Watchman #73

The Texas Lottery Commission has pulled down the agenda item that could have legalized VLTs (gambling machines) in Texas without having Legislative approval. This is the unscrupulous way that VLTs were approved in Iowa.

We should all praise the Lord Jesus for this and be grateful to all who have been in prayer over this issue.

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Ringing Endorsements of Marriage

MAR.1 2006 Tony Perkins Family Research Council

Pro-marriage forces have never lost a state-wide referendum defending marriage. The strength of protecting marriage is that it appeals to voters of all political persuasions, all races and religions, and both sexes. Nineteen states have thus far enacted measures to protect marriage. A number of propositions are already headed for the ballot this year. These include Alabama (spring), and Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia, all this fall. The Wisconsin and Maryland legislatures are still in session, considering ballot proposals. Also still to be resolved are marriage measures in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Illinois. FRC's Vice President for Policy, Peter Sprigg, testified today in Annapolis, Md., in behalf of a late attempt in the Free State's Senate to put marriage protection on the ballot in that normally liberal state. In Wisconsin, the state Assembly voted 62-31 yesterday to let the voters decide the issue. Six Badger State Democrats there joined Republicans in Madison to approve the measure.

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Conference tackles 'War on Christians'

Mar. 1 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

D.C. event on 'values voters' features Brownback, DeLay, Schlafly, and Keyes

A first-of-its-kind conference on "The War on Christians" will be held in Washington, D. C., this month to examine attacks from the news media, Hollywood, courts and activist groups.

Conference convener Vision America says "The War On Christians And The Values Voter in 2006" will be the first "to consider the savage and accelerating" attacks by groups such as the ACLU and Anti-Defamation League.

Speakers at the March 27-28 event will include Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas; conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly; radio host Janet Parshall; and former Republican presidential candidates Gary Bauer and Alan Keyes.

"During the past Christmas season, the airwaves were abuzz with talk of the war on Christmas," said Don Feder, a former syndicated columnist and the spokesman for the event. "Yet efforts to purge Christmas from the culture are but one aspect of a coordinated campaign against Bible-believing Christians."

Feder says that while the mainstream media may not "get it," a December poll by Fox News showed 59 percent of Americans believed "Christianity is under attack" in the United States.

Panels at the conference include "The Gay Agenda: America Won’t Be Happy," "The ACLU And Radical Secularism: Driving God From The Public Square," "Hollywood: Christians Through A Distorted Lens," "Jews Confront The War On Christians," "The Judiciary: Overruling God" and "The Media: Megaphone For Anti-Faith Values."

Vision America was founded in 1998 by Rick Scarborough with the aim to "inform and mobilize pastors and their congregations to become salt and light, becoming pro-active in restoring Judeo-Christian values in America."

Scarborough was senior pastor of from 1990 to 2002 of First Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas, near Houston. He drew national attention in 1992 when he exposed the contents of an assembly program on AIDS at the local high school in which a young woman candidly discussed many sex acts and expressed the opinion – presented as fact – that "safe sex" was attainable by using condoms.

Scarborough recorded the assembly and made transcripts available to his congregation the following Sunday morning. The resulting furor caught the eye of national media.

In the following months, the pastor mobilized his congregation and members began running for public office and volunteering for various political activist organizations. In 1996 he published the Book "Enough is Enough; a Call to Christian Involvement."

The advisory board of Vision America includes Christian leaders such as D. James Kennedy, Don Wildmon, Jerry Falwell, Adrian Rogers and Laurence White, a Lutheran minister who serves as the national co-chairman along with Scarborough.

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No challenge to Roe foreseen in Texas

Feb 26 2006 Lisa Falkenberg Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

Foes are content to chip away, let other states wage costly, risky fight

AUSTIN - The GOP-led Texas Legislature hasn't been quiet about its opposition to abortion or shy about restricting women's access to it.

In recent years, lawmakers have required parental consent, a 24-hour waiting period, state-directed counseling and state funding for abortion alternatives.

All this, according to some abortion rights groups, makes Texas one of 21 states most likely to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever gives them the chance.

But with South Dakota lawmakers last week approving the nation's most rigid abortion ban — designed to challenge the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion — one might wonder: Is Texas ready to take it that far?

The answer, according to several of Texas' most ardent abortion foes, is no. Though they may admire South Dakota's gusto, most think a law blatantly violating Roe v. Wade at this point is hasty, risky and too brazen for Texas to attempt.

"Personally, I focus on passing good legislation and undertaking fights I can win," said Rep. Will Hartnett, a Dallas Republican. "I would try to pick something that would have a better chance of making it than the broad-brush South Dakota legislation."

Hartnett said he wouldn't be surprised if someone files a bill in the legislative session starting in January that flouts Roe, just to "join the crusade." But he'd be surprised if it got wide support.

Texas abortion foes say they'll watch closely what happens in South Dakota. The bill, which would ban all abortions except to save a mother's life, is awaiting the governor's signature. Seven states have introduced abortion bans to replace Roe, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "protect reproductive choices."

Those in Texas' anti-abortion camp say they're content to let other states take the lead on picking an expensive court fight over Roe. In Texas, abortion opponents are encouraged by their strategy of chipping away at abortion, one restriction at a time, hoping to end the practice with a whimper rather than a bang.

"I'm not saying we don't support a total ban. It's just not realistic at this point," said Elizabeth Graham, director of the Texas Right to Life Committee. "We would much more prefer to pass a law that saves 5,000 lives than go for something that will never be passed."

Graham said her group's success depends on support from Republicans and Democrats.

"For us to push an outrageous, though noteworthy, goal like that, I think would dismantle some of the bipartisan support," she said.

Some abortion rights advocates aren't so sure.

"I don't think we're that far away from seeing something like that," said Sarah Wheat, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, referring to an abortion ban. "I think there would be public outcry, and I think they would immediately hear from the majority of Texans who think it should remain safe and legal. But we have a lot of really right-wing legislators who I think would not think twice about supporting an extreme ban on virtually all access to abortion."

Wheat also points out the anti-abortion stance of top Republicans.

In a questionnaire released last week by Texas Alliance for Life, several statewide officials, including Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Attorney General Greg Abbott, indicated their support of the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Some wonder whether Texas would even need a new abortion ban since the old state abortion laws that Roe struck down were never repealed by the Legislature and may be still "on the books," ready to be activated if the high court returns abortion control to the states.

The status of the old abortion laws is something of an unsolved mystery among legal experts and lawmakers on both sides of the abortion issue.

"That's the $64,000 question," says Peggy Romberg, an abortion rights advocate and CEO of the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of Texas. "I don't know if anyone's certain or not whether we'd immediately go back to pre-Roe. I'd like to believe that nothing would be as rigid as our old law."

The laws, which the high court found unconstitutional in 1973, banned all abortions except to save a woman's life.

Some lawmakers say they have recent copies of the penal code that still contain the laws, but the laws are not included in the version of the Texas penal and civil codes available on the Legislature's Web site.

Many legal experts contend the laws were "repealed by implication," meaning they were nullified when new laws, such as the ones regulating abortion clinics or requiring parental consent, contradicted them.

In 2004, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans agreed.

The judges threw out an appeal to reopen Roe v. Wade, in part because the Texas laws that once criminalized abortion no longer exist.

The appeal was brought by Norma McCorvey, once known by the pseudonym Jane Roe, now a converted Catholic and anti-abortion activist.

Rep. Warren Chisum, a Republican from Pampa, says he can settle the issue.

He says he researched the old laws and determined they were in fact nullified by newer laws.

"Since we went in there and started regulating abortion, we in fact approved abortion," Chisum said. "I don't think very many people understand that if Roe were overturned tomorrow, we would be one of the few states that has legalized abortion."

Chisum said he became concerned about the issue and last session filed what's known as a "trigger law," which would stand ready to outlaw abortion in the event that the high court overturns Roe.

Chisum's bill didn't get out of committee last session, in part because he said leadership had its hands full with other controversial issues, but he said he'll refile the bill next session and expects a better reception.

The bill reads, in part: "It is the policy of this state that life, including unborn life, is protected from the point of conception." It calls for abortion to be banned, except to save the life of the mother, about two months after the attorney general announces that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

Lawmakers, experts and activists all caution that it could take years for a worthy test of Roe to reach the Supreme Court and that there's no way to tell what kind of case, or how the high court will respond.

Abortion opponents say they're encouraged by the movement in South Dakota, and both sides are following the Supreme Court's recent decision to consider whether to reinstate Congress' 2003 ban on what foes call partial-birth abortion.

A decision would be the first look at how the Supreme Court, with its two new members, views abortion law.

lisa.falkenberg@chron.com

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Supreme Court Does It Again! Declaring that Christians are not racketeers!

Feb. 28 Christian Newswire

CHARLOTTE, NC, Response from Rev. Flip Benham, National Director of Operation Rescue/Save America to today's US Supreme Court decision on NOW v. Scheidler:

"In its second decision in three years, the Supreme Court of the United States of America has once again flattened the radical pro-abortion industry’s attempt to criminalize Christianity," said Rev. Flip Benham, National Director of Operation Rescue/Save America. "In another death blow, the Supremes handed the fanatics in the National Organization of Women (NOW), Planned Parenthood, and the abortion industry in general, their death certificate." Will this end their incomprehensible rage and fury against Christianity? Not hardly!

For 20 years now, they (NOW, Planned Parenthood, et. al.) have dragged gentle Christians through the mud of the media and our nation’s court system in depositions, trials, and various outrageous hearings, costing them (the Christians) millions of dollars. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Christians who lived out their faith at abortion mills were not racketeers. "We rejoiced!" said Rev. Benham, "But even the Supreme Court could not abate the frenzy and fierceness of the abortion industry."

NOW's trickery relied on the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, used predominantly in criminal cases against organized crime. Their attempt was to label and libel gentle Christians, living out their Christian faith at abortion mills, as racketeers!

Today, in a unanimous 8-0 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled that federal extortion and racketeering laws cannot be used to ban Christians from living out their faith in the streets. This decision has now, and forever, declared that Christians are not racketeers!

The real purpose of NOW v. Scheidler was to tarnish the name of Jesus Christ and His image-bearers. It was a systematic attempt to paint every gentle Christian who went to an abortion clinic to save babies, as a wild-eyed lunatic bent on blowing up abortion mills and shooting abortionists. With the help of the media, the lawsuit did accomplish this purpose, but it could not stop the song. The song goes on! The True Life Giver continues on, until one day abortion will be shoved into its grave.

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Please, Please Find A Compromise on Port Security!

Feb. 23 2006 Gary Bauer American Values

Okay, I admit it – I’m depressed. It is beyond painful to watch Republicans in Congress and the president “bleeding” politically on the issue of national security – an issue that has been their “strong suit” since the terrible morning of September 11, 2001. It is depressing to see “pols” like Senator Hillary Clinton repositioning herself to the right of the president on an issue where she has no credibility. It is doubly depressing because it all could have been avoided. Even the White House concedes it should have briefed Congress sooner.

Congressional Republicans, unless they are in very safe districts, can’t go along with the port deal. A veteran Republican strategist put it this way: “No member of Congress is going to risk a TV ad run by their opponent showing Arab street thugs burning American flags and waving AK-47s superimposed over port icons like the Statue of Liberty.” That strategist has it right. In the modern era of politics, 30-second sound bites rule the day.

Late into the night, the White House was putting out papers making the case for our relationship with the United Arab Emirates. The UAE donated $100 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, for example. We are working with them closely on a number of terrorism-related issues. But the facts are the same: the UAE banking system served as a conduit for funds for Al Qaeda operatives involved in the September 11th attacks. Nine of the hijackers went through Dubai on their way to the U.S. The UAE was one of only three nations to recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In fact, today’s Washington Times reports this disturbing information:

“During [Osama] bin Laden's stay in Afghanistan…some of the United Arab Emirates' upper crust, known as emirs, visited him. …In fact, the presence of the United Arab Emirates rulers at the camp gave the Clinton administration second thoughts about ordering an air strike to kill bin Laden, more than two years before the attack on the United States. …The Clinton administration was so concerned about the emirates' cozy ties to bin Laden that one official called a United Arab Emirates political leader to complain. Weeks later, the camp was dismantled, and bin Laden disappeared. The implication was clear: Someone in the United Arab Emirates tipped off bin Laden, the United States' most-wanted fugitive, who then was planning the September 11 attacks.”

Even if there has been progress in the UAE since September 11th, and I believe there has been, isn’t it reasonable to assume that Islamofascists in the country have infiltrated key government ministries? Is this deal what one would expect during a time of war? I have tremendous confidence in the president, but this issue is hurting him and his best friends in Congress. It is increasing the likelihood that both the House and the Senate will be under the control of Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

So here is my plea: Find a compromise now! Announce an additional 45-day review of the transaction. Appoint an American board of governors that will stand between the UAE company and port operations so that sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. And, finally, Mr. President: fire someone! You should have been told about this decision before it was made.

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Mississippi Action approves an abortion ban similar to that of South Dakota

MAR.1 2006 Tony Perkins Family Research Council

Mississippi Democrats embrace life. Southern Democrats have always, for the most part, been conservative. But in Mississippi it appears that the majority-Democratic House is more committed to the life issue than the Republican-controlled Senate. The House approved a genuine human cloning ban that died in the Senate. Now a House committee has approved an abortion ban similar to that of South Dakota that prohibits all abortions except to save the life of the mother. That measure will go to the full House for a vote in the next few days. We can expect to see more state lawmakers step out and create policy on important life and family issues that reflects their constituents. That is exactly why elected representatives of the people should set policy and not unelected judges. What is left to be seen is who will provide the leadership. Will the Republican Party that has rightly complained about judicial activism take the first step crafting policy initiatives regardless of what the courts might say? Mississippi may hold the answer. I applaud lawmakers regardless of party affiliation, who will stand on the side of life and family. If you live in Mississippi, please contact your state representative and state senator and ask them to support this pro-life measure.

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Families Sue to Opt Their Kids Out of School-Mandated Pro-Homosexual Seminar

February 28, 2006 Jim Brown Agape Press

A federal judge has prohibited students from opting out of mandatory pro-homosexual diversity training in one Kentucky school system. District Judge David Bunning says students in Boyd County Schools have no religious or free-speech right to opt out of a yearly seminar aimed at preventing anti-homosexual harassment.

The diversity training for staff members and middle school and high school students is the result of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of a Gay-Straight Alliance Club that is now permitted to meet on campus. Kevin Theriot with the Alliance Defense Fund is representing three families that have filed a lawsuit challenging the mandatory diversity training.

Although Judge Bunning's ruling is distressing, Theriot says, he notes that his clients have won half of the concessions they sought through the lawsuit. "They had a policy before we filed the lawsuit that said that a student couldn't tell another student that homosexual behavior is wrong," he explains. "After we filed the lawsuit, they changed the policy."

The attorney says that policy that initially barred students from telling classmates that homosexuality is morally wrong "actually was part of the training that was given to students in the Boyd County Schools-mandated seminar."

Also, Theriot maintains, school officials "were trying to convince students that homosexual behavior is something that can't be controlled, and that it's something you're born with, and it's just like having a handicap," or "just like being born of a different race." Of course, the ADF-affiliated lawyer adds, these notions are "completely contrary to the religious beliefs of our clients."

The required pro-homosexual diversity training ends next year, but for now, the federal court ruling in place gives Boyd County Schools staff, middle school and high school students disagreeing with its content no option to sit out. Theriot is currently considering whether to appeal Judge Bunning's decision to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Another Blessing for Texas school children's Religious Freedom

Feb. 28 2006 Alan Sears, President, Alliance Defense Fund

Over the past few decades, our nation’s tax-funded schools have become a major battleground in the struggle to defend, protect, and affirm our First Liberty -- religious freedom.

Why? Because those that oppose the Gospel, including the ACLU, GLSEN, et al., know that if they can eliminate our religious heritage, history, and faith from the classroom – and replace it with their “cleansed” history and secular agenda – they can capture the hearts and minds of the next generation.

That is why it is pivotal that we stop religious discrimination in the classroom.

ADF attorneys, along with attorneys from our allied organization, Liberty Legal Institute, filed a lawsuit against the Katy (Texas) Independent School District on behalf of eight elementary school students and their families.

School officials have repeatedly censored the students’ religious _expression – most recently sending a memo to parents announcing prohibitions on the use of religious symbols on holiday gifts and cards – including ones related to St. Valentine’s Day.

One example of the school district’s blatant discrimination against Christian kids cited in the complaint occurred when a teacher asked a group of first graders what comes to mind when they think of Easter. Children responded with “eggs,” “bunnies,” and “jelly beans,” but when one said, “Jesus,” the teacher reprimanded her, saying she was not allowed to discuss Jesus in the classroom. When another student passed out “faith bracelets” to some friends at recess, they were confiscated by the principal like drugs or contraband.

On Monday, February 13th, the Texas District Court issued a temporary restraining order against the school district’s denial of the students’ right to live and proclaim their faith. A copy of the restraining order can be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/PoundsTRO.pdf.

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Mike Johnson, who is assisting attorneys at Liberty Legal Institute on this case, says: “Christian students should not be treated any differently than any other students…These children are frightened to utter any reference to their personal faith because they’ve seen what happens to them and their classmates when they do so.”

We praise God for this initial victory, and we will continue to do all we can – always with God’s grace, your prayers, and your support – to legally affirm the First Amendment rights of public school students.
Prayer Requests
"Without Christ, we can do nothing." - John 15:5 Please pray for the 100 top law students that have been selected to participate in this year’s Blackstone Legal Fellowship program. Please pray for wisdom in the many legal battles ahead.

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British Politician Tells American Christians to Get Politically Involved

Feb. 23 2006 Citizen Link

A member of the British House of Lords told the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention in Dallas this week that biblical preaching could be outlawed unless Christians become more politically active, Agape Press reported.

The Lord John Taylor of Warwick described how the British Parliament nearly passed legislation that would have outlawed incitement to religious hatred. The measure lost by a single vote.

Taylor said passage could have led to pastors being arrested for "hate speech." Unless Christians take action, he said, clergy in his country -- as well as in the United States -- could fall victim to such statutes.

"There's an old saying that things won't change until people change," he said. "We are called to be salt and light -- so why don't we take over the Senate and Congress and so forth?"

According to Taylor, Christians in Britain have virtually abandoned politics. He pointed to a "kind of lethargy" in Christians that often causes them to retreat from the political arena, saying "Well, that's politics; we don't get involved in politics."

"There are Muslim members of Parliament who are sponsored by mosques. They are there to preach Islam," Taylor said. "In the House of Lords, there's a room where you can pray to Mecca -- but there's no room where you can pray to Christ."

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'Considering Homeschooling' Introduces Guide to Help Save the Next Generation of Christians

Feb. 24 2006 Christian Newswire

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Considering Homeschooling has introduced a new guide to that encourages Christians to start homeschool outreaches to their fellow believers in Christ.

The "Considering Homeschooling Outreach Guide: A Guide to Reaching the New Generation of Christian Homeschoolers" is available as a free download from the Considering Homeschooling website: www.consideringhomeschooling.com.

"Taking action in your church with this guide may not only help save children from the hellish preschool and government education," said Charles B. Lowers, Executive Director of Considering Homeschooling, "but it might help save those children from an everlasting hell."

Homeschooled: 94%
Public Schooled: 15%

94% of homeschoolers keep the faith and 93% continue to attend church after the high school years. But a shocking 75% to 85% of Christian children sent to public school drop out of church, and do not hold a Christian worldview after high school graduation.

"While homeschooling in America is on the rise, private biblical homeschooling is actually facing possible extinction," said Lowers, "But, God has provided a way for biblical homeschooling to increase tremendously, if we intercede in prayer and take action. With this guide you can find out what the predators are in the new educational landscape and why there much to be hopeful about."

"God has opened a door for revival -- true spiritual revival of Christian families, our churches, and our nation -- under the simple biblical premise that fathers are responsible for raising up their own children in the Lord," said Lowers. "We have a vision for victory against universal preschool and government education because Christ has already won the victory."

This guide gives pastors and leaders practical steps for reaching Christian families that are just starting out -- those with babies, toddlers, preschoolers -- about teaching their children at home and from a biblical worldview. Considering Homeschooling asks Christians who believe in home education to forward the link to the guide to others who might start outreaches

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Man prohibited from reading Scripture at public meeting is vindicated

Feb. 21 2006 ADF Media Relations

Pennsylvania Borough council agrees to consent decree allowing free speech

LANSDOWNE, Pa. — Faced with a federal lawsuit after their decision to muzzle and forcibly remove a man for reading Scripture at a public meeting, Pennsylvania borough officials have admitted their mistake and agreed to settle the case.

The council entered into a consent decree stating Michael Marcavage was “denied a full and fair opportunity to address the Borough Council.” It further noted that everyone who attends the meetings has a constitutionally protected right to address the Borough Council.

“Christians shouldn't be treated differently than any other Americans,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joe Infranco. “Unfortunately, the Borough's council violated this fundamental Constitutional protection by stopping Mr. Marcavage from speaking. We're pleased that they've admitted their mistake and apologized to Mr. Marcavage.”

On July 21, 2004, Marcavage was told he could not read from the Bible during a Lansdowne Borough Council meeting’s open comment period. Following the council’s decision to impose a time limit and subsequently adjourn, Marcavage was forcefully removed and charged with disrupting a public meeting and disorderly conduct.

The charges were later dismissed by the Delaware County District Attorney’s office after they were determined to be without merit.

“The consent decree ensures Mr. Marcavage’s right to free speech is no longer hindered by the actions of a few,” said ADF-allied attorney Ted Hoppe, who represented Marcavage. “It guarantees all citizens have the right to address the Lansdowne Borough Council on any issue of concern without fear of retribution or arrest.”

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FCC Affirms Broadcast Indecency Fines

Feb. 23 2006 Citizen Link

The Federal Communications Communication (FCC) will apparently stick by its decision to fine CBS $550,000 for singer Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

"We're very pleased with this development," said Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action. "The FCC didn't issue a single citation in all of 2005, so we've been kind of wondering what's up.

Now it looks like they intended to move all along – and are moving."

The nation's broadcasting watchdog also reportedly plans to announce actions soon against Fox, NBC and CBS TV stations and affiliates for violating decency standards.

"It appears that they're going to be issuing a whole new round of citations," he added. "They're going to be fining a number of stations, although the news reports say that not all of the citations will include fines."

Weiss said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin may be trying to establish an indecency standard for the networks.

"The FCC has been very sporadic and, frankly, inconsistent in its enforcement, so broadcasters have claimed their intention of adding fines if there are further violations."

According to published reports, one of the decisions involves Nicole Richie's use of two expletives during an appearance on the 2003 Billboard Music Awards, carried by Fox.

Weiss, by the way, said the fine against CBS was the maximum that can be imposed on a broadcaster for violation of indecency standards. The network, however, made that money back in just seven seconds during the 2005 Super Bowl. Each 30-second ad brought the network $2.4 million last year.

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Michigan Finds New Way to Fight Nudity on Cable
**Feb. 28 2006 Josh Montez Family in Focus**

Its unknown if the strategy will set precedent for other states.

Nudity on cable can now be prosecuted under Michigan’s indecency exposure laws. The state’s Supreme Court is letting a lower court ruling stand that found nudity on cable is not protected speech. Bob Peters with Morality in Media says a state indecency law that was originally intended to protect people from indecent exposure in public settings was applied to cable.

“Society has a right to restrict indecency in public places, whether it’s in a public park, on a broadcast cable, broadcast television channel or certainly a basic channel on television that people don’t choose specifically to bring into their home.”

But will the ruling have legs? Pat Trueman of the Alliance Defense Fund says it’s unclear if the case will be appealed or affect laws in other states.

“I think it’s an open question about whether this law will stand, but in the meantime, people in Michigan should encourage the state Attorney General to enforce indecency law on cable television by using state law.”

Meanwhile, Bob Knight of the Culture and Family Institute challenges lawmakers in other states to try the same strategy to clean up cable.

“Because it should be a no-brainer that certain things are indecent or obscene. And of course there is a difference. Indecency is allowed under certain circumstances whereas obscenity is never protected under any circumstances.”

He says as heartening as this case is, cable companies still need to offer cable choice so consumers aren’t paying for channels they don’t want.

The ACLU was involved in the case but they did not return our phone calls seeking comment.

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Sen. Specter Puts American Workers on Endangered Species List

Feb. 23 2006 Federation for American Immigration reform (FAIR)

Guest Worker Amnesty Ready for Senate Committee Action
Even as this message is written, Senator Arlen Specter, in concert with the Bush White House, is secretly preparing legislation he will attempt to sell as one that will secure U.S. borders and curb illegal immigration. Simply put, it does neither! After an exclusive "insider" look at the bill, we've concluded it is weak on border security and immigration enforcement, AND, as we envisaged in late 2005, contains a massive guest worker amnesty program. Our sources tell us Sen. Specter will introduce the bill March 2 and will arm-twist to rush it through the Senate Judiciary committee and get it to the Senate floor for debate the week of March 27.

Don’t be Fooled
On the floor of the Senate, members will fight it out to add amendments that both strengthen the enforcement measures and grease the skids for the guest worker amnesty program. When all is said and done, the advocates of business-at-any-cost and the President will employ a public relations avalanche to convince the American people the bill is as tough on enforcement as possible and will not pass without the guest worker amnesty provisions.

Does anything in this scenario sound familiar? It should. This is the same song and dance routine fed to the American public every time voters demand controls against illegal immigration. Instead of giving the public what they expect, they turn the tables and give away the ranch to the highest campaign contributors in the business community. Translation: Vast new immigration benefits that sustain business reliance on cheap foreign labor are conferred and what was supposed to be stepped up enforcement is starved of needed resources and soon forgotten.

Here’s how You Can Help Today
We need your help today to defeat this legislation so harmful to the American worker. Your calls to Senate offices will go a long way toward making Senators understand that you will not be fooled by their pandering to business and the ethnic lobby organizations. Time is of the essence. Once you've made those calls to John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, take another step and call Ralph M. Hall and tell them to vote against any final bill that comes back to the House with a guest worker amnesty attached. For detailed contact information on your Senators and House members click here.

Current "Issue Position Letter" Calling for "Enforcement First” Legislation with No Guest Worker Program -- Senate Companion Bill to H.R. 4437 Must Remain Intact

(NOTE: This legislation is currently scheduled to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee around March 27, 2006.)

Sign Current "Issue Position Letter" Now

View Upcoming "Issue Position Letters"

Senator Specter this week will push giant amnesty and immigration doubling legislation through his committee. PLEASE START PHONING THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AFTER 8 A.M. MONDAY, February 27 2006

(For more info see: http://www.numbersusa.com/hottopic/specterproposal.html)

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Lotto Losers

Feb. 23 2006 Tony Perkins Family Research Council

The media is giving front-page coverage to eight Nebraska meatpackers who each won more than $22 million in the latest Powerball lottery. What we don't learn from these stories is the high percentage of lottery winners who go bankrupt. In England, the "tabs"--or tabloids--use the term Lotto Louts for the boorish behavior of some of the wild winners there. Gambling advocates don't tell you that odds of winning the lottery are less than those of being struck by lightning--twice. Many pro-lottery propagandists assure gullible voters that the money raised by the lottery will go to a good cause like education. I saw in my own state how the budgeters simply shifted existing funds out of education to cover other expenses, resulting in a zero net gain for education. It's a state-sponsored form of the old shell game. We know from Scripture that the love of money is the root of many evils. We also know that we should pursue happiness by honest toil, not by expecting to get rich quick. The Nebraska winners included three immigrants from Vietnam and the Congo. One of them said: "This is a great country!" How sad that this is the message we send to would-be Americans. Gambling not only corrupts politicians and politics, but it also corrupts the American dream.

Additional Resources
Jackpot! ... That's a Good Thing, Right?

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Casino Reopens in New Orleans

Feb 27 2006 staff reports Citizen Link

Opponents of gambling say it will just add to the devastation.

Harrah's Casino opened its doors for business on Friday in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans. Pro-family analysts say it's not a business that's needed in the hurricane-stricken area.

Pastor Joe McKeever, director of missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans, said he remembers when casino executives were first campaigning for the right to move into the Crescent City. He said they claimed 25,000 jobs would be added to the economy.

"I think that if you added up all the other casinos in the state," he said, "you might have 10,000 employees, definitely not 25,000."

In an area still reeling from last year's hurricanes, Tom Grey with the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion said casinos are one disaster that can be avoided.

"We know they make losers. The addiction, the bankruptcy, the crime and corruption has been part of Harrah's record in that city," he told Family News in Focus. "If the best we can do to rebuild the city of New Orleans is to open up a casino, then it seems to me that the devastation of the hurricane is matched only by the man-made devastation of looking at casinos as an answer."

Grey predicts few tourists will make New Orleans a destination in the near future, and that means locals will be the ones losing their hard-earned money.

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At Least 16 U.S. States Working to Ban Gay and Lesbian Adoptions

Feb. 23 2006 Gudrun Schultz LifeSiteNews.com

UNITED STATES, Efforts to prevent gay adoption are moving into the center of the U.S. political scene, in what has been described as a “second front “ in the country’s culture wars.

A significant number of states are working to introduce legislation banning gay adoption, or to amend existing laws. In at least 16 states, laws or the promise of legislation prohibiting adoption by gay or lesbian couples are prominent in the political landscape, with the question set to become a campaign issue for the next federal election.

For the states of Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio, laws preventing the adoption of children by gays or lesbians are a logical progression from recently passed constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.

"Now that we've defined what marriage is, we need to take that further and say children deserve to be in that relationship," Greg Quinlan of Ohio's Pro-Family Network, a
conservative Christian group, said to USAToday.

Ohio introduced a bill this month that would ban gays and lesbians from adopting or raising foster children.

In Massachusetts, Roman Catholic bishops are asking for an exemption from state anti-bias laws that would force them to allow gay adoptions through church-run social service agencies.

Florida has held firm to the 1977 state law against adoption by gays or lesbians, despite heavy lobbying to change it. However, a pending bill would allow judges to grant exceptions to that law.

Mississippi has banned adoption by gay couples, but allows gay singles to adopt. Utah has dealt with the question by refusing adoption to all unmarried couples.

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Special status a Health Risk at the Gay Games

Feb. 28 2006 Tony Perkins Family Research Council

The U.S. Department of State has announced it will grant "Designated Event Status" to the 2006 Gay Games that will be held in Chicago in July. The special status comes with privileges for the several thousand who will travel to the U.S. Those participants with HIV/AIDS, who are generally restricted from entering the country, are being given the green light to participate. The Gay Games have attempted to fashion themselves as the Olympics for Gay people as if it were just another grand sporting event like the Special Olympics or the senior Olympics. While model Olympic athletes display discipline and self control, there appears to be no model for Gay Games attendees, in fact, the "social" life, the off-the-field activities, garner more emphasis. It's bad enough that corporate sponsors the Gay Games include Walgreens and Commonwealth Edison- Chicago's utility company. Now we learn that a Chicago gay bathhouse has been accepted as a corporate sponsor for the games. Such venues are breeding grounds for the AIDS virus. The tragedy is that there are Americans who may well be infected with a deadly disease as a direct result of this most unwise decision. Why should this administration feel the need to bow to the politically correct crowd? Please call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 to register your concern.

Additional Resources
Designated Event Status' clears U.S. entrance restrictions

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Gay Activists to Tour and Protest Colleges and military academies across America

Feb. 23 2006 Wendy Cloyd Citizen Link assistant editor

"Equality Ride" will challenge morality codes. A tour bus filled with students recruited by gay-activist group Soulforce will visit 19 Christian colleges and military academies across America beginning March 5. The purpose of the "Equality Ride" is to challenge policies they say discriminate against homosexuals.

The policies vary, but generally the opposition is focused on codes of morality that require students to refrain from sexual sin, including homosexuality.

On the Equality Ride Web site, Soulforce is candid about its goal: "Freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance."

The group has recruited dozens of homosexual activists to take that message to campuses — and raise some funds in the process.

Soulforce stole the idea from civil-rights bus tours that took place four decades ago.

"Like the Freedom Rides of the 50s and 60s, the Equality Ride is a student-led effort that takes young adults into epicenters of intolerance and oppression to make a better tomorrow," the Soulforce site states.

Mike Haley, director of gender issues at Focus on the Family, said if parents and students see that their school is on the list, they need to find out how their campus intends to respond to the visit and be prepared.

"School officials can prepare faculty and students for the visit in a number of ways," he said. "To begin with, arm them with the facts. Discuss the myth of the gay gene. Discuss the fact that they will hear stories from an emotional perspective and point out that those stories aren't backed up with facts."

Most importantly, every message from the group should be filtered through Scripture, he said.

"Activists with Soulforce will try to twist Scripture to fit their agenda. They'll try to confuse the issue," he said. "Students need to examine what Scripture truly has to say about the issue of homosexuality."

Wheaton College in Chicago is scheduled to be visited in April. Stanton Jones, provost for the college, said his campus will be taking steps to prepare students. And the school proactively contacted the protestors.

"We extended them an invitation — sort of threw down the gauntlet — and said 'You cannot come to this institution claiming that we don't have academic freedom, claiming that we don't engage the issues and refuse to dialogue with us,' " he said. "They've agreed. So, we are going to have a large-scale panel discussion the first night that they're here at our athletic arena."

Wheaton is using this event to encourage students to study the issues surrounding homosexuality. The hope is they'll be better prepared as they step into leadership roles in the church.

"We are trying to educate our students for the world they're facing," Jones said. "We're an evangelical Christian institution and the issue of homosexual lifestyle and homosexual morality is a burning issue."

Wheaton will host seminars in the weeks leading up to the Equality Ride visit. Topics include biblical and theological issues; the relationship of science to the debate on homosexual morality; the testimony of people who have left homosexuality and public-policy issues.

"We're really trying to use this opportunity to gear up our student body to see how significant and pervasive this issue is and the need for them to get prepared," he said. "They are going to be facing this issue for years and years to come."

Not every campus will proactively counter the message promoted by Soulforce. But Jones said students should take the initiative to learn about the issue.

"Be conversant with these issues," he said. "Seek out the best resources in that area. What I hear from our young people today is that they really want to be biblical, and they really want to know the truth."

Jones emphasized that the goal is to teach students to knowledgably stand firm on biblical and moral absolutes in a way that is truly loving, caring and respectful.

"We've got to strike a balance, one where we demonstrate Christ's love and His willingness to have a constant engagement with people but always one where the truth was told," he said. "Modeling that response is what we are trying to do."

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A Look inside the Homosexual Activists' War against Christianity

Feb.21 2006 Ed Vitagliano Agape Press

Church Seen as Main Obstacle Hindering Wholesale Acceptance of Homosexual Agenda

"All churches who condemn us will be closed." That was what Michael Swift, a "gay revolutionary," declared in a February 1987 issue of the Gay Community News.

"Michael Swift" was a pseudonym, and the first line of the now-infamous homosexual rant -- which was even reprinted in the Congressional Record -- claimed that the entire piece was a "cruel fantasy" that explained "how the oppressed desperately dream of being the oppressor."

The "dream" was filled with a nightmare scenario that seemed like something out of a fascist coup d'etat: "All laws banning homosexual activity will be revoked .... [W]e shall make films about the love between heroic men .... The family unit -- spawning ground of lies, betrayals, mediocrity, hypocrisy and violence -- will be abolished .... All churches who condemn us will be closed."

As the article found its way into Christian publications, believers were horrified, and homosexual activists tried to make light of its contents, claiming that it was intended merely as a satire.

Not many Christians, however, saw the humor in Swift's sentiments, such as the following: "We shall sodomize your sons .... We shall seduce them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth groups, in your movie theater bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses, in your truck stops, in your all-male clubs, in your houses of Congress, wherever men are with men together."

Identifying the Opponent
Whether or not the ravings of this "gay revolutionary" were intended as satire, what is striking is the remarkable success of the plan found within the article. Who can doubt that the legal system -- especially following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas (2003) striking down sodomy laws -- has been brought to heel by gay activists? Or that Hollywood has freely committed its tremendous resources to the fight for homosexual legitimacy? Or that the family unit will virtually cease to exist in any traditional sense should gay adoption and same-sex "marriage" become legal everywhere?

While they claim to want only equal protection under law, the real agenda of homosexual activists is simple: the complete alteration of American society to fit the homosexual view of human sexuality, marriage and family.

This is not an overexaggeration. Paula Ettelbrick is former legal director of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and now executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. Ettelbrick stated, "Being queer is more than setting up house, sleeping with a person of the same gender, and seeking state approval for doing so .... Being queer means pushing the parameters, transforming the very fabric of society .... We must keep our eyes on the goal ... of radically reordering society's views of reality."

That is a pretty comprehensive goal, and activists face a daunting task if they hope to accomplish it. They must change the views of a culture that still remains somewhat anchored in the Judeo-Christian tradition, which considers homosexuality unnatural and sinful. For Ettelbrick and her ilk to convince the American people to change their mind on this issue, the foundation of our culture must be shifted to a new way of perceiving reality that rejects the Judeo-Christian view.

However, that leaves one major institution standing in the way: the Church. Christians who still hold to the Judeo-Christian views of human sexuality, marriage and family are called by religious faithfulness to resist the homosexual movement.

That makes Christians the enemy. In 1987 Steve Warren, a spokesman for the controversial homosexual group ACT UP, wrote an article for The Advocate, a magazine for the gay community. Titled "Warning to the Homophobes," Warren spoke of "the mean-spirited nature of Judeo-Christian morality."

Even in 1987, Warren felt that the homosexual movement could not be stopped. And as activists continued to find success, he promised that "we are going to force you [Christians] to recant everything you have believed or said about sexuality."

Warren said the Bible, especially, would require a face-lift. "Finally, we will in all likelihood want to expunge a number of passages from your Scriptures and rewrite others," he said, "eliminating preferential treatment of marriage and using words that will allow for homosexual interpretations of passages."

Battle Tactics
So a homosexual utopia awaits these activists, if only they can deal with those pesky Christians. But if removing the obstacle of the Church is the strategy, what are the tactics through which this victory might be achieved?

That question was answered as far back as 1985, when in their article for Christopher Street, a gay magazine, Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen caused a sensation with their blueprint to "persuade straight America" to accept homosexuality. Their article was expanded into a book on the subject, the national number-one best seller After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the '90s.

Kirk and Madsen focused the heart of their strategy on using the media as a propaganda tool in persuading the majority of Americans that gay is OK. But they also addressed the question of what to do with the hardened opposition -- that is, at least in institutional terms, those following the "religious authority" of the Church. Gay activists, the authors said, should take a two-pronged approach to neutralizing the threat of a vigorous Christian-led opposition.

First, to "confound" what Kirk and Madsen called "the homophobia of true believers," they suggested that gays "muddy the moral waters." This would be accomplished in part by "publicizing support for gays by more moderate churches" and "raising theological objections of our own about conservative interpretations of biblical teachings."

This has been done with amazing success in mainline Protestant denominations, such as in the Episcopal Church USA, United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church USA. Homosexual activists in each of these major denominations have so clouded the issues regarding the biblical view of homosexuality as to threaten each with schism and ruin.

For those churches which resist the siren call to complete moral relativism, Kirk and Madsen submitted a secondary strategy. They suggested that gays "undermine the moral authority of homophobic churches by portraying them as antiquated backwaters, badly out of step with the times ...."

It should come as no surprise, therefore, when Christians see themselves portrayed on countless television shows as self-righteous bigots or hate-filled lunatics who simply refuse to accept the fact that things have changed in America.

Nevertheless, Kirk and Madsen knew that the religious authority of Christian denominations in the U.S. would be difficult to dispel; churches would therefore continue to act as a powerful braking mechanism on any momentum for the acceptance of the homosexual agenda. Kirk and Madsen understood, for example, that simply poking fun at "bigoted Southern ministers drooling with hysterical hatred" would not be enough.

Instead, they said, "Against the mighty pull of institutional Religion one must set the mightier draw of Science and Public Opinion (the shield and sword of that accursed 'secular humanism'). Such an unholy alliance has worked well against churches before, on such topics as divorce and abortion."

Thus Christians involved in this theater of the culture war have become accustomed to defending the Judeo-Christian view on sexuality against claims that science has "proven" that homosexuality is genetic. The same is true of the claim that all major mental health and medical professional groups have declared that being gay or lesbian is as natural as being left-handed. Such "scientific" claims have no doubt been instrumental in the dramatic shifts of American public opinion on this topic.

End Game
But beyond these tactics, Kirk and Madsen said plans must also be drawn up to deal with "the entrenched enemy," which might persist in resisting even in the face of the preliminary schemes. They said: "At a later stage of the media campaign for gay rights -- long after other gay ads have become commonplace -- it will be time to get tough with remaining opponents. To be blunt, they must be vilified."

Again, astute Christians who are paying attention to what is happening in our culture can already see this occurring. On high school and college campuses, for example, believers who dare to speak up against the homosexual agenda are being ridiculed and smeared. In corporations where they work, some Christians who refuse to acquiesce to the reigning pro-gay environment are reprimanded or fired.

Nor does it require prophetic insight to understand that churches will not be immune from coercion, either. In fact, gay and lesbian activists at the 1986 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights made this demand: "Institutions that discriminate against lesbian and gay people should be denied tax-exempt status."

Is it conceivable that in the near future, churches could be threatened with the loss of their tax-exempt status if they refuse to hire a homosexual employee?

Some might scoff at such a threat, relying on the Constitutional protection of religion in the U.S. as a shield. But some homosexual activists seem to view religious liberty as an obstacle to be overcome. For example, lesbian lawyer Barbara Findlay predicted that "the legal struggle for queer rights will one day be a showdown between freedom of religion versus sexual orientation."

If sexual orientation is ever enshrined as a protected status in federal and state laws, which right will win that showdown?

For the time being, activists can simply attempt to suppress religious free speech whenever the mood hits them.

For example, when a church in Boston hosted a 2005 conference with a message that Jesus can free gays and lesbians from that lifestyle, they were harassed and terrorized by hundreds of homosexual activists and sympathizers outside -- while Boston police stood by and did nothing (See related article).

Finally, if activists ever achieve their goal of having sexual orientation included in federal hate crime statutes, many pro-family groups fear such a moment will be a beachhead on the way to criminalizing "anti-gay" speech and thought.

In his article, Warren's final warning should cause wise Christians to accurately discern the times in which we live: "We have captured the liberal establishment and the press. We have already beaten you on a number of battlefields. And we have the spirit of the age on our side. You have neither the faith nor the strength to fight us, so you might as well surrender now."

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Gaza's Tiny Christian Community Threatened With Violence

Feb. 22 2006 Julie Stahl CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief

Jerusalem, Extremists are threatening to blow up the Palestinian Bible Society in the Gaza Strip if the people who work there do not close up shop and abandon their ministry by the end of February, a Christian source told Cybercast News Service.

The threat appears to be the work of Islamic extremists who are determined to drive Christians out of the area. Arab Christians are taking the threat very seriously, said a Palestinian Bible Society information officer who asked not to be named.

There are only about 1,500 Christians living among an estimated 1.2 million Palestinian Muslims in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Bible society has been in operation there since 1999.

Eleven local Palestinians staff the center, which includes a Christian bookstore that sells Bibles. Scriptures are displayed on large billboards, and at the front of the store is a sign that says: "God's Word is Life for All." Above the shop are computer rooms, multi-purpose halls and a library that is open to the entire community.

The trouble started three weeks ago, the source said, when a pipe bomb exploded around 11:00 one night outside the Bible Society, which is located in Gaza's city center. There were no injuries.

Two weeks later, an unknown group left threatening pamphlets at the front door of the Bible Society warning that the building would be blown up if the premises were not vacated by February 28.

The pamphlets threatened the landlord for dealing with "infidels."

According to the request of Palestinian Authority security officials, when the situation worsened several days ago, forcing the Bible Society staff locked the doors while they continued working inside.

But then came a threatening phone call, warning them that locking the doors wasn't enough - that they should take the threat seriously or risk harm to themselves and their children.

"We are waiting for a miracle," said the Palestinian Bible Society information officer. "The Bible Society is committed to the continuation of its ministry and service to the Palestinian people, and God will see us through this crisis."

The situation is so sensitive that the staff at the Palestinian Bible Society was not allowed to be interviewed, the officer said.

Palestinian Muslims and Christians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip previously have denied any hostility between them. Privately, though, some Christians admit that they have been persecuted or discriminated against.

The Bible Society was threatened last July alongside the public library of the local Baptist Church, said the information officer.

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Italian intellectuals: moral and spiritual crisis prevents Europe from reacting to Islamic terrorism

Mar. 01 2006 Catholic News agency

Rome, A significant number of Italian lawmakers, politicians and intellectuals, led by the president of the Italian Senate, Marcello Pera and including such individuals as Italy’s Culture Minister, Rocco Buttiglione, has presented a manifesto in which they attribute the confusion and fear in Europe over Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism to “a moral and spiritual crisis” that prevents the continent from finding “the courage to react.”

The manifesto, endorsed by more than 70 different leaders in government, trade unions and universities, states that the west is “under attack from the outside by Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism” and is “incapable of responding to the challenge.” “We feel guilty for our well-being, we are ashamed of our traditions, and we think terrorism is a reaction to our mistakes. But terrorism is a direct attack on our civilization and on the whole of humanity,” the document argues.

“Europe is sick,” it continues. “The birth rate continues to fall, as well as [Europe’s] competitiveness, unity and action on the world scene. It hides and denies its own identity and thus fails to provide itself a legitimate constitution of its citizens. It determines relations with the United States are broken and makes anti-Americanism its flag.”

The statement echoes the words of Pope Benedict XVI that today, the “West no longer loves itself,” and that to overcome this crisis “more determination and more courage regarding the issue of our civilization” are needed.

Western civilization, it notes, has been the “source of universal and undeniable principles, contrasting, in the name of a common historical and cultural tradition, the temptation today to build an alternative Europe set against the United States.”

The document also argues for better integration of immigrants and defends the right to life “from conception to natural death.” The family, it underscores, is the natural foundation of society, and marriage “must be protected and differentiated from any other type of union or bond.”

The signers acknowledge the distinction between Church and State, “without giving in to the secular temptation to relegate the religious dimension to solely the private sphere.”

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Palestinian Conflict is Islamic-Jewish Struggle, Scholar Says it is the duty of Muslims everywhere

Mar. 01 2006 Julie Stahl CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief

Jerusalem, "Liberating Palestine" is an Islamic battle, and if local Muslims do not take up the cause, it is the duty of Muslims everywhere to do so, a leading Islamic scholar said in a televised message.

Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradhawi, a prominent Sunni cleric who lives in Qatar, is a top spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood movement from which Hamas sprang.

"Our war with the Jews is over land, brothers. We must understand this. If they had not plundered our land, there wouldn't be a war between us," al Qaradhawi said in a television program broadcast Saturday on Qatar TV. A translation of his comments was provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

"We are fighting them in the name of Islam, because Islam commands us to fight whoever plunders our land and occupies our country," al Qaradhawi said. "The Muslims of that country must carry out the resistance, and the rest of the Muslims must help them. If the people of that country are incapable or reluctant, we must fight to defend the land of Islam, even if the local [Muslims] give it up."

According to some Islamic scholars, any land that was once under Islamic rule remains Islamic forever, regardless of whether it is later conquered by another people.

This region was under Muslim rule from the 7th thru the 11th centuries and again from the late 12th century until the end of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1917.

The Jewish people believe that God gave them all of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip as an eternal inheritance, although many Israelis nowadays are willing to cede parts of that land to the Palestinians if it would lead to peace -- or at least quiet.

According to al Qaradhawi, Islam commands Muslims to fight for the land, which makes the fight an "individual duty." Whoever is killed in this holy war (jihad) is a martyr, he said.

Al Qaradhawi said he issued an Islamic religious ruling saying that "martyrdom operations" (suicide bombings) are permitted as part of a holy war between Judaism and Islam.

"They fight us with Judaism, so we should fight them with Islam. They fight us with the Torah, so we should fight them with the Koran.

"If they say 'the Temple,' we should say 'the Al-Aqsa Mosque.' If they say: 'We glorify the Sabbath,' we should say: 'We glorify the Friday.' This is how it should be. Religion must lead the war. This is the only way we can win," said al Qaradhawi.

Al Qaradhawi's comments -- that Muslims from different countries must fight "under the banner of Islam"-- take on added significance, given the fact that Hamas soon will dominate the Palestinian government.

Hamas has rejected attempts by the international community to force it to recognize Israel. Its charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state in its place.

Prior to the P.A. elections, a leading Hamas member in Hebron, Sheikh Naif Rajoub, said that one of the goals of Hamas would be to make the Palestinian issue a personal issue of every Arab and Muslim in the world.

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Howard Wilson hwilson@texasmoralaction.org

Visit the Moral Action Committee of the BAM of Texas web site: http://texasmoralaction.org

To contribute to the Moral Action Committee of the BMA of Texas please click on this link.

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