The 3 - September 3, 2011

Labor Day weekend is here, and I've selected 3 stories from the past week impacting the Christian community. What has become an ongoing trend is the sentiment in some segments of corporate America that will punish groups and individuals for their support of traditional marriage, and we have another instance announced this week. Also, a new pro-life law went into effect in one state this week, while a similar one in another state was challenged in court. And, as we prepare for the commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Mayor of New York is keeping clergy members and first responders off the program of the Ground Zero event.

3 - Corporations continue to act against those who support traditional marriage

The list continues to lengthen of corporations that have taken action against groups or individuals because of their support of traditional marriage and opposition to so-called "same-sex" marriage. From Apple's removal of the apps for the Manhattan Declaration and Exodus International to companies that withdrew their participation in the Charity Give Back Group because some of the beneficiaries oppose gay marriage, there are pockets of corporate America where it is definitely not the correct position to buck the gay agenda.

Now, according to a Christian Post article, consultant Frank Turek announced this week that he had been dismissed from his position with Bank of America just days before he was scheduled to present a motivational seminar. Allegedly, the sticking point was that he had written a book called, "Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone". He was also dismissed from his position from Cisco Systems earlier this year as a result of the same book.

Turek will be meeting with a Bank of America official soon, but in the meantime, he says that
he wants all corporations to "stop trying to indoctrinate employees into accepting certain sexual behaviors, particularly homosexuality." Unfortunately, because of the current corporate climate and the pressures being brought to bear by gay activists, companies are choosing to side with these activists, in the name of inclusion and sensitivity.

2 - Fetal pain law goes into effect in Alabama, challenged in court elsewhere

It was a cause for rejoicing this week in Alabama, as a law took effect that would prevent the abortion of unborn babies 20 weeks and up, the time of gestation at which they have been found to be capable of feeling pain, according to scientific research. But in a stark reminder of how the abortion issue is being addressed by some in our society - by filing litigation - a similar law in Idaho has been taken to court. A 33-year-old woman (who terminated a pregnancy last year) has filed suit, claiming that the new law lacks a provision to protect the mother's "health". Remember that is language that has been used with regard to past abortion legislation (such as the ban on partial-birth abortion), as a means of trying to provide loopholes in a law and allow abortion, even in circumstances in which a law was trying to ban it.

Here is coverage from CitizenLink.

According to the article, Dr. Sean Patrick Kenney, an assistant clinical professor at the Creighton University School of Medicine, said only one or two women in every 5,000 would need an abortion to preserve her own health after the twentieth week of pregnancy — and the bill’s language adequately provided for those.

So, here we have common-sense legislation that is intended to incrementally reduce the number of abortions in 6 states across America, and one person in one of those states is attempting to have a judge overturn the acts of the state Legislatures. Just this week, a Federal judge ruled that the state of Kansas had to fund Planned Parenthood, in spite of a new law that prevented tax dollars from going to that organization, the nation's largest abortion provider. And, this week, a Federal judge has put on hold a Texas law requiring abortion providers to perform an ultrasound and share or describe the image with the woman seeking an abortion. These instances illustrate why it's important that new laws are written to withstand the charges of unconstitutionality, as lawsuits trying to block pro-life legislation are quite commonplace.

1 - Exclusion of clergy from 9-11 ceremony ignites Christian leaders

Plans are being made for commemorative events across the country for the 10th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on America.

One of the most high profile gatherings will be in New York City, but controversy has arisen because Mayor Bloomberg's office has planned the program, without one of the key elements of the aftermath of the tragedy - the clergy. The planned program will apparently not have a representative of the faith community.

According to an update in The Christian Post:

A spokesperson for New York's City Hall told The Wall Street Journal that previous 9/11 anniversary memorials did not include religious leaders and they wanted to strike a similar tone with the 10th anniversary. “There are hundreds of important people that have offered to participate over the last nine years, but the focus remains on the families of the thousands who died on Sept. 11,” the spokesperson said.

City Council Member Fernando Cabrera, a pastor at New Life Outreach International, told The Wall Street Journal that religious leaders were “one of the pillars that carried us through. They were the spiritual and emotional backbone, and when you have a situation where people are trying to find meaning, where something is bigger than them, when you have a crisis of this level, they often look to the clergy.” Apparently, first responders are being left out, as well.

Click here to read the piece from The Christian Post.

The Family Research Council is leading an effort established to collect 50,000 signatures to present to Mayor Bloomberg on September 9th. So far, some 55,000 have been gathered. The FRC said this in a press release:

Pastors are not invited to the event, as Mayor Bloomberg apparently thinks that the invited politicians will be able to offer enough comfort to the families. But Mayor Bloomberg's glaring omissions from the event do not end with clergy. The very people who hallowed the ground, the living embodiment of selfless courage we vowed "never to forget" -- New York's first responders -- won't even be invited.

This past weekend, as large areas of New York City were evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Irene, first responders were on vigilant alert, prepared at a moment's notice to place their lives in harm's way for others. If anything, this should have served as a reminder for Mayor Bloomberg of the sacrifices these men and women are prepared to continually make and the recognition they deserve.

For additional information, you can go to FRC's website at www.frc.org.

Dr. Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, shared his perspective on a recent edition of The Meeting House.



The ERLC website can be found at www.erlc.com.