Memorial Day

In remembering our heroes, we honor the great sacrifices made for the dreams of every American. May we never forget their strength, courage, and profound willingness to stand up and defend our way of life. I hope and pray this important holiday finds you and your family well and inspires you to continue praying for the men and women that serve in our armed forces. And let's not forget that we live in the greatest nation in the world because of the sacrifices they have made.

What a Joke!!!

The United Nations Human Rights Council, which has yet to prove its worth in fighting violations, has new members.

The U.N. Commission on Human Rights had taken a bad rap for its membership and was abolished for that reason in 2006. In its wake, the Human Rights Council was established and the U.N. held an election this week to appoint new members to the Council. The General Assembly filled 17 seats out of 47, and in that process rejected Sri Lanka while approving Pakistan.

Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs believes the Human Rights Council could still suffer some of the old problems.

"Now, with this election, some of that old criticism could still be brought to bear," he suggests. "Some countries were left off the list because of perceived human-rights abuses; but still, a country like Pakistan -- which doesn't have the best human-rights record, particularly as it relates to our Christian brothers and sisters -- was elected to the Council," Nettleton explains.

He also questions whether the Council will be effective and wonders about the selection process.

"It's a little bit of a balancing act and I think, you know, in the case of Sri Lanka, obviously a place where there have been human-rights problems, there have been religious freedom issues. But then you look at a country like Pakistan where there have been some of the same issues and you wonder how one gets left off [the Council] and the other one gets put on," Nettleton points out.

According to Nettleton, this Council will be closely watched by the media to determine whether they can turn their talk into action. Let's not hold our breath on that one.

Source:OneNewsNow

Follow Up

In following up on a previous post on what the Brithish House of Commons was doing about animal-human cloning,here is the update the British House of Commons has passed an animal-human hybrid law that pushes the U.K. deeper into science's uncharted waters than any other country in the world. After just three hours of fiery debate, critics of the research fell far short of blocking this radical marriage of the human and animal species. By a lopsided 336 to 176, MP's granted scientists the license to create any kind of hybrid, including those derived from cloning, animal eggs and human sperm, genetic engineering, and more. From here, the outlook is bleak. Hybrids will likely be approved in a final vote next month. Making matters worse, MP's also approved the creation of "savior siblings," which means that parents can use fertility treatments to create an embryo whose genetic material would be harvested to help a sick older child. Here at home, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) and Rep. Chris Smith's (R-N.J.) bill banning animal-human hybrids sits idle. Contact your leaders and ask them to move quickly in distancing America from Britain's ethical quagmire.

At it Again

A federal circuit court in Virginia struck down that state's ban on partial-birth abortion, despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court last year upheld the federal ban on this gruesome procedure. This is a troubling decision that speaks to America's ongoing problem with judicial arrogance. Virginia has been trying to ban partial-birth abortion for years. Its law was already struck down once, and now the Fourth Circuit, by a 2 to 1 vote, said it was still unconstitutional, this time because it might be used against an abortionist who started a legal abortion and then accidentally performed a partial-birth abortion. Judge Niemeyer in dissent scoffed at such an implausible claim and pointed out that hypothetical challenges like this one are no longer acceptable according to the Supreme Court. Part of the strength of last year's Supreme Court ruling was its insistence that abortionists bring real cases with real facts when challenging an abortion law. But the Fourth Circuit ignored this admonition and overturned the will of Virginians on the basis of a hypothetical claim from the abortion industry. The Commonwealth must seek review of this activist decision that thumbs its nose at both the people of Virginia and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Resource: FRC

Pork and more Pork

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has a funny way of expressing his appreciation for our troops this Memorial Day. Rather than honoring our soldiers with the funding they need, the Senate is stuffing the war supplemental bill with pro-abortion paybacks for groups like Planned Parenthood. By fattening up the legislation with controversial earmarks, the leadership has not only jeopardized the timetable for the bill's passage but raised the possibility that it will not pass at all. Despite the urgent needs of our servicemen, Reid and his liberal allies are more concerned about funding the war against the unborn than the war in Iraq. The bill is rolling in pork, including a provision that would give groups like Planned Parenthood a big discount on contraceptives and Plan B, which can act as an abortifacient. It would also be a massive cash cow for university health centers, which would also be eligible for a discount on such drugs. Keep in mind that these clinics already make profits on the pills when they mark them up for resale. Nor are many of the recipients suffering in the financial department, thanks to a hefty investment of your hard-earned tax dollars. So the $165 billion question is: What does any of this have to do with Iraq? Absolutely nothing. Reid's personal political agenda is exposing our active-duty troops to new risks as they wait on Congress to duke out the abortion provisions. The bill is bloated with millions of dollars in other unnecessary pet projects for infrastructure, health care, NASA, and more. Until Democrats put their anti-war vendetta aside and both parties rein in spending, the supplemental faces failure on the floor or due to the President's veto pen. Contact your Senators today and remind them that this is no time to make a political statement. Now is the time to support our troops!

Source: FRC.

The GOP's Dirty Dozen

Thursday, 12 Republicans, led by Rep. Mark Kirk (Ill.), quietly sent a letter to President Bush asking him to keep the current Title X regulations. The current rules bar pro-life groups from receiving Title X funds and allow groups like Planned Parenthood (PP) to use dollars to help keep their profitable abortion business viable. The existing Title X policy was put in place by President Clinton, who overturned President Reagan's regulations which protected taxpayer monies by separating the supposedly clean side of PP's business (PAP and breast cancer screening, HIV testing, etc.) from the abortion side. A large majority of Americans including me believe that the federal government should not be funding abortionists, yet that is exactly what President Clinton's regulations, which have been maintained by President George W. Bush, do. If this Dirty Dozen were really serious about protecting the supposedly legitimate side of PP, they would welcome new regulations to protect those efforts. In light of recent revelations that PP clinics across the nation have been involved in racism, defrauding taxpayers and complicit in the statutory rape of young girls, someone should ask these appeasers of abortion and bad government why they seek to shield potential criminal activity. If President Bush fails to act, our future President should. These changes are necessary to protect women and to protect PP from itself. Contact your congressmen if they appear in the following "Dirty Dozen" list and express your disappointment: Reps. Mark Kirk (Ill.), Christopher Shays (Conn.), Kay Granger (Texas), Jim Ramstad (Minn.), Charlie Dent (Pa.), Rodney Frelinghuysen (N.J.), Ralph Regula (Ohio), David Hobson (Ohio), Judy Biggert (Ill.), Mike Castle (Del.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.) and Deborah Pryce (Ohio).

Source: FRC.

Sign of the Times

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, a self-described Catholic, is on a personal mission to end the daily recitation of the Lord's Prayer in Queen's Park, home of Ontario's governing body. Three months ago, he announced to his colleagues that it was time to "move beyond the open acknowledgment of Christianity in the Ontario government." To spur on the process, he asked a committee to draft a "religiously neutral prayer" that would replace it. Despite Canada's rampant liberalism, the majority of citizens are still professing Christians, thousands of whom have not embraced McGuinty's idea. The plan has prompted such concern that the Queen's Park website crashed from the nearly 6,000 emails in protest. Hundreds of other phone calls have overwhelmed the lines, forcing McGuinty to defend himself in the press and on the airwaves. Even the premier's own mother has chastised her son for abandoning his faith. Although McGuinty refuses to back down, he has agreed to consider his committee's recommendation.

Source:FRC

Women in Combat

While many families were celebrating Mother's Day with their loved ones yesterday, thousands of women were miles away from home, serving their country on active duty. While the life of any deployed soldier is tough, the growing number of female recruits means even greater sacrifices on the home front, as many cope with long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The physical demands are high, and it appears that the chance of being put in combat situations is even higher. In 1994, the Clinton-era Defense Department scrapped a rule that protected women from being assigned to front-line positions. By law of Congress, women are supposedly still protected from being assigned to combat roles. Unfortunately, the law protecting female soldiers has gradually been chipped away by Pentagon bureaucrats who are engaging in social experiments on a massive scale. As an editorial in USA Today suggests, the reality of the risks women are facing in Iraq does not match the restrictive policy in the law. Unfortunately, the paper wants to scrap the law rather than reform the reality. This exposes women to unacceptable dangers. Women have historically played a vital role in America's military, and they should continue to serve where appropriate but not in combat.

Source:FRC.

Weekend Reflections

Still going through the book of John. Pastor P. taught a sermon titled Never Alone based on John 16:4-15. Here are my thoughts and what I got out of the teaching.

1) The Holy Spirit Testifies. Testifies of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit never attracts attention to itself but always points to Jesus. We must do the same always point people to Jesus.

I can't do ministry without the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

2) The Holy Spirit Convicts. Conviction will always lead me to the Lord. Conviction leads a person to conversion. Condemnation leads people away from the Lord.

God will not forgive the rejection of the Holy Spirit.

3) The Holy Spirit Guides. The Holy Spirit guides us to the truth.

The Holy Spirit helps us in testing the spirits.

The Holy Spirit guides us through circumstances.

The Holy Spirit guides and speaks to us in times of prayer.

All of us have a relationship with the Holy Spirit the question is what kind of relationship do we have.

Sobering. A Friend is Gone.

Got some sad news today, a friend of mine passed away. He was still young (in his 50s) and still adventurous. He was living the retired life just bumming around and riding his Harley. I remember our time together in the PD how he used to say “got to live everyday like it’s the last one”, I wonder if he still felt that way. Anyways I hadn’t seen him or talked to him in a long while, feel bad about that, specially cause I don’t know if he knew the Lord. I feel bad that I only talked to him about the Lord once. Maybe I should have been more persistent. All of this makes me put everything in perspective; I’m I living my life to the fullest? I’m I ready to go? Have I done all I can to tell my unsaved friends about my Lord and Savior Jesus? The first two questions I have pretty much under control, the last one sad to say I have failed. I need to remember that tomorrow is not promised to us and that today is the day of salvation. Good bye my friend all I will choose to remember are the good and fun times we shared. I hope and pray that even though I didn’t lead you to Jesus someone else did. I hope and pray that I will see you again.

Are We doing Enough?

Is the church doing enough to help the poor? Sixty-seven percent of Americans think so. According to a recent national survey the majority of those polled said their "church already does enough to help the poor in [their] community." But is there more to do? Steve Haas, the vice president for church relations at World Vision, is using the research as a call to conscience for believers. According to Haas, Christians are just "scratching the surface" when it comes to helping the less fortunate. As Christians, we have a personal and corporate responsibility to engage in the war against poverty. It is, and has always been, primary to the Gospel message. Scripture makes it clear that our responsibility to address the plight of the poor is fundamental to living out our faith. Arthur Brooks points out in his book Who Really Cares? that liberals equate this responsibility with the call for more government programs. This effort to shift the responsibility to the government deprives the giver and the recipient of tangible and intangible benefits and studies also show it is very ineffective. For decades, this reliance on big government to care for the poor has done more to perpetuate American poverty than alleviate it. Instead of breaking the cycle of poverty by addressing the root causes like the breakdown of the family government programs are actually prolonging the problem with short-term fixes. This liberal approach to welfare is devastating to the poor and to the entire nation. The more the church does, the less our government will have to do. Local faith-based charities are not only more effective, but they have also proven more efficient. If your church doesn't have outreaches to the poor, I encourage you to consider partnering with another ministry or starting one of your own. The more energy we put into meeting our neighbors' needs, the greater our opportunity for sharing the rich message of Jesus Christ.

Is this Ethical???

According to Dr. Calum MacKellar, the U.K. could soon add "humanzees" to its list of attractions. In an interview with The Scotsman, Dr. MacKellar, research director at the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, says the half-man, half-chimp hybrid is just one of the many species that could become a reality if the government doesn't act quickly. Mackellar warns that human sperm has been and will continue to be inseminated into animals research that the current Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill allows. The bill, which is creating uproar in Parliament, is schedule for debate in the House of Commons this May. There's no limit to the list of horrors that the legislation would tolerate, including animal-human hybrids, savior siblings, and artificial gametes. "There's a desperate need for organs . . . if they could create these humanzees... [some scientists would argue that] we could have a large provision of organs,"
Dr. MacKellar said. Over the past few years, plenty of animal hybrids have been coaxed into existence, including wholphins (whale and dolphin), lepjags (leopard and jaguar), and a pizzly (polar and grizzly bear). We are quickly approaching a threshold of irresponsibility that is not only immoral but stomach-turning. Unfortunately, the U.S. is letting its scientists roam freely through this unethical territory. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) hopes to change that. Last week, he introduced a companion bill to Sen. Sam Brownback's (R-Kans.) Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act. Under H.R. 5910 and S. 2318, America would ban the creation of all human-animal hybrids.