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 Tuesday, February 26, 2008

In preparation for our “Advance Spotlight” in tomorrow’s “Advance Report” weekly e-newsletter, Daniel Herbster was able to conduct an interview with Micah Clark who is the Executive Director of the American Family Association of Indiana.  Below is the text of the interview.

For more information on AFAIN and the great work they do for Hoosier families, check out their website (www.afain.net).  To subscribe to AdvanceUSA’s email services and to receive your own issue of the Advance Report, check the “Get Involved” box in the left margin.

 

DH: Thanks for taking the time to share this information with our readers.  What is the mission of the American Family Association of Indiana?

MC: AFAIN is Indiana’s only statewide decency organization.  We exist to educate Hoosiers on the moral, cultural, and political issues of the day and how those issues impact Hoosier families.  We are a voice for family values at the local, state, and federal levels.

DH: How did it get started?  How long has it been around?

MC: AFA of Indiana was founded in Northeast Indiana near Auburn in 1993 as a state affiliate of the National American Family Association (based in Tupelo, MS).  However, AFA IN is a locally funded and locally governed non-partisan, non-profit 501c 3 organization.  AFA of Indiana is a donation-run organization, which has become one of the leading and most influential pro-family organizations in the state.

AFA of Indiana was originally...

posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 8:15:25 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
CitizenLink reports on this encouraging news for those concerned about keeping their communities free from indecency.

posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 7:06:49 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
As the Towers Online reports, the outcome of the upcoming ‘gay marriage’ case before the California Supreme Court could have drastic implication on the national scene besides it’s obvious effects on the campaign to approve a marriage protection amendment in California.

For more information on the California marriage amendment visit www.ProtectMarriage.com.

posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 7:05:19 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
AdvanceUSA is happy to report that the Vitter amendment passed this morning by a vote of 52 - 42.  Now Americans can rest assured that their tax dollars will not be used to fund abortions under the Indian Health Services bill (click here for more information).  For full vote results and to see how your senators voted on this important pro-life amendment check the vote box below (or click here).

AdvanceUSA thanks all those who called their senators concerning this pro-life matter.  The voice of ordinary Americans can make a powerful difference in Washington when people exercise their rights to petition their government and to express their political opinions.

Also, AdvanceUSA thanks Senator David Vitter (R-LA) for proposing and defending this important legislation.

UPDATE: LifeNews reports.

Senate Vote on the Vitter Amendment (S.A. 3896) to codify the pro-life Hyde amendment in the Indian Health Services bill
February 26, 2008

Full Results | News Story

 


Yeas


Nays

 

PRES


NV

Republican


43

 

3

 

 

3

Democratic


9

 

38


 

3

Independent



1



TOTALS


52


42


 

6

See other important Congressional vote results on the Congress Vote Watch page.

posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:47:37 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
 Monday, February 25, 2008
Our friends in the Senate tell us that the pro-life Vitter amendment (# 3896) will be considered tomorrow.  The Vitter amendment would prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting abortions under the Indian Health Services bill.

Call both your senators today and urge them to vote “Yes” on the pro-life Vitter amendment (# 3896)!

posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 9:41:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
The Telegraph (UK) reports on this tragic case of post-abortion anguish.

posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 9:36:53 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 9:35:52 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
Grove City College offers some helpful resources contemplating abortion, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, and the effects of abortion on civilization.

On Morality, Abortion, and Empires
By Dr. Andrew Harvey

The Twisted Relativism of Abortion
By Dr. Paul Kengor

posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 9:33:54 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 9:21:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
AdvanceUSA recently unveiled a new weekly e-newsletter called “The Advance Report.”  In each newsletter AdvanceUSA will highlight a conservative organization or cause.  In the first issue we highlighted Retired Judges of America.  Below is our first Advance Spotlight.

If you would like to receive the Advance Report simply follow these links to join AdvanceUSA or sign up for email.  Or you can click on the links in the “Get Involved” box in the left margin of the blog and website. Be sure to fill out our survey when you do so we know which issues about which to send you information (check as many or as few issues as you would like). 

Advance Spotlight

In our first "Advance Spotlight" we would like to highlight the great work being done by Retired Judges of America, an organization of current or retired judges whose mission is to "to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity through the networking of retired and former judges who are committed to upholding the principles of America's Organic Laws as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States."  RJA seeks to minister to the spiritual needs of our nation's judges while seeking to protect the Constitution.  One example of RJA's contribution to American public life is the uncovering the truth about the Harlan Bible and what it says about our government's religious heritage and basis.  If you've never heard about the "Harlan Bible" click here.

Retired Judges of America holds the promise of Isaiah 1:26 as a goal for ministry. "I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."  Check their website (www.retiredjudges.org) and blog for more information.

If you would like to support RJA financially or get involved with their cause check their website for practical ways you can help.  AdvanceUSA encourages our readers to support this worthy cause.

Note: The pictured is of Judge Darrell White (retired) who is Chairman of RJA.

See also: pro-justice page, judicial nominations, circuit court judges graph

posted on Monday, February 25, 2008 5:09:55 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
 Friday, February 22, 2008

Catharina Haynes was nominated by President Bush on July 17, 2007 to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Besides the grave importance of appointing well-qualified originalist judges to federal benches, there is a particular sense of urgency in Haynes’ case because the Fifth Circuit is shorthanded and in desperate need for another judge.  Yesterday Haynes was finally questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee.  President Bush has called for a swift up-or-down vote on her nomination and AdvanceUSA heartily agrees.  To read a fact sheet on Catharina Haynes prepared by the White House click here.

AdvanceUSA calls on the Senate Judiciary Committee to swiftly vote Haynes out of committee, and calls on the Senate to give her a fair up-or-down vote as the Constitution requires.

For more information on judicial nomination click here or visit the pro-justice page.

posted on Friday, February 22, 2008 9:00:43 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
LifeNews relays Chuck Colson’s piece on the dangers in the current PEPFAR bill.

posted on Friday, February 22, 2008 5:35:02 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
Do you think children in the public school system should be exposed to homosexuality and told that escape from that lifestyle is impossible?  CitizenLink reports on this troubling case of pro-homosexual activism.

For the truth about overcoming homosexuality through faith in Christ and for helpful resources, consult our good friends at Exodus International.  Exodus is the largest network of ex-gays in the world working to help people overcome their homosexual desires.  Exodus focuses primarily on ministering to individuals, but also desires to speak out on important cultural issues.  AdvanceUSA welcomes their expertise on these often sensitive issues.
posted on Friday, February 22, 2008 5:31:25 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
There is exciting new hope that Missouri voters will be able read an accurate summary of the proposed constitutional amendment to fully ban human cloning in state when they step into the voting booth in November.  Most Missourians would likely oppose the cloning of human life for the purpose of destroying it for research, but anti-cloning forces must get their message out despite well funded opposition, media bias, and unfriendly state officials (as in this case).  Bioethics expert Wesley J. Smith summarizes the situation: 

I admit that I am pleasantly surprised. The pro cloning bias among the political elite and media in Missouri make it almost impossible to get the straight information to the people of MO about this crucial ethical issue. When a new initiative to outlaw all human cloning was filed awhile ago, the Secretary of State wrote a summary that was both inaccurate and breathtakingly biased. Well, lo and behold, a court has righted the wrong.

Also, the AP (via the Columbia Missourian) has a lengthy article explaining the situation and its implications.  Click here (PDF file) to read a press release from Missouri Cures Without Cloning.

For more background information about the Missouri case and about the science of human cloning check AdvanceUSA’s human cloning page.

posted on Friday, February 22, 2008 5:28:27 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
CitizenLink reports.  This is great news for other communities who want to stay safe and free from sexually oriented businesses.

posted on Friday, February 22, 2008 5:23:49 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
 Thursday, February 21, 2008
Conservatives are often told that abortion really shouldn’t be an important issue when selecting a president because “all he can do is appoint judges.”  Our friend Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost clearly explains today why this is not the case.  He shows just how much power a president has to help or hinder the pro-life movement.

He lists five specific areas and explains each:

  1. Preserving the Pro-Life Riders
  2. Filing of amicus briefs in cases before the judiciary
  3. Issuance of executive orders
  4. Selection of political appointments
  5. Using the "bully pulpit"

He mentions the presidential veto when discussing pro-life riders.  This important constitutional power of the presidency can hardly be overstated, especially when Congress is controlled by pro-abortion leadership.

Excerpt:

Christians have an obligation to the most vulnerable members of our society to elect politicians who have both a robust view of human dignity and the temerity to govern accordingly. We betray this duty when we downplay the role the executive branch in advancing the pro-life cause. Judges and legislators matter; but presidents matter too.

To read the full post click here.

AdvanceUSA is grateful to Joe for citing us as a source when discussing the pro-life riders, and hope others will find our site a helpful resource as well.

posted on Thursday, February 21, 2008 4:10:08 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
 Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on PEPFAR anti-AIDS funding reauthorization on Thursday, February 28.  Call your representative today (especially if they serve on this committee) and urge him or her to vote against the PEPFAR legislation unless pro-abortion code words like “family panning” and “reproductive health” are removed and abstinence education and anti-prostitution language is maintained.  LifeNews reports on the abortion funding aspect while the AP reports on President Bush’s statements urging lawmakers to preserve crucial abstinence and faithfulness funding.

Click here for more information on PEPFAR or check the AdvanceUSA home page.

posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:20:42 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
The Chicago Tribune reports on how adult stem cells could help prevent many amputations.  Excerpts:

A new procedure launched at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago in January offers hope to patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), or severely blocked leg arteries.

 

Doctors transplanted a purified form of the patients' own stem cells into their leg muscles to grow new, small blood vessels and restore circulation in their legs. Two patients underwent the procedure. They are the first subjects in a 20-site national trial.


Losordo said a treatment for CLI could be available by 2012.

posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:18:08 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:16:28 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
AdvanceUSA has learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has filed cloture on the Indian Health Services bill, and a vote on the essential pro-life Vitter amendment is expected on Monday or Tuesday (25th or 26th).  Call both your senators and urge them to support the Vitter Amendment (# 3896) to the Indian Health Services bill!

Click here for more information on the imporant Vitter amendment.

posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:07:32 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
One would expect that Catholic organizations should be able to hire only Catholics or that religious ministries (a church soup kitchen for example) should be able to fire or refuse to hire people who violate that religion’s moral teachings on sexuality.  These common sense assumptions could be in danger if “charitable choice” is not protected in the upcoming SAMSHA vote in the Senate.

Charitable choice is what allows religious charities to accept federal funding while taking religious/moral beliefs into consideration when hiring employees.  Without these protections religious charities would be forced to compromise their most cherished beliefs in order to continue to minister effectively.  Allowing Catholic charities to only hire Catholics or to refuse to hire someone who is an openly practicing homosexual are examples of charitable choice protection.

The Center blog reports on the latest efforts to restrict this important religious liberty in the statutory provisions governing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  Senators should be urged to support charitable choice in SAMHSA.

Excerpt from Washington Post story:

Under the Civil Rights Act, religious groups are allowed to only hire people of their particular faith. The battle erupts over what should happen when these groups accept federal dollars.

 

Supporters of charitable choice said before it was in place many faith-based groups were treated poorly by government agencies and shied away from applying for federal money, fearing they would have to change their religious nature. Many of these groups are highly effective in helping the addicted and mentally ill, supporters said, and without charitable choice, many of them won't apply for federal aid, perhaps dropping out.

posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:05:39 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
Barack Obama won the Democrat primary races last night in Wisconsin and Hawaii while John McCain won Wisconsin in the Republican race.

Wisconsin (full results)

Democrat Primary

Barack Obama          58%
Hillary Clinton           41%

Republican Primary

John McCain            55%
Mike Huckabee         37%

Hawaii (full results)

Democrat Primary

Barack Obama          76%
Hillary Clinton           24%

To see how the presidential candidates stand on important issues check AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.

posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:01:42 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
 Tuesday, February 19, 2008
With the heated Democrat race as close as ever between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and with frontrunner John McCain hoping to “seal the deal” with the Republican party, today’s primary elections will be attracting lots of interest.  Democrats will have contests in Wisconsin and Hawaii while Republicans will also vote in Wisconsin and in Washington State.  My Way news reports.

AdvanceUSA Blog will post results tomorrow.  Until then USA Today will tabulate results as they come in tonight.

Make sure you know where the major presidential candidates stand on important issues with AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.

posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 7:06:03 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #   
Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) has introduced a bill (H. RES. 888) which would make the first week in May “America’s Religious History Week.”  Much of the text of the bill would make a great history lesson in America’s rich religious history.  Read the full text here.  Excerpts: