Thoughts in a Haystack

Mike Huckabee is someone who appears to be a nice man and who is striving hard to present his evangelical Christian beliefs as, at least, somewhat moderate, despite stumbles such as his recent statement:

It's a lot easier to change the Constitution, than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do, is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards.

Alex Koppelman and Vincent Rossmeier at Salon, however, have an important article demonstrating Huckabee's ties to prominent voices in the Reconstructionist and Dominionist movements that seek to establish a theocracy, or as near as possible, in the United States. Among those connections are George Grant, the former executive director of D. James Kennedy's Coral Ridge Ministries; Janet Folger, the founder of Faith2Action; Rick Scarborough, the founder of Vision America and self-described "Christocrat;" Michael Farris, the founder and chancellor of Patrick Henry College, the stated mission of which is "to prepare Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values;" and Don Wildmon, the chairman and founder of the American Family Association.

These people, in turn, have connections with the likes of R.J. Rushdoony and his son-in-law Gary North, who advocate stoning as a method of execution, including for the "crimes" of homosexuality, blasphemy and cursing one's parents. The Coalition on Revival is a group that a number of the above people are associated with that produced "The Manifesto for the Christian Church" that includes:

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 spheres 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. The Bible furnishes mankind with the only logical and verbal connection between time and eternity, religion and science, the visible and invisible worlds.

Now, does all this prove that Huckabee is, himself, a Reconstructionist or Dominionist running a stealth campaign to undermine the Constitution and replace our democracy with someone's notion of "God's rule"? No. But the next time you hear Huckabee complain that his religious beliefs have nothing to do with the job of President, just laugh in his face.
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