Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Jul. 5th, 2007 09:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdIt's neat, watching all the theocon and fundamentalist groups swivel their guns around all at once; it looks like they've decided they can't vote for a Mormon, so are going after Mitt Romney hard now, in favour - reportedly - of Fred Thompson of Tennessee. That's kind of neat; the sectarian nature of the new politics are coming out in no uncertain terms any longer, with multiple theologians denouncing Mormonism as incompatible with Christianity, and the theocratic groups condemning Mr. Romney for not moving against hotel-room pay-per-view pr0n enough when he was on the board at Marriott. Mmmm, spicy. Plus, yay, sectarian politics! That works so well in Iraq.
Most of the rest of this is a Focus on the Family update, the majority of which is their usual gaybashing and sectarian-politics cheerleading, but includes one interesting bit: apparently Focus on the Family is just fine working withSatanMTV if MTV is doing a documentary on "Christian Soldiers," by which they - and by "they," I do mean Focus, not MTV - mean civilians working to destroy secularism in American society, not soldiers of faith in the military. That's neat.
And now, today's news.
Hamas condemns Fatah leadership in the West Bank by saying they have "proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials"; gosh, sounds familiar;
Anti-abortion activist firebombs women's health clinic with his car and gasoline bomb, similarly to Glasgow's airport attack (but even less competent and with less gasoline) - however, somehow, it's not terrorism;
First Things's Richard John Neuhaus specifically supports opposition to Mitt Romney's candidacy on the basis of sectarian, religious reasons - specifically because his nomination would bring too much respectability to Mormonism, and proclaims that America is better off if people think and vote that way. Ah, the brave old world of sectarian politics. THANKS, FUNDY ASSHOLES;
Okay, so get this; a fundamentalist would-be lawyer fails the bar exam in Massachusetts - barely - in part because he refuses to answer the question about same-sex marriage in Massachusetts law. He's suing, claiming that being required to answer the question violates his first amendment freedom of religion;
Former Soviet Union fundamentalists becoming very, very active in anti-gay protest an activities; this is from last year, but I missed it when it first came out. Spotted in![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
dark_christian, the organisers are on the Pink Swastika bandwagon, and local theoconservative leaders in California are glad to see them showing up;
Eyeon08.com, a blog which is theoconservative-aware to the degree of their politics, at least, is suspecting with good reason that the Focus on the Family/Family Research Council/Christian Broadcasting Network axis of the theoconservative movement - along with the Southern Baptist Convention leadership - have moved now decisively against Romney and are now on the Fred Thompson bus;
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Seminary, denounces the idea that Mormonism is a form of Christianity, declaring it fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and that it "clearly identifies historic Christianity as a false faith." Interestingly, he does not mention Mitt Romney by name, but "mitt romney" is one of the tags, and his commenters are certainly cognizant of whom he speaks; take this in the context of a clear majority of Republicans now being of the opinion that they have to share the strong religious faith of any candidate they support, and, well;
The New York Times reports on the Family Research Council denunciation of Mitt Romney's Marriott connections. Remember, the FRC doesn't say jack without kissing Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's ring - and oh look, there's Focus on the Family in on it first-hand. Also, note also the American Family Association's Michigan branch chirping up, too;
Focus on the Family reports the Ohio Citizens for Community Values as being the main instigator of the remove-pr0n-from-hotels story; this is one of the ways that they make themselves look bigger than they are, by reporting co-ordinated activities as independent; they do quote their own obvious sockpuppet (Focus Action) as well, though;
FotF's ad today is for an anti-pr0n book;
A New Jersey school had blocked anti-gay "Day of Truth" fundamentalist protests against queer students at their school; the Alliance Defense Fund rang them up and got them to back down;
Odd FotF story claiming that when military parents are deployed, child abuse rates rise; this is surprisingly not gender-specific, and refers to both "moms and dads" being deployed overseas. I put it here because I'm wondering whether it's part of the no-women-soldiers meme or if they're planning some policy change w.r.t. the Iraq war and want to lay groundwork; I find that very unlikely, but there it is;
FotF uses a horrifying of a woman stabbed in a robbery being left to die on abortion rights; for reference, there's a rather classic case of a woman being raped and murdered in plain view while she screamed for help in New York City back in the 1950s; abortion was not legal, of course; only in that case, instead of five people failing to provide aid, it was hundreds;
American Family Association's One News Now reports that the fundamentalist Liberty Council is threatening to sue Maryland school districts over GBLT-inclusive sex education, claiming that it "denigrated religion" - specifically, fundamentalist Christianity, by not condemning GBLT people;
WorldNetDaily also condemns comprehensive sex education including queers on the basis of including queers; link found on CultureDefense.org;
WorldNetDaily trumpets "ex-gay" former "rising star in the 'gay rights' movement"; he has, of course, converted to evangelical fundamentalism and is now saying all the Right Things for their movement, including "homosexuality is death";
ACLU sues to remove a portrait of Jesus labeled "To Know Peace, Obey These Laws" from a courtroom claiming, gosh, religious endorsement much? The Alliance Defense Fund calls the lawsuit "mind-boggling"; ADF spokesman Mike Johnson says that the painting isn't in any way specific to one faith; the reason they can say things like that with a straight face is because they have the belief that only Christianity is an actual religion; everything else is a "cult" or some variant. This is what's being turned against Mitt Romney and Mormonism now;
Focus on the Family's version of the New Jersey school board allowing the Alliance Defense Fund's anti-gay "Day of Truth" protests;
FotF reports on the latest attempt to "get" abortion-provider George Tiller of Kansas; they've been after him for years;
FotF condemns Democrats and "liberal politics" for keeping a 4th Circuit Court position unfilled since 1994; one presumes that Republican control of the Senate over the last 12 years is irrelevant, or at least uninteresting, or at least not useful for blaming the Enemy Party;
Live Earth is seven-continent series of concerts intended to raise awareness of global climate change. Focus on the Family calls it "Al Gore's message of global-warming extremism" and condemns NBC for carrying a bunch of the concerts. Frankly, I'm just amused as all hell that the Live Earth people got a band from Antarctica. YES, ANTARCTICA. Even better is that there are people on my friendslist who have been in bands in Antarctica, but sadly, they are not the band representing the continent. It's this Britband instead, of course, but they are at least actual research group members. They're no GWAR, but it'll do;
Liberty Legal Institute, a fundamentalist evangelical legal action firm like the Alliance Defense Fund, condemns ACLU lawsuit against Texas programme of elective Bible courses in public schools; it is possible to have these courses be Constitutionally valid, but my assumption is that they are going to be prostelyzation-oriented until demonstrated otherwise, given the track record;
Focus on the Family pushes their Creationist book, "A Case for the Creator - Student Edition," containing "reliable, substantiated evidence from science that backs up your faith";
San Diego fucks up and makes special accommodation for Muslim student prayers; now the Pacific Justice Institute - rightly, to my mind - is calling for equal treatment, which they of course deserve; PJI Attorney Pete Lepiscopo calls it "the opportunity to return prayer to school";
Anti-abortion-rights group to protest National Educational Association annual convention;
Focus on the Family puff piece thanking first lady Laura Bush for promoting abstinence-only education in Africa;
Focus on the Family: tolerance will destroy you, your faith, and your children, promoting the book The New Tolerance: How a Cultural Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, and Your Children;
Okay, so; Washington, DC city government gets about 25% of its budget from the Feds. DC has a domestic partner registry. The Republican-controlled Congress has included an amendment to the DC appropriations bill banning any monies (presumably just from the fed) being spent on anything having to do with those icky DP registry for queers. The Democrat-controlled Congress just passed a new one with the same amendment, after Chief Executive Mr. Bush said that if it wasn't included, he'd veto the whole thing. This is form a Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to thank Rep. Goode (R-VA) for helping make all that happen.
Focus on the Family interviews Southern Baptist Rev. Bob. Stith, who is in the "ex-gay" conversion movement;
Focus on the Family spins MTV poll, saying "Sixty-two percent [of 17-29 year olds] said abortion should be outlawed or restricted" and noting a majority oppose marriage rights for GBLT couples; what they don't mention is that the "outlawed" percentage is quite small and the majority in opposition, while still a depressing majority, is the smallest of any age group;
FotF condemns California legislative committee for "bill to push gay agenda in schools"; as far as I know, it's the same bill as before, saying that public school teachers can't adopt lesson plans that are anti-queer, but remember: if it's not condemnational, it's "promoting homosexuality" or "special rights" or "push[ing] the gay agenda," etc, etc, etc;
Focus on the Family promotes "Intelligent Design" creationism DVD;
Kansas legislator to introduce bill removing health exemption from their late-term abortion ban, so that health will no longer be a reason; current law provides an exemption for "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function," which Focus on the Family calls "difficult to enforce;"
Focus on the Family reports that Louisiana passes its own, separate ban on the so-called "partial birth" abortion procedure; one of the points of this is to make state prosecutors available to prosecute doctors and/or patients who might seek out the procedure;
Apparently working with MTV is just fine when they're following "Christian Soldiers," by which Focus on the Family does not mean "soldiers of Christian faith in the military," but civilians between the ages of 16 and 28 who are "devoting [their] life to saving society from secularism"; they provide the email address and contact information for the MTV contact for the documentary.
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Hamas TV: We have “proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials”
National Review Online Media Blog
Tom Gross
http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDBlMTZmYTVlNzZhZjc2MTExZjYyMGFjY2VhNjIwODI=
The Hamas-Fatah power struggle has moved from the street to the TV.
The rival Palestinian factions are now engaged in a war of words through their respective media. A Fatah-run TV station has condemned Hamas’ “dark coup” in the Gaza Strip and Hamas’s al-Aqsa TV says the organization “liberated” Gaza from “Fatah occupation.”
The Hamas network added that they have “proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials.”
[More at URL]
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Man apologizes for torching women's clinic
ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 30, 2007
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070630/NEWS/70630003/1001
DAVENPORT -- A Detroit man was sentenced to five years in prison Friday for trying to burn down a women's health clinic that he mistakenly thought performed abortions.
David McMenemy, 46, pleaded guilty in January to arson against a business affecting interstate commerce. He could have been sentenced up to 20 years in prison.
Police said McMenemy drove to Davenport and crashed his car into the Edgerton Women's Health Care Center lobby at 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 11. He then lit a Gatorade bottle filled with gasoline on fire, walked away from his car and surrendered to firefighters.
[More at URL]
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A Mormon in the White House
By Richard John Neuhaus
First Things
Friday, June 29, 2007, 6:20 AM
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=787
On Opinion Journal earlier this week, John Fund opines on the Mormon factor in Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. He notes that a survey of 1,269 faculty members by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research just found that 38 percent of social sciences and humanities professors, a highly liberal group, viewed Mormons “unfavorably.” According to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, some 15 percent of Republican voters say there is “no chance” they would back a Mormon for president.
[...]
It is not an unreasonable prejudice for people who, unlike Alan Wolfe et al., care about true religion to take their concern about Mormonism into account in considering the candidacy of Mr. Romney. The question is not whether, as president, Mr. Romney would take orders from Salt Lake City. I doubt whether many people think he would. The questions are: Would a Mormon as president of the United States give greater credibility and prestige to Mormonism? The answer is almost certainly yes. Would it therefore help advance the missionary goals of what many view as a false religion? The answer is almost certainly yes. Is it legitimate for those Americans to take these questions into account in voting for a presidential nominee or candidate? The answer is certainly yes.
For millions of other Americans, the above questions do not matter. And for those for whom they do matter, they are not the only questions that matter. Mr. Romney is a very attractive candidate in both substance and style. As in most decisions, and not least of all in voting, the question comes down to what or who is the alternative. We will not have an answer to that question for some months. But I can now register a respectful disagreement with John Fund when he writes, “We will be a better country if even people who don’t support Mr. Romney for president come to recognize that our country is better off if his candidacy rises or falls on factors that have nothing to do with his faith.” On the contrary, we are a better country because many Americans do take their faith, and the faith of others, very seriously indeed. Also when it comes to voting.
[More at URL]
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Mass. Man Sues Over Gay Test Question On Bar Exam
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: July 2, 2007 - 1:00 pm ET
http://365gay.com/Newscon07/07/070207bar.htm
(Boston, Massachusetts) A Massachusetts man who failed the bar exam when he refused to answer a question on gay marriage is suing the bar agency that administered the test, the Supreme Judicial Court and four justices on the court alleging his constitutional rights were violated by a requirement he answer all questions on the test.
Stephen Dunne received a score of 268.866 when he took the test last November. He needed 270 points for a passing grade and according to court documents his failure was the result of refusing the answer a question about same-sex marriage.
Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts and the bar exam questioned prospective lawyers about the law and gay parenting.
[...]
Dunne's lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking the bar from considering the gay marriage question in regard to his application to practice law and from using the question in future bar examinations. He also is seeking unspecified financial damages.
[More at URL]
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For Gays, a Loud New Foe
Sacramento's large enclave of immigrant Slavic evangelicals is becoming a force on social issues. Their actions shock many.
By Rone Tempest, [Los Angeles] Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-russgay13oct13,0,3388537,full.story
SACRAMENTO — Organizers of the annual Rainbow Festival were prepared for trouble.
The Q Crew, a local "queer/straight alliance," distributed cards telling people what to do if approached by hostile demonstrators. Sympathetic local church groups formed a protective buffer along the festival ground's cyclone fence. Mounted police were on patrol.
[...]
The festival, held last month amid the gay bars, restaurants and shops of midtown's "Lavender Heights" neighborhood, went off without conflict. But the elaborate security preparations reflected growing tensions between Sacramento gays and the city's large and vociferous community of fundamentalist Christians from the former Soviet Union.
Over the last 18 months, Sacramento Russian-language church members have picketed gay pride events, jammed into legislative committee meetings when gay issues were on the agenda and demonstrated at school board meetings.
[...]
In most instances, the Russian-speaking demonstrators far outnumber representatives from all other anti-gay groups combined. Anti-homosexual rallies that a few years ago attracted a few dozen participants now regularly draw hundreds and sometimes thousands, many with a heavy Russian accent.
Even in a state capital where impassioned public demonstrations are a daily event, the Slavic fundamentalists stand out. Elderly women in babushkas stand next to small children carrying signs stating: "Perversion is Never Safe" and "I Am Not Learning About Gay People."
[...]
But nowhere approaches Sacramento, which has a 24-hour Russian-language cable television station, two radio stations and several newspapers, all of which push a conservative message marked by strident opposition to homosexuality. A recent edition of the Speaker, for example, promoted a book, "The Pink Swastika," that contends that the extermination of Jews during World War II was the work of homosexuals inside the Nazi Party.
[...]
"We've been accepted and were just perking along," said Sloan, a 69-year-old church pastor and co-founder of Lambda Community Center, which serves the gay community. "That's why this Russian thing was such a jolt to people."
Leaders of the religious right, however, celebrate the Russian efforts as a revival.
"My hope and my prayer," said Mark Matta, a former legislative aide who heads the Christian Public Awareness Ministries, "is that they will become a voice in the wilderness for the rest of the country."
[...]
Signs displayed by the demonstrators often equate homosexuality with pedophilia and describe the AIDS epidemic as a message from God. One of the common tactics of the demonstrators is to tap gays forcefully on the head and announce that they have been "saved."
[...]
Like the Calvinist Puritans who were the first to settle in the New World, many in the Slavic religious community have an apocalyptic worldview. To them, the United States is a chosen nation but the American church is apostate and hapless, not up to the job. The Slavic Christians view it as their duty to cleanse and save the nation in preparation for Jesus Christ's return to Earth.
"We feel the American church already lost the battle 20 years ago by remaining silent," said Victor Chernyetsky, 47, a Soviet-trained engineer who serves as administrator for the Bethany Slavic Missionary Church. "We can't remain silent. There are a lot of sins."
[More at URL]
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Christian right dated Mitt, married Fred?
Eyeon08.com
Watching the 2008 pre-election
http://www.eyeon08.com/2007/07/05/christian-right-dated-mitt-married-fred/
Update: Since writing this, Glen Johnson at the AP has written on the whole Romney/porn story. He quoted Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council. At the very least, this puts an exclamation point on my second point below. Clearly the Focus/FRC operation has engaged for Thompson and against Romney. A very, very bad day for Mitt Romney. And a very, very good one for Fred Thompson.
So, I read three things today that made a thunderclap in my head about the support of the Christian right in the 2008 GOP presidential nomination fight.
First, Focus on the Family ran a segment entitled, "Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, an outspoken critic of pornography, is called to task for his ties to Marriott hotels; a chain that makes money by providing porn to guests." In other words and in reality, James Dobson signed off on an attack on Mitt Romney, something that had not been done earlier. This story had been previously reported by CBN’s David Brody and had been covered by a lot of mainstream press. This is, however, the first time, other than CBN, that it made it into the Christian press. And you can’t beat the Christian radio networks for targeting devoted listeners.
Second, Hugh Hewitt pointed out that the new site Blogs for Fred was founded by Joe Carter, who writes Evangelical Outpost. Joe also works at the Family Research Council where his title is director of Web Communications. Now, I am sure that this is not on behalf of FRC, but….
[More at URL]
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Mormonism Is Not Christianity
By Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Thursday June 28, 2007
http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/2007/06/mormonism-is-not-christianity.html
Are Mormons “Christians” as defined by traditional Christian orthodoxy? The answer to that question is easy and straightforward, and it is “no.” Nevertheless, even as the question is clear, the answer requires some explanation.
The issue is clearly framed in this case. Christianity is rightly defined in terms of “traditional Christian orthodoxy.” Thus, we have an objective standard by which to define what is and is not Christianity.
We are not talking here about the postmodern conception of Christianity that minimizes truth. We are not talking about Christianity as a mood or as a sociological movement. We are not talking about liberal Christianity that minimizes doctrine nor about sectarian Christianity which defines the faith in terms of eccentric doctrines. We are talking about historic, traditional, Christian orthodoxy.
Once that is made clear, the answer is inevitable. Furthermore, the answer is made easy, not only by the structure of Christian orthodoxy (a structure Mormonism denies) but by the central argument of Mormonism itself – that the true faith was restored through Joseph Smith in the nineteenth century in America and that the entire structure of Christian orthodoxy as affirmed by the post-apostolic church is corrupt and false.
In other words, Mormonism rejects traditional Christian orthodoxy at the onset – this rejection is the very logic of Mormonism’s existence. A contemporary observer of Mormon public relations is not going to hear this logic presented directly, but it is the very logic and message of the Book of Mormon and the structure of Mormon thought. Mormonism rejects Christian orthodoxy as the very argument for its own existence, and it clearly identifies historic Christianity as a false faith.
[More at URL]
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Romney Criticized for Hotel Pornography
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 5, 2007
Filed at 5:03 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Romney-Pornography.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
BOSTON (AP) -- Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who rails against the ''cesspool'' of pornography, is being criticized by social conservatives who argue that he should have tried to halt hardcore hotel movie offerings during his near-decade on the Marriott board.
Two anti-pornography crusaders, as well as two conservative activists of the type Romney is courting, say the distribution of such graphic adult movies runs counter to the family image cultivated by Romney, the Marriotts and their shared Mormon faith.
[...]
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a leading conservative group in Washington, said: ''They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets.''
[...]
Gary Glenn, president of American Family Association of Michigan, a conservative group, said: ''The Marriott Corporation may be tap dancing around this subject, but a candidate for president should not be able to.''
[...]
Daniel Weiss, media analyst for James Dobson's ''Focus on the Family,'' said this week in a radio broadcast to Focus members: ''If (Romney) made money off pornography in the past, is he going to turn a blind eye to it if he's president? Because as chief executive of the nation, it's his responsibility to make sure our nation's obscenity laws are efficiently and vigorously enforced.''
[More at URL]
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Group Wants Porn Eradicated From Hotel Cable Line-Up
Campaign aims to clean up pay-per-view channels.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004993.cfm
LodgeNet Entertainment Corp., a company that supplies pay-per-view movies to America's hotels, is under fire for making most of its profits off hardcore pornography.
In August, family advocates will ask the Department of Justice to investigate and bring charges against the company.
[...]
"Why is LodgeNet permitted to deal in hard-core, sexually explicit, clearly prosecutable material?" Burress asked. "The U.S. Supreme Court set down guidelines for what is prosecutable."
[...]
Daniel Weiss, senior analyst, media & sexuality for Focus on the Family Action [Ed. note: A division of Focus on the Family, of course], said not only did Miller v. California determine that states could ban hardcore pornography, federal law prohibits obscene material from being distributed across state lines.
[More at URL]
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Help! Someone I Know Has a Problem With Porn
Jim Vigorito, Ph. D. and Dr. Bill Maier
Paperback
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/104151.do?code=OL07XFARC3
Technology has made things easier. Unfortunately, that applies to access to pornography as well. If you know someone that is unable to escape from a porn addiction, you'll find bold, practical help from this resource, including: understanding addiction, gender differences and pornography as well as living pure in an unpure world. By better educating yourself on their addiction, you can help them break free.
[More at URL]
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Religious Rights of Students Affirmed in N.J. and Texas
Actions pave the way for other school districts.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004992.cfm
A New Jersey school's decision to allow Christian students to enjoy the same free speech rights as other students could be the beginning of a nationwide trend to protect students' rights.
Northern Highlands Regional High School had blocked a Christian club from participating in the Day of Truth, a day for Christian students to express their views on homosexuality, but backed down after being contacted by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF).
[More at URL]
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When Military Parents are Deployed, Abuse Rates Rise
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004990.cfm
When military moms and dads are deployed overseas, kids at home may face a high risk of abuse and neglect, according to a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
[...]
Mary Keller of the Military Child Education Coalition told Family News in Focus that the Defense Department recognizes the problem and is taking steps to address it, through health care programs, schools and base churches.
[More at URL]
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Shoppers’ indifference to dying woman ‘appalling’
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004988.cfm
How could five customers step over a dying woman in a Wichita, Kan., convenience store and continue nonchalantly shopping for snacks?
According to police, a store surveillance camera captured the June 23 incident as LaShanda Calloway, 27, lay dying on the floor from stab wounds. They said one of the shoppers even stopped to take a picture of Calloway with a cell phone. Two suspects have been arrested and one is charged with first-degree murder, police said.
[...]
“Couple this with the legalized killing of preborn human life, and you have a recipe for social disaster. This is seen in the Wichita story. While I would hope that the majority of people would respond in some way to an injured human in our path, the Wichita event is a shocking reminder that this is not the case. The degree to which we have lost a respect for life is vividly and sadly apparent.”
[More at URL]
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Parental rights submerged by MD county's sex-ed decision
OneNewsNow.com
July 5, 2007
Jim Brown
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/07/parental_rights_submerged_by_m.php
The Christian legal group Liberty Counsel says it is considering whether to file another federal lawsuit challenging a sex-education program in Maryland's largest school district.
Last week the Maryland State Board of Education ruled in favor of a sex-ed program in Montgomery County that affirms homosexuality, transgenderism, and teen condom use. In the 17-page opinion, the state panel said it would not "second-guess the appropriateness" of the curriculum. It also claimed that the right of parents to control their children's upbringing "is not absolute" and "must bend to the state's duty to educate its citizens."
Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver says such a claim is contrary to common sense and American history. "Schools should not be an adversary to the parent," he says; "they should be an extension of the parents' wishes -- because, after all, they are engaged in helping the parent bring up the child in the parents' value system."
[...]
Staver succeeded in getting a federal judge to block implementation of the district's previous sex-ed program, which denigrated religions that oppose homosexuality on biblical grounds. According to the Washington Post, many parents in Montgomery County oppose the new curriculum, which opponents say presents a favorable viewpoint of homosexuality and restricts religious expression by suppressing the view that homosexuality is a sin. The attorney believes the new curriculum may also be subject to litigation.
[More at URL]
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Teaching homosexuality to kids
Posted: July 5, 2007
WorldNetDaily
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56511
(Linked to by CultureDefense.org)
Quick question: Who thinks there isn't enough frank sexual information forced on today's kids? Is the bar for acceptable sexual behavior still too high? You would think so when reading a recent Washington Post article titled "A More Candid Approach to Sex-Ed."
As many parents know, most sex-ed classes are already candid enough, thank you very much. The last thing we need is for anyone to spice them up or further complicate what should be a pretty simple subject. But that's what schools in Montgomery County, Md., plan to do by introducing lessons on homosexuality to eight- and 10th-graders – lessons that serve to further the radical homosexual activist agenda.
[...]
Students in 10th grade, meanwhile, read "coming out" stories from homosexuals, a bisexual and one "transgendered" individual. "Esperanza," for example, tells them:
[...]
We are teaching our children a lie – a lie that robs them of the joys of childhood and their best futures. Why shouldn't we expect the very best from them? And why are we afraid to teach them the truth? We would never tell our little boys and girls to engage in "safe drug use" or to "smoke responsibly." We don't hesitate to put our foot down in other areas of life. So why should it be different when it comes to setting standards for sexual behavior?
[...]
Just as significant is what the Montgomery County sex curriculum doesn't say. There's no emphasis on the serious health risks associated with homosexual behavior. And, as the grass-roots group Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, or CRC, notes, "Nowhere is abstinence or sex placed within the context of marriage. The word marriage is not mentioned in the eighth or the 10th grade lessons." Not surprising, really: According to CRC, the 10th grade resource was developed by a homosexual advocacy group named Project 10, which is "dedicated to providing educational support services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth who attend public school campuses."
[More at URL]
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'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality
Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle
Posted: July 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481
He was a rising star in the "gay rights" movement, but Michael Glatze now declares not only has he given up activism – he's no longer a homosexual.
Glatze – who had become a frequent media source as founding editor of Young Gay America magazine – tells the story of his transformation in an exclusive column published today by WND.
Although Glatze cut himself off from the homosexual community about a year and a half ago, he says the column likely will surprise some people.
[...]
In fact, he writes in his WND column today, "'coming out' from under the influence of the homosexual mindset was the most liberating, beautiful and astonishing thing I've ever experienced in my entire life."
Before "coming out" in his column today, Glatze contacted WND Managing Editor David Kupelian after reading his book, "The Marketing of Evil, which Glatze said "has given me so much help in my process of healing from the profound influences of evil in our current society."
"There is nothing that would give me more pleasure," he wrote to Kupelian, "than to say the Truth about 'homosexuality' and atone for my sins in that regard."
[...]
In 2004, Glatze moved from San Francisco to Halifax in eastern Canada where his partner, Young Gay America magazine's publisher, had family. The magazine, he said, sought to provide a "virtuous counterpart" to the other newsstand media aimed at homosexual youth.
But Glatze contends "the truth was, YGA was as damaging as anything else out there, just not overtly pornographic, so more 'respected.'"
[...]
Toward the end of his time with Young Gay America, Glatze said, colleagues began to notice he was going through some kind of religious experience.
Just before leaving, not fully realizing what he was doing, he wrote on his office computer his thoughts, ending with the declaration: "Homosexuality is death, and I choose life."
"I was so nervous, it was like I wasn't even writing it myself," he said.
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Louisiana Judge Says Portrait of Jesus Will Stay
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004979.cfm
A Slidell, La., judge announced that despite an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit, a portrait of Jesus hanging in the city courthouse will stay unless a federal judge orders it removed, The Associated Press reported.
The ACLU filed suit today against Slidell City Court seeking the removal of the painting and the message underneath, which reads, "To Know Peace, Obey These Laws."
[...]
Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, called the ACLU's complaint "mind-boggling."
"The First Amendment allows public officials, and not the ACLU, to decide what is appropriate for acknowledging our nation's religious history and heritage," he said. "The ideas expressed in this painting aren't specific to any one faith, and they certainly don't establish a single state religion."
[More at URL]
----- 18 -----
New Jersey School Board Implements Free Speech Policy
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004978.cfm
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) dismissed a lawsuit against a New Jersey school board after officials agreed to institute a policy that will allow Christian students to express their faith.
Jason Aufiero, a student at Northern Highlands Regional High School, was told he and other members of the school's Christian Club could not participate in the Day of Truth – even though officials were in full support of the Day of Silence, which expressed support for homosexuality.
The Day of Truth is an opportunity for Christian students to respectfully present a different viewpoint than students participating in the Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
[Editor's note: the Day of Silence is a protest against the bullying and abuse of GBLT students. The fundamentalists call this "promoting homosexuality" and are opposed to anti-bullying programmes that include GBLT people. The "Day of Truth" effort is specifically against GBLT people.]
[More at URL]
----- 19 -----
Tiller Challenges Kansas' Late-Term Abortion Law
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004980.cfm
Notorious Kansas late-term abortionist George Tiller – who is charged with failing to comply with state law – is challenging that very law, The Associated Press reported.
Tiller is claiming that the 1998 law requiring two unassociated doctors to approve a late-term abortion causes undue burden and is unconstitutional.
Last week Attorney General Paul Morrison announced that he'd filed 19 misdemeanor charges against Tiller for failure to obtain a second opinion from a doctor financially separate from his practice. If convicted, Tiller could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and face a $2,500 fine on each charge.
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
Democrats Stonewall 4th Circuit Nominees
One seat has been empty since 1994.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004982.cfm
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has enough vacancies to match its name; four justices are needed to fill a court known for conservative rulings. The hold-up is part of liberal politics that keep constitutionalist judges from filling the empty seats.
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
NBC Donates 75 Hours to Gore's Global-Warming Campaign
'Hours and hours of free publicity' push alarmism
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004965.cfm
Al Gore's message of global-warming alarmism will flood televisions, radios and the Internet in more than 100 countries this weekend. His "Live Earth" concerts will receive 75 hours of coverage across seven NBC Universal networks.
The concerts, which will originate from every continent and aim to draw attention to global-warming alarmism, will feature more than 100 music groups, including Bon Jovi, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, James Blunt, Kelly Clarkson and John Mayer, among others.
[Editor's note: This does include Antarctica! See above.]
----- 22 -----
Liberty Legal Says ACLU Challenge to Bible Curriculum Invalid
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004960.cfm
Attorneys with Liberty Legal Institute – on behalf of Texas' Ector County School District – have filed an answer to a lawsuit that challenges the right to offer an elective Bible course.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the district in May, alleging that it's unconstitutional for schools to teach the elective course on the Bible's influence in society.
Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said the lawsuit should be tossed out.
[More at URL]
----- 23 -----
Case for the Creator - Student Edition
A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
Lee Strobel & Jane Vogel
Paperback
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/102582.do?code=OL07XFARC3
You know that God created the universe — but how do you convince your teachers and classmates? Science and theology don't have to be mutually exclusive. Find reliable, substantiated evidence from science that backs up your faith in The Case for a Creator.
[More at URL]
----- 24 -----
San Diego School Schedules Muslim Prayer Break
Attorneys ask for similar consideration for Christian and Jewish students.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004964.cfm
After Muslim students were given a scheduled prayer break each day, the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is calling for the same accommodation for other students who wish to pray.
Officials at San Diego's Carver Elementary allow Muslim students a 15-minute prayer break each afternoon. Non-Muslim students are instructed to read or write during the break.
Attorney Pete Lepiscopo, a PJI-affiliated attorney, sent a letter last week to the San Diego Board of Education that explains numerous statutory provisions that affirm students' rights of religious equality. Lepiscopo requested that classrooms be set aside for students and employees of all faiths to meet their religious obligations to pray – as is being done for Muslim students.
"The school district has created the opportunity to return prayer to school," he said. "What can be better than children praying while they are in school?"
----- 25 -----
Pro-Lifers to Protest NEA Convention
Teachers object to their dues going to controversial activism.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004947.cfm
Some pro-life educators will be speaking out at the annual convention of the National Education Association (NEA) this weekend. They say they'll ask the nation's largest teachers union to stop supporting controversial political causes.
Pro-Life Educators and Students, or PLEAS, will prayerfully picket outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Bob Pawson, one of the organizers, said the NEA misrepresents millions of teachers who disagree with its political agenda.
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
First Lady Promotes Abstinence in Africa
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004945.cfm
First lady Laura Bush, in a visit to several African nations, touted abstinence as the way to successfully fight the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. She also affirmed the role of faith-based groups, The Associated Press reported.
"Religious institutions bring a personal healing touch to the fight against AIDS," Bush said, adding that Zambian health-care workers "know very well the healing power of faith."
[More at URL]
----- 27 -----
The New Tolerance
How A Cultural Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, And Your Children
Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/101899.do?code=OL07XFARC3
How Much "Tolerance" Can We Tolerate?
Best-selling author Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler unmask the true nature of the cultural movement of "tolerance" in this powerful release. It will not only help you to understand it, but equip you to counter its insidious effects on your faith and your children. In addition, the authors teach you how to: neutralize this threat by discerning truth from error, teach your children to discern between acceptance and approval, and lovingly respond to a hostile culture that seems willing to tolerate just about anything except biblical truth.
[More at URL]
----- 28 -----
Amendment Would Mean No Money to D.C. Domestic-Partner Registry
Action would keep federal prohibition in place.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004948.cfm
An amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill, which passed Thursday, would prohibit the District of Columbia from using the portion of its budget received from the federal government to operate a registry for unmarried couples, including same-sex partners.
The amendment was introduced by Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va. The District gets about a fourth of its finances from Congress.
The District established a domestic-partner registry for unmarried, cohabiting couples in 1992, but the Republican leadership prevented it from being federally funded and has continued to do so each year.
President Bush said in a statement Wednesday he would veto the bill if the amendment was not included.
[...]
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issue analysis for Focus on the Family Action, called the vote in support of the amendment "an important victory."
[...]
TAKE ACTION
Call Rep. Goode at (202) 225-4711 and thank him for taking a stand for marriage.
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
Pastor Leads Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals
'We are all in this together.'
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Focus on the Family
6-28-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004942.cfm
About 12 years ago, the Rev. Bob Stith attended an Exodus conference, a ministry to help people who experience unwanted same-sex attraction. He hasn't been the same since.
"I went, and I was scared to death," he said. "From the very first day, God just really touched my heart."
Stith, who lives in Southlake, Texas, with his wife, Del, is chairman of the board for Living Hope Ministries, an Exodus-affiliated ministry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has been the pastor of Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake for 37 years. On June 1, Stith was named director of the Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals Task Force. It's a position that was long in the making.
[More at URL]
----- 30 -----
Young Americans Hold Conservative Views
A majority opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
6-28-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004941.cfm
On controversial social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, America's young people continue to track conservative, according to a poll by The New York Times, CBS and MTV.
The survey collected opinions of 17- to 29-year-olds. Sixty-two percent said abortion should be outlawed or restricted. Danielle Huntley, a student at Boston College Law School and president of Students for Life of America, said she's proud her peers are not buying into liberal rhetoric.
[...]
Fifty-four percent of young adults expressed opposition to same-sex marriage. Ron Luce with Teen Mania said the challenge is to make sure their opinions are founded in biblical truth.
"We, as those who love God and who have conservative Judeo-Christian values," he said, "need to proactively… help them understand why and how they come from Scripture, and why we believe what we believe."
[More at URL]
----- 31 -----
Unlocking the Mystery of Life
Focus on the Family
DVD
http://resources.family.org/product/id/102320.do?code=OL07XFARC3
This compelling scientific documentary for adults and students advances a powerful idea: the theory of intelligent design. Using state-of-the-art computer animation, you will see the unmistakable hallmarks of design — and the Creator's skill — within our very cells.
----- 32 -----
Kansas Lawmakers Aim to Ban All Late-Term Abortions
Focus on the Family
6-26-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004907.cfm
Frustrated that notorious abortionist George Tiller isn’t being prosecuted over allegations of performing illegal late-term abortions, a key Kansas legislator said Monday he will pursue legislation to ban all abortions after 21 weeks, except to save the life of the mother, The Associated Press reported.
Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said state law — which allows late-term abortions if two doctors conclude a mother’s life is at risk or that she faces "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function" — has been difficult to enforce.
[More at URL]
----- 33 -----
Louisiana House Votes to Ban Partial-Birth Abortion
Focus on the Family
6-26-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004908.cfm
The state House voted 99-1 on Monday to make Louisiana the first state to pass its own ban on partial-birth abortion since the Supreme Court's April ruling that upheld the federal ban.
The bill now heads to a joint committee before going to Gov. Kathleen Blanco's desk. She is expected to sign it.
[More at URL]
----- 34 -----
MTV Documentary Follows Christian Soldiers
Focus on the Family
6-27-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004923.cfm
Are you devoting your life to saving society from secularism? Are you willing to give up everything you previously enjoyed to spread the word of God? Are you about to go on a missionary trip to teach others about how they can be saved? If campaigning on behalf of Christianity is the driving force in your life, MTV wants to hear from you.
As part of its documentary series True Life, MTV will profile today's Christian soldiers between the ages of 16 and 28. Tell MTV why you need to be seen and heard. E-mail christian@mtvstaff.com and include your name, city and state, phone number and a photo, if possible.
Most of the rest of this is a Focus on the Family update, the majority of which is their usual gaybashing and sectarian-politics cheerleading, but includes one interesting bit: apparently Focus on the Family is just fine working with
And now, today's news.
Hamas condemns Fatah leadership in the West Bank by saying they have "proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials"; gosh, sounds familiar;
Anti-abortion activist firebombs women's health clinic with his car and gasoline bomb, similarly to Glasgow's airport attack (but even less competent and with less gasoline) - however, somehow, it's not terrorism;
First Things's Richard John Neuhaus specifically supports opposition to Mitt Romney's candidacy on the basis of sectarian, religious reasons - specifically because his nomination would bring too much respectability to Mormonism, and proclaims that America is better off if people think and vote that way. Ah, the brave old world of sectarian politics. THANKS, FUNDY ASSHOLES;
Okay, so get this; a fundamentalist would-be lawyer fails the bar exam in Massachusetts - barely - in part because he refuses to answer the question about same-sex marriage in Massachusetts law. He's suing, claiming that being required to answer the question violates his first amendment freedom of religion;
Former Soviet Union fundamentalists becoming very, very active in anti-gay protest an activities; this is from last year, but I missed it when it first came out. Spotted in
dark_christian, the organisers are on the Pink Swastika bandwagon, and local theoconservative leaders in California are glad to see them showing up;Eyeon08.com, a blog which is theoconservative-aware to the degree of their politics, at least, is suspecting with good reason that the Focus on the Family/Family Research Council/Christian Broadcasting Network axis of the theoconservative movement - along with the Southern Baptist Convention leadership - have moved now decisively against Romney and are now on the Fred Thompson bus;
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Seminary, denounces the idea that Mormonism is a form of Christianity, declaring it fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and that it "clearly identifies historic Christianity as a false faith." Interestingly, he does not mention Mitt Romney by name, but "mitt romney" is one of the tags, and his commenters are certainly cognizant of whom he speaks; take this in the context of a clear majority of Republicans now being of the opinion that they have to share the strong religious faith of any candidate they support, and, well;
The New York Times reports on the Family Research Council denunciation of Mitt Romney's Marriott connections. Remember, the FRC doesn't say jack without kissing Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's ring - and oh look, there's Focus on the Family in on it first-hand. Also, note also the American Family Association's Michigan branch chirping up, too;
Focus on the Family reports the Ohio Citizens for Community Values as being the main instigator of the remove-pr0n-from-hotels story; this is one of the ways that they make themselves look bigger than they are, by reporting co-ordinated activities as independent; they do quote their own obvious sockpuppet (Focus Action) as well, though;
FotF's ad today is for an anti-pr0n book;
A New Jersey school had blocked anti-gay "Day of Truth" fundamentalist protests against queer students at their school; the Alliance Defense Fund rang them up and got them to back down;
Odd FotF story claiming that when military parents are deployed, child abuse rates rise; this is surprisingly not gender-specific, and refers to both "moms and dads" being deployed overseas. I put it here because I'm wondering whether it's part of the no-women-soldiers meme or if they're planning some policy change w.r.t. the Iraq war and want to lay groundwork; I find that very unlikely, but there it is;
FotF uses a horrifying of a woman stabbed in a robbery being left to die on abortion rights; for reference, there's a rather classic case of a woman being raped and murdered in plain view while she screamed for help in New York City back in the 1950s; abortion was not legal, of course; only in that case, instead of five people failing to provide aid, it was hundreds;
American Family Association's One News Now reports that the fundamentalist Liberty Council is threatening to sue Maryland school districts over GBLT-inclusive sex education, claiming that it "denigrated religion" - specifically, fundamentalist Christianity, by not condemning GBLT people;
WorldNetDaily also condemns comprehensive sex education including queers on the basis of including queers; link found on CultureDefense.org;
WorldNetDaily trumpets "ex-gay" former "rising star in the 'gay rights' movement"; he has, of course, converted to evangelical fundamentalism and is now saying all the Right Things for their movement, including "homosexuality is death";
ACLU sues to remove a portrait of Jesus labeled "To Know Peace, Obey These Laws" from a courtroom claiming, gosh, religious endorsement much? The Alliance Defense Fund calls the lawsuit "mind-boggling"; ADF spokesman Mike Johnson says that the painting isn't in any way specific to one faith; the reason they can say things like that with a straight face is because they have the belief that only Christianity is an actual religion; everything else is a "cult" or some variant. This is what's being turned against Mitt Romney and Mormonism now;
Focus on the Family's version of the New Jersey school board allowing the Alliance Defense Fund's anti-gay "Day of Truth" protests;
FotF reports on the latest attempt to "get" abortion-provider George Tiller of Kansas; they've been after him for years;
FotF condemns Democrats and "liberal politics" for keeping a 4th Circuit Court position unfilled since 1994; one presumes that Republican control of the Senate over the last 12 years is irrelevant, or at least uninteresting, or at least not useful for blaming the Enemy Party;
Live Earth is seven-continent series of concerts intended to raise awareness of global climate change. Focus on the Family calls it "Al Gore's message of global-warming extremism" and condemns NBC for carrying a bunch of the concerts. Frankly, I'm just amused as all hell that the Live Earth people got a band from Antarctica. YES, ANTARCTICA. Even better is that there are people on my friendslist who have been in bands in Antarctica, but sadly, they are not the band representing the continent. It's this Britband instead, of course, but they are at least actual research group members. They're no GWAR, but it'll do;
Liberty Legal Institute, a fundamentalist evangelical legal action firm like the Alliance Defense Fund, condemns ACLU lawsuit against Texas programme of elective Bible courses in public schools; it is possible to have these courses be Constitutionally valid, but my assumption is that they are going to be prostelyzation-oriented until demonstrated otherwise, given the track record;
Focus on the Family pushes their Creationist book, "A Case for the Creator - Student Edition," containing "reliable, substantiated evidence from science that backs up your faith";
San Diego fucks up and makes special accommodation for Muslim student prayers; now the Pacific Justice Institute - rightly, to my mind - is calling for equal treatment, which they of course deserve; PJI Attorney Pete Lepiscopo calls it "the opportunity to return prayer to school";
Anti-abortion-rights group to protest National Educational Association annual convention;
Focus on the Family puff piece thanking first lady Laura Bush for promoting abstinence-only education in Africa;
Focus on the Family: tolerance will destroy you, your faith, and your children, promoting the book The New Tolerance: How a Cultural Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, and Your Children;
Okay, so; Washington, DC city government gets about 25% of its budget from the Feds. DC has a domestic partner registry. The Republican-controlled Congress has included an amendment to the DC appropriations bill banning any monies (presumably just from the fed) being spent on anything having to do with those icky DP registry for queers. The Democrat-controlled Congress just passed a new one with the same amendment, after Chief Executive Mr. Bush said that if it wasn't included, he'd veto the whole thing. This is form a Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to thank Rep. Goode (R-VA) for helping make all that happen.
Focus on the Family interviews Southern Baptist Rev. Bob. Stith, who is in the "ex-gay" conversion movement;
Focus on the Family spins MTV poll, saying "Sixty-two percent [of 17-29 year olds] said abortion should be outlawed or restricted" and noting a majority oppose marriage rights for GBLT couples; what they don't mention is that the "outlawed" percentage is quite small and the majority in opposition, while still a depressing majority, is the smallest of any age group;
FotF condemns California legislative committee for "bill to push gay agenda in schools"; as far as I know, it's the same bill as before, saying that public school teachers can't adopt lesson plans that are anti-queer, but remember: if it's not condemnational, it's "promoting homosexuality" or "special rights" or "push[ing] the gay agenda," etc, etc, etc;
Focus on the Family promotes "Intelligent Design" creationism DVD;
Kansas legislator to introduce bill removing health exemption from their late-term abortion ban, so that health will no longer be a reason; current law provides an exemption for "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function," which Focus on the Family calls "difficult to enforce;"
Focus on the Family reports that Louisiana passes its own, separate ban on the so-called "partial birth" abortion procedure; one of the points of this is to make state prosecutors available to prosecute doctors and/or patients who might seek out the procedure;
Apparently working with MTV is just fine when they're following "Christian Soldiers," by which Focus on the Family does not mean "soldiers of Christian faith in the military," but civilians between the ages of 16 and 28 who are "devoting [their] life to saving society from secularism"; they provide the email address and contact information for the MTV contact for the documentary.
----- 1 -----
Hamas TV: We have “proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials”
National Review Online Media Blog
Tom Gross
http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDBlMTZmYTVlNzZhZjc2MTExZjYyMGFjY2VhNjIwODI=
The Hamas-Fatah power struggle has moved from the street to the TV.
The rival Palestinian factions are now engaged in a war of words through their respective media. A Fatah-run TV station has condemned Hamas’ “dark coup” in the Gaza Strip and Hamas’s al-Aqsa TV says the organization “liberated” Gaza from “Fatah occupation.”
The Hamas network added that they have “proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials.”
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Man apologizes for torching women's clinic
ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 30, 2007
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070630/NEWS/70630003/1001
DAVENPORT -- A Detroit man was sentenced to five years in prison Friday for trying to burn down a women's health clinic that he mistakenly thought performed abortions.
David McMenemy, 46, pleaded guilty in January to arson against a business affecting interstate commerce. He could have been sentenced up to 20 years in prison.
Police said McMenemy drove to Davenport and crashed his car into the Edgerton Women's Health Care Center lobby at 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 11. He then lit a Gatorade bottle filled with gasoline on fire, walked away from his car and surrendered to firefighters.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
A Mormon in the White House
By Richard John Neuhaus
First Things
Friday, June 29, 2007, 6:20 AM
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=787
On Opinion Journal earlier this week, John Fund opines on the Mormon factor in Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. He notes that a survey of 1,269 faculty members by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research just found that 38 percent of social sciences and humanities professors, a highly liberal group, viewed Mormons “unfavorably.” According to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, some 15 percent of Republican voters say there is “no chance” they would back a Mormon for president.
[...]
It is not an unreasonable prejudice for people who, unlike Alan Wolfe et al., care about true religion to take their concern about Mormonism into account in considering the candidacy of Mr. Romney. The question is not whether, as president, Mr. Romney would take orders from Salt Lake City. I doubt whether many people think he would. The questions are: Would a Mormon as president of the United States give greater credibility and prestige to Mormonism? The answer is almost certainly yes. Would it therefore help advance the missionary goals of what many view as a false religion? The answer is almost certainly yes. Is it legitimate for those Americans to take these questions into account in voting for a presidential nominee or candidate? The answer is certainly yes.
For millions of other Americans, the above questions do not matter. And for those for whom they do matter, they are not the only questions that matter. Mr. Romney is a very attractive candidate in both substance and style. As in most decisions, and not least of all in voting, the question comes down to what or who is the alternative. We will not have an answer to that question for some months. But I can now register a respectful disagreement with John Fund when he writes, “We will be a better country if even people who don’t support Mr. Romney for president come to recognize that our country is better off if his candidacy rises or falls on factors that have nothing to do with his faith.” On the contrary, we are a better country because many Americans do take their faith, and the faith of others, very seriously indeed. Also when it comes to voting.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Mass. Man Sues Over Gay Test Question On Bar Exam
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: July 2, 2007 - 1:00 pm ET
http://365gay.com/Newscon07/07/070207bar.htm
(Boston, Massachusetts) A Massachusetts man who failed the bar exam when he refused to answer a question on gay marriage is suing the bar agency that administered the test, the Supreme Judicial Court and four justices on the court alleging his constitutional rights were violated by a requirement he answer all questions on the test.
Stephen Dunne received a score of 268.866 when he took the test last November. He needed 270 points for a passing grade and according to court documents his failure was the result of refusing the answer a question about same-sex marriage.
Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts and the bar exam questioned prospective lawyers about the law and gay parenting.
[...]
Dunne's lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking the bar from considering the gay marriage question in regard to his application to practice law and from using the question in future bar examinations. He also is seeking unspecified financial damages.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
For Gays, a Loud New Foe
Sacramento's large enclave of immigrant Slavic evangelicals is becoming a force on social issues. Their actions shock many.
By Rone Tempest, [Los Angeles] Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-russgay13oct13,0,3388537,full.story
SACRAMENTO — Organizers of the annual Rainbow Festival were prepared for trouble.
The Q Crew, a local "queer/straight alliance," distributed cards telling people what to do if approached by hostile demonstrators. Sympathetic local church groups formed a protective buffer along the festival ground's cyclone fence. Mounted police were on patrol.
[...]
The festival, held last month amid the gay bars, restaurants and shops of midtown's "Lavender Heights" neighborhood, went off without conflict. But the elaborate security preparations reflected growing tensions between Sacramento gays and the city's large and vociferous community of fundamentalist Christians from the former Soviet Union.
Over the last 18 months, Sacramento Russian-language church members have picketed gay pride events, jammed into legislative committee meetings when gay issues were on the agenda and demonstrated at school board meetings.
[...]
In most instances, the Russian-speaking demonstrators far outnumber representatives from all other anti-gay groups combined. Anti-homosexual rallies that a few years ago attracted a few dozen participants now regularly draw hundreds and sometimes thousands, many with a heavy Russian accent.
Even in a state capital where impassioned public demonstrations are a daily event, the Slavic fundamentalists stand out. Elderly women in babushkas stand next to small children carrying signs stating: "Perversion is Never Safe" and "I Am Not Learning About Gay People."
[...]
But nowhere approaches Sacramento, which has a 24-hour Russian-language cable television station, two radio stations and several newspapers, all of which push a conservative message marked by strident opposition to homosexuality. A recent edition of the Speaker, for example, promoted a book, "The Pink Swastika," that contends that the extermination of Jews during World War II was the work of homosexuals inside the Nazi Party.
[...]
"We've been accepted and were just perking along," said Sloan, a 69-year-old church pastor and co-founder of Lambda Community Center, which serves the gay community. "That's why this Russian thing was such a jolt to people."
Leaders of the religious right, however, celebrate the Russian efforts as a revival.
"My hope and my prayer," said Mark Matta, a former legislative aide who heads the Christian Public Awareness Ministries, "is that they will become a voice in the wilderness for the rest of the country."
[...]
Signs displayed by the demonstrators often equate homosexuality with pedophilia and describe the AIDS epidemic as a message from God. One of the common tactics of the demonstrators is to tap gays forcefully on the head and announce that they have been "saved."
[...]
Like the Calvinist Puritans who were the first to settle in the New World, many in the Slavic religious community have an apocalyptic worldview. To them, the United States is a chosen nation but the American church is apostate and hapless, not up to the job. The Slavic Christians view it as their duty to cleanse and save the nation in preparation for Jesus Christ's return to Earth.
"We feel the American church already lost the battle 20 years ago by remaining silent," said Victor Chernyetsky, 47, a Soviet-trained engineer who serves as administrator for the Bethany Slavic Missionary Church. "We can't remain silent. There are a lot of sins."
[More at URL]
----- 6 -----
Christian right dated Mitt, married Fred?
Eyeon08.com
Watching the 2008 pre-election
http://www.eyeon08.com/2007/07/05/christian-right-dated-mitt-married-fred/
Update: Since writing this, Glen Johnson at the AP has written on the whole Romney/porn story. He quoted Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council. At the very least, this puts an exclamation point on my second point below. Clearly the Focus/FRC operation has engaged for Thompson and against Romney. A very, very bad day for Mitt Romney. And a very, very good one for Fred Thompson.
So, I read three things today that made a thunderclap in my head about the support of the Christian right in the 2008 GOP presidential nomination fight.
First, Focus on the Family ran a segment entitled, "Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, an outspoken critic of pornography, is called to task for his ties to Marriott hotels; a chain that makes money by providing porn to guests." In other words and in reality, James Dobson signed off on an attack on Mitt Romney, something that had not been done earlier. This story had been previously reported by CBN’s David Brody and had been covered by a lot of mainstream press. This is, however, the first time, other than CBN, that it made it into the Christian press. And you can’t beat the Christian radio networks for targeting devoted listeners.
Second, Hugh Hewitt pointed out that the new site Blogs for Fred was founded by Joe Carter, who writes Evangelical Outpost. Joe also works at the Family Research Council where his title is director of Web Communications. Now, I am sure that this is not on behalf of FRC, but….
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Mormonism Is Not Christianity
By Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Thursday June 28, 2007
http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/2007/06/mormonism-is-not-christianity.html
Are Mormons “Christians” as defined by traditional Christian orthodoxy? The answer to that question is easy and straightforward, and it is “no.” Nevertheless, even as the question is clear, the answer requires some explanation.
The issue is clearly framed in this case. Christianity is rightly defined in terms of “traditional Christian orthodoxy.” Thus, we have an objective standard by which to define what is and is not Christianity.
We are not talking here about the postmodern conception of Christianity that minimizes truth. We are not talking about Christianity as a mood or as a sociological movement. We are not talking about liberal Christianity that minimizes doctrine nor about sectarian Christianity which defines the faith in terms of eccentric doctrines. We are talking about historic, traditional, Christian orthodoxy.
Once that is made clear, the answer is inevitable. Furthermore, the answer is made easy, not only by the structure of Christian orthodoxy (a structure Mormonism denies) but by the central argument of Mormonism itself – that the true faith was restored through Joseph Smith in the nineteenth century in America and that the entire structure of Christian orthodoxy as affirmed by the post-apostolic church is corrupt and false.
In other words, Mormonism rejects traditional Christian orthodoxy at the onset – this rejection is the very logic of Mormonism’s existence. A contemporary observer of Mormon public relations is not going to hear this logic presented directly, but it is the very logic and message of the Book of Mormon and the structure of Mormon thought. Mormonism rejects Christian orthodoxy as the very argument for its own existence, and it clearly identifies historic Christianity as a false faith.
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
Romney Criticized for Hotel Pornography
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 5, 2007
Filed at 5:03 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Romney-Pornography.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
BOSTON (AP) -- Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who rails against the ''cesspool'' of pornography, is being criticized by social conservatives who argue that he should have tried to halt hardcore hotel movie offerings during his near-decade on the Marriott board.
Two anti-pornography crusaders, as well as two conservative activists of the type Romney is courting, say the distribution of such graphic adult movies runs counter to the family image cultivated by Romney, the Marriotts and their shared Mormon faith.
[...]
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a leading conservative group in Washington, said: ''They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets.''
[...]
Gary Glenn, president of American Family Association of Michigan, a conservative group, said: ''The Marriott Corporation may be tap dancing around this subject, but a candidate for president should not be able to.''
[...]
Daniel Weiss, media analyst for James Dobson's ''Focus on the Family,'' said this week in a radio broadcast to Focus members: ''If (Romney) made money off pornography in the past, is he going to turn a blind eye to it if he's president? Because as chief executive of the nation, it's his responsibility to make sure our nation's obscenity laws are efficiently and vigorously enforced.''
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Group Wants Porn Eradicated From Hotel Cable Line-Up
Campaign aims to clean up pay-per-view channels.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004993.cfm
LodgeNet Entertainment Corp., a company that supplies pay-per-view movies to America's hotels, is under fire for making most of its profits off hardcore pornography.
In August, family advocates will ask the Department of Justice to investigate and bring charges against the company.
[...]
"Why is LodgeNet permitted to deal in hard-core, sexually explicit, clearly prosecutable material?" Burress asked. "The U.S. Supreme Court set down guidelines for what is prosecutable."
[...]
Daniel Weiss, senior analyst, media & sexuality for Focus on the Family Action [Ed. note: A division of Focus on the Family, of course], said not only did Miller v. California determine that states could ban hardcore pornography, federal law prohibits obscene material from being distributed across state lines.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
Help! Someone I Know Has a Problem With Porn
Jim Vigorito, Ph. D. and Dr. Bill Maier
Paperback
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/104151.do?code=OL07XFARC3
Technology has made things easier. Unfortunately, that applies to access to pornography as well. If you know someone that is unable to escape from a porn addiction, you'll find bold, practical help from this resource, including: understanding addiction, gender differences and pornography as well as living pure in an unpure world. By better educating yourself on their addiction, you can help them break free.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
Religious Rights of Students Affirmed in N.J. and Texas
Actions pave the way for other school districts.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004992.cfm
A New Jersey school's decision to allow Christian students to enjoy the same free speech rights as other students could be the beginning of a nationwide trend to protect students' rights.
Northern Highlands Regional High School had blocked a Christian club from participating in the Day of Truth, a day for Christian students to express their views on homosexuality, but backed down after being contacted by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF).
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
When Military Parents are Deployed, Abuse Rates Rise
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004990.cfm
When military moms and dads are deployed overseas, kids at home may face a high risk of abuse and neglect, according to a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
[...]
Mary Keller of the Military Child Education Coalition told Family News in Focus that the Defense Department recognizes the problem and is taking steps to address it, through health care programs, schools and base churches.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Shoppers’ indifference to dying woman ‘appalling’
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004988.cfm
How could five customers step over a dying woman in a Wichita, Kan., convenience store and continue nonchalantly shopping for snacks?
According to police, a store surveillance camera captured the June 23 incident as LaShanda Calloway, 27, lay dying on the floor from stab wounds. They said one of the shoppers even stopped to take a picture of Calloway with a cell phone. Two suspects have been arrested and one is charged with first-degree murder, police said.
[...]
“Couple this with the legalized killing of preborn human life, and you have a recipe for social disaster. This is seen in the Wichita story. While I would hope that the majority of people would respond in some way to an injured human in our path, the Wichita event is a shocking reminder that this is not the case. The degree to which we have lost a respect for life is vividly and sadly apparent.”
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
Parental rights submerged by MD county's sex-ed decision
OneNewsNow.com
July 5, 2007
Jim Brown
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/07/parental_rights_submerged_by_m.php
The Christian legal group Liberty Counsel says it is considering whether to file another federal lawsuit challenging a sex-education program in Maryland's largest school district.
Last week the Maryland State Board of Education ruled in favor of a sex-ed program in Montgomery County that affirms homosexuality, transgenderism, and teen condom use. In the 17-page opinion, the state panel said it would not "second-guess the appropriateness" of the curriculum. It also claimed that the right of parents to control their children's upbringing "is not absolute" and "must bend to the state's duty to educate its citizens."
Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver says such a claim is contrary to common sense and American history. "Schools should not be an adversary to the parent," he says; "they should be an extension of the parents' wishes -- because, after all, they are engaged in helping the parent bring up the child in the parents' value system."
[...]
Staver succeeded in getting a federal judge to block implementation of the district's previous sex-ed program, which denigrated religions that oppose homosexuality on biblical grounds. According to the Washington Post, many parents in Montgomery County oppose the new curriculum, which opponents say presents a favorable viewpoint of homosexuality and restricts religious expression by suppressing the view that homosexuality is a sin. The attorney believes the new curriculum may also be subject to litigation.
[More at URL]
----- 15 -----
Teaching homosexuality to kids
Posted: July 5, 2007
WorldNetDaily
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56511
(Linked to by CultureDefense.org)
Quick question: Who thinks there isn't enough frank sexual information forced on today's kids? Is the bar for acceptable sexual behavior still too high? You would think so when reading a recent Washington Post article titled "A More Candid Approach to Sex-Ed."
As many parents know, most sex-ed classes are already candid enough, thank you very much. The last thing we need is for anyone to spice them up or further complicate what should be a pretty simple subject. But that's what schools in Montgomery County, Md., plan to do by introducing lessons on homosexuality to eight- and 10th-graders – lessons that serve to further the radical homosexual activist agenda.
[...]
Students in 10th grade, meanwhile, read "coming out" stories from homosexuals, a bisexual and one "transgendered" individual. "Esperanza," for example, tells them:
[...]
We are teaching our children a lie – a lie that robs them of the joys of childhood and their best futures. Why shouldn't we expect the very best from them? And why are we afraid to teach them the truth? We would never tell our little boys and girls to engage in "safe drug use" or to "smoke responsibly." We don't hesitate to put our foot down in other areas of life. So why should it be different when it comes to setting standards for sexual behavior?
[...]
Just as significant is what the Montgomery County sex curriculum doesn't say. There's no emphasis on the serious health risks associated with homosexual behavior. And, as the grass-roots group Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, or CRC, notes, "Nowhere is abstinence or sex placed within the context of marriage. The word marriage is not mentioned in the eighth or the 10th grade lessons." Not surprising, really: According to CRC, the 10th grade resource was developed by a homosexual advocacy group named Project 10, which is "dedicated to providing educational support services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth who attend public school campuses."
[More at URL]
----- 16 -----
'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality
Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle
Posted: July 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481
He was a rising star in the "gay rights" movement, but Michael Glatze now declares not only has he given up activism – he's no longer a homosexual.
Glatze – who had become a frequent media source as founding editor of Young Gay America magazine – tells the story of his transformation in an exclusive column published today by WND.
Although Glatze cut himself off from the homosexual community about a year and a half ago, he says the column likely will surprise some people.
[...]
In fact, he writes in his WND column today, "'coming out' from under the influence of the homosexual mindset was the most liberating, beautiful and astonishing thing I've ever experienced in my entire life."
Before "coming out" in his column today, Glatze contacted WND Managing Editor David Kupelian after reading his book, "The Marketing of Evil, which Glatze said "has given me so much help in my process of healing from the profound influences of evil in our current society."
"There is nothing that would give me more pleasure," he wrote to Kupelian, "than to say the Truth about 'homosexuality' and atone for my sins in that regard."
[...]
In 2004, Glatze moved from San Francisco to Halifax in eastern Canada where his partner, Young Gay America magazine's publisher, had family. The magazine, he said, sought to provide a "virtuous counterpart" to the other newsstand media aimed at homosexual youth.
But Glatze contends "the truth was, YGA was as damaging as anything else out there, just not overtly pornographic, so more 'respected.'"
[...]
Toward the end of his time with Young Gay America, Glatze said, colleagues began to notice he was going through some kind of religious experience.
Just before leaving, not fully realizing what he was doing, he wrote on his office computer his thoughts, ending with the declaration: "Homosexuality is death, and I choose life."
"I was so nervous, it was like I wasn't even writing it myself," he said.
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Louisiana Judge Says Portrait of Jesus Will Stay
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004979.cfm
A Slidell, La., judge announced that despite an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit, a portrait of Jesus hanging in the city courthouse will stay unless a federal judge orders it removed, The Associated Press reported.
The ACLU filed suit today against Slidell City Court seeking the removal of the painting and the message underneath, which reads, "To Know Peace, Obey These Laws."
[...]
Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, called the ACLU's complaint "mind-boggling."
"The First Amendment allows public officials, and not the ACLU, to decide what is appropriate for acknowledging our nation's religious history and heritage," he said. "The ideas expressed in this painting aren't specific to any one faith, and they certainly don't establish a single state religion."
[More at URL]
----- 18 -----
New Jersey School Board Implements Free Speech Policy
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004978.cfm
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) dismissed a lawsuit against a New Jersey school board after officials agreed to institute a policy that will allow Christian students to express their faith.
Jason Aufiero, a student at Northern Highlands Regional High School, was told he and other members of the school's Christian Club could not participate in the Day of Truth – even though officials were in full support of the Day of Silence, which expressed support for homosexuality.
The Day of Truth is an opportunity for Christian students to respectfully present a different viewpoint than students participating in the Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
[Editor's note: the Day of Silence is a protest against the bullying and abuse of GBLT students. The fundamentalists call this "promoting homosexuality" and are opposed to anti-bullying programmes that include GBLT people. The "Day of Truth" effort is specifically against GBLT people.]
[More at URL]
----- 19 -----
Tiller Challenges Kansas' Late-Term Abortion Law
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004980.cfm
Notorious Kansas late-term abortionist George Tiller – who is charged with failing to comply with state law – is challenging that very law, The Associated Press reported.
Tiller is claiming that the 1998 law requiring two unassociated doctors to approve a late-term abortion causes undue burden and is unconstitutional.
Last week Attorney General Paul Morrison announced that he'd filed 19 misdemeanor charges against Tiller for failure to obtain a second opinion from a doctor financially separate from his practice. If convicted, Tiller could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and face a $2,500 fine on each charge.
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
Democrats Stonewall 4th Circuit Nominees
One seat has been empty since 1994.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004982.cfm
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has enough vacancies to match its name; four justices are needed to fill a court known for conservative rulings. The hold-up is part of liberal politics that keep constitutionalist judges from filling the empty seats.
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
NBC Donates 75 Hours to Gore's Global-Warming Campaign
'Hours and hours of free publicity' push alarmism
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004965.cfm
Al Gore's message of global-warming alarmism will flood televisions, radios and the Internet in more than 100 countries this weekend. His "Live Earth" concerts will receive 75 hours of coverage across seven NBC Universal networks.
The concerts, which will originate from every continent and aim to draw attention to global-warming alarmism, will feature more than 100 music groups, including Bon Jovi, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, James Blunt, Kelly Clarkson and John Mayer, among others.
[Editor's note: This does include Antarctica! See above.]
----- 22 -----
Liberty Legal Says ACLU Challenge to Bible Curriculum Invalid
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004960.cfm
Attorneys with Liberty Legal Institute – on behalf of Texas' Ector County School District – have filed an answer to a lawsuit that challenges the right to offer an elective Bible course.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the district in May, alleging that it's unconstitutional for schools to teach the elective course on the Bible's influence in society.
Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said the lawsuit should be tossed out.
[More at URL]
----- 23 -----
Case for the Creator - Student Edition
A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
Lee Strobel & Jane Vogel
Paperback
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/102582.do?code=OL07XFARC3
You know that God created the universe — but how do you convince your teachers and classmates? Science and theology don't have to be mutually exclusive. Find reliable, substantiated evidence from science that backs up your faith in The Case for a Creator.
[More at URL]
----- 24 -----
San Diego School Schedules Muslim Prayer Break
Attorneys ask for similar consideration for Christian and Jewish students.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004964.cfm
After Muslim students were given a scheduled prayer break each day, the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is calling for the same accommodation for other students who wish to pray.
Officials at San Diego's Carver Elementary allow Muslim students a 15-minute prayer break each afternoon. Non-Muslim students are instructed to read or write during the break.
Attorney Pete Lepiscopo, a PJI-affiliated attorney, sent a letter last week to the San Diego Board of Education that explains numerous statutory provisions that affirm students' rights of religious equality. Lepiscopo requested that classrooms be set aside for students and employees of all faiths to meet their religious obligations to pray – as is being done for Muslim students.
"The school district has created the opportunity to return prayer to school," he said. "What can be better than children praying while they are in school?"
----- 25 -----
Pro-Lifers to Protest NEA Convention
Teachers object to their dues going to controversial activism.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004947.cfm
Some pro-life educators will be speaking out at the annual convention of the National Education Association (NEA) this weekend. They say they'll ask the nation's largest teachers union to stop supporting controversial political causes.
Pro-Life Educators and Students, or PLEAS, will prayerfully picket outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Bob Pawson, one of the organizers, said the NEA misrepresents millions of teachers who disagree with its political agenda.
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
First Lady Promotes Abstinence in Africa
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004945.cfm
First lady Laura Bush, in a visit to several African nations, touted abstinence as the way to successfully fight the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. She also affirmed the role of faith-based groups, The Associated Press reported.
"Religious institutions bring a personal healing touch to the fight against AIDS," Bush said, adding that Zambian health-care workers "know very well the healing power of faith."
[More at URL]
----- 27 -----
The New Tolerance
How A Cultural Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, And Your Children
Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/101899.do?code=OL07XFARC3
How Much "Tolerance" Can We Tolerate?
Best-selling author Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler unmask the true nature of the cultural movement of "tolerance" in this powerful release. It will not only help you to understand it, but equip you to counter its insidious effects on your faith and your children. In addition, the authors teach you how to: neutralize this threat by discerning truth from error, teach your children to discern between acceptance and approval, and lovingly respond to a hostile culture that seems willing to tolerate just about anything except biblical truth.
[More at URL]
----- 28 -----
Amendment Would Mean No Money to D.C. Domestic-Partner Registry
Action would keep federal prohibition in place.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004948.cfm
An amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill, which passed Thursday, would prohibit the District of Columbia from using the portion of its budget received from the federal government to operate a registry for unmarried couples, including same-sex partners.
The amendment was introduced by Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va. The District gets about a fourth of its finances from Congress.
The District established a domestic-partner registry for unmarried, cohabiting couples in 1992, but the Republican leadership prevented it from being federally funded and has continued to do so each year.
President Bush said in a statement Wednesday he would veto the bill if the amendment was not included.
[...]
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issue analysis for Focus on the Family Action, called the vote in support of the amendment "an important victory."
[...]
TAKE ACTION
Call Rep. Goode at (202) 225-4711 and thank him for taking a stand for marriage.
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
Pastor Leads Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals
'We are all in this together.'
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Focus on the Family
6-28-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004942.cfm
About 12 years ago, the Rev. Bob Stith attended an Exodus conference, a ministry to help people who experience unwanted same-sex attraction. He hasn't been the same since.
"I went, and I was scared to death," he said. "From the very first day, God just really touched my heart."
Stith, who lives in Southlake, Texas, with his wife, Del, is chairman of the board for Living Hope Ministries, an Exodus-affiliated ministry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has been the pastor of Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake for 37 years. On June 1, Stith was named director of the Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals Task Force. It's a position that was long in the making.
[More at URL]
----- 30 -----
Young Americans Hold Conservative Views
A majority opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
6-28-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004941.cfm
On controversial social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, America's young people continue to track conservative, according to a poll by The New York Times, CBS and MTV.
The survey collected opinions of 17- to 29-year-olds. Sixty-two percent said abortion should be outlawed or restricted. Danielle Huntley, a student at Boston College Law School and president of Students for Life of America, said she's proud her peers are not buying into liberal rhetoric.
[...]
Fifty-four percent of young adults expressed opposition to same-sex marriage. Ron Luce with Teen Mania said the challenge is to make sure their opinions are founded in biblical truth.
"We, as those who love God and who have conservative Judeo-Christian values," he said, "need to proactively… help them understand why and how they come from Scripture, and why we believe what we believe."
[More at URL]
----- 31 -----
Unlocking the Mystery of Life
Focus on the Family
DVD
http://resources.family.org/product/id/102320.do?code=OL07XFARC3
This compelling scientific documentary for adults and students advances a powerful idea: the theory of intelligent design. Using state-of-the-art computer animation, you will see the unmistakable hallmarks of design — and the Creator's skill — within our very cells.
----- 32 -----
Kansas Lawmakers Aim to Ban All Late-Term Abortions
Focus on the Family
6-26-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004907.cfm
Frustrated that notorious abortionist George Tiller isn’t being prosecuted over allegations of performing illegal late-term abortions, a key Kansas legislator said Monday he will pursue legislation to ban all abortions after 21 weeks, except to save the life of the mother, The Associated Press reported.
Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said state law — which allows late-term abortions if two doctors conclude a mother’s life is at risk or that she faces "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function" — has been difficult to enforce.
[More at URL]
----- 33 -----
Louisiana House Votes to Ban Partial-Birth Abortion
Focus on the Family
6-26-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004908.cfm
The state House voted 99-1 on Monday to make Louisiana the first state to pass its own ban on partial-birth abortion since the Supreme Court's April ruling that upheld the federal ban.
The bill now heads to a joint committee before going to Gov. Kathleen Blanco's desk. She is expected to sign it.
[More at URL]
----- 34 -----
MTV Documentary Follows Christian Soldiers
Focus on the Family
6-27-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004923.cfm
Are you devoting your life to saving society from secularism? Are you willing to give up everything you previously enjoyed to spread the word of God? Are you about to go on a missionary trip to teach others about how they can be saved? If campaigning on behalf of Christianity is the driving force in your life, MTV wants to hear from you.
As part of its documentary series True Life, MTV will profile today's Christian soldiers between the ages of 16 and 28. Tell MTV why you need to be seen and heard. E-mail christian@mtvstaff.com and include your name, city and state, phone number and a photo, if possible.
