L.A. Episcopal Church Elects Lesbian as Bishop

Among a field of six candidates, ECUSA clergy and lay leaders of the Diocese of Los Angeles elevated a woman engaged in a 21-year sexually deviant lifestyle to its highest ordained ministry, as leader of 70,000 churchgoers.

UPDATE 12/7/09: Episcopal Church USA 'Thumbs Nose' at Anglican Communion

-- From "L.A. Episcopal Diocese elects openly gay bishop" by Larry B. Stammer and Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times 12/6/09

[Mary D.] Glasspool's election to fill one of two openings for suffragan, or assistant, bishop followed the selection Friday of the Rev. Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce, 53, the rector of a San Clemente church.

The two became the first women elected as bishops of the diocese in its 114-year history.

Glasspool is the first openly gay priest to be elected bishop since the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire in 2003.

Robinson's election threw the church and the Anglican Communion into an uproar, prompting the members of dozens of conservative parishes and four dioceses to vote to leave the church. It also led to the moratorium on additional gay bishops.

The Rev. Kendall Harmon, canon theologian for the South Carolina diocese, said in a statement that Saturday's decision "represents an intransigent embrace of a pattern of life Christians throughout history and the world have rejected as against biblical teaching. . . . It will continue to do damage to the Anglican Communion and her relationship with our ecumenical partners."

Members of the four breakaway [ECUSA] dioceses and some of the dissident parishes aligned themselves with conservative Anglican bishops in Africa and South America.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Calif. Judge Labels Christian Parents 'Bigots'

Parents simply want the right to be notified in advance of homosexual indoctrination at school, and to opt-out their children, at Alameda Unified School District

-- From "Judge Slams Parents as “Bigots” for Opposing Gay Curriculum" by Pacific Justice Institute, Defending Rights 12/2/09

[Pacific Justice Institute] Chief Counsel Kevin Snider argued in Alameda Superior Court today on behalf of parents seeking to enforce a provision of the California Education Code that gives parents the right to opt their kids out of health education. Alameda Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch lambasted the parents, repeatedly insinuating that they are bigots and insisting there can be no homosexual indoctrination because people are born that way. The judge equated a view contrary to his own with creationism and called both false.

The legal battle over Alameda's anti-bullying curriculum has intensified in recent weeks. Leading up to today's hearing, attorneys for the school district grilled parents in depositions about their religious beliefs. Parents were asked numerous questions about church attendance, sermons they had heard against homosexuality, and whether they were aware that the Bible had been used to defend racism and oppression.

PJI Chief Counsel Kevin Snider commented on today's hearing, "We believe that this ruling against parents is inconsistent with the Education Code, and we are looking forward to continuing this battle until opt-out rights are restored on appeal, or the curriculum is changed." Snider emphasized that the parents who filed suit support comprehensive anti-bullying instruction; however, they oppose the current elementary curriculum that focuses almost exclusively on homosexuality. School records released by Alameda Unified School District show that bullying based on race and gender is far more prevalent in AUSD than sexual orientation harassment.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Palin's Special Child Threatens Abortionists

. . . her decision to carry to term her Down syndrome child established a special relationship with anti-abortion activists, and now . . . the leading figure of the anti-abortion movement.

-- From "Palin, anti-abortion star" by Ben Smith, Politico 12/4/09

. . . the most striking evidence of her son’s impact has been Palin’s book tour promoting her memoir, “Going Rogue.” As she descends from her tour bus or private jet to meet her fans, 19-month-old Trig has been a conspicuous presence — and generated a huge response. “There’s a lot of people who come through the line to see Trig instead of to see her,” says Jason Recher, a campaign aide who remained close to Palin and is now accompanying her on her book tour.

And those people, says Greg Mueller, a veteran anti-abortion political operative and former spokesman for Pat Buchanan, are getting a powerful message. “She’s going out there as a pro-life woman to say that there’s great joy in special-needs kids — and that we shouldn’t be aborting them.”

Though the anti-abortion movement remains strong and deeply rooted on the right, the recent conservative resurgence has been driven by anti-government sentiment — not by the abortion battle. Palin’s own ability to infuriate and delight often has more to do with her notions of patriotism and her views of the White House than with her place in the abortion wars. But Trig is part of what makes Palin so singular among conservative leaders.

Palin’s increased focus on abortion rights, an aide said, was driven by the passionate response to Trig during the final days of John McCain's presidential campaign.

[Abortionists'] antipathy to her is based on the belief that she should have had an abortion rather than bearing her son.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Sarah Palin Witnesses Faith to America

Sarah Palin said the United States should rededicate itself to seeking God’s will, arguing that a humble spirit could help leaders get more answers on issues such as health care, energy and national security.

Click here to see more video from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

(Compare these Palin comments to the joint statement by America's Christian leaders.)

-- From "Sarah Palin meets with Billy Graham, calls for more Godly America" by News Services, St. Louis Post Dispatch 12/4/09

The video was released Friday by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the 2008 Republican candidate for vice president said, “No one person has all the right answers. It takes a united nation, and it does take godly counsel, and it takes prayer and answers to prayer -- and a collective humble heart of a nation seeking God’s hand of protection and his blessings of prosperity. I think if we can get back to that, our country will be a safer, more prosperous and healthier nation.”

The former Alaska governor referred to an Abraham Lincoln proclamation that declared a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer.

She said the United States has been “touched by God” because the nation’s early leaders dedicated the country to God.

“If we could get back to that -- that humbleness, with that kind of contrite spirit -- I think that we would be able to be provided more of the answers to so many of the great challenges that we’re facing,” Palin said. “And these are huge challenges, whether we’re talking about health care, whether we’re talking about energy independence, whether we’re talking about national security measures.”

Billy Graham said . . . “I, like many people, have been impressed with her strong commitment to her faith, to family and love of country.”

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Calif. Principal Admits to Homosexual Indoctrination

When contacted by the media concerning parental complaints, the school administration re-grouped and stated that a teacher, inappropriately, arranged for a pro-gay organization to teach students, all without the knowledge of the principal.

-- From "California Junior High Principal Apologizes For Not Warning Parents About Pro-Homosexual Program for 8th Graders" by Penny Starr, CNSNews Senior Staff Writer 12/3/09

The principal and a teacher at Goleta Valley Junior High School in Santa Barbara County, California are apologizing to parents for not following school district policy relating to a pro-homosexual workshop given to 8th grade students in a leadership class at the school.

The controversial workshop was presented by “Just Communities Central Coast” in three, 45-minute sessions over three days. It included handouts defining homosexual terminology, including queer and transgender, and listed “heterosexism” as “oppression that ‘pushes down’ people who are LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning) and ‘pushes up’ people who are straight.”

The handout defines sexual orientation this way: “Refers to who we feel romantically and sexually attracted to and who we fall in love with.”

One page featuring cartoon-like figures and entitled “Gender & Sexuality Definitions: A Visual Map,” depicts a person's body with the heart area labeled as “sexual orientation” and the genital area labeled as “sex.”

A page entitled “Heterosexism” asks students to answer a three-part question: “How are LGBTQ people discriminated against or mistreated in the United States, in your local community and in your school?”

To read the entire extensive documentation of the indoctrination, including parents' comments, CLICK HERE.

Senate Leader Harry Reid Suddenly Claims Pro-life Mantle

Pro-life senators are optimistic that the Senate health care bill will fully limit federal funding of abortion, given Reid's new statement (apparently he's noticed the latest polls showing most Americans are pro-life).

-- From "Harry Reid Responds to Critics of Abortion Funding in Senate Health Care Bill by Saying He Opposes Abortion" by Karen Schuberg, CNSNews.com 12/3/09

In an interview with CNSNews.com on Nov. 1, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said, “. . . I believe Harry Reid would be on our [pro-life] side on this.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), author of the Senate health-care bill that permits taxpayer dollars to go to insurance plans which cover abortion, responded to letters protesting the abortion funding in the bill with a letter of his own saying that he opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when there is a threat to the life of the mother.

Reid’s health-care reform bill, which he released Nov. 18, allows the public option to include abortion coverage, permits federal subsidies to go to private insurance plans that cover abortion, and even mandates that the secretary of health and human services make certain that at least one insurance plan available in the insurance exchange where people will buy insurance with federal subsidies covers abortion. The abortion language in Reid's bill mirrors the abortion language that was in the House health care bill before it was superceded by an amendment sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak (D.-Mich.) that prohibits any tax dollars from going to health insurance plans that cover abortion.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

New York Senate Votes Down Same-sex Marriage Bill

Homosexual 'marriage' advocates were stunned today as the Democrat majority chose not to redefine marriage, despite receiving massive funding from the gay lobby.

-- From "New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill" by Jeremy W. Peters, The New York Times 12/2/09

The New York State Senate decisively rejected a bill on Wednesday that would have allowed gay couples to wed, providing a major victory for those who oppose same-sex marriage and underscoring the deep and passionate divisions surrounding the issue.

The 38-to-24 vote startled proponents of the bill and signaled that political momentum, at least right now, had shifted against same-sex marriage, even in heavily Democratic New York. It followed more than a year of lobbying by gay rights organizations, who steered close to $1 million into New York legislative races to boost support for the measure.

Senators who voted against the measure said the public was gripped by economic anxiety and remained uneasy about changing the state’s definition of marriage.

The defeat, which followed a stirring, tearful and at times very personal debate, all but ensures that the issue is dead in New York until at least 2011, when a new Legislature will be installed.

Senators who are considered politically vulnerable also voted almost uniformly against the bill, including four first-term Democrats. All but one of those whose districts border or lie within the 23rd Congressional District, where the marriage issue erupted in a recent special election, opposed it. In that race, a Republican who supported gay marriage withdrew after an uproar from conservatives in her district.

The state’s Roman Catholic bishops had consistently lobbied for its defeat, however, and after the vote released a statement applauding the move.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Obama & Homosexualists Conspire to Defeat Marriage Nationwide

The Obama administration has repeatedly promised to the homosexualists that it would work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), but its Justice Department is defending DOMA against a Massachusetts lawsuit, blaming Congress for DOMA.

Illinois residents: Click here to E-mail your own congressman to oppose the repeal of DOMA (takes less than 60 seconds).

-- From "Marriage battleground shifts to Massachusetts" by Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer 12/1/09

On one side are gay and lesbian couples who can't file joint tax returns, receive their partners' Social Security benefits or enjoy other rights that the government grants to opposite-sex spouses. They are joined by the state of Massachusetts, which says it is being forced by federal law to become an accomplice to discrimination.

On the other side is the Obama administration, which says the law it is defending is wrongheaded but constitutional.

The 1996 statute, the Defense of Marriage Act, prohibits the federal government from granting marital benefits to same-sex couples. Another provision, not challenged in the Massachusetts case, allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in another state or nation.

The administration "believes that (the law) is discriminatory and supports its repeal," the Justice Department told the judge at U.S. District Court in Boston, where it will be decided if the case can proceed. But the Justice Department also said it will defend any federal law "as long as reasonable arguments can be made in support of its constitutionality." In this case, the department said, Congress was legally entitled "to provide benefits only to those who have historically been permitted to marry."

The Obama administration offered the same defense this year in answer to a California lawsuit that challenged the law, but that defense was never tested in court. Instead, a federal judge in Orange County dismissed the suit in August on the grounds that the plaintiffs, a gay couple, had previously filed suit in state court, which lacked jurisdiction.

The Massachusetts case is different. Assembled by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the group that won the 2003 case legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, and a battery of private lawyers, the suit features couples who have sought various federal spousal benefits - tax breaks, Social Security payments, employee health coverage - and have been turned down because of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Stanford law Professor Jane Schacter said both sides in the case have presented tightly focused arguments that steer the courts away from issues of gay rights and same-sex marriage, and toward state-federal relations and the scope of government authority.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Read about bill (click here) in Congress to repeal Defense of Marriage Act.

Atheists Step-up Recruiting during "Holidays"

The American Humanist Association [AHA] is expanding its “Godless Holiday” advertising campaign to five major American cities this Christmas -- taking its message of a holiday season without religion nationwide for the first time.

-- From "Let the publicity war begin: Atheists roll out new holiday ad" by John Kelly, Washington Post 11/24/09

. . . the American Humanist Association -- the atheistical folks who last year caused such a fuss when they plastered Metrobuses with ads that read: "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake."

This year's ads say: "No god? . . . No problem! Be good for goodness' sake." At the peak, 220 ads will run on Metro buses and 50 ads will run on Metro trains. With a $40,000 budget, the campaign has also bought ads on buses in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles -- plus a billboard in Idaho.

. . . The wording echoes a bumper sticker you might have seen: "No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Atheist Group Takes ‘Godless Holiday’ Campaign Nationwide" by Matt Cover, CNSNews Staff Writer 12/01/09

AHA spokesman Karen Frantz told CNSNews.com . . . that while the campaign was not trying to do away with religion entirely, it was trying to break the “stranglehold” religious institutions have on public policy.

The ad campaign, which emphasizes that people can be morally good without being religious, aims at stopping religious people who “enforce” their views on others, she said. “Too often religion is used to enforce a narrow version of morality onto others who don't necessarily share it.”

A pro-Christian conservative group, meanwhile, told CNSNews.com that despite the AHA’s anti-holy day message, religious Americans shouldn’t be intimidated – and have every right to continue to celebrate Christmas proudly. But Christians also shouldn’t treat the atheist campaign with contempt.

“People of faith should view the Humanist displays at this special -- even holy -- time of year, with compassion,” said Kristi Hamrick, president of the Campaign for Working Families and spokeswoman for Gary Bauer’s American Values.

“Because of the blessings of liberty we enjoy as Americans, they certainly have the right to their strident displays of antagonism to faith. But at this time of year when so many of us are thanking God for our blessings, especially the blessing of his only Son come to earth for us, we need to pray for them.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Homosexual Acts Now in Video Game for Christmas

A popular role-playing combat video game featuring graphic homosexual sex between a man and an elf has hit store shelves just in time for Christmas.

-- From "Dragon Age: Origins video game contains secret gay sex scene" by Matthew Moore, London Telegraph 11/24/09

The website GayGamer.net wrote: "With this bare-chested and unflinching portrayal, it feels as if the depiction of gay sex in video games has reached a new level of equal treatment.

"This is more than just a mincing gay pirate or an evasive fade-to-black: there's choreography, tenderness, humor and even an element of sexual politics to Zevran's post-coital conversation.

"Kudos to BioWare for adding a bit of a gay storyline to their game and for dealing with gay romance as even-handedly as they do the heterosexual options."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Players have dirty 'gay' sex in hit game" by Chelsea Schilling © 2009 WorldNetDaily 11/29/09

"Dragon Age: Origins," released Nov. 3 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, depicts two men in various sex positions in a secret scene of homosexual seduction.

The video cuts to a scene in which the two men are dirty, naked and kissing. They are depicted in various homosexual sex positions, and the clip concludes with the two nestling together and gazing into one another's eyes.

According to an Amazon description, the game also features moral dilemmas "offering no easy choices," where characters must "decide how to handle complex issues like murder, genocide, betrayal and the possession and sacrificing of children."

In another YouTube clip of a role-playing scene, a young boy possessed by a demon declares, "You'll never win! You'll never take him! He's mine!"

The child is slain, and a female demon with horns and a tail emerges from his corpse.

The game is now available at many retailers' locations and websites, including Wal-Mart's online store, Target stores, Best Buy, Amazon and eBay.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Teach Students: "America 'an oppressive hellhole'"

A program proposed at the University of Minnesota would result in required examinations of teacher candidates on "white privilege" as well as "remedial re-education" for those who hold the "wrong" views . . .

UPDATE 12/26/o9: University backtracks after watchdog pressure

UPDATE 12/10/09: Additional report with link to university report

-- From "They must denounce exclusionary biases and embrace the vision. (Or else.)" by Katherine Kersten, Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/22/09

Do you believe in the American dream -- the idea that in this country, hardworking people of every race, color and creed can get ahead on their own merits? If so, that belief may soon bar you from getting a license to teach in Minnesota public schools -- at least if you plan to get your teaching degree at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus.

In a report compiled last summer, the Race, Culture, Class and Gender Task Group at the U's College of Education and Human Development recommended that aspiring teachers there must repudiate the notion of "the American Dream" in order to obtain the recommendation for licensure required by the Minnesota Board of Teaching. Instead, teacher candidates must embrace -- and be prepared to teach our state's kids -- the task force's own vision of America as an oppressive hellhole: racist, sexist and homophobic.

The task group is part of the Teacher Education Redesign Initiative, a multiyear project to change the way future teachers are trained at the U's flagship campus. The initiative is premised, in part, on the conviction that Minnesota teachers' lack of "cultural competence" contributes to the poor academic performance of the state's minority students. Last spring, it charged the task group with coming up with recommendations to change this. In January, planners will review the recommendations and decide how to proceed.

To read the entire column above, CLICK HERE.

Response to above: "American Dream lives on at the U" Commentary by Jean K. Quam, Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/27/09

. . . The American Dream lives and thrives in the College of Education and Human Development.

We do not take a narrow view of who is an American and who can achieve the dream. We expect and require that teachers of the next half-century take a broad, balanced view of that dream.

To read the commentary above, CLICK HERE.

From "Teaching plan: America 'an oppressive hellhole'" by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily 11/27/09

[The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)], which promotes civil liberties on the campuses of America's colleges and universities, has dispatched a letter to University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks asking him to intervene to prevent the adoption of policies proposed in his College of Education and Human Development.

"The university's general counsel should be asked to comment as soon as possible," said the letter from Adam Kissel, an officer with FIRE. "If the Race, Culture, Class, and Gender Task Group achieves its stated goals, the result will be political and ideological screening of applicants, remedial re-education for those with the 'wrong' views and values, [and] withholding of degrees from those upon whom the university's political re-education efforts proved ineffective."

By any "nontotalitarian" standards, he wrote, the plans being made so far by the school are "severely unjust and impermissibly intrude into matters of individual conscience."

Kissel wrote that it appears that the university "intends to redesign its admissions process so that it screens out people with the 'wrong' beliefs and values – those who either do not have sufficient 'cultural competence' or those who the college judges will not be able to be converted to the 'correct' beliefs and values even after remedial re-education."

"These intentions violate the freedom of conscience of the university's students. As a public university bound by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the university is both legally and morally obligated to uphold this fundamental right," he wrote.

Among the issues discussed in the plans are requirements that teachers would be able to instruct students on the "myth of meritocracy" in the United States, "the history of demands for assimilation to white, middle-class, Christian meanings and values," and the "history of white racism."

"Here's the kicker," FIRE said in its report. "The college even realizes that its efforts to impose such a severe ideological litmus test may be unconstitutional."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Federal Court OKs Ban on Christmas from Schools

The 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has upheld a school district's ban on Christmas carols such as "Silent Night," "Joy to the World," "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" – and approved "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."

UPDATE 10/4/10: Supreme Court allows ban to stand, favoring a secular "inclusive environment" to celebrate Christmas

-- From "Appeals Court: School district can ban Christmas carols" by Philadelphia Inquirer Staff 11/25/09

"Certainly, those of us who were educated in the public schools remember holiday celebrations replete with Christmas carols, and possibly even Hanukkah songs, to which no objection had been raised," the court said in its ruling.

"Since then, the governing principles have been examined and defined with more particularity. Many decisions about how to best create an inclusive environment in public schools, such as those at issue here, are left to the sound discretion of the school authorities."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Out with Jesus, in with 'Frosty the Snowman'" by Chelsea Schilling © 2009 WorldNetDaily 11/29/09

In the Nov. 24 ruling the Third Circuit approved the school policy banning all religious Christmas music, including instrumentals, that had been part of the South Orange–Maplewood School District's Christmas program for years – until one parent complained.

Attorneys with the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Mich., argued to reverse a lower-court ruling affirming the policy. The firm argued the district's ban on religious music conveys a government-sponsored message of disapproval and hostility toward religion in violation of the Establishment Clause.

The complaint was filed on behalf of Michael Stratechuk and his children in the district. The ban deprived the Stratechuk children the right to receive information and ideas, the suit asserts, an inherent corollary of their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and academic freedom.

Thomas More Law Center attorney Robert Muise indicated the case is not over. Muise said he will ask the Third Circuit to rehear it on both substantive and procedural errors. If denied, the Law Center indicated it will most likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Atheist Recruiting on the Rise at Colleges

As the stigma of atheism has diminished, campus atheists and agnostics are coming out of the closet, fueling a sharp rise in the number of clubs like the 10-year-old group at Iowa State.

-- From "Atheist student groups flower on college campuses" by Eric Gorski, The Associated Press 11/22/09

Campus affiliates of the Secular Student Alliance, a sort of Godless Campus Crusade for Christ, have multiplied from 80 in 2007 to 100 in 2008 and 174 this fall, providing the atheist movement new training grounds for future leaders. In another sign of growing acceptance, at least three universities, including Harvard, now have humanist chaplains meeting the needs of the not-so-spiritual.

More than three-quarters of young adults taking part in the National Study of Youth and Religion profess a belief in God. But almost 7 percent fewer believe in God as young adults (ages 18 to 23) than did as teenagers, according to the study, which is tracking the same group of young people as they mature.

What young adults are less likely to believe in is religion. The number of those who describe themselves as "not religious" nearly doubled, to 27 percent, in young adulthood.

Growing hostility toward religion was found, too. About 1 in 10 young adults are "irreligious" - or actively against religion - after virtually none of them fit that description as teenagers.

At Iowa State, most of the club's roughly 30 members are "former" somethings, mostly Christians. Many stress that their lives are guided not by anti-religiousness, but belief in science, logic and reason.

When the ISU club began in 1999, it was mostly a discussion group. But it soon became clear that young people who leave organized religion miss something: a sense of community. So the group added movie and board-game nights and, more recently, twice-monthly Sunday brunches to the calendar.

Members also seek to engage their peers at Iowa State . . .

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Activist Calif. Judge Challenges Obama to Advance Gay Agenda

The ruling in San Francisco sidestepped the constitution to order health care benefits be instated for employee's "same-sex wife."

UPDATE 12/18/09: Obama administration defies judge and, again, trashes DOMA

-- From "California Judge Challenging Obama on Gay Rights" by Michael A. Lindenberger, Time Magazine 11/25/09

"The Office of Personnel Management shall cease at once its interference with the jurisdiction of this tribunal," wrote Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He gave the Administration 30 days to permit Karen Golinski, a lawyer employed by the Ninth Circuit, to include the woman she married under California law last year on her family health-insurance plan. "Some branch must have the final say on a law's meaning. At least as to laws governing judicial employees, that is entirely our duty and our province. We would not be a co-equal branch of government otherwise."

By issuing such a stern challenge to the power of the Executive Branch, Kozinski managed to do what even the most sweeping state-court constitutional decisions on gay marriage have not: put the issue of equal treatment for gays to President Barack Obama in a way he will find hard to ignore. The unusual order is only incidentally about gay rights — the judge sidestepped the constitutional question about gays entirely — and is instead a fiery defense of the rights of the judiciary to manage its own employees. But if the Administration chooses to fight the order, it will have to tread carefully to avoid looking to gay-rights advocates like it is waging war in defense of a statute — the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — that candidate Obama had said should be overturned.

Kozinski's order comes at an interesting time in the Ninth Circuit. It was matched last week by an order by a fellow judge on the appeals court, who ruled that Brad Levenson, a public defender working for the federal courts, was entitled to back pay to cover costs associated with buying separate insurance policies he purchased for Tony Sears, whom he married under California law before last year's Prop 8 made gay marriage illegal there. That state constitutional amendment will itself be on trial beginning in January, when a U.S. district judge in San Francisco will hold the first federal jury trial on whether the U.S. Constitution requires that gay couples be given the opportunity to be married. As chief judge of the circuit, Kozinski will then almost certainly hear the Prop 8 case when it goes on appeal.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Activist Federal Judge Defies Marriage Act

In a legal end-run around the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a federal judge . . . ordered compensation for a Los Angeles man denied federal employee benefits for his spouse because they are both men.

-- From "Judge orders compensation for gay couple who were denied healthcare, other benefits" by Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times 11/19/09

Skirting the Defense of Marriage Act, a 9th Circuit judge orders that a federal attorney be reimbursed the costs associated with the denial of coverage for his husband.

Brad Levenson, a lawyer with the federal public defender's office, had applied for and been denied healthcare coverage and other benefits for Tony Sears after their July 12, 2008, marriage. Same-sex marriage was legal in California for five months last year, until voters passed Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt had previously ruled the denial of benefits for Sears to be discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, a violation of state law and an unconstitutional denial of due process.

Reinhardt, who is responsible for resolving employee disputes for public defenders within the 9th Circuit, had ordered the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to process Levenson's application for spousal benefits. But the federal Office of Personnel Management stepped in to derail the enrollment, citing the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal government recognition of same-sex marriage.

Levenson appealed, seeking either an independently contracted benefits package for Sears or compensation for the costs they incurred in the absence of coverage. Reinhardt ordered the latter, based on a back pay provision in the law governing federal defenders' employment.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

More Americans Attribute Bible Verse Authorship to Obama

A Bible verse about caring for the poor and the oppressed was wrongly attributed by a majority of U.S. adults to celebrities, politicians and other prominent figures including President Obama, Oprah, Bono and Angelina Jolie.

-- From "Americans More Likely to Credit Obama for Verse on Justice than Bible" by Joshua A. Goldberg, Christian Post Reporter 11/24/09

Only 13 percent of Americans surveyed by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Bible Society was able to correctly credit the Bible as the source of Proverbs 31:8-9, the Contemporary English Version of which states: “You must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless.”

Fifty-four percent, meanwhile, credited the passage to other sources, with President Obama cited as the most likely author by Americans (16 percent). Behind Obama, the Dalai Lama was cited as the most likely author by survey participants (nine percent), followed by Martin Luther King Jr. (eight percent), Oprah Winfrey (four percent), and U2 frontman Bono (three percent).

Other findings of the Harris Interactive survey included the percentage of adults claiming to be familiar with the Bible (80 percent) and the percentage adults who think the Bible offers the most teachings on heaven, hell, adultery, pride or jealousy (46 percent).

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Calif. College Sued Internally for Public Prayer

School trustees and administrators who oversee two south Orange County community colleges are being sued by a group of faculty and students who contend they routinely lead official prayers at school ceremonies.

-- From "Prayers land college district in legal dispute" by Lindsey Baguio, The Orange County Register 11/23/09

The federal lawsuit was filed on Thursday by Americans United for Separation of Church and State on behalf of several faculty members and students [against] Saddleback College professors [and more] . . .

They are seeking for a court ruling that finds the district in violation of the First Amendment and an order that prohibits school prayers at events.

One of the incidents outlined in the lawsuit cites a faculty training session in August 2009 in which administrators showed a video titled "God Bless the USA." The video shows religious images and ended with two pictures of military personnel carrying a flag-draped coffin. Superimposed on the image was the quote "Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American G.I. One died for your soul, the other died for your freedom."

[Karla] Westphal, a math professor at Saddleback College, is the lead plaintiff in the case.

Westphal, who has been a professor at Saddleback College since 2001, said the frequency of public prayers at school events began in 2004 when a trustee led a prayer at the beginning of a scholarship ceremony.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Cardinal to Congress: It's Wrong to Fund Abortion

A top Roman Catholic cardinal told CNSNews.com that there is “no way” Catholic members of Congress can support the Senate health care reform bill as long as it includes a provision that allows tax dollars to go to insurance plans that cover abortion.

-- From "Top Catholic Cardinal Says 'No Way' Catholic Members of Congress Can Support Senate Health Care Bill That Funds Abortion" by Karen Schuberg, CNSNews.com 11/24/09

At the National Press Club on Nov. 20, CNSNews.com asked Cardinal Justin Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia: “The Senate health care bill that Majority Leader Reid released this week permits tax dollars to go to insurance plans which cover abortion. And my question is: Would it be a mortal sin for a Catholic member of Congress to vote for this bill knowing that this provision is in it?”

“Well, first of all,” Rigali responded, “the Catholic Church and, therefore, individual Catholics, are completely against abortion. So our position is that, first of all, a health care bill can be a great, great blessing to our country. The bishops of the United States have been in favor, for long years, in favor of universal, affordable health care for everyone. So this, this is something that is extremely important.

“But we make a distinction between health care and killing,” Rigali continued. “So abortion is out of the question--as we’ve spoken about the value of human life. And everyone is called upon to do everything possible to see that when we are trying to get laudable health care—and that’s what we hope to get—laudable health care, but certainly abortion will be excluded from that. So we exhort everyone of good will that this is for the good of our country. This is for the good of individuals. We have to make sure that health care doesn’t end up as killing. So everyone is challenged to make his or her contribution, and we’re counting on legislators to make sure this is not part of what is going to rule the lives of people.”

“People have to follow their conscience, but their conscience has to be well-formed,” said Rigali. “And you have to make sure that when it is a question of doing something that has a provision, if it has a provision in it for abortion, then this is absolutely wrong by every standard and not by the standards of the Catholic Church as you see here today. It’s the standards of Christian, standards of the natural law.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Catholic Bishops Turn Their Sights to Senate Bill

Following success on the House health care bill, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops now intends to exert equal influence during the Senate debate.

-- From "Bishops search for Senate sponsor" by Jeanne Cummings, Politico 11/23/09

Roman Catholic bishops have yet to find a senator willing to sponsor their amendment for a tougher ban on use of taxpayer money for abortion coverage in the Senate health care reform bill.

Among the senators under intense pressure is Bob Casey (D-Pa.), a Catholic and high-profile opponent of abortion rights.

Over the weekend, Casey said “more work” needs to be done to improve the Senate abortion coverage wording.

Church leaders are urging defeat of the [health care] reform measure if the abortion insurance provision [currently in the Senate bill] isn’t changed.

But even if they get what they want, the bishops are unlikely to officially endorse the final package, something that could make lawmakers more accommodating.
According to John Carr, head of the conference’s Justice, Peace and Human Development Office, the bishops typically do not endorse large reform legislation because of their complexity. “We rarely endorse 2,000-page bills,” he said.

But, Carr said, the bishops are holding out one prize: an open letter from the conference to the Senate, saying “very favorable things” about changes in the legislation and that “makes the case that passage of national health care reform is an urgent national priority.”

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Texas Board of Ed Questions American History

Debate is raging over the setting of new social studies standards: Indoctrination of political correctness vs. teaching historical fact to 4.7 million Texas students

-- From "Social studies book panel has hands full" by Gary Scharrer, Austin Bureau, The Houston Chronicle 11/23/09

. . . does Sikhism, the world's fifth most popular religion, deserve more mention, as some adherents advocate?

Have too many women and minorities been included in proposed curriculum standards to appease political correctness? Or are worthy women and minorities lacking in class materials?

What were the religious influences on the Founding Fathers?

. . . “Do you want history presented as a patchwork of minorities and women versus white males — or as a constantly improving homogenous American society working through its problems?”

“History can only be so many pages. Teachers can only get through so much material in a year,” said board member Terri Leo, of Spring. “History has to be historically significant to be included in the history textbooks.”

Some board members want students to learn more about the religious influences on the Founding Fathers. Critics say that is OK as long as the board does not try to suggest the founders set out to develop a Christian nation with laws and government based on a fundamentalist reading of the Bible.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

For background info, click here for previous article.

ABC Broadcasts Homosexual/Sadomasochistic Music Video

Openly homosexual former "American Idol" performer Adam Lambert shocked the American Music Awards audience last night by shoving dance team members' faces into his crotch, leading others around on dog leashes and delivering a passionate on-stage kiss to his male keyboard player during the ABC broadcast.


UPDATE 11/24/09: Flooded with complaints, ABC cancels Lambert's followup appearance.

-- From "To the extreme: Adam Lambert's AMA performance shocks" by Chris Richards, Washington Post Staff Writer 11/23/09

Adam Lambert closed Sunday's AMAs -- usually one of the year's sleepiest of awards shows -- with a stunt-laden performance of "For Your Entertainment," the sexed-up title track of his debut album, landing in stores Monday.

"I'm about to turn up the heat," Lambert promised during the song's chorus, after a male dancer simulated oral sex on the "American Idol" alum. Moments later, Lambert grabbed one of his backing musicians by the nape of the neck and gave him an open-mouthed kiss.

With a gaggle of scantily clad dancers writhing in S&M get-ups, the performance at Los Angeles's Nokia Theatre effectively erased the prior events of the evening . . .

Reports say ABC did not edit out any portions of the performance from the West Coast feed. And the network can't say they didn't see it coming. On Friday, Lambert was boasting about leather, chains and copious writhing to come, saying the same thing as he did Sunday night.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "American Music Awards become 'modern Sodom'" © 2009 WorldNetDaily 11/23/09

Lyrics of the song included: "Hold on until it's over. Can you handle what I'm about to do. It's about to get rough with you."

Immediately following the performance, Adam Lambert was the most trending topic on Twitter. Lambert was defiant on his Twitter page, proclaiming, "All hail freedom of expression and artistic integrity. ... fans: I adore u."

ABC producers were unaware of the planned same-sex make-out session, reports Rolling Stone. However, Lambert's performance was advertised as "eye-popping" and something "you'd be talking about tomorrow."

Lambert told Rolling Stone he didn't do anything female performers haven't done on television already – and that if ABC censored any part of his performance for the West Coast rebroadcast, it would amount to "discrimination."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Iowa Library Defies Parents to Keep Sex in Library

A teen sex magazine will stay on the shelves at the Ames Public Library despite a petition signed by more than 100 parents objecting to the publication.

-- From "Teen Sex Magazine to Stay on Shelves at Iowa Library" Associated Press 11/22/09

The Ames Library Board voted 6-1 to support library Director Art Weeks' recommendation to keep the magazine Sex, Etc., in the teen section.

From "Trustees to decide fate of Sex, Etc." by Jennifer Meyer, Staff Writer, The Tribune (Ames, Iowa) 11/18/09

Joyce Bannantine presented a petition with 118 signatures to the Library Board of Trustees last month objecting to the open display in the teen area and offering free copies of the magazine Sex, Etc.

The magazine is written for teens by teens under the oversight of Answer, a national sexuality organization at Rutgers University.

“We get this journal Sex, Etc. to provide authoritative information that teens would likely be curious about,” Library Director Art Weeks said.

Sex, Etc. is displayed in a stand with about a dozen other magazines. Teens can also take home for free one of the 10 extra copies the library subscribes to for $15.

“Kids might not intuitively surmise that we have this information, so we wanted to make sure to communicate to them, ‘Yes, this information is available here,’” Weeks said. “The other thing is that this is a topic they may not always feel comfortable going to the librarian or information desk and requesting information, so we make it available for them to get without having an adult intermediary.”

. . . an article describing lesbian sex, for example, may be “putting ideas into their heads that some of them may not have even thought about yet. And then, whoa, this is being thrown at them” by displaying it where teens who are not actively seeking that information might find it, Bannantine said.

Weeks recommended to the Library Board of Trustees to continue its display and distribution of Sex, Etc. based on principals of the American Library Association and Ames library to promote access without age restrictions.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Bishop Bars Kennedy from Communion

Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has forbidden Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy to receive the Roman Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion because of his advocacy of abortion rights . . .

UPDATE 11/24/09: Two Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidates slam Catholic Church as hypocritic


-- From "Bishop confirms banning Kennedy from receiving communion" by John Moroney, NECN 11/22/09

Bishop Thomas Tobin say he made his request public after Kennedy revealed it to the Providence Journal. Tobin released a letter he wrote to Kennedy in 2007. The letter read in part:

"In light of the Church's clear teaching, and your consistent actions, therefore, I believe it is inappropriate for you to be receiving Holy Communion and I now ask respectfully that you refrain from doing so."

The bishop said he did not want to make this issue public, but felt he was forced to by Kennedy's actions.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Kennedy: Barred from Communion" by John E. Mulligan, The Providence Journal Washington Bureau 11/22/09

“The bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion,” Kennedy said in a telephone interview.

Kennedy said the bishop had explained the penalty by telling him “that I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I’ve taken as a public official,” particularly on abortion. He declined to say when or how Bishop Tobin told him not to take the sacrament. And he declined to say whether he has obeyed the bishop’s injunction.

Their dispute comes against the backdrop of the national debate about whether U.S. taxpayers should subsidize abortions in the new health-care system that President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress have labored for months to create.

Because every bishop has wide latitude in his own diocese, the controversy between Kennedy and Bishop Tobin is likely to be greeted with silence from other bishops — even if most would disagree with action to deny Communion to a Catholic legislator, according to Father Reese.

Orders by bishops to deny Communion to Catholic public officials are very unusual but not unprecedented. In 2003, another prominent Catholic Democrat with a mixed voting record on abortion, Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, was admonished not to take Communion in his congressional district by Bishop Raymond Burke of LaCrosse.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Will Palin Lead a 21st Century Reaganesque Grassroots Movement?

Evangelical Sarah Palin counters liberals' utopian totalitarianism with a traditional American liberty movement: Government "is not to perfect us, but to protect us."

UPDATE 11/22/09: Palin tour fans give Obama an earful via New York Times

-- From "Will Palin's book tour jump-start a political movement?" by Erika Bolstad, McClatchy Newspapers 11/21/09

In the first few days of a cross-country book tour to promote her memoir, the former Alaska governor's supporters have greeted her with a populist fervor unmatched in Internet-age Republican politics.

While it's too early to call it a campaign, Palin's brand of common sense conservatism crackles with the energy of a burgeoning political movement.

In "The Way Forward," the title of the final chapter of her memoir, she says that her persona and her political philosophy are based on common sense that were last espoused by Reagan, her political idol. The role of government, Palin writes, "is not to perfect us, but to protect us."

Some . . . see Palin's political philosophy as a stand against . . . "government control, dependence on the government and loss of liberty."

Palin appears to have tapped into a powerful strain of populism fueled by dissatisfaction with the economy and by fear that the Democratic Party that's running the country is made up of elites who aren't listening, said Dennis Goldford, a professor of politics at Drake University in Iowa.

The term coined by Palin in her book has been around for a while, said Greg Mueller, a conservative strategist and a veteran of Republican presidential campaigns. Palin, however, seems to have seized on something timely by putting her brand on common sense conservatism, he said.

Steven Zerbini, a 19-year-old college student and National Guardsman from Greensburg, Pa., offered his own definition of it.

"It's not bringing in a terrorist to civilian courts in New York City," Zerbini said, referring to confessed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed. "It's not raising taxes in a recession."

To read all of this very lengthy article, CLICK HERE.

Wide-ranging Christian Leaders Sign Manifesto Opposing Obama Agenda

The "Manhattan Declaration" signers include nine Roman Catholic archbishops and evangelical leaders ranging from Southern Baptists, to Moody Bible Institute, to Focus on the Family, to Wheaton College, to conservative leaders in mainline protestant denominations.

Click here to E-mail the writers of the declaration and signers (automated E-mail system takes less than 60 seconds).

-- From "Christian Leaders Unite on Political Issues" by Laurie Goodstein, New York Times 11/20/09

Citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to civil disobedience, 145 evangelical, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders have signed a declaration saying they will not cooperate with laws that they say could be used to compel their institutions to participate in abortions, or to bless or in any way recognize same-sex couples.

“We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence,” it says.

The manifesto [click to see list of signers] is an effort to rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics and evangelicals . . .

They want to signal to the Obama administration and to Congress that they are still a formidable force that will not compromise on abortion, stem-cell research or gay marriage. They hope to influence current debates over health care reform, the same-sex marriage bill in Washington, D.C., and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. [. . . perhaps the new 'hate crimes' legislation?]

[The 4,700-word document is called the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience”] was written by Mr. Colson; Robert P. George, a professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University, who is Catholic; and the Rev. Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School, an evangelical interdenominational school on the campus of Samford University, in Birmingham, Ala.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Texas Marriage Amendment Banned ALL Marriages?

Candidate for attorney general claims vague language in 2005 Texas constitutional amendment "eliminates marriage in Texas"

-- From "Texas' gay marriage ban may have banned all marriages" by Dave Montgomery, Fort Worth Star-Telegram 11/18/09

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state.

The amendment, approved by the Legislature and overwhelmingly ratified by voters, declares that "marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman." But the troublemaking phrase, as Radnofsky sees it, is Subsection B, which declares:

"This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

She calls it a "massive mistake" and blames the current attorney general, Republican Greg Abbott, for allowing the language to become part of the Texas Constitution. Radnofsky called on Abbott to acknowledge the wording as an error and consider an apology. She also said that another constitutional amendment may be necessary to reverse the problem.

Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland said the attorney general stands behind the 4-year-old amendment.

[Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Legal Institute in Plano,] whose organization helped draft the amendment dismissed Radnofsky’s position, saying it was similar to scare tactics opponents unsuccessfully used against the proposal in 2005.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Tampa Gives Green Light to Men in Ladies' Room

Following the nationwide trend, the Tampa, Florida city council passed a "gender identity" anti-discrimination ordinance allowing any man to stand in the women's restroom and claim he "feels like a woman today," and forbidding Christian schools from firing a male teacher who might show up one day in women's clothing.

-- From "Tampa Council approves transgender protections" by Christian M. Wade, Tampa Tribune 11/20/09

Following two hours of testimony from grandmothers, ministers, transgendered people and representatives of Fortune 500 companies, the city council voted 5 to 1 on Thursday to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public facilities based on "gender identity and expression."

More than 60 people on either side of the issue filled council chambers to voice their support or opposition to the changes.

Members of several Christian evangelical groups and other opponents called the move an assault on their religious values they fear will sanction sexually deviant behavior.

Terry Kemple, president of the Community Issues Council, said he thought the protections would allow "sexual predators" to go into restrooms for the opposite sex, and force business owners and landlords, regardless of their religious beliefs, to accept cross-dressers.

David Caton, executive director of the Florida Family Association, told council members the city hadn't proved that transgender individuals were being discriminated against.

Philip Dinkins, chairman of the Human Rights Board, said the board has received at least 13 complaints of transgender discrimination in recent years.

Rocco Vallerand, who also goes by the name Raquel, said transgender individuals are not sexual deviants and are merely looking to have the same protections as others.

At least 13 states across the country and 16 municipalities in Florida, as well as some Fortune 500 companies, have extended such protections to transsexuals, transvestites and others with a gender identity that differs from their sex at birth.

President Barack Obama's administration is drafting proposed federal guidelines that would prohibit workplace discrimination against transgender federal employees.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "City vote opens women's restroom doors to men" by Drew Zahn © 2009 WorldNetDaily 11/17/09

A statement from the American Family Association explained, "Tampa Police arrested Robert Johnson in February 2008 for hanging out in the locker room–restroom area at Lifestyle Fitness and watching women in an undressed state. The City of Tampa's 'gender identity' ordinance could provide a legal defense to future cases like this if the accused claims that his gender is female."

. . . the section that makes it illegal to "segregate any person at a place of public accommodation, or to segregate any person in regards to … facilities" leads some to worry about the consequences of forbidding discrimination "regardless of the individual's sex at birth."

"This ordinance will give lawful protection to cross-dressing males to patronize women's restrooms," the Florida Family Association said in a statement. "And men dressed as women or women who perceive themselves as men can also use men's restrooms."

City Attorney Chip Fletcher told The Tampa Tribune the changes are not meant to protect the occasional cross-dresser, but individuals who are undergoing sexual reassignment surgery.

The gender identity ordinance makes exception for religious organizations, nonprofits and parochial schools, but does not exempt private businesses, public restrooms, public schools or nonreligious day-care centers.

Therefore, the AFA pointed out, the issue moves beyond just public restrooms.

"The gender identity ordinance also provides legal protection for transgenders to teach schoolchildren one day as a man and another day as a woman," AFA President Tim Wildmon wrote in an e-mail. "Unfortunately, the ordinance does not attempt to qualify who really is a transgender and who is not. That is left up to the individual to determine what his 'gender identity' is that day."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

CA School Defies State by Favoring Parental Consent for Abortion

San Juan Unified School District board members voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday to preserve a policy requiring parental consent to excuse students for "confidential medical services" even though it could cause the district to lose state funding.

-- From "San Juan keeps parental consent rule on 'confidential medical services'" by Diana Lambert, Sacramento Bee 11/19/09

District staff proposed changing the policy after they discovered it doesn't reflect a state law that allows students in grades seven to 12 to leave campus for medical services that could include birth control, abortion, treatment for sexual assault, and drug and mental health issues.

After more than three hours of heated discussion, trustees voted not to change the policy.

California State Department of Education officials said Wednesday that some of the district's state funding could be in jeopardy.

Representatives of the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative nonprofit legal group, and the American Civil Liberties Union were among the more than 40 people who debated the issue.

San Juan joins a growing fraternity of school districts choosing to forgo the state mandate after being contacted by the Pacific Justice Institute, which bills itself as a legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights and other civil liberties. The nonprofit has claimed victory in school districts in Modesto, Fairfield-Suisun and San Diego, where school boards decided not to change policy to allow students to leave campus for confidential medical services without parental consent.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Schism Looms for ELCA Lutherans

A Bible-believing Christian movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a plan to create a new denomination for ELCA congregations and individual ELCA Christians who respect the Authority of Scripture.

-- From "Lutheran group considers leaving ELCA over gay vote" by Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 11/19/09

"We don't feel we have a choice," said Paull Spring, a retired Pennsylvania bishop now chairman of Minnesota-based Lutheran CORE. "The vote on sexuality opened the eyes of many to how far the ELCA has moved from biblical teaching."

Local pastors who have aligned themselves with Lutheran CORE said it's too early to decide whether their congregations would sever their ties with the ELCA, the largest Lutheran church body in Wisconsin and the nation.

Lutheran CORE called the Indianapolis meeting after the ELCA voted at its national assembly to allow congregations to call gay and lesbian pastors in, or expecting to enter into, committed relationships.

CORE members voted to begin discussing with congregations whether to move toward schism or work from within the church. It will vote on the breakaway proposal at its convocation Aug. 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio. Lutheran CORE would remain a free-standing synod serving congregations inside and outside the ELCA under a separate recommendation also being drafted, the organization said.

Wisconsin CORE members will meet Nov. 28 in Lebanon.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Senate Bill Funds Abortion, Gives White House Prerogative

The health care bill released yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid attempts to hide sizeable funding of abortion, and authorizes the Obama administration to decide on further funding, all under the "public option."

Illinois residents: Click here to E-mail President Obama, Sens. Durbin & Burris, and your own congressman -- takes less than 60 seconds.

-- From "Senate Wording Angers Abortion Opponents" by Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times 11/18/09

In seeking to fend off a major revolt by supporters of abortion rights, Democratic leaders in the Senate have infuriated abortion opponents with their new version of health care legislation.

The National Right to Life Committee called the Senate language “completely unacceptable.”

The Senate bill drops some of the restrictive abortion language that was part of the House health care bill. But it contains an ambiguous provision that could bar any government-run insurance plan, or public option, from providing abortion coverage.

The Senate bill says that no federal funding can be used to pay for abortion coverage, which is language that abortion-rights supporters have accepted for decades.

But it also says that any public option could not provide insurance for abortions unless the Secretary of Health and Human Services [Kathleen Sebelius] determined that a payment plan would not use federal money.

This provision to allow the health secretary to determine whether a payment plan passed muster seems open to interpretation. An administration that supported abortion rights could include plans that might be excluded by an administration that opposed abortion rights, and vice versa.

[The bill] seemed to satisfy some Senators who support abortion rights.
The Senate language is not likely to end discussion of abortion as part of the health care debate, but instead to provoke it further.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pro-Life Groups: Reid's Senate Health Care Bill Contains Massive Abortion Funding" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 11/19/09

"Reid has rejected the bipartisan Stupak-Pitts Amendment and has substituted completely unacceptable language that would result in coverage of abortion on demand in two big new federal government programs," National Right to Life legislative director Douglas Johnson assured LifeNews.com late Wednesday.

"Reid seeks to cover elective abortions in two big new federal health programs, but tries to conceal that unpopular reality with layers of contrived definitions and hollow bookkeeping requirements," he continued.

Johnson notes that Reid's bill establishes the public option and authorizes (on page 118) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to require coverage of any and all abortions throughout the public option program.

"This would be federal government funding of abortion, no matter how hard they try to disguise it," he says.

Attorney Mary Harned of Americans United for Life, has also examined the abortion sections of Reid's new measure, which she says "provides for an unprecedented expansion of federally-funded abortion."

Harned says the bill does not reflect the principles of the Hyde amendment, which, since the 1970s, has been used to stop taxpayer funded abortions under Medicaid,

Reid's release of the bill comes after a new CNN poll showing a strong majority of Americans oppose government funding of abortions and oppose all or most abortions.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Pastors Tell White House 'Hate Crimes' Law Unconstitutional

Pastors rallied at the Justice Department Monday to protest the 'hate crimes' law (signed by the President in the dark of night two weeks ago) by reading from the Book of Romans regarding homosexual behavior.


UPDATE 4/21/10: U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) announces support of challenge. “Like you, I believe this ‘Hate Crimes’ Act is unconstitutional and marks an unprecedented move to regulate and criminalize our thoughts."

-- From "Edmond pastor challenges hate crimes law" by Mark Schlachtenhaufen, The Edmond Sun (Oklahoma) 11/17/09

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is reviewing a letter from an ad hoc coalition of pastors asking that a new hate crimes law not be enforced because they believe it violates the Constitution.

Paul Blair, senior pastor at Edmond’s Fairview Baptist Church, and two other metro pastors were part of the group that held a press conference in front of the U.S. Justice Department building Monday afternoon in Washington, D.C.

Blair said he wants Oklahoma’s attorney general to not enforce the law when it comes to a pastor’s ability to preach on homosexuality. He said the press conference was a response to President Barack Obama’s signing The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law last month.

Blair said the press conference was needed to get the federal government on the record and to show clergy across America that they still may preach that homosexuality is contrary to biblical teachings and to God’s creation.

Blair questioned the justification for the law and postulated that it may come to be used to assault free speech and thought as well as Christianity. He said he is in need of God’s unmerited favor like every other human, and that his message is about the need for all to repent.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pastors to Holder: Bible still condemns homosexuality" by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily 11/18/09

A former U.S. Navy chaplain who was removed from the service after he exercised his right to pray "in Jesus' name" against the wishes of his chain of command read the biblical condemnation of homosexuality at a rally in front of the U.S. Justice Department to protest the nation's new "hate crimes" law.

Former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt of PrayInJesusName.com read from Romans: "And they that commit such things are worthy of death."

"The government has to invade my thoughts to decide what my motive was in quoting the Bible," Klingenschmitt explained. "I can be prosecuted if the government thinks my motive was wrong."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

The 'hate crimes' law includes a "fig leaf" religious exemption.

Pro-life Democrats Ignored - Liberals Ignorant of American Opinion

Congressional Democrat leaders turned a deaf ear to 25% of their own House members for months; CNN reports that 61% of Americans favor the pro-life amendment to health care bill.

Illinois residents: Click here to E-mail President Obama, Sens. Durbin & Burris, and your own congressman -- takes less than 60 seconds.

-- From "What our amendment does" by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) writing in Politico 11/18/09

Abortion rights supporters have spent the past week expressing their outrage over the passage of the Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts amendment to the House health care reform bill. This amendment was not the result of a last-minute backroom deal. Anti-abortion Democrats have said since July that we would oppose any rule to bring a health care bill to the floor that did not contain the Hyde language. Rather than work with us to find a true compromise, members who support abortion rights ignored our concerns.

With 64 Democrats — a quarter of the Democrats in the House — voting in favor of the Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts amendment, this decision was clearly a mistake on their part.

. . . abortion rights supporters have tried to argue that the Capps amendment, added to the bill by the Energy and Commerce Committee, was a sufficient “compromise” in line with the Hyde language. Yet this compromise was struck without an anti-abortion presence at the table. It is hardly a good-faith compromise when you circumvent the very group whose concerns you are attempting to address. Not a single anti-abortion group supported the Capps amendment.

The Capps amendment would have set a new precedent for abortion funding, essentially overturning the Hyde language that has been federal policy since 1977.

. . . The Hyde language has never allowed private and public funds to be segregated in the way that Rep. Lois Capps proposed.

[The pro-abortion Democrats] are also off-base in their assertion that the vast majority of Americans disagree with the stance taken by the Catholic bishops.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Poll: Majority favor abortion funding ban" CNN 11/18/09

Six in 10 Americans favor a ban on the use of federal funds for abortion, according to a new poll.

The poll also indicates that the public might also favor legislation that would prevent many women from getting their health insurance plan to cover the cost of an abortion, even if no federal funds are involved.

And by a 51 percent to 45 percent margin, those questioned in the survey think that women who get abortions should pay the full costs out of their own pocket, even if they have private health insurance and no federal funds are involved. The 6-point difference is within the poll's sampling error.

The survey indicates that 26 percent say abortion should be legal in all circumstances, with half of those questioned saying it should be legal in certain circumstances, and just under one in four saying abortion should never be legal.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

The above survey reinforces previous polls of 2009 showing public opposition to abortion.

Getting Hot? Condoms will Cool the Earth, says U.N.

The battle against global warming could be helped if the world slowed population growth by making free condoms and family planning advice more widely available, the U.N. Population Fund said Wednesday.

-- From "Fight Climate Change With Free Condoms, U.N. Population Fund Says" by Maria Cheng, Associated Press 11/18/09

The agency did not recommend countries set limits on how many children people should have, but said: "Women with access to reproductive health services ... have lower fertility rates that contribute to slower growth in greenhouse gas emissions."

The U.N. Population Fund acknowledged it had no proof of the effect that population control would have on climate change. "The linkages between population and climate change are in most cases complex and indirect," the report said.

On Wednesday, one analyst criticized the U.N. Population Fund's pronouncements as alarmist and unhelpful.

"It requires a major leap of imagination to believe that free condoms will cool down the climate," said Caroline Boin, a policy analyst at International Policy Network, a London-based think tank.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Also read the never-ending calls to limit procreation (follow embedded links).

School Censors Student Expressing Pro-life View

A New Jersey student who was prevented from participating in a national event along with hundreds of thousands of her peers now has legal representation from a pro-life law group.

-- From "NJ teen barred from abortion protest sues school" by Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press 11/17/09

A New Jersey high school student claims in a federal lawsuit that school administrators violated her First Amendment free-speech and religious-freedom rights when they said she couldn't participate in a day of silent protest against abortion.

The girl, identified in court papers as C.H., says she asked the Bridgeton High School principal last month for permission to join in the Pro Life Day of Silent Solidarity, a worldwide protest organized each year by Stand True, a ministry in Troy, Ohio. But the principal said no, telling her she couldn't do anything "religious," according to her lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Camden by a lawyer hired by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based legal group that takes on religious freedom cases on behalf of Christians. The organization sent an advisory before the day of protest that it would defend students who are barred from participating.

ADF senior counsel David Cortman says his group has intervened in dozens of cases across the country over the six years the protest has been held and has filed suits in about a dozen. He said some have been successful and others are still pending.

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From "New Jersey Student Stopped From Joining National Pro-Life Event Against Abortion" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor 11/16/09

The student . . . wanted to wear a red armband with the word “LIFE” written on it, but school officials told the student that nothing “religious” is allowed in public schools.

“Pro-life students shouldn't be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman.

“The Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity is a non-disruptive, student-led event occurring outside of instructional time," he told LifeNews.com. "The event provides the opportunity for students to exercise their constitutional right to express their viewpoint on abortion, just as other students have the right to express their views.”

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