Pennsylvania Family Institute – PFI Golf Classic
July 28, 2009 by Tom ShaheenFamily Newswatch
July 27, 2009 by Katrina CampbellWhat we’re reading:
YouTube Bans Student Group’s Video Showing Abuse at Planned Parenthood, Group Protests Politically Motivated Censorship Lila Rose, Christian NewsWire (21 July, 2009) -In Montgomery, Alabama, the “Live Action” lobbying group against Planned Parenthood caught Planned Parenthood failing to truly enforce the laws on video. “In the video, a Planned Parenthood staffer named ‘Tanisha’ tells Rose, posing as a 14-year-old impregnated by her 31-year-old ‘ boyfriend,’ that ‘whatever you tell us stays within these walls.’ “ Watch the video to see how the staffer promises to keep the illegal relationship between a 14-year-old and a 31-year-old secret.
The Embryo as Human Being: A Scientific Case by Robert P. George George, Condic, Lee; American Principles Project (20 July, 2009) -”Modern human embryology and developmental biology have shown that fertilization produces a new and distinct organism: a living individual of the human species in the embryonic stage of his or her development.” Some arguments have been made that the human embryo is “equivilant” to the somatic (normal) body cell. However this can easily be proved false by the distinctly different results that occur when a somatic cell is placed in the prepared uterus of a woman. Nothing happens. Yet in comparison, an amazing wonder occurs from the simple placement of a human embryo ( “a self developing (though immature) human organism”), a human being begins to grow.
Christian Nurse Forced to Assist in Late-Term Abortion Jennifer Riley, Christian Post (23 July, 2009) -In New York, a Catholic Nurse was forced to assist in an abortion under the threat of losing her job. “Requiring a devout, Catholic nurse to participate in a late-term abortion in order to remain employed is illegal, unethical, and violates her rights of conscience,” says a representative from the Alliance Defense Fund who will pursue this case to fight its injustice.
Pastor, Censored Before State House, to Pray Before State Senate Erin James, Evening Sun – On July 29, “The Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos will be praying to Jesus in front of Pennsylvania legislators after all. He previously declined to pray before the State House after he was told by Speaker McCall’s staff that he needed to remove a reference to Jesus.”
State Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Porn in State Prisons Mark Scolforo, CentreDaily (20 July, 2009) – A sex offender’s bid to overturn the state prison system’s pornography ban was ended by the state Supreme Court, which sided unanimously with the Department of Corrections.
City on the Hill Video Updates -This past week was Pennsylvania Family Institute’s 9th annual City on the Hill. High school students come from all over Pennsylvania to learn about the legislative process, the current issues in politics and how to be a “witness that will change the world.” At the end of the camp one student said, “I realized that I can’t just blend into the world, and it is a privilege to witness for God.” Another student said, “I think that this has been one of the most influential weeks in my life concerning politics and my faith.” Follow the above link to hear more thoughts from the students and to take a better look at City on the Hill’s daily agenda.
Family Newswatch
July 27, 2009 by Katrina CampbellWhat we’re reading:
Memory Forms at 30 Weeks in the Womb Forbes (15 July, 2009) -With a “vibroacoustic stimulator, which leads to combined stimulus of vibration and sound,” doctors observes the fetus’ change in response after the fetus becomes “habituated” to the stimuli. *Life is in the womb.
CNBC airs a “family special” entitled ‘Porn: Business of Pleasure’ Robert Peters, ChristianNewsWire (15 July, 2009) -According to promotional material on CNBC’s website, CNBC intended to take a “behind the scenes look inside the multi-billion dollar porn businesses.” -Peters points out that pronography industries and the general public seem to believe that there are no laws being broken with pronography. Continuing he says, it is this “ignorance of the law [that] may indeed explain why some seemingly reasonable people turn a blind eye to the problem of ‘adult pornography.’ The truth is, however, that criminal laws prohibiting distribution of obscene material have been on the books at the federal level since 1842 (and before that at the state level), and in the 1973 Miller v. California case the U.S. Supreme Court said: ‘This much has been categorically settled by the Court, that obscene material is unprotected by the First Amendment.’ Pornography and all that comes with it does not have to legal and can still be contested.
Sen. Casey Votes for Pro-Life Amendments, and Pro-Abortion Healthcare Bill Steven Erthelt, LifeNews (15 July, 2009)
Op-Ed- Gambling: A Loser for PA Natalie Rogol, PennLive (12 July, 2009) -”From the Commonwealth Foundation: Gambling’s first five years in Pennsylvania have been an embarrassment for residents and state officials, something lawmakers should consider before further expanding legalized gambling.”
Family Newswatch
July 16, 2009 by Katrina CampbellWhat we’re reading:
On Capitalwire: Children’s advocates urge lawmakers not to cut funding -“What would Jesus do? He’d raise your taxes, said Rev. Sharon Easterling, executive director of the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children.” Easterling, along with colleagues from Better Choices for Pennsylvania, gathered at the Capitol to voice their opinions this past Monday. Easterling’s eye is on education, clearly not seeing the heavy weight that our state’s debt must play in funding. Jesus does ask of his people – NOT THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT! – to give to others (or organizations), but he also says ‘not to spend more money than you have.’ The fact is Pennsylvania does not have the money to fund every education program and it would be foolish to spend non-existing money. In addition, it is even more foolish for the government to inflict taxes upon its people in order to repair its careless spending.
Follow Live Blogging of Sotomayor Hearing - Read to find out how she answers pressing questions on abortion, same-sex marriage, and more.
Feds Wants Pitt, PSU to Get Stimulus Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (16 July, 2009) -”The U.S. Department of Education has directed Gov. Ed Rendell to resubmit an application for federal economic stimulus money, this time counting the four state-related universities as public institutions of higher education.”
July 15, 2009 by Katrina Campbell
Senate Close to Silencing Religious Speech Nima Reza, CitizenLink (15 July, 2009) -”The “hate-crimes” bill, being considered as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill, would create a new class of crimes based on a victim’s “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” And, pastors who preach against homosexuality could end up prosecuted if they are found to have “induced” a hate-crime against a self-identified homosexual by preaching from the Bible.”
Essentially this bills states that anyone who feels opposed to homosexuality must remain silent or else they will be prosecuted. Is this even close to the beliefs our nation was founded upon…silencing the voices we disagree with? It is our right as humans and our liberty as Americans to voice our opinions. If this bill passes, what will be next? Is it now the government’s right to decide the motivation for an offender’s actions? No, without clear evidence, it never was and never should be.
Don’t Burden Our Grandchildren
July 9, 2009 by EmilyThursday’s Family Update with Michael Geer:
This week on Family Update, we’re looking at the huge and troubling growth in government debt, and warnings given by one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson.
Just last week, the news reported that in stimulus spending and bailouts, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or committed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year.
Thomas Jefferson called such borrowing, “Swindling futurity on a grand scale.” Let’s not let our political leaders burden out posterity – our children and grandchildren, with such debt.
Senator Leach’s Press Conference
July 8, 2009 by Katrina CampbellIn the capitol rotunda today, the first couple of steps behind Senator Leach’s podium held a variety of faces. The ones introduced were an older gay couple, a younger lesbian couple with their child, and a college girl whose mother became a lesbian thirteen years ago. There were brightly colored signs and rainbow flags that read similar sayings like “Stop the Hate” or “Legalize Marriage.” Cheers would echo in the rotunda of the capitol when the speaker’s voice rose, hinting that the next phrase will be important. Meanwhile cameramen were creating a semi-circle around the group, filming the words and faces in action as the people behind the podium demanded what they believe is “right.”
It’s human nature, we fight for what we believe to be right.
In the same way, we have a government to help guide people to do right and to practice good morals. So when same-sex couples are not legally recognized as married by the government, this is because the government is holding the people to a standard of marriage according to what is right. It is not hate. Homosexuals are not hated by those who want to protect marriage as between husband and wife.
Our “wants” can be a scary thing. If we had this magical “fair world,” meaning people should be able to do what they want, then this world would be chaotic. If people could always do what they wanted to do, then the system of government would not exist. If we continue to twist the government to believe that our wants should always be pleased, then by what foundation and truth will we be judging our state? If the homosexual “movement” is proposing that the foundation and truth we live by is our wants, then how does government protect anything?
Senator Leach said that there is “no rational argument” against same-sex marriage. But is it irrational to say that there is a right and a wrong? He claims that we are not being “competitive with other states,” when only four other states have just recently recognized same-sex marriage and two by activist court order!
Right now, the fight over whether homosexual couples should be able to marry or not is about Pennsylvanians (and all Americans) deciding what is right and what is wrong. This is not about discrimination or fairness. It is about the truth of life by which we will choose to govern and judge our actions. In the end, this fight will determine what our state believes is right.
Swindling Our Children
July 8, 2009 by EmilyWednesday’s Family Update with Michael Geer:
Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and our nation’s Third president, was very concerned about the Federal Government taking on debt. During the debate over the constitution, he consistently pressed for limits on the ability of the state to borrow. He made his perspective clear in many writings and speeches. Consider the wisdom in this one, for example,
“I sincerely believe… that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity under the name of funding is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
Indeed. We are swindling our children and grandchildren.
Pennsylvania: Enslaved to Debt
July 7, 2009 by EmilyTuesday’s Family Update with Michael Geer:
The book of Proverbs tells us that the Debtor is the Slave to the Lender. I think that applies to nations as well as individuals.
The huge debt that our Federal Government has acquired to nations like China has put us at peril, and to a great extent has muzzled our government’s willingness to call China out for human rights abuses.
Even here in Harrisburg, our state government has been digging a hole of debt, some of it hidden from
public view. State worker pension obligations are vast and will gobble up more and more of our budget in years to come. It’s time to say enough is enough.
Protecting Your Community Against Adult Businesses
July 6, 2009 by Katrina CampbellSometimes we may feel that businesses have authority over us. We are not always sure that we have the power to make a difference. However, this is not true. When it comes to sexually oriented businesses or adult businesses, community members do have a say. Community members can play a huge part in the zoning ordinance and/or licenses of sexually oriented businesses. If the business is not already “zoned in” or granted permission, members have the opportunity to direct the placement of the business. Although if it is already established, this does not mean the fight is over. As citizens we are able to place certain restrictions on these businesses, such as the hours of business or type of lighting within the club. Therefore it’s time to become pro-active and stand for the morals we believe in. Whether you have a sexually oriented business in your community or know of one in another community, educate yourself on the power you have in your local government and help to spread the word.
You can contact the Independence Law Center (affiliated with the Pennsylvania Family Institute) www.indlawcenter.org
Or read more here on the specifics of Protecting Your Community
