Houston Lesbian Mayor Subpoenas Pastors' Sermons

In May, Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Texas heralded her personal victory as the city council passed a Gay Agenda ordinance against the will of the citizens, resulting in a popular petition drive to repeal the law.  In response, the city has embarked on a strong-arm intimidation strategy to muzzle the first amendment rights of Christians who advocated the petition and moral values.

“This is an attempt to chill pastors from speaking to the cultural issues of the day. The mayor would like to silence our voice. She’s a bully.”
-- Pastor Steve Riggle, Grace Community Church

“We’re not afraid of this bully. We’re not intimidated at all.”
-- Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council

UPDATE 11/4/15: Lesbian Mayor's Gay Agenda Defeated by Houston Voters

For background, read Houston Lesbian Mayor Agenda vs. Religious Liberty

UPDATE 11/3/14: Houston is Ground Zero in President Obama's War on Christianity

UPDATE 10/19/14: Idaho Pastors Face Fines, Jail for Refusing 'Gay Wedding'

UPDATE 7/25/15: Kentucky Forbids Pastors Calling Homosexuality 'Sinful'

UPDATE 8/2/15: Christian Prayer Outrages California City Council

Also click headlines below to read how government is limiting religious liberty in order to advance the Gay Agenda:

Pastor Arrested in California for Reading Bible in Public

Jesus Talk Outlawed in New Orleans, Arrests Made

American Preacher Arrested for Talking of Sexual Sin in Scotland

Canada: Pastor Found Guilty of Hate Crime

Supreme Court Rules Bible as 'Hate Speech' in Canada

European Union High Court Rules Gay Agenda Trumps Christianity

Also read Pentagon Says Christians Who Oppose Gay Agenda are 'Hate Groups'

In addition, read about the recent Pew Research poll showing that Americans don't support the Gay Agenda and want churches to lead in politics, and that's just what thousands of pastors are doing by challenging the IRS government muzzle.

Click for local TV news report with pastor interview

-- From "City subpoenas pastors' sermons in equal rights ordinance case" by Katherine Driessen, Houston Chronicle 10/14/14

Houston's embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists that have sued the city.

Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."

The city attorney's office has not responded to requests for comment.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons in fight over 'bathroom bill'" by Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times 10/14/14

Attorneys for several Houston pastors are challenging the city’s attempts to subpoena their sermons as part of a lawsuit against the recently passed transgender-rights law, also known as the “bathroom bill.”

Opponents of the ordinance, which forbids businesses open to the public from stopping individuals from using opposite-sex bathrooms if their gender identity doesn’t match their biological sex, filed a lawsuit in August challenging the city attorney’s ruling.

Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF] senior legal counsel Erik Stanley said the pastors subject to the city’s subpoenas are not party to the lawsuit.

“City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,” said Mr. Stanley in a statement. “In this case, they have embarked upon a witch-hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons" by Todd Starnes, FoxNews.com 10/14/14

ADF, a nationally-known law firm specializing in religious liberty cases, is representing five Houston pastors. They filed a motion in Harris County court to stop the subpoenas arguing they are “overbroad, unduly burdensome, harassing, and vexatious.”

The pastors . . . were part of a coalition of some 400 Houston-area churches that opposed the ordinance. The churches represent a number of faith groups – from Southern Baptist to non-denominational.

Mayor Parker will not explain why she wants to inspect the sermons. . . . ADF attorney Stanley suspects the mayor wants to publicly shame the ministers. He said he anticipates they will hold up their sermons for public scrutiny. In other words – the city is rummaging for evidence to “out” the pastors as anti-gay bigots.

We can no longer remain silent. We must stand together - because one day – the government might come for your pastor.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Gay Agenda Attacks America One Town at a Time as well as American Decline: President Obama's Gay Agenda vs. Christians

And read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty

D.C. Media Twist Prayer Event into Liberal Agenda

Thousands of praying Christians from hundreds of Bible-believing churches near Washington D.C., and from across the nation, gathered on Columbus Day at the Lincoln Memorial to pray to God for revival and to heal our land from its wayward path (2 Chron. 7:14), but the mainstream media reported that it was a gathering to promote an anything-but-biblical, liberal utopian worldview.



For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

God Hears Thousands Praying for America, Media Doesn't

Prayer Needed - Government Isn't the Solution

Prayer in America: Hidden Faith, or Public?

Christians Pray for City, Others Condemn Prayers

Africans in D.C. Praying for American Revival

Pastor Warns America of Socialism, Calls for Prayer

Biblical Prayer Stricken from President Obama Inauguration

Also read Congressman Says Prayer is Needed to Solve America's Problems

-- From "DC area churches pray on National Mall" posted at WUSA-TV9 (Washington D.C.) 10/13/14

People from churches across D.C., Maryland and Virginia met on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at 1 p.m. "to pray about ways to meet the needs of the city and its people".

The prayer was led by Bishop Alfred Owens Jr. from Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, Pastor Lon Solomon from McLean Bible Church, Pastor Steve King from Cherrydale Baptist Church, Pastor Carlos Peñaloza from Ekkelsia USA and Pastor Eung Yul Ryoo Korean Central Presbyterian Church.

U.S. Park Police estimated that there were 5,000 in attendance, according to a McLean Bible spokesperson.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Crowds gather for Christian prayer service at Lincoln Memorial" by Jeff Goldberg, John Gonzalez, WJLA-TV (Washington D.C.) 10/13/14

The service drew church-goers of multiple denominations from Washington, Virginia and Maryland. It focused on issues facing the city including homelessness and problems facing underserved communities, such as the elderly and disabled.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Churches Cry for Nat'l Revival at Lincoln Memorial" by Paul Strand, Washington Sr. Correspondent, Christian Broadcasting Network 10/14/14

Lon Solomon, senior pastor of the McLean Bible Church, declared near the start of the Washington Prayer Gathering its plan and goal.

"We are here today to confess our sins and the sins of our churches and the sins of our city to the Lord Jesus Christ," the mega-church pastor said, "and then to pray that in response, the way He promised, that He will fall on our city."

Pastor Symonette summed up, "If we can accomplish something great here by bringing churches together here in the nation's capital, were hoping it'll overflow into the rest of the country."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.



Also read Liberal Media Ignore 40,000 National Prayer Events as well as Media Missed Largest 9/11 Memorial: Christian Prayer

And read America Going to Hell; Christians Lose Convictions

Learn to be Abortionist in 6-weeks, Free Online

These are difficult times for abortion advocates . . .

With the ever-decreasing supply of licensed abortionists in the United States, the abortion industry is desperate to lure physicians into their child-killing trade — ergo, the first-ever online training course offered by the University of California (UCSF) begins today.  However, this course is not as much about medical training as it is indoctrination in the sexual revolution/abortion culture.

“I think that if we can inspire even a small portion of the people who take the course to take steps in their communities to increase access to safe abortion and decrease stigma about abortion, then we have been totally successful.”
--  Dr. Jody Steinauer, Associate Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco

For background, read Abortion Clinic Closings Set Record; Abortionists Admit Defeat and are now Forced to Risk All in Supreme Court

Also read Abortionists Battle to Kill Without Clinics

In addition, read University of Chicago Teaches Students How to Get Abortion

Also read how Planned Parenthood teams up with schools by providing "kinky sex trainers" for kids.

-- From "UCSF Online Abortion Course Aims To Teach What Most OB-GYN Schools Aren't — Quality Care And Public Health Implications" by Anthony Rivas, Medical Daily 10/6/14

It’s meant to offer a more in-depth view of abortion, delving into the reasons abortion is stigmatized, clinical practices for safe abortions, and “the professional obligations of health care practitioners to ensure that women have access to safe abortion care,” the website for the class says.

Obviously, these are aspects of abortion that should already be taught to health care providers. But [course author Dr. Jody] Steinauer sees major gaps in the health education structure. These gaps begin early, with disparities in the way kids learn about sex, pregnancy, and abortion in schools. According to the Guttmacher Institute, only 13 states require that teachers inform their students about the negative outcomes of teen sex and pregnancy. Meanwhile, 25 states mandate teachers to stress abstinence, while 19 states emphasize having sex only after marriage. Seems counterintuitive to teaching women (and men) about their health, and more geared toward avoiding the subject.

But avoiding the subject continues later on in universities and medical schools, where coursework on abortion can be limited, with some courses only devoting one session to the subject. Even people who aspire to be gynecologists or obstetricians, who are mandated to learn at least something about inducing abortions, can opt out on the basis of religion or moral objections. Under that same loophole, universities can send students to other institutions for those classes. These gaps have led 25 percent of ob-gyn clerkships in the U.S. to report no formal abortion training, The Daily Beast reported. Steinauer’s course aims to educate those who are missing out.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "The Internet’s First Abortion Class" by Samantha Allen, The Daily Beast 10/6/14

. . . abortion education in U.S. medical schools and public health programs in the United States is still in lackluster shape. While the Guttmacher Institute estimates that 30 percent of American women will have an abortion by the age of 45, a 2005 review of U.S. medical school curricula on abortion revealed that less than a third of schools include a single lecture focused on abortion during the clinical years. A 2009 survey also found that a full third of North American medical schools do not include abortion education in preclinical courses either.

[Dr.] Steinauer’s own approach to abortion education stresses two inevitabilities that she believes must be loudly acknowledged and accepted before meaningful education can take place: “Unintended pregnancies happen and women will access abortion.” . . .

The course will encourage students, she says, to “really reflect on your feelings about abortion... and then, take time to think about how you can best serve your community.” One assignment will ask students to “write about their feelings about abortion and how they should manage them.”

. . . The Internet could be exactly what abortion education needs to move forward in the 21st century.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "University launches first-ever online abortion course" by Jennifer Kabbany, The College Fix Editor 10/9/14

The free, six-week class, titled “Abortion: Quality Care and Public Health Implications,” is offered through the university’s partnership with Coursera, an educational technology company that joins forces with universities to offer a wide variety of Massive Open Online Courses. While it is designed for “any clinician, physician, health care worker or student who will care for women of reproductive age,” it’s open to anyone.

“Each week’s lectures will incorporate the stories of women who seek abortion in order to better portray abortion significance and rationale,” its outline states. “Other topics will include a brief history of abortion, the clinical aspects of medication and procedural abortions in and after the first trimester, an overview of patient-centered abortion-care, the basics of abortion counseling, the professional obligations of health care practitioners to ensure that women have access to safe abortion care, and the maze of restrictions that make safe abortion care inaccessible to many women.”

The class has been hailed by left-leaning news outlets as revolutionary and vital . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "UCSF Pioneers On-Line Abortion Course" by Randall K. O’Bannon, NRL Director of Education & Research, posted at National Right to Life News Today 10/7/14

An on-line syllabus spends portions of weeks 3 and 4 addressing “Clinical aspects of medication abortion, aspiration abortion, post-abortion contraception, and pain management of abortion” and then “Clinical aspects of abortion after the first trimester.” But a large portion of the course seems devoted to the “History of abortion and abortion stigma” (Week 1), “Values clarification about abortion care” (Week 2), “Legislative and policy obstacles to abortion access” (Week 3),“Obstacles to Accessing Safe Abortion in the US and Worldwide” (Week 4), and “Overcoming Obstacles to Abortion Access” (Week 5).

. . . Nowhere in the [above Daily Beast] interview does Steinauer seem to acknowledge that the resistance of students and medical schools, the “stigma” and the negative emotions, may stem from the fact that many people recognize that abortion is the killing of human beings, something people find not just morally repulsive, but totally inconsistent with the practice of medicine, which is supposed to be dedicated to the preservation of human life.

It is unclear whether or not Steinauer expects students of the on-line course to consider themselves trained to do abortions and immediately begin offering them, pursue more direct training, or just become advocates.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Abortionists Can Ignore Rape of Teens, Says Virginia Attorney General

And read Four Abortionists Charged in Indiana: Rape, Murder

Pastors Inflame IRS Scandal for Religious Liberty

Evangelical pastors across America, for at least the seventh year, have simultaneously preached sermons to their flocks that are said to be in defiance of federal regulations from the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt non-profit churches because the sermons guide parishioners to vote for, or against, political candidates based on Christian, Biblical values.

“I know enough that you cannot have the advancing of the radical homosexual agenda and religious liberty at the same time, in the same nation. One will win, and one will lose. . . . We have legal anarchy,”
-- Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church, east of San Diego, California

For background, read Pastors Defeating IRS on Freedom to Preach -- it's because the IRS Fears Prosecuting Churches over Politics (because the IRS will lose)

Also read Atheists & Pastors Agree: IRS Must Audit Sermons

-- From "Pulpit Freedom Sunday: Pastors versus the IRS" posted at The Porterville (California) Recorder 10/4/14

More than 3,500 pastors in all 50 states and Puerto Rico are supporting Alliance Defending Freedom’s seventh annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday Oct. 5. Nearly 1,500 of the registered pastors have agreed to preach sermons presenting biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates, and more than 3,500 have signed a statement agreeing that the IRS should not control the content of a pastor’s sermon. Registration, which stays open until the date of the event, continues to grow.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Study: Americans want more religion in politics" by Sara Grossman, Special to CNN 10/10/14

The pastor [Jim Garlow] proceeded to warn his audience against voting for a candidate in the upcoming midterm elections who supports gay marriage and abortion, even if that candidate, Carl DeMaio, is a Republican.

Garlow, an outspoken evangelical who played a major role in organizing Christian groups in support of California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, spoke plainly: He would not be supporting the Republican in this race.

Instead, Garlow told his followers he would be endorsing DeMaio’s rival, Democratic incumbent Scott Peters, representative for California’s 52nd District, to send a scathing message to Republican leadership that candidates who back abortion and gay rights are unacceptable to the party’s Christian base.

Garlow is one of a growing number of Americans who say that religion should play a greater role in politics, according to the findings of a recent study by the Pew Research Forum's Religion & Public Life Project.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Preaching Politics, Pastors Defy Ban" by Tamara Audi, Wall Street Journal 10/5/14

For the past seven years, hundreds of churches have intentionally delivered political sermons to address the issue on “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” an annual event organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based conservative group that fights for religious accommodation claims.

A Pew Research Center study released last month showed that nearly three-quarters of Americans believe religion is losing influence in the lives of Americans, and that more citizens want religious leaders to weigh in on political issues.

It also comes months after the IRS assured an atheist group that it is enforcing the political speech regulation on churches. That group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, agreed to the dismissal of a 2012 federal civil lawsuit against the IRS over the issue after receiving indications from the government that the IRS “has a procedure in place…to initiate church tax investigations/examinations,” court documents said.

But some church leaders have complained the regulation is unclear and say “vague and unequal enforcement” has led to pastors pulling back on social commentary that could be construed as political, said Kerri Kupec, a spokeswoman for the Alliance Defending Freedom.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pulpit Freedom Sunday witnessed preachers talking politics, daring IRS to take action" by Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News posted at Hesperia (California) Star 10/7/14

Preachers who injected politics into their sermons this past Sunday weren't just speaking to their respective congregations. Their messages were directed to the Internal Revenue Service, daring tax regulators to pay attention to the seventh annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday.

The Alliance Defending Freedom's explanation of the event calls it a "strategic litigation plan." The document is filled with First Amendment language, as the organization discusses how current restrictions are not just inconvenient, but also unconstitutional.

"Through the courage of individual churches, freedoms of speech and religion will be restored to many more," the alliance proclaims.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Increasingly, Religious 'Nones' Support Pastors Preaching Politics on Pulpit Freedom Sunday" by Ruth Moon, Christianity Today 10/3/14

As almost 1,500 pastors attempt to provoke the IRS this Sunday by preaching political messages from their pulpits, a recent survey finds that Americans increasingly agree they should have such a right—including the religiously unaffiliated.

The Pew Research Center recently reported that nearly half of Americans (49 percent) now believe that churches (and other houses of worship) should express their views on social and political issues—including two-thirds of white evangelicals, more than half of black Protestants (who mostly identify as evangelicals), and one-third of so-called religious "nones." Support has risen most among mainline Protestants, from 35 percent in August 2010 to 49 percent in September 2014.

While ADF lists thousands of churches that have participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday over the years, the IRS has only flagged a much smaller number of churches as problematic.

In a June letter, the tax agency told the U.S. Department of Justice that 99 churches "alleged to have violated the prohibition" merit “a high priority examination.” ADF lists 1,225 churches in 2013, but the IRS only cites one egregious violation that year. ADF lists 1,620 churches in 2012; the IRS cites only 65 churches. ADF lists 539 churches in 2011; the IRS cites only 18 churches.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Public Sees Religion’s Influence Waning" by Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project 9/22/14

Nearly three-quarters of the public (72%) now thinks religion is losing influence in American life, up 5 percentage points from 2010 to the highest level in Pew Research polling over the past decade. And most people who say religion's influence is waning see this as a bad thing.

Perhaps as a consequence, a growing share of the American public wants religion to play a role in U.S. politics. The share of Americans who say churches and other houses of worship should express their views on social and political issues is up 6 points since the 2010 midterm elections (from 43% to 49%). The share who say there has been “too little” expression of religious faith and prayer from political leaders is up modestly over the same period (from 37% to 41%). And a growing minority of Americans (32%) think churches should endorse candidates for political office, though most continue to oppose such direct involvement by churches in electoral politics.

The findings reflect a widening divide between religiously affiliated Americans and the rising share of the population that is not affiliated with any religion (sometimes called the “nones”). The public’s appetite for religious influence in politics is increasing in part because those who continue to identify with a religion (e.g., Protestants, Catholics and others) have become significantly more supportive of churches and other houses of worship speaking out about political issues and political leaders talking more often about religion. The “nones” are much more likely to oppose the intermingling of religion and politics.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also click headlines below to read how the vast majority of Christian leaders will NOT challenge wayward government:

America Going to Hell; Christians Lose Convictions

'Wimpy' Pastors Will NOT Engage the War on Christianity

Study: Pastors Hide Culture Truth to be Successful

Okla. School Challenges Atheists' Lawsuit Threat

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) wrote Superintendent Dr. Fred Rhodes of the Putnum County Schools concerning a traditional painting by Donald Zolan of two small children with clasped hands captioned "Faith in America." While the FFRF is demanding a poster depicting the painting be removed from the office at Kenneth Cooper Middle School in Oklahoma City, the district has refused on advice of counsel.

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Oklahoma School Assures Wisconsin Atheists: No Praying Coaches Here

North Carolinians Pray at School, Defying Wisconsin Atheists

Atheists Strip Memorial Crosses From Arkansas Football

Georgia Football Monument Must Go, Atheists Demand

Also read Atheists Threaten to Sue Every School in Tennessee and in Mississippi but admit they're Short on Lawyers to Sue ALL Christians

-- From "See Why This School District Is Standing Up to an Atheist Group" by Kate Scanlon, The Daily Signal 10/9/14

Freedom From Religion Foundation attorney Andrew Seidel wrote that the poster depicts “two children with their hands clasped in prayer, with an American flag background,” and as such is inappropriate material for a school.

“The meaning could not be more clear, real American children pray,” Seidel wrote.

Putnam County Schools attorney Anthony Childers responded to the atheist group, writing that the poster does not “promote any particular faith and does not create coercive pressure on students who may see the image.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Atheists Want Painting That Suggests 'Real American Children Pray' Removed From School's Office But District Refuses" by Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter 10/8/14

"The poster complained of has hung in the school office for 18 years without a complaint, prior to your letter. To date, the district has not received any complaint from any resident, student or patron of the district who believes that the image conveys an improper religious message. We cannot agree that the poster displayed in the office is a per se violation of the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution," wrote attorney Anthony T. Childers in his response to FFRF on behalf of the school district.

"Though, as you've pointed out, the title given to the artwork by the original artist is labeled 'Faith in America', there is no text displayed with the poster which imputes the artist's intent, theme, or title," he continued.

"…At this time, we do not believe that the image violates the Establishment Clause and the District will not agree to remove the image from its office," Childers added.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "How An Oklahoma School District Responds To An Atheist Attack Over This Image Will Inspire You" by Norvell Rose, Western Journalism 10/10/14

The FFRF’s attorney fired back a detailed four-page emailed letter, calling the district’s response “insufficient,” and making clear his client would keep pushing to have the poster removed…even suggesting that legal action might be on the horizon.

“Last year, FFRF paired with the ACLU to sue a school district in Ohio over a similar issue. The school had displayed a portrait of Jesus for more than 60 years, a clear, if longstanding, violation. The case cost the school district $95,000 in a court case that need not ever have been filed. We wrote them a letter asking for the picture to be removed but were ignored.

“Moreover, this is not simply a picture of clasped hands. It is a picture of children praying. In many respects it is more egregious than the Jesus painting in the Jackson case. This picture tells students in the school that real American children pray.

“It equates piety and patriotism. No court would seriously entertain an argument that an image of two elementary school aged children, their hands clasped in prayer, one’s eyes lifted to Heaven, entitled 'Faith in America' is not religious.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of public prayer, and read the resulting resurgence in public prayer following the Supreme Court decision including the long list of states enacting laws to bring prayer back to schools.

Type 1 Diabetics' Hope Rests in Dead Human Embryos

Once again, media propaganda is hyping a medical miracle cure resulting from embryonic stem cell research — this time it's type 1 diabetes.  However, as usual, a close study of the announced breakthrough reveals that it's adult stem cells (which don't requiring killing anyone), that may lead to the cure, rather than stem cells derived from the destruction of embryos.

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Human Embryos Cloned, Killed to Harvest Stem Cells

Stem Cell Science Advances WithOUT Killing Embryos

Court OKs Obama Killing Embryos with Tax Dollars

Harvesting Blood of Children for Fountain of Youth



-- From "Stem Cell Success Raises Hopes of Type 1 Diabetes Cure" by Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter 10/9/14

In what may be a step toward a cure for type 1 diabetes, researchers say they've developed a large-scale method for turning human embryonic stem cells into fully functioning beta cells capable of producing insulin.

[Dr. Douglas] Melton, co-director of the Stem Cell Institute at Harvard [University], described his work as a "personal quest," given that he has two children with type 1 diabetes.

Stem cells are essentially undifferentiated cells that can be induced into becoming specialized cells that are tissue- or organ-specific, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

In some cases, such cells are sourced from embryonic tissue. Alternatively, it's possible to derive stem cells from prespecialized adult cells that are then reprogrammed to morph into an undifferentiated state. These are called induced pluripotent stem cells [hiPSC].

Because the current effort was launched before the innovation of induced pluripotent stem cells [hiPSC], Melton said his team conducted its work using embryonic stem cells. Nevertheless, he said the newfound ability to generate large supplies of beta cells will work using either type.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Stem cell research offers hope on type 1 diabetes" by Carolyn Y. Johnson, Boston Globe Staff 10/9/14

In a paper published in the journal Cell on Thursday, [Melton] reported a step-by-step procedure that starts with stem cells and results in hundreds of millions of the precious pancreatic cells that secrete the hormone insulin, keeping blood sugar levels in balance. It is the lack of insulin produced by those cells, called beta cells, that lies at the root of type 1 diabetes.

Melton cautions that the work is still years from being tested in patients and many challenges, scientific and practical, remain. . . .

“We’re tired of curing mice,” Melton said in an interview. “Most patients are sick of hearing that something’s just around the corner; I’m sick of thinking things are just around the corner. But I do believe in the big picture.”

Earlier this year, [Dieter Egli, assistant professor in the pediatrics department at Columbia University Medical Center] was able to create embryonic stem cells from a person with type 1 diabetes, through a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer. He now plans to use Melton’s procedure to create the beta cells that are affected by the disease.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Giant leap against diabetes" by B. D. Colen, Harvard Gazette Staff Writer 10/9/14

With human embryonic stem cells as a starting point, the scientists were for the first time able to produce, in the kind of massive quantities needed for cell transplantation and pharmaceutical purposes, human insulin-producing beta cells equivalent in most every way to normally functioning beta cells.

Richard A. Insel, chief scientific officer at JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), which helps fund Melton’s work, said “JDRF is thrilled with this advancement toward large-scale production of mature, functional human beta cells by Dr. Melton and his team. . . .”

Eliot Brenner, program director of the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s type 1 diabetes program, said, “The trust is pleased to have supported Dr. Melton and his team in this breakthrough. . . .”

In addition to the institutions and individual cited above, the work was funded by the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the JPB Foundation.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "More Embryonic Stem Cell Hype, Less Reality and Ethics" by Dr. David Prentice, National Right to Life News Today 10/9/14

A paper from the lab of Dr. Doug Melton, published in the journal Cell, in fact, shows only an incremental improvement in deriving functional beta cells–the insulin secreting cells found in the pancreas.

Melton’s lab generated millions of insulin-secreting cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESC, which require the destruction of a young human being) and from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC, the stem cells created from normal skin cells, without using embryos).

The authors tested batches of what it called SC-ß cells made from hESC as well as from hiPSC.  The results were equivalent no matter the starting cell type.  So for any future production of SC-ß cells, the authors have shown that no embryonic stem cells are necessary.

This is essential to reiterate. The paper itself makes the case that embryonic stem cells are not needed for even this incremental advance or for any subsequent work. However, as is always the case when embryonic stem cells are involved, the hype drowns out the more complex truth.

In the past, the obsession with human embryonic stem cells has led to some questionable claims about their abilities to treat diabetes.  Their ability to make authentic insulin, in quantities that would be useful, were first trumpeted and then shown to be incorrect and even fake.  In fact, teratoma formation (tumors) was often the result or even the inducer of insulin secretion from ESC. Artifact = not real, fake

The obsession with ESC continues to make headlines, but that does not help patients. . . .

To read the entire technical explanation in the article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read President Obama Wins Ruling: Embryos WILL be Destroyed

And read Hollywood Actor Recants Embryonic Stem Cells for Parkinson's Cure

Kentucky Says Noah's Ark Mustn't Discriminate

Kentucky officials have warned the owners of a new full-sized Noah's Ark in Grant County that if they want the same tax treatment as every other employer in the state, employment opportunities must be open to atheists and everyone else who would criticize the Christian mission of the theme park.

"We're hoping the state takes a hard look at their position, and changes their position so it doesn't go further than this."
-- Mike Zovath, Executive President, Ark Encounter

-- From "State attaches conditions for tax incentives for Noah's Ark Park" by The Associated Press 10/8/14

Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Bob Stewart said in a letter the state would not approve tax incentives for the Ark Encounter based on an online job posting that required applicants to provide a salvation testimony and a statement on marriage and sexuality.

Ark Encounter attorney James Parsons replied that the posting was for a job with the company that owns the park and said the Ark Encounter does not have hiring policies yet. He said the park would follow all state and federal laws.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Kentucky warns Noah's Ark theme park over hiring practices" by Steve Bittenbender (Reuters) 10/8/14

The developer of a Noah's Ark-based theme park in Kentucky said on Wednesday he would fight for his religious rights after state officials warned he could lose millions in potential tax credits if he hires only people who believe in the biblical flood.

Ark Encounter, which is slated to open in 2016 in Williamston, Kentucky, is not hiring anyone yet, but its parent company Answers in Genesis asks employees to sign a faith statement including a belief in creationism and the flood.

[Mike] Zovath, who is also co-founder of Answers in Genesis, said that if tax incentives for the project are withdrawn because it does not give written assurances the state now seeks, it would violate the organization's First Amendment and state constitutional rights.

The tourism tax credit is potentially worth more than $18 million over a 10-year period.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Ark park tax incentives in limbo over hiring" by Tom Loftus, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) 10/7/14

"We're still in the negotiation with the state, saying why are you requiring us to do something you don't require other applicants to do? And why are you requiring us to give up our religious freedom and our religious rights to comply with an additional requirement that isn't in the state Tourism Act?" Zovath said.

In 2011 [Ark Encounter] won final approval of the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority for its entire $172.5 million project. But because of financing problems, it withdrew that application and returned this year seeking approval of a $73 million first phase that would include the park's main feature — a 510-foot wooden ark.

On July 29 the authority gave preliminary approval for the project — the first of two steps allowing the park to participate in a program that would let it keep 25 percent of the sales tax the tourist attraction would collect for 10 years. In this case, these tax rebates would be as much as $18.25 million.

In August, The Courier-Journal first reported concerns raised by the Washington-based Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and others over potential hiring practices. American United, in a letter to Gov. Steve Beshear and members of the authority, said it was alarmed by a job posting on the Answers in Genesis website for a designer's job on its Ark Encounter project.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Pedophilia NOT a Crime, Says Obama-supporting Prof.

Furthering the liberal mind-set regarding deviant sex . . .

This week, the New York Times printed an Op-Ed by Margo Kaplan of Rutgers University (who formerly represented the ACLU) in which the learned law professor explains why pedophiles should not be excluded from occupations such as teaching.

“The fact that pedophilia is so despised is precisely why our responses to it, in criminal justice and mental health, have been so inconsistent and counterproductive.”
-- Margo Kaplan, assistant professor at Rutgers School of Law, Camden

For background, read Pedophilia is Sexual Orientation, Like 'Being Gay' and also read Normalization of Pedophilia Urged by Psychiatrists

Also read Judge Says Incest OK; It's the New Gay

UPDATE 10/20/14: Gay Pedophile Teacher Says Child Porn OK to View

-- From "Pedophilia Deserves Civil Rights, Says New York Times’ Op-Ed" by Neil Munro, Daily Caller 10/6/14

Kaplan is trying to make a legal career in the regulation of expanding sexual diversity, instead of routine and lower-status practice areas, such as torts, probate, crime or copyrights. She’s focused on “legal limitations on intimate decisions, particularly the use of criminal law in areas of health and sexuality,” according to her web page.

Kaplan says criminal law should be changed so that pedophiles are only stigmatized or denied jobs if law school graduates agree that they pose a “direct threat” to children.

In the 1970s, the Catholic Church accepted the advice of many experts in the new mental-health industry, and concluded that pedophile priests could be successfully treated with private therapy. The theory was not proven correct, and it helped protect many priests as they sexually abused thousands of boys.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pedophilia: A Disorder, Not a Crime" by Margo Kaplan, New York Times 10/5/14

. . . One can live with pedophilia and not act on it.

. . . [A] misconception is that pedophilia is a choice.

. . . The Virtuous Pedophiles website is full of testimonials of people who vow never to touch a child and yet live in terror. They must hide their disorder from everyone they know — or risk losing educational and job opportunities, and face the prospect of harassment and even violence. Many feel isolated; some contemplate suicide.

While treatment cannot eliminate a pedophile’s sexual interests, a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication can help him to manage urges and avoid committing crimes.

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibit discrimination against otherwise qualified individuals with mental disabilities, in areas such as employment, education and medical care. Congress, however, explicitly excluded pedophilia from protection under these two crucial laws.

It’s time to revisit these categorical exclusions. . . .

A pedophile should be held responsible for his conduct — but not for the underlying attraction.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama Donor Argues Pedophilia 'Not a Crime' in NYT Op-Ed" by Katie Yoder, CNSNews.com 10/7/14

Here's a tidbit of information The New York Times left out of the bio of a professor who argued pedophilia is "not a crime" in a recent Op-Ed - she's also a President Obama supporter.

. . . In 2012, Kaplan donated $250 to Barack Obama's campaign.

An assistant professor at Rutgers School of Law - Camden, and a former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, Kaplan has plans for a "Taking Pedophilia Seriously" publication to be released next year. At Rutgers, her research focuses on "legal limitations on intimate decisions, particularly the use of criminal law in areas of health and sexuality."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also click headlines below to read previous articles:

Gay Pedophile Teacher Defended by Michigan School

Homosexual Teacher Sexting Boy Resigns, Media Silent

Homosexual Teacher Jailed: Paying Boys to Sext Him

Homosexual Predator, Honored by President Obama, Arrested

Most Americans Say Gay Men Untrustworthy with Boys

Abortionists Can Ignore Rape of Teens: Virginia AG

A decision by Mark Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, has unilaterally negated the long-standing state requirement that health professionals inform authorities of instances of suspected statutory rape.  Herring wrote that abortion clinics need not be concerned that a pregnant 13-year-old might have been a victim of rape by an older man, but rather may simply "turn a blind eye."

“The [abortion] industry is counting on [Gov. Terry] McAuliffe finding a way to end the public scrutiny of their abortion centers.”
-- Virginia Cobb, The Family Foundation of Virginia (TFFVA)

For background, read of myriad instances of Planned Parenthood being exposed of violating laws:

Four Abortionists Charged in Indiana: Rape, Murder

Planned Parenthood Conceals Serial Rapist in Arizona

Abortionists Concealing Rape: New Jersey Clinic Shut Down

Planned Parenthood Criminal in Serial Rape Coverups

Planned Parenthood Busted by Video Sting in Alabama

-- From "Virginia Attorney General Absolves Abortion Clinics From Requirement to Report Suspected Rapes of Teen Girls" posted at Washington Free Beacon 10/2/14

“It is my opinion that a Virginia Department of Health (VDH) licensing inspector who is a nurse and who, during the course of a hospital inspection, learns from the review of a medical record that a 14-year-old girl received services related to her pregnancy is not required to make a report of child abuse and neglect pursuant to Virginia Code § 63.2-1509 unless there is reason to suspect that a parent or other person responsible for the child’s care committed, or allowed to be committed, the unlawful sexual act upon the child,” Democrat Mark Herring’s September 12 opinion said.

“It is also my opinion that the VDH licensing inspector is not required to make a report to law enforcement of the crime of carnal knowledge of a child between the ages of 13 and 15.”

Herring includes “prenatal or abortion services” among the signs of potential rape that he said do not have to be reported to law enforcement.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Virginia AG: Abortion Clinic Inspectors Don’t Have to Report Statutory Rape" by Zoey DiMauro, CNSNews.com 10/3/14

According to Virginia law, anyone who "carnally knows, without the use of force, a child thirteen years of age or older but under fifteen years of age, such person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony” punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

But Herring says that the fact of a minor girl’s pregnancy alone, “without additional information or evidence, is not sufficient to create a reason to suspect that the child is an ‘abused or neglected child’” under Virginia’s mandatory reporter statute, which requires certain professionals to report suspected child abuse.

TFFVA claims that Herring’s opinion unilaterally changes a Virginia law that has been uncontested for 14 years, in addition to reversing the decisions of two former attorneys general. “. . . a 2001 opinion by then Attorney General and now respected Court of Appeals Judge Randolph Beales requir[ed] teachers to report sexual acts against a child regardless of whether the teacher suspected or believed the child’s parent or other responsible person committed the sex crime.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Abortionists don’t have to report most statutory rape cases: Virginia’s Democratic attorney general" by Ben Johnson, LifeSiteNews 10/2/14

Abortion personnel only need to report suspected child abuse if it is perpetrated by a parent or legal guardian, Virginia AG Mark Herring, a Democrat, wrote in a five-page opinion to State Health Commissioner Marissa Levine on September 12.

His guidance overturns the opinions of two previous state attorneys general that required the reporting of suspected child abuse, even if the abuser was not a parent or the abuse took place without the parents' knowledge. Then-Attorney General Randolph Beales, now a court of appeals judge, issued such an opinion in 2001 and Jerry Kilgore offered similar guidance in 2003. Both are Republicans.

State law makes having sexual relations with anyone under the age of 15 a fourth class felony, but Herring cited a statute that defines an “abused or neglected child” as someone abused by his or her parents or guardians.

Herring is no stranger to selectively enforcing the law. He faced calls for his impeachment after he refused to defend the state's marriage protection amendment.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read how Planned Parenthood teams up with schools by providing "kinky sex trainers" for kids.

Most Texas Abortion Clinics Now Closed by Court

This week, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an injunction by U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel that had allowed many abortion clinics in Texas to remain operating in violation of the recently enacted state law H.B. 2.

“Texas had over forty abortion clinics prior to the enactment of H.B. 2 . . . after the ASC provision takes effect, only seven or eight clinics will remain.”
-- 5th Circuit Judge Stephen A. Higginson

For background, read about the new abortion clinic laws in Texas and other states, and read about the resulting drop in abortions.

UPDATE 10/14/14: Supreme Court Blocks Law, Clinics Re-open Temporarily (see article excerpts below)

UPDATE 6/10/15: Texas Law Upheld by 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; on to U.S. Supreme Court

Also read Abortionists Battle to Kill Without Clinics

-- From "Most abortion clinics in Texas will be forced to close under court ruling" by Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times 10/2/14

The requirement is part of a sweeping piece of legislation called House Bill 2, which includes several measures that undermine women’s access to abortion. The mandate was struck down in late August by a federal judge [Yeakel] in Austin, who ruled that it was unconstitutional because it put an undue burden on women seeking healthcare. He put the requirement on hold while the state appealed.

The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit said the central question it considered was “whether the state has shown a likelihood of success” in fighting Yeakel’s ruling “regarding whether the ambulatory surgical center provision is unconstitutional. We conclude that it has.” The panel repeatedly criticized Yeakel’s decision as “unclear” and “confusing.”

John Seago, legislative director for Texas Right to Life, applauded the appeals court. At the same time, groups that oppose abortion have been frustrated “when laws are struck down for no apparent reason,” Seago said. “Any further clarity the court would like to provide would be welcome.”

A spokeswoman for Texas Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott praised the result. Lauren Bean said in a statement, “This decision is a vindication of the careful deliberation by the Texas Legislature to craft a law to protect the health and safety of Texas women.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Texas Women Forced to Reassess After New Ruling on Abortions" by Laura Tillman and Erik Eckholm, New York Times 10/3/14

The appeals panel overturned a lower court’s determination that the Texas law, imposing hospital-style surgery center standards on all abortion clinics and requiring clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals, was unjustified medically and an unconstitutional burden on abortion rights.

Ms. Northup of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal group that argued against the Texas law in court, said that the Supreme Court would have to clarify what constitutes an “undue burden.” The issue has come up not only in the Texas ruling but also, with contradictory findings, in recent decisions around the country concerning laws limiting medication abortions and laws requiring doctors to have local hospital admitting privileges.

Denise Burke, vice president for legal affairs of Americans United for Life, said the appeals court decision on the Texas law was a legal endorsement of a major recent push by anti-abortion groups, arguing that “abortion harms women, and states may regulate in the interest of women’s health.”

She said she was confident that the Supreme Court would agree that rules to protect health would not be considered as illegal burdens.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "13 abortion facilities closed today, as federal court upholds Texas law" by Ben Johnson, LifeSiteNews.com 10/3/14

Before H.B. 2 passed last year, Texas had more than 40 abortion facilities. But only a handful of abortion facilities meet the new standards, and all are located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Abortion advocates say they lack the capacity to serve the 5.4 million women of reproductive age in the nation's second-largest state. The [5th Circuit] panel ruled that “women from McAllen have been traveling outside their city for nearly a year, and Plaintiffs made no showing that clinics in San Antonio (or any other city) have been deluged.”

The facilities may choose to appeal the ruling, but judges made it clear the state was likely to prevail.

Gov. Rick Perry signed H.B. 2 into law last July. It banned abortions after 20 weeks on the grounds of fetal pain, required abortionists to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their office, and made all abortion facilities meet ASC standards.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel had struck down part of the law on August 29, arguing that forcing women to drive 150 miles for an abortion constituted an “undue burden” to women, thus violating the Supreme Court's 1992 Casey ruling. He also scaled back the admitting privileges mandate.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

UPDATE 10/14/14: From "Supreme Court blocks Texas abortion law" by Robert Barnes, Washington Post

The court’s brief order did not say why it was disagreeing with the appeals court. Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. would have allowed the law to go into effect while abortion providers pursued their claims that it is unconstitutional.

The order was unsigned, but that apparently meant Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the other five justices — Anthony M. Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — were in agreement.

The court’s decision is not a judgment on the Texas law, but whether the law’s new restrictions should be delayed while the legal battle continued.

The Supreme Court in November [2013] agreed 5 to 4 that the admitting-privileges part of the law could be implemented, resulting in the loss of about half of the state’s 41 clinic providers. After the recent appeals court ruling, the number shrank to seven, the [abortion] providers said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Abortion Clinic Closings Set Record; Abortionists Admit Defeat and are now Forced to Risk All in Supreme Court

HIV/AIDS is Mostly a Gay Disease, Says Government

A new report from President Obama's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has again shown that anal sex is the principle cause for the transmission of HIV, which accounts for the fact that 63% of new HIV infections are among homosexual men.

“Most gay and bisexual men acquire HIV through anal sex, which is the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV.”
-- CDC “Morbidity and Mortality” report of 9/26/14

For background, read Anal Sex is Main Cause of HIV Pandemic, Study Shows as well as HIV Rates Rise Among Homosexual Men says Federal Study

Also read President Obama Commits $15 Million to Show that Gay Men Aren't the Cause of HIV/AIDS

UPDATE 11/25/15: Gov't Warns that Homosexual Men are Major HIV Risk

UPDATE 6/6/15: New Gay Health Risk: Meningococcal Disease

UPDATE 5/28/15: Internet = HIV & STD Epidemic Among Young Adults

UPDATE 2/16/15: New Deadly HIV Rampant in Cuba—Obama Media Ignore

UPDATE 12/24/14: The Only 'Safe Gays' are Celibate Gays, Says President Obama's FDA

UPDATE 12/18/14: CDC Says Soaring Rate of Syphilis Among Homosexual Men Leading to More HIV Infections

-- From "CDC: Gay Men Represent 2 Percent Of US Population, 52 Percent Of People With HIV" posted at CBS News Atlanta 10/1/14

“Having more sex partners compared to other men means gay and bisexual men have more opportunities to have sex with someone who can transmit HIV or another STD. Similarly, among gay men, those who have more partners are more likely to acquire HIV.”

The CDC noted its aim to “direct attention to the continuing and disproportionate impact of human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) on gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States.”

A CDC report released in 2013 found that 62 percent of American men who self-reported being HIV-positive said they had unprotected anal sex with a male partner in the last 12 months. In 2011, men who had sex with men accounted for at least half of persons diagnosed with HIV in all but two states. Anal sex is cited by the CDC as having the highest-risk practice for HIV infection.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "CDC:  Gay men make up only 2% of US, but 63% of all new AIDS cases" by Kirsten Andersen, LifeSiteNews.com 10/1/14

Based on recent studies, the CDC estimates that about 18 percent of all homosexual men are infected with HIV.  Chillingly, more than a third of those infected don’t realize they have the lethal virus, making them much more likely to pass it on to others by failing to take safety precautions. The rampant promiscuity in the gay community only makes matters worse, according to the CDC.

The CDC report comes on the heels of a September 23 report by Public Health England revealing similar problems in the United Kingdom.  One out of every 34 gay men in the U.K. is HIV positive, and in London, the number rises to one-in-twelve.  Anal sex is responsible for more than half of all newly diagnosed HIV cases in the U.K. each year, although gays make up only 2 percent of the population there, as well.

“[Gay men] report high levels of risky sexual behaviour, including higher numbers of sexual partners and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI),” the report read.  “This is despite the majority being reached by HIV prevention activity and having access to condoms.”

Condom use isn’t a magic bullet against HIV infection, either.  Because sodomy is inherently rougher than normal sex, condoms frequently break.  A recent study out of Thailand found that even with 100 percent condom use, one out of every five gay men contracted HIV within five years of their first act of anal sex.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Kaiser Survey Offers Comprehensive Look at Gay Men's Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding HIV" by Josh Kruger, TheBody.com 9/30/14

HIV/AIDS education and advocacy seem to still have a long way to go in reaching gay and bisexual men in the U.S., according to a comprehensive report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report presents the findings of a recent Kaiser survey among a nationally representative sample of 431 adult men who self-identified as gay or bisexual. In particular, while gay and bisexual men say complacency around HIV/AIDS is a problem, these same men admit to almost never talking about HIV with their friends or even their casual sexual partners. Many of them say they've never been asked by physicians to take an HIV test.

This lack of knowledge "is a major concern," writes Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman in The Wall Street Journal. "There is no question that the problem of HIV among gay and bisexual men remains urgent -- and under the radar."

Just over half (51%) of the men surveyed did not feel HIV/AIDS was a significant issue in their lives. Only a third of the respondents knew that HIV infections are rising among gay men, and fewer than half (46%) knew that doctors recommend that HIV-positive individuals start antiretroviral therapy immediately following diagnosis.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

In addition, read Pandemic Sex Diseases: Permanent Cure Dismissed and also read Fictional 'Safe Sex' - Government Losing War on STDs as well as HIV Cure: False Hope to Victims, Money to Others

UPDATE 2/25/15: Anal Sex Pill Pushed in Gay Men Study to Stop HIV

And read New Aggressive HIV Strain Spreading AIDS Worldwide

Georgia Football Monument Must Go, Atheists Demand

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation told the Madison County High School in Danielsville, Georgia that a newly donated granite monument with Bible verses, placed near the football field, is unconstitutional.  Also the American Humanist Association has given the school a two-week demand that the monument either be defaced or removed entirely, otherwise they'll sue. Local residents overwhelmingly support the monument, but initial comments from school superintendent Allen McCannon have been vague.

“If God be for us who can be against us.”
“I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”
-- Monument inscriptions

UPDATE 10/16/14: School Board Votes to Deface Monument - Atheists Win

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Georgia Citizens & School Team Up vs. Anti-Prayer Atheists

Tennessee Cheerleaders Defy Atheist-forced Prayer Ban

Thousands vs. Atheists, Prayer at Florida Football

North Carolinians Pray at School, Defying Wisconsin Atheists

Kentucky School Dumps Ten Commandments as Atheist Demand

Also read Atheists Threaten to Sue Every School in Tennessee and in Mississippi but admit they're Short on Lawyers to Sue ALL Christians





-- From "Raiders cap off day of controversy with convincing win" by Dallas Bordon, Madison Journal 9/30/14

A day clouded with controversy surrounding the newly constructed Red Raider monument at the football field house ended in victory on the gridiron as the Madison County defeated Monroe Area 19-6 Friday.

The Madison County school system has been asked by two secular organizations to take down the new monument because of Bible verses engraved on the structure. Quarterback Ethan South summed up the day of controversy following the win.

“Coach (Chris) Smith talked about it before the game and said there’s really nothing we can do about it right now,” South said. “We just came out and played our type of football and no matter what happens we give God glory. Statue or not, he’s still God.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Madison Co. school under fire about religious quotes on statue" by Wayne Ford, Athens Banner Herald 10/1/14

The content of the [atheists' threatening] letters has not been discussed with the county Board of Education members, although McCannon said he had tried to reach out to members by telephone.

The next regular board meeting is set for Oct. 14, but the board could have an earlier called meeting to discuss the issue, McCannon said.

“I’m in the process of contacting them and seeing what they are going to do,” he said.

However, McCannon said the school board’s attorney is also reviewing the matter.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Bible verse questioned on new football field monument" posted at WSB-TV2 (Atlanta, GA) 9/29/14

The monument was donated with private money to inspire the football team at Madison County High School.

Just across the street a banner in support of the monument shows how the controversy has stirred up parents.

"This whole thing was started by one person who will not come forward and name who he is,” [parent Kim] Shupe said.

. . . The group of parents claim that the majority of the community supports their side to keep the monument just the way it is.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of public prayer, and read the resulting resurgence in public prayer following the Supreme Court decision.