Tuesday, June 7, 2011

California Schools Throw Decency and Parental Rights Out The Window

Becky Yeh - OneNewsNow California correspondent - 6/7/2011

A California pro-family group says lawmakers' decision to create a holiday in honor of an openly homosexual politician has dealt a detrimental blow to the state's school children.

In an email to SaveCalifornia.com, Deanna Aguire of Moreno Valley told the pro-family organization that her daughter and students at Moreno Valley High School were forced to attend a Gay-Straight Alliance rally in honor of the late San Francisco politician, Harvey Milk. Aguire's daughter told the teacher she did not want to go to the rally because she was a Christian, and only after persistence did the teacher allow her to opt out.

Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, tells OneNewsNow that parental rights and decency are "meaningless" in public schools.

"Wake up, parents. Public schools are no longer for the public," he says. "They're government institutions that think that you're children are their children -- and they are going to turn them into homosexual, bisexual, transsexual political activists."

Days before Harvey Milk Day, Aguire's daughter was asked by the teacher to read out loud from a biography honoring Milk. Her teacher also reportedly showed clips of the film Milk, including a scene that showed two homosexual men in bed together.

"Just wait now until Harvey Milk is on a weekday next year, and it's going to be what? Anything goes," Thomasson laments. "It could be gay pride parades on campus; it could be mock gay weddings on campus; it could be essays, mandatory homework saying why Harvey Milk, a bad guy, was a great guy. I mean, this is in-your-face stuff."

The family advocate adds that children in California's public schools are being hit with a "tsunami of perversity" and homosexual indoctrination. He cites another example in which first-graders were read a homosexual book in honor of Milk.

My Uncle's Wedding (book)Around 40 elementary schools students in San Francisco were read author Eric Ross' new children's book My Uncle's Wedding as part of Harvey Milk Day. California adopted an official holiday honoring Milk, who was the first openly homosexual elected into office in the state.

Thomasson argues Harvey Milk Day is being used to push the homosexual agenda in public schools -- just like the Day of Silence. "Now Harvey Milk Day is taking hold, and again, first-graders who don't even know about sexuality [are] being taught unnatural sexuality." (Listen to audio report)

Openly homosexual State Senator Mark Leno visited Ross during the launch of My Uncle's Wedding and spoke briefly on S.B. 48, a bill the lawmaker is trying to push which would require textbooks in California to include information about lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and "gay" individuals. Thomasson laments that Leno will promote the bill wherever he can.
Read More From One News Now

Church Sends 250 Care Packages To Soldiers Over Seas

6/3/11--Roseville

As a Memorial Day tribute to military personnel, the people of First Presbyterian Church of Roseville handed out, filled and then collected 250 care packages for soldiers and Air Force personnel who are on tour of duties.

As part of an ongoing program of reaching out to their community in acts of service, called Live Out Loud, the members of FPC wanted a tangible way to express their appreciation for the many local men and women of the armed services who are serving their country.

Initially the church started with 150 and soon grew to 250. Children collected socks and wrote notes for the soldiers and airmen/women and others bought all kinds of things from toiletries to candies and snacks and stuffed them as full as they could get them. The boxes were collected on May 22 and May 29 and were sent the following week.

As care packages were sent, the historic First Presbyterian Church, the first protestant church in Roseville, changed its name. Since it began in 1873 the church has always been called First Presbyterian, but on May 29 the church changed its name to Centerpoint Community Church.

According to Pastor Jim Barstow, the change was attributed to many factors including misidentification with the Presbyterian Church USA and possible barriers made by “Presbyterian” in the name.

The new name and its vision statement “Centering Life In Christ” also captures the purpose of the church’s mission and ministries, to make Christ the center of families, marriages, and lives.

Read More From Roseville


117 Year Old Church Closes It's Doors For Good

11:55 PM, Jun. 5, 2011Written byTIFFANY DE MASTERS
The chapel of Grant Park Christian Church on Des Moines' east side overflowed with people as they listened to one last sermon.

There were mixed feelings Sunday from the members - most of them said there weren't words to describe how they felt about leaving behind a church that was lovingly started 117 years ago.

Because of a declining number of members and a lack of financing, the church has been forced to close; Sunday was the last service.

The Rev. Julie Gibson has been with the congregation the last three months and said she will always remember Grant Park.
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Being a reverend at Grant Park has been "a slice of heaven," Gibson said, adding that members have been "generous in their time of sorrow."

Although Grant Park has struggled over the years, members wanted to close while there were still gifts to give, Grant said.

Chairman of the elders John Grinstead said the church has been struggling for 10 years with membership numbers; it had about 40 members at the time of the closure. As savings depleted, there were few options left for the church.

Read More from Des Moines Register

Muslim Brotherhood Becomes Legitimate Party In Egypt


CAIRO - The Egyptian official news agency on Tuesday recognized the Muslim Brotherhood as a legitimate party for the first time since it was outlawed in 1954, AP reported.

The party was recognized as the "Freedom and Justice Party" and will be allowed to run in the parliamentary elections scheduled for September, the report said.

The party's candidates, running as independents, won 20 percent of the Egyptian vote in the 2005 parliamentary election.

To be recognized as a party under the new rules, the party has announced it will be open to Muslims, Christians and women, AP said.

Previously, a senior member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said he would run for president as an independent. At the time, the Islamist group that said it will not field a candidate.

Secular groups and the West are concerned by how much power the Brotherhood may gain after the first elections since the toppling of president Hosni Mubarak. Decades of authoritarian rule has curbed the development of potential rivals.

Egypt's biggest Islamist movement had sought to assuage fears by saying it would not seek the presidency in polls due by early next year; nor would it pursue a majority in September parliamentary polls, contesting only 50 percent of seats.

But Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh, a reformist leading member of the group, told Reuters:

"I will run as an independent candidate in the coming presidential elections. I am not a member of any party now."
Read More From The Jerusalem Post