Chicago Judge Ruled Embryos are Human-Beings (Free Market Foundation)
A controversial decision on whether or not parents could file a wrongful-death lawsuit against a Chicago fertility clinic for accidentally destroying a frozen embryo has resulted in a pro-life victory.
On Friday, Feb. 4th Judge Jeffrey Lawrence II ruled that a "pre-embryo is a human being whether or not it is implanted in its mothers womb." This groundbreaking decision is the first ruling of its kind and could greatly affect the constitutionality of embryonic stem cell research.
Philly 5' lose round in federal Court (Life and Liberty Ministries) Prosecutors get away with calling defendants' words 'hateful' In another blow to the "Philly 5" – the Philadelphia Christians facing possible 47 year jail terms for evangelizing at a homosexual event – a federal judge has refused a request to stop the local prosecution of the group.
Supporters of the defendants, known as "the Philadelphia 5," are encouraging concerned Americans to contact the Department of Justice to urge officials there to take action against the city of Philadelphia for allegedly violating the civil rights of the protesters.
A notice on the http://www.repentamerica.com states, "Encourage the U.S. Department of Justice to get involved by contacting Chief Albert Moskowitz in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at 202-514-4540, and Chief Shanetta Brown-Cutlar in Special Litigation at 202-514-6255." A general E-Mail address: mailto:AskDOJ@usdoj.gov is listed on the department's website.
In Defense of the Ten Commandments (FRC Washington Up-Date With Tony Perkins)
Family Research Council and Focus on the Family last week filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court case of Van Orden v. Berry, one of the two cases before the Court this term challenging the display of the Ten Commandments on public property. Van Orden involves a display on the Texas State Capitol grounds--which consist of 22 acres and contain a wide array of monuments, plaques and seals--depicting the secular and religious history of Texas.
It was a gift given by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1961. At that time, the Ten Commandments were still widely thought of as foundational principles and the basis of our criminal laws.
The purpose of the donation was "to promote youth morality and to help stop the alarming increase in delinquency." Neither the lower federal court nor the U.S. Court of Appeals believed the display violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment; however, the plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This case, along with McCreary County Kentucky v. ACLU of Kentucky, the other Ten Commandments case, which FRC has also filed a brief in, are two of the most important cases before the Supreme Court this term.
What the high court decides will define--or perhaps redefine--your rights as a Christian in America and may further erode America's moral foundation. Pray for the Supreme Court justices who will decide this case. Pray for America!
Kansas, First in 2005 to Protect Marriage (Citizen-Link)
The Kansas House approved a marriage protection amendment to the Kansas Constitution. The measure passed by a vote of 86-37, three more than the two-thirds majority necessary. The amendment now goes before the citizens of Kansas on April 5. Kansas law has recognized only marriages between one man and one woman since 1867.
FBI Investigates Pastor's Sermons (Citizen-Link)---- The FBI investigated a Southern Illinois pastor for two sermons he preached in a series about controversial "life issues," according to Baptist Press. Pastor Randy Steele, of Southwest Christian Church in Mt. Vernon, Ill., got a phone call last November from the FBI as he was preparing to meet with a grieving family. The FBI apparently asked for a meeting with him, and when two agents showed up, they reportedly presented the pastor with a file relating to a sermon he preached on Memorial Day.
That sermon was about abortion. Steele said he was told that an anonymous informant had contacted the bureau because the sermon mentioned a Granite City, Ill., abortion clinic and someone misinterpreted the minister's comment that the war against abortion was "a different type of war," but a war nevertheless. Steele said he was not advocating violence against any clinic -- and the sermons were clear about that. The agents dropped their inquiry after seeing the sermon.
U.S. Senate Republican Leaders Attempt to End Filibusters ( Free Market Foundation)
According to recent press leaks, Senate Republican leaders are rumored to be enacting a pro-active plan, known as the "nuclear option," designed to allow each judicial candidate to opportunity to get an up or down vote in the Senate. This plan seeks to prevent the filibusters, which occurred for the first time in the last congressional session. Between January 2003 and January 2005, Senate Democrats effectively blocked 10 of Bush's 34 nominees by extending debate in order to buy time and prevent an up or down vote.
Criminal Charges Reinstated Against New Paltz Mayor Jason West (Liberty Council)
Village of New Paltz, NY - Judge J. Michael Bruhn with the Ulster County Supreme Court in New York reinstated 24 misdemeanor counts against Mayor West for illegally solemnizing the marriages of two dozen same-sex couples. A town court judge had dismissed the charges, citing alleged constitutional problems with marriage laws that limit marriage to the union of a man and a woman. The Supreme Court, in reversing the town court decision, explained that whether Mayor West believes the laws are unconstitutional is irrelevant. As a public official, he took an oath to uphold the law and has no authority to pick and choose which laws he will follow.
Colorado Senate Considers Protections for Sexual Deviance (Mona Passignano, state issues analyst-Citizen-Link) Homosexual activists are pushing for special protections to be added to Colorado law. Advocates of special rights for homosexuals have been diligently lobbying the Colorado Legislature to get a law in place that provides special protection to gay, lesbian and transgendered people. Senate Bill 28, known as the employment nondiscrimination bill, seeks to radically alter the workplace -- and could even affect your child's school.
The Colorado Senate will soon vote on SB 28, which would add "sexual Religious organizations and associations are exempted from the provisions of this bill, but only if they do not receive any public funding. Clearly, the ramifications of such a proposal are far-reaching: Men dressed as women could be teaching at public schools and religious organizations participating in President Bush's faith-based initiative could be at risk through their receipt of public funds. Sexual behavior does not merit the protection currently afforded on the basis of race, religion or disability. Homosexual activists have been calling the Capitol to show their support for this bill. To this point, pro-family Coloradoans have been silent.
QUOTEWORTHY: ---------------------------------------------- "If we and our posterity reject religious instruction and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us, that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity." -- Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
Its time Obscenity Laws are enforced (FRC-Washington up-Date with Tony Perkins)
We know there are huge profits in porn, but why would companies enter such a risky business? After all, federal criminal law prohibits cable and satellite providers from distributing hardcore, obscene material. The answer lies with the U.S. Department of Justice, which has done little for more than 12 years to prosecute those who distribute illegal pornography by cable or other means.
The department's look-the-other-way attitude has deprived citizens of their right to have duly enacted criminal laws enforced, and it has contributed mightily to the decline of our culture. We can tolerate this no longer. the Department of Justice has a new attorney general, Alberto Gonzales. During his Senate confirmation hearings, Gonzales expressed his willingness to enforce laws against illegal pornography. As soon as he takes office, FRC will press him to make good on this commitment.
Education Chief Fires Salvo Out at PBS (Steve Jordahl, Family In Focus News) The Education Department is demanding a refund from the Public Broadcasting System for a TV show for kids that includes a homosexual couple. Dr. James Dobson and Focus on the Family aren't the only ones concerned about the use of cartoon characters to desensitize children to homosexuality. U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has denounced an episode of the PBS show "Postcards from Buster" in which the cartoon bunny of the title visits a lesbian couple in Vermont.
The episode hasn't aired yet, but Spellings thought the introduction of a gay family to young children on public television was out of bounds. In fact, she's demanding that PBS return the $77,000 in taxpayer dollars used to produce the episode. Why are pro-family groups and the U.S. government so concerned? Psychology professor Warren Throckmorton of Grove City College said advocates of homosexuals are targeting kids with cartoon characters like Buster, SpongeBob SquarePants and others. and people tend then to associate those positive feelings with your message." And parents and family groups are right to speak out about it.
Howard Wilson
hwilson@texasmoralaction.org