News & Media

Dan Savage is the creator of the “It Gets Better” project – which features videos of adults, many of which are celebrities (even President Obama), telling young gay people that, though they may face ridicule and bullying now, it does get better as you get older.  The project exists to curtail so-called bullying against the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) community.

Savage was a keynote speaker at the National High School Journalism Conference sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association, and he was supposed to give a talk on anti-bullying issues.  However, it quickly turned into an anti-Christian, anti-Bible tirade. One student in attendance reported, “The first thing he told the audience was, ‘I hope you’re all using birth control.’  He said there are people using the Bible as an excuse for gay bullying, because it says in Leviticus and Romans that being gay is wrong. Right after that, he said we can ignore all the (expletive deleted) in the Bible.” 

The Blaze.Com reported that Savage said, “We can learn to ignore the b***s*** in the Bible about gay people – the same way we have learned to ignore the b***s*** in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation, about virginity, about masturbation …. We ignore b***s*** in the Bible about all sorts of things.” 

Some of the students were understandably upset by these comments, and they felt bullied themselves.  Numerous courageous students walked out of the conference in protest.  Thereafter, Savage said, “You can tell the Bible guys in the hall they can come back now because I’m done beating up the Bible.” He continued, “It’s funny as someone on the receiving end of beatings that are justified by the Bible how pansy-assed people react when you push back.” 

To make matters worse, the Christian students stated that the vast majority of students and advisors in attendance were cheering Savage’s rant, making the Christian students feel even more persecuted for their faith. 

This is not the first time that Savage has seemed to bully those whose ideas are different than his own…

• In 2011, during an appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher," he spoke about Republicans , saying, "I wish they were all f***ing dead."
  
  
• In July 2011, he said that monogamy holds the potential to destroy “more families than it saves.” 
  
  
• Breitbart.com reported that, in 2006, “Savage said that Green Party Senate candidate Carl Romanelli, who was running against Democrat Bob Casey (the eventual winner), ‘should be dragged behind a pickup truck until there’s nothing left but the rope.’ Casey was so offended he refused Savage’s campaign donations."
  

How can an “anti-bullying advocate” stoop to such levels of intimidation and harassment of those whose opinions are different than his?  Savage appears to be a hypocritical and hateful man. 

It makes it even harder to believe that this is a man whom President Obama and his administration rely upon heavily in their own anti-bullying efforts.  The White House has devoted a portion of its website to the “It Gets Better” project (http://www.whitehouse.gov/itgetsbetter) and suggests Dan Savage’s organization as a resource. 

If bullying is wrong, it must be wrong in all instances and against all people.  What do you think?   

        TAKE ACTION TODAY!

We are often asked how people can help.  Here’s an opportunity!

Please email President Obama and let him know that you disagree with the White House’s endorsement of the anti-Christian bullying tactics of Dan Savage.  Respectfully request that the White House disassociate itself from Dan Savage and ItGetsBetterProject.Com.

You can email the White House by clicking here. Politicians consider your single email to be equal to a thousand voices – so your single email is certainly worth a couple minutes of your time. Please remember to be respectful and avoid using the same hateful tactics used by Savage.

Let us know you emailed the President and tell us your thoughts on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Advocates) or by email at info@faith-freedom.com.

 

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.

           (Once you hear the rest of the story, we will give you an opportunity to take action and make a positive difference yourself!) 

          Dan Savage is the creator of the “It Gets Better” project – which features videos of adults, many of which are celebrities (even President Obama), telling young gay people that, though they may face ridicule and bullying now, it does get better as you get older.  The project exists to curtail so-called bullying against the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) community.

          Savage was a keynote speaker at the National High School Journalism Conference sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association, and he was supposed to give a talk on anti-bullying issues.  However, it quickly turned into an anti-Christian, anti-Bible tirade. 

          One student in attendance reported, “The first thing he told the audience was, ‘I hope you’re all using birth control.’  He said there are people using the Bible as an excuse for gay bullying, because it says in Leviticus and Romans that being gay is wrong. Right after that, he said we can ignore all the (expletive deleted) in the Bible.”  

               The Blaze.Com reported that Savage said, “We can learn to ignore the b***s*** in the Bible about gay people – the same way we have learned to ignore the b***s*** in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation, about virginity, about masturbation …. We ignore b***s*** in the Bible about all sorts of things.”  

          Some of the students were understandably upset by these comments, and they felt bullied themselves.  Numerous courageous students walked out of the conference in protest.  Thereafter, Savage said, “You can tell the Bible guys in the hall they can come back now because I’m done beating up the Bible.” He continued, “It’s funny as someone on the receiving end of beatings that are justified by the Bible how pansy-assed people react when you push back.”  

          To make matters worse, the Christian students stated that the vast majority of students and advisors in attendance were cheering Savage’s rant, making the Christian students feel even more persecuted for their faith.  

          This is not the first time that Savage has seemed to bully those whose ideas are different than his own…

1)  In 2011, during an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher”, he spoke about Republicans, saying, “I wish they were all f***ing dead.”

2)  In July 2011, he said that monogamy holds the potential to destroy “more families than it saves.” 

3)  Breitbart.com reported that, in 2006, “Savage said that Green Party Senate candidate Carl Romanelli, who was running against Democrat Bob Casey (the eventual winner), ‘should be dragged behind a pickup truck until there’s nothing left but the rope.’ Casey was so offended he refused Savage’s campaign donations.” 

          How can an “anti-bullying advocate” stoop to such levels of intimidation and harassment of those whose opinions are different than his?  Savage appears to be a hypocritical and hateful man.    

It makes it even harder to believe that this is a man whom President Obama and his administration rely upon heavily in their own anti-bullying efforts.  The White House has devoted a portion of its website to the “It Gets Better” project http://www.whitehouse.gov/itgetsbetter) and suggests Dan Savage’s organization as a resource. 

 

If bullying is wrong, it must be wrong in all instances and against all people.  What do you think? 

         TAKE ACTION TODAY! 

We are often asked how people can help.  Here’s an opportunity!  

Please email President Obama and let him know that you disagree with the White House’s endorsement of the anti-Christian bullying tactics of Dan Savage.  Respectfully request that the White House disassociate itself from Dan Savage and ItGetsBetterProject.Com.

 

You can email the White House by clicking here. Politicians consider your single email to be equal to a thousand voices – so your single email is certainly worth a couple minutes of your time. Please remember to be respectful and avoid using the same hateful tactics used by Savage.

 

Let us know you emailed the President and tell us your thoughts on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Advocates) or by email at info@faith-freedom.com.

Since the establishment of the United States, our nation has succeeded because of the faith and prayers of its founding fathers, leaders, and people.  In 1775, when we were on the brink of birth as a nation, the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in creating this new country.  Ever since that time, prayer has been an integral part of our foundation and progress:

 

• In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called for a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.” 

• In 1952, President Harry Truman made the National Day of Prayer official, signing its annual observance into law. 

• In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated that the first Thursday of every May would be the formal nationwide observance of the National Day of Prayer. 

As the years progress and we see more and more of our inherent religious liberties seemingly slipping away from us, it is encouraging to know that our nation still gathers one day a year to ask for help and guidance from beyond ourselves – by the power and grace that can only come from God.  It is a day to recall the faith that drove the founding fathers to develop our country upon strong principles and to continue asking for God’s help in the development and perseverance of our nation. 

Several organizations will be holding events next Thursday, and we encourage you to take part in them if you can.  You can find an event near you on the National Day of Prayer website: http://nationaldayofprayer.org/about/find-an-event/. 

Also, consider taking a moment during the day to spend in prayer with your family.  Lift up our nation and our leaders, asking for God’s guidance and provision for the future of America.  

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.

 

Big Initiative #1: CLASS Act – Stop SB 48

          SB 48 was signed into law last year by our legislature and Governor Jerry Brown, and it went into effect as of January this year.  Essentially, this bill requires that social science curriculum discuss transgender, homosexual, and bisexual figures in history – introduced to children as young as kindergarten.

          We, like many voters, believe that this bill is just a way for politicians to impose their radical agenda onto our students, through the guise of education.  That is why the CLASS (Children Learning Accurate Social Science) Act is urging voters to sign and mail in the petition no later than July 11, 2012!  This Act would repeal SB 48 and encourage accurate teaching of social sciences in our schools.

          I am on the statewide steering committee for this CLASS Act, and we at Advocates really want to get the word out about this initiative.  We are available to come speak at groups, churches, or gatherings regarding the CLASS Act.

TAKE ACTION: Download the petition here: http://classact2012.com/get-involved/sign-the-petition/, or you can come by our office to pick one or more up.

Big Initiative #2: Parental Rights in Education

          This initiative was brought to the table by a group of parents who decided that they wanted more of a say in what their children are exposed to in public schools.  Therefore, this initiative “[a]llows a parent or guardian to request that a public school excuse their child from instruction in family life or social sciences when such instruction conflicts with the religious training and beliefs or personal moral convictions of the parent or guardian.”

TAKE ACTION:  The petitions in support of this initiative are due April 16, 2012, so please download and mail in the petition today: http://www.parentalrightsineducation.org/content/downloading-and-filling-out-petition  

Big Initiative #3: CASE Act – Californians Against Sexual Exploitation

           As you may know, human trafficking is not just a problem in countries far from us – it happens often right here in our own backyard.  The CASE Act, which has already obtained sufficient signatures and will be on the ballot in November, will work to provide more protection for the victims of this horrible abuse and tragedy.  Particularly, this bill “will deter traffickers with higher penalties and fines, use fines to fund victim services, remove barriers to prosecute child sex traffickers, mandate training for law enforcement officers, require convicted sex traffickers to register as sex offenders, require all sex offenders to disclose Internet accounts, and protect victims in court proceedings.”

TAKE ACTION:  Vote for the initiative in November and learn more here: http://www.caseact.org/ 

            We believe these three initiatives will impact our state, and the nation, in a positive way with better protection for our students, young people, and families.  We appreciate your attention to these causes and hope that you will put action behind your beliefs by signing these petitions and voting this November!

Robert Tyler
General Counsel

            This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.

          The question at the heart of this hearing was: Does the government have the power to force every American to buy health insurance?  This is also known as the individual mandate issue.  Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is a conservative but has historically been known to swing his vote to the more liberal end, appeared concerned about the individual mandate, saying that it carries a “heavy burden of justification” under the Constitution.

            The hearing also considered the question of how much of the law should remain if the Court decides against the individual mandate.  Essentially, the Court may decide to strike down the whole Obamacare law, or they could strike down only one part of it – the individual mandate.  On this issue, Justice Anthony Kennedy stated:

          “We would be exercising the judicial power if one act was — one provision was stricken and the others remained to impose a risk on insurance companies that Congress had never intended.”

            Justice Scalia summed his opinion up tightly: “My approach would say if you take the heart out of the statute, the statute’s gone.” [emphasis added]

            Another question that arose during these hearings surrounded the idea of the Medicaid expansion included in the law, which would give states more federal Medicaid funding if they agree to enroll more of the poor.  If the states refuse, they have to pull out of the program altogether, which is really not an option, many states say – the Medicaid program has grown so large that it would be impossible to run it without any federal funding.  This begs the question: Does this violate limits already set by the Supreme Court, which state that the federal government cannot impose conditions “so coercive as to pass the point at which pressure turns into compulsion”?

            Though both sides of this health care reform argument have tried to surmise the outcome of the hearings, Justice Antonin Scalia voiced his concern about the ruling, remarking, “I find it hard to think that this is clear.  Whatever else it is, it’s easy to think that it’s not clear.”

            The Solicitor General defending Obamacare, Donald Verrilli Jr., appealed to the Court to essentially leave the decision to Congress and the people of America:

“The Congress struggled with the issue of how to deal with this profound problem of 40 million people without health care for many years, and it made a judgment. Maybe they were right, maybe they weren’t, but this is something about which the people of the United States can deliberate and they can vote, and if they think it needs to be changed, they can change it.” 

           Also, this week President Obama issued something sounding an awful lot like a warning against striking down the health care law, saying:

           “I’m confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress.  And I'd just remind conservative commentators that for years what we’ve heard is, the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism or a lack of judicial restraint -- that an unelected group of people would somehow overturn a duly constituted and passed law.  Well, this is a good example.  And I’m pretty confident that this Court will recognize that and not take that step.”

            Although the decision is most likely already made, we will not hear the high court’s conclusion for about another three months, as they write up their decision on the constitutionality of Obamacare.

            This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Two Christians Prosecuted for Reading the Bible in Public 

Murrieta, CA.  Yesterday, a trial court in Riverside County, California, heard arguments why the prosecution's case should be dismissed in the case of People v. Brett Coronado.  Advocates for Faith & Freedom are defending Pastor Brett Coronado and Mark Mackey on misdemeanor charges after they were arrested in front of a California DMV while Mr. Mackey was reading the Bible out loud. The incident took place on February 2, 2011, in front of a group waiting for the DMV to open for business.   

This case has generated national news, such as the story that ran on Fox News Channel today.  View the Fox News video and article here. Additionally, a YouTube video of the incident and arrest can be viewed here. Both men have been spit on and threatened at other locations in the past when engaging in similar activities.  As a result, it is their practice to video their evangelism to protect them from false accusations - just as appears to be occurring in this case. 

Initially, when Mr. Mackey was arrested, the CHP officer stated that it was illegal to "preach to a captive audience." After the defendants were placed in jail and upon learning that no such penal code prohibits preaching to a "captive audience,"  the officer issued a citation for "impeding an open business" with threats or intimidation under Penal Code Section 602.1(b). However, the district attorney again changed the charges claiming trespass after the government realized the business was not actually open and, presumably, saw the video showing no threats or intimidation. 

Unfortunately, the trial judge declined to dismiss the case.  Advocates vows to appeal the decision because the trespass law the CHP is currently relying on is  unconstitutional.  In fact, other federal courts that have reviewed the same statutory language used in the California Penal Code have been declared unconstitutional. A copy of our brief can be found [here].  

“This is an abuse of power on the part of the CHP,” said Robert Tyler, Associate General Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom.  “The arresting officer could find no appropriate penal/ code to use when arresting these men.  The purpose of the arrests appears to have been to censor them.” 

Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of these three men for violation of their right to free speech and for unlawful arrest, but that case has been stayed pending the resolution of the state court prosecution.  A copy of our federal complaint can be found [here]. Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on our progress in this case and others.

Contact:  Lori Sanada  (951) 304-7583 weekdays,
(951) 500-7854 weekends and evenings   

This case has generated national news, such as the story that ran on Fox News Channel today.  View the Fox News video and article [here].  Additionally, a YouTube video of the incident and arrest can be viewed here. Both men have been spit on and threatened at other locations in the past when engaging in similar activities.  As a result, it is their practice to video their evangelism to protect them from false accusations - just as appears to be occurring in this case. 

Initially, when Mr. Mackey was arrested, the CHP officer stated that it was illegal to "preach to a captive audience." After the defendants were placed in jail and upon learning that no such penal code prohibits preaching to a "captive audience,"  the officer issued a citation for "impeding an open business" with threats or intimidation under Penal Code Section 602.1(b). However, the district attorney again changed the charges claiming trespass after the government realized the business was not actually open and, presumably, saw the video showing no threats or intimidation. 

Unfortunately, the trial judge declined to dismiss the case.  Advocates vows to appeal the decision because the trespass law the CHP is currently relying on is  unconstitutional.  In fact, other federal courts that have reviewed the same statutory language used in the California Penal Code have been declared unconstitutional.  A copy of our brief can be found [here].  

“This is an abuse of power on the part of the CHP,” said Robert Tyler, Associate General Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom.  “The arresting officer could find no appropriate penal/ code to use when arresting these men.  The purpose of the arrests appears to have been to censor them.” 

Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of these three men for violation of their right to free speech and for unlawful arrest, but that case has been stayed pending the resolution of the state court prosecution. A copy of our federal complaint can be found [here].  Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on our progress in this case and others. 

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates. 

• Is Obamacare unconstitutional because of its individual mandate, stating that every person must buy health care, and doesn’t this constrain individual freedom and violate the Constitutional concept of limited government? 

• Because there is a penalty for not buying health insurance, will that penalty be considered a tax or a fine?  

• Does Obamacare use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions? 

Although the individual mandate question is certainly the most contested and controversial, we find the last question regarding abortion coverage to be as important as any other. According to Obamacare policy, enrollees in certain insurance plans will be required to pay a $1 surcharge every month, above their plan fees, for abortion services, whether they plan to use them or not, or whether they believe in them or not.  They will only be informed of this surcharge only one time, upon enrollment in the program – meaning it could simply be one sentence in a giant insurance plan document.  In addition, people won’t be able to opt-out of the abortion surcharge without opting out of the entire insurance plan. 

This sounds a lot like forcing Americans to fund abortions, doesn’t it?  If Obamacare is allowed to endure, countless Americans, many of whom are pro-life, will be paying for abortions out of their own pockets.

We will be eagerly watching as this U.S. Supreme Court review unfolds over the next few days, and we ask that you join us in prayer as this monumental decision is made in our nation’s highest Court.

 

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.

  

Congress said of the cross: “[t]he Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial was dedicated on April 18, 1954, as ‘a lasting memorial to the dead of the First and Second World Wars and the Korean conflict’ and now serves as a memorial to American veterans of all wars, including the War on Terrorism.” 

Our case rests on the fact that this Memorial was built with a secular purpose in mind – to honor our fallen soldiers and to preserve their memory.  In our opinion, a cross is a standard symbol used to honor our heroes. 

However, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled that “the record before us does not establish that Latin crosses have a well-established secular meaning as universal symbols of memorialization and remembrance.”  In addition, they concluded (erroneously, in our opinion) that the alleged religious or anti-religious motives of private individuals who donate memorials to the government are relevant in determining a law’s primary purpose and effect in Establishment Clause cases. 

We believe strongly in the meaning and symbolization of this cross, and we will continue to fight against those that wish to tear it down.  Our amicus brief has gone to the U.S. Supreme Court, and we will keep you updated on the progress of this case.  Your prayers are appreciated! 

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.   

• SB 48 forces all public schools to include positive discussions of the sexual orientations of transgender, bisexual, and gay Americans in all social science courses. Nothing can “reflect adversely” on these lifestyles.
   
• SB 48 requires the creation of new instructional materials at a time when school districts can hardly afford it.
   
• SB 48 ties the hands of teachers and administrators at the local level and often contradicts what students are taught at home.
   
• SB 48 requires teachers and administrators to enter into the divisive debate over sexual orientation and morality and to portray only one side of that debate.  They are being asked not to tolerate but to advocate.

  

A previous effort to Stop SB 48 came up just short of the required number of signatures, but we have another chance to halt this bill in its tracks.  Petitions are available now to qualify the CLASS Act Initiative, which would repeal SB 48 and represents the following:

 

• The CLASS Act demands an accurate portrayal of history by requiring an individual’s contributions to be the focus of the lesson rather than their sexual preference.
   
• The CLASS Act puts the power back in the hands of local school districts instead of allowing politicians to push their radical agenda on children through public school curriculum.

The office of the CLASS Act Initiative must receive 700,000 VALID petitions by July 11, so we need to begin our efforts now! 

Here’s what you can do to help this cause: 

• Sign the petition and mail it in.
  
• Print petitions and get signatures at your church, in your neighborhood, or anywhere else.
• Get the word out by forwarding this email to friends and family. 

We’ve been given another chance to take action and protect our young students, so please help in this effort any way that you can! 

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.