Texas Protects Students From Secularists’ Harassment

Texas students will have greater freedom to express their religious views on school campuses under the Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act, a measure signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry on June 8.

Under the new law, religious beliefs expressed in homework, artwork and other assignments are to be judged by traditional academic standards. Students can’t be penalized or rewarded because of the religious content of their work.

Supporters say the measure is needed to protect students from censorship and school districts from lawsuits. There are plenty of cases to illustrate the degree of religious discrimination that exists in America’s public schools.

Perry earned the respect of many Christian parents in April when he acknowledged at a news conference that teens’ religious speech was quashed at public school. The governor cited examples of students being prohibited from wishing troops overseas a “Merry Christmas” or told they couldn’t distribute religious bracelets at recess.

Along with granting students freedom of religious expression, the new law also requires schools to establish a “limited public forum” at all school events in which students speak. Of course, schools will have to develop a neutral method for selecting pupils to speak at school events and graduation ceremonies, and officials must provide a written or oral disclaimer that the student’s speech was not endorsed by the school district.

It all seems like a lot of unnecessary machinations just to extend a basic right that’s already guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Still, Texas lawmakers should get a gold star for going the extra distance to make sure school is not a place where children are harassed by secularists who can’t respect Christian views.

Source:  www.centerformoralcalrity.net

Maine Pro-lifers: ‘Not With Our Money!’

Pro-lifers across Maine converged at the state capitol last week to voice their opposition to a bill that would use their tax money to pay for abortions for poor women. The state already doles out $1 million every year to Planned Parenthood, so advocates for life are justified to declare that enough is enough.

State Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, is the sponsor of the measure, which would force Maine residents to spend $283,000 more on taxpayer-funded abortions.

The cost of the bill is based on an average out-of-pocket cost of $350 and a count of MaineCare patients who got abortions from one of the state’s three nonprofit providers of the procedure – the Family Planning Association of Maine, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center.

If the bill passes, terminating life of preborn babies would be paid for through MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid service. Abortion, though, is not a fundamental human right. The issue is about the sanctity of life, not charity, as the bill’s supporters would like people to believe.

Currently, MaineCare only pays for abortions when the mother’s life is in jeopardy or in cases of rape and incest. The bill under consideration would expand that to cover all abortions.

Last week, dozens of pro-life advocates rallied on the capitol steps. Inside, there was standing room only when the Health and Human Services Committee convened a public hearing on the bill. Consistent with their duty as Christians, activists made it clear that they didn’t want their money used to pay for abortions.

“The inescapable fact is that Christians cannot – and should not – divorce their biblical perspective from public policy and law making,” said Pastor Rod Parsley. “Someone’s perspective will influence our laws – it’s just a question of whose. ”

Tax payers in Maine – or in any state of the union – should not have to contradict their own consciences by paying for elective abortions. In addition to the moral considerations, using tax dollars to kill babies is an irresponsible financial decision that will put more strain on the state’s budget.

source:  www.centerformoralclarity.net

It Shouldn’t Happen Here

Hartford, Connecticut, is an unlikely setting for a sex-trafficking ring. If asked, most Americans would probably name some far away third-world country as a more likely place where adults and juveniles could be forced into prostitution through fraud and coercion. Reality check. The U.S. Department of Justice announced last week that nine of the 10 people linked to human trafficking thugs operating out of New England have pleaded guilty for their roles in the crimes.

International sex trafficking is a well-known problem, but tragically, it happens here, too. As a nation of Christians, it is inconceivable that American citizens are being victimized in such a fashion. The United States isn’t a developing country plagued by lawlessness and corruption. There is no excuse for those who turn a blind eye, allowing the despicable crimes associated with modern day slavery to occur.

Worldwide, the selling of women and children is the third most valuable black-market commodity, after weapons and drugs. Sex trafficking is a $12-billion-a-year business. Most of the victims are women and children, including some boys, who are often sold multiple times, while their “owner” takes in tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. To control them, traffickers brutalize, rape, torture and threaten to kill family members of unwilling sex-workers.

The Center for Moral Clarity commends the Department of Justice for making human trafficking prosecutions a top priority. In the last six years, the Civil Rights Division, in conjunction with U.S. attorneys’ offices, has increased by six-fold the number of human trafficking cases filed in court. It’s worth noting that DOJ obtained a record high number of defendants charged and convicted in human trafficking prosecutions in 2006.

Plenty of organizations have committed to bringing public awareness to the ongoing need for justice across the world. Americans who advocate Christian principles of justice for the oppressed must also look closer to home. Ending human trafficking within the U.S. borders should be a priority for Bible-believing Christians as well as the federal government.

“If we don’t stop playing church, get outside the four walls of the sanctuary and begin modeling the compassion of Christ toward those who are hurting, we’re going to lose this nation,” Pastor Rod Parsley said. “Too much is at stake. Too many innocent lives hang in the balance. Too many freedoms are in jeopardy.”

This means, people have to care about what’s going on at the house down the block. Children of God have a responsibility to be their brother’s keeper. Rather than distancing themselves from neighbors, as has become commonplace in communities across the nation, Christians ought to be looking out for each other.

Source:  www.centerformoralclarity.net

Making Mockery of Christianity

They called it a “drill,” but police in Burlington, N. J., accomplished little more than inciting fear and divisiveness recently when they portrayed “Christian terrorists” during a school-safety exercise. The activity purportedly was designed to prepare students, faculty and administrators for reacting to emergency situations on school property.

So, here’s the scenario they concocted: two angry Christians storm a school and gun down several students. The reason for their rage? The gunmen came to get justice because one of their daughters had been expelled for praying before class. Yeah, right. Can anyone even imagine the fallout if the police had pretended to be gays angry about being denied the privilege of going to the homecoming dance?

Everyone knows that practice makes perfect, which is why emergency exercises should be based on realistic situations. The purpose is to allow those in authority to evaluate plans and procedures. Does anyone believe this is a realistic scenario? Burlington residents should be quivering in their boots right about now, if there is a plan or procedure for taking out Christians in public school hallways.

The characterization of Christians as gun-toting extremists is particularly disturbing. Yes, evangelical students have sought the right to pray, distribute faith-based literature and even sing a song of praise on school campuses. There is no record, however, of Christians taking a public school under seige as a means of securing their constitutional rights.

Youth raised on a steady diet of popular culture instead of the Bible can’t make such a claim. Think back to 1999, when the worst school massacre in U.S. history left 15 dead and 23 wounded at Columbine High School. The first to lose her life was a young lady who proclaimed her faith in God. This is reality.

Those who talk of tolerance are quick to create programs that make homosexuals comfortable and welcome in America’s public classrooms. Apparently, the secular world believes Christians don’t warrant the same compassion or courtesy.

Source:  www.centerformoralclarity.net

Hate-Crimes Fraud Exposed

As Congress once again ponders passage of H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a disturbing revelation has come to light. According to investigators, the alleged incident that prompted re-introduction of the bill in the 110th Congress never actually happened. The Feb. 23 death that gay activists are using to justify the exaggerated need for broader enforcement of federal hate-crimes laws, in fact, was the result natural causes (“Medical examiner: Spinal disease killed Andrew Anthos“). So the possible erosion of Christians’ constitutional rights is not based on truth.

The Center for Moral Clarity has consistently argued that the hate-crimes bill, which has been before Congress numerous times over the past seven years, is a poor piece of legislation. Nevertheless, desperate to advance a failing agenda, the bill’s proponents have resorted to fabricating the need for the law, which is one more valid reason to fight it.

Click here to urge Congress to vote against H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is linked to Anthos’ high-profile death. The 72-year-old homosexual reportedly met his demise after a phantom black man called him a derogatory name then struck him in the back of the head with a metal pipe. The “tragedy” so touched U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., that he delivered a moving speech on the Senate floor.

“We should condemn and act against the hate crimes that have plagued our nation and have had such a devastating impact on Andrew Anthos, and thousands of others and their families,” Levin said. “In addition, I hope that state governments will strengthen their own hate-crime statutes to combat this growing trend.”

If lawmakers really want meaningful legislation on this issue, the more fitting proposal would be to enact harsher punishment for people who lie about hate crimes. Gay activists are so eager to label offenses against their ranks as “hate crimes” they are distorting statistics in their favor. Such false reports end up in FBI data as well as impassioned congressional speeches. There’s no telling how many other “hate-crime” accounts are bogus.

The Concerned Women of America, the largest public policy women’s organization, has called for a federal investigation of fake hate-crime reports (“CWA to Feds: It’s Time to Investigate Fake “Hate Crimes” Reports“). CMC agrees that such fraud must be exposed.

Source:  www.centerformoralclarity.net