“The time for the annunciation of the emancipation policy can no longer be delayed. Public sentiment will sustain it, many of my warmest friends and supporters demand it, and I have promised God that I will do it.”

When asked about the last statement, Lincoln replied:

“I made a solemn vow before God, that if General Lee were driven back from Pennsylvania, I would crown the result by the declaration of freedom to the slaves.”

The Emancipation Proclamation stated:

“I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as commander-in-chief…do, on the FIRST DAY OF JANUARY, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three…publicly proclaim…that…persons held as slaves…are, and henceforward shall be, free…

And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence…and…labor faithfully for reasonable wages.”

Lincoln concluded:

“And upon this act…I invoke…the gracious favor of Almighty God.”

To settle the question as to the constitutionality of his Proclamation and to free slaves in States not in rebellion, Lincoln promoted the 13th Amendment, passed by the House, January 31, 1865, and ratified, December 6, 1865.

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And according to senior counsel Jordan Lorence, the hearing went fairly well; Chief Judge Loretta Preska “asked if the school district would be willing to grant some extra time for the churches to stay in the schools so she would have more time to write an opinion. I think there’s a good possibility that churches could be back in,” he said.

“We don’t know exactly what the judge will do, but I think she’s inclined to support us.”

The city evicted churches from public school buildings on Feb. 12. ADF is arguing that the city’s policy violates both the Free Exercise and Establishment clauses of the First Amendment. The Free Exercise Clause protects citizens’ right to be free of government interference in the performance of their faith; the Establishment Clause says the government will not establish an official state religion

FOR MORE INFORMATION form CitizenLink – Click Here

Learn more about the Alliance Defense Fund.

Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) points out that exemptions are being granted to various organizations, including unions, but religious ones still face a mandate.

“It seems like the only people who don’t get some type of special treatment under ObamaCare are groups that want to exercise their God-given first freedom of religious liberty,” Bowman notes.

And he suggests that imposing contraception and sterilization coverage on people of faith could be a stepping stone to mandating coverage for abortion.

“The idea imposed by the Obama administration here against religious liberty is that pregnancy is a disease,” the attorney says. “There is no principle distinction between that and requiring not only these other practices, but surgical abortion at any stage because once you can violate our God-given first freedom of religious liberty, there’s nothing a government cannot do.”
He adds that Obama’s alleged accommodation still violates the Constitution and federal law, so “ADF is prepared to defend Christians to resist this attack.”

FULL STORY AND MORE FROM OneNewsNow.com – Click Here

But Brian Camenker of MassResistance says the constitution does not protect atheists in that manner.

“It’s a very religious document written by John Adams in [1780], and so to try to claim that the [Massachusetts] Constitution protects atheism is absurd,” he contends.

And if the phrase “under God” is unconstitutional, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel reasons that the use of God’s name on currency or anywhere else would also be unconstitutional.

“I believe that this is one of these frivolous lawsuits destined for ultimate dismissal,” he suggests. “But we can’t take them lightly because they chip away one little brick at a time, until ultimately, they want to have the entire house topple.”

Most of the failed court challenges have been on the basis of the Establishment Clause’s separation of church and state, so the MassResistance founder admits that using the state’s equal rights protection is a different strategy. Because the atheists are offended by God, they claim they are marginalized.

“I clearly believe that under the federal Constitution, there’s clearly no problem here,” Staver offers. “I also believe the same thing for Massachusetts. But here again, since they’ve lost on the federal, they are now focusing on some bizarre interpretation of the state. And who knows if they get an activist state court judge could ultimately find in favor?”

Camenker agrees that this type of lawsuit will be taken seriously, and he does not expect it to go very far. “On the face of it, it should never hold,” he suggests. “These kinds of things have not gone very far in the past, but it shows just how ridiculous society has become.”
Staver has repeatedly warned that atheists, agnostics, and the organizations they support will not stop their attacks until they have pushed religion, specifically Christianity, out of the public arena.

FULL STORY AND MORE FROM OneNewsNow.com – Click Here

READ FULL STORY HERE

The Broncos quarterback’s 80-yard touchdown pass to receiver Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime against Pittsburgh both clinched Sunday’s game and wrote another improbable chapter in Tebow’s book of clutch plays to win high-pressure games.

His performance also borrowed a little magic from another famous book.

The devout Christian’s stat line in Sunday’s game mirrors the numbering of the Biblical passage that Tebow at times had painted on to his black eye paint during his career at the University of Florida — John 3:16.

The passage reads, according to the New American Standard Bible, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Officially, Tebow passed for 316 yards against the Steelers, completing 10 of 21 pass attempts — meaning he passed for 31.6 yards per completion.

“Even beyond that, these sources of information do not have the kind of oversight that schools might have,” he notes. “Certainly we have problems with some of the sex education that goes on in public schools, but at least there is a certain amount of vetting that takes place there.”

According to The New York Times, Stephanie Cisneros, a Denver-area high school junior, likes ICYC because of its “immediacy and confidentiality.” But as Sprigg points out, it is difficult, if not impossible, for parents to monitor this activity.

“If their children have their own cell phone with texting capability, or particularly with Internet capability, then I’m not sure they can protect them,” he laments.
To counteract the barrage of risk reduction-only messages, Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association hopes her organization will kick off its own online service by next year.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Proponents of an effort to stop SB 48, the law recently approved by California’s governor that requires the state’s public schools to teach on the contributions of lesbian, “gay,” bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, are creating new campaigns to challenge it.

The Committee to Repeal SB 48 has filed paperwork with the state attorney general’s office to qualify the Repeal SB 48 Act, which is a referendum that would alter the law and remove references to pro-LGBT teachings. Another pending initiative is the Equality in Education Act, which was filed by the Committee for Parental Rights in Education to give parents the chance to opt their children out of the controversial lessons.

READ FULL STORY HERE

The group behind the complains, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, frequently targets faith and religion projects that are placed on public lands. The group sent a letter to the county that explains how a local resident, who wishes to remain nameless, is offended by the scene.

Here is some of the text from the letter (via Malakoff News):

It is our information and understanding that a large nativity scene is on display at the Henderson County Courthouse and that it is the only seasonal display on the grounds (see photo enclosed). It is unlawful for the County to maintain, erect, or host this nativity scene, thus singling out, showing preference for, and endorsing one religion. The Supreme Court has ruled it is impermissible to place a nativity scene as the sole focus of a display on government property. [...]

We request that, as Henderson County Commissioners, you take immediate action to ensure that no religious displays are on city or county property. Please inform us in writing of the steps you are taking to remedy this First Amendment violation so that we may notify our complainant.

“That Christianity was being promoted, endorsed by local government and this made them feel unwelcomed,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, the co-founder of the Freedom from Religion Foundation. “It sends a message of intimidation and exclusion to non-Christians and non believers this time of year.”

READ FULL STORY AT THE BLAZE.COM

The ban was issued in September but only came to light last week. It said, “No religious items, i.e. Bibles, reading material and/or artifacts are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.”

Iowa Congressman Steve King’s office says that when he demanded an explanation, the hospital’s senior officers told him the memo was improperly worded and would be rewritten to affirm that religious items are “welcome in the hospital, if they are welcomed by the patient.”
On its website, Walter Reed now apologizes and says the visitation policy has been rescinded, that patients’ families may bring religious materials and that religious groups won’t be barred from visiting.

READ FULL STORY HERE

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It happened last month in an intermediate Spanish class at Achieve Early College High School in McAllen, Texas — a city located about 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

(Related: Listen to Glenn Beck interview the father of the girl who refused to recite the pledge)

Wearing red, white and green, students had to memorize the Mexican anthem and pledge and stand up and recite them in individually in front of the class.

That didn’t go over well with sophomore Brenda Brinsdon. The 15-year-old sat down and refused to participate. She also caught it all on video:  WATCH VIDEO – READ ENTIRE STORY HERE

The collection includes 11 volumes. Three, including the oldest and most important book in the collection, were brought out of the library’s vaults and displayed during a symposium Wednesday evening.

Ranging from 700 to 1,000 years old and written in the Middle East and Europe, the parchment manuscripts include meticulous Hebrew penmanship and illustrations in ink and gold leaf. Some boast intricate micrography _ decorations made up of thousands of tiny Hebrew letters.

None were written in Damascus, but rather came to be held in synagogues in the city over the centuries. They are known collectively as the Damascus Crowns, “crown” being a Hebrew term sometimes used to describe particularly important and venerable biblical manuscripts.

The Jewish community in Syria’s capital had been there for more than 2,000 years before its members were driven out by government persecution and mob violence linked to the rise of Arab nationalism and the establishment of Israel in 1948. A second ancient community in the country’s business center, Aleppo, met the same fate, as did others across the Arab world.

A trickle of Jewish emigrees managed to escape beginning at the time of Israel’s creation, with the help of Israeli agents running smuggling routes through Lebanon and Turkey.

Most of the rest of the community left in the 1990s after Syria’s late dictator, Hafez Assad, bowed to international pressure and allowed them out. Most settled in Israel and the U.S. A handful, no more than several dozen, remain in Damascus.

The oldest of the Damascus Crowns was written in the late 10th century A.D. in what is now Israel. Because it shows the influence of two rival schools of textual scholars, it has provided modern researchers with important information on how the Biblical text evolved. It was purchased by a famed British collector of manuscripts, David Solomon Sassoon, in 1914 and taken to Britain. The library purchased it in 1975.

Another of the books displayed Wednesday, a 700-year-old Bible that scholars believe was written in Italy, had a riskier journey to Jerusalem.

Beginning in the late 1970s, a Canadian Jewish woman, Judy Feld Carr, undertook an effort to smuggle Jews out of Syria, raising money from North American synagogues, bribing Syrian officials, dispatching envoys and running an independent immigration operation for more than 20 years from her living room in Toronto. All told, Feld Carr’s endeavor facilitated the emigration of more than 3,000 Syrian Jews.

Feld Carr learned of the manuscript, she said, from Jews who had already fled, and dispatched a contact to Damascus in 1993. She would identify the man only as a Western Christian who died last year.

Feld Carr orchestrated a meeting in Damascus between her envoy and the community’s rabbi, she recounted. The rabbi slipped him the book, and the man then smuggled it out of the country hidden under his raincoat in a black shopping bag. The book reached Feld Carr in Canada and came to Israel the next year.

While the book was in her possession, Feld Carr saw there were two records of purchase appended to the manuscript. One showed it had changed hands in Spain before Jews were expelled from the country in 1492, and the second recounted another sale in the Ottoman Empire, where many Jews found refuge.

“It went from Italy to Castille, to Constantinople, to Damascus, and then to Toronto _ this book was the story of the Jewish people,” she said.

The eight books that were not put on display at the library Wednesday arrived in Israel in the 1990s in murkier circumstances, smuggled out of Syria via the West in an operation conducted by Israel’s intelligence services. Few details of that smuggling operation have been disclosed. Aviad Stollman, the library curator in charge of the collection, said the eight books were not displayed to avoid putting a spotlight on a story that remains largely classified.

In Damascus, the manuscripts were guarded in some of the 24 synagogues that existed before the community’s emigration. They were taken out only on special occasions or with permission from community leaders, said Shlomo Baso, a Damascus-born rabbi.

Baso escaped to Israel in 1985, at age 33, by hiking across Syria’s mountainous border with Turkey with his wife and five young children.

In the early 1990s, when the Jews fled en masse, they brought the Torah scrolls they had used for centuries. Some were dismantled into parchment segments that were then distributed among the emigrees and concealed in their luggage. When the pieces reached Israel, Baso sewed them back together and reconstituted the scrolls. Today, his synagogue in a Tel Aviv suburb houses four scrolls from Damascus, each about 300 years old.

“Every community has riches of some kind. We were rich in books,” he said.

The couple’s supporters say the Hormone Blocking Therapy has only minor side effects and is appropriate for a child who is unsure of his gender. “This is definitely a changing landscape for transgender youth,” said Joel Baum, director of education and training for Gender Spectrum, a California-based non-profit group. “This is about giving kids and their families the opportunity to make the right decision.”

But critics of the treatment say 11-year-olds are not old enough to make life-altering decisions about changing their gender, and parents should not be encouraging them. They say it’s too soon to tell what the side effects of the treatments may be, and they say Tommy’s parents, Pauline Moreno and Debra Lobel, are irresponsible for seeking them and allowing them to be administered.

“This is child abuse. It’s like performing liposuction on an anorexic child,” said Dr. Paul McHugh, professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University.

“It is a disorder of the mind. Not a disorder of the body. Dealing with it in this way is not dealing with the problem that truly exists.

“We shouldn’t be mucking around with nature. We can’t assume what the outcome will be,” McHugh said.

The measure amends the Democrats’ health care law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) to prohibit federal monies from being spent on health plans that cover abortion services. Additionally, it protects health care workers who oppose the procedure.

Lee’s comments about abortion during her address were somewhat odd, considering that she referred to the controversial medical procedure as a “needed action.” Additionally, she dubbed the heartbeats of fetuses as mere “sounds.” CNSNews.com has more:

Voicing her opposition to the measure on Thursday, Jackson Lee referenced a previous Texas law, “Just as the courts ruled unconstitutional and upheld the provision of the Texas law that required a doctor to talk first to a woman seeking an abortion and to allow or force them both to listen, uh, to sounds that, uh, might discourage this needed action, this is going to be held unconstitutional. This is not a law that can pass,” Jackson said.

Watch Video here – REP Sheila Jackson

 

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After the “Boston Massacre,” he spread Revolutionary sentiment with his Committees of Correspondence.  Known as “The Father of the American Revolution,” Samuel Adams, who was born SEPTEMBER 27, 1722, called for the first Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of
Independence.

A cousin of 2nd President John Adams, Samuel Adams wrote in The Rights of Colonists, 1772: “Among the natural rights of
Colonists are: First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to defend them…

The supreme power cannot justly take from any man any part of his property without his consent.” As Massachusetts’ Governor, Samuel Adams wrote to James Warren, February 12, 1779: “A general dissolution of the principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the
whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to
surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”

Samuel Adams ended:   “If we would enjoy this gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people.”

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Adam Denison, a spokesman for the General Motors subsidiary, said OnStar does not currently sell customer data, but it reserves that right. He said both the new and old privacy policies allow OnStar to chronicle a vehicle’s every movement and its speed, though it’s not clear where that’s stated in the old policy.

“What’s changed [is that if] you want to cancel your OnStar service, we are going to maintain a two-way connection to your vehicle unless the customer says otherwise,” Denison said in a telephone interview.

The connection will continue, he said, to make it “easier to re-enroll” in the program, which charges plans from $19 to $29 monthly for help with navigation and emergencies.

READ FULL STORY HERE

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) currently protects the privacy of student records for those who attend schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. It gives certain rights that transfer to “eligible students” when they reach the age of 18 or attend school beyond the high school level. However, since home schoolers are not covered by that measure, Representative Hultgren sees room for correction.

“Many states require that parents file records regarding their home-schooled children with public education officials, but these records are not protected under FERPA,” the congressman explains. “So, really, that is the intent of this legislation — to address a discrepancy.”

The lack of a federal definition of “home schooling” prevents the Department of Education from exerting its control on home schoolers at the federal level. But Will Estrada of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) says steps were taken during the writing of Hultgren’s bill to ensure that that shield is protected.

“We’ve worked very closely with Congressman Hultgren to make this a narrow bill that will just serve to protect the privacy of home schoolers, without doing any unintended damage,” Estrada reports. “We’re very grateful for the work that he’s done,” he adds.

And the HSLDA spokesman notes that this is the first of a series of bills concerning privacy issues to be introduced this year.

READ FULL STORY HERE

John Mullins, superintendent of Arab City Schools in  Arab, Ala., said he chose to toss out pregame prayer at Arab High School after  receiving a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, WAAY-TV  reports.

The Wisconsin-based group reportedly wrote the  letter on behalf of an anonymous parent who objected to prayer at  games.

“Yes in our personal lives in Arab we are Christian,  but our priority is to serve the students of this school system and provide them  education” Mullins told the station. “And we at this time can’t commit the  energy and time and financial resources to battle a case we most likely will not  win.”

Mullins said the high school football games will  instead begin with a moment of silence.

“We wish we could continue praying but we can’t,” he  said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/22/alabama-superintendent-bans-public-prayer-at-high-school-football-games/?test=latestnews#ixzz1YiIrzSz9

Charles Finney died AUGUST 16, 1875. An attorney, Finney saw so many Scripture references in Blackstone’s Law Commentaries that he bought a Bible and came to faith. Charles Finney’s 1835 Revival Lectures inspired George Williams to found the YMCA-Young Men’s Christian Association-in 1844, and William Booth to found The Salvation Army in 1865. Charles Finney formed the Benevolent Empire, a network of volunteer organizations to aid poor with healthcare and social needs, which in 1834 had a budget rivaling the Federal Government. Concerning the Kingdom of God, Charles Finney wrote “Every member must work or quit. No honorary members.” While Charles Finney was president of Oberlin College, 1851-1866, it was a station on the Underground Railroad smuggling slaves to freedom and it granted the first college degree in the United States to a black woman, Mary Jane Patterson. Charles Finney wrote: “The time has come for Christians to vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them…Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to their country as a part of their duty to God.” Charles Finney concluded: “God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

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Joel Rosenberg

More than 100 rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles have been fired from Gaza at Israeli towns and cities along the south…

READ FULL STORY-GO TO JOEL’S BLOG

“The entire focus of the event was on the victimhood of the pedophile,” Barber accounts. There was “very little concern for the children who are the victims of these individuals when they are raped, who these individuals lust after,” he adds.

And he says the experts’ discussions were focused on “destigmatizing pedophilia … removing the stigma, and [getting] the public to stop demonizing pedophiles.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

Read Entire Report @ Judicial Watch Here

Moving rapidly to criminalize telling the truth about how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to encourage violence and supremacism. Free Speech Death Watch Alert, and an update on this story: “OIC/Islamophobia: OIC Observatory warned since 2009 against the growth of the extreme right in Europe, Washington plans to host a meeting on resolution opposing defamation of religions,” from the International Islamic News Agency, August 1 (thanks to all who sent this in):

READ FULL STORY & MORE RELATED TO THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC

“The homosexual movement discovered in the early 1990s that they could use this tactic of claiming safety or anti-bullying or anti-suicide to do anything,” Camenker notes. “They’ll scream and holler that if you don’t let them into the schools to give their program, then you favor kids killing themselves.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

Instead, it’s Canadian political activist, devout Muslim and self-described liberal Marxist, Tarek Fatah. Surprised?

Back in June, Fatah appeared at Ideacity, Canada’s “Premier meeting of the minds” to share his shocking viewpoints on both mainstream and radical Islam (including the Muslim Brotherhood). During his fascinating talk, Fatah said that “the religion of Islam is being used as a tool by a fascist force.” It is important to note that Fatah is also a Muslim. Perhaps most shocking, though, were his words about the Muslim Brotherhood and its relation to the American presidency. He said:

“Instead of bringing victory over the fascist forces of the Muslim Brotherhood, we now recognize that their infiltration is right up to the American White House, but we can’t say that.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

A divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday struck down the so-called individual mandate, siding with 26 states that had sued to block the law.

But the decision didn’t go as far as a lower court that had invalidated the entire overhaul as unconstitutional.

The states and other critics say the law violates people’s rights. The Justice Department counters that the legislative branch was exercising a “quintessential” power.

An appeals court and three federal judges have upheld the law, and two have invalidated it. Experts say the debate ultimately will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Today’s 3-0 opinion vacates the injunction in its entirety.

Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) drafted the Abortion Consent Act and is a part of the legal team defending the constitutionality of the law. The team is led by the Arizona Attorney General, Arizona House Speaker, and Alliance Defense Fund and also includes Bioethics Defense Fund and Life Legal Defense Foundation.

Key provisions that will be enacted include:

• The state will require a notarized parental signature before an abortion can be performed on a minor child.
• Women will be provided with full and accurate information by a doctor in person at least 24 hours before an abortion.
• Medical professionals cannot be forced to perform abortions if it contradicts their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
• Non-doctors will not be permitted by law to perform surgical abortions.

“The Court acknowledged the Legislature’s right to pass legislation to protect the health and safety of women considering abortion,” said Deborah Sheasby, Center for Arizona Policy’s Legal Counsel. “This is a major victory for Arizona women.”

“If Planned Parenthood truly cared about what’s best for women, they wouldn’t be repeatedly going to court around the nation to stop laws that allow women to make fully informed choices,” said ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden, who argued before the Court of Appeals on June 14. “The court ruled rightly in this case in rejecting the arguments of the nation’s largest purveyor of abortion. The protection of women is not unconstitutional.”

For more information on the Abortion Consent Act visit CAP’s information page: http://bit.ly/qDCDpv

To read the decision from the Court of Appeals click here: http://bit.ly/r2m5QU

Posted by Cathi Herrod

Cathi is President of Center for Arizona Policy. As a mom, lawyer and lifelong political junkie, Cathi’s passion for the foundational values of life, marriage and family, and religious liberty stem from seeing how the culture impacts families, and how much public policy influences the culture.

Tags: Abortion Consent Act, Alliance Defense Fund, Center for Arizona Policy, pro-life

The micro-electronics technology, called an epidermal electronic system (EES), was developed by an international team of researchers from the United States, China and Singapore, and is described in the journal Science.

“It’s a technology that blurs the distinction between electronics and biology,” said co-author John Rogers, a professor in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Our goal was to develop an electronic technology that could integrate with the skin in a way that is mechanically and physiologically invisible to the user.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

“We have had individuals from all different denominations of Christianity, as well as other religions that are not Christian. So we’re not defending any particular faith,” she explains.

And Conrad believes the board is fighting for freedom of religion and freedom of speech in taking their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“They should be able to pray to whatever deity of their choice, because otherwise, the prayers would basically be just ‘to whom it may concern.’” [It's] not a real, legitimate prayer if they’re not being honest with their own words,” she reasons.
Commissioners voted this week to permit the Alliance Defense Fund to pursue an appeal on their behalf.

READ FULL STORY HERE

The signs, which ban alcohol, music, gambling, smoking, drugs, and pornography, have already been plastered on bus stops and street lamps in certain boroughs throughout London, and Islamic extremist Anjem Choudary says he plans to flood specific Muslim and non-Muslim communities across the U.K. and “put the seeds down for an Islamic emirate in the long term.”

Mike Judge is head of communications at The Christian Institute in Britain. He notes a real concern for small pockets of the U.K. that have become dominated by Muslim populations.

“Muslims have put up posters saying, ‘this is a sharia law zone.’ There can be no music, no television here. Everyone must wear the veil and that kind of thing,” he accounts. “It has no force of law, and the police quickly went around and took down the posters. But that’s an indication of the kind of things that Muslims will do when they become dominant.”

Following an article in which he discussed the ongoing debate over which country the U.S. believes Jerusalem is in (hint: It’s not Israel), Halper claims that the White House “cleansed” its site of references to the city being definitively tied to the Jewish homeland.

Let’s start with a recent State Department press release, highlighting the United States’ official stance on Jerusalem (Halper cites this as well):

QUESTION: What is the State Department’s position regarding American persons born in Jerusalem who wish to have passports issued that indicate their place of birth as Israel?

ANSWER: Current U.S. Government policy is that U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem may not have “Israel” listed in their passports as their place of birth. See the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Manual 7 FAM 1300 Appendix D for further details.

READ FULL STORY HERE

It’s the first time in nearly two decades that middle and high school students will be forced to take the mandatory classes, according to a report first published in The New York Times.

One of the lessons includes instruction on how to properly use a condom.

“We must be committed to ensuring that both middle school and high school students are exposed to this valuable information so they can learn to keep themselves safe before, and when, they decide to have sex,” NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott wrote in a letter to principals and obtained by Fox News Radio.

Children as young as 11 years old will take part in discussions on a variety of topics ranging from the risks of unprotected sex to the appropriate age for sexual activity, the newspaper reported.

“I believe the school system has an important role to play with regard to educating our children about sex and the potential consequences of engaging in risky behavior,” he said. But there are concerns about the mandatory classes among New York City’s religious community.

Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America says her organization “is deeply disturbed that the [Food and Drug Administration] is now reporting in a very quiet, underhanded way that this drug is very dangerous. The new report shows that about 2,200 have been injured by this drug and 14 women have died.”

Concerned Women for America has said from the beginning that the drug is designed to at least kill one life, that of the baby. She says now it is known that it also kills women.

She has issued a call to action to contact the FDA and also members of Congress to let them know that they need to put pressure on the FDA to reconsider their decision to allow RU-486 to be sold in the U.S.

RU-486 is known to cause sepsis, which is potentially lethal, but also significant blood loss requiring hospitalization and a transfusion.

READ FULL STORY AND MORE LIKE THIS HERE

Governor Jay Nixon signed Missouri State Bill 54, which bans students and teachers from communicating and being “friends” on the social networking site. The law was created to prevent inappropriate relationships between children and teachers.

“Teachers cannot establish, maintain or use a work-related website unless it is available to school administrators and the child’s legal custodian, physical custodian or legal guardian,” the law states. “Teachers also cannot have a non work-related website that allows exclusive access with a current or former student.”

The law is not limited to Facebook and applies to any social networking site. Although Facebook fan pages will still be allowed, direct communication between teachers and students on the site will be banned.

Although some critics have said the concept sounds positive on the surface, they worry it may imply that teachers may not be trusted on the site without legal intervention.

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Following debate, the Air Force has suspended a course that was taught by chaplains for more than 20 years after complaints that class material included Biblical passages. CNN reports:

The course, entitled, “Christian Just War Theory,” used passages from both the New and Old Testaments to make the case to missile launch officers that going to war can be a moral choice. The Christian Post sheds more light on the course’s controversial contents:

A PowerPoint presentation obtained from the course referenced scripture verses such as Hebrews 11 to show that people of faith can and have engaged in war, in a section entitled “War and Faith.” The section also cited biblical figures including Abraham, Samson and David as religious figures that fought wars in a righteous manner…

The course also taught ethical principles such as a “win at all costs will cost you.“ A nuclear ethics section encouraged trainees to consider the deadly power of nuclear weapons and ask such questions as ”Can you imagine a set of circumstances that would warrant a nuclear launch from the U.S. knowing that it would kill thousands of non-combatants?”

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The American Civil Liberties Union and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State initially sued North Board of Commissioners in Forsyth, North Carolina in 2007, because opening prayers mentioned Jesus more often than not.

Judge Paul V. Niemeyer, the lone dissenter in the 2-1 decision, strongly criticized his fellow jurists:

“The majority has dared to step in and regulate the language of prayer — the sacred dialogue between humankind and God. Such a decision treats prayer agnostically; reduces it to civil nicety; … Most frightfully, it will require secular legislative and judicial bodies to evaluate and parse particular religious prayers under an array of criteria. … I respectfully submit that we must maintain a sacred respect of each religion, and when a group of citizens comes together, as does the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, and manifests that sacred respect — allowing the prayers of each to be spoken in the religion’s own voice — we must be glad to let it be.”

“America’s founders opened public meetings with prayer. There’s no reason that today’s public officials should be forced to censor the prayers of those invited to offer them simply because secularist groups don’t like people praying according to their own conscience,” said Mike Johnson, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund and founding dean of the Pressler School of Law of Louisiana College. “The legal team will confer with the county about the process of appealing today’s decision.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read the 4th Circuit decision: Joyner v. Forsyth County.

Read the facts about the case.

The requirement is part of a broad expansion of coverage for women’s preventive care under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Also to be covered without copays are breast pumps for nursing mothers, an annual “well-woman” physical, screening for the virus that causes cervical cancer and for diabetes during pregnancy, counseling on domestic violence, and other services.

“These historic guidelines are based on science and existing (medical) literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

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U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller on Thursday afternoon ruled that the group of atheists and agnostics that filed the suit, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, did not have standing to sue. The plaintiffs argued that Perry’s day of prayer and fasting would violate the Constitution. The event, called The Response, is scheduled for August 6.

Perry defended the event, comparing it to President Barack Obama’s participation in the National Day of Prayer. He said “my prayer is that the courts will find that the First Amendment is still applicable to the governor.”

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The phrase “reproductive health care services” includes abortion, which the statement further underscores.

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These events unfolded after neighbors complained and officials upheld a littering ordinance that prohibits citizens from posting anything on structures, including trees. The regulation is breached if posted items are “calculated to attract the attention of the public.”

Patrick Racaniello’s cross apparently violated this stipulation. One neighbor, Toni Tremarco, complained to the media, saying, “I live three houses up and I don’t like having the cross staring right at me.” Below, watch an WABC-TV report on this intriguing situation:

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Watch Video Trailer Here:

In spite of being involved in a war on terror, most Americans know little about Islam, the Qur’an and the life of Mohammed. Within just 100 years of Mohammed’s death, his followers conquered the lands from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, including North Africa, the Holy Land, Persia and Spain.

Now we ask: “What will the political forces within Islam mean for the future of the world?”

In Political Islam’s War on the West, William J. Federer leads a fascinating adventure through time as he recounts the events, personalities and conflicts that form a cohesive picture of the struggle between Islam and the West.

Disc 1
1. Mohamed the Religious Leader
2. Mohamed the Political/Military Leader
3. The Koran and Early Islam Inventions

Disc 2
1. The Way of Mohamed and the Way of Christ
2. The Spread of Islam
3. The 100 Year Expansion

Disc 3
1. The Crusades
2. The Barbary Pirates

WILLIAM J. FEDERER is a nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America’s noble heritage.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE DVD – Political Islam’s War on the West

To Check out Amerisearch Web site AND VIEW OTHER GREAT PRODUCTS FROM BILL FEDERER- Click Here

The American Atheists, which advocates an “absolute separation” of government and religion, filed the lawsuit Monday to stop the display of the cross, arguing that it should not be included if “no other religions or philosophies will be honored,” according to a statement on the group’s website.

The cross, which consists of two intersecting steel beams that were found intact in the rubble at Ground Zero, was initially constructed on a side of a church in lower Manhattan. The cross was then placed inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum during a ceremony over the weekend.

“The WTC cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their god, who couldn’t be bothered to stop the Muslim terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross,” the group’s president, Dave Silverman, said in a press release. “It’s a truly ridiculous assertion.”

But museum organizers say the cross, which is a symbol of hope for many, should have a place at the memorial.

The cross is “an important part of our commitment to bring back the authentic physical reminders that tell the history of 9/11 in a way nothing else could,” 9/11 Memorial president Joe Daniels said Saturday, the Christian Post reports.

“Its return is a symbol of the progress on the Memorial and Museum that we feel rather than see, reminding us that commemoration is at the heart of our mission,” Daniels reportedly said.

READ FULL STORY HERE

“The Obama administration continues to try to prevent the word ‘God’ from being used at the funerals of our heroes,” said. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas).

“It’s unacceptable and I’m going to put a stop to it as fast as humanly possible,” Culberson told Fox News Radio. He attended a burial service at the cemetery undercover on July 8, when he says he witnessed volunteer members of the honor guard from the Veterans of Foreign Wars being prohibited from using any references to God.

“The Obama administration had told the nation and me they were not interfering with the prayer said over the graves of veterans,” he said. “And I went undercover to personally verify that claim.” VA officials have strongly denied they’ve banned any religious speech – and have offered support for Arleen Ocasio, the cemetery’s director.

“The idea that invoking the name of God or Jesus is banned at VA national cemeteries is blatantly false,” said VA Press Secretary Josh Taylor in a written statement to Fox News Radio. “The truth is, VA’s policy protects veterans’ families’ rights to pray however they choose at our national cemeteries.”

“We need to protect the rights of our pastors from this really radical agenda that’s coming out of this White House,” he contends.

The Navy chief of chaplains announced earlier this year that military chaplains who desire to perform weddings for same-sex couples would be allowed to do so following the repeal of the policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The directive says chaplains could perform such ceremonies in states where homosexual “marriage” is legal. (See earlier story)

Huelskamp believes President Obama continues to stand in the way of traditional marriage initiatives.

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Speaking at an Aspen, Colo. forum Friday, Perry called himself an “unapologetic social conservative” who personally opposes gay marriage, but is also a firm believer in the 10th Amendment, the Associated Press reported.

“Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. And you know what? That’s New York, that’s their business, and that’s fine with me,” Perry said. “That is their call. If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business.”

CBN News’ The Brody Report observed some of the potential problems that could arise from Perry’s comments with his evangelical base:

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“The Department of Veterans Affairs, instead of fixing this religious censorship … and [its] continued dishonoring of veterans, [has] stooped to a new low, referring [to the veterans groups] now as liars,” reports Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute director of litigations. “And it’s absolutely outrageous that they would attack these veterans, whose only thing they’ve ever done is that they have served our country well. And now, because these veterans have spoken up, [the Department of Veterans Affairs is] attacking these veterans and stooping to a new low. It’s absolutely hideous.”

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07/2/11 – TheBlaze.com – A few days ago, the Blaze reported on the low-key plans of the Obama administration to increase the penalties for certain gun law violations, and add steps to the background checks for legal gun ownership.

Today the administration’s plans are beginning to come into effect. Through an Executive Order, the Obama administration is implementing new restrictions on the sale of certain weapons in border states, and increasing the penalties for violating certain firearms laws

.

Fox News is reporting on the purpose of the gun control executive orders:

“In an effort to stem the illicit flow of weapons into Mexico, the Justice Department announced Monday that all gun shops in four Southwest border states will be required to alert the federal government to frequent buyers of high-powered rifles.

Under the new policy, federal firearms licensees in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico must report purchases of two or more of some types of rifles by the same person in a five-day span. The requirement applies to purchases of semi-automatic rifles that have detachable magazines and a caliber of greater than .22.

ATF estimates it will generate 18,000 reports a year. ATF will retain the information and if no investigative leads have been realized after two years, it will be purged.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

The Obama administration has already said it won’t defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court because it concludes it’s unconstitutional. But Press Secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday went further, saying President Obama is “proud to support” the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to overturn the 15-year-old law.

“The president has long called for a legislative repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which continues to have a real impact on the lives of real people, our families, friends and neighbors,” Carney said in his daily briefing with reporters.

Feinstein, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is hosting the hearing, said she is under no illusion that overturning the ban will be easy, but she does think the public is ready for a change.

“I think eyes have opened. More and more people across this land know people who are gay, who want to have a lasting relationship, who look at marriage as an economic agreement as well as an emotional agreement,” said Feinstein, speaking at the National Press Club Tuesday.

So far six states have passed legislation allowing gay marriage within their states, but the federal ban prevents same-sex couples from applying for citizenship benefits, filing federal taxes together or claiming deductions that married people receive. Married gay couples can also not receive spousal benefits under Social Security or take unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons.

The Defense of Marriage Act passed both chambers of Congress by overwhelming margins and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Feinstein was one of 14 senators to oppose the legislation.

Feinstein is now one of 27 co-sponsors, none Republican, supporting repeal. She said with a GOP-dominated House, she understands repeal may not happen anytime soon.

“If we don’t succeed this session, we will try again next session,” she said. “Believe me, we will continue this effort until the battle is won.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

According to CBN News’ The Brody Report, Perry told hosts Tony Perkins and Tim Wildmon that the prayer event will be about asking God to forgive all of us “for the sins that we have committed.” When asked what he wants the event to accomplish, he says he wants “God’s will to be done.”

Perry‘s statements don’t just apply to the general public; he believes they apply to him as well, explaining that he wants, “God helping me, guiding me, giving me direction.” Below, listen to the complete interview:

READ FULL STORY HERE – LISTEN TO INTERVIEW

“Net neutrality is their one-stop shop for future censorship,” Motley suggests.

While the FCC plans to do away with the Fairness Doctrine this August, he contends that the commission is really just replacing one bad regulation with another. Meanwhile, technology has already rendered the former moot.

“Ten years from now,” he says, “when you get in your car, it’s not going to be an over-the-air broadcast radio in your dashboard; it’s going to be an Internet radio.”

And while net neutrality catches radio, the conservative media watchdog points out that more and more television is being produced for the Internet, which is likely leading the U.S. to a situation where attempting to fight programs that people may not agree with will only result in one response: net neutrality.
So Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has filed a lawsuit to reverse the FCC’s order, as are Verizon and Metro PCS. However, no case has yet made it to court.

READ FULL STORY AND MORE RELATED CONTENT HERE

Commentators warn that the measure, which requires no parental notification and does not allow parents to opt their children out, will affect students as you as six years old. But Earl DeVries, a former candidate for state Senate, explains that other schools will be affected as well because California is one of the states that purchases the most textbooks.

“I feel sorry for those states because we’ve not done a good job defending our families and our children, and we have the wrong kind of people in Sacramento,” he laments. “And this is the consequence of our lack of involvement.”

Brown announced in a written statement that the bill “revises existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education,” and he urged that “history should be honest.” The governor further assured that the law represents an important step forward for the state of California, but DeVries disagrees.

“Well, it really isn’t,” he contends. “Of course, their ultimate agenda is to normalize homosexuality, [but] the Lord says that’s wrong. And we are going to be suffering the consequences of those decisions now.”

Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, helped lead the opposition to S.B. 48. He reports that it is California’s eighth school sexual indoctrination law that forces immorality on K-12 students. He also points out that the bill prohibits teachers and textbooks from “telling children that homosexuality has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS and other STDs, higher cancer rates, and earlier deaths.”
So he encourages parents to take their kids out of the public education system and explore different options, including church schools and home school.

READ FULL STORY HERE

MORE FROM FOX NEWS

07/15/11 – FoxNews.com – California has become the first state in the nation to require public schools to add lessons about gay history to social studies classes, after Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed the landmark bill on Thursday.

The Democratic-majority Legislature passed the bill last week on a largely party-line vote.

The bill has drawn criticism from some churches and conservative groups that argue such instruction would expose students to a subject that some parents find objectionable.

Democratic state Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, the bill’s author, has said that teaching gay history in public schools will teach students to be more accepting of gays and lesbians.

The state will now draw up guidelines for the districts, and educators will decide who deserves inclusion in the curriculum.

Supporters suggest slain San Francisco politician Harvey Milk would be an appropriate choice. Leno contends Milk’s fight for civil rights is as worthy of class study as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s. He adds this kind of “inclusive curriculum” will help protect students who may look, or act, differently.

But critics don’t buy the anti-bullying argument, and say SB 48 hijacks history class to promote a gay agenda.

“The judge set Aug. 15 for a full-scale hearing. In the meantime, he said, children in Catholic Charities‘ care will not be shifted to other social service agencies because that could risk ’irreparable injury.’

Catholic Charities argued the state’s interpretation of the civil union law is discriminatory because it would require placing children with gay or unwed couples. Such an action would violate religious protections built into the law, said attorney Tom Brejcha, who represented the group.”

The move comes after the state’s decision two days earlier to decline renewing a five decade relationship with the organization that serves nearly 2,000 foster children and their caseworkers.

“It’s a surprise. But it’s also very disturbing. The impact on the [nearly 2,000] children in Catholic Charities care will be catastrophic,” said a lawyer representing the Catholic Charities to the Chicago Tribune Monday.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services rejected renewing contracts with the Catholic Charities in the diocese of Peoria, Joliet and Springfield along with the Catholic Social Services of Illinois because “your agency has made it clear that it does not intend to comply with the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

The Freedom From Religious Foundation, which claims more than 16,000 members, including 700 in Texas, filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday in Houston, contending that Perry’s actions violate the Constitution’s Establishment Clause by “giving the appearance that the government prefers evangelical Christian religious beliefs over other religious beliefs and non-beliefs.”

“We always say, beware prayer by pious politicians,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-directs the group with her husband, Dan Barker, a former evangelical Christian minister who is now an atheist.

“Nothing fails like prayer,” she said. “It’s the ultimate political cop-out.”

The lawsuit, which comes as Perry flirts with joining the field of GOP presidential contenders, notes that the plaintiffs are “nonbelievers who support the free exercise of religion, but strongly oppose the government establishment and endorsement of religion, including prayer and fasting, which are not only an ineffectual use of time and government resources, but which can be harmful or counterproductive as a substitute for reasoned action.”

Perry’s office shrugged off news of the lawsuit.

“Governor Perry has been looking forward to the Aug. 6 prayer event, which continues to move forward as planned,” Perry’s office said in a written statement. “He believes it will serve as an important opportunity for Americans to gather together and pray to God, seeking his wisdom and guidance as our nation navigates the challenges before it. The pending litigation will not affect plans for the prayer event at this time.”

The event has been described as a non-denominational, apolitical, Christian prayer
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/13/religious-freedom-group-sues-gov-perry-over-planned-all-day-prayer-event/#ixzz1S2EoYeTO

MORE ON This dangerous and delusional atheist organization – Freedom From Religious Foundation -  Read This Article

Great Must See Video – David Barton Debates Founder of Anti-Christian Organization – Part #1

Part #2 of Debate

Now we ask: “What will the political forces within Islam mean for the future of the world?”

In Political Islam’s War on the West, William J. Federer leads a fascinating adventure through time as he recounts the events, personalities and conflicts that form a cohesive picture of the struggle between Islam and the West.

Watch Trailer Here

VISIT AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION WEB SITE FOR MORE ON THIS TOPIC AND TO PURCHASE THIS POWERFUL DVD SERIES

The sexual rights guide “Exclaim!” calls for a cornucopia of sexuality and gender protections and entitlements under the guise of international law. “Governments must respect, protect and fulfill all sexual rights for young people,” the publication states.

The guide is designed as a tool to help young people become sex advocates.

Although no right to sex or sexual pleasure exists in binding international documents, the guide goes through a list of human rights found in international law and explains how they can be read as sexual rights. Under the “right to know and learn” includes “bringing an end to abstinence-only sex education programs and promoting evidence informed approaches to comprehensive sexuality education.”

Comprehensive sexuality education, as defined by IPPF in the guide, goes well beyond biology to include ideology on gender, identity, and lifestyle choices. The guide insists, “Ensuring that all young people understand that they are entitled to sexual pleasure and how to experience different forms of sexual pleasure is important for their health and well-being.”

The guide also contains some self-contradictions. It cites the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 5 that states, “Parties shall respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents.” However, the guide insists that parents and the State are legally responsible for promoting a worldview and values that are held distinctively by IPPF. The guide demands liberalized abortion, self-identified (rather than biological) gender on identification papers, unrestricted access to contraceptives, and various other contentious claims.

The second publication, the “I Decide” abortion diaries, provides stories of young women seeking abortions, as well as graphic descriptions of sex, detailed advice on how to avoid pregnancy, and how teens can evade disapproving parents.

The publication informs young women “if you use misoprostol on your own, you will be advised to take the tablets by placing them under your tongue and this way, no one would be able to tell that you had used drugs to induce the abortion unless you told them yourself.” The U.S. branch of Planned Parenthood has recently come under public scrutiny for its deceptive and illegal tactics in dealing with minors.

Last year, the Girl Scouts became embroiled in controversy when another IPPF sex guide, called “Healthy, Happy, and Hot” was distributed at their side-event during the Commission on the Status of Women. The sex guide, targeted at youth living with HIV/AIDS, promotes masturbation, sex under the influence of drugs and alcohol, as well as not-disclosing one’s HIV/AIDS status to one’s partner.

IPPF is a multi-million dollar organization, which includes contributions from the United Nations Population Fund and the World Health Organization. The organization has made youth and sexual rights one of its top priority areas of advocacy.

READ MORE HERE

The three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asked the United States government to lift the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, pointing to Congress’ decision to repeal the policy last year. The Pentagon stated they are currently studying the ruling and will follow the court order, and will take steps to inform military officers in the field.

Daniel Blomberg is the litigation staff counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund.”…This decision…effectively stops the law from being in effect nationwide, worldwide,” says Blomberg. “So during a time of international conflict, our military is being forced by the judicial system — and unfortunately by the Obama administration’s Justice Department — to implement a change rapidly [that] they’re not prepared to implement. It’s a very disturbing development for our military.”

The ADF counsel explains that the Ninth Circuit hasn’t declared DADT unconstitutional yet, and the hearing on the merits of the case will take place in August. He says the ruling has allowed a district court’s decision to stand until they have opportunity to rule on the merits.

“Of course that really puts the military in a very difficult position. So they have a situation where a ruling is being appealed, it’s not certain that that ruling is final — it’s frankly a radical ruling — that goes against a majority of decisions that are made on this law in its history, but they have to implement it nonetheless; and they have to implement it in a time of war, and that’s not good policy and it’s not a good time for our military,” explains Blomberg.

The government currently cannot dismiss homosexuals from the military, no matter what country they are serving in.

READ FULL STORY HERE

“I’ll have to get back to you,” Carney said at the briefing. ”I don’t have an exact date for you.”

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State lawmakers approved S.B. 48 in a 49-25 vote, with the approval of just one Republican — Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who is running for the San Diego mayoral seat. The measure would mandate the state’s public schools to teach on the accomplishments of lesbian, “gay,” bisexual and transgender (LGBT) figures, and it will force teachers to present those individuals in a positive light. With lawmakers’ approval, the bill now heads to the desk of the governor, who has 12 days to sign or veto it.

“Now he is looking at something very sensitive to parents — their little children,” notes Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com. “Everyone needs to call Jerry Brown…. He’s 73 years old; he remembers when academics were taught in the government school system in California and social engineering was not. [Government] schools were a lot better then, and now they’re not.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

Jonathan Saenz of Liberty Institute calls Monday’s vote in Austin a “defining moment” in Texas for the pro-life movement.

“This legislation particularly takes away funding from groups that provide abortions and are affiliates for abortions, and it also prioritizes family-planning money in a way that it goes to organizations that provide comprehensive healthcare for women in the state of Texas, which Planned Parenthood does not do,” the Institute representative says.

Planned Parenthood has sued Indiana and Kansas for passage of defunding bills in those states. Saenz says the Texas measure (S.B. 7) should withstand legal scrutiny.

“Well, it’s unfortunate that there are frivolous lawsuits out there [but] the state of Texas has done a very good job with folks in our organization and others to make sure that we have language in place that will stand up to any challenge,” the attorney explains. “And so, if Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups want to come to the state of Texas and file a frivolous lawsuit on this issue, that’s up to them — but Texas is up for the fight.”

In passing the law, Saenz suggests elected officials are simply responding to the desire of constituents who refuse to allow their tax dollars to be used for abortion and would prefer that money be spent more responsibly.

READ MORE HERE

Today a Federal judge overruled the will of the people, the State Legislature, and the Governor of Kansas by blocking enforcement of a new law that would have provided minimum safety standards for abortion clinics.

Two abortion clinics, which have never been inspected, continue to dangerously operate, placing the lives and health of women in danger. One other abortion clinic, Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood faces 107 criminal charges related to illegal late-term abortions and manufacturing evidence to cover up their crimes.

Let’s not forget why Kansas has been trying since 2003 to implement abortion safety standards. During that time, Operation Rescue has documented numerous botched abortions and at least one patient death along with a myriad of other abortion abuses. Kansas has one of the worst abortion health and safety records in the country.

It is ironic that the abortionist who initially filed the suit to block this law, Herbert Hodes, recently told the Kansas Legislature that he was aware of five abortion related deaths in the last five years, then not-so-mysteriously reneged on his statement when it drew shock from the public and scrutiny from the Board of Healing Arts.

A Kansas City abortion clinic run by Krishna Rajanna was closed after the medical board revoked his medical license. Conditions at his clinic sickened one police detective who later testified before the Legislature about the horrific conditions he experienced.

Another Kansas abortionist, Ann Kristin Neuhaus, faces disciplinary action that could include revocation of her license after the KSHE filed charges against her for shoddy doctoring related to illegal late-term abortion referrals.

Operation Rescue’s own headquarters is now located in a former abortion clinic where appalling conditions existed.

The need for abortion clinic accountability was graphically illustrated in a 911 recording released by Operation Rescue earlier today where a 35 year old botched abortion patient was heard suffering and struggling for life. Judge Murguia has done nothing but condemn women to a similar fate.

Operation Rescue vows to continue working to exposes abortion abuses and demand enforcement of the law.

Listen to the 911 call where a woman suffering life-threatening abortion complications struggles for life.

About Operation Rescue®
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Operation Rescue is now headquartered in a former abortion clinic that it bought and closed in 2006.  From there, Operation Rescue launches its innovative new strategies across the nation, exposing and closing abortion clinics through peaceful, legal means. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to stop abortion and ultimately restore legal personhood to the pre-born in obedience to biblical mandates.

SCHUBERT – CoreReport.com Bunker -

QUOTE   “If you haven’t thrown your name in the hat yet, make a donation of $5 or more before midnight tonight — you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to be one of our guests. I wanted to say thank you before the midnight deadline passes. And I’m looking forward to thanking four of you in person over dinner sometime soon.”

Like most of us who have an email address, I get a plethora of different offers, spam, etc..but I have to tell you, this is the first time the President, himself has taken the time out of his busy schedule to sell me and millions of other people a raffle ticket for 5-bucks for a chance to Win a Dinner him and the vp. Think about it for 30-seconds, the president of the United States of America is selling raffle tickets to raise money as his latest scheme to to fund his Re-Election Campaign…Yes folks, it really is a carnival and now is our golden opportunity to make sure it’s their last show. VOTE YOUR VALUES. SHARE THE TRUTH. BE SALT, BE LIGHT, BE WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE – PRAY DILIGENTLY AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Check out the INFOMERCIAL HERE:

Oh and by the way, turns out that the DNC filmed the infomercial  for the this spectacle was filmed in the White House which according to the law IS ILLEGAL! This Statute clearly states that it is a Violation of Federal Law quote:

“According to federal law (Title 18, subsection 607 U.S.C.), “It shall be unlawful for an individual who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government, including the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress, to solicit or receive a donation of money or other thing of value in connection with a Federal, State, or local election, while in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties.”

However, being the master of deception, lies and abuse of presidential power, The White House is spending more of our money on legal fees to defend these actions, attempting to redeem themselves by siting a “LOOPHOLE” that give them an exemption. Imagine That..

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE CNSNews.com –

Henry Velandia, a 27-year-old professional salsa dancer from Caracas now living in New Jersey, legally married U.S. citizen Josh Vandiver, 30, in Connecticut last year, but due to the Defense of Marriage Act — a 1996 federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman — Vandiver was not allowed to sponsor Velandia for a green card in the same way a heterosexual person could for his or her spouse. The Department of Homeland Security nevertheless decided to drop deportation efforts against him Wednesday.

Velandia told FoxNews.com that Wednesday’s ruling was a “big, uplifting moment” and the product of a year’s worth of hard work on behalf of the couple’s attorney, Lavi Soloway.

“I can now be with Josh, my husband, in this country without fear of being torn apart,” he said on Friday. “It’s like our first day building up our life together. But we know the fight is not over. We’re going to keep fighting for marriage equality for all the couple who are in the same situation.”

But Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, said the decision is misguided prosecutorial discretion that could “destroy the credibility” of immigration law in the United States.

“This is another instance of the Obama administration’s abuse of executive authority on behalf of select groups of removable aliens that it thinks are sympathetic to make a run around Congress and provide amnesty to as many illegal aliens as possible,” Vaughan said. “These people are props for the administration, which is uncomfortable in its mission to enforce immigration laws. What they’re really doing here with this policy of discretion is giving a free pass to huge numbers of people who have been living here illegally.”

One senior U.S. official said the Brotherhood’s rise in political prominence after the forced departure of former President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year makes the American contact necessary.

Arleen Ocascio, the director of the VA cemetery in Houston who told groups that they cannot use specific religious language on the property, has been offered the opportunity to respond to this story and has not yet returned our calls. Ms. Ocascio has informed other media outlets that she cannot comment on any issue currently being litigated. In the meantime, calls for Ocascio’s resignation or termination are building.

READ FULL STORY HERE

The approved measure allows the pledge to be recited at just four Eugene City Council meetings a year, those closest to the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Flag Day.

It was supposed to be simple, but Councilman Mike Clark soon found out when you’re dealing with God and country, nothing in Eugene is easy.

Clark says all he wanted to do was unite the council and show his more conservative constituents that in this city where diversity is celebrated, their more traditional values also are important.

“It’s a little ironic to see those who have championed the idea of tolerance be less tolerant on this question,” Clark Said. Mayor Kitty Piercy called the Pledge of Allegiance divisive. “If there’s one thing the flag stands for,” Piercy says, “it’s that people don’t have to be compelled to say the Pledge of Allegiance or anything else.”

Under Clark’s proposal, saying the pledge would be voluntary not only for the public at the meetings, but the council members themselves.

Councilman George Brown voted against the compromise, saying the Pledge of Allegiance had no place at City Hall. “People can say it in their front yard or backyard,” Brown says. “It really doesn’t help move the city business forward. It does not unite us.”

Another pledge opponent, Councilwoman Betty Taylor compared saying the Pledge of Allegiance to reading from “The Communist Manifesto.”

The Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, in 1892. It quickly became part of the American fabric. School children said it each day with their hand placed over their hearts. The original pledge did not have the words “under God.”

At the request of the Knights of Columbus and other groups, Congress added one nation “under God” in 1954.

But a less well-known Soros priority — replacing elections for judges with selection-by-committee — now has critics accusing him of trying to stack the courts.

Most non-federal judges around the country are selected by voters in elections. But some states use a process called “merit selection” in which a committee – often made up of lawyers – appoints judges to the bench instead.

Soros has spent several million dollars in the past decade in an attempt to get more states to scrap elections and adopt the merit method. Supporters say it would allow judges to focus on interpreting the law rather than on raising campaign funds and winning elections.

“Merit selection would end the money race and get judges out of the fundraising business,” Lynn Marks, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts — a group that has received money from Soros’ Open Society Institute — told FoxNews.com.

But critics say that if judges are picked by committee — often, a committee of lawyers — that will give left-wing judges the upper hand.

“The left can’t get their agenda through the legislatures anymore … so they think they can get their agenda through by taking over the courts,” attorney Colleen Pero, author of a new report titled “Hijacking Justice,” told FoxNews.com.

Pero’s report found that Soros, through his Open Society Institute fund, has given $45 million over the last decade to “a campaign to reshape the judiciary.” But that number is hotly contested by Justice at Stake, the group that got the most Soros money.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/27/critics-say-soros-trying-to-stack-courts/#ixzz1QUePMaf8

As the Associated Press reported last night, “champagne corks popped, rainbow flags flapped and crowds embraced and danced in the streets of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village as New York became the sixth and largest state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage.”

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill shortly before midnight Friday, almost 42 years to the day that the modern-day gay rights movement was born amid violent encounters between police and gay activists at the Stonewall Inn.

Hundreds who gathered inside and outside the landmark bar erupted in celebration after the Republican-led state Senate cast the decisive vote. The final count was 33 to 29.

Amid Friday’s celebration, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and bishops around the state released a statement condemning the passage of the law by the Legislature, saying they were “deeply disappointed and troubled.”

“Our society must regain what it appears to have lost - a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America’s foundational principles,” the statement from the Roman Catholic leader read

Ultimately, homosexual couples will be able to marry because of two previously undecided Republicans from upstate regions far more conservative than the New York City base of the gay rights movement.

Sen. Stephen Saland, 67, voted against a similar bill in 2009, helping kill the measure and dealing a blow to the national gay rights movement. On Friday night, gay marriage supporters wept in the Senate gallery as Saland explained how his strong, traditionally family upbringing led him to embrace legalizing gay marriage.

“While I understand that my vote will disappoint many, I also know my vote is a vote of conscience,” Saland, of Poughkeepsie, said in a statement to The Associated Press before the vote. “I am doing the right thing in voting to support marriage equality.”

Also voting for the bill was freshman Sen. Mark Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican who also had been undecided. Grisanti said he could not deny anyone what he called basic rights.

“I apologize to those I offend,” said Grisanti, a Roman Catholic. “But I believe you can be wiser today than yesterday. I believe this state needs to provide equal rights and protections for all its residents,” he said.

The leading opponent to the homosexual marriage law, Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz, was given only a few minutes to state his case during the Senate debate.

“God, not Albany settled the issue of marriage a long time ago,” said Diaz, a Bronx minister. “I’m sorry you are trying to take away my right to speak,” he said. “Why are you ashamed of what I have to say?”

The senators who wrote the White House on Monday say they are concerned that the administration is readying a “Plan B” in case a comprehensive reform bill cannot win enough support to clear Congress.

“It seems more real than just bullying (Republicans) into a bill — that it’s a plan that they can actually put forward … circumventing Congress,” an aide told FoxNews.com on Wednesday.

In their letter, the senators — Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; David Vitter, R-La.; Jim Bunning, R-Ky.; Saxby Chambliss, Ga.; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.; James Inhofe, R-Okla.; and Thad Cochran, R-Miss. — urge the president to “abandon” what they say is a move to “unilaterally extend either deferred action or parole to millions of illegal aliens in the United States.”

“Such a move would further erode the American public’s confidence in the federal government and its commitment to securing the borders and enforcing the laws already on the books,” they wrote.

Deferred action and parole, which give illegal immigrants the ability to seek a work permit and temporary legal status, are normally granted on a case-by-case basis. But the aide said the lawmakers have learned from “sources” that the administration is considering flexing its authority to grant the status on a mass basis.

Numbers USA, an organization that presses for lower immigration levels along with humanitarian treatment of illegal immigrants, has started a petition to the president expressing “outrage” at the alleged plan.

Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations with Numbers USA, said she’s been hearing for weeks from “sources close to the Democratic leadership” in both chambers that administration officials are discussing whether the Department of Homeland Security could direct staff to grant “amnesty” for all illegal immigrants in the country.

“They’re trying to figure out ways around a vote,” she said.

In IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America, Scottish-born producer Colin Gunn gives an answer to the education woes: Christ. Now living in Texas with his wife and children, Gunn tells OneNewsNow the only solution is found in the Bible.

“‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 1:7), and if we want education, it has to be grounded in God’s Word,” he contends. “And that is certainly not what we have in the public schools.”

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Core Report Investigates

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO:

READ THE INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE IN THIS ATF REPORT -

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TPM: Feds Indict Mayor, Police Chief Of Border Town As ATF ‘Gunrunner’ Program Faces Heat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKIpgC7OCYg

http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/04/16/government-caught-smuggling-guns-mexico-drug-cartels-17681/

The Definitive Scandal: ‘Gunwalker’ Much Worse Than ‘Iran-Contra’

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-definitive-scandal-gunwalker-much-worse-than-iran-contra/

http://oneoldvet.com/?p=27776

Most of the popular culture would have you think that if you believe in the true definition of marriage, you are part of a small minority. A new comprehensive study by the Alliance Defense Fund suggests otherwise. In what is likely the most extensive national research survey of its kind, ADF and Public Opinion Strategists found that 62 percent of Americans believe that “marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman.”

This actually shouldn’t come as a shock. When this issue has been before the voters, 31 states have voted to protect marriage in their state constitution – like Arizona did in 2008. Reality is that we have much to be hopeful about in our battle to preserve the definition of marriage.

READ FULL POST AND STAND WITH CAP

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The state Senate voted late Friday in favor of a gay marriage bill, which was backed by four Republicans and 29 Democrats in the GOP-controlled Senate. The Democratic-controlled Assembly, which had approved an earlier version, passed the Senate’s stronger religious exemptions in the measure Friday.

“We are leaders and we join other proud states that recognize our families and the battle will now go on in other states,” said Sen. Thomas Duane, a Democrat.

Gay rights advocates are hoping the vote will galvanize the movement around the United States and help it regain momentum after an almost identical bill was defeated here in 2009 and similar measures failed in 2010 in New Jersey and this year in Maryland and Rhode Island.

“There’s a pretty clear line — or there should be a clear line,” Meredith McGehee of the Campaign Legal Center, which presses for tighter controls on campaign finance, recently told POLITICO. “I don’t have a problem with the president inviting Wall Street people to the White House to discuss policy, but why does it need to be DNC-sponsored? I think that’s what raises the eyebrows. Even if it’s not a fundraiser, it’s a cultivation.”

“We have been sliding for 70 years to a situation where Congress has nothing to do with the decision about whether to go to war or not, and the president is becoming an absolute monarch,” Nadler said on the floor. “And we must put a stop to that right now, if we don’t want to become an empire instead of a republic.

READ FULL STORY HERE

“We are grateful that Gov. Perry — following a disappointing flip-flop — heard the cry of his constituents and did what he said he would do: bring the TSA bill to the floor of the Texas legislature,” Strackbein stated.

Strackbein’s appeal to the Governor was echoed by Texas State Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) who wrote a pull-no-punches open letter to Perry on Monday morning in which he expressed his growing frustration.

“Texans overwhelmingly support this measure as I am sure your office can attest. And the Legislature is ready to pass it as soon as you call the bill,” wrote Simpson. “Gov. Perry, there remains only for you to call the bill. Any concerns for time would be quickly wiped away if you would take the bull by the horns and provide leadership on this bill.”

Simpson documented in his letter that 112 of 150 members of the Texas House were co-sponsors of HB 41 which would make it a criminal act for security personnel to touch a person’s private areas without probable cause or express consent as a condition of travel. And Texas State Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) indicated in earlier June 15th letter to Perry that he had the votes in the Senate for the companion bill, SB 29.

By Monday evening, June 20th Perry concluded — contrary to the answer he gave Strackbein this past Saturday morning — that there was indeed sufficient time and support for the anti-groping TSA bill to be added to the Special Session. Perry made the announcement last evening in an official proclamation.

When the Texas Senate was on the verge of passing the Travelers’ Dignity Act at the close of the regular legislative session in late May, U.S. Attorney John Murphy of San Antonio sent a letter on behalf of the Department of Justice which threatened to declare Texas a no-fly zone — essentially grounding all inbound and outbound flights — if the anti-groping TSA bill became law.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who was initially intimidated, ultimately drew a different conclusion. Yesterday, Dewhurst stated, “The Obama Administration overstepped its bounds by implicitly threatening to shut down air traffic in Texas if we passed this bill. After working closely with the Attorney General’s Office the last few weeks, I’m confident that we can pass legislation that addresses these threats, while protecting innocent passengers and preserving our state’s rights.”

Now, in the face of growing public pressure for Texas government to secure the Fourth Amendment rights of its citizens, 12 Texas State Senators remain oddly undecided.

“We call upon all freedom-loving Texans to take a stand for our right to travel without compromising the sanctity of our bodies,” said Michael Gobart, co-founder of TSATyranny.com. “Visit our website tsatyranny.com and take just 6 minutes to call the 12 undecided Senators. We need every vote we can get.”

Wesley Strackbein agreed. “A pathway for liberty has been opened. The Texas Senate and House must now break through this breach in tyranny’s wall and bring us to victory. Call your State Senators and urge them to send this clear message to Washington: ‘You can’t grope Texas.’”

To schedule an interview with either TSATyranny.com co-founder Wesley Strackbein or Michael Gobart, contact Adam McManus at inventivepromo@gmail.com or call 210.373.7499.

In nature, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. This ratio is biologically ironclad. Between 104 and 106 is the normal range, and that’s as far as the natural window goes. Any other number is the result of unnatural events.

Yet today in India there are 112 boys born for every 100 girls. In China, the number is 121—though plenty of Chinese towns are over the 150 mark. China’s and India’s populations are mammoth enough that their outlying sex ratios have skewed the global average to a biologically impossible 107. But the imbalance is not only in Asia. Azerbaijan stands at 115, Georgia at 118 and Armenia at 120.

What is causing the skewed ratio: abortion. If the male number in the sex ratio is above 106, it means that couples are having abortions when they find out the mother is carrying a girl. By Ms. Hvistendahl’s counting, there have been so many sex-selective abortions in the past three decades that 163 million girls, who by biological averages should have been born, are missing from the world. Moral horror aside, this is likely to be of very large consequence.

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The Christian Defense Coalition contends this was no accident and calls for the network to “fully explain” their motivation in removing the phrase.

An apology by NBC saying they “are sorry if anyone was offended” does not go far enough in addressing this troubling and deliberate rewriting of history and the removal of the mention of God from the public square.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Washington, D.C. based Christian Defense Coalition, states;

“Like most Americans, I was stunned to see NBC remove the expression ‘under God’ from a televised reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.  It is troubling to see a major television network deliberately remove the mention of God from the public square and rewrite history.

Core Parents – Mark Holman, Author or this great new book that helps parent to be equipped to build a faith that lasts in the lives of their kids has a great message to share.

Book Summary: Parents want to be involved in the spiritual development of their kids, but where do they begin? How can we help them? Mark Holmen points out that passing your faith to the next generation is significant and encourages parents to build their home on Deuteronomy 6:7. Going beyond the why of passing faith to the next generation, the author gives practical tools for parents to use in sharing faith with their children. His desire for parents to succeed is evident as he shares personal letters with a parent who struggles, as all parents do, to practice this in daily life. Parents will gain a better understanding of God’s plan for passing faith to the next generation and learn practical ways to make it happen in their homes.

All students at Redwood Heights Elementary School in Oakland were instructed by Gender Spectrum, a Bay Area-based organization that hosts training events and consultations aimed at questioning the role of gender in society. Students were encouraged to question whether there were such things as “boy colors” or “toys just for girls.” A Gender Spectrum instructor read to the students a book titled My Princess Boy — a story about a boy who liked to wear dresses.

Jim Schubert of The Core Report explains that the organization encourages radical methods of experimentation, including placing gender-neutral restrooms in schools.

“Here’s another one,” he offers. “‘Mix up gender language when reading stories to your kids.’ What is that about? Help kids understand that the only thing that is normal in our world is a variation?”

The program at Redwood Heights Elementary was funded through a grant from the California Teachers Association. Schubert says it is alarming that officials would impose this kind of indoctrination on students in elementary school.

READ FULL STORY HERE

The ruling Tuesday evening was a major victory for Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who said the law was needed to help address the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall. His proposal — which drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to the state Capitol for weeks earlier this year — thrust Wisconsin to the forefront of a national debate over labor rights.

In a 4-3 decision that included a blistering dissent, the Supreme Court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi overstepped when she declared the law void last month. Sumi sided with a lawsuit that claimed Republicans didn’t provide proper public notice of a meeting that helped get the original legislation approved after Democratic senators fled the state to prevent a vote.

Walker claimed that the law, which also requires public employees to pay more for their health care and pensions, would give local governments enough flexibility on labor costs to deal with deep cuts to state aid. Democrats saw it as an attack on public employee unions, which usually back their party’s candidates.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling provides our state the opportunity to move forward together and focus on getting Wisconsin working again,” Walker said in a one-sentence statement Tuesday.

READ FULL STORY HERE

The two women, Lou Ann Hart and Sheryl Caronna, had filed a court complaint in January against the Desert Sands Unified School District after the district blocked them from placing the Bible verses on bricks to be installed in walkways at Palm Desert High School in Palm Desert, Calif., about 10 miles east of Palm Springs. The women sought an injunction against the district to compel it to allow the scripture bricks.

Instead, school district officials have decided to rescind the fundraiser and refund money of every community group or individual who purchased a memorial brick, according to a court filing last week with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The move has angered advocates of religious freedom in the public sphere.

“Christians should be allowed to express themselves on public school campuses just like everyone else,” David Cortman, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, said in a written statement. Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian organization, initiated the lawsuit for Hart and Caronna.

“It is cowardly to shut down everyone’s participation in this program simply out of animosity toward Christian speech,” Cortman said. “There is absolutely nothing unconstitutional about a Bible verse on a brick when a school opens up a program for anyone to express a personal message. The school could simply have allowed the Bible verses, but instead, it chose to punish everyone.”

Hundreds of other messages had been accepted for the bricks, Cortman’s organization said, including inspirational and religious themes, such as a quote from Mahatma Gandhi and a Bible quotation — “Yes, it is possible” — written in Spanish.

The policy required radio and TV stations to air both sides of controversial issues. It made sense in broadcasting’s infancy, when most communities only had one or a few stations. Even though the idea was abandoned in the 1980s, it was never removed from the list of regulations. Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have suggested bringing it back — an obvious ploy to force radio stations to carry liberal talk shows in proportion to conservative talk shows, knocking some of the latter off the air.

Now, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has indicated a willingness to remove the Fairness Doctrine language from the record.

“I fully support deleting the Fairness Doctrine and related provisions from the Code of Federal Regulations, so that there can be no mistake that what has been a dead letter is truly dead,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote to Rep. Fred. Upton, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “I … anticipate that the process can be completed in the near future.”

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Lou Ann Hart and Sheryl Caronna submitted requests and contributed several hundred dollars to purchase brick pavers with engraved scriptures. The pavers were to be placed along walkways at Palm Desert High School. Last August, after the bricks were made — but before they were installed — the women were informed that because of the religious messages on the pavers, they would not be included along the walkways at the school.

In January, the women filed a lawsuit in a U.S. district court to allow the Christian messages. Now, rather than accept the pavers with Bible verses, the Desert Sands Unified School District has shut down the entire program and refunded all the money.

Read Full Story Here

The system uses a computer program that studies physiological indicators of a person, such as heart rate and the steadiness of a person’s gaze, and then uses the data to make a judgment on whether that individual has “malintent”.

READ FULL STORY – WATCH VIDEO HERE

Our generation has confused freedom, as defined and understood by the Founding Fathers, with license. With regard to public discourse, however, one finds that speech is ever more limited by the current state of affairs.  In examining our current public discourse and convention(s), it is necessary to delve into our own Republic’s history and those who established it, and the respective rhetorical philosophy they engendered.

Our Founding Fathers were men of great learning, products of the Enlightenment, and inculcated with the knowledge of the Classic Civilizations i.e. Greece and Rome.  Having as their example the despotism of the English monarchy, the absolutism of the other European monarchies and the hegemony of the Roman Church, they strived to form a republic based on the best egalitarian ideals of Athens and the Roman Republic.  As such, they were also well versed in the inherent weaknesses of each civilization.  In addition, most all were products of the Reformation and well apprised of the recent history of the Roman Church.  In truth, 29 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence had seminary or Bible school degrees.  They were desirous of founding a republic that was unencumbered by a state religion i.e. denomination, but one that had a strong Christian foundation. The veracity of this statement is well documented (and not the purpose of this writing); the organic record of the Founding Father’s writings is unequivocal regarding this intention.  The raison d’être for this statement is germane to this writing, however.  The Founding Fathers understood the difference between freedom and license.  Furthermore, they understood that a democratic republic would not succeed if the people were not educated and moral.  To quote John Adams (in a Presidential address to the military in October of 1798):

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.  Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Thus, the first public educational institutions in the Republic were all dedicated to the proposition that education is religious in nature and that the precepts of Christ be taught in all schools at all levels.  The public school system was originally designed as a vehicle to promote responsible citizenry in accordance with these principles.  At the university level, one need only read the charters upon which the institutions of Harvard, Yale and Princeton (to name but a few) were founded as evidence of this truth.  Daily reading of the Holy Scriptures was mandated for the student as an integral part of education.

The survival of our constitutional Republic is incumbent upon the morality of the people.  Freedom, by definition, is the ability to act and live as one chooses.  The Founding Fathers understood that doing so, without moral restraint, involved serious consequences—both in ones’ personal life, and, by extension, for the Republic itself.  They emphasized the concept that unrestrained actions lead to lesser freedom personally and tyranny politically.  This is a lesson that our generation would do well to learn.  Having dismantled the legal and social bulwarks that protected our Republic in former times, we now witness the demise of our civilization unabated and unhindered.  Laws are passed to curb and regulate our behavior and society.  Increasingly, the infringement and incremental encroachment upon our collective freedoms is facilitated by a government that is more than happy to increase its power under the guise of retaining law and order.

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Treatises on Public Discourse[2][1]3final

A bill that would impose punishment on states that ban homosexual couples and unmarried people from adopting children has been reintroduced to the U.S. House and Senate. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act (H.R. 1681) is sponsored by Representative Pete Stark (D-California) and Senator Kristin Gilligrand (D-New York). It has more than 50 co-sponsors in the House, but has yet to be introduced in the Senate.

According to Stark, the measure aims to correct what he calls the “critical shortage” of stable, safe, and loving homes in the adoption and foster-care system. In introducing the measure, Stark labeled the foster care system as “flawed” because it “permits discrimination against capable, loving potential parents and children.” The federal baseline of the bill, he said, would end what he describes as “prejudicted restrictions that have denied an untold number of children the homes that they desperately need.”

At least one pro-family attorney disagrees with the liberal Democrat from California. “This bill has nothing to do with providing adoptive homes for children in need and has everything to do with shutting down all biblically-sound Christian adoption agencies around the country,” contends Matt Barber, vice president of Liberty Counsel Action.

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The FCC appears to have coordinated its public message regarding ‘net neutrality’ with Free Press, a left wing non-profit organization seeking to reform the media, according to e-mails released Thursday.

Supporters of ‘net neutrality’, like Free Press, think equal access to the internet is a “civil right” and that service providers should be prohibited from charging certain prices for certain speeds. When providers have this kind of control, they say, customers in weaker coverage areas get stuck with weaker service. Opponents of ‘net neutrality’ say that if service is regulated in this way then content will soon be regulated as well.

In April 2010, a federal appeals court ruled that the FCC did not have any authority to regulate the internet in this way, however the government agency voted to move forward with its ‘net neutrality’ program in December, just a few months later.

On its website, the Federal Communications Commission lists among its goals: “promoting competition, innovation, and investment in broadband services and facilities,” something impossible under ‘net neutrality’ rules.

Free Press, meanwhile, openly advocates for ‘net neutrality’ on its website, and describes internet service providers this way: “They want to become the internet’s gatekeepers, deciding which sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all-based on who pays them the most.” Furthermore, the group has released statements to the press in 2011 with titles like: “Congress Should Improve, Not Dismantle, Net Neutrality Rules,” “Boehner’s Attack on Net Neutrality Not Based in Reality” and “Free Press Action Fund: Vote to Eliminate Net Neutrality a ‘Dangerous Overreach.”

E-mails obtained by conservative nonprofit group Judicial Watch highlight the communications between the government and Free Press, which is funded in part by billionaire George Soros.

One message from Free Press to the FCC dated November 2, 2010 is a request for the FCC Commissioner’s chief of staff to ask his boss to write an op-ed for the Albuquerque Journal ahead of a November 16 hearing about internet access. “It’s a great way to get the word out and to spark conversations in advance of the event,” Free Press Associate Outreach Director Misty Perez Truedson wrote to the FCC’s John Giusti. Giusti complied, responding one week later, “We’re working on the op ed.

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If the court fails to do so, they said, then lawyers will submit an application for the Bible to be formally banned in Pakistan.

The campaign, announced by the clerics at a Lahore mosque and reported Tuesday in the Karachi daily The News and the Urdu-language Roznama Islam, is the latest attempt by radicals to use the country’s blasphemy laws to shield Islam from perceived insults.

Citing Florida pastor Terry Jones’ Qur’an-burning act, the leader of the initiative, Abdul Rauf Farooqi, said the campaigners would like to pay back such “blasphemers” by doing the same to the Bible, but would not follow in their footsteps.

Instead, he and the other clerics in the campaign want Pakistan’s top court to rule that certain passages in the Bible are blasphemous, since they undermine prophets’ sanctity by portraying them as flawed or immoral.

Farooqi, who is leader of the Islamist organization JUI-S (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Sami-ul-Haq group), said the “insertions” in the Bible were offensive to Muslims, who hold all prophets in high esteem.

Reports on Farooqi’s statements did not include references to the supposedly blasphemous passages. So sensitive is the subject in Pakistan that people are typically accused of blasphemy without the actual offending words being repeated, lest the accuser, court official or anyone else be accused themselves of blaspheming.

READ FULL STORY HERE