Religious Rights Watch

Some good news (and common sense) out of California this week.  A jury ruled that a group of firefighters rights were violated when they were forced to participate in a 2007 San Diego gay pride parade.

The firefighters were ordered to participate over their objections, and drive a city fire truck in the parade - being subjected to explicit advances and obscenities along the way.  A jury saw things their way, deciding that their rights had been violated.

A jury of eight women and four men deliberated for 2½ days and found that the firefighters, who were ordered to ride a fire engine in San Diego's 2007 homosexual parade, were sexually harassed by homosexual participants and spectators. ...  read more »

After finishing William J. Bennett's two volumn America, the last best hope, one is reminded of the ongoing attack against people of faith by atheists and other left-wingers inside and outside the government. Mr. Bennett relates in Volume II, From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom, that the government bureaucrats in building the new World War II Memorial on the Washington Mall, left off Roosevelt's words "so help us God."

Franklin Roosevelt in his famous speech following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor concluded his remarks before a joint session of Congress by saying: "With confidence in our armed forces -- with the unbounding determination of our people -- we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God." Mr. Bennett said in a note below that quote: "These last four words of President Roosevelt's sentence were, inexplicably, dropped from the engraved quotation on the World War II Memorial.  read more »

Christian Coalition of America played a leading role several years ago in ensuring that military chaplains may continue to pray in the name of Jesus by helping members of Congress such as Congressmen Walter Jones, R-NC, Todd Akin, R-MO and Duncan Hunter, R-CA pass legislation ensuring that military chaplains have full religious freedom.

Now Senator Jim DeMint, Republican from South Carolina, has said that there is a provision in Barack Obama's stimulus legislation which is "an attack on people of faith." In both the House bill, passed last week with no Republicans voting for it, and the Senate bill, which may be voted on this week, there is a dangerous provision affecting people of faith which states that the funds from the stimulus bill will not be able to be used to improve facilities that are "used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity...."  read more »

Today is Religious Freedom Day. It is very interesting that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil liberties' groups are not championing a free speech decision handed down on January 12th by the United States Supreme Court. Maybe it is because the decision handed a great victory to the pro-life movement.

The "California Catholic Daily," in yesterday's article entitled "No double standard for pro-life speech," said that the nation's highest court denied "appeal of ruling in favor of California pro-lifers who drove truck with graphic photos of aborted baby around public school." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had appealed a lower federal court ruling last year that deputies violated the constitutional rights of two pro-life protesters who were detained for 75 minutes and then ordered to leave the area after they drove a truck depicting an aborted baby past a California public school.  read more »

Even though a large majority of physicians and other hospital workers in America want conscience protection rules and regulations allowing them to refuse to do abortions or refer for abortions, a fanatical segment of the abortion industry and their political supporters continue to try to force doctors and others into doing this heinous procedure which has resulted in the deaths of some 50 million innocent unborn children since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.  read more »

During his sermon today entitled "In God We Trust  -- Or Do We?" Pastor Chris Geeslin, of the Redeemer International Family Church in Frederick, Maryland, gave a little history lesson on how "In God We Trust" ended up on our coins and currency.  He explained that during the Civil War, there was an increase in the interest in God on both sides of the divide.  Many devout persons around the country urged the Treasury Secretary, Salmon P. Chase, to have the United States government recognize the Deity on American coins. 

As a result of these letters to him, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint in Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861, in which he stated:   read more »

Each Christmas season, the loony left keeps trying to outdo it's previous ridiculous self.  This year's champion of the loony left is Washington state's Governor Christine Gregoire who allowed a tiny group of radical atheists to post a display right next to a Nativity scene depicting the Christmas story.  Between the two displays is a huge bust of George Washington who must be rolling in his grave at the thought of politicians like Gregoire.   read more »

One would think that after the decision by the United States Supreme Court in June 2001  --  that religious clubs have equal footing in grade schools with other organizations  --  schools around the country would get a clue they cannot discriminate against organizations such as the Good News Clubs in America.   read more »

The Art Director for the largest non-profit musical theatre company has quit after protests and boycotts resulting from the fact that he dared to give money to the "Yes on 8" campaign, which passed California's marriage amendment last week.

Scott Eckern stepped down from his job at the California Musical Theater in Sacramento after some gay and lesbian activists called for a theater boycott.  read more »

Air Force Academy graduate and former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt who lost his job in the Navy because he refused to stop praying in the name of Jesus has now organized an event this Saturday for 6 Virginia police chaplains who were told to stop praying in the name of Jesus.  Indeed, these courageous Christian chaplains were forced to resign because they prayed in the name of Jesus.  Chaplain Klingenschmitt is the event organizer for Saturday's state-wide prayer rally outside the Democrat Governor, Tim Kaine's mansion at 10 a.m.   read more »