Secular Global Institute

The one and only church in the Town of Ave Maria (pictured above) is owned by Tom Monaghan's
Corporation, Quasi-Parish of Ave Maria Oratory, Inc. You will notice,Monaghan's
church is conveniently located in the center of the town.

I knew that Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, was a bit a religious loon, but I had no idea to the extent. This man built an entire town just so he could, among other things, deny birth control of any sort within its borders:

One aspect the Town of Ave Maria, Florida and the other is Ave Maria University's which are owned and governed by the same person, Tom Monaghan - who also founded Dominos Pizza. Ave Maria University's founder, Tom Monaghan, also owns and governs the entire Town of Ave Maria, Florida and he has banned contraception in the entire town. In fact, the one and only OB/GYN in the Town of Ave Maria will not … will not … prescribe contraception medication to any woman for any reason at all. For kicks, you can call the only OB/GYN in the town and find out for yourself: (239) 658-5100.

MONAGHAN: "… we will be able to control what goes on there. You won't be able to buy a Playboy or Hustler magazine in Ave Maria Town. We're going to control the cable television that comes in the area. There is not going to be any pornographic television in Ave Maria Town. If you go to the drug store and you want to buy the pill or the condoms or contraception, you won't be able to get that in Ave Maria Town." .. Wall Street Journal

I know what you're saying: if the citizens don't like it, they can just vote for changes, right? Turns out, no, they can't - and the GOP in Florida helped arrange this scenario:

Now, the Town of Ave Maria, Florida is not your normal town primarily because Tom Monaghan and his developers lobbied, and got, the Florida State Legislature to pass a law that Monaghan wrote which allows him and his developer to govern the entire town forever.

Governor Jeb Bush signed Monaghan's bill into law in 2004.

The law Monaghan wrote, that Florida State Legislators passed and Gov. Jeb Bush signed, turns the town from a normal town, with a mayor etc., to a "Special Interest" town whereby the landowners have zero say in the laws Tom Monaghan enacts.

The Naples News reported http://www.naplesnews.com/…

The law makes landowners, not registered voters, the ultimate authority in Ave Maria. The law ensures Monaghan and Barron Collier Cos., as the largest landowners, can control Ave Maria's government forever.(emphasis added by author)

Naples News goes on to say:

The law allows the executive committee, controlling the votes of the largest landowner, to choose at least three out of the five seats on the board forever.(emphasis by author)

The Wall Street Journal reported that Monaghan gloated that he would remain the "largest landowner" so he could retain all control the lifestyle of people who live within the Town of Ave Maria.

Because the Constitution is great and everything until that whole democracy thing starts to infringe on the freedom of religious to be exempted from pretty much everything it stands for. But the GOP is still way more patriotic than all those democracy-loving atheist commies on the other side.

Seriously this is real theocracy within our borders supported by the Republican lawmakers in the state of Florida.

By JT Eberhard . . At Patheos Atheist, JT Eberhard writes about religion, politics, gaming, sex, or whatever else strikes his fancy.