The media is turning up the volume of a small number of self-labeled Christians (who counter pro-life efforts) in an attempt to convince Americans that advocating legal restrictions on abortion is NOT being pro-life.
-- From "As abortion foes grow more intense, a new view surfaces" by Michael Paulson, Boston Globe Staff 10/30/08
Over the last few weeks, more than 60 Catholic bishops, articulating their traditional views in ever stronger language, have urged voters to make abortion their top priority in an election dominated by the nation's economic turmoil.
But the urgency of the bishops reflects an increasing concern about a new argument posed by some [self-proclaimed] antiabortion [left-wing] intellectuals and organizations: that the legislative battle to outlaw abortion is hopeless and that antiabortion groups would be better off devoting themselves to preventing unwanted pregnancies and persuading pregnant women to carry their fetuses to term rather than trying to change the laws of the land. The discussion is taking place within evangelical Protestantism, as well as among Roman Catholics, but it is more visible in the Catholic Church because of the high profile of Catholic bishops.
The debate, which Trinity College professor Mark Silk termed "an emerging civil war within the upper reaches of American Catholicism," is playing out in diocesan newspapers, speeches, blogs, and op-ed pages. But the bishops' views do not appear to be having much impact on voters.
[These claims by the Boston Globe are absent substantiation.]
Recent polls have suggested that Catholics are tilting increasingly toward Democrat Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights, and some polls have suggested that Obama is also making incremental gains among evangelicals.
"The banning-abortion position, conservatives will admit, is not a realistic one in this country - it's never going to happen, and they admit it's not going to happen," said Jim Wallis, a leading progressive [self-labeled] evangelical. "Maybe abortion reduction could result in a more prolife outcome than taking what have become symbolic stances that are never going to be achieved" in the United States.
[So-called] Antiabortion Obama supporters have been using the Internet to fuel an argument that has captivated a corner of the blogosphere. A new organization called Catholic Democrats has posted a Q&A on its website suggesting that Democrats would do a better job than Republicans at reducing the abortion rate, and Catholics United, another liberal organization, has launched a direct-mail campaign in swing states urging Catholics to rethink what it means to be "pro-life."
Scholars say the idea of abortion reduction is not new. As president, Bill Clinton wanted to make abortion "safe, legal, and rare."
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver addressed the issue in a recent speech, saying, "People who claim that the abortion struggle is lost as a matter of law, or that supporting an outspoken defender of legal abortion is somehow prolife, are not just wrong; they're betraying the witness of every person who continues the work of defending the unborn child."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Mass. Christians Silenced by Intimidation
It behooves Christian leaders to examine the actual events in Massachusetts to observe empirical evidence of the loss of religious liberty and freedom of speech, here in the "land of the free, and the home of the brave." History buffs will recognize the parallels with Germany leading up to WWII.
Read a summary of brutal intimidation by CLICKING HERE (including tactics by the homosexual advocates against the Christians).
The below is a list of the attacks by the opposition, and lack of support by many Christian institutions to a grassroots effort attempting to petition for a citizens vote on the repeal of a 1913 law that has, for the past few years, been cited to forbid homosexual couples from outside of Massachusetts to be married in Massachusetts.
The Christian petition effort failed because:
Read a summary of brutal intimidation by CLICKING HERE (including tactics by the homosexual advocates against the Christians).
The below is a list of the attacks by the opposition, and lack of support by many Christian institutions to a grassroots effort attempting to petition for a citizens vote on the repeal of a 1913 law that has, for the past few years, been cited to forbid homosexual couples from outside of Massachusetts to be married in Massachusetts.
The Christian petition effort failed because:
- Many people were afraid that if they signed, their names would end up on homosexual web sites and they would be harassed. As we all know, this happened with the Marriage Amendment petition signers, and a lot of people were harassed.
- Homosexual activists terrorized our petition gatherers across the state. They would come up to them and scream horrible things, and then call the police (or store managers) with phony complaints and charges. It happened constantly. Homosexual websites sometimes tracked our signature-gathering activities. And they even tried to intimidate the MassResistance office by sending us a stream of obscene emails.
- The Archdiocese of Boston opposed the effort and took extraordinary steps to thwart it. They contacted every Catholic church in Massachusetts and told them not to allow petitions to be gathered there. Priests spoke from the pulpit against it, and ordered petition gatherers off the property. (Ironically, in July the Archdiocese had publicly denounced the Legislalture's repeal of the 1913 law -- and the Cardinal himself signed our petition!)
- The pro-family group Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) publicly opposed the effort, discouraged people from participating, and refused to help us contact churches they were affiliated with. (Basically, we were told, they were afraid that if we forced a statewide election, it would be too difficult a fight and they wanted to avoid that.)
- Since this actually only affected people in other states, we were counting on out-of-state donors to help us out. For example, we were all ready to mail petitions to 80,000 people who had signed the Marriage Amendment. This would have been a huge boost! But we needed money to at least pay for postage. Unfortunately the out-of-staters we asked (including the American Family Association) all turned us down. What we learned is that, basically, they've given up on Massachusetts. But we haven't.
- Our friend Larry Cirignano, who helped run the Marriage Amendment petition drive, had agreed to come in run this petition drive (for reasonably generous pay). But after taking the first few weeks off to attend the Democratic and Republican national conventions and then a values voter convention, Larry suddenly abandoned this effort to work instead for the Jeff Beatty US Senate campaign. Larry never explained to us why he did this, but he did mention that a certain MFI director had pressured him not to work with us. (This was very hard for us to recover from. But over the last few weeks a stalwart group of people stepped up and did yeomen's work.)
- Unlike with initiative petitions and constitutional amendments, we didn't have months to plan this. We had to act within days of the repeal of the 1913 law, and immediately get to work.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Designer Baby Production Now Science-Reality
Genetic testing . . . allows scientists to test embryos developed in the laboratory so that only "healthy" embryos are implanted into the womb, experts said at the National Press Club on Tuesday.
UPDATE 3/15/15: Secret Designer Babies via Gene-editing Science
-- From "Genetic Testing in a Petri Dish Could Eliminate 'Imperfect' Humans -- Before Implanting in Mom" by Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer, CNSNews.com 10/29/08
"Pre-implantation" screening is done by egg fertilization in a Petri dish and then the embryos are screened so that those with genetic disorders can be eliminated, said panelist Sherri Bale, a medical geneticist and co-founder of GeneDx, a company that offers molecular diagnoses of hereditary disorders.
. . . Bale said. "We're going to test those embryos and we're going to find out which ones don't carry the mutation and those embryos can be implanted back into the mom and then she can have a baby that's virtually guaranteed not to have this disease."
When asked by CNSNews.com whether genetic testing will allow parents to only have what they consider perfect children, panel members did not answer the question directly . . .
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 3/15/15: Secret Designer Babies via Gene-editing Science
-- From "Genetic Testing in a Petri Dish Could Eliminate 'Imperfect' Humans -- Before Implanting in Mom" by Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer, CNSNews.com 10/29/08
"Pre-implantation" screening is done by egg fertilization in a Petri dish and then the embryos are screened so that those with genetic disorders can be eliminated, said panelist Sherri Bale, a medical geneticist and co-founder of GeneDx, a company that offers molecular diagnoses of hereditary disorders.
. . . Bale said. "We're going to test those embryos and we're going to find out which ones don't carry the mutation and those embryos can be implanted back into the mom and then she can have a baby that's virtually guaranteed not to have this disease."
When asked by CNSNews.com whether genetic testing will allow parents to only have what they consider perfect children, panel members did not answer the question directly . . .
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Pro-life Pharmacy Opens in D.C. Suburb
-- From "Full house greets 'faith-based' pharmacy" by Julia Duin, Washington Times 10/22/08
Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy, one of fewer than a dozen pharmacies in the country that refuse to stock any kind of birth control, cigarettes, pornography or condoms, opened with a Catholic bishop's blessing and sprinklings of holy water Tuesday in Chantilly [Virginia].
The store, just off Route 50 in one of Northern Virginia's busiest corridors, refuses to dispense birth control on the grounds that it destroys a developing life and that the hormones in birth-control pills are dangerous to a woman's health. Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial birth control.
The DMC Pharmacy is part of a national debate on the rights of pro-life pharmacists versus consumers who insist they dispense birth control. At least two people at the opening said they were Catholic pharmacists who said they had either lost their jobs for not giving out contraceptives or were in danger of doing so.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy, one of fewer than a dozen pharmacies in the country that refuse to stock any kind of birth control, cigarettes, pornography or condoms, opened with a Catholic bishop's blessing and sprinklings of holy water Tuesday in Chantilly [Virginia].
The store, just off Route 50 in one of Northern Virginia's busiest corridors, refuses to dispense birth control on the grounds that it destroys a developing life and that the hormones in birth-control pills are dangerous to a woman's health. Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial birth control.
The DMC Pharmacy is part of a national debate on the rights of pro-life pharmacists versus consumers who insist they dispense birth control. At least two people at the opening said they were Catholic pharmacists who said they had either lost their jobs for not giving out contraceptives or were in danger of doing so.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
MN School Forced to Allow Pro-life T-shirts
The Hutchinson School District has settled a lawsuit with the family of a sixth grader over the district's response to anti-abortion T-shirts he wore to school.
-- From "Minn. school district settles T-shirt lawsuit" Associated Press 10/23/08
The district agreed to pay the student $1 damages and $12,500 in legal fees . . .
The settlement allows the student to wear his T-shirts, although the district retained the right to react if the shirts cause substantial disruption in the schools.
The lawsuit claims that during April a middle school principal and several teachers told the student he couldn't wear the shirts, and when he did they made him turn them inside out.
The lawsuit was filed in June by attorneys for the Thomas More Law Center, a Michigan-based Christian legal advocacy group.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Minn. school district settles T-shirt lawsuit" Associated Press 10/23/08
The district agreed to pay the student $1 damages and $12,500 in legal fees . . .
The settlement allows the student to wear his T-shirts, although the district retained the right to react if the shirts cause substantial disruption in the schools.
The lawsuit claims that during April a middle school principal and several teachers told the student he couldn't wear the shirts, and when he did they made him turn them inside out.
The lawsuit was filed in June by attorneys for the Thomas More Law Center, a Michigan-based Christian legal advocacy group.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Abortion Photos Impact N. Carolina Univ.
18-foot-tall anti-abortion exhibit by Carolina Students for Life sparks heated discussion
-- From "Exhibit draws heated response" by Meera Jagannathan, Staff Writer, The Daily Tar Heel 10/23/08
The [university pro-life] group obtained $5,000 from Student Congress in September to bring the exhibit, created by Kansas-based anti-abortion group Justice for All, to campus.
The reaction among UNC students was overwhelmingly negative.
Members of abortion-rights groups also appeared at the exhibition, handing out information and speaking to students walking by.
“I believe in free speech and all of that, but I feel like this is all ill-informed propaganda,” [said first-year student Jaime Willett, referring to the exhibit.]
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Exhibit draws heated response" by Meera Jagannathan, Staff Writer, The Daily Tar Heel 10/23/08
The [university pro-life] group obtained $5,000 from Student Congress in September to bring the exhibit, created by Kansas-based anti-abortion group Justice for All, to campus.
The reaction among UNC students was overwhelmingly negative.
Members of abortion-rights groups also appeared at the exhibition, handing out information and speaking to students walking by.
“I believe in free speech and all of that, but I feel like this is all ill-informed propaganda,” [said first-year student Jaime Willett, referring to the exhibit.]
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Moveon.org's George Soros Bankrolls Abortion-rights Catholics
Billionaire's money buys support from catholic scholars for pro-abortion candidates
-- From "Catholic League claims Catholic political groups are financed by George Soros" posted at Catholic News Agency 10/20/08
The Catholic League’s president Bill Donohue has come out swinging at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United for having ties to the left-wing financier George Soros.
Donohue charges that Soros’ liberal credentials couldn’t be more clear, citing a 2005 campaign by Soros-financed Moveon.org to convince Americans that they should back Democrats efforts to filibuster President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees to the Supreme Court.
Although the incident occurred in 2005, Donohue now says that Soros is financing two organizations that have close ties to the Democrat Party and are “apologists for abortion rights.”
For his part, Donohue believes that George Soros, who is Jewish, is driven to fund Catholic groups because he has an agenda to normalize Catholic support for abortion.
“The reason Soros funds the Catholic Left is the same reason he lavishly funds Catholics for Choice, the pro-abortion group that has twice been condemned as a fraud by Catholic bishops: they all service his agenda, namely, to make support for abortion rights a respectable Catholic position,” Donohue stated on Monday.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Catholic League claims Catholic political groups are financed by George Soros" posted at Catholic News Agency 10/20/08
The Catholic League’s president Bill Donohue has come out swinging at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United for having ties to the left-wing financier George Soros.
Donohue charges that Soros’ liberal credentials couldn’t be more clear, citing a 2005 campaign by Soros-financed Moveon.org to convince Americans that they should back Democrats efforts to filibuster President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees to the Supreme Court.
Although the incident occurred in 2005, Donohue now says that Soros is financing two organizations that have close ties to the Democrat Party and are “apologists for abortion rights.”
For his part, Donohue believes that George Soros, who is Jewish, is driven to fund Catholic groups because he has an agenda to normalize Catholic support for abortion.
“The reason Soros funds the Catholic Left is the same reason he lavishly funds Catholics for Choice, the pro-abortion group that has twice been condemned as a fraud by Catholic bishops: they all service his agenda, namely, to make support for abortion rights a respectable Catholic position,” Donohue stated on Monday.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Solution to Teen Pregnancy: Teach Sex in Kindergarten
... with one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, the British government is bringing sex education to all schools in England — including kindergartens.
-- From "Kindergarten sex ed mandatory in England" Associated Press 10/24/08
While countries like France, Holland and China already require sex education, few places demand that it be introduced at such a young age.
The government hasn’t detailed what the new curriculum will look like, but schools will be asked to provide lessons on relationships and contraception, topics not previously required.
Britain has among the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, with government figures showing that about 39,000 girls between ages 15 and 17 became pregnant in 2006, the year for which the most recent figures are available. An additional 7,200 girls between the ages of 13 and 14 were reported pregnant the same year.
French students get sex ed in middle and high schools. Norwegian students typically get mandatory sex education around age 15. The topic is not mandatory but left up to principals and teachers in Italy.
In Finland, at age 11 or 12 children in school are taught about reproduction but sexual health and human relations begins between age 14 or 15. The Finish children’s watchdog, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, last month proposed distributing free condoms to ninth graders (16 year olds) in schools to the stop spread of sexually transmitted diseases; education authorities rejected it.
In the United States, which lacks a national curriculum, the decision to offer sex education is left to individual states and districts. In recent years, the federal government has funded programs promoting sexual abstinence. The abstinence programs are favored by religious conservatives.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Kindergarten sex ed mandatory in England" Associated Press 10/24/08
While countries like France, Holland and China already require sex education, few places demand that it be introduced at such a young age.
The government hasn’t detailed what the new curriculum will look like, but schools will be asked to provide lessons on relationships and contraception, topics not previously required.
Britain has among the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, with government figures showing that about 39,000 girls between ages 15 and 17 became pregnant in 2006, the year for which the most recent figures are available. An additional 7,200 girls between the ages of 13 and 14 were reported pregnant the same year.
French students get sex ed in middle and high schools. Norwegian students typically get mandatory sex education around age 15. The topic is not mandatory but left up to principals and teachers in Italy.
In Finland, at age 11 or 12 children in school are taught about reproduction but sexual health and human relations begins between age 14 or 15. The Finish children’s watchdog, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, last month proposed distributing free condoms to ninth graders (16 year olds) in schools to the stop spread of sexually transmitted diseases; education authorities rejected it.
In the United States, which lacks a national curriculum, the decision to offer sex education is left to individual states and districts. In recent years, the federal government has funded programs promoting sexual abstinence. The abstinence programs are favored by religious conservatives.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Northern Calif. Students Buck College Trend on Marriage
Students at California's largest 2-year college vote to support student council on stand for traditional marriage, despite vocal homosexual advocates' leading
-- From "Recall Fails In Campus's Prop. 8 Fight" posted at KCRA TV-3 Sacramento 10/23/08
Nine student leaders who voted to support Proposition 8 won't lose their council seats [at American River College in Sacramento for their Sept. 30 vote to support traditional marriage.]
The leader's decision to endorse Prop. 8, a statewide ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage, caused 3,486 people to turn out and vote on the recall [of the student council].
Supporters of gay marriage responded by launching the recall effort, saying that their views were not properly represented.
Officials said the 3,486 people who turned out to vote on the recall on Tuesday and Wednesday is the largest in school history.
-- From "'Gay' advocates fail to unseat Christians" by Chelsea Schilling © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/25/08
Councilman Vladimir Musorivschi said the vote reflected student support of traditional marriage.
"Our campus is made up of a fairly conservative, Christian student body," he said. "Our vote to endorse Prop 8 was simply a reflection of the attitude of the majority of our students."
Several of the students in the audience yelled profanities after the original endorsement. "Gay" advocates chanted "2,4,6,8 we are here to stop the hate; 2,4,6,8 we are here to stop Prop. 8!" and one held a sign that said, "Lesbians are My Posse!"
"They were cursing, 'F--- you!'" Popko said. "They were people who didn't support Prop. 8. They were disruptive, and they couldn't contain themselves, so they were escorted out of the building during the council meeting."
Councilwoman Veronika Vorobyov said she noticed hostility toward her because she supports the Marriage Protection Amendment.
"I'm very, very surprised that the recall election failed because it seemed like a lot of people really hated us and wanted us out of there," she said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, October 24, 2008
On November 4th, Change is Coming to America
Now is the time to stand for God, for country, for truth. Every Christian holds within his vote the power to change the world. One vote can speak for millions of unheard voices. Faith - Life - Marriage - Family.
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
Calif. Elementary School Celebrates Homosexuality
Same-sex marriage advocates dismiss so-called "fear mongering" that allowing same-sex marriage will change what is taught in elementary schools. Well, what has happened in Massachusetts is already happening in California.
-- From "'Coming Out Day' Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools" a Pacific Justice Institute News release 10/22/08
Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward [California] were shocked to learn this week the extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in kindergarten.
The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that "Coming Out Day" will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school, Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time, but it is in the midst of celebrating "Ally Week," a pro-homosexual push typically aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight Alliance club.
To read the entire press release, CLICK HERE.
-- From "'Coming Out Day' Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools" a Pacific Justice Institute News release 10/22/08
Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward [California] were shocked to learn this week the extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in kindergarten.
The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that "Coming Out Day" will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school, Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time, but it is in the midst of celebrating "Ally Week," a pro-homosexual push typically aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight Alliance club.
To read the entire press release, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mass. Same-sex 'Marriage' Actual Results
Anyone who thinks that same-sex “marriage” is a benign eccentricity which won’t affect the average person should consider what it has done in Massachusetts. And this train is moving fast. What has happened so far is only the beginning.
-- From "What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts" by Brian Camenker, MassResistance 10/20/08
Homosexual “marriage” hangs over society like a hammer with the force of law. And it’s only just begun.
It’s pretty clear that the homosexual movement’s obsession with marriage is not because large numbers of them actually want to marry each other. Research shows that homosexual relationships are fundamentally dysfunctional on many levels, and “marriage” as we know it isn’t something they can achieve, or even desire. (In fact, over the last three months, the Sunday Boston Globe’s marriage section hasn’t had any photos of homosexual marriages. In the beginning it was full of them.) This is about putting the legal stamp of approval on homosexuality and imposing it with force throughout the various social and political institutions of a society that would never accept it otherwise. To the rest of America: You've been forewarned.
Read it and weep.
-- From "What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts" by Brian Camenker, MassResistance 10/20/08
Homosexual “marriage” hangs over society like a hammer with the force of law. And it’s only just begun.
It’s pretty clear that the homosexual movement’s obsession with marriage is not because large numbers of them actually want to marry each other. Research shows that homosexual relationships are fundamentally dysfunctional on many levels, and “marriage” as we know it isn’t something they can achieve, or even desire. (In fact, over the last three months, the Sunday Boston Globe’s marriage section hasn’t had any photos of homosexual marriages. In the beginning it was full of them.) This is about putting the legal stamp of approval on homosexuality and imposing it with force throughout the various social and political institutions of a society that would never accept it otherwise. To the rest of America: You've been forewarned.
Read it and weep.
Once again, Catholic Sen. Biden is Wrong on Abortion
. . . Joe Biden is coming under scrutiny for a new interview in which he says he thinks Catholics can support abortion. Biden also comes under fire for misstating the effect of Roe v. Wade and denying that it allows virtually unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy.
-- From "Joe Biden: Catholic Can be Pro-Abortion, Misstates Effect of Roe v. Wade" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 10/21/08
Biden goes on to misrepresent the position of the Catholic Church on abortion in a way that has gotten him in trouble recently.
"But throughout the church's history, we've argued between whether or not it is wrong in every circumstance and the degree of wrong. Catholics have this notion, it's almost a gradation," Biden claimed.
Biden tells the Delaware newspaper that he believes in the trimester-based approach to regulating abortions that allows more limits on abortions as the baby grows.
"I am prepared as a senator to say that the framework of Roe v. Wade based upon this imperfect trimester notion captures the gravity of how you should approach this most serious of decisions relating to life and death," he said.
But Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of National Right to Life, says Biden "badly mischaracterizes the Supreme Court's doctrines on abortion."
"In 1992, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the 'core holdings' of Roe v. Wade on a vote of 5 to 4," Johnson explained. "At the same time, the Court explicitly repudiated any distinction whatever between the first and second trimester, writing, 'We reject the trimester framework, which we do not consider to be part of the essential holding of Roe.'"
That is important because Roe actually allows unlimited abortions at any point in pregnancy, Johnson said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Joe Biden: Catholic Can be Pro-Abortion, Misstates Effect of Roe v. Wade" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 10/21/08
Biden goes on to misrepresent the position of the Catholic Church on abortion in a way that has gotten him in trouble recently.
"But throughout the church's history, we've argued between whether or not it is wrong in every circumstance and the degree of wrong. Catholics have this notion, it's almost a gradation," Biden claimed.
Biden tells the Delaware newspaper that he believes in the trimester-based approach to regulating abortions that allows more limits on abortions as the baby grows.
"I am prepared as a senator to say that the framework of Roe v. Wade based upon this imperfect trimester notion captures the gravity of how you should approach this most serious of decisions relating to life and death," he said.
But Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of National Right to Life, says Biden "badly mischaracterizes the Supreme Court's doctrines on abortion."
"In 1992, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the 'core holdings' of Roe v. Wade on a vote of 5 to 4," Johnson explained. "At the same time, the Court explicitly repudiated any distinction whatever between the first and second trimester, writing, 'We reject the trimester framework, which we do not consider to be part of the essential holding of Roe.'"
That is important because Roe actually allows unlimited abortions at any point in pregnancy, Johnson said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Denver Archbishop Rebuffs Catholics who Say Obama is Pro-Life
"To suggest - as some Catholics do - that Senator Obama is this year's 'real' pro-life candidate requires a peculiar kind of self-hypnosis, or moral confusion, or worse."
-- From "Archbishop criticizes Obama, Catholic allies" by Eric Gorski, Associated Press 10/19/08
Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput labeled Barack Obama the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate from a major party in 35 years while accusing a Catholic Obama ally and other Democratic-friendly Catholic groups of doing a "disservice to the church."
Although the Catholic left is not new, several advocacy groups have either formed or ramped up activities since 2004. Partly, their efforts are a response to attention given to the pro-abortion rights stance of Democrat John Kerry, a Catholic who was criticized by a few bishops who suggested he should be denied or refrain from Communion.
Douglas Kmiec, a Catholic law professor . . . wrote a book making a Catholic case for Obama.
While applauding Kmiec's past record, Chaput said: "I think his activism for Senator Barack Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Archbishop criticizes Obama, Catholic allies" by Eric Gorski, Associated Press 10/19/08
Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput labeled Barack Obama the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate from a major party in 35 years while accusing a Catholic Obama ally and other Democratic-friendly Catholic groups of doing a "disservice to the church."
Although the Catholic left is not new, several advocacy groups have either formed or ramped up activities since 2004. Partly, their efforts are a response to attention given to the pro-abortion rights stance of Democrat John Kerry, a Catholic who was criticized by a few bishops who suggested he should be denied or refrain from Communion.
Douglas Kmiec, a Catholic law professor . . . wrote a book making a Catholic case for Obama.
While applauding Kmiec's past record, Chaput said: "I think his activism for Senator Barack Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pew Survey: Journalism Nearly Void of Christians
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported in 2007 that 8 percent of journalists surveyed at national media outlets said they attended church or synagogue weekly. The survey also found 29 percent never attend such services, with 39 percent reporting they go a few times a year.
-- From "Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms" by Rose French, Associated Press 10/17/08
"Journalism has become more of a white-collar field that draws from elite colleges," said Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and a religion columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. "While there's been heavy gender and racial diversity ... there's a lack of cultural diversity in journalism," including religion.
Many evangelical journalists start out in secular news organizations but they soon join Christian media that offer an environment more accepting of their beliefs and more family-friendly than the long hours and low pay of secular journalism, said Robert Case II, director of the World Journalism Institute, which offers seminars for young evangelicals seeking work in secular media.
"They have to be journalists first," Mattingly said. "You don't need more Christian journalists. You need more journalists who happen to be Christians if they're going to contribute to any real diversity in newsrooms."
Scott Bosley, executive director for the American Society of Newspaper Editors: "I don't think the sole measures of the effectiveness or success of newsrooms in reflecting their communities depends on having precise quotas of folks representing all different ideologies, be they Christian or not," he said. "We have a lot of generalists in newsrooms and they tend to have to learn about a lot of things."
And that final line demonstrates how blind liberals are to their own bias.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms" by Rose French, Associated Press 10/17/08
"Journalism has become more of a white-collar field that draws from elite colleges," said Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and a religion columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. "While there's been heavy gender and racial diversity ... there's a lack of cultural diversity in journalism," including religion.
Many evangelical journalists start out in secular news organizations but they soon join Christian media that offer an environment more accepting of their beliefs and more family-friendly than the long hours and low pay of secular journalism, said Robert Case II, director of the World Journalism Institute, which offers seminars for young evangelicals seeking work in secular media.
"They have to be journalists first," Mattingly said. "You don't need more Christian journalists. You need more journalists who happen to be Christians if they're going to contribute to any real diversity in newsrooms."
Scott Bosley, executive director for the American Society of Newspaper Editors: "I don't think the sole measures of the effectiveness or success of newsrooms in reflecting their communities depends on having precise quotas of folks representing all different ideologies, be they Christian or not," he said. "We have a lot of generalists in newsrooms and they tend to have to learn about a lot of things."
And that final line demonstrates how blind liberals are to their own bias.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Unborn Lives Spared During Prayer Vigil
40 Days For Life oppose abortion industry by using prayer
-- From "268 lives saved, Planned Parenthood irritated" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/17/08
Organizers of a campaign against abortion that is scheduled to end just before the November election are declaring their effort a success, just halfway through the six weeks of work.
"I know 40 Days for Life is on the right track whenever Planned Parenthood cranks up its PR machine," said Shawn Carney, national outreach director of 40 Days for Life. "And if you read some of the things Planned Parenthood and its supporters are publishing these days, it's obvious that the nation's largest abortion chain sees trouble on the horizon."
"By our best estimates, tens of thousands of pro-life people in more than 175 communities in 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and two Canadian provinces are participating," said Carney. "Local campaign coordinators report that thus far, at least 268 mothers have left abortion facilities without having abortions."
He said in addition, pro-life pregnancy resource centers are reporting a significant increase in calls for help, and local campaign coordinators are reporting a drop in the number of abortion business customers, a decline of up to 30 or even 50 percent in some locations.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "268 lives saved, Planned Parenthood irritated" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/17/08
Organizers of a campaign against abortion that is scheduled to end just before the November election are declaring their effort a success, just halfway through the six weeks of work.
"I know 40 Days for Life is on the right track whenever Planned Parenthood cranks up its PR machine," said Shawn Carney, national outreach director of 40 Days for Life. "And if you read some of the things Planned Parenthood and its supporters are publishing these days, it's obvious that the nation's largest abortion chain sees trouble on the horizon."
"By our best estimates, tens of thousands of pro-life people in more than 175 communities in 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and two Canadian provinces are participating," said Carney. "Local campaign coordinators report that thus far, at least 268 mothers have left abortion facilities without having abortions."
He said in addition, pro-life pregnancy resource centers are reporting a significant increase in calls for help, and local campaign coordinators are reporting a drop in the number of abortion business customers, a decline of up to 30 or even 50 percent in some locations.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, October 17, 2008
CA Teachers' Union Dues Promotes Same-sex Marriage
The California Teachers Assn. donated $1 million this week to defeat a ballot initiative seeking to ban same-sex marriage in California, joining the ranks of wealthy gay rights activists and Hollywood politicos as one of the major donors to the campaign.
-- From "Teachers union donates $1 million to oppose Proposition 8" by Evelyn Larrubia, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 10/17/08
Until now, the largest donation the [same-sex marriage proponents] had received from a labor union was $500,000 from the Service Employees International Union.
"I think the California Teachers Assn. is well-known to be a political group, and it's not the first time it has not represented the true voice of its members," said Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California, the measure's backer.
She said she agreed that the issue is civil rights -- not those of gay couples, but rather those of children to be raised by a mother and a father.
The $1-million donation comes on the heels of an internal poll by opponents of Proposition 8 showing that the campaign to defeat the measure was in trouble. The teachers union had already contributed $250,000 to the campaign this summer.
[Proponents of traditional marriage] ads show what happened in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal and taught to second graders in public schools after a court battle in which parents lost the right to opt their children out of the lessons.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Teachers union donates $1 million to oppose Proposition 8" by Evelyn Larrubia, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 10/17/08
Until now, the largest donation the [same-sex marriage proponents] had received from a labor union was $500,000 from the Service Employees International Union.
"I think the California Teachers Assn. is well-known to be a political group, and it's not the first time it has not represented the true voice of its members," said Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California, the measure's backer.
She said she agreed that the issue is civil rights -- not those of gay couples, but rather those of children to be raised by a mother and a father.
The $1-million donation comes on the heels of an internal poll by opponents of Proposition 8 showing that the campaign to defeat the measure was in trouble. The teachers union had already contributed $250,000 to the campaign this summer.
[Proponents of traditional marriage] ads show what happened in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal and taught to second graders in public schools after a court battle in which parents lost the right to opt their children out of the lessons.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mainstream Media Won't Publish Catholic Poll
Poll shows vast majority of ALL Americans oppose abortion and same-sex marriage, yet none of the mainstream media will print it
Observe the spin:
-- From "Survey: Catholic voters split on abortion, gay marriage" by Ashley Gipson, Religion News Service 10/14/08
U.S. Catholic voters are split on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage between those who attend church at least twice a month and those who attend church less often, according to a survey released Tuesday (Oct. 14) by the Knights of Columbus.
The survey found that both Catholics (73 percent) and non-Catholics (71 percent) agreed that America needs a "moral makeover." Non-practicing Catholics — defined as those who attend church less than twice a month — were more likely to support abortion rights and same-sex marriage than the American population at large.
Seventy-five percent of practicing Catholics oppose same-sex marriage, compared to 54% of non-practicing Catholics. Sixty-five percent of non-practicing Catholics identified themselves as "pro-choice" on abortion, compared to 36% of practicing Catholics.
The survey revealed that 76% of pro-choice non-practicing Catholics said abortion should be significantly restricted.
And now, the poll results:
-- From "Poll: 84% oppose abortion, 70% oppose same-sex marriage" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/14/08
A poll has revealed surprising statistics about Americans: 84 percent agree that abortion should be significantly restricted, and 70 percent say they would vote for a candidate who opposed same-sex marriage.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 for the Knights of Columbus, a 1.7 million-member Catholic men's society formed to provide mutual aid to its members and families, by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
The poll surveyed 1,733 Americans from across the nation, 1,503 of whom are registered voters and 813 of whom are Roman Catholics.
The results on the issue of abortion were particularly unexpected:
Only 8 percent of those polled believed abortion should be available to a woman at any time in her pregnancy
Of the 50 percent who called themselves pro-choice, three-fifths said abortion should only be available in the first three months of pregnancy
71 percent of registered voters said they would support a candidate who maintains that life begins at conception
71 percent of those calling themselves pro-choice said they would approve of significant limits to abortion access beyond our nation's current laws on abortion
84 percent of the total believes abortion should be significantly restricted, favoring a variety of limits, from permitting the procedure only in the first three months of pregnancy, to only in the case of rape or incest, to not at all
When asked about the issue of same-sex marriage, nation-wide agreement was also apparent:
Only 30 percent of those polled support legalizing same-sex marriage
38 percent of Americans oppose any legal recognition of same-sex couples, including civil unions
70 percent of Americans (and 70 percent of Catholics) said they would vote for a candidate who believed marriage should be between one man and one woman
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Observe the spin:
-- From "Survey: Catholic voters split on abortion, gay marriage" by Ashley Gipson, Religion News Service 10/14/08
U.S. Catholic voters are split on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage between those who attend church at least twice a month and those who attend church less often, according to a survey released Tuesday (Oct. 14) by the Knights of Columbus.
The survey found that both Catholics (73 percent) and non-Catholics (71 percent) agreed that America needs a "moral makeover." Non-practicing Catholics — defined as those who attend church less than twice a month — were more likely to support abortion rights and same-sex marriage than the American population at large.
Seventy-five percent of practicing Catholics oppose same-sex marriage, compared to 54% of non-practicing Catholics. Sixty-five percent of non-practicing Catholics identified themselves as "pro-choice" on abortion, compared to 36% of practicing Catholics.
The survey revealed that 76% of pro-choice non-practicing Catholics said abortion should be significantly restricted.
And now, the poll results:
-- From "Poll: 84% oppose abortion, 70% oppose same-sex marriage" © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/14/08
A poll has revealed surprising statistics about Americans: 84 percent agree that abortion should be significantly restricted, and 70 percent say they would vote for a candidate who opposed same-sex marriage.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 for the Knights of Columbus, a 1.7 million-member Catholic men's society formed to provide mutual aid to its members and families, by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
The poll surveyed 1,733 Americans from across the nation, 1,503 of whom are registered voters and 813 of whom are Roman Catholics.
The results on the issue of abortion were particularly unexpected:
Only 8 percent of those polled believed abortion should be available to a woman at any time in her pregnancy
Of the 50 percent who called themselves pro-choice, three-fifths said abortion should only be available in the first three months of pregnancy
71 percent of registered voters said they would support a candidate who maintains that life begins at conception
71 percent of those calling themselves pro-choice said they would approve of significant limits to abortion access beyond our nation's current laws on abortion
84 percent of the total believes abortion should be significantly restricted, favoring a variety of limits, from permitting the procedure only in the first three months of pregnancy, to only in the case of rape or incest, to not at all
When asked about the issue of same-sex marriage, nation-wide agreement was also apparent:
Only 30 percent of those polled support legalizing same-sex marriage
38 percent of Americans oppose any legal recognition of same-sex couples, including civil unions
70 percent of Americans (and 70 percent of Catholics) said they would vote for a candidate who believed marriage should be between one man and one woman
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Oral Sex Causes Cancer
With abstinence education the obvious remedy for the epidemic, the media insist rampant sex continue: "You have to be careful. Know who you're with and you have to take precautions. You need to educate yourself."
UPDATE 04/07/09: Swedish Study Shows Oral Sex Causes Cancer
-- From "The Oral Sex Cancer Connection" by Cathy Becker, ABC News 10/15/08
While most HPV infections clear on their own, there is an alarming surge of oral cancers linked to the virus.
Johns Hopkins researchers reported in a study published in February in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that between 1973 and 2004 the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers among people in their 40s nearly doubled. Today more than 34,000 people have oral cancer and 39 percent of those cases are related to HPV, according to data from the American Cancer Society.
"There is absolutely a link between oral sex and oral cancer," said Dr. Ellen Rome, of the Cleveland Clinic.
Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible.
While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners. So straight or gay, the more partners, the more risk.
Infection with the virus usually happens in adolescence. And while oral sex today isn't necessarily more prevalent than it was in the past, it certainly is more accepted. And some often presume it is free of risks.
A 2005 study in the Journal Pediatrics found that teens think oral sex is less risky to their health than vaginal sex.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 04/07/09: Swedish Study Shows Oral Sex Causes Cancer
-- From "The Oral Sex Cancer Connection" by Cathy Becker, ABC News 10/15/08
While most HPV infections clear on their own, there is an alarming surge of oral cancers linked to the virus.
Johns Hopkins researchers reported in a study published in February in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that between 1973 and 2004 the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers among people in their 40s nearly doubled. Today more than 34,000 people have oral cancer and 39 percent of those cases are related to HPV, according to data from the American Cancer Society.
"There is absolutely a link between oral sex and oral cancer," said Dr. Ellen Rome, of the Cleveland Clinic.
Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible.
While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners. So straight or gay, the more partners, the more risk.
Infection with the virus usually happens in adolescence. And while oral sex today isn't necessarily more prevalent than it was in the past, it certainly is more accepted. And some often presume it is free of risks.
A 2005 study in the Journal Pediatrics found that teens think oral sex is less risky to their health than vaginal sex.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wisconsin School Textbook Presents Obama to Students
The excerpt of Obama’s 1995 book “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance,” is included in a unit titled “Our Place in the World.” The section about Obama also includes an excerpt from his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
-- From "Textbook mentioning Obama angers parent" by Paul Sloth, Journal Times (Racine) 10/14/08
RACINE — An eighth-grade literature textbook that includes an excerpt from a book by Sen. Barack Obama has angered at least one Racine Unified parent and rankled a number of bloggers who contend that the district is trying to indoctrinate students.
The district was one of the first in Wisconsin to use the book “McDougal Littell Literature, Grade 8,” Weiss said. The book is published by McDougal Littell, a division of Holt McDougal. The textbook has a copyright date of 2008, but the district adopted the new book in May 2007. Students and teachers started using the book in September 2007.
The textbook choice was based on the textbook’s emphasis on diversity in the reading selections, Weiss said. The book includes excerpts from American writers, of Native American, Japanese and Hispanic descent.
The textbook’s editors felt that Obama’s work was a strong example of an autobiography, coupled with his speech, which showed how a person’s life story affects that individuals’ work, Blake said. It was chosen for a specific pedagogical purpose, according to [Rick Blake, a spokesman for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the parent company of Holton McDougal, the book’s publishers].
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Textbook mentioning Obama angers parent" by Paul Sloth, Journal Times (Racine) 10/14/08
RACINE — An eighth-grade literature textbook that includes an excerpt from a book by Sen. Barack Obama has angered at least one Racine Unified parent and rankled a number of bloggers who contend that the district is trying to indoctrinate students.
The district was one of the first in Wisconsin to use the book “McDougal Littell Literature, Grade 8,” Weiss said. The book is published by McDougal Littell, a division of Holt McDougal. The textbook has a copyright date of 2008, but the district adopted the new book in May 2007. Students and teachers started using the book in September 2007.
The textbook choice was based on the textbook’s emphasis on diversity in the reading selections, Weiss said. The book includes excerpts from American writers, of Native American, Japanese and Hispanic descent.
The textbook’s editors felt that Obama’s work was a strong example of an autobiography, coupled with his speech, which showed how a person’s life story affects that individuals’ work, Blake said. It was chosen for a specific pedagogical purpose, according to [Rick Blake, a spokesman for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the parent company of Holton McDougal, the book’s publishers].
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Atheists Sue Bush Over National Day of Prayer
-- From "Atheists Sue President Over National Prayer Day" by the Associated Press 10/3/08
The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sued Friday in U.S. district court, arguing that the president's mandated proclamations calling on Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials endorsing religion.
The day of prayer, held each year on the first Thursday of May, creates a "hostile environment for nonbelievers, who are made to feel as if they are political outsiders," the lawsuit said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sued Friday in U.S. district court, arguing that the president's mandated proclamations calling on Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials endorsing religion.
The day of prayer, held each year on the first Thursday of May, creates a "hostile environment for nonbelievers, who are made to feel as if they are political outsiders," the lawsuit said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Monday, October 13, 2008
First Graders' Field Trip to Lesbian Wedding
[From the file "Same-sex Marriage Won't Affect My Family."] This is what society looks like when sodomy is celebrated by government.
-- From "Class surprises lesbian teacher on wedding day" by Jill Tucker, San Fran. Chronicle Staff Writer, 10/11/08
A group of San Francisco first-graders took an unusual field trip to City Hall on Friday to toss rose petals on their just-married lesbian teacher - putting the public school children at the center of a fierce election battle over the fate of same-sex marriage.
Mayor Gavin Newsom, a friend of a friend, officiated.
A parent came up with the idea for the field trip - a surprise for the teacher on her wedding day.
"It really is what we call a teachable moment," [the school's interim director Liz] Jaroflow said, noting the historic significance of same-sex marriage and related civil rights issues. "I think I'm well within the parameters."
. . . The trip illustrates the message promoted by the [pro-family] campaign in recent days, namely that unless Prop. 8 passes on Nov. 4, children will learn about same-sex marriage in school.
The two [lesbians] said they have participated in the campaign against Proposition 8 and planned to travel around San Francisco on Friday afternoon in a motorized trolley car with "Just Married" and "Vote No on 8" banners.
Creative Arts administrators and parents acknowledged that the field trip might be controversial, but they didn't see the big deal. Same-sex marriage is legal, they noted.
"How many days in school are they going to remember?" asked parent Marc Lipsett. "This is a day they'll definitely remember."
Marriage, 6-year-old Nolan Alexander said Friday, is "people falling in love."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Connecticut Voters' Options to Reverse Same-sex Marriage
On Friday, the state Supreme Court ruled that Connecticut would be the third state, after California and Massachusetts, to allow gay marriage. The court said Connecticut's 2005 civil union law doesn't give same-sex couples the same status as married heterosexual couples.
-- From "Marriage ruling not the end of debate in Conn." by Pat Eaton-Robb, Associated Press 10/11/08
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Now that the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled same-sex couples have the right to wed, opponents of gay marriage are pinning their hopes on an infrequent ballot question in a longshot bid to block the unions.
Every 20 years, voters can force a convention during which delegates can rewrite the entire constitution. It's a long, painstaking process that could cost millions and, by coincidence, it's on the ballot this November.
Unlike California, where next month's ballot referendum will decide whether to outlaw gay marriage, Connecticut voters are being asked to consider only if they want a constitutional convention. If so, convention delegates would be appointed by the state General Assembly, which is largely comprised of Democrats who are sympathetic to same-sex issues.
"The real battle will be Election Day," [said Peter Wolfgang, executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut.] "Even in a state with a legislature as liberal as ours, we have defeated our opponents year after year through the legislative process. They could never have gotten same-sex marriage through the Democratic process. Democracy is gay marriage's worst enemy."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Marriage ruling not the end of debate in Conn." by Pat Eaton-Robb, Associated Press 10/11/08
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Now that the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled same-sex couples have the right to wed, opponents of gay marriage are pinning their hopes on an infrequent ballot question in a longshot bid to block the unions.
Every 20 years, voters can force a convention during which delegates can rewrite the entire constitution. It's a long, painstaking process that could cost millions and, by coincidence, it's on the ballot this November.
Unlike California, where next month's ballot referendum will decide whether to outlaw gay marriage, Connecticut voters are being asked to consider only if they want a constitutional convention. If so, convention delegates would be appointed by the state General Assembly, which is largely comprised of Democrats who are sympathetic to same-sex issues.
"The real battle will be Election Day," [said Peter Wolfgang, executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut.] "Even in a state with a legislature as liberal as ours, we have defeated our opponents year after year through the legislative process. They could never have gotten same-sex marriage through the Democratic process. Democracy is gay marriage's worst enemy."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Lawsuits: Planned Parenthood, Johnson & Johnson Killing Women
Drug maker pays undisclosed settlements over health complications and deaths caused by birth-control patch, while Planned Parenthood dispenses it "without reservation."
-- From "J&J Paid $68 Million to Settle Birth-Control Cases" by David Voreacos, Bloomberg News 10/10/08
Johnson & Johnson has spent at least $68.7 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits filed by women who suffered blood clots, heart attacks or strokes after using the company's Ortho Evra birth-control patch, court records show.
J&J, the world's largest maker of health-care products, avoided trials through the confidential settlements and hasn't released the financial details to investors.
Of 562 complaints reviewed by Bloomberg News, the vast majority of users alleged the patch caused deep-vein thrombosis, or blood clots in the legs, and pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots in the lungs. Some blamed it for heart attacks or strokes. The complaints blamed Ortho Evra for the deaths of 20 women.
One settled case involved Ashley Lewis, a 17-year-old high school junior from St. Louis who died in 2003. She developed a blood clot in her lung after wearing the patch for six months, according to Roger Denton, an attorney for Lewis's family, including her son, who was a one-year-old when she died.
Complaints filed on behalf of 4,000 women in state and federal courts claim the company hid or altered data about the risks of high levels of estrogen released by Ortho Evra. More than 5 million women have used the patch since sales began in 2002. The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company voluntarily strengthened the warning label in 2005, 2006 and 2008 with the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"Ortho Evra provides a needed birth-control option for women and physicians," said Gloria Vanderham, a spokeswoman for Ortho Women's Health & Urology unit, a division of J&J subsidiary Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical. "When used according to the FDA-approved label, Ortho Evra is a safe and effective method of hormonal birth control."
J&J, which makes diaphragms and birth-control pills, developed the patch as an alternative method of hormonal birth control for women who might forget to take their pills daily.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America offers the patch at more than 880 U.S. health-care centers and considers it safe and effective for eligible women, according to Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs.
Cullins, a former assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Medical School, said Planned Parenthood has studied all medical data on the patch and advises women on the risks.
"We make Ortho Evra available without reservation for healthy women who are candidates for combined hormonal contraceptive methods such as the patch, the pill, and vaginal contraceptive rings," Cullins said. "We're not making distinctions among this class of contraceptive methods."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "J&J Paid $68 Million to Settle Birth-Control Cases" by David Voreacos, Bloomberg News 10/10/08
Johnson & Johnson has spent at least $68.7 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits filed by women who suffered blood clots, heart attacks or strokes after using the company's Ortho Evra birth-control patch, court records show.
J&J, the world's largest maker of health-care products, avoided trials through the confidential settlements and hasn't released the financial details to investors.
Of 562 complaints reviewed by Bloomberg News, the vast majority of users alleged the patch caused deep-vein thrombosis, or blood clots in the legs, and pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots in the lungs. Some blamed it for heart attacks or strokes. The complaints blamed Ortho Evra for the deaths of 20 women.
One settled case involved Ashley Lewis, a 17-year-old high school junior from St. Louis who died in 2003. She developed a blood clot in her lung after wearing the patch for six months, according to Roger Denton, an attorney for Lewis's family, including her son, who was a one-year-old when she died.
Complaints filed on behalf of 4,000 women in state and federal courts claim the company hid or altered data about the risks of high levels of estrogen released by Ortho Evra. More than 5 million women have used the patch since sales began in 2002. The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company voluntarily strengthened the warning label in 2005, 2006 and 2008 with the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"Ortho Evra provides a needed birth-control option for women and physicians," said Gloria Vanderham, a spokeswoman for Ortho Women's Health & Urology unit, a division of J&J subsidiary Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical. "When used according to the FDA-approved label, Ortho Evra is a safe and effective method of hormonal birth control."
J&J, which makes diaphragms and birth-control pills, developed the patch as an alternative method of hormonal birth control for women who might forget to take their pills daily.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America offers the patch at more than 880 U.S. health-care centers and considers it safe and effective for eligible women, according to Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs.
Cullins, a former assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Medical School, said Planned Parenthood has studied all medical data on the patch and advises women on the risks.
"We make Ortho Evra available without reservation for healthy women who are candidates for combined hormonal contraceptive methods such as the patch, the pill, and vaginal contraceptive rings," Cullins said. "We're not making distinctions among this class of contraceptive methods."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Lesbians' Common Sperm Donor Limits Gene Pool
Unregulated sperm donation is leading to unusual situations in which the children of lesbians in Adelaide are mixing socially - creating a risk of incest.
-- From "30 South Australian lesbian mums 'impregnated by same man'" by Tory Shepherd, Adelaide Now (Australia) 10/8/08
One of South Australia's foremost experts in reproductive technology - Reverend Dr Andrew Dutney - says that in one reported case, about 30 lesbians were impregnated by sperm from one man.
The mothers then organised picnics with all the children, raising the fear they might socialise with their half-siblings without realising they are related.
In another case, a man's sperm was used to produce 29 children, most of whom are living in Adelaide. They do not know who their half-siblings are, raising concerns that in a "big country town" like Adelaide, they could accidentally commit incest.
In South Australia it has become standard practice to identify sperm donors, which has put men off donating through reproductive clinics.
Fertility treatments do not generally cater to homosexuals, because the law says it is only for infertile couples or those at risk of transmitting a serious defect.
These factors combine to push many people wanting children to seek help elsewhere - either through "turkey basters" or casual sex with friends or willing participants found online.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
To the average "straight person" the point of this story is elusive, so here's a summary: Because the government regulations require affixing a man's name to his donated sperm, the article claims that men are less likely to want to donate sperm, AND because the fertility treatment centers aren't impregnating the lesbians, the lesbians are being impregnated by anonymous "professional sperm donors" in town, thus resulting in many lesbians birthing children from the same father, AND since the lesbians in town "hang around together," their common children are getting to know each other, and in the event the children don't follow their mothers' homosexuality, the offspring, being half brothers/sisters could produce children of incest. Conclusion: living outside of God's plan gets really complicated!
-- From "30 South Australian lesbian mums 'impregnated by same man'" by Tory Shepherd, Adelaide Now (Australia) 10/8/08
One of South Australia's foremost experts in reproductive technology - Reverend Dr Andrew Dutney - says that in one reported case, about 30 lesbians were impregnated by sperm from one man.
The mothers then organised picnics with all the children, raising the fear they might socialise with their half-siblings without realising they are related.
In another case, a man's sperm was used to produce 29 children, most of whom are living in Adelaide. They do not know who their half-siblings are, raising concerns that in a "big country town" like Adelaide, they could accidentally commit incest.
In South Australia it has become standard practice to identify sperm donors, which has put men off donating through reproductive clinics.
Fertility treatments do not generally cater to homosexuals, because the law says it is only for infertile couples or those at risk of transmitting a serious defect.
These factors combine to push many people wanting children to seek help elsewhere - either through "turkey basters" or casual sex with friends or willing participants found online.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
To the average "straight person" the point of this story is elusive, so here's a summary: Because the government regulations require affixing a man's name to his donated sperm, the article claims that men are less likely to want to donate sperm, AND because the fertility treatment centers aren't impregnating the lesbians, the lesbians are being impregnated by anonymous "professional sperm donors" in town, thus resulting in many lesbians birthing children from the same father, AND since the lesbians in town "hang around together," their common children are getting to know each other, and in the event the children don't follow their mothers' homosexuality, the offspring, being half brothers/sisters could produce children of incest. Conclusion: living outside of God's plan gets really complicated!
Friday, October 10, 2008
MA School: Magic Pill To Solve Pregnancy Problem
The School Committee voted unanimously last night to allow contraceptives to be distributed at the high school after a report of a pregnancy pact pushed Gloucester into the spotlight earlier this year.
-- From "Gloucester OK's contraceptives" by Jeannie M. Nuss, Boston Globe Correspondent 10/9/08
Gloucester made national headlines in June when Time magazine reported that several teenagers entered into a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together.
Although Mayor Carolyn Kirk said the pact did not exist, the controversy pushed the School Committee into a series of debates about the merits of providing contraceptives at the school's health clinic.
School Superintendent Christopher Farmer agreed with last night's decision.
"People are increasingly realizing the lives of adolescents now are very complex," he said. "We have a significant number of teenagers who are sexually active."
"The parents need to be mindful of their obligation to their children," said Val Gilman, secretary of the committee.
Dr. Lauren Smith, medical director for the state Department of Public Health, said the city's teen birth rate declined from 45.7 per 1,000 residents in 1990 to 21.1 in 2006, almost the same as the state rate of 21.3.
[Let's take the advice of the children:]
"I'm happy about it," Pam Tobey, a 16-year-old junior and the secretary of the Student Advisory Council, said last night. "This is what everyone wanted. It's a big issue. I do think the majority [of students] would want it, but there should be limits - age, routine check-ups."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Gloucester OK's contraceptives" by Jeannie M. Nuss, Boston Globe Correspondent 10/9/08
Gloucester made national headlines in June when Time magazine reported that several teenagers entered into a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together.
Although Mayor Carolyn Kirk said the pact did not exist, the controversy pushed the School Committee into a series of debates about the merits of providing contraceptives at the school's health clinic.
School Superintendent Christopher Farmer agreed with last night's decision.
"People are increasingly realizing the lives of adolescents now are very complex," he said. "We have a significant number of teenagers who are sexually active."
"The parents need to be mindful of their obligation to their children," said Val Gilman, secretary of the committee.
Dr. Lauren Smith, medical director for the state Department of Public Health, said the city's teen birth rate declined from 45.7 per 1,000 residents in 1990 to 21.1 in 2006, almost the same as the state rate of 21.3.
[Let's take the advice of the children:]
"I'm happy about it," Pam Tobey, a 16-year-old junior and the secretary of the Student Advisory Council, said last night. "This is what everyone wanted. It's a big issue. I do think the majority [of students] would want it, but there should be limits - age, routine check-ups."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Boycott Ends: McDonald's Abandons Gay Agenda
In a stunning announcement, McDonald's acquiesces to the precise demands of the American Family Association, who declared a boycott of McDonald's just months ago. The homosexual organization formerly supported was caught of guard, as McDonald's didn't pre-notify them.
-- From "McDonald's cuts off gay chamber of commerce group" by Cheryl V. Jackson, The Sun Times Newsgroup 10/10/08
After months of pressure from an anti-gay-marriage group, McDonald's Corp. has given up a director's seat and will stop sponsorship of a national gay business organization.
Richard Ellis, who until last month was vice president of communications of McDonald's USA, has resigned from the board of directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, franchisees were told in a Sept. 23 memo.
McDonald's USA, which had made a $20,000 donation to the chamber and became a 2008 chamber sponsor, said it would not sponsor the organization in 2009.
Ellis, the company said, "made a personal decision to step down" from the board after he got a new position with McDonald's Canadian operations. "It is our policy to not be involved in political and social issues. McDonald's remains neutral on same-sex marriage or any 'homosexual agenda' as defined by the American Family Association," the memo said.
[The American Family Association commented] "Our concern was: Here is a family-friendly company that has, all of a sudden, joined hands and became a partner and ally with an organization that is absolutely attacking the moral foundation of our nation; trying to redefine marriage in our nation," said Buddy Smith, executive assistant to the group's chairman. "All we were asking is that they just simply be neutral in the culture wars and focus on doing their business and remain neutral."
Franchisees were feeling the heat from their customers, said Richard Adams of the Franchise Equity Group consultancy. "It was a huge issue for customers in the South. They put a lot of pressure on franchisees," he said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "McDonald's cuts off gay chamber of commerce group" by Cheryl V. Jackson, The Sun Times Newsgroup 10/10/08
After months of pressure from an anti-gay-marriage group, McDonald's Corp. has given up a director's seat and will stop sponsorship of a national gay business organization.
Richard Ellis, who until last month was vice president of communications of McDonald's USA, has resigned from the board of directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, franchisees were told in a Sept. 23 memo.
McDonald's USA, which had made a $20,000 donation to the chamber and became a 2008 chamber sponsor, said it would not sponsor the organization in 2009.
Ellis, the company said, "made a personal decision to step down" from the board after he got a new position with McDonald's Canadian operations. "It is our policy to not be involved in political and social issues. McDonald's remains neutral on same-sex marriage or any 'homosexual agenda' as defined by the American Family Association," the memo said.
[The American Family Association commented] "Our concern was: Here is a family-friendly company that has, all of a sudden, joined hands and became a partner and ally with an organization that is absolutely attacking the moral foundation of our nation; trying to redefine marriage in our nation," said Buddy Smith, executive assistant to the group's chairman. "All we were asking is that they just simply be neutral in the culture wars and focus on doing their business and remain neutral."
Franchisees were feeling the heat from their customers, said Richard Adams of the Franchise Equity Group consultancy. "It was a huge issue for customers in the South. They put a lot of pressure on franchisees," he said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Supreme Court Allows Gay Agenda to Trump Parental Rights
The highest courts have ruled that same-sex 'marriage' in Massachusetts provides a legal route for indoctrination of homosexuality in kindergartners -- the case of David Parker.
The news story continues below this video of Mr. and Mrs. Parker telling their story.
-- From "Public school lawsuit runs out of federal appeals" by Ian B. Murphy, GateHouse News Service 10/7/08
Lexington — The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Parker v. Hurley Monday, upholding the dismissal by federal district and appellate courts of the parental-rights lawsuit originating in Lexington.
Parker v. Hurley concerned a parent’s right to exclude their children from discussions about homosexuality in elementary schools. It began in 2006 when two Lexington families objected to classroom materials that depicted same-sex marriages.
“This is a very important victory for not only Lexington but also the United States,” said Lexington Superintendent Paul Ash. “This case made clear that teachers should not fear being dragged into court for choosing important educational materials.”
With the nation’s highest court refusing to review the lawsuit, the case is effectively dead in federal court. The Parker and Wirthlin families may still bring the case to Massachusetts state court.
“We’re very disappointed that the Supreme Court has turned their backs on this parental rights issue,” said David Parker, the most vocal plaintiff in the lawsuit. “This clearly has national significance with profound consequences, and they’re ignoring it. We will look into [pursuing it in state court]. We will have further meetings with our attorneys and discuss that option.”
Parker said the judges who dismissed the suit at the district and appellate levels agreed that the intent on using the books in class was to change children’s minds about homosexuality. He said that with the Supreme Court decision, books will be used all over the country to do just that.
“Books and lessons will come into [schools] to have children affirm it,” Parker said. “They will be coerced to affirm the correctness and the normalcy of homosexuality, homosexual conduct, and gay marriage.”
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 10/7/13 - What 'gay marriage' did to Massachusetts (video from Brian Camenker and MassResistance):
The news story continues below this video of Mr. and Mrs. Parker telling their story.
-- From "Public school lawsuit runs out of federal appeals" by Ian B. Murphy, GateHouse News Service 10/7/08
Lexington — The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Parker v. Hurley Monday, upholding the dismissal by federal district and appellate courts of the parental-rights lawsuit originating in Lexington.
Parker v. Hurley concerned a parent’s right to exclude their children from discussions about homosexuality in elementary schools. It began in 2006 when two Lexington families objected to classroom materials that depicted same-sex marriages.
“This is a very important victory for not only Lexington but also the United States,” said Lexington Superintendent Paul Ash. “This case made clear that teachers should not fear being dragged into court for choosing important educational materials.”
With the nation’s highest court refusing to review the lawsuit, the case is effectively dead in federal court. The Parker and Wirthlin families may still bring the case to Massachusetts state court.
“We’re very disappointed that the Supreme Court has turned their backs on this parental rights issue,” said David Parker, the most vocal plaintiff in the lawsuit. “This clearly has national significance with profound consequences, and they’re ignoring it. We will look into [pursuing it in state court]. We will have further meetings with our attorneys and discuss that option.”
Parker said the judges who dismissed the suit at the district and appellate levels agreed that the intent on using the books in class was to change children’s minds about homosexuality. He said that with the Supreme Court decision, books will be used all over the country to do just that.
“Books and lessons will come into [schools] to have children affirm it,” Parker said. “They will be coerced to affirm the correctness and the normalcy of homosexuality, homosexual conduct, and gay marriage.”
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 10/7/13 - What 'gay marriage' did to Massachusetts (video from Brian Camenker and MassResistance):
American School Textbooks Biased Against Jews, Favor Islam
A new study reveals that if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted to criticize the nation of Israel before the United Nations, he could use American public school textbooks to do so.
-- From "'Jesus was a Palestinian,' claims U.S. history text" by Bob Unruh © 2008 WorldNetDaily 10/3/08
"It is shocking to find the kind of misinformation we discovered in American textbooks and supplemental materials being used by schools in every state in the country," said Dr. Gary Tobin, president of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research and a co-author of the study.
Tobin teamed with insititute research associate Dennis Ybarra for the study, titled, "The Trouble with Textbooks: Distorting History and Religion." The five-year effort, which looked at 28 prominent history, geography and social studies textbooks, reveals American public school students are being loaded up with indoctrination about Christianity, Judaism, Islam and the Middle East, to the cost of Christianity and Judaism and the benefit of Islam.
The new study by the IJCR found more than 500 erroneous passages in the books, including one textbook that charged that early Jewish civilization contributed little to the arts and sciences.
An excerpt from "World Civilizations," published by Thomson Wadsworth, for example, said, "Excepting the Old Testament's poetry, the Jews produced very little of note in any of the art forms ... There is no record of any important [early] Jewish contributions to the sciences."
The level of outrageousness grew: "Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus," claims "The World," published by Scott Foresman.
The institute analyzes issues such as racial and religious identity, philanthropy and higher education. Its full report is available at TroubleWithTextbooks.org, where all 28 books that came under its review are listed.
They also found that Judaism and Christianity are treated as matters of believing, while Islam is treated as a matter of fact. In the glossary of "World History: Continuity and Change," the Ten Commandments are described as, "Moral laws Moses claimed to have received from the Hebrew God Yahweh on Mount Sinai." But the same glossary states as fact the Quran is a, "Holy Book of Islam containing revelations received by Muhammad from God."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Also read previous report from the American Textbook Council
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Cardinal Speaks Pro-life, Catholic Scholars Support Obama
Two prominent Catholic legal scholars, both of them antiabortion and both former law school deans, have endorsed Senator Barack Obama and are publicly making the case for opponents of abortion to vote for the abortion-rights-supporting Democrat.
-- From "Church pressing abortion fight" by Michael Paulson, Boston Globe Staff 10/6/08
As Catholic bishops ratchet up their antiabortion arguments on the eve of the presidential election, Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley told hundreds of people gathered on Boston Common yesterday that Trig Palin, the child with Down syndrome whom Governor Sarah Palin chose not to abort, was the "star" of the political conventions this year.
O'Malley's reference to the 5-month-old child comes in a political season in which the role of the abortion issue for Catholic voters has become more contested than ever.
The Catholic bishops, meanwhile, have been quick to denounce two prominent abortion- rights-supporting Catholics, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Senator Joseph Biden, for their comments about the abortion issue.
One of the highest-ranking American bishops at the Vatican, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, last week warned that the Democratic Party risks becoming the "party of death," and the bishops have added "the practical and pastoral implications of political support for abortion" issue to the agenda for their fall meeting. It is set to take place a week after the election.
Fall River Bishop George W. Coleman said in an interview at the rally that he does not believe the bishops have intensified their comments about abortion, but that "a rapid response was very appropriate and very necessary" and that "it is necessary to make statements and to bring the evil of abortion to the people of our country, not only at election time, but as long as the law exists."
"One of the challenges facing us as Catholics is how we communicate to our own people and to the larger community that the question of abortion and the immorality of abortion is not simply a matter of the Church trying to impose Church doctrine on other people in a pluralistic society," O'Malley wrote. "Rather, it is our firm conviction that abortion, like murder or racism, is a crime against humanity and a violation of the Natural Law."
This year, two anti-abortion Catholic legal scholars, Nicholas P. Cafardi of Duquesne University School of Law and Douglas W. Kmiec of Pepperdine University, have endorsed Obama. Kmiec was the dean of the law school at Catholic University of America, and Cafardi was not only the dean of the Duquesne law school, but was previously the general counsel for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
. . . the emcee, former Boston Herald columnist Don Feder, told the crowd that his son had proposed a bumper sticker reading, "Palin: Raising babies, killing taxes. Obama: Killing babies, raising taxes."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Church pressing abortion fight" by Michael Paulson, Boston Globe Staff 10/6/08
As Catholic bishops ratchet up their antiabortion arguments on the eve of the presidential election, Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley told hundreds of people gathered on Boston Common yesterday that Trig Palin, the child with Down syndrome whom Governor Sarah Palin chose not to abort, was the "star" of the political conventions this year.
O'Malley's reference to the 5-month-old child comes in a political season in which the role of the abortion issue for Catholic voters has become more contested than ever.
The Catholic bishops, meanwhile, have been quick to denounce two prominent abortion- rights-supporting Catholics, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Senator Joseph Biden, for their comments about the abortion issue.
One of the highest-ranking American bishops at the Vatican, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, last week warned that the Democratic Party risks becoming the "party of death," and the bishops have added "the practical and pastoral implications of political support for abortion" issue to the agenda for their fall meeting. It is set to take place a week after the election.
Fall River Bishop George W. Coleman said in an interview at the rally that he does not believe the bishops have intensified their comments about abortion, but that "a rapid response was very appropriate and very necessary" and that "it is necessary to make statements and to bring the evil of abortion to the people of our country, not only at election time, but as long as the law exists."
"One of the challenges facing us as Catholics is how we communicate to our own people and to the larger community that the question of abortion and the immorality of abortion is not simply a matter of the Church trying to impose Church doctrine on other people in a pluralistic society," O'Malley wrote. "Rather, it is our firm conviction that abortion, like murder or racism, is a crime against humanity and a violation of the Natural Law."
This year, two anti-abortion Catholic legal scholars, Nicholas P. Cafardi of Duquesne University School of Law and Douglas W. Kmiec of Pepperdine University, have endorsed Obama. Kmiec was the dean of the law school at Catholic University of America, and Cafardi was not only the dean of the Duquesne law school, but was previously the general counsel for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
. . . the emcee, former Boston Herald columnist Don Feder, told the crowd that his son had proposed a bumper sticker reading, "Palin: Raising babies, killing taxes. Obama: Killing babies, raising taxes."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Episcopalian Diocese Flee Liberal ECUSA, Join Anglican Believers
After several decades of abandonment of Scriptural Authority in liberal mainline denominations, entire regional divisions of the Episcopal Church are voting to abandon the mother ship as it sails into the Abyss.
-- From "Diocese to Break From Episcopal Church" by the Associated Press, posted at The Washington Times 10/5/08
MONROEVILLE, Pa., Oct. 4 -- Clergy and lay members of the theologically conservative Pittsburgh diocese voted overwhelmingly Saturday to break from the liberal Episcopal Church.
The Pittsburgh diocese, on a 240 to 102 vote, voted to leave the U.S. church amid disagreement over biblical teachings on salvation and other issues, including homosexuality.
Instead, it will align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America.
Bishop Robert Duncan, who led the Pittsburgh diocese for 11 years, was removed from office by the Episcopal House of Bishops last month. The South American church already recognizes Duncan as a bishop and has welcomed another U.S. church, the Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Fresno, Calif., into its fold.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Mainline church members are notorious for weak stands against apostasy in their hierarchy. In most denominations, if a local church challenges the leadership, the denomination may seize the local church property. In contrast, when a majority of local churches secede en masse, the denomination's lawsuit to retain all properties from those leaving is likely to lose.
It's disappointing to when Christians emphasize the seen, over the unseen.
-- From "Diocese to Break From Episcopal Church" by the Associated Press, posted at The Washington Times 10/5/08
MONROEVILLE, Pa., Oct. 4 -- Clergy and lay members of the theologically conservative Pittsburgh diocese voted overwhelmingly Saturday to break from the liberal Episcopal Church.
The Pittsburgh diocese, on a 240 to 102 vote, voted to leave the U.S. church amid disagreement over biblical teachings on salvation and other issues, including homosexuality.
Instead, it will align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America.
Bishop Robert Duncan, who led the Pittsburgh diocese for 11 years, was removed from office by the Episcopal House of Bishops last month. The South American church already recognizes Duncan as a bishop and has welcomed another U.S. church, the Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Fresno, Calif., into its fold.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Mainline church members are notorious for weak stands against apostasy in their hierarchy. In most denominations, if a local church challenges the leadership, the denomination may seize the local church property. In contrast, when a majority of local churches secede en masse, the denomination's lawsuit to retain all properties from those leaving is likely to lose.
It's disappointing to when Christians emphasize the seen, over the unseen.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Pope Benedict Lambastes Godless Modern Culture
-- From "Pope: Millions are losing their religion and declaring God is dead" by Lyndsay Moss, The Scotsman 10/6/08
Modern culture is so devoid of faith that some people are declaring God "dead" and entire nations are losing their identity, Pope Benedict XVI warned yesterday.
The 81-year-old pontiff said that God was being pushed out of people's lives under the "harmful and destructive influence" of today's society.
Pope Benedict is particularly worried about a growing indifference to religion in Europe.
Speaking at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, the Pope said: "Today, nations once rich in faith and vocations are losing their own identity under the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture.
"There are those who, after deciding that 'God is dead', declare themselves to be 'god' and the artisan of their own destiny, the absolute master of the world."
Pope Benedict said attempts to "brush God aside" lead to arrogance, selfishness, injustice, exploitation and violence.
"When men proclaim themselves to be absolute masters of themselves and sole masters of creation, can they truly build a society where freedom, justice and peace reign?" he asked.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Modern culture is so devoid of faith that some people are declaring God "dead" and entire nations are losing their identity, Pope Benedict XVI warned yesterday.
The 81-year-old pontiff said that God was being pushed out of people's lives under the "harmful and destructive influence" of today's society.
Pope Benedict is particularly worried about a growing indifference to religion in Europe.
Speaking at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, the Pope said: "Today, nations once rich in faith and vocations are losing their own identity under the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture.
"There are those who, after deciding that 'God is dead', declare themselves to be 'god' and the artisan of their own destiny, the absolute master of the world."
Pope Benedict said attempts to "brush God aside" lead to arrogance, selfishness, injustice, exploitation and violence.
"When men proclaim themselves to be absolute masters of themselves and sole masters of creation, can they truly build a society where freedom, justice and peace reign?" he asked.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UK Union OK Teachers' Sex with Older Students
The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, proclaims that teachers should not face jail for having sex with pupils who are over the age of consent.
-- From "Teachers who have consensual sex with pupils should not face prosecution, says union" by Rebecca Camberm, The Daily Mail 10/6/08
[Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers] said: "There is a real anomaly in the law that we are concerned about and that is that if a teacher has a relationship with a pupil at the school at which they teach – it could be an 18 year-old pupil in sixth form – then that teacher can be prosecuted and can end up on the sex offenders register."
Teachers who have sex with sixth form pupils are only guilty of an 'error of professional judgement' and it is unfair to put them on the sex offenders register, she insists.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Teachers who have consensual sex with pupils should not face prosecution, says union" by Rebecca Camberm, The Daily Mail 10/6/08
[Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers] said: "There is a real anomaly in the law that we are concerned about and that is that if a teacher has a relationship with a pupil at the school at which they teach – it could be an 18 year-old pupil in sixth form – then that teacher can be prosecuted and can end up on the sex offenders register."
Teachers who have sex with sixth form pupils are only guilty of an 'error of professional judgement' and it is unfair to put them on the sex offenders register, she insists.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Levi Strauss Ad Targets the Crude Dude
Blue jean ad campaign 'Unbutton Your Beast' pins Richter scale of overtly sexual advertisements specifically directed to adolescent boys-- From "Drudge tries to whip out backlash against Levi's" posted by Maria Russo at the L.A. Times 10/1/08
Write Levi Strauss to express your concern for young people.
Drudge readers this morning were greeted with news of controversy over a viral web ad called "Unbutton Your Beast" released last night by ad agency EVB for Levi's. It's part of the "Unbutton Yourself" campaign, and it features the crotch of a pair of buttoned Levi's, at first displaying a substantial bulge that dances around behind the zipper. A few seconds later, one of several tricked-out, phallic puppets emerge -- "Trout Troutman," "Paul the Pincher" (a crab claw), and more. Each does a little song and dance if you click, or you can record your own words to put in the puppet's "mouth" before you send it on to your friends.
The creative director of EVB, Lauren Harwell, who was the art director on the project, has not heard of any complaints. "We didn't think it would make people angry, because what comes out of the pants is so silly," she said on the phone from the agency's San Francisco office. The ad won't have a print or TV equivalent -- it's just meant to be emailed around. "It's geared toward 15 to 20 year old guys," as the "viral component" of the larger campaign.
To read the entire post, CLICK HERE.
Below is the "form letter" response from Levi's, sent from Cassandra, Levi Strauss & Co. [casara3375598 Levi-MBXLevis levistrauss@levi.com]
Thanks for contacting us at Levi Strauss & Co.
We appreciate your comments about our "Unbutton Your Beast" digital initiative.With this campaign, our intent is to connect with a younger male audience and re-introduce them to our global 501(r) button-fly jeans. Sometimes, we miss the mark and sincerely apologize if you feel this is one of
those times.
Thanks again for letting us know your comments and concerns. We will definitely pass them on to our marketing and advertising colleagues who pay close attention to consumer feedback.
Please feel free to contact us again if we can be of further assistance. Just email us back, or call us at 1-800-USA-LEVI. We're available Monday - Friday, 6:00am - 4:30pm Pacific Time.
Virginia School Bans Books Critical of Homosexuality
Librarians say such books "would make gay students feel inferior"
-- From "Conservative Group Urges Libraries to Accept Collection" by Michael Alison Chandler, Washington Post Staff Writer 10/3/08
During a week that librarians nationwide are highlighting banned books, conservative Christian students and parents showcased their own collection outside a Fairfax County high school yesterday -- a collection they say was banned by the librarians themselves.
More than 40 students, many wearing black T-shirts stamped with the words "Closing Books Shuts Out Ideas," said they tried to donate more than 100 books about homosexuality to more than a dozen high school libraries in the past year. The initiative, organized by Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, was intended to add a conservative Christian perspective to shelves that the students said are stocked with "pro-gay" books.
Most of the books were turned down after school librarians said they did not meet school system standards. Titles include "Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting" and "Someone I Love Is Gay," which argues that homosexuality is not "a hopeless condition."
Fairfax County's policy on library book selection says "the collection should support the diverse interests, needs and viewpoints of the school community."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Conservative Group Urges Libraries to Accept Collection" by Michael Alison Chandler, Washington Post Staff Writer 10/3/08
During a week that librarians nationwide are highlighting banned books, conservative Christian students and parents showcased their own collection outside a Fairfax County high school yesterday -- a collection they say was banned by the librarians themselves.
More than 40 students, many wearing black T-shirts stamped with the words "Closing Books Shuts Out Ideas," said they tried to donate more than 100 books about homosexuality to more than a dozen high school libraries in the past year. The initiative, organized by Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, was intended to add a conservative Christian perspective to shelves that the students said are stocked with "pro-gay" books.
Most of the books were turned down after school librarians said they did not meet school system standards. Titles include "Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting" and "Someone I Love Is Gay," which argues that homosexuality is not "a hopeless condition."
Fairfax County's policy on library book selection says "the collection should support the diverse interests, needs and viewpoints of the school community."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Vatican Stakes Position in U.S. Elections
-- From "Vatican official attacks U.S. Democrats as 'party of death'" posted by: Phil Stewart on the Reuters Blog 10/1/08
Vatican officials seldom single out political leaders who differ with the Church on issues like abortion rights or embryonic stem cell research. But now that the Vatican’s highest court is led by an American, the former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, we can expect things to get more explicit in Vatican City — at least when when it comes to U.S. politics.
Burke, who was named prefect of the Vatican’s Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature in June, told the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire that the U.S. Democratic Party risked “transforming itself definitively into a party of death for its decisions on bioethical issues.” He then attacked two of the party’s most high profile Catholics — vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — for misrepresenting Church teaching on abortion.
He said Biden and Pelosi, “while presenting themselves as good Catholics, have presented Church doctrine on abortion in a false and tendentious way.”
Burke said pro-life Democrats were “rare” and that it saddened him that the party that helped “our immigrant parents and grandparents” prosper in America had changed so much over the years.
Burke made headlines as archbishop of St. Louis for his public attacks on public figures who strayed from Catholic teaching. He suggested during the 2004 presidential campaign that Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, a Catholic, should be denied communion because of his views on abortion. Several bishops said at the time they would not give him communion and the media staked out churches where he attended Mass to see if he received it.
To read this entire writing and comments, CLICK HERE.
Vatican officials seldom single out political leaders who differ with the Church on issues like abortion rights or embryonic stem cell research. But now that the Vatican’s highest court is led by an American, the former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, we can expect things to get more explicit in Vatican City — at least when when it comes to U.S. politics.
Burke, who was named prefect of the Vatican’s Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature in June, told the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire that the U.S. Democratic Party risked “transforming itself definitively into a party of death for its decisions on bioethical issues.” He then attacked two of the party’s most high profile Catholics — vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — for misrepresenting Church teaching on abortion.
He said Biden and Pelosi, “while presenting themselves as good Catholics, have presented Church doctrine on abortion in a false and tendentious way.”
Burke said pro-life Democrats were “rare” and that it saddened him that the party that helped “our immigrant parents and grandparents” prosper in America had changed so much over the years.
Burke made headlines as archbishop of St. Louis for his public attacks on public figures who strayed from Catholic teaching. He suggested during the 2004 presidential campaign that Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, a Catholic, should be denied communion because of his views on abortion. Several bishops said at the time they would not give him communion and the media staked out churches where he attended Mass to see if he received it.
To read this entire writing and comments, CLICK HERE.
California Voters' Sodomite Future?
San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom, aspiring to be California's next governor, screams of same-sex marriage: "This door's wide open now. It's going to happen - whether you like it or not."
-- From "California's gay marriage foes roll out TV ads" by Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 9/30/08
Backers of an initiative to ban same-sex marriage began airing their first commercial Monday, warning that a loss could lead to gay marriage being "taught in public schools" and that churches could lose their tax-exempt status.
[Mayor] Newsom began his tenure in 2004 by trying to legalize same-sex marriage, and he remains involved in the fight. He was in New York last week raising money to defeat Proposition 8. The Yes-on-8 commercial gives Democrat Newsom unexpected attention as he prepares to run for governor in 2010.
Yes-on-8 campaign manager Frank Schubert said he didn't care whether the spot helps or hurts Newsom's candidacy. But he also said the spot underscores the "arrogance" of same-sex marriage proponents.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "California's gay marriage foes roll out TV ads" by Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 9/30/08
Backers of an initiative to ban same-sex marriage began airing their first commercial Monday, warning that a loss could lead to gay marriage being "taught in public schools" and that churches could lose their tax-exempt status.
[Mayor] Newsom began his tenure in 2004 by trying to legalize same-sex marriage, and he remains involved in the fight. He was in New York last week raising money to defeat Proposition 8. The Yes-on-8 commercial gives Democrat Newsom unexpected attention as he prepares to run for governor in 2010.
Yes-on-8 campaign manager Frank Schubert said he didn't care whether the spot helps or hurts Newsom's candidacy. But he also said the spot underscores the "arrogance" of same-sex marriage proponents.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Montana Judge Awards Parental Rights to Former Lesbian Roommate
Saga yields warning to whom you let sleep in your bed, lest your sexual relationship be deemed a legal one, and your bunkmate walk out with your children
-- From "Same-Sex Partner Awarded Parental Rights to Adopted Kids" by Staff, Associated Press 9/30/08
Missoula, Mont. (AP) - A judge ruled in favor of a woman who sought parental rights to a boy and girl adopted by her former same-sex partner, a decision described as a first for Montana.
Michelle Kulstad sought joint custody of two children - an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl - adopted by Barbara Maniaci. In his ruling Monday, District Judge Ed McLean agreed.
"To discriminate further against Ms. Kulstad because of her sexual preference in this day and age is no different than telling a person to go to the back of the bus because of her skin color," McLean wrote.
Attorneys for both sides have said the same-sex parental rights trial was a first for the state, whose voters in 2004 rejected same-sex marriage by about a 2-to-1 margin.
McLean said Kulstad was a legal parent, even though Maniaci adopted the children - the boy in 2004 and the girl in 2006. The judge said Kulstad must receive joint decision-making authority in the children's lives, including their health care and spiritual upbringing.
Kulstad and Maniaci lived together in the Missoula area for 10 years, raising the children in tandem before ending the relationship in 2006, according to evidence presented at the non-jury trial in May.
Maniaci, who is now married, argued that she and her husband should be able to raise the children as they see fit. She said Kulstad was neither their adoptive parent nor a biological relative.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Same-Sex Partner Awarded Parental Rights to Adopted Kids" by Staff, Associated Press 9/30/08
Missoula, Mont. (AP) - A judge ruled in favor of a woman who sought parental rights to a boy and girl adopted by her former same-sex partner, a decision described as a first for Montana.
Michelle Kulstad sought joint custody of two children - an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl - adopted by Barbara Maniaci. In his ruling Monday, District Judge Ed McLean agreed.
"To discriminate further against Ms. Kulstad because of her sexual preference in this day and age is no different than telling a person to go to the back of the bus because of her skin color," McLean wrote.
Attorneys for both sides have said the same-sex parental rights trial was a first for the state, whose voters in 2004 rejected same-sex marriage by about a 2-to-1 margin.
McLean said Kulstad was a legal parent, even though Maniaci adopted the children - the boy in 2004 and the girl in 2006. The judge said Kulstad must receive joint decision-making authority in the children's lives, including their health care and spiritual upbringing.
Kulstad and Maniaci lived together in the Missoula area for 10 years, raising the children in tandem before ending the relationship in 2006, according to evidence presented at the non-jury trial in May.
Maniaci, who is now married, argued that she and her husband should be able to raise the children as they see fit. She said Kulstad was neither their adoptive parent nor a biological relative.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Congregations Abandon Episcopal Church, Unify with Defrocked Bishop
Leaders of the Episcopal Church USA voted to defrock Bishop Robert Duncan (Diocese of Pittsburgh) for leading 'dissidents' adhering to Scriptural authority.
-- From "Local churches align with deposed bishop" by Frances Borsodi Zajac, Herald-Standard (PA) 9/30/08
Two Fayette County churches are uniting themselves with their recently deposed Bishop Robert Duncan of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
"He's standing firm and the diocese is going to stand with him," said the Rev. John T. Cruikshank, rector at St. Peter's Church in Uniontown.
Cruikshank and the Rev. Keith Pozzuto, rector of Christ Church in Brownsville, said both churches will send delegates to Saturday's diocesan convention in Monroeville to vote to realign the diocese with the South American-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, which made Duncan a bishop-at-large after U.S. bishops voted Sept. 18 in Salt Lake City to remove him.
Duncan has been a leader among those who believe the Episcopal Church no longer upholds classic Christian doctrines. They opposed the Episcopal Church's 2003 decision to elect and consecrate the Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, an openly gay man, as a bishop and offer services for same-sex marriage.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Local churches align with deposed bishop" by Frances Borsodi Zajac, Herald-Standard (PA) 9/30/08
Two Fayette County churches are uniting themselves with their recently deposed Bishop Robert Duncan of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
"He's standing firm and the diocese is going to stand with him," said the Rev. John T. Cruikshank, rector at St. Peter's Church in Uniontown.
Cruikshank and the Rev. Keith Pozzuto, rector of Christ Church in Brownsville, said both churches will send delegates to Saturday's diocesan convention in Monroeville to vote to realign the diocese with the South American-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, which made Duncan a bishop-at-large after U.S. bishops voted Sept. 18 in Salt Lake City to remove him.
Duncan has been a leader among those who believe the Episcopal Church no longer upholds classic Christian doctrines. They opposed the Episcopal Church's 2003 decision to elect and consecrate the Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, an openly gay man, as a bishop and offer services for same-sex marriage.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
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