Homothumadon

ACLJ • American Center for Law & Justice
Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice Jay Sekulow says the ruling is troubling and amounts to discrimination.

“That decision in and of itself should cause a shockwave for Christian education across the country, because the idea that a public university, paid for by the taxpayers whose kids are at that Christian school, and now it’s off limits? It’s a very dangerous precedent,” he said.

Sekulow added that the ACLJ plans to fight the ruling, it could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I think people need to understand that this decision significantly undercuts the ability of Christian schools to produce students that could go on to public universities, and that’s very dangerous,” he said.

“Imagine No Religion” is what the message reads on the sign of the times, as it were. Redmond resident Mike Christensen paid for this billboard on Denny Way near Stewart Street. Billboard is intended to gain recruits for a foundation that spreads misinformation. Ironically, the “freedom” they are touting has strong ties to socialism, nazism, atheism, communism and other anti-American, anti-Christian establishments, which Historically have represented the opposite of freedom for millions of people around the world.

Christensen is merely a pawn in a vastly larger, well funded, and highly organized group of self-described God-Haters. The “Freedom From Religion Foundation” he is marketing is basing their entire premise on a misunderstanding, an unfortunate case of bad teaching regarding the Constitution of The United States of America. Sadly, most in his target market have recieved the same bad teaching and don’t actually understand that what the Constitution actually states, quite clearly, is “Freedom OF Religion”.

The good news in all this? Billboard company profits are improving!

More than 800 Calif. wildfires burning - Life- msnbc.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared states of emergency in Monterey and Trinity counties and asked for help and equipment from neighboring states. Thousands of firefighters have been battling the blazes on the ground and from the air.

News and Trends

Book Readers A recent Rasmussen Report showed 69% of U.S. adults had read a book recently, and 58% of these had read a book for pleasure recently. 79% have read a book in the past 6 months. 66% of women and 50% of men read a book for pleasure very recently. (Rasmussen Report 4/24/08)

The Value of a Volunteer Hour nearly kept pace with inflation during ‘07, increasing 3.94% while consumer prices tracked at 4.1%. The estimate for the value of a volunteer hour jumped 74 cents, from $18.77 in ‘06 to $19.51 in ‘07, reports the Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits and foundations. (Non-Profit Times 4/17/08)

Pint-Size Digital Projectors are in the works. These devices, when plugged into cell phones and portable media players, will let consumers beam video content from their hand-held devices to the closest smooth surface. The micro-projectors, still in prototype, use light-emitting diodes and lasers to cast a display 60 inches or more in darkened spaces and 7 to 20 inches when there is ambient light. Eventually projectors will be embedded in cell phones, just like cameras. (NY Times 3/30/08)

Graying & Affluent In the more than 80 metropolitan markets surveyed by The Media Audit, a recent study shows those who are over age 50 with incomes of $50,000 or more (the “graying and affluent”) have increased from 17.0 million in ‘04 to 22.3 million in ‘08. Collectively, the markets surveyed have an adult population of approximately 142 million; since ‘04 the percentage of “graying and affluent” households has increased from 13.1% to 15.7% of all households. 65.6% of the group made at least one Internet purchase during the previous 12 months, up from 50.2% in ‘04. (Center for Media Research Brief 4/8/08)

Unchurched adults interested in finding a church home aren’t nearly as likely to visit one in person as a church member who is shopping for a new congregation, claims LifeWay Research. Only 49% of unchurched adults would visit in-person if they were looking for a church vs. 83% of church-switchers. More than half of unchurched people would follow a recommendation from family, friends, neighbors or colleagues if they were looking for a church, but 24% wouldn’t use using any of these usual ways of finding one. While unchurched people are open to relationships, few church members are intentionally investing time developing relationships with non-Christians. Sadly, only 25% of church members profess to “spend time building friendships with non-Christians for the purpose of sharing Christ with them.” 38% actually disagreed with the statement, and 36% were noncommittal about it. 25% of unchurched adults would use a church website or an Internet search tool to find a congregation to visit. (Baptist Press 4/23/08)

Traditional 20s 94% of 20-somethings respect parenthood, and 84% have great esteem for marriage finds a survey by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. Just 25% respect Hollywood. (Pastor’s Weekly Briefing 5/2/08)

People & Transitions: Joyce “Dottie” Rambo, 74, gospel singer and songwriter, died 5/11 when her tour bus ran off the road in Missouri.

Golden Years New research finds the happiest Americans are the oldest. Older adults are more socially active than the stereotype of the lonely senior suggests, social activity can help keep away the blues. Duke Univ. aging expert Linda George reports the odds of being happy increase 5% with every 10 years of age. 33% of Americans report being very happy at age 88, vs. 24% of those age 18 to their early 20s. (Wired 4/19/08)

Essential Church LifeWay Resources’ Thom Rainer, after his research among people who stayed in church during ages 18-22 concluded that church should have higher expectations of its younger members. He argues an essential church will expect the younger generation to have a relationship with God and others, to seek guidance from the church in everyday life and to be committed to the purpose of the church. Low expectations make the church unessential. (Outreach 5-6/08)

Christians & Wealth According to data analyzed by a Duke University sociologist, the median net worth for conservative Protestants in ‘00 was $26,000 vs. the $66,200 national median. The one big difference is the conservative Protestants’ assumption that God is the owner of money and people are managers of it. They are doing with their money what God wants them to do with it, so that does mean that it is not sitting in their bank accounts. This view keeps many Protestants from building a financial safety net. (USA Today 4/23/08)

Larger Families, Longer Lifespan A 2006 Univ. of Maryland study of Amish in Lancaster, PA found that men born between 1749 and 1912 who lived 50 or more years averaged 0.23 more years of life per additional child. Women from the same period averaged 0.32 extra years of life per additional child, up to the 14th child. (LifeSite 4/22/08)

American Women control more than half of commercial and consumer consumption that comprises America’s GDP. Business author Tom Peters says it is “larger than the entire Japanese economy,” or in excess of $5 trillion. Also women now comprise the majority of college degree recipients. Today there are 10.4 million firms with 50% or more ownership by women, generating $1.9 trillion in annual sales and employing 12.8 million people. (Non-Profit Times 4/28/08)

Women make 84% of all philanthropic decisions and 80% of all major consumer-buying decisions. Business owners give an average of 7% of their annual income vs. 2% for the average household, but donations by women are 2.5 times greater to organizations at which they already contribute their time and talent. By 2010, women will control more than 60% of the nation’s wealth. Women’s philanthropy has increased by more than $15 billion annually since ‘96. (Non Profit Times 4/28/08)

Deadly Profession Every year, between 300 and 400 doctors take their own lives (roughly one per day). No other profession has a higher suicide rate. And, in sharp contrast to the general population where male suicides outnumber female suicides 4 to 1, the rate among male and female doctors is the same. Undiagnosed and untreated depression is the culprit. (Newsweek 4/28/08)

Prisoners The U.S. has less than 5% of the world’s population, yet nearly 25% of its prisoners. It has 751 people in prison or jail for every 100,000 people. (NY Times 4/23/08)

Bible Literate Americans are among the world’s most ‘Bible-literate’ people with Spaniards, French and Italians among the least, claims a Catholic Biblical Federation study. A 9-country poll (U.S., Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Spain and Poland) found Americans are the most willing to give money to spread the Bible’s message. 75% of American respondents had read a phrase from the Bible in the past 12 months, compared with 20% to 38% of the other countries’ respondents. Results were similar when asked if they had read a book with a religious theme in the past 12 months. Americans also pray the most (87%) and the French the least (49%). Germany and the Netherlands had the highest percentage who said they believed the Bible was not divinely inspired. The majority of respondents in all countries believed it was the direct word of God or inspired by God. 93% of Americans have a Bible at home vs. 48% of the French. 91% of Poles attend religious services regularly, followed by the U.S. (77%) and Russia (75%). (Rueters 4/28/08)

U-Boomers Forbes says the biggest emerging market opportunity in the world today is the 24 million middle-class U.S. households approaching retirement with lofty lifestyle aspirations and limited financial resources. Undaunted and uncompromising baby boomers (”u-boomers” for short) will account for almost 25% of total U.S. consumption by ‘15. U’s are the largest segment of the boomer generation, between the 10 million well-to-do and the 11 million disadvantaged households. Although just 30% attend church weekly, U’s are tech-savvy, open-minded and willing to experiment. By ‘15 there will be 21 million unmarried 51-70-year-old boomers; creating more than twice as many single-person households as the previous generation had at the same age. (Forbes.com 4/3/08)

Helping the Poor 67% of Americans (over half of whom attend church at least once a month) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My church already does enough to help the poor in my community.” Yet 42% said their church spends more money on itself than on the community, finds a World Vision survey. Current U.S. Census Bureau data shows the national poverty level increased from 11.7% in ‘01 to 13.3% in ‘05. (Christian Post 4/22/08)

Bold Preaching 34% of pastors agree that at times they preach on a Bible text or topic that will likely cause some people to stop attending. 87% do not hesitate to use words in their sermons that others may find offensive, such as sin, obedience, rebellion, disobedience, holiness, judgment and wrath. 50% find that over time, there is a strong relationship between the topics and the Scripture texts preached and the number of people who attend on Sundays. (Your Church 5-6/08)

Well-Being The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, based on interviews of more than 100,000 people so far, shows 47% of Americans are struggling and 4% are suffering. Pollsters asked people to make an assessment of their personal well-being currently and to project how it might change in 5 years. To respond, they were to place themselves on a ladder with 10 steps. Those saying they were on step 7 or above were considered “thriving;” 4 or below were “suffering,” and in-between were “struggling.” 49% are thriving based on this assessment. In addition, among all workers, 66% report one or more chronic diseases or recurring health conditions. (AP 4/30/08)

Thompson Chain 100 Years The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible turns 100 this year. Published by Kirkbride Bible Co., the Bible was developed by Frank Charles Thompson with the goal of linking verses to help readers study Scripture without the aid of a commentary or other outside interpretation. (Christian Retail 5/19/08)

Religion in China 31% of Chinese citizens consider religion very or somewhat important vs. 11% who consider it unimportant, finds an ‘06 Pew Global Attitudes Project survey. Yet only 14-18% of Chinese adults would classify themselves in a particular religion in ‘05, ‘06 and ‘07. In contrast, more than 80% of U.S. adults are religiously affiliated. The percentage of religiously affiliated Chinese may be unimpressive, but in terms of actual numbers it is nearly equal to the U.S. Of China’s recognized religions (Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, and Taoism) Buddhism is the largest with between 11% and 16% of Chinese adults. Christianity is next at less than 4%, but the Pew Forum says it’s likely more. Chinese government stats claim Christians increased 50% from 14 million to 21 million from ‘97 to ‘06. At the same time, Protestants increased from 10 million to 16 million (60%) and Catholics from 4 million to 5 million (25%). Researchers agree there are at least as many Chinese Christians associated with house churches as associated with state-recognized groups. The World Christian Database estimates 70 million Chinese are involved with more than 300 house church networks. It is estimated there are at least 12 million Catholics (7 million more than government stats acknowledge). A ‘05 InterMedia survey for the Pew Forum found 33% of Communist Party officials and government employees are very or somewhat interested in having media access to religious information. This makes them the most interested among all occupational groups studied. Teachers/professors were next (24%) followed by retired citizens (24%) and service workers (23%). The least interested group was professionals (16%) and housewives (17%). The higher education are the most interested (26%). (Christian Post 5/5/08)

American Values Only 13% of U.S. adults say its “very important” for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind 6 others measured in a new Pew Research survey. 43% say being wealthy is “somewhat important” to them, while 33% say it’s “not too important” and 10% say its “not important at all.” 4 times more people prioritize “doing volunteer work or donating to charity” than prioritize becoming wealthy (52% vs. 13%). 5 times more Americans (67%) say it’s very important to have enough free time, the top-rated value in the survey. (Pew Research Center 4/30/08)

In Pain Americans in households making less than $30,000 a year spend nearly 20% of their lives in moderate to severe pain vs. less than 8% of those in households earning above $100,000, finds a study by Princeton economist Alan Krueger. The type of pain reported typically fell on either side of the rich-poor divide. Those with higher incomes welcome pain almost by choice, usually through exercise. At lower incomes, pain comes as the result of work. Although interacting with a spouse or friend lowered pain, those suffering chronic pain tended to socialize much less. (Time 5/2/08)

Conservative Protestants have significantly less education than members of other faiths. Level of education is one of the strongest predictors of wealth. (Leadership Network Advance 5/12/08)

Teachers 64% of U.S. adults believe teaching is one of the most important jobs in America today; 20% disagree. The same survey found 80% of adults say their teachers were at least somewhat important in shaping the direction of their lives. 39% say teachers were very important in that regard. Just 14% say teachers were not very important in shaping their lives, while just 3% said they were not at all important. (Rasmussen Reports Weekly Newsletter 5/7/08)

Multitasking Myth Research shows a person’s error rate goes up 50% when multitasking and it takes a person twice as long to do things. (Brain Rules, John Medina, Pearson Press 2008)

Japan has fewer children age 14 or younger now than at any time since 1908. 70% of its workforce will be lost by 2050. The Washington Post called the situation “a slow-motion demo-graphic catastrophe without precedent.” Population Research Institute cites two reasons for the crisis. First, religious faith in Japan is anemic; they don’t think of children as blessings from God. Second, it’s a highly urbanized society; and living in crowded, tiny urban apartments is simply not family-friendly. In contrast, the ‘06 U.S. birthrate hit a 45-year high. (CitizenLink.com 5/6/08)

Divorce reduces a person’s wealth by 77% compared to that of a single person, while being married increases comparative wealth by 93%. (Baptist Press 5/6/08)

Depressed Teens More than two million U.S. teens have suffered a serious bout of depression in the past year, including nearly 13% of girls, finds a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report. On average, 8.5% of youth 12-17 admit to having a major depressive episode in the previous year; 12.7% of girls and 4.6% of boys were affected. Depression is the leading cause of suicide, which in turn is the third-leading cause of death for 15-24-year olds. (Pastor’s Weekly Briefing 5/16/08)

Long-Term Care A survey by Genworth Financial, a long-term care insurer, reports the cost of a private room in a nursing home for a year averages more than $76,000 (up 17% since ‘04), an assisted-living facility $36,000 annually and $38 an hour for a Medicare-certified home health aide. (AFA Online 5/14/08)

New Leaders According to the American Council of Education, 8% of American college presidents were age 50 or younger in ‘06 while 49% were 61 or older, suggesting significant leadership turnover in the near future. Among North American campuses within the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities alone, 27 new presidents have been inaugurated since 1/06. (CCCU.org 5/5/08)

U.S. Religious Donations to poor countries for relief and development hit $8.8 billion in ‘06, equivalent to 37% of all U.S. government aid, says Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Prosperity. (2008 Index of Global Philanthropy)

Jehovah’s Witnesses & Mormons New studies reveal most adult Witnesses have made a personal commitment to Christ they consider important in their life, but only 10% base their hope of salvation on a confession of sins and acceptance of Jesus as savior. 61% of Jehovah’s Witnesses, vs. 42% of born-again adults, strongly believe Satan exists. Jehovah’s Witnesses are also more likely than born-agains to argue that Jesus lived a sinless life on earth (77% vs. 63%). 33% of Mormons claim to be born-again, but some evangelical leaders are troubled that Mormons’ refuse to trust wholly on God’s grace and forgiveness through Christ as the only means to salvation. A majority of Mormons believe a good person can earn their way into heaven. More than 90% have made a personal commitment to Christ they describe as important in their life; 90% say their religious faith is very important in their life; 66% affirm the sinless life of Christ on earth; and more than 50% believe Satan exists. 74% of Jehovah’s Witnesses and 64% of Mormons say they have a personal responsibility to share their faith with others, while 54% of born-agains have that same conviction. 88% of Witnesses believe the Bible is completely accurate vs. 71% of born-agains and 32% of Mormons. (Barna Update 5/1/08)

Fast Facts:

• 70-75% of children raised by Christian parents do not live for Jesus as adults. (OneNewsNow 5/3/08)
• 66% of Americans believe their church attendance before age 18 gave them a solid moral foundation.
• 73% of Americans over age 50 believe in life after death.
• 56% of adult Americans do not actively participate in a faith community. Of these, 56% call themselves Christians.
• 56% of adult Americans do not actively participate in a faith community. Of these, 56% call themselves Christians.
• 42% of all music listened to by Protestant laity is Christian; 40% of all non-fiction books read by Protestant laity are Christian. (Facts & Trends 7-8/06)
• 62% of parents do not feel they understand what it means to be a teen today.
• In the last decade, the number of single dads grew 70%, and the number of households headed by single moms grew 25%. (HomeWord.com)
• Every 30 minutes in America, 29 kids will attempt suicide, 2,795 teen girls will become pregnant, and 22 girls will get abortions. (HomeWord.com)
• 5-12% of U.S. men will suffer from clinical depression in their lifetimes; 10-25% of women will.
• 29% of employers believe stress caused by widespread use of technologies that keep people accessible 24/7 are greatly affecting business performance.
• China, the world leader in cell phone use, has surpassed the U.S. as the #1 nation in Internet use.
• Teens who keep blogs are more likely to engage in personal writing. They are also more likely to believe writing will prove crucial to success in life.
• 52% of adults say it is more important for children to learn to do research using the Internet than in libraries. 38% say learning library research methods is more important.
• 62% of adults believe public libraries will still be relevant in 25 years. Only 22% disagree.
• 85% of people who make a commitment to Christ make the decision by the age of 18, or they never will.
• In ‘07, 28 participating churches in 15 European countries planted 153 new churches.
• The average American allocates $26.86 per week (3.1% of gross income) toward charitable giving. (Leadership Network)
• 34% of unchurched adults strongly agree “the Christian religion is a relevant and viable religion for today.”
• 37% of Protestant churches are very involved in local evangelism/missions; 47% are somewhat involved.
• 23% of Protestant churches are very involved in evangelism/missions outside their local community, according to clergy; 49% are somewhat involved.
• 41% of Protestant churches are very involved in overseas evangelism/missions; 42% are somewhat involved.
• 20% of all web sites visited by Protestant laity are Christian. (Facts & Trends7-8/06)
• 67% of church-going young adults ages 18-34 and 72% of non church-goers interact with other young adults in homes. (Facts & Trends7-8/06)
• 48% of the average church budget is spent on personnel expenses. (LifeWay Research 7-8/05)
• The top 10% of U.S. households control 70% of the nation’s wealth.
• As of early 2008, autism is diagnosed in 1 of every 150 births.
• 45% of people who consider themselves very religious consider themselves very happy. (Harris Poll)
• Just 28% of people who consider themselves not religious also consider themselves very happy. (Harris Poll)
• 29% of people 18-28 say they are very happy vs. 47% of those 65 and older. (Harris Poll)
• 70% of American children live in 2-parent homes; 90% of these live with their biological parents.
• Muhammad is the most popular first name in the world.

Information compiled and edited by Gary Foster, President of Gary D Foster Consulting, a firm that assists Christian ministries and product companies in solving management, marketing, donor/customer service and product development problems. Contact Gary at: 419.238.4082, GFosterCns@rmi.net or go to www.GaryDFoster.com.

Source: From the Mission America newsletter

The Associated Press: Dumbocrats planning a farm bill redo Thursday
Democrats planning a farm bill redo Thursday

By MARY CLARE JALONICK – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON AP — Demonrats are picking up the pieces after an embarrassing technical gaffe that delayed a triumphant rejection of President Bushs veto of a massive farm bill.

Members from both parties hoped to bring the $290 billion bill — which includes election-year subsidies for farmers and food stamps for the poor — back to their districts over Memorial Day. But that is looking less likely now that the legislation will have to be passed all over again due to a printing error.

The House on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly, 316-108, to override Bushs veto of the legislation earlier in the day.

The Senate had been expected to follow suit quickly, but action stalled after the discovery that a 34-page section of the legislation had been omitted from the printed bill sent to the White House. That means Bush vetoed a different bill from the one Congress passed, raising questions that the eventual law would be unconstitutional.

The White House seized on the error.

“Maybe it gives them one more chance to take a look and think about how much theyre asking the taxpayers to spend at a time of record farm income,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. “I think what this clearly shows is that they can even screw up spending the taxpayers money unwisely.”

Democrats continued to operate in disarray Thursday as they tried to figure out how to solve the problem.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the two chambers “havent totally worked out what were going to do on the farm bill yet.”

To avoid a partisan dustup, House Democrats said Wednesday night they would just pass the entire bill again and resend it to President Bush for a veto. But that plan appeared to be changing, as House Democrats said they will pass not only the entire bill again but also the dropped title, to give the Senate different options as to how to proceed.

Reid said the Senate would probably override the veto this afternoon, and may pass the section that was dropped separately.

“We have, under good legal precedent, going back to a case I understand in 1892 where something like this happened before, it is totally constitutional to do what were planning to do,” he said, without elaborating on the case.

Republicans continued to berate Democrats over the mistake.

“The House should not gloss over an incident of this magnitude,” Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said on the House floor. “Its a serious constitutional violation.”

Lawmakers may also have to pass an extension of current farm law, which expires Friday.

Bush says the legislation is too expensive and would send too much government money to wealthy farmers. A bipartisan group of negotiators on the bill made small cuts to subsidies to appease the White House, but Bush said it wasnt enough.

The veto was the 10th of Bushs presidency, but Congress had overridden him only once before, on a water projects bill.

Congressional Republicans overwhelmingly abandoned Bush in voting to override the legislation Wednesday, overlooking its cost amid public concern about the weak economy and high gas and grocery prices. GOP lawmakers are anxious about their own prospects less than six months before Election Day.

About two-thirds of the bill would pay for nutrition programs such as food stamps, about $40 billion is for farm subsidies and another $30 billion would go to farmers to idle their land and for other environmental programs.

The farm bill also would:

_Boost nutrition programs by more than $10 billion over 10 years and expand a program to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren.

_Cut a per-gallon ethanol tax credit for refiners from 51 cents to 45 cents. The credit supports the blending of fuel with the corn-based additive. More money would go to cellulosic ethanol, made from plant matter.

_Require that meats and other fresh foods carry labels with their country of origin.

Original Content: Business as Mission Network

… If I were to describe someone as a  “Christian business man (or woman)”, the adjective ‘Christian’ means that the noun is Christian in character, purpose, and acts in ways that are consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Can a school be so described? Of course it can, and so can a business.

A business that is consecrated, committed, or set apart, to adhere to and promote the values and message of Jesus is appropriately called “Christian” in the same way that a school so established and committed…

We need more Christian Businesses!

Children’s hospital launches sex change for kids program
Children’s hospital launches sex change for kids program
‘This isn’t conjecture, it’s happening now’
Posted: April 19, 2008
11:45 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A doctor at the renowned Children’s Hospital Boston has launched a new program to drug children to delay puberty so they can decide whether they want a male or a female body, according to a report today in the Boston Globe.

Pediatric endocrinologist Norman Spack, 64, says he started the Gender Management Service Clinic because he found himself encountering 20-somethings who were “transgendered” and in good shape socially, “but they were having trouble getting their physique to conform to their identity.

“I knew the 20-somethings could have better chances of passing if they were treated earlier,” he said.

“We don’t think that demonic is too strong a word to describe this,” said a statement from the pro-family Mass Resistance organization. “It brings us thoughts of the Nazi doctors who thought they were doing good things.”

WND has reported previously on some of the controversies prompted by the belief that a man can be born in a woman’s body, or vice versa, including in Montgomery County, Md., where county officials have adopted a law that precludes those who provide public accommodations from discriminating based on that “gender identity.”

(Story continues below)

Voters there have petitioned to have a vote on that law because they fear men who “decide” they are female walking into women’s restrooms and locker rooms.

“Is this our future?” asked Mass Resistance in a commentary. “Dr. Norman Spack runs a clinic for young children who’ve ‘decided’ they are transgendered. Among other things, the clinic administers powerful hormones to delay (or even stop) puberty in order that the children more easily undergo operations that mutilate their bodies to ‘change’ them to the opposite sex.”

“This is going on at the world-renowned Children’s Hospital in Boston – not some backwater clinic. This is the elite of the medical profession,” the organization said.

In a question-and-answer session with Globe columnist Pagan Kennedy, she starts the apologetic for doing surgery on children by saying, “Little boys sob unless they’re allowed to wear dresses. The girls want to be called Luke, Ted, or James.”

“Until recently, children with cross-gender feelings rarely received modern medical care – and certainly not hormone shots. After all, who would allow a child to redesign his or her body?” she asks.

But Spack, she wrote, has started a clinic that “is one of the few in the world to give children treatments that change their bodies.”

She reports he uses drugs to delay puberty, “granting them a few more years before they develop bodies that are decidedly male or female.”

Spack tells the interviewer he’s seen “preadolescents” who have been dressing in underwear of the opposite sex “for years.”

“The puberty-blocking drugs work best at the beginning of the pubital process, typically age 10 to 12 for a girl and 12 to 14 for a boy,” he said. He’s based some of his work on a Dutch model for sex-change, and said the recommendations there are age 16 for hormones that forever change a child’s body.

But “for others,” he wrote, “you lose opportunities if you wait. [One of my patients, a] transgendered girl from the UK, was destined to be a 6-foot-4 male. With treatment, she’s going to end up 5-foot-10.”

He said such treatments not only change the physical characteristics of the growing children, but also could leave them sterile for life.

“You have to explain to the patients that if they go ahead, they may not be able to have children. … But if you don’t start treatment, they will always have trouble fitting in,” he said.

“This isn’t conjecture,” Mass Resistance’ commentary said. “It’s happening now. And ‘transgenderism’ is being promoted to kids by homosexual/transgender activists in the public schools.”

Children as young as 12 already have been given the treatment.

Meanwhile, LifeSiteNews has reported that Spack previously acknowledged that only about 20 percent of children who claim to have a confusion over their gender hold those feelings in adulthood.

The hospital itself calls the program “unique in the Western hemisphere.”

“This will be the first major program in the country that … [is] also welcoming young people who appear to be transgendered and are considering medical protocols that might help them,” Spack said.

If you would like to sound off on this issue, participate in today’s WND Poll.

Christian Teachers and Students in Public Schools Across America Should Bring Bibles to Class — Immediately — by the Millions - Christian Newswire

Persecution of Ohio teacher for Bible on desk is opportunity to stand for truth and justice

Contact: Bob Pawson, National Coordinator, Scriptures in Schools Project, 609-610-3522, BobPawson@bringyourbible.com

MEDIA ADVISORY, April 21 /Christian Newswire/ — “The nationwide righteous anger over the persecution of Mount Vernon, Ohio public school teacher John Freshwater for daring to have a Bible on his desk should inspire millions of Christians in America’s public schools to bring in their own Bibles,” says Bob Pawson, National Coordinator of the Scriptures in Schools Project.

“Teachers, students, and support staff should immediately flood America’s public schools with Bibles. Keep Bibles in class for the remainder of the school year. Find creative ways to use Bible references to complete some homework and in-class assignments each week,” says Pawson, a Trenton, NJ public school teacher.

“Although the eleventh annual Scriptures in Schools Week is scheduled for September, Freshwater’s case has presented America’s Christians with an immediate opportunity to advance God’s Word. Inspiration and information about bringing your Bibles to school, and using Bibles appropriately in class, can be found at bringyourbible.com.”

“Bringing Bibles to public schools is totally legal. Bringing Bibles is protected by the Constitution and case law,” said Pawson, who has had a Bible on his desk for thirty-two years. Occasionally, colleagues and students borrow his Bible to look up references mentioned in their studies of topics like the Liberty Bell which has Leviticus 25:10 inscribed upon it.

Pawson spoke briefly about the issues on two live, call-in radio talk shows on Columbus, OH Christian station WRFD on Monday (4/21): Bob Burney Live and Pass the Salt hosted by Coach Dave Daubenmire. Daubenmire’s story made national headlines in the late 1990’s when he was criticized for praying with his football team.

Scriptures in Schools Week will still be held nationally this September 21-27. Summer vacation and early September are when churches, youth groups, and ministries all across America should be planning rallies, concerts, and other events leading up to both Scriptures in Schools Week and See You at the Pole on September 24.

The SIS Rally song states: “Dare to bring your Bible! Dare to bring your Bible! Dare to bring your Bible into school! Though critics say you shouldn’t, and really wish you wouldn’t, dare to bring your Bible into school! Oh, we don’t need their permission, we have the Great Commission; we speak with the Authority of Christ! And the Holy Spirit wants ev’ryone to hear it! So, dare to bring your Bible into school!”

Christians everywhere begin boycotting McDonalds

In a world where there is already enough gender confusion being thrown at our children, now one of the most prolific marketers toward children has a new item on it’s menu: Gay sex.

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According to McDonalds CEO Jim Skinner, McDonalds will aggressively promote the homosexual agenda. In remarks on McDonalds Web site concerning the company becoming a member of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce NGLCC, Skinner wrote: “Being a socially responsible organization is a fundamental part of who we are. We have an obligation to use our size and resources to make a difference in the world … and we do.”

The company gave an undisclosed amount of money to the NGLCC in return for being recognized as a major promoter of the homosexual agenda. In return, NGLCC placed Richard Ellis, vice president of communications of McDonalds USA, on the NGLCC Board of Directors.

Ellis was quoted as saying: “Im thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce team and ready to get to work. I share the NGLCCs passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community, and I look forward to playing a role in moving these important initiatives forward.”

McDonalds refused to comment to World Net Daily on the placement of its executive on the board of the “gay” advocacy organization but did send an e-mail confirming the corporations support for the agenda of the homosexual business lobby.

“McDonalds is indeed a Corporate Partner and Organizational Ally of NGLCC. Our vice president of U.S. communications, Richard Ellis, was recently elected to its board of directors,” said Heidi M. Barker, senior director of media relations for McDonalds. NGLCC describes itself as promoting the LGBT community first and always, including same sex marriage.

NGLCC gives credit to sponsors such as McDonalds for its financial and other support that helps in its work. “Through the commitment of our corporate partners, the NGLCC has been able to advance the ideas and causes of the LGBT business community,” the Chamber said.

Source: American Family Association

Hundreds of culture changers will be gathering in San Antonio on October 22-24, 2007 to discuss a replacement industry for Hollywood as part of the Third Annual Christian Filmmakers Academy. The Academy, a project of Vision Ministries is designed to give Christian filmmakers the nuts-and-bolts skills to succeed in creating films for the glory of God.

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