renewanation.org

ACLU Demands Removal of Internet Filters in Public Schools

Matt — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:11:48 +0000

“The ACLU is calling for public schools to give children access to unfiltered Internet – which would potentially expose students to pornography.”

“In recent months, the ACLU sent threatening letters to several school districts with an ultimatum to disable their pornography filters or face a costly federal lawsuit.”

Click here to read more.

A letter, sent to supporters of ADF this month, outlines the districts threatened with a lawsuit by the ACLU so far:

• Camdenton R-III School District in Missouri
• Oroville School District in California
• Aldine School District in Texas
• eStem Public CHarter Schools in Arkansas
• Avoca 37 School District (Wilmette) in Illinois
• Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia
• Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School DIstrict in Texas
• Little Rock School DIstrict in Arkansas
• Prince William Country Public Schools in Virginia
• Vineland Public School District in New Jersey

What Made This Country Tick?

Matt — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:09:25 +0000

In 1831, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville came to America to find out what made this country tick. He published his findings in Democracy in America.

To read more in Dr. Christian Overman’s blog, click here.

Decidedly Anti-Christian Attacks in America

Melvin Adams — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:10:14 +0000

The past week has shocked many of us with more bad news of decidedly anti-Christian attacks in America.

The lead story is the bold and blatant assault on religious liberty by this administration.

In an unprecedented move, President Obama has retracted a “conscientious exemption” clause from his signature medical reform legislation, often referred to as ObamaCare.

The result dictates that faith-based organizations, whose spiritual belief and practice do not permit them to participate in birth control or abortive measures, would be forced to pay for medical insurance coverage that would provide these procedures for their employees.

This decision most affects organizations that operate critical hospitals, schools, and other significant social services to communities. It is clearly part of a broader culture war being waged against Christians and the God and biblical truth they follow.

Here we see yet another unconstitutional “mandate” that clearly overrides America’s freedom to practice and express religion. This should be a concern for every American, not only those of us who are religious.

For more information:

Wall Street Journal Article

Excerpt:

“When politics determines who can or should receive what benefits, and who pays what for it, government will use its force to dictate the outcomes that it wants—either for reasons of cost, or to promote its values, which in this case means that “women’s health” trumps religious conscience.”

Reuters article

Excerpt:

“Casillas was dismayed when the Obama administration recently ruled that religious institutions had to follow the same rules as other employers and offer free contraception as part of health insurance coverage. The idea that the government would force Catholic hospitals to subsidize birth control – or, to avoid the mandate, drop health insurance for their employees – appalled him.”

Another critical issue in the news is the recent judgment in California that again strikes down the will of the people and empowers the LGBT movement by allowing same sex marriage.

Here again we see decidedly anti-Christian attacks in the fact that citizens who have repeatedly gone to the ballots with overwhelming support to uphold long-standing traditional Judeo-Christian values in this nation are repeatedly being ignored and denied by the courts, the very institutions who are pledged to uphold the Constitution and will of the people.

For more information:

Wall Street Journal

To let your voice be heard:

Liberty Counsel Petition

Manhattan Declaration – Chuck Colsen

School Choice Rally at the Capitol

Matt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:48:46 +0000

Today at the Virginia capitol, nearly 800 people gathered to rally for school choice, as well as more options for charter schools, home schools, and private schools.

The rally was organized by nonprofit group The Family Foundation of Virginia in support of “National School Choice Week.” Several speakers took the stand to discuss school choice and legislation in support of funding alternatives for low income parents and private schools. RENEWANATION President Melvin Adams was among those invited to speak at the rally. Others included Governor Bob McDonnell, Senator Mark Obenshian, Delegate Jimmie Massie, and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

American Public Schools Are Failing, Despite Leading the World in Spending Per Student

Matt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:47:35 +0000

The film by Bob Bowdon, The Cartel, examines how the richest society on earth lost the ability to teach its children.

Click here to watch the film in its entirety.

Do You Make These 8 Mistakes With Your Teenager?

Matt — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:33:17 +0000

Raising teenagers is not an easy task for any parent.

Professional blogger Lara Velez writes about the 8 mistakes parents sometimes make with their teenagers. Read the article here.

Battle Raging Over Contraception and Sterilization Mandate

Matt — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:20:07 +0000

RENEWANATION gives enthusiastic support for unity being demonstrated in elements of America’s Judeo-Christian community over matters of clear biblical truth.

Glenn Beck delved into important issues involving religious freedom. He brought together Catholic League president Bill Donohue, Rabbi Daniel Lapin of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians, and Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Texas, to discuss the battle that is raging between Catholics and the Obama administration over contraception and sterilization mandates that violate the Catholic belief system.

See below for the anti-Obama mandate letter that churches across the country read and distributed to members over the weekend. “We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law.” Also discussed is a new study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, “What makes killing wrong?” (see below) which compares “killing a human being to pulling weeds from a garden.” To watch the two videos, click here.

Donohue heralded the strong and unified response coming from the Catholic parishioners and leaders:

“In terms of a uniform collective voice, I’ve never heard anything quite this strong,” Donohue explained. “Church leaders are imploring Catholics to get involved at every level … This was a public call to arms.”

Here is the anti-Obama administration letter that was read to almost every Catholic sitting in church Sunday “We cannot — we will not—comply with this unjust law.”:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people — the Catholic population — and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.

Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies. In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting http://www.usccb.org/conscience to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Alexander K. Sample
Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample
Bishop of Marquette

Click here to read more.

From the Journal of Medical Ethics:

What makes killing wrong?

Two bioethicists — one from Duke University, the other from the National Institute of Health compare “killing a human being to pulling weeds from a garden.” It brings up the question “What makes killing wrong?” They want to change our moral belief system.

Abstract

What makes an act of killing morally wrong is not that the act causes loss of life or consciousness but rather that the act causes loss of all remaining abilities. This account implies that it is not even pro tanto morally wrong to kill patients who are universally and irreversibly disabled, because they have no abilities to lose. Applied to vital organ transplantation, this account undermines the dead donor rule and shows how current practices are compatible with morality.

Victory for Religious Freedom on Campus

Matt — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:47:04 +0000

In January 2009, Julea Ward was wrongfully expelled from EMU’s counseling program for holding to her Christian beliefs. She had been assigned a potential client seeking assistance regarding a sexual relationship that violated her religious beliefs.

Knowing she could not affirm the relationship without violating her religious convictions, Julea followed the counseling code of ethics (and her advisor’s instructions) and had the clinic assign the client to another counselor. Read more…

New York Senate Committee Passes Church/School Bill

jen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:55:44 +0000

A New York State Senate committee passed a bill on Tuesday as the first step toward overriding a New York City policy banning churches from holding weekend worship services in rented public schools.

The city’s Department of Education gave churches their eviction notice in late December, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to rule on a 16-year-old viewpoint-discrimination case of a church in the Bronx that was kicked out of a public school. The city has given some 60-odd churches serving primarily poor neighborhoods until Feb. 12 to find other facilities to call home. Read more…

School Choice Made Simple!

jen — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:50:12 +0000

Watch the short video from Heritage Foundation explaining school choice, how it benefits parents and children and why school choice is needed.

School choice offers families the opportunity to select schools that meet their child’s needs.