Schwarzenegger Asked To Terminate California Gay 'Marriage' Law

SACRAMENTO, September 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As recently as August 2004, the California Supreme Court was nullifying homosexual partnerings that had been recognized illegally in San Francisco. The Court's argument was that state law defined marriage as the exclusive union of a man and a woman. As of this week, however, that statute will no longer stand in the way of homosexual activists working to abolish traditional marriage.

California lawmakers became the first to pass a full-fledged homosexual "marriage" law, after the Assembly confirmed 41-35 the bill passed in the Senate last Thursday. Gov. Schwarzenegger now has 30 days to veto the bill, which redefines marriage as "between two people" rather than "one man and one woman." If he does nothing, it will automatically become law.

In June, the California Assembly had narrowly rejected the bill in a 21-15 vote. The only other state that recognizes homosexual unions is Massachusetts and that move was made by court order overturning the existing law.

Now pro-family groups are looking to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto the bill since he has seen the majority opposition to the proposal and has himself voiced objection to homosexual 'marriage'.  In 2000 61.4% (4,618,673) Californians voted to support Proposition 22 - the Defense of Marriage Act.   While supporting gay domestic partnerings, Schwarzenegger said in a 2003 interview, "I think ... marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."

"We are now calling on Governor Schwarzenegger to do what he said he'd do and represent the people of California," said Karen England of Capitol Resource Institute.  "The governor is the last hope of the people because the legislature has completely disregarded their votes.'  Bill May, Chair of Catholics for the Common Good said his organization "strongly urges Governor Schwarzenegger, as a father and husband, to veto AB 849 and protect marriage and the family for these generations and those to come."

Concerned Women for America commented, "Arnold, it's time to show some muscle."

More Christians Are Feeling Uneasy About John Roberts (Agape Press)

More Christian leaders in the nation's capital are feeling uneasy regarding some of the memos that have surfaced from the background of Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts.
The latest memo to surface shows Judge Roberts cautioned the Reagan administration to quit calling America the "greatest nation God ever created" because, according to Roberts, God did not create nations.

In another memo from that period, Roberts warned to stay away from the "religious right" and said Christian leader Paul Weyrich was "not a friend of ours."

American Values' Gary Bauer is troubled by that. "I'm a close personal friend of Paul Weyrich's, and I found this memo by Judge Roberts to be disturbing, too," Bauer says. "But interestingly, in my conversations with Mr. Weyrich, [I found that] he doesn't take it personally."

Bauer says he hopes the memo was just "the meanderings of a young staffer."

Bork: Abortion Roe v Wade Decision Won't Be Overturned By Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC, September 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Speaking at the National Press Club Tuesday, former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork said that the likelihood that the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision permitting abortion would be overturned within the next ten years is "virtually nil." 

Speaking of Bush Supreme Court nominee John Roberts Bork said, "I simply do not know if he would vote to overturn constitutional mistakes of the past."  Nonetheless Bork contends that Roberts is the best conservatives could hope for.  "They're not going to get any better nominees through," he said.

Bork also expressed criticism of the courts, particularly regarding their politicization.  The Supreme Court "has made itself the most important branch of government," he said.  "Today's hearings are political circuses and there may be no going back,"

Unsettled Precedents (Family Research Council)

With the passing of Judge William Rehnquist all the Supreme Court jurists who decided Roe v. Wade are now deceased, but the controversy that ruling started continues to this day (Justice Rehnquist dissented in the case).

Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) is so focused on the Roe decision that it appears the pro-choice Senator has to invent words to further confuse the issue. The Washington Post reports that Senator Specter asked Judge Roberts if Roe v. Wade set a "super-precedent" since the decision has been followed by 38 Supreme Court rulings meant to refine or clarify its guidelines.

Judge Roberts wisely did not answer the question but the question itself shows how even Senator Specter, a former district attorney, can be misled on what, if anything, the Roe decision settled. That the Supreme Court needed 38 subsequent rulings to "clarify" its holding does not establish Roe as a "super-precedent," but just the opposite.

The ruling in Roe v. Wade exposed what happens when the Supreme Court goes beyond its bounds and creates statutory legislation, thus demanding continuous litigation to clarify the murky ruling.

Judge Roberts would do well to listen to the words of former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork when he sagely advised any nominee, "Don't make it obvious that you think some of the Senators' questions reveal that they haven't a clue about the Constitution or its interpretations."

North Carolina Senate Says 'No' To Lottery (Aug. 25, 2005 Citizen Link)

Those who backed a lottery for North Carolina dropped the issue without a formal vote, after it became clear there was not enough support for it to pass. North Carolina lottery supporters have attempted to pass similar legislation since 1983.

Bible Giveaway Aims To Counter Liberal Agenda In Public Schools
(August 30, 2005 Susan Jones CNSNews.com Senior Editor)

A conservative group, in partnership with an evangelical ministry, plans to give away free Bibles to "lost students in our public schools."

As part of the American Family Association's Truth for Youth campaign, teenagers will distribute special Bibles to their unsaved friends.

According to the AFA, the Bibles consist of the New Testament, along with full-color comics that tell "absolute truths" about issues confronting young people, such as evolution, sexual purity, homosexuality, abortion, pornography, drugs, drunkenness, peer pressure, school violence and secular rock music.

A comic on homosexuality says the notion that people are born that way is "hooey," and it promises that Jesus can save you and change you. Another comic calls secular rock music "wasted words," and another on "safe sex" does not protect against the virus that causes AIDS.

"God's wonderful plan of salvation is incorporated into each of the stories," the AFA said in a press release announcing its Truth for Youth campaign.

Tim Todd Ministries is underwriting the costs of making the Bible available free of charge, and the AFA is urging parents and grandparents to order free Bibles for their teenagers to distribute at school.

Tim Todd, director of the Louisiana-based Revival Fires International, called the Bible distribution a response to the "ill effect" that the liberal agenda is having on young people in the nation's public schools.

Anticipating resistance in some schools, organizers of the Bible giveaway have printed students' legal rights on the back cover of the "Truth for Youth" Bibles. The information informs school administrators and young people that they have the right to give Bibles away on campus during non-instructional time.

Over the past three years, the evangelistic efforts have resulted in the giveaway of more than 155,000 Truth for Youth Bibles on public school campuses, prompting at least 148 young people have surrender their hearts to Christ, the American Family Association said.

Left-Leaning Speakers Take Girl Scouts Stage
(Aaron Atwood, Citizen Link)

The Girl Scouts will celebrate their 50th national session October 7-10, with a duo of pro-abortion, pro-homosexual speakers set to "empower" girls to change the world.

Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Kavita Ramdas will headline the tri-annual session, bringing messages that contradict the values that under gird the Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA) founding promise—that members would "serve God and their country."

Cole has had an acclaimed life as an educator and college president at Spelman College and Bennett College for Women. She has authored several feminist titles and spoken in defiance of Christianity and therapy for homosexuals wanting to get out of the gay lifestyle.

"Despite the fact that some may wish to do so, I am not praying today or any day that lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered folk will somehow get religion and become heterosexuals," she has said.

Ramdas is president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, a world leader in the abortion promotion. Ramdas has promoted the benefits of Roe v. Wade in America and across the globe.

She has called the Bush administration "hostile to women's rights, having re-instated the Global Gag" on "information about and access to contraception, and safe, legal abortions."

Leslie Unruh, president and founder of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, said the inclusion of the two women to address the Girl Scouts represents a hijacking of the group by a minority.

"I feel very sorry for the girls in the Scouts," Unruh said. "I'm outraged. These are strong, courageous young women being used by a very small minority. To take a public health issue such as sexuality and to mix it with such a dangerous approach such as contraceptive-only and not the real empowerment of freedom through purity is dangerous."

This is hardly the first time, though, that the Girls Scouts have veered left in educating their members. GSUSA uses homosexual advocacy literature as their primary source to conclude that girls don't feel safe. The AIDS badge curriculum mentions abstinence once but encourages troops to make posters and host meetings showing the best way to use condoms.

What's more, "On My Honor: Lesbians Reflect on Their Scouting Experience," a pro-gay expose of the lesbian seeds being planted within the Girl Scouts, claims one in three scout leaders is lesbian.

And in 1993, even the founding promise was altered to "serve God* and my country." The asterisk leads to a footnote that reads: "When reciting the Girl Scout Promise, it is OK to replace the word 'God' with whatever word your spiritual beliefs dictate."

Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, said it is obvious the Girl Scouts are going in a new direction.

"If this is the kind of image that Girl Scouts are projecting, then I would say that parents ought to re-think putting their kids in Girl Scouts," he said.

But concerned parents can take heart: An alternative to the Girl Scouts does exist. In 1995, Patti Garibay, a former Girl Scout leader, founded the Ohio-based American Heritage Girls (AHG), a family-friendly spin-off that now has troops in 32 states and an asterisk-free pledge.

"I promise to love God, Cherish my family, Honor my country, and Serve my community," the pledge reads.

"God should not be optional in our lives," Garibay explained, "or in our scouting choices."

TAKE ACTION/FOR MORE INFORMATION
To let Girl Scouts Chief Executive Officer Kathy Cloninger know what you think about the organization's abandonment of its founding principles, visit the CitizenLink Action Center.

Also, to learn more about the American Heritage Girls visit the group's Web site.

The Left's Rant Continues (American Values By Gary Bauer)

The radical Left continued its efforts to exploit, for political gain, the greatest natural disaster America has ever suffered. From one end of the country to the other columnists, editorial writers and politicians aimed their fire at the president, Republicans in general, conservatives and "right-wing" radio show hosts. The quotes are too numerous to mention but one stands out for its absurdity. The editor of the Atlantic Journal Constitution editorial page managed to attack Ronald Reagan for Katrina's death toll, charging that we were taught by the deceased president "and other conservatives… that the poor were simply too lazy to improve their prospects and their misery was their own fault." I must have missed that "lesson" when I worked for Reagan for eight years.

This morning, I braced myself and visited Democraticunderground.com, one of the most popular left-wing websites where thousands of activists share their feelings. Just as I expected, hatred and paranoia were in great supply. Believe it or not, the relief centers in Houston and other cities were being compared to concentration camps. One hyperventilating leftist said that when he watched the buses in New Orleans pick up survivors it reminded him "of watching trains to Auschwitz being loaded." No, I'm not making this up.

Why should we care what these loonies are saying, you might ask? because on the Michael Moore Left there has developed hatred of everything American. The president is compared to Hitler. Our soldiers are described as "storm troopers." Christians are derisively referred to as "fundies." The hatred is deep, ugly and ultimately dangerous

Terminating Terminology, Terminating Life (Family Research Council)

California politicians, including Gov. Schwarzenegger and Sen. Feinstein, held a rally in support of California's $6 billion investment in embryonic stem cell research.

Reports that they back a nationwide ban on "human cloning" were deceptive, however. Under California's plan only "reproductive" cloning would be barred, while "somatic cell nuclear transfer" to create new sources of stem cells would be allowed.

One problem: SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER IS CLONING! Also called "therapeutic cloning", it still creates a cloned human embryo, a new human life. In fact a 2002 cloning report from the National Academy of Sciences points out, "The method used to initiate the reproductive cloning procedure is called either nuclear transplantation or somatic cell nuclear transfer." Tugging at emotional heartstrings and offering empty promises of cures, their rally for human cloning only terminates accurate scientific language and promotes creating human clones for research, a caste system of lesser humans for scientific sacrifice.

Meanwhile, more promising alternatives continue to come forward. This week Harvard scientists showed that embryonic-like stem cells could be made without creating new embryos or harvesting human eggs, both of which are needed for cloning. And in the last few weeks, scientists have reported on adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood, placentas, and bone marrow that have all the advantages of embryonic stem cells, but without the problems of tumor formation found with embryonic stem cells and cloning. If they really cared for patients, they'd forsake cloning and stop terminating the real hope.

Massachusetts Legislature To Take Up Marriage Amendment (Citizen Link)

This measure, as now worded, would allow civil unions.

Massachusetts lawmakers voted Wednesday to convene a constitutional convention next month to debate a proposed amendment that would bar same-sex marriage but allow Vermont-style civil unions.

The motion to reconvene the Legislature as a constitutional convention Sept. 14 passed on a voice vote.

In 2003, the commonwealth's top court, the supreme judicial court, forced same-sex marriage on the Bay State.

Richmond Police Department Continues To Trample On Christian's Rights
(Sept. 4, 2005 Life And Liberty Ministries)

On Friday, September 2, A Christian was once again cited for exercising his First Amendment Rights on a public sidewalk in Richmond, Virginia.

For years the Richmond Police Department has misused its authority and abused law abiding citizens whose only crime is that they take seriously the Scriptural command to share the Gospel in the public square.

This most recent act of harassment was once again perpetrated by Officer Howard Noyse, Badge # 7630.

After two useless "investigations" into their own department, the RPD has done absolutely nothing to rein in this abusive officer.

Every time we are forced to return to court to face fabricated charges, we are vindicated.

Each incident has involved RPD Officers who are on the payroll of abortion clinics located within the city. One must wonder if there is corruption at the higher levels of the RPD for this unbearable situation to go on year after year.

QUOTEWORTHY: ------- "We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave it bereft of belief. All are free to believe or not believe; all are free to practice a faith or not. But those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief."--Ronald Reagan, Aug. 23, 1984

Muslim Preacher Wants TV Recruits Throughout Australia (Prophecy Watch)

A firebrand Muslim preacher who plans to set up a TV channel to convert Aborigines to Islam has been given unfettered access to Australia.

Controversial American cleric Sheik Khalid Yasin, who says husbands can beat unruly wives and that all Australians should become Muslims, has already raised tens of thousands of dollars in donations. 

He works for Britain's Islamic Information Network and regularly visits Australia on a multiple-entry visa. 

He is now trying to establish the Islamic satellite TV station based in Sydney. 

Sheik Yasin, a former Vietnam veteran who was inspired to adopt Islam after the murder of Black Muslim leader Malcolm X, hates Western music, is skeptical of democracy, wants to convert indigenous peoples to Islam, and believes the Koran allows gays to be executed.

Parents Lose Appeal For Right To Have Their Child Resuscitated

PORTSMOUTH, August 26, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The parents of Charlotte Wyatt, the child with serious lung damage who doctors predicted would not live past her first weeks of life, have been denied an appeal of a do-not-resuscitate order by the UK’s Court of Appeal.

Darren and Debbie Wyatt presented letters from their physicians at the hearing Thursday, citing evidence that Charlotte had made "remarkable progress," according to a BBC report.

Portsmouth Hospital Trustees went to court to make sure that when Charlotte had a breathing crisis she would not be ventilated, on the grounds that her life was overly burdensome and should not be prolonged.

In the original ruling that denied Charlotte the right to resuscitation, Justice Hedley wrote that he did not believe "any further aggressive treatment, even if necessary to prolong her life, is in her best interests."

Cornyn, Kyl Introduce Comprehensive Border Security, Immigration Reform Bill
(U.S. Sen. John Cornyn)

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Chairman of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security subcommittee, introduced comprehensive border security and immigration reform legislation on Tuesday.

The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005 will, S.1438, dramatically strengthen enforcement, bolster border security, and comprehensively reform our immigration laws. The key components of the bill include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability, and reform that address temporary workers and the current illegal population.

"This bill strengthens our border enforcement and comprehensively reforms our immigration system," Sen. Cornyn said. "We need both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws."

Sen. Kyl said: "People rightfully ask: if the current laws at the border and at the workplace are not being enforced, why should we believe new laws will be? Our bill answers that question by putting in place both stringent legal requirements and the assets necessary to ensure that we can control the border and prevent illegal hiring in the United States."

As senators from Texas and Arizona, Cornyn and Kyl represent approximately 85 percent of the nation’s southern border. In preparation for the bill, the two Senators have carried out a thorough review of the nation’s immigration laws this year, including chairing seven hearings on various aspects of the issue.

"In the past, we have not devoted the funds, the resources, or the manpower to enforce our immigration laws or protect our borders," Cornyn said. "The bill we are introducing is based on the rule of law, and our need to restore enforcement of our laws. We must enact laws capable of strong enforcement, and our laws must be fair, requiring all undocumented individuals to go through the legal process."

"Beyond the notion of returning the rule of law to the border, the single most important aspect of this bill is that it does not reward those who have broken the law, and does not constitute amnesty," Sen. Kyl said. "As a nation, we have made both of those mistakes and learned from them – they are the reason we now have an undocumented population as high as 15 million."

Click here to read more about S. 1438: http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/immigration/

No Way To Treat Our Soldiers (Sept. 7, 2005- Phyllis Schlafly)

Gallant Americans are risking life and limb in Iraq to defend Home and Country. But they never dreamed they might lose their children, too.

When Army National Guard Spc. Joe McNeilly of Grand Ledge, Michigan came home after 15 months in Iraq, he found that a family court "referee" had taken away his joint custody of his 10-year-old son and given full custody and control to the boy's mother.

For five years, McNeilly had had a 50-50 no-problem custody arrangement with his ex-girlfriend Holly Erb. When called up to go to Iraq, he gave her temporary full custody while he was overseas.

While he was gone, Erb persuaded a family court to make her full custody permanent. When McNeilly protested, he was told that his year-long absence constituted abandonment and produced custody "points" against him.

"You want to make a soldier cry, you take his son away," McNeilly said. "It's devastating."

Michigan State Representative Rick Jones became interested in this outrageous injustice. When he contacted the Judge Advocate General's office, he discovered that there are 15 to 20 similar cases in Michigan and it is a common problem all over the country.

Rep. Jones has introduced legislation (H.B.5100) providing that absences for military service cannot be used against a parent and that a permanent custody arrangement cannot be established while a parent is on active duty. He is hearing from legislators in other states who want to sponsor similar bills

Islamic Militants Force Churches To Close (CWNews)

There is more bad news, from the island of Java, Indonesia. There, Islamic militants have forced 35 churches near the city of Bandung to shut their doors in the past month.

The attacks began after a meeting of the country's top Islamic clerical group in late July. Muslim leaders complained to the Indonesian Islamic Council about the growth of Christianity in western Java.

The Council then issued an edict: it said religious pluralism is un-Islamic and that non-Muslims do not have the same rights as Muslims.

Home Schooling Survives Opposition As Growing Numbers Opt In
(Jim Brown September 2, 2005 Agape Press)

Mike Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), is hailing the measurable success and growth of the home-schooling movement in America, even amid the challenges that movement has faced and still faces. Of all those challenges, he points to increasing government regulation as the largest hurdle home-schooling families will have to encounter in the coming years.

Some convincing facts in support of home schooling are available to parents weighing that option for their families. For instance, on college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT, home-school students score much higher than their public-school counterparts. And on the average standardized achievement test, home-school kids continue to score 20 to 30 percentile points higher than other students.

However, Smith points out that achievement tests are by no means the toughest thing home-school students have to confront today. He says home-educated kids and their parents are laboring under burdensome regulations in many parts of the country, often being required to file copious paperwork and lesson plan documentation according to rigorous and complicated guidelines.

Meanwhile, the HSLDA spokesman notes, home-school advocates have met with legislative stonewalling while some state officials tried to create even more obstacles for home-schooling families. "In both New York and Pennsylvania," he asserts, "we've been rejected three years running now to get some good legislation through; and this year we found that in the states of Montana and Idaho and several other states, there was some negative legislation introduced, trying to tighten up on home education."

Fortunately, Smith says, "the home schoolers turned out en masse, and that didn't happen." But he emphasizes that government oversight of home schooling has only increased over time and poses an ongoing challenge for home-educating families to remain vigilant.

According to Smith, religious and moral convictions continue to be the main reasons increasing numbers of American families are choosing to home school their children. Still, he says many home-schooling parents with gifted or special needs children also made that choice because they felt individualized instruction was the best way to go.

Displaying The American Flag Comes Under Fire (Sept. 7, 2005 Liberty Counsel)

Orlando, FL – Nancy Maddox, the owner of Peacock Home Collection, located in Orlando Florida, has been cited by City of Orlando Code Enforcement Bureau for displaying the American flag in the windows of her business. Ms. Maddox has now obtained the representation of Liberty Counsel, a national litigation, education and policy organization.

Nancy Maddox is the daughter of a United States Veteran of three Foreign Wars and the wife of a federal agent who has served our country for 25 years. Nancy founded her business upon the proud principles of the American dream. She believes that those who fight to defend the United States have afforded her the privilege to live safely each day. To honor our military heroes, Ms. Maddox displayed a small American flag, no bigger than 34 ½ inches by 23 inches, in each of the 15 windows at the home furnishings company. The flags are temporarily being displayed in observation of the following holidays: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, V-J Day (the surrender of Japan), Labor Day, and Patriots Day (9-11). City officials cited Ms. Maddox and have now ordered her to remove the flags. A violation hearing is scheduled for September 14, 2005.

Erik Stanley, Chief Counsel of Liberty Counsel, has sent a letter to the City demanding that the citation be rescinded. The demand letter points out the procedural defects in the citation and also warns that the sign ordinance is unconstitutional.

Mathew D. Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, stated: "I am astounded that the City of Orlando would reprimand anyone for displaying the American flag. We should encourage patriotism, not punish it."

If the City proceeds with enforcement action, Liberty Counsel will file suit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the sign ordinance.

How Did Your Legislators Measure Up This Session? (Free Market Foundation)

Texas Eagle Forum released its legislative scorecard, which rates Texas legislators based on voting records. State representatives and senators were scored based upon how they voted on key issues including private property rights, abstinence education, marriage, immigration, truth in taxation, gambling, parental rights and abortion. Of the 181 elected officials, only 11 legislators were commended for their conservative voting record. CLICK HERE to see how your legislators ranked.

Bill To End The Visa Lottery!
House Immigration Subcommittee Overwhelmingly Approves Bill to End the Highly Abused Diversity Visa Lottery!

Earlier this week, we requested phone calls in support of Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) bill to end the highly abused diversity visa lottery program.  Those calls were effective!   The House Immigration Subcommittee approved the Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act (H.R. 1219) today by voice vote, clearing the way for full Judiciary Committee consideration.

The diversity visa lottery awards over 50,000 green cards each year based on the luck of the draw with virtually no consideration of the skills, education or other characteristics that might be of value to the United States or the U.S. economy.  The program is riddled with fraud, highly abused by illegal aliens, and has been used in the past by would-be terrorists.

The removal of this controversial program will help ensure our nation's security, make the administration of our immigration laws more consistent and fair, and help reduce immigration fraud and opportunism.

H.R. 1219 currently has 39 cosponsors, including seven Democrats.  Rep. Goodlatte sponsored similar legislation in the 108th Congress.  That bill was approved by the House Judiciary Committee, but never reached the House floor for a vote.

Continue Praying For Hurricane Evacuees (FMF)

As the situation in the Gulf Coast continues to worsen, our prayers, as well as many others from Texans across the state, go out to all the evacuees and victims of the terrible disaster. For those who have relocated to Texas, we hope you can find comfort and a home here.

Howard Wilson hwilson@texasmoralaction.org