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Need for federal amendment growing
Homosexual activists have not been able to win popular support for
same-sex marriage, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying
to simply take it by force. Some municipal officials – who
are sympathetic to the cause of same-sex marriage – are simply
marrying "gay" couples, regardless of what state laws
say.
"It is becoming more and more clear that only a federal marriage
amendment will halt this attempted coup," said AFA Chairman
Don Wildmon.
The spontaneous movement was apparently sparked by a rebellion by
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who decided that California’s
law limiting marriage to one man and one woman was unconstitutional.
Newsom began "marrying" homosexual couples on February
12, and by the time the month ended, had joined more than 3,400
same-sex pairs.
Same-sex ceremonies also have been performed in Portland, Oregon,
Sandoval County in New Mexico, and New Paltz, New York. In Oakland
the city council is expected to pass a resolution which legalizes
same-sex unions there, and the mayor of Nyack, New York, said he
would also begin "marrying" same-sex couples.
The resulting legal chaos stemming from these unilateral decisions
promises to throw the issue into the courts, allowing judges to
decide whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage. Lawsuits demanding
the legalization are under way in California and Florida, and are
expected elswhere.
"That was the fear of pro-family groups all along, because
many activist judges will simply decide these cases based on their
own personal beliefs, and not the law," said Wildmon.
CULTURE
Teens across U.S. promote abstinence
Teenagers across the United States wore white t-shirts the day before
Valentine’s Day to promote sexual purity and abstinence. The
action has irked at least one homosexual rights organization, though.
Organized by Liberty Counsel and supported by grassroots Christian
organizations around the country, the "Day of Purity"
was a chance for teenagers to fight back against the barrage of
messages targeted at teens and promoting sexual promiscuity. Teens
were encouraged to wear white t-shirts on February 13 to publicly
show their commitment not to have sex outside marriage. The teens
were also given pro-abstinence packets to pass along to their friends.
"The word ‘purity’ in this context is morally self-righteous,"
said Alice Leeds, a spokeswoman for Parents, Families and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays. "It’s redefining it in their context
to conform to their frankly bigoted agenda."
However, many teens felt the Day of Purity was a good thing. "A
lot of girls feel that in order to keep their relationship, they
have to have sex," said Kelly Cruse, 16, who planned to pass
out pro-abstinence brochures in her Illinois high school. "I
think this need for acceptance is very destructive for a girl."
"It says a lot about these pro-homosexual groups that they
despise any program that teaches abstinence," AFA president
Tim Wildmon said. "Teens need to hear that it’s right
to wait until marriage to have sex. Efforts like the Day of Purity
need to be applauded, not denigrated."
For more information go online to www.dayofpurity.org.
The Associated Press, 2/13/04
EDUCATION
Homeschool alums succeed as adults
While the subject of homeschooling may still draw odd looks from
some folks, the students themselves are demonstrating that they
are no oddballs. An estimated one to two million students of middle
and high school age are being homeschooled in the U.S. As they make
the transition to college life, success usually follows.
"As the numbers [of homeschooled children] have increased,
and there have also been more admitted to college, they’ve
actually performed quite well," Barmak Nassirian, a policy
analyst with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers, told the Associated Press.
One student said her homeschooling experience may have actually
been an advantage as she entered her college years. "It prepared
me better than going to a regular high school would have because
I was independently motivated," said Holly Porter, who is now
attending graduate school at the University of Denver.
Moreover, a survey of 7,300 adults who were homeschooled found that
they were far more likely than the average American to be civic-minded
– that is, appearing to be more informed about politics and
government and more apt to vote.
www.nheri.org, 2/18/04; www.cnn.com, 1/27/04; WorldNetDaily, 10/23/03
NEA okays ex-gay group
The National Education Association (NEA), the largest and most powerful
teachers’ union in the U.S., has taken the surprising step
of recognizing a group of ex-homosexual teachers as an official
caucus within the union.
The NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus will be chaired by ex-lesbian Jeralee
Smith. "Our caucus will work with NEA to develop policies that
recognize the needs of ex-gays in our education system," she
said. "We believe education is the best way to overcome society’s
phobia of former homosexuals. The caucus will also advocate alternatives
to homosexuality in school curriculum to ensure diversity."
A caucus within the NEA is an internal entity that is recognized
by the union’s leadership and exists for the express purpose
of influencing NEA policies, according to a press release issued
by the new group. "Caucuses do not speak for, or act on behalf
of the NEA," the release said, "but advise and lobby NEA
governance."
One of the most powerful caucuses within the NEA is the Gay and
Lesbian Issues Caucus, which has successfully pushed for the dissemination
of pro-homosexual materials in public schools throughout the nation.
Moreover, in the past the NEA has been closed to any message that
implied that homosexuals could change their sexual orientation.
So does the new caucus signal a change in NEA policy?
Dr. Warren Throckmorton, director of college counseling and an associate
professor of psychology at Grove City College in Pennsylvania said,
"The recognition of the Ex-Gay Educators Caucus may point to
a willingness to consider the concerns of conservative educators
and parents relating to sexual education materials in the schools."
Throckmorton is concerned about this issue. His research has demonstrated
that some homosexuals do change their sexual orientation. One of
his papers highlighting his findings was published in the June 2002
issue of the American Psychological Association’s publication,
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.
However, Throckmorton remains a bit on the skeptical side. "Given
the NEA’s cold reception to other groups with this message,
it remains to be seen if the NEA’s recognition of the caucus
signals a true willingness to give ex-gays freedom to express their
message."
www.nea-exgay.org, 2/17/04; www.drthrockmorton.com, 2/13/04
ENTERTAINMENT
Religion affects teen movie habits
Researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion have found
an apparent relationship between the religious traditions of American
teenagers and their movie-viewing habits.
Among U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who say that their religious faith
is "extremely important" in shaping how they live their
daily lives, only 17% say that all or most of the movies and videos
they watch have an R-rating.
The percentage of teens watching mostly restricted movies and videos
rises to 26% for the group that describes religious faith as only
"very important" in shaping how they live. The percentage
of teens watching all or mostly R-rated films was equal among adolescents
who claim their faith is "somewhat important" or "not
very important" in shaping how they live daily life –
a tie at 32%.
But for those teenagers who say religious faith is not an important
factor at all in shaping how they live daily, 48% reported that
all or most of the movies and videos they watch are R-rated.
Upon analysis, these importance-of-faith differences among teenagers
were found to be statistically significant, even after researchers
controlled for variations in gender, age, race, geographical region,
mother’s education level, and family income level.
AgapePress, 2/9/04
GOVERNMENT
CDC report: condom effectiveness uncertain
A new report to Congress on the prevalence and prevention of the
human papilloma virus (HPV) calls into question the wisdom of relying
on condoms for "safe sex."
Issued in February by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the report stated that "most studies on genital HPV
infection and condom use did not show a protective effect."
The CDC document further indicated that research into the effectiveness
of condoms in preventing HPV transmission "is not sufficient
to recommend condoms as a primary prevention strategy for the prevention
of genital HPV infection."
What did the CDC recommend? Pro-family groups were not surprised
by the answer – abstinence. "The surest way to eliminate
the risk for future genital HPV infections is to refrain from any
genital contact with another individual," the report stated.
The numbers of people who have been infected with HPV – or
will be at some time in their lives – is staggering. (See following
chart.) Although HPV infection frequently clears up on its own,
there is no known cure for the disease, and according to the CDC,
"persistent infection with certain types of HPV is a leading
cause of cervical cancer."
In response to the CDC report, Tom Coburn, a physician and former
U.S. congressman, told Family News in Focus, "There should
be a warning on every condom that says, ‘This does not prevent
infection with the diseases that cause cancer of the cervix.’"
www.cdc.gov, 2/19/04; www.family.org, 2/4/04
View of foreign law worries conservatives
The liberal majority on the U.S. Supreme Court appears to be pushing
for a staggering shift in the way it makes its decisions, away from
a sole reliance on the U.S. Constitution and towards other sources,
such as legal thought originating in Europe.
Robert Knight, director of the Culture & Family Institute for
Concerned Women for America, pointed to this past summer’s
high court ruling in the Lawrence v. Texas sodomy case.
"Justice Anthony Kennedy dismissed the historical overview
of sodomy in the United States as written in [the previous Supreme
Court decision in] Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), in which the
court had upheld Georgia’s sodomy law," Knight said. "Instead,
Kennedy cited the European Convention on Human Rights, the Wolfenden
Report on homosexuality from Great Britain, and the United Nations."
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told the Southern Center for International
Studies that the Lawrence decision foreshadows the Supreme
Court’s future direction.
"I suspect that over time, we will rely increasingly –
or take notice at least increasingly – on international and
foreign law in resolving domestic issues," she said in an October
speech to the group.
Howard Phillips of the Conservative Caucus said O’Connor’s
comment violates her official mandate to uphold America’s constitution
as the sole authority for Supreme Court decisions. He said he believed
she should be removed from the bench.
"To me, if she in fact does, as she already has, rely on something
other than the Constitution of the United States in making a ruling,
she has broken her oath of office, and she should be removed as
quickly as possible," he said.
The reliance of the majority opinion in Lawrence on extrinsic
legal concepts angered Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote in his
dissent that Kennedy’s discussion of "foreign views"
was "dangerous," because the U.S. Supreme Court "should
not impose foreign moods, fads, or fashions on Americans."
One of America’s leading constitutional scholars, Ambassador
Alan Keyes, also warned against the nation’s highest court
relying on anything else besides the U.S. Constitution when rendering
its opinions.
"What they are telling us is that now that they have become
dictators, with everybody saying that what they say is law, they
are going to start imposing on us laws that could never be passed
by our legislatures and that would not pass muster under our Constitution,"
he said. "If we continue under this arrangement, we don’t
have a Constitution anymore."
AgapePress, 2/23/04; www.cwfa.org, 11/7/03; AgapePress, 11/20/03
MEDIA
Battle over media indecency undecided
Following the shocking display of nudity that marred the halftime
show of this year’s Super Bowl, the subsequent cultural firestorm
has ignited a battle over radio and network television indecency
that could go either way.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which last fall drew
fire for okaying the limited use of the f-word on prime-time network
television programming, has indicated that it might reverse that
ruling. The FCC has also given an indication that it will begin
levying stiffer fines for indecency violations.
AFA Chairman Don Wildmon said the FCC’s change of tune was
the result of supporter activism. "Our members have generated
more than 1,750,000 E-mails to the FCC commissioners and members
of Congress," he said. "I think they are getting the message,
but people need to continue to speak out. Those in the government
tend to have a short attention span on these kinds of issues."
To thank the Federal Communications Commission for its recent, tougher
stance on network indecency, write:
Federal Communications Commission
Enforcement Bureau
Investigations and Hearing Division
445 12th St., SW, Room 3-B443
Washington, DC 20554
FCC indecency compaint information:
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/obscene.html.
ABC News admits liberal bias in media
In a fairly stunning admission, an ABC News column on its Web site
stated that the U.S. media leans left on a number of critical political
and cultural issues.
"The Note," which declares itself on the site to be from
the "ABC News political unit," posted its thoughts in
a February 9 column, admitting: "Like every other institution,
the Washington and political press corps operate with a good number
of biases and predilections."
What are those biases? "They include, but are not limited to,
a near-universal shared sense that liberal political positions on
social issues like gun control, homosexuality, abortion, and religion
are the [accepted positions], while more conservative positions
are ‘conservative positions,’" the column said.
In late 2001, Bernard Goldberg, a 28-year veteran at CBS and a winner
of six Emmy Awards during his career, criticized the news media
in his best-selling book, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the
Media Distort the News. Goldberg said that his experience at
CBS demonstrated that the media is biased against conservatives
and Christians.
www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html; www.worldnetdaily.com,
2/11/04
PORNOGRAPHY
AARP mag: A little porn’s a good thing
An American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) magazine reader
seeking advice on whether she should be concerned that her husband
is viewing pornography online was told she should not be concerned.
Columnist Hugh O’Neill told writer S.S. that, "level-headed
adults can enjoy erotic pictures in private without undermining
their relationships, their immortal souls, or the republic."
O’Neill went on to suggest that the woman, in a nonjudgmental
manner, approach her husband about his Web-surfing habits and "reassure
him that you don’t think he’s doing a bad thing, or that
you’re living with the devil." He suggested S.S. and her
husband could use the pornography to improve their sex life.
"This is probably the worst advice the reader could have gotten,"
AFA president Tim Wildmon said. "Pornography has led to the
breakdown of too many marriages and families for this columnist
to suggest there is nothing wrong with viewing it. There is clear
evidence and research showing viewing pornography is harmful to
relationships. Handing out advice that a little pornography is good
for a marriage and a couple’s sex life is absolutely reckless."
AARP magazine, 03-04/04
Porn fuels attack on eight-year-old
Brian McCutcheon’s deep, dark desires, fueled by pornography,
have allegedly led to a very brutal attack on an eight-year-old
girl in a Philadelphia library.
The homeless McCutcheon apparently told his pastor after the attack
that he’d been struggling "his whole life" to overcome
pedophilic tendencies. In 2000, McCutcheon was arrested for a similar
attack on a nine-year-old girl in a recreation center bathroom.
He served seven months in prison for that offense.
The latest victim, who had gone to the library with her grandmother,
was attacked in a bathroom at Center City library. The girl was
found unconscious, wedged between the toilet and the wall. Apparently,
the girl had gotten the key to the bathroom from the front desk.
McCutcheon told police he was able to get into the bathroom by walking
right in behind her.
McCutcheon is no stranger to libraries in Philadelphia. He was banned
from the library’s central branch last summer for looking at
pornography on computers there. He also frequented the Independence
branch, and a facility on Rittenhouse Square. In July 2002, when
a local Fox affiliate was doing a story on pornography use in libraries,
McCutcheon willingly put on an impromptu demonstration for the camera
crew.
McCutcheon has been charged with attempted murder, rape and aggravated
assault.
Philadelphia Daily News, 2/11/04; CNN, 2/9/04
Porn fighter Bruce Taylor joins Justice
President Bush’s Justice Department has apparently moved to
step up its prosecution of pornography and indecency in America
with the hiring of a renowned porn fighter.
Bruce A. Taylor has been hired by the U.S. Justice Department to
work as a senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General based
in Washington, D.C. Taylor previously served as president and chief
counsel of the National Law Center for Children and Families (NLC),
a Virginia-based firm with a strong reputation in assisting cities
and municipalities across the United States in regulating the pornography
industry. Prior to his stint at NLC, Taylor was a senior trial attorney
for the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice
Department.
Bryan Sierra, a Justice spokesman, said that by hiring Taylor –
which the department didn’t publicize – the department
was simply marshaling additional resources, not bowing to political
pressure from conservatives who have long sought for stronger enforcement
of pornography laws.
"Bruce has vast experience, both at the federal and state level,
prosecuting those kinds of cases," Sierra said. "It is
all part of our overall effort to kick-start obscenity prosecution
after a long absence."
AgapePress, 2/3/04; Los Angeles Times, 2/14/04
PRO-LIFE
‘Truth Truck’ banned
A pro-life leader claims a Kansas town is violating his First Amendment
rights by not allowing him to tell the truth about abortion through
the use of a panel truck.
Troy Newman calls his truck "The Truth Truck." It is outfitted
with graphic images of what happens to an unborn child as a result
of abortion.
Newman is facing six months in jail and a $1,000 fine because authorities
in Bel Aire, Kansas, said the truck violated a building code prohibiting
portable signs. Newman, with Operation Rescue West, said he had
parked the truck in the neighborhood of Carrie Klaege, the office
manager for an abortion clinic owned by infamous abortionist George
Tiller.
Newman was arrested and received a citation that claims he "calculated
to attract the attention of the public." The pro-life activist
called that a perversion of the truth.
"I’m not sure what sort of logical gymnastics and legal
calisthenics that they’re going through to try to make this
charge stick," he said, "but be that as it may, they’ve
certainly perverted the truth when it comes to killing children
– and I think that they’re trying to do the same thing
here in trying to prohibit my right to display these images."
The AFA Center for Law & Policy plans to file a federal lawsuit
on Newman’s behalf.
AgapePress, 2/2/04
Girl Scouts break ties with abortion group
After a threatened boycott of its products, a Girl Scout Council
in Waco, Texas, decided to drop its relationship with the abortion
provider Planned Parenthood.
Pro-life groups were calling for a boycott of Girl Scout cookies
after the Bluebonnet Council of Girl Scouts, to which some 6,000
girls in 14 counties belong, helped sponsor Planned Parenthood’s
"Nobody’s Fool" event.
The event was aimed at providing minors information about sex education.
The materials distributed included literature stating that abortion
is an acceptable practice, according to one parent.
LifeNews.com, 2/16/04
RELIGION
City ends policy barring religious speech
Senior Citizens in Balch Springs, Texas, can once again pray before
meals, sing gospel songs and listen to weekly devotionals at the
city-owned senior citizen center. A settlement between the city
and the U.S. Department of Justice guarantees it.
The city reached a court-filed settlement agreement with the Department
of Justice after the department investigated the city’s new
policy barring religious speech at the Texas facility.
The religious activities of the senior citizens had been voluntary,
and were not run or attended by the city or its employees. Seniors
complained that the city’s action barring religious speech
amounted to religion-based discrimination.
"Senior citizens should not be forced to check their faith
at the door in order to participate in city-run programs and facilities,"
said R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
"There is a critical difference between government-sponsored
religious speech . . . and the personal religious expression of
citizens."
Department of Justice, 1/8/04
Court rules against Christian student
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a young student
could not hand out gifts to classmates because they contained a
religious message.
The case involves New Jersey resident Dana Walz and her son, Daniel,
who in 1998 was a pre-kindergarten student attending Egg Harbor
Township Public School. During a party in which children were allowed
to distribute small gifts to each other, Daniel gave pencils carrying
the words: "Jesus loves the little children."
The teacher took the pencils away from the children because of the
religious message they contained. School officials supported the
teacher, and the federal appellate court approved of their reasoning.
Attorneys for the boy have appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme
Court.
http://www.rutherford.org, 1/5/04
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