Watchman #16

BMAT Moral Action Committee Watchman Report #16 01/30/2005

Answering The Cries Of The Unborn (Grassfire.org)

With a decidedly pro-life Congress, and a President who is committed to protecting the unborn, now may be the greatest opportunity for pro-life Americans to right wrong that was born 32 years ago and has taken the lives of nearly 50 million babies.

To show my support for the unborn, I have signed Grassfire.org's "Petition for Life" petition calling on our legislative leaders to do whatever is necessary to protect the unborn souls of our nation who are being threatened by abortion. (H. W.)--------

(Grassfire) a recognized grassroots leader in the fight for the unborn, has rallied more than 400,000 citizens with their national petition--a petition that has already been presented to many key leaders in Washington and beyond.

This year, Grassfire will be extremely active on Capitol Hill, urging elected leadership to champion the rights of the unborn by supporting pro-life legislation, and more. To help maximize their grassroots impact for the unborn, Grassfire is calling on 100,000 additional citizens supporters to sign the petition. Use the following URL to answer the call of the unborn!

http://grassfire.org/21/life.asp?PID=7773225&NID=1

Burying the Unborn (Citizen-Link)---- On Sanctity of Life Sunday, (last Sunday) The Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Boulder, Colorado held a funeral service for aborted babies, burying the ashes of 300-500 children. Since 1996, the church has been holding private burial services for about 5,000 unborn babies, but this time it went public to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

The same day the pro-Family movement received the good news from Louisiana and Florida in the battle to defend traditional marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal to stop prayers from being offered at the Presidential Inauguration. Indiana joined Louisiana and Florida this week in making a strong stand in favor of traditional marriage.

On Thursday the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the state's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is constitutional. Days before the Presidential Inauguration, the Secret Service dropped the ban on "crosses along the parade route. Once again, your Voice has been heard!

Texans! End The Secrecy At The Texas Legislature (ConsumerUnion.Org) Texas is one of only nine states that does not require legislators to record their key votes on bills--including important consumer bills--so hundreds of bills pass without any record of each member's position. Tell the Texas Legislature to record their votes, starting this session. I can send you the link or click on the Action link at the www.Consumersunion.org website.

Become A "Defend The Ten" Prayer Partner (Liberty Council Mathew D. Staver) The Ten Commandments have come under attack in America. God’s Word and Law have been literally and figuratively challenged by the ACLU, and the constitutionality of Ten Commandments displays in public places will be on trial before the United States Supreme Court on March 2, 2005. On that day, I will present oral arguments before the High Court to defend a display on law and government that contains a framed copy of the Ten Commandments.

You can be a part of this historic case. Liberty Counsel is seeking the prayers of its supporters across the nation and world to join in this unprecedented legal battle, in which the Word of God is on trial. Now is the time to get involved.

Please partner with Liberty Counsel and commit to pray that the Supreme Court Justices will recognize the importance of acknowledging and remembering God in the public square. If you are interested in becoming a Defend the Ten Prayer Partner, please visit http://www.defendtheten.org or call Liberty Counsel at 1-800-671-1776 for information.

Fetal Pain Bill Reintroduced (by Pete Winn, associate editor-Citizen-Link)

An important piece of pro-life legislation comes back to Congress. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, a key pro-family legislative priority for the 109th Congress, was reintroduced in the Senate Wed. 26th.The bill S. 51, introduced by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., is similar to a measure that failed to pass the Senate last year. It would require abortion providers to notify any woman seeking an abortion by the 20th week of term of the growing medical evidence [that] the pre-born child can feel "severe and extreme pain" during an abortion procedure. TAKE ACTION Please contact your senators and ask them to co-sponsor S. 51, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.

Hilary Clinton? "I've Always Been a Praying Person?" (Stuart Shepard-Citizen-Link) The liberal Democratic senator from New York makes a startling announcement. At a recent fundraising dinner, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton said there is no constitutional problem with faith-based initiatives, mentioned God more than a half dozen times and noted that she has always been a "praying person." The announcement from the liberal New York Democrat is being met with raised eyebrows in evangelical circles.

Phyllis Schlafly, founder of Eagle Forum, laughed out loud at Clinton's remarks. "I think that shows that the religious people really did win the election last Nov. 2," Schlafly said. "And nobody ever said Hillary Clinton was dumb. She has gotten the message." Clinton, Schlafly added, is shrewdly staking out specific issues where she can appear to look more conservative.

Can't Legislate Morality? (Gary Bauer-American-Values) On the very day when President Bush was being inaugurated for a second term, a federal judge in Pittsburgh struck down the nation's obscenity laws. Relying heavily on Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court decision that overturned state laws against sodomy, Judge Gary Lancaster wrote, "the government can no longer rely on the advancement of a moral code…as a legitimate, let alone compelling, state interest."

The case involved the most vile material I have ever read about. I won't even try to describe it. The government's attempt to keep this material off the streets was laudable and this judge deserves to be impeached.

And Just When Things Seem Too Silly In Philly (By Larry Fish, Philly Inquirer Staff Writer)

Villanova University remembers professor Mine Ener as a teacher, mentor and friend by naming a library room in her memory. But critics say that naming a library study alcove for a woman who killed her handicapped child and later herself would betray the Catholic school's teachings on the sanctity of life.

Senator Reintroduces Federal Marriage Amendment (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) reintroduced a Marriage Protection Amendment in the U.S. Senate on Monday. The proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman didn't go anywhere in the last session of Congress.

Supreme Court Refuses to Take Up "Terri's Law" (CNSNews.com) - As pro-life marchers gathered in Washington to protest the Supreme Court's ruling that legalized abortion, they were dealt another defeat by the high court. The Supreme Court refused to take up the case of a Florida statute that was designed to keep a disabled woman from being starved to death before it was struck down by lower courts.

SENATOR HUTCHISON LAMENTS LOST HEALTH CARE FUNDING (Press Release – Jan. 2005)

In a setback for Texas taxpayers, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced that the State of Texas forfeited $104 million in Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for fiscal year 2002, raising the total lost by the state since 2000 to more than $700 million

SENATOR HUTCHISON NAMED LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR BY EAST TEXAS COUNTIES* (Press Release – January 10, 2005)----- Citing her efforts to create jobs and improve mobility throughout the region, the Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) today named Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) its 2005 Legislator of the Year. http://hutchison.senate.gov/prl554.htm

Look for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to run for Governor of Texas in 2008 (H.W.)

Texas regulators should ban insurance companies from using credit ratings (Texas Watch)

EDITORIAL, Houston Chronicle, January 15, 2005----Are insurers in the Lone Star State using a biased risk analysis that effectively saddles minorities with higher homeowner and auto policy rates? Critics of the so-called credit scoring system say yes, and point to a recently released Texas Department of Insurance study. org/media/hced01http://www.texaswatch1505.htm

QUOTEWORTHY--------‘Religion, morality, and knowledge [are] necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind." The first Congress, (expressed over 200 years ago) in The Northwest Ordinance.

An Astonishing Week Of Christian Triumph! (Christian Voices Heard News Letter) In Louisiana the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the November ballot initiative defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman was legal and binding. In Florida, on the same day the Louisiana Supreme Court handed down its ruling in support of marriage, U.S. District Judge James S. Moody upheld the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This was the first ruling of its kind since Massachusetts started allowing same sex marriage. The same day the pro-Family movement received the good news from Louisiana and Florida in the battle to defend traditional marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal to stop prayers from being offered at the Presidential Inauguration. Indiana joined Louisiana and Florida this week in making a strong stand in favor of traditional marriage. On Thursday the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the state's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is constitutional. Days before the Presidential Inauguration, the Secret Service dropped the ban on "crosses along the parade route. Once again, your Voice has been heard!

Howard Wilson hwilson@texasmoralaction.org