Daily Archives: November 4, 2010

CitizenLink: “State-level election results bode well for defending marriage at the state level. Voters moved toward more conservative candidates, and the changes listed below bring about a more favorable climate for defending one-man, one-woman marriage in several states.”

Leonard Link: “Justice Kevin G. Young of New York Supreme Court, Onondaga County (Syracuse), issued a decision on October 21 dissolving a civil union that had been contracted in Vermont in 2004 by Heidi Marie Parker and Mindy Tamara Waronker. Parker v. Waronker, No. 2010-M-0517.”

LifeNews: “The state Assembly Appropriations Committee has scheduled a hearing on Bills A3273 and A3274 to fund Planned Parenthood and family planning clinics.”

US Department of State: “Further implementing Presidents Obama and Calderon’s commitment to build a 21st century border that promotes economic competitiveness while enhancing security, the United States and Mexico began operating a new border crossing called ‘San Luis II’ today in San Luis, Arizona and San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.”

New Hampshire Union Leader: “In Concord, where a veto-proof Republican majority will be sworn in on Dec. 1, one clearly endangered policy is the same-sex marriage law that took effect on Jan. 1, 2010 . . . It may not happen right away, however. Sources say GOP leaders want to focus first on fiscal issues. Cornerstone Action, one of the state’s leading conservative groups, feels the same way.”

Reuters: “Republican Representative Ron Paul on Thursday said he will push to examine the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions if he takes control of the congressional subcommittee that oversees the central bank as expected in January.”

First Things Web Editor Joe Carter and Barrett Brown, author of Skeptical Inquirer as well as the author of Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design (and blogger at the League of Ordinary Gentlemen), are debating “the nature and existence of God and his proper relation to the state.” According to Carter, “the format will include the posting of quotes chosen by each participant followed by at least three rounds of exchanges with one post on each side (the level of interest will determine if it will continue after that agreed upon minimum limit).”

Human Rights Campaign: “Today the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, praised a statement from the Association of Professional Chaplains affirming the responsibility of chaplains to serve all service members and refuting the notion that the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ would preclude a chaplain from serving ‘both God and the U.S. armed forces.’”

Palm Beach Post: “Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, filed suit today in U.S. District Court on behalf of Young Americans for Freedom, the conservative organization that the student was promoting. The suit alleges that college employees violated the constitutional rights of the group and its members.”

“But behind the scenes is liberal moneyman George Soros, who has provided $45 million in grants to groups like Justice at Stake and the left-wing People for the American Way that press for an end to judicial elections. Think of it as an investment in judicial activism.”

Christian Post: “‘Parents should be able to choose what school their children attend and where their money goes. Just because religious schools can join the program on the same basis as non-religious ones doesn’t make it unconstitutional,’ said [ADF Attorney David Cortman].”

CatholicCulture.org: “The Catholic bishops of France have taken a more prominent role in public debates, notes the daily La Croix.”

Financial Times / Global Economy: “China, Brazil and Germany on Thursday criticised the Fed’s action a day earlier, and a string of east Asian central banks said they were preparing measures to defend their economies against large capital inflows.”

LifeSiteNews: “‘There is one way in which the media is most dangerous,’ and which pervades all forms of media, he explained. Pornography ‘is probably the most dangerous thing on earth.’ According to Westen, ‘there’s more loss in the culture wars from this enemy than from any other, because with this we lose our souls, we get out of the right to life.’”

LifeSiteNews: “The pro-life movement must promote a true understanding of the transmission of human life to confront the all-out attack against the family being waged by the worldly powers in Europe, North America, and throughout the world, said John Smeaton, national director of the U.K.’s Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), at the International Pro-Life Conference in Ottawa, Ontario.”

LifeSiteNews: “Pro-life-endorsed candidates have so far picked up 12 governorships, and retained control of 9 governorships. At least three races involving pro-life candidates are undecided.” (see the list)

PR Newswire: “The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) today announced the filing of a lawsuit that claims an anti-Islam state ballot measure (SQ 755) passed in Tuesday’s election violates the U.S. Constitution.” (links to relevant documents)

Blog of LegalTimes: “In an executive order signed today, President Obama switched up the line of succession at the Justice Department to add MacBride and two other U.S. attorneys.”

LifeSiteNews: “A Dutch bishop has made waves in the country after he called on politicians to defund abortion in the face of impending budget restrictions, reports French journalist Jeanne Smits.”

Sioux City Journal (AP): “A Mason City councilman says adult entertainment clubs may help revive downtown.”

The Daily Reporter: “Now, another Wisconsin city is facing a similar situation, as the Oshkosh Common Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to allow the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to convert an 8,000-square-foot funeral home on the city’s west side into a house of worship. The Muslim group has agreed to buy the building for about $300,000.”

Main Line Times: “Lower Merion Township is one step closer to joining 17 other municipalities in Pennsylvania in prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.”

LifeSiteNews: “‘It is never too early to start talking to children about sexual matters,’ say guidelines issued by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Once highly respected for its independence and integrity, UNESCO now works in partnership with the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS), an educational arm of the controversial Kinsey Institute.”

The Grand Rapids Press: “Nancy L. Haynes, executive director of the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, which forwarded the case to HUD and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, said the dismissal document she received from HUD acknowledged the violation, but said it dropped the complaint because of constitutional considerations dealing with the freedom of association, a separate issue from fair housing . . . ‘HUD did the right thing through its dismissal of the frivolous complaint,’ ADF attorney [Joel Oster] said in a statement.”

Morning Sentinel: “Prohibiting pornography, nudity, escort services and massage parlors downtown is once again on the boiler plate. Planning Board members in the next few weeks will consider making a recommendation to the City Council about whether such adult entertainment should be allowed between Union Street and Spring Street and Elm Street and the Kennebec River.”

NPR reports High court weighs tax credit for religious schools: “Mr. PAUL BENDER: ‘Sixty-five percent of the whole program went out on the basis of religion. You get this scholarship only if you send your kid to the religious school that I designate.’ TOTENBERG: ‘But [David Cortman] of the Arizona Christian Schools Tuition Association disagreed.’ Mr. DAVID CORTMAN (Arizona Christian Schools Tuition Association): ‘Not a dime goes to any school, religious or secular, unless the parent decides, number one, that their child will attend that school; and number two, that they apply for a scholarship.’”

Alliance Defense Fund – Q&A with Dr. Wayne Grudem talking about his new book “Politics according to the Bible” Question #5

Question: Should Christians be involved in politics & government?

San Diego Union Tribune: “The arrest of the leader of a City Heights mosque, a man described as a revered figure who was known for advocating nonviolence and tolerance, has stunned the close-knit Somali community in City Heights, where many refugees of the war-torn country live, work and pray.”

The Christian Institute: “ADF Legal Counsel [Matt Bowman] said: ‘The right not to have an abortion is protected by law, and this right isn’t relinquished just because someone else considers the child to be an unwanted burden.’”

LifeSiteNews: “A new poll by Environics Research of 2,025 Canadians has found that although 59% said they support legal euthanasia, the number who “strongly support” it has declined by 3 points since last year. Support is highest in Quebec at 69%, down from 75% a year ago, and lowest in Manitoba and Saskatchewan at 49%.”

Reuters: “With al-Qaeda declaring war on Christians in Iraq and no end to political instability in sight, Catholic experts on the Middle East fear the fate of the minority Christian community there will only worsen.”

AFP: “The UN’s rights chief criticised the Iraqi government on Thursday for failing to protect religious communities, following a recent wave of violence targeting Christian and Shiite populations.”

Seattle Post-Intelligencer (AP): “Spain’s Socialist government has found a new place to push for gender equality, seeking to erase all vestiges of male bias from the country’s double-barreled last names . . . under a bill presented to Parliament, if a couple does not specify an order or cannot agree on one, a child’s last names would be assigned in alphabetical order.”

The Wichita Eagle: “On the day after an election that exceeded even their own hopes, Kansas Republicans found the weight of governing the state resting solely on their shoulders. For the first time in 45 years, one party will hold all statewide offices. And Republicans will outnumber Democrats 92-33 in the House, their biggest majority since 1954.”

Fred Barnes writing in the Wall Street Journal (full text via Google News): “For starters, Republicans will continue to have issues on their side. The election reaffirmed that America is a center-right country and that a sizeable majority is anxious about government spending and debt, President Obama’s health-care plan, and jobs. Those issues won’t go away now that Republicans control the House and are in a strong minority position in the Senate.”

The GW Hatchet: “A week ago there was nothing remarkable about Kye Allums, a junior shooting guard on the women’s basketball team. But as of Monday night, Allums became remarkable in a way no other player is: He’s the first openly transgender player to play Division I college basketball.”

Bournemouth Echo: “Poole’s Scientology centre does not benefit from special tax relief, it has been confirmed. Communities secretary Eric Pickles has urged local authorities to stop offering breaks to the organisation, deemed not to be a religion in a Charity Commission ruling in 1999.”

Green Bay Press Gazette: “Gay rights advocates claimed victory Wednesday after Green Bay aldermen dropped plans to support a lawsuit aimed at overturning domestic partner benefits at the state level.”

Ottawa Citizen: “The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will ask students and their parents probing questions about home life, religious affiliation and sexual orientation as part of a census to be conducted this month.”

The Hill has a info guide to all the new members of Congress.

Stanley Carlson-Thies, president of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, writes in the Nov. 4 IRFA Newsletter: “Two notable changes in Congress to the benefit of institutional religious freedom: Dan Coats, who served in the Senate (R-IN) from 1989-1999, was just re-elected to the Senate. In his earlier service he was a noted champion of faith-based services . . . Chet Edwards (D-TX), first elected to the House in 1991, was defeated. Edwards has been one of the fiercest congressional critics of the faith-based initiative and a harsh opponent of what he called ‘religious job discrimination’ by faith-based organizations that receive federal funds.”

Ken Klukowski writing at Townhall: “This case should present an interesting split. Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia seemed to side with the video makers. His basic question was, what part of the government shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech don’t you understand? It seemed that Justice Elena Kagan might be with Scalia on that point, as might Justice Sonia Sotomayor . . . Justice Stephen Breyer sided with Roberts and Alito, all of whom were asking if there’s nothing a state can do to limit a child’s access to such video games.”

Chuck Donovan writing at The Heritage Foundation / The Foundry: “Exit polls and candidate victory speeches confirm the truth that yesterday’s electoral outcomes were rooted in concerns about a sagging economy and soaring government spending. But the public records and political philosophies of yesterday’s victors at the ballot box also convey the quiet strength of social issues in the 2010 election. A confident coalition has emerged with a convergence of convictions.”

Micah Watson, William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in Religion and Public Affairs at the James Madison Program at Princeton University, writing at Public Discourse: “‘You can’t legislate morality’ has become a common turn of phrase. The truth, however, is that every law and regulation that is proposed, passed, and enforced has inherent in it some idea of the good that it seeks to promote or preserve. Indeed, no governing authority can in any way be understood to be morally neutral. Those who think such a chimerical understanding is possible could hardly be more wrong. For, in fact, the opposite is true: You cannot not legislate morality.”

OneNewsNow: “James Gattuso, senior research fellow in regulatory policy at The Heritage Foundation, co-authored ‘Red Tape Rising: Obama’s Torrent of New Regulation,’ a study showing that $26.5 billion in new regulations have been imposed on the U.S. economy over the last 12 months. He says even though an increase was expected, what actually developed was surprising.”

Rediff Business: “World Bank has cautioned China that an expected slowdown next year could hit its export driven economy and asked it to accelerate process to change its economic growth pattern to increase the domestic consumption.”

Liberty Counsel: “A federal judge has entered a Consent Decree that overturns the decision of the Collier County School Board, which banned voluntary distribution of Bibles to high school students on Religious Freedom Day. This Decree is the culmination of litigation brought by Liberty Counsel to vindicate the constitutional rights of World Changers, the local group denied equal access by the school board.”

The Jakarta Globe: “Amnesty International on Thursday demanded that the government abolish laws infringing on women’s reproductive health rights, including the law that forbids abortion.”

KJRH: “The Center on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR is organizing a news conference at the state Capitol on Thursday afternoon. The group says it’s supporting a citizen who is filing a federal lawsuit regarding a constitutional amendment Oklahomans passed on Tuesday.”

alarabiya.net: “A Christian group complains that Kuwait’s City Municipal Council is preventing it from obtaining a land to build a church, a UAE newspaper reported on Thursday.”

New York Magazine: “Soros Fund Management has amassed a 5.1 percent stake in the Female Health Co., manufacturer of the FC2 Female Condom.”

Marcia Coyle writing at The National Law Journal: “The Supreme Court, in separate arguments on Wednesday, waded into two difficult parts of the Constitution that traditionally have divided the justices: religion and preemption.”

Religion Clause: “Yesterday in Palmer v. City of Prescott, plaintiff filed a motion for interlocutory appeal (full text) of an Arizona federal district court judge’s refusal to disqualify himself from hearing plaintiff’s civil rights case.”

Ed Whelan writing at the Ethics and Public Policy Center: “The recent district court ruling that the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law governing homosexuals in the military is unconstitutional triggered speculation that the Obama administration, which is eager for Congress to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ might choose not to appeal the ruling. That speculation proved mistaken — an appeal has been filed — but it provides an apt occasion to explore the principles that ought to govern a presidential administration in deciding whether to defend a federal law that it disfavors.”

The Rutherford Institute: “The Rutherford institute has filed a First Amendment lawsuit in federal court against the City of Winchester, its police chief and another police officer, charging that the City’s noise ordinance, which prohibits sounds that ‘annoy’ or ‘disturb’ others, is unconstitutional. The case arose out of events that transpired during the 2010 Apple Blossom Festival in which a Christian street preacher was prevented from preaching about his religious beliefs on a public sidewalk after a passerby complained that he felt ‘uncomfortable’ with the message.” | For more information, including text of the complaint, see Religion Clause.

Associated Press: “Rather than looking ahead to form a new administration to lead Illinois’ government, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bill Brady were still waiting for results in the governor’s race, among a handful of up-in-the air contests across the nation.”

ADF attorneys sue Palm Beach State College over unconstitutional policies, which even require permit for off-campus events on evenings, weekends

Conn Carroll writing at The Heritage Foundation / The Foundry: “So our media elites do care if same-sex couples can get married, but they do not care if the rest of America is married. Is it just a coincidence that the first year a same-sex marriage question makes it onto the poll the traditional marriage question disappears?”

Conn Carroll writing at The Heritage Foundation / The Foundry: “The President just can’t help himself: he is addicted to federal spending. And it is the next Congress’ job to make him to stop. Congress must craft a solution for our nation’s long term entitlement spending problems. But our nation’s economy also needs a strong signal that this Congress is serious about cutting spending now. That will let job creators know that their taxes are not destined to be higher.”

Jeff Jacoby writing in the Boston Globe: “In short, there is no consensus [on Keynesian deficit spending]. And if even the world’s most esteemed economic theorists cannot decide whether a huge new spending bill would make the current crisis better or worse, guidance will have to come from somewhere else. Perhaps that somewhere is Europe, where governments have deliberately rejected Washington’s embrace of massive deficit spending as the best way to rev up an ailing economy — with better outcomes than Americans have seen.”

BosNewsLife: “Eritrean security forces have detained nearly a dozen Christians, taking them to undisclosed locations, local Christians and rights activists said in comments monitored by BosNewsLife Thursday, November 4.”

KUOW: “People on opposite sides of the abortion debate will be closely watching Thursday’s scheduled meeting of the Washington State Board of Pharmacy. The board is expected to decide whether it will change the rules about the controversial emergency contraception known as Plan B. KUOW’s Derek Wang has the story.”

Heritage Foundation backgrounder: “If allowed to take effect, three regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Education will raise costs for students and limit their educational opportunities. These regulations would require state authorization of higher education institutions, impose gainful employment requirements, and dictate a one-size-fits-all definition of a credit hour.”

CTnow.com (AP): “Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said Thursday that Americans should be tolerant of plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near the site of the World Trade Center in New York.”

Wall Street Journal: “The Federal Reserve, in a dramatic effort to rev up a ‘disappointingly slow’ economic recovery, said it will buy $600 billion of U.S. government bonds over the next eight months to drive down interest rates and encourage more borrowing and growth.”

The Legal Project: “Court documents filed last week reveal Islamic extremists have obtained personal contact information on members of the defiant Facebook group ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.’ Zachary Chesser, who provided the information, pled guilty to ‘communicating threats’ and renounced jihad, but the damage was done. Prosecutors say he ‘seriously endangered the lives of innocent people who will remain at risk for many years to come.’”

SCOTUSblog: “The transcript of today’s oral argument in Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn is now available here . . . ”

NDTV: “The White House will, of course, stay in Washington but the heart of the famous building will move to India when President Barack Obama lands in Mumbai on Saturday.”

Associated Press: “China is pressuring European governments to avoid the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for imprisoned democracy activist Liu Xiaobo and not make any statements in support of him, several diplomats said Thursday.”

Arizona Republic: “‘There is a very important philosophical point here,’ [Justice Alito] said sternly. ‘You think that all the money belongs to the government except to the extent that it deigns to allow private people to keep some of it’ . . . Outside the court, [David Cortman], a Georgia lawyer for the Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization, told reporters that the private-school tax credit is only one of many options Arizona offers to trim taxpayer debt. ‘It’s simply not the government’s money until you reach the bottom line of the tax form, and no sooner,’ he said.”

Christian Action League: “The Christian flag may fly again at King’s Central Park Veterans Memorial, but not any time soon, and only after a ‘Limited Public Forum Policy’ is hammered out by city officials with help from the Alliance Defense Fund.”

The Herald Journal: “A religious panel discussed same-sex marriage Tuesday at Utah State University, suggesting the issue is still as controversial as ever. The talk was part of the Center for Women and Gender lecture series, titled, ‘Gays and Marriage: Religious Perspectives.’”

Arizona Republic: “In Maricopa County, there are at least 218,862 ballots that have not been tabulated, said Yvonne Reed, spokeswoman for the county’s elections department. This number includes early ballots that were dropped off at the polls and ballots that had not been tabulated as of the close of Election Day.”

USA Today: “Daniel Remold, a journalism professor at the University of Tampa, says his passion is campus media. Can he help it if the big story over the last decade is about sex? His new book, Sex and the University: Celebrity, Controversy, and a Student Journalism Revolution (Rutgers University Press), provides insights gleaned from reading more than 2,500 student sex columns. He tells USA TODAY why they matter.”

Tulsa Beacon: “Michigan’s Department of Civil Rights has filed a complaint received against a woman for posting the statement, ‘I am looking for a Christian roommate,’ on her church bulletin board . . . [Joel Oster] lead counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund represents the woman. He said the government’s actions blatantly violated her First Amendment rights to freedom of association and asked that the complaint be immediately dismissed.”

Mark Hemingway writing in the Washington Examiner: “Where the Kochs stood accused of funding some well-known grassroots political groups, Soros has been heavily invested in some pretty shady attempts at electioneering for Democrats. And fortunately, these efforts aren’t going very well.”