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News You Can Use from The Family Research Council 6/12/15
This is Ray Mossholder and this is the news.
Dissent Leads to Descent of Abortion
by Tony Perkins, Family Research Council
Liberals have done everything they can to make abortion more appealing. They’ve added spa robes and hot tea. They made it available on Skype, by carry-out, through pills. They’ve recruited celebrities to gush that its providers are “really, truly, no-kidding awesome.” As the Washington Post said, “…Activists are seeking to normalize abortion, to put a human face — and even a positive spin — on the procedure.”
Unfortunately for them, there already is a human face on the procedure: the baby’s. And no amount of Planned Parenthood gift certificates or Black Friday abortion dealscan lessen the real cost in people’s minds. After years of changing opinion, monsters like Kermit Gosnell only cemented what most Americans already knew — there’s nothing compassionate about “choice.”
Now, decades after Roe v. Wade, fewer women are exercising the “right” the Supreme Court found in the shadows of the Constitution. In fact, abortion isn’t just in decline — but in a freefall, dropping 12 percent nationwide since 2010. A new AP report makes matters even more interesting, explaining that the dip isn’t just in states with new pro-life laws — but almost all states. (Of the states that reported, only Michigan and Louisiana’s abortions ticked up.) In places like Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma, where legislators raced to protect women and make clinics more accountable, abortion plunged by at least 15 percent — a remarkable shift in just five years. Even liberal bastions like New York, Washington, and Oregon experienced similar slides, leading the Left to credit things like contraception and radical sex ed.
But researcher Michael New doesn’t buy it. An expert on the causal relationship between pro-life laws and abortion, New says the media is missing the big story here. “A better explanation is the fact that a considerably smaller percentage of women with unintended pregnancies are having abortions [down from 54% in 1995 to 40% in 2008]… The Associated Press article does not even consider this as a possibility.”
In fact, he says, “long-term abortion trends receive relatively little coverage from the mainstream media.” Why? Because they’re a dramatic picture of the pro-life swing taking place in America. “Few Americans know that the number of abortions performed in the United States peaked in 1990 and has declined by approximately 34% since that time. Through offering alternatives to women facing unplanned pregnancies, enacting legislation, and shifting public opinion, pro-life efforts have succeeded.”
Even the most aggressive pro-abortion administration in history can’t compete with the technology, truth, and tenacity of the pro-life movement. For thousands of women, the window into the womb from sonograms and ultrasounds is the only persuasion they need to keep their babies. Combine that with the thriving network of pregnancy care centers and motivated lawmakers, and abortion activists are at a severe disadvantage.
In three years — 2011, 2012, and 2013 — states enacted more pro-life laws (205) than in the entire previous decade combined (which, even the Left admits, has “a real impact on women seeking abortion care”). And you don’t need a Gallup poll to show you what the March for Life recently did — Americans, especially young ones, are increasingly pro-life. So while the Left may argue the means, there’s no disputing the ends: abortion is losing its grip on America.
If it’s a citizenship test, then the United States failed. That’s what Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) is telling new Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. As part of the naturalization exam that prospective immigrants take, it seems the government has made a few edits to the First Amendment — namely that it no longer protects the freedom of religion — but “freedom of worship,” a far less expansive interpretation than the one the Founders intended.
In a letter Senator Marco Rubio sent to Johnson, the Oklahoma conservative calls on DHS to correct the error. “The freedom of religion is much more than just the freedom of worship,” he argues. “Worship confines you to a location. Freedom of religion is the right to exercise your religious beliefs — it is the ability for Americans to live out their faith or to choose to have no faith at all.” According to the Daily Signal, the change was made seven years ago when the Office of Citizenship was “advised that the word ‘worship’ was more inclusive than the word ‘religion."”
Sound familiar? It should. The Obama administration has effectively done a find/replace in almost every speech the President has given on the subject, intentionally diminishing the liberty Americans have. In so doing, he’s helped pave the way for the flood of persecution now hammering Christian businesses, charities, service members, athletes, celebrities, teachers and others hurt by this narrow understanding of our first freedom. The government’s narrow “freedom of worship” would have us pack up our Christian symbols, our biblical beliefs, and our free speech, and stash them in the church, where they hope to quarantine them. “Our Constitution is clear — Americans have the freedom of religion. The naturalization test and its corresponding materials must be equally clear…[S]aying that ‘freedom of worship’ is more inclusive than ‘freedom of religion’ flies in the face of a pillar upon which our entire nation was founded.”
Ironically, the freedom of religion is precisely why so many people want to become U.S. citizens, as they flee countries that punish the expressions of their beliefs. America should embrace the proud tradition of religious expression — not suppress it. Let’s hope that more leaders take Senator Lankford’s cue to fight for exactly that.
Numb and Numbers… More Polls, Less Certainty on Marriage
The jury is literally out on same-sex “marriage,” but more pollsters than ever want to hear from the court of public opinion. Pew Research Center is one of dozens of survey houses trying to nail down people’s opinions before the Supreme Court releases its own. In its latest edition, the organization claims support for redefining marriage is the highest it’s recorded — with 57 percent in favor. Still, large majorities of evangelicals and Republicans remain passionately opposed — at rates that are largely unchanged over time. African Americans are also strongly against redefining marriage (with only 41 percent in support).
Of course, the irony of these results is that Pew just released a study on the incredible disparity of same-sex/LGBT polling numbers, and how the questioning and methodology for asking matters. In the secrecy of the ballot booth — and online questions — natural marriage picks up as many as 14 points. That’s significant.
As Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) pointed out in an interview with CBN, this all points back to the intimidation factor becoming more of a problem — not just practically, but for pollsters trying to accurately capture society’s views on the issues. “If you think about it, we are at the water’s edge of the argument that mainstream Christian teaching is hate speech,” he said. “Because today we’ve reached the point in our society where if you do not support same-sex marriage you are labeled a homophobe and a hater.”
But despite reality TV and Hollywood’s relentless attack on biblical morality, God has not changed His view or His word. Even if the culture changes, right and wrong haven’t. As Bible-believing Christians continue to hold fast to the truth of God’s word in the face of this radical sexual revolution, watch as the disdain for these believers and the Bible grows, just as Jesus warned (John 17:14).
** For more on the potential fallout of the Supreme Court ruling this month, check out Travis Weber’s new CNSNews.com piece, “Same-sex Marriage Threatens Tax Exempt Status of Educational Institutions.” Also, don’t miss Ken Blackwell’s latest take on the Middle East, “Let’s Bring the Voice of the Iranian People into Our Iran Policy” over at Townhall.
This morning, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) shed his candidate hat and took on another campaign: chief sponsor of the five-month abortion ban. It’s a role Senator Graham knows well, having introduced the same legislation last spring — under slightly different circumstances. This time around, the southern conservative has a GOP majority to give him what Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) wouldn’t: a vote.
After a convincing 242-184 win in the House, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act sailed into the Senate with the country’s support firmly behind it! As many as 84% of people throw their support behind measures that stop abortion after the first three months of pregnancy — and that includes a majority of women!
Unfortunately, that 84% doesn’t include President Obama, who stubbornly opposes any common-sense limit on abortion. Apparently, the White House wants to keep America in the company of the seven nations in the world who allow abortion at any time and for any reason after five months. As far as human rights go, the fewer things the U.S. has in common with the evil regimes of North Korea and China the better. It’s time for us, as Americans, to leave this club of seven.
Earlier today, at Graham’s Capitol Hill news conference (scroll down for video), I thanked the senator and his colleagues for their commitment to bringing the U.S. in line — not just with the vast majority of nations who protect life, but with Americans’ views. Despite what the Left would have you believe, the science of pain is not up for debate. Medical experts have testified that unborn children can feel excruciating pain as early as four and a half months after fertilization. As Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand testified before Congress: ‘The human fetus possesses the ability to experience pain from 20 weeks gestation, if not earlier and the pain perceived by the fetus is possibly more intense than that perceived by term newborns or children.”
Why would medical textbooks and professionals decide that fetal anesthesia is needed for surgical procedures in the womb if it weren’t for the presence and experience of pain in these little patients? Still, Senate Democrats insist on living in denial on the facts and the popularity of the bill. “They can do whatever they want. We’re ready for them,”Minority Leader Reid told reporters flippantly. “I don’t think it’s the right thing to do, and I don’t think it helps them politically.” But as the leader of the party who lost control of Congress, I’m not sure Reid is in a position to offer political advice.
Meanwhile, President Obama has threatened to veto S. 1553 despite telling the Catholic Health Association earlier this week that he has “a shared belief that every human being, made in the image of God, deserves to live in dignity; that all children, no matter who they are or where they come from or how much money they were born into, ought to have the opportunity to achieve their God-given potential.” That opportunity begins with life. It’s time for the President to bring his policies in line with his political rhetoric and fight for the dignity of every child.
Berger’s Beef on Conscience Pays off!
The last state to protect marriage is also the first one to defend its state officials! In a gigantic victory for religious liberty, the North Carolina legislature put Governor Pat McCrory (R) in his place, overriding his ridiculous veto of conscience protections for magistrates. With three votes to spare, the General Assembly kicked off this morning’s business by making faith-based exemptions law for state officials with deeply-held religious beliefs on marriage.
Under S.B. 2, magistrates can excuse themselves from performing same-sex “marriages,” as long as they opt out of all marriages for six months. It was the best solution to a bad situation after judges struck down the state’s wildly popular marriage amendment. Now, thanks to the work of Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest (R), Senate sponsor Phil Berger (R), House Speaker Tim Moore, the North Carolina Family Policy Council, FRC friend and pastor Dr. Mark Harris, and our culture impact teams across North Carolina, the state finally stood up to the anti-faith bullies and gave legal cover to anyone with objections to same-sex “marriage.” Together, the coalition flooded members’ offices with support for the bill. And according to Pastor Harris, it made all the difference.
The bill’s fate was in doubt as recently as last week, when Assembly leaders were desperately trying to get more members on board. “Evidently,” Harris explained, “the calls made an impact, because some legislators who voted initially against it and/or were wavering on what to do with the veto, simply were not present for the vote. This, of course, adjusted the needed votes in favor since three-fifths of those present were needed to override.”
In the end, conservatives prevailed 69-41, foiling the governor and rebuking the Left’s attempts at political correctness. “Our members have worked together very well,” a happy Sen. Berger told reporters. “They have been able to kind of work out whatever differences there are, and present a uniform front. I think when you have an organization and a legislative body that functions that way, it has an ability to be very effective.” For the court’s victims, like North Carolina, laws like this protect the freedom to believe, “while also,” Moore explained, “ensuring that magistrates are available in all jurisdictions to perform lawful marriages.”
Absolutely nothing about the proposal is discriminatory. Couples can still wed — they just can’t strong-arm Christians to officiate. “We are a nation and state of laws,” McCrory had argued. He’s right — but that law includes the First Amendment, which SB 2 defends. Our biggest thanks and congratulations to Pastor Harris and our culture impact teams throughout the state for a job well done!
When Iraqi Christians were driven out of cities like Mosul and Baghdad, they dreamed of returning home. Now, at least in Baghdad, most won’t have a home to come back to! In a stunning twist to the devastating stories of so many Iraqis, it seems ISIS has “illegally seized” about 70% of the capital’s Christian homes, according to a member of the city’s municipal council.
“These houses belonged to Christians who fled from Baghdad, seeking refuge from violent attacks targeting them and their homes. The title deed documents have been falsified and the new title deeds have been lodged with the real estate registry. Many properties had been given illegally to other Iraqi citizens.” One of the NGOs stationed in the area confirmed the reports, saying, “Most of the Christian who left Iraq for Europe had their homes stolen. Since then, their ownership was transferred, and the homes are now occupied by militia commanders and politicians in or close to power.”
Unfortunately, Iraqi Christians aren’t the only ones anxious to get home. So is American Christian Saeed Abedini. The U.S. citizen, who remains in the worst prison in Iran for his faith, has now been “viciously beaten” and attacked by his fellow prisoners, his wife Naghmeh reports. Calling it “heartbreaking,” Naghmeh again pleaded for help for her husband — just a week after testifying before Congress to ask for his release. “Saeed’s life is continuously threatened, not only because he is an American, but also because he is a convert from Islam to Christianity. It’s time to get Saeed home before it is too late.”
Despite the intense persecution, President Obama has yet to make good on his assurances to the Abedini family that he would do everything to free America’s own. Instead, Pastor Saeed’s plight — like that of so many Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East — continues to rank a distant second to the administration’s only cause: the international promotion of homosexuality.
As former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Paul Bremer warned, “A lot of words from [President Obama] aren’t going to change history’s judgment.” We can only hope that a lot of our prayers can change the Middle East’s judgment for Christians.
News You Can Use from The Family Research Council 6/12/15
News You Can Use from The Family Research Council 6/12/15
