Daily Archives: May 29, 2009

CBC.ca: “Before the Criminal Law Amendment Act was passed in 1969, homosexuality was a criminal offence in Canada, as it remains to this day in many other countries. Four decades later, this country and six others — Belgium, The Netherlands, …

TIME: “As a fiercely secular nation, France has always had an awkward relationship with religious groups. Officials often find themselves struggling to strike the delicate balance between maintaining church-state separation and honoring the right of citizens to express their faith. But in the current case against the U.S.-based Church of Scientology, authorities have abandoned their usual attempts at fine-tuning religion’s standing in French society — instead, they want to ban Scientology from France altogether.”

The Christian Institute: “The Department of Health (DoH) will today defend in court its decision to suppress details of late term abortions for minor disabilities like cleft palate.”

HRC Back Story Blog: “Next Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee which is chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will hold the first Congressional hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The bill would allow citizens and legal residents in same-sex relationships to sponsor their partners for immigration purposes. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, June 3rd at 10 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.”

Police have launched raids across the UK to rescue women they believe were being forced to work in the sex industry.

AP: “This week, prosecutors dismissed nudity charges against two dancers at the Vegas Showgirls nightclub because they might be victims of the human trafficking ring, they said.”

Christian Post: “In a bid to face off against the nation’s top two litigators, Christian legal firm Alliance Defense Fund filed a motion on Thursday to intervene against another lawsuit challenging Proposition 8.”

Citizen Link: “The court said churches don’t have to be excluded and treated basically like a disease in the community,” said Dale Schowengerdt, legal counsel for ADF.

Tom Shaheen writes at the Pennsylvania Family Institute: “What would happen if PA would pass a ‘sexual orientation’ ‘gender identity’ anti-discrimination bill (HB 300) and a local store manager or clerk (or your teenager working a part-time job) at your favorite dept. store, refused to peddle the Levi’s propaganda along with the jeans? Would they be brought up for charges before the Human Relations Commission? Or lose their job? Take action. Tell your State Rep and State Senator to Vote NO on HB 300.”

ADF attorney Dale Schowengerdt appeared on the Jody Hice Show to discuss the suit ADF has filed on behalf of a church against “Bash Back.”

The MP3 runs just over 14 minutes.

Related ADF press release: ADF: Militant homosexual group faces federal suit, Bash Back! invaded MI church in Nov.

The Brussels Journal: “There’s a 16-page discussion at a Muslim forum called Mejliss el kalam, linked by François Desouche. To translate the entire discussion is out of the question. But here is the first page somewhat simplified…. The initial question, dated April 11, 2009, comes from ShamsTabrizi, from Somalia . . .

One recurring theme is that despite outward passiveness, the French, in general, know that violence will come. This seems to indicate a higher level of awareness on the part of the population than is generally acknowledged. Notice that the Muslims calmly plot the takeover without any thought of a rebellion from the natives.”

Another vote is expected on Wednesday.

Catholic Herald: “The document, a letter signed in 1530 by 84 peers and clergy, urged Pope Clement VII to annul the royal marriage because it had not produced a male heir, and said that with no clear succession England could be plunged into bloodshed.”

a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/28/AR2009052803573.html?hpid=topnews”>Washington Post: “With the battle moving east, some advocates are shouting that fact in the streets, calculating that on an issue that eventually comes down to comfort levels, more people harbor apprehensions about Mormons than about homosexuality. ‘The Mormons are coming! The Mormons are coming!’ warned ads placed on newspaper Web sites in three Eastern states last month . . .” ”

Because a committee of conference vote needs to be UNANIMOUS in order for it to be brought before the House and Senate again, the Senate President then REMOVED Senator Roberge from the committee and REPLACED her with Senator Houde, who “dialed in” his vote . . .

ADF attorneys sent a letter to Empowering Spirits Foundation on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine, urging it to cease filing frivolous and factually flawed IRS complaints as a way of intimidating organizations that believe in protecting marriage.

Mercury News (AP): “Lodi’s mayor says the city may switch from opening council meetings with prayers to moments of silence after a complaint from a group advocating the separation of church and state.”

WorldNetDaily: “As President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee comes under heavy fire for allegedly being a “racist,” Judge Sonia Sotomayor is listed as a member of the National Council of La Raza, a group that’s promoted driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, amnesty programs, and no immigration law enforcement by local and state police.”

Fox10TV.com: “Seniors at Pace High School are getting ready for their graduation, but this year the Class and School Board Presidents won’t be allowed to speak . . . The students can’t speak because of a consent decree signed by the Santa Rosa County School District. The decree stems from an ACLU lawsuit.”

Breitbart TV Video: Students Denied Graduation Speeches Due to Prayer in School Ban by ACLU

KarieraWeb.cz: Některé státy přijímají své zákony, jiné ne,” připomněl republikánský poradce Jordan Lorence v deníku Washington Post, že tehdejší diskuse dospěla v roce 1973 před Nejvyšší soud, který rozhodl o federální legalizaci umělého přerušení těhotenství. … ROUGH ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Alliance for School Choice: “School voucher programs increase student achievement and satisfy parents, according to four top researchers who spoke out in Washington yesterday to highlight the findings of key school choice studies. Considered four of America’s foremost experts on education research, Jay Greene, Grover ‘Russ’ Whitehurst, Patrick Wolf, and Patrick Stewart revealed key data and perspectives yesterday from more than a dozen school choice initiatives.”

LifeNews: “A Louisiana state Senate committee on Thursday will consider HB 517, a conscience bill that would protect the right of all health care workers, from physicians to pharmacists to nurses, to object from participating in any health care service that violates their conscience.”

AP: “A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that claims the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.”

“At the heart of the debate is whether same-sex marriage is a civil right that should be protected from the will of the electorate. Under District election law, the city cannot hold a referendum on a proposal that would violate the District’s Human Rights Act. ”

Houston Chronicle: “In a rare rejection of an appointment by the Texas governor, the Senate Thursday ousted Don McLeroy as chairman of the State Board of Education, with his supporters claiming the Bryan dentist was the victim of his strong religious beliefs. McLeroy is a devout Christian who believes in creationism and the notion that the Earth is about 6,000 years old. He has steadfastly argued that Texas students should be taught the weaknesses of evolution.”

William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights: “If the Republicans are smart, they would not fight this one,” he told The Washington Times in an interview Thursday.

The White House scrambled yesterday to assuage worries from liberal groups about Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s scant record on abortion rights, delivering strong but vague assurances . . .

CNSNews: “Liberty University, in turn, plans to file a complaint against Americans United. It accuses the group of trying to silence churches and other conservative organizations by intimidating them.”

LifeSiteNews: “The United Nations (UN) committee charged with monitoring compliance with the Convention Against Torture has declared that Nicaragua’s full protection of unborn life violates the country’s obligations under the Convention. This is the first time this committee has reviewed Nicaragua since the country’s government outlawed abortion for any reason three years ago . . . Critics are increasingly concerned with what they view as the politicization of the treaty monitoring system by committees charged with oversight.”

The official proponents and campaign committee for Proposition 8, ProtectMarriage.com, filed a motion to intervene Thursday in federal court against a new Hollywood-backed lawsuit designed to tear down California’s voter-approved marriage amendment . . .

“One parent in a divorce case can’t veto a decision by a former spouse to send their child to a religious school, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday . . . Potentially more significant, the judges said an objecting parent even can be forced to pay the tuition at the religious school.”

Opinio Juris: “. . . my very quick scan suggests that, whatever else her critics can say, her judicial record does not suggest she will be a particularly ‘transnationalist’ justice . . . While ruling for the government, Judge Sotomayor went out of her way to reject the government’s argument that the fact that the criminal statute was enacted to implement treaty obligations should automatically satisfy judicial scrutiny of the statute’s constitutionality. ‘The Court agrees with defendant, however, that this begs the question: “[N]o agreement with a foreign nation can confer power on the Congress, or on any branch of Government, which is free from the constraints of the Constitution.” (Citing Reid v. Covert, 353 1, 16 (1957)).’”

David Welna writes at NPR: “But with Democratic majorities firmly in charge of the Senate, what can they do? Quite a bit, actually. Their arsenal includes an array of delaying tactics that could make it hard for Democrats to meet the president’s aim of having Sotomayor confirmed by Aug. 7, the last day before a five-week break . . . Here’s a list of moves that could put on the brakes . . . ”

Patrick J. Buchanan writes at Townhall:
“Imagine if Sam Alito had said at Bob Jones University, ‘I would hope that a wise white male with the richness of his life experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a Hispanic woman, who hasn’t lived that life.’ Alito would have been toast . . . He would have been branded for life a white bigot . . .

The lady is a lightweight. What should Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee do? Abjure the vicious tactics Democrats used on Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito. Lay out the lady’s record. And let America get a close look at the kind of justice Barack Obama believes in.”

KXMB.com: “Americans United for Separation of Church and State is seeking a preliminary injunction blocking the Elmbrook district from having the ceremonies for Brookfield Central and Brookfield East high schools at Elmbrook Church. The graduations are June 6 and 7.”

Citizen Link: Johnston said life advocates have more to offer than “15 minutes on the table.” “The pro-life movement is made of people who are opening their homes and pocketbooks,” he said. “They are genuinely involved in these women’s lives.”

Shreveport Times (AP): Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian civil rights group that represents Netherland, said he quoted Bible passages in a loud voice but did not shout insults at customers outside the bar . . . “The case is done at this point if they do not appeal it,” Alliance Defense Fund attorney Joel Oster said. “We’re going to evaluate the ruling before we determine our next step,” said James Hilburn, a lawyer for the city.

Jan LaRue writes at the American Thinker: If you believe the myth that Democrats are champions of equality for women, racial minorities, and folks with “compelling” life stories, maybe you’ve been spending more time tracking Big Foot than judicial nominations.

Last night at the National Press Club in DC, Robby George and Doug Kmiec squared off in a civil discussion (otherwise known as a debate) on President Obama and pro-life issues. Public Discourse has published an adapted version of Professor George’s opening statement, Obama and His Pro-Life Apologists.

The entire debate (televised on C-SPAN) is here.

One News Now: . . . Professor Peter Cumming presented a paper at the 78th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, saying sexting is similar to “spin-the-bottle” or “playing doctor.” Pat Trueman, special counsel for Alliance Defense Fund, tells OneNewsNow that is a real stretch. “Sexting is really children producing child pornography. Our society is in deep trouble that we’ve come to this,” he believes . . .

Becket Fund: “California pastor David Jones and his wife Mary Jones were questioned by San Diego County officials and threatened with fines over a weekly Bible study in their residence in Bonita, California, according to several news reports and televised interviews. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has offered to assist the couple or others facing the same situation in California or elsewhere in the U.S. ‘San Diego County has brought KGB tactics to Southern California,’ said Eric Rassbach, National Litigation Director at the Becket Fund. ‘Government agents have no place questioning American citizens about how they choose to worship in their own home.’”

AP: “An openly gay teen has been voted prom queen at his Los Angeles high school in a campaign that began as a stunt but ended up spurring discussion on the campus about gender roles and popularity.”

Susan B. Anthony List:
“When 12 year-old Lia Mills wrote her speech about abortion for a school contest, she had no idea the kind of impact it would have worldwide. Yet after her mother put the speech on YouTube, it garnered over a half a million views! . . . The SBA List wants to provide our nation’s youth with the opportunity to do just that. This new contest will award two win”

“Family Court does not have jurisdiction to order a woman with no biological or legal ties to her former same-sex partner’s son to pay child support, a state appeals panel has ruled.”

2theadvocate.com:
“Baker resident and street preacher John T. Netherland can continue spreading the gospel on public property outside Zachary bars, says U.S. District Judge James J. Brady . . . “The evidence … was that he was calling the patrons names … whores, whoremongers, stuff like that,” Hilburn said. “We dispute that,” said Joel Oster, a Kansas attorney with the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which represents Netherland. “He was not calling people names.”

“The fight over Referendum 71 and the rights of same-sex domestic partners in Washington is headed to court for a possible rewording of the ballot title before voters get a chance to sign or reject petitions.”