God-Town, USA

Domino’s Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan is bankrolling construction of a new town in Florida that will be governed according to strict Roman Catholic strictures. He calls his efforts “God’s will.”

The town, Ave Maria, would feature private ownership of homes, but all commercial space controlled by Monaghan and his partner — so stores will not sell pornographic magazines, pharmacies will not carry condoms or birth control pills, and cable television will have no X-rated channels.

At the groundbreaking of construction on the town, Governor Jeb “Your Future President” Bush lauded the development as “a new kind of town where faith and freedom will merge to create a community of like-minded citizens.”

Gotta love how CNN headlines the story, with a simple “New Florida town would restrict abortion.” Um, NO, fuckheads….it would restrict EVERYTHING according to religious doctrine.

Can’t say that, of course….if CNN drew attention to that, after all, people might start realizing that calling these people the American Taliban *isn’t* really that far-fetched. This town, the effort underway to turn South Carolina into a “Christian Homeland”…..this is what these people actually want. They are exactly like the Taliban. The rest of us had better wake the fuck up…..our disbelief at how “far-fetched” this stuff appears is exactly what allows them to get it done. While we sit back with our comfortable intellectualism and say “but that’s ridiculous….there’s no way….”, they rally their forces, work them into an ecstatic furor, and DO IT.

They’re not kidding when they talk about a “Culture War”, people. When do we actually start taking it seriously, and fight?

20 Replies to “God-Town, USA”

  1. Governor Jeb “Your Future President” Bush

    That’s not even fucking funny. Actually that’s a little bit scary.

    We do not need a fucking Bush Dynasty.

  2. Just don’t drink the kool aid

    “a new kind of town where faith and freedom will merge to create a community of like-minded citizens.”

    There’s a word for that: “cult”.

  3. Let’s not forget the “No abortions, but no birth control either” tide that’s been quietly rising: 33 states have made it more difficult for poor women and teenagers to obtain contraceptives.

    Or this particularly appalling case that I stumbled across yesterday: an unmarried couple who have been together for 13 years and are raising three children together were denied an occupancy permit for their new home because of a city ordinance that says their household fails to meet the city’s definition of a family. This is a hetro couple, together for 13 years, who share two biological children and a child from a previous relationship. But not married = not a family = can’t occupy the property that they own.

    This may end up the subject of a rant on my own blog when I’m feeling a little better. I just don’t have the stamina to tackle it today. :(

  4. I wonder what would happen if someone tried to have a Pagan Town, USA? Muslim town? Athiest town? The news would certainly cover it differently…

  5. OMG! Land of the free? As if! Besides which, 13 years is totally commonlaw marriage in, what, almost every state? Do people really not get that there is supposed to be a separation of church and state? Argh!

  6. Even if I were likeminded in my beliefs, I wouldn’t want to live in a town owned by one person. That’s just stupid.

  7. Also the new anti gay marriage constitutional amendments have unintended consequences against unmarried couples.

    Land of the free, indeed.

  8. Time for the spin

    From the AP via Yahoo:
    “The town will not allow adult bookstores or topless clubs. However, it will merely suggest, not prohibit, businesses from selling adult magazines or contraceptives.

    “We are not going to censor any of that information, but in deference to Ave Maria University, we are going to request that they not sell that merchandise but we are not restricting,” said Barron Collier chief executive Paul Marinelli.

    “The misconception we’re trying to clarify is that this is not going to be a strictly Catholic town. … I think it would be boring if in fact it was all Catholic,” Marinelli said.

    He said the town would welcome “synagogues as well as Baptist churches.”

    Barron Collier executive Blake Gable said homosexuals will be welcome despite the church’s belief that homosexuality is a sin.

    Also contrary to Monaghan’s earlier statements, the town will not restrict cable television programming.

    Marinelli said the town, expected to attract 25,000 residents, will offer affordable and extravagant housing, including seven different communities for groups from seniors to young families.

    “We’re just trying to create an environment where children will be safe on the streets, where they can ride their bikes and play ball in the park,” he said. “We’re truly just trying to create a town with traditional values.””

    —–
    As far as the Christian Exodus movement is concerned, I think it’s rather telling that neither the founder nor any of the board members actually live in South Carolina. That’s some dedication to the cause. But I’m sure they have very good reasons as to why they haven’t moved.

  9. Honestly, I’m at a loss as well.

    It seems as if the tide of ignorant, easily-manipulated, bible-thumping sheep is near-insurmountable.

  10. Perhaps we SHOULD let all the religious wackjobs gather in one place. It will make it that much easier round ’em up and sterilize ’em.

  11. I’ve been a pagan for 15 years. I’ve never really wanted to get involved in politics or the local society, wherever I’ve lived. But the past 4 yrs have been making me think perhaps minority religious folk should give a second thought to staking their claim, i.e. building that pagan community center we all talked about, building that pagan day care everybody thought about. At this point, the heat would be worth the statement. It’s getting scary in the US.

  12. I also live in Texas where we do have the church-overtaken town of Anson, where dancing was outlswed outside of the the annual cowboys’ Christmas ball (they gloss over this in _Footloose_).

    Monaghan’s outfit in Florida is supposed to be a new town, presumably people who don’t like they way it’s run won’t move there, or will leave when they’re 18.

  13. People will start to take this shit seriously when the “Christobans” come to their door to shoot them in the street. People don’t want to see the real threat because then they have to stick their necks out to do something about it. I think we should make Liberal, Progressive, or Pagan town as a backlash. But then CNN would just call it Nudey town or some crap.

    Liberal media my shiny-white-ass.

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