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AFA
ACTIVISM
Fact or fiction: Nativity scene belongs in
public
West Virginia activist Bruce Barilla is an eager advocate for
displaying Nativity scenes in the public square. He says the practice
is protected by law when the display meets certain guidelines. AFA
Center for Law and Policy (CLP) agrees with Barilla’s view
and has, in past Christmas seasons, helped local government officials
comply with the law.
A CLP memo in 2004 said, "In order to satisfy the courts,
a publicly-sponsored display should include secular items in addition
to religious scenes, and arrange the display such that the religious
scene does not become the focal point. Additionally, the religious
items and the secular items should both be visible at the same time."
However, a privately-sponsored display, even on public property,
is much simpler. The private group may include any religious theme
and need not add secular items. Such a privately-sponsored display
would still have to comply with city regulations allowing use of
public property for private display. In a privately-sponsored exhibit,
secular symbols are not necessary within the context of the Nativity
display. A small, clearly visible sign with a disclaimer can also
help ward off complaints or questions regarding the display. The
sign should be worded along these lines: "This display is privately
sponsored by <name of sponsor>. The City of <name of city>
neither endorses nor opposes the display."
Both Barilla (www.achw.org)
and the CLP (www.afa.net)
can offer assistance regarding specific situations.
American
Girl teams with pro-abortion charity
A line of dolls popular with many Christians has come
under fire after it was discovered that the company which sold them
was donating money to an organization that supports abortion and
the normalization of lesbianism.
The American Girl collection includes not only dolls, but books
and toys. On its Web site the company describes itself as "one
of the nation’s most respected brands."
However, Kathryn Hooks, director of media and public relations
for AFA, said American Girl has partnered with a charitable group
called Girls Inc. to sell a bracelet known as the "I Can"
Band. Under the arrangement, American Girl is donating 70 cents
from every bracelet purchase — the bracelets cost one dollar
each — to the charity. American Girl has also promised a lump-sum
donation of $50,000.
Hooks said AFA has a problem with that arrangement, since Girls
Inc. promotes a social agenda that is distinctly contradictory to
the traditional image of American Girl. "Girls Inc. is pro-abortion,
pro-choice without a doubt," she said. "That is made clear
on their Web site."
The Girls Inc. site contains a clear advocacy statement addressing
"reproductive freedom," which declares: "Girls Incorporated
supports a woman’s freedom of choice, a constitutional right
established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 in Roe v. Wade."
According to Hooks, Girls Inc. also offers girls resources encouraging
homosexuality among those who recognize the "emergence of a
lesbian identity." Advocacy statement pages on the Web site
note that the group endeavors to eliminate "homophobia and
other forms of discrimination" and deems that girls have a
right to "positive, supportive environments and linkages to
community resources for dealing with issues of sexual orientation."
AFA has heard from some supporters who have recommended other fine
doll product lines with a distinctly Christian emphasis. For more
information on those products: Life of Faith, 1-800-840-2641; Good
News Bible Kids, 1-800-255-7810; Vision Forum (Beautiful Girlhood
Collection), 1-800-440-0022.
Compelling new Christmas novella addresses
public Nativity issue
Until now, Randy Singer’s fiction has been of the legal
thriller genre. The Judge Who Stole Christmas (Waterbrook
Press), however, is a captivating new seasonal novella. Though couched
in the context of a contemporary legal dilemma, it has a different
feel because of the Christmas setting.
The issue: Does a Christian Nativity scene belong in the public
arena?
The story: Protagonists Thomas and Theresa Hammond are a poor couple
with two young children. The Hammonds depict Joseph and Mary in
an annual live Nativity scene displayed in the public square of
Possum, Virginia, their hometown. Enter the villain, federal Judge
Cynthia Baker-Kline, who rules the display unconstitutional.
Thomas is hard-headed, and determined to ignore the judge’s
ruling. The judge is equally hard-headed, certain she’s in
the right and determined that Thomas will comply with her ruling.
Among other characters, TV evangelist Freddie Hester is a standout.
The good reverend encounters no person, no cause and no circumstance
beyond his ability to exploit. When Thomas is arrested, Hester manipulates
Theresa into firing her attorney and letting him take over the case.
Singer’s description of Hester — just before Theresa
is to appear on his TV show — illustrates the author’s
gift for painting memorable characters: "The man had more makeup
caked on than Theresa, though he passed on the lipstick. His hair
stood up about four inches, then swept back over his head like the
mane of a stallion. He was smiling as he looked straight into the
camera, as if he might kiss it at any moment."
An attorney by profession, Singer is chief counsel for the North
American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a
professor at Regent Law School. He entered the fiction field in
2003 with Directed Verdict, a Christy Award winner for Christian
suspense.
"In all of history, no event is more worthy of our meditation
and best storytelling efforts than: ‘The Word became flesh
and dwelt among us,’" said Singer. That Scripture, John
1:14, defines a hallmark of Singer’s work that the Gospel is,
indeed, always an integral part in his creative fiction.
"One thing I don’t make up is the law," said Singer.
"I try to be accurate on the substantive issues and legal proceedings.
There is enough conflict and drama and majesty in our legal system
that you don’t have to go beyond what’s there to write
a good story."
Conflict. Drama. Majesty. Singer mixes them together well in The
Judge Who Stole Christmas.
Interstate Batteries promotes life
At a time when a number of companies have taken anti-family stands
on issues like homosexuality and abortion, at least one has done
the opposite — Interstate Batteries.
This fall, Interstate Batteries and Care Net have teamed up to
launch "Charged for Life," a new fundraising campaign
to help support the work of pro-life pregnancy centers across the
U.S. and Canada. Care Net is a faith-based organization that supports
a network of 900 pregnancy centers.
Fifty percent of the proceeds from the campaign’s battery
sales (AAA, AA, 9-volt, hearing aid batteries, etc.) will go to
support the work of Care Net.
"On occasion, when a company shows its commitment to faith
and family values in such a way, it deserves to be thanked in a
special way," said AFA Chairman Don Wildmon. "Interstate
Batteries is one."
Wildmon also noted that Interstate Batteries has a solid and very
public commitment to Christian values. The mission statement for
the company starts with the words, "To honor God." The
company has a corporate chaplaincy program that ministers to employees,
vendors and customers. Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries,
serves as a board member for Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas
Seminary Foundation and the Overseas Council. The plan of salvation
is also offered on the company’s Web site.
Wildmon asked AFA supporters to thank Interstate Batteries for
their stand for unborn children.
Contact information:
Norm Miller, Chairman
Interstate Batteries
12770 Merit Drive
Dallas, TX 75251
Primary phone: 1-866-842-5368
E-mail: CustomerService@InterstateBatteries.com
Walgreens sponsors Chicago ‘Gay
Games’
A leading national pharmacy and retailer is saying its participation
as a sponsor in the upcoming "Gay Games" in Chicago next
year is primarily for the purpose of engaging in AIDS awareness
education and distributing treatment drugs. But at least one pro-family
organization isn’t swallowing that pill.
According to AgapePress, the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) is
disappointed that Walgreens, which has its corporate office in Illinois,
has promised to contribute $100,000 to the 2006 Gay Games. IFI is
spearheading a petition campaign encouraging the state’s citizens
to voice their displeasure with Walgreens and other major corporations
that are sponsoring the event.
IFI Executive Director Peter LaBarbera said if Walgreens is trying
to fight HIV, it’s approach is counterproductive. "[W]e
think it’s ridiculous to say that you are stopping HIV but
at the same time you’re celebrating homosexual behavior, which
is one of the big causes of AIDS," LaBarbera said.
Contact information:
David W. Bernauer, Chairman
Walgreens
200 Wilmot Road
Deerfield, IL 60015
Primary phone: 1-800-289-2273
Secondary phone: 1-847-940-2500
E-mail: dave.bernauer@walgreens.com
Target continues ban on Salvation Army
Despite the increased need caused by Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, Target stores nationwide will continue their ban of Salvation
Army solicitations this Christmas season outside their more than
1,300 locations.
The controversial ban was initiated last fall by the Target Corporation,
even though the familiar Salvation Army bell ringers, standing beside
their red kettles, had been fixtures outside Target stores for years.
Target’s decision to give The Salvation Army the boot during
the all-important Christmas season cost the ministry roughly nine
million dollars. That’s the amount Salvation Army officials
said the ministry had been collecting at the entrances to Target
stores each year.
The company defended its actions last year claiming that since
no other solicitations were allowed outside Target stores, neither
would The Salvation Army be allowed.
That provoked a strong reaction in the Christian community, including
some who said they thought the sudden alteration of the company’s
policy had more to do with the promotion of the homosexual agenda
than anything else.
"We happen to know," Culture and Family Institute spokesman
Bob Knight said last December, "that the Target Corporation
has been under enormous pressure from homosexual activists to dump
The Salvation Army because [it] won’t give domestic-partner
benefits [to its employees]."
Contact information:
Robert J. Ulrich, Chairman/CEO
Target Stores
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Primary phone: 1-612-304-6073
Guest Relations: 1-800-440-0680
E-mail: Guest.Relations@target.com
EDUCATION
Liberal leadership entrenched in NEA
A recent survey of the 2.7-million-member National Education
Association (NEA) revealed that leaders of the powerful union are
overwhelmingly liberal. Yet, the rank-and-file members of the group
often reflect the diverse political philosophies of the country
as a whole.
Fifty percent of the regular NEA members identified themselves
in the survey as either "conservative" or "tend conservative,"
and only 40% identified themselves as "liberal" or "tend
liberal." However, 82% of the presidents of the larger local
NEA affiliates identified themselves as liberal, while only 14%
identified as conservative.
Mike Antonucci, director of the Education Intelligence Agency,
a union watchdog group that analyzed the survey, noted that most
conservative members are not very active in the union. "[A]bout
a third of the total members aren’t involved at all in the
operations of the union. They have no knowledge of what the union’s
doing," he said. "And that percentage goes up to 48% when
you’re talking about people who have been NEA members for three
years or less."
That passivity appears to be some of the reason for the philosophical
disconnect between the NEA leaders and its members. Antonucci said
those who show up for associational meetings typically dictate the
direction of the NEA. "[S]o the people who show up in the union
tend to be liberal — and therefore, the union tends to have
liberal policies," he said.
Besides that factor, years of activism have led to entrenchment
of liberals within the power structure of the NEA. No matter what
the people at the bottom of the organization’s hierarchy want
to do, Antonucci said, "the cards are still stacked against
them in terms of the union’s policy."
The solution is not to give up, however, but to get involved. Antonucci
asserted that the NEA is not a "single-minded juggernaut"
that is being "pushed along by willing acolytes." Instead,
he explained, "it is more like a ship, with its officers all
steering to port but with people at the oars capable of changing
direction if they could only see outside."
AgapePress, 10/10/05
Guide helps families choose right school
A new college guide assesses which of America’s top schools
impose politically correct views on their students or have genuine
academic freedom on campus.
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute released its 2006 edition
of Choosing the Right College. Touted by syndicated columnist
Thomas Sowell as "by far the best college guide in America,"
the guide includes reports on campus politics and intellectual diversity;
offers advice on which departments, professors, and courses to seek
out and those to avoid; provides pertinent campus statistics; and
also recommends colleges and universities that require a core knowledge
of American history, Western culture and Biblical tradition.
According to World magazine, "[I]f prospective students
and their families want a critical look at what is taught at America’s
most powerful and celebrated schools, Choosing the Right College
may be their only guide."
World editor John Zmirak said the guide is radically different
than others because it is underlined by "a comprehensive moral
and educational vision of what a college education should be."
AgapePress, 10/13/05
GOVERNMENT
FCC launches new Web page for complaints
Citizens, frustrated in the past by both the amount of indecent
programming on television and the red tape associated with filing
a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will
be happy that half the problem has been solved.
The FCC has established a new Web page that is designed to educate
the public about what constitutes indecent programming as well as
help people file complaints, according to Family News in Focus.
Among other things, the Web page, www.fcc.gov/eb/oip,
defines obscenity, indecency and profanity; walks citizens through
the process of filing an indecency complaint; explains TV ratings
and channel blocking; and contains a helpful section on frequently
asked questions.
Family News in Focus, 10/7/05
PORNOGRAPHY
Group identifies abortion supporters
For years Life Decisions International (LDI) has kept a close
eye on Planned Parenthood, the leading abortion provider in the
world. Part of LDI’s effort has been to keep an updated list
of companies who donate money to the abortionist chain.
LDI’s "Boycott List", which can be accessed at its
Web site, www.fightpp.org,
lists companies such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Merck &
Company, Time Warner, Prudential Insurance and Wells Fargo.
LDI takes a behind-the-scenes approach to companies which support
Planned Parenthood. Before a company is added to The Boycott List,
corporate officials are sent information about the abortion provider
and what it does, details about the boycott, and a formal request
that the company cease supporting Planned Parenthood.
Those efforts have met with success. LDI claims that 116 corporations
have agreed to stop funding Planned Parenthood. That has cost the
abortion provider more than $35 million over the last decade.
"We have had several chief executive officers agree to stop
giving to Planned Parenthood right away, which means we never had
to release the names of their corporations," said LDI President
Douglas R. Scott. "But many corporations need a bit of prodding
before they realize the gravity of supporting the world’s number
one abortion-advocacy group."
www.fightpp.org, 6/3/05
Consent law helps decrease abortions
An informed consent law put in place in Minnesota by a government
health department appears to be working, as evident from the state’s
lowest abortion rate since 1975.
A study of abortion statistics released by the Center for Health
Statistics for the Department of Health for the period January to
December 2004 shows that more than 2,000 women changed their minds
about having an abortion after receiving information supplied in
accordance with the law. The law, known as the Women’s Right
to Know, requires a waiting period before aborting and provides
full information regarding the nature of abortion.
"This clearly shows that Women’s Right to Know is working,"
said Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned
for Life — a key supporter of the law.
www.lifesite.net, 7/14/05
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