 Christianity
is not only unfashionable, it is apparently on its way to
becoming illegal! On the other hand, hardly anyone seems to object to humanism,
paganism or witchcraft, especially as depicted in the
movies or on
television. Nor
does anyone dare to suggest
that Islam is
not the "religion of peace" that the news media constantly says it is.
Be sure to check out Anti-Christmas and
Anti-Anti-Christmas Sentiment, now on its own page! It is a rapidly-growing
part of this web site, as you can imagine.
Also, please note that the material about ACLU's disruption of traditional American culture
has been moved here.
Theocracy is a word that comes up whenever
Republicans mention religion in public.
All the material about the Separation
of Church and State is now on another page.
You may also be interested in a page called
Religious Studies Exit the Schools.
Some people ask, Is the
United States a Christian country?
This just in: The United States Mint is moving the words, "In God We Trust", to
the outer edges of its new one-dollar coins. Is this the beginning of a trend? See
the story here.
"These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise
every creed except his own."
— G.K. Chesterton
Anti-Christian
Bigotry: Numerous examples from all over the US. [PDF]
Judge Rules S.C. Not Allowed to Issue License
Plates With Cross. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that South Carolina can't issue license plates
showing the image of a cross in front of a stained glass window along with the phrase "I Believe."
Court OKs barring religious
tunes at graduation. A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday [9/8/2009] upheld a school district's refusal
to let a band play a religious piece at a high school graduation, saying the superintendent had reasonably decided to avoid
a constitutional controversy by ordering a secular program.
You Don't Have
a Prayer. The Establishment Clause was written to protect people of faith from the federal
government. Many courts continue to use it as such. But for others, it has increasingly become a
club used to intimidate people of faith into silence and drive them from the public square.
Christian Girls, Interrupted.
Two Christian girls. Two sets of distraught parents. And two state courts smack in the middle of it. One of
these courts is in New Hampshire, where a judge recently ordered that home-schooled Amanda Kurowski be sent to public
school. The order signed by Family Court Justice Lucinda V. Sandler says the 10-year-old's Christian faith could
use some shaking up — and that the local public school is just the place to do it.
Court
strikes down reference to God in state law. A Franklin circuit judge Wednesday [8/26/2009]
declared unconstitutional a reference to God in a 2006 law creating the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security.
In an 18-page order, Judge Thomas Wingate said the General Assembly created an official government position
when it passed a law requiring the office to acknowledge "the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to
the security of the Commonwealth."
School prayer charges
stir protests. Students, teachers and local pastors are protesting over a court case involving a northern
Florida school principal and an athletic director who are facing criminal charges and up to six months in jail over their
offer of a mealtime prayer.
Against the Rulers of Darkness. We are
involved in a war. It is a war between differing political ideologies, mind-sets, and world-views. ... At its heart,
it is a war between spirituality and egoism, a war between truth and falsehood, between right and wrong. As I
write this, two Florida teachers may lose their retirement benefits, and spend six months in jail for their "flagrant"
violation of the First Amendment. Their crime? They said Grace before eating a meal, while on school grounds.
Update:
Officials
cleared in prayer injunction case. Two rural northern Florida school officials were found not
guilty of violating an injunction against praying in school, a Florida judge ruled late Thursday [9/17/2009]
in a contentious school prayer case that spurred a reaction from Congress earlier this week.
Lay, Freeman
found not guilty. A federal judge has ruled that a rural Panhandle principal and his athletic
director did not violate an order against praying in school. Judge M. Case Rodgers ruled Thursday
evening [9/17/2009] that Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman didn't
violate a 2008 agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union that was approved by the court.
The Editor says...
That's good news, but the odious fact remains that there is such an agreement with the ACLU.
Florida Prayer Case Reveals ACLU Agenda to Criminalize
Christianity. Yesterday after an all-day hearing, Santa Rosa County, Florida, Principal Frank Lay and
Athletic Director Robert Freeman were cleared of criminal contempt charges that arose from the simple blessing of a
meal. When they heard the decision, tears of joy and cheers swept through the throngs of people who had waited
outside in the rain for over ten hours.
Obama's State Department
Submits to Islam. Here is but the latest act of submission to Islam by your State Department.
A State Department cable has just been sent out with this announcement: The Bureau of International Information
Programs (IIP) has assembled a range of innovative and traditional tools to support Posts' outreach activities
during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. ... Why aren't priests, pastors, etc. invited during Christmas to
give blessings or talk about Christianity in the United States?
Leftist
Shopping Mall Empire Crushes Conservative Store. Loren Spivack of freemarketwarrior.com told
Glenn Beck Friday that his Concord, North Carolina shopping-mall kiosk was shut down by a shopping-mall chain
because it carried anti-Obama and anti-liberal merchandise. ... "What essentially happened was one of the
largest corporations in the country decided to stomp on one of the smallest companies in the country, Free
Market Warrior," Spivack explained. The action was taken based on one complaint from "one person who was not
willing to be in the same mall as material that she disagrees with."
'Impeach Obama' bumper stickers
spark a shopping mall protest. While protesters rallied in his support, the owner of a Concord
Mills kiosk that sells conservative merchandise said he met with the mall's manager Sunday [7/26/2009] to see
what arrangements can be made for him to remain after his lease expires Friday.
Conservative Kiosk Owner Denied
New Lease at North Carolina Mall. The owner of kiosk that sells conservative merchandise in a
North Carolina mall won't get to continue pushing "Impeach Obama" bumper stickers after his lease expires
Friday. The Concord Mills mall decided not to renew its contract with Loren Spivack, who fought to
stay in business in the shopping center.
Hawaii
Lawmakers Pass Bill to Create 'Islam Day'. Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved
a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" — over the objections of a few lawmakers who said
they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The Senate's two Republicans
argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks.
"Islam Day" in Hawaii By: Lloyd
Billingsley. Hawaii's state senate has approved "Islam Day" for September 24, 2009.
The measure, already been approved by the state's house, passed the senate 22-3 on May 6, with two
Republicans and one Democrat in opposition. According to news reports, "Islam Day" seeks to recognize
the religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions that Islam and the Islamic world have made.
The Editor says...
Some of the Muslims' cultural "contributions" can be seen
on this page.
Conservative
Groups Declare Obama's Stimulus Bill a War on Prayer. A provision in the House-passed stimulus
bill — banning money to be used to renovate schools from being spent on facilities that allow
"religious worship" — has ignited fury among those who claim it discriminates on the basis of
faith and violates the right to free speech.
Your country depends on you more than ever! Don't
give up! It is no surprise to any of you that we are entering a stage in our country where our way of
life, our freedoms and Judeo Christian foundation are at risk. We have drifted and are drifting into socialist
thinking and redistribution of wealth instead of capitalism and its accountability and achievement principles.
We are also drifting away from our moral foundation. Some are trying to make God and expressions of faith
practically illegal.
The One Form of Acceptable Prejudice:
The New York Times reports today [2/17/2009] that the Tennis Channel has decided to cancel its coverage of the
Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships this week because the United Arab Emirates refused to grant an entry visa
to Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer. Peer, who is ranked as the 48th best women tennis player in the
world, was scheduled to play in the tournament.
Liberal
Contempt for Christians: Every Christmas you have liberals fighting to purge any mention of
Christianity or Jesus from Christmas celebrations. Then, during the year, liberal atheists like Michael
Newdow and liberal organizations like the ACLU use the legal system to ceaselessly assault Christianity at
every opportunity. Whether you're talking about the Pledge of Allegiance, the Mt. Soledad Cross,
or the Ten Commandments on the walls of a courthouse -- you have liberals trolling through the courts
looking for a liberal judge who'll be willing to twist the Constitution in order to stick a thumb
in the eye of their mutual Christian foes.
Atheist
Group Files Lawsuit Against Prayer at Presidential Inauguration. The head of an atheist group that has filed
a lawsuit against prayer at Barack Obama's presidential inauguration says the government is picking a winner between
"believers" and "those who don't believe" and subjecting atheists and agnostics to someone else's religious beliefs.
Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, has joined with Michael Newdow, who fought to have the
words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, in a federal lawsuit seeking to enjoin the Presidential Inaugural
Committee from sponsoring prayers at the official inauguration.
"Secular"
Discrimination Against Religion. Many people today are concerned about the "separation of church and state."
More often than not, this means keeping religion out of the public sphere. … The Founders specifically guaranteed the
free exercise of religion and freedom of speech by demanding that the government not make any laws to limit these
freedoms. … The Founders understood that these freedoms were in danger of being eliminated from the public square.
Atheists push their own
holidays. Now that Earth Day is over, let the planning begin for the summer solstice and World Humanist Day in
June. … "There is no smaller minority in this country than atheists," said Mr. Murray, son of the late Madalyn Murray
O'Hair, who was once the nation's best-known atheist and from whom he became estranged when he embraced Christianity.
"The proposition of [atheist holidays] is in itself ridiculous."
Ramadan
Yea, Christmas Nay. Democrats who supported a House resolution to honor Ramadan voted against a
similar resolution to honor Christmas and Christianity last night [12/11/2007]. 18 Democrats voted "nay"
or "present" on a resolution to "recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith." An
eagle-eyed Republican House staffer points out that those same members, with one exception, voted to "recognize
the commencement of Ramadan," a Muslim religious observance in October.
The Nazis and
Christianity: Many atheists presume that the Nazis were a weird variation of Christianity.
… [On the contrary] Weimar Germany largely had abandoned Christianity and increasingly was embracing
hedonism, Marxism and paganism. There, decline of Christianity in Germany led directly to the rise
of Nazism. Professor Henri Lichtenberger in his 1937 book, The Third Reich, describes the religious
life of the Weimar Republic as a place in which the large cities were "spiritual cemeteries" with almost
no believers at all, except for those who were members of the clergy.
Debunking
the Galileo Myth. About a hundred years ago, two anti-religious bigots named John William Draper
and Andrew Dickson White wrote books promoting the idea of an irreconcilable conflict between science and God.
The books were full of facts that have now been totally discredited by scholars. But the myths produced
by Draper and Dickson continue to be recycled.
Volunteer: Vets Hospital Taking Away Freedom
of Religion, Speech. It's a house of worship with none of the symbols. There are no crosses
or Bibles on display at the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center chapel. Blinds cover elaborate
stained glass windows. The reason is a federal policy from the 1950s, but one volunteer says it has been
taken too far. Laud Pitt plans to hand out Christmas cards at the hospital Tuesday. But to do it,
he says, he'll have to be escorted by the chaplain.
Group to Protest
Georgia Rain Prayer. A secular group said Friday [11/09/2007] it would protest Gov. Sonny
Perdue's planned prayer service intended to ask for relief from the Southeastern drought, saying the rally
violates the principle of separation of church and state. Perdue's office announced Wednesday that
it had sent out invitations to leaders from several faiths for the service, set for Tuesday outside the
state Capitol.
Miller,
the Jesus-Mocking Beer. The Miller Lite people have a new ad featuring beer drinkers being
instructed by a pro-sports-type commissioner in etiquette for the "More Taste League." But the entity needing
a "More Taste" lesson is the Miller Brewing Co. itself.
Is
the Christian right really the bogeyman? What I am concerned about, however, are the more subtle
attacks on the religious right, coming from the Christian left, that can have, and may be having, appeal to
those who simply don't appreciate the facts. I am talking about a distorted portrayal of conservative
Christians as a detached and fanatic lot, who care only about a couple free-floating issues, abortion and
sexual behavior, and who could care less about anything else going on in the country.
NBC
slices and dices "Veggie Tales". The early word from producers is that NBC has grown increasingly
fierce about editing something out of "Veggie Tales" — those apparently unacceptable, insensitive
references to God and the Bible. So NBC has taken the very essence of "Veggie Tales" — and
ripped it out. It's like "Gunsmoke" without the guns, or "Monday Night Football" without the football.
Movie
Rated PG for Christianity, Group Says. The American Family Association is outraged. It accuses the Motion Picture Association of
America — the movie raters — of putting Christianity on the same level as sex, violence,
and profanity because it might offend non-believers.
Why
Liberals Hate Christians: Liberals in America despise Christians of true faith. They do
this because in doing so their own guilt is appeased, their anger is justified, and they can finally lay blame
for their own misery at someone else's feet. Last night Alexandra Pelosi's newest documentary, "Friends
of God" aired on HBO. In that Alexandra is the daughter of the nation's first feminist, House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi it was all too easy to pre-judge where Alexandra's work would land.
Has Secular Humanism Become a
Religion? We've seen prayer removed from our schools, and pretty much any expression of faith
in the workplace has become taboo. Not only do secularists want to erase any mention of God in the public
square, they also want to ignore the faith of our Founding Fathers — a faith that built this country.
Hindu
Prayer Will Open Senate Session in July. For what is believed to be the first time in its
history, the U.S. Senate will on July 12 be opened with a Hindu prayer, the Senate Chaplain's Office
confirmed Monday [6/25/2007]. For more than 200 years, the Senate has opened each workday with a
prayer usually delivered by the Senate Chaplain, currently Barry Black, a Seventh Day Adventist. It
is common, however, for senators to recommend religious leaders from their home states to serve as guest
chaplains.
Mention God? Don't
you dare. Brittany McComb, valedictorian of Foothill High School in Clark County, Nevada,
stood up at her graduation and began to speak. A few paragraphs into her speech, school administrators
cut off McComb's microphone. She didn't tell a dirty joke. She didn't curse. She didn't
insult her classmates or her teachers. Brittany McComb committed the egregious sin of attempting to
thank God and Jesus.
Update:
Valedictorian
Silenced Over Her Christian Faith Will Go to Court. A federal judge in Nevada ruled Monday
[12/18/2006] that a debate over freedom of religious expression in public school commencement ceremonies
will go to court. The charges stem from a June 15 incident at Foothill High School in Henderson,
Nevada, when school administrators cut off valedictorian Brittany McComb's commencement speech after
she strayed from a pre-approved script. Earlier, they had removed from her speech references
to the Bible and her faith.
An Imam at the DNC. Many people in
today's Democratic party have contempt for religion, but they still have time for prayer. Last Friday [2/2/2007],
during the Democratic National Committee's Annual Winter Meeting in Washington, Husham Al-Husainy, Imam of the
Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a Shi'ite mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, offered an invocation….
New
bill to allow courtroom oaths on the Koran. Courtroom oaths could be taken on the Koran and other
sacred texts besides the Bible in a bill filed in the state Senate on Wednesday [2/7/2007]. The issue drew
national attention last month when the first Muslim elected to US Congress took a ceremonial oath with a Koran
once owned by Thomas Jefferson. In North Carolina, the issue appeared in 2003 when a Muslim woman sued
the state because she was not allowed to swear an oath on the Koran when she was called as a witness in a
court case. State law allows witnesses to use only the Bible for oaths.
America,
Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.,
the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office
on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran. He should not be allowed to do so — not
because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.
First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism — my culture
trumps America's culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of
no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his
holiest book.
The
wolf who cried racist. [Dennis] Prager asserts that the Bible has been used for swearing-in
ceremonies since George Washington. Which is true, except when it isn't. Not every elected
official has used the Bible, including some Jews (Koch, a U.S. representative from 1969 to 1977, used a
Hebrew Bible for his initial swearing-in) and some Quakers, including Herbert Hoover, whose beliefs
prohibit the swearing of oaths.
Taking Down a Few More Bricks.
This past November 7th, Minnesota elected the first Muslim to be sent to Congress, Keith Ellison, a former
Catholic who now has ties to Louis Farrakhan. After he was elected he announced that he would demand to be
allowed to take his oath of office on a Koran, instead of a Judeo-Christian Bible. Democrat Presidential
hopeful, Barack Obama, who has been noted to be a Muslim, himself (although he denies or affirms this at his
convenience), was asked whether Ellison should be allowed to take his oath of office on the Koran and he agreed
and even stated that he would follow suit as an elected President of the United States.
Empire State Building
to go green for Muslim holiday. New York's iconic Empire State Building is to be lit up green from
Friday [10/12/2007] in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid, the biggest festival in the Muslim calendar marking the end of
Ramadan, officials said. "This is the first time that the Empire State Building will be illuminated for
Eid, and the lighting will become an annual event in the same tradition of the yearly lightings for Christmas
and Hannukah," according to a statement.
The Editor says...
Wow... is New York City turning the other cheek, or is this just political correctness?
Real Conspiracies — Past and
Present: The biggest obstacle to Fascist, Communist or Communitarian triumph is Biblical
Christianity! Of course, today's politically correct, non-offensive, service-oriented
"Christianity" — with its dialectic leadership training and postmodern view of God's
Word — fits right in. But God's unchanging, uncompromising Word can never be squeezed into
that mold. It clashes with the notion of global solidarity. That's why Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao
and Hitler killed millions of faithful Christian disciples. God's Word is simply too "offensive" and
"divisive" to totalitarian rulers who demand loyalty to their own ideals rather than to God.
Free
speech is the loser where religious expression is concerned. Brittany McComb's microphone went
dead at her high school commencement because school officials thought she was talking too much about
religion. This was during her valedictory speech last month at Foothill High School in Henderson,
Nev. … Government shouldn't be in the business of judging the content and appropriateness of religious
expression. It should just get out of the way and let valedictorians control their own message.
Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind
the mass murders of history. [Richard] Dawkins and [Sam] Harris are employing a transparent
sleight of hand that holds Christianity responsible for the crimes committed in its name, while exonerating
secularism and atheism for the greater crimes committed in their name. Religious fanatics have done
things that are impossible to defend, and some of them, mostly in the Muslim world, are still performing
horrors in the name of their creed. But if religion sometimes disposes people to self-righteousness
and absolutism, it also provides a moral code that condemns the slaughter of innocents.
Atheism Has Fueled Greatest Mass Murders In
World History. One of liberalism's favorite anti-Christian boogeyman is the Salem witch trials.
How many actually died as a result of those trials: fewer than 25. And what of the Crusades?
Most Americans probably have a negative view of the Crusades as an attempt by Christians to conquer peaceful
Muslims. The opposite is true.
The Return of the
Radical Atheists: After decades of ignoring the huge influence of religion in
society, journalists and analysts are now discovering the "danger" of religious radicalism.
It has become trendy to decry the rise of fundamentalists of any sort and to Talibanize
religious groups that affirm anything too categorically.
The
empty myths peddled by evangelists of unbelief: A new breed of missionaries is trying to convert
the world. Evangelists of unbelief say religion is a relic left over from the past that stands in the way
of human progress. Once the world is rid of religion, immemorial evils such as war and tyranny can be
overcome, and humanity will be able to fashion a new life for itself better than any known in history.
The Pointless Negativity of Atheism:
I can't see that the dogmatic atheists have anything to offer but negation: do not feel what you feel, do
not believe, do not hope, there's nothing out there, our (self-)limited minds comprehend everything there is and
it's not much; above all, do not seek a consciousness beyond your own. They subtract from the world and don't
add anything to it except perhaps an opportunity to rediscover the basis of real openness and rationality.
Behar Joins Christian Bashers. As
Christians throughout the world continue to be murdered by Islamo-facists, demi-celeb Joy Behar has
apparently decided to join the oppressors. After all, Christian-bashing is not only accepted by
Islamists and the Hollywood elite, it's expected — if not required. Wednesday on "The View",
Behar apparently decided that she needed publicity to bolster and polish her fading star — a star
that was never very bright in the first place — by blasting Christians. Note: Christianity
continues to be the "safe religion" to vilify, as Christians seldom — if ever — fight back.
Rosie's
View: 'Radical Christians' Same as 9/11 Terrorists. Just two weeks into her new job as
co-host of "The View," comedienne, actress and political activist Rosie O'Donnell has made her views about
Christianity known to the world. While discussing the 9/11 anniversary and the war in Iraq on
Sept. 12, O'Donnell compared "radical Christianity" to the Islamo-fascist beliefs of those who
planned and carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Radical
Islam vs radical Christianity. You would think that even Rosie O'Donnell could grasp that there
is indeed a difference between "radical Christianity" and "radical Islam." No doubt conservative Christian
evangelicals were who Rosie had in mind as "radical" Christians. But, really Rosie, it must mean something,
even to you, that no Christian leader has suggested that you be executed, or even that your house should
be blown up.
Teen Challenges Moment-Of-Silence
Law. The lawsuit asks the court to declare the law unconstitutional, said attorney Gregory Kulis,
who represents Dawn Sherman, a freshman at Buffalo Grove High School, and her father Robert Sherman, a radio
talk show host. Kulis said the law is an attempt to inject religion into public schools in violation
of the First Amendment.
The Editor says...
The "moment of silence" was invented years ago as an alternative to Christian prayer in
public and a means of appeasing atheists and accomodating people of other religions. Now that
we've grown accustomed to the moment of silence as our most reverent public observance, the incrementalism
continues, and the atheists demand even more. Are we now expected to outlaw silence? Does anyone
really believe that the observance of a moment of silence establishes a national religion?
Are you
certain about that? Andrew Sullivan, in his new book "The Conservative Soul," declares a jihad
on certainty, by which he means the certainty of fundamentalist "Christianists" — the allusion to Islamists
is deliberate. The New Republic's Jonathan Chait proclaims that liberalism is the anti-dogmatic
ideology. Sam Harris, a leading proselytizer for atheism, has declared a one-man crusade on
religious certainty.
Amusement Park Apartheid:
Minarets tower over two of the tallest roller coasters in the world, on the flyer announcing today's big
event at Six Flags' Great Adventure and Wild Safari. On this day, the park will be "transformed," as
thousands of Islamists from across the northeast come together in Jackson, New Jersey for "The Great
Muslim Adventure Day." Regrettably, Muslims will be the only ones having fun, as non-Muslims have
been told that they are not welcome.
[Imagine the uproar if the park had announced Christian Adventure Day, and
that non-Christians weren't welcome.]
Saints,
sinners and bigots. References to God — such as "In God We Trust" — are commonplace
in our history, indeed right on the money. What astonishes me is that people of faith rarely
sneer at nonbelievers, but scientifically oriented cosmopolites rarely hesitate to mock believers.
Evangelical Christians are routinely scapegoated with impunity, as if they're troglodyte know-nothings
unified in a cabal to promote ignorance.
"The Christian combats the erroneous doctrines of the infidel with no other weapon than that
of argument: the sophist opposes Christianity with ridicule and misrepresentation."
– George Crabb (1778-1851).
Courts, Governors Siding with Ten
Commandments Displays. A Christian attorney says he's confident that public displays of
the Ten Commandments will continue to be more acceptable in the legal arena.
Legal victory for Texas Bible
monument. A federal appeals court has refused to side with an atheist in a case that could
determine the constitutionality of Bible monuments on public property. The case Staley v. Harris County,
Texas involves a monument that was erected in front of the county courthouse in 1956 in Houston in honor of
industrialist and philanthropist William Mosher.
Harris County's fight over
Bible display may be over. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday [11/26/2007] declined to
hear Harris County's appeal in the Bible monument case, ending the Commissioners Court's bid to have a
lower court ruling vacated and avoid paying hefty legal fees to the woman who brought the lawsuit.
Ten Commandments Monument Advocates Mobilize. With
six weeks until election day, supporters of returning the Ten Commandments to Julia Davis Park are mobilizing
their campaign … signs like these are sprouting up on lawns across Boise, and soon volunteers will begin
canvassing neighborhoods. "All the polling data that we've seen nationwide indicates that over 75% of the
American public supports the public posting of the Ten Commandments," Bryan Fischer, one of the leaders of the
Keep The Commandments coalition, told CBS 2 News.
Ninth U.S. Circuit Endorses 'Other'
Religions. More evidence that constitutional religious neutrality is not only one-sidedly
applied but actually untenable comes with the news that the notorious Ninth U.S. Circuit of Appeals has
upheld a federal district court ruling last November that found no violation of the First Amendment's
"establishment of religion" clause at a California public school in its instruction about Islam.
Have You No
Shame? If you read a major national newspaper this week, you may have seen the screaming
full-page ad beginning with this headline: "These Religious Leaders Have a Serious Gambling
Problem ..." The ad, which also runs on television, pictures Ralph Reed, formerly with the
Christian Coalition, Rev. Lou Sheldon from the Traditional Values Coalition, and Jim Dobson of
Focus on the Family with a sinister photo of Jack Abramoff. Talk about guilt by
association. I was called the Nixon "hatchet man," so I ought to know a "hatchet job" when I see one,
though I am not sure that I have ever seen anything quite this vicious since the McCarthy era.
This item almost ended up on
the Sports Page:
Atlanta Braves
Say No to Conservative Group. The Atlanta Braves will mix baseball with the gospel when they
hold another "Faith Day" this weekend. But one of the country's most prominent Christian organizations
has been tossed out of the game. Focus on the Family, a group founded by James Dobson, was barred from
participating in Sunday's postgame activities after sponsoring the first such event at Turner Field last month.
Where is the CHURCH in Church and
State? America does not want a state church. England has a state church — the
Anglican Church. America does not want one denomination considered The Nation's Church. On the other
hand, America has a religious heritage. It's not Muslim. It's not Hindu. It's not Shinto.
It's not animism. It's not New Age. It's not Paganism. It's not Voodoo. It's
Judeo-Christian. America, while not desiring a state church, does desire religion in life. That
includes religious expression in everyday exchange.
Dobson strikes back at Abramoff
allegations. James Dobson, the influential Christian leader of Focus on the Family, is striking
back hard against allegations, made in the form of a New York Times ad by a left-wing special-interest group,
that he is connected with convicted political fund-raiser Jack Abramoff and gambling interests.
Religion & Public Life: A
Faith-Based Partisan Divide. "Americans who regularly attend worship services
and hold traditional religious views increasingly vote Republican, while those who are less
connected to religious institutions and more secular in their outlook tend to vote Democratic."
The Gospel of
unbelief. This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local officials
decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall. They said it might offend some non-Christians, as
if the Easter Bunny has anything to do with Easter's real significance. Apparently it escaped
the notice of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians, because, like Santa
Claus, it is a counterfeit. If they want to be consistent, perhaps the council should change
the name of the city from St. Paul to, say, Paul Bunyan.
Dean
Trying to 'Muzzle' Churches, Group Says. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's
recent comments calling on groups in the religious community "to decide whether they want to be tax exempt
or involved in politics" drew the ire of a Catholic-based advocacy group on Friday [4/21/2006]. Dean's
remarks were made during an interview with the Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday.
Faith and
nationalism: Indivisible in America. According to a much-discussed posting on a liberal
website, an angry worshipper stormed out of a crowded church to protest the singing of "God Bless the USA,"
highlighting the raging debate over the common American practice of mixing faith and nationalism. … These
separationists, however, face a painful practical problem when it comes to expressing their purported
patriotism: What songs can they sing on national holidays or at public celebrations? All the
traditional hymns of praise to the United States inconveniently and conspicuously mention God and his
special blessings for America.
The Proliferation of Public Profanity is
a Cultural and Spiritual Problem. For the Christian, foul language is forbidden by the Bible.
That is why using profanity in public was considered unacceptable before we became a post-Christian
culture. Christian values and morals are now considered passé or "old-fashioned" to many
Americans — especially the younger generation, sad to say.
The intolerance of the ACLU. Like many
civic assemblies, Oconee County, S.C., has opened council meetings with an invocation. Council member
and pastor Bill Rinehart closed a meeting in October of last year with prayer by saying, "We ask all these
things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen." What Rinehart didn't know was that members of the
American Civil Liberties Union "search out and censor corps" were sitting in the audience anonymously,
waiting to pounce on the slightest expression of personal faith.
How long before they ban private Bible
reading? These three cases are typical of hundreds across the country in recent years in which the
rights of individuals to practice the faith of their choice has been attacked by people in positions of power,
often at taxpayers expense.
Faith under
siege: Extremists at the grandiosely named Americans United for Separation
of Church and State are at it again. The group, best known for trying to drive religion
from the public square, now wants to make sure no faith-based organizations are reimbursed for
rescuing and caring for thousands of victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
San Antonio Faces Lawsuit Threat Over
Pre-Council Meeting Prayers: The City of San Antonio, Texas, may be facing litigation over
its practice of starting its city government sessions with prayer. An organization that specializes
in religious liberty cases has offered to defend the city in a lawsuit over its invocations at its City
Council meetings.
Army silences chaplain after
prayer criticism. An evangelical chaplain serving in Iraq has been forbidden to preach at
chapel services after his comments about military intolerance toward certain Christian expressions got
him into hot water with the Army.
Police arrested
Christians sharing their faith outside a courthouse.
Judge sued for
ordering "no-speech zones". A judge who declared all public areas of Los Angeles
County courthouses "no speech zones" has been hit with a federal civil rights lawsuit.
"God Bless America" signs
stir atheist protest. An atheist group is complaining about two signs posted outside a
city hall in New York state that declare "God Bless America."
Sidewalk evangelists beaten by
police? A pair of Boston-area sidewalk evangelists — one of whom is confined to a
wheelchair — claim they were roughed up by city police for little more than
trying to spread the Gospel. … One of the women, Ann Hayden, says audio of the incident was
captured on a tape recorder she carried in her pants. And for the record, she now also is
charged with illegal wiretapping, the Boston Herald said.
[It is remarkable that someone can be accused of "wiretapping" without tapping a wire.]
Court Declares Atheism
a Religion. A federal appeals court has sided with a Wisconsin prison inmate
who claimed his constitutional rights were violated with officials would not allow him to
create a study group for atheists. In its ruling, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled that Wisconsin prison officials were mistaken when they did not recognize
atheism as a religion.
Satanic Female Eipscopal Bishop Installed.
She declares that the Bible is not regarded as divine revelation and therefore is no guide for morality.
That means that she is not a biblical Christian, yet she is a religious leader. She is thereby not
defending the Christian deity however still remaining with the ecclesiastical frame. That makes her, not
a Christian, not a "middle person between Christianity and Satanism," but a satanic leader of the first
order. Being a religious personage within the framework of Christendom but not holding to biblical
leader makes her nothing short of a satanic leader of the first order.
One Nation Under God
or One Nation Under Man. Polling data shows that many who embrace the
liberal policies of the Democratic Party are less religious than those who support
the pro-life, traditional marriage policies of Republicans. This divide first
became apparent with the 2000 election. Research notes that those who attended
religious services more than once a week supported Bush by a margin of 2 to 1
while those who never attended religious services supported Gore by the same margin.
Do
we deserve it? Much of the attack on religion had its birth with the 1963 Supreme
Court decision in Murray vs. Curlett, which banned organized school prayers. For a moment,
let's ignore the debate on whether that decision was right or wrong and instead focus on tactics.
We're
not in Kansas anymore. Because every few years this country, in its infinite tolerance,
insists on hearing yet another appeal of the Scopes monkey trial, I feel obliged to point out what
would otherwise be superfluous — that the two greatest scientists in the history of our
species were Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, and they were both religious.
Senator Feinstein's
at it again. The view that the Constitution was ever intended to create an atheistic
political culture is so universally recognized as ahistorical claptrap, it's become almost a
cliché to debunk it. The real issue is more complicated.
Is the Red Cross Too
Politically Correct for Christians?. Michael Hartman worked with the American Red
Cross for eight months before he was fired over his disagreement with an organizational decision
to celebrate gay and lesbian pride month. The firing raises questions about the direction
of the relief organization, which was founded by Christians, including Clara Barton, in 1881.
BC is not PC for
students. In what's perceived as a case of political
correctness trumping history and everyday usage, students in Australia are now
seeing the calendar term B.C. — which stands for "Before Christ" — being
replaced with BCE, meaning "Before Common Era." "This is political correctness gone
mad," Shadow Education Minister Jillian Skinner told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
Outdated, but still informative...
Faith
versus the Constitution: a false conflict. The White House has assured
us that if confirmed, [Judge] Roberts would not allow his faith to conflict with his
sworn allegiance to the Constitution. Such assurance has not satisfied those zealots
devoted to purging Christianity from the public square.
Christian Yoga? C'mon!
Many Christians have been duped into thinking that yoga is just relaxation and exercise. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Classical yoga is intended to put one into an altered state of consciousness.
Believers who think they're "just exercising" are being swept into a counterfeit religion. Not all
religions are equal, as liberals would have us believe.
Liberal Media Lashes Out at
Christians. The culture wars have turned nastier than ever. And if
conservative Christians are offended by being called insane, stupid, sinister — or
even the next incarnation of fascist storm troopers — they'd better get used
to it. The news media is a major player in these cultural conflicts, and if there
was ever a pretense of impartiality when it came to liberal versus conservative, or
secular versus religious, that disguise has been stripped away.
School administrator
to student: "Leave your faith in the car". A federal civil rights lawsuit
charges that the Poway Unified School District violated the constitutional rights of a student
and censored his free speech. The school district threatened further punishment and
suspended the student for expressing his religious faith on a T-shirt during a school day
designated to promote homosexual behavior. A school administrator told the student
to "leave his faith in the car" when his faith might offend others.
People who live in glass houses would like to outlaw stones.
Elton John says Religion Encourages
Hatred. Organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star
Elton John said in an interview published Saturday [11/11/2006]. … "From my point of view, I would ban
religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really
hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."
The
"tolerant" Sir Elton wants to ban religion. When secularists complain about the influence and
agenda of religious conservatives they most often focus on the alleged "intolerance" of the Christian right.
A recent interview with pop music legend Elton John, however, demonstrates that non-believers will go much
further than the faithful in their expressed desire to stifle all dissent.
The Crocodile Rocker Wants Religion
Outlawed. In a recent interview in The Observer's special "gay edition" of Music Monthly
Magazine, musician Sir Elton John told the UK newspaper that religion should be outlawed because it lacks
compassion and promotes hatred of homosexuals. In the Sunday, November 12, 2006 issue, John
said, "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the
hatred and spite against gays."
Homosexuals
Mock 'Last Supper' With Sex-Toys Twist. Organizers of San Francisco's Folsom Street
Fair — sponsored by Miller Brewing Co. — have portrayed Christ and his disciples as
half-naked homosexual sadomasochists in the event's promotional advertisement, and the conservative group
Concerned Women for America is complaining about the hypocrisy of it.
Man
battles Vermont over John 3:16 plates. Officials claim car tags are
the property of state so they can't endorse religion.
Recess
not time for Bible study, schools attorney says. Students may not read
their Bibles during recess, according to an attorney for the Knox County public school
system in Tennessee. So why then did this only become an issue when several students
asked to hold a recess-time Bible study?
When
"tolerance" backfires: Today, the government's
World Factbook lists
the United States as being 78 percent Christian (52 percent Protestant, 24 percent
Catholic, 2 percent Mormon), 1 percent Jewish, 1 percent Muslim, 10 percent
other, and 10 percent none. Ten years ago, it listed the country as 84 percent
Christian. But back at the time of America's founding, this percentage was well
over 90 percent.
Getting
the Constitution Wrong: Liberals, and some conservatives as well, like to claim
that America is founded not on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but on the
Constitution alone. Liberals want to decouple the two because the Declaration refers to
God — they want the Constitution to be "Godless." Certain conservatives think
the Declaration contains enlightenment abstractions, against which the Constitution must be
defended. Both claims are nothing but historical hokum. The Declaration is the ground
on which stand the original state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federal
Constitution. And all of these documents share an American political philosophy that
combines reason with revelation.
Some
final notes on the Terri Schiavo case: My suspicion is that liberal
opinion was guided by smoldering resentment toward President Bush and the rising
contempt for religion in general and conservative Christians in particular. We
seem headed for much more conflict between religious and secular Americans.
Ban on Bible Study Material for Inmates
Defies Logic and Law. For years, prison ministries have faithfully sent Bible study materials
to inmates at the state prison facility in Corcoran, [California,] free of charge, and have witnessed firsthand
the life-changing power of the gospel in their lives. Recently, however, prison officials at the facility
arbitrarily changed their policies so as to exclude most types of free religious materials.
ACLJ Opposes Legal Challenge to Inaugural
Prayer. "This challenge is legally flawed and represents nothing more than an attempt to
remove a time-honored tradition going back to the nation's first President," said Jay Sekulow, Chief
Counsel of the ACLJ, which has challenged Newdow's lawsuits in the past. "The expression of prayer
at the Presidential inauguration is not only constitutional, but an important part of the history and
heritage of this nation. We're confident that this legal challenge will meet the same fate of a
similar challenge brought by Newdow four years ago concerning inaugural prayer — a legal
challenge that was rejected by the courts."
Newdow strikes again:
Atheist
Sues to Remove 'In God We Trust' From Currency. The atheist who is fighting to take the
phrase "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance filed a lawsuit late Thursday [11/17/2005] seeking to
prevent the U.S. government from printing the national motto — "In God We
Trust" — on any future coins or paper money.
Lawsuit Against National Motto
Dismissed. The lawsuit against the national motto "In God We Trust," brought by noted atheist
Michael Newdow, has been dismissed by United States District Court Judge Frank Damrell. Damrell noted
that the motto does not trample on Newdow's religious views. The national motto is featured on
all U.S. currency.
In God we
Trust. It is commonly understood that our Government, its Constitution and its laws are founded
on a belief in God. The mere acknowledgment of God by the Government or Government officials cannot be
said to be an establishment of religion in violation of the Establishment Clause of the United States
Constitution. Yet this is precisely what is being litigated right now in the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Ninth Circuit. Dr. Michael Newdow has sued the United States Congress in order to remove
our National Motto.
Updated 12/6/2007:
Atheist Looks to Remove 'Under
God' From Pledge of Allegiance, Currency. An atheist seeking to remove the words
"under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. currency is taking his arguments back to a
federal appeals court. Michael Newdow, a Sacramento doctor and lawyer, sued the Elk Grove
Unified School District in 2000 for forcing public school children to recite the pledge, saying
it was unconstitutional.
Air Force cracks
down on Christian "coercion". In a move that echoes the recent decision of the
U.S. Department of Defense to deny Boy Scouts use of military facilities, the U.S. Air Force
Academy is warning Christian cadets to curb their faith.
Kindergarten
Teacher Censors Child. A kindergartener was rebuffed in front of the class as
the girl read from a Christian book. It was the child's turn to be "star of the
week." … About half way through this sharing time, the instructor interrupted
the child and told the girl she needed to read her other book because pupils weren't
allowed to read books about God in class.
Judeo-Christian
values: part III. Those who do not believe that moral values must come from the
Bible or be based upon God's moral instruction argue that they have a better source
for values: human reason.
California teacher censored.
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit yesterday [11/22/2004] against the Cupertino Union School
District for prohibiting a teacher from providing supplemental handouts to students about American history
because the historical documents contain some references to God and religion. "Throwing aside all common
sense, the district has chosen to censor men such as George Washington and documents like the Declaration of
Independence. The district's actions conflict with American beliefs and are completely unconstitutional,"
said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb. "In addition, they have wrongfully applied their policy to only one
teacher, who is a professed Christian."
The "Dangerous" Faith of
President Bush. Why do you suppose President Bush gets so much flak for his faith and John Kerry
is applauded for his professions of faith — by the very same people? Could it be that the
faith-allergic fear that President Bush is actually sincere about his faith?
When the
foundations are being destroyed: Sufficiently large numbers of Americans
either do not believe, or do not practice, what the Scriptures teach and cannot be made
to do so through a constitutional amendment or any other law. Neither side is going
to persuade the other of the correctness of its position, so it becomes a political
power game.
Why liberals rule academia and
media. A chapter on journalism
[in "The
Secular Revolution," edited by University of North Carolina professor Christian Smith] shows how "key
persons within journalism (especially publishers and editors, and also journalism professionalizers from the
ranks of the universities and the active press) actively sought to minimize and ultimately to undermine
traditional religion."
Government
Discrimination Against Religion: Churches meet in schools all across our
nation. In fact, another minister and I have teamed up to start a church in a
public school here in Loxahatchee, Florida. So I was understandably interested
when I discovered that New York City is trying to throw churches out of their public schools.
Military Widows Sue to Get Wiccan Symbol on
Headstones. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs allows military families to choose any of
38 authorized headstone images. The list includes commonly recognized symbols for Christianity, Buddhism,
Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckiankar and the Japanese
faith Seicho-No-Ie. The Wiccan pentacle, a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, is not on the list,
an omission that the widows say is unconstitutional.
High court rejects Wiccan prayer
appeal. The Supreme Court yesterday [10/11/2005] rejected an appeal from a Wiccan priestess
angry that local leaders would not let her open their sessions with a prayer. Instead, clergy from more
traditional religions were invited to pray at governmental meetings in Chesterfield County, Va., a suburb
of Richmond.
Great Adventure's Muslims-only
day. A popular North American amusement park is scheduled to host a "Great Muslim Adventure Day"
this week in which the park will be open only to Muslims, drawing fire from various monitor groups.
Editor's Note: Even before
I got that article posted, an update came along:
Muslims
back off Muslims-only day. An Islamic group is backing off its boast of a
Muslims-only day at a popular theme park, just hours after WND brought to light plans
for the "Great Muslim Adventure Day." The article prompted numerous responses
from WND readers who informed Six Flags they would stop attending its amusement parks.
Robert
Reich: God worse than terrorism. Clinton's labor secretary has problem
with those who believe in higher authority. Robert Reich, the former U.S. labor
secretary under President Bill Clinton, believes people who follow God pose a more
significant threat to the modern world than terrorists do.
Robert
Reich's Religion Problem: If our choice is between the primacy of individuals
and the primacy of God — if, that is, we are to choose between individual human
beings and God — then the vast majority of traditional religious believers would
have to choose God. I certainly would. That would be the case for plenty
of believers who are not sure what they think about abortion law, or want a higher
minimum wage. All of us, for Reich, are the enemy.
Supremes
Refuse to Hear VMI Prayer Case. Their decision leaves in place
a ruling that declares prayer unconstitutional.
Open Season on Christians: The media and the do-good-kiddy-clubs all explode in paroxysms of righteousness any
time a public figure inadvertently insults one of the protected minority groups, but nobody ever demands an
apology when a secular celebrity demeans Christianity. That is because many Americans view Christianity
as a problem, an execrable obstacle to America's progress.
The Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection
Act, H.R. 235: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect the religious
free exercise and free speech rights of churches and other houses of worship.
More about The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act.
HR 235: ending an absurdity. Called
the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, the bill pries the state's paws off the pulpit. Actually,
it pries these paws off the conservative pulpit; the liberal pulpit has enjoyed a de facto exemption from
the beginning.
EU Constitution Omits Reference
to Christianity. After two years of heated controversy over the omission of any mention of
Christianity in the proposed new constitution for the European Union, the final text adopted in Brussels
on June 18 was the secularized version.
Religious Hiring Protection
Under Assault. Ever since the launch of the President's faith-based initiative,
religious organizations' freedom to hire according to their beliefs has been under fire from
some in Congress. The right of private religious groups to freely determine their
membership is a cornerstone of our constitutional order. Congress should once again
uphold this important freedom.
 Legislators
endorse posting of "In God We Trust". Civil libertarians oppose legislation.
MTV to Launch
New Homosexual-Themed Channel. On May 25, [2004,] MTV Networks announced the
launching of a 24-hour cable television channel which will be specifically geared toward gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender viewers. You may recall that MTV Networks, owned by
Viacom, was responsible for producing the Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime fiasco.
Indecency Bill
Facing Cowardice in Senate. The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004
(S. 2056) is reportedly facing some resistance from Senators who seem indecisive about
whether or not to support it. The bill would increase FCC fines ten-fold for those
who violate FCC regulations regarding decency. The House passed its version of the
bill, H.R. 3717, by an overwhelming majority vote of 391-22 on
March 11, 2004.
Editor's Note: In the
tiny Pacific island nation
of Nauru, the
country's coat of arms includes the words, "God's Will First".
Broad Victory in
Chicago Park District "Buy a Brick" Case: Robert and Mildred Tong [have] won
a decisive victory in their battle to "buy a brick" in a Chicago park near their home
that says "Jesus is the Cornerstone." U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo issued
a broad and emphatically worded opinion and order in Robert Tong and
Mildred Tong v. Chicago Park District in which he held that the
Tongs were victims of "unlawful viewpoint discrimination in violation of the
Tong's First Amendment rights."
"Robed Masters" Usurping
Control of U.S. Government, Says Bauer. Phyllis Hamilton is a federal district
court judge in San Francisco — but Gary Bauer says she must believe herself to be
a "higher authority" than the elected officials in Congress and the president himself. How
else, he wonders, could the Clinton appointee justify striking down a ban on partial-birth
abortion that was passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Bush?
The
Rise of a Judicial Dictatorship: The Warren Court launched a social, cultural
and moral revolution and began openly to dictate to what had been a self-governing
people. Under this dictatorship, radically secularist and egalitarian, America's
public schools were as de-Christianized as thoroughly as in the Soviet Union.
Muslim Prayer Calls Echo Through Detroit
Suburb; Petitioners Unhappy. Some residents of a Detroit-area town hope that an August ballot
initiative will send a strong message to the Muslim community that they do not want to hear Islamic calls for
prayer broadcast five times a day over loudspeakers. In the meantime, citizens will have to call the police
if they don't like the noise.
Secularist
double standards: There has been no cessation of hostility in the secularists' war against
Christianity. The enemies of religious freedom are still operating at full force, and we must keep
our eyes on them.
Christian platform ripped as
offensive: President Bush and the Republican Party in his home state of Texas are being
criticized by Democrats on the touchy issue of whether America is a Christian nation.
…[FYI] Christians make up 82 percent of the U.S. population, Jews 1 percent and Muslims
less than 1 percent, with atheists, agnostic and those citing no preference making up 13 percent,
according to a Pew Research Council survey of 2,002 adults conducted in 2002.
Sheltered
From the State: In separating church and state the Founder's intent was not to
protect the federal government from religion, but to protect religion from the federal
government.
Supreme
Court Won't Reinstate Prayer at Military College. The Supreme Court said
Monday [4/26/2004] it would not consider reinstating mealtime prayers at a taxpayer-funded
military college, turning aside an appeal from state officials in Virginia who wanted to
preserve the tradition. Justice Antonin Scalia blasted his colleagues for refusing to
hear the case and argued that it raised important church-state questions.
Environism: The
Environmental Movement As A Pagan Religion. Environism is a
combination of pseudo-science, new age mysticism, paganism, and socialism
which serves as a combination of political philosophy and religion. This is
clearly an attempt to replace America's historic Christian culture with a new
religion — a pagan religion.
Those
unstable, superstitious Christians: Why does it make so many on the Left
uncomfortable that President Bush openly professes his reliance on God in performing
his official duties?
The
"offensiveness" of Christianity: It amazes me that people can
still, with a straight face, deny that Christians are the subjects of systematic
discrimination in this country. Every time I turn around there's more evidence.
Porn Can Stay in Library — But
Jesus Has Got to Go. The nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization is blasting officials
at a Connecticut public library for censoring Jesus.
Uprooting
our Biblical foundation: The oft-repeated lie that "we can't legislate morality" has finally born
its poisonous fruit. Of course we can legislate morality. We always have. We must.
Try looking at the criminal code of any state or the federal system and tell me it isn't based on morality.
Tolerance,
liberal style: You can dress this up however you want to, but what this boils down to is militant
liberal thought police trying forcibly to impose their secular values on our society.
Muzzling
conservative pastors: I know some of you out there actually harbor this
fantasy that Christian conservatives want to subsume the government and convert it into
a happy theocracy for Jesus, but you're wrong.
Christian
soldier, Muslim soldier: There's something terribly wrong when an American
soldier overseas can't receive Scriptures in the mail, but a Muslim chaplain can preach
freely among al Qaeda and Taliban enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay.
Yes,
Virginia, there is a religious war. Fifteen years ago, Robinson dissolved his marriage, dumped his
wife, abandoned his two little girls and went off to shack up. He thus violated his marriage vows,
flouted the teachings of the Anglican faith he was ordained to uphold and entered into a sinful liaison his
church has always taught was perverted.
The greatest gift for all: All
Americans have a huge stake in Christianity. Whether or not we are individually believers in Christ, we
are beneficiaries of the moral doctrine that has curbed power and protected the weak.
Feds OK controversial Muslim youth
camp: Amid resistance from neighbors and nationwide attention, a plan to build a Muslim youth camp
on federal land moved ahead yesterday [6/30/2003] with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' approval of a
scaled-down proposal.
Disney World Boots Christian Worship
Services Off-Site: Disney spokesman, Rena Callahan, said it does not seem right to offer only two
types of services when there are "so many religions out there." To continue that, she said, would be
"insensitive" to the resort's non-Christian clientele.
Disney World
Cancels Christian Services, Flap Ensues: The late Walt Disney once cited church and prayer as
inspirations for his professional success. Today, some conservatives believe Disney is "crying from his
grave" because Walt Disney World in Florida has eliminated its 28-year tradition of offering on-site religious
services to Christian guests.
"God" removed from "God Bless
America": A Tennessee firefighter has removed a memorial to the fallen heroes of 9-11
from the lawn outside a local firehouse because the city government forced him to remove the word "God" from
the three-word tribute on the display: "God Bless America."
Note: The material about the Public Display of the Ten Commandments has moved
here.
VMI Prayer Battle Could Define
America's Fighting Force: Since January, when a judge ordered Virginia Military Institute to stop
its traditional dinner prayers, Col. Ronald D. Ray, USMCR (Ret.) has been fighting to overturn the
controversial ruling. If the battle is lost, he predicts an ACLU juggernaut that will strip God from the
service academies and even from aircraft carriers, whose warriors will soar into harm's way with a wing and not
a prayer.
Halloween: A
Celebration of Demons: You may be surprised by the roots of
this religious holiday.
Bobbing for Apples Long
Way From Celebrating the Dead: When I was growing-up … it all seemed so harmless; little
did we know that we were actually celebrating Satan's holiday. Halloween was, and is, a subtle exposure
to the occult. Today our schools are blatantly introducing cultic activities to our young people,
including séances, New Age meditation, and witchcraft.
Witchcraft and Paganism vs Christianity:
More and more people today are fearlessly exploring witchcraft or paganism, and many of these are young
people. Regardless of the age of the person, these beliefs stand in direct opposition to
Christianity. Those who start to walk down that road need to know the territory they are
entering. Parents especially need to be fully informed. And we say this because there
is a lot of common misinformation today about both witchcraft and Christianity.
Halloween
Celebrations and Related Activities in the Public Schools: Many
religious parents are concerned about their children's involvement in Halloween
activities. These parents often point out that the origins of Halloween are,
in part, from ancient Celtic rituals and that Halloween is celebrated today
by adherents of the Wiccan religion as one of their four holiest days
of the year. [PDF]
Participating
with pagans: Rev. Wallace Schulz said, "To participate with pagans in an
interfaith service and, additionally, to give the impression that there might be more
than one God, is an extremely serious offense." Rev. Schulz will take a beating
in the mainstream press without a doubt. Look for him to be portrayed as divisive,
reactionary and backward, when not being portrayed as a religious crackpot.
The Answers are Simple, the
Decisions are Hard: A recent news item told how a California public school had adopted an Islam
curriculum in a well meaning effort, I suppose, to create peace among diverse religious elements in our
nation. They teach these days that diversity is the new religion, and it is often put forth with an
inflexible boldness that belies its so-called "tolerance" and disparages all other singular faiths such as
Christianity or Judaism.
Red
Cross nixes "God" from 9-11 program: The Orange County, Calif., chapter
of the American Red Cross has canceled the planned performance of a music group
at an upcoming event honoring the organization's volunteers who helped at the
World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attacks because the group planned to
sing songs that mention "prayer" and "God."
Red Cross apologizes:
The national office of the American Red Cross has issued an official apology after the organization excluded a
student music group in California from performing for a September 11 volunteer-recognition event last
Sunday [3/10/2002] because it planned to sing songs mentioning "prayer" and "God."
Dr Pepper
Skips "Under God" On Patriotic Cans: The Dr Pepper/Seven Up soft-drink company is
under fire for skipping the phrase "under God" in a partial quotation of the Pledge of Allegiance
on its "patriot can." The graphic design of the can, created "to show the world that we are
a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom" according to the company, includes
an artist's rendering of the Statue of Liberty and the phrase "One Nation … Indivisible."
Hostility Toward Religion: Can the
Lions Be Far Behind?: Grab your Bible and turn to Leviticus 18:22.
Keeping God off
the roads: We've all seen cars with personalized license plates. Some of them can be quite
humorous or clever, and certainly present a diversion for commuters stuck in rush hour traffic. These
plates also provide motorists with an opportunity to express themselves — their sense of humor, their
priorities, even their occupation. However, in Vermont, one thing motorists cannot express
is their faith.
Bible Reference Deemed Too Offensive for Vanity Tags (appeared on
CNS News 6/21/01)
(CNSNews.com) - The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is accused of infringing the free-speech
rights of a Vermont pastor and his wife, by refusing to let them refer to Bible verses on their specialty
license plates. The pastor and his wife chose ROMANS5 and ROMANS8 for their license tags. The Bible
passages, which speak of acquiring peace and joy through faith in Jesus Christ, have given them comfort over
the years, they said. The Vermont motor vehicles department denied their request, saying the religious
connotation might be offensive to others. The Vermont Transportation Agency upheld the DMV's decision
to deny the plates, but the case has now landed in Vermont's Washington County Superior Court, where attorneys
for the conservative Rutherford Institute are attempting to have the decision overturned. "The First
Amendment does not permit government bureaucrats to decide for the people what is too 'offensive' to appear
on a personal vanity plate," said Rutherford Institute President John Whitehead. "The Vermont DMV surely
has better ways to spend tax dollars than to enforce a 'civility code' on the state's streets and highways."
Florida Lawmakers Debate Offering a Christian
License Plate. Florida drivers can order more than 100 specialty license plates celebrating
everything from manatees to the Miami Heat, but one now under consideration would be the first in the nation
to explicitly promote a specific religion. The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with
a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."
Liberal Lies and the War Against
Religion: We have grown lamentably used to bans on public prayer or the removal of Bibles or
Christian symbols from public places. The Catholic Church, being America's, and the world's, biggest
Christian denomination, is a special target.
Suit filed for cross-wearing
employee: A lawsuit was filed recently on behalf of a Kentucky woman who says she was fired
from her job at a public library for wearing a necklace with a cross pendant to work.
Christianity Under Siege, Part
I: The Stones Cry Out. It is sad that a once-great political party chooses to wage an
intellectual jihad against "right-wing" Christianity.
Christianity Under Siege, Part
II: Those Who Are Voiceless: We hear daily messages, TV ads as well as speeches by our
president, that we should be tolerant of Islam. However, there are no calls for Islam to be
tolerant of Christianity.
On Evangelicals
and Theocrats: The example of James Madison shows why liberals who continue to conflate the
Taliban with religious conservatives are wrong.
In Canada, praying aloud gets a street preacher jailed.
Something's wrong
with police priorities. Perhaps had they seen him on a street corner smoking crack
cocaine — or selling it — they would have turned the other cheek, as is so often the
case. But [Artur] Pawlowski was clearly doing something much more provocative Wednesday afternoon
on [a street corner in Calgary]. He — along with about six other people — were
praying and reading the Bible.
God Forsaken in U.S.
Senate: The Democrats, in an effort to capture the votes of the 19% of Americans who
oppose religion in America's political life, want to ban all public references to God. But they don't
want to alienate Middle Americans who are their main support base. So they decided on a stealth
campaign to quietly expunge all government references to God.
Couple
Sues to Continue Home Prayer Sessions after the local
zoning board ordered them to stop holding prayer services in their home.
Council
axes Christian prayers, despite having no minority faiths. For hundreds of years, Totnes Town
Council has started its monthly meetings with a Christian prayer by a local vicar. With little controversy,
councillors have bowed their heads to listen to the thoughts of local clergy. But the tradition has now
been axed to avoid causing offence — despite the council having no members of minority faiths.
Homosexual
DC Councilman Under Fire for Threatening Salvation Army: The conservative Culture and Family
Institute has asked for an apology from Log Cabin Republicans after a GOP District of Columbia councilman
bullied Salvation Army officials over their opposition to homosexuality.
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