A Vancouver, Washington middle school is telling enraged parents that there's no problem having a transvestite substitute teacher so long that the lesson plan is followed, even if the environment in the classroom is so distracting that the kids can't possibly learn anything.
For background, read Scary California 'Lunch Lady' is Man in Drag and also read Teacher Requires Boys to Cross Dress for a Grade
-- From "Cross-dressing teacher OK in Vancouver school" by The Associated Press 10/28/11
. . . the sub filled in Wednesday at a humanities class at Wy'East Middle School [in the Evergreen School District]. Some kids who were laughing and making jokes were pulled out of class.
The district says the sub has worked in the school district 19 days this school year at 13 different schools.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "School says crossdressing sub OK to teach" posted at KTLA TV-5 Los Angeles 10/28/11
Apparently, the school district had more of an issue with the kids teasing than they did the substitute’s choice of attire.
The Olympian reported that Evergreen School District has notified Vancouver parents that it does not have a problem with a male substitute teacher who chooses to dress like a woman. The man is required to follow the school's dress code, however. The code prohibits district employees from wearing outfits that are too short, too tight or low cut.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cross-dressing teacher fills in at Wy'east Middle School" by Anita Kissee, KATU-TV posted at The Columbian 10/28/11
Parents of some Vancouver sixth graders are worried about what to tell their kids after a male substitute teacher showed up at school this week in women's clothing.
Students said it was obvious that their substitute teacher was a man dressed in women's clothing and from what we understand, some of the kids had a hard time settling down because they were laughing and making jokes. Some were eventually pulled out of class.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
'Black Genocide,' Herman Cain Labels Abortion
The eugenic history of Planned Parenthood's founder Margaret Sanger, and the current facts of abortion clinic locations have been injected into the presidential campaign by answers that candidate Herman Cain gave to CBS News questions.
For background, read Minorities Targeted by Planned Parenthood for Abortion: Study and also read Abortion Targeting Blacks: Exposed in Media Campaign as well as Black Genocide in New York City (nearly 2 of 3 killed in womb)
UPDATE 10/30/11: Planned Parenthood research advocate admits abortion rate of blacks is five times the rate of whites
-- From "Cain: I'm 'pro-life from conception, period'" by Lucy Madison, CBS News 10/30/11
Herman Cain again attempted to clarify his position on abortion Sunday, declaring on CBS' "Face the Nation" that "I am pro-life from conception, period" - and that he does not support exceptions even for victims of rape and incest.
"I want to ask you, since we're on the subject of abortion, at one point back there when the question of Planned Parenthood came up and you said that it was not Planned Parenthood, it was really 'Planned Genocide' - because you said Planned Parenthood was trying to put all these centers into the black communities because they wanted to kill black babies before they were born," [CBS commentator Bob] Schieffer recounted.
"I still stand by that," said Cain.
"If people go back and look at the history and look at Margaret Sanger's own words that's exactly where that came from. Look up the history. So if you go back and look up the history, look at where most of them were built," he said. "Seventy five percent of those facilities were built in the black community and Margaret Sanger's own words. She didn't use the word genocide but she did talk about preventing the increasing number of poor blacks in this country by preventing black babies from being born."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cain says he opposes abortion without exceptions" by Shannon Mccaffrey, Associated Press 10/30/11
[Cain] endorsed a controversial theory linking abortion to racial genocide. Cain said Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger wanted to eradicate minorities by putting birth control clinics in their neighborhoods, a charge that the group denies.
Cain said 75 percent of the organization's abortion facilities were built in black communities.
. . . Cain's view has gained currency in the anti-abortion movement, which has backed several state measures to ban abortions based on race. In Cain's home state of Georgia, dozens of provocative billboards popped around Atlanta last year labeling black children an "endangered species" in an effort to use race to rally support against abortion within the black community.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Herman Cain Won't Retract: Planned Parenthood is ‘Planned Genocide’" by Terence P. Jeffrey, CNSNews.com 10/30/11
“Here’s why I support de-funding Planned Parenthood, because you don’t hear a lot of people talking about this: When Margaret Sanger--check my history--started Planned Parenthood, the objective was to put these centers in primarily black communities so they could help kill black babies before they came into the world,” Cain responded [on March 15, 2011].
“It’s carrying out its original mission,” said Cain. “I’ve talked to young girls who go in there and they don’t talk about how you plan parenthood. They don’t talk about adoption as an option. They don’t say bring your parents in so you we can talk to you before you make this decision.
“Talk to some young lady who has gone into some of these centers to see what kind of conversation takes place,” said Cain. “They have basically carried out their original mission. There’s not any planning other than to abort the baby.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 36.5 percent of the abortions done in the United States in 2007 were done on black babies. However, according to the Census Bureau, 12.4 percent of the overall U.S. population is black. That means that black babies are aborted at a rate that is almost triple the rate of blacks in the nation’s population.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read and view a vintage interview with Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger
For background, read Minorities Targeted by Planned Parenthood for Abortion: Study and also read Abortion Targeting Blacks: Exposed in Media Campaign as well as Black Genocide in New York City (nearly 2 of 3 killed in womb)
UPDATE 10/30/11: Planned Parenthood research advocate admits abortion rate of blacks is five times the rate of whites
-- From "Cain: I'm 'pro-life from conception, period'" by Lucy Madison, CBS News 10/30/11
Herman Cain again attempted to clarify his position on abortion Sunday, declaring on CBS' "Face the Nation" that "I am pro-life from conception, period" - and that he does not support exceptions even for victims of rape and incest.
"I want to ask you, since we're on the subject of abortion, at one point back there when the question of Planned Parenthood came up and you said that it was not Planned Parenthood, it was really 'Planned Genocide' - because you said Planned Parenthood was trying to put all these centers into the black communities because they wanted to kill black babies before they were born," [CBS commentator Bob] Schieffer recounted.
"I still stand by that," said Cain.
"If people go back and look at the history and look at Margaret Sanger's own words that's exactly where that came from. Look up the history. So if you go back and look up the history, look at where most of them were built," he said. "Seventy five percent of those facilities were built in the black community and Margaret Sanger's own words. She didn't use the word genocide but she did talk about preventing the increasing number of poor blacks in this country by preventing black babies from being born."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cain says he opposes abortion without exceptions" by Shannon Mccaffrey, Associated Press 10/30/11
[Cain] endorsed a controversial theory linking abortion to racial genocide. Cain said Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger wanted to eradicate minorities by putting birth control clinics in their neighborhoods, a charge that the group denies.
Cain said 75 percent of the organization's abortion facilities were built in black communities.
. . . Cain's view has gained currency in the anti-abortion movement, which has backed several state measures to ban abortions based on race. In Cain's home state of Georgia, dozens of provocative billboards popped around Atlanta last year labeling black children an "endangered species" in an effort to use race to rally support against abortion within the black community.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Herman Cain Won't Retract: Planned Parenthood is ‘Planned Genocide’" by Terence P. Jeffrey, CNSNews.com 10/30/11
“Here’s why I support de-funding Planned Parenthood, because you don’t hear a lot of people talking about this: When Margaret Sanger--check my history--started Planned Parenthood, the objective was to put these centers in primarily black communities so they could help kill black babies before they came into the world,” Cain responded [on March 15, 2011].
“It’s carrying out its original mission,” said Cain. “I’ve talked to young girls who go in there and they don’t talk about how you plan parenthood. They don’t talk about adoption as an option. They don’t say bring your parents in so you we can talk to you before you make this decision.
“Talk to some young lady who has gone into some of these centers to see what kind of conversation takes place,” said Cain. “They have basically carried out their original mission. There’s not any planning other than to abort the baby.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 36.5 percent of the abortions done in the United States in 2007 were done on black babies. However, according to the Census Bureau, 12.4 percent of the overall U.S. population is black. That means that black babies are aborted at a rate that is almost triple the rate of blacks in the nation’s population.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read and view a vintage interview with Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Christian Quarterback Brings NFL to its Knees
In the closing moments of the Denver Broncos verses Miami Dolphins game last Sunday, Denver quarterback Tim Tebow was shown bowing, on one knee, praying on the sidelines next to his fellow teammates while they waited for Matt Prater to hit the 52-yard field goal that gave Denver an 18-15 victory in overtime. Little did Tebow know at the time that his sideline prayer would start a new trend, called “Tebowing.”
UPDATE 12/12/11 - Media Craze: Quarterback Tebow's Christian Faith
UPDATE 11/14/11: Tebow Picked on Because of His Faith, Says Coach Tony Dungy
UPDATE 11/6/11: Second week of taunting Tebow's faith
UPDATE 10/31/11: Detroit Lions ridicule Tim Tebow's Christianity as they trounce the Denver Broncos (video of mocking)
-- From "Strike a prayer pose: Tebow’s actions after Miami game inspire phenomenon called ‘Tebowing’" by The Associated Press 10/29/11
Jared Kleinstein was mesmerized by Tebow’s peaceful demeanor kneeling on the turf amid all the chaos that ensued. He launched a website in which fans could submit photos of themselves “Tebowing,” which means getting down on a knee and praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.
Almost overnight, it caught on through social media. He went from an audience of 785 to nearly 390,000 in just a few days.
But Kleinstein wanted to make one thing clear: The undertaking isn’t meant to mock Tebow or poke fun at his religious beliefs, just show support.
Recently, Kleinstein even received a photo of a solider in Afghanistan emulating Tebow’s pose.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Tim Tebow pose gets its own meme: Tebowing!" by Patrick Dorsey, ESPN 10/28/11
Now Tebowing [has] . . . gone all the way to the World Series stands, the set of "The Biggest Loser," Major League Soccer goal celebrations, and even the Broncos locker room (courtesy of teammate Von Miller).
Even Tebow himself has publicly approved. Tweeted the quarterback Thursday night: "#Tebowing - to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Love it!"
And on Friday, he addressed it with reporters, also saying, according to Adam Schefter: "A kid that tweeted me with cancer said, 'I'm Tebowing while I'm chemoing.' How cool is that?"
Naturally, Tebow told reporters he takes the movement's root -- prayer -- seriously.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Tim Tebow Unknowingly Starts 'Tebowing' Trend on Twitter" by Jeff Schapiro, Christian Post Reporter 10/28/11
“Tebow makes praying cool for all those that don't pray,” said one Twitter user, who goes by the name Penniegadget, on Friday.
Between Tebow's faith and his controversial on-the-field performance last Sunday, his critics and his supporters have had a lot to talk about during this past week. On Sunday, Oct. 30, he will be given yet another opportunity to prove his worth as an NFL quarterback when the Broncos (2-4) face the Detroit Lions (5-2) at home.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Now Tim Tebow is taking heat for 'Tebowing'" by Tom Weir, USA TODAY 10/28/11
When a quarterback takes a knee it's usually a good sign for his team, indicating that he's running out the clock on a certain victory. But that act is getting an entirely different treatment from Tim Tebow's detractors.
And a mocking website -- Tebowing.com -- has even sprung up. There are scads of photos posted there of people Tebowing in traffic, in operating rooms, in Grand Central Station, everywhere.
The website also offers merchandise, including T-shirts emblazoned with this definition of Tebowing: "To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 11/27/11: Tebow and Palin both hated for the same reason - their public Christianity
UPDATE 12/12/11 - Media Craze: Quarterback Tebow's Christian Faith
UPDATE 11/14/11: Tebow Picked on Because of His Faith, Says Coach Tony Dungy
UPDATE 11/6/11: Second week of taunting Tebow's faith
UPDATE 10/31/11: Detroit Lions ridicule Tim Tebow's Christianity as they trounce the Denver Broncos (video of mocking)
-- From "Strike a prayer pose: Tebow’s actions after Miami game inspire phenomenon called ‘Tebowing’" by The Associated Press 10/29/11
Jared Kleinstein was mesmerized by Tebow’s peaceful demeanor kneeling on the turf amid all the chaos that ensued. He launched a website in which fans could submit photos of themselves “Tebowing,” which means getting down on a knee and praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.
Almost overnight, it caught on through social media. He went from an audience of 785 to nearly 390,000 in just a few days.
But Kleinstein wanted to make one thing clear: The undertaking isn’t meant to mock Tebow or poke fun at his religious beliefs, just show support.
Recently, Kleinstein even received a photo of a solider in Afghanistan emulating Tebow’s pose.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Tim Tebow pose gets its own meme: Tebowing!" by Patrick Dorsey, ESPN 10/28/11
Now Tebowing [has] . . . gone all the way to the World Series stands, the set of "The Biggest Loser," Major League Soccer goal celebrations, and even the Broncos locker room (courtesy of teammate Von Miller).
Even Tebow himself has publicly approved. Tweeted the quarterback Thursday night: "#Tebowing - to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Love it!"
And on Friday, he addressed it with reporters, also saying, according to Adam Schefter: "A kid that tweeted me with cancer said, 'I'm Tebowing while I'm chemoing.' How cool is that?"
Naturally, Tebow told reporters he takes the movement's root -- prayer -- seriously.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Tim Tebow Unknowingly Starts 'Tebowing' Trend on Twitter" by Jeff Schapiro, Christian Post Reporter 10/28/11
“Tebow makes praying cool for all those that don't pray,” said one Twitter user, who goes by the name Penniegadget, on Friday.
Between Tebow's faith and his controversial on-the-field performance last Sunday, his critics and his supporters have had a lot to talk about during this past week. On Sunday, Oct. 30, he will be given yet another opportunity to prove his worth as an NFL quarterback when the Broncos (2-4) face the Detroit Lions (5-2) at home.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Now Tim Tebow is taking heat for 'Tebowing'" by Tom Weir, USA TODAY 10/28/11
When a quarterback takes a knee it's usually a good sign for his team, indicating that he's running out the clock on a certain victory. But that act is getting an entirely different treatment from Tim Tebow's detractors.
And a mocking website -- Tebowing.com -- has even sprung up. There are scads of photos posted there of people Tebowing in traffic, in operating rooms, in Grand Central Station, everywhere.
The website also offers merchandise, including T-shirts emblazoned with this definition of Tebowing: "To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 11/27/11: Tebow and Palin both hated for the same reason - their public Christianity
Friday, October 28, 2011
Sexually Confused Boy Becomes Girl Scout, Media Hit
The Girl Scouts of Colorado have embraced a 7-year-old boy as a girl scout because he is “living life as a girl,” this after having been rejected just a few weeks earlier. The change of heart came after the boy's mother enlisted the media to lambast the organization for rejecting her "transgendered" child.
-- From "Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes boy -- if he thinks he's a girl" by Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times 10/28/11
[7-year-old Bobby Montoya] asked his mother to sign him up for a Girl Scout troop near his Colorado home.
The troop leader said no. So Bobby's mom, Felisha Archuleta, went to the media -- telling a local television station that her son has loved "girl stuff" since he was 2, and that the troop leader's decision to reject him had left him devastated.
But in fact, Girl Scouts of Colorado does allow people with boy parts to join its troops, as long as the child is truly transgendered -- meaning the child identifies as a girl, and the family identifies the child as a girl.
"The troop leader in this case was confused because the mom was confused," Trujillo said. "She did not say, 'This is my daughter.' She said, 'This is my son and he wants to be in Girl Scouts,' and we don't accept boys in Girl Scouts."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Girl Scouts of Colorado Flip-Flops on Allowing Boy to Join" by Erin Skarda, Time Magazine 10/28/11
[The boy's mother Felisha] Archuleta has supported Bobby in letting him dress and behave as he likes, telling ABC News, "I believe he was born in the wrong body." She even threw him a Rapunzel-themed party for his seventh birthday.
But what Bobby really wanted was to join the Girl Scouts, just like his older sister.
While there are no exact statistics on how many children experience gender-identity issues, according to the [radical-left] nonprofit Gender Spectrum, individuals become conscious of their sex between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, which is why many children who experience gender confusion say they've felt that way for as long as they can remember. And despite differing opinions on the subject, Gender Spectrum notes that gender confusion is not caused by anything and is not curable. Research has shown that gender is to an extent "hardwired" in the brain from birth.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender Bobby Montoya Still Waits for Call From Girl Scouts" by Susan Donaldson James, ABC News 10/27/11
Bobby has told his mother he believed he was a girl ever since he was very young, said Archuleta. "He just liked girl stuff. When he was 4 or 5, he asked me, 'Why didn't you make me a girl?'"
Until now, Bobby has dressed as a boy in school, but he wore a dress to school one day and was teased, said Archuleta. Since the confrontation with the Girl Scouts, Bobby has identified and dressed as a girl in public.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender Girl Scout Controversy Sheds Light on Organization's 'Inclusive' Policies" by Perry Chiaramonte, FoxNews.com 10/28/11
Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and part of Fox News' Medical A-Team -- while prefacing himself by saying, "I know a lot of experts will disagree with me" -- cautioned the Girl Scouts against welcoming boys who present themselves as girls until more data is available on any potential harm it could do.
“On the face of it, it seems to be expecting far too much psychologically of young girls to ignore the anatomy of a boy and act as though he is a girl," Ablow said. "The girls are just developing comfort with their own bodies, after all.”
He, too, called it a "form of abuse."
"This is all [putting] the cart before the horse. We're conducting social, cultural, sexual experiments on the fly, using our own kids as guinea pigs, without the necessary research to guide us," he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
"Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization . . . If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout."For background, read Pro-abortion, Girl Scouts' Appeal Diminishes and also read Toddler Says He's a Girl, 'Parents' Say OK as well as ABC News: Boy Decides He's a Girl, Age 10
-- Rachelle Trujillo, Communications VP, Girl Scouts of Colorado
-- From "Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes boy -- if he thinks he's a girl" by Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times 10/28/11
[7-year-old Bobby Montoya] asked his mother to sign him up for a Girl Scout troop near his Colorado home.
The troop leader said no. So Bobby's mom, Felisha Archuleta, went to the media -- telling a local television station that her son has loved "girl stuff" since he was 2, and that the troop leader's decision to reject him had left him devastated.
But in fact, Girl Scouts of Colorado does allow people with boy parts to join its troops, as long as the child is truly transgendered -- meaning the child identifies as a girl, and the family identifies the child as a girl.
"The troop leader in this case was confused because the mom was confused," Trujillo said. "She did not say, 'This is my daughter.' She said, 'This is my son and he wants to be in Girl Scouts,' and we don't accept boys in Girl Scouts."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Girl Scouts of Colorado Flip-Flops on Allowing Boy to Join" by Erin Skarda, Time Magazine 10/28/11
[The boy's mother Felisha] Archuleta has supported Bobby in letting him dress and behave as he likes, telling ABC News, "I believe he was born in the wrong body." She even threw him a Rapunzel-themed party for his seventh birthday.
But what Bobby really wanted was to join the Girl Scouts, just like his older sister.
While there are no exact statistics on how many children experience gender-identity issues, according to the [radical-left] nonprofit Gender Spectrum, individuals become conscious of their sex between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, which is why many children who experience gender confusion say they've felt that way for as long as they can remember. And despite differing opinions on the subject, Gender Spectrum notes that gender confusion is not caused by anything and is not curable. Research has shown that gender is to an extent "hardwired" in the brain from birth.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender Bobby Montoya Still Waits for Call From Girl Scouts" by Susan Donaldson James, ABC News 10/27/11
Bobby has told his mother he believed he was a girl ever since he was very young, said Archuleta. "He just liked girl stuff. When he was 4 or 5, he asked me, 'Why didn't you make me a girl?'"
Until now, Bobby has dressed as a boy in school, but he wore a dress to school one day and was teased, said Archuleta. Since the confrontation with the Girl Scouts, Bobby has identified and dressed as a girl in public.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender Girl Scout Controversy Sheds Light on Organization's 'Inclusive' Policies" by Perry Chiaramonte, FoxNews.com 10/28/11
Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and part of Fox News' Medical A-Team -- while prefacing himself by saying, "I know a lot of experts will disagree with me" -- cautioned the Girl Scouts against welcoming boys who present themselves as girls until more data is available on any potential harm it could do.
“On the face of it, it seems to be expecting far too much psychologically of young girls to ignore the anatomy of a boy and act as though he is a girl," Ablow said. "The girls are just developing comfort with their own bodies, after all.”
He, too, called it a "form of abuse."
"This is all [putting] the cart before the horse. We're conducting social, cultural, sexual experiments on the fly, using our own kids as guinea pigs, without the necessary research to guide us," he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Gay Soldiers Battle American Society via Marriage
Once again demonstrating that there's no end to the Gay Agenda, immediately after homosexualists compromised America's military on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, they turned their sights to the next target -- the family.
Soldiers sue DOMA to end traditional marriage in America
For background, read Gay Military Offense Against Defense of Marriage (DOMA) and also read Military Chaplains Defy 'Gay Marriage' Directive as well as Congress Duped on Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal
UPDATE 6/25/12: Navy Chaplain Performs First Same Sex Union On Military Base
UPDATE 6/6/12: Army Chaplain Performs First-Ever Military Same-Sex Nuptial Ceremony in Chapel at Fort Polk in La.
UPDATE 5/19/12: No Freedom of Religion for Chaplains, Say Obama & Dems
UPDATE 3/18/12: Obama DOJ wants all federal monetary benefits of marriage for military homosexuals
UPDATE 2/20/12: Homosexualists demand further advances in military
UPDATE 2/17/12: Obama DOJ Won't Defend Military Against Suit to Force Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages
-- From "Gay and lesbian service members sue government" by Jay Lindsay, Associated Press Writer 10/27/11
A group of gay active and retired military personnel who are married sued the federal government Thursday for the same benefits as straight military couples, arguing it's a matter of justice and national security.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston says the government's Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA] violates their constitutional rights and asks the military to recognize their marriages and provide spousal benefits.
Under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Pentagon is required to ignore same-sex marriages, which are legal in six states and Washington D.C. and were legal for a time in California.
Elaine Donnelly, president Center for Military Readiness, which opposed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," said Thursday's lawsuit is an attempt to impose throughout the military a definition of marriage that's accepted in just a handful of states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay troops to file suit challenging Defense of Marriage Act" by Ed O’Keefe, Washington Post 10/26/11
Lawyers [filed the suit] in federal district court in Boston, the same court that ruled last year that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it interferes with a state’s right to define marriage. That decision is being appealed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.
Massachusetts Army National Guard Maj. Shannon McLaughlin, 41, and her wife, Casey, 34, are serving as lead plaintiffs in the suit, which includes five other troops and two career Army and Navy veterans.
Dozens of legal challenges to DOMA are making their way through federal courts, but gay rights’ legal advocates have said they do not anticipate a Supreme Court decision on the issue until 2013.
Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said Wednesday that officials were “engaged in a careful and deliberate review” of whether some benefits can be extended to same-sex partners.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Military Members Sue to Repeal DOMA" by Brittany Smith, Christian Post Contributor 10/27/11
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced the filing of the federal litigation Thursday. The group is suing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, on behalf of current and former service members.
Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, told The Christian Post today she’s not surprised by the lawsuit because the Department of Defense’s authorization of military chaplains to perform same-sex ceremonies last month was essentially “an invitation to litigation.” The current administration “wants to eliminate DOMA using the military as a battering ram,” she said.
Donnelly says the lawsuit will create problems across state lines. People are going to have to ask, are “marriage benefits only extended to couples in states like Massachusetts with [gay marriage] legislation? What happens when couples move to other states where the traditional definition of marriage applies?”
Daniel Blomberg, litigation staff council for the Alliance Defense Fund, says what the case is really about is “social engineering.” He says it sends a message that men and women are fundamentally interchangeable.
He also said, if passed, the lawsuit will create problems for military chaplains.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
It's all about this: '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.
Soldiers sue DOMA to end traditional marriage in America
For background, read Gay Military Offense Against Defense of Marriage (DOMA) and also read Military Chaplains Defy 'Gay Marriage' Directive as well as Congress Duped on Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal
UPDATE 6/25/12: Navy Chaplain Performs First Same Sex Union On Military Base
UPDATE 6/6/12: Army Chaplain Performs First-Ever Military Same-Sex Nuptial Ceremony in Chapel at Fort Polk in La.
UPDATE 5/19/12: No Freedom of Religion for Chaplains, Say Obama & Dems
UPDATE 3/18/12: Obama DOJ wants all federal monetary benefits of marriage for military homosexuals
UPDATE 2/20/12: Homosexualists demand further advances in military
UPDATE 2/17/12: Obama DOJ Won't Defend Military Against Suit to Force Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages
-- From "Gay and lesbian service members sue government" by Jay Lindsay, Associated Press Writer 10/27/11
A group of gay active and retired military personnel who are married sued the federal government Thursday for the same benefits as straight military couples, arguing it's a matter of justice and national security.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston says the government's Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA] violates their constitutional rights and asks the military to recognize their marriages and provide spousal benefits.
Under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Pentagon is required to ignore same-sex marriages, which are legal in six states and Washington D.C. and were legal for a time in California.
Elaine Donnelly, president Center for Military Readiness, which opposed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," said Thursday's lawsuit is an attempt to impose throughout the military a definition of marriage that's accepted in just a handful of states.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay troops to file suit challenging Defense of Marriage Act" by Ed O’Keefe, Washington Post 10/26/11
Lawyers [filed the suit] in federal district court in Boston, the same court that ruled last year that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it interferes with a state’s right to define marriage. That decision is being appealed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.
Massachusetts Army National Guard Maj. Shannon McLaughlin, 41, and her wife, Casey, 34, are serving as lead plaintiffs in the suit, which includes five other troops and two career Army and Navy veterans.
Dozens of legal challenges to DOMA are making their way through federal courts, but gay rights’ legal advocates have said they do not anticipate a Supreme Court decision on the issue until 2013.
Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said Wednesday that officials were “engaged in a careful and deliberate review” of whether some benefits can be extended to same-sex partners.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay Military Members Sue to Repeal DOMA" by Brittany Smith, Christian Post Contributor 10/27/11
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced the filing of the federal litigation Thursday. The group is suing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, on behalf of current and former service members.
Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, told The Christian Post today she’s not surprised by the lawsuit because the Department of Defense’s authorization of military chaplains to perform same-sex ceremonies last month was essentially “an invitation to litigation.” The current administration “wants to eliminate DOMA using the military as a battering ram,” she said.
Donnelly says the lawsuit will create problems across state lines. People are going to have to ask, are “marriage benefits only extended to couples in states like Massachusetts with [gay marriage] legislation? What happens when couples move to other states where the traditional definition of marriage applies?”
Daniel Blomberg, litigation staff council for the Alliance Defense Fund, says what the case is really about is “social engineering.” He says it sends a message that men and women are fundamentally interchangeable.
He also said, if passed, the lawsuit will create problems for military chaplains.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
It's all about this: '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, October 26, 2011
A Rabbi, Pastor & Imam at a Methodist Seminary ...
It sounds like the opening line of a joke, but it's not. Facing declining enrollment, Claremont Colleges Graduate School of Theology in California is now claiming to train and prepare new leaders with a vision of blending divergent world religions.
For background, read Methodist Seminary Trains Pluralistic Clergy
-- From "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly Listings" Washington Post 10/21/11
Multi_Faith Theological Education — At the Claremont Colleges in California, the Graduate School of Theology has created Claremont Lincoln University, the first multi-faith theological school of its kind. As Saul Gonzalez reports, the new and controversial graduate university is teaching and will grant degrees to students who want to become Christian ministers, Jewish rabbis or Muslim imams, and it plans to include Hindus, Sikhs and others, as well.
From "Multifaith Theological Education" by Saul Gonzalez, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, PBS 10/21/11
SAUL GONZALEZ, correspondent: . . . California’s Claremont Lincoln University, which describes itself as America’s first interreligious school of theology, one that will train pastors, rabbis, and eventually Muslim imams all on one campus. The school’s philosophy was captured in the opening remarks of Muslim-American religious scholar Najeeba Syeed-Miller, a professor at Claremont Lincoln.
PROFESSOR NAJEEBA SYEED-MILLER: The diversity of humankind is not a curse from God. It is a sign of God’s creation, and the beauty of humanity is in our very differences.
GONZALEZ: What do you hope to accomplish here at Claremont Lincoln? What’s the grand vision?
PHILIP CLAYTON (Provost, Claremont Lincoln University): You have to get beyond the point of people defining their religions by the traditional walls. . . . When you train rabbis in one school, pastors in another, imams in another, you put them out into communities they create an “us versus them” mentality. What if we do something that’s never been done before? Let’s train them in the same classroom. Let’s let them work out their differences in their day-to-day education. When they go out into their communities you won’t find them doing the “us versus them,” but, we hope, the “we.” What that would [do] for the face of religion in America would be staggering.
GONZALEZ: Claremont Lincoln is actually the creation of a much older institution, United Methodist-affiliated Claremont School of Theology, founded in 1885. It partnered with southern California’s Academy of Jewish Religion and the Islamic Center of Southern California to form this new school. Students attending this school can get master’s degrees in divinity, rabbinic studies, and Muslim counseling.
GONZALEZ: Beyond America’s changing religious landscape, there’s another reason why Claremont went multifaith: survival. Like other schools of theology and seminaries during these tough economic times, this campus faced a declining enrollment and a tightening budget. Allowing students from other faiths to train here is one way to keep the lights on and the doors open.
CLAYTON: This is an extremely hard time for American theological schools. We could go on with a dwindling number of Methodists students, but we decided we wanted to be ahead of the curve. . . . we had a 45-year history of being edgy. We were always sort of pushing the envelope, and so we decided we would push the envelope on this one.
To read the entire interview transcript above, CLICK HERE.
From "Donation spurs multifaith university in Claremont" posted at The Christian Century 5/25/11
Looking to support "tolerance and respect among religions," a United Methodist couple has upped its total donation to $50 million to launch a multifaith university that will educate professional leaders for churches, synagogues and mosques while providing those future clergy with insights into interreligious issues.
The Methodist-affiliated Claremont School of Theology announced May 16 that philanthropists David and Joan Lincoln, who earlier donated $10 million, would be honored in the institution's name—Claremont Lincoln University—as classes begin this fall. Only the seminary will receive money from United Methodist agencies.
A week before the university announcement was made, the New York Times reported that Pitzer College, one of the seven Claremont colleges within walking distance of the seminary, will offer a major in secularism this fall. The new department of secular studies is headed by sociologist Phil Zuckerman, who has written extensively on secularism.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Pastors and Rabbis and Imams" by Libby A. Nelson, Inside Higher Ed 10/25/11
Like everything about the newly established university, the vision is ecumenical and ambitious.
As the United States becomes more religiously diverse, with more interfaith marriages and families, the demand for ministers and religious counselors who are comfortable in that atmosphere is "off the charts, no question," says Philip Clayton, Claremont Lincoln's provost.
"Drawing on the wealth of interreligious partnerships is one of the most crucial things that we need to learn for the coming decades," Clayton says. "Frankly, without that resource, I don't think human civilization is going to make it."
"The majority of Methodists embrace the interreligious project as long as the Methodist members participate as Christians in interreligious dialogue,” Clayton says.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "The Amazing Technicolor Multifaith Theology School" by Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 6/11/10
This move by the Claremont School of Theology illustrates what happens when churches and denominations allow their institutions to embrace theological liberalism. . . . The leftward march of liberal Protestantism is hardly news, but on occasion a development arises that serves as something of a parable of that trajectory.
Liberal Protestantism long ago grew embarrassed by the exclusive claims of biblical Christianity and the historic Christian faith. Adopting pluralist and inclusivist reconstructions of the faith, liberal theologians and theological schools have been pressing the margins for over a century now. Given that trajectory, a multifaith theological seminary was an inevitability — the only question was when and where it would happen.
Mark Tooley, President of The Institute on Religion and Democracy, said that the school’s action meant that it “seems to be moving away from its responsibility to the United Methodist Church.” He added: “It almost seems that they’re trying to fulfill the stereotype that many in the church have of liberal Methodism on the West Coast.”
In a subsequent interview, Tooley, a United Methodist, pointed out that the United Methodist Church has lost nearly half of its membership on the West Coast.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
For background, read Methodist Seminary Trains Pluralistic Clergy
-- From "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly Listings" Washington Post 10/21/11
Multi_Faith Theological Education — At the Claremont Colleges in California, the Graduate School of Theology has created Claremont Lincoln University, the first multi-faith theological school of its kind. As Saul Gonzalez reports, the new and controversial graduate university is teaching and will grant degrees to students who want to become Christian ministers, Jewish rabbis or Muslim imams, and it plans to include Hindus, Sikhs and others, as well.
From "Multifaith Theological Education" by Saul Gonzalez, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, PBS 10/21/11
SAUL GONZALEZ, correspondent: . . . California’s Claremont Lincoln University, which describes itself as America’s first interreligious school of theology, one that will train pastors, rabbis, and eventually Muslim imams all on one campus. The school’s philosophy was captured in the opening remarks of Muslim-American religious scholar Najeeba Syeed-Miller, a professor at Claremont Lincoln.
PROFESSOR NAJEEBA SYEED-MILLER: The diversity of humankind is not a curse from God. It is a sign of God’s creation, and the beauty of humanity is in our very differences.
GONZALEZ: What do you hope to accomplish here at Claremont Lincoln? What’s the grand vision?
PHILIP CLAYTON (Provost, Claremont Lincoln University): You have to get beyond the point of people defining their religions by the traditional walls. . . . When you train rabbis in one school, pastors in another, imams in another, you put them out into communities they create an “us versus them” mentality. What if we do something that’s never been done before? Let’s train them in the same classroom. Let’s let them work out their differences in their day-to-day education. When they go out into their communities you won’t find them doing the “us versus them,” but, we hope, the “we.” What that would [do] for the face of religion in America would be staggering.
GONZALEZ: Claremont Lincoln is actually the creation of a much older institution, United Methodist-affiliated Claremont School of Theology, founded in 1885. It partnered with southern California’s Academy of Jewish Religion and the Islamic Center of Southern California to form this new school. Students attending this school can get master’s degrees in divinity, rabbinic studies, and Muslim counseling.
GONZALEZ: Beyond America’s changing religious landscape, there’s another reason why Claremont went multifaith: survival. Like other schools of theology and seminaries during these tough economic times, this campus faced a declining enrollment and a tightening budget. Allowing students from other faiths to train here is one way to keep the lights on and the doors open.
CLAYTON: This is an extremely hard time for American theological schools. We could go on with a dwindling number of Methodists students, but we decided we wanted to be ahead of the curve. . . . we had a 45-year history of being edgy. We were always sort of pushing the envelope, and so we decided we would push the envelope on this one.
To read the entire interview transcript above, CLICK HERE.
From "Donation spurs multifaith university in Claremont" posted at The Christian Century 5/25/11
Looking to support "tolerance and respect among religions," a United Methodist couple has upped its total donation to $50 million to launch a multifaith university that will educate professional leaders for churches, synagogues and mosques while providing those future clergy with insights into interreligious issues.
The Methodist-affiliated Claremont School of Theology announced May 16 that philanthropists David and Joan Lincoln, who earlier donated $10 million, would be honored in the institution's name—Claremont Lincoln University—as classes begin this fall. Only the seminary will receive money from United Methodist agencies.
A week before the university announcement was made, the New York Times reported that Pitzer College, one of the seven Claremont colleges within walking distance of the seminary, will offer a major in secularism this fall. The new department of secular studies is headed by sociologist Phil Zuckerman, who has written extensively on secularism.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Pastors and Rabbis and Imams" by Libby A. Nelson, Inside Higher Ed 10/25/11
Like everything about the newly established university, the vision is ecumenical and ambitious.
As the United States becomes more religiously diverse, with more interfaith marriages and families, the demand for ministers and religious counselors who are comfortable in that atmosphere is "off the charts, no question," says Philip Clayton, Claremont Lincoln's provost.
"Drawing on the wealth of interreligious partnerships is one of the most crucial things that we need to learn for the coming decades," Clayton says. "Frankly, without that resource, I don't think human civilization is going to make it."
"The majority of Methodists embrace the interreligious project as long as the Methodist members participate as Christians in interreligious dialogue,” Clayton says.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "The Amazing Technicolor Multifaith Theology School" by Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 6/11/10
This move by the Claremont School of Theology illustrates what happens when churches and denominations allow their institutions to embrace theological liberalism. . . . The leftward march of liberal Protestantism is hardly news, but on occasion a development arises that serves as something of a parable of that trajectory.
Liberal Protestantism long ago grew embarrassed by the exclusive claims of biblical Christianity and the historic Christian faith. Adopting pluralist and inclusivist reconstructions of the faith, liberal theologians and theological schools have been pressing the margins for over a century now. Given that trajectory, a multifaith theological seminary was an inevitability — the only question was when and where it would happen.
Mark Tooley, President of The Institute on Religion and Democracy, said that the school’s action meant that it “seems to be moving away from its responsibility to the United Methodist Church.” He added: “It almost seems that they’re trying to fulfill the stereotype that many in the church have of liberal Methodism on the West Coast.”
In a subsequent interview, Tooley, a United Methodist, pointed out that the United Methodist Church has lost nearly half of its membership on the West Coast.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
OK School Discriminates Against Christians: Lawsuit
A school superintendent in Oklahoma faces a lawsuit today for not only forbidding a community-led Christian club from placing fliers in the elementary school, but also for allegedly telling the Kids for Christ program not to advertise in the community either, lest it "stir up trouble."
-- From "Owasso district sued by before-school Bible club" by David Harper, Tulsa World Staff Writer 10/25/11
A federal lawsuit has been filed against Owasso Public Schools, alleging that the district is violating the constitutional rights of members of a before-school Bible club that meets at Northeast Elementary School.
The complaint claims the district has engaged in “censorship” by denying Owasso Kids for Christ the same opportunities to distribute information that groups such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have.
. . . the lawsuit claims “the overbreadth of the district’s policy and practice chills the speech of community groups who seek to engage in private religious expression” through the distribution of fliers, posting of signs, open house presentations and making of announcements.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christian Club Sues School Over Media Restriction" by Todd Starnes, FoxNews.com 10/24/11
“This is a simple matter of a school district targeting a Christian organization,” said Matt Sharp, an attorney representing the “Kids for Christ,” a community-led Christian group suing the Owasso Public Schools.
Sharp, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, said the school district told the club it could no longer publicize its events – including discouraging organizers from spreading the word in the community and local media.
Sharp said the club meetings are held at the local elementary school before school and are open to students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. Other groups, including the Boy Scouts and YMCA, are allowed to promote activities at the school, but the Christian group is not.
“The superintendent said they were religious and couldn’t have the same access as other clubs,” he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Okla. Christian Group Sues School District for Censorship" by Jeff Schapiro, Christian Post Reporter 10/25/11
Owasso Kids for Christ is suing Owasso Public Schools for allegedly violating its First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by not allowing the club, which meets at Northeast Elementary School, to distribute any kind of literature or use other school communication methods to promote its faith-based events.
Sharp says the club began meeting in November 2010 and had no problems initially. It quickly swelled to over 100 students and the district seemed to take no issue with allowing them to distribute information, post fliers and make announcements via the PA system about events. The club is led by adult members of the community, and group events are held either before or after school, during non-instructional hours.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "School tells Bible club not to advertise ... anywhere" by Drew Zahn, World Net Daily 10/24/11
But in April, when the club requested permission to distribute a take-home flier for students and parents advertising a Christian martial arts event, the flier's phrase "Reaching the world for Christ!" caught the attention of District Superintendant Dr. Clark Ogilvie.
School officials cited a district policy manual governing outside adverstisments that states, "No literature will be distributed that contains primarily religious, objectionable, or political overtones."
According to court documents, Ogilvie further explained that such restrictions were necessary to keep "bad clubs" like the Ku Klux Klan out of the school.
. . . Ogilvie actively discouraged the group from publicizing its activities in the community – even through advertisements in local newspapers or signs posted on telephone poles – because he believed such publicity would "stir up trouble."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Owasso district sued by before-school Bible club" by David Harper, Tulsa World Staff Writer 10/25/11
A federal lawsuit has been filed against Owasso Public Schools, alleging that the district is violating the constitutional rights of members of a before-school Bible club that meets at Northeast Elementary School.
The complaint claims the district has engaged in “censorship” by denying Owasso Kids for Christ the same opportunities to distribute information that groups such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have.
. . . the lawsuit claims “the overbreadth of the district’s policy and practice chills the speech of community groups who seek to engage in private religious expression” through the distribution of fliers, posting of signs, open house presentations and making of announcements.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christian Club Sues School Over Media Restriction" by Todd Starnes, FoxNews.com 10/24/11
“This is a simple matter of a school district targeting a Christian organization,” said Matt Sharp, an attorney representing the “Kids for Christ,” a community-led Christian group suing the Owasso Public Schools.
Sharp, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, said the school district told the club it could no longer publicize its events – including discouraging organizers from spreading the word in the community and local media.
Sharp said the club meetings are held at the local elementary school before school and are open to students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. Other groups, including the Boy Scouts and YMCA, are allowed to promote activities at the school, but the Christian group is not.
“The superintendent said they were religious and couldn’t have the same access as other clubs,” he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Okla. Christian Group Sues School District for Censorship" by Jeff Schapiro, Christian Post Reporter 10/25/11
Owasso Kids for Christ is suing Owasso Public Schools for allegedly violating its First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by not allowing the club, which meets at Northeast Elementary School, to distribute any kind of literature or use other school communication methods to promote its faith-based events.
Sharp says the club began meeting in November 2010 and had no problems initially. It quickly swelled to over 100 students and the district seemed to take no issue with allowing them to distribute information, post fliers and make announcements via the PA system about events. The club is led by adult members of the community, and group events are held either before or after school, during non-instructional hours.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "School tells Bible club not to advertise ... anywhere" by Drew Zahn, World Net Daily 10/24/11
But in April, when the club requested permission to distribute a take-home flier for students and parents advertising a Christian martial arts event, the flier's phrase "Reaching the world for Christ!" caught the attention of District Superintendant Dr. Clark Ogilvie.
School officials cited a district policy manual governing outside adverstisments that states, "No literature will be distributed that contains primarily religious, objectionable, or political overtones."
According to court documents, Ogilvie further explained that such restrictions were necessary to keep "bad clubs" like the Ku Klux Klan out of the school.
. . . Ogilvie actively discouraged the group from publicizing its activities in the community – even through advertisements in local newspapers or signs posted on telephone poles – because he believed such publicity would "stir up trouble."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
NY Schools To Teach Sex Performance Techniques
New York City school children as young as 11-years-old could soon be learning sex education from workbooks that include instruction on “mutual masturbation, French kissing, oral and anal sex,” and “intercourse using a condom and an oil-based lubricant.”
For background, read Condom Training Mandated for New York City Schools
UPDATE 10/25/11: Discussion of parental rights & appropriateness of the curriculum
UPDATE 11/16/11: New York Times glorifies sexualization of children, and shows how it's done
-- From "NYC Defends Graphic Sex-Ed Classes" by Todd Starnes, FOX News 10/23/11
The revelations were uncovered in “recommended” workbooks reviewed exclusively by The New York Post.
Sex education will become mandatory in New York City middle and high schools next year. Students will be required to take one semester of sex education in sixth or seventh grades and one in ninth or tenth grades.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parent furor at bawdy sex ed" by Susan Edelman, New York Post 10/24/11
Workbooks reviewed by The Post include the following assignments:
* High-school students go to stores and jot down condom brands, prices and features such as lubrication.
* Teens research a route from school to a clinic that provides birth control and STD tests, and write down its confidentiality policy.
* Kids ages 11 and 12 sort “risk cards” to rate the safety of various activities, including "intercourse using a condom and an oil-based lubricant," mutual masturbation, French kissing, oral sex and anal sex.
* Teens are referred to resources such as Columbia University’s Web site Go Ask Alice, which explores topics like “doggie-style” and other positions, “sadomasochistic sex play,” phone sex, oral sex with braces, fetishes, porn stars, vibrators and bestiality.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Some upset at New York sex education" by Logan Burruss, CNN 10/25/11
"Abstinence is a very important part of the curriculum," Department of Education Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott said in a statement Monday. "But we also have a responsibility to ensure that teenagers who are choosing to have sex understand the potential consequences of their actions."
"We have a responsibility, when you have an out of wedlock birthrate and a sexually transmitted disease rate that we have in this city, to try to do something about it," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday. "Shame on us if we don't."
The NYC Parents' Choice Coalition has a different attitude on the matter, expressed on their website by the motto, "Taking a stand against the NYC sex ed mandate."
The group is urging parents to opt their children out of sexual education classes and demand that a more abstinence driven alternative be taught instead.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parents’ Group Wants ‘Equal Billing’ For Abstinence Programs In New NYC Sex Education Curriculum" posted at CBS TV-2 New York 10/24/11
[Michael Benjamin, the Executive Director of the New York City Parents’ Choice Coalition, said] “In a sense, they’re encouraging children to explore their sexuality.”
“If you’re going to have a curriculum that is based on having sex…then give abstinence equal billing,” said Brooklyn parent Sylvia Laughlin.
Rev. Michael Faulker said the city program pushes kids to have sex.
“I think that anything that you focus on the most is where you’re going to find the results. If you talk about not having sex and you show kids how to have sex, they’re going to have sex,” Faulkner said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "New York's outrageous sex ed for kids" by Catholic Online 10/25/11
The New York City Department of Health is advertising a position to hire a "Condom Coordinator" at a salary of more than $80,000 per year. The job will likely include the distribution of condoms to children.
. . . teaching kids as young as 11 about such topics (topics that should really be taught at home and in church) will "normalize" the behavior and teach children that promiscuous sexual activity is okay as long as they use "protection" and know how to get free services from confidential clinics; services from clinics that could include abortion.
As with most such curriculums, there will likely be a feature that allows parents to opt their children out of at least the more objectionable parts of the curriculum. However, simply opting a child out when the dominant culture becomes one of promiscuity, can make navigating the moral and physical pitfalls of the teenage years far more dangerous--with lifelong implications for what can quickly become an unlucky majority.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 2/6/12 - Planned Parenthood's Business Model: Hooking Kids on Sex (Warning: Sexually graphic video)
For background, read Condom Training Mandated for New York City Schools
UPDATE 10/25/11: Discussion of parental rights & appropriateness of the curriculum
UPDATE 11/16/11: New York Times glorifies sexualization of children, and shows how it's done
-- From "NYC Defends Graphic Sex-Ed Classes" by Todd Starnes, FOX News 10/23/11
The revelations were uncovered in “recommended” workbooks reviewed exclusively by The New York Post.
Sex education will become mandatory in New York City middle and high schools next year. Students will be required to take one semester of sex education in sixth or seventh grades and one in ninth or tenth grades.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parent furor at bawdy sex ed" by Susan Edelman, New York Post 10/24/11
Workbooks reviewed by The Post include the following assignments:
* High-school students go to stores and jot down condom brands, prices and features such as lubrication.
* Teens research a route from school to a clinic that provides birth control and STD tests, and write down its confidentiality policy.
* Kids ages 11 and 12 sort “risk cards” to rate the safety of various activities, including "intercourse using a condom and an oil-based lubricant," mutual masturbation, French kissing, oral sex and anal sex.
* Teens are referred to resources such as Columbia University’s Web site Go Ask Alice, which explores topics like “doggie-style” and other positions, “sadomasochistic sex play,” phone sex, oral sex with braces, fetishes, porn stars, vibrators and bestiality.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Some upset at New York sex education" by Logan Burruss, CNN 10/25/11
"Abstinence is a very important part of the curriculum," Department of Education Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott said in a statement Monday. "But we also have a responsibility to ensure that teenagers who are choosing to have sex understand the potential consequences of their actions."
"We have a responsibility, when you have an out of wedlock birthrate and a sexually transmitted disease rate that we have in this city, to try to do something about it," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday. "Shame on us if we don't."
The NYC Parents' Choice Coalition has a different attitude on the matter, expressed on their website by the motto, "Taking a stand against the NYC sex ed mandate."
The group is urging parents to opt their children out of sexual education classes and demand that a more abstinence driven alternative be taught instead.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parents’ Group Wants ‘Equal Billing’ For Abstinence Programs In New NYC Sex Education Curriculum" posted at CBS TV-2 New York 10/24/11
[Michael Benjamin, the Executive Director of the New York City Parents’ Choice Coalition, said] “In a sense, they’re encouraging children to explore their sexuality.”
“If you’re going to have a curriculum that is based on having sex…then give abstinence equal billing,” said Brooklyn parent Sylvia Laughlin.
Rev. Michael Faulker said the city program pushes kids to have sex.
“I think that anything that you focus on the most is where you’re going to find the results. If you talk about not having sex and you show kids how to have sex, they’re going to have sex,” Faulkner said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "New York's outrageous sex ed for kids" by Catholic Online 10/25/11
The New York City Department of Health is advertising a position to hire a "Condom Coordinator" at a salary of more than $80,000 per year. The job will likely include the distribution of condoms to children.
. . . teaching kids as young as 11 about such topics (topics that should really be taught at home and in church) will "normalize" the behavior and teach children that promiscuous sexual activity is okay as long as they use "protection" and know how to get free services from confidential clinics; services from clinics that could include abortion.
As with most such curriculums, there will likely be a feature that allows parents to opt their children out of at least the more objectionable parts of the curriculum. However, simply opting a child out when the dominant culture becomes one of promiscuity, can make navigating the moral and physical pitfalls of the teenage years far more dangerous--with lifelong implications for what can quickly become an unlucky majority.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 2/6/12 - Planned Parenthood's Business Model: Hooking Kids on Sex (Warning: Sexually graphic video)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Connecticut School Teaches 'Gay Love' on Stage
Hartford High School principal Adam Johnson said that the school's theatrical presentation of "Zanna, Don't!," which promotes homosexual behavior, will help students become successful in life. The initial performance saw scores of students walk out, despite the attendance mandate, at the first instance of male-on-male love-making, yet amid all the controversy, students were numbed into a very accepting attitude by the next performance.
-- From "Gay kiss in Conn. HS play causing controversy" posted at WABC-TV New York 10/21/11
School administrators are catching flack, but they are standing by their decision to make the homosexual-themed play mandatory for students.
About 40 students stormed out, and principal Adam Johnson says he was bombarded with calls and emails.
"Many people interpret this as advancing a political agenda, and that's not what my job is," he said. "But when I think about the world that our students live in and need to be prepared to be successful in, that's what this is all about."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Connecticut High School Play's Gay Kiss Scene Causes Uproar" reported by Huffington Post 10/21/11
. . . several audience members walked out; the unhappy viewers included a number of uniformed members of the school's football team, which principal Adam Johnson described as "almost symbolic."
Many of the parents also showed apprehension, one even showing up at the school with a Bible in tow speaking about homosexuals in, according to CBS, an "unflattering manner." Yet Principal Johnson showed no regrets over his decision to include the kiss.
While there were negative reactions there was also a strong support for the performance and its message of acceptance. After the performance there was a talk back session with students and administrators where an open dialogue was started discussing issues of the LGBT community.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Kiss In 'Zanna Don't!' High School Musical Triggers Walkout By Students, Football Players At Hartford Public High School" reported by Huffington Post 10/19/11
The plot of “Zanna Don’t!” involves a high school where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuals are the outcasts.
“There are always circumstances [in organizing these programs] under which the values of the student or their family come into play," Johnson said, adding, “It’s a balancing act of individual values and the expectations of the school … [and] it was interesting, actually, seeing the apprehension."
Johnson had received calls from concerned parents in the weeks leading up to the musical's opening but he stood firm and stated that he believed it was important to show gay "intimacy" in the same way that society shows straight intimacy.
“When one teacher asked if I wanted to remove [the kiss], I said absolutely not,” Johnson said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cheers This Time For Gay Kiss" by Vanessa De La Torre, Hartford Courant 10/21/11
[Today,] roughly 400 students watched the anti-bullying musical that a week earlier spurred a walkout and national notoriety. Leadership Greater Hartford's Quest program partnered with the nonprofit True Colors to produce the play at Hartford High to promote tolerance for gay youth.
When the [male actors kissed], playful hoots rang out. Three boys immediately got out of their seats and started to walk out, although one seemed to reconsider after a quiet talk with a school staffer.
Throughout the musical, many students cheered and applauded for both same-sex and heterosexual displays of affection. Some expressed "awws" . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay play at school creates parental uproar" by Karla Dial, World News Service 10/21/11
The play, staged by a local community theater group and starring local high school and college students, is a musical set in an alternate universe where everyone is gay, except for a few closet heterosexuals. The songs feature raunchy lyrics and two boys share a kiss onstage -- which prompted several students to leave the auditorium.
"This is as important of a topic to discuss as anything in math, anything in social studies," [Principal Adam Johnson] said. "I'm completely glad that we did it."
Peter Wolfgang, director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, said he would like the state to require parents to give explicit permission -- known as an "opt-in" law -- for their children to attend such events.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
"We know there's a lot of attention here on Hartford High. … This is a time to enjoy, to learn, and to observe. We conduct ourselves in a certain way. … There are some things here that are of an adult nature. We treat you like the young adults that you are."
-- Executive Principal Jack Baldermann, lectured to students
-- From "Gay kiss in Conn. HS play causing controversy" posted at WABC-TV New York 10/21/11
School administrators are catching flack, but they are standing by their decision to make the homosexual-themed play mandatory for students.
About 40 students stormed out, and principal Adam Johnson says he was bombarded with calls and emails.
"Many people interpret this as advancing a political agenda, and that's not what my job is," he said. "But when I think about the world that our students live in and need to be prepared to be successful in, that's what this is all about."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Connecticut High School Play's Gay Kiss Scene Causes Uproar" reported by Huffington Post 10/21/11
. . . several audience members walked out; the unhappy viewers included a number of uniformed members of the school's football team, which principal Adam Johnson described as "almost symbolic."
Many of the parents also showed apprehension, one even showing up at the school with a Bible in tow speaking about homosexuals in, according to CBS, an "unflattering manner." Yet Principal Johnson showed no regrets over his decision to include the kiss.
While there were negative reactions there was also a strong support for the performance and its message of acceptance. After the performance there was a talk back session with students and administrators where an open dialogue was started discussing issues of the LGBT community.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Kiss In 'Zanna Don't!' High School Musical Triggers Walkout By Students, Football Players At Hartford Public High School" reported by Huffington Post 10/19/11
The plot of “Zanna Don’t!” involves a high school where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuals are the outcasts.
“There are always circumstances [in organizing these programs] under which the values of the student or their family come into play," Johnson said, adding, “It’s a balancing act of individual values and the expectations of the school … [and] it was interesting, actually, seeing the apprehension."
Johnson had received calls from concerned parents in the weeks leading up to the musical's opening but he stood firm and stated that he believed it was important to show gay "intimacy" in the same way that society shows straight intimacy.
“When one teacher asked if I wanted to remove [the kiss], I said absolutely not,” Johnson said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Cheers This Time For Gay Kiss" by Vanessa De La Torre, Hartford Courant 10/21/11
[Today,] roughly 400 students watched the anti-bullying musical that a week earlier spurred a walkout and national notoriety. Leadership Greater Hartford's Quest program partnered with the nonprofit True Colors to produce the play at Hartford High to promote tolerance for gay youth.
When the [male actors kissed], playful hoots rang out. Three boys immediately got out of their seats and started to walk out, although one seemed to reconsider after a quiet talk with a school staffer.
Throughout the musical, many students cheered and applauded for both same-sex and heterosexual displays of affection. Some expressed "awws" . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Gay play at school creates parental uproar" by Karla Dial, World News Service 10/21/11
The play, staged by a local community theater group and starring local high school and college students, is a musical set in an alternate universe where everyone is gay, except for a few closet heterosexuals. The songs feature raunchy lyrics and two boys share a kiss onstage -- which prompted several students to leave the auditorium.
"This is as important of a topic to discuss as anything in math, anything in social studies," [Principal Adam Johnson] said. "I'm completely glad that we did it."
Peter Wolfgang, director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, said he would like the state to require parents to give explicit permission -- known as an "opt-in" law -- for their children to attend such events.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Students Have Sex in Video, as They're Taught
YouTube videos show children as young as 14 having sex at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore. Of course, the kids were just doing what the school has taught them, but they're being marked down for making videos of their sex, which are legally classified as child pornography.
Details have not been released concerning "safe-sex" techniques employed.
-- From "Video of students, 14, having sex on campus goes viral - while copycat sex tape shames neighbouring school" by UK Daily Mail Reporter 10/23/11
Two separate high schools are investigating videos containing footage of under-age students having sex, both on school grounds.
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube removed one of the videos that displayed the students as young as 14-years-old having sex outside a school building in Baltimore.
The second video, involving three students in an auditorium at Milford Mill Academy, has yet to be acquired by authorities.
Police say the students created it while a substitute teacher was holding class in the same room.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Baltimore City Public Schools In the Midst of a Sexual Tape Scandal" by Gretta DeMennato, Harford County Gifted Children Examiner 10/20/11
WJZ TV first broke the story of a 14-year-old Baltimore City Public Schools student who was allegedly taped having sexual relations on Baltimore City Public Schools Property. The victim in this incident had no idea that she was being taped, and thus could not have given consent to be taped. The video was posted on several websites and went viral.
The students involved in this scandal all attended Frederick Douglass High School in Northwest Baltimore. School officials confirm that the sex tape was filmed after school outside a building not used for instructional purposes.
It is important to remember that this student was 14-years-old at the time of the incident. The age of legal consent for sexual relations in Maryland is 16-years-old. This means that this incident will involve statutory rape and possible child pornography charges. In statutory rape cases- the State asserts that although the 14-year-old gave consent, she was not legally eligible to make this decision herself.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Details have not been released concerning "safe-sex" techniques employed.
-- From "Video of students, 14, having sex on campus goes viral - while copycat sex tape shames neighbouring school" by UK Daily Mail Reporter 10/23/11
Two separate high schools are investigating videos containing footage of under-age students having sex, both on school grounds.
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube removed one of the videos that displayed the students as young as 14-years-old having sex outside a school building in Baltimore.
The second video, involving three students in an auditorium at Milford Mill Academy, has yet to be acquired by authorities.
Police say the students created it while a substitute teacher was holding class in the same room.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Baltimore City Public Schools In the Midst of a Sexual Tape Scandal" by Gretta DeMennato, Harford County Gifted Children Examiner 10/20/11
WJZ TV first broke the story of a 14-year-old Baltimore City Public Schools student who was allegedly taped having sexual relations on Baltimore City Public Schools Property. The victim in this incident had no idea that she was being taped, and thus could not have given consent to be taped. The video was posted on several websites and went viral.
The students involved in this scandal all attended Frederick Douglass High School in Northwest Baltimore. School officials confirm that the sex tape was filmed after school outside a building not used for instructional purposes.
It is important to remember that this student was 14-years-old at the time of the incident. The age of legal consent for sexual relations in Maryland is 16-years-old. This means that this incident will involve statutory rape and possible child pornography charges. In statutory rape cases- the State asserts that although the 14-year-old gave consent, she was not legally eligible to make this decision herself.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Methodist Clergy Buck Bible, Church - Science Also
Over a hundred New York (& Connecticut) Conference United Methodist pastors have signed a document proclaiming that they will perform same-sex "marriages" in defiance of the denomination's Book of Discipline, and are making statements concerning homosexuality that contradict not only the Bible, but even contradict medical science by claiming existence of a "gay gene."
-- From "Methodist Ministers Pledge to Perform Gay Marriage Despite Ban" by Lindsay Christ and Rashed Mian, Long Island Press 10/16/11
The We do! Methodists Living Marriage Equality project consists of 161 clergy members, 703 lay people and six congregations representing 67 United Methodist congregations who will risk their standing and jobs with the church by announcing their support for equal rights for the LGBT community.
One of the pastors involved is Rev. Jeff Wells of the Community United Methodist Church in Massapequa.
The pastor first heard about the movement last spring, and signed on over the summer. While signing the pledge won’t get him in trouble, if he performs a gay wedding charges could be brought against him. These charges could lead to a trial and ultimately get Wells’ clergy orders taken away.
The General Conference of the United Methodist Church, where the rules that govern the denomination are set, will meet in April 2012. Wells said that the bishops are aware that the movement has been going on . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Area United Methodist clergy pledge to perform same-sex marriage" by Nanci G. Hutson, Staff Writer, Danbury News Times 10/21/11
These clergy, and their like-minded colleagues across the country, recognize this is a controversial stand, one that has divided congregations. Pastors who defy church law can jeopardize their ordination.
The ministers, however, say the issue is at the heart of their faith.
Sexual orientation is part of an individual's born identity, and to condemn that would suggest "God made a mistake, and that's not what we're about," Fleming said.
The Rev. Charles Ferrara of New Life Community Church United Methodist in New Fairfield signed another pledge, an open letter to the national United Methodist Council of Bishops from 113 pastors across the country who oppose same-sex marriage.
Area ministers said the discipline that might be enforced against pastors willing to perform same-sex marriages is likely to differ geographically. The East Coast and West Coast tend to have more liberal views on human rights issues and are less likely to punish a pastor who disagrees with the discipline.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Group of Methodist Ministers Succumb to Gay Agenda!" by John Shore, Huffington Post 10/20/11
So I set up the interview [with Rev. Sara Lamar-Sterling, First & Summerfield United Methodist Church of New Haven, Connecticut].
"Are you scared you might lose your job for doing this?" I asked . . .
"No, not really," she said cheerily. "There are many steps that would have to happen in order for any of us to actually lose our positions within the church."
"But it could happen, right?" I asked . . .
"It's in the realm of possibilities, yes. But it's not anything I'm afraid of. In any account, the much bigger picture, for we who have come out in favor of marriage equality, is the fact that gay and lesbian people are excluded and discriminated against every single day of their lives. That's what really matters here. They're the ones really bearing a risk out in the world. Compared to theirs, our daily risk is much smaller."
"Have you been having to put all this together in secret?" I asked . . .
"No, not in secret," said Rev. Lamar-Sterling disappointingly. "We've been openly working on this for years. And we have our website, which is our main communication tool. We've always been very open about talking about this, and sharing our purposes and goals, and collecting signatures and so on. It's all been very aboveboard. A great many people within the Methodist church believe in marriage equality, and so we've just been honored to facilitate and advance that conversation. And through initiatives like 'We do!' we look forward to doing a great deal more of this in the future."
"How did your church take this radical move on your part?" I asked her. . . .
"They love it," she said. "They're a reconciling congregation, so they've been very excited about the whole project. In fact, I actually had to slow them down a bit. I had to explain to them how this is a process, how we needed to work within the larger body of the New York Annual Conference, to bring everyone along at the same time. But they've been absolutely supportive of this every step of the way."
"The same sort of thing we're doing here in the NYAC is currently going on in 11 other Methodiest conferences," she said.
"Ultimately, I and others who believe in the sanctity of marriage equality would like the language of 'The Book of Discipline' to be changed to reflect full affirmation of gay and lesbian equality. But will those changes be made in 2012? They very well might. But either way, it will ultimately happen. I'm confident that Christ will guide the United Methodist Church to become the welcoming, just and reconciling church it was meant to be."
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Also read African Methodists Vote to Keep United Methodist Church on 'Straight and Narrow'
". . . the church's stand against same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy is 'out of step' and 'behind the times in its thinking.'"For background, read Renegade Methodist Clergy for Same-sex 'Marriage' and also read Methodists Ignore Own Rules re: Lesbian Pastor as well as Baby Jesus with Two Lesbians: Methodist Nativity
-- Rev. Vicky A. Fleming, Bethel United Methodist Church of Bethel, Connecticut
-- From "Methodist Ministers Pledge to Perform Gay Marriage Despite Ban" by Lindsay Christ and Rashed Mian, Long Island Press 10/16/11
The We do! Methodists Living Marriage Equality project consists of 161 clergy members, 703 lay people and six congregations representing 67 United Methodist congregations who will risk their standing and jobs with the church by announcing their support for equal rights for the LGBT community.
One of the pastors involved is Rev. Jeff Wells of the Community United Methodist Church in Massapequa.
The pastor first heard about the movement last spring, and signed on over the summer. While signing the pledge won’t get him in trouble, if he performs a gay wedding charges could be brought against him. These charges could lead to a trial and ultimately get Wells’ clergy orders taken away.
The General Conference of the United Methodist Church, where the rules that govern the denomination are set, will meet in April 2012. Wells said that the bishops are aware that the movement has been going on . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Area United Methodist clergy pledge to perform same-sex marriage" by Nanci G. Hutson, Staff Writer, Danbury News Times 10/21/11
These clergy, and their like-minded colleagues across the country, recognize this is a controversial stand, one that has divided congregations. Pastors who defy church law can jeopardize their ordination.
The ministers, however, say the issue is at the heart of their faith.
Sexual orientation is part of an individual's born identity, and to condemn that would suggest "God made a mistake, and that's not what we're about," Fleming said.
The Rev. Charles Ferrara of New Life Community Church United Methodist in New Fairfield signed another pledge, an open letter to the national United Methodist Council of Bishops from 113 pastors across the country who oppose same-sex marriage.
Area ministers said the discipline that might be enforced against pastors willing to perform same-sex marriages is likely to differ geographically. The East Coast and West Coast tend to have more liberal views on human rights issues and are less likely to punish a pastor who disagrees with the discipline.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Group of Methodist Ministers Succumb to Gay Agenda!" by John Shore, Huffington Post 10/20/11
So I set up the interview [with Rev. Sara Lamar-Sterling, First & Summerfield United Methodist Church of New Haven, Connecticut].
"Are you scared you might lose your job for doing this?" I asked . . .
"No, not really," she said cheerily. "There are many steps that would have to happen in order for any of us to actually lose our positions within the church."
"But it could happen, right?" I asked . . .
"It's in the realm of possibilities, yes. But it's not anything I'm afraid of. In any account, the much bigger picture, for we who have come out in favor of marriage equality, is the fact that gay and lesbian people are excluded and discriminated against every single day of their lives. That's what really matters here. They're the ones really bearing a risk out in the world. Compared to theirs, our daily risk is much smaller."
"Have you been having to put all this together in secret?" I asked . . .
"No, not in secret," said Rev. Lamar-Sterling disappointingly. "We've been openly working on this for years. And we have our website, which is our main communication tool. We've always been very open about talking about this, and sharing our purposes and goals, and collecting signatures and so on. It's all been very aboveboard. A great many people within the Methodist church believe in marriage equality, and so we've just been honored to facilitate and advance that conversation. And through initiatives like 'We do!' we look forward to doing a great deal more of this in the future."
"How did your church take this radical move on your part?" I asked her. . . .
"They love it," she said. "They're a reconciling congregation, so they've been very excited about the whole project. In fact, I actually had to slow them down a bit. I had to explain to them how this is a process, how we needed to work within the larger body of the New York Annual Conference, to bring everyone along at the same time. But they've been absolutely supportive of this every step of the way."
"The same sort of thing we're doing here in the NYAC is currently going on in 11 other Methodiest conferences," she said.
"Ultimately, I and others who believe in the sanctity of marriage equality would like the language of 'The Book of Discipline' to be changed to reflect full affirmation of gay and lesbian equality. But will those changes be made in 2012? They very well might. But either way, it will ultimately happen. I'm confident that Christ will guide the United Methodist Church to become the welcoming, just and reconciling church it was meant to be."
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Also read African Methodists Vote to Keep United Methodist Church on 'Straight and Narrow'
Friday, October 21, 2011
Principal Upholds 1st Amendment, Atheists Challenge
After a Jacksonville, Florida elementary school principal announced a community-based prayer event taking place on school grounds outside of class time, the school district is now debating whether or not to acquiesce to the threatening atheists' demands against prayer.
-- From "Florida elementary school hosts flagpole prayer" by Jennifer Hancock, Tampa Humanism & Freethought Examiner 10/13/11
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) announced yesterday that they have asked the Principal of Clay Hill Elementary School in Clay County Florida to end its weekly Prayer Around the Flagpole pray session. According to FFRF Principal Davis used the school newsletter to announce the weekly prayer meeting that he says, is “sponsored by area pastors.”
The announcement makes it clear that these prayer meetings, organized at an elementary school, are political in nature and are part of a movement “to bring back the Holy Bible and Christian prayers to school.” He then goes on to claim that “our prayer around the flagpole gathering are permissible because they are community led and take place outside of class time.”
In their letter the FFRF has asked Principal Davis to cease this “unusually egregious violation of church state separation” and has asked the school district to help resolve this matter.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida principal touts school prayer event, irking secularists" by Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times 10/21/11
"Our prayer around the flagpole gatherings are permissible because they are community led and take place outside class time," Davis wrote.
In general, federal courts have allowed prayer in school as long as it is not sponsored by the state -- an attempt to balance the 1st Amendment's "establishment" and "free exercise" clauses.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation has made a splash in the Bible Belt recently with billboards promoting a religion-free lifestyle, with messages like "Praise Darwin -- Evolve Beyond Religion," and the holiday-themed "Heathen's Greetings."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Clay principal's memo says First Amendment meant only for Christians" by Topher Sanders, Florida Times-Union 10/20/11
Clay Hill Elementary Principal Larry Davis sent the memo to his 40-member staff last month to let them know about a weekly prayer session that is held near the school’s flagpole and led by a local pastor.
In the memo, Davis quoted from an article by Pastor Steven Andrew, which was published on the website USA Christian Ministries.
“Pastor Steven Andrew states: 'Our children need God back in schools,’ and he is calling Christians nationwide to bring back the Holy Bible and Christian prayer to schools,” the memo said. “The First Amendment was for Christianity, not other religions.”
Despite quoting the article from the Christian Ministries website, Davis told the Times-Union he didn’t believe the First Amendment applied only to Christians.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Morning praying at Clay schools draws atheist group's attention" by Randy Lefko, Clay Today 10/19/11
. . . discussions at the Tuesday, Oct. 18, School Board meeting.
The heated exchanges between School Board member Charles Van Zant Jr., and School Superintendent Ben Wortham came over whether the School Board would respond to an atheist and agnostic group concerned about morning student prayer sessions being held at Clay Hill Elementary School.
Wortham said he would advise any principal that if the prayers are being held at their school to not disrupt the session, but he warned that if the prayers continue, a costly lawsuit might be filed against the district.
School Board attorney Bruce Bickner said the attorney fees alone for such a suit could reach $300,000.
Pastor Ron Baker, of Russell Baptist Church, has been orchestrating the prayers at select schools prior to school starting for nearly 12 of his 30 years in Clay County.
"We are looking at this from two different perspectives and I understand he has to be concerned with the budget," said Baker. "I will continue the prayers until I am forcibly removed or a legal decision has been made."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
"To me, this is an act of bullying, even domestic terrorism. I took an oath when I joined the military to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. I don't think we should give an inch to this group."UPDATE 11/14/11: School boots prayer off property; students gather with pastor across the road (video):
-- Clay County School Board member Charles Van Zant Jr.
-- From "Florida elementary school hosts flagpole prayer" by Jennifer Hancock, Tampa Humanism & Freethought Examiner 10/13/11
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) announced yesterday that they have asked the Principal of Clay Hill Elementary School in Clay County Florida to end its weekly Prayer Around the Flagpole pray session. According to FFRF Principal Davis used the school newsletter to announce the weekly prayer meeting that he says, is “sponsored by area pastors.”
The announcement makes it clear that these prayer meetings, organized at an elementary school, are political in nature and are part of a movement “to bring back the Holy Bible and Christian prayers to school.” He then goes on to claim that “our prayer around the flagpole gathering are permissible because they are community led and take place outside of class time.”
In their letter the FFRF has asked Principal Davis to cease this “unusually egregious violation of church state separation” and has asked the school district to help resolve this matter.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida principal touts school prayer event, irking secularists" by Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times 10/21/11
"Our prayer around the flagpole gatherings are permissible because they are community led and take place outside class time," Davis wrote.
In general, federal courts have allowed prayer in school as long as it is not sponsored by the state -- an attempt to balance the 1st Amendment's "establishment" and "free exercise" clauses.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation has made a splash in the Bible Belt recently with billboards promoting a religion-free lifestyle, with messages like "Praise Darwin -- Evolve Beyond Religion," and the holiday-themed "Heathen's Greetings."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Clay principal's memo says First Amendment meant only for Christians" by Topher Sanders, Florida Times-Union 10/20/11
Clay Hill Elementary Principal Larry Davis sent the memo to his 40-member staff last month to let them know about a weekly prayer session that is held near the school’s flagpole and led by a local pastor.
In the memo, Davis quoted from an article by Pastor Steven Andrew, which was published on the website USA Christian Ministries.
“Pastor Steven Andrew states: 'Our children need God back in schools,’ and he is calling Christians nationwide to bring back the Holy Bible and Christian prayer to schools,” the memo said. “The First Amendment was for Christianity, not other religions.”
Despite quoting the article from the Christian Ministries website, Davis told the Times-Union he didn’t believe the First Amendment applied only to Christians.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Morning praying at Clay schools draws atheist group's attention" by Randy Lefko, Clay Today 10/19/11
. . . discussions at the Tuesday, Oct. 18, School Board meeting.
The heated exchanges between School Board member Charles Van Zant Jr., and School Superintendent Ben Wortham came over whether the School Board would respond to an atheist and agnostic group concerned about morning student prayer sessions being held at Clay Hill Elementary School.
Wortham said he would advise any principal that if the prayers are being held at their school to not disrupt the session, but he warned that if the prayers continue, a costly lawsuit might be filed against the district.
School Board attorney Bruce Bickner said the attorney fees alone for such a suit could reach $300,000.
Pastor Ron Baker, of Russell Baptist Church, has been orchestrating the prayers at select schools prior to school starting for nearly 12 of his 30 years in Clay County.
"We are looking at this from two different perspectives and I understand he has to be concerned with the budget," said Baker. "I will continue the prayers until I am forcibly removed or a legal decision has been made."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Army Gives Atheist Special Treatment at Graduation
The soldier who refused to show reverence during the benediction at the practice ceremony said he would have been excluded had he not called in the "atheist cavalry" to threaten a public relations nightmare. In response, the Army has ordered the atheist to stand at attention while all other graduates bow their heads.
-- From "Military backs off threat to pull atheist from ceremony" by Jennifer Rizzo, CNN 10/19/11
The 20-year-old private first class, a proclaimed atheist, is graduating from Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina on Thursday.
The soldier, who requested that CNN not give a name and gender for fear of repercussions, called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation on Wednesday after taking part in a rehearsal for the graduation.
Officials at Fort Jackson threatened to pull the soldier from the ceremony but then backed down, according to the soldier, after hearing that the soldier had contacted the religious freedom foundation.
“It is not the command’s policy to force anyone to bow their heads and clasp their hands to pray,” said Patrick Jones, Fort Jackson Public Affairs Officer. “The Army fully recognizes all faiths or lack there of”.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Military backs off threat to pull atheist from ceremony" by Jennifer Rizzo, CNN 10/19/11
The 20-year-old private first class, a proclaimed atheist, is graduating from Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina on Thursday.
The soldier, who requested that CNN not give a name and gender for fear of repercussions, called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation on Wednesday after taking part in a rehearsal for the graduation.
Officials at Fort Jackson threatened to pull the soldier from the ceremony but then backed down, according to the soldier, after hearing that the soldier had contacted the religious freedom foundation.
“It is not the command’s policy to force anyone to bow their heads and clasp their hands to pray,” said Patrick Jones, Fort Jackson Public Affairs Officer. “The Army fully recognizes all faiths or lack there of”.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Bullied by Anti-bullying Media: Candidate Santorum
In typical hypocritical fashion, the pro-homosexual liberals who label Christians as bullies for quoting the Bible regarding the sinfulness of homosexual behavior, loved NBC's Saturday Night Live parody skit that bullied presidential candidate, and conservative Roman Catholic Rick Santorum.
-- From "Santorum calls SNL sketch 'bullying'" by Justin Sink, The Hill 10/17/11
[In the skit,] Actors playing contenders Herman Cain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney were seated at the [debate] table, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry was placed in the corner of the set, Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) was banished to a parking garage, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) were put a broom closet, and Santorum in "a crowded gay bar in the Castro district of San Francisco."
Although Santorum, played by Andy Samberg, had only a limited roll in the sketch, he was portrayed as upset and uncomfortable.
Santorum has been a frequent target of gay-advocacy groups, who have denounced his stances on gay marriage and the repeal of the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Last month, the candidate said that the gay community had "gone out on a jihad" against him for his stance against gay marriage.
"I welcome the criticism, go ahead. I'm going to stand up for the values that made this country great," Santorum said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Santorum calls SNL sketch 'bullying'" by Justin Sink, The Hill 10/17/11
[In the skit,] Actors playing contenders Herman Cain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney were seated at the [debate] table, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry was placed in the corner of the set, Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) was banished to a parking garage, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) were put a broom closet, and Santorum in "a crowded gay bar in the Castro district of San Francisco."
Although Santorum, played by Andy Samberg, had only a limited roll in the sketch, he was portrayed as upset and uncomfortable.
Santorum has been a frequent target of gay-advocacy groups, who have denounced his stances on gay marriage and the repeal of the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Last month, the candidate said that the gay community had "gone out on a jihad" against him for his stance against gay marriage.
"I welcome the criticism, go ahead. I'm going to stand up for the values that made this country great," Santorum said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
'Gay Hate Crimes' Against Christians Planned
U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle ruled that the name and address of every Washington state resident who signed the Referendum 71 petition to repeal the state homosexual partnership law be published, and immediately the homosexualists announced that they will place the list on the Internet for quick searching to locate "the nearest homophobe" to target.
UPDATE 10/21/11: After complete database is released to the public, Secretary of State stops further distribution (as if it matters, after "the horse is out of the barn")
UPDATE (related) 8/17/12: Homosexualists' Terrorist Attack on Christians in D.C.
-- From "Gay Rights Group Says It Will Publish R-71 Petition Signers Names" by Austin Jenkins, KUOW 94.9FM Puget Sound Public Radio 10/18/11
Referendum 71 was a failed effort by opponents of gay marriage to repeal Washington's "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law. Now, following a protracted legal battle, a federal judge has ordered the petitions be made public.
[Homosexual activist] "Know Thy Neighbor" plans to publish the 130,000-plus names in an online searchable database. The group has done this before in Arkansas, Florida and Massachusetts.
Director Tom Lang says it allows gay people and their allies to search for individual signers they know and confront them.
[Protect Marriage Washington attorney James Bopp Jr. said,] "Well, our plan is to do everything we can do to protect people's right to participate in our democratic process without being subject to death threats and threats of violence and actual violence."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Washington to ID Voters Who Fought Gay Rights" by June Williams, Courthouse News Service 10/18/11
Referendum 71 attempted to overturn a 2009 Washington law that granted domestic partners all the rights of married couples. Offered the choice between accepting or rejecting the new law, voters approved it, 53-47 percent.
In the weeks after the referendum, several groups requested copies of the R-71 petition, which Protect Marriage used to place the referendum on the ballot. The initiative's conservative supporters sued Washington in 2009 to keep the names of 137,000 people who signed its petition secret, saying the release under the Washington's Public Records Act violated the their civil rights and there was a "reasonable probability" that signees would be harassed.
After a federal judge initially blocked the release, the 9th Circuit overturned in October 2009. But a temporary block authorized by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy kept the names under wraps for another eight months as the justices considered oral arguments. In June 2010, the court ruled 8-1 to release the signatures, leaving open the possibility that threats posed to petition signers could warrant an exception to the Public Records Act.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "State releases Referendum 71 petition names" by Mike Baker, Associated Press 10/17/11
The Washington State Archives provided a DVD to The Associated Press on Monday showing the 138,000 signatures for Referendum 71. The disclosure came just a few hours after a federal judge ruled that the signers are unlikely to face harassment.
Opponents of the law that expanded gay partnership rights managed to get enough signatures in 2009 to force a vote on the issue. They had pushed in court to keep the names of petition supporters private, arguing that it was a contentious issue and that people could be threatened.
An attorney for the group plans to appeal the decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "No Harm in Disclosing Petitioner Names, Court Rules" by Sam Favate, Wall Street Journal 10/19/11
Remember that petition you signed protesting people who don’t clean up after their dogs? Or the one to demand that George Lucas release the original, unaltered Star Wars films on Blu-ray? Well, if you thought you were signing them in complete anonymity, think again.
Supporters of the petition to force a vote on the law appealed to halt the release, claiming that reprisals, vandalism and death threats could result, but U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle rejected that, holding there was no “reasonable probability” of reprisals, threats or harassment.
Meanwhile, a Massachusetts-based gay rights group called “Know Thy Neighbor” has said they will publish the names online with a month, KUOW reported. The group, which has published names in an online searchable database concerning similar matters in Arkansas, Florida and Massachusetts, said doing so allows gay people and supporters to find signers they know and talk to them about the issues.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Names of those opposing domestic partner law are given to the public" by Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times 10/18/11
Even as backers of the referendum filed an appeal to try to get the release halted -- fearing that job reprisals, vandalism and death threats could be the result -- the state on Tuesday was giving out lists of the 137,500 names to anyone who wanted them.
Washington's secretary of state, Sam Reed, who has long argued that the state law requires disclosure, called the court's ruling “a victory for transparency and open disclosure in our state's referendum and initiative process.”
But those arguing to keep the signatures secret said Settle appeared to discount threats that were more than theoretical. Lawyers said they documented a number of cases in which signers whose names became public were subjected to death threats, harassment and vandalism.
“People around here need to understand the bullying tactics of the homosexual left,” [Protect Marriage Washington lawyer Stephen Pidgeon] said. “There's no other group like it. If a pastor talks about alcoholism, alcoholics don't get together and threaten to kill him. The only people that show up and want to burn the church down and kill the pastor are the homosexuals.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Militant Homosexualists Vandalize Illinois Christian Academy
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.
"The whole family was in the dining room, and her son fielded the call, an anonymous call. The guy said, 'I'm going to kill you and your whole family,'"For background, read Path for Christian Persecution by Homosexualists: Supreme Court and also read Same-sex 'Marriage' Advocates Encourage Harassment of Arkansas Voters as well as Supreme Court Hears Gay Bullying of Traditionalists
UPDATE 10/21/11: After complete database is released to the public, Secretary of State stops further distribution (as if it matters, after "the horse is out of the barn")
UPDATE (related) 8/17/12: Homosexualists' Terrorist Attack on Christians in D.C.
-- From "Gay Rights Group Says It Will Publish R-71 Petition Signers Names" by Austin Jenkins, KUOW 94.9FM Puget Sound Public Radio 10/18/11
Referendum 71 was a failed effort by opponents of gay marriage to repeal Washington's "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law. Now, following a protracted legal battle, a federal judge has ordered the petitions be made public.
[Homosexual activist] "Know Thy Neighbor" plans to publish the 130,000-plus names in an online searchable database. The group has done this before in Arkansas, Florida and Massachusetts.
Director Tom Lang says it allows gay people and their allies to search for individual signers they know and confront them.
[Protect Marriage Washington attorney James Bopp Jr. said,] "Well, our plan is to do everything we can do to protect people's right to participate in our democratic process without being subject to death threats and threats of violence and actual violence."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Washington to ID Voters Who Fought Gay Rights" by June Williams, Courthouse News Service 10/18/11
Referendum 71 attempted to overturn a 2009 Washington law that granted domestic partners all the rights of married couples. Offered the choice between accepting or rejecting the new law, voters approved it, 53-47 percent.
In the weeks after the referendum, several groups requested copies of the R-71 petition, which Protect Marriage used to place the referendum on the ballot. The initiative's conservative supporters sued Washington in 2009 to keep the names of 137,000 people who signed its petition secret, saying the release under the Washington's Public Records Act violated the their civil rights and there was a "reasonable probability" that signees would be harassed.
After a federal judge initially blocked the release, the 9th Circuit overturned in October 2009. But a temporary block authorized by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy kept the names under wraps for another eight months as the justices considered oral arguments. In June 2010, the court ruled 8-1 to release the signatures, leaving open the possibility that threats posed to petition signers could warrant an exception to the Public Records Act.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "State releases Referendum 71 petition names" by Mike Baker, Associated Press 10/17/11
The Washington State Archives provided a DVD to The Associated Press on Monday showing the 138,000 signatures for Referendum 71. The disclosure came just a few hours after a federal judge ruled that the signers are unlikely to face harassment.
Opponents of the law that expanded gay partnership rights managed to get enough signatures in 2009 to force a vote on the issue. They had pushed in court to keep the names of petition supporters private, arguing that it was a contentious issue and that people could be threatened.
An attorney for the group plans to appeal the decision.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "No Harm in Disclosing Petitioner Names, Court Rules" by Sam Favate, Wall Street Journal 10/19/11
Remember that petition you signed protesting people who don’t clean up after their dogs? Or the one to demand that George Lucas release the original, unaltered Star Wars films on Blu-ray? Well, if you thought you were signing them in complete anonymity, think again.
Supporters of the petition to force a vote on the law appealed to halt the release, claiming that reprisals, vandalism and death threats could result, but U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle rejected that, holding there was no “reasonable probability” of reprisals, threats or harassment.
Meanwhile, a Massachusetts-based gay rights group called “Know Thy Neighbor” has said they will publish the names online with a month, KUOW reported. The group, which has published names in an online searchable database concerning similar matters in Arkansas, Florida and Massachusetts, said doing so allows gay people and supporters to find signers they know and talk to them about the issues.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Names of those opposing domestic partner law are given to the public" by Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times 10/18/11
Even as backers of the referendum filed an appeal to try to get the release halted -- fearing that job reprisals, vandalism and death threats could be the result -- the state on Tuesday was giving out lists of the 137,500 names to anyone who wanted them.
Washington's secretary of state, Sam Reed, who has long argued that the state law requires disclosure, called the court's ruling “a victory for transparency and open disclosure in our state's referendum and initiative process.”
But those arguing to keep the signatures secret said Settle appeared to discount threats that were more than theoretical. Lawyers said they documented a number of cases in which signers whose names became public were subjected to death threats, harassment and vandalism.
“People around here need to understand the bullying tactics of the homosexual left,” [Protect Marriage Washington lawyer Stephen Pidgeon] said. “There's no other group like it. If a pastor talks about alcoholism, alcoholics don't get together and threaten to kill him. The only people that show up and want to burn the church down and kill the pastor are the homosexuals.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Militant Homosexualists Vandalize Illinois Christian Academy
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.
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