4 May 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Clarification Regarding 27 April 2011 Article “[11] Religious Institute Protests Efforts to Federally Defund Planned Parenthood”

[2] Christian Observer Highlights for May 2011

[3] Church of Scotland Minister the Rev. John Cameron Says Current Homosexual Clergy Ban is “Absolutely Illegal” and Tells Opponents to “Leave and Form a More Exclusive Sect”

[4] Connecticut Legislature’s Proposed “Bathroom Bill” Deconstructs Gender and Facilitates Sexual Predators

[5] Californians Arrested for Reading Bible at Department of Motor Vehicles Office

[6] PCA Central Carolina Presbytery Passes Overture Asking PCA General Assembly to Withdraw from the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)

[7] Spanish Version of Jay Adams’ “How to Help People Change” Published by Publicaciones Faro de Gracia

[8] Presbyterian and Reformed Responses to Aftermath of Deadly Tornadoes

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[1] Clarification Regarding 27 April 2011 Article “[11] Religious Institute Protests Efforts to Federally Defund Planned Parenthood”

The 27 April 2011 Presbyterians Week article “[11] Religious Institute Protests Efforts to Federally Defund Planned Parenthood” was written in regard to several documents from the Religious Institute including the 25 April 2011 press release:

-- “Hundreds of Diverse Faith Leaders and Theologians Demonstrate Religious Support for International Reproductive Health and Family Planning: Open Letter Sent as Congress Debates Budget Cuts to International and Domestic Family Planning, Maternal Health Care Services”;

which linked two other Religious Institute documents:

-- “Rachel Sabbath Initiative: Saving Women’s Lives” from 10 February 2011; and,

-- “Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Maternal Mortality and Reproductive Justice” from a 2010 Religious Institute colloquium;

to the efforts currently underway among various secular and church-related organizations to influence the U.S. Congress not to eliminate funding for what groups like Planned Parenthood call “international and domestic family planning, and maternal health care services.” Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the U.S., and is a strong supporter of coercive international “family planning” policies such as China’s one-child policy.

Among the organizations listed in the 27 April 2011 Presbyterians Week article as supporting the Religious Institute initiatives was the Reformed Church in America (RCA) , based upon General Secretary of the RCA the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson’s endorsement of the Rachael Sabbath Initiative.

The editor was subsequently contacted by the RCA, and let know that the RCA signed onto the Rachael Sabbath Initiative, but did not sign onto the “Open Letter” nor advocate for any specific budgetary issues regarding Planned Parenthood.

RCA General Secretary Granberg-Michaelson did endorse two areas of the U.S. federal budget discussion, both relating to poverty and hunger :

-- “Lenten Disciplines and Budget Choices”; and,

-- “A Circle of Protection: A Statement on Why We Need to Protect Programs for the Poor”.

The editor thanks RCA General Secretary Granberg-Michaelson and Mr. Phil Tannis of RCA communications for these clarifications.


+ Religious Institute, 21 Charles Street, Suite 140, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 203-222-0055, Contact Form

+ Reformed Church in America, 4500 60th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512, 800-968-6065, questions@rca.org

+ Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 434 West 33rd Street, New York, New York 10001, 212-541-7800, Fax: 212-245-1845


[2] Christian Observer Highlights for May 2011

New articles in the Christian Observer for May 2011 include:

Letter to the Editor: Insights into Cornerstone Ministries - Ken Boodhoo, PhD, Emeritus Professor at Florida International University and Ruling Elder at Redlands PCA in Homestead, Florida, writes about his experiences with principals of the bankrupt Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI) from within the PCA and during the time leading up to the February 2008 CMI Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a.k.a. the “[US]$140 million Ponzi scheme”, and details the resultant financial losses by his family and by the ministry to Haiti led by Dr. Boodhoo;

Religious Reverse Discrimination? – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – discusses current public school policies favoring the Islamic faith to the neglect of others, especially evangelical Christianity, and emphases in current public school history and social studies texts that portray Islam in a detailed and inaccurately positive light, while greatly restricting studies of Christianity and portraying those studies in a negative, inaccurate light;

Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons and Westminster Shorter Catechism lessons by Christian Observer Assistant Editor Dr. Robert LaMay, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[3] Church of Scotland Minister the Rev. John Cameron Says Current Homosexual Clergy Ban is “Absolutely Illegal” and Tells Opponents to “Leave and Form a More Exclusive Sect”

A 2 May 2011 article in The Courier titled “Gay Clergy Discrimination 'Absolutely Illegal': Rev John Cameron” reports that former Church of Scotland (CoS) pastor the Rev. John Cameron of St. Andrews, Scotland, believes that the CoS discriminates against homosexuals in an “absolutely illegal” manner by the Kirk’s current moratorium on the ordination of homosexuals as ministers.

Citing a ninety-percent popular approval of Scotland’s homosexual antidiscrimination laws, Cameron states: “It is unacceptable for a national church to refuse to obey the law of the land and those who cannot live within a broad church should leave and form a more exclusive sect.”

Cameron additionally supports the work of the Switzerland-based assisted suicide group Dignatas, and has accused Great Britain, by not legalizing assisted suicide, of “exporting” the ethical dilemma overseas.


+ The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL, Scotland, 01382-223131,
courier@dcthomson.co.uk

+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722

+ Dignatas, Postfach 9 - CH 8127 Forch, Switzerland, 44-980-4459, dignitas@dignitas.ch


[4] Connecticut Legislature’s Proposed “Bathroom Bill” Deconstructs Gender and Facilitates Sexual Predators

The Family Institute of Connecticut (FIC) reported 27 April 2011 that the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut House of Representatives has approved HB 6599, “An Act Concerning Discrimination”, nicknamed the “Bathroom Bill”, which designates gender identity as a protected class.

The FIC warns about dangers of the legislation where “a man who is a sexual predator could claim to be “transgendered” and enter a women's public bathroom”, and “that your son or daughter would be exposed to teachers in their schools who on one day will be a man and the next day could decide to be a woman.”

The FIC says of the legislation “that court-ordered same-sex "marriage" is just the first step in a campaign to force children in our public schools to be exposed to “alternative lifestyles” even if their parents disapprove”, and that “this legislation shows the hubris of those who see “gender” as something to be changed at will, of those who are trying to deconstruct the most basic of natural categories--male and female.”


+ Family Institute of Connecticut , 77 Buckingham Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106, 860-548-0066, Fax: 860-548-9545, info@ctfamily.org


[5] Californians Arrested for Reading Bible at Department of Motor Vehicles Office

A 29 April 2011 article by Becky Yeh on OneNewsNow.com titled “Illegal to Read Bible in Public?” reports that three men from Calvary Chapel of Hemet in Hemet, California, met recently in front of a closed regional Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office where Mark Mackey began reading from the Bible aloud. A security guard ordered Mackey to stop reading the Bible aloud. Ten minutes later, a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer arrived, snatched the Bible from Mackey's hands, and arrested him.

The other two men asked the CHP officer who arrested Mackey what law had been broken. The CHP office answered by asking the two men if they too were preaching, then the other two men were arrested by another CHP officer.

Robert Tyler, an attorney with Advocates for Faith and Freedom (AFF) says the arrests were a direct violation of the First Amendment, saying: “What's disturbing about this case in particular is that a person with a badge and a gun, who has been trained by some of the finest police forces here in California, [thinks] that it is appropriate to arrest somebody because they are reading the Bible aloud in public, on public property.”

All three men were released, and no criminal charges have been filed. AFF says the three men cannot be charged for "impeding an open business" because the DMV regional office was closed at the time and the men were standing at fifty feet or more from the entrance. AFF has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Mackey and his friends.


+ American Family Association, Post Office Drawer 2440, Tupelo, Mississippi 38803, 662-844-5036

+ Advocates for Faith and Freedom, 24910 Las Brisas Road, Suite 109, Murrieta, California 92562, 951-304-7583, Fax: 951-600-4996, info@faith-freedom.com

+ California Highway Patrol, 2555 First Avenue, Sacramento, California 92818, 916-657-7261


[6] PCA Central Carolina Presbytery Passes Overture Asking PCA General Assembly to Withdraw from the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)’s Central Carolina Presbytery on 26 August 2011 adopted an overture that asks the PCA to withdraw from the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), citing among other reasons the NAE’s meddling inappropriately in civil affairs by publically endorsing the idea of climate change, and testifying on Capitol Hill in support of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act.

The overture additionally cites the NAE’s participation in the meeting between Christians and Muslims where the document, “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word Between Us and You’ was approved and signed, noting that the document is clearly based on an unbiblical premise which falsely assumes that Christianity and Islam approach the same God, but in different ways.


+ Central Carolina Presbytery, 520 Willow Brook Drive, Matthews, North Carolina, 28105, 704-519-7076, clerk@cccpa.net

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org

+ National Association of Evangelicals, Post Office Box 23269, Washington DC 20026, 202-789-1011, president@nae.net


[7] Spanish Version of Jay Adams’ “How to Help People Change” Published by Publicaciones Faro de Gracia

A Spanish version of Jam Adams’ How to Help People Change has been published by Publicaciones Faro de Gracia.

Publicaciones Faro de Gracia is a Spanish publishing house and international ministry committed toward one stated goal: to see sound, reformed literature in the Spanish language become the best-known and most widely-read literature in all of Latin America.

Publicaciones Faro de Gracia has 1400 titles available only in Spanish, which conform to the reformed confessions of faith. The website can be accessed in both English and Spanish.


+ Publicaciones Faro de Gracia, Post Office Box 1043, Graham, North Carolina 27253, 336-792-2690, oficina@farodegracia.org


[8] Presbyterian and Reformed Responses to Aftermath of Deadly Tornadoes

In the aftermath of the recent spate of deadly and devastating tornadoes in the eastern U.S., several relief efforts have been undertaken by Presbyterian and Reformed denominations including:

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) on 21 April 2011 sent a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to North Carolina to assist with recovery from the massive tornado outbreak in the southern U.S. that occurred the previous week.

The RRT was based in Sanford, North Carolina, about sixty miles southwest of Raleigh, working out of a United Methodist Church there. The CRWRC expanded its relief efforts in the southeast U.S. after the 25-27 April 2011 outbreak of more than 250 tornadoes. Donations to CRWRC can be made at:

http://www.crwrc.org/pages/crwrc_donate.cfm

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)’s Mission to North America is teaming with several Alabama churches including Oak Mountain Church and Briarwood Presbyterian Church, both of Birmingham, Alabama. Information on ways to contribute to the relief efforts are on the church’s respective websites:

http://www.oakmountainchurch.org/tornado-disaster-relief

http://www.briarwood.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=37045&PID=862087


+ Christian Reformed Church in North America, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560, 616-241-1691, Fax: 616-224-0803 crcna@crcna.org

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org