Ragbag Headlines

Pro-'gay' Mayors To Be Confronted

One family leader says citizens who value family should bear in mind that many mayors throughout the nation are pushing homosexual "marriage" in their cities.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has joined a group of 80 mayors in announcing support for "gay marriage" and for the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry" initiative. He will co-chair the coalition that will spearhead an effort to broaden rights for homosexuals. The mayors have pledged to pressure their cities to pass laws that would permit same-sex marriage, and they are pressing for the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Villaraigosa claims that "denying gays and lesbians the freedom to marry weakens society" and hurts communities, neighbors, and families. But Ron Prentice of the California Family Council (CFC) disagrees.

"These mayors and many others are intentionally disregarding the reams of social research that speak strongly to the best environment to raise children by their committed biological moms and dads," he notes.

Mayors Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City, Jerry Sanders of San Diego, and Annise Parker of Houston, among others, have all joined the national Freedom to Marry project. Parker is the first openly homosexual mayor of a major U.S. city.

"Mayor Villaraigosa may indeed attempt to establish some policies specific to same-sex marriage in L.A., but he will be confronted immediately by lawsuits," Prentice asserts.

And the CFC spokesman adds that the Los Angeles leader has voiced his support for same-sex marriage and has fought against Proposition 8, the law passed by California voters in 2008 that defined marriage solely as between one man and one woman. –One News Now

<><><>*<><><>

Federal Court: ‘Tolerance Is A Two Way Street’

The Sixth Circuit has ruled in favor of Christian graduate student Julea Ward, who almost three years ago was expelled from a university counseling program for her religious beliefs.

In a strongly worded opinion earlier today, the Sixth U.S. Circuit of Appeals reversed a district court decision in favor of Eastern Michigan University, sending it back for trial along with this message: “A reasonable jury could conclude that Ward’s professors ejected her from the counseling program because of hostility toward her speech and faith ….”

As part of her counseling practicum course in early 2009, Ward had been assigned a potential client who was homosexual and was seeking affirmation of that sexual orientation. Because she was unwilling to violate her own religious beliefs in the context of the counseling relationship, Ward was permitted to refer the client to another counselor — but was told to remain in the counseling program she would have to undergo a “remediation” program that would help her “see the error of her ways.”

When Ward refused, a faculty committee dismissed her from the program. In her subsequent lawsuit, a district federal court ruled in favor of EMU — a ruling that has now been reversed. –Vision To America

<><><>*<><><>

Time To Start 'Monitoring' Mosques

The head of a Messianic Jewish ministry is defending the producers of a documentary on Islamic Jihad that has created substantial controversy in New York City.

"We believe Islam will dominate" -- those are the opening words of the trailer. "It's an entire movement, and the idea of it is hatred for our way of life," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani goes on to comment. He is just one of the terrorism experts featured in the full-length documentary, The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision for America, produced by the Clarion Fund.

The New York Times reports that nearly 1,500 officers in the New York City Police Department had viewed the video since early 2010 as part of their counter-terrorism training. But the NYPD stopped showing the film after a few officers, as well as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), complained about it. On Friday, New York's police commissioner said the "inflammatory" film was shown by mistake -- and described the department's relationship with the city's Muslim community as "excellent."

The Clarion Fund has stood by its project, saying it is not a film about Islam, but a film about the threat of radical Islam.

Jan Markell, founder and director of Olive Tree Ministries in Minnesota, was present when the film was introduced, and she is glad that New York City police officers had a chance to see the documentary.

"I think this is very, very appropriate, and I think they can learn a lot," she contends. "And what's good about it is they're learning about it from a balanced Muslim, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser. He's a faithful, loyal practitioner of Islam, but he is showing its dark side. So I say Hallelujah! I'm glad this happened."

And Markell has no problem with the idea of the NYPD "spying" on activities in the mosques.

"I think it's time we start monitoring our mosques," she suggests. "I'm sure that it gets over into the area of political correctness and it looks like persecution, but I would maintain the source of a lot of our problems within our borders [is] mosques in America."

And the Olive Tree Ministries founder does not think peaceful Muslims who love America should have a problem with mosques being searched. –One News Now