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

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

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The best part of today's Cultural Warfare Update is Focus on the  
Family's _utter silence_ on the Foley scandal. Same with the American  
Family Association. The Traditional Values Coalition is still  
headlining Bill Clinton. Meanwhile, the Family Research Council does,  
but blames, um, gay marriage. Just sayin'.

Focus on the Family complains about pr0n in the military;

Family Research Council _does_ have a statement - and blames the whole  
thing on tolerance and marriage rights for lesbian and gay people;

American Family Association says the Democrats actually did something -  
specifically blocked an anti-abortion bill; are they actually alleging  
the Democrats managed to _achieve something?_ I'm aghast;

The creationist Discovery Institute claims that the media is pushing  
embryonic stem-cell research;

AFA condemns the ACLU for opposing PERA, the bill that would make it  
dramatically more difficult to oppose governmental religious  
discrimination in the courts - see earlier CWUs for many, many details;

Alliance Defense Fund refreshes its demand for passage of anti-marriage  
Federal amendment, saying how vital it is;

Okay, so there's this whole thing going on in several states about  
having public schools teach "about the Bible" rather than "about  
Christianity" in an attempt to dodge the whole  
government-funding-religious-instruction thing. There were some  
indications that it could be done sanely, and there's a text for it and  
such - but this article talks about how the publisher has responded to  
Southern Baptist Convention complaints about content, making it in  
alignment with their beliefs;

"The Republican candidate vying to unseat Florida Senator Bill Nelson  
says the Democratic incumbent claims to be a Christian but has a voting  
record that is completely contrary to what Christians believe."

Canada Family Action Coalition says GBLT marriage will lead to marriage  
being illegal;

Faith and Freedom Network: it's vital to replace "secular" judges with  
religious fundamentalist judges;

Concerned Women for America says they always knew Rep. Foley was gay,  
and link to a 2003 story by former-CWA wonk Peter LaBarbera (yes,  
really; he's now President of "Americans for Truth") calling for his  
outing with the specific intention of keeping him from being an openly  
gay Republican senator. Then there's seven minutes of Peter LaBarbera  
guesting back at CWA, saying that paedophilia is a "component of male  
homosexuality" and wanting to who knew what and when did they know it.  
Oh, and incidentally, Democrats like perverts and sexual predators.


----- 1 -----
Porn A Growing Problem in Military
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
October 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0042180.cfm

Chaplains report an increasing number of confessions from servicemen  
and women about addiction.

Pornography is causing a problem in the military, with chaplains  
overseas and at home reporting that an increasing number of servicemen  
and women are confessing to their pastors about porn's hold on them.

Father Mark Reilly, a Marine Corps chaplain, recently returned from a  
tour in Iraq where he heard continual confessions from soldiers  
addicted to porn.

"People will mail them stuff," he told Family News in Focus, "and the  
Internet is the biggest source of the spread of this addiction I would  
say."

The combination of war stress and being away from loved ones is a bad  
mixture for a porn addiction, he explained, adding that curbing the  
problem starts at home.

"I have trouble with the fact that you can step into the PX and buy  
pornography," Reilly said. "I don't think our Post Exchanges need to be  
in the business of peddling porn."

Congress enacted the Military Honor and Decency Act in 1996 to ban the  
sale of sexually explicit magazines and videos at military stores.  
Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, said  
the law isn't being enforced.

[More at URL]


----- 2 -----
FRC Statement on Mark Foley
October 2, 2006 - Monday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2006 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Bethanie  
Swendsen, (866) FRC-NEWS

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR06J01&f=PG03I03

Washington, D.C. - In response to the events surrounding the  
resignation of Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL), Family Research Council  
(FRC) President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"We are all shocked by this spectacle of aberrant sexual behavior, but  
we shouldn't be. This is the end result of a society that rejects  
sexual restraints in the name of diversity. When a 16-year-old boy is  
not safe from sexual solicitation from an elected representative of the  
people, we should question the moral direction of our nation. If our  
children aren't safe in the halls of Congress, where are they safe?  
Maybe it's time to question: when is tolerance just an excuse for  
permissiveness?

"Both political parties need to be more serious about protecting  
children from sexual predators. We need public policy in our country  
that protects marriage, respects parental authority and aggressively  
polices boundaries around our children."

[more at URL]


----- 3 -----
Democrats Kill Parental-Rights Bill as Senate Session Adjourns
By Jody Brown
American Family Association
October 2, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/22006e.asp

(AgapePress) - Pro-life groups are lamenting the demise of a piece of  
legislation they say is supported by 80 percent of Americans -- a bill  
that would have required a minor girl's parents to be informed before  
she had an abortion, and that would have punished individuals who  
transported a minor across state lines for an abortion in order to  
circumvent parental notification laws in the girl's home state.

Senate Majority Bill Frist did all he could to bring Senate Bill 403 to  
a vote before that chamber adjourned this session -- but a cloture vote  
on the Child Custody Protection Act fell three votes short on Friday,  
falling victim again to Democratic-led efforts to prevent the bill from  
being sent along to the White House. (See earlier article) Frist had  
hoped the procedural move would force a vote on a bill that the Senate  
had passed earlier on a 65-34 vote -- and the House had passed 264-153  
-- but his filing of cloture required at least 60 votes. On Friday, he  
could only muster 57; fifty-one Republicans and six Democrats (see roll  
call vote).

[More at URL]


----- 4 -----
Bias Makes Media Overreact to Embryonic Stem Cell Hype, Researcher  
Claims
By Mary Rettig
September 29, 2006

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

(AgapePress) - Wesley Smith, a senior fellow for the Discovery  
Institute, says the mainstream media continues to trumpet scientific  
"non-breakthroughs" involving embryonic stem cells while largely  
ignoring genuine breakthroughs with adult stem cells.

Last week, Dr. Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technologies published a  
report in the journal Cloning and Stem Cells, reporting that human  
embryonic stem cells had been used to partially restore vision in  
blinded rats. However, the Discovery Institute's Wesley Smith says this  
is not only not a new discovery, but it was previously done in 2004  
with the more ethical adult stem cells. "That breakthrough made very  
little news," he notes.

On the other hand, Smith observes, "if it's embryonic stem cells and  
it's a breakthrough, the news media picks it up, plays it up big." And  
the reason for this tendency in the media, he contends, is "because  
their main agenda in these issues is to undermine President Bush's  
federal funding policy -- not necessarily report the news."

[More at URL]


----- 5 -----
PERA -- Legislation Bringing 'Religious Expression' to the Forefront
By Jody Brown and Bill Fancher
American Family Association
October 2, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/22006c.asp

(AgapePress) - The ACLU calls it an "attack on religious liberty." But  
a prominent member from the other side of Congress says it's the first  
step in drying up what some call the ACLU's "cash cow."

[More at URL]


----- 6 -----
ADF: Traditional Marriage Defenders Have Momentum, But FMA Still Needed
By Jim Brown
American Family Association
September 29, 2006

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

(AgapePress) - The head of a pro-family legal group says the tide is  
turning in the fight to defend traditional marriage. Conservatives were  
eight for eight in court decisions to protect marriage this summer, and  
20 states have already passed constitutional amendments banning  
same-sex "marriage." On average, 71 percent of voters in those states  
supported passing constitutional marriage protection amendments.

Alan Sears, president of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), says the tide  
has turned, but just for the moment. His group was involved in eight  
victories for marriage around the United States since the beginning of  
July; however, Sears contends, "We have to seize this wind of  
opportunity to proceed, to go farther." With eight states voting on  
marriage amendments this fall, he asserts, pro-family voters "must turn  
out. They must make their position known."

[More at URL]


----- 7 -----
Publisher Responds to Pastor's Gripes About Bible Textbook
By Jody Brown
American Family Association
September 29, 2006

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

(AgapePress) - The publisher of a textbook for use in teaching the  
Bible in public schools says recent criticisms about the book leveled  
by an official with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) are  
essentially no longer valid -- because editorial changes to the latest  
edition of the book address his concerns.

Earlier this week, Rev. Wiley Drake, a Southern California pastor who  
is also the recently elected second vice president of the SBC, went  
public with his concerns about the content of The Bible and Its  
Influence, a student textbook published by the Bible Literacy Project  
(BLP). The textbook, according to the BLP, is the basis of Bible course  
work in more than 80 districts in 27 states, and is being reviewed for  
similar usage next fall by more than 900 educators.

But Drake says he has several problems with the book. Among Drake's  
criticisms were: an incomplete statement from The Mayflower Compact  
that referenced God and the Christian faith; an implication that  
perhaps Adam and Eve may not have received a "fair deal" from God; and  
an inference that because bad things happen, perhaps God cannot be  
described as "good."

[More at URL]


----- 8 -----
Christians Urged to Examine Candidates' Values, Voting Records
By Chad Groening
American Family Association
October 2, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/22006g.asp

(AgapePress) - The Republican candidate vying to unseat Florida Senator  
Bill Nelson says the Democratic incumbent claims to be a Christian but  
has a voting record that is completely contrary to what Christians  
believe.

Katherine Harris, currently in her second term representing Florida's  
13th District, is an unabashed born-again Christian who raised eyebrows  
in the mainstream media this summer when she told a Baptist publication  
that if Christians are not elected to office, politicians will  
legislate sin. Harris says because she was speaking with a Christian  
audience, she was trying to compare her values with those of her  
opponent.

[More at URL]


----- 9 -----
How long before marriage is illegal?
The Daily Telegraph - Oct. 2, 2006
By Philip Johnston
Canada Family Action Coalition

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

Here is an advert from a local newspaper. "Retired couple wanted to  
look after large country home while owners abroad. Small salary  
payable. Married quarters available.''

As of yesterday, the potential employer has committed an offence. Under  
the new EU age discrimination rules, it is unlawful to restrict a job  
to older people, or to younger for that matter. However, you may be  
surprised to learn that, under separate legislation, the final sentence  
of this advert will also soon be illegal because it implies that the  
applicants should be married, and could, therefore, be considered  
discriminatory against homosexuals.

[More at URL]


----- 10 -----
Washington State Values Voters
The U.S. Supreme Court officially begins a new term today.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Faith and Freedom Network

http://www.faithandfreedom.us/weblog/2006/10/washington-state-values- 
voters.html

Among the several social issues that are sure to be considered by the  
High Court is abortion. Specifically, partial birth abortion. This is  
an incredibly important issue to people who vote for life. We will keep  
you posted on this issue.

The secularists are already expressing concerns that the Court may not  
rule as they have in the past on this issue because of the addition of  
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. –  
both originalists.

While secularist, progressive judges try to legislate from the bench,  
ruling as they think the law “should” be, originalist judges try, to  
the best of their ability, to interpret the existing law. They leave  
“law making” to the elected lawmakers.

[More at URL]


----- 11 -----
News of Congressman Mark Foley’s Homosexuality No Surprise (7:02)
Concerned Women for America
10/2/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/11595/CWA/misc/index.htm

Over the weekend, news broke about Rep. Mark Foley’s (R –Florida)  
predatory email exchanges with teenage Congressional pages. It took a  
full news cycle for mainstream news organizations to specify that those  
pages were teenage boys. While many are in shock, Peter LaBarbera,  
President of Americans for Truth, says that Congressman Foley’s sexual  
orientation was no secret in Washington, D.C. LaBarbera uncovered this  
news for CWA in 2003.  
(http://www.cultureandfamily.org/articledisplay.asp? 
id=4008&department=CFI&categoryid=cfreport) While questions remain  
about whom in Washington might have been guarding Rep. Foley’s secret,  
there is no question that the Log Cabin Republicans are now actively  
distancing themselves from him. Click here to listen.

[Highlights from the audio:

Peter LaBarbera: "I wrote a piece about Mark Foley's alleged  
homosexuality... it was quite an open secret... he was able to skate  
by... lo and behold three years later he's charged with making these  
horrible advances, these disgusting advances he's making to teenage  
boys... they're revolting... my question is, what did the Republican  
leadership know about this sort of behaviour, and why were they so  
willing to cover up for him?" LaBarbera describes the Log Cabin  
Republicans as a "homosexual activist group that's trying to change the  
Republican party and try to make it a pro-homosexual party, or at least  
homosexual-neutral on the issue, which would be bad either way..."  
Claims the Log Cabin Republicans are Stalinists because they took a  
photo that included LaBarbera off their website.

CWA asks how can we tell that people "we're" voting for aren't "a  
closet preditor such as Mark Foley" and (therefore) sexual preditors?

LaBarbera hopes there wasn't widespread knowledge of LaBarbera, but  
that the pages knew about it. "It was widely known that Mark Foley was  
a homosexual." "Everybody's in the know in corrupt Washington, but  
their own constituents aren't in the know." "This is the sort of  
information that needs to get out... they need to know if there's sort  
of a secret double life, like we now know Bill Clinton had..."  
Complains that Republicans get ousted in sexual scandals but Democrats  
don't. Attacks Barney Frank, Gerry Studds (?), "When it comes to these  
sexual scandals, it helps to be a Democrat living in a liberal area,  
and you get re-elected." LaBarbera wants Foley to be ex-gay. LaBarbera  
claims gay men "there is a higher element of this, what the word is,  
pederasty, which is adult sexual contact or wanting of these adolescent  
male boys [sic]. We've seen this throughout the world of homosexuality,  
saw seen it in the Catholic church scandal with the priests, and  
actually runs in the whole history of homosexuality going back to  
Greece. So it's not really, it doesn't do anything to deny it and say  
that this problem isn't there... this is a component of male  
homosexuality. It doesn't mean every male homosexual adult is doing  
this sort of behaviour,  but there is, I think, a higher preponderance  
of it compared to the rest of society."

LaBarbera calls for "cleaning up this page system." Wants to know what  
various people knew and when they knew it. "This is children being  
victimised, being drawn into homosexual lifestyle, or if it's another  
lifestyle, whatever, they're being drawn into sexual relationships with  
adults, and I think American people have the right to know... what are  
our elected officials doing to protect these vulnerable teenagers?"  
Promotes website (www.americansfortruth.org).

[More at URL]


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