And they say Fox News doesn't tell it like it is...

 Brent Bozell, President
Media Research Center

     The three television broadcast networks completely ignored tens of thousands of Americans who participated in more than 160 coordinated noontime rallies in support of religious freedom across the United States this past Friday, according to a new Media Research Center analysis. The networks didn’t commit a single second of coverage on either their morning or evening broadcasts to the widespread dissent against the anti-religious freedom Health and Human Services mandate.
     By comparison, CBS News dedicated four separate on-air segments between May 30 and June 1 to the supporters of a group of left-leaning Catholic nuns. CBS correspondent Wyatt Andrews boasted that, "hundreds of Catholics have rallied behind the sisters," and that "protests in support of the nuns have been held in almost 50 cities,” a fraction of the size and scope of the rallies held in opposition to the Obamacare mandate created to restrict religious liberty.
This disgraceful decision by the networks to deliberately ignore this national demonstration in support of religious freedom comes only weeks after these same networks deliberately and shamefully ignored the largest legal action ever taken against the government by the Catholic Church in the history of this Republic. CBS committed only 19 seconds of a single nightly newscast to those lawsuits while NBC and ABC gave the story ZERO coverage. This is a pointed and deliberate message from the liberal media directed at the millions of Americans who believe in our constitutionally protected freedom of religion.
     Let there be no mistake. These so-called 'news' networks only cover stories that are helpful to Barack Obama and will not broadcast anything that hurts his chances of re-election this November. The networks have shown their hand, and they are not on the side of freedom.

The atheists are coming - scary Halloween!

  " Free speech is acceptable - even politically correct - for a governor advocating an "alternative lifestyle,"     but not for a public school teacher who expresses an opposing viewpoint." - Mat Staver, Liberty Council

And more...

"American Atheists sued officials of the Utah Highway Patrol and the Utah Transportation Department in 2005. The group claimed that the roadside memorials are a state establishment of religion even though the memorials are funded, owned, and maintained by a private organization, the Utah Highway Patrol Association." 

Justice is not well served when unhappy atheists can use the law to mow down memorial crosses and renew the suffering for the survivors."  

This atheist group is not even in Utah and the memorials involve 13 fallen highway patrolmen.  This was the chosen way to honor fallen heroes in our state.  The cross design is a universally accepted grave marker symbol.

Now, the supreme court has refused to hear the appeal.  Apparently the group who place the memorial markers are free to use some other kind of symbol without any Christian association, but not the cross design which is merely a white stick cross.  What happens if they replace this with a star or some other icon, only to have them decide it represents something they oppose?  Do we really want this vocal minority to continue to demand that we become a Godless nation?

What happened to majority decisions?  Why can't atheists live and let live?  If this was meaningful to Utah Highway Patrol members and families, shouldn't this be their right?  Why do the courts get to decide everything in this "Republic" nation?  Most importantly, what is happening to this nation?  And what happened to states' rights - we are supposed to be sovereign - the UNITED STATES of America.  Not America ruled by atheists who aim to dictate how this country operates.  It's time for some serious revolt by the moral majority. Freedom of religion is not freedom FROM religion (or laws forbidding anything that might in any way be associated with some possible religious meaning or inference.

Next thing we know, they will try to ban crosses as markers in public cemeteries.  Of course we all know how these headstones and memorials are serving to convert the world to Christianity.... get real!  Actually, it's scary because this is real.  It's also very similar to Nazi Germany ploys, at least in the early days.  Maybe the next step will be atheists insisting Christians wear a yellow cross on their sleeves to identify them.  In China and other countries of dictatorship, people cannot even assemble in groups and many have banned religion throughout history.  Our country was founded on religious freedom.  How can we let atheists take over America?

I want to know what the candidates running for president will do to help us take back America's ideals and origins.  If we continue on this slippery slope, it doesn't matter who we elect in the future - we will be doomed since it's a steady decline in morality.  We display all the signs of fallen empires throughout history.  Every civilization in the past has taken this course prior to its downfall.  It's not just accepting wrong as identified in the Bible and every other religious text, it's about embracing and glorifying it.

We can't just accept homosexuals, we need to parade them, give them special privilege, special protection when they are victims of crime (the same crimes committed on other people) and provide hot-lines to "questioning youth" to help them to accept that they are gay (even if they aren't and just have "questions").  And, to disagree with homosexuality as a normal and natural way of life, we aren't just expressing our own opinion (according to our own rights of free speech), we are "bullies," "racists" or "bigots".  We can't just accept pornography as degrading and the use of women as sexual objects in every form of media, we need to flaunt it to the youth and sexualize young girls in the name of the almighty dollar.  We decry sexual slavery in undeveloped nations but it's going on right here in the good ol' USA.

And, the kids can sing Halloween songs at school but they can't sing Christmas songs or even mention the name.  We only have "winter" programs now.  Wait until the atheists figure out that Halloween originated as a religious event - that will also be banned.
This is the scariest Halloween I've seen in a long time.

Egypt is Free!

I have a friend and colleague who is Egyptian.  He is one of the young, well-educated men involved in the freedom fight.  I worried about his welfare in the midst of the unrest and when they finally had success I wrote and inquired.  He responded with a very heartfelt and sincere, brief message:

"Thank you so much Debbie. It has been a difficult period but we are now free!!!
It is such a wonderful time for us. :))"

We do take for granted the freedom and good life we have here.  I'm sorry for those times I whine.  Perspective. Freedom comes at great cost and I'm so glad they were successful so quickly and pray that the new regime will truly be better for the middle east.  Mormon Times writer had some thoughts on it.  Read here.

Religious Freedom

Ridiculous "no holiday" rules

To brighten the short, dark days at work, our program planned a cubie holiday decorating contest. Well, the day of the award, we received an email stating that the contest was canceled because there were people who complained saying that they "don't celebrate holidays." We had already watered it down by not allowing anything "Christmas" or with any religious significance. Our program used the theme, "Winter Wonderland" and we had snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and a snow scene with lights down the aisle/hallway. Snowmen??? And another program used a "gingerbread man" theme. This is objectional? Nobody was required to participate.

I have known people who don't celebrate holidays but somehow they still manage to live amongst us and just refrain from participation. I work for State government and they are so scared by the vocal minority of atheists that they are accepting this violation of our rights. The Constitution protects our rights to worship without interference or control by the government but now it seems the government is dictating "no religion" as the "state religion. It's just plain wrong. The ACLU is destroying our freedoms.

Don't forget to vote!

Click the flag pic to be taken to vote.utah.gov for local polling info (blue box on the right - Find my polling place) and issues related to the election. AARP is another good resource. Their site will also tell you by your address what is on your ballot.

Don't forget to take ID (D.L., passport, etc.)

Along those lines, big tax changes are coming in 2011 as many rules are set to expire. A few to be aware of:

	Prepare for tax hikes. Based on current laws, many tax rates will go up in 2011 (although that could change, depending on what the new Congress does). Still, experts say you may want to plan ahead for the higher rates by accelerating income now, and postponing deductions until 2011, depending on your situation. More info here.
	Pay those estimated taxes. A provision that allowed self-employed folks to fudge a little on their estimated payments during the tax year without incurring a penalty has expired. If you've been skimping on your quarterlies, square everything away by the Jan. 15 installment so that 100% of your bill is paid. Here are some other tax changes affecting the self-employed.
	Budget for kid-related expenses. The child and dependent care tax credit will drop in 2011—from $3,000 in day care expenses for one child, $6,000 for two (up to 35% of costs), down to $2,400 and $4,800 respectively, with a 30% cap. Also, the child tax credit is being cut from $1,000 to $500.

A little worrisome for me. As a state employee I haven't had a raise in about three years, our health insurance benefits have decreased and costs increased with more of that predicted. So, our paychecks are shrinking but cost of living certainly is not. We are also losing some of our flex dollar options and they are capping it at a lower annual amount so you can't really depend on tax savings there either. This is part of what is paying for healthcare reform. And, the "tax credits" there are another joke. First, we lose other tax credits so we can be credited for buying our own health insurance, then we can pay for the insurance up front, wait for the next tax filing to apply for the credit, then wait for the tax refund (if there's any left after the raised taxes). That rebate will likely never be seen. Or if it is, it may be like the housing rebate. Jenn and Fred bought theirs last year, applied for the $8,000 tax credit in April and have yet to see the cash. Red-tape seems to have held it up somewhere along the line. Why doe this not surprise me?

We need to unite!

Freebie of the Day

Click the post title to receive a free pocket copy of the Declaration of Independence.

SL Tribune & Heritage Foundation Discussion

The Tribune reported on both sides of the issues following Elder Oaks' comments about religious freedom. It is worth reading to see particularly where some of our rights have already been harmed. For those that believe churches will not be affected by same-sex marriage, I suggest you read the whole article. And for those readers who do not trust the Deseret News may feel it is more objective - the Trib tends to be a very liberal news source. (Don't kid yourself - media is biased and "yellow journalism" is no longer the concern it once was.) These online articles tend to only be available on line for a time, then you would need to search in the archives but click on this post title or here to read the article. It was on the list of most popular articles. It is very sad to me that freedom of speech apparently only applies to certain sides of an argument. And now people should be able to see the reasons for our fears. We are losing freedoms right and left. There is a lot to read here, but it's worth it to go to the sites directly.

Some cited situations:

» The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, owned by a Methodist church in New Jersey, rented out its beachside pavilion to various groups. The church declined to allow a lesbian couple to use the pavilion for their civil-union ceremony. Local authorities stripped the association of its exemption from property taxes and billed it $20,000.

» The Salvation Army lost $3.5 million in social-service contracts with San Francisco because it refused, on religious grounds, to provide benefits to same-sex partners of its employees.

» Catholic Charities of Maine was forced to either extend employee benefits to registered same-sex couples or lose eligibility to all city housing and development funds.

» A pair of Christians who co-own Elaine Photography in New Mexico refused to take photos for a lesbian commitment ceremony. The lesbian couple filed a complaint with New Mexico's Human Rights Commission, which found the photographers guilty of discrimination and levied a $6,000 fine. To head off looming lawsuits, religious-liberty experts suggest writing religious exemptions for individuals and religiously connected businesses into same-sex-marriage laws.

Perhaps the most emotion-packed issue is what to teach children. A Massachusetts case became a rallying cry for Prop 8 proponents and is being used again in the publicity surrounding Maine's ballot measure. Robb and Robin Wirthlin, an LDS couple in Lexington, Mass., were horrified to learn that their son's second-grade teacher read aloud a fairy tale, called King and King, about a prince who falls in love with and marries another prince. When the Wirthlins objected, they were told the school had no obligation to give them notice so their son could opt out.

Such situations are likely to multiply as same-sex-marriage laws are passed. "Children are likely to encounter textbooks and other educational materials in which same-sex marriages are portrayed as a normal and unexceptional part of society," says Fred Gedicks, who teaches law at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University.

"That will make it more difficult for those who oppose same-sex marriages to teach their children conservative values, especially in school districts that are not sensitive to parental rights by allowing them to opt out of certain activities or parts of the curriculum."

Read here about the Price of Proposition 8 by Thomas M Messner, a Visiting Fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.at the Heritage Foundation. It's a long article but for those who want more than the liberal headlines, it's worth reading.

Abstract: Supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry. Arguments for same-sex marriage are based fundamentally on the idea that limiting marriage to the union of husband and wife is a form of bigotry, irrational prejudice, and even hatred against homosexual persons. As this ideology seeps into the culture more generally, individuals and institutions that support marriage as the union of husband and wife risk paying a price for that belief in many legal, social, economic, and cultural contexts.

"Because of the California donor disclosure law, some Prop 8 supporters have become targets without ever placing a sign in their yard, putting a sticker on their car, or appearing at a public rally. These more public forms of support for Prop 8 certainly generated plenty of animosity, as documented below. However, many individuals became targets for harassment, intimidation, and reprisals simply for donating $100 or more in support of Prop 8....

When people stand firmly by their beliefs about marriage as the union of husband and wife despite facing social stigmatization, economic hardship, and other reprisals, they provide an important example of civic courage and inspire particular vir­tues that are essential to the proper functioning of any free and open society. The freedom of parties on both sides of the marriage debate to voice their views and to promote them in public policy should be respected."

Read here about what's happening in Maine. I'll add one quote from the article:

"If Proposition 1 fails and the new law goes into effect, the following text (and more just like it) will be deleted from Maine’s code of laws: “The union of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage is of inestimable value to society,” and the State of Maine “has a compelling interest to nurture and promote [this] unique institution . . . in the support of harmonious families and the physical and mental health of children.” This language was put into Maine’s code of laws just a dozen years ago.

If the people of Maine no longer believe the statement just quoted, then by all means they should eliminate it. Is it possible, though, that Mainers don’t believe that man-woman marriage is of “inestimable value” to society, and to children in particular?

Freedom

I checked this with Snopes - thanks, Sheila for sharing this inspirational story.

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii, meaning 'Ode To America ') in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei 'The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'.

~An Ode to America ~


Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs.

On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about.

Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.


After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth can unites the Americans in such way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion... Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu

(This deserves to be passed around the Internet forever.) It took a person on the outside - looking in - to see what we take for granted !

GOD BLESS AMERIC A !!!

First Amendment

What it REALLY says...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

This does not say a governmental body cannot use the word, Jesus, in a prayer. In fact, as I read it, the Constitution specifically bans them from doing so (freedom of speech and prohibiting the free exercise thereof).

Read the story by clicking the post title. Here's an excerpt:

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- State House officials say they have been inundated with protests about a policy that barred a clergyman from using the word "Jesus" in a prayer that was to open one of the lawmakers' daily sessions.

The Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos, of the Freedom Valley Worship Center in Gettysburg, had planned to end his recent prayer with "In Jesus' name, Amen." Under the policy then in effect, he was asked by House Speaker Keith McCall's office to submit the planned prayer in writing and to make sure it was nondenominational.

"They said my prayer was rejected because it contained an offensive word. Just once, in closing, I mentioned Jesus," he said. "I thought they were kidding. I had carefully crafted the prayer not to be offensive in any way."

Now if that isn't prohibiting the free exercise or the freedom of speech, what is it? This is why we are worried about the liberal agenda. The freedom they want tramples the freedom of others. That was not the intent of our country's founders.

Hmmm, I think this means I can talk about religion too! Nobody can stop me.