb American electorate gives him the nod, then we get what we deserve. This society has become a nation of lazy thinkers. They behave like sheep and can't think for themselves. Though I don't like any of the three leading democrats, any one of them is better than any that is in office or running on the GOP ticket.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/28/2007 10:42 AM

As a Democrat, I can say that I am BEGGING and PLEADING that Mike Huckabee is their nominee! We would win in the biggest landslide since Reagan in '84. There's just something special about combining the Bible and guns that just warms my heart.

Robert: Yes, pragmatism is the way to go. Hillary might piss us off, but wouldn't you rather have her in there than some wacko religious kook?
posted by Anonymous, at 12/28/2007 11:54 AM

Chris, I unregistered as a democrat when marriage equality became a wedge issue and watching the disaster that was Kerry and his ilk. I don't like any of the three democratic candidates except for one who isn't, Kucinich. Admittedly, any three of the current democratic contenders would be better than any of those running on the GOP ticket, but as long as they're against my full equality, they'll never get my vote, they have not yet earned it.

Also, these three want insurance companies involved in providing universal health care. Since when did insurance companies become experts in health care and since when did they ever have the right to override a doctor's decision anyway? Its bad for the delivery of health care and bad for society. This only proves how closely tied all three are to the corporate complex that is crippling this country. We've got to get big money out of politics altogether. The Europeans do it very well and get better government than we're getting.

However, as a Green, I will caste my vote very reluctantly for whomever is nominated but it doesn't mean I endorse what they're doing, its just that I'm so sick of this regime we have in office.

As for Huckabee, there is an upside and a downside to his nomination. If he is the frontrunner, then we can hope that it will polarize the country even more, as far to the left as possible though that is wishful thinking. The downside is that it is quite feasible he could propel the GOP back for another four years. I don't see any moderate republican voting for a democrat anyway, not while Log Cabiners continue to vote the way they do.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/28/2007 1:05 PM

Huckabee is a joke and will never get the Republican nomination. They have stuff on him that would make your head spin. He is a "true believer", certainly not a consensus building candidate. How do you think he would do in the general election when the Dems run that video of him saying that God is responsible for his thriving candidacy? Trust me, he would be cut up into a thousand pieces. He might win Iowa but he has no where to go from there. Pity. ;-)
posted by Anonymous, at 12/28/2007 1:21 PM

The fact that this scumbag was thrown out of the boyscouts for torturing a stray dog is all i need to know to hate his guts. The Dems should play that up, make him the next michael vick. The public HATES people who abuse children or animals! So do I.
Red V
posted by Anonymous, at 12/28/2007 1:32 PM

Actually it was one of his kids who hanged a stray dog when he was seventeen and was kicked out of Boy Scouts.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 5:15 AM

Whatever, the fruit doesnt fall far from the tree. If mister baptist family values cant even raise his own mutant children, he sure the hell cant point the moral finger at others. AND huckabible used his clout to get his son off and tried to cover up the story. So he's just as bad, if not worse.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 9:44 AM

Whether Huckabee or Romney get the nod, both are as evil as one another. Romney's mormonism believes that after death, they become gods. What kind of lunacy is that? Its nothing more than a cult as most religions are.

I find it ironic that in a country such as this where there is supposed to be separation of church and state (something fudamentalists dispute)more people attend religious services than do any other western society where there is state religion. I think ours is about 62% who are regular worshippers, that's extraordinarily high. The UK for example, less than 2% attend and elsewhere in the western EU countries. Having said that, it explains why religion plays an important part in the election process, not that it should, but the reality is, it does. No atheist or agnostic or single man or woman would ever have a chance to run for the highest office. Its a sad commentary and doesn't say much for the kind of democracy we espouse. The system is corrupt and the electorate is dumb.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 10:20 AM

A European politician (British I think) mentioned God in a speech not too long ago and was soundly criticised for it in the press. If only we were that way. I'm *not* anti-religion, but they definately need to stay out of politics! They cant even handle their own affairs in a civilized manner. This Christmas, *once again*, a fight broke out in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem between the Armenian, Orthodox and Catholic monks because one group accidentally wandered over into the others section of the church. Apparently each group has their own section and cleaning tasks and times and if anyone deviates from it, a fight breaks out. Some of the monks had blood running down their faces. Jesus would be proud!!
Red V
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 10:48 AM

Personally, I think a lot of these christo-fascists are suffering from a form of mental illness. There's a lot to be said for Marx' old addage, that religion is the opiate of the people. I strongly believe it is. How on earth can anybody seriously believe in a deity they can't see, hear, feel, touch and for people who say that god speaks to them (Bush being one of them), pleeeeeeeeeeeeease, get real. It defies intelligence, logic and its truly laughable.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 12:29 PM

"If Huckabee cavorts with Reconstructionists, he is unfit to serve as President."

Or we could look at the glass as half dictator..
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 1:13 PM

Robert, the only way that they can keep their religion going is to brainwash their children into it before they're seven years old. No adult in their right mind could possibly look at these crazy religious stories and decide that they're actually true. The only way religion survives is because it's installed into the minds of young people before their cerebral cortex is developed.

But things are changing! Fifty years ago, when Gallup polled on religion, they didn't even include a "non-believer" option amongst the choices that they offered people! Today, such a thing would be unthinkable. Plus, there are now millions of free thinkers in America now who have an active voice in the debate. I am hopeful.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 3:17 PM

It is unfortunate to read so many people on here paint all religious belief with the same brush. As if everything that I believe is stupid or silly. The fact that you've been treated poorly is not a good excuse to slap many others in the face. Frankly at the Anglican Church I sometimes go to there are many old ladies who I was in a bible study with who soundly hold to the bible, but they would never use it to hurt me as a gay person. Yet you all talk so ill of honest, kind, and intelligent people. It's one thing to disagree, it's another thing to be just as ignorant as the extremists you're attacking.
posted by D, at 12/29/2007 3:42 PM

"Yet you all talk so ill of honest, kind, and intelligent people. It's one thing to disagree, it's another thing to be just as ignorant as the extremists you're attacking."

Not necessarily. One thing I've found is that garnering attention to this detail is as simple as saying what you just did.

As I'm sure you're aware, it's the loudest voices that tend to get heard the most, and the loudest voices tend to be the voices of those who's sole desire is to drown out anyone else's (who may disagree).

Tell the little old ladies who wouldn't harm us with their Bibles that we need their help. That their voices need to be heard. If just to simply say that they are Christains and that they don't judge us - at all.

They really don't even have to say anthing. It would just be nice to hear once in awhile that a bunch of old ladies from a Bible study got educated on how much damage the antigay industry is causing.

I share your concern.

-Patrick :)
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 5:40 PM

Tired old evildoers continue to annoy the rest of us. Don't these people know Jesus was gay?
posted by Anonymous, at 12/29/2007 9:49 PM

Little old ladies sitting in church maybe nice little ladies on the outside, but when it comes down to it, they'll go along with whatever their clergy tell them, loving the sinner, hating the sin. What good is that? The true christian believer wouldn't judge, wouldn't discriminate or deny us our equal rights, but unfortunately, the vast majority of them do using bibilical references to justify it. They can be as nice as they want, until they come out and support us openly, I'll remain unconvinced that they're that nice. Action speaks louder than words. Where are the Bishop Tutu's of this world? One voice crying in the wilderness.......pitiful, the only one with the guts and courage to defend us and the only one who isn't afraid to take on the homophobes within his own church, something I've no doubt Jesus Christ would have done since he never uttered any hatred or condemnation of us as the rest of his followers often do.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/30/2007 9:08 AM

I agree with Robert 100%! Yes, where are the "good" religionists that are mentioned here? Where are you?? In 2004, the GOP whipped up millions of religious kooks who couldn't trip over themselves fast enough to get to the polls to ban gay marriage. These Americans thoughtlessly insisted on reminding its gay population that we were "less than". It was a sickening display.

It only confirmed for me and others that religion appeals to the worst in people and that it encourages spiritual arrogance and the exclusion of those who think or live differently, all in the name of God, no less! But their treatment of gay people is just the beginning. They are radically anti-intellectual and are the authors of abstinence education, a profound failure, and even attempts to remove science from the classroom!

Plus, they keep trying to force their religious symbols on public property and to cajole public schools to advance their beliefs. Of course, there are undoubtedly many nice people in probably all religions, but doing the right thing just doesn't seem to be their motivation. Why do they just sit there and do nothing when the fundamentalists make God out to be some sort of vindictive hater??
posted by Anonymous, at 12/30/2007 12:04 PM

My own godmother, despite my effort to change her mind, voted to outlaw my legal equality. She insisted that she still loves me and has nothing against gay people, she sees herself as a good person and not a fanatic or "kook" - but she is a Christian and must follow the Bible (or rather the interpretation she was brought up with).

She was told by her church that legalizing gay marriage would make bestiality and necrophilia legal. They told her I already had legal rights and was asking for "special rights". I tried desperately to correct her, but she wouldn't listen. No matter how "nice" she's been to me in my life, because she's religious, she owes her allegiance to her church. And church comes before anything else, including family.

So where are all the so-called good, reasonable religious people? There aren't any. No matter how "nice" a religionist can seem, they still have thrown logic and reason out the window. They still believe in people being born from dirt, and talking snakes handing out cursed fruit, and people walking on water or rising from the dead.

The only way to get them on our side is to acknowledge their superstition, ignorance and naiveté, and use the same kind of manipulation their leaders use on them, but instead trick them into thinking God wants them to support gays for whatever reason, rather than condemn them.

But I'm not holding my breath waiting for the sheep to stand up on their own one day and embrace logic and reason.

Sorry if that sounds really cynical, I used to be more optimistic about getting through to the so-called "moderate" religious people out there - but in my experience most only support equality because activists were able to get their church leaders on board, who in turn influenced their followers. The only Christians I have seen to stand up on their own for equal rights have been from extremely liberal churches, like the UU.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/30/2007 5:48 PM

I think the very nature of religion is to be authoritative. By definition then, it would not lend itself to a belief in widespread equality.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/31/2007 8:19 AM

Believe it or not, there are compassionate thinking Christian denominations. The liberal Episcopal churches in North America are fairly inclusive now. And an Episcopal monastery in Cambridge MA (The Society of St John the Evangelist) has retreats twice a year in SUPPORT of gay couples, not 'you can change' bullshit. I suspect that many of the monks are gay also, but they're gay retreats still have the blessing of the north american bishop (a woman).
posted by Anonymous, at 12/31/2007 9:55 AM

Most of the time I share my religious beliefs, it's in defense of them against Christians, Atheists, and people who are "just spiritual" and "if they had to pick a religion, probably Buddhism or something 'open.'"Me? I'm Jewish. I worship one G-d, have Scriptures that I study, and laws that I try to uphold because I believe they help a person be a good person.

But ask a Christian, and they'll tell you Judaism is cold, legalistic and graceless. Never mind that in synagogue the "most important commandment" taught is to love your neighbor as yourself (as espoused by Rabbi Hillel 100 years before Jesus was born). Never mind that religious pluralism is not only accepted, but ADVOCATED by even the most orthodox of the faith. They read their gospels, see Jesus arguing with distorted negative caricatures of my faith, and assume that's what Jews are like and were like for all time. Then they say we read OUR bible wrong - the bible WE wrote and THEY are borrowing - by "proving" to us that the Messiah has come and that we are going to hell to spend eternity with the Devil. Never mind the fact that we don't believe in hell OR an evil demi-god called "the Devil."

So honestly, if you guys think Christianity - the religion that puts itself above Judaism because it has spirituality and grace and Judaism "doesn't" - I can't imagine what you guys think of us "cold, legalistic, vindictive" Yids.
posted by Emily K, at 12/31/2007 10:38 AM

"us "cold, legalistic, vindictive" Yids"

Lol. I had no idea, I'll have to read your posts through that lens from now on.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/31/2007 12:27 PM