Recently in Focus on the Family Category
After a 12-month audit of "Focus on the Family" and it's founder/leader, James Dobson, the IRS has found that they are guilty of no wrong.
Falsely accused of wrong-doing by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the IRS investigated Focus on the Family for 12 months to see if its tax-exempt status should be withdrawn. According to the findings, Focus on the Family has done nothing wrong and none of the allegations were substantial.
Shame on CREW and AUSCS.
To read more, go to:
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000005434.cfm
Falsely accused of wrong-doing by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the IRS investigated Focus on the Family for 12 months to see if its tax-exempt status should be withdrawn. According to the findings, Focus on the Family has done nothing wrong and none of the allegations were substantial.
Shame on CREW and AUSCS.
To read more, go to:
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000005434.cfm
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Dr. Dobson Says GOP Abandoned Values Voters
Dr. Dobson Says GOP Abandoned Values VotersRead the full article >>What's next for the pro-family movement?
Republican Sen. George Allen today conceded defeat to Democrat James Webb, guaranteeing that Democrats will control the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives when the new Congress convenes in January. In his concession, Allen said the "owners of government have spoken and I respect their decision.' "The Bible teaches us there is a time and place for everything," he added. "And today I called and congratulated Jim Webb.' The question now: Where does that leave the pro-family movement? On his national radio broadcast today, Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James Dobson said he rejects the idea that the change in Congress somehow represents an end of the pro-family agenda. "The way that it is being spun by the media and even by some Republicans is that this is a rejection by the American people of the pro-family agenda, the values-voters' perspective,' " he said. "That is simply not true." Dr. Dobson said some Democrats won Tuesday by embracing some of the values held by voters -- at least in their rhetoric, but many Republicans walked away from their conservative base. Worse, some Republicans now want the party to sprint as far as it can from values voters. "Sen. Arlen Specter, who is very, very liberal in his perspective, said there will have to be a 'fundamental re-evaluation' of what's going on Iraq," Dobson noted. "And the party will have to become 'a lot more progressive and a lot less ideological.' "Guess who they have in mind here? It's the values voters. They say, 'What we need to do is get rid of this base, because they are causing us problems.' "
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): The Next Congress: A Nightmare for Conservatives
The Next Congress: A Nightmare for ConservativesRead the full article >>New leadership guarantees a drastically different  and liberal  direction.
What will life be like when Democrats take power in the next Congress? Dave Christensen, director of government relations for the Family Research Council, said it certainly won't be what we've become accustomed to over the last dozen years. "It's going to be very different, not only because of what bills may get passed, but what bills we won't be voting on," he said. "I don't expect votes on bills that the House recently passed, such as the Public Expression of Religion Act, to protect religious expression and to stop frivolous lawsuits on Establishment Clause cases. The Pledge Protection Act is something we've had votes on. That's not something we can expect votes on. "What they are going to have votes on, instead, will be increased federal funding for comprehensive sex-ed programs; they will also try to water-down the current pro-life provisions that prevent federal funding for abortions, particularly in military hospitals overseas. So the tone of Congress is going to change." House Leadership Who will lead the House? The most liberal of liberals. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has served as minority leader, is expected to become the next speaker of the House. There is some question whether Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., or Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., will become the majority leader. Rep. James Clyburn, D-Texas, is expected to become majority whip. "Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer have both consistently voted for the pro-abortion position on issues," Christensen said. "They have taken extreme positions on increased federal funding for Title X (sex-education) programs and programs that put money into the coffers of Planned Parenthood. They have not supported the issues that most pro-lifers, most values voters, support at all." Amanda Banks, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said all of the proposed Democratic leaders scored 0 percent on the Family Research Council Action/Focus on the Family Action scorecard -- except one. "Actually, Rep. Hoyer scored 28 percent," Banks said. The anticipated Republican House leadership, however, is likely going to be amenable to the pro-family agenda. Reps. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and John Boehner, R-Ohio, are candidates for minority leader, and Reps. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., are candidates for minority whip. "All four of these men are conservatives," Banks said. "We have a great possiblity of having conservatives in leadership who truly believe in family values. Some of them in recent days have spoken out and said they not only believe in the values agenda, but that the Republican Party must return to their core values which includes conservative social policy. " Senate Leadership In the Senate, the leadership news is also not encouraging. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the current minority leader, is expected to become majority leader. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin will become majority whip.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Campaigns Combating Pornography to Begin in October
Read the full article >>October 9, 2006
Campaigns Combating Pornography to Begin in October October 9, 2006 Two campaigns against pornography get under way at the end of this month to increase public awareness of the dangers. Protection from Pornography Week and the White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) Campaign begin Oct. 29.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Love Won Out Testimonies Now on DVD
Read the full article >>October 9, 2006
Love Won Out Testimonies Now on DVD by Stuart Shepard, managing editorHear stories of people who broke free from homosexuality.
October 9, 2006 Hear stories of people who broke free from homosexuality. For the first time, the testimonies of three key Love Won Out speakers are available on DVD. They each have been personally impacted in different ways by one of the most controversial issues of our time. Their stories of redemption and hope are light-years distant from the gay-activist rants the news media often echo without qualification. Focus on the Family's Love Won Out conferences have touched thousands of lives over the past eight years with the message that change is possible for people who are unhappy with homosexuality. Although the events are regularly protested by gay activists who claim the message is really one of "hate," the testimonies at Love Won Out are about hope expressed in love from people who have been there. One of the people featured on the DVD is Melissa Fryrear, director of gender issues for Focus on the Family. Here are excerpts from her testimony: As my adolescent years unfolded, I became increasingly aware that I was not like the other girls. My mind was filled with an endless barrage of screaming questions: What is wrong with me? Why don't I act like the other girls? Why don't I like boys? Why do I hate being a girl? One day, in an attempt to answer these tormenting questions, I turned to the dictionary and found the definitions of such words as homosexual, lesbian and gay. After the reading the definitions, a false seed began to take root in my heart: I must be a lesbian.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Find a Liberty Sunday Outlet in Your Area
Read the full article >>October 6, 2006
Find a Liberty Sunday Outlet in Your Area October 6, 2006 The Oct. 15 simulcast of "Liberty Sunday: Defending Our First Freedom" will be broadcast by TV, radio and Web cast. It will focus on how freedom of religion is on a collision course with state and local anti-discrimination laws designed to protect homosexuality and same-sex marriage. There will be nearly a dozen speakers at the event, which will originate from Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston, including FRC President Tony Perkins, and -- by video link -- Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James Dobson.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Teens Playing Russian Roulette with Pills
Read the full article >>October 6, 2006
Teens Playing Russian Roulette with Pills"Pharming" gaining popularity as a party game.
October 6, 2006 "Pharming" gaining popularity as a party game. "Pharming" is a party game some teens are playing that involves dumping a mixture of prescription drugs into a bowl and pulling out one, two or three at random and taking them just to see what happens. Laura Cowen, a college student, heard about it from some of her friends.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Dr. Dobson Responds to Liberal Attacks over Foley Situation
Read the full article >>October 6, 2006
Dr. Dobson Responds to Liberal Attacks over Foley Situation by Pete Winn, associate editorWhat does the reprehensible behavior of a now-disgraced gay Republican congressman have to do with Christian conservatives? Nothing, says the founder of Focus on the Family Action.
October 6, 2006 What does the reprehensible behavior of a now-disgraced gay Republican congressman have to do with Christian conservatives? Nothing, says the founder of Focus on the Family Action. Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James Dobson took on liberal news media and politicians today and accused them of using the behavior of former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., to try to make political hay and tarnish the reputation of conservative candidates and all Christians -- including him -- in the process. "What Congressman Foley did was inexcusable, reprehensible and morally depraved," Dobson said. "Let there be no question about the position we have taken on this." Speaking on his nationally syndicated radio program, Dobson made a point of distinguishing between the actual behavior of the former Florida congressman -- who resigned after sending inappropriate e-mails and messages to teenaged pages -- and the scandal the media is trying to generate while seeking the ouster of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. "A representative who has been a closet homosexual for years, apparently, was finally caught doing something terribly wrong and when the news broke, he packed up his things and went home," Dobson said. And that, he said, should have been the end of the story. But it wasn't. "As we know, the media and the Democrats saw an opportunity to make much, much, more out of it," Dobson said, "impugning the morals and character, not only of this disgraced congressman, but of entire the entire Republican Congress -- and Christian conservatives, including me." Dobson said the liberal media is bizarrely -- and wrongly -- trying to somehow connect evangelicals with this scandal. "Somebody is going to have to tell me what in the wide world this indiscretion by a member of Congress has to do with evangelical Christians. And in my case, especially me," he said. "What in the world is the connection there? And yet the media is trying to link us somehow."
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): ADF Appeals Decision to Bar Ministry From Library Meeting Room
Read the full article >>October 5, 2006
ADF Appeals Decision to Bar Ministry From Library Meeting Room Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Tuesday filed an appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking it to reverse a decision against a Christian ministry that denied it access to the community room of a public library for religious services.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Minnesota Stand for the Family Rally Draws Thousands
Read the full article >>October 5, 2006
Minnesota Stand for the Family Rally Draws Thousands (Paid for by Focus on the Family Action) A rally held at Minneapolis/St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center Tuesday educated and motivated pro-family conservative Christians.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Attorneys General Come to Defense of Faith-Based Prison Program
Read the full article >>October 5, 2006
Attorneys General Come to Defense of Faith-Based Prison ProgramFederal judge ordered InnerChange Freedom Initiative in Iowa shut down.
In June a federal judge ruled unconstitutional the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI). Attorneys General from nine states have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the faith-based prison program's appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. IFI has dramatically reduced the number of inmates who later return to prison. The religious aspects of the program are privately funded, but Rob Boston, a spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which brought the challenge, said IFI also used state funds and should give that money back.
From CitizenLink.com (a Focus on the Family site): Focus Action: Outrage Over Foley Case Justified
Read the full article >>October 3, 2006
Focus Action: Outrage Over Foley Case Justified Focus on the Family Action weighed in today on the controversy surrounding former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, who was forced to resign last week after sexually explicit e-mails between him and a congressional page were made public. The ensuing scandal has led to calls for the resignation of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, on the insinuation that he didn't address Foley's behavior quickly or proactively enough.
CitizenLink - Features - Love Won Out Draws Large Crowd in California
After weeks of controversy leading up to the event, nearly 1,400 people attended a Love Won Out conference in Palm Springs, Calif., on Saturday. It was the third-largest attendance in the eight-year history of the event.The conferences, which are backed by Focus on the Family, share the message that change is possible for people who experience unwanted same-sex attraction. Ron Oden, the gay-identified mayor of Palm Springs, initially welcomed the conference, writing in a letter that he was "proud of our diversity and the respect we show one another and our visitors." The event, coupled with the mayor's letter, led to a storm of protest from gay-activist groups.Read the full article >>
Focus on the Family is reporting on a California bill that would have the double effect of mandating the study of transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality. The bill has an amendment removing "age appropriate" restrictions, and the body of the bill "prohibits any viewpoint that 'reflects adversely' on the homosexual lifestyle" -- including sincerely held religious beliefs.
The full article is below:
California Assembly to Vote on Pro-Gay School Bill from staff reports Legislation would censor speech that 'reflects adversely' on homosexuality. California’s effort to require schools to teach transsexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality is running into problems. The California Assembly has diluted the bill through amendments, but its core is still rotten. The California Legislature wasted no time after its summer recess in passing two amendments to SB 1437. One removes a section requiring students to study transsexual, bisexual and homosexual historical figures. The other eradicates a requirement that instruction be “age appropriate.†Barbara McPherson with the California Family Council explained the strategy of the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles. “The senator believed that if she amended the bill and removed the most politically dangerous sections," she said, "that the governor would sign the bill.†Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said while the bill pretends to be about free speech and inclusiveness, it's really about the censorship of religious speech. "It still prohibits any viewpoint that 'reflects adversely' on the homosexual lifestyle," she said, "which is actually one of the most dangerous components of this bill, because it rides roughshod over both students' and teachers' deeply held religious convictions." Cushman said to understand Kuehl's real agenda, you don't have to look any further than her own words. "The Legislature is very concerned with protecting religious freedom," Kuehl said in 2000, "but if it's being used to discriminate against another protected group, it's not allowable." The California Assembly is expected to vote on the bill Thursday. If it passes, the amended version would go back to the Senate to be reconciled, perhaps on Monday. It could be on Gov. Schwarzenegger's desk on Tuesday. He would have 15 days to decide whether to sign it, veto it or allow it to become state law. TAKE ACTION: If you are a California resident, we've set up a special option in our Action Center to allow you to send a pre-written fax to your Assembly member asking him or her to vote NO on SB 1437. If you are a CitizenLink Daily Update subscriber, click on the blue "Take Action" button in the e-mail to be automatically logged in to our Action Center. Otherwise, click on this link. Look for "California: Speak Out Against SB 1437" under "Current Issues." Then call Gov. Schwarzenegger and ask him to veto this bill. Here are numbers for his main office and his district offices: Main Office: Sacramento Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 445-4633 District Offices: Fresno Phone: (559) 445-5295 Fax: (559) 445-5328 Los Angeles Phone: (213) 897-0322 Fax: (213) 897-0319 Riverside Phone: (951) 680-6860 Fax: (951) 680-6863 San Diego Phone: (619) 525-4641 Fax: (619) 525-4640 San Francisco Phone: (415) 703-2218 Fax: (415) 703-2803 (This message has been paid for by Focus on the Family Action.)
