Archive for the ‘Coalitions – Social Issues’ Category
25 Apr
FAMILY UPDATE – April 24, 2013 – PFI’s weekly update to concerned citizens.
FAMILY UPDATE - April 24, 2013 - PFI’s weekly update to concerned citizens.
Please forward this email to family and friends!
PA House says No Taxdollars for Abortion
After a lengthy debate, the State House of Representatives passed HB 818 overwhelmingly. HB 818 ensures that your tax dollars won’t pay for abortions in Pennsylvania. The bill would maintain current Pennsylvania policy regarding public funding of abortions.
Thank you to everyone who contacted their elected officials about this important piece of legislation. The bill now moves to the State Senate, where we need your State Senator to vote YES on HB 818. Click here to send them a message.
For a roll call on the bill, click here.
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21 Apr
Scouting the Future
Dear Friend,
You may have heard that the Boy Scouts of America are facing intense pressure to change their policies in order to let homosexually-identified adults and boys serve in leadership positions and participate as members.
In fact, the pressure is so intense that one state is considering legislation that would strip them of their tax-exempt status if they don’t cave in when the national organization meets on May 23 to make this momentous decision.
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My colleague Stuart Shepard discusses this in detail with John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, on the most recent CitizenLink Report. | |
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Although there have been people in the Scouts with same-sex attractions, until this point it’s something they were asked to keep private. But that kind of discretion isn’t enough for gay activists and their allies. In essence, they are using a group that does tremendous work with boys and young men for their own political and social activism.
If they have their way, we will see the Boy Scouts go the same way the Girl Scouts of America has: That organization now supports Planned Parenthood® and a very liberal social agenda. As a result, many parents have pulled their children out and the organization has suffered a steep drop in donations.
Scout leaders and members vow to do their duty to God and to keep themselves “physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight”—principles which go against the promotion and celebration of homosexuality. How can we teach our boys to be brave if we ourselves are not willing to stand up to the bullies in our culture?
There is still time for you to send a message to the Boy Scouts of America, and help preserve this organization dedicated to developing our next generation of leaders—and if enough of you do, we can absolutely make a difference for moral and biblical values. Please join me in visiting OnMyHonor.net to let the Boy Scouts of America know how you feel about this issue.
For faith and family,
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy
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CitizenLink® Report |
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2 Apr
Sen. Casey Flips to Political Pressure, Abandons Institution of Marriage
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8 Nov
Aftermath: Lessons From the 2012 Election
The 2012 U.S. election is over, and more than 100 million Americans participated in the great exercise of democracy — fulfilling the franchise of the vote. Even with some votes not yet counted and some issues as yet clarified, a general picture of the election is clearly in view, and the impact of this election will be both massive and enduring.
Several lessons emerge in the immediate aftermath of the election and Christians should consider them carefully.
A Decisive Victory
First, we must recognize that President Barack Obama won a decisive and clear victory, surging to over 300 votes in the electoral college before midnight. Against the expectations of many, the president held his 2008 coalition together. Voting intensity among younger Americans, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other crucial constituencies held firm. Once the election results started coming in, an Obama victory came quickly into view.
Barack Obama avoided the ignominy of an electoral repudiation and may also have won the popular vote. The decisive nature of his win spared the nation the agonies of the 2000 election and points to a major political realignment. Other issues also became clear. The election returns and voting data indicate that President Obama’s “evolution” on the issue of same-sex marriage cost him nothing. That probably surprised both sides in that controversy
Christians must now pray for our president. As the Apostle Paul instructs us, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV). We should eagerly and urgently pray for our president. We should pray for his health and his family, for his stamina and his character. We should even pray that he and his administration will be remembered as one of the greatest of our nation’s history, measured even by the convictions that are most important to us.
We are rightly and deeply concerned. We must pray that god will change President Obama’s heart on a host of issues, ranging from the sanctity of unborn life to the integrity of marriage. We must push back against his contraception mandate that tramples upon religious liberty. Given the trajectory of his first term in office, we are urgently concerned about a second term, knowing that the president will never again face the electorate.
As the president acknowledged in his speech last night, our nation faces huge challenges. We must pray that President Obama will lead in a spirit of national unity and mutual respect, bringing Americans together to resolve these ominous problems. Incredible responsibility now rests on his shoulders. He has won a second term, now he must rightly lead.
A Divided Electorate
As morning dawned, the election of 2012 looms as one of the closest in American history. At 2 a.m., only 240,000 votes out of more than 103 million cast separated President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney. That is a margin of 0.3 percent and would rank the election as the third closest, falling behind the slim margins of the 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon and the 1880 election between James Garfield and Winfield S. Hancock.
The margin in the electoral college is significant, but the popular vote reveals a deeply divided nation. The nation is divided politically, but that divide points to a division at the level of worldview. The 2012 election makes clear that Americans are divided over fundamental questions. Americans are divided into camps that define and see the world in fundamentally different terms. The election did not cause this division, it merely revealed it. This deep division at the level of worldview presents President Obama with a daunting political challenge, but a worldview crisis is an even greater challenge for the church.
http://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/aftermath-lessons-from-the-2012-election.html
2 Nov
Is God a Democrat or Republican?
Editor’s Note: Pastor Roger Barrier’s “Ask Roger” column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople, or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your questions at roger@preachitteachit.org.
Dear Reader,
I receive a number of letters regarding Christians and politics. I hope my answers to several of them are helpful.
First, Is God a Republican or a Democrat?
Hi Pastor Barrier,
Many of my Christian friends are convinced that God is a Republican. They think that the liberal leanings of the Democrats are contrary to the teachings of the Bible and that we should use the political system to ensure that God’s teachings are the law of the land. What do you think?
Sincerely, G
Dear G,
Is God a Conservative Republican? No. Is He a Liberal Democrat? Certainly not. Is God a third party Libertarian? I think not.
Every society struggles with the conflict of liberals versus conservatives. These two political viewpoints seem to be built into the very essence of human nature.
I love what Winston Churchill said about this issue, “If you are not a liberal when you are young then you have no heart. If you are not a conservative when you are old then you have no brains.”
Of course, many others despise the essential values of both.
Israeli politics of the first century closely match what we see in America today:
The Pharisees (Republicans) were the religious and the more fiscal conservative party. They were deeply entrenched in money making and profiteering as evidenced from their business adventures in the Temple. They were for big business—especially when it lined their pockets. They were not particularly known as the party which championed the “down and outs” of society.
The Sadducees (Democrats) tended to be the upper social and economic echelon of Judean society. They were viewed as the more liberal party who were against big business and for more governmental involvement in public affairs. While they were often viewed as the less religious party, they embodied more humanistic leanings in contrast to religious ones. Their “big tent” included the “sinners and prostitutes”.
The Essenes (minor-third parties like the Libertine, Green Parties and Independents) were a party of desert dwelling separatists who had their own personal agendas and who seldom agreed with anyone.
Do you see the parallels with today? In broad sweeping terms the Republican Party looks a lot like the Pharisees and the Democrats look a lot like the Sadducees.
Of course, God is not a member of any party. As a Christian I am not so concerned with whether I am on the Republican or Democratic side. I am really concerned with whether or not I am on God’s side.
In Joshua 5:13-15 as he moved through the battle lines near Jericho, Joshua encountered a mighty soldier with a drawn sword. Joshua asked whether the soldier was on the side of Israel or on the side of Israel’s enemies. The soldier responded, “Neither. I am on the Lord’s side, on whose side are you?” Joshua fell on face and worshipped. May we never forget the God who transcends all human politics.
http://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/ask-roger/is-god-a-democrat-or-republican.html
