Wasilla Pastor Invokes Christianist Sharia Law - Frontiersman Prints It

Nutty preacher

About five years ago, a good friend produced and hosted an event featuring fundamentalist preachers from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism at UAA.  Yes - there are fundamentalist Buddhist preachers.

I wanted to go, but had to work.  Afterward, I asked her how it went.  She told me "They had a lot of differences. The one thing they had in common, though, was that they all hate women."

That was Anchorage.  Here in the Mat-Su Valley we're fortunate to have virtually no fundamentalist influence in our religious affairs, or in other aspects of life.

Just kidding.

The 2011 legislative session brought us Carl Gatto's anti-Sharia Law bill.  With all the mosques being built around here, it couldn't have come too soon, eh?  After all, those Muslims are allowed to rape their wives.  If the wives complain about sexual abuse or rape, they have to produce multiple witnesses to even get a hearing.

One of the most ardent advocates of Gatto's line of thinking on the creepiness of religions other than Christianity, or a Judaism that somehow brings Jesus back next month, is Rev. Ron Hammon of the Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla.  Early in the month he pretty much told CNN reporter Lara Logan that she deserved to be raped for going out in public in a predominantly Muslim country - Egypt.  Now he's saying - using the same venue, the bully little pulpit afforded him by the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman - that Christian women need to STFU if their husbands force them into unwanted sex.  And he says that if they complain, they should defer to some sort of Bible-based court that relies upon an absurd standard to be able to present a case for their defense - multiple witnesses.

Isn't that advocacy of a Christianist version of Sharia law? 

Here's Rev. Hammon:

[W]hile I understand that in Alaska the lone female is able to convict her alleged perpetrator, this goes contrary to the Bible. In the book of Deuteronomy we find the following: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”

While this may be a problem for some in that this is Old Testament, this is carried over into the Christian era in Matthew 18: “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one of two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”

The purpose for this is the preservation of justice. The truth is that people, including women, can lie. Thus, in not requiring two or three witnesses to the event, Alaska statute proves itself to be unjust, and likewise those legislators responsible for it.

Sadly, this is just the sort of stuff that can get one elected to public office in Wasilla. Ask Wes, Charlie or Carl if they think Rev. Hammon is right.  I'll bet they won't object to what he wrote.  It might cost them way too many votes, especially in the primary.

Even more sadly, The Frontiersman seems to like this guy.  I'm not advocating pulling the prayer rug out from underneath Pastor Hammon.  Good Lord, no.  If anything, they should start putting his op-eds on page one, showing the whole world how advanced our thinking is up here in the Valley.  Brag about it openly, Frontiersman.  Surely that will help bring more businesses here, right?


hat tip to Amanda Coyne