OUR COLUMNISTS Democratic Leadership Vows to Block Traditional Marriage Amendment Guest Commentary by James L. Lambert A huge amount of registered Democrats probably do not realize their party's staunch opposition to upholding traditional marriage between one man and one woman. If word of this gets out, it could make a difference in such swing states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Florida. Paying for Trouble Commentary by Brad Locke It's a scenario that plays out regularly in professional sports: an athlete becomes more trouble than he's worth and is told to take a hike. Unfortunately, the scenario usually includes another team more than willing to accept such a player and all his baggage. God Bless America's Fighting Men and Women Commentary by David Sisler In recent days the memories of those who have given "the last full measure of devotion" have been darkened by other news. But President Bush has reminded us to honor their memory, honor their sacrifice, and give thanks for what they did. Simply Rearing Pagans Commentary by Mark Creech Between 12 and 15 million evangelical Christian children attend public schools. If the mass majority of these students were to leave public education, it would cripple the one system that is doing more harm to our nation than any single thing except perhaps the popular media.

...Three North Carolina teenagers have received an apology from a local school board after they were punished for speaking out against homosexuality. The Watauga high school students were suspended for wearing T-shirts with Bible verses that addressed homosexuality and stated that "hell is real" and "Jesus is the answer." The three youths wore their shirts on the same day other students were taking part in an April 21 "Day of Silence" event designed to draw attention to allegations that homosexual students face problems at achools. Each of the students who wore the tee shirts received a one-day suspension, ostensibly for violating a school dress code policy that prohibits messages deemed offensive to others' religion or gender. The students eventually sought the legal services of the American Family Center for Law and Policy. Center spokesman Michael DePrimo says the suspensions were a classic case of school officials overreacting to peaceful student speech. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that the students' suspensions have been removed from their records, and the school board has agreed to change the dress code. [Fred Jackson]

...Roman Catholics in Massachusetts are being urged to rebuke state lawmakers who failed to oppose same-sex marriage at a constitutional convention in March. A letter from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference sent to every parish in the state urges Catholics to express their "profound disappointment" to those legislators. The convention ended with the state legislature voting to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2006. It would ban homosexual marriage but allow civil unions for same-sex couples. The lawmakers' action did not stop same-sex marriage from becoming legal in Massachusetts last month. The letter encourages the "highest praise" for lawmakers who opposed homosexual marriage. But the Massachusetts Catholic Conference -- the lobbying arm of the state's four dioceses -- denies that the letter amounts to telling parishioners whom to vote for or against. [AP]

...As they conduct their closed-door retreat in Denver, Colorado, this week, America's Roman Catholic Bishops are deliberating over whether political officeholders and candidates who reject the Church's teachings on abortion should receive the sacrament of Communion. The Catholic leaders can set policy for their own dioceses and have taken varied positions on the question. But in an Associated Press interview, one pro-life advocate said there should be no debate about the issue -- politicians who support abortion should be denied Holy Communion. American Life League spokesman Joe Giganti says the U.S. Catholic bishops should take decisive action and sanction these pro-abortion politicians. He notes, "Abortion has a primacy within the realm of civil rights because if you do not have that right to life and it is not protected above all other things, then there are no other civil rights that matter, because you will not be alive to enjoy them." Giganti says his group has been engaging the U.S. Catholic bishops and asking them to use their authority to withhold communion from known pro-abortion Catholic politicians until they either recant their position or stop calling themselves Catholics. [Rusty Pugh]

...Focus on the Family's Abstinence Policy division is warning citizens about a movement by a pro-abortion group to promote the myth of safe sex through condom use. The Pro-Choice Caucus has introduced the "Putting Prevention First Act," proposed legislation that Focus on the Family believes is simply a new attempt to garner another $100 million for "safe" sex education -- that is, so-called comprehensive education programs that teach students K-12 that homosexuality is normal, that premarital sex is okay, and that oral and anal sex can be part of the "safe" sex routine. Also, such programs often demonstrate to young people how to put on a condom and where to obtain contraceptive drugs. While groups like Planned Parenthood and the Pro-Choice Caucus push for more funding for comprehensive sex education, abstinence advocates point out that for every $12 of federal funds spent on "safe" sex programs, only $1 is spent on abstinence education. Focus on the Family is urging concerned citizens to contact Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), a co-sponsor and vocal proponent of the Putting Prevention First Act, to express opposition to this misguided bill and to prevent millions more taxpayer dollars being spent on "safe" sex education that simply does not work. Also, the pro-family organization suggests that people contact their own senators and congressional representatives and ask them to pass the $270 million President Bush budget request for abstinence-only education. [Jenni Parker]

...A House committee has stripped a tax bill of a provision that would have reduced penalties on churches that allow political activity by mistake. Instead of losing their tax-exempt status, houses of worship would have faced fines for the first two inadvertent offenses. Only after engaging in politics for a third time would the religious organization have lost its tax exemption -- and then only for a year. But the measure drew scant support and attracted broad opposition from both secular and church groups, so the House Ways and Means Committee removed it from a corporate tax bill. [AP]

...Two U.S. congressmen have fired a significant salvo in the effort to curtail an activist judiciary -- one that could have a direct impact on members of the Supreme Court. In recent decisions, a number of high court justices, including Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Anthony M. Kennedy have quoted laws from other countries as having been influential in their rulings. Critics claim that is a violation of their oath, in which the judges pledge to look only to the Constitution of the United States as the law of the land. Nevertheless, these Supreme Court justices have referenced laws in Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Canada, and the European Union in making recent decisions. But now, two Republican representatives, Congressmen Tom Feeney of Florida and Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, have crafted a resolution especially for those justices. Feeney explains that the intent of the resolution is to send a message to the U.S. courts, and especially to federal judges, that it is unacceptable when interpreting the original meaning of the U.S. Constitution to be "importing laws of other countries." The resolution has moved from the judiciary subcommittee to the full committee and, once voted on by the full committee, is expected to be passed by the House. [Bill Fancher]

...A former member of Ronald Reagan's Department of Defense team says he does not think it is a good idea for the Pentagon to pull nearly all of its front line troops from South Korea for use in other places, such as Iraq. Although the joint commander of U.S. forces in Korea says the pullout will allow the South Koreans to take a greater role in defending their own country, Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy has reservations about reducing America's presence in South Korea, but he understands why it may be necessary. "I think the administration is facing the unhappy effects of policies of previous presidents -- especially Bill Clinton -- to have left us with fewer troops than we need to fight a global war on terror," Gaffney says. But under the current circumstances, the security policy expert feels the U.S. needs to make better use of its troops now stationed in Germany. "I would prefer to see them moved forward, elsewhere in Eastern Europe, where they're welcome and where we would be able to train and operate them to a greater degree ... rather than having them brought back to the United States," he says. Meanwhile, Gaffney hopes high tech weaponry will ultimately make up for fewer U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula. [Chad Groening]

© 2004 AgapePress all rights reserved.

E-mail this page to a friend

Printer-Friendly Version

Read all of our current headlines