Finally, a wholesome place to raise a large family

Pure

Fiel a Verdad
Joined
Dec 20, 2001
Posts
15,135
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11434439/site/newsweek/


Halfway to Heaven

A Catholic millionaire's dream town draws fire.

Ethan Hill for Newsweek

By Susannah Meadows
Newsweek

Feb. 27, 2006 issue

- The 5,000-acre tomato field in southwestern Florida sure doesn't look like heaven. Bulldozers scrape the land flat while clusters of Porta Pottis signal an undeniable earthiness. But soon a massive cathedral will rise from this barren spot. Reaching 100 feet in the air behind a 65-foot crucifix, the Oratory will anchor Ave Maria, a whole new town and Roman Catholic university 30 miles east of Naples. Ground was officially broken last week, and the plan is to build 11,000 homes—likely drawing families who already hold the church at the center of their lives.


For Tom Monaghan, the devout Catholic who founded Domino's Pizza and is now bankrolling most of the initial $400 million cost of the project, Ave Maria is the culmination of a lifetime devoted to spreading his own strict interpretation of Catholicism. Though he says nonbelievers are welcome, Monaghan clearly wants the community to embody his conservative values. He controls all the commercial real estate in town (along with his developing partner, Barron Collier Cos.) and is asking pharmacies not to carry contraceptives.

If forced to choose between two otherwise comparable drugstores, Barron Collier would favor the one that honored that request, says its president and CEO, Paul Marinelli. Discussing his life as a millionaire Catholic who puts his money where his faith is, Monaghan says: "I believe all of history is just one big battle between good and evil. I don't want to be on the sidelines."

The ACLU of Florida is worried about how he's playing the game. "It is completely naive to think this first attempt [to restrict access to contraception] will be their last," says executive director Howard Simon. Armed with a 1946 Supreme Court opinion that "ownership [of a town] does not always mean absolute dominion," Simon will be watching Ave Maria for any signs of Monaghan's request's becoming a demand.

Planned Parenthood is similarly alarmed. So far, Naples Community Hospital, which plans to open a clinic in Ave Maria Town, says it will not prescribe any birth control to students. Will others be able to get the pill? "For the general public, the answer is probably yes, but not definitely yes," says hospital point man Edgardo Tenreiro. The Florida attorney general's office says the issue of limiting access will likely have to be worked out in court. Barron Collier and Monaghan say they're following Florida law.

Raised by nuns in orphanages, Monaghan, 68, has tried to franchise his religious views in the past, creating elementary schools, a small college, Catholic radio stations and, in 2000, a Catholic law school. While many of his initiatives have foundered, the law school, with 88 percent of its most recent class passing the Michigan bar, is off to a strong start. Early signs suggest the new Ave Maria complex, his final and most ambitious project, might also work out. The developers are close to leasing 60 percent of the commercial space (no pharmacists yet), says project manager Blake Gable, and they have received some 7,000 inquiries from people interested in buying homes, which will go for less than the half-million median price in nearby Naples.

In an area of strip malls and bad traffic, Ave Maria's communal design—with shops within walking distance to the homes—has civic appeal. "The general buzz is that the university and town are going to be a spark plug for massive development in that area," says Michael Reagen, president of the Naples Chamber of Commerce. Even the pope is interested. When Ave Maria Provost Father Joseph Fessio saw Benedict XVI, the first thing out of the new pontiff's mouth, according to Fessio, was, "How's Ave Maria?" He's not the only one awaiting the answer.
 
Oh, heck, I thought you were talking about: ABSTRUSIONS: A Bohemian hangout, or at the very least someplace in Utah.

Rumple Foreskin :cool:
 
This often happens. People want to live only with their own kind and shut others out. Hence the rise of planned, gated communities and homeowner's associations, both of which I despise.
 
I wonder what Pat Robertson will say when a hurricane takes out Ave Maria, FL.
 
impressive said:
I wonder what Pat Robertson will say when a hurricane takes out Ave Maria, FL.

LMAO on that one. Sorry, don't mean to be callous.
 
he will say it's because certain exceptions were allowed, to the ban on contraceptive devices and pills.
 
Pure said:
he will say it's because certain exceptions were allowed, to the ban on contraceptive devices and pills.


that's so undfair J. And Wrong.

It'll be because Dominos hires homosexual delivery guys if Pat has the last word :rolleyes:
 
Good God! You people will go to any lengths necessary to promote your ideology, even to the point of ridicule.

As I was reading about a city of 11,000 and a new university rising in a tomato field, I was thinking of the poor Brits in their one room walk-up flats and the 10 year waiting period for a house. I was also thinking of the frantic French so bottled up with no housing that they live with strangers and I thought, what a wonderful thing if some wealthy person would do the same in either of those countries.

But of course, that is impossible, the social democracies of Europe prefer the concrete hovels and soviet style condo's that so suits the socialist proletariat.

Besides that, Europeans would never come up with the 500 grand and the mortgage for a house, nor would they use their own University, they would rather come here.

Catholic or not, birth control or not, hats off to the American entreprenurial spirit than can as if by magic, grow a city and a school in the middle of no where and have it all sold before the first house is built.

Hear! Hear! That be the American way. Eat our dust or apply for citizenship!

amicus...
 
amicus said:
I was thinking of the poor Brits in their one room walk-up flats and the 10 year waiting period for a house.

Lack of facts doesn't even remotely bother you, does it?

I wouldn't normally be this sarcastic, this early, but you've made this kind of point before and been corrected by people who actually live in England. So it's not ignorance of facts, it's just sheer unwillingness to remember anything that doesn't fit your theories on life.

The Earl
 
amicus said:
Good God! You people will go to any lengths necessary to promote your ideology, even to the point of ridicule.

As I was reading about a city of 11,000 and a new university rising in a tomato field, I was thinking of the poor Brits in their one room walk-up flats and the 10 year waiting period for a house. I was also thinking of the frantic French so bottled up with no housing that they live with strangers and I thought, what a wonderful thing if some wealthy person would do the same in either of those countries.

But of course, that is impossible, the social democracies of Europe prefer the concrete hovels and soviet style condo's that so suits the socialist proletariat.

Besides that, Europeans would never come up with the 500 grand and the mortgage for a house, nor would they use their own University, they would rather come here.

Catholic or not, birth control or not, hats off to the American entreprenurial spirit than can as if by magic, grow a city and a school in the middle of no where and have it all sold before the first house is built.

Hear! Hear! That be the American way. Eat our dust or apply for citizenship!

amicus...


Do you wear bells on your hat? Or on your shoes?
 
Our one room flats?

My two houses have 9 bedrooms between the two (and the two of us).

My daughters have several rooms each except one who lives in a small place because it is convenient for her work. She has other accomodation elsewhere.

Even our local social housing is not one-room flats.

As for the French, one friend lives in central Paris in a 19th century apartment block. His apartment has more space than many free-standing houses yet he can walk to almost any of the tourist sights in minutes.

Amicus' vision of a property rich US was destroyed by hurricane Katrina exposing the difference between the rich and the poor.

Og
 
One of these days, if this trend continues, so as not to be left out in the cold, I will lead any pagans interested into a community of our own, one with plenty of different people in different lifestyles. Amicus is welcome too, if he can learn to live and let live. He will be the village atheist. :D Of course, he will miss out on all of the nice pagan rituals, including some that involve orgies for those interested. :D
 
SEVERUSMAX said:
One of these days, if this trend continues, so as not to be left out in the cold, I will lead any pagans interested into a community of our own, one with plenty of different people in different lifestyles. Amicus is welcome too, if he can learn to live and let live. He will be the village atheist. :D Of course, he will miss out on all of the nice pagan rituals, including some that involve orgies for those interested. :D

Dayum, count me in, I like pagan rituals, spelled orgies. :D
 
[I said:
oggbashan]Our one room flats?

My two houses have 9 bedrooms between the two (and the two of us).

My daughters have several rooms each except one who lives in a small place because it is convenient for her work. She has other accomodation elsewhere.

Even our local social housing is not one-room flats.

As for the French, one friend lives in central Paris in a 19th century apartment block. His apartment has more space than many free-standing houses yet he can walk to almost any of the tourist sights in minutes.

Amicus' vision of a property rich US was destroyed by hurricane Katrina exposing the difference between the rich and the poor.

Og
[/I]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love it when Og gets defensive. I actually rather like the Brits, in general and those I have met, in person and online.

I have several acquaintances spread across England and Ireland and France and Austria and a few scattered here and there in Moscow and Antwerp.

Mind you, I did not do an in depth search, but I do not think those casual friends lied to me about housing problems in their cities and countries.

Perhaps others here, not as fortunate as Og with is 9 bedrooms in two houses, can relay you experience with housing conditions where you are?

thank you


amicus...
 
amicus said:
[/I]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love it when Og gets defensive. I actually rather like the Brits, in general and those I have met, in person and online.

I have several acquaintances spread across England and Ireland and France and Austria and a few scattered here and there in Moscow and Antwerp.

Mind you, I did not do an in depth search, but I do not think those casual friends lied to me about housing problems in their cities and countries.

Perhaps others here, not as fortunate as Og with is 9 bedrooms in two houses, can relay you experience with housing conditions where you are?

thank you


amicus...


Amicus: I've talked to you before. I've pointed out that, although there is a very vigorous housing market in England and prices are expensive, this isn't because Americans are better at building houses. It isn't because of your political or economic systems.

It's because we are fitting a population 1/5 of the size of yours into an area that's about 1/40 of your land. Simple supply and demand econom... Sorry, nearly forgot you don't believe in that.

I currently live in a five bedroom house. Next year I'll be moving to a four bedroom house. I'm currently living in one of the most expensive housing markets in Europe, outside of London and I haven't noticed the problems that you talk up. I don't know anyone in a one-room flat. I don't think I've ever seen a one-room flat.

And I'm a student.

The Earl
 
zeb1094 said:
Thank you kind sir! Just make it as far from amicus as feesible!

Don't worry, I doubt he will actually accept it. But if he does, I will give you space. :D
 
TheEarl said:
I currently live in a five bedroom house. Next year I'll be moving to a four bedroom house. I'm currently living in one of the most expensive housing markets in Europe, outside of London and I haven't noticed the problems that you talk up. I don't know anyone in a one-room flat. I don't think I've ever seen a one-room flat.

And I'm a student.

The Earl

Over here I saw a guy selling an 11m2 room for 32.000 euros. That was quite interesting.
 
SEVERUSMAX said:
One of these days, if this trend continues, so as not to be left out in the cold, I will lead any pagans interested into a community of our own, one with plenty of different people in different lifestyles. Amicus is welcome too, if he can learn to live and let live. He will be the village atheist. :D Of course, he will miss out on all of the nice pagan rituals, including some that involve orgies for those interested. :D
I'd ask if we can sacrifice a goat...but I like goats. I say we go wicker-man with Amicus.
:devil:
 
I don't know what an 11m2 room means, nor do I know what 'wicker-man' means either, but I think I would not like it.

amicus...
 
amicus said:
I don't know what an 11m2 room means, nor do I know what 'wicker-man' means either, but I think I would not like it.

amicus...

A wicker man was used by the Druids. Human sacrifices were placed inside and burned.

11m2 approximately equals 13 square yards so fairly small. NB NOT 13 yards square.

A beach hut, 12 feet by 10 feet, in a nearby town recently sold for 40,000 pounds. It had no electricity, water or sewage but the price included the land on which it stands - freehold. The view of the setting sun across the sea is wonderful. I suppose the price is worth it for your own private piece of beach about 30 feet by 10 feet even if anyone can put a deckchair between you and the sea.

Og
 
Thanks, Og, yeah, I think I'll opt out of the wickerman gig...

amicus...
 
Back
Top