Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Sep. 7th, 2005 11:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdAgape Press reports fundamentalist pastor's proclamation that New Orleans has been purged by god;
California passes marriage rights bill; FotF calls it a veto - amusing in that annoying way note from this morning, where Governor Schwarzenegger said this decision should be left up to the courts, in a stunning flip from the standard Republican position;
FotF: abortionists and lesbians taking over Girl Scouts - nefarious implications made;
Apparently, the fundamentalist movement is giving up on the current anti-gay amendment in Massachusetts, and has started a petition drive to start a new one - they're looking for petition volunteers, so if you're in MA, be on the watch;
FotF attacks Planned Parenthood (yet again) - this time for providing contraception for women who lost theirs in the evacuation;
University of California refuses to certify Creationism courses as science - fundamentalist association files lawsuit;
FotF: cross-state lesbian couple custody suit "proves" need for Federal Anti-marriage Amendment that bans civil unions as well;
FDA official resigns in protest over political interference in Plan B regulation - FOTF includes action-item demanding anti-abortion-rights replacement;
Concerned Women for America demand veto of California marriage rights law;
So-called "Broadcast Decency" laws stalled in Congress; CWA demand action;
CWA endorsement of John Roberts for Chief Justice;
BREAKING NEWS(?) UPDATE>>> Traditional Values Coalition says Governor Schwarzenegger will VETO marriage bill, congratulates him for doing so;
Family Research Council action item demanding veto of marriage bill above - apparently they don't know about the veto yet;
Washington State's "Faith and Freedom Network," formerly the Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government, starts anti-marriage petition drive for state legislature.
----- 1 -----
New Orleans Residents: God's Mercy Evident in Katrina's Wake
By Jody Brown and Allie Martin
September 2, 2005
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/22005b.asp
(AgapePress) - Two Christian leaders in New Orleans are testifying to God's mercy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One suggests that the death toll could have been much higher had it not been for God's mercy -- and the other that God may have used the hurricane to purge wickedness from the city.
Chuck Kelley is president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with facilities located near the southern banks of Lake Pontchartrain and in Chalmette, east of the city. Baptist Press reports that Kelley now finds himself homeless and with only a few personal belongings following Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow to the New Orleans area. But the seminary leader says he is able to discern God's hand in the situation.
[...]
Rev. Bill Shanks, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship of New Orleans, also sees God's mercy in the aftermath of Katrina -- but in a different way. Shanks says the hurricane has wiped out much of the rampant sin common to the city.
The pastor explains that for years he has warned people that unless Christians in New Orleans took a strong stand against such things as local abortion clinics, the yearly Mardi Gras celebrations, and the annual event known as "Southern Decadence" -- an annual six-day "gay pride" event scheduled to be hosted by the city this week -- God's judgment would be felt.
“New Orleans now is abortion free. New Orleans now is Mardi Gras free. New Orleans now is free of Southern Decadence and the sodomites, the witchcraft workers, false religion -- it's free of all of those things now," Shanks says. "God simply, I believe, in His mercy purged all of that stuff out of there -- and now we're going to start over again."
[...]
Believers, he says, are God's "authorized representatives on the face of the Earth" and should say they "don't want unrighteous men in office," for example. In addition, he says Christians should not hesitate to voice their opinions about such things as abortion, prayer, and homosexual marriage. "We don't want a Supreme Court that is going to say it's all right to kill little boys and girls, ... it's all right to take prayer out of schools, and it's all right to legalize sodomy, opening the door for same-sex marriage and all of that.”
Shanks heeded warnings to evacuate New Orleans, and is currently staying with friends in the Jackson, Mississippi, area.
----- 2 -----
California Lawmakers Cave In to Gay-Marriage Juggernaut
by Pete Winn, associate editor
September 7, 2005
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037841.cfm
It's now up to Gov. Schwarzenegger to decide whether the Golden State will be the first in the nation to have lawmakers impose gay marriage.
California lawmakers surprised just about everybody by narrowly approving a gay marriage bill late Tuesday night.
Members of the state Assembly voted 41-35 to approve openly gay Assemblyman Mark Leno's bill, AB 849, which removes references to "male" and "female" in the marriage code—and adds the phrase "two persons" to the definition of marriage, thereby allowing homosexual couples to wed.
Assemblyman Ray Haynes, a leader of the opposition to the bill, told CitizenLink the outcome was a surprise.
"The bill had been defeated in June on the Assembly floor," Haynes said. "Through a procedural trick, the author of the bill got it through the Senate a couple of days ago, then brought it over to the Assembly, and (some) of the people who voted against it in May changed their minds and voted in favor of it this time."
Karen Holgate, legislative director for the California Family Alliance, said those in favor of the bill talked during debate about marriage being a civil rights issue—one that was all about "love" and "acceptance."
In fact, everything came down to politics.
"Some members of the Assembly tried to portray themselves as listening to the voice of the people," Holgate said. "But this was not a vote of the people; this was a vote for their openly gay friends in the Legislature."
Homosexual activists, she added, were "walking the halls" of the state Capitol all day and night Tuesday.
"There were four swing votes they were working on, and all four of those are seeking higher office," she told CitizenLink. "Basically (the homosexual activists) were saying, 'We're your supporters; we're the people who are helping you get elected.' It ended up being about politics."
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
LEFT-LEANING SPEAKERS TAKE GIRL SCOUTS STAGE
Nationally known feminist speakers sign of Scouts moving further from roots.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037840.cfm
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
September 7, 2005
SUMMARY: Nationally known feminist speakers sign of Scouts
moving further from roots.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037840.cfm
The Girl Scouts will celebrate their 50th national session
October 7-10, with a duo of pro-abortion, pro-homosexual
speakers set to "empower" girls to change the world.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Kavita Ramdas will headline the
tri-annual session, bringing messages that contradict the
values that undergird the Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA)
founding promise -- that members would "serve God and
their country."
Cole has had an acclaimed life as an educator and college
president at Spelman College and Bennett College for
Women. She has authored several feminist titles and spoken
in defiance of Christianity and therapy for homosexuals
wanting to get out of the gay lifestyle.
"Despite the fact that some may wish to do so, I am not
praying today or any day that lesbians, bisexuals and
transgendered folk will somehow get religion and become
heterosexuals," she has said.
Ramdas is president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women,
a world leader in the abortion promotion. Ramdas has
promoted the benefits of Roe v. Wade in America and across
the globe.
She has called the Bush administration "hostile to women's
rights, having re-instated the Global Gag" on "information
about and access to contraception, and safe, legal
abortions."
Leslie Unruh, president and founder of the Abstinence
Clearinghouse, said the inclusion of the two women to
address the Girl Scouts represents a hijacking of the
group by a small minority.
"I feel very sorry for the girls in the Scouts," Unruh
said. "I'm outraged. These are strong, courageous young
women being used by a very small minority. To take a
public health issue such as sexuality and to mix it with
such a dangerous approach such as contraceptive-only and
not the real empowerment of freedom through purity is
dangerous."
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Bay State Approves Traditional Marriage Petition
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 7, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
Massachusetts voters are one step closer to having a
chance to vote on how marriage is defined in their state.
That's because the Massachusetts attorney general today
certified VoteOnMarriage.org's petition to define marriage
in the state constitution as the union of one man and one
woman. Now, supporters must collect at least 65,825 valid
signatures on the petition by the end of November in order
to place it before the state Legislature.
Because each signature must be certified, the committee is
actually hoping to gather 120,000 signatures before the
Nov. 23 deadline.
If enough valid signatures are gathered, then the
Legislature must approve the amendment language in two
sessions before the people will have the chance to address
the issue at the ballot box. If the people approve the
amendment, Massachusetts would then join the other 18
states that have overwhelmingly voted to define marriage
in traditional terms in their constitutions.
TAKE ACTION: If you are a resident of Massachusetts please
visit VoteOnMarriage.org today or call their office at
(617) 795-2667 and sign up to be a petition gatherer for
this momentous effort.
----- 5 -----
Planned Parenthood Accused of Seeking Monetary Gains from Tragedy
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 7, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
One pro-family group is asking Washington to call Planned
Parenthood (PP) on the carpet for what it says is the
group's exploitation of the tragedy brought on by
Hurricane Katrina.
Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League's
STOPP International, said his group is appalled at PP's
effort to benefit financially from the tragedy -- and he
wants them cut off from government funding.
"America is in the grips of what could be the worst
natural disaster in its history," Sedlak said, "and all
Planned Parenthood can think of is how to get its hands on
the money pouring in for rescue operations."
The Planned Parenthood Web site asks supporters to donate
to Katrina relief efforts -- but here's what that donated
money supports:
"Planned Parenthood clinics in the states of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas are doing everything
possible to attend to the needs of patients in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," reads the Web site.
"Women and families escaped the storm with their lives,
leaving behind birth control and other items critical to
their well-being. Those desperate for care are rushing to
their nearest health center to get the care and treatment
they need. Despite the horrific events of the past few
days, affiliates and health centers in this region are
determined to serve all those that come through the door."
Karen Pearl, interim president for Planned Parenthood,
announced last week that PP was offering free Plan B --
also known as "the morning after" pill -- to the victims
of the hurricane.
Though the storm and ensuing destruction has brought out
the best and the worst in people across the country,
Sedlak said, "In the case of Planned Parenthood, the
aftermath of Katrina has revealed the true nature of an
organization that, at its core, is much more concerned
with profit than health care."
He said he's hoping that government officials will take
notice of the true motives of Planned Parenthood and stop
funding the abortion provider.
"The audacity of this organization -- which has received
more than $3.6 billion in taxpayer funds since 1987 and
has current assets in excess of half a billion dollars --
trying to siphon off hurricane relief dollars for its own
coffers is beyond belief."
----- 6 -----
University of California Sued Over Denying Course Credit
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 7, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
The Association of Christian Schools International has
filed a lawsuit in federal court against the University of
California after admissions officials refused to certify
high school science courses that used textbooks
challenging Darwin's theory of evolution, The Associated
Press reported.
Students at Calvary Chapel Christian School in Murrieta,
Calif., did not receive credit for their science classes
those classes they employ textbooks published by Christian
publishers Bob Jones University Press and A Beka Books.
Also rejected was the coursework entitled "Christianity's
Influence in American History."
"A threat to one religion is a threat to all," said the
Association's lawyer, Wendell E. Bird.
Ravi Poorsina, a University of California spokeswoman,
concluded that the courses were rejected because they were
found lacking.
"These requirements were established," Poorsina said,
"after careful study by faculty and staff to ensure that
students who come here are fully prepared with broad
knowledge and the critical thinking skills necessary to
succeed."
----- 7 -----
State, Federal Laws Collide in Civil-Union Child-Custody Battle
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 6, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
The Vermont Supreme Court will hear a case beginning
Wednesday that involves the state's civil-union law and
how its affects a lesbian couple from Virginia in a
child-custody case.
The same case will be heard again the following week by
the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins, while living in Virginia,
traveled to Vermont to obtain a civil union. Miller later
gave birth to a girl conceived through artificial
insemination, but the child was never adopted by Jenkins.
The relationship between the two women has since ended,
and Jenkins is demanding visitation with the girl, now 3.
Miller, who is now a Christian and no longer living a
lesbian lifestyle, wants sole parental rights.
Lower courts in the two states have already issued
conflicting rulings regarding the rights of Miller, her
daughter and Jenkins. A Vermont court awarded Jenkins
visitation rights, while a Virginia court barred any
recognition of civil unions and declared Miller to be the
sole parent.
To complicate matters further, each court must take into
account the federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act,
which requires courts to recognize out-of-state custody
and visitation orders; and the federal Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA), which allows states to reject out-of-state
same-sex unions.
Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of Liberty
Counsel, said the case represents the first time that the
courts of two states have issued conflicting decisions
involving the same same-sex union. If the Vermont and
Virginia supreme courts again issue conflicting rulings,
the case will proceed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"It is a mistake to conclude that one state's experiment
with same-sex unions will not affect another state,"
Staver said. "Same-sex marriage or civil union laws will
collide with the marriage laws of other states to create
conflict, cause havoc and weave a tangled web. Children
will be caught in the middle of this conflict.
"I call on President Bush and Congress to act now to amend
the United States Constitution to preserve marriage as one
man and one woman."
----- 8 -----
FDA OFFICIAL STEPS DOWN OVER PLAN B
Health chief unhappy over delay in Over-the-counter sales
for Plan B. http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037771.cfm
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
September 2, 2005
SUMMARY: Women's Health Office head unhappy that the
agency has not yet made the "morning-after" pill available
for over-the-counter sale.
The top official at the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration's Women's Health Office resigned Wednesday,
citing the agency's delay in approving over-the-counter
sales of "morning-after" emergency contraception.
Susan F. Wood was angry that after two science advisory
committees voted to allow the morning-after drug -- also
known as Plan B -- to be sold without prescription to
females over 17, FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said
there were too many unresolved issues to put the drug on
the open market.
"I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and
clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for
approval by the professional staff here, has been
overruled," Wood wrote in an e-mail to co-workers
announcing her resignation.
Crawford's decision, she added, runs "contrary to my core
commitment to improving and advancing women's health."
The e-mail was quickly disseminated by the Reproductive
Health Technologies Project, a pro-abortion group that is
now coordinating interview requests for Wood.
That fact alone has caused many to question Wood's
suitability for her former post.
"The fact that a pro-abortion group is doing her (public
relations) probably means it is a good thing she
resigned," said Pia de Solenni, director of life and
women's issues at the Family Research Council. "It shows
she is very politically minded, and (her resignation) is
more pro-abortion than science-driven."
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Encourage FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford
not to approve Plan B for over-the-counter sales and urge
him to fill the Women's Health Office vacancy with a
doctor who values all human life. For contract
information, visit the CitizenLink Action Center.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/dbq/officials/agencies/?id=4370&dir=fof&command=depresult2&submit.x=7&submit.y=14
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Arnold, It’s Time to Show Some Muscle
Concerned Women for America
9/7/2005
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/8883/MEDIA/family/index.htm
Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is urging California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to veto a bill passed by the Legislature yesterday to legalize same-sex “marriage” in California.
California lawmakers became the first to pass a full-fledged homosexual “marriage” law. Gov. Schwarzenegger now has 30 days to veto the bill, which redefines marriage as “between two people” rather than “one man and one woman.” If he does nothing, it will automatically become law.
“Four years ago, while the nation’s eyes were fixed on the devastation in New York City, California’s Democrat-controlled Legislature attacked marriage by enacting a sweeping domestic partner bill one day after September 11,” said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America’s Culture & Family Institute. “Yesterday, while the nation was still reeling from the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, the Legislature voted to blow away marriage completely by doing away with its essential requirement – that a wedding have a bride and a groom.
“Perhaps they’re hoping that Californians are so distracted by the unfolding tragedy in New Orleans that they won’t notice their out-of-control politicians in Sacramento. Gov. Schwarzenegger has the power to terminate this radical plan to create counterfeit marriage. He can either side with the 61 percent of Californians who voted to protect marriage in a statewide initiative, or he can side with the radical Democrats.”
For Information Contact:
Stacey Holliday
(202) 488-7000
media.cwfa.org
----- 10 -----
Decency Laws Stalled in Congress
Elaine McGinnis
September 2, 2005
Concerned Women for America
http://www.cwalac.org/article_261.shtml
To strengthen broadcast decency laws and the Federal Communication Commission's bite, the House passed bills last year and again in February to increase the current maximum penalty for violations of those laws from $32,000 to $500,000. However, the legislation remains stalled in the Senate.
Last year Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-South Carolina) killed S.2056 because he wanted it to include an amendment to commission the FCC to study violence on television. In the current Congress, the decency legislation is tied up in the Senate Commerce Committee.
Also stuck in the Senate is Sen. Sam Brownback's (R-Kansas) legislation, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act (S. 193), which is the counterpart to the House bill that passed in February.
Commerce Committee chairman Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has supported stronger indecency rules for television, but has not yet offered the pending indecency bill a hearing. In response to allegations that Stevens is ignoring the issue, his aides told The Washington Post that Stevens is drafting his own legislation.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
CWA Supports Roberts' Nomination as Chief Justice
Concerned Women for America
9/7/2005
President Bush has another chance to impact the Supreme Court
http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=8885&department=LEGAL&categoryid=scourt
MEMO
TO: CWA Constituents
FROM: Wendy Wright, Executive Vice President
Lanier Swann, Director of Government Relations
RE: Judge Roberts Nominated for Supreme Court Chief Justice
DATE: September 7, 2005
http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=8885&department=LEGAL&categoryid=scourt
In a turn of events precipitated by the death of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the President has nominated the Honorable John Roberts, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to become the 17th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. While the timing comes as a surprise, the President’s choice of a nominee who is dedicated to upholding the U.S. Constitution is far from surprising.
As fully anticipated by Concerned Women for America (CWA), President Bush has honored the late Chief Justice Rehnquist by nominating a conservative and qualified judge. The President swiftly and confidently selected Roberts to continue the legacy of his predecessor by strictly interpreting the Constitution--not rewriting it.
In CWA’s July 1 press release, Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel, predicted that the vacant Supreme Court seat would be filled by a conservative nominee. LaRue states, “The President has the historic opportunity to keep faith with the promise he has repeated numerous times, which is to name justices who are like Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.”
The President has indeed kept his promise by nominating a man who will not legislate from the bench, but will strictly interpret the Constitution. “Everything we know about Judge Roberts tells us he fulfills the President’s promise to nominate a judge who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench,” LaRue says.
Now that the President has nominated Judge Roberts to be Chief Justice, Mr. Bush will again have the opportunity to replace retiring Justice O’Connor. CWA expects the President will keep his promise to choose a nominee like Scalia or Thomas. His nomination of Roberts for that position in the first place is clear evidence that the President will honor his word.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
TVC Lobbyist Applauds Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Decision to Veto Homosexual Marriage Bill.
Traditional Values Coalition
September 7, 2005
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2410
Anaheim, California: September 7, 2005 —“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ensured that the will of the people is respected and not trampled on by radical homosexual activists in the Legislature,” said Benjamin Lopez, Lobbyist for Traditional Values Coalition (TVC). “Reason ultimately prevailed. Schwarzenegger is saying by his veto that 4.6 million Californians are right when it comes to marriage .”
Just moments ago Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office issued a statement confirming that he will veto Assembly Bill 849, by homosexual Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), a bill that would strike references to “male” and “female” in the marriage code and would instead add the phrase “two persons” to the definition of marriage thereby allowing two men or two women to marry.
Margita Thompson, Press Secretary for Gov. Schwarzenegger, made the following statement:
"Five years ago the matter of same-sex marriage was placed before the people of California. The people voted and the issue is now before the courts. The Governor believes the matter should be determined not by legislative action - which would be unconstitutional - but by court decision or another vote of the people of our state. We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote. Out of respect for the will of the people, the Governor will veto AB 849."
In the March 2000 Primary Election, 61.4% of California voters passed Proposition 22, which stated: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” 101 out of 120 legislative districts voted in favor of Prop 22.
“Forty-one Democrats in the Assembly and twenty-one Democrats in the Senate underhandedly tried to implement their twisted, out-of-step, out-of-mainstream notion of family and marriage upon the very people they claim to represent,” Lopez added. “They arrogantly ignored the will of their constituents and instead catered to the radical demands of homosexual activists. They fell on their swords to appease the most extreme faction of their party and it was all for not. They are to be ashamed.
“Finally, someone in the legislative process got it! It is the people that spoke back in March 2000 and it was the people that sent a political earthquake today with the thousands of phone calls, emails, faxes and letters to the Governor demanding he respect them, their vote, and the institution of the family…and he did!”
Benjamin Lopez is available for comment. (714) 520-0300—office
----- 13 -----
Governor Schwarzenegger: Protect the Sacred Institution of Marriage
September 7, 2005 - Wednesday
Family Research Council
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL05I05
California just became the first state in the Union to pass a same-sex marriage bill through its legislature. Now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger must decide whether to sign or veto the bill. But this is not just a local, California issue. You have a stake in it as well. FRC has been on the forefront of the battle to protect the sacred institution of marriage in America and I want the Governor to hear from you. The only state to allow same-sex marriage is Massachusetts and that is by judicial fiat. I am asking every FRC supporter to tell the Governor, "Veto the same-sex marriage bill."
Since the Governor does not have an email address, please sign our short petition and I will send it to him by overnight mail in just a few days. Please forward this alert to all friends and family. We need thousands of people all across America to let their voices be heard.
----- 14 -----
Protect Traditional Marriage
Faith and Freedom Network
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/formmail.html
We’ve launched an urgent petition to take your voice straight to your Washington State legislators in this critical time to show our state legislature that people of faith are engaged and ready to vote our values. Faith and Freedom Network is prepared to support traditional marriage through every possible avenue. Please sign petition today:
FULL TEXT OF THE PETITION
TO: (Your legislators)
FROM: (Your Name and Email)
SUBJECT: Protect Traditional Marriage
__________
Dear Legislator,
(Your personal note)
I support traditional marriage as between one man and one woman. I am asking you to stand with me and others in support of traditional marriage by voting to support traditional marriage whenever possible.
California passes marriage rights bill; FotF calls it a veto - amusing in that annoying way note from this morning, where Governor Schwarzenegger said this decision should be left up to the courts, in a stunning flip from the standard Republican position;
FotF: abortionists and lesbians taking over Girl Scouts - nefarious implications made;
Apparently, the fundamentalist movement is giving up on the current anti-gay amendment in Massachusetts, and has started a petition drive to start a new one - they're looking for petition volunteers, so if you're in MA, be on the watch;
FotF attacks Planned Parenthood (yet again) - this time for providing contraception for women who lost theirs in the evacuation;
University of California refuses to certify Creationism courses as science - fundamentalist association files lawsuit;
FotF: cross-state lesbian couple custody suit "proves" need for Federal Anti-marriage Amendment that bans civil unions as well;
FDA official resigns in protest over political interference in Plan B regulation - FOTF includes action-item demanding anti-abortion-rights replacement;
Concerned Women for America demand veto of California marriage rights law;
So-called "Broadcast Decency" laws stalled in Congress; CWA demand action;
CWA endorsement of John Roberts for Chief Justice;
BREAKING NEWS(?) UPDATE>>> Traditional Values Coalition says Governor Schwarzenegger will VETO marriage bill, congratulates him for doing so;
Family Research Council action item demanding veto of marriage bill above - apparently they don't know about the veto yet;
Washington State's "Faith and Freedom Network," formerly the Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government, starts anti-marriage petition drive for state legislature.
----- 1 -----
New Orleans Residents: God's Mercy Evident in Katrina's Wake
By Jody Brown and Allie Martin
September 2, 2005
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/22005b.asp
(AgapePress) - Two Christian leaders in New Orleans are testifying to God's mercy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One suggests that the death toll could have been much higher had it not been for God's mercy -- and the other that God may have used the hurricane to purge wickedness from the city.
Chuck Kelley is president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with facilities located near the southern banks of Lake Pontchartrain and in Chalmette, east of the city. Baptist Press reports that Kelley now finds himself homeless and with only a few personal belongings following Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow to the New Orleans area. But the seminary leader says he is able to discern God's hand in the situation.
[...]
Rev. Bill Shanks, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship of New Orleans, also sees God's mercy in the aftermath of Katrina -- but in a different way. Shanks says the hurricane has wiped out much of the rampant sin common to the city.
The pastor explains that for years he has warned people that unless Christians in New Orleans took a strong stand against such things as local abortion clinics, the yearly Mardi Gras celebrations, and the annual event known as "Southern Decadence" -- an annual six-day "gay pride" event scheduled to be hosted by the city this week -- God's judgment would be felt.
“New Orleans now is abortion free. New Orleans now is Mardi Gras free. New Orleans now is free of Southern Decadence and the sodomites, the witchcraft workers, false religion -- it's free of all of those things now," Shanks says. "God simply, I believe, in His mercy purged all of that stuff out of there -- and now we're going to start over again."
[...]
Believers, he says, are God's "authorized representatives on the face of the Earth" and should say they "don't want unrighteous men in office," for example. In addition, he says Christians should not hesitate to voice their opinions about such things as abortion, prayer, and homosexual marriage. "We don't want a Supreme Court that is going to say it's all right to kill little boys and girls, ... it's all right to take prayer out of schools, and it's all right to legalize sodomy, opening the door for same-sex marriage and all of that.”
Shanks heeded warnings to evacuate New Orleans, and is currently staying with friends in the Jackson, Mississippi, area.
----- 2 -----
California Lawmakers Cave In to Gay-Marriage Juggernaut
by Pete Winn, associate editor
September 7, 2005
Focus on the Family
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037841.cfm
It's now up to Gov. Schwarzenegger to decide whether the Golden State will be the first in the nation to have lawmakers impose gay marriage.
California lawmakers surprised just about everybody by narrowly approving a gay marriage bill late Tuesday night.
Members of the state Assembly voted 41-35 to approve openly gay Assemblyman Mark Leno's bill, AB 849, which removes references to "male" and "female" in the marriage code—and adds the phrase "two persons" to the definition of marriage, thereby allowing homosexual couples to wed.
Assemblyman Ray Haynes, a leader of the opposition to the bill, told CitizenLink the outcome was a surprise.
"The bill had been defeated in June on the Assembly floor," Haynes said. "Through a procedural trick, the author of the bill got it through the Senate a couple of days ago, then brought it over to the Assembly, and (some) of the people who voted against it in May changed their minds and voted in favor of it this time."
Karen Holgate, legislative director for the California Family Alliance, said those in favor of the bill talked during debate about marriage being a civil rights issue—one that was all about "love" and "acceptance."
In fact, everything came down to politics.
"Some members of the Assembly tried to portray themselves as listening to the voice of the people," Holgate said. "But this was not a vote of the people; this was a vote for their openly gay friends in the Legislature."
Homosexual activists, she added, were "walking the halls" of the state Capitol all day and night Tuesday.
"There were four swing votes they were working on, and all four of those are seeking higher office," she told CitizenLink. "Basically (the homosexual activists) were saying, 'We're your supporters; we're the people who are helping you get elected.' It ended up being about politics."
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
LEFT-LEANING SPEAKERS TAKE GIRL SCOUTS STAGE
Nationally known feminist speakers sign of Scouts moving further from roots.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037840.cfm
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
September 7, 2005
SUMMARY: Nationally known feminist speakers sign of Scouts
moving further from roots.
http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037840.cfm
The Girl Scouts will celebrate their 50th national session
October 7-10, with a duo of pro-abortion, pro-homosexual
speakers set to "empower" girls to change the world.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Kavita Ramdas will headline the
tri-annual session, bringing messages that contradict the
values that undergird the Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA)
founding promise -- that members would "serve God and
their country."
Cole has had an acclaimed life as an educator and college
president at Spelman College and Bennett College for
Women. She has authored several feminist titles and spoken
in defiance of Christianity and therapy for homosexuals
wanting to get out of the gay lifestyle.
"Despite the fact that some may wish to do so, I am not
praying today or any day that lesbians, bisexuals and
transgendered folk will somehow get religion and become
heterosexuals," she has said.
Ramdas is president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women,
a world leader in the abortion promotion. Ramdas has
promoted the benefits of Roe v. Wade in America and across
the globe.
She has called the Bush administration "hostile to women's
rights, having re-instated the Global Gag" on "information
about and access to contraception, and safe, legal
abortions."
Leslie Unruh, president and founder of the Abstinence
Clearinghouse, said the inclusion of the two women to
address the Girl Scouts represents a hijacking of the
group by a small minority.
"I feel very sorry for the girls in the Scouts," Unruh
said. "I'm outraged. These are strong, courageous young
women being used by a very small minority. To take a
public health issue such as sexuality and to mix it with
such a dangerous approach such as contraceptive-only and
not the real empowerment of freedom through purity is
dangerous."
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Bay State Approves Traditional Marriage Petition
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 7, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
Massachusetts voters are one step closer to having a
chance to vote on how marriage is defined in their state.
That's because the Massachusetts attorney general today
certified VoteOnMarriage.org's petition to define marriage
in the state constitution as the union of one man and one
woman. Now, supporters must collect at least 65,825 valid
signatures on the petition by the end of November in order
to place it before the state Legislature.
Because each signature must be certified, the committee is
actually hoping to gather 120,000 signatures before the
Nov. 23 deadline.
If enough valid signatures are gathered, then the
Legislature must approve the amendment language in two
sessions before the people will have the chance to address
the issue at the ballot box. If the people approve the
amendment, Massachusetts would then join the other 18
states that have overwhelmingly voted to define marriage
in traditional terms in their constitutions.
TAKE ACTION: If you are a resident of Massachusetts please
visit VoteOnMarriage.org today or call their office at
(617) 795-2667 and sign up to be a petition gatherer for
this momentous effort.
----- 5 -----
Planned Parenthood Accused of Seeking Monetary Gains from Tragedy
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 7, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
One pro-family group is asking Washington to call Planned
Parenthood (PP) on the carpet for what it says is the
group's exploitation of the tragedy brought on by
Hurricane Katrina.
Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League's
STOPP International, said his group is appalled at PP's
effort to benefit financially from the tragedy -- and he
wants them cut off from government funding.
"America is in the grips of what could be the worst
natural disaster in its history," Sedlak said, "and all
Planned Parenthood can think of is how to get its hands on
the money pouring in for rescue operations."
The Planned Parenthood Web site asks supporters to donate
to Katrina relief efforts -- but here's what that donated
money supports:
"Planned Parenthood clinics in the states of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas are doing everything
possible to attend to the needs of patients in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," reads the Web site.
"Women and families escaped the storm with their lives,
leaving behind birth control and other items critical to
their well-being. Those desperate for care are rushing to
their nearest health center to get the care and treatment
they need. Despite the horrific events of the past few
days, affiliates and health centers in this region are
determined to serve all those that come through the door."
Karen Pearl, interim president for Planned Parenthood,
announced last week that PP was offering free Plan B --
also known as "the morning after" pill -- to the victims
of the hurricane.
Though the storm and ensuing destruction has brought out
the best and the worst in people across the country,
Sedlak said, "In the case of Planned Parenthood, the
aftermath of Katrina has revealed the true nature of an
organization that, at its core, is much more concerned
with profit than health care."
He said he's hoping that government officials will take
notice of the true motives of Planned Parenthood and stop
funding the abortion provider.
"The audacity of this organization -- which has received
more than $3.6 billion in taxpayer funds since 1987 and
has current assets in excess of half a billion dollars --
trying to siphon off hurricane relief dollars for its own
coffers is beyond belief."
----- 6 -----
University of California Sued Over Denying Course Credit
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 7, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
The Association of Christian Schools International has
filed a lawsuit in federal court against the University of
California after admissions officials refused to certify
high school science courses that used textbooks
challenging Darwin's theory of evolution, The Associated
Press reported.
Students at Calvary Chapel Christian School in Murrieta,
Calif., did not receive credit for their science classes
those classes they employ textbooks published by Christian
publishers Bob Jones University Press and A Beka Books.
Also rejected was the coursework entitled "Christianity's
Influence in American History."
"A threat to one religion is a threat to all," said the
Association's lawyer, Wendell E. Bird.
Ravi Poorsina, a University of California spokeswoman,
concluded that the courses were rejected because they were
found lacking.
"These requirements were established," Poorsina said,
"after careful study by faculty and staff to ensure that
students who come here are fully prepared with broad
knowledge and the critical thinking skills necessary to
succeed."
----- 7 -----
State, Federal Laws Collide in Civil-Union Child-Custody Battle
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
September 6, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
The Vermont Supreme Court will hear a case beginning
Wednesday that involves the state's civil-union law and
how its affects a lesbian couple from Virginia in a
child-custody case.
The same case will be heard again the following week by
the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins, while living in Virginia,
traveled to Vermont to obtain a civil union. Miller later
gave birth to a girl conceived through artificial
insemination, but the child was never adopted by Jenkins.
The relationship between the two women has since ended,
and Jenkins is demanding visitation with the girl, now 3.
Miller, who is now a Christian and no longer living a
lesbian lifestyle, wants sole parental rights.
Lower courts in the two states have already issued
conflicting rulings regarding the rights of Miller, her
daughter and Jenkins. A Vermont court awarded Jenkins
visitation rights, while a Virginia court barred any
recognition of civil unions and declared Miller to be the
sole parent.
To complicate matters further, each court must take into
account the federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act,
which requires courts to recognize out-of-state custody
and visitation orders; and the federal Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA), which allows states to reject out-of-state
same-sex unions.
Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of Liberty
Counsel, said the case represents the first time that the
courts of two states have issued conflicting decisions
involving the same same-sex union. If the Vermont and
Virginia supreme courts again issue conflicting rulings,
the case will proceed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"It is a mistake to conclude that one state's experiment
with same-sex unions will not affect another state,"
Staver said. "Same-sex marriage or civil union laws will
collide with the marriage laws of other states to create
conflict, cause havoc and weave a tangled web. Children
will be caught in the middle of this conflict.
"I call on President Bush and Congress to act now to amend
the United States Constitution to preserve marriage as one
man and one woman."
----- 8 -----
FDA OFFICIAL STEPS DOWN OVER PLAN B
Health chief unhappy over delay in Over-the-counter sales
for Plan B. http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0037771.cfm
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
September 2, 2005
SUMMARY: Women's Health Office head unhappy that the
agency has not yet made the "morning-after" pill available
for over-the-counter sale.
The top official at the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration's Women's Health Office resigned Wednesday,
citing the agency's delay in approving over-the-counter
sales of "morning-after" emergency contraception.
Susan F. Wood was angry that after two science advisory
committees voted to allow the morning-after drug -- also
known as Plan B -- to be sold without prescription to
females over 17, FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said
there were too many unresolved issues to put the drug on
the open market.
"I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and
clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for
approval by the professional staff here, has been
overruled," Wood wrote in an e-mail to co-workers
announcing her resignation.
Crawford's decision, she added, runs "contrary to my core
commitment to improving and advancing women's health."
The e-mail was quickly disseminated by the Reproductive
Health Technologies Project, a pro-abortion group that is
now coordinating interview requests for Wood.
That fact alone has caused many to question Wood's
suitability for her former post.
"The fact that a pro-abortion group is doing her (public
relations) probably means it is a good thing she
resigned," said Pia de Solenni, director of life and
women's issues at the Family Research Council. "It shows
she is very politically minded, and (her resignation) is
more pro-abortion than science-driven."
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Encourage FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford
not to approve Plan B for over-the-counter sales and urge
him to fill the Women's Health Office vacancy with a
doctor who values all human life. For contract
information, visit the CitizenLink Action Center.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/dbq/officials/agencies/?id=4370&dir=fof&command=depresult2&submit.x=7&submit.y=14
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Arnold, It’s Time to Show Some Muscle
Concerned Women for America
9/7/2005
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/8883/MEDIA/family/index.htm
Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is urging California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to veto a bill passed by the Legislature yesterday to legalize same-sex “marriage” in California.
California lawmakers became the first to pass a full-fledged homosexual “marriage” law. Gov. Schwarzenegger now has 30 days to veto the bill, which redefines marriage as “between two people” rather than “one man and one woman.” If he does nothing, it will automatically become law.
“Four years ago, while the nation’s eyes were fixed on the devastation in New York City, California’s Democrat-controlled Legislature attacked marriage by enacting a sweeping domestic partner bill one day after September 11,” said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America’s Culture & Family Institute. “Yesterday, while the nation was still reeling from the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, the Legislature voted to blow away marriage completely by doing away with its essential requirement – that a wedding have a bride and a groom.
“Perhaps they’re hoping that Californians are so distracted by the unfolding tragedy in New Orleans that they won’t notice their out-of-control politicians in Sacramento. Gov. Schwarzenegger has the power to terminate this radical plan to create counterfeit marriage. He can either side with the 61 percent of Californians who voted to protect marriage in a statewide initiative, or he can side with the radical Democrats.”
For Information Contact:
Stacey Holliday
(202) 488-7000
media.cwfa.org
----- 10 -----
Decency Laws Stalled in Congress
Elaine McGinnis
September 2, 2005
Concerned Women for America
http://www.cwalac.org/article_261.shtml
To strengthen broadcast decency laws and the Federal Communication Commission's bite, the House passed bills last year and again in February to increase the current maximum penalty for violations of those laws from $32,000 to $500,000. However, the legislation remains stalled in the Senate.
Last year Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-South Carolina) killed S.2056 because he wanted it to include an amendment to commission the FCC to study violence on television. In the current Congress, the decency legislation is tied up in the Senate Commerce Committee.
Also stuck in the Senate is Sen. Sam Brownback's (R-Kansas) legislation, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act (S. 193), which is the counterpart to the House bill that passed in February.
Commerce Committee chairman Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has supported stronger indecency rules for television, but has not yet offered the pending indecency bill a hearing. In response to allegations that Stevens is ignoring the issue, his aides told The Washington Post that Stevens is drafting his own legislation.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
CWA Supports Roberts' Nomination as Chief Justice
Concerned Women for America
9/7/2005
President Bush has another chance to impact the Supreme Court
http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=8885&department=LEGAL&categoryid=scourt
MEMO
TO: CWA Constituents
FROM: Wendy Wright, Executive Vice President
Lanier Swann, Director of Government Relations
RE: Judge Roberts Nominated for Supreme Court Chief Justice
DATE: September 7, 2005
http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=8885&department=LEGAL&categoryid=scourt
In a turn of events precipitated by the death of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the President has nominated the Honorable John Roberts, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to become the 17th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. While the timing comes as a surprise, the President’s choice of a nominee who is dedicated to upholding the U.S. Constitution is far from surprising.
As fully anticipated by Concerned Women for America (CWA), President Bush has honored the late Chief Justice Rehnquist by nominating a conservative and qualified judge. The President swiftly and confidently selected Roberts to continue the legacy of his predecessor by strictly interpreting the Constitution--not rewriting it.
In CWA’s July 1 press release, Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel, predicted that the vacant Supreme Court seat would be filled by a conservative nominee. LaRue states, “The President has the historic opportunity to keep faith with the promise he has repeated numerous times, which is to name justices who are like Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.”
The President has indeed kept his promise by nominating a man who will not legislate from the bench, but will strictly interpret the Constitution. “Everything we know about Judge Roberts tells us he fulfills the President’s promise to nominate a judge who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench,” LaRue says.
Now that the President has nominated Judge Roberts to be Chief Justice, Mr. Bush will again have the opportunity to replace retiring Justice O’Connor. CWA expects the President will keep his promise to choose a nominee like Scalia or Thomas. His nomination of Roberts for that position in the first place is clear evidence that the President will honor his word.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
TVC Lobbyist Applauds Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Decision to Veto Homosexual Marriage Bill.
Traditional Values Coalition
September 7, 2005
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2410
Anaheim, California: September 7, 2005 —“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ensured that the will of the people is respected and not trampled on by radical homosexual activists in the Legislature,” said Benjamin Lopez, Lobbyist for Traditional Values Coalition (TVC). “Reason ultimately prevailed. Schwarzenegger is saying by his veto that 4.6 million Californians are right when it comes to marriage .”
Just moments ago Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office issued a statement confirming that he will veto Assembly Bill 849, by homosexual Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), a bill that would strike references to “male” and “female” in the marriage code and would instead add the phrase “two persons” to the definition of marriage thereby allowing two men or two women to marry.
Margita Thompson, Press Secretary for Gov. Schwarzenegger, made the following statement:
"Five years ago the matter of same-sex marriage was placed before the people of California. The people voted and the issue is now before the courts. The Governor believes the matter should be determined not by legislative action - which would be unconstitutional - but by court decision or another vote of the people of our state. We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote. Out of respect for the will of the people, the Governor will veto AB 849."
In the March 2000 Primary Election, 61.4% of California voters passed Proposition 22, which stated: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” 101 out of 120 legislative districts voted in favor of Prop 22.
“Forty-one Democrats in the Assembly and twenty-one Democrats in the Senate underhandedly tried to implement their twisted, out-of-step, out-of-mainstream notion of family and marriage upon the very people they claim to represent,” Lopez added. “They arrogantly ignored the will of their constituents and instead catered to the radical demands of homosexual activists. They fell on their swords to appease the most extreme faction of their party and it was all for not. They are to be ashamed.
“Finally, someone in the legislative process got it! It is the people that spoke back in March 2000 and it was the people that sent a political earthquake today with the thousands of phone calls, emails, faxes and letters to the Governor demanding he respect them, their vote, and the institution of the family…and he did!”
Benjamin Lopez is available for comment. (714) 520-0300—office
----- 13 -----
Governor Schwarzenegger: Protect the Sacred Institution of Marriage
September 7, 2005 - Wednesday
Family Research Council
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL05I05
California just became the first state in the Union to pass a same-sex marriage bill through its legislature. Now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger must decide whether to sign or veto the bill. But this is not just a local, California issue. You have a stake in it as well. FRC has been on the forefront of the battle to protect the sacred institution of marriage in America and I want the Governor to hear from you. The only state to allow same-sex marriage is Massachusetts and that is by judicial fiat. I am asking every FRC supporter to tell the Governor, "Veto the same-sex marriage bill."
Since the Governor does not have an email address, please sign our short petition and I will send it to him by overnight mail in just a few days. Please forward this alert to all friends and family. We need thousands of people all across America to let their voices be heard.
----- 14 -----
Protect Traditional Marriage
Faith and Freedom Network
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/formmail.html
We’ve launched an urgent petition to take your voice straight to your Washington State legislators in this critical time to show our state legislature that people of faith are engaged and ready to vote our values. Faith and Freedom Network is prepared to support traditional marriage through every possible avenue. Please sign petition today:
FULL TEXT OF THE PETITION
TO: (Your legislators)
FROM: (Your Name and Email)
SUBJECT: Protect Traditional Marriage
__________
Dear Legislator,
(Your personal note)
I support traditional marriage as between one man and one woman. I am asking you to stand with me and others in support of traditional marriage by voting to support traditional marriage whenever possible.
