Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Jun. 29th, 2006 11:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdThere's a bunch of random action items today, none of which seem very likely to do very much; Canadian readers should note that Focus on the Family Canada has started the push to relabel emergency contraception as an abortion agent, as fundamentalists have already succeeded in doing in-community in the US. Also, the Canada Family Action Coalition is now reprinting Dobson columns, so the export hose is on high flow.
But now, today's news.
James Dobson on CNN: "Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage";
California bill prohibiting anti-gay curricula in California schools stalls - Focus on the Family takes credit for stopping it; includes ACTION ITEM to continue campaigning against it via your local legislators;
FotF upset that the CDC recommended making the anti-HPV vaccine standard practice; they want specific parental consent to be required even though it prevents cancer because HPV is sexually transmitted;
Dobson endorses GOP's 'American Values Agenda,' which starts with a pointless vote on the anti-marriage "Marriage Protection Amendment";
FotF makes another push for the "Public Expression of Religion Act," designed to cripple challenges to state endorsement of religion in courts by making them financially untenable;
Faith and Freedom Network is looking for people to do campaign work for judges they endorse this fall in Washington State; they're particularly looking for people in Bellevue and Kirkland;
Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council promote their big so-called "Values Voters" fundamentalist political action confab in DC this fall;
FotF very unhappy about the Warren Buffett donations to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;
Alliance Defense Fund gets the film American History X labelled as "sexually explicit... featuring homosexual behaviour" in Virginia; says describing it as a film "about racial tension is extremely misleading";
Focus on the Family calls Senator Arlen Spector's support for stem-cell research "rabid," attacks him for not being enough on their side - he's co-sponsouring an adult-stem-cell research funding effort but not dropping support for embryonic;
Focus on the Family condemns Pennsylvania Senate for stripping the civil unions ban from an anti-marriage amendment currently under consideration; calls CUs "just another name for marriage," wants them banned;
FotF re-points-to a nicely rabid 2005 article against judges who issue rulings they don't like;
Concerned Women for America condemns Major League Baseball for punishing Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen after he made a series of anti-gay slurs;
The son of fundamentalist activist David Parker was in a fight at school; Concerned Women for America is outraged and implies that it's because of his father's anti-gay activism; this is the same organisation that I listened to defend gaybashing all through the 1990s on the radio;
Arkansas Supreme Court overturns local lesbian and gay foster parent ban;
American Family Association claims credit for change in National Education Association paragraph;
Latest AFA ACTION ITEM against Ford Motor carries an ad for the so-called "Values Voters Summit" mentioned above;
AFA's Agape Press lauds the GOP 'Values Agenda' also mentioned above;
AFA of Indiana condemns local 4-H group for not starting meetings with prayers (and for having a general rule against organisational prayer);
AFA moves into the war against the New York Times; calls for prosecution of the paper's writers, and editors; this is particularly interesting because the fundamentalist groups have typically stayed out of this area, but are now moving into it;
LifeSite demands the Israeli government ban World Pride meeting in Jerusalem;
AFA also upset that Chicago manager Guillen punished for using an anti-gay slur;
AFA/LifeSite promotes censorship of books about Cuba;
Traditional Values Coalition ACTION ITEM to demand a new Federal anti-marriage amendment that bans civil unions and domestic partnerships as well as marriage rights for GBLT people;
TVC condemns the Pentagon for disavowing that homosexuality is a mental illness;
TVC condemns Pediatric Academic Societies members for urging gender-dysphoric children receive appropriate treatment - the TVC position is that people with gender dysphoria should be involuntarily institutionalised, in addition to losing all rights to any sort of family relationship;
TVC pushes the line-item veto for President Bush, and HR 4890, which would apparently try to set such a veto up by process of law, rather than Constitutional amendment, which strikes me as clearly unconstitutional - not that they care; includes an ACTION ITEM to support the bill;
Canada Family Action Coalition says that Harper should put marriage rights to a national vote, not just to a free vote of MPs; reprints James Dobson's CNN anti-marriage commentary today as well;
Focus on the Family Canada attacks Plan B (emergency contraception), says sales have gone up partly because of Americans crossing the border and partly because it went OTC; asserts that the definition of pregnancy was changed to make Plan B not an abortion pill(!); this is an amazing bit of lying, but it's intended to convince Canadian readers than Plan B causes abortions, as they've long succeeded in doing in the US.
----- 1 -----
Commentary: Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage
By James C. Dobson
Special to CNN
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 Posted: 2134 GMT (0534 HKT)
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/06/28/dobson.gaymarriage/index.html
Editor's note: James C. Dobson is founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action. He has a Ph.D. in child development and is author of the best-selling book, "Bringing Up Boys." He's currently working on a follow-up, "Bringing Up Girls."
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- On June 7, the U.S. Senate voted for a second time on an amendment to define marriage in the U.S. Constitution as being exclusively between one man and one woman.
Again this year, the amendment failed to pass by a wide margin, falling 18 votes shy of a required two-thirds majority. The final tally was 49 in favor, 48 opposed.
[More at URL]
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June 29, 2006
California Pro-Gay Education Bill Stalls
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Assembly delays vote on legislation after thousands of Golden Staters speak out against the teaching of "gay-positive" propaganda in public schools.
California lawmakers postponed a vote today on a dangerous bill which could force the state's public schools to parrot gay propaganda when it comes to discussions about homosexuality — and outcry from family advocates appears to be the reason for the delay.
Members of the California Assembly were scheduled to vote this morning on SB 1437, which would prohibit schools in the Golden State from "reflecting adversely" on homosexuality, transsexuality and bisexuality.
[...]
"What happened was that Focus on the Family Action and a number of other groups came to the people of California and asked them to make phone calls and send faxes — and they did so," Prentice told CitizenLink.
On Wednesday, Focus Action issued a broadcast call to Californians to get involved and speak out against the bill.
"The governor's office was overwhelmed," Prentice said, "and every Assembly member's office in California was overwhelmed with faxes and phone calls asking them to commit to upholding traditional values — especially in California's educational curriculum."
[...]
TAKE ACTION
If you are a Californian, please contact your Assembly member's district offices to let them know that you oppose S.B. 1437 — and to find out if they also oppose the bill.
For help in contacting your California state Assembly member, log in to the CitizenLink Action Center.
[More at URL]
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CDC Action on HPV Vaccine Questioned
States likely to mandate shots for girls as young as 9 in effort to prevent human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
June 29, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041077.cfm
Focus on the Family reacted with disappointment to today's decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strongly recommend that girls as young as 9 receive a vaccination for the sexually transmitted disease HPV.
The vaccine to prevent HPV (human papillomavirus), a virus known to cause cervical cancer, is already on the market. Known by the name Gardasil, it was created by the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.
[...]
"Any way this is spun," Klepacki added, "the only truly safe protection from HPV or any other sexually transmitted infection is to remain sexually abstinent until marriage, marry an uninfected person and remain faithful in marriage."
[...]
"It's important for parents to know that all fifty states allow medical exemptions from vaccines, and most also permit exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons," she explained. "We want parents to be educated as to what this vaccine will do and won't do so that they can make an informed decision as to whether to vaccinate their children."
[More at URL]
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Dr. Dobson Applauds 'American Values Agenda'
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 29, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041080.cfm
Count Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James Dobson among the pro-family leaders pleased by the U.S. House of Representatives' consideration of what GOP leaders are calling the "American Values Agenda."
House leadership announced Tuesday an effort to act on a 10-piece package of values-oriented bills — including a House version of the Marriage Protection Amendment.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
School's Jesus Portrait Challenged
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 29, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041079.cfm
School officials in Clarksburg, W.V., have been sued for refusing to remove a portrait of Jesus that has hung in Bridgeport High School for at least three decades.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) filed the suit, alleging that school officials are violating the First Amendment by forcing a Christian message on students.
[...]
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the situation spotlights the need for U.S. Rep. John Hostettler's Public Expression of Religion Act. The Indiana Republican's bill would bar groups like AU and the ACLU from collecting attorneys' fees in religious-expression cases like the one in West Virginia.
[More at URL]
----- 6 -----
Help elect Conservative Supreme Court Justices
Faith and Freedom Network
June 28, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
Dear XXXXX,
Do you want to help elect conservative judges to the Supreme Court and get paid to do it? Here is your chance.
Faith & Freedom Network is teaming with Walk for Washington to offer part-time paid positions; doorbelling, surveying, & precinct canvassing.
If you live in the Bellevue or Kirkland area, have transportation to and from the walk areas, or if you are willing to drive to those areas, you can earn $10 hour up to 24 hours a week. This exciting opportunity begins now and will continue through Election Day. This is a great opportunity to gain political experience, earn income, and get great exercise at the same time.
We are looking for a team of motivated walkers who want to make a difference in the upcoming elections— and get paid. Using the latest technological advances, your work will help elect candidates with a pro-Constitution and free-market philosophy towards governing.
Positions are still available, so please call or email Jon Russell, Field Director for Faith & Freedom at 425.286.6594 or j.russell@faithandfreedom.us. Find out how you can be a part of a groundbreaking effort on the cutting-edge of grassroots activism.
Visit our website for more information on how you can become involved!
Thank your customer, tell them how valuable they are to you, but don't go overboard. Insincerity is easy to spot.
Sincerely,
Jon Russell, Field Director
Faith and Freedom Network
email: info@faithandfreedom.us
phone: 425-486-6594
web: http://www.faithandfreedom.us
----- 7 -----
Plan Now to Attend Values Voters Summit
The Washington Briefing, to be held Sept. 22-24, will equip Christians for the 2006 election and beyond.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0041058.cfm
A pro-family conference to be held Sept. 22-24 in Washington, D.C., will gather conservative leaders — and everyday believers looking for tips on how to stand up for righteousness — to discuss issues vital to the well-being of faith and family.
Tony Perkins, president of event sponsor FRC Action and a conference speaker, talked with CitizenLink about the summit and why all politically active Christians should consider attending.
Q. The Washington Briefing will be held in September. Tell me, in a nutshell, what will happen on those conference days?
A. This is an opportunity for the values voters to gather here in Washington on the eve of the important 2006 midterm elections to draw attention back to the core issues that were central to the 2004 election cycle — issues like marriage and family that have gotten sidetracked along the way. We're bringing these back to show that these are issues that folks still care very deeply about and are willing to work for and fight for.
[More at URL]
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Gates-Buffett Linkup Troubles Pro-Life Activists
The billionaires' combining of forces almost certain to mean millions more for abortion, population-control groups.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041059.cfm
Billionaire financier Warren Buffett announced this week he is going to leave 80 percent of his estate — more than $35 billion — to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It's a donation that is troubling to the pro-life community, according to Joseph D'Agostino of the Population Research Institute.
"It's very scary," D'Agostino told CitizenLink. "The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has very close ties and gives a lot of money to pro-abortion groups, such as Planned Parenthood, and for population control around the world."
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
School Attempts to Slip Explicit Video Past Parents
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041063.cfm
The Governor's School in Raleigh, N.C., has backed off plans to show a sexually explicit video, featuring homosexual behavior, to students without their parents' consent.
School officials repeatedly promised they would gain parental consent before allowing students to watch American History X. But parents weren't informed until after an Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney got involved.
The Governor's School, a six-week summer program funded by taxpayers that is for academically gifted students, advertised the film as part of the "Race and Film" series.
[More at URL]
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Specter's Support of Adult Stem-Cell Bill Has Some Skeptical
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041060.cfm
Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum, both Republicans from Pennsylvania, have co-sponsored a bill that would set aside funding for adult stem-cell research — research that does not involve the destruction of human life, the Centre Daily Times reported.
[...]
Specter has for months urged colleagues to consider legislation that would lift current restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research — so his sponsorship of the adult stem-cell research bill has pro-family analysts skeptical.
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior analyst for bioethics for Focus on the Family Action, said while there is nothing inherently wrong with the bill, it doesn't mean Specter has changed his mind about killing embryos in the name of science.
"Sen. Specter's support for this bill by no means pardons his rabid promotion of creating and destroying human embryos for morally corrupt stem-cell research," she said. "I would call on all U.S. senators to reject the House-passed HR 810 that would rescind the Bush policy limiting federal funds used for destructive embryonic stem-cell research.
[More at URL]
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Pennsylvania Senators Let Down Pro-Family Group
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 27, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041041.cfm
A pro-family group is charging Pennsylvania lawmakers with destroying traditional marriage for stripping a proposed state constitutional amendment of language that would prevent civil unions.
The state House approved a marriage amendment that defined marriage as being the union of one man and one woman and forbade any union that would try to imitate marriage -- such as civil unions.
When the bill was reviewed by the Senate, the language forbidding any other form of domestic partnerships was stripped.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Bad Behavior
by Candi Cushman
Focus on the Family
Focus on Social Issues
May 4, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/government/courts/state/a0036435.cfm
Some judges are getting out of control. Can they be stopped?
With the battle over President Bush's federal court nominees heating up, there's been a lot of talk among Christian conservatives about how almost every area of life they care about—the education of their children, who's allowed to marry and even the decision of when a loved one dies—seems threatened by out-of-control courts.
But exactly who are the black-robed renegades making the headlines?
To answer that question, Citizen investigated the judges who've written some of the most outrageous rulings in recent years. We discovered an interesting pattern.
Most of them seemed like pretty benign citizens before they got on the bench. Among their ranks were Scout leaders, regular church attenders, and in some cases, professing Christians and registered Republicans. Nothing in public records revealed a leaning toward left-wing extremism. In fact, it was hard to find a paper trail on them.
That obscurity is no accident. Many judicial candidates purposefully hide their views of law and justice from the general public until they've already gotten lifetime appointments to the bench.
"Our system of electing or appointing judges is inherently flawed because it's premised on the faulty notion that judges' "independence" on the bench depends on how little the public knows about their judicial philosophy," said Bruce Hausknecht, Focus on the Family's judicial analyst.
[More at URL]
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Major League Baseball Calls in Thought Police
Concerned Women for America
6/30/2006
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11019/CFI/misc/index.htm
Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen has made headlines by spouting off insults directed at the homosexual community. Now Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has sentenced Guillen to sensitivity training. Bob Knight, Director of CWA’s Culture & Family Institute, says while Guillen’s remarks are indefensible, so is the punishment of tolerance training. Click here to listen.
[More at URL]
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Seven-Year-Old Son of Massachusetts Pro-Family Activist Attacked
Concerned Women for America
6/29/2006
By Sarah Kuziomko
Pro-family activists say the incident was premeditated; school officials disagree.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11034/CFI/family/index.htm
(Editor’s note: This is an updated and revised version of an article that first appeared on June 22.)
The 7-year-old son of pro-family activist David Parker was beaten behind his school, Joseph Estabrook Elementary, in Lexington, Massachusetts, on May 17, the second anniversary of same-sex “marriage” in the Bay State.
According to some pro-family activists, the victim, first-grader Jacob Parker, apparently is feeling the heat for his father’s opposition to “forced pro-homosexual education,” and that school authorities appear to have a double standard.
[More at URL]
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Ark. High Court Backs Gay Foster Parents
By ANDREW DEMILLO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today: June 29, 2006 at 8:26:1 PDT
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2006/jun/29/062908312.html
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas cannot ban homosexuals from becoming foster parents because there is no link between their sexual orientation and a child's well-being, the state's high court ruled Thursday.
The court also said testimony in the case showed that the ban was based on one group's view of morality.
The state's child welfare board instituted the ban in 1999, saying children should be in traditional two-parent homes because they would be more likely to thrive.
[More at URL]
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Important NEA update: Your Efforts Made A Difference, NEA Changes Paragraph.
American Family Association
June 27, 2006
http://www.afa.net/nea062706.asp
Because of the efforts by AFA Online supporters, the National Education Association was forced to drop their proposal to endorse homosexual marriage.
Within hours of AFA Online's alert, the NEA had removed the original proposal and replaced it with a new one. The original paragraph under section B-8 Diversity read as follows:
The Association believes that legal rights and responsibilities with regard to medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, legal immigration, domestic partnerships, and civil unions and/or marriage belong to all these diverse groups and individuals.
To see the resolution in full, click here (bottom of page in bold type).
Due to the response from AFA Online supporters, the NEA immediately changed that paragraph to read as follows:
The Association also believes that these factors should not affect the legal rights and obligations of the partners in a legally-recognized domestic partnership, civil union, or marriage in regard to matters involving the other partner, such as medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, and immigration.
[More at URL]
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Ford Sponsors Homosexual Media Awards, Desperate Housewives
American Family Association
June 26, 2006
http://www.afa.net/ford062706.asp
When Ford said they support homosexual groups promoting same-sex marriage, they meant it. Ford put forth this declaration: "This is a strong commitment we intend to carry forward with no exception."
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards events were recently held in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The GLAAD Awards honored those who had made outstanding contributions to the homosexual lifestyle. Ford was a corporate sponsor for all four GLAAD Media Awards events.
In an effort to overcome the boycott called by AFA, Ford is telling potential customers that they advertise in Christian publications such as Christianity Today, Today's Christian Woman, The National Liberty Journal and Charisma. They also say that they are the largest advertiser on Christian radio. It is no accident that Ford all of a sudden has begun to advertise in Christian publications and on Christian radio.
In addition to their promotion of homosexuality, last week Ford sponsored ABC's Desperate Housewives, the TV program which promotes the legitimization of adultery and promiscuity. Desperate Housewives confronts viewers with themes of adultery, sexual promiscuity, and deceitfulness portrayed as the norm. The program gives the message time and again that the end justifies the means. If sexual immorality, lying, and manipulation can get you what you want, then it's okay. Remember, Ford says they pre-screen programs and only sponsor programs they find acceptable.
[More at URL]
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Pro-Family Groups Applaud GOP's 'Values Agenda'
But House-Led Initiative Stumbles Out of the Gate
By Jody Brown
June 29, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/292006a.asp
(AgapePress) - Calling Republican leaders "proactive" and "in touch," two prominent pro-family groups are applauding a move in the U.S. House they say shows a commitment to traditional family values.
Earlier this week, House GOP leaders unveiled a list of legislative initiatives they hope to push through their chamber of Congress in the coming months. Dubbed the "American Values Agenda," the list includes bills addressing issues deemed by those legislators as top priorities for America's families. House Majority Leader John Boehner describes the agenda as "a collection of legislative initiatives that speak to the values many American citizens hold dear."
The Republican lawmaker from Ohio describes those values -- "freedom to display the American flag ... freedom of religious expression ... the right to keep and bear arms ... respect for the sanctity of marriage, and the dignity of all human life." All, he says, are values that have defined the American character, protected families, and shaped society.
"The House of Representatives belongs to the American people, and the American people want us to act on the issues they care about," says Boehner in a press release. "This is their agenda."
Specifically, the measures called out in the agenda are: Pledge Protection Act (HR 2389); Freedom to Display the American Flag Act (HR 42); The Public Expression of Religion Act (HR 2679); Marriage Amendment (HJRes 88); Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR 356); Human Cloning Prohibition Act (HR 1357); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive (BATFE) Reform (HR 5092); Internet Gambling Prohibition; Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act (HR 5013); and Permanent Tax Relief for Families.
[More at URL]
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4-H Prayer Ban Offensive to Hoosier Families, Says State Activist
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
June 29, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/292006c.asp
(AgapePress) - An Indiana pro-family group is objecting to a ban on prayer at 4-H meetings in one county.
A memo issued last month by the Lake County Cooperative Extension Service says prayer is forbidden at all times, including to "begin or close meetings, fundraisers, camp sessions, including meals, and/or award ceremonies." Stan Sims, the County Extension director, says he issued the directive because "We want to respect peoples' beliefs and be inclusive."
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
Calls Continue for Feds to Take Legal Action Against New York Times
American Family Association/Agape Press
By Bill Fancher and Jody Brown
June 29, 2006
(AgapePress) - Despite two months of pleading from the White House and members of Congress, the New York Times recently published a story detailing how the federal government was tracking the financial transactions of terrorists. Some are asking why the Times is not being prosecuted for it decision to divulge the information, thus aiding terrorists.
In the article, the NYT disclosed the confidential method through which the U.S. government tracked and monitored terrorist money dealings. President Bush has labeled as "disgraceful" the newspaper's decision to run the story, and said it "does great harm" for information to be leaked and/or published about the surveillance program. The Hill reported on Wednesday that GOP leaders in the House were considering introducing a resolution condemning the paper for publishing the story -- and that one Republican member, working independently, was trying to rally support for revocation of the newspaper's congressional press credentials.
[More at URL]
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Religious Leaders Demand Israeli Government Block World Pride in Jerusalem
By Gudrun Schultz
LifeSite.net
Thursday June 29, 2006
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jun/06062902.html
JERUSALEM, June 29, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Evangelical Christian, Jewish and Moslem leaders in Jerusalem are calling on the Israeli government to intervene and block plans to hold a week long World Pride celebration in the holy city.
“We do so out of our great love and respect for Jerusalem, the only city in the world that the Bible decrees as holy,” said an open letter to the government issued by three evangelical Christian groups, Christian Friends of Israel, Bridges For Peace and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
American Rabbi Yehuda Levin, with Jews for Morality, held a joint press conference with a Moslem cleric in Jerusalem last week, warning that there could be violence if the parade is allowed to continue and demonstrators clash with participants.
[More at URL]
----- 22 -----
Baseball Strikes Out in Reacting to Guillen's Comment, Says Family Activist
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
June 28, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/282006c.asp
(AgapePress) - A pro-family activist in Illinois is criticizing Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig over his decision to require the manager of the Chicago White Sox to undergo "sensitivity training."
White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen was recently fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball (MLB) and ordered to attend sensitivity training for using the word "fag" to refer to Chicago Sun Times columnist Jay Mariotti. Selig said "the use of slurs embarrasses the individual, the club, and the game." Guillen told the Chicago Tribune this week that he intends to complete the training before the All-Star Game on July 11.
[More at URL]
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Activist Defends Fla. School Board's Removal of Pro-Cuba Library Books
By Jim Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press
June 28, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/282006e.asp
(AgapePress) - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit challenging a decision by a Florida school board to remove a series of children's books from its elementary school libraries. One of the banned books is about Cuba and depicts children wearing Communist uniforms and smiling.
The Miami-Dade School Board voted recently to remove the Spanish and English versions of the books, Vamos a Cuba and its English version, A Visit to Cuba, describing them as inappropriate for young readers. Board members said the books were inaccurate and that they left out aspects of life in that Communist-controlled nation. A page in the controversial books reads, "People in Cuba eat, work, and go to school like you do."
[More at URL]
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TVC Executive Director’s Commentary On Marriage Protection Amendment
June 29, 2006 – TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty has recently had a commentary published in the Salt Lake Tribune. In it, she describes why the Traditional Values Coalition opposes passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment as it is currently written.
She notes: “The United States needs to nail down the definition of marriage and its singular role in our culture. The most recent attempt, the Marriage Protection Amendment, was poorly worded and it went down to defeat in the Senate, but a new amendment should already be on the drawing board.”
Lafferty points out that the current MPA has two sentences. The second sentence in the MPA permits states to create homosexual civil unions or domestic partnerships as counterfeit marriage. The MPA thus enshrines homosexual “marriage” in the Constitution!
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Contact your U.S. Senators and ask that they vote NO on any marriage amendment that does not also ban homosexual civil unions, domestic partnerships, or any other counterfeit of marriage: http://capwiz.com/traditional/issues/
[More at URL]
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Pentagon Disavows Homosexual Description In Decade-Old Document
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2769
June 29, 2006 – The Pentagon has caved in to homosexual activists who have criticized the military for a document titled “Certain Mental Disorders,” which listed such conditions as mental retardation, personality disorders, alcoholism, along with same-sex attractions.
The Pentagon issued a disclaimer last week about the document, saying: “Homosexuality should not have been characterized as a mental disorder in an appendix of a procedural instruction. Notwithstanding its inclusion, we find no practical impact since the appendix simply listed factors that do NOT constitute a physical disability, and homosexuality of course does not.”
The American Psychiatric Association was pressured by homosexual activists in 1973 to remove homosexuality as a mental disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The decision was not based on science, but on political pressure from these radical activists.
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
Pediatric Group Speakers Encourage Homosexual Activism And Sex Changes For Children
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2766
June 29, 2006 – Radical homosexuals and advocates of sex change operations presented their views to pediatricians at the Pediatric Academic Societies in San Francisco from April 29-May 3, 2006.
Dr. Daniel E. Byrne, Ph.D. presented an eyewitness account of his experience at this convention for the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH).
[More at URL]
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Support The Legislative Line-Item Veto Act, H.R. 4890
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2760
June 22, 2006 – TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon has recently sent the following letter to every Member of Congress in support of the Line-Item Veto Act:
Dear Representative:
I am urging you to support the passage of the Legislative Line-Item Veto Act, H.R. 4890. Spending and earmarking are out of control. Indeed, the federal government last year spent a record $23,760 per household-adjusted for inflation, the most since World War II.
H.R. 4890 will give the President the authority to isolate unnecessary or wasteful spending provisions in bills that have passed Congress and send these specific line items back to Congress for a timely up-or-down vote. The bill also provides the President the ability to single out and request the rescission of special-interest tax breaks that apply to small numbers of individuals.
[More at URL]
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Accuracy about public view and marriage
Canada Family Action Coalition
June 29, 2006
http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/family/marriage/media-provides-cover.htm
This report from the US sounds awfully familiar to Canada. Would a vote on marriage by the public in a referendum produce the same results as in the US states. We think so. The accuracy of polls must be questioned. And one must ask what the political ideology of the pollster is.
Perhaps the Prime Minister ought to put this crucial social issue of marriage to a public vote not just a free vote of MPs. Or perhaps the next election should again directly raise the issue (and it will do so if marriage is not restored) so the Canadian public can truly be represented.
-- CFAC
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
Sales of "morning after pill" soar
Today’s Family News
June 28, 2006
http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/sexuality/stories/062806.html
American women are “probably” partly responsible for Canadian sales of Plan B – commonly called the “morning-after pill” – nearly doubling over the past year, the Boston Globe reported last week.
[...]
Judith Soon, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of British Columbia, told the Globe she suspects that at least part of the increase can be attributed to the fact that since April 2005, Canadian women have not needed a prescription to obtain the pill.
[....]
The main-stream media and pro-choice activists commonly distort the facts about the morning-after pill, claiming that it is merely a contraceptive and that there should be no ethical problems with it. Yet they can come to their conclusion only by changing the definition of ‘pregnancy’ to begin at implantation rather than at fertilization. The morning-after pill can both prevent fertilization and terminate an already-fertilized ovum by preventing its implantation. Pro-lifers believe that this is akin to a non-surgical abortion, as it ends a newly created life.
[More at URL]
But now, today's news.
James Dobson on CNN: "Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage";
California bill prohibiting anti-gay curricula in California schools stalls - Focus on the Family takes credit for stopping it; includes ACTION ITEM to continue campaigning against it via your local legislators;
FotF upset that the CDC recommended making the anti-HPV vaccine standard practice; they want specific parental consent to be required even though it prevents cancer because HPV is sexually transmitted;
Dobson endorses GOP's 'American Values Agenda,' which starts with a pointless vote on the anti-marriage "Marriage Protection Amendment";
FotF makes another push for the "Public Expression of Religion Act," designed to cripple challenges to state endorsement of religion in courts by making them financially untenable;
Faith and Freedom Network is looking for people to do campaign work for judges they endorse this fall in Washington State; they're particularly looking for people in Bellevue and Kirkland;
Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council promote their big so-called "Values Voters" fundamentalist political action confab in DC this fall;
FotF very unhappy about the Warren Buffett donations to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;
Alliance Defense Fund gets the film American History X labelled as "sexually explicit... featuring homosexual behaviour" in Virginia; says describing it as a film "about racial tension is extremely misleading";
Focus on the Family calls Senator Arlen Spector's support for stem-cell research "rabid," attacks him for not being enough on their side - he's co-sponsouring an adult-stem-cell research funding effort but not dropping support for embryonic;
Focus on the Family condemns Pennsylvania Senate for stripping the civil unions ban from an anti-marriage amendment currently under consideration; calls CUs "just another name for marriage," wants them banned;
FotF re-points-to a nicely rabid 2005 article against judges who issue rulings they don't like;
Concerned Women for America condemns Major League Baseball for punishing Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen after he made a series of anti-gay slurs;
The son of fundamentalist activist David Parker was in a fight at school; Concerned Women for America is outraged and implies that it's because of his father's anti-gay activism; this is the same organisation that I listened to defend gaybashing all through the 1990s on the radio;
Arkansas Supreme Court overturns local lesbian and gay foster parent ban;
American Family Association claims credit for change in National Education Association paragraph;
Latest AFA ACTION ITEM against Ford Motor carries an ad for the so-called "Values Voters Summit" mentioned above;
AFA's Agape Press lauds the GOP 'Values Agenda' also mentioned above;
AFA of Indiana condemns local 4-H group for not starting meetings with prayers (and for having a general rule against organisational prayer);
AFA moves into the war against the New York Times; calls for prosecution of the paper's writers, and editors; this is particularly interesting because the fundamentalist groups have typically stayed out of this area, but are now moving into it;
LifeSite demands the Israeli government ban World Pride meeting in Jerusalem;
AFA also upset that Chicago manager Guillen punished for using an anti-gay slur;
AFA/LifeSite promotes censorship of books about Cuba;
Traditional Values Coalition ACTION ITEM to demand a new Federal anti-marriage amendment that bans civil unions and domestic partnerships as well as marriage rights for GBLT people;
TVC condemns the Pentagon for disavowing that homosexuality is a mental illness;
TVC condemns Pediatric Academic Societies members for urging gender-dysphoric children receive appropriate treatment - the TVC position is that people with gender dysphoria should be involuntarily institutionalised, in addition to losing all rights to any sort of family relationship;
TVC pushes the line-item veto for President Bush, and HR 4890, which would apparently try to set such a veto up by process of law, rather than Constitutional amendment, which strikes me as clearly unconstitutional - not that they care; includes an ACTION ITEM to support the bill;
Canada Family Action Coalition says that Harper should put marriage rights to a national vote, not just to a free vote of MPs; reprints James Dobson's CNN anti-marriage commentary today as well;
Focus on the Family Canada attacks Plan B (emergency contraception), says sales have gone up partly because of Americans crossing the border and partly because it went OTC; asserts that the definition of pregnancy was changed to make Plan B not an abortion pill(!); this is an amazing bit of lying, but it's intended to convince Canadian readers than Plan B causes abortions, as they've long succeeded in doing in the US.
----- 1 -----
Commentary: Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage
By James C. Dobson
Special to CNN
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 Posted: 2134 GMT (0534 HKT)
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/06/28/dobson.gaymarriage/index.html
Editor's note: James C. Dobson is founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action. He has a Ph.D. in child development and is author of the best-selling book, "Bringing Up Boys." He's currently working on a follow-up, "Bringing Up Girls."
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- On June 7, the U.S. Senate voted for a second time on an amendment to define marriage in the U.S. Constitution as being exclusively between one man and one woman.
Again this year, the amendment failed to pass by a wide margin, falling 18 votes shy of a required two-thirds majority. The final tally was 49 in favor, 48 opposed.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
June 29, 2006
California Pro-Gay Education Bill Stalls
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Assembly delays vote on legislation after thousands of Golden Staters speak out against the teaching of "gay-positive" propaganda in public schools.
California lawmakers postponed a vote today on a dangerous bill which could force the state's public schools to parrot gay propaganda when it comes to discussions about homosexuality — and outcry from family advocates appears to be the reason for the delay.
Members of the California Assembly were scheduled to vote this morning on SB 1437, which would prohibit schools in the Golden State from "reflecting adversely" on homosexuality, transsexuality and bisexuality.
[...]
"What happened was that Focus on the Family Action and a number of other groups came to the people of California and asked them to make phone calls and send faxes — and they did so," Prentice told CitizenLink.
On Wednesday, Focus Action issued a broadcast call to Californians to get involved and speak out against the bill.
"The governor's office was overwhelmed," Prentice said, "and every Assembly member's office in California was overwhelmed with faxes and phone calls asking them to commit to upholding traditional values — especially in California's educational curriculum."
[...]
TAKE ACTION
If you are a Californian, please contact your Assembly member's district offices to let them know that you oppose S.B. 1437 — and to find out if they also oppose the bill.
For help in contacting your California state Assembly member, log in to the CitizenLink Action Center.
[More at URL]
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CDC Action on HPV Vaccine Questioned
States likely to mandate shots for girls as young as 9 in effort to prevent human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
June 29, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041077.cfm
Focus on the Family reacted with disappointment to today's decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strongly recommend that girls as young as 9 receive a vaccination for the sexually transmitted disease HPV.
The vaccine to prevent HPV (human papillomavirus), a virus known to cause cervical cancer, is already on the market. Known by the name Gardasil, it was created by the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.
[...]
"Any way this is spun," Klepacki added, "the only truly safe protection from HPV or any other sexually transmitted infection is to remain sexually abstinent until marriage, marry an uninfected person and remain faithful in marriage."
[...]
"It's important for parents to know that all fifty states allow medical exemptions from vaccines, and most also permit exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons," she explained. "We want parents to be educated as to what this vaccine will do and won't do so that they can make an informed decision as to whether to vaccinate their children."
[More at URL]
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Dr. Dobson Applauds 'American Values Agenda'
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 29, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041080.cfm
Count Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James Dobson among the pro-family leaders pleased by the U.S. House of Representatives' consideration of what GOP leaders are calling the "American Values Agenda."
House leadership announced Tuesday an effort to act on a 10-piece package of values-oriented bills — including a House version of the Marriage Protection Amendment.
[More at URL]
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School's Jesus Portrait Challenged
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 29, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041079.cfm
School officials in Clarksburg, W.V., have been sued for refusing to remove a portrait of Jesus that has hung in Bridgeport High School for at least three decades.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) filed the suit, alleging that school officials are violating the First Amendment by forcing a Christian message on students.
[...]
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the situation spotlights the need for U.S. Rep. John Hostettler's Public Expression of Religion Act. The Indiana Republican's bill would bar groups like AU and the ACLU from collecting attorneys' fees in religious-expression cases like the one in West Virginia.
[More at URL]
----- 6 -----
Help elect Conservative Supreme Court Justices
Faith and Freedom Network
June 28, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
Dear XXXXX,
Do you want to help elect conservative judges to the Supreme Court and get paid to do it? Here is your chance.
Faith & Freedom Network is teaming with Walk for Washington to offer part-time paid positions; doorbelling, surveying, & precinct canvassing.
If you live in the Bellevue or Kirkland area, have transportation to and from the walk areas, or if you are willing to drive to those areas, you can earn $10 hour up to 24 hours a week. This exciting opportunity begins now and will continue through Election Day. This is a great opportunity to gain political experience, earn income, and get great exercise at the same time.
We are looking for a team of motivated walkers who want to make a difference in the upcoming elections— and get paid. Using the latest technological advances, your work will help elect candidates with a pro-Constitution and free-market philosophy towards governing.
Positions are still available, so please call or email Jon Russell, Field Director for Faith & Freedom at 425.286.6594 or j.russell@faithandfreedom.us. Find out how you can be a part of a groundbreaking effort on the cutting-edge of grassroots activism.
Visit our website for more information on how you can become involved!
Thank your customer, tell them how valuable they are to you, but don't go overboard. Insincerity is easy to spot.
Sincerely,
Jon Russell, Field Director
Faith and Freedom Network
email: info@faithandfreedom.us
phone: 425-486-6594
web: http://www.faithandfreedom.us
----- 7 -----
Plan Now to Attend Values Voters Summit
The Washington Briefing, to be held Sept. 22-24, will equip Christians for the 2006 election and beyond.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0041058.cfm
A pro-family conference to be held Sept. 22-24 in Washington, D.C., will gather conservative leaders — and everyday believers looking for tips on how to stand up for righteousness — to discuss issues vital to the well-being of faith and family.
Tony Perkins, president of event sponsor FRC Action and a conference speaker, talked with CitizenLink about the summit and why all politically active Christians should consider attending.
Q. The Washington Briefing will be held in September. Tell me, in a nutshell, what will happen on those conference days?
A. This is an opportunity for the values voters to gather here in Washington on the eve of the important 2006 midterm elections to draw attention back to the core issues that were central to the 2004 election cycle — issues like marriage and family that have gotten sidetracked along the way. We're bringing these back to show that these are issues that folks still care very deeply about and are willing to work for and fight for.
[More at URL]
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Gates-Buffett Linkup Troubles Pro-Life Activists
The billionaires' combining of forces almost certain to mean millions more for abortion, population-control groups.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041059.cfm
Billionaire financier Warren Buffett announced this week he is going to leave 80 percent of his estate — more than $35 billion — to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It's a donation that is troubling to the pro-life community, according to Joseph D'Agostino of the Population Research Institute.
"It's very scary," D'Agostino told CitizenLink. "The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has very close ties and gives a lot of money to pro-abortion groups, such as Planned Parenthood, and for population control around the world."
[More at URL]
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School Attempts to Slip Explicit Video Past Parents
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041063.cfm
The Governor's School in Raleigh, N.C., has backed off plans to show a sexually explicit video, featuring homosexual behavior, to students without their parents' consent.
School officials repeatedly promised they would gain parental consent before allowing students to watch American History X. But parents weren't informed until after an Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney got involved.
The Governor's School, a six-week summer program funded by taxpayers that is for academically gifted students, advertised the film as part of the "Race and Film" series.
[More at URL]
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Specter's Support of Adult Stem-Cell Bill Has Some Skeptical
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 28, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041060.cfm
Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum, both Republicans from Pennsylvania, have co-sponsored a bill that would set aside funding for adult stem-cell research — research that does not involve the destruction of human life, the Centre Daily Times reported.
[...]
Specter has for months urged colleagues to consider legislation that would lift current restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research — so his sponsorship of the adult stem-cell research bill has pro-family analysts skeptical.
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior analyst for bioethics for Focus on the Family Action, said while there is nothing inherently wrong with the bill, it doesn't mean Specter has changed his mind about killing embryos in the name of science.
"Sen. Specter's support for this bill by no means pardons his rabid promotion of creating and destroying human embryos for morally corrupt stem-cell research," she said. "I would call on all U.S. senators to reject the House-passed HR 810 that would rescind the Bush policy limiting federal funds used for destructive embryonic stem-cell research.
[More at URL]
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Pennsylvania Senators Let Down Pro-Family Group
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 27, 2006
http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041041.cfm
A pro-family group is charging Pennsylvania lawmakers with destroying traditional marriage for stripping a proposed state constitutional amendment of language that would prevent civil unions.
The state House approved a marriage amendment that defined marriage as being the union of one man and one woman and forbade any union that would try to imitate marriage -- such as civil unions.
When the bill was reviewed by the Senate, the language forbidding any other form of domestic partnerships was stripped.
[More at URL]
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Bad Behavior
by Candi Cushman
Focus on the Family
Focus on Social Issues
May 4, 2005
http://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/government/courts/state/a0036435.cfm
Some judges are getting out of control. Can they be stopped?
With the battle over President Bush's federal court nominees heating up, there's been a lot of talk among Christian conservatives about how almost every area of life they care about—the education of their children, who's allowed to marry and even the decision of when a loved one dies—seems threatened by out-of-control courts.
But exactly who are the black-robed renegades making the headlines?
To answer that question, Citizen investigated the judges who've written some of the most outrageous rulings in recent years. We discovered an interesting pattern.
Most of them seemed like pretty benign citizens before they got on the bench. Among their ranks were Scout leaders, regular church attenders, and in some cases, professing Christians and registered Republicans. Nothing in public records revealed a leaning toward left-wing extremism. In fact, it was hard to find a paper trail on them.
That obscurity is no accident. Many judicial candidates purposefully hide their views of law and justice from the general public until they've already gotten lifetime appointments to the bench.
"Our system of electing or appointing judges is inherently flawed because it's premised on the faulty notion that judges' "independence" on the bench depends on how little the public knows about their judicial philosophy," said Bruce Hausknecht, Focus on the Family's judicial analyst.
[More at URL]
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Major League Baseball Calls in Thought Police
Concerned Women for America
6/30/2006
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11019/CFI/misc/index.htm
Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen has made headlines by spouting off insults directed at the homosexual community. Now Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has sentenced Guillen to sensitivity training. Bob Knight, Director of CWA’s Culture & Family Institute, says while Guillen’s remarks are indefensible, so is the punishment of tolerance training. Click here to listen.
[More at URL]
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Seven-Year-Old Son of Massachusetts Pro-Family Activist Attacked
Concerned Women for America
6/29/2006
By Sarah Kuziomko
Pro-family activists say the incident was premeditated; school officials disagree.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11034/CFI/family/index.htm
(Editor’s note: This is an updated and revised version of an article that first appeared on June 22.)
The 7-year-old son of pro-family activist David Parker was beaten behind his school, Joseph Estabrook Elementary, in Lexington, Massachusetts, on May 17, the second anniversary of same-sex “marriage” in the Bay State.
According to some pro-family activists, the victim, first-grader Jacob Parker, apparently is feeling the heat for his father’s opposition to “forced pro-homosexual education,” and that school authorities appear to have a double standard.
[More at URL]
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Ark. High Court Backs Gay Foster Parents
By ANDREW DEMILLO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today: June 29, 2006 at 8:26:1 PDT
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2006/jun/29/062908312.html
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas cannot ban homosexuals from becoming foster parents because there is no link between their sexual orientation and a child's well-being, the state's high court ruled Thursday.
The court also said testimony in the case showed that the ban was based on one group's view of morality.
The state's child welfare board instituted the ban in 1999, saying children should be in traditional two-parent homes because they would be more likely to thrive.
[More at URL]
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Important NEA update: Your Efforts Made A Difference, NEA Changes Paragraph.
American Family Association
June 27, 2006
http://www.afa.net/nea062706.asp
Because of the efforts by AFA Online supporters, the National Education Association was forced to drop their proposal to endorse homosexual marriage.
Within hours of AFA Online's alert, the NEA had removed the original proposal and replaced it with a new one. The original paragraph under section B-8 Diversity read as follows:
The Association believes that legal rights and responsibilities with regard to medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, legal immigration, domestic partnerships, and civil unions and/or marriage belong to all these diverse groups and individuals.
To see the resolution in full, click here (bottom of page in bold type).
Due to the response from AFA Online supporters, the NEA immediately changed that paragraph to read as follows:
The Association also believes that these factors should not affect the legal rights and obligations of the partners in a legally-recognized domestic partnership, civil union, or marriage in regard to matters involving the other partner, such as medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, and immigration.
[More at URL]
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Ford Sponsors Homosexual Media Awards, Desperate Housewives
American Family Association
June 26, 2006
http://www.afa.net/ford062706.asp
When Ford said they support homosexual groups promoting same-sex marriage, they meant it. Ford put forth this declaration: "This is a strong commitment we intend to carry forward with no exception."
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards events were recently held in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The GLAAD Awards honored those who had made outstanding contributions to the homosexual lifestyle. Ford was a corporate sponsor for all four GLAAD Media Awards events.
In an effort to overcome the boycott called by AFA, Ford is telling potential customers that they advertise in Christian publications such as Christianity Today, Today's Christian Woman, The National Liberty Journal and Charisma. They also say that they are the largest advertiser on Christian radio. It is no accident that Ford all of a sudden has begun to advertise in Christian publications and on Christian radio.
In addition to their promotion of homosexuality, last week Ford sponsored ABC's Desperate Housewives, the TV program which promotes the legitimization of adultery and promiscuity. Desperate Housewives confronts viewers with themes of adultery, sexual promiscuity, and deceitfulness portrayed as the norm. The program gives the message time and again that the end justifies the means. If sexual immorality, lying, and manipulation can get you what you want, then it's okay. Remember, Ford says they pre-screen programs and only sponsor programs they find acceptable.
[More at URL]
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Pro-Family Groups Applaud GOP's 'Values Agenda'
But House-Led Initiative Stumbles Out of the Gate
By Jody Brown
June 29, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/292006a.asp
(AgapePress) - Calling Republican leaders "proactive" and "in touch," two prominent pro-family groups are applauding a move in the U.S. House they say shows a commitment to traditional family values.
Earlier this week, House GOP leaders unveiled a list of legislative initiatives they hope to push through their chamber of Congress in the coming months. Dubbed the "American Values Agenda," the list includes bills addressing issues deemed by those legislators as top priorities for America's families. House Majority Leader John Boehner describes the agenda as "a collection of legislative initiatives that speak to the values many American citizens hold dear."
The Republican lawmaker from Ohio describes those values -- "freedom to display the American flag ... freedom of religious expression ... the right to keep and bear arms ... respect for the sanctity of marriage, and the dignity of all human life." All, he says, are values that have defined the American character, protected families, and shaped society.
"The House of Representatives belongs to the American people, and the American people want us to act on the issues they care about," says Boehner in a press release. "This is their agenda."
Specifically, the measures called out in the agenda are: Pledge Protection Act (HR 2389); Freedom to Display the American Flag Act (HR 42); The Public Expression of Religion Act (HR 2679); Marriage Amendment (HJRes 88); Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR 356); Human Cloning Prohibition Act (HR 1357); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive (BATFE) Reform (HR 5092); Internet Gambling Prohibition; Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act (HR 5013); and Permanent Tax Relief for Families.
[More at URL]
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4-H Prayer Ban Offensive to Hoosier Families, Says State Activist
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
June 29, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/292006c.asp
(AgapePress) - An Indiana pro-family group is objecting to a ban on prayer at 4-H meetings in one county.
A memo issued last month by the Lake County Cooperative Extension Service says prayer is forbidden at all times, including to "begin or close meetings, fundraisers, camp sessions, including meals, and/or award ceremonies." Stan Sims, the County Extension director, says he issued the directive because "We want to respect peoples' beliefs and be inclusive."
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
Calls Continue for Feds to Take Legal Action Against New York Times
American Family Association/Agape Press
By Bill Fancher and Jody Brown
June 29, 2006
(AgapePress) - Despite two months of pleading from the White House and members of Congress, the New York Times recently published a story detailing how the federal government was tracking the financial transactions of terrorists. Some are asking why the Times is not being prosecuted for it decision to divulge the information, thus aiding terrorists.
In the article, the NYT disclosed the confidential method through which the U.S. government tracked and monitored terrorist money dealings. President Bush has labeled as "disgraceful" the newspaper's decision to run the story, and said it "does great harm" for information to be leaked and/or published about the surveillance program. The Hill reported on Wednesday that GOP leaders in the House were considering introducing a resolution condemning the paper for publishing the story -- and that one Republican member, working independently, was trying to rally support for revocation of the newspaper's congressional press credentials.
[More at URL]
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Religious Leaders Demand Israeli Government Block World Pride in Jerusalem
By Gudrun Schultz
LifeSite.net
Thursday June 29, 2006
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jun/06062902.html
JERUSALEM, June 29, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Evangelical Christian, Jewish and Moslem leaders in Jerusalem are calling on the Israeli government to intervene and block plans to hold a week long World Pride celebration in the holy city.
“We do so out of our great love and respect for Jerusalem, the only city in the world that the Bible decrees as holy,” said an open letter to the government issued by three evangelical Christian groups, Christian Friends of Israel, Bridges For Peace and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
American Rabbi Yehuda Levin, with Jews for Morality, held a joint press conference with a Moslem cleric in Jerusalem last week, warning that there could be violence if the parade is allowed to continue and demonstrators clash with participants.
[More at URL]
----- 22 -----
Baseball Strikes Out in Reacting to Guillen's Comment, Says Family Activist
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
June 28, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/282006c.asp
(AgapePress) - A pro-family activist in Illinois is criticizing Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig over his decision to require the manager of the Chicago White Sox to undergo "sensitivity training."
White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen was recently fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball (MLB) and ordered to attend sensitivity training for using the word "fag" to refer to Chicago Sun Times columnist Jay Mariotti. Selig said "the use of slurs embarrasses the individual, the club, and the game." Guillen told the Chicago Tribune this week that he intends to complete the training before the All-Star Game on July 11.
[More at URL]
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Activist Defends Fla. School Board's Removal of Pro-Cuba Library Books
By Jim Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press
June 28, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/282006e.asp
(AgapePress) - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit challenging a decision by a Florida school board to remove a series of children's books from its elementary school libraries. One of the banned books is about Cuba and depicts children wearing Communist uniforms and smiling.
The Miami-Dade School Board voted recently to remove the Spanish and English versions of the books, Vamos a Cuba and its English version, A Visit to Cuba, describing them as inappropriate for young readers. Board members said the books were inaccurate and that they left out aspects of life in that Communist-controlled nation. A page in the controversial books reads, "People in Cuba eat, work, and go to school like you do."
[More at URL]
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TVC Executive Director’s Commentary On Marriage Protection Amendment
June 29, 2006 – TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty has recently had a commentary published in the Salt Lake Tribune. In it, she describes why the Traditional Values Coalition opposes passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment as it is currently written.
She notes: “The United States needs to nail down the definition of marriage and its singular role in our culture. The most recent attempt, the Marriage Protection Amendment, was poorly worded and it went down to defeat in the Senate, but a new amendment should already be on the drawing board.”
Lafferty points out that the current MPA has two sentences. The second sentence in the MPA permits states to create homosexual civil unions or domestic partnerships as counterfeit marriage. The MPA thus enshrines homosexual “marriage” in the Constitution!
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Contact your U.S. Senators and ask that they vote NO on any marriage amendment that does not also ban homosexual civil unions, domestic partnerships, or any other counterfeit of marriage: http://capwiz.com/traditional/issues/
[More at URL]
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Pentagon Disavows Homosexual Description In Decade-Old Document
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2769
June 29, 2006 – The Pentagon has caved in to homosexual activists who have criticized the military for a document titled “Certain Mental Disorders,” which listed such conditions as mental retardation, personality disorders, alcoholism, along with same-sex attractions.
The Pentagon issued a disclaimer last week about the document, saying: “Homosexuality should not have been characterized as a mental disorder in an appendix of a procedural instruction. Notwithstanding its inclusion, we find no practical impact since the appendix simply listed factors that do NOT constitute a physical disability, and homosexuality of course does not.”
The American Psychiatric Association was pressured by homosexual activists in 1973 to remove homosexuality as a mental disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The decision was not based on science, but on political pressure from these radical activists.
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
Pediatric Group Speakers Encourage Homosexual Activism And Sex Changes For Children
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2766
June 29, 2006 – Radical homosexuals and advocates of sex change operations presented their views to pediatricians at the Pediatric Academic Societies in San Francisco from April 29-May 3, 2006.
Dr. Daniel E. Byrne, Ph.D. presented an eyewitness account of his experience at this convention for the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH).
[More at URL]
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Support The Legislative Line-Item Veto Act, H.R. 4890
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2760
June 22, 2006 – TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon has recently sent the following letter to every Member of Congress in support of the Line-Item Veto Act:
Dear Representative:
I am urging you to support the passage of the Legislative Line-Item Veto Act, H.R. 4890. Spending and earmarking are out of control. Indeed, the federal government last year spent a record $23,760 per household-adjusted for inflation, the most since World War II.
H.R. 4890 will give the President the authority to isolate unnecessary or wasteful spending provisions in bills that have passed Congress and send these specific line items back to Congress for a timely up-or-down vote. The bill also provides the President the ability to single out and request the rescission of special-interest tax breaks that apply to small numbers of individuals.
[More at URL]
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Accuracy about public view and marriage
Canada Family Action Coalition
June 29, 2006
http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/family/marriage/media-provides-cover.htm
This report from the US sounds awfully familiar to Canada. Would a vote on marriage by the public in a referendum produce the same results as in the US states. We think so. The accuracy of polls must be questioned. And one must ask what the political ideology of the pollster is.
Perhaps the Prime Minister ought to put this crucial social issue of marriage to a public vote not just a free vote of MPs. Or perhaps the next election should again directly raise the issue (and it will do so if marriage is not restored) so the Canadian public can truly be represented.
-- CFAC
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Sales of "morning after pill" soar
Today’s Family News
June 28, 2006
http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/sexuality/stories/062806.html
American women are “probably” partly responsible for Canadian sales of Plan B – commonly called the “morning-after pill” – nearly doubling over the past year, the Boston Globe reported last week.
[...]
Judith Soon, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of British Columbia, told the Globe she suspects that at least part of the increase can be attributed to the fact that since April 2005, Canadian women have not needed a prescription to obtain the pill.
[....]
The main-stream media and pro-choice activists commonly distort the facts about the morning-after pill, claiming that it is merely a contraceptive and that there should be no ethical problems with it. Yet they can come to their conclusion only by changing the definition of ‘pregnancy’ to begin at implantation rather than at fertilization. The morning-after pill can both prevent fertilization and terminate an already-fertilized ovum by preventing its implantation. Pro-lifers believe that this is akin to a non-surgical abortion, as it ends a newly created life.
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Date: 2006-06-30 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-30 06:05 pm (UTC)