[Active-l] (NEWS) Today's Cultural Warfare Update
Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)
kahvi at murkworks.net
Thu Jul 5 21:23:27 PDT 2007
It's neat, watching all the theocon and fundamentalist groups swivel
their guns around all at once; it looks like they've decided they
can't vote for a Mormon, so are going after Mitt Romney hard now, in
favour - reportedly - of Fred Thompson of Tennessee. That's kind of
neat; the sectarian nature of the new politics are coming out in no
uncertain terms any longer, with multiple theologians denouncing
Mormonism as incompatible with Christianity, and the theocratic
groups condemning Mr. Romney for not moving against hotel-room pay-
per-view pr0n enough when he was on the board at Marriott. Mmmm,
_spicy_. Plus, yay, sectarian politics! That works so well in Iraq.
Most of the rest of this is a Focus on the Family update, the
majority of which is their usual gaybashing and sectarian-politics
cheerleading, but includes one interesting bit: apparently Focus on
the Family is _just fine_ working with S/a/t/a/n/MTV if MTV is doing
a documentary on "Christian Soldiers," by which they - and by "they,"
I do mean Focus, not MTV - mean civilians working to destroy
secularism in American society, _not_ soldiers of faith in the
military. _That's_ neat.
And now, today's news.
Hamas condemns Fatah leadership in the West Bank by saying they have
"proof of homosexual relations between Fatah officials"; gosh, sounds
familiar;
Anti-abortion activist firebombs women's health clinic with his car
and gasoline bomb, similarly to Glasgow's airport attack (but even
less competent and with less gasoline) - however, somehow, it's not
terrorism;
First Things's Richard John Neuhaus specifically supports opposition
to Mitt Romney's candidacy on the basis of sectarian, religious
reasons - specifically because his nomination would bring too much
respectability to Mormonism, _and_ proclaims that America is better
off if people think and vote that way. Ah, the brave old world of
sectarian politics. THANKS, FUNDY ASSHOLES;
Okay, so get this; a fundamentalist would-be lawyer fails the bar
exam in Massachusetts - barely - in part because he refuses to answer
the question about same-sex marriage in Massachusetts law. He's
suing, claiming that being required to answer the question violates
his first amendment freedom of religion;
Former Soviet Union fundamentalists becoming very, very active in
anti-gay protest an activities; this is from last year, but I missed
it when it first came out. Spotted in http://
dark_christian.livejournal.com, the organisers are on the Pink
Swastika bandwagon, and local theoconservative leaders in California
are glad to see them showing up;
Eyeon08.com, a blog which is theoconservative-aware to the degree of
their politics, at least, is suspecting with good reason that the
Focus on the Family/Family Research Council/Christian Broadcasting
Network axis of the theoconservative movement - along with the
Southern Baptist Convention leadership - have moved now decisively
against Romney and are now on the Fred Thompson bus;
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist
Seminary, denounces the idea that Mormonism is a form of
Christianity, declaring it fundamentally incompatible with
Christianity, and that it "clearly identifies historic Christianity
as a false faith." Interestingly, he does not mention Mitt Romney by
name, _but_ "mitt romney" is one of the tags, and his commenters are
certainly cognizant of whom he speaks; take this in the context of a
clear majority of Republicans now being of the opinion that they have
to share the strong religious faith of any candidate they support
( http://instaputz.blogspot.com/2007/07/republican-party-
update.html ), and, well;
The New York Times reports on the Family Research Council
denunciation of Mitt Romney's Marriott connections. Remember, the FRC
doesn't say jack without kissing Focus on the Family founder James
Dobson's ring - and oh look, there's Focus on the Family in on it
first-hand. Also, note also the American Family Association's
Michigan branch chirping up, too;
Focus on the Family reports the Ohio Citizens for Community Values as
being the main instigator of the remove-pr0n-from-hotels story; this
is one of the ways that they make themselves look bigger than they
are, by reporting co-ordinated activities as independent; they do
quote their own obvious sockpuppet (Focus Action) as well, though;
FotF's ad today is for an anti-pr0n book;
A New Jersey school had blocked anti-gay "Day of Truth"
fundamentalist protests against queer students at their school; the
Alliance Defense Fund rang them up and got them to back down;
Odd FotF story claiming that when military parents are deployed,
child abuse rates rise; this is surprisingly not gender-specific, and
refers to both "moms and dads" being deployed overseas. I put it here
because I'm wondering whether it's part of the no-women-soldiers meme
or if they're planning some policy change w.r.t. the Iraq war and
want to lay groundwork; I find that very unlikely, but there it is;
FotF uses a horrifying of a woman stabbed in a robbery being left to
die on abortion rights; for reference, there's a rather classic case
of a woman being raped and murdered in plain view while she screamed
for help in New York City back in the 1950s; abortion was not legal,
of course; only in that case, instead of five people failing to
provide aid, it was hundreds;
American Family Association's One News Now reports that the
fundamentalist Liberty Council is threatening to sue Maryland school
districts over GBLT-inclusive sex education, claiming that it
"denigrated religion" - specifically, fundamentalist Christianity, by
not condemning GBLT people;
WorldNetDaily also condemns comprehensive sex education including
queers on the basis of including queers; link found on
CultureDefense.org;
WorldNetDaily trumpets "ex-gay" former "rising star in the 'gay
rights' movement"; he has, of course, converted to evangelical
fundamentalism and is now saying all the Right Things for their
movement, including "homosexuality is death";
ACLU sues to remove a portrait of Jesus labeled "To Know Peace, Obey
These Laws" from a courtroom claiming, gosh, religious endorsement
much? The Alliance Defense Fund calls the lawsuit "mind-boggling";
ADF spokesman Mike Johnson says that the painting isn't in any way
specific to one faith; the reason they can say things like that with
a straight face is because they have the belief that only
Christianity is an actual religion; everything else is a "cult" or
some variant. This is what's being turned against Mitt Romney and
Mormonism now;
Focus on the Family's version of the New Jersey school board allowing
the Alliance Defense Fund's anti-gay "Day of Truth" protests;
FotF reports on the latest attempt to "get" abortion-provider George
Tiller of Kansas; they've been after him for years;
FotF condemns Democrats and "liberal politics" for keeping a 4th
Circuit Court position unfilled since 1994; one presumes that
Republican control of the Senate over the last 12 years is
irrelevant, or at least uninteresting, or at least not useful for
blaming the Enemy Party;
Live Earth is seven-continent series of concerts intended to raise
awareness of global climate change. Focus on the Family calls it "Al
Gore's message of global-warming extremism" and condemns NBC for
carrying a bunch of the concerts. Frankly, I'm just amused as all
hell that the Live Earth people got a band from Antarctica. YES,
ANTARCTICA. Even better is that there are people on my friendslist
who have _been in bands in Antarctica_, but sadly, they are not the
band representing the continent. It's this Britband instead, _of
course_, but they are at least actual research group members. They're
no GWAR, but it'll do;
Liberty Legal Institute, a fundamentalist evangelical legal action
firm like the Alliance Defense Fund, condemns ACLU lawsuit against
Texas programme of elective Bible courses in public schools; it is
possible to have these courses be Constitutionally valid, but my
assumption is that they are going to be prostelyzation-oriented until
demonstrated otherwise, given the track record;
Focus on the Family pushes their Creationist book, "A Case for the
Creator - Student Edition," containing "reliable, substantiated
evidence from science that backs up your faith";
San Diego fucks up and makes special accommodation for Muslim student
prayers; now the Pacific Justice Institute - rightly, to my mind - is
calling for equal treatment, which they of course deserve; PJI
Attorney Pete Lepiscopo calls it "the opportunity to return prayer to
school";
Anti-abortion-rights group to protest National Educational
Association annual convention;
Focus on the Family puff piece thanking first lady Laura Bush for
promoting abstinence-only education in Africa;
Focus on the Family: tolerance will destroy you, your faith, and your
children, promoting the book _The New Tolerance: How a Cultural
Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, and Your Children_;
Okay, so; Washington, DC city government gets about 25% of its budget
from the Feds. DC has a domestic partner registry. The Republican-
controlled Congress has included an amendment to the DC
appropriations bill banning any monies (presumably just from the fed)
being spent on anything having to do with those icky DP registry for
queers. The Democrat-controlled Congress just passed a new one with
the _same amendment_, after Chief Executive Mr. Bush said that if it
wasn't included, he'd veto the whole thing. This is form a Focus on
the Family ACTION ITEM to thank Rep. Goode (R-VA) for helping make
all that happen.
Focus on the Family interviews Southern Baptist Rev. Bob. Stith, who
is in the "ex-gay" conversion movement;
Focus on the Family spins MTV poll, saying "Sixty-two percent [of
17-29 year olds] said abortion should be outlawed or restricted" and
noting a majority oppose marriage rights for GBLT couples; what they
don't mention is that the "outlawed" percentage is quite small and
the majority in opposition, while still a depressing majority, is the
smallest of any age group;
FotF condemns California legislative committee for "bill to push gay
agenda in schools"; as far as I know, it's the same bill as before,
saying that public school teachers can't adopt lesson plans that are
anti-queer, but remember: if it's not condemnational, it's "promoting
homosexuality" or "special rights" or "push[ing] the gay agenda,"
etc, etc, etc;
Focus on the Family promotes "Intelligent Design" creationism DVD;
Kansas legislator to introduce bill removing health exemption from
their late-term abortion ban, so that health will no longer be a
reason; current law provides an exemption for "substantial and
irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function," which Focus on the
Family calls "difficult to enforce;"
Focus on the Family reports that Louisiana passes its own, separate
ban on the so-called "partial birth" abortion procedure; one of the
points of this is to make state prosecutors available to prosecute
doctors and/or patients who might seek out the procedure;
Apparently working with MTV is just fine when they're following
"Christian Soldiers," by which Focus on the Family does _not_ mean
"soldiers of Christian faith in the military," but _civilians_
between the ages of 16 and 28 who are _"devoting [their] life to
saving society from secularism"_; they provide the email address and
contact information for the MTV contact for the documentary.
----- 1 -----
Hamas TV: We have “proof of homosexual relations between Fatah
officials”
National Review Online Media Blog
Tom Gross
http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?
q=ZDBlMTZmYTVlNzZhZjc2MTExZjYyMGFjY2VhNjIwODI=
The Hamas-Fatah power struggle has moved from the street to the TV.
The rival Palestinian factions are now engaged in a war of words
through their respective media. A Fatah-run TV station has condemned
Hamas’ “dark coup” in the Gaza Strip and Hamas’s al-Aqsa TV says the
organization “liberated” Gaza from “Fatah occupation.”
The Hamas network added that they have “proof of homosexual relations
between Fatah officials.”
[More at URL]
----- 2 -----
Man apologizes for torching women's clinic
ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 30, 2007
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070630/NEWS/
70630003/1001
DAVENPORT -- A Detroit man was sentenced to five years in prison
Friday for trying to burn down a women's health clinic that he
mistakenly thought performed abortions.
David McMenemy, 46, pleaded guilty in January to arson against a
business affecting interstate commerce. He could have been sentenced
up to 20 years in prison.
Police said McMenemy drove to Davenport and crashed his car into the
Edgerton Women's Health Care Center lobby at 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 11.
He then lit a Gatorade bottle filled with gasoline on fire, walked
away from his car and surrendered to firefighters.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
A Mormon in the White House
By Richard John Neuhaus
First Things
Friday, June 29, 2007, 6:20 AM
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=787
On Opinion Journal earlier this week, John Fund opines on the Mormon
factor in Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. He notes that a survey
of 1,269 faculty members by the Institute for Jewish and Community
Research just found that 38 percent of social sciences and humanities
professors, a highly liberal group, viewed Mormons “unfavorably.”
According to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, some 15
percent of Republican voters say there is “no chance” they would back
a Mormon for president.
[...]
It is not an unreasonable prejudice for people who, unlike Alan Wolfe
et al., care about true religion to take their concern about
Mormonism into account in considering the candidacy of Mr. Romney.
The question is not whether, as president, Mr. Romney would take
orders from Salt Lake City. I doubt whether many people think he
would. The questions are: Would a Mormon as president of the United
States give greater credibility and prestige to Mormonism? The answer
is almost certainly yes. Would it therefore help advance the
missionary goals of what many view as a false religion? The answer is
almost certainly yes. Is it legitimate for those Americans to take
these questions into account in voting for a presidential nominee or
candidate? The answer is certainly yes.
For millions of other Americans, the above questions do not matter.
And for those for whom they do matter, they are not the only
questions that matter. Mr. Romney is a very attractive candidate in
both substance and style. As in most decisions, and not least of all
in voting, the question comes down to what or who is the alternative.
We will not have an answer to that question for some months. But I
can now register a respectful disagreement with John Fund when he
writes, “We will be a better country if even people who don’t support
Mr. Romney for president come to recognize that our country is better
off if his candidacy rises or falls on factors that have nothing to
do with his faith.” On the contrary, we are a better country because
many Americans do take their faith, and the faith of others, very
seriously indeed. Also when it comes to voting.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Mass. Man Sues Over Gay Test Question On Bar Exam
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: July 2, 2007 - 1:00 pm ET
http://365gay.com/Newscon07/07/070207bar.htm
(Boston, Massachusetts) A Massachusetts man who failed the bar exam
when he refused to answer a question on gay marriage is suing the bar
agency that administered the test, the Supreme Judicial Court and
four justices on the court alleging his constitutional rights were
violated by a requirement he answer all questions on the test.
Stephen Dunne received a score of 268.866 when he took the test last
November. He needed 270 points for a passing grade and according to
court documents his failure was the result of refusing the answer a
question about same-sex marriage.
Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts and the bar exam questioned
prospective lawyers about the law and gay parenting.
[...]
Dunne's lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking the bar from considering
the gay marriage question in regard to his application to practice
law and from using the question in future bar examinations. He also
is seeking unspecified financial damages.
[More at URL]
----- 5 -----
For Gays, a Loud New Foe
Sacramento's large enclave of immigrant Slavic evangelicals is
becoming a force on social issues. Their actions shock many.
By Rone Tempest, [Los Angeles] Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-
russgay13oct13,0,3388537,full.story
SACRAMENTO — Organizers of the annual Rainbow Festival were prepared
for trouble.
The Q Crew, a local "queer/straight alliance," distributed cards
telling people what to do if approached by hostile demonstrators.
Sympathetic local church groups formed a protective buffer along the
festival ground's cyclone fence. Mounted police were on patrol.
[...]
The festival, held last month amid the gay bars, restaurants and
shops of midtown's "Lavender Heights" neighborhood, went off without
conflict. But the elaborate security preparations reflected growing
tensions between Sacramento gays and the city's large and vociferous
community of fundamentalist Christians from the former Soviet Union.
Over the last 18 months, Sacramento Russian-language church members
have picketed gay pride events, jammed into legislative committee
meetings when gay issues were on the agenda and demonstrated at
school board meetings.
[...]
In most instances, the Russian-speaking demonstrators far outnumber
representatives from all other anti-gay groups combined. Anti-
homosexual rallies that a few years ago attracted a few dozen
participants now regularly draw hundreds and sometimes thousands,
many with a heavy Russian accent.
Even in a state capital where impassioned public demonstrations are a
daily event, the Slavic fundamentalists stand out. Elderly women in
babushkas stand next to small children carrying signs stating:
"Perversion is Never Safe" and "I Am Not Learning About Gay People."
[...]
But nowhere approaches Sacramento, which has a 24-hour Russian-
language cable television station, two radio stations and several
newspapers, all of which push a conservative message marked by
strident opposition to homosexuality. A recent edition of the
Speaker, for example, promoted a book, "The Pink Swastika," that
contends that the extermination of Jews during World War II was the
work of homosexuals inside the Nazi Party.
[...]
"We've been accepted and were just perking along," said Sloan, a 69-
year-old church pastor and co-founder of Lambda Community Center,
which serves the gay community. "That's why this Russian thing was
such a jolt to people."
Leaders of the religious right, however, celebrate the Russian
efforts as a revival.
"My hope and my prayer," said Mark Matta, a former legislative aide
who heads the Christian Public Awareness Ministries, "is that they
will become a voice in the wilderness for the rest of the country."
[...]
Signs displayed by the demonstrators often equate homosexuality with
pedophilia and describe the AIDS epidemic as a message from God. One
of the common tactics of the demonstrators is to tap gays forcefully
on the head and announce that they have been "saved."
[...]
Like the Calvinist Puritans who were the first to settle in the New
World, many in the Slavic religious community have an apocalyptic
worldview. To them, the United States is a chosen nation but the
American church is apostate and hapless, not up to the job. The
Slavic Christians view it as their duty to cleanse and save the
nation in preparation for Jesus Christ's return to Earth.
"We feel the American church already lost the battle 20 years ago by
remaining silent," said Victor Chernyetsky, 47, a Soviet-trained
engineer who serves as administrator for the Bethany Slavic
Missionary Church. "We can't remain silent. There are a lot of sins."
[More at URL]
----- 6 -----
Christian right dated Mitt, married Fred?
Eyeon08.com
Watching the 2008 pre-election
http://www.eyeon08.com/2007/07/05/christian-right-dated-mitt-married-
fred/
Update: Since writing this, Glen Johnson at the AP has written on the
whole Romney/porn story. He quoted Tony Perkins, the head of the
Family Research Council. At the very least, this puts an exclamation
point on my second point below. Clearly the Focus/FRC operation has
engaged for Thompson and against Romney. A very, very bad day for
Mitt Romney. And a very, very good one for Fred Thompson.
So, I read three things today that made a thunderclap in my head
about the support of the Christian right in the 2008 GOP presidential
nomination fight.
First, Focus on the Family ran a segment entitled, "Presidential
hopeful Mitt Romney, an outspoken critic of pornography, is called to
task for his ties to Marriott hotels; a chain that makes money by
providing porn to guests." In other words and in reality, James
Dobson signed off on an attack on Mitt Romney, something that had not
been done earlier. This story had been previously reported by CBN’s
David Brody and had been covered by a lot of mainstream press. This
is, however, the first time, other than CBN, that it made it into the
Christian press. And you can’t beat the Christian radio networks for
targeting devoted listeners.
Second, Hugh Hewitt pointed out that the new site Blogs for Fred was
founded by Joe Carter, who writes Evangelical Outpost. Joe also works
at the Family Research Council where his title is director of Web
Communications. Now, I am sure that this is not on behalf of FRC, but….
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Mormonism Is Not Christianity
By Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Thursday June 28, 2007
http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/2007/06/mormonism-is-not-
christianity.html
Are Mormons “Christians” as defined by traditional Christian
orthodoxy? The answer to that question is easy and straightforward,
and it is “no.” Nevertheless, even as the question is clear, the
answer requires some explanation.
The issue is clearly framed in this case. Christianity is rightly
defined in terms of “traditional Christian orthodoxy.” Thus, we have
an objective standard by which to define what is and is not
Christianity.
We are not talking here about the postmodern conception of
Christianity that minimizes truth. We are not talking about
Christianity as a mood or as a sociological movement. We are not
talking about liberal Christianity that minimizes doctrine nor about
sectarian Christianity which defines the faith in terms of eccentric
doctrines. We are talking about historic, traditional, Christian
orthodoxy.
Once that is made clear, the answer is inevitable. Furthermore, the
answer is made easy, not only by the structure of Christian orthodoxy
(a structure Mormonism denies) but by the central argument of
Mormonism itself – that the true faith was restored through Joseph
Smith in the nineteenth century in America and that the entire
structure of Christian orthodoxy as affirmed by the post-apostolic
church is corrupt and false.
In other words, Mormonism rejects traditional Christian orthodoxy at
the onset – this rejection is the very logic of Mormonism’s
existence. A contemporary observer of Mormon public relations is not
going to hear this logic presented directly, but it is the very logic
and message of the Book of Mormon and the structure of Mormon
thought. Mormonism rejects Christian orthodoxy as the very argument
for its own existence, and it clearly identifies historic
Christianity as a false faith.
[More at URL]
----- 8 -----
Romney Criticized for Hotel Pornography
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 5, 2007
Filed at 5:03 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Romney-Pornography.html?
_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
BOSTON (AP) -- Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who
rails against the ''cesspool'' of pornography, is being criticized by
social conservatives who argue that he should have tried to halt
hardcore hotel movie offerings during his near-decade on the Marriott
board.
Two anti-pornography crusaders, as well as two conservative activists
of the type Romney is courting, say the distribution of such graphic
adult movies runs counter to the family image cultivated by Romney,
the Marriotts and their shared Mormon faith.
[...]
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a leading
conservative group in Washington, said: ''They have to assume some
responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets.''
[...]
Gary Glenn, president of American Family Association of Michigan, a
conservative group, said: ''The Marriott Corporation may be tap
dancing around this subject, but a candidate for president should not
be able to.''
[...]
Daniel Weiss, media analyst for James Dobson's ''Focus on the
Family,'' said this week in a radio broadcast to Focus members: ''If
(Romney) made money off pornography in the past, is he going to turn
a blind eye to it if he's president? Because as chief executive of
the nation, it's his responsibility to make sure our nation's
obscenity laws are efficiently and vigorously enforced.''
[More at URL]
----- 9 -----
Group Wants Porn Eradicated From Hotel Cable Line-Up
Campaign aims to clean up pay-per-view channels.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004993.cfm
LodgeNet Entertainment Corp., a company that supplies pay-per-view
movies to America's hotels, is under fire for making most of its
profits off hardcore pornography.
In August, family advocates will ask the Department of Justice to
investigate and bring charges against the company.
[...]
"Why is LodgeNet permitted to deal in hard-core, sexually explicit,
clearly prosecutable material?" Burress asked. "The U.S. Supreme
Court set down guidelines for what is prosecutable."
[...]
Daniel Weiss, senior analyst, media & sexuality for Focus on the
Family Action [Ed. note: A division of Focus on the Family, of
course], said not only did Miller v. California determine that states
could ban hardcore pornography, federal law prohibits obscene
material from being distributed across state lines.
[More at URL]
----- 10 -----
Help! Someone I Know Has a Problem With Porn
Jim Vigorito, Ph. D. and Dr. Bill Maier
Paperback
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/104151.do?code=OL07XFARC3
Technology has made things easier. Unfortunately, that applies to
access to pornography as well. If you know someone that is unable to
escape from a porn addiction, you'll find bold, practical help from
this resource, including: understanding addiction, gender differences
and pornography as well as living pure in an unpure world. By better
educating yourself on their addiction, you can help them break free.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
Religious Rights of Students Affirmed in N.J. and Texas
Actions pave the way for other school districts.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004992.cfm
A New Jersey school's decision to allow Christian students to enjoy
the same free speech rights as other students could be the beginning
of a nationwide trend to protect students' rights.
Northern Highlands Regional High School had blocked a Christian club
from participating in the Day of Truth, a day for Christian students
to express their views on homosexuality, but backed down after being
contacted by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF).
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
When Military Parents are Deployed, Abuse Rates Rise
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004990.cfm
When military moms and dads are deployed overseas, kids at home may
face a high risk of abuse and neglect, according to a study by the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
[...]
Mary Keller of the Military Child Education Coalition told Family
News in Focus that the Defense Department recognizes the problem and
is taking steps to address it, through health care programs, schools
and base churches.
[More at URL]
----- 13 -----
Shoppers’ indifference to dying woman ‘appalling’
Focus on the Family
7-5-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004988.cfm
How could five customers step over a dying woman in a Wichita, Kan.,
convenience store and continue nonchalantly shopping for snacks?
According to police, a store surveillance camera captured the June 23
incident as LaShanda Calloway, 27, lay dying on the floor from stab
wounds. They said one of the shoppers even stopped to take a picture
of Calloway with a cell phone. Two suspects have been arrested and
one is charged with first-degree murder, police said.
[...]
“Couple this with the legalized killing of preborn human life, and
you have a recipe for social disaster. This is seen in the Wichita
story. While I would hope that the majority of people would respond
in some way to an injured human in our path, the Wichita event is a
shocking reminder that this is not the case. The degree to which we
have lost a respect for life is vividly and sadly apparent.”
[More at URL]
----- 14 -----
Parental rights submerged by MD county's sex-ed decision
OneNewsNow.com
July 5, 2007
Jim Brown
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/07/parental_rights_submerged_by_m.php
The Christian legal group Liberty Counsel says it is considering
whether to file another federal lawsuit challenging a sex-education
program in Maryland's largest school district.
Last week the Maryland State Board of Education ruled in favor of a
sex-ed program in Montgomery County that affirms homosexuality,
transgenderism, and teen condom use. In the 17-page opinion, the
state panel said it would not "second-guess the appropriateness" of
the curriculum. It also claimed that the right of parents to control
their children's upbringing "is not absolute" and "must bend to the
state's duty to educate its citizens."
Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver says such a claim is contrary to
common sense and American history. "Schools should not be an
adversary to the parent," he says; "they should be an extension of
the parents' wishes -- because, after all, they are engaged in
helping the parent bring up the child in the parents' value system."
[...]
Staver succeeded in getting a federal judge to block implementation
of the district's previous sex-ed program, which denigrated religions
that oppose homosexuality on biblical grounds. According to the
Washington Post, many parents in Montgomery County oppose the new
curriculum, which opponents say presents a favorable viewpoint of
homosexuality and restricts religious expression by suppressing the
view that homosexuality is a sin. The attorney believes the new
curriculum may also be subject to litigation.
[More at URL]
----- 15 -----
Teaching homosexuality to kids
Posted: July 5, 2007
WorldNetDaily
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56511
(Linked to by CultureDefense.org)
Quick question: Who thinks there isn't enough frank sexual
information forced on today's kids? Is the bar for acceptable sexual
behavior still too high? You would think so when reading a recent
Washington Post article titled "A More Candid Approach to Sex-Ed."
As many parents know, most sex-ed classes are already candid enough,
thank you very much. The last thing we need is for anyone to spice
them up or further complicate what should be a pretty simple subject.
But that's what schools in Montgomery County, Md., plan to do by
introducing lessons on homosexuality to eight- and 10th-graders –
lessons that serve to further the radical homosexual activist agenda.
[...]
Students in 10th grade, meanwhile, read "coming out" stories from
homosexuals, a bisexual and one "transgendered" individual.
"Esperanza," for example, tells them:
[...]
We are teaching our children a lie – a lie that robs them of the joys
of childhood and their best futures. Why shouldn't we expect the very
best from them? And why are we afraid to teach them the truth? We
would never tell our little boys and girls to engage in "safe drug
use" or to "smoke responsibly." We don't hesitate to put our foot
down in other areas of life. So why should it be different when it
comes to setting standards for sexual behavior?
[...]
Just as significant is what the Montgomery County sex curriculum
doesn't say. There's no emphasis on the serious health risks
associated with homosexual behavior. And, as the grass-roots group
Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, or CRC, notes, "Nowhere is
abstinence or sex placed within the context of marriage. The word
marriage is not mentioned in the eighth or the 10th grade lessons."
Not surprising, really: According to CRC, the 10th grade resource was
developed by a homosexual advocacy group named Project 10, which is
"dedicated to providing educational support services to gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender and questioning youth who attend public school
campuses."
[More at URL]
----- 16 -----
'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality
Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle
Posted: July 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481
He was a rising star in the "gay rights" movement, but Michael Glatze
now declares not only has he given up activism – he's no longer a
homosexual.
Glatze – who had become a frequent media source as founding editor of
Young Gay America magazine – tells the story of his transformation in
an exclusive column published today by WND.
Although Glatze cut himself off from the homosexual community about a
year and a half ago, he says the column likely will surprise some
people.
[...]
In fact, he writes in his WND column today, "'coming out' from under
the influence of the homosexual mindset was the most liberating,
beautiful and astonishing thing I've ever experienced in my entire
life."
Before "coming out" in his column today, Glatze contacted WND
Managing Editor David Kupelian after reading his book, "The Marketing
of Evil, which Glatze said "has given me so much help in my process
of healing from the profound influences of evil in our current society."
"There is nothing that would give me more pleasure," he wrote to
Kupelian, "than to say the Truth about 'homosexuality' and atone for
my sins in that regard."
[...]
In 2004, Glatze moved from San Francisco to Halifax in eastern Canada
where his partner, Young Gay America magazine's publisher, had
family. The magazine, he said, sought to provide a "virtuous
counterpart" to the other newsstand media aimed at homosexual youth.
But Glatze contends "the truth was, YGA was as damaging as anything
else out there, just not overtly pornographic, so more 'respected.'"
[...]
Toward the end of his time with Young Gay America, Glatze said,
colleagues began to notice he was going through some kind of
religious experience.
Just before leaving, not fully realizing what he was doing, he wrote
on his office computer his thoughts, ending with the declaration:
"Homosexuality is death, and I choose life."
"I was so nervous, it was like I wasn't even writing it myself," he
said.
[More at URL]
----- 17 -----
Louisiana Judge Says Portrait of Jesus Will Stay
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004979.cfm
A Slidell, La., judge announced that despite an American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit, a portrait of Jesus hanging in the
city courthouse will stay unless a federal judge orders it removed,
The Associated Press reported.
The ACLU filed suit today against Slidell City Court seeking the
removal of the painting and the message underneath, which reads, "To
Know Peace, Obey These Laws."
[...]
Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund,
called the ACLU's complaint "mind-boggling."
"The First Amendment allows public officials, and not the ACLU, to
decide what is appropriate for acknowledging our nation's religious
history and heritage," he said. "The ideas expressed in this painting
aren't specific to any one faith, and they certainly don't establish
a single state religion."
[More at URL]
----- 18 -----
New Jersey School Board Implements Free Speech Policy
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004978.cfm
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) dismissed a lawsuit against a New
Jersey school board after officials agreed to institute a policy that
will allow Christian students to express their faith.
Jason Aufiero, a student at Northern Highlands Regional High School,
was told he and other members of the school's Christian Club could
not participate in the Day of Truth – even though officials were in
full support of the Day of Silence, which expressed support for
homosexuality.
The Day of Truth is an opportunity for Christian students to
respectfully present a different viewpoint than students
participating in the Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the Gay,
Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
[Editor's note: the Day of Silence is a protest against the bullying
and abuse of GBLT students. The fundamentalists call this "promoting
homosexuality" and are opposed to anti-bullying programmes that
include GBLT people. The "Day of Truth" effort is specifically
against GBLT people.]
[More at URL]
----- 19 -----
Tiller Challenges Kansas' Late-Term Abortion Law
Focus on the Family
7-3-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004980.cfm
Notorious Kansas late-term abortionist George Tiller – who is charged
with failing to comply with state law – is challenging that very law,
The Associated Press reported.
Tiller is claiming that the 1998 law requiring two unassociated
doctors to approve a late-term abortion causes undue burden and is
unconstitutional.
Last week Attorney General Paul Morrison announced that he'd filed 19
misdemeanor charges against Tiller for failure to obtain a second
opinion from a doctor financially separate from his practice. If
convicted, Tiller could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and face
a $2,500 fine on each charge.
[More at URL]
----- 20 -----
Democrats Stonewall 4th Circuit Nominees
One seat has been empty since 1994.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004982.cfm
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has enough vacancies to match
its name; four justices are needed to fill a court known for
conservative rulings. The hold-up is part of liberal politics that
keep constitutionalist judges from filling the empty seats.
[More at URL]
----- 21 -----
NBC Donates 75 Hours to Gore's Global-Warming Campaign
'Hours and hours of free publicity' push alarmism
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004965.cfm
Al Gore's message of global-warming alarmism will flood televisions,
radios and the Internet in more than 100 countries this weekend. His
"Live Earth" concerts will receive 75 hours of coverage across seven
NBC Universal networks.
The concerts, which will originate from every continent and aim to
draw attention to global-warming alarmism, will feature more than 100
music groups, including Bon Jovi, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, James
Blunt, Kelly Clarkson and John Mayer, among others.
[Editor's note: This _does_ include Antarctica! See above.]
----- 22 -----
Liberty Legal Says ACLU Challenge to Bible Curriculum Invalid
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004960.cfm
Attorneys with Liberty Legal Institute – on behalf of Texas' Ector
County School District – have filed an answer to a lawsuit that
challenges the right to offer an elective Bible course.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the district in
May, alleging that it's unconstitutional for schools to teach the
elective course on the Bible's influence in society.
Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said
the lawsuit should be tossed out.
[More at URL]
----- 23 -----
Case for the Creator - Student Edition
A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
Lee Strobel & Jane Vogel
Paperback
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/102582.do?code=OL07XFARC3
You know that God created the universe — but how do you convince your
teachers and classmates? Science and theology don't have to be
mutually exclusive. Find reliable, substantiated evidence from
science that backs up your faith in The Case for a Creator.
[More at URL]
----- 24 -----
San Diego School Schedules Muslim Prayer Break
Attorneys ask for similar consideration for Christian and Jewish
students.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
7-02-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004964.cfm
After Muslim students were given a scheduled prayer break each day,
the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is calling for the same
accommodation for other students who wish to pray.
Officials at San Diego's Carver Elementary allow Muslim students a 15-
minute prayer break each afternoon. Non-Muslim students are
instructed to read or write during the break.
Attorney Pete Lepiscopo, a PJI-affiliated attorney, sent a letter
last week to the San Diego Board of Education that explains numerous
statutory provisions that affirm students' rights of religious
equality. Lepiscopo requested that classrooms be set aside for
students and employees of all faiths to meet their religious
obligations to pray – as is being done for Muslim students.
"The school district has created the opportunity to return prayer to
school," he said. "What can be better than children praying while
they are in school?"
----- 25 -----
Pro-Lifers to Protest NEA Convention
Teachers object to their dues going to controversial activism.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004947.cfm
Some pro-life educators will be speaking out at the annual convention
of the National Education Association (NEA) this weekend. They say
they'll ask the nation's largest teachers union to stop supporting
controversial political causes.
Pro-Life Educators and Students, or PLEAS, will prayerfully picket
outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Bob
Pawson, one of the organizers, said the NEA misrepresents millions of
teachers who disagree with its political agenda.
[More at URL]
----- 26 -----
First Lady Promotes Abstinence in Africa
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004945.cfm
First lady Laura Bush, in a visit to several African nations, touted
abstinence as the way to successfully fight the epidemic of HIV/AIDS.
She also affirmed the role of faith-based groups, The Associated
Press reported.
"Religious institutions bring a personal healing touch to the fight
against AIDS," Bush said, adding that Zambian health-care workers
"know very well the healing power of faith."
[More at URL]
----- 27 -----
The New Tolerance
How A Cultural Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, And
Your Children
Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler
Focus on the Family
http://resources.family.org/product/id/101899.do?code=OL07XFARC3
How Much "Tolerance" Can We Tolerate?
Best-selling author Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler unmask the true
nature of the cultural movement of "tolerance" in this powerful
release. It will not only help you to understand it, but equip you to
counter its insidious effects on your faith and your children. In
addition, the authors teach you how to: neutralize this threat by
discerning truth from error, teach your children to discern between
acceptance and approval, and lovingly respond to a hostile culture
that seems willing to tolerate just about anything except biblical
truth.
[More at URL]
----- 28 -----
Amendment Would Mean No Money to D.C. Domestic-Partner Registry
Action would keep federal prohibition in place.
by Wendy Cloyd, assistant editor
Focus on the Family
6-29-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004948.cfm
An amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill, which
passed Thursday, would prohibit the District of Columbia from using
the portion of its budget received from the federal government to
operate a registry for unmarried couples, including same-sex partners.
The amendment was introduced by Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va. The District
gets about a fourth of its finances from Congress.
The District established a domestic-partner registry for unmarried,
cohabiting couples in 1992, but the Republican leadership prevented
it from being federally funded and has continued to do so each year.
President Bush said in a statement Wednesday he would veto the bill
if the amendment was not included.
[...]
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issue analysis for Focus on
the Family Action, called the vote in support of the amendment "an
important victory."
[...]
TAKE ACTION
Call Rep. Goode at (202) 225-4711 and thank him for taking a stand
for marriage.
[More at URL]
----- 29 -----
Pastor Leads Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals
'We are all in this together.'
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Focus on the Family
6-28-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004942.cfm
About 12 years ago, the Rev. Bob Stith attended an Exodus conference,
a ministry to help people who experience unwanted same-sex
attraction. He hasn't been the same since.
"I went, and I was scared to death," he said. "From the very first
day, God just really touched my heart."
Stith, who lives in Southlake, Texas, with his wife, Del, is chairman
of the board for Living Hope Ministries, an Exodus-affiliated
ministry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has been the pastor of
Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake for 37 years. On June 1, Stith
was named director of the Southern Baptist Ministry to Homosexuals
Task Force. It's a position that was long in the making.
[More at URL]
----- 30 -----
Young Americans Hold Conservative Views
A majority opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
6-28-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004941.cfm
On controversial social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage,
America's young people continue to track conservative, according to a
poll by The New York Times, CBS and MTV.
The survey collected opinions of 17- to 29-year-olds. Sixty-two
percent said abortion should be outlawed or restricted. Danielle
Huntley, a student at Boston College Law School and president of
Students for Life of America, said she's proud her peers are not
buying into liberal rhetoric.
[...]
Fifty-four percent of young adults expressed opposition to same-sex
marriage. Ron Luce with Teen Mania said the challenge is to make sure
their opinions are founded in biblical truth.
"We, as those who love God and who have conservative Judeo-Christian
values," he said, "need to proactively… help them understand why and
how they come from Scripture, and why we believe what we believe."
[More at URL]
----- 31 -----
Unlocking the Mystery of Life
Focus on the Family
DVD
http://resources.family.org/product/id/102320.do?code=OL07XFARC3
This compelling scientific documentary for adults and students
advances a powerful idea: the theory of intelligent design. Using
state-of-the-art computer animation, you will see the unmistakable
hallmarks of design — and the Creator's skill — within our very cells.
----- 32 -----
Kansas Lawmakers Aim to Ban All Late-Term Abortions
Focus on the Family
6-26-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004907.cfm
Frustrated that notorious abortionist George Tiller isn’t being
prosecuted over allegations of performing illegal late-term
abortions, a key Kansas legislator said Monday he will pursue
legislation to ban all abortions after 21 weeks, except to save the
life of the mother, The Associated Press reported.
Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, said state law — which allows late-
term abortions if two doctors conclude a mother’s life is at risk or
that she faces "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily
function" — has been difficult to enforce.
[More at URL]
----- 33 -----
Louisiana House Votes to Ban Partial-Birth Abortion
Focus on the Family
6-26-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004908.cfm
The state House voted 99-1 on Monday to make Louisiana the first
state to pass its own ban on partial-birth abortion since the Supreme
Court's April ruling that upheld the federal ban.
The bill now heads to a joint committee before going to Gov. Kathleen
Blanco's desk. She is expected to sign it.
[More at URL]
----- 34 -----
MTV Documentary Follows Christian Soldiers
Focus on the Family
6-27-2007
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000004923.cfm
Are you devoting your life to saving society from secularism? Are you
willing to give up everything you previously enjoyed to spread the
word of God? Are you about to go on a missionary trip to teach others
about how they can be saved? If campaigning on behalf of Christianity
is the driving force in your life, MTV wants to hear from you.
As part of its documentary series True Life, MTV will profile today's
Christian soldiers between the ages of 16 and 28. Tell MTV why you
need to be seen and heard. E-mail christian at mtvstaff.com and include
your name, city and state, phone number and a photo, if possible.
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