[Active-l] (NEWS) Today's Cultural Warfare Update (2 of 2)

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

One thing I've been seeing is that the theocon groups are all calling  
the New Jersey ruling a "4-3 decision." This is presumably to make it  
look like a far more marginal ruling than it was. The ruling was  
actually _7-0_ that GBLT people deserved the same legal protections  
under the law as straight couples under New Jersey constitutional law.  
The 4-3 vote was whether to send it to the legislature or just assert  
that current marriage licenses could be awarded to GBLT couples as  
well. That's kind of interesting.

And now, more news...

Australian Muslim fundamentalist cleric calls women "uncovered meat" -  
but _more_ offensively, it's part of a broader statement less well  
publicised where he blames the victims of gang-rapes for being raped,  
asserted they were at fault for not wearing the hijab;

Concerned Women for America: evangelical leaders endorsing action to  
limit global warming are part of a secret plot to promote  
abortion-on-demand;

CWA: GBLT marriage bans aren't discrimination since queers are free to  
marry people of the opposite gender. Presumably this is just like how  
banning the Star of David wouldn't be religious discrimination since  
Jews would be free to wear any crucifix they desired;

CWA: Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote GOP;

CWA rails against Cargill for firing an anti-marriage activist  
employee; the company claims it was for insubordination (harassment of  
other employees, removing his anti-marriage sign from his truck then  
putting it back on) but CWA is working to make him into a martyr  
against t3h gay;

CWA condemn New Jersey ruling, saying it "uproots marriage" by saying  
GBLT couples qualify under state equal-protection law and must be  
granted the benefits of civil marriage, though leaving it up to the  
legislature to figure out how;

CWA condemns Wal-Mart for "promoting homosexuality" by becoming a  
corporate member of a national gay and lesbian chamber of commerce  
organisation; again, just being in business is evil if you're t3h gay;  
amoungst CWA worries is that Wal-Mart may begin buying from GBLT-owned  
survivors, and claims that Wal-Mart will stop doing business with  
companies which discriminate against GBLT people;

CWA pushes gender-segregation in schools;

Canada Family Action Coalition tries to lay the groundwork for more  
church involvement in politics;

Institute for Canadian Values publishes anti-marriage-rights paper, as  
part of the groundwork for overturning C-38, the law which brought GBLT  
citizens into Canadian marriage law; the paper's claims include the  
usuals: GBLT marriage violates the rights of people who oppose marriage  
for queers by not letting them stop queers from getting married; GBLT  
marriage is a slippery slope to polygamy; GBLT marriage will lead to  
the downfall of society in years to come, promoting alcoholism, child  
poverty, spousal abuse, which they imply via bad statistics abuse are  
much more likely in same-sex households; heterosexual couples need the  
protections and benefits of marriage and key to that is withholding  
those benefits from same-sex couples is vital to that cause; and so on;

An earlier CWU - I think I included this - included a small article  
about fundamentalist evangelical protestant schools in Quebec operating  
unlicensed; apparently that got some notice because now there's a move  
to bring them into compliance with Canadian educational rules; the big  
fights are over evolutionary theory and sex education;

Institute for Canadian Values press release on their paper "on impact  
of redefining marriage in Canada";

Traditional Values Coalition demands Virginia Senate candidate Jim Webb  
withdraw from the race over the content of novels he wrote;

TVC: New Jersey Supreme Court ruling condemned, calls for Federal  
anti-marriage amendment;

Gay police organisation in the UK runs ads against hate crimes upsurge  
led by anti-gay fundamentalists (25% Muslim, 75% Christian); UK  
evangelical groups invoke hate speech laws and are calling for an  
investigation by Scotland Yard for "portraying Christianity in a bad  
light";

TVC condemns New Jersey ruling again;

Christian Science Monitor: New Jersey ruling will boost GOP base and  
chances in this election;

American Family Association ACTION ITEM against Wal-Mart for joining  
the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce _and_ for carrying  
books which talk about GBLT marriage in a favourable light; the demand  
is to stop "promoting" GBLT marriage - which presumably means not  
carrying any of the books in question and dropping the NGLCC  
membership;

AFA, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS, a theocon favourite for President),  
Family Research Council all condemn New Jersey supreme court ruling;

Tennessee church starts Wal-Mart boycott over their NGLCC membership  
and "promotion of homosexuality"; I rather expect this'll turn into an  
AFA boycott at some point, but hard to say; also, Florida upholds its  
sales-tax exemption for the Bible that does not apply to Wiccan  
religious documents;

AFA article on the ongoing attempt to get fundamentalists to abandon  
the public school system en masse; apparently there will be another  
reintroduction of the resolution at the Southern Baptist Convention  
national conference in 2007;

AFA condemns natural history tour featuring the "Lucy" find as  
"anti-Creationist hype";

Family Research Council promotes the Ohio Christian Alliance's  
endorsement sheet;

Family Research Council: New Jersey must react to Supreme Court ruling  
by banning marriage for queers - presumably via constitutional  
amendment;

FRC second press release urging New Jersey to ban GBLT marriage;

FRC ACTION ITEM to ban GBLT marriage rights in the eight states which  
have anti-marriage amendments on the ballot this fall.


----- 1 -----
Outrage as Muslim cleric likens women to 'uncovered meat'
By RICHARD SHEARS
Last updated at 16:10pm on 26th October 2006
Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html? 
in_article_id=412697&in_page_id=1770

A Muslim cleric's claim that women who do not wear the veil are like  
'uncovered meat' who attract sexual predators sparked outrage around  
Australia yesterday.

Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, the nation's most senior Muslim cleric,  
compared immodestly-dressed women who do not wear the Islamic headdress  
with meat that is left uncovered in the street and is then eaten by  
cats.

[...]

In a Ramadam sermon in a Sydney mosque, Sheik al-Hilali suggested that  
a group of Muslim men recently jailed for many years for gang rapes  
were not entirely to blame.

There were women, he said, who 'sway suggestively' and wore make-up and  
immodest dress "and then you get a judge without mercy and gives you 65  
years. But the problem, but the problem all began with who?" he said,  
referring to the women victims.

[More at URL]


----- 2 -----
ECI: Evangelical Christians Impolitic?
The Hewlett Foundation's answer to global warming? Abort babies.
Concerned Women for America
10/27/2006
By Lindsay Randall

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11711/CWA/life/index.htm

In February, 85 prominent evangelicals signed the "Evangelical Climate  
Initiative" (ECI), which is the "Christian" response to the supposed  
global warming problem. The document claims that "climate change is  
happening and is being caused mainly by human activities, especially  
the burning of fossil fuels." The ECI predicts that "millions of people  
could die in this century because of climate change." Today, with a  
total of 97 signatures, this initiative includes mega-church pastor and  
author Rick Warren, former President of the National Association of  
Evangelicals (NAE) Leith Anderson, and Christianity Today editor David  
Neff.

Interestingly, one of the biggest donors to the ECI is the William and  
Flora Hewlett Foundation, known for its unabashed and overt support for  
abortion. The willingness of the Hewlett Foundation to contribute  
$475,000 to an evangelical initiative begs the question, "Why?" Would  
the Hewlett Foundation fund an evangelical initiative without trying to  
further its own agenda in the process?

A recent report, jointly released by the respected Institute on  
Religion & Democracy (IRD) and the Acton Institute for the Study of  
Religion & Liberty (AI), posits that the real motivation behind the  
Hewlett Foundation's contribution is to promote population control and  
abortion-on-demand.

[More at URL]


----- 3 -----
Virginia's Marriage Amendment Preserves Equal Rights
Concerned Women for America
10/26/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11705/LEGAL/legalother/index.htm

a4marriage.org Press Conference Statement
Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel
Concerned Women for America
October 26, 2006

The Virginia Marriage Amendment, Question Number 1 on the November 7  
ballot, like the Virginia Constitution, guarantees equal rights for all  
Virginians. The Amendment preserves the constitutional right of the  
people of Virginia to decide the vital public policy issue of marriage,  
rather than having it decided by unelected judges as happened in  
Massachusetts in 2003, Vermont in 1999 and yesterday in New Jersey.

The Amendment, like the current Virginia law enacted in 1997, defines  
marriage as solely between one man and one woman. The Amendment  
preserves the equal right of every Virginian to marry subject to  
conditions such as age, current marital status and consanguinity.  
Neither current law nor the Amendment discriminates on the basis of sex  
or "sexual orientation."

The second section of the Amendment, like the current Virginia law  
enacted in 2004, prohibits the Commonwealth and its political  
subdivisions to create, recognize or confer legal status, rights,  
benefits or obligations of marriage on relationships of unmarried  
persons that intend to approximate marriage by another name.

[Ed. note: note the repeat of the "queers are free to marry the  
opposite sex so this isn't discrimination" argument again. Presumably  
this is just like how banning the Star of David wouldn't be religious  
discrimination since Jews would be free to wear any crucifix they  
desired.]

[More at URL]


----- 4 -----
Why Attack the Values Voters?
Are evangelicals willing to be used as pawns?
Concerned Women for America
10/25/2006
By Janice Shaw Crouse

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11690/BLI/dotcommentary/index.htm

Who will go to the polls and vote on November 7? According to the  
mainstream media, it won't be values voters. The media's mantra about  
social conservatives being disillusioned - a psychological ploy as  
obvious as Tom Sawyer's fence painting scheme - has become tiresome;  
their blatant efforts to discourage the values voters base and keep  
enough of them away from the voting booths to tip a close election is  
disgustingly manipulative. It is win-at-any-cost dirty politics with  
not a whit of concern for the health of American democracy.

If the left's tired demagoguery succeeds, freedom and democracy will be  
diminished in America.

[...]

True believers make unbelievers uncomfortable; and not just  
uncomfortable, but angry. Witness the left's efforts to tear down those  
who strive to live by Biblical principles. Witness the attempts at  
character assassination of anyone who takes a strong moral stance on  
social issues. It doesn't matter that those who hold to traditional  
values and strong ethical and moral stances tend to be gracious and  
kind [though not always] toward those who hold divergent views.

[More at URL]


----- 5 -----
Only Left Wing Turkeys at Cargill
Cargill fires employee who supports Virginia's marriage amendment.
Concerned Women for America
10/24/2006
By Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11680/LEGAL/family/index.htm

It's gotten even shadier at "Shady Brook Farms," and we thought you'd  
want to know about it before you bag your Thanksgiving turkey. Cargill,  
Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, markets a host of  
products including "Shady Brook Farms" turkeys. The Cargill facility in  
Harrisonburg, Virginia fired Luis Padilla because of a bumper sticker  
on his truck. Apparently, only birds of a favored feather flock  
together at Shady Brook Farms.

[...]

Padilla, a married father of two children from Honduras, is in the  
United States on a work permit. And like millions of turkey-eating  
Americans, Padilla believes that marriage should be one man and one  
woman, a tradition that pre-dates Thanksgiving by several thousand  
years. What turkey doesn't know that?

So Padilla exercised his First Amendment right to encourage his fellow  
Virginians to support Virginia's marriage amendment on the November 7  
ballot. He has a bumper sticker on his truck, "Vote Yes 4 Marriage." He  
also wrote "Please vote for marriage on Nov. 7" on the rear window of  
his truck.

[Ed. Note: See earlier CWUs for details, but the issue has been that 1.  
it wasn't a bumper sticker, it was a very large sign across the back of  
the truck window; headlining it as a "bumper sticker" is an attempt to  
portray the company as brooking no statement whatsoever; also,  
according to the company, he was fired for being insubordinate -  
agreeing to remove the sign, then putting it back up, and so on. I  
don't know the details as the non-fundamentalist press hasn't really  
been covering it.]

[More at URL]


----- 6 -----
New Jersey High Court Uproots Marriage
CWA says ¡§extreme¡¨ ruling is out of step with the law and the people
Concerned Women for America
10/25/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11689/MEDIA/family/index.htm

Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America (CWA) criticized the New  
Jersey Supreme Court today for finding a so-called ¡§right¡¨ to same-sex  
marriage in the state constitution, a ruling that CWA¡¦s Chief Counsel  
Jan LaRue says ¡§essentially mirrors what the Vermont Supreme Court did  
in 1999.¡¨

In today¡¦s 4-3 decision, the Garden State¡¦s highest court went against  
two lower courts and the will of the people by siding with seven  
homosexual couples who were refused marriage licenses and alleged that  
this violated the New Jersey state constitution. By ruling in favor of  
these couples, the court ruled against preserving the most fundamental  
institution in our society: one-man, one-woman marriage.

"This is a textbook example of agenda-driven judges who are willing to  
twist their state laws and invade the province of the legislative  
branch in order to force same-sex 'marriage' on the people of New  
Jersey," LaRue said. ¡§The court snubbed its nose at 28 separate statute  
sections that include a specific reference to either the term 'married  
woman' and a 'married man' or to the term 'husband and wife.' Because  
New Jersey has no residency requirement for marriage, if the  
legislature caves in to the court, it could open the door for lawsuits  
challenging every state¡¦s marriage law."

¡§New Jersey has now given citizens greater reason to vote on November 7  
to protect marriage in the 8 states with referendums on the ballot,¡¨  
said Wendy Wright, CWA¡¦s President. ¡§The New Jersey Supreme Court has  
distinguished itself once again for imposing its own form of  
discrimination by arrogantly declaring that a woman is not needed to  
make a marriage, or that a man is not.

¡§The thirty-year experiment of treating marriage as expendable, by  
making divorce easy and children fatherless, has proven to be a  
disaster for women, children and society. This should provide enough  
evidence for courts and legislators to quit abusing marriage by  
pretending it is less important or demanding than it is. It¡¦s utter  
discrimination to claim a woman is unnecessary, or a man is  
unnecessary, to make a marriage. We should not be forced, or children  
subjected to, another social experiment with marriage simply to make  
individuals personally satisfied.¡¨

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

[More at URL]


----- 7 -----
Why Is Wal-Mart Promoting Homosexuality?
A handout to protest Wal-Mart's promotion of homosexuality
Concerned Women for America
9/21/2006
By Sfaff

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11548/CWA/family/index.htm

Millions of American families shop at Wal-Mart, which until now had a  
pro-family reputation. But recent events indicate that the company has  
chosen sides in the culture war, and is promoting homosexuality,  
including groups that favor ¡§gay marriage.¡¨

If this trend continues, employees who believe in God, marriage and  
traditional morality eventually will face discrimination.

Wal-Mart suppliers owned by people who hold traditional values will  
face loss of contracts if they don¡¦t endorse immoral behavior.

[Link to PDF:] http://www.cwfa.org/images/content/wal-martflyer.pdf

[Contents of PDF:]

Why Is Wal-Mart Promoting Homosexuality?

Millions of American families shop at Wal-Mart, which until now had a  
pro-family reputation.  But recent events indicate that the company has  
chosen sides in the culture war, and is promoting  homosexuality,  
including groups that favor ¡§gay marriage.¡¨

If this trend continues, employees who believe in God, marriage and  
traditional morality  eventually will face discrimination. Wal-Mart  
suppliers owned by people who hold traditional  values will face loss  
of contracts if they don¡¦t endorse immoral behavior.     This is very  
serious, and Wal-Mart needs to know that a growing number of people are  
viewing  it as hostile to people of faith.

On August 21, 2006 the ¡§National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce,¡¨  
NGLCC, announced  it was partnering with Wal-Mart.

* "Bob McAdam, vice president of corporate affairs with Wal-Mart, told  
Cybercast News  Service that the world¡¦s largest retail company joined  
the NGLCC "just like we joined a  number of other groups representing  
all parts of the spectrum of our customers."  Do  Christian-owned  
businesses get a break? Not that we know of.

* "In an unprecedented push, Wal-Mart Stores has hired a gay-marketing  
shop, joined the  National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and begun  
discussions with activist  groups about extending domestic-partnership  
benefits to its employees." Advertising Age,  August 24, 2006.

* "The expectation is that Wal-Mart will encourage their core suppliers  
¡V the P&G¡¦s, the  Johnson & Johnson¡¦s and the Gillette¡¦s ¡V to also  
diversify their revenue streams to  include LGBT businesses."  Justin  
Nelson, NGLCC president, Advertising Age, August  24, 2006.

* "As a part of the agreement, Wal-Mart will pay $25,000 to NGLCC and  
has agreed to  sponsor two of NGLCC¡¦s annual conferences." Cybercast  
News Service, August 29,  2006.

* "No longer is just marketing to the LGBT segment enough.  No longer  
is having a  corporate nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual  
orientation enough.  If a company  is truly committed to being a good  
corporate citizen in the LGBT space as they are with  other diverse  
communities, then they need to buy back and invest in LGBT  
communityowned businesses." NGLCC release, August 22, 2006.

* As a current (and perhaps future) Wal-Mart shopper, I urge the  
company to reverse  course and to stop promoting homosexuality. It is  
not compassionate to promote  something that is wrong, unhealthy and  
bad for individuals, families and communities.


----- 8 -----
CWA¡¦s Crouse Sees Good and Bad News in New Public Education Policy
Concerned Women for America
10/25/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11684/MEDIA/education/index.htm

Washington, D.C. ¡V¡V Some people are calling an announcement today from  
the United States Department of Education the most significant policy  
change in public education since Title IX, which went into effect in  
1972 to ban sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.  
The new federal rules ¡V¡V which will go into effect November 24 ¡V¡V will  
allow single-sex public education with two stipulations: (1) enrollment  
must be voluntary, and (2) options of ¡§substantially equal¡¨ quality  
must be available for those ineligible for the new single-sex schools  
or classes.

[More at URL]


----- 9 -----
Should the Church Take Political Action?
Canada Family Action Coalition
Two paragraph quote from author John Stott
27 October 2006

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/churchcorner/political-action.htm

"However, even when we have done our homework and discussed, debated  
and prayed together, we need to ask, ¡§On whose shoulders does political  
responsibility rest?¡¨ Failure to ask and answer this question is one of  
the main reasons for the current confusion over Christian political  
involvement. We need to distinguish between Christian individuals,  
groups and churches. All individual Christians should be politically  
active in the sense that, as conscientious citizens, they will vote in  
elections, inform themselves about contemporary issues, share in the  
public debate, and perhaps write to a newspaper, lobby their member of  
parliament or congress or take part in a demonstration. Further, some  
individuals are called by God to give their lives to political service,  
in either local or national government. Christians who share particular  
moral and social concerns should be encouraged to form or join groups  
which will study issues at a deeper level and take appropriate action.  
In some cases these will be exclusively Christian groups; in others  
Christians will want to contribute their biblical perspective to mixed  
groups, whether in a political party, a trade union or a professional  
association.

[More at URL]


----- 10 -----
Canada's Same-Sex Marriage Law - The Case for Review
Institute for Canadian Values
Online as of 27 October 2006

http://www.canadianvalues.ca/issues.aspx?aid=239

Later this fall (2006), in accordance with a promise made early in the  
last federal general election, the new Government of Canada under  
Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper will introduce a Motion in  
the House of Commons asking Members of Parliament whether C-38  
(officially the Civil Marriage Act of 2005), and the same-sex marriage  
policy it embodies, should be reviewed.

The purpose of this paper is to make a prima facie case only for  
holding such a review by identifying, and briefly discussing a number  
of issues in support thereof.

Click here to download the full document (  
http://www.canadianvalues.ca/documents/Same- 
Sex_Marriage_Case_for_Review.pdf ).

Please Note: This document is copyrighted to the Institute for Canadian  
Values. Permission is granted to reproduce and/or distribute this  
document in whole or in part on condition that proper and full  
attribution is included.

[Ed. Note: the paper's claims include the usuals: GBLT marriage  
violates the rights of people who oppose marriage for queers by not  
letting them stop queers from getting married; GBLT marriage is a  
slippery slope to polygamy; GBLT marriage will lead to the downfall of  
society in years to come, promoting alcoholism, child poverty, spousal  
abuse - which they imply via bad statistics abuse are much more likely  
in same-sex households; heterosexual couples need the protections and  
benefits of marriage and key to that is withholding those benefits from  
same-sex couples is vital to that cause; and so on.]


----- 11 -----
Teach sex and evolution or close, Quebec evangelical schools told
We teach 'a better theory,' unlicensed school says
Dave Rogers, with files from Chris Lackner and Joanne Laucius, The  
Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, October 24, 2006

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=73dc97c9-2172 
-466d-b730-4d7d710e29fe

The Quebec ministry of education has told unlicensed Christian  
evangelical schools that they must teach Darwin's theory of evolution  
and sex education or close their doors after an Outaouais school board  
complained the provincial curriculum wasn't being followed.

"Quebec children are legally required to follow the provincial  
curriculum ... but these evangelical schools teach their own courses on  
creationism and sexuality that don't follow the Quebec curriculum,"  
said Pierre Daoust, director general of the Commission Scolaire au  
Coeur-des-Vallees in Thurso, whose complaint sparked the provincewide  
investigation.

Quebec law requires school boards assure the ministry of education that  
every child between the ages six of and 16, with the exception of  
home-schooled children, receives an adequate education, he said.

But the roughly 15 elementary and high school students who attend a  
school operated by l'Eglise evangelique near Saint-Andre-Avellin are  
being educated according to a Bible-based curriculum and their diplomas  
will not be recognized anywhere in Canada.

[More at URL]


----- 12 -----
Institute releases discussion paper on impact of redefining marriage in  
Canada
Institute for Canadian Values
Date: Oct 23, 2006

http://canadianvalues.ca/news.aspx?aid=240

OTTAWA - The Institute for Canadian Values today released a discussion  
paper outlining a number of issues that have arisen as a consequence of  
passing legislation redefining marriage in Canada. The paper, entitled  
Canada's Same-Sex Marriage Law: The Case for Review calls on the  
government to study these issues and recommend to Parliament how best  
to deal with them.

"The purpose of this paper is not to advocate for the overturning of  
legislation, but rather, to make the case that there are problems with  
both it and the policies it embodies that need to be addressed in a  
formal, non-partisan setting," said Joseph Ben-Ami, Executive Director  
of the Institute.

Ben-Ami dismissed claims that the matter was already dealt with as  
"political posturing" aimed at silencing debate at the expense of good  
public policy.

"Our discussion paper deals with this mantra at some length," said  
Ben-Ami. "The fact is that Parliament studies existing policy and  
legislation all the time without special votes. It's part of what they  
do."

[More at URL]


----- 13 -----
Traditional Values Coalition Press Conference - TVC Urges Webb to  
Withdraw
TVC Urges Webb to Withdraw ¡V TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty and  
a group of Virginia mothers will conduct a press conference at 2 p.m.,  
today (Friday) in front of the Webb for Senate headquarters, 1916  
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington.

CONTACT: April Waugh, (202) 547-8570

TVC CALLS FOR WEBB WITHDRAWAL,
CITES XXX-RATED WRITING IN NOVELS

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2910

Hypocrites Are Calling for Investigation of Perverts on One Side of  
Hill,
Trying to Elect Them on the Other

Washington, DC ¡V The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) called today  
for Virginia U.S. Senate candidate Jim Webb to withdraw from the race  
because of sexually-explicit writings he had done.

TVC Executive Director, Andrea Lafferty, said she was physically  
sickened by excerpts she read from Webb ¡§fiction¡¨ books including one  
in which a father performs oral sex on his young son.

¡§Even as FBI agents are going through Mark Foley¡¦s files on the House  
side,¡¨ Mrs. Lafferty said today at a press conference outside Mr.  
Webb¡¦s campaign office, ¡§Jim Webb who wrote all these vile sexual  
chapters in his books is trying to get into the Senate.  These liberal  
hypocrites have no shame.  Neither Foley nor Webb should be allowed  
anywhere near children or the United States Congress.¡¨

[More at URL]


----- 14 -----
New Jersey Supreme Court Rules For/Against Same-Sex Marriage
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2909

October 26, 2006 ¡V The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex  
marriage should be legal in that state. The Court has ordered the state  
legislature to either revise its marriage laws to legalize homosexual  
marriage or create a separate legal institution like civil unions to  
provide homosexuals with the same benefits of traditional marriage.

The Court ordered the state legislature to come up with a solution  
within 180 days.

TVC has condemned this decision and issued the following press release:

[More at URL]


----- 15 -----
UK Homosexual Cops Run Ad Campaign Against Christians
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2903

October 26, 2006 ¡V The Gay Police Association (GPA) in England is  
coming under criticism for airing an advertisement that links  
Christianity with hate crimes against homosexuals.

The GPA ad showed images of a Bible and a pool of blood under the  
headline, ¡§in the name of the father.¡¨

The ad prompted 553 protests against it to the Advertising Standards  
Authority (ASA).

According to the ad, ¡§In the last 12 months, the Gay Police Association  
has recorded a 74% increase in homophobic incidents, where the sole or  
primary motivating factor was the religious belief of the perpetrator.¡¨

LifeLeague, Christian Watch, The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical  
Churches and the Trinitarian Bible Society were among those who  
complained about the ad.

The ASA investigated the ad and found it had violated advertising  
standards. ¡§This is our most complained-about advert of the year so  
far. People thought it was portraying Christianity in a bad light.¡¨

The ASA said the homosexual police group did not provide evidence that  
backed up their claim that a 74% rise in homophobic incidents were  
driven by religious belief. In addition, the ad didn¡¦t distinguish  
between violent crimes and criticism of homosexual conduct.

The GPA claimed that 25% of the crimes were by Muslims; the remaining  
were Christians. Homosexual activist groups are supporting the GPA¡¦s  
anti-Christian ad. Scotland Yard may investigate the ad as a ¡§faith  
crime.¡¨

[More at URL]


----- 16 -----
NEW JERSEY JUDGES DISTORT MARRIAGE, IGNORE WILL OF THE GOVERNED
Underscores Urgency of a U.S. Constitutional Amendment
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2902

October 25, 2006 - Washington, DC -- The Traditional Values Coalition  
(TVC) called today's New Jersey court decision "another example of a  
court overstepping its authority and ordering a legislature to enact a  
law within a certain timetable."

In a 4 to 3 decision, the court ruled that "committed same-sex couples  
must be afforded on equal terms the same rights and benefits enjoyed by  
opposite-sex couples under the civil marriage statutes. The name to be  
given to the statutory scheme that provides full rights and benefits to  
same-sex couples, whether marriage or some other term, is a matter left  
to the democratic process."  The court established a 180 day deadline  
for the New Jersey legislature to enact legislation which conforms to  
its decision.

"Like the earlier Massachusetts decision, the New Jersey court seeks to  
thwart the will of the people by imagining new rights," said TVC  
Chairman, Rev. Louis P. Sheldon. "It just underscores the urgency for  
Congress to enact an amendment which defines marriage and consequently  
bans homosexual "marriages" of every form."

"The present federal marriage amendment attempts to play word games by  
trading civil unions for marriage.  Civil unions are synonymous with  
marriage and everyone knows it so this legislation is going nowhere  
fast.  The Congress needs to enact a real marriage protection amendment  
and then give it to the states for a vote.

"Today's decision is another attempt by the liberal judiciary to shout  
down the voices and votes of the American people.  Congress needs to  
act immediately!"

TVC Executive Director, Andrea Lafferty, called the decision "more  
judicial bullying."

[More at URL]


----- 17 -----
N.J. boost for gay couples buoys GOP
Wednesday's ruling in favor of full legal rights for gay couples may  
galvanize certain voters.
By Alexandra Marks | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1027/p01s01-uspo.htm

NEW YORK
The political fallout from Wednesday's New Jersey Supreme Court ruling  
in favor of full rights for gay couples could ripple far beyond the  
borders of the Garden State.

With control of the House and Senate at stake in the Nov. 7 midterm  
elections, Republican leaders are hoping the ruling will give their  
wavering conservative base - who would see the court's move as another  
attack on traditional marriage - a reason to go to the polls.

The New Jersey outcome could suddenly give impetus to voters in eight  
states where the ballot includes measures to ban gay marriage. In some  
of these states - Tennessee and Virginia, especially - the races for  
Senate seats are too close to call. Others, namely Arizona and  
Colorado, have hotly contested House races that may give a boost to  
Republican candidates.

The ruling, which found that gay couples in New Jersey are entitled to  
the same legal and financial protections as heterosexual couples, could  
tip the national balance, many political analysts say.

"The Republicans are thrilled and the Democrats are furious with those  
judges, and that tells me all I need to know," says Larry Sabato, a  
political analyst at the University of Virginia. "Both sides understand  
this is a boost for Republican turnout among social conservatives, many  
of whom were very discouraged and probably were not going to vote  
because of the [Mark] Foley scandal and Iraq."

[More at URL]


----- 18 -----
Wal-Mart Rolls Out Red Carpet For Homosexual Marriage
Let Wal-Mart know their embracement of homosexuality and the push for  
homosexual marriage is a bad business decision.
American Family Association
Online as of 29 October 2006

http://www.afa.net/Petitions/IssueDetail.asp?id=220

When Wal-Mart announced their support for the homosexual agenda a few  
weeks ago, they meant what they said. You will remember that Wal-Mart  
asked for, and received, permission to join the National Gay and  
Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The company announced they were  
giving two large grants to NGLCC. The world's largest retailer was  
rewarded with a position on the board of NGLCC. Wal-Mart also announced  
they would give preference to homosexual-owned businesses in purchasing  
products.

The NGLCC is a leading promoter of homosexual marriage.

A quick search for books sold by Wal-Mart found the following related  
to the promotion of homosexual marriage:

[More at URL]


----- 19 -----
Conservatives Blast NJ High Court's Homosexual Marriage Ruling
By Jim Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press
October 27, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/272006a.asp

WASHINGTON, DC (AgapePress) - A U.S. senator and other conservatives  
are condemning an October 25 ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court  
that mandates same-sex unions. The court ruled Wednesday that  
homosexual couples are entitled to the same marriage rights and  
protections afforded their heterosexual counterparts.

The New Jersey high court has given the State Legislature six months to  
decide whether to recognize same-sex "marriage" or to create civil  
unions for homosexuals in that state. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback says  
he finds it troubling that an "activist" judiciary is forcing lawmakers  
to take action on a major social issue, based on the notion that  
same-sex couples have an equal "right" to the benefits of marriage.

[...]

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council agrees, noting that the New  
Jersey ruling "should serve as a wakeup call for those who believe  
marriage does not need federal protection." He insists that the nation  
"must have a U.S. constitutional amendment defining marriage as the  
union of one man and one woman" if those seeking to redefine that  
institution are to be thwarted.

[More at URL]


----- 20 -----
Commentary & News Briefs
October 27, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/272006h.asp

...A Tennessee church's 150 members are boycotting Wal-Mart because of  
the discount retailer's affiliation with a pro-homosexual business  
coalition. In August, Wal-Mart became a member of the National Gay and  
Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). That prompted Trinity Family  
Church of Columbia, Tennessee, to urge members to shop elsewhere  
because the NGLCC supports homosexual "marriage." A proposed state  
constitutional ban on same-sex marriage is on the November ballot in  
Tennessee. Pastor Carol Jacobs says the church had been spending  
thousands of dollars at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club for supplies but will  
not do so anymore. A Wal-Mart spokesman says the retailer is "reaching  
out to a number of groups" and will "welcome and serve all customers  
with respect and without discrimination." [AP]

[...]

...Florida's Supreme Court has decided that it lacks authority to  
consider a Wiccan group's challenge to a state sales tax exemption for  
Bibles and other religious items. The court earlier had agreed to take  
the case and even heard oral arguments. But it now says there is not  
any conflict in lower-court decisions to be worked out. The Wiccan  
Religious Cooperative of Florida had appealed a ruling that it lacked  
standing to challenge the tax exemption for religious items as a  
violation of separation of church and state. Two religious publications  
-- The Florida Catholic and The Florida Baptist Witnesses -- had joined  
the state in defending the exemptions. [AP]


----- 21 -----
Proponent of Public School Exit Strategy Stresses Christian Parents'  
Responsibility
By Allie Martin
October 27, 2006
American Family Association/Agape Press

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/272006c.asp

(AgapePress) - Resolutions supporting an exit strategy from public  
schools have been submitted in every Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)  
state and regional convention in the continental United States. The  
resolution is based on a recommendation by Southern Baptist Theological  
Seminary president Albert Mohler.

Mohler wrote in an article that because of the spiritual, moral, and  
academic decay that increasingly characterizes U.S. public schools,  
Southern Baptists should develop a plan for taking their children out  
of government schools. Roger Moran, a member of the SBC Executive  
Committee, helped draft the resolution based on the seminary  
president's suggestions.

[More at URL]


----- 22 -----
Evolutionists Love 'Lucy,' But AIG Calls Fossil Tour Anti-Creationist  
Hype
By Jeff Johnson
October 27, 2006
American Family Association/Agape Press

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/272006d.asp

(AgapePress) - Many American scientists are excited that "Lucy," an  
allegedly 3.2-million-year-old skeleton, will be coming to the United  
States next year. Creationists, however, are predicting that Lucy's  
tour will be much more about promoting the theory of evolution than  
about expanding real scientific knowledge.

Associated Press news reports announcing Lucy's visit state as fact  
that the fossilized remains are between three and four million years  
old and that "debate" still rages about how close an ancestor to man  
Lucy would be. But Ken Ham, president of the biblical creationist group  
Answers in Genesis, says those reports are only the beginning of Lucy's  
anti-creationism tour.

[More at URL]


----- 23 -----
Ohio voter guide available from the Ohio Christian Alliance
Family Research Council
October 24, 2006 - Tuesday
Ohio (more on this state)
Forward to a Friend!

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL06J09&f=PG03I03

The Ohio Christian Alliance has put together an excellent resource for  
the citizens of Ohio for the upcoming election. This resource gives you  
the facts on where the candidates running for Senate and for Governor  
stand on the issues that we are all concerned about. This voter guide  
is 501(c)(3) compliant so it is perfectly legal for distribution in all  
of your churches. We encourage you to print out as many copies as you  
need from their website and to use it as a bulletin insert at your  
church.

There is much at stake in the upcoming election nationally and in Ohio  
and we are thankful that the Ohio Christian Alliance has put together a  
clear and concise voter guide that will equip the voters to make an  
informed and confident decision in November.

We thank you for you help in defending marriage and family in the state  
of Ohio. Please forward this email to your friends and family and  
encourage them to vote this November.

To view or print copies of the 2006 voter guide go to:  
http://ohioca.org/VoterGuides/2006/2006-vg-8b.pdf


----- 24 -----
New Jersey Supreme Court Holds Legislature Hostage On Marriage
Family Research Council
October 25, 2006 - Wednesday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2006 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Bethanie  
Swendsen, (866) FRC-NEWS

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR06J10&f=PG03I03

"The legislature should ignore this ruling and follow the lead of 20  
other states that have already passed marriage amendments," says FRC's  
Tony Perkins

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins  
released the following statement in response to the New Jersey Supreme  
Court ruling on same-sex "marriage."

"Today's decision should give momentum to the eight states with  
marriage protection amendments on the November ballot. By mandating  
that the New Jersey legislature enact same-sex 'marriage' or civil  
unions, the Court ignores the unique benefits of marriage between one  
man and one woman. Society gives benefits to marriage because marriage  
gives benefits to society. This decision is out of step with the recent  
string of court decisions upholding the rational basis for traditional  
marriage in promoting the well-being of children.

"This ruling gives the legislature the non-choice of creating same-sex  
'marriage' or marriage of the same-sex by civil unions. This is nothing  
more than an act of veiled judicial activism. As in Massachusetts and  
Vermont, the New Jersey Supreme Court has acted as a super-legislature  
imposing their will on the people of New Jersey. The legislature should  
ignore this ruling and follow the lead of 20 other states that have  
already passed marriage amendments."


----- 25 -----
FRC Action Urges New Jersey Legislature To Protect Marriage
Family Research Council
October 26, 2006 - Thursday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 26, 2006 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy, (866)  
FRC-NEWS

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR06J12&f=PG03I03

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday the New Jersey Supreme Court demanded that  
the state legislature grant same-sex couples the legal rights and  
benefits traditionally bestowed upon the marital union of one man and  
one woman. Connie Mackey, Senior Vice President of FRC Action, issued  
the following statement:

"Yesterday's decision propels the state of New Jersey into the same  
legal chaos experienced by various other states across the country,  
including Hawaii, Vermont and Massachusetts. It follows the pattern of  
homosexual activists who witness their radical agenda defeated at the  
ballot box yet advanced by activist judges. The irony is that in their  
victory they admit defeat.

"This decision will only energize conservative voters across the  
country, especially those in eight states with ballot initiatives to  
protect marriage. Voters have been reminded yet again that without a  
constitutional amendment preserving marriage, a single judge somewhere  
will redefine marriage against the will of the vast majority  
everywhere.

"Since a similar ruling came down in Massachusetts, pro-family forces  
in twenty states allowed the people a voice in this debate. In those  
twenty states, the people voted overwhelmingly in favor of traditional  
marriage. Now that's a victory. I call upon the New Jersey state  
legislature to do the same."


To schedule an interview with Connie Mackey please contact the
FRC Action press office at (866) FRC-NEWS


----- 26 -----
Vote on marriage in eight states critical following NJ Supreme Court  
Ruling
Family Research Council
October 26, 2006 - Thursday
Arizona (more on this state)
Forward to a Friend!

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL06J10&f=PG03I03

On November 7, marriage amendments will be on the ballot in Arizona,  
Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and  
Wisconsin.

There is desperate need for passage of marriage amendments in these 8  
states codifying marriage between one man and one woman. This was  
evident yesterday following the ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court  
that mandated that the legislature find a way to grant the benefits of  
marriage to same sex couples. Such reckless and irresponsible rulings  
by judges from Massachusetts to Hawaii highlight the need for  
constitutional amendments to protect marriage. Momentum was in favor of  
traditional marriage when recent court rulings in New York and Georgia  
had upheld marriage. Unfortunately, New Jersey will now join  
Massachusetts which allows same-sex 'marriage' and Vermont, which  
permits civil unions.

Voters in twenty states have already added marriage protection  
amendments to their constitutions. Values voters must rally to the  
polls on November 7 to protect marriage!



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