Farris Wilks is a fairly new player on the right-wing stage, but one ignored at our own risk, particularly given his alliance with the larger right-wing cabal.
Ferociously anti-choice, Wilks and his brother Dan have been primary funding sources behind anti-choice, anti-woman organizations. They've given nearly $2 million to Life Dynamics, an organization that pioneered the "baby parts" lie David Daleiden imitated this year.
They're also religious zealots who have founded their own church, along with dropping a lot of money into David Lane's Pastors and Pews project. The Assembly of Yahweh, 7th Day is their own personal church.
Members revere all 66 books of the Bible. They seek to follow the Messiah, Yahshua of Nazareth, by walking in his footsteps. Thus they keep the Sabbath, the Passover and other festivals of Lev. 23, choose to eat clean foods, and strive to please the Author of “the perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25). Inherent in that goal is being good neighbors. “After all,” says one member, “the Messiah said all the law can be summed up in ‘Love Yahweh’ and ‘love your neighbor’ (Matt. 22:36-40). We're passionate about both, and we hope it shows.”
Well, it shows until they start thinking about gay people. Or women. Then the love doesn't flow quite as easily as it might for rich white guys.
Now Farris Wilks will be hosting a confab at his ranch to plan the way forward for the election of Rafael "Ted" Cruz.
Now, the Washington Post’s Tom Hamburger reports that the group will gather again a few days after Christmas “at a remote ranch in central Texas, where Cruz, his wife and several key financial backers will visit with some of the country’s most prominent evangelical leaders for private conversations and a public rally.”
The ranch is owned by Farris Wilks, who with his brother made billions in the fracking business and has since become a major funder of far-right, anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-church-state separation organizations. The Wilks brothers have already given at least $15 million to the effort to elect Ted Cruz. Farris Wilks is also a pastor who portrays gays as child predators and mocks environmentalism. He preached after Barack Obama’s re-election, “I do believe that our country died that Tuesday night, to all that’s honorable, all that’s good, that’s ambitious, and that has justice.”
It's no secret that evangelicals didn't turn out for John McCain or Mitt Romney in the numbers Republicans needed to win the election. This year they've resolved it will be different. Of course, first they'll have to dispose of The Donald, but that's another matter entirely.
The only good news to come out of this? Mike Huckabee's base is being hijacked, so he should just drop out now. Along with Rick Santorum, for that matter.
Here's a taste of Farris Wilks and his attitudes toward people who aren't white and male. Watch the whole thing, but the featured part is about a minute and a half in.
