IFI Executive Director Dave Smith got lied to by a few "pro-family" legislators who caved on Civil Unions in Springfield.

This interview with David Smith, Executive Director of Illinois Family Institute (IFI), aired Dec. 11, 2010 [click HERE to listen]. Smith was lobbying in Springfield against the “Civil Unions” bill successfully pushed by the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, and by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. (See the Civil Unions roll call in the Illinois Senate and the House.) Smith describes how supposedly pro-family legislators reneged on their “No” pledge as they caved under the tremendous pressure that the Democratic leadership brought to bear on legislators. Several politicians who had indicated they were against Civil Unions switched their vote — as House Speaker Mike Madigan and Quinn wheeled and dealed to secure passage of legislation that constitutes a giant step toward recognizing “same-sex marriage” in the Land of Lincoln. (Madigan and Quinn are “cafeteria” Catholics who disregarded the Illinois Catholic Conference’s strong opposition to the bill.) 

AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera comments on the lone Senate Republican who voted to pass Civil Unions: Sen. Dan Rutherford, who was just elected Illinois Treasurer. He notes that Rutherford’s alleged homosexuality is a fairly open secret (or widely suspected) among the state’s Republican activists. In 2005, LaBarbera, then executive director of IFI, challenged Rutherford — who (mis)represents a conservative, rural district in central Illinois –to be forthright and honest about his sexual behavior, after Rutherford made his first major pro-homosexual vote (a pro-homosexual “sexual orientation/gender identity” bill). Rutherford avoided the question. Smith and LaBarbera also note the pathetic GOP opposition to Civil Unions in the state House — with just two Republicans rising on the floor to speak against the bill.

Vanden Bosch describes arm-twisting by Democratic leader Madigan in Springfield

Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch

Folks, Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch of Concerned Christian Americans is a minister and veteran full-time pro-family lobbyist in Springfield, Illinois. Below are his accounts of the “lame duck” Civil Uions votes in the Ilinois General Assembly. Here are Rev. Bob’s two reports on the Civil Union votes in the House and Senate; note the ridiculous analogy to Jim Crow laws in the second article. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

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It’s Getting Dark in Illinois!

By Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch, Concerned Christian Americans, published 12/1/10

It is said of Jesus in John 1:5, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” It is getting darker in Illinois. Today the Illinois Senate passed the Civil Unions bill (SB 1716) by a vote of 32-24 with 1 member voting present, and another absent. Much of what was done to pass this legislation was done in darkness.

This morning, I talked to a Democratic House member who voted No on SB 1716. He had tears in his eyes as he said, “Bob, they bought the passage of that bill.” Yesterday [Tuesday], Governor Quinn was running House members in and out of his office to pass the bill out of the House. Today [Wednesday], Governor Quinn was running Senate members in and out of his office. Both days, Governor Quinn was on the floor as the bill was voted on in the House and the Senate.

House Speaker Mike Madigan, a Catholic, used his considerable power to advance the homosexual agenda in Illinois by successfully pushing for a "civil unions" bill -- even though the state's Catholic Conference urged opposition to the bill.

The following e-Alert was sent out yesterday prior to the House vote. Pathetically, only two downstate Republicans, Rep. Dave Reis (Olney) and Rep. Ron Stephens (Greenville), rose on the floor to speak against this bill — which that takes a giant step toward government promotion of homosexuality in Illinois. Good for Reis and Stephens, and bad for the IL-GOP, which continues to live down to its reputation as one of the weakest Republican parties in the nation when it comes to actually fighting for the conservative GOP Platform.

We hear from a key pro-family lobbyist in Springfield that some “pro-family” legislators lied about their voting intention — saying they would vote against “civil unions” and then caving like cowards under the pressure of Mike Madigan’s and the Democrats’ lobby campaign. Now the vote goes to the Illinois Senate. TAKE ACTION: call your state senator at 217-782-2000 (see below for more info).

And so Illinois, dominated by Chicago and its corrupt Democratic machine, continues its moral descent. Land of Lincoln? In name only, as Abe Lincoln — whom some very troubled homosexual activists have tried to smear as a homosexual (it’s easy when the targeted victim is deceased) — actually revered the Bible, and thus surely respected its moral teachings — including the sinfulness of homosexual behavior and all sex outside of marriage. 

Here is a PDF with the House vote tally, and Illinois Family Institute’s initial story on the vote. And here is the Chicago Tribune story in which the reporter seems surprised that Stephens linked the embrace of homosexuality to the decline of American civilization. No, I’m afraid America is not “special” in that regard: every advance of homosexualist legislation strengthens a powerful perversion movement that ingeniously plays the victim while promoting acceptance of its pet sin in the name of “civil rights.” Aren’t you tired of politicians like Madigan who ignore the teachings of their own church because they presume to be smarter than God?  — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

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AFTAH’s e-Alert sent out Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010:

Dear Illinois Readers,
 
TAKE ACTION TODAY!  If you are an Illinois resident and care about marriage, it is imperative that you make your voice known NOW about the “Civil Unions” bill that liberal Democrats are pushing in the lame-duck session in Springfield!  A vote could come today, tomorrow or at any time before the new session if they extend the lame-duck Veto Session.  Call your state legislators at 217-782-2000 (find them here: www.ilga.gov or use your your zip code to find them here: www.congress.org; or call IFI at 708-781-9328 and get the information).  Dem power-brokers like Rahm Emmanuel, Lisa Madigan, and her powerful father Mike Madigan are lobbying hard to pass Civil Unions.  They are cutting deals to get votes for this bill (S.B. 1716) — so “We the People” must act now to defend real marriage and resist their pro-“gay” machinations! 
 

AFTAH banquet’s Married Couples Discount not available to counterfeit homosexual “marrieds”

New York City homosexual activist blogger Jeremy Hooper (right) and his boyfriend/"husband" can attend AFTAH's banquet Saturday, but they will not get our $50 Married Couples Discount, even though they went through a legal "marriage" ceremony in Connecticut.

When:  Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010; 6:00 PM; doors open at 5:30.

Who/What: Pastor Ken Hutcherson, keynote speaker. Catering by Maggiano’s Little Italy. Hutch is founder of the “Mayday for Marriage” rallies, a former NFL linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, and pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, WA. [More info on Hutch HERE.] There may also be a testimony by a former lesbian who now helps others change through the Gospel of Christ.

Where:  Christian Liberty Academy, 502 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004.

Tickets:  $75 per person (after Nov. 8) and at the door. Married couples discount (one man/one woman only!): $100 per couple, no matter when you sign up.  Pay online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate. Or mail your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. Pastors attend FREE; sponsor a pastor with your extra gift of $50!

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Yes, AFTAH Discriminates…in Favor of Real Marriage

By Peter LaBarbera, President of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality:

Dear Readers,

It struck me yesterday as I was reviewing my recent e-pitch for our AFTAH banquet — this Saturday, Nov. 13^th at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights — that I wasn’t quite clear about the “discriminatory” intent of our invitation. Well, I wouldn’t actually use that word, but our fanatical homosexual activist opponents certainly would. You see, AFTAH is offering a Married Couples Discount for the banquet of $100 per married couple – a savings of $50 off the cost for last-minute registrants (and those at the door), who normally would have to pay $75 per person (or $150 per couple).

Here’s what I forgot to mention in the e-mail: our Married Couples Discount is available only to legitimately married couples (one man, one woman) – not homosexual “couples” playing house and pretending to be “married” as they practice a changeable and destructive lifestyle that defies their loving Creator and mocks the bedrock institution that they’ve politically appropriated in the name of “equality.”

D.L. Foster, founder of Gay Christian Movement Watch (www.gcmwatch.com).

Part Two of AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera’s interview with D.L. Foster, founder of Gay Christian Movement Watch (www.gcmwatch.com). This pre-taped interview aired Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010. Part Three will air this Saturday at 11:00 on WYLL-Chicago (AM 1160). Foster and LaBarbera discuss the Republican landslide that swept the GOP into control of the U.S. House of Representatives. They also note the stunning vote in Iowa denying retention to three state Supreme Court judges who voted to legalize homosexual “marriage” in that state. LaBarbera compares the arrogance of liberal congressional leaders to that of homosexual activists like Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign — who recently declared — in a column attacking Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council — that homosexuality is not sinful.

“The arrogance of homosexuality is part and parcel of its sin,” says Foster. He says he does not let strident opposition from homosexual activists divert him from his calling before God to expose the false “gay Christian” movement and to speak the truth in love to homosexuals. LaBarbera and Foster affirm that staying principled on social issues like abortion and homosexuality transcends party politics, and warn that many Christians will abandon the GOP if it fails to defend the truth on those issues.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file.  Left click once on the link below to play.  (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.) OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show. 

11-6-10, Pastor D.L. Foster, All

Three elitist Iowa Supreme Court Justices down, four to go.

When the ACLU is whining about how “extremists” are taking over America, it is generally a sign that something good has happened in this nation. “We the People’s” repudiation of President Barack Obama’s and the Democrats’ left-wing agenda extended to a rejection of “homosexual marriage” and other extreme policies. Iowa voters tossed out three state Supreme Court justices who were part of the 7-0 decision to impose counterfeit “same-sex marriage” on the state in 2009. Good for them!

This is only the most important of many defeats for the Homosexual Lobby and its elitist liberal defenders on Election Day. We will try to alert you to some other significant pro-family victories on what was truly a pivotal day for the United States of America. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

As reported by WorldNetDaily.com, excerpted below:

Voters tell 3 Supreme Court justices: You’re fired!
Ouster follows imposition of same-sex ‘marriage’ on Iowans

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Posted: November 03, 2010
11:21 am Eastern

By Bob Unruh

Iowa voters have expressed their opposition to court-mandated same-sex “marriage” in their state by firing three of the state Supreme Court justices who created the new “right.”

Now those who campaigned for voters to reject Marsha Ternus, David Baker and Michael Streit say they are hoping that the message will reverberate across the country and other judges will begin reining in their activism.

“The people have spoken. Time for the elitist judges to understand there is a constitution and that government is owned by the people,” wrote Dennis S. in a forum at the Topix.com website.

Pastor Cary Gordon of Cornerstorne World Outreach in Sioux City, [Iowa] was one of the pastors who coordinated a letter to churches asking them to speak out against homosexual “marriage.”

Read the rest of this article »

President Obama degraded the Office with liberal Stewart’s help 

Barack Obama may be setting new highs when it comes to presidential appointments of People Practicing Homosexuality (PPH) in his administration — already more than 150, according to AP — but he’s setting new lows everywhere else. Yesterday, leftie Comedy Central “anchor” Jon Stewart referred to the Commander-in-Chief as “dude” in the course of his half-hour interview with Obama. (Obama is the first president to appear on the show.) 

Read liberal Washington Post writer Dana Milbank’s slam on Obama and his appearance (“On Comedy Central, the joke was on President Obama Wednesday night”) HERE, and watch the “dude” reference in context starting at about 1:45 on Part 3 of the videos of the Daily Show interview HERE.

I agree with this comment responding to a YouTube critical of Obama’s Daily Show disaster: “Obama has diminished himself so many times enough already that even liberals don’t treat? him with presidential respect.” We at AFTAH are not nearly as cool as Jon Stewart, and don’t have anything approaching his cultural sway (especially with young people), but here are some questions and comments we wish he would have delivered to the Dude-in-Chief:

• Dude, stop undermining our military by using illegal means to homosexualize it (under the existing law that only Congress can change, homosexuals are barred from serving in the Armed Forces; see www.cmrlink.org); 
• Dude, abortion is the murder of an innocent life; stop promoting it and don’t make taxpayers subsidize it;
• Dude, aren’t you trashing the Defense of Marriage Act and the Constitution by granting via Executive Order marriage-type benefits to homosexual “spouses“?;
• On the same point: dude, you really pulled the wool over America’s eyes (and Rick Warren’s…) with all that talk in the 2008 campaign about how you believe marriage should be preserved as between a man and a woman. If that were true, why didn’t you use your Bully Pulpit to criticize the homosexual activist judge who recently single-handedly overturned California’s Proposition 8 — even though this marriage-defense amendment had passed in a statewide referendum?

Read the rest of this article »

Here is Part Three of our interview with Pastor Ken Hutcherson — the keynote speaker at AFTAH’s annual fundraising banquet Saturday, Nov. 13. This aired on Oct. 23. (Click HERE to listen.) Hutcherson describes how he was harassed by pro-homosexual activists after he took a stand against the promotion of homosexuality in local schools. Death threats and vandalism in his neighborhood — this is what happens to a man who takes on the “tolerance” movement to normalize homosexuality. But “Hutch” remains undeterred and says effective pro-family advocates are known by their enemies. Hutcherson also discusses how his church would treat unrepentant homosexuals. Go to the AFTAH Radio Hour Archive page HERE for Part One and HERE for Part Two to listen to the other two segments of this interview.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file.  Left click once on the link below to play.  (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.) OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show. 

10-23-10, Dr. Ken Hutcherson, All