Daily Archives: January 13, 2011

“Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signaled support for a bill making its way through the state Legislature that would legalized gay marriage in the state of Maryland. The bill seems to have gained significant traction in recent days . . . ”

Common Dreams: “Americans United, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, is challenging the Johnson County Commission’s decision to display the Ten Commandments and Christian literature in the courthouse lobby while refusing to display a local man’s posters about the historic role of church-state separation in American law.”

“Five states allow same-sex marriage. By year’s end, that number could grow. However, several states are working to protect the definition of marriage.”

KTVB.com (includes video): “A new Idaho law enacted in 2010 is designed to protect medical professionals by allowing them to refuse health care services that conflict with their religious, moral or ethical principles.
But Planned Parenthood says a Nampa pharmacist acted in the wrong and was not protected by the law when he refused to fill a prescription.”

Policy change comes one day after ADF files complaints with Department of Health and Human Service

Catholic Culture: Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked four non-Muslim villages in central Nigeria on January 10 and 11, killing 18 and burning down a church and over a dozen houses. Soldiers reportedly collaborated in the attack.

DeSoto Explorer: “Abortion rights advocates Wednesday criticized Gov. Sam Brownback for calling for further restrictions on abortions.”

ACLU Blog: “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will soon be issuing guidelines on what constitutes preventive care for women. Groups like the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Family Research Council and Alliance Defense Fund are trying to stop HHS from including birth control on the list of covered preventive services.”

Reuters: “The Harris Interactive online poll of 2,019 adults released on Thursday showed 31 percent of American couples who have combined finances were not truthful about issues such as hiding cash or a bank account or about debt or earnings.”

Augusta Free Press: “A Washington County Circuit Court judge who had previously ruled that a woman could not adopt the last name of her same-sex partner has reversed himself, holding that the name change could go forward.”

Northwest Asian Weekly: “The leaf-strewn median on Eternal Peace Road hides a grim secret. Numerous tiny fetuses lie in unmarked graves dug by women from the abortion clinic across the street. The staff at the small clinic in the heart of this ancient city don’t bury most of the fetuses — only those that have reached three or four months, when they clearly resemble miniature babies.”

Boston Globe: “Kevin Smith, of the conservative Cornerstone Action, said Thursday the House must vote on legislation to repeal same-sex marriage. He said if it isn’t this year, it will be next year.”

Christian Post: ADF Senior Council David French said of the discrepancy, “A university is never ever going to say we did something wrong.” However, he is pleased with the latest changes.

MSNBC: “Major demographic changes, including a rise in divorce and more babies born to single moms, have contributed to the rise of the stepfamily over the past decades, the survey found. Overall, 42 percent of American adults have a step relative. Thirty percent of Americans have a step or half-sibling, 18 percent have a living stepparent, and 13 percent have a stepchild.”

Toronto Sun: “Moving up the relationship ranks is the very modern – and considerably cheaper – option of living together, sans the ‘I dos’. ‘It’s the first time in Canada there are more unmarried people than married people,’ explains Gemini-award winning documentary filmmaker Sue Ridout, producer and director of the new hour-long doc entitled, ‘Thoroughly Modern Marriage’ (Dreamfilm Productions).”

Iona Institute: “Divorced people had the highest rate of hospitalisation in psychiatric units last year, according to new figures from the Health Research Board (HRB). The figures show that the rate of hospitalisation for divorced people was 115.9 per 100,000, nearly twice the national average of 66.3 per 100,000.”

Christian Post: “The president of Chick-fil-A recently defended a local operator’s decision to donate food to a marriage seminar despite petitions and criticisms from gay rights advocates.”

Cincinnati.com: “A federal judge ordered Hamilton County election officials on Wednesday to count more than 150 disputed ballots in the race for juvenile court judge – more than enough to potentially change the outcome.”

Aurthur B. Laffer writes at the Wall Street Journal: “Republicans should attach provisions repealing the worst aspects of ObamaCare and financial reform to spending that the president absolutely needs.”

Heritage Foundation Morning Bell: His Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, sent a letter to Congress last week claiming that unless they raised the debt ceiling by “the end of the first quarter of 2011,” the “full faith and credit of the United States” would be “called into question” and there would be “catastrophic damage to the economy.” This is, of course, completely false. The United States government will not default on its debt. Federal taxes will still be collected by the Treasury, and the United States Constitution requires the government to pay interest and principal on the debt first. The creditworthiness of the U.S. is not in danger. Just look at history.

NCPA Policy Digest: “Economies that stuck to the principles of economic freedom are recovering more quickly from the recession and financial crisis, and growing faster than countries whose governments tried to spend their way out of trouble.”

Religion Clause Blog: In Bravo v. Church of the Annunciation at Manhattanville, (S. Ct. NY, Jan. 10, 2011), a New York state trial court held that a Catholic Church exercised complete domination and control over a parish school so that the Church will be seen as the employer of  a custodian at the Annunciation School.

Liberty Counsel: Liberty Counsel has filed a motion to intervene in a case being heard today involving benefits for homosexual partners of city employees. Liberty Counsel represents El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values (EPTFV) and several city voters who oppose the city’s repeated attacks on marriage and family. The actions of the named defendant, the City of El Paso, thus far have been contrary to the position of the vast majority of its residents, who recently voted to repeal the “domestic partnership” benefits improperly added by the city.

NJ.com: “But now Rivera-Soto says he will vote on cases where Stern does not affect the outcome. That includes situations like the decision on a property dispute released Wednesday, where the vote was 6-1 vote — with Rivera-Soto dissenting.”

Des Moines Register: The former Republican candidate for governor insisted his 11-week statewide tour isn’t intended to focus solely on same-sex marriage. The purpose is to introduce Iowans to the Family Leader – a new umbrella advocacy group that Vander Plaats leads and that includes the Iowa Family Policy Center – and to build statewide support for all “pro-family” government policies, from restricting abortion to fostering economic growth to limiting government, he said.

Pro-Life Action League: The fact is, abortion rates haven’t gone up in the region of the country where pro-life activism is most common: the Midwest, where 85% of abortion providers report “harassment” (i.e., life-saving pro-life activism). Rates there have declined 6%. An exception within the region is Illinois, where the abortion rate rose 9%.

LifeSiteNews: “Attorneys general in Kansas, Ohio, Wyoming, and Wisconsin have requested to join the lawsuit filed by 20 other state attorneys general led by Florida attorney general (AG) Bill McCollum against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The new Republican attorney general for Maine says he is also getting ready to have the state join the Florida-led lawsuit.’

LifeSiteNews: “Unborn twin babies socialize as early as week 14 of gestation, a new study has shown. Italian researcher Dr. Umberto Castiello of the University of Padova and associates used an advanced method of ultrasonography . . . ”

AP: “A court official says a Somali judge sentenced a 72-year-old German man to four years in jail for making pornographic films and pictures in Somalia.”

Wall Street Journal: Moody’s Investors Service said in a report that the U.S. will need to reverse an upward trajectory in the debt ratios to support its triple-A rating. “We have become increasingly clear about the fact that if there are not offsetting measures to reverse the deterioration in negative fundamentals in the U.S., the likelihood of a negative outlook over the next two years will increase,” said Sarah Carlson, senior analyst at Moody’s.

In other words, if there’s a way to protect the dignity of the couple while also respecting the religious beliefs of the commissioner, I’m OK with that. But if the conflict can’t be avoided, I say: “Do your damn job.”

Telegraph (includes video): “BPAS has launched the legal action to have the interpretation of law changed so that instead of saying the all medication must be prescribed and administed in the clinic, it says it must be just’ prescribed and issued’.”

Bloomberg: “Republicans running the Montana Legislature who have launched bills aimed at undermining a federal health care law they believe is unconstitutional may themselves be running up against the state Constitution by trying to order the attorney general to take action.”

Pioneer Press: “In the past week, two defendants in an American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota lawsuit over an alleged incursion of religion into public education have asked for the suit’s dismissal — for very different reasons.”

Spero News: “Radical leaders and Islamic movements incite crowds and warn Christians against forming a party to repeal the law, a step that would bring chaos. The government denies it plans changes to the law. Civil society leaders appreciate Benedict XVI’s speech. Bilawal Bhutto defends minorities. Muslim …”

The Minnesota Independent: “In a unanimous vote by outgoing board members Tuesday evening, the Minneapolis School Board passed a resolution that significantly beefs up its LGBT curriculum and anti-bullying efforts. The resolution directs the school district to enhance its tracking of anti-LGBT bullying incidents as well as include LGBT themes in school curriculum.”

“If you don’t like the rules, then you can just leave,” echoed Kathy Gudnarson, a marriage commissioner in rural Saskatchewan.

Times of India: “According to Mangej Singh, deputy director (DDA), the religious structure was built illegally on DDA land and was demolished after a committee approved it.”

Pink News: “As part of the Equality Act, all public bodies will be required to publish information about the diversity of their staff from April but the government will not set diversity targets. Instead, the public will be expected to hold bodies to account if they feel certain sections of society are not represented well enough.”

R. Ablert Mohler, Jr. writes at the Christian Post: “In recent weeks, a coalition of Muslim nations has demanded (again) that the United Nations criminalize blasphemy. A considerable number of Christians might, at least at first hearing, think this as a reasonable demand. After all, we do not disagree that slander against the honor of God is a very, very dangerous sin. But anti-blasphemy laws place the power of theological coercion into the hands of the state, and this is deadly dangerous.”

AP: “Rear Adm. Dennis Moynihan, a Navy spokesman, said Thursday that Rear Adm. Lawrence Rice has been transferred out of his job at Joint Forces Command. His retirement planned for Feb. 1 is being delayed.”

ADF attorney Casey Mattox writes at Speak Up Movement: “Sadly, my experience is that Vanderbilt’s requirement was not one of a kind. And taking Vanderbilt at its word, that it truly does protect the conscience rights of its employees, Vanderbilt may now even be ahead of the game. Despite decades-old federal statutes specifically on point, I am aware of other universities, receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer funds that have sought to coerce students or employees into participating in abortions. Unsurprisingly, the University of Wisconsin was among them until ADF intervened. If you are a medical or nursing student who has experienced any pressure or coercion of any kind to assist with abortion procedures in violation of your conscience, please let us know.”

TimesNews.net (AP): David French, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, called the original version morally reprehensible. “How can you justify asking any medical provider to participate in something they believe to be the unjustified killing of another human being?” The ADF is a conservative Christian group whose founders include James Dobson from Focus on the Family.

LifeNews: “A pro-life group that monitors corporate donations to Planned Parenthood is urging pro-life people attending the March for Life to not make reservations at hotels that support the abortion business.”

The Atantic Wire: Here’s how the Alliance Defense Fund’s lawyer, Mathew S. Bowman, argues the position: “Vanderbilt University assumed a public trust when it received what now amounts to billions in federal health dollars. Its blatant discrimination against nurses who wish to practice in labor and delivery or obstetrical and gynecological care is exactly the kind of insidious behavior the Church amendment was written to prevent 30 years ago. If the Church amendment is not enforced, pregnant women patients who value their babies will be deprived of access to nurses who share their value for life, because no such nurses will be able to graduate, be hired and licensed, and pursue careers.”

WHNT: “The Alliance Defense Fund claimed that Vanderbilt is violating a federal law that states recipients of federal funds cannot require someone to perform or assist in abortions if it violates his or her religious beliefs or moral conviction.”

Tennessean: The Alliance Defense Fund is withdrawing the complaint it filed Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “It was the right thing for Vanderbilt to do,” said David French, senior counsel for the group, “and they should be commended for it.”

ADF attorney Matt Bowman appeared on the Talk from the Heart with Rich Buhler to discuss this: Vanderbilt University abandons illegal policy that forced nursing residents to sign abortion pledge. | MP3 audio 13:46

Regions.ru (Google translation from Russian): “The fundamental right of parents – to choose education for their children,” – said John Anthony Simmons, a lawyer associated with the Christian human rights organization «Alliance Defense Fund». – “The court has no right to send children to public school just because she thinks that her religious beliefs should be diluted by others. A lower court had done just that.

LifeSiteNews: “Federal and state laws are increasingly being used to coerce religious institutions into actions and commitments that violate deeply held religious convictions and moral principles,” warns Kevin Theriot, Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, in that analysis. Theriot suggests ways Catholic educators can defend their exemptions from laws that require health insurance coverage for contraception or employee benefits for same-sex couples. “Any available exemptions for religious institutions will not apply if a college that was founded as a religious institution has become largely secular,” Theriot cautions. “It is therefore vital that Catholic colleges and universities maintain their Catholic identity in all of their programs in order to best protect their religious character and mission.”

Examiner.com: Senior legal counsel Erik Stanley of Alliance Defense Fund told CBN, “What in essence the IRS has been doing for the last 56 years is setting up a system of intimidation and censorship and really establishing itself as kind of the orthodoxy police; telling pastors, ‘You can talk about anything you want to from scripture, but you can’t talk about the issue of what’s right about what the scripture says about candidates and elections,’” He added that, “We believe that a pastor has a right to speak whatever he believes without fearing the government will somehow censor what he says or threaten to take away his tax exemption.”

World Net Daily: “Christians and other pro-life members of the medical community shouldn’t be forced to participate in abortions to pursue their profession. That’s what federal law says, and that’s why Vanderbilt is doing the right thing in changing its policy and application,” ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman said in a statement today. “We will be monitoring the situation to make sure the university continues to comply with the law. It’s ironic that Vanderbilt changed its policy one day after denying that it required the pledge,” he said.

he Roman Catholic Boston Archdiocese, which came under fire last year when a priest said a lesbian couple’s child could not attend a parish school, has issued a new admissions policy that does not “discriminate against or exclude any categories of students.”

Des Moines Register: “Rep. Rich Anderson, R-Clarinda, said he personally believes that the justices’ actions in issuing a ruling that in effect legalized same-sex marriage do not meet the standard for impeachment spelled out in the Iowa Constitution: ‘misdemeanor or malfeasance in office.’ The court ruled that an Iowa law limiting marriage to a man and a woman was unconstitutional.”

Joyce Wadler writes at the NY Times: “Conventions change. A woman no longer earns a scarlet letter for having a child out of wedlock; divorce is not synonymous with scandal; and it is no surprise to find, when a marriage comes apart, that a third person was involved. But even in a sexually liberal culture, the home is still usually off-limits, as if protected by an invisible force field. And the marriage bed — a phrase that in itself seems quaintly out of date — remains a sacred object.”