BMAT Moral Action Committee Watchman Report #42 7/29/2005

 

Weakening Families An Anticipated Trend (Bill Fancher-July 22-Agape Press)

A pro-family advocate says she's not surprised with the results of a new study which shows America's traditional family is weakening. The Rutgers University study shows divorce is declining -- but so is marriage.

Meanwhile, co-habiting couples are on the rise; and the U.S. has the highest incidence of single parents. None of these findings comes to much of a surprise to Dr. Janice Crouse of the Beverly LaHaye Institute.

Crouse says couples who co-habit before marriage think they are strengthening their relationship. But she shares that "actually, living together before marriage or instead of marriage is a sure-fire recipe for divorce -- and the study from Rutgers shows that."

According to Crouse, co-habiting couples seldom produce secure relationships -- and that creates victims. "We have so many problems that children and women are experiencing because of the lack of family stability and all of the problems that go with co-habiting households," she states. "[They] are the ones who bear the brunt of these trends." Dr. Crouse has been sounding this alarm for years. "We have the weakest families in the whole Western world," she says, "and we have the highest divorce rates." She adds that anti-family government policies are not helping at all.

 

 

QUOTEWORTHY: ----- "A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." -- Dwight Eisenhower

 

 

Taking The Blame? No, Blame The Takings (Family Research Council by Tony Perkins)

Retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, remarking last week at a judicial conference, mentioned that she had never "seen relations as strained as they are now between the judiciary and some members of Congress." While Justice O'Connor's remarks are certainly true, her further comments laying the blame solely at the feet of Congress are not justified. Respect for the Supreme Court, and the judicial branch in general, is declining among all Americans not because of Congressional action but due to the steady string of questionable decisions coming from U.S. courts.

Within the last few years, both state and federal judges have found it within their power to declare sodomy and gay marriage a "right," the Pledge of Allegiance and certain Ten Commandment displays unconstitutional, and (partial-birth abortion) constitutional. In addition, Sandra Day O'Connor's own Supreme Court - in a decision this past term - declared that American citizens own property at the whim of the government. Congress, by taking action that limits the power of the judiciary on issues like taxes, religious freedom and eminent domain, is not causing the problem but trying to find creative ways to balance the excesses of the judiciary.

 

 

Canada OK's Gay "Marriage," eh? (Family Research Council by Tony Perkins)

The Canadian Parliament voted last week to make Canada the fourth country: (Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium) in the world to allow homosexual "marriage." This reverses the 1999 Parliament vote of 216-55, which reaffirmed the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. Immediately after that loss homosexual activists turned to the courts and strict "hate crime" laws that punish thought to force Canadian legislators to vote on the issue, while leaving Canadian citizens out in the cold. Over the last few years honest debate on homosexual "marriage" has been stifled by "thought crime" legislation that shut down any opposition to the gay agenda. Even a teacher writing a letter to the editor, as Canadian teacher Brian Kempling did, warranted punishment and suspension under Canada's laws.

Many Canadian people of faith have found themselves silenced, unable to even cite Biblical passages without threat of fines or jail time. This repression, surprising in a nation once known for its openness and freedom, coupled with a barrage of lawsuits in Canadian appellate courts, led the Parliament down the aisle to same-sex "marriage," despite opposition from a large number of citizens. This is only further evidence that the U.S. must protect marriage by passing an amendment to the Constitution. It's time for Congress to act before the courts do.

 

 

ISRAEL PLANS SURPRISE EARLY WITHDRAWAL (Jerry Robertson-Middle East Newsline)

JERUSALEM [MENL] -- The government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in an attempt to prevent massive resistance, has ordered the military to prepare for an early withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Officials said Sharon has ordered Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz to prepare the military for an operation that would rapidly remove most of the estimated 10,000 people from the Gaza Strip within days. They said the plans were meant to foil efforts by withdrawal opponents to join residents in resisting their evacuation.

The government has set an Aug. 17 deadline for the start of the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. But officials said Sharon and his senior aides have been alarmed by the capability of withdrawal opponents to recruit tens of thousands of people to stop the military operation.

Earlier last week, about 40,000 opponents confronted by nearly 20,000 police and soldiers; camped for three days in the Negev desert in an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Gaza Strip. Anti-withdrawal activists said they would try again next week.

 

 

Many States Propose Gay Marriage Bans (Christian Coalition)

Marilyn Musgrave's (R-CO) marriage constitutional amendment, H. J. Res 39, and Senator Wayne Allard's (R-CO) marriage constitutional amendment, S. J. Res. 1, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage which will effectively ban homosexual "marriages" in the United States of America.

Four radical Massachusetts Supreme Court judges in a 4-3 decision dictated to the citizens of Massachusetts that homosexuals be allowed to "marry". Since that infamous decision a couple years ago, 18 states have passed constitutional amendments banning homosexual "marriage".

In April of this year, Kansas joined the previous 17 states in passing an amendment by the overwhelming margin of 70%. Last fall, 13 state constitutional amendments banning such "marriages" passed by an average of 71%. Next year, Alabama, South Dakota, and Tennessee will hold elections on constitutional amendments banning homosexual "marriages". There are also such proposals pending in 13 other states. When all of these state pass these amendments, most likely by overwhelming margins, there will be 34 states which ban such "marriages," only 4 states short of the number required to ratify a federal constitutional amendment banning homosexual "marriages".

 

 

Justice Department Launches National Sex Offender Registry (Steve Jordahl,Citizen Link)

Finding out about sex offenders in your neighborhood just got a little easier—with a database to help parents.

How well do you know your neighbors? Are your kids safe walking to school? The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a national online database for identifying and locating sex offenders. The National Sex Offender Public Registry is the first federal effort to alert you to predators.

The Web site, http://www.nsopr.gov, is a compilation of state registries that allows you to not only check your neighborhood, but out of state grandparents' neighborhoods as well, according to Regina Schofield, the assistant attorney general of the Office of Justice Programs.

"With a single query from any Web-capable computer, parents, teachers, daycare providers, coaches—you, I, anybody—we can search for a sex offender throughout the country," Schofield said.

By using the state data, Schofield says the information is more reliable.

"We do depend on the states to put the offenders in the registry," she said. "The states can update their information much quicker and faster than if you were using any federal entity."

But Scott Adams of the National Alert Registry, a for-profit service, says merely compiling state data can lead to critical inconsistencies.

"Every state's different," Adams said, "even the data in this Web site. If you go to Florida and you go to Colorado, it's different information, it's different formatting, it's a different way of looking at it."

He said that could lead to an offender being listed on one state site but not another. Laura Ahearn of Parents for Megan's Law said states need to come to a consensus on how to track sex offenders.

"Really the greater issue here is that we need a more uniform Megan's Law," she said, "and the fact the we see DOJ becoming involved more on a state by state basis might be that step toward that."

At the very least, the registry is a new resource that may help you protect your kids.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit the National Sex Offender Public Registry. Information from 22 states is already included and complete national coverage should be online by December.

 

 

The Texas Sex Offender Registration Online (KLTV-Tyler TX)

The Texas Department of Safety (DPS) has established this Web site as the official Internet source for Sex Offender Registration information. The Sex Offender Registration open record information is extracted from the DPS Sex Offender Registration Database. The DPS maintains files based on registration information submitted by criminal justice agencies and represents a statewide source of information on sex offenders required by law to register. Effective September 1, 1999, the Texas Legislature mandated specific information regarding a sex offender's home telephone number, social security number, drivers license number and any information required by DPS for law enforcement purposes not be open record.

DPS cannot guarantee the records you obtain through this site relate to the person about whom you are seeking information. Searches based on names, dates of birth and other alphanumeric identifiers are not always accurate. The only way to positively link someone to a sex offender record is through fingerprint verification.

For more information: https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/soSearch/default.cfm

 

 

Number Of Jews In Israel Will Soon Pass U.S. Jews (MICHELE CHABIN Religion Journal)


If demographic trends continue, by 2006 Israel will boast the largest Jewish community in the world, according to an Israeli think tank.

The Jerusalem-based Jewish Policy Planning Institute released a report predicting that Israel's Jewish population, which currently stands at 5.24 million, will overtake its counterpart in the United States, where 5.28 million Jews live, within a year.

The report, released July 12, predicted that the Jewish population of Israel will reach 6.23 million by 2020, and that the number of Jews worldwide would reach 13.5 million, up from the current 13 million.

 

 

Canadian National Public Radio Broadcasts Call For State Control Of Religion
(LifeSiteNews.com)

Just as Canada's Senate approached the final vote on the gay 'marriage' bill, (C-38) last week Canada's national public radio CBC Radio aired a commentary by a retired professor from the Royal Military College calling for state control over religion, specifically Catholicism.
While parliamentarians dismissed  warnings by numerous religious leaders and experts that such laws would lead to religious persecution, former professor Bob Ferguson has called for "legislation to regulate the practice of religion."

 "Given the inertia of the Catholic Church, perhaps we could encourage reform by changing the environment in which all religions operate," Ferguson began his commentary in measured tones. "Couldn't we insist that human rights, employment and consumer legislation apply to them as it does other organizations? Then it would be illegal to require a particular marital status as a condition of employment or to exclude women from the priesthood."

Ferguson continued, "Of course the Vatican wouldn't like the changes, but they would come to accept them in time as a fact of life in Canada. Indeed I suspect many clergy would welcome the external pressure."

The former professor pitched his idea as a boon to religious freedom. "We could also help the general cause of religious freedom by introducing a code of moral practice for religions," he said. "They will never achieve unity so why not try for compatibility? Can't religious leaders agree to adjust doctrine so all religions can operate within the code?"

 

 

Quoteworthy: --- Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, [that] he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship. ------------Thomas Jefferson, In his reply to the Committee of the Danbury Baptist Association, in the State of Connecticut, January 1, 1802.

 

 

Congressmen Tom Feeney And Bob Goodlatte Introduce "Reaffirmation Of American Independence" (Christian Coalition)

Addressing Liberal United States Supreme Court's Growing Use of International Law in Making Their Decisions
Congressman Steve Chabot, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, held a legislative hearing on Tuesday on "H. Res. 97 and the Appropriate Role of Foreign Judgments in the Interpretation of American Law."

Among the witnesses was Professor Viet D. Dinh, Georgetown University Law Center.

Judges in the United States are supposed to interpret both the intent of Congress and other legislative bodies and determine whether their work fits within the bounds of the United States Constitution.

The views of foreign legislative organizations are not relevant in determining either the original meaning of the Constitution or the legislative intent of state and federal statutes. As Chairman Chabot stated in a notice of hearing, "...The Declaration of Independence announced that one of the chief causes of the American Revolution was that King George had 'combined to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws.' Thus, many are concerned by a growing number of U.S. Supreme Court opinions citing decisions by foreign courts and treaties not ratified by the United States."

Congressmen Tom Feeney, (R-FL), and Bob Goodlatte, (R-VA), introduced H. Res. 97, the "Reaffirmation of American Independence" to address this growing problem at the Supreme Court. Six Supreme Court justices (John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer) have cited numerous foreign sources to overturn anti-sodomy laws, uphold affirmative action admissions processes, and prohibit the death penalty. Incredibly, they have cited such radical organizations such as the European Court of Human Rights; have cited the European Union, and foreign courts in Jamaica, India, and Zimbabwe, to justify their left-wing decisions.

Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121 or you can go to http://www.cc.org/contactcongress.cfm and urge your Congressman to support the Feeney/Goodlatte "Reaffirmation of American Independence", H. Res. 97.

 

 

Over 400 Eminent Scientists Sign “A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism” (Citizen Link)

SEATTLE, Washington, July 22, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Eighty years after the infamous Scope trials, more than 400 scientists from all disciplines have signed on to a growing list of those who are “skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life.”

“Darwin’s theory of evolution is the great white elephant of contemporary thought,” said Dr. David Berlinski, a mathematician and philosopher of science with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture (CSC). “It is large, almost completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe.”

Discovery Institute first published its Statement of Dissent from Darwin in 2001 and a direct challenge to statements made in PBS’ “Evolution” series that no scientists disagreed with Darwinian evolution.

“The fact is that a significant number of scientists are extremely skeptical that Darwinian evolution can explain the origins of life,” said Dr. John G. West, associate director of the CSC. “We expect that as scientists engage in the wider debate over materialist evolutionary theories, this list will continue to grow, and grow at an even more rapid pace than we’ve seen this past year.”

In the last 90 days, 29 scientists, including eight biologists, have signed the “Scientific Dissent of Darwinism.” The list includes over 70 biologists.

The most recent signatories are Lev V. Beloussov and Vladimir L. Voeikov, two prominent Russian biologists from Moscow State University. Dr. Voeikov is a professor of bioorganic chemistry and Dr. Beloussov is a professor of embryology an Honorary Professor at Moscow State University and a member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.

“The ideology and philosophy of neo-Darwinism, which is sold by its adepts as a scientific theoretical foundation of biology, seriously hampers the development of science and hides from students the field’s real problems,” said Professor Voeikov.

“Lately in the media there’s been a lot of talk about science versus religion,” said West. “But such talk is misleading. This list is a witness to the growing group of scientists who challenge Darwinian theory on scientific grounds.”

The list includes scientists from Princeton, Cornell, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Ohio State University, Purdue and University of Washington among others.

Simultaneous with the public presentation of the list of scientific luminaries, Italian geneticist Giuseppe Sermonti has published his book entitled “Why is a Fly Not a Horse?” which maps what he depicts as a growing scientific case against neo-Darwinism.

 

 

Bible Taught In School To ACLU's Chagrin 300 Public Districts Nationwide


Although the ACLU has declared the practice unconstitutional, the Bible is being used as a textbook in classes taught in 300 school districts nationwide, according to a curriculum provider.

About 1,000 high schools in 35 states are using material produced by the North Carolina-based National Council On Bible Curriculum In Public Schools in classes during regular school hours.

The organization says that while the ACLU is "up in arms" about it, there have been no complaints from administrators, teachers, students or parents.

NCBCPS says 93 percent of all the school boards it has approached to implement the curriculum have accepted it.

"This paradigm shift is not only taking place in the Bible Belt but in school districts in Alaska, California, across the board to Pennsylvania and down to Florida," the organization says.

Elizabeth Ridenour, the NCBCPS's president, explained to WND that people have been duped into believing that when the Bible was "removed" from public schools in 1963, that meant it couldn't be used in any form.

But the U.S. Supreme Court consistently has upheld the teaching of the Bible as literature, as long as it is not employed for devotional purposes or indoctrination.

Mike Johnson of the Alliance Defense Fund told WND that, nevertheless, the ACLU is trying to intervene when any district considers the curriculum.

"They routinely will send a letter to the board and try to imply that what [the schools] are considering is unconstitutional," Johnson said. "Of course, they know that is untrue." Johnson said the ACLU, and its ally People for the American Way, have cited a 1998 court ruling on a Bible curriculum used in Lee County, Florida.

But Johnson points out that the curriculum was a modified version of NCBCPS's that added elements making it unconstitutional, according to the court.

The organization's elective class, "The Bible in History and Literature," examines many aspects you wouldn't expect to find in a Sunday School class, Ridenour said, such as how the Bible influenced America's founding fathers, art, music and literature, including Shakespeare.

"There has been a gap in education," she said. "Unless you have a working knowledge of the Bible, it's difficult to understand our nation's history."

Ridenour notes, for example, that a secular research institute found that 94 percent of the documents that shaped the founding of the United States were based on the Bible. Among those documents, 34 percent of the contents were direct biblical quotations.

The NCBCPS, which has been working with school districts since 1994, says its "amazed at the snowball effect that is taking place across America" as more districts adopt the material.

The organization points to statistics indicating many Americans agree their children's education is deficient.

The evangelical Christian researcher Barna Group said, according to a study this year, 50 percent of Americans agree that children are not well prepared for life intellectually, and 75 percent of adults say children are not prepared morally.

The NCBCPS sees an indication of the Bible's impact in oft-cited statistics showing dramatic increases in unwed pregnancies, cases of sexually transmitted diseases, violent behavior and other social factors since the Bible largely was removed from classrooms in 1963.

The group says its updated 300-page curriculum and a new CD-Rom -- produced by a development studio that works with Dreamworks -- already is being requested by school districts.

Celebrities such as Chuck Norris and his wife Gena, Dean Jones and Tony Dorsett have participated in commercials to promote the project.

NCBCPS also has been invited to promote its materials for the next two years with The Dead Sea Scrolls To America Exhibit touring the country.

 

 

ACLU Tactics Reminiscent Of Chairman Mao (BILL FANCHER-Religion Journal)

The ACLU has gone to court to force reluctant school systems to take part in pro-homosexual promotions and mandatory faculty training.

A pro-family advocate feels the ACLU, in its effort to force the homosexual agenda in American schools, is using the bullying tactics of Chairman Mao to "reprogram" staff and students on the issue of homosexuality.
In California and Kentucky, the American Civil Liberties Union has gone to court to force reluctant school systems to take part in pro-homosexual promotions. Settlement of an ACLU court case in California includes mandatory daylong faculty training on what the legal group calls "diversity, discrimination and harassment, focused primarily on issues pertaining to actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity." And earlier this month in the Bluegrass State, the ACLU accused the Boyd County Board of Education of failing to hold up its end of an agreement to provide mandatory training focused on "sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination."

 

 

QUOTEWORTHY: ------------"Let (Americans) revere nothing but religion, morality and liberty." -- John Adams

 

 

Level Of Perversion On Internet Requires Parents To Install Porn Filtering Protection

(James L. Lambert July 15, 2005 Agape Press Guest Commentary)

Dr. Judith Reisman, noted author and researcher, told me over a year ago that "all is lost on the Internet." She was referring to the enormous impact the smut industry has, attracting vast amounts of traffic to their pornographic websites. The sheer number of such websites is alarming.

In 1996, while conducting research for my book Porn In America, I discovered several reliable sources stating there were an estimated 79,000 pornographic websites on the Internet. Less than ten years later, that figure has swelled to more than 1.4 million sites -- and the number is still growing.

The sex industry is luring millions of visitors to their sites. Because of little, if any, federal oversight, during the last 12 years the level of perversion at those sites has increased notably. In the 1980s and early 1990s, it was somewhat difficult to locate bizarre and extremely graphic porn material in America. This is no longer the case. “Today there are countless websites promoting a gambit of perversions so vile the definitions can’t be used in this article." (HW)

It wasn't too long ago that pornographers were reassuring legislators that minors were protected from these extreme porn sites because access was gained via a credit card. This claim is false -- most sites offer teasers, tours, or free "thumbnail" images that encourage customers to use and pay for access. Commonly, porn peddlers on the Internet work with other webmasters to hyper-link their sites to others that promote fellow members of the porn community.

Another dangerous way pornographers promote their sites or products is through "spamming" of millions of Internet users by blasting out e-mails with attachments -- attachments that often contain viruses.

It is time parents put their children and families first. How? ensuring that their computers have, at the very least, protective filters on them. Millions of Americans are clueless when it comes to this issue. They do not understand the imminent danger this perversion presents to society and their children.

(On a related note: the number of registered sex offenders in the state of California has grown from slightly more than 70,000 in 2000 to more than 103,000 in 2005. Such individuals, who are quite often found to be heavy porn users, frequently use the Internet to seek out their young victims.)

Noted radio talk-show host Paul McGuire has a lot to say about this issue. McGuire talks to a large, diverse audience every weekday afternoon on KBRT in Los Angeles. Many in his audience are Christians, and McGuire regularly addresses everyday issues such as porn.

On Tuesday the Crawford Network radio host had this to say: "To not understand that pornography is one of the greatest spiritual battles of our time is to be part of the Laodecian Church that Jesus Christ [warned Christians of]. Pornography is a spiritual weapon used by the powers of darkness to enslave both children and adults. Pornography is the driving force behind the sexual molestation of children, sexual immorality, abortion, fornication, homosexuality, adultery, rape and divorce. When a parent or a pastor fails to take a strong stand on this issue, they are literally opening the door for the floodgates of hell. That may not be fashionable to say in today's seeker-friendly Christian culture."

McGuire further elaborates: "American Christians need to understand that there is no difference in God's eyes between watching the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Internet and what the men and women were doing in Sodom and Gomorrah."

If McGuire's comments don't convince parents to acquire porn filtering software for their computers, perhaps the following data -- provided by Scott Nelson, vice-president for www.ContentWatch.com -- will persuade them:

All this should convince parents and families of the urgent need to protect themselves from the onslaught of perversion on the Internet. A good way to start is to visit FilterReview.com to see the full range of filtering services available. Now is the time to protect your family!


James L. Lambert, a frequent contributor to AgapePress, is the author of Porn in America (Huntington House), which can be purchased through the American Family Association. He is a licensed real-estate mortgage loan sales agent and can be contacted through his website.

 

 

Kids Exposed To Pesticides On School Grounds (Serena Gordon-HealthDay Reporter Jul 26)
 TUESDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- American children may be exposed to pesticides at school more often than their parents realize, a new study suggests.

Researchers reporting in the July 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association say they found 2,593 acute pesticide-related illnesses associated with exposure in schools occurring between 1998 and 2002. Just last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that roughly 90 percent of Americans carry pesticides in their bodies, the health risks of which are largely unknown.

In this latest study, both students and school employees were affected, and school pesticide use wasn't always to blame. In about 30 percent of the cases, pesticide drift from adjacent farmland was the source of the exposure.

"We looked at surveillance data from three surveillance systems for pesticide poisoning cases from pesticide exposure at school or from drift from neighboring farms, and found approximately 2,500 cases," said study co-author Dr. Geoffrey Calvert, a medical officer with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati.

"Fortunately, most were low severity, such as skin rashes or eye irritation, but we don't want to see any illnesses occurring," he added. Plus, the authors noted that the actual incidence of pesticide-related illnesses may be even higher because some of the symptoms mimic other illnesses and may not be properly diagnosed.

Calvert and his colleagues advised schools to use integrated pest management techniques and try to reduce or eliminate pesticide drift from nearby farms, to reduce the amount of pesticide-related illnesses.

"Far too many cases of acute pesticide poisoning occur among schoolchildren each year. These episodes are preventable," said Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment, and the department of Community and Preventive Medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

"Children are more susceptible to pesticide exposure because they breathe more air pound for pound than adults, they play on the floor, and they live about two feet off the floor, where pesticides linger, rather than five to six feet off the floor like adults," Landrigan added.

Insecticides caused 35 percent of the illnesses, while disinfectants caused 32 percent. Calvert said that disinfectants were included if they contained antimicrobial properties. Thirteen percent of the illnesses were associated with repellants, and 11 percent with herbicides. The remaining 9 percent were attributed to other causes, such as rodenticides or fungicides.

Sixty-nine percent of the illnesses resulted from pesticide use at schools, while 31 percent was attributed to drift from nearby farmland.

"These episodes are occurring far too often, and that's really not acceptable. These episodes are preventable, and parents, educators, school boards and community officials need to take aggressive steps to reduce pesticide exposure," Landrigan said.

More information

The Environmental Protection Agency has more information about integrated pest management in schools.

 

 

Goin' Fishin' (American Values by Gary Bauer)

In most of America "going fishing" brings up images of Mayberry's Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son Opie with their fishing poles heading off to Myers Lake.

In Washington, D.C. "going fishing" instead conjures up the picture of desperate Democrats looking for anything bad to pin on President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, Judge John Roberts.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) indicated he would demand every internal legal memorandum written by the nominee when he served as deputy solicitor general for past Administrations. The ultimate goal is to find among the horde of memos some little tidbit the left can use against the nominee. This is not the first time the Democrats have tried this strategy. Currently the nomination of John Bolton to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations is being held up by a similar strategy. Previously the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals was held up by a similar request for documents from the solicitor general's office.

In response to this outrageous request for privileged memos, every living past solicitor general, both Democrat and Republican, wrote the Judiciary Committee warning that "any attempt (referring to document requests) to intrude into the Office's highly privileged deliberations would come at the cost of the Solicitor General's ability to defend the United States' litigation interests."

These attempts by Senator Schumer using Barney Fife-type tactics exposing privileged documents should be quickly nipped in the bud.

The signs have been posted: No fishing allowed.

 

 

United Church Of Christ Endorses Same-Sex Marriage (Free Market Foundation)

The United Church of Christ (UCC) approved a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage. This is now the largest Christian denomination to openly support gay and lesbian marriages in America.

In their biennial meeting, 80 percent supported the endorsement for equal marriage rights, stating that they believed it was a "positive step." UCC clergy already officiate in same-sex marriages (where legal) and openly ordain ministers regardless of marriage rights, stating that they believed it was a "positive step."

The UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of several different Christian traditions. According to their website, "from the beginning of our history we were a church that affirmed the ideal that Christians did not always have to agree to live together in communion."

There are currently 71 UCC churches in Texas alone.

 

 

Evangelical Churches growing In Iraq (Prophecy Watch)

A Christian mission organization has reported the positive growth of churches throughout Iraq despite the ongoing widespread conflict.

According to Open Doors' Carl Moeller, Iraq is witnessing "a new renaissance of the church in Iraq, both in northern and southern Iraq. We have co-workers that are working in both parts of the country."

Moeller also spoke of openness to the Gospel within the Iraqi people, fuelled by the strong desire for a peaceful settlement to the conflict between insurgents and the US-led coalition. 

"Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, over 15 new evangelical congregations have started in Baghdad alone, and that's a great deal of encouragement to us."

Open Doors is keen for this development to continue and also for the churches to stabilize, emphasizing the need for the churches to anchor themselves in the Word.

He said: "The best we can do, and the best we can pray for is that as the church grows, we're able to provide biblical resources for those new leaders of those congregations so that they can stay grounded in the Word of God."

 

 

Student Punished For Expressing Opposition To Homosexuality (Family Research council)

In an astonishing case that should alarm all who value freedom of speech, William Patterson University in New Jersey has convicted Jihad Daniel, a student employee, of "discrimination" and "harassment" for complaining about an unsolicited e-mail announcing a lesbian-themed film.

In his response to the e-mail, Daniel requested that he not receive any more such e-mails, and referred to homosexuality and lesbianism as "perversions." This response, while blunt, was hardly "harassment." But the professor who sent out the e-mail claimed it was, and accused Daniel of violating university non-discrimination policy because his response "sounded threatening."

The university found Daniel guilty of violating state discrimination and harassment regulations, and a letter of reprimand was placed in his permanent employee file.

Daniel contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which appealed to New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey. Harvey dismissed the complaint, asserting that "speech which violates a non-discrimination policy is not protected" by First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech.

As FIRE notes, Harvey and William Patterson University would do well to recall the words of the U.S. Supreme Court, writing in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, that "freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom."

 

 

The Sleeping Dragon Awakes  (prophecy Watch)

China is building its military forces faster than U.S. intelligence and military analysts expected, prompting fears that Beijing will attack Taiwan in the next two years, according to Pentagon officials.

U.S. defense and intelligence officials say all the signs point in one troubling direction: Beijing then will be forced to go to war with the United States, which has vowed to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack.

China's military buildup includes an array of new high-technology weapons, such as warships, submarines, missiles and a maneuverable warhead designed to defeat U.S. missile defenses. Recent intelligence reports also show that China has stepped up military exercises involving amphibious assaults, viewed as another sign that it is preparing for an attack on Taiwan. 

"There's a growing consensus that at some point in the mid-to-late '90s, there was a fundamental shift in the sophistication, breadth and re-sorting of Chinese defense planning," said Richard Lawless, a senior China-policy maker in the Pentagon. "And what we're seeing now is a manifestation of that change in the number of new systems that are being deployed, the sophistication of those systems and the interoperability of the systems."

China's economy has been growing at a rate of at least 10 percent for each of the past 10 years, providing the country's military with the needed funds for modernization. 

The combination of a vibrant centralized economy, growing military and increasingly fervent nationalism has transformed China into what many defense officials view as a fascist state.

"We may be seeing in China the first true fascist society on the model of Nazi Germany, where you have this incredible resource base in a commercial economy with strong nationalism, which the military was able to reach into and ramp up incredible production," a senior defense official said. 

For Pentagon officials, alarm bells have been going off for the past two years as China's military began rapidly building and buying new troop- and weapon-carrying ships and submarines. 

The release of an official Chinese government report in December called the situation on the Taiwan Strait "grim" and said the country's military could "crush" Taiwan. 

Earlier this year, Beijing passed an anti-secession law, a unilateral measure that upset the fragile political status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The law gives Chinese leaders a legal basis they previously did not have to conduct a military attack on Taiwan, U.S. officials said.

The war fears come despite the fact that China is hosting the Olympic Games in 2008 and, therefore, some officials say, would be reluctant to invoke the international condemnation that a military attack on Taiwan would cause. 

Asked about a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan, the official put it bluntly: "In the '07-'08 time frame, a capability will be there that a year ago we would have said was very, very unlikely. We now assess that as being very likely to be there." 

The advances give the Chinese military "the ability ... to reach out and touch parts of the United States -- Guam, Hawaii and the mainland of the United States," he said.

To better deal with possible future conflicts in Asia, the Pentagon is modernizing U.S. military facilities on the Western Pacific island of Guam and planning to move more forces there.

"Everybody is starting to acknowledge the hard facts," Mr. Pillsbury said. "The China military buildup has been accelerating since 1999. As the buildup has gotten worse, China is trying hard to mask it." 

Richard Fisher, vice president of the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said that in 10 years, the Chinese army has shifted from a defensive force to an advanced military soon capable of operations ranging from space warfare to global non-nuclear cruise-missile strikes. 

"Let's all wake up. The post-Cold War peace is over," Mr. Fisher said. "We are now in an arms race with a new superpower whose goal is to contain and overtake the United States."

 

 

Breaking News: 6:30 AM-Friday, 29, 2005
 Senate leader breaks with Bush on stem cells (JoAnne Allen-Reuters)

In a rare break with President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will throw his support behind a bill to expand research on stem cells derived from human embryos, The New York Times reported early Friday morning.

Bill Frist, a surgeon and close Bush ally, was expected to deliver a Senate speech on Friday announcing his decision to back a stem-cell research bill that was passed by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, the newspaper reported.

Bush has vowed to veto the measure, which aims to greatly increase the number of embryonic stem cells available for federally funded research. But congressional aides said Frist's support could give a huge boost to the already popular bill and give them leverage in negotiations with the White House to avert a veto.

Aides to the Tennessee Republican said they would have no comment before his speech at 9 a.m.

According to the New York Times, Frist will say that while he has reservations over altering Bush's 2001 policy of strictly limiting taxpayer-financed embryonic stem-cell research, he supports the bill the House passed in May.

Frist, a potential 2008 presidential contender, outlined in a 2001 speech his belief in the value of embryonic stem-cell research within certain ethical boundaries. Bush in his veto threat cited moral concerns over the destruction of embryos in obtaining the stem cells. However, Frist said in the speech text that he could reconcile his support for the research with his Christian faith and views that life begins at conception, the Times said

 

 

Howard Wilson hwilson@texasmoralaction.org