By Warner Todd Huston
We are certainly used to seeing the MSM causing trouble for conservatives and this one is no different at least on that level. But the interesting thing here is that the trouble a social conservative discovered was as a result of what she wrote in the MSM as opposed to what was written about her by the MSM. It seems that the opinion editorial written by Crystal Dixon for the Toledo Blade got her fired by the University of Toledo because… well, you know how universities are all about free expression and speech, right? Unfortunately for Dixon, though, hers wasn’t the proper, politically correct sort of speech that is officially approved of by the thugs at the University of Toledo.
You see, Crystal Dixon made the mistake of believing that this whole silly idea of “freedom of religion” also applied to our institutions of higher learning. She foolishly asserted in her Toledo Blade op ed that as far as her religious beliefs are concerned, homosexuality is a choice made by the individual instead of some genetic predisposition, that someone chooses to engage in homosexual activities instead of assuming that being gay is forced upon one by “nature.”
Of course, Dixon based her entire op ed on her Christian religious beliefs. It was no hate filled rant and was quite civil, even tempered, and to the point. But the gay mafia inside the University of Toledo must be awfully powerful. Or, at the very least, fear of them was enough to stifle — no, execute — Mrs. Dixon over what the president of UoT must imagine is her wretched religious extremism.
President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs dashed off a letter summarily firing Mrs. Dixon from her $134,383 a year job as associate vice president for employee resources.
A letter to Ms. Dixon informing her of her termination, stated “The public position you have taken in the Toledo Free Press is in direct contradiction to university policies and procedures as well as the core values of the strategic plan which is mission critical.”
It went on to say her position calls into question her ability to continue in her role as an administrator in charge of personnel actions and decisions and that “the result is a loss of confidence in you as an administrator.”
Don’t you DARE have any religious beliefs in an American university. Well… unless it is the church of Satan, or Islam, global warming, anti-Jewish or feminism you want to belong to. Those are perfectly fine religious opinions in the halls of our fetid universities it should be noted.
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Posted by Walt in Alternate Lifestyles, Christianity, Freedom of Speech categories at 7:50 PM EDT
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"The Bible is for the Government of the People, by the People, and for the People." - General Prologue to the Wycliffe Bible in 1384.
Our country and its laws were established on the fundamental belief that our morality emanates from God. While the Constitution begins with the line, "We the people," it does not contain any religious words. Some people cite this as evidence that America is a secular country. Not so. America has always combined secular government with a society based on religious values.
Many settlers in the 1600s came to what they considered this new promised land seeking religious freedom. They identified with the biblical Jewish Exodus from Egypt because they had left Europe and its values as well. Ours is the only country to identify with many Jewish beliefs, and is why our culture calls itself "Judeo-Christian." These values include the importance of laws, fighting for justice, and a belief in judgment by loving and forgiving God.
The Founders understood there is a divine order that rises above the human order. By the 1770s, they sought our freedom from the British Crown with reliance upon, what the Declaration of Independence calls, "Nature's God," the "Creator," and "the Supreme Judge of the World."
The First Amendment was never intended to exclude all references to God from government institutions and public debate. It simply says, "Congress shall not establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof." The word "establish" meant the creation of a state church, as in the Church of England. It is nonsense to say the founders intended the First Amendment to exclude all religious expression in public places.
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Posted by Walt in Christianity, Church and State categories at 10:02 PM EDT
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BAY MINETTE, Ala. — A Christian student told he could not perform a religious song at a high school talent show was permitted to perform it with another student Friday, after ADF attorneys representing the student sent a letter to Baldwin County Public Schools officials on his behalf. The student’s song won the talent show.
“Christian students shouldn’t be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman. “In this case, students were invited to perform an act of their choosing. It was a violation of our client’s constitutional rights to tell him what song he could or could not include simply because it was religious in nature. Once we explained this to the school district, it did the right thing. Officials there should be commended for deciding to respect the First Amendment rights of their students.”
Spanish Fort High School invited students to perform at an April 11 talent show. Timothy “T.J.” McCarty, a senior, submitted two songs to perform, both of which contained religious messages. A teacher facilitating the show and the school’s principal prohibited McCarty and another student from co-performing one of the songs because it was deemed “too religious.”
After district officials received a letter from ADF attorneys advising them of McCarty’s constitutional rights, the school agreed to let him perform both songs. McCarty co-performed the song that was originally prohibited, and which ultimately won the talent show, by accompanying another student who sang the song while he played piano. McCarty took second place with his other song, which he sang himself.
“Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate,” said ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “ADF will continue to be available to students and school districts that wish to know more about the free speech and religious expression rights students have under the Constitution.”
A copy of the letter sent to Baldwin County Public Schools officials by ADF attorneys April 4 is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/SpanishFortLetter.pdf.
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
www.telladf.org
Posted by Walt in Christianity categories at 11:59 PM EDT
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David Barton of WallBuilders reports on the following legislation pending in Congress (more information is available through the WallBuilders):
In the latter months of 2007, there was a flurry of incidents attempting to censor America's religious heritage (e.g., the capstone at the Washington Monument, the flag folding ceremony in the Veterans' Department, the flag certificates from the Architect of the Capitol, etc.). In each case, citizens learned of the incidents and in large numbers made their feelings known; each policy was promptly reversed.
In response to those (and other) incidents, Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia has 
introduced a Congressional Resolution affirming America's Godly heritage through dozens of documented historic examples.That measure,
H.Res.888, declares its two-fold purpose:
Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as "American Religious History Week" for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith.
The House has agreed to consider and debate this excellent resolution. There are three things you can do to help:
Call your Member of Congress and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.Res.888
Call Randy's office (202.225.6365) and thank him for standing up for our religious heritage. (All folks appreciate encouragement, but especially those on the front lines of battle.)
It will remind Americans what God has done for them and instruct the next generation about God's hand in America's history.
Posted by Walt in Christianity, US History categories at 11:46 PM EDT
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By Warner Todd Huston
In an article that is ostensibly supposed to be about the many Iowa homeschoolers that are supporting Mike Huckabee, the Washington Post pins the reason to the fact that homeschooling parents must hate Mormons! This has easily become the MSM’s favorite theme as they try to divide and anger portions of the GOP primary voting base against each other. In this MSM meme, anyone who votes against Romney or questions the relative Christian merits of the Mormon faith is a bigot who hates Mormons and won’t vote for Romney merely because he is one. They are also unanimous in pinning support for Huckabee to an anti-Mormon sentiment. The MSM is doing their level best to start a religious war on the right.
In the Post’s article, religion is the central theme of pro-Huckabee homeschool advocates. Here the Post reveals the efforts of a homeschooling Mother named Julie Roe (bet they chose her for her familiar name: Roe) who has stumped for Huckabee by making homemade buttons and making numerous phone calls.
Julie Roe, an early believer in Mike Huckabee, worked with what she had… With no buttons, no yard signs and no glossy literature from his nearly invisible Iowa campaign, she took a pair of scissors and cut out a photograph of the former Arkansas governor. She pasted it on a piece of paper, scribbled down some of his positions, made copies and launched the Huckabee for President campaign in rural Hardin County.
So, why Huckabee? (My emphasis added throughout).
Huckabee’s name is no longer a mystery to Iowa’s Republican voters, in large part because of an extensive network of home-schoolers like Roe who have helped lift his underfunded campaign from obscurity to the front of a crowded field. Opinion polls show that his haphazard approach is trumping the studied strategy of Mitt Romney, who invested millions only to be shunned by many religious conservatives such as Roe, who see the former Baptist preacher from Hope, Ark., as their champion.
But, even the Post contradicts this religious basis only a few paragraphs later.
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Posted by Walt in Christianity, News Media, Presidential Race categories at 6:18 AM EST
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Washington, D.C. - December 11, 2007, Congress passed a resolution by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to recognize the importance of Christmas and Christianity in America.
The resolution states that “Christmas is a time for 225 million Christians throughout this country to reflect on the birth of their Savior Jesus Christ and it is celebrated as recognition of God’s redemption, mercy and grace.”
This true message of Christmas is under assault in our country as the reins of political correctness try to dictate how Americans can celebrate this holiday. Even secular symbols of Christmas are being attacked. Rep. King’s resolution simply honors the real reason for the Christmas season.
Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America, said, “It is only fitting that Congress recognizes and honors Christmas.
“The celebration of Christmas permeates our entire country as most Americans revel in the joy of the season. We thank Rep. King for introducing this resolution that notes the contributions of Christianity to the establishment of this great nation.”
The Christmas Resolution passed the House by a vote of 372-9 with only Democrats opposing it. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) was among those who opposed this resolution, yet voted in favor of resolutions earlier this year that recognized other religions. Her office told CWA that the Christmas Resolution blurred the line between separation of church and state.
The other Members who voted against the Christmas Resolution were: Reps. Ackerman (New York), Clarke (New York), Hastings (Florida), Lee (California), McDermott (Washington), Scott (Virginia), Stark (California) and Woolsey (California).
Shari Rendall, Director of Legislation and Public Policy, adds, “It astounds me that any Member of Congress would oppose legislation that recognizes the importance of Christmas in our country, particularly in light of the fact that earlier this year Congress passed two separate resolutions honoring the Hindu and Islamic religions and their respective holidays.
For Information Contact:
Natalie Bell
(202) 488-7000
media.cwfa.org
Posted by Walt in Christianity, Christmas categories at 11:58 PM EST
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By Robert Meyer
Typically any discussion about breaches in the so-called impregnable wall of church and state separation are associated with right-wing fundamentalist Christians. This is a gross misconception, due largely to a deconstruction of the true meaning concerning the church and state separation concept.
The "strict separatist" view of this doctrine has come into vogue, its contemporary roots were ushered in primarily by the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in the 1947 Everson v. Board of Education. The 1971 Lemon v. Kurtzman ruling gave us the "Lemon Test," further refining and codifying the requirements of the establishment clause to the satisfaction of the then current Supreme Court.
The modern application of this approach yields something almost tantamount to affirmative action for secularists.
This is accomplished by viewing the concept of separation as an ideological separation of the secular and sacred realms, rather than a functional and jurisdictional separation of the two institutions, church and state. A sociopathic conceptual divide between God and government results, rather than a healthy recognition and respect of sphere sovereignty.
We have seen the clever, but irreverent bumper sticker slogan: "The last time we mixed religion and politics people got burned at the stake."
Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn would not be impressed. He might reply that the last time a country forgot about God, millions were murdered–and that event happened more recently–in the "enlightened" 20th century. After the liberal makes his political or philosophical dissertation about getting right-wing fundamentalist thinking out of the halls of government, he is ironically ready demonstrate that he doesn’t really believe in church and state separation after all.
We find him asking rhetorical questions, such as, who would Jesus bomb, or how does Bush’s foreign policy square with the Sermon on the Mount? Viola!
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Posted by Walt in Christianity, Church and State categories at 6:38 AM EST
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by Sher Zieve
Who would have thought that, after the 9/11/2001 attacks on our country, all too many US citizens would run to both accept and embrace the religion of our enemy attackers? But, that is precisely what has happened. Since 9/11, Muslims throughout the US have demanded—and received—all manner of special privileges; from intimidating businesses into accommodating Muslim prayer rooms to said businesses setting aside portions of the workday for them to engage in prayer. Note: Suffice it to say, Christian prayer has been banned in the workplace and schools—for decades. The ACLU saw to that. But, the same ACLU that bans Christian practices hypocritically—perhaps illegally—either ignores or embraces special accommodations for Islam. Christian prayers—even non-denominational—have been forbidden in school classrooms and the workplace. But, everything Islam is being increasingly accommodated and adopted. Christmas has been branded "taboo" by public school administrators. But, the Islamic celebration of Ramadan is not only being instilled in an increasing number of public schools but, has even been celebrated at the White House.
Most recently, with yet another strong backhand applied to the faces of all non-Muslims (specifically Christians), the University of Michigan has become the latest public entity to make the decision to ignore the US Supreme Court ruling concerning the separation of church and state in the US. With their actions, its leftist/liberati administrators have also made the decision that the SCOTUS decision does NOT apply to the Muslim faith. Instead, these same officials are making increasing adjustments for Muslims and their "faith" in direct conflict with the aforementioned SCOTUS decision. This is yet another example of liberals, leftists and other enemies of the United States of America being allowed to break the laws of our land, while the rest of us are subject to arrest for not being duly submissive to the lawbreakers. As yet another example of school administrators caving to Muslims’ intimidation, 23 year old Stanislav Shmulevich was arrested for placing a copy of the Islamic Koran in a toilet at Pace University. After the originated-by-terrorist-Hamas-officials group CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) complained to NYPD, police authorities charged Shmulevich with a ‘hate crime’. A hate crime against a book? However, if one does the same to a Christian Bible the authorities traditionally and historically ignore it. In other words, desecrating the Bible—or for that matter the Torah—is not considered a crime by US officials. Said "hate crimes" only applies to the Islamic Koran; just as separation of church and state applies only to Christianity and Christians.
Currently, all that is Islamic or even radical Islamist is "okay" with the American Liberati. Even one of the Democrat press’ bastions of liberalism, the Washington Post, is now attempting to instruct its readers that radical Islamists are really ‘moderates’. One of that publication’s staff writers, Michelle Boorstein, tries to shove this concept down their throats in her article From Muslim Youths, a Push for Change. By their continuing capitulation actions, our feckless liberal "leaders"
appear to be her audience. Again, their appeasement-of-all-that-frightens-them mantra grows louder: "Anything and everything Islam is okay with us!" And perpetrated by these same groups, anything and everything Christian is in process of being removed from life as we know it. Christianity, which essentially preaches peace, is being barred from American life while Islam—that preaches war and death to all non-Muslims—is being deified. Note: Isn’t it the liberals and leftists who claim to be anti-war? If so, why do they support a movement—Islam and its Muslim religion—that bases its existence on death and war and ridding this planet of all non-Muslims? No wonder the Left is considered by an increasing majority of we-the-people to be insane. It is.
In regards to the above growing atrocities, we-the-people again have two choices. We can ignore these mounting perils to our existence—and choose to end our lives—or we can fight them. Unless Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and his minions are successful in shutting us up, we can still contact our elected officials—local, statewide and national—and tell them to stop this insanity! US laws either apply to everyone or they apply to no one. If our elected leaders don’t understand that—they shouldn’t be in office. We can still vote them out. And we-the-people need to continue to take a stand against all of the increasing atrocities being committed against us. If we don’t, it won’t be long before we can no longer stand at all.
References:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-muslim30jul30,1,3405928.story?coll=la-news-a_section
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state
http://avoiceofreason.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/public-schools-embrace-islam/
http://www.riseofislam.com/western_world_03.html
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/188866.php
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/07/cair_hamas_implications_and_an_1.php
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/07/moderate_islam_and_its_muslim.html
Sher Zieve is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc. (www.thenma.org). The New Media Alliance is a non-profit (501c3) national coalition of writers, journalists and grass-roots media outlets.
Posted by Walt in ACLU, Christianity, Church and State, Religon categories at 5:24 AM EDT
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“The United Methodist Church, under its liberal leadership, is losing over 50,000 members a year, and this church lobby official is oddly worried about getting American flags out of our churches.”
—Mark Tooley, Executive Director UMAction
_________________________
Washington, DC—An official with the Washington, D.C. lobby office of the 8 million member United Methodist Church called this week for the removal of U.S. flags from his denomination’s churches. The Rev. Clayton Childers of the Capitol Hill-based United Methodist Board of Church and Society declared: “The presence of a national flag in worship can imply endorsement of national policies which often run counter to the teachings of Jesus Christ and our Christian faith.” He ominously noted: “One need only recall the way the Swastika Flag was displayed prominently in German churches during the Nazi era.”
IRD Director of UMAction Mark Tooley responded:
The United Methodist Church, under its liberal leadership, is losing over 50,000 members a year, and this church lobby official is oddly worried about getting American flags out of our churches.
Unlike the blood-soaked Swastika flags that the Nazis forced upon German churches, American churches voluntarily display their country’s flag as a reminder of the country in which God has providentially placed them. Typically, American flags stand against the side walls of American churches, quietly and obtrusively. They are hardly the idolatrous object of imperialistic worship against which the United Methodist lobby official warned.
Religious Left figures, like the United Methodist official, are hardly concerned about idolatry when their politically correct, rainbow paraphernalia and peace banners are woven into church worship services. They oppose the United States flag because they are contemptuous of our country, its history, its institutions, its culture, and its leadership role in the world.
Most United Methodists, and most religious people in America, display the flag as a symbol of God’s blessings upon our nation. Following the commandments of Christ, all Christians are called upon to love their nation, wherever they live, and to render unto Caesar his due, even as they render their worship only unto God.
Contact: Loralei Coyle (202) 682-4131
Posted by Walt in Christianity, Patriotism categories at 5:26 PM EDT
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New York, May 2, 2007 - Actor Kirk Cameron and best-selling author Ray Comfort will square off with two atheists in New York on Saturday, May 5. ABC originally planned to stream the 90-minute debate LIVE on their website, but decided to reschedule the broadcast to capture a larger audience. They will broadcast the entire debate on ABC.com on Wednesday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Comfort-who claims he can prove the existence of God, scientifically, without mentioning faith or the Bible-stated, "The network originally offered me only four minutes to present my case. After speaking with Kirk and conferring with the atheists, they settled on 13 minutes. I'm ecstatic. I can prove the existence of God in that amount of time.
"We are very grateful to ABC for taking this courageous step," Comfort continued. "As far as we know, nothing like this has ever been done before. ABC's website is already the 7th most visited news site, with 19 million visitors every month. But with more than 177 million people in the U.S. who call themselves Christians, we are sure that it will draw an even larger viewing audience. Is there actually evidence for God? That's the most important question any of us will ever consider."
Cameron added, "We are excited that the network has decided to do this, because we have something very relevant to present. Most people think that belief in God is simply a matter of blind faith, and that His existence can't be proven. We will not only prove that God exists, but as an ex-atheist I'll show that the issue keeping so many people from believing in God-Darwinian evolution-is completely unscientific. It's a fairy-tale for grownups."
The debate came about after ABC ran a story in January about hundreds of atheists videotaping themselves blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
"But," Comfort continued, "there is something more sinister here than a few people not believing in God. Why would so many be so bitter against Christianity in particular? Why aren't they making videos that blaspheme Buddha or Mohammed or Ghandi? We made our own video clip and posted it on www.Hollywoodblasphemy.com to expose why.
As of May 2 there is still an opportunity for people to join in the debate, by submitting questions that will be passed on to the panelists. ABC will limit the live audience to 100 people, evenly divided between atheists and believers. The debate will be moderated by Martin Bashir, and on May 9 a shortened version of the debate will be aired on Nightline.
For further information, contact mark@livingwaters.com
Posted by Walt in Christianity, Science categories at 7:31 AM EDT
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