Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Answers to your deep questions

Fuentes' pal Ahmanson and Saddleback Church's Rick Warren dance!
WE IN THE SOCCCD are exposed to some extraordinary people. I doubt that there are many Raghu Mathurs in this world. Probably only one. And surely there is no one anywhere quite like our own Tom Fuentes. He's sui generis fer sher.

Another extraordinary Orange Countian—though one not directly connected to our district—is Fuentes’ good pal Howard Ahmanson, Jr., the eccentric heir to the Ahmanson fortune who underwrites such benighted organizations as the Discovery Institute (you know: intelligent design, cave men & dinosaurs).

You’ll recall that he once told the OC Register, "My goal is the total integration of biblical law into our lives."

I noticed that Ahmanson now has a website called The Fieldstead & Company. There, we learn that
Fieldstead is a private company that manages the assets of the Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr. family. Among other things, one of the functions of Fieldstead & Company is to help manage the family's various philanthropic programs as part of a Christian worldview.
One enjoyable pastime, I find, is the “Tom Fuentes” game, which entails searching for connections between Ahmanson’s philanthropic beneficiaries and our own trustee Tom Fuentes. (Hint: food banks, Claremont.) It gets pretty involved.

By many accounts, Ahmanson is a very pleasant fellow, which is almost surprising, given his stated tolerance of executions of gays by stoning. (Sure, kill ‘em. But with stones?) It reminds me of Hitler’s obvious affection for his German Shepherd. Sweet.

Ahmanson has given money to lots of organizations, including Tustin’s Education Alliance, that goofy Christian right, pro-voucher, anti-union, “back to basics” group, on whose board sits SOCCCD board president Don Wagner (or so it was announced at a board meeting a while back). Other beneficiaries include the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the Claremont Institute, and the North American Man/Boy Love Association. --Well, not that last one. Nope.

As you know, Rick Warren is another amazing Orange Countian. He’s a conservative evangelical and the pastor of the enormous and unsightly Saddleback Church. He authored the wildly popular The Purpose Driven Life. He hangs out with Larry King.

Well, I'll cut to the chase. Earlier today, I came across a Saddleback Church publication called Pastor Rick’s News and Views. In the 9/5/09 issue, Warren explains that he considers Ahmanson and his wife his “dear friends.”

And guess what? Ahmanson has thrown some of his money Rick’s way:
ANSWERS TO YOUR DEEP QUESTIONS THIS WEEKEND: For years I've wanted to create an annual lecture series that answers the most common questions about our faith (apologetics). Now, thanks to the generosity of my dear friends Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, this weekend we are inaugurating the Ahmanson Lectures on Faith & Science! SIX of the brightest minds and most respected authorities are speaking at Saddleback this weekend. In each service you'll get to hear a world-class authority speak to issues you've always wondered about.
These lectures occurred a month ago, although videos are available at the Saddleback Church website. Here’s the program:
What Do the Gospels Really Say about Jesus? Dr. Darrell Bock
Has Science Made Belief in God Obsolete? Dr. J.P. Moreland
If God exists, Why is there evil? Dr. Norman Geisler
How Did the Universe Begin? Dr. William Lane Craig
How Do I Know God Exist? Dr. Dinesh D'Souza
How Can I Defend My Faith without Sounding Defensive? Dr. Greg Koukl
For no particular reason--although I do like it, somehow


Real good, we dance in the studio,
Snap, snap to that shit on the radio
Don't stop, for anyone,
We're plastic but we still have fun


4 comments:

Bohrstein said...

So, who wants to go first on the Science versus Religion bit?

I think it is possible to define some religions as such that they are not stepping on the toes of Science, and vice versa. Science being the thing that concerns itself with *waves hands around* reality. So long as Religion deals in the afterlife I tend to be fine with it. Oh, and don't take it too seriously! It is not like one can evaluate one religion as 'better' than the other.

Roy Bauer said...

See, it's like this. The purview of science is the natural-- i.e., the natural world, which is, um, everything. The purview of religion is the supernatural, i.e., that which is "beyond the natural." The problem is that it ain't too clear what "beyond everything" refers to. It sounds like "no place imaginable." If so, this supernatural zone ain't so hot.

Anonymous said...

If you can't get enough of Howard Ahmanson, Jr., you'll want to read Max Blumenthal's terrific new book. He's been all over KPFK and NPR, but the book is a great read and a helpful reminder of that pithy bumper sticker about "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." http://www.republicangomorrah.com/?gclid=COXHtZmcq50CFShSagodmBdBiw

Anonymous said...

Wow, Pastor Rick sure does have a broad sense of "apologetics." Looks like anything counts. In fact, the essence of apologetics is defense, and some of the speaker topics seem not to be about that at all, Rick, old buddy old pal, though some clearly are.

The tone of the reports and announcements at Saddleback Church remind me of elementary school communications to parents and the public, where things are kept simple and cheery and, well, at a 5th grade level. If indeed his audience is that simple, misuse of "apologetics" is pretty irrelevant, I guess.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...