Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Apr. 28th, 2007 02:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdI'm still quite a bit behind on this, but partly that's because there's just so much going on. Traditional Values Coalition and American Family Association are really flipping out against the hate-crimes bill and is pulling out all the rhetorical stops. I have more, but I need to work on homework stuff now. More later.
The Vatican's Msgr Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, declares abortion, RU-486, and any "manipulation" of a fertilised egg to be "terrorism";
A look into Muslims in Europe starting to deal with GBLT people and relationships; so far, it's mostly been by ignoring them, but that's starting to change;
Iranian officials reportedly cracking down on women who go out unveiled as "endanger[ing] the security and dignity of young men";
Clinic bombings don't get covered much, and aren't usually described as terrorism when they occur;
School sends surveillance camera footage of two female students exchanging a kiss to the students' parents - story courtesy![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
spazzkat;
ginmar has an interesting and disturbing post comparing and contrasting the reaction of two men to the possibility of abortion, one of whom is extremely explicit about considering the foetus to be more important than the life of his wife;
Abstinence-only promoter and Bush appointee in President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) stepping down after Federal law enforcement officials found he was one of a high-profile prostitution ring's customers, and yes, of course he's married;
Mostly I post a link to this because before I was doing these Cultural Warfare Updates, I'd get a lot of "eh, that's just some of the crazies, most of the people in the movement aren't that bad," and then I started posting the leadership talking about the things it wants and does and started getting "the leadership doesn't represent the movement!" which I think is, in both cases, bullshit. Anyway, "Fundies say the darndest things!" is a blog that quotes fundamentalist rank-and-file from message boards, with linkbacks. It's kind of like a CWU, but with more sarcasm, and looking at the ground troops instead of the leadership. Have at;
In two parts, a performance artist and actor in New York City encounters a "Christian group" from California who showed up at the theatre where he was staging his current monologue... apparently solely to walk out en masse and pour water on his script;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to "Defend Dr. Dobson Against Doonesbury Lies" by using their letter generator to turn out roboletters to newspaper across the country against Doonesbury and Garry Trudeau after the 15 April strip, in Focus's words, "took a blatantly untrue swipe" at James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family;
Indiana school threatens to fire and forces transfer of teacher who did not stop a student from writing an editorial in the high school paper supporting tolerance of GBLT people; she's also been barred from having anything to do with journalism classes in the future. Story link courtesyannathepiper;
Faith and Freedom Network says that "secular" values are destroying America;
FFN says that domestic partnerships will bankrupt government, calling equal treatment of same-sex partners a "new class of entitlement"; compare and contrast to various theoconservative assertions that there are too few GBLT people to justify accommodating with equal treatment under the law and you get one of those right hand-left hand moments;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM condemns Ford Motor Corporation for "unyielding support for homosexual marriage" by signing on as a sponsor at the Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays National Convention;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM against Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) and against Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (HR 1592), calling them "thought crime" bills which are "constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American," and adds, "your right to share politically incorrect parts of your Christian faith could, in fact, become a federal crime";
AFA's OneNewsNow guest columnist says GBLT rights will crush all dissent;
AFA's OneNewsNow runs "Inquiring minds lead to saved souls at Creation Museum" story pushing creationism and talking about how useful it is at creating fundamentalist converts; the story is interesting to me mostly because of the explicit tie it makes between "scientific creationism" and evangelism;
Family Research Council sponsors Family Policy Lecture by a Discovery Institute wonk - they're a creationist group - which ties evolutionary theory to eugenics, in a presentation called "Darwin's Dangerous Idea";
AFA's OneNewsNow critical of United Methodist Church's pro-abortion-rights position and work with pro-abortion-rights groups;
LifeSite calls European parliament condemnation of Poland's anti-gay policies "disgraceful";
Family Research Council has moved its pretensions of ministry to higher profile, creating a "Church Ministries" section with "The FRC Pastor's Portal";
FRC's "Defending Family Freedom" lists a Federal marriage ban first;
FRC condemns ENDA, and adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Federal hate-crimes law;
Traditional Values Coalition condemns "dangerous anti-Christian" bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Federal hate-crimes law, sating that with it, "the Democrats have proven their purpose is to silence Christians";
Cybercast News Service quotes the TVC's Rev. Sheldon and attempts to add anti-abortion-rights legislation extensively in their coverage of the bill;
Traditional Values Coalition PDF-format ACTION ITEM says hate-crimes bill will ban religious speech and quoting the Bible, will "fund anti-Christian curriculum for children K-12, through the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to promote homosexuality and cross-dressing as normal behaviors in schools," "Silence the Bible-believing Churches, Pastors and Christians because of fear of fines or prison," and "Elevate homosexuality and cross-dressing behaviors such as drag queens, transsexualism, she-males, etc. to the status of federally-protected minorities. These behaviors will be considered equal to race under the federal law";
TVC declares ENDA a "Homosexual Quota Bill";
TVC says that nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a "slippery slope," goes through DSM-IV listing a bunch of other things that they allege will be included, such as - of course - paedophilia;
More TVC allegations that the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007" will lead to "prosecution of Christians";
Boston-area Christian school with a GBLT ban will welcome, rather than arrest, the Soulforce protest group; a series of presentations and discussions have been arranged.
----- 1 -----
Vatican: abortion and euthanasia, terrorism with a human face
Asia News
4/24/2007 12:55
The secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith highlights the presence, alongside the “abominable” violence of suicide bombers, of the problem of this evil and it’s almost” invisible manifestations”, paradoxically seen presented as “progress” and “good” for society.
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9077&size=A
Rome (AsiaNews) – Abortion, euthanasia and genetic manipulation, those who “promulgate laws against the human being”, are expressions of “terrorism with a human face”, which added to that “abominable” violence of suicide bombers, manifest the presence of evil in society. Msgr Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, highlighted this during his address on the theme “The problem of evil. Theological and philosophical reflections” during the course of a 3 day seminar currently under-way here in Rome, organised by the Vatican’s council for the pastoral care of migrants and itinerant people, which groups together catholic civil aviation chaplains from airports across the world.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Multiculturalism and Islam; civil unions and homosexuality
Asia News
by Samir Khalil Samir, sj
3/12/2007 15:13
Islam has always been merciless on homosexual relations. Yet there is silence in Italy among Muslims on civil unions and homosexuality. There is a kind of manipulation of Islam on the part of liberal progressivism. If Europe and America want to change the concept of “family”, they must take account of universal religious traditions. The second in a series of articles on multiculturalism.
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8708&geo=&theme=&size=A
Beirut (AsiaNews) – Multiculturalism is not helping the West to be itself, nor is it helping the Muslims of Europe to integrate better in their new countries. I would like to demonstrate this point by examining the question of homosexuality and the family in the Islamic tradition and in today’s Islamic world.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
UNVEILED WOMEN TO BE EXILED FOR ENDANGERING SECURITY OF YOUNG MEN
History news Network (blogs)
Judith Apter Klinghoffer
http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/38046.html
No, I am not kidding. According to the Iranian newspaper Etemad prosecutor Saeed Motrazavi said:
Those women who appear in public like decadent models endanger the security and dignity of young men. . . . If primary punishments are not effective, repeat violators may receive up to five years exile from Teheran.
This is not empty talk. Iran has indeed intensified its assault on women and as you can see, it is aided and abetted by women who choose slavery:
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
The terrorism that dare not speak its name
Feministe
Posted by zuzu @ 12:32 am
4.27.2007
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/04/27/the-terrorism-that-dare-not-speak-its-name/
Why is it that the media and the government never calls the “pro-life” groups who plant bombs at women’s clinics what they are: terrorists?
From the AP article, entitled “Explosive found at Austin women’s clinic”:
AUSTIN — A package left at a women’s clinic that performs abortions contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death, investigators said today.
“It was in fact an explosive device,” said David Carter, assistant chief of the Austin Police Department. “It was configured in such a way to cause serious bodily injury or death.”
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Gig Harbor schools limit use of security videos after girls shown kissing
By The Associated Press
26 April 2007
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003681931_webvideo26m.html
GIG HARBOR — Restrictions on the use of school-security videotape have been tightened after images of two high-school girls kissing were shown to the parents of one of the girls, officials say.
Keith Nelson, dean of students at Gig Harbor High School, said he saw the students kissing and holding hands in the school's busy commons, checked a surveillance camera and showed the parents the tape because they had asked him a few weeks earlier to alert them to any conduct by their daughter that was out of the ordinary.
They then transferred their daughter to a school outside the Peninsula School District, which lies northwest of Tacoma.
[...]
Nelson said he respected the change in policy but added that he believes his first obligation is to parents.
"They're paying good money for us to make their kids good citizens," he said. "Whatever that means to the parents, I'll do it."
[More at URL. Editor's note: I heard on the radio that at least one of the sets of parents are fundamentalists.]
----- 6 -----
Pro choice; pro-birth; compare and contrast
A View from A Broad
posted by ginmar
26 April 2007
http://ginmar.livejournal.com/1066894.html
From feministe comes the words of a so-called pro-lifer, talking about how he loves his baby girl more than he loves his wife because she's genetically 'his' and thus 'his.'
----- 7 -----
Another Bush hypocrite: abstinence-only proponent resigns after DC madam exposes him as client
Pandagon
Published by Pam Spaulding
April 28th, 2007
http://pandagon.net/2007/04/28/another-bush-hypocrite-abstinence-only-proponent-resigns-after-dc-madam-exposes-him-as-client/
In 2004 Randall Tobias put on a good show for the Bush admin moralist hypocrites as promotor of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). He dutifully promoted abstinence only efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and gave condoms the brush off:
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
Online as of 28 April 2007
http://www.fstdt.com/
Fundies Say the Darndest Things! - An archive of the most hilarious, bizarre, ignorant, bigoted, and terrifying quotes from fundies all over the internet! The FSTDT archive is the largest collection of fundie quotes on the planet, with 15019 archived quotes this very second!
[Ed. note: Mostly I post a link to this because before I was doing these Cultural Warfare Updates, I'd get a lot of "eh, that's just some of the crazies, most of the people in the movement aren't that bad," and then I started posting the leadership talking about the things it wants and does and started getting "the leadership doesn't represent the movement!" which I think is, in both cases, bullshit. Anyway, "Fundies say the darndest things!" is a blog that quotes fundamentalist rank-and-file from message boards, with linkbacks. It's kind of like a CWU, but with more sarcasm and less content, and also looking at the ground troops instead of the leadership.]
----- 9 -----
Mike Daisey
mikedaisey.com
20 April 2007 and
24 April 2007
http://www.mikedaisey.com/2007/04/night-to-remember.sht
Last night's performance of INVINCIBLE SUMMER was disrupted when eighty seven members of a Christian group walked out of the show en masse, and chose to physically attack my work by pouring water on and destroying the original of the show outline.
I'm still dealing with all the ramifications, but here's what it felt like from my end: I am performing the show to a packed house, when suddenly the lights start coming up in the house as a flood of people start walking down the aisles--they looked like a flock of birds who'd been startled, the way they all moved so quickly, and at the same moment...it was shocking, to see them surging down the aisles. The show halted as they fled, and at this moment a member of their group strode up to the table, stood looking down on me and poured water all over the outline, drenching everything in a kind of anti-baptism.
[...]
http://www.mikedaisey.com/2007/04/aftermath-and-confrontation.sht
It has been an intense few days, and I would like to thank the thousands of people who have sent me emails, which have been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. They've come from everywhere, and in an age when we often seem terribly divided, especially in this country, it really means a great deal. Though now I will be answering email well into 2010, things could be much worse--when you let something explosive loose on the internet you can never predict how it will all go down. As of now I'm glad that I posted the video. I think it captures what it was really like in that theatre, and how incredibly chilling and incredibly dorky it was at the same time.
The group responsible for the incident is from a public high school, though they identified themselves to me as a Christian group as they fled the theater--it's barely audible on the YouTube clip, as an adult tells me they are a Christian group, then flees for the door, refusing to engage with me. Then in the lobby of the theater and on the phone to the box office they identified themselves again and again as a Christian group--I don't know what that says about the division of church and state in Norco, California. As a group, the people in charge freely identified themselves as a Christian group, until reporters call and they remember they are from a public high school.
[More at URLs]
----- 10 -----
Defend Dr. Dobson Against Doonesbury Lies
Focus on the Family
April 20, 2007
[Received in email 28 April 2007; no URL]
The April 15 Doonesbury comic strip took a blatantly untrue swipe at Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson – and you can help defend Dr. Dobson in your local newspaper.
The cartoon by Garry Trudeau featured a radio talk-show host "interviewing" Dr. Dobson about presidential candidates. The host notes that three of the leading Republican candidates have been married multiple times, but the leading Democratic candidates have each had only one spouse.
“Which party best represents family values?” the host asks.
“The Republicans, because they don’t support gay marriages,” the cartoon Dr. Dobson responds.
“Nor their own apparently,” the host adds sarcastically, leaving “Dr. Dobson” to bluster almost incoherently.
The allegation that Dr. Dobson would choose a political party over his principles is ludicrous. Dr. Dobson has been quite vocal about his disappointment over the moral failings of GOP candidates. If your paper runs Doonesbury, help us set the record straight by sending a letter to the editor. We’ve made it easy for you to do. Click on this link , and you’ll find paragraphs you can select and modify; no matter which paragraphs you select, the result will be a letter of no more than 200 words.
----- 11 -----
School newspaper editorial prompts teacher transfer
POSTED: 1518 GMT (2318 HKT)
April 27, 2007
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/27/school.newspaper.flap.ap/index.html
WOODBURN, Indiana (AP) -- A high school teacher who faced losing her job after a student newspaper published an editorial advocating tolerance of gays can continue teaching at another school.
Amy Sorrell, 30, reached an agreement that allows her to be transferred to another high school to teach English, said her attorney, Patrick Proctor.
"The school administration has said in no uncertain terms that she's not going to be given a journalism position," Proctor said.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Frog in the Kettle -- Slow, Comfortable Death
Faith and Freedom Network
Friday, April 27, 2007
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2007/04/frog-in-kettle-slow-comfortable-death.html
In 1990, George Barna, who has become the foremost Christian pollster and research company, wrote a book entitled, The Frog in the Kettle : What Christians Need To Know About Life In The Year 2000
He said, “Place a frog in a kettle of boiling water and it will quickly jump out, aware that the environment is dangerous. Place a frog in a kettle full of room temperature water and slowly increase the temperature of the water until it is boiling. The frog will stay in the water until it boils to death.”
The warriors leading the assault on our culture are slowly turning up the temperature on both the values that made America great and strong and on the people who embrace those principles.
[...]
Traditional, biblical marriage has always been seen as a stabilizing factor, not only in our society, but for 5000 years of human history. While it has been abused in some cultures, it has remained the constant – the norm and it has served society well.
If you are trying to secularize our culture, homosexual marriage is a good place to start.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Lambda Legal Has Sued Bellevue
Faith and Freedom Network
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2007/04/lambda-legal-has-sued-bellevue.html
A lawsuit was filed last week by a national gay rights group. The group, Lambda Legal, sued on behalf of three Bellevue public-safety employees.
Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger, told The Seattle Times that the City Council has been interested in providing the benefits but a lawsuit filed last week by a national gay rights group “certainly brought to our attention the need to move more quickly.” (Click here for story).
After the lawsuit was filed, Bellevue city leaders said they hadn’t approved domestic partner benefits because they were too expensive amid the rising cost of providing healthcare.
In my opinion, this is a glimpse of what is to come. We have said from the beginning that there are three reasons why Faith & Freedom has opposed civil unions, domestic partnerships or reciprocal benefits. Although this fiscal irresponsibility is not our most important reason, it is certainly one of them. This new rush toward domestic partnership benefits, as we have said, will create a new class of entitlements and put it on top of an already broken social security, welfare and healthcare system.
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
Ford gives another $10,000 to support homosexual marriage!
Unyielding support for same-sex marriage grows with multiple hand-outs
April 27, 2007
http://www.afa.net/ford042707.htm
The Ford Motor Company has again financially expressed its support for homosexual activism by donating another $10,000 to help efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. Ford has signed on as a major sponsor of the 2007 PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) National Convention.
According to PFLAG’s own website, “PFLAG…supports revision of federal and state statutes to extend to persons in same-gender committed relationships the right to marry with the full legal rights and benefits.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ford continues to ignore the plea of hundreds of thousands of Ford customers to stop supporting homosexual activist groups:
* Ford carried a full page ad in the nation’s top homosexual magazines, The Advocate (April 24 issue) and Out (May 2007 issue).
* Ford supports homosexuality not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Ford is listed as a main sponsor of the 2007 London Gay Pride Parade and Festival in England.
* Ford’s Board of Directors, under Chairman Bill Ford, is unanimously urging shareholders to vote against a proposal to remove sexual orientation from its corporate policies. The vote will be held during its annual meeting on May 10.
Although Ford has suffered massive losses in seven consecutive business quarters, it persists in alienating its core customers with bad business decisions.
Take Action
1. If you haven't already done so, please sign the Boycott Ford Pledge.
2. Forward this e-mail to your local Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda or Ford dealer (all owned by Ford). Find their e-mail address here (click on the auto icon). Ask the dealer to forward it to CEO Alan Mulally.
3. Print the Boycott Ford Petition and distribute it at Sunday school and church.
4. Extremely important! Help us get the word out about Ford by forwarding this to friends and family! For more information on Ford’s support for the homosexual agenda, click here.
----- 15 -----
American Family Association
Democrats set to deliver on campaign promise to homosexuals this week
H.R. 1592 dangerously lays groundwork for silencing Christian viewpoint on homosexuality
April 25, 2007
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire email list of family and friends.
http://www.afa.net/hr1592.htm
Did you know your constitutionally guaranteed “First Freedoms” to free speech and religious expression as an American are under attack as never before?
It’s true. Thanks to the new and unabashedly pro-homosexual Democrat leadership in Congress, Bible-believing Christians and Jews face an onslaught of bills that will inevitably create federally protected “class status” for homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites, “transgender” and “transsexual” persons.
Specifically, I’m talking about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (H.R. 1592) and the “Employment Nondiscrimination Discrimination Act” (ENDA).
Please don’t be deceived: while “hate crimes” and “nondiscrimination” laws sound noble and high-minded, they aim to normalize homosexuality and “transgenderism” in all arenas of society – and to silence and punish all opposing viewpoints. Read the excellent article by Peter Sprigg of Family Research Council, “What's Wrong with Thought Crimes ('Hate Crimes') Laws?”
Of immediate concern is H.R. 1592 – the “hate crimes” bill that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. This bill establishes a new federal offense for “hate crimes” and adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes in the U.S. criminal code. These classes are based solely upon unverifiable self-identification and/or sexual behavior.
Ominously, this bill mandates a separate federal criminal prosecution for state offenses – with the possibility of life imprisonment – for crimes motivated by actual or perceived “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Significantly, H.R. 1592 doesn’t even define what the term “sexual orientation” means!
Obviously, we have many concerns with a bill like this – including the fact that it is constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American.
And not only does H.R. 1592 violate the concept of equal protection under the law by granting more government protection to certain classes of people, it is a clear overreach of federal power – allowing the federal government to intervene in local and state affairs.
But even more chilling is the fact that H.R. 1592 paves the way to religious persecution – with “hate crimes” laws inevitably leading to “hate speech” laws targeted specifically at Christians and other faith groups who hold traditional beliefs on homosexuality.
Already this has happened in Canada, Sweden, Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, England, and New Zealand. Even here in the United States in Philadelphia, Christians have been arrested and jailed under a state “hate crimes” law.
Let’s face it: homosexual and transgender activists know full well that the church is one of last bastions in Western culture that has yet to cave in to the demands of a radical agenda that seeks to redefine fundamental concepts such as marriage, family and gender.
Here’s the bottom line: If this Thought Crimes law passes, your right to share politically incorrect parts of your Christian faith could, in fact, become a federal crime.
Clearly, a grave threat to our civil liberties and the liberties of our children and grandchildren is now upon us.
Take Action
Join us today in the fight to stop the Thought Crime bill known as H.R. 1592. The vote could come as early as Thursday, April 26. Take a few moments to call your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to against H.R. 1592 and preserve the "First Freedoms" of all Americans. A telephone number and talking points will appear when you Click Here. The main switchboard number for your House member is 202-224-3121.
Homosexual activists say they can "taste victory" now that their liberal allies in Congress control the majority. Let's make our voices heard today.
----- 16 -----
Perspectives: Crushing dissent
Ed Vitagliano - Guest Columnist
OneNewsNow.com
(Ed. Note: this is the old Agape Press, the news/opinion service of the AFA)
April 28, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/04/perspectives_crushing_dissent.php
There can be little doubt that over the last 15 years or so, the homosexual movement has been stunningly effective in getting much of its agenda put in place. Along with it, gay activists and those who sympathize with them have grasped leadership and decision-making roles in the entertainment industry, news media, academia and many corporate boardrooms. That success, however, has not engendered a charitable attitude among the victors.
Instead, in the U.S. and in other Western democracies, there is a growing hostility on the part of homosexual activists toward those who dare to disagree.
While many Christians merely yawn at warnings about the brash and intolerant nature of the homosexual movement, some are beginning to understand the alarming truth. As gay activists continue to play for keeps, religious freedoms are being trampled in a frightening preview of things to come.
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Inquiring minds lead to saved souls at Creation Museum
OneNewsNow
allie martin
OneNewsNow.com
April 27, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/04/inquiring_minds_lead_to_saved_.php
Workers at a museum that will focus on the biblical account of creation say the facility is changing lives, even though it has not yet officially opened. Most recently, a 28-year-old construction worker accepted Christ as Savior and Lord after working at the Creation Museum site for a few months.
Ken Ham is president of Answers in Genesis (AIG), the biblical creationist and Christian apologetics group that is opening the Creation Museum, its $27-million project in northern Kentucky near Cincinnati. So far, he says, ten contractors have been saved while working at the museum, where many of the workers hear the gospel as they inquire about the museum.
[...]
All this is "exciting too," the biblical creationist says, "because when they come to the museum here, they recognize [that] we're not just saying, 'Here's what the Bible says.' We're also saying, 'And we have this evidence to back it up.'"
The Answers in Genesis Creation Museum is set to open Memorial Day, May 28. The attraction will feature more than 80 animatronic dinosaurs, a room housing a replica of Noah's Ark, and rooms portraying Babylon and Eden.
[More at URL]
----- 18 -----
Darwin's Dangerous Idea:
The Disturbing Legacy of America's Eugenics Crusade
Family Research Council
Online as of 28 April 2007
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=HOME
[Ed. note: this is the FRC front page and will probably move later]
This year marks the centennial of the world's first forced sterilization law, passed by the state of Indiana in March 1907. By the early 1930s, some 30 states had enacted similar laws as part of a secular crusade to breed better humans known as "eugenics."
Promoted in the name of Darwinian evolution, eugenics led to the sterilization of tens of thousands of Americans against their will, many of whom would not be considered mentally handicapped today. Why did America's leading scientists and scientific organizations embrace eugenics for so long? Was eugenics a logical application of Darwin's theory, or a terrible misuse of it?
Dr. John West, a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, will address these questions at a Family Policy Lecture, to be held at FRC on Monday April 30, at 11:00 A.M. For more information or to RSVP for this lecture, visit our Events section. (Note: The lecture can be viewed live via webcast on the day of the event.)
----- 19 -----
United Methodist Church criticized for pro-abortion alliance
Rusty Pugh
OneNewsNow.com
April 27, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/04/united_methodist_church_critic.php
The United Methodist Church is being criticized for its alliance with a pro-abortion coalition. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has come out against the U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban on partial-birth abortion, calling it a "serious setback." The pro-abortion group is supported by several mainline Christian denominations, including the United Methodist Church.
Mark Tooley with the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) says this alliance between the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the United Methodist Church does not make sense. But unfortunately, he notes, "this has been the trend among liberal mainline Protestant denominations over the last 40 years."
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
European Parliament Passes Resolution Vowing to Take 'Homophobic' Countries to Court
Slams Poland as "Hateful" for Failing to Allow Promotion of Homosexuality in Schools
LifeSiteNews
Thursday April 26, 2007
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07042608.html
By John-Henry Westen BRUSSELS, April 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a disgraceful debate in the European Parliament (EP) yesterday, Members of the European Parliament from France, the Netherlands and Italy, among others, vilified Poland as "hateful" and "repulsive" for refusing to allow promotion of homosexuality in schools.
A vote was held today to approve an EP resolution chastising Poland for 'homophobia.' The resolution - adopted by 325 votes to 124, with 150 abstentions - calls for a fact-finding mission to be sent to Poland, for "worldwide de-criminalisation of homosexuality" and for the Commission to take Member States to court if they breach their EU obligations.
At issue was a proposed law in Poland which would forbid "homosexual propaganda" in schools. Explaining the legislation earlier this year, Roman Giertych, Poland's minister of education: "One must limit homosexual propaganda so that children won't have an improper view of family"
[...]
Despite such a spirited defence, comments by the leaders of EU governing body indicated that there was to be no tolerance for ideas which would view homosexual acts as unnatural. European commissioner for equal opportunity, Vladimir Spidla, said of the proposed Polish educational legislation banning promotion of homosexuality: "Such a law, if it were to emerge, would be in contradiction with the European human rights convention and the EU charter on fundamental rights."
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
Church Ministries
The FRC Pastor's Portal
Online as of 27 April 2007
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=HOME#church_min
President Tony Perkins came to the Family Research Council with a vision to serve pastors and churches in their call to pray for revival (2 Chr 7:14) and to equip spiritual "change agents" who will effect a cultural transformation in our nation (Mt 5:13-16). With that goal, FRC helps pastors equip their people to be what Jesus calls us to be "the salt of the earth and the light of the world." Pastors, churches and individuals unite with FRC to promote and defend "Family, Faith and Freedom" in the public square. Our arsenal of biblically-based resources, up-to-date news reports, prayer targets, action steps, and encouragement helps pastors and churches to take the lead in the war for America's soul.
[More at URL]
----- 22 -----
Defending Family Freedom
In Search of the Family's Hour
Family Research Council
Onlien as of 28 April 2007
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=HOME#govt_affairs
The Democrats are working on their first 100 Hours; when will families get theirs?
1) Protecting Families
Protecting Marriage
Marriage Protection Amendment
DC DOMA
Permanency of tax cuts that directly affect families
Child tax credit
Protection of marriage penalty relief
True cloning ban
Cord blood/placenta donation tax credit
Incentives for ethical stem cell research/banks (placenta banks)
[More at URL]
----- 23 -----
Barney and Friends
From: Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
April 26, 2007 - Thursday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU07D15
Liberals launched a full-blown attack on family values yesterday, introducing and debating bills that could significantly change America's criminal and employment codes. In the House Judiciary Committee, the mark-up on thought crimes legislation went on well past 9 p.m., in part because of Republican attempts to include amendments that would make the bill's "protected class" more comprehensive, including: senior citizens, pregnant women, prior victims, children under 18, the unborn, court witnesses, the military, and more. All amendments were rejected. The Committee then passed the bill on strict party lines--20 Democrats for and all 14 Republicans against. The version that now heads to the House floor violates the Commerce Clause and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. It federalizes a vast array of state and local crimes and threatens religious leaders with criminal prosecution for their thoughts, beliefs, and statements. Adding insult to injury, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) yesterday, which would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote an employee based on his sexual orientation or "gender identity." Several corporations have joined Frank in his attempt to elevate sexual practices to civil rights status, including giants such as Coca-Cola, Gap, General Mills, Hewlett-Packard, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Nationwide, and Nike. Frank also planned to introduce legislation today that would lift the ban on online gambling. His proposal goes beyond simply repealing the legislation that FRC helped to pass last year. It would legalize Internet gambling over the protests of a large majority of state attorneys general. Our work on the Hill yesterday did end on a high note, however. After a strong campaign, led by FRC, the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act passed with protections for both unborn and adopted children.
[More at URL]
----- 24 -----
So-called ‘Hate Crime’ Bill Vote During National Day Of Prayer Week
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3064
April 26, 2007 – The so-called hate crimes bill, H.R. 1592 was debated by the full House Judiciary Committee on April 25 and is expected to be voted on the House floor next Thursday, May 3rd (the National Day of Prayer) or as early as Tuesday.
Urgent action is needed by pastors and concerned citizens to defeat this dangerous anti-Christian bill. Download and distribute TVC’s Action Alert against this legislation.
Contact your U.S. Representative and ask that they vote NO on the so-called hate crimes bill, H.R. 1592. Call 202-225-3121 or email them at: http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc/.
[...]
H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, will make homosexual behaviors as well as cross-dressing, transvestism, and transsexualism into federally-protected “minority” groups.
The passage of H.R. 1592 will be a serious threat to freedom of religion and speech. It begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible regarding homosexuality.
DISTRIBUTE OUR ACTION ALERT IMMEDIATELY!
It is essential that citizen activists take our Action Alert to their church leaders and ask that it be distributed this Sunday. The alert is available for download here:
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc/hate_crime_action_alert.pdf
TAKE ACTION: TVC’s report, “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007” explains why this legislation is not only unnecessary, but is dangerous to religious freedom and free speech. Call your U.S. Representative immediately at 202-225-3121 and ask that they vote NO on H.R. 1592. Send your letter of protest against passage of this legislation.
----- 25 -----
'Hate Crimes' Bill Moving to Full House
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
April 26, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - The House Judiciary Committee passed a "hate crimes" bill Wednesday night, all 23 Democrats in favor, all 17 Republicans opposed. Every Republican attempt to amend the bill was defeated. Critics call it a "thought crimes" bill.
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592) would expand the federal definition of hate crimes to include violence against a person because of his or her "actual or perceived" sexual orientation or "gender identity."
Under the bill, people who attack others out of "hatred" for their race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability would be committing a federal offense.
[...]
"Despite what its advocates say, this is not about crime -- it's about special treatment," said the Family Research Council. "HR 1592 would further carve out 'tiers' of victims, putting more importance on crimes committed against a Rosie O'Donnell than against her next-door neighbor."
Others object to the idea of putting homosexuality in the same category as race, an immutable characteristic.
[Editor's note: but apparently religion is okay to describe as immutable.]
[...]
According to TVC, Rep. Jim Jordon (R-Ohio) tried to add unborn babies to the list of protected classes included in the bill. (Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., ruled the amendment was non-germane.)
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) asked for a definition of the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" but Democrats rejected the idea.
"They obviously did not want to define gender identity to include she-male, cross-dresser, drag queen, transgender, transsexual, etc.," said TVC Chairman Sheldon.
[...]
"By refusing to accept this amendment the Democrats on this committee have proven their purpose, to remove freedom of religion from the U.S. Constitution," said Sheldon.
"It is evident what HR 1592 is about," Sheldon added.
"It is not about homosexuals and cross dressers suffering with no food, shelter or jobs, it is about preventing Bible-believing people and pastors from speaking the truth. It is about punishing them so they will not dare to speak the truth. It is about threatening them with prison so they won't dare speak the truth."
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
Pro-Homosexual/Drag Queen“Hate Crimes” Bill VOTE NEXT WEEK!
Traditional Values Coalition
Online as of 28 April 2007
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc/hate_crime_action_alert.pdf
Begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whoseactions are based upon, and reflect, the truths found in the Bible
It is vital that Bible-believing people immediately contact their U.S. Representative. We must defeat H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 known as the “hate crimes”/thought crimes bill.
Without your action, this anti-Christian legislation will pass-- under the guise of hate-crime prevention-- and accomplish the following homosexual goals:
* Criminalize so-called “hate speech,”– which is any speech that is critical of homosexuality or cross-dressing behaviors. The suppression of free speech will be justified by the claim that such speech “incites” individuals to commit violence against homosexuals, cross-dressers etc. Any remarks about homosexuality, such as reading Bible passages, preaching on these passages, telling a person they can come out of the homosexual lifestyle, etc. could be deemed critical remarks andcould be ruled to be outside the bounds of First Amendment protections for pastors, business owners and individuals.
* Silence the Bible-believing Churches, Pastors and Christians because of fear of fines or prison.
* Elevate homosexuality and cross-dressing behaviors such as drag queens, transsexualism, she-males, etc. to the status of federally-protected minorities. These behaviors will be considered equal to race under the federal law.
* Interfere with local law enforcement by elevating alleged incidents of “hate” against a homosexual or cross-dresser into a federal crime.
* Fund anti-Christian curriculum for children K-12, through the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to promote homosexuality and cross-dressing as normal behaviors in schools.
The passage of H.R. 1592 will be a serious threat to free speech and freedom of religion. This so-called Hate Crimes Bill begins tolay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute those who refuse, for moral and religious reasons, to agree or teach their children that homosexuality, transgender, cross-dressing etc is normal and desirable.
Ultimately, a pastor’s sermon concerning homosexuality could be considered an incitement to violence and punished with a fine or prison. The House Judiciary Committee finally admitted this could be the result.
* This has already occurred in Sweden, Canada, and Englandand efforts are underway in Brazil to punish any person who speaks out against homosexuality.
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED--VOTE EXPECTED MAY 3rd ON NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
* Call and send urgent email to your U.S. Representative asking them to VOTE NO on HR 1592
CALL-- 202/225-3121
EMAIL-- http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc
* For more information on Hate Crimes go to–http://www.traditionalvalues.org
DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR CHURCH AND 10 FRIENDS.
Traditional Values Coalition 139 C Street, S.E., Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-8570 www.traditionalvalues.org
----- 27 -----
Homosexual Quota Bill was also introduced this week
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3063
April 26, 2007 -- The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced by two homosexual activists Rep. Barney Frank, (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin, (D-WI), as well as Deborah Pryce, (R-OH) and Chris Shays (R-CT).
Yet another attack on Christians by the liberal controlled Congress, this anti-Christian legislation focuses on Christian employers. ENDA is based on the false premise that homosexuals are discriminated on in the workplace. This homosexual quota bill makes it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” All of the same bizarre sexual behaviors protected under H.R. 1592 are protected under ENDA. We will have more information on this dangerous bill soon.
Please take a moment and share this article with a friend by clicking here
----- 28 -----
‘Sexual Orientation’ And ‘Gender Identity” Protection Is A Slippery Slope
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3062
April 26, 2007 – Congress is making a serious mistake by providing federal protection for “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” These terms include a wide variety of sexual orientations outside of normal heterosexuality. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists a whole range of sexual orientations that may end up being “protected” by passage of ENDA or H.R. 1592.
The list below is from the 2000 edition of the DSM.
NOTE: Page numbers are from "Paraphilias," Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 2000), pp. 566-582
[...]
Gender Identity Disorders
Homosexual and transgender activists claim that “gender identity” can be different from a person’s biological sex and is inborn. In other words, a man who thinks he’s a woman, should be free to change his sex; a woman who thinks she’s a man should be free to change her sex and be free of alleged “discrimination” in the workplace.
TVC’s report, “A Gender Identity Disorder Goes Mainstream” explains how radical transgender activists are working to overthrow the idea that a person’s biological sex is who they are – not what they think they are. Men are not women; women are not men. To think otherwise is to display evidence of a mental disorder and gender confusion. These conditions are treatable. They should not be normalized as “gender variant” behaviors.
TVC’s report, “Sexual Orientation: Fixed Or Changeable” discusses the idea of sexual orientation being on a continuum that can change over time.
The DSM still lists transvestism and gender dysphoria (confusion over one’s status as male or female) as mental problems to be dealt with by a psychiatrist.
[Editor's note: notice that they don't mention that gender reassignment is the correct treatment for gender dysphoria, mostly because they condemn gender reassignment just above.]
Please take a moment and share this article with a friend by clicking here
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
So-called Hate Crimes Bill Paves Way For Prosecution Of Christians
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3061
April 25, 2007 – Traditional Values Coalition Executive Director Andrea Lafferty issued the following statement today in opposition to H.R. 1592, the so-called “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007.”
“On behalf of 43,000 churches and millions of citizen activists associated with the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), I am calling upon the House Judiciary Committee to reject passage of H.R. 1592, the so-called “hate crimes” prevention act.
“The so-called ‘hate crime’ legislation begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.
“Anyone who has taken time to carefully read this bill knows that it is based upon several false premises and inaccurate statements about the extent of alleged ‘hate crimes’ against homosexuals, transsexuals and other gender confused individuals. This legislation falsely claims that:
[More at URL]
----- 30 -----
Christian school to host gay activists
Gordon College agrees to dialogue
The Boston Globe
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | April 16, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/16/christian_school_to_host_gay_activists/?p1=email_to_a_friend
WENHAM -- Breaking with many fellow conservative Christian schools, Gordon College in Wenham will welcome to campus this week a busload of young adults who are sharply critical of the school's policies on homosexuality.
The gay-rights activists have repeatedly been arrested and barred from the campuses of other Christian colleges this year as they travel the country in their effort to call attention to what they view as discriminatory policies and hostile climates on evangelical campuses.
But officials at Gordon, where homosexual activity is barred by campus policy, have agreed to host the group for a series of presentations and conversations, saying they believe it will be good for students to hear a variety of views. The college has held three lectures about homosexuality and morality, the Bible, and science, and is highlighting the visit on its website.
[More at URL]
The Vatican's Msgr Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, declares abortion, RU-486, and any "manipulation" of a fertilised egg to be "terrorism";
A look into Muslims in Europe starting to deal with GBLT people and relationships; so far, it's mostly been by ignoring them, but that's starting to change;
Iranian officials reportedly cracking down on women who go out unveiled as "endanger[ing] the security and dignity of young men";
Clinic bombings don't get covered much, and aren't usually described as terrorism when they occur;
School sends surveillance camera footage of two female students exchanging a kiss to the students' parents - story courtesy
spazzkat;ginmar has an interesting and disturbing post comparing and contrasting the reaction of two men to the possibility of abortion, one of whom is extremely explicit about considering the foetus to be more important than the life of his wife;Abstinence-only promoter and Bush appointee in President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) stepping down after Federal law enforcement officials found he was one of a high-profile prostitution ring's customers, and yes, of course he's married;
Mostly I post a link to this because before I was doing these Cultural Warfare Updates, I'd get a lot of "eh, that's just some of the crazies, most of the people in the movement aren't that bad," and then I started posting the leadership talking about the things it wants and does and started getting "the leadership doesn't represent the movement!" which I think is, in both cases, bullshit. Anyway, "Fundies say the darndest things!" is a blog that quotes fundamentalist rank-and-file from message boards, with linkbacks. It's kind of like a CWU, but with more sarcasm, and looking at the ground troops instead of the leadership. Have at;
In two parts, a performance artist and actor in New York City encounters a "Christian group" from California who showed up at the theatre where he was staging his current monologue... apparently solely to walk out en masse and pour water on his script;
Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to "Defend Dr. Dobson Against Doonesbury Lies" by using their letter generator to turn out roboletters to newspaper across the country against Doonesbury and Garry Trudeau after the 15 April strip, in Focus's words, "took a blatantly untrue swipe" at James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family;
Indiana school threatens to fire and forces transfer of teacher who did not stop a student from writing an editorial in the high school paper supporting tolerance of GBLT people; she's also been barred from having anything to do with journalism classes in the future. Story link courtesy
annathepiper;Faith and Freedom Network says that "secular" values are destroying America;
FFN says that domestic partnerships will bankrupt government, calling equal treatment of same-sex partners a "new class of entitlement"; compare and contrast to various theoconservative assertions that there are too few GBLT people to justify accommodating with equal treatment under the law and you get one of those right hand-left hand moments;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM condemns Ford Motor Corporation for "unyielding support for homosexual marriage" by signing on as a sponsor at the Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays National Convention;
American Family Association ACTION ITEM against Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) and against Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (HR 1592), calling them "thought crime" bills which are "constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American," and adds, "your right to share politically incorrect parts of your Christian faith could, in fact, become a federal crime";
AFA's OneNewsNow guest columnist says GBLT rights will crush all dissent;
AFA's OneNewsNow runs "Inquiring minds lead to saved souls at Creation Museum" story pushing creationism and talking about how useful it is at creating fundamentalist converts; the story is interesting to me mostly because of the explicit tie it makes between "scientific creationism" and evangelism;
Family Research Council sponsors Family Policy Lecture by a Discovery Institute wonk - they're a creationist group - which ties evolutionary theory to eugenics, in a presentation called "Darwin's Dangerous Idea";
AFA's OneNewsNow critical of United Methodist Church's pro-abortion-rights position and work with pro-abortion-rights groups;
LifeSite calls European parliament condemnation of Poland's anti-gay policies "disgraceful";
Family Research Council has moved its pretensions of ministry to higher profile, creating a "Church Ministries" section with "The FRC Pastor's Portal";
FRC's "Defending Family Freedom" lists a Federal marriage ban first;
FRC condemns ENDA, and adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Federal hate-crimes law;
Traditional Values Coalition condemns "dangerous anti-Christian" bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Federal hate-crimes law, sating that with it, "the Democrats have proven their purpose is to silence Christians";
Cybercast News Service quotes the TVC's Rev. Sheldon and attempts to add anti-abortion-rights legislation extensively in their coverage of the bill;
Traditional Values Coalition PDF-format ACTION ITEM says hate-crimes bill will ban religious speech and quoting the Bible, will "fund anti-Christian curriculum for children K-12, through the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to promote homosexuality and cross-dressing as normal behaviors in schools," "Silence the Bible-believing Churches, Pastors and Christians because of fear of fines or prison," and "Elevate homosexuality and cross-dressing behaviors such as drag queens, transsexualism, she-males, etc. to the status of federally-protected minorities. These behaviors will be considered equal to race under the federal law";
TVC declares ENDA a "Homosexual Quota Bill";
TVC says that nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a "slippery slope," goes through DSM-IV listing a bunch of other things that they allege will be included, such as - of course - paedophilia;
More TVC allegations that the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007" will lead to "prosecution of Christians";
Boston-area Christian school with a GBLT ban will welcome, rather than arrest, the Soulforce protest group; a series of presentations and discussions have been arranged.
----- 1 -----
Vatican: abortion and euthanasia, terrorism with a human face
Asia News
4/24/2007 12:55
The secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith highlights the presence, alongside the “abominable” violence of suicide bombers, of the problem of this evil and it’s almost” invisible manifestations”, paradoxically seen presented as “progress” and “good” for society.
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9077&size=A
Rome (AsiaNews) – Abortion, euthanasia and genetic manipulation, those who “promulgate laws against the human being”, are expressions of “terrorism with a human face”, which added to that “abominable” violence of suicide bombers, manifest the presence of evil in society. Msgr Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, highlighted this during his address on the theme “The problem of evil. Theological and philosophical reflections” during the course of a 3 day seminar currently under-way here in Rome, organised by the Vatican’s council for the pastoral care of migrants and itinerant people, which groups together catholic civil aviation chaplains from airports across the world.
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Multiculturalism and Islam; civil unions and homosexuality
Asia News
by Samir Khalil Samir, sj
3/12/2007 15:13
Islam has always been merciless on homosexual relations. Yet there is silence in Italy among Muslims on civil unions and homosexuality. There is a kind of manipulation of Islam on the part of liberal progressivism. If Europe and America want to change the concept of “family”, they must take account of universal religious traditions. The second in a series of articles on multiculturalism.
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8708&geo=&theme=&size=A
Beirut (AsiaNews) – Multiculturalism is not helping the West to be itself, nor is it helping the Muslims of Europe to integrate better in their new countries. I would like to demonstrate this point by examining the question of homosexuality and the family in the Islamic tradition and in today’s Islamic world.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
UNVEILED WOMEN TO BE EXILED FOR ENDANGERING SECURITY OF YOUNG MEN
History news Network (blogs)
Judith Apter Klinghoffer
http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/38046.html
No, I am not kidding. According to the Iranian newspaper Etemad prosecutor Saeed Motrazavi said:
Those women who appear in public like decadent models endanger the security and dignity of young men. . . . If primary punishments are not effective, repeat violators may receive up to five years exile from Teheran.
This is not empty talk. Iran has indeed intensified its assault on women and as you can see, it is aided and abetted by women who choose slavery:
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
The terrorism that dare not speak its name
Feministe
Posted by zuzu @ 12:32 am
4.27.2007
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/04/27/the-terrorism-that-dare-not-speak-its-name/
Why is it that the media and the government never calls the “pro-life” groups who plant bombs at women’s clinics what they are: terrorists?
From the AP article, entitled “Explosive found at Austin women’s clinic”:
AUSTIN — A package left at a women’s clinic that performs abortions contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death, investigators said today.
“It was in fact an explosive device,” said David Carter, assistant chief of the Austin Police Department. “It was configured in such a way to cause serious bodily injury or death.”
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
Gig Harbor schools limit use of security videos after girls shown kissing
By The Associated Press
26 April 2007
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003681931_webvideo26m.html
GIG HARBOR — Restrictions on the use of school-security videotape have been tightened after images of two high-school girls kissing were shown to the parents of one of the girls, officials say.
Keith Nelson, dean of students at Gig Harbor High School, said he saw the students kissing and holding hands in the school's busy commons, checked a surveillance camera and showed the parents the tape because they had asked him a few weeks earlier to alert them to any conduct by their daughter that was out of the ordinary.
They then transferred their daughter to a school outside the Peninsula School District, which lies northwest of Tacoma.
[...]
Nelson said he respected the change in policy but added that he believes his first obligation is to parents.
"They're paying good money for us to make their kids good citizens," he said. "Whatever that means to the parents, I'll do it."
[More at URL. Editor's note: I heard on the radio that at least one of the sets of parents are fundamentalists.]
----- 6 -----
Pro choice; pro-birth; compare and contrast
A View from A Broad
posted by ginmar
26 April 2007
http://ginmar.livejournal.com/1066894.html
From feministe comes the words of a so-called pro-lifer, talking about how he loves his baby girl more than he loves his wife because she's genetically 'his' and thus 'his.'
As a father of a 1 yr old baby girl, I value the life of my baby more than anything else on Earth. She is the most important thing there is, I would have to say equal to my own wife.. my baby is a part of me, she is my own blood, my offspring, she is genetically closer to me than my own wife. My baby girl will love me more as she is growing up than my own wife ever will.. the love between a daughter and father is, in my opinion, greater than between a husband and wife. Agree with me or not, that is my opinion.. and my baby girl is only 1 yr old. All she can say is “da da”, but I know she loves me and I love her infinitely so.. my wife, I love also infinitely so, but sometimes it’s rocky, sometimes it’s up and down and we aren’t always as close as we’d like to be, but I will always love my baby girl infinitely.[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Another Bush hypocrite: abstinence-only proponent resigns after DC madam exposes him as client
Pandagon
Published by Pam Spaulding
April 28th, 2007
http://pandagon.net/2007/04/28/another-bush-hypocrite-abstinence-only-proponent-resigns-after-dc-madam-exposes-him-as-client/
In 2004 Randall Tobias put on a good show for the Bush admin moralist hypocrites as promotor of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). He dutifully promoted abstinence only efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and gave condoms the brush off:
Ambassador Randall Tobias, who serves as Bush’s global AIDS czar, issued written guidelines in January that spell out the administration’s agenda. Groups that receive U.S. funding, Tobias warned, should not target youth with messages that present abstinence and condoms as “equally viable, alternative choices.”Guess who else is having sex “getting a massage”? Tobias, at “DC Madam” Jeane Palfrey’s escort service. The very-married Tobias is stepping down for “personal reasons.”
…The anti-condom order issued by Tobias is already having a chilling effect among the groups most effective at combating AIDS. Population Services International, a major U.S. contractor with years of experience in HIV prevention, says it can no longer promote condoms to youth in Uganda, Zambia and Namibia because of PEPFAR rules. “That’s worrisome,” says PSI spokesman David Olson. “The evidence shows they’re having sex. You can disapprove of that, but you can’t deny it’s happening.”
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
Online as of 28 April 2007
http://www.fstdt.com/
Fundies Say the Darndest Things! - An archive of the most hilarious, bizarre, ignorant, bigoted, and terrifying quotes from fundies all over the internet! The FSTDT archive is the largest collection of fundie quotes on the planet, with 15019 archived quotes this very second!
[Ed. note: Mostly I post a link to this because before I was doing these Cultural Warfare Updates, I'd get a lot of "eh, that's just some of the crazies, most of the people in the movement aren't that bad," and then I started posting the leadership talking about the things it wants and does and started getting "the leadership doesn't represent the movement!" which I think is, in both cases, bullshit. Anyway, "Fundies say the darndest things!" is a blog that quotes fundamentalist rank-and-file from message boards, with linkbacks. It's kind of like a CWU, but with more sarcasm and less content, and also looking at the ground troops instead of the leadership.]
----- 9 -----
Mike Daisey
mikedaisey.com
20 April 2007 and
24 April 2007
http://www.mikedaisey.com/2007/04/night-to-remember.sht
Last night's performance of INVINCIBLE SUMMER was disrupted when eighty seven members of a Christian group walked out of the show en masse, and chose to physically attack my work by pouring water on and destroying the original of the show outline.
I'm still dealing with all the ramifications, but here's what it felt like from my end: I am performing the show to a packed house, when suddenly the lights start coming up in the house as a flood of people start walking down the aisles--they looked like a flock of birds who'd been startled, the way they all moved so quickly, and at the same moment...it was shocking, to see them surging down the aisles. The show halted as they fled, and at this moment a member of their group strode up to the table, stood looking down on me and poured water all over the outline, drenching everything in a kind of anti-baptism.
[...]
http://www.mikedaisey.com/2007/04/aftermath-and-confrontation.sht
It has been an intense few days, and I would like to thank the thousands of people who have sent me emails, which have been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. They've come from everywhere, and in an age when we often seem terribly divided, especially in this country, it really means a great deal. Though now I will be answering email well into 2010, things could be much worse--when you let something explosive loose on the internet you can never predict how it will all go down. As of now I'm glad that I posted the video. I think it captures what it was really like in that theatre, and how incredibly chilling and incredibly dorky it was at the same time.
The group responsible for the incident is from a public high school, though they identified themselves to me as a Christian group as they fled the theater--it's barely audible on the YouTube clip, as an adult tells me they are a Christian group, then flees for the door, refusing to engage with me. Then in the lobby of the theater and on the phone to the box office they identified themselves again and again as a Christian group--I don't know what that says about the division of church and state in Norco, California. As a group, the people in charge freely identified themselves as a Christian group, until reporters call and they remember they are from a public high school.
[More at URLs]
----- 10 -----
Defend Dr. Dobson Against Doonesbury Lies
Focus on the Family
April 20, 2007
[Received in email 28 April 2007; no URL]
The April 15 Doonesbury comic strip took a blatantly untrue swipe at Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson – and you can help defend Dr. Dobson in your local newspaper.
The cartoon by Garry Trudeau featured a radio talk-show host "interviewing" Dr. Dobson about presidential candidates. The host notes that three of the leading Republican candidates have been married multiple times, but the leading Democratic candidates have each had only one spouse.
“Which party best represents family values?” the host asks.
“The Republicans, because they don’t support gay marriages,” the cartoon Dr. Dobson responds.
“Nor their own apparently,” the host adds sarcastically, leaving “Dr. Dobson” to bluster almost incoherently.
The allegation that Dr. Dobson would choose a political party over his principles is ludicrous. Dr. Dobson has been quite vocal about his disappointment over the moral failings of GOP candidates. If your paper runs Doonesbury, help us set the record straight by sending a letter to the editor. We’ve made it easy for you to do. Click on this link , and you’ll find paragraphs you can select and modify; no matter which paragraphs you select, the result will be a letter of no more than 200 words.
----- 11 -----
School newspaper editorial prompts teacher transfer
POSTED: 1518 GMT (2318 HKT)
April 27, 2007
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/27/school.newspaper.flap.ap/index.html
WOODBURN, Indiana (AP) -- A high school teacher who faced losing her job after a student newspaper published an editorial advocating tolerance of gays can continue teaching at another school.
Amy Sorrell, 30, reached an agreement that allows her to be transferred to another high school to teach English, said her attorney, Patrick Proctor.
"The school administration has said in no uncertain terms that she's not going to be given a journalism position," Proctor said.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Frog in the Kettle -- Slow, Comfortable Death
Faith and Freedom Network
Friday, April 27, 2007
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2007/04/frog-in-kettle-slow-comfortable-death.html
In 1990, George Barna, who has become the foremost Christian pollster and research company, wrote a book entitled, The Frog in the Kettle : What Christians Need To Know About Life In The Year 2000
He said, “Place a frog in a kettle of boiling water and it will quickly jump out, aware that the environment is dangerous. Place a frog in a kettle full of room temperature water and slowly increase the temperature of the water until it is boiling. The frog will stay in the water until it boils to death.”
The warriors leading the assault on our culture are slowly turning up the temperature on both the values that made America great and strong and on the people who embrace those principles.
[...]
Traditional, biblical marriage has always been seen as a stabilizing factor, not only in our society, but for 5000 years of human history. While it has been abused in some cultures, it has remained the constant – the norm and it has served society well.
If you are trying to secularize our culture, homosexual marriage is a good place to start.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Lambda Legal Has Sued Bellevue
Faith and Freedom Network
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2007/04/lambda-legal-has-sued-bellevue.html
A lawsuit was filed last week by a national gay rights group. The group, Lambda Legal, sued on behalf of three Bellevue public-safety employees.
Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger, told The Seattle Times that the City Council has been interested in providing the benefits but a lawsuit filed last week by a national gay rights group “certainly brought to our attention the need to move more quickly.” (Click here for story).
After the lawsuit was filed, Bellevue city leaders said they hadn’t approved domestic partner benefits because they were too expensive amid the rising cost of providing healthcare.
In my opinion, this is a glimpse of what is to come. We have said from the beginning that there are three reasons why Faith & Freedom has opposed civil unions, domestic partnerships or reciprocal benefits. Although this fiscal irresponsibility is not our most important reason, it is certainly one of them. This new rush toward domestic partnership benefits, as we have said, will create a new class of entitlements and put it on top of an already broken social security, welfare and healthcare system.
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
Ford gives another $10,000 to support homosexual marriage!
Unyielding support for same-sex marriage grows with multiple hand-outs
April 27, 2007
http://www.afa.net/ford042707.htm
The Ford Motor Company has again financially expressed its support for homosexual activism by donating another $10,000 to help efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. Ford has signed on as a major sponsor of the 2007 PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) National Convention.
According to PFLAG’s own website, “PFLAG…supports revision of federal and state statutes to extend to persons in same-gender committed relationships the right to marry with the full legal rights and benefits.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ford continues to ignore the plea of hundreds of thousands of Ford customers to stop supporting homosexual activist groups:
* Ford carried a full page ad in the nation’s top homosexual magazines, The Advocate (April 24 issue) and Out (May 2007 issue).
* Ford supports homosexuality not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Ford is listed as a main sponsor of the 2007 London Gay Pride Parade and Festival in England.
* Ford’s Board of Directors, under Chairman Bill Ford, is unanimously urging shareholders to vote against a proposal to remove sexual orientation from its corporate policies. The vote will be held during its annual meeting on May 10.
Although Ford has suffered massive losses in seven consecutive business quarters, it persists in alienating its core customers with bad business decisions.
Take Action
1. If you haven't already done so, please sign the Boycott Ford Pledge.
2. Forward this e-mail to your local Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda or Ford dealer (all owned by Ford). Find their e-mail address here (click on the auto icon). Ask the dealer to forward it to CEO Alan Mulally.
3. Print the Boycott Ford Petition and distribute it at Sunday school and church.
4. Extremely important! Help us get the word out about Ford by forwarding this to friends and family! For more information on Ford’s support for the homosexual agenda, click here.
----- 15 -----
American Family Association
Democrats set to deliver on campaign promise to homosexuals this week
H.R. 1592 dangerously lays groundwork for silencing Christian viewpoint on homosexuality
April 25, 2007
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire email list of family and friends.
http://www.afa.net/hr1592.htm
Did you know your constitutionally guaranteed “First Freedoms” to free speech and religious expression as an American are under attack as never before?
It’s true. Thanks to the new and unabashedly pro-homosexual Democrat leadership in Congress, Bible-believing Christians and Jews face an onslaught of bills that will inevitably create federally protected “class status” for homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites, “transgender” and “transsexual” persons.
Specifically, I’m talking about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (H.R. 1592) and the “Employment Nondiscrimination Discrimination Act” (ENDA).
Please don’t be deceived: while “hate crimes” and “nondiscrimination” laws sound noble and high-minded, they aim to normalize homosexuality and “transgenderism” in all arenas of society – and to silence and punish all opposing viewpoints. Read the excellent article by Peter Sprigg of Family Research Council, “What's Wrong with Thought Crimes ('Hate Crimes') Laws?”
Of immediate concern is H.R. 1592 – the “hate crimes” bill that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. This bill establishes a new federal offense for “hate crimes” and adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes in the U.S. criminal code. These classes are based solely upon unverifiable self-identification and/or sexual behavior.
Ominously, this bill mandates a separate federal criminal prosecution for state offenses – with the possibility of life imprisonment – for crimes motivated by actual or perceived “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Significantly, H.R. 1592 doesn’t even define what the term “sexual orientation” means!
Obviously, we have many concerns with a bill like this – including the fact that it is constitutionally suspect, unfair, dangerous, indefinable, unnecessary and un-American.
And not only does H.R. 1592 violate the concept of equal protection under the law by granting more government protection to certain classes of people, it is a clear overreach of federal power – allowing the federal government to intervene in local and state affairs.
But even more chilling is the fact that H.R. 1592 paves the way to religious persecution – with “hate crimes” laws inevitably leading to “hate speech” laws targeted specifically at Christians and other faith groups who hold traditional beliefs on homosexuality.
Already this has happened in Canada, Sweden, Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, England, and New Zealand. Even here in the United States in Philadelphia, Christians have been arrested and jailed under a state “hate crimes” law.
Let’s face it: homosexual and transgender activists know full well that the church is one of last bastions in Western culture that has yet to cave in to the demands of a radical agenda that seeks to redefine fundamental concepts such as marriage, family and gender.
Here’s the bottom line: If this Thought Crimes law passes, your right to share politically incorrect parts of your Christian faith could, in fact, become a federal crime.
Clearly, a grave threat to our civil liberties and the liberties of our children and grandchildren is now upon us.
Take Action
Join us today in the fight to stop the Thought Crime bill known as H.R. 1592. The vote could come as early as Thursday, April 26. Take a few moments to call your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to against H.R. 1592 and preserve the "First Freedoms" of all Americans. A telephone number and talking points will appear when you Click Here. The main switchboard number for your House member is 202-224-3121.
Homosexual activists say they can "taste victory" now that their liberal allies in Congress control the majority. Let's make our voices heard today.
----- 16 -----
Perspectives: Crushing dissent
Ed Vitagliano - Guest Columnist
OneNewsNow.com
(Ed. Note: this is the old Agape Press, the news/opinion service of the AFA)
April 28, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/04/perspectives_crushing_dissent.php
There can be little doubt that over the last 15 years or so, the homosexual movement has been stunningly effective in getting much of its agenda put in place. Along with it, gay activists and those who sympathize with them have grasped leadership and decision-making roles in the entertainment industry, news media, academia and many corporate boardrooms. That success, however, has not engendered a charitable attitude among the victors.
Instead, in the U.S. and in other Western democracies, there is a growing hostility on the part of homosexual activists toward those who dare to disagree.
While many Christians merely yawn at warnings about the brash and intolerant nature of the homosexual movement, some are beginning to understand the alarming truth. As gay activists continue to play for keeps, religious freedoms are being trampled in a frightening preview of things to come.
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Inquiring minds lead to saved souls at Creation Museum
OneNewsNow
allie martin
OneNewsNow.com
April 27, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/04/inquiring_minds_lead_to_saved_.php
Workers at a museum that will focus on the biblical account of creation say the facility is changing lives, even though it has not yet officially opened. Most recently, a 28-year-old construction worker accepted Christ as Savior and Lord after working at the Creation Museum site for a few months.
Ken Ham is president of Answers in Genesis (AIG), the biblical creationist and Christian apologetics group that is opening the Creation Museum, its $27-million project in northern Kentucky near Cincinnati. So far, he says, ten contractors have been saved while working at the museum, where many of the workers hear the gospel as they inquire about the museum.
[...]
All this is "exciting too," the biblical creationist says, "because when they come to the museum here, they recognize [that] we're not just saying, 'Here's what the Bible says.' We're also saying, 'And we have this evidence to back it up.'"
The Answers in Genesis Creation Museum is set to open Memorial Day, May 28. The attraction will feature more than 80 animatronic dinosaurs, a room housing a replica of Noah's Ark, and rooms portraying Babylon and Eden.
[More at URL]
----- 18 -----
Darwin's Dangerous Idea:
The Disturbing Legacy of America's Eugenics Crusade
Family Research Council
Online as of 28 April 2007
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=HOME
[Ed. note: this is the FRC front page and will probably move later]
This year marks the centennial of the world's first forced sterilization law, passed by the state of Indiana in March 1907. By the early 1930s, some 30 states had enacted similar laws as part of a secular crusade to breed better humans known as "eugenics."
Promoted in the name of Darwinian evolution, eugenics led to the sterilization of tens of thousands of Americans against their will, many of whom would not be considered mentally handicapped today. Why did America's leading scientists and scientific organizations embrace eugenics for so long? Was eugenics a logical application of Darwin's theory, or a terrible misuse of it?
Dr. John West, a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, will address these questions at a Family Policy Lecture, to be held at FRC on Monday April 30, at 11:00 A.M. For more information or to RSVP for this lecture, visit our Events section. (Note: The lecture can be viewed live via webcast on the day of the event.)
----- 19 -----
United Methodist Church criticized for pro-abortion alliance
Rusty Pugh
OneNewsNow.com
April 27, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/04/united_methodist_church_critic.php
The United Methodist Church is being criticized for its alliance with a pro-abortion coalition. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has come out against the U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban on partial-birth abortion, calling it a "serious setback." The pro-abortion group is supported by several mainline Christian denominations, including the United Methodist Church.
Mark Tooley with the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) says this alliance between the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the United Methodist Church does not make sense. But unfortunately, he notes, "this has been the trend among liberal mainline Protestant denominations over the last 40 years."
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
European Parliament Passes Resolution Vowing to Take 'Homophobic' Countries to Court
Slams Poland as "Hateful" for Failing to Allow Promotion of Homosexuality in Schools
LifeSiteNews
Thursday April 26, 2007
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07042608.html
By John-Henry Westen BRUSSELS, April 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a disgraceful debate in the European Parliament (EP) yesterday, Members of the European Parliament from France, the Netherlands and Italy, among others, vilified Poland as "hateful" and "repulsive" for refusing to allow promotion of homosexuality in schools.
A vote was held today to approve an EP resolution chastising Poland for 'homophobia.' The resolution - adopted by 325 votes to 124, with 150 abstentions - calls for a fact-finding mission to be sent to Poland, for "worldwide de-criminalisation of homosexuality" and for the Commission to take Member States to court if they breach their EU obligations.
At issue was a proposed law in Poland which would forbid "homosexual propaganda" in schools. Explaining the legislation earlier this year, Roman Giertych, Poland's minister of education: "One must limit homosexual propaganda so that children won't have an improper view of family"
[...]
Despite such a spirited defence, comments by the leaders of EU governing body indicated that there was to be no tolerance for ideas which would view homosexual acts as unnatural. European commissioner for equal opportunity, Vladimir Spidla, said of the proposed Polish educational legislation banning promotion of homosexuality: "Such a law, if it were to emerge, would be in contradiction with the European human rights convention and the EU charter on fundamental rights."
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
Church Ministries
The FRC Pastor's Portal
Online as of 27 April 2007
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=HOME#church_min
President Tony Perkins came to the Family Research Council with a vision to serve pastors and churches in their call to pray for revival (2 Chr 7:14) and to equip spiritual "change agents" who will effect a cultural transformation in our nation (Mt 5:13-16). With that goal, FRC helps pastors equip their people to be what Jesus calls us to be "the salt of the earth and the light of the world." Pastors, churches and individuals unite with FRC to promote and defend "Family, Faith and Freedom" in the public square. Our arsenal of biblically-based resources, up-to-date news reports, prayer targets, action steps, and encouragement helps pastors and churches to take the lead in the war for America's soul.
[More at URL]
----- 22 -----
Defending Family Freedom
In Search of the Family's Hour
Family Research Council
Onlien as of 28 April 2007
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=HOME#govt_affairs
The Democrats are working on their first 100 Hours; when will families get theirs?
1) Protecting Families
Protecting Marriage
Marriage Protection Amendment
DC DOMA
Permanency of tax cuts that directly affect families
Child tax credit
Protection of marriage penalty relief
True cloning ban
Cord blood/placenta donation tax credit
Incentives for ethical stem cell research/banks (placenta banks)
[More at URL]
----- 23 -----
Barney and Friends
From: Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
April 26, 2007 - Thursday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU07D15
Liberals launched a full-blown attack on family values yesterday, introducing and debating bills that could significantly change America's criminal and employment codes. In the House Judiciary Committee, the mark-up on thought crimes legislation went on well past 9 p.m., in part because of Republican attempts to include amendments that would make the bill's "protected class" more comprehensive, including: senior citizens, pregnant women, prior victims, children under 18, the unborn, court witnesses, the military, and more. All amendments were rejected. The Committee then passed the bill on strict party lines--20 Democrats for and all 14 Republicans against. The version that now heads to the House floor violates the Commerce Clause and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. It federalizes a vast array of state and local crimes and threatens religious leaders with criminal prosecution for their thoughts, beliefs, and statements. Adding insult to injury, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) yesterday, which would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote an employee based on his sexual orientation or "gender identity." Several corporations have joined Frank in his attempt to elevate sexual practices to civil rights status, including giants such as Coca-Cola, Gap, General Mills, Hewlett-Packard, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Nationwide, and Nike. Frank also planned to introduce legislation today that would lift the ban on online gambling. His proposal goes beyond simply repealing the legislation that FRC helped to pass last year. It would legalize Internet gambling over the protests of a large majority of state attorneys general. Our work on the Hill yesterday did end on a high note, however. After a strong campaign, led by FRC, the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act passed with protections for both unborn and adopted children.
[More at URL]
----- 24 -----
So-called ‘Hate Crime’ Bill Vote During National Day Of Prayer Week
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3064
April 26, 2007 – The so-called hate crimes bill, H.R. 1592 was debated by the full House Judiciary Committee on April 25 and is expected to be voted on the House floor next Thursday, May 3rd (the National Day of Prayer) or as early as Tuesday.
Urgent action is needed by pastors and concerned citizens to defeat this dangerous anti-Christian bill. Download and distribute TVC’s Action Alert against this legislation.
Contact your U.S. Representative and ask that they vote NO on the so-called hate crimes bill, H.R. 1592. Call 202-225-3121 or email them at: http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc/.
[...]
H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, will make homosexual behaviors as well as cross-dressing, transvestism, and transsexualism into federally-protected “minority” groups.
The passage of H.R. 1592 will be a serious threat to freedom of religion and speech. It begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible regarding homosexuality.
DISTRIBUTE OUR ACTION ALERT IMMEDIATELY!
It is essential that citizen activists take our Action Alert to their church leaders and ask that it be distributed this Sunday. The alert is available for download here:
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc/hate_crime_action_alert.pdf
TAKE ACTION: TVC’s report, “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007” explains why this legislation is not only unnecessary, but is dangerous to religious freedom and free speech. Call your U.S. Representative immediately at 202-225-3121 and ask that they vote NO on H.R. 1592. Send your letter of protest against passage of this legislation.
----- 25 -----
'Hate Crimes' Bill Moving to Full House
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
April 26, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - The House Judiciary Committee passed a "hate crimes" bill Wednesday night, all 23 Democrats in favor, all 17 Republicans opposed. Every Republican attempt to amend the bill was defeated. Critics call it a "thought crimes" bill.
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592) would expand the federal definition of hate crimes to include violence against a person because of his or her "actual or perceived" sexual orientation or "gender identity."
Under the bill, people who attack others out of "hatred" for their race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability would be committing a federal offense.
[...]
"Despite what its advocates say, this is not about crime -- it's about special treatment," said the Family Research Council. "HR 1592 would further carve out 'tiers' of victims, putting more importance on crimes committed against a Rosie O'Donnell than against her next-door neighbor."
Others object to the idea of putting homosexuality in the same category as race, an immutable characteristic.
[Editor's note: but apparently religion is okay to describe as immutable.]
[...]
According to TVC, Rep. Jim Jordon (R-Ohio) tried to add unborn babies to the list of protected classes included in the bill. (Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., ruled the amendment was non-germane.)
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) asked for a definition of the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" but Democrats rejected the idea.
"They obviously did not want to define gender identity to include she-male, cross-dresser, drag queen, transgender, transsexual, etc.," said TVC Chairman Sheldon.
[...]
"By refusing to accept this amendment the Democrats on this committee have proven their purpose, to remove freedom of religion from the U.S. Constitution," said Sheldon.
"It is evident what HR 1592 is about," Sheldon added.
"It is not about homosexuals and cross dressers suffering with no food, shelter or jobs, it is about preventing Bible-believing people and pastors from speaking the truth. It is about punishing them so they will not dare to speak the truth. It is about threatening them with prison so they won't dare speak the truth."
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
Pro-Homosexual/Drag Queen“Hate Crimes” Bill VOTE NEXT WEEK!
Traditional Values Coalition
Online as of 28 April 2007
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc/hate_crime_action_alert.pdf
Begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whoseactions are based upon, and reflect, the truths found in the Bible
It is vital that Bible-believing people immediately contact their U.S. Representative. We must defeat H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 known as the “hate crimes”/thought crimes bill.
Without your action, this anti-Christian legislation will pass-- under the guise of hate-crime prevention-- and accomplish the following homosexual goals:
* Criminalize so-called “hate speech,”– which is any speech that is critical of homosexuality or cross-dressing behaviors. The suppression of free speech will be justified by the claim that such speech “incites” individuals to commit violence against homosexuals, cross-dressers etc. Any remarks about homosexuality, such as reading Bible passages, preaching on these passages, telling a person they can come out of the homosexual lifestyle, etc. could be deemed critical remarks andcould be ruled to be outside the bounds of First Amendment protections for pastors, business owners and individuals.
* Silence the Bible-believing Churches, Pastors and Christians because of fear of fines or prison.
* Elevate homosexuality and cross-dressing behaviors such as drag queens, transsexualism, she-males, etc. to the status of federally-protected minorities. These behaviors will be considered equal to race under the federal law.
* Interfere with local law enforcement by elevating alleged incidents of “hate” against a homosexual or cross-dresser into a federal crime.
* Fund anti-Christian curriculum for children K-12, through the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to promote homosexuality and cross-dressing as normal behaviors in schools.
The passage of H.R. 1592 will be a serious threat to free speech and freedom of religion. This so-called Hate Crimes Bill begins tolay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute those who refuse, for moral and religious reasons, to agree or teach their children that homosexuality, transgender, cross-dressing etc is normal and desirable.
Ultimately, a pastor’s sermon concerning homosexuality could be considered an incitement to violence and punished with a fine or prison. The House Judiciary Committee finally admitted this could be the result.
* This has already occurred in Sweden, Canada, and Englandand efforts are underway in Brazil to punish any person who speaks out against homosexuality.
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED--VOTE EXPECTED MAY 3rd ON NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
* Call and send urgent email to your U.S. Representative asking them to VOTE NO on HR 1592
CALL-- 202/225-3121
EMAIL-- http://www.traditionalvalues.org/hc
* For more information on Hate Crimes go to–http://www.traditionalvalues.org
DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR CHURCH AND 10 FRIENDS.
Traditional Values Coalition 139 C Street, S.E., Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-8570 www.traditionalvalues.org
----- 27 -----
Homosexual Quota Bill was also introduced this week
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3063
April 26, 2007 -- The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced by two homosexual activists Rep. Barney Frank, (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin, (D-WI), as well as Deborah Pryce, (R-OH) and Chris Shays (R-CT).
Yet another attack on Christians by the liberal controlled Congress, this anti-Christian legislation focuses on Christian employers. ENDA is based on the false premise that homosexuals are discriminated on in the workplace. This homosexual quota bill makes it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” All of the same bizarre sexual behaviors protected under H.R. 1592 are protected under ENDA. We will have more information on this dangerous bill soon.
Please take a moment and share this article with a friend by clicking here
----- 28 -----
‘Sexual Orientation’ And ‘Gender Identity” Protection Is A Slippery Slope
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3062
April 26, 2007 – Congress is making a serious mistake by providing federal protection for “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” These terms include a wide variety of sexual orientations outside of normal heterosexuality. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists a whole range of sexual orientations that may end up being “protected” by passage of ENDA or H.R. 1592.
The list below is from the 2000 edition of the DSM.
NOTE: Page numbers are from "Paraphilias," Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 2000), pp. 566-582
[...]
Gender Identity Disorders
Homosexual and transgender activists claim that “gender identity” can be different from a person’s biological sex and is inborn. In other words, a man who thinks he’s a woman, should be free to change his sex; a woman who thinks she’s a man should be free to change her sex and be free of alleged “discrimination” in the workplace.
TVC’s report, “A Gender Identity Disorder Goes Mainstream” explains how radical transgender activists are working to overthrow the idea that a person’s biological sex is who they are – not what they think they are. Men are not women; women are not men. To think otherwise is to display evidence of a mental disorder and gender confusion. These conditions are treatable. They should not be normalized as “gender variant” behaviors.
TVC’s report, “Sexual Orientation: Fixed Or Changeable” discusses the idea of sexual orientation being on a continuum that can change over time.
The DSM still lists transvestism and gender dysphoria (confusion over one’s status as male or female) as mental problems to be dealt with by a psychiatrist.
[Editor's note: notice that they don't mention that gender reassignment is the correct treatment for gender dysphoria, mostly because they condemn gender reassignment just above.]
Please take a moment and share this article with a friend by clicking here
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
So-called Hate Crimes Bill Paves Way For Prosecution Of Christians
Traditional Values Coalition
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3061
April 25, 2007 – Traditional Values Coalition Executive Director Andrea Lafferty issued the following statement today in opposition to H.R. 1592, the so-called “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007.”
“On behalf of 43,000 churches and millions of citizen activists associated with the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), I am calling upon the House Judiciary Committee to reject passage of H.R. 1592, the so-called “hate crimes” prevention act.
“The so-called ‘hate crime’ legislation begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.
“Anyone who has taken time to carefully read this bill knows that it is based upon several false premises and inaccurate statements about the extent of alleged ‘hate crimes’ against homosexuals, transsexuals and other gender confused individuals. This legislation falsely claims that:
[More at URL]
----- 30 -----
Christian school to host gay activists
Gordon College agrees to dialogue
The Boston Globe
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | April 16, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/16/christian_school_to_host_gay_activists/?p1=email_to_a_friend
WENHAM -- Breaking with many fellow conservative Christian schools, Gordon College in Wenham will welcome to campus this week a busload of young adults who are sharply critical of the school's policies on homosexuality.
The gay-rights activists have repeatedly been arrested and barred from the campuses of other Christian colleges this year as they travel the country in their effort to call attention to what they view as discriminatory policies and hostile climates on evangelical campuses.
But officials at Gordon, where homosexual activity is barred by campus policy, have agreed to host the group for a series of presentations and conversations, saying they believe it will be good for students to hear a variety of views. The college has held three lectures about homosexuality and morality, the Bible, and science, and is highlighting the visit on its website.
[More at URL]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-04-28 10:30 pm (UTC)http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/04/25/sacrificing-women-at-the-altar-of-fetus-fetishism/
... yeah, just about made me puke.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-28 10:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-28 10:53 pm (UTC)"FFN says that domestic partnerships will bankrupt government, calling equal treatment of same-sex partners a "new class of entitlement"; compare and contrast to various theoconservative assertions that there are too few GBLT people to justify accommodating with equal treatment under the law and you get one of those right hand-left hand moments;"
it says AT first that it will bankrupt the government AND THEN says that there are too few GBLT people to matter - HOW CAN THEY WANT IT TO BE BOTH WAYS???
ARGH!!!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2007-04-28 10:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-29 06:28 am (UTC)10% of MAMMELIAN ANIMALS are homosexual, according to many biologists...
where do they get their "facts"?
no subject
Date: 2007-04-29 08:52 am (UTC)As to facts, well, that's a very long story. You may wish to read up on "creationism," "scientific creationism," and "intelligent design" if you wish to examine their approach to empirical facts.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-29 10:41 am (UTC)its been years since i heard that stat - it was in my AP Biology (high school) class... call it 14 or 15 years
no subject
Date: 2007-04-29 05:02 pm (UTC)It's like saying coke cans evolved from metal!
See? It's oooobbbbbbvious!
i just don't think that any god who is omni-evereything is gonna be that worried about what came first or who came with whom
Bad me. After reading about all the obsessive fundie dwelling upon gayness I read that and immediately had all sorts of visions of both hetero and samesex couples & orgasms . . . *g*
the guy talking about loving his child more than his wife because they have more in common genetically . . . I don't even know what to say about that. That's freaky. You could write a pretty good horror story beginning from this premise (and some of the rest of his comments), which could be said about many of these, actually.
Mr. Nelson needs to be fired.
The wackjobs storming the stage? I fear we're going to have more of that w/stuff like "Battle Cry" & its ilk. One wonders if these Christians spend much time actually reading what Jesus is supposed to have said (even in the KJ version of the NT) . . .
no subject
Date: 2007-04-29 08:54 pm (UTC)here, i have the same wonder! i have a friend who, when i was younger, i would have called a "fundie". even SHE (anti-abortion and gay marriage that she is) is afraid of these guys, and wonders what they are reading...