[Active-l] (NEWS) Today's Cultural Warfare Update

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

We have a Feature Presentation! It's at the end of the list, as always.  
But first, today's news:

It's funny watching Focus on the Family jump all over a bill they'd  
normally be opposing as "counterfeit marriage." They do that in New  
Jersey as an attempt to avoid a bill that outright calls itself  
domestic partnerships or marriage;

Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM against ABC for the _All My Children_  
soap having a transgendered character; they ay it won't "reflect  
reality," which is to say, they're worried that the trans person won't  
be unhappy enough and won't come to either a terrible end or  
Redemeption Through Jesus Christ. One of their recurring themes is that  
GBLT people cannot be happy or have stable relationships, or actually  
fall in love;

FotF upset that a lesbian woman's custody rights have been upheld,  
quoting a Liberty Council rep saying it's "the tip of the iceburg" to  
recognising same-sex marriage;

Resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan executing teachers for instructing  
girls - they want to go back to their pre-2001 policy of creating an  
outright chattel slave class of women; I was complaining about this  
crap in 1998 and it really, really pisses me off that the current  
administration kept _forgetting about_ Afghanistan even after finally  
doing something about it - remember the $0 reconstruction fund budget?  
That was _cool_. Link from tinlail.livejournal.com ;

Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to get the lame duck Congress to pass  
an anti-abortion measure;

FotF: new abortion regulations don't go far enough - they want a ban,  
of course, so anything short of that is inadequate;

Focus on the Family wants Sen. Brownback (R-KS) to run for President,  
as none of the currently announced or generally-acknowledged 2008  
Republican contenders (Guliani, Romney, etc) are fundamentalist enough  
for them; includes an ACTION ITEM for the same anti-abortion measure  
mentioned above;

Democratic state rep. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) to reintroduce GBLT  
marriage rights bill in California legislature; it passed last year,  
but was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger (R-CA);

Meanwhile, on the Federal level, Democrats plan to reintroduce the  
stem-cell research bill which passed Congress this year but which Mr.  
Bush vetoed in his only veto action to date;

Focus on the Family criticises two-income families - gosh, I wonder  
which parent they think shouldn't be working;

FotF: Maricopa County, Arizona appealing court ruling overturning  
policy requiring inmates to get a special court order in order to get  
an abortion;

FotF: Massachusetts State Supreme Court to hear outgoing Gov. Romney's  
lawsuit seeking to force the legislature to put an measure on the state  
ballot;

FotF article tossing about the War on Christmas bullshit;

Concerned Women for America press release says Americans want more  
theoconservative and theocon-friendly judges for Christmas, urges  
Congress to vote to ratify a list of nominees;

CWA worries that Wal-Mart is not being decisive enough in its reaction  
to the theoconservative attack on it for buying an associate membership  
to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. But they're not  
putting Wal-Mart on their "naughty" list because their advertising uses  
the words "Merry Christmas" this year;

CWA's "Naughty and Nice" list for the "War on Christmas"; they're  
really unhappy with Best Buy, because they're sticking with "Happy  
Holidays";

CWA on the possible male contraceptive pill; they aren't fans; they  
worry that it will "prove to be a detriment to the morals and to the  
culture that is already disintegrated in terms of viewing sex as  
something that's recreational rather than a commitment between a couple  
that is committed to each other for life";

Faith and Freedom Network condemns tolerance and the "New Truth";

Faith and Freedom Network links polygamists and GBLT marriage rights;

Faith and Freedom Network complains that "In God We Trust" is too small  
on the new dollar coins;

Canada Family Action Coalition accuses the Toronto Maple Leafs of  
"being in the business of pedophile peddling";

The entire "swearing on the Koran instead of the BIble" thing is  
deflating - the swearing-in ceremony doesn't actually involve swearing  
on any book;

American Family Association condemns Ford Motor again, this time for  
opposing anti-gay ballot measures;

American Family Association ACTION ITEM for a Federal law mandating  
Congressional swearing-in on Bibles;

AFA story on the Canada Family Action Coalition item calling the  
Toronto Maple Leafs promoters of paedophilia; the actual item is that  
the Leafs and the NHL are allowing their logos to be used in the  
filming of the book _Breakfast with Scot_, about a gay hockey player  
who wants to come out; the paedophilia comes from the fictional  
character's fictional adopted son;

American Family Association ACTION ITEM to lobby Congress to pass the  
"Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act." AFA: "The Unborn Child Pain  
Awareness Act serves as a reminder, to mothers and the technicians who  
commit abortion, of the humanity of the life growing inside the  
mother’s womb";

AFA reports on the plans to resubmit marriage equality bill in  
California;

LifeNews.com says that the stem-cell research bill is going to start 39  
votes short of a veto-proof majority - it'll pass again, but not with a  
veto-proof number;

Family Research Council: only abstinence-only education is good against  
AIDS; also an ACTION ITEM to support HR 6099, the anti-abortion bill  
that is apparently going to get a new vote in the House on Monday or  
Tuesday;

Family Research Council separate ACTION ITEM to support HR 6099;

And now, our Cultural Warfare Update Feature Presentation.


----- 1 -----
Compromise Bill May Protect Marriage in New Jersey
Act would grant benefits and rights without consideration of the  
relationship of the people involved.
Focus on the Family
from staff reports
11-29-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003238.cfm

New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that might satisfy the  
state Supreme Court’s demand for same-sex marriage or its equivalent,  
as well as pro-family efforts to protect marriage from redefinition.

An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household  
access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage – but would  
be blind to the relationship of the people involved.

Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing  
with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits – rights  
generally already available through legal contracts. Len Deo, president  
of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, told Family News in Focus the  
key is it does not create special rights based on homosexuality.

[More at URL]


----- 2 -----
Transgendered Soap-Opera Character Will Not Reflect Reality
Experts expect the drama will gloss over difficulties.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
11-29-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003243.cfm

The announcement that ABC's daytime drama All My Children will begin  
this week following a character through a sex-change is being met with  
skepticism by some people familiar with such procedures.

It’s unclear whether the producers will stick with the story through  
the fictional surgery.

Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, a ministry to  
ex-gays, said such depictions do nothing to help people understand the  
reality of people making such life decisions.

[...]

"The people who are transgendered, the people who are in homosexuality,  
I would venture to say from personal experience that they’re not at  
peace," he said, "and that true love isn’t able to be found in those  
types of relationships."

TAKE ACTION:
If you'd like to share your thoughts with ABC, you can contact the  
network through its Web site. ( http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html )


----- 3 -----
Lesbian Custody Rights Upheld on a Technicality
Focus on the Family
11-29-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003250.cfm

A Virginia appellate court ruled Tuesday that the biological mother in  
a lesbian custody dispute must abide by the laws of Vermont, where she  
and her former partner entered into a civil union.

The ruling avoided the more important question: whether Virginia can be  
forced to recognize a same-sex union sanctioned in another state.

The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was still celebrated by gay  
and lesbian groups. Kate Kendell, executive director of the National  
Center for Lesbian Rights, called it a "big deal."

"The fact that the court would apply that rule of law objectively and  
fairly to a lesbian plaintiff is an enormously important victory," she  
said.

Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which  
represented the biological mother, called the case "the tip of the  
iceberg of what's to come if one state cannot define its own marriage  
policy and must be subservient to the same-sex marriage policy of a  
sister state."

[More at URL]


----- 4 -----
Disembowelled, then torn apart: The price of daring to teach girls
By Kim Sengupta in Ghazni, Afghanistan
Published: 29 November 2006
The Independent

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2023831.ece

The gunmen came at night to drag Mohammed Halim away from his home, in  
front of his crying children and his wife begging for mercy.

The 46-year-old schoolteacher tried to reassure his family that he  
would return safely. But his life was over, he was part-disembowelled  
and then torn apart with his arms and legs tied to motorbikes, the  
remains put on display as a warning to others against defying Taliban  
orders to stop educating girls.

Mr Halim was one of four teachers killed in rapid succession by the  
Islamists at Ghazni, a strategic point on the routes from Kabul to the  
south and east which has become the scene of fierce clashes between the  
Taliban and US and Afghan forces.

[...]

Ms Mushtaq is familiar with the ways of the Taliban. During their rule  
she and her sister ran secret schools for girls at their home. The  
Taliban beat them for teaching the girls algebra.

[More at URL]


----- 5 -----
Urge Congress to Pass Fetal Pain Bill
Your action is needed to ensure lawmakers vote on and pass a bill that  
would require doctors to tell women their babies feel pain during an  
abortion.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
1 December 2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003282.cfm

The 109th Congress is almost over and pro-life advocates are urging  
Congress to bring the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, H.R. 6099, to  
the floor while a vote is still possible.

Authored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the bill has 93 co-sponsors. It  
would require abortion providers to tell women who are aborting 20  
weeks or more after fertlilization about the severe pain their preborn  
children will feel during the procedure. It would also require that the  
woman be allowed to decide whether her preborn could receive  
anesthesia, if it is more than 20-weeks-old.

[...]

TAKE ACTION:
Contact your representative using the CitizenLink Action Center and ask  
him or her to support H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.


----- 6 -----
Alabama Abortion-Clinic Regulations Displease Both Sides
Opposition stems from very different reasons.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
12-1-06

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003274.cfm

It’s not often abortion advocates and opponents agree on anything. But  
that's what happened at a public hearing conducted by the Alabama  
Bureau of Health Provider Standards regarding abortion-clinic  
regulations.

Regulators are considering proposed guidelines that they hope will  
improve the standard of care at abortion facilities. Several women have  
suffered major complications following abortions in recent months.

But both the abortion industry and pro-lifers oppose the guidelines --  
for different reasons.

"The thing (abortionists) don’t like about the regulations is that they  
impose burdens and penalties on them," said Pastor James Henderson, who  
spoke for pro-lifers at the hearing.

"The only thing we would agree with (is) that they're inadequate --  
because they don’t impose enough penalties.”

[More at URL]


----- 7 -----
Glut of Presidential Candidates May Run in '08
Who will appeal to pro-family conservatives?
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
12-1-06

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003279.cfm

How is the GOP race for the White House shaping up? The field is a  
little smaller now that retiring Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has removed  
himself from the list, but there are at least 10 other Republicans  
still being mentioned for possible bids.

Conservatives didn’t always agree with Bill Frist, but, for the most  
part, he was a stalwart pro-family voice in the Senate. Lanier Swann,  
director of government relations for Concerned Women for America, said  
she understands his decision not to seek a bid for the White House.

"His medical-mission trips, for example, would have been nearly  
impossible as a president," Swann told Family News in Focus.

But she said his decision leaves a void for social conservatives.

[...]

The three names that have come up most often as possible GOP contenders  
are: Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former New York City Mayor Rudi  
Giuliani; and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. None are considered to be true  
social conservatives.

Carrie Gordon Earll, director of issue analysis for Focus on the Family  
Action, is hoping a dark horse pro-family champion will emerge.

[...]

Although he isn’t endorsing anyone yet, Bauer says someone like Sen.  
Sam Brownback, R-Kan., might fit the bill.

[...]

TAKE ACTION: Contact your representative using the CitizenLink Action  
Center and ask him or her to support H.R. 6099, the Unborn Child Pain  
Awareness Act.

http://vocusgr.vocus.com/GRSPACE2/WebPublish/Controller.aspx? 
SiteName=FOTF&Definition=Issues&Juris=US

[More at URL]


----- 8 -----
Calif. Assemblyman to Re-Submit Vetoed Gay Marriage Bill
Focus on the Family
12-1-06

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003287.cfm

A San Francisco lawmaker plans to re-introduce a bill next Monday that  
would legalize same-sex marriage -- even though the California State  
Assembly will only be meeting long enough that day for legislators to  
take their oaths of office and elect leadership.

Democratic Rep. Mark Leno, who is openly homosexual, says he will  
introduce a bill approved by the Legislature in 2005 but vetoed by Gov.  
Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[More at URL]


----- 9 -----
Democrats Pledge to Make Stem-Cell Bill Top Priority
Move comes as no surprise to pro-lifers.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003263.cfm

One of the first things House Democrats will do when they take command  
of Congress in January is reintroduce H.R. 810, the same embryonic  
stem-cell research bill President Bush vetoed earlier this year.

House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she wants the bill  
passed in the first 100 hours of business. Senate Minority Leader Harry  
Reid, D-Nev. -- the next Senate majority leader -- has pledged to have  
the Senate act on the bill before January is over.

The bill, originally sponsored by Reps. Dianna DeGette, D-Colo., and  
Michael Castle, R-Del., is not one pro-lifers can support.

[More at URL]


----- 10 -----
Split-Shift Parenting Bad for Families
Experts say parents need to assess what's truly worthwhile.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003262.cfm

A study out of Europe contends that "split-shift" parenting -- in which  
mom and dad each have jobs and divide time at home with their kids --  
hurts families.

Experts in the U.K. say work hours need to be more flexible to  
accommodate family time, but pro-family groups in America say parents  
may simply need to re-evaluate their priorities.

Researchers say a third of American families are earning two incomes  
while balancing young children.

Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values  
Coalition, said parents have to weigh what's truly important.

[More at URL]


----- 11 -----
Arizona County Appeals Inmate-Abortion Decision
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003260.cfm

Maricopa County, Ariz., officials have appealed a 2005 state Superior  
Court decision that ruled unconstitutional the policy governing  
prisoners who want abortions, The New Standard reported.

County policy restricts access to elective medical procedures, and  
women who want abortions must apply for a court order to be transported  
to an abortion facility.

An unnamed inmate challenged the policy in 2004, claiming it prevented  
her from obtaining a timely abortion. The American Civil Liberties  
Union, representing the woman, said she faced excessive burden because  
she had to locate a clinic, schedule an appointment and retain an  
attorney to file the court order.

A Maricopa Superior Court judge ruled the policy unconstitutional.

[More at URL]


----- 12 -----
Massachusetts High Court Hears Romney's Marriage-Amendment Suit
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003259.cfm

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today heard arguments in a  
lawsuit brought by Gov. Mitt Romney and other marriage advocates that  
seeks to force the Legislature into voting on a proposed constitutional  
amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman,  
The Associated Press reported.

[More at URL]


----- 13 -----
Americans Want to Hear 'Merry Christmas'
Focus on the Family
11-30-2006

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000003258.cfm

A survey by Rasmussen Reports found 69 percent of people would rather  
hear "Merry Christmas" than more generic wishes such as "Happy  
Holidays."

According to The Washington Times, breaking it down by party  
affiliation found 85 percent of Republicans want "Merry Christmas"  
compared to 61 percent of Democrats.

"The growing trend of political correctness," the survey stated, "runs  
against the tide of popular opinion."

Surveys by America's Research Group and CNBC found similar results.

[More at URL]


----- 14 -----
CWA: Americans Have Judges on Christmas List
Concerned Women for America
11/30/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11916/MEDIA/misc/index.htm

Washington, D.C. ––The 109th Congress has very important work still  
left to be done in the remaining weeks before Christmas in order to  
leave behind a legacy of strong, lasting leadership, says Concerned  
Women for America (CWA). The U.S. Senate must stop delaying and start  
moving with up-or-down votes on the pending nominations of qualified  
judicial nominees.

President George W. Bush renominated six individuals for appointment to  
the federal appeals courts on November 15, 2006. They include Terrence  
W. Boyle, of North Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the  
Fourth Circuit; William James Haynes II, of Virginia, to be United  
States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Peter D. Keisler, of  
Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of  
Columbia Circuit; William Gerry Myers III, of Idaho, to be United  
States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Norman Randy Smith, of  
Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit and  
Michael B. Wallace, of Mississippi, to be United States Circuit Judge  
for the Fifth Circuit. All are renominations because the Senate has  
failed to give them an up-or-down vote.

“The Senate needs to deliver up-or-down votes on the six judicial  
nominees before the Christmas break,” said Jan LaRue, CWA’s chief  
counsel. “President Bush has kept his promise time and again by sending  
highly qualified nominees to the Senate for confirmation. The American  
people are watching and will remember which Senators were naughty or  
nice.”

For Information Contact:
Stacey Holliday
(202) 488-7000
media.cwfa.org


----- 15 -----
Mixed Messages
Check out where your money is really going before you shop for  
Christmas.
Concerned Women for America
11/30/2006
By Colleen Raezler

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11919/CWA/misc/index.htm

Concerned Women for America (CWA) received some questions about how  
some companies can be on our “Nice list” when they clearly do not share  
the same pro-family values we hold dear.

Our “Naughty or Nice” list pertains only to companies’ Christmas  
policies. We recognize that while some companies may encourage the use  
of “Merry Christmas” by their employees and in advertising, their other  
policies may not be as family-friendly.

Wal-Mart is a perfect example of this. It is on our “Nice” list due to  
its use of “Merry Christmas,” but its commitment to family values  
overall remains open to debate. The American Family Association planned  
a boycott of Wal-Mart on Black Friday weekend in response to the  
company’s promotion of homosexuality through corporate funding and  
“diversity” education for its employees. The boycott was ultimately  
called off due to Wal-Mart’s announcement that it would “no longer make  
corporate contributions to support or oppose controversial issues  
unless they directly relate to their ability to serve their customers,”  
which AFA views as a statement of neutrality.

[More at URL]


----- 16 -----
Updated!! Naughty and Nice List Returns for Christmas 2006
CWA is making a list and checking it twice.
Concerned Women for America
11/29/2006
By Martha Kleder

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11904/CWA/family/index.htm

Many retailers learned the hard way last year that it just doesn't pay  
to mess with Christmas. Target, Wal-Mart, Macy's and Sears are among  
the stores that made a mid-season shift from the generic "Happy  
Holidays" to "Merry Christmas." Concerned Women for America's Naughty  
and Nice list kicks off the 2006 Christmas season with many stores -  
previously on the "Naughty list" or in the ambiguous middle - now  
squarely in the "Nice" category.

"We learned our lesson from last year that the majority of people  
wanted to hear us say 'Christmas,' and we're saying 'Merry Christmas'  
this year, but not to the exclusion of the other holidays," Wal-Mart  
Senior Vice-President Julie Roehm told "NBC Nightly News."

Last year, the retail giant's seasonal advertising lacked the mention  
of Christmas, and store employees were initially told not to say "Merry  
Christmas." This year, the chain is encouraging associates to greet  
shoppers with a collection of holiday recognitions including "Merry  
Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Happy Hanukkah," "Feliz Navidad," and  
"Happy Kwanzaa."

[...]

The American Decency Association, the American Family Association and  
The Catholic League are jingling the bells of retailers that refuse to  
acknowledge Christmas. Online communities, like  
www.mymerrychristmas.com, have been keeping tabs on how retailers are  
keeping Christmas.

CWA will also be making a list and checking it twice. If you notice a  
retailer that is not acknowledging Christmas, or you see a retailer  
that should be commended, please contact CWA.

[More at URL]


----- 17 -----
Surprising Reactions to News of Male Contraceptive (4:29)
Concerned Women for America
12/1/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11924/CWA/misc/index.htm

Newspapers this week trumpeted a new male contraceptive pill. But, as  
Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute,  
notes, the social implications of this prospective medication and the  
reaction of men raises doubts about this development. Click here to  
listen.

[Dr. Janice Crouse: "The word was... it would be available in five  
years..." "There would be no consequences to having sex!" "Some of us  
were concerned about what it would do about promiscuity as well... but  
now there's a whole new wrinkle, because men have said, 'I'm not about  
to take a pill. I don't know what it'll do to my health. I don't know  
what it'll do to my fertility. I don't know what it'll do to my  
sexuality... let the women handle the birth control.'" CWA says this is  
"reasonable." Lots of laughter about how men won't ever take this.  
"There is no way men would accept this, they would see this as  
interfering with their sexuality." Claims it will increase sexually  
transmitted diseases. "I think probably for married couples this could  
be a good thing if it proved to be healthy for men, and not detrimental  
to them. At the same time, I'm very concerned about the effect it will  
have on young people, and people who are promiscuous. Because it  
obviously creates the idea... that sex is nothing more than recreation  
and that this would enable people to enact that opinion much more  
freely than they've been able in the past. And I think it would also  
encourage men to view sex as something that is their privileges to  
enjoy at any time they want to without any consequences. So I think  
there are some very strong philosophical cautions about this new  
advancement and we need to look at it very carefully." "What're we  
going to do with this invention... will it prove to be a detriment to  
the morals and to the culture that is already disintegrated in terms of  
viewing sex as something that's recreational rather than a commitment  
between a couple that is committed to each other for life." Raises the  
idea that the FCC will approve it for political reasons.]


----- 18 -----
Tolerance: The New Truth
Faith and Freedom Network
Thursday, November 30, 2006

http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/11/tolerance-new-truth.html

The traditional meaning of tolerance means, to “endure” or put up with  
something such as a persons behavior, belief, or attitude, without  
necessarily agreeing with them.

The statement, “love the sinner, hate the sin” has grown out of the  
traditional meaning of tolerance.

However, today’s new and revised definition would be better defined as  
“love the sinner, love the sin.”

The definition of tolerance in today’s world says that a person’s  
behavior, beliefs and attitudes are inseparable from who she or he is.  
Therefore, any attack on behavior, beliefs or attitudes is seen as a  
personal attack.

This evolution of tolerance is the result of the evolution of other  
aspects of human existence, including the concept of truth.

Simply stated, the evolution has gone through three stages. First,  
under ethical theism, people believed that all truth was revealed by  
God. In the second stage, modernism, the emphasis shifted from God to  
man, and the concepts of truth changed from being what is revealed by  
God to being something that is discernable by man. Finally, in the  
third, post modern stage, truth has changed from being something that  
is collectively true for human beings to something that is determined  
by each individual person, based on that person’s culture, which in  
turn consists of behaviors, attitudes and beliefs.

[More at URL]


----- 19 -----
Polygamists and Gay Marriage Link
Faith and Freedom Network
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/11/polygamists-and-gay- 
marriage-link.html

A little more than a year ago, people who should have know better, were  
scoffing publicly at the notion that there was any linkage between a  
new and energized effort to legalize polygamy and the gay rights effort  
to legalize gay marriage.

Now, we are being told that indeed, the polygamists are getting  
traction and making progress.

The Washington Post in reporting that the effort to “mainstream”  
polygamy is taking on a whole new look with it’s own new vernacular of  
words like, “sister-wives,” “plural marriages” and “plural wife.” The  
Post is also reporting that they are, “consciously taking tactics from  
the gay-rights movement” as they reframe their struggle, choosing in  
interviews to de-emphasize their religious beliefs and focus on their  
desire to live “in freedom.”

[More at URL]


----- 20 -----
In God We Trust
Faith and Freedom Network
Friday, December 01, 2006

http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/12/in-god-we-trust.html

It was Paul Harvey, on his daily news and commentary Monday noon  
edition, who pointed out the change in the new U.S. silver dollars that  
are now being minted. Click here to listen to Paul Harvey.

He said the new silver dollar still has “In God We Trust” on it – but  
just barely. I have since heard others comment on it as well.

[...]

Much to do about nothing? Perhaps. Except that there is such a tireless  
march to remove God and His name from public life that it causes one to  
wonder and take notice.

[More at URL]


----- 21 -----
Toronto Maple Leafs and Pedophilia
Canada Family Action Coalition
Online as of 2 December 2006

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/child/pedophilia/TO-leafs- 
homosexual-movie.htm

Just a few years ago the Toronto Maple Leafs ( Maple Leaf gardens ) ran  
into major problems when it was found that some people there had been  
using children as sex pawns. As I recall, one person was charged and  
suspicions about more were never put to rest. Giving free tickets for  
sex - that was the story right? Now the Maple Leafs support and endorse  
a movie which uses an underage boy as the "drag queen" in a story about  
homosexuality.

How many fans like the idea of the Leafs and the NHL ( who hasn't said  
anything to oppose this movie endorsement) being in the business of  
pedophilia peddling?

Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Sponsors Gay Movie Featuring Homosexual 11  
Year-Old
Leafs general manager John Ferguson says "we're comfortable with it"

LifeSiteNews.com
November 24, 2006
By Hilary White

The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team announced today that they have lent  
the team's name and logo to a film depicting a homosexual Leafs player.  
The film portrays a Leafs player who wants to "come out" as a public  
homosexual, his live-in partnership with the team's lawyer and their  
adopted "son," described as "a budding queen of an 11-year-old boy."  
The film is based on the book of the same title about an 11 year-old  
boy who is described in an Amazon.com book review as "mincing" and  
"swishy," and who has to be prevented from wearing pantyhose, eyeliner  
and perfume to school.

"Breakfast with Scott", now being shot on location in Toronto and  
Hamilton, will go ahead with the willing cooperation of the team's  
management. The Toronto Star reports that actor Tom Cavanaugh who  
depicts the fictional player, Eric McNally, was "shocked" that the  
Leafs management agreed to allow the team to be depicted in a  
homosexual propaganda film. Cavanaugh remarked to the Star on the  
significance of using the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, one of the  
icons of Canadian culture as the background for a story about open  
homosexuals and endorsing child homosexuality. "There's something  
instant to the viewer when you put on a Leafs jersey or any Original  
Six jersey."

[More at URL]


----- 22 -----
Muslim Congressman Won't Use Koran When Taking Oath of Office
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
December 01, 2006

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200612/ 
POL20061201a.html

(CNSNews.com) - When he is sworn in as a member of the 110th U.S.  
Congress on Jan. 4, 2007, Congressman-elect Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)  
will not take the oath of office with his hand on a copy of the Koran -  
or any other book, according to a spokesman for Ellison, the first  
Muslim ever elected to the House of Representatives.

Ellison will not use any book during the ceremony, Dave Colling, who  
served as the Minnesota Democrat's campaign manager, told Cybercast  
News Service. "Neither will any other member of the House," Colling  
added, since "no one has ever taken the oath of office in Congress with  
a Bible, a Koran, a Torah or anything else."

Instead, the members of the chamber are sworn into office as a group,  
Colling noted. "They all raise their right hands and repeat the oath  
that's prescribed in the Constitution."

Drew Hammill, spokesman for Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.),  
confirmed Colling's description of the swearing-in ceremony.

"You're actually sworn in on the floor of the House," Hammill told  
Cybercast News Service. "There are no books present."

[More at URL]


----- 23 -----
Ford 'Proves' Commitment To Homosexual Agenda
American Family Association
November 28, 2006

http://www.afa.net/aa112806.asp

In March, AFA called for a boycott of Ford Motor Company because of  
their support for the homosexual agenda and homosexual marriage. We  
asked Ford to remain neutral in the culture war over homosexual  
marriage, as Wal-Mart has decided to do. Ford refused and elected to  
throw their company resources behind the promotion of homosexual  
marriage.

Prior to the recent elections, Ford Motor Company sent an e-mail to  
their salaried employees pointing them to one of the most liberal,  
anti-family Web sites on the Internet. Ford urged their employees to go  
to Ballot.org for information on how to vote on issues including  
homosexual marriage. (Go to 4th paragraph where it says "check out the  
2006 BISC Picks [our yes and no votes]." The Ford-recommended Web site  
urged voters to vote against constitutional amendments which defined  
marriage as being between one man and one woman in Arizona, Colorado,  
South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Of the hundreds of voters guides Ford could have endorsed, Ford chose  
Ballot.org. Ford's endorsement of this site clearly indicates that Ford  
favored the positions promoted on Ballot.org. The Web site accused  
those who favored the marriage amendments of "extreme bigotry" and said  
the amendments were an "attack on marriage equality, civil unions and  
all domestic partnerships." This is the Web site Ford sent its  
employees to for information on how to vote.

[More at URL]


----- 24 -----
A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath
What book will America base it's values on, the Bible or the Koran?
November 28, 2006
American Family Association

http://www.afa.net/aa112806_2.asp

Please take a moment to read the following TownHall.com column by  
Dennis Prager, who is a Jew. After reading the column, take the suggest  
action at the bottom of this email. After you have read it, please  
forward it to your friends and family.

America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his  
oath on
By Dennis Prager - Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States  
Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the  
Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.

He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American  
hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American  
civilization.

[...]

Take Action

1. Send an email asking your U.S. Representative and Senators to pass a  
law making the Bible the book used in the swearing-in ceremony of  
Representatives and Senators.

2. Forward this email to your friends and family today!


----- 25 -----
Activist Predicts Hockey Fans Will Body Check NHL, Leafs
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
December 1, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/12006e.asp

(AgapePress) - The head of a conservative group in Canada is denouncing  
the National Hockey League's endorsement of a pro-homosexual movie,  
calling it a "ludicrous" business decision.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL have given permission for the logos  
to be used in a movie that portrays a Leafs player who wants to  
publicly announce his homosexuality. In the movie Breakfast with Scot,  
the player has a live-in partnership with the team's lawyer and their  
adopted "son," who is described by the film's producer as "a budding  
queen of an 11-year-old boy."

Brian Rushfeldt with the Canada Family Action Coalition says perhaps  
the most disturbing aspect of the entire situation is that an  
11-year-old boy is "being promoted as a poster child for gay sex."

“I'm not only surprised," shares Rushfeldt, "I'm actually shocked that  
such an organization or such a business venture would actually promote  
homosexuality – especially amongst underage children." In his opinion,  
he says, "that is the epitome of almost evil intent."

The Canadian pro-family spokesman says his group is considering a  
boycott of the Maple Leafs and the NHL. He notes that his group has in  
the past successfully boycotted groups for their endorsement of or  
affiliation with homosexual groups and activities -- among them the  
Royal Bank of Canada over its "Rainbow Triangle Sticker" program. He  
cites another example.

[More at URL]


----- 26 -----
Speak Out for the Unborn! Contact Your U.S. Representative Today!
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act Vote in U.S. House December 4 or 5
American Family Association
Online as of 2 December 2006

http://capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=9189796&type=CO

We have just received notice that the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act  
(H.R. 6099) will be voted on by the House during the week of December  
4, 2006 -- the final week of the 109th Congress. Unborn children can  
experience pain, and they can certainly respond to touch from outside  
the womb. Any woman who has been blessed with carrying a baby in the  
second trimester can tell you this. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act  
serves as a reminder, to mothers and the technicians who commit  
abortion, of the humanity of the life growing inside the mother’s womb.

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), would require an  
abortionist to provide documentation on the capacity of an unborn child  
to feel pain to any woman seeking an abortion past 20 weeks, and would  
allow the woman to request or refuse pain-reducing drugs for the baby.  
You can learn more about the issue of fetal pain from this fact sheet  
from the National Right to Life Committee -  
http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/Fetal_Pain/FetalPain091604.pdf (PDF file).

[More at URL]


----- 27 -----
Commentary & News Briefs
December 1, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/12006h.asp

...California's homosexual "marriage" bill is "returning from the  
grave," says a prominent pro-family activist in the Golden State.  
According to Randy Thomasson of Campaign for Children and Families,  
Democratic Assemblyman and homosexual activist Mark Leno plans to  
reintroduce his gender-neutral marriage bill when the California State  
Assembly reconvenes on Monday (December 4). If that happens, Thomasson  
says it promises to become the state's "biggest legislative battle of  
2007." In March 2000, 61.4 percent of the state's voters approved  
Proposition 22, an initiative which states that only marriage between a  
man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Yet the  
traditional institution remains under constant attack by homosexual  
activists in the state -- most recently when Leno's measure, after  
being passed in the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate, was vetoed  
by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2005. Thomasson points  
out that the continued push for "full-blown gay marriage," as he calls  
it, is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic. "The California  
Constitution specifically prohibits the Legislature from repealing  
voter-approved initiatives," says Thomasson. And Schwarzenegger, he  
says, should veto Leno's bill again, if it makes it that far, "because  
the people have already voted to keep marriage between a man and a  
woman -- just as God created it."

[...]

...The executive director of the Christian Medical & Dental  
Associations (CMDA) says the state of California is taking a big risk  
with taxpayer money in the name of embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR).  
On Monday (November 27), the California State Department of Finance  
approved a $181-million loan to the California Institute for  
Regenerative Medicine -- a group founded in 2004 when voters passed  
Proposition 71, a $3-billion bond issue to support ESCR. However, very  
little money has been seen because pro-life groups took the state to  
court, challenging the issue's constitutionality. Dr. David Stevens of  
the CMDA says the loan was given as a desperate act. "I think part of  
the reason is they feel like they've lost momentum, and they're not  
getting a huge influx of scientists to get access to all this free  
money, as they [had] hoped," he shares. Stevens says there is a big  
risk involved because the courts could find in favor of pro-lifers, in  
which case the loan would never be paid back. If that happens, he says,  
taxpayers' money would be wasted -- and California is already in a  
tight budget situation. [Mary Rettig]

[More at URL]


----- 28 -----
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Backers Down 39 Votes, Starting Lobbying
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 1, 2006

http://www.lifenews.com/bio1894.html

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Supporters of a measure to force  
taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research are short of the  
two-thirds needed to overturn a likely second presidential veto by at  
least 39 votes in the House. Lawmakers pushing the bill are slated to  
meet next week to begin coordinating their lobbying strategy to get  
those votes.
As LifeNews.com previously reported, leading embryonic stem cell  
research funding backers can't agree on whether there are enough votes  
in the House and Senate to override another veto from President Bush.

Bush vetoed the previous funding bill in July and the House voted  
235-193 in favor of overriding the veto with 5 abstentions, but the  
vote was 51 short of the two-thirds necessary to override it. The  
Senate voted for the bill 63-37, which was four votes short of being  
able to override a veto.

The House is the major obstacle as they appears to be just enough votes  
on the Senate side for an override.

[More at URL]


----- 29 -----
To: Friends of Family Research Council
From: Family Research Council President Tony Perkins
December 1, 2006 - Friday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
Correction

In yesterday's Update, we misidentified the Unborn Child Pain Awareness  
Act as H.R. 6069. The real bill, H.R. 6099, is scheduled for a House  
vote next Tuesday. Please contact your House member to urge support.

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA06L03#WA06L03

An Experiment in Ethics

Nearly a year after printing one of the most fraudulent studies in  
modern history, the journal Science is being pressured to implement a  
new publishing policy--mainly enforcing that the articles it accepts  
are true. Last January, Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk of South Korea submitted  
papers claiming that his research team had created new stem cell lines  
from cloned embryos and used very few eggs to do so. It was later  
discovered that the feat was a fake. Not only had Dr. Hwang coerced  
young female researchers into donating their eggs, but the supposed  
"new stem cell lines" were a hoax and failed to correspond with the  
photographs he submitted. An independent committee investigated the  
case at Science's behest and has now recommended that the journal  
tighten its guidelines to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself.  
The panel advised that "high-risk" papers be singled out for further  
scrutiny, along with the credibility of the authors. The journal's  
editor-in-chief, Donald Kennedy, ran an editorial response to the  
committee's findings in today's edition of Science. While many think  
the panel's approach is a commonsense solution, Kennedy says he is not  
certain which recommendations will be adopted or when. "We are still in  
the early states of developing our response to this," he told  
reporters. Kennedy notes that the journal will be seeking input from  
the scientific community. But why would a field, grounded in stringent  
laws and procedures, regard accuracy as a subject for debate?  
Considering the heated political climate for things as controversial as  
stem cells and cloning, the least researchers could do is create some  
semblance of accountability and corroboration, lest policymakers make  
misguided decisions that affect millions of people. As Kennedy himself  
writes, "The environment has changed for science." Increasingly,  
studies are motivated not by ethics but self-interest. As the world  
continues to seek ethical cures and to improve the health and  
well-being of many, cutting-edge research should be judged by strict  
standards--not political agendas.


Additional Resources
Journal Editors Are Urged To Demand More Evidence


Abstinence: Making a World of Difference on AIDS

Today, the leaders of every nation face a crisis of global proportions.  
As we commemorate World AIDS Day 2006, President Bush reaffirmed  
America's commitment to fight a disease that now infects over one  
million of our own. We are encouraged by the president's remarks that  
the U.S. is leading the way in combating the disease by "supporting  
faith-based and community organizations... promoting the ABC  
approach... with abstinence as the only sure way to avoid the sexual  
transmission of [the disease]." Rev. Rick Warren has joined the fight,  
calling it "the greatest humanitarian crisis in history." In the midst  
of his summit on AIDS, Rev. Warren spoke out forcefully in favor of  
abstinence, monogamy, and church-based care. This is in contrast, he  
noted, to the strategies of advocating condoms and delayed sexual  
activity. "Those strategies will only slow the pandemic," he said. "I  
want to stop it." FRC looks forward to working with leaders across the  
country who are trying to make a difference on the front lines of the  
AIDS debate. Together, we can encourage positive change through love  
for others and personal responsibility.


----- 30 -----
Stand for Life: Urge the House to Pass Unborn Pain Bill Now
House to Vote on Unborn Pain Bill
November 30, 2006 - Thursday
Forward to a Friend!

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL06K04&f=PG03I03

The House of Representatives will vote early next week on the Unborn  
Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006 (H.R. 6099). We strongly support this  
legislation and ask that you contact your Representative to urge that  
he or she vote for this important bill.

H.R. 6099 requires abortion providers to inform mothers seeking an  
abortion that an unborn child 20 weeks after fertilization may feel  
pain during the procedure. The mother is also provided information  
regarding the availability of pain-reducing drugs that are administered  
directly to the unborn child, such as anesthesia. The mother must be  
provided with a decision form for signature acknowledging she has  
received the information.

This bill will ensure that a woman can make a fully informed decision  
before making the tragic decision to abort her child. Most importantly,  
it may protect unborn children from severe pain resulting from the  
abortion.

[More at URL]


----- 31 -----
And Now, our Cultural Warfare Update Feature Presentation.
(Online as of 2 December 2006)

G'wan, clickie.

http://someofmybestfriendsareamerican.cf.huffingtonpost.com/


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