#@$%&!

For someone who so quickly condemned Don Imus, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has had no qualms accepting money from celebrities who spew similar obscenities. Last week, Family Research Center Action sent out an alert asking Clinton's Exploratory Committee to return the $800,000 it raised with the help of Timbaland, a rapper infamous for his vulgar and profane lyrics. Included in the alert was the only visible e-mail address on Clinton's web site so that people could contact her office and ask her to return the Timbaland proceeds. The reaction from her campaign was both swift and surprising, considering that it included even more profanity than a Timbaland song. The recipient of thousands of your e-mails at the campaign was extremely upset and he let FRC know in language so offensive the FCC would blush. Does anyone else see the irony in Clinton's committee using profanity to defend profanity?

Barney and Friends

Liberals launched a full-blown attack on family values yesterday, introducing and debating bills that could significantly change America's criminal and employment codes.

In the House Judiciary Committee, the mark-up on thought crimes legislation went on well past 9 p.m., in part because of Republican attempts to include amendments that would make the bill's "protected class" more comprehensive, including: senior citizens, pregnant women, prior victims, children under 18, the unborn, court witnesses, the military, and more. All amendments were rejected. The Committee then passed the bill on strict party lines 20 Democrats for and all 14 Republicans against.

The version that now heads to the House floor violates the Commerce Clause and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. It federalizes a vast array of state and local crimes and threatens religious leaders with criminal prosecution for their thoughts, beliefs, and statements.

Adding insult to injury, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) yesterday, which would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote an employee based on his sexual orientation or "gender identity." Several corporations have joined Frank in his attempt to elevate sexual practices to civil rights status, including giants such as Coca-Cola, Gap, General Mills, Hewlett-Packard, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Nationwide, and Nike. Frank also planned to introduce legislation today that would lift the ban on online gambling. This proposal would legalize Internet gambling over the protests of a large majority of state attorneys general

More Double Standards

The drama playing out at the World Bank seems like a personal morality tale, but there's more to it than meets the eye. World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz is under fire from employees and member nations of the Bank. The lead accusation on the news wires involves allegations that Wolfowitz acted unethically in arranging a pay increase and outplacement for a female professional at the Bank who is described as his "companion." The World Bank is what is known internationally as a multilateral institution; it receives contributions from multiple countries' treasuries and redistributes them as loans for developing country projects. Over the decades since its founding, the Bank has used its massive leverage to accomplish some good, but it is also a lavish bureaucracy with a penchant for financing population control and, indirectly, abortion. It is a frequent partner of International Planned Parenthood. Thus the Bank's sudden fit of morality rings hollow. In fact, on Tuesday of this week, a senior Bank manager urged Wolfowitz to resign, citing "concern" that he wished to impose the Bush Administration's pro-life policies on the Bank. Wolfowitz reportedly says he doesn't (though it would be good if he did). To his credit, Wolfowitz had disclosed his relationship with the "companion" before joining the Bank, asked for ethics advice, received it, and followed it. There are few things uglier than a partisan policy war masquerading as a scandal.

IAF to ask US for world's most advanced jets

In the face of Iran's race to obtain nuclear weapons, the Israel Air Force has expressed newfound interest in receiving the F-22 a US-developed fifth generation stealth fighter jet and has requested that the Defense Ministry present the request on its behalf to the Pentagon. While the sale or transfer of F-22s to Israel did not come up in talks recently between Defense Minister Amir Peretz and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, defense officials told the Jerusalem Post that Israel would ask to receive the aircraft in order to retain its "military edge" in the Middle East. Gates was in Israel for talks with government officials on a range of key strategic issues including American plans which Israel has objected to - to sell smart bombs to Saudi Arabia. The F-22 formally entered operational service in the US Air Force in December 2005 but has not yet been sold outside the US due to a federal law which barred export sale of the aircraft. Last March, however, Congress lifted the nine-year ban on its sale, potentially clearing the path for an Israeli purchase of what is considered the most advanced fighter jet in the world today.

Harry Hedges His Bets

Although Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was doing his best to maintain a low profile about his past support of the partial-birth abortion ban, his comments last week about Justice Samuel Alito made that goal virtually impossible.

When Family Research Council broke the story on the contradiction between Reid's voting record and his cryptic statements about the Partial Birth Abortion ruling, the Senate majority leader came under fire from conservative groups and probing reporters. In his column today, Bob Novak writes about a conversation he had with Reid about the remarks. When Novak asked if "Reid was repudiating his Senate vote for the bill restricting abortions," the senator said no. He claimed that he was referring to other decisions by Alito. Yet when Novak pressed for answers about specific cases, Reid replied, "I can't recall" but assured Novak that his staff would provide the details. As Novak writes, "They did so several hours later."

Interestingly, of the four cases they supplied, it's not always clear that former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor whom Reid said he "wish[ed] were there" for the PBA ruling would have disagreed with Alito's opinion. And, as Novak points out, there is no record of Reid condemning Alito's vote in any of those cases. Although Reid's doublespeak on the issue is nothing new, it does point to a growing conflict of interest for Democrats who were elected to uphold values often at the expense of the liberal party line. In trying to appease both sides, Reid failed to please either.

Comfort, Comfort My People

This morning I woke up wishing that Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech University was just a bad dream. Instead, I got ready for work feeling a little more vulnerable, hugging my kids just a little bit tighter, and trying desperately to make sense of it all.

For many of us, the bloody horrors at Virginia Tech served as a sudden and painful reminder that we live in a fallen world where man is capable of unthinkable evil. As the media hastens to report every raw detail and parents struggle to overcome the fears now rekindled from Columbine, we wonder if America like Virginia Tech will ever be the same. Yet on a day scarred by sorrow and disbelief, there are still glimpses of selfless courage men and women who, in the tradition of our great nation, paid the ultimate price to protect others.

Students of Liviu Librescu are alive today because their professor used his own body to block a classroom doorway as the gunman approached. This hero, who survived the Holocaust only to give his life for his students, is one reason the death toll is not larger. And there are countless others. Policemen who rushed the stairwells, carrying out wounded. Students who helped others leap to safety. And friends, whose only service was offering a shoulder for people to cry on.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those things that hurt, instruct." In a world where make-believe violence is entertainment, may Americans finally refuse to pay the real life price. In a country that seeks to silence God in its schools, may skeptics finally realize that on days like this, He cannot be shut out. I pray that as we carry in our hearts and in our prayers the memories of those lost, we also hold on to our hunger for goodness and virtue so that these innocent people have not died in vain.

He's Risen!!!

He's risen indeed.
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay"
Matthew 28:6

Happy Resurrection Day!!!

Bible Belt Refuses to Buckle under on Religious Courses

A Texas legislator, Rep. Warren Chisum (R), has introduced a bill that would require schools to offer history and literacy classes on the Bible. The proposal, now under debate in the House Public Education Committee, would affect over 1,700 districts throughout the state. If it passes, Texas would join several other states in offering elective courses on the most widely distributed book in the world. Although some are criticizing the move as a violation of church and state, the bill's sponsor said, "We're not going to preach the Bible, we're going to teach the Bible." Proving that the Good Book is experiencing an educational revival, five other states are considering similar proposals.

She Can't Be Syria-ous

Splashed across yesterdays newspapers are photos of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sporting a headscarf as she visited Syria, which included a stop at a mosque.

While it is troubling that the leader third in line for the presidency (behind only the Vice President) would kowtow to a country that is a major purveyor in the trafficking of women, illegal drugs and terrorism, it's even more disturbing that she would concede by covering her head--which is usually seen as a sign of submission in the Muslim world.

On the home front the anti-family efforts of this new Congress continue to come to light. The major accomplishments the new Democratic Leadership in the House can point to are furthering taxpayer funding of destructive human embryo research, de-funding (and demoralizing) our troops fighting the war against terrorists and passing a budget that would raise our taxes by at least $400 billion.

Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. Waiting in the on-deck circle are bills that would treat homosexuals as a special protected class, eliminate abstinence funding and use tax money for abortions--just to name a few. The more this Congress attacks the values important to American families, the clearer it is that they have strayed from their mandate

Giuliani Can Run--But He Can't Hide

Although presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani is quick to say that he "hates" abortion, his recent choice of words shows little enmity for the practice.

In an interview with CNN, the former New York City mayor reaffirmed that he supports taxpayer funding for abortion. "I'm in the same position now that I was 12 years ago... which is, personally opposed to abortion, don't like it, hate it, would advise [women] to have an adoption rather than abortion." He went on to say, "But it is your choice, an individual right. You get to make that choice, and I don't think society should be putting you in jail."

American women have not been at risk of jail under past abortion laws, nor are they in the future. This canard is what the radical feminists have long said in an attempt to frighten and mislead. Referencing a 1989 speech, in which Giuliani said, "There must be public funding for abortions for poor women," the CNN interviewer asked if he would maintain that same position as president. Giuliani replied, "Probably." Then he added, "Ultimately, [abortion] is a constitutional right, and therefore... even if you do it on a state-by-state basis, you have to make sure that people are protected." That is an odd formulation, since Roe v. Wade is notable for withdrawing the protection of human life. And if abortion is a "private" act, what business does the government have funding it? If it is hateful, what other hateful things merit tax subsidies? Giuliani assured a crowd in Iowa that he would appoint conservative judges who will "interpret the meaning of the Constitution." Yet Giuliani's opinion of what the Constitution guarantees offers little comfort to the vast number of Americans who count themselves among the ranks of the pro-life.

Happy Passover

And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' "that you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.'" So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. (Ex 12:26-27)

Chag Pessach Samaech

Awesome

Well this weekend was totally amazing, pastor Greg brought us a great teaching. Lots of people came and whats better, lots of them came to know the Lord. It was great to see so many people walking to the front accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Here are some of the main points of Pastor Greg's teaching: The title was The Honeymoon is Over and the Scripture was from Revelations 2.

He said that Bible knowledge is worthless unless it changes the way one lives. A person who loves God wants to commune with Him. A person who loves God will love the things that God loves and will hate the things that God hates. We must hate the sin but love the sinner. He also said that a person who loves God longs for the return of Jesus, and finally a person who loves God will keep His commandments. Simple but practical and impacting, it made me look at myself and see where I stood in relation to these points. Where do you stand?