“Civil Unions” law cynically named “Religious Freedom Protection Act” now used to force Christians to violate their moral conscience

Jim and Beth Walder and their five children. The Walder's, owners of a Paxton, Illinois bed and breakfast, believe homosexuality is sinful and do not allow "civil union" ceremonies to be held at their establishment. Because of that they now potentially face years of litigation after a homosexual activist couple filed a legal complaint againt them with state authorities.

Dear AFTAH Readers,

On Tuesday, March 1, I and an AFTAH volunteer visited Jim Walder, who with his wife Beth is owner of the Timber Creek Bed & Breakfast [e-mail: info@timbercreekbb.com] in Paxton, Illinois and the latest victim of the homosexualist legal-political agenda in the United  States. Below is an article by my friend Laurie Higgins of Illinois Family Institute about how Walder and another Illinois bed & breakfast owner are being sued by a homosexual activist couple because they will not allow a same-sex “civil union” ceremony to be held at their establishments.

The well-financed, big-city “gay” agenda is rolling into small town USA, and it will crush religious freedom in its path if it is not defeated. Paxton is a quiet farming community in central Illinois with a population of 4,600 — and here it is embroiled in the “culture war” battle of our day: whether homosexuals’ supposed “right” to have their sexual lifestyle and relationships affirmed supersedes moral-minded citizens’ First Amendment right to disagree with sexual immorality. (And their right to live out their beliefs: freedoms for beliefs that must be kept “personal and private” and that cannot be acted upon are not real freedoms.)

Here’s the bitter irony: the law being used by the homosexual couple attempting to force Walder and all Illinois B&B owners to allow homosexual “union” ceremonies on their property was named the “Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.” It doesn’t get much more cynical and dishonest than that; no wonder Americans don’t trust politicians.

Walder is being represented by Alliance Defense Fund, and he is not doing interviews at this time, but his disturbing case classically illustrates why “sexual orientation” laws — especially combined with “civil union” or “gay marriage” laws — are so dangerous to our God-given liberties, and why they must be repealed. Legal “rights” based on changeable, aberrant and unhealthly sexual misbehavior (sin) are destined to collide with genuine First Amendment liberties, which are rooted not in government but in God Himself.

Illinois' Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed the ironically named "Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act" into law Jan. 31. Photo: Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth.

As Gary Glenn correctly said in my recent interview with him — confirmed by homosexual legal activist and Obama appointee Chai Feldblum below — pro-homosexual “sexual orientation” laws naturally discriminate against people of faith. A few weeks ago, Jim and Beth Walder hadn’t given that much thought. Now they and their family (see photo below) are living out this painful reality caused by modern secular liberalism. All who cherish religious freedom and American liberty must stand with the Walder’s. AFTAH will closely follow this story. God bless you. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org; copy me with your encouraging notes to Jim and Beth at americansfortruth@gmail.com.

TAKE ACTION:

1. Please pray for the Walder’s;
2. Send Jim and Beth a note of encouragement (info@timbercreekbb.com) and pass this article on to your friends and family. Better yet, stay a night or two at the Timber Creek Bed & Breakfast in Paxton (it is wonderful and comes highly recommended);
3. Write or call Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and urge her to respect the Walders’ freedoms of religion and association; and
4. Inside llinois: call your Illinois state representative and senator (217-782-2000) and educate them on the Walder’s victimization at the hands of aggressive “gay” activists, and urge them to REPEAL both the Illinois “sexual orientation” law and the “civil unions” law — each of which was passed in a lame-duck session and signed into law by Democratic governors. Outside Illinois: call your federal, state and local representatives and urge them to oppose ALL homosexuality-based “sexual orientation” legislation because the evidence is in: these laws will destroy religious freedom in America.

This is Part 2 [click HERE to listen] of our 4-part interview with Gary Glenn, president of American Family Association of Michigan [see Part 1 HERE]. It was pre-taped and aired Feb. 6, 2011. AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera and Glenn discussed how “sexual orientation” laws are inherently discriminatory against people of faith and anyone who opposes homosexuality. Glenn ticks off case after case of Christians and moral organzations like the Boy Scouts being victimized by pro-homosexual “sexual orientation” laws. Glenn also holds a mini radio “Truth Academy” on the proper mindset for pro-family work — urging activists not to use defensive language that suits the Homosexual Lobby’s debate frame but rather to put homosexual activists on the defensive by “telling the truth” that the “homosexual agenda itself discriminates against people.” Glenn and LaBarbera agree that the idea of “civil unions” as a supposed compromise is a non-starter — noting how the concept was regarded as “radical” in Vermont just a few years ago, while today leading liberal elites easily jump from backing “civil unions” to “gay marriage.”  Glenn also discusses school bullying laws, urging an approach that protects ALL students without “segregating” them by singling out “sexual orientation.” 

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.

2-5-11, Gary Glenn

Newly confirmed EEOC Commissioner, lesbian Chai Feldblum, calls the battle between religious freedom and rights based on homosexuality a "zero-sum game," in which homosexuals should win and Christians should lose.

Chai Feldblum — the homosexual activist who rightly acknowledges that “rights” based on homosexuality and the religious freedom to live out one’s opposition to homosexuality cannot peacefully coexist in the law — has been confirmed as a Commissioner of the EEOC. A lesbian and top homosexual legal strategist, Feldblum calls the battle between religious freedom and homosexuality-based “rights” a “zero-sum game” — in which homosexuals usually should win and Christians should lose. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

Excerpted from The Advocate, a magazine for people practicing homosexuality:

Lesbian lawyer and longtime activist Chai Feldblum was confirmed as a commissioner of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in a Senate vote Wednesday, the Federal Times reports.

Feldblum, who has been the target of much criticism by conservatives, had been serving under a recess appointment by President Obama since April, along with another commissioner, the commission’s chair, and its general counsel, who also were confirmed Wednesday in one of the Senate’s last actions before the holiday break.

Continue reading at The Advocate

Urge your Senators to vote against the hasty repeal of the military’s common-sense ‘Gay’ Ban

“People view the military as the last bastion of morals and what is good. If we break that down here, what does it boil down to? What’s left?” — Service member comment made in Focus Group as part of the administration’s DoD’s report on repealing the ban on open homosexuality in the Armed Forces.

According to a Support Plan for implementing President Obama's plan to allow open homosexuals to serve in the military, a couple of male Marines in civilian clothes could kiss and display homo-erotic affection at the local mall without any repercussions. "Standards of conduct regarding public displays of affection (PDA) are orientation-neutral," according to the report (p. 82). What about on base? Obama's radical Repeal plan would degrade the moral authority of our Armed Forces and turn the Pentagon into the biggest bureaucracy working to mainstream homosexuality (sin) that the world has ever seen.

The U.S. Senate is hours, or perhaps a day, away from what I believe is the most important congressional vote on homosexuality ever taken in the USA: a bill that would Repeal the existing ban on open homosexuality in the military [Call your Senators: 202-224-3121]. If we lose and the Repeal goes forward, it will usher in a sea-change of pro-homosexual political correctness — not just on our Armed Forces, but on the rest of society, as a Brave, New, ‘Gay’-affirming Military will be held up as the new “civil rights” paradigm for the rest of America (God help us). The Homosexual Lobby knows what is at stake, which is why they have been pounding Capitol Hill for weeks on the Repeal. Unfortunately, not enough conservatives and people of faith understand the critical importance of this vote.

A handful of Republicans such as Sen. Scott Brown (who has flip-flopped on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and the two Maine Senators (Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins) may join with the Democrats in supporting the fast-track legislation passed by the House Wednesday (see vote Roll Call HERE). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs 60 votes to homosexualize the Armed Forces.

As sure as New Years Day follows Christmas, the Homosexual Lobby would seize upon this (giant) opening and push for more and more pro-homosexuality policy changes in the military — including same-sex partner benefits, “married” housing for homosexual Service members, sweeping pro-gay “diversity” propaganda for our troops, etc.  What a Christmas “gift” for our military men and women! (More like a huge, rainbow-striped lump of coal.) Please pray and do all you can to oppose this radical legislation! — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

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Action Steps:

1) Call your Senators using the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 (www.senate.gov) and urge your U.S. Senators to vote against the Repeal of the military’s “gay” ban — and demand that a full and fair debate be held on this radical legistlation that would turn the Pentagon into the world’s largest de facto pro-“gay” advocacy agency. Here are some key Senators to call in this bill; use the Capitol Switchboard (202-114-3121; 202-225-3121) or even better: go to www.senate.gov for their contact info and call their local office numbers:

Republicans:

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK):
• Sen. Scott Brown (MA):
• Sen. Mark Kirk (IL; still “undecided,” according to his aides):
• Sen. Richard Lugar (IN)
• Sen John Ensign (NV)
• Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME)
• Sen. Susan Collins (ME)
• Judd Gregg (NH)
• George Voinovich (OH)

Democrats:

• Joe Manchin (WV) (he was the only Democrat who voted with the Republicans to deny cloture in the last Senate Repeal vote)
• Bill Nelson (FL),
• Ben Nelson (NE),
• Jon Tester (MT),
• Evan Bayh (IN),
• James Webb (VA)
• Mark Warner (VA),
• Mark Pryor (AR)
• Blanche Lincoln (AR)
• Mary Landrieu (LA)

2) Pray that this Repeal bill would be stalled in the Senate. Contact your friends and urge them to pray as well. If Harry Reid calls the House bill and gets 60 votes, this battle is over — and then (as with Obama-care) Americans will learn the radical ramifications of this legislation!)

3) Pass this e-mail to your family members, friends, and contacts — especially those living in states with key states above, and urge them to take action!

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Background — Working Group Report makes case for NOT repealing the “gay” ban:

I finally read most of the Obama-/Def. Sec. Gates-commissioned Working Group DoD report on the DADT Repeal and — although biased and carefully written and “spun” to camouflage some of the extreme results of allowing open homosexuals in the military, it STILL contains plenty of information showing how damaging the Repeal would be to our military. Here are some findings of and problems with the DoD report:

• 23.7 % of surveyed Service members (38.1 % of Marines) said repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would cause them to “leave [the military] sooner than I planned” or “think about leaving sooner than I had planned”;
• 44.3% of combat veterans (59.4% of Marines) said that having an open homosexual in their immediate unit in a field environment or out at sea would “Negatively” or “Very Negatively” affect their “unit’s effectiveness at completing its mission”; other survey data shows significant opposition within the ranks to the idea of homosexuals serving openly;

Read the rest of this article »

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.

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), issued the following statement about the Senate’s vote to prevent a vote on a Defense Authorization bill containing a measure that would allow open homosexuals to serve in the United States military:

“We are gratified that enough Senators acted to prevent a lame-duck vote to effectively homosexualize the American military — a Democratic-led effort that is all about Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), President Obama and the Democrats pandering to their ‘gay’ activist base and NOT keeping our military strong, nor defending the best interests of our fighting men and women. We applaud Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) for having the courage to listen to his West Virginia constituents — rather than kowtow to the morally-compromised Democrat Party leadership — in voting with the Republicans to block consideration of their bid to repeal the Armed Force’s common-sense homosexuality ban.

“The anti-Christian Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual lobby group, is now pushing for a separate, stand-alone Repeal bill in its desperate bid to homosexualize the U.S. military in this lame-duck session, before a more conservative Congress arrives in January. HRC in its elitism and arrogance shows its contempt for America’s voters, who rejected Obama’s radical legislative agenda. AFTAH will continue to educate citizens on this radical Repeal effort, which would turn the Pentagon into the world’s largest pro-“gay” advocacy organization. We are asking citizens to contact their Senators and urge them to oppose any attempt to overturn the military’s homosexuality ban.

“Americans For Truth commends the Center for Military Readiness, Family Research Council, Chaps Klingenschmitt, and all the pro-family groups that contributed to this legislative victory — even though  they lacked significant help from some ‘big names’ in the conservative movement and conservative media. We must remain vigilant — because if Obama and Sen. Reid succeed in repealing the homosexuality ban, it will devastate our military, lead to an exodus of Christian- and tradition-minded servicemembers from the military, and serve as a catalyst for America’s continued moral decline.

Read the rest of this article »

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.

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.”