4 March 2009

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Christian Observer for March 2009
[2] Care Net Condemns President Obama’s Directive to Force Medical Professionals to Refer Patients to Abortionists and to Perform Abortions
[3] Christian Defense Coalition Director Comments on Presidential Nomination of Abortion Proponent Kansas Governor Sebelius as HHS Secretary
[4] British Library Council Recommends Bibles and Other Religious Books Be Placed Out of Reach on Top Shelf to Avoid Offending Muslims
[5] Tennessee Elementary School Censors “God,” “Prayer,” and Scripture-Related Statements on Student Posters Announcing an Upcoming ‘See You at the Pole’ Event


[1] Christian Observer for March 2009

New Christian Observer articles for March 2009 include:

A Brief History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and Erskine Theological Seminary by Erskine Theological Seminary Executive Vice-President H. Neely Gaston;

A review by Christian Observer Associate Editor Chuck Huckaby of the new Lifeway book Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches That Reach Them;

The Stimulus Bill Ignored an Educational Problem by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Joe Renfro;

Happy Birthday Protestants – a message from Christian Observer Publisher Edwin Elliott;

along with our regular features including weekly Sabbath School lessons by Dr. Robert LaMay and daily devotionals by T.M. Moore.

+ Christian Observer, 9400 Fairview Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110, 703-335-2844, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] Care Net Condemns President Obama’s Directive to Force Medical Professionals to Refer Patients to Abortionists and to Perform Abortions

Melinda Delahoyde, President of Care Net, responded to news on 27 February 2009 that U.S. President Barrack Hussein Obama has directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to overturn regulations that protect medical professionals from being forced to perform or refer patients for abortion.

Delahoyde said that the Care Net network of 1,160 pregnancy center affiliates will feel the damaging blow of this action, if implemented. "Pregnancy centers empower women facing unplanned pregnancy to choose abortion alternatives," Delahoyde said. "To accomplish this, we offer critical, free medical services, such as limited obstetrical ultrasounds and STD [sexually-transmitted disease] testing. Because of our commitment to providing alternatives to abortion, we rely on the availability of pro-life medical professionals - nurses, OB-GYNs [Obstetrician-Gynecologists], nurse practitioners, sonographers, and others. If the rights of these individuals are violated, then they will simply leave the field of practice or not enter it altogether. With more than 470 pregnancy centers in the Care Net network that offer medical services, we're simply not willing to take that risk."

+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com

+ Care Net, 44180 Riverside Parkway, Suite 200, Lansdowne, Virginia 20176, 703-478-5661, Fax: 703-478-5668, info@care-net.org


[3] Christian Defense Coalition Director Comments on Presidential Nomination of Abortion Proponent Kansas Governor Sebelius as HHS Secretary

Reformed Presbyterian minister and director of the Christian Defense Coalition, the Rev. Pat Mahoney, released the following statements in response to the nomination of the abortion proponent governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by U.S. President Barrack Hussein Obama:

“President Obama continues losing streak on Cabinet appointments with nomination of Governor Sebelius as HHS Secretary.

President Obama nominates a governor who radically supports abortion rights and is closely linked with indicted late-term abortion provider George Tiller.

The President also affirms his status as "The Abortion President" by nominating a radical extremist on abortion rights to oversee the nation's health care and social programs.

The Governor has blocked legislation that would have stopped late-term abortions, she impeded the investigation into the death of a young woman at Dr. George Tiller's abortion clinic and Catholic Church officials have told her not to receive communion because of her radical support of abortion.

This nomination paves the way for taxpayer funded abortions as part of the Administration's health care policies.

The Christian Defense Coalition asks why President Obama would nominate such a divisive and extremist candidate after he campaigned on brining unity and civility to government.

The Christian Defense Coalition vows a vocal, public and national campaign to prevent a person who so devalues human life and social justice to become HHS Secretary.

If the President is looking for a fight with the pro-life and pro-family movement, he certainly is going to get one.”

+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com

+ Christian Defense Coalition, 540-538-4741


[4] British Library Council Recommends Bibles and Other Religious Books Be Placed Out of Reach on Top Shelf to Avoid Offending Muslims

Great Britain’s Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLAC), a Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization (QUANGO) that answers to British culture secretary Andy Burnham, has issued guidance to librarians telling them that they should store Bibles and other religious texts on the top shelves in order to avoid offending Muslims. The MLAC guidance suggests moving all religious texts to the top shelf because of the Muslim belief that the Koran should not be kept among ‘common things’.

British Poet Laureate and atheist Andrew Motion said during an interview that children should be taught more about the Bible because it is an “essential piece of cultural luggage”.

Motion additionally said that too many students now arrive at the university to study English Literature with scant knowledge of its deeply biblical foundations. “When I ask [my students] anything about the Bible, they frankly, by and large, don’t know. I don’t particularly blame them for it…I do think there is a real problem with the education system that has allowed these great stories to disappear, to fade out of the diet everyone gets at school.”

+ The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8DG, England, 44-0-191-281-5664, Fax: 44-0-191-281-4272, info@christian.org.uk


[5] Tennessee Elementary School Censors “God,” “Prayer,” and Scripture-Related Statements on Student Posters Announcing an Upcoming ‘See You at the Pole’ Event

School officials of Lakeview Elementary School in Wilson County, Tennessee ordered “God Bless the USA,” “In God We Trust,” and other phrases referencing God, prayer, and Scripture to be covered up on posters announcing an upcoming ‘See You at the Pole’ event before they could be displayed in the school’s hallways.

‘See You at the Pole’ is a student-led prayer event upheld by a prior federal court decision regarding in Wilson County, Tennessee schools acknowledging that Christians cannot be discriminated against for their beliefs, and that personal prayer, mentions of God, and Christmas references are constitutionally appropriate in school.

The Alliance Defense Fund representing Lakeview students and their parents on 2 March 2009 filed suit against the Wilson County Schools and asked for a preliminary injunction.

+ Alliance Defense Fund, 15100 North 90th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260, 800-835-5233, Fax: 480-444-0025

+ See You at the Pole, Post Office Box 60134, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-0134, 817-447-7526