Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow
The chief counsel with the Pacific Justice Institute is fighting for the rights of parents to opt out of a controversial curriculum.
San Francisco Bay-area Alameda Unified School District has approved a "lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender" (LGBT) curriculum for use with kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The curriculum is intended to deal with issues such as bullying and harassment.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=582486
Monday, June 29, 2009
Same-sex 'marriage' loses support among Americans
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
A recent poll indicates that Americans are not as supportive of homosexual "marriage" as they once were.
A CBS-New York Times survey shows that support for redefining marriage to include same-gender couples has declined. Jenny Tyree of Focus on the Family Action tells OneNewsNow that, according to The New York Times, the figure dropped slightly -- but she believes nine percentage points is more than slightly.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=581060
A recent poll indicates that Americans are not as supportive of homosexual "marriage" as they once were.
A CBS-New York Times survey shows that support for redefining marriage to include same-gender couples has declined. Jenny Tyree of Focus on the Family Action tells OneNewsNow that, according to The New York Times, the figure dropped slightly -- but she believes nine percentage points is more than slightly.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=581060
Chicago children march in gay pride parade...or not
Okay, we've heard about what goes on at gay parades. Is having kids there a good idea? I think not.
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Chicago's Nettlehorst Elementary School will be the first public school in the community to march in the city's gay pride parade.
According to the Tribune, the school's fence is adorned with thousands of green, blue, purple, and red strips of fabric -- each hand-tied by a student. A sign by the gate stated that the elementary school will "be the first Chicago public school to march in the city's gay pride parade." The sign also stated that the school believes that family means everybody.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=581354
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Chicago's Nettlehorst Elementary School will be the first public school in the community to march in the city's gay pride parade.
According to the Tribune, the school's fence is adorned with thousands of green, blue, purple, and red strips of fabric -- each hand-tied by a student. A sign by the gate stated that the elementary school will "be the first Chicago public school to march in the city's gay pride parade." The sign also stated that the school believes that family means everybody.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=581354
Giving the green light to suicide
Kevin Yuill
Revelations that non-terminally ill people were euthanised in Switzerland calls into question the ‘right to die’ campaign.
The concern about suicidal people with non-fatal illnesses travelling to Dignitas in Switzerland – where they were euthanised – underlines some of the fatal flaws in the case for legalising euthanasia here in Britain and elsewhere in Europe
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7072/
Revelations that non-terminally ill people were euthanised in Switzerland calls into question the ‘right to die’ campaign.
The concern about suicidal people with non-fatal illnesses travelling to Dignitas in Switzerland – where they were euthanised – underlines some of the fatal flaws in the case for legalising euthanasia here in Britain and elsewhere in Europe
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7072/
The jarring disconnect
Sheila Liaugminas
How can people not see the obvious? Amnesty International has lost its credibility as a human rights advocate as it aggressively promotes.....demands.....the right to abortion.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/the_jarring_disconnect/
How can people not see the obvious? Amnesty International has lost its credibility as a human rights advocate as it aggressively promotes.....demands.....the right to abortion.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/the_jarring_disconnect/
Disney world ‘too heterosexual’ for children’s good
Carolyn Moynihan
Many experts are concerned about the effects on children of their being immersed in electronic media from a tender age. They worry largely about the things they are not doing while watching TV or videos: developing their vocabulary through talking to their parents; listening to or reading books; going to the park for healthy exercise and social activities. But two sociologists have come up with a novel reason for fretting about kids’ exposure to media: the risk of seeing heterosexuality as normal and desirable.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/disney_world_too_heterosexual_for_childrens_good/
Many experts are concerned about the effects on children of their being immersed in electronic media from a tender age. They worry largely about the things they are not doing while watching TV or videos: developing their vocabulary through talking to their parents; listening to or reading books; going to the park for healthy exercise and social activities. But two sociologists have come up with a novel reason for fretting about kids’ exposure to media: the risk of seeing heterosexuality as normal and desirable.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/disney_world_too_heterosexual_for_childrens_good/
Farah Fawcett cancer likely HPV STD
ABC news finds doctor who says, "So what? Don't stigmatize it..."
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7939402&page=1
They don't get it, the reason to make it known and clear is simple. It is easy to prevent.
And meanwhile we have a number of sex ed groups who teach that if it isn't vaginal, it isn't sex. A lot of kids believe it, and so the anal cancers and oral and throat cancers caused by HPV continue to rise. They are out there teaching that there's no stigma involved too.
Less stigma, more death. There's an advertising jingle.
Eric Richardson, M.D.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7939402&page=1
They don't get it, the reason to make it known and clear is simple. It is easy to prevent.
And meanwhile we have a number of sex ed groups who teach that if it isn't vaginal, it isn't sex. A lot of kids believe it, and so the anal cancers and oral and throat cancers caused by HPV continue to rise. They are out there teaching that there's no stigma involved too.
Less stigma, more death. There's an advertising jingle.
Eric Richardson, M.D.
'Raising children properly' requires stay-at-home parent: Alberta minister
Liberal leader demands apology from Iris Evans for 'outrageous claims'
Alberta's Liberal leader is demanding an apology from Finance Minister Iris Evans, who suggested that in order to raise children "properly" one parent should stay at home while the other goes to work.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/06/17/education-iris-evans-alberta-minister.html?ref=rss
Alberta's Liberal leader is demanding an apology from Finance Minister Iris Evans, who suggested that in order to raise children "properly" one parent should stay at home while the other goes to work.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/06/17/education-iris-evans-alberta-minister.html?ref=rss
Ask Dr. J!
Do have a marriage or relationship question you'd like to ask Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, author of "101 Tips for a Happier Marriage" and "Smart Sex"? Email your question to jgruber@ruthinstitute.org. These questions, which remain completely anonymous, are featured every other week in Dr. J's weekly e-newsletter. If you're not already a subscriber, you can sign up here.
Demographic Bomb
Part two of Demographic Winter, Demographic Bomb came out June 29th. This movie features a video clip of Dr. J! Check it out here!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Free Teens USA
Free Teens USA reaches more than 10,000 teens annually in urban and suburban areas of NY and NJ with messages of healthy relationships, self-leadership, and character development. Free Teens aims to help youth achieve their life dreams and goals including that of preparing for a committed love relationship that can last a lifetime!
http://www.freeteensusa.org/
http://www.culturemachine.com/home.html
http://www.freeteensusa.org/
http://www.culturemachine.com/home.html
Child misery lit gives parents a bad rap
Carolyn Moynihan
My Sister’s Keeper, a movie that opens in the United States this Friday, brings to the big screen the pessimistic view of parenthood that has made writer Jodi Picoult enormously popular and rich. In this dark narrative a couple with a delinquent teenage son and a daughter who has an acute form of leukemia conceive a third child to serve as her bone-marrow donor.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/child_misery_lit_gives_parents_a_bad_rap/
My Sister’s Keeper, a movie that opens in the United States this Friday, brings to the big screen the pessimistic view of parenthood that has made writer Jodi Picoult enormously popular and rich. In this dark narrative a couple with a delinquent teenage son and a daughter who has an acute form of leukemia conceive a third child to serve as her bone-marrow donor.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/child_misery_lit_gives_parents_a_bad_rap/
Young people quiz their peers on YouTube use and abuse
A survey of teenage use of the popular video-sharing website YouTubeconfirms that it is very easy for minors to give their age as 18 orover when creating an account on the site, and therefore to accessobjectionable material. Parents need to advise their children againstlooking for R18 videos and YouTube needs to make its safety featuresmore prominent, a new report suggests.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/young_people_quiz_their_peers_on_youtube_use_and_abuse/
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/young_people_quiz_their_peers_on_youtube_use_and_abuse/
The Divorce Will Be Televised
by Maggie Gallagher
America's most televised parents of multiples made it official: They are splitting up. Kate minus Jon makes nine.
Yes, the children will suffer. But no doubt it will be good for ratings.
Well, there are worse tragedies than divorce, bigger problems in the world than the things that led Jon and Kate to break up their own family, as the headlines remind us. Even as Kate and Jon called it quits, a young Iranian woman named Neda captured the fickle attention of the world for her simple and defiant act of courage. Some things are worth dying for.
http://townhall.com/Columnists/MaggieGallagher/2009/06/24/the_divorce_will_be_televised?page=full&comments=true
America's most televised parents of multiples made it official: They are splitting up. Kate minus Jon makes nine.
Yes, the children will suffer. But no doubt it will be good for ratings.
Well, there are worse tragedies than divorce, bigger problems in the world than the things that led Jon and Kate to break up their own family, as the headlines remind us. Even as Kate and Jon called it quits, a young Iranian woman named Neda captured the fickle attention of the world for her simple and defiant act of courage. Some things are worth dying for.
http://townhall.com/Columnists/MaggieGallagher/2009/06/24/the_divorce_will_be_televised?page=full&comments=true
Throwing oil on the blaze of teenage sex
Carolyn Moynihan
From the country that brought you the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe -- television ads for condoms and abortion. Will the British government never get it? The more “harm reduction” they go in for, the worse the problem gets.
Friday last saw the end of a three-month consultation by the government’s broadcasting standards watchdog, the BCAP, on a proposal to allow abortion clinics to advertise on TV before 9pm. Condom ads, currently confined to one channel, would also be shown in the earlier time slot. Pro-life pregnancy counselling services could also advertise -- if they could afford it -- but would have to make it clear that they do not refer for abortion, “so that delays do not result in medical complications,” as one news report puts it. It would be too bad, wouldn't it, if women had time to think about what they were doing.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/throwing_oil_on_the_blaze_of_teenage_sex/
From the country that brought you the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe -- television ads for condoms and abortion. Will the British government never get it? The more “harm reduction” they go in for, the worse the problem gets.
Friday last saw the end of a three-month consultation by the government’s broadcasting standards watchdog, the BCAP, on a proposal to allow abortion clinics to advertise on TV before 9pm. Condom ads, currently confined to one channel, would also be shown in the earlier time slot. Pro-life pregnancy counselling services could also advertise -- if they could afford it -- but would have to make it clear that they do not refer for abortion, “so that delays do not result in medical complications,” as one news report puts it. It would be too bad, wouldn't it, if women had time to think about what they were doing.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/throwing_oil_on_the_blaze_of_teenage_sex/
YouTube remains porn-friendly
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
The Culture and Media Institute claims YouTube is not keeping its commitment to be family-friendly.
According to the Institute's spokeswoman Colleen Raezler, YouTube's definition of family-friendly content is apparently opposes that of the average parent, who is concerned about what their children experience on the Internet.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=577594
The Culture and Media Institute claims YouTube is not keeping its commitment to be family-friendly.
According to the Institute's spokeswoman Colleen Raezler, YouTube's definition of family-friendly content is apparently opposes that of the average parent, who is concerned about what their children experience on the Internet.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=577594
Is the Abortion Debate Over?
by Micah Watson
The philosophical debate about abortion has reached a welcome level of clarity. The pro-life movement must capitalize on recent gains in public policy and opinion by equipping their grass-roots supporters with winsome arguments and effective strategies to continue to cultivate a culture of life.
The lines of disagreement in the philosophical debate over abortion have never been clearer. While the politics of abortion remain as tumultuous and contested as they have ever been, the underlying philosophical, ethical, and scientific issues have been clarified to the extent that any careful person can examine the arguments of both sides and come to a principled and informed position.
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2009.06.23.001.pdart
The philosophical debate about abortion has reached a welcome level of clarity. The pro-life movement must capitalize on recent gains in public policy and opinion by equipping their grass-roots supporters with winsome arguments and effective strategies to continue to cultivate a culture of life.
The lines of disagreement in the philosophical debate over abortion have never been clearer. While the politics of abortion remain as tumultuous and contested as they have ever been, the underlying philosophical, ethical, and scientific issues have been clarified to the extent that any careful person can examine the arguments of both sides and come to a principled and informed position.
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2009.06.23.001.pdart
For the men Pt II
Sheila Liaugminas
The feminization of society has taken a serious toll not only on boys but on families. Men need a boost.
NRO has a couple of them in two illuminating articles.
This one on manliness is a ’survival guide’ for the guys. And a darned interesting one. KJ Lopez interviews Frank Mintier about his new book.
I devoured Harvey Mansfield’s book Manliness. It’s a book that looks back across time to historically document the dismantling of manliness. Along the way it effectively defines manliness, and it articulates why so much in our modern culture is attacking masculinity. It’s a fine book. My book, on the other hand, is the antidote to the trend Mansfield so well outlines. The Ultimate Man’s Survival Guide is a how-to guide to becoming a hero, gentleman, survivor, philosopher, and more by tapping masters of different disciplines to teach the skills, philosophy, and bearing a well-rounded man should attain.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/for_the_men_pt_ii/
The feminization of society has taken a serious toll not only on boys but on families. Men need a boost.
NRO has a couple of them in two illuminating articles.
This one on manliness is a ’survival guide’ for the guys. And a darned interesting one. KJ Lopez interviews Frank Mintier about his new book.
I devoured Harvey Mansfield’s book Manliness. It’s a book that looks back across time to historically document the dismantling of manliness. Along the way it effectively defines manliness, and it articulates why so much in our modern culture is attacking masculinity. It’s a fine book. My book, on the other hand, is the antidote to the trend Mansfield so well outlines. The Ultimate Man’s Survival Guide is a how-to guide to becoming a hero, gentleman, survivor, philosopher, and more by tapping masters of different disciplines to teach the skills, philosophy, and bearing a well-rounded man should attain.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/for_the_men_pt_ii/
How many mothers die from ‘unsafe abortion’?
Donna J Harrison
Nobody knows, and current definitions are designed with political ends in mind.
Maternal deaths during pregnancy or childbirth, the vast majority in developing countries, constitute one of the world’s greatest hidden epidemics. The death toll is estimated at more than half a million mothers a year.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/how_many_mothers_die_from_unsafe_abortion/
Nobody knows, and current definitions are designed with political ends in mind.
Maternal deaths during pregnancy or childbirth, the vast majority in developing countries, constitute one of the world’s greatest hidden epidemics. The death toll is estimated at more than half a million mothers a year.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/how_many_mothers_die_from_unsafe_abortion/
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A statement of courage after an affair
Jenny Sanford statement released earlier:I would like to start by saying I love my husband and I believe I have put forth every effort possible to be the best wife I can be during our almost twenty years of marriage. As well, for the last fifteen years my husband has been fully engaged in public service to the citizens and taxpayers of this state and I have faithfully supported him in those efforts to the best of my ability. I have been and remain proud of his accomplishments and his service to this state.I personally believe that the greatest legacy I will leave behind in this world is not the job I held on Wall Street, or the campaigns I managed for Mark, or the work I have done as First Lady or even the philanthropic activities in which I have been routinely engaged. Instead, the greatest legacy I will leave in this world is the character of the children I, or we, leave behind. It is for that reason that I deeply regret the recent actions of my husband Mark, and their potential damage to our children.I believe wholeheartedly in the sanctity, dignity and importance of the institution of marriage. I believe that has been consistently reflected in my actions. When I found out about my husband's infidelity I worked immediately to first seek reconciliation through forgiveness, and then to work diligently to repair our marriage. We reached a point where I felt it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity, self-respect, and my basic sense of right and wrong. I therefore asked my husband to leave two weeks ago.This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage. During this short separation it was agreed that Mark would not contact us. I kept this separation quiet out of respect of his public office and reputation, and in hopes of keeping our children from just this type of public exposure. Because of this separation, I did not know where he was in the past week.I believe enduring love is primarily a commitment and an act of will, and for a marriage to be successful, that commitment must be reciprocal. I believe Mark has earned a chance to resurrect our marriage.Psalm 127 states that sons are a gift from the Lord and children a reward from Him. I will continue to pour my energy into raising our sons to be honorable young men. I remain willing to forgive Mark completely for his indiscretions and to welcome him back, in time, if he continues to work toward reconciliation with a true spirit of humility and repentance.This is a very painful time for us and I would humbly request now that members of the media respect the privacy of my boys and me as we struggle together to continue on with our lives and as I seek the wisdom of Solomon, the strength and patience of Job and the grace of God in helping to heal my family.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sen. Dodd Comes Out in Favor of Same-Sex 'Marriage'
By Kathleen Gilbert
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a Roman Catholic, on Sunday declared he had changed his position on same-sex "marriage," and now calls law defining marriage between a man and a woman "archaic" and "unfair."
“To my daughters, these couples are married simply because they love each other and want to build a life together," wrote Dodd on his Senate Web site. "That’s what we’ve taught them. The things that make those families different from their own pale in comparison to the commitments that bind those couples together.
"And, really, that’s what marriage should be. It’s about rights and responsibilities and, most of all, love."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09062310.html
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a Roman Catholic, on Sunday declared he had changed his position on same-sex "marriage," and now calls law defining marriage between a man and a woman "archaic" and "unfair."
“To my daughters, these couples are married simply because they love each other and want to build a life together," wrote Dodd on his Senate Web site. "That’s what we’ve taught them. The things that make those families different from their own pale in comparison to the commitments that bind those couples together.
"And, really, that’s what marriage should be. It’s about rights and responsibilities and, most of all, love."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09062310.html
More Than 10 Million Tune In for the Breakup of a Marriage
Lisa de Moraes
When "Jon & Kate Plus 8" announced Monday that Jon & Kate were splitting, it became cable's No. 1 unscripted series telecast. Ever.
[Note: Dr. Morse just made comments via podcast on this news and it will be going live soon.]
Here's a look at that historic development and last week's ratings ups and downs:
WINNERS
"Jon & Kate Plus 8." About 10.6 million of you tuned in to TLC on Monday night to watch Jon and Kate Gosselin announce they are splitting. Besides its No. 1 status among unscripted telecasts, it's also the second most watched cable series episode of any kind, ever -- behind only a "Hannah Montana" episode that immediately followed the premiere of "High School Musical 2" back in '07. I think it's safe to say those eight adorable children are going to continue leading their lives under the constant watch of TV cameras and paparazzi into their teens.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062303419.html
When "Jon & Kate Plus 8" announced Monday that Jon & Kate were splitting, it became cable's No. 1 unscripted series telecast. Ever.
[Note: Dr. Morse just made comments via podcast on this news and it will be going live soon.]
Here's a look at that historic development and last week's ratings ups and downs:
WINNERS
"Jon & Kate Plus 8." About 10.6 million of you tuned in to TLC on Monday night to watch Jon and Kate Gosselin announce they are splitting. Besides its No. 1 status among unscripted telecasts, it's also the second most watched cable series episode of any kind, ever -- behind only a "Hannah Montana" episode that immediately followed the premiere of "High School Musical 2" back in '07. I think it's safe to say those eight adorable children are going to continue leading their lives under the constant watch of TV cameras and paparazzi into their teens.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062303419.html
Poll: Support For Gay Marriage Dips
Posted by Stephanie Condon
"The poll found 33 percent favor marriage for same-sex couples, down somewhat from a high of 42 percent in April…" http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/17/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5094597.shtml
Dr. Morse says: This is not a small change: this is a complete collapse of support for same sex marriage! But the reporter has no desire to look behind the numbers and account for them. Could it be that people are starting to think through what redefining marriage will actually mean? Could it be that people are disgusted with the strongarm tactics of the gay lobby, in their treatment of people like Carrie Prejean? Could it be that people find the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling to be revolting? I don’t know. But at least, I’m asking, which is more than the Main Stream Media is doing.
"The poll found 33 percent favor marriage for same-sex couples, down somewhat from a high of 42 percent in April…" http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/17/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5094597.shtml
Dr. Morse says: This is not a small change: this is a complete collapse of support for same sex marriage! But the reporter has no desire to look behind the numbers and account for them. Could it be that people are starting to think through what redefining marriage will actually mean? Could it be that people are disgusted with the strongarm tactics of the gay lobby, in their treatment of people like Carrie Prejean? Could it be that people find the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling to be revolting? I don’t know. But at least, I’m asking, which is more than the Main Stream Media is doing.
Destroying life for science
Journalist Charles Kraut-hammer quotes Dr. James Thomson, discoverer of embryonic stem cells as saying, "If human embryonic stem cell research does not make you at least a little bit uncomfortable, then you have not thought about it enough." I'd add, or there's something wrong with your sense of ethics.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Destroying+life+science/1719495/story.html
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Destroying+life+science/1719495/story.html
75% of Americans say that being a dad is a man's most important job
Elijah Friedeman
According to a new Rasmussen poll, 75% of Americans think that "being a father is the most important role a man can fill in today’s world."
The poll also said that 14% disagree and 12% say they aren't sure.
Men were more likely than women to say that a man's most important job is being a dad with 78% of men and 72% of women agreeing.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=573296
According to a new Rasmussen poll, 75% of Americans think that "being a father is the most important role a man can fill in today’s world."
The poll also said that 14% disagree and 12% say they aren't sure.
Men were more likely than women to say that a man's most important job is being a dad with 78% of men and 72% of women agreeing.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=573296
Monday, June 22, 2009
Five Myths on Fathers and Family
By W. Bradford Wilcox
With Father’s Day almost upon us, expect a host of media stories on men and family life. Some will do a good job of capturing the changes and continuities associated with fatherhood in contemporary America. But other reporters and writers will generalize from their own unrepresentative networks of friends and family members, try to baptize the latest family trend, or assume that our society is heading ceaselessly in a progressive direction. So be on the lookout this week for stories, op-eds, and essays that include these five myths on contemporary fatherhood and family life.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZTg3OTc1MWUwNDExZTI4MGZiMGMyY2UyZGU5ZTMwOGM=
With Father’s Day almost upon us, expect a host of media stories on men and family life. Some will do a good job of capturing the changes and continuities associated with fatherhood in contemporary America. But other reporters and writers will generalize from their own unrepresentative networks of friends and family members, try to baptize the latest family trend, or assume that our society is heading ceaselessly in a progressive direction. So be on the lookout this week for stories, op-eds, and essays that include these five myths on contemporary fatherhood and family life.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZTg3OTc1MWUwNDExZTI4MGZiMGMyY2UyZGU5ZTMwOGM=
A role the government can’t fill
Carolyn Moynihan
Inspiring words from the Commander-in-Chief during a young men’s barbecue at the White House on Friday. Students from local schools came to discuss the importance of fatherhood and taking personal responsibility with President Obama and other famous fathers.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/a_role_the_government_cant_fill/
Inspiring words from the Commander-in-Chief during a young men’s barbecue at the White House on Friday. Students from local schools came to discuss the importance of fatherhood and taking personal responsibility with President Obama and other famous fathers.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/a_role_the_government_cant_fill/
Reliable dads deserve respect
Rebecca Hagelin
Recently I saw a MasterCard commercial in which a preteen son arrogantly "teaches" the father environmental lessons while grocery shopping. Right
After the son shows Dad the silly Earth-preserving "importance" of buying a reusable grocery bag, the tag line appears: "Helping your dad become a better man? Priceless."
Such subtle messages about the supremacy of children over their dads are now common. Turn on the television and watch just about any channel for one evening and a particularly disgusting pattern begins to emerge: The "dad" is often portrayed as wimpy, ignorant and doltish. Everyone is smarter and more mature than Dad is. Nearly everyone else is also more attractive and physically fit. You would think that all fathers have actually become Homer Simpson.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/reliable_dads_deserve_respect/
Recently I saw a MasterCard commercial in which a preteen son arrogantly "teaches" the father environmental lessons while grocery shopping. Right
After the son shows Dad the silly Earth-preserving "importance" of buying a reusable grocery bag, the tag line appears: "Helping your dad become a better man? Priceless."
Such subtle messages about the supremacy of children over their dads are now common. Turn on the television and watch just about any channel for one evening and a particularly disgusting pattern begins to emerge: The "dad" is often portrayed as wimpy, ignorant and doltish. Everyone is smarter and more mature than Dad is. Nearly everyone else is also more attractive and physically fit. You would think that all fathers have actually become Homer Simpson.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/reliable_dads_deserve_respect/
Lowering the boom on the boomers
Carolyn Moynihan
A generation's self-indulgence has wrecked the family. Now it's time to clean up.
Ever since the baby boom generation first arrived on the world scene six decades ago, they have been the spoilt kids on the block. We (because I am one of them) were delivered in well-run maternity hospitals where our mothers could stay for a week if necessary, rather than being turned out after a day. Our families had subsidised housing if we needed it. Our early school years had perks like free apples and milk, and our free education extended right through university.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/lowering_the_boom_on_the_boomers/
A generation's self-indulgence has wrecked the family. Now it's time to clean up.
Ever since the baby boom generation first arrived on the world scene six decades ago, they have been the spoilt kids on the block. We (because I am one of them) were delivered in well-run maternity hospitals where our mothers could stay for a week if necessary, rather than being turned out after a day. Our families had subsidised housing if we needed it. Our early school years had perks like free apples and milk, and our free education extended right through university.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/lowering_the_boom_on_the_boomers/
What we need is a fatherhood revolution
Warwick Marsh
The times they are a-changing. Being a dad is becoming cool.
Father's Day 2009 is being celebrated with a renewed sense of vigour and excitement. Fathers and children are appearing in more advertisements. The media are running father-friendly stories. Restaurants are booked out for Father's Day as well as Mother's Day.
When the Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation was formed in 2002 to help and encourage Australian dads, our television community service advertisements were initially threatened with a black ban by the Advertising Standards Board. Political correctness ruled the day and fathers were incorrect. This would not happen today. Fatherhood has become sexy, a newspaper here said recently. A quick squiz at pop culture supports this optimistic statement.
Take the 2003 film Finding Nemo. That was a story about a father fish looking for his son. Amazingly, it is well inside the top 20 grossing movies of all time. Just a bit further down that list are other popular movies with positive fatherhood themes: I am Sam, Dear Frankie, The Incredibles, Night at the Museum, Pursuit of Happyness, and the brilliant Australian movie with Eric Bana, Romulus My Father. Even Snoop Dogg is cashing in on the fatherhood revival with his Father Hood TV show.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/what_we_need_is_a_fatherhood_revolution/
The times they are a-changing. Being a dad is becoming cool.
Father's Day 2009 is being celebrated with a renewed sense of vigour and excitement. Fathers and children are appearing in more advertisements. The media are running father-friendly stories. Restaurants are booked out for Father's Day as well as Mother's Day.
When the Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation was formed in 2002 to help and encourage Australian dads, our television community service advertisements were initially threatened with a black ban by the Advertising Standards Board. Political correctness ruled the day and fathers were incorrect. This would not happen today. Fatherhood has become sexy, a newspaper here said recently. A quick squiz at pop culture supports this optimistic statement.
Take the 2003 film Finding Nemo. That was a story about a father fish looking for his son. Amazingly, it is well inside the top 20 grossing movies of all time. Just a bit further down that list are other popular movies with positive fatherhood themes: I am Sam, Dear Frankie, The Incredibles, Night at the Museum, Pursuit of Happyness, and the brilliant Australian movie with Eric Bana, Romulus My Father. Even Snoop Dogg is cashing in on the fatherhood revival with his Father Hood TV show.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/what_we_need_is_a_fatherhood_revolution/
Friday, June 19, 2009
No benefits for LA girl born from dead man's sperm
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- A 10-year-old girl conceived from the frozen sperm of a dead man cannot receive his Social Security benefits, a federal appeals court ruled.A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court's rejection of child survivor benefits for Brandalynn Vernoff, who was born nearly four years after her father's death in 1995.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POSTMORTEM_SPERM?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POSTMORTEM_SPERM?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Internet, the thief of family time
Carolyn Moynihan
If anybody doubted it, research by one of America’s leading journalisminstitutes confirms that the Internet is making inroads into familytime. Members are dealing with each other less face-to-face, women inparticular are tending to feel ignored at times, and parents worry thattheir children are spending too much time online.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/internet_the_thief_of_family_time/
If anybody doubted it, research by one of America’s leading journalisminstitutes confirms that the Internet is making inroads into familytime. Members are dealing with each other less face-to-face, women inparticular are tending to feel ignored at times, and parents worry thattheir children are spending too much time online.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/internet_the_thief_of_family_time/
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Dead End of Secularism
BY Jennifer Roback Morse Ph.D.
Secularism was to be the wave of the future. Leading secular theorists such as Peter Berger taught that secularism would be the inevitable result of the inexorable march of progress and that its many advantages would simply drive out religion in all of its forms. No serious discussion was possible or necessary. Religion would be deposited unceremoniously on the dustbin of history.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the dustbin: secularism has not only failed to triumph over religion, it can’t even reproduce itself. In spite of enormous institutional advantages conferred on it by the state, the media and academia, secularism has created a society that cannot achieve replacement fertility. The most secular places tend to have the lowest fertility rates, and within countries, the most modern parts of modern societies tend to have the lowest fertility rates.
http://www.tothesource.org/6_11_2009/6_11_2009.htm
Secularism was to be the wave of the future. Leading secular theorists such as Peter Berger taught that secularism would be the inevitable result of the inexorable march of progress and that its many advantages would simply drive out religion in all of its forms. No serious discussion was possible or necessary. Religion would be deposited unceremoniously on the dustbin of history.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the dustbin: secularism has not only failed to triumph over religion, it can’t even reproduce itself. In spite of enormous institutional advantages conferred on it by the state, the media and academia, secularism has created a society that cannot achieve replacement fertility. The most secular places tend to have the lowest fertility rates, and within countries, the most modern parts of modern societies tend to have the lowest fertility rates.
http://www.tothesource.org/6_11_2009/6_11_2009.htm
The “Federal Strategy” to Impose Same-Sex “Marriage”: Good News for Defenders of Marriage?
by Helen Alvaré, J.D., Senior Fellow in Law
It is well-known by now that the effort to overturn California’s Proposition 8 lost at the California Supreme Court. Proposition 8 is the citizens’ initiative which overturned that same court’s prior decision ‘finding” a right to same-sex “marriage” within the California Constitution. Gay rights’ reaction to the latest court ruling has included calls for another citizen vote on the subject in 2010. Leading same-sex marriage proponents have not tended to support the alternative strategy of bringing their cause before a U.S. federal court. The U.S. Constitution gives the federal courts jurisdiction to hear claims that state action violates federal constitutional guarantees. In the case of same-sex marriage, plaintiffs would argue before a federal court that state laws reserving marriage for opposite-sex couples violates both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
http://www.culture-of-life.org/
It is well-known by now that the effort to overturn California’s Proposition 8 lost at the California Supreme Court. Proposition 8 is the citizens’ initiative which overturned that same court’s prior decision ‘finding” a right to same-sex “marriage” within the California Constitution. Gay rights’ reaction to the latest court ruling has included calls for another citizen vote on the subject in 2010. Leading same-sex marriage proponents have not tended to support the alternative strategy of bringing their cause before a U.S. federal court. The U.S. Constitution gives the federal courts jurisdiction to hear claims that state action violates federal constitutional guarantees. In the case of same-sex marriage, plaintiffs would argue before a federal court that state laws reserving marriage for opposite-sex couples violates both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
http://www.culture-of-life.org/
Iowa Supreme Court Decision Overturns Ban on Same Sex Marriage
by Helen Alvaré, J.D., Senior Fellow in Law
It must be said first that the Iowa Supreme Court decision (Varnum v. O’Brien, No. 07-1499, April 3, 2009) which invented a state constitutional right to same sex “marriage” is very hard to read. By this I don’t mean to say that it is intellectually complex for any reader possessing legal training. I mean that it is hard on a rational reader’s desire for logic and hard on a fair reader’s sense of justice. It is hard for those who know something about U.S. constitutional law or family law because seven out of seven of Iowa’s Supreme Court justices summarily jettisoned or ignored much of the accumulated wisdom in both of those fields.
http://culture-of-life.org/content/view/557/1/
It must be said first that the Iowa Supreme Court decision (Varnum v. O’Brien, No. 07-1499, April 3, 2009) which invented a state constitutional right to same sex “marriage” is very hard to read. By this I don’t mean to say that it is intellectually complex for any reader possessing legal training. I mean that it is hard on a rational reader’s desire for logic and hard on a fair reader’s sense of justice. It is hard for those who know something about U.S. constitutional law or family law because seven out of seven of Iowa’s Supreme Court justices summarily jettisoned or ignored much of the accumulated wisdom in both of those fields.
http://culture-of-life.org/content/view/557/1/
AP source: Same-sex partners to get fed benefits
PHILIP ELLIOTT
WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama, whose homosexual supporters have grown frustrated with his slow movement on their priorities, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, a White House official said.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Headlines/Default.aspx?id=570344
WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama, whose homosexual supporters have grown frustrated with his slow movement on their priorities, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, a White House official said.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Headlines/Default.aspx?id=570344
Think again
Sheila Liaugminas
Culture wars and political battles are about ideas. Media and marketing help shape public thinking about the issues.
So changing hearts and minds requires reaching people with facts and inviting them to a conversation. A quiet and classy new campaign has started in the Washington area that’s designed to do just that.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/think_again/
Culture wars and political battles are about ideas. Media and marketing help shape public thinking about the issues.
So changing hearts and minds requires reaching people with facts and inviting them to a conversation. A quiet and classy new campaign has started in the Washington area that’s designed to do just that.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/think_again/
'An embryo property case'
Sheila Liaugminas
That’s lawyer-speak in a lively debate over a bizarre case of implantation gone wrong in a UK clinic. “There really has to be a legal line on when life begins…” snapped the Fox News anchor who sometime during this debate corrected herself from calling an embryo a baby.
So though cases like this are stunning, they are probably logical extensions of the pervasive abortion culture. An invitro fertilization clinic in Wales implanted the wrong woman with the last embryo of another couple. The woman wrongly implanted then had an abortion.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/an_embryo_property_case/
That’s lawyer-speak in a lively debate over a bizarre case of implantation gone wrong in a UK clinic. “There really has to be a legal line on when life begins…” snapped the Fox News anchor who sometime during this debate corrected herself from calling an embryo a baby.
So though cases like this are stunning, they are probably logical extensions of the pervasive abortion culture. An invitro fertilization clinic in Wales implanted the wrong woman with the last embryo of another couple. The woman wrongly implanted then had an abortion.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/an_embryo_property_case/
The wrong cure for infertility
Bill Muehlenberg
Turning baby-making into a technology can have devastating results.
For some men and women, IVF can seem like a godsend. Inability is always felt as a grievous loss for loving couples. But the clinics which offer IVF and other "assisted reproductive technology" techniques are businesses, and offer services, not love. They make mistakes which devastate lives.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/the_wrong_cure_for_infertility/
Turning baby-making into a technology can have devastating results.
For some men and women, IVF can seem like a godsend. Inability is always felt as a grievous loss for loving couples. But the clinics which offer IVF and other "assisted reproductive technology" techniques are businesses, and offer services, not love. They make mistakes which devastate lives.
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/the_wrong_cure_for_infertility/
Tiger Woods: ‘Nothing beats fun with the kids’
Carolyn Moynihan
What is it about golf and fatherhood? Jack Nicklaus was the super dad(of five) of his day. A few years ago it New Zealand whiz-kid MichaelCampbell who carried the torch for family life. Now it’s Tiger Woods,poster boy for Father’s Day as he delights in the recent expansion ofhis family.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/tiger_woods_nothing_beats_fun_with_the_kids/
What is it about golf and fatherhood? Jack Nicklaus was the super dad(of five) of his day. A few years ago it New Zealand whiz-kid MichaelCampbell who carried the torch for family life. Now it’s Tiger Woods,poster boy for Father’s Day as he delights in the recent expansion ofhis family.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/tiger_woods_nothing_beats_fun_with_the_kids/
Sex Without Intimacy: No Dating, No Relationships
by Brenda Wilson
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105008712&ft=1&f=1001
Morning Edition, June 8, 2009 ¡P The hookup — that meeting and mating ritual that started among high school and college students — is becoming a trend among young people who have entered the workaday world. For the many who are delaying the responsibilities of marriage and child-rearing, hooking up has virtually replaced dating. It is a major shift in the culture over the past few decades, says Kathleen Bogle, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at La Salle University.Young people during one of the most sexually active periods of their lives aren't necessarily looking for a mate. What used to be a mate-seeking ritual has shifted to hookups: sexual encounters with no strings attached.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105008712&ft=1&f=1001
Morning Edition, June 8, 2009 ¡P The hookup — that meeting and mating ritual that started among high school and college students — is becoming a trend among young people who have entered the workaday world. For the many who are delaying the responsibilities of marriage and child-rearing, hooking up has virtually replaced dating. It is a major shift in the culture over the past few decades, says Kathleen Bogle, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at La Salle University.Young people during one of the most sexually active periods of their lives aren't necessarily looking for a mate. What used to be a mate-seeking ritual has shifted to hookups: sexual encounters with no strings attached.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Another late-term abortionist revives Tiller's mission
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow -
A late-term abortionist has said he will perform limited late-term abortions in Nebraska and plans to open a Kansas facility, too. His announcement comes on the heels of the murder of Wichita abortionist George Tiller.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=567674
A late-term abortionist has said he will perform limited late-term abortions in Nebraska and plans to open a Kansas facility, too. His announcement comes on the heels of the murder of Wichita abortionist George Tiller.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=567674
The science of sex
Marcia Segelstein - Guest Columnist -
Thanks to medical science, we now know that smoking cigarettes is unhealthy. It can lead to diseases like emphysema and lung cancer, and increase the risks of heart disease and stroke. So we have acted swiftly on that information. In one generation, our attitude about smoking has undergone a remarkable transformation. Where smoking was once commonplace, and homes everywhere had ashtrays, even if only for visiting smokers, today it's almost shocking to see someone light up. Banned from airplanes, offices and many restaurants, smoking – and smokers – are viewed with a kind of disdain at worst, pity at best. TV shows and movies rarely show people smoking, except when they're villains. The dangers of smoking are taught to young people with almost religious zeal. Most modern parents who found evidence that their teenagers were smoking would haul them down to the nearest cancer ward for a close up look at the consequences of smoking, or at least to their doctor, who would undoubtedly back up parental warnings that smoking is dangerous to their health.
Now substitute the words "casual sex" for "smoking." Thanks to medical science, we now know that casual sex is unhealthy. Not just because of the myriad of sexually transmitted diseases it can cause, to say nothing of the unwanted pregnancies it can create, but because of what it does to the human brain. Two doctors, Joe McIlhaney and Freda McKissic Bush, explain what we now know about sex and the human brain in their book, Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex Is Affecting Our Children.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=567964
Thanks to medical science, we now know that smoking cigarettes is unhealthy. It can lead to diseases like emphysema and lung cancer, and increase the risks of heart disease and stroke. So we have acted swiftly on that information. In one generation, our attitude about smoking has undergone a remarkable transformation. Where smoking was once commonplace, and homes everywhere had ashtrays, even if only for visiting smokers, today it's almost shocking to see someone light up. Banned from airplanes, offices and many restaurants, smoking – and smokers – are viewed with a kind of disdain at worst, pity at best. TV shows and movies rarely show people smoking, except when they're villains. The dangers of smoking are taught to young people with almost religious zeal. Most modern parents who found evidence that their teenagers were smoking would haul them down to the nearest cancer ward for a close up look at the consequences of smoking, or at least to their doctor, who would undoubtedly back up parental warnings that smoking is dangerous to their health.
Now substitute the words "casual sex" for "smoking." Thanks to medical science, we now know that casual sex is unhealthy. Not just because of the myriad of sexually transmitted diseases it can cause, to say nothing of the unwanted pregnancies it can create, but because of what it does to the human brain. Two doctors, Joe McIlhaney and Freda McKissic Bush, explain what we now know about sex and the human brain in their book, Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex Is Affecting Our Children.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=567964
British home-schoolers on notice to register
Carolyn Moynihan
In America it is flourishing, in Germany it is banned, and in Britain home schooling is about to come under closer government control to ensure that families are not using home tuition as a cover for abuse. Parents will soon be required to register their child with their local authority, as is standard in many European countries.
Some 20,000 children are already registered as home-educated, but the actual number could be three or four times as high, as parents who have never sent their child to school are not compelled to tell the authorities.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/british_home_schoolers_on_notice_to_register/
In America it is flourishing, in Germany it is banned, and in Britain home schooling is about to come under closer government control to ensure that families are not using home tuition as a cover for abuse. Parents will soon be required to register their child with their local authority, as is standard in many European countries.
Some 20,000 children are already registered as home-educated, but the actual number could be three or four times as high, as parents who have never sent their child to school are not compelled to tell the authorities.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/british_home_schoolers_on_notice_to_register/
Dear Dad, it’s been a long time…
Carolyn Moynihan
Father’s Day is celebrated this Sunday in the United States but thereare a great many families where dad is alienated from mum and/or hischildren. So the Ruth Institute has come up with a reconciliationproposal for these families, suggesting that “now would be a good timeto pick up the phone, or write a short note, opening the door forfurther communication.”
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/dear_dad_its_been_a_long_time/
Father’s Day is celebrated this Sunday in the United States but thereare a great many families where dad is alienated from mum and/or hischildren. So the Ruth Institute has come up with a reconciliationproposal for these families, suggesting that “now would be a good timeto pick up the phone, or write a short note, opening the door forfurther communication.”
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/dear_dad_its_been_a_long_time/
Student agrees - parents' rights rule over teachers'
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow -
An Alberta student is voicing his support through Facebook for a controversial bill dealing with sex education.
Bill 44 is the controversial human rights bill that was recently passed in Alberta, Canada. The bill gives parents the right to opt their children out of controversial sex-ed programs in school and carries stiffs fines for teachers who do not adequately warn parents when such programs and lessons take place.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=565024
An Alberta student is voicing his support through Facebook for a controversial bill dealing with sex education.
Bill 44 is the controversial human rights bill that was recently passed in Alberta, Canada. The bill gives parents the right to opt their children out of controversial sex-ed programs in school and carries stiffs fines for teachers who do not adequately warn parents when such programs and lessons take place.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=565024
Monday, June 15, 2009
Former Miss Calif: Homosexual comment cost me my crown
Associated Press -
LOS ANGELES, CA - Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean says she lost her crown because of a comment she made about homosexual "marriage" -- not because she had been skipping appearances.
Prejean told Matt Lauer on NBC'S Today show Friday that she "absolutely" had been dethroned because of the comment, when she said marriage should be between a man and a woman.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=564850
LOS ANGELES, CA - Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean says she lost her crown because of a comment she made about homosexual "marriage" -- not because she had been skipping appearances.
Prejean told Matt Lauer on NBC'S Today show Friday that she "absolutely" had been dethroned because of the comment, when she said marriage should be between a man and a woman.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=564850
Catholic diocese -- set to partner with abortion services?
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow -
American Life League (ALL) is sounding an alarm over a potential abortion scandal involving the Archdiocese of Boston.
Celticare is a joint venture partnering the archdiocesan Caritas Christi Health Care network with another corporation, which will join Massachusetts' subsidized health program July 1 -- a program that mandates abortion. ALL spokesperson Katie Walker says the archdiocese is using an odd approach.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=563720
American Life League (ALL) is sounding an alarm over a potential abortion scandal involving the Archdiocese of Boston.
Celticare is a joint venture partnering the archdiocesan Caritas Christi Health Care network with another corporation, which will join Massachusetts' subsidized health program July 1 -- a program that mandates abortion. ALL spokesperson Katie Walker says the archdiocese is using an odd approach.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=563720
Catholic mom's son fostered by homosexual couple against her wishes
A Catholic mother in Britain who is unable to care for her son has objected to him being placed in the foster care of a homosexual couple. She has expressed concern the couple could encourage him into a way of life she does not agree with, amid reports the boy is already asking about homosexuality.
The ten-year-old child was scheduled to arrive Monday at his permanent new foster home, a hotel in Brighton run by two homosexual men, the Daily Mail reports. Social workers at Brighton and Hove Council, who have full custody of the child, decided on his long-term placement last month. His mother reportedly suffered a mental breakdown after an abusive marriage and cannot care for her son.
The mother has told friends she is concerned about the environment in which her son will be placed. She has said she wants him fostered by a traditional family in line with Catholic belief.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16254
The ten-year-old child was scheduled to arrive Monday at his permanent new foster home, a hotel in Brighton run by two homosexual men, the Daily Mail reports. Social workers at Brighton and Hove Council, who have full custody of the child, decided on his long-term placement last month. His mother reportedly suffered a mental breakdown after an abusive marriage and cannot care for her son.
The mother has told friends she is concerned about the environment in which her son will be placed. She has said she wants him fostered by a traditional family in line with Catholic belief.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16254
When the Right to Die Becomes a Duty
By Colleen Carroll Campbell
Linda Fleming, a 66-year-old, legally bankrupt cancer patient living alone in Sequim, Wash., recently became the first person to kill herself under her state's new assisted-suicide law. As in neighboring Oregon, where a similar law has facilitated more than 400 suicides since 1997, the measure that paved the way for Fleming's death allows suicidal adults to obtain lethal prescriptions as long as they are competent and have been diagnosed with a terminal condition by two physicians.
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.3838/pub_detail.asp
Linda Fleming, a 66-year-old, legally bankrupt cancer patient living alone in Sequim, Wash., recently became the first person to kill herself under her state's new assisted-suicide law. As in neighboring Oregon, where a similar law has facilitated more than 400 suicides since 1997, the measure that paved the way for Fleming's death allows suicidal adults to obtain lethal prescriptions as long as they are competent and have been diagnosed with a terminal condition by two physicians.
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.3838/pub_detail.asp
ND Prez Jenkins Has "No Interest" in Asking for Leniency for ND Protesters Despite Calls for “Dialogue”
By Kathleen Gilbert
SOUTH BEND, Indiana, June 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The president of the University of Notre Dame has "no interest" in interfering with the fates of over 80 peaceful pro-life protesters arrested on campus while protesting President Obama's May 17 commencement speech, says the pro-lifers' attorney. One of the arrestees, Lambs of Christ founder Fr. Norman Weslin, issued a statement Monday calling on University president Fr. John Jenkins to heed the arrested group's requests to meet, which Weslin says Fr. Jenkins has ignored.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061007.html
SOUTH BEND, Indiana, June 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The president of the University of Notre Dame has "no interest" in interfering with the fates of over 80 peaceful pro-life protesters arrested on campus while protesting President Obama's May 17 commencement speech, says the pro-lifers' attorney. One of the arrestees, Lambs of Christ founder Fr. Norman Weslin, issued a statement Monday calling on University president Fr. John Jenkins to heed the arrested group's requests to meet, which Weslin says Fr. Jenkins has ignored.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061007.html
Facebook and Divorce
By Belinda Luscombe
Not long after Patrick told his wife Tammie he wanted a divorce, she posted an angry, hurt note on "the wall," or public-comments section, of his Facebook page. Embarrassed that his colleagues, clients, church friends and family could see evidence of his marital woes, he deleted it and blocked his wife from seeing his page. A couple of days later, the IT worker in Florida--who asked that his last name not be used in this story — found alarmed messages from two Facebook friends in his inbox. Tammie had used a mutual friend's account to view Patrick's wall and e-mailed several women he had had exchanges with. He says her e-mails were borderline defamatory. She says they merely noted that he was married with children, a fact he had left off his Facebook profile. Either way: Ouch.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1904147,00.html
Not long after Patrick told his wife Tammie he wanted a divorce, she posted an angry, hurt note on "the wall," or public-comments section, of his Facebook page. Embarrassed that his colleagues, clients, church friends and family could see evidence of his marital woes, he deleted it and blocked his wife from seeing his page. A couple of days later, the IT worker in Florida--who asked that his last name not be used in this story — found alarmed messages from two Facebook friends in his inbox. Tammie had used a mutual friend's account to view Patrick's wall and e-mailed several women he had had exchanges with. He says her e-mails were borderline defamatory. She says they merely noted that he was married with children, a fact he had left off his Facebook profile. Either way: Ouch.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1904147,00.html
Thursday, June 11, 2009
U.S. can't adopt China's porn policy
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow -
China is ordering all new personal computers sold within the country to have software that blocks all online pornography.All pornography is unacceptable, according to Rick Schatz of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families. But he says adopting China's policy would not work in the U.S.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=561920
China is ordering all new personal computers sold within the country to have software that blocks all online pornography.All pornography is unacceptable, according to Rick Schatz of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families. But he says adopting China's policy would not work in the U.S.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=561920
Why Carrie Prejean was stripped of Miss California title
Elijah Friedeman, the Millennial Perspective
...Prejean countered the accusation saying that the producers of Miss California USA had wanted her to pose semi-nude for Playboy for $140,000 and to star on the reality show "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" but she had declined both offers.
Even though Carrie Prejean has lost her title, she is not without supporters and fans. If she had merely played according to everyone's rules and won the Miss USA title, no one would know her name. Noe she is something of a celebrity among conservatives. It will be interesting to see what Prejean does in the future. She has expressed interest in writing a book, which she is now able to do since she no longer is in a contract with Miss California USA.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=563000
...Prejean countered the accusation saying that the producers of Miss California USA had wanted her to pose semi-nude for Playboy for $140,000 and to star on the reality show "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" but she had declined both offers.
Even though Carrie Prejean has lost her title, she is not without supporters and fans. If she had merely played according to everyone's rules and won the Miss USA title, no one would know her name. Noe she is something of a celebrity among conservatives. It will be interesting to see what Prejean does in the future. She has expressed interest in writing a book, which she is now able to do since she no longer is in a contract with Miss California USA.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=563000
Dealing with teen anger
Mark Gregston
Anger in your teenager can take on many faces. It can be a seething anger kept quietly below the surface, or a tidal wave unleashed on everyone around them. Anger can manifest itself in a covert refusal to comply with your household rules or wishes, or outright acts that can ruin their relationships, undermine their own future or bring harm to themselves. And if left unchecked, it can lead to violence and trouble with the law.
Anger in teenagers usually comes from some unmet need or heart-longing. Such "wants" can be immature and selfish; like wanting more material things. Or the more complicated want for control and independence. But these can also be a smokescreen for deeper wants, like the want for love, acceptance, or even the want for more clearly defined rules to live by. Or, it can be a want for life to be the way it was before a major event took place, like the breakup of the family, the loss of innocence, or a betrayal. Anger can also come from the want to not be ridiculed or bullied, or the want to be "normal" as defined by today's teen culture.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=560652
Anger in your teenager can take on many faces. It can be a seething anger kept quietly below the surface, or a tidal wave unleashed on everyone around them. Anger can manifest itself in a covert refusal to comply with your household rules or wishes, or outright acts that can ruin their relationships, undermine their own future or bring harm to themselves. And if left unchecked, it can lead to violence and trouble with the law.
Anger in teenagers usually comes from some unmet need or heart-longing. Such "wants" can be immature and selfish; like wanting more material things. Or the more complicated want for control and independence. But these can also be a smokescreen for deeper wants, like the want for love, acceptance, or even the want for more clearly defined rules to live by. Or, it can be a want for life to be the way it was before a major event took place, like the breakup of the family, the loss of innocence, or a betrayal. Anger can also come from the want to not be ridiculed or bullied, or the want to be "normal" as defined by today's teen culture.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=560652
Closing of Tiller's clinic was on the horizon
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
The family of murdered late-term abortionist George Tiller has announced that the Wichita clinic where he practiced will close permanently.
On Tuesday, Tiller's family said in a statement that Women's Health Care Services, Inc. -- the abortuary operated by the slain abortionist -- will be "permanently closed." While the clinic was operational, literally tens of thousands of unborn children were killed under Tiller's guidance and participation. Headquarters for the pro-life group Operation Rescue are located next door to the clinic. OR president Troy Newman labels the announcement a "bittersweet moment," pointing out that his group is always jubilant when a notorious abortion facility closes its doors.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=560808
The family of murdered late-term abortionist George Tiller has announced that the Wichita clinic where he practiced will close permanently.
On Tuesday, Tiller's family said in a statement that Women's Health Care Services, Inc. -- the abortuary operated by the slain abortionist -- will be "permanently closed." While the clinic was operational, literally tens of thousands of unborn children were killed under Tiller's guidance and participation. Headquarters for the pro-life group Operation Rescue are located next door to the clinic. OR president Troy Newman labels the announcement a "bittersweet moment," pointing out that his group is always jubilant when a notorious abortion facility closes its doors.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=560808
Sense of family obligation healthy for teens
Children of immigrants often excel as students because their parentshave very high expectations of them and make sacrifices to ensure theyget the best opportunities. Now a study of Chinese-American youthsshows that they have another advantage over their peers: they tend tohave better mental health than average in their mid-teens. The reasonhighlighted by the study is their sense of obligation to their families-- caring for siblings or helping elders, for example.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/sense_of_family_obligation_healthy_for_teens/
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/sense_of_family_obligation_healthy_for_teens/
New York May Use Taxpayer Money to Buy Human Eggs
New York's Empire State Stem Cell Board is expected to vote Thursday on a plan that would use state money to pay women for their eggs, which would be used for research. It would make New York the only state to tacitly endorse a cash-for-eggs scheme.
Jennifer Lahl, founder and national director of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, said called the plan a "twisted sort of logic."
"The egg donation process has well-documented risks associated with the dangerous drugs taken," she said in a statement. "Added to these dangers are the longer-term risks associated with cancers and damage to the donors' future fertility."
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000010210.cfm
Jennifer Lahl, founder and national director of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, said called the plan a "twisted sort of logic."
"The egg donation process has well-documented risks associated with the dangerous drugs taken," she said in a statement. "Added to these dangers are the longer-term risks associated with cancers and damage to the donors' future fertility."
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000010210.cfm
School board breaking federal law with 'gay' day?
By Chelsea Schilling
Homosexual curriculum pushed on students without letting parents opt-out
A California school district is being accused of violating federal law after it approved a mandatory homosexual curriculum for children as young as 5 – without allowing parents to opt-out of the lessons.
As WND reported, the mandatory program, officially titled "LGBT Lesson #9," was approved May 26 by the Alameda County Board of Education by a vote of 3-2. Students from kindergarten through fifth grade are scheduled to learn about "tolerance" for the homosexual lifestyle beginning next school year.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100678
Homosexual curriculum pushed on students without letting parents opt-out
A California school district is being accused of violating federal law after it approved a mandatory homosexual curriculum for children as young as 5 – without allowing parents to opt-out of the lessons.
As WND reported, the mandatory program, officially titled "LGBT Lesson #9," was approved May 26 by the Alameda County Board of Education by a vote of 3-2. Students from kindergarten through fifth grade are scheduled to learn about "tolerance" for the homosexual lifestyle beginning next school year.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100678
Same-Sex Marriage and the Death of Tradition
Carson Holloway
Conservatism emerged as a defense of tradition. Edmund Burke, universally acknowledged as the founder of modern conservatism, famously defended tradition as a source of social safety and stability, a bulwark against the corrosive effects of an unfettered rationalism. To be sure, neither Burke nor his later followers have defended a blind adherence to traditional social forms. As Burke noted, a state incapable of change is a state without the means of its own preservation. Tradition must often be altered and adapted to new circumstances. Nevertheless, for the conservative, if tradition is not always to be preserved, it is at least always to be given the benefit of the doubt. As the most eminent of American Burkeans, Russell Kirk, once said, "if it is not necessary to change, then it is necessary not to change.
http://www.firstthings.com/on_the_square_entry.php?year=2009&month=06&title_link=same-sex-marriage-and-the-deat
Conservatism emerged as a defense of tradition. Edmund Burke, universally acknowledged as the founder of modern conservatism, famously defended tradition as a source of social safety and stability, a bulwark against the corrosive effects of an unfettered rationalism. To be sure, neither Burke nor his later followers have defended a blind adherence to traditional social forms. As Burke noted, a state incapable of change is a state without the means of its own preservation. Tradition must often be altered and adapted to new circumstances. Nevertheless, for the conservative, if tradition is not always to be preserved, it is at least always to be given the benefit of the doubt. As the most eminent of American Burkeans, Russell Kirk, once said, "if it is not necessary to change, then it is necessary not to change.
http://www.firstthings.com/on_the_square_entry.php?year=2009&month=06&title_link=same-sex-marriage-and-the-deat
"Stop Funding Pro-Abortion Groups in Our Country": Peru Bishops to Canadian Bishops
By John-Henry Westen
LIMA, June 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a May 28 letter, the Bishops Conference of Peru has “formally” requested that the bishops of Canada cease funding pro-abortion groups in Peru via the Canadian Catholic Organization of Development & Peace (D&P). “It is very disturbing to have groups which work against the Bishops of Peru by attempting to undermine legal protection for the right to life of unborn children, be funded by our brother bishops in Canada,” says the letter.
The letter marks a major breakthrough in the D&P scandal that was first exposed by LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) in March with revelations of $140,000 in D&P funding for five Mexican groups that promote abortion.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09060911.html
LIMA, June 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a May 28 letter, the Bishops Conference of Peru has “formally” requested that the bishops of Canada cease funding pro-abortion groups in Peru via the Canadian Catholic Organization of Development & Peace (D&P). “It is very disturbing to have groups which work against the Bishops of Peru by attempting to undermine legal protection for the right to life of unborn children, be funded by our brother bishops in Canada,” says the letter.
The letter marks a major breakthrough in the D&P scandal that was first exposed by LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) in March with revelations of $140,000 in D&P funding for five Mexican groups that promote abortion.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09060911.html
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Thoughts from an ex-fetus
George Jonas, National Post
George Tiller, the 67-year-old physician shot last week in Wichita, Kan., was an abortionist. His suspected killer, identified by the press as Scott Roeder, 51, also felt entitled to decide whose life to terminate and when. To this extent at least, killers of abortionists resemble their victims.
Some people might object that there is a fundamental difference. Abortion is legal, while killing abortionists isn't. This is true -- at least, it's true today, although not long ago a medically unnecessary abortion was every bit as illegal as a medically unnecessary assassination. Killers of fetuses stayed behind bars for shorter periods than killers of physicians, but the law viewed both as felons.
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1656750&p=1
George Tiller, the 67-year-old physician shot last week in Wichita, Kan., was an abortionist. His suspected killer, identified by the press as Scott Roeder, 51, also felt entitled to decide whose life to terminate and when. To this extent at least, killers of abortionists resemble their victims.
Some people might object that there is a fundamental difference. Abortion is legal, while killing abortionists isn't. This is true -- at least, it's true today, although not long ago a medically unnecessary abortion was every bit as illegal as a medically unnecessary assassination. Killers of fetuses stayed behind bars for shorter periods than killers of physicians, but the law viewed both as felons.
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1656750&p=1
'Eye for an eye' principle proves beneficial
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow -
Researchers "down under" are reporting exciting developments for the blind using stem-cell research. At the University of New South Wales in Australia, researchers treated three people who were blind in one eye, using stem cells from the good eye. Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council explains the procedure.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=559134
Researchers "down under" are reporting exciting developments for the blind using stem-cell research. At the University of New South Wales in Australia, researchers treated three people who were blind in one eye, using stem cells from the good eye. Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council explains the procedure.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=559134
Homosexual activists frustrated with Obama's agenda
Some good news regarding DOMA.
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow -
Impatient homosexual activists say Barack Obama should be moving more quickly to enact their social agenda, but he's running into a political reality that they want him to ignore.
President Obama -- in his proclamation declaring June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month" -- reaffirmed his support for enhancing "hate crimes" laws, homosexual civil unions, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, homosexual adoption, and the repeal of the military's ban on openly homosexual service-members. However, in the proclamation he did not repeat his campaign promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. In fact, his call for the repeal of DOMA has also been stripped from the White House website.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=555134
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow -
Impatient homosexual activists say Barack Obama should be moving more quickly to enact their social agenda, but he's running into a political reality that they want him to ignore.
President Obama -- in his proclamation declaring June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month" -- reaffirmed his support for enhancing "hate crimes" laws, homosexual civil unions, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, homosexual adoption, and the repeal of the military's ban on openly homosexual service-members. However, in the proclamation he did not repeat his campaign promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. In fact, his call for the repeal of DOMA has also been stripped from the White House website.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=555134
Exclusive: Miss California Carrie Prejean Loses Her Crown
By Hollie McKay
Less than a month after being told by Donald Trump that she can keep her Miss California crown, Carrie Prejean was fired on Wednesday, Foxnews.com learned exclusively.
K2 Productions, the independent producers of the Miss California USA pageant, under license from Miss Universe, cited continued breach of contract issues as the reason for Prejean's firing. The decision was revealed in documents first obtained by FOXNews.com.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525716,00.html
Less than a month after being told by Donald Trump that she can keep her Miss California crown, Carrie Prejean was fired on Wednesday, Foxnews.com learned exclusively.
K2 Productions, the independent producers of the Miss California USA pageant, under license from Miss Universe, cited continued breach of contract issues as the reason for Prejean's firing. The decision was revealed in documents first obtained by FOXNews.com.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525716,00.html
Friendship: From a Man
Anthony Buono
Women have an uncanny ability to make friends and be a friend. A good way to put it is that women are, by nature, inclined to care. Specifically, women care about people. They intuitively are capable of entering into the inner reality of human beings. This makes them capable of friendship.
It does not surprise anyone that women make friends with other women so easily. They show interest in each other. They enjoy the sharing of personal information. They pursue with sincerity knowing more about the person behind the external presentation.
Men, on the other hand, are primarily interested in the outer world. By nature, men focus on the “what” more than the “who” in life. Of course, I am not saying that men don’t have the ability to “care.” I’m only pointing out that women have an easier time at friendship than men do. Men get to know each other through actions rather than conversation. They do not sit down and start sharing what’s going on inside or their likes and dislikes. They just act, and they talk within situations, and knowledge about that man is revealed as he goes along. That is why men are much more transparent than women. You can know what a man is thinking or what he wants because he externalizes himself. Women keep things hidden inside and are hard to read externally.
Why is this so important to consider? It is because in dating relationships and in marriage, there can be an overstressing by women to have a man be their “best friend” at a level that is probably unrealistic. I’m all for friendship in courtship and marriage, but the friendship required for marriage needs to be defined and understood. It cannot be understood to mean that a woman will be getting someone she can converse with anytime she wants and about anything.
http://tob.catholicexchange.com/2009/05/22/777/
Women have an uncanny ability to make friends and be a friend. A good way to put it is that women are, by nature, inclined to care. Specifically, women care about people. They intuitively are capable of entering into the inner reality of human beings. This makes them capable of friendship.
It does not surprise anyone that women make friends with other women so easily. They show interest in each other. They enjoy the sharing of personal information. They pursue with sincerity knowing more about the person behind the external presentation.
Men, on the other hand, are primarily interested in the outer world. By nature, men focus on the “what” more than the “who” in life. Of course, I am not saying that men don’t have the ability to “care.” I’m only pointing out that women have an easier time at friendship than men do. Men get to know each other through actions rather than conversation. They do not sit down and start sharing what’s going on inside or their likes and dislikes. They just act, and they talk within situations, and knowledge about that man is revealed as he goes along. That is why men are much more transparent than women. You can know what a man is thinking or what he wants because he externalizes himself. Women keep things hidden inside and are hard to read externally.
Why is this so important to consider? It is because in dating relationships and in marriage, there can be an overstressing by women to have a man be their “best friend” at a level that is probably unrealistic. I’m all for friendship in courtship and marriage, but the friendship required for marriage needs to be defined and understood. It cannot be understood to mean that a woman will be getting someone she can converse with anytime she wants and about anything.
http://tob.catholicexchange.com/2009/05/22/777/
Nancy Pelosi's New Ideology: Condom-ism
BY Jennifer Roback Morse Ph.D.
Barack Obama promised us “change we can believe in.” He promised to move beyond all the tired ideologies and culture wars of the past. How strange then, that on his watch, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should propose the implementation of one of the most outdated and laughable ideologies of all. I call that ideology “condom-ism.”
Condomists believe we could put an end to all the world’s problems, poverty, global warming and human misery — if only we had enough condoms. If only the condomists had enough money and power, if only its Neanderthal opponents would surrender their squeamishness, condom-ism could usher in a new heaven on earth.
Nancy Pelosi added a new link to this chain of human salvation: Condoms will stimulate the economy, increase consumer spending, solve the subprime mortgage crisis, and Get Americans Working Again. I’m not sure exactly which parts of the economy will be stimulated by a fresh supply of Trojans, but she assured us in all seriousness that new spending for “family planning” belongs in the economic stimulus package.
http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/18325/
Barack Obama promised us “change we can believe in.” He promised to move beyond all the tired ideologies and culture wars of the past. How strange then, that on his watch, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should propose the implementation of one of the most outdated and laughable ideologies of all. I call that ideology “condom-ism.”
Condomists believe we could put an end to all the world’s problems, poverty, global warming and human misery — if only we had enough condoms. If only the condomists had enough money and power, if only its Neanderthal opponents would surrender their squeamishness, condom-ism could usher in a new heaven on earth.
Nancy Pelosi added a new link to this chain of human salvation: Condoms will stimulate the economy, increase consumer spending, solve the subprime mortgage crisis, and Get Americans Working Again. I’m not sure exactly which parts of the economy will be stimulated by a fresh supply of Trojans, but she assured us in all seriousness that new spending for “family planning” belongs in the economic stimulus package.
http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/18325/
Married, with children, pays
Money talks at the Economist, and the talk in this item from May 12,which has just been brought to our attention, is that in most of thedeveloped world it pays to be married with children. That is becausemost governments offer some form of tax breaks or cash benefits tooffset the cost of bringing up children.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/married_with_children_pays/
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/married_with_children_pays/
A swing to conservatism in Europe?
Michael Weissenstein and Robert Wielaard - Associated Press Writers -
BRUSSELS - Europe was leaning to the right ahead of European Parliament elections Sunday, with voters in many countries favoring conservative parties against a backdrop of economic crisis.
Opinion polling showed right-leaning governments with edges over their opposition in Germany, Italy and France. Conservative opposition parties were tied or ahead in Britain, Spain, and some smaller countries.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=557882
BRUSSELS - Europe was leaning to the right ahead of European Parliament elections Sunday, with voters in many countries favoring conservative parties against a backdrop of economic crisis.
Opinion polling showed right-leaning governments with edges over their opposition in Germany, Italy and France. Conservative opposition parties were tied or ahead in Britain, Spain, and some smaller countries.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=557882
Obama more than tolerant of homosexual lifestyle
Allie Martin - OneNewsNow
...Earlier this week, the White House released a proclamation recognizing June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." The proclamation was signed by President Obama and mentioned the record number of homosexuals he has nominated and chosen for positions in his administration. It also called for equal justice under the law for homosexuals and transgendered Americans. (See earlier story)
Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, says the proclamation advocates more than mere tolerance. "The United States federal government, now by executive order, signed by the President of the United States, is declaring national pride in these lifestyles," he contends. "This is not mere toleration; it's not calling for legalization, an end to criminal sanctions. It's not calling even for something like civil unions...it's calling for pride."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=553368
...Earlier this week, the White House released a proclamation recognizing June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." The proclamation was signed by President Obama and mentioned the record number of homosexuals he has nominated and chosen for positions in his administration. It also called for equal justice under the law for homosexuals and transgendered Americans. (See earlier story)
Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, says the proclamation advocates more than mere tolerance. "The United States federal government, now by executive order, signed by the President of the United States, is declaring national pride in these lifestyles," he contends. "This is not mere toleration; it's not calling for legalization, an end to criminal sanctions. It's not calling even for something like civil unions...it's calling for pride."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=553368
NH legalization of same-sex marriage likely to 'backfire'
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow -
The head of a conservative activist group in New Hampshire believes the legalization of same-sex "marriage" in the Granite State will eventually backfire on the politicians who pushed for the new law. Earlier this week, New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage (see earlier article). Governor John Lynch, who as recently as two months ago said he did not support same-sex marriage, signed the bill into law after the Legislature approved religious exemptions. Lynch also called for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, saying it is time the federal government recognizes same-sex marriage.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=555204
The head of a conservative activist group in New Hampshire believes the legalization of same-sex "marriage" in the Granite State will eventually backfire on the politicians who pushed for the new law. Earlier this week, New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage (see earlier article). Governor John Lynch, who as recently as two months ago said he did not support same-sex marriage, signed the bill into law after the Legislature approved religious exemptions. Lynch also called for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, saying it is time the federal government recognizes same-sex marriage.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=555204
The Odd Couple: Dick Cheney and Ted Olson
Prof. Hadley Arkes
Within the space of a week, two notable figures on the conservative side in our politics have come out in favor of same-sex marriage. In the case of Dick Cheney, the former vice-president, his daughter Mary had long been known as a lesbian, and Cheney was free now, out of office, to speak words on the side of his daughter.
The bigger jolt came with the announcement of Theodore Olson, the former Solicitor General under Bush II. Olson is one of the premier figures in the conservative legal establishment, an icon of the Federalist Society – and my own political friend. But with a public flourish Olson accepted a commission to challenge yet again Proposition 8 in California, this time in the venue that he calls home: the federal courts.
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/content/view/1725/2/
Within the space of a week, two notable figures on the conservative side in our politics have come out in favor of same-sex marriage. In the case of Dick Cheney, the former vice-president, his daughter Mary had long been known as a lesbian, and Cheney was free now, out of office, to speak words on the side of his daughter.
The bigger jolt came with the announcement of Theodore Olson, the former Solicitor General under Bush II. Olson is one of the premier figures in the conservative legal establishment, an icon of the Federalist Society – and my own political friend. But with a public flourish Olson accepted a commission to challenge yet again Proposition 8 in California, this time in the venue that he calls home: the federal courts.
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/content/view/1725/2/
Abortion vs. Homosexuality: The Evangelical Age Gap
Steven Waldman
When talking about social issues of interest to evangelicals, we tend to lump abortion and homosexuality together. But the politics are actually different, especially among young evangelicals.
I asked John Green of the Pew Forum to do one additional slice of the data from their Religious Landscape Survey. Here's what he reports:
62.3% of white evangelicals overall are pro-life
69.2% of white evangelicals under the age of 30 are pro-life
Young evangelicals are even more pro-life than their parents.
However, on homosexuality, the pattern is reversed.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/07/abortion-vs-homosexuality-the.html
When talking about social issues of interest to evangelicals, we tend to lump abortion and homosexuality together. But the politics are actually different, especially among young evangelicals.
I asked John Green of the Pew Forum to do one additional slice of the data from their Religious Landscape Survey. Here's what he reports:
62.3% of white evangelicals overall are pro-life
69.2% of white evangelicals under the age of 30 are pro-life
Young evangelicals are even more pro-life than their parents.
However, on homosexuality, the pattern is reversed.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/07/abortion-vs-homosexuality-the.html
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Simmering sex-ed battle heats up
In 2007, the group (Free to Be) received approximately $540,000 in federal funding from the Community-Based Abstinence Education Program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to federal tax forms filled out by the nonprofit.
To receive that money, groups must abide by federal guidelines that include teaching “that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity . . . that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects . . . that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society.”
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090607/ARTICLES/906079971/1350?Title=Sex-ed-battle-heats-up
To receive that money, groups must abide by federal guidelines that include teaching “that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity . . . that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects . . . that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society.”
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090607/ARTICLES/906079971/1350?Title=Sex-ed-battle-heats-up
Sen. Diaz at the NYC Marriage Rally
In the background of the political machinations in the NY State Senate, is this rally in favor of natural marriage. http://www.nycf.info/home
Republicans Seize Control of State Senate
Did same sex marriage have anything to do with these maneuverings? Stay tuned… or, sign up for NOM news alerts. Brian Brown’s note first alerted me to this change of hands in the NY State Senate. See here:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/revolt-could-imperil-democratic-control-of-senate/?hp
and
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--nysenatemajority0608jun08,0,2042213.story
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/revolt-could-imperil-democratic-control-of-senate/?hp
and
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--nysenatemajority0608jun08,0,2042213.story
British baby siezed in Ireland after parents flee social workers over custody row
By Andrew Alderson
A three-day-old girl is at the centre of an emotional custody battle after a British couple fled to Ireland to have their baby only to have it siezed by social workers in the Republic.
On the advice of an MP, the heavily-pregnant woman and her partner gathered belongings into their car and left the UK for Ireland last week after British social workers told them their child would be taken into care within hours of birth.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ireland/5459740/British-baby-siezed-in-Ireland-after-parents-flee-social-workers-over-custody-row.html
A three-day-old girl is at the centre of an emotional custody battle after a British couple fled to Ireland to have their baby only to have it siezed by social workers in the Republic.
On the advice of an MP, the heavily-pregnant woman and her partner gathered belongings into their car and left the UK for Ireland last week after British social workers told them their child would be taken into care within hours of birth.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ireland/5459740/British-baby-siezed-in-Ireland-after-parents-flee-social-workers-over-custody-row.html
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Nebraska passes strong pro-life ultrasound law
Nebraska has passed one of the strongest ultrasound laws in the country.
Many abortion clinics perform ultrasounds of a woman seeking an abortion to determine the age of the child she is carrying. However, seeing the ultrasound is optional, if it is offered at all. Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, tells OneNewsNow what the new law will do. "The woman will now know that she truly has an ability to view her unborn child on the ultrasound screen at least one hour before going through with what is an irreversible decision," she explains. "The burden will no longer be on the mother in a crisis situation to have to ask to view the screen."
Under the new law, the ultrasound screen is displayed and turned toward the patient, although she can decline to view it.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=551676
Many abortion clinics perform ultrasounds of a woman seeking an abortion to determine the age of the child she is carrying. However, seeing the ultrasound is optional, if it is offered at all. Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, tells OneNewsNow what the new law will do. "The woman will now know that she truly has an ability to view her unborn child on the ultrasound screen at least one hour before going through with what is an irreversible decision," she explains. "The burden will no longer be on the mother in a crisis situation to have to ask to view the screen."
Under the new law, the ultrasound screen is displayed and turned toward the patient, although she can decline to view it.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=551676
New Hampshire legalizes 'gay marriage' with religious protections
CONCORD, NH - New Hampshire has become the sixth state to legalize same-sex "marriage." Governor John Lynch signed it into law after the Legislature approved religious exemptions. The revised bill specifies that all religious organizations, associations, or societies have exclusive control over their religious doctrines, policies, teachings, and beliefs on marriage.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Headlines/Default.aspx?id=554126
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Headlines/Default.aspx?id=554126
The Ruth Institute Merges with NOM
DR. JENNIFER ROBACK MORSE JOINS THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE’S NEXT GENERATION PROJECT
http://www.nationformarriage.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=omL2KeN0LzH&b=5075187&content_id=%7bB96A7300-B87A-488D-8A06-CDBA825161A6%7d¬oc=1
http://www.nationformarriage.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=omL2KeN0LzH&b=5075187&content_id=%7bB96A7300-B87A-488D-8A06-CDBA825161A6%7d¬oc=1
Fighting parents drive teens to drink
Carolyn Moynihan
The research is clear: adolescents tend to fare better -- academicallyand behaviourally -- when they live with both biological parents. And that’s a couple of scientists talking. But there is an exception: when their parents frequently argue, young adults are much more likely to binge on alcohol; they also tend to smoke, and their poor school grades are similar to those of peers who don’t have their own mum and dad at home.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/fighting_parents_drive_teens_to_drink/
The research is clear: adolescents tend to fare better -- academicallyand behaviourally -- when they live with both biological parents. And that’s a couple of scientists talking. But there is an exception: when their parents frequently argue, young adults are much more likely to binge on alcohol; they also tend to smoke, and their poor school grades are similar to those of peers who don’t have their own mum and dad at home.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/fighting_parents_drive_teens_to_drink/
Octomom Nadya Suleman: "I screwed up my life and my kid's lives"
by Cristina Everett
It’s no surprise that when the media shifted its focus from Octomom to Kate Gosselin, Nadya Suleman wasn’t going down in the media circus without a fight.
After publicly slamming fellow multiple mom Kate Gosselin for being "desperate for attention" and "over-emotional,” Suleman has a few more choice words to say…about herself. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/06/04/2009-06-04_octomom_nadya_suleman_i_screwed_up_my_life_and_my_kids_lives.html#ixzz0HUnl4haQ&B
As Dr. Morse said in her article on "Octomom," artificial reproduction techniques are bad for children when they are kept from knowing and having a relationship with a biological parent.
It’s no surprise that when the media shifted its focus from Octomom to Kate Gosselin, Nadya Suleman wasn’t going down in the media circus without a fight.
After publicly slamming fellow multiple mom Kate Gosselin for being "desperate for attention" and "over-emotional,” Suleman has a few more choice words to say…about herself. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/06/04/2009-06-04_octomom_nadya_suleman_i_screwed_up_my_life_and_my_kids_lives.html#ixzz0HUnl4haQ&B
As Dr. Morse said in her article on "Octomom," artificial reproduction techniques are bad for children when they are kept from knowing and having a relationship with a biological parent.
Imaginary friends are natural
Carolyn Moynihan
Are children who have imaginary friends a little abnormal? Are theycompensating for a lack of real friends or for some internal malaise?Not at all, according to Australian researchers at La Trobe University.In fact, it seems to come naturally to the majority of children toinvent an invisible companion. What’s more, it gives them better socialskills than those who don’t.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/imaginary_friends_are_natural/
Are children who have imaginary friends a little abnormal? Are theycompensating for a lack of real friends or for some internal malaise?Not at all, according to Australian researchers at La Trobe University.In fact, it seems to come naturally to the majority of children toinvent an invisible companion. What’s more, it gives them better socialskills than those who don’t.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/imaginary_friends_are_natural/
Private Choices, Public Costs: How failing families cost us all
http://www.imfcanada.org/article_files/Cost%20of%20Family%20Breakdown%20finalHR.pdf
This report measures the cost of family breakdown to the public purse in Canada for the fiscal year 2005-2006. It estimates the funding directed at poverty alleviation due to family breakdown. The results show the cost of serving broken families is almost $7 billion annually. If we were able to cut family breakdown in half, we would save $1.78 billion annually. $1.78 billion is not half of $7 billion because we assume that if 50 percent fewer families were broken, about 50 percent of those would still remain in poverty. These are very conservative estimates, based upon very realistic measuresof what could result if family stability were to improve.
This report measures the cost of family breakdown to the public purse in Canada for the fiscal year 2005-2006. It estimates the funding directed at poverty alleviation due to family breakdown. The results show the cost of serving broken families is almost $7 billion annually. If we were able to cut family breakdown in half, we would save $1.78 billion annually. $1.78 billion is not half of $7 billion because we assume that if 50 percent fewer families were broken, about 50 percent of those would still remain in poverty. These are very conservative estimates, based upon very realistic measuresof what could result if family stability were to improve.
Statement of the Catholic Bishops of New York State on Marriage
The Bishops say: “ If there are injustices against those in relationships other than marriage, those injustices can certainly be reformed and corrected in a way other than by drastically redefining marriage.” This has been my position for some time. ~Jennifer Morse
We face today the prospect of a law in New York which would radically change the timeless institution of marriage. As pastors of citizens from every corner of our great state, we stand unified in our strong opposition to such a drastic measure.Throughout history, different cultures have had different customs regarding marriage. But the one constant has been the conviction that marriage is the union of a man and a woman in an enduring bond, ordered for the procreation and stable rearing of children. Regrettably, the state Assembly has voted to redefine what nature and our common heritage long ago defined for us. We fervently pray that members of the state Senate will stand firm in opposition to this ill-advised legislation, and we call on Catholics and all New Yorkers to contact their Senators to make their voices heard.
http://www.nyscatholic.org/pages/news/show_newsDetails.asp?id=485
We face today the prospect of a law in New York which would radically change the timeless institution of marriage. As pastors of citizens from every corner of our great state, we stand unified in our strong opposition to such a drastic measure.Throughout history, different cultures have had different customs regarding marriage. But the one constant has been the conviction that marriage is the union of a man and a woman in an enduring bond, ordered for the procreation and stable rearing of children. Regrettably, the state Assembly has voted to redefine what nature and our common heritage long ago defined for us. We fervently pray that members of the state Senate will stand firm in opposition to this ill-advised legislation, and we call on Catholics and all New Yorkers to contact their Senators to make their voices heard.
http://www.nyscatholic.org/pages/news/show_newsDetails.asp?id=485
What "Church" Does Notre Dame belong to?
By George Weigel
Of all the commentary I’ve read on Notre Dame’s decision to invite President Obama to receive an honorary doctorate of laws as the university’s 2009 commencement speaker, the most disturbing came from Father Kenneth Himes of the Boston College theology department. In a Boston Globe story about Professor Mary Ann Glendon’s courageous (and correct) decision to decline Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal because the university had defied the U.S. bishops’s policy barring honors for pro-abortion politicians at Catholic events, Father Himes said this:
"There are some well-meaning people who think Notre Dame has given away its Catholic identity, because they have been caught up in the gamesmanship of American higher education, bringing in a star commencement speaker even if that means sacrificing their values, and that accounts for some of this...But one also has to say that there is a political game going on here, and part of that is that you demonize the people who disagree with you, you question their integrity, you challenge their character, and you brand these people as moral poison. Some people have simply reduced Catholicism to the abortion issue, and, consequently, they have simply launched a crusade to bar anything from Catholic institutions that smacks of any sort of open conversation."
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.3836/pub_detail.asp
Of all the commentary I’ve read on Notre Dame’s decision to invite President Obama to receive an honorary doctorate of laws as the university’s 2009 commencement speaker, the most disturbing came from Father Kenneth Himes of the Boston College theology department. In a Boston Globe story about Professor Mary Ann Glendon’s courageous (and correct) decision to decline Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal because the university had defied the U.S. bishops’s policy barring honors for pro-abortion politicians at Catholic events, Father Himes said this:
"There are some well-meaning people who think Notre Dame has given away its Catholic identity, because they have been caught up in the gamesmanship of American higher education, bringing in a star commencement speaker even if that means sacrificing their values, and that accounts for some of this...But one also has to say that there is a political game going on here, and part of that is that you demonize the people who disagree with you, you question their integrity, you challenge their character, and you brand these people as moral poison. Some people have simply reduced Catholicism to the abortion issue, and, consequently, they have simply launched a crusade to bar anything from Catholic institutions that smacks of any sort of open conversation."
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.3836/pub_detail.asp
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Fearless parenting
Mark Gregston
Fearful parents of teenagers today often believe that they'll avoid trouble by keeping their teenager always in their sight, by fixing their every problem, and by generally keeping them under their control. But I've learned that parents will gain more in the long run, and could avoid a season of teenage rebellion, by taking decisive steps to give up some of the control they have over their teen's daily life.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=551698
Fearful parents of teenagers today often believe that they'll avoid trouble by keeping their teenager always in their sight, by fixing their every problem, and by generally keeping them under their control. But I've learned that parents will gain more in the long run, and could avoid a season of teenage rebellion, by taking decisive steps to give up some of the control they have over their teen's daily life.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=551698
Disney hosts 'Gay Days' this weekend
Allie Martin - OneNewsNow
A pro-family group is sounding a warning about an upcoming event this weekend at Walt Disney World.
This weekend, the 19th annual "Gay Days" will be held at Disney World in Orlando. Although officials at the Walt Disney Company say they do not sponsor the event, it has become one of the most popular observances for homosexuals nationwide.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=551598
Disney may not sponsor it, but they could stop it from happening if they wanted to.
A pro-family group is sounding a warning about an upcoming event this weekend at Walt Disney World.
This weekend, the 19th annual "Gay Days" will be held at Disney World in Orlando. Although officials at the Walt Disney Company say they do not sponsor the event, it has become one of the most popular observances for homosexuals nationwide.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=551598
Disney may not sponsor it, but they could stop it from happening if they wanted to.
The murderer-martyr syndrome
Allie Martin - OneNewsNow
...Scott Roeder has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Tiller in a Wichita, Kansas, church Sunday morning. The 51-year-old Roeder was charged Tuesday and appeared in court via video from jail. He is accused of killing Tiller as the doctor served as an usher at Reformation Lutheran church.
The president of the Kansas Coalition for Life, Mark Gietzen, says Roeder was "incredibly stupid" if he thought killing Tiller would be "a pro-life act." Geitzen says the slaying has instead turned Tiller "into a martyr" while doing nothing to stop abortion.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=552806
...Scott Roeder has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Tiller in a Wichita, Kansas, church Sunday morning. The 51-year-old Roeder was charged Tuesday and appeared in court via video from jail. He is accused of killing Tiller as the doctor served as an usher at Reformation Lutheran church.
The president of the Kansas Coalition for Life, Mark Gietzen, says Roeder was "incredibly stupid" if he thought killing Tiller would be "a pro-life act." Geitzen says the slaying has instead turned Tiller "into a martyr" while doing nothing to stop abortion.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=552806
Liberated and Unhappy
By ROSS DOUTHAT
American women are wealthier, healthier and better educated than they were 30 years ago. They’re more likely to work outside the home, and more likely to earn salaries comparable to men’s when they do. They can leave abusive marriages and sue sexist employers. They enjoy unprecedented control over their own fertility. On some fronts — graduation rates, life expectancy and even job security — men look increasingly like the second sex.
But all the achievements of the feminist era may have delivered women to greater unhappiness. In the 1960s, when Betty Friedan diagnosed her fellow wives and daughters as the victims of “the problem with no name,” American women reported themselves happier, on average, than did men. Today, that gender gap has reversed. Male happiness has inched up, and female happiness has dropped. In postfeminist America, men are happier than women.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/opinion/26douthat.html?_r=2&em
American women are wealthier, healthier and better educated than they were 30 years ago. They’re more likely to work outside the home, and more likely to earn salaries comparable to men’s when they do. They can leave abusive marriages and sue sexist employers. They enjoy unprecedented control over their own fertility. On some fronts — graduation rates, life expectancy and even job security — men look increasingly like the second sex.
But all the achievements of the feminist era may have delivered women to greater unhappiness. In the 1960s, when Betty Friedan diagnosed her fellow wives and daughters as the victims of “the problem with no name,” American women reported themselves happier, on average, than did men. Today, that gender gap has reversed. Male happiness has inched up, and female happiness has dropped. In postfeminist America, men are happier than women.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/opinion/26douthat.html?_r=2&em
Phyllis Schlafly at 84
By Andrea Sachs
As the most visible and effective critic of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Phyllis Schlafly squared off against the National Organization for Women and other pro-ERA groups in one of the most bitter battles of the 1970s. Critics denounced her as a hypocrite: though she lauded stay-at-home mothers and wives, she herself was a full-time political activist and lawyer. Nonetheless, Schlafly's grass-roots efforts prevailed, and the ERA went down to defeat. Now 84, Schlafly remains a force in conservative politics, with a busy lecture schedule. She is the president of the pro-life, anti–gay marriage Eagle Forum, which has 25,000 members. TIME senior reporter Andrea Sachs reached Schlafly at her home in St. Louis.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889757,00.html
As the most visible and effective critic of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Phyllis Schlafly squared off against the National Organization for Women and other pro-ERA groups in one of the most bitter battles of the 1970s. Critics denounced her as a hypocrite: though she lauded stay-at-home mothers and wives, she herself was a full-time political activist and lawyer. Nonetheless, Schlafly's grass-roots efforts prevailed, and the ERA went down to defeat. Now 84, Schlafly remains a force in conservative politics, with a busy lecture schedule. She is the president of the pro-life, anti–gay marriage Eagle Forum, which has 25,000 members. TIME senior reporter Andrea Sachs reached Schlafly at her home in St. Louis.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889757,00.html
“Every life has to be protected”
Sheila Liaugminas
No exceptions. That’s been the message of the pro-life world: that no class of human beings can be considered ‘unworthy’ of life or the full protection of the law, from conception to natural death. At its core, the movement is about the dignity and sanctity of every human being, no matter what stage of life, no matter what condition of strength or weakness, no matter what ideology or practice.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/every_life_has_to_be_protected/
No exceptions. That’s been the message of the pro-life world: that no class of human beings can be considered ‘unworthy’ of life or the full protection of the law, from conception to natural death. At its core, the movement is about the dignity and sanctity of every human being, no matter what stage of life, no matter what condition of strength or weakness, no matter what ideology or practice.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/every_life_has_to_be_protected/
The wrongness of taking human life
Sheila Liaugminas
You cannot teach the inviolability of every life by violating it in some cases. Some seriously disordered person did violate the sanctity of life in the murder of abortionist George Tiller. If this dreadful crime teaches us anything, let it be that.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/the_wrongness_of_taking_human_life/
You cannot teach the inviolability of every life by violating it in some cases. Some seriously disordered person did violate the sanctity of life in the murder of abortionist George Tiller. If this dreadful crime teaches us anything, let it be that.
http://www.mercatornet.com/sheila_liaugminas/view/the_wrongness_of_taking_human_life/
Love isn’t enough
Trayce L. Hansen Ph.D.
Mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. Children need the love of both.
Proponents of same-sex marriage believe the only thing children really need is love. Based on that supposition, they conclude it’s just as good for children to be raised by loving parents of the same sex, as it is to be raised by loving parents of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, that basic assumption—and all that flows from it—is false. Because love isn’t enough!
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/love_isnt_enough/
Mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. Children need the love of both.
Proponents of same-sex marriage believe the only thing children really need is love. Based on that supposition, they conclude it’s just as good for children to be raised by loving parents of the same sex, as it is to be raised by loving parents of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, that basic assumption—and all that flows from it—is false. Because love isn’t enough!
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/love_isnt_enough/
Traditional marriage still popular in Penn.
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
A recent poll shows most Pennsylvanians support traditional marriage. The numbers show residents favoring one man and one woman as the definition of marriage, and the figures are very high among older Pennsylvanians.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=550166
A recent poll shows most Pennsylvanians support traditional marriage. The numbers show residents favoring one man and one woman as the definition of marriage, and the figures are very high among older Pennsylvanians.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=550166
Obama declares June 'LGBT Pride Month'
Jody Brown and Allie Martin - OneNewsNow
In a presidential proclamation on the White House website, Barack Obama has lauded what he calls "the determination and dedication" of the LGBT movement by proclaiming June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month."
"The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress," Obama states in the official proclamation, "but there is more to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=551240
In a presidential proclamation on the White House website, Barack Obama has lauded what he calls "the determination and dedication" of the LGBT movement by proclaiming June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month."
"The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress," Obama states in the official proclamation, "but there is more to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=551240
'Gay' event in Boston caters to pre-teens
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow -
A pro-family activist in Massachusetts is disgusted by a recent pro-"gay" advent in Boston that targeted teens and young children.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=547472
A pro-family activist in Massachusetts is disgusted by a recent pro-"gay" advent in Boston that targeted teens and young children.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=547472
Redefined marriage = society's downfall
Jim Brown and Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
A pro-family activist says a former Mitt Romney adviser is "providing aid and comfort" to proponents of same-sex "marriage."
Pepperdine University law professor and Barack Obama supporter Doug Kmiec recently told CNSNews.com that he would like to see marriage replaced, in the legal sense, with a neutral civil license. Kmiec, a self-professed pro-life, pro-traditional marriage Catholic, is quoted as saying: "I think the way to untie the state from this problem is to create a new terminology that would apply to everyone -- straight or gay -- call it 'civil license.'"
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=547244
A pro-family activist says a former Mitt Romney adviser is "providing aid and comfort" to proponents of same-sex "marriage."
Pepperdine University law professor and Barack Obama supporter Doug Kmiec recently told CNSNews.com that he would like to see marriage replaced, in the legal sense, with a neutral civil license. Kmiec, a self-professed pro-life, pro-traditional marriage Catholic, is quoted as saying: "I think the way to untie the state from this problem is to create a new terminology that would apply to everyone -- straight or gay -- call it 'civil license.'"
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=547244
Biased news coverage of Prop. 8 continues
Chad Groening - OneNewsNow
...Colleen Raezler, a research assistance at the conservative media watchdog organization, says while the will of the majority of Californians who support traditional marriage was upheld, the three networks gave their side scant coverage...
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=547564
...Colleen Raezler, a research assistance at the conservative media watchdog organization, says while the will of the majority of Californians who support traditional marriage was upheld, the three networks gave their side scant coverage...
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=547564
‘Mum, Dad, where are you? I need to talk’
Carolyn Moynihan
It’s Youth Week in New Zealand and a survey of almost 10,000 students at 96 secondary schools shows that more than half of them want to spend more time with their parents.
Some 54 per cent “sometimes” or “hardly ever” get enough time with their mothers and 61 per cent sometimes or hardly ever get enough time with their dads. This is “big stuff”, says Auckland University researcher Simon Denny. “Having a close relationship with a parent is one of the most important predictors of good health and wellbeing for young people.”
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/mum_dad_where_are_you_i_need_to_talk/
It’s Youth Week in New Zealand and a survey of almost 10,000 students at 96 secondary schools shows that more than half of them want to spend more time with their parents.
Some 54 per cent “sometimes” or “hardly ever” get enough time with their mothers and 61 per cent sometimes or hardly ever get enough time with their dads. This is “big stuff”, says Auckland University researcher Simon Denny. “Having a close relationship with a parent is one of the most important predictors of good health and wellbeing for young people.”
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/mum_dad_where_are_you_i_need_to_talk/
A great new British brand: National Family Week
Carolyn Moynihan
It’s National Family Week (25th to 31st May) in Britain, a new idea that has the simple aim of bringing families together and has the support of leading commercial brands, charities and all political parties.
Each day of National Family Week will be themed around an activity encouraging families to spend more quality time together, whether that is playing or watching sport, preparing and eating a meal together, playing family games or watching family-orientated films.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/a_great_new_british_brand_national_family_week/
It’s National Family Week (25th to 31st May) in Britain, a new idea that has the simple aim of bringing families together and has the support of leading commercial brands, charities and all political parties.
Each day of National Family Week will be themed around an activity encouraging families to spend more quality time together, whether that is playing or watching sport, preparing and eating a meal together, playing family games or watching family-orientated films.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/a_great_new_british_brand_national_family_week/
What’s the difference?
Patrick Thompson
Same-sex marriage does make a difference to wider society, especially when the force of the state is behind it. "What difference,” goes the refrain from same-sex marriage supporters, “ does the marriage of two men or two women make in your life or your marriage?”
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/whats_the_difference/
Same-sex marriage does make a difference to wider society, especially when the force of the state is behind it. "What difference,” goes the refrain from same-sex marriage supporters, “ does the marriage of two men or two women make in your life or your marriage?”
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/whats_the_difference/
Hollywood cleans up teen movie language
Carolyn Moynihan
Is it a bit of Harry Potter magic? While profanity is increasing on television and in music lyrics, some Brigham Young University researchers have been pleasantly surprised to discover that it has markedly decreased since the 1980s in movies aimed at teens.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/hollywood_cleans_up_teen_movie_language/
Is it a bit of Harry Potter magic? While profanity is increasing on television and in music lyrics, some Brigham Young University researchers have been pleasantly surprised to discover that it has markedly decreased since the 1980s in movies aimed at teens.
http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/hollywood_cleans_up_teen_movie_language/
Carrie Prejean clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQlYsHSI28&feature=PlayList&p=BE89413905763ABE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=24
Note the commment around 4:29 about her grandfather fighting for freedom of speech and her doing so too on stage. Notice her Christian forgiveness at 5:24.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K1I-vn2JUU&feature=PlayList&p=BE89413905763ABE&index=25&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL
Miles McPherson, Carrie's pastor, did a great job on CNN. What a good spokesperson! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqq-9gwnW4s
Note the commment around 4:29 about her grandfather fighting for freedom of speech and her doing so too on stage. Notice her Christian forgiveness at 5:24.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K1I-vn2JUU&feature=PlayList&p=BE89413905763ABE&index=25&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL
Miles McPherson, Carrie's pastor, did a great job on CNN. What a good spokesperson! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqq-9gwnW4s
Getting Ready for Father's Day
Dr. Morse and the Ruth Institute is gearing up for Father's Day in a different way. Do you have a father/ex-husband/estranged child it may be time to reconcile with? Check out the Ruth site here for help: http://ruthinstitute.org/fathersday/index.html
Also, we're compiling a list of the best movies to watch on Father's Day, ones that encompass what it means to be a real dad. Leave your favorite picks in the comment section. We'll post the top choices just before Father's Day.
Also, we're compiling a list of the best movies to watch on Father's Day, ones that encompass what it means to be a real dad. Leave your favorite picks in the comment section. We'll post the top choices just before Father's Day.
Thousands rally in support of gay marriage ban
Contrary to this story, the SDPD estimated the crowd at over 700. There were about 20 gay rights supporters protesting us.
The demonstrations in Fresno and San Diego follow a gathering of Prop. 8 opponents, who vow to press ahead.
By Tony Perry and Spencer Weiner June 1, 2009
Thousands of supporters of California's ban on same-sex marriage rallied in Fresno and San Diego on Sunday in what organizers described as a celebration of traditional wedlock and a thank-you to the California Supreme Court for upholding their voter-approved measure.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gay-marriage1-2009jun01,0,2006409.story
The demonstrations in Fresno and San Diego follow a gathering of Prop. 8 opponents, who vow to press ahead.
By Tony Perry and Spencer Weiner June 1, 2009
Thousands of supporters of California's ban on same-sex marriage rallied in Fresno and San Diego on Sunday in what organizers described as a celebration of traditional wedlock and a thank-you to the California Supreme Court for upholding their voter-approved measure.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gay-marriage1-2009jun01,0,2006409.story
Monday, June 01, 2009
Like abortion, Tiller's murder 'senseless act of violence'
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow
The pro-life community continues to reject any reason as legitimate for the slaying of late-term abortionist George Tiller on Sunday morning in Wichita, Kansas.
Tiller's family calls his slaying "particularly heart-wrenching" because he was "shot down in his house of worship." The 67-year-old abortionist, one of the few U.S. doctors to perform late-term abortions, was killed as he served as an usher during Sunday morning services at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. (See earlier article)
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=549886
The pro-life community continues to reject any reason as legitimate for the slaying of late-term abortionist George Tiller on Sunday morning in Wichita, Kansas.
Tiller's family calls his slaying "particularly heart-wrenching" because he was "shot down in his house of worship." The 67-year-old abortionist, one of the few U.S. doctors to perform late-term abortions, was killed as he served as an usher during Sunday morning services at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. (See earlier article)
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=549886
Pro-Lifers Condemn Tiller Killing
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Pro-lifers rushed to the transom to condemn the killing of abortionist George Tiller by a gunman at his Kansas church.
UPDATED with more comment.
Statements from: U.S. bishops, Priests for Life, American Life League, Kansas Bishops, CatholicVote.org and Susan B. Anthony List.
Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed profound regret upon learning of the shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily/pro-lifers_condemn_tiller_killer/
Pro-lifers rushed to the transom to condemn the killing of abortionist George Tiller by a gunman at his Kansas church.
UPDATED with more comment.
Statements from: U.S. bishops, Priests for Life, American Life League, Kansas Bishops, CatholicVote.org and Susan B. Anthony List.
Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed profound regret upon learning of the shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily/pro-lifers_condemn_tiller_killer/
Gravely Wicked
[Robert P. George]
Whoever murdered George Tiller has done a gravely wicked thing. The evil of this action is in no way diminished by the blood George Tiller had on his own hands. No private individual had the right to execute judgment against him. We are a nation of laws. Lawless violence breeds only more lawless violence. Rightly or wrongly, George Tilller was acquitted by a jury of his peers. "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord." For the sake of justice and right, the perpetrator of this evil deed must be prosecuted, convicted, and punished. By word and deed, let us teach that violence against abortionists is not the answer to the violence of abortion. Every human life is precious. George Tiller's life was precious. We do not teach the wrongness of taking human life by wrongfully taking a human life. Let our "weapons" in the fight to defend the lives of abortion's tiny victims, be chaste weapons of the spirit.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDM5NGYyYWMxZDY3NWFmYjhjZmJiNTI2YmRjZmRlYWE
Whoever murdered George Tiller has done a gravely wicked thing. The evil of this action is in no way diminished by the blood George Tiller had on his own hands. No private individual had the right to execute judgment against him. We are a nation of laws. Lawless violence breeds only more lawless violence. Rightly or wrongly, George Tilller was acquitted by a jury of his peers. "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord." For the sake of justice and right, the perpetrator of this evil deed must be prosecuted, convicted, and punished. By word and deed, let us teach that violence against abortionists is not the answer to the violence of abortion. Every human life is precious. George Tiller's life was precious. We do not teach the wrongness of taking human life by wrongfully taking a human life. Let our "weapons" in the fight to defend the lives of abortion's tiny victims, be chaste weapons of the spirit.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDM5NGYyYWMxZDY3NWFmYjhjZmJiNTI2YmRjZmRlYWE
NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE CONDEMNS THE KILLING
WASHINGTON – The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nation's largest pro-life group, today condemned the killing of Dr. George Tiller. The following statement may be attributed to NRLC Executive Director, David N. O'Steen, Ph.D.:
National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller's family over this loss of life.
Further, the National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjIzYmQ0ZGY3NTUyNGRjOTI1ZTliOWUyZDc1ZTVlNjI
National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller's family over this loss of life.
Further, the National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjIzYmQ0ZGY3NTUyNGRjOTI1ZTliOWUyZDc1ZTVlNjI
The Wrong Release
Kathryn Jean Lopez
This press release arrived in my inbox shortly after the news of George Tiller’s murder.
Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, led protests against George Tiller's late-term abortion clinic in Wichita in 1991.Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue states, "George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder. And we still must call abortion by its proper name; murder...
What George Tiller did was evil and that should not be glossed over or sugarcoated. But here Randall Terry is doing exactly what CAIR does. When someone dies at the hands of a Muslim, CAIR rushes to warn the rest of us not to use it as an excuse to scapegoat Islam.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MmE3OWQ5ODkzZmE3MmVhNDExZDZhYTMyNGYxNTIzMGQ
This press release arrived in my inbox shortly after the news of George Tiller’s murder.
Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, led protests against George Tiller's late-term abortion clinic in Wichita in 1991.Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue states, "George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder. And we still must call abortion by its proper name; murder...
What George Tiller did was evil and that should not be glossed over or sugarcoated. But here Randall Terry is doing exactly what CAIR does. When someone dies at the hands of a Muslim, CAIR rushes to warn the rest of us not to use it as an excuse to scapegoat Islam.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MmE3OWQ5ODkzZmE3MmVhNDExZDZhYTMyNGYxNTIzMGQ
Suspect jailed in Kansas abortion doctor's killing
By ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Press Writer
WICHITA, Kan. – A man suspected of fatally shooting abortion doctor George Tiller in church was in jail Monday while investigators sought to learn more about his background, including his possible connections to anti-abortion groups.
Tiller, 67, was serving as an usher during morning services Sunday when he was shot in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church, police said. The gunman fired one shot at Tiller and threatened two other people who tried to stop him.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tiller_shooting
WICHITA, Kan. – A man suspected of fatally shooting abortion doctor George Tiller in church was in jail Monday while investigators sought to learn more about his background, including his possible connections to anti-abortion groups.
Tiller, 67, was serving as an usher during morning services Sunday when he was shot in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church, police said. The gunman fired one shot at Tiller and threatened two other people who tried to stop him.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tiller_shooting
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