Now that Apple Inc. has, upon request, permanently banned a Christian app for the popular iPhone, homosexualists are again asking Apple Inc. to ban an app from Exodus International, an organization advocating abstinence of homosexual behavior through Christ.
UPDATE 3/23/11: Apple Bans Exodus iPhone App
Read the previous article Apple Bans Evangelical Christian iPhone App
-- From "'Ex-gay' ministry launches app" by Ron Hughes, Gay News Network 3/14/11
The move has caused concern among LGBTI advocates, who see Exodus' activities as adding to discrimination and the stigmatisation of LGBTI people.
ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill told SX the organisation was concerned because negative attitudes to homosexuality impacted greatly on the health and well-being LGBTI people.
"For many years now, research and evidence has been widely available showing that being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is a normal state of mental health and social adjustment," Parkhill said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Activists Petition Apple to Remove Exodus App" by Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter 3/12/11
Exodus International, which bills itself as the world’s largest Christian ministry dealing with homosexual issues, reported that a petition by the LGBT [homosexual] rights group Truth Wins Out on Change.org is quickly gaining support. In less than 24 hours, the petition was able to gather more than 1,300 signatures.
Truth Wins Out contends that the app conveys the ministry’s “hateful and bigoted” message.
Critics of Exodus also blasted the ministry’s use of reparative therapy, calling it “bad medicine” and “very damaging” to the self-esteem and mental health of people struggling with same-sex attraction.
The ministry had released its new iPhone app on Tuesday. The app received a 4+ rating from Apple, which means that it contains “no objectionable content.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay activists target Exodus iPhone app" by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press 3/11/11
"We saw the app as another opportunity to reach the world -- to reach a larger demographic with our message," Jeff Buchanan, senior director of church equipping and student ministries for Exodus, told Baptist Press. "And based on a small group of activists being very vocal about their disagreement with Exodus and its message, we fear that Apple will censor our ability to be able to get our message out."
The app is needed, Buchanan said, to reach out to those struggling with same-sex attractions. He once was among those struggling with his feelings. Saved at the age of 13, he said he had same-sex attractions as a teenager but heard a "very condemning message" from his church.
"So I didn't tell anyone. I entered into a three-year same-sex relationship in my mid-20s and really felt the conviction of the Lord to turn away from that. I began the process of walking out of that in 1991," said Buchanan, who married his wife Angela in 2003.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Obscene 'Sexual Tension Quiz' in High School
Parents in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida became outraged when they read the 14-question quiz, given for a grade in the high school AP psychology class, and are still fuming as the offending instructor continues to teach because of the union contract, according to the school administration.
-- From "Teacher in Trouble Over Sexual Tension Test" by Brian Hamacher, NBC Miami 3/11/11
Palm Beach Gardens' Dwyer High teacher Frank Rozanski is in hot water after he gave his advanced placement psychology class the quiz which was full of sexual innuendo, according to WPTV.
"You know that's something, I don't know, you wouldn't even see on a porn site, I don't know, it's that bad," the parent who didn't want to be identified, said. "To have a teacher giving that, you know, to me that’s sexual harassment to these kids."
A spokesperson for Palm Beach County's school district said disciplinary action was taken against Rozanski, but didn't say what that action was.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parents Outraged Over Psychology Quiz Laced with Sexual Innuendo" posted at WMGT TV-41 (Georgia) 3/12/11
Concerned parents say whatever discipline was doled out by the district simply isn't enough.
They say the Rozanski shouldn't be a teacher at Dwyer High School any more.
The school district confirmed Rozanski is still a teacher at Dwyer.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Sexual innuendo quiz results in reprimand for Dwyer teacher" by Jason Schultz and Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post 3/12/11
A quiz meant to teach high school students how innocent notions can become sexually charged as a person matures has landed a longtime William T. Dwyer High School teacher in hot water.
"We do feel that it was over the top," said Dwyer Principal Joseph Lee of the quiz given Monday by Frank Rozanski to his advanced placement psychology class.
School district spokeswoman Vickie Middlebrooks said: "Our principal is handling it within the progressive discipline guidelines of our (Classroom Teachers Association) contract."
According to Robert Dow, the president of the Classroom Teachers Association union, the maximum discipline a principal can hand out to a teacher on their own is a verbal or written reprimand. A principal can recommend suspension or firing of a teacher, but such actions must then be approved by the school board, Dow said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
The following two questions were on the test:
-- From "Teacher in Trouble Over Sexual Tension Test" by Brian Hamacher, NBC Miami 3/11/11
Palm Beach Gardens' Dwyer High teacher Frank Rozanski is in hot water after he gave his advanced placement psychology class the quiz which was full of sexual innuendo, according to WPTV.
"You know that's something, I don't know, you wouldn't even see on a porn site, I don't know, it's that bad," the parent who didn't want to be identified, said. "To have a teacher giving that, you know, to me that’s sexual harassment to these kids."
A spokesperson for Palm Beach County's school district said disciplinary action was taken against Rozanski, but didn't say what that action was.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parents Outraged Over Psychology Quiz Laced with Sexual Innuendo" posted at WMGT TV-41 (Georgia) 3/12/11
Concerned parents say whatever discipline was doled out by the district simply isn't enough.
They say the Rozanski shouldn't be a teacher at Dwyer High School any more.
The school district confirmed Rozanski is still a teacher at Dwyer.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Sexual innuendo quiz results in reprimand for Dwyer teacher" by Jason Schultz and Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post 3/12/11
A quiz meant to teach high school students how innocent notions can become sexually charged as a person matures has landed a longtime William T. Dwyer High School teacher in hot water.
"We do feel that it was over the top," said Dwyer Principal Joseph Lee of the quiz given Monday by Frank Rozanski to his advanced placement psychology class.
School district spokeswoman Vickie Middlebrooks said: "Our principal is handling it within the progressive discipline guidelines of our (Classroom Teachers Association) contract."
According to Robert Dow, the president of the Classroom Teachers Association union, the maximum discipline a principal can hand out to a teacher on their own is a verbal or written reprimand. A principal can recommend suspension or firing of a teacher, but such actions must then be approved by the school board, Dow said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
The following two questions were on the test:
I assist an erection. Sometimes big balls hang from me. I'm called a big swinger. What Am I? (A: A crane)To read all 14 questions, and answers on the test, CLICK HERE.
When I go in I cause pain. I cause you to spit and ask you not to swallow. I can fill your hole. What Am I? (A: A dentist)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Abortion Prayer Vigil Nationwide: 40 Days for Life
Christians across America are praying in gatherings at abortion clinics and elsewhere, for God to have mercy on all victims of abortion, and to change the hearts of all lawmakers and abortionists alike, such that the tragedy of government-sanctioned abortion comes to an end.
UPDATE 4/17/11: Prayer Vigil Ends, 483 Babies Saved From Abortion
UPDATE 10/9/11: Prayer Vigil Saves Babies & Mothers from Abortion
-- From "Marchers kick off 40-day campaign to end abortion" posted at Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat 3/10/11
Anti-abortion advocates from the [St. Louis] metro-east and surrounding area joined together Wednesday to march to a start of "40 Days For Life."
The march was located at the Hope Clinic For Women, 1620 21st Street in Granite City [IL].
During the next 40 days, people protesting against abortion will pray, fast and hold peaceful vigils at abortion facilities. In addition, they will provide educational outreach at the grassroots level.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood protesters mark the start of 40 Days of Life" by Aaron Hale, Naples Daily News 3/9/11
The 40 Days for Life anti-abortion vigil drew a large crowd of demonstrators to the Planned Parenthood in Naples [Florida] today to pray for the end of abortions.
Roughly 150 demonstrators, including Diocese of Venice Bishop Frank Dewane, turned out this morning. In addition to praying together, participants also held signs with such messages as “Planned Parenthood kills babies,” “Women do regret abortions” and “Men regret lost fatherhood.”
Similar faith-based protests are occurring in 247 cities around the world, according to the 40 Days for Life website.
Organizer Jo An Carter said the goal of the protest was to shut down the Planned Parenthood and end abortion through prayer.
Short of that, Carter said she expects the demonstrators will deter some patients seeking abortions at the clinic.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Huge 40 Days for Life campaign kicks off Wednesday" by Peter Smith, LifeSiteNews.com 3/8/11
The coordinated international campaign begins March 9 and runs through April 17, coinciding with the Christian season of Lent. The campaign will stretch from coast to coast in the United States, and extends into Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Belize, Spain, Georgia and Armenia - representing a 47% increase in the number of locations over last spring.
40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of pro-life community outreach. The list of participating communities is posted online here.
The 40 Days for Life movement continues to grow. Thus far, seven coordinated national 40 Days for Life campaigns have been conducted, twice each year, beginning in the fall of 2007. More than 400,000 people in some 337 cities have already taken part. Nine abortion centers have closed following 40 Days for Life prayer vigils, and at least 43 abortion industry employees have quit their jobs, including Abby Johnson, former director of a Planned Parenthood facility.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Latest 40 Days for Life Sees Babies Saved From Abortions" by Shawn Carney, LifeNews.com 3/13/11
On a typical Wednesday, this facility in Rockford [Illinois] performs 15 abortions. “Today, because of the power of prayer,” said James, “that number was cut in half to seven.”
“We had a victory for life today in Wilmington, Delaware at the Planned Parenthood on Shipley Street,” wrote Elizabeth, who tells her story on the 40 Days for Life blog.
. . . the woman who was scheduled for an abortion came out [of the clinic].
“I asked her if she had chosen life for her child,” Elizabeth wrote, “and she said yes!” Elizabeth gave her a big hug.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Praying for Victims of Planned Parenthood Nationwide
God Saves 3,000 Babies: Prayer Vigil
Abortion Clinic Shut Down During Prayer Vigil
Unborn Lives Spared During Prayer Vigil
Prayer Answered: NY Abortion Clinic Closes
Left Fears a Take-down of Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Launches Propaganda Campaign
Congress Faces Greatest Genocide in History
America Turns Against Abortion on Demand
UPDATE 4/17/11: Prayer Vigil Ends, 483 Babies Saved From Abortion
UPDATE 10/9/11: Prayer Vigil Saves Babies & Mothers from Abortion
-- From "Marchers kick off 40-day campaign to end abortion" posted at Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat 3/10/11
Anti-abortion advocates from the [St. Louis] metro-east and surrounding area joined together Wednesday to march to a start of "40 Days For Life."
The march was located at the Hope Clinic For Women, 1620 21st Street in Granite City [IL].
During the next 40 days, people protesting against abortion will pray, fast and hold peaceful vigils at abortion facilities. In addition, they will provide educational outreach at the grassroots level.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Planned Parenthood protesters mark the start of 40 Days of Life" by Aaron Hale, Naples Daily News 3/9/11
The 40 Days for Life anti-abortion vigil drew a large crowd of demonstrators to the Planned Parenthood in Naples [Florida] today to pray for the end of abortions.
Roughly 150 demonstrators, including Diocese of Venice Bishop Frank Dewane, turned out this morning. In addition to praying together, participants also held signs with such messages as “Planned Parenthood kills babies,” “Women do regret abortions” and “Men regret lost fatherhood.”
Similar faith-based protests are occurring in 247 cities around the world, according to the 40 Days for Life website.
Organizer Jo An Carter said the goal of the protest was to shut down the Planned Parenthood and end abortion through prayer.
Short of that, Carter said she expects the demonstrators will deter some patients seeking abortions at the clinic.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Huge 40 Days for Life campaign kicks off Wednesday" by Peter Smith, LifeSiteNews.com 3/8/11
The coordinated international campaign begins March 9 and runs through April 17, coinciding with the Christian season of Lent. The campaign will stretch from coast to coast in the United States, and extends into Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Belize, Spain, Georgia and Armenia - representing a 47% increase in the number of locations over last spring.
40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of pro-life community outreach. The list of participating communities is posted online here.
The 40 Days for Life movement continues to grow. Thus far, seven coordinated national 40 Days for Life campaigns have been conducted, twice each year, beginning in the fall of 2007. More than 400,000 people in some 337 cities have already taken part. Nine abortion centers have closed following 40 Days for Life prayer vigils, and at least 43 abortion industry employees have quit their jobs, including Abby Johnson, former director of a Planned Parenthood facility.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Latest 40 Days for Life Sees Babies Saved From Abortions" by Shawn Carney, LifeNews.com 3/13/11
On a typical Wednesday, this facility in Rockford [Illinois] performs 15 abortions. “Today, because of the power of prayer,” said James, “that number was cut in half to seven.”
“We had a victory for life today in Wilmington, Delaware at the Planned Parenthood on Shipley Street,” wrote Elizabeth, who tells her story on the 40 Days for Life blog.
. . . the woman who was scheduled for an abortion came out [of the clinic].
“I asked her if she had chosen life for her child,” Elizabeth wrote, “and she said yes!” Elizabeth gave her a big hug.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Praying for Victims of Planned Parenthood Nationwide
God Saves 3,000 Babies: Prayer Vigil
Abortion Clinic Shut Down During Prayer Vigil
Unborn Lives Spared During Prayer Vigil
Prayer Answered: NY Abortion Clinic Closes
Left Fears a Take-down of Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Launches Propaganda Campaign
Congress Faces Greatest Genocide in History
America Turns Against Abortion on Demand
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Several Pro-life Bills Considered in Texas
On the cusp of a major House bill filing deadline, Texas representatives proposed several pieces of abortion-related legislation, on topics ranging from the outright banning of the procedure except when medically necessary, to a penalty for coercing someone to have an abortion.
From "Bill by Texas Rep. Parker bans abortion except when medically necessary" by Patrick Brendel, The Texas Independent 3/11/11
House Bill 2988 by state Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) would prohibit abortions from being performed unless a physician determines there is a substantial risk to the woman’s life or a major body function. Parker’s bill comes on the heels of a bill by state Rep. George Lavender (R-Texarkana) banning abortions except in cases of medical necessity, rape or incest. Lavender’s bill sparked immediate criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, as the Texas Independent previously reported.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Jim Landtroop (R-Plainview) filed House Joint Resolution 132, which proposes a state constitutional protection of human embryos’ right to life. According to the resolution, protections “regarding the right to life apply from the point of fertilization, when genetic information is gathered inside a cell, until death. The protections of this article regarding the life of an unborn child apply to the unborn child of any woman physically present in this state.”
State Rep. Bill Callegari (R-Katy) filed HB 2828, which would create a new offense for a person who uses “coercion to induce a pregnant woman to have or seek an abortion.” The offense of “coercion of abortion” would be a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by a max $2,000 fine and/or six months in jail.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "As State Abortion Fights Intensify, Texas Moves to Adopt Sonogram Bill" by Alex Hannaford, The Atlantic 3/11/11
Back in January, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that, along with a budget amendment and legislation to protect private property rights, he was also adding the so-called "sonogram bill" to a list of emergency items for the state's 82nd legislative session.
On Monday, that bill passed the floor of the Texas House of Representatives and headed for the Senate where, if it gets two thirds of the vote, it will become law and take immediate effect once Perry adds his signature, as he has pledged to do.
The sonogram bill in Texas is part of a nationwide push by Republicans and conservative activists since the fall to restrict abortion rights, and is one of the most aggressive and successful recent moves at the state level.
Rochelle Tafolla, of Planned Parenthood, insisted the bill had nothing to do with women's health-care. "It really is all about shaming women and telling them they're not capable of making a personal medical decision on their own," she told one local news network.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Texas considers bill to ban abortion" by Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow 3/12/11
Texas lawmakers are considering The Bill Burch Act, an bill sponsored by House member Wayne Christian. The Burch Act would ban abortion in The Lone Star state.
"I and many of my constituents believe that the legal documents that our forefathers founded that said life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not un-thought, un-researched words that they used,” Christian said. “They made very clear life is the first thing necessary and you can't enjoy any of the other -- liberty or the pursuit of happiness -- unless you first have life."
The bill stipulates that life begins at the moment of fertilization, and with that definition abortion would no longer be legal. But is there sufficient support?
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Bill by Texas Rep. Parker bans abortion except when medically necessary" by Patrick Brendel, The Texas Independent 3/11/11
House Bill 2988 by state Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) would prohibit abortions from being performed unless a physician determines there is a substantial risk to the woman’s life or a major body function. Parker’s bill comes on the heels of a bill by state Rep. George Lavender (R-Texarkana) banning abortions except in cases of medical necessity, rape or incest. Lavender’s bill sparked immediate criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, as the Texas Independent previously reported.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Jim Landtroop (R-Plainview) filed House Joint Resolution 132, which proposes a state constitutional protection of human embryos’ right to life. According to the resolution, protections “regarding the right to life apply from the point of fertilization, when genetic information is gathered inside a cell, until death. The protections of this article regarding the life of an unborn child apply to the unborn child of any woman physically present in this state.”
State Rep. Bill Callegari (R-Katy) filed HB 2828, which would create a new offense for a person who uses “coercion to induce a pregnant woman to have or seek an abortion.” The offense of “coercion of abortion” would be a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by a max $2,000 fine and/or six months in jail.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "As State Abortion Fights Intensify, Texas Moves to Adopt Sonogram Bill" by Alex Hannaford, The Atlantic 3/11/11
Back in January, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that, along with a budget amendment and legislation to protect private property rights, he was also adding the so-called "sonogram bill" to a list of emergency items for the state's 82nd legislative session.
On Monday, that bill passed the floor of the Texas House of Representatives and headed for the Senate where, if it gets two thirds of the vote, it will become law and take immediate effect once Perry adds his signature, as he has pledged to do.
The sonogram bill in Texas is part of a nationwide push by Republicans and conservative activists since the fall to restrict abortion rights, and is one of the most aggressive and successful recent moves at the state level.
Rochelle Tafolla, of Planned Parenthood, insisted the bill had nothing to do with women's health-care. "It really is all about shaming women and telling them they're not capable of making a personal medical decision on their own," she told one local news network.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Texas considers bill to ban abortion" by Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow 3/12/11
Texas lawmakers are considering The Bill Burch Act, an bill sponsored by House member Wayne Christian. The Burch Act would ban abortion in The Lone Star state.
"I and many of my constituents believe that the legal documents that our forefathers founded that said life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not un-thought, un-researched words that they used,” Christian said. “They made very clear life is the first thing necessary and you can't enjoy any of the other -- liberty or the pursuit of happiness -- unless you first have life."
The bill stipulates that life begins at the moment of fertilization, and with that definition abortion would no longer be legal. But is there sufficient support?
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
School Fights ACLU's Demand Against Prayer
Despite daunting legal costs, a Rhode Island school board respected the will of its taxpayers to maintain a half-century-old prayer painted on the wall of the auditorium, not yielding to atheists' threats and faulty interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
For background, read the initial school reaction months earlier: School Yields First Amendment to ACLU
UPDATE 3/6/12: School won't appeal decision so banner is placed in storage, while the School agrees to pay ACLU $150,000 for legal fees
UPDATE 1/25/12: Federal judge agrees with atheist, orders prayer banner removed; citizens favor appeal by school to retain banner
UPDATE 1/26/12 News video:
UPDATE 5/27/11: ACLU pleads before judge for prayer removal
UPDATE 4/5/11: ACLU files lawsuit for 16-year-old atheist girl against school
-- From "School prayer banner stays on display" by Brian Crandall, TV-10 Providence, RI 3/8/11
The Cranston School Committee voted [4 to 3] Monday night to keep a prayer banner on public display at a city high school, even if it means a costly legal battle.
The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has said it will sue if the banner remains, because it violates the constitution's principle of separation of church and state. The banner has hung on the auditorium wall at Cranston West for about 50 years.
The meeting of about 200 people was filled with mostly supporters, many who say it is religiously right to keep it up.
"This country was built, as you all know, on moral and religious principles, which are clearly emulated on that banner," said School Committee member Michael Traficante.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "School Committee Decides to Defend Banner" by Andrew Metcalf, Cranston Patch 3/8/11
“Swastikas offend me,” said School Committee member Frank Lombardi, “Burning of flags offend me, but a positive moral message that a child can choose or not choose to read certainly does not offend me.”
David Bradley, Cranston West class of 1963, the author of the prayer, spoke about its origins. He said he was tasked to write the prayer and the creed as a student council member in 1960 at the request of his advisor and the school administration.
Lisa French, a Cranston resident . . . warned the School Committee in a raised voice that their vote may affect them later. “On judgment day you will be judged when you stand before almighty God.”
After, she returned to her seat to a chorus of applause.
[School Committee chairman Andrea Iannazzi said,] “This country was founded not on freedom from religion, but on freedom of religion. Each person has the ability to practice whatever religion they want, that does not mean they have freedom from religions being practiced.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Rhode Island School District Battles ACLU Over Prayer Banner" by Dave Bohon, The New American 3/10/11
After several months of discussion on how to respond to the liberal legal group’s unsettling demand, the school committee ultimately took the advice of the thousands of local residents who had signed a petition in support of the banner, voting to allow the high school banner, as well as a similar one at the local middle school, to continue offering silent entreaty from the school’s auditorium wall.
School superintendent Peter L. Nero, who had originally suggested that the district avoid a legal fight by simply rewording the prayer to eliminate the offending "Our Heavenly Father" and "Amen," said he now thinks the banner is worth fighting to save. "I’m not saying that we won’t settle for something else," he said, but "no fight to me would be losing by default."
Some legal observers speculated that ultimately a conservative legal advocacy group such as the American Center for Law and Justice or the Alliance Defense Fund, both of which have had years of experience in defending individuals and organizations against the machinations of the ACLU, will step forward to defend the school district.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read the initial school reaction months earlier: School Yields First Amendment to ACLU
UPDATE 3/6/12: School won't appeal decision so banner is placed in storage, while the School agrees to pay ACLU $150,000 for legal fees
UPDATE 1/25/12: Federal judge agrees with atheist, orders prayer banner removed; citizens favor appeal by school to retain banner
UPDATE 1/26/12 News video:
UPDATE 5/27/11: ACLU pleads before judge for prayer removal
UPDATE 4/5/11: ACLU files lawsuit for 16-year-old atheist girl against school
-- From "School prayer banner stays on display" by Brian Crandall, TV-10 Providence, RI 3/8/11
The Cranston School Committee voted [4 to 3] Monday night to keep a prayer banner on public display at a city high school, even if it means a costly legal battle.
The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has said it will sue if the banner remains, because it violates the constitution's principle of separation of church and state. The banner has hung on the auditorium wall at Cranston West for about 50 years.
The meeting of about 200 people was filled with mostly supporters, many who say it is religiously right to keep it up.
"This country was built, as you all know, on moral and religious principles, which are clearly emulated on that banner," said School Committee member Michael Traficante.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "School Committee Decides to Defend Banner" by Andrew Metcalf, Cranston Patch 3/8/11
“Swastikas offend me,” said School Committee member Frank Lombardi, “Burning of flags offend me, but a positive moral message that a child can choose or not choose to read certainly does not offend me.”
David Bradley, Cranston West class of 1963, the author of the prayer, spoke about its origins. He said he was tasked to write the prayer and the creed as a student council member in 1960 at the request of his advisor and the school administration.
Lisa French, a Cranston resident . . . warned the School Committee in a raised voice that their vote may affect them later. “On judgment day you will be judged when you stand before almighty God.”
After, she returned to her seat to a chorus of applause.
[School Committee chairman Andrea Iannazzi said,] “This country was founded not on freedom from religion, but on freedom of religion. Each person has the ability to practice whatever religion they want, that does not mean they have freedom from religions being practiced.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Rhode Island School District Battles ACLU Over Prayer Banner" by Dave Bohon, The New American 3/10/11
After several months of discussion on how to respond to the liberal legal group’s unsettling demand, the school committee ultimately took the advice of the thousands of local residents who had signed a petition in support of the banner, voting to allow the high school banner, as well as a similar one at the local middle school, to continue offering silent entreaty from the school’s auditorium wall.
School superintendent Peter L. Nero, who had originally suggested that the district avoid a legal fight by simply rewording the prayer to eliminate the offending "Our Heavenly Father" and "Amen," said he now thinks the banner is worth fighting to save. "I’m not saying that we won’t settle for something else," he said, but "no fight to me would be losing by default."
Some legal observers speculated that ultimately a conservative legal advocacy group such as the American Center for Law and Justice or the Alliance Defense Fund, both of which have had years of experience in defending individuals and organizations against the machinations of the ACLU, will step forward to defend the school district.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Scientific Teaching vs. Darwinism: States' Legislation
In the past days, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee have considered state education laws to allow public teachers the freedom to teach science that challenges the religious dogma of Darwinian evolution as dictated by various government agencies and adherents in "higher education."
-- From "Florida Education Bill Revives Evolution Debate" by Mara Gay, Contributor AOL News 3/10/11
A controversial bill in the Florida Senate that would require teachers to offer a "thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution" has kicked up the latest battle over evolution.
The latest bill, SB 1854, was introduced by Florida State Sen. Steve Wise, a Republican. In 2009, Wise sponsored a bill that would have introduced the teaching of intelligent design in Florida schools. "If you're going to teach evolution, then you have to teach the other side so you can have critical thinking," he told the Florida Times-Union at the time. That bill failed, however.
Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute, a group that backs intelligent design but does not support its teaching in public schools, said students deserve to hear both sides of the debate. "Responsible educators need to teach about the evidence for and against evolution," he said in a phone interview today. "You cannot impose dogmatism on students. They will come to their own conclusions." Luskin said simply shouting down proponents of intelligent design without allowing for a healthy debate stifles student interest in science.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida bill may rekindle debate over evolution" by Ron Matus, St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer 3/8/11
Evolution supporters say the language is another attempt by Florida lawmakers to undermine the teaching of evolution, introduce the faith-based concepts of creationism and intelligent design, and water down state science standards that were narrowly passed by the state Board of Education in 2008.
Wise's bill would also require teaching about the history and content of the Declaration of Independence, the history of the Holocaust and the history of African-Americans, "including the history of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery." It mandates a "character-development program" in K-12 that emphasizes "honesty, virtue, moral courage, dignity of honest labor" and other values.
People opposed to Wise's bill don't have a problem with "critical analysis," wrote Wesley Elsberry, a scientific engineering programmer in Palmetto, on his blog last night. "They are opposed to using the power of government to force teachers to tell lies to students."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Opposition to antievolution bill continues in Tennessee" posted at the National Center for Science Education 3/11/11
As a third subcommittee hearing on Tennessee's House Bill 368 approaches, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Tennessee Science Teachers Association, and the executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee are expressing their opposition to the bill.
Becky Ashe, the president of the [Darwinian] TSTA, told the subcommittee that the bill was flawed in implying that evolution is scientifically controversial, explaining that the members of TSTA "recognize the scientific theory of evolution is accepted by mainstream scientists around the world as the cornerstone of biology and as the single, unifying explanation for the diversity of life." She also expressed concern that the bill would "allow non-scientific alternatives to evolution ... to be introduced into our public schools." She concluded by describing HB 368 as "unnecessary, anti-scientific, and very likely unconstitutional."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Tennessee Academic Freedom Bill Backed by Scientists" by Anika Smith, Evolution News 3/11/11
Among those who testified in favor of the bill were Ph.D. biologist Robin Zimmer, Executive Director of Center for Biomedical Research in Knoxville, [who said] . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Antievolution bill dies in Kentucky" posted at the National Center for Science Education 3/11/11
When the Kentucky legislature adjourned sine die on March 9, 2011, House Bill 169 died in committee . . . [which] would have allowed teachers to "use, as permitted by the local school board, other instructional materials to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner." No particular scientific theories were cited . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read related articles:
Media Scoff at Christians Advancing Science in Tennessee
Scientists: Outlaw Non-evolution Theories & Beliefs
Rick Perry: We Teach Creationism & Evolution in Texas
Texas Evolution Textbook Debate Continues
Texas Bill to Protect Non-Darwinists from Discrimination
Illinois Teacher Challenges Darwin - NOT Fired
Louisiana Rejects Science Debate in Textbooks
Louisiana Legislators Nearly Unanimous for Teaching Critically on Evolution
Teaching Evolution is Religious Indoctrination: Lawsuit
University Won't Hire Christians as Scientists
Few Believe Evolution Enough to Teach It: Study
Intelligentsia Fear Critique of Darwin in Texas Schools
Eons of Godless Human Evolution? NOT, Say 84% of Americans
Scientist: Universe Created Itself, Not God
-- From "Florida Education Bill Revives Evolution Debate" by Mara Gay, Contributor AOL News 3/10/11
A controversial bill in the Florida Senate that would require teachers to offer a "thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution" has kicked up the latest battle over evolution.
The latest bill, SB 1854, was introduced by Florida State Sen. Steve Wise, a Republican. In 2009, Wise sponsored a bill that would have introduced the teaching of intelligent design in Florida schools. "If you're going to teach evolution, then you have to teach the other side so you can have critical thinking," he told the Florida Times-Union at the time. That bill failed, however.
Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute, a group that backs intelligent design but does not support its teaching in public schools, said students deserve to hear both sides of the debate. "Responsible educators need to teach about the evidence for and against evolution," he said in a phone interview today. "You cannot impose dogmatism on students. They will come to their own conclusions." Luskin said simply shouting down proponents of intelligent design without allowing for a healthy debate stifles student interest in science.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida bill may rekindle debate over evolution" by Ron Matus, St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer 3/8/11
Evolution supporters say the language is another attempt by Florida lawmakers to undermine the teaching of evolution, introduce the faith-based concepts of creationism and intelligent design, and water down state science standards that were narrowly passed by the state Board of Education in 2008.
Wise's bill would also require teaching about the history and content of the Declaration of Independence, the history of the Holocaust and the history of African-Americans, "including the history of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery." It mandates a "character-development program" in K-12 that emphasizes "honesty, virtue, moral courage, dignity of honest labor" and other values.
People opposed to Wise's bill don't have a problem with "critical analysis," wrote Wesley Elsberry, a scientific engineering programmer in Palmetto, on his blog last night. "They are opposed to using the power of government to force teachers to tell lies to students."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Opposition to antievolution bill continues in Tennessee" posted at the National Center for Science Education 3/11/11
As a third subcommittee hearing on Tennessee's House Bill 368 approaches, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Tennessee Science Teachers Association, and the executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee are expressing their opposition to the bill.
Becky Ashe, the president of the [Darwinian] TSTA, told the subcommittee that the bill was flawed in implying that evolution is scientifically controversial, explaining that the members of TSTA "recognize the scientific theory of evolution is accepted by mainstream scientists around the world as the cornerstone of biology and as the single, unifying explanation for the diversity of life." She also expressed concern that the bill would "allow non-scientific alternatives to evolution ... to be introduced into our public schools." She concluded by describing HB 368 as "unnecessary, anti-scientific, and very likely unconstitutional."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Tennessee Academic Freedom Bill Backed by Scientists" by Anika Smith, Evolution News 3/11/11
Among those who testified in favor of the bill were Ph.D. biologist Robin Zimmer, Executive Director of Center for Biomedical Research in Knoxville, [who said] . . .
"The bill simply proposes that public teachers be permitted to allow critical analysis of scientific theories within the public classroom. Two UT science department chairs testified in opposition to the bill. What strikes me as odd is how academic scientists could argue with an approach that, in all honesty, molded them into the professionals that they are today. What I am talking about is advanced critical thinking and analysis that lies at the very core of a scientist's world. A well functioning peer review system challenges a scientist's thinking and ensures critical and constructive discourse.". . . The bill only protects teaching scientific information and prohibits promotion of religious doctrine.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Antievolution bill dies in Kentucky" posted at the National Center for Science Education 3/11/11
When the Kentucky legislature adjourned sine die on March 9, 2011, House Bill 169 died in committee . . . [which] would have allowed teachers to "use, as permitted by the local school board, other instructional materials to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner." No particular scientific theories were cited . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read related articles:
Media Scoff at Christians Advancing Science in Tennessee
Scientists: Outlaw Non-evolution Theories & Beliefs
Rick Perry: We Teach Creationism & Evolution in Texas
Texas Evolution Textbook Debate Continues
Texas Bill to Protect Non-Darwinists from Discrimination
Illinois Teacher Challenges Darwin - NOT Fired
Louisiana Rejects Science Debate in Textbooks
Louisiana Legislators Nearly Unanimous for Teaching Critically on Evolution
Teaching Evolution is Religious Indoctrination: Lawsuit
University Won't Hire Christians as Scientists
Few Believe Evolution Enough to Teach It: Study
Intelligentsia Fear Critique of Darwin in Texas Schools
Eons of Godless Human Evolution? NOT, Say 84% of Americans
Scientist: Universe Created Itself, Not God
Friday, March 11, 2011
Prayer Amendment Passes in Missouri House
The proposed amendment to Missouri's Constitution would ensure that citizens and schoolchildren have the right to pray and acknowledge God in public settings.
UPDATE 8/8/12: Over 80% of Missourians vote in favor of amendment
UPDATE 5/10/11: Bill passes Senate 34 to zero - Citizens will vote in 2012
-- From "Mo. House approves proposed amendment on religious expression in public and government places" by The Associated Press 3/10/11
For the sixth year in a row, the Missouri House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to pray privately in public places.
The amendment would prohibit Missouri cities, counties and schools from adopting policies to prevent prayer or other religious demonstrations in public places.
Thursday's 126-30 House vote sent the measure to the Senate, where it has died in previous years. Senate passage would put the amendment on a statewide ballot in November 2012.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Prayer Amendments Introduced in Missouri House and Senate" posted at Missouri Family E-News 2/14/11
Representative Mike McGhee of Odesssa has again filed House Joint Resolution 2 in the Missouri House, and Senator Jack Goodman of Mt. Vernon has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 16 in the Missouri Senate.
At the heart of the proposal is a provision guaranteeing the right of students in public schools to pray on a voluntary basis. Students would be assured of the right to pray and acknowledge God so long as such expressions abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances.
While the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that "state-sponsored prayer" (organized prayer led by school officials) is unconstitutional, the High Court has also declared that schools and other governmental bodies cannot infringe on the voluntary free exercise of religious speech in school settings. Schools cannot engage in "viewpoint discrimination" by prohibiting speech based on its religious content.
Yet school officials across the country regularly suppress the religious values and voices of students based on a false understanding of the constitutional theory of the "separation of church and state." Opponents of religious liberty such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation incorrectly argue that any and all references to God and religion must be banished from school premises.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 8/8/12: Over 80% of Missourians vote in favor of amendment
UPDATE 5/10/11: Bill passes Senate 34 to zero - Citizens will vote in 2012
-- From "Mo. House approves proposed amendment on religious expression in public and government places" by The Associated Press 3/10/11
For the sixth year in a row, the Missouri House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to pray privately in public places.
The amendment would prohibit Missouri cities, counties and schools from adopting policies to prevent prayer or other religious demonstrations in public places.
Thursday's 126-30 House vote sent the measure to the Senate, where it has died in previous years. Senate passage would put the amendment on a statewide ballot in November 2012.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Prayer Amendments Introduced in Missouri House and Senate" posted at Missouri Family E-News 2/14/11
Representative Mike McGhee of Odesssa has again filed House Joint Resolution 2 in the Missouri House, and Senator Jack Goodman of Mt. Vernon has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 16 in the Missouri Senate.
At the heart of the proposal is a provision guaranteeing the right of students in public schools to pray on a voluntary basis. Students would be assured of the right to pray and acknowledge God so long as such expressions abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances.
While the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that "state-sponsored prayer" (organized prayer led by school officials) is unconstitutional, the High Court has also declared that schools and other governmental bodies cannot infringe on the voluntary free exercise of religious speech in school settings. Schools cannot engage in "viewpoint discrimination" by prohibiting speech based on its religious content.
Yet school officials across the country regularly suppress the religious values and voices of students based on a false understanding of the constitutional theory of the "separation of church and state." Opponents of religious liberty such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation incorrectly argue that any and all references to God and religion must be banished from school premises.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Same-sex 'Marriage' Dies in Maryland Legislature
After a homosexual 'marriage' bill sailed through the Maryland Senate, and was hailed by the state's governor, Democrats in control of the Maryland House of Delegates quietly dismissed the bill, as the support was weak.
For background read, Same-sex 'Marriage' in Maryland Legislature
UPDATE 3/17/11: How Christian grassroots defeated 'marriage' bill
UPDATE 3/14/11: Homosexualists lick their wounds in defeat
UPDATE 11/7/12: Maryland Votes for Same-sex Marriage
-- From "Md. gay marriage bill likely dead, sent to panel" by The Associated Press 3/11/11
Advocates believed they did not have the 71 votes [in the House] needed to pass the bill in a final vote Friday, and it was sent back to committee. The procedure will allow them to continue with the legislation next year.
Supporters Delegate Anne Kaiser, D-Montgomery, and Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of Equality-Maryland, said they don't expect another vote on the bill this year.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Maryland gay marriage bill dies in House of Delegates with no final vote" by Tom LoBianco, The Associated Press 3/11/11
Although Democrats have solid control over both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor's office, extending full marriage rights to same sex couples did not appear possible before this year.
While Democrats hold an overwhelming 98 seats in the 141-seat House of Delegates, the pickup of six seats by Republicans in the last election helped erode support, said House Environmental Matters Chairwoman Maggie McIntosh, one of the chamber's seven openly gay members.
"I would have hoped that we could have resolved this issue and then let the people decide," said Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, after the House killed the measure . "I think an issue like this was bound to go before the people in a referendum, and I would have hoped that we would have been able to have accomplished that today."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Short Votes, Maryland Democrats Withdraw Same-Sex Marriage Bill" by Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times 3/11/11
The speaker of Maryland’s house, Michael E. Busch, said . . . “We’ll come back next year and take a strong look at it.”
For weeks, the bill’s passage was thought to be assured. Maryland’s House is overwhelmingly Democrat — 98 out of 141 members, more than enough to pass the bill over Republican opposition. But the closer it got to a final vote, the bumpier its path became, with a number of Democrats from districts with strong religious constituencies saying they would vote against it.
Ultimately, about a third of the Democrats in the House opposed it.
Luke Clippinger, one of the House’s seven openly gay members, whose voice had cracked while giving a personal speech during the debate, said he felt “tired by not broken” by the turn of events.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 3/11/11: "Maryland gay marriage proposal shelved" by Reuters 3/11/11
. . . In a spirited debate, many African American delegates said they felt pressured to act according to the wishes of their constituency, including black churches opposed to using the word "marriage" to describe same-sex relationships.
"It turns a moral wrong into a civil right," said Democratic delegate Emmett Burns, Jr..
"I don't think there has ever been an issue, in the 37 years I have been down here, that has brought more attention, that has had more input from your citizens and from your church," said [Joseph Vallario, chairman of the Judiciary Committee].
Seven openly homosexual delegates personally appealed to their colleagues to pass the bill.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Bishops Fight Maryland's Same-sex 'Marriage' Bill
For background read, Same-sex 'Marriage' in Maryland Legislature
UPDATE 3/17/11: How Christian grassroots defeated 'marriage' bill
UPDATE 3/14/11: Homosexualists lick their wounds in defeat
UPDATE 11/7/12: Maryland Votes for Same-sex Marriage
-- From "Md. gay marriage bill likely dead, sent to panel" by The Associated Press 3/11/11
Advocates believed they did not have the 71 votes [in the House] needed to pass the bill in a final vote Friday, and it was sent back to committee. The procedure will allow them to continue with the legislation next year.
Supporters Delegate Anne Kaiser, D-Montgomery, and Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of Equality-Maryland, said they don't expect another vote on the bill this year.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Maryland gay marriage bill dies in House of Delegates with no final vote" by Tom LoBianco, The Associated Press 3/11/11
Although Democrats have solid control over both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor's office, extending full marriage rights to same sex couples did not appear possible before this year.
While Democrats hold an overwhelming 98 seats in the 141-seat House of Delegates, the pickup of six seats by Republicans in the last election helped erode support, said House Environmental Matters Chairwoman Maggie McIntosh, one of the chamber's seven openly gay members.
"I would have hoped that we could have resolved this issue and then let the people decide," said Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, after the House killed the measure . "I think an issue like this was bound to go before the people in a referendum, and I would have hoped that we would have been able to have accomplished that today."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Short Votes, Maryland Democrats Withdraw Same-Sex Marriage Bill" by Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times 3/11/11
The speaker of Maryland’s house, Michael E. Busch, said . . . “We’ll come back next year and take a strong look at it.”
For weeks, the bill’s passage was thought to be assured. Maryland’s House is overwhelmingly Democrat — 98 out of 141 members, more than enough to pass the bill over Republican opposition. But the closer it got to a final vote, the bumpier its path became, with a number of Democrats from districts with strong religious constituencies saying they would vote against it.
Ultimately, about a third of the Democrats in the House opposed it.
Luke Clippinger, one of the House’s seven openly gay members, whose voice had cracked while giving a personal speech during the debate, said he felt “tired by not broken” by the turn of events.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 3/11/11: "Maryland gay marriage proposal shelved" by Reuters 3/11/11
. . . In a spirited debate, many African American delegates said they felt pressured to act according to the wishes of their constituency, including black churches opposed to using the word "marriage" to describe same-sex relationships.
"It turns a moral wrong into a civil right," said Democratic delegate Emmett Burns, Jr..
"I don't think there has ever been an issue, in the 37 years I have been down here, that has brought more attention, that has had more input from your citizens and from your church," said [Joseph Vallario, chairman of the Judiciary Committee].
Seven openly homosexual delegates personally appealed to their colleagues to pass the bill.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Bishops Fight Maryland's Same-sex 'Marriage' Bill
'Good Sex' Exposed to Kids on Church Billboards
Midwestern churches in conservative cities are challenging both tradition and Hollywood by emphasizing God's design for sex within marriage, but many Christians prefer the churches keep their sex private.
-- From "Church Tries to Ignite Married Couple's Sex Lives" by Dean Schabner, ABC News 2/12/11
. . . some people in Joplin, Mo., say the billboards that Ignite Church has put up in the town shouldn't be viewed by children . . .
But Ignite Church's Lead Pastor Heath Mooneyham said the message . . . is all about love, and God's purpose for it -- which includes sex.
"We're doing a series about sex, and God's intended purpose for it," Mooneyham. "We're hitting things like adultery and pornography."
Mooneyham indicated that in a poll on the church's website, 86 percent of the respondents said they were not having enough sex in their marriage.
"This is really one of the major issues that's ripping marriages apart. They are at a higher risk of adultery, looking at pornography -- that leads to divorce," Mooneyham said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Indiana Church Behind Provocative Sex Billboard" posted at FoxNews.com 3/10/11
When people go to the [advertised Internet] site, the link brings users to The Blended Church -- a non-denominational and non-traditional church that preaches, among other things, about the positive aspects of a healthy sex life within marriage, Indiana's Fox59 reports.
However, many motorists are offended by the advertisement, saying it's bad exposure for kids.
But Pastor Dehner Maurer, whose church is responsible for the signs, disagrees.
"Hollywood is speaking it. The Super Bowl is talking about it, so the church should be talking about it," he says.
"We're just trying to be real and relevant and speak about issues that we face and that's a part of life."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Controversial billboards around Indianapolis have many parents worried as church targets sex as church addresses topic that is 'real and relevant'" by Heather MacWilliams, Fox59 WSBT-TV Indianapolis 3/10/11
"My kids are pointing. I don't want to see that when I'm driving. I just don't. That's a little bit too much," Jennell Allison.
Many motorists share this mother's opinion. "I think that's a little explicit to be on a billboard out here for children to see. It's a little much," says Sherry Knokes.
"In first grade they're talking about it and its too young for the children. I understand that. The problem is if we as parents don't talk to them about sex the kid down the road will," Maurer continues.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Church Tries to Ignite Married Couple's Sex Lives" by Dean Schabner, ABC News 2/12/11
. . . some people in Joplin, Mo., say the billboards that Ignite Church has put up in the town shouldn't be viewed by children . . .
But Ignite Church's Lead Pastor Heath Mooneyham said the message . . . is all about love, and God's purpose for it -- which includes sex.
"We're doing a series about sex, and God's intended purpose for it," Mooneyham. "We're hitting things like adultery and pornography."
Mooneyham indicated that in a poll on the church's website, 86 percent of the respondents said they were not having enough sex in their marriage.
"This is really one of the major issues that's ripping marriages apart. They are at a higher risk of adultery, looking at pornography -- that leads to divorce," Mooneyham said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Indiana Church Behind Provocative Sex Billboard" posted at FoxNews.com 3/10/11
When people go to the [advertised Internet] site, the link brings users to The Blended Church -- a non-denominational and non-traditional church that preaches, among other things, about the positive aspects of a healthy sex life within marriage, Indiana's Fox59 reports.
However, many motorists are offended by the advertisement, saying it's bad exposure for kids.
But Pastor Dehner Maurer, whose church is responsible for the signs, disagrees.
"Hollywood is speaking it. The Super Bowl is talking about it, so the church should be talking about it," he says.
"We're just trying to be real and relevant and speak about issues that we face and that's a part of life."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Controversial billboards around Indianapolis have many parents worried as church targets sex as church addresses topic that is 'real and relevant'" by Heather MacWilliams, Fox59 WSBT-TV Indianapolis 3/10/11
"My kids are pointing. I don't want to see that when I'm driving. I just don't. That's a little bit too much," Jennell Allison.
Many motorists share this mother's opinion. "I think that's a little explicit to be on a billboard out here for children to see. It's a little much," says Sherry Knokes.
"In first grade they're talking about it and its too young for the children. I understand that. The problem is if we as parents don't talk to them about sex the kid down the road will," Maurer continues.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Abortion Eliminated in Georgia: Senate Bill
The Georgia Senate is considering legislation to require all abortions be performed only in hospitals so licensed, thus shutting down every abortion clinic in the state.
". . . abortions would be legal in Georgia, you just couldn't get one."
-- From "Georgia abortion clinics shuttered under Senate bill" by Christopher Quinn and Aaron Gould Sheinin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 3/10/11
Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, introduced Senate Bill 209 March 3, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks. But as the Senate Rules Committee met to consider it this afternoon a new version was handed out that says abortions could be performed only in hospitals licensed to do so.
According to providers, nearly all abortions take place in Georgia's 14 clinics and doctors offices, and no one knew how many hospitals in Georgia offered abortions on demand.
Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, a nurse by trade, said in the meeting that many hospitals are reticent to provide abortions.
. . . the switch in bills late Thursday afternoon left Planned Parenthood little time to bring experts to testify before the committee when it reconvenes Friday morning.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
". . . abortions would be legal in Georgia, you just couldn't get one."
-- From "Georgia abortion clinics shuttered under Senate bill" by Christopher Quinn and Aaron Gould Sheinin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 3/10/11
Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, introduced Senate Bill 209 March 3, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks. But as the Senate Rules Committee met to consider it this afternoon a new version was handed out that says abortions could be performed only in hospitals licensed to do so.
According to providers, nearly all abortions take place in Georgia's 14 clinics and doctors offices, and no one knew how many hospitals in Georgia offered abortions on demand.
Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, a nurse by trade, said in the meeting that many hospitals are reticent to provide abortions.
. . . the switch in bills late Thursday afternoon left Planned Parenthood little time to bring experts to testify before the committee when it reconvenes Friday morning.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
'Culture War' Suddenly Erupts, Says Liberal Media
Yet again, the liberal media demonstrate they've been living under a rock, saying that they just now noticed that Americans want to press the issues of abortion, marriage, and religious liberty.
Hello?! Remember the (Christian) Tea Party movement? For background on what these journalists have missed read Ignore Abortion & Gay Agenda, Says GOP Establishment & Media
Maybe the liberal media noticed the Culture War now because President Obama recently "jumped in bed" with the homosexualists.
-- From "Abortion, Gay Rights Are Back Ahead of 2012 Election" by Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News & World Report 3/10/11
The "wedge issues" are coming back, just in time for the 2012 presidential campaign. These are the social questions that have divided Americans for many years, such as gay rights, abortion, and "family values." They had been relatively dormant on a national scale for a long time. But that ended when the Obama administration resurrected the gay-rights debate by announcing that it would no longer support the Defense of Marriage Act . . . Christian conservatives in particular predict that Obama's decision will re-energize anti-gay-rights forces in opposition to the president.
But now the debate over social issues seems to be re-emerging with new intensity, especially within the Republican Party. Some activists on the right have condemned Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels for supporting a "truce" on social issues until the economy can be strengthened. . . .
Obviously, even though they are not of paramount importance to most voters in an era of economic trouble and high unemployment, social issues are still crucial to many Americans. The problem is that wedge issues make people particularly angry, and reviving them would certainly add to our platter of polarization.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Culture wars hit the budget battle" by Jake Sherman & Jonathan Allen, Politico 3/10/11
Despite a plea by national Republican leaders for a truce on politically volatile social issues, conservative lawmakers and activists want to use the budget process to force action on their policy goals.
Social conservatives are clamoring for a showdown with the president on their plans to choke off money for Planned Parenthood . . .
Conservatives are increasingly trying to use “riders” — legislative provisions that are tacked onto spending bills — on spending bills to achieve long-time policy goals.
The stakes are high for all involved. Republicans sense a chance to make major cuts to domestic programs and to cripple bastions of the political left. Democrats want to defend favored programs while also proving to independents that they believe in fiscal restraint. Both sides must show their bases that they can win a political fight. And many conservatives say that they are willing to sacrifice some of their spending cuts if they can win on social policy riders.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Presidential Candidates: Abortion & Marriage Top Issues
Hello?! Remember the (Christian) Tea Party movement? For background on what these journalists have missed read Ignore Abortion & Gay Agenda, Says GOP Establishment & Media
Maybe the liberal media noticed the Culture War now because President Obama recently "jumped in bed" with the homosexualists.
-- From "Abortion, Gay Rights Are Back Ahead of 2012 Election" by Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News & World Report 3/10/11
The "wedge issues" are coming back, just in time for the 2012 presidential campaign. These are the social questions that have divided Americans for many years, such as gay rights, abortion, and "family values." They had been relatively dormant on a national scale for a long time. But that ended when the Obama administration resurrected the gay-rights debate by announcing that it would no longer support the Defense of Marriage Act . . . Christian conservatives in particular predict that Obama's decision will re-energize anti-gay-rights forces in opposition to the president.
But now the debate over social issues seems to be re-emerging with new intensity, especially within the Republican Party. Some activists on the right have condemned Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels for supporting a "truce" on social issues until the economy can be strengthened. . . .
Obviously, even though they are not of paramount importance to most voters in an era of economic trouble and high unemployment, social issues are still crucial to many Americans. The problem is that wedge issues make people particularly angry, and reviving them would certainly add to our platter of polarization.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Culture wars hit the budget battle" by Jake Sherman & Jonathan Allen, Politico 3/10/11
Despite a plea by national Republican leaders for a truce on politically volatile social issues, conservative lawmakers and activists want to use the budget process to force action on their policy goals.
Social conservatives are clamoring for a showdown with the president on their plans to choke off money for Planned Parenthood . . .
Conservatives are increasingly trying to use “riders” — legislative provisions that are tacked onto spending bills — on spending bills to achieve long-time policy goals.
The stakes are high for all involved. Republicans sense a chance to make major cuts to domestic programs and to cripple bastions of the political left. Democrats want to defend favored programs while also proving to independents that they believe in fiscal restraint. Both sides must show their bases that they can win a political fight. And many conservatives say that they are willing to sacrifice some of their spending cuts if they can win on social policy riders.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Presidential Candidates: Abortion & Marriage Top Issues
'Extermination of Negros' Abortionist's Goal Censored
CBS Outdoor refuses billboard advertisement in Michigan quoting Planned Parenthood founder's eugenic mantra of black genocide
UPDATE 8/28/15: Smithsonian Favors Racist Eugenicist Margaret Sanger over African Americans
For background read Black Genocide in New York City (nearly 2 of 3 killed in womb) and also read Abortion Targeting Blacks: Exposed in Media Campaign
-- From "Controversial pro-life sign banned from being a billboard" by Dan Armstrong, WEYI NBC-TV25 Flint, Michigan 3/8/11
That message, a quote from Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger talking about the extermination of black people.
The sign that CBS Outdoor refused to put on one of its Flint billboards quotes Margaret Sanger saying, "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population."
"If you read her biography, she was very much tied to the Ku Klux Klan, to the Nazis, to Hitler. She very much wanted thoroughbreds. That's the word she used, thoroughbreds, and the way to make that happen was to eliminate minorities. She called them weeds in the garden of life," says Judy Climer, director of Flint Area Right to Life.
Planned Parenthood . . . admits Sanger was a product of her time and embraced some ideas that are not considered popular today.
It says, despite that, Sanger was a pioneer and champion for all women's rights.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Another billboard exposing eugenicist Planned Parenthood founder banned" by Kathleen Gilbert, LifeSiteNews.com 3/9/11
A Planned Parenthood biography of Sanger accused pro-life advocates of “intentionally confusing [Sanger’s] views on ‘fitness’ with eugenics.” Sanger was an advocate of preventing “unfit” persons from breeding as a means of improving the quality of the human race.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Truth About Abortion Offends New Yorkers
To watch an interview with the late Margaret Sanger, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 8/28/15: Smithsonian Favors Racist Eugenicist Margaret Sanger over African Americans
For background read Black Genocide in New York City (nearly 2 of 3 killed in womb) and also read Abortion Targeting Blacks: Exposed in Media Campaign
-- From "Controversial pro-life sign banned from being a billboard" by Dan Armstrong, WEYI NBC-TV25 Flint, Michigan 3/8/11
That message, a quote from Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger talking about the extermination of black people.
The sign that CBS Outdoor refused to put on one of its Flint billboards quotes Margaret Sanger saying, "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population."
"If you read her biography, she was very much tied to the Ku Klux Klan, to the Nazis, to Hitler. She very much wanted thoroughbreds. That's the word she used, thoroughbreds, and the way to make that happen was to eliminate minorities. She called them weeds in the garden of life," says Judy Climer, director of Flint Area Right to Life.
Planned Parenthood . . . admits Sanger was a product of her time and embraced some ideas that are not considered popular today.
It says, despite that, Sanger was a pioneer and champion for all women's rights.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Another billboard exposing eugenicist Planned Parenthood founder banned" by Kathleen Gilbert, LifeSiteNews.com 3/9/11
A Planned Parenthood biography of Sanger accused pro-life advocates of “intentionally confusing [Sanger’s] views on ‘fitness’ with eugenics.” Sanger was an advocate of preventing “unfit” persons from breeding as a means of improving the quality of the human race.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Truth About Abortion Offends New Yorkers
To watch an interview with the late Margaret Sanger, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Defeating Marriage & Destroying Family: Survey
As the U.S. follows the European dechristianization model, where few people get married, the youngest adults in America now see little need for marriage according to the latest from Pew Research.
Sexualization of children and indoctrination in the Gay Agenda are having the desired effect.
For extensive background read Marriage Obsolete: American Poll
-- From "Report: Millennials say marriage ideal but parenthood the priority" by Jason Hanna, CNN 3/9/11
. . . only 30% of ["millenial"] adults 18-29 surveyed in January 2010 put having a successful marriage in the ["important things" category].
. . . when young adults of Generation X were asked the same question during a Washington Post/Kaiser/Harvard survey in 1997 . . . 35% put a successful marriage at the same level.
There was not a strong correlation found between the marital status of their parents and millenials' views on marriage. Of those whose parents were married, 32 percent said marriage was one of the most important things. Of those whose parents were not married, 27 percent called marriage important.
The correlation was much stronger among Gen-Xers. Forty-two percent with married parents said marriage was the most important thing in life, and 23% who grew up with unmarried parents put marriage in the same category.
That's not shocking stuff, considering that an October survey, according to a report from Pew and Time, found that 40% of all American adults believe marriage is becoming obsolete, up from just 28% in 1978.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "For Millennials, Parenthood Trumps Marriage" by Wendy Wang and Paul Taylor, Pew Research Center 3/9/11
Pew Research surveys also find that Millennials are less likely than adults ages 30 and older to say that a child needs a home with both a father and mother to grow up happily and that single parenthood and unmarried couple parenthood are bad for society.
In many—but not all—respects, these attitudinal changes mirror behavioral changes. Young adults today are slower to marry than were their counterparts in older generations. Just 22% of Millennials are currently married. Back when Gen Xers were the same age that Millennials are now, some three-in-ten of them were married, as were more than four-in-ten Baby Boomers and more than half of the members of the Silent Generation (ages 65 and older).
The delay in marriage among today’s young adults has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in the rate of out-of-wedlock births. Just over half (51%) of all births among Millennials in 2008 were to unwed mothers, compared with just under four-in-ten (39%) among Gen Xers in 1997, when they were the same age that Millennials are now.
However, the overall incidence of parenthood among young adults has declined. In 2010, 36% of women ages 18 to 29 had ever had [live] children; in 1998, that figure was 41%.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Marriage Trend: Confined within Church
'Intact Family' Nearly Extinct among Blacks
Obama 'Throws Marriage Under the Bus'
Barney Frank Claims 'Radical Homosexual Agenda'
Homosexual Indoctrination Mandated for Schools
Sexualization of children and indoctrination in the Gay Agenda are having the desired effect.
For extensive background read Marriage Obsolete: American Poll
-- From "Report: Millennials say marriage ideal but parenthood the priority" by Jason Hanna, CNN 3/9/11
. . . only 30% of ["millenial"] adults 18-29 surveyed in January 2010 put having a successful marriage in the ["important things" category].
. . . when young adults of Generation X were asked the same question during a Washington Post/Kaiser/Harvard survey in 1997 . . . 35% put a successful marriage at the same level.
There was not a strong correlation found between the marital status of their parents and millenials' views on marriage. Of those whose parents were married, 32 percent said marriage was one of the most important things. Of those whose parents were not married, 27 percent called marriage important.
The correlation was much stronger among Gen-Xers. Forty-two percent with married parents said marriage was the most important thing in life, and 23% who grew up with unmarried parents put marriage in the same category.
That's not shocking stuff, considering that an October survey, according to a report from Pew and Time, found that 40% of all American adults believe marriage is becoming obsolete, up from just 28% in 1978.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "For Millennials, Parenthood Trumps Marriage" by Wendy Wang and Paul Taylor, Pew Research Center 3/9/11
Pew Research surveys also find that Millennials are less likely than adults ages 30 and older to say that a child needs a home with both a father and mother to grow up happily and that single parenthood and unmarried couple parenthood are bad for society.
In many—but not all—respects, these attitudinal changes mirror behavioral changes. Young adults today are slower to marry than were their counterparts in older generations. Just 22% of Millennials are currently married. Back when Gen Xers were the same age that Millennials are now, some three-in-ten of them were married, as were more than four-in-ten Baby Boomers and more than half of the members of the Silent Generation (ages 65 and older).
The delay in marriage among today’s young adults has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in the rate of out-of-wedlock births. Just over half (51%) of all births among Millennials in 2008 were to unwed mothers, compared with just under four-in-ten (39%) among Gen Xers in 1997, when they were the same age that Millennials are now.
However, the overall incidence of parenthood among young adults has declined. In 2010, 36% of women ages 18 to 29 had ever had [live] children; in 1998, that figure was 41%.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Marriage Trend: Confined within Church
'Intact Family' Nearly Extinct among Blacks
Obama 'Throws Marriage Under the Bus'
Barney Frank Claims 'Radical Homosexual Agenda'
Homosexual Indoctrination Mandated for Schools
Catholics Win vs. Univ. Wisconsin: Supreme Court
A Catholic student group, persecuted by the University of Wisconsin, has finally won its religious liberty lawsuit as the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling against the university for "viewpoint discrimination."
For background, read Univ. Can't Discriminate Against Christians: Fed. Judge
-- From "Supreme Court won't hear UW-Madison appeal" by The Associated Press 3/7/11
The decision by the high court effectively ends UW-Madison's appeal process. The university has argued that its funding of Badger Catholic's religious activities is a violation of the First Amendment.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in a 2-1 decision last September. The court ruled UW-Madison's refusal to fund the group's religious worship activities or materials constituted viewpoint discrimination by the university.
UW-Madison settled another lawsuit from the group in 2007 after refusing to pay for any of the group's activities.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Supreme Court rejects appeal in student fee case" by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, USA TODAY 3/8/11
A coalition of higher education groups backed Madison in the case and urged the Supreme Court to take the case, arguing without success that the lower court's decision intruded on reasonable university rules designed to protect the separation of church and state. By rejecting the appeal, the Supreme Court does not endorse the lower court's ruling, but ensures that it remains in effect in the states covered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit — Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
A 2-to-1 ruling by the appeals court in that circuit last year took away the right of Wisconsin, and potentially other public colleges and universities, to support some student activities while denying funds to organizations for worship services, proselytizing, or other activities that explicitly involve the practice of religion. Wisconsin's rules permitted the funding of many activities organized and run by religious student groups. But the rules barred activities related to prayer or proselytizing. Among the activities that Wisconsin told a Roman Catholic group could not be financed (leading to the litigation) were summer training camps with Roman Catholic Masses, a program to bring nuns to campus to help students determine if they have the calling to be priests, and the distribution of Rosary booklets.
The majority opinion from the appeals court said that once a state university supports student activities that involve leadership development or counseling, it can't exclude some activities simply because they are religious in nature.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Catholic Student Group Wins Legal Battle With University of Wisconsin" by Dave Bohon, The New American Magazine 3/9/11
The student group filed suit against the university, arguing that its denial violated the group’s First Amendment guarantee of free speech rights. The university contended that funding an organization that provides religious training and worship services amounted to a government endorsement of religion.
Jordan Lorence, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which represented the Catholic group, called the High Court’s decision “a great victory for religious liberty,” explaining the ruling emphasized that the university must treat “religious groups the same as secular student groups when it’s distributing money for these groups to advocate their ideas on campus.” He said the ruling demonstrates the skewed thinking of schools that assumes “there’s somehow a constitutional prohibition on funding private religious groups on the same terms and conditions as everybody else.”
Lorence said that the constitutional guarantees of students in Christian organizations “should be recognized by university officials just as they recognize those rights for other student groups. The university funded the advocacy and expression of other student organizations but singled out a Catholic student organization to exclude funding some of its expression based purely upon its religious content, and that’s simply not constitutional.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Supreme Court Ends Christian Witness on Campus
For background, read Univ. Can't Discriminate Against Christians: Fed. Judge
-- From "Supreme Court won't hear UW-Madison appeal" by The Associated Press 3/7/11
The decision by the high court effectively ends UW-Madison's appeal process. The university has argued that its funding of Badger Catholic's religious activities is a violation of the First Amendment.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in a 2-1 decision last September. The court ruled UW-Madison's refusal to fund the group's religious worship activities or materials constituted viewpoint discrimination by the university.
UW-Madison settled another lawsuit from the group in 2007 after refusing to pay for any of the group's activities.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Supreme Court rejects appeal in student fee case" by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, USA TODAY 3/8/11
A coalition of higher education groups backed Madison in the case and urged the Supreme Court to take the case, arguing without success that the lower court's decision intruded on reasonable university rules designed to protect the separation of church and state. By rejecting the appeal, the Supreme Court does not endorse the lower court's ruling, but ensures that it remains in effect in the states covered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit — Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
A 2-to-1 ruling by the appeals court in that circuit last year took away the right of Wisconsin, and potentially other public colleges and universities, to support some student activities while denying funds to organizations for worship services, proselytizing, or other activities that explicitly involve the practice of religion. Wisconsin's rules permitted the funding of many activities organized and run by religious student groups. But the rules barred activities related to prayer or proselytizing. Among the activities that Wisconsin told a Roman Catholic group could not be financed (leading to the litigation) were summer training camps with Roman Catholic Masses, a program to bring nuns to campus to help students determine if they have the calling to be priests, and the distribution of Rosary booklets.
The majority opinion from the appeals court said that once a state university supports student activities that involve leadership development or counseling, it can't exclude some activities simply because they are religious in nature.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Catholic Student Group Wins Legal Battle With University of Wisconsin" by Dave Bohon, The New American Magazine 3/9/11
The student group filed suit against the university, arguing that its denial violated the group’s First Amendment guarantee of free speech rights. The university contended that funding an organization that provides religious training and worship services amounted to a government endorsement of religion.
Jordan Lorence, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which represented the Catholic group, called the High Court’s decision “a great victory for religious liberty,” explaining the ruling emphasized that the university must treat “religious groups the same as secular student groups when it’s distributing money for these groups to advocate their ideas on campus.” He said the ruling demonstrates the skewed thinking of schools that assumes “there’s somehow a constitutional prohibition on funding private religious groups on the same terms and conditions as everybody else.”
Lorence said that the constitutional guarantees of students in Christian organizations “should be recognized by university officials just as they recognize those rights for other student groups. The university funded the advocacy and expression of other student organizations but singled out a Catholic student organization to exclude funding some of its expression based purely upon its religious content, and that’s simply not constitutional.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Supreme Court Ends Christian Witness on Campus
TX School Bucks Homosexualist Club GSA
After blocking the deviant sex club from the Corpus Christi (Flour Bluff) school district, the board has voted to allow the Gay-Straight Alliance and other such non-curricular clubs to convene on campus.
-- From "Gay-Friendly Club Coming to Flour Bluff ISD, For Now" by Steven Romo, KRIS TV6 Corpus Christi, Texas 3/9/11
A resolution passed late Tuesday night [4 to 2] after a nearly five hour meeting. The measure will allow the clubs to meet on campus, while a study is conducted to look at the policy before a more permanent decision is made.
The ACLU was also present to hear what the board had to say.
GSA supporters say they'll keep fighting and see this through until the club is permanetly formed on the Flour Bluff High School campus.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Flour Bluff ISD to allow Gay-Straight Alliance to meet for now" by Sara Foley, Corpus Christi Caller Times 3/8/11
The decision came late Tuesday after the board spent more than four hours in closed session to discuss the club and other legal issues. By the time the decision was made at about 11 p.m., nearly all of the estimated 30 people initially in attendance had gone home.
The district will form a committee to evaluate the district’s policy for non-curriculum clubs. The 2005 district policy doesn’t allow clubs unrelated to academics to meet on campus, the reason the district has given for keeping the Gay-Straight Alliance out of school.
The American Civil Liberties Union had notified the school district that it had until today to approve student Bianca “Nikki” Peet’s request to form the club or face legal action.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
In the days leading up to the School Board meeting, advocacy for the Gay-Straight Alliance club included homosexualists from Texas A&M University and liberal 'churches' and 'pastors.'
From "Both sides of gay, lesbian club protest at Flour Bluff" by Rhiannon Meyers, Corpus Christi Caller Times 3/4/11
Waving rainbow flags and colorful signs, protesters gathered in front of Flour Bluff High School on Friday as they called on the district to approve an on-campus club supporting gay and lesbian students.
Paul Rodriguez, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, called for the protest after Superintendent Julie Carbajal said the district had no plans to approve Peet’s club.
The crowd swelled and waned throughout the day, but at its peak, protesters numbered 150, according to police estimates.
A.J. Guerrero, an intern for the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, said she skipped classes at the University of North Texas on Friday to drive to Corpus Christi and support Peet.
Two local pastors, the Rev. Philip Douglas of the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Rev. Charles Brown of the St. Paul United Church of Christ, delivered to district spokeswoman Lynn Kaylor a petition containing more than 28,000 signatures in support of Peet’s proposed club.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Straight Alliance Supporters Protest for 9 Hours Outside FBHS" by Lindsay Curtis, KRIS TV6 Corpus Christi, Texas 3/4/11
But not everyone was out to show their support, as a small anti-alliance protest formed across the street. "Look at that man right there, proud to be queer? What right does a man like that, a homosexual have on a high school campus with a bunch of children telling them being queer is something to aspire to?," said counter-protester Bob Jones.
Paul Rodriguez, the advocate who helped Nikki organize the event said, "We've had some rude remarks but we're above that. Everyone's entitled to their opinions."
Police were on the scene in case things got out of hand. Luckily the protest stayed relatively peaceful and no police action was necessary.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Gay-Friendly Club Coming to Flour Bluff ISD, For Now" by Steven Romo, KRIS TV6 Corpus Christi, Texas 3/9/11
A resolution passed late Tuesday night [4 to 2] after a nearly five hour meeting. The measure will allow the clubs to meet on campus, while a study is conducted to look at the policy before a more permanent decision is made.
The ACLU was also present to hear what the board had to say.
GSA supporters say they'll keep fighting and see this through until the club is permanetly formed on the Flour Bluff High School campus.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Flour Bluff ISD to allow Gay-Straight Alliance to meet for now" by Sara Foley, Corpus Christi Caller Times 3/8/11
The decision came late Tuesday after the board spent more than four hours in closed session to discuss the club and other legal issues. By the time the decision was made at about 11 p.m., nearly all of the estimated 30 people initially in attendance had gone home.
The district will form a committee to evaluate the district’s policy for non-curriculum clubs. The 2005 district policy doesn’t allow clubs unrelated to academics to meet on campus, the reason the district has given for keeping the Gay-Straight Alliance out of school.
The American Civil Liberties Union had notified the school district that it had until today to approve student Bianca “Nikki” Peet’s request to form the club or face legal action.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
In the days leading up to the School Board meeting, advocacy for the Gay-Straight Alliance club included homosexualists from Texas A&M University and liberal 'churches' and 'pastors.'
From "Both sides of gay, lesbian club protest at Flour Bluff" by Rhiannon Meyers, Corpus Christi Caller Times 3/4/11
Waving rainbow flags and colorful signs, protesters gathered in front of Flour Bluff High School on Friday as they called on the district to approve an on-campus club supporting gay and lesbian students.
Paul Rodriguez, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, called for the protest after Superintendent Julie Carbajal said the district had no plans to approve Peet’s club.
The crowd swelled and waned throughout the day, but at its peak, protesters numbered 150, according to police estimates.
A.J. Guerrero, an intern for the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, said she skipped classes at the University of North Texas on Friday to drive to Corpus Christi and support Peet.
Two local pastors, the Rev. Philip Douglas of the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Rev. Charles Brown of the St. Paul United Church of Christ, delivered to district spokeswoman Lynn Kaylor a petition containing more than 28,000 signatures in support of Peet’s proposed club.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Straight Alliance Supporters Protest for 9 Hours Outside FBHS" by Lindsay Curtis, KRIS TV6 Corpus Christi, Texas 3/4/11
But not everyone was out to show their support, as a small anti-alliance protest formed across the street. "Look at that man right there, proud to be queer? What right does a man like that, a homosexual have on a high school campus with a bunch of children telling them being queer is something to aspire to?," said counter-protester Bob Jones.
Paul Rodriguez, the advocate who helped Nikki organize the event said, "We've had some rude remarks but we're above that. Everyone's entitled to their opinions."
Police were on the scene in case things got out of hand. Luckily the protest stayed relatively peaceful and no police action was necessary.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Pres. Candidates: Abortion & Marriage Top Issues
In spite of the nation's elite liberals and GOP establishment continually trying to convince Americans that social issues are NOT relevant in the 2012 elections, every Republican candidate speaking in Iowa gave abortion, homosexuality and religious liberty prominent attention.
UPDATE 6/24/11: GOP Candidates Sound Pro-Life Themes at Right to Life Event
-- From "Iowa blastoff: 2012 candidates say social issues are job No. 1" by Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Martin, Politico 3/8/11
Five potential presidential candidates vied to please a socially conservative crowd at a packed event here Monday night that marked the unofficial start to the Iowa caucus campaign and the first time a crush of GOP hopefuls shared a major stage.
Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, Buddy Roemer and Herman Cain each took a turn at the microphone, riffing on a range of social-issue touchstones — denouncing gay marriage, lambasting activist judges and praising the push to defund Planned Parenthood.
The theme throughout the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's presidential forum was a push to make social conservative values on par with the economy in the upcoming elections. Foreign policy was barely mentioned — there was one reference apiece to Libya and Israel.
That sentiment was echoed by national Faith and Freedom Coalition head Ralph Reed, who said, “If you turn your backs on the pro family pro life constituency... you will be consigned to permanent minority status."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition: Five Republicans fight for the faith(ful) in Iowa" by Jacques Berlinerblau, Washington Post 3/8/11
Meshing the Tea Party Agenda and the Evangelical Agenda: Well, that happened fast. In the run-up to the midterm elections most Republican candidates were (suspiciously) silent on the issues of abortion and gay marriage. Instead, the focus was on lowering taxes, reducing the size of government, taming the national debt, etc.
What was curious yesterday was how evangelical worldview and Tea Party bluster seamlessly coalesced. Nearly every one of the speakers managed to integrate anti-abortion themes with small government appeals.
"We need to be a country that turns toward God," declaimed Pawlenty," not a country that turns away from God." Gingrich spoke of the need for "a change so deep and so profound that nothing we have seen in our lifetime is comparable to the level of depth we have to go to get this country back on the right track." Santorum urged his listeners to fight for their freedom.
As a scholar of the Bible I find it fascinating, and alarming, that so many politicians (even Catholic ones such as Gingrich and Santorum) are reading the Constitution precisely the same way evangelicals read their Scriptures.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
From "2012 hopefuls, Pawlenty included, woo Iowan social conservatives" by Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio 3/7/11
Iowa groups that oppose same-sex marriage are riding high after victories in last fall's midterm elections. They're hoping that momentum will help them influence the selection of the Republican candidate who will take on President Barack Obama.
The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition invited candidates to its presidential forum with this reminder: In 2008, 60 percent of Iowa GOP caucus-goers claimed to be evangelical Christians. In the invitation, the coalition's president, Steve Scheffler, said there would be no better opportunity to meet those people than the forum.
Republicans won back the governor's office, the Iowa House, and, in their biggest victory, social conservatives voted to remove three Iowa Supreme Court justices because of their decision allowing same-sex marriage.
Iowa Family Leader President Bob Vanderplaats . . . said he thinks opposition to same-sex marriage will play nationally in next year's presidential race as well. And Vanderplaats thinks the issue will be even bigger than it otherwise would have thanks to the Obama Administration's recent determination that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "GOP presidential contenders make case to Iowa faithful" by Brian Montopoli, CBS News 3/7/11
Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, said America needs "to be a country that turns toward God, not a country that turns away from God." He railed against the "immoral debt" and efforts to define marriage as between anything other than one man and one woman.
"We need to remember, as others try to push out or marginalize people of faith...the Constitution was designed to protect people of faith from government, not to protect government from people of faith," said Pawlenty, who complained that the media, judges and "elites" need to remember the Constitution grants power to the people.
"We the people of the United States will rise up again, we will take back our country," he added, his voice going horse.
"Once you stick your head out on the social issues, once you fight for the social fabric of this country, you're labeled," said [Rick] Santorum, who pointed to his efforts to end partial birth abortion but also his work on health care and welfare reform. He joked that his children had come to think his first name was "ultra," a reference to how he had been portrayed as extreme in the media.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Obama 'In Bed' with Homosexuals for 2012
UPDATE 6/24/11: GOP Candidates Sound Pro-Life Themes at Right to Life Event
-- From "Iowa blastoff: 2012 candidates say social issues are job No. 1" by Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Martin, Politico 3/8/11
Five potential presidential candidates vied to please a socially conservative crowd at a packed event here Monday night that marked the unofficial start to the Iowa caucus campaign and the first time a crush of GOP hopefuls shared a major stage.
Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, Buddy Roemer and Herman Cain each took a turn at the microphone, riffing on a range of social-issue touchstones — denouncing gay marriage, lambasting activist judges and praising the push to defund Planned Parenthood.
The theme throughout the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's presidential forum was a push to make social conservative values on par with the economy in the upcoming elections. Foreign policy was barely mentioned — there was one reference apiece to Libya and Israel.
That sentiment was echoed by national Faith and Freedom Coalition head Ralph Reed, who said, “If you turn your backs on the pro family pro life constituency... you will be consigned to permanent minority status."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition: Five Republicans fight for the faith(ful) in Iowa" by Jacques Berlinerblau, Washington Post 3/8/11
Meshing the Tea Party Agenda and the Evangelical Agenda: Well, that happened fast. In the run-up to the midterm elections most Republican candidates were (suspiciously) silent on the issues of abortion and gay marriage. Instead, the focus was on lowering taxes, reducing the size of government, taming the national debt, etc.
What was curious yesterday was how evangelical worldview and Tea Party bluster seamlessly coalesced. Nearly every one of the speakers managed to integrate anti-abortion themes with small government appeals.
"We need to be a country that turns toward God," declaimed Pawlenty," not a country that turns away from God." Gingrich spoke of the need for "a change so deep and so profound that nothing we have seen in our lifetime is comparable to the level of depth we have to go to get this country back on the right track." Santorum urged his listeners to fight for their freedom.
As a scholar of the Bible I find it fascinating, and alarming, that so many politicians (even Catholic ones such as Gingrich and Santorum) are reading the Constitution precisely the same way evangelicals read their Scriptures.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
From "2012 hopefuls, Pawlenty included, woo Iowan social conservatives" by Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio 3/7/11
Iowa groups that oppose same-sex marriage are riding high after victories in last fall's midterm elections. They're hoping that momentum will help them influence the selection of the Republican candidate who will take on President Barack Obama.
The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition invited candidates to its presidential forum with this reminder: In 2008, 60 percent of Iowa GOP caucus-goers claimed to be evangelical Christians. In the invitation, the coalition's president, Steve Scheffler, said there would be no better opportunity to meet those people than the forum.
Republicans won back the governor's office, the Iowa House, and, in their biggest victory, social conservatives voted to remove three Iowa Supreme Court justices because of their decision allowing same-sex marriage.
Iowa Family Leader President Bob Vanderplaats . . . said he thinks opposition to same-sex marriage will play nationally in next year's presidential race as well. And Vanderplaats thinks the issue will be even bigger than it otherwise would have thanks to the Obama Administration's recent determination that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "GOP presidential contenders make case to Iowa faithful" by Brian Montopoli, CBS News 3/7/11
Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, said America needs "to be a country that turns toward God, not a country that turns away from God." He railed against the "immoral debt" and efforts to define marriage as between anything other than one man and one woman.
"We need to remember, as others try to push out or marginalize people of faith...the Constitution was designed to protect people of faith from government, not to protect government from people of faith," said Pawlenty, who complained that the media, judges and "elites" need to remember the Constitution grants power to the people.
"We the people of the United States will rise up again, we will take back our country," he added, his voice going horse.
"Once you stick your head out on the social issues, once you fight for the social fabric of this country, you're labeled," said [Rick] Santorum, who pointed to his efforts to end partial birth abortion but also his work on health care and welfare reform. He joked that his children had come to think his first name was "ultra," a reference to how he had been portrayed as extreme in the media.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Obama 'In Bed' with Homosexuals for 2012
Tea Party is Racist Christians, says NPR Exec
"The Tea Party is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian — I wouldn't even call it Christian. It's this weird evangelical kind of move."
— Ron Schiller, Senior VP for Development, National Public Radio
UPDATE 3/10/11: NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller resigns in wake of anti-Christian comments
-- From "NPR exec: tea party is ‘scary,’ ‘racist’" by Keach Hagey, Politico 3/8/11
James O’Keefe, master of the video sting, targets NPR this time, in a pretty damaging interview with Ron Schiller, NPR’s senior vice president for development, and Betsy Liley, senior director of institutional giving.
O’Keefe’s compatriots, Shaughn Adeleye and Simon Templar, posed as members of a Muslim group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood that wants to give NPR $5 million in light of the recent Republican threats to defund public broadcasting.
In the course of a lunch at Café Milano, Schiller presents himself as a liberal who thinks the tea party is “scary” and that there are not enough Muslim voices on the American airwaves, nodding as his lunchmates say they are glad NPR allows Hamas's and Hezbollah's views to be heard.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "James O'Keefe records former NPR executives on secret video" by Melissa Bell, Washington Post 3/8/11
In the video, NPR Foundation's senior VP for development Ron Schiller and senior director of institutional giving Betsy Liley talk to the donors about Juan Williams, anti-intellectualism and the tea party, which Schiller calls "a weird evangelical kind of move ... seriously racist."
"James O'Keefe catches NPR fundraiser talking exactly like a conservative nightmare of what NPR sounds like," Dave Weigel at Slate wrote on Twitter after posting the video.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "NPR Executive Caught Calling Tea Partiers ‘Racist’" by Brian Stelter, New York Times, 3/8/11
On the videotape, Mr. Schiller tells people posing as Muslim philanthropists that the Republican party has been “hijacked” by the Tea Party and that Tea Party supporters are “seriously racist, racist people.” Mr. Schiller indicates that he is sharing his personal point of view, not NPR’s.
On the secretly recorded video, Mr. Schiller, whose job is to solicit non-federal funding for NPR, says he feels that the organization would be better without the federal funds. He also says that some stations could “go dark” without the funds.
Mr. Schiller [said], “I think what we all believe is if we don’t have Muslim voices in our schools, on the air, I mean, it’s the same thing we faced as a nation when we didn’t have female voices.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also CLICK HERE to read the saga of the secularists vs. the Christian Tea Party movement (follow successive embedded links).
— Ron Schiller, Senior VP for Development, National Public Radio
UPDATE 3/10/11: NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller resigns in wake of anti-Christian comments
-- From "NPR exec: tea party is ‘scary,’ ‘racist’" by Keach Hagey, Politico 3/8/11
James O’Keefe, master of the video sting, targets NPR this time, in a pretty damaging interview with Ron Schiller, NPR’s senior vice president for development, and Betsy Liley, senior director of institutional giving.
O’Keefe’s compatriots, Shaughn Adeleye and Simon Templar, posed as members of a Muslim group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood that wants to give NPR $5 million in light of the recent Republican threats to defund public broadcasting.
In the course of a lunch at Café Milano, Schiller presents himself as a liberal who thinks the tea party is “scary” and that there are not enough Muslim voices on the American airwaves, nodding as his lunchmates say they are glad NPR allows Hamas's and Hezbollah's views to be heard.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "James O'Keefe records former NPR executives on secret video" by Melissa Bell, Washington Post 3/8/11
In the video, NPR Foundation's senior VP for development Ron Schiller and senior director of institutional giving Betsy Liley talk to the donors about Juan Williams, anti-intellectualism and the tea party, which Schiller calls "a weird evangelical kind of move ... seriously racist."
"James O'Keefe catches NPR fundraiser talking exactly like a conservative nightmare of what NPR sounds like," Dave Weigel at Slate wrote on Twitter after posting the video.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "NPR Executive Caught Calling Tea Partiers ‘Racist’" by Brian Stelter, New York Times, 3/8/11
On the videotape, Mr. Schiller tells people posing as Muslim philanthropists that the Republican party has been “hijacked” by the Tea Party and that Tea Party supporters are “seriously racist, racist people.” Mr. Schiller indicates that he is sharing his personal point of view, not NPR’s.
On the secretly recorded video, Mr. Schiller, whose job is to solicit non-federal funding for NPR, says he feels that the organization would be better without the federal funds. He also says that some stations could “go dark” without the funds.
Mr. Schiller [said], “I think what we all believe is if we don’t have Muslim voices in our schools, on the air, I mean, it’s the same thing we faced as a nation when we didn’t have female voices.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also CLICK HERE to read the saga of the secularists vs. the Christian Tea Party movement (follow successive embedded links).
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