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2/9/2010
Global warming "science"
So-called "climate scientist" David Viner made a bold prediction back in March 2000 saying that, because of global warming, snowfall in Britain would become "a very rare and exciting event."
Almost 10 years later, his prediction couldn't be further from correct. According to the Rutgers University Global Snow Lab, last month had the second greatest December Northern Hemisphere snow cover since records were started in 1966. All of Britain is covered in snow.
As we watch the snow pile up today in the northern states east of the Mississippi, and hear of the large totals already on the ground in Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, even the most sincere and best intentioned environmentalists have to be questioning the theory of man-made global warming and the wild predictions that accompany the assumptions of man's impact on the climate.
Here in the Chicago area, we have had fairly snowy winters the last two years. In fact, according to one of Chicago's meteorologist, December 2009 ranks as one of the 10 snowiest on record in Chicago with 20.8 inches of snow. The snowiest December recorded in Chicago, according to the weather service, was in 1951, when 33.3 inches of snow fell. A little more recently, 31.4 inches of snow fell in December 1978 (second) and 30.9 inches fell in 2000 (third).
The greatest amount of Chicago snowfall for any month is 42.5 inches -- way back in January 1918.
Looking at these numbers and the corresponding years, I have to believe that climate change is cyclical and not significantly influenced by man.
Despite the evidence to the contrary, those wedded to the "it is all man's fault" cause refuse to relent. According to the Daily Mail, Mr. Viner is on record saying that he "still think[s] that snow will become an increasingly rare event."
So much for science... Who needs to verify their claims with data?
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2/6/2010
Ronald Reagan was born 99 years ago today.
Today, we celebrate the birthday of Ronald Reagan. Most America today remembers Reagan as a great president. If most of us agree that Reagan was great, perhaps we should reflect on his birthday why he was so great.
Reagan grew up in Dixon, IL in poverty. He learned self-reliance early. Even in the Depression, Reagan made the most of every opportunity he had; first as a lifeguard in Illinois and then as an adult taking the opportunities that America had to offer while never forgetting that America is a gift.
I will try to explain to my children what Reagan meant to America. I remember when Jimmy Carter gave the "malaise" speech. When I was in High School, we were looking ahead to a lifetime of accepting that the world could be blown to apart on thirty minutes' notice, in a nation that was engaged in a "Cold War". I remember American hostages in Iran; the Middle East controlled by despots; a dismal time and place.
I remember well a teacher I respected being very critical of Reagan (and all things conservative). He and the Left's orthodoxy was firmly imprinted in my brain; They believed that Reagan was at best an uncaring patrician curmudgeon; at worst, his attitude toward the Soviet Union was going to get us all killed.
But in retrospect, we can see how Reagan's polices and governing style helped to bring down the USSR -- how he catalyzed the events and inspired the people that did. His tax cuts helped to bring back the economy and helped to re-launch democracy around the world.
Reagan saved America and changed the world. "But into what?", some liberals will snap.
A much better place than I grew up in.
The wall is gone. The missile silos that dotted the northern plains are largely gone -- unneeded in a world with only one superpower. Talk to anyone from Eastern Europe and you will get a sense of great respect and appreciation.
I for one, am very thankful for the Gipper. And I will teach my children about his contributions to freedom.
Happy Birthday Mr. President.
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2/4/2010
Study shows abstinence ed is effective
Sex education classes that focus on encouraging children to remain abstinent can convince a significant proportion to delay sexual activity, researchers reported Monday in a landmark study.
The Washington Post reports that in the first carefully designed study to evaluate the abstinence approach to sex education, researchers found that only about a third of 6th and 7th graders who went through sessions focused on abstinence started having sex in the next two years. In contrast, nearly half of students who got other classes, including those that included information about contraception, became sexually active.
"I think we've written off abstinence-only education without looking closely at the nature of the evidence," said John B. Jemmott III, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who led the federally funded study. "Our study shows this could be one approach that could be used."
The research was published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, and comes as the Obama administration has eliminated more than $150 million in federal funding targeted at abstinence programs. It has chosen instead to launch a new $114 million pregnancy prevention initiative for programs that have been shown scientifically to work.
"This new study is game-changing," said Sarah Brown, who leads the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "For the first time, there is strong evidence that an abstinence-only intervention can help very young teens delay sex and reduce their recent sexual activity as well."
Source: Abstinence-only programs might work, study says (Washington Post)
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2/3/2010
Don't Ask
Congress should oppose yet another radical, subversive proposal by President Barack Obama, this time his effort to curry favor with the homosexual community by repealing the policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Although cultural winds shift, human nature does not. Most heterosexual men do not want to shower, dress, sleep and toilet with men who admit to being sexually attracted to men.
Repealing Don't Ask, Don't tell will undermine troop cohesion by forcing men to engage in private activities with other men whom they know to be sexually attracted to men; by making romantic affiliations more likely; and by making coercive interactions between homosexuals in authority and their heterosexual subordinates more likely.
Despite media fictions to the contrary, the military is not losing many good soldiers due to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Less than 1/3 of 1 percent of those dismissed from the military are dismissed due to homosexuality. And despite claims to the contrary, even fewer are fluent speakers of languages needed by the military.
The military will likely lose more than it will gain if Don't Ask, Don't Tell is repealed in that heterosexual men who are compelled to engage in private activities with men who acknowledge being sexually attracted to other men will not enlist or will not re-enlist.
The military is a unique context with its own distinct needs. No one has an absolute "right" to serve in the military. The unique needs of the military to fulfill its mission supersede the desires of homosexual men to acknowledge openly their sexual desires while serving their country.
Ask your U.S. Representative to oppose this radical social experiment by leaving in place Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
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2/2/2010
What mom says...
A new survey provides insight into what "Mama says" about fathers. It provides two results.
First, a vast majority of mothers (93 percent) agree that there is a fathering crisis in America, implying that fathers are very important to their children's well-being and that many fathers are absent. However, a majority of moms also agree that fathers are replaceable by moms (55 percent) or other men (66 percent.)
Click HERE to read more from the survey.
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1/29/2010
State of the Union
President Barack Obama delivered his first State of Union address this past Wednesday, a week after the political earthquake in Massachusetts. Conservative pundits were hoping that the President would signal a move toward a more centrist platform. That hope was not realized.
Instead of a reconciler who could govern from the center, he seemed to insist on Leftist ideology. Obama's pledge to overturn the Military Eligibility Law of 1993 -- known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- (a policy that governs homosexuals in the military) is desperately irresponsible. It would place the military in the strange position of actively recruiting personnel who intend to violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice (which prohibits certain forms of immoral sexual behavior). This is not an American value that we all share.
Obama tossed the Republicans a bone: promises of nuclear energy, offshore drilling and an extremely narrow spending freeze. Unfortunately for Middle America and working families, their only benefit follows Obama's vision for family -- "Place your child in government run child care and go to work in place of the existing Child Tax Credit, which may allow one parent to stay at home."
Obama's speech was flat and uninspiring but smooth nonetheless. The liberal ideology has its watermark all over this "vision" of unlimited government and his plan for increasing taxes. He failed to mention the war on terror and foolish decision to put enemy combatants on trail in America's largest city. And his radically liberal social agenda will undermine the nation's most vulnerable resource -- Marriage, Family, Faith and Freedom.
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1/28/2010
Encourage CBS officials to stand their ground with Tim Tebow advertisement
Feminist groups want CBS to pull an advertisement planned for the Super Bowl which will feature Tim Tebow and his mother. Tim Tebow shares in the ad the story about his mother being so sick when she was pregnant with him that doctors recommended an abortion. Tim shares his appreciation for his mom's decision to choose life.
This is an honest, very powerful ad paid for by Focus on the Family about how one woman confronted a very trying situation.
The ad drives home the point that abortion extinguishes a life a point which pro-abortion feminists hate and want to censor. Obviously, this isn't about "choice," as there would be no controversy. It's about the so-called "right" of a woman to terminate the life of an unborn baby.
These same feminists don't have a problem with GoDaddy advertisements that regularly appear during Super Bowls. GoDaddy is an internet provider that is well known for hosting hundreds of porn sites and promoting the same.
Terry O'Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), calls the ad featuring Tim Tebow "extraordinarily offensive and demeaning" as well as "not being respectful."
Tim Tebow has been described as "perhaps the best college football player of all time." He is well known for walking the walk, living his faith and giving glory to God. How is this man's life, which has been about faith and football, which he owes to his mother's decision to choose life, "extraordinarily offensive?"
The American Family Association has prepared an email for you to send to encourage CBS officials to stand their ground regarding plans to air the advertisement about Tim Tebow and his mother.
Take ACTION:: Send an email to CBS to encourage them to air this pro-life ad -- please click HERE.
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1/26/2010
Federal Court upholds Ten Commandments display
A federal appeals courts has upheld the display of the Ten Commandments at a courthouse in Grayson County, Kentucky. The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the display did not constitutute an endorsement of religion because it had a secular purpose.
The courthouse display is entitled "Foundations of American Law and Government." In addition to the Ten Commandments, it includes the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Star Spangled Banner, the National Motto, and a picture of Lady Justice.
County government officials say the purpose of the display is to showcase a sampling of documents that played a significant role in the the development of the legal and governmental system of the United States.
A federal district court judge had previously ruled the display unconstitutional as a result of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, represented Grayson County in the lawsuit.
"The Ten Commandments are as much at home in a display about the foundation of law as stars and stripes are to the American flag," Staver says. "The Ten Commandments are part of the fabric of our country and helped shape the law. It defies common sense to remove a recognized symbol of law from a court of law."
Staver points out that every federal appeals courts which has reviewed a Ten Commandments display since 2005 has upheld them. Courts have generally ruled that displays on government property including only the Ten Commandments are unconstitutional, but that displays where the Commandments are incorporated with other legal and historical documents are permissible.
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1/25/2010
Supreme Court agrees to hear Washington state petition case
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that asks whether the Washington Secretary of State may release the names, addresses and other personal information of over 138,000 individuals who signed a referendum petition seeking to protect traditional marriage in Washington State. The availability of this information has led to harassment and intimidation in Washington, California, Massachusetts and other places including death threats and property damage.
Protect Marriage Washington asked the Court to hear the case to prevent the release of the personal information of those that signed their marriage petition, allowing Washington citizens the right to speak freely without fear of harassment or intimidation. There is no indication on when the Court will hear the case or release an opinion.
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1/22/2010
Prayers and donations for Haiti
The staff and I at the Illinois Family Institute have been praying for the people in Haiti ever since the devastating earthquake hit. I encourage you to join us in asking God to surround the people of Haiti with His comfort, especially for those who were wounded or who lost loved ones.
Pray too for the relief workers trying to meet the physical needs of Haitian people, and pray for the missionary workers workers attempting to meet the spiritual needs of Haitian people. Even through this disaster, God can use it to draw hundreds and thousands of people to Him and to eternal salvation.
There are a number of good relief organizations in Haiti. Here are a few that Focus on the Family recommends:Compassion in Jesus' Name
Mercy Ships
Samaritan's Purse If you have friends or family affected by the earthquake and would like to speak about this with a counselor (at no cost to you), Focus on the Family invites you to call 800-A-FAMILY (800-232-6459) weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Just ask for a counselors' assistant, and don't be discouraged if she requests that you allow a counselor to call you back. One of them will contact you just as soon as they're able.
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1/20/2010
Jennifer Lopez cowardly attack
Late-night television found actress Jennifer Lopez as a guest host on TBS' Lopez Tonight this past Monday.
Lopez attacked former Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin during her monologue, briefly speaking in Spanish in order to call Palin the "b" word.
How absolutely cowardly! Most Americans watching the program speak English and have no idea what Lopez said in Spanish. Why did she call Palin the "b" word when the rest of her "monologue" was in English? Because she didn't want most of America -- middle America -- mainstream America -- to understand what she was saying.
It is very clear to me that Sarah Palin's popularity makes liberal elitists very uncomfortable and nervous.
Lopez should apologize for her unwarranted attack. I doubt she will.
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1/18/2010
Massachusetts?
WORLD magazine reporter Emily Belz was in Boston this past weekend covering last-minute campaigning for tomorrow's special election for the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Ted Kennedy. She reports:The most recent poll on the race from Public Policy Polling shows Brown, a state senator, up 5 percent over Democrat Martha Coakley, the state's attorney general, with a 3 percent margin of error. Brown has erased a 30-point advantage that Coakley held back in December. While only 12 percent of Massachusetts voters are Republican, and the state has a legacy of electing liberal officials, the majority of voters are unaffiliated with a political party. The most recent poll shows Brown beating Coakley 64-32 among independents, the key demographic he needs to win. Read Emily's report in its entirety HERE.
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1/14/2010
PFOX forces Disney to include ex-gays in shareholder resolution
The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has directed the Walt Disney Company to accept a shareholder resolution requesting the inclusion of ex-gays in Disney's sexual orientation policies and corporate diversity programs. Disney had opposed the ex-gay resolution and asked the SEC for permission to exclude it from stockholder consideration.
"Like many corporations, Disney implements mandatory diversity training for employees that emphasizes gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders, but fails to include ex-gays," said Regina Griggs, executive director of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX). "It is a serious omission both for the ex-gay community and their supporters."
The resolution cites a recent judicial decision issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In the case, brought by PFOX, the Court ruled that former homosexuals are a protected class that must be recognized under DC's sexual orientation non-discrimination laws.
Source: PFOX
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1/12/2010
"Free to Speak" campaign gains steam in public schools
A religious liberties organization is pushing a natonal "Free to Speak" campaign in conjunction with Religious Freedom Day to be observed this Saturday. The campaign is designed to educate educators about the religious freedoms of students and teachers in the public schools.
The campaign is a project of The Gateways to Better Education group in concert with the Allliance Defense Fund. Organizers are working to distribute packets to classrooms teachers and school administrators explaining how freedom of religious expression applies in the public school setting.
"The classroom should be a safe place for students of all ages to express their faith in class discussions and homework assignments, just as the U.S. Department of Education has affirmed," says Eric Buehrer, founder of Gateways.
Over the last 15 years, under both the Clinton and Bush administrations, the U.S. Education Department has issued guidelines on religious freedom in schools. Yet, most public school instructors and principals are not even aware of them.
The Alliance Defense Fund has identified seven essential freedoms in the U.S. Department of Education directives:1) Students may pray, read religious material, and talk about their faith at school
2) Students may organize religious clubs at school
3) Students may express their faith in class work and homework
4) Teachers may organize prayer groups with other teachers
5) Schools may allow students to go off campus for religious studies during school hours
6) Students may express their faith at school events
7) Students may express their faith at graduation ceremonies Buehrer says teachers need to accomodate the values of every student in their classroom, and that includes students of religious faith. "One of the most important civics lessons all students should learn is that freedom of religious expression is a fundamental right of all Americans."
Since 1993, U.S. Presidents have issued proclamations declaring January 16th as Religious Freedom Day. Many churches across America observed yesterday as Religious Freedom Sunday.
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Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 88848
Carol Stream, Illinois 60188
Phone: (708) 781-9328
Fax: (708) 781-9376
Evil men don't understand the importance of justice,
but those who follow the Lord are much concerned about it.
~Proverbs 28:5
(NKJV)
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