Christian News Brief Monthly Archive - Feb 2004
2 Feb 2004
CBS Apologizing for MTV Produced SuperBowl Halftime Show
CBS is apologizing to Super Bowl viewers for Sunday's night MTV-produced halftime show -- and well it should. As WorldNetDaily reports, the show included Janet Jackson grabbing her breasts, rapper P. Diddy repeatedly fondling his crotch, striptease cheerleaders, gyrating transvestites, and simulat ...
2 Feb 2004
Kansas Town Won't Allow "The Truth Truck" to Spread Anti-Abortion Message
A pro-life leader says a Kansas town is violating his First Amendment rights by not allowing him to tell the truth about abortion through the use of a panel truck. Troy Newman calls his truck "The Truth Truck." It is outfitted with graphic images of what happens to an unborn child as a result of ...
2 Feb 2004
John Stossel: "People Say 'Conservative' the Way People Say 'Child Molester'"
A high-profile ABC News correspondent is accusing most mainstream reporters of being leftists who view conservatives as being "selfish and cruel" simply because them embrace capitalism. John Stossel is well known for his biting commentaries at ABC's high-profile 20-20 program. During a recent s ...
2 Feb 2004
Hollywood Prayer Network Bridges Gap Between Hollywood and the Church
Bridging the gap between Hollywood and the Church -- that's the goal of a ministry that focuses on the entertainment industry. For years, Karen Covell has worked as a TV producer in Hollywood. As a Christian, she was a need for an organized, intentional support system for believers working in the ...
2 Feb 2004
Canada's Highest Court Upholds Parents Right to Spank Children
Canada's highest court has upheld the right of parents to spank their children. In a country that has gained a reputation of moving rapidly to the left of social issues, including homosexual marriage, the ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada comes as a bit of a surprise. Several groups there hav ...
3 Feb 2004
School Choice Bill Proceeding Through Virginia Legislature
An important school-choice bill is proceeding through the Virginia State Legislature. Supporters are calling it a positive step forward for education freedom in that state. For the first time in years, school-choice legislation has passed by a Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee. The bill no ...
3 Feb 2004
Democrats Have Little Choice as Seven States Cast Ballots
As Democratic voters in seven states cast their ballots in today's "Super Tuesday" primaries, one observer says there's not much of a choice on the Democrats' political buffet. Writer Daniel Jennings says Democrats continue to push liberal candidates from the northeastern part of the nation -- ...
3 Feb 2004
Vermont Legislator Does Not Believe Howard Dean Can Win Nomination
A Vermont legislator who spent many years fighting Howard Dean over the issue of civil unions does not believe her former governor will ultimately be able to win the Democratic presidential nomination. Nancy Sheltra, one of Howard Dean's staunchest critics, thinks the former governor will not be a ...
4 Feb 2004
Secular Radio Station Shelving Jackson and Timberlake Music in Wake of Superbowl Fiasco
A secular radio station in Southern California has decided to make its position clear in the aftermath of the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl halftime show, during which a portion of Jackson's upper body was exposed to millions of people. In a statement read over the air on Tuesday morn ...
4 Feb 2004
American Family Association Flooded with Requests for FCC Complaints
An official with the American Family Association says the ministry's website has had a constant stream of people wanting to file complaint letters against CBS and their stations over the Super Bowl halftime show. Within 36 hours of the halftime show, which was produced by MTV, more than 30,000 peo ...
4 Feb 2004
Ricin Found in Senate Office Building This Week
The powder found in a Senate office building this week is being described as an "active" form of the poison ricin. The Senate is trying to go about its business even though its three office buildings remain closed because of Monday's ricin attack. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says the stre ...
4 Feb 2004
Tennessee School District Renamed Winter Break "Christmas Vacation"
Officials at a school district in Tennessee have bucked the national trend and officially renamed their mid-winter break "Christmas Vacation. The Commercial-Appeal in Memphis reports that the board of Shelby County Schools unanimously approved the changed to the 2004-2005 school calendar. Hedy We ...
4 Feb 2004
Homosexual Movement Dealt a Blow in Kansas Sodomy Case
The homosexual movement has been dealt a serious setback by a Kansas appellate court. Matthew Limon was convicted of sodomizing a 14-year-old mentally retarded boy in Kansas. The American Civil Liberties Union attempted to have his conviction overturned, claiming the Kansas anti-sodomy law was unc ...
4 Feb 2004
Mexican Government Decides to Provide Morning After Pill at Family Planning Clinics
The government of Mexico has decided to provide the "morning-after" pill at family planning clinics, a move that has put it on a collision course with the country's Roman Catholic bishops. Family News In Focus says the drug in question is the same drug that a committee of the U.S. Federal Drug A ...
5 Feb 2004
AFA President Says Bush is Wrong for Propsing Increased Funding of National Endowment for the Arts
The president of the American Family Association says it's wrong for President Bush to propose an increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. The president is proposing the largest budget increase in 20 years for the NEA, which sponsors many projects that conservatives and Christi ...
5 Feb 2004
Bush's Proposed $2.4 Trillion Budget Hits Opposition on Capitol Hill
President Bush's proposed $2.4 trillion federal budget is running into a lot of opposition on Capitol Hill -- and members of his own party are some of the sharpest critics. Despite Bush's promise to reduce the deficit in the budget from $521 billion to $364 billion, many Republican members of Con ...
5 Feb 2004
New Catholic University Forming in San Diego
A group of Catholic businessmen and educators are forming a four-year undergraduate institution in San Diego with the intention of growing "a new generation of business, technology, and media innovators and leaders." According to a press release, New Catholic University will feature innovative, f ...
6 Feb 2004
Harvard Study Finds Link Between Country's Religious and Economic Health
A study from Harvard University has found a direct link between a country's religious and economic health. The study looked at 59 countries and found that where religions flourished, values such as honesty, work ethic, and thrift worked their way into the fabric of society and helped the economy. ...
6 Feb 2004
Virginia Pro-Family Group Promoting Bill Giving Protection to Unborn Children
A Virginia pro-family group is aggressively promoting a bill that would give protection to unborn children who are victims of violent crime. Victoria Cobb, legislative director for the Family Foundation of Virginia, says a top priority for her group is passing a prenatal protection bill, which woul ...
6 Feb 2004
"Evolution" Going Back Into Georgia High School Science Curriculum
After a firestorm of controversy, the word "evolution" is going back into the State of Georgia's high school science curriculum. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox says she is reversing an earlier decision to remove the word "evolution" in favor of the phrase "biological changes over t ...
6 Feb 2004
Increasing Numbers of Homosexuals Want "Gay Blessings" Ceremonies in Church
An increasing number of homosexuals are wanting to have their "gay blessing" ceremonies in a church. Family News In Focus reports that more and more churches are going along with the idea. The couples say they want to include God in their relationships. Some denominations permit homosexual bles ...
6 Feb 2004
Conservatives Shouldn't Have to Compromise on Candidates
Because compromise is such an integral part of the political process in America, conservative voters often find themselves without clear choices. That makes one of the movement's principal spokesmen very angry. Ambassador Alan Keyes does not like the fact that conservatives often find themselves ...
6 Feb 2004
Voters Not Happy with "Guest Worker" Program - Backlash Ahead?
A conservative Christian activist says he is concerned about the political backlash that President Bush and other Republicans might face over the proposed "guest worker" program. Reports indicate that a growing number of GOP voters are not happy about it. Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working F ...
9 Feb 2004
North Carolina Senator Says Bush Wrong on Giving Amnesty to Illegal Aliens
A North Carolina congressional candidate says while President Bush is right 95 percent of the time, he is wrong when it comes to giving illegal aliens amnesty. Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo lacks enough allies to challenge President George W. Bush on his immigration policy. That is why he is ...
9 Feb 2004
Researchers Find Link Between Teenagers Faith and Movie Viewing Habits
Researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion have found an apparent relationship between the religious traditions of American teenagers and their movie-viewing habits. Among U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who say that their religious faith is "extremely important" in shaping how they live t ...
9 Feb 2004
Hawaii Lawmakers Considering Bill Requiring Foster Families to Respect and Maintain Religious Beliefs of the Birth Family
Associated Press reports that Hawaii's lawmakers are considering a bill that would require the state's Department of Human Services to ensure that foster parents respect and maintain the religious beliefs of a foster child's birth family. Under the terms of legislation now under review by the Haw ...
9 Feb 2004
US Army Chief of Staff Praised for Plans to Imrpove Efficiency
A military watchdog is praising the U.S. Army's chief of staff for his plans to make the Army more efficient. General Peter J. Schoomaker used to be in charge of the elite U.S. Special Operations Command, but the Washington Times reports that after Schoomaker tried to retire last summer, Defense Se ...
9 Feb 2004
While Negotiations Progress on North Korea's Nuclear Program, Their People Suffer
A human rights watchdog group says while the United States negotiates with North Korea's dictator about dismantling his nuclear program, the people of that communist country continue to live in a state of hopelessness. Last week the U.S. State Department announced that North Korea has agreed to res ...
10 Feb 2004
Court Cases Abound as Parents Struggle With Schools Secularism
Two recent cases reflect the ongoing battle between proponents of Christian civil liberties and the forces that seek to limit or eliminate Christian religious expression in public venues. According to Associated Press, a Kettering, Ohio, school district is being sued by the parents of a kindergarten ...
10 Feb 2004
New York Pro-Family Group Protests Reducing Age Sex Education Begins
In New York City, a pro-family group is speaking out against a campaign by Planned Parenthood to lower the age when sex education is introduced in city schools. Sex ed in the city's schools currently begins in the eighth grade. City officials will only say that it should start earlier and that it i ...
10 Feb 2004
American Family Association Calls for Investigation of Possible Mail Fraud by Playboy
The American Family Association is calling for an investigation into possible violations of postal and federal mailing laws by Playboy. AFA spokesman Randy Sharp says the ministry has heard reports from hundreds of people across the country who have received offers in their mail to get Playboy magaz ...
10 Feb 2004
Jim Staudenraus Says Americans Won't Take Jobs Due to Low Wages
An immigration reform activist says it is easy to refute the argument that employers must hire illegal aliens because Americans are not willing to do certain jobs. Jim Staudenraus, the Eastern field coordinator for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, says he is tired of hearing President ...
11 Feb 2004
AP Review Finds More than 1,300 Roman Catholic Clergy Accused of Molesting Minors
An Associated Press review has found that more than 1,300 Roman Catholic clergy members have been accused of molesting minors since 1950. The AP estimate comes from a survey of local dioceses nationwide. However, the agency says more than half of all dioceses in the U.S. have not released any number ...
11 Feb 2004
Sri Lanka: Nine Accused of Torching Building Occupied by Christian Relief Organization
Police in the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka say nine people, including three Buddhist monks, have been arrested in connection with the torching of a building occupied by a Christian relief organization. According to World Vision spokesman John McCoy, the attack occurred Sunday morning while the b ...
11 Feb 2004
US Senator Proposes Another Bill Regulating Broadcast Indecency
A U.S. senator has introduced a companion bill to HR 3717, the legislation proposed by Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan to increase financial penalties against broadcasters who violate the Federal Communications Commission's regulations against broadcast indecency. The proposed Senate bill, if pa ...
11 Feb 2004
University of Colorada Football Players Hired Strippers
An adult entertainment company says University of Colorado football players hired strippers to entertain recruits as recently as a few weeks ago. The company president tells the Rocky Mountain News that the women stripped and did lap dances, but nothing illegal took place. The claim comes as the uni ...
11 Feb 2004
Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church Holds Pro-Life Demonstration
American Life League's "Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church" held a pro-life demonstration on Tuesday at the Northern Virginia rally of Democratic presidential hopeful Senator John Kerry. The pro-life group organized its protest in response to recent statements by the Catholic Kerry, w ...
12 Feb 2004
Kerry Inconsistent on Homosexual Marriage Question
When it comes to the issue of homosexual marriage, it appears that the likely Democratic choice to run for president, Senator John Kerry, displays some inconsistency. Kerry has recently stated publicly that he opposes homosexual marriage, but that is a far cry from how he has acted on the issue in t ...
12 Feb 2004
Democrats Attempt to Trash Bush Over Bogus AWOL Report
A conservative military pundit says the Democratic Party has little to run on, so it is attempting to trash President Bush over a bogus report that he was once AWOL (absent without leave) from the Air National Guard in Alabama. Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, contend ...
12 Feb 2004
NetAccountability's Software Bought by Bsafe Online
A newly announced alliance between an acclaimed Internet filtering service and a pioneering accountability software provider is being hailed as a strategic partnership that will offer families and companies even greater protection online. NetAccountability's industry-leading accountability software ...
12 Feb 2004
American Fined for Illegal Border Crossing
An American who resides near the U.S.-Canadian boundary faces fines of up to $5,000 for illegal re-entry into the United States. Richard Albert, a 52-year-old citizen, lives in Township 15 Range 15, a settlement just across the border from the Canadian town of St. Pamphile, Quebec. As a border resid ...
13 Feb 2004
Concerned Women for America Calls on Laura Bush to Protect Nations Libraries
Concerned Women for America (http://www.cwfa.org) recently called upon First Lady Laura Bush to take action to make libraries safer for children and to help shut down pornographic peep shows for child predators. Earlier this month in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 23-year-old Brian McCutcheon surrender ...
13 Feb 2004
Bread for the World Urges US to Keep Its Word on World Hunger
A Christian anti-hunger advocacy organization is urging the U.S. to keep its word to the world's needy. Washington, DC-based Bread for the World (http://www.bread.org) is working through its 2004 national letter-writing campaign called "Keep the Promise on Hunger and Health" to urge Congress to f ...
13 Feb 2004
California Ministry Helping Pastors in India
A California-based ministry is helping Christian pastors, leaders, and other believers in India face and endure persecution. Religious persecution has steadily increased over the last several years in India, and in fact, more persecution incidents were recorded in that nation between 1998 and 2003 t ...
13 Feb 2004
Answers in Genesis Organization Supports 204 Mission Trip to Kigali
The creation science ministry Answers in Genesis (http://www.answersingenesis.org) (AiG) has announced its support of the 2004 Association of Christian Astronomers (http://www.christian-astronomers.org) (ACA) mission trip to Kigali, Rwanda, this summer and is providing nearly $3,000 worth of resourc ...
16 Feb 2004
Dr. Ted Baehr Reports Notable Increase in Movies with Positive Moral Message
Since telling the entertainment industry his group would be monitoring the moral and spiritual content of movies and television programs, Dr. Ted Baehr reports notable increases in the number of movies with positive moral content. Baehr founded the Christian Film & Television Commission in 1978 wit ...
16 Feb 2004
American Life League Says to Kerry: You Can't be Both Pro-Abortion and Catholic
A leading pro-life group has a message for the Democratic presidential frontrunner: a person can't be both pro-abortion and Catholic. In response to recent statements from Senator John Kerry reaffirming his support for abortion-on-demand, American Life League says the candidate needs to make up hi ...
16 Feb 2004
FDA Postpones Final Decision on Morning After Pill
The Food and Drug Administration has postponed its final decision on granting over-the-counter status to the "morning-after" pill. And while one of the nation's most prominent pro-life groups says it is "cautiously optimistic" over that development, it also is hopeful the FDA will take the opp ...
16 Feb 2004
Mexican Government Asked to Apologize for Treatment of US Soccer Team
A Republican congressman is asking the Mexican government to apologize for the recent treatment of a U.S. soccer team at a game in Guadalajara, Mexico. Even before the game started, boos nearly drowned out the Star Spangled Banner, and Mexican fans changed "Osama! Osama!" Colorado Congressman To ...
17 Feb 2004
NEA Quietly Recognizes Ex-Gay Educators Caucus
Quietly but officially, the National Education Association -- the largest teachers' union in the U.S. -- has recognized the formation of the Ex-Gay Educators Caucus, whose purpose is to influence NEA policy. The step is noteworthy because official NEA publications state that homosexuality is a tra ...
17 Feb 2004
Some Skeptical of NEA Recognition of Ex-Gay Educators Caucus
A Pennsylvania educator admits to being somewhat cynical about the new "ex-gay" caucus within the National Education Association. Dr. Warren Throckmorton, an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College, says the NEA's recognition of the group may signal a shift in the larger organiza ...
17 Feb 2004
Advisor Says Ariel Sharon Pained Over Giving Up Covenant Land
An advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he believes it pains the Israeli leader to pursue a policy that gives up covenant land to terrorists -- but Sharon doesn't have much of a choice, he says. Dr. Dan Schueftan is a researcher at Haifa University and an instructor at the Israeli Defense F ...
18 Feb 2004
Oganization Says Gambling on Reservations Could be Undoing of Indian Culture
The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling has a message for American Indian tribes: gambling on their reservations could be the undoing of their cultures. According to the NCALG, the introduction of "Indian gaming" is the greatest threat to Native American culture and sovereignty in 200 y ...
18 Feb 2004
Pro Family Leader: Recent Events Verify Need for Constitutional Marriage Ammendment
A pro-family leader in Virginia says recent events in Massachusetts and California verify the need for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution protecting traditional marriage -- and that's why she is praising the Virginia Senate for voting in favor of a resolution urging Congress to pass such an amen ...
18 Feb 2004
Pro-Lifer Says Kerry Won't Protect the Unborn
A pro-life activist says the leading Democratic presidential candidate has no intention of "doing the right thing" when it comes to protecting innocent, unborn children. Senator John Kerry professes to be a Roman Catholic, yet he is on record as a staunch supporter of abortion on demand. Kerry h ...
18 Feb 2004
Bill Federer to Challenge Dick Gephardt for Congressional Seat Again
A St. Louis businessman believes 2004 will be the year when he finally takes Dick Gephardt's congressional seat. But he doesn't know yet whether he will run against Gephardt or another Democrat. Bill Federer garnered more votes than any other Gephardt opponent every when he challenged the long-t ...
18 Feb 2004
Democratic Party Has a "Blame America First" Mentality
A well-known conservative talk-show host says the Democratic Party has what he calls a "blame America first" mentality and apparently a short memory when it comes to the Muslim terrorists' attack on America on September 11, 2001. In his latest book Deliver Us From Evil, Sean Hannity says liberal ...
18 Feb 2004
Hillary Clinton Again Pushing for UN Involvement in Iraq
New York Senator Hillary Clinton is among those pushing the Bush Administration to allow more involvement of the United Nations in the rebuilding and restructuring of Iraq. That pressure seems to be working as the Administration is talking to the U.N. Cliff Kincaid of the policy advocacy group Ame ...
19 Feb 2004
Tennessee Grassroots Effort to Amend State Constitution to Ban Abortion
Pro-lifers in the Volunteer State are organizing a grassroots effort in support of a pro-life amendment to the state constitution. In a campaign dubbed "Operation Team Lead!," Tennessee Right to Life is hoping to identify ten "strongly pro-life" households in each of the state's 99 House distr ...
19 Feb 2004
Pro Homosexual Methodist Minister to Run for Congress in Missouri
A United Methodist minister who has performed same-sex "marriage" ceremonies now hopes to fight for the homosexual agenda in Congress. Emanuel Cleaver II is the long-time pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. As the first black mayor in the city's history, he wor ...
19 Feb 2004
Woman Faces Firing Over Refusing to Handle Alcohol
A California champion of religious freedom has come to the defense of Christian who faces termination from her job because of a sincerely held conviction regarding the consumption of alcohol. The Pacific Justice Institute reports that it was contacted by an employee of Rite Aid Corporation who requ ...
19 Feb 2004
Ariel Sharon Advisor Says "Road Map to Peace" Nothing More than Attempt to Appease Europeans
An advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the so-called "roadmap for peace" in the Middle East is nothing more than an attempt by President Bush to appease the Europeans. Dr. Dan Schueftan has been labeled "the father of unilateral disengagement." He says disengagement is a better ...
19 Feb 2004
North Carolina Pastor Purchases All Tickets for First Showing of Passion in His City
A North Carolina pastor thinks so highly of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ that he has purchased all of the tickets for the film's first showing in his city. He says he plans to give many of the tickets to people who might be apprehensive about seeing the movie -- including Jewish leaders ...
20 Feb 2004
AFA Founder and Chairman Says Movement for Cleaning Up Airwaves Making a Difference
A long-time battler for family values in the broadcast media says the movement for cleaning up the airwaves is making a difference. Dr. Don Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association, says this week's announcement from Viacom chairman Mel Karmazin about that company's "zero ...
20 Feb 2004
Conservative Christian Voters May be Being Betrayed by Those Asking for Our Support
A pro-family leader believes there's a chance conservative Christian voters are being betrayed by the very people who are campaigning for their support. Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer says pro-family stances on many of the social issues of the day are being defeated at almost every turn. ...
20 Feb 2004
Virginia Lawmakers Giving Mixed Signals on Homosexual Agenda Issues
A Virginia pro-family activist says that state's lawmakers are talking out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to defending traditional marriage. Homosexual activists have scored a couple of victories in Virginia's House of Delegates. Lawmakers have passed legislation that lets employers ...
20 Feb 2004
New Age Followers Difficult to Witness To
A Christian evangelist who focuses his ministry on winning New Age followers to Christ says it's a difficult task because they resent the fact there is only one way to salvation. As a former yoga and meditation instructor, Mike Shrieve knows a lot about New Age religions. The evangelist is part of ...
20 Feb 2004
Kerry Cannot be Relied Upon to Defend This Nation
As John Kerry moves steadily toward the Democratic presidential nomination, a prominent military pundit says she does not see a pro-defense position in the Massachusetts senator that can be relied upon to lead the country. Elaine Donnelly echoes the sentiments of other conservatives who say Kerry s ...
23 Feb 2004
Momentum Building to End Activist Judges Reign - Starting at the Highest Court
Conservative thinkers are building momentum for action to be taken to put an end to activist judges, and the movement is taking aim at the highest court in the land. In a recent speech that has stunned many constitutional scholars and court observers, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor told ...
23 Feb 2004
World Vision Rightfully Concerned about Global Child Sex Trade
Child advocacy groups estimate that more than two-million children are being used by the sex trade around the world. World Vision has received $500,000 to run ads on travel sites, in airports, and in foreign countries to remind travelers they can still be prosecuted even if they commit sex crimes ov ...
23 Feb 2004
Library System Needs to Step up And Protect its Patrons
A Pennsylvania pro-family group says the recent rape of an eight-year-old child in a Philadelphia library should be all the reason the library system needs finally to install content filters on the libraries' public access computers. A child predator allegedly followed the little girl into a restro ...
23 Feb 2004
Border Crossings Increase After Announcement of Amnesty Plan
Apparently President George W. Bush's proposed amnesty program is proving very popular, especially among illegal aliens according to the U.S. Border Patrol, which reports high numbers of illegal immigrants pouring into the country since the proposal was announced. Eagle Forum's Phyllis Schlafly is ...
23 Feb 2004
Former Bush Advisor Says UN Must Ammend Charter, or the US Should Withdraw
An author and former advisor to President George W. Bush says the United Nations must either amend its charter to fit the needs of the 21st century, or the United States needs to withdraw from the international body. David Frum recently co-authored An End to Evil (Random House, 2003) in which he and ...
24 Feb 2004
New Mexico Judge Sentences Offenders to New Age Religion Programs
Associated Press reports that a New Mexico judge is being allowed to sentence people to New Age religion techniques as part of their punishment. At a time when biblical Christianity is increasingly being chased from the public square under the rubric of "separation of Church and State," the latitu ...
24 Feb 2004
Federal Judge Blocks Virginia Partial Birth Abortion Ban
A federal judge has made a ruling that blocks Virginia's law banning partial-birth abortion. That decision has left many in the state's House of Delegates angry. Republican Delegate Dick Black finds it hard to believe that a federal judge finds Virginia's law on partial-birth abortions confusing. ...
24 Feb 2004
GOP Run by Neo-Conservatives
Pro-family advocates and Christian organizations have been strong supporters of the Republican Party over the past several decades, but the GOP still falters on many issues dear to these two segments. The problem seems to be the fact that the party is being run by neo-conservatives. Although the GOP ...
24 Feb 2004
Arkansas Governor Defends Bush's "No Child Left Behind"
The governor of Arkansas is defending President George W. Bush's signature education law. Criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act has been growing in recent months. A number of school districts complain the law is under-funded, and even some state legislatures want to be exempted from its require ...
24 Feb 2004
Catholic League President Defends Mel Gibson and The Passion from Critics
Catholic League president William Donohue issued a February 23 statement criticizing a number of academics and theologians who have expressed anger over producer-director Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. Donohue says the Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish religious seminary and university ...
24 Feb 2004
While Passion Fever Blooms, Another Film Reaching Those in Asia
Native missionaries in Asia's remote villages are presenting the gospel through an evangelistic film that reaches where The Passion of the Christ is unable to go. As Mel Gibson's movie hits theaters Wednesday in its worldwide release, much of the developed world will have the chance to see what ma ...
25 Feb 2004
Independent Research Debunks Planned Parenthood Claim that Contraception Reduces Teen Pregnancy Rate
The leader of a leading pro-life group is seeking to debunk Planned Parenthood's false claims that use of contraceptives is responsible for falling teen pregnancy rates in the past decade. Planned Parenthood's Alan Guttmacher Institute published these claims in a recent media release. However, Ed ...
25 Feb 2004
Bitter Battle Over Abortion in Tennessee Senate
A bitter bout between pro-life and pro-choice ideologies in the Tennessee legislature has resulted in what some pro-lifers may view as a split decision. State lawmakers voted Tuesday on Senate Joint Resolution 127 (SJR 127), a bill that called for a public vote on an amendment to clarify that there ...
25 Feb 2004
Clear Channel Communications Adopts Zero Tolerance Policy for Broadcast Indecency
The Federal Communications Commission's decision to crack down on broadcasters who put indecent material on the public airwaves continues to reap results. One of America's largest broadcast companies, Clear Channel Communications, says it is adopting a zero tolerance policy for broadcast indecency ...
25 Feb 2004
Double Standard on Violence Being Applied to The Passion
Catholic League president William Donohue says some film critics are reacting to Mel Gibson's tour de force, the Passion of the Christ, with a sudden and uncharacteristic aversion to movie violence. "There is a New Puritanism in the land," Donohue says. "Violence has joined cigarettes as the new ...
26 Feb 2004
Bush Praised for Recess Appointments
A pro-life group is praising President Bush for pressing ahead with recess appointments to fill vacant judgeships. The recess appointment of Catholic judge William Pryor to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals was welcome news to Joe Giganti of the American Life League. He says his group hopes Pres ...
26 Feb 2004
Vatican to Consult "Experts" in Developing Guidelines for Dealing with Child Molesting Priests
The Roman Catholic Church says when it develops guidelines for dealing with priests who molest children it will take into consideration the opinions of some "experts" who think punishing the offenders might make them worse. The Vatican has commissioned reports from non-Catholic psychiatrists, psyc ...
26 Feb 2004
Nader Will Help Bush and Hurt the Democrats
A former presidential candidate believes Ralph Nader will help George W. Bush and hurt the Democrats in the November election. But conservative pundit and American Values president Gary Bauer says Bush still has some problems on the road to re-election. "The inability to find weapons of mass destru ...
26 Feb 2004
Rebecca St. James Comments on The Passion
Grammy Award-winning Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James is among those who attended advance screenings of the monumental cinematic work, The Passion Of The Christ, which was released to audiences nationwide yesterday. In a recent interview the Australian-born singer called the movie "defi ...
27 Feb 2004
Pro-Family Law Center Calls for San Francisco Officials and State AG to be Removed from Office
The Sacramento-based Pro-Family Law Center (PFLC) has filed a legal action with the California Attorney General's office calling for the removal of San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco City and County Clerk Nancy Alfaro, and the Attorney General himself. The PFLC is charging these offici ...
27 Feb 2004
Schwarzenegger Comments on Foreign Born Presidents Gets a Reaction
A pro-family activist and former presidential candidate says he sees no compelling reason to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow foreign-born citizens the right to become President of the United States. On NBC's Meet the Press, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he and other U.S. citiz ...
27 Feb 2004
New Report on Children Killed by Drunk Drivers
A new government report reveals that most children who die in alcohol-related automobile accidents are riding with a drunk driver. Among children 14 and younger who died in alcohol-related car crashes, nearly 70 percent were riding with a driver who had been drinking. The Centers for Disease Control ...
27 Feb 2004
Congressman Says Expanding Kansas Gambling Will Have Negative Effect
A U.S. congressman says expanded gambling in the State of Kansas will increase the financial burden on taxpayers and will ultimately have a devastating effect on families. Representative Jim Ryun from the Second District of Kansas says the state's governor is touting the alleged financial benefits ...
27 Feb 2004
Food for the Hungry Provides Emergency Assistance to War Torn Haiti
In Haiti, as violence escalates due to the efforts of armed rebels to force president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to step down from power, a relief organization called Food for the Hungry has arranged to provide emergency assistance to needy families in the strife-torn nation. In the past three days, blo ...