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

[R'ykandar Korra'ti]

Fundamentalists say: we p0wn the courts now, case study one: Supreme 
Court will hear abortion-procedure ban previously struck down as 
unconstitutionally vague and also an undue burden for not taking the 
health of the woman into account;

Fundamentalists say: we p0wn the courts now, case study two: LIberty 
Council intervenes on behalf of Georgia's sales tax exemption for some 
religious books and not others; "In case the Wiccans haven't realized 
it, if they haven't been watching the news, the court has changed";

Fundamentalists say: we p0wn the courts now, case study three: now that 
the Supreme Court has let stand Florida's blanket ban on adoptions by 
GBLT people, 16 new states have potential bans in various states of 
play, all being pushed by fundamentalist groups;

Fundamentalists say: we p0wn the courts now, case study four: South 
Dakota passes blanket abortion ban; it doesn't contain a health 
exemption, which is standard theoconservative practice;

South Dakota, on the other hand, fails to pass abstinence-only 
education;

Focus on the Family trumpets creationism again;

Focus on the Family complains that their "ex-gay" crap is being 
persecuted; well, gosh, someone _did_ paintball one of their 
billboards; they transition directly to plans for protests later by 
GBLT groups to link the paintball to queers - they obviously have no 
direct evidence or they'd have run with it;

Focus on the Family attacks atheists for demanding "the rights of the 
majority," which I think highlights the two-tier 
rights-only-really-belong-to-the-majority system they assume;

American Family Association: fags want to destroy Christianity, still 
quoting satire piece from 1987 as real manifesto; they now admit that 
it was described as satire but use skeery quotes to imply it isn't 
really;

CWA's Robert Knight applauds France for a report saying queers 
shouldn't get to marry or adopt kids; claims gay people want children 
for "adults’ desires," returning again to their 
all-fags-are-child-rapists roots; a person replying to my previous post 
about this says that they aren't mentioning the fact that the report is 
put together for the conservative party _and_ recommends support for 
civil unions, which American fundamentalists call "counterfeit 
marriage" and  ban wherever they can;

"Faith and Freedom Network" announce series of organisational events in 
Washington State, most in the east;

David Horowitz, who used to claim there were 30,000 communists in 
academia, now says there are "about 60,000"; do I hear 40,000? 80,000? 
20,000?


----- 1 -----
SUPREME COURT TAKES PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION BAN CASE
A 'watershed moment in the culture wars' may be in the offing.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
by Pete Winn, associate editor
February 21, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039609.cfm

The Supreme Court announced today it will accept an appeal
of a ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that
struck down the federal partial-birth abortion ban.

This fall, the Court will consider the constitutionality
of the 2003 law prohibiting a practice President Bush
called "a terrible form of violence . . . directed against
children who are inches from birth.''

Stephen Peroutka of the National Pro-Life Action Center
welcomed the high court's intervention. He called
partial-birth abortion nothing short of infanticide.

[...]

At issue is whether abortion laws must contain "health of
the mother" exceptions.

[...]

Staver said if O'Connor were still on the bench, it is
unlikely the Supreme Court would have voted to take up
this new challenge.

[...]

Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family
Action, added that O'Connor's absence means abortion cases
are no longer clear-cut victories for the pro-abortion
side.

[More at URL]


----- 2 -----
Liberty Counsel Files Brief Defending Bible Sales Tax Exemption
By Allie Martin
AgapePress
February 20, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/202006d.asp

(AgapePress) - Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based organization that 
defends the constitutional rights of Christians, has filed a brief with 
the State Supreme Court defending a law that provides a sales tax 
exemption for Bibles and other religious publications.

Recently, the Wiccan Religious Cooperative of Florida sued the State 
Department of Revenue claiming Florida law that grants sales tax 
exemption for Bibles and other religious publications violates the 
constitution's Establishment clause. Liberty Counsel President Mat 
Staver says the Wiccans paid sales tax on a Satanic "Bible" and, 
instead of asking for a refund, sued the state.

[...]

According to the pro-family attorney, that ruling does not apply to 
Florida because the state has a broader exemption. Besides, he 
contends, it is to be expected that the new U.S. Supreme Court would 
not be sympathetic to the Wicca group's arguments anyway.

"In case the Wiccans haven't realized it, if they haven't been watching 
the news, the court has changed," Staver asserts. "We have a new day, 
and certainly this Supreme Court is not going to look with enthusiasm 
when it comes to taxing religion."

[More at URL]


----- 3 -----
Gay-Adoption Ban Sought in 16 States
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 21, 2006

[Received in email; no URL]

Sixteen states have efforts under way that would keep
homosexual couples from qualifying to adopt children, USA
Today reported.

Gay activists hope to gain a foothold in the fight to have
same-sex relationships recognized by fighting for the
right to adopt, but pro-family activists want to ensure
kids get placed in traditional family settings.

The 16 states are either seeking a ballot initiative that
would allow voters to decide whether adoption should be
limited to heterosexual couples or are working on
legislative action.

Greg Quinlan, president of the Pro-Family Network of Ohio,
said efforts in his state are intended to protect
children.

"Now that we've defined what marriage is," he said, "we
need to take that further and say children deserve to be
in that relationship."

The states considering some method of banning gay adoption
are: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Georgia; Kansas; Kentucky;
Missouri; Michigan; Indiana; Ohio; Oregon; Pennsylvania;
Tennessee; Utah; Vermont and West Virginia.


----- 4 -----
Abortion Banned in South Dakota
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 22, 2006

[Received in email; no URL]

South Dakota, today, became the first state in more than a
decade to ban abortion. The Senate voted to pass the
measure 47-22. The measure easily passed the state House
two weeks ago.

The bill's only exception is if the mother's life is in
danger.

Leslee Unruh, founder of the Alpha Center, a
pregnancy-resource agency, said after a task force found
abortion was detrimental to women, the Legislature did the
right thing.

"Passage of this legislation culminates years of
legislative efforts and fact-finding," she said. "The
overwhelming mass of research could be ignored no longer.
Abortion hurts women. South Dakota's Legislature heard the
cry of those who have been harmed by abortion and passed
this bill to protect women and children."

The bill will now head to the desk of Republican Gov. Mike
Rounds to be signed into law.

"Now is the appropriate time for this legislation," Unruh
said. "Governor Rounds, please sign this bill."


----- 5 -----
Abstinence Education Loses in South Dakota
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 22, 2006

[Received in email; no URL]

A South Dakota abstinence-education bill met defeat in the
state Senate on Tuesday, The Argus Leader reported.

The proposed legislation would have required teachers to
tell students not only that abstinence until marriage is
responsible behavior but it is the only way to cut the
risk of sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy to
zero.

Republican Rep. Roger Hunt, the author of the bill, wanted
schools to emphasize abstinence over the promotion of
contraception.


----- 6 -----
500 Scientists Question Evolutionary Theory
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
February 22, 2006

[Received in email; no URL]

More than 500 scientists signed a statement proclaiming
doubt about the soundness of Darwin's theory of evolution.

"We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random
mutation and natural selection to account for the
complexity of life," the statement reads. "Careful
examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be
encouraged."

The list of those who have signed the "Scientific Dissen From
Darwinism" was first published in 2001 as a counter
to PBS's "Evolution" series which claimed "virtually every
scientist in the world believes the theory to be true." At
that time 100 scientists placed an ad in the New York
Review of Books announcing their dissent.

The list has since grown by five times that number, fueled
in part by several curriculum controversies in the last
year.

Dr. David Berlinksi, a mathematician and philosopher of
science with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and
Culture (CSC), was one of the original signers.

"Darwin's theory of evolution is the great white elephant
of contemporary thought," he said. "It is large, almost
completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe."

Dr. John West, associate director of CSC, said it was the
growing number of scientists who saw the flaws in
evolutionary theory that prompted the organization to give
the statement a permanent home on the Internet.

"Darwinists continue to claim that no serious scientists
doubt the theory and yet here are 500 scientists who are
willing to make public their skepticism about the theory,"
he said. "Darwinist efforts to use the courts, the media
and academic tenure committees to suppress dissent and
stifle discussion are in fact fueling even more dissent
and inspiring more scientists to ask to be added to the
list."

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To see the complete list of
scientists who have signed the "Scientific Dissent From
Darwinism," please visit the Discovery Institute Web site:

http://www.dissentfromdarwin.org/


----- 7 -----
LOVE WON OUT BILLBOARD VANDALIZED IN ST. LOUIS
Sign of hope for those who struggle with homosexuality splattered with 
paint.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
February 21, 2006
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039610.cfm

A St. Louis billboard bearing a photograph of an
African-American ex-gay man and the message "I Questioned
Homosexuality: Change is Possible" was bombarded
apparently with paint balls today -- the latest in a
series of attacks against the message that homosexuals can
change.

Four billboards were placed by Exodus International in
conjunction with an upcoming Love Won Out conference. The
one-day event presented by Focus on the Family is designed
to offer help for people who struggle with -- and people
with loved ones who struggle with -- unwanted same-sex
attractions.

[...]

"Anonymous defamation from any party is offensive, but the
public protest planned by the gay community is
particularly disturbing," he said. "Contempt for those of
us who have chosen to leave homosexuality behind is not an
action consistent with the call for tolerance and
diversity."

[More at URL]


----- 8 -----
Atheists are Ripping a Page from the Gay Manual
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
by Steve Jordahl
February 22, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0039614.cfm

Some atheists say they're second-class citizens who must live in the 
closet.

The culture wars may be getting a new combatant. Atheists are saying 
they have no voice in American life and claim they are discriminated 
against if they bring their beliefs out of the closet. Dave Silverman 
of the American Atheists says it amounts to second-class citizenship.

“The atheist who doesn’t say he’s an atheist – a closet atheist – lives 
life not telling his friends or his family who he is or what he is. The 
outed atheist faces hatred. He faces certainly intolerance in this 
country.”

If it sounds familiar, you're right. The new atheist offensive uses the 
familiar tactics gays have been using for decades. Silverman admits the 
template approach is no accident.

"We're going to take the best things that they did, and we’re going to 
emulate them so that we can achieve the same results. We’re going to 
learn from them."

Melissa Fryrear of the ex-gay ministry Love Won Out expects that will 
include atheists to proclaiming their beliefs to be "mainstream."

"And probably will use language and stories and people with real faces 
to draw on the emotions of the American public to say, 'oh, this is 
just another group of people.' "

Fryrear predicts atheists will repeat their message until the culture 
is desensitized.

[..]

"If we’re violating their rights and their right to choose, then hey, 
we’ve crossed the line. But for the most part they’re demanding rights 
of the majority when they’re not."

[More at URL]


----- 9 -----
Homosexual Activists' War Against Christianity
Church Seen as Main Obstacle Hindering Wholesale Acceptance of 
Homosexual Agenda
By Ed Vitagliano
American Family Association/Agape Press
February 21, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/afa/212006a.asp

(AgapePress) - "All churches who condemn us will be closed." That was 
what Michael Swift, a "gay revolutionary," declared in a February 1987 
issue of the Gay Community News.

"Michael Swift" was a pseudonym, and the first line of the now-infamous 
homosexual rant -- which was even reprinted in the Congressional Record 
-- claimed that the entire piece was a "cruel fantasy" that explained 
"how the oppressed desperately dream of being the oppressor."

The "dream" was filled with a nightmare scenario that seemed like 
something out of a fascist coup d'etat: "All laws banning homosexual 
activity will be revoked .... [W]e shall make films about the love 
between heroic men .... The family unit -- spawning ground of lies, 
betrayals, mediocrity, hypocrisy and violence -- will be abolished .... 
All churches who condemn us will be closed."

As the article found its way into Christian publications, believers 
were horrified, and homosexual activists tried to make light of its 
contents, claiming that it was intended merely as a satire.

Not many Christians, however, saw the humor in Swift's sentiments, such 
as the following: "We shall sodomize your sons .... We shall seduce 
them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your 
locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth 
groups, in your movie theater bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses, in 
your truck stops, in your all-male clubs, in your houses of Congress, 
wherever men are with men together."

Identifying the Opponent

Whether or not the ravings of this "gay revolutionary" were intended as 
satire, what is striking is the remarkable success of the plan found 
within the article. Who can doubt that the legal system -- especially 
following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas (2003) 
striking down sodomy laws -- has been brought to heel by gay activists? 
Or that Hollywood has freely committed its tremendous resources to the 
fight for homosexual legitimacy? Or that the family unit will virtually 
cease to exist in any traditional sense should gay adoption and 
same-sex "marriage" become legal everywhere?

[More at URL]


----- 10 -----
French Government Report Says No to Homosexual Marriage, Parenthood
Concerned Women for America
2/21/2006
By Beth Andersen

Commission stands firm on the family’s role to develop children.

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10169/CFI/family/index.htm

In a surprise move for a European country, an important French 
government report says no to homosexual “marriage” and adoption by 
homosexual couples.

The primary reason cited for the report’s finding, according to 
Lifesite.net, is “to affirm and protect children’s rights and the 
primacy of those rights over adults’ aspirations.” Therefore, the 
report, released on January 27 after more than a year of investigation, 
declares that families are structures meant to create a healthy and 
safe environment for the development of children.

“This is a breath of fresh air from Europe, which has been drifting 
toward sexual anarchy for years,” said Robert Knight, director of 
Concerned Women for America’s Culture & Family Institute. “The French 
have it exactly right – they see that the campaign for homosexuals to 
acquire children by adoption is being driven not by what’s best for 
kids but by adults’ desires. And they see that the fiction of 
homosexual ‘marriage’ is directly related to the dangerous claim of 
homosexuals’ ‘right’ to acquire children. Visionaries like pro-family 
commission member Christine Boutin had a lot to do with this return to 
sanity.”

[More at URL]


----- 11 -----
Faith and Freedom Network
Faith & Freedom conducts Washington State-Wide Meetings During March!
Online as of February 22, 2006

http://www.faithandfreedom.us/schedule.phtml

March 12	
Faith & Freedom and Sound The Alarm
Call to Action and Prayer.
Vancouver, WA
Crossroads Church
7708 NE 78th St.
Vancouver, Washington
6:00 p.m.

March 15	
Faith & Freedom and Sound The Alarm
Call to Action and Prayer.
Wenatchee, Washington.
First Presbyterian Church of Wenatchee
1400 S Miller St
Wenatchee, WA 98801
509-663-1187
7:00 p.m.

March 19	
Faith & Freedom and Sound The Alarm
Call to Action and Prayer.
Spokane, Washington. Time and location pending.

March 22
Faith & Freedom and Sound The Alarm
Call to Action and Prayer.
Tri Cities
Tri-Cities Richland Assembly

March 23	
Faith & Freedom and Sound The Alarm
Call to Action and Prayer.
Yakima, Washington. Time and location pending.


----- 12 -----
Commentary & News Briefs
February 22, 2006
Compiled by Jenni Parker

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/afa/222006h.asp

...An author and conservative activist hopes his new book will be an 
eye-opener to many uninformed Americans about just how much control the 
left-wing academic establishment has on the nation's university 
campuses. David Horowitz calls his book The Professors: The 101 Most 
Dangerous Academics in America. But the former leftist says there are 
thousands of such radical educators in colleges all across the U.S. "I 
estimated in the book that there were 30,000 of these radicals on 
faculties, but that's a very conservative estimate," the author says. 
"My real estimate is about 60,000." According to Horowitz, the nature 
of the university also has changed; he contends liberal educators "use 
the grading system to force students to agree with them." As a result, 
he says, these professors have been able to turn America's universities 
into institutions of indoctrination. "It's a vast recruitment system 
for the radical left," he says. "If you allow the Communist Party to 
have Harvard as a training institution, you better believe there will 
be a lot more communists in the next generation -- and that's 
essentially what's going on." Horowitz argues that if this trend 
continues, America will lose its schools permanently. [Chad Groening]