After Virginia schools stripped students' locker doors of their postings of the Ten Commandments, both Christian advocacy defenders and the ACLU have come to the defense of the Christian students.
-- From "ACLU defends Floyd athletes over Ten Commandments" by WSLS-TV Staff Reports 2/25/11
The ACLU of Virginia has come to the defense of a group of Christian athletes in Floyd County.
In an e-mail sent Friday afternoon, the civil liberties group said it had e-mailed the principal of Floyd Co. High School (FHS), and urged him to allow students to post their personal views, including copies of the Ten Commandments, on the lockers.
The e-mail comes one day after WSLS first reported that members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at FHS claims school leaders took down the copies of the Ten Commandments on their lockers.
School leaders would not confirm or deny the incident to WSLS. They would only state school policy that messages other than those such as 'happy birthday,' or 'go team,' were allowed to be posted on lockers without school administration permission.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "2nd Va. school mired in Ten Commandments flap" by Jeff Sturgeon, The Roanoke Times 2/26/11
Leaders of a second New River Valley school system are now caught up in the disagreement over schoolhouse displays of the Ten Commandments.
And civil liberties groups are again inserting themselves in the dispute. This time, in the latest flashpoint at Floyd County High School, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Liberty Counsel — not always on the same side of such issues — are in agreement that students who displayed the Ten Commandments on the outside of lockers had the right to do so.
The Liberty Counsel is a not-for-profit firm based in Orlando, Fla. that promotes religious freedom. It said it was told that administrators removed copies of the Ten Commandments placed by members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Thursday at Floyd High.
Mathew Staver, Liberty Counsel’s founder and chairman, said school officials are free to ban locker displays all together. But if displays or decorations are allowed, as Liberty Counsel was told, it is not legal for administrators to allowing some student displays and not others, Staver said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Ten Commandments targeted for banishment" by Bob Unruh © 2011 WorldNetDaily 2/28/11
Liberty Counsel dispatched a letter [to the school] suggesting – strongly – that the policy and practice be changed . . . [and] set a deadline of March 15 for the school to respond.
Liberty Counsel wrote to the school on behalf of Ralph and Tambra Agee, whose son, Jacob, is a student at Floyd County High School.
"Jacob then met with Principal Hollandsworth who explained that he could not permit students to use the face of their lockers for religious expression because if he did, students of all religions could use their lockers for religious expressions of their respective religions," the letter said.
"Today, school officials have also suggested that prior approval is necessary for student expressions on their assigned lockers."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Voluntary Sexual Mutilation Gains Legal Stature
In states controlled by liberal lawmakers and/or governors, normalization of transgenderism (hormone treatment, cross-dressing, and then surgically mutilating sex organs) is being codified into law and regulations.
It should be noted that a person's DNA cannot be changed; biologically, there's no such thing as a "sex change."
-- From "Prohibit discrimination against transgender persons" by Bob Katzen, GateHouse News Service, posted at Belmont Citizen-Herald 2/25/11
[Massachusetts] Gov. Patrick quietly, without advance notice or a ceremony, signed an executive order that prohibits all state agencies from making employment decisions based on gender identity. The measure takes effect immediately and is designed to protect transgender persons from discrimination when applying for a state job.
Broader legislation that would prohibit discrimination against transgender persons by adding gender identity protection to the state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws died in the Judiciary Committee last year. Supporters have refiled it this year. The bill goes beyond the governor’s executive order and prohibits discrimination in many areas including public and private employment, housing, education and credit.
Supporters say Massachusetts should join 12 other states that have these pro-transgender laws. They noted that the bill would prohibit discrimination against transgender persons in many areas including employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and public education.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Mass. Conservatives Say Governor's Executive Orders Cater to Trangender Activists" by Pete Winn, CNSNews.com 2/24/11
Conservatives in Massachusetts say last week's move by the state’s governor to give protected status to transgendered state employees was designed to cater to transgender activists and aid them in pushing for statewide legislation, which, if adopted, would make it a hate crime to discriminate in any way against transsexuals and transvestites.
Last Thursday, Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick quietly signed two executive orders -- Executive Order No. 526 and No. 527 -- giving transgendered state employees protected status under the state’s anti-discrimination policy and establishing a state Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity to oversee enforcement.
The executive orders do not define “gender identity and expression,” but would prohibit state agencies from making employment decisions based on gender identity and call for state officials to take immediate steps to “protect” employees on the basis of it.
. . . C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, told CNSNews.com . . . “What will happen to a state employee – a Catholic, or another religious believer or any believer in traditional morality – who expresses moral disapproval, moral disapprobation of this sort of behavior? Will they be punished? Will they be fired? Will they be discriminated against in employment and in promotions? Will new employees coming in be questioned on this and denied state employment because they disapprove of this sort of behavior?”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender riders seek justice from SEPTA" by Dianna Marder, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer 2/28/11
[The SEPTA transit agency uses] M for male and F for female stickers on weekly and monthly passes.
. . . each SEPTA employee who sells a pass judges whether the rider looks M or F, and if a bus driver or train conductor disagrees, the pass could be confiscated.
. . . Riders Against Gender Exclusion (RAGE), a grassroots group formed two years ago, say the stickers make life difficult, degrading, and dangerous for anyone whose appearance is nonconforming.
And a growing number of young transgender people are intent on identifying as androgynous . . . to emphasize that gender distinctions are unnecessary.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender surgery: should your company pay for it?" by Neil Katz, CBS News 2/23/11
. . . according to an Associated Press report . . . big name companies like Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup and Walt Disney have expanded their insurance coverage to meet the needs of transgender workers.
All told, there are 85 large businesses and law firms that cover the cost of at least one surgery, according to a 2010 survey by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group.
The trend follows a concerted push by transgender rights advocates to get employers and insurers to see sex reassignment the way the American Medical Association does - as a medically indicated rather than an optional procedure for people diagnosed with gender identity disorder.
In order to transition from one gender to another, patients may need some combination of hormone treatments, breast augmentation, plastic surgery to remove or reconstruct genitals and facial reconstruction. People suffering from gender identity disorder are at a very high risk for suicide.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Transgenderism is 'Delusion' Says Victim
It should be noted that a person's DNA cannot be changed; biologically, there's no such thing as a "sex change."
-- From "Prohibit discrimination against transgender persons" by Bob Katzen, GateHouse News Service, posted at Belmont Citizen-Herald 2/25/11
[Massachusetts] Gov. Patrick quietly, without advance notice or a ceremony, signed an executive order that prohibits all state agencies from making employment decisions based on gender identity. The measure takes effect immediately and is designed to protect transgender persons from discrimination when applying for a state job.
Broader legislation that would prohibit discrimination against transgender persons by adding gender identity protection to the state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws died in the Judiciary Committee last year. Supporters have refiled it this year. The bill goes beyond the governor’s executive order and prohibits discrimination in many areas including public and private employment, housing, education and credit.
Supporters say Massachusetts should join 12 other states that have these pro-transgender laws. They noted that the bill would prohibit discrimination against transgender persons in many areas including employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and public education.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Mass. Conservatives Say Governor's Executive Orders Cater to Trangender Activists" by Pete Winn, CNSNews.com 2/24/11
Conservatives in Massachusetts say last week's move by the state’s governor to give protected status to transgendered state employees was designed to cater to transgender activists and aid them in pushing for statewide legislation, which, if adopted, would make it a hate crime to discriminate in any way against transsexuals and transvestites.
Last Thursday, Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick quietly signed two executive orders -- Executive Order No. 526 and No. 527 -- giving transgendered state employees protected status under the state’s anti-discrimination policy and establishing a state Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity to oversee enforcement.
The executive orders do not define “gender identity and expression,” but would prohibit state agencies from making employment decisions based on gender identity and call for state officials to take immediate steps to “protect” employees on the basis of it.
. . . C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, told CNSNews.com . . . “What will happen to a state employee – a Catholic, or another religious believer or any believer in traditional morality – who expresses moral disapproval, moral disapprobation of this sort of behavior? Will they be punished? Will they be fired? Will they be discriminated against in employment and in promotions? Will new employees coming in be questioned on this and denied state employment because they disapprove of this sort of behavior?”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender riders seek justice from SEPTA" by Dianna Marder, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer 2/28/11
[The SEPTA transit agency uses] M for male and F for female stickers on weekly and monthly passes.
. . . each SEPTA employee who sells a pass judges whether the rider looks M or F, and if a bus driver or train conductor disagrees, the pass could be confiscated.
. . . Riders Against Gender Exclusion (RAGE), a grassroots group formed two years ago, say the stickers make life difficult, degrading, and dangerous for anyone whose appearance is nonconforming.
And a growing number of young transgender people are intent on identifying as androgynous . . . to emphasize that gender distinctions are unnecessary.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender surgery: should your company pay for it?" by Neil Katz, CBS News 2/23/11
. . . according to an Associated Press report . . . big name companies like Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup and Walt Disney have expanded their insurance coverage to meet the needs of transgender workers.
All told, there are 85 large businesses and law firms that cover the cost of at least one surgery, according to a 2010 survey by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group.
The trend follows a concerted push by transgender rights advocates to get employers and insurers to see sex reassignment the way the American Medical Association does - as a medically indicated rather than an optional procedure for people diagnosed with gender identity disorder.
In order to transition from one gender to another, patients may need some combination of hormone treatments, breast augmentation, plastic surgery to remove or reconstruct genitals and facial reconstruction. People suffering from gender identity disorder are at a very high risk for suicide.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Transgenderism is 'Delusion' Says Victim
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Voters' Same-sex 'Marriage' Desires Ignored
From one state to another, including at the federal level, even though it's the voters choice to defend marriage, too many elected officials refuse to uphold those choices. Voters in California passed a marriage amendment to their constitution, but who will defend it against the onslaught of homosexualist court challenges?
For background, read Homosexual Judge Rules for Same-sex 'Marriage' in California and also read Will Supreme Court Outlaw Christianity?
UPDATE 11/17/11: California Supreme Court says Christians can defend marriage against homosexualists' legal challenge
-- From "California county renews gay marriage fight" by Lisa Leff, Associated Press 2/25/11
California's Imperial County renewed its effort to defend the state's gay marriage ban by asking Friday to join an attempt to overturn the court ruling that struck down the measure known as Proposition 8.
Sponsors of the voter-approved gay marriage ban so far have taken the lead in defending the voter-approved law in court, after former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Attorney General Jerry Brown refused to do so.
But the move by sponsors has been questioned because they are not elected government representatives, which threatens the viability of their case before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Imperial County's newly elected clerk-recorder, Chuck Storey, on Friday asked the 9th Circuit panel handling the appeal to allow him to step in as the primary defendant if the coalition of religious and legal groups that sponsored Proposition 8 is removed.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Imperial County clerk seeks to defend Prop 8" posted at KGO-TV San Francisco, CA 2/25/11
Clerk Chuck Storey, who took office in January, argued in a brief submitted to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that his participation is "appropriate and necessary" to enable the court to decide the constitutionality of the voter initiative.
The backers of Proposition 8 are seeking to appeal U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling last year that the measure passed by state voters in 2008 violates the U.S. Constitution.
The federal court has asked the California Supreme Court to decide whether the state law would allow the sponsors to appeal, and it could take the state high court at least several months to issue a decision on that issue.
The clerk said in a statement Friday, "I took an oath of office to uphold the California Constitution, and Proposition 8 is part of the Constitution."
Storey is represented by lawyers from Riverside County-based Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit legal group.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "County clerk launches defense of Prop 8 traditional marriage" by Bob Unruh © 2011 WorldNetDaily 2/27/11
The dispute over "standing" is critical in the battle over the voter-approved definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman because the then-attorney general, Jerry Brown, who now is governor, and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, both refused to fulfill their state office obligations and defend what now is one section of the state constitution.
Those who organized the petition through which voters adopted the definition have been working with a number of law firms in defense of the law, but the U.S. District Court judge, Vaugh Walker, an open homosexual, who struck down the law, raised the question about "standing."
That would involve the question of exactly who has the right to mount a defense of the law, and Walker suggested that since the state, which is the defendant in the lawsuit, refused to provide a defense, the case essentially is finished.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Homosexual Judge Rules for Same-sex 'Marriage' in California and also read Will Supreme Court Outlaw Christianity?
UPDATE 11/17/11: California Supreme Court says Christians can defend marriage against homosexualists' legal challenge
-- From "California county renews gay marriage fight" by Lisa Leff, Associated Press 2/25/11
California's Imperial County renewed its effort to defend the state's gay marriage ban by asking Friday to join an attempt to overturn the court ruling that struck down the measure known as Proposition 8.
Sponsors of the voter-approved gay marriage ban so far have taken the lead in defending the voter-approved law in court, after former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Attorney General Jerry Brown refused to do so.
But the move by sponsors has been questioned because they are not elected government representatives, which threatens the viability of their case before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Imperial County's newly elected clerk-recorder, Chuck Storey, on Friday asked the 9th Circuit panel handling the appeal to allow him to step in as the primary defendant if the coalition of religious and legal groups that sponsored Proposition 8 is removed.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Imperial County clerk seeks to defend Prop 8" posted at KGO-TV San Francisco, CA 2/25/11
Clerk Chuck Storey, who took office in January, argued in a brief submitted to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that his participation is "appropriate and necessary" to enable the court to decide the constitutionality of the voter initiative.
The backers of Proposition 8 are seeking to appeal U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling last year that the measure passed by state voters in 2008 violates the U.S. Constitution.
The federal court has asked the California Supreme Court to decide whether the state law would allow the sponsors to appeal, and it could take the state high court at least several months to issue a decision on that issue.
The clerk said in a statement Friday, "I took an oath of office to uphold the California Constitution, and Proposition 8 is part of the Constitution."
Storey is represented by lawyers from Riverside County-based Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit legal group.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "County clerk launches defense of Prop 8 traditional marriage" by Bob Unruh © 2011 WorldNetDaily 2/27/11
The dispute over "standing" is critical in the battle over the voter-approved definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman because the then-attorney general, Jerry Brown, who now is governor, and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, both refused to fulfill their state office obligations and defend what now is one section of the state constitution.
Those who organized the petition through which voters adopted the definition have been working with a number of law firms in defense of the law, but the U.S. District Court judge, Vaugh Walker, an open homosexual, who struck down the law, raised the question about "standing."
That would involve the question of exactly who has the right to mount a defense of the law, and Walker suggested that since the state, which is the defendant in the lawsuit, refused to provide a defense, the case essentially is finished.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Abortion Safer than Giving Birth: Physicians
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists advises that women are better off both physically and psychologically when their unborn babies are killed rather than born.
UPDATE 3/25/12: Pregnancy increases risk of heart attack
-- From "Abortion is safer than having a baby, doctors say" by Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent, London Telegraph 2/26/11
The advice, which would be given to women considering terminations, has caused anger, with anti-abortion campaigners accusing doctors' leaders of forcing an "absurdly liberal agenda" on women in a vulnerable situation.
The guidance also says that women who are deciding whether to have an abortion must be told that most do not suffer any psychological harm. Until now, their advice has been that while rates of psychiatric illness and self-harm in women are higher among those who had an abortion, there was no evidence that termination itself was likely to trigger psychological problems.
Speaking in a personal capacity, Prof Patricia Casey, a consultant psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “The message this sends out is very worrying. There are more than 30 studies showing an association between psychological trauma and abortion.”
The guidance, drawn up by 18 senior gynaecologists, nurses and abortion providers also says that pregnant women who are certain of a decision to terminate “should not be subjected to compulsory counselling”. Previous advice only requested that professionals provide the degree of support required by each individual.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortions are safer for pregnant women than having a baby, new advice claims" By Fiona Macrae, UK Daily Mail 2/27/11
. . . with abortion clinics among those contributing to the guidance [document], they likened the procedure to allowing a tobacco company to review the consequence of smoking or putting McDonald’s in charge of a study on how fast food affects health.
One of the first sections, on ‘what women need to know’ about abortion, states that major complications are rare and that women ‘should be advised that abortion is generally safer than continuing a pregnancy to term’.
But critics called on the RCOG to produce the evidence to back its claim, and added that many complications caused by abortions will be recorded in A&E and other stats and so are missing from the official tally.
It continues: ‘Although abortion can be associated with a range of feelings, long-term feelings of guilt, sadness and regret appear only to linger in a minority of women.’
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Abortion More Common Among the Mentally Ill
UK: Royal College Warns Abortions Can Lead to Mental Illness
Mother Regrets Her Addiction to Abortion
Abortion Doesn't Harm Teen Mental Health: Study
Abortion Linked to Mental Health Disorders
APA Issues Biased Report on Effects of Abortion
Mental Health Expert Highlights Abortion's Impact on Men
Late-Term Abortions Harm Mental Health: Study
UPDATE 3/25/12: Pregnancy increases risk of heart attack
-- From "Abortion is safer than having a baby, doctors say" by Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent, London Telegraph 2/26/11
The advice, which would be given to women considering terminations, has caused anger, with anti-abortion campaigners accusing doctors' leaders of forcing an "absurdly liberal agenda" on women in a vulnerable situation.
The guidance also says that women who are deciding whether to have an abortion must be told that most do not suffer any psychological harm. Until now, their advice has been that while rates of psychiatric illness and self-harm in women are higher among those who had an abortion, there was no evidence that termination itself was likely to trigger psychological problems.
Speaking in a personal capacity, Prof Patricia Casey, a consultant psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “The message this sends out is very worrying. There are more than 30 studies showing an association between psychological trauma and abortion.”
The guidance, drawn up by 18 senior gynaecologists, nurses and abortion providers also says that pregnant women who are certain of a decision to terminate “should not be subjected to compulsory counselling”. Previous advice only requested that professionals provide the degree of support required by each individual.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortions are safer for pregnant women than having a baby, new advice claims" By Fiona Macrae, UK Daily Mail 2/27/11
. . . with abortion clinics among those contributing to the guidance [document], they likened the procedure to allowing a tobacco company to review the consequence of smoking or putting McDonald’s in charge of a study on how fast food affects health.
One of the first sections, on ‘what women need to know’ about abortion, states that major complications are rare and that women ‘should be advised that abortion is generally safer than continuing a pregnancy to term’.
But critics called on the RCOG to produce the evidence to back its claim, and added that many complications caused by abortions will be recorded in A&E and other stats and so are missing from the official tally.
It continues: ‘Although abortion can be associated with a range of feelings, long-term feelings of guilt, sadness and regret appear only to linger in a minority of women.’
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Abortion More Common Among the Mentally Ill
UK: Royal College Warns Abortions Can Lead to Mental Illness
Mother Regrets Her Addiction to Abortion
Abortion Doesn't Harm Teen Mental Health: Study
Abortion Linked to Mental Health Disorders
APA Issues Biased Report on Effects of Abortion
Mental Health Expert Highlights Abortion's Impact on Men
Late-Term Abortions Harm Mental Health: Study
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Truth About Abortion Offends New Yorkers
An outdoor advertising company has taken down a New York City anti-abortion billboard that showed a black girl along with the tagline, "The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb."
-- From "Ad company pulls NYC anti-abortion billboard" by Cristian Salazar, The Associated Press 2/25/11
A manager for Louisiana-based Lamar Advertising confirmed Thursday the company had decided to take down the billboard. Some black residents said they found it offensive.
The billboard was placed in a busy Manhattan neighborhood by the group Life Always as part of a national campaign tied to Black History Month. The group says its message highlights Planned Parenthood's "targeting of minority neighborhoods."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Billboard focused on African-American abortions was taken down" by Jordana Ossad, CNN 2/25/11
The billboard was attached to a building that houses the restaurant Lupe's Kitchen. Some of the wait staff, Kilshaw said, were being harassed by patrons who objected to the billboard. In addition, a scheduled protest Friday by people opposed to the billboard prompted public safety concerns, which led to the company's decision.
. . . Stephen Broden, a pastor and Life Always board member, told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday that "it's hard to celebrate Black History Month" with abortion "hanging over our community."
"Abortion is outpacing life in our community" and he said the billboard's message is meant to be a "provocative" way to illustrate the problem.
The sign was part of a national campaign where more billboards will appear over the next couple of months across the country, Life Always spokeswoman Marissa Gabrysch said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Alveda King: ‘The Most Dangerous Place for an African-American is in the Womb!’" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 2/25/11
“The message of this billboard is totally accurate,” [Alveda] King said in a statement issued by Priests for Life where she is the director of African-American Outreach.
She added: “And it should provoke outrage in the African-American community—not because it is racist, but because of the truth it reveals; the truth that is being kept from the African-American community.”
The billboard message was a project of thatsabortion.com, which paid for the message as part of its LifeAlways project.
Mary Alice Carr, vice president of communications for NARAL Pro-Choice New York, said in a statement that the billboard was “attacking women for choosing abortion while simultaneously destroying family planning.”
But King said the billboard should have provoked a different kind of outrage.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
“It is an outrageous act of censorship that this billboard was taken down. This billboard should be posted in every city of the country.”For background, read Black Genocide in New York City (nearly 2 of 3 killed in womb) and also read Abortion Targeting Blacks: Exposed in Media Campaign
-- Dr. Alveda King
-- From "Ad company pulls NYC anti-abortion billboard" by Cristian Salazar, The Associated Press 2/25/11
A manager for Louisiana-based Lamar Advertising confirmed Thursday the company had decided to take down the billboard. Some black residents said they found it offensive.
The billboard was placed in a busy Manhattan neighborhood by the group Life Always as part of a national campaign tied to Black History Month. The group says its message highlights Planned Parenthood's "targeting of minority neighborhoods."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Billboard focused on African-American abortions was taken down" by Jordana Ossad, CNN 2/25/11
The billboard was attached to a building that houses the restaurant Lupe's Kitchen. Some of the wait staff, Kilshaw said, were being harassed by patrons who objected to the billboard. In addition, a scheduled protest Friday by people opposed to the billboard prompted public safety concerns, which led to the company's decision.
. . . Stephen Broden, a pastor and Life Always board member, told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday that "it's hard to celebrate Black History Month" with abortion "hanging over our community."
"Abortion is outpacing life in our community" and he said the billboard's message is meant to be a "provocative" way to illustrate the problem.
The sign was part of a national campaign where more billboards will appear over the next couple of months across the country, Life Always spokeswoman Marissa Gabrysch said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Alveda King: ‘The Most Dangerous Place for an African-American is in the Womb!’" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 2/25/11
“The message of this billboard is totally accurate,” [Alveda] King said in a statement issued by Priests for Life where she is the director of African-American Outreach.
She added: “And it should provoke outrage in the African-American community—not because it is racist, but because of the truth it reveals; the truth that is being kept from the African-American community.”
The billboard message was a project of thatsabortion.com, which paid for the message as part of its LifeAlways project.
Mary Alice Carr, vice president of communications for NARAL Pro-Choice New York, said in a statement that the billboard was “attacking women for choosing abortion while simultaneously destroying family planning.”
But King said the billboard should have provoked a different kind of outrage.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Who Cares About Same-Sex Marriage Anymore?
Where'd the Christians go? It seems they've left the "sleeping Jonah" (The Church) behind, in favor of the Tea Party movement.
UPDATE 3/27/11: Same-sex marriage no longer such a divisive political issue
-- From "Gay Marriage Seems to Wane as Conservative Issue" by Michael D. Shear and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times 2/24/11
President Obama’s decision to abandon his legal support for the Defense of Marriage Act has generated only mild rebukes from the Republicans hoping to succeed him in 2012, evidence of a shifting political climate in which social issues are being crowded out by economic concerns.
In the hours [after Obama's decision], Sarah Palin’s Facebook site was silent. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was close-mouthed. Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, released a Web video — on the labor union protests in Wisconsin — and waited a day before issuing a marriage statement saying he was “disappointed.”
Others, like Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, and Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, took their time weighing in, and then did so only in the most tepid terms. “The Justice Department is supposed to defend our laws,” Mr. Barbour said.
Asked if Mitch Daniels, the Republican governor of Indiana and a possible presidential candidate, had commented on the marriage decision, a spokeswoman said that he “hasn’t, and with other things we have going on here right now, he has no plans.”
The sharpest reaction came from Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, in an interview here during a stop to promote his new book, who called the administration’s decision “utterly inexplicable.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "2012: Gay marriage no longer a potent political issue?" posted at MSNBC.com 2/25/11
SANTORUM: “Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said Thursday in Iowa that President Obama’s decision to instruct his administration not to prosecute violations of the federal ban on same-sex marriage would ignite the issue in the 2012 Republican presidential campaign,” the Des Moines Register writes.
HUCKABEE: “Mike Huckabee thinks all the early evidence suggests he, not the former Massachusetts governor [Mitt Romney], is the Republican Party’s presidential front-runner,” National Journal writes of an interview with the former governor.
PALIN: Republican activists in key conservative early primary states are turning on Sarah Palin, McClatchy writes. “At a recent gathering in South Carolina, the site of a crucial early presidential primary next year, party activists said the former Alaska governor didn't have the experience, the knowledge of issues or the ability to get beyond folksy slang and bumper-sticker generalities that they think is needed to win and govern.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Marriage Decision May Not Hurt Obama or Help the Religious Right" by David Gibson, Religion Reporter, Politics Daily 2/25/11
Even among evangelicals and other conservatives, opposition [to same-sex 'marriage'] is eroding, especially among a younger generation that doesn't see anything all that wrong with gay and lesbian couples.
Mike Huckabee, a possible 2012 presidential candidate who is far and away the front runner among Republican voters when it comes to social issues and moral values, this week conceded that reality. The former Baptist pastor noted that younger evangelicals have shown an "alarming" trend toward acceptance of homosexual relationships that could complicate political prospects for a candidate like himself who sees gay marriage as a moral threat on par with abortion.
As authors Robert Putnam and David Campbell write in their sweeping new study of faith in the United States, "American Grace," given these trends "homosexuality will become less attractive as a wedge issue in politics and will likely cease to be a potent issue at all." If anything, homosexuality is becoming a dividing line within the Republican Party rather than between Republicans and Democrats, as shown by the boycott of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference by some groups of social conservatives (and not others) over the presence of the conservative gay organization, GOProud.
White evangelicals who form the core of the Republican right (and the tea party movement) remain the most opposed to gay marriage. . . .
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Unlike abortion, gay marriage is not the automatic winner for the [political] right that it was as recently as the 1990s when Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act . . .For background read, Obama 'Throws Marriage Under the Bus' and also read Tea Party Movement vs. 'Gay Agenda Tea Party'
UPDATE 3/27/11: Same-sex marriage no longer such a divisive political issue
-- From "Gay Marriage Seems to Wane as Conservative Issue" by Michael D. Shear and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times 2/24/11
President Obama’s decision to abandon his legal support for the Defense of Marriage Act has generated only mild rebukes from the Republicans hoping to succeed him in 2012, evidence of a shifting political climate in which social issues are being crowded out by economic concerns.
In the hours [after Obama's decision], Sarah Palin’s Facebook site was silent. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was close-mouthed. Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, released a Web video — on the labor union protests in Wisconsin — and waited a day before issuing a marriage statement saying he was “disappointed.”
Others, like Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, and Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, took their time weighing in, and then did so only in the most tepid terms. “The Justice Department is supposed to defend our laws,” Mr. Barbour said.
Asked if Mitch Daniels, the Republican governor of Indiana and a possible presidential candidate, had commented on the marriage decision, a spokeswoman said that he “hasn’t, and with other things we have going on here right now, he has no plans.”
The sharpest reaction came from Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, in an interview here during a stop to promote his new book, who called the administration’s decision “utterly inexplicable.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "2012: Gay marriage no longer a potent political issue?" posted at MSNBC.com 2/25/11
SANTORUM: “Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said Thursday in Iowa that President Obama’s decision to instruct his administration not to prosecute violations of the federal ban on same-sex marriage would ignite the issue in the 2012 Republican presidential campaign,” the Des Moines Register writes.
HUCKABEE: “Mike Huckabee thinks all the early evidence suggests he, not the former Massachusetts governor [Mitt Romney], is the Republican Party’s presidential front-runner,” National Journal writes of an interview with the former governor.
PALIN: Republican activists in key conservative early primary states are turning on Sarah Palin, McClatchy writes. “At a recent gathering in South Carolina, the site of a crucial early presidential primary next year, party activists said the former Alaska governor didn't have the experience, the knowledge of issues or the ability to get beyond folksy slang and bumper-sticker generalities that they think is needed to win and govern.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Marriage Decision May Not Hurt Obama or Help the Religious Right" by David Gibson, Religion Reporter, Politics Daily 2/25/11
Even among evangelicals and other conservatives, opposition [to same-sex 'marriage'] is eroding, especially among a younger generation that doesn't see anything all that wrong with gay and lesbian couples.
Mike Huckabee, a possible 2012 presidential candidate who is far and away the front runner among Republican voters when it comes to social issues and moral values, this week conceded that reality. The former Baptist pastor noted that younger evangelicals have shown an "alarming" trend toward acceptance of homosexual relationships that could complicate political prospects for a candidate like himself who sees gay marriage as a moral threat on par with abortion.
As authors Robert Putnam and David Campbell write in their sweeping new study of faith in the United States, "American Grace," given these trends "homosexuality will become less attractive as a wedge issue in politics and will likely cease to be a potent issue at all." If anything, homosexuality is becoming a dividing line within the Republican Party rather than between Republicans and Democrats, as shown by the boycott of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference by some groups of social conservatives (and not others) over the presence of the conservative gay organization, GOProud.
White evangelicals who form the core of the Republican right (and the tea party movement) remain the most opposed to gay marriage. . . .
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Virginia Abortion Clinics Likely to Close
Clinics that provide five or more abortions in a month will be regulated like hospitals under an amendment that narrowly passed the Senate, normally the bulwark against abortion restrictions.
For background, read Abortion Clinics Fear Medical Standards
UPDATE 8/27/11: Most Abortion Clinics to Close in Virginia
UPDATE 3/29/11: Governor signs bill into law
UPDATE 2/27/11: Washington Post presents pro-abortion view of law
-- From "Va. OKs bill to likely close most abortion clinics" by The Associated Press 2/24/11
Virginia took a big step Thursday toward eliminating most of the state's 21 abortion clinics, approving a bill that would likely make rules so strict the medical centers would be forced to close, Democrats and abortion rights supporters said.
Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican and Catholic, supports the measure and when he signs it into law, Virginia will become the first state to require clinics that provide first-trimester abortions to meet the same standards as hospitals. The requirements could include anything from expensive structural changes like widening hallways to increased training and mandatory equipment the clinics currently don't have.
While abortion providers must be licensed in Virginia, the clinics resemble dentists' offices and are considered physicians offices, similar to those that provide plastic and corrective eye surgeries, colonoscopies and a host of other medical procedures.
"It is not about banning abortions," said Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Winchester. "It is simply caring for women who are about to have an invasive surgical procedure and creating an environment for them where they have the opportunity to do that in a place that is safe."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Virginia passes tough abortion standards" by Chelyen Davis, The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA) 2/24/11
The vote tied, at 20-20, with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling breaking the tie. Two Democrats and all Republicans voted for it.
Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, voted against the measure; Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Stafford, voted for it, along with all Republicans.
Houck is chairman of the Senate Education and Health Committee, where abortion restrictions usually die. A similar bill was killed there earlier this session. But this week House Republicans applied the change as an amendment to a different Senate bill, forcing the Senate into an up-or-down vote.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Va. General Assembly agrees to regulate abortion clinics as hospitals" by Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post 2/24/11
Antiabortion activists hailed the vote as the most significant victory they've achieved in Virginia in years. Abortion rights groups said they think the regulations will place an unconstitutional burden on a woman's ability to get an abortion in Virginia, and pledged to sue.
The practical impact of the vote will rest heavily on guidelines ultimately approved by the Virginia Board of Health. Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said she fears the worst, though the 15-member board is dominated by holdover appointments made by former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D).
In recent weeks, [pro-life advocates] have cited the case of a Philadelphia-area clinic recently shut down after authorities discovered a series of botched and illegal abortions; inspectors discovered containers of fetus parts.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Abortion Clinics Fear Medical Standards
UPDATE 8/27/11: Most Abortion Clinics to Close in Virginia
UPDATE 3/29/11: Governor signs bill into law
UPDATE 2/27/11: Washington Post presents pro-abortion view of law
-- From "Va. OKs bill to likely close most abortion clinics" by The Associated Press 2/24/11
Virginia took a big step Thursday toward eliminating most of the state's 21 abortion clinics, approving a bill that would likely make rules so strict the medical centers would be forced to close, Democrats and abortion rights supporters said.
Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican and Catholic, supports the measure and when he signs it into law, Virginia will become the first state to require clinics that provide first-trimester abortions to meet the same standards as hospitals. The requirements could include anything from expensive structural changes like widening hallways to increased training and mandatory equipment the clinics currently don't have.
While abortion providers must be licensed in Virginia, the clinics resemble dentists' offices and are considered physicians offices, similar to those that provide plastic and corrective eye surgeries, colonoscopies and a host of other medical procedures.
"It is not about banning abortions," said Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Winchester. "It is simply caring for women who are about to have an invasive surgical procedure and creating an environment for them where they have the opportunity to do that in a place that is safe."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Virginia passes tough abortion standards" by Chelyen Davis, The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA) 2/24/11
The vote tied, at 20-20, with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling breaking the tie. Two Democrats and all Republicans voted for it.
Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, voted against the measure; Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Stafford, voted for it, along with all Republicans.
Houck is chairman of the Senate Education and Health Committee, where abortion restrictions usually die. A similar bill was killed there earlier this session. But this week House Republicans applied the change as an amendment to a different Senate bill, forcing the Senate into an up-or-down vote.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Va. General Assembly agrees to regulate abortion clinics as hospitals" by Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post 2/24/11
Antiabortion activists hailed the vote as the most significant victory they've achieved in Virginia in years. Abortion rights groups said they think the regulations will place an unconstitutional burden on a woman's ability to get an abortion in Virginia, and pledged to sue.
The practical impact of the vote will rest heavily on guidelines ultimately approved by the Virginia Board of Health. Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said she fears the worst, though the 15-member board is dominated by holdover appointments made by former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D).
In recent weeks, [pro-life advocates] have cited the case of a Philadelphia-area clinic recently shut down after authorities discovered a series of botched and illegal abortions; inspectors discovered containers of fetus parts.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Homosexuals Sue IL Christians over Their Faith
The recently-enacted Illinois civil unions law doesn't take full effect for months, but homosexualists aren't relenting from their agenda to outlaw religious liberty.
For background, read Illinois Civil Unions Law, so Now to "Gay Marriage" and also read Judge Says Judeo-Christian Values Are Obsolete
And read this analysis from the Illinois Family Institute.
UPDATE 6/13/11: IL Civil Unions Not Enough; Must Destroy Marriage
-- From "Gay couple file complaints after refused space to host their ceremony" by James Scalzitti, Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter 2/23/11
When civil unions were legalized in Illinois, a pair of downstate men started planning their future, but when they tried to rent a hall for the celebration, they learned discrimination does not end with a stroke of the governor’s pen.
Now the pair has filed complaints against two bed and breakfasts which refused to rent them space for a ceremony and reception, including one in the Kankakee area.
One owner explained he only hosted “traditional weddings” and not civil unions, while the other was more emphatic, telling the men homosexual unions were “wrong” and citing Bible verses to justify his opinion.
They chose the two particular inns because they are natives of southern Indiana and northern Kentucky and it would be easier for family members to drive to Alton or Paxton then to Chicago, Whathen said Tuesday.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay couple alleges discrimination by Alton business" by Terry Hillig and Kevin Mcdermott, St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2/24/11
The complaint is based not on the [new] Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act but on the state's Human Rights Act, which has a "public accommodations" section that makes it a violation to "deny or refuse to another the full and equal enjoyment of the facilities, goods, and services of any public place of accommodation" for discriminatory reasons.
Gay rights activists say the law means that Illinois establishments must provide services regardless of the sexual orientation of customers.
Both the civil union law and the Human Rights Act contain exemptions for religious reasons, but neither appears to allow the barring of same-sex couples from accommodations like the ones Wathen was seeking.
The civil union law exempts individual clergy or religious organizations from having to perform same-sex ceremonies if doing so is against their beliefs. The Human Rights Act specifies that the "expression of religiously based views" by the owner of a public accommodation doesn't constitute discrimination, but it doesn't allow that owner to withhold services based on those views.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read 'Gay Rights' Winning, Loss of Religious Liberty Documented - Washington Post writer demonstrates it's a "zero sum" game: Winning homosexual 'rights' means Christians must lose freedom of religion.
For background, read Illinois Civil Unions Law, so Now to "Gay Marriage" and also read Judge Says Judeo-Christian Values Are Obsolete
And read this analysis from the Illinois Family Institute.
UPDATE 6/13/11: IL Civil Unions Not Enough; Must Destroy Marriage
-- From "Gay couple file complaints after refused space to host their ceremony" by James Scalzitti, Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter 2/23/11
When civil unions were legalized in Illinois, a pair of downstate men started planning their future, but when they tried to rent a hall for the celebration, they learned discrimination does not end with a stroke of the governor’s pen.
Now the pair has filed complaints against two bed and breakfasts which refused to rent them space for a ceremony and reception, including one in the Kankakee area.
One owner explained he only hosted “traditional weddings” and not civil unions, while the other was more emphatic, telling the men homosexual unions were “wrong” and citing Bible verses to justify his opinion.
They chose the two particular inns because they are natives of southern Indiana and northern Kentucky and it would be easier for family members to drive to Alton or Paxton then to Chicago, Whathen said Tuesday.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay couple alleges discrimination by Alton business" by Terry Hillig and Kevin Mcdermott, St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2/24/11
The complaint is based not on the [new] Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act but on the state's Human Rights Act, which has a "public accommodations" section that makes it a violation to "deny or refuse to another the full and equal enjoyment of the facilities, goods, and services of any public place of accommodation" for discriminatory reasons.
Gay rights activists say the law means that Illinois establishments must provide services regardless of the sexual orientation of customers.
Both the civil union law and the Human Rights Act contain exemptions for religious reasons, but neither appears to allow the barring of same-sex couples from accommodations like the ones Wathen was seeking.
The civil union law exempts individual clergy or religious organizations from having to perform same-sex ceremonies if doing so is against their beliefs. The Human Rights Act specifies that the "expression of religiously based views" by the owner of a public accommodation doesn't constitute discrimination, but it doesn't allow that owner to withhold services based on those views.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read 'Gay Rights' Winning, Loss of Religious Liberty Documented - Washington Post writer demonstrates it's a "zero sum" game: Winning homosexual 'rights' means Christians must lose freedom of religion.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Planned Parenthood Launches Propaganda Campaign
With the nation's largest abortion mill targeted to be defunded by the new pro-life Christian majority in Congress, Planned Parenthood is disseminating false messages of its business goals.
UPDATE 4/15/11: Exposing Planned Parenthood's deceptive statistics
UPDATE 3/9/11: Planned Parenthood's 'Truth Tour' Does Not Mention the 332,278 Abortions It Performed in 2009
UPDATE 3/3/11: Planned Parenthood blitzes Senate
-- From "Planned Parenthood worried about funds" by Dennis Buterbaugh, abc27 News (Pennsylvania) 2/23/11
The House vote on cutting Planned Parenthood funding wasn't even close. It passed 240 to 185, with 11 Democrats voting yes.
Planned Parenthood said that if the funding is cut, the organization would have to shut down in Pennsylvania.
Stevens said Planned Parenthood provides services that many women would not get otherwise; such as birth control, pap smears and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
The annual report for Planned Parenthood in our region shows about two percent of their services are abortions. That's why some think the federal funds should be cut.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "March protests looming Planned Parenthood funding end" by Julie Percha, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2/23/11
More than 100 people took to the streets Downtown today to protest a national budget amendment that would eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, the family planning and reproductive health services group.
. . . Planned Parenthood, which provides cancer screenings, blood pressure tests, reproductive exams and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, among other services, in addition abortions.
If the amendment survives in the Senate, it would mean a nearly one-third budget cut for the seven Planned Parenthood centers in the region, said Kim Evert, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Local Planned Parenthood supporters prepare for funding fight" posted at WBTV-3 (Charlotte, NC) 2/23/11
Local Planned Parenthood supporters are mobilizing their base to lobby against a Republican-backed bill which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week.
Patty Dillion, who works for Planned Parenthood . . . said 90-percent of their services are preventative, including cancer screenings, annual exams, counseling, and birth control. Less than three-percent of their services go toward abortion care, she said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
[P]renatal care and adoption referrals resulted for only 5 percent of the total services provided to women in 2007 while abortions accounted for 95 percent of the services that year, according to Planned Parenthood’s own figures.For background on Planned Parenthood and abortion legislation, read Congress Faces Greatest Genocide in History, and also read Left Fears a Take-down of Planned Parenthood
UPDATE 4/15/11: Exposing Planned Parenthood's deceptive statistics
UPDATE 3/9/11: Planned Parenthood's 'Truth Tour' Does Not Mention the 332,278 Abortions It Performed in 2009
UPDATE 3/3/11: Planned Parenthood blitzes Senate
-- From "Planned Parenthood worried about funds" by Dennis Buterbaugh, abc27 News (Pennsylvania) 2/23/11
The House vote on cutting Planned Parenthood funding wasn't even close. It passed 240 to 185, with 11 Democrats voting yes.
Planned Parenthood said that if the funding is cut, the organization would have to shut down in Pennsylvania.
Stevens said Planned Parenthood provides services that many women would not get otherwise; such as birth control, pap smears and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
The annual report for Planned Parenthood in our region shows about two percent of their services are abortions. That's why some think the federal funds should be cut.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "March protests looming Planned Parenthood funding end" by Julie Percha, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2/23/11
More than 100 people took to the streets Downtown today to protest a national budget amendment that would eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, the family planning and reproductive health services group.
. . . Planned Parenthood, which provides cancer screenings, blood pressure tests, reproductive exams and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, among other services, in addition abortions.
If the amendment survives in the Senate, it would mean a nearly one-third budget cut for the seven Planned Parenthood centers in the region, said Kim Evert, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Local Planned Parenthood supporters prepare for funding fight" posted at WBTV-3 (Charlotte, NC) 2/23/11
Local Planned Parenthood supporters are mobilizing their base to lobby against a Republican-backed bill which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week.
Patty Dillion, who works for Planned Parenthood . . . said 90-percent of their services are preventative, including cancer screenings, annual exams, counseling, and birth control. Less than three-percent of their services go toward abortion care, she said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Obama 'Throws Marriage Under the Bus'
President Barack Obama has decided that a federal law against gay marriage is unconstitutional and will no longer defend it in court, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
For background, read Obama 'Defends' Marriage yet Promises its Destruction, and also read, Homosexualists to Force Obama off the Fence
UPDATE 3/9/11: Congressional Republicans will defend DOMA in court, in absence of DOJ
-- From "Obama to stop defending federal gay marriage ban" by Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers 2/23/11
However, Obama will continue to enforce the law, called the Defense of Marriage Act, until it is either struck down by the courts or repealed by Congress, which he has urged, according to White House press secretary Jay Carney.
"Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed DOMA," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
"The Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional. Congress has repealed the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. Several lower courts have ruled DOMA itself to be unconstitutional."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama drops defense of law against gay marriage" by the CNN Wire Staff 2/23/11
"The president has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny," Holder said.
Obama has previously expressed his personal opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act but had never stated an opinion relating to its constitutionality.
Republicans immediately ripped the decision, calling it a distraction at a time when the focus needs to be on the economy.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the administration had to make a decision before the court-imposed deadline.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Obama 'Defends' Marriage yet Promises its Destruction, and also read, Homosexualists to Force Obama off the Fence
UPDATE 3/9/11: Congressional Republicans will defend DOMA in court, in absence of DOJ
-- From "Obama to stop defending federal gay marriage ban" by Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers 2/23/11
However, Obama will continue to enforce the law, called the Defense of Marriage Act, until it is either struck down by the courts or repealed by Congress, which he has urged, according to White House press secretary Jay Carney.
"Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed DOMA," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
"The Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional. Congress has repealed the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. Several lower courts have ruled DOMA itself to be unconstitutional."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama drops defense of law against gay marriage" by the CNN Wire Staff 2/23/11
"The president has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny," Holder said.
Obama has previously expressed his personal opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act but had never stated an opinion relating to its constitutionality.
Republicans immediately ripped the decision, calling it a distraction at a time when the focus needs to be on the economy.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the administration had to make a decision before the court-imposed deadline.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
SD Law Mandates Pro-life Counseling Pre-Abortion
The South Dakota House has passed a bill requiring consultation with a crisis pregnancy center, plus a three-day waiting period prior to an abortion.
UPDATE 5/27/11: Planned Parenthood sues to halt July 1 implementation of new law
UPDATE 3/22/11: Governor signs bill into law
-- From "SD House passes abortion counseling measure" by The Associated Press 2/22/11
The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Roger Hunt of Brandon, says the bill would make sure women get help so they can resist efforts to force them into getting abortions.
But Rep. Peggy Gibson of Huron says the bill is an unconstitutional interference in a woman's right to get an abortion.
The House voted 49-19 to send the bill to the Senate.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "South Dakota Cmte OKs Bill for CPC Consult Before Abortions" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 2/15/11
The idea behind the bill — which goes further than legislation in other states — is to get women tangible pregnancy help and support that they won’t normally find at an abortion center.
A September 2010 report the Planned Parenthood abortion business issued of its own abortion numbers found, while abortions are on the rise at Planned Parenthood, adoption referrals declined to just 2,405 — a 51 percent drop since 2007. Planned Parenthood now does 134 abortions for every adoption referral it makes.
The abortion business also helped only 9,433 prenatal clients, down substantially from the 11,000 women it provided prenatal care to in 2007. Combined with the number of abortion referrals, 96.5 percent of pregnant women going to Planned Parenthood had abortions while just 3.5 percent of pregnant women received non-abortion services including adoption and prenatal care.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 5/27/11: Planned Parenthood sues to halt July 1 implementation of new law
UPDATE 3/22/11: Governor signs bill into law
-- From "SD House passes abortion counseling measure" by The Associated Press 2/22/11
The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Roger Hunt of Brandon, says the bill would make sure women get help so they can resist efforts to force them into getting abortions.
But Rep. Peggy Gibson of Huron says the bill is an unconstitutional interference in a woman's right to get an abortion.
The House voted 49-19 to send the bill to the Senate.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "South Dakota Cmte OKs Bill for CPC Consult Before Abortions" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 2/15/11
The idea behind the bill — which goes further than legislation in other states — is to get women tangible pregnancy help and support that they won’t normally find at an abortion center.
A September 2010 report the Planned Parenthood abortion business issued of its own abortion numbers found, while abortions are on the rise at Planned Parenthood, adoption referrals declined to just 2,405 — a 51 percent drop since 2007. Planned Parenthood now does 134 abortions for every adoption referral it makes.
The abortion business also helped only 9,433 prenatal clients, down substantially from the 11,000 women it provided prenatal care to in 2007. Combined with the number of abortion referrals, 96.5 percent of pregnant women going to Planned Parenthood had abortions while just 3.5 percent of pregnant women received non-abortion services including adoption and prenatal care.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
AZ Abortion Ban for Race/Gender Selection
The Arizona House gave preliminary approval to a bill to ban abortions based solely on the sex or race of the baby, countering eugenic bigotry and discrimination.
UPDATE 3/30/11: Arizona first state making sex- or race-selection abortions a crime, as governor signs bill
UPDATE 3/22/11: Senate passes bill
-- From "Arizona Attempting to Ban Sex and Race Selective Abortions" by Cleveland Leader Staff 2/22/11
Democrats in Arizona have called it a bill "in search of problems". Republicans defending the bill have claimed that it refutes suggestions that "we are not here to protect the minority population."
Should the bill advance to becoming law, it would thus require that women justify or explain their reasoning for ending a pregnancy, and then require them to seek approval from an outside body to go ahead with it.
However, this bill is not the only abortion issue that Arizona legislators have before them. There are also bills before them that would ban telemedicine prescriptions of medication abortion, a new ultrasound requirement, and a bill trying to limit the resprctions of medication abortions which would mean physicians' assistants couldn't prescribe the abortion pill.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "House OKs banning abortions based on race, gender" by Tessa Muggeridge, Cronkite News Service, Tucson Sentinel 2/22/11
The measure, authored by Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, would require doctors performing abortions to sign affidavits stating that the reason for the abortion isn't the fetus' race or sex. It would allow the father, if married to the woman who gets an abortion, to sue the doctor if he believes the doctor knowingly performed it based on the race or sex. If the mother isn't 18, the maternal grandparents would be able to sue.
Montenegro called race- and sex-selection abortions a violation of human rights, saying these abortions are often grizzly, late-term surgeries. Democrats questioned whether such abortions are happening in the state, while Republicans said the measure would help end discrimination against unborn children.
Montenegro has said minorities being aborted at a higher rate than whites is evidence of race-selection abortions in Arizona and that national U.S. studies show that parents prefer male babies to female.
The approval sets up a floor vote that would send the bill to the Senate.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Arizona House passes ban on sex-, gender-selective abortions" by John Jalsevac, LifeSiteNews.com 2/22/11
The legislation (HB 2443) not only bans sex- and race-selective abortions, but puts in place a fine of up to $10,000 for health care workers who fail to report a violation of the law.
While much attention has been focused recently on the racial imbalance in abortions in the U.S., there is increasing evidence that gender-selective abortions are also a rising problem, particularly amongst recent immigrant populations that traditionally favor male children. In a 2008 article Steven Mosher of the Population Research Institute pointed to census data in the U.S. that shows that there are significant imbalances between male and female children amongst certain populations that can only be explained by sex-selective abortions.
Rep. Chester Crandell, R-Heber, who supported the Arizona legislation, said this week: “Once we start selecting and we start deciding who we want to be born and who we don’t want to be born, this civilization in the United States as we know it today will no longer exist.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Black Genocide in New York City: Abortion
UPDATE 3/30/11: Arizona first state making sex- or race-selection abortions a crime, as governor signs bill
UPDATE 3/22/11: Senate passes bill
-- From "Arizona Attempting to Ban Sex and Race Selective Abortions" by Cleveland Leader Staff 2/22/11
Democrats in Arizona have called it a bill "in search of problems". Republicans defending the bill have claimed that it refutes suggestions that "we are not here to protect the minority population."
Should the bill advance to becoming law, it would thus require that women justify or explain their reasoning for ending a pregnancy, and then require them to seek approval from an outside body to go ahead with it.
However, this bill is not the only abortion issue that Arizona legislators have before them. There are also bills before them that would ban telemedicine prescriptions of medication abortion, a new ultrasound requirement, and a bill trying to limit the resprctions of medication abortions which would mean physicians' assistants couldn't prescribe the abortion pill.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "House OKs banning abortions based on race, gender" by Tessa Muggeridge, Cronkite News Service, Tucson Sentinel 2/22/11
The measure, authored by Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, would require doctors performing abortions to sign affidavits stating that the reason for the abortion isn't the fetus' race or sex. It would allow the father, if married to the woman who gets an abortion, to sue the doctor if he believes the doctor knowingly performed it based on the race or sex. If the mother isn't 18, the maternal grandparents would be able to sue.
Montenegro called race- and sex-selection abortions a violation of human rights, saying these abortions are often grizzly, late-term surgeries. Democrats questioned whether such abortions are happening in the state, while Republicans said the measure would help end discrimination against unborn children.
Montenegro has said minorities being aborted at a higher rate than whites is evidence of race-selection abortions in Arizona and that national U.S. studies show that parents prefer male babies to female.
The approval sets up a floor vote that would send the bill to the Senate.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Arizona House passes ban on sex-, gender-selective abortions" by John Jalsevac, LifeSiteNews.com 2/22/11
The legislation (HB 2443) not only bans sex- and race-selective abortions, but puts in place a fine of up to $10,000 for health care workers who fail to report a violation of the law.
While much attention has been focused recently on the racial imbalance in abortions in the U.S., there is increasing evidence that gender-selective abortions are also a rising problem, particularly amongst recent immigrant populations that traditionally favor male children. In a 2008 article Steven Mosher of the Population Research Institute pointed to census data in the U.S. that shows that there are significant imbalances between male and female children amongst certain populations that can only be explained by sex-selective abortions.
Rep. Chester Crandell, R-Heber, who supported the Arizona legislation, said this week: “Once we start selecting and we start deciding who we want to be born and who we don’t want to be born, this civilization in the United States as we know it today will no longer exist.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read, Black Genocide in New York City: Abortion
Monday, February 21, 2011
NY Gov. Cuomo Should Be Denied Communion
Dr. Edward Peters, a Vatican canon law adviser, says that Governor Andrew Cuomo has committed an “objectively sacreligious” act that “produces grave scandal” by receiving communion.
-- From "Vatican Canon Law Adviser: NY Governor Andrew Cuomo Should Be Denied Communion" by Michael W. Chapman, CNSNews.com 2/21/11
Peters specifically cited Cuomo's cohabiting with Food Network hostess Sandra Lee as "publicly acting in violation of a fundamental moral expectation of the Church," and that "as long as he persists in such conduct, he should refrain from taking holy Communion" and "if he approaches for holy Communion, he should be denied the august sacrament in accord with Canon 915."
[Recently, Gov.] Cuomo, as the Daily News reported, “the divorced son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, who was once chastised by Catholic leaders for his support of abortion rights, calmly received Holy Communion. Lee walked in line for Communion with him.”
Writing about the Cuomo-Lee relationship on his canon lawyer’s blog on Jan. 4, Dr. Peters wrote, “Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, and Sandra Lee, a television celebrity, live in what is known technically as public concubinage. The fact that both Cuomo and Lee are divorced renders the concubinage adulterous on both sides as well.”
In his Plan for Action, Cuomo calls for putting same-sex marriage on the same legal ground as heterosexual marriage. He also defends abortion and calls for its expansion under the Reproductive Rights Act.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Vatican Canon Law Adviser: NY Governor Andrew Cuomo Should Be Denied Communion" by Michael W. Chapman, CNSNews.com 2/21/11
Peters specifically cited Cuomo's cohabiting with Food Network hostess Sandra Lee as "publicly acting in violation of a fundamental moral expectation of the Church," and that "as long as he persists in such conduct, he should refrain from taking holy Communion" and "if he approaches for holy Communion, he should be denied the august sacrament in accord with Canon 915."
[Recently, Gov.] Cuomo, as the Daily News reported, “the divorced son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, who was once chastised by Catholic leaders for his support of abortion rights, calmly received Holy Communion. Lee walked in line for Communion with him.”
Writing about the Cuomo-Lee relationship on his canon lawyer’s blog on Jan. 4, Dr. Peters wrote, “Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, and Sandra Lee, a television celebrity, live in what is known technically as public concubinage. The fact that both Cuomo and Lee are divorced renders the concubinage adulterous on both sides as well.”
In his Plan for Action, Cuomo calls for putting same-sex marriage on the same legal ground as heterosexual marriage. He also defends abortion and calls for its expansion under the Reproductive Rights Act.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Allah Worshiped in Virginia Methodist Church
Well-intentioned, but naïvely ignorant leaders of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, VA house Muslim worshipers within their church, even as Islamic clerics at the White House call all Muslims to 'rise up and establish Islamic state in America.'
-- From "Churches Open Doors to Muslim Worship" by Lauren Green, FoxNews.com 2/18/11
Diane Bechtol of Aldersgate says this is something Christians are called to do: Be neighborly and develop relationships - even those who don't share your beliefs.
But Dr. Alex McFarland, a Christian theologian and radio talk show host, charged these churches “have crossed the line from respect and tolerance, to ... affirmation and endorsement.
"We as the church are called to show love, we're called to help. But to let a building simultaneously be used for the activities of a mosque and also the activities of Jesus Christ, it's just incompatible. And I think it's one more example of political correctness and hyper-tolerance gone awry."
Mohamed Elsanousi adamantly disagrees, saying it’s good for the country to know churches like these are extending a hand to Muslims.
Elsanousi says there are many churches and even synagogues in America where Muslims share space with Christians. “We feel good about it,” he says.
Mosque construction is at an all-time high. As of September, there were 1,897 mosques in the United States, a 57 percent increase since 2000.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Methodist church to study Islam's Qur'an holy book" by Joan Rusek, Sun News (Cleveland) 2/9/11
Mayfield United Methodist Church, 7747 Mayfield Road, Chester, is holding a four-part class to examine the book’s themes, structure, depiction of women, leadership, war and Christian scriptures.
They will be led by Zeki Saritoprak, who holds the Nursi chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Extremist cleric to lead White House protest calling for Muslims to 'rise up and establish Islamic state in America'" by UK Daily Mail Reporter 2/20/11
British extremist Anjem Choudary - who once said 'the flag of Islam will fly over the White House' - has announced he will lead a demonstration [on March 3rd] calling on Muslims to establish the Sharia law across America.
The former leader of outlawed group Islam4UK told the Daily Star 'we expect thousands to come out and support us.'
Mr Choudary said the March rally was organised by the Islamic Thinkers society, an extremist group based in New York.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 2/25/11 (regarding article below): Afghan convert to Christianity facing death penalty for apostasy freed, but others remain in prison . . .
From "America Quiet on the Execution of Afghan Christian Said Musa" by Paul Marshall, National Review Online 2/18/11
A terrible drama is unfolding in Afghanistan: There are reports that Said Musa, whose situation I described at Christmas, will soon be executed for the ‘crime’ of choosing to become a Christian.
Musa was one of about 25 Christians arrested on May 31, 2010, after a May 27 Noorin TV program showed video of a worship service held by indigenous Afghan Christians; he was arrested as he attempted to seek asylum at the German embassy. He converted to Christianity eight years ago, is the father of six young children, had a leg amputated after he stepped on a landmine while serving in the Afghan Army, and now has a prosthetic leg. His oldest child is eight and one is disabled (she cannot speak). He worked for the Red Cross/Red Crescent as an adviser to other amputees.
He was forced to appear before a judge without any legal counsel and without knowledge of the charges against him. “Nobody [wanted to be my] defender before the court. When I said ‘I am a Christian man,’ he [a potential lawyer] immediately spat on me and abused me and mocked me. . . . I am alone between 400 [people with] terrible values in the jail, like a sheep.” He has been beaten, mocked, and subjected to sleep deprivation and sexual abuse while in prison. No Afghan lawyer will defend him and authorities denied him access to a foreign lawyer.
Newspapers in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe have reported the story, but with, the exception of the Wall Street Journal and, of course, NRO, American outlets have not found it worthy of attention.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Liberal 'christians' Praise Allah
Allah Worshiped in Memphis Church
Seattle Church Embraces Muslims, doesn't Proselytize
Liberal 'Churches' Continue to Wither
Methodists Wonder Why Members Leave in Droves
Methodist Seminary Trains Pluralistic Clergy
Methodists Team Up with Atheists for Bible Study
UPDATE 5/5/11: Daily Show (comedy) parody of Satan
-- From "Churches Open Doors to Muslim Worship" by Lauren Green, FoxNews.com 2/18/11
Diane Bechtol of Aldersgate says this is something Christians are called to do: Be neighborly and develop relationships - even those who don't share your beliefs.
But Dr. Alex McFarland, a Christian theologian and radio talk show host, charged these churches “have crossed the line from respect and tolerance, to ... affirmation and endorsement.
"We as the church are called to show love, we're called to help. But to let a building simultaneously be used for the activities of a mosque and also the activities of Jesus Christ, it's just incompatible. And I think it's one more example of political correctness and hyper-tolerance gone awry."
Mohamed Elsanousi adamantly disagrees, saying it’s good for the country to know churches like these are extending a hand to Muslims.
Elsanousi says there are many churches and even synagogues in America where Muslims share space with Christians. “We feel good about it,” he says.
Mosque construction is at an all-time high. As of September, there were 1,897 mosques in the United States, a 57 percent increase since 2000.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Methodist church to study Islam's Qur'an holy book" by Joan Rusek, Sun News (Cleveland) 2/9/11
Mayfield United Methodist Church, 7747 Mayfield Road, Chester, is holding a four-part class to examine the book’s themes, structure, depiction of women, leadership, war and Christian scriptures.
They will be led by Zeki Saritoprak, who holds the Nursi chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Extremist cleric to lead White House protest calling for Muslims to 'rise up and establish Islamic state in America'" by UK Daily Mail Reporter 2/20/11
British extremist Anjem Choudary - who once said 'the flag of Islam will fly over the White House' - has announced he will lead a demonstration [on March 3rd] calling on Muslims to establish the Sharia law across America.
The former leader of outlawed group Islam4UK told the Daily Star 'we expect thousands to come out and support us.'
Mr Choudary said the March rally was organised by the Islamic Thinkers society, an extremist group based in New York.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 2/25/11 (regarding article below): Afghan convert to Christianity facing death penalty for apostasy freed, but others remain in prison . . .
From "America Quiet on the Execution of Afghan Christian Said Musa" by Paul Marshall, National Review Online 2/18/11
A terrible drama is unfolding in Afghanistan: There are reports that Said Musa, whose situation I described at Christmas, will soon be executed for the ‘crime’ of choosing to become a Christian.
Musa was one of about 25 Christians arrested on May 31, 2010, after a May 27 Noorin TV program showed video of a worship service held by indigenous Afghan Christians; he was arrested as he attempted to seek asylum at the German embassy. He converted to Christianity eight years ago, is the father of six young children, had a leg amputated after he stepped on a landmine while serving in the Afghan Army, and now has a prosthetic leg. His oldest child is eight and one is disabled (she cannot speak). He worked for the Red Cross/Red Crescent as an adviser to other amputees.
He was forced to appear before a judge without any legal counsel and without knowledge of the charges against him. “Nobody [wanted to be my] defender before the court. When I said ‘I am a Christian man,’ he [a potential lawyer] immediately spat on me and abused me and mocked me. . . . I am alone between 400 [people with] terrible values in the jail, like a sheep.” He has been beaten, mocked, and subjected to sleep deprivation and sexual abuse while in prison. No Afghan lawyer will defend him and authorities denied him access to a foreign lawyer.
Newspapers in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe have reported the story, but with, the exception of the Wall Street Journal and, of course, NRO, American outlets have not found it worthy of attention.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Liberal 'christians' Praise Allah
Allah Worshiped in Memphis Church
Seattle Church Embraces Muslims, doesn't Proselytize
Liberal 'Churches' Continue to Wither
Methodists Wonder Why Members Leave in Droves
Methodist Seminary Trains Pluralistic Clergy
Methodists Team Up with Atheists for Bible Study
UPDATE 5/5/11: Daily Show (comedy) parody of Satan
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Society Without Procreation: Germany Reacts
Faced with one of Europe's lowest birth rates, Germans are wondering if they will cease to exist (replaced by a growing Muslim citizenry), and so they desperately search for answers (in all the wrong places).
UPDATE 1/16/16: Low European Birthrate Leads to Muslim Transformation
Related article: Study Gives Hope to Industrialized Nations Facing Population Declines
-- From "Fewer Germans consider children essential part of life" posted at The Local (Germany) 2/17/11
More Germans are deciding children are not necessary to having a fulfilling life, according to a survey published this week.
“Having children is no longer a matter of course in Germany,” said Eltern editor Marie-Luise Lewicki.
About 81 percent of survey participants believed society values professional success over family, while 79 percent said daily life brings enough stress without children.
Meanwhile, 74 percent were unwilling to modify their lifestyle for the sake of having children, while 47 percent believed the future is too uncertain to have children now.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Better child care may be key to boosting Germany's birth rate" by Karin Jäger, Deutsche Welle 2/14/11
. . . Women say there needs to be better childcare before they have kids.
77 percent of those asked said that they didn't think they could combine their job with family life. 61 percent said that there wasn't enough reliable child care available.
[Maike Krasensky, a 38-year-old single mother] would like the government to create more kindergarten places and also give single parents tax breaks, so that it's easier for mums to combine a career with their family.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Germany wrestles with female quota in boardrooms" by Aurelia End, AFP 2/5/11
The remarkable lack of woman executives in Europe's biggest economy has sparked a groundswell of protest, with leading news magazine Der Spiegel calling in its current issue for a female quota to redress the imbalance.
"Quotas should be a first-aid measure for a society that has held on to rigid ideas of gender roles for too long," it wrote in an 11-page cover story entitled "Why Germany Needs A Woman Quota - A Manifesto".
Critics say Germany's resistance to women executives is rooted in a lack of affordable child care but also in cultural factors.
Professor Barbara Vinken of the University of Munich, a leading commentator on women's affairs, says that German women are confronted with more restrictive expectations . . . "German women have internalised the notion that the feminine ideal is a housewife or at most a part-time employee," she told AFP.
"No woman (with a partner) is forced to take care of her kids alone."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Sex on the Rise, Procreation in Decline, as well as Multiculturalism Destroys Free Society, Cultures Terrorists
UPDATE 1/16/16: Low European Birthrate Leads to Muslim Transformation
Related article: Study Gives Hope to Industrialized Nations Facing Population Declines
-- From "Fewer Germans consider children essential part of life" posted at The Local (Germany) 2/17/11
More Germans are deciding children are not necessary to having a fulfilling life, according to a survey published this week.
“Having children is no longer a matter of course in Germany,” said Eltern editor Marie-Luise Lewicki.
About 81 percent of survey participants believed society values professional success over family, while 79 percent said daily life brings enough stress without children.
Meanwhile, 74 percent were unwilling to modify their lifestyle for the sake of having children, while 47 percent believed the future is too uncertain to have children now.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Better child care may be key to boosting Germany's birth rate" by Karin Jäger, Deutsche Welle 2/14/11
. . . Women say there needs to be better childcare before they have kids.
77 percent of those asked said that they didn't think they could combine their job with family life. 61 percent said that there wasn't enough reliable child care available.
[Maike Krasensky, a 38-year-old single mother] would like the government to create more kindergarten places and also give single parents tax breaks, so that it's easier for mums to combine a career with their family.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Germany wrestles with female quota in boardrooms" by Aurelia End, AFP 2/5/11
The remarkable lack of woman executives in Europe's biggest economy has sparked a groundswell of protest, with leading news magazine Der Spiegel calling in its current issue for a female quota to redress the imbalance.
"Quotas should be a first-aid measure for a society that has held on to rigid ideas of gender roles for too long," it wrote in an 11-page cover story entitled "Why Germany Needs A Woman Quota - A Manifesto".
Critics say Germany's resistance to women executives is rooted in a lack of affordable child care but also in cultural factors.
Professor Barbara Vinken of the University of Munich, a leading commentator on women's affairs, says that German women are confronted with more restrictive expectations . . . "German women have internalised the notion that the feminine ideal is a housewife or at most a part-time employee," she told AFP.
"No woman (with a partner) is forced to take care of her kids alone."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Sex on the Rise, Procreation in Decline, as well as Multiculturalism Destroys Free Society, Cultures Terrorists
Liberal 'Christians' Offer Harbor for Wis. Fugitives
Congruent with the religious left's social gospel theology, liberal church leaders want to provide safe hide outs for the missing Wisconsin state senators from pursuit by law enforcement.
-- From "Religious leaders offer sanctuary to Wis. Dems boycotting union bill vote" by The Associated Press 2/18/11
Religious leaders in Illinois and Wisconsin are offering sanctuary to Wisconsin Democrats as they boycott a vote on a Republican bill that would strictly curtail public workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights.
A group of Catholic, Jewish and Protestant leaders say they're on board with the minority Democrats in the state Senate. The entire caucus fled the state Capitol on Wednesday to avoid voting on the bill.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cops now pursuing missing Wisconsin Dems, senator alleges" by Greg Sargent, Washington Post 2/18/11
Wisconsin state police have visited the home of at least one of the missing Wisconsin state senators in an apparent effort to force him to return to the capitol to vote on the proposal to roll back public employees' bargaining rights, a Democratic senator alleged to me in an interview.
State Senator Chris Larson, one of the Democrats who is remaining in Illinois to stall the vote on Governor Scott Walker's measure, tells me that another Dem Senator -- who he declined to name -- returned home late yesterday to try to get some sleep. That Senator's staff reported to Larson that police visited his home, but that the Senator had managed to slip away before cops could apprehend him.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Illinois clergy offer ‘sanctuary’ to Wisconsin Senators in exile" posted at Milwaukee Small Business Times, 2/18/11
An interfaith group of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish clergy from Illinois and Wisconsin is offering “sanctuary” to the 14 Wisconsin Democratic Senators who left Madison State to avoid being compelled to vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill.
Some Illinois religious leaders are offering to allow the Wisconsin Senate Democrats to stay in their homes or in their churches so they can stay out of Wisconsin for an extended period of time and block a vote on the budget repair bill, said Kristin Ford, spokeswoman for Faith in Public Life.
“For these brave Senators who are seeking shelter from the storm, I say we welcome you and we offer you sanctuary and hospitality in the Christian tradition,” said the Rev. Jason Coulter, pastor of Ravenswood United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Some clergy say the debate about workers’ rights is rooted deeply in faith traditions.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Religious leaders offer sanctuary to Wis. Dems boycotting union bill vote" by The Associated Press 2/18/11
Religious leaders in Illinois and Wisconsin are offering sanctuary to Wisconsin Democrats as they boycott a vote on a Republican bill that would strictly curtail public workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights.
A group of Catholic, Jewish and Protestant leaders say they're on board with the minority Democrats in the state Senate. The entire caucus fled the state Capitol on Wednesday to avoid voting on the bill.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cops now pursuing missing Wisconsin Dems, senator alleges" by Greg Sargent, Washington Post 2/18/11
Wisconsin state police have visited the home of at least one of the missing Wisconsin state senators in an apparent effort to force him to return to the capitol to vote on the proposal to roll back public employees' bargaining rights, a Democratic senator alleged to me in an interview.
State Senator Chris Larson, one of the Democrats who is remaining in Illinois to stall the vote on Governor Scott Walker's measure, tells me that another Dem Senator -- who he declined to name -- returned home late yesterday to try to get some sleep. That Senator's staff reported to Larson that police visited his home, but that the Senator had managed to slip away before cops could apprehend him.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Illinois clergy offer ‘sanctuary’ to Wisconsin Senators in exile" posted at Milwaukee Small Business Times, 2/18/11
An interfaith group of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish clergy from Illinois and Wisconsin is offering “sanctuary” to the 14 Wisconsin Democratic Senators who left Madison State to avoid being compelled to vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill.
Some Illinois religious leaders are offering to allow the Wisconsin Senate Democrats to stay in their homes or in their churches so they can stay out of Wisconsin for an extended period of time and block a vote on the budget repair bill, said Kristin Ford, spokeswoman for Faith in Public Life.
“For these brave Senators who are seeking shelter from the storm, I say we welcome you and we offer you sanctuary and hospitality in the Christian tradition,” said the Rev. Jason Coulter, pastor of Ravenswood United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Some clergy say the debate about workers’ rights is rooted deeply in faith traditions.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Texas Sonogram Abortion Legislation Passes Senate
The legislation requires that doctors must perform a sonogram at least two hours before an abortion and has additional language instructing doctors to describe the sonogram and details of the baby to the mother. SB 16 passed by a vote of 21- 10 with 18 Republican legislators voting for the bill.
UPDATE 5/11/11: Abortions Restricted via Texas Sonogram Law
-- From "Texas Senate Republicans Pass Sonogram Bill" by Texas GOP Vote 2/19/11
The Sonogram bill now moves on to the Texas House of Representatives where our Republican super-majority is expected to approve the measure with little delay.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Texas Senate panel OKs abortion sonogram bill" by Joe Holley and Bobby Cervantes, Austin Bureau, The Houston Chronicle 2/10/11
The Senate passed bills in 2007 and 2009 that included sonogram provisions, but those efforts died in the House.
"This is an issue about empowering women," said [state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston], an outspoken abortion opponent. "What this bill does is remove the barrier that is placed in front of women now from getting information they're entitled to."
Opponents of Patrick's bill, including a Planned Parenthood physician and other doctors, told committee members the bill is an unwarranted legislative intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship. They also said it is a potential waste of resources if the patient already had a sonogram performed by her primary care physician.
Patrick . . . said a former Planned Parenthood employee told him that women were discouraged from seeing their sonograms.
Patrick's bill seeks to build on the Woman's Right to Know Act, approved in 2003, that requires doctors to inform women considering abortion about a range of options before going through with the procedure.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Texas Senate approves abortion sonogram bill" by Peggy Fikac, Austin Bureau, The Houston Chronicle 2/18/11
The bill was declared an emergency measure by Gov. Rick Perry, allowing for its quick consideration. Perry praised the Senate approval and said he looks forward to speedy House action.
"We know that when someone has all the information, the decision to choose life becomes clear," Perry said.
Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, a doctor, said . . . an abortion is the only medical procedure with the object to kill a human being.
"Can we not at least give the baby at least one more chance for survival by giving that mother that information?" he asked.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 5/11/11: Abortions Restricted via Texas Sonogram Law
-- From "Texas Senate Republicans Pass Sonogram Bill" by Texas GOP Vote 2/19/11
The Sonogram bill now moves on to the Texas House of Representatives where our Republican super-majority is expected to approve the measure with little delay.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Texas Senate panel OKs abortion sonogram bill" by Joe Holley and Bobby Cervantes, Austin Bureau, The Houston Chronicle 2/10/11
The Senate passed bills in 2007 and 2009 that included sonogram provisions, but those efforts died in the House.
"This is an issue about empowering women," said [state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston], an outspoken abortion opponent. "What this bill does is remove the barrier that is placed in front of women now from getting information they're entitled to."
Opponents of Patrick's bill, including a Planned Parenthood physician and other doctors, told committee members the bill is an unwarranted legislative intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship. They also said it is a potential waste of resources if the patient already had a sonogram performed by her primary care physician.
Patrick . . . said a former Planned Parenthood employee told him that women were discouraged from seeing their sonograms.
Patrick's bill seeks to build on the Woman's Right to Know Act, approved in 2003, that requires doctors to inform women considering abortion about a range of options before going through with the procedure.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Texas Senate approves abortion sonogram bill" by Peggy Fikac, Austin Bureau, The Houston Chronicle 2/18/11
The bill was declared an emergency measure by Gov. Rick Perry, allowing for its quick consideration. Perry praised the Senate approval and said he looks forward to speedy House action.
"We know that when someone has all the information, the decision to choose life becomes clear," Perry said.
Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, a doctor, said . . . an abortion is the only medical procedure with the object to kill a human being.
"Can we not at least give the baby at least one more chance for survival by giving that mother that information?" he asked.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Gay 'Clergy' in Withering Presbyterian PCUSA
[Pastors say that most] Presbyterian churches have been seeing more funerals than infant baptisms, that internal disputes over such issues as homosexual ordination have been paralyzing their ministry, and that the only unity they seem to have left "is contained in the property clause and the pension plan."
UPDATE 5/10/11: Presbyterians Vote Yea on Gay 'Clergy'
UPDATE 3/1/11: Judicial commission acquits 'married' homosexual 'pastor' who dismisses Bible
-- From "Majority of local Presbytery supports homosexual clergy" by Chad Dally, Wausau Daily Herald, 2/13/11
A majority of central Wisconsin Presbyterian leaders believe homosexuals should be allowed to serve as pastors, deacons and elders, according to a Saturday vote.
The Presbytery's approval -- which came on a show of hands among the more than 50 leaders present -- marked the 28th vote among more than 170 Presbyteries nationwide in favor of opening up the ordination process to gays and lesbians. Twenty-five Presbyteries have voted against, and a majority of more than 170 U.S. Presbyteries must vote in favor for the change to take effect.
Tom Willadsen, pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Oshkosh, also supported the change, and said he was "bored and weary" after debating the issue for more than a decade. He also said the Presbyterian Book of Order that guides the church lists so many sins, including "stubbornness," that few people would be able to serve if strictly followed.
But the Rev. Richard Marcy from Faith Presbyterian Church in Crivitz, Marinette County, said he was opposed to changing the ordination process because it "does not solve the issue of homosexuality in the church" and whether the church considers homosexuality a sin. He also said the amendment change does not provide for "graceful separation" away from the Presbytery without repercussions for any churches that might object to homosexual clergy.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Church body approves ordaining gays, lesbians" by David Yonke, Toledo Blade Religion Editor 2/16/11
The [Bowling Green, Ohio] regional body of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted 67-39 Tuesday in favor of ordaining openly gay or lesbian pastors, but the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries to take effect.
[In 2009, a similar] amendment was defeated nationally with 95 presbyteries voting against it and 78 in favor.
Pam Byers, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, said Tuesday that, of the 67 presbyteries that have voted on the amendment thus far, 37 have approved it and 30 have voted it down. Six of those presbyteries shifted from "no" votes in 2009 to "yes" votes this time, while one went from a "yes" vote in 2009 to a "no" this year.
The Rev. Clint Tolbert of First Presbyterian of Maumee was one of a handful of speakers opposing the amendment.
"My concern is not primarily what this amendment may say or may not say about issues of sexuality. My concern foremost is about what this amendment may or may not say about our relationship, both personally and the church, to Scripture," Mr. Tolbert said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "PCUSA Pastors in Talks of a New Future" by Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter 2/16/11
A group of [175 PCUSA pastors] believes the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is "deathly ill" and will not survive without "drastic intervention."
"Our divisions revolve around differing understandings of Scripture, authority, Christology, the extent of salvation amidst creeping universalism, and a broader set of moral issues," they noted. "Outside of presbytery meetings, we mostly exist in separate worlds, with opposing sides reading different books and journals, attending different conferences, and supporting different causes. There is no longer common understanding of what is meant by being 'Reformed.'"
And while they plan to continue conversations within the PC(USA), the group is also considering possibly forming a new Reformed body, an entity that would be outside the PC(USA).
. . . they noted, "for many this outcome simply acknowledges that fighting is not the way we choose to proceed; our goal is not institutional survival but effective faithfulness as full participants in the worldwide Church. We hope to discover and model what a new 'Reformed body' looks like in the coming years."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Read also, Liberal 'Churches' Continue to Wither
UPDATE 5/10/11: Presbyterians Vote Yea on Gay 'Clergy'
UPDATE 3/1/11: Judicial commission acquits 'married' homosexual 'pastor' who dismisses Bible
-- From "Majority of local Presbytery supports homosexual clergy" by Chad Dally, Wausau Daily Herald, 2/13/11
A majority of central Wisconsin Presbyterian leaders believe homosexuals should be allowed to serve as pastors, deacons and elders, according to a Saturday vote.
The Presbytery's approval -- which came on a show of hands among the more than 50 leaders present -- marked the 28th vote among more than 170 Presbyteries nationwide in favor of opening up the ordination process to gays and lesbians. Twenty-five Presbyteries have voted against, and a majority of more than 170 U.S. Presbyteries must vote in favor for the change to take effect.
Tom Willadsen, pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Oshkosh, also supported the change, and said he was "bored and weary" after debating the issue for more than a decade. He also said the Presbyterian Book of Order that guides the church lists so many sins, including "stubbornness," that few people would be able to serve if strictly followed.
But the Rev. Richard Marcy from Faith Presbyterian Church in Crivitz, Marinette County, said he was opposed to changing the ordination process because it "does not solve the issue of homosexuality in the church" and whether the church considers homosexuality a sin. He also said the amendment change does not provide for "graceful separation" away from the Presbytery without repercussions for any churches that might object to homosexual clergy.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Church body approves ordaining gays, lesbians" by David Yonke, Toledo Blade Religion Editor 2/16/11
The [Bowling Green, Ohio] regional body of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted 67-39 Tuesday in favor of ordaining openly gay or lesbian pastors, but the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries to take effect.
[In 2009, a similar] amendment was defeated nationally with 95 presbyteries voting against it and 78 in favor.
Pam Byers, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, said Tuesday that, of the 67 presbyteries that have voted on the amendment thus far, 37 have approved it and 30 have voted it down. Six of those presbyteries shifted from "no" votes in 2009 to "yes" votes this time, while one went from a "yes" vote in 2009 to a "no" this year.
The Rev. Clint Tolbert of First Presbyterian of Maumee was one of a handful of speakers opposing the amendment.
"My concern is not primarily what this amendment may say or may not say about issues of sexuality. My concern foremost is about what this amendment may or may not say about our relationship, both personally and the church, to Scripture," Mr. Tolbert said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "PCUSA Pastors in Talks of a New Future" by Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter 2/16/11
A group of [175 PCUSA pastors] believes the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is "deathly ill" and will not survive without "drastic intervention."
"Our divisions revolve around differing understandings of Scripture, authority, Christology, the extent of salvation amidst creeping universalism, and a broader set of moral issues," they noted. "Outside of presbytery meetings, we mostly exist in separate worlds, with opposing sides reading different books and journals, attending different conferences, and supporting different causes. There is no longer common understanding of what is meant by being 'Reformed.'"
And while they plan to continue conversations within the PC(USA), the group is also considering possibly forming a new Reformed body, an entity that would be outside the PC(USA).
. . . they noted, "for many this outcome simply acknowledges that fighting is not the way we choose to proceed; our goal is not institutional survival but effective faithfulness as full participants in the worldwide Church. We hope to discover and model what a new 'Reformed body' looks like in the coming years."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Read also, Liberal 'Churches' Continue to Wither
Friday, February 18, 2011
Obama Weakens Christians' 'Conscience Clause'
The Obama administration Friday deeply cut a rule protecting U.S. health workers refusing to provide care they find objectionable for personal or religious reasons.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department wiped out nearly all of the so-called conscience rule put into effect in the waning days of President George W. Bush's administration.
For background, read Obama's Health Care Plans Include Religious Discrimination
-- From "Conscience rule drastically narrowed" posted at UPI 2/18/11
The [Bush] rule has been interpreted as allowing workers to refuse to perform a number of medical services, including providing the emergency contraceptive pill, treating homosexuals and prescribing contraception to single women.
The new regulation, which goes into effect in 30 days, leaves in place long-standing federal protections for workers who object to performing abortions or sterilizations and retains the Bush rule's process for workers to file complaints.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Bush Health-Care Measure Reversed" by Janet Adamy, Wall Street Journal 2/18/11
The Obama administration on Friday peeled back a rule defining when health-care workers can refuse to administer treatments they find morally objectionable, reversing a final act of George W. Bush's administration.
The Bush measure said that a wide variety of health-care workers could object to participating in abortions if they had moral objections to the procedure. Hospitals and clinics faced a loss of federal funds if they failed to uphold what the Bush administration termed workers' "right of conscience."
Liberal groups opposed the rule, saying it could open the door to a broader denial of services. They said it could allow insurance companies to deny claims for birth-control pills or enable hospitals to refuse emergency contraception to victims of rape.
While there was little evidence that such denials were happening with any frequency, the Obama administration said it needed to act to prevent ambiguity. It said decades of law already protect workers from participating in abortions if they don't wish to.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama Admin Weakens Protections for Pro-Life Medical Workers" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 2/18/11
Obama officials put a new rule in place that leaves in place protections on abortion but offers no protection for medical workers who have moral or religious objections to dispensing or giving to women the Plan B drug or other emergency contraception that could act in some cases as an abortion drug.
“The administration has made changes in a vital civil rights regulation without evidence or justification,” [Dr. J. Scott Ries, speaking for the 16,000-member Christian Medical Association] told LifeNews.com. “The administration presented no evidence of any problems in healthcare access, prescriptions or procedures that have occurred in the two years since the original regulation’s enactment that would justify any change in this protective regulation.”
“The Obama administration’s regulatory action today diminishes the civil rights that protect conscientious physicians and other healthcare professionals against discrimination. Any weakening of protections against discrimination against life-affirming healthcare professionals ultimately threatens to severely worsen patient access to health care,” the pro-life doctor said.
National survey results show that over nine of ten faith-based physicians, who are among the most likely to be serving the poor and those in medically underserved areas, indicate they would rather leave the profession if denied the ability to practice medicine according to conscientiously held ethical standards. Survey results also indicate that 20% of faith-based medical students say they are “not pursuing a career in Obstetrics or Gynecology” because of perceived discrimination and coercion in that field.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department wiped out nearly all of the so-called conscience rule put into effect in the waning days of President George W. Bush's administration.
For background, read Obama's Health Care Plans Include Religious Discrimination
-- From "Conscience rule drastically narrowed" posted at UPI 2/18/11
The [Bush] rule has been interpreted as allowing workers to refuse to perform a number of medical services, including providing the emergency contraceptive pill, treating homosexuals and prescribing contraception to single women.
The new regulation, which goes into effect in 30 days, leaves in place long-standing federal protections for workers who object to performing abortions or sterilizations and retains the Bush rule's process for workers to file complaints.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Bush Health-Care Measure Reversed" by Janet Adamy, Wall Street Journal 2/18/11
The Obama administration on Friday peeled back a rule defining when health-care workers can refuse to administer treatments they find morally objectionable, reversing a final act of George W. Bush's administration.
The Bush measure said that a wide variety of health-care workers could object to participating in abortions if they had moral objections to the procedure. Hospitals and clinics faced a loss of federal funds if they failed to uphold what the Bush administration termed workers' "right of conscience."
Liberal groups opposed the rule, saying it could open the door to a broader denial of services. They said it could allow insurance companies to deny claims for birth-control pills or enable hospitals to refuse emergency contraception to victims of rape.
While there was little evidence that such denials were happening with any frequency, the Obama administration said it needed to act to prevent ambiguity. It said decades of law already protect workers from participating in abortions if they don't wish to.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama Admin Weakens Protections for Pro-Life Medical Workers" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 2/18/11
Obama officials put a new rule in place that leaves in place protections on abortion but offers no protection for medical workers who have moral or religious objections to dispensing or giving to women the Plan B drug or other emergency contraception that could act in some cases as an abortion drug.
“The administration has made changes in a vital civil rights regulation without evidence or justification,” [Dr. J. Scott Ries, speaking for the 16,000-member Christian Medical Association] told LifeNews.com. “The administration presented no evidence of any problems in healthcare access, prescriptions or procedures that have occurred in the two years since the original regulation’s enactment that would justify any change in this protective regulation.”
“The Obama administration’s regulatory action today diminishes the civil rights that protect conscientious physicians and other healthcare professionals against discrimination. Any weakening of protections against discrimination against life-affirming healthcare professionals ultimately threatens to severely worsen patient access to health care,” the pro-life doctor said.
National survey results show that over nine of ten faith-based physicians, who are among the most likely to be serving the poor and those in medically underserved areas, indicate they would rather leave the profession if denied the ability to practice medicine according to conscientiously held ethical standards. Survey results also indicate that 20% of faith-based medical students say they are “not pursuing a career in Obstetrics or Gynecology” because of perceived discrimination and coercion in that field.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.