Is SOS Blackwell's "Character" program a front for Gothard evangelical cult?
Submitted by staff on Sun, 03/19/2006 - 12:32pm.
From a reader via email
Ken Blackwell is also affiliated with Character First! of Oklahoma City, widely reported to be a front for evangelist Bill Gothard's so-called "Cult of Character" Blackwell was keynote speaker at the Gothard "Character Cities" 2004 national conferenceGothard is the head of a Chicago-area multi-million dollar product-driven evangelical organization - seminars, book sales, videos, etc. - which has been linked to widely-reported child abuse investigations in Florida and Indianapolis. The Florida program has been linked to a Jeb Bush appointee
Gothard's evangelical followers install the "Character Cities" program into local governments. These are thinly-veiled quasi-religious training organizations with an explicit authoritarian message. The programs have been established in these Ohio cities and towns: Archbold, Cincinnati, Greenville, and Napoleon. Jim Petro's former running mate Phil Heimlich established the Cincinnati chapter, which has been conducting "Character" training seminars with the Cincinnati Police and Fire departments since year 2001
The Cincinnati story has been covered only by a Cincinnati blog Phil Heimlich has refused to answer questions about his involvement with Gothard or the "Character Cities" program. It is not known if Mr. Heimlich has a financial interest in the Cincinnati "Character" program, however, the AZ state treasurer was the subject of a recent lengthy expose which revealed he had been receiving commissions from the "Character" program after installing it in that state
Is the "Character" program being run out of the Secretary of State's office by Assistant Secretary of State Monty Lobb also a front for the Gothard cult?
Now THIS is scary
Submitted by AmberCat on Sun, 03/19/2006 - 6:28pm.
on so many levels, from trying to sneak this rigid, authoritarian form of fake "Christianity" into public life at taxpayer's expense to the sheer hilarity of a dishonest, arrogant, underhanded, spiteful flip-flopper like Ken Blackwell (who is everything Jesus told his followers not to be) putting himself up as a promoter of anything having to do with "character." He should be working on his own, not trying to dictate others'.
Do you believe that Blackwell believes
Submitted by Drdemocrat on Sun, 03/19/2006 - 9:17pm.
what he is saying and doing? He is so far out there, that he is like a cartoon character.
Not totally convinced he does
Submitted by AmberCat on Mon, 03/20/2006 - 6:11am.
But if he doesn't, he's really stupid. Positions like "all abortions without exception are felonies" just aren't winning positions. I suppose it's possible that over the years he's become so remorselessly unchristian and inhumane that he really does believe this stuff. More likely he just greedy and sees more dollars in being a black Republican extremist. Alan Keyes makes a small fortune telling regressive rightwing groups this same stuff. Once Blackwell is defeated, he'll be doing that too. Like Keyes, he probably won't hold office but will be considered a sort of spokesperson for the ultra-right, and there's cash in that.
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