Category: In The News!

September 8, 2005 (AP)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced yesterday that he will veto a bill that would allow same-sex marriages in California.

Schwarzenegger said the legislation, given final approval Tuesday by lawmakers, would conflict with the intent of voters when they approved a ballot initiative five years ago. Proposition 22 prevents California from recognizing same-sex marriages from other states or countries.

“We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote,” the governor’s press secretary, Margita Thompson, said in a statement. “Out of respect for the will of the people, the governor will veto.”…

…The Republican governor had indicated that he would veto the bill, saying the debate over same-sex marriage should be decided by voters or the courts…

…The announcement dampened a celebratory mood among the bill’s supporters, who only the night before cheered, hugged and kissed as the state Assembly narrowly sent the bill to the governor’s desk.

The vote made it the first legislative body in the country to approve same-sex marriage. The state already gives couples many of the rights and duties of marriage if they register as domestic partners.

Massachusetts’ highest court ruled in 2003 that the state constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. The nation’s first state-sanctioned, same-sex weddings began taking place in May 2004.

Vermont began offering civil unions in 2000, after a ruling by the state’s Supreme Court. Earlier this year, Connecticut became the first state to approve civil unions without being forced by the courts.

Analysis:

The preceding article indicates a societal trend which violates God’s standards of what is right and moral, not to mention the divine definition of marriage. Rather than what is contended by the immoral today, Jesus, in commenting on marriage, quoted the Genesis account, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5).

Our society mirrors the ungodliness of the first century. The apostle Paul condemned the immoral. “Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).

It may be in the future that all states will recognize same sex marriages. If so, it will not change the fundamental fact that the Almighty God of Heaven most certainly does not and will not!

Harrah’s Entertainment’s top executive is recommending the Mississippi government allow the company to build a temporary casino on land to replace its Grand Casino Biloxi riverboat, which was hurled ashore and destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.

The temporary casino, without a hotel, could be built relatively quickly and could “start to generate some revenue” for the state, Chief Executive Gary Loveman said.

Mississippi’s Gulf Coast has been decimated by Katrina. Both its riverboat-based tourist economy and its local economy have been destroyed. When asked about the appropriateness of opening a casino amid the destruction, Loveman said the casino would draw from a wider region and would generate more tax revenue for the state than, say, a hotel.

“We would draw from a three-hour perimeter,” he said. “That would be a start.”

Harrah’s also owns the Grand Casino Gulfport in Mississippi, a riverboat casino that was destroyed, and a land-based casino in New Orleans that sustained only modest damage. Harrah’s owns more casinos that were hurt by Katrina than those owned by any other Las Vegas operator…

…When and where the company will be allowed to rebuild its Biloxi and Grand Casino Gulfport properties and whether they would be farther inland and in more secure locations “will depend on if the law changes,” he said. Loveman later said there was a “good chance it will be changed.”

Mississippi law now requires casinos to be built on boats or pontoons over water, though a change implemented last month allows casinos to be built on pilings over water. Some observers say the riverboat requirement will end because of the damage wrought by the storm, which tossed many riverboats ashore.

Liz Benston
Las Vegas Sun, via lasvegassun.com

Analysis:

It is amazing how quickly corporations and individuals will seek to profit from tragedy. It is my prayer that when New Orleans and the port cities of Mississippi rebuild, they will leave off rebuilding the centers of vice that have become synonymous with that area of the country.

Here is an opportunity for these communities to reject the ungodly practices that characterized the coastal cities of Louisiana and Mississippi. There is no need to rebuild the casinos, and yet the gambling industry will use hurricane Katrina to lobby lawmakers to change the laws, and allow the casinos to leave the coast, and take up residence inland.

Perhaps such destruction should be viewed as a chastisement from God, and repentance should be forthcoming, rather than rebuilding the infrastructure of ungodliness.

A human fetus is unlikely to feel pain until the final months of pregnancy, according to a new medical report that is bound to stir up the public debate over abortion.

“Pain perception requires conscious recognition or awareness of a noxious stimulus,” write the researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.

This consciousness is created by nerve connections between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex of the brain — and these connections do not begin to develop before the 23rd week and possibly not until the 30th week after gestation, say the researchers. That means “functional pain perception . . . does not exist before 29 or 30 weeks.”

The report, in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, is being published just as anti-abortion groups are pushing for fetal pain laws. The U.S. Congress and several states are considering legislation that would require doctors to tell women seeking abortions 20 or more weeks after conception that a fetus feels pain and to offer anesthesia for the fetus.

via Globeandmail.com

Analysis:

I have often stated that there is an extreme amount of illogical thought being expressed by supposedly educated people on the issue of abortion, as our society debates the ethicality of the practice.

For example, the primary issue regarding the ethicality of abortion is the question, “Is the fetus human?” An ability to feel pain has absolutely nothing to do with the humanity of the fetus. To illustrate, we could use the example of a quadriplegic. Whether by injury or deformity, some individuals do not have the ability to feel pain. For some, such an inability covers the entirety of their body. In their case, it is because of a disconnect between their brain and nerves. If the scientists who produced the aforementioned study are to be believed, in the fetus it is because the brain has not sufficiently developed to process the “noxious stimulus” as painful. Regardless, the same state exists. So, do we proclaim the quadriplegic non-human, and reserve the right to extinguish their life? The absurdity is obvious.

What is more absurd is the logic of the proposed law concerning giving fetus’s beyond 20 weeks in development an anesthetic before abortion. It says, in effect, “We are going to kill the child, but don’t want the child to suffer unnecessarily during the killing.”

The fetus is alive. Further, it’s not an animal (though treated as such in this law, as it calls for the “putting down” of a fetus in the same “humane” way that is done with pets). A question to pro-abortion advocates… “What is it?” The only answer… It is a human being!

Terrell Owens may not be the only NFL star wide receiver dealing with summer problems.

In an interview scheduled to air Tuesday on HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” Randy Moss, the former Vikings and now Raiders wideout, strongly implies he still smokes marijuana, a drug prohibited by the NFL.

After Moss says he has used marijuana since entering the NFL, but has not let it “take control over me,”Gumbel asks him if he smoked pot during the offseason.

“I might. I might have fun,” Moss says with a sheepish grin on his face. “And, you know – and hopefully that I won’t get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know, I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason.

“But, you know, I don’t want any kids, you know, watching this taking a lesson from me as far as, ‘Well, Randy Moss used it. So, I’m going to use it.’ . . . Like I say, that – that I have used – and in the past. And every blue moon or every once in a while I might.”

(AP)

Analysis:

For many years it has been that “role models” such as athletes and entertainers have used drugs. Though performance enhancing drugs such as steroids are presently the focus of testing and sanctions, the use of recreational drugs is also very prevalent, and perhaps are more damaging to society as we consider the broader impact of such influences upon our young people.

While Moss wishes that young people would not look to him as an example, the fact is that they do. It is a shame that there are so few good and righteous public figures for young people to admire and emulate.

The lesson for Christians is to note that our shortcomings not only impact our spiritual welfare, but also can have a negative impact on those we wish to influence. As Christians we are to, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Philippians 2:14-16).

Young people, don’t look to the world for your example, look to the elders, and mature and righteous Christians, both men and women, who serve as examples to you of holiness before our God.

In the August 13th issue of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, R. Scott Colglazier, compared the practice of religion to the individualized playlists on an iPod. The iPod is a stylized MP3 music player, and presently a cultural phenomenon. Note the following from Colglazier’s pen:

If we can learn and understand that faith is individualized because of our personal perspective, it inspires us to become more accepting of other people, especially those people who ultimately download different ideas about God into their spiritual iPods. This, of course, is problematic for those who think there is only one divine truth that should be accepted by all people.

Another implication is that the religious truth we finally discover says as much about us as it does about God. Just look at the variety of music on a person’s iPod and you’ll begin to see the unique essence of that individual. To acknowledge that our beliefs say as much, or more, about us as they do about God requires a healthy dose of humility- but in the end, humility is a good thing when comes to our religion.

Finally, if religion is about exploring our depth as human beings, then faiht will always be an individualized experience. Depth is our uniqueness, and living into our unique selves goes to the heart of the spiritual journey. This is true regardless of the difficulty it creates within religious organizations trying to spawn universal language and beliefs among its members.

Analysis:

In the preceding article, Colglazier expresses a common sentiment among religious people today. You will notice that he believes faith to be subjective rather than objective. In effect, he values the subjective perceptions of the individual above what is objectively taught in the Word of God. He is welcome to his view, but it must be recognized that his view directly contradicts what the Bible plainly says:

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

“And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:15-16).

The iPod may be a great thing, but an iPod religion is vain before God! (cf. Matthew 7:20-21).

The August 2005 issue of Reader’s Digest, a special issue that examines “14 Amazing Trends That Will Change Your Life”, identified as a societal trend the growth of Christian merchandizing.

From GodPods to holy golf balls, marketers have found religion

Note the following short excerpt from the feature:

A lot of conservative Christian’s don’t like the fuzzy line that’s been drawn between believers and nonbelievers. They want to be able to tell the secular from the sacred, Young says. But more and more young believers “enjoy obliterating the lines and appreciate the mystery in that and feel it gives a lesson in not judging.”

So Christian entrepreneurs have found their formula for success, and it’s in stretching the traditional bounds, if not obliterating them. For every person who fells that the shirts being sold – or the books or the gadgets – are a betrayal of the faith, there are plenty of others who see a faith that’s speaking to today. In this age of market evangelism, the ring of a cash register can be sacred music.

Page 185, August 2005 Reader’s Digest

Analysis:

“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself… For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 10).

The report in Reader’s Digest is without bias, noting that some are agreeable to the merchandising of the gospel while others are not. As can be seen from the text above, the Holy Spirit is not so understanding. It is shameful that some are so ready to make a profit from faith. The Catholic church was doing it centuries ago with the sale of indulgences to fund the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This is just more of the same. Those who do such things should be ashamed.

Promising but still unproven new approaches to creating human embryonic stem cells have suddenly jeopardized what once seemed to be certain Senate passage of a bill to loosen President Bush’s four-year-old restrictions on human embryo research.

The techniques are enticing to many conservative activists and scientists because they could yield medically valuable human embryonic stem cells without the creation or destruction of embryos.

Embryonic stem cells are coveted because they have the capacity to become virtually every kind of body tissue and perhaps repair ailing organs, but they are controversial because days-old human embryos must be destroyed to retrieve them.

”The new science that may involve embryo research but not require destruction of an embryo is tremendously exciting,” Senate majority leader Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said recently. ”It would get you outside of the boundaries of the ethical constraints.”

Ceci Connolly and Rick Weiss
Washington Post

Analysis:

We have written about the morality of stem cell research in the past. While there is some evidence that the research can benefit and potentially cure some individuals suffering from paralysis and a number of other diseases, the process of extracting stem cells from human embryos results in the destruction of the embryo.

Continue reading “Stem Cell Legislation at Risk” →

Patrick Guerriero, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, noted that the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court was appointed by Ronald Reagan. He praised O’Connor for her role in lifting state sodomy laws, “Which confirmed that the principle of individual liberty extended to gay and lesbian families.”

“Justice O’Connor’s retirement is a clarion call to every American that our rights are in grave dangers,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “The loss of [ her ] moderate voice is a serious threat to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, to women’s right and to protections for racial, ethnic and religious minorities.”

Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called O’Connor’s retiring “a sad day for the Supreme Court and for America.” He urged the President “to honor the advice and consent role the Constitution gives the Senate” through a meaningful interaction with that body.

Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, expressed her shock and fear “about the direct impact Justice O’Connor’s retirement will have on each of our lives. Despite her very conservative philosophy, she has been a powerful swing vote on critical reproductive, women’s and LGBT issues.”

Some groups are even taking action in response to the resignation. The state and local chapters of the National Organization for Women ( NOW ) planned to stage rallies July 5 throughout Illinois to call for the nomination and confirmation of fair justices on the Supreme Court. Terry Cosgrove of Personal PAC, an Illinois pro-abortion group, added that concerned citizens should contact President Bush and urge him to select a nominee who will protect abortion rights and Roe v. Wade. Cosgrove also suggested contacting U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama and ask them to support only a nominee who believes Roe should stand.

by Bob Roehr 2005-07-06

Analysis:

The news that Sandra Day O’Connor will step down from the U.S. Supreme Court has panicked social liberals who now have to contend with two new, potentially conservative appointments before President Bush’s second term as President expires. The above article appeared in the Windy City Times, which bills itself as “The Voice of Chicago’s Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Trans Community Since 1985.”

It is doubtful that any individual picked by the President will please the ungodly. However, it would be a shame if Bush bowed to pressure, and appointed someone who would not protect the family, and the morals upon which this country was founded and has thrived for over two centuries.

We should pray to God for Bush, as our country’s leader, as per 2 Timothy 2:1-2, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

Even with Kenny Rogers on the mound, the Texas Rangers faced the daunting task of catching the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West.

Now they might be without their ace left-hander for a quarter of their remaining games.

Rogers was suspended Friday for 20 games and fined $50,000 by Major League Baseball for throwing an angry fit that sent a television cameraman to the hospital and prompted a police investigation…

…In a statement, commissioner Bud Selig said: “Mr. Rogers’ behavior was unprofessional, unwarranted and completely unacceptable. Major League Baseball is a social institution and all of us in the game have an important responsibility to act with reason and good judgment.”

The suspension was among the most severe imposed by the commissioner’s office for on-field conduct in decades. Only the 30-day penalty given Cincinnati manager Pete Rose in 1988 for pushing umpire Dave Pallone was longer.

Jim Cour
AP Sportswriter

Analysis:

The story has become old, as again and again professional athletes and entertainers engage in self-destructive and impulsive behavior. Rogers deserves the 20 game ban, (though it will be appealed, and while under appeal, he may be allowed to pitch in the upcoming all-star game). In fact, it could be argued that he deserves to be fired, forfeiting his present contract.

Continue reading “Rogers Suspended for 20 Games by MLB” →

Yahoo!, the internet search giant and place for personal clubs as well as chat rooms, has closed down personal chat rooms in response to a report that some of the chat rooms were being used to promote sex with minors.

The report by KPRC-TV in Houston outraged companies such as PepsiCo Inc., State Farm Insurance, and Georgia-Pacific Corp., and they quickly removed their advertising from Yahoo in protest.

“We were thoroughly appalled when we were told that our ads were appearing on those sites,” State Farm spokesman Phil Supple said. “We took immediate action to see that they were withdrawn.”

That means – no more personal chat rooms on Yahoo. And any of the chat rooms previously created by users have now been removed. Yahoo will still allow users to chat on the company’s existing rooms, which cover mainstream subjects such as “American Idol” and Web design…

…Yahoo feigning ignorance is like taking your mom to see Andrew Dice Clay, and not knowing she might be offended. This type of problem has been going on for years on the web.

AOL, several years before it’s merger with Time Warner, also had similar problems. People would create hidden chat rooms with “code names” that were widely known by those seeking pornography. All one needed to do was type in the proper name and away you went into the vast dark world of internet porn swapping and cyber sexual experiences.

Sex sells, even deviant sexual desire. And companies like the Yahoo’s and AOL’s of the world seek to capitalize on the enormous traffic numbers involved in these activities. Sure they claim ignorance, but in reality they simply turn a blind eye untill something happens that forces them to take some sort of action.

The National LedgerM. Centanni

Analysis:

The analysis by M. Centanni of the actions of Yahoo is certainly on the mark. Such internet companies will not police themselves, and it is important for each of us to be aware of the evil which exists on the internet.

Fortunately, tools exist which all parents to protect their children. Many of the sites under consideration voluntarily offer filtering to block what is commonly called “adult” themed material.

Further, programs exist which do a good job of protecting browsers from unsavory material. They are relatively inexpensive, and are worth considering if you have children. Of course, parental supervision is most important.

“Fathers… bring [your children] up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).

Boy, what a Miracle!
Belfast Telegraph, UK
(Five year old survives a bullet wound to the head)

Miracle Baby Gives Hope to Women
News.com. Au, Australia
(Artificial insemination from an egg which had previously been frozen)

Spurs Need Miracle in Game 5
FOXsports.com
(Basketball team has lost two straight, and needs a win badly)

The Miracle of Love
Mobile Register, Alabama
(A son and his father patch up a strained relationship before the father’s death. The son, a Methodist minister, said, “But God performed a miracle, and dad and I were participants”)

A Multiple Miracle at Women and Infants Pavilion
Youngstown Vindicator, Ohio
(After four miscarriages, a woman from Liberty, OH gives birth to triplets)

Five Miracle Treatments Headed Your Way
USA Weekend
(An article speculating on what new wonders medical science
might bring in the future)

A Musical Miracle Among the Ashes
FAZ.net, Germany
(A lost composition from Johann Sebastian Bachm, dated to 1713 is found amidst the ruins after a fire in a German library)

Analysis:

Many religious people believe that miracles still happen in our day. This is understandable, as we note how loosely and casually the word is used.

A miracle is an event in which God sets aside natural law, intervening for his purpose. Obviously, all of the headlines noted refer to events which, though they may be rare or fortuitous, are nowhere near miraculous.

More importantly, none of them in any way fulfill the purpose of miracles, as related by the Apostle John in his gospel.

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).

Miracles proved Jesus as God’s son, and confirmed the word he preached. The age of miracles has ceased. (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

Straight people aren’t the only ones in God’s congregation in Rev. Carlyle Stewart’s view.

“People who are homosexual are worthy of God’s love and they are open to God’s gifts and graces,” said Stewart, the senior pastor of Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield.

Stewart and Rabbi Tamara Kolton of the Birmingham Temple in Farmington Hills spoke about faith and morality at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak on May 24. [Both towns in Michigan, SC]

The talk, presented by the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, was intended to spark a conversation in the community at large about morality in the face of conservative religious figures’ political ascendance.

Before the gathering, Rabbi Kolton said gays and lesbians are more than welcome at her congregation.

“We are excited to have their participation and voice,” she said. “The Birmingham Temple was founded on the principal of human dignity.”

Many of the members of the Temple don’t believe in God, said Kolton, who describes herself as an agnostic.

“We’re not theists,” she said. “Judaism is more than a religion that worships God. We’re a civilization.”

Kolton spoke about her vision for a new day, when human dignity is truly appreciated, and a new clergy and a new religion – based on putting the planet first – comes to light.

“I want a new clergy where power flows from the people to the top,” she said. “Clergy should be experts in empathy.”

Sharon Gittlemman
Between the Lines News (6/2/05)

Analysis:

The report above is yet another indication that we are living in a Post-modern age. It is a time where individuals deny the idea of a absolute standard or reality, and is characterized by the belief that men have the right to create God in their own image. Or, in the case of “Rabbi Kolton”, to practice religion without even acknowledging God’s existence at all!

But, man does not have the right to determine for himself the purpose of religion, or to set his own standards with regard to morality. It matter’s not what we believe, what matters is God’s Will!

Rather than a religion that puts “the planet first”, note what Jesus said should be our priority. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21).

Karen Spurney acknowledges that she hasn’t made much time for her spiritual life while attending the University of California, Los Angeles.

She is busy with schoolwork, piano practice, sorority activities and other aspects of college life. That’s quite a shift for the 19-year-old sophomore, who said that before college she rarely missed Sunday masses with her family and was an altar server at her Temple City, Calif., church.

“I’m a Catholic on pause,” said Spurney, who is majoring in piano performance. “I didn’t come [to college] for the spiritual aspect. My goal is to experience as much as I can.”

According to a recent UCLA study, Spurney’s experience reflects that of many college students who have a high interest in spirituality and religion but are not necessarily looking for ways to explore or practice their beliefs.

The national study, based on a survey of more than 112,000 entering freshmen at 236 universities and colleges, found that 80 percent of the students expressed interest in spirituality. But fewer than half said they considered it necessary to find ways to nurture their spiritual growth.

More than three-quarters of students — 79 percent — said they believe in God. But only 40 percent consider it “essential” or “very important” to follow religious teachings in everyday life.

Natasha Lee
Los Angeles Times
May 15, 2005

Analysis:

We have several young people who will be leaving home next fall, to begin college life. It will be their first extended time on their own, and there will be temptations and distractions which will tend to derail them from a righteous path.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. It is invalid to say that the “day to day” activities of life must take precedence over your spiritual walk. This is true at any time of your life. When at college, your responsibility will be the same that this always has been, and it always will be:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

AUSTIN – Forget education reform and taxes. On Tuesday, the Texas House turned its attention to a measure dubbed “the booty bill,” voting to crack down on cheerleaders who perform sexually suggestive routines at school-sponsored events.

The legislation, which passed 65-56, would give the state and school districts more power to shut down or punish drill teams, dance squads, cheerleaders or “any other performance group” that perform ribald acts.

Many members chortled, joked and jovially waved blue and white pompoms during the debate, but the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, said the legislation is no laughing matter.

“Girls can get out and do these overtly sexual performances and we applaud them. And that’s not right,” said Edwards, an ordained minister. “This is the beginning of an era to change some of what we’ve been seeing.”

Though Edwards is a Democrat, most in his party opposed the bill while most Republicans voted in favor.

Opponents said the bill has already made Texas a national laughingstock, can’t be enforced and gives the state a power that should be reserved exclusively for local school districts&ldots;

…State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said the bill was embarrassing and insulting, particularly as more pressing issues — like a major overhaul of the state’s school finance system — await consideration.

“We can’t legislate morality,” Thompson said. “I don’t know how this bill got to the floor. It’s stupid!”

The measure, which would still have to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law, would allow the Texas Education Agency to require that school districts review possibly lewd performances.

If the school district determined that the act was conducted in an “overtly sexually suggestive manner,” they would have to take unspecified “appropriate action” against the performers and the performers’ sponsor.

Will Harrell, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the legislation was too vague, petty and “patently unconstitutional.”

“This broad, morally restrictive legislation reminds me of the Taliban,” Harrell said, referring to the former hard-line regime in Afghanistan. “Why not go all the way? Why not require them all to wear a burka?”

Ft. Worth Star Telegram
Jay Root

Analysis:

I purposefully printed most of the article, as it speaks for itself. While I will not comment on the wisdom of the legislation itself, the present attitudes toward what is obviously lasciviousness is interesting:

• The view that we can’t legislate morality is obviously not so. Laws against murder, for example, do just that.

• We live in a society in which many think that any limitation of prurient activity is tantamount to fascism.

• The world recognizes that the routines and dress of cheerleaders are sexually suggestive. Why is it that so many Christian parents still allow their daughters to participate?

CATHOLIC cardinals have destroyed the late Pope John Paul II’s ring and seal in a symbolic end to his authority before secluding themselves from the world to elect his successor. The cardinals will begin their conclave this week, and the Vatican said smoke signals would pour from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel twice a day to tell the world whether or not a new pope had been elected.

Overnight, the cardinals watched an ancient ritual marking the transition between two popes – the destruction of John Paul’s Fisherman’s Ring and his lead seal, two symbols of his authority.

During John Paul’s 26-year pontificate and his many trips around the world, countless pilgrims kissed the gold signet ring.

At 4.30pm Monday (Rome time, 12.30am Tuesday AEST), the 115 cardinals under the age of 80 with the right to choose a new pope will file in solemn procession into the Sistine Chapel, with its Michelangelo frescoes, where voting takes place. They come from 52 nations.

The cardinals will hold up to four ballots a day – two in the morning and two in the afternoon – until they elect the 265th pontiff.

Smoke signals above the Sistine Chapel – black smoke for an indecisive vote or white for a new pope – are expected around noon (8pm AEST) and 7pm (3am AEST) each day.

by Philip Pullella and Claudia Parsons in Vatican City
April 17, 2005, www.news.com.au

Analysis:

A simple reading of this news report, which refers to the Pope’s “authority” and his “reign” show how very different the Catholic pattern is from the pattern revealed in God’s Word. Consider the following passages, contrasting the authority of Jesus with that of a bishop:

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth'” (Matthew 28:18).

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:2-4).

God never intended for any man to have the authority or to experience the adulation and worship that is experienced by any man who is appointed as Pope in the Catholic church. A new Pope will be elected within a few weeks, but his reign and authority will not be ordained by God.