The Denver Post reports:

As kids head back to school, conservative Christian media ministry Focus on the Family perceives a bully on the playground: national gay-advocacy groups.

School officials allow these outside groups to introduce policies, curriculum and library books under the guise of diversity, safety or bullying-prevention initiatives, said Focus on the Family education expert Candi Cushman.

“We feel more and more that activists are being deceptive in using anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled,” Cushman said.

Public schools increasingly convey that homosexuality is normal and should be accepted, Cushman said, while opposing viewpoints by conservative Christians are portrayed as bigotry.

Eliza Byard, executive director of the national Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, agrees with a big part of that statement.
“Yes, we want LGBT students afforded full respect,” she said.

Read more

Brannon writes:

Would you approve or disapprove if some of America’s evangelical pastors and religious leaders announced they were going to show up at “Oprah’s Divine Destiny” meeting at the Kennedy Center for an evening that would include uplifting music and nationally-known religious figures from all faiths as they unite in prayer and recite historical speeches? Would it concern you if you knew that on her radio program Oprah has taught the book called A Course in Miracles written by Helen Schucman? This book and the workbook include such quotes as:

“A slain Christ has no meaning.”
“The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”
“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross’.”
“My salvation comes from me.”

True Bible-believing Christians would not approve of evangelical pastors and leaders uniting with Oprah in a self-described, religious and spiritual meeting. Why? Because most Biblically thinking Christians do not agree with Oprah’s liberal politics and they know that the truth of God’s Word and Oprah’s pagan spirituality do not mix.

However, many of these same Christians will have no problem when some of America’s evangelical pastors join radio personality and television host Glenn Beck for a spiritual program, because unlike Oprah, they share Beck’s conservative, political views. To many it makes no matter that Beck is a self-described Mormon because his politically conservative views seem to trump his religious views and for this reason many will justify taking part in “Glenn Becks Divine Destiny” program at the Kennedy Center on August 27th. Read the article here.

An Allegheny County judge denied a Green Tree man’s petition to change his name to Boomer the Dog, saying it would cause confusion and have unintended consequences, possibly “putting the public welfare at risk.”

Gary Guy Mathews — a 44-year-old fan of the “furry” lifestyle, which celebrates giving human characteristics to animals — made the case to change his name in a hearing before Common Pleas Court Judge Ronald W. Folino on Tuesday. The judge issued a page-and-half denial late Wednesday afternoon.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10224/1079431-455.stm#ixzz0wdV0uhEC

—-Original Message—–
From: Sears Webcenter [mailto:Webcenter@customerservice.sears.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 9:37 PM
To: (email address removed)
Subject: Re: Feedback Regarding Sears.com (KMM10837002I15977L0KM)

Good Evening (Name Withheld),

Thank you for contacting Sears.com.

We strive to provide products that our customers want, and as a result,
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Statement from Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, in response to Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling overturning California’s marriage amendment, also known as Prop 8:

“This is a tyrannical, abusive and utterly unconstitutional display of judicial arrogance. Judge Walker has turned ‘We the People’ into ‘I the Judge.’

“It’s inexcusable for him to deprive the citizens of California of their right to govern themselves, and cavalierly trash the will of over seven million voters. This case never should even have entered his courtroom. The federal constitution nowhere establishes marriage policy, which means under the 10th Amendment that issue is reserved for the states.

“It’s also extremely problematic that Judge Walker is a practicing homosexual himself. He should have recused himself from this case, because his judgment is clearly compromised by his own sexual proclivity. The fundamental issue here is whether homosexual conduct, with all its physical and psychological risks, should be promoted and endorsed by society. That’s why the people and elected officials accountable to the people should be setting marriage policy, not a black-robed tyrant whose own lifestyle choices make it impossible to believe he could be impartial.

“His situation is no different than a judge who owns a porn studio being asked to rule on an anti-pornography statute. He’d have to recuse himself on conflict of interest grounds, and Judge Walker should have done that.

“The Constitution says judges hold office ‘during good Behavior.’ Well, this ruling is bad behavior – in fact, it’s very, very bad behavior – and we call on all members of the House of Representatives who respect the Constitution to launch impeachment proceedings against this judge.”

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Aug. 4 /Christian Newswire/ — Proposition 8, the 2008 California Constitutional amendment defining and recognizing marriage between a man and a woman, suffered a severe blow. Judge Walker ruled against the voters who approved Proposition 8 by 52 percent of the vote.

After California’s Supreme Court overturned proposition 22, the statute approved by voters defining marriage, the voters took to the polls in reaction to the court’s judicial activism.

“Today’s ruling is indicative of an out-of-control judiciary willing to circumvent California’s direct democracy by imposing their point of view,” said Karen England Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI). “Family values are under constant assault now more then ever. CRI was instrumental in passing proposition 22 in 2000 and we fought to get proposition 8 on the ballot and subsequently in California’s Constitution. We will continue to battle interest groups who wish to redefine one of our oldest institutions; the institution of marriage. We will continue to represent the 7 million Californians who took to the polls in favor of marriage.”

The case will head to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, a court popularly known for its left-of-center rulings.

Christian Newswire

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Washington, DC and San Diego, CA – Today, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker handed down his much expected decision on Prop. 8 (Perry v. Schwarzenegger) declaring unconstitutional California’s constitutional provision defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman.

Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), said:

“Judge Walker’s decision goes far beyond homosexual ‘marriage’ to strike at the heart of our representative democracy. Judge Walker has declared, in effect, that his opinion is supreme and ‘We the People’ are no longer free to govern ourselves. The ruling should be appealed and overturned immediately.
“Marriage is not a political toy. It is too important to treat as a means for already powerful people to gain preferred status or acceptance. Marriage between one man and one woman undergirds a stable society and cannot be replaced by any other living arrangement.

“Citizens of California voted to uphold marriage because they understood the sacred nature of marriage and that homosexual activists use same-sex ‘marriage’ as a political juggernaut to indoctrinate young children in schools to reject their parent’s values and to harass, sue and punish people who disagree.

“CWA stands in prayer for our nation as we continue to defend marriage as the holy union God created between one man and one woman.”
CWA of California State Director Phyllis Nemeth said:

“Today Judge Vaughn Walker has chosen to side with political activism over the will of the people. His ruling is slap in the face to the more than seven million Californians who voted to uphold the definition of marriage as it has been understood for millennia.
“While Judge Walker’s decision is disappointing it is not the end of this battle. Far from it. The broad coalition of support for Proposition 8 remains strong, and we will support the appeal by ProtectMarriage.com, the official proponent of Proposition 8.

“We are confident that Judge Walker’s decision will ultimately be reversed. No combination of judicial gymnastics can negate the basic truth that marriage unites the complementary physical and emotional characteristics of a man and a woman to create a oneness that forms the basis for the family unit allowing a child to be raised by his or her father and mother. Any other combination is a counterfeit that fails to provide the best environment for healthy child rearing and a secure foundation for the family. It is this foundation upon which society is – and must be – built for a healthy and sustained existence.”

Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.

–30–

If you want to find lots of parking at our local mall, head to the end where the ugly dinosaur of a Sears store sits, and you will find plenty. Once a place that was bustling with customers, it often feels like a warehouse for ghosts of the past.  If you want customer service, forget about it. The entire second floor of the store is sometimes completely vacant of clerks or customers, and that’s at Christmas.

The identity crisis for Sears retailing in recent years is confusing enough for potential customers. (Why are they selling upscale Land’s End products as a store within a store? Who in the world thought that putting shopping carts ala Wal-Mart in a department store would make the place more appealing? But then, that’s another post.)

Now, after sending their customers elsewhere to shop by their clueless retailing, they now are apparently attempting to make up the shortfall by offering…no joke…p*rn. The American Family Association is blowing the whistle after attempting to handle their concerns quietly before going public. The arrogance of Sears leadership has now led to what I believe may be the final nail in their coffin. With back-to-school shoppers hitting the stores, those with an intact moral compass will go elsewhere to spend their money. Our family certainly will. If you have to go to the gutter to generate revenue and drag the once honorable name of Sears through the depths, it’s time to shut the lights off and call it quits. There are still millions of American families that are not going to knowingly support this kind of merchandising of filth.

Memo to Sears: Clean up your act or get the For Sale signs ready.

For years now the imperial judiciary of Israel has demonstrated a clear bias against things and people religious and the traditional values and heritage of a Jewish people described in the Torah (Bible) as a “Nation of Priests and a Holy People”. The Israeli Government aided by a socially libertine Supreme Court, which may be to the left of Elena Kagan, constantly denigrates the religious sensibilities and faith concerns of not only traditional Jews worldwide but global inter-religious faith communities that consider Israel to be the “Holy Land not the Homo Land”.

Most recently the mayor of Tel Aviv joined the Israeli Minister of Tourism to announce the funding of an initial 6-month outreach effort to attract homosexual tourists from France and Germany. So while the Torah state in Leviticus 18:22-30: “Let not the land vomit you out for having contaminated it” (with these abominations)…, the Israeli officials import as much deviance and immorality as they can, worldwide.

The latest outrage, the sodomy celebration in Jerusalem, specifically planned to begin in an ultra-religious neighborhood, is nothing less than the spiritual rape of the Holy Land with the active support of the Israeli State, her courts and her police. This is just the next stage of confronting and silencing religious opposition locally and worldwide.

This Perversion Pride Parade would never be countenanced in Mecca, the Vatican, Karbala, or Moscow, where the mayor and Russian Orthodox Patriarch vigorously oppose it. The “brave” “progressive” Israeli Government and Supreme Court would never dream of allowing the parade route to include Arab East Jerusalem or the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Moslem community locally and worldwide would never tolerate this. Just ask Arab Knesset member Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsur. Thus we see the Israeli elite treating religious Jews with less respect than their Arab co-citizens.

We are further outraged by the deafening silence of over 30 religious members of the Knesset including: the Shas party, Agudath Israel, Degel Hatorah, and the National Religious Camp. Their taciturnity demonstrates de facto acquiescence to abomination thus spiritually endangering the residents of Israel who are surrounded by terrorists and enemies. This also spiritually jeopardizes Jews worldwide.

Several years ago, Knesset members Meir Porush and Uri Ariel laid down in front of the parade to demonstrate at least token opposition to this sacrilege (disgrace). Why can’t all religious and traditional office holders, national and local, gather for the glory of G-d and send a worldwide message of Defending the Holy Land? They are also guilty of not addressing this blasphemy with appropriate legislation. Shame on them!

We turn to Christian groups and leaders worldwide, i.e. the Vatican, the various Patriarchs, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, etc., to stand up and defend G-d’s Courtyard by bombarding the Israeli Prime Minister, Government officials and the mayor of Jerusalem with constant protest.

As for the Rabbinical Alliance, we urge continuous pressure on the Israeli government by Christian and religious potential tourists until the Israeli homosexualists decide: IS ISRAEL TO BE THE WORLD CAPITAL OF HOLINESS OR HOMOSEXUALITY?

Backgrounder: Orthodox Jews in New York and New Jersey have been vigorously opposing this parade and religious Jews in Israel have had their petitions to the Supreme Court ignored.

Christian Newswire

With recent attempts to portray tea-party members as racist backfiring, a renewed attack is being launched, warns the author of “The Tea Party Manifesto,” and this one is from progressive Christians who claim the movement lacks Christ-like charity.

Just as the racism accusation from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People proved groundless before it deteriorated into an embarrassing public-relations disaster that encompassed the White House, says Joseph Farah, author of the “Manifesto,” no one should accept the latest salvo as gospel either.

Federal welfare programs are “coercively taking money from people and redistributing to other people, which, at the end of the day, is legalized stealing,” Religion News Service recently quoted Farah as saying. “And the Bible is pretty firm on stealing. … When Jesus talks about clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, he’s talking to us as individuals. [The Bible doesn't] suggest that government is the institution that he designed to help the poor.” Read story at Worldnetdaily.

Boston, MA – In his decision declaring section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, Judge Tauro characterizes Congress’s decision to define marriage for federal purposes as between one man and one woman as an “irrational” desire to “punish[]” same-sex couples based solely on “animus.” While Judge Tauro’s conclusions are unfounded, far-reaching, and should be reversed on appeal, even more shocking is the fact that the Obama administration is intentionally sabotaging DOMA.

In court papers submitted by the Obama administration, the federal government expressly disavowed the purposes set forth by Congress in passing DOMA. In particular, the administration stated in a September 2009 memorandum that “the government does not rely on certain purported interests set forth in the legislative history of DOMA, including the purported interests in ‘responsible procreation and child-rearing’ – that is, the assertions that (1) the government’s interest in ‘responsible procreation’ justifies limiting marriage to a union between one man and one woman and (2) that the government has an interest in promoting the raising of children by both of their biological parents.” Not only did the administration disavow these important legislative justifications for DOMA, but it relied on various politically motivated statements by medical and social science organizations for the proposition that children raised by gay and lesbian parents are as likely to be well-adjusted as children raised by heterosexual parents. Having disavowed Congress’s stated purposes for DOMA, the administration argued that Congress passed DOMA to maintain the status quo.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: “President Obama has been actively promoting an agenda to undermine the nation’s marriage laws. When you weaken the family, as President Obama is doing by his policies, you weaken society. Children fare best when raised with a mom and a dad. Redefining marriage to something it was not intended to be weakens the family and is not in the best interest of children or society. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder must defend the nation’s marriage laws. The Obama administration must defend DOMA, not sabotage the law.”

www.lc.org

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