ACLU Court Order Forces Christians Into the Closet at Santa Rosa County Schools December 4, 2009
Testimony concluded this week in the trial in which Christian Educators Association International (“CEAI”) is seeking to protect the rights of Santa Rosa School District employees by intervening in a case with the goal of overturning an ACLU court order that has already resulted in three school officials being charged with contempt.
Liberty Counsel represents CEAI. Under the order crafted by the ACLU, school officials are considered to be acting in their “official capacity” during a “school event.” At “school events,” “communication with a deity” is prohibited. “School officials” cannot even show agreement with anyone “communicating with a deity,” such as “bowing the head” or “folding hands.” “School officials” must also prohibit “third-parties” from praying.
Testimony revealed how this order has literally driven Christians to hide in closets to pray in order to avoid contempt charges. During her testimony, Michelle Winkler, a clerical assistant, broke down on the witness stand when she described how a coworker sought comfort from her after losing her two-year-old child. The two hid behind a closet door to pray, for fear they would be seen and held in contempt of the court order.
Denise Gibson, an elementary teacher for 20 years, testified that the order forces her to tell parents she cannot respond if they talk about church or their faith. She may not even respond to an email from a parent if it contains a Scripture verse or “God bless you.” Instead, the District requires her to open a separate email to respond rather than hit “reply,” in order to eliminate any trace of religious language.
NEW School Prayer.
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen
THE TRUTH ABOUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a federation of 94 independent Planned Parenthood affiliates around the United States. These affiliates together operate more than 850 locations with a total budget of $1 Billion, offering a variety of information and procedures to more than three million people, including: abortion, contraceptive (birth control); emergency contraception; screening for breast, cervical and testicular cancers; pregnancy testing and pregnancy options counseling; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases; comprehensive sexuality education, menopause treatments; vasectomies and tubal ligations, and more.
Planned Parenthood describes itself as "the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider." In 2007, Planned Parenthood affiliates performed 305,310 medical and surgical abortions, up from 289,750 in 2006, according to their annual report.
Planned Parenthood receives about a third of its money in government grants and contracts ($349.6 million in FY 2008). In the 2007–08 Annual Report, clinic income totaled $374.7 million and miscellaneous operating revenues $68.9 million. Planned Parenthood is also heavily sponsored by private individuals, with over 700,000 active individual contributors. One of their larger donors is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which contributes a substantial part of the organization's annual budget.
In 2002 a pro-life activist, posing as a 13-year-old impregnated by her 22-year-old boyfriend, called over 800 clinics requesting an abortion. The Texas group claimed over 90% of the clinics agreed to her request not to report the boyfriend to the police for statutory rape.
In December 2008, Planned Parenthood suspended a nurse after Live Action Films, a University of California, Los Angeles pro-life student organization, released an undercover investigative video showing the nurse at an Indiana Planned Parenthood clinic encouraging a young woman, who was posing as a 13-year old girl impregnated by a 31-year old man, to lie about the age of her partner to avoid reporting statutory rape under Indiana law.
In 2007, The Advocate magazine, which is run by Live Action Films, called Planned Parenthood offices in several states, offering to make donations if the money can be earmarked to abort black women's babies. The calls included one in July 2007 to Planned Parenthood of Idaho offering a donation if it could be earmarked for abortions for black women because, "the less black kids out there the better." Answering the phone call, the state organization's vice president of development and marketing said, "Understandable, understandable" and continued, "Excuse my hesitation, this is the first time I've had a donor call and make this kind of request, so I'm excited and want to make sure I don't leave anything out."
PLANNED PARENTHOOD PLANS TO USE OBAMA'S HEALTHCARE PLAN TO GET INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS
The House's proposed health national health plan would establish "school-based health clinics" on campuses, and one group is warning it could give Planned Parenthood direct access to American school children at taxpayer expense.
The American Family Association, or AFA, is warning that Section 2511 of H.R.3200, or the House plan, titled "School-Based Health Clinics," allows a "non-profit health agency" to serve as a "sponsoring facility" for health clinics that operate during school hours. AFA has provided a document with actual language from H.R.3200 that outlines requirements for the program.
AFA notes that under this provision Planned Parenthood would be authorized to serve as a "sponsoring facility" for the nation's schools."Although the bulk of the health care bill is scheduled to go into effect in 2013, this particular provision is slated to go into effect next summer, in time for clinics to appear in public schools by next fall," an AFA memo stated.The bill requires that the school-based health clinic "provide on-site access during the academic day when school is in session" and have "an established network of support and access to services with backup health providers when the school or [clinic] is closed."
H.R.3200 requires that health clinics be given preference for the program if they have a demonstrated record of service to:
1) a high percentage of medically underserved children and adolescents and
2) communities or populations in which children and adolescents have difficulty accessing health and mental health services.
The clinics will be required to provide comprehensive primary health services, including the following [emphasis added]: Physicals – comprehensive health assessments, diagnosis and treatment of minor, acute and chronic medical conditions and referrals to and follow-up for specialty care. Mental health – mental health assessments, crisis intervention, counseling, treatment and referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care and outpatient programs. Optional health services – additional services, which may include oral health, social and age-appropriate health education services, including nutritional counseling. The school-based health clinics will be located in, or adjacent to, school facilities and must provide, at a minimum, comprehensive primary health services during school hours.
ACLU FIGHTS FLORIDA'S LAW BANNING GAY ADOPTIONS
With the help of the ACLU, Martin Gill is challenging Florida's longstanding law that bans gay people from adopting. In November 2008, a Florida juvenile court judge ruled that Gill should be able to adopt the two young brothers he and his partner were fostering. Thank God, the state of Florida appealed this decision. Let's join in prayer so that Florida's Third District Court of Appeals will uphold our family standards.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD DIRECTOR HAS A CHANGE OF HEART
Abby Johnson, stepped down as director for Planned Parenthood of Bryan, Texas after a life changing change of heart. The Bryan Health Services center of Bryan, Texas has been providing abortion services since 1973. Currently, it only provides abortion services. No other health services are provided.
Abby Johnson is now a pro-lifer thanks to her involvement with "The Coalition For LIfe" a pro-life organization whose offices are down the block from the abortion clinic. The Coalition For Life, whose motto "ending the abortion in The Brazos valley" had been protesting in front of The Bryan Health Services and Abortion Center for years.
Abby Johnson interacted with the Director of "The Coalition For Life" and then gave her life to Jesus Christ. She now prays with volunteers in front of the abortion center she used to run. Planned Parenthood sued Abby Johnson and "The Coalition For Life" and the case was settled allowing Ms. Johnson the opportunity to tell her story and protest in front of the abortion center without having to disclose any details of her previous employment.
That's the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who changed the heart of an abortion clinic director to a defender of the life of the unborn.
FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION:
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His Will, to be grateful for His benefits and to humbly implore His protection, aid and favors…Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, November 24 next, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of that Great and Glorious Being, Who is the Beneficient Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. –Signed by George Washington in the year of our Lord 1789.
DID YOU KNOW? Here's an interesting video to get you thinking.
GRADUATIONS UNDER ATTACK BY THE ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Connecticut and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have demanded that school officials in Enfield, Connecticut stop holding high school graduation ceremonies at a Christian church and instead hold them at any of a number of secular locations available in the area.
In a letter sent to the attorney for the Enfield Public Schools, the ACLU and Americans United say that graduating students, their families and other guests are unconstitutionally and "coercively subjected to religious messages as the price of attending high school commencement," and that "students and family members of minority religions, as well as those who do not subscribe to any religion at all, are immersed in a religious environment of a faith not their own."
The ACLU and Americans United plan to sue the district if it refuses to change the location of its graduations. "In our constitutional system, public schools should not be in the business of embracing particular faiths or religious viewpoints," said Daniel Mach, Director of Litigation at the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. "The graduation ceremony is a significant event in the lives of students and their families, and no one should feel like a second-class participant during this important celebration."
The graduation ceremonies for both Enfield High School and Enrico Fermi High School have been held for several years at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, CT, a 120,000 square foot facility. Four other area public schools — East Hartford High School, South Windsor High School, Windsor High School and the Metropolitan Learning Center Magnet School — also have been using The First Cathedral for their graduations.
The ACLU has threatened a lawsuit if the Enfield Public Schools do not comply to their demands. Once again the ACLU is trying to destroy our graduations. First they fight to prevent a prayer in our graduations, now they don’t even want a graduation in a Christian facility.
THE ACLU STRIKES AGAIN: NEW BIRTH CERTIFICATE POLICY IN ILLINOIS
The ACLU claims another victory!
In a tragic reversal of two policies restricting who can obtain accurate birth certificates after sex reassignment surgery, the state of Illinois has issued new, accurate birth certificates to three transgender persons born in Illinois. All three individuals had been denied birth certificates with the correct gender listed on the documents and are challenging the denials in an ACLU lawsuit against the state. Two persons were denied because they chose a surgeon who practiced overseas and was not licensed in the United States. The third plaintiff was denied because the Department required surgery that was not medically necessary for him.
“I am a woman and now I have a birth certificate that reflects this reality,” said Victoria Kirk, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit who recently received a corrected birth certificate. “To see that the state of Illinois now – officially – recognizes this transition, and that I’ll never have to fear embarrassment in those circumstances where I present the birth certificate, is a welcome change. I am pleased to see the state make this policy shift.”
A new policy adopted by the Illinois Department of Vital Records now permits many transgender individuals in Illinois and across the nation to receive a new birth certificate that reflects their accurate gender following sex reassignment surgery overseas. The Department has also announced that it will formulate new standards for determining how much surgery will be required before a transgender person will be provided a birth certificate listing the correct gender marker.
This is the ACLU carrying on with the Gay and Lesbian agenda!
