Christian Action Commission

Silencing Christians: Homosexual protection & Hate Crime Bill

WASHINGTON (BP and local reports) — Despite objections that it would infringe on the religious liberty of pastors and other faith leaders, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a defense bill October 8 that includes historic hate crimes protections for homosexuals.

The 2010 defense authorization bill, which passed 281-146, has little if anything to do with hate crimes but is being used as a vehicle to pass hate crimes legislation. The defense bill (H.R. 2647) now goes to the U.S. Senate, where a similar version already passed earlier this year.

Mississippi Representatives Travis Childers, Bennie Thompson, and Gene Taylor — all Democrats — voted yes on the bill. Republican Representative Gregg Harper voted no.

Lobbyists for homosexual organizations for years have supported expanding the hate crimes law but failed, either because Republicans controlled Congress …

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Land: Christians must battle barbarism

NEW ORLEANS (BP and local reports) — Civilization stands at a fork in the road and will either ascend to greater heights or tumble into barbarism unless Christians reassert the value of all human life and absolute moral truth, Richard Land told a Founder’s Day audience October 6 at New Orleans Seminary.

Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, said the future of civilization turns on two fundamental questions: Is moral truth real and knowable or is it merely a preference? A question of human value follows: Is mankind of value because of the essence of mankind, or only for what mankind can do?

These questions are at the heart of policy debates over abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and health care reform, said Land, who is scheduled to speak October 26 at …

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Gay divorce would undermine marriage

Homosexual activists, fighting to attain legal same-sex “marriage,” are creating an unlikely battleground: divorce courts. In the latest skirmish, a Dallas judge, Tena Callahan, has ruled that her court has jurisdiction to hear the “divorce” case of two men “married” in Massachusetts in 2006 and now living in Texas.

The decision caused quite a stir in the state where, in 2005, 75 percent of voters passed a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. Everybody thought that meant: NO GAY MARRIAGES. Period. End of story.

But homosexual groups are trying to figure out how to force same-sex “marriage” on states where voters are clearly and overwhelmingly against it. This attempt to get the courts to grant divorces to gay couples is one way they’re going about it. Jennifer Pizer, marriage project director for the gay advocacy group Lambda Legal, …

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Q&A: Hate crimes bill & religious liberty

July 17, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The hate crimes bill currently making its way through Congress has led to charges by Christian conservatives that it could impact religious freedoms.

The bill would expand current hate crimes laws to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity—terms that encompass homosexuality and transgenderism.

On Friday Baptist Press spoke with Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law, and asked him about the bill, which he opposes. Following is the transcript:

BAPTIST PRESS: “Religious conservatives often charge that passage of a hate crimes law that includes sexual orientation would impact religious freedom. Supporters say it targets only criminal acts. How would it impact religious freedom?”

STAVER: “For starters, sexual orientation and gender identity gets elevated to the same level as race. And whenever you start putting sexual …

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Parent-child relationship further weakened with court order

The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman of New York to order the FDA to make Plan B, post-intercourse contraceptives available to 17-year-old girls without a prescription from their doctor is one more example of the government believing it has the right to interpose itself between parents and their children. It is shameful that the Obama administration has decided it will not appeal this terrible federal court decision.

Allowing drugs with such powerful physiological and emotional effects to be sold over the counter to adults without a prescription, as has been the case since 2005, has no doubt had significant consequences, none of them good. The decision to allow such drugs to be marketed and sold to underage teenagers without a prescription is absolutely incredible. No good can come out of it.

This decision will certainly lead to increased rates of sexual activity for …

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Stem Cell Research: Hype, Hope, or Both?

Since President Obama’s decision on March 9th to allow federal funds for research using embryos and embryonic stem cells, much has been said about the morality and ethics of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) and adult stem cell research (ASCR).

Many scientists, researchers, activists, and legislators argue that stem cell research holds great promise to cure or treat health problems.  This is partially true because when supporters of stem cell research make this claim the issue is often clouded and confused.  This is because the moral and ethical dilemma that embryonic stem cell research kills human life is often intentionally left out of general conversation.  The media and advocates frequently bury this dilemma under the words of hope, promise, and cures of stem cell research in general. 

This is done because embryonic stem cells have not proven effective in treating ANY human injury, illness, or disease, …

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A little honesty, please

June 12, 2008

Gambling has wrought many changes in Mississippi since it was legalized in 1992, but did you know that it has created employment for everyone in Tunica County and put a pickup in every driveway? That’s what the mayor of Biloxi apparently believes.

According to the May 14 edition of BaldwinCountyNow.com, a web site that covers south Alabama news, Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway addressed the recent Southern Gaming Summit in his fair city and said the following:

“[Legalized gambling] has been a big boom for Mississippi… [Tunica County] was the Sugar Ditch of the United States before casinos came in, and they have a new pickup truck at every house now… The casinos came and everybody in and around Tunica got a job…”

Well. That’s quite a mouthful, even for a reliable gambling apologist like Holloway. The problem is, Holloway’s …

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Who shall prevail—the judges or the people?

May 22, 2008

This column originally published at Casting Stones, a blog hosted by Beliefnet.com.

The California Supreme Court has ruled (by a 4-3 vote) in its supposedly “infinite” wisdom that the California state constitution requires that same-sex couples must have the same right to get married as heterosexual couples do. The California Supreme Court did this in spite of the fact that the people of California voted in a referendum in 2000 that marriage was only to be a man and a woman, thus ruling out not only same-sex marriage, but also polygamy.

Californians voted by a 61 to 39 percent margin to define marriage in this exclusive and specific way. When one examined the referendum votes more closely, marriage “as only between a man and a woman” carried every county in the state, including San Francisco. It also carried …

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We need more Christian politicians — not fewer

...There was a time, not too long ago, when Christianity had meaningful cultural significance. But the societal influence of our faith is diminishing. We’ve witnessed results of the decline in academia, the entertainment industry and in government. As many Christians remain unwilling to become involved in the system, ignoring their obligation to critique the culture and influence the political marketplace of ideas, our religion slides toward the fringe of society… Read Full Article

2006 Legilative Analysis

The 2006 Legislative Session is now history.  The Christian Action Commission (CAC) spends a lot of time at the Capitol during the session especially if there are bills that relate to our areas of concern.  Decisions were made that have and will continue to affect our lives. 
As I write this brief analysis of this year’s session, allow me to remind you that the Baptist Record is not the “Democratic Daily” nor is it the “Republican Rag.” Also, the CAC is not an advocacy group for Republicans or Democrats.

This year the bills ranged from forbidding “hog dog rodeos” to adding $113 million to K-12 public education. The rodeos were commercial events that pitted a dog against a hog (with tusks removed) in an enclosed pen, a barbaric activity that needed to be stopped.

At the end of the session there was a $221 …

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