Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Dec. 2nd, 2006 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdWe have a Feature Presentation! It's at the end of the list, as always. But first, today's news:
It's funny watching Focus on the Family jump all over a bill they'd normally be opposing as "counterfeit marriage." They do that in New Jersey as an attempt to avoid a bill that outright calls itself domestic partnerships or marriage;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM against ABC for the All My Children soap having a transgendered character; they ay it won't "reflect reality," which is to say, they're worried that the trans person won't be unhappy enough and won't come to either a terrible end or Redemeption Through Jesus Christ. One of their recurring themes is that GBLT people cannot be happy or have stable relationships, or actually fall in love;
FotF upset that a lesbian woman's custody rights have been upheld, quoting a Liberty Council rep saying it's "the tip of the iceburg" to recognising same-sex marriage;
Resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan executing teachers for instructing girls - they want to go back to their pre-2001 policy of creating an outright chattel slave class of women; I was complaining about this crap in 1998 and it really, really pisses me off that the current administration kept forgetting about Afghanistan even after finally doing something about it - remember the $0 reconstruction fund budget? That was cool. Link from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tinlail;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to get the lame duck Congress to pass an anti-abortion measure;
FotF: new abortion regulations don't go far enough - they want a ban, of course, so anything short of that is inadequate;
Focus on the Family wants Sen. Brownback (R-KS) to run for President, as none of the currently announced or generally-acknowledged 2008 Republican contenders (Guliani, Romney, etc) are fundamentalist enough for them; includes an ACTION ITEM for the same anti-abortion measure mentioned above;
Democratic state rep. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to reintroduce GBLT marriage rights bill in California legislature; it passed last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger (R-CA);
Meanwhile, on the Federal level, Democrats plan to reintroduce the stem-cell research bill which passed Congress this year but which Mr. Bush vetoed in his only veto action to date;
Focus on the Family criticises two-income families - gosh, I wonder which parent they think shouldn't be working;
FotF: Maricopa County, Arizona appealing court ruling overturning policy requiring inmates to get a special court order in order to get an abortion;
FotF: Massachusetts State Supreme Court to hear outgoing Gov. Romney's lawsuit seeking to force the legislature to put an measure on the state ballot;
FotF article tossing about the War on Christmas bullshit;
Concerned Women for America press release says Americans want more theoconservative and theocon-friendly judges for Christmas, urges Congress to vote to ratify a list of nominees;
CWA worries that Wal-Mart is not being decisive enough in its reaction to the theoconservative attack on it for buying an associate membership to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. But they're not putting Wal-Mart on their "naughty" list because their advertising uses the words "Merry Christmas" this year;
CWA's "Naughty and Nice" list for the "War on Christmas"; they're really unhappy with Best Buy, because they're sticking with "Happy Holidays";
CWA on the possible male contraceptive pill; they aren't fans; they worry that it will "prove to be a detriment to the morals and to the culture that is already disintegrated in terms of viewing sex as something that's recreational rather than a commitment between a couple that is committed to each other for life";
Faith and Freedom Network condemns tolerance and the "New Truth";
Faith and Freedom Network links polygamists and GBLT marriage rights;
Faith and Freedom Network complains that "In God We Trust" is too small on the new dollar coins;
Canada Family Action Coalition accuses the Toronto Maple Leafs of "being in the business of pedophile peddling";
The entire "swearing on the Koran instead of the BIble" thing is deflating - the swearing-in ceremony doesn't actually involve swearing on any book;
American Family Association condemns Ford Motor again, this time for opposing anti-gay ballot measures;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM for a Federal law mandating Congressional swearing-in on Bibles;
AFA story on the Canada Family Action Coalition item calling the Toronto Maple Leafs promoters of paedophilia; the actual item is that the Leafs and the NHL are allowing their logos to be used in the filming of the book Breakfast with Scot, about a gay hockey player who wants to come out; the paedophilia comes from the fictional character's fictional adopted son;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM to lobby Congress to pass the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act." AFA: "The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act serves as a reminder, to mothers and the technicians who commit abortion, of the humanity of the life growing inside the mother’s womb";
AFA reports on the plans to resubmit marriage equality bill in California;
LifeNews.com says that the stem-cell research bill is going to start 39 votes short of a veto-proof majority - it'll pass again, but not with a veto-proof number;
Family Research Council: only abstinence-only education is good against AIDS; also an ACTION ITEM to support HR 6099, the anti-abortion bill that is apparently going to get a new vote in the House on Monday or Tuesday;
Family Research Council separate ACTION ITEM to support HR 6099;
And now, our Cultural Warfare Update Feature Presentation.
----- 1 -----
Compromise Bill May Protect Marriage in New Jersey
Act would grant benefits and rights without consideration of the relationship of the people involved.
Focus on the Family
from staff reports
11-29-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003238.cfm
New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that might satisfy the state Supreme Court’s demand for same-sex marriage or its equivalent, as well as pro-family efforts to protect marriage from redefinition.
An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage – but would be blind to the relationship of the people involved.
Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits – rights generally already available through legal contracts. Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, told Family News in Focus the key is it does not create special rights based on homosexuality.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Transgendered Soap-Opera Character Will Not Reflect Reality
Experts expect the drama will gloss over difficulties.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
11-29-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003243.cfm
The announcement that ABC's daytime drama All My Children will begin this week following a character through a sex-change is being met with skepticism by some people familiar with such procedures.
It’s unclear whether the producers will stick with the story through the fictional surgery.
Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, a ministry to ex-gays, said such depictions do nothing to help people understand the reality of people making such life decisions.
[...]
"The people who are transgendered, the people who are in homosexuality, I would venture to say from personal experience that they’re not at peace," he said, "and that true love isn’t able to be found in those types of relationships."
TAKE ACTION:
If you'd like to share your thoughts with ABC, you can contact the network through its Web site. ( http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html )
----- 3 -----
Lesbian Custody Rights Upheld on a Technicality
Focus on the Family
11-29-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003250.cfm
A Virginia appellate court ruled Tuesday that the biological mother in a lesbian custody dispute must abide by the laws of Vermont, where she and her former partner entered into a civil union.
The ruling avoided the more important question: whether Virginia can be forced to recognize a same-sex union sanctioned in another state.
The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was still celebrated by gay and lesbian groups. Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, called it a "big deal."
"The fact that the court would apply that rule of law objectively and fairly to a lesbian plaintiff is an enormously important victory," she said.
Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which represented the biological mother, called the case "the tip of the iceberg of what's to come if one state cannot define its own marriage policy and must be subservient to the same-sex marriage policy of a sister state."
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Disembowelled, then torn apart: The price of daring to teach girls
By Kim Sengupta in Ghazni, Afghanistan
Published: 29 November 2006
The Independent
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2023831.ece
The gunmen came at night to drag Mohammed Halim away from his home, in front of his crying children and his wife begging for mercy.
The 46-year-old schoolteacher tried to reassure his family that he would return safely. But his life was over, he was part-disembowelled and then torn apart with his arms and legs tied to motorbikes, the remains put on display as a warning to others against defying Taliban orders to stop educating girls.
Mr Halim was one of four teachers killed in rapid succession by the Islamists at Ghazni, a strategic point on the routes from Kabul to the south and east which has become the scene of fierce clashes between the Taliban and US and Afghan forces.
[...]
Ms Mushtaq is familiar with the ways of the Taliban. During their rule she and her sister ran secret schools for girls at their home. The Taliban beat them for teaching the girls algebra.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Urge Congress to Pass Fetal Pain Bill
Your action is needed to ensure lawmakers vote on and pass a bill that would require doctors to tell women their babies feel pain during an abortion.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
1 December 2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003282.cfm
The 109th Congress is almost over and pro-life advocates are urging Congress to bring the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, H.R. 6099, to the floor while a vote is still possible.
Authored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the bill has 93 co-sponsors. It would require abortion providers to tell women who are aborting 20 weeks or more after fertlilization about the severe pain their preborn children will feel during the procedure. It would also require that the woman be allowed to decide whether her preborn could receive anesthesia, if it is more than 20-weeks-old.
[...]
TAKE ACTION:
Contact your representative using the CitizenLink Action Center and ask him or her to support H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.
----- 6 -----
Alabama Abortion-Clinic Regulations Displease Both Sides
Opposition stems from very different reasons.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
12-1-06
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003274.cfm
It’s not often abortion advocates and opponents agree on anything. But that's what happened at a public hearing conducted by the Alabama Bureau of Health Provider Standards regarding abortion-clinic regulations.
Regulators are considering proposed guidelines that they hope will improve the standard of care at abortion facilities. Several women have suffered major complications following abortions in recent months.
But both the abortion industry and pro-lifers oppose the guidelines -- for different reasons.
"The thing (abortionists) don’t like about the regulations is that they impose burdens and penalties on them," said Pastor James Henderson, who spoke for pro-lifers at the hearing.
"The only thing we would agree with (is) that they're inadequate -- because they don’t impose enough penalties.”
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Glut of Presidential Candidates May Run in '08
Who will appeal to pro-family conservatives?
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
12-1-06
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003279.cfm
How is the GOP race for the White House shaping up? The field is a little smaller now that retiring Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has removed himself from the list, but there are at least 10 other Republicans still being mentioned for possible bids.
Conservatives didn’t always agree with Bill Frist, but, for the most part, he was a stalwart pro-family voice in the Senate. Lanier Swann, director of government relations for Concerned Women for America, said she understands his decision not to seek a bid for the White House.
"His medical-mission trips, for example, would have been nearly impossible as a president," Swann told Family News in Focus.
But she said his decision leaves a void for social conservatives.
[...]
The three names that have come up most often as possible GOP contenders are: Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani; and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. None are considered to be true social conservatives.
Carrie Gordon Earll, director of issue analysis for Focus on the Family Action, is hoping a dark horse pro-family champion will emerge.
[...]
Although he isn’t endorsing anyone yet, Bauer says someone like Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., might fit the bill.
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Contact your representative using the CitizenLink Action Center and ask him or her to support H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.
http://vocusgr.vocus.com/GRSPACE2/WebPublish/Controller.aspx?SiteName=FOTF&Definition=Issues&Juris=US
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
Calif. Assemblyman to Re-Submit Vetoed Gay Marriage Bill
Focus on the Family
12-1-06
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003287.cfm
A San Francisco lawmaker plans to re-introduce a bill next Monday that would legalize same-sex marriage -- even though the California State Assembly will only be meeting long enough that day for legislators to take their oaths of office and elect leadership.
Democratic Rep. Mark Leno, who is openly homosexual, says he will introduce a bill approved by the Legislature in 2005 but vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Democrats Pledge to Make Stem-Cell Bill Top Priority
Move comes as no surprise to pro-lifers.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003263.cfm
One of the first things House Democrats will do when they take command of Congress in January is reintroduce H.R. 810, the same embryonic stem-cell research bill President Bush vetoed earlier this year.
House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she wants the bill passed in the first 100 hours of business. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. -- the next Senate majority leader -- has pledged to have the Senate act on the bill before January is over.
The bill, originally sponsored by Reps. Dianna DeGette, D-Colo., and Michael Castle, R-Del., is not one pro-lifers can support.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
Split-Shift Parenting Bad for Families
Experts say parents need to assess what's truly worthwhile.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003262.cfm
A study out of Europe contends that "split-shift" parenting -- in which mom and dad each have jobs and divide time at home with their kids -- hurts families.
Experts in the U.K. say work hours need to be more flexible to accommodate family time, but pro-family groups in America say parents may simply need to re-evaluate their priorities.
Researchers say a third of American families are earning two incomes while balancing young children.
Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, said parents have to weigh what's truly important.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
Arizona County Appeals Inmate-Abortion Decision
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003260.cfm
Maricopa County, Ariz., officials have appealed a 2005 state Superior Court decision that ruled unconstitutional the policy governing prisoners who want abortions, The New Standard reported.
County policy restricts access to elective medical procedures, and women who want abortions must apply for a court order to be transported to an abortion facility.
An unnamed inmate challenged the policy in 2004, claiming it prevented her from obtaining a timely abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the woman, said she faced excessive burden because she had to locate a clinic, schedule an appointment and retain an attorney to file the court order.
A Maricopa Superior Court judge ruled the policy unconstitutional.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Massachusetts High Court Hears Romney's Marriage-Amendment Suit
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003259.cfm
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by Gov. Mitt Romney and other marriage advocates that seeks to force the Legislature into voting on a proposed constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, The Associated Press reported.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Americans Want to Hear 'Merry Christmas'
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003258.cfm
A survey by Rasmussen Reports found 69 percent of people would rather hear "Merry Christmas" than more generic wishes such as "Happy Holidays."
According to The Washington Times, breaking it down by party affiliation found 85 percent of Republicans want "Merry Christmas" compared to 61 percent of Democrats.
"The growing trend of political correctness," the survey stated, "runs against the tide of popular opinion."
Surveys by America's Research Group and CNBC found similar results.
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
CWA: Americans Have Judges on Christmas List
Concerned Women for America
11/30/2006
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11916/MEDIA/misc/index.htm
Washington, D.C. ––The 109th Congress has very important work still left to be done in the remaining weeks before Christmas in order to leave behind a legacy of strong, lasting leadership, says Concerned Women for America (CWA). The U.S. Senate must stop delaying and start moving with up-or-down votes on the pending nominations of qualified judicial nominees.
President George W. Bush renominated six individuals for appointment to the federal appeals courts on November 15, 2006. They include Terrence W. Boyle, of North Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; William James Haynes II, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Peter D. Keisler, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; William Gerry Myers III, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Norman Randy Smith, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit and Michael B. Wallace, of Mississippi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit. All are renominations because the Senate has failed to give them an up-or-down vote.
“The Senate needs to deliver up-or-down votes on the six judicial nominees before the Christmas break,” said Jan LaRue, CWA’s chief counsel. “President Bush has kept his promise time and again by sending highly qualified nominees to the Senate for confirmation. The American people are watching and will remember which Senators were naughty or nice.”
For Information Contact:
Stacey Holliday
(202) 488-7000
media.cwfa.org
----- 15 -----
Mixed Messages
Check out where your money is really going before you shop for Christmas.
Concerned Women for America
11/30/2006
By Colleen Raezler
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11919/CWA/misc/index.htm
Concerned Women for America (CWA) received some questions about how some companies can be on our “Nice list” when they clearly do not share the same pro-family values we hold dear.
Our “Naughty or Nice” list pertains only to companies’ Christmas policies. We recognize that while some companies may encourage the use of “Merry Christmas” by their employees and in advertising, their other policies may not be as family-friendly.
Wal-Mart is a perfect example of this. It is on our “Nice” list due to its use of “Merry Christmas,” but its commitment to family values overall remains open to debate. The American Family Association planned a boycott of Wal-Mart on Black Friday weekend in response to the company’s promotion of homosexuality through corporate funding and “diversity” education for its employees. The boycott was ultimately called off due to Wal-Mart’s announcement that it would “no longer make corporate contributions to support or oppose controversial issues unless they directly relate to their ability to serve their customers,” which AFA views as a statement of neutrality.
[More at URL]
----- 16 -----
Updated!! Naughty and Nice List Returns for Christmas 2006
CWA is making a list and checking it twice.
Concerned Women for America
11/29/2006
By Martha Kleder
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11904/CWA/family/index.htm
Many retailers learned the hard way last year that it just doesn't pay to mess with Christmas. Target, Wal-Mart, Macy's and Sears are among the stores that made a mid-season shift from the generic "Happy Holidays" to "Merry Christmas." Concerned Women for America's Naughty and Nice list kicks off the 2006 Christmas season with many stores - previously on the "Naughty list" or in the ambiguous middle - now squarely in the "Nice" category.
"We learned our lesson from last year that the majority of people wanted to hear us say 'Christmas,' and we're saying 'Merry Christmas' this year, but not to the exclusion of the other holidays," Wal-Mart Senior Vice-President Julie Roehm told "NBC Nightly News."
Last year, the retail giant's seasonal advertising lacked the mention of Christmas, and store employees were initially told not to say "Merry Christmas." This year, the chain is encouraging associates to greet shoppers with a collection of holiday recognitions including "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Happy Hanukkah," "Feliz Navidad," and "Happy Kwanzaa."
[...]
The American Decency Association, the American Family Association and The Catholic League are jingling the bells of retailers that refuse to acknowledge Christmas. Online communities, like www.mymerrychristmas.com, have been keeping tabs on how retailers are keeping Christmas.
CWA will also be making a list and checking it twice. If you notice a retailer that is not acknowledging Christmas, or you see a retailer that should be commended, please contact CWA.
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Surprising Reactions to News of Male Contraceptive (4:29)
Concerned Women for America
12/1/2006
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11924/CWA/misc/index.htm
Newspapers this week trumpeted a new male contraceptive pill. But, as Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, notes, the social implications of this prospective medication and the reaction of men raises doubts about this development. Click here to listen.
[Dr. Janice Crouse: "The word was... it would be available in five years..." "There would be no consequences to having sex!" "Some of us were concerned about what it would do about promiscuity as well... but now there's a whole new wrinkle, because men have said, 'I'm not about to take a pill. I don't know what it'll do to my health. I don't know what it'll do to my fertility. I don't know what it'll do to my sexuality... let the women handle the birth control.'" CWA says this is "reasonable." Lots of laughter about how men won't ever take this. "There is no way men would accept this, they would see this as interfering with their sexuality." Claims it will increase sexually transmitted diseases. "I think probably for married couples this could be a good thing if it proved to be healthy for men, and not detrimental to them. At the same time, I'm very concerned about the effect it will have on young people, and people who are promiscuous. Because it obviously creates the idea... that sex is nothing more than recreation and that this would enable people to enact that opinion much more freely than they've been able in the past. And I think it would also encourage men to view sex as something that is their privileges to enjoy at any time they want to without any consequences. So I think there are some very strong philosophical cautions about this new advancement and we need to look at it very carefully." "What're we going to do with this invention... will it prove to be a detriment to the morals and to the culture that is already disintegrated in terms of viewing sex as something that's recreational rather than a commitment between a couple that is committed to each other for life." Raises the idea that the FCC will approve it for political reasons.]
----- 18 -----
Tolerance: The New Truth
Faith and Freedom Network
Thursday, November 30, 2006
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/11/tolerance-new-truth.html
The traditional meaning of tolerance means, to “endure” or put up with something such as a persons behavior, belief, or attitude, without necessarily agreeing with them.
The statement, “love the sinner, hate the sin” has grown out of the traditional meaning of tolerance.
However, today’s new and revised definition would be better defined as “love the sinner, love the sin.”
The definition of tolerance in today’s world says that a person’s behavior, beliefs and attitudes are inseparable from who she or he is. Therefore, any attack on behavior, beliefs or attitudes is seen as a personal attack.
This evolution of tolerance is the result of the evolution of other aspects of human existence, including the concept of truth.
Simply stated, the evolution has gone through three stages. First, under ethical theism, people believed that all truth was revealed by God. In the second stage, modernism, the emphasis shifted from God to man, and the concepts of truth changed from being what is revealed by God to being something that is discernable by man. Finally, in the third, post modern stage, truth has changed from being something that is collectively true for human beings to something that is determined by each individual person, based on that person’s culture, which in turn consists of behaviors, attitudes and beliefs.
[More at URL]
----- 19 -----
Polygamists and Gay Marriage Link
Faith and Freedom Network
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/11/polygamists-and-gay-marriage-link.html
A little more than a year ago, people who should have know better, were scoffing publicly at the notion that there was any linkage between a new and energized effort to legalize polygamy and the gay rights effort to legalize gay marriage.
Now, we are being told that indeed, the polygamists are getting traction and making progress.
The Washington Post in reporting that the effort to “mainstream” polygamy is taking on a whole new look with it’s own new vernacular of words like, “sister-wives,” “plural marriages” and “plural wife.” The Post is also reporting that they are, “consciously taking tactics from the gay-rights movement” as they reframe their struggle, choosing in interviews to de-emphasize their religious beliefs and focus on their desire to live “in freedom.”
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
In God We Trust
Faith and Freedom Network
Friday, December 01, 2006
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/12/in-god-we-trust.html
It was Paul Harvey, on his daily news and commentary Monday noon edition, who pointed out the change in the new U.S. silver dollars that are now being minted. Click here to listen to Paul Harvey.
He said the new silver dollar still has “In God We Trust” on it – but just barely. I have since heard others comment on it as well.
[...]
Much to do about nothing? Perhaps. Except that there is such a tireless march to remove God and His name from public life that it causes one to wonder and take notice.
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
Toronto Maple Leafs and Pedophilia
Canada Family Action Coalition
Online as of 2 December 2006
http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/child/pedophilia/TO-leafs-homosexual-movie.htm
Just a few years ago the Toronto Maple Leafs ( Maple Leaf gardens ) ran into major problems when it was found that some people there had been using children as sex pawns. As I recall, one person was charged and suspicions about more were never put to rest. Giving free tickets for sex - that was the story right? Now the Maple Leafs support and endorse a movie which uses an underage boy as the "drag queen" in a story about homosexuality.
How many fans like the idea of the Leafs and the NHL ( who hasn't said anything to oppose this movie endorsement) being in the business of pedophilia peddling?
Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Sponsors Gay Movie Featuring Homosexual 11 Year-Old
Leafs general manager John Ferguson says "we're comfortable with it"
LifeSiteNews.com
November 24, 2006
By Hilary White
The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team announced today that they have lent the team's name and logo to a film depicting a homosexual Leafs player. The film portrays a Leafs player who wants to "come out" as a public homosexual, his live-in partnership with the team's lawyer and their adopted "son," described as "a budding queen of an 11-year-old boy." The film is based on the book of the same title about an 11 year-old boy who is described in an Amazon.com book review as "mincing" and "swishy," and who has to be prevented from wearing pantyhose, eyeliner and perfume to school.
"Breakfast with Scott", now being shot on location in Toronto and Hamilton, will go ahead with the willing cooperation of the team's management. The Toronto Star reports that actor Tom Cavanaugh who depicts the fictional player, Eric McNally, was "shocked" that the Leafs management agreed to allow the team to be depicted in a homosexual propaganda film. Cavanaugh remarked to the Star on the significance of using the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, one of the icons of Canadian culture as the background for a story about open homosexuals and endorsing child homosexuality. "There's something instant to the viewer when you put on a Leafs jersey or any Original Six jersey."
[More at URL]
----- 22 -----
Muslim Congressman Won't Use Koran When Taking Oath of Office
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
December 01, 2006
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200612/POL20061201a.html
(CNSNews.com) - When he is sworn in as a member of the 110th U.S. Congress on Jan. 4, 2007, Congressman-elect Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) will not take the oath of office with his hand on a copy of the Koran - or any other book, according to a spokesman for Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to the House of Representatives.
Ellison will not use any book during the ceremony, Dave Colling, who served as the Minnesota Democrat's campaign manager, told Cybercast News Service. "Neither will any other member of the House," Colling added, since "no one has ever taken the oath of office in Congress with a Bible, a Koran, a Torah or anything else."
Instead, the members of the chamber are sworn into office as a group, Colling noted. "They all raise their right hands and repeat the oath that's prescribed in the Constitution."
Drew Hammill, spokesman for Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), confirmed Colling's description of the swearing-in ceremony.
"You're actually sworn in on the floor of the House," Hammill told Cybercast News Service. "There are no books present."
[More at URL]
----- 23 -----
Ford 'Proves' Commitment To Homosexual Agenda
American Family Association
November 28, 2006
http://www.afa.net/aa112806.asp
In March, AFA called for a boycott of Ford Motor Company because of their support for the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage. We asked Ford to remain neutral in the culture war over homosexual marriage, as Wal-Mart has decided to do. Ford refused and elected to throw their company resources behind the promotion of homosexual marriage.
Prior to the recent elections, Ford Motor Company sent an e-mail to their salaried employees pointing them to one of the most liberal, anti-family Web sites on the Internet. Ford urged their employees to go to Ballot.org for information on how to vote on issues including homosexual marriage. (Go to 4th paragraph where it says "check out the 2006 BISC Picks [our yes and no votes]." The Ford-recommended Web site urged voters to vote against constitutional amendments which defined marriage as being between one man and one woman in Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Of the hundreds of voters guides Ford could have endorsed, Ford chose Ballot.org. Ford's endorsement of this site clearly indicates that Ford favored the positions promoted on Ballot.org. The Web site accused those who favored the marriage amendments of "extreme bigotry" and said the amendments were an "attack on marriage equality, civil unions and all domestic partnerships." This is the Web site Ford sent its employees to for information on how to vote.
[More at URL]
----- 24 -----
A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath
What book will America base it's values on, the Bible or the Koran?
November 28, 2006
American Family Association
http://www.afa.net/aa112806_2.asp
Please take a moment to read the following TownHall.com column by Dennis Prager, who is a Jew. After reading the column, take the suggest action at the bottom of this email. After you have read it, please forward it to your friends and family.
America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on
By Dennis Prager - Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.
He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.
[...]
Take Action
1. Send an email asking your U.S. Representative and Senators to pass a law making the Bible the book used in the swearing-in ceremony of Representatives and Senators.
2. Forward this email to your friends and family today!
----- 25 -----
Activist Predicts Hockey Fans Will Body Check NHL, Leafs
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
December 1, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/12006e.asp
(AgapePress) - The head of a conservative group in Canada is denouncing the National Hockey League's endorsement of a pro-homosexual movie, calling it a "ludicrous" business decision.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL have given permission for the logos to be used in a movie that portrays a Leafs player who wants to publicly announce his homosexuality. In the movie Breakfast with Scot, the player has a live-in partnership with the team's lawyer and their adopted "son," who is described by the film's producer as "a budding queen of an 11-year-old boy."
Brian Rushfeldt with the Canada Family Action Coalition says perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the entire situation is that an 11-year-old boy is "being promoted as a poster child for gay sex."
“I'm not only surprised," shares Rushfeldt, "I'm actually shocked that such an organization or such a business venture would actually promote homosexuality – especially amongst underage children." In his opinion, he says, "that is the epitome of almost evil intent."
The Canadian pro-family spokesman says his group is considering a boycott of the Maple Leafs and the NHL. He notes that his group has in the past successfully boycotted groups for their endorsement of or affiliation with homosexual groups and activities -- among them the Royal Bank of Canada over its "Rainbow Triangle Sticker" program. He cites another example.
[More at URL]
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Speak Out for the Unborn! Contact Your U.S. Representative Today!
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act Vote in U.S. House December 4 or 5
American Family Association
Online as of 2 December 2006
http://capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=9189796&type=CO
We have just received notice that the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (H.R. 6099) will be voted on by the House during the week of December 4, 2006 -- the final week of the 109th Congress. Unborn children can experience pain, and they can certainly respond to touch from outside the womb. Any woman who has been blessed with carrying a baby in the second trimester can tell you this. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act serves as a reminder, to mothers and the technicians who commit abortion, of the humanity of the life growing inside the mother’s womb.
This bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), would require an abortionist to provide documentation on the capacity of an unborn child to feel pain to any woman seeking an abortion past 20 weeks, and would allow the woman to request or refuse pain-reducing drugs for the baby. You can learn more about the issue of fetal pain from this fact sheet from the National Right to Life Committee - http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/Fetal_Pain/FetalPain091604.pdf (PDF file).
[More at URL]
----- 27 -----
Commentary & News Briefs
December 1, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/12006h.asp
...California's homosexual "marriage" bill is "returning from the grave," says a prominent pro-family activist in the Golden State. According to Randy Thomasson of Campaign for Children and Families, Democratic Assemblyman and homosexual activist Mark Leno plans to reintroduce his gender-neutral marriage bill when the California State Assembly reconvenes on Monday (December 4). If that happens, Thomasson says it promises to become the state's "biggest legislative battle of 2007." In March 2000, 61.4 percent of the state's voters approved Proposition 22, an initiative which states that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Yet the traditional institution remains under constant attack by homosexual activists in the state -- most recently when Leno's measure, after being passed in the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate, was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2005. Thomasson points out that the continued push for "full-blown gay marriage," as he calls it, is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic. "The California Constitution specifically prohibits the Legislature from repealing voter-approved initiatives," says Thomasson. And Schwarzenegger, he says, should veto Leno's bill again, if it makes it that far, "because the people have already voted to keep marriage between a man and a woman -- just as God created it."
[...]
...The executive director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) says the state of California is taking a big risk with taxpayer money in the name of embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR). On Monday (November 27), the California State Department of Finance approved a $181-million loan to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine -- a group founded in 2004 when voters passed Proposition 71, a $3-billion bond issue to support ESCR. However, very little money has been seen because pro-life groups took the state to court, challenging the issue's constitutionality. Dr. David Stevens of the CMDA says the loan was given as a desperate act. "I think part of the reason is they feel like they've lost momentum, and they're not getting a huge influx of scientists to get access to all this free money, as they [had] hoped," he shares. Stevens says there is a big risk involved because the courts could find in favor of pro-lifers, in which case the loan would never be paid back. If that happens, he says, taxpayers' money would be wasted -- and California is already in a tight budget situation. [Mary Rettig]
[More at URL]
----- 28 -----
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Backers Down 39 Votes, Starting Lobbying
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 1, 2006
http://www.lifenews.com/bio1894.html
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Supporters of a measure to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research are short of the two-thirds needed to overturn a likely second presidential veto by at least 39 votes in the House. Lawmakers pushing the bill are slated to meet next week to begin coordinating their lobbying strategy to get those votes.
As LifeNews.com previously reported, leading embryonic stem cell research funding backers can't agree on whether there are enough votes in the House and Senate to override another veto from President Bush.
Bush vetoed the previous funding bill in July and the House voted 235-193 in favor of overriding the veto with 5 abstentions, but the vote was 51 short of the two-thirds necessary to override it. The Senate voted for the bill 63-37, which was four votes short of being able to override a veto.
The House is the major obstacle as they appears to be just enough votes on the Senate side for an override.
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
To: Friends of Family Research Council
From: Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
December 1, 2006 - Friday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
Correction
In yesterday's Update, we misidentified the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act as H.R. 6069. The real bill, H.R. 6099, is scheduled for a House vote next Tuesday. Please contact your House member to urge support.
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA06L03#WA06L03
An Experiment in Ethics
Nearly a year after printing one of the most fraudulent studies in modern history, the journal Science is being pressured to implement a new publishing policy--mainly enforcing that the articles it accepts are true. Last January, Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk of South Korea submitted papers claiming that his research team had created new stem cell lines from cloned embryos and used very few eggs to do so. It was later discovered that the feat was a fake. Not only had Dr. Hwang coerced young female researchers into donating their eggs, but the supposed "new stem cell lines" were a hoax and failed to correspond with the photographs he submitted. An independent committee investigated the case at Science's behest and has now recommended that the journal tighten its guidelines to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. The panel advised that "high-risk" papers be singled out for further scrutiny, along with the credibility of the authors. The journal's editor-in-chief, Donald Kennedy, ran an editorial response to the committee's findings in today's edition of Science. While many think the panel's approach is a commonsense solution, Kennedy says he is not certain which recommendations will be adopted or when. "We are still in the early states of developing our response to this," he told reporters. Kennedy notes that the journal will be seeking input from the scientific community. But why would a field, grounded in stringent laws and procedures, regard accuracy as a subject for debate? Considering the heated political climate for things as controversial as stem cells and cloning, the least researchers could do is create some semblance of accountability and corroboration, lest policymakers make misguided decisions that affect millions of people. As Kennedy himself writes, "The environment has changed for science." Increasingly, studies are motivated not by ethics but self-interest. As the world continues to seek ethical cures and to improve the health and well-being of many, cutting-edge research should be judged by strict standards--not political agendas.
Additional Resources
Journal Editors Are Urged To Demand More Evidence
Abstinence: Making a World of Difference on AIDS
Today, the leaders of every nation face a crisis of global proportions. As we commemorate World AIDS Day 2006, President Bush reaffirmed America's commitment to fight a disease that now infects over one million of our own. We are encouraged by the president's remarks that the U.S. is leading the way in combating the disease by "supporting faith-based and community organizations... promoting the ABC approach... with abstinence as the only sure way to avoid the sexual transmission of [the disease]." Rev. Rick Warren has joined the fight, calling it "the greatest humanitarian crisis in history." In the midst of his summit on AIDS, Rev. Warren spoke out forcefully in favor of abstinence, monogamy, and church-based care. This is in contrast, he noted, to the strategies of advocating condoms and delayed sexual activity. "Those strategies will only slow the pandemic," he said. "I want to stop it." FRC looks forward to working with leaders across the country who are trying to make a difference on the front lines of the AIDS debate. Together, we can encourage positive change through love for others and personal responsibility.
----- 30 -----
Stand for Life: Urge the House to Pass Unborn Pain Bill Now
House to Vote on Unborn Pain Bill
November 30, 2006 - Thursday
Forward to a Friend!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL06K04&f=PG03I03
The House of Representatives will vote early next week on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006 (H.R. 6099). We strongly support this legislation and ask that you contact your Representative to urge that he or she vote for this important bill.
H.R. 6099 requires abortion providers to inform mothers seeking an abortion that an unborn child 20 weeks after fertilization may feel pain during the procedure. The mother is also provided information regarding the availability of pain-reducing drugs that are administered directly to the unborn child, such as anesthesia. The mother must be provided with a decision form for signature acknowledging she has received the information.
This bill will ensure that a woman can make a fully informed decision before making the tragic decision to abort her child. Most importantly, it may protect unborn children from severe pain resulting from the abortion.
[More at URL]
----- 31 -----
And Now, our Cultural Warfare Update Feature Presentation.
(Online as of 2 December 2006)
G'wan, clickie.
http://someofmybestfriendsareamerican.cf.huffingtonpost.com/
It's funny watching Focus on the Family jump all over a bill they'd normally be opposing as "counterfeit marriage." They do that in New Jersey as an attempt to avoid a bill that outright calls itself domestic partnerships or marriage;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM against ABC for the All My Children soap having a transgendered character; they ay it won't "reflect reality," which is to say, they're worried that the trans person won't be unhappy enough and won't come to either a terrible end or Redemeption Through Jesus Christ. One of their recurring themes is that GBLT people cannot be happy or have stable relationships, or actually fall in love;
FotF upset that a lesbian woman's custody rights have been upheld, quoting a Liberty Council rep saying it's "the tip of the iceburg" to recognising same-sex marriage;
Resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan executing teachers for instructing girls - they want to go back to their pre-2001 policy of creating an outright chattel slave class of women; I was complaining about this crap in 1998 and it really, really pisses me off that the current administration kept forgetting about Afghanistan even after finally doing something about it - remember the $0 reconstruction fund budget? That was cool. Link from
tinlail;Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to get the lame duck Congress to pass an anti-abortion measure;
FotF: new abortion regulations don't go far enough - they want a ban, of course, so anything short of that is inadequate;
Focus on the Family wants Sen. Brownback (R-KS) to run for President, as none of the currently announced or generally-acknowledged 2008 Republican contenders (Guliani, Romney, etc) are fundamentalist enough for them; includes an ACTION ITEM for the same anti-abortion measure mentioned above;
Democratic state rep. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to reintroduce GBLT marriage rights bill in California legislature; it passed last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger (R-CA);
Meanwhile, on the Federal level, Democrats plan to reintroduce the stem-cell research bill which passed Congress this year but which Mr. Bush vetoed in his only veto action to date;
Focus on the Family criticises two-income families - gosh, I wonder which parent they think shouldn't be working;
FotF: Maricopa County, Arizona appealing court ruling overturning policy requiring inmates to get a special court order in order to get an abortion;
FotF: Massachusetts State Supreme Court to hear outgoing Gov. Romney's lawsuit seeking to force the legislature to put an measure on the state ballot;
FotF article tossing about the War on Christmas bullshit;
Concerned Women for America press release says Americans want more theoconservative and theocon-friendly judges for Christmas, urges Congress to vote to ratify a list of nominees;
CWA worries that Wal-Mart is not being decisive enough in its reaction to the theoconservative attack on it for buying an associate membership to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. But they're not putting Wal-Mart on their "naughty" list because their advertising uses the words "Merry Christmas" this year;
CWA's "Naughty and Nice" list for the "War on Christmas"; they're really unhappy with Best Buy, because they're sticking with "Happy Holidays";
CWA on the possible male contraceptive pill; they aren't fans; they worry that it will "prove to be a detriment to the morals and to the culture that is already disintegrated in terms of viewing sex as something that's recreational rather than a commitment between a couple that is committed to each other for life";
Faith and Freedom Network condemns tolerance and the "New Truth";
Faith and Freedom Network links polygamists and GBLT marriage rights;
Faith and Freedom Network complains that "In God We Trust" is too small on the new dollar coins;
Canada Family Action Coalition accuses the Toronto Maple Leafs of "being in the business of pedophile peddling";
The entire "swearing on the Koran instead of the BIble" thing is deflating - the swearing-in ceremony doesn't actually involve swearing on any book;
American Family Association condemns Ford Motor again, this time for opposing anti-gay ballot measures;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM for a Federal law mandating Congressional swearing-in on Bibles;
AFA story on the Canada Family Action Coalition item calling the Toronto Maple Leafs promoters of paedophilia; the actual item is that the Leafs and the NHL are allowing their logos to be used in the filming of the book Breakfast with Scot, about a gay hockey player who wants to come out; the paedophilia comes from the fictional character's fictional adopted son;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM to lobby Congress to pass the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act." AFA: "The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act serves as a reminder, to mothers and the technicians who commit abortion, of the humanity of the life growing inside the mother’s womb";
AFA reports on the plans to resubmit marriage equality bill in California;
LifeNews.com says that the stem-cell research bill is going to start 39 votes short of a veto-proof majority - it'll pass again, but not with a veto-proof number;
Family Research Council: only abstinence-only education is good against AIDS; also an ACTION ITEM to support HR 6099, the anti-abortion bill that is apparently going to get a new vote in the House on Monday or Tuesday;
Family Research Council separate ACTION ITEM to support HR 6099;
And now, our Cultural Warfare Update Feature Presentation.
----- 1 -----
Compromise Bill May Protect Marriage in New Jersey
Act would grant benefits and rights without consideration of the relationship of the people involved.
Focus on the Family
from staff reports
11-29-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003238.cfm
New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that might satisfy the state Supreme Court’s demand for same-sex marriage or its equivalent, as well as pro-family efforts to protect marriage from redefinition.
An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage – but would be blind to the relationship of the people involved.
Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits – rights generally already available through legal contracts. Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, told Family News in Focus the key is it does not create special rights based on homosexuality.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Transgendered Soap-Opera Character Will Not Reflect Reality
Experts expect the drama will gloss over difficulties.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
11-29-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003243.cfm
The announcement that ABC's daytime drama All My Children will begin this week following a character through a sex-change is being met with skepticism by some people familiar with such procedures.
It’s unclear whether the producers will stick with the story through the fictional surgery.
Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, a ministry to ex-gays, said such depictions do nothing to help people understand the reality of people making such life decisions.
[...]
"The people who are transgendered, the people who are in homosexuality, I would venture to say from personal experience that they’re not at peace," he said, "and that true love isn’t able to be found in those types of relationships."
TAKE ACTION:
If you'd like to share your thoughts with ABC, you can contact the network through its Web site. ( http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html )
----- 3 -----
Lesbian Custody Rights Upheld on a Technicality
Focus on the Family
11-29-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003250.cfm
A Virginia appellate court ruled Tuesday that the biological mother in a lesbian custody dispute must abide by the laws of Vermont, where she and her former partner entered into a civil union.
The ruling avoided the more important question: whether Virginia can be forced to recognize a same-sex union sanctioned in another state.
The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was still celebrated by gay and lesbian groups. Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, called it a "big deal."
"The fact that the court would apply that rule of law objectively and fairly to a lesbian plaintiff is an enormously important victory," she said.
Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which represented the biological mother, called the case "the tip of the iceberg of what's to come if one state cannot define its own marriage policy and must be subservient to the same-sex marriage policy of a sister state."
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Disembowelled, then torn apart: The price of daring to teach girls
By Kim Sengupta in Ghazni, Afghanistan
Published: 29 November 2006
The Independent
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2023831.ece
The gunmen came at night to drag Mohammed Halim away from his home, in front of his crying children and his wife begging for mercy.
The 46-year-old schoolteacher tried to reassure his family that he would return safely. But his life was over, he was part-disembowelled and then torn apart with his arms and legs tied to motorbikes, the remains put on display as a warning to others against defying Taliban orders to stop educating girls.
Mr Halim was one of four teachers killed in rapid succession by the Islamists at Ghazni, a strategic point on the routes from Kabul to the south and east which has become the scene of fierce clashes between the Taliban and US and Afghan forces.
[...]
Ms Mushtaq is familiar with the ways of the Taliban. During their rule she and her sister ran secret schools for girls at their home. The Taliban beat them for teaching the girls algebra.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Urge Congress to Pass Fetal Pain Bill
Your action is needed to ensure lawmakers vote on and pass a bill that would require doctors to tell women their babies feel pain during an abortion.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
1 December 2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003282.cfm
The 109th Congress is almost over and pro-life advocates are urging Congress to bring the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, H.R. 6099, to the floor while a vote is still possible.
Authored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the bill has 93 co-sponsors. It would require abortion providers to tell women who are aborting 20 weeks or more after fertlilization about the severe pain their preborn children will feel during the procedure. It would also require that the woman be allowed to decide whether her preborn could receive anesthesia, if it is more than 20-weeks-old.
[...]
TAKE ACTION:
Contact your representative using the CitizenLink Action Center and ask him or her to support H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.
----- 6 -----
Alabama Abortion-Clinic Regulations Displease Both Sides
Opposition stems from very different reasons.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
12-1-06
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003274.cfm
It’s not often abortion advocates and opponents agree on anything. But that's what happened at a public hearing conducted by the Alabama Bureau of Health Provider Standards regarding abortion-clinic regulations.
Regulators are considering proposed guidelines that they hope will improve the standard of care at abortion facilities. Several women have suffered major complications following abortions in recent months.
But both the abortion industry and pro-lifers oppose the guidelines -- for different reasons.
"The thing (abortionists) don’t like about the regulations is that they impose burdens and penalties on them," said Pastor James Henderson, who spoke for pro-lifers at the hearing.
"The only thing we would agree with (is) that they're inadequate -- because they don’t impose enough penalties.”
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Glut of Presidential Candidates May Run in '08
Who will appeal to pro-family conservatives?
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
12-1-06
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003279.cfm
How is the GOP race for the White House shaping up? The field is a little smaller now that retiring Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has removed himself from the list, but there are at least 10 other Republicans still being mentioned for possible bids.
Conservatives didn’t always agree with Bill Frist, but, for the most part, he was a stalwart pro-family voice in the Senate. Lanier Swann, director of government relations for Concerned Women for America, said she understands his decision not to seek a bid for the White House.
"His medical-mission trips, for example, would have been nearly impossible as a president," Swann told Family News in Focus.
But she said his decision leaves a void for social conservatives.
[...]
The three names that have come up most often as possible GOP contenders are: Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani; and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. None are considered to be true social conservatives.
Carrie Gordon Earll, director of issue analysis for Focus on the Family Action, is hoping a dark horse pro-family champion will emerge.
[...]
Although he isn’t endorsing anyone yet, Bauer says someone like Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., might fit the bill.
[...]
TAKE ACTION: Contact your representative using the CitizenLink Action Center and ask him or her to support H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.
http://vocusgr.vocus.com/GRSPACE2/WebPublish/Controller.aspx?SiteName=FOTF&Definition=Issues&Juris=US
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
Calif. Assemblyman to Re-Submit Vetoed Gay Marriage Bill
Focus on the Family
12-1-06
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003287.cfm
A San Francisco lawmaker plans to re-introduce a bill next Monday that would legalize same-sex marriage -- even though the California State Assembly will only be meeting long enough that day for legislators to take their oaths of office and elect leadership.
Democratic Rep. Mark Leno, who is openly homosexual, says he will introduce a bill approved by the Legislature in 2005 but vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Democrats Pledge to Make Stem-Cell Bill Top Priority
Move comes as no surprise to pro-lifers.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003263.cfm
One of the first things House Democrats will do when they take command of Congress in January is reintroduce H.R. 810, the same embryonic stem-cell research bill President Bush vetoed earlier this year.
House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she wants the bill passed in the first 100 hours of business. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. -- the next Senate majority leader -- has pledged to have the Senate act on the bill before January is over.
The bill, originally sponsored by Reps. Dianna DeGette, D-Colo., and Michael Castle, R-Del., is not one pro-lifers can support.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
Split-Shift Parenting Bad for Families
Experts say parents need to assess what's truly worthwhile.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003262.cfm
A study out of Europe contends that "split-shift" parenting -- in which mom and dad each have jobs and divide time at home with their kids -- hurts families.
Experts in the U.K. say work hours need to be more flexible to accommodate family time, but pro-family groups in America say parents may simply need to re-evaluate their priorities.
Researchers say a third of American families are earning two incomes while balancing young children.
Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, said parents have to weigh what's truly important.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
Arizona County Appeals Inmate-Abortion Decision
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003260.cfm
Maricopa County, Ariz., officials have appealed a 2005 state Superior Court decision that ruled unconstitutional the policy governing prisoners who want abortions, The New Standard reported.
County policy restricts access to elective medical procedures, and women who want abortions must apply for a court order to be transported to an abortion facility.
An unnamed inmate challenged the policy in 2004, claiming it prevented her from obtaining a timely abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the woman, said she faced excessive burden because she had to locate a clinic, schedule an appointment and retain an attorney to file the court order.
A Maricopa Superior Court judge ruled the policy unconstitutional.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Massachusetts High Court Hears Romney's Marriage-Amendment Suit
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003259.cfm
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by Gov. Mitt Romney and other marriage advocates that seeks to force the Legislature into voting on a proposed constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, The Associated Press reported.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Americans Want to Hear 'Merry Christmas'
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003258.cfm
A survey by Rasmussen Reports found 69 percent of people would rather hear "Merry Christmas" than more generic wishes such as "Happy Holidays."
According to The Washington Times, breaking it down by party affiliation found 85 percent of Republicans want "Merry Christmas" compared to 61 percent of Democrats.
"The growing trend of political correctness," the survey stated, "runs against the tide of popular opinion."
Surveys by America's Research Group and CNBC found similar results.
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
CWA: Americans Have Judges on Christmas List
Concerned Women for America
11/30/2006
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11916/MEDIA/misc/index.htm
Washington, D.C. ––The 109th Congress has very important work still left to be done in the remaining weeks before Christmas in order to leave behind a legacy of strong, lasting leadership, says Concerned Women for America (CWA). The U.S. Senate must stop delaying and start moving with up-or-down votes on the pending nominations of qualified judicial nominees.
President George W. Bush renominated six individuals for appointment to the federal appeals courts on November 15, 2006. They include Terrence W. Boyle, of North Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; William James Haynes II, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Peter D. Keisler, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; William Gerry Myers III, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Norman Randy Smith, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit and Michael B. Wallace, of Mississippi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit. All are renominations because the Senate has failed to give them an up-or-down vote.
“The Senate needs to deliver up-or-down votes on the six judicial nominees before the Christmas break,” said Jan LaRue, CWA’s chief counsel. “President Bush has kept his promise time and again by sending highly qualified nominees to the Senate for confirmation. The American people are watching and will remember which Senators were naughty or nice.”
For Information Contact:
Stacey Holliday
(202) 488-7000
media.cwfa.org
----- 15 -----
Mixed Messages
Check out where your money is really going before you shop for Christmas.
Concerned Women for America
11/30/2006
By Colleen Raezler
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11919/CWA/misc/index.htm
Concerned Women for America (CWA) received some questions about how some companies can be on our “Nice list” when they clearly do not share the same pro-family values we hold dear.
Our “Naughty or Nice” list pertains only to companies’ Christmas policies. We recognize that while some companies may encourage the use of “Merry Christmas” by their employees and in advertising, their other policies may not be as family-friendly.
Wal-Mart is a perfect example of this. It is on our “Nice” list due to its use of “Merry Christmas,” but its commitment to family values overall remains open to debate. The American Family Association planned a boycott of Wal-Mart on Black Friday weekend in response to the company’s promotion of homosexuality through corporate funding and “diversity” education for its employees. The boycott was ultimately called off due to Wal-Mart’s announcement that it would “no longer make corporate contributions to support or oppose controversial issues unless they directly relate to their ability to serve their customers,” which AFA views as a statement of neutrality.
[More at URL]
----- 16 -----
Updated!! Naughty and Nice List Returns for Christmas 2006
CWA is making a list and checking it twice.
Concerned Women for America
11/29/2006
By Martha Kleder
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11904/CWA/family/index.htm
Many retailers learned the hard way last year that it just doesn't pay to mess with Christmas. Target, Wal-Mart, Macy's and Sears are among the stores that made a mid-season shift from the generic "Happy Holidays" to "Merry Christmas." Concerned Women for America's Naughty and Nice list kicks off the 2006 Christmas season with many stores - previously on the "Naughty list" or in the ambiguous middle - now squarely in the "Nice" category.
"We learned our lesson from last year that the majority of people wanted to hear us say 'Christmas,' and we're saying 'Merry Christmas' this year, but not to the exclusion of the other holidays," Wal-Mart Senior Vice-President Julie Roehm told "NBC Nightly News."
Last year, the retail giant's seasonal advertising lacked the mention of Christmas, and store employees were initially told not to say "Merry Christmas." This year, the chain is encouraging associates to greet shoppers with a collection of holiday recognitions including "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Happy Hanukkah," "Feliz Navidad," and "Happy Kwanzaa."
[...]
The American Decency Association, the American Family Association and The Catholic League are jingling the bells of retailers that refuse to acknowledge Christmas. Online communities, like www.mymerrychristmas.com, have been keeping tabs on how retailers are keeping Christmas.
CWA will also be making a list and checking it twice. If you notice a retailer that is not acknowledging Christmas, or you see a retailer that should be commended, please contact CWA.
[More at URL]
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Surprising Reactions to News of Male Contraceptive (4:29)
Concerned Women for America
12/1/2006
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11924/CWA/misc/index.htm
Newspapers this week trumpeted a new male contraceptive pill. But, as Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, notes, the social implications of this prospective medication and the reaction of men raises doubts about this development. Click here to listen.
[Dr. Janice Crouse: "The word was... it would be available in five years..." "There would be no consequences to having sex!" "Some of us were concerned about what it would do about promiscuity as well... but now there's a whole new wrinkle, because men have said, 'I'm not about to take a pill. I don't know what it'll do to my health. I don't know what it'll do to my fertility. I don't know what it'll do to my sexuality... let the women handle the birth control.'" CWA says this is "reasonable." Lots of laughter about how men won't ever take this. "There is no way men would accept this, they would see this as interfering with their sexuality." Claims it will increase sexually transmitted diseases. "I think probably for married couples this could be a good thing if it proved to be healthy for men, and not detrimental to them. At the same time, I'm very concerned about the effect it will have on young people, and people who are promiscuous. Because it obviously creates the idea... that sex is nothing more than recreation and that this would enable people to enact that opinion much more freely than they've been able in the past. And I think it would also encourage men to view sex as something that is their privileges to enjoy at any time they want to without any consequences. So I think there are some very strong philosophical cautions about this new advancement and we need to look at it very carefully." "What're we going to do with this invention... will it prove to be a detriment to the morals and to the culture that is already disintegrated in terms of viewing sex as something that's recreational rather than a commitment between a couple that is committed to each other for life." Raises the idea that the FCC will approve it for political reasons.]
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Tolerance: The New Truth
Faith and Freedom Network
Thursday, November 30, 2006
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/11/tolerance-new-truth.html
The traditional meaning of tolerance means, to “endure” or put up with something such as a persons behavior, belief, or attitude, without necessarily agreeing with them.
The statement, “love the sinner, hate the sin” has grown out of the traditional meaning of tolerance.
However, today’s new and revised definition would be better defined as “love the sinner, love the sin.”
The definition of tolerance in today’s world says that a person’s behavior, beliefs and attitudes are inseparable from who she or he is. Therefore, any attack on behavior, beliefs or attitudes is seen as a personal attack.
This evolution of tolerance is the result of the evolution of other aspects of human existence, including the concept of truth.
Simply stated, the evolution has gone through three stages. First, under ethical theism, people believed that all truth was revealed by God. In the second stage, modernism, the emphasis shifted from God to man, and the concepts of truth changed from being what is revealed by God to being something that is discernable by man. Finally, in the third, post modern stage, truth has changed from being something that is collectively true for human beings to something that is determined by each individual person, based on that person’s culture, which in turn consists of behaviors, attitudes and beliefs.
[More at URL]
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Polygamists and Gay Marriage Link
Faith and Freedom Network
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/11/polygamists-and-gay-marriage-link.html
A little more than a year ago, people who should have know better, were scoffing publicly at the notion that there was any linkage between a new and energized effort to legalize polygamy and the gay rights effort to legalize gay marriage.
Now, we are being told that indeed, the polygamists are getting traction and making progress.
The Washington Post in reporting that the effort to “mainstream” polygamy is taking on a whole new look with it’s own new vernacular of words like, “sister-wives,” “plural marriages” and “plural wife.” The Post is also reporting that they are, “consciously taking tactics from the gay-rights movement” as they reframe their struggle, choosing in interviews to de-emphasize their religious beliefs and focus on their desire to live “in freedom.”
[More at URL]
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In God We Trust
Faith and Freedom Network
Friday, December 01, 2006
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/12/in-god-we-trust.html
It was Paul Harvey, on his daily news and commentary Monday noon edition, who pointed out the change in the new U.S. silver dollars that are now being minted. Click here to listen to Paul Harvey.
He said the new silver dollar still has “In God We Trust” on it – but just barely. I have since heard others comment on it as well.
[...]
Much to do about nothing? Perhaps. Except that there is such a tireless march to remove God and His name from public life that it causes one to wonder and take notice.
[More at URL]
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Toronto Maple Leafs and Pedophilia
Canada Family Action Coalition
Online as of 2 December 2006
http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/child/pedophilia/TO-leafs-homosexual-movie.htm
Just a few years ago the Toronto Maple Leafs ( Maple Leaf gardens ) ran into major problems when it was found that some people there had been using children as sex pawns. As I recall, one person was charged and suspicions about more were never put to rest. Giving free tickets for sex - that was the story right? Now the Maple Leafs support and endorse a movie which uses an underage boy as the "drag queen" in a story about homosexuality.
How many fans like the idea of the Leafs and the NHL ( who hasn't said anything to oppose this movie endorsement) being in the business of pedophilia peddling?
Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Sponsors Gay Movie Featuring Homosexual 11 Year-Old
Leafs general manager John Ferguson says "we're comfortable with it"
LifeSiteNews.com
November 24, 2006
By Hilary White
The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team announced today that they have lent the team's name and logo to a film depicting a homosexual Leafs player. The film portrays a Leafs player who wants to "come out" as a public homosexual, his live-in partnership with the team's lawyer and their adopted "son," described as "a budding queen of an 11-year-old boy." The film is based on the book of the same title about an 11 year-old boy who is described in an Amazon.com book review as "mincing" and "swishy," and who has to be prevented from wearing pantyhose, eyeliner and perfume to school.
"Breakfast with Scott", now being shot on location in Toronto and Hamilton, will go ahead with the willing cooperation of the team's management. The Toronto Star reports that actor Tom Cavanaugh who depicts the fictional player, Eric McNally, was "shocked" that the Leafs management agreed to allow the team to be depicted in a homosexual propaganda film. Cavanaugh remarked to the Star on the significance of using the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, one of the icons of Canadian culture as the background for a story about open homosexuals and endorsing child homosexuality. "There's something instant to the viewer when you put on a Leafs jersey or any Original Six jersey."
[More at URL]
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Muslim Congressman Won't Use Koran When Taking Oath of Office
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
December 01, 2006
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200612/POL20061201a.html
(CNSNews.com) - When he is sworn in as a member of the 110th U.S. Congress on Jan. 4, 2007, Congressman-elect Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) will not take the oath of office with his hand on a copy of the Koran - or any other book, according to a spokesman for Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to the House of Representatives.
Ellison will not use any book during the ceremony, Dave Colling, who served as the Minnesota Democrat's campaign manager, told Cybercast News Service. "Neither will any other member of the House," Colling added, since "no one has ever taken the oath of office in Congress with a Bible, a Koran, a Torah or anything else."
Instead, the members of the chamber are sworn into office as a group, Colling noted. "They all raise their right hands and repeat the oath that's prescribed in the Constitution."
Drew Hammill, spokesman for Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), confirmed Colling's description of the swearing-in ceremony.
"You're actually sworn in on the floor of the House," Hammill told Cybercast News Service. "There are no books present."
[More at URL]
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Ford 'Proves' Commitment To Homosexual Agenda
American Family Association
November 28, 2006
http://www.afa.net/aa112806.asp
In March, AFA called for a boycott of Ford Motor Company because of their support for the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage. We asked Ford to remain neutral in the culture war over homosexual marriage, as Wal-Mart has decided to do. Ford refused and elected to throw their company resources behind the promotion of homosexual marriage.
Prior to the recent elections, Ford Motor Company sent an e-mail to their salaried employees pointing them to one of the most liberal, anti-family Web sites on the Internet. Ford urged their employees to go to Ballot.org for information on how to vote on issues including homosexual marriage. (Go to 4th paragraph where it says "check out the 2006 BISC Picks [our yes and no votes]." The Ford-recommended Web site urged voters to vote against constitutional amendments which defined marriage as being between one man and one woman in Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Of the hundreds of voters guides Ford could have endorsed, Ford chose Ballot.org. Ford's endorsement of this site clearly indicates that Ford favored the positions promoted on Ballot.org. The Web site accused those who favored the marriage amendments of "extreme bigotry" and said the amendments were an "attack on marriage equality, civil unions and all domestic partnerships." This is the Web site Ford sent its employees to for information on how to vote.
[More at URL]
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A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath
What book will America base it's values on, the Bible or the Koran?
November 28, 2006
American Family Association
http://www.afa.net/aa112806_2.asp
Please take a moment to read the following TownHall.com column by Dennis Prager, who is a Jew. After reading the column, take the suggest action at the bottom of this email. After you have read it, please forward it to your friends and family.
America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on
By Dennis Prager - Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.
He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.
[...]
Take Action
1. Send an email asking your U.S. Representative and Senators to pass a law making the Bible the book used in the swearing-in ceremony of Representatives and Senators.
2. Forward this email to your friends and family today!
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Activist Predicts Hockey Fans Will Body Check NHL, Leafs
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
December 1, 2006
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/12006e.asp
(AgapePress) - The head of a conservative group in Canada is denouncing the National Hockey League's endorsement of a pro-homosexual movie, calling it a "ludicrous" business decision.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL have given permission for the logos to be used in a movie that portrays a Leafs player who wants to publicly announce his homosexuality. In the movie Breakfast with Scot, the player has a live-in partnership with the team's lawyer and their adopted "son," who is described by the film's producer as "a budding queen of an 11-year-old boy."
Brian Rushfeldt with the Canada Family Action Coalition says perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the entire situation is that an 11-year-old boy is "being promoted as a poster child for gay sex."
“I'm not only surprised," shares Rushfeldt, "I'm actually shocked that such an organization or such a business venture would actually promote homosexuality – especially amongst underage children." In his opinion, he says, "that is the epitome of almost evil intent."
The Canadian pro-family spokesman says his group is considering a boycott of the Maple Leafs and the NHL. He notes that his group has in the past successfully boycotted groups for their endorsement of or affiliation with homosexual groups and activities -- among them the Royal Bank of Canada over its "Rainbow Triangle Sticker" program. He cites another example.
[More at URL]
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Speak Out for the Unborn! Contact Your U.S. Representative Today!
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act Vote in U.S. House December 4 or 5
American Family Association
Online as of 2 December 2006
http://capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=9189796&type=CO
We have just received notice that the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (H.R. 6099) will be voted on by the House during the week of December 4, 2006 -- the final week of the 109th Congress. Unborn children can experience pain, and they can certainly respond to touch from outside the womb. Any woman who has been blessed with carrying a baby in the second trimester can tell you this. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act serves as a reminder, to mothers and the technicians who commit abortion, of the humanity of the life growing inside the mother’s womb.
This bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), would require an abortionist to provide documentation on the capacity of an unborn child to feel pain to any woman seeking an abortion past 20 weeks, and would allow the woman to request or refuse pain-reducing drugs for the baby. You can learn more about the issue of fetal pain from this fact sheet from the National Right to Life Committee - http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/Fetal_Pain/FetalPain091604.pdf (PDF file).
[More at URL]
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Commentary & News Briefs
December 1, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/12006h.asp
...California's homosexual "marriage" bill is "returning from the grave," says a prominent pro-family activist in the Golden State. According to Randy Thomasson of Campaign for Children and Families, Democratic Assemblyman and homosexual activist Mark Leno plans to reintroduce his gender-neutral marriage bill when the California State Assembly reconvenes on Monday (December 4). If that happens, Thomasson says it promises to become the state's "biggest legislative battle of 2007." In March 2000, 61.4 percent of the state's voters approved Proposition 22, an initiative which states that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Yet the traditional institution remains under constant attack by homosexual activists in the state -- most recently when Leno's measure, after being passed in the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate, was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2005. Thomasson points out that the continued push for "full-blown gay marriage," as he calls it, is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic. "The California Constitution specifically prohibits the Legislature from repealing voter-approved initiatives," says Thomasson. And Schwarzenegger, he says, should veto Leno's bill again, if it makes it that far, "because the people have already voted to keep marriage between a man and a woman -- just as God created it."
[...]
...The executive director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) says the state of California is taking a big risk with taxpayer money in the name of embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR). On Monday (November 27), the California State Department of Finance approved a $181-million loan to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine -- a group founded in 2004 when voters passed Proposition 71, a $3-billion bond issue to support ESCR. However, very little money has been seen because pro-life groups took the state to court, challenging the issue's constitutionality. Dr. David Stevens of the CMDA says the loan was given as a desperate act. "I think part of the reason is they feel like they've lost momentum, and they're not getting a huge influx of scientists to get access to all this free money, as they [had] hoped," he shares. Stevens says there is a big risk involved because the courts could find in favor of pro-lifers, in which case the loan would never be paid back. If that happens, he says, taxpayers' money would be wasted -- and California is already in a tight budget situation. [Mary Rettig]
[More at URL]
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Embryonic Stem Cell Research Backers Down 39 Votes, Starting Lobbying
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 1, 2006
http://www.lifenews.com/bio1894.html
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Supporters of a measure to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research are short of the two-thirds needed to overturn a likely second presidential veto by at least 39 votes in the House. Lawmakers pushing the bill are slated to meet next week to begin coordinating their lobbying strategy to get those votes.
As LifeNews.com previously reported, leading embryonic stem cell research funding backers can't agree on whether there are enough votes in the House and Senate to override another veto from President Bush.
Bush vetoed the previous funding bill in July and the House voted 235-193 in favor of overriding the veto with 5 abstentions, but the vote was 51 short of the two-thirds necessary to override it. The Senate voted for the bill 63-37, which was four votes short of being able to override a veto.
The House is the major obstacle as they appears to be just enough votes on the Senate side for an override.
[More at URL]
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To: Friends of Family Research Council
From: Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
December 1, 2006 - Friday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
Correction
In yesterday's Update, we misidentified the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act as H.R. 6069. The real bill, H.R. 6099, is scheduled for a House vote next Tuesday. Please contact your House member to urge support.
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA06L03#WA06L03
An Experiment in Ethics
Nearly a year after printing one of the most fraudulent studies in modern history, the journal Science is being pressured to implement a new publishing policy--mainly enforcing that the articles it accepts are true. Last January, Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk of South Korea submitted papers claiming that his research team had created new stem cell lines from cloned embryos and used very few eggs to do so. It was later discovered that the feat was a fake. Not only had Dr. Hwang coerced young female researchers into donating their eggs, but the supposed "new stem cell lines" were a hoax and failed to correspond with the photographs he submitted. An independent committee investigated the case at Science's behest and has now recommended that the journal tighten its guidelines to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. The panel advised that "high-risk" papers be singled out for further scrutiny, along with the credibility of the authors. The journal's editor-in-chief, Donald Kennedy, ran an editorial response to the committee's findings in today's edition of Science. While many think the panel's approach is a commonsense solution, Kennedy says he is not certain which recommendations will be adopted or when. "We are still in the early states of developing our response to this," he told reporters. Kennedy notes that the journal will be seeking input from the scientific community. But why would a field, grounded in stringent laws and procedures, regard accuracy as a subject for debate? Considering the heated political climate for things as controversial as stem cells and cloning, the least researchers could do is create some semblance of accountability and corroboration, lest policymakers make misguided decisions that affect millions of people. As Kennedy himself writes, "The environment has changed for science." Increasingly, studies are motivated not by ethics but self-interest. As the world continues to seek ethical cures and to improve the health and well-being of many, cutting-edge research should be judged by strict standards--not political agendas.
Additional Resources
Journal Editors Are Urged To Demand More Evidence
Abstinence: Making a World of Difference on AIDS
Today, the leaders of every nation face a crisis of global proportions. As we commemorate World AIDS Day 2006, President Bush reaffirmed America's commitment to fight a disease that now infects over one million of our own. We are encouraged by the president's remarks that the U.S. is leading the way in combating the disease by "supporting faith-based and community organizations... promoting the ABC approach... with abstinence as the only sure way to avoid the sexual transmission of [the disease]." Rev. Rick Warren has joined the fight, calling it "the greatest humanitarian crisis in history." In the midst of his summit on AIDS, Rev. Warren spoke out forcefully in favor of abstinence, monogamy, and church-based care. This is in contrast, he noted, to the strategies of advocating condoms and delayed sexual activity. "Those strategies will only slow the pandemic," he said. "I want to stop it." FRC looks forward to working with leaders across the country who are trying to make a difference on the front lines of the AIDS debate. Together, we can encourage positive change through love for others and personal responsibility.
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Stand for Life: Urge the House to Pass Unborn Pain Bill Now
House to Vote on Unborn Pain Bill
November 30, 2006 - Thursday
Forward to a Friend!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL06K04&f=PG03I03
The House of Representatives will vote early next week on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006 (H.R. 6099). We strongly support this legislation and ask that you contact your Representative to urge that he or she vote for this important bill.
H.R. 6099 requires abortion providers to inform mothers seeking an abortion that an unborn child 20 weeks after fertilization may feel pain during the procedure. The mother is also provided information regarding the availability of pain-reducing drugs that are administered directly to the unborn child, such as anesthesia. The mother must be provided with a decision form for signature acknowledging she has received the information.
This bill will ensure that a woman can make a fully informed decision before making the tragic decision to abort her child. Most importantly, it may protect unborn children from severe pain resulting from the abortion.
[More at URL]
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And Now, our Cultural Warfare Update Feature Presentation.
(Online as of 2 December 2006)
G'wan, clickie.
http://someofmybestfriendsareamerican.cf.huffingtonpost.com/
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Date: 2006-12-03 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-03 07:36 am (UTC)