World Family Policy Center Newsletter
* News
relative to protecting the family worldwide *
Volume 4 Issue 44 - November 14, 2005
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Quote of the Day: In
today’s world some people and organizations
seem to be using redefinition and ambiguity to advance their own
agendas. Abraham Lincoln shed
light on this phenomenon when
he said: “How many legs does
a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
Four. Calling a tail a leg
doesn't make it a leg.”
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Today’s Contents:
A. Featured Articles
1. Gay marriage ban put in Texas Constitution
Related Article: Maine voters turn back bid
to rescind state's
gay-rights law
2. Gov. Romney rips Supreme Judicial Court’s justices on
values
3. More sex than ever on TV
Related Article:
FCC Makes Filing an Indecency Complaint Easier
4. All Divorces Damage the Children
5. Kansas Education Board First to Back 'Intelligent
Design'
6. British mother takes action on 'secrecy and lies' of
abortion
7. Abortion fetus pain bill passed in Wisconsin
8. Conservative Anglicans Call for Split with U.S.
Episcopal Church
9. Warning issued about birth-control patch
B. Coming Events:
• “Roots and Wings” Family Conference - Geneva, Switzerland
• World Congress of Families IV - Warsaw, Poland
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FEATURED ARTICLES
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1. Gay marriage ban put in Texas Constitution
By JANET ELLIOTT
Houston Chronicle
November 9, 2005
AUSTIN - Voters overwhelmingly
approved writing a ban on same-sex marriage into the Texas constitution
Tuesday, giving social conservatives a key victory going into next year's state
elections.
The controversial proposition
was supported by Gov. Rick Perry and many churches throughout the state.
"That's where the victory
was won, from the pulpits of the state of Texas," said state Rep. Warren
Chisum, a Pampa Republican who wrote the amendment. "The people of Texas
have spoken and they intend that marriage should be between one man and one
woman."
Matt Foreman, executive
director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said the outcome was not
unexpected. . . .
Seventy-six percent of voters
favored the amendment and 24 percent opposed it, with 94 percent of the vote
counted. Foreman and Chisum said Texas is the 18th state to adopt an anti-gay
marriage constitutional provision.
To read entire article:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3448474
Related Article:
Maine voters turn back bid to rescind state's gay-rights law
Boston Globe
By Associated Press
November 9, 2005
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Voters in
Maine rejected an effort to repeal the state's gay-rights law, making Maine the
last New England state to legally protect homosexuals from discrimination.
With more than half the
precincts reporting, nearly 57 percent of voters were opposing repeal of the
new law, which is broadly worded to protect transsexuals and transvestites as
well as gays and lesbians.
''This is such a much-needed
victory for our national community, because we've experienced so many
losses," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force. ''We've got to press forward on nondiscrimination
protection, and not let marriage continue to swamp the movement."
The issue, put before voters
for the third time since 1998, pitted a coalition of mainstream religious and
business groups and politicians, including Governor John Baldacci, against a
network of Christian church groups that sees gay rights as an assault on
traditional marriage.
The vote was a referendum on
the law, enacted earlier this year, to amend the Maine Human Rights Act by
making discrimination illegal in employment, housing, credit, public
accommodations and education based on sexual orientation.
To read entire article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2005/11/09/maine_voters_turn_back_bid_to_rescind_states_gay_rights_law/
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2. Gov. Romney rips Supreme Judicial Court’s justices on values
Says personal views swayed
marriage ruling
By Scott Helman
Boston Globe Staff
November 11, 2005
WASHINGTON -- Governor Mitt
Romney leveled an unusually personal attack yesterday at the Supreme Judicial
Court for legalizing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, telling a group of
conservative lawyers and judges that the justices issued the ruling to promote
their values and those of ''their like-minded friends in the communities they
socialize in."
Though Romney has criticized
the SJC's watershed 2003 decision many times before, the broadside he delivered
at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention in Washington, D.C.,
was an atypically sharp and direct attack on the four justices who found that
the Massachusetts Constitution afforded gays and lesbians the right to marry.
''If a judge substitutes his
or her values for those values that were placed in the constitution, they do so
at great peril to the culture of our entire land," he said.
The remarks won applause from
the 500 lawyers, scholars, and others who packed a ballroom to hear Romney's
speech.
To read entire article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/11/11/romney_rips_sjcs_justices_on_values/
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3. More sex than
ever
on TV
Racy content hits an all-time
high, according to one new report
FOX
WASHINGTON - “The OC,” “Desperate
Housewives” and other TV shows popular with teenagers generally have more sex
than other programs, a study says.
TV executives say they’re not
pushing sex on children and that if parents don’t want their kids to see
certain shows then they have all the tools they need, including the “off”
button.
According to the study
released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the vast majority of TV
shows — 70 percent — include some sexual content, with an average of five sex
scenes per hour. On the top teen shows, the number is higher — 6.7 scenes an
hour.
The study examined programming
on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, WB, PBS, Lifetime, TNT, USA Network and HBO. Sexual
content could be anything from discussions about sex to scenes involving
intercourse.
The number of scenes involving
sex has nearly doubled since 1998, the study said, from 1,930 to 3,783.
Examples of sexual content
cited ranged from discussions of sex on the WB’s “Gilmore Girls” and “Jack
& Bobby” to depictions of oral sex on NBC’s “Law and Order: Special Victims
Unit” and sexual intercourse on Fox’s “The O.C.”
The study did not offer an
opinion on whether sex on TV is harmful to children. But lead researcher Dale
Kunkel said it’s generally established that TV influences kids.
To read entire article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9982719/
Related Article:
FCC Makes Filing an Indecency Complaint Easier
by Wendy Cloyd
November 8, 2005
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has unveiled a new form that makes it less complicated for
people to file a complaint after hearing or seeing indecent material on the
broadcast airwaves.
The Obscene, Profane, and/or
Indecent Material Complaint Form — also known as FCC Form 475B — will
reportedly simplify collecting information about TV and radio stations that air
objectionable material.
Indecent material and profane
speech is not allowed to be broadcast from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It's allowed
during the overnight hours.
Obscene material is always
prohibited.
Patrick Trueman, former head
of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section at the Justice Department, said
the FCC is much more open to receiving indecency complaints than ever before.
To read entire article:
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0038520.cfm
To access
information to file an indecency complaint:
http://www.afa.net/activism/wopcd_tvindecencysv.asp
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4. All Divorces
Damage the Children
by Elizabeth Marquardt
Washington Post
November 6, 2005
It happens to about 1 million
American children every year. Their parents sit them down and deliver the news
that they're divorcing. But not to worry, they say, they're parting amicably
and assuming joint custody. . . .
Before the divorce rate began
its inexorable rise in the late 1960s, the common wisdom had been that, where
children are concerned, divorce itself is a problem. But as it became
widespread -- peaking at almost one in two first marriages in the mid-1980s --
popular thinking morphed into a new, adult-friendly idea: It's not the act of
divorcing that's the problem, but simply the way that parents handle it.
Experts began to assure parents that if only they conducted a "good"
divorce -- if they both stayed involved with their children and minimized
conflict -- the kids would be fine.
It was a soothing tonic, and
it was swallowed eagerly by many angst-ridden parents. But it was also, it
turns out, a myth. No matter how happy a face we put on it, the children of
divorce are now saying, we've been kidding ourselves. An amicable divorce is
better than a bitter one, but there is no such thing as a "good"
divorce. . . .
Those of us who grew up in the
first era of widespread divorce have a new sobriety about it. Yes, sometimes
divorce is necessary, but the uncomfortable truth our culture has been hiding
for too long is that often it's not, and there is definitely no such thing as a
"good" divorce. If parents must divorce, it's good to get along
afterward. But people in high-conflict marriages aren't usually successful at
"good" divorce (divorce doesn't typically bring out great new
communication and cooperation skills). Couples in low-conflict marriages may
manage a so-called "good" divorce, but many of them could also manage
to, well, stay married and spare themselves and their children a lot of pain.
To read entire article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110402304.html
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5. Kansas
Education Board First to Back 'Intelligent Design'
Schools to Teach Doubts About
Evolutionary Theory
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post
November 9, 2005
TOPEKA, Kan., Nov. 8 -- The
Kansas Board of Education voted Tuesday that students will be expected to study
doubts about modern Darwinian theory, a move that defied the nation's
scientific establishment even as it gave voice to religious conservatives and
others who question the theory of evolution.
By a 6 to 4 vote that
supporters cheered as a victory for free speech and opponents denounced as
shabby politics and worse science, the board said high school students should
be told that aspects of widely accepted evolutionary theory are controversial.
Among other points, the standards allege a "lack of adequate natural
explanations for the genetic code."
The bitterly fought effort
pushes Kansas to the forefront of a war over evolution being waged in courts in
Pennsylvania and Georgia and statehouses nationwide. President Bush stated his
own position last summer, buoying social conservatives when he said "both
sides" should be taught.
"This is a great day for
education. This is one of the best things that we can do. This absolutely
teaches more about science," said Steve E. Abrams, the Kansas board
chairman who shepherded the conservative Republican majority that overruled a
26-member science committee and turned aside the National Academy of Sciences
and the National Science Teachers Association.
To read entire article:
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/08/AR2005110801211.html
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6. British mother takes action on 'secrecy and lies' of
abortion
Manchester Evening News
November 9, 2005
THE government is condemning family life to “secrecy
and lies” by allowing under-16s to seek advice on contraception or abortion
without the knowledge of their parents, a QC appearing for a Manchester mother
told the High Court today.
The “undermining” influence of
Department of Health guidelines was spelt out in court on behalf of the mother
of five who is battling for a parent’s “right to know” if her teenage daughters
seek advice or treatment on contraception or abortion.
Sue Axon, 51, a divorced single
parent from Baguley, Wythenshawe, Manchester, is seeking a judicial review with
implications for parents across the country.
Her QC Philip Havers told Mr
Justice Silber, sitting in London: “We contend that contraception, treatment
for sexually transmitted infections and abortion for children are issues which
go to the very heart of family life.
“They are issues parents and
children - and society as a whole - would expect parents to advise their
children about.”
Making submissions on the
second day of a case which has sparked a nationwide debate, he added: “Family
life depends upon relationships of trust and openness and respect and
transparency between family members - not on secrecy, or what might have to be
lies on the part of the children in relation to what they are doing.
Mr Havers said: “Society
cannot expect parents to carry out their responsibilities if they are kept in
the dark.”
To read entire article:
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/181/181255_secrecy_and_lies_of_abortion.html
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7. Abortion fetus pain bill passed in Wisconsin
By J R Ross
Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. -- Doctors would
have to tell women seeking abortions in their 20th week of pregnancy or later
that their fetuses might feel pain - an assertion debated in the medical
community - under a bill passed by Wisconsin lawmakers.
Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat,
promised to veto the legislation, which the Assembly passed 61-34 Tuesday and
the Senate passed earlier.
"Medical decisions should
be made by you and your doctor, not you, your doctor and the Legislature,"
said Doyle spokesman Dan Leistikow.
Women seeking abortions in
Wisconsin must receive information on alternatives to ending their pregnancies
and must wait 24 hours after a counseling session to have the procedure.
To read entire article:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Abortion_Pain.html
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8. Conservative Anglicans Call for Split with U.S. Episcopal
Church
FoxNews.com
November 11, 2005
PITTSBURGH — An international
panel of Anglican archbishops called upon a gathering of their conservative
American counterparts Friday to split from the rest of the U.S. Episcopal
Church.
"Yes, we will stand with
you as long as you remain faithful, biblical, evangelical and orthodox,"
said Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung, who represents South East Asia.
The seven archbishops from
Africa, the West Indies, and Asia spoke at the Hope and a Future Conference organized
by the Anglican Communion Network.
The network is headed by
Pittsburgh's Episcopal Bishop Robert W. Duncan. He helped form the group in
2003 after the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated an openly gay
priest, Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire and gave tacit approval to
blessing services for same-sex couples.
Nigerian Archbishop Peter
Akinola said bishops from Duncan's group and others attending the conference
must be clear about their allegiance.
"Many of you have one leg
in ECUSA and one leg in the network. You must let us know exactly where you
stand — are you ECUSA or are you network?" Akinola said, prompting a loud
standing ovation.
To read entire article:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175372,00.html
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9. Warning issued
about birth-control patch
CNN
November 10, 2005
(AP) -- The makers of a
popular birth-control patch warned millions of women Thursday that the patch
exposes them to significantly higher doses of hormones and may put them at
greater risk for blood clots and other serious side effects than previously
disclosed.
The warning from Johnson and
Johnson subsidiary Ortho McNeil, makers of Ortho Evra, says women using the
patch will be exposed to about 60 percent more estrogen than those using
typical birth-control pills because hormones from patches get into the
bloodstream and are removed from the body differently than those from pills.
Thursday's warning comes four
months after reports that patch users die and suffer blood clots at a rate
three times higher than women taking the pill.
To read entire article:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/10/patch.warning.ap.ap/index.html
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COMING EVENTS
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“Roots and Wings”
Family Conference
l December 2005
CICG - International
Conference Center of Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland
Speakers:
Karl Staffler: “In the
Footsteps of My Ancestors”
Jim Tagg: “Discovering the
Personalities of our Ancestors:
Dr. Stephen and Mrs. Margaret
Nadauld: “Raising Children in Today’s Environment
Dr. Shirley Cox and Wendy
Sheffield: “A Demonstrated International Tool for Strengthening Families of All
Cultures”
For Advance Registration:
022-734-0979
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WORLD CONGRESS OF
FAMILIES IV
Meeting in Rockford, Illinois
(October 23-25), a planning committee of the World Congress of Families chose
Warsaw, Poland as the site of the 4th World Congress. The Warsaw Congress will
be held in May, 2007.
The Polish Federation of
Pro-Life Movements, an organization with over 130 affiliates throughout the
nation, will serve as the local host for WCF IV.
For more information: http://www.profam.org/press/thc.pr.051027.htm
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Note: The Featured Articles
excerpts are highlights of current events and
do not necessarily represent
the views of the World Family Policy Center
or Brigham Young University.
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Newsletter created and
distributed by:
World Family Policy Center
J. Reuben Clark Law School
Brigham Young University
Managing Director: Richard Wilkins
Executive Director: A. Scott Loveless
Newsletter Editors: Joy S.
Lundberg and Gary B. Lundberg
If you have any articles,
editorials, or papers you would like
circulated through the WFPC
News network, you may submit them to
lundberg@lawgate.byu.edu
If you do not wish to receive
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