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Church of all Nations Senior Pastor Mark Boykin gears up for this Thursday’s showdown with City of Boca Raton officials regarding the religious display of the manger scene inside the Boca Raton Public Library.
A lighted Christmas tree, a tabletop electric Hanukkah menorah, and miniature Santa Claus and snowman figures are part of the downtown library's holiday decorations.
Local Christian activists on Monday announced they want more — a crèche depicting the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Mark D. Boykin, senior pastor of Church of All Nations, said he wants city officials to allow the placement of a Nativity scene near the menorah to show "religious equality."
"During these festive times, we as Christians must be included in the celebrations," Boykin said. click here for Sun Sentinel article.
Tomorrow we head for the Boca Raton Downtown library. (Thursday, December 16) A number of residents and members of different churches will be participating with COAN.
There will be the singing Christmas carols supporting this most worthy event. Church of All Nations Senior Pastor Mark Boykin will present a nativity scene (creche) to the public library for their holiday display in the main lobby.
This is a story that has picked up a lot of attention in South Florida. WPBF Channel 25 and the Sun Sentinel ran stories on this issue. The story done by WPBF Channel 25 is listed as the most popular story on their website. click here for WPBF Channel 25 .
I will be leading a procession of church members and city residents to the downtown Boca Raton city library to make a formal request that a Christmas “crèche” be displayed publicly alongside the “menorah” in accordance with federal statutes requiring religious equality.
The event will take place on: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2008 at 11:30 AM
(Downtown Boca Raton Library)
We are donating a crèche to the Downtown Boca Raton Library to confirm that our Christian faith is also included within their holiday display. Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, and during these festive times, we as Christians must be included in these celebrations.
We will be broadcasting live on our Thursday radio show, "That's My Point", 1230 WBZT on your listening dial if you are in the area. Or simply click the live button on our website.
We are also in the process of providing live streaming and will give you more information as it soon as it become available.
Feel free to join us at the Downtown library this Thursday at 11:30 AM as we stand for Christmas! If you are unable to attend please join us live on the internet.
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.
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."
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