While Great Britain's former Prime Minister, and recent Roman Catholic convert, challenges the “entrenched” attitudes of the Pope on homosexuality, and argued that it is time for him to “rethink” his views, President Obama has named Harry Knox, a Pope-bashing homosexual activist, to his faith-based initiative.
UPDATE 2/3/10: Obama Adviser, Harry Knox, Stands by Statement That Pope Is 'Hurting People in the Name of Jesus'
-- From "Tony Blair tells the Pope: you're wrong on homosexuality" by Ruth Gledhill, The Times Religion Correspondent 4/8/09
Speaking to the gay magazine Attitude, the former Prime Minister, himself now a Roman Catholic, said that he wanted to urge religious figures everywhere to reinterpret their religious texts to see them as metaphorical, not literal, and suggested that in time this would make all religious groups accept gay people as equals.
In the interview Mr Blair spoke of a “quiet revolution in thinking” and implied that he believed the Pope to be out of step with the public.
“There are many good and great things the Catholic Church does, and there are many fantastic things this Pope stands for, but I think what is interesting is that if you went into any Catholic Church, particularly a wellattended one, on any Sunday here and did a poll of the congregation, you’d be surprised at how liberal-minded people were.” The faith of ordinary Catholics is rarely found “in those types of entrenched attitudes”, he said.
To read the entire, above article, CLICK HERE.
From "Obama Names Pope-Basher to Faith-Based Initiative Board" by Fred Lucas, Staff Writer CNSNews.com 4/6/09
President Barack Obama has named to the federal government’s faith-based initiative a gay-rights activist who, last month, described Pope Benedict XVI and certain Catholic bishops as “discredited leaders” because of their opposition to same-sex marriage.
Harry Knox, who is a newly appointed member of Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual activist group.
Knox told CNSNews.com that he “absolutely” stands by his criticism of the pope.
"The Pope needs to start telling the truth about condom use," Knox said on Monday, Apr. 6. "We are eager to help him do that. Until he is willing to do that and able, he's doing a great deal more harm than good -- not just in Africa but around the world. It is endangering people's lives.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Web site, the religion and faith program run by Knox has created “a weekly preaching resource that provides scriptural commentary to ministers and lay people interested in an ecumenical gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender perspective on the Bible."
The appointment of Knox advisory board makes a mockery of the faith-based program, said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League.
“This is exactly the kind of bastardization of common sense that the Obama people are putting forth,” Donohue told CNSNews.com. “Quite frankly, I would prefer to see the entire faith-based initiative closed down. They’re going to use this as political capital in the Obama administration to say, ‘We reach out to people of faith.’ The whole thing is a sham.”
Conservatives have already expressed concern that Obama’s faith-based advisory council is heavy with liberal activists, such as the Rev. Jim Wallis, the Rev. Otis Moss Jr. and Rabbi David N. Saperstein, among other left-leaning clergy on the council who have advocated for more social spending, less restrictive immigration policies and more environmental regulations. Some council members have been avid supporters of abortion rights, gay marriage, and keeping a strict separation of church and state.
To read the entire, above article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 5/8/09
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Texas Christian University Provides Homosexual-designated Housing
TCU is apparently the first campus in the state to reserve housing for gay students and straight students who support them.
UPDATE 4/13/09: Public uproar persuades TCU to reconsider
-- From "TCU to provide special housing for gay, lesbian students" by Holly K. Hacker, The Dallas Morning News 4/7/09
Like many colleges, TCU offers themed housing, called "learning communities," in addition to traditional dorms or apartments. For instance, there's the Green House, for students who care about the environment. The Language and International Living House, for those who want to master another language.
The idea is that students "are able to live with and near other students who have similar interests," TCU spokeswoman Lisa Albert said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 4/13/09: Public uproar persuades TCU to reconsider
-- From "TCU to provide special housing for gay, lesbian students" by Holly K. Hacker, The Dallas Morning News 4/7/09
Like many colleges, TCU offers themed housing, called "learning communities," in addition to traditional dorms or apartments. For instance, there's the Green House, for students who care about the environment. The Language and International Living House, for those who want to master another language.
The idea is that students "are able to live with and near other students who have similar interests," TCU spokeswoman Lisa Albert said.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Feds Fund Group Indoctrinating Children on Homosexuality
A group that has received more than $16 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the past 15 years maintains Web sites that advise young people on how to decide if they are gay, how to come out to their parents and getting active in causes ranging from abortion to "comprehensive" sex education.
-- From "Federally Funded Group Advises Teens on How to Decide if They Are Gay" by Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer CNSNews.com 4/7/09
Advocates for Youth is a non-profit group that describes itself as an “organization dedicated to creating programs that help young people ages 13 to 24 years old to make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.”
Its main Web site contains many pages of advice and information about sexuality. The Web site also includes “tool kits” and “lesson plans” for “youth, parents, professionals and press and policymakers,” including a “heterosexual questionnaire” to give “straight people an opportunity to experience the types of questions that are often asked of gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual people.”
“Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?” one question asks. “If you have never slept with a member of your own sex, is it possible that you might be gay if you tried it?” another asks.
Advocates for Youth hosts several other Web sites for what it calls ongoing “projects,” including http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/ for teens, http://www.youthresource.com/, for “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth,” and http://www.mysistahs.org/ for “young women of color.”
Under “abortion,” the Web site says: “The Roe decision legalized abortion nationwide over 35 years ago. But state to state, far right conservative politicians and activists have continued to chip away at the right to choose, especially where young women are concerned. You may never experience an unwanted pregnancy. But no young woman, anywhere, should be forced to seek out an illegal, dangerous procedure or carry a pregnancy she didn’t want to term. We can fight back against conservative attacks on the right to choose.”
Under “condoms” it says: “Social conservatives continue to wage war on condoms, limiting their availability and compromising public confidence in their effectiveness. They have censored information on condoms on government Web sites. They have severely restricted funds for condom information and access in developing countries. And they have spent $1.5 billion on failed abstinence-only programs which discuss condoms only in terms of failure rates. But it’s not just politics – as a culture we sometimes stigmatize condoms. … And some youth don’t carry condoms because they think it shows they intend to have sex or are promiscuous.”
The Web site says that abstinence-only programs “often encourage stereotypical gender roles, use scare tactics, blur religion and science, and contain factual errors, like saying that HIV can be spread through sweat and tears.” It asks: “Why do so many conservative politicians feel that without our consent or input, young people should be subjected to moral judgments, inaccurate information, and censorship?”
The Web site features a downloadable brochure entitled: “I Think I Might Be Gay, Now What Do I Do? A Brochure by and For Young Men” The brochure reassures male teens that homosexuality is “normal,” refers them to the “Young Adult” section of public libraries to learn more about homosexuality, and suggests they can call “a gay hotline” from a “phone booth” to get more information.
The group’s youthresource.com Web site, includes a “Faith and Spirituality” section that provides links to pro-homosexual “religious” Web sites. The section features an essay by a young woman, which says in part, “But we live in a country where religious groups have dominated the discussion about what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). Now that I am working in communities of faith that are open to my sexual orientation, I feel that it is my duty to spread awareness that accepting communities exist.”
A spokesperson for Advocates for Youth told CNSNews.com that the federal funding the organization receives is not used for any of its Web sites, but she did not respond to repeated e-mails and phone requests over a period of more than one week seeking more specific information about what the federal funds the group receives are used for.
Be sure to CLICK HERE and read all of this article.
-- From "Federally Funded Group Advises Teens on How to Decide if They Are Gay" by Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer CNSNews.com 4/7/09
Advocates for Youth is a non-profit group that describes itself as an “organization dedicated to creating programs that help young people ages 13 to 24 years old to make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.”
Its main Web site contains many pages of advice and information about sexuality. The Web site also includes “tool kits” and “lesson plans” for “youth, parents, professionals and press and policymakers,” including a “heterosexual questionnaire” to give “straight people an opportunity to experience the types of questions that are often asked of gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual people.”
“Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?” one question asks. “If you have never slept with a member of your own sex, is it possible that you might be gay if you tried it?” another asks.
Advocates for Youth hosts several other Web sites for what it calls ongoing “projects,” including http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/ for teens, http://www.youthresource.com/, for “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth,” and http://www.mysistahs.org/ for “young women of color.”
Under “abortion,” the Web site says: “The Roe decision legalized abortion nationwide over 35 years ago. But state to state, far right conservative politicians and activists have continued to chip away at the right to choose, especially where young women are concerned. You may never experience an unwanted pregnancy. But no young woman, anywhere, should be forced to seek out an illegal, dangerous procedure or carry a pregnancy she didn’t want to term. We can fight back against conservative attacks on the right to choose.”
Under “condoms” it says: “Social conservatives continue to wage war on condoms, limiting their availability and compromising public confidence in their effectiveness. They have censored information on condoms on government Web sites. They have severely restricted funds for condom information and access in developing countries. And they have spent $1.5 billion on failed abstinence-only programs which discuss condoms only in terms of failure rates. But it’s not just politics – as a culture we sometimes stigmatize condoms. … And some youth don’t carry condoms because they think it shows they intend to have sex or are promiscuous.”
The Web site says that abstinence-only programs “often encourage stereotypical gender roles, use scare tactics, blur religion and science, and contain factual errors, like saying that HIV can be spread through sweat and tears.” It asks: “Why do so many conservative politicians feel that without our consent or input, young people should be subjected to moral judgments, inaccurate information, and censorship?”
The Web site features a downloadable brochure entitled: “I Think I Might Be Gay, Now What Do I Do? A Brochure by and For Young Men” The brochure reassures male teens that homosexuality is “normal,” refers them to the “Young Adult” section of public libraries to learn more about homosexuality, and suggests they can call “a gay hotline” from a “phone booth” to get more information.
The group’s youthresource.com Web site, includes a “Faith and Spirituality” section that provides links to pro-homosexual “religious” Web sites. The section features an essay by a young woman, which says in part, “But we live in a country where religious groups have dominated the discussion about what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). Now that I am working in communities of faith that are open to my sexual orientation, I feel that it is my duty to spread awareness that accepting communities exist.”
A spokesperson for Advocates for Youth told CNSNews.com that the federal funding the organization receives is not used for any of its Web sites, but she did not respond to repeated e-mails and phone requests over a period of more than one week seeking more specific information about what the federal funds the group receives are used for.
Be sure to CLICK HERE and read all of this article.
IL Pharmacists Winning Legal Battle over 'Morning-after' Pill
Sangamon County, Illinois Circuit Judge John Belz issued a temporary restraining order halting the governor's order forcing pharmacists to dispense the Plan B and other abortion-inducing drugs.
-- From "Ill. can't force dispensing 'morning-after' pill" Associated Press 4/6/09
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in December that the pharmacists' case must be heard. The court decided then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who issued a rule in 2005 ordering pharmacies to dispense the so-called "morning-after" pill, had made statements indicating there would be no exceptions.
Belz is the same judge who sided with the state and dismissed the lawsuit filed in 2005 by Luke VanderBleek and Glenn Kosirog, who own five northern Illinois pharmacies between them.
"You cannot enact a law that targets people because of their religious objection," Manion said Monday.
The restraining order applies only to VanderBleek's and Kosirog's pharmacies. But Francis Manion of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing the pharmacists, doubts the state would enforce the rule elsewhere before the case is decided.
Manion expects a hearing Belz's court in June.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Ill. can't force dispensing 'morning-after' pill" Associated Press 4/6/09
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in December that the pharmacists' case must be heard. The court decided then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who issued a rule in 2005 ordering pharmacies to dispense the so-called "morning-after" pill, had made statements indicating there would be no exceptions.
Belz is the same judge who sided with the state and dismissed the lawsuit filed in 2005 by Luke VanderBleek and Glenn Kosirog, who own five northern Illinois pharmacies between them.
"You cannot enact a law that targets people because of their religious objection," Manion said Monday.
The restraining order applies only to VanderBleek's and Kosirog's pharmacies. But Francis Manion of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing the pharmacists, doubts the state would enforce the rule elsewhere before the case is decided.
Manion expects a hearing Belz's court in June.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Swedish Study Shows Oral Sex Causes Cancer
Patients with HPV in mouth likely to get tonsil cancer - rates skyrocket since 1970s
UPDATE 1/22/16: Oral Sex Causes Head & Neck Cancer, HPV Study Shows
-- From "Researchers suspect oral sex to blame for rise in tonsil cancer" by Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY 4/3/09
The incidence of tonsil cancer has tripled in the city of Stockholm since the 1970s and doctors at the world-famous Karolinska Institute there think they know why.
Oral sex. Or perhaps French kissing. And changes in sexual behavior that took place 20 or 30 years ago, says Tina Dalianis, a professor of tumor virology at Karolinska.
Her research has directly linked the increase in tonsil cancers to the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 different types of HPV, some of which cause cancer. One, for example, is responsible for 99.7% of all cervical cancers.
“It’s an epidemic,” she says.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Given how the media harp on health concerns unceasingly, it's odd that these studies involving health effects of oral cancer are not widely reported.
UPDATE 1/22/16: Oral Sex Causes Head & Neck Cancer, HPV Study Shows
-- From "Researchers suspect oral sex to blame for rise in tonsil cancer" by Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY 4/3/09
The incidence of tonsil cancer has tripled in the city of Stockholm since the 1970s and doctors at the world-famous Karolinska Institute there think they know why.
Oral sex. Or perhaps French kissing. And changes in sexual behavior that took place 20 or 30 years ago, says Tina Dalianis, a professor of tumor virology at Karolinska.
Her research has directly linked the increase in tonsil cancers to the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 different types of HPV, some of which cause cancer. One, for example, is responsible for 99.7% of all cervical cancers.
“It’s an epidemic,” she says.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Given how the media harp on health concerns unceasingly, it's odd that these studies involving health effects of oral cancer are not widely reported.
Monday, April 06, 2009
New Hate Crimes Bill by IL Congressman Mark Kirk
Christian organizations are warning constituents of a potential stealth attack on their faith in Congress with the launch of another "hate crimes" law, similar to a previous measure adopted with only minutes' notice.
Illinois residents, click here to E-mail your congressman.
UPDATE 4/28/09: Congressman Mark Kirk's Feverish Defense of Thought Crimes Legislation
-- From "Federal legislation providing resources for law enforcement to combat hate violence introduced in House" by Human Rights Campaign, Out in America Newswire 4/3/09
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed [Wednesday] the re-introduction of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act [HR 1913], which would provide local police and sheriff's departments with federal resources to combat hate violence. After more than a decade of lobbying on Capitol Hill and seven successful votes on the bill, this critical piece of legislation was introduced with bipartisan support by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI) and Mark Kirk (R-IL).
The LLEHCPA gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
For extensive background on "Hate Crimes" laws in America and around the world, CLICK HERE.
From "Congress resurrecting 'hate crimes' plan?" by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily 4/2/09
. . . Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas . . . said [hate crimes law] would allow prosecutors to "go after a minister … who says [sexual] relations outside of the marriage of a man and a woman are wrong."
The congressman says if there is a crime, and the suspect says he was inspired by a minister, the preacher suddenly also would be a defendant in the crime.
Tony Perkins of FRC Action . . . emphasized that the scenario explained by Gohmert not only is possible but probable.
"How would it happen? A federal 'hate crimes' law prohibiting 'bodily injury' could be construed by many law enforcement officials and judges to include words that inflict emotional or psychological distress," he said. "That means an 'offended' homosexual could accuse a religious broadcaster … a pastor … Sunday School teacher … or other individual of causing emotional injury simply by expressing the biblical view that homosexual behavior is morally wrong and unhealthy.
"That's all it could take to trigger a wave of federal prosecutions and begin an era of censorship like America has never seen!" he warned.
WND reported, during Obama's inauguration, his agenda was posted on the WhiteHouse website where he listed federal "hate crimes" laws as his second priority.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Illinois residents, click here to E-mail your congressman.
UPDATE 4/28/09: Congressman Mark Kirk's Feverish Defense of Thought Crimes Legislation
-- From "Federal legislation providing resources for law enforcement to combat hate violence introduced in House" by Human Rights Campaign, Out in America Newswire 4/3/09
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed [Wednesday] the re-introduction of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act [HR 1913], which would provide local police and sheriff's departments with federal resources to combat hate violence. After more than a decade of lobbying on Capitol Hill and seven successful votes on the bill, this critical piece of legislation was introduced with bipartisan support by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI) and Mark Kirk (R-IL).
The LLEHCPA gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
For extensive background on "Hate Crimes" laws in America and around the world, CLICK HERE.
From "Congress resurrecting 'hate crimes' plan?" by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily 4/2/09
. . . Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas . . . said [hate crimes law] would allow prosecutors to "go after a minister … who says [sexual] relations outside of the marriage of a man and a woman are wrong."
The congressman says if there is a crime, and the suspect says he was inspired by a minister, the preacher suddenly also would be a defendant in the crime.
Tony Perkins of FRC Action . . . emphasized that the scenario explained by Gohmert not only is possible but probable.
"How would it happen? A federal 'hate crimes' law prohibiting 'bodily injury' could be construed by many law enforcement officials and judges to include words that inflict emotional or psychological distress," he said. "That means an 'offended' homosexual could accuse a religious broadcaster … a pastor … Sunday School teacher … or other individual of causing emotional injury simply by expressing the biblical view that homosexual behavior is morally wrong and unhealthy.
"That's all it could take to trigger a wave of federal prosecutions and begin an era of censorship like America has never seen!" he warned.
WND reported, during Obama's inauguration, his agenda was posted on the WhiteHouse website where he listed federal "hate crimes" laws as his second priority.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
New Episcopal Divinity President: Abortion a Blessing
In a sermon, the new head of the school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, also said that the people who run abortion clinics are "heroes" and "saints."
-- From "Abortion rights activist named Episcopal Divinity School leader" by Michael Paulson, Boston Globe 4/5/09
Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge on Monday announced that the Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale will be its new president, succeeding Bishop Steven Charleston, who resigned last year. Ragsdale is the vicar of St. David's Church in Pepperell, but is best known as an abortion rights activist who has sat on the boards of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. She is the president of Political Research Associates, a liberal think tank.
She is also openly gay in a denomination that is facing schism over its approval of an openly gay priest, V. Gene Robinson, as the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortion is a blessing and abortionists are doing holy work, says Anglican priest" by Damian Thompson, [London] Telegraph 4/2/09
Ms Ragsdale, speaking in Birmingham, Alabama, said that "when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion - there is not a tragedy in sight - only blessing."
[Excerpts from the sermon:]
. . . [concerning] my fellow clergy. Too often even those who support us can be heard talking about abortion as a tragedy. Let's be very clear about this:
When a woman wants a child but can't afford one because she hasn't the education necessary for a sustainable job, or access to health care, or day care, or adequate food, it is the abysmal priorities of our nation, the lack of social supports, the absence of justice that are the tragedies; the abortion is a blessing.
And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion - there is not a tragedy in sight -- only blessing. The ability to enjoy God's good gift of sexuality without compromising one's education, life's work, or ability to put to use God's gifts and call is simply blessing.
I want to thank all of you who protect this blessing - who do this work every day: the health care providers, doctors, nurses, technicians, receptionists, who put your lives on the line to care for others (you are heroes -- in my eyes, you are saints); the escorts and the activists; the lobbyists and the clinic defenders; all of you. You're engaged in holy work.
To read the full sermon, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Abortion rights activist named Episcopal Divinity School leader" by Michael Paulson, Boston Globe 4/5/09
Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge on Monday announced that the Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale will be its new president, succeeding Bishop Steven Charleston, who resigned last year. Ragsdale is the vicar of St. David's Church in Pepperell, but is best known as an abortion rights activist who has sat on the boards of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. She is the president of Political Research Associates, a liberal think tank.
She is also openly gay in a denomination that is facing schism over its approval of an openly gay priest, V. Gene Robinson, as the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
From "Abortion is a blessing and abortionists are doing holy work, says Anglican priest" by Damian Thompson, [London] Telegraph 4/2/09
Ms Ragsdale, speaking in Birmingham, Alabama, said that "when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion - there is not a tragedy in sight - only blessing."
[Excerpts from the sermon:]
. . . [concerning] my fellow clergy. Too often even those who support us can be heard talking about abortion as a tragedy. Let's be very clear about this:
When a woman wants a child but can't afford one because she hasn't the education necessary for a sustainable job, or access to health care, or day care, or adequate food, it is the abysmal priorities of our nation, the lack of social supports, the absence of justice that are the tragedies; the abortion is a blessing.
And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion - there is not a tragedy in sight -- only blessing. The ability to enjoy God's good gift of sexuality without compromising one's education, life's work, or ability to put to use God's gifts and call is simply blessing.
I want to thank all of you who protect this blessing - who do this work every day: the health care providers, doctors, nurses, technicians, receptionists, who put your lives on the line to care for others (you are heroes -- in my eyes, you are saints); the escorts and the activists; the lobbyists and the clinic defenders; all of you. You're engaged in holy work.
To read the full sermon, CLICK HERE.
U.N. Commission Says "NO" to Abortion in Document
Only the representative of Norway expressed regret that the term “sexual and reproductive rights” was not accepted in the text, saying that his country had widespread access to abortion and virtually no negative effects on women.
-- From "UN Commission on Population and Development Ends with Delegations Saying No to Abortion" by Samantha Singson, LifeSiteNews.com 4/3/09
As the sun rose on the last day of negotiations at the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at the United Nations (UN) [Friday], delegations were still embroiled in a contentious debate over language concerning “sexual and reproductive health and rights,” which some radical NGOs and UN committees have interpreted and used to promote abortion. As UN member states came together at the closing meeting to adopt the document, delegations took the floor to define abortion out of the document.
Up until the eleventh hour, the contentious term “sexual and reproductive health and rights” remained in the draft document. Just prior to adoption, Iran took the floor to object to the phrase which has never before been included in any negotiated UN document. Iran stressed that the term remained problematic for a number of delegations and urged the Commission to revert back to previously agreed upon and carefully negotiated language from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Program of Action, which is understood not to create any right to abortion.
In an attempt to get consensus, the chairwoman from Mexico suspended the meeting and after twenty minutes, returned to the room and announced that Iran’s proposal would be accepted and that the term “sexual and reproductive health and rights” would be removed from the text. The document was then adopted by consensus.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "UN Commission on Population and Development Ends with Delegations Saying No to Abortion" by Samantha Singson, LifeSiteNews.com 4/3/09
As the sun rose on the last day of negotiations at the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at the United Nations (UN) [Friday], delegations were still embroiled in a contentious debate over language concerning “sexual and reproductive health and rights,” which some radical NGOs and UN committees have interpreted and used to promote abortion. As UN member states came together at the closing meeting to adopt the document, delegations took the floor to define abortion out of the document.
Up until the eleventh hour, the contentious term “sexual and reproductive health and rights” remained in the draft document. Just prior to adoption, Iran took the floor to object to the phrase which has never before been included in any negotiated UN document. Iran stressed that the term remained problematic for a number of delegations and urged the Commission to revert back to previously agreed upon and carefully negotiated language from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Program of Action, which is understood not to create any right to abortion.
In an attempt to get consensus, the chairwoman from Mexico suspended the meeting and after twenty minutes, returned to the room and announced that Iran’s proposal would be accepted and that the term “sexual and reproductive health and rights” would be removed from the text. The document was then adopted by consensus.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Christians Snooze as Same-sex 'Marriage' Sweeps Nation
While homosexual advocates are concentrating on the destruction of marriage in all of New England by 2012, the Iowa Supreme Court’s approval of same-sex marriage on Friday is "icing on the cake."
Time is running out; there's ONE way to preserve marriage: A federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Oops! Too late - UPDATE 5/9/13: 'Gay Marriage' Sweeps New England
-- From "A Push Is On for Same-Sex Marriage Rights Across New England" by Abby Goodnough, New York Times 4/5/09
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex marriage since 2004, and Connecticut began allowing it last fall. The Vermont Legislature just voted to let same-sex couples marry, and supporters hope to gather enough votes to override a veto promised by Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican.
New Hampshire is not far behind; its House of Representatives approved a same-sex marriage bill last month. The legislatures in Maine and Rhode Island are considering their own versions, though they are not as far along in the process.
Across New England, advocacy groups have been raising money, training volunteers and lobbying voters and lawmakers as part of a campaign they call “Six by Twelve,” led by the legal advocacy group that persuaded the Supreme Courts in Massachusetts and Connecticut to allow same-sex marriage in 2003 and 2008.
As in most New England states, voters in Iowa cannot initiate constitutional amendments, a common strategy for blocking same-sex marriage elsewhere.
And at least six states outside New England (Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Washington) have same-sex marriage bills before their legislatures this year . . .
Critics say the success of the movement in New England is largely because courts and legislatures, not voters, are making the decisions. Voters have approved constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in 26 states since the Massachusetts law, a landmark, took effect; the constitutions of four other states also limit marriage to heterosexuals.
New England is also the least religious region of the country . . .
“We have a very methodical way of going out and training folks in the communities on this as their own personal issue,” said [Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine], who has a staff of 10 full-time field organizers. “They talk to their family and neighbors and co-workers, whether they are gay or straight, about how important it is for everyone to have access to marriage.”
“Every time we talk about this issue we break down barriers,” said State Representative James Splaine of New Hampshire, an openly gay Democrat who sponsored the bill that will now move to the State Senate. “And if we are not successful this year, we will be eventually.”
New England is “probably considered nutty by a lot of the country,” said Gary Buseck, legal director for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, and so the Iowa decision could have more national resonance.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Time is running out; there's ONE way to preserve marriage: A federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Oops! Too late - UPDATE 5/9/13: 'Gay Marriage' Sweeps New England
-- From "A Push Is On for Same-Sex Marriage Rights Across New England" by Abby Goodnough, New York Times 4/5/09
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex marriage since 2004, and Connecticut began allowing it last fall. The Vermont Legislature just voted to let same-sex couples marry, and supporters hope to gather enough votes to override a veto promised by Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican.
New Hampshire is not far behind; its House of Representatives approved a same-sex marriage bill last month. The legislatures in Maine and Rhode Island are considering their own versions, though they are not as far along in the process.
Across New England, advocacy groups have been raising money, training volunteers and lobbying voters and lawmakers as part of a campaign they call “Six by Twelve,” led by the legal advocacy group that persuaded the Supreme Courts in Massachusetts and Connecticut to allow same-sex marriage in 2003 and 2008.
As in most New England states, voters in Iowa cannot initiate constitutional amendments, a common strategy for blocking same-sex marriage elsewhere.
And at least six states outside New England (Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Washington) have same-sex marriage bills before their legislatures this year . . .
Critics say the success of the movement in New England is largely because courts and legislatures, not voters, are making the decisions. Voters have approved constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in 26 states since the Massachusetts law, a landmark, took effect; the constitutions of four other states also limit marriage to heterosexuals.
New England is also the least religious region of the country . . .
“We have a very methodical way of going out and training folks in the communities on this as their own personal issue,” said [Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine], who has a staff of 10 full-time field organizers. “They talk to their family and neighbors and co-workers, whether they are gay or straight, about how important it is for everyone to have access to marriage.”
“Every time we talk about this issue we break down barriers,” said State Representative James Splaine of New Hampshire, an openly gay Democrat who sponsored the bill that will now move to the State Senate. “And if we are not successful this year, we will be eventually.”
New England is “probably considered nutty by a lot of the country,” said Gary Buseck, legal director for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, and so the Iowa decision could have more national resonance.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Secular Media Hide Illinois Pro-life Victory
God's blessing in Illinois this week (defeat of pro-abortion legislation) has been virtually ignored by all media (other than Christian sources), despite prior mainstream media coverage
Legislators withdraw their sponsorship after citizens' public protest
-- From "Illinois Version of Radical, Pro-Abortion Freedom of Choice Act Defeated" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 4/3/09
The Illinois version of the radical Freedom of Choice Act that Congress may eventually consider has been defeated. Today [April 3rd] was the last day for the state House to vote on the bill, known as the Reproductive Health and Access Act, and it failed to do so.
House Bill 2354 will not be called for a vote today [April 3rd] and, as a result, it will die for the legislative session. Abortion advocates will have to file the bill again next session for it to be considered once more.
"All our hard work has paid off," Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League, one of the pro-life groups working to defeat the bill, told LifeNews.com. "The phone calls, letters, petitions and protests sent a crystal clear message to our state representatives."
Though the state version is dead for now, the federal FOCA bill is still a concern.
A spokesman for Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat who is chairman of a House Judiciary subcommittee that could consider the bill, said last month the bill is forthcoming.
FOCA would make legal all abortions throughout pregnancy for any reason and overturn hundreds of pro-life laws in every state across the country.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Legislators withdraw their sponsorship after citizens' public protest
-- From "Illinois Version of Radical, Pro-Abortion Freedom of Choice Act Defeated" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 4/3/09
The Illinois version of the radical Freedom of Choice Act that Congress may eventually consider has been defeated. Today [April 3rd] was the last day for the state House to vote on the bill, known as the Reproductive Health and Access Act, and it failed to do so.
House Bill 2354 will not be called for a vote today [April 3rd] and, as a result, it will die for the legislative session. Abortion advocates will have to file the bill again next session for it to be considered once more.
"All our hard work has paid off," Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League, one of the pro-life groups working to defeat the bill, told LifeNews.com. "The phone calls, letters, petitions and protests sent a crystal clear message to our state representatives."
Though the state version is dead for now, the federal FOCA bill is still a concern.
A spokesman for Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat who is chairman of a House Judiciary subcommittee that could consider the bill, said last month the bill is forthcoming.
FOCA would make legal all abortions throughout pregnancy for any reason and overturn hundreds of pro-life laws in every state across the country.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Pro-lifers Assaulted at Abortion Clinic
Abortion clinic owner and supporter allegedly launch into a racist rant against sidewalk counselors -- hate crimes complaints filed in U. S. District Court.
-- From "Anti-abortion protesters allege hate crimes" by Russell Working, [Chicago] Tribune Company 4/3/09
Internet videos purport to show a man who lives near the Northern Illinois Women's Center [in Rockford, Illinois] demonstrating his support for the [abortion] facility by abusing protesters, repeatedly using the N-word, homophobic slurs and other abuse.
A lawyer for the building owner said he had nothing to do with the rant by a citizen, identified in court papers as Rockford resident Keith A. Sterkeson, who allegedly expressed support for the clinic by insulting, hitting and shoving the protesters, and warning that his dog might bite them.
The complaint accuses Webster of being in cahoots with Sterkeson. In one of the videos, a voice the protesters allege is Webster's comes on a loudspeaker to warn Sterkeson away after protesters call the police. Brejcha said Webster has encouraged Sterkeson in the past.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Anti-abortion protesters allege hate crimes" by Russell Working, [Chicago] Tribune Company 4/3/09
Internet videos purport to show a man who lives near the Northern Illinois Women's Center [in Rockford, Illinois] demonstrating his support for the [abortion] facility by abusing protesters, repeatedly using the N-word, homophobic slurs and other abuse.
A lawyer for the building owner said he had nothing to do with the rant by a citizen, identified in court papers as Rockford resident Keith A. Sterkeson, who allegedly expressed support for the clinic by insulting, hitting and shoving the protesters, and warning that his dog might bite them.
"You are a degenerate and empty skull, thinking Jesus is going to save you," Sterkeson said on the videotape. "You're a n-----. Your mother was a n----."The protesters were not black, but that doesn't mean they can't be victims of hate crimes, said Tom Brejcha, chief counsel for the Thomas More Society, which is representing the plaintiffs.
The complaint accuses Webster of being in cahoots with Sterkeson. In one of the videos, a voice the protesters allege is Webster's comes on a loudspeaker to warn Sterkeson away after protesters call the police. Brejcha said Webster has encouraged Sterkeson in the past.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Congress Advancing Homosexuality in Schools
This is education reform?! New legislation advocates celebration of the disruptive, indoctrinating "Day of Silence" in schools for the normalization of homosexual behavior of children
Read about this week's House Concurrent Resolution 92
Illinois residents, click here to E-mail your congressman
-- From "National Day of Silence fights violence and discrimination against gay youth" Out In America Newswire 4/2/09
Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) re-introduced a resolution to highlight the National Day of Silence, a day in which students from around the country take a vow of silence to bring attention to the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) name-calling, bullying and harassment faced in schools by students, teachers and other school staff.
The Day of Silence, coordinated nationally by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), will be on April 17, 2009 this year. Over 500,000 students from nearly 6,500 junior high and high schools in all 50 states and Puerto Rico have participated over the years.
"Sadly, violence and discrimination against LGBT youth is all-too-common in American schools. It is a national disgrace that students feel threatened in school simply because of their sexual orientation," said Rep. Engel. "As a former public school teacher, I am proud to introduce this resolution. Americans need to know that thousands of children each day go to school deprived of a happy adolescence because of the insensitivity and cruelty shown by some fellow students, teachers, staff and parents."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Parents: Oppose the "Day of Silence" on April 17, 2009 -- Read the details
Read about this week's House Concurrent Resolution 92
Illinois residents, click here to E-mail your congressman
-- From "National Day of Silence fights violence and discrimination against gay youth" Out In America Newswire 4/2/09
Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) re-introduced a resolution to highlight the National Day of Silence, a day in which students from around the country take a vow of silence to bring attention to the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) name-calling, bullying and harassment faced in schools by students, teachers and other school staff.
The Day of Silence, coordinated nationally by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), will be on April 17, 2009 this year. Over 500,000 students from nearly 6,500 junior high and high schools in all 50 states and Puerto Rico have participated over the years.
"Sadly, violence and discrimination against LGBT youth is all-too-common in American schools. It is a national disgrace that students feel threatened in school simply because of their sexual orientation," said Rep. Engel. "As a former public school teacher, I am proud to introduce this resolution. Americans need to know that thousands of children each day go to school deprived of a happy adolescence because of the insensitivity and cruelty shown by some fellow students, teachers, staff and parents."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Parents: Oppose the "Day of Silence" on April 17, 2009 -- Read the details
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Intelligentsia Fear Critique of Darwin in Texas Schools
In the wake of the recent Texas education standards revision, hard-line Darwinists express concern that the change allows teachers and students to perform critical scientific analysis of the origins of mankind
-- From "Texas Schools Face the Evolution Debate" by Eddy RamÃrez & Jessica Calefati, U.S. News & World Report 3/30/09
Texas's State Board of Education voted Friday to alter the state's science curriculum and drop a standard that critics say undermined proper teaching of evolution in the classroom for the past 20 years, the Associated Press reports.
The standard, which mandated instruction about the "strengths and weaknesses" of scientific theories, indirectly allowed instructors to teach evolutionary theory alongside intelligent design, a belief that an intelligent being created life on Earth. The new standard approved by state educators encourages students to scrutinize "all sides" of scientific theories, a compromise that still disappoints some pro-evolution scholars. The board also adopted a series of slight curricular changes that critics say unnecessarily encourage debate about key pieces of evolutionary theory, like natural selection and common ancestry.
From "Evolutionary Semantics, Texas-Style" Editorial, New York Times 3/31/09
[The Texas debate] was a struggle to insert into the state science standards various phrases and code words that may seem innocuous or meaningless at first glance but could open the door to doubts about evolution. In the most ballyhooed vote, those like us who support the teaching of sound science can claim a narrow victory.
At the end of a tense, confusing three-day meeting, Darwin’s critics claimed that this and other compromise language amounted to a huge victory that would still allow their critiques into textbooks and classrooms. One can only hope that teachers in Texas will use common sense and teach evolution as scientists understand it.
From "Texas forges compromise over creationism" © 2009 WorldNetDaily 3/30/09
The language is an improvement, according to the Discovery Institute, on the old language calling for study of "strengths and weaknesses" in scientific fields. The new standard calls for students "in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations so as to encourage critical thinking by the student."
Texas becomes the seventh state to specifically require in its science standards that students critically analyze key aspects of evolutionary theory, joining Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Missouri, South Carolina, and Alabama. Two other states, Louisiana and Mississippi, have adopted legislation protecting the academic freedom of teachers and students to discuss scientific evidence critical of Darwin's theory.
Since Texas is the second largest textbook market in the nation, after California, the decision could impact the content of textbooks used nationwide.
Casey Luskin, a lawyer for the Discovery Institute, said Texas now has the "strongest standards in the country."
. . . the standards do not call for teaching creationism or intelligent design in science classrooms, only that students study science but keep the right to "critique" it.
Board member Ken Mercer of San Antonio had suggested even stronger language, saying those who subscribe to evolutionary theory were trying to suppress discussion of anything that doesn't support Darwin's theory.
Kenneth Miller, a biology teacher at Brown University and noted opponent of intelligent design: "The theory of evolution has no weaknesses."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Texas Schools Face the Evolution Debate" by Eddy RamÃrez & Jessica Calefati, U.S. News & World Report 3/30/09
Texas's State Board of Education voted Friday to alter the state's science curriculum and drop a standard that critics say undermined proper teaching of evolution in the classroom for the past 20 years, the Associated Press reports.
The standard, which mandated instruction about the "strengths and weaknesses" of scientific theories, indirectly allowed instructors to teach evolutionary theory alongside intelligent design, a belief that an intelligent being created life on Earth. The new standard approved by state educators encourages students to scrutinize "all sides" of scientific theories, a compromise that still disappoints some pro-evolution scholars. The board also adopted a series of slight curricular changes that critics say unnecessarily encourage debate about key pieces of evolutionary theory, like natural selection and common ancestry.
From "Evolutionary Semantics, Texas-Style" Editorial, New York Times 3/31/09
[The Texas debate] was a struggle to insert into the state science standards various phrases and code words that may seem innocuous or meaningless at first glance but could open the door to doubts about evolution. In the most ballyhooed vote, those like us who support the teaching of sound science can claim a narrow victory.
At the end of a tense, confusing three-day meeting, Darwin’s critics claimed that this and other compromise language amounted to a huge victory that would still allow their critiques into textbooks and classrooms. One can only hope that teachers in Texas will use common sense and teach evolution as scientists understand it.
From "Texas forges compromise over creationism" © 2009 WorldNetDaily 3/30/09
The language is an improvement, according to the Discovery Institute, on the old language calling for study of "strengths and weaknesses" in scientific fields. The new standard calls for students "in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations so as to encourage critical thinking by the student."
Texas becomes the seventh state to specifically require in its science standards that students critically analyze key aspects of evolutionary theory, joining Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Missouri, South Carolina, and Alabama. Two other states, Louisiana and Mississippi, have adopted legislation protecting the academic freedom of teachers and students to discuss scientific evidence critical of Darwin's theory.
Since Texas is the second largest textbook market in the nation, after California, the decision could impact the content of textbooks used nationwide.
Casey Luskin, a lawyer for the Discovery Institute, said Texas now has the "strongest standards in the country."
. . . the standards do not call for teaching creationism or intelligent design in science classrooms, only that students study science but keep the right to "critique" it.
Board member Ken Mercer of San Antonio had suggested even stronger language, saying those who subscribe to evolutionary theory were trying to suppress discussion of anything that doesn't support Darwin's theory.
Kenneth Miller, a biology teacher at Brown University and noted opponent of intelligent design: "The theory of evolution has no weaknesses."
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
George Washington Urged American Governors to Imitate Christ
At the close of the American Revolution in 1783, Gen. George Washington composed a circular letter to the governors of all the states urging them to imitate "that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion."
To read the article, CLICK HERE.
To read the article, CLICK HERE.
Obama Nominates 'Bizarre' Pro-abortionist for Justice
The nominee believes that any restriction to abortion is "disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude, prohibited by the Thirteenth Amendment, in that forced pregnancy requires a woman to provide continuous physical service to the fetus . . ."
-- From "Storm Clouds Gather Over Obama Nominees" by Neil A. Lewis, New York Times 3/31/09
. . . Mr. Obama’s first selection for a federal appeals court seat, David F. Hamilton, and his choice to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, Dawn Johnsen. (By coincidence, the two are in-laws.)
Ms. Johnsen . . . a lawyer with the National Abortion Rights Action League . . . said forcing a woman to bear a child when she had no desire to do so was “disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude.”
. . . at her confirmation hearing on Feb. 25 [Senator] Specter suggested that she had said abortion rights should be protected by the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Ms. Johnsen replied that the footnote had made a suggestion of an analogy and that it had mentioned the amendment, but that she had never “believed the 13th Amendment had any role” in the abortion issue.
From "Johnsen's Pro-Abortion Rationale Bizarre" by Ann Shibler, The New American 3/31/09
Johnsen has been only too clear about where her extremist pro-abortion sympathies and philosophy lie. She once served as legal director for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), the most proactive, abortion-promoting organization in the nation. Before NARAL, she worked in the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, and also served in the Department of Justice under President Clinton.
In a 1989 case, Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Johnsen, in footnote 23 of a filed brief, stated:
Johnsen is a promoter of an aggressive liberal pro-abort agenda that has nothing to do with reality or the Constitution, but everything to do with Obama’s redefining of what government is — and will be.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Storm Clouds Gather Over Obama Nominees" by Neil A. Lewis, New York Times 3/31/09
. . . Mr. Obama’s first selection for a federal appeals court seat, David F. Hamilton, and his choice to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, Dawn Johnsen. (By coincidence, the two are in-laws.)
Ms. Johnsen . . . a lawyer with the National Abortion Rights Action League . . . said forcing a woman to bear a child when she had no desire to do so was “disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude.”
. . . at her confirmation hearing on Feb. 25 [Senator] Specter suggested that she had said abortion rights should be protected by the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Ms. Johnsen replied that the footnote had made a suggestion of an analogy and that it had mentioned the amendment, but that she had never “believed the 13th Amendment had any role” in the abortion issue.
From "Johnsen's Pro-Abortion Rationale Bizarre" by Ann Shibler, The New American 3/31/09
Johnsen has been only too clear about where her extremist pro-abortion sympathies and philosophy lie. She once served as legal director for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), the most proactive, abortion-promoting organization in the nation. Before NARAL, she worked in the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, and also served in the Department of Justice under President Clinton.
In a 1989 case, Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Johnsen, in footnote 23 of a filed brief, stated:
"The woman is constantly aware for nine months that her body is not wholly her own; the state has conscripted her body for its own ends.... [Abortion restrictions] reduce pregnant women to no more than fetal containers."[In response to Senator Specter's questioning] she responded:
Uh — In footnote 23, I found, makes, um, um, a suggestion that there may be an analogy, um, between, not what the article said, pregnancy, which I’ve been blessed with twice and have two wonderful sons, but forced childbirth. This is a brief that I filed arguing that the right to privacy protects, um the right of women and their families to make these choices and that Roe v. Wade should be upheld, which is in 1989. I made no Thirteenth Amendment argument. I can state categorically: I do not believe the Thirteenth Amendment is relevant at all. It was a straight Fourteenth Amendment argument.[Ms. Johnsen has written:]
The argument that women who become pregnant have in some sense consented to the pregnancy belies reality ... and others who are the inevitable losers in the contraceptive lottery no more “consent” to pregnancy than the pedestrians “consent” to being struck by drunk drivers.This also from the amicus brief she authored in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. She added, “The experience [of abortion] is no longer traumatic; the response of most women to the experience is relief.”
Johnsen is a promoter of an aggressive liberal pro-abort agenda that has nothing to do with reality or the Constitution, but everything to do with Obama’s redefining of what government is — and will be.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
IL Grassroots Promise to Oust Pro-Abortion Legislators
Illinois voters are taking to the streets and the media to show their opposition to any type of "freedom of choice" abortion legislation, such as IL House Bill 2354.
UPDATE 4/3/09: Legislators remove sponsorship, bill defeated!
-- From "Bill heats up abortion debate" by Brian Slupski, Northwest Herald 3/30/09
Pending legislation that deals with sex education and what information patients receive has mobilized both sides of the abortion issue in McHenry County [Illinois].
Supporters say that the Reproductive Health and Access Act guarantees that people have accurate information related to health care options and provides for comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education. Opponents say the legislation would compromise religious freedoms and lead to taxpayer funded abortions.
Opponents held a prayer vigil and picketed 63rd District State Rep. Jack Franks’ Woodstock office Saturday.
Catholic church leaders also are speaking out against the legislation.
Joliet Catholic Bishop J. Peter Sartain, in a letter to church members, took issue with how the law deals with doctors who conscientiously object to abortion or other reproductive health issues.
“Our state should be defending our freedom of religion, not requiring individual citizens to defend their right to that freedom,” Sartain wrote.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
From "Dump Beaubien"a letter to the editor by Thomas G. Salvi, MD - Northwest Herald 3/29/09
Rep. Mark Beaubien, R-District 52 . . . is not only supporting HB 2354, he’s co-sponsoring this terrible bill. With this bill, health care professionals may be forced against their own conscience to provide access to abortion, there will be elimination of parental notification of abortion, partial birth abortions will be legal, and taxpayers will be forced to fund abortions. Illinois is in a fiscal crisis, and this Republican is advocating expansion of government to include forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for a procedure that is viscerally offensive to most Americans.
Beaubien’s support of HB 2354 is offensive to any fiscal conservative and immoral to any social conservative. As a physician, I find it also contrary to the Hippocratic Oath. It’s time for Republicans to dump Beaubien.
McHenry County Illinois voters demonstrated Saturday at the office of state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Distr. 63) urging him to drop his co-sponsorship of HB 2354.
UPDATE 4/3/09: Legislators remove sponsorship, bill defeated!
-- From "Bill heats up abortion debate" by Brian Slupski, Northwest Herald 3/30/09
Pending legislation that deals with sex education and what information patients receive has mobilized both sides of the abortion issue in McHenry County [Illinois].
Supporters say that the Reproductive Health and Access Act guarantees that people have accurate information related to health care options and provides for comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education. Opponents say the legislation would compromise religious freedoms and lead to taxpayer funded abortions.
Opponents held a prayer vigil and picketed 63rd District State Rep. Jack Franks’ Woodstock office Saturday.
Catholic church leaders also are speaking out against the legislation.
Joliet Catholic Bishop J. Peter Sartain, in a letter to church members, took issue with how the law deals with doctors who conscientiously object to abortion or other reproductive health issues.
“Our state should be defending our freedom of religion, not requiring individual citizens to defend their right to that freedom,” Sartain wrote.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
From "Dump Beaubien"a letter to the editor by Thomas G. Salvi, MD - Northwest Herald 3/29/09
Rep. Mark Beaubien, R-District 52 . . . is not only supporting HB 2354, he’s co-sponsoring this terrible bill. With this bill, health care professionals may be forced against their own conscience to provide access to abortion, there will be elimination of parental notification of abortion, partial birth abortions will be legal, and taxpayers will be forced to fund abortions. Illinois is in a fiscal crisis, and this Republican is advocating expansion of government to include forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for a procedure that is viscerally offensive to most Americans.
Beaubien’s support of HB 2354 is offensive to any fiscal conservative and immoral to any social conservative. As a physician, I find it also contrary to the Hippocratic Oath. It’s time for Republicans to dump Beaubien.
McHenry County Illinois voters demonstrated Saturday at the office of state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Distr. 63) urging him to drop his co-sponsorship of HB 2354.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Obama Administration: Homosexual Military on Hold
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the military has too much on its plate right now to alter the policy of relieving openly gay service members from duty.
UPDATE 3/31/09: Obama "supports eventual repeal" of current policy
UPDATE 4/08/09: 1,050 retired military officers, including 47 four-star leaders, sign letter to Obama requesting homosexual ban be retained
-- From "Administration Delays Change to Military's 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' Policy" by Bill Sammon, FOXNews.com 3/29/09
A change to the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays in the military will be delayed despite promises by the Obama administration to overturn the rule, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.
In January, President Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, was asked whether his boss would overturn "don't ask, don't tell.” Gibbs' reply . . . "You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's 'Yes,'" Gibbs said.
But Gates now says the Pentagon will continue to enforce the existing policy, which bars service members from proclaiming their sexual orientation and commanding officers from asking about it. However, the policy states that if it becomes known that a service member is gay, he or she is to be removed from the military.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 3/31/09: Obama "supports eventual repeal" of current policy
UPDATE 4/08/09: 1,050 retired military officers, including 47 four-star leaders, sign letter to Obama requesting homosexual ban be retained
-- From "Administration Delays Change to Military's 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' Policy" by Bill Sammon, FOXNews.com 3/29/09
A change to the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays in the military will be delayed despite promises by the Obama administration to overturn the rule, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.
In January, President Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, was asked whether his boss would overturn "don't ask, don't tell.” Gibbs' reply . . . "You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's 'Yes,'" Gibbs said.
But Gates now says the Pentagon will continue to enforce the existing policy, which bars service members from proclaiming their sexual orientation and commanding officers from asking about it. However, the policy states that if it becomes known that a service member is gay, he or she is to be removed from the military.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Hillary Receives Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger Award
In accepting the award, Obama's envoy to the world equated pro-life advocacy to anti-democratic belief that "often leads to violence and extremism."
-- From "Clinton honored for support of women's rights" Associated Press 3/28/2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says reproductive rights as well as women's rights and empowerment are key issues in President Barack Obama's foreign policy.
Clinton vowed her support for these issues during a speech Friday evening at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's national conference in Houston.
She was honored by Planned Parenthood with its Margaret Sanger Award, the organization's highest honor, for her work throughout her public service career on behalf of women's health and reproductive rights.
Clinton says these rights are building blocks of democracy as societies that deny and demean women's roles are ones more likely to engage in behavior that is negative, antidemocratic and that leads to violence and extremism.
From "Hillary Says Pro-Life Is Anti-Democratic, and the Papers Only Say She 'Champions Women's Rights'?" by Tim Graham, NewsBusters.com 3/29/09
Excerpts from Hillary's acceptance speech:
The 20th century reproductive rights movement, really embodied in the life and leadership of Margaret Sanger, was one of the most transformational in the entire history of the human race. It has changed the lives of tens of millions of women. It has changed attitudes and perceptions about women and our roles in society. It ushered in demographic and social changes that have brought us closer to gender equality than at any time....
So it often is important to remember what is most basic in any of our lives. The ability to plan a family and to raise healthy children is certainly at the core of that. Ensuring that women have that freedom will be the policy of this Administration. (Applause.) And there isn't any organization in the world with a reputation for caring so much and doing so much and being so courageous or truly being a valorous organization in the tradition as a woman of valor.
A society that denies and demeans women's roles and rights is a society that is more likely to engage in behavior that is negative, anti-democratic, and which often leads to violence and extremism.
To read more Hillary excerpts and a commentary, CLICK HERE.
Homeschool: Constitutional Amendment Protecting Parental Rights
The amendment "would clearly outline in the U.S. Constitution that parents, not government or any other organization, have a fundamental right to raise their children as they see fit."
-- From "Who will raise kids: Mom, Dad or state?" by Drew Zahn © 2009 WorldNetDaily 3/29/09
[Consider] the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, an internation treaty approved by the Clinton administration but stalled by opposition in the Senate, as one example of governmental attempts to infringe on parental rights.
Though efforts to pass a constitutional amendment protecting parental rights have failed in the past, two U.S. legislators are preparing to reintroduce the idea this week; and this time, they say, the effort is backed by more than 60 congressional members.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., who introduced a parental rights amendment by himself last year, told the Agence France-Presse that he will be joined by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., on Tuesday as they renew the fight.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "Who will raise kids: Mom, Dad or state?" by Drew Zahn © 2009 WorldNetDaily 3/29/09
[Consider] the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, an internation treaty approved by the Clinton administration but stalled by opposition in the Senate, as one example of governmental attempts to infringe on parental rights.
Though efforts to pass a constitutional amendment protecting parental rights have failed in the past, two U.S. legislators are preparing to reintroduce the idea this week; and this time, they say, the effort is backed by more than 60 congressional members.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., who introduced a parental rights amendment by himself last year, told the Agence France-Presse that he will be joined by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., on Tuesday as they renew the fight.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Federal Judge Orders "Plan B" Pill to Younger Teens
U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman in New York ordered the FDA to reconsider its 2006 decision to deny girls younger than 18 access to the morning-after pill Plan B without a prescription.
-- From "FDA Ordered to Rethink Age Restriction for Plan B"By Rob Stein, Washington Post Staff Writer 3/24/09
In his 52-page decision, Korman repeatedly criticized the FDA's handling of the issue, agreeing with allegations in a lawsuit that the [2006] decision was "arbitrary and capricious" and influenced by "political and ideological" considerations imposed by the Bush administration.
Plan B consists of higher doses of a hormone found in many standard birth-control pills. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it has been shown to be highly effective at preventing pregnancy.
Conservative Congress members and advocacy groups . . . questioned the drug's safety and argued that wider availability could encourage sexual activity and make it easier for men to have sex with underage girls. They also maintain that Plan B can cause the equivalent of an abortion.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
-- From "FDA Ordered to Rethink Age Restriction for Plan B"By Rob Stein, Washington Post Staff Writer 3/24/09
In his 52-page decision, Korman repeatedly criticized the FDA's handling of the issue, agreeing with allegations in a lawsuit that the [2006] decision was "arbitrary and capricious" and influenced by "political and ideological" considerations imposed by the Bush administration.
Plan B consists of higher doses of a hormone found in many standard birth-control pills. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it has been shown to be highly effective at preventing pregnancy.
Conservative Congress members and advocacy groups . . . questioned the drug's safety and argued that wider availability could encourage sexual activity and make it easier for men to have sex with underage girls. They also maintain that Plan B can cause the equivalent of an abortion.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
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