A federal lawsuit filed Monday claims Roman Catholic bishops are wrongly imposing their religious beliefs on victims of human trafficking by prohibiting grant money to be used for emergency contraception, condoms and abortion care.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the complaint in federal court in Boston against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The suit claims the agency, which distributes money to help trafficking victims, has allowed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to limit the services its subcontractors provide. The ACLU claims the bishops' conference is misusing taxpayer money and attempting to impose its religious beliefs on trafficking victims.

 

(What a shock the Catholic church doesn't want people to use condoms or have abortions. This is a reason faith based groups need to be careful anytime they take money from Uncle Sam. My question is what is the ACLU doing to help the victims of human trafficking . The ACLU has never backed  a faith based group including those who are trying to help those who have needs. Read more of this story ACLU says Catholic bishops are misusing grant money. - )

 

 Around the globe, Jews are being assaulted and are the subject of protests.   There have been arson attacks against Jewish congregations in England, France, and Sweden.

In 2005, thousands of Jews were pulled out of their homes and communities in Gaza. 

(I am tired of reading and hearing how Israel and the Jews are the bad guys over in the Middle-East. Some have even compared Israel to  Nazi Germany and the Third Reich. That in itself is an outrage. To read more of the above  radio commentary see  the whole  Transcript  or listen to the audio Truth About Gaza . Lets stand behind the nation of Israel.)

   

(I have never before printed part of somebody's death notice. I never knew this kid but he sounds like he was a very cool young person.)

Isaac Hall didn't know that cancer is supposed to make you miserable.

The 8-year-old relished tractor rides, playing in the mud, messy crafts and practical jokes despite having leukemia.

He chose to see the positive side of everything, said his father, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Travis Hall of Bellevue. Instead of focusing on the spinal tap procedures he had to endure, Isaac looked forward to the Mountain Dew Code Red drinks he got afterwards, Hall said.

Last year, when a second-grade teacher assigned him to write about a bad day in his life, Isaac thought for a while, then approached the teacher. "I haven't had a bad day," he said.

"That was two and a half years into treatment" for the leukemia, his father said.

(When we have a bad day lets try our best to follow the attitude this little boy had and lets keep his family - friends in our prayers.)

The California Supreme Court (yes, the same court  that  dismissed the will of the people in Proposition 8 and forced same sex marriages on the state's citizens) ruled unanimously yesterday that, although each church held a deed to their land in their own names, three parishes that left the Episcopal Church over its policy of ordaining homosexual ministers must forfeit their property to the Episcopal Church.
OK it might have cost these churches their land still they did right. This reminds me of  Gal.1:10; which reads Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. I would rather lose everything and have God pleased with me than please men. Good for these churches.  Still it would have been better if  this court had stayed out of this issue.

  A parent is suing the Huntington County Community School in Indiana . in federal court, saying religious education classes held on school property violate the establishment clause of the Constitution.

Here is part of a letter which was in my local newspaper.

 

  I feel sorry for Donald (Dec. 24 Pulse) and his belief that Christmas is a false spiritual holi­day. He feels that the human race can­not advance unless we cease this un­necessary tradition.   I hope Christmas will always be here for my son and me to enjoy. I couldn’t imagine facing the cold of winter without the thought of my son waiting with eager anticipation for the magic of finding his presents un­der the Christmas tree.

 For more information and my views to do with the above two items watch a video I just posted last night,  Christmas All Year Aroud and Lawsuit against Government schools .

  (Below is part of a post  from Michael Medved along with a link to it.  His points at least in my humble view were great and right on. Do go to his blog and read the whole posting. )

WOULD ADVOCATES FOR GAY MARRIAGE REALLY ACCEPT RELIGIOUS DISSENT?

Posted by: Michael Medved at 1:05 AM

 

Advocates for same sex marriage regularly insist that they would never interfere with free exercise of religion and will do nothing to force unwilling churches to perform gay weddings. This position counts as hypocritical and misleading, and the current controversy over Pastor Rick Warren’s role in the Obama inauguration reveals the underlying intolerance in the gay agenda. Rick Warren give the lie to leftist claims that they’re ready to respect differences of opinion on this issue.

  A parent is suing the Huntington County Community School Corp. in federal court, saying religious education classes held on school property violate the establishment clause of the Constitution.    ( read more at    WHAS11.com  )

A complaint filed by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union in Indiana on behalf of an unnamed woman and her 8-year-old son asks a federal judge to shut down the program and bar the school district from providing it with utilities or any other support.

The boy, identified only as "J.S.," attends Horace Mann Elementary School, which offers third- and fourth-grade students a "release time" program for "By the Book Weekday Religious Instruction" through the Associated Churches of Huntington, the complaint filed Wednesday states.

 

Huntington's program is voluntary. Classes meet once a week in mobile trailers near school buildings, and children who don't participate remain in their classrooms with school staff, according to a brochure for the program filed with the lawsuit.

On Sept. 11, one week before the program began, J.S. was taken from his classroom to one of the temporary classrooms and given a pamphlet regarding parental consent. His mother, identified only as "H.S.," did not give consent.

 

The suit alleges the school district violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by allowing religious instruction to occur on school property during instructional time, by allowing the use of school utilities by a religious organization conducting religious instruction, and by supervising and promoting the "By the Book" program.

 

(OK so those on the left have no problem with children being taught  sex before marriage is ok, or a school leader taking my child for an abortion both things which  go against my values and faith. But those on the left get an outrage about children being taught about God. Now it is one thing for a parent to say their child can't be taught about God but this mother is trying to keep other children including those who have parents who have given the ok if their child to learn about God. Could things like this be the reason why so many parents are removing their children from the government schools.)

 

Back to the "same old, same old."

With those simple words, 15-year-old Thomas Auen summed up the beautiful normalcy that fills his home at Christmastime this year.
Small signs betray the ordeal Thomas and his family have endured over the past six months - a gift bag overflowing with cards from well-wishers, a handicap-accessible ramp at the front door, a slight limp when Thomas walks forward to greet a visitor.

But if a specter of the tornado that ravaged the Little Sioux Scout Ranch clouds Thomas' life, it isn't apparent in his wide smile or his sparkling blue eyes.
Six months ago, that storm changed some lives and ended others. Four boys died and 42 were injured when a tornado hit the Boy Scout camp in Monona County, Iowa.
Since then, Thomas has undergone 10 surgeries, months of physical therapy and months in a wheelchair, working toward a new version of normal.

For most kids, normal isn't being greeted by President Bush. It's not having a new trachea constructed out of cartilage from your rib. It's not having football players carry you up the stairs in your wheelchair on your first day of high school.

 

(Read the whole story from above Despite ordeal, Scout Ranch survivor says he 'got off easy'.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! LET’S HOPE THIS ONE WILL BE BETTER THAN 2008. THAT DEPENDS IN WHAT AND IN WHOM IS YOUR SOURCE OF HOPE.

  IS YOUR HOPE IN A POLITICAL PARTY OR PRESIDENT?

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD. HE NEVER DISAPPOINTS. ONLY HE CAN FIX WHAT IS WRONG WITH US, WHICH ISN’T THE WRONG POLITICS, BUT THE WRONG GOD.

(The above is from the radio commentary Cal Thomas did. Cal is right if we put our hope in any human regardless of  what political party they belong to they will come up short of we need and what our nation needs. Read the rest of  what Cal wrote  right here  or listen to the audio.)

 

No matter what your politics is or what your faith is or even if you have no faith in God I want wish you the best in 2009. I hope and pray God will use 2009 to bless you many ways.
Thanks for reading my blog postings last year and I hope  I will be given the honor by you logging on to this blog many times in the New Year.