Ban Christians From Missouri Schools, Atheists Say

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is demanding that Christian leaders be banned from several Missouri schools because a video at Hollister Middle School shows Robert Bruce, leader of a local Christian youth group called K-Life, joining student-led prayer in the cafeteria.

"It's not necessarily freedom from religion, but it's freedom of religion. . . . we are also not going to inhibit that religion."
-- Dr. Brian Wilson, Superintendent, Hollister R-V School District

"Our district received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin, asking us to investigate the possibility of policy violations, in regard to visitors discussing religion with students, in our schools. After speaking with the principals at the Junior High and High School, the schools in question, we found no evidence of any violation taking place between visitors and our students."
-- Dr. Brad Swofford, Superintendent, Branson Public Schools

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Atheists Force Michigan Schools to Ban Christians

School Agrees with Atheists to Restrict Christians in West Virginia

Wisconsin Atheists Want Christians Out of Oklahoma Schools

Atheists Say Too Many Christians at Ohio School

Also read Let us Pray in School: It's the Law in Missouri

Click for TV news report

-- From "Hollister schools fear possible lawsuit over school prayer" by Drew Douglas, KYTV-TV3 (Springfield, MO) 2/24/16

"There's not been a parent of Hollister schools nor a student that has issued a complaint. However, we did receive a letter out of Madison Wisconsin," says [Supt.] Wilson.

The superintendent says Christian students at the school have been initiating prayers during lunch, and that day, the students asked Mr. Bruce to participate in the prayer.

The school investigated and chose to continue to allow Mr. Bruce on campus despite the letter's explicit demand that Bruce and other adult K-Life representatives be barred from entering the district schools during the school day.

"We've communicated with Mr. Bruce and to the K-Life organization just as we would any other organization. We would like for them to adhere to all school policies and regulations," says Wilson.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Organization claims area schools violating church-state separation" by Cliff Sain, Branson (Missouri) Tri-Lakes news 2/26/16

The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued a press release stating that a representative from area youth ministry KLIFE has been allowed access to students at the Branson, Hollister, Reeds Spring and Bradleyville school districts.

Hollister Superintendent Brian Wilson said the situation pointed out by the Freedom From Religion Foundation has already been handled.

“(The middle school students) were beginning to pray at lunch,” Wilson said. “They sat around a table. It wasn’t disruptive. It grew to multiple tables. The individual from K-Life was asked to pray at the beginning of one lunch period for that group. That was probably where he overstepped the lines. At no time was it promoted by us. At no time was it done by the school.”

“We addressed the situation with them. We went over the proceedings with them. That's where we’re are at. We think that it is at a moot point. We are not trying to promote, and we are not trying to inhibit. We have taken care of the issue. My job is to educate kids and give the kids at Hollister schools the best education that they can have.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Hollister schools told to halt organized prayer, restrict ministers' access to students" by Claudette Riley, USA TODAY Network - News-Leader (Springfield, MO) 2/25/16

At this point, the [FFRF] — which posted the video on its website — has not ruled out the possibility of taking legal action.

[Supt.] Wilson said students can exercise their First Amendment right to pray in school, if they want to, and the district has communicated the rules governing activities during the school day to KLIFE and other community visitors. But, the district will still permit visitors and student groups that want to meet before and after school.

In the letter, the Wisconsin-based foundation demanded Hollister put an end to "organized prayer" during lunch, discipline any employees that allow the prayers to take place and bar KLIFE representatives from visiting schools.

The foundation also wrote letters to the Branson and Reeds Spring districts, demanding each investigate the amount of access it provides to "predatory evangelists."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.



Also read Judge Jesus Says 'Stop Praying' to California School

And read Christmas Holiday OUT, Lunar New Year IN: Public Schools

Child-Self Porn Legalized in New Mexico: Sexting

This week, Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico signed legislation allowing children of ages 14 to 18 to legally produce child pornography (of themselves) and as well as distribute such pornography through electronic transmission and "sexting" because the majority of legislators believe children should have this right.

“I believe this bill is an important step forward in protecting our children from exploitation. As a former prosecutor who specialized in child abuse and sexual abuse cases, I know how important it is that we protect our kids from these abhorrent criminals.  I don’t support the so-called ‘sexting’ amendment, as I believe the reasoning behind it is misinformed and it was not carefully considered.”
-- Gov. Susana Martinez

For background, read Arresting Kids for Sexting is Overreaction, Say NY Parents

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Hundreds of Colorado Students Self-produce Child Porn, Police Say

Sexting Epidemic: Indiana & Illinois Schools, Police Say

Teens Jailed for Child Porn Group Sex Video in Illinois

Teen Students Learn to Produce & Distribute Child Pornography

Also read Education Experts Say: Relax Parents, Sexting is Simply How Kids Flirt Today

-- From "New Mexico passes law making it legal for teenagers to sext each other" by Caroline Mortimer, UK Independent 2/27/16

New Mexico has passed a law which means teenagers can legally send each explicit “sexts” with each other without falling foul of the state’s child sex abuse images laws.

Democratic State Senator George Muñoz told the Guardian: “Kids will be kids, and they’re going to make mistakes.

“You can’t punish them for the rest of their lifetime with a charge of child pornography … if they’re consensually sending photos back and forth.”

The law specifies that sexting between minors is only legal if they “knowingly and voluntarily” exchanged images and there is no evidence of coercion.

Before the law was passed teenagers could face long jail terms as in child abuse cases prosecutors can file a charge against for each image they send.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Gov. Martinez signs bill increasing child pornography penalties" by Dan Boyd, Capitol Bureau Chief, Albuquerque Journal 2/25/16

In announcing she had signed the bill, [Gov.] Martinez pointed out she could not line-item veto the provision — only bills dealing with spending can be partly vetoed — and either had to sign the bill in its entirety or veto it.

She also called on lawmakers to revisit the sexting issue in the 2017 legislative session.

After being revised several times on its way through the Legislature, this year’s bill ended up increasing the potential prison time to 10 years — 11 years, in some cases — for child pornography possession, and ramping up penalties for manufacturing and distribution, as well.

The legislation, House Bill 65, is intended to fix a situation created by a 2014 New Mexico Supreme Court ruling that effectively said 18 months was the maximum sentence for possession, no matter how many images the offender possessed.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Governor inks law to toughen child porn penalties" by Justin Horwath, The New Mexican (Santa Fe, NM) 2/26/16

The law increases the sentence for possession of child pornography to 10 years from 18 months; increases the sentence for distributing child pornography to 11 years from three years; and increases the sentence for manufacturing child pornography to 12 years from nine years. It passed the Senate on a 40-0 vote and the House 64-0.

Under the new law, teenagers between 14 and 17 who send explicit images of themselves to one another will not be prosecuted for possession of child pornography. Senators added the exception in an amendment to the House bill, expressing concerns that teens engaging in consensual behavior could face criminal charges.

Debate on the exemption for teenagers sparked some of the highest drama of the 30-day legislative session that ended last week, with staffers for Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office walking out of a Senate committee hearing in protest. Later, on the Senate floor, Sen. Lisa Torraco, R-Albuquerque, moved to oust members of Balderas’ staff from the full Senate debate on the bill, saying, “The attorney general has not been helpful in this process.” Senators agreed, and Balderas’ staff members were barred from the floor.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Guv signs bill toughening child porn penalties" by Joey Peters, NM Political Report 2/25/16

Approval of the [sexting] amendment, supported by state senators from both parties, caused a staffer from Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office who was acting as an expert witness to storm out of the room during a senate committee hearing earlier this month. Balderas’ office pushed hard for the legislation initially but opposed the amendment, arguing that it would allow adults to pay or pressure minors to make child pornography.

Supporters of the amendment, however, argued that not exempting teen sexting would lead to arrests and jail time for teenagers who, in the words of Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, are simply “being young and dumb.”

Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, even said during committee that she would filibuster the bill if the sexting amendment wasn’t added.

“These kids are active at this age,” Wilson Beffort said at the time. “If you are a parent of a boy who goes to jail, it’s really serious.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Martinez Signs Bill Mandating 10-Year Minimum Sentence For Child Porn Possession" by Office of The New Mexico Governor 2/25/16

Following a 2014 New Mexico Supreme Court decision that ended the long-standing precedent of allowing prosecutors to charge child pornographers with multiple counts based on the number of images or videos they possessed, those who possessed child pornography were only sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The legislation was sponsored by Representatives Sarah Maestas Barnes (R-Albuquerque) and Randal Crowder (R-Clovis).

The Governor will continue to support legislation that also closes the per-image child pornography loophole in state law, which was why this bill was introduced in the first place.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "New ‘Sexting’ Law Means New Mexico Teens Can Share Nude Photos And Not Be Charged" by Aaron Homer, The Inquisitr News 2/27/16

The bill has already sparked plenty of controversy. But defense lawyers insist that majority of adolescents are not aware of the severity and legal consequences of sexting, a common trait in the Smartphone age. . . .

According to the journal Pediatrics, teens who sext are more likely to be sexually active in less than a year. They are also likely to have multiple partners, pay little attention to birth control, and do drugs and alcohol. The study concluded by saying sexting was the new “normal” of teenage sexual behavior.

Most states have not updated their child abuse image laws. But supporters of the New Mexico bill hope other legislatures take a cue and do the same. [Democratic State Senator George] Muñoz, who pushed for sexting reform and an amendment for stiffer penalties against child pornography, said “Our laws have to change with technology.”

The state attorney general, Hector Baldera slammed the sexting proposal and deemed it as dangerous. “I cannot support an amendment that weakens protection against teenagers from predatory activity and creates a dangerous new child exploitation loophole,” he said in a statement.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Sexting Sells! Most Adults Do It, NOT Just Teens

And read Homosexual Teacher in Illinois Sexting Boy, Resigns

Legalize Incest, Post-death Sex, Say Young Liberals

Descending the inevitable slippery slope, the youth wing of the Swedish Liberal party has voted in favor of the legalization of incest and necrophilia saying that one person's vial and disgusting sexual orientation is another person's right to free expression.

“It should be your own decision what happens with your body after you die, and if that happens to be that you want to bequeath your remains to a museum or to science, or if you want to bequeath your remains to someone to sleep with them, then that should be OK.”
-- Cecilia Johnnson, chairman of the Stockholm branch of the Liberal People’s Party (LPP)

Who says there's no wisdom in young liberal voters?  Consider Sen. Bernie Sanders!

For background, read Incest a 'Fundamental Right,' Says German Ethics Council

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

New York Incestuous Marriage OK: Unanimous Appeals Court

Judge Says Incest OK; It's the New Gay

Pedophilia is Sexual Orientation, Like 'Being Gay'

Teen Girl to Marry Father in New Jersey — Incest OK

Father & Adopted Son 'Marry' Legally in Pennsylvania

Plural Marriage Now: 3 Gay Men 'Marry' — Polyamory

Also read Vampire Normalization Urged in Idaho University Study

-- From "Incest, necrophilia could be legalized in Sweden" by Andrew Sweeney, NAIJ.com 2/25/16

Johnnson told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that laws against incest, necrophilia, and other sexual depravity are wrong and protect no-one.

Her anti-morality policies were supported by the LPP’s entire youth wing at a vote over the weekend.

If adopted as law, two family members who are both over the age of 15 who want to have sexual relations with each over would be entirely free to do so. Also, if a person states in their final will and testament that they want to leave their body behind for people to have sex with it, they would be free to do so also.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Swedish Liberal Party Youth Wing proposes necrophilia, incest legalization" posted at Lawyer Herald 2/25/16

Liberal Youth Leader Cecilia Johnsson stated that they view such move to legalizing necrophilia and incest as a progressive step for the country. "We are a youth organization and one of our task is to think one step further", Johnsson said as reported by Info Wars. "I understand that it can be seen as unusual and disgusting but legislation can not be based on it being disgusting", she added.

They also stated that having sex with the dead should be legalized if a written consent was secured from the person before death. The party's youth wing argued that an individual should be allowed to decide how their bodies will be treated even after death whether it is for science or for their loved ones.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Incest and necrophilia 'should be legal' according to youth branch of Swedish Liberal People's Party" by Lizzie Dearden and Elsa Vulliamy, UK Independent 2/24/16

Cecilia Johnsson, president of LUF Stockholm, told Aftonbladet counter-incest legislation amounted to “morality law”, adding: “These laws protect no one right now”.

It is not the first time similar proposals have been raised in Europe.

In 2014, the German Ethics Council also called for an end to the criminalisation of incest between siblings, after examining the case of a man who was jailed for having four children with his sister.

“The majority of the German Ethics Council is of the opinion that it is not appropriate for a criminal law to preserve a social taboo,” a statement said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Youth Voters Say Legalize Incest And Necrophilia In Sweden" by Zachary Volkert, The Inquisitr News 2/23/16

The nearly universally reviled taboos of incest and necrophilia have long been a scare tactic for conservatives who argued that that the legalization of homosexuality would lead to increasingly squeamish sex acts to find acceptance. It is techniques like this that are one of the primary reasons young voters are less likely to vote for Republicans.

Noting that it was the next logical step in sexual liberation, Cecilia [Johnnson] stated that it wasn’t sensible to continue with a ban on incest and necrophilia just because people found it unappealing, according to quotes translated by The Daily Mail.

The Swedish Youth party is not without their arguments. Autonomy of one’s own body, they stress, also extends to things that people might find repulsive. They don’t believe that incest or necrophilia should necessarily be illegal just because they have complicated histories and low level of interest.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Swedish Liberal party calls for legalization of necrophilia, incest" posted at Daily Sabah 2/23/16

Former Liberal MP Carl B. Hamilton said that the youth wing was only concerned about publicity; not the real issues of Sweden. He wrote: "Surely, you must understand that people are laughing at your liberalism, you nitwits?" on a Facebook group for Liberal party members, lashing out at the youth wing.

Hamilton further continued with: "And what other challenges facing society is on the top 100-list for Stockholm's Liberal Youth? Sex with hippos?"

However, Sweden is not unfamiliar with such efforts by liberals.

Left-wing news outlets such as Salon had stated that 'pedophilia is merely a sexual orientation and not a mental disorder.'

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read 52-year-old Man is Adopted as 6-year-old Girl

Government Predicts Black Men Will Get Gay Disease

In a first-of-its-kind analysis, President Obama's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that African-American males who engage in anal sex have a 50-50 chance of contracting HIV during their lifetime.  The risk for Latino men is 25%.

“It’s really important to say that these [projections] are not inevitable.  This is a call to do things differently.”
-- Carl Sciortino, executive director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

Yes, obviously; stop having anal sex!

For background, read Anal Sex is Main Cause of HIV Pandemic, Study Shows

Also read Federal Government Blames Homosexual Men for Sex Disease Epidemic and point out that Homosexual Men are a Huge HIV Risk



-- From "Gay or Bisexual Black Men Have 50 Percent Risk of HIV" by Maggie Fox, NBC News 2/23/16

The report, released at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, is the first to take a look at any given person's lifetime risk of becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS.

"At current rates, 1 in 2 African American men who have sex with men (MSM) and 1 in 4 Hispanic MSM will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, compared with 1 in 11 white MSM," CDC said.

The CDC has been warning for years that people most at risk of HIV are not getting tested for it nearly often enough. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Half of black gay men will be infected with HIV, CDC finds" by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe Staff 2/23/16

The findings present a stark reminder of the threat still posed by the AIDS virus 35 years after the illness was first detected, despite progress in treatment and prevention.

“It was really a clarion call,” said Dawn Fukuda, director of the HIV/AIDS division at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, who heard the report presented at the international Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. “These are numbers that are pretty astounding.”

The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first to project the lifetime risk of HIV infection state-by-state and among certain groups of people. Based on death data from 2009 through 2013, the CDC concluded that gay and bisexual men, African-Americans, and people who live in the South have the highest risk of infection.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Federal CDC Admits Failure: Carefree 'Safe Sex' is NOT Possible

CDC Report Shows Most HIV Homosexual Men Have Unprotected Sex

The Only 'Safe Gays' are Celibate Gays, Says U.S. FDA

Soaring Syphilis Rates Among Homosexual Men Point to HIV Risk

Another Sex Disease Untreatable: 'Super Gonorrhea'

New Sex Disease, Worse than HIV/AIDS

New Gay Health Risk: Meningococcal Disease

Air Force Academy Funds Witchcraft, Wicca Worship

The watchdog organization Judicial Watch just released documents revealing the Air Force Academy used a chapel fund in 2014 to underwrite attendance at a pagan earth worship festival where cadets were taught to “dance with ecstasy around the maypole,” “drum with the heartbeat of Mother Earth,” and “conjure Springtime within nature and yourself.”

“The Air Force Academy leadership is attacking traditional Christian beliefs but will fund witchcraft and ‘faery magick’?  These records show the misplaced priorities in the Air Force and why traditional Christians increasingly feel unwelcome in the Air Force Academy.”
-- Tom Fitton, President, Judicial Watch

For background, read Air Force Borrows $80000 for Pagan Worship Center

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Air Force & Navy Take Orders from Atheists vs. Christians

Bible: Court-martial Offense at Air Force Academy?

Air Force Engages War on Christianity, Say Lawmakers

-- From "Air Force Academy Pays for Cadets’ Travel to Pagan Festivals" by Bill McMorris, The Washington Free Beacon 2/25/16

The academy’s chapel funds spent hundreds of dollars to send four cadets to the annual Denver Witches Ball, the city’s “Premier Pagan Halloween Masquerade Ball,” as well as two cadets’ participation in the Beltania Festival. The festival is an annual Colorado earth worship gathering that welcomes pagans of all stripes, including “Wicca, Witchcraft, Faery Magick, Druidism, Heathenism, Native American traditions, Voodoo, African Orishas, and Goddess Spirituality.” Attendees gather to run ribbons around a pole.

The event has played host to cadets for the last several years. Organizers advertised a brand new ceremony honoring servicemen in 2014 and touted the presence of “two representatives” from the academy’s pagan clubs.

Chapel fund money was also used to pay for four cadets to attend the 2014 Denver Witches Ball, according to Judicial Watch.

Judicial Watch obtained the documents through an October freedom of information request into earth worship activities on campus. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Air Force Academy Sends Cadets To Wiccan Festival With ‘Chapel Funds’" by Rachel Stoltzfoos, Reporter, Daily Caller 2/24/16

A group called “Spiritual Programs in Religious Education” hosted events at an area of the Air Force Academy designated for worship in traditions that include “Wicca, Paganism and Druidism,” reported Judicial Watch. The Academy took $260 from the Academy’s “Church Tithes and Offerings Fund” to pay a vendor called “Living Earth” that hosted a Wiccan festival on campus in March, 2014.

The “Spiritual Programs in Religious Education” group that hosted events on campus encouraged people to engage in Wicca, witchcraft, Faery Magick and voodoo, according to a brochure obtained by the Freedom of Information Act documents requested by Judicial Watch.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Air Force Academy Uses 'Chapel Tithes and Offering Fund' to Pay for Cadets' Attendance at Festivals Celebrating Witchcraft, 'Faery Magick,' and Voodoo" by Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch 2/24/16

The Tithes and Offering Fund, though funded by "free-will donations," is also defined as "an instrumentality of the United States Government."

According to a promotional brochure obtained by Judicial Watch, a group called "Spiritual Programs in Religious Education" hosted events at the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel Falcon Circle on the Academy campus. The Academy website describes Falcon Circle as "The worship area [for]… an umbrella of traditions that includes Wicca, Paganism and Druidism."

The Air Force Academy documents were obtained in response to an October 8, 2015, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for:

Any and all records regarding, concerning or relating to "Earth-based" worship service events occurring at the [Air Force Academy] campus in the 2013/14 academic years, including but not limited to, programs, hand-outs, proposals, agreements, contracts, invoices, budget documents, and related materials.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Air Force Rejects Atheists' Demands Against Prayer

Christian Lawmakers, Gov. Overturn Charlotte Radicals

North Carolina legislators, along with Governor Pat McCrory, intend to overrule the Gay/Transgender Agenda ordinance that passed this week 7-to-4 in the Charlotte City Council, which takes effect on April Fool's Day.

“The Charlotte City Council has gone against all common sense and has created a major public safety issue by opening all bathrooms and changing rooms to the general public.  I join my conservative colleagues and Governor McCrory in exploring legislative intervention to correct this radical course."
-- Tim Moore, Speaker, North Carolina House of Representatives

For background, read Sexual Deviancy Special Class? Not in Charlotte as well as Gay Agenda Defeated by North Carolina Legislature

UPDATE 5/12/16: North Carolina Parents & Students Sue Obama's Transgender Agenda

Also read about state-by-state momentum for Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA).

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Arkansas Legislature Outlaws Local 'Gay Rights' Ordinances

Lesbian Mayor's Gay/Transgender Agenda Defeated by Houston Voters

However, Virginia Bathroom Privacy Bill Defeated in Legislature

And Transgender Restrooms for South Dakota Schools Passes

Even All Ladies' Rooms Now Open to Men in Washington State

Also read President Obama Forces Wildest Transgender Agenda on School Children Using Full Force of Federal Government and now Hillary Clinton Promises Even MORE 'Transgender/Gay Rights'







-- From "N.C. city's vote to expand transgender rights draws state opposition" by Colleen Jenkins, Reuters 2/23/16

The Charlotte City Council expanded the city's nondiscrimination ordinance late on Monday to add protections for marital and familial status, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.

State House of Representatives Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican, said he would consider legislation to block the measure, which some critics fear would allow sexual predators to gain access to women's bathrooms.

Charlotte was one of the largest U.S. cities without a law explicitly protecting the LGBT community from discrimination, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights group based in Washington. The revised law takes effect on April 1.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "NC lawmakers vow to overturn Charlotte transgender law" posted at WRAL-TV5 (Raleigh, NC) 2/23/15

[Gov.] McCrory, a former mayor of Charlotte, said changing restroom rules could "create major public safety issues."

About 140 members of the public got one minute each to offer their opinions to the Charlotte City Council before Monday's vote. The council chambers were filled to capacity, and some speakers had to await their time outside.

Several hundred people stood outside in a wind-driven rain to protest, holding signs saying "No Men In Women's Restrooms" and "Keep Kids Safe."

Chris Williams, a 30-year-old father of three, passed out "No" stickers to the crowd, saying most Charlotte residents "stand with religious values."

Conservative activists have called on lawmakers to pass legislation to protect what they say are the religious rights . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "After LGBT vote, NC House speaker says lawmakers will ‘correct this radical course’" by Steve Harrison and Jim Morrill, The Charlotte Observer 2/23/16

When the ordinance goes into effect, a baker would no longer be able to refuse to bake a cake for a gay wedding. Other vendors would have to cater LGBT events, even if it is against their religious beliefs.

The city couldn’t revoke a business license if someone violated the ordinance. But it could seek an injunction that would force a business to comply.

If only the bathroom provision were removed, the other protections would stay, including those for transgender individuals.

A year ago, council members voted to remove the bathroom provision from the ordinance. But two council members, John Autry and LaWana Mayfield, voted against that version of the ordinance out of principle. They said they wouldn’t leave some members of the LGBT community behind.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Conservatives push back on transgender bathroom rights in North Carolina" by Matt Pearce, Los Angeles Times 2/24/16

As LGBT activists around the U.S. turn their attention toward expanding rights for transgender Americans, they have met growing opposition from lawmakers in conservative states who have repeatedly focused on bathrooms.

Forty-four bills that limit bathroom and locker room use or allow business owners to deny service to transgender people are currently under consideration in 16 states, according to a report released Monday by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT advocacy group.

The City Council first deliberated over a package of LGBT protections in March 2015 . . . But in the next local election, last November, the Human Rights Campaign and other advocacy groups got involved and helped elect two new council members who supported protections for transgender people.

"I think it's just inappropriate," Republican Sen. David Curtis, who represents a district outside Charlotte, told the Lincoln Times-News. "We have rules in our society and that's just one of the rules in our society. This liberal group is trying to redefine everything about our society. Gender and marriage — just the whole liberal agenda."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Franklin Graham Says Charlotte Transgender Bathroom Bill Is 'Wicked, Filthy'" by Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor 2/24/16

"Shame on Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and the city council members" for passing the ordinance, [Billy Graham Evangelistic Association president Franklin] Graham wrote Tuesday, after the vote on the measure, which also says businesses can't discriminate against gay, lesbian or transgender customers and applies to places of public accommodation, such as bars, restaurants, stores as well as taxis.

If the ordinance were put to a vote in Charlotte, "I'm sure it would be overwhelmingly defeated by Democrats and Republicans alike," Graham wrote, praising council members Ed Driggs, Claire Fallon, Greg Phipps and Kenny Smith who voted "No."

"Are people just not thinking clearly? This law would allow pedophiles, perverts, and predators into women's bathrooms. This is wicked and it's filthy. To think that my granddaughters could go into a restroom and a man be in there exposing himself … what are we setting our children and grandchildren up for? There's not a public restroom in Charlotte that would be safe!"

Graham added that Charlotte's mayor and the supporting City Council members have perhaps "succumbed to the pressures from depraved sexual activists and are willing to put women and girls at risk like this."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals

And read 52-year-old Man is Adopted as 6-year-old Girl

Christian Restaurant Rejected at Univ. Nebraska

Administrators at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) have decided that students need a lesson in tolerance after the student government leaders sided with the minority Queer Straight Alliance (the student homosexualist club) against a new Chick-fil-A — the top restaurant choice of the overall student body.

“When we learned more about Chick-fil-A and its corporate values and discriminatory policies, and after hearing these concerns raised by a section of our student body, we concluded that these corporate values are not aligned with our values as a student body, and it is not in the best interested of our UNK community to pursue Chick-fil-A right now.”
-- Evan Calhoun, UNK student government president

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

University Drops Pro-marriage Christian Food Vendor Chick-fil-A

California School Rejects 'Anti-Gay' Food Donation of Chick-fil-A

Lesbian Denver Official Nixes Chick-fil-A at Airport

Army Reprimands Soldier for Serving Chick-fil-A Sandwiches

Homosexualist Terrorist Attacks with Chick-fil-A Sandwiches

Also read Chick-fil-A Support of Natural Marriage Causes Media Storm

-- From "Chick-Fil-A, Raising Canes among list of preferred UNK student union additions" posted at KSNB-TV NBC Nebraska 2/22/16

University of Nebraska at Kearney administration announced Monday that it is moving forward with student-identified restaurants and beginning preliminary negotiations with those interested in locating in the Nebraskan Student Union.

Those moving forward will be Chick-fil-A, Raising Canes, Panda Express, IHOP, A&W, Sbarro, and Johnny Rockets. These restaurants are allowed in the Union under the university’s agreement with its food services contractor Chartwells, and were preferred by students.

After two Student Government opinion surveys, administration will now take those top poll preferences to determine interest and financial viability for the student-preferred restaurants.

“There has been a lot of dialogue and discussion about restaurants and options over the past weeks, along with a lot of emotional debate, much of which is outside the realm of the intent of the polling,” said Kelly Bartling, UNK assistant vice chancellor for communication and community relations.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "UNK ready to move past Chick-fil-A controversy" by Josh Moody, Kearney (Nebraska) Hub Staff Writer 2/22/16

In the [initial] survey, 722 of 1,222 respondents chose Chick-fil-A as their top restaurant choice over A&W, Johnny Rockets, Panda Express, Sbarro and IHOP.

After [Evan] Calhoun was contacted [by the Queer Straight Alliance] with student concerns, a second survey was sent out replacing Chick-fil-A with Raising Cane’s.

Raising Cane’s received 670 of 985 votes in the second survey.

Controversy over the handling of the student polling has prompted the university to schedule a public forum at 6 p.m. Thursday in the union.

“I see that as an important opportunity for students to learn, listen to one another,” [Kelly] Bartling said. “I think that some people who haven’t had an opportunity to talk to somebody and listen to a different point of view from theirs might be moved by it — some of the feelings that people have about inclusiveness, about their faith beliefs. The forum itself is an example of the important learning that comes with conflicts like these on university campuses.”

The forum will be moderated by Gilbert Hinga, UNK dean of student affairs, and points will be summarized and passed on to UNK administration.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "UNK refuses to bring Chick-fil-A to campus over CEO’s marriage views" by Anthony Gockowski, Investigative Reporter, Campus Reform 2/19/16

A student government resolution set to bring Chick-fil-A to the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) was reversed because students complained about the CEO’s support of traditional marriage.

In a survey administered in January, a majority of the student body elected to bring a Chick-fil-A to campus over other fast food options. Some students, however, disagreed with the decision because of Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy’s defense of traditional marriage. Cathy’s company took a hit back in 2012 after he stood up for traditional marriage in an interview on The Ken Coleman Show.

“I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about,” Cathy said.

According to The Daily Wire, many UNK students are outraged with Calhoun’s decision to reverse the vote. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Chick-Fil-A Banned From The University of Nebraska Because CEO Supports Traditional Marriage" by Pardes Seleh, The Daily Wire News 2/18/16

In response to the students’ complaints, the UNK student president Evan Calhoun announced via email that his student government would not be bringing Chick-Fil-A to campus . . .

Trevor Wiegert, a third-year UNK student and campus chancellor’s ambassador, said he was initially thrilled that the student government was considering bringing Chick-Fil-A to the campus union. After the decision was reversed, Weigert, backed by classmates and faculty members, urged the student government to reconsider Chick-Fil-A. In a letter he wrote to the UNK student senate, Wiegert wrote:

I think it is ridiculous and appalling that this is a situation we are faced with as a campus and student body, due to the preconceived notions of a very small minority.  This is a country that was built and has thrived on the notion of free speech.  Taking a man’s opinion on his belief in the traditional family and construing it to supposedly encompass his entire company’s corporate values and discriminatory policies in order to feel “safe” or like you’re not being “persecuted” is simply asinine.

Wiegert’s sentiments were echoed by other students who were also disappointed by the student government’s decision. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

It's all because Religious Liberty is in the Homosexualists' Crosshairs

Also read Michigan Christian Business Trashed by Homosexualists

And read Homosexualists Threaten, Shut Down Indiana Christian Pizza Restaurant

Florida Police Let Abortionists Prohibit Prayer

After a challenge from pro-life lawyers, police in Hollywood, Florida now claim they never told Christians that the government would support attempts by the local abortion clinic to force eviction of praying pro-lifers from the public sidewalk at the clinic.

"It's not loud prayer. It's simply praying for the unborn child and for women."
-- John Hickey, Volunteer, 40 Days for Life Hollywood

For background, read Maine Sues Pastor for Preaching Too Loud on Abortion, but Court Orders Portland, Maine to Pay $56,500 for Muzzling Pro-lifer

Also read U.S. Supreme Court Rules Unanimously that Christians are Free to Speak near Abortion Clinics

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Christians Arrested for Praying Too Loud Near Chicago Abortion Clinic

Pastor's Wife Fined for Praying Too Loud in North Dakota

California Law Forces Abortion Business on Pro-lifers

Also read Pro-lifers March on Washington, D.C. Amid Government Shutdown

And read how public schools across America muzzle pro-life students and ban pro-life student clubs.

-- From "Antiabortion Protesters Say Hollywood Police Violated Their Constitutional Rights" by Jerry Iannelli, New Times Broward-Palm Beach 2/22/16

Representatives from Hollywood, Florida's 40 Days for Life chapter say that five times over the past three years, the group has, successfully and without incident, held prayer vigils outside A Woman's Center of Hollywood, an abortion provider located on Hollywood Boulevard. During such vigils, group members pray and try to educate women about alternatives to abortion.

But on February 10, three group members claim, a Hollywood Police officer ordered them off a sidewalk, violating their constitutional rights of free speech and assembly. While they are now demanding an apology from the police department, the department claims the protesters had actually been trespassing on private property.

. . . The group provided documentation that shows it applied for a permit to assemble outside the center from February 10 to March 20.

The group says three or four people were praying outside the center for 12 hours a day, each day.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Florida police block pro-life peaceful protest at abortion clinic, Thomas More Society responds" posted at The Global Dispatch 2/19/16

Thomas More Society attorneys have sent a letter to the City of Hollywood, Florida, and the Hollywood Police Department challenging a police officer’s recent order forbidding pro-lifers from standing on a public sidewalk in front of a clinic that performs abortions, apparently at the clinic’s request. On the first day of the Spring 40 Days for Life prayer vigil outside A Woman’s Center of Hollywood abortion facility, Officer Del Castillo of the Hollywood Police Department told pro-life volunteers that they could not stand on the public sidewalk in front of the abortion clinic. Thomas More Society contends that this demand is a blatant violation of the pro-lifers’ First Amendment rights.

This is the third year that volunteers participating in the 40 Days for Life Hollywood prayer vigils have had a peaceful presence on the public property – including both the sidewalk and swale (grassy area between the street and sidewalk) – outside A Woman’s Center. However, last week, on the first day of this years’ campaign, Officer Del Castillo of the Hollywood Police Department told the pro-lifers that they could not stand on the public sidewalk because the clinic had said they did not want the pro-lifers there.  He stated that the abortion clinic has the right to determine who may and may not stand on the sidewalk in front of its building.  He implied that if this order was not obeyed, pro-lifers could be ticketed.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Thomas More Society Challenges Public Sidewalk Restriction at Abortion Clinic" posted at Christian Newswire 2/17/16

"Forbidding pro-lifers from standing on public property violates 75 years of clear Supreme Court precedent that gives broad protections to those engaging in free speech in public places," said Corrina Konczal, Thomas More Society Associate Counsel. "We are confident that, once the city and Chief of Police are made aware of this officer's unconstitutional ban, that they will reverse this order and assure our clients of their rights to publicly pray and hold signs on any sidewalk in the city."

. . . The attorneys' missive notes specifically that "Officer Del Castillo's order is a clearly unconstitutional restriction of our clients' freedom of speech in a traditional public forum – a public sidewalk." The letter requests a response from the city and police department by this Friday.

"We should not be banned from the public sidewalk just because we're pro-life," said John Hickey, a 40 Days for Life Hollywood volunteer. "We're exercising our First Amendment rights by holding a peaceful prayer vigil to help women and unborn children. Hopefully, Officer Del Castillo's supervisors will reverse his incorrect order so that our free speech will be respected for the rest of the 40 Days vigil."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Federal Judge Censors Pro-life Ads on Indiana Buses

And read Oregon Woman Fired for Being Pro-life Leader

Judge Jesus Says 'Stop Praying' to Calif. School

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal ruled in favor of the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which sued the Chino Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County, California, for praying at school board meetings.  In a summary judgment, Bernal prohibited such prayers going forward and awarded the FFRF “costs including reasonable attorney’s fees.”

“The court declares that the resolution permitting religious prayer in board meetings, and the policy and custom of reciting prayers, Bible readings and proselytizing at board meetings, constitute unconstitutional endorsements of religion in violation of plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.”
-- Judge Jesus Bernal

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Ohio School Board Wants Prayer, Ignoring Atheists

North Carolina Citizens Demand Prayer in Public School

Let us Pray in School: It's the Law in Missouri

Prayer Stays in Florida School, Opposing Atheists

Wyoming School Allows Prayer Under Lawsuit Threat

Arizona Town Council Prays to Jesus

Texas School Supt. Tells Anti-prayer Atheists to Go Fly a Kite

-- From "Judge enjoins school board from prayer" by Mel Ewald, Chino Champion 2/20/16

God and Jesus Christ were conspicuously absent from Thursday’s meeting of the Chino Valley school board.

No mention of the ruling was made during Thursday’s meeting, which was conducted by board vice president Sylvia Orozco in the absence of president Andrew Cruz. Mrs. Orozco said Mr. Cruz was present during the afternoon closed session of the board, when the lawsuit was discussed, but then went home sick.

Mrs. Orozco and Mr. Cruz were defendants in the suit, along with fellow board members Irene Hernandez-Blair and James Na.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Judge tells Chino Valley school board to stop prayers in meetings" by Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin 2/19/16

Mr. Na is an active member of the Watchmen Ministry at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, according to a biography on the district website. Board President Cruz is also a church member there, according to his biography.

The church has cheered Na’s advocacy of church-friendly views on the board.

“Our own James Na, Chino Unified school board member, successfully spearheaded a campaign to reintroduce the Bible back into the public schools as history and literature,” a June 2010 post on the church’s Facebook page reads in part.

Chino Valley Unified’s attorneys from Sacramento-based Pacific Justice Institute, a nonprofit conservative legal defense organization that specializes in religious freedom, could not be reached for comment Friday.

It’s unclear whether the district will appeal Bernal’s ruling.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Chino Valley Unified School District Target Of Suit Over Prayer At Board Meetings" posted at CBS News Los Angeles 11/20/14

The suit filed on behalf of some parents, students and employees claims they, “feel alienated from board meetings because of these prayers, Bible readings, and proselytizing, and therefore feel excluded from the political process that controls their education, their children’s education, and their jobs.”

Many at the [school board] meeting supported the board’s alleged behavior, including the outgoing Chino police chief.

“All of the qualities you see in me came from my faith. They came from my belief in God,” Chief Miles Pruitt said.

“Prayer works. God hears prayer,” one meeting attendee said.

Another stated: “I’ve never met anyone who was offended when I asked if I could pray for them so please keep up this good example.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Allows Christian Prayer in Government Meetings, in fact Supreme Court Justice Scalia Said Government Should Favor God of the Bible

And read Loud Muslim Prayer Takes Over Michigan Town

Obama Admin. Recruiting Mentally Ill Spies for CIA

President Obama's Central Intelligence Agency has a new mission:  Seek out and specifically recruit sexually confused people for employment — NOT for their expertise in cross dressing and mastery of disguise, but rather in order to transform the agency into a utopia of diversity and inclusion.

“We will continue to enrich our workforce by targeting diverse communities across the United States to meet our talent needs, with dedicated programs for . . . Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals . . .”
-- Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (2016-2019) from CIA Diversity and Inclusion Office

For background, read CIA Searching for Homosexuals - To Hire

And read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

President Obama's Enforcer Follows Man into Ladies' Room

President Obama Edicts More Transgender Rights via ObamaCare

President Obama's Transgender/Gay Agenda Trumps Congress — Employment/ENDA

President Obama's Gay 'Untied' States of America

Also read how President Obama's Christmas proclamation was a litany of his sexual revolution successes.

And read President Obama Forces Wildest Transgender Agenda on School Children Using Full Force of Federal Government and now Hillary Clinton Promises Even MORE 'Transgender/Gay Rights'

-- From "CIA Has A Program Specifically Designed To Recruit Transgenders" by Jonah Bennett, Reporter, Daily Caller 2/18/16

The three-year plan is the CIA’s chance to “weave diversity and inclusion deep into the fabric of our Agency,” which reflects the Obama administration’s priorities.

From 2016 to 2019, the goal is to increase the presence of marginalized demographics in the agency, though it’s not clear what unique skills transgender individuals bring to the table, in comparison to ethnic groups, who usually have valuable linguistic skills in high demand.

The CIA will implement training efforts to emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership and development programs and will establish a pipeline to funnel diversity hires to top positions. Any barriers to this effort must be eliminated.

A key barrier will likely be the reaction of employees to the new hires, which is precisely why the CIA is set to unfold “unconscious bias” training, in order to “deepen diversity and inclusion awareness and expertise among all officers through corporate-wide unconscious bias training, speaker series, and other learning opportunities.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "CIA Has Dedicated Program to Recruit Transgender Individuals" by Elizabeth Harrington, Staff Writer, Washington Free Beacon 2/18/16

Among the intelligence agency’s key actions to meet this goal is to teach recruitment officers to “strengthen cultural competencies and combat unconscious bias.”

The CIA will measure its progress of recruiting minorities, LGBT individuals, veterans, and women by using an “inclusion index.” The agency will also track “Diversity and gender break-down of applicant flow data and recruiting trends.”

CIA Director John Brennan said diversity and inclusion are “at the heart” of what the intelligence service is “charged to do.”

The CIA will “establish diversity and inclusion objectives for programs focused on professional development, including mentoring, coaching, shadowing, and other experiences that aim for officers to develop as CIA Intelligence Professionals.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "CIA has a program to recruit transgendered spooks" by Rick Moran, American Thinker 2/19/16

I would be behind the CIA's diversity efforts if I could be convinced that they will enhance the agency's ability to keep us safe.  But a program dedicated to recruiting transgendered people is not designed to make the agency better – only more "diverse."

Can you find anything in [that CIA Plan] that would lead you to believe that the CIA will improve its human intelligence gathering – HUMINT – if it seeks out employees based not exclusively on their abilities or intelligence, but rather on someone's nebulous notions of what constitutes "diversity"?  I can't.  And I suspect that the social justice warriors at the agency don't care about such mundane notions as hiring the best and brightest to protect America.

To them, it's more important to protect their politically correct ideas that make diversity an end in and of itself.  And if the agency's ability to protect us is eroded?  A small price to pay for diversity.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "Transgender at the C.I.A." by The Editorial Board, New York Times 5/11/15

The day she nervously told her boss that they needed to talk in the summer of 2012, the young intelligence analyst [born male] was mindful of the ordeal of the transgender woman at the Central Intelligence Agency who came before her. The story had become C.I.A. lore. In the late 1980s, a standout senior analyst who became the butt of jokes when she came out resigned after enduring months of cruel glances and crude remarks.

Jenny, the young officer, who is a Middle East expert, hadn’t heard yet about Diane Schroer, the former Army officer who set an important legal precedent for transgender federal employees by suing the Library of Congress in 2005. She didn’t know what, if any, legal protections and benefits transgender employees at the C.I.A. were entitled to.

All she knew with certainty was that going through life as a man had become unbearable.

To read the entire editorial above, CLICK HERE.



Also read Transgender/Gay Agenda Destroys Everything it Contacts

Court OKs Firing Lesbian by Mo. Catholic Diocese

A Missouri judge has ruled in favor of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph in a summary judgment order regarding the case of lesbian Colleen Simon suing for being fired in May 2014 from the St. Francis Xavier Parish food pantry for espousing her same-sex "marriage," which the Diocese said "contradicts Church laws, discipline, and teaching and the diocesan Policy on Ethics and Integrity in Ministry."

“[Because Ms. Simon's claims are] essentially religious questions, this Court shall instead rely on the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.”
-- Judge Kenneth R. Garrett III, Jackson County Circuit Court

For background, read about the 2012 Supreme Court precedent giving churches First Amendment rights in employment decisions.

However, last year Massachusetts Court Rules Catholic School Must Hire Homosexuals

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Pennsylvania Catholic School's Secret Lesbian Fired

Fired Pregnant Lesbian Sues Montana Catholic School

Lesbians Sue Christian School for Biblical Beliefs

Also read how Catholic schools are being attacked across America by their own parishioners for firing homosexuals.

-- From "Church Settles With Gay Married Worker Who Was Fired" by Dan Margolies, KCUR-FM89.3 (NPR in Kansas City, MO) 2/18/16

Terms of the settlement with Colleen Simon, a former church food pantry worker, were not disclosed. But the settlement came two days after a Jackson County judge threw out her fraud claim against the church but declined to throw out two other claims alleging violations of Missouri’s service letter statute and Missouri’s minimum wage law.

Jack Smith, a spokesman for the diocese, said the church “just decided to settle” on those other counts.

E.E. Keenan and Sonal Bhatia, the husband-and-wife team who represented Simon, said the parties had resolved the case “to their mutual satisfaction.”

[Judge] Garrett said that inquiring into that claim “would impermissibly entangle the Court in matters and decisions purely canonical, since the Court must necessarily examine the religious views and practices of the Diocese in an attempt to perceive the reasonableness of Plaintiff’s reliance on the Diocese’s representations.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Court affirms diocese’s freedom to operate according to Catholic teaching" by Alliance Defending Freedom staff 2/18/16

The court ruled that the First Amendment’s guarantee of the free exercise of religion means the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph is free to make its employment decisions without court interference. Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF] attorneys representing the diocese filed a motion for summary judgment last year asking for this result.

“A church isn’t obligated to employ those who act contrary to the church’s teachings. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed this as recently as four years ago,” said ADF Senior Counsel Erik Stanley. “The district court was on very firm constitutional ground to reject this attempt to drag the government into a church’s theological decisions – the very line the First Amendment says the government cannot cross.”

“If churches are forced to employ people who do not follow the religious teachings of those churches, the church will no longer be able to minister consistently or freely in accordance with its faith,” added ADF Legal Counsel Jeremiah Galus.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Church pantry worker fired for being a lesbian sues Catholic diocese" by Mark Morris, The Kansas City Star 7/17/14

Colleen Simon alleges in her lawsuit that she had told two priests at St. Francis Xavier Church that she was married to another woman and they had informed her that her sexual orientation would not be a problem.

However, an April [2014] article in The Kansas City Star’s 816 news magazine mentioned her marriage to the Rev. Donna Simon of St. Mark Hope and Peace Lutheran Church. Within a month, Colleen Simon had been fired at [Bishop Robert J.] Finn’s direction, she alleges.

She said the church fraudulently encouraged her to take the food pantry position at St. Francis Xavier in July 2013, knowing the diocese had no intention of keeping its commitments to her.

Colleen Simon alleges in her lawsuit that she mentioned her sexual orientation to the priest at St. Francis Xavier during a job interview in May 2013. The priest purportedly “was nonplussed, and expressed no objection to Ms. Simon’s sexual orientation or her relationship with Donna,” the suit alleges.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Just Keep It Out of the Newspapers ..." by Kevin Koeninger, Courthouse News Service 7/22/14

The plaintiff and Donna Simon were married in Iowa, as same-sex marriages are illegal in Missouri.

During a face-to-face interview, Simon says, she told the first pastor that she and her wife were "well known in the community, and were known to be an open, out, married couple in the community."

In January 2014, after the pastor who had interviewed her moved away, Simon says she revealed her sexual orientation to the new pastor of St. Francis Xavier, who "looked surprised. He said 'Oh, okay. It's okay.'"

Simon says the pastor of St. Francis Xavier [later] emailed her, expressing concern about the information in the [Kansas City Star] article, and also called the reporter and "asked [her] if she was a Catholic, and when the reporter answered that she was not, the new pastor stated to her that she didn't know what she had done."

"The new pastor stated that now that Ms. Simon's marital status was public, he had no choice but to ask her to submit a letter of resignation," the complaint states.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Lesbian Files Suit Against Missouri Catholic Diocese, Says She Was Fired for Marrying a Woman" by Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter 7/22/14

In late June [2014], the diocesan Human Resources Director Bob Roper informed Simon of her dismissal from her position at St. Francis Xavier.

Provided to CP by Diocese Director of Communications Jack Smith, the letter explained that she was being terminated for being involved in a gay marriage.

"The reason … was based upon an irreconcilable conflict between the laws, discipline, and teaching of the Catholic Church and your relationship — formalized by an act of marriage in Iowa — to a person of the same-sex," wrote Roper to Simon.

A representative of Simon provided The Christian Post with a copy of the lawsuit, filed in Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, at the Independence Courthouse.

. . . [Simon's demands] according to the suit, include "all economic loss, including unpaid wages and fringe benefit; nominal and/or statutory damages for violation of the Missouri Service Letter Law; the costs of this action; and any other and further legal and/or equitable relief that this court deems just and proper."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

And read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists and read Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty

'Anti-Gay' Religious Liberty Law: West Virginia

The West Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (HB 4012) passed the House of Delegates 72-26 and is favored in the Republican-controlled Senate, but Democrat Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin may veto the bill.  Christians say the new RFRA law is necessary because the growing number of local nondiscrimination ordinances allow violations of their religious beliefs.  Sexual revolutionaries are threatening businesses in order to pressure politicians to kill the bill.

"This bill will give state courts a balancing test that guides judges in considering cases alleging that the action of a governmental body has violated a citizen's deeply held religious belief."
-- House Speaker Tim Armstead

"Religious freedom is a basic human right, and a vital Constitutional right, that deserves protection under West Virginia law. Every West Virginian should be free to live and work according to their faith without fear of being punished by the government."
-- House Majority Whip John O'Neal

For background, read about the state-by-state momentum for Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA).

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Indiana Religious Liberty Law to Fight Gay Agenda Jettisoned by Republicans

Arkansas Religious Freedom Law NOT Gay Enough

Religious Liberty in Homosexualists' Crosshairs

Homosexualists Launch Commerce Attack on Indiana to get Gay Rights

Also read Supreme Court Justice Scalia Says Government Should Favor God of the Bible

-- From "W.Va. House passes Religious Freedom Restoration Act" posted at The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, WV) 2/11/16

The proposal would let people cite religious objections to state actions in certain court proceedings.

Proponents say it protects people's freedoms to express sincere religious beliefs, as long as there isn't a compelling state interest to restrict them.

Opponents say it's a license to discriminate, particularly against gay people.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "W.Va. House passes Religious Freedom Restoration Act" by WSAZ-TV3 News Staff (Huntington, WV) 2/11/16

The bill models after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and laws that have been adopted by more than 20 other states.

Under the bill, if a person attempts to defend in court their religious beliefs against government action, a judge would use the following questions to evaluate the merits of the case:

1.) Does a person have a sincerely held religious belief?
2.) Has that belief been substantially burdened by government?
3.) Does the government have a compelling interest to substantially burden that belief?
4.) Has government exhausted all other means to achieve its goals without infringing on that belief, and is the action the least restrictive of that citizen’s religious beliefs?

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "WV House passes Religious Freedom bill, sends to Senate" by Erin Beck, Staff Writer, Charleston Gazette-Mail 2/11/16

Supporters, mainly Republicans, argued that the bill simply codifies a balancing test for courts to abide by when determining if a person’s religious beliefs are being violated by state action and doesn’t guarantee any outcome of that test. Opponents, mainly Democrats, argued that the potential legislation will be bad for business, harm West Virginia’s reputation and encourage discrimination against marginalized groups.

Delegate Mike Azinger, R-Wood, spoke fervently and at length about his belief that the Founding Fathers supported a Christian government.

Some Democratic lawmakers noted that religion has been used to discriminate in the past.

Mayors of several cities with LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances, as well as a coalition of businesses worried about the economic impact of the bill, had spoken out against it.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "WV [small] businesses show support for LGBT patrons in wake of RFRA bill" by Erin Beck, Staff Writer, Charleston Gazette-Mail 2/15/16

Local business owners plan to display “All Kinds Welcome Here” stickers, designed by Jessica Kennedy, to signal that the businesses are friendly to the LGBT community.

Paul Greco, owner of Sam's Uptown Cafe and the Boulevard Tavern, in Charleston, said he hopes, “All Kinds are Welcome Here” stickers, which were designed by Jessica Kennedy, will be ready for distribution at Sam's by the end of the week. Interested businesses can also reach out through the Sam's Facebook page.

Keeley Steele, owner of Bluegrass Kitchen, Tricky Fish and Starling's, said she would post the sticker at her businesses.

Julia and Frank Gonzales, owners of Mi Cocina de Amor, said they would post the sticker, as well.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Major employers mum on WV Religious Freedom bill" by Erin Beck, Staff Writer, Charleston Gazette-Mail 2/17/16

A spokesman for Procter & Gamble, which is building a $500 million plant near Martinsburg, said the company believes it is “premature and inappropriate” to comment on the bill, since the company doesn't yet employ anyone in West Virginia.

The West Virginia United Health System is the second-largest private employer in the state, according to a Workforce West Virginia report from last fall.  Amy Johns, a spokeswoman for WVU Medicine, said . . . that no administrators were available to comment on the bill.

Charleston Area Medical Center spokesman Dale Witte said officials with that hospital system, the third-largest private employer in West Virginia, would not comment on the bill.

Marshall University spokesman Dave Wellman said the school also would not comment on the bill.

Representatives of Wal-Mart, West Virginia's largest private employer, and Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the state's fifth-largest employer, did not return multiple phone calls and emails. Wal-Mart opposed a similar bill in Arkansas, where the company is based.

Gary Broadbent, spokesman for Murray Energy Corp., said the company would not comment. Murray Energy is the sixth-largest private employer in the state, employing about 3,000 people in West Virginia. Broadbent did say the company has an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policy.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

In addition, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Gay Agenda: IBM Boycotts Christian Louisiana Gov. Jindal

Corporations Embrace Gay Agenda, With a Vengeance

Pro Sports, GOP Urge Supreme Court to Go Gay

And read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty