BMAT Moral Action Committee Watchman Report #11 12/26 /2004

You Can Help Restore Bible Study In Public Schools! A program is underway to serve the public through educational efforts concerning a First Amendment right and religious freedom issue. This is to bring a state certified Bible course (elective) into the public high schools nationwide. The curriculum for the program shows a concern to convey the content of the Bible as compared to literature and history. The program is concerned with education rather than indoctrination of students. The central approach of the class is simply to study the Bible as a foundation document of society, and that approach is altogether appropriate in a comprehensive program of secular education. The world is watching to see if we will be motivated to impact our culture, to deal with the moral crises in our society, and reclaim our families and children. The American Family Association, among many others are now working in cooperation with the National Council On Bible Curriculum In Public Schools Of America (NCBCPS) to return Bible curriculum to the public high schools of America, on campus, during school hours, for credit with the Bible as the textbook. The NCBCPS has had great success with school districts over the past eight years with this curriculum; and over 153,000 students have already taken this course nationwide.

Elizabeth Ridenour, President of NCBCPS, says that it is a fairly easy process for people to implement this in their local school districts. To learn how to implement Bible curriculum in your local district, Please help us to restore our religious and civil liberties in this nation. call toll free 1-888-BIBLENOW, or visit www. bibleinschools.net online. A list of the many organizations who are backing NCBCPS is on the bulletin board here at Fellowship missionary Church.

Once again anti-religious bias in Washington has discouraged a good judge from further public service. Charles Pickering, the Mississippi judge whose nomination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was opposed by Democrats, and who was then placed on the court by recess appointment, announced that he will retire rather than seek re-nomination and go through another Senate hearing. At previous Senate hearings, the distinguished judge was grilled on his conservative political and religious beliefs rather than questioned about his many years of distinguished service to the legal community. Judge Pickering would have been a tremendous asset to our beleaguered judicial system. Instead, liberal Democratic senators, aligned with far left groups unfairly attacked and slandered this fine man. Judge Pickering said it best in his gracious statement announcing his retirement: "The bitter fight over judicial confirmations threatens the quality and the independence of the judiciary. The mean-spiritedness and lack of civility reduces the pool of nominees willing to offer themselves for service on the bench." While I am saddened that Judge Pickering's judicial career has ended, I look forward to working with him as he speaks out in favor of much-needed confirmation reform.

One bright point regarding the $388 billion spending package that President Bush signed last month was the Hyde-Weldon Amendment, which protects health care entities from being forced to provide, pay for, or refer for abortions. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer-- backed by California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Planned Parenthood--threatened a lawsuit, calling this conscience clause amendment "an unacceptable attack on women's rights and state sovereignty." This invention of abortion as a "woman's right" completely ignores the rights of both the health care providers and the unborn children. His statement better describes Roe v Wade than it does a measure that seeks to protect those who view abortion for what it actually is, the brutal murder of an innocent, unborn child. The reason Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.), a doctor himself, introduced his amendment was to give conscience protection to health care providers who do not want to be part of the billion-dollar abortion industry. Attorney General Lockyer might not care about the rights of health care providers and children in California, but a majority of Congress and President Bush do.

More Groups Join Boycott of Procter & Gamble (American Family Association) Several groups have joined the boycott of Procter & Gamble. The P&G boycott was begun because of their promotion of the homosexual agenda. groups include Focus on the Family (Dr. James Dobson), The Center for Reclaiming America (Dr. James Kennedy), American Values (Gary Bauer), Point Of View Radio, Council for National Policy Action Inc., Exodus International, Faith2Action, Vision America, Free Market Foundation, and Cornerstone Policy Research.

Gays Already Filing for Divorce in Massachusetts (Christian Voices Heard) It has only been 7 months since the State Supreme Court granted same sex couples in Massachusetts the right to marry and the blush is already off the rose. Last week, two men in Boston became one of the first couples to file for a divorce. The most difficult part of their break up was who will get custody of the three cats. Seriously. According to News 24 in Boston, the one keeping the felines "agreed to provide his ex 'with periodic updates, photographs, and any health-related information pertaining' to the cats."

Thomas Jefferson, involved in evangelization and church building (Jerry Falwell confidential)
When recognizing that Mr. Jefferson — who the left wants only to remember for authoring the phrase "the separation of church and state" — was interested in advancing religion, it becomes readily apparent that our Founders never intended government to be hostile toward Christianity or menacingly unreceptive to religious expression.

Congressional Funds for Church Building: On December 3, 1803, the U.S. Congress, following the request of President Jefferson, ratified a treaty with the Kaskaskia Indians. This treaty was significant because Congress, recognizing that most members of the tribe had become Christians, deemed to give an annual subsidy of $100 for the support of a priest during a seven-year period. That priest, as the Congress noted, was to perform "the duties of his office, and... instruct as many... children as possible." The treaty, signed by President Jefferson, stated: "The United States will further give the sum of three hundred dollars to assist ... in the erection of a church." You read that right! The U.S. Congress of 1803, at the request of President Thomas Jefferson, allocated federal funds for the salary of a minister and for the construction of a church. The Congress of 1803 was not hostile to Christianity. The members understood the value of imparting Judeo-Christian values among the Indians. They also recognized the need for advancing biblical values among the citizenry of the young nation.
Congress Agrees to Print Bibles In 1777: With war plaguing the land, the Rev. Patrick Allison, chaplain of the Continental Congress, petitioned that body for a specific need — the printing of the Holy Bible. After America had declared its independence, the Revolutionary War had interrupted the supply of Bibles. Printed Bibles had previously come to America from England and Holland but at this time of war we were often cut off from the rest of the world. As a result, Bibles were in short supply. The committee which received Rev. Allison’s petition then submitted it to Congress on September 11, 1777. The report stated: "The use of the Bible is so universal and in importance so great, that your Committee refer the above to the consideration of Congress, and if Congress shall not think it expedient to order the importation of types and paper, the committee recommends that Congress will order the Committee of Congress to import 20,000 Bibles from Holland, Scotland, or else where, into the different parts of the States of the Union." That mandate for 20,000 Bibles never went into effect, though, because publisher Robert Aitken printed the New Testament in Philadelphia. After successful print runs of this Bible, in 1781, Mr. Aitken petitioned Congress to aid in the printing of the entire King James Bible.

The Congress responded with this resolution: "Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled, highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken as subservient to the interest of religion as well as the progress of the arts in this country, and being satisfied from the above report, of his care and accuracy, in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish in the manner he shall think proper." Mr. Aitken then published the only Bible ever recommended by Congress and it is today a rare treasure.

Junior High Students Given Satanic Calendars A Pearland, Texas, junior high school must now explain to parents why at least 25 students received a calendar containing sexually explicit descriptions and frightening images of satanic rituals as part of an anti-gang message delivered by a school police officer, WorldNetDaily.com reported. School officials are apologetic, calling it a mistake. The officer in question [supposedly] failed to realize that questionable materials were included in the packets he handed out.

'Christianophobes' Beware (Citizen Link) The Vatican is attempting to get the United Nations and other international groups to recognize the evil of "Christianophobia" -- a term meaning "the hatred of Christians" -- as being equivalent to the hatred of Jews and Muslims, the Washington Post reported. The Roman Catholic Church, which announced the campaign publicly is seeking official recognition by the U.N. of discrimination against and persecution of Christians. The move comes at the same time that the European Union has refused to mention Europe's Christian heritage in its new constitution. The EU also turned down a new commissioner because he's a conservative Catholic.

Howard Wilson hwilson@texasmoralaction.org