Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Nov. 29th, 2005 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdCreationists sue California over University website set up to help biology teachers teach evolutionary theory - AP can't bother to do a google search to discover that when they claim they aren't supporters of "intelligent design," what they're actually saying is that they are Creationists active in Creationist politics, and founders of the Creationist "Quality Science Eduction for All";
The wikipedia entry on the nonprofit they founded with the purpose of fighting the teaching of evolutionary theory in schools, "Quality Science Education for All";
Focus on the Family/Morality in Media call for more Federal control over "indecent" television content;
Macy's changes out "Holiday" signs for "Christmas" signs in windows; Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM urges letters of thanks;
Dennis Hastert gets Capital Hill tree renamed Christmas tree; this is not the White House Christmas Tree, is the one the president lights; in 1995 the Republican-controlled congress had started calling it a Holiday tree - ACTION ITEM to thank Hastert;
Lowe's removes "Holiday tree" signs and replaces them with "Christmas tree" signs - AFA takes credit, FotF has an ACTION ITEM to thank Lowe's;
Missouri's so-called "partial birth abortion" bill overturned because it has no exemption for the life or health of the mother; fundamentalist groups outraged, say that the courts need to be changed so that they can have exactly that ban back, health of the mother be damned;
Focus on the Family asks readers to "Share [their] Stories about the War on Christmas";
Jewish Anti-Defamation League says fundamentalists are working against church-state separation (which they only deny when it makes them look bad, which is kind of funny) and "Christianise" America;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to support Alito's nomination for Supreme Court, accusing Colorado senator Salazar of "crossing the line" by saying that America "deserves better" than Samuel Alito;
FotF claims Planned Parenthood "wants more money" and is upset that two anti-abortion groups are getting Federal money via the Texas state budget; that's probably true, but FotF has no actual evidence of this at all - no quotes, no communication, no press release, and, in fact, no communication with Planned Parenthood at all on the topic; they made up the story wholesale based on supposition; the Heidi Group is one of those "pregnancy resource centres" that anti-abortion-rights groups like to put together near Planned Parenthood offices and university campuses;
CWA applauds Kevin Martin's push for al la carte programming in cable, satellite;
Texas State Board of Education votes to leave the National Association of State School Boards of Education (NASBE) on party-line vote, complaining specifically about NASBE's endorsement of church-state separation, comprehensive sexual education, and anti-bullying programmes that target the bullying of GBLT children;
CWA speaks up (as predicted) promoting Institute for American Values's Why Marriage Matters paper, which they call a study; says that marriage is needed to "civilise men" and "keeps government small";
CWA files amicus briefs to two Supreme Court reproductive-rights cases;
Washington Times's version of the "No more 'holiday' trees at Capitol" story;
Human Events publishes a paranoid fantasy about THE WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS and how NO CHRISTMAS WILL BE ALLOWED by 2030;
Wall Street Journal editorial criticising the ADL for criticising the fundamentalist movement;
FDA to review RU-486; fundamentalist leaders call for it to be removed from the market;
Baptist Press condemns the Human Rights Campaign's effort to reach out to pastors and the religious community, saying that HRC "have officially declared war on the church";
San Diego town's evangelical mayor renames their holiday parade a Christmas parade; Jewish group, others, upset;
FRC applauds Boston's Christmas Tree (not Holiday Tree anymore), LIKE FOTF asks readers to send in stories about how "politically correct" people are "taking away cherished Christmas traditions";
Pope revokes autonomy of Franciscans of Assisi.
----- 1 -----
Couple Sues Operators of Evolution Site
Associated Press
Sat Nov 26, 4:29 PM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051126/ap_on_sc/evolution_lawsuit
BERKELEY, Calif. - A California couple has sued the operators of a University of California-Berkeley Web site designed to help teachers teach evolution, claiming it improperly strays into religion.
Jeanne and Larry Caldwell of Granite Bay say portions of the Understanding Evolution Web site amount to a government endorsement of certain religious groups over others because the site is partly funded through a public money grant from the National Science Foundation.
In the lawsuit filed last month, the Caldwells contend the site is an effort "to modify the beliefs of public school science students so they will be more willing to accept evolutionary theory as true."
The plaintiffs are not proponents of "intelligent design" — a theory that living organisms are so complex they must have been created by a higher intelligence — but they object to the teaching of evolution as scientific fact, Jeanne Caldwell said.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Quality Science Education for All
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Article as of 27 November 2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Science_Education_for_All
Quality Science Education for All (QSEA) is a non-profit creationist foundation focused on challenging evolution as taught in public schools.
Part of the intelligent design movement, QSEA has been involved in legal disputes over science textbooks used in classrooms in several states, including Minnesota, Texas, and California. Other notable actions include Caldwell v. Roseville Joint Union High School District, a case brought "so that citizen proposals to implement 'Quality Science Education' in their local public school will be considered on their scientific and educational merits, rather than on the basis of pre-existing prejudices and bias."
QSEA is operated by the husband and wife team of Larry and Jeanne Caldwell, of Roseville, California. Larry Caldwell lists himself as founder and president.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
Senators to Consider Broadcast Indecency
Family News in Focus
Focus on the Family
November 29, 2005
from staff reports
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038728.cfm
SUMMARY: Industry groups speak out in advance of January
hearing.
The Senate Commerce Committee is slated to hold hearings
on broadcast indecency in January, but many industry
groups are giving informal testimony today.
On one side are those who want the government to further
regulate the airwaves and on the other side are those who
want self-regulation -- to place the burden on parents.
Jim Dyke, executive director of TV Watch, told Family News
in Focus that most people want the opportunity to decide
for themselves.
[...]
But Bob Peters, president of Morality in Media, countered
that it's unreasonable for parents to be the sole
gatekeepers.
"To put the whole emphasis on parents to figure out what
is and isn't suitable in this large choice of channels --
that they don't have any real choice in -- to say that
government doesn't have any role to play in maintaining
standards of decency in such a medium, is crazy," he said.
Peters said government has a responsibility to create
standards and to enforce those standards if TV or radio
stations don't comply.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Macy's Brings Back 'Christmas'
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
After not including 'Christmas' in advertising and store
displays in past years, one retail giant has come to its
senses.
Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America's
Culture & Family Institute, said efforts by CWA and others
helped convince Macy's to restore its traditional
Christmas messaging.
"Somebody at Macy's woke up and smelled the eggnog and
realized that embracing Christmas is good for business
during the Christmas season," Knight said. "Given the
obvious advantage of recognizing the reason for the
season, one can only wonder why Target Corporation
continues to approach Christmas with indifference or even
hostility in the name of diversity."
Target has not only told The Salvation Army and other
groups to stay away from its doors, it has banned any
mention of Christmas in advertisements and in-store
displays.
"If Target finds the mention of Jesus' name so offensive,
perhaps we would not want to burden them with
Christmas-gift-buying Christians in their stores," Knight
said. "Their very presence might offend one or two
non-Christmas 'holiday' shoppers."
TAKE ACTION: If you'd like to thank Macy's for returning
Christmas to its stores, you may use the company's online
form:
http://www.fds.com/contact/general.asp
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites'
content.)
----- 5 -----
Historic Name Restored to Capitol Hill Tree
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
Nine years after being stripped of any reference to
Christmas, the lighted tree gracing Capitol Hill will
return to its original name -- the Capitol Christmas Tree
-- thanks to House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
The first lighting ceremony for the Capitol Christmas Tree
occurred in 1964. Each year, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has provided a tree from national forests.
For clarity, this is not the White House tree that the
president flips a switch to light each year. That one has
always been called the White House Christmas Tree.
In 1995, the invitation for the Capitol Hill tree-lighting
ceremony invited guests to view the "Capitol Holiday Tree"
-- something the office of the Architect of the Capitol
called "more politically correct." According to the
Republican Study Committee, no official Congressional
action preceded the change, and no documentation
requesting the change has been located.
According to The Washington Times, Hastert told federal
officials that the tree should return to its original
name.
"The speaker believes a Christmas tree is a Christmas
tree," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for Hastert. "It is as
simple as that."
Mat Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, said people
aren't sure how to handle the word "Christmas" anymore.
"Government officials (and) private retailers -- either
because of misinformation or for politically correct
reasons -- are trying to secularize Christmas," Staver
said. "To rename a Christmas tree a 'Holiday Tree' is as
offensive as renaming a Jewish menorah a 'candlestick.' "
TAKE ACTION: Thank Rep. Dennis Hastert for recognizing
Christmas on the Capitol Hill lawn. You may reach him
through the CitizenLink Action Center:
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=227&lvl=C&chamber=H
----- 6 -----
Lowe's Re-Renames Christmas Trees
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
After receiving a flood of complaints about storefront
signs advertising "Holiday Trees" for sale, Lowe's has
gone back to referring to them as "Christmas Trees."
Tim Wildmon, president of The American Family Association
(AFA), said people are tired of all the political
correctness surrounding Christmas.
"Companies who choose to abandon the national observance
of Christmas are finding that Americans are not afraid to
speak out with their pocketbooks," he said. "It's good to
know Lowe's is a company that listens to their customers.
A statement from Lowe's read: "To ensure consistency of
our message and to avoid confusion among our customers, we
are now referring to the trees only as 'Christmas Trees.'
We have also removed a banner that read, 'Holiday Trees'
from the front of our stores."
TAKE ACTION: Please thank Lowe's for listening and
putting "Christmas" back where it belongs.
https://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=custSvcStoreFeedback&topic=customerService
----- 7 -----
Missouri Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Struck Down
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that
Missouri's ban on partial-birth abortion is
unconstitutional because it lacks a health exception, The
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The decision followed a six-year battle -- the state law
banning partial-birth abortion was passed in 1999, but was
immediately challenged.
Paula Gianino, president and chief executive officer of
Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, celebrated the
decision.
"We argued all along that Missouri's abortion ban was
unconstitutional because it failed to protect the health
of a woman during pregnancy," Gianino said. "Every major
decision by a court in this country, including the United
States Supreme Court, has said that any attempt to ban
abortion must always include two exceptions or protections
-- to protect both the health and the life of a woman in
the event of any serious medical crisis or emergency."
The procedure involves partially delivering a preborn
baby, puncturing the skull and extracting the brain,
killing the child. Pro-life groups have long pointed out
there is never a medical necessity for the gruesome
procedure, and that the so-called "health exception" is
merely a calculated way of gutting the law, since
abortionists have interpreted that language broadly to
include such things as depression.
But even a decade ago, in a 1996 letter to the editor
published in The New York Times, Surgeon General C.
Everett Koop wrote: "With all that modern medicine has to
offer, partial-birth abortions are not needed to save the
life of the mother."
Samuel Lee, head of Campaign Life Missouri, said Monday's
decision highlights the need for a national precedent in
favor of life.
"The appeals court's decision highlights the urgent need
to change the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court so that
Congress and state legislatures can totally ban
partial-birth abortion," he said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the debate over
partial-birth abortion, visit the Focus on Social Issues
Web site:
http://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/bioethics/faqs/a0027734.cfm
----- 8 -----
Share Your Stories about the War on Christmas
Focus on the Family
Editor's Note
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
We see it every year at this time -- businesses and
schools and government entities refusing to acknowledge
Christmas out of fear of "offending" someone. You've read
the stories -- Target is the most newsworthy offender this
year, banning the use of "Merry Christmas" in its
advertising -- but we'd like to do more than just report
on these incidents this year.
That's why we're asking you to share your personal stories
of outrageous anti-Christmas sentiment with us.
What examples have you encountered in your own life of
Christmas being marginalized or banished? Christmas carols
outlawed at your children's school? A "holiday tree"
instead of a Christmas tree in the town square? Complaints
about the Nativity scene you put up in your own front
yard?
Whatever the tale, share it with us by sending an e-mail
to citizenlink@family.org -- using the subject line
Christmas Stories. We'll publish a sampling of the
submissions in the coming weeks.
Please remember, in your e-mails, to include your name and
place of residence; and know that by submitting your
comments, you understand you are granting Focus on the
Family the right to edit and publish them on CitizenLink's
Web site and in our daily e-mail update.
Thanks for taking part -- and "Merry Christmas."
----- 9 -----
Are Evangelicals 'Christianizing' America?
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
November 28, 2005
by Pete Winn, associate editor
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038709.cfm
SUMMARY: A secularist Jewish leader accuses conservative
Christians of trying to impose Christianity on the nation
-- charges even many Jewish leaders dismiss.
Evangelical Christians are extremist -- so extremist they
threaten to undermine religious tolerance in America.
That's what Abraham Foxman, the national director of the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a major American Jewish
group, said in a major address recently.
Citing by name several Christian pro-family groups,
including Focus on the Family, Foxman accused evangelicals
of trying to "Christianize" the U.S. -- and thereby trying
to impose a religious agenda on American life.
"Today we face a better-financed, more sophisticated,
coordinated, unified, energized and organized coalition of
groups in opposition to our policy positions on
church-state separation than ever before," the ADL leader
said. "Their goal is to implement their Christian
worldview. To Christianize America. To save us!"
He went on: "These groups and others intend to
'Christianize' all aspects of American life, from the
halls of government to libraries, movies, recording
studios and playing fields and locker rooms of
professional, collegiate and amateur sports, from the
military to SpongeBob SquarePants."
Foxman called on the Jewish community to stand in
opposition to conservative Christians.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
Alito Barbs Get Personal
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
November 28, 2005
from staff reports
SUMMARY: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar crosses the line in
saying America deserves a better Supreme Court nominee.
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038707.cfm
The attacks on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito are
getting personal, with Sen. Ken Salazar telling The New
York Times that America "deserves better" than Alito.
That's an odd statement from Colorado's junior senator,
considering Alito is one of the most experienced judges
ever to come before the Senate for confirmation.
But Cody Wertz, Salazar's press secretary, said his boss
stands behind his comments.
"America deserves a justice in the mold of Sandra Day
O'Connor," he told Family News in Focus. "A moderate judge
who will not turn back the court."
But family advocates think Salazar crossed the line.
"I'm shocked. These are the kind of comments and language
that one would expect from a city councilman in a tiny
little town," said Peter Brandt, senior director of
government and public policy at Focus on the Family
Action. "What we have here is a senator who is not willing
to look at a nominee on face value, based on the
qualifications."
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Take a moment to contact your two U.S.
senators and urge them to support the nomination of Judge
Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. For contact
information, including an easy-to-use e-mail form, visit
the CitizenLink Action Center and type your ZIP code into
the space provided.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/dbq/officials/
----- 11 -----
Planned Parenthood Wants More Money
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
November 28, 2005
from staff reports
SUMMARY: Abortion provider reportedly not happy some
federal funds earmarked for pro-life groups in Texas.
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038706.cfm
Planned Parenthood, accustomed to a near-monopoly on
federal family-planning money, is reportedly upset that
some of the funds earmarked for Texas are being set aside
for pro-life groups.
In the Lone Star State, up to $60 million a year goes to
Planned Parenthood, but this year, lawmakers have set
aside $5 million for pro-life efforts. Two groups have
applied for the money, and they'll know by the middle of
December if they qualify to receive it.
Carol Everett, president and founder of the Heidi Group,
is one of those hoping to secure some of the money.
"We're very excited about this," she told Family News in
Focus. "For the very first time, women will be able to
hear the truth in the state of Texas and know there is
another option."
Planned Parenthood of Texas did not return calls for
comment, but reports indicate the group is not pleased
that pregnancy resource centers are in line for money that
traditionally has gone to abortion providers.
"Planned Parenthood resists any attempts to restrict
abortion whatsoever," said Elizabeth Graham, director of
Texas Right to Life. "They have a for-profit, financial
interest in promoting and advocating that abortion mindset
because they make money off the sales of abortion."
Planned Parenthood, she added, is especially angry anytime
it has to share government funding.
"Anytime they lose money, whether it's one dollar or five
million dollars, they know they are losing potential
income," Graham explained. "And anytime a woman chooses
life, they have lost a client."
Everett is working to get federal family-planning money
divided equally between pro-life and pro-choice groups in
all 50 states, but said Planned Parenthood is doing what
it can to counter the effort.
The Texas funds being offered to pro-life groups are based
on a Pennsylvania model for family-planning funds.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: In the broadcast CD "Planned
Parenthood's Tragic Legacy," Dr. George Grant joins Dr.
James Dobson for an in-depth discussion of Planned
Parenthood's racist roots, systematic suppression of facts
about abortion and false image as a "healthcare provider"
for women. He exposes the real agenda of pro-abortion
activists and tells Christians what they can do to take a
stand.
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=2431&refcd=CE05KCZL&tvar=no
----- 12 -----
Texas Education Board Leaves Liberal Agency
Concerned Women for America
11/25/2005
By Emma Elliott
CWA of Texas hails decision as courageous.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/9525/CFI/education/index.htm
Citing concerns about a liberal agenda, the Texas State Board of Education last Friday voted to leave the National Association of State School Boards of Education (NASBE). The Texas board will withdraw the $40,600 it pays in annual membership dues.
Ann Hettinger, Concerned Women for America's North Texas Area Director, hails the board's decision as "courageous." She believes the NASBE "pushes the curriculum for our children far to the left of mainstream American."
The measure, introduced by board member Terri Leo (R-Spring), was passed by a 10-5 party line vote.
"[The NASBE] are taking policy positions that I believe the majority of our board members here don't agree with," Leo told the San Antonio Express-News, "and it costs an enormous amount of money."
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee endorsed Leo in her last election campaign. She was also endorsed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and every other elected Republican giving endorsement in her district.
In pushing for the withdrawal, Leo pointed to a 2004 NASBE publication on citizenship education. In a section dealing with the Bill of Rights, the publication described the First Amendment only as guaranteeing "separation of church and state," a phrase that does not appear in the Constitution. "Why didn't NASBE mention the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment for peaceable assembly, freedom of the press, and the petition of the government for redress of grievances?" Leo asked in a press release. "Are these no longer important for students to learn?"
Leo was also outraged by the NASBE's policy statements supporting comprehensive sex education. Texas law requires abstinence education.
Leo also based her case for withdrawing on an October 2005 NASBE symposium which sought to create a special category for homosexual victims of bullying. "I don't want a homosexual student bullied any more than I want a short chubby child bullied," Leo said in press release. "Elevating homosexuals by giving them special rights has been used to silence freedom of speech from teachers and students who respectfully disagree with homosexuality. The NASBE position violates the concept of equal protection under the law." She is concerned that this will create "thought crimes," in which thoughts or beliefs will be made illegal.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Research Continues to Uphold the Value of Marriage
Amelia Wigton
November 29, 2005
http://www.cwalac.org/article_285.shtml
During a special event held recently by the Heritage Foundation, leading sociologists and Wade Horn, Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, introduced new studies that affirm marriage is vital to a successful society.
Horn emphasized at the November 18 program that a federal investment in promoting healthy marriages helps to keep government small. This is because people are less likely to need governmental assistance if they grow up in stable homes. Supporting marriage goes to the root of many societal problems and allows young people to become independent, responsible adults.
The Institute for American Values detailed its findings in an extensive study called “Why Marriage Matters.” The study lists 26 sociological findings from 16 researchers, who state that marriage:
1. has not lost its value in minority communities, even though it has lost ground there in recent years;
2. benefits poor and disadvantaged Americans;
3. is particularly important in civilizing men, turning their attention away from dangerous, antisocial, or self-centered activities and toward the needs of a family;
4. influences the biological functioning of adults and children. Men and women experience greater physical and mental health. These factors can have important social consequences; and
5. heightens the relationship quality and commitment of intimate partners.
Another key supporter of healthy marriages, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), noted, “There are a number of important debates heating up about marriage, including whether we should redefine marriage. Before we consider changing what marriage means, we should look at what marriage is, what its benefits are, and why it is worth defending.”
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
CWA Joins in Amicus Briefs on Two Supreme Court Cases
Concerned Women for America
Emma Elliott
November 28, 2005
http://www.cwalac.org/article_284.shtml
Concerned Women for America (CWA) has joined in filing two amicus briefs on abortion-related cases to be argued before the Supreme Court this Wednesday.
CWA filed the first brief, written by attorney Theresa Schrempp as a volunteer to CWA, in the cases of Scheidler v. National Organization for Women and Operation Rescue v. National Organization for Women.
These cases center on whether or not pro-life activities, particularly demonstrating in front of abortion clinics, amount to extortion. Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women argue that they interfere with interstate commerce and take away intangible property, such as the “right” to conduct abortions. CWA’s brief argues that pro-life activities are not extortion but legal political protest.
The second brief was filed in the case of Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood, which will be argued before the Supreme Court immediately after Scheidler. CWA joined in a brief written by the Christian Legal Society.
Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood centers on a challenge to a New Hampshire law requiring parental consent before a minor may undergo an abortion. CWA’s brief argues that there is no medical justification to strike down the law, and the best medical interest of minors is served by their parent’s involvement in this life-changing decision.
To read the Scheidler brief, click here.
To read the Ayotte brief, click here.
Stay tuned to CWA’s Web site for developments in these cases.
----- 15 -----
No more 'holiday' trees at Capitol
By Gary Emerling
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
November 29, 2005
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20051129-120703-5977r.htm
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told federal officials that the lighted, decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- should be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree," as it was called until the late 1990s.
The Capitol's senior landscape architect confirmed the name switch yesterday for The Washington Times.
"It was known as the 'Holiday Tree' for several years and just recently was changed back to the 'Capitol Christmas Tree.' This was a directive from the speaker," said Capitol architect Matthew Evans.
"The speaker believes a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree, and it is as simple as that," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for the Illinois Republican.
[More at URL]
----- 16 -----
Once Upon a Time When America Had Christmas
by Rabbi Aryeh Spero
Posted Nov 23, 2005
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=10444
It’s December 2030, and I’m shopping with my grandson in a mall in Northern Virginia. We’ve purchased a gift for a relative.
“Gift wrap?” inquired the clerk.
“Yes, thanks.”
“Happy Chanukah, Merry Kwanzaa, or Eid Greetings?”
I frowned. The clerk whispered, “Listen, I think there may still be a few rolls of Christmas wrap in the back if you want…”
My grandson looked up at me and asked, “Why is the man whispering, Grandpa?”
The clerk leaned over the counter: “The store’s Diversity Regulations stipulate that we’re no longer permitted to offer anything saying ‘Christmas.’”
“Grandpa,” David asked, “when did the stores stop offering Christmas paper?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” I replied, “but I do remember that already back in 2005 stores like Kohl’s and Target no longer allowed their employees to say ‘Merry Christmas.’ Now even schools are forbidden to print the word ‘Christmas’ on their calendars in the December 25th box.”
“But, Grandpa, the President still lights the National Fern!”
“Yes, David, and it was once the National Christmas Tree. But there were these very powerful and well-moneyed groups such as the ACLU that for over 50 years relentlessly tried to remove anything of Christmas from American public life and social discourse. Then there was this other group, the ADL, which claimed to be fighting bigotry, but really appeared to be promoting bigotry against Christians and people with political views the ADL didn’t like. Anyway, by the time 2005 had arrived, most American people no longer had the conviction and mettle of the people who founded this nation in the 18th century.”
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Biting the Hand
Why is the ADL going after evangelical Christians?
BY DAVID BROG
Friday, November 25, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110007597
Earlier this month, Abraham Foxman took to the podium to address the key members of his Anti-Defamation League, the leading watchdog of anti-Semitism in America. In somber tones, Mr. Foxman sounded the alarm over the "key domestic challenge to the American Jewish community and to our democratic values." The threat he described was neither Islamic terror nor assimilation but a much more imaginative one. "Make no mistake," Mr. Foxman warned, "we are facing an emerging Christian Right leadership that intends to 'Christianize' all aspects of American life, from the halls of government to the libraries, to the movies, to recording studios, to the playing fields and locker room of professional, collegiate and amateur sports, from the military to SpongeBob SquarePants."
Mr. Foxman is an intelligent and experienced man. Thus one must marvel at his ability to scan the nation and determine that the key challenge facing American Jews comes from socially conservative Christians. The fate of beloved cartoon characters aside, there are very serious threats facing American Jews today, and they have nothing to do with social conservatives.
Al Qaeda and the home-grown cells who serve it have targeted Jews around the world, including in America. In 2002, the FBI warned Jewish leaders that al Qaeda was plotting to attack domestic Jewish targets with gasoline trucks. In 2003, the Bush administration raised the homeland-terror threat level to orange due in part to a large volume of threats against Jewish targets. And in August, the Justice Department secured the indictments of four American Muslims in a conspiracy to attack Los Angeles synagogues.
Outside of physical threats from without, Jewish life in America is seriously threatened from within by assimilation. The intermarriage rate has grown in every decade since 1970 and has now reached an alarming 47%. Only one-third of the children of these intermarriages are raised Jewish. These statistics, combined with the very low fertility rates of those Jews who do marry other Jews, explain why the Jewish population in America is steadily shrinking.
Far from being the source of such threats to American Jews, Christians are actually important allies in combating them. Conservative Christians surpass Jews as proponents of a robust war on terror at home and abroad. And when it comes to assimilation, these Christians demonstrate the only solution by their example. Evangelicals take their faith seriously: They go to church, teach religion to their children, and act on their faith through good works. If Jews followed their lead, assimilation rates would plummet.
[More at URL]
----- 18 -----
FDA to Review RU486 after Deaths in California
Focus on the Family
by Bill Wilson
November 29, 2005
Many are saying the review is overdue and the drug should be shelved.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0038717.cfm
The Food and Drug Administration is going to review its approval of the abortion pill, RU486 following the infection related deaths of four California women who used the drug. The review will begin in January. FDA regulators and scientists will explore whether the abortion pill makes patients vulnerable to a bacterial infection that may cause death. Concerned Women for America’s Bob Knight says it's about time.
“We’ve had four deaths from RU486 apparently, and they’re just starting to get into it now. I can only conclude that its political correctness that has slowed down their investigation.”
Several pro-life groups, including CWA, filed a petition asking the FDA to investigate the drug. Dr. David Hager of the Christian Medical Association.
“The FDA is looking at it and we are grateful that they are further evaluating it. I think the Centers for Disease Control will also be involved in that process.”
[...]
“RU 486 ought to be taken off the market immediately because it was never approved according to traditional FDA standards. RU486 is an aborta-facient. [sic] It kills babies. It has nothing to do with saving lives.”
Since its approval five years ago, RU486 has been used to end the lives of over 500,000 pre-born babies. The risks associated with the abortion pill were added to the pill’s label in July after the California deaths.
[More at URL]
----- 19 -----
FIRST-PERSON: A little leaven leavens the lump
Nov 22, 2005
By Baptist Press
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=22138
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP)--Attention, pastors: The Human Rights Campaign may soon be visiting your church, but it won’t be to protest. They’re out to get some religion.
Make no mistake, though. The nation’s leading advocate of special rights for people engaged in homosexual behavior, which has long characterized the biblical view of that behavior as a form of “hate speech,” hasn’t undergone a change of heart. When its members visit your congregation, it won’t be to hear about the saving grace of Jesus Christ that comes through true repentance -- it will be to change your church’s views on sexual behavior and the way you speak about it.
In mid-October, HRC unveiled the Religion and Faith Program, which President Joe Solmonese called “its most important campaign” in some time.
“It’s easy to be angry when ... religious fundamentalists are controlling the conversation about values in America,” the HRC website says. “The Human Rights Campaign is done with being angry about the hateful actions of so-called religious leaders. And we’re done with letting them do all the talking. We’re launching an unprecedented campaign to ‘change the conversation’ with our new Religion and Faith Program.”
This involves using religious leaders who openly support homosexual behavior “to counteract the closed-minded sound bites of extremists like Pat Robertson [and] James Dobson” as well as providing “preaching guides and resources about how to talk about GLBT equality with congregations, and then putting them in the hands of pastors, priests and rabbis who are hungry for this help.”
Those “closed-minded extremists” who still hold biblical views of sexuality and sin have long said the debate over "same-sex marriage" was just a smokescreen for the radical left’s true agenda. It isn’t about equality for people who practice homosexual behavior; it’s about silencing everyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly endorse that behavior. Because the church simply cannot do that, it is HRC’s Public Enemy No. 1.
Advocates of the homosexual agenda have already succeeded in “changing the conversation” with two of the three pillars of American culture -- the academy and the judiciary. With this announcement, they have officially declared war on the church. The gloves are off. The pretense of tolerance is over.
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
Return to 'Christmas' parade upsets some
North County Times
By: ADAM KAYE - Staff Writer
November 26, 2005
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/11/27/news/coastal/20_22_1711_26_05.txt
ENCINITAS ---- A yearly event intended to bring cheer to the community has instead brought rancor because the mayor decided to change its name. Mayor Dan Dalager, a lifelong resident of this thriving coastal city, has caused a tiff by renaming the city-sponsored Encinitas Holiday Parade as the Encinitas Christmas Parade.
Three groups have told the city they won't participate because of the change, but Dalager, a Christian, says he won't change it back and that the Encinitas Christmas Parade will proceed as scheduled on Dec. 3.
The event begins with a 5 p.m. tree-lighting ceremony at The Lumberyard shopping mall on South Coast Highway 101 at I Street. The parade itself runs south along the highway starting at D Street.
Exercising what he said is the mayor's prerogative, Dalager months ago instructed city staffers to rename the parade.
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
The Assault on Christmas
Tony Perkins, President
November 28, 2005 - Monday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU05K17
Boston's Mayor and Parks Commissioner has yielded to cries from people across the country: Beantown's "holiday tree" will be a Christmas tree, after all. The Christmas tree is an annual gift from Nova Scotia to thank the people of Boston for their great generosity following the explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax harbor during World War I. When he heard that the tree would no longer be called a Christmas tree, the Canadian donor said he'd rather put the majestic evergreen "in the chipper." Meanwhile on the West Coast, Encinitas, California, Mayor Dan Dalager braved criticism from the politically correct crowd. He renamed that city's holiday parade a Christmas parade. That's the name it proudly wore for decades, the Mayor explained. Mayor Dalager, a lifelong resident of the thriving coastal city, upset the local Girl Scouts council as well as the vice president of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Southern California. The dog club veep identified herself as an atheist. She did not, apparently, poll the dogs. Many of us think the celebration of Christmas is going to the dogs in this country when we see news stories about shoppers on "Black Friday" scuffling with Wal-Mart security guards. Fighting for what? A cheaper toy? A discounted laptop? The latest X-box? At times, it seems we went to sleep in George Bailey's friendly hometown in It's a Wonderful Life--and woke up in nasty Potterville! FRC wants to push back against the grinches who are stealing Christmas. If your town is in the grip of the politically correct crowd--and they're taking away cherished Christmas traditions--let's hear from you.
----- 22 -----
Pope Acts to Restrain Franciscans of Assisi
Edict Revoking Monks' Autonomy Seen as Reaction to Their Interfaith Activism
By Daniel Williams
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Page A18
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801707.html?sub=AR
ASSISI, Italy -- Imams, rabbis, Buddhist monks, Hindu holy men and followers of Confucius have strolled the chalky white and pink stone courtyards of the massive basilica here. Anti-globalization activists with fists in the air and Communist atheists carrying Marxist texts have conversed with gentle Catholic monks.
Peace marches and conferences on economic development, bioethics and myriad other topics have unfolded, all under the auspices of the Franciscan monks who control the shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi, the much-beloved and storied founder of the Franciscan order.
Such gatherings, particularly a pair of interfaith meetings between world religious officials and Pope John Paul II , attracted wide media attention. Some drew heated controversy, such as a 2003 visit by Tariq Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister at a time when the United States was gearing up to invade his country. Aziz, a Christian, lit a candle in a church.
With a stroke of the pen earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI put the future of such varied -- some would say freewheeling -- events in question, according to Roman Catholic observers, both those who favor Franciscan activism and those who oppose it.
The wikipedia entry on the nonprofit they founded with the purpose of fighting the teaching of evolutionary theory in schools, "Quality Science Education for All";
Focus on the Family/Morality in Media call for more Federal control over "indecent" television content;
Macy's changes out "Holiday" signs for "Christmas" signs in windows; Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM urges letters of thanks;
Dennis Hastert gets Capital Hill tree renamed Christmas tree; this is not the White House Christmas Tree, is the one the president lights; in 1995 the Republican-controlled congress had started calling it a Holiday tree - ACTION ITEM to thank Hastert;
Lowe's removes "Holiday tree" signs and replaces them with "Christmas tree" signs - AFA takes credit, FotF has an ACTION ITEM to thank Lowe's;
Missouri's so-called "partial birth abortion" bill overturned because it has no exemption for the life or health of the mother; fundamentalist groups outraged, say that the courts need to be changed so that they can have exactly that ban back, health of the mother be damned;
Focus on the Family asks readers to "Share [their] Stories about the War on Christmas";
Jewish Anti-Defamation League says fundamentalists are working against church-state separation (which they only deny when it makes them look bad, which is kind of funny) and "Christianise" America;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to support Alito's nomination for Supreme Court, accusing Colorado senator Salazar of "crossing the line" by saying that America "deserves better" than Samuel Alito;
FotF claims Planned Parenthood "wants more money" and is upset that two anti-abortion groups are getting Federal money via the Texas state budget; that's probably true, but FotF has no actual evidence of this at all - no quotes, no communication, no press release, and, in fact, no communication with Planned Parenthood at all on the topic; they made up the story wholesale based on supposition; the Heidi Group is one of those "pregnancy resource centres" that anti-abortion-rights groups like to put together near Planned Parenthood offices and university campuses;
CWA applauds Kevin Martin's push for al la carte programming in cable, satellite;
Texas State Board of Education votes to leave the National Association of State School Boards of Education (NASBE) on party-line vote, complaining specifically about NASBE's endorsement of church-state separation, comprehensive sexual education, and anti-bullying programmes that target the bullying of GBLT children;
CWA speaks up (as predicted) promoting Institute for American Values's Why Marriage Matters paper, which they call a study; says that marriage is needed to "civilise men" and "keeps government small";
CWA files amicus briefs to two Supreme Court reproductive-rights cases;
Washington Times's version of the "No more 'holiday' trees at Capitol" story;
Human Events publishes a paranoid fantasy about THE WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS and how NO CHRISTMAS WILL BE ALLOWED by 2030;
Wall Street Journal editorial criticising the ADL for criticising the fundamentalist movement;
FDA to review RU-486; fundamentalist leaders call for it to be removed from the market;
Baptist Press condemns the Human Rights Campaign's effort to reach out to pastors and the religious community, saying that HRC "have officially declared war on the church";
San Diego town's evangelical mayor renames their holiday parade a Christmas parade; Jewish group, others, upset;
FRC applauds Boston's Christmas Tree (not Holiday Tree anymore), LIKE FOTF asks readers to send in stories about how "politically correct" people are "taking away cherished Christmas traditions";
Pope revokes autonomy of Franciscans of Assisi.
----- 1 -----
Couple Sues Operators of Evolution Site
Associated Press
Sat Nov 26, 4:29 PM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051126/ap_on_sc/evolution_lawsuit
BERKELEY, Calif. - A California couple has sued the operators of a University of California-Berkeley Web site designed to help teachers teach evolution, claiming it improperly strays into religion.
Jeanne and Larry Caldwell of Granite Bay say portions of the Understanding Evolution Web site amount to a government endorsement of certain religious groups over others because the site is partly funded through a public money grant from the National Science Foundation.
In the lawsuit filed last month, the Caldwells contend the site is an effort "to modify the beliefs of public school science students so they will be more willing to accept evolutionary theory as true."
The plaintiffs are not proponents of "intelligent design" — a theory that living organisms are so complex they must have been created by a higher intelligence — but they object to the teaching of evolution as scientific fact, Jeanne Caldwell said.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Quality Science Education for All
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Article as of 27 November 2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Science_Education_for_All
Quality Science Education for All (QSEA) is a non-profit creationist foundation focused on challenging evolution as taught in public schools.
Part of the intelligent design movement, QSEA has been involved in legal disputes over science textbooks used in classrooms in several states, including Minnesota, Texas, and California. Other notable actions include Caldwell v. Roseville Joint Union High School District, a case brought "so that citizen proposals to implement 'Quality Science Education' in their local public school will be considered on their scientific and educational merits, rather than on the basis of pre-existing prejudices and bias."
QSEA is operated by the husband and wife team of Larry and Jeanne Caldwell, of Roseville, California. Larry Caldwell lists himself as founder and president.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
Senators to Consider Broadcast Indecency
Family News in Focus
Focus on the Family
November 29, 2005
from staff reports
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038728.cfm
SUMMARY: Industry groups speak out in advance of January
hearing.
The Senate Commerce Committee is slated to hold hearings
on broadcast indecency in January, but many industry
groups are giving informal testimony today.
On one side are those who want the government to further
regulate the airwaves and on the other side are those who
want self-regulation -- to place the burden on parents.
Jim Dyke, executive director of TV Watch, told Family News
in Focus that most people want the opportunity to decide
for themselves.
[...]
But Bob Peters, president of Morality in Media, countered
that it's unreasonable for parents to be the sole
gatekeepers.
"To put the whole emphasis on parents to figure out what
is and isn't suitable in this large choice of channels --
that they don't have any real choice in -- to say that
government doesn't have any role to play in maintaining
standards of decency in such a medium, is crazy," he said.
Peters said government has a responsibility to create
standards and to enforce those standards if TV or radio
stations don't comply.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Macy's Brings Back 'Christmas'
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
After not including 'Christmas' in advertising and store
displays in past years, one retail giant has come to its
senses.
Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America's
Culture & Family Institute, said efforts by CWA and others
helped convince Macy's to restore its traditional
Christmas messaging.
"Somebody at Macy's woke up and smelled the eggnog and
realized that embracing Christmas is good for business
during the Christmas season," Knight said. "Given the
obvious advantage of recognizing the reason for the
season, one can only wonder why Target Corporation
continues to approach Christmas with indifference or even
hostility in the name of diversity."
Target has not only told The Salvation Army and other
groups to stay away from its doors, it has banned any
mention of Christmas in advertisements and in-store
displays.
"If Target finds the mention of Jesus' name so offensive,
perhaps we would not want to burden them with
Christmas-gift-buying Christians in their stores," Knight
said. "Their very presence might offend one or two
non-Christmas 'holiday' shoppers."
TAKE ACTION: If you'd like to thank Macy's for returning
Christmas to its stores, you may use the company's online
form:
http://www.fds.com/contact/general.asp
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites'
content.)
----- 5 -----
Historic Name Restored to Capitol Hill Tree
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
Nine years after being stripped of any reference to
Christmas, the lighted tree gracing Capitol Hill will
return to its original name -- the Capitol Christmas Tree
-- thanks to House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
The first lighting ceremony for the Capitol Christmas Tree
occurred in 1964. Each year, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has provided a tree from national forests.
For clarity, this is not the White House tree that the
president flips a switch to light each year. That one has
always been called the White House Christmas Tree.
In 1995, the invitation for the Capitol Hill tree-lighting
ceremony invited guests to view the "Capitol Holiday Tree"
-- something the office of the Architect of the Capitol
called "more politically correct." According to the
Republican Study Committee, no official Congressional
action preceded the change, and no documentation
requesting the change has been located.
According to The Washington Times, Hastert told federal
officials that the tree should return to its original
name.
"The speaker believes a Christmas tree is a Christmas
tree," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for Hastert. "It is as
simple as that."
Mat Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, said people
aren't sure how to handle the word "Christmas" anymore.
"Government officials (and) private retailers -- either
because of misinformation or for politically correct
reasons -- are trying to secularize Christmas," Staver
said. "To rename a Christmas tree a 'Holiday Tree' is as
offensive as renaming a Jewish menorah a 'candlestick.' "
TAKE ACTION: Thank Rep. Dennis Hastert for recognizing
Christmas on the Capitol Hill lawn. You may reach him
through the CitizenLink Action Center:
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=227&lvl=C&chamber=H
----- 6 -----
Lowe's Re-Renames Christmas Trees
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
After receiving a flood of complaints about storefront
signs advertising "Holiday Trees" for sale, Lowe's has
gone back to referring to them as "Christmas Trees."
Tim Wildmon, president of The American Family Association
(AFA), said people are tired of all the political
correctness surrounding Christmas.
"Companies who choose to abandon the national observance
of Christmas are finding that Americans are not afraid to
speak out with their pocketbooks," he said. "It's good to
know Lowe's is a company that listens to their customers.
A statement from Lowe's read: "To ensure consistency of
our message and to avoid confusion among our customers, we
are now referring to the trees only as 'Christmas Trees.'
We have also removed a banner that read, 'Holiday Trees'
from the front of our stores."
TAKE ACTION: Please thank Lowe's for listening and
putting "Christmas" back where it belongs.
https://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=custSvcStoreFeedback&topic=customerService
----- 7 -----
Missouri Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Struck Down
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that
Missouri's ban on partial-birth abortion is
unconstitutional because it lacks a health exception, The
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The decision followed a six-year battle -- the state law
banning partial-birth abortion was passed in 1999, but was
immediately challenged.
Paula Gianino, president and chief executive officer of
Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, celebrated the
decision.
"We argued all along that Missouri's abortion ban was
unconstitutional because it failed to protect the health
of a woman during pregnancy," Gianino said. "Every major
decision by a court in this country, including the United
States Supreme Court, has said that any attempt to ban
abortion must always include two exceptions or protections
-- to protect both the health and the life of a woman in
the event of any serious medical crisis or emergency."
The procedure involves partially delivering a preborn
baby, puncturing the skull and extracting the brain,
killing the child. Pro-life groups have long pointed out
there is never a medical necessity for the gruesome
procedure, and that the so-called "health exception" is
merely a calculated way of gutting the law, since
abortionists have interpreted that language broadly to
include such things as depression.
But even a decade ago, in a 1996 letter to the editor
published in The New York Times, Surgeon General C.
Everett Koop wrote: "With all that modern medicine has to
offer, partial-birth abortions are not needed to save the
life of the mother."
Samuel Lee, head of Campaign Life Missouri, said Monday's
decision highlights the need for a national precedent in
favor of life.
"The appeals court's decision highlights the urgent need
to change the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court so that
Congress and state legislatures can totally ban
partial-birth abortion," he said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the debate over
partial-birth abortion, visit the Focus on Social Issues
Web site:
http://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/bioethics/faqs/a0027734.cfm
----- 8 -----
Share Your Stories about the War on Christmas
Focus on the Family
Editor's Note
November 29, 2005
[Received in email; no URL]
We see it every year at this time -- businesses and
schools and government entities refusing to acknowledge
Christmas out of fear of "offending" someone. You've read
the stories -- Target is the most newsworthy offender this
year, banning the use of "Merry Christmas" in its
advertising -- but we'd like to do more than just report
on these incidents this year.
That's why we're asking you to share your personal stories
of outrageous anti-Christmas sentiment with us.
What examples have you encountered in your own life of
Christmas being marginalized or banished? Christmas carols
outlawed at your children's school? A "holiday tree"
instead of a Christmas tree in the town square? Complaints
about the Nativity scene you put up in your own front
yard?
Whatever the tale, share it with us by sending an e-mail
to citizenlink@family.org -- using the subject line
Christmas Stories. We'll publish a sampling of the
submissions in the coming weeks.
Please remember, in your e-mails, to include your name and
place of residence; and know that by submitting your
comments, you understand you are granting Focus on the
Family the right to edit and publish them on CitizenLink's
Web site and in our daily e-mail update.
Thanks for taking part -- and "Merry Christmas."
----- 9 -----
Are Evangelicals 'Christianizing' America?
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
November 28, 2005
by Pete Winn, associate editor
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038709.cfm
SUMMARY: A secularist Jewish leader accuses conservative
Christians of trying to impose Christianity on the nation
-- charges even many Jewish leaders dismiss.
Evangelical Christians are extremist -- so extremist they
threaten to undermine religious tolerance in America.
That's what Abraham Foxman, the national director of the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a major American Jewish
group, said in a major address recently.
Citing by name several Christian pro-family groups,
including Focus on the Family, Foxman accused evangelicals
of trying to "Christianize" the U.S. -- and thereby trying
to impose a religious agenda on American life.
"Today we face a better-financed, more sophisticated,
coordinated, unified, energized and organized coalition of
groups in opposition to our policy positions on
church-state separation than ever before," the ADL leader
said. "Their goal is to implement their Christian
worldview. To Christianize America. To save us!"
He went on: "These groups and others intend to
'Christianize' all aspects of American life, from the
halls of government to libraries, movies, recording
studios and playing fields and locker rooms of
professional, collegiate and amateur sports, from the
military to SpongeBob SquarePants."
Foxman called on the Jewish community to stand in
opposition to conservative Christians.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
Alito Barbs Get Personal
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
November 28, 2005
from staff reports
SUMMARY: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar crosses the line in
saying America deserves a better Supreme Court nominee.
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038707.cfm
The attacks on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito are
getting personal, with Sen. Ken Salazar telling The New
York Times that America "deserves better" than Alito.
That's an odd statement from Colorado's junior senator,
considering Alito is one of the most experienced judges
ever to come before the Senate for confirmation.
But Cody Wertz, Salazar's press secretary, said his boss
stands behind his comments.
"America deserves a justice in the mold of Sandra Day
O'Connor," he told Family News in Focus. "A moderate judge
who will not turn back the court."
But family advocates think Salazar crossed the line.
"I'm shocked. These are the kind of comments and language
that one would expect from a city councilman in a tiny
little town," said Peter Brandt, senior director of
government and public policy at Focus on the Family
Action. "What we have here is a senator who is not willing
to look at a nominee on face value, based on the
qualifications."
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Take a moment to contact your two U.S.
senators and urge them to support the nomination of Judge
Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. For contact
information, including an easy-to-use e-mail form, visit
the CitizenLink Action Center and type your ZIP code into
the space provided.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/dbq/officials/
----- 11 -----
Planned Parenthood Wants More Money
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
November 28, 2005
from staff reports
SUMMARY: Abortion provider reportedly not happy some
federal funds earmarked for pro-life groups in Texas.
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038706.cfm
Planned Parenthood, accustomed to a near-monopoly on
federal family-planning money, is reportedly upset that
some of the funds earmarked for Texas are being set aside
for pro-life groups.
In the Lone Star State, up to $60 million a year goes to
Planned Parenthood, but this year, lawmakers have set
aside $5 million for pro-life efforts. Two groups have
applied for the money, and they'll know by the middle of
December if they qualify to receive it.
Carol Everett, president and founder of the Heidi Group,
is one of those hoping to secure some of the money.
"We're very excited about this," she told Family News in
Focus. "For the very first time, women will be able to
hear the truth in the state of Texas and know there is
another option."
Planned Parenthood of Texas did not return calls for
comment, but reports indicate the group is not pleased
that pregnancy resource centers are in line for money that
traditionally has gone to abortion providers.
"Planned Parenthood resists any attempts to restrict
abortion whatsoever," said Elizabeth Graham, director of
Texas Right to Life. "They have a for-profit, financial
interest in promoting and advocating that abortion mindset
because they make money off the sales of abortion."
Planned Parenthood, she added, is especially angry anytime
it has to share government funding.
"Anytime they lose money, whether it's one dollar or five
million dollars, they know they are losing potential
income," Graham explained. "And anytime a woman chooses
life, they have lost a client."
Everett is working to get federal family-planning money
divided equally between pro-life and pro-choice groups in
all 50 states, but said Planned Parenthood is doing what
it can to counter the effort.
The Texas funds being offered to pro-life groups are based
on a Pennsylvania model for family-planning funds.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: In the broadcast CD "Planned
Parenthood's Tragic Legacy," Dr. George Grant joins Dr.
James Dobson for an in-depth discussion of Planned
Parenthood's racist roots, systematic suppression of facts
about abortion and false image as a "healthcare provider"
for women. He exposes the real agenda of pro-abortion
activists and tells Christians what they can do to take a
stand.
http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=2431&refcd=CE05KCZL&tvar=no
----- 12 -----
Texas Education Board Leaves Liberal Agency
Concerned Women for America
11/25/2005
By Emma Elliott
CWA of Texas hails decision as courageous.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/9525/CFI/education/index.htm
Citing concerns about a liberal agenda, the Texas State Board of Education last Friday voted to leave the National Association of State School Boards of Education (NASBE). The Texas board will withdraw the $40,600 it pays in annual membership dues.
Ann Hettinger, Concerned Women for America's North Texas Area Director, hails the board's decision as "courageous." She believes the NASBE "pushes the curriculum for our children far to the left of mainstream American."
The measure, introduced by board member Terri Leo (R-Spring), was passed by a 10-5 party line vote.
"[The NASBE] are taking policy positions that I believe the majority of our board members here don't agree with," Leo told the San Antonio Express-News, "and it costs an enormous amount of money."
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee endorsed Leo in her last election campaign. She was also endorsed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and every other elected Republican giving endorsement in her district.
In pushing for the withdrawal, Leo pointed to a 2004 NASBE publication on citizenship education. In a section dealing with the Bill of Rights, the publication described the First Amendment only as guaranteeing "separation of church and state," a phrase that does not appear in the Constitution. "Why didn't NASBE mention the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment for peaceable assembly, freedom of the press, and the petition of the government for redress of grievances?" Leo asked in a press release. "Are these no longer important for students to learn?"
Leo was also outraged by the NASBE's policy statements supporting comprehensive sex education. Texas law requires abstinence education.
Leo also based her case for withdrawing on an October 2005 NASBE symposium which sought to create a special category for homosexual victims of bullying. "I don't want a homosexual student bullied any more than I want a short chubby child bullied," Leo said in press release. "Elevating homosexuals by giving them special rights has been used to silence freedom of speech from teachers and students who respectfully disagree with homosexuality. The NASBE position violates the concept of equal protection under the law." She is concerned that this will create "thought crimes," in which thoughts or beliefs will be made illegal.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Research Continues to Uphold the Value of Marriage
Amelia Wigton
November 29, 2005
http://www.cwalac.org/article_285.shtml
During a special event held recently by the Heritage Foundation, leading sociologists and Wade Horn, Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, introduced new studies that affirm marriage is vital to a successful society.
Horn emphasized at the November 18 program that a federal investment in promoting healthy marriages helps to keep government small. This is because people are less likely to need governmental assistance if they grow up in stable homes. Supporting marriage goes to the root of many societal problems and allows young people to become independent, responsible adults.
The Institute for American Values detailed its findings in an extensive study called “Why Marriage Matters.” The study lists 26 sociological findings from 16 researchers, who state that marriage:
1. has not lost its value in minority communities, even though it has lost ground there in recent years;
2. benefits poor and disadvantaged Americans;
3. is particularly important in civilizing men, turning their attention away from dangerous, antisocial, or self-centered activities and toward the needs of a family;
4. influences the biological functioning of adults and children. Men and women experience greater physical and mental health. These factors can have important social consequences; and
5. heightens the relationship quality and commitment of intimate partners.
Another key supporter of healthy marriages, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), noted, “There are a number of important debates heating up about marriage, including whether we should redefine marriage. Before we consider changing what marriage means, we should look at what marriage is, what its benefits are, and why it is worth defending.”
[More at URL]
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CWA Joins in Amicus Briefs on Two Supreme Court Cases
Concerned Women for America
Emma Elliott
November 28, 2005
http://www.cwalac.org/article_284.shtml
Concerned Women for America (CWA) has joined in filing two amicus briefs on abortion-related cases to be argued before the Supreme Court this Wednesday.
CWA filed the first brief, written by attorney Theresa Schrempp as a volunteer to CWA, in the cases of Scheidler v. National Organization for Women and Operation Rescue v. National Organization for Women.
These cases center on whether or not pro-life activities, particularly demonstrating in front of abortion clinics, amount to extortion. Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women argue that they interfere with interstate commerce and take away intangible property, such as the “right” to conduct abortions. CWA’s brief argues that pro-life activities are not extortion but legal political protest.
The second brief was filed in the case of Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood, which will be argued before the Supreme Court immediately after Scheidler. CWA joined in a brief written by the Christian Legal Society.
Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood centers on a challenge to a New Hampshire law requiring parental consent before a minor may undergo an abortion. CWA’s brief argues that there is no medical justification to strike down the law, and the best medical interest of minors is served by their parent’s involvement in this life-changing decision.
To read the Scheidler brief, click here.
To read the Ayotte brief, click here.
Stay tuned to CWA’s Web site for developments in these cases.
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No more 'holiday' trees at Capitol
By Gary Emerling
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
November 29, 2005
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20051129-120703-5977r.htm
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told federal officials that the lighted, decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- should be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree," as it was called until the late 1990s.
The Capitol's senior landscape architect confirmed the name switch yesterday for The Washington Times.
"It was known as the 'Holiday Tree' for several years and just recently was changed back to the 'Capitol Christmas Tree.' This was a directive from the speaker," said Capitol architect Matthew Evans.
"The speaker believes a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree, and it is as simple as that," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for the Illinois Republican.
[More at URL]
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Once Upon a Time When America Had Christmas
by Rabbi Aryeh Spero
Posted Nov 23, 2005
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=10444
It’s December 2030, and I’m shopping with my grandson in a mall in Northern Virginia. We’ve purchased a gift for a relative.
“Gift wrap?” inquired the clerk.
“Yes, thanks.”
“Happy Chanukah, Merry Kwanzaa, or Eid Greetings?”
I frowned. The clerk whispered, “Listen, I think there may still be a few rolls of Christmas wrap in the back if you want…”
My grandson looked up at me and asked, “Why is the man whispering, Grandpa?”
The clerk leaned over the counter: “The store’s Diversity Regulations stipulate that we’re no longer permitted to offer anything saying ‘Christmas.’”
“Grandpa,” David asked, “when did the stores stop offering Christmas paper?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” I replied, “but I do remember that already back in 2005 stores like Kohl’s and Target no longer allowed their employees to say ‘Merry Christmas.’ Now even schools are forbidden to print the word ‘Christmas’ on their calendars in the December 25th box.”
“But, Grandpa, the President still lights the National Fern!”
“Yes, David, and it was once the National Christmas Tree. But there were these very powerful and well-moneyed groups such as the ACLU that for over 50 years relentlessly tried to remove anything of Christmas from American public life and social discourse. Then there was this other group, the ADL, which claimed to be fighting bigotry, but really appeared to be promoting bigotry against Christians and people with political views the ADL didn’t like. Anyway, by the time 2005 had arrived, most American people no longer had the conviction and mettle of the people who founded this nation in the 18th century.”
[More at URL]
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Biting the Hand
Why is the ADL going after evangelical Christians?
BY DAVID BROG
Friday, November 25, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110007597
Earlier this month, Abraham Foxman took to the podium to address the key members of his Anti-Defamation League, the leading watchdog of anti-Semitism in America. In somber tones, Mr. Foxman sounded the alarm over the "key domestic challenge to the American Jewish community and to our democratic values." The threat he described was neither Islamic terror nor assimilation but a much more imaginative one. "Make no mistake," Mr. Foxman warned, "we are facing an emerging Christian Right leadership that intends to 'Christianize' all aspects of American life, from the halls of government to the libraries, to the movies, to recording studios, to the playing fields and locker room of professional, collegiate and amateur sports, from the military to SpongeBob SquarePants."
Mr. Foxman is an intelligent and experienced man. Thus one must marvel at his ability to scan the nation and determine that the key challenge facing American Jews comes from socially conservative Christians. The fate of beloved cartoon characters aside, there are very serious threats facing American Jews today, and they have nothing to do with social conservatives.
Al Qaeda and the home-grown cells who serve it have targeted Jews around the world, including in America. In 2002, the FBI warned Jewish leaders that al Qaeda was plotting to attack domestic Jewish targets with gasoline trucks. In 2003, the Bush administration raised the homeland-terror threat level to orange due in part to a large volume of threats against Jewish targets. And in August, the Justice Department secured the indictments of four American Muslims in a conspiracy to attack Los Angeles synagogues.
Outside of physical threats from without, Jewish life in America is seriously threatened from within by assimilation. The intermarriage rate has grown in every decade since 1970 and has now reached an alarming 47%. Only one-third of the children of these intermarriages are raised Jewish. These statistics, combined with the very low fertility rates of those Jews who do marry other Jews, explain why the Jewish population in America is steadily shrinking.
Far from being the source of such threats to American Jews, Christians are actually important allies in combating them. Conservative Christians surpass Jews as proponents of a robust war on terror at home and abroad. And when it comes to assimilation, these Christians demonstrate the only solution by their example. Evangelicals take their faith seriously: They go to church, teach religion to their children, and act on their faith through good works. If Jews followed their lead, assimilation rates would plummet.
[More at URL]
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FDA to Review RU486 after Deaths in California
Focus on the Family
by Bill Wilson
November 29, 2005
Many are saying the review is overdue and the drug should be shelved.
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0038717.cfm
The Food and Drug Administration is going to review its approval of the abortion pill, RU486 following the infection related deaths of four California women who used the drug. The review will begin in January. FDA regulators and scientists will explore whether the abortion pill makes patients vulnerable to a bacterial infection that may cause death. Concerned Women for America’s Bob Knight says it's about time.
“We’ve had four deaths from RU486 apparently, and they’re just starting to get into it now. I can only conclude that its political correctness that has slowed down their investigation.”
Several pro-life groups, including CWA, filed a petition asking the FDA to investigate the drug. Dr. David Hager of the Christian Medical Association.
“The FDA is looking at it and we are grateful that they are further evaluating it. I think the Centers for Disease Control will also be involved in that process.”
[...]
“RU 486 ought to be taken off the market immediately because it was never approved according to traditional FDA standards. RU486 is an aborta-facient. [sic] It kills babies. It has nothing to do with saving lives.”
Since its approval five years ago, RU486 has been used to end the lives of over 500,000 pre-born babies. The risks associated with the abortion pill were added to the pill’s label in July after the California deaths.
[More at URL]
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FIRST-PERSON: A little leaven leavens the lump
Nov 22, 2005
By Baptist Press
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=22138
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP)--Attention, pastors: The Human Rights Campaign may soon be visiting your church, but it won’t be to protest. They’re out to get some religion.
Make no mistake, though. The nation’s leading advocate of special rights for people engaged in homosexual behavior, which has long characterized the biblical view of that behavior as a form of “hate speech,” hasn’t undergone a change of heart. When its members visit your congregation, it won’t be to hear about the saving grace of Jesus Christ that comes through true repentance -- it will be to change your church’s views on sexual behavior and the way you speak about it.
In mid-October, HRC unveiled the Religion and Faith Program, which President Joe Solmonese called “its most important campaign” in some time.
“It’s easy to be angry when ... religious fundamentalists are controlling the conversation about values in America,” the HRC website says. “The Human Rights Campaign is done with being angry about the hateful actions of so-called religious leaders. And we’re done with letting them do all the talking. We’re launching an unprecedented campaign to ‘change the conversation’ with our new Religion and Faith Program.”
This involves using religious leaders who openly support homosexual behavior “to counteract the closed-minded sound bites of extremists like Pat Robertson [and] James Dobson” as well as providing “preaching guides and resources about how to talk about GLBT equality with congregations, and then putting them in the hands of pastors, priests and rabbis who are hungry for this help.”
Those “closed-minded extremists” who still hold biblical views of sexuality and sin have long said the debate over "same-sex marriage" was just a smokescreen for the radical left’s true agenda. It isn’t about equality for people who practice homosexual behavior; it’s about silencing everyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly endorse that behavior. Because the church simply cannot do that, it is HRC’s Public Enemy No. 1.
Advocates of the homosexual agenda have already succeeded in “changing the conversation” with two of the three pillars of American culture -- the academy and the judiciary. With this announcement, they have officially declared war on the church. The gloves are off. The pretense of tolerance is over.
[More at URL]
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Return to 'Christmas' parade upsets some
North County Times
By: ADAM KAYE - Staff Writer
November 26, 2005
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/11/27/news/coastal/20_22_1711_26_05.txt
ENCINITAS ---- A yearly event intended to bring cheer to the community has instead brought rancor because the mayor decided to change its name. Mayor Dan Dalager, a lifelong resident of this thriving coastal city, has caused a tiff by renaming the city-sponsored Encinitas Holiday Parade as the Encinitas Christmas Parade.
Three groups have told the city they won't participate because of the change, but Dalager, a Christian, says he won't change it back and that the Encinitas Christmas Parade will proceed as scheduled on Dec. 3.
The event begins with a 5 p.m. tree-lighting ceremony at The Lumberyard shopping mall on South Coast Highway 101 at I Street. The parade itself runs south along the highway starting at D Street.
Exercising what he said is the mayor's prerogative, Dalager months ago instructed city staffers to rename the parade.
[More at URL]
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The Assault on Christmas
Tony Perkins, President
November 28, 2005 - Monday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU05K17
Boston's Mayor and Parks Commissioner has yielded to cries from people across the country: Beantown's "holiday tree" will be a Christmas tree, after all. The Christmas tree is an annual gift from Nova Scotia to thank the people of Boston for their great generosity following the explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax harbor during World War I. When he heard that the tree would no longer be called a Christmas tree, the Canadian donor said he'd rather put the majestic evergreen "in the chipper." Meanwhile on the West Coast, Encinitas, California, Mayor Dan Dalager braved criticism from the politically correct crowd. He renamed that city's holiday parade a Christmas parade. That's the name it proudly wore for decades, the Mayor explained. Mayor Dalager, a lifelong resident of the thriving coastal city, upset the local Girl Scouts council as well as the vice president of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Southern California. The dog club veep identified herself as an atheist. She did not, apparently, poll the dogs. Many of us think the celebration of Christmas is going to the dogs in this country when we see news stories about shoppers on "Black Friday" scuffling with Wal-Mart security guards. Fighting for what? A cheaper toy? A discounted laptop? The latest X-box? At times, it seems we went to sleep in George Bailey's friendly hometown in It's a Wonderful Life--and woke up in nasty Potterville! FRC wants to push back against the grinches who are stealing Christmas. If your town is in the grip of the politically correct crowd--and they're taking away cherished Christmas traditions--let's hear from you.
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Pope Acts to Restrain Franciscans of Assisi
Edict Revoking Monks' Autonomy Seen as Reaction to Their Interfaith Activism
By Daniel Williams
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Page A18
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801707.html?sub=AR
ASSISI, Italy -- Imams, rabbis, Buddhist monks, Hindu holy men and followers of Confucius have strolled the chalky white and pink stone courtyards of the massive basilica here. Anti-globalization activists with fists in the air and Communist atheists carrying Marxist texts have conversed with gentle Catholic monks.
Peace marches and conferences on economic development, bioethics and myriad other topics have unfolded, all under the auspices of the Franciscan monks who control the shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi, the much-beloved and storied founder of the Franciscan order.
Such gatherings, particularly a pair of interfaith meetings between world religious officials and Pope John Paul II , attracted wide media attention. Some drew heated controversy, such as a 2003 visit by Tariq Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister at a time when the United States was gearing up to invade his country. Aziz, a Christian, lit a candle in a church.
With a stroke of the pen earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI put the future of such varied -- some would say freewheeling -- events in question, according to Roman Catholic observers, both those who favor Franciscan activism and those who oppose it.
