Daily Archives: July 1, 2011

To leave God out of the equation, out of the history, out of the celebration, is like celebrating a marriage with only half of a couple. Without Him, the “glorious Fourth” is considerably less glorious – just a hollow, tinny ruckus about … nothing. And a recognition not of our “common humanity,” but of our increasing inability to fathom what life and freedom and happiness are really all about.

A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.

Center for Reproductive Rights (6/28): Today, the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a federal lawsuit challenging new licensing regulations for abortion providers . . .

Reuters: The Indiana State Teachers Association on Friday filed suit against the state, asking a court to block implementation of the country’s largest private school voucher program.

LifeNews.com: A New York City-based pro-abortion law firm has filed a lawsuit challenging a new pro-life law Gov. Rick Perry signed that allows women a chance to view an ultrasound of their unborn children before an abortion.

The Christian Institute: Civil servants in Scotland can no longer use the word “homosexual” because it is deemed offensive to gay men, according to new guidance from the Scottish Government.

Yahoo! News: A street in the Czech capital has been named after former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to honor his contribution to the fall of communism.

David French at National Review Online: In other words, the evangelical community is convinced on life. Economics? Not so much. Why? Because optics matter. When progressive Christians address evangelicals, they wear their concern for the poor on their sleeve.

365Gay.com: Microsoft announced its support for a bill keeping multinational same-sex couples together, the Uniting American Families act.

LifeSiteNews.com: A massive grassroots campaign in Poland to implement a total ban on abortion witnessed an important victory Friday as the lower house of the Polish parliament fought off a first round of voting intended to scrap the historic bill.

San Francisco Chronicle: Three members of the Air Force have asked to be discharged because they are gay, moving quickly to get out of the military under the ban on openly gay service before its expected repeal later this year.

ADF attorney Austin R. Nimocks at Human Events (6/28): However, the problem for men like Olson and Boies is that while they’re using Loving as a would-be trump card, the Justice Department doesn’t seem to agree. After all, in explaining why it would no longer defend the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the Justice Department hasn’t even hinted that Loving may be instructive.

The New American: Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden of The Alliance Defense Fund, another pro-life group supporting Indiana’s action, observed: “The precious tax dollars of the people of Indiana should not be funneled to abortionists, especially during tough economic times. The Indiana Legislature has worded a bill that allows them to be good stewards of the people’s money in this regard without fear of jeopardizing other funding that is clearly not at issue in this bill. In fact, if … the bill … is ever attacked in court, ADF would offer to assist in mounting a legal defense of the law free of charge.”

The Alliance Defense Fund sent a letter to the township of Livingston Friday that urges officials to stop using a town ordinance to prohibit a resident from displaying crosses in various areas of his own front yard.

Catholic Culture: Catholics in Hong Kong rallied on June 29, under the leadership of Cardinal Joseph Zen, to call for religious freedom in mainland China and the release of the imprisoned bishops and priests of the “underground” Church.

Telegraph: Indian doctors have been accused of conducting sex change operations on young girls whose parents want sons to improve the family’s income prospects.

Guardian.co.uk: The Swiss government has dropped a plan to impose stricter rules for assisted suicide.

Liberty Counsel: Faced with an imminent trial and damning evidence of their constitutional violations, the ACLU and the Santa Rosa School District have agreed to settle Liberty Counsel’s federal lawsuit, challenging their Consent Decree on behalf of 24 students, teachers, parents and community members.

Daily Mail: The Church of England is to attack the middle-class dominance of its popular schools under a shake-up of admissions rules. CofE board of education chairman, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, will today issue guidelines ordering schools to be biased in favour of the ‘disadvantaged’. His controversial measures will signal the end of the current points system under which places are offered to children whose families are most involved in the Church.

Christian Concern: Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told British Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to come up with a system to block pornographic content and implement an ‘opt-in’ system for internet users wishing to access pornography.

Telegraph: Conservative MPs will demand action to recognise marriage in the tax system by allowing spouses to transfer their personal allowances.

Businessweek: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to unveil a campaign to sell the most populous U.S. city as a gay-wedding destination after thousands marched to celebrate the state’s legalization of such marriages . . .

Washington Examiner: The Kaukauna School District, in the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin near Appleton, has about 4,200 students and about 400 employees. It has struggled in recent times and this year faced a deficit of $400,000. But after the law went into effect, at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, school officials put in place new policies they estimate will turn that $400,000 deficit into a $1.5 million surplus. And it’s all because of the very provisions that union leaders predicted would be disastrous

Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked officials at a Texas school district to stop sponsoring prayers during high school graduation ceremonies. Two high schools within the Klein Independent School District — Klein High School and Klein Collins High School . . .

American Federation for Children: In total, 11 states and the U.S. Congress passed school choice legislation in just the first six months of 2011 . . .

OneNewsNow.com: A public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption has sued the Justice Department for failing to respond to questions about why it won’t prosecute a radical Islamic group and one of its co-founders.

OneNewsNow.com: ccording to the Log Cabin Republicans, the Republican National Committee — which is the central arm of the Republican Party — has named the homosexual group’s executive director to the RNC’s Finance Committee.

The American Legion: On June 28, Liberty Institute in Dallas filed court papers alleging that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the director of the Houston National Cemetery, Arleen Ocasio, are engaging in “religious viewpoint discrimination” in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The American Legion will support the case as an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) as soon as possible.

How Appealing: The majority opinion explains that “we find that Proposal 2 unconstitutionally alters Michigan’s political structure by impermissibly burdening racial minorities.”

Religion Clause: According to AP and Reuters, the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament yesterday passed, by a vote of 116-30, a bill that bans kosher and halal slaughter of animals.

Religion Clause: . . . the Rhode Island state Senate passed, and sent to the Governor for his signature, HB 6103 which authorizes same-sex civil unions.

Religion Clause: Minnesota federal district court yesterday refused to issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction to allow the Tarek ibn Ziyad Acedmy to continue to operate after the July 1 expiration of the contract with its current sponsor.

Religion Clause: An element of that law’s definition of “terrorist activity” is that the act must have been “committed in whole or in part for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause.”

AP: A court in a Moscow suburb has banned works by the founder of the Church of Scientology, officials said Thursday.

AP: Church of England bishops say they will review church teaching on homosexuality, but for the time being they have barred priests in civil partnerships from being appointed as bishops.

AP: A judge on Thursday blocked Montana from prohibiting commercial medical marijuana operations, saying that ban on profits from pot sales will restrict access to patients and deny people the right to seek health care.

AP: Because of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, Vandiver was not able to sponsor Velandia for a green card, as a heterosexual person could sponsor a spouse.

AP: A groundbreaking ceremony for the John M. Roll United States Courthouse was held Thursday afternoon in Yuma.

AP: In a policy memo to federal prosecutors obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said a 2009 memo by then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden did not give states cover from prosecution.

Ken KlukowskiWashington Examiner: Justice Antonin Scalia was dead wrong in striking down California’s restriction on selling horribly violent video games to children. And Justice Clarence Thomas did a spectacular job of showing why the Founders would uphold this law.

OneNewsNow.com: The Institute for Justice has filed an intervention on behalf of Colorado school board to defend their school-choice program.

U.S. News and World Report: The gay marriage law that passed in New York late Friday night has its origins in Colorado politics—and Centennial State political implications for 2012. Colorado software entrepreneur and gay rights activist Tim Gill’s team was a major player in the effort,

On Wednesday, a citizen coalition led by Protect Marriage Washington asked a federal court to prevent Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed from publishing the names and addresses of thousands of citizens who signed a controversial referendum petition in 2009.

Business Wire: McCarter & English LLP is pleased to announce that the Firm’s Executive Committee has adopted a compensation gross-up policy that offsets the tax disadvantage previously faced by the Firm’s Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender employees who cover domestic or civil union partners under their health insurance plans.

AP: South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said the state must decide whether to appeal the preliminary injunction, continue to argue the merits of the case, discuss a potential settlement or do nothing.

AP: Benedict told delegates of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization that access to food is a basic human right that must be guaranteed. He said it’s urgent to develop economic models that aren’t just based on profit but take into account the “human dimension.”

The News Journal | delawareonline.com: Sussex County has been sued by four county residents who want an end to its practice of starting council meetings with the Lord’s Prayer.

FoxNews.com: After suffering setbacks in the fight to legalize gay marriage, gay rights activists in California are moving closer to victory in the classroom, which, under pending legislation, would become “gender sensitive” zones, mandating history lessons about gays and transgender Americans.

LifeNews.com: Pro-life advocates in Delaware are urging voters in the state to contact their state legislators and oppose a 25 percent increase in state taxpayer funding for the nation’s biggest abortion business.

American Federation for Children: Two of Ohio’s existing school choice offerings will be significantly expanded and the state will become the first in the country with four different school voucher programs after Gov. John Kasich today signed into law a state budget that considerably increases the number of educational options available to Buckeye State families.

American Federation for Children: With the support of 65 percent of Democrats in the legislature, North Carolina this morning enacted a new, $6,000 tax credit benefiting families of children with disabilities.

AP: Kansas still has one abortion provider, but two others that don’t have state licenses were hoping to persuade a federal judge to block a new licensing law and health department regulations they consider burdensome.

Catholic Culture: Agreement, released on June 28, has the endorsements of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, the World Council of Churches, and the World Evangelical Alliance. The document calls on Christian missionaries to show respect for other cultures and faiths, to reject all forms of force, and to allow “full personal freedom” to all potential converts.

Catholic Culture: Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence has issued a strong statement lamenting the passage of legislation allowing for civil unions in Rhode Island, and warned Catholics that they cannot be involved in such unions.

ADF attorney Steven Aden at Townhall (6/30): On Friday, June 24, a federal court temporarily suspended portions of Indiana’s House Bill 1210, which contained a provision aimed at defunding abortionist organizations, like Planned Parenthood, within the state. And although this suspension was disappointing, other aspects of the court’s decision were a boon for pro-life groups in Indiana and the whole nation.

StarTribune.com: Talks imploded Thursday between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders in the final hours before a midnight deadline, and Minnesota began a historic government shutdown.

R. Albert Mohler Jr. at WSJ.com: here is no escaping the fact that we are living in the midst of a moral revolution. And yet, it is not the world around us that is being tested, so much as the believing church. We are about to find out just how much we believe the Gospel we so eagerly preach.

LifeSiteNews.com: To be sure, the efforts of the newly formed U.S. Bishops Conference office for the ‘promotion and defense of marriage’ are commendable. However, they are off target. The slick and beautiful videos they have produced for the promotion of marriage and family life are truly great. Thirty years ago they would have made a massive impact in fighting divorce and the contraceptive mentality. Today, however, what we need to realize is that in the same-sex ‘marriage’ battle, the fight is not really about marriage.

Carroll L. Conley, Jr. at The Record: But let’s be intellectually honest here; do not make the case that it was the intent of our founding fathers. When one examines the disintegration of our culture since that dubious decision, President John Adams’ words ring sadly true “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people; it is wholly inadequate for any other.”

NCRegister.com (7/1): Dale Schowengerdt, legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, said that Banzhaf has little basis for a case. “A Catholic college has a federally protected right to maintain policies that best reflect its faith and its academic goals,” said Schowengerdt. “Catholic University of America is well within its right to have separate male and female sleeping quarters. No case has ever held to the contrary.”

Baptist Press: Of Pratt’s retention of the life-at-fertilization provision, Steven Aden of the Alliance Defense Fund said, “All the court did was recognize the indisputable fact that a biological human life begins at conception. It is false to say anything else.”

Chuck Colson at The Christian Post: . . . Alliance Defense Fund’s Senior Counsel Brian Raum noted, “Americans recognize that marriage provides a strong foundation for a thriving society,” and that we “strongly affirm the lifelong, faithful union of a man and a woman as the fundamental building block of civilization.” . . . hree cheers for the Alliance Defense Fund! Listen, folks, we need to speak out and stand strong. Same-sex marriage is inevitable only if we give up. To which I say, as Winston Churchill famously said, “Never, never, never.”

Minnesota Independent (6/30): Lawyers for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a national conservative Christian legal organization, sent a letter to the Anoka-Hennepin School District this week urging it to maintain its “neutrality policy” on sexual orientation. The letter (PDF) comes in response to a possible lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the National Council for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), two groups that have accused the district of creating an unsafe environment for LGBT students. The ADF argues that no changes are needed in the district.

Charisma (6/30): The question is, who is bullying who? The Alliance Defense Fund is getting in the middle. The ADF on Monday sent a letter to the district explaining that these threats “have no basis in law” and that demands made by these groups rely primarily on “appeals to emotion.” So far as the ADF is concerned, “the district should not be swayed by these unfortunate tactics.”
“School districts should not be bullied into taking the side of homosexual activists,” says ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “Parents rightly believe that public schools are a place for education, not sexual indoctrination. The Anoka-Hennepin School District’s policy is entirely appropriate and legally sound.” . . .

CBN.com (6/30): “For most of American history, there was no restriction at all on what pastors could preach from the pulpit,” said Jordan Lorence, Alliance Defense Fund attorney. Lorence said this current muzzling law goes back to the 1950s. “Lyndon Baines Johnson when he was the majority leader of the Senate basically got irritated with some pastors who were on the radio opposing his reelection as senator,” he explained. [more] . . .

Christian Post (6/29): A nationwide survey sponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund and conducted by Public Opinion Strategies in mid-May interviewed 1,500 adults and asked if they agreed with the following statement, “I believe marriage should be defined ONLY as a union between one man and one woman.”

Maggie Gallagher at WSJ.com: Last month, a poll conducted by Political Opinions Strategy and commissioned by the Alliance Defense Fund found that almost two-thirds of Americans agree that marriage should be defined only as the union of one man and one woman. (No surprise, this poll didn’t make headlines.)

Minnesota Public Radio News: he Alliance Defense Fund, a group of Christian attorneys who have worked in several states on efforts to ban same-sex marriage, sent a letter to the school district on Tuesday. In it, Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco said the civil rights groups’ arguments have “no basis in law.” “The district should not allow SPLC and NCLR to browbeat them into abandoning its sensible policy of requiring district personnel to remain neutral on issues regarding sexual orientation,” Tedesco wrote. “Neutrality does not equal hostility. Rather, neutrality respects all sides of a controversial issue, and advocates none.”

The Christian Century (6/29): David Cortman, senior counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund, which argued for both the National Day of Prayer and for the Arizona tuition credit program, is not surprised about strategies to move to the state courts. “If they can’t challenge them in federal courts, they’ll certainly challenge them in states,” he said, “but we’ll also be there to defend those programs.”

LifeNews.com (6/28): Three pro-life legal groups have weighed in on the case — including the American Center for Law and Justice, Alliance Defense Fund and Thomas More Society — and they have said the law is constitutional. Planned Parenthood of Indiana in 2008 suspended an employee after a video showed the staffer covering up a girl’s statutory rape.

OneNewsNow.com (6/28): The national survey, commissioned by the Alliance Defense Fund and conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS) last month, shows that 62 percent of Americans support the sanctity of marriage. Fifty-three percent “strongly” agreed. Survey director Gene Ulm finds the numbers “not surprising.”

USA Today (6/29): Baptist Press spells out the fears of the faithful in an interview with Alliance Defense Fund attorney Austin R. Nimocks who says the religious protection written in the N.Y. law is inadequate . . .

OneNewsNow (6/28): “No one should be allowed to decide that a human innocent life is worthless,” contends Alliance Defense Fund attorney Steven H. Aden. “Abortionists have done this by telling women that a pre-born baby is just a batch of cells instead of what he or she actually is — a human being . . . [more]

President Obama’s controversial health care law got a major boost Wednesday when the first ruling by a federal appeals court affirmed that Congress can require Americans to have minimum insurance coverage.

Reuters (6/27): For the gay marriage opponents: Charles Cooper, David Thompson, Howard Nielson, Nicole Moss and Peter Patterson of Cooper and Kirk; Andrew Pugno of the Law Offices of Andrew Pugno; Brian Raum and James Campbell of the Alliance Defense Fund.