Follow Huckabee’s Money
I read in Robert Novak’s column this morning that Mike Huckabee held a fundraiser earlier this week at the Houston home of Dr. Steven Hotze. As 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.
For more, check out this audio clip of Hotze from back in 1990. Over the years, Hotze has achieved some prominence for his anti-abortion and anti-gay activism. Also, the good doctor appears to be a total quack.
Meanwhile, Novak reports that among the members of the fundraiser’s host committee was Baptist minister Rick Scarborough. The founder of Vision America and a self-described “Christocrat,” Scarborough made news earlier this year when he argued that the HPV vaccine improperly interferes with God’s punishment of sexual license.
Just when you thought the Huckabee campaign couldn’t get any creepier….
UPDATE: Commenters wonder if I’m just kidding about Reconstructionists’ support for stoning adulterers. I’m not.
December 20th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I know nothing about this group.
But do they really say (or imply) somewhere that they believe in stoning adulterers? That would be worth a direct quote.
If the above was just hyperbole, no need to follow up. I’m not playing “gotcha” – just actually curious.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I’m going to second Sally on this, apart from the hyperbole thing. It doesn’t come across as that.
On the claim, If these guys do believe the New Testament as it is written, then they’d realize that Jesus stopped the stoning of an adulterer and stated that the Law of Moses (under which stoning was a punishment) was fulfilled in him. They may want to bring back the scarlet letter, but stoning? I think you’re making that up.
Don’t get me wrong. Dr. Hotze thinks that I’m going to hell, so I’ve no fondness for the man. But this claim on stoning adulterers requires a reference to back it up.
December 21st, 2007 at 6:51 pm
All I can say is that these people need to continue to be marginalized. They are evil, and thankfully, they are a fringe.
December 21st, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Oh, and I should apologize for claiming that you made it up. I was wrong, and I’m sorry for claiming you made it up. Clearly, you did not.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Huckabee might seem like a nice guy, but, he’s just as extreme as Falwell and Robertson, if not more. If you want to see what undermining separation of church and state, just take a look at Saudi Arabia, or Iraq and Iran for that matter.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I would want to see Huckabee and his crowd promote the public stoning of Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, Rupert Murdoch, John & Cindy McCain, G HW Bush, and the many many other hypocritical Republicans who claim to be holier than thou. It would certainly make good television and give Huckabee a lot of free publicity. Heck, even some non-believers would love to chuck a rock or two.
March 31st, 2010 at 1:01 pm
[...] Conservative … Dr. Hotze and his group have sent mail pieces and campaigned against Parker. …brinklindsey.comI read in Robert Novak's column this morning that Mike Huckabee held a fundraiser earlier this week [...]