Go To Jail for Bible Speech: Univ. Texas Police

Several officers of the University of Texas Police Department (UTPD) at Austin issued a citation to Joshua Borchert, an intern with Campus Ministry USA, for using offensive words while preaching on a street across from University property.  The police officers told Borchert that he could face jail for using the words “penis” and “anus” in the context of warning passersby of sexually immoral behavior.

“The first amendment of the Constitution protects offensive speech ... if anyone says anything of substance, it’s bound to offend someone.”
-- Brother Jed Smock, Campus Ministry USA

For background, read Must Censor Speech, Say Most College Students

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Colorado College Bans Bible Talk, OKs Swear Words

Wisconsin Professor Threatens Student for her Christianity

Students Taught to Choose:  Gay Agenda vs. Religion at Univ. of California

Christmas Parties Banned at University of Tennessee

However, Judge Rules Illinois College Must Accept 'Anti-Gay' Speech

No free speech in Canada:  University of Regina Jails Christian American for 'Anti-Gay Hate Speech'



-- From "University Of Texas Police Give Preacher Citation For Offending Students" by Peter Hasson, Daily Caller 2/10/16

The university told TheDC that the officer was responding to students who claimed to be “verbally harassed” by the intern-preacher. The video shows the officer explaining that the intern’s use of “anal” and “penis” offended students, before issuing a citation for disorderly conduct. “After a lawyer representing Joshua called the chief of police, the chief called Joshua and apologized. The citation was withdrawn.” Brother Jed told TheDC.

Ari Cohn, a lawyer with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) told TheDC that he found the video “deeply disturbing.” “Speech that simply offends others is protected by the First Amendment, and contrary to the officer’s statements, it is not the job of police to ‘do something’ about it. Issuing a disorderly conduct citation based on the content of speech violates decades of clear Supreme Court precedent,” Cohn said.

“Even worse is that while Brother Jed is not a campus community member, and was not even on campus property, the officer justified his decision with the fact that students on campus across the way were offended. The implications for campus expression are dire,” Cohn went on to say. “If offending someone on campus is now grounds for criminal citations, students wishing to express themselves will much more likely censor themselves, or simply refrain from speaking at all. Such a result is unacceptable, legally and morally, at a state university bound by the First Amendment.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "UTPD voids disorderly conduct citation after review" by Wynne Davis, The Daily Texan 2/12/16

After reviewing a citation written to an evangelical preacher for disorderly conduct, the University of Texas Police Department voided the citation because it did not meet the requirements of the law.

“Our review further showed that the officers in training responded to a call for service in good faith and with respect for all parties involved, including the person(s) wishing to file charges as well those being accused,” UTPD Chief David Carter said in a statement.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives all people the right to freedom of speech. Even hurtful and hateful speech is covered under the amendment, and police officers must defend everyone’s constitutional rights, Carter said.

Carter said if an individual was threatening a student with their speech, the police could and would take action against that person.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

. . . previously, last year:

From "Presence of confrontational protesters sparks student response" by Madison Dudley, Nicole Decriscio, The Depauw 9/24/15

“I’m not protesting; I’m preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Kirsten Borchert, 20, from Lafayette, Indiana.

Borchert was at DePauw University “preaching” with The Campus Ministry USA, based out of Terre Haute. The confrontational evangelical Christian group travels from campus to campus “Preaching specifically about sin and hell, and how sin leads to hell,” she said.

“I don’t want you [students] to burn forever and ever and ever in the lake of fire,” said Joshua Borchert, 22, who was fully adorned in his Eagle Scout uniform.

[In response,] Students mobilized quickly.

“I saw that post on Facebook, and I saw that there were protesters here saying homophobic things,” said sophomore Marissa Higgs. “When I heard about it I was like, 'okay, I've got to go.' So I grabbed my five foot rainbow flag off my bed and ran here.”

President Brian Casey was on the scene almost immediately after the situation began to heat up. As the afternoon continued, many at the protest felt a sense of pride and community with their fellow classmates.

“I don’t know why the school can’t kick them out,” junior Hector Rivera said, “It’s a private institution, so at least I’m curious to know more like the policies and politics behind all this.”

“We’re presenting no danger,” said Brother Jed Smock, the man in charge of The Campus Ministry USA.

. . . after The Campus Ministry USA was escorted off of DePauw’s grounds, Casey sent an email to students, faculty and staff announcing an open forum to be held at 4 p.m. in Ubben Quadrangle to address the protests.

Casey, DePauw Student Body President Craig Carter, City of Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray and Vice President of Student Life Christopher Wells gave short speeches to the crowd.

“Today we got invaded by people who came here, by people who came here who tried to shake our cores, who tried to shake our values,” Carter said, “I’ve never been more proud to be a Tiger.”

Students called for justice, and proclaimed that they were unsafe on campus and that the university was not doing enough to protect them.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Ask them why you deserve Hell" by Olivia Barfield, The Hawkeye (University of Louisiana at Monroe) 2/1/16

Kirsten [Borchert] threw her hands in the air, carrying a Bible up with them, as she exclaimed her message to the crowd gathered outside of the Student Union Building.

The students, who stood at a distance not long ago no longer allowed Kirsten her personal space. They surrounded her with questions and comments, yelling back as she shouted to a crowd that no longer cared what she had to say. They were visibly aggravated.

“We’re using [Kirsten] because she’s usually the calmer one,” Joshua [Borchert] said, dressed in his Eagle Scout uniform. “I tend to rile them up more. They wouldn’t want me out there right now.”

Students screamed obscenities as Kirsten preached against getting drunk.

Joshua didn’t mind the crowd screaming at his sister. He said he is used to it.

“We go through different stages and cycles. She does that to get their attention, and once she gets their attention then she can continue to calm them,” Joshua said. He then explained the five-stage technique used by the group to humble the students into a calm crowd that can then receive their message.

Joshua and Kirsten have preached at around 30 universities in about 20 different states, Joshua said.

“Our message is repent, and be free from sin. Because if these people don’t repent, then they’re headed for hell,” Kirsten had explained.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Bibles Removed, Deviant Sex Housing Added at Illinois University

And read Most Terrorists are White Christians, Colleges Say

In addition, read Catholic School Must Hire Homosexuals, Court Rules

Atheists Force 9/11 Sign Down, Kansas Locals Rebel

Since the local post office yielded to the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) last month by removing a "God Bless America" banner placed by postal workers 15 years ago, residents of Pittsburg, Kansas have displayed thousands of such signs throughout town.

“This just infuriates me.  [The removal of the banner] tore my heart out."
-- Ruth Wegner (husband Richard was 20-year postal worker)

“I don’t see what it’s hurting. But I guess we need to be politically correct. It’s just sad.”
-- Mike Lewark, retired postal worker and Vietnam War veteran

“I’ll miss it. It showed the post office was part of America, and God got us to where we’re at. We were proud of it.”
-- Jim Scott, 32-year retired postal worker and former U.S. Marine

For background, read After City Bans 'God Signs' Florida Residents Display MORE

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

ACLU Stops Godless Patriotism in New Jersey School

Georgia Sheriff's Christmas Sign Peeves Atheists

Mississippi Police Chief Thanks God at City Prayer Meetings

Louisiana Sheriff Defies ACLU with Fourth of July Prayer

Atheists Threaten Arkansas School so Citizens Pray Publicly

Ohio School Board Wants Prayer, Ignoring Atheists

Prayer Stays in Florida School, Opposing Atheists



-- From "Post office banner removal sparks reaction in Pittsburg" by The Associated Press 2/1/16

The Pittsburg post office took the banner down Wednesday after hearing complaints about it from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. The organization said hanging the banner at the post office violated the principle of separation of church and state.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Post Office [Twana Barber] said the postal service removed the banner because postal policy prohibits the placement of notices on postal property unless they’re official government notices.

The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports that a similar banner appeared at a couple of local businesses by Thursday, and a local sign company says requests for more signs have been pouring in.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pittsburg residents unhappy with removal of 'God Bless America' banner" by Andra Bryan Stefanoni and Sarah Okeson, Joplin Missouri Globe 1/27/16

Postal workers [about 60] paid for the 12-foot-long vinyl banner after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that took down the Twin Towers and killed 2,996 people in New York, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

Ed Hinde watched as employees took out the eight screws holding the red, white and blue banner to the southeast corner of the post office at Seventh and Locust streets. They rolled up the banner because it was brittle after more than a decade outside.

“After the Sept. 11 attacks, a group of employees came to me and said, ‘Let’s do something’,” recalled Hinde, who served as postmaster from 1987 to 2003. “The employees paid for half of it, and I paid for half of it.”

About a dozen people, including retired letter carriers, members of the American Legion and other Pittsburg residents, watched in silence.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Blessings — More than 1,000 'God Bless America' signs given away as backlash grows" by Michael Stavola, Pittsburg Morning Sun 2/1/16

. . . Jake's Fireworks responded by printing 1,200 "God Bless America" yard signs and 300 similar banners. The company began handing out signs at 11 a.m. and by 11:45 a.m., the signs were gone.

Cars stretched over two blocks. Drivers were eventually met with rows of American flags and a digital sign saying "God Bless America" as they pulled into the company’s driveway at east industrial park, where Marietta and other employees directed traffic and greeted the drivers.

The company had a crew work overnight printing signs, [retail sales director Jason Marietta] said. Marietta knew the demand would be high after a Facebook post was shared 1,500 times. He just didn’t imagine it would be this big.

It took roughly 45 minutes for community members to clear out 1,500 signs, but employees continued to take down contact information to distribute additional signs and banners as they are printed.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Banner Backlash — 'God Bless America' banners proliferate following removal of original from post office" by Sarah Gooding, Pittsburg Morning Sun 1/28/16

Thursday morning, a very similar banner appeared on the fence next to local business Jayhawk Signs and Graphics, another at CDL Electric Company and social media marketing by Jake’s Fireworks promised more to come.

“We hung the banner in support of our troops and to commemorate the 9/11 attacks on America,” said Shea McLaughlin, with CDL Electric. “That banner has nothing to do with religious values or political correctness. It has everything to do with freedom of speech and the foundation that this country was built on.”

McLaughlin said that foundation is the God-given right to be free, along with free speech.

“Sometimes you have to stand up for what’s right,” McLaughlin continued. “In the day and age of political correctness someone has to be a leader and stand up for what they believe in.”

. . . Area residents also showed up at the post office with sandwich boards and flags, earning cheers of support from passers-by.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read 'God Bless Planned Parenthood,' Says President Obama

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

Fed. Judge Censors Pro-life Ads on Indiana Buses

Women's Health Link is appealing a federal district court decision that allows the Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corp. to deny the women's health organization from advertising on Citilink public buses because the ads "express or advocate opinions or positions upon political, religious, or moral issues."

"Women's Health Link hasn't shown that Citilink's advertising policy was anything other than reasonable and viewpoint neutral."
-- Judge Robert L. Miller Jr.

For background, read how governments and schools discriminate against pro-lifers, but also read how courts have ruled against such discrimination.

And for ads on buses in Des Moines, Iowa: It's OK to Denigrate God, but NOT OK to Advocate God

And read Jesus Advertisement Censored by Texas School, Says Lawsuit

-- From "Women's Health Link appeals Citilink ad decision" By Sheryl Krieg, The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, IN) 2/5/16

Women's Health Link filed the lawsuit in September 2014, alleging Citilink violated its constitutional rights, specifically the First and 14th amendments, by refusing to display an advertisement/public service announcement for its free referral service for women seeking "life-affirming health care related services."

[Judge] Miller also said, "Citilink has a detailed advertising policy limiting advertising in its buses to commercial advertisements and public service announcements that comply with the restrictions set out in section 1 of that policy and don't 'express or advocate opinions or positions upon political, religious, or moral issues,' and so far as this record shows, Citilink has consistently enforced that policy."

Kevin Theriot, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel, said, "City officials can't run ads from non-profit groups, such as the United Way, and then single out Women's Health Link's nearly identical ad for censorship. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech for all people, regardless of their political or religious views. Because government has a responsibility to ensure equal access to community advertising, we have filed this appeal and hope the 7th Circuit [Court of Appeals in Chicago] will reverse District Court's decision."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pregnancy Center Fights Back After City Censors Ad for Helping Women Find Abortion Alternatives" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 2/5/16

The case began in 2013 when Women’s Health Link asked to place advertising cards in the interior of the city public transportation company Citilink’s buses, LifeNews previously reported. Citilink denied the request twice, saying that Women’s Health Link is associated with Allen County Right to Life, a pro-life organization, and that the Women’s Health Link website discusses “controversial issues.”

Citilink reportedly has permitted many non-profit and government organizations to place public service announcements with various messages in the interior of their buses, including the state of Indiana, Parkview Health and the United Way.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Women's health group appeals decision in Citilink case" Rebecca S. Green, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette 2/4/16

According to court documents, the 11-by-17-inch ad would cost $524 for three months and says "You are not alone" and "Free resources for women seeking health care" on either side of the smiling face of a young woman, with the organization's website and telephone number on a banner below.

Citilink officials rejected the proposed ad on two occasions, saying their attorneys believed that the organization's website dealt with "controversial issues," according to court documents.

The woman who submitted the advertisement on behalf of Women's Health Link [Beck Rogness] was on the organization's board of directors and also was communications manager for Allen County Right to Life, according to court documents.

Women's Health Link and Allen County Right to Life share email addresses and a physical address.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "1 simple statement gets health ad banned" by Bob Unruh, World Net Daily 2/7/16

The Women’s Health Link site promotes itself as a referral resource “for women seeking physical, emotional, spiritual or mental health care.”

. . . [Citilink’s assistant manager, Betsy] Kachmar notified Rogness that the ad failed to meet the “commercial requirement” of the agency.

So the request was resubmitted under the agency’s provision for “public service announcements by government entities, academic institutions, or nonprofit organizations.”

[However, under that provision, the] agency contended the women’s health care ad was not neutral.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Office Depot Refuses Pro-life Customer in Illinois

Oregon Woman Fired for Being Pro-life Leader

Maine Sues Pastor: Preaching Too Loud on Abortion

California Law Forces Abortion Business on Pro-lifers

NASA Bans Jesus, Threatening Employees' Freedom

Lawyers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) told agency Christian employees to terminate use of the name 'Jesus' when announcing their scheduled lunch break gatherings, as they've been doing since the turn of the century.  Lawyers representing the employees are threatening a lawsuit for discrimination and violations of First Amendment rights of citizens.

“We are shocked that NASA would censor the name of Jesus from our Praise and Worship Club’s announcement.”
-- Sophia Smith, NASA employee

For background, read how President Obama's NASA Ignored God's Creation and also read how NASA Concealed the First Communion on the Moon



-- From "NASA accused of 'censoring' its Christian employees" by Tim Devaney, The Hill 2/8/16

The Liberty Institute, which is representing the Christian employees, threatened Monday to sue NASA over what it claims is religious discrimination. At issue is whether a praise and worship club should be allowed to use the name “Jesus” in NASA’s employee newsletter.

NASA told the Christian employees last year the meeting announcement they posted in the newsletter violated the government’s responsibility to remain neutral on religious matters, according to the Institute. The agency did not tell the Christian employees to stop meeting during lunchtime, but did order the club to refrain from using the name “Jesus” in their emails.

“It is illegal for the government to censor the name of Jesus from emails authored by employees,” Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for Liberty Institute, said in a statement. “Preventing a religious club’s announcement just because it contains the name ‘Jesus’ is blatant religious discrimination. We call on NASA to end their censorship and apologize.”

The praise and worship club has been meeting at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston since 2001. They discuss their faith and sing worship songs during their lunch break.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Religious Group Threatens To Sue NASA For Censoring Jesus" by Jonah Bennett, Reporter, Daily Caller 2/8/16

These employees had formed a private group within the agency called the JSC Praise and Worship Club, an entity separate from the agency. As part of the group, employees meet together during lunch to pray, and no one is prevented from taking part in the group’s activities.

In an announcement email, one of the employees had used the word “Jesus.” A few days after the email went out, NASA lawyers clamped down and said the use of the word was absolutely unacceptable and would not accept the group’s offer to issue any kind of disclaimer to downplay its use.

The Liberty Institute wants NASA to issue a response by March 10 reconsidering its original position. If not, the Liberty Institute is ready to sue the agency.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Group claims NASA is attempting to censor word 'Jesus' in company newsletter" by Anoushah Rasta, Reporter, KPRC-TV2 (Houston, TX) 2/8/16

"We want NASA to stop censoring us using the word "Jesus" in our announcement," said Sophia Smith, a member of the "Nasa JSC Praise and Worship Club."

Last May, club organizers said they sent in an announcement to be posted about their meeting to the Johnson Space Center's online email newsletter.

The announcement read "Jesus is our life."

"It's part of our belief and we are called to use the name of Jesus when we pray," said Smith.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "NASA Illegally Censors ‘Jesus’ from Employee Emails, Liberty Institute Issues Demand Letter" posted at Liberty Institute

Like any other employee group at the JSC, the Praise and Worship Club routinely submits announcements about its meetings to the JSC Today, NASA’s daily email newsletter to everyone who works at the JSC. In May 2015, the club organizers submitted the following announcement:

Join with the praise and worship band "Allied with the Lord" for a refreshing set of spring praise and worship songs on Thursday, June 4, from 11:15 a.m. to noon in Building 57, Room 106. (The theme for this session will be "Jesus is our life!") Prayer partners will be available for anyone who has need. All JSC civil servants and contractors are welcome.

Generic religious references and secular speech, like announcements for soccer camps, Latin Dance classes—or even Praise and Worship Club announcements without the name “Jesus”—are still permitted in JSC Today.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "NASA blasts off on First Amendment" posted at Amarillo Globe-News 2/8/16

How in the world do these words [in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution] — “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” justify NASA ordering a praise and worship club to stop using “Jesus” in a NASA-related newsletter?

Those who think the First Amendment and/or the “separation of church and state” (a phrase not in the U.S. Constitution, if that matters) supports the removal of each and every religious reference from the public domain (although it seems Christianity is usually the targeted religion) are either ignorant of the U.S. Constitution or have an agenda.

It is pure and simple. The First Amendment is meant to keep the federal government from mandating a religion — the kind of persecution and oppression that led many to risk their lives for freedom.

Instead, many are of the mistaken belief that the First Amendment is meant to remove all public displays of religion. And NASA has provided yet another example.

To read the entire editorial above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

National Park Fires Pastor for Public Baptizing in California

Oregon Woman Fired for Being Pro-life Leader

Atlanta Fires Fire Chief for 'Anti-gay' Bible Study

California University Fires Scientist for Being Christian

Media Help Homosexuals Shut Down Indiana Christian Pizza Restaurant

Florida Student Failed for Being Christian, Lawyer Says

Christians Can Forget Having Any Career at NASA

Feminists vs. Super Bowl Ad 'Humanizing Fetuses'

The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) lambasted a Doritos commercial that aired during the 50th Super Bowl yesterday because an unborn child was depicted in an animated ultrasound image as being aware of his/her surroundings, including of the father with his Doritos snack chips.  The recognition of a fetus as a functioning human being (personhood) is the antithesis of abortion advocacy.

For background, read how Ultrasound of Baby Jesus Riles Abortionists During Christmas

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Pro-life Super Bowl Commercials Censored

Christian Super Bowl Commercials Censored by FOX

Atheists' Super Bowl Ad Attacks Christians, Prayer

Anti-Christian, Pro-abortion Feminists Storm Super Bowl

Also read Physicians Force New York Times to Admit 22-week Fetus is a Baby!



-- From "NARAL goes on angry Super Bowl tweetstorm" by Kristen East, Politico 2/7/16

NARAL Pro-Choice America, a leading advocacy group on the issue of abortion, started firing a string of tweets about ads running during Super Bowl 50 on Sunday night, criticizing several in particular as "transphobic" or "sexist."

The group had announced it would be live-tweeting the event to call out "sexist" advertisers and their creations. . . .

Snack companies couldn't catch a break, apparently. NARAL called out a Snickers commercial for being "transphobic" and a Doritos ad for "humanizing fetuses" . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Abortion rights group is mad at Doritos Super Bowl ad" by Jennifer Brett, Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2/8/16

In the commercial, a guy munching away on a bag of Doritos during his wife’s ultrasound attracts the attention of their unborn child, who makes a hasty exit, presumably to share Dad’s snack.

NARAL also complains that the ad reinforces “sexist tropes of dads as clueless and moms as uptight.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Super Bowl Ads Are a Hit for Mountain Dew, Miss for Doritos" by Gerry Smith, Bloomberg Business 2/7/16

Don’t mess with babies. Unless they are attached to puppies and monkeys.

That is one of the marketing lessons to come out of Super Bowl 50 . . .

For better or worse, Pepsi’s Doritos brand certainly knows how to create some buzz. In one of its Super Bowl spots, a woman is getting an ultrasound while her partner stands by, eating Doritos. She gets upset at his lack of decorum and throws a chip across the room. Her unborn fetus goes after it, and everyone screams. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Abortion group attacks Super Bowl ad showing ultrasound" by Kelly Sloan, Trunews 2/8/16

One of the biggest abortion groups in the U.S. has attacked one of Sunday’s Super Bowl ads for being “anti-choice”, but the commercial was about Doritos.

The National Abortion Rights Action League also accused Snickers of being “transphobic” for an ad which depicts a grumpy man wearing the white dress made famous by Marilyn Monroe. Once he ate the candy bar, he turned into the real Monroe, because he wasn’t hungry any more, according to Breitbart.

The group also blasted a Hyundai ad on Twitter, calling it “sexist” and “misogynistic”, when an advertisement aired about a dad following his teenage daughter on a date. They claimed his concern for his child was taking away her autonomy and “stalking her”, as The Daily Caller reported.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read how broadcast media are biased against Christian athletes.

Loud Muslim Prayer: Takeover of Michigan Town

The non-Muslim residents of Hamtramck, Michigan complained so much about the "noise" coming from the Islamic center loudspeakers (the Muslim call to prayer) that the Muslim residents organized an effort to gain a majority on the city council.  It appears the "noise" will remain.

“We were lied to.  We were told it would never be turned into a mosque.”
-- Carol Marsh, resident

“It’s only a matter of time before we’ll see a Muslim mayor.”
-- Dawud Walid, Executive Director, Michigan Chapter, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Maine Sues Pastor for Preaching Too Loud Near Abortion Clinic

Pastor's Wife Fined for Praying Too Loud on North Dakota Street

Christians Arrested for Praying Too Loud Near Chicago Abortion Clinic

Indiana Town Denounces Loud, Praying Christians

Virginia Police Halt Bible 'Noise,' Preacher Sues City & Wins

Missouri Police Steal Preacher's Amplifier to Shut Him Up

Jesus Talk Outlawed in New Orleans, Arrests Made

-- From "Residents complain that ‘call to prayer’ is too loud" by Charles Sercombe, Hamtramck Review (fall 2015)

[At the] city council meeting, several residents of the Hamtramck Senior Plaza apartments on Holbrook complained about the volume level of the call to prayer coming from the Ideal Islamic Center, located across from the apartment complex.

[Resident Jeanette Powell] said the call or prayer was broadcast at 6 a.m. and found the volume “overbearing.”

The center on Holbrook was not the only mosque accused of broadcasting the call too loudly.

Susan Dunn, who is a candidate for city council, said the new mosque on St. Aubin St., the Abu-Bakr Al-Siddique Islamic Center, also broadcasts the call loudly. Dunn lives on Hewitt St., which is a block away from the center.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Muslims look to make a difference in Hamtramck" by Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press 1/25/16

The week before Election Day in Hamtramck, hundreds of Muslims packed the City Council chambers.

They were outraged over a complaint made by council candidate Susan Dunn over the Islamic call to prayer that is broadcast outdoors from mosques, which she said were too loud.

The following week, three Muslim candidates out of six were the top vote-getters, winning council seats. After their inauguration this month, Hamtramck became what is believed to be the first city in the U.S. with a Muslim-majority City Council.  Four of its six council members are Muslim, three of them immigrants.

The story of how that happened offers insight into the political ambitions of the city's Muslim community in a time of intense debate about Islam in the West. And it shows how diverse groups — from Polish Catholics to Bangladeshi Muslims to African-American Protestants — can get along, city leaders say.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "In the first majority-Muslim U.S. city, residents tense about its future" by Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Washington Post 11/21/15

[Local businesswoman Karen] Majewski, whose family emigrated from Poland in the early 20th century, admitted to a few concerns of her own. Business owners within 500 feet of one of Hamtramck’s four mosques can’t obtain a liquor license, she complained, a notable development in a place that flouted Prohibition-era laws by openly operating bars. The restrictions could thwart efforts to create an entertainment hub downtown, said the pro-commerce mayor.

And while Majewski advocated to allow mosques to issue calls to prayer, she understands why some longtime residents are struggling to adjust to the sound that echos through the city’s streets five times each day.

While the city’s Polish Catholic population has shrunk from 90 percent in 1970 to about 11 percent today, in part as the old residents have moved to more prosperous suburbs, Polish American culture still permeates the town.

Hamtramck’s exceedingly low home prices and relatively low crime rate have proved especially attractive to new immigrants, whose presence is visible everywhere. Most of the women strolling Joseph Campau Avenue wear hijabs, or headscarves, and niqabs, veils that leave only the area around the eyes open. Many of the markets advertise their wares in Arabic or Bengali, and some display signs telling customers that owners will return shortly — gone to pray, much in the same way Polish businesses once signaled that employees had gone to Mass.

Many longtime residents point to 2004 as the year they suspected that the town’s culture had shifted irrevocably. It was then that the city council gave permission to al-Islah Islamic Center to broadcast its call to prayer from speakers atop its roof.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "This U.S. city has become the first to elect a Muslim-majority city council" by Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Washington Post 11/5/15

. . . The city council’s approval of an ordinance to allow mosques to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer onto public streets made it one of the few cities in the United States to approve the practice, according to a 2004 story in the Detroit News. “This is about uniting our community,” Shabad Ahmed, the first and only Muslim member of the Hamtramck City Council, told the newspaper.

Fast forward to 2015, when the city of some 22,000 people physically surrounded by but politically separate from Detroit has elected a Muslim-majority city council, believed to be the first in the nation. On Tuesday, the city elected three new city council members, making the council four of six members of Muslim faith.

Dearborn, which is part of the Detroit metro area, attracts most of the national attention over its Arab population, but its Muslim population is not as concentrated as Hamtramck.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Christmas Holiday OUT, Lunar New Year IN: Schools

Political correctness is the objective as public schools debate calendars, but from one district to the next, their PC goal seems elusive.

"I have come to the difficult decision to discontinue the celebration of the dominant holidays until we can come to a better understanding of how the dominant view will suppress someone else's view."
-- Principal Scott Masini, Bruce Vento Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota

For background, read 'Allahu Akbar' Taught in Minnesota School for Christmas

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Jewish Mom Opposes School's Santa Claus Christmas

Angry Muslims Demand School Holiday for Ramadan in New Jersey

D.C. Muslims Force Christmas Off Maryland School Calendar

Muslims Force Maryland Schools Closed Routinely

New Jersey Atheist Official Has Hissy Fit over Christmas Tree

Atheists Help Liberal Schools in Oregon Ban Christmas Choirs

Also read Texas School Supt. Tells Atheists to Go Fly a Kite

-- From "Minnesota school bans holiday celebrations for Valentine's Day, Christmas, more" by The Associated Press 2/3/16

Bruce Vento Elementary in St. Paul is joining other public schools in opting out of holiday celebrations as school officials strive to be more culturally sensitive and inclusive. The school has a predominantly Asian and black student body, and English is a second language for more than half of its pupils, who come from a range of faith backgrounds.

In a letter to parents last week, Principal Scott Masini said his rationale was to avoid "encroaching on the educational opportunities of others and threatening a culture of tolerance and respect for all." He acknowledged it would be an unpopular decision for some.

The letter drew both criticism and support as it started circulating on social media, with some people praising the policy for its sensitivity to diverse cultures and others decrying it as political correctness. The Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis ran an editorial calling the decision misguided and urged Masini to reconsider.

As word spread, the school district issued a statement saying its longstanding policy "discourages programs and festivities that celebrate observances unless they are required by law." That means government holidays celebrating the birthdays of President George Washington, President Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., along with Veterans Day, are still OK.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "[New York] City schools to close Monday for Lunar New Year" by Diane C. Lore, Staten Island Advance 2/5/16

Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced the addition of the new holiday to the school calendar in June.

The city school system will become only the second major urban school district in the nation, after San Francisco, to close on [the Asian] Lunar New Year.

When de Blasio announced in early March last year that the Mulsim holy days Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr would appear on this year's school calendar, Lunar New Year advocates began to push to have their holiday added.

The Department of Education was able to add the Lunar New Year holiday to the school calendar by consolidating two half-days previously designated for staff administrative work, of which neither could count toward the 180-day minimum, into one full day. This allowed room for the addition of the Lunar New Year without any loss in state aid-able days.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "New York City Schools to Celebrate Lunar New Year with Day Off for First Time" by Chris Fuchs, NBC News 2/1/16

. . . the city's 12 congressional members sent a letter to de Blasio dated March 9, saying they were happy Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr would become public school holidays, but were "puzzled and concerned" about why Lunar New Year was left out. Four days later, city and state elected officials held a rally outside City Hall. On April 1, legislation was introduced in Albany to amend New York's education law to recognize Lunar New Year as a public school holiday for any city with one-million people — namely New York City.

Former Queens state Assemblyman Jimmy Meng, a Democrat, was the first to propose such a bill in 2005, but it failed to gain a sponsor in the state Senate. Meng's daughter Grace, a former state assemblywoman who is now a Democrat congresswoman from Queens, also introduced legislation in early 2009 with support from state Sen. Daniel Squadron, a Democrat whose district includes Chinatown.

After several months went by without any news, more than 40 elected officials, advocacy groups, and community leaders sent an open letter to de Blasio in June, saying his administration did not keep a promise to meet before the end of May for discussions. Around the same time, the state Senate unanimously approved a bill making Lunar New Year a public school holiday.

Following mounting pressure, the mayor, who controls the city's school system with state approval, announced on June 22 through Twitter that Lunar New Year would be added to the 2015-2016 calendar. The message was published in English, Chinese, and Korean.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Valentine's Day ban touches off wider debate on school celebrations" by Beena Raghavendran and Zoe Peterson, Minneapolis Star Tribune 2/2/16

Across the metro area and the country, schools are juggling sensitivity with holiday fun as student bodies become increasingly diverse. Several schools have turned to seasonal celebrations to include all students, and some have scaled back in-class celebrations to save teaching time.

[St. Paul's] Vento school is echoing that rationale in its decision to stop celebrating major holidays, to avoid “encroaching on the educational opportunities of others and threatening a culture of tolerance and respect for all,” Masini said in the letter addressed to families. “My personal feeling is we need to find a way to honor and engage in holidays that are inclusive of our student population.”

Masini was cheered and jeered by people online. Some said fun was being sucked out of schools. He responded in a comment released by the school district Thursday. “I’m struggling with this and I don’t know what the right answer is,” he said. “But, what I do know is celebrating some holidays and not others is not inclusive of all of the students we serve.

Wayzata Public Schools no longer observes specific holidays, opting instead for seasonal celebrations, said spokeswoman Amy Parnell. Valentine’s Day is the only exception — certain schools still decide to recognize the holiday.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "St. Paul school might abandon celebration of 4 holidays" by Josh Verges, St. Paul Pioneer Press 2/1/16

The policy reads, in part:  “Schools shall discourage programs and festivities arranged to celebrate holidays and other special days, and shall strive to eliminate them, except where such observances are required by law.”

Exceptions to the policy are Veterans Day and the birthdays of Martin Luther King, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. When school is held on those days, state law says “at least one hour of the school program must be devoted to a patriotic observance of the day.”

[St. Paul Public Schools spokeswoman Toya] Stewart Downey said Superintendent Valeria Silva supports the district’s policy on holiday observances. But the district will gather input from schools in case the school board wants to change the policy.

[Principal] Masini said the school no longer would celebrate Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Majority in U.S. Want Christmas Celebrated WITHIN Schools: Poll

3-Parent Babies are Ethical: Experts to Obama FDA

Experts from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine are advising President Obama's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve mitochondrial DNA replacement techniques (MRTs) to help about a hundred Americans give birth to creatures fabricated in a laboratory using genetic material from three unrelated people.  The experts promise that no scientists in the future will misuse the techniques to "play god" and create any Frankenstein babies.

For background, read President Obama's FDA Pushes 3-parent Babies

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

UK Government OKs Frankenstein Designer Babies

Secret Designer Babies via Gene-editing Science

Scientists Create Artificial Human Eggs and Sperm

Genetic Scientists Worshiped as Creators of Life

Also read Unborn Must Die so Others Can Live, Scientists Say

-- From "Three-parent babies are ok, experts say" by NBC News 2/4/16

Such "three-parent" babies could be a way for people with a high risk of rare, devastating genetic diseases to have healthy children that are genetically their own, the National Academy of Medicine panel said.

And at first, the panel advised, only male embryos should be made this way until it's clear that dangerous mutations would not be passed down to future generations.

The FDA asked the academy, formerly known as the Institute of Medicine, to look at the three-person embryo processes, called mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT). These are variations of in vitro fertilization, or IVF — the method that creates so-called "test-tube babies."

MRT adds a step [to IVF]: The mother's nuclear DNA would be removed and placed into the egg cell of another woman. The father's sperm would then be used to fertilize that hybrid egg.

The new techniques would be used to prevent the transmission of certain types of diseases that occur at the mitochondrial DNA level, the experts said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Babies With Genes From 3 People Could Be Ethical, Panel Says" by Rob Stein, WBEZ-FM91.5 NPR (Chicago, IL) 2/3/16

Critics of the research, meanwhile, say the number of women who could benefit from the experiments is so small that it's not worth crossing a line that's long been considered off-limits — making genetic changes that could be passed down for generations.

"The possibility of what you could call 'mission creep' is very real," says Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a watchdog group based in Berkeley, Calif. "People are talking about going forward not just with this but with the kind of genetic engineering that will produce outright genetically modified human beings."

Once that happens, Darnovsky says, "I think you get into a situation of where some people are genetically enhanced and other people are the regular old variety of human being. And I don't think that's a world we want to live in."

. . . The FDA email praised the "thoughtful work" of the panel and said the agency would be "reviewing" the recommendations. But it noted that the latest federal budget "prevents the FDA from using funds to review applications in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include" changes that could be passed down to future generations. As a result, the email says, any such research "cannot be performed in the United States" at this time.

"I think it's a great step in the right direction," Mark Sauer, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University who is a member of one of the teams . . . "Politics as usual often gets in way of progress," Sauer said in a subsequent email. While the FDA statement would cause "undue delays" in his research, he added that he hoped it wouldn't permanently "necessarily halt the efforts."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Should scientists be allowed to change DNA to prevent genetic disease?" by Daphne Chen, Deseret News 2/3/16

"I think the field has come together to say, 'Let’s think about this together and go forward carefully,'" said Dr. Jeffrey Botkin, a professor of pediatrics and chief of medical ethics and humanities at the University of Utah.

Botkin sat on the 12-person committee that included top bioethics experts from Johns Hopkins, Caltech and Harvard.

"There's not a bright line between where this kicks over into unethical," [University of Utah, Department of Biochemistry Dr. Jared] Rutter said. "The technology that we have is expanding … more rapidly than our sophistication with thinking about how to use it."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Ethicists approve ‘3 parent’ embryos to stop diseases, but congressional ban remains" by Joel Achenbach, Washington Post 2/3/16

The committee, which was convened last year at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, concluded that it is ethically permissible to “go forward, but with caution” with mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT), said the chairman, Jeffrey Kahn, a bioethicist at Johns Hopkins University.

But the advisory panel’s conclusions have slammed into a congressional ban: The omnibus fiscal 2016 budget bill passed by Congress late last year contained language prohibiting the government from using any funds to handle applications for experiments that genetically alter human embryos.

Thus the green light from the scientists and ethicists won't translate anytime soon into clinical applications that could potentially help families that want healthy babies, said Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a pioneer of the new technique at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore.

“It seems like the FDA is disabled in this case by Congress," Mitalipov said. “At this point we’re still not clear how to proceed."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Report: It's ethical to test embryos from DNA of 3 people" by Lauran Neergaard, Medical Xpress 2/3/16

The genes that give us our hair and eye color, our height and other family traits—and some common diseases such as cancer—come from DNA in the nucleus of cells, the kind we inherit from both mom and dad.

But only mothers pass on mitochondrial DNA, to both daughters and sons. It encodes a mere 37 genes, but defects can leave cells without enough energy and can lead to blindness, seizures, muscle degeneration, developmental disorders, even death. Severity varies widely, and researchers estimate 1 in 5,000 children may inherit some degree of mitochondrial disease.

Critics have argued that the first such births would have to be tracked for decades to be sure they're really healthy, and that families could try adoption or standard IVF with a donated egg instead. And they say it crosses a fundamental scientific boundary by altering what's called the germline—eggs, sperm or embryos—in a way that could affect future generations.

"It is reckless to proceed with this form of germline modification," said Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society, an advocacy group.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Male Girl Scout Thrills Media: Selling Transgender

The liberal media is avidly reporting the "fantastic news" of 9-year-old Stormi, a boy whose foster mother dresses him as a girl, for selling thousands of Girl Scout Cookies online to sexual revolutionaries.  The boy from Herrin, in downstate Illinois, struck out selling door-to-door after his neighbor told him, "Nobody wants to buy cookies from a boy in a dress."

So, what will the media report once this 52-year-old man, who says he's a 6-year-old girl, goes door-to-door?

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Sexually Confused Boy Becomes Girl Scout, Media Hit

Indiana Lawmaker Says Girl Scouts are Pro-gay & Abortion

Catholic Bishops Investigate Girl Scouts' Sexualization

Girl Scouts Advocate Guide Teaching Sex Acts?

Also read how the Gay Agenda destroyed the Boy Scouts.

-- From "Transgender Illinois Girl Scout sells thousands of boxes of cookies despite hateful remark and social media trolls" by Tobias Salinger, New York Daily News 2/3/16

Stormi was knocking on doors with her foster mother [Kim] last month when a man at one home expressed opposition to the Girl Scouts of America’s inclusive policies by insulting a little girl.

. . . “Stormi’s Cookie World,” her online shop, has passed its goal of selling over 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, the site showed Tuesday night. Stormi’s family is donating cookies to “local foster kids like me,” she wrote on the site.

The Girl Scouts have allowed transgender girls to join since 2011, CNN reported last spring. The right-wing American Family Association started a petition in May saying Girl Scouts of America has “lost its moral compass” and accusing it of a new policy saying “Boys dressing as girls can join.” Over 40,000 people had signed Tuesday night.

The national organization's official policy states it places transgender girls on a "case-by-case basis" and that the organization can serve them with a safe setting if the child lives as a girl and is recognized as one by friends and family. Jay Strobel, a spokesman for Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, told The Washington Post Stormi’s efforts are “amazing” in an interview.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Transgender Girl Scout stands up to bully who wouldn’t buy cookies ‘from a boy in a dress’" by Lindsey Bever, Washington Post 2/2/16

Stormi started selling her cookies through the Girl Scouts’s online portal, Digital Cookies, last week. . . .

Supporters have rallied around Stormi’s cause.

A New York-based comedy duo gave people who bought Stormi’s cookies free admission to a show. A California multimedia musical agreed to donate a box for every ticket sold.

An LGBTQ support group in Idaho sent out a call for support, too. . . .

After a troop in Colorado admitted a 7-year-old transgender girl in 2011, several Girl Scout troops in Louisiana disbanded in protest and a California teen called for a boycott.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Accused Bisexual Abuser Hired by Multiple Schools

Days after Jinwoo Seong, 36, was fired by the New York Department of Education from Martin Van Buren High School in Queens for oral sex with a male student and groping numerous students of both sexes, he began teaching math at Don Bosco Technical Academy (middle school) in the Paterson, New Jersey school district, having passed the necessary background check.

“Jinwoo Seong’s inappropriate conduct makes it clear that he has no place in New York City public schools.”
-- Richard Condon, Special Commissioner of Investigation, New York City School District (9/28/2015)

Yet, the New York officials told Seong “this was in-house and ‘you don’t have to worry about this moving on.’”

For background, read Homosexual Pedophile Teaches in Multiple States for Three Decades

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Court Orders Lesbian Teachers back in New York School

Homosexual Teacher in Brooklyn Paid Boy for Oral Sex

Homosexual, Lesbian Teachers Arrested for Sex with Students

Louisiana Lesbian Teacher Arrested for Sex with Minor Girl

Homosexual Teacher Arrested for Watching Anal Sex in Florida Classroom

Homosexual Teachers Indoctrinate 8-year-olds in North Carolina

Lesbian Seminar Teaching Kids How to be Homosexual

-- From "Teacher got NJ job as NYC investigated him for shocking sexual abuse" By Dan Alexander, WKXW-FM101.5 (Trenton, NJ) 2/1/16

In October, New Jersey OK’d Seong’s application to recognize his New York certifications — a month before he was fired from NYCs as schools investigator Richard Condon wrote in a letter he had “no place” in the schools, the report said. He started at Don Bosco in a $62,000 position on Dec. 7, the report said.

The [New York] Post reported that the investigation found he’d exposed himself to a male student, touched a girl’s breast and butt, cracked “gay jokes” and had a girl measure a boy’s genitals. The New York Deptartment of Education assigned Seong to a “rubber room” where he reported and sat all day until his firing was official on Nov. 30, according to the Post.

Seong has denied the allegations. Capt. James Smith, executive director of security and internal investigations for Paterson schools, told the Post that Seong passed a criminal background check because he was never charged with a crime.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Paterson school officials probe newly-hired teacher over student sex allegations in NYC" by Joe Malinconico, Paterson Press northjersey.com 2/1/16

Seong’s lawyer, Vincent White, said in a letter to Paterson officials that his client “has never been charged with any crime by local law enforcement.” White’s letter, dated Feb. 1, also described the New York City School District’s eight-page report accusing Seong of the sexual activity as “extremely flawed.”

White told Paterson officials that the New York report “ignored the fact that students gave inconsistent, hearsay statements and some alleged victims even denied the truth of the allegations until they were further prodded to confirm them.” White said students at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens were retaliating against Seong for calling their parents about discipline problems.

District officials said they were unaware of the New York investigation targeting Seong until contacted about the situation late last week by a reporter from the New York Post. The Post published a story about Seong on Sunday. The story said Seong’s termination by the New York education department took effect Nov. 30.

The report says Seong denied the allegations. Seong’s lawyer wrote to Paterson school officials that he hoped his client “will not be further victimized due to these baseless allegations made by some troubled students.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Teacher fired for sex with student got new job at NJ school" by Susan Edelman and Dean Balsamini, New York Post 1/31/16

Seong, who was fired, managed to get a new job in Jersey simply by not revealing his troubled past. The case shows how a teacher accused of shocking misconduct can slip through bureaucratic cracks and back into the classroom.

Capt. James Smith, executive director of security and internal investigations for Paterson schools, on Friday immediately ordered Seong’s removal from the classroom pending further inquiry when informed by The Post about Condon’s report.

“If you’ve been disciplined for inappropriate conduct with a student, we’ll take action,” Smith said he told Seong.

The state is investigating Seong to determine if he should be stripped of his license.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Most Americans Say Gay Men Untrustworthy with Boys

UK's Frankenstein: Designer Babies OK'd by Gov't

Today, the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) announced it authorized a private research firm to use abandoned babies, a.k.a. "leftover" embryos, to perform human genetic code editing.  Bioethicists have warned for years that such research will certainly lead to so-called "designer babies."

"This is the first step on a path that scientists have carefully mapped out towards the legalization of (genetically modified) babies."
-- David King, Human Genetics Alert

For background, read Secret Designer Babies via Gene-editing Science and also read Unborn Must Die so Others Can Live, Scientists Say

UPDATE 2/4/16: 3-Parent Babies ARE Ethical, Experts Tell President Obama's FDA

Also read Scientists Create Artificial Human Eggs and Sperm

And read Genetic Scientists Worshiped as Creators of Life

-- From "Britain Okays Gene Editing Experiment on Human Embryos" by The Associated Press 2/1/16

Scientists say gene-editing techniques could one day lead to treatments for conditions like HIV, which causes AIDS, and inherited diseases like muscular dystrophy and sickle cell disease.

Peter Braude, an emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology at King's College London, said the mechanisms being investigated by [Dr. Kathy] Niakan and colleagues "are crucial in ensuring healthy, normal development and implantation" and could help doctors understand how to improve in vitro fertilization rates and prevent miscarriages.

The gene-editing technique was developed partly in the U.S. and scientists there have experimented with the method in animals and in human cells in the laboratory. Gene editing has not been used for any kinds of patient therapies yet.

Around the world, laws and guidelines vary widely about what kind of research is allowed on embryos, since it could change the genes of future generations. In the U.S., the National Institutes of Health cannot fund research on human embryos but private funding is allowed.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Britain gives scientists permission to genetically modify human embryos" by Rachel Feltman, Washington Post 2/1/16

The news comes less than a year after the first reports of human-gene editing — published by Chinese scientists in the journal Protein and Cell — using the fantastic and at times troubling technology known as CRISPR. By harnessing an ancient defense mechanism built into bacteria, CRISPR allows scientists to target, delete and replace specific genes. It has been used extensively in other organisms, but research in humans has been slow.

The Chinese experiments reported last year were largely unsuccessful. Few of the embryos in the experiment were successfully modified, and even fewer had the changes that scientists intended to make. None of the embryos were gestated, and the authors of the study readily admitted that their error rate was too high for use on viable embryos.

. . . Britain now has become the first country to approve the use of public funding for such research. In the United States, labs have to find private funding for any research that creates or destroys human embryos, and some lawmakers seek to ban it altogether. Even in China, where the first "successful" editing occurred, the guidelines are murky.

The University of Kent's Darren Griffin called the [HFEA] ruling "a triumph for common sense" in a statement, and Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust, lauded the decision as "a victory for level-headed regulation over moral panic."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "UK scientists given go-ahead to genetically modify human embryos" by Sheena McKenzie, for CNN 2/1/16

Scientists will be focusing on the first seven days of a fertilized egg's growth. In these early days, a fertilized egg evolves from a single cell to around 250 cells.

The research, which will be led by Dr. Kathy Niakan, will take place at the Francis Crick Institute in London and has been hailed as a "triumph for common sense" by leading figures of the British science community.

However, the research has also raised concerns that it could pave the way for "designer babies" -- going beyond health improvements and modifying everything from a child's eye color to intelligence.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "British scientists granted permission to genetically modify human embryos" by Sarah Knapton, Science Editor, UK Telegraph 2/1/16

Currently around 50 per cent of fertilised eggs do not develop properly and experts believe that faulty genetic code could be responsible.

If scientists knew which genes were crucial for healthy cell division, then they could screen out embryos where their DNA was not working properly, potentially preventing miscarriages and aiding fertility.

The team at Francis Crick are already in talks with fertility clinics across the country to use their spare embryos.

Dr Calum MacKellar, Director of Research of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics said: “Allowing the gene editing of embryos opens the road to genetically modifying all the descendants of a person as well as full blown eugenics which was condemned by all civilised societies after the Second World War.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Britain grants first licence for genetic modification of embryos" posted at Medical Xpress 2/1/16

[Dr. Kathy] Niakan has said she is planning to modify the embryos using a technique known as CRISPR-Cas9, which allows scientists to insert, remove and correct DNA within a cell.

The embryos will not become children as they must be destroyed within 14 days and can only be used for basic research.

She plans to find the genes at play in the first few days of fertilisation when an embryo develops a coating of cells that later become the placenta.

The embryos to be used in the research are ones that would have been destroyed, donated by couples receiving In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment who do not need them.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "British researchers get green light to genetically modify human embryos" by Haroon Siddique, UK Guardian 2/1/16

Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, group leader at the Francis Crick Institute . . . said it would also provide invaluable information about the accuracy and efficiency of the technique, helping to inform the debate about whether genome editing could be used in future to correct faulty genes that cause devastating diseases.

That prospect remains a long way off but is already a subject of concern. There are also fears that changes to an embryo’s DNA could have unknown harmful consequences throughout a person’s body and be passed on down the generations.

Last year, leading UK funders called for a national debate on whether editing human embryos could ever be justified in the clinic. Some fear that a public backlash could derail less controversial uses of genome editing, which could lead to radical new treatments for disease.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pro-life charity criticises decision to allow UK scientists to genetically modify human embryos" by Staff Reporter, Catholic Herald 2/1/16

After the announcement Anne Scanlan, the education director of Life, said . . . “[HFEA] has ignored the warnings of over a hundred scientists worldwide and given permission for a procedure, which could have damaging far-reaching implications for human beings. We do not know what long term side effects the tampering with some strands of DNA could have on other strands. However once genetic changes have been made they will be irreversible and handed down to future generations.”

Miss Scanlan added: “We are also concerned that such controversial intervention in the human germline opens up the very real possibility of eugenics where the existence of human beings becomes conditional on the possession of certain physical characteristics.

“Whilst we note the HFEA restriction on the implantation of genetically modified embryos, it is sending the wrong signals by allowing scientists the ability to develop and possibly perfect the technology here in the UK. To mitigate any advancement on the potentially dangerous work being undertaken by these British scientists, we believe that an international ban on human DNA editing is urgently needed to protect the future of the human species.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read President Obama's Food and Drug Administration considers lab science that 'Creates' Designer Baby with 3 Biological Parents

And read IVF Eliminating Fatherhood via Virgin Births

Satanists to Lead 'Prayer' in Phoenix Government

Some members of the Phoenix City Council would like to restrict Satanists and others from opening prayers at council meetings, but that may NOT be possible.

"Consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s direction, the city cannot dictate religious viewpoints or the content of a prayer. In addition, government may not exclude a denomination or a religion from praying under these circumstances."
-- Brad Holm, City Attorney of Phoenix, Arizona

"I strongly disagree with this group's message. However, the First Amendment protects free speech. As offensive as that message may be, the Constitution demands equal treatment under the law."
-- Mayor Greg Stanton

For background read Florida Battles Satanic 'Prayer' at Civic Meetings City-by-City as one Florida County Official Defies 'Minion of Satan'

Also read Arizona City Allows Only Christian Prayers

In addition, read Supreme Court Justice Scalia Says Government Should Favor God of the Bible



-- From "Satanic group to give prayer at Phoenix City Council meeting" by The Associated Press 1/29/16

The Arizona Republic reports that the Satanic Temple submitted a request in December to give the invocation for a City Council meeting. Temple members Michelle Shortt and Stu de Haan are expected to do so on Feb. 17.

The city’s invocation has been delivered by Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and people of other faiths.

De Haan says the group doesn’t intend to do anything offensive. He says they don’t believe in a literal Satan but view the biblical Satan as a metaphor for rebellion against tyranny.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "4 Phoenix city councilmen trying to block Satanist prayer" by Dustin Gardiner, The Arizona Republic 1/30/16

While some Phoenix leaders have objected, the city has said it will let the Satanists pray. City Attorney Brad Holm defended the decision in a statement released Thursday.

Councilmen Sal DiCiccio, Bill Gates, Jim Waring and Michael Nowakowski are pushing a proposal to change how the city schedules the invocation. The plan would let the mayor and council members take turns inviting different religious groups to give the prayer.

Waring said the proposal could prevent the Satanic Temple from turning the council's Feb. 17 meeting into "a circus." The group could still give an invocation at a future meeting, but a council member would have to personally invite them.

Other city leaders have defended the satanists' right to speak under the First Amendment. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.



From "Phoenix council members try to block Satanic church from giving meeting prayer" posted at KTAR-FM92.3 (Glendale, AZ) 1/29/16

[Satanist Stu de Haan] said people have been concerned about the satanic prayer, but a lot of them don’t understand the religion.

“We’ve gotten a lot of ridiculous questions, like are we going to sacrifice babies and what we’re calling ‘blood libel,’” he said. “There’s nothing ever like that in Satanism.”

“We should have our voice and we believe that reason should trump superstition in general,” he said.

De Haan said the group is not looking to shake any feathers or make changes to the city’s process. His group just wants to be included in the broader religious spectrum.

“We are Satanists and we are your friend,” he said.

To read the entire article above, and hear interview with Satanist, CLICK HERE.



Also read Mississippi Police Chief Thanks God at City Prayer Meetings

And read California Mayor Calls City Prayer Vigil to Seek Solutions