From: Robert Schneider (rjschn39@bellsouth.net)
Date: Tue Nov 11 2003 - 21:55:43 EST
Michael,
Here's what I know: it comes from an article published a couple of years ago
in the magazine ("Insight") of an liberal organization called the Institute
for Democracy Studies (http://www.institutefordemocracy.org/). The December
2001 article traces the "Renewal Movement" in the American Episcopal Church,
a conservative movement that has been gathering steam in the last ten years.
While I can't vouch for the accuracy of what is printed in it, the article
is annotated and looks well researched. You might find the article in
"Insights" archives if you check out the site. Its title is "A Church at
Risk: The Episcopal 'Renewal Movment'." I printed it off some time ago.
I have been following recently the responses of conservative Episcopalians
over the Gene Robinson election and consecration, primarily through the web
site of the American Anglican Council, which was founded in 1996 following
the the groundwork laid by other conservative Episcopal groups. the AAC has
become the major organizational group of conservatives dissatisfied with the
direction the Episcopal Church has taken over the past 30 yrs. (Prayerbook
revised, women ordained, gay persons ordained, now a bishop in a committed
long term homosexual relationship.) The AAC has been developing a process
for a "realignment" within the Episcopal Church and eventually status for
conservatives as a separate province within the Anglican Communion, and I
think they'll undertake this in earnest now. I know its chief theologian
(weblog "Titusonenine"), The Rev. Canon Kendall Harmon. We served together
on the Episcopal Church Committee on Science, Technology and Faith before he
resigned. We have a warm regard for one another and he has supported my
work in this area and my web site. If you read "The Anglican Digest," which
Kendall edits, you'll find in the forthcoming issue my meditation on "Caring
for Creation." But that is an aside.
Where does Howard Ahmanson fit into this? In 2001 this very wealthy
Californian gave the AAC "a significant matching grant pledge." Ahmanson is
a late-comer to the Episcopal Church but has been reported as worshipping at
the Newport Beach, California, parish rectored by David Anderson, current
president of the AAC.
Ahmanson is reported also to have bankrolled the "Chalcedon Foundation,"
"the intellectual center of Christian Reconstructionism." I Googled CR and
came up with two sites that will provide a lot of information about this
movement. They are (1) www.religioustolerance.org/reconstr.htm, and (2)
religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/ChRecon.htm.
Briefly, CR arose out of some conservative Presbyterian churches. Its
defining text was published in 1973 by Rousas John Rushdoony, a student of
Cornelius Van Til. Although Van Til never embraced the movement, its
founders claim that it is based on his theology of presuppositionalism. The
Reconstructionists claim that Christians are the new chosen people and are
divinely commanded to institute Biblical Law in all areas of political,
social, and economic life. All of the provisions of the Mosaic Code would
be binding and the penalties for enforcement instituted. Thus, as one web
site summarizes:
"Epitomizing the Reconstructionist idea of Biblical "warfare" is the
centrality of capital punishment under Biblical Law. Doctrinal leaders
(notably Rushdoony, North, and Bahnsen) call for the death penalty for a
wide range of crimes in addition to such contemporary capital crimes as
rape, kidnapping, and murder. Death is also the punishment for apostasy
(abandonment of the faith), heresy, blasphemy, witchcraft, astrology,
adultery, "sodomy or homosexuality," incest, striking a parent, incorrigible
juvenile delinquency, and, in the case of women, "unchastity before
marriage." To this list would be added women who undergo an abortion and
those who aid her. "Biblically approved" methods of execution would be
applied, especially stoning, since stones, as one leader said, are cheap and
plentiful (I kid you not!)..
Well, you can go to the sites yourselves and get all the details, and the
titles of Reconstructionist publications. I recall that about 15 years ago
the organization gave several of their books to the Berea College Library.
The one on biblical economics was a real head-scratcher.
I do not have any information as to how active Ahmanson is in CR, but if you
Google his name with CR you'll get a lot of hits, including several
regarding his connection with the Chalcedon Institute. But there is another
Ahmanson connection you may find of interest. It's the one with Bruce
Chapman and the Discovery Institute. Chapman is formerly the chairman of
the AAC and currently its vice president. As you may know, he founded the
DI in 1990, and promotes Intelligent Design through its Center for the
Renewal of Science and Culture. One reason all of those guys like Behe,
Wells, etc. can be named "Fellows" and get stipends, besides Chapman's own
wealth, is that Ahmanson "has pledged 2.8 million through 2003 to support
the Center." Chapman may have solicited Ahmanson's pledge to the AAC.
According to the "Insight" article, "he has also been an important backer of
Marvin Olasky, the architect of President Bush's faith-based initiative."
One other comment: many of the people involved in these conservative
Episcopal movements and the DI have strong connections with conservative
politicians in the Congress, and some served in the Reagan administration;
and have back-channel connections with Pat Robinson and Jerry Fallwell. Ah,
the ties that bind!
So, that's what I know about Howard Ahmanson. Hope this is illuminating.
Grace and peace, especially in these troubled times in our Anglican
Communion.
Bob Schneider
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Roberts" <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk>
To: "gordon brown" <gbrown@euclid.colorado.edu>; "John W Burgeson"
<jwburgeson@juno.com>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: Four items of possible controversy
> As an Anglican I am disturbed by Ahmanson. Perhaps Bob S has something to
> say.
> The whole issue is out of control in the Anglican Church, witness the
> nonsense attack on the Bishop of Chester (Ph.D in Chemistry)
>
> Michael
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "gordon brown" <gbrown@euclid.colorado.edu>
> To: "John W Burgeson" <jwburgeson@juno.com>
> Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 9:21 PM
> Subject: Re: Four items of possible controversy
>
>
> >
> >
> > > The movement fighting the consecration of an openly gay Episcopal
priest
> > > as bishop is bankrolled by a select few far-right groups and
> individuals,
> > > including Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr, a major donor to the Discovery
> > > Institute as well as an organization promoting Christian
> > > Reconstructionism.
> >
> > This sounds to me like an attempt to smear those who for conscience sake
> > oppose this consecration by linking them with these other groups.
> >
> > Gordon Brown
> > Department of Mathematics
> > University of Colorado
> > Boulder, CO 80309-0395
> >
> >
> >
>
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