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	<title>CultureWatch</title>
	
	<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com</link>
	<description>Bill Muehlenberg's commentary on issues of the day...</description>
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		<title>Blind Guides and Small Men</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/17/blind-guides-and-small-men/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/17/blind-guides-and-small-men/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 06:34:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sermons and Devotionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Church]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7825</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two very big problems in today’s churches: a lack of godly leadership, and a lack of godly men. Sure, there are many great godly leaders, and many great godly men, but far too often they seem to be in the minority. So much of the church is made up of weak and compromised [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are two very big problems in today’s churches: a lack of godly leadership, and a lack of godly men. Sure, there are many great godly leaders, and many great godly men, but far too often they seem to be in the minority. So much of the church is made up of weak and compromised leadership, and far too many men who are missing from the action (as opposed to missing in action).</p>
<p>A terrific passage in my daily reading certainly caught my attention in this regard. Ezekiel 22:23-31 is a stand out passage, with vv. 26 and 30 standing out even more. This is one of the many words of judgment Yahweh gives through Ezekiel to the reprobate and dysfunctional nation of Israel.</p>
<p>Verse 26 is certainly quite telling: “Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean”.</p>
<p>The very religious leaders who should have known better, and should have been leading the way in this regard were completely compromised and apostate. They could not even tell the difference between good and evil. And these guys were the spiritual leaders of the nation!</p>
<p>How many so-called Christian leaders today can also be described in these terms? Just think of all those leaders who have jumped into bed with the homosexual activists for example. There are many who no longer see the difference between the holy and the common, so they are actually championing things like homosexual marriage.</p>
<p>One such pastor blatantly and proudly posted a letter in the Melbourne <em>Age</em> just days ago, making an appalling case for homosexual marriage. Talk about selling out your faith and abandoning the clear teachings of Scripture. For what it’s worth, I sent in a letter in reply, but of course the paper chose not to print it. Why am I not surprised?</p>
<p>And even secular leaders who should know better seem to no longer be able to distinguish between right and wrong. Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett wrote a shocker of an article yesterday for the <em>Herald Sun</em>, also pushing homosexual marriage. And he represents the conservative side of politics?</p>
<p>Again, I wrote an article in reply and sent it off, but still no signs of it appearing. I will post it on my site tomorrow if the <em>HS</em> refuses to give me a right of reply. Thus our leadership, both sacred and secular, is failing in their most basic tasks, to lead in righteousness and with moral clarity.</p>
<p>And then there is also the massive problem of men – or the lack thereof. Where are all the godly men? Why do they seem to be so few and far between? Why do we not see an army of godly men leading the church and standing up against that which is evil?</p>
<p>It seems so few men in the pews today have vision, conviction, and courage. They lack moral fibre and spiritual fervour. They lack holy boldness and biblical priorities. And our churches are suffering big time as a result. In this regard I am reminded of a short piece written many years ago by Richard Halverson.</p>
<p>He was a Presbyterian minister and for many years the Chaplain of the United States Senate. His short piece entitled “Big Men” is well worth repining here in its entirety. It is a prophetic word which every Christian man needs to hear today. Here it is:</p>
<p><strong>Big Men</strong><br />
“Rarely do you run into a really bad man in the circle of business- industry and government. They’re good men by and large . . .<br />
But you meet so many small men! Not small in stature – but men who think little, talk little, and plan little. Like eagles staked to the ground, there’s <em>no soar</em> in them. <em>Ceiling is zero</em> – and their <em>horizons are pulled in to the hub</em>.<br />
Not that these men are selfish. (Some of course are). But it’s just that they’re <em>preoccupied most of the time with their own little bailiwick</em>. They don’t allow their minds to stretch and breathe. They don’t think – they just rearrange their prejudices . . .<br />
These men are <em>indifferent</em> to problems other than their own. They have <em>no concern</em> for those things which do not hold a personal reference. They refuse to be bothered!<br />
Here lies the tragedy of the little man – his unavailability. He is needed but unavailable! Needed by his community – his nation – the world…. And he doesn’t see beyond the four walls of this miserable little existence!<br />
In this desperately crucial, convulsive time, <em>unavailability is a terrible sin</em>. These times demand big men. Not men who are big shots (they’re useless), but men who are big in heart and mind. Great men! Large-soul men!<br />
<em>Men with a vision</em> – whose feet are on the ground but whose eyes are on the far horizon. Farsighted, selfless men. <em>Men with a goal</em>. Men whose hearts God has touched. Men committed – <em>dedicated to God</em> and his holy, high purpose! Men of integrity!”</p>
<p>Yes exactly right. We are all aware of far too many men like this. They have no vision, no passion, and no goals. Sure, they go through the motions: they dutifully roll up to church each week, and do the various church meetings. But their hearts are just not really there.</p>
<p>They are far more passionate about watching <em>Top Gear</em> or seeing their favourite sports team. That is what really rules their hearts. They lack a vision for what God earnestly desires to do in and through them. They cannot be greatly used by God because they are simply unavailable.</p>
<p>God cannot steer a parked car. Only a car that is actually moving can be directed. Until these men snap out of their sleep, their lethargy, and their apathy, God will not be able to use them. They will simply take up space in the pews, and be of no real use to their own families, their communities, or the Kingdom.</p>
<p>Ezekiel spoke to this very problem in v. 30: “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” No one to intercede. No one to stand in the gap. No one who cared.</p>
<p>Many Christian men today would spend barely a few minutes a month in prayer and Bible reading, but they will spend hundreds of hours a month on their various activities – be it their cars, or sports, or games, or what have you. They are worldly, carnal, compromised and simply unavailable for God’s purposes.</p>
<p>Indeed, they are likely to spend hours a day playing stupid Facebook games, but couldn’t even be bothered to press the ‘like’ button or the ‘share’ button to another post featuring a Bible passage or a great Christian quote. They are small men who have no vision of a great God and what he so desires to achieve through them.</p>
<p>Between the lax leaders and these mousey men, no wonder the church of Jesus Christ is so ineffective today.  No wonder we are not making a difference. No wonder we are not being salt and light as Jesus commanded us to be. No wonder we are just taking up space.</p>
<p>No wonder the world simply laughs at us and ignores us. What does so much of the church have to offer? Absolutely nothing, far too often. As A. W. Tozer once said: “The most critical need of the Church at this moment is men &#8211; the right kind of men, bold men. The talk is that we need revival, that we need a new baptism of the Holy Spirit &#8211; and God knows we must have both &#8211; but God will not revive mice. He will not fill rabbits with the Holy Spirit.”</p>
<p>Or as he said elsewhere: “The need today is for leaders identified so fully with the cross-carrying Jesus that they have no life apart from Him, no ambition except to make Him appear glorious in the sight of men. Such as these will seek no place, no reputation. Christ Himself will be their glory and their all.”</p>
<p>Where are all the leaders? Where are all the men? Until we can find more godly leaders and more godly men, our chances of being real salt and real light to the world will be very slim indeed.</p>
<p><em>[1422 words]</em></p>
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		<title>On Mormon Presidents</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/17/on-mormon-presidents/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/17/on-mormon-presidents/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 05:46:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7815</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[OK, I am being a bit presumptuous here. Not only has the November US presidential election not yet taken place (obviously), but it is still not 100 per cent certain that Romney will get the nod to run against Obama for the Republicans. But it is much more than likely that he will, so he [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>OK, I am being a bit presumptuous here. Not only has the November US presidential election not yet taken place (obviously), but it is still not 100 per cent certain that Romney will get the nod to run against Obama for the Republicans. But it is much more than likely that he will, so he is well worth talking about.</p>
<p>When I was writing my earlier article on Mitt Romney and the US elections, I knew I would get all sorts of angry responses from at least four different camps – and true to form all four have in one way or another let me know that they did not approve of what I had written. The four groups are:</p>
<p>-various lefties of course, who love Obama and hate conservatives;<br />
-libertarians in general and Ron Paul supporters (sometimes known as Ronbots) in particular, who seem to think that Paul is as much a messiah as Obama was to the Democrats;<br />
-Mormons obviously, who want to claim they are real Christians and are not a cult;<br />
-and those who fiercely resist any notions of co-belligerency.</p>
<p>This site of course has dealt often with my problems with the lefties, including religious lefties. And I have elsewhere dealt with my concerns about libertarians and Ron Paul. And there are plenty of good books, organisations and websites which highlight the theological errors of Mormonism. (See for example the info found here: <a href="http://forthesakeofthegospel.com/document/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://forthesakeofthegospel.com/document/" target="_blank">forthesakeofthegospel.com/document/</a> )</p>
<p>So let me here just deal with the last group of objectors: those who seem to think that any sort of cooperation with non-Christians is more or less of the devil and must be resisted at all costs. I have already written elsewhere about this matter:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/09/02/on-co-belligerency/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/09/02/on-co-belligerency/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/09/02/on-co-belligerency/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2009/11/27/on-biblical-cooperation-and-separation/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2009/11/27/on-biblical-cooperation-and-separation/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2009/11/27/on-biblical-cooperation-and-separation/</a></p>
<p>Here I want to now take this even further in relation to how Christians should think about supporting (voting for) Romney. Because he is a Mormon, many Christians – especially evangelicals – are of two minds as to how to deal with him. Some want nothing to do with him at all, because he is a Mormon, and will refuse to vote for him.</p>
<p>But as I wrote at length in my previous article, all that attitude will get us is another four years of Obama, which will simply be disastrous in just so many ways – even disastrous for these very same evangelical Christians who will allow him to get back in! But see here for more on this: <a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/on-mitt-romney-and-americas-future/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/on-mitt-romney-and-americas-future/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/on-mitt-romney-and-americas-future/</a></p>
<p>In the interests of theological purity, many Christians want nothing to do with the guy. Well, can I say I certainly am also interested in theological purity, in the sense that we must guard against error in the churches and stand up for biblical truth and sound doctrine. But that is different from whether we vote for Romney or not. Indeed, we must be quite clear about what we are being asked to do here.</p>
<p>My argument is simply this: to refuse to vote for Romney (if he indeed becomes the Republican challenger), or to not vote at all, will simply ensure that Obama gets back in. That it seems to me is a clear dereliction of Christian duty. Again, what is going to happen if we vote for Romney? Let me tell you what we will not be doing. We will not be voting on the following:</p>
<p>-to have a Mormon preach in your church;<br />
-to have a Mormon teach in your Sunday School;<br />
-to have a Mormon lecture in theology in your seminary;<br />
-to have a Mormon change laws to line up with Mormon teaching;<br />
-to have the Book of Mormon become mandatory reading for all Americans;<br />
-to have Utah made the nation’s capital;<br />
-to have Joseph Smith become a national hero;<br />
-to have Mormon practices become official US policy and practice;<br />
-to have Mormon faith and practice become the law of the land, etc.</p>
<p>We are simply voting on who will be President, which is a fairly constrained position, at least when it comes to theological outcomes. The truth is, Romney did not institute and enforce Mormon doctrines in the state of Massachusetts while Governor there. He was not in a position to do so, and he will not be in a position to do so as President if he is elected.</p>
<p>Some Christians have raised passages such as Isaiah 42:8: “I will not share my glory with another”. Well yes, of course he will not. But what does that have to do with this situation!? Nothing at all, actually. We have already had US presidents who were not born-again Christians. Some of the early ones were deists and into other weird stuff as well, biblically speaking.</p>
<p>Other concerned Christians will talk about not being unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14).  But how are we to understand this text in relation to voting for Obama? The truth is, unless you live as a hermit in a cave somewhere, every single Christian on the planet is rubbing shoulders with, interacting with, and having plenty to do with, non-Christians all the time – and that would include Mormons of course.</p>
<p>We constantly deal with non-Christians, be they Mormons, Hindus, Scientologists, Satan worshippers, Muslims, secular humanists, New Agers, child pornographers, or carnal Christians all the time. Every day we do our banking with them, or buy life insurance from them, or join with them in the workplace, or shop with them, etc.</p>
<p>We buy our cars from them, do our finances with them, or get our health care from them, etc. Probably even most of our favourite sports teams and athletes are non-Christians. Why is it OK to bank with these non-Christians, work for them, and have relationships with them every day, yet not have one as a President?</p>
<p>Indeed, there would be Mormon policemen protecting our homes, or Mormon soldiers fight wars for our freedom. Do we check out their theological pedigree first before we allow them to perform these duties? We are not voting for a theologian but a president. Romney will not be dealing with doctrines but public policy.</p>
<p>The first duty of all Christians (certainly in America) is to use their brains for the glory of God, and to use some biblical discernment to see such realities. We really need to get real here and look at the situation with some discernment and biblical clarity.</p>
<p>A second term of Obama will really be the end of everything, in so many ways. We must understand that if Obama gets in again he will destroy America, marriage and family will be ruined, and tens of thousands of Christians may well be jailed. This will simply not happen under Romney.</p>
<p>As I have said, I am not a fan of Romney by any means. I wish there were another option. But at the moment there are no other options, unless God so chooses to intervene. So for me it is a no-brainer: better Romney than Obama, any day of the week.</p>
<p>For that matter, I would much rather have a principled, competent, capable and honest atheist rule over me than an unprincipled, incompetent, incapable and dishonest Christian – also any day of the week. Because we live in a fallen world, where nothing is perfect, we have to live with the fact that we will often have to choose between the lesser of two evils.</p>
<p>That is reality in a world made up entirely of sinful men and women. Pretending that we can somehow be in some ideal world where only perfectly good and easy choices can be made is just not going to happen, and such wishful thinking helps no one.</p>
<p>Christians are right to be concerned about Romney. I am concerned as well. But as I also keep insisting, we must think clearly here. To simply refuse to vote for Romney will be disastrous. All it means is that we will have Obama for a second term, and even more harm will engulf us.</p>
<p>And as all this radicalism unleashes its full fury, we will have some Christians smugly standing by, wiping their hands, saying, “Well, at least I did not vote for that horrible Mormon”. And they somehow think their consciences will be clean as a result. Respectfully this is why we are losing one battle after another, with very confused and unhelpful thinking as this.</p>
<p>I like what another commentator has written about this: “I agree with Prager: that Romney is willing to acknowledge and accept the reality that Christians and Mormons have ‘different faiths’ is refreshing honesty. And beyond that, he reemphasizes the reality that we are not selecting a theologian in chief, but rather a man who will guide the country either towards or away from the Natural, Moral Order of God.</p>
<p>“I agree that Romney is not as conservative as I would like. It’s why I didn’t vote for him in the primary. And there will be some who say that Romney merely wrote this speech to pander to evangelical Christians. Perhaps. But remember, Romney knew this speech would be dissected and used against him.  And he still spoke these truths.  That’s something Barack Obama would never do, and that’s the point that needs to be grasped by conservatives.”</p>
<p>Quite so. Of course at the end of the day each Christian must prayerfully consider how they must act here, and how they must vote. I hope they will act and vote wisely.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.peterheck.com/libtree/liberty_tree/view/2262/romney_is_reliable_in_one_area__he_is_no_obama" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.peterheck.com/libtree/liberty_tree/view/2262/romney_is_reliable_in_one_area__he_is_no_obama" target="_blank">www.peterheck.com/libtree/liberty_tree/view/2262/romney_is_reliable_in_one_area__he_is_no_obama</a></p>
<p><em>[1561 words]</em></p>
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		<title>When Freedom Disappears</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/16/when-freedom-disappears/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/16/when-freedom-disappears/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 05:31:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homosexuality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Political Correctness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7807</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The problem with any slow and gradual process – whatever it may be – is that many will not even realise that it is occurring. We are certainly seeing this in the political and social arenas. All around the Western world we are slowly and gradually losing our freedoms and witnessing our very democracies being [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The problem with any slow and gradual process – whatever it may be – is that many will not even realise that it is occurring. We are certainly seeing this in the political and social arenas. All around the Western world we are slowly and gradually losing our freedoms and witnessing our very democracies being destroyed.</p>
<p>But because it is occurring incrementally, it seems that many folks are not even aware of it. Presumably there would be a great outcry if a Western leader – or an overseas tyrant – overnight clamped down on most of our freedoms and decimated our democracies.</p>
<p>Yet this is exactly what is happening, but being a slow and behind the scenes process, few are aware of it, and few seem to be concerned about it. We are living through our own execution, in other words, but hardly anyone seems to even notice. Let me give you one clear example of this.</p>
<p>Last night I attended a meeting about marriage, family and faith. The keynote speaker was the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen. No one has achieved on the tennis court what this woman has. And yet, the meeting had to be a secret meeting, not advertised to the general public.</p>
<p>How in the world could this situation come about? Why hide a meeting about something most people fully support, and keep things hushed up about this terrific, world-renowned woman? I will tell you why. Because the militant homosexual lobby has declared war on democracy and freedom.</p>
<p>It will not tolerate anyone who dares to stand against their destructive agenda. Thus in the name of tolerance they will shout down and shut down any public gathering which stands up for truth, for faith, and for family. This meeting had to be held in secret simply so that it could go ahead.</p>
<p>Just think of the early church where believers had to gather secretly in the catacombs and elsewhere because of the great persecution and opposition they were experiencing. But now we are returning to exactly those same sorts of scenarios. Now Christians and pro-family folk have to meet secretly in order to hold their meetings.</p>
<p>The reason for this need for secrecy is quite evident, and we saw a clear example of this just a few weeks ago. Last month I shared the stage with the amazing woman: Margaret Court. She and I and a Jewish rabbi spoke to over 500 people at her own church.</p>
<p>Yet I had to run the gauntlet. The militant rent-a-crowd was there: small in number as always, but very vocal and determined to inflict maximum damage. So around 50 obnoxious and noisy protestors were there to disrupt the meeting and further undermine our democratic rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech.</p>
<p>The only reason that the meeting in fact took place was because we had to spend a lot of money on getting a heavy presence of security guards, along with police. They even had the riot squad on standby! All this simply so that a Christian pastor and former tennis great could hold a public meeting on the importance of marriage and the wellbeing of children. I wrote about this experience here: <a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/25/shouting-down-the-opposition/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/25/shouting-down-the-opposition/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/25/shouting-down-the-opposition/</a></p>
<p>Do you see what is happening here? Freedoms are being lost, and democracy is being dragged in the mud. The activists – all in the name of tolerance and acceptance – are going around the West on search and destroy missions. Anyone who dares to take a differing view from them must be hunted down and totally silenced.</p>
<p>No wonder they are known as the gaystapo, or the pink mafia. For that is exactly what they are – they are homosexual fascists who have declared war on freedom and democracy. So now Christians and pro-family folks have to hold clandestine meetings simply so they can continue without fear of being shut down.</p>
<p>That is not how a democracy is supposed to operate. That is not what freedom is all about. This is not why our sons went overseas and shed their blood – so that the homosexual jackboots could intimidate, bully and threaten anyone who happens to think marriage is between a man and a woman, and that children deserve having their own mother and father.</p>
<p>A distinguished and honourable Christian gentleman from Melbourne just yesterday was hounded out of his position for simply daring to affirm these two truths. To even speak up for traditional marriage and the wellbeing of children today is very costly indeed.</p>
<p>This great man of courage and principle has paid a very heavy price, and more nasty ramifications of his brave stance may yet be forthcoming. I have written about this Christian hero here: <a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/equal-opportunities-are-only-for-some/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/equal-opportunities-are-only-for-some/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/equal-opportunities-are-only-for-some/</a></p>
<p>All over the Western world brave men and women like this who simply wish to voice their concerns about the wellbeing of children and the state of the nation are being bullied and attacked by the pink mobsters, and many are having to pay quite a big price for this.</p>
<p>And we are all paying a heavy price: the steady erosion of our freedoms is one obvious thing we are all paying. Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience are all under direct assault by the militants. And democracy itself is unravelling at the seams, as these roving gangs from the tolerance brigade seek to bust up meeting after meeting.</p>
<p>Oh, and I should mention that these bullies have already stated that they will attack Margaret Court once again when she speaks – or tries to speak &#8211; in Tasmania tomorrow night. Please keep this meeting in your prayers. And this used to be a free country. This used to be a great democracy. Well not any more, not with roving gangs of the intolerance police making sure they replicate what the Nazis used to do.</p>
<p>Our freedoms are going down the gurgler fast. Does anyone care? Will anyone stand up against the new bullies and brownshirts? Or will we simply stand by and allow all of our freedoms to eventually be stamped out under the jackboots of the peace and love brigade? The choice is ours.</p>
<p><em>[1024 words]</em></p>
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		<title>Equal Opportunities Are Only For Some</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/equal-opportunities-are-only-for-some/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/equal-opportunities-are-only-for-some/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 06:51:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7798</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As if we still needed proof that our various ‘Equal Opportunity Commissions’ and the like are anything but, we now have the story of an EOC member being forced to resign. And his heinous crime? He actually believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and he thinks that children should have a basic [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As if we still needed proof that our various ‘Equal Opportunity Commissions’ and the like are anything but, we now have the story of an EOC member being forced to resign. And his heinous crime? He actually believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and he thinks that children should have a basic right to be raised by their biological parents.</p>
<p>Here is how the headlines go: “An equal opportunity commission board member who signed a submission against same-sex marriage has resigned.” Of course he has not so much quit as been forced out by the pink mafia. For daring to speak truth, the homosexual activists went ballistic, demanding his head. And that is now what they got, in a mere matter of hours.</p>
<p>As one news item reports: “A member of Victoria&#8217;s Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission board has resigned after stirring controversy by signing a petition opposing gay marriage. Professor Kuruvilla George is also Victoria&#8217;s deputy chief psychiatrist and one of a group of 150 doctors who wrote to a Senate inquiry on marriage equality.</p>
<p>“The doctors&#8217; submission argued children with a mother and father were healthier than children with same-sex parents. The petition has drawn criticism from other doctors and families of same-sex couples and yesterday prompted Victoria&#8217;s chief psychiatrist to issue a statement defending Professor George.”</p>
<p>The Greens, the homosexual lobbies, and other militants all demanded his blood, and they have got what they wanted. As but one example, the former head of the AMA, lesbian activist Kerryn Phelps said the doctors should “hang their heads in shame” and that an immediate review of Prof George&#8217;s position on the board should be undertaken.</p>
<p>So now he is gone, barely 24 hours after the furore erupted. Yep, another scalp for the gaystapo and their intolerant colleagues in arms. This is yet another example of the pink mafia in action, with yet another good and honourable man forced out of his job.</p>
<p>There really is no doubt that this activist group is the most intolerant and anti-democratic group in the country. They have become experts in bullying, intimidation and persecution. And they will not stop until every last voice of opposition is forever silenced.</p>
<p>And just what are we to make of the EOC? What an utter joke. They need to explain to the entire world what became of Prof Kuruvilla’s equal opportunities. Why does it seem that only homosexual activists and their supporters get equal opportunities, but those who dare to differ do not?</p>
<p>The Human Rights Law Centre Executive Director Philip Lynch has been writing back to people who have rightly made a stink about this, basically saying his views were unacceptable, and he was a bad boy for saying these things. He wrote, if his “beliefs are incompatible with his duties and functions under the Equal Opportunity Act, including his statutory duty to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or lawful sexual activity, then there is a clear conflict of interest and it is appropriate the he resign his public office.”</p>
<p>So no equal opportunities for him then. He either toes the pro-homosexual line of the EOC or he gets the boot. And it was the jackboot of the homosexual fascists and their supporters in the EOC that he felt big time. So much for freedom of speech.</p>
<p>So much for equal opportunities. So much for living in a democracy. So much for freedom of conscience. The militant homosexual lobby and their cronies in the EOC have declared war on these basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. In their eyes, clearly some people are more equal than others.</p>
<p>And to prove how completely biased and pro-homosexual this Executive Director is, he is sending people a link to a site which is pushing the homosexual line, telling us children do not at all need a mother and a father. Talk about pushing agendas.</p>
<p>Talk about using his tax-payer funded position to promote his own radical agenda, and to silence anyone who dares to differ. And never mind the mountain of evidence which clearly states that children do need a biological mother and father. But forget the evidence; this is about pushing radical agendas, and foisting upon an unwilling populace their social engineering.</p>
<p>The tragic truth is, a war has been declared against us by the militants. They will not rest until every bit of opposition is totally silenced. We need to wake up real quick and become informed about these issues. That is why twenty years ago I started writing my book, because I saw this issue as one of the most important battles we will have to face.</p>
<p>How long before those concerned about freedom and real equal opportunity wake up to this? How long before the churches wake up to this? How many more people – mostly believers &#8211; will lose their jobs, be fined, or thrown in jail before we snap ourselves out of our slumber and start taking a stand?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-15/doctor-quits-equal-rights-board-after-same-sex-row/4011928" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-15/doctor-quits-equal-rights-board-after-same-sex-row/4011928" target="_blank">www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-15/doctor-quits-equal-rights-board-after-same-sex-row/4011928</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-unions-a-risk-to-kids-say-doctors/story-fn7x8me2-1226353845714" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-unions-a-risk-to-kids-say-doctors/story-fn7x8me2-1226353845714" target="_blank">www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-unions-a-risk-to-kids-say-doctors/story-fn7x8me2-1226353845714</a></p>
<p><em>[832 words]</em></p>
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		<title>Homosexual Marriage: Everything Will Change</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/homosexual-marriage-everything-will-change/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/homosexual-marriage-everything-will-change/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 01:42:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consider this headline: ‎“An equal opportunity commission board member who signed a submission against same-sex marriage has resigned.” A respected doctor and community leader has been forced to resign for a horrific crime: yes, he dared to say marriage was between a man and a woman, and children deserve to be raised by their own [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Consider this headline: ‎“An equal opportunity commission board member who signed a submission against same-sex marriage has resigned.” A respected doctor and community leader has been forced to resign for a horrific crime: yes, he dared to say marriage was between a man and a woman, and children deserve to be raised by their own biological mother and father. I wrote about his story earlier: <a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/finally-some-good-news-and-some-common-sense/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/finally-some-good-news-and-some-common-sense/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/finally-some-good-news-and-some-common-sense/</a></p>
<p>The homosexual mafia have once again got their way and shown their true colours. They are destroying freedom and democracy slowly but surely. Every day we witness another example of the pink jackboots in operation. It is getting uglier by the day, and shows no signs of letting up.</p>
<p>For years now I have been documenting the constant war which is being waged against those who value marriage and family, those who value freedom, and those who are people of faith. All three have been heavily hammered by homosexual activists and their supporters in high places.</p>
<p>Here I offer just some recent examples of this. They are only the tip of the iceberg, but they very nicely demonstrate the battle we are in, and how special rights for homosexuals in general, and homosexual marriage in particular, will change everything. With so many examples to choose from, and so little space here, let me just offer the headline, date, and perhaps the opening paragraph of each recent news item. I will begin with last year and move up to more recent times:</p>
<p>“Canadian Court: Marriage officials must marry homosexuals”<br />
January 10, 2011<br />
“The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal declared this morning that proposed legislative amendments that would have allowed Saskatchewan’s marriage commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex ‘marriages’ on religious grounds are unconstitutional.”</p>
<p>“Army: court-martial Chaplains for ‘religious, conscience’ objection to homosexuality”<br />
March 24, 2011<br />
“The U.S. Army has officially threatened military chaplains they must either embrace the new openly homosexual military, resign from service, or face court-martial for their ‘religious, conscience’ objections.”</p>
<p>“Tory MP calls for churches to be banned from holding marriages if they refuse gay couples”<br />
<em>PinkNews</em>, September 2, 2011</p>
<p>“MPs vote to stop civil servants refusing to carry out gay weddings”<br />
November 15, 2011<br />
“Dutch MPs voted on Tuesday afternoon for a change in the law to prevent civil servants refusing to conduct gay marriages.”</p>
<p>“Lesbian couple mulls action against Christian wedding cake baker”<br />
November 16, 2011<br />
“An Iowa baker who politely declined to provide a wedding cake for two lesbians based on her Christian values may face legal action from the couple.”</p>
<p>“Gay rights activist calls for boycott of Salvation Army Christmas fundraiser”<br />
November 28, 2011<br />
“Gay rights activists who object to the Salvation Army’s biblical stance on homosexuality are launching their annual call to shut down the organization’s Christmas fundraiser.”</p>
<p>“Case of counseling student forced to undergo pro-homosexual ‘sensitivity training’ goes to court”<br />
December 2, 2011<br />
“After losing at a lower court, a counseling student at a public university in Georgia who was threatened with expulsion because she expressed discomfort with counseling homosexuals, is pleading her case before an Appeals Court this week.”</p>
<p>“Macy’s fires woman for refusing ‘transgender’ man access to women’s fitting room”<br />
December 8, 2011<br />
“A woman has been fired from a Macy’s department store for denying a man dressed as a woman access to the women’s fitting room. ‘I had to either comply with Macy’s or comply with God,’ said Natalie Johnson.”</p>
<p>“All Ontario teachers will be forced to undergo ‘diversity’ training by 2013: minister”<br />
December 22, 2011<br />
“By 2013 prospective teachers in Ontario will be required to undergo focused training in ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender diversity,’ says a cabinet minister in Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government.”</p>
<p>“A New Jersey judge ruled against a Christian retreat house that refused to allow a same-sex civil union ceremony to be conducted on its premises, ruling the Constitution allows ‘some intrusion into religious freedom to balance other important societal goals’.”<br />
January 12, 2012</p>
<p>“Amsterdam chief rabbi suspended for gay stance”<br />
January 18, 2012<br />
“The Orthodox Jewish community of Amsterdam suspended its US-born chief rabbi on Tuesday for cosigning a declaration which said homosexuality was a ‘treatable’ inclination.”</p>
<p>“Attorney Says School Threatened, Punished Boy Who Opposed Gay Adoption”<br />
January 24, 2012<br />
“A 15-year-old Wisconsin boy who wrote an op-ed opposing gay adoptions was censored, threatened with suspension and called ignorant by the superintendent of the Shawano School District, according to an attorney representing the child.”</p>
<p>“Gay activists attack church over same-sex marriage message”<br />
15 February 2012<br />
“Same Sex Marriage supporters attacked Wallsend, NSW Presbyterian Church last night in response to a message criticising same-sex marriage displayed on the building’s outside notice board.”</p>
<p>&#8220;All Dutch schools must teach about homosexuality, cabinet decides&#8221;<br />
February 17, 2012<br />
“All primary and secondary schools are to be required to provide pupils with information about homosexuality, ministers agreed at their Friday cabinet meeting.”</p>
<p>“Criticize homosexuality in Sweden and go to jail: No problem for European rights court”<br />
February 17, 2012<br />
“Anyone challenging the homosexualist agenda in public in Sweden can be sent to prison, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that this does not constitute any violation of rights. In 2004, the Swedish government charged a group of pamphleteers with ‘agitation against a national or ethnic group,’ a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison.”</p>
<p>“Qld Labor candidate expelled after homophobic rant”<br />
February 21, 2012<br />
“Teenage Queensland ALP candidate Peter Watson has been expelled from the party after admitting to a series of anti-gay rants on the internet.”</p>
<p>“Brazilian government demands apology from televangelist for ‘homophobia’”<br />
February 21, 2012<br />
“A Brazilian federal prosecutor is demanding that a televangelist retract certain statements he made in 2011 which the prosecutor says incited ‘hatred’ against homosexuals &#8211; a thinly veiled threat of future legal action.”</p>
<p>“14-year-old homeschooled girl receives death threats for defending marriage”<br />
February 22, 2012<br />
“A 14-year-old homeschooler who testified before the Maryland state senate against a bill redefining marriage has been the subject of cyberbullying, vicious name-calling, and death threats.”</p>
<p>“Alberta readies to impose ‘diversity’ education on homeschoolers”<br />
February 22, 2012<br />
“Homeschooling groups are sounding the alarm this week as the Alberta government prepares to pass a bill that they say threatens to mandate ‘diversity’ education in the home.”</p>
<p>“Preacher’s remarks spark USQ ban”<br />
February 23, 2012<br />
“A United States preacher has been banned from speaking at the University of Southern Queensland tonight due to disparaging comments he made about homosexuality.”</p>
<p>“Stop Catholic schools from distributing ‘homophobic’ literature: leader of UK’s largest union”<br />
February 27, 2012</p>
<p>“Christian vendor blocked from campus”<br />
March 3, 2012<br />
“Under mounting pressure from pro-‘gay’ activists, the student government at a university in Boston voted down a proposal to bring a Chick-fil-A franchise on campus.”</p>
<p>“‘Truth about homosexuality’ pamphleteer arrested, threatened with committal to psychiatric ward”<br />
March 8, 2012<br />
“Bill Whatcott’s controversial campaign to expose the harms of homosexuality has most recently resulted in him being detained by police and threatened with committal to a psychiatric hospital if he didn’t stop distributing flyers at the university of Calgary and adjoining neighborhoods.”</p>
<p>“Christians Who Signed Petitions Investigated”<br />
March 10, 2012<br />
“A prosecutor has decided to pursue and possibly charge members of El Paso area churches who promoted petitions opposing the city administration’s decision to implement benefits for same-sex partners even after voters decided not to allow that.”</p>
<p>“ABC presenter stood down for voicing Katter ad”<br />
<em>Brisbane Times</em>, March 12, 2012<br />
“An ABC radio presenter has been taken off the air after it was revealed she was the voice behind a controversial anti gay marriage television commercial produced for Katter&#8217;s Australian Party.”</p>
<p>“Christian minister accused of ‘crime against humanity’ for homosexuality stance”<br />
March 15, 2012<br />
“Two years ago, Scott Lively, author of ‘The Pink Swastika’, addressed members of the Ugandan Parliament, which was considering a bill criminalizing homosexuality. Lively urged an emphasis on therapy rather than punishment, and, after the bill was released he opposed the death penalty provision. Now, on March 14th a lawsuit was filed in an American court alleging that Lively committed the ‘Crime Against Humanity’ by speaking against homosexuality in Uganda.”</p>
<p>“Lesbian with kids in Catholic school demands removal of Catechism quote on homosexuality”<br />
March 16, 2012<br />
“A self-proclaimed ‘lesbian’ whose two children attend a Catholic school near Peterborough, Ontario, is demanding that the Peterborough Catholic school board remove a Catechism quote dealing with homosexuality from a school pamphlet. Ann Michelle Tesluk has started an online petition to pressure the board to action and describes her activities as gearing to make the Catholic Church into an ‘openly gay friendly church’.”</p>
<p>“Liberal outrage in Spain: Homosexual groups seek prosecution of bishop over sermon on homosexuality”<br />
April 18, 2012<br />
“Homosexual groups are seeking the prosecution of a Spanish bishop after he gave a sermon repeating the Catholic Church’s teaching.”</p>
<p>“Kansas law would force churches to host same-sex ‘weddings,’ receptions”<br />
April 24, 2012<br />
“A proposed ordinance in one of the nation’s most conservative states would force churches to rent their property out for same-sex ‘weddings’ and receptions. It would also force any public venue to allow people to use showers, restrooms, and locker-rooms based on their ‘gender identity,’ rather than their ‘sex at birth’.”</p>
<p>“Angry Queers’ damage Driscoll’s Portland church”<br />
April 25, 2012<br />
&#8220;A satellite church affiliated with controversial Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll was vandalized early Tuesday and a group calling itself the &#8216;Angry Queers&#8217; has reportedly taken responsibility. Stained glass and other windows were broken at the Mars Hill Church.”</p>
<p>&#8220;Proposed Kansas Law Would Force Churches to Host Drag Queen Parties&#8221;<br />
May 2, 2012<br />
“If passed, the ordinance will allow cases against Christian businesses, much as they have done elsewhere to Christian bed and breakfast owners, wedding photographers and others.”</p>
<p>“Nebraska football coach: I’d rather be fired than retract homosexuality remarks”<br />
May 3, 2012<br />
“University of Nebraska’s assistant football coach, Ron Brown, who is facing censure and calls for his dismissal for publicly expressing his biblically-based views against the homosexual lifestyle, has stated that he’d rather be fired than retract his comments.”</p>
<p>“UK Catholic Schools Warned of Breaking Law in Opposing Gay Marriage”<br />
May 9, 2012<br />
“The government of Wales is moving against Catholic schools that are organizing students to protest a new government plan to back gay marriage in that country.”</p>
<p>“California Considers Legislation Making it a Crime to Counsel Children Not to Be Homosexual”<br />
May 9, 2012<br />
“California Senate Bill 1172 would make it illegal for therapists, psychologists, counselors and parents to engage in any kind of &#8216;sexual orientation change efforts&#8217; against children 18 and younger. Violators could be subject to arrest, fines, possible jail time.”</p>
<p>&#8220;Victorian psychiatrist questioned over his stance on gay marriage&#8221;<br />
<em>AAP</em>, May 13, 2012<br />
“A psychiatrist lobbying against same-sex marriage must explain why he should retain his role on the board of the state&#8217;s equal opportunity agency, critics say.”</p>
<p>“Christian Marriage Conference in UK Banned for Opposition to Gay Marriage”<br />
May 14, 2012<br />
“The organizers of a marriage conference in Britain have been told they can no longer hold the event on their regular hired premises because they support the biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.”</p>
<p>All this is just the tip of the iceberg. As more special rights laws and homosexual marriage bills are passed, we will see more and more of this sort of thing. Freedoms will inevitably be stripped away. And the activists know this is and clearly desire this.</p>
<p>In the light of all this, if you are still not convinced, then simply look at what has happened in the American state of Massachusetts. Ever since they legalised homosexual marriage back in 2004, all hell has broken out. This is all very nicely documented in this very important paper which we all need to carefully read: <a href="http://www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/effects_of_ssm.html" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/effects_of_ssm.html" target="_blank">www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/effects_of_ssm.html</a></p>
<p>Homosexual marriage changes everything. Who will be the next one to be fired, fined or tossed into jail?</p>
<p><a href="http://m.news.com.au/NationalNews/fi1555470.htm" class="autohyperlink" title="http://m.news.com.au/NationalNews/fi1555470.htm" target="_blank">m.news.com.au/NationalNews/fi1555470.htm</a></p>
<p><em>[1977 words]</em></p>
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		<title>The Massive Costs of Abortion</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/14/the-massive-costs-of-abortion/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/14/the-massive-costs-of-abortion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 09:21:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Abortion]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Obviously every abortion costs us another innocent human life. That is of course the greatest cost of all. Each year in Australia we lose 100,000 Australians to this barbaric form of killing, and globally some 45-50 million lives are lost. This genocide is unprecedented in human history, and has exacted a tremendous cost on human [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Obviously every abortion costs us another innocent human life. That is of course the greatest cost of all. Each year in Australia we lose 100,000 Australians to this barbaric form of killing, and globally some 45-50 million lives are lost. This genocide is unprecedented in human history, and has exacted a tremendous cost on human life.</p>
<p>But there are other ways at looking at the costs of abortion. Two recent articles have demonstrated that there are other very real costs associated with the abortion holocaust. The first story comes from the UK and is quite an alarming report about serial abortion and the huge public expense that goes with this.</p>
<p>Far too many women, it seems, simply see abortion as an after-the fact form of contraception. And they are often repeat offenders. Some women are having multiple pregnancies dealt with by multiple abortions. And the tax payer is being asked to foot the bill.</p>
<p>Here is how one newspaper report covers the story: “The Health Service is spending around £1million a week providing repeat abortions. Critics said figures revealed yesterday show thousands of women are using the procedure as a form of contraception. It is not unknown for some women to have seven, eight or even nine terminations in their lifetime.</p>
<p>“According to the statistics, single or unmarried women account for five out of every six repeat terminations. Around a third of all abortions carried out in England and Wales are repeats. The figures will fuel the debate on whether abortions, which cost the NHS up to £1,000 each, are being sanctioned as more of a lifestyle choice than a medical requirement.</p>
<p>“In one London borough, half of all abortions are requested by women who have already aborted at least one foetus. In 2010, the latest year for which figures are available, some 189,000 abortions took place. Of these, more than 64,000 terminations were on women who had already aborted a foetus in the past.</p>
<p>“More than 50,000 of them were single or living with a partner; while around 9,500 were married – with the marital status unknown for the rest. Critics of the current legislation said terminations have become just another form of contraception because of the lack of independent counselling at clinics which leads to women making the choice to have an abortion rather than continue with their pregnancy.”</p>
<p>The article features the story of one young woman who had her first abortion at age 12. She then had another at 13, 15 and 16. She says after her first abortion she was told about contraceptives, and was given a contraceptive injection. But then she did not bother to come back to get her booster injections.</p>
<p>The article goes on to detail the number of repeat terminations: “There were 19,295 of them in 2010 [in London]. The North West is next on 7,537; while the West Midlands on 7,190. Figures late last year showed that each abortion costs the NHS an average of £680. It means around £850,000 is spent on repeat abortions every single week in England and Wales. The figures do not include Scotland and Northern Ireland, which means the full UK cost will be around £1million a week.</p>
<p>“Stuart Cowie, a spokesman for pressure group LIFE, said: ‘These figures show that “no questions asked” abortion on demand trivialises the process so much that it is no longer seen as the last resort. We would like to see more counselling offered to women, and more conversations in the classroom about responsibility’.”</p>
<p>The second article which speaks to the costs of abortion comes from the US, and looks at all the lost income of entire generations of people who have been aborted. The article speaks of how these costings were determined: “Our early research focused on the impact of abortion on downstream tax revenues, but we changed to using gross domestic product (GDP) per capita because that’s more indicative of total economic impact.</p>
<p>“Our principal sources were abortions reported by the Guttmacher Institute—a subsidiary of Planned Parenthood—as published in the U.S. Statistical Abstract going back to 1978. We supplemented this with state data for California, Colorado, and New York going back to 1967 (six years before Roe v. Wade). Two million babies were aborted in these states before Roe. We update this data every year and project it to the current month using regression analysis based on most recent trends. Trend adjustments are made annually based on the newest data.</p>
<p>“We use Guttmacher as a source to put our studies beyond challenge from the abortion industry. However, we know these numbers are on the low side because they are based on surveys of abortion providers taken every three to four years, with projections for intervening years using the same kind of regression analysis we use to project the most recent figures. Changes in trend are picked up with each new survey. How much higher might the actual number of abortions be? This number could err by 20 to 30 percent because providers are less likely to report abortions paid for in cash and those with negative outcomes. Former abortion providers like Dr. Nathanson confirm this bias. Center for Disease Control data are even less reliable because many jurisdictions do not legally require reporting.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, there is no accurate way to estimate the number of abortions caused by abortifacients—including RU-486 abortions, abortions produced by drugs like the morning-after pill, or by IUDs. Unsurprisingly, sexually active women using these methods may have as many as three to four pregnancies and three to four abortions a year. However, no one can carry three or four pregnancies to term in a single year, so we have to discount its economic impact. Normally, such women might carry a pregnancy to term every two or three years. That would have a measurable economic impact, but it is hard to estimate reliably.”</p>
<p>So what were the findings? “Based on these estimates, abortion has cost us an estimated $45 trillion in lost GDP and that loss continues growing by $2.5 trillion each year. We do not currently include second generation lives missing because their putative parents were aborted, but that number is clearly growing and will add to the future loss in GDP. For example, at least half of the current total of 55 million aborted people would currently be in their child-bearing years. Since the leading edge of the abortion generation has reached age 45, that has at least a 15 percent negative impact on current births. We are tracking this indirect effect and may include it in future reports.”</p>
<p>Wow, what a massive amount of lost income. And this is becoming an immense problem all over the West. With declining fertility rates – in big part due to abortion – we are creating an inverted population pyramid, with the largest and growing group at top – the elderly – being propped up by a shrinking group at the bottom – the young.</p>
<p>Simply trying to pay pensions and other welfare benefits to the elderly with a shrinking workforce is becoming increasingly difficult. Less and less births mean less and less workers, which means less and less government revenues to be used to pay for looking after the elderly. It is a massive social and financial problem. And abortion is a leading contributor to all this.</p>
<p>The article offers this conclusion: “Basically, we need to restore the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence ‘that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.’ That’s the goal we are committed to at the Movement for a Better America. However, a great many of our political, business, education, and even religious leaders are still asleep at the switch or confused about the solutions. Certainly such a counter-revolution is not going to come from the mainstream media, the academic left, pandering politicians, or a corporate environment where the bottom line is the primary benchmark. Well-intended economic solutions from the left or right can’t resolve these costly social issues. Such &#8216;cures&#8217; may help the business environment and ease the job and real estate markets, but they can’t solve the underlying social malaise.</p>
<p>“Our best hope lies with society’s fundamental social and economic unit—the family. Families make up the warp and woof of our social fabric. Their concern for the future of their children gives them a vision beyond the next quarter or the next election. It was this kind of vision that prompted our founders to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to ‘secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity.’ If churches, schools, and pro-life, pro-family groups can tap into that same vision, they can change things dramatically for the better. If they succeed, the economy will take care of itself. Meanwhile, we need to be wary of the wolves in sheep’s clothing—like Planned Parenthood and self-serving politicians—who try to exploit these concerns and use them to destroy the family and the country’s future.”</p>
<p>Quite right. We need to work for a culture of life, and stop the abortion genocide which is so very costly in so very many ways.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2143936/NHS-spends-1m-week-repeat-abortions-Single-women-using-terminations-form-contraceptive.html" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2143936/NHS-spends-1m-week-repeat-abortions-Single-women-using-terminations-form-contraceptive.html" target="_blank">www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2143936/NHS-spends-1m-week-repeat-abortions-Single-women-using-terminations-form-contraceptive.html</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.all.org/article/index/id/MTAzNjc/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.all.org/article/index/id/MTAzNjc/" target="_blank">www.all.org/article/index/id/MTAzNjc/</a></p>
<p>[1537 words]</p>
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		<title>Finally Some Good News and Some Common Sense</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/finally-some-good-news-and-some-common-sense/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/finally-some-good-news-and-some-common-sense/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 May 2012 05:20:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children and Young People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homosexuality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Political Correctness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7774</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We live in dark days, and good news is often hard to come by. Even harder to find – at least in the media and the public arena – is some common sense. We are plagued with political correctness and radical leftist ideology which is quite far from being sensible or rational. Thus when we [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We live in dark days, and good news is often hard to come by. Even harder to find – at least in the media and the public arena – is some common sense. We are plagued with political correctness and radical leftist ideology which is quite far from being sensible or rational.</p>
<p>Thus when we get a bit of good news and mental and moral clarity – especially if appearing in the MSM – then we better shout it from the mountaintops. Indeed, it is worth spreading it around far and wide, and that I shall happily do. The story opens as follows:</p>
<p>“Victoria&#8217;s deputy chief psychiatrist &#8211; and State Government-appointed equal opportunities champion &#8211; has joined forces with doctors lobbying the Federal Government to ban same-sex marriage. Twenty-two Victorian GPs, anaesthetists, obstetricians, palliative care specialists and psychiatrists, including Prof Kuravilla George, have joined 150 colleagues interstate to argue gay marriage poses a health risk to society.</p>
<p>“In a letter to the Senate&#8217;s inquiry into marriage equality, the group wrote that it was ‘important for the future health of our nation’ to retain the definition of marriage as being between a man and woman. ‘We submit the evidence is clear that children who grow up in a family with a mother and father do better in all parameters than children without,’ they wrote. The doctors also said they were concerned legalising gay marriage would ‘normalise’ homosexual behaviour and the ‘health consequences’ linked with it, such as HIV and syphilis.”</p>
<p>Wow, you don’t read that sort of stuff in the MSM every day. Finally a group of doctors and experts who refuse to be cowed and intimidated by the radical activists, and are willing to put principle ahead of political correctness. Finally some brave doctors who are willing to seek the well-being of the general community.</p>
<p>Finally a group of professionals who have not allowed themselves to be browbeaten and bullied by the militant homosexual activists. Finally a group of people with integrity and guts, who are willing to speak truth, even if it will bring down the venomous rage of the activists.</p>
<p>So well done one and all. And everything they say is perfectly true, and fully verifiable. The social science data on this is overwhelming. I have long collected this data, and it is overwhelming in its conclusions: children do best when raised by their biological mother and father.</p>
<p>That is perfectly clear even in the secular social science data. I hope to turn all these research findings into a book one day, but in the meantime you can find a solid hunk of the documentation in these two articles:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nationalobserver.net/2002_autumn_108.htm" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.nationalobserver.net/2002_autumn_108.htm" target="_blank">www.nationalobserver.net/2002_autumn_108.htm</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nationalobserver.net/2002_winter_110.htm" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.nationalobserver.net/2002_winter_110.htm" target="_blank">www.nationalobserver.net/2002_winter_110.htm</a></p>
<p>The social science research simply backs up what all of us – except those blinded by their radical ideology – already know by common sense: children have a fundamental right to be raised by their own biological parents. To deliberately deprive a child of this &#8211; as in homosexual marriage and adoption rights &#8211; is a clear form of child abuse.</p>
<p>And the many very real and harmful health risks associated with the homosexual lifestyle is also fully documented – even by the homosexuals themselves. This information is fully contained and referenced in my book on homosexuality, <em>Strained Relations</em>. Those who want this documentation will find links to my book below.</p>
<p>But let me point out a few other things about this article. Any day of the week you will find pro-homosexual articles in the MSM. At least nine times out of ten however, you will never find the other side featured in those articles – not even with a very brief sound bite. But whenever the MSM dares to print an article which gives our side of the story, then you will find all sorts of homosexual activists invited to comment, to offer “balance”.</p>
<p>Question: if the MSM is so interested in balance here, then why is it all one-way traffic? Why does it have zillions of pro-homosexual articles with almost no right of reply from our side? This is just typical hypocrisy and double standards from the secular left MSM.</p>
<p>So we get the usual suspects dragged out to misinform the public in this article. Thus we have Rodney Croome pulling out the old canard that “homophobia” is the cause of higher homosexual suicide rates. This is patent nonsense, and is not at all supported by the empirical data. I not only offer full documentation of this in my new book, I also have dealt with it quite recently here:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/10/hijacking-good-causes-to-promote-radical-agendas/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/10/hijacking-good-causes-to-promote-radical-agendas/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/10/hijacking-good-causes-to-promote-radical-agendas/</a></p>
<p>And get a load of this moonbattery: “But former national AMA president and gay rights activist Kerryn Phelps said the doctors should ‘hang their heads in shame’ and that Prof George&#8217;s position on the board of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission should be reviewed. ‘They should immediately disqualify themselves from dealing with matters of sexuality, as they clearly have no idea about its complexities’.”</p>
<p>Yeah right. All these medical professionals are somehow unqualified to speak on these matters, and should be given the boot, all because Ms Phelps does not like what they have to say. This is typical jackboot fascism from the activists. Yet for some reason she is to be fully trusted as an unbiased and objective source of truth and information here – as a lesbian!</p>
<p>Spare me Kerryn. Why don’t you just disqualify yourself? You are hardly a disinterested, dispassionate and neutral player in this game. You have been pushing your radical agenda for decades now. But when some of your colleagues finally call your bluff and say enough is enough, you throw a hissy fit. Just get over it.</p>
<p>It is the brave men and women who signed this submission, spearheaded by Dr Lachlan Dunjey of Perth, that deserve heaps of praise and thanks. They have proven that not everyone is a coward; not everyone has chucked out his brains; not everyone is a PC zombie; and not everyone is going to let the radical bullies silence them.</p>
<p>Well done team. You guys are real heroes. We need many more like you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-unions-a-risk-to-kids-say-doctors/story-fn7x8me2-1226353845714" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-unions-a-risk-to-kids-say-doctors/story-fn7x8me2-1226353845714" target="_blank">www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/gay-unions-a-risk-to-kids-say-doctors/story-fn7x8me2-1226353845714</a></p>
<p><a href="http://freedompublishing.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=9346" class="autohyperlink" title="http://freedompublishing.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=9346" target="_blank">freedompublishing.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=9346</a></p>
<p><a href="http://orders.koorong.com.au/search/product/strained-relations-bill-muehlenberg/9780646560953.jhtml" class="autohyperlink" title="http://orders.koorong.com.au/search/product/strained-relations-bill-muehlenberg/9780646560953.jhtml" target="_blank">orders.koorong.com.au/search/product/strained-relations-bill-muehlenberg/9780646560953.jhtml</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.word.com.au/details.aspx?ProductID=602543" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.word.com.au/details.aspx?ProductID=602543" target="_blank">www.word.com.au/details.aspx?ProductID=602543</a></p>
<p><em>[1007 words]</em></p>
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		<title>On Mitt Romney and America’s Future</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/on-mitt-romney-and-americas-future/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/13/on-mitt-romney-and-americas-future/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 May 2012 17:23:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Theology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7768</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is pretty clear by now that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will get the nod as the Republican nominee to run against Barack Obama in November. As might be known, he is certainly not my main choice. Nor even my second. Nor third. A number of Republican candidates whom I liked far better because [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is pretty clear by now that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will get the nod as the Republican nominee to run against Barack Obama in November. As might be known, he is certainly not my main choice. Nor even my second. Nor third.</p>
<p>A number of Republican candidates whom I liked far better because they were much more conservative have all pulled out or fallen out of the race. Among them were Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum. (Libertarians like Ron Paul I do not regard as a conservative, so he was never on my list.)</p>
<p>Thus we have to deal with who we have, and that now almost certainly – barring some unforeseen event &#8211; will be Romney. The Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa, Florida on August 27. It is there he most likely will get the official green light to take on President Obama.</p>
<p>As you know, he served as Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. His time there was certainly a mixed bag. He tended to flip-flop on many key issues, including abortion and homosexual marriage. Of course now, to offer a contrast to Obama, he is talking much more conservatively on these sorts of issues.</p>
<p>Of course never mind the obvious fact that Obama has also flip-flopped on some of these things, especially marriage. But when he changes his mind, it is called “evolving” and is therefore OK. But to the leftist MSM, if Romney changes his mind, he is a flip-flopper.</p>
<p>But we can expect to see much more of this from here on in. The MSM will be seeking to smear Romney in every way possible, while refusing to lay a hand on Obama. Thus the media is already dredging up supposed incidents when Romney was just a schoolboy!</p>
<p>But back to the man and his policies. He certainly will have to make himself look very different from Obama. But the trouble is, in some areas, they have at times been more similar than different. Consider for example the Massachusetts health reform law which he brought in back in 2006.</p>
<p>It in many ways became the prototype for Obama’s monstrous and unhelpful reforms in this area. So he will have a very hard time indeed in critiquing Obamacare, given how much it drew upon his own health care reform. Not being a consistent or thorough conservative, his efforts to distinguish himself from the incumbent will be that much harder than if a real conservative were to get the nomination.</p>
<p>But no use crying over spilled milk, or failed candidates. The only really crucial thing at this point is getting rid of Obama. I have written numerous articles over the past few years showing how he is perhaps our most dangerous US president ever.</p>
<p>The list is long, but for conservatives and Christians he has been terrible on so many fronts, whether abortion, homosexuality, or the importance of marriage and family. He has been as keen to suck up to Islam as he has been willing to betray Christianity.</p>
<p>If he gets a second term I really do not see how America will be able to recover. In the first term he could only unleash part of his ultra-radical agenda. But if he wins a second there will be little stopping him from completing the destruction of the American nation.</p>
<p>Even just in terms of appointing more leftist, activist Supreme Court judges for their life terms it would be bad enough. But he likely will have destroyed the US economy well before the judicial activists destroy the moral, cultural and social fibre of the nation.</p>
<p>Thus while Mitt Romney is far from ideal, at this point there is something much more important: we must get rid of Obama. If he gets in a second term we are all toast. I would not wish to live through all the carnage he will inflict, not just on the US, but on the whole world, if he gets back in.</p>
<p>Far too many Christians who should have known better back in 2008 were duped and deceived big time by this guy. They fell for all the baloney that he was somehow the messiah who would solve all of America’s problems. Well he ain’t, and he hasn’t.</p>
<p>So hopefully American Christians will wake up this time and reject this man, and reject him decisively. But of course there is a problem here. Because Romney is a Mormon, which historic, orthodox Christianity has always considered to be a cult, many Christians will be leery of him.</p>
<p>Let me say at this point that it is not my intent to get into a big debate here about whether it is or is not a cult. For what it is worth, I do in fact believe that it is. It denies too many of the core Christian beliefs to be called just a fringe Christian group.</p>
<p>But there are hundreds of websites where these matters are discussed and debated. Those who want to get into these theological debates are urged to go there. For what it is worth, I would certainly vote for Romney, not because I approve of his Mormonism, but because I so strongly disapprove of his rival.</p>
<p>But the worry is this: just how many Christians – especially evangelical, Bible-believing Christians – will not vote for Romney simply because he is a Mormon? I do not know how many might do this, but it could well be a very sizable number indeed.</p>
<p>The problem is, if enough Christians fail to vote for Romney, they will by default allow Obama to get back in. If nothing else, we have to think of this in terms of the lesser of two evils. In my book Obama is clearly the far worse candidate in just so many ways.</p>
<p>And just how much Romney could do as president to promote particular Mormon doctrines and teachings really would seem to be negligible. I really do not think this is something we have to worry about very much. All we can hope is that he would offer us at least some mildly conservative leadership, and hopefully stand strong on some key issues. As I say, he is not my preferred candidate by any means.</p>
<p>But we are now stuck with him, and he is far better than the Democratic alternative. But just a few more words on the Mormon issue if I may. I do invite those Christians who are concerned about this to be aware of a new document which a number of Christian leaders have recently produced and signed.</p>
<p>It is called: <em>For the sake of the gospel!</em> It says it is “A Biblical Call to Christian Ministers and Leaders” concerning <em>Mitt Romney, Mormonism and the Christian Vote</em>. It begins as follows: “For the sake of the Gospel, we, the undersigned, call upon Christian leaders and their respective ministries and organizations, if you plan on endorsing Governor Mitt Romney for the office of President of the United States, do so by clearly and unequivocally distancing yourself and Biblical Christianity from his Mormon beliefs.</p>
<p>“We believe in the freedom of religion, the free exercise thereof, and the principles of a constitutional republic. Our Constitution does not require a religious ‘test’ for any candidate to qualify for political office. Anyone should be allowed to run for office and serve if elected – regardless of their religious affiliations or lack thereof.</p>
<p>“Further, it is not our intention with this call to bind the conscience of any individual by telling them how to vote. If an evangelical Christian chooses to vote for Mr. Romney (President Obama or any candidate), that is a decision between themselves and God.</p>
<p>“The purpose of this call to evangelical Christians and leaders is two-fold:<br />
-To protect the purity and integrity of the Biblical Gospel.<br />
-To seize the opportunity to educate the America Public and Christians to the fundamental differences between historic Christian faith and that of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons).”</p>
<p>The document goes on to highlight some of these very real differences. I have signed the document. I agree with it. Mormonism is not identical to biblical Christianity. But on the other hand, too much is at stake if too many Christians simply boycott the election, refusing to vote in Romney.</p>
<p>Thus I must again reiterate my main and most vital point here: This election is not so much about electing Mitt Romney. What it is really all about is un-electing Barack Hussein Obama. Individual Christians will of course have to prayerfully consider how they will vote in November. Some in good conscience may decline to vote for Romney.</p>
<p>Hopefully all in good conscience will decline to vote for Obama. But we must be aware of the very high stakes here, and what a second Obama term would mean to America and the world, but more importantly, to religious freedom itself. We simply have far too much to lose if he gets re-elected. So please vote prayerfully, thoughtfully and carefully.</p>
<p><a href="http://forthesakeofthegospel.com/document/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://forthesakeofthegospel.com/document/" target="_blank">forthesakeofthegospel.com/document/</a></p>
<p><em>[1500 words]</em></p>
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		<title>I Hate Mothers</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/12/i-hate-mothers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/12/i-hate-mothers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 May 2012 06:58:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, no, I don’t – but plenty of other people seem to. But don’t take my word for it. Please watch this video. It is one of the most bizarre, ugly and reprehensible videos you will see on this Mothers’ Day: www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0w669fZBH8 Talk about a culture which is scraping the bottom of the septic tank. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well, no, I don’t – but plenty of other people seem to. But don’t take my word for it. Please watch this video. It is one of the most bizarre, ugly and reprehensible videos you will see on this Mothers’ Day: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0w669fZBH8" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0w669fZBH8" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0w669fZBH8</a></p>
<p>Talk about a culture which is scraping the bottom of the septic tank. Using Mothers’ Day to celebrate the wretched agenda of Planned Parenthood and its baby killing agenda is about as low as you can go. How diabolical and hate-filled can some people be?</p>
<p>Sure, they are claiming they are doing this out of concern about maternal deaths, but it is really just another cheap trick to promote the pro-death agenda of groups like Planned Parenthood. One article discusses this anti-mothering initiative this way:</p>
<p>“This Sunday, children of all ages will celebrate the role mothers play in their lives. But <em>Vogue</em> model Christy Turlington Burns and a host of female celebrities are encouraging mothers across the nation to ignore their children as part of ‘No Mother’s Day,’ a sign of their support for reducing maternal mortality by supporting family planning and global access to abortion.</p>
<p>“The campaign asks women to ‘disappear’ on Mother’s Day to raise awareness of maternal mortality rates and underscore ‘just how much a mother is missed when she’s gone.’ But amidst positive initiatives such as improved health care for complications such as hemorrhage and sepsis, the campaign promotes ‘safe’ abortion, and the legalization of abortion in nations where the practice is currently illegal, as a means of lowering maternal deaths.</p>
<p>“A press release for Every Mother Counts, the nonprofit Turlington launched in 2010, notes a new PSA ‘features moms encouraging other moms to join in solidarity by disappearing on May 13th, Mother’s Day. No phone calls. No emails. No social media. No gifts.’</p>
<p>“Turlington told <em>Time</em> magazine, ‘It’s a day to stop going through the motions…It’s about taking that [day] back.’ The spot, which was posted online last Wednesday and is directed by Ed Burns, features Turlington, former ‘Will and Grace’ star Debra Messing, NBC’s Ann Curry, Jennifer Connelly, Kelly Rutherford,  Blythe Danner, Dayle Haddon, and other high-profile women.</p>
<p>“Amongst the project’s partners are the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the extreme pro-abortion group Women Deliver, and the United Nations Population Fund. The UNPFA is well known in pro-life circles for the fact that the U.S. State Department confirmed over a number of years that the organization provides ‘financial and technical assistance’ for China’s vicious one-child policy.”</p>
<p>Of course if these radicals were really concerned about preventing death – both to mothers and children – then they should stop spruiking the abortion crusade, and start campaigning against it. Abortion obviously kills millions of unborn babies every year, but plenty of mothers die from “legal” abortions as well.</p>
<p>And despite what she claims in her documentary, the facts lie elsewhere: “The film’s assertion that legal abortion is safe is belied by worldwide data on the matter. A recent study out of Chile shows maternal mortality declined after the nation outlawed therapeutic abortion in 1989. The percentage of women dying during childbirth is lower in that South American nation than the United States. Ireland, another country where abortion is illegal, also boasts one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world.”</p>
<p>Up until recently it was assumed that motherhood was simply an untouchable and unassailable good. But today in our toxic culture we have even managed to turn motherhood into something to be rejected and distained. Of course this has been a long standing component of the feminist movement. Consider just a few quotes from the sisterhood on this denigration of mothers and motherhood:</p>
<p>The home of a suburban housewife is “in reality a comfortable concentration camp.” -Betty Friedan</p>
<p>“The heart of woman’s oppression is her childbearing and childrearing roles.” -Shulamith Firestone</p>
<p>“No woman should be authorised to stay at home and raise her children. Society should be totally different. Women should not have the choice, precisely because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one.” &#8211; Simone de Beauvoir</p>
<p>“The care of the young is infinitely better left to trained professionals rather than to harried amateurs with little time nor taste for the education of young minds.” &#8211; Kate Millet</p>
<p>“A variety of ways have been suggested for reducing [women’s] desire for babies. One commonly suggested proposal to achieve this goal is greater encouragement of labor-force participation by women. . . . [Perhaps girls could] be given an electric shock whenever they see a picture of an adorable baby until the very thought of motherhood becomes anathema to them. . .” -Jesse Bernard</p>
<p>“In order to raise children with equality, we must take them away from families and communally raise them.” &#8211; Mary Jo Bane</p>
<p>“Unless women have, from the moment of birth, socialization for, expectations of, and preparation for a viable significant alternative to motherhood . . . women will continue to want and reproduce too many children.” -Wilma Scott Heide, former chairman of the board of directors, National Organisation of Women</p>
<p>And it is not just the radical fems who are pushing this anti-motherhood nonsense. For years now most of our political parties have bought the line that the only good woman is a career woman, and everything should be done to subsidise women in the paid workplace while penalising women who choose to stay home and raise and rear children.</p>
<p>So this latest outburst from our trendy celeb set is just more of the same. We have been dumping on mothers for decades now. Given that motherhood has now become taboo, I guess that leaves only apple pie. But I am sure an Anti-Apple Pie Day will soon enough be called for by the radicals.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/supermodel-ignore-your-kids-on-no-mothers-day-to-support-global-abortion-ac?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=941b04f3dd-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_05_08_2012&amp;utm_medium=email" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/supermodel-ignore-your-kids-on-no-mothers-day-to-support-global-abortion-ac?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=941b04f3dd-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_05_08_2012&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank">www.lifesitenews.com/news/supermodel-ignore-your-kids-on-no-mothers-day-to-support-global-abortion-ac?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&#038;utm_campaign=941b04f3dd-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_05_08_2012&#038;utm_medium=email</a></p>
<p><em>[957 words]</em></p>
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		<title>The Obamanator and the Decline of the West</title>
		<link>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/12/the-obamanator-and-the-decline-of-the-west/</link>
		<comments>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/12/the-obamanator-and-the-decline-of-the-west/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 May 2012 04:13:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bill Muehlenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homosexuality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Political Correctness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/?p=7757</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Please explain: why is it that if Mitt Romney presents differing views on homosexual marriage over time he is guilty of “flip-flopping,” but when Barack Hussein Obama does exactly the same, he is said to merely have “evolving” views? It is called leftwing double standards, and mainstream media hypocrisy. And here’s another question for you: [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Please explain: why is it that if Mitt Romney presents differing views on homosexual marriage over time he is guilty of “flip-flopping,” but when Barack Hussein Obama does exactly the same, he is said to merely have “evolving” views? It is called leftwing double standards, and mainstream media hypocrisy.</p>
<p>And here’s another question for you: Why is it that when Carrie Prejean said in 2009, “I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman,” the secular left exploded in demonic outrage, but when Obama said “I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman” in 2008, they did not make a peep?</p>
<p>We all know of the secular left’s hypocrisy. And we all know that Obama has been the most radical US president ever, and he has continually been promoting the militant homosexual agenda. So his recent announcement that he supports homosexual marriage comes as no surprise at all. And his defence of this “evolution” is also typically lame.</p>
<p>Spare us this baloney about equal rights, tolerance and “homophobia”. As Jeffrey T. Kuhner writes, “This is nonsense. Most Americans are neither intolerant nor bigoted. Rather, they understand that marriage is the basic institution of society. For thousands of years in the West, it has had a privileged role. Marriage solidifies the bonds between a man and a woman, laying the foundation for raising children in stable families. It is the glue that binds a functioning, viable social order. Marriage is the natural unit that enables society to perpetuate itself from one generation to the next. This is not hate; it’s common sense.”</p>
<p>He continues, “Every major religious faith &#8211; Christianity, Islam, Orthodox Judaism &#8211; teaches that homosexuality is an abomination. Homosexual behavior, especially sodomy, is unnatural and immoral. It is absurd, bordering on social madness, to elevate gay and lesbian relationships to the sanctified status of marriage &#8211; a form of moral anarchy characterized by radical individualism, hedonism and sexual liberation. Same-sex marriage is a symptom of cultural decay.</p>
<p>“Our Judeo-Christian ancestors understood something that postmodern liberals do not: The primary purpose of sexual activity is to procreate &#8211; to have children &#8211; within the boundaries of marriage. Romantic love, personal fulfillment, burning passion &#8211; all of these things are nice, but secondary to the real purpose and mission of marriage. Secular liberals are engaged in social engineering. They are fostering the myth that women and men are the same and interchangeable.”</p>
<p>What this is really all about is placating a noisy, and very cashed-up, minority group. As historian Tim Stanley noted, “The gay marriage endorsement was all about Hollywood&#8217;s money and Obama&#8217;s ego”. Yep, quite so: all the Hollywood lefties from George Clooney on down have been going absolutely gaga over this one.</p>
<p>As another article highlights, “President Obama’s decision to go public in support of same-sex marriage marked a historic moment for the presidency and the nation’s gay and lesbian community – and also set off a torrent of fundraising appeals that could change the fundraising math for this fall&#8217;s presidential race. ‘Obviously yesterday we made some news,’ President Obama told $40,000-a-plate guests at a fundraiser at the home of George Clooney in Studio City, Calif., on Thursday.</p>
<p>“The event raised nearly $15 million, expected to be a record. Mr. Obama&#8217;s statement supporting marriage equality for all couples fulfills a longstanding demand of a critical group of donors – the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community. On Monday, the president is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser in New York sponsored by gay and Latino supporters. On June 6, he heads back to Los Angeles for a LGBT gala, which organizers say quickly exceeded its 700-person limit.”</p>
<p>Yep, it&#8217;s big bikkies alright. No wonder he is chasing after these guys. But if he really thinks catering to this tiny minority group is going to win him more votes in November, he is even more senseless than we suspected. In 2004 he received a huge vote from America’s black community. But most black Americans are not great fans of the militant homosexual agenda, so this move could cost him big time.</p>
<p>And hopefully those religious Americans who still put principle ahead of the praise of men will reject this as well. Indeed, some religious leaders were quick to stand up for truth. Evangelist Franklin Graham said this: “President Obama has, in my view, shaken his fist at the same God who created and defined marriage. It grieves me that our president would now affirm same-sex marriage, though I believe it grieves God even more. This is a sad day for America. May God help us.”</p>
<p>Some others also raised their voices. The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Leith Anderson, said: “The evangelical community is broadly committed to define marriage as between one man and one woman and will not accept an unbiblical definition.”</p>
<p>New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said these moves “undermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. The people of this country, especially our children, deserve better.”</p>
<p>And Richard D. Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said this about Obama’s stance: “When the president comes out in favor of something it has an impact, and that saddens me because I think embracing same-sex marriage would be a terrible mistake for the country.”</p>
<p>But then you have utter apostates like “Catholic” Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House, who incredibly said this nonsense: “My religion has, compels me &#8211; and I love it for it &#8211; to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider this a form of discrimination. I think it’s unconstitutional on top of that.”</p>
<p>Yeah right. She might as well say that her Catholic faith compels her to support adultery, fornication and promiscuity as well. Like Obama, she obviously has stopped reading her Bible years ago. She has conveniently forgotten such texts as Hebrews 13:4: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”</p>
<p>And she obviously knows nothing about – or has completely rejected – official Catholic teaching on this matter. Even I as a Protestant seem to know more about what her faith teaches on this issue than she does. But I discuss this elsewhere: <a href="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/04/more-hollywood-culture-wars/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/04/more-hollywood-culture-wars/" target="_blank">www.billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/04/more-hollywood-culture-wars/</a></p>
<p>This issue really is the defining issue in our day. It not only separates right from left in the culture wars, but it separates real followers of Christ from the wolves in sheep’s clothing. This is a dividing issue which will sort out the wheat from the chaff.</p>
<p>As former homosexual Joe Dallas warned over twenty years ago: “The debate over homosexuality and the Bible &#8211; specifically, whether or not the Bible condemns homosexual acts in all cases &#8211; will do no less than rip the body of Christ apart within the next decade. It will force believers to declare, in black and white terms, where they stand on issues of sexuality and biblical interpretation.”</p>
<p>We are already seeing who are the sheep and who are the goats here. So I guess for that reason, if no other, it is a good thing this issue is coming to a head in public. In this regard, the remarks of Jeffrey Kuhner are well worth concluding this article with:</p>
<p>“For decades, liberals &#8211; aided and abetted by the popular culture &#8211; have been bringing homosexuality into the mainstream. It is slowly being promoted in public schools and constantly being glamorized in television shows and movies. The more the homosexual agenda is spread, the more militant its advocates become. They no longer want toleration. They seek full social acceptance. Once marriage falls, only one institution will be left standing in their way: traditional Christianity. The ultimate aim of the radical left has been to destroy religion &#8211; especially Western Christendom. Once a religion dies, so does the culture and civilization it spawned. America is at a crossroads, enmeshed in a cultural war with homosexual advocates like Mr. Obama who are determined to strike at the very nexus of our civilization.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/10/obamas-homosexual-america-833943949/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/10/obamas-homosexual-america-833943949/" target="_blank">www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/10/obamas-homosexual-america-833943949/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100157393/if-you-want-to-know-why-obama-endorsed-gay-marriage-follow-the-money/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100157393/if-you-want-to-know-why-obama-endorsed-gay-marriage-follow-the-money/" target="_blank">blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100157393/if-you-want-to-know-why-obama-endorsed-gay-marriage-follow-the-money/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0511/Gay-marriage-Clooney-fundraiser-a-hint-of-coming-Obama-money-boom-video" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0511/Gay-marriage-Clooney-fundraiser-a-hint-of-coming-Obama-money-boom-video" target="_blank">www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0511/Gay-marriage-Clooney-fundraiser-a-hint-of-coming-Obama-money-boom-video</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/franklin-graham-obama-gay/2012/05/10/id/438661" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/franklin-graham-obama-gay/2012/05/10/id/438661" target="_blank">www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/franklin-graham-obama-gay/2012/05/10/id/438661</a></p>
<p><a href="http://thunderontheright.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/obama-on-gay-marriage-2/" class="autohyperlink" title="http://thunderontheright.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/obama-on-gay-marriage-2/" target="_blank">thunderontheright.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/obama-on-gay-marriage-2/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-pelosi-my-religion-compels-me-to-support-same-sex-marriage?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=941b04f3dd-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_05_08_2012&amp;utm_medium=email" class="autohyperlink" title="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-pelosi-my-religion-compels-me-to-support-same-sex-marriage?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=941b04f3dd-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_05_08_2012&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank">www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-pelosi-my-religion-compels-me-to-support-same-sex-marriage?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&#038;utm_campaign=941b04f3dd-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_05_08_2012&#038;utm_medium=email</a></p>
<p><em>[1361 words]</em></p>
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