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

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

The anti-contraception movement rhetoric spreads a bit more; Focus on  
the Family protests censorship protests; lots of ACTION ITEMs to oppose  
bills protecting GBLT students from harassment; the theocons get the  
post-religious-harassment-lawsuit rules at the Air Force Academy and  
the Naval Academy thrown out so they can go back to their old abuses;  
and the nascent Canadian theoconservative movement imports lots more  
rhetoric, language, and bogus studies from their American counterparts.  
Canadian readers may particularly find this interesting, I don't know.

But now, today's news.

Focus on the Family condemns "Banned Books Week" and the American  
Library Association, accuses them of accusing "concerned parents"; the  
shtick here is that they're declaring that a book isn't banned unless  
it's banned _nationally_, and that therefore the whole thing is a  
fraud;

Focus on the Family runs another condemnation of Plan B, the  
morning-after/emergency birth-control pill; the most interesting thing  
about this to my mind is that their subtitle, "Plan B is not the  
answer" is an echo of the rising-profile  
anti-contraception-of-all-kinds fundamentalist movement's slogan,  
"Contraception is not the answer" - they also attack sex education, of  
course;

Focus on the Family condemns recent Supreme Court decisions as  
"muddled" for not allowing unlimited single-religion (10 Commandments)  
postings in courthouses; in particular, they attack Justice Breyer for  
ruling in favour of "maximum personal autonomy," including "the right  
to engage in sodomy without criminal prosecution," in case you were  
wondering whether they still want to make GBLT people illegal - they  
do;

FotF condemns anyone who doesn't buy into the whole "ex-gay" bullshit;

FotF's Citizen Magazine reviews The Party of Death favourably (of  
course);

Focus on the Family condemns former Speaker Dick Armey - one of their  
favourites when in the House - for calling them "nasty bullies;" it's  
an ACTION ITEM but no specific action outlined; interestingly, they say  
Senator Tom Coburn as believing Dick Armey "has no business making such  
comments";

FotF supports a "last ditch" effort to give the chief executive even  
more power by granting Mr. Bush a line-item veto via Constitutional  
amendment; the probability of this happening is pretty much zero, but  
look for it later again;

The theoconservative Alliance Defense Fund - noted for its anti-gay  
legal actions - and the Family Research Council have sent out a letter  
to fundamentalist political churches outlining the activities in which  
they can legally engage, encouraging more political activity;

Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM; there's a last-minute attempt to get  
an anti-abortion-rights bill through and into law before the end of the  
session;

Ohio law against RU-486, the chemical abortion pill, struck down;

Focus on the Family very cranky - time has run out again on a set of  
Mr. Bush's nominees to the appeals courts, and they're mad; this is  
another ACTION ITEM that has no action associated with it; I'm  
wondering what's going on with that;

FotF ACTION ITEM to thank California governor Schwarzenegger for  
vetoing two bills, one providing anti-harassment protections for GBLT  
students in California schools, the other setting up a pilot GBLT  
tolerance programme at schools; Focus on the Family considers it a  
religions mandate to harass GBLT people at all ages, and in particular,  
works to ensure that fundamentalist teachers can pressure GBLT students  
in class - see earlier CWUs for other examples;

Focus on the Family expects new Supreme Court justices to yield a  
different outcome in a coming second-take on the so-called "partial  
birth" abortion ban; they note Justice O'Connor voted with the majority  
against a state ban in 2000, but they now have Justice Alito and Chief  
Justice Roberts, who they expect to vote with them;

***** Theocon celebration: Congress passes Defense Authorisation Bill  
that overturns Air Force and Navy regulations passed in response to  
fundamentalist religious harassment at their respective academies; now  
they can presumably go back to harassing Jewish and other non-Christian  
academy members; Focus on the Family says it's a return to the 1999  
rules which are what allowed the harassment to begin with;

***** Focus on the Family reports that a fiction writer posting  
material I personally find very disturbing on the internet has been  
indicted on six counts of distributing obscene material; notes that the  
fact that it's fiction is irrelevant; claims it is interstate commerce;  
I have no idea whether these were materials for sale; regardless,  
better watch out, they've gotten the Feds going on Internet censorship  
now;

***** Internet writer indicted on six counts of "distributing obscene  
material" for her fiction stories posted to the internet; Focus on the  
Family is jubilant;

Focus on the Family's Tennessee political rally changes location,  
features "James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family Action, Tony  
Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; Gary Bauer,  
president of American Values; Dr. Ken Hutcherson, senior pastor of  
Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Wash., and Dr. Richard Land of the  
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist  
Convention";

Concerned Women for America's Robert Knight has an ACTION ITEM to  
protest NBC over "NBC's Anti-Christian Bent";

CWA condemns lack of Senate passage of anti-abortion legislation;

House of Representatives passes PERA, a bill designed to make it much  
harder to fight attempts to implement unequal religious treatment by  
governments by amending civil rights law to prevent losers from having  
to pay court costs;

CWA's Robert Knight starts ramping up the Happy Holidays is  
anti-Christian/it must be Merry Christmas bullshit again; gods, this is  
the dumbest-ass thing ever;

Canada Family Action Coalition: GBLT marriage rights will lead to  
pedophilic marriage, demands Constitutional amendment banning marriage  
rights for anyone but heterosexual couples;

Canada Family Action Coalition: "Will Cross-Dressing Activists Come to  
Your School?"; links to the American Traditional Values Coalition's  
rant against people with gender identity disorder;

Canada Family Action Coalition says there is no right to "sodomy,"  
calls GBLT rights "absurd and dangerous";

Traditional Values Coalition Word document attacking the concept of GID;

Canada Family Action Coalition attacks use of "social justice"  
terminology;

Canada Family Action Coalition petition against sex education  
programmes that include GBLT experiences;

Institute for Canadian Values petition against sexual education  
including GBLT experiences - probably linked to the same petition;

Institute of Marriage and Family Canada - the Focus on the Family  
founded and funded Canadian "think tank" designed to churn out  
anti-gay/pro-fundamentalist "studies" attacks marriage rights as  
anti-children - apparently has an anti-marriage column printed in the  
National Post;

Institute of Marriage and Family Canada PDF against marriage rights in  
Canada;

Traditional Values Coalition - who has stated previously that they  
believe people with gender identity disorder should be involuntarily  
institutionalised - publishes a document condemning accepted gender  
identity disorder treatment (gender reassignment) as "crazy," states  
"God does not make mistakes";

TVC's Rev. Sheldon condemns democratic Christians as  
"pseudo-evangelicals" and asserts that "liberal thinking is the  
antithesis of true Christianity";

TVC celebrates 20 years of Justice Antonin Scalia's tenure on the  
Supreme Court; particularly celebrates his dissent in _Lawrence v.  
Texas_, the decision which confirmed that GBLT people were citizens who  
could not be made illegal by fiat; he warned in that dissent that laws  
against things like masturbation, adultery, and fornication were now in  
danger; TVC claims _Lawrence v. Texas_ will lead to the legalisation of  
pedophilia;

Traditional Values Coalition condemns non-conservative Christians  
again, in longer form;

Yet another TVC article condemning the "Red Letter" liberal Christian  
group;

American Family Association condemns Massachusetts court ruling that  
Massachusetts's law banning out-of-state couples from marrying in  
Massachusetts if their home state's laws would forbid the marriage does  
not explicitly block a Rhode Island male couple from marrying;

AFA ACTION ITEM to write the new Ford CEO stop advertising in  
GBLT-targeted magazines, etc - the usual;

AFA ACTION ITEM to demand that Wal-Mart drop all support for Boise  
State University's Diversity Week event;

AFA supports California Governor Schwarzenegger's veto of school  
anti-harassment bill including GBLT students;

Focus on the Family article assaults things like sperm donation and  
GBLT marriage;

Family Research Council condemns Massachusetts court ruling about a  
Rhode Island couple mentioned above;

Family Research Council ACTION ITEM to demand four more vetos from Gov.  
Schwarzenegger - most of which appear to be, in their summaries, aimed  
at protecting the rights of GBLT students.


----- 1 -----
Critics Say ALA's Banned Books Week is 'a Fraud'
A little investigating suggests the observance is named more for effect  
than truth.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
September 25, 2006

This is the 25th annual Banned Books Week¡Xand for a quarter of a  
century the American Library Association (ALA) has used the event to  
decry the hundreds of books challenged by concerned parents.

The message the organization sends is that books are being banned. A  
radio public-service announcement advertising this year's event  
summarizes how the ALA views Banned Books Week.

[More at URL]


----- 2 -----
UK Abortion Rate Rises Despite Wide Access to Morning-After Pill
Plan B is not the answer.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
September 25, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0042078.cfm

Abortion advocates have long claimed that full access to the so-called  
morning-after pill would reduce the number of abortions. But a report  
from Britain finds that abortions there are up despite ready access to  
the controversial pill.

The morning-after pill became widely available in the United Kingdom  
several years ago, supposedly to reduce abortions. But Anthony Ozimic,  
a spokesman for Britain's Society for the Protection of Unborn  
Children, said abortions in England have risen steadily during that  
time¡Xgoing from 186,000 in 2001 to 194,000 last year

"We believe that the numbers of abortions generally and the number of  
abortions for those under 16 are continuing to rise because of the  
government's promotion of value-free sex education and the increasing  
sexualizing of young people through the distribution and mass provision  
of birth control," Ozimic said.

[More at URL]


----- 3 -----
Sandblast This
Moses the Lawgiver appears all over the U.S. Supreme Court building,  
but thanks to two muddled rulings on Ten Commandments displays, he's  
one vote away from being obliterated.
by Bruce Hausknecht
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family

http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/coverstory/a0037645.cfm

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of one Ten Commandments  
display and against another in June, it didn't do city councils and  
other local officials any favors.

The Supreme Court is supposed to clarify confusing areas of law for the  
rest of us, using the Constitution as its plumb line, so that  
legislators can confidently get on with the business of governing and  
lower courts can apply a consistent rule to the myriads of different  
cases brought before them.

The June decisions clarified nothing. Lawyers will be happy, because  
the muddled rulings will no doubt result in more court fights and  
$300-an-hour legal fees, paid for by the American taxpayer. But the  
local official who wanted guidance on whether to approve a public  
display that includes our nation's Christian heritage is likely to be  
even more anxious than before.

[...]

Justice Breyer has ruled in favor of maximum personal  
autonomy¡Xincluding the freedom to kill a viable unborn child through  
the barbaric procedure known as partial-birth abortion, the right to  
expose schoolchildren to Internet porn, the right to have a  
religion-free experience at a high school football game and the right  
to engage in sodomy without fear of criminal prosecution.

[...]

That's why President Bush's selections to the U.S. Supreme Court are so  
vitally important. At press time, President Bush had nominated U.S.  
Circuit Judge John G. Roberts to fill the void left by retiring Justice  
O'Connor. Preliminary research gave early indication that Roberts is  
likely to respect the U.S. Constitution, according to Focus on the  
Family Action founder and chairman, James C. Dobson, Ph.D.

[More at URL]


----- 4 -----
Liberal target: ex-gays
The Left hates the truth that same-sex desires can be overcome by  
spiritual redemption.
by the Citizen staff
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family

http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/features/a0041680.cfm

Go to ¡§gay pride¡¨ day at school and you¡¦ll hear words like ¡§tolerance¡¨  
and ¡§understanding.¡¨ But listen to these same voices behind closed  
doors and you may hear a very different message.

Citizen heard some intolerant talk in April at a conference sponsored  
by one of the nation¡¦s largest homosexual advocacy groups¡Xthe Gay,  
Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The event, hosted by  
GLSEN¡¦s Boston chapter, featured an entire training session devoted to  
combating ¡§the effects of programs like Love Won Out.¡¨

Love Won Out (LWO) is a conference produced by Focus on the Family. The  
one-day event offers hope that same-sex desires can be overcome through  
spiritual redemption and addressing root causes. Men and women who have  
responded to that message often refer to themselves as ¡§ex-gay¡¨¡Xa term  
that angers homosexuals.

[More at URL]


----- 5 -----
The Party¡¦s Over
An author exposes ¡§the party of death¡¨ in American politics, and says  
its reign is coming to an end.
by Matt Kaufman
Citizen Magazine
Focus on the Family

http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/departments/a0041669.cfm

Lots of people are turned off by today¡¦s political rhetoric simply  
because so much of it gets so shrill. And at first glance, a book about  
abortion and other life issues that calls the Democrats ¡§the party of  
death¡¨¡Xin the title¡Xwould seem to be more of the same. Its outrage may  
be justifiable, but is it helpful?

Probably not. But that¡¦s not what National Review Senior Editor Ramesh  
Ponnuru delivers in The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the  
Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life (Regnery Publishing, Inc.,  
2006, 303 pages). Not even close.

[More at URL]


----- 6 -----
Armey Lashes Out Against Dobson, Values Voters
Conservative Christians take it on the chin from an unexpected source.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
September 28, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0042141.cfm

Former Texas Congressman Dick Armey, once a stalwart ally in the  
culture wars, appears to be turning his back on Christian conservatives  
and their leaders.

The former majority leader of the House of Representatives reportedly  
told Ryan Sager, author of a new book on the Republican Party, that  
values voters and their leaders ¡X especially Focus on the Family Action  
Chairman Dr. James Dobson ¡X are "nasty bullies."

[...]

"To a large extent, because Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty  
bullies," Armey said. "I pray devoutly every day, but being a Christian  
is no excuse for being stupid. There's a high demagoguery coefficient  
to issues like prayer in schools. Demagoguery doesn't work unless it's  
dumb . . . These issues are easy for the intellectually lazy and can  
appeal to a large demographic."

[...]

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who also served under Armey when he was a  
member of the House, said the former Texas congressman and fiscal  
conservative has no business making such comments.

"I don't know why he's mad now, but his characterization is totally  
inappropriate," Coburn said. "I'm sorry Dick Armey feels that way.

[More at URL]


----- 7 -----
Senate Makes Last-Ditch Effort to Pass Line-Item Veto
Legislation would allow the president to strike parts of a bill.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
September 28, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0042128.cfm

In the last week of deliberations before breaking for the election,  
some in the Senate are calling on Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.,  
to push legislation that would give the president a line-item veto.

[More at URL]


----- 8 -----
Encourage Your Senators to Pass the Child Interstate Abortion  
Notification Act
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist filed a procedural motion Wednesday  
evening that could lead to an important pro-life bill becoming law.
Focus on the Family
September 28, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0042132.cfm

The Republican from Tennessee called for a motion to concur with the  
House-passed version of S. 403, the Child Interstate Abortion  
Notification Act (CIANA). The House passed the bill on Tuesday,  
264-153. The Senate passed a different version of the bill (then titled  
the Child Custody Protection Act) in July, 65-34. Democratic leaders in  
the Senate have blocked the bill from reaching President Bush and being  
signed into law.

[...]

TAKE ACTION:
Because of the short time left before the vote, phone calls are the  
preferred method for contacting your senators. There are 14 Democrats  
who especially need to hear from their constituents. They voted for the  
earlier version of the bill in July, and it's vital that they vote for  
it again. They are:

Mark Pryor, D-Ark.
Ken Salazar, D-Colo.
Thomas Carper, D-Del.
Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii
Evan Bayh, D-Ind.
Mary Landrieu, D-La.
Ben Nelson, D-Neb.
Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.
Tim Johnson, D-S.D.
Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.
Herbert Kohl, D-Wisc.

If you are a CitizenLink Daily Update subscriber, click on the blue  
"Take Action" button in the e-mail to be automatically logged in to our  
Action Center. Otherwise, click on this link.

[More at URL]


----- 9 -----
Judge Rejects Ohio Law Limiting Abortion Pill
Focus on the Family
September 28, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0042130.cfm

A federal judge Wednesday ruled unconstitutional an Ohio law  
restricting the use of the abortion-inducing drug RU-486, The  
Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

[...]

The law -- which was supposed to go into effect in 2004, but couldn't  
because of pending litigation -- made it illegal for a physician to  
prescribe the drug after the seventh week of pregnancy. The Food and  
Drug Administration (FDA) made the same recommendation six years ago.

[More at URL]


----- 10 -----
Once Again No Action Taken on President's Appellate Nominees
Time runs out and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee fail to  
show up ¡X in more ways than one.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
September 29, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0042155.cfm

The Senate's top courts panel met today for the last time before  
Congress recesses to prepare for the November elections. No action was  
taken on the president's long-waiting appeals-court nominees.

Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action,  
matter-of-factly analyzed what the Senate Judiciary Committee did not  
do.

"Not all the Republicans showed up," he said. "And the Democrats only  
agreed to cooperate in sending several district-court judges out of the  
committee on a voice vote, while failing to advance even a single  
court-of-appeals judge."

But Hausknecht, like many pro-family conservatives, is angry at the  
"wasted opportunity."

[More at URL]


----- 11 -----
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Two Anti-Family School Bills
Bills requiring homosexual antidiscrimination policies and redefining  
"tolerance" struck down.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
September 29, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0042149.cfm

Two bills aimed at advancing the homosexual agenda were vetoed Thursday  
by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

AB 606 would have required school districts to adopt  
anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies based on perceived  
sexual orientation -- and to update publications, provide information,  
training and other resources. Failure to do so would have resulted in  
the loss of state funding.

AB 1056 would have established a $250,000 tolerance pilot program in 10  
schools. It also would have redefined "tolerance" to mean active  
acceptance of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and  
transgender.

[More at URL]


----- 12 -----
Supreme Court to Take on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban
New justices may lead to a different outcome.
from staff reports
September 29, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0042144.cfm

When the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court start back to work Monday,  
they¡¦ll face a docket full of contentious social issues, including the  
partial-birth abortion ban. With the addition of Chief Justice John  
Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito, many have hopes the court  
may reverse some of its previous decisions.

Although pro-lifers' hopes were dashed in 2000 when the court ruled 5-4  
against Nebraska's ban on partial-birth abortion, Jay Sekulow, chief  
counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, said it¡¦s a new  
day and a new court.

[...]

Ruse pointed out that there is no constitutional right to abortion and  
added that if it wasn¡¦t such a serious matter, it would be laughable to  
suggest it. But if the ban is upheld, it would be a landmark decision.

¡§This will be the first federal restriction on abortion," she said,  
"that has been permitted since Roe v. Wade.¡¨

[More at URL]


----- 13 -----
Victory for Chaplains' Prayers
Focus on the Family
September 29, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0042150.cfm

U.S. lawmakers today agreed to strike current restrictive regulations  
in the Air Force and Navy that prevent chaplains from praying according  
to their faith and conscience in public venues.

Amanda Banks, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action,  
said the Defense Authorization Act of 2007 includes language to rescind  
previous provisions forbidding chaplains to pray according to their  
conscience.

[...]

Banks called the measure a step in the right direction.

"We'd really like to see more done," she said. "Specifically --  
language adopted that would say explicitly that military chaplains can  
pray according to dictates of their faith and conscience."

[More at URL]


----- 14 -----
Tennessee: Stand for the Family Rally Changes Venue
Focus on the Family
September 29, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0042146.cfm

The Stand for the Family rally in Nashville, Tenn., will still take  
place Oct 16 at 6:30 p.m., but will be held at Two Rivers Baptist  
Church, 2800 McGavock Pike, across from the Opryland Hotel. It's also  
now a free event. People who bought tickets can have their money  
refunded by Ticketmaster and will receive special seating at the rally.

Speakers include Dr. James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family  
Action, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; Gary  
Bauer, president of American Values; Dr. Ken Hutcherson, senior pastor  
of Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Wash., and Dr. Richard Land of the  
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist  
Convention.

[More at URL]


----- 15 -----
Madonna vs. Veggies: NBC's Anti-Christian Bent
Concerned Women for America
9/29/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11578/CWA/misc/index.htm

The NBC television network has made several decisions this season that  
are being viewed as anti-Christian. The network has cut references to  
"God" and the "Bible" out of the Veggie Tales cartoons it began airing  
this fall. Meanwhile, the network is going ahead with plans for a  
Madonna concert special to air November 12 that features her mocking  
the crucifixion of Christ by descending to the stage on a cross wearing  
a crown of thorns. Bob Knight, Director of CWA's Culture & Family  
Institute has more on these outrages, as well as the new NBC show  
"Studio 60" which also mocks Christians. Click here to listen.

To locate your local NBC affiliate to complain visit:  
http://www.nbc.com/nbc/header/Local_Stations/

[Robert Knight: "I think they might want to lie on a couch somewhere  
and get analysed... they're doing something that's anti-Christian in  
both instances." They're saying that the Madonna special with her on a  
crucifix is back on? "The worst kind of vulgarity, so this is a direct  
insult to Christians everywhere, it's like I can do this to your most  
devout symbol, and you're not going to do anything." Knight says the  
special is still on, unedited. The AFA has an action item out against  
NBC (we'll see that later). Complains about "chopping the vegetables";  
taking the bible-quotes out but leaving the morality in. "They don't  
seem to care either way about how Christians feel." Says they "walk all  
over" Christians. Bill Donahue of the Catholic League: "If NBC does air  
the mock crucifiction it will send a message to the 85% of the American  
population that is Christian, that their sensibilities count less than  
Muslims." Jerry Falwell condemns NBC too, they quote him. Says NBC is  
"Notoriously Bashing Christians." Complains that "Studio 60" bashes the  
700 Club, implies watchers "are Klu Klux Klan members." ACTION ITEM to  
contact NBC and complain about "Christianity consistently under attack"  
either "by omission" or "comission." Also to contact sponsours and  
complain, particularly about the Madonna concert video. "Merchants  
should advertise] on programmes that blaspheme Christ at their own  
peril."]


----- 16 -----
CWA Laments Loss for Child Safety and Parental Rights
Concerned Women for America
9/29/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11589/MEDIA/life/index.htm

Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America (CWA) laments an  
enormous loss for children¡¦s safety and parental rights after the  
Senate¡¦s failure to once again pass Sen. John Ensign¡¦s (R-Nevada) Child  
Custody Protection Act (CCPA), S. 403. This long-overdue legislation  
would have protected minors from being transported across state lines  
to get an abortion.

[...]

¡§The Senate chose to disregard the American public¡¦s wish to see this  
bill implemented. Apparently they are more dedicated to divisive  
partisanship than to the American public for whom this issue is  
overwhelmingly popular.

[More at URL]


----- 17 -----
CWA Praises House for Passing Public Expression of Religion Act
Concerned Women for America
9/26/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11564/MEDIA/misc/index.htm

Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America (CWA) applauds the House  
today for passing the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA), H.R.  
2679, introduced by Rep. Hostettler (R-Indiana). The passage of this  
legislation brings us one step closer to preventing legal groups, like  
the ACLU, from collecting attorney¡¦s fees from the defendants they sue  
in establishment clause cases. Eliminating these monetary awards will  
free citizens to stand up for their constitutional freedoms and not  
face crippling judgments for attorney¡¦s fees.

[More at URL]


----- 18 -----
The Holiday vs. Christmas Season is Starting
Concerned Women for America
9/27/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11579/CWA/misc/index.htm

Seasonal catalogs and sales flyers are starting to trickle into  
mailboxes across the country. While there have been some major  
victories in the effort to convince merchants to acknowledge and  
articulate ¡§Merry Christmas,¡¨ early indications show that the battle is  
far from over. Martha Kleder speaks with Bob Knight, Director of CWA¡¦s  
Culture & Family Institute. Click here to listen.

www.savemerrychristmas.org

[Robert Knight: "It doesn't make me very jolly... catalogues are coming  
into peoples' mailboxes, and more often than not they say 'Holiday...'"  
Complains about getting catalogues that say "Holiday" instead of  
"Christmas." Robert Knight personally called up a company to tell them  
that he doesn't buy from anyone who says "Holiday," calls it religious  
bigotry, encourages people to call companies which use "Holiday"  
instead of "Christmas" and boycott them. They're in fact talking about  
how they're scanning catalogues. Says that "Macy's" will feature the  
words "Christmas" and "Merry Christmas" this year in response to  
pressure, lists a few others; claims companies are trying to "ban  
Christmas." Talks about Bill O'Reilly, thanks him and Fox News for  
publicising this whole stupid thing and getting it moving. Notes that  
56% of "born-again evangelical Christians" are offended by Happy  
Holidays. ACTION ITEM to boycott and toss out catalogues that don't  
highlight "Merry Christmas."]


----- 19 -----
It's Time for a Royal Commission on Marriage
COMMUNIQUˆ[ of the CHRISTIAN HERITAGE PARTY of CANADA
Volume 13 No. 39 - Sept.19'06

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/family/marriage/royal- 
commission.htm

This fall Parliament is to re-open the debate on the definition of  
marriage. Sort of.

The Conservatives - who promised during the last election campaign to  
re-visit this contentious issue - will ask Parliament whether it wants  
to re-examine the definition of marriage (which was changed by Bill  
C-38 to include any two people). That definition, as it now stands, is  
dangerous.

"Any two people" opens the door to things like incest and pedophilia.  
Of course, anti-moralists say that couldn't happen, "because incest and  
pedophilia are against the law." But remember: sodomy was also against  
the law.

And therein lies the problem: laws can easily be changed. That's why we  
must demand that Parliament enshrine the traditional definition of  
marriage-a definition that predates the institution of government  
itself-in the Constitution.

[More at URL]


----- 20 -----
Back to School Report "Will Cross-Dressing Activists Come to Your  
School?"
CFAC says: This is occuring in Canada also folks. Protect your children  
NOW.
Canada Family Action Coalition
September 27, 2006

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/education/cross-dressing- 
school.htm

Traditional Values Coalition has just published an important BACK TO  
SCHOOL report on cross-dressing and transgender activism that you¡¦ll  
want to read and distribute.

The report, ¡§Will Cross-Dressing Activists Come To Your School?¡¨ (MS  
Word doc) describes the latest agenda among transgender and homosexual  
activists to normalize sex change operations and cross-dressing for  
kindergarten age children and older! This effort is being promoted by  
pro-transgender/homosexual educators and a network of radical  
pediatricians who work within some of the largest children¡¦s hospitals  
in the United States.

[More at URL]


----- 21 -----
Court Challenges Program
Anti-Human Rights
Canada Family Action Coalition

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/politics-law/courts/court- 
challenges.htm

The howlers are out before Halloween this year. The abusive use of tax  
dollars by the thieves of the Court Challenge Program do not want to  
work for a living like other Canadians. They expect that their groups  
and the lawyers they employ should be paid by YOU, the taxpayer.

If one studies the cases that YOU have funded we would see that most  
cases were NOT human rights based cases at all. They were political  
activist and leftist ideological cases that YOU paid for. This MUST be  
stopped. And it must not be reinstated.

Case after case in the last 4 years was a case against human rights. Is  
a case about somebody's sexual habits a human rights case? Really - now  
get real- making sodomy a human right is absurd and dangerous. The  
crying and whining will go on but let the facts instead of idiot  
ideology govern this nation.


----- 22 -----
Will Cross-Dressing Activists Come To Your School?
By TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty
Traditional Values Coalition
Reprinted/Hosted by the Canada Family Action Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/worddoc/ 
092606BackToSchoolOaklandReport.doc

Part I
As our children have returned to public schools this fall, they face a  
new threat to their sense of morality and sexuality: Transgender  
activists are targeting children for seduction into gender confusion.

Not only will children be facing pro-homosexual recruitment efforts in  
their elementary, junior high and high schools, but now they are likely  
to face cross-dressers and transsexual propagandists who will teach  
them that ¡§gender¡¨ is a myth and that they can seriously consider  
having ¡§sex change¡¨ operations to correct nature¡¦s alleged mistake.

Transgender activists claim that they are ¡§trapped in the wrong body¡¨  
and that the only way to be free is to undergo a so-called ¡§sex change¡¨  
operation.


[More at URL]


----- 23 -----
SOCIAL JUSTICE ??
CFAC Alert
Canada Family Action Coalition

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/article-pgs/social-justice.htm

Beware of the new buzz phrase ¡§social justice¡¨. The phrase was used  
recently by a few anti-marriage socialist ND MPs in an interview with  
MacLean¡¦s. The phrase is also invading public education curriculum.  
 From the perspective of those MPs and homosexual activists social  
justice is now a defense for sodomy, same-sex marriage and who knows  
what next?

So beware of this newly re-minted phrase ¡§social justice¡¨. It is  
showing up in politics, in activism and now even in public education.  
Many public educators have already bought into this misguided hollow  
term. BC now has a ¡§social justice¡§ course. But it only talks of  
justice from one side of its ugly mouth. It is discriminatory in what  
it promotes social justice to be and it excludes other views,  
arguments, beliefs and positions. SO IT IS NOT JUST at all. It is a  
tool now being used by activists to indoctrinate children with certain  
beliefs, some of them harmful or even deadly, if applied.

[More at URL]


----- 24 -----
PETITION
Stop Sexual Indoctrination of Children ¡V September 2006
Canada Family Action Coalition

http://www.familyaction.org/Articles/issues/education/black-book- 
PETTION.htm

To the Honourable House of Commons in Parliament Assembled

We the undersigned citizens of Canada draw the attention of the House  
of Commons to the following:

WHEREAS Industry Canada has provided funding for the production of a  
booklet (Little Black Book) that contains pornographically explicit  
material; and

WHEREAS said booklet indoctrinates and solicits children to same-sex  
relationships and may contain incomplete and inaccurate information.

[More at URL]


----- 25 -----
No "Little Black Book" in Schools
Created by Institute for Canadian Values on Sep 15, 2006
Category: Education
Region: Canada
Target: Government Officials and School Administrators
Web-site: http://www.canadianvalues.ca
1022 Signatures

http://www.gopetition.com/online/9619.html

Description/History:
"The Little Black Book" is being promoted across Canada as a guide to  
healthy sexuality for teenage girls. In reality, it is a dangerous,  
unscientific and offensive piece ideological propaganda.

Among the books more egregious assertions:

[More at URL]


----- 26 -----
Losing the Right to a Mommy and Daddy
Wednesday September 27, 2006
Page: A19
Section: Issues & Ideas
Byline: Barbara Kay
Column: Barbara Kay
Source: National Post
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada

http://www.imfcanada.org/publications/losing.rights.html

"I believe children have the right to a mother and a father, and  
preferably their biological parents." These words -- I agree with them,  
and so do the UN Conventions of the Child -- were once the equivalent  
of saying you believed in peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.

But in postmodern societies obsessed with gender equity, as ours has  
been for the past quarter-century, "mother and father" and "biological  
parents" have become politically incorrect locutions when joined to  
"children's rights." Just ask the author of my opening statement, the  
McGill University bioethicist Margaret Somerville, whose honorary  
doctorate at Ryerson College last June was jeopardized on its account.

[More at URL]


----- 27 -----
September 25, 2006
The Revolution in Parenthood:
The Emerging Global Clash Between Adult Rights and Children's Needs.
September 25th, 2006

http://www.imfcanada.org/publications/parenthood.pdf

The Revolution in Parenthood
The Emerging Global Clash Between Adult Rights and Children¡¦s Needs

Executive Summary

Around the world, the two-person, mother-father model of parenthood is  
being fundamentally challenged. In Canada, with virtually no debate,  
the controversial law that brought about samesex marriage quietly  
included the provision to erase the term ¡§natural parent¡¨ across the  
board in federal law, replacing it with the term ¡§legal parent.¡¨ With  
that law, the locus of power in defining who a child¡¦s parents are  
shifts precipitously from civil society to the state, with the  
consequences as yet unknown. In Spain, after the recent legalization of  
same-sex marriage the legislature changed the birth certificates for  
all children in that nation to read ¡§Progenitor A¡¨ and ¡§Progenitor B¡¨  
instead of ¡§mother¡¨ and ¡§father.¡¨ With that change, the words ¡§mother¡¨  
and ¡§father¡¨ were struck from the first document issued to every  
newborn by the state. Similar proposals have been made in other  
jurisdictions that have legalized same-sex marriage.

[More at URL]


----- 28 -----
TVC Publishes Back To School Report On Transgender Activism
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2876

September 28, 2006 -- ¡§Transgender activists are aggressively targeting  
our public school children this fall,¡¨ says TVC Executive Director,  
Andrea Lafferty. ¡§These sexually confused individuals have made it  
their goal to deceive our kids into thinking they¡¦re the opposite sex.  
This insanity must stop. Our new report, ¡§Will Cross-Dressing Activists  
Come To Your School?¡¨ (  
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/worddoc/ 
092606BackToSchoolOaklandReport.doc ) exposes this dangerous effort to  
confuse our children.¡¨

TVC¡¦s Back to School Report details the growing movement of transgender  
activists, including teachers, counselors and pediatricians who are  
teaching children that being male or female is ¡§fluid¡¨ and changeable.  
¡§This is absolutely crazy, but pediatricians from some of the nation¡¦s  
most prestigious children¡¦s hospitals are involved in this gender  
confusion movement,¡¨ said Lafferty.

¡§Children who suffer from a Gender Identity Disorder (GID) are being  
redefined by these radical pediatricians as ¡¥gender variant¡¦ children  
who should be affirmed in their sexual confusions. These children need  
serious therapy, not affirmation for their gender confusion. A boy who  
thinks he¡¦s a girl, needs help¡Xnot a sex change when he becomes a  
teenager. These kids need compassionate attention to overcome  
self-hatred and to live normal lives as males and females¡Xnot to be  
told that they¡¦re actually girls trapped in boys¡¦ bodies. This is a  
physical and mental impossibility,¡¨ said Lafferty.

[More at URL]


----- 29 -----
Rev. Sheldon Takes On ¡¥Red Letter Christians¡¦
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2875

September 28, 2006 ¡V TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon takes on Jim  
Wallis and Tony Campolo, two pseudo-evangelicals who have formed the  
¡§Red Letter Christian¡¨ organization to help elect Democrats to office  
this November.

[More at URL]


----- 30 -----
Justice Antonin Scalia Reaches 20 Years On Supreme Court
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2873

September 28, 2006 ¡V On September 17, Supreme Court Justice Antonin  
Scalia celebrated 20 years on the Court. Justice Scalia was confirmed  
by a 98-0 vote in the Senate on September 17, 1986.

[...]

¡§Justice Scalia is to be commended for his faithfulness to judicial  
restraint and to the Constitution,¡¨ said TVC Executive Director Andrea  
Lafferty. ¡§He has been a voice of reason and sound constitutionalism on  
the Court when many of his colleagues have gone crazy in reinterpreting  
the Constitution to fit their liberal ideologies.¡¨

[...]

In his dissent, Scalia said: ¡§State laws against bigamy, same-sex  
marriage, adult incest, prostitution, masturbation, adultery,  
fornication, bestiality, and obscenity¡¨ are at risk because of the  
Lawrence decision. Polygamists are already arguing for legalization  
based upon Lawrence! It is likely that pedophiles and bestiality  
advocates will also sue for legalization under Lawrence.


----- 31 -----
¡¥Red Letter¡¦ Liberal Christians: A New Front Group For Democrats
By Rev. Louis P. Sheldon
Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2867

September 26, 2006 - Democrats have an anti-religion problem. In fact,  
they have such a serious anti-religion problem that in 2004 they had to  
bring a leftist pastor named Jim Wallis to try to teach Democrat  
congressmen how to use ¡§God talk¡¨ in their campaign speeches. This  
pathetic effort failed as will a new disinformation campaign called  
¡§Red Letter Christians.¡¨

Wallis, founder of the left-wing Sojourners group, and self-described  
¡§progressive evangelical¡¨ Tony Campolo, have just founded a liberal  
front organization called the ¡§Red Letter Christians.¡¨ Wallis, Campolo,  
Father Richard Rohr, ¡§Emergent Church¡¨ pioneer Brian McLaren, Dr.  
Cheryl J. Sanders, Rev. Noel Castellanos, and others met recently to  
form this new pseudo-evangelical group.

[More at URL]


----- 32 -----
¡¥RED LETTER¡¦ PSEUDO-EVANGELICALS TRY TO MISLEAD AMERICA
WWJD? Not Promote Abortions and Ban Nativity Scenes
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2866

Washington, DC -- The Chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition said  
today the founding of a liberal ¡§Red Letter¡¨ Christian group is just  
another attempt by ¡§pseudo-evangelicals¡¨ to distort what is truly  
evangelical. They are not Bible-based in their theology.

The term ¡¥¡¥Red Letter¡¦¡¦ comes from highlighting in red the words of the  
Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

¡§They¡¦ve tried to train liberals to speak like Evangelical Christians,  
and they¡¦ve even stated the obvious argument with great passion and  
bluster that you don¡¦t have to be a Republican to be a Christian,¡¨ said  
Rev. Louis P. Sheldon. ¡§The only thing they have left to do is to  
actually start acting on their faith as Christians, not just talking  
about it.

[More at URL]


----- 33 -----
Commentary & News Briefs
September 29, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/afa/292006h.asp

...It's the latest example of judicial activism, says a pro-family  
attorney in reference to today's ruling that a Rhode Island homosexual  
couple has the right to marry in Massachusetts. The legal decision is  
the first that would exclude a state law forbidding out-of-state  
residents to marry in Massachusetts, if their own states would not  
permit it. Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly wrote that the decision  
applies because there was no evidence presented of any Rhode Island  
laws, court decisions, or constitutional amendments that prohibited  
Wendy Brucker and Mary Norton from being married in their home state.  
Steve Crampton, chief counsel with the American Family Association's  
Center for Law & Policy, says he marvels that a lower court judge in  
Massachusetts is dictating the law of another state. [Editor's note:  
that's the very nature of the Massachusetts law - to determine whether  
another state's law would block the marriage.]

[...]

...Pro-family groups are concerned that family-friendly corporations  
have recently contributed large sums of money to the National Lesbian  
and Gay Journalists Association. According to reports, entities such as  
Fox News, Wal-Mart, and Sam's Club were among the corporate sponsors of  
the NLGJA's national convention -- and that fact bothers many  
pro-family organizations. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth says  
the homosexual journalists' group is one of the most biased groups one  
can find. LaBarbera notes comments made by Eric Hegedus, national NLGJA  
president and an employee of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He said that  
interviewing conservatives on stories about homosexuality is like going  
to white supremacists on stories about race," says the Americans for  
Truth spokesman. "So, basically, he's comparing pro-family  
conservatives to the KKK." LaBarbera says the family-friendly  
corporations are bowing to pressure from homosexual activists -- and  
that is not a good sign, he adds. [Bill Fancher]

[More at URL]


----- 34 -----
Ford supports homosexual marriage groups as a matter of principle, not  
economics
Email Ford's new CEO Alan Mulally asking him to stop supporting  
homosexual marriage
American Family Association
ACTION ALERT

http://www.afa.net/Petitions/IssueDetail.asp?id=213

Ford Motor Company has hired a new CEO. Alan Mulally will replace Bill  
Ford as CEO, while Ford will remain as chairman. Whether Ford will  
continue funding groups promoting homosexual marriage is not known.

What is clear at this point is that Ford has made financial support for  
groups promoting homosexual marriage a matter of principle, not  
economics. Ford supported The Advocate, which bills itself as "The  
national gay & lesbian newsmagazine," with two full-page ads in the  
September 12 issue. One ad, featuring all the different brands of Ford  
made autos, states: "Standing strong with America's families and  
communities." What an insult to traditional marriage and families!

[More at URL]


----- 35 -----
Wal-Mart Sponsors Diversity Week, Includes How To Defeat A  
Constitutional Ban On Homosexual Marriage
American Family Assocation
ACTION ALERT

http://www.afa.net/Petitions/IssueDetail.asp?id=217

Wal-Mart has given its full endorsement to the homosexual agenda and  
homosexual marriage. Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, will  
observe LGBT Diversity Week October 9¡V13. One of the sponsors for the  
Diversity Week is Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has given its full endorsement to the homosexual agenda and  
homosexual marriage. Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, will  
observe LGBT Diversity Week October 9¡V13. One of the sponsors for the  
Diversity Week is Wal-Mart.

[More at URL]


----- 36 -----
Pro-Family Groups Hail Veto of California's Sexual Indoctrination Bills
-- Traditional Values Crowd Applauds Gov. Schwarzenegger's Termination  
of 'Triple Threat' Legislation
By Fred Jackson and Chad Groening
American Family Association/Agape Press
September 29, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/afa/292006a.asp

(AgapePress) - Pro-family groups in California and across the United  
States are celebrating Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Thursday veto  
of two pro-homosexual bills. The bills were two of three pieces of  
legislation regarded by pro-family leaders as "sexual indoctrination  
bills," which would have, among other things, mandated pro-homosexual  
policy and curriculum changes in the state's schools.

Late yesterday, Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 606, a measure that would have  
required schools to enact policies promoting transsexuality,  
bisexuality, and homosexuality under threat of having their state  
funding yanked; and AB 1056, which would have spent $250,000 to  
establish ten so-called "tolerance" schools promoting various kinds of  
sexual lifestyles. And earlier this month, the governor vetoed SB 1437,  
which would have changed school textbooks to require that they include  
positive presentations of transsexuality, bisexuality, and  
homosexuality.

In statements on his action, Schwarzenegger said he rejected AB 606  
because it was "irresponsible" to create a new state mandate on schools  
in light of existing laws regarding "discrimination and harassment" in  
school settings.

[More at URL]


----- 37 -----
What¡¦s next after Redefining Marriage? Perhaps Parenthood
Around the world, we¡¦re seeing dramatic developments that challenge the  
two-person, mother-father tradition, according to a new study.
by Jessica Stollings
Focus on the Family
September 29, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0042139.cfm

Katrina Clark is a freshman in college. She knows her major and now  
knows her biological father.

¡§The picture looked a lot like me. And I just started crying because I  
realized that¡¦s my face; this has to be my father.¡¨

Clark was conceived by the use of donor sperm, and fortunate enough to  
find out her medical history and ethnicity from her biological dad.

[More at URL]


----- 38 -----
FRC Denounces Massachusetts Ruling Exporting Same-Sex 'Marriage'
Family Research Council
September 29, 2006 - Friday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2006 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy, (866)  
FRC-NEWS

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR06I06&f=PG03I03

Washington, D.C. - Today, a lower Massachusetts court ruled in favor of  
a Rhode Island same-sex couple seeking to "marry" in Massachusetts.  
Since 1913, Massachusetts law has prevented out-of-state couples from  
marrying in Massachusetts if they would be prohibited from doing so in  
their home state. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins  
released the following statement:

"Today, the Massachusetts Superior Court issued a ruling which if  
upheld on appeal would export same-sex 'marriage' to Rhode Island. We  
urge the high court to apply the plain meaning of the law in this case  
which clearly prohibits out-of-state couples from marrying in  
Massachusetts if such a marriage would be 'void' in their home state.  
This is clearly a frivolous lawsuit since Rhode Island law refers to  
marriage between a bride and groom.

"This only underscores the importance of states moving swiftly to  
define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Voters in twenty  
states have overwhelmingly approved state marriage amendments with  
eight more states voting on amendments this fall. The need for a  
Marriage Protection Amendment to the U.S. Constitution will be greater  
than ever before if same-sex 'marriage' is successfully imposed on the  
people of Rhode Island."

-30-


----- 39 -----
Governor Schwarzenegger needs to veto four bills
September 27, 2006 - Wednesday
Family Research Council
Forward to a Friend!

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL06I13&f=PG03I03

Time is quickly running out for Governor Schwarzenegger to take action  
on various pieces of legislation - by signing, vetoing, or leaving them  
untouched. California's legislative system states that bills neither  
signed nor vetoed become law. It is a common practice for governors to  
ignore politically divisive bills until the signing deadline has  
passed. Bills then become law without a governor's stated support.  
Please don't let this happen with these bills on the governor's desk.

Contacting the Governor helped when he vetoed SB 1437 earlier this  
month. That bill would have required all public-school curricula to  
refrain from adversely portraying homosexuality. The governor's office  
received an impressive 58,000 contacts asking for his veto. Your action  
made the difference and we ask you to act again now.

[More at URL]


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