10 Worst Attacks on Faith, Family & Freedom in 2009
SACRAMENTO, CA -- As we look back on 2009, the Pacific Justice Institute recalls ten of the worst attacks on faith, family and freedom we encountered this year.
1) Atheist Michael Newdow went to federal court seeking to stop prayers at President Obama's inauguration, and the use of "So help me God" in the presidential oath. PJI successfully represented defendants Drs. Rick Warren and Joseph Lowery, Jr., in getting the suit dismissed. It is now on appeal.
2) A school board in Alameda, California, turned a deaf ear to hundreds of parents and adopted a curriculum that pushed acceptance of homosexuality to students beginning in early elementary grades. After the school district then rejected parents' attempts to opt out of the curriculum, PJI filed suit.
3) A church appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after a federal judge in San Francisco decided that the church had grown too much and should split into smaller congregations, rather than turning a vacant building into a worship center. PJI represents the church.
4) Atheists asked a federal appeals court to ban the use of memorial crosses to mark spots along Utah highways where officers were killed in the line of duty. PJI filed an amicus brief opposing the atheists.
5) Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill encouraging schools to celebrate the birthday of homosexual icon and sexual predator Harvey Milk.
6) The Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened city councils in California and elsewhere over traditional invocations at meetings. PJI sent legal opinion letters to several city councils offering advice as to how they could constitutionally continue their invocations.
7) A school district in Castro Valley, California, refused to provide information to parents about a talk given by a lesbian minister to math and science classes. PJI filed suit on the parents' behalf.
8) A school district in Oakley, California, stopped a second-grader from performing sign language in a talent show because her chosen song had Christian lyrics.
9) Pres. Obama signed a controversial federal hate crimes bill into law. The bill prioritizes crimes based on sexual orientation over crimes against the elderly. It also could be used by overzealous prosecutors to intimidate and punish pastors who preach against immorality.
10) The City Council of Washington, D.C., voted to allow same-sex marriage while refusing to allow citizens a vote on the issue.
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You all need to read the book "The God Delusion" because your all suffering from it and its curable. All you need to do is some critical thinking and use logic and reasoning to come to your life decisions. Following a Bronze Age Belief System in the 21st century is pathetic. Also in a secular country like the USA you have no right to impose your belief system on the rest of us. The US constitution forbids it, the 1st and 14th Amendments specifically address religion in our government bodies, and the schools are a government body so is the city council and anything that is tax payer supported. So rather than being law breakers please obey all the laws in our country, not just the ones you feel like observing. Remember honesty and obeying the law is in your holy book.
Chuck
Even tho there are some well intentioned people that set these laws into place or have fought for equall rights. We should not deceive ourselves. "The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." And the Bible identifies him, saying: "The one called Devil and Satan . . . is misleading the entire inhabited earth."—1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9. If the whole world is lying in his power wouldn't that include this worlds governments. For more info please visit watchtower.org
The Christian Holy Book makes many statements. It attempts to continue The Bible (the original is still the greatest and only Bible) by saying that an all powerful creator who could make a universe ex nihilo (out of nothing) would find it necessary to resort (somehow) to the womb of a Jewish maiden, grow there as a fetus for 9 months, go through the difficult process of birth, live a life of 30 some odd years, die (allegedly sacrificed by the same Creator for all of our sins), be resurrected and be part of the Creator. Balderdash!!! The Bible (the original and only) stated that the Creator would not allow Abraham to sacrifice his son . Why would a Creator make his own son (allegedly) and then sacrifice him? Again, BALDERDASH! BTW, the Christian Holy Book converts the role of Ha-Satan. The original and correct conceptualization of ha-satan is as prosecutor, one who could be designated from among a host of angels. The differences between the Christian Holy Book and The Bible are so immense that one who truly studies them would more than like either remain Jewish, or become a convert.
That said, there is something called free will. We all make choices. If you have made the choice that the Devil is real, then so be it.
"The one called Devil and Satan . . . is misleading the entire inhabited earth."--1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9. If the whole world is lying in his power wouldn't that ALSO include people, including pastors, elders,ministers, preachers, members of Governing Bodies, and Magesteriums who sincerely and earnestly believe they're accurately following and explaining the Bible? "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers , transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness"--2 Cor 11:13-15; Mat 24:24.
The very nature of deception means that when you're deceived, even if you sincerely believe you have accurate knowledge of the truth, you don't realize you are misled, doesn't it?.
What was the talk regarding?
This was just a gathering of professionals (care coordinators, Social Workers, Nurses, Physical Therapists, a Psychologist (moi), a Pediatrician, office staff, billing staff, etc.) who provide services to the littlest citizens of our state (birth to 3 years old) and their families. It was a celebration of a calendar year of work that we are going to continue. The agency is government funded. All 50 states are required to have such agencies. There was no talk, except friendly exchanges, joy, and laughter.
It seems to me that these organizations are as active fabricating as they are protesting. It is so harmful to the people in this country who are loving and true in their Christian beliefs. As a gay man with two grown and married sons. I am completely supportive of keeping the schools in the teaching business and not trying to persuade them to ANYTHING
I work for a state agency. We have gatherings that include a meal at our government funded agency. There have been people who objected the invocations by a Christian minister because she always mentioned, "In Jesus name, we pray." I am Jewish. I do not pray that way. I asked to do the invocation at our Winter Breakfast. The Director invited me to do that. Here is what I said:
Silent Prayer
A great poet has written: “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.” Many of us can recognize the truth of these words from our most intimate experiences.
From time to time we have heard melodies which play not upon the ear but within the heart, melodies which originate not outside of ourselves but in the innermost part of our selves.
Just as there are melodies which remain unheard, so there are prayers which remain unspoken. These are prayers which never fall upon the ear because they never cross our lips.
These prayers are found in no book of any faith; they well up out of our inner depths – fashioned by our fears and our hopes, by our guilt and our gratitude, by our needs and by our aspirations.
It is at these moments when the words of a great teacher ring true, “Silence can be the loudest of voices.”
Adapted and edited (but not originated) by Rashi18
I agree that this should not be allowed. What if the deceased accident victim were Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, Hindu, Pastafarian, Zoroastrian, Muslim, agnostic, humanitarian, etc? Isn't it at least slightly possible that one of them would object to being memorialized with a cross? A nice plaque without any religious connotation would be fine, without violating anyone's religious background. Suck it up, and back freedom of religion .
Though I'm agnostic and though, as a heterosexual I support homosexual rights, including the right to marry, I do oppose the use of public schools for actively promoting homosexual (or heterosexual any type of) lifestyle as much as I oppose public schools being used to promote Christianity ( or Islam, Hinduism, or any type of religion ). Let the public schools teach math, language, history, and science skills within an atmosphere of social tolerance; leave any active promotion of sexuality and faith to parents and family circles. If parents are unfit to teach these issues to children , then let US society start ensuring parental qualifications with licensing for parents.