Anti-Christian/Pro-Islam Bias
in American Society Today

In God We Trust Christianity is not only unfashionable, it is apparently on its way to becoming illegal!  On the other hand, hardly anyone seems to object to humanism, paganism or witchcraft, especially as depicted in the movies or on television.  Nor does anyone dare to suggest that Islam is not the "religion of peace" that the news media constantly says it is.

Other subtopics:

Public Display of The Ten Commandments and our national motto.

Anti-Christmas and Anti-Anti-Christmas Sentiment.

The ACLU's disruption of traditional American culture.

Theocracy is an alarmist code word for any expression of Christianity on public property.

Separation of Church and State.

Religious Studies Exit the Schools.

Is the United States a Christian country?


"These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own."

— G.K. Chesterton                                


Will the Last Religious Politician Please Turn Out the Lights?  If at one time being a member of a church was almost a requirement for anyone running for office, that time has long since passed.  These days, portraying a candidate as a "fine, upstanding Christian" is enough to send any potential office seeker to the political graveyard.  Due to constant stereotyping by liberals, such a description now conjures an image that is a combination of Boss Hogg, Huey Long, and Elmer Gantry.  The result, among others, is that the openly Christian candidate is out of favor with the political establishment here and abroad.

Christianity & gun owners in the crosshairs: Chilling tactic exposed.  If you are an outspoken Christian in America, you need to be concerned.  If you are an outspoken Christian in America who happens to be a gun owner, you need to be very concerned.  And if you are a Christian gun owner who disagrees with the Progressive anti-Christian agenda in America and have a platform to inform others, you better believe that you are under intense scrutiny. [...] It appears the war against freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, openly professing one's belief in God and the right to bear arms is now sufficient to earn you a medical diagnosis of "psychosis."

'American Idol': Worship Obama, Not Jesus Christ.  Contestant Elise Testone on Fox's fading pop star showcase "American Idol" sang a duet of sorts with Obama this week as part of her cover performance of the Al Green classic "Let's Stay Together."  Just imagine anything of the sort being done with former President George W. Bush.  Impossible, we know.  But now word is out that a spiritual "Idol" wannabe has been told in no uncertain terms by the producers not to sing the praises of Jesus Christ, according to The Daily News.

Indiana congressman joins food fight after pantry loses federal items over prayer'.  An Indiana congressman is looking into possible "misinterpretation" of federal guidelines after a local food pantry was cut off from federal aid for asking clients to pray, FoxNews.com has learned.  Todd Young, a Republican congressman serving Indiana's 9th District, has contacted state officials regarding Community Provisions of Jackson County, a food pantry in Seymour whose director, Paul Brock, insists he will not stop asking clients if they want to pray with him or one of its 45 volunteers when they receive food.

Air Force Removes 'God' From Logo.  A Virginia lawmaker is calling on the Air Force to reverse a decision to remove a Latin reference to "God" from a logo after an atheist group complained.  Rep. Randy Forbes, (R-VA), said the Air Force removed the logo several weeks ago from the Rapid Capabilities Office.

GOP lawmakers protest removal of 'God' from Air Force unit's patch.  A group of Republican lawmakers is protesting the removal a reference to God in the patch logo for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO).  The 35 lawmakers, led by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), wrote a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz urging them to restore the logo with a reference to God.

Gideon New Testaments at N.C. School Raise Ire of "Pagan" Mom.  A mother in North Carolina complained to her local school district after her son came home with a New Testament, telling her that he got it for free at his school. ... Jan Blunt, a spokeswoman for the school, said that no announcement was made over the school's loudspeaker, and no Gideon representatives were allowed to interact with students.  "They don't talk with students," Blunt told the Citizen-Times.  "They're not allowed to make a presentation.  They quite literally drop off a box and leave them there.  They are not handed out at all."

The convert-or-die religion expects tolerance.
 CAIR pressures retired general, critic of Islam, to back out of West Point event.  The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Monday night [1/30/2012] that it had successfully prevented retired Lieutenant General William G. "Jerry" Boykin from speaking at an upcoming prayer breakfast at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  "We welcome Mr. Boykin's withdrawal from this event and hope that the speaker who replaces him will offer cadets a spiritual message that promotes tolerance and mutual understanding," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement.

Free speech — for some.  According to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), there is a grave threat to America that must be suppressed at all costs.  The threat is that Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin might be allowed to exercise his constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech.  This proposition is bizarre on multiple levels.  For one, Gen. Boykin, who is a friend and greatly admired colleague of mine, is one of the United States' most accomplished and decorated military heroes. ... For another, Gen. Boykin is also an ordained minister.

Delta Force Hero Can't Speak at West Point Because of his Christian Beliefs.  A three-star Army general and war hero cannot speak at West Point because he's an outspoken Christian.  So the Obama administration's hostility toward religion — and especially Christians — continues even to the detriment of our men and women in uniform. ... Evidently it's not politically correct to suggest that blowing up children is the devil's work.  After heavy pressure, General Boykin chose to withdraw.  This soldier fears no foe, but the situation evolved in a direction where his message of faith and courage would be overshadowed by controversy to the possible detriment of the West Point cadets.

Blacklist.  It often is said that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and Marines serve to "protect our freedoms" and "defend our liberties."  All true.  Now consider what took place this week at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Pays Homage to Obama — But Not Jesus.  The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama, but includes no ornament readily visible to a person standing near the tree's base that uses the word "Christmas," or includes an image of the Nativity, or bears the name or image of Jesus Christ.  On the north side of the tree — at a height of about 4 feet and easily visible to people standing near it — there is an ornament that says:  "I ♥ President Obama."

12 New Jersey Nurses Stand Up to Obama's Abortion Crusade.  A dozen nurses in New Jersey are fighting for the right not to have to participate in abortions.  Under a new hospital policy, nurses in the "same-day surgery unit" at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey must participate in elective abortion cases even against their personal religious or moral objections.  If ever there was a violation of conscience rights, this is it.

Air Force Suspends 20-Year-Old Class for Containing Bible Verses.  A Texas senator wants the U.S. Air Force to provide a detailed report on why they suspended a course that included passages from the Bible.  Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sent a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley asking why a "Just War Theory" class taught at Vandenberg Air Force Base was removed from the curriculum on Aug. 3.  "Suspending a course like this because of references to religious texts misrepresents the First Amendment," Cornyn wrote in a letter.

High court denies appeal of church ban at public schools.  After more than 16 years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court ended an appeal of a ban on churches renting out public schools with a simple word:  "denied."  The high court, in rejecting the church's appeal in Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York, affirmed New York City's ban on renting out public school facilities for religious worship services.  The schools can rent out their facilities to any other organization as long as it is not conducting "religious worship services."  The board charges a nominal fee to groups using its facilities, not full rent.

Atheist Leader Complains About U.S. Troops Praying Together Before Combat Mission.  The man pushing to get the military to install "atheist chaplains" in the armed forces told government-subsidized National Public Radio that military officers should not be praying with their men before going out on missions.  Jason Torpy, president of the Military Atheists and Free Thinkers Association, told "All Things Considered" over the weekend about an incident in 2003 or 2004, in which his commander gathered his team together to pray before the Army unit deployed — rather than make preparations for the mission.

U.S. Military to Rescind Policy Banning Bibles at Hospital.  Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said they are rescinding a policy that prohibits family members of wounded military troops from bringing Bibles or any religious reading materials to their loved ones.  The decision to rescind the ban on Bibles came exactly one day after a Republican lawmaker denounced the policy on the House floor and called on President Obama to publicly renounce the military policy.

FRC Requests Communications About Walter Reed Bible Ban.  Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins submitted a letter to the Department of the Navy yesterday requesting records of communications regarding a policy memo issued by Walter Reed Military Medical Center that would restrict the distribution of religious materials including Bibles to patients by their families.  This request was made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Feds' War on Religion.  It's one thing to watch "merry Christmas" be omitted from signs in your favorite department store but quite another to see Bibles withheld from wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  It's true!  On Dec. 2, the Family Research Council reported that it had discovered a memo released in September at the esteemed military hospital, in which Navy officials announced that "no religious items (including Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit."

It was all just a miscommunication.  Yeah, right.
 Walter Reed accidentally bans Bibles.  The medical center rescinded the policy in early December after the Family Research Council brought it to the attention of several members of Congress who then contacted Walter Reed.  "It should have been more thoroughly reviewed," Dean said.  But FRC President Tony Perkins is skeptical.  "If you can't get it right in a memo [from the commander], who can you trust?" he said.

California Community Backs Down on Action Against Couple Holding Home Bible Study.  The community of San Juan Capistrano, California, has backed down from ticketing a couple for holding Bible studies in their home after the couple's attorneys filed a religious-freedom lawsuit against the city.  Back in September, city officials had fined Chuck and Stephanie Fromm $300 after determining that the couple was in violation of a municipal code that prohibited "religious, fraternal, or non-profit" groups to meet in residential neighborhoods without a permit.

What the Tolerant Must Tolerate:  To be a serious Christian in modern Western culture is to be the favoured easy target of every progressive thinker and every half-witted comedian.  It is to have your sensibilities and your deepest beliefs on perpetual call for taunts, mockery and desecration.  At a time when all progressives preach full volume for inclusivity and sensitivity, for the utmost care in speech when speaking of others with differing views or hues, Christians, as Christians, are under a constant hail of abuse and disregard.  There is nothing too low or too vulgar.

Obama Leaves God Out of Thanksgiving Address.  President Obama did not include any reference to God during his weekly address titled, "On Thanksgiving, Grateful for the Men and Women Who Defend Our Country."  His remarks were void of any religious references although Thanksgiving is a holiday traditionally steeped in giving thanks and praise to God.  The president said his family was "reflecting on how truly lucky we truly are."  For many Americans, though, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on how blessed and thankful they are.

President Obama left someone out of his Thanksgiving message.  Read Lincoln's Thanksgiving message, and then compare it to Obama's 2011 Thanksgiving message.

if you haven't noticed, Obama wants no association with Christianity.

ACLU Demands Halt to Prayer at Private Nebraska Graduation Ceremony.  The ACLU's Nebraska franchise is demanding that a school district in that state put a stop to prayer at its high school graduation, even though the ceremony is sponsored and run privately by parents.

De-Christianizing Dr. King.  On the surface, I suppose it does sound incredible:  they created a monument to honor an influential Baptist minister and they omitted any reference to God or Jesus in the featured quotations throughout the memorial. ... Perhaps the argument is that Biblical references were rejected because the memorial was to focus not on his work as a pastor, but rather as a civil rights crusader.  But then again, to Dr. King, the two were inseparable.  It was his faith in Jesus Christ, his belief in transcendent Moral Authority, and his allegiance to Divine Law that motivated his activism.  Not to mention that his civil rights speeches were peppered with Scriptural references as the justification for his positions.

Chaplain who prayed 'in Jesus' name' sues over dismissal.  The U.S. Navy chaplain who was removed from the service for disobeying a "lawful" order banning prayer "in Jesus' name" has filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking reinstatement and damages.

True Liberty in a New Media Age.  The policies and practices of several major Internet-interactive "new media" communications platforms and service providers were examined and evaluated in order to determine the risk of those entities committing anti-Christian viewpoint censorship.  The companies reviewed were:  Apple and its iTunes App Store; Facebook; MySpace; Google; Twitter; and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon.  Our conclusion is that Christian ideas and other religious content face a clear and present danger of censorship on web-based communication platforms.

Why Young Americans Can't Think Morally.  Last week, David Brooks of The New York Times wrote a column on an academic study concerning the nearly complete lack of a moral vocabulary among most American young people. ... What is disconcerting about Brooks' piece is that nowhere in what is an important column does he mention the reason for this disturbing trend — namely, secularism.  The intellectual class and the left still believe that secularism is an unalloyed blessing.  They are wrong.  Secularism is good for government.  But it is terrible for society (though still preferable to bad religion) and for the individual.

The Religious Left's Commemoration of 9-11:  Of course, the Religious Left commemorated the decade anniversary of 9-11 with the usual apologies for America and Christianity while carefully avoiding critique of the virulent Islamist hatred behind the attacks.  Many of the Religious Left events were blandly multi-faith...

Lukewarm Christians welcome, but...
 Evangelicals excluded from Washington National Cathedral's 9/11 commemoration.  Another day, another religious sensitivity concern, as the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks inches ever closer.  While New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided to exclude all religion from his city's remembrance ceremonies, in our nation's capital the Washington National Cathedral commemoration's organizers have decided to exclude evangelical Christianity.

The anti-God squad.  That popping noise you just heard is the sound of liberal heads exploding.  Because, to the secularists on the left, there's nothing humorous about religion — it's the most dangerous force on earth.  The Constitution explicitly states, "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."  Yet some "progressives" are keen to take down Republican presidential candidates for the crime of being Christian.

In England, it's just as bad.
 The BBC's edict on how we date events is AD (absolute drivel).  We have all been brought up to imagine that the reason we call this year 2011 AD, or Anno Domini, is that it is 2011 years after the putative birth of Jesus Christ.  We have grown up thinking that the year 2011 BC is so called because it was 2011 years Before Christ.  As it happens we are absolutely correct in both beliefs. ... But it now turns out that some BBC committee or hierarch has decided that this nativity — notional or otherwise — can no longer be referred to by our state-funded broadcaster, in identifying whether a year is before or after the, ahem, cough, event in question.

TX County Clerk Faces Prison for Standing Up for Prayer, Pledge.  Court Clerk Natalie Nichols could face a grand jury after she took a public stand for prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.  After a judge physically crossed out the prayer and Pledge in a writeup of monthly meeting minutes, Nichols demanded answers.

National Cemetery's Anti-Religious Policy Is an Injustice.  On the day of the service, there were full military honors with the Patriot Guard lining the streets and the military color guard with the full 21-gun salute.  Military was an important part of this family.  Religion was also important to them, so their pastor was on hand to conduct a religious service.  Unfortunately, in my hometown of Houston, freedom of speech and religion have recently come under attack by none other than the federal government.  This authoritarian behavior and attack on the First Amendment rights of our veterans is deeply troubling.

VA changes position pastor's invoking 'Jesus' in public prayer.  Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs informed a federal judge in Houston today the agency has reconsidered its position on religious-specific prayer at Houston National Cemetery, agreeing a pastor can utter "Jesus Christ" during his Memorial Day prayer.

The Danger in Severing God from America's Identity.  It is beyond dispute that there is a link between socialism and American progressivism.  Both flawed ideologies are predicated upon the soundness of a large and powerful government designed to disperse the fruits of labor by seizing means and property from the productive.  And as many conservatives are quick to point out, nothing could be more antithetical to the ideals scribed in the Constitution.  But beyond the insidious application of socialism under the less condemning titles of "progressivism" and "social justice," the liberal left poses another threat to America that is less defended.  It has, for over a century, laid perpetual siege upon Christianity, seeking to excise all Christian influence from American government and its institutions piecemeal, from banning prayer in schools to seeking taxpayer-funded abortions.

Did the United States Navy Pray for Allah to Forgive Osama bin Laden?  At his blog, Andrew Bostom reviews a Washington Times report that strongly suggests Osama bin Laden was, prior to burial at sea, given a funeral in accordance with the navy's protocols for funerals for Muslim military personnel.  If this is so, it would have entailed the ceremonial washing and wrapping of the corpse by another Muslim — symbolic of the cleansing away of the decedent's sins.  Those gathered at the service, presumably naval and other U.S. government personnel aboard the ship, would then have been required to face Mecca as Islamic prayers were recited...

Did Naval Burial Ceremony Confer Pardon and Paradise on the Muslim Mass Murderer?  Anneke Green has a disturbing analysis in the Washington Times which indicates the very likely specifics of the burial ceremony aboard the USS Carl Vinson — repeatedly noted by witless counter-terrorism czar John Brennan to be in strict "conformance to Islamic requirements" — for pious Muslim jihadist Osama Bin Laden, orchestrator of the mass murder of Americans on 9/11/2001.

The Editor asks...
 Where are the "separation of church and state" people now?

Will Koran Burning Be Banned In The United States?  As an American in the United States of America, you are allowed to do many things.  You can burn the flag.  You can burn the Bible.  You can produce obscene art and sometimes even get government money to finance it.  You can make movies and TV shows that ridicule Christianity, traditional morality, and that take the Lord's name in vain. ... Yes, you can do all those things, and more.  But can you burn a Koran?

Why It's OK for the U.S. Govt. to Burn Bibles But Condemn Burning the Koran:  The U.S. government under Barack Obama is deeply committed to battling any belittlement, criticism, or questioning of Islam.  At the same time, however, it is OK, in the Obama regime, for the U.S. government to burn Bibles.  Yes, that's right.  Bibles were sent to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.  But the U.S. government determined that the presence of Bibles in this "devoutly Muslim country" might inflame the natives.  So they burned them.  Why did they burn them?  Because it is military policy to burn its trash.

Can Promoting Easter Services Land You On the 5 O'clock News?  At a time when movie theaters across the country are featuring blockbuster hits promoting murder, drugs, sex, corruption, and the like, is there anything 'too controversial' to be shown on the big screen?  Compass Bible Church, in Aliso Viejo, California, found out first-hand that indeed, promoting Easter on the big screen proved to be too controversial.

Minn. legislator wants Jesus out of Senate prayers.  A Jewish Minnesota lawmaker is asking Senate leaders to allow only nondenominational prayers to open sessions, after feeling "highly uncomfortable" when a Baptist pastor repeatedly mentioned Jesus Christ and Christianity in one of the invocations.

A Christian Business in the Left's Crosshairs.  Chick-fil-A is run by devout Christians who believe in strong marriages, devoted families and the highest standards of character for their workers.  The restaurant chain's official corporate mission is to "glorify God" and "enrich the lives of everyone we touch." ... Democrats are always ready to invoke religion to support their big government, taxpayer-funded initiatives.  But when an independent company — thriving on its own merits in the marketplace — wears its soul on its sleeve, suddenly it's a theocratic crisis.

If Christians Were Treated Like Muslims.  If Muslims were treated like Christians in America, Muslims would have to tolerate the defamation of their holiest images in our national museums, acts which would be called "artwork" — and, if particularly provocative, even given taxpayer-funded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.  They would also have to accept Korans being burned and thrown into toilets, which instead of inciting worldwide outrage and retribution would provoke a collective shrug of the shoulders.  If Muslims were treated like Christians, Muslims would be mocked by late night TV talk show hosts and lampooned in crude cartoon parodies.

Anti-Christian Bigotry:  Numerous examples from all over the US. [PDF]

Point to heavens means penalty for Tumwater running back.  Tumwater beat East Valley 63-27 on Monday night at the Tacoma Dome during the 2A state semifinal game, but a post-touchdown penalty call was a big surprise for the player responsible.  In the second quarter of the game, Tumwater running back Ronnie Hastie scored on a 23-yard run, took a knee in the end zone and briefly pointed to the heavens above.  For that the referee threw a flag, saying it was unsportsmanlike conduct.

Are We Really Suffering From Too Much Religion?  Americans have been sold a bill of goods concerning the complicated nature of the society in which we now live.  Some things are, indeed, more complicated and fast-paced; of that there can be little doubt.  But some things are, in fact, just as simple as they ever were.  Such simplicity presented itself for examination when two separate news stories, both from my home state of Nebraska, caught my eye in the last couple of weeks.  Juxtaposed, the two form a microcosm of the sad moral state of American society in the 21st Century.

Burning Qurans and Bibles.  Attorney General Eric Holder called it "idiotic" and "dangerous."  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says it is "disrespectful."  A State Department spokesman called it "un-American."  President Obama weighed in that "this is a destructive act."  The Obama administration is roundly denouncing plans to burn copies of the Quran.  Christian leaders rightly condemn it as "appalling" and "disgusting" and say it "violates both our Christian and American identities."  So why the silence when Bibles were burned?

Burning The Quran.  When the U.S. Army burned Bibles in Afghanistan, no one said a word.  When churches burn around the world, crickets chirp.  Burning Qurans in Florida is stupid and offensive, but so is the double standard.  When President Obama gave a speech at Georgetown University, a Catholic institution, he asked that all images and symbols representing Jesus Christ be covered so as not to be in the frame of any videos or photos of the event.  There were no reports of rioting.  Nor did Christians riot when Christian U.S. Army soldiers attempted to hand out Bibles to Afghans in their native language.  The soldiers were stopped, and the Bibles were confiscated and burned with the daily trash.

Burn flags, not Korans?  On Sept. 11, 2001, radical Islamic terrorists committed the most deadly and destructive foreign attack on U.S. soil.  Nine years later, the American people are being told that the country overreacted to the whole thing.  President Obama last year declared that Sept. 11 is to be a "national day of service."  Others in the administration seem to think that means it is a day upon which Americans should rise up to protect the Koran.

Comparing Christianity and Islam.  Christianity and Islam are the largest religions in the world.  Thirty-three percent of the world's population are Christian, twenty-one percent Muslim.  The world's two largest religions have much in common, but they are also different in some crucial ways.

The Judiciary's Culturally Sanctioned Allergy to Christianity Flourishes.  Does anyone find it ironic that the very people who protest so loudly over supposed affronts to Islamic religious expression are often so hostile to the slightest Christian religious expressions — even incidental expressions?  The left is going bonkers over opposition to the ground zero mosque in the name of religious freedom, but the left's assault on Christian liberties proceeds unabated.

More about the proposed Ground Zero mosque.

Deliver Us from Evil.  [Scroll down]  This random experience flashed in my mind recently when I was in a Berkeley bookstore.  With my newfound interest in religion, I wanted to peruse that section.  After hunting down a clerk to unearth the tiny religion area, I perused the shelves.  In actuality, the area should have been called the Anti-Christianity Section.  While there were respectful tomes on the other religions, the Christianity section was a virtual pillorying of Jesus.  Every book denounced him, mocked him, or reinvented him as something entirely new.  There were books debunking the Gospel, with each author sounding gleeful, like a wicked child.  Now, I understand that some people reject religion.  But why the venom?

President Obama:  Muslim Missionary?  Speaking for most Founding Fathers in his day, John Jay, the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, appointed by George Washington himself, said, "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest, of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."  Two hundred years later, President Barack Obama has denied America's rich Judeo-Christian heritage before the eyes and ears of other countries, as he publicly declared in Turkey on April 6, 2009, "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation."

Do you suppose Obama is a Muslim?

Glenn Beck Told He Can't Lead Audience In Prayer At Kennedy Center.  Conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck was told by officials at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that he can't lead his audience in prayer at his August 27 Divine Destiny event.  Beck has rented out the facility the night before his "Restoring Honor" celebration at the Lincoln Memorial for "an eye-opening evening ... that will help heal your soul."

Students told to stop singing national anthem at Lincoln Memorial.  A group of high school students attending a conservative leadership conference in Washington, D.C. said they were ordered by a security guard to stop singing the national anthem during a June 25 visit to the Lincoln Memorial.

Students Allegedly Ordered to Stop Praying Outside Supreme Court Building.  A group of Christian students was allegedly ordered to stop praying outside the U.S. Supreme Court building on May 5 because a court police officer told them it was against the law.  The students were part of a junior high school American History class at Wickenburg Christian Academy in Arizona.  After taking pictures on the steps of the Supreme Court building, their teacher gathered them to a side location where they formed a circle and began to pray.

Teacher Told It's Illegal to Pray on Supreme Court Steps.  The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) wants assurances that an Arizona Christian school teacher will not be arrested if she prays on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court building.  According to attorneys from ADF, Supreme Court police forced teacher Maureen Rigo from the building steps and told her the act of bowing her head and praying on the Supreme Court steps was unlawful.

Daily Kos:  Take Legal Action to 'End Organized, Institutionalized Religion'.  For all the daily talk on the Daily Kos that conservatives are dictatorial, their cast of bloggers isn't without grand designs for social control.  Take this post:  "Time to begin working for the death of religion (a rant)."  The diarist "BlueMoon" expressed no attempt to disrupt free speech, but the "end of organized religion" must be attempted.

Why is Obama Changing "Freedom of Religion" to "Freedom of Worship"?  Last November Obama used the term "freedom of worship" at the memorial service for the victims of the Ft. Hood shooting.  A few days later he did it again in speeches in both Japan and China.  In December Hillary Clinton also used that terminology three times in a speech at Georgetown University and never once used the phrase "freedom of religion".  In January of this year Clinton used the "freedom of worship" term four times while addressing senators. ... The response by many religious freedom advocates is fear of what this all means.

Obama Moves Away From 'Freedom of Religion' Toward 'Freedom of Worship'.  The change in language was barely noticeable to the average citizen but political observers are raising red flags at the use of a new term "freedom of worship" by President Obama and Secretary Clinton as a replacement for the term freedom of religion.  This shift happened between the President's speech in Cairo where he showcased America's freedom of religion and his appearance in November at a memorial for the victims of Fort Hood, where he specifically used the term "freedom of worship."  From that point on, it has become the term of choice for the president and Clinton.

"Freedom of Religion" vs. "Freedom of Worship".  That's a departure from what most Americans understand as "freedom of religion," but it may still seem like an inconsequential difference.  The truth is that changing the word "religion" to "worship" drastically changes what is protected.

Obama's "Fly Me to the Crescent Moon" Policy.  [Scroll down]  We can find something else interesting in this loony story:  Where are the atheizers and arch-separationists on this one?  Do they support "separation of church and state" but go suddenly silent when the issue is "separation of mosque and state"?

More about the latest NASA scandal.

Islamic Law Comes to Dearborn.  Is it illegal to preach Christianity to Muslims in America now?  Acts 17 Apologetics, a Christian evangelistic group, was banned from passing out fliers at this year's Arab Festival in Dearborn, Mich., but they went to the festival anyway and ended up getting arrested.

Will it be God or government?  Do we, as Americans, worship God or government?  I used to think I knew the answer to that question.  Now I'm not so sure.

4 missionaries charged in Dearborn festival proselytizing.  Four Christian missionaries were arraigned today on misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace following their June 18 arrest at the Arab International Festival. ... The woman and three men are members or founders of a group called "Acts 17 Apologetics."

Pastor Yanked From Capitol Over "Jesus" Prayer.  A North Carolina pastor was relieved of his duties as an honorary chaplain of the state house of representatives after he closed a prayer by invoking the name of Jesus.  "I got fired," said Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.  He had been invited to lead prayer for an entire week but his tenure was cut short when he refused to remove the name Jesus from his invocation.

Connecticut School Removes Lord Reference in High School Diplomas.  Seniors at a New Haven, Conn., high school will not be graduating "in the year of our Lord" this year — or any future years, according to the superintendent of schools.  The school district has removed the traditional phrase from high school diplomas after someone complained.

University of Illinois Instructor Fired Over Catholic Beliefs.  The University of Illinois has fired an adjunct professor who taught courses on Catholicism after a student accused the instructor of engaging in hate speech by saying he agrees with the church's teaching that homosexual sex is immoral.

Alliance Defense Fund Demands Reinstatement of Professor Howell.  The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, has given the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign until the end of Friday [7/16/2010] to re-instate a professor who was relieved of his teaching duties following complaints he engaged in "hate speech" by teaching students about Catholic teaching on homosexuality in a course about Catholicism.

PayPal.com Targets Conservative Blog as 'Hate' Site.  Conservative blogger Pamela Geller says she has been threatened with discontinuation of her online payment account by PayPal, the most widely used service of its kind. ... Geller said similar "acceptable use" violation notices were also sent by PayPal to two organizations she helped establish, the Freedom Defense Initiative (FDI) and Stop Islamicization of America (SIOA).

Outrageous Fortune.  [Scroll down]  Yet to some extent anyone who acquires an audience, such as Pamela Geller has, inevitably attracts flak.  Long ago I told an audience at the Rockefeller Center in New York that "you don't have to care what you say when you only have a hundred readers a day, but you must be exceedingly careful when you have ten thousand."  Pamela has gotten to where her audience is substantial enough for people to take notice.  Inevitably that brings some kind of Nemesis after you.  The rule of thumb appears to be the bigger you are the harder they want you to fall.

Paypal's Shameful Decision and Shameless Reversal.  The little money that my organization Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) and the Freedom Defense Initiative (FDI), as well as my website AtlasShrugs.com, generate came close to being cut off Friday[6/18/2010] when Paypal called all three websites "hate" sites.  The leading online payment service said it would close my accounts if I do not act first and remove the Paypal option from each website.  After an avalanche of emails from Atlas readers, PayPal reversed itself and said the whole thing had been a mistake; but the implications of the incident for conservatives remain ominous.

ACLU sues school district to stop graduation at Conn. church.  Two Connecticut high school students whose district voted to hold June commencement for two high schools at an area megachurch are suing the district, saying the arrangement "coerces students and parents to receive the overwhelming religious message" of the church as the price of attending "a seminal event in their lives."

More about the ACLU.

Obama's Supreme Court Choice:  No Evangelicals Need Apply.  In a time of increasingly unembarrassed ethnic identity politics, there is one notable exception:  a serious Evangelical will not be seriously considered for the U.S. Supreme Court.  There has not been a prominent Evangelical on the court since John Jay, the first Chief Justice.  Evangelicals have been passed over so many times that it's as if they're invisible.

Texas students see religious bias with 'year of Our Lord'.  Students at a Texas college are demanding that their diplomas not be dated "in the year of Our Lord," prompting school officials to consider removing that phrase while leaving what others consider another obvious reference to Christendom — the school's name, Trinity University.  A spokeswoman for the private San Antonio school with historic ties to the Presbyterian Church said that if the board does make changes, it is more likely to take the phrase "in the year of Our Lord" off every diploma rather than just off those of specific students.

Instead of a National Day of Prayer...
 Atheist Group Calls on Obama to Endorse 'National Day of Reason'.  An atheist group is calling on President Obama to ditch the National Day of Prayer and formally recognize its own "non-theist" version called "The National Day of Reason."  Last week, a federal judge in Madison, Wis., ruled that the law designating the first Thursday in May to be the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional because, the judge said, it negatively impacts non-believers.

Former Hertz employees sue company over special "prayer breaks" given only to Muslims.  As important as the outcome of this case is the precedent it could set for extending special treatment to Muslim employees to the exclusion of others — essentially creating a second class of employees: workplace dhimmis.

Judge Rules S.C. Not Allowed to Issue License Plates With Cross.  A federal judge ruled Tuesday that South Carolina can't issue license plates showing the image of a cross in front of a stained glass window along with the phrase "I Believe."

Court OKs barring religious tunes at graduation.  A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday [9/8/2009] upheld a school district's refusal to let a band play a religious piece at a high school graduation, saying the superintendent had reasonably decided to avoid a constitutional controversy by ordering a secular program.

You Don't Have a Prayer.  The Establishment Clause was written to protect people of faith from the federal government.  Many courts continue to use it as such.  But for others, it has increasingly become a club used to intimidate people of faith into silence and drive them from the public square.

Christian Girls, Interrupted.  Two Christian girls.  Two sets of distraught parents.  And two state courts smack in the middle of it.  One of these courts is in New Hampshire, where a judge recently ordered that home-schooled Amanda Kurowski be sent to public school.  The order signed by Family Court Justice Lucinda V. Sandler says the 10-year-old's Christian faith could use some shaking up — and that the local public school is just the place to do it.

Court strikes down reference to God in state law.  A Franklin circuit judge Wednesday [8/26/2009] declared unconstitutional a reference to God in a 2006 law creating the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security.  In an 18-page order, Judge Thomas Wingate said the General Assembly created an official government position when it passed a law requiring the office to acknowledge "the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."

School prayer charges stir protests.  Students, teachers and local pastors are protesting over a court case involving a northern Florida school principal and an athletic director who are facing criminal charges and up to six months in jail over their offer of a mealtime prayer.

Against the Rulers of Darkness.  We are involved in a war.  It is a war between differing political ideologies, mind-sets, and world-views. ... At its heart, it is a war between spirituality and egoism, a war between truth and falsehood, between right and wrong.  As I write this, two Florida teachers may lose their retirement benefits, and spend six months in jail for their "flagrant" violation of the First Amendment.  Their crime?  They said Grace before eating a meal, while on school grounds.

Update:
 Officials cleared in prayer injunction case.  Two rural northern Florida school officials were found not guilty of violating an injunction against praying in school, a Florida judge ruled late Thursday [9/17/2009] in a contentious school prayer case that spurred a reaction from Congress earlier this week.

Lay, Freeman found not guilty.  A federal judge has ruled that a rural Panhandle principal and his athletic director did not violate an order against praying in school.  Judge M. Case Rodgers ruled Thursday evening [9/17/2009] that Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman didn't violate a 2008 agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union that was approved by the court.

The Editor says...
 That's good news, but the odious fact remains that there is such an agreement with the ACLU.

Florida Prayer Case Reveals ACLU Agenda to Criminalize Christianity.  Yesterday after an all-day hearing, Santa Rosa County, Florida, Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman were cleared of criminal contempt charges that arose from the simple blessing of a meal.  When they heard the decision, tears of joy and cheers swept through the throngs of people who had waited outside in the rain for over ten hours.

Obama's State Department Submits to Islam.  Here is but the latest act of submission to Islam by your State Department.  A State Department cable has just been sent out with this announcement:  The Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) has assembled a range of innovative and traditional tools to support Posts' outreach activities during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. ... Why aren't priests, pastors, etc. invited during Christmas to give blessings or talk about Christianity in the United States?

Leftist Shopping Mall Empire Crushes Conservative Store.  Loren Spivack of freemarketwarrior.com told Glenn Beck Friday that his Concord, North Carolina shopping-mall kiosk was shut down by a shopping-mall chain because it carried anti-Obama and anti-liberal merchandise. ... "What essentially happened was one of the largest corporations in the country decided to stomp on one of the smallest companies in the country, Free Market Warrior," Spivack explained. The action was taken based on one complaint from "one person who was not willing to be in the same mall as material that she disagrees with."

'Impeach Obama' bumper stickers spark a shopping mall protest.  While protesters rallied in his support, the owner of a Concord Mills kiosk that sells conservative merchandise said he met with the mall's manager Sunday [7/26/2009] to see what arrangements can be made for him to remain after his lease expires Friday.

Conservative Kiosk Owner Denied New Lease at North Carolina Mall.  The owner of kiosk that sells conservative merchandise in a North Carolina mall won't get to continue pushing "Impeach Obama" bumper stickers after his lease expires Friday.  The Concord Mills mall decided not to renew its contract with Loren Spivack, who fought to stay in business in the shopping center.

Hawaii Lawmakers Pass Bill to Create 'Islam Day'.  Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" — over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001.  The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks.

"Islam Day" in Hawaii By:  Lloyd Billingsley.  Hawaii's state senate has approved "Islam Day" for September 24, 2009.  The measure, already been approved by the state's house, passed the senate 22-3 on May 6, with two Republicans and one Democrat in opposition.  According to news reports, "Islam Day" seeks to recognize the religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions that Islam and the Islamic world have made.

The Editor says...
 Some of the Muslims' cultural "contributions" can be seen on this page.

Conservative Groups Declare Obama's Stimulus Bill a War on Prayer.  A provision in the House-passed stimulus bill — banning money to be used to renovate schools from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship" — has ignited fury among those who claim it discriminates on the basis of faith and violates the right to free speech.

Your country depends on you more than ever!  Don't give up!  It is no surprise to any of you that we are entering a stage in our country where our way of life, our freedoms and Judeo Christian foundation are at risk.  We have drifted and are drifting into socialist thinking and redistribution of wealth instead of capitalism and its accountability and achievement principles.  We are also drifting away from our moral foundation.  Some are trying to make God and expressions of faith practically illegal.

The One Form of Acceptable Prejudice:  The New York Times reports today [2/17/2009] that the Tennis Channel has decided to cancel its coverage of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships this week because the United Arab Emirates refused to grant an entry visa to Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer.  Peer, who is ranked as the 48th best women tennis player in the world, was scheduled to play in the tournament.

Liberal Contempt for Christians:  Every Christmas you have liberals fighting to purge any mention of Christianity or Jesus from Christmas celebrations.  Then, during the year, liberal atheists like Michael Newdow and liberal organizations like the ACLU use the legal system to ceaselessly assault Christianity at every opportunity.  Whether you're talking about the Pledge of Allegiance, the Mt. Soledad Cross, or the Ten Commandments on the walls of a courthouse -- you have liberals trolling through the courts looking for a liberal judge who'll be willing to twist the Constitution in order to stick a thumb in the eye of their mutual Christian foes.

Atheist Group Files Lawsuit Against Prayer at Presidential Inauguration.  The head of an atheist group that has filed a lawsuit against prayer at Barack Obama's presidential inauguration says the government is picking a winner between "believers" and "those who don't believe" and subjecting atheists and agnostics to someone else's religious beliefs.  Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, has joined with Michael Newdow, who fought to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, in a federal lawsuit seeking to enjoin the Presidential Inaugural Committee from sponsoring prayers at the official inauguration.

"Secular" Discrimination Against Religion.  Many people today are concerned about the "separation of church and state."  More often than not, this means keeping religion out of the public sphere. … The Founders specifically guaranteed the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech by demanding that the government not make any laws to limit these freedoms. … The Founders understood that these freedoms were in danger of being eliminated from the public square.

Atheists push their own holidays.  Now that Earth Day is over, let the planning begin for the summer solstice and World Humanist Day in June. … "There is no smaller minority in this country than atheists," said Mr. Murray, son of the late Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who was once the nation's best-known atheist and from whom he became estranged when he embraced Christianity.  "The proposition of [atheist holidays] is in itself ridiculous."

Ramadan Yea, Christmas Nay.  Democrats who supported a House resolution to honor Ramadan voted against a similar resolution to honor Christmas and Christianity last night [12/11/2007].  18 Democrats voted "nay" or "present" on a resolution to "recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith."  An eagle-eyed Republican House staffer points out that those same members, with one exception, voted to "recognize the commencement of Ramadan," a Muslim religious observance in October.

The Nazis and Christianity:  Many atheists presume that the Nazis were a weird variation of Christianity. … [On the contrary] Weimar Germany largely had abandoned Christianity and increasingly was embracing hedonism, Marxism and paganism.  There, decline of Christianity in Germany led directly to the rise of Nazism.  Professor Henri Lichtenberger in his 1937 book, The Third Reich, describes the religious life of the Weimar Republic as a place in which the large cities were "spiritual cemeteries" with almost no believers at all, except for those who were members of the clergy.

Debunking the Galileo Myth.  About a hundred years ago, two anti-religious bigots named John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White wrote books promoting the idea of an irreconcilable conflict between science and God.  The books were full of facts that have now been totally discredited by scholars.  But the myths produced by Draper and Dickson continue to be recycled.

Volunteer:  Vets Hospital Taking Away Freedom of Religion, Speech.  It's a house of worship with none of the symbols.  There are no crosses or Bibles on display at the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center chapel.  Blinds cover elaborate stained glass windows.  The reason is a federal policy from the 1950s, but one volunteer says it has been taken too far.  Laud Pitt plans to hand out Christmas cards at the hospital Tuesday.  But to do it, he says, he'll have to be escorted by the chaplain.

Group to Protest Georgia Rain Prayer.  A secular group said Friday [11/09/2007] it would protest Gov. Sonny Perdue's planned prayer service intended to ask for relief from the Southeastern drought, saying the rally violates the principle of separation of church and state.  Perdue's office announced Wednesday that it had sent out invitations to leaders from several faiths for the service, set for Tuesday outside the state Capitol.

Miller, the Jesus-Mocking Beer.  The Miller Lite people have a new ad featuring beer drinkers being instructed by a pro-sports-type commissioner in etiquette for the "More Taste League." But the entity needing a "More Taste" lesson is the Miller Brewing Co. itself.

Is the Christian right really the bogeyman?  What I am concerned about, however, are the more subtle attacks on the religious right, coming from the Christian left, that can have, and may be having, appeal to those who simply don't appreciate the facts.  I am talking about a distorted portrayal of conservative Christians as a detached and fanatic lot, who care only about a couple free-floating issues, abortion and sexual behavior, and who could care less about anything else going on in the country.

NBC slices and dices "Veggie Tales".  The early word from producers is that NBC has grown increasingly fierce about editing something out of "Veggie Tales" — those apparently unacceptable, insensitive references to God and the Bible.  So NBC has taken the very essence of "Veggie Tales" — and ripped it out.  It's like "Gunsmoke" without the guns, or "Monday Night Football" without the football.

Movie Rated PG for Christianity, Group Says.  The American Family Association is outraged.  It accuses the Motion Picture Association of America — the movie raters — of putting Christianity on the same level as sex, violence, and profanity because it might offend non-believers.

Why Liberals Hate Christians:  Liberals in America despise Christians of true faith.  They do this because in doing so their own guilt is appeased, their anger is justified, and they can finally lay blame for their own misery at someone else's feet.  Last night Alexandra Pelosi's newest documentary, "Friends of God" aired on HBO.  In that Alexandra is the daughter of the nation's first feminist, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi it was all too easy to pre-judge where Alexandra's work would land.

Has Secular Humanism Become a Religion?  We've seen prayer removed from our schools, and pretty much any expression of faith in the workplace has become taboo.  Not only do secularists want to erase any mention of God in the public square, they also want to ignore the faith of our Founding Fathers — a faith that built this country.

Hindu Prayer Will Open Senate Session in July.  For what is believed to be the first time in its history, the U.S. Senate will on July 12 be opened with a Hindu prayer, the Senate Chaplain's Office confirmed Monday [6/25/2007].  For more than 200 years, the Senate has opened each workday with a prayer usually delivered by the Senate Chaplain, currently Barry Black, a Seventh Day Adventist.  It is common, however, for senators to recommend religious leaders from their home states to serve as guest chaplains.

Mention God?  Don't you dare.  Brittany McComb, valedictorian of Foothill High School in Clark County, Nevada, stood up at her graduation and began to speak.  A few paragraphs into her speech, school administrators cut off McComb's microphone.  She didn't tell a dirty joke.  She didn't curse.  She didn't insult her classmates or her teachers.  Brittany McComb committed the egregious sin of attempting to thank God and Jesus.

Update:
 Valedictorian Silenced Over Her Christian Faith Will Go to Court.  A federal judge in Nevada ruled Monday [12/18/2006] that a debate over freedom of religious expression in public school commencement ceremonies will go to court.  The charges stem from a June 15 incident at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada, when school administrators cut off valedictorian Brittany McComb's commencement speech after she strayed from a pre-approved script.  Earlier, they had removed from her speech references to the Bible and her faith.

An Imam at the DNC.  Many people in today's Democratic party have contempt for religion, but they still have time for prayer.  Last Friday [2/2/2007], during the Democratic National Committee's Annual Winter Meeting in Washington, Husham Al-Husainy, Imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a Shi'ite mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, offered an invocation….

New bill to allow courtroom oaths on the Koran.  Courtroom oaths could be taken on the Koran and other sacred texts besides the Bible in a bill filed in the state Senate on Wednesday [2/7/2007].  The issue drew national attention last month when the first Muslim elected to US Congress took a ceremonial oath with a Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.  In North Carolina, the issue appeared in 2003 when a Muslim woman sued the state because she was not allowed to swear an oath on the Koran when she was called as a witness in a court case.  State law allows witnesses to use only the Bible for oaths.

America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on.  Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.  He should not be allowed to do so — not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.  First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism — my culture trumps America's culture.  What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.

The wolf who cried racist.  [Dennis] Prager asserts that the Bible has been used for swearing-in ceremonies since George Washington.  Which is true, except when it isn't.  Not every elected official has used the Bible, including some Jews (Koch, a U.S. representative from 1969 to 1977, used a Hebrew Bible for his initial swearing-in) and some Quakers, including Herbert Hoover, whose beliefs prohibit the swearing of oaths.

Taking Down a Few More Bricks.  This past November 7th, Minnesota elected the first Muslim to be sent to Congress, Keith Ellison, a former Catholic who now has ties to Louis Farrakhan.  After he was elected he announced that he would demand to be allowed to take his oath of office on a Koran, instead of a Judeo-Christian Bible.  Democrat Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, who has been noted to be a Muslim, himself (although he denies or affirms this at his convenience), was asked whether Ellison should be allowed to take his oath of office on the Koran and he agreed and even stated that he would follow suit as an elected President of the United States.

Empire State Building to go green for Muslim holiday.  New York's iconic Empire State Building is to be lit up green from Friday [10/12/2007] in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid, the biggest festival in the Muslim calendar marking the end of Ramadan, officials said.  "This is the first time that the Empire State Building will be illuminated for Eid, and the lighting will become an annual event in the same tradition of the yearly lightings for Christmas and Hannukah," according to a statement.

The Editor says...
 Wow... is New York City turning the other cheek, or is this just political correctness?

Real Conspiracies — Past and Present:  The biggest obstacle to Fascist, Communist or Communitarian triumph is Biblical Christianity!  Of course, today's politically correct, non-offensive, service-oriented "Christianity" — with its dialectic leadership training and postmodern view of God's Word — fits right in.  But God's unchanging, uncompromising Word can never be squeezed into that mold.  It clashes with the notion of global solidarity.  That's why Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Hitler killed millions of faithful Christian disciples.  God's Word is simply too "offensive" and "divisive" to totalitarian rulers who demand loyalty to their own ideals rather than to God.

Free speech is the loser where religious expression is concerned.  Brittany McComb's microphone went dead at her high school commencement because school officials thought she was talking too much about religion.  This was during her valedictory speech last month at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nev. … Government shouldn't be in the business of judging the content and appropriateness of religious expression.  It should just get out of the way and let valedictorians control their own message.

Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history.  [Richard] Dawkins and [Sam] Harris are employing a transparent sleight of hand that holds Christianity responsible for the crimes committed in its name, while exonerating secularism and atheism for the greater crimes committed in their name.  Religious fanatics have done things that are impossible to defend, and some of them, mostly in the Muslim world, are still performing horrors in the name of their creed.  But if religion sometimes disposes people to self-righteousness and absolutism, it also provides a moral code that condemns the slaughter of innocents.

Atheism Has Fueled Greatest Mass Murders In World History.  One of liberalism's favorite anti-Christian boogeyman is the Salem witch trials.  How many actually died as a result of those trials:  fewer than 25.  And what of the Crusades?  Most Americans probably have a negative view of the Crusades as an attempt by Christians to conquer peaceful Muslims.  The opposite is true.

The Return of the Radical Atheists:  After decades of ignoring the huge influence of religion in society, journalists and analysts are now discovering the "danger" of religious radicalism.  It has become trendy to decry the rise of fundamentalists of any sort and to Talibanize religious groups that affirm anything too categorically.

The empty myths peddled by evangelists of unbelief:  A new breed of missionaries is trying to convert the world.  Evangelists of unbelief say religion is a relic left over from the past that stands in the way of human progress.  Once the world is rid of religion, immemorial evils such as war and tyranny can be overcome, and humanity will be able to fashion a new life for itself better than any known in history.

The Pointless Negativity of Atheism:  I can't see that the dogmatic atheists have anything to offer but negation:  do not feel what you feel, do not believe, do not hope, there's nothing out there, our (self-)limited minds comprehend everything there is and it's not much; above all, do not seek a consciousness beyond your own.  They subtract from the world and don't add anything to it except perhaps an opportunity to rediscover the basis of real openness and rationality.

Behar Joins Christian Bashers.  As Christians throughout the world continue to be murdered by Islamo-facists, demi-celeb Joy Behar has apparently decided to join the oppressors.  After all, Christian-bashing is not only accepted by Islamists and the Hollywood elite, it's expected — if not required.  Wednesday on "The View", Behar apparently decided that she needed publicity to bolster and polish her fading star — a star that was never very bright in the first place — by blasting Christians.  Note:  Christianity continues to be the "safe religion" to vilify, as Christians seldom — if ever — fight back.

Rosie's View:  'Radical Christians' Same as 9/11 Terrorists.  Just two weeks into her new job as co-host of "The View," comedienne, actress and political activist Rosie O'Donnell has made her views about Christianity known to the world.  While discussing the 9/11 anniversary and the war in Iraq on Sept. 12, O'Donnell compared "radical Christianity" to the Islamo-fascist beliefs of those who planned and carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Radical Islam vs radical Christianity.  You would think that even Rosie O'Donnell could grasp that there is indeed a difference between "radical Christianity" and "radical Islam."  No doubt conservative Christian evangelicals were who Rosie had in mind as "radical" Christians.  But, really Rosie, it must mean something, even to you, that no Christian leader has suggested that you be executed, or even that your house should be blown up.

Teen Challenges Moment-Of-Silence Law.  The lawsuit asks the court to declare the law unconstitutional, said attorney Gregory Kulis, who represents Dawn Sherman, a freshman at Buffalo Grove High School, and her father Robert Sherman, a radio talk show host.  Kulis said the law is an attempt to inject religion into public schools in violation of the First Amendment.

The Editor says...
 The "moment of silence" was invented years ago as an alternative to Christian prayer in public and a means of appeasing atheists and accomodating people of other religions.  Now that we've grown accustomed to the moment of silence as our most reverent public observance, the incrementalism continues, and the atheists demand even more.  Are we now expected to outlaw silence?  Does anyone really believe that the observance of a moment of silence establishes a national religion?

Are you certain about that?  Andrew Sullivan, in his new book "The Conservative Soul," declares a jihad on certainty, by which he means the certainty of fundamentalist "Christianists" — the allusion to Islamists is deliberate.  The New Republic's Jonathan Chait proclaims that liberalism is the anti-dogmatic ideology.  Sam Harris, a leading proselytizer for atheism, has declared a one-man crusade on religious certainty.

Amusement Park Apartheid:  Minarets tower over two of the tallest roller coasters in the world, on the flyer announcing today's big event at Six Flags' Great Adventure and Wild Safari.  On this day, the park will be "transformed," as thousands of Islamists from across the northeast come together in Jackson, New Jersey for "The Great Muslim Adventure Day."  Regrettably, Muslims will be the only ones having fun, as non-Muslims have been told that they are not welcome.

[Imagine the uproar if the park had announced Christian Adventure Day, and that non-Christians weren't welcome.]

Saints, sinners and bigots.  References to God — such as "In God We Trust" — are commonplace in our history, indeed right on the money.  What astonishes me is that people of faith rarely sneer at nonbelievers, but scientifically oriented cosmopolites rarely hesitate to mock believers.  Evangelical Christians are routinely scapegoated with impunity, as if they're troglodyte know-nothings unified in a cabal to promote ignorance.

"The Christian combats the erroneous doctrines of the infidel with no other weapon than that of argument:  the sophist opposes Christianity with ridicule and misrepresentation."

– George Crabb (1778-1851).   


This is an original compilation, Copyright © 2013 by Andrew K. Dart

Courts, Governors Siding with Ten Commandments Displays.  A Christian attorney says he's confident that public displays of the Ten Commandments will continue to be more acceptable in the legal arena.

Legal victory for Texas Bible monument.  A federal appeals court has refused to side with an atheist in a case that could determine the constitutionality of Bible monuments on public property.  The case Staley v. Harris County, Texas involves a monument that was erected in front of the county courthouse in 1956 in Houston in honor of industrialist and philanthropist William Mosher.

Harris County's fight over Bible display may be over.  The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday [11/26/2007] declined to hear Harris County's appeal in the Bible monument case, ending the Commissioners Court's bid to have a lower court ruling vacated and avoid paying hefty legal fees to the woman who brought the lawsuit.

Ten Commandments Monument Advocates Mobilize.  With six weeks until election day, supporters of returning the Ten Commandments to Julia Davis Park are mobilizing their campaign … signs like these are sprouting up on lawns across Boise, and soon volunteers will begin canvassing neighborhoods.  "All the polling data that we've seen nationwide indicates that over 75% of the American public supports the public posting of the Ten Commandments," Bryan Fischer, one of the leaders of the Keep The Commandments coalition, told CBS 2 News.

Ninth U.S. Circuit Endorses 'Other' Religions.  More evidence that constitutional religious neutrality is not only one-sidedly applied but actually untenable comes with the news that the notorious Ninth U.S. Circuit of Appeals has upheld a federal district court ruling last November that found no violation of the First Amendment's "establishment of religion" clause at a California public school in its instruction about Islam.

Have You No Shame?  If you read a major national newspaper this week, you may have seen the screaming full-page ad beginning with this headline:  "These Religious Leaders Have a Serious Gambling Problem ..." The ad, which also runs on television, pictures Ralph Reed, formerly with the Christian Coalition, Rev. Lou Sheldon from the Traditional Values Coalition, and Jim Dobson of Focus on the Family with a sinister photo of Jack Abramoff.  Talk about guilt by association.  I was called the Nixon "hatchet man," so I ought to know a "hatchet job" when I see one, though I am not sure that I have ever seen anything quite this vicious since the McCarthy era.

This item almost ended up on the Sports Page:
Atlanta Braves Say No to Conservative Group.  The Atlanta Braves will mix baseball with the gospel when they hold another "Faith Day" this weekend.  But one of the country's most prominent Christian organizations has been tossed out of the game.  Focus on the Family, a group founded by James Dobson, was barred from participating in Sunday's postgame activities after sponsoring the first such event at Turner Field last month.

Where is the CHURCH in Church and State?  America does not want a state church.  England has a state church — the Anglican Church.  America does not want one denomination considered The Nation's Church.  On the other hand, America has a religious heritage.  It's not Muslim.  It's not Hindu.  It's not Shinto.  It's not animism.  It's not New Age.  It's not Paganism.  It's not Voodoo.  It's Judeo-Christian.  America, while not desiring a state church, does desire religion in life.  That includes religious expression in everyday exchange.

Christianity isn't dying, it's being eradicated.  It's official:  Britain is no longer a Christian nation.  In banning Eunice and Owen Johns, a devout Christian couple, from fostering children, Lord Justice Munby and Mr Justice Beatson declared that we live in a secular state, and that the Johns' religious convictions disqualified them from raising citizens of that state.  We've outgrown Christianity, the judges professed.  Instead, we have graduated to the status of a multicultural nation, blessed by a plurality of faiths.

Dobson strikes back at Abramoff allegations.  James Dobson, the influential Christian leader of Focus on the Family, is striking back hard against allegations, made in the form of a New York Times ad by a left-wing special-interest group, that he is connected with convicted political fund-raiser Jack Abramoff and gambling interests.

Religion & Public Life:  A Faith-Based Partisan Divide.  "Americans who regularly attend worship services and hold traditional religious views increasingly vote Republican, while those who are less connected to religious institutions and more secular in their outlook tend to vote Democratic."

The Gospel of unbelief.  This year's first attack came from St. Paul Minnesota where local officials decided to ban the Easter Bunny from City Hall.  They said it might offend some non-Christians, as if the Easter Bunny has anything to do with Easter's real significance.  Apparently it escaped the notice of the city council that the Easter Bunny might offend Christians, because, like Santa Claus, it is a counterfeit.  If they want to be consistent, perhaps the council should change the name of the city from St. Paul to, say, Paul Bunyan.

Dean Trying to 'Muzzle' Churches, Group Says.  Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's recent comments calling on groups in the religious community "to decide whether they want to be tax exempt or involved in politics" drew the ire of a Catholic-based advocacy group on Friday [4/21/2006].  Dean's remarks were made during an interview with the Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday.

Faith and nationalism:  Indivisible in America.  According to a much-discussed posting on a liberal website, an angry worshipper stormed out of a crowded church to protest the singing of "God Bless the USA," highlighting the raging debate over the common American practice of mixing faith and nationalism. … These separationists, however, face a painful practical problem when it comes to expressing their purported patriotism:  What songs can they sing on national holidays or at public celebrations?  All the traditional hymns of praise to the United States inconveniently and conspicuously mention God and his special blessings for America.

The Proliferation of Public Profanity is a Cultural and Spiritual Problem.  For the Christian, foul language is forbidden by the Bible.  That is why using profanity in public was considered unacceptable before we became a post-Christian culture.  Christian values and morals are now considered passé or "old-fashioned" to many Americans — especially the younger generation, sad to say.

The intolerance of the ACLU.  Like many civic assemblies, Oconee County, S.C., has opened council meetings with an invocation.  Council member and pastor Bill Rinehart closed a meeting in October of last year with prayer by saying, "We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus.  Amen."  What Rinehart didn't know was that members of the American Civil Liberties Union "search out and censor corps" were sitting in the audience anonymously, waiting to pounce on the slightest expression of personal faith.

How long before they ban private Bible reading?  These three cases are typical of hundreds across the country in recent years in which the rights of individuals to practice the faith of their choice has been attacked by people in positions of power, often at taxpayers expense.

Faith under siege:  Extremists at the grandiosely named Americans United for Separation of Church and State are at it again.  The group, best known for trying to drive religion from the public square, now wants to make sure no faith-based organizations are reimbursed for rescuing and caring for thousands of victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

San Antonio Faces Lawsuit Threat Over Pre-Council Meeting Prayers:  The City of San Antonio, Texas, may be facing litigation over its practice of starting its city government sessions with prayer.  An organization that specializes in religious liberty cases has offered to defend the city in a lawsuit over its invocations at its City Council meetings.

Army silences chaplain after prayer criticism.  An evangelical chaplain serving in Iraq has been forbidden to preach at chapel services after his comments about military intolerance toward certain Christian expressions got him into hot water with the Army.

Police arrested Christians sharing their faith outside a courthouse.
 Judge sued for ordering "no-speech zones".  A judge who declared all public areas of Los Angeles County courthouses "no speech zones" has been hit with a federal civil rights lawsuit.

"God Bless America" signs stir atheist protest.  An atheist group is complaining about two signs posted outside a city hall in New York state that declare "God Bless America."

Sidewalk evangelists beaten by police?  A pair of Boston-area sidewalk evangelists — one of whom is confined to a wheelchair — claim they were roughed up by city police for little more than trying to spread the Gospel. … One of the women, Ann Hayden, says audio of the incident was captured on a tape recorder she carried in her pants.  And for the record, she now also is charged with illegal wiretapping, the Boston Herald said.

[It is remarkable that someone can be accused of "wiretapping" without tapping a wire.]

Court Declares Atheism a Religion.  A federal appeals court has sided with a Wisconsin prison inmate who claimed his constitutional rights were violated with officials would not allow him to create a study group for atheists.  In its ruling, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Wisconsin prison officials were mistaken when they did not recognize atheism as a religion.

Satanic Female Eipscopal Bishop Installed.  She declares that the Bible is not regarded as divine revelation and therefore is no guide for morality.  That means that she is not a biblical Christian, yet she is a religious leader.  She is thereby not defending the Christian deity however still remaining with the ecclesiastical frame.  That makes her, not a Christian, not a "middle person between Christianity and Satanism," but a satanic leader of the first order.  Being a religious personage within the framework of Christendom but not holding to biblical leader makes her nothing short of a satanic leader of the first order.

One Nation Under God or One Nation Under Man.  Polling data shows that many who embrace the liberal policies of the Democratic Party are less religious than those who support the pro-life, traditional marriage policies of Republicans.  This divide first became apparent with the 2000 election.  Research notes that those who attended religious services more than once a week supported Bush by a margin of 2 to 1 while those who never attended religious services supported Gore by the same margin.

Do we deserve it?  Much of the attack on religion had its birth with the 1963 Supreme Court decision in Murray vs. Curlett, which banned organized school prayers.  For a moment, let's ignore the debate on whether that decision was right or wrong and instead focus on tactics.

We're not in Kansas anymore.  Because every few years this country, in its infinite tolerance, insists on hearing yet another appeal of the Scopes monkey trial, I feel obliged to point out what would otherwise be superfluous — that the two greatest scientists in the history of our species were Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, and they were both religious.

Senator Feinstein's at it again.  The view that the Constitution was ever intended to create an atheistic political culture is so universally recognized as ahistorical claptrap, it's become almost a cliché to debunk it.  The real issue is more complicated.

Is the Red Cross Too Politically Correct for Christians?.  Michael Hartman worked with the American Red Cross for eight months before he was fired over his disagreement with an organizational decision to celebrate gay and lesbian pride month.  The firing raises questions about the direction of the relief organization, which was founded by Christians, including Clara Barton, in 1881.

BC is not PC for students.  In what's perceived as a case of political correctness trumping history and everyday usage, students in Australia are now seeing the calendar term B.C. — which stands for "Before Christ" — being replaced with BCE, meaning "Before Common Era."  "This is political correctness gone mad," Shadow Education Minister Jillian Skinner told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

No BC and AD? That Spells Culture War.  If I write a date as 44 BC or 476 AD, you immediately know to what years I am referring.  I would guess that just about anyone junior high age or older in the U.S., Canada, or anywhere in Europe would also immediately recognize that one of those dates is 2055 years ago, and the other is 1535 years ago.

Outdated, but still informative...
 Faith versus the Constitution:  a false conflict.  The White House has assured us that if confirmed, [Judge] Roberts would not allow his faith to conflict with his sworn allegiance to the Constitution.  Such assurance has not satisfied those zealots devoted to purging Christianity from the public square.

Christian Yoga?  C'mon!  Many Christians have been duped into thinking that yoga is just relaxation and exercise.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Classical yoga is intended to put one into an altered state of consciousness.  Believers who think they're "just exercising" are being swept into a counterfeit religion.  Not all religions are equal, as liberals would have us believe.

Liberal Media Lashes Out at Christians.  The culture wars have turned nastier than ever.  And if conservative Christians are offended by being called insane, stupid, sinister — or even the next incarnation of fascist storm troopers — they'd better get used to it.  The news media is a major player in these cultural conflicts, and if there was ever a pretense of impartiality when it came to liberal versus conservative, or secular versus religious, that disguise has been stripped away.

School administrator to student:  "Leave your faith in the car".  A federal civil rights lawsuit charges that the Poway Unified School District violated the constitutional rights of a student and censored his free speech.  The school district threatened further punishment and suspended the student for expressing his religious faith on a T-shirt during a school day designated to promote homosexual behavior.  A school administrator told the student to "leave his faith in the car" when his faith might offend others.

People who live in glass houses would like to outlaw stones.
 Elton John says Religion Encourages Hatred.  Organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star Elton John said in an interview published Saturday [11/11/2006]. … "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely.  Organized religion doesn't seem to work.  It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

The "tolerant" Sir Elton wants to ban religion.  When secularists complain about the influence and agenda of religious conservatives they most often focus on the alleged "intolerance" of the Christian right.  A recent interview with pop music legend Elton John, however, demonstrates that non-believers will go much further than the faithful in their expressed desire to stifle all dissent.

The Crocodile Rocker Wants Religion Outlawed.  In a recent interview in The Observer's special "gay edition" of Music Monthly Magazine, musician Sir Elton John told the UK newspaper that religion should be outlawed because it lacks compassion and promotes hatred of homosexuals.  In the Sunday, November 12, 2006 issue, John said, "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people.  Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."

Homosexuals Mock 'Last Supper' With Sex-Toys Twist.  Organizers of San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair — sponsored by Miller Brewing Co. — have portrayed Christ and his disciples as half-naked homosexual sadomasochists in the event's promotional advertisement, and the conservative group Concerned Women for America is complaining about the hypocrisy of it.

Man battles Vermont over John 3:16 plates.  Officials claim car tags are the property of state so they can't endorse religion.

Recess not time for Bible study, schools attorney says.  Students may not read their Bibles during recess, according to an attorney for the Knox County public school system in Tennessee.  So why then did this only become an issue when several students asked to hold a recess-time Bible study?

When "tolerance" backfires:  Today, the government's World Factbook lists the United States as being 78 percent Christian (52 percent Protestant, 24 percent Catholic, 2 percent Mormon), 1 percent Jewish, 1 percent Muslim, 10 percent other, and 10 percent none.  Ten years ago, it listed the country as 84 percent Christian.  But back at the time of America's founding, this percentage was well over 90 percent.

Getting the Constitution Wrong:  Liberals, and some conservatives as well, like to claim that America is founded not on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but on the Constitution alone.  Liberals want to decouple the two because the Declaration refers to God — they want the Constitution to be "Godless."  Certain conservatives think the Declaration contains enlightenment abstractions, against which the Constitution must be defended.  Both claims are nothing but historical hokum.  The Declaration is the ground on which stand the original state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federal Constitution.  And all of these documents share an American political philosophy that combines reason with revelation.

Some final notes on the Terri Schiavo case:  My suspicion is that liberal opinion was guided by smoldering resentment toward President Bush and the rising contempt for religion in general and conservative Christians in particular.  We seem headed for much more conflict between religious and secular Americans.

Ban on Bible Study Material for Inmates Defies Logic and Law.  For years, prison ministries have faithfully sent Bible study materials to inmates at the state prison facility in Corcoran, [California,] free of charge, and have witnessed firsthand the life-changing power of the gospel in their lives.  Recently, however, prison officials at the facility arbitrarily changed their policies so as to exclude most types of free religious materials.

ACLJ Opposes Legal Challenge to Inaugural Prayer.  "This challenge is legally flawed and represents nothing more than an attempt to remove a time-honored tradition going back to the nation's first President," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which has challenged Newdow's lawsuits in the past.  "The expression of prayer at the Presidential inauguration is not only constitutional, but an important part of the history and heritage of this nation.  We're confident that this legal challenge will meet the same fate of a similar challenge brought by Newdow four years ago concerning inaugural prayer — a legal challenge that was rejected by the courts."

In God We Trust In God We Trust

Newdow strikes again:
 Atheist Sues to Remove 'In God We Trust' From Currency.  The atheist who is fighting to take the phrase "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance filed a lawsuit late Thursday [11/17/2005] seeking to prevent the U.S. government from printing the national motto — "In God We Trust" — on any future coins or paper money.

Lawsuit Against National Motto Dismissed.  The lawsuit against the national motto "In God We Trust," brought by noted atheist Michael Newdow, has been dismissed by United States District Court Judge Frank Damrell.  Damrell noted that the motto does not trample on Newdow's religious views.  The national motto is featured on all U.S. currency.

In God we Trust.  It is commonly understood that our Government, its Constitution and its laws are founded on a belief in God.  The mere acknowledgment of God by the Government or Government officials cannot be said to be an establishment of religion in violation of the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.  Yet this is precisely what is being litigated right now in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Dr. Michael Newdow has sued the United States Congress in order to remove our National Motto.

Updated 12/6/2007:
 Atheist Looks to Remove 'Under God' From Pledge of Allegiance, Currency.  An atheist seeking to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. currency is taking his arguments back to a federal appeals court.  Michael Newdow, a Sacramento doctor and lawyer, sued the Elk Grove Unified School District in 2000 for forcing public school children to recite the pledge, saying it was unconstitutional.

Air Force cracks down on Christian "coercion".  In a move that echoes the recent decision of the U.S. Department of Defense to deny Boy Scouts use of military facilities, the U.S. Air Force Academy is warning Christian cadets to curb their faith.

Kindergarten Teacher Censors Child.  A kindergartener was rebuffed in front of the class as the girl read from a Christian book.  It was the child's turn to be "star of the week." … About half way through this sharing time, the instructor interrupted the child and told the girl she needed to read her other book because pupils weren't allowed to read books about God in class.

Judeo-Christian values:  part III.  Those who do not believe that moral values must come from the Bible or be based upon God's moral instruction argue that they have a better source for values:  human reason.

California teacher censored.  Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit yesterday [11/22/2004] against the Cupertino Union School District for prohibiting a teacher from providing supplemental handouts to students about American history because the historical documents contain some references to God and religion.  "Throwing aside all common sense, the district has chosen to censor men such as George Washington and documents like the Declaration of Independence.  The district's actions conflict with American beliefs and are completely unconstitutional," said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb.  "In addition, they have wrongfully applied their policy to only one teacher, who is a professed Christian."

The "Dangerous" Faith of President Bush.  Why do you suppose President Bush gets so much flak for his faith and John Kerry is applauded for his professions of faith — by the very same people?  Could it be that the faith-allergic fear that President Bush is actually sincere about his faith?

When the foundations are being destroyed:  Sufficiently large numbers of Americans either do not believe, or do not practice, what the Scriptures teach and cannot be made to do so through a constitutional amendment or any other law.  Neither side is going to persuade the other of the correctness of its position, so it becomes a political power game.

Why liberals rule academia and media.  A chapter on journalism [in "The Secular Revolution," edited by University of North Carolina professor Christian Smith] shows how "key persons within journalism (especially publishers and editors, and also journalism professionalizers from the ranks of the universities and the active press) actively sought to minimize and ultimately to undermine traditional religion."

Government Discrimination Against Religion:  Churches meet in schools all across our nation.  In fact, another minister and I have teamed up to start a church in a public school here in Loxahatchee, Florida.  So I was understandably interested when I discovered that New York City is trying to throw churches out of their public schools.

Military Widows Sue to Get Wiccan Symbol on Headstones.  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs allows military families to choose any of 38 authorized headstone images.  The list includes commonly recognized symbols for Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckiankar and the Japanese faith Seicho-No-Ie.  The Wiccan pentacle, a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, is not on the list, an omission that the widows say is unconstitutional.

High court rejects Wiccan prayer appeal.  The Supreme Court yesterday [10/11/2005] rejected an appeal from a Wiccan priestess angry that local leaders would not let her open their sessions with a prayer.  Instead, clergy from more traditional religions were invited to pray at governmental meetings in Chesterfield County, Va., a suburb of Richmond.

Great Adventure's Muslims-only day.  A popular North American amusement park is scheduled to host a "Great Muslim Adventure Day" this week in which the park will be open only to Muslims, drawing fire from various monitor groups.

 Editor's Note:   Even before I got that article posted, an update came along:

Muslims back off Muslims-only day.  An Islamic group is backing off its boast of a Muslims-only day at a popular theme park, just hours after WND brought to light plans for the "Great Muslim Adventure Day."  The article prompted numerous responses from WND readers who informed Six Flags they would stop attending its amusement parks.

Robert Reich:  God worse than terrorism.  Clinton's labor secretary has problem with those who believe in higher authority.  Robert Reich, the former U.S. labor secretary under President Bill Clinton, believes people who follow God pose a more significant threat to the modern world than terrorists do.

Robert Reich's Religion Problem:  If our choice is between the primacy of individuals and the primacy of God — if, that is, we are to choose between individual human beings and God — then the vast majority of traditional religious believers would have to choose God.  I certainly would.  That would be the case for plenty of believers who are not sure what they think about abortion law, or want a higher minimum wage.  All of us, for Reich, are the enemy.

Supremes Refuse to Hear VMI Prayer Case.  Their decision leaves in place a ruling that declares prayer unconstitutional.

Open Season on Christians:  The media and the do-good-kiddy-clubs all explode in paroxysms of righteousness any time a public figure inadvertently insults one of the protected minority groups, but nobody ever demands an apology when a secular celebrity demeans Christianity.  That is because many Americans view Christianity as a problem, an execrable obstacle to America's progress.

The Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act, H.R. 235:  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect the religious free exercise and free speech rights of churches and other houses of worship.

More about The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act.

HR 235:  ending an absurdity.  Called the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, the bill pries the state's paws off the pulpit.  Actually, it pries these paws off the conservative pulpit; the liberal pulpit has enjoyed a de facto exemption from the beginning.

EU Constitution Omits Reference to Christianity.  After two years of heated controversy over the omission of any mention of Christianity in the proposed new constitution for the European Union, the final text adopted in Brussels on June 18 was the secularized version.

Religious Hiring Protection Under Assault.  Ever since the launch of the President's faith-based initiative, religious organizations' freedom to hire according to their beliefs has been under fire from some in Congress.  The right of private religious groups to freely determine their membership is a cornerstone of our constitutional order.  Congress should once again uphold this important freedom.

  Legislators endorse posting of "In God We Trust".  Civil libertarians oppose legislation.

MTV to Launch New Homosexual-Themed Channel.  On May 25, [2004,] MTV Networks announced the launching of a 24-hour cable television channel which will be specifically geared toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender viewers.  You may recall that MTV Networks, owned by Viacom, was responsible for producing the Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime fiasco.

Indecency Bill Facing Cowardice in Senate.  The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004 (S. 2056) is reportedly facing some resistance from Senators who seem indecisive about whether or not to support it.  The bill would increase FCC fines ten-fold for those who violate FCC regulations regarding decency.  The House passed its version of the bill, H.R. 3717, by an overwhelming majority vote of 391-22 on March 11, 2004.


 Editor's Note:   In the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, the country's coat of arms includes the words, "God's Will First".

Broad Victory in Chicago Park District "Buy a Brick" Case:  Robert and Mildred Tong [have] won a decisive victory in their battle to "buy a brick" in a Chicago park near their home that says "Jesus is the Cornerstone." U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo issued a broad and emphatically worded opinion and order in Robert Tong and Mildred Tong v. Chicago Park District in which he held that the Tongs were victims of "unlawful viewpoint discrimination in violation of the Tong's First Amendment rights."

"Robed Masters" Usurping Control of U.S. Government, Says Bauer.  Phyllis Hamilton is a federal district court judge in San Francisco — but Gary Bauer says she must believe herself to be a "higher authority" than the elected officials in Congress and the president himself.  How else, he wonders, could the Clinton appointee justify striking down a ban on partial-birth abortion that was passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Bush?

The Rise of a Judicial Dictatorship:  The Warren Court launched a social, cultural and moral revolution and began openly to dictate to what had been a self-governing people.  Under this dictatorship, radically secularist and egalitarian, America's public schools were as de-Christianized as thoroughly as in the Soviet Union.

Muslim Prayer Calls Echo Through Detroit Suburb; Petitioners Unhappy.  Some residents of a Detroit-area town hope that an August ballot initiative will send a strong message to the Muslim community that they do not want to hear Islamic calls for prayer broadcast five times a day over loudspeakers.  In the meantime, citizens will have to call the police if they don't like the noise.

Secularist double standards:  There has been no cessation of hostility in the secularists' war against Christianity.  The enemies of religious freedom are still operating at full force, and we must keep our eyes on them.

Christian platform ripped as offensive:  President Bush and the Republican Party in his home state of Texas are being criticized by Democrats on the touchy issue of whether America is a Christian nation. …[FYI] Christians make up 82 percent of the U.S. population, Jews 1 percent and Muslims less than 1 percent, with atheists, agnostic and those citing no preference making up 13 percent, according to a Pew Research Council survey of 2,002 adults conducted in 2002.

Sheltered From the State:  In separating church and state the Founder's intent was not to protect the federal government from religion, but to protect religion from the federal government.

Supreme Court Won't Reinstate Prayer at Military College.  The Supreme Court said Monday [4/26/2004] it would not consider reinstating mealtime prayers at a taxpayer-funded military college, turning aside an appeal from state officials in Virginia who wanted to preserve the tradition.  Justice Antonin Scalia blasted his colleagues for refusing to hear the case and argued that it raised important church-state questions.

Environism:  The Environmental Movement As A Pagan Religion.  Environism is a combination of pseudo-science, new age mysticism, paganism, and socialism which serves as a combination of political philosophy and religion.  This is clearly an attempt to replace America's historic Christian culture with a new religion — a pagan religion.

Those unstable, superstitious Christians:  Why does it make so many on the Left uncomfortable that President Bush openly professes his reliance on God in performing his official duties?

The "offensiveness" of Christianity:  It amazes me that people can still, with a straight face, deny that Christians are the subjects of systematic discrimination in this country.  Every time I turn around there's more evidence.

Porn Can Stay in Library — But Jesus Has Got to Go.  The nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization is blasting officials at a Connecticut public library for censoring Jesus.

Uprooting our Biblical foundation:  The oft-repeated lie that "we can't legislate morality" has finally born its poisonous fruit.  Of course we can legislate morality.  We always have.  We must.  Try looking at the criminal code of any state or the federal system and tell me it isn't based on morality.

Tolerance, liberal style:  You can dress this up however you want to, but what this boils down to is militant liberal thought police trying forcibly to impose their secular values on our society.

Muzzling conservative pastors:  I know some of you out there actually harbor this fantasy that Christian conservatives want to subsume the government and convert it into a happy theocracy for Jesus, but you're wrong.

Christian soldier, Muslim soldier:  There's something terribly wrong when an American soldier overseas can't receive Scriptures in the mail, but a Muslim chaplain can preach freely among al Qaeda and Taliban enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay.

Yes, Virginia, there is a religious war.  Fifteen years ago, Robinson dissolved his marriage, dumped his wife, abandoned his two little girls and went off to shack up.  He thus violated his marriage vows, flouted the teachings of the Anglican faith he was ordained to uphold and entered into a sinful liaison his church has always taught was perverted.

The greatest gift for all:  All Americans have a huge stake in Christianity.  Whether or not we are individually believers in Christ, we are beneficiaries of the moral doctrine that has curbed power and protected the weak.

Feds OK controversial Muslim youth camp:  Amid resistance from neighbors and nationwide attention, a plan to build a Muslim youth camp on federal land moved ahead yesterday [6/30/2003] with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' approval of a scaled-down proposal.

Disney World Boots Christian Worship Services Off-Site:  Disney spokesman, Rena Callahan, said it does not seem right to offer only two types of services when there are "so many religions out there."  To continue that, she said, would be "insensitive" to the resort's non-Christian clientele.

Disney World Cancels Christian Services, Flap Ensues:  The late Walt Disney once cited church and prayer as inspirations for his professional success.  Today, some conservatives believe Disney is "crying from his grave" because Walt Disney World in Florida has eliminated its 28-year tradition of offering on-site religious services to Christian guests.

"God" removed from "God Bless America":  A Tennessee firefighter has removed a memorial to the fallen heroes of 9-11 from the lawn outside a local firehouse because the city government forced him to remove the word "God" from the three-word tribute on the display:  "God Bless America."

Note:  The material about the Public Display of the Ten Commandments has moved here.

VMI Prayer Battle Could Define America's Fighting Force:  Since January, when a judge ordered Virginia Military Institute to stop its traditional dinner prayers, Col. Ronald D. Ray, USMCR (Ret.) has been fighting to overturn the controversial ruling.  If the battle is lost, he predicts an ACLU juggernaut that will strip God from the service academies and even from aircraft carriers, whose warriors will soar into harm's way with a wing and not a prayer.

Halloween:  A Celebration of Demons:  You may be surprised by the roots of this religious holiday.

Bobbing for Apples Long Way From Celebrating the Dead:  When I was growing-up … it all seemed so harmless; little did we know that we were actually celebrating Satan's holiday.  Halloween was, and is, a subtle exposure to the occult.  Today our schools are blatantly introducing cultic activities to our young people, including séances, New Age meditation, and witchcraft.

Witchcraft and Paganism vs Christianity:  More and more people today are fearlessly exploring witchcraft or paganism, and many of these are young people.  Regardless of the age of the person, these beliefs stand in direct opposition to Christianity.  Those who start to walk down that road need to know the territory they are entering.  Parents especially need to be fully informed.  And we say this because there is a lot of common misinformation today about both witchcraft and Christianity.

Halloween Celebrations and Related Activities in the Public Schools:  Many religious parents are concerned about their children's involvement in Halloween activities.  These parents often point out that the origins of Halloween are, in part, from ancient Celtic rituals and that Halloween is celebrated today by adherents of the Wiccan religion as one of their four holiest days of the year.  [PDF]

Participating with pagans:  Rev. Wallace Schulz said, "To participate with pagans in an interfaith service and, additionally, to give the impression that there might be more than one God, is an extremely serious offense."  Rev. Schulz will take a beating in the mainstream press without a doubt.  Look for him to be portrayed as divisive, reactionary and backward, when not being portrayed as a religious crackpot.

The Answers are Simple, the Decisions are Hard:  A recent news item told how a California public school had adopted an Islam curriculum in a well meaning effort, I suppose, to create peace among diverse religious elements in our nation.  They teach these days that diversity is the new religion, and it is often put forth with an inflexible boldness that belies its so-called "tolerance" and disparages all other singular faiths such as Christianity or Judaism.

Red Cross nixes "God" from 9-11 program:  The Orange County, Calif., chapter of the American Red Cross has canceled the planned performance of a music group at an upcoming event honoring the organization's volunteers who helped at the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attacks because the group planned to sing songs that mention "prayer" and "God."

Red Cross apologizes:  The national office of the American Red Cross has issued an official apology after the organization excluded a student music group in California from performing for a September 11 volunteer-recognition event last Sunday [3/10/2002] because it planned to sing songs mentioning "prayer" and "God."

Dr Pepper Skips "Under God" On Patriotic Cans:  The Dr Pepper/Seven Up soft-drink company is under fire for skipping the phrase "under God" in a partial quotation of the Pledge of Allegiance on its "patriot can."  The graphic design of the can, created "to show the world that we are a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom" according to the company, includes an artist's rendering of the Statue of Liberty and the phrase "One Nation … Indivisible."

Hostility Toward Religion:  Can the Lions Be Far Behind?:  Grab your Bible and turn to Leviticus 18:22.

Keeping God off the roads:  We've all seen cars with personalized license plates.  Some of them can be quite humorous or clever, and certainly present a diversion for commuters stuck in rush hour traffic.  These plates also provide motorists with an opportunity to express themselves — their sense of humor, their priorities, even their occupation.  However, in Vermont, one thing motorists cannot express is their faith.

Bible Reference Deemed Too Offensive for Vanity Tags (appeared on CNS News 6/21/01)
(CNSNews.com) - The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is accused of infringing the free-speech rights of a Vermont pastor and his wife, by refusing to let them refer to Bible verses on their specialty license plates.  The pastor and his wife chose ROMANS5 and ROMANS8 for their license tags.  The Bible passages, which speak of acquiring peace and joy through faith in Jesus Christ, have given them comfort over the years, they said.  The Vermont motor vehicles department denied their request, saying the religious connotation might be offensive to others.  The Vermont Transportation Agency upheld the DMV's decision to deny the plates, but the case has now landed in Vermont's Washington County Superior Court, where attorneys for the conservative Rutherford Institute are attempting to have the decision overturned.  "The First Amendment does not permit government bureaucrats to decide for the people what is too 'offensive' to appear on a personal vanity plate," said Rutherford Institute President John Whitehead.  "The Vermont DMV surely has better ways to spend tax dollars than to enforce a 'civility code' on the state's streets and highways."

Florida Lawmakers Debate Offering a Christian License Plate.  Florida drivers can order more than 100 specialty license plates celebrating everything from manatees to the Miami Heat, but one now under consideration would be the first in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.  The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."

Liberal Lies and the War Against Religion:  We have grown lamentably used to bans on public prayer or the removal of Bibles or Christian symbols from public places.  The Catholic Church, being America's, and the world's, biggest Christian denomination, is a special target.

Suit filed for cross-wearing employee:  A lawsuit was filed recently on behalf of a Kentucky woman who says she was fired from her job at a public library for wearing a necklace with a cross pendant to work.

Christianity Under Siege, Part I:  The Stones Cry Out.  It is sad that a once-great political party chooses to wage an intellectual jihad against "right-wing" Christianity.

Christianity Under Siege, Part II:  Those Who Are Voiceless:  We hear daily messages, TV ads as well as speeches by our president, that we should be tolerant of Islam.  However, there are no calls for Islam to be tolerant of Christianity.

On Evangelicals and Theocrats:  The example of James Madison shows why liberals who continue to conflate the Taliban with religious conservatives are wrong.

In Canada, praying aloud gets a street preacher jailed.
 Something's wrong with police priorities.  Perhaps had they seen him on a street corner smoking crack cocaine — or selling it — they would have turned the other cheek, as is so often the case.  But [Artur] Pawlowski was clearly doing something much more provocative Wednesday afternoon on [a street corner in Calgary].  He — along with about six other people — were praying and reading the Bible.

God Forsaken in U.S. Senate:  The Democrats, in an effort to capture the votes of the 19% of Americans who oppose religion in America's political life, want to ban all public references to God.  But they don't want to alienate Middle Americans who are their main support base.  So they decided on a stealth campaign to quietly expunge all government references to God.

Couple Sues to Continue Home Prayer Sessions after the local zoning board ordered them to stop holding prayer services in their home.

Council axes Christian prayers, despite having no minority faiths.  For hundreds of years, Totnes Town Council has started its monthly meetings with a Christian prayer by a local vicar.  With little controversy, councillors have bowed their heads to listen to the thoughts of local clergy.  But the tradition has now been axed to avoid causing offence — despite the council having no members of minority faiths.

Homosexual DC Councilman Under Fire for Threatening Salvation Army:  The conservative Culture and Family Institute has asked for an apology from Log Cabin Republicans after a GOP District of Columbia councilman bullied Salvation Army officials over their opposition to homosexuality.

I can hear the liberals now.  Theocracy!  Theocracy!
 U.S. Military Weapons Inscribed With Secret 'Jesus' Bible Codes.  Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found. ... John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Michigan defense contractor has God in its sights.  Army officials said Tuesday [1/19/2010] they will investigate whether a Michigan defense contractor violated federal procurement rules by stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights used by American forces to kill enemy fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Muslim anger over US military 'Jesus' scopes.  Muslim groups reacted angrily after it emerged that the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan were using rifle sights inscribed with coded Biblical references.  The company producing the sights, which are also used to train Afghan and Iraqi soldiers under contracts with the US Army and the Marine Corps, said it has inscribed references to the New Testament on the metal casings for over two decades.

Wixom gun sight maker will stop inscribing biblical references.  The Wixom company under fire for putting tiny references to Bible verses on gun sights sold to the U.S. military, announced today [1/21/2010] it will drop the inscriptions on future arms shipments and offer kits to help the military remove codes on sights in the hands of troops.

And now the rest of the story...
 ABC Raids Message Boards to 'Break' a Decades-Old Story.  The manufacturer of gun sights used by the U.S. military inscribes references to New Testament passages on them, a fact known to the public for 23 years. ... The "secret 'Jesus' Bible codes" are hardly secret.

Group Wants Congress to Investigate 'Military Religious Extremism'.  [Scroll down]  The Council on American-Islamic Relations, meanwhile, called the presence of the markings "a potential recruiting tool for anti-American forces" and a Muslim Public Affairs Council official said they provided "propaganda ammo to extremists who claim there is a 'Crusader war against Islam' by the United States."

Did someone mention CAIR?

Weapons Company Caves to Political Correctness.  U.S. optics manufacturer Trijicon has bowed to pressure to remove biblical references from their optics products, just days after the decades-old practice was sensationalized in an ABC News report that claimed the references were "secret 'Jesus' Bible codes" that could inflame radical Muslims who have attempted to brand wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as modern crusades since those conflicts began.

The Editor says...
 Sounds like ABC News is attempting to "inflame radical Muslims" by publicizing this.  But really, is that all it takes to set off the Muslims?  If American soldiers fire rifles with abbreviated Biblical references, do the bullets hurt more?

Air Force Academy to Open Outdoor Worship Circle for Wiccans and Druids.  Networks like ABC have hyperventilated about the "outrage" of "endangering" soldiers with rifle sights with "secret Bible codes" on them.  They worried about Christian proselytizing on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Academy.  Will these TV reporters notice as the Air Force responds to the liberal-media complaints by opening an outdoor chapel space for Wiccans and Druids?

Cross found at Air Force Academy's Wicca center.  The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias, has built a new outdoor worship area for pagans and other practitioners of Earth-based religions.  But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there.

The Editor observes bias:
 Stung?  Marred?  The article above is replete with bias.  But something more important is between the lines:  Where are the "separation of church and state" fanatics now?

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Updated May 7, 2013.

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