Federal Marriage Amendment on the ropes

Here's an article on the "Mixed Emotions" felt by Bush's Christian base.

Excerpt:

What had attendees at the Christian event most concerned, though, was their feeling that Bush was abandoning his support for a federal amendment banning gay marriage.

President Bush had certainly given them reason to at least question his commitment. Only days earlier, Bush had sounded unusually pessimistic about the prospects for the federal marriage amendment in an interview with the Washington Post.

When asked how hard he would push the amendment to ban gay marriage, he responded, “The point is that senators have made it clear that so long as DOMA [Defense of Marriage Act] is deemed constitutional, nothing will happen. I’d take their admonition seriously.”

Much to the White House’s chagrin, many base supporters appear to have taken the comment as a larger sign.

Former GOP presidential candidate Gary Bauer is at best lukewarm about President Bush at the beginning of the second administration. His expectations are low, to say the least. Conveying the feelings of many, Mr. Bauer says, “It’s almost like a woman who’s constantly disappointed with her husband or boyfriend who keeps forgetting her birthday or anniversary.”

White House officials are well aware of the disenchantment in the base. In what seemed sincere comments, one official stressed that Bush was as committed as ever to passing the marriage amendment. The White House wishes people would be a little more understanding of the uphill climb. “The amendment last time got 48 (votes). It needs 67. You do the math,” another official noted.

As a Republican, I prefer a "state" solution rather than a Federal one. If each state would protect marriage in their own constitutions, Bush wouldn't need to burn political capital that I'd rather him spend on judicial nominees. To me, there's nothing more important on Bush's agenda than conservatives on the Federal judiciary.

LJ World: Evangelicals association prepares political platform

Evangelicals association prepares political platform

I'm as Republican as they come, but I've got to agree with this excerpt:

Despite the GOP's increasing support, Clive Calver, a British citizen who led World Relief, the NAE charity arm, says it's important that the words evangelical and Republican not be interchangeable.

"When we align with one political party we get taken for granted," he says. "It is more difficult to make criticisms when appropriate, and it fails to give us the opportunity to lobby for issues that are naturally attuned to the other party."

I'd love to see an evangelical movement in the Democratic party, which would result in politicians across the political spectrum to be forced to respect our clout and positions. The worst thing would be to all be under one tent like African Americans are within the Democratic party, and be totally taken for granted.

KRA Meeting

The Kansas Republican Assembly gala was a lot of fun. There was preaching, proselytizing, and both patriotic and praise songs...it was like a very upscale camp meeting! Sen. Brownback gave a nice mini-speech in which he concluded by emploring us to do the MOST important thing-- pray! As David Limbaugh joked later, how dare he as a paid employee of the United States government encourage us to do something religious!

I was surprised, and then I wasn't, at the Christian fervor of Limbaugh. He pulled no punches and cited example after example of how the secularists are trying to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth. He repeatedly stressed how there is no such thing as a separation of church and state in the US Constitution, and our freedom of expression and freedom of religion should trump the non-existent freedom to not be offended. Our society is so obsessed with not offending people that it regularly strips away our rights of expression and religious thought.

The main point of his speech was that Christians have for too long hidden in their homes and churches and stayed away from trying to influence the culture and politics. The result is that our culture and politics were shaped by anti-Christians who were far more zealous than we. He said we must step up and influence the culture, and encourage our pastors to take the lead...and if they refuse, then take ourselves and our financial support to a church that will. If the church doesn't shape our culture in a positive way, who will?

He also quoted C.S. Lewis as saying that if Jesus wasn't the Son of God, then He was either a raving lunatic or a liar. Amen. These people who try to put Jesus in with other "philosophers" are missing it. He couldn't possibly be called just a "great teacher," because if He wasn't All-God and All-Man, then he was a fraud. But, as Limbaugh said so eloquently, what is so convincing is the messianic prophesies of the Old Testament that point to Christ's divinity and so accurately fulfills so many other truths both in the times of the New Testament and since.

Speaking of truths, he warned of the dangers of cultural relativism...where all ideas MUST be treated as equals. If all ideas are as good as others, then there can be no truth. A culture without truth will not find the correct course.

That's a lot of paraphrasing. I didn't take notes. Great stuff!

Today is the Kansas Day celebrations, and also the Topeka Cares tsunami relief event at the Ag Hall of the Kansas Expocentre. My friend Jill is in charge of that. I encourage you to go to both of these events, both on the grounds of the Expocentre, and support the Republican Party and Topeka Cares.

The evolution of science standards

Looks like the state is monkeying around with our schools' science standards again. From today's Capital Journal: Science Revisions Declined.

Excerpts:

The committee revising the state's standards for teaching science on Thursday rejected efforts to add criticisms of evolution to the standards.
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What is still unknown is how the state board will respond when it receives the final report this spring. The board could change the standards as it did in 1999, when it removed references to the age of the Earth and macroevolution, or changes from one species to another.
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The eight dissenting men split from the committee in December by issuing their own report recommending changes consistent with "intelligent design" -- the idea that life is too complicated to have been created by chance happenings and was more likely guided by an intelligent being. Evolution -- one of the main concepts in the current standards -- says species change over time, responding to environmental and genetic factors.

I'm as "creationist" as they come, but I don't mind the schools teaching evolution because, duh, that's what happens. We adapt to our environments...to me the proof of how awesome our God is. But PLEASE don't try to teach my children that any species has ever evolved into another species. There's no proof of that and that kind of argument, stated as fact, will confuse them because they'll learn one thing from us and something else from teachers they are supposed to trust.

The most interesting argument against macro-evolution that I've heard is in regards to the eyeball. If the point of evolution is to constantly adapt and make something better, what would have triggered the development of a partially functioning eyeball? What would be the point of starting to develop an eyeball that produces images that are blurry at best, only to eventually evolve into the incredible eyesight creatures all over the world are blessed with today? And, to take it further, this same process would have to miraculously repeat for each and every unrelated species of animal! What are the odds???

To me, it takes a lot more faith to believe in macro-evolution than it does to believe in intelligent design. If I didn't believe in the Creator God, I'd rather believe we are the result of a science experiment by space aliens than the result of evolution from pond scum.

Fortunately, we have elected a majority of conservatives to the state Board of Education now and the current panel's recommendations may not get very far.

Gay marriage ban advances

From today's Lawrence Journal World:

Gay marriage ban advances; debate scheduled

A quote that says it all for me:

"It doesn't take any rights away from homosexuals," said the Rev. Terry Fox, senior pastor at Wichita's Immanuel Baptist Church. "It allows democracy to work. It allows the people to weigh in on a moral issue."

The representatives of the people should allow us to have a voice on this matter. They should have approved it last time. In a representative form of government, the will of the people should match the will of their elected representatives. They know full well that the majority of Kansans would approve this amendment, but even in common-sense Kansas does political correctness trump the will of the people. Let's hope and pray this isn't the case this time.

News2Know blog

For locals who enjoy the "News You Need to Know" early show on KMAJ 1440 AM, I suggest you pay a visit to their blog: news2know.blogspot.com/.

Overturning Roe v. Wade

The ever-strident Ann Coulter penned a column marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Excerpt:

Abortion was not terribly popular when Roe v. Wade was first concocted in 1973 – by seven male justices and their mostly male law clerks. Abortion – like other liberal priorities over the years including forced busing, gay marriage and removing "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance – is an issue liberals believe is best voted on by groups of nine or fewer.

...

In the intervening 32 years, abortion has only become less popular. People have seen sonograms of smiling fetuses, they've seen the mangled remains of aborted babies, they've heard the ghastly arguments from NARAL termagants, and they've seen untold women marking the birth dates of their terminated children with weeping and despair.

In a Los Angeles Times poll a few years ago, 57 percent of respondents said they believed abortion was "murder." Seventy-two percent of women and 58 percent of men said they thought abortion should be illegal after the first trimester. (Among men currently listed on NBA rosters, the figure was even lower.)

It's always amazing to me that many of the same people I see at the grocery store, the people that root for the same Jayhawks, Chiefs and Royals as I do, the folks who live in this same great nation as I do...come to such a horrific conclusion about abortion. They justify it in the most amazingly illogical ways.

It's really quite simple.

I was adopted as an infant in 1966. Abortion was legal. My biological mother had a choice to make, and if she'd chosen abortion I wouldn't be sitting here typing at my keyboard right now...just as if someone had snuck up behind me and put a bullet in my brain yesterday. I'd be dead. Thankfully she made the choice to give birth and, at the same time, give me life. It's not a choice she should have been given, but I'm glad she made the right one.

I am glad that the abortion rate has declined. The education of America--the changing of minds and hearts--has been pretty effective. I also believe the rate of teenage pregnancy has declined. These are very good signs. However, as long as Satan rules the world and he's able to cloud the minds of otherwise normal people into thinking that killing babies is a good and justifiable outcome, we'll never have complete victory over this battle against infanticide.

David Limbaugh coming to Topeka

The Kansas Republican Assembly will feature David Limbaugh at its annual Gala on Friday, January 28th, at the Downtown Ramada Inn.

Info: http://www.ks-ra.org/

David Limbaugh is my favorite columnist, so it's a real treat to have him come to Topeka!

Topeka Ordinance on Gay Rights Back on Agenda

The Topeka City Council on Tuesday will consider an ordinance that would set a public vote on whether to prohibit the city from recognizing homosexuals as members of a protected class.

Full story here.

CWA Day

Hello friends of CWA,

We are planning a "CWA Day" at the Kansas Legislature on Tuesday, February 1, 2005. This is the day that many pastors are also planning to be at the Capitol.

Our goal for the day is to help constituents "build a bridge" to their legislators. Many people care about their legislators, pray for them, and contact them regularly. Others feel somewhat intimidated by the whole state government "thing." We want to give you a fairly low-key,
low-pressure opportunity to visit with your legislator and to let them know what values you, as a CWA member, want to see encouraged in our state government.

Come and bring a friend, or bring a carload!

We will be there from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. We will have a table in the rotunda with CWA information, legislator information, room numbers, etc.

If the marriage amendment has not passed, we would like you to encourage your legislator to vote FOR the amendment. If it has already passed, we will have some other issue that you may talk to your legislator about. We will have copies of talking points that you can leave with your
legislator.

We hope that a lot of CWA members can be there. We want you to meet your legislators, and we want to meet you, too. We appreciate all of the prayer support, financial support, and grassroots support you provide, and this will give us an opportunity to thank you.

If you can come, we ask you to do 2 things.
1 - Reply to this message, and let us know how many are coming.
2 - Call and try to make an appointment with your legislator. The Captitol Switchboard number is 785-296-0111. If you can't, that's OK. You can still drop by the office and leave some information.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask by replying to this e-mail, or call 913-642-1274.

Thanks,
CWA of Kansas

Response from Lana Gordon

I wrote to my state House Rep, Lana Gordon, regarding the Marriage Amendment. She has voted against the Marriage Amendment before, but I tried again. Here is her--once again--disappointing response:

I really appreciate your comments. I can assure you that I do not take this vote lightly. I have done much research and soul searching to come to my decision.

I am in total agreement that marriage is the union of 1 man and 1 woman. I do not, in any way, support same sex marriage.

I believe that the Constitution was designed to limit the power of government and protect the rights of the people. I do not believe that changing our State's Constitution is the appropriate place to preserve the sanctity of marriage-that is why we have statutory laws. I strongly support the Kansas Defense of Marriage Act.

I share your concerns for family values-they are the foundation of our society. Although we view this from different perspectives, we share a common goal.

Thanks for writing-

Lana Gordon

KMA going to House

A message from Concerned Women of America of Kansas:

Next week SCR 1601, the Kansas marriage amendment, is on schedule to be discussed in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee. Those supporting the amendment will be given time to speak on Tuesday, January 25th and opponents will speak on January 26th. It is important to get this legislation passed through the committee with NO amendments, so that it will not have to go back to the Senate for approval. If passed by the committee, it will be placed on the House agenda for consideration. If passed by a 2/3 majority, it will be placed on the April 2005 ballot for the people to decide.

It is imperative that you call your OWN representative, and the following House Federal and State Affairs Committee members if you have not already done so. Some legislators, it is reported, do not even look at their e-mails, so we're asking you to make a call this time.

Capitol Switchboard: 785-295-0111

Ask for your legislator and you will be connected to their office. Identify yourself as one of their constituents and politely ask them to support the marriage amendment in its present form with NO AMENDMENTS.

Ask them to give the people of Kansas a chance to vote on this important issue. Some legislators will give you reasons that may seem reasonable; continue to ask them to let the people decide. Re-state your case politely by emphasizing that marriage is the most important institution and that protecting marriage is good for the state and for families. Ask them to strengthen marriage, not weaken it.

Thanks,
CWA of Kansas

Marriage Amendment status in Kansas House

From: Bob Hanson; One Voice Kansas (www.onevoiceks.org)

At this writing, the marriage amendment will not be voted on by the House this week. The bill has been sent to the House State and Federal Affairs Committee which will be holding hearings next week.

Proponents will speak in favor of the bill on Tuesday, Jan. 25th in room 313 South (at the Capitol) at 1:30. Opponents will address the committee on Wed. The vote on the floor of the House will take place until it comes out of committee - sometime after the hearings.

Reasonable folks are unreasonable

A nice article on the rise of reason and the decline of faith can be found here.

An excerpt:

"...the era that began the modern Western assault on Judeo-Christian values is known as the Age of Reason. That age ushered in the modern secular era, a time when the men of "the Enlightenment" hoped they would be liberated from the superstitious shackles of religious faith and rely on reason alone. Reason, without God or the Bible, would guide them into an age of unprecedented moral greatness.

As it happened, the era following the decline of religion in Europe led not to unprecedented moral greatness, but to unprecedented cruelty, superstition, mass murder and genocide. But believers in reason without God remain unfazed. Secularists have ignored the vast amount of evidence showing that evil on a grand scale follows the decline of Judeo-Christian religion."

I think the big problem with using reason alone as your moral compass is that we all tend to use reason to justify our own bad behaviors. We've done it since we were kids. "It's not so bad...everybody's doing it!" In my brief 38 years on this earth, I've seen a steep moral decline as our society reasons itself into decadence and depravity. My conclusion is that "reason"able people are most unreasonable, because they fail to acknowledge the God of creation and the Jesus Christ who taught about true righteous living.

None of us can live up to Jesus' example, but in striving to do so we can still make this world a better place. And that seems reasonable to me.

Kansans for Life Rally

Kansans for Life Rally at Capitol on January 21

Kansans for Life will hold a “Rally for Life” on Friday, January 21, at the State Capitol Building in Topeka. Registration will be from 8-10 a.m. at the first floor rotunda.

Pro-Life exhibits and capitol tours from the rotunda will be available all day.

Citizen lobbying of legislators, Senate and House sessions will be done during the day and the Rally for Life on the south steps of the Capitol starts at 10:30 a.m.

Lunch will be served from 11:30-1:30 p.m. at Assumption Church (north of capitol building) basement followed by a 12 noon mass.

Workshops at the Capitol are 1:45 and 3:00 p.m.

Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act

Dear friends,

Medical evidence has proven that unborn babies do indeed feel pain, and through this legislation, abortionists would be required to inform expectant mothers of this fact.

If passed into law, we believe hundreds--if not thousands--of unborn babies will be saved!

This is a crucial opportunity that demands your immediate attention. Please click below for more information:

http://www.cfra.info/183/petition.asp?PID=7719049&NID=1

~Talon

Unborn babies feel pain

From the CENTER FOR RECLAIMING AMERICA

Your Immediate Action is Requested!

Medical evidence is now overwhelming--unborn babies do indeed feel pain. That means that during an abortion, a baby is in agony during his or her futile struggle to stay alive!

With this scientific proof in hand, it is time for the pro-life community to rise up and ensure that pregnant women know this truth by petitioning Congress to pass the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.

+ + Tell Mothers the Truth About Fetal Pain + +

Abortionists do not want pregnant women to know that their babies experience excruciating pain during an abortion. Sadly, a federal judge recently called a baby’s pain "irrelevant."

Now that we know the scientific truth, we want to enact a law requiring abortionists to inform all women considering an abortion after 20 weeks gestation the truth about their baby's capacity to feel pain.

We believe--as do the abortionists--that if such a bill passes into law and women know that their babies suffer as they die, many will reconsider and turn back. The truth of the pain abortion causes could save many lives!

+ + 100,000 Petitions Needed in 30 Days + +

With a new, decidedly pro-life Congress in place, hope for passage of such a bill has never been more promising!

That is why the Center is calling on the pro-life community in our nation to sign our national petition supporting the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.

Please take action with us and be among the very first to sign your name to this petition by clicking here:

http://www.cfra.info/183/petition.asp?RID=5845857

Over the next 30 days, we want to rally at least 100,000 citizens, and present these petitions directly to Congress, urging them to give their full support to passage of this bill.

We must not squander this opportunity to save hundreds-- potentially thousands--of unborn babies each year through this legislation.

That is why throughout the month of January, the Center is dedicating its resources to LIFE--with a major emphasis on exposing the plight of the unborn.

As Center Executive Director Dr. Gary Cass asked during a recent Right to Life breakfast: "What have you done to stop the flow of innocent babies' blood from running down the sewers in your community?"

You can petition Congress by adding your name to this
important petition:

http://www.cfra.info/183/petition.asp?RID=5845857

Thank you for standing with the unborn.

D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
Founder
CENTER FOR RECLAIMING AMERICA

Kansas Marriage Amendment

URGENT ALERT!
Call your Kansas Senator and urge him or her to protect the institution of marriage. The Senate will be voting THIS WEEK on the Marriage Amendment. It is essential that you call them TODAY!!! To find your
Senator:
http://www.kslegislature.org and click on "Senate Roster" Pro-family friends: As we stood on the second floor of the dome listening to speeches urging the Legislature to pass a Marriage Amendment to the Kansas Constitution, I was struck by several things: First, the name of Jesus Christ was invoked again and again in the speeches and I could feel the spiritual atmosphere change in that place in which much spiritual darkness dwells . . . not in people, but in the atmosphere around them. Secondly, I saw pastors . . . a lot of them . . . at the Capitol, standing up for God's first institution and my heart was thankful. Our prayer has been that the church would wake up and see the cultural carnage and they would take the lead. Thirdly, I saw men there . . . men are the spiritual leaders of our families and they were there with their families, taking that lead. I saw the other side there too; some heckling, but most exercising their constitutional right to express their opinion. We may not agree with them, but we are called to live at peace with all men insofar as it is possible. I was convicted by the deception that has overtaken those in the homosexual lifestyle and I was moved to pray for them...I was reminded that as Paul says to the Corinthians when he admonished them to flee immorlity that they had been there once themselves and had been freed from the deception. God is calling out to the body of Christ to stand firm. We are going to need much help in the next two months to protect the institution of marriage . . . a union of one man and one woman. Stay alert and act as if our society depended on it, because it does.

In Him,
Judy Smith
State Director
Concerned Women for America of Kansas