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From Citizen Link:

The dispute began in October, when the federally funded University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) informed the nurses they either had to participate in abortions or risk losing their jobs. The Alliance Defense Fund intervened on their behalf, and a court blocked the hospital from taking any action against the nurses until a hearing can take place on Dec. 5.

Nonetheless, the UMDNJ sent a letter to the nurses afterward telling them they had to attend meetings before Thanksgiving to discuss how they might be reassigned to other units if they refuse to participate in abortions.

Both state and federal law and the UMDNJ’s own policy say health care practitioners who morally object to abortions can’t be forced to participate in them; an administrator told one of the nurses the hospital “has no regard for religious beliefs.”

The ADF attorney Matt Bowman noted that the hospital is not even trying to deal in good faith but continues to arrogantly ignore the law and the legal rights of the nurses:

“It’s outrageous that this hospital is asking a court for permission for it to break the law and violate the clear legal right of nurses not to assist in abortion cases. Throughout this case the hospital has resisted any attempt to talk to it about the fact that all were asking for is that it obey the law.”

Response: This is the case of an administration which is completely out of control. One administrator admitted that they had “…no regard for religious beliefs.” Apparently they also have no regard for state and federal laws.

A court hearing is set for December 5 and yet the administration took it upon themselves to force the nurses to attend a meeting concerning their future positions with the hospital? The unsaid implication is that the nurses will be forced to accept some kind of alternate position which would actually be a demotion if they continue to refuse to participate in abortions.

Cases like this concerning pro-life health care workers are beginning to show up all across the country. In this case state law should protect the nurses but the administration is ignoring their legal rights and arrogantly persecuting pro-life nurses because of their moral convictions and faith. Hopefully the court will force them to follow the state law. We will keep a watch on this case for sure.             *Top

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NION TOWNSHIP, N.J. – The Union Township School District in New jersey is investigating claims that a public school teacher, Viki Knox, posted  anti-gay comments on her personal Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Knox was escorted off of school property on Thursday until an on-going investigation can be completed. The superintendent refused to say whether Knox was suspended but only that she was under investigation and appropriate action has and will be taken. Here’s the official statement:

“This is an ongoing investigation. The school district is taking it very seriously, and is taking all appropriate action.”

According to reports, Knox made the following comments on her Facebook page in response to an exhibit at her school celebrating October as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history month:

“Homosexuality is a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation….”

The comment went on to say that homosexuality is a “sin” that “breeds like cancer.”

“Union is not South Orange/Maplewood where one out of four families consist of two Mommies or daddies…  Why parade your unnatural immoral behaviors before the rest of us?  I/we do not have to accept anything, anyone, any behavior or any choices!  I do not have to tolerate anything others wish to do.”

The school exhibit in question featured and honored famous LGBT Americans, including Harvey Milk, Chaz Bono and actor Neil Patrick Harris.

Garden State Equality, a New jersey gay right group, is pushing for Knox to be fired. While the ACLU of New Jersey defended Knox’s First Amendment rights to express her opinion. Knox has refused to comment on the controversy and has retained a lawyer.

Response: Viki Knox is the 2nd Christian teacher in the last several months to get in trouble for making comments against homosexuality on a Facebook page.

In August, Florida high school “teacher of the Year” Jerry Buell was suspended for 3 days when he reacted unfavorably to New York’s decision to allow same-sex marriage. Then posted negative comments about homosexuality on his Facebook page. He was later reinstated following a brief investigation.

Viki Knox is guilty of merely stating what millions of fellow Christians around the country also believe. Has it really come to this in the USA that one is no longer free to express one’s religious convictions on a personal website when it comes to homosexuality?

She did not make these statements at school while teaching but on a private Facebook page that is accessed only by supposed ‘friends’ or acquaintances. Obviously one of the so-called ‘Facebook friends’ made it public. Her site has since been taken down.

The school district seems to be quite serious about this incident and Knox could very well lose her job over her comments.  We now seem to be entering a new era in America where Christian beliefs and morality may no longer be publically acceptable. At least in some parts of the country. 

Homosexuality is now politically correct and Biblical Christian teaching about it is increasingly being considered bigoted. Has it now come to this where morality in America is being turned upside down? What used to be considered immoral is valued and Biblical teaching is now ‘evil’? Looks like it.

Does this now mean freedom of religion and freedom of speech for those working in public positions is null and void and the first amendment no longer means a thing? Apparently so when homosexuality is involved, since it is quickly reaching an exclusive state of protection that is far above even race, nationality, or religious creed.             *Top

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Should a Christian divorce a spouse who has Alzheimer’s? One who no longer even knows you and certainly cannot fulfill the regular duties of a husband or wife?

No.

There is no scriptural basis for divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer’s. Actually the teaching of Jesus would call on Christians to be self sacrificing and continue to care for and provide a loving environment. Divorce is tantamount to abandonment and violates traditional Christian vows which call for faithfulness to one’s spouse “in sickness and in health…to love and to cherish… till death us do part.”

I have never heard or read of any major Christian pastor or leader teaching that divorce or abandonment in the face of Alzheimer’s was justified in any way. At least not until this week.

Pat Robertson told his “700 Club” audience on Tuesday that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer’s was OK in response to a letter from a viewer. He said he wouldn’t “put a guilt trip” on someone for divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease, calling Alzheimer’s itself “a kind of death.”:

“I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her.”

In the letter, the viewer was trying to make a choice between ‘seeing someone else’ and committing adultery or divorcing his spouse altogether. Incredibly Pat who is supposed to be Christian minister chose divorce as the better course of action with the caveat that ‘custodial care and somebody looking after her” should be provided for. Heck yes somebody should be looking after her—her husband made that commitment when they got married in the first place. What was Pat thinking?

Again, there is absolutely no scriptural justification for Robertson’s response. In fact the weight of all Christian theology, teaching, and history is against him on this issue. He is just flat out wrong from a Christian perspective.

Meanwhile, his comments have gone viral both in the main stream media and on the Internet. You can find references to it everywhere, particularly on sites that are normally opposed to Christianity.

Forget the fact that no other Christian leader will support Robertson on this issue and many have come out against him on this. Conservative Christians are the real target here and it is being used on some sites as an argument against supporters of traditional marriage since Robertson is a supposed leader. It is being presented as an example of  just how ‘hypocritical’ those conservative Christians can really be.  The scary part is that it is actually getting traction.  Sometimes the truth doesn’t really matter, it only gets in the way.           *Top

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(Ron Luce-Teen Mania)

A few years ago the expression -’Friends With Benefits’ became popular among 20 to 30 year old singles and beyond. A term which is supposed to represent casual sex among friends without any strings attached.

The popular culture latched upon this term and it reflects a new norm among career oriented young adults in America who are too busy for serious relationships or for marriage and families.

Dozens of movies have reflected that trend in the last 5 years or so. My real concern is not how it is being played out among adults but how it is now reaching down into the teenage culture and affecting our children as young as 12 years old.

Ron Luce, president of Teen Mania Ministries, is trying to minister to teens in the midst of this cultural trend that he refers to as an epidemic. Until I read an article about his ministry dealing with this issue I was quite unaware of how this was being played out among teens in America even among those going to Christian churches and attending youth groups.

Ron Luce says the following in this article about what he has observed among teens:

“At first it was just 20-somethings to 30-somethings, but now we have kids in junior high and high school participating. We have stories about kids as young as 12 years old,” Luce said.

"This has been a rage for the last two or three years”

Luce has observed that a growing number of kids in school now believe it is a taboo to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. The norm seems to be that “you just have lots of friends and have lots of sex with them,” he said.

Teens use names like “cuddle buddies” and “booty call” to classify friends willing to have casual sex. “It’s not uncommon that even if you do have a boyfriend or girlfriend you have five or six friends that you have sex with and if they don’t know about each other then it’s okay.”

“It seems like it’s everywhere. It’s happening in church and in youth groups,” he said. A common excuse used in order to have someone agree to sex is to say that they are “friends and they have needs.”

“It’s hard to find somebody that’s not doing ‘friends with benefits’ and if a student stands up against this in school they are mocked and ridiculed.”

“It’s not, oh, the kids are having sex because we know kids have been having sex for a long time. It’s so much more common now and the culture seems to own our kids more than Christ does.”

Luce suggests that parents need to be more involved with their kids to combat this cultural epidemic:

“Parents, need to decide that they are going to be a relationship-centric family rather than a media-centric family so that kids care about their relationships with their parents. What they are closest to relationally is going to influence them the most.

“In the middle of this cultural sewage, parents have to be very intent and proactive about parenting so they can help them see through the stories, the ‘friends with benefits’ lie and to make a pledge for purity until the day they are married. It’s not impossible. It just takes a massive amount of effort.”

Response: Wow, I had no idea this was going on. Everyone regardless of religion, worldview, or moral stance should be concerned about this trend among teens since some of the ‘benefits’ include teenage pregnancies, abortions, and STDs.

Since I have 2 grandchildren in that age group and with another soon to be, I now have a particular stake in this issue. The fact that Christian teens also seem to be affected by this practice is disturbing. One wonders about the future of the church when the culture dominates our youth in such a way.            *Top

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A 2nd grade teacher at Markham Elementary School in Oakland was suspended because of reports of sex taking place in the classroom.

Usually when a teacher is suspended for sex it is because they participated in sexual acts with a student but not so in this case. According to the shocking report several students in the 2nd grade class undressed and participated in oral sex while the teacher was supposed to be supervising them and providing them with an education.

As you can well imagine parents were shocked and dismayed after a letter was sent home by the principal explaining the situation. By the way just in case you were curious, District officials emphasized that none of the students involved were accused of any wrongdoing or disciplined.

Response: Wow, these are 7 and 8 year old kids it is really hard to believe. One wonders what children are actually learning in our public schools. Looking at the recent test scores it sure isn’t the ‘3 R’s’. Obviously this teacher wasn’t even trying to instruct the students at the time nor was he even properly supervising them.

It is also incredible to me that the school officials seem to be dismissing the students involved in this event as just doing what comes natural for their age group and not rising to the level of any kind of ‘wrongdoing’ or discipline.

Has America declined morally to the place that there is nothing wrong with 7 or 8 year olds having oral sex?  Probably not except in super liberal and permissive Northern California where they teach classroom lessons about Homosexuality and tolerance beginning in the 1st grade.  It does make you wonder what is allowed to go on these days in our public elementary schools.           *Top of the Blog

Related articles

• Teacher On Administrative Leave After Students Reportedly Perform Sex Acts In Class (dreamindemon.com)
• Calif school eyes report of sex by 2nd graders (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Calif school eyes report of sex by 2nd graders (sfgate.com)
• Second-graders report sex in California classroom (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

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He was once the respected pastor of a mega-church in Colorado and the President of the 30 million member National Association of Evangelicals. As such he was sought out by the media as a spokesman for evangelicals in America.

Now he has become a ‘media darling’ for a very different reason. Now he is the poster child of hypocrisy and a recent statement he made in an interview with the Wall Street Journal has gone  totally ‘viral’ on the Internet:

“I over-repented”

For his extra-marital relationship with male escort Mike Jones and using drugs?

and:

"Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football.  Ted Haggard needs to be leading a church”

Really?

Exactly what does that mean? Does that mean that he should have kept on pastoring anyway? Seems to be implying that. What about the Biblical requirements for Christian leaders?

I truly believe that grace trumps judgment when repentance is present. But ‘over-repentance’? –never heard of it.

What do you think out there? Does Ted belong back in the pulpit? The four pastors who were supervising Haggard’s recovery do not think so:

"we cannot endorse his return to vocational ministry."

Also, it seems rather lame to me to start a new church in the same community where his old church is. Particularly after he agreed to leave the area and his old church supported him and his family with that stipulation for a couple of years. Why not start over some place else where a new church and pastor are actually needed?  

I know that in the dominate American culture today sin is no longer recognized. However this doesn’t even pass the ‘smell test’ among non-Christians.  It isn’t the sin that bothers most of those folks but the hypocrisy of it all. Atheist blogs are having a field day with Ted as are literally dozens of gay websites.

But what ever happened to an understanding of sin in the church? Sadly in the American church today so many seem to be going the way of the culture with the only caveat being that everyone makes mistakes but Grace and forgiveness covers it all. After all once saved always saved?

Now this applies to a fallen pastors also? Once a pastor always a pastor regardless? That is what Ted Haggard seems to be saying and 200 folks in his new congregation seem to be supporting that.

But what about God -it is supposed to be His church and Ted is supposed to be representing Him. I wonder what He thinks about all this -Or does it matter?            *Top of the Blog

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Over 151 Christian leaders from all sorts of different denominations and organizations have signed a document called the ‘Manhattan Declaration’ which is a call for Christians to stand together on a number of major moral issues that face America. The following three points summarize the major issues addressed by the document :

1. The sanctity of human life

2. The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife

3. The rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Here’s the final paragraph of the document which reflects these key areas of concern:

“Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

Response: There is a real concern among many Christian leaders that religious freedom in this country is beginning to be challenged by recent legislation. The country seems to be pulling away from its Judeo-Christian moorings and different values are now being touted by many. The purpose of the document is to make it plain that Christian institutions answer to a higher power and will not change with the tide of popular opinion or compromise basic Christian teachings and moral values.

The sanctity of life and God ordained marriage between one man and one woman are issues the church cannot compromise on if it wants to remain faithful to the scriptures and the theological foundations of Christianity. Some more progressive churches and leaders might evolve and change but the following leaders declare that they will remain faithful “in season or out” whether it is popular or not.

The document raises the issue of possible ‘civil disobedience’ which the church has had to face in the past and continues to face in the present. In the first generation, Christianity was at times outlawed by the Romans and many were martyred. Even today, there are lands where it is illegal to preach the Gospel and convert new members to Christ and yet the Gospel continues to be preached and the body of Christ continues to grow in spite of it all.

In some ways Christians in America have been spoiled and for much of our history the culture has been supportive of Christian Values and morality. Now we are living in times when the dominant American culture seems to be pulling away from the very foundational values and morals that made this country great.

It is time to stand up and be counted regardless—that’s what these Christian leaders have decided to do.    Here’s a link if you want to sign on to the document. Over 5,000 signatures so far.            *Top

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