One of the participants in this recent Pew Forum interview is Jennifer Butler - the Executive Director for Faith in Public Life. You may remember that this group organized the Compassion Forum early last month. Faith in Public Life said they would discuss the abortion issue at the forum and issued this statement: "We hope to get to the heart of the issue and why it's so divisive. We hope to try to pry the door open to potential common ground and ask if the political labels we use when it come to abortion really capture where Americans are on the issue."
However, in this Pew Forum interview, Ms. Butler proudly points to her strong connections with Planned Parenthood and her speaking engagement at the "Planned Parenthood prayer breakfast":
BUTLER: Yeah, well, it is interesting you asked that. I am
speaking at the Planned Parenthood prayer breakfast tomorrow. And
we have worked very closely with some think-tanks in
town with Third Way and with Center for American Progress. Many of these groups
are also very interested in connecting more strongly with faith communities. And
I'd say there has been a resurgence in their interest, an intensification since
2004. So I think it is extremely important to build those bridges there...
...There has been some recent progress in that arena because it has
been a point of tension. I mentioned earlier our work with Third Way. And they
worked with leading evangelicals and progressives to outline a strategy for
approaching the abortion issue which, interestingly enough, did not involve
compromise. And they were very clear that they didn't want a
watered-down solution to the problem, nor did they want
people having to compromise on their ideals...
Butler should explain how working "closely" with Planned Parenthood helps achieve
"common ground" to solve the "problem" of abortion.
The FRC Action Values Voter Straw Poll has been making lots of news, but one of the poll questions that hasn't yet gained as much attention was question #3, which asked participants to rank the order of importance among a set of issues. Here are the results:
Here's the statistical breakdown:
ISSUE
VOTES
PERCENTAGE
Abortion
2398
41.52%
Same-sex "Marriage"
1141
19.76%
Tax Cuts
626
10.84%
Permanent tax relief for families
563
9.75%
Federal "hate crimes" legislation
331
5.73%
No vote on this question
181
3.13%
Taxpayer funding for abortions
151
2.61%
Prayer in schools
93
1.61%
Reinstatement of the "Fairness Doctrine"
88
1.52%
Public display of the Ten Commandments
57
0.99%
Enforced obscenity laws
54
0.94%
Embryonic stem cell experiments
48
0.83%
Voluntary, student-led prayer in schools
44
0.76%
Total
5,775
100%
Now that you've got the numbers, feel free to crunch away.
They're the proverbial topics you're told never to speak of at the dinner table, yet the pervasiveness of both ensures that they can't help but intersect. I'm speaking, of course, about religion and politics.
To further this often forbidden conversation, The Pew Forum on Religion and Public life has launched a new microsite devoted to the 2008 presidential candidates and their views on religious issues. Right now, there are only three Democrats and three Republicans represented, but the site states that there's more on the way. You can peruse a candidate's "religious biography," and find out what they've said on issues like abortion, church and state, faith-based initiatives, stem cell research, gay marriage, and more. The site also links to worthy news articles related to a candidate's religious stance.
Bible Belt Refuses to Buckle under on Religious Courses
A Texas legislator, Rep. Warren Chisum (R), has introduced a bill that would require schools to offer history and literacy classes on the Bible. The proposal, now under debate in the House Public Education Committee, would affect over 1,700 districts throughout the state. If it passes, Texas would join several other states in offering elective courses on the most widely distributed book in the world.
Although some are criticizing the move as a violation of church and state, the bill's sponsor said, "We're not going to preach the Bible, we're going to teach the Bible." Proving that the Good Book is experiencing an educational revival, five other states are considering similar proposals.
Q: Why are there so few Buddhist rhythm and blues bands?
A: Because Buddhists don't have any soul.
Some Evangelicals are doing some unusual, but interesting, outreach.
Evangelicals hope to 'reach' Buddhists
Workshops coincide with Dalai Lama visit
If you're a Tibetan Buddhist or you're leaning that way, you may not know it, but you need Jesus.
That's the thinking behind a series of Christian evangelical workshops -- including one later this month in Wheaton -- that will coincide with the Dalai Lama's trip to Chicago and other American cities this spring.
The Dalai Lama is set to visit Chicago in May. A Philadelphia-based Christian missionary group is holding a series of workshops on how to share the gospel with Tibetan Buddhists.
Interserve USA is putting on the workshops to teach Christians how to talk to Buddhists and, perhaps, to win converts. More . . .
And in case I haven’t offended Richard Gere yet:
Q: Why don't Buddhists vacuum in the corners?
A: Because they have no attachments.
Bible thumping, gun toting Christians as terrorists?
In a scene that could have been written by Rosie O'Donnell a school in Vermont ran a terrorist simulation that strikes me as a little out of sync with reality:
"Investigators described them (the psuedo-terrorists) as members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the “New Crusaders” who don't believe in separation of church and state. The mock gunmen went to the school seeking justice because the daughter of one had been expelled for praying before class."
Yes that makes sense, Christians as terrorists. God forbid (oops there is that phrase) they should instead have the terrorists portrayed by religious fanatics that actually have a basis in reality (say a group that would fly planes of innocent civilians into a building full of innocent civilians) and not in TV shows.
Saint George may have slain the dragon, but it's becoming painfully obvious that even he cannot conquer Great Britain's wave of political correctness. As the country copes with an influx of Muslims, the church and government are finding it extremely difficult to maintain their British identity. As an example, the Church of England is considering removing the cross of St. George from its flag because of its association with the medieval crusades. The debate has enraged citizens who are concerned that the country may soon become unrecognizable in its pursuit of cultural pluralism.
This week, British papers are also reporting a growing problem with the public school curriculum. For fear of "offending" Muslim students, teachers have become increasingly hesitant to teach history lessons on the Holocaust because of the students' predominantly anti-Semitic feelings. A government study found that educators are also afraid to tackle the 11th century crusades, in which Christians fought Islam for control of the Holy Land, or the Arab-Israeli conflict. Since the curriculum often conflicts with what some children are taught at the local mosques, some teachers are dropping the lessons altogether.
Sadly, it reflects the international trend to use history as a means, not for teaching the truth but promoting a value-free form of tolerance. As Chris McGovern, a government advisor, said, "Children must have access to knowledge of these controversial subjects, whether palatable or unpalatable." Until Britons rise up to defend the traditions that they hold dear, these P.C. policies will only facilitate their nation's decline. Americans should take notice!
When it comes to promoting faith on Capitol Hill, there is safety in numbers--"219" to be exact. That's the House meeting room where a group of members gather each week to ask the Lord's blessing on our nation. In 2005, Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) made it official by creating the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a group of leaders committed to praying for our nation and protecting the rights of all Americans to pray. In the past two years, the number of Caucus members has grown to 42 (almost a 10% of the representatives in the House).
Yesterday, FRC attended the press conference in which the Caucus announced its plan to spread what they call "219 prayer groups" across America. They hope that as the faithful meet to pray these "spiritual blocks" will form a powerful wall of protection around America. We applaud Rep. Forbes' leadership in helping to fulfill 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land." We invite you to join with the 219 group and FRC, which also has a prayer initiative as part of our Church Ministries Program. Both are keys to the revival our country so desperately needs.
Following Mommy's Steps: Hamas' Tool to Recruit Children Bombers
A "music video" broadcast on a Palestinian Hamas TV station on Wednesday features a young Palestinian girl singing to her mother who is preparing to carry out a suicide bomb attack. The caption of the video reads, "Duha, daughter of suicide bomber Reem Riyashi, sings to her mother." In 2004, Riyashi killed four Israelis after blowing herself up on a border crossing between Israel and Gaza.
Initially the little girl is frightened (“Mommy, what are you carrying in your arms instead of me.") but after seeing her mom on TV, the daughter has a change of heart: “Instead of me you carried a bomb in your hands. Only now, I know what was more precious than us. May your steps be blessed, and may you be flawless for Jerusalem. Send greetings to our messenger Muhammad.”
By the end of the video the girl decides to become a bomber herself. After finding explosives in her mother’s drawer she says, “My love will not be (merely) words. I am following mommy in her steps.”
Despite protests from some members of Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) allowed the radical Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization with reported ties to terror groups and funding from Arab regimes, to hold a discussion on Islam in America's greatest symbol of freedom and democracy - the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi allowed CAIR access to the Capitol despite its animosity toward the very government in which she serves. The group has refused to renounce Muslim extremism or condemn fundamentalist terror groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Tuesday, its leaders even offered their support to a lawsuit filed on behalf of six imams who were escorted off a U.S. Airways flight after making anti-American statements, disrupting passengers with shouts to Allah, requesting unneeded seatbelt extenders, and arousing suspicion by moving from their assigned seats to a pattern associated with the 9-11 attacks. At a public press conference to announce the suit, CAIR forced Washington Times and CBN reporters off the premises saying they were "not welcome." Perhaps CAIR's leadership is concerned that these journalists understand the danger behind their radical agenda.
A new survey from The Barna Group explores the so-called "God gap" between Republicans and Democrats, examining 32 measures of religious commitment, belief and activity. The study shows that while Republicans continue to hold advantage in attracting born again Christian voters, Democrats are not as far behind on measures of Christian commitment as might be assumed.
The study finds that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to:
Strongly assert that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches (57% versus 40%)
Twice as likely to believe Satan is a real spiritual entity (33% versus 17%)
More likely to reject the idea that good works can earn salvation (35% versus 23%)
More commonly describe themselves as absolutely committed to Christianity (61% versus 48%)
The report also notes that 53% of Republicans say they attended church in the last seven days (compared with 41% of Democrats) and only 22% of Republicans qualified as unchurched (as opposed to 34% among Democrats).
A suit was filed on Tuesday in Pennsylvania by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of a 10 year old boy whose freedoms of religion and free speech were violated. During a Halloween celebration, officials at Willow Hill Elementary School in Glenside, Pennsylvania informed the boy that he could not wear a crown of thorns or tell others that he was Jesus.
Alternatively, school officials said that, because his garb included a robe, he could identify himself as a Roman emperor or some other religiously neutral figure. Since both the boy and his mother found the pagan elements of Halloween offensive, they did not want to celebrate Halloween in the typical manner; however, the mother of the boy also did not want her son to feel isolated from his schoolmates simply because he was not wearing a costume.
As many of us get ready to leave to celebrate Christmas with our families, let us end on a high note with some inspirational Christmas stories from this year (For the three people who have missed it, This Day in History/Quote of the Day will return when I do next week.)
First off let us look at Santa's helpers who work on his behalf in all the malls. A recent survey found that 90 percent say they get their beards pulled daily; About half nearly lose their glasses from clutchy kids every shift; Some 60 percent are sneezed or coughed on up to 10 times a day; About a third have been wet on and more than half say they get their boots stepped on as many as 10 times a day. Despite all this the survey, commissioned by Auntie Anne's pretzel shops, revealed that Santa's love their jobs.
"Everybody comes in a good mood and that puts me in a good mood," said Steve Macarus, 39, of Elgin, who was playing Santa at Navy Pier on Wednesday. "It's the best job I've ever had," said Johnson, a retired printer. "There's no, 'Aw, do I have to go to work today?' I look forward to it."
The only number from the survey I have a dispute with is:
Some 75 percent of kids say they've been good all year, the survey reported.
Now going to Vermont and a story that we hear a version of every year. A good hearted soul in Barre, VT put a coin from 1908 that is potentially worth up to $14,000 into one of the Salvation Army's red kettles. You can donate any type of coin you want to the Red Cross here.
From Maine comes the story of how for "15 years, the Worcester Wreath Co. in Harrington has been taking Christmas wreaths to the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., to decorate the graves of fallen U.S. soldiers and sailors. A burst of publicity this year came with two developments. First, instead of just focusing on the Arlington cemetery, the company started what it calls "Wreaths Across America" and sent six wreaths each to 230 state and national cemeteries in the 50 states and Puerto Rico. The expansion was the bright idea of Karen Worcester, who with her husband, Merrill Worcester owns and runs the company." The picture on the blog is from their current laying of the wreaths.
Finally for any last minute shoppers with $18,920.59 to spare might I suggest you pick up the Twelve Days of Christmas? Every year PNC tabulates the cost and this year saw it getting close to the $19 thousand mark:
Every American
in America
Liked Christmas a lot...
But Barry Lynn,
Who worked against religion,
Did NOT!
Barry Lynn hated Christmas!
But especially the whole Christmas reason!
I'm not sure why. Perhaps he saw worshiping the Son of God akin to treason.
But he was not alone, not at all, in his ridiculous fight.
The ACLU and People for the (Un)American Way also saw Christmas as a terrible blight.
Every December these groups would sue and sue, spending every red cent
On a misguided and twisted definition of the Constitution's first Amendment!!
They didn't like religious Christmas carols!!
Or a child distributing a candy cane!!
They hated Poinsettias and Christmas trees!!
They would find activist judges to cause all great pain!!
They hated a lot, for all of their days, mentioning Christ made them mean!!
And God forbid (yes they hated that phrase) you displayed a Nativity scene!!
One Christmas season they stole all the creches, the stockings and mistletoe
They stole all the carols, even the First Noel!!
They stole all the trees!! They stole all the presents!!
They laughed out in glee: "We will show these religious peasants!!"
So Christmas morning came and the liberals hoped it would just be like any other day
But, no, for you see America . . . they celebrated anyway!!
The Left was foiled once again - what could have gone wrong?
People were praying!! And worshiping with song!!
"Joy to the World," "Silent Night," "Away in a Manger"!!
All sung in worship!! Was the Left's assault on Christmas finally in danger??
The ACLU and Barry and Ralph - they just didn't understand
It wasn't the trappings that were important, but God being born to man
But the people, they knew, as did every Founding Father
Religion strengthens our nation, and is far from a bother.
The Founders recognized this, from when they first landed on America's shore
That Christ . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!
It is OK to have "Christmas trees" and a nativity scene
Judges can not stop it, nor could even Howard Dean.
So I say to you, without trepidation or fear
May you have a Merry CHRISTMAS and a blessed New Year!!
In Baghdad, the blackened cars outside churches and abandoned houses where people once worshiped point to an even greater emptiness in Iraq. Since the war, Christians have faced great persecution and hardship, all signaling a new era in a country that was once the cradle of their faith. While it may be home to the ancient cities of Ninevah and Babylon, Ur and the Garden of Eden, families of God are fleeing Iraq--afraid for their lives and the daily threat of terrorism. Frightened by a future where they would be hunted or outcast, thousands of Christians have fled for safe havens.
In the past few years, the fragile peace between the country's Christians and Muslims has been shattered. God-fearing Iraqis have watched helplessly as their brothers and sisters in Christ fall victim to bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and intimidation. In the face of great suffering, the shrinking population still searches for asylum. By record numbers, nearly half of what was once considered the world's oldest Christian body has disappeared. As one religious leader said, "The situation that is in the country will not allow us to practice our services freely. It is not safe to go [out] from home. We are meeting every Sabbath, but it is very difficult. We expect an explosion at any time during the day." Like every Iraqi, he prays for a better tomorrow. "We hope that things will change," he said. "But no one knows except God."
Two thousand years ago, the fate of the world hung by a similar thread. A virgin birth. The innocent manger. A promise of salvation. All were endangered by a Middle Eastern tyrant who slaughtered millions in hopes of killing the rightful King, Jesus Christ.
District's 10-year-old policy stirs debate before the high school's annual holiday concert.
The "Hallelujah Chorus" from "The Messiah," "Glory, Glory" and "Weep O Mine Eyes" are among the repertoire of musical selections to be sung by the nearly 300 members of Howell High School choirs at 7 tonight and Thursday.
But, for every religious song performed by the nine choral groups, 3.33 others have to be secular yuletide offerings as required under a school district's policy.
"We're falling within the guidelines. I comply with (the rules) although I don't agree. I just find the whole thing disturbing that we're not able to do all the literature I'd like to do," said Rod Bushey, choral director at Howell High.
First off let us look at Santa's helpers who work on his behalf in all the malls. A 
District's 10-year-old policy stirs debate before the high school's annual holiday concert.
