Old Communists Go Green

Did you know the former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev was an environmental activist? You might not, since he hasn't enjoyed as much publicity since Soviet communism went belly up and he was no longer the Marxist media darling anymore.

Nevertheless, Gorbachev is a global warming disciple. He ambled off to join the other "still respectable" socialists when he lost his job at the helm of one of the most repressive regimes in human history.

Why would he join the green movement? Especially after the environmental disaster we learned the Soviet Union was (and I'm not just talking Chernobyl, but the massive pollution and toxification of rivers and landscapes in the Eastern Block?

Here's what Vasko Kohlmayer at the Intellectual Conservative has to say:

It is not at all surprising that Gorbachev – like so many others on the Left – has found environmentalism so attractive given that it in a furtive way tends toward the very essence of socialism. It is precisely this covert quality that makes this brand of activism so palatable to true believers in the post-communist era.

Environmentalism’s socialist tendencies are already inherent in its starting premise, which is that this world is headed for destruction because of the way modern societies conduct their life and affairs. The principal culprits are the business enterprise – whose relentless pursuit of profit has ecologically devastating consequences – and the masses whose excessive and irresponsible consumption exacerbate the already precarious situation. The only way to avert the looming catastrophe, then, is to rein in the greedy businessmen and direct people’s behavior in environmentally conducive ways. This naturally can only be done by a government properly equipped for the great task at hand. The net result of environmental activism is thus an empowered state exercising close oversight over the business and private spheres. In Marx’s parlance, the means of production – and indeed nearly all aspects of societal life – are placed under state control. This is nothing if not socialism rising, and since it also happens to be something Gorbachev has been striving for all of his life, it should come as no surprise that he has been an enthusiastic proponent ever since Marxism-Leninism became a byword for failure.

The whole piece is a good read. Check it out here.

Hate Crimes Bill Just the Beginning

The recent "hate crimes" bill passed by the U.S. House wasn't enough.

Now Rep. Barney Frank has another bill planned to force you to smile upon homosexuality in all it's varied forms and flavors.

From WorldNetDaily:

Following on the heels of an 'anti-discrimination' plan Christians insist would virtually outlaw their religious beliefs comes another proposal – introduced by openly homosexual U.S. Rep. Barney Frank – that requires businesses to give special privileges to "gay" and "transgendered" individuals.

Shari Rendall, director of legislation and public policy for Concerned Women for America, the nation's largest women's public policy group, said H.R. 2015, the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007," would be a disaster.

"This bill would unfairly extend special privileges based upon an individual's changeable sexual behaviors, rather than focusing on immutable, non-behavior characteristics such as skin color or gender. Its passage would both overtly discriminate against and muzzle people of faith. Former Secretary of State Collin Powell put it well when he said, 'Skin color is a benign, non-behavioral characteristic. Sexual orientation is perhaps the most profound of human behavioral characteristics. Comparison of the two is a convenient but invalid argument,'" Rendall said.

Ladies, how'd you like to share the bathroom at work with a man in a dress?

"This bill would force Christian, Jewish or Muslim business owners to hire people who openly choose to engage in homosexual or cross-dressing behaviors despite a sincerely held religious belief that those behaviors are dangerous, sinful and not in keeping with basic morality," added Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues for CWFA.

"ENDA would essentially force employers to check their First Amendment protected rights to freedom of religion, speech and association at the workplace door. It's absurd! For instance, female employees would have to endure both systematic sexual harassment and a hostile work environment by being forced to share bathroom facilities with male employees who get their jollies from wearing a dress, high heels and lipstick," Barber said.

It's never enough with the parade of perverts. They won't be happy until everyone who's normal is throwing rose petals at their feet as they walk by.

So do you plan to remain silent as you have, or finally stand up against this lunacy and assaults on freedom and morality?

Human PapillomaVirus and Oral Sex

If we're going to vaccinate young girls against the consequences of promiscuity (i.e. HPV), looks like we're going to have to vaccinate everybody. Get ready to fork over more taxpayer dollars, Governor Rounds.

From CTV.ca:

Oral sex has been linked to throat cancer in a new study by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be transmitted during oral sex, is the main cause of oropharyngeal (throat) cancer, researchers found. The study is the first to prove the link.

Researchers found that those with HPV infection were 32 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer -- regardless of the previously established risk factors of tobacco and alcohol use.

Lacking Gravitas

Hmmmm. I am continually amazed at how little we know about God's universe.

From Fox News:

A mysterious dip in gravity over northern Canada has long been a weighty topic for some scientists.

Satellite data indicates that that a massive ice sheet that once covered eastern North America is at least the partial cause of this gravitational anomaly.

Scientists have known that the area around Hudson Bay has lower gravity than the surrounding areas.

Read the whole strange story here.

An Expansive Interpretation of Partial Birth Abortion Ruling

From the SCOTUSBlog:

In its most significant argument to the Second Circuit Court, the Department suggested that the opponents of the 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act be barred from bringing any new case contending that the ban violates women's constitutional right to equality. That is an argument that got the implied support of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her dissent from the April 18 ruling in the case of Gonzales v. Carhart (06-380) -- support that might have led abortion rights groups to try that theory as an alternative way of contesting the ban now that their facial challenge has failed on a due process complaint.

Read the whole post here.

The Sky Was Falling in 1975...In the Opposite Direction

From Baptist Press:

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"There are ominous signs that the Earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production -– with serious political implications for just about every nation on Earth," is how one article I read recently on global climate change begins.

The only thing is, that was from a 1975 Newsweek article entitled "The Cooling World".

Rush Limbaugh has a scanned image of the article here.

Another interesting excerpt:


















Having lived in England for three years in the late 1980s, I can tell you that it never got even close enough to freeze the Thames River like that when I was there.

Or try this:







Or this:












What was their plan?








They were even coming up with hair brained ideas to fight "global cooling" back then...although it appears they had more sense than we do now, realizing anything they might do could have unintended consequences.









There was the same "the end is near" hysteria back then. Sooner or later people in large numbers will figure out they're being sold a case of snake oil, just like they did back then, and global warming will fade away...in favor of some new liberal cause aimed at greater control over the masses.

Mitt Romney's Wife Now Pro-Life

According to LifeNews.com, even though Mitt Romney's wife donated to Planned Parenthood some 13 years ago, like her husband she has come to realize abortion is murder and has become pro-life:

Romney added that he and Ann have donated "generously" to Massachusetts Citizens for Life -- to the tune of $15,000 -- and that Ann is now a leader in that organization. She confirmed in an interview to ABC News earlier this year that she is pro-life on abortion.

Record Tax Revenues

From Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal revenue collections hit an all-time high in April, contributing to a further improvement in the budget deficit for the year.

So far this year, tax revenues total $1.505 trillion, an increase of 11.2 percent over the same period last year. That figure includes $383.6 billion collected in April, the largest monthly tax collection on record.

This shows Bush's tax cuts have been just as effective as liberals feared they'd be. Getting more money into the market--instead of directly into the hands of some government bureaucrat--ends up bringing more revenue in the long run.

Now if Republicans had only acted like Republicans in the last few years, we'd be fast working our way out of debt.

You know, if liberals had any sense, they'd support tax cuts because of the additional revenues they'd bring to the government (since they love government so much). But just like the scorpion who stung the frog as they crossed the river, aggressive taxation is "just in their nature." Must be a Marxist kind of thing.

Most Americans Say They're Pro-Life

For what it's worth.

From LifeNews.com:

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for CNN earlier this month find that a majority of Americans say they are pro-life when it comes to the issue of abortion. The survey also shows abortion is a key issue for the 2008 presidential campaign and that pro-life voters are more resolute than abortion advocates.

When asked to self-identify as "pro-life" or "pro-choice" on the issue of abortion, 50 percent of Americans call themselves pro-life while just 45 percent say otherwise.

Christianity Without Christ?

There's a very insightful article by Joseph Loconte at Virtue Online, "The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism." The title is, interestingly and aptly, something which plagues our modern world: "Christianity Without Salvation."

The piece examines how some in Christendom were and are misled by the rise of the "Social Gospel."

Richard Niebuhr called this "cultural Christianity," i.e., re-imagining the gospel according to secular nostrums about the march of human progress.

As such, Rauschenbusch's gospel had little need of a Savior. It merely displaced the problem of evil--the supreme tragedy of the human soul in rebellion against God--with the challenge of social iniquities. The Kingdom of Heaven would come soon enough, if only we put our hands to the plow.

Perhaps this earth-bound emphasis explains the social gospel's naïve embrace of morally dubious causes, including eugenics and abortion. We underwrite modern social programs with similar illusions about human nature. Thus drug "maintenance" programs, to take but one example, leave the scourge of addiction largely untouched because they do not address its moral and spiritual causes.

This sheds some insight on why Leftist don't see killing an unborn child as "evil," yet become morally indignant at the perception that homosexuals are being denied a "right" to sodomize one another and have the rest of society smile upon that behavior.

In the theology of Social Gospel disciples, what God says is right or wrong is less important than pursuing a transient concept of "social justice" that, like Marxism, moves and changes based on the perceived needs of those with the most power.

He also gets to the crux of why the pablum of Leftist so-called "Christians" is so bad:

It is hard to see, though, how Rauschenbusch's theology could be called Christian in any meaningful sense of the term. It required no repentance or atonement and carried no fear of judgment or bracing hope of eternal life.

Something which calls itself Christianity but is more concerned with Marxist causes than with obeying and fulfilling the commandments of God is not only a deceptive distraction, but ends up leading its disciples and many others down the same dead-end street that secular Marxists travel.

Christianity that does not hold central the redemptive power of unconditional repentance for sin, and the saving grace of Jesus Christ's "new birth" is not Christianity at all.

Zaniya Health Care Task Force Survey

According to the Capital Journal, the Zaniya Project will be conducting a survey regarding health care in South Dakota:

In order to have more information by the next meeting in June, a phone survey will be conducted, asking participants about topics ranging from whether or not they have health insurance to how much they would be willing to pay for it.

It cannot be said too often, any plan that gets government more involved in health care is a bad idea. It always causes costs to balloon and retards efficiency.

Socialized medicine around the world has proven disastrous, and a great deal of the problems with the U.S. system are because of too much government involvement (regulation, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.).

And forcing people to buy health care coverage is a repugnant and un-American idea.

On upcoming Zaniya activities:

The next meeting of the Zaniya project will be June 14 at the Kings Inn in Pierre. The 55-member group will meet again after that in July, August and September.

Dating Methods Unreliable

Answers In Genesis has a good piece on their website today dealing with the accuracy problems inherent in radiometric dating techniques.

The piece is a response to some feedback received from a Christian chemical engineer who is apparently unaware of those dating problems, and unaware that "science" and "naturalism" are two different things.

Here's something most people are unaware of regarding C14 dating:

This uniformitarian method of radiometric dating is not used to date rocks and fossils because of its short half-life of around 5,730 years. Carbon-14 dating can only give a maximum age of 100,000 years. So, it is generally not used to date fossils that are supposedly millions or billions of years old because it is assumed there is no C-14 present. Rocks are not typically dated with C-14 as there is little to no Carbon in most fossil-bearing rock to begin with. However, scientists have now found that C-14 has been found in coal that is allegedly millions of years old.

It also examines the Potassium-Argon and Uranium-Lead dating methods used on inorganic material.

Read the whole thing here.

Congress 35% Approval Rating

Seems the Pelosi House is polling about as low as President Bush.
From NewsMax:

The survey found only 35 percent approve of how Congress is handling its job, down 5 percentage points in a month. That gives lawmakers the same bleak approval rating as Bush, who has been mired at about that level since last fall, including his dip to a record low for the AP-Ipsos poll of 32 percent last January.

The particularly interesting fact about the Democrat Congress' low rating is that while President Bush has been the subject of a withering, unfailing, relentless, over-revved media propaganda campaign for several years, the Democrats have--thanks to their propaganda arm known as the "mainstream media"--enjoyed the positive coverage we've come to expect Democrats to receive.

It must be so frustrating to control 90% of the television and print media coverage, yet still not enjoy public popularity.

Smoking to Affect Movie Ratings

From Fox News:

Smoking will be a bigger factor in determining film ratings, the Motion Picture Association of America said Thursday, but critics said the move does not go far enough to discourage teens from taking up the habit.

MPAA Chairman Dan Glickman said his group's ratings board, which previously had considered underage smoking in assigning film ratings, now will take into account smoking by adults, as well.

That adds smoking to a list of such factors as sex, violence and language in determining the MPAA's G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 ratings.

I don't advocate smoking, but if they're going to do this, I wish they'd factor in alcohol use as well. Use of alcohol--largely because it's so widely abused--has killed far more people far more quickly than tobacco.

On a related subject, it seems many PG-13 movies have as much foul language and innuendo as the R movies used to. And there are a few R movies that have no nudity and practically no foul language, just some of what I would consider realistic violence.

I don't know if movie ratings are worth a whole lot anymore, anyway.

South Dakota Coalition of Schools May Be Audited

The Argus Leader has a story about Attorney General Larry Long's request to have the South Dakota Coalition of Schools group audited:

"The attorney general's office believes that any expenditure of public tax dollars by a South Dakota school district to challenge the constitutionality of a statute is illegal," Long wrote. He cited a 1999 Supreme Court decision involving the Edgemont School District to support his contention.

"Therefore, this office believes that it is improper and illegal for school districts to finance this lawsuit," Long said.

This echos what I said some time ago. It makes no sense that one government entity should sue another government entity for more tax dollars. Those tax dollars don't belong to either of them, but it's the responsibility of the executive and legislative branches to dole out that money legally and with fiscal responsibility.

Besides, they're already doing pretty good by any sane estimate. From my Rapid City Journal column a while back:

It claims “adequate” education funding requires somewhere between $133 million to $405 million more than the $517 million currently allocated for 2007. In the last four years, state education spending has gone up an average of about $16 million a year, and schools also have $154 million in reserve funds.

How can they save a little of the taxpayers money? Here's an idea:

U.S. Department of Education statistics say teachers make up only 50.6 percent of elementary and secondary education staff, or about 65 percent if you throw in guidance counselors and aides. If the product is classroom instruction, the remaining 35-49 percent seems like a high ratio of support staff, to me.

Our education system has gotten far too uppity. They think they're little islands of autonomy and everybody ought to just bow to their great intellect and do what every they say.

I hope AG Long is successful in demonstrating to them that they are accountable to the people, and that they taxpayers aren't their compliant subjects, to be milked for more tax dollars just because they claim they "need" them.

They are under the authority of the executive and legislative branches of government whether they like it or not, and ALL government is accountable to the people (i.e. the taxpayers).

After all, our state motto is "Under God the people rule." (not the schools or education special interest groups)

South Dakota Attorney General Seeks Audit of School Funding Group

AG Larry Long wants audit of the South Dakota Coalition of Schools

PIERRE, S.D. - Attorney General Larry Long announced today that he has asked the South Dakota Auditor General to perform an audit of the South Dakota Coalition of Schools, the organization that voluntarily agreed to be dismissed from the pending school funding litigation. (Full Story)

More Anti-God from Starbucks

Here's what was on another Starbucks cup, from WorldNetDaily:

Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can’t wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit.

How's your coffee?

Answer: Why Gas Prices are High

I'm sure you've wondered why you're paying so much for gas. Well, if you don't know, go see the environmental wackos.

From IBD Editorials (HT to NCPA):

Our refineries are doing more than ever, but their numbers are dwindling and no new ones are being built. The reason is not greed, but cost and regulations. From 1994 to 2003, the refining industry spent $47.4 billion, not to build new refineries, but to bring existing ones into compliance with ever new and stringent environmental rules. That's where those allegedly excessive profits go.

In 2006, the blending of ethanol into gasoline reached a new high of more than five billion gallons and production if new clean-burning ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel topped a record 2.6 million barrels a day at the end of last year.

The fact is that U.S. refining capacity has been growing at about 1% a year for the past decade — the equivalent of adding a mid-size refinery every year. Since 1996, U.S. refiners have expanded capacity by more than 2 million barrels a day This is a remarkable achievement in the face of environmental mandates setting new ethanol usage and low-sulfur requirements.

But the last major refinery built in the U.S. was in Garyville, La., in 1976 and the ones we have are getting older, no matter how well they're maintained. Fifty out of 194 refineries were shut down from 1990 to 2004. There is no slack in the system. Like the cars they fuel, periodic maintenance us required.

I think it was Larry Burkett who said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Only rich nations can afford to strangle themselves."

And thanks to liberals and their anti-business pet causes, we're doing a pretty good job of spreading the misery. Happy now?

"Guardian for child on life support sides with doctors"

Legal brief on Emilio Gonzales' care says doctors, hospital have followed the law on plans to discontinue treatment."

by Mary Ann Roser

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

***

My response to the above:

I guess the Statesman.com wanted to make sure we didn't miss this headline. IT IS SHOUTING LARGE! But, to this headline, I say, "So!?!? So what if they followed the law? The law is in question as well! So the point is???

PS. The title line was actually 24 pt, rather than the 18 pt it is showing here. I couldn't show it as big as it was or I would have.

Romney's Wife Donated to Planned Parenthood

Former governor Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, gave a $150 donation to the abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood in 1994, at a time that Romney considered himself to be effectively "pro-choice," the Romney campaign confirmed today.

"When I ran for office, I said I'd protect the law as it was, which is effectively a pro-choice position," Romney said last week at a Republican presidential debate. "About two years ago, when we were studying cloning in our state, I said, 'Look, we have gone too far.' It's a brave new world mentality that Roe v. Wade has given us, and I changed my mind."

I don't think I'd hold it against a candidate if their spouse supported PP, as long as the candidate was solidly committed to a pro-life position.

Also, it should be noted that his wife's donation came at a time when he, too, was pro-abortion. But, thankfully, he changed his mind as many people do.

I used to be pro-abortion myself...until I decided to take a serious look at the issue instead of accepting a spoon-feeding from the pro-abortion media.

Since When Does Pro-Life Mean Killing the Disabled?

GUEST COLUMN
BY BOBBY SCHINDLER

I sat in confusion last Thursday evening while watching the GOP Presidential debate. All but one of the candidates proudly expressed their pro-life positions, and then just a short time later, in response to a question on the Terri Schiavo case, some of them stated that the courts should decide whether or not it was acceptable for an innocent disabled woman to be starved and dehydrated to death.

Wait a second, wasn't it the courts that made it legal to kill unborn children? How can one be against the courts permitting the deliberate killing of the unborn, but find it perfectly okay for the courts to purposely starve and dehydrate an innocent disabled woman to death? (Full Story)

Story Update: Rapid City Pro-Life Arrest

Julie Smoragiewicz from the School of Mines called me back right after I posted the piece primarily consisting of my interview with Capt. Steve Allender of the Rapid City Police Department earlier today. I was on my way out the door to an appointment, so I quickly interviewed her, took notes and just posted an update to the earlier article.

I had looked on the SDSM&T website yesterday for the policy, but must have been using the wrong search keywords, or maybe the site isn't indexed well, but Smoragiewicz pointed me to it tonight and a link is here.

The policy does state that it includes not only commercial solicitation, but "political, religious, and other organizations and individuals representing public policy issues." Whether that is a constitutional policy, I don't know. The Rapid City Police Department believes it is, and it'll be for attorney Stephen Wesolick and the courts to work out.

I'm still working on getting a look at that video taken at the scene; it's in 8MM video format, and I don't have a camcorder in that format. Wesolick is having the video digitized, but it may not be for a few more days.

Rapid City Police Believe Arrest of Pro-Life Presenter Constitutional Under School of Mines Policy

Police believe individual may have wanted to be arrested

BY BOB ELLIS
DAKOTA VOICE

Joey Cox, a team member of a pro-life group called Campus Life Tours (CLT), was arrested Monday when he and his eight-member team came to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) in Rapid City to give an anti-abortion presentation.

Cox had called the SDSM&T earlier that morning to advise the school that they would be coming to give a “free speech” presentation, but Julie Smoragiewicz, Vice President of University and Public Relations at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology told him school policy required two weeks notice. Cox indicated they would come to the school anyway.

Capt. Steve Allender of the Rapid City Police Department said today that according to the official police report, Smoragiewicz called police at 9:47 am Monday.

The report also said Cox called the police department after talking to Smoragiewicz and was connected with Sgt. Elias Diaz. The two discussed possible repercussions if Cox proceeded to come onto the campus. (Full Story)

Darwinism and Consequentialism

Jon Schaff at South Dakota Politics features a brief but interesting examination of Darwinism and its relation to modern liberalism.

I would add that Darwinism is also at or near the root of Marxist thinking in the 20th Century; both philosophies are Godless and view humans as nothing more than a glorified animal.

I had never come across the term "consequentialism" mentioned by Schaff but found it interesting and accurate. I believe consequentialism is how the dominant segment of our culture operates. It also appears to be a close cousin to the situational ethics/moral relativism embraced by pop culture.

End of the World is on Hold

The German newspaper Spiegel features a story telling us the end of the world is on hold.

Now a moment for all you Al Gore disciples to collectively "Awwwwwwww."

Okay, the article points out that it was once warmer than it is now:

During the so-called Medieval Warm Period between about 900 and 1300 A.D., for example, the Vikings raised livestock on Greenland and sailed to North America. New cities were built all across Europe, and the continent's population grew from 30 million to 80 million.

One climate researcher acknowledges the religious edge this whole global warming environmentalist mess has:

One member of the levelheaded camp is Hans von Storch, 57, a prominent climate researcher who is director of the Institute for Coastal Research at the GKSS Research Center in Geesthacht in northern Germany. "We have to take away people's fear of climate change," Storch told DER SPIEGEL in a recent interview. "Unfortunately many scientists see themselves too much as priests whose job it is to preach moralistic sermons to people."

Now it looks like the "bargain basement" sale on global warming drivel is continuing:

For one thing, the more paleontologists and geologists study the history of the earth's climate, the more clearly do they recognize just how much temperatures have fluctuated in both directions in the past. Even major fluctuations appear to be completely natural phenomena.

Additionally, some environmentalists doubt that the large-scale extinction of animals and plants some have predicted will in fact come about. "A warmer climate helps promote species diversity," says Munich zoologist Josef Reichholf.

Also, more detailed simulations have allowed climate researchers to paint a considerably less dire picture than in the past -- gone is the talk of giant storms, the melting of the Antarctic ice shield and flooding of major cities.

Improved regionalized models also show that climate change can bring not only drawbacks, but also significant benefits, especially in northern regions of the world where it has been too cold and uncomfortable for human activity to flourish in the past. However it is still a taboo to express this idea in public.

The article still believes global warming is occurring (I consider the jury still out), but I don't recall it stating a belief that it's man-made.

In any event, it throws another bucket of cold water on Al Gore's global warming apocalypse hot air.

Improving Our Highways

I'm thinking about getting one of these. This is a huge problem on our nation's highways.

Abortion and Divorce

Fred Hutchison at Renew America has an interesting piece on "The link between abortion and divorce."

In his book Ethics, written in a Nazi prison in 1943, Bonhoeffer wrote, "Marriage involves an acknowledgment of the right of life that is to come into being, a right which is not subject to disposal by the married couple. Unless this right is acknowledged as a matter of principle, marriage ceases to be marriage and becomes a mere liaison."

The bible tells us that man and wife become "one flesh"(Genesis 2:24). This mysterious union is an act of God. It is God's plan to bring forth children through this united entity of God, husband, and wife. The fabric of the marriage is woven into this design.

I recall Sylvia Rhoden's testimony, given at several events last summer and fall, about the abortion she and her husband had many years ago, and the enormous strain it placed on their marriage. She expressed gratitude that, unlike many couples who had aborted a child, their marriage survived.

Minority Activists Oppose Calling the Jamestown 400th Anniversary a "Celebration"

Would rather call colony founding "invasion" and "holocaust"

JAMESTOWN, Virginia, May 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- This week, as our nation prepares to remember its founding at Jamestown four hundred years ago as part of America's Anniversary Weekend, officials heading up the event have banned the word "celebration," caving to minority interests who have characterized the English settlement in the New World as an "invasion" that led to a "holocaust." Doug Phillips, who is hosting an alternative event -- dubbed the Jamestown Quadricentennial: A Celebration of America's Providential History -- is calling upon Americans to reject this modern revisionism and instead celebrate America's 400th birthday. (Full Story)

U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Review Vouchers Case

Seeks to overturn a California anti-voucher decision

WASHINGTON, May 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- Lawyers for an extremely gifted child filed a petition for review with the United States Supreme Court today. If review is granted, hundreds of thousands of extremely gifted children may be able to receive school vouchers to fund their special learning needs. The petition, filed by the Pro-Family Law Center seeks to overturn decisions by the California courts concluding that a voucher for the education of an extremely gifted child is not permitted by federal law since these children supposedly do not have "special needs." (Full Story)

Bible Answer Man: Mormons are not Christians

They use the same words with different meanings

May 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- Mormons are not Christians, according to Hank Hanegraaff, head of the "Christian Research Institute" and host of "The Bible Answer Man" radio show. He says: "They take our language but they pour their meanings into the words...Mormons do not believe that the Bible is the infallible repository for redemptive revelation. They believe that the book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth and it's the keystone to their religion and we therefore have a sharp difference in terms of what our authority is.... (Full Story)

Moral Relativism in the Military

According to Fox News, General Petraeus is "greatly concerned" about a survey indicating a low number of military personnel would report hostility toward innocent civilians.

Petraeus said he was drafting a memo that would closer examine issues of battlefield ethics and ways pre-empt possible problems, adding that he was "greatly concerned by the results" of a Pentagon report last week by a special mental health advisory team assessing forces serving in Iraq.

"So the first step is that we've got ... make sure that folks remember that that's a foundation for our moral compass ... anything we do that violates that is done at considerable peril," he said.

Is it any surprise that when a civilization adopts "whatever is convenient" for their standard of morality, this would bleed over into military ethics, too? You can't expect a society to have an "it's okay for me" attitude about some moral matters, yet maintain the highest ethical standards in other areas.

We reap what we sow.

Social Justice

Chad at Clean Cut Kid posted today on social justice.

He's right that social justice in the Western world has traditionally been a Christian concept and motivation. It had a great deal to do with the recognition of "natural law" (what we today would call the higher law of God), not to mention abolition and the civil rights movement.

But social justice has never been legitimately sought at the expense of morality and God's principles for living. Social justice does not trump something God has told us he does not approve of; in other words, you can't advocate social justice on a Christian foundation when your "social justice" means allowing someone to do something that is harmful and immoral. Put another way, you can't legitimately say your "social justice" has a Christian foundation when what falls under your banner of "social justice" is something Christ clearly doesn't approve of (He is, incidentally, also called "The Word" so the entire Bible is His, not just the New Testament).

If God says, "Do not steal" and "Do not covet your neighbor's property," then you can't promote class envy and say the government has a God-given right to take one person's property against their will and give it to another person. Charity is done willingly by individuals, usually by people who know one another and can both gauge the need and help the person out of their needy situation.

If God says, "Honor your father and mother," then you can't teach children to ignore their parents and have sex outside of marriage, or take them to have abortions without their parents consent or even knowledge.

If God says, "You shall not murder," you can't advocate the murder of unborn children and call it a God-given right of "reproductive freedom."

If God says, "Don't sodomize one another," then you can't say people have the God-given right to sodomize one another. If God says marriage is between a man and a woman, you can't say two men or two women have the God-given right to shack up and call it "marriage."

Remember, when Jesus showed his marvelous grace, he didn't say, "Now go and keep sinning" or "Your sin isn't sin, so don't worry about it." He said, "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Social justice should never and can never legitimately be sought at the expense of what is right. Immorality and social justice are incongruous.


Let it never be forgotten that there can be no genuine freedom where there is no morality, and no sound morality where there is no religion…Hesitate not a moment to believe that the man who labors to destroy these two great pillars of human happiness…is neither a good patriot nor a good man. – Jeremiah Smith, Revolutionary soldier, judge, U.S. Congressman, Governor of New Hampshire

Fred Thompson: Abortions should be legal in all circumstances...

From the New York Sun, referencing Project Vote Smart data on a survey Thompson filled out in 1994.

* Under abortion: He checked the box for: "Abortions should be legal in all circumstances as long as the procedure is completed within the first trimester of the pregnancy." He did, however, support a number of restrictions on abortion: requiring parental notification, allowing states to impose waiting periods, and eliminating all federal funding of abortion. Lastly, he said Congress should leave legislation on abortion to the states.

Several other interesting bits. Check it all out at the links above.

Giuliani Donates to Planned Parenthood

From NewsMax:

According to Federal records obtained by The Politico, Giuliani and his then-wife Donna Hanover gave donations to national, state and city chapters of the organization at least six times in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999, with the contributions totaling $900.

If he wants the support of pro-lifers, he's going in the wrong direction to become president.

Comparing "Free" Health Care to US System

The National Center for Policy Analysis compares the "free" British health system to the US system:

• The NHS hip replacement rate is only two-thirds of the U.S. rate.
• To provide the level of intensive care unit (ICU) services that US hospitals have, British hospitals would have to increase their spending by five fold.
• The population-adjusted treatment rate for kidney failure (dialysis or transplant) is five times higher in the United States for patients age 45 to 84 and nine times higher for patients 85 years of age or older.

I lived under the British National Health Service for three years. "Free" health care ain't all it's cracked up to be.

EU Slams Croatia for "Homophobia"

Here's the kind of stuff "hate crimes" laws can bring. The Croations are preparing a curriculum that opposes homosexuality and teaches abstinence

From LifeSite.net:

The EP’s move against Croatia follows a resolution passed two weeks ago by the EP to take “homophobic” countries to court. First on their target list was Poland, which members of the EP vilified as “hateful” and “repulsive” for refusing to promote homosexuality in schools, in a debate in Brussels April 25.

At issue was proposed Polish legislation that would make it illegal to teach pro-homosexual material in schools.

Leaders of the European Union governing body made it clear there was no room for opposition to homosexual activity in the EU. “Such a law, if it were to emerge, would be in contradiction with the European human rights convention and the EU charter on fundamental rights,” said Vladimir Spidla, European commissioner for equal opportunity.

Academia Not Keen on Christians

Think twice before sending your Christian son or daughter to a secular university; their faith will be in the crosshairs of secularist professors.

From CNS News:

(CNSNews.com) - A majority of American university faculty members view evangelical Christians unfavorably and would like to see the influence of "Christian fundamentalists" on American politics lessened, according to a study released Monday by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research (IJCR).

The survey, which polled more than 1,200 university faculty members, found that 53 percent of them have "cool" or "unfavorable" feelings toward evangelicals, a group that may account for one-third of the American population.

Arrested Pro-Lifer Retains Alliance Defense Fund Attorney

I spoke with Kortney Blythe, Director of Campus Life Tour, and Stephen Wesolick, an Alliance Defense Fund attorney in Rapid City, this afternoon and got some additional info on the arrest of the pro-lifer at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology yesterday.

Blythe said they are on the road to Minnesota right now, but she will try to get me some still photos taken during the incident yesterday. I'm also working on viewing a copy of the video the group took; Blythe said they videoed the whole thing, and Wesolick confirmed he has a copy of it.

I didn't have time to attempt contact with with the School of Mines this afternoon, but LifeNews.com says though they attempted to get a quote from SDSM&T:

Officials from the university did not respond to requests for comment from LifeNews.com by press time.

You can read my report on what I found out this afternoon here. Sounds like the young man who was arrested has a good case and will be mounding a "vigorous defense" to the criminal charges, and a civil lawsuit may be possible.

I'll provide additional updates as I get them.

Pro-Lifers Blocked, Arrested at South Dakota School of Mines

Group told 2-week notice needed to come on campus

RAPID CITY, South Dakota, May 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- At approximately 11 a.m. yesterday morning, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology blocked a team of pro-life activists from setting foot on campus for free speech activities; one member was arrested.

The Campus Life Tours (CLT), a project of Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, rallies a team of young people ages 18 – 30, who present the pro-life message to high school and college students across the country using graphic pictures and educational material. (Full Story)

Dealing with School Bullies

The Rapid City Journal dead-tree edition today features a column on C8 from Tom McMahon on dealing effectively with school bullies.

It's a much better way for students who have affiliated themselves with homosexuality to deal with bullies than legitimizing the practice with the "Day of Silence."

Here's an excerpt:

Ask the principal to place a “bully box” in the library. Similar to a ballot box, with a lock and key, both victims and witnesses can fill out an incident report and place it in the box for a school administrator to read. Organize a student committee to rally around those who are bullied, and shower them with supportive letters and words of encouragement. For more details about starting a campaign of compassion, contact Emily and Sarah’s mother at janetbuder@aol.com.

This applies to any students who are bullied--because those affiliated with homosexuality aren't the only ones bullied--but I mention the Day of Silence specifically because the justification for this event is bullying.

Origin of the Term "Magic Negro"

In case you wondered about the term "Magic Negro" that Rush Limbaugh is catching a lot of grief about, it didn't start with the Paul Shanklin parody song Rush played on his radio show, but with David Ehrenstein's LA Times March 19 piece "Obama the 'Magic Negro'."

Here's how Ehrenstein defines "Magic Negro":

The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro .

He's there to assuage white "guilt" (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest.

Read the whole LA Times piece here.

Mychal Massie also has a column on the subject here.

Wage Increase Hurts Work Study

From the Argus Leader:

An increase in the federal minimum wage could put work study programs in a bind at schools such as the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana College, where wages start anywhere from $5.75 to $6.25 an hour.

"If the wage increase does go through, and there aren't funds to cover (the program), there would have to be cuts across campus," said Emily Studenski, Augustana work study program coordinator and assistant financial aid director. "But we aren't projecting seeing that at this point. We hope to keep the impact to our students at a minimum. It's all just if's and when's."

What? A sweatshop at an institution of higher learning? This is outrageous!!! Why isn't Augustana paying a living wage?

They should be able to pay a living wage without cutting anything out, just like those evil businesses can! What's wrong with our academia these days?

Parents Support Abstinence

From OneNewsNow:

The National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) is drawing attention to the Zobgy survey, which claims when parents become aware of what abstinence education teaches versus what comprehensive sex education teaches, support for abstinence programs jumps from 40 percent to 60 percent, while support for condom-based "safe-sex" programs drops from 50 percent to 30 percent.

NAEA executive director Valerie Huber says she is convinced there has been a "misinformation campaign" about abstinence education throughout the media.

"Once parents understood that abstinence education is really holistic and includes some of the core components, such as building healthy relationships, strengthening self-control, developing skills that will improve their chances for a healthy future marriage, and even the benefits of choosing abstinence after being sexually active," Huber notes, "parents want that message given to their teens."

The media and sexual anarchists would have us believe abstinence is something only religious wackos believe.

Nice to see there's still some sanity out there.

No Recall on "Impeach Bush" License Plate

From the state news website:

No Recall for Anti-Bush Vanity Plate

(PIERRE, SD) – The South Dakota Department of Revenue and Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicles has decided against recalling a Rapid City woman’s license plate encouraging the impeachment of President Bush.

“After reviewing case law on this issue, we have determined that the plate will not be recalled,” said Department Secretary Paul Kinsman.

The personalized license plate, which reads “MPEACHW”, was issued to Heather Morijah of Rapid City.

What Picture Does this Paint?

statesman.com (May 8, 2007) reported that Emilio Gonzales' hearing (scheduled for today) is postponed due to several witnesses being unable to appear. Within the report, the Statesman mentions the guardian and makes this comment, "Helman, an Austin lawyer, is to report on whether Emilio's mother's wishes — to keep her terminally ill son alive at all costs — is the best course or whether doctors have his best interests at heart in wanting to withdraw treatment, a right they have under Texas law."

As the statement is phrased, what is the first impression that comes to your mind?

Which way do you think the reporter leans?

Atheists in Mocking Mood on ABC's "Face Off" on God's Existence

Atheists, Christians debate existence of God

May 7 /Christian Newswire/ -- A 100-year-old Baptist church in the heart of New York was the venue Saturday for an ABC debate on the existence of God. Actor Kirk Cameron and best-selling author Ray Comfort "faced off" against two atheists from the "Rational Response Squad," in a debate moderated by ABC Nightline's Martin Bashir. (Full Story)

Remarks by President Bush and Queen Elizabeth II at White House

WASHINGTON, May 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following text is of remarks by President Bush and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at South Lawn arrival ceremony:

South Lawn

11:07 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BUSH: Good morning. Laura and I are honored to welcome back to the White House Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. (Applause.)

The United Kingdom has written many of the greatest chapters in the history of human freedom. Nearly 800 years ago, the Magna Carta placed the authority of the government under the rule of law. Eighty years later, the first representative assembly of the English people met to debate public policies. Over the centuries, parliaments in Britain established principles that guide all modern democracies. And thinkers from Britain, like Locke and Smith and Burke showed the world that freedom was the natural right of every man, woman and child on Earth. (Full Story)

Motherhood: Part of God’s Plan for the Family

BY BEVERLY LAHAYE
CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA

Growing up as a young girl there was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a mother one day. Yes, there were other goals that I wanted to fulfill but I always thought that I could do it all. I could get an education, have a respectable career, prepare to be involved in a ministry of some kind, travel to exciting places, meet the man of my dreams and still include motherhood in my future.

It happened that way, except in reverse order, and I’m so glad it did because God knew best. Putting motherhood at the end of my list could have meant that I would never reach it. I believe the Lord knew that the greatest preparation to keep me walking close to the Lord was to give me the honor and responsibility of being a mother first. (Full Story)

Poll Results: Global warming is...

The results of last week's poll on global warming were pretty unreliable. They were trending in a fairly balanced manner, then overnight suddently slid one way. The poll was supposed to prevent voting more than once by the same person, but when I tested it, that safeguard wasn't functioning at all. For what it's worth, here's the results:

• caused by human activity 88.93%
• the result of a natural planetary climate cycle 4.20%
• caused by increased solar activity 4.20%
• probably not happening at all 2.67%
  

I'm trying another polling group for the new one on Nicolas Sarkozy; when I tested it, it appeared to prevent more than one response from the same person.

No Anti-Christian Hostility Among Elites?

From NewsMax:

A tenured college professor is set to be fired for simply sending out an e-mail to colleagues containing George Washington’s "Thanksgiving Day Proclamation of 1798.”

Already professor Walter Kehowski at Glendale Community College in Arizona has been placed on forced administrative leave and the school’s chief has recommended his termination.

On Nov. 22, 2006, the day before Thanksgiving, Kehowski, a professor in mathematics in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) sent the e-mail containing Washington’s message to all MCCCD employees, using a district-wide service designated for "announcements.”

Recent e-mails sent out using this service include an advertisement for purchasing goats for orphans in Uganda, quotes about Women’s History Month, and a reminder about the health benefits of eating bananas.

Professor Kehowski must have forgotten about the Double-First Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing the right not to be offended...unless you're a heterosexual Christian.

(I wonder if any of the complainers--or the school's chief--celebrate Thanksgiving...and if so, to whom do they give thanks?)

Read the whole story here.

No Milquetoast Christians Here

CBS13.com has a story and video about some Christian students who were suspended for wearing t-shirts at school that told the truth about homosexuality. Instead of wilting like flowers as many Christians do these days, they protested in front of the school principal's church ("You teach the Bible in your church and censor the Bible in your school") and his home.

I don't know if I'd advocate the church protest (the church may not have endorsed the principal's actions), but it's wonderful to see some young Christians who aren't afraid to take a stand for what they believe in.

This news story was, typically, full of bias, talking about how the church was "turning the other cheek" and the message on the t-shirts was "anti-gay", etc., but that's the norm.

If the majority of Christians (or even 1/3 of them) would take a stand like these young people, ours would be a very different country. Liberalism and secularism wouldn't have made the inroads they have in the last 50 years, and our culture wouldn't be alienated from its Christian heritage.

Could this be a sign of a turnaround? Are Christians ready to quit cowering and start being "light and salt" again? We can always hope...

HT to Constitutionally Correct.

Capital Punishment on the Decline

Another sign that our society no longer has the will to see justice done, and no longer places the proper value on human life.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, capital punishment is on the decline:

LINCOLN - Capital punishment is legal in 38 states. But the death penalty has been used less and less in the past decade, as states execute fewer criminals and fewer are sentenced to die.

Since the mid-1990s, the death penalty has undergone more scrutiny in courtrooms, legislatures, governors' offices and, to a degree, in the court of public opinion.

Jurors and judges have handed down dramatically fewer death sentences; 102 people were sentenced to die last year, compared with 317 in 1996.

Is it any wonder that the deterrent effect of the death penalty is dubious?

Nationally, it takes an average of 11 years before an inmate is executed, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

The average was higher in Nebraska, where it took about 15.5 years to execute the three inmates who died in the electric chair in the 1990s.

Moore, who killed two Omaha cabdrivers in 1979, has been on death row 27 years.

If you hardly ever impose a punishment, and when you do there's an 11-year gap between the crime and the punishment? While some reports do indicate there is still a deterrent effect, it's a wonder it would have any effect at all.

Regardless of whether it deters crime or not, it remains a matter of justice. Anything less than the forfeiture of the murderer's life says the life of the victim was worth less than the perpetrator.

Starbucks: Pro-Homosexual, Anti-God

From WorldNetDaily, here's what was printed on the side of a cup of coffee a woman in Ohio received:

"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."

Starbucks has already been identified as being pro-homosexual.

Dirty Dancing, Indeed

ON THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY

By Raymond J. Keating

Nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be.

That’s clear from the flurry of activity surrounding the fact that the 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing” marks its twentieth anniversary in May.

Various theaters across the country showed the film on May 1 and 2. A new DVD version arrives in stores on May 8, along with a new CD. For good measure, “Dirty Dancing” is on stage in Europe and is headed to the U.S. next year.

All of this is strange enough, but even more bewildering is the reminiscing, as if it were some kind of classic. (Full Story)

South Dakotans should not be proud of this statistic

By Gordon Garnos

AT ISSUE: Statistics seem to always make the news, but they don't always make interesting reading. Some statistics about South Dakota is good news. Unfortunately, a recent statistic about our state's prison population was both interesting and newsy, if I may use such a word. Oh, why not. It's in the dictionary. South Dakota led the nation for having the fastest growing prison population. Do we have the mentality for just locking up the bad guys? Is there any remedy for this? Another big question is what is this statistic costing the taxpayers of South Dakota? (Full Story)

We're Not Equipped for Playing God

THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD

By Carrie K. Hutchens

We use to convict nurses and doctors and anyone else, who participated in "mercy killing". We use to feel that it was not their decision to make, much less their authority to carry it out. So, what was considered unacceptable and illegal then -- we now find acceptable and feel it should not only be legal, but the rule to be abided by (even) in spite of the patient's wishes or that of the family? How ever did that happen? Did someone slip us something while we weren't looking? (Full Story)

Conservative Wins in France

Will wonders never cease?

From NewsMax:

Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy won France's presidential election on Sunday, beating his Socialist rival Segolene Royal by a comfortable margin, television projections said.

Forecasts by four pollsters showed Sarkozy, 52, a hardline former interior minister, won around 53 percent of the vote in the second-round ballot and will succeed fellow conservative Jacques Chirac, who was president for 12 years.

Giuliani Wants Bigger Military

From mlive.com:

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani on Saturday called for boosting the Army by another 35,000 troops, saying the nation must project strength and better handle the aftermath of war.

Better, but Giuliani still has problems in social policy.

Tolerance With a Bullet

More love and acceptance from the peddlers of tolerance. If they shot Archbishop Bagnasco, it wouldn't be considered a "hate crime" though, so I guess it's okay. :-0

From WorldNetDaily:

Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco no longer celebrates Mass in the cathedral of Genoa, Italy, with assistance from altar boys or deacons – not since the death threats began after he spoke out against government plans to legalize same-sex unions.

Bagnasco, recently appointed head of Italy's Conference of Bishops, stirred controversy last month when the group issued a statement directed at Catholic lawmakers, reminding them of their moral obligation to oppose the move toward mainstreaming homosexuality.

Following the comments, threatening messages – "Shame on you, Bagnasco" and "Death to Bagnasco" – signed with the five-pointed star of the Red Brigades terror group were painted on the walls in the city, including those of the cathedral.

The Red Brigades, very active in the 1970s, have assassinated several senior Italian public figures in recent years. Fifteen alleged members of the communist organization's members were arrested and jailed three months ago, reported the Glasgow Sunday Herald.

Recently, a mailing to the archbishop included a bullet and the cleric's picture with a swastika scrawled on it.