The state has denied Planned Parenthood of Indiana participation in a tax credit program that helps non-profits raise money, citing the state's new abortion law that aims to de-fund the organization.
For background, read Indiana Squeezes Obama in Abortion Battle via Medicaid and also read Obama Forces Planned Parenthood on Indiana
UPDATE 7/31/13: Indiana abandons legal battle against Planned Parenthood to stop state funding to abortion providers
UPDATE 10/20/11: Indiana tells court that Planned Parenthood should split into two organizations - abortion services, and non-abortion services
UPDATE 6/21/11: Planned Parenthood Shutting Down in Indiana & Minnesota
-- From "Indiana officials deny Planned Parenthood tax credits for fund-raising" by Lesley Stedman Weidenbener, Louisville Courier-Journal 6/13/11
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority notified Planned Parenthood that it has rejected its application to participate for a third year in the Neighborhood Assistance Program.
The program allots $2.5 million in tax credits annually to organizations, which then distribute them to donors. The donors can then deduct half the amount of their contributions from their income tax liability.
The new state law, which Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels signed in May, bans organizations that perform abortions from receiving Medicaid payments for non-abortion services and most other state and federal tax dollars. That has left Planned Parenthood to turn to private donors to help pay for services for Medicaid recipients while the group fights the law in court.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Indiana: Some Donations to Planned Parenthood Not Tax-Deductible" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 6/13/11
U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt initially refused to issue a restraining order for Planned Parenthood to block the law while the lawsuit moves forward and she is expected to rule later this month on a request for a permanent one.
In addition, the state argues that the new law serves the public interest in three ways: the funding qualification provision prevents taxpayer dollars from indirectly funding abortions; it advances the State’s goals of encouraging women to choose childbirth over abortion, and the informed consent requirements ensure that women who choose abortion have all the information necessary to make an informed and voluntary decision.
The law also contains several pro-life provisions that directly affect abortion, such as banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on fetal pain and provisions to opt-out of abortion coverage in any state health exchanges required under the new federal health law, to require that women considering abortion be given full, factual information in writing, and to require doctors who do abortions, or their designees, to maintain local hospital admitting privileges in order to streamline access to emergency care for women injured by abortion.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana has used the tax credit program to help raise funds and, over the last two years, the Indianapolis Star indicates it raised $21,238 in Marion County alone through the program.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Showing posts with label not-for-profit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label not-for-profit. Show all posts
Monday, June 13, 2011
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
CANADA: Ministry Capitulates to "Human Rights" Tribunal Demands
The cowards begin to fall...
From "Christian Ministry to Disabled Drops its Code of Conduct Under Human Rights Tribunal Pressure" by Mark Westen, posted at Lifesite 5/12/08
Christian Horizons, the non-profit, Christian charitable organization has dropped its requirement that employees sign their basic morality statement, in compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal's ruling against them.
The ruling originates from the case of former Christian Horizons (CH) employee, Connie Heintz, who brought a complaint against CH, claiming that she was forced out of her employment (she was not dismissed but chose to resign) after she publicly admitted to being an active lesbian. She had previous signed CH's code of conduct and worked for them for years prior to 'discovering' her homosexuality. The CH "Lifestyle and Morality Statement" asks that its employees refrain from a number of sexual and other unacceptable behaviours including; "homosexual relationships," "extra-marital sexual relationships (adultery)," "pre-marital sexual relationships (fornication)," "viewing or reading pornographic material," "endorsing" alcohol or cigarettes and "lying." [See previous article]
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Ordered that CH pay Ms. Heintz two years wages as well as $23, 000 in damages. Furthermore, and of great concern to Canadian Christianity in general, the tribunal ordered that "Christian Horizons cease and desist from using their current pre-employment contract...", that the organization must submit a review of all of its employment practices to the tribunal to ensure adherence to the Ontario Human Rights Code and that all CH employees undergo "human rights" training.
Although CH has launched an appeal in reference to the tribunal's other rulings, it has agreed to drop its "Lifestyle and Morality Statement." This decision on the part of CH has come as somewhat of a shock to many Christians as it severely impacts the current status of Christian rights in Canada.
Speaking of the Human Rights Tribunal's decision and of CH's resulting compliance in dropping their morality statement, Brian Rushfeldt Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Canada Family Action Coalition, stated that this decision brings with it a very "broad public danger" to all Christian groups operating in Canada. As the Tribunal's decision to demand that CH drop its code of conduct "was justified by the fact that CH provides services to the general public", that same standard "could be used against any Christian school, church or other organization that serves the public." It should be noted that through evangelization activities and even simply through the church's open invitation to the public to participate in services, it could, and may well be argued that "Christian churches and schools provide services to the public." If this is the case then Christian institutions "would no longer be permitted to uphold Christian values."
Unfortunately, Christian Horizons doesn't seem to realize that if they cannot hold their employees accountable to Christian standards of behavior, they will not have a Christian organization. They might as well be the Rotary Club...
Pray that Canadian Christians will be faithful and uncompromising in these difficult days.
From "Christian Ministry to Disabled Drops its Code of Conduct Under Human Rights Tribunal Pressure" by Mark Westen, posted at Lifesite 5/12/08
Christian Horizons, the non-profit, Christian charitable organization has dropped its requirement that employees sign their basic morality statement, in compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal's ruling against them.
The ruling originates from the case of former Christian Horizons (CH) employee, Connie Heintz, who brought a complaint against CH, claiming that she was forced out of her employment (she was not dismissed but chose to resign) after she publicly admitted to being an active lesbian. She had previous signed CH's code of conduct and worked for them for years prior to 'discovering' her homosexuality. The CH "Lifestyle and Morality Statement" asks that its employees refrain from a number of sexual and other unacceptable behaviours including; "homosexual relationships," "extra-marital sexual relationships (adultery)," "pre-marital sexual relationships (fornication)," "viewing or reading pornographic material," "endorsing" alcohol or cigarettes and "lying." [See previous article]
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Ordered that CH pay Ms. Heintz two years wages as well as $23, 000 in damages. Furthermore, and of great concern to Canadian Christianity in general, the tribunal ordered that "Christian Horizons cease and desist from using their current pre-employment contract...", that the organization must submit a review of all of its employment practices to the tribunal to ensure adherence to the Ontario Human Rights Code and that all CH employees undergo "human rights" training.
Although CH has launched an appeal in reference to the tribunal's other rulings, it has agreed to drop its "Lifestyle and Morality Statement." This decision on the part of CH has come as somewhat of a shock to many Christians as it severely impacts the current status of Christian rights in Canada.
Speaking of the Human Rights Tribunal's decision and of CH's resulting compliance in dropping their morality statement, Brian Rushfeldt Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Canada Family Action Coalition, stated that this decision brings with it a very "broad public danger" to all Christian groups operating in Canada. As the Tribunal's decision to demand that CH drop its code of conduct "was justified by the fact that CH provides services to the general public", that same standard "could be used against any Christian school, church or other organization that serves the public." It should be noted that through evangelization activities and even simply through the church's open invitation to the public to participate in services, it could, and may well be argued that "Christian churches and schools provide services to the public." If this is the case then Christian institutions "would no longer be permitted to uphold Christian values."
Unfortunately, Christian Horizons doesn't seem to realize that if they cannot hold their employees accountable to Christian standards of behavior, they will not have a Christian organization. They might as well be the Rotary Club...
Pray that Canadian Christians will be faithful and uncompromising in these difficult days.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Intrusive Gay Bill Moving Through CA Legislature
Critics say it's the first step toward establishing quotas for homosexuals
From "Intrusive Gay Bill Moving Through CA Legislature" by Terry Phillips, posted 2/1/08 at citizenlink.org
From "Intrusive Gay Bill Moving Through CA Legislature" by Terry Phillips, posted 2/1/08 at citizenlink.org
When first written, the California bill would have required a private foundation to gather information about its operations pertaining only to race and gender. Becky Burgoyne, legislation analyst with the California Family Council, says it was soon amended.
"They have now expanded that to all foundations. And so they're all included now, but they also put in sexual orientation."
Jeff Johnston, a gender analyst at Focus on the Family, finds the demand, to gather information on sexual orientation, ironic.
"On the one hand, you have people on the left saying, for years, that they don't want the government in the bedroom. And then here they are trying to collect information about what happens in the bedroom."
The current proposal only requires information be "gathered." Johnston says that won't last
Tragic and astonishing in its absurdity...A quote by Christian author and researcher, Allan Dobras, says it all,
“It should be abundantly clear to even the most casual observer that the homosexual rights movement is out of control and has gained immense momentum. Homosexuality in its several forms (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender—GLBT) has become the cause celebre of our time and shredded the fabric of rational thought."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Focus Vindicated After Yearlong IRS Audit
The IRS closed a nearly 12-month audit of Focus on the Family and Dr. James C. Dobson by affirming that the organization committed no wrongdoing.
From "Focus Vindicated After Yearlong IRS Audit" by Stuart Shepard, posted 9/10/07 at Citizenlink.org
From "Focus Vindicated After Yearlong IRS Audit" by Stuart Shepard, posted 9/10/07 at Citizenlink.org
The investigation, which ended last week, was sparked by allegations from two groups that routinely bash conservatives: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In particular, CREW falsely accused Focus on the Family and Dr. Dobson, in his capacity as the head of Focus, of electioneering by endorsing candidates for public office. It called on the IRS to conduct a "full-scale investigation" and to revoke Focus' tax-exempt status, levy fines and pursue "civil and criminal penalties."
Dr. Dobson said on his national radio broadcast today that the real target was conservative Christians nationwide.
"The purpose for this was not only to see if they could damage us and take us out," he said, "but to scare every pastor and every nonprofit that's out there."
Read the rest of this article.
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