Sunday, March 31, 2013

Iowa-Funded Anti-Bullying Plan Bullies Christians

Pastors across Iowa say that the program by Progress Iowa claiming to prevent bullying of gay youth is anti-Christian and actually an effort to limit religious liberty.  Iowa legislators want to restrict funding of the Diversity Commission of Des Moines Area Community College for promotion of this Progress Iowa so-called anti-bullying program, saying it's a Democrat Party propaganda campaign.
The program asks students “Is the Bible an excuse to hate?” and “Can the love between two people ever be an abomination?”
For background on "who's bullying whom," read Oregon: Christian Baker Must Do Lesbian 'Wedding' and also read Christmas Music at School is a 'Form of Bullying' as well as School Doesn't Back Gay Agenda, Obama Investigates

However, Christians ARE resisting the Gay Agenda -- Read about those successes!

-- From "Shaw backs effort to withdraw funds" by Bill Shea, Fort Dodge, Iowa Messenger 3/28/13

State representatives Rob Bacon, R-Slater, and Tom Shaw, R-Laurens, are among 16 legislators who announced Thursday that they want to withold money from the Ankeny-based college.

Shaw said Thursday afternoon that the college uses taxpayer money to send students to the Iowa Governor's Conference on LGBTQ Youth. That, he said, amounts to helping to sponsor the event.

The conference, Shaw said, "attacks religious liberty" and "attacks specific individuals because of their beliefs." He said the individuals attacked at the conference include radio talk show hosts Jan Mickelson, Rush Limbaugh "and perhaps others."

[DMACC] is the only public institution that uses taxpayer money to support the conference, according to Shaw.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Rhetoric over gay youth conference escalates" by Jennifer Jacobs, Des Moines Register 3/28/13

“We cannot in good conscience vote to give taxpayer dollars to people or groups who pervert the Bible (and) teach our youth to engage in dangerous behavior,” the Republican legislators’ statement says.

Chuck Hurley, vice president of the Family Leader, a religious conservative activist group, told reporters . . . “Stop coming after my kids and other people’s kids with evil propaganda,” Hurley said. “Stop twisting the Bible, and stop using our tax dollars to do it.” . . . and “stop exposing impressionable schoolchildren to evil.”

Brad Cranston, pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington, said no child should be bullied for any reason at any time, but the conference isn’t about that. It’s about pushing homosexuality, he said.

Cranston said: “Homosexual behavior is neither right nor healthy. The Bible has made that very clear to us.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.



From "Pastors, Legislators Speak Out on Attacks From LGBTQ Conference Speakers" by Kevin Hall, The Iowa Republican 3/29/13

Two dozen Iowa pastors, legislators and conservative activists gathered for a press conference Thursday to express their opposition to some of the planned workshops for the 8th Annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning) Youth.

. . . “Governor, in all honesty, these people are using your good name to lend legitimacy to their agenda,” said Pastor Kerry Jech of Marshalltown. “Not only have some of its participants attacked you personally, but the tone of the workshops misrepresents the beliefs of Christians.”

The 16 legislators who signed the statement are Iowa Senators Bill Anderson, Rick Bertrand, Mark Chelgren, David Johnson, Dennis Guth, Mark Segebart and Kent Sorenson, as well as state Reps. Dwayne Alons, Robert Bacon, Dean Fisher, Greg Heartsill, Sandy Salmon, Tom Shaw, Jason Schultz, Larry Sheets and Ralph Watts.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Lawmakers: Anti-Bullying Conference Bullies Conservatives, Christians" by Todd Starnes, Fox News (posted at Townhall.com) 3/29/13

Rob Denson, president of the college, told Fox News he will not withdraw funding from the event.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “All I know is the intent of Iowa Safe Schools is to support diversity and protect children.”

Denson confirmed they are sponsoring 50 students so they can attend the conference – costing $1,000.

“We want to make this conference available to a certain number of our students that might not otherwise be able to go,” he said. “As a community college we have many students who represent many of the different categories and we are supportive of all of them.”

“We respect everyone’s right to live the life they want to live,” he said.

[Jake Dagel, chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at DMACC said,] “Being a Christian or a conservative – you would feel like an outcast,” he said. “This is not diversity. Any organization or event that targets individuals is absolutely not diverse.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read President Obama Redefines 1st Amendment Freedom of Religion even though Obama Denies Leading War Against Christianity

In addition, read 'Gay Rights' Winning, Loss of Religious Liberty Documented - Washington Post writer demonstrates it's a "zero sum" game: Winning homosexual 'rights' means Christians must lose freedom of religion.