28 October 2009
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Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Traditional Values Coalition Explains Implications of “Hate Crimes Bill” Passed by the U.S. Senate
[2] Proposed United Nations Report States that Terrorism Prevention Security Measures “Risk Unduly Penalizing Transgender Persons”
[3] White House Communications Director is Admirer of the Political Philosophy of Communist China Founder, Dictator, and Murderer of 65 Million Chinese, Mao Tse Tung
[4] Neocustis Inc. Using Aborted Fetal Material in the Manufacture of Anti-Wrinkle Cream, According to Children of God for Life
[5] United Nations “Defamation of Religions” Resolution Undermines Christians and Religions Other than Islam, Says Open Doors USA President
[6] Hate-Speech Charges Urged Against Sweden Democrats Leader that Wrote Article Critical of Muslims
[7] Religious Liberty in United Kingdom Fading Fast
[8] U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi Dismisses the U.S. Constitution
[9] Atheist Michael Newdow and Freedom from Religion Foundation Suit Challenges Federal and State Tax Exemption for Ministerial Housing Allowances
[10] PCUSA South Louisiana Presbytery Declared in Contempt of Court for Refusal to Release Documents
[11] Three Fresno Valley, California, Churches Amicably Leave the PCUSA for the EPC
[12] Calvin Theological Seminary President Stepping Down After 2010-2011 Academic Year
[13] Calvin College Trustees Reaffirm Memo, but Agree to Study How CRC Teachings Relate to Academic Freedom
[14] Western Reformed Seminary Accreditation Renewed for Ten Years by Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries
[15] Christian Education and Publications Clearance Sale
[16] October 2009 Reformation Voice Available Online
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[1] Traditional Values Coalition Explains Implications of “Hate Crimes Bill” Passed by the U.S. Senate
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) issued a press release titled “TVC Condemns Senate For Passing Anti-Christian ‘Hate Crimes’ Bill” on 22 October 2009 in response to the U.S. Senate passing S. 909, “The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.”
TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty explained: “The U.S. Senate has just passed a so-called ‘hate crimes’ bill that makes as many as thirty different sexual orientations into federally-protected minority groups. Dishonest politicians and their gay and transsexual allies attached this hate crimes bill to a must-pass defense authorization bill in order to force conservatives to vote for it. Liberals knew they couldn’t get this bill passed as a standalone bill, so they held our soldiers well-being hostage in order to get this dangerous anti-Christian bill passed. Hate crime legislation is based on the phony premise that there’s an epidemic of hate in America against LGBT (gays, bisexuals, lesbians and transgendered) persons. This is false. FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] hate crime statistics prove that most so-called hate crimes amount to little more than name-calling or pushing or shoving. Christians and other people of faith will now become targets for persecution and prosecution because of this hate crime provision in the Department of Defense authorization bill. President Obama has signed on to the LGBT agenda so he’ll sign it – and condemn millions of Americans to persecution. This is a sad day for freedom of religion and free speech.”
+ Traditional Values Coalition, 139 “C” Street Southeast, Washington DC 20003, 202-547-8570, Fax: 202-546-6403, mail@traditionalvalues.org
+ United States Senate, Washington DC 20510, 202-224-3121, ahazen@aoc.gov
A 3 August 2009 report titled “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism,” by United Nations (U.N.) Special Rapporteur Martin Scheinin, states that security measures used for detecting terrorists “risk unduly penalizing transgender persons whose personal appearance and data are subject to change.”
Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, responded: “It strikes me as a parody of U.N. political correctness and sexual universality, and it’s just hard for me to believe that anybody thinks that these notions actually should trump security concerns – as I think it’s only too clear that…the people who are trying to blow us up have absolutely no use for any of these sexual proclivities.” Gaffney additionally said that terrorists “would be only too delighted to take advantage – indeed we’ve seen them taking advantage – of burqas and other subterfuges to disguise their malign[ant] intents.”
+ Cybercast News Service, 325 South Patrick, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-683-9733
+ United Nations, 327 East 48th Street, New York, New York 10017, 212-644-6373
+ Center for Security Policy, 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Suite 201, Washington DC 20006, 202-835-9077, Fax: 202-835-9066, info@centerforsecuritypolicy.org
In a May 2009 address to high school students, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn expressed her admiration for the political philosophy of Communist China founder, dictator, and murderer of 65 million Chinese, Mao Tse Tung, explaining why Mao’s philosophy was important for achieving personal and political goals.
China expert with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, William Ratliff, said that Dunn’s comments were astonishing regardless of her larger point, and Ratliff wondered whether or not Dunn is aware of the Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution, or if Dunn was just trying to look at Mao’s positive accomplishments.
Ratliff commented: “[Mao] did unify the country. [Mao] did implement some policies in the very early years that were constructive. But [Mao’s] policies, basically, were terribly, terribly destructive and I think that just makes it impossible for any serious person in the Western world, and I think an awful lot of serious people in China, to regard [Mao] as one of the great political philosophers. It’s outrageous and pathetic that…anyone in this country frankly, would still believe that.”
+ Cybercast News Service, 325 South Patrick, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-683-9733
+ The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20500, 202-456-1414, Fax: 202-456-2461, Contact Form
+ Hoover Institution, 434 Galvez Mall, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, 650-723-1754, Fax: 650-723-1687, lmaune@stanford.edu
Children of God for Life (CGL) issued a press release on 27 October 2009, announcing that Neocustis, Inc., a bio-pharmaceutical company focused on dermatology and skin care, is using aborted fetal material in the manufacture of several types of anti-wrinkle cream, including Bio-Gel, Journee, Bio-Serum, Prevedem, Bio Restorative Skin Cream and Lumiere.
CGL Executive Director Debbie Vinnedge comments: “There is absolutely no reason to use aborted babies for such selfish motives. It is anti-life, anti-woman and counter-productive…,” and urges women who are using Neocutis products to throw them in the garbage and to contact the company to express their concerns.
CGL additionally maintains a database of information on vaccines that are manufactured from aborted fetal material, and those being manufactured using ethical means.
+ Children of God for Life, 4613 Barfield Crescent Road, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37128, 615 898-1070, info@cogforlife.org
+ Neocustis, Inc., 3053 Fillmore Street # 140, San Francisco, California 94123, 313-664-7546, info@neocutis.com
Open Doors USA President and CEO Carl Moeller is warning that the Islam-inspired Defamation of Religions Resolution that may soon be before the United Nations (UN), is designed to undermine the religious liberty and personal safety of Christians and other faith groups worldwide.
Moeller explains: “Many Christians living in these countries are already severely impacted by restrictive laws — especially those living under strict Sharia law,” says Moeller. “From the right to worship freely to the ability to share the gospel, the Defamation of Religions Resolution threatens to justify local laws that already marginalize Christians. As Americans, we have enjoyed a long tradition of religious liberty. The Defamation of Religions Resolution is a blow against religious freedom.”
The Defamation of Religions Resolution seeks to criminalize words or actions that are deemed to be against a particular religion, namely Islam. The Organization of Islamic Conference, an inter-governmental organization of fifty-seven countries with majority or significant Muslim populations, has been the driving force behind this resolution, and is expected to introduce another such resolution to the UN General Assembly this fall.
+ Religion News Service, 1930 18th Street Northwest, Suite B2, Washington DC 20009, 202-463-8777, Fax: 202-463-0033, info@religionnews.com
+ Open Doors USA, Post Office Box 27001, Santa Ana, California 92799, 949-752-6600, Fax: 949-752-6442, usa@opendoors.org
+ United Nations, 327 East 48th Street, New York, New York 10017, 212-644-6373
+ Organization of Islamic Conference, PO Box: 178, Jeddah-21411, Saudi Arabia, 966-2-6900001, Fax: 966-2-2751953, Contact Page
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[6] Hate-Speech Charges Urged Against Sweden Democrats Leader that Wrote Article Critical of Muslims
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson, at the end of the political party’s annual congress, wrote an editorial published in the Aftonbladet newspaper on 19 October 2009, which described several inconvenient truths and opinions about the Muslim population of Sweden.
In the editorial, Åkesson opined that “today’s multicultural Swedish power-elite are totally blind to the dangers of Islam.” Åkesson added that more than ten Muslim terrorist organizations have established themselves in Sweden, that Sweden has the most rapes in Europe, and that Muslim men are highly overrepresented among the perpetrators. Åkesson concluded “As a Sweden Democrat, I see this as our greatest external threat since World War II and I promise to use all my power to change the trend during next year’s election.”
Those in opposition to Åkesson say that the editorial qualifies as agitation against an ethnic group (hets mot folkgrupp), i.e. the editorial is tantamount to hate speech; the editorial shows that there are parallels between the Sweden Democrats and the Nazis; and that the Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern) should prosecute Åkesson for alleged hate speech.
+ The Local Europe AB, Gjörwellsgatan 28, 112 60 Stockholm, Sweden, 08-656-5019, paul.omahony@thelocal.se
+ Sverigedemokraterna, Post Office Box 200 85, S-104 60 Stockholm, Sweden, 08-50-00-00-50, Fax: 08-643-92-60, info@sverigedemokraterna.se
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[7] Religious Liberty in United Kingdom Fading Fast
A 22 October 2009 Pakistan Christian TV article titled “United Kingdom: Religious Liberty Fading Fast” describes several recent denials of religious liberty in the United Kingdom (UK), including the case of a man who debates Muslims on his TV Gospel program who was hijacked in his car by three Urdu-speaking assailants who grabbed him by the hair, ripped off his cross, and threatened to break his legs if he continued broadcasting.
The article continues: “While Christians are being silenced, Islamisation is advancing, with Islamic fundamentalists appeased at every turn by short-sighted politicians who lack political courage and hanker after political gain. While Christians are fined, sacked, and sued for expressing their faith, Anjem Choudary’s Islam4UK is free to run its Islamic Roadshows all across the country (see below). Independent think-tank Civitas recently reported that Britain already has some eighty-five Sharia Courts operating openly, advising illegal actions and transgressing human rights with impunity. Not content with this, some 5000 supporters of Islam4UK are expected to join a ‘March for Sharia‘ from the House of Commons to Trafalgar Square on 31 October, which coincidentally is Reformation Day. (For an example of Islam4UK‘s Islamic Roadshow in action, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjvVgvclDQ {Birmingham, June 2009}.)
As long as the various anti-Christian lobby groups can silence Christians and shut down debate through anti-defamation, anti- vilification and anti-discrimination laws along with threats of violence, they will be on a winning trajectory with little resistance — that is, until violent conflict erupts. Violent ‘race’ clashes are already on the increase, mostly in response to protests against Islamisation. The UK is in trouble.”
+ Pakistan Christian TV, Contact Form
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[8] U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi Dismisses the U.S. Constitution
When asked on 22 October 2009 by a Cybercast News Service (CNS) reporter where the U.S. Constitution authorizes the U.S. Congress to order Americans to buy health insurance–a mandate included in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate versions of the health care bill—Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi dismissed the question by saying: “Are you serious? Are you serious?” Speaker Pelosi’s press spokesman Nadeam Elshami then said: “You can put this on the record. That is not a serious question. That is not a serious question.”
Responding to a followup question by CNS, Speaker Pelosi’s office issued a press release arguing that the U.S. Congress derives the authority to mandate that people purchase health insurance from its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce.
+ Cybercast News Service, 325 South Patrick, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-683-9733
+ U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Speaker, H-232, US Capitol, Washington DC 20515, 202-225-0100, Contact Page
Atheist lawyer Michael Newdow is representing the Freedom from Religion Foundation in the organization’s suit filed in federal court seeking to overturn longstanding federal and state tax exemption for ministerial housing allowances provided by churches and other religious organizations.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, which has moved to intervene in the court case, commented, “Just in time for Halloween, radical anti-religionists are unleashing their favorite scare tactic: a federal lawsuit, this time directly attacking ministers. It is unfortunate that these chronic litigants fail to see the invaluable community services provided by members of the clergy. Ministers of many faiths are dependent on the housing allowance to supplement their meager salaries. We will not stand by and let anti-religious ghouls threaten yet another American tradition.”
+ Pacific Justice Institute, Post Office Box 276600, Sacramento, California 95827, 916-857-6900 Fax: 916-857-6902, pji@pacificjustice.org
+ Freedom from Religion Foundation, Post Office Box 750, Madison, Wisconsin 53701, 608-256-8900, Fax: 608-204-0422, info@ffrf.org
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[10] PCUSA South Louisiana Presbytery Declared in Contempt of Court for Refusal to Release Documents
Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court, on 22 September 2009, ordered the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)’s South Louisiana Presbytery (SLP) to surrender specified documents to attorneys for the Carrollton Presbyterian Church (CPC) of New Orleans, Louisiana, of which the presbytery and the PCUSA Synod of the Sun have been attempting to reclaim the church’s property in the wake of the church leaving the PCUSA. SLP refused the court order, citing attorney-client and work-product privileges, but the court ruled that these privileges did not apply or had been waived by the documents being circulated to others.
On 22 October 2009, the court found the SLP in contempt, ordered SLP to pay all of CPC’s legal expenses in making and arguing CPC’s motion to find the SLP in contempt of court. The court subsequently ruled that the SLP must surrender the documents in question by 26 October 2009 or again be found in contempt. SLP attorneys have indicated intent to ask Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeal to review the order.
Presbyterians Week for 9 September 2009 contained the related article “[19] Carrollton Presbyterian Church to Prevail in Property Suit with Presbytery of South Louisiana.”
+ Presbyterian Lay Committee, Post Office Box 2210, Lenoir, North Carolina 28645, 828-758-8716, Fax: 828-758-0920, laymanletters@layman.org
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
+ Synod of the Sun, 6100 Colwell Boulevard, Suite 200, Irving, Texas 75039, 214-390-1894, Fax: 214-390-0755, office@synodsun.com
+ South Louisiana Presbytery, 12909 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816, 225-275-1242, Fax: 225-272-1935, dac@pbysouthla.org
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[11] Three Fresno Valley, California, Churches Amicably Leave the PCUSA for the EPC
Trinity Presbyterian Church of Clovis, California, on 25 October 2009; and First Presbyterian Church of Fresno, California, and Fowler Presbyterian Church of Fowler, California, on 18 October 2009; conducted services finalizing the churches’ departure from the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
The three congregations amicably left the PCUSA’s Presbytery of San Joaquin (PSJ), retaining their church properties and agreeing to fulfill financial pledges for ministries run by the church they are leaving. PSJ interim leader the Rev. Rick Irish stated: “The relationships we share with these three congregations, as brothers and sisters in Christ, are more important than property. Therefore, we didn’t make property an issue.” [Emphasis Ed.]
Presbyterians Week for 12 November 2008 contained the related article “[12] Two California PCUSA Churches Vote to Leave and Join EPC.”
+ The Fresno Bee, 1626 “E” Street, Fresno, California 93786, 559- 441-6233, publisher@fresnobee.com
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
+ Presbytery of San Joaquin, 438 South Locust Street, Visalia, California 93277, 559-739-0168, Fax: 559-741-9341, office@sjpresbytery.org
+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 17197 North Laurel Park Drive Suite 567, Livonia, Michigan 48152, 734-742-2020, Fax: 734-742-2033, webmaster@epc.org
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[12] Calvin Theological Seminary President Stepping Down After 2010-2011 Academic Year
Calvin Theological Seminary (CTS) President the Rev. Dr. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. has informed the CTS Board of Trustees that he will step down as president of the institution at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year.
+ <National Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 880, New York, New York10115
+ Calvin Theological Seminary, 3201 Burton Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, 800-388-6034, Fax: 616-957-6101
+ Christian Reformed Church in North America, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560, 616-241-1691, Fax: 616-224-0803 crcna@crcna.org
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[13] Calvin College Trustees Reaffirm Memo, but Agree to Study How CRC Teachings Relate to Academic Freedom
In a 27 October 2009 letter to the faculty of Calvin College, board of trustees chairman Bastian Knoppers clarified that the earlier letter from the trustees about homosexual advocacy reaffirmed, but did not change an existing policy banning the advocacy of homosexual practices and same-sex marriage. The board did not withdraw the earlier letter, but the board did agree to study how Christian Reformed Church teachings relate to academic freedom.
Presbyterians Week articles in the 2 September 2009 issue, “[10] Calvin College Prohibition of Homosexual Advocacy has Some Faculty in an Uproar,” and the 21 October 2009 issue, “[5] Calvin College Faculty Asks Trustees to Withdraw Memo Against Homosexual Advocacy,” describe events leading to the 27 October 2009 trustee letter and announcement of the subsequent study.
+ Michigan Live LLC, 339 East Liberty Street, Suite 210, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, feedback@mlive.com
+ Calvin College 3201 Burton Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, 616-526-6000
+ Christian Reformed Church in North America, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560, 616-241-1691, Fax: 616-224-0803 crcna@crcna.org
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[14] Western Reformed Seminary Accreditation Renewed for Ten Years by Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries
Following the recommendation of the visitation team that came to Western Reformed Seminary (WRS) in the spring of 2009, the Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries has renewed its accreditation of WRS for the full ten-year term.
WRS President Dr. John A. Battle commented: “We’re grateful to the Lord for this recognition of the seminary’s academic program and theological integrity. Thank you to all our supporters and prayer warriors.”
+ Western Reformed Seminary, 5 South G Street, Tacoma, Washington 98405, 253-272-0417, Fax: 253-627-4882, registrar@wrs.edu
+ Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries, Post Office Box 1188, Taylors, South Carolina 29687, Contact Form
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[15] Christian Education and Publications Clearance Sale
Christian Education and Publications is having a clearance sale with discounts as much as seventy-five percent on several books and other media.
+ Christian Education and Publications, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 102, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1100 Fax: 678-825-1101, cep@pcanet.org
+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org
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[16] October 2009 Reformation Voice Available Online
The October 2009 issue of Reformation Voice is available online at http://hra.witnesstoday.org/RVOctober2009.pdf.
Reformation Voice is a publication of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, whose purpose is to assist Reformed churches of the Heidelberg tradition to rediscover, preserve and celebrate their Reformed convictions and heritage through mutual fellowship, worship, prayer, work, counsel, and teaching.
+ Heidelberg Reformation Association, Rev. Howard Sloan, Secretary, 5543 Business 220, Bedford, Pennsylvania 15522
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