Posts Tagged ‘freedom’

London, England – An elementary school teacher in London is facing disciplinary action after she refused to read a book to her class about gay penguins.

The teacher, who is only going by “Mrs. A” in the media in order to protect her identity and her job, had begun to read And Tango Makes Three to her class when she realized that it was a book meant to promote homosexual “marriage.”

According to reports, the book, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole, is a true story about a pair of Chinstrap penguins named Roy and Silo who live in New York’s Central Park Zoo. In the story, Roy and Silo are seen bowing to each other and being friendly, and soon make a nest together as they attempt to hatch a rock that resembles an egg. Click here to continue reading.

LTRP Commentary: The article below our commentary written by Washington Times is a sign of the times. Here is the sign: If a bill is passed in California that removes the non-profit tax-exempt status from any youth organization that doesn’t allow those openly practicing homosexuality to be leaders in that organization, it is just a matter of time when other states will follow suit. California has usually  led the way in “revolutionary” law changes. We believe that day WILL come when such a bill passes. The Implications? In time, and probably less rather than more, ALL non-profits will be at risk of losing their tax-exempt status if they do not hire those who openly live a homosexual lifestyle as leaders. This will include missionary organizations, Christian youth organizations, retreat centers, churches, seminaries – virtually all facets of the Christian church because almost all Christian organizations are under the government’s tax-exempt status.

The handwriting is on the wall. Perhaps it’s time Christian non-profits start moving toward dropping their non-profit status and becoming financially independent without it. Otherwise, what could happen (and it could happen practically overnight) is that when it becomes “law” to allow those practicing homosexuality to lead Christian organizations, these organizations with either have to fall into step with these laws or lose their tax-exempt status and cave in financially because they depended so heavily on that status.

It isn’t easy being a Christian ministry that ISN”T non-profit 501 (c)3. We should know. Lighthouse Trails opted not to apply for that status 11 years ago when we launched because even back then we could see that it would both mean coming under restrictions that would one day mean having to compromise our faith and compromise our ability to report factual evidence accurately. Not having that status, though, means Lighthouse Trails doesn’t get very many donations because such donations are not tax deductible. Thus, we must work all the harder to keep financially sound.

While we realize that some day laws will most likely try to force even for-profit groups and businesses to hire those who practice homosexuality, the first target will be the non-profits. Perhaps it is time for Christian non-profits to evaluate just exactly what it means to take this handout from the government and to ponder just how high the cost may be. We live in a fallen sinful world with fallen sinful governments. Remember the admonitions of Jesus Christ: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16-see more below). The day is coming when we, as Christians, may not be able to work the work of God, at least in the same capacity and freedom we presently have in the Western world. Jesus said, “I must work the works of him tht sent me, whilt it is day: the night cometh when no man can work” (John 9:4).  We should not be disheartened though for we are also told by Jesus: “[S]ee that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass” (Matthew 24:6).

As for the Boy Scouts, obviously the Boy Scouts are being pressured to lift their ban on homosexuals not being allowed to be leaders in the Boy Scouts. If they do, there is another serious implication about this situation. In the history of man, societies and nations have come and gone. Some sociologists have taught that the final taboo societies and civilizations have become involved with before becoming extinct is what is referred to as “man-boy love.” By allowing openly practicing homosexuals complete access to young vulnerable boys, America is jeopardizing her existence like never before. Saying this is obviously politically incorrect, but it’s the truth and it needs to be said.

“Calif. [homosexual]-rights bill aims to strip Boy Scouts of tax-exempt status”

Scouting organizations in California that bar open homosexuals as leaders and members could lose their state tax-exempt status if a bill is enacted.

The Youth Equality Act has a broad sweep, covering not only the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girls Scouts, but also such youth organizations as the Little League, Bobby Sox, Campfire Inc., Future Farmers of America, 4-H Clubs, Boys’ Clubs, Girls’ Clubs, Special Olympics, California soccer associations and Pop Warner football.

The proposed legislation “seeks to end the unfortunate discriminatory and outdated practices by certain youth groups by revoking their tax-exemption privilege, should they not comply with our nondiscrimination laws,” said California State Sen. Ricardo Lara, an openly gay lawmaker who is also lead sponsor of SB 323. Click here to read more.

More of Matthew 10:

And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.  And when ye come into an house, salute it.  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:11-23)

LTRP Note:  This article is posted for informational and research purposes. See link below article for previous posting about this story.

SAN DIEGO –  An attorney representing a  family bent out of shape over a public school yoga program in the beach city of  Encinitas filed a lawsuit Wednesday to stop the district-wide classes.

In the lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court, attorney Dean Broyles  argued that the twice weekly, 30-minute classes are inherently religious, in  violation of the separation between church and state.

The plaintiffs are Stephen and Jennifer Sedlock and their children, who are  students in the Encinitas Union School District.

“EUSD’s Ashtanga yoga program represents a serious breach of the public  trust,” Broyles said. “Compliance with the clear requirements of law is not  optional or discretionary. This is frankly the clearest case of the state  trampling on the religious freedom rights of citizens that I have personally  witnessed in my 18 years of practice as a constitutional attorney.” Click here to continue reading.

Related:

School Yoga Tries to Avoid Religious Controversy

Today is the UN World Day of Social Justice. With that in mind, check out the essay, “Social Justice: All for One, And Theft for All,” which outlines two parallel lines in the modern development of social justice – Jesuit and Marxist. 

By Carl Teichrib
Forcing Change

Author’s Note: Volumes could be written on the different historical and philosophical applications of “social justice,” and we could easily find ourselves lost in a tangled maze of ideologies and nuances. Hence, this article seeks to examine the core element of social justice as a recent social-economical-political movement: An emotional appeal to Collectivism. . . .

A boiling, seething emotion rose from my chest into my throat. An avalanche of angry words tumbled from my small mouth. My indignation could not be quenched. A final declaration sounded with thick certainty.

“When I’m older, I’m going to do something about this.”

How old was I? Ten: maybe younger? But I had seen enough to know. Gross injustices had been observed.

I well remember the bitter experience. Me, a sensible farm boy – and my grandparents, owners of a small fabric shop in a sleepy prairie town – had traveled to the claustrophobic city of Winnipeg. The purpose: to visit textile outlets and make purchases of cloth. After two days of warehouses and shop floors, I knew this was the end of the world. Working conditions were deplorable: Too little sunshine, poorly chosen paint colors, smelly old merchantmen.

“Here’s some candy, kid.” It tasted stale.

At one critical point Grandma had to shush me. Didn’t she know? Didn’t anybody care? The lone Pepsi machine we had passed in the darkened hall wore a sign of prophetic importance: “Out of Order.” And I was dying of thirst. Click here to continue reading.

By Berit Kjos
Kjos Ministries

“Under the broad banner of ‘health,’ the federal government not only is telling Americans what to eat, it’s also telling us to make our homes safer…. The project has a name: ‘Advancing Healthy Housing: A Strategy for Action.’”[1] Obama Administration Says All Americans Must Have ‘Healthy Housing. 2013.

“‘Healthy City and Healthy Community’ initiatives are being pursued throughout the country. Hundreds of national organizations… have [adopted] the Year 2000 objectives… Healthy People 2010 is the United States’ contribution to the World Health Organization’s call to the nations of the world to renew their commitment to health for all.”[2] The UN Plan for Your Mental Health, 1999.

The blurred picture [to the right] was taken through a not-so-clear glass wall in Istanbul’s harbor during the 1996 UN Conference on Human Habitats. Yet it may look somewhat familiar. After all, similar condominium complexes are spreading throughout the world — including America. This particular illustration is just a miniature Chinese model among hundreds of others on display in one of the massive piers at Istanbul’s harbor.

Its small contribution to The UN Conference on Human Habitats (Habitat II) gives us a glimpse of the planned housing for the New World Order. No doubt our American leaders have noticed that most old towns and communities are fast becoming incompatible with their new rules, plans and government education. They don’t fit the new visions of spiritual compromise. Nor would they be welcome in the pluralistic community centers envisioned by the leaders of Habitat ll. After all, uncompromising Christians would disrupt the envisioned solidarity.

Obama’s view of government controlled housing fits right into this picture of a new global solidarity. A recent article titled “Mold? Leaky Roof? Obama Administration Says All Americans Must Have ‘Healthy Housing:”

“Under the broad banner of ‘health,’ the federal government not only is telling Americans what to eat, it’s also telling us to make our homes safer. This week, the Obama administration released a ‘bold new vision for addressing the nation’s health and economic burdens caused by preventable hazards associated with the home.’ The project has a name: ‘Advancing Healthy Housing: A Strategy for Action.’

“‘People in the United States spend about 70% of their time in a home,’ the announcement said….

“According to the Obama administration, the health and economic burdens from preventable hazards associated with both subsidized and privately owned homes cost billions of dollars. The new strategy ‘unifies’ federal efforts to advance healthy housing — ‘demonstrating the connection between housing conditions and residents’ health.’…

“Currently, millions of U.S. homes have moderate to severe physical housing problems, including dilapidated structure; roofing problems; heating, plumbing, and electrical deficiencies; water leaks and intrusion; pests; damaged paint; and high radon gas levels. These conditions are associated with a wide range of health issues, including unintentional injuries, respiratory illnesses…. as well as lost productivity in the labor force.

“The federal partners pushing healthy housing include the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Surgeon General, and Energy Department.”[1]

Who hasn’t faced chipped paint, broken pipes and water leaks on their property? But these problems don’t require government interference! Besides, who would pay the huge cost of examining each house and fixing it to comply with Obama’s new rules for home owners?

Will our individual freedoms be smothered by the bureaucratic regulations pushed by elite globalists who want to use and control us as if we were cattle? Click here to continue reading.

Hartford, Connecticut – A national homeschooling organization is sounding the alarm against a bill proposed in the Connecticut legislature which would require both public school and homeschooled children to undergo a behavioral health assessment at various stages of child development.

Bill 374, proposed in the General Assembly by sponsors Senator Toni Harp and Representative Toni Walker, is likely in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, which took the lives of 20 children and 6 adults this past December. Some believe that the incident could have been better prevented should there have been sufficient mental health assistance for gunman Adam Lanza, and therefore, the women are seeking to ensure that today’s youth are screened throughout their adolescence for any concerning behavioral problems.

Harp, who serves as the chairman of the Connecticut mental health task force, recently told reporters that while she does not want children to be stigmatized over the matter, she feels that lawmakers need to see how to better care for the mental well-being of youth in order to prevent another tragedy. . . .

“This assessment would constitute an unwarranted, gross invasion of family privacy,” Black said. “This bill should be opposed.”

Click here to continue reading.

Michael F. Haverluc
OneNewsNow.com

After being sued late last year by the American Civil Liberties Union to put the book In Our Mothers’ House back on the library shelves of Utah public elementary schools, the Davis School District caved in to the legal pressure and settled with the homosexual advocacy group to make the book readily available to young students in the school.

District attorneys agreed to put the controversial book back on the shelves despite parents’ objections, not to mention a state statute prohibiting instructional materials containing “advocacy of homosexuality.” Shortly after conceding last month, this agreement was put into action, as Assistant Superintendent Pamela Park sent the order for elementary school librarians to place the controversial book back on the shelves in several district libraries. Click here to continue reading.

LTRP Note: See below this article the January 28th media release by the Boy Scouts of America saying they may be lifting their ban on homosexuals being allowed as Scout leaders.

Alan Keyes
WorldNetDaily

Like many men of my generation, experience with the Boy Scouts was part of my  upbringing. According to reports, the people now entrusted with supervising the  Boy Scouts of America may imminently abandon the organization’s commitment to  true Christian morals, allowing homosexuals into the ranks and leadership of its  troops, as the Girl Scouts did years ago. Given the parlous state of  God-revering self-confidence in Christian America these days, I hesitate to  predict what the response will be from the churches that constitute much of the  infrastructure of the Boy Scouts in material and human terms. There is no doubt  what it ought to be. All Christian churches should immediately and spontaneously  withdraw from their cooperation with the BSA’s corporate entity which would,  from that point on, be usurping the name and reputation of the Scouting  movement. The thunderous impression of their withdrawal would alert and warn all  believers of the pitfall any association with the usurpers must henceforward  entail. Click here to read more.

MEDIA STATEMENT FROM THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (source)

Boy Scouts of America Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations

“For more than 100 years, Scouting’s focus has been on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.

“Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.

“The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.”