Forewarned of Repercussions of an Abortion

Some may ask why South Dakota's newly enforceable informed consent law for abortion is so important.

The last I read a couple of days ago, the state of South Dakota was set to begin enforcing this requirement today.

Why would it be so important for someone to inform the woman considering abortion that "abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being"?

Here is just one story:

Kay Painter now speaks at retreats, churches, conferences and other events about her abortion, telling a real-life no-holds-barred story of pain and guilt.

"The instant I heard my baby's helpless body hit the garbage can, I KNEW! I had just killed my own flesh and blood, an innocent life. I was panic-stricken, the nurse callously told me to 'calm down, in a few days all would be back to normal,'" she says.

"Normal? No one forewarned me of the repercussions of an abortion. It was a simple procedure of removing 'tissue,' so why the pain, the sudden emptiness? I awoke night after night to the sound of screams, they were mine!"

When I lived in England, I dated a woman who had an abortion not long before I met her. Now, more than 20 years later, I still remember her agony, her tears, her gut-wrenching regret that usually only came out when she was intoxicated enough to let her guard down.

I remember her crying, tortured words as she told me of the "plop" the baby made as the now-dead child was dropped into what she called "that plastic bucket." How many times she spoke of being haunted by that "plop."

What was going on inside her was so powerful, for me it felt like standing next to a raging inferno. I can't begin to imagine the horror of the anguish she felt.

More on Kay Painter's ordeal:

"The abortion followed me through the next 16 years, bringing isolation, bad choices, horribly ugly divorce, unspeakable shame, terrible loneliness, and … depression," she said.

She finally gave up. "There are no words to express the deep ark hole I found myself in, no phrase to describe the depth of my despair. God placed it on my heart to drive directly to my doctor's office, where I was rushed into a private exam room. There I took the first step to healing by 'telling.'" she said. Daily visits to a Christian counselor were set up, and she eventually regained her life, she reports.

I wonder if the girl I knew in England has ever regained her life, if she's ever found a measure of peace. I hope she has.

Some women may go ahead even after hearing this advisement and elect to abort their unborn child. But at least they will have been presented with the stark truth of what they are considering, and will have had one more important chance to avert a terrible mistake.

Calling Good Evil and Evil Good

Rapid City activist for homosexuality Curtis Price responds on the Forum page of the Rapid City Journal to a piece by Dr. Richard Wells, Senior Pastor of South Canyon Baptist Church, which was on that same page last Saturday.

Price says he considers Wells to be cold blooded because Wells dared speak against the usurpation of the California Supreme Court of the will of the people of California, a people who had gone the extra step in 2000 of defining in state law what we have understood without question for thousands of years: marriage is between a man and a woman.

Price also trots out the already-tired and ineffective allusions of inequality, insisting that because homosexuals don't have the right to label a relationship which does not meet the requirement for marriage (in a homosexual relationship, either a man or a woman is missing from the equation) as "marriage," homosexuals are being denied "equality.

Homosexuals already enjoy the same right to marry someone of the opposite sex that heterosexuals enjoy; they are not being denied anything that someone else rightfully has.

Inferences are made between the demands of homosexual activists for legitimacy and the struggle for the full civil rights of black Americans. Price ignores the reality that skin color is a fixed physical characteristic, not a behavior, and that, unlike homosexual behavior, there is nothing immoral, Biblical or otherwise, in one skin color or another.

Quite frankly, activists for homosexuality have hijacked the civil rights movement and justification once used to fully extend rights to black people that, under the Bible and the Constitution, should have been theirs all along.

This is not only disingenuous and misleading, but is an insult to the innate dignity of blacks who have historically suffered so much, and belittles the assault once perpetrated on their humanity simply because of their skin color.

Price says the day is coming when homosexuals will be able to call their unions "marriage" and "it is not to be feared; rather, it is something to joyfully celebrate."

"Celebrate" a behavior which God makes clear in both Old and New Testaments violates his design for human sexuality, and that he specifically does not approve of? "Celebrate" an agenda which undermines marriage and family? "Celebrate" a behavior so unhealthy that those who practice it experience greatly increased rates of AIDS, STDs, depression, substance abuse, suicide and domestic violence?

I am reminded of a verse from Isaiah 5:20 which says

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

I wouldn't want to be on the other side of that warning, come Judgment Day.

Gays in the military: What would George Washington think?

BY STAR PARKER
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
COALITION ON URBAN RENEWAL & EDUCATION

For the first time since the "don't ask, don't tell" law was enacted in 1993 by President Clinton, the House Armed Services Committee has scheduled hearings to review it. The law disqualifies gays from serving in the military.

Individuals are deemed gay, according to this ruling, if they publicly state so. However, the military is prohibited from asking. Thus, "don't ask, don't tell."

Activists are now pushing for change to allow gays to serve openly.

We can anticipate a technical discussion. Does the presence of openly gay soldiers undermine cohesiveness of units, morale, and discipline? How would retention rates of troops or enlistments be affected?

We can be sure, though, that a discussion about the general moral implications of such a policy will not take place.

Early last year, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace called homosexuality "immoral." More fire and brimstone rained down on him than fell on the residents of Sodom and Gomorra for engaging in this behavior.

Rebukes came from Democrats and Republicans alike. GOP Sen. John Warner, a former chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, writing his own scripture, challenged Pace's view that homosexuality is immoral.

Although a recent Zobgy poll of military personnel shows more opposed to allowing gays to serve openly than favoring (37 percent to 26 percent), the direction of polling of the general public favors the pro-gay forces.

When "don't ask, don't tell" was enacted in 1993, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed 52 percent opposed to homosexuals serving openly and 43 percent in favor. By 2004, Gallup polling indicated 63 percent in favor of allowing homosexuals to serve against 32 percent opposed.

The culture war is like the recipe for boiling a frog. If you drop it in hot water, it jumps out. But if you drop it in cold water and slowly turn up the heat, you get frog soup.

Concession by concession, traditional values are being pushed, inexorably, to the margins of America.

It's a sign of this moral war of attrition that each battle is fought with less and less attention to what it means to the overall war.

Acceptance of openly gay people in the military means the next discussion will be qualification of gay couples for the same benefits received by traditional military families.

In all likelihood, we'll see claims of discrimination if a gay person gets passed over for promotion and intimidated review committees will become increasingly politically correct.

But, hey, in the morally relative world, a glass half empty for one is half full for the other.

Increasing acceptance of homosexuality is viewed by many as social progress. The Seattle Times, for example, calls for a "modernized" military that accepts the openly gay.

But for this traditionalist, it's no accident that building public acceptance of homosexuality is coincident with a general moral unraveling of our society, with all its destructive consequences.

According to Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank located in Washington, D.C., 32 percent of American households today are nontraditional compared to only 28 percent that are traditional, with a mother, father, and children. The remaining 40 percent are households without children. He points out that children in nontraditional households have considerably higher incidences of emotional and educational problems.

I would argue that most of the major costs dragging down our society today -- whether its poverty, entitlements, health care, or housing -- trace to our diminishing sense of personal responsibility and the erosion of traditional values.

Our first great general, George Washington, would be considered politically incorrect today cautioning against believing "that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle" and admonishing, "virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government."

"Gays in the military" is more than a question of military morale. It's about the character of this country that we have a military to defend.

Who would question what George Washington would say about this important issue?


Star Parker is president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education and author of the new book White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay.

Prior to her involvement in social activism, Star Parker was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles, California. After receiving Christ, Star returned to college, received a BS degree in marketing and launched an urban Christian magazine. The 1992 Los Angeles riots destroyed her business, yet served as a springboard for her focus on faith and market-based alternatives to empower the lives of the poor.

Video: White House Proposal Gives Health Care Workers Right of Conscience

This video from KTVX ABC 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah examines a Bush Administration health care proposal that would allow health care workers in facilities that receive federal money the right to exercise their conscience to refuse abortion or abortifacient services.

A draft Health and Human Services memo defines abortion as "any of the various procedures -- including the prescription and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action -- that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."

This includes some forms of oral contraceptive that don't simply prevent fertilization, but prevent the newly conceived human being from implanting in the uterus for sustenance.

The Survival of Christian Civilization

American Minute from William J. Federer

"V" for Victory! It was on JULY 19, 1941, that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill held up two fingers as a sign of victory. It became a symbol for all Western European resistance during WWII, with V signs painted on walls and over Nazi posters.

A year earlier, Churchill stated before the House of Commons, June 18, 1940: "I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization...The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war."

Churchill continued: "If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science."

Winston Churchill concluded: "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.

Newsbusted Conservative Comedy 7/18/2008

Topics in today's show:

--Cindy McCain on John lying about his age

--Congress suffering from record-low approval ratings

--California's new global warming sticker for cars

--Dog meat no longer on the menu for Chinese Olympics

--Ali Lohan releases a new CD

NewsBusted is a comedy webcast about the news of the day, uploaded every Tuesday and every Friday.

Video: Is same-sex marraige like interacial marriage?

"Ten Persuasive Answers to the Question 'Why not gay marriage?'"

Q2: Is same-sex marraige like interacial marriage?

Point 1: racism is about keeping the races apart; marriage is about bringing the genders together

Point 2: interracial marriage affirms marriage; same-sex marriage redefines marriage

Point 3: marriage has nothing to do with race; marriage has everything to do with bringing men and women together

Point 4: no data showing harm to children in interracial home; thousands of studies show intentionally motherless or fatherless homes are harmful

Homeschool Advocates Argue for Dismissal of Calif. Homeschooling Ban Case

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Lawrence Jones
Christian Post Reporter
Fri, Jul. 18 2008 02:48 PM EDT

A major legal development in a children welfare case that led to the widely criticized homeschooling ban should be grounds for the appellate court to dismiss the California homeschooling case, advocates say.

In February, an appellate court in Los Angeles declared it a crime for parents without credentials to teach their kids, essentially banning most forms of homeschooling. The ruling sparked public outrage causing the court to agree to honor the request of homeschooling advocates to vacate the controversial decision and revisit the case again. The court heard oral arguments in the case in late June and was expected to hand down a decision.

But after the family judge overseeing the two homeschooled children at the center of the case terminated his jurisdiction last Thursday, homeschool advocates are asking the court to drop the homeschooling case altogether.

They argue that since the petition filed by the court-appointed lawyers for the two youngest children of Mary and Phillip Long have been dismissed, the homeschooling case that was based on the two-year-old petition should be declared moot.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, which is representing Sunland Christian School – the homeschool program the Longs used in the case – said the family court's decision is a "major development which should, for all practical purposes, end this case."

"Again and again, the court-appointed attorneys for the (Long) children have relied on the oversight of the juvenile court as the basis for seeking a ruling that this family cannot homeschool," Dacus explained in a statement.

"By terminating its jurisdiction, the court has severely undercut this position and yanked the rug out from all who have sought to use this case to criminalize homeschooling," he added.

Mike Farris, chairman and founder of Home School Legal Defense Association, was also optimistic of the impact that the juvenile court's move would have on homeschooling.

“This is a significant favorable development toward preserving homeschooling freedom in California,” he said.

His remarks were included in an update on the HSLDA Web site that asked supporters to "Keep Praying!"

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Teacher Fired After Student Offended at Answer to Question About Homosexuality

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Katherine T. Phan
Christian Post Reporter
Fri, Jul. 18 2008 07:26 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO – A former college biology professor is suing a Bay Area school district, claiming she was fired for answering a student's question about genetics and homosexual behavior.

June Sheldon with attorneys from the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom and Pacific Justice Institute filed a suit on Wednesday against San Jose/Evergreen Community College district for wrong dismissal and violating her First Amendment rights.

In court papers, Sheldon said she was fired by the district after a student complained about her answer on how hereditary affects homosexual behavior in males and females. Attorneys representing the former San Jose City College professor argue that the district and school should have defended her, not terminated her.

“Teachers shouldn’t be punished for doing their job as educators. They know that students can’t be expected to make good, well-informed decisions if they’re only hearing part of the story,” said ADF attorney David Hacker in a statement.

“College officials have stripped a professor of the right to discuss competing theories and ideas in the classroom, something which represents the foundation of higher education.”

It was about one year ago when Sheldon, who was teaching a summer human hereditary course as an adjunct professor at SJCC, was asked by a student during class how hereditary affects homosexual behavior in males and females. The question was based on a quiz the student had taken earlier.

Sheldon, who holds a master's degree in biology from San Jose State University, told the student that a well-known German scientist had found a correlation between maternal stress and homosexual behavior in males.

She noted, however, that the scientist’s views are only one set of theories on that topic and that the students would study in the later chapter of the class textbook about other theories, including one that suggests homosexual behavior may be influenced by genes and the environment.

Another student in that class complained that Sheldon's comments were "offensive and unscientific" and the school probed into the matter.

"This teacher did nothing more than explain this fact," commented Hacker. "She is a dedicated and highly qualified professional who has been horribly wronged.”

While the case centers around Sheldon's constitutional rights as an educator, it is not arguing for the school to uphold the views presented by Sheldon or the textbook.

Most evangelical Christians hold the view that homosexuality is a choice rather than a genetic condition.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

What Has Been Learned From the Practice of Abortion Since the Roe v. Wade

Dakota Voice is reviewing the Report of the South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion, in light of the upcoming November vote on Initiated Measure 11 to end most abortions in South Dakota.

Pertinent sections of the report will be reviewed each week for the next several weeks which may shed light on Initiated Measure 11.

Last week: The Incorrect Assumptions of the Roe v. Wade Decision

The following is from Section II.A.2 on the findings of the report:

===================================

It can no longer be doubted that the unborn child from the moment of conception is a whole separate human being. During the 2005 legislative session, the South Dakota Legislature passed HB 1166 that expressly found that "all abortions, whether surgically or chemically induced, terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." The Act amends SDCL 34-23A-10.1 to require a physician to disclose in writing to a pregnant mother "that the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." "Human being" is used in the biological sense as a whole member of the species Homo sapiens (SDCL 34-23A-1(4)).

The Task Force received testimony from numerous experts who reiterated this fact. Of significance were detailed affidavits received from nationally and internationally renowned experts from a number of scientific and medical disciplines, who explained the scientific facts and information that establish the fact that abortion terminates the life of a human being. The Task Force concludes that the scientific evidence not only supports the legislature's finding on this matter, but that it is indisputable.

Dr. David Fu-Chi Mark, a distinguished molecular biologist who has patented certain polymerase chain reaction technologies, provided a declaration (or affidavit) and explained that the new recombinant DNA technologies that have developed over the past twenty years provide scientific evidence about the unborn child's existence and early development and its ability to react to the environment and feel pain prior to birth.

Dr. Mark stated that:

"[U]ntil the development of molecular biology and modern molecular biological techniques first began in the 1970's and exploding throughout the 1980's and 1990's, most scientific knowledge concerning human identity and human development prior to birth was based solely upon gross morphological observations and biochemical studies....The new techniques developed through the exploding revolution over the past ten to eighteen years permits scientists to observe human existence and development at a molecular level, which is applicable in determining genetic uniqueness, genetic diseases and related information through the analysis of human genes well in advance of the old gross, anatomical observation." (Mark Declaration, P. 5, Par.6.)

Dr. Mark explained nine different DNA technologies that, in essence, have "turned on the lights" for scientists over the past twenty years. (See Section II-B of this Report.)

A number of other nationally and internationally recognized experts also corroborated the findings of the Legislature found in HB 1166. Dr. Bruce Carlson, a renowned human embryologist and professor at University of Michigan Medical School, has published a text on Human Embryology used in medical schools in many nations. Dr. Carlson, Dr. Mark, and the human geneticist, Dr. Marie Peeters-Ney, all emphasized the significance of the way that genetic information is expressed and the manner in which it is "pre-programmed" for life. Dr. Carlson stated, "The wholeness (or completeness) of the human being during the embryonic ages cannot be fully appreciated without an understanding of how the genetic information is packaged, and how the information becomes unfolded and cascades into visible structures." (Carlson Declaration, P. 4, Par. 12.)

The Task Force also reviewed a declaration from Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist, a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.Dr. Nathanson practiced medicine in New York for many decades and was personally responsible for approximately 75,000 abortions. Dr. Nathanson was also one of the founders of the National Association for the Repeal of the Abortion Laws (NARAL) in the United States in 1969. He stated that: "I was active among the pro-abortion community for a number of years, and I was actively involved in attempting, along with other abortion providers, to win public support for all forms of abortion." (Nathanson Declaration, Par. 1 to Par. 5.)

Dr. Nathanson testified that the fact an abortion terminates the life of a living human being is generally known among obstetricians and scientists. However, Dr. Nathanson stated that abortion doctors and operators of abortion clinics often deny this fact for strategic reasons. He testified that he and other strategists for NARAL, for instance, adopted certain tactics to win the public perception that all forms of abortion should be and remain legal. Dr. Nathanson stated that one tactic was to suppress and denigrate all scientific evidence that supported the conclusions that a human embryo or fetus was a separate human being. He stated that he and others denied what they knew was true: "The abortion industry would routinely deny the undeniable, that is, that the human embryo and fetus is, as a matter of biological fact, a human being." (Nathanson Declaration, Par. 14.) Dr. Byron Calhoun, a specialist in internal fetal medicine, also testified that it cannot be denied that the unborn child is a separate human being.

Specifically, Dr. Nathanson stated that:

"The abortion procedure is an extraordinary one because in it the physician is proposing to terminate the life of one of his patients to whom the physician owes a legal and professional duty. The doctor has no legal authority to do so. Under normal circumstances, if he terminated the life of the unborn child, he would be guilty of a battery upon the mother, and, in fetal homicide states, such as South Dakota, he would be guilty of a homicide. The physician is given his authority to terminate the life of one of his patients only if he receives authority in the form of consent from the pregnant mother.

In order for such a consent to be informed, at a minimum, the physician must be satisfied that the patient understood that the second patient was in existence, and that the procedure would terminate the life of her unborn child. These facts go directly to the risks, and effect the procedure would have on the second patient, but they also explain the nature of the procedure. The nature of the procedure is to terminate the life of the unborn child. Withholding these facts from the pregnant mother deprives her of the ability to make an informed decision for herself. Such informed written consent fails to meet the reasonable patient standard of disclosure and deprives the mother of her rights of self determination." (Nathanson Declaration Par. 10 and 11.)

No credible evidence was presented that challenged these scientific facts. In fact, when witnesses supporting abortion were asked when life begins, not one would answer the question, stating that it would only be their personal opinion.

A number of physicians also testified that it has been recognized for some time that the doctor who has a pregnant mother as a patient has two separate patients – the mother and the child - to whom he owes a professional and legal duty. Dr. Glenn Ridder, a physician who practices in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, testified that the physician has a duty to both patients, that disclosures about the risks or harms to the child must be made to the pregnant mother and that only she can make the decision for the child. (Ridder Declaration, Par. 9.)

Dr. Yvonne B. Seger, and Dr. Cynthia Davis, both of whom practice obstetrics and gynecology in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, also submitted statements that explained that the physician who has a pregnant woman as a patient has two separate patients - the mother and the child - and that the physician must make disclosures about the risks and effect any procedure would have on each. (Davis Declaration, Par. 5; Seger Declaration, Par. 5.)

Dr. Byron Calhoun, Maternal-Fetal Medical Specialist from Rockford, Illinois, explained that the unborn child is considered a separate patient in his or her own right. Dr. Calhoun also stated that there is no outcome data to support the idea that the mother's life is put at risk by allowing her to carry to term a critically ill baby. See, also Harrison, M.R., Golbus, M.S., Filly, R.A. (Eds), The Unborn Patient, 2nd Ed. W.B. Saunders, Phil. 1991; American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Ethics in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 34 (2nd Ed. 2004) (The maternal-fetal relationship is unique in medicine...because both the fetus and the woman are regarded as patients of the obstetrician).

Dr. Mark Rosen, a Fetal Anesthesiologist practicing in San Francisco, California, explained that with the advances of modern medical techniques, fetal surgery is now performed on the unborn child in utero. The procedures include, among others, inserting fetal shunts, blood transfusions, muscle biopsies, and procedures to repair congenital diaphragmatic hernias.

The Task Force concludes the following:


1. That abortion terminates the life of a unique, whole, living human being;

2. That the physician performing an abortion terminates the life of one of the physician's patients to whom the physician owes a professional and legal duty;

3. That the authority for the physician to terminate the life of his or her patient rests exclusively upon the written consent of the pregnant mother, which, at the time it is signed, terminates the doctor's duty to the child; and

4. That the mother has an existing and important and beneficial relationship with her child that is irrevocably terminated by the abortion procedure.

The 2005 South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion was created when the South Dakota legislature passed HB 1233 with a bipartisan majority in both houses. The purpose of the task force was "to study abortion and to provide for its composition, scope, and administration." The report was completed in December 2005 after several months of meetings.

Al Gore Barks at the Moon

Time and other media outlets are reporting on the latest lunacy (note the pun in a moment) equating his fight against the fabled "global warming" apocalypse to the Apollo lunar landing pushed by President John F. Kennedy.

Mr. Gore: you're no John F. Kennedy.

Gore wants to get the United States completely off electricity generated by fossil fuels in 10 years. While this would be nice, the only place such a thing is realistic is in liberal fantasyland. Even "mainstream" Time magazine admits Gore is at least a little nuts:

Speaking in Washington on July 17, Gore called on Americans to completely abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within 10 years, and replace them with carbon-free renewables like solar, wind and geothermal. It is a bold plan, almost to the point of folly.

Gore says:

“What we are going to have to put in place is a combination of the Manhattan Project, the Apollo project, and the Marshall Plan, and scale it globally.”

There is a key difference between the Apollo moon mission and Al Gore's sci-fi budget-busting thriller. When we aimed for the moon, we aimed at something tangible, something we could see, something verifiably real.

Aiming for Gore's "save the planet" scheme, we'd be shooting at something not backed by accurate science, something we can't see, and no real evidence for its existence in the first place. Meanwhile, there's a growing mountain of evidence that indicates any warming is natural and cyclic.

Something Gore rarely admits in front of the "mainstream" media is his financial interest in this scheme. Oh, you hear plenty via the "mainstream" press about "oil money" such such when someone expresses skepticism about Gore's fairy tale, but you never hear abou the financial interest on the other side of the coin.

Did you know Gore is financially invested in these "carbon credit" schemes? Did you know Gore pays himself so he can look green? Did you know he's admitted it on at least one occasion? Perhaps his motives aren't as altruistic as he'd have us believe?

As more and more people realize the whole anthropogenic global warming tale is full of hot air, Gore must be having desperate delusions of grandeur. Perhaps he thinks if he speaks in grandiose and epic terms, he'll be taken more seriously.

In reality, he's only barking at the moon.

Do we really want to stake trillions--and the health of our economy--on the fantasies of a limousine liberal who won't even live by the standards he expects of the rest of us? I don't think so.

Tell Us What You Really Think, Nancy

Breitbart.com quotes Madame Pelosi today saying about the President,
"You know, God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject."

With success upon success in Iraq and the Democrats owning the problems of home foreclosures and rising oil prices, Fancy Nancy, “Dingy” Harry Reid and B. Hussein Obama may find the going a little tougher in November than they’ve imagined. The Speaker’s comments about President Bush don’t sound so much like measured confidence as they do visceral loathing (with a liberal dose of self-deception).

Video here.

House Republicans Follow Lien's Lead to ANWR

As U.S. House candidate Chris Lien returns to South Dakota today after spending four days touring Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reports Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and other House Republicans are heading to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) this weekend.

The ADN article also mentions Lien's trip, and how several of the candidates who accompanied him are returning with even greater enthusiasm for drilling for more oil in ANWR.

The hopefuls have won press attention in their hometowns for visiting ANWR. They said the trip was about seeing the area for themselves.

They talked about how their home states are suffering from high gas prices and said domestic drilling should be a part of a national energy plan. The candidates said they were struck by how small the proposed drilling section was compared to the size of the refuge, by environmental protections at North Slope oil fields, and by support for drilling among Natives they spoke to in Barrow and Kaktovik.

"I came up here a supporter but I am now even more enthusiastic," said Greg Goode, who is running for a U.S. House seat in Indiana.

Also mentioned is the irony that both presidential candidates this year aren't very keen on drilling in ANWR, though John McCain has warmed to offshore drilling.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin says she remains hopeful that if McCain is elected president, he may yet come around to drilling in ANWR.

Oil won't last forever (but it will be around for a long time, yet), and supply won't increase tomorrow if Congress approves drilling.

But if we had started drilling 10 years ago when the opposition protested we wouldn't have the oil for 7-10 years...we'd have that oil now, just when we need it most.

While we wait for alternative energy sources to become feasible, we need to keep strong the economic engine which fuels our economy, our prosperity, and ultimately our national defense. Families can't afford to sacrifice the grocery budget on the altar of environmental extremism.

Obama Calls for National Police Force. MSM Disinterested.

The World Net Daily has a story about a remark made by presumed Democrat presidential nominee in Colorado Springs last week that has garnered little attention in the MSM, in part because the statement apparently was not included in the transcript of prepared remarks distributed to the media.

'We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.'
Democrat Sen. Barrack Obama's stunning assertion in a recent speech that the U.S. needs a ‘civilian national security force’ that would be as powerful, strong and well-funded as the half-trillion dollar Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force is not included in published transcripts of his prepared remarks.
In the July 2 speech in Colorado Springs, Obama insisted the U.S. 'cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set.'

What exactly does Obama mean by a “civilian national security force?” What about the FBI, Homeland Security, ATF? What about the Posse Comitatus Act? Will Obama suspend that protection for citizens in order to implement this new giant quasi-military/police force with a budget equal to that of the armed forces combined, and similarly armed?

The Founders held great contempt and fear of standing armies that were used to enforce civil order. The opposition to the Crown that lead to the Revolution grew largely from the animosity that the colonies held for the British troops sent here by King George to enforce laws and tariffs that the colonists considered unfair and arbitrary. Sen. Obama apparently does not understand our history and traditions and proposes to afflict the country with an immense and unmanagable national police force that even King George could not have imagined.

George Soros & Co. went ballistic over the Patriot Act and the FISA court rulings; I wonder what they will think of this proposal. If Bush flouted the Constitution as many leftist have claimed, this proposal makes it seem Obama intends to thoroughly subvert it so that we’ll soon be living under the watchful and benevolent eye of “Big Brother” and the U.S. Constitution would be a thing of the past.

Gas-Guzzling Environmentalists

This video comes courtesy of Michelle Malkin and Americans for Prosperity.

Just another example of that hypocritical "Good for thee, not for me" garbage we get all too much from environmental extremists, and liberals in general.

Check out the bicycles and solar-powered cars the "environmentally conscious" arrived in. What?! You don't see any?!

Darn it, couldn't find a bus!

(Now this is my kind of environmentalism! Sign me up!)

Washington, Beneficiary of All-Powerful Dispensations

American Minute from William J. Federer

Prior to the Revolution, British troops were marching toward Fort Duquesne when they were ambushed by the French and Indians. Not accustomed to fighting unless in an open field, the British soldiers were annihilated. 23-year-old Colonel George Washington rode back and forth during the battle delivering orders for General Edward Braddock. Eventually, Braddock was killed and every officer on horseback was shot, except Washington.

George Washington wrote of the Battle of Monongahela to his younger brother John, JULY 18, 1755: "As I have heard, since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first, and of assuring you, that I have not as yet composed the latter. But by the All-Powerful Dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!"

An Indian warrior later declared: "Washington was never born to be killed by a bullet! I had seventeen fair fires at him with my rifle and after all could not bring him to the ground!"

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.

Video: How Will My Same-Sex Marriage Hurt Your Marriage?

The first question addressed in "Ten Persuasive Answers to the Question 'Why not gay marriage?'"

One Quarter Calif. Public High School Students Drop Out

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Eric Young
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 04:56 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES – Nearly one in four public high school students in California dropped out in the 2006-07 school year, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Department of Education.

According to the data, compiled by a new statewide tracking system, 67.6 percent of public school students in California graduated in the 2006-07 school year, the adjusted four-year derived dropout rate is 24.2 percent, and 8.2 percent completed or withdrew from school and are considered neither dropouts nor graduates, such as students who transferred to a private school, left the state, or earned a General Education Degree (GED).

Although the dropout rates are lower than some independent estimates, they are considerably higher than previously acknowledged.

“Twenty-four percent of students dropping out is not good news,” commented Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, who presented the new data.

“In fact, any student dropping out is one too many and the data reveal a disturbingly high dropout rate for Latinos and African-Americans," he said in a released statement to the press.

Using an older, discredited method, the state’s estimate of dropouts for the previous school year was at 13.9 percent. And even using the old system of measurement, the number of dropouts has grown by 83 percent over the past five years, according to Russell Rumberger, a professor of education at UC Santa Barbara who directs the California Dropout Research Project. Furthermore, the number of high school graduates has gone up only 9 percent.

"So that's sobering, it's really sobering," he told the Los Angeles Times.

Using its new "Statewide Student Identifier System," the state Education Department says it can now calculate dropouts far more accurately as every student is given a unique, anonymous ID number. With that, schools for the first time can track the whereabouts of missing students, and learn whether students are truly AWOL – like the 53,600 students who claimed they were transferring to a new school but never actually showed up – or whether they are somewhere legitimate.

The new data revealed high dropout rates for minority students: around 42 percent of black students (19,440 students), 31 percent of Native Americans (1,440 students), 30 percent of Hispanics (69,035 students), and 28 percent of Pacific Islanders (964 students). White students had a 15 percent dropout rate (26,165 students), while Asians had a 10 percent rate (4,462 students).

School districts have until the end of August to correct data, so figures could change.

However, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pointed out to reporters in Sacramento, it’s not just numbers that are important.

"It's good information," he said, but "what we need to find out is ‘What is the reason for the dropouts?’”

"Is it parenting, a lack of parenting? Is it that we don't have enough after-school programs to help the kids with their homework and with schoolwork? Is it that the teaching that is going on is too boring?" the governor posed.

“We've got to find out what the reason is and then we can work on that to eliminate those problems."

The new system – which will cost $33 million over the next three years, in addition to the millions spent for the initial development – promises to eventually provide a far better way to understand where students go, and why.

For now, because the numbers are the first using the new computerized tracking system and no real comparison exists with the previous year, state and school district officials have acknowledged that the data are currently limited in usefulness. They can tell only part of the story.

Still, it’s a start.

"The dropout rate is everyone's business and having accurate data is an important first step," commented Eva Vargas, a concerned grandparent and a member of the PICO affiliate San Diego Organizing Project. PICO is a national network of faith-based community organizations working to create innovative solutions facing urban, suburban, and rural communities.

"As people of faith, we believe we have an individual and a collective responsibility to be part of the solution to addressing the dropout issue," Vargas said in state education department’s press release. "This isn't just a crisis for our schools or for our students and their families. It's a crisis that affects each of us and that each of us has to help solve."

According to the new data, the dropout crisis not only afflicts large urban districts like Oakland and Los Angeles but touches every corner of the state.

More detailed information about California schools and districts is currently available at the California Department of Education (http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/)

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Georgia County Shows Strong Support for 'Personhood' Amendment

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Eric Young
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 07:42 PM EDT

Georgia pro-lifers were encouraged Tuesday after residents of the state’s fastest growing county voted overwhelmingly in support of an amendment to the Georgia State Constitution that would grant the paramount right to life to “each human being from the moment of fertilization until a natural death.”

The vote, which was held in Georgia’s rapidly growing and booming suburban Forsyth County, drew levels of support that exceeded 64 percent.

Daniel Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life, said in a statement that the results of the non-bind referendum were revealing in measuring the pro-life views of Georgia citizens as a whole.

"This vote confirms our polling that [a majority of] Georgians believe that Roe vs. Wade should be overturned," he said, "and sends a strong message to our legislature that the voters expect to see pre-born persons protected by law under our state Constitution."

"If our lawmakers needed a wake-up call, this is it!"

Becker said the recent development in Forsyth County gave pro-life advocates new hope after a proposed amendment was blocked earlier this year and failed to pass out of the House Judicial Committee.

H.R. 536, dubbed the “Personhood Amendment” or “Human Life Amendment,” was introduced last year by House Rep. Martin Scott (R-Rossville) and defines all human beings from fertilization until natural death as persons and therefore protected under law.

Had H.R. 536 passed, Georgia would have become the first state in the nation to establish the “personhood” of each of its citizens from fertilization until natural death.

Furthermore, the proposed amendment would have provided Georgia with the best legal means of overturning the central holding of Roe v Wade, according to Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center.

“The adoption of this amendment will place Georgia at the forefront of the battle to restore the sanctity of innocent human life,” he stated on a Web site promoting the resolution.

Unfortunately, H.R. 536’s stall in the legislature earlier this year effectively thwarted the opportunity for Georgians to vote on it this fall.

“Sixty-four percent of the vote in a large urban, metro country like Forsyth should be viewed as a mandate from the people,” argued Becker.

Aside from Georgia, pro-life activists in several other states are promoting constitutional amendments that would define life as beginning at conception, which could effectively outlaw all abortions and some birth control methods.

Starting in the late 1980s, 10 states amended their constitutions to provide general protections for unborn life. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, implied in one case that the amendments did not trump its core holding that women have a legal right to end pregnancies.

Still, aside from the possible challenge such amendments could pose to Roe v Wade, proponents of the initiatives say their campaign has a political value as well. Georgia Right to Life’s Becker told the Los Angeles Times last November that it could energize dispirited conservatives during the 2008 presidential election.

"It'll draw a lot of conservatives to the polls," he said, "in an otherwise lackluster presidential year."

States that have recently witnessed efforts by pro-life activists similar to Georgia include Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, and Montana, among others.

Christian Post reporter Joshua Goldberg in San Francisco contributed to this article.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Human Rights Group Urge Bush Support of N. Korean Refugees at Olympics

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Ethan Cole
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 01:54 PM EDT

A human rights group requested on Wednesday that President Bush wear a “Free North Koreans” wristband during the Beijing Olympics to show solidarity with North Korean refugees who are harshly treated by Chinese authorities.

Suzanne Scholte, chairman of North Korea Freedom Coalition, asked Bush to wear the black wristband and to raise the issue of human rights when he visits China next month.

"When Beijing was chosen as the site of the 2008 Olympics, it was a wonderful cause of celebration for the people of China, but it came with a promise from the government of China that human rights would be improved," Scholte said on Wednesday.

"Tragically, we know now that the opposite has occurred as preparations for the Olympics have led to greater human rights abuses against the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, and for my cause, North Korean refugees."

Requests were made in a letter to Bush signed by NKFC, Friends of Falun Gong, American Tibetan Alliance, China Aid Association, Uyghur American Association and Open Doors. The letter was dated July 9 but was released on Wednesday. It asked Bush to request the release of 23 high-profile prisoners of conscience currently jailed by Chinese authorities.

Among the list are four South Koreans who were rescuing North Korean refugees; Gao Zhisheng, a human rights champion and one of China’s top ten lawyers; and Christian bookstore owner and publisher Shi Weihan.

Scholte said the four jailed South Koreans, who themselves were defectors from North Korea, were helping North Korean refugees to resettle in South Korea, where they have automatic citizenship.

At least 500,000 North Koreans have crossed the border over to China in the past 10 years to escape hunger and oppression under dictator Kim Jong-il.

Although North Koreans who flee to China are considered by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on North Korea as “refugees,” China claims they are “economic migrants” as an excuse to repatriate them to North Korea where they face imprisonment, torture, and sometimes execution for leaving the country – a state crime.

“Tragically, Hu Jintao, has decided he would rather honor the wishes of Kim Jong-il by forcing these refugees back to North Korea, while Kim Jong-il has ordered his security agents to beat the stomach of any pregnant North Korean woman who is repatriated because they are carrying and I quote a ‘half-Chinese baby,’” Scholte said.

“How can Hu Jintao believe it is better to be a partner with someone like Kim Jong-il, who wants unborn children killed for simply being part Chinese, rather than partnering with the international community to solve this refugee situation humanely?” she posed.

Scholte urged anyone traveling to the Olympics – whether athlete or spectator – to choose a human rights cause to support by wearing, for instance, the “Free North Koreans” wristbands, a cross honoring the jailed Christians, a Falun Gong T-shirt, a Tibetan flag pin, or a ribbon honoring the Uyghurs.

"Please do not go to Beijing and be silent on the human rights of those who are suffering even more today because of the Olympics," she said.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Christian Relief Agencies Support India Flood Victims

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By John Malhotra
Christian Today Reporter
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 03:40 PM EDT

Floods in northeastern India have damaged over 50,000 homes and at least 350 people been reported dead. Church agencies and Christian NGO's have meanwhile mobilized for the initiation of the gathering and distribution of relief supplies to the victims.

The worst hit states were northern Uttar Pradesh, where 61 people died since Friday. Ten deaths were reported from eastern West Bengal and one from Orissa. Most of the deaths were caused by incidents of house collapse and flooding.

In Assam, Catholic Relief Services and other Christian organizations flung into action, providing emergency relief to over 16,000 families, with the help of government agencies.

“Reaching families who have been cut off by washed out roads is critical,” notes Father Celestine, Assistant Country Representative for CRS India. “In some instances, families have lost their immediate food supplies in addition to their homes and livelihoods.”

CRS has urged the government to deliver food, household items, and hygiene supplies to the victims of the flood, after it has caused serious health issues to the people.

Father Celestine adds, “In preparation for the floods, CRS and Caritas have purchased 5,000 kits with water treatment tablets, buckets, soap and other items, and have trained community groups in how to use the water treatment tablets. CRS is using small boats to reach families who do not have access to safe water with these life-saving supplies.”

The seasonal rains in 2007 were the most shocking and devastating in recent history, after more than 3,200 people were killed.

The Indian Meteorological Department predicted more heavy rain in eastern, northern and parts of central India over the next two weeks.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

House Candidate Lien Sees Great Opportunity in ANWR

I was able to catch up by phone with Republican South Dakota candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Chris Lien tonight in Anchorage, Alaska.

Lien has spent the last four days visiting Alaska with six other U.S. House candidates.

Accompanied by Luke Puckett of Indiana, Mike Sodrel of Indiana, Greg Goode of Indiana, Jason Chafets of Utah, Paul Stark of Wisconsin, and Craig Williams Pennsylvania, the group has visited Prudhoe Bay, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Barrow, and the Arctic National Wildlife (ANWR) 1002 Area, among other locations.

According to Lien, the group visited several villages around the "1002 Area." He said that while he did meet one one man in a village who was opposed to drilling in the area, most of the elders and other villagers were in favor.

"In Barrow, in the North Slope Borough, the villagers said they didn't understand why the idea of drilling was such a big deal," Lien said. "About 75 percent of the people I spoke to were in favor. People in Fairbanks and Anchorage were largely in favor, too."

The group also met with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

According to Lien, "Yes, she’s very much in favor of allowing as much oil exploration as we can in Alaska."

Lien said he was impressed by the drilling technology. While even the older 1970s drilling architecture leaves only a small impression on the land, Lien said the new well heads are only about 10 feet across. Most of what is already in place sits several feet off the ground on concrete pillars.

About 1.5 million acres of the coastal plain area was set aside in 1980 for exploring oil reserves by the Department of the Interior, but no exploration has been allowed since that time.

"It's a marshy area with a lot of water," said Lien. "It looks similar to the Badlands of South Dakota, only with a lot of water around in it."

With the summer migration period, Lien said there was considerable wildlife in the area right now, consisting mainly of bears, caribou, and waterfowl.

However, Lien said current drilling operations have not been detrimental to the wildlife at all. In addition to the platforms being raised off the ground, animals such as the caribou are given special consideration. Lien said he was told that oil workers are instructed to stop for wildlife that may be on the roads; workers are not allowed to even get out of their vehicles to encourage the animals to get out of the way, and may be fired for interfering with the caribou.

Lien also said the caribou not only like the drilling areas for their warmth in the winter, but make use of the air conditioning vents to keep the mosquitoes off them in the warmer months. The caribou population in the Prudhoe Bay area has grown from about 3,000 in the 1970s to about 32,000 now.

As for the oil in the region, it is uncertain exactly how much oil is beneath the surface. An old U.S. Geological Survey report estimates 6-16 billion barrels of oil, but no surveys with more advanced technology have been allowed in decades.

"They estimated Prudhoe Bay had about 9 billion barrels, but they have already produced 15 billion," said Lien.

Lien said he doesn't believe there is a quick solution to high oil prices, but conventional wisdom indicates that if other OPEC nations see that the United States is serious about using our own oil reserves, it should help bring prices down.

"When they see we have other options, psychologically it would have a great impact," Lien said.

Lien said after talking with oil officials in the area, most estimates were that we could be drilling for the oil in ANWR 6-10 years after congress gives approval.

However, Lien said, Congress controls the permitting process, which would take up most of that time, and they can fast-track the process if they're willing.

"It was a great trip, being able to get a cross section from the Native Eskimo people and everyone else," Lien said. "It wasn't a one-sided thing. We got the whole spectrum and also talked to a few people who were opposed to it."

Lien will be flying out of Anchorage late tonight and is scheduled to be back in Rapid City, South Dakota tomorrow morning.

*I will be meeting with Chris Lien tomorrow afternoon or later this weekend and will post some photographs from the trip as soon as possible.

UPDATE: Lien has a busy weekend ahead traveling the state, but I should have those photos posted Tuesday.

South Dakota to Enforce Abortion Informed Consent Saturday

The injunction against enforcement of South Dakota's abortion informed consent law was lifted on June 27, and enforcement of the law is set to begin Saturday July 19, as reported by the Rapid City Journal and VoteYesForLife.com.

VoteYesForLife.com sent out a press release this afternoon in conjunction with a post on their blog, and the Rapid City Journal soon followed up with a story.

Planned Parenthood had attempted to block the law, arguing the law interfered with the free speech rights of doctors, but the 8th U.S. Court of Appeals wasn't buying it.

Planned Parenthood presented no evidence to oppose the common understanding that a fetus is a living organism while in the womb, the court majority said.

This was also reported:

"The State's evidence suggests that the biological sense in which the embryo or fetus is whole, separate, unique and living should be clear in context to a physician," Judge Raymond W. Gruender wrote for the majority.

This is something that is pretty clear to most people...most people who aren't invested in a denial of reality. Science tells us that from the moment of conception, the unborn child has human DNA, human DNA which is unique from the mother, making the child not a part of her body with which she can do as she wills, but a separate and unique human being--one that should have rights, not the least of which is the right to life.

As stated by the VoteYesForLife.com blog, the requirements abortionists must meet before performing an abortion are as follows:

(1) A statement in writing providing the following information:

(a) The name of the physician who will perform the abortion;

(b) That the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being;

(c) That the pregnant woman has an existing relationship with that unborn human being and that the relationship enjoys protection under the United States Constitution and under the laws of South Dakota;

(d) That by having an abortion, her existing relationship and her existing constitutional rights with regards to that relationship will be terminated;

(e) A description of all known medical risks of the procedure and statistically significant risk factors to which the pregnant woman would be subjected, including:

(i) Depression and related psychological distress;

(ii) Increased risk of suicide ideation and suicide;

(2) A statement by telephone or in person, by the physician who is to perform the abortion, or by the referring physician, or by an agent of both, at least twenty-four hours before the abortion, providing the following information:

(a) That medical assistance benefits may be available for prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care;

(b) That the father of the unborn child is legally responsible to provide financial support for her child following birth, and that this legal obligation of the father exists in all instances, even in instances in which the father has offered to pay for the abortion.


Women considering abortion will soon have more information about their profound decision.

The lie that the unborn child is a "piece of tissue" is unraveling.

Christian Counselor Fired for Religious Values

Unless we turn around this trend, the First Amendment freedoms of speech and religion are headed for the door in America.

Liberals have for some time been pushing for the United States, the world leader in freedom, to be like other nations. We would therefore be wise to stay abreast of developments in other nations that threaten freedom and religious values.

For instance, WorldNetDaily reports Brazil may be about to approve a law that could land you in jail simply for offending a homosexual. The bill is in the Brazilian senate now, after being unanimously approved by the House:

If anyone prevents actions of "homosexual affection" in public or private locations open to the public, they could face up to five years in prison for doing so, the Association of the Defense of Life reports.

The bill also seeks to penalize private and public school administrators with up to three years in prison if they refuse to hire openly "gay" teachers.

According to the CNA, the measure will force prison time for any "moral, ethical, philosophical or psychological expression that questions homosexual practices."

Jail time for Americans who offend homosexuals has already been advocated by some, and there is a growing list of incidents across the country where Christians are being harassed for their refusal to celebrate and accommodate this immoral and unhealthy sexual practice.

Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is already well advanced down this road of government-enforced acceptance of homosexuality.

The latest example in America to make the headlines comes from WorldNetDaily about a woman who works as a counselor for a Centers for Disease Control contractor.

A lesbian came to her for help in pursuing a homosexual relationship, and since the counselor was a Christian who understood this to be wrong, the counselor referred the woman to another counselor who had no such moral reservations.

Not good enough.

The action has been brought by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Marcia Walden, who was fired from her position with a contractor for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta because her religious beliefs conflicted with the homosexual's goal of rebuilding a same-sex relationship and she reassigned the client to another counselor.

"A woman shouldn't lose her job for merely upholding the highest professional standards," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum. "It is unconstitutional to punish Walden for following her Christian faith, particularly when she made every effort to accommodate the needs of a potential client. Referring her to another competent counselor instead of attempting to offer her own counsel in such a situation was the ethical thing to do for the person seeking help. It's egregious to be fired for honoring professional and ethical obligations."

I don't know if I could have in good conscience gone as far as Walden did. To me, it would be like being a doctor with a patient who wants affirmation for their smoking or drinking habit. Could I in good conscience refer them to a doctor who would tell them that this behavior was healthy and good for them? Or would I be facilitating their continuation of a dangerous behavior by referring them to a professional who will encourage them to continue destroying their lives?

However, it apparently was not enough that her counseling needs were addressed, because the lesbian complained about Walden, alleging the Christian counselor was "homophobic."

The lesbian, who was counseled by Walden's colleague, Ken Cook, told Walden's supervisor, Gordon Hughes, Walden should not be employed because of her beliefs and asked to file a formal complaint against her.

Walden was placed on unpaid suspension over this nearly a year ago.

This is another illustration that for homosexual activists, the whole public issue of homosexuality isn't about mere tolerance. They demand and will settle for nothing less than complete and total normalization, legitimization and celebration of their sexual behavior.

Our culture has lost its collective mind.

Compassionate Liberals Oppose Hospital That Serves Poor

Liberals are the most open and generous people you'll ever find...when it's someone else they expect to do the giving.

The evidence has been out there for a couple of years now, and it's pretty overwhelming, that while liberals talk a good "compassion" game, it's conservatives who do most of the giving. We've seen it around the country and here in South Dakota: liberals talk, conservatives do.

Ultra-libs Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins continue to illustrate this symbolism over substance with their opposition to St. Vincent's Hospital's plan to revamp and build a better hospital three blocks from their home.

The hospital provides $40 million in medical care to the poor each year, so one might think St. Vincent's would be especially beloved by these liberals. Well, as long as they don't ruin the neighborhood and expose their privileged eyes to all these icky little people.

The New York Post has coverage, as does the New York Times.

From the Times:

Ms. Sarandon said at the microphone that she went to the hospital only “as a last resort,” adding, “I would not want to bring my children there.” Ms. Sarandon and Mr. Robbins, who are partners, have two teenage sons.

She says there are long lines and "dirty" facilities at St. Vincent's. How sad. How terrible to experience this frightening brush with reality and the "little people."

Mr. Robbins, Sarandon's shackup partner, is also repulsed by the common folk:

“I live a block from this hospital, and unless it was a life-and-death situation, I wouldn’t go there.” He said that the proposed hospital tower was “an architectural abomination.”

Liberals are always generous...with your money. Liberals are always for services to the poor and indigent...as long as it's in your neighborhood. Liberals are aways caring and compassionate...as long as they can keep icky reality at arm's length.

Their hypocrisy even extends to the energy debate. Liberals are always pushing windmills and such over drilling for more oil...unless those icky windmills show up in their neighborhood.

Remember a couple of years ago when Senator Ted Kennedy came out against the Cape Wind Project? They wanted to erect 130 windmills in Nantucket Sound for a project that could supply 3/4 of the power for Cape Cod the surrounding area--an area currently served by coal-fired power plants.

Why would liberal environment-loving Ted Kennedy oppose such a clean project? It would ruin the Kennedy's sailing and yachting. Ick!

Maybe liberals aren't as compassionate and altruistic as they'd have us believe. Maybe a lot of that has just been pretense to guilt us into backing their pet projects.

It isn't a perfect illustration, but I'm reminded of the parable of the two sons from Matthew 21:

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"

"The first," they answered.

To paraphrase for this situation, doing something means a whole lot more than carping about it.

Confusion About Praying for Confusion

My fellow South Dakota blogger Cory Heidelberger is right when he says he isn't a theologian.

Today he praises the work of a group of people dedicated to continuing the butchery of innocent human life in the womb, innocent human life created in the image of God.

In addition for his appreciation of this effort, he also mocks the prayers of some Christians that God would "send confusion in the camps of the enemy" who seek to further that butchery.

Now just like Jim Dobson, I'm not a theologian. But isn't asking the Lord to put the whammy on people you don't like a little unChristian? Maybe the Vote Yes for Life folks would make more progress if they shed their macho bull rhetoric of warfare and enemies and focused a little more on love and community.

For one thing, love and community aren't usually manifest in the killing of innocent human beings, or in the killing of one's potential future neighbors. It also isn't a loving act to facilitate the damage abortion does to the physical and emotional health of women in the community.

If Cory was perhaps a bit more familiar with the Bible, he might realize that it is completely Biblical to pray for the confusion of the enemies of God's purpose and what God has said is right. And while God doesn't always answer such prayers in the affirmative, it is a task that he has accomplished on more than one occasion.

Cory often implies that if one doesn't have a seminary degree in theology, one cannot understand theological things and is unqualified to speak of them. I wonder why he seems to continually violate his own tenet?

He admits he has no theology degree, yet frequently expounds on theological matters. Since (according to Cory's implication) theological knowledge cannot possibly be obtained just by reading the Bible, or even imparted from another (outside of a seminary) such as the many experts someone like Dr. James Dobson knows, then Cory's wife's seminary degree does him no good whatsoever.

Why does Cory continue to lecture us about the unsound theology of others when he is, by his own standard, unqualified to make this determination?

Because there is at least one theological truth Cory does understand, but fails to acknowledge: his professed standard of Biblical competency is un-Biblical and unsupportable.

One of the most wonderful things about Christianity is that you don't need to have a degree in theology to understand Christianity and become born again. All of us, great and small, can grasp the essentials of God's truth and understand how to live a life pleasing to God. Even an uneducated fisherman like Peter was considered worthy of carrying on the Lord's work.

You don't need a degree of any kind, or even a high school diploma to grasp God's Truth. All you need is an open mind, a teachable spirit, and a willingness to follow God and His truth where it leads.

Ironically, that can be harder to achieve than a PhD in theology. Separating our will and desires from God's truth is harder to accomplish than earning a degree.

Whether one is a theologian or not, if one fails to grasp even the most basic elements of the Bible and Christian theology, perhaps one shouldn't foray into theological assumptions without a lot more Bible study.

California High Court Dismissed Marriage Vote Challenge

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Eric Young
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 09:25 AM EDT

The California Supreme Court unanimously dismissed efforts to throw the California Marriage Protection Act off of the November ballot Wednesday, giving Californians the chance to consider a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

The court did not give a reason for deciding not to accept the case, which gay “marriage” supporters placed before them last month in a bid to prohibit the public from having the opportunity to vote on the issue this fall.

The “huge victory” in the fight to protect marriage was lauded by conservatives and pro-family activists in California and throughout the nation.

"This was a frivolous lawsuit. It was a desperate attempt to try to keep the voter initiative off the ballot in November," said Glen Lavy, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund representing the measure's sponsors, according to The Associated Press.

"The Court’s dismissal sends a strong message that Proposition 8 continues to have the law on its side,” expressed Ron Prentice, chairman of the Protect Marriage initiative, in a released statement. “Time and time again, the opponents have attempted to circumvent the democratic process, but the fact remains that the people of California have a right to vote on this issue."

In 2000, more than 61 percent of California voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 22, which upheld the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. This past May, however, the California Supreme Court overthrew the vote of the people, ruling 4-3 to strike down Proposition 22 and related California laws and to allow same-sex couples to “marry.”

In response, pro-family activists have been mobilizing California voters to support Proposition 22, which qualified for the November ballot two weeks after the California High Court’s infamous decision to legalize same-sex “marriage” in the state.

If approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, the amendment would overturn the California Supreme Court ruling, leaving Massachusetts once again as the only state that legalizes same-sex “marriage.”

Since 2004, when the Massachusetts State Supreme Court made its ruling to recognize gay “marriage,” 26 states have passed a constitutional ban on the practice, while over a dozen others have passed laws limiting or outlawing it.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

McCain Clarifies Opposition to Homosexual Adoption

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Ethan Cole
Christian Post Reporter
Wed, Jul. 16 2008 02:39 PM EDT

Senator John McCain said he opposes allowing gay couples to adopt children, but his campaign clarified Tuesday that the Republican presidential candidate believes the issue should be left to states to decide following criticisms from gay rights groups.

The putative Republican presidential nominee had said in an interview published Sunday in the New York Times that he thinks it has been “proven that both parents are important in the success of a family.”

“[S]o, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption,” he stated.

McCain, who has an adopted a daughter with his wife, Cindy, said he wanted to encourage adoption, but that the adoptive parents should be a man and woman, or a traditional couple.

But after his statement drew criticisms from gay rights groups, his campaign issued a clarification statement.

“John McCain could have been clearer in the interview in stating that his position on gay adoption is that it is a state issue, just as he made it clear in the interview that marriage is a state issue," Tucker Bounds, a campaign spokesman, said in a statement. “He was not endorsing any federal legislation."

McCain is opposed to same-sex “marriage” and endorsed a ballot initiative to overturn California’s state ruling that legalized the practice, but believes each state should decide how to define marriage, rather than the federal government.

Bounds said McCain was only expressing his “personal preference” that children be raised by a mother and father, but recognized there are cases of abandoned children who have no caretaker.

“John McCain believes that in those situations that caring parental figures are better for the child than the alternative,” Bounds said, without elaborating if McCain believes a gay couple adopting a child is better than the child remaining in the orphanage.

The Republican candidate has been carefully treading between constituencies in an effort to avoid offending his diverse body of support. Although touting his conservative stance on abortion and gay “marriage” to values voters, McCain often seems hesitant to declare his position on these issues when in a more moderate crowd for fear of offending potential voters.

McCain will need the support of Republican voters as well as independents to beat Democrat rival Barack Obama.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Opposition Continues Against Think Tank Inclusion in Bush Presidential Library

Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post

By Angela K. Brown
Associated Press Writer
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 08:48 AM EDT

After a nearly two-year losing battle, some Methodist ministers and professors mounted their final big push Wednesday to try to stop President Bush's think tank from being built as part of his presidential library complex at Southern Methodist University.

They pleaded their case to some of the 290 delegates in the church's South Central Jurisdiction, which is meeting this week in Dallas. The jurisdiction is to discuss the matter Thursday and may vote on it.

"We have faculty and research fellows who represent a wide diversity of ideological and political views; that's what strengthens a university. That's what builds its academic reputation. That is undermined when you have on the campus an institute that actually promotes one particular ideology," Valerie Karras, associate professor of church history at SMU's Perkins School of Theology, told reporters before addressing delegates.

Many of those who oppose building the think tank at SMU don't oppose the Bush presidential library and museum. University officials, however, say the public policy institute cannot be separated from the project.

Opponents say the think tank does not meet SMU or church rules because it would not be used for educational or religious purposes and would be outside the university's control.

They also say its goal of promoting the Bush administration's policies — such as the Iraq war and harsh interrogation techniques of military prisoners — conflicts with church teachings.

The jurisdiction owns the land, but SMU officials say the library complex is a done deal. In March 2007, the Methodist church's mission council — a smaller body that votes on important issues cropping up between the jurisdiction's meetings every four years — gave its blessing for SMU to lease the land for 99 years to the Bush Foundation.

The agreement has already been signed, and SMU continues working with the Bush Foundation, which will manage construction and raise money for the project. SMU was officially named the site for the library complex in February, more than a year after it was chosen as the lone finalist.

"The Methodist community continues to be true to its tradition of having many views ... and we respect all points of view," Brad Cheves, SMU's vice president for external affairs and development, said Wednesday. "The mission council spoke, and the process was followed. The real winners of this are the students, faculty and community of SMU and Dallas. We continue to be honored that SMU was chosen."

Bishop Scott Jones, an SMU board of trustees member who supports the library project, said the mission council's decision was final and that the jurisdiction does not need to vote on it.

But opponents are placing their hope in the jurisdiction's delegates, who may vote on the matter Thursday through at least one resolution after it is brought to the conference floor.

If delegates are denied a vote, opponents of the think tank may be able to appeal to the judicial council, the church's highest lawmaking body. The council would not vote on the library issue itself but could decide that proper procedures were not followed and order a vote by the jurisdiction; the whole process probably would take months.

The fight already has been long for some professors and ministers, who have garnered more than 12,000 signatures on an online petition launched some 18 months ago.

Copyright 2008 The Christian Post. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

To What Everything Temporal Must Be Directed

American Minute from William J. Federer

Apostle of the Indies, Bartolome' de Las Casas," died JULY 17, 1566.

He left Spain in 1502 for the West Indies and later returned to Europe. Then he heard Dominican Father Antonio de Montesinos speak Pentecost Sunday, August 15, 1511, on the verse: "I am a voice crying in the wilderness."

Las Casas returned to the Americas and dedicated his life to helping Indians. He became the first priest ordained in the New World.

Las Casas petitioned King Ferdinand and later Emperor Charles V to end military conquest and use peaceful means to convert Indians, as he explained in his treatise "Concerning the Only Way of Drawing All Peoples to the True Religion."

When Las Casas' writings "A brief report on the Destruction of the Indians" and "Apologetica historia de las Indias" were translated in Europe, an outrage arose, pressuring Spain to enact New Laws protecting Indians, though colonists largely ignored them.

Las Casas declared in his tract "Confesionario" that any Spaniard who refused to release his Indians is to be denied absolution. Las Casas stated: "The main goal of divine Providence in the discovery of these tribes...is...the conversion and well-being of souls, and to this goal everything temporal must necessarily be directed."

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.