To: National Desk

Contact: Kathryn Hooks, American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, 662-844-5036 X227

TUPELO, Miss., Nov. 4 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Yesterday, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that an individual who is not a parent, but who has had a relationship with a child's biological or adoptive parent, can claim the same legal rights to a child as the parent.

The case involved two women who had cohabitated for twelve years. In 1994, the two women, Sue Ellen Carvin and Page Britain, decided they wanted a child. A male friend, John Auseth, had sexual relations with Britain, and she become pregnant. A child was born in 1995, and Britain and Carvin raised the child for the next six years. Their relationship ended in 2001. Britain then married Auseth, and in 2002, she sought to terminate all of Carvin's contact with the child.

With only one dissent, the court held that Washington's "common law recognizes the status of de facto parents and places them in parity with biological and adoptive parents." If Carvin is able to establish standing as a de facto parent, said the court, then just like Britain, she "would have a fundamental liberty interest in the care, custody and control" of the child.

Dissenting Justice Johnson wrote, "The majority purports to dispose of the constitutional issue raised . . . by waving a magic wand and creating 'de facto' parents."

Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, called the majority's decision "an unambiguous case of social engineering."

"Washington law sets forth in the clearest terms when a parent-child relationship exists, and the majority simply elected to disregard the law," Fahling said. "Relying upon 'advancing technologies and evolving notions of what comprises a family unit,' the court imposed on the people of Washington their own definition of what constitutes a family.

"This decision is judicial activism in the extreme; it is evidence, not that we are on a slippery slope, but that we are already at the bottom of that slope," Fahling added.

The Center is the legal arm of the American Family Association, Inc. located in Tupelo, Mississippi. The Center restricts its practice to First Amendment issues.

CINCINNATI, Oct. 25 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families urges citizens to inform their communities about the issue of pornography during Pornography Awareness Week, which runs Oct. 30 through Nov. 6.

Following are ways citizens can mark Pornography Awareness Week:

-- Write your mayor and governor urging them to publicly declare Pornography Awareness Week.

-- Host a breakfast or luncheon where public officials would issue a proclamation.

-- Write your U.S. Attorney General and urge him or her to enforce federal obscenity laws that govern the mailing, interstate transportation, importing, broadcasting, cable casting, telephone transmission and computer transmission of obscenity.

-- Plan a series of events – like a rally, training session or public assembly – during the week to draw attention to the issue.

-- Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper explaining the harmful effects of pornography and mentioning the White Ribbon Campaign, which features citizens wearing and displaying white ribbons to heighten awareness of the cultural problem of pornography.

-- Write President Bush to tell him about Pornography Awareness Week.

-- Commend in writing or in person the proprietors of stores that do not carry pornography.

-- Publicly recognize people who work with sex abuse survivors – like rape crisis counselors. Initiate an appreciation meal in their honor.

-- Contact your local media outlets to let them know how you are observing Pornography Awareness Week.

The National Coalition provides written materials and resources, as well as consultation for citizens who want to get involved in their communities. For more information, call the National Coalition at 513-521-6227.

ROCKFORD, Illinois, Oct. 13 /Christian Wire Service -- In September, for the first time, the House of Representatives voted to add "sexual orientation" to federal hate-crimes law. A companion bill is pending in the Senate, which has passed similar legislation before. Observers believe this measure soon will be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, paving the way for a Senate vote shortly thereafter.

Carlson noted that in both Canada and Sweden similar laws have been used to punish expression. In Sweden, in 2004, Pentecostal Pastor Ake Green was sent to prison for a month for a 2003 sermon in which he described homosexual acts as "abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society." The Christian Democratic government of Slovakia formally protested Green's imprisonment.

In the Canadian province of Alberta, Rev. Stephen Boissoin is being threatened with thousands of dollars in fines by the province's Human Rights Tribunal, for writing a letter to the editor decrying public school indoctrination in favor of the gay lifestyle.

Said Carlson: "While it's presented to the public as a way to stop physical attacks on gays, adding so-called sexual orientation to existing hate-crimes law could be used to crush dissent. After all, gay activists have told us repeatedly that objections to homosexuality spawn anti-gay violence. It then becomes a short step from adding an extra punishment for physical acts to penalizing controversial views."

In the past, hate-crimes laws have been based on race, religion, ethnicity or sex – mostly immutable characteristics. If homosexuals are added to federal law here, for the first time a protected class would be designated solely on the basis of sexual behavior."

Said Carlson, "Homosexuality isn't biologically determined. The much-touted search for a 'gay gene' of several years back has elicited no scientific evidence. While everyone's rights should be protected, and physical attacks on individuals should always be punished, the purpose of adding gays to hate-crimes laws is to suppress dissent and legitimize conduct which all of the world's great religions view as immoral."

Carlson added that civil-rights laws for gays will promote curricula which seek to indoctrinate children in the view that all forms of sexual expression are equally valid. "But the future of society and civilization is based exclusively on one relationship – the monogamous relationship of a man and a woman, sanctified by law and tradition," Carlson declared. "For Congress to pass such legislation is a move fraught with danger – for families and society."

Dr. Carlson is founder and convener of the World Congress of Families (WCF). At WCF III in Mexico City, in 2004, more than 3,300 delegates from around the world adopted The Mexico City Declaration, an international declaration of principles affirming the natural family as the fundamental unit of society.

To date, World Congresses of Families have been held in Prague (1997), Geneva (1999) and in Mexico City last year. World Congress of Families IV is planned for Warsaw in 2007. For more information visit www.worldcongress.org.

The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society is an independent, non-profit research and education center that strives to be the leading source of fresh ideas and new strategies for affirmation and defense of the natural family, both nationally and globally. The Howard Center is also the founder and organizer of the World Congress of Families project which unites people of goodwill who recognize that the family is the fundamental unit of society and coordinates the efforts of pro-family groups from more the 60 countries worldwide.

www.profam.org and www.worldcongress.org

To: National Desk

Contact: Dane Rose of the National Clergy Council, 202-546-8329 ext. 106, off hours at 703-447-1072; Rev. Rob Schenck, 703-447-7686 cell

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The National Clergy Council and Faith and Action, two Washington, DC based organizations, will soon launch a campaign to expose the actions of the ACLU in a case involving the display of the Ten Commandments outside public schools in rural Adams County, Ohio.

After a seven-year legal battle, the ACLU succeeded in having the Ten Commandments displays forcibly removed, then sued this tiny, struggling school district for reimbursement of expenses. The court honored a settlement of $80,000.

The Reverend Rob Schenck (pronounced SHANK) of the National Clergy Council released this statement today:

"Adams County is one of the poorest areas in Ohio with over 17% living in poverty, a nearly 8% unemployment rate and an adjusted per capita income of only $17,000. The ACLU takes in over $100 million each year and sits on top of nearly $180 million in income generating investments, meaning a low of $9 million in return. It is outrageous and obscene for a multi-million dollar corporation to pick the pockets of school children to add to their pot of gold."

The combined campaign called "Operation Expose" will recruit tens of thousands of petitions from concerned citizens making three demands:

1) That the ACLU withdraw its claim on the kids of Adams County, OH.

2) That the federal courts cease acting as collection agents for the ACLU.

3) That concerned citizens act to stop abusive practices that enrich groups like the ACLU.

Reverend Schenck will personally deliver the collected petitions to ACLU headquarters and to the federal courts. He will also hold a public news conference in front of ACLU headquarters at the time of delivery.

Rev. Schenck is available for comment at 202-546-8329, extension 106, or, off hours at 703-447-1072 and 703-447-7686.

FRONT ROYAL, Va., Sept. 20 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Instead of praising the Bush Administration for its continued refusal to fund the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), feminist and family planning organizations are denouncing last week's decision. By promoting family planning in mainland China and working with the Chinese government's population control apparatus, UNFPA effectively supports and subsidizes China's coercive population control program. Anyone who believes UNFPA's claim that its participation has moderated China's brutal policies need only read the article "Enemies of the State?" in the Sep. 19, 2005 edition of Time, which details "what appears to be one of the most brutal mass sterilization and abortion campaigns in years." Officials in Linyi, Shandong Province began a campaign in March of this year that included forced abortions and sterilizations of Chinese women so that local officials could meet their birth limitation goals.

Communist China's massive, systematic, and official restriction of women's reproductive freedom has drawn little interest from feminist and family planning groups and officials, some of whom have even praised the coercive program. In China, women are typically allowed to have only one or two children, depending on certain circumstances, before facing severe penalties. The rights of women, and those of their husbands, in this nation of 1.3 billion people are unimportant to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), and Population Action International (PAI), who are among the organizations denouncing the administration's decision. Now, $25 million of the $34 million in funding Congress appropriated for UNFPA will be redirected by the Bush Administration to children's health programs due to UNFPA's support for China's coercive system, and the rest will not be spent. A provision of law called Kemp-Kasten authorizes the administration to withhold funding from groups that support coercive population control programs.

"UNFPA is guilty of shamelessly supporting and whitewashing terrible crimes against humanity, and the United States will have no part in subsidizing them. . .," said Rep. Chris Smith (R.-N.J.) in response to the decision. "If only UNFPA would lobby the Chinese government to prohibit forced abortion as aggressively as they lobby the United States to overturn the law against coercion, there would be less suffering in China right now. The international community should be appalled that UNFPA spends more time and energy demonizing the U.S. for providing funding to other organizations than it does in criticizing the murderous Chinese population control program."

"For the fourth year in a row, the Bush Administration made the right decision in withholding money from the UNFPA," said Joseph A. D'Agostino, Vice President for Communications at PRI. "China's inhumane population control policies have been ongoing for 25 years, as we among others have documented, and the government officially plans to continue them 'for a long time.' By supporting China's population control program, UNFPA, Planned Parenthood, and other such organizations prove they do not value what they call a woman's right to choose. They support only the right to abortion and birth control, and care nothing for Chinese women who wish to give life by bearing children."

Prodigal Ministries...

... is a multifaceted, non denominational ministry designed to minister purity and wholeness to the sexually broken with particular emphasis to the homosexually broken. Men and women today face life and death choices regarding their sexuality. The majority of them do not know Jesus, or, if they do, have no idea as to how He enables them to walk free of immorality. We seek to avail ourselves to all the opportunities Jesus gives us to share how He is the source of sexual purity and wholeness

Prodigal Ministries aligns itself with the scientific evidence of today that finds no inborn cause for homosexuality, and with the Biblical evidence that states "with God all things are possible" We are eager to assist God's people on this issue to bring about salvation, healing, and restoration in the light of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are here to restore the whole individual to Christ in the spirit of gentleness, humility and love.

Homosexuality is not the worst sin

It is listed in 1 Corinthians 6 as one of many sins that would keep one out of the kingdom. The passage goes on to say, "that is what some of you were, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." There is hope for the homosexual who wants to change.

No one is born that way.

Homosexual behavior is an attempt to fulfill normal, legitimate needs for love, acceptance and identity through sexual intimacy with someone of the same sex. The deepest root of homosexuality is a break in relational bonds, which produces a lack of a sense of belonging, lack affirmation and gender inferiority.

Homosexuality is not acceptable to God.

Prodigal Ministries believes that although mankind has fallen short of God's original intentions, men and women still bear God's original design. When that design becomes distorted by the effects of sin, problems such as homosexuality result. All creation is heterosexual by Divine design and the gender groups were created to compliment and complete each other for the purpose of reflecting the nature, character and image of God.

"...at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, ‘for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’, so they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Genesis 1:27, Matthew, 19:4-6

Freedom from Homosexuality is Possible Because...

Loneliness can be replaced with the incomparable presence of God and real Christian friends.

Emotional hurts can be healed by His love which fulfills where human love fails.

Fear can be dispelled by confidence and trust in Him who chose us and loves us.

Confusion can be cleared away by the pure light of God's truth in the Bible.

Sin can be forgiven. The bondage of anger, rebellion, envy and lust can be broken by the mercy and power of God.

Homosexuality is a result of a combination of factors. A fallen world imposes wounds, fears, alienation and identity confusion; people react with sinful choices in attempts to compensate and console themselves.

Wounds call for compassion and healing. Sin calls for repentance and forgiveness. Confusion calls for teaching. Compulsion calls for deliverance.

We Believe...

• In one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• That Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died a voluntary atoning death on the cross, rose bodily from the grave and ascended into Heaven where He intercedes for as with the Father.

• That Jesus 'death was a full, sufficient sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and that all who receive Him as Savior are freed from the penalty of sin.

• That the Bible is God's inspired, infallible, authoritative word.

• The indwelling of the Holy Spirit teaches and enables believers to live a life pleasing to God.

• In the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, regardless of denominational beliefs.

Prodigal Ministries was founded in 1986 by three men who came from various aspects of homosexual brokenness. Prodigal Ministries is a referral of Exodus International, a network of ministries to the sexually broken in the United States and abroad.

Facts of Prodigal Ministries

• witness of our changed and changing lives

• weekly meetings of praise, prayer and support

• one-to-one mentoring

• telephone help line

• consultation with friends and family

• speaking teams for churches and interested groups

• educational seminars on ad aspects of ministry to people coming out of homosexuality

• cassettes, books and other resource materials

• C.A.N. (Christian AIDS Network)

Prodigal Ministries
P.O. Box 19949
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219-0949
513/ 861-0011

E-mail Prodigal Ministries
http://logos.goodnews.net/~prodigal/index.html

The following text is of a sermon delivered by Bishop T.D. Jakes at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance service:

Washington National Cathedral; September 16

BALTIMORE, Sept. 16 /Christian Wire Service/ -- As families across America accept hurricane evacuees from the Gulf region into their homes, there is a need for informative guidance to host families and their support structure. Drawing on decades of experience in resettling refugees into cities across the United States, World Relief has designed a publication titled "Open Doors: A Guide to Hosting Displaced Americans/Evacuees for Churches, Families and Individuals".
 
"We quickly realized that churches needed a practical tool to help the evacuees begin rebuilding their lives," explains Ruth Billings, World Relief's deputy director of Refugee and Immigration Programs.
 
The Open Doors model is designed to divide the and Immigration Programs.
 
The Open Doors model is designed to divide the work between several volunteer teams, coordinated by a team leader. The host family should have a team supporting them so they do not become burned-out or feel isolated as time goes on. The goal of this ministry should be to meet the initial needs of the displaced family without creating dependence. Helping evacuees find employment and a home of their own are important steps in providing healing and restoration from this trauma.
 
The Open Doors guide is available for free download and can be found on the Hurricane Response Center section of www.worldrelief.org. 
 
In the United States and 24 countries around the world, World Relief has worked with local churches to create sustainable solutions that help the desperately poor. World Relief's programs include disaster relief, refugee assistance, AIDS ministries, community health, agricultural development and community banking.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Today, two groups known for advocating teen sexual activity filed a baseless challenge to abstinence education, states the Abstinence Clearinghouse, the world's leading proponent of abstinence education. The challenging organizations, Advocates for Youth and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), contend that abstinence education is medically inaccurate. Their specious claims are based on a discredited report released last year by California liberal, Representative Henry Waxman (D-30).

"Abstinence education programs are among the most heavily referenced and thoroughly monitored in the United States education system," said Leslee Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse. "These false allegations show promiscuity promoters are up against the ropes. They have to hide the truth of their own programs by attacking healthy, responsible abstinence education."

A review of the sex education curricula promoted on the SIECUS website revealed very questionable content. For example, "Becoming A Responsible Teen", a program for adolescents as young as fourteen years states, "Some 'grocery store' lubricants are safe to use if they do not contain oil: grape jelly, maple syrup, and honey." "Reducing the Risk" advises teens, "You do not need a parent's permission to get birth control at a clinic." "Be Proud, Be Responsible", a curriculum for thirteen year olds advises students in class to "Think up a sexual fantasy using condoms." The curriculum also advises the teens (who may be underage in many states) to "Plan a special day (with their sexual partner) when you can experiment. Just talking about how you'll use all of those condoms can be a turn on."

"If these groups want to investigate dangerous and misleading information given to kids, they should start with their own recommended curricula," said Libby Gray Macke, director of Project Reality, a national abstinence education program.

Unruh concluded, "The contraceptive sex educators had a thirty-year, multi-billion dollar monopoly in schools that led teens into disease, dysfunction, and dissatisfaction. It is the increase in abstinence that has led to the record low teen birth and pregnancy rates. Abstinence is healing the emotional hurts brought on by unmarried sex. SIECUS and Advocates for Youth have never understood that and they never will."

Hello, friends! I finally have a webjournal! Praise Jesus!

I don't have much to sya this time. I spend so much time learning how to set this up and now I have to go. I think I will change the colors and such, I doin't really like this theme, but that will be later.

God bless you all and keep me in your prayers. Leave a tag and I will pray for you as well.