Even as liberals file lawsuits to stop prayer at civic gatherings across the nation, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Catholic Democrat and advocate for same-sex "marriage," recently asked for prayers for rain. In response, residents of the western Illinois town of Quincy gathered Sunday evening to pray in Jesus' name for an end to the drought.
For background, read the partial list of liberals' efforts to stop prayer in America.
-- From "Western Illinois faithful pray for rain" by The Associated Press 7/30/12
The faithful in western Illinois are heeding Gov. Pat Quinn's request to pray for rain as the state suffers drought conditions.
Quincy-area residents gathered Sunday evening for a "Pray for Rain" event. The Quincy Herald-Whig reports that several religious organizations participated in the half-hour prayer service in a local park. The Rev. Patrick Smith of St. John's Anglican Parish said it was an opportunity to "collectively ask God to do something that he can do."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Drought-stricken community prays for rain" by Brooke Hasch, KHQA-TV7 (Quincy, IL) 7/29/12
Sunday evening, dozens of Quincy area churches merged at Madison Park for a city-wide prayer service. A number of pastors took to the stage for prayer as musicians from the Crossing performed the worship.
"What makes this different is that there's people from all churches here. It's not just one church individually praying but all the Christian churches in the area are meeting to pray," Neal Woollard with the Crossing in Quincy said.
"We thought it would be much more effective and that God would be very pleased that we came together as a community and put our hearts and thoughts and our minds together and pray that the Lord would open up the heavens for us and give us that blessing," Father Patrick Smith with St. John's Anglican Parish in Quincy said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Quincyans gather to 'Pray for Rain' to heal drought-plagued heartland" By Annalise Frank, Quincy Herald-Whig Staff Writer 7/29/12
Some attendees lifted their arms, swaying to Neal Woollard and Joe Fross of The Crossing's heartfelt, acoustic renditions of religious songs. Many also sang along to the hymns, "It is Well," "You Never Let Go" and "Our God." Those who didn't already know the words could glance at lyrics provided on programs given out at the event.
Between prayers, agricultural specialist Sara Fernandez gave some background on why many residents feel the area's drought is becoming grim enough to warrant organized religious intervention.
Mark Geissler, the program manager for Horizons Social Services, led the last prayer of the evening.
"He does nothing without working for the good of those that love [H]im," Geissler said. "I promise you, something good will come from this."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Planned Parenthood Faces $5.5 Billion Fine for Fraud
Sue Thayer, a 17-year abortion clinic director of Storm Lake, Iowa, has filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit against her former employer, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, charging a seven-year period of fraudulent billing of Medicaid totaling nearly $28 million.
The Obama Justice Department has declined to join the suit, and will not comment on the case.
For background, read Planned Parenthood Accused of $6M Medicaid Fraud and also read Planned Parenthood Found Bilking Medicaid as well as Taxpayers Provide 46% of Abortionists' $Billion$
UPDATE 8/9/13: Federal Government Probes Planned Parenthood for Fraud
-- From "Former Storm Lake clinic director sues Planned Parenthood, claims $28m fraud" by Sioux City Journal Staff Writer 7/17/12
The lawsuit was filed in March 2011 but didn't proceed until federal and state prosecutors decided against intervening.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has 31 medical centers in Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska and three Illinois counties. It also has education and resource centers in Des Moines, Lincoln, Neb., and Omaha, Neb.
The lawsuit accuses Planned Parenthood of violating Medicaid rules by separately billing the government for services related to elective abortions, such as blood tests and blood pressure tests.
The lawsuit also accuses Planned Parenthood of prescribing birth control pills for as long as 14 months without having a health care professional examine patients. Those patients should have met with a health care professional at least once every three months, the lawsuit said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood affiliate accused of Medicaid fraud" by Daniel P. Finney, Des Moines Register 7/11/12
“Our decision to decline intervention at this time follows an extensive review of the case with federal and state investigators, and an extensive review of a large volume of evidence,” [Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller] said. “We reserve the right to intervene at a later date upon the showing of good cause. Though the state is not currently a litigant, it remains the real party in interest, and is entitled to the majority of damages and penalties recovered on its behalf, should that occur.”
The allegations “came to light over time as I worked there,” Thayer said in an interview with The Des Moines Register. “I kept seeing things and asking, ‘Is this the right way to do things?’ I found out it was not.”
Alliance Defending Freedom, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., helped Thayer bring the lawsuit. ADF, formerly known as Alliance Defense Fund, is a private, not-for-profit Christian group that opposes abortions and same-sex unions, and supports sanctioned prayer at public meetings and the right of medical professionals to refuse to perform abortions or other procedures they find morally objectionable.
If found guilty of fraud, Planned Parenthood could face as much as $5.5 billion in fines.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood Collected $28M in Medicaid Fraud, Says Former Iowa Director" by Alex Murashko, Christian Post Reporter 7/10/12
"We think it's a very viable complaint that demonstrates Medicaid fraud by Planned Parenthood that we have observed in our research on not only this affiliate, but other affiliates around the country and is primarily motivated by the bottom line desire for money, not for care for women's health," ADF Senior Counsel Michael J. Norton told The Christian Post on Tuesday.
"Americans deserve to know if their hard-earned tax money is being funneled to groups that are misusing it," said Norton, a former U.S. attorney. "People may hold different views about abortion, but everyone can agree that Planned Parenthood should play by the same rules as everyone else. It certainly isn't entitled to any public funds, especially if it is defrauding Medicaid and the American taxpayer."
. . . The suit also claims that Planned Parenthood coerced "voluntary donations" for services and then billed Medicaid for them. In effect, Planned Parenthood both falsely billed Medicaid and took money from low-income women by getting them to pay for services Medicaid was intended to cover in full, the ADF lawsuit states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 8/29/14: "Planned Parenthood loses legal round against ex-manager" by Tony Leys, Des Moines Register
[Previously, a] federal district judge had agreed with Planned Parenthood lawyers that the case should be dismissed because Thayer didn't have detailed enough evidence of the purported wrongdoing. However, a three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled Friday that her position as a former clinic manager gave Thayer the ability "to plead personal, first-hand knowledge of Planned Parenthood's submission of false claims."
The appeals court judges agreed with the lower court, however, that Thayer did not have a strong enough basis to pursue her claim that Planned Parenthood's actions led to inappropriate claims for Medicaid payments for abortion-related services. Thayer contended that Planned Parenthood staff members told patients who bled heavily after abortions that they she should go to hospital emergency rooms and say they had miscarriages. Thayer said the hospitals then would bill Medicaid for treating the women. She contended that was out of bounds, because federal law strictly limits payments for abortion-related costs.
The appeals judges sent the case back to the lower court to hear Thayer's other contentions.
The judges' decision was hailed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a national legal group that is representing Thayer in court.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
The Obama Justice Department has declined to join the suit, and will not comment on the case.
For background, read Planned Parenthood Accused of $6M Medicaid Fraud and also read Planned Parenthood Found Bilking Medicaid as well as Taxpayers Provide 46% of Abortionists' $Billion$
UPDATE 8/9/13: Federal Government Probes Planned Parenthood for Fraud
-- From "Former Storm Lake clinic director sues Planned Parenthood, claims $28m fraud" by Sioux City Journal Staff Writer 7/17/12
The lawsuit was filed in March 2011 but didn't proceed until federal and state prosecutors decided against intervening.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has 31 medical centers in Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska and three Illinois counties. It also has education and resource centers in Des Moines, Lincoln, Neb., and Omaha, Neb.
The lawsuit accuses Planned Parenthood of violating Medicaid rules by separately billing the government for services related to elective abortions, such as blood tests and blood pressure tests.
The lawsuit also accuses Planned Parenthood of prescribing birth control pills for as long as 14 months without having a health care professional examine patients. Those patients should have met with a health care professional at least once every three months, the lawsuit said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood affiliate accused of Medicaid fraud" by Daniel P. Finney, Des Moines Register 7/11/12
“Our decision to decline intervention at this time follows an extensive review of the case with federal and state investigators, and an extensive review of a large volume of evidence,” [Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller] said. “We reserve the right to intervene at a later date upon the showing of good cause. Though the state is not currently a litigant, it remains the real party in interest, and is entitled to the majority of damages and penalties recovered on its behalf, should that occur.”
The allegations “came to light over time as I worked there,” Thayer said in an interview with The Des Moines Register. “I kept seeing things and asking, ‘Is this the right way to do things?’ I found out it was not.”
Alliance Defending Freedom, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., helped Thayer bring the lawsuit. ADF, formerly known as Alliance Defense Fund, is a private, not-for-profit Christian group that opposes abortions and same-sex unions, and supports sanctioned prayer at public meetings and the right of medical professionals to refuse to perform abortions or other procedures they find morally objectionable.
If found guilty of fraud, Planned Parenthood could face as much as $5.5 billion in fines.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood Collected $28M in Medicaid Fraud, Says Former Iowa Director" by Alex Murashko, Christian Post Reporter 7/10/12
"We think it's a very viable complaint that demonstrates Medicaid fraud by Planned Parenthood that we have observed in our research on not only this affiliate, but other affiliates around the country and is primarily motivated by the bottom line desire for money, not for care for women's health," ADF Senior Counsel Michael J. Norton told The Christian Post on Tuesday.
"Americans deserve to know if their hard-earned tax money is being funneled to groups that are misusing it," said Norton, a former U.S. attorney. "People may hold different views about abortion, but everyone can agree that Planned Parenthood should play by the same rules as everyone else. It certainly isn't entitled to any public funds, especially if it is defrauding Medicaid and the American taxpayer."
. . . The suit also claims that Planned Parenthood coerced "voluntary donations" for services and then billed Medicaid for them. In effect, Planned Parenthood both falsely billed Medicaid and took money from low-income women by getting them to pay for services Medicaid was intended to cover in full, the ADF lawsuit states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 8/29/14: "Planned Parenthood loses legal round against ex-manager" by Tony Leys, Des Moines Register
[Previously, a] federal district judge had agreed with Planned Parenthood lawyers that the case should be dismissed because Thayer didn't have detailed enough evidence of the purported wrongdoing. However, a three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled Friday that her position as a former clinic manager gave Thayer the ability "to plead personal, first-hand knowledge of Planned Parenthood's submission of false claims."
The appeals court judges agreed with the lower court, however, that Thayer did not have a strong enough basis to pursue her claim that Planned Parenthood's actions led to inappropriate claims for Medicaid payments for abortion-related services. Thayer contended that Planned Parenthood staff members told patients who bled heavily after abortions that they she should go to hospital emergency rooms and say they had miscarriages. Thayer said the hospitals then would bill Medicaid for treating the women. She contended that was out of bounds, because federal law strictly limits payments for abortion-related costs.
The appeals judges sent the case back to the lower court to hear Thayer's other contentions.
The judges' decision was hailed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a national legal group that is representing Thayer in court.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Fed. Judge Rules Against ObamaCare, For Catholics
U.S. District Court Judge John Kane issued an injunction against enforcement of the ObamaCare regulation requiring a Denver Catholic family-owned business to violate it's religious beliefs. In the case, President Obama's Department of Justice argued that Catholics who don't want to pay for abortifacient drugs, etc. via their health insurance, can simply fold their businesses to avoid violation of their religious conscience.
For background, read Missouri Business Sues ObamaCare in War on Christianity and also read Evangelical Wheaton College Sues ObamaCare as well as Bishops Throw Down Gauntlet: Obama War on Christianity
UPDATE 3/15/13: U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff rules for Catholic Tom Monaghan of Domino's Pizza by granting a preliminary injunction against ObamaCare fines
UPDATE 11/2/12: Michigan federal district Judge Robert Cleland blocks ObamaCare, favoring Daniel Weingartz's family-owned Catholic business
UPDATE 9/14/12: Retailer Hobby Lobby, owned by Evangelical family, sues ObamaCare
UPDATE 7/29/12 - Fox News interviews Mr. Newland and attorney (video):
UPDATE 7/31/12 - Fox News interview (America Live video):
-- From "Colo. employer wins early round on birth control" by Catherine Tsai, Associated Press 7/27/12
The Obama administration's health care package requires group health plans to offer no-cost preventive care coverage to women for items including birth control. The Colorado-based heating and air conditioning business Hercules Industries Inc. is run by a family whose Roman Catholic beliefs condemn contraception, but the company doesn't qualify as a religious employer exempt from providing the coverage. Under the legislation, Hercules would soon have to offer it.
Hercules Industries, owned by William Newland and his siblings, sought relief in court.
The Newlands say they are trying to run their company in a way that reflects their religious beliefs. The federal government has argued that a for-profit, secular corporation can't exercise religion.
[Judge Kane] said the government's argument that exempting Hercules Industries would hurt its ability to administer the health care law was undermined by exemptions for more than 190 million health plan participants and beneficiaries.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Judge blocks contraception mandate in religious liberty lawsuit" by Joel Gehrke, Commentary Writer, The Washington Examiner 7/28/12
“A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy; accordingly, the right to relief must be clear and unequivocal,” Judge John Kane — an appointee of President Jimmy Carter’s — wrote as he explained his order today. “On balance, the threatened harm to Plaintiffs, impingement of their right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and the concommittant public interest in that right s[t]rongly favor the entry of injunctive relief.”
“Can a corporation exercise religion?” Kane asked in his order. “Should a closely-held subchapter-s corporation owned and operated by a small group of individuals professing adherence to uniform religious beliefs be treated differently than a publicly held corporation owned and operated by a group of stakeholders with diverse religious beliefs? Is it possible to ‘pierce the veil’ and disregard the corporate form in this context? What is the significance of the pass-through taxation applicable to subchapter-s corporations as it pertains to this analysis? These questions merit more deliberate investigation.”
Kane stressed that only Hercules enjoys this preliminary injunction. “This injunction is, however, premised upon the alleged substantial burden on Plaintiffs’ free exercise of religion – not to any alleged burden on any other party’s free exercise of religion,” he wrote. “It does not enjoin enforcement of the preventive care coverage mandate against any other party.”
The lawsuit was brought by Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the owners of Hercules Industries, Inc. . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "DOJ to Colorado Family: Give Up Your Religion or Your Business" by Terence P. Jeffrey, CNSNews.com 7/26/12
“Hercules Industries has ‘made no showing of a religious belief which requires that [it] engage in the [HVAC] business,” the Justice Department said in a formal filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
Under the Obamacare law, businesses that have more than 50 employees must provide health insurance to their employees or face a penalty. To satisfy the mandate, the insurance must include the cost-sharing-free sterilization-contraception-abortifacient benefit. The regulation takes effect on Aug. 1, which means that as soon as any business starts a new plan-year for its health-insurance program after that date it will need to comply with [HHS Secretary] Sebelius's rule.
[In the case, the] Justice Department responded by arguing that if the Newlands’ Roman Catholic faith prevented them from following the Obama administration’s command that they provide their employees with cost-sharing-free coverage for sterilizations, contraception and abortion-inducing drugs, the Newlands could simply give up their business entirely.
The Justice Department further argued that people owning for-profit secular businesses do not have a First Amendment right to the free exercise religion in the way they conduct their businesses—particularly if their business is incorporated.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Hercules Halts Obamacare in Round One of Anti-Conscience Mandate Fight" by John G. Malcolm and Dominique Ludvigson, posted at Heritage Foundation 7/29/12
The Administration, according to Judge Kane, argued that “as a for-profit, secular employer, Hercules cannot engage in an exercise of religion.” In other words, the company owners forfeited their right to religious liberty as soon as they sought to earn a living by running a corporation. Under that logic, if the government decided to require any business that served or prepared food to offer pork, kosher or halal butchers would be forced to forgo their most deeply held religious convictions in order to stay in business. Accepting the government’s position would effectively push religion out of every sphere of public life and restrict the free exercise rights of adherents to live out their faiths in their day-to-day lives. The plaintiffs presented a strong argument that RFRA’s religious liberty guarantee is not limited to individuals alone acting within their houses of worship.
Judge Kane’s decision identified two key portions of the company’s articles of incorporation reflecting the role of religion in its corporate governance—a statement that its primary purposes were to be achieved by “following appropriate religious, ethical or moral standards” and another that directed its board to prioritize those “religious, ethical or moral standards” at the expense of profitability.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Missouri Business Sues ObamaCare in War on Christianity and also read Evangelical Wheaton College Sues ObamaCare as well as Bishops Throw Down Gauntlet: Obama War on Christianity
UPDATE 3/15/13: U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff rules for Catholic Tom Monaghan of Domino's Pizza by granting a preliminary injunction against ObamaCare fines
UPDATE 11/2/12: Michigan federal district Judge Robert Cleland blocks ObamaCare, favoring Daniel Weingartz's family-owned Catholic business
UPDATE 9/14/12: Retailer Hobby Lobby, owned by Evangelical family, sues ObamaCare
UPDATE 7/29/12 - Fox News interviews Mr. Newland and attorney (video):
UPDATE 7/31/12 - Fox News interview (America Live video):
-- From "Colo. employer wins early round on birth control" by Catherine Tsai, Associated Press 7/27/12
The Obama administration's health care package requires group health plans to offer no-cost preventive care coverage to women for items including birth control. The Colorado-based heating and air conditioning business Hercules Industries Inc. is run by a family whose Roman Catholic beliefs condemn contraception, but the company doesn't qualify as a religious employer exempt from providing the coverage. Under the legislation, Hercules would soon have to offer it.
Hercules Industries, owned by William Newland and his siblings, sought relief in court.
The Newlands say they are trying to run their company in a way that reflects their religious beliefs. The federal government has argued that a for-profit, secular corporation can't exercise religion.
[Judge Kane] said the government's argument that exempting Hercules Industries would hurt its ability to administer the health care law was undermined by exemptions for more than 190 million health plan participants and beneficiaries.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Judge blocks contraception mandate in religious liberty lawsuit" by Joel Gehrke, Commentary Writer, The Washington Examiner 7/28/12
“A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy; accordingly, the right to relief must be clear and unequivocal,” Judge John Kane — an appointee of President Jimmy Carter’s — wrote as he explained his order today. “On balance, the threatened harm to Plaintiffs, impingement of their right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and the concommittant public interest in that right s[t]rongly favor the entry of injunctive relief.”
“Can a corporation exercise religion?” Kane asked in his order. “Should a closely-held subchapter-s corporation owned and operated by a small group of individuals professing adherence to uniform religious beliefs be treated differently than a publicly held corporation owned and operated by a group of stakeholders with diverse religious beliefs? Is it possible to ‘pierce the veil’ and disregard the corporate form in this context? What is the significance of the pass-through taxation applicable to subchapter-s corporations as it pertains to this analysis? These questions merit more deliberate investigation.”
Kane stressed that only Hercules enjoys this preliminary injunction. “This injunction is, however, premised upon the alleged substantial burden on Plaintiffs’ free exercise of religion – not to any alleged burden on any other party’s free exercise of religion,” he wrote. “It does not enjoin enforcement of the preventive care coverage mandate against any other party.”
The lawsuit was brought by Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the owners of Hercules Industries, Inc. . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "DOJ to Colorado Family: Give Up Your Religion or Your Business" by Terence P. Jeffrey, CNSNews.com 7/26/12
“Hercules Industries has ‘made no showing of a religious belief which requires that [it] engage in the [HVAC] business,” the Justice Department said in a formal filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
Under the Obamacare law, businesses that have more than 50 employees must provide health insurance to their employees or face a penalty. To satisfy the mandate, the insurance must include the cost-sharing-free sterilization-contraception-abortifacient benefit. The regulation takes effect on Aug. 1, which means that as soon as any business starts a new plan-year for its health-insurance program after that date it will need to comply with [HHS Secretary] Sebelius's rule.
[In the case, the] Justice Department responded by arguing that if the Newlands’ Roman Catholic faith prevented them from following the Obama administration’s command that they provide their employees with cost-sharing-free coverage for sterilizations, contraception and abortion-inducing drugs, the Newlands could simply give up their business entirely.
The Justice Department further argued that people owning for-profit secular businesses do not have a First Amendment right to the free exercise religion in the way they conduct their businesses—particularly if their business is incorporated.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Hercules Halts Obamacare in Round One of Anti-Conscience Mandate Fight" by John G. Malcolm and Dominique Ludvigson, posted at Heritage Foundation 7/29/12
The Administration, according to Judge Kane, argued that “as a for-profit, secular employer, Hercules cannot engage in an exercise of religion.” In other words, the company owners forfeited their right to religious liberty as soon as they sought to earn a living by running a corporation. Under that logic, if the government decided to require any business that served or prepared food to offer pork, kosher or halal butchers would be forced to forgo their most deeply held religious convictions in order to stay in business. Accepting the government’s position would effectively push religion out of every sphere of public life and restrict the free exercise rights of adherents to live out their faiths in their day-to-day lives. The plaintiffs presented a strong argument that RFRA’s religious liberty guarantee is not limited to individuals alone acting within their houses of worship.
Judge Kane’s decision identified two key portions of the company’s articles of incorporation reflecting the role of religion in its corporate governance—a statement that its primary purposes were to be achieved by “following appropriate religious, ethical or moral standards” and another that directed its board to prioritize those “religious, ethical or moral standards” at the expense of profitability.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Atheists Strip Catholic Univ. from Ohio Town Identity
The logo of Steubenville, Ohio consists of artwork depicting the city's landmarks, including a bridge and historic fort, along with the prominent cross at Franciscan University. After Wisconsin atheists threatened a lawsuit if the cross wasn't eliminated, city officials agreed to change the logo."We designed the logo to represent faith, family, work, recreation and history."UPDATE 8/4/12: Citizen uprising convinces city gov't to halt plans to drop cross from logo
-- Mark Nelson, Steubenville artist
UPDATE 7/29/12 - FOX News video:
-- From "Steubenville changes logo to remove religious symbols" by The Associated Press 7/26/12
Steubenville law director Gary Repella said a citizen complained about the logo, which includes the cross and silhouette of the Christ the King Chapel on the Franciscan University of Steubenville campus. The city was subsequently contacted by the Freedom from Religion Foundation in Madison, Wis.
Repella told the city council this week that it could get expensive if the city decided to contest a possible legal challenge.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "City of Steubenville forced to change new logo because of religious elements" by Natalie Herbick, WTOV-TV9 (Steubenville, OH) 7/24/12
Shortly after the beginning of the year the city of Steubenville worked with local artist Mark Nelson to create a new logo.
Residents NEWS9 spoke with said they have never noticed the logo's religious elements . . .
"I think it's silly, the college does a lot for this city. If it wasn't for the college there wouldn't be a whole lot in this city," said Scott Pasco.
Repella said despite the university's contributions, they have to follow constitutional law and the separation of church and state.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Franciscan University Image Will Be Removed From Steubenville City Logo" by Catholic News Agency 7/27/12
“We find it particularly troubling that an out-of-town and out-of-touch group targeted the university for removal from the logo solely because of our religious identity,” [Franciscan's Michael] Hernon said July 25 on behalf of the university.
The city’s present logo, unveiled in December 2011, displays in silhouette the downtown cityscape and various landmarks of the city, including historic Fort Steuben, the Veterans' Memorial Bridge and Franciscan’s Christ the King Chapel.
Hernon said the city included the chapel because it represents Franciscan University, the “world-renowned center of higher learning and one of the largest employers in the region.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Legal threat over logo frustrating for designer" by Dave Gossett, Staff Writer, The Steubenville Herald-Star 7/26/12
"On a very personal level I find it very frustrating that one person or a small group can complain and ultimately change the city's logo," said [Mark] Nelson, the owner of Nelson Fine Arts and Gifts.
"What bothers me is this organization has used its interpretation of separation of church and state that is not included in the Constitution to bully the city into changing its logo. My family and I are proud to be here in Steubenville and to be part of the community. We are also proud to have a business in Steubenville," Nelson added.
"As used in the city logo, the chapel image is not an endorsement of any one religion, or religion at all. It merely signifies one of the many treasures of Steubenville-along with Historic Fort Steuben, the Veterans Memorial Bridge and the downtown cityscape-that are well-known community landmarks." [Hernon said]
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Miami Supt. Says Christianity Against School Policy
Pastor Jack Hakimian of Impact Miami Church says that Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is bullying him because of his Christian message concerning homosexuality. The superintendent says the church should not be allowed to continue to rent space at North Miami High School on Sundays because the pastor's message is "contrary to school board policy."
-- From "Controversial pastor demands apology from Miami-Dade Schools chief Carvalho after eviction threat" by Steve Rothaus, Miami Herald 7/21/12
Hakimian is a controversial figure who preaches that gays "can repent, they can through the spirit of God subdue their tendencies." He has posted YouTube videos titled Bible Say's Gays & Sex Addicts In General Can Change & Should Change (Matthew 5:27-30) and Pedophiles Use The Same Argument As Homosexual & Weed Smoking Community. [see below for videos]
Hakimian pays the school district about $20,000 annually to rent space at North Miami High for Sunday school classes.
Earlier this week, Carvalho issued a statement to WPLG-Channel 10 reporter Jeff Weinsier that Hakimian's teachings "appear to be contrary to school board policy, as well as the basic principles of humanity, and I have asked for immediate legal review to seek the termination of the contract that is involved. ... I am making this decision not on the basis of policy or politics but as a rejection of prejudice and intolerance."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Jack Hakimian, Controversial Pastor, Wants Apology From Miami-Dade Schools" at Huffington Post 7/23/12
"I never thought I'd be penalized for teaching on Christian marriage and sexual ethics from the Bible, the very Bible that presidents swear on, in a privately rented space at an event not sponsored by the school or district," the pastor says in a Miami Herald video, in which he demands an apology from Carvalho.
“According to Alberto Carvalho he will decide what is 'common sense and decent' for 58% of Miamians who voted for legislation that is parallel to our theological views that marriage should be between male and female,” Hakimian wrote on the church's web site, citing numbers from the 2008 general election.
In a recent interview with South Florida Gay News, Hakimian said while he holds the "theological view that homosexuality isn’t okay in the face of God," he does not endorse "bullying, lack of civil protection, or hate of the LGBT community."
And in a statement from the church, he states that gays should "be allowed the same civil freedoms that other citizens enjoy without infringing on the religious or private rights of people who disagree with them."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida Church Threatened With Eviction Over Stance on Homosexuality" by Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor 7/26/12
After President Obama announced that he supported gay marriage, Pastor Jack Hakimian used his pulpit to explain the biblical position of homosexuality.
Hakimian explained that members of Impact Miami have been unfairly judged and labeled as homophobes and bigots, but insists that is unfair solely because he was just teaching what the Bible considers a sin.
Impact Miami is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Controversial pastor demands apology from Miami-Dade Schools chief Carvalho after eviction threat" by Steve Rothaus, Miami Herald 7/21/12
Hakimian is a controversial figure who preaches that gays "can repent, they can through the spirit of God subdue their tendencies." He has posted YouTube videos titled Bible Say's Gays & Sex Addicts In General Can Change & Should Change (Matthew 5:27-30) and Pedophiles Use The Same Argument As Homosexual & Weed Smoking Community. [see below for videos]
Hakimian pays the school district about $20,000 annually to rent space at North Miami High for Sunday school classes.
Earlier this week, Carvalho issued a statement to WPLG-Channel 10 reporter Jeff Weinsier that Hakimian's teachings "appear to be contrary to school board policy, as well as the basic principles of humanity, and I have asked for immediate legal review to seek the termination of the contract that is involved. ... I am making this decision not on the basis of policy or politics but as a rejection of prejudice and intolerance."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Jack Hakimian, Controversial Pastor, Wants Apology From Miami-Dade Schools" at Huffington Post 7/23/12
"I never thought I'd be penalized for teaching on Christian marriage and sexual ethics from the Bible, the very Bible that presidents swear on, in a privately rented space at an event not sponsored by the school or district," the pastor says in a Miami Herald video, in which he demands an apology from Carvalho.
“According to Alberto Carvalho he will decide what is 'common sense and decent' for 58% of Miamians who voted for legislation that is parallel to our theological views that marriage should be between male and female,” Hakimian wrote on the church's web site, citing numbers from the 2008 general election.
In a recent interview with South Florida Gay News, Hakimian said while he holds the "theological view that homosexuality isn’t okay in the face of God," he does not endorse "bullying, lack of civil protection, or hate of the LGBT community."
And in a statement from the church, he states that gays should "be allowed the same civil freedoms that other citizens enjoy without infringing on the religious or private rights of people who disagree with them."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida Church Threatened With Eviction Over Stance on Homosexuality" by Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor 7/26/12
After President Obama announced that he supported gay marriage, Pastor Jack Hakimian used his pulpit to explain the biblical position of homosexuality.
Hakimian explained that members of Impact Miami have been unfairly judged and labeled as homophobes and bigots, but insists that is unfair solely because he was just teaching what the Bible considers a sin.
Impact Miami is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
ObamaCare Advances Gay Agenda: Obama HHS Secretary
President Obama's Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that ObamaCare will combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic -- rampant among homosexuals -- by ridiculing "homophobic" Christians and by indoctrinating children in the Gay Agenda through public schools.
For background, read Homosexual-focused Health Care: Obama Admin. Goal and also read Anal Sex is Main Cause of HIV Pandemic: Study as well as Feds' Safe-sex Comic Books for Kids
Truth is, prediction of the HIV Cure is False Hope to Victims, Money to Others
-- From "IAC: End of AIDS Epidemic on Horizon" by Cole Petrochko, Associate Staff Writer, MedPage Today 7/23/12
A single message pervaded the opening ceremony for the 19th International AIDS Conference (IAC): The end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is in sight.
"We've reached a point where the goal of an AIDS-free world -- once a far-off dream -- is now within sight," said Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services . . .
In her speech, Sebelius announced four public-private coalition initiatives against the virus and repeated last week's announcement of nearly $80 million [of taxpayer dollars] to increase access to HIV treatment.
The conference is on American soil for the first time since 1990, when the International AIDS Society canceled a planned meeting in Boston after the U.S. banned people with HIV from entering the country. The society refused to hold future conferences here until the ban was lifted [by President Obama].
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Secretary Sebelius announces innovative public-private partnerships to turn the tide together in fight against HIV/AIDS" posted by Business Wire 7/22/12
. . . HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration worked with eight leading pharmaceutical companies and foundations[:] Abbot Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, Genentech, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, and ViiV . . .
The Affordable Care Act [ObamaCare] is already making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It prohibits lifetime caps on benefits, creates pre-existing condition insurance plans for people who are denied private insurance, requires that HIV testing is available through insurance plans without cost-sharing, and makes drugs more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Sebelius Calls for AIDS ‘Education Campaign That Helps Reduce Homophobia or Promotes Gender Equality’" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 7/24/12
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaking at the opening session of the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., said the key to helping someone stay on their HIV treatment might be “an education campaign that helps reduce homophobia or promotes gender equality.”
“It might be protection from an abusive partner,” Sebelius said. “It might be an education campaign that helps reduce homophobia or promotes gender equality.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Sebelius Says Gay Recruitment of Kids Successful as well as Sec. of State Hillary Clinton Fights AIDS, yet Embraces Homosexuality
For background, read Homosexual-focused Health Care: Obama Admin. Goal and also read Anal Sex is Main Cause of HIV Pandemic: Study as well as Feds' Safe-sex Comic Books for Kids
Truth is, prediction of the HIV Cure is False Hope to Victims, Money to Others
-- From "IAC: End of AIDS Epidemic on Horizon" by Cole Petrochko, Associate Staff Writer, MedPage Today 7/23/12
A single message pervaded the opening ceremony for the 19th International AIDS Conference (IAC): The end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is in sight.
"We've reached a point where the goal of an AIDS-free world -- once a far-off dream -- is now within sight," said Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services . . .
In her speech, Sebelius announced four public-private coalition initiatives against the virus and repeated last week's announcement of nearly $80 million [of taxpayer dollars] to increase access to HIV treatment.
The conference is on American soil for the first time since 1990, when the International AIDS Society canceled a planned meeting in Boston after the U.S. banned people with HIV from entering the country. The society refused to hold future conferences here until the ban was lifted [by President Obama].
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Secretary Sebelius announces innovative public-private partnerships to turn the tide together in fight against HIV/AIDS" posted by Business Wire 7/22/12
. . . HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration worked with eight leading pharmaceutical companies and foundations[:] Abbot Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, Genentech, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, and ViiV . . .
The Affordable Care Act [ObamaCare] is already making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It prohibits lifetime caps on benefits, creates pre-existing condition insurance plans for people who are denied private insurance, requires that HIV testing is available through insurance plans without cost-sharing, and makes drugs more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Sebelius Calls for AIDS ‘Education Campaign That Helps Reduce Homophobia or Promotes Gender Equality’" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 7/24/12
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaking at the opening session of the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., said the key to helping someone stay on their HIV treatment might be “an education campaign that helps reduce homophobia or promotes gender equality.”
“It might be protection from an abusive partner,” Sebelius said. “It might be an education campaign that helps reduce homophobia or promotes gender equality.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Sebelius Says Gay Recruitment of Kids Successful as well as Sec. of State Hillary Clinton Fights AIDS, yet Embraces Homosexuality
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Abortionist Kills Chicago Mother in Second Trimester
24-year old Tonya Reaves died from a hemorrhage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago's south loop, according to the Cook County medical examiner.“While legal abortion services in the United States have a very high safety record, a tragedy such as this is devastating to loved ones and we offer our deepest sympathies.”For background, read Illinois Abortion Clinics Passed without Inspections and also read Blacks & Hispanics Targeted by Planned Parenthood for Abortion as well as Investigation of Planned Parenthood by Congress
-- Carole Brite, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Illinois
UPDATE 2/8/14: Planned Parenthood Pays $2M to Reaves' Heir for Wrongful Death
UPDATE 7/27/12: Congressman calls Planned Parenthood to testify on death of mother by abortionist and on the organization's stonewalling of Congress
UPDATE 7/19/13: Black Chicago Girl Killed, but No Media Outrage
-- From "Death of Tonya Reaves after an abortion is a reminder that abortions carry risks" by Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times 7/23/12
Reaves underwent a cervical dilation and evacuation procedure, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She died of a hemorrhage and her pregnancy was a contributing factor. The young woman’s death was ruled an accident by the examiner’s office.
Reaves was engaged to be married and had a 1-year-old son, according to a report that aired on WBBM-AM.
Unfortunately, her death is likely to be used by pro-life activists to re-ignite an ugly abortion debate in the African-American community.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Woman Dies After Second-Trimester Abortion at Planned Parenthood" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 7/23/12
CBS Chicago said Reaves died after the abortion she had at 18 S. Michigan Avenue Planned Parenthood facility. The woman was transported from the Loop Health Center Planned Parenthood abortion clinic to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 11:20 P.M.
An autopsy conducted Saturday determined that she died from hemorrhage following a Dilation and Evacuation abortion. The D&E abortion method is one employed in pregnancies that have advanced beyond the first trimester. In involves opening the cervix and removing the pre-born baby by dismembering him or her. The Loop Health Center Planned Parenthood advertises abortions up to 18 weeks.
Troy Newman, the head of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation, told LifeNews he is saddened by Reaves unnecessary death.
“Abortion deaths like this are completely avoidable. When a woman bleeds to death after an abortion, it is usually an indication of error on the part of the abortionist coupled with a delay in calling for emergency assistance. Planned Parenthood should be held accountable,” said Newman. “Our heartfelt prayers go out to the victim’s family at this time of tragic loss.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Pro-Life Group Calls for Planned Parenthood Probe After Botched Abortion Death" by Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter 7/23/12
The death of a 24-year-old woman after a botched abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic has prompted pro-lifers to renew their call for a congressional investigation into the abortion provider.
"We must not allow Tonya Reaves to have died in vain, but rather heed this warning and call on Congress to exercise its full capacity to investigate Planned Parenthood," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement Monday. "As the nation's largest abortion provider, in 2010 alone Planned Parenthood ended the lives of 324,008 unborn children and ill-served their mothers."
"Congress has an obligation to exercise clear and regular oversight of businesses like Planned Parenthood that receive hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding and have such dramatic impact on the lives of women and unborn children," she maintained
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Anal Sex is Main Cause of HIV Pandemic: Study
According to a Lancet Series publication, Professor Chris Beyrer, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has shown that the vast majority of all transmission of HIV occurs through anal sex, most significantly involving two men, but also via infected men having anal sex with uninfected women. The study also shows that HIV transmission would drop dramatically if homosexual men behaved monogamously rather than having serial escapades, as is the norm.
For background, read Federal Government Reports Majority of New HIV Cases from Homosexual Behavior and also read HIV Infections Rampant Among Homosexuals Says Fed. CDC as well as HIV Cure: False Hope to Victims, Money to Others
UPDATE 11/29/13: New Aggressive HIV Strain Spreading AIDS Worldwide
UPDATE 12/5/13: Federal CDC Reports Spread of HIV via Anal Sex
UPDATE 10/2/14: HIV/AIDS is Mostly a Gay Disease, Says U.S. Government
UPDATE 2/25/15: Anal Sex Pill Pushed in Gay Men Study to Stop HIV
-- From "Biology Leaves Gay Men Highly Vulnerable to HIV: Study" by Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter 7/20/12
According to UNAIDS, HIV is more common among gay and bisexual men than adults in general in all areas of the world, even Africa. In North America, an estimated 15 percent of gay and bisexual men are infected with HIV; the rate is the highest, 25 percent, in the Caribbean.
Previous research has shown that being on the receiving end of anal intercourse is equally risky whether you're a man or a woman. The risk was estimated at 1.4 percent per sex act with an infected person -- about 18 times more risky than male-to-female vaginal intercourse.
The study authors estimate that if receptive anal intercourse were only as risky as vaginal intercourse, HIV cases would fall by 80 percent to 98 percent among gay and bisexual men over five years. They also estimate that cases would fall by 29 percent to 51 percent if more gay and bisexual men had sex in long-term relationships instead of casual encounters.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "HIV rates in men who have sex with men ‘uncontrolled’" by Mark Gould, OnMedica.com (Wilmington Healthcare Limited) 7/20/12
. . . In many high-income settings—including the UK, Australia, France, and the USA—overall HIV epidemic trends are in decline except in men who have sex with men (MSM), where they have been expanding even in this modern era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
The biology of HIV transmission in anal sex, MSM network features, and their related dynamics are key drivers, meaning that reducing infectiousness through initiatives like treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis are likely to be key in curbing HIV in this group.
These increasing HIV infection rates have been described as re-emergent epidemics in MSM. In the USA, HIV infections in MSM are estimated to be increasing at roughly 8% per year since 2001. And in much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the highest rates of HIV infection in any risk group are in these men.
Well-documented risk factors for HIV infection among MSM include unprotected receptive anal intercourse, high frequency of male partners, high number of lifetime male partners, injection drug use, high viral load in the index partner, African-American ethnic origin (in the USA), and non-injection drug use, including use of amphetamine-like substances (ATS). But these risks alone are insufficient to explain the dramatic differences between HIV epidemics among MSM and other populations.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Study: HIV Rates in Gay Black Men Are Alarmingly High" by Alexandra Sifferlin, Time Magazine 7/23/12
The new-infection rate in gay black men under 30 is . . . 6% a year, according to the new data presented Monday at the annual International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. These numbers are comparable to HIV rates seen in sub-Saharan Africa, in countries that are hardest hit by HIV, the authors of the study note.
Last week, another new study by the Black AIDS Institute also highlighted the alarming rate of infection among black men who have sex with men (MSM). While only 1 in 500 Americans is a black gay or bisexual male, they account for 1 in 4 new HIV infections in the United States, the report found. It also found that a black gay man has a 1 in 4 chance of becoming infected by age 25; by age 40, he has a 60% of becoming HIV positive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that from 2006 to 2009, HIV infections among black gay and bisexual men under 30 increased 48% and that African Americans are overall disproportionately affected by HIV. Blacks make up 14% of the U.S. population, but account for 44% of all new HIV infections. According to 2009 data, 73% of new infections in black men are in gay and bisexual men.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "HIV Transmission: How is HIV passed from one person to another?" posted at U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
In the United States, HIV is spread mainly by . . . having sex with someone who has HIV. Anal sex is the highest-risk sexual behavior. Receptive anal sex (bottoming) is riskier than insertive anal sex (topping).
To read the entire CDC posting above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 9/15/14: From "Is 'Undetectable' the New Safe Sex" by Lucas Grindley, HIV Plus Magazine - Here Media Inc. (homosexual advocate)
Of the 1,100-plus couples taking part in the Partner study out of Europe, 40 percent are gay. This is the first time any study has so comprehensively investigated the risk of anal sex among men who have sex with men. To join, couples had to say up front that they sometimes don’t use protection—meaning no condoms, and the HIV-negative partner could not be on a daily PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, regimen.
The first thing to understand about the Partner study is that some of the participants did contract HIV. Based on previous studies, researchers knew that odds were some of the negative partners would get HIV. So they put in place ways of identifying whether the undetectable partner had transmitted it to them.
The longer the study progresses and the more people who participate (Partner 2 starts this year and includes only gay couples), the higher confidence researchers can claim in their probabilities. Results so far are only preliminary and won’t be finalized until 2017.
Among gay men especially, the reality is that condomless sex outside of their primary relationship or marriage does happen with regularity. A third of the HIV-negative partners in gay couples reported having condomless sex with someone other than their primary partner, while just 3 to 4 percent of straight participants admitted the same thing. . . .
We’ve long known that it’s riskier to be the receptive partner during anal sex and that sex with ejaculation is riskier. . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 10/17/14: President Obama Pays Pre-teens to Learn Anal Sex in Hawaii
For background, read Federal Government Reports Majority of New HIV Cases from Homosexual Behavior and also read HIV Infections Rampant Among Homosexuals Says Fed. CDC as well as HIV Cure: False Hope to Victims, Money to Others
UPDATE 11/29/13: New Aggressive HIV Strain Spreading AIDS Worldwide
UPDATE 12/5/13: Federal CDC Reports Spread of HIV via Anal Sex
UPDATE 10/2/14: HIV/AIDS is Mostly a Gay Disease, Says U.S. Government
UPDATE 2/25/15: Anal Sex Pill Pushed in Gay Men Study to Stop HIV
-- From "Biology Leaves Gay Men Highly Vulnerable to HIV: Study" by Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter 7/20/12
According to UNAIDS, HIV is more common among gay and bisexual men than adults in general in all areas of the world, even Africa. In North America, an estimated 15 percent of gay and bisexual men are infected with HIV; the rate is the highest, 25 percent, in the Caribbean.
Previous research has shown that being on the receiving end of anal intercourse is equally risky whether you're a man or a woman. The risk was estimated at 1.4 percent per sex act with an infected person -- about 18 times more risky than male-to-female vaginal intercourse.
The study authors estimate that if receptive anal intercourse were only as risky as vaginal intercourse, HIV cases would fall by 80 percent to 98 percent among gay and bisexual men over five years. They also estimate that cases would fall by 29 percent to 51 percent if more gay and bisexual men had sex in long-term relationships instead of casual encounters.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "HIV rates in men who have sex with men ‘uncontrolled’" by Mark Gould, OnMedica.com (Wilmington Healthcare Limited) 7/20/12
. . . In many high-income settings—including the UK, Australia, France, and the USA—overall HIV epidemic trends are in decline except in men who have sex with men (MSM), where they have been expanding even in this modern era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
The biology of HIV transmission in anal sex, MSM network features, and their related dynamics are key drivers, meaning that reducing infectiousness through initiatives like treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis are likely to be key in curbing HIV in this group.
These increasing HIV infection rates have been described as re-emergent epidemics in MSM. In the USA, HIV infections in MSM are estimated to be increasing at roughly 8% per year since 2001. And in much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the highest rates of HIV infection in any risk group are in these men.
Well-documented risk factors for HIV infection among MSM include unprotected receptive anal intercourse, high frequency of male partners, high number of lifetime male partners, injection drug use, high viral load in the index partner, African-American ethnic origin (in the USA), and non-injection drug use, including use of amphetamine-like substances (ATS). But these risks alone are insufficient to explain the dramatic differences between HIV epidemics among MSM and other populations.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Study: HIV Rates in Gay Black Men Are Alarmingly High" by Alexandra Sifferlin, Time Magazine 7/23/12
The new-infection rate in gay black men under 30 is . . . 6% a year, according to the new data presented Monday at the annual International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. These numbers are comparable to HIV rates seen in sub-Saharan Africa, in countries that are hardest hit by HIV, the authors of the study note.
Last week, another new study by the Black AIDS Institute also highlighted the alarming rate of infection among black men who have sex with men (MSM). While only 1 in 500 Americans is a black gay or bisexual male, they account for 1 in 4 new HIV infections in the United States, the report found. It also found that a black gay man has a 1 in 4 chance of becoming infected by age 25; by age 40, he has a 60% of becoming HIV positive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that from 2006 to 2009, HIV infections among black gay and bisexual men under 30 increased 48% and that African Americans are overall disproportionately affected by HIV. Blacks make up 14% of the U.S. population, but account for 44% of all new HIV infections. According to 2009 data, 73% of new infections in black men are in gay and bisexual men.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "HIV Transmission: How is HIV passed from one person to another?" posted at U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
In the United States, HIV is spread mainly by . . . having sex with someone who has HIV. Anal sex is the highest-risk sexual behavior. Receptive anal sex (bottoming) is riskier than insertive anal sex (topping).
To read the entire CDC posting above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 9/15/14: From "Is 'Undetectable' the New Safe Sex" by Lucas Grindley, HIV Plus Magazine - Here Media Inc. (homosexual advocate)
Of the 1,100-plus couples taking part in the Partner study out of Europe, 40 percent are gay. This is the first time any study has so comprehensively investigated the risk of anal sex among men who have sex with men. To join, couples had to say up front that they sometimes don’t use protection—meaning no condoms, and the HIV-negative partner could not be on a daily PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, regimen.
The first thing to understand about the Partner study is that some of the participants did contract HIV. Based on previous studies, researchers knew that odds were some of the negative partners would get HIV. So they put in place ways of identifying whether the undetectable partner had transmitted it to them.
The longer the study progresses and the more people who participate (Partner 2 starts this year and includes only gay couples), the higher confidence researchers can claim in their probabilities. Results so far are only preliminary and won’t be finalized until 2017.
Among gay men especially, the reality is that condomless sex outside of their primary relationship or marriage does happen with regularity. A third of the HIV-negative partners in gay couples reported having condomless sex with someone other than their primary partner, while just 3 to 4 percent of straight participants admitted the same thing. . . .
We’ve long known that it’s riskier to be the receptive partner during anal sex and that sex with ejaculation is riskier. . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 10/17/14: President Obama Pays Pre-teens to Learn Anal Sex in Hawaii
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Prayer Needed - Government Isn't the Solution
Consider any perceived "problem" in America: What our nation desperately needs is for Christians to humble before the Almighty God, seek His face, repent of our sins, and beg Him to forgive our apathy, and to heal our land.
-- From "What about prayer? Mr. President" posted at World Net Daily 7/20/12
The nation’s leaders might want to consider seriously the nation’s faith life in light of the natural disasters, drought, record heat, economic failings and violence, such as the Colorado theater rampage, that have dominated the news cycle in recent days, not dismiss it flippantly.
That’s according to Publisher Dr. Anthony Harper of InterMountain Christian News.
He was the reporter at the White House daily news briefing Wednesday when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack responded to a question with the reference to daily prayers for rain for the nation.
Vilsack, accompanying White House press secretary Jay Carney to the briefing, responded, “Well, I can only speak for myself. I get on my knees every day and I’m saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or rain dance I could do, I would do it. But honestly, right now the focus needs to be on working with Congress – they have the capacity to help these producers by creating greater flexibility to programs, providing us some direction in terms of whatever disaster assistance can be provided. Those are the kinds of things we’re focused on.”
. . .
Barack Obama did lead in a moment of silence, during which there undoubtedly were many prayers offered, on Friday over the shooting rampage in Colorado where 12 were killed and another 59 were wounded.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "U.S. Drought Means Wilting Crops, Higher Food Prices; Officials Pray For Rain" by Russ Blinch and K.T. Arasu, Reuters 7/18/12
Drought conditions now extend over more than 60 percent of the lower 48 states, the government said. . . .
But the outlook for higher food prices could add up to another headache for Obama as he faces a November election with high joblessness and slower economic growth.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Illinois' governor unveils state's response to drought, elicits prayers for rain" by Jim Suhr, Associated Press 7/16/12
With a baking southern Illinois cornfield as a backdrop, Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday pledged state support through loans and debt restructuring to farmers and ranchers punished by a nagging drought that shows no signs of abating anytime soon.
The Democrat's first look at parched conditions that has most of the state classified as in a drought gave him a stark lesson in just how bad things have gotten . . .
"We've never seen a drought like this and we've got to do something about it," Quinn [said]
"We're the heart of the heartland," Quinn said, renewing his request from last week that residents pray for rain.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Texas Governor Calls on Christians to Pray as well as Pastor Warns America of Socialism, Calls for Prayer
Also read congressman saying Prayer Needed to Solve America's Problems
. . . if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.For background, read Prayer in America: Hidden Faith, or Public? and also read Chicago Community Organizers Pray to Obama for Solutions as well as The Religious Left 'Taste' the Millennium in Obama plus read Obama Thankful for Freedom to Not Worship
-- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
-- From "What about prayer? Mr. President" posted at World Net Daily 7/20/12
The nation’s leaders might want to consider seriously the nation’s faith life in light of the natural disasters, drought, record heat, economic failings and violence, such as the Colorado theater rampage, that have dominated the news cycle in recent days, not dismiss it flippantly.
That’s according to Publisher Dr. Anthony Harper of InterMountain Christian News.
He was the reporter at the White House daily news briefing Wednesday when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack responded to a question with the reference to daily prayers for rain for the nation.
Vilsack, accompanying White House press secretary Jay Carney to the briefing, responded, “Well, I can only speak for myself. I get on my knees every day and I’m saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or rain dance I could do, I would do it. But honestly, right now the focus needs to be on working with Congress – they have the capacity to help these producers by creating greater flexibility to programs, providing us some direction in terms of whatever disaster assistance can be provided. Those are the kinds of things we’re focused on.”
. . .
Barack Obama did lead in a moment of silence, during which there undoubtedly were many prayers offered, on Friday over the shooting rampage in Colorado where 12 were killed and another 59 were wounded.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "U.S. Drought Means Wilting Crops, Higher Food Prices; Officials Pray For Rain" by Russ Blinch and K.T. Arasu, Reuters 7/18/12
Drought conditions now extend over more than 60 percent of the lower 48 states, the government said. . . .
But the outlook for higher food prices could add up to another headache for Obama as he faces a November election with high joblessness and slower economic growth.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Illinois' governor unveils state's response to drought, elicits prayers for rain" by Jim Suhr, Associated Press 7/16/12
With a baking southern Illinois cornfield as a backdrop, Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday pledged state support through loans and debt restructuring to farmers and ranchers punished by a nagging drought that shows no signs of abating anytime soon.
The Democrat's first look at parched conditions that has most of the state classified as in a drought gave him a stark lesson in just how bad things have gotten . . .
"We've never seen a drought like this and we've got to do something about it," Quinn [said]
"We're the heart of the heartland," Quinn said, renewing his request from last week that residents pray for rain.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Texas Governor Calls on Christians to Pray as well as Pastor Warns America of Socialism, Calls for Prayer
Also read congressman saying Prayer Needed to Solve America's Problems
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Military Gay 'Marriages' Nixed in House Vote
In an amendment to the 2013 Defense Appropriations bill, the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to force President Obama's Pentagon to abide by the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and thus bar same-sex marriages on military bases.
President Obama has declared DOMA to be unconstitutional and ordered his Department of Justice to shepherd its demise through the federal justice system.
For background, read Pentagon Celebrates Sexual Deviancy Down Below and also read No Freedom of Religion for Chaplains, Say Obama & Dems and read the saga of President Obama's War on Marriage via Judges
UPDATE 12/1/12: Lesbians "married" by Chaplain at West Point Military Academy's Cadet Chapel
UPDATE 9/11/12: Senators Jim Inhofe and Roger Wicker introduce similar bill in Senate called the Military Religious Freedom Act
-- From "House votes to prevent violations of Defense of Marriage Act" by Pete Kasperowicz, The Hill 7/19/12
The amendment, from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), was approved 247-166, one of dozens of amendments the House was considering before approving the entire bill late Thursday night. The amendment was supported by 17 Democrats, and just five Republicans opposed it.
King said the language, similar versions of which have passed the House before, is needed because of President Obama's growing support for same-sex marriage. King said that support is permeating the federal government.
DOD issued memos last year saying certain military facilities might be used for same-sex marriage, and that military chaplains may officiate in same-sex marriages. King said those policy changes violate DOMA, under which the federal government recognizes marriage as being between a man and a woman.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "King tries to ban gay marriages on military bases" by Kate Nocera, Politico 7/19/12
The Iowa Republican [Steve King] argued that President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Defense were “contravening” the Defense of Marriage Act by allowing military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages on bases.
King said a directive from the Secretary of Defense that said “a military chaplain may officiate any private ceremony on or off a military installation” was “not just permission that’s implied encouragement to conduct same-sex marriages on our military bases conducted by our chaplains presumably who are all under the payroll of the U.S. government.”
“The Defense of Marriage Act means this: Marriage means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. And the word ‘spouse’ only refers to a member of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Pretty simple statute being contravened by the president of the United States as exercised through the Secretary of Defense,” he said. “This amendment prohibits the use of military facilities or the pay of military chaplains for being used to contravene the defense of marriage act.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "House passes amendment that would ban same-sex marriages on military bases" by Natalie Littlefield, The Capitol Column 7/20/12
. . . The amendment, which was introduced by Republican Congressman Steve King from Iowa, requires that no money spent on the military will be used to “contravene” the Defense of Marriage Act.
[Rep. King said,] “. . . the Obama administration has allowed same sex marriages to occur on military bases. These marriages violate the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). My amendment prohibits the use of both military funds and facilities for same-sex marriages. DOMA was passed by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate and signed by President Clinton in 1996 and has been the law of the land since that time. But President Obama has ignored it. My amendment is a much needed solution to a problem started by an administration that’s prone to ignoring the law – and the American people are through with the law taking a back seat to the President’s political whims.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
President Obama has declared DOMA to be unconstitutional and ordered his Department of Justice to shepherd its demise through the federal justice system.
For background, read Pentagon Celebrates Sexual Deviancy Down Below and also read No Freedom of Religion for Chaplains, Say Obama & Dems and read the saga of President Obama's War on Marriage via Judges
UPDATE 12/1/12: Lesbians "married" by Chaplain at West Point Military Academy's Cadet Chapel
UPDATE 9/11/12: Senators Jim Inhofe and Roger Wicker introduce similar bill in Senate called the Military Religious Freedom Act
-- From "House votes to prevent violations of Defense of Marriage Act" by Pete Kasperowicz, The Hill 7/19/12
The amendment, from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), was approved 247-166, one of dozens of amendments the House was considering before approving the entire bill late Thursday night. The amendment was supported by 17 Democrats, and just five Republicans opposed it.
King said the language, similar versions of which have passed the House before, is needed because of President Obama's growing support for same-sex marriage. King said that support is permeating the federal government.
DOD issued memos last year saying certain military facilities might be used for same-sex marriage, and that military chaplains may officiate in same-sex marriages. King said those policy changes violate DOMA, under which the federal government recognizes marriage as being between a man and a woman.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "King tries to ban gay marriages on military bases" by Kate Nocera, Politico 7/19/12
The Iowa Republican [Steve King] argued that President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Defense were “contravening” the Defense of Marriage Act by allowing military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages on bases.
King said a directive from the Secretary of Defense that said “a military chaplain may officiate any private ceremony on or off a military installation” was “not just permission that’s implied encouragement to conduct same-sex marriages on our military bases conducted by our chaplains presumably who are all under the payroll of the U.S. government.”
“The Defense of Marriage Act means this: Marriage means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. And the word ‘spouse’ only refers to a member of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Pretty simple statute being contravened by the president of the United States as exercised through the Secretary of Defense,” he said. “This amendment prohibits the use of military facilities or the pay of military chaplains for being used to contravene the defense of marriage act.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "House passes amendment that would ban same-sex marriages on military bases" by Natalie Littlefield, The Capitol Column 7/20/12
. . . The amendment, which was introduced by Republican Congressman Steve King from Iowa, requires that no money spent on the military will be used to “contravene” the Defense of Marriage Act.
[Rep. King said,] “. . . the Obama administration has allowed same sex marriages to occur on military bases. These marriages violate the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). My amendment prohibits the use of both military funds and facilities for same-sex marriages. DOMA was passed by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate and signed by President Clinton in 1996 and has been the law of the land since that time. But President Obama has ignored it. My amendment is a much needed solution to a problem started by an administration that’s prone to ignoring the law – and the American people are through with the law taking a back seat to the President’s political whims.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Corporation Opposes Gay Agenda = Media Storm
As support of same-sex "marriage" becomes politically correct, according to the mainstream media, more of corporate America has climbed onboard the Gay Agenda bandwagon. So when the owner of Chick-fil-A made a public comment in support of traditional marriage, and the Bible, no less, the liberal media pounced.
For background, read Univ. Drops Pro-marriage Christian Food Vendor Chick-fil-A and also read Largest Corporations Stampede to Support 'Gay Agenda' as well as Defeat Marriage, Says Starbucks, Other Corporations in addition, read Professional Sports Leagues Embrace Gay Agenda
UPDATE 8/4/12: Homosexualists' Friday protest, hyped by mainstream media, fizzled compared to millions supporting Chick-fil-A on Wednesday
UPDATE 8/4/12: Tea Party Christianity Exhibited at Chick-fil-A
UPDATE 8/2/12 - Show of support for Chick-fil-A a few miles from Chicago (video):
UPDATE 7/27/12 - Chick-fil-A ignites a liberal firestorm (video):
-- From "Chick-fil-A surprises some with gay marriage talk" by The Associated Press 7/19/12
"We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that," [Chick-fil-A president Dan] Cathy told the Baptist Press, the news agency of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign that works for same-sex-marriage, said Thursday that Chick-fil-A "has finally come clean" after cloaking its positions for years.
"While they may have been in neutral, kicking this fight into overdrive now allows fair-minded consumers to make up their own minds whether they want to support an openly discriminatory company," Griffin said in a statement. "As the country moves toward inclusion, Chick-fil-A has staked out a decidedly stuck-in-the-past mentality."
The Atlanta-based chain opened its first location in a Georgia mall in 1967 and grown to more than 1,615 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C., with annual sales over $4.1 billion, according to its website.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A's anti-gay-marriage stance triggers online uproar" by Rene Lynch, Los Angeles Times 7/18/12
. . . The company president wants the fast-food chain to be known for serving up Christian values along with juicy chicken sandwiches, proudly proclaiming the company's anti-gay-marriage stance.
Now the company is reaping what it sows.
Our sister blog, Money & Co., wrote about the comments in a post that has been shared more than 3,800 times on Facebook -- and Tweeted and commented upon hundreds times more -- just one indication of how Cathy's comments have struck a nerve.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A’s marriage stance causing a social storm" by Aaron Vaughn, FOX 13 Salt Lake City & CNN 7/19/12
The fact that Chick-fil-A is a company that espouses Christian values is no secret. The fact that its 1,600 fast-food chicken restaurants across the country are closed on Sundays has long been testament to that.
But the comments of company President Dan Cathy about gay marriage to Baptist Press on Monday have ignited a social media wildfire.
In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, the company said it would stick by its principles, but it tried to withdraw from the heated social media debate over them.
“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect –regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena,” said a statement from Don Perry, the company’s vice president of corporate public relations.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A, in nat'l media storm, swims against cultural tide" by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press 7/19/12
As a company, Chick-fil-A takes no position on gay marriage, but comments Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy made to the Biblical Recorder newspaper -- in a story re-posted by Baptist Press -- have launched a media storm.
Cathy's comments were tame from a biblical perspective and would have gone unnoticed had they been made by the pastor at his home congregation, New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. Yet in the current environment in which celebrities and companies on a weekly basis make statements affirming gay marriage, Cathy's statements stood out.
"As it relates to society in general, I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, 'We know better than You as to what constitutes a marriage,'" Cathy said on "The Ken Coleman Show." "I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about."
. . . Washington Post poll -- although not scientific -- showed that 66 percent of respondents say they'll continue eating at the restaurant. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 35,000 people had commented on Chick-fil-A's Facebook page, the majority of them supportive of the company.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A President Says 'God's Judgment' Coming Because of Same-Sex Marriage" by Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor 7/18/12
"We need to be more faithful to depend on a God who does love us and wants to have a relationship with us, and wants to give us the desires of our hearts … We intend to stay the course," Cathy said.
"We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles," Cathy explained
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay marriage advocates gain corporate support" by Abby Phillip, Politico 6/3/12
One by one, national corporations like Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing and Google are wading into the once-risky business of taking a position supporting gay marriage in states across the country.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act, which a federal appeals court called unconstitutional on Thursday. Forty-eight companies, including Nike, Time Warner Cable, Aetna, Exelon Corp., and Xerox had signed a brief arguing that the law negatively affected their businesses.
Last year, 25 executives including the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Viacom and Alcoa lobbied New York legislators to approve same-sex marriage.
In January, Microsoft, Boeing, Vulcan and RealNetworks were among those who voiced their support for a bill approving gay marriage in Washington state.
“Earlier on there was more risk than reward,” said Bob Witeck, a consultant who works with corporations on gay, lesbian and transgender policies. “Now there’s far more talk about the reward and less about the risk.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Interview with Dan Cathy video:
For background, read Univ. Drops Pro-marriage Christian Food Vendor Chick-fil-A and also read Largest Corporations Stampede to Support 'Gay Agenda' as well as Defeat Marriage, Says Starbucks, Other Corporations in addition, read Professional Sports Leagues Embrace Gay Agenda
UPDATE 8/4/12: Homosexualists' Friday protest, hyped by mainstream media, fizzled compared to millions supporting Chick-fil-A on Wednesday
UPDATE 8/4/12: Tea Party Christianity Exhibited at Chick-fil-A
UPDATE 8/2/12 - Show of support for Chick-fil-A a few miles from Chicago (video):
UPDATE 7/27/12 - Chick-fil-A ignites a liberal firestorm (video):
-- From "Chick-fil-A surprises some with gay marriage talk" by The Associated Press 7/19/12
"We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that," [Chick-fil-A president Dan] Cathy told the Baptist Press, the news agency of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign that works for same-sex-marriage, said Thursday that Chick-fil-A "has finally come clean" after cloaking its positions for years.
"While they may have been in neutral, kicking this fight into overdrive now allows fair-minded consumers to make up their own minds whether they want to support an openly discriminatory company," Griffin said in a statement. "As the country moves toward inclusion, Chick-fil-A has staked out a decidedly stuck-in-the-past mentality."
The Atlanta-based chain opened its first location in a Georgia mall in 1967 and grown to more than 1,615 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C., with annual sales over $4.1 billion, according to its website.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A's anti-gay-marriage stance triggers online uproar" by Rene Lynch, Los Angeles Times 7/18/12
. . . The company president wants the fast-food chain to be known for serving up Christian values along with juicy chicken sandwiches, proudly proclaiming the company's anti-gay-marriage stance.
Now the company is reaping what it sows.
Our sister blog, Money & Co., wrote about the comments in a post that has been shared more than 3,800 times on Facebook -- and Tweeted and commented upon hundreds times more -- just one indication of how Cathy's comments have struck a nerve.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A’s marriage stance causing a social storm" by Aaron Vaughn, FOX 13 Salt Lake City & CNN 7/19/12
The fact that Chick-fil-A is a company that espouses Christian values is no secret. The fact that its 1,600 fast-food chicken restaurants across the country are closed on Sundays has long been testament to that.
But the comments of company President Dan Cathy about gay marriage to Baptist Press on Monday have ignited a social media wildfire.
In a statement to CNN on Wednesday, the company said it would stick by its principles, but it tried to withdraw from the heated social media debate over them.
“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect –regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena,” said a statement from Don Perry, the company’s vice president of corporate public relations.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A, in nat'l media storm, swims against cultural tide" by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press 7/19/12
As a company, Chick-fil-A takes no position on gay marriage, but comments Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy made to the Biblical Recorder newspaper -- in a story re-posted by Baptist Press -- have launched a media storm.
Cathy's comments were tame from a biblical perspective and would have gone unnoticed had they been made by the pastor at his home congregation, New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. Yet in the current environment in which celebrities and companies on a weekly basis make statements affirming gay marriage, Cathy's statements stood out.
"As it relates to society in general, I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, 'We know better than You as to what constitutes a marriage,'" Cathy said on "The Ken Coleman Show." "I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about."
. . . Washington Post poll -- although not scientific -- showed that 66 percent of respondents say they'll continue eating at the restaurant. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 35,000 people had commented on Chick-fil-A's Facebook page, the majority of them supportive of the company.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Chick-fil-A President Says 'God's Judgment' Coming Because of Same-Sex Marriage" by Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor 7/18/12
"We need to be more faithful to depend on a God who does love us and wants to have a relationship with us, and wants to give us the desires of our hearts … We intend to stay the course," Cathy said.
"We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles," Cathy explained
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay marriage advocates gain corporate support" by Abby Phillip, Politico 6/3/12
One by one, national corporations like Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing and Google are wading into the once-risky business of taking a position supporting gay marriage in states across the country.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act, which a federal appeals court called unconstitutional on Thursday. Forty-eight companies, including Nike, Time Warner Cable, Aetna, Exelon Corp., and Xerox had signed a brief arguing that the law negatively affected their businesses.
Last year, 25 executives including the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Viacom and Alcoa lobbied New York legislators to approve same-sex marriage.
In January, Microsoft, Boeing, Vulcan and RealNetworks were among those who voiced their support for a bill approving gay marriage in Washington state.
“Earlier on there was more risk than reward,” said Bob Witeck, a consultant who works with corporations on gay, lesbian and transgender policies. “Now there’s far more talk about the reward and less about the risk.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Interview with Dan Cathy video:
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Evangelical Wheaton College Sues ObamaCare
Wheaton College, a bastion of Christian conservatism in Wheaton, Illinois, has joined forces with dozens of Roman Catholic institutions to fight for religious liberty against President Obama's war on Christianity. Wheaton's president Dr. Philip Ryken says the ObamaCare mandate requiring the college to provide contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortifacient drugs to employees and students violate the Christian organization's freedom of religion.
For background, read ObamaCare Stakes Ground in War on Christianity and also read Supreme Court OKs Taxes for Abortion: ObamaCare as well as Wide-ranging Christian Leaders Sign Manifesto Opposing Obama Agenda
UPDATE 12/19/12: Federal appeals court holds lawsuit open to ensure Obama keeps promise to exclude Christian colleges from ObamaCare mandate by March 31, 2013
UPDATE 8/28/12: U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle dismisses Wheaton College lawsuit as premature because ObamaCare mandate doesn't fully deny religious liberty until August 2013
-- From "Wheaton College joins suit opposing contraception mandate" by Monifa Thomas, Chicago Sun-Times Health Reporter 7/19/12
On Monday, the west suburban evangelical college joined Catholic University of America in its suit, filed in May, against federal Health and Human Services (HHS) in the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia.
The suit opposes Health and Human Services “preventive services” requirement that most employers provide health insurance that covers the cost of contraception and sterilization procedures to their employees as part of the health care law Obama signed, or else face a fine.
Though Wheaton College has been concerned about the mandate for months, Wheaton College President Dr. Philip Graham Ryken said the decision to file the suit came after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act in June.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton College joins lawsuit over health care law" by Manya A. Brachear, Chicago Tribune reporter 7/18/12
Unlike Catholic Church teaching, evangelical doctrine does not oppose all contraception. But evangelicals do oppose prescription drugs such as morning-after pills that they believe cause abortions.
"Wheaton is an evangelical institution with a Protestant conviction that takes a clear pro-life position as a community," Ryken said. "This insurance mandate is against our conscience and our Christian conviction. We as yet have found no recourse but to file this suit."
The federal government's decision to define what constitutes a religious institution creates two classes of such institutions: those that enjoy full religious freedom and those that don't, he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton College Joins Lawsuit Against Obama Birth Control Mandate" by Bernie Tafoya, WBBM-780 CBS (Chicago) 7/18/12
“Wheaton College and other distinctively Christian institutions are faced with a clear and present threat to our religious liberty,” Ryken said in the release. “Our first president, the abolitionist Jonathan Blanchard, believed it was imperative to act in defense of freedom. In bringing this suit, we act in defense of freedom again.”
Dr. Ryken says it would cost Wheaton College nearly $1.5 million in fines to disobey the law’s birth control and abortion coverage just for faculty and staff.
As for talk the Obama administration may exempt Wheaton College and other religious institutions but require their insurance companies to separately provide birth control and abortion service coverage, Dr. Ryken says, “We think that is a shell game that does not resolve the moral issue that we have”.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton College, Catholic University Jointly Sue Over Birth Control Mandate" by Napp Nazworth, Christian Post Reporter 7/18/12
[Ryken said,] "We have a respect for Roman Catholic institutions and in this case we recognize we have common cause with Catholic University of America and other Catholic institutions in defending religious liberty. We're, in effect, co-belligerents in this fight against government action. I think the fact that evangelicals and Catholics are coming together on this issue ought to be a sign to all Americans that something really significant for religious liberty is at stake."
"This is not a fight over contraception. Evangelicals, in fact, don't agree with Catholics on their opposition to contraception and birth control."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton sues to strike abortion drug mandate" by Michael Foust, Baptist Press Associate Editor 7/18/12
Illinois-based Wheaton is represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which said the suit was filed in partnership with Catholic University, a Washington D.C.-based school which previously filed suit against the mandate in May.
Churches are exempt from the [ObamaCare] mandate, but many religious organizations -- such as universities and faith-based ministries -- are not. The Obama administration has argued that under the mandate, the insurance company -- and not the religious organization -- would be the one paying for the drugs. But Wheaton, in its suit, rejected such logic. Subsidizing an insurance plan that would "facilitate access" to abortion-causing drugs violates its religious beliefs, even if the drugs themselves are paid for by the insurance company, Wheaton said.
"The government issued an administrative rule ... that runs roughshod over Wheaton's religious beliefs, and the beliefs of millions of other Americans, by forcing it to provide health insurance coverage for abortifacient drugs and related education and counseling," the lawsuit states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read ObamaCare Stakes Ground in War on Christianity and also read Supreme Court OKs Taxes for Abortion: ObamaCare as well as Wide-ranging Christian Leaders Sign Manifesto Opposing Obama Agenda
UPDATE 12/19/12: Federal appeals court holds lawsuit open to ensure Obama keeps promise to exclude Christian colleges from ObamaCare mandate by March 31, 2013
UPDATE 8/28/12: U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle dismisses Wheaton College lawsuit as premature because ObamaCare mandate doesn't fully deny religious liberty until August 2013
-- From "Wheaton College joins suit opposing contraception mandate" by Monifa Thomas, Chicago Sun-Times Health Reporter 7/19/12
On Monday, the west suburban evangelical college joined Catholic University of America in its suit, filed in May, against federal Health and Human Services (HHS) in the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia.
The suit opposes Health and Human Services “preventive services” requirement that most employers provide health insurance that covers the cost of contraception and sterilization procedures to their employees as part of the health care law Obama signed, or else face a fine.
Though Wheaton College has been concerned about the mandate for months, Wheaton College President Dr. Philip Graham Ryken said the decision to file the suit came after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act in June.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton College joins lawsuit over health care law" by Manya A. Brachear, Chicago Tribune reporter 7/18/12
Unlike Catholic Church teaching, evangelical doctrine does not oppose all contraception. But evangelicals do oppose prescription drugs such as morning-after pills that they believe cause abortions.
"Wheaton is an evangelical institution with a Protestant conviction that takes a clear pro-life position as a community," Ryken said. "This insurance mandate is against our conscience and our Christian conviction. We as yet have found no recourse but to file this suit."
The federal government's decision to define what constitutes a religious institution creates two classes of such institutions: those that enjoy full religious freedom and those that don't, he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton College Joins Lawsuit Against Obama Birth Control Mandate" by Bernie Tafoya, WBBM-780 CBS (Chicago) 7/18/12
“Wheaton College and other distinctively Christian institutions are faced with a clear and present threat to our religious liberty,” Ryken said in the release. “Our first president, the abolitionist Jonathan Blanchard, believed it was imperative to act in defense of freedom. In bringing this suit, we act in defense of freedom again.”
Dr. Ryken says it would cost Wheaton College nearly $1.5 million in fines to disobey the law’s birth control and abortion coverage just for faculty and staff.
As for talk the Obama administration may exempt Wheaton College and other religious institutions but require their insurance companies to separately provide birth control and abortion service coverage, Dr. Ryken says, “We think that is a shell game that does not resolve the moral issue that we have”.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton College, Catholic University Jointly Sue Over Birth Control Mandate" by Napp Nazworth, Christian Post Reporter 7/18/12
[Ryken said,] "We have a respect for Roman Catholic institutions and in this case we recognize we have common cause with Catholic University of America and other Catholic institutions in defending religious liberty. We're, in effect, co-belligerents in this fight against government action. I think the fact that evangelicals and Catholics are coming together on this issue ought to be a sign to all Americans that something really significant for religious liberty is at stake."
"This is not a fight over contraception. Evangelicals, in fact, don't agree with Catholics on their opposition to contraception and birth control."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Wheaton sues to strike abortion drug mandate" by Michael Foust, Baptist Press Associate Editor 7/18/12
Illinois-based Wheaton is represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which said the suit was filed in partnership with Catholic University, a Washington D.C.-based school which previously filed suit against the mandate in May.
Churches are exempt from the [ObamaCare] mandate, but many religious organizations -- such as universities and faith-based ministries -- are not. The Obama administration has argued that under the mandate, the insurance company -- and not the religious organization -- would be the one paying for the drugs. But Wheaton, in its suit, rejected such logic. Subsidizing an insurance plan that would "facilitate access" to abortion-causing drugs violates its religious beliefs, even if the drugs themselves are paid for by the insurance company, Wheaton said.
"The government issued an administrative rule ... that runs roughshod over Wheaton's religious beliefs, and the beliefs of millions of other Americans, by forcing it to provide health insurance coverage for abortifacient drugs and related education and counseling," the lawsuit states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Missouri Votes to Bring Prayer Back to School
Christians in Missouri are fighting back at the atheists' nationwide attempts to silence constitutional prayers to Jesus Christ in schools, local government meetings, and other public gatherings. The "Right-to-Pray" Amendment (House Joint Resolution 2) will be on the August 7th ballot after a panel of the Western District of the Missouri Court of Appeals recently threw out the atheists' claims in Coburn v. Mayer.
For background, read Prayer Amendment Passes in Missouri Legislature and also read Prayer in America: Hidden Faith, or Public?
UPDATE 8/8/12: Over 80% of Missourians vote for prayer and religious liberty
UPDATE 7/8/14: Democrat Missouri Gov. Signs Religious Liberty Law for Schools
-- From "Right-to-pray amendment slated for August ballot by [Dem Gov.] Nixon" by Virginia Young, St. Louis Post-dispatch 5/23/12
The Legislature approved the proposal in the 2011 legislative session. The measure passed the House on a vote of 126-30 and the Senate on a unanimous 34-0 vote.
The sponsor, Rep. Mike McGhee, R-Odessa, said he championed the change because of a fear that government would use the separation of church and state as a reason to keep people from privately praying on public property.
Critics said at the time that the right to pray in public is already protected by the U.S. Constitution and that the Missouri Constitution says citizens have the "right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience."
Senate Democrats said they decided not to oppose the amendment because it didn't do anything.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Ozarks Voters, Lawmakers Weigh in on 'Right to Pray' Issue" by April Hansen, KOLR-TV10 (Springfield, MO) 7/11/12
Under the amendment, "...any person shall have the right to pray individually or corporately in a private or public setting so long as such prayer does not result in disturbance of the peace or disruption of a public meeting or assembly..."
The amendment reaffirms that students can privately pray in public schools, but it would not allow schools to hold class prayers.
The amendment also says students can express religious beliefs in assignments, free from discrimination.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Missouri Court Upholds 'Right to Pray' Amendment" by Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter 6/19/12
"The proposed amendment makes certain or safeguards the right to freedom of religious expression by setting forth specific ways to avoid infringing upon this right," reads the majority opinion.
"By stating that the proposed amendment would ensure the right of Missouri citizens to express their religious beliefs without infringement, the summary statement fairly and impartially summarizes this purpose."
In its majority opinion, the appeals panel argued that rather than being redundant regarding religious freedom rights, the proposed amendment "elaborates on its meaning with regard to prayer and the expression of religious beliefs in private and public settings, on government and public property, and in schools."
While the amendment was passed overwhelmingly by both houses of the General Assembly, the proposed amendment is not without its critics. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has weighed in on the ballot effort and felt the court made the wrong decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Prayer Amendment Passes in Missouri Legislature and also read Prayer in America: Hidden Faith, or Public?
UPDATE 8/8/12: Over 80% of Missourians vote for prayer and religious liberty
UPDATE 7/8/14: Democrat Missouri Gov. Signs Religious Liberty Law for Schools
-- From "Right-to-pray amendment slated for August ballot by [Dem Gov.] Nixon" by Virginia Young, St. Louis Post-dispatch 5/23/12
The Legislature approved the proposal in the 2011 legislative session. The measure passed the House on a vote of 126-30 and the Senate on a unanimous 34-0 vote.
The sponsor, Rep. Mike McGhee, R-Odessa, said he championed the change because of a fear that government would use the separation of church and state as a reason to keep people from privately praying on public property.
Critics said at the time that the right to pray in public is already protected by the U.S. Constitution and that the Missouri Constitution says citizens have the "right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience."
Senate Democrats said they decided not to oppose the amendment because it didn't do anything.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Ozarks Voters, Lawmakers Weigh in on 'Right to Pray' Issue" by April Hansen, KOLR-TV10 (Springfield, MO) 7/11/12
Under the amendment, "...any person shall have the right to pray individually or corporately in a private or public setting so long as such prayer does not result in disturbance of the peace or disruption of a public meeting or assembly..."
The amendment reaffirms that students can privately pray in public schools, but it would not allow schools to hold class prayers.
The amendment also says students can express religious beliefs in assignments, free from discrimination.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Missouri Court Upholds 'Right to Pray' Amendment" by Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter 6/19/12
"The proposed amendment makes certain or safeguards the right to freedom of religious expression by setting forth specific ways to avoid infringing upon this right," reads the majority opinion.
"By stating that the proposed amendment would ensure the right of Missouri citizens to express their religious beliefs without infringement, the summary statement fairly and impartially summarizes this purpose."
In its majority opinion, the appeals panel argued that rather than being redundant regarding religious freedom rights, the proposed amendment "elaborates on its meaning with regard to prayer and the expression of religious beliefs in private and public settings, on government and public property, and in schools."
While the amendment was passed overwhelmingly by both houses of the General Assembly, the proposed amendment is not without its critics. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has weighed in on the ballot effort and felt the court made the wrong decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
6-year-old Girls Want to be Sex Objects: Study
Psychologists documented that even little girls in America's small-town heartland have been highly sexualized by popular culture. The study published in the journal 'Sex Roles' conducted at Knox College in Galesburg, IL found that the vast majority of young girls want to emulate dolls dressed like prostitutes rather than those wearing stylish, loose-fitting clothing.
For background, read School Sexualization Standards by NEA, Abortionists and also read Schools, Abortionists Sexualize Kids for Valentines as well as Bishops Investigate Girl Scouts' Sexualization
-- From "Girls as young as six want to look sexy: Study" posted at CNN-IBN 7/17/12
Using a different set of dolls for each question, the [research] team then asked each girl to choose the doll that: looked like herself, looked how she wanted to look, was the popular girl in school, she wanted to play with.
"It's very possible that girls wanted to look like the sexy doll because they believe sexiness leads to popularity, which comes with many social advantages," said lead researcher Christy Starr, who was surprised at how many 6- to 7-year-old girls chose the sexualised doll as their ideal self.
Starr and her team also looked at factors that influenced the girls' responses. Most of the girls were recruited from two public schools, but a smaller subset was recruited from a local dance studio. The girls in this latter group actually chose the non-sexualised doll more often for each of the four questions than did the public-school group.
According to the researchers, media consumption alone did not influence girls to prefer the sexy doll. But girls who watched a lot of TV and movies and who had moms who reported self-objectifying tendencies, such as worrying about their clothes and appearance many times a day, were more likely to say the sexy doll was popular.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Why 6-Year-Old Girls Want to Be Sexy" by Jennifer Abbasi, LiveScience Contributor 7/16/12
The authors suggest that the media or moms who sexualize women may predispose girls toward objectifying themselves; then, the other factor (mom or media) reinforces the messages, amplifying the effect. On the other hand, mothers who reported often using TV and movies as teaching moments about bad behaviors and unrealistic scenarios were much less likely to have daughters who said they looked like the sexy doll. The power of maternal instruction during media viewing may explain why every additional hour of TV- or movie-watching actually decreased the odds by 7 percent that a girl would choose the sexy doll as popular, Starr said. "As maternal TV instruction served as a protective factor for sexualization, it’s possible that higher media usage simply allowed for more instruction."
Mothers' religious beliefs also emerged as an important factor in how girls see themselves. Girls who consumed a lot of media but who had religious mothers were protected against self-sexualizing, perhaps because these moms "may be more likely to model higher body-esteem and communicate values such as modesty," the authors wrote, which could mitigate the images portrayed on TV or in the movies.
However, girls who didn’t consume a lot of media but who had religious mothers were much more likely to say they wanted to look like the sexy doll. "This pattern of results may reflect a case of 'forbidden fruit' or reactance, whereby young girls who are overprotected from the perceived ills of media by highly religious parents … begin to idealize the forbidden due to their underexposure," the authors wrote. Another possibility is that mothers of girls who displayed sexualized attitudes and behaviors had responded by restricting the amount of TV and movies their daughters could watch. Regardless, the authors underlined, "low media consumption is not a silver bullet" against early self-sexualization in girls.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Children are Sexual Beings, Says White House - Masturbation OK as well as 10-year-old's Speech Mimics Obama on Gay 'Marriage'
For background, read School Sexualization Standards by NEA, Abortionists and also read Schools, Abortionists Sexualize Kids for Valentines as well as Bishops Investigate Girl Scouts' Sexualization
-- From "Girls as young as six want to look sexy: Study" posted at CNN-IBN 7/17/12
Using a different set of dolls for each question, the [research] team then asked each girl to choose the doll that: looked like herself, looked how she wanted to look, was the popular girl in school, she wanted to play with.
"It's very possible that girls wanted to look like the sexy doll because they believe sexiness leads to popularity, which comes with many social advantages," said lead researcher Christy Starr, who was surprised at how many 6- to 7-year-old girls chose the sexualised doll as their ideal self.
Starr and her team also looked at factors that influenced the girls' responses. Most of the girls were recruited from two public schools, but a smaller subset was recruited from a local dance studio. The girls in this latter group actually chose the non-sexualised doll more often for each of the four questions than did the public-school group.
According to the researchers, media consumption alone did not influence girls to prefer the sexy doll. But girls who watched a lot of TV and movies and who had moms who reported self-objectifying tendencies, such as worrying about their clothes and appearance many times a day, were more likely to say the sexy doll was popular.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Why 6-Year-Old Girls Want to Be Sexy" by Jennifer Abbasi, LiveScience Contributor 7/16/12
The authors suggest that the media or moms who sexualize women may predispose girls toward objectifying themselves; then, the other factor (mom or media) reinforces the messages, amplifying the effect. On the other hand, mothers who reported often using TV and movies as teaching moments about bad behaviors and unrealistic scenarios were much less likely to have daughters who said they looked like the sexy doll. The power of maternal instruction during media viewing may explain why every additional hour of TV- or movie-watching actually decreased the odds by 7 percent that a girl would choose the sexy doll as popular, Starr said. "As maternal TV instruction served as a protective factor for sexualization, it’s possible that higher media usage simply allowed for more instruction."
Mothers' religious beliefs also emerged as an important factor in how girls see themselves. Girls who consumed a lot of media but who had religious mothers were protected against self-sexualizing, perhaps because these moms "may be more likely to model higher body-esteem and communicate values such as modesty," the authors wrote, which could mitigate the images portrayed on TV or in the movies.
However, girls who didn’t consume a lot of media but who had religious mothers were much more likely to say they wanted to look like the sexy doll. "This pattern of results may reflect a case of 'forbidden fruit' or reactance, whereby young girls who are overprotected from the perceived ills of media by highly religious parents … begin to idealize the forbidden due to their underexposure," the authors wrote. Another possibility is that mothers of girls who displayed sexualized attitudes and behaviors had responded by restricting the amount of TV and movies their daughters could watch. Regardless, the authors underlined, "low media consumption is not a silver bullet" against early self-sexualization in girls.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Children are Sexual Beings, Says White House - Masturbation OK as well as 10-year-old's Speech Mimics Obama on Gay 'Marriage'
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