As a homeschooler, sometimes I think it is rough here in the US.  However, here is an article describing how it is in Germany.  Apparently, Hitler outlawed homeschooling, and they are still enforcing the laws and making people miserable.  The ideas all flow out of Hitler's logic.

 "How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think."
Adolf Hitler

"By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise."
Adolf Hitler

Not that long ago, homeschooling was illegal in certain parts of the US (such as Iowa).  The freedom to homeschool is a big victory for freedom in the US.

I thought I'd get this blog going again.   I still feel a need to keep the battle for free faith speech alive.

Here is a big anouncement.  Looks like the effort to block 'Choose Life' license plates is finally loosing the battle.  It is big because this is the famous '9th district', which is never friendly to Christians or life issues.  Having to rule on the side of pro-lifers must have ruined their entire day .

Good news, bad news. The good news, NBC is showing Veggie Tales. Bad news, they are taking out the references to God and the Bible. Source.

"VeggieTales was originally created for home video and, in most cases, each episode is over 30 minutes long. As it appears …. VeggieTales has been edited down for broadcast without losing any of its core messages about positive values," the network said. Phil Vischer, the co-creator of the characters, said that comment was "interesting." "As a guy deeply involved with the project, I know that statement is false," Vischer wrote on his own weblog. "We sent them our first episode for TV, which was already edited to EXACTLY the right length, and they rejected it because, at the end, Bob the Tomato said, 'Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much.' They demanded we remove that line. The show wasn't too long, it was too religious." He said the second also was sent edited for perfect timing. The response from NBC was an e-mail with a list of lines that needed to be removed, "each of them containing either the word 'God' or 'Bible,'" Vischer wrote.

I used to think that NBC stood for 'nothing but commercials' - expecially the Olympic coverage. Then again, during the Olympics it could stand for 'Nitwit Bob Costas'. Now it must mean "Never Broadcast Christian".

"It's like 'Gunsmoke' without the guns, or 'Monday Night Football' without the football," he said. "Think about this corporate mindset. NBC is the network that hired a squad of lawyers to argue that dropping the F-word on the Golden Globe Awards isn't indecent for children, but invoking God is wholly unacceptable. ... "This is one of those moments where you understand networks like NBC are only talking an empty talk and walking an empty walk when it comes to the First Amendment, and 'creative integrity,' and so on," Bozell wrote. "They have told parents concerned about their smutty programs like 'Will and Grace' that if they're offended, they have a remote control as an option. "But when it comes to religious programming – that doesn't even mention Jesus Christ – just watch the hypocrisy. Instead of telling viewers to just change the channel if they don't like it, or put in a V-chip for Bible verses, they demand to producers that all that outdated old-time religion be shredded before broadcast," he said. "It's truly sad this anti-religious hypocrisy would emerge. Today, no one in network TV fears what the children are watching – unless it makes them think about God."

The interesting thing here is that it's not about ratings. The shows are popular just the way they are. NBC is getting great ratings, and it would be just as good - maybe better - if the Bible verses were left in. Deep down, they are just anti-Christian. Let's hope that some of the messages of the Veggie-Tales will sink into some of the NBC executives. After all, in Lord of the Beans, even the sporks eventually see the light.

A library in San Francisco has decided to ban Christian groups from using the public meeting rooms. Source

The decision came from a case involving the Faith Center Church Evangelistic Ministries, a Christian group which won a court order allowing them to hold a "prayer, praise and worship" service in meeting rooms open to other groups at a Contra Costa County library branch. A federal judge said it had a First Amendment right of religion to use the public's facilities. But a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in a 2-1 decision. "Prohibiting Faith Center's religious worship services from the Antioch meeting room is a permissible exclusion of a category of speech," Judge Richard Paez ruled.

The ‘Antioch’ room! Antioch was evangelized by my hero, Barnabas, and is where the name ‘Christian’ was first used. It’s considered the cradle of Christianity. Somehow, I think the irony was missed as the Judges threw the Christians out of Antioch.

In dissent, Judge Richard Tallman said the county went too far. "Rather than adopting a policy of neutrality and placing reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on every group that uses the library meeting rooms, the county has gone to great lengths to exclude a non-disruptive community group based on the views it wishes to express," Tallman wrote.

Libraries are goofy places. Back at Iowa State University, the library still has the quote “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” in giant letters across the top of the building. Also at the top just below the saying are the names of many great thinkers throughout history from science, religion, philosophy, math, literature, etc. Seems like a dozen names or so. But the name of the guy that gave us that quote (Jesus Christ) or the reference (John 8:32) do not appear. Seems like plagiarism is bad, except is you are ripping-off Christians. Here, it seems like they want to support community groups, as long as they can exclude Christians specifically. They are not worried about violation of the establishment clause, they just hate Christians.

The Alliance Defense Fund, which is defending the church group, called the decision "astounding." The group, he said, would consider appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court or asking the appeals court to reconsider.

Let’s pray they win, and keep religious speech free, even in San Francisco.

This is an update to my August 14th posting.  A navy chaplin was facing court marshal for praying.

Well, the jury is back, and he is guilty.  You can read the details here.  He is being assessed a small fine.  The chaplin stood tall through the process.

Klingenschmitt had rested the case without calling any witnesses, one of whom was scheduled to be Moore, because of the biblical injunction in Isaiah, where the prophecy about Jesus says he "was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth."

The real issue is the navy's policy of non-sectarian prayer. 

Several dozen other chaplains also have joined in a civilian lawsuit that alleges the Navy hierarchy allows only those Christian ministers who advocate only non-sectarian blandishments to be promoted. Those with evangelical beliefs, they say, are routinely drummed from the Navy.

I agree with the chaplin here.

"There is no more fundamental right than the inalienable right to worship our creator, and I pray in Jesus name," Klingenschmitt said. "For any government official to require non-sectarian prayers is for him to enforce his government religion upon me, to censor, exclude and punish me for my participation"

Non-sectarian is a religion all it's own, and they are dedicated to it's establishment.

I’ve avoided getting excited about this, until now. It appears too good to be true.

As usual, World Net Daily has the best summary of the PERA. Stop the ACLU is also very excited.

The ACLU rakes in millions everytime they win a case attacking the public expression of religion. Every time they go after a cross, a ten commandments display, or a nativity scene and win they can have their attorney’s fees paid for. A provision in a 1976 law that had the good intentions of helping individuals that could not afford to defend themselves in civil liberty issues has been turned on its head by groups like the ACLU. Now the ACLU uses this provision to threaten small schools and local governments into bowing to their demands.

But now …

A plan that would cut off the pipeline of taxpayer money that now flows into American Civil Liberties Union coffers has been advanced by the House Judiciary Committee. The Public Expression of Religion Act, introduced by Indiana Congressman John Hostettler, now will move to the full House for a vote, he said in his announcement this week.

Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback has similar legislation pending in the Senate.

And yes, they are nervous over at the Anti-Christian Lawyer’s Union. This won’t stop them, but it will slow them down.

Here is an article about a Christian being arrested for passing out literature. The problem wasn’t the way he handed it out, or where he was. The problem was that is contained … Bible verses. Specifically, it had several verses printed on the handout that address the issue of homosexuality. However, the tone of the handout wasn’t even harsh.

Colin Hart of the Christian Institute think tank said: 'This was a very gentle leaflet. There was no use of words like "perversion". I have to wonder if churches, bishops and archbishops are now vulnerable to arrest for their views on homosexuality.

Nor was the fellow arrested being a troublemaker.

A spokesman for the police said the campaigner had not behaved in a violent or aggressive manner, but that officers arrested him because 'the leaflet contained Biblical quotes about homosexuality'.

Who will they be coming for next? Your church? Mine?

'It is noticeable that police never arrest Muslims who make remarks about homosexuality. They pick on Christians because it is easy,

When will the church rise-up?

A story about another victory can be read here. I can’t remember if I blogged on this story before or not. A LA parish was denying a permit for a crisis pregnancy center to build a home for expecting mothers. Well, they finally caved in because of the pressure of the ADF. Those guys are fighting the good fight. Some of the more rewarding work my wife and I have done was with a CPC-home.

It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged, but this story out of my own backyard can’t be ignored.

In what may be one of the most blatant acts of anti-Christian bigotry and discrimination by an American government agency to date, the Minneapolis Police Department has suspended a Police Psychologist, Dr. Michael Campion of Campion, Barrow & Associates, at the behest of pro-homosexual activists.

It appears the pro-homosexual activists have a zero-tolerance policy against Christians. You see, no one is claiming the Dr. Campion has actually done anything wrong.

… until last year he was a board member with the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), a Christian organization which advocates traditional family values. The Minneapolis Police Department admits that because of Dr. Campion's Christian beliefs, and his former affiliation with IFI, he is now under suspension pending an investigation into his beliefs.

However, they just got done investigating the fellow, and he passed. According to the Minneapolis Star and Sickle ...

Campion's business, which is based in Champaign, Ill., has performed psychological testing for 32 years for more than 100 law enforcement agencies, including St. Paul. Last month, Campion received high marks from a consulting firm hired by the Minneapolis Police Department to evaluate his "general procedural goodness and specific cultural fairness" of his testing procedures.

So they hire one firm with all this experience to perform the evaluations, and they hire another firm to evaluate the first. On top of that, there have been no complaints about his work either.

said Sgt. John Delmonico, president of the police federation. It never had any complaints about Campion, but Delmonico said any issues that have been raised should be looked into.

However, none of that matters when a homosexual activists is acting up. If he’s a Christian, he must be suspended and investigated. Simply ‘being a Christian’ is now part of a profile which makes one unfit for duty in the public sector.

The message from Minneapolis is clear: The Constitution be damned! If you work for our city, and you happen to be a person of faith belonging to a church or public policy organization that advocates traditional family values, then you might as well clean out your desk now — because as soon as we find out...you're done.

The irony here is that this is the type of discrimination that pro-homosexual activists used to claim was happening against them. Now that they are in a position of influence, they are happy to use that influence to engage in discriminatory behavior themselves. There isn’t a consistent application of the principles they preach, just a power grab.

I assume that Campion’s beliefs are in line with those stated by his former group.

"We are absolutely, positively not anti-gay," Smith said. "Homosexuals were made in the image of God, and we're commanded to love them. But we don't have to accept their behavior. We tell them in a loving way that it's an unhealthy and unsafe lifestyle."

I imagine that Campion will be challenged personally to continually act in a loving way to those who are attacking him so. At this point, if I were him, I would likely be ready to take a chainsaw to cut someone’s desk in half at city hall.   I pray that Campion will stay in God’s spirit, and shine as a light for Him. However, if he wants to borrow a chainsaw …

Here is an article from World Net Daily regarding another Bible in a public square. Basically,

The ruling from the Fifth Court of Appeals said the display of a Bible on public ground in Houston to honor the founder of a mission has to go, not because it was unconstitutional itself, but because it became unconstitutional when a Christian group rallied around it.

The ramifications of such a ruling are endless.

…that means any monument, building, or even feature of nature is an illegal "establishment of religion" if a church ceremony is held there.

…words and actions by private citizens or elected officials with religious content, expressed about a building or monument, convert it from 'secular' and constitutional to 'sacred' and unconstitutional

Some of us have an opinion on this.

"For the court to state that if a private citizen exercises his or her First Amendment rights of religious expression and assembly on public property, that any monument, building or fixed item of any kind that contains religious references becomes 'establishment of religion' is simply irrational."

These judges are persecuting Christians and trampling on religious freedom.

A few more court decisions like this … and the United States will be approaching the "China-level" for Christian persecution.

OK – That’s a little strong, even for me, knowing something about China.

"We're not persecuted yet, we know that. But we're on our way”

That is certainly apparent to me.

Agape Press is reporting that a U.S. Navy Chaplin is being court marshaled for praying. No, I didn’t make this up.

Klingenschmitt says all he did at this event while in uniform was to say a prayer for America's armed forces from the Book of Common Prayer, an invocation ending with the words "through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen."

It goes on …

"I'm being punished for wearing my uniform and praying in Jesus' name in front of the White House," he says, "and my contention is that I had prior written permission to wear my uniform."

We’ve lost something as a nation, and I’m not sure we can get it back.

There is a saying in sports that says ‘A win is a win’. I’m personally involved in Children’s ministry, and I think the world of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) as an organization. Top notch people. Today, I expect this is what they are saying. After a 5 year battle, they have finally scored a win for religious speech. You can see the details here.

The school would allow non-profit organizations to distribute flyers for the students to take home. However, when CEF tried, they were denied. Apparently, the school thought they could selectively decide who gets to distribute flyers without defined criteria. Finally, the courts agree that the school can’t just pick and choose.

Somehow, I don’t think this is over. Read between the lines.

"They misinterpreted how the policy was intended to operate," said Judith Bresler, the school system's attorney. "I guess we were not clear enough when we articulated it. [The ruling] is a misinterpretation of the way we meant the policy to operate."

The policy was intended to allow speech they support, and disallow speech in which they disagree.

School Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said the school system will review the guidelines in light of the decision but added, "I continue to believe that the volume of material, unrelated to school, delivered home through the time and energy of our staff and students must be limited."

In other words, they have not taken the judges ruling to heart. They law says that if you allow one to use the program, you have to allow all. This guy thinks he can just re-write the policy in greater detail so that they can still pick and choose. There is no way he will allow CEF to use the program. Perhaps the new policy will say “except CEF or anyone like them”

I think I like these guys in New Orleans. A certain Parish there is erecting a memorial to the people who died in Katrina. It’s a cross … with an image of Jesus. The ACLU has protested. The president of the Parish has responded, telling them the ACLU which portion of his anatomy they are welcome to kiss. See the story here. Very refreshing.

An 8yo girl in NJ wanted to sing ‘Awesome God’ for talent night. You guessed it, the school said ‘no’. They even picked out the specific lyrics that they found ‘too graphic and violent’.

"There's thunder in His footsteps and lightning in His fists. (Our God is an awesome God.) And the Lord wasn't joking when He kicked 'em out of Eden. It wasn't for no reason that He shed His blood. His return is very close and so you better be believing that our God is an awesome God."

See some details here. No one is buying it, not even the ACLU. I don’t think the school is going to win this one.