Freedom Under Fire

Gay Liberation Network Leader Bob Schwartz Applauds U-I’s Firing of Catholic Professor

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Gay Liberation Network's Bob Schwartz supports the University of Illinois' firing of Catholic professor Kenneth Howell. Imagine how different his reaction would be if it were a "gay" professor fired for explaining "gay rights" to his students.

I received the following note yesterday from Bob Schwartz, a leader of the Gay Liberation Network in Chicago. Schwartz is a self-described Trotskyite (communist) and is the fellow who bragged that he worked to get AFTAH’s website labeled as a “hate site” by the Southern Poverty Law Center:

From: [Bob Schwartz, Gay Liberation Network]
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:55:16 -0400
To: <
americansfortruth@comcast.net>
Subject: Kenneth Howell

Here are AFTAH’s two stories on Howell’s firing:

Just a note to advise you that I asked the new U of I president to support the termination of antigay bigot “natural law” [Prof. Kenneth] Howell.

Bob Schwartz

Here is my reply to Schwartz:

From: [Peter LaBarbera} americansfortruth@comcast.net to [Schwartz]
Date: July 13, 2010
Subject: Re: Kenneth Howell

Bob…If this happened to a homosexual prof who affirmed gay rights to his students (in a class about the GLBT Movement), you and GLN would be crying “discrimination!” to the media and holding protest vigils at U of I. But I’ve come to expect such hypocrisy from you guys. “Tolerance for me but not for thee.”…

Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality

Here are two AFTAH articles on the University of Illinois-Howell termination scandal:

U. of Illinois’ President Hogan Says Kenneth Howell Firing Under Review

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

New University of Illinois President Michael Hogan

We have heard from several readers who received the form letter below from University of Illinois President Michael Hogan after writing or calling the University concerning Catholic professor Dr. Kenneth Howell being terminated after explicating Natural Moral Law opposed to homosexuality. Call him at (217)333-6400; or go HERE for more U-I contact info and action steps. Thanks to all of you who took action against this injustice — which we hope will be corrected soon. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

______________________________________________________

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: President Hogan <uipres@uillinois.edu>
To: [———]
Sent: Mon, July 12, 2010 11:45:16 PM
Subject: RE: Sham “Inclusivity” Policy

Dear [——–],

Let me begin by thanking you for expressing your concerns.  Academic freedom is at the core of our teaching and research missions.  It’s vital to our ability to explore new ideas, educate our students, and promote the civil and free exchange of alternative viewpoints in a democracy.

I learned of this action on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus late last week and immediately asked Chancellor Robert Easter, who oversees the campus, to provide me with a briefing on the matter.  I want to assure you that the University administration shares my commitment to the principles of academic freedom.  At the same time, we do believe it’s important to fully investigate all of the details related to this situation.  As I’m sure you’re aware, it is sometimes the case that public reports may convey only part of the story.  I think it important to reserve judgment until I have all of the facts and I hope you’ll agree.

Read the rest of this article »

The E-Mail that Got Dr. Kenneth Howell Fired at U. of Illinois

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Dr. Kenneth Howell, Adjunct Associate Professor of Religion, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, was fired after a liberal student complained about an e-mail he sent to his students explaining Natural Moral Law.

By Peter LaBarbera

The University of Illinois has fired Dr. Kenneth Howell, a Catholic adjunct religion professor who was doing his job of teaching a class on Catholicism — after a liberal student complained to the university about an e-mail Howell sent to his students explaining Natural Moral Law. (The professor’s instructive e-mail and the student’s complaint e-mail are reproduced below.)

TAKE ACTION: Contact Michael Hogan, the University of Illinois’s new president, and urge him to reinstate Prof. Howell immediately: phone: (217) 333-6400; Fax: (217) 333-5733. Tell President Hogan that Howell’s firing is a nationwide advertisement that the University of Illinois is bigoted toward and intolerant of people of faith — giving lie to U-I’s mission statement to be “inclusive” and to “treat each other with dignity and respect.” Board of Trustees: contact the U. of Illinois Bd. of Trustees at 217-333-1920 or write: UIBOT@uillinois.edu.]

The U. of Illinois’ “religion department’s website says Howell was recognized for excellent teaching in the spring and fall semesters of 2008 and 2009,” the Champaign News-Gazette reports.

Howell’s terminatioin draws attention to the emerging, cold reality of modern, politically correct America: in cosmopolitan areas and certainly in academia, you are more likely to be terminated, punished or persecuted on the job for opposing homosexuality than for “being gay.”

Here we are — on the verge, with our Democrat-controlled Congress, of creating federal employment “rights” based on homosexuality (and transgenderism), and people are being fired merely for expressing their sincere religious beliefs — which, in Howell’s case, was his job. Even as homosexual activists falsely claim that thousands of homosexuals face job losses because of “who they are,” the number of anti-Christian firings is piling up: remember the Allstate firing of Matt Barber? Crystal Dixon?

As you can see from below, Dr. Howell is a clear thinker who was doing what he was paid to do — teaching Catholic morality to his students. The complaint e-mail that got him terminated dismissses Howell’s e-mail as “absurd…It sickens me to know that hard-working Illinoisans are funding the salary of a man who does nothing but try to indoctrinate students and perpetuate stereotypes.”

If you want to know about the homo-fascist impulse that dominates so many institutions of “higher learning” (hah!) today, here are the key paragraphs from the News-Gazette story:

In a series of e-mail exchanges between [Robert McKim, head of the U-I religion department] and UI administrators about how to proceed regarding Howell’s teaching and his appointment as an adjunct professor, McKim states he will send a note to Howell’s students and others who were forwarded his e-mail to students, “disassociating our department, College, and university from the view expressed therein.”

In another e-mail, Ann Mester, associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, wrote that she believes “the e-mails sent by Dr. Howell violate university standards of inclusivity, which would then entitle us to have him discontinue his teaching arrangement with us.”

Inclusivity? What about U. of Illinois’ “inclusion” of traditional Catholic students and students who adhere to historic Judeo-Christian morality? ‘Diversity” has become a code-word for punishing those who dissent from liberal, pro-homosexuality groupthink. Please read the excellent e-letter below on Natural Moral Law by Prof. Howell. And  take action to urge the University of Illinois to correct this injustice. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

______________________________________________

Dr. Kenneth Howell’s Teaching E-mail to Students:

The following is the e-mail to students that U. of Illinois religion professor Ken Howell sent to his students, as reported by the Champaign News-Gazette:

From: Kenneth J. Howell

Date: Tue, May 4, 2010 at 9:45 PM

Subject: Utilitarianism and Sexuality (for those in 447 FYI)

Dear Students:

Since there is a question on the final exam about utilitarianism (see the review sheet), I thought I would help with an example. I realized after my lectures on moral theory that even though I talked about the substance of utilitarianism, I did not identify it as such and so you may not have been able to see it.

It turns out that our discussion of homosexuality brings up the issue of utilitarianism. In class, our discussion of the morality of homosexual acts was very incomplete because any moral issue about which people disagree ALWAYS raises a more fundamental issue about criteria. In other words, by what criteria should we judge whether a given act is right or wrong?

Before looking at the issue of criteria, however, we have to remind ourselves of the ever-present tendency in all of us to judge morality by emotion. The most frequent reason I hear people supporting same-sex marriage is that they know some gay couples or individuals. Empathy is a noble human quality but right or wrong does not depend on who is doing the action or on how I feel about those people, just as judging an action wrong should not depend on disliking someone. This might seem obvious to a right thinking person but I have encountered many well-educated people who do not (or cannot?) make the distinction between persons and acts when engaging moral reasoning. I encourage you to read the final essay editorial I sent earlier to reflect on this. In short, to judge an action wrong is not to condemn a person. A person and his/her acts can be distinguished for the purposes of morality.

So, then, by what criterion should we judge whether sexual acts are right or wrong? This is where utilitarianism comes in. Utilitarianism in the popular sense is fundamentally a moral theory that judges right or wrong by its practical outcomes. It is somewhat akin to a cost/benefit analysis. So, when a woman is deciding whether it’s right to have an abortion, the utilitarian says it’s right or wrong based on what the best outcome is. Similarly, a man who is trying to decide whether he should cheat on his wife, if he is a utilitarian, will weigh the various consequences. If the cheating side of the ledger is better, he will conclude that it’s okay to cheat. If the faithful side is better, he will refrain from cheating.

I think it’s fair to say that many, maybe most Americans employ some type of utilitarianism in their moral decision making. But there are at least two problems. One is that to judge the best outcome can be very subjective. What may be judged good for the pregnant woman may not be good for the baby. What may be judged good for the about-to-cheat-husband may not good for his wife or his children. This problem of subjectivity is inherent in utilitarianism for a second reason. Utilitarianism counsels that moral decisions should NOT be based on the inherent meaning of acts. Acts are only good or bad relative to outcomes. The natural law theory that I expounded in class assumes that human acts have an inherent meaning (remember my fist vs. extended hand of friendship example).

One of the most common applications of utilitarianism to sexual morality is the criterion of mutual consent. It is said that any sexual act is okay if the two or more people involved agree. Now no one can (or should) deny that for a sexual act to be moral there must be consent. Certainly, this is one reason why rape is morally wrong. But the question is whether this is enough.

If two men consent to engage in sexual acts, according to utilitarianism, such an act would be morally okay. But notice too that if a ten year old agrees to a sexual act with a 40 year old, such an act would also be moral if even it is illegal under the current law. Notice too that our concern is with morality, not law. So by the consent criterion, we would have to admit certain cases as moral which we presently would not approve of. The case of the 10 and 40 year olds might be excluded by adding a modification like “informed consent.” Then as long as both parties agree with sufficient knowledge, the act would be morally okay. A little reflection would show, I think, that “informed consent” might be more difficult to apply in practice than in theory. But another problem would be where to draw the line between moral and immoral acts using only informed consent. For example, if a dog consents to engage in a sexual act with its human master, such an act would also be moral according to the consent criterion. If this impresses you as far-fetched, the point is not whether it might occur but by what criterion we could say that it is wrong. I don’t think that it would be wrong according to the consent criterion.

But the more significant problem has to do with the fact that the consent criterion is not related in any way to the NATURE of the act itself. This is where Natural Moral Law (NML) objects. NML says that Morality must be a response to REALITY. In other words, sexual acts are only appropriate for people who are complementary, not the same. How do we know this? By looking at REALITY. Men and women are complementary in their anatomy, physiology, and psychology. Men and women are not interchangeable. So, a moral sexual act has to be between persons that are fitted for that act. Consent is important but there is more than consent needed.

One example applicable to homosexual acts illustrates the problem. To the best of my knowledge, in a sexual relationship between two men, one of them tends to act as the “woman” while the other acts as the “man.” In this scenario, homosexual men have been known to engage in certain types of actions for which their bodies are not fitted. I don’t want to be too graphic so I won’t go into details but a physician has told me that these acts are deleterious to the health of one or possibly both of the men. Yet, if the morality of the act is judged only by mutual consent, then there are clearly homosexual acts which are injurious to their health but which are consented to. Why are they injurious? Because they violate the meaning, structure, and (sometimes) health of the human body.

Now recall that I mentioned in class the importance of gaining wisdom from the past. One part of wisdom we gain from such knowledge is how people today came to think of their bodies. I won’t go into details here but a survey of the last few centuries reveals that we have gradually been separating our sexual natures (reality) from our moral decisions. Thus, people tend to think that we can use our bodies sexually in whatever ways we choose without regard to their actual structure and meaning. This is also what lies behind the idea of sex change operations. We can manipulate our bodies to be whatever we want them to be.

If what I just said is true, then this disassociation of morality and sexual reality did not begin with homosexuality. It began long ago. But it took a huge leap forward in the wide spread use of artificial contraceptives. What this use allowed was for people to disassociate procreation and children from sexual activity. So, for people who have grown up only in a time when there is no inherent connection between procreation and sex –- notice not natural but manipulated by humans –- it follows “logically” that sex can mean anything we want it to mean.

Natural Moral Theory says that if we are to have healthy sexual lives, we must return to a connection between procreation and sex. Why? Because that is what is REAL. It is based on human sexual anatomy and physiology. Human sexuality is inherently unitive and procreative. If we encourage sexual relations that violate this basic meaning, we will end up denying something essential about our humanity, about our feminine and masculine nature.

I know this doesn’t answer all the questions in many of your minds. All I ask as your teacher is that you approach these questions as a thinking adult. That implies questioning what you have heard around you. Unless you have done extensive research into homosexuality and are cognizant of the history of moral thought, you are not ready to make judgments about moral truth in this matter. All I encourage is to make informed decisions. As a final note, a perceptive reader will have noticed that none of what I have said here or in class depends upon religion. Catholics don’t arrive at their moral conclusions based on their religion. They do so based on a thorough understanding of natural reality.

Kenneth J. Howell Ph.D.

Director, St. John’s Institute of Catholic Thought

Adjunct Associate Professor of Religion, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

_________________________________________________

U of I Student’s Complaint E-mail about Religion Prof Ken Howell:

The following is the e-mail complaint from student about U-I religion instructor Ken Howell, as reported by the News-Gazette:

Prof. McKim,

This past semester, a friend of mine took RLST 127: Introduction to Catholicism. Throughout the semester, he would consistently tell me how the teacher [Ken Howell], who I believe is a priest at the Newman Center, would preach (not teach) his ideology to the class. Many times, my friend (whom I wish to remain anonymous) said the instructor would say things that were inflammatory and downright insensitive to those who were not of the Catholic faith–it should be noted that my friend and I were both brought up Catholic. Anyways, my friend informed me that things got especially provocative when discussing homosexuality. He sent me the following e-mail, which I believe you will agree is downright absurd once you read it.

I am in no way a gay rights activist, but allowing this hate speech at a public university is entirely unacceptable. It sickens me to know that hard-working Illinoisans are funding the salary of a man who does nothing but try to indoctrinate students and perpetuate stereotypes. Once again, this is a public university and should thus have no religious affiliation. Teaching a student about the tenets of a religion is one thing. Declaring that homosexual acts violate the natural laws of man is another. The courses at this institution should be geared to contribute to the public discourse and promote independent thought; not limit one’s worldview and ostracize people of a certain sexual orientation.

I can only imagine how ashamed and uncomfortable a gay student would feel if he/she were to take this course. I am a heterosexual male and I found this completely appalling. Also, my friend also told me that the teacher allowed little room for any opposition to Catholic dogma. Once again, he is guilty of limiting the marketplace of ideas and acting out of accord with this institution’s mission and principles.

I have Cc’d Leslie Morrow, director of the LGBT Resource Center, on this e-mail as well as (name redacted), former features editor at the Daily Illini (I’m sure they’d like to hear about this), and Siobhan Somerville, a former teacher of mine and the founder of the queer studies major.

I didn’t go to Notre Dame for a reason,

(name redacted)

___________________________________________

Bio of Kenneth J. Howell, Ph.D. from the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the U. of Illinois

Kenneth J. Howell
Director & Senior Fellow, Institute of Catholic Thought
kenneth.howell@sjcnc.org

In addition to being the Director and a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Catholic Thought, Dr. Howell is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Program for the Study of Religion in the University of Illinois. Dr. Howell studied theology at Westminster Theological Seminary where he concentrated in biblical languages and systematic theology.

In 1978, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister and served parishes in Florida and Indiana. After completing his Ph.D. in linguistics at Indiana University, he taught Greek, Hebrew, and Latin at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. His teaching duties involved theological research which led to his conversion to Catholicism in 1996. During this time, he obtained another Ph.D. in the history of Christianity and Science from the University of Lancaster (U.K).

Dr. Howell is the author of four books and numerous articles. God’s Two Books: Copernican Cosmology and Biblical Interpretation in Early Modern Science (University of Notre Dame Press, 2002), Mary of Nazareth: Sign and Instrument of Christian Unity (Queenship Press, 1998) is a scriptural study of Marian doctrine. Meeting Mary Our Mother in Faith (Catholic Answers Press, 2003), Questions College Students Ask…about God, Faith, and the Church (co-authored with Christine Pinheiro) (Champaign, IL: The St. John Institute of Catholic Thought, St. John’s Catholic Newman Center, 2006), The Eucharist for Beginners: Sacrament, Sacrifice, and Communion (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2006).

Pro-Family Legal Groups See Limited Impact in Supreme Court’s Hastings College Ruling against Christian Legal Society

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Conflict continues between First Amendment and nondiscrimination policies

The following is reprinted from the website of Alliance Defense Fund. Go HERE to read a Christian Legal Society information page on the Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (UC Hastings) case.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5–4 Monday to uphold an unusual university policy that forces student groups to allow outsiders who disagree with their beliefs to become leaders and voting members. The court confined its opinion to the unique policy and did not address whether nondiscrimination policies in general, which are typical on public university campuses, may require this. The court concluded that public universities may override a religious student group’s right to determine its leadership only if it denies that right to all student groups.

Attorneys with the Christian Legal Society and Alliance Defense Fund represented a student chapter of CLS at California’s Hastings College of the Law in the lawsuit, Christian Legal Society v. Martinez. The suit was filed in 2004 after the law school refused to recognize the chapter because the group requires all of its officers and voting members to agree with its basic Christian beliefs.

Read the rest of this article »

Part Two of AFTAH Interview with Matt Barber

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Boxer-turned culture warrior assails homosexual lobby’s selfish attempt to lift blood-donation restrictions

Matt Barber's unapologetic approach toward the Culture War over homosexuality is the answer to wimpy evangelicals who seem to have forgotten that they are defending God's clearly-revealed Truth on this moral issue.

Here is Part Two of AFTAH’s June 12, 2010 interview with Matt Barber (CLICK HERE). (Listen to Part One HERE, or any other past interview HERE.) Barber is the Director of Cultural Affairs for the Liberty Counsel and an Associate Dean at Liberty University’s School of Law — where he will be teaching a course on “Sexual Behavior and the Law” this Fall. Barber and AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera discussed the upcoming Americans For Truth Academy and the hysterical opposition to it by homosexual radicals like Joe Jervis (who claims the Academy will “foster violence” against homosexuals). At the Truth Academy, to be held outside Chicago Aug 5-7, Barber will be lecturing on, among other things, a “Non-defensive approach to the issue of homosexuality.” Speaking of which, the two discuss the current malaise of evangelicals on the homosexuality issue — including Andy Marin’s preposterous call for a “moratorium” in churches on preaching against the sin of homosexuality.

Toward the end of the interview, Barber, author of the “The Right Hook: From the Ring to the Culture War,” discusses the homosexual activist movement (failed) attempt to open up blood donations to homosexual men — despite the well-documented linkage between male-on-male sex and various sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. You will want to pass this interview on to your friends!

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

6-12-10, Matt Barber, All

Sign up for next Truth Academy: Columbus, OH April 1-2, 2011 – Co-sponsored with Mission America

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

** UPDATE, March 30, 2011 ** [note $25 Student and Pastor Rate & extended deadline for DISCOUNT early registrations: midnight Thursday, March 31st]

Our second Truth Academy — to be co-sponsored with our good friends at Mission America — in Columbus, Ohio, is 10 days away:  April 1-2, 2011. Each Truth Academy — the first was in Chicago (see tape ordering info below) — is an intensive seminar designed to educate citizens from a conservative perspective on the homosexual-bisexual-transgender agenda. The Columbus Truth Academy — focusing on the “‘hate’-labeling of Christians” –features some of the world’s top pro-family experts on the homosexualist agenda. Basic information follows:

What: Truth Academy: Columbus 2011: theme: “The ‘Hate’ Labeling of Christians—Why it’s Happening and What We Can Do”

Co-sponsored by Mission America ( www.missionamerica.com) and Americans for Truth ( www.americansfortruth.com ).

David Kupelian, author of "The Marketing of Evil" and "How Evil Works," is keynote speaker Friday evening.

When: Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, 2011; ;  doors open Friday, April 1 at noon; program begins at 1:00 PM; Friday evening dinner-lecture by award-winning journalist David Kupelian, WorldNetDaily editor and author, “The Marketing of Evil,” and “How Evil Works,” Saturday: program runs from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM [see hourly schedule below]

Where: Columbus, OH. Discover Christian Church, 2900 Martin Rd., Dublin, OH 43017 [see map HERE]; near the intersection of Sawmill Rd. and Rt. 161, near the airport.

Cost: $75 prepaid ; $99 at the door; make payment online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate/ (using Paypal or your Visa or MasterCard); or send your check for $75/attendee (with “Truth Academy” in the memo line), made out to Americans For Truth, and send to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522

Payment – online or through the mail: Online: www.americansfortruth.com/donate/. Regular mail: check payable to “Americans for Truth” to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.

Specal Pastors/Students Discount: $25 for all pastors and students (high school and college*); also, please consider sponsoring a pastor or young person to attend the Truth Academy with your donation of $75 per attendee: www.americansfortruth.com/donate/

*We reserve the right to refuse admission and/or charge any Truth Academy attendee the full admission rate ($99); disruptions of presentations will not be tolerated.

RSVP: Reserve your spot at: americansfortruth@gmail.com or info@missionamerica.com; or call: 630-717-7631 (Americans For Truth) or 614-442-7998 (Mission America)

Tentative Speakers Schedule:

“The Hate Labeling of Christians: Who’s Behind It and What We Can Do”

 

Linda Harvey

Truth Academy: Columbus, Ohio, Discovery Christian Church, 2900 Martin Rd., Dublin, Ohio [see map HERE], April 1-2, 2011; co-sponsored by Americans For Truth and Mission America:

FRIDAY, APRIL 1:

Noon – -1:00 pm —Registration

1:00 pm –1:15 pm—Opening prayer, remarks and welcome: Linda Harvey, Mission America

Peter LaBarbera

1:15 pm—2:00 pm— “Homosexual Activism: How it is Undermining Faith and Freedom in America”Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality

2:00 pm—2:45 pm— “Christian Theology and Homosexuality: Why God Has Not Changed His Mind”Dr. Robert Gagnon, Associate Professor, New Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary [Listen to AFTAH’s radio interviews with Gagnon HERE.]

2:45 pm –3:00 pm—Break

Prof. Rob Gagnon

3:00 pm—3:45 pm – “Sexual Anarchy in the Military: the Implications for Christian Faith and National Security,” J. Matt Barber, Attorney, Vice President, Liberty Counsel Action [Listen to AFTAH’s radio interviews with Barber HERE.]

3:45 pm—5:00 pm Panel: “Why Should Christians Care about Homosexual Activism and ‘Gay Rights’?”

Moderator: Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth

Panel Members: J. Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel

 
 
 

SATURDAY, APRIL 2:

Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen

9:30 am—9:45 am—Prayer and opening remarks—Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality

9:45 am —10:30 am — “Marriage and Family in the Crosshairs”Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Associate Professor, Liberty University School of Law [Listen to AFTAH’s radio interviews with Lindevaldsen HERE.]

10:30 am—11:15 am— “The Corruption of Youth and Schools: How Christians are Being Compromised in America,” Linda Harvey, Mission America [Listen to AFTAH’s radio interviews with Harvey HERE.]

11:15—Noon— “The Reality of Leaving Homosexuality and the Attacks on the Ex-Gay Witness,” Greg Quinlan, President, PFOX ( Parents and Family of Ex-Gays and Gays) [Listen to AFTAH’s radio interview with Quinlan HERE.]

Matt Barber

Noon—1:30 pm—Lunch on your own

1:30 pm—2:15 pm —“Propaganda or Journalism? The Role of the Media in Undermining Christianity”David Kupelian, World Net Daily

2:15 pm—3:00 — “Current Controversies in the Campaign to ‘Christian-ize’ Homosexuality,” Prof. Rob Gagnon, www.robgagnon.net

3:00-4:00 pm –Panel: “How to Be Overcomers in a Today’s America” and Q & A

Moderator: J. Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel

Panel: Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth

Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty Counsel

Greg Quinlan, PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays)

Dr. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Please tell your network of friends about this exciting and informative event!  RSVPs and e-mail inquiries to americansfortruth@gmai.com or info@missionamerica.com. Phone: AFTAH (630-717-7631) or Mission America (614-442-7998)


TAPE ORDERING INFO FOR DEBUT “TRUTH ACADEMY: Chicago 2010” (held outside Chicago, August 5-7, 2010)

Three-day teaching seminar answering “gay” misinformation was one of most comprehensive pro-family teach-ins  on the Homosexual Agenda ever held

Click HERE for a PRINTABLE DVD/CD ORDER FORM (For Faxing and Mailing)

______________________________________

Conference DVD/CD Order Form – Truth Academy: Chicago 2010

Two ordering options: full set (DVD/video or CD/audio) OR individual speaker sets (DVD/video or CD/audio). Attendee discounts available only to those who attended Truth Academy: Chicago 2010.

By Fax: Fill and print out order form and fax to AFTAH at 630-839-0799;

By Regular Mail: send check with completed form to: Americans For Truth, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522;

Order online: go HERE and order with a standard credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or via PayPal. For PayPay orders, send a separate e-mail indicating your payment and what you ordered to americansfortruth@gmail.com.

_______________________________________

Truth Academy: Chicago 2010 – Conference DVD/CD Order Form

FULL SET: Check to order [get easier-to-print ORDER FORM here]

_____ Full DVD set (all speakers including Q&As and panel discussion): $179 [all prices include shipping and handling]

_____ **Special Truth Academy attendee DVD discount rate** (full DVD set): $149

_____ Full CD set (audio only): $119

_____ **Special Truth Academy attendee CD discount** (full CD set): $99

TOTAL: $___________

_____________________________________________________________

INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER sets:

Individual speakers ($25 per speaker set DVD/ $20 per CD set; each set includes ALL talks by speaker; Laurie Higgins’ presentations available only on CD). Select speaker presentations:

INDICATE: ___ DVD (video)     OR        ___ CD (audio)

___  Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel (one talk with Q&A and Thursday panel discussion)

___  Prof. Rob Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (3 talks w/ Q&A)

___  Arthur Goldberg, JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing); (2 talks w/ Q&A)

___  Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute (2 talks w/ Q&A)

___  Cliff Kincaid, Accuracy in Media (3 talks w/ Q&A)

___  Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries (2 talks)

___  Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth (Welcoming remarks and Saturday talk)

___  Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University Law School (3 talks w/ Q&A)

___  Greg Quinlan, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (2 talks w/ Q&A)

___  Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California (2 talks w/ Q&A)

____ TOTAL # sets order: indicate: ___ DVD (video)      or     ___ CD (audio only)

TOTAL # of Speaker Sets: ____ @ $25 per set DVD= $_______  OR @ $20 per set CD

TOTAL=  $___________

Customer Information:

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Full Name

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Address

________________________________                  ______________            ________________

City                                                                              State                                   Zip Code

Credit Card information (M/C or Visa only):

Card #: ________________________________________________  Exp. Date _____/__________

Security code (3-digit # on back of card): __________

Send completed form and payment to: Americans For Truth, P.O. Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522;

Fax to AFTAH: 630-839-0799; inquiries: americansfortruth@gmail.com ; ph: 630-717-7631.

___________________________________________________________________

Truth Academy: Chicago 2010 Instructors:

Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries

Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality

Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California

Cliff Kincaid, Accuracy in Media

Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University Law School

Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel

Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute

Greg Quinlan, Parents and Friends of Gays and Ex-Gays

Prof. Rob Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary; see www.RobGagnon.net

Arthur Goldberg, JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality)

For more information about ordering Truth Academy DVDs or audio CDs, — or to inquire about holding a Truth Academy in your area — send an e-mail to americansfortruth@gmail.com. Or call AFTAH at 630-717-7631.

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AFTAH Truth Academy: Chicago 2010

Full Speakers Schedule:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5 (Day One)

All presentations are 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of Q & A.  There will be a panel discussion and Q & A on Thursday and Friday, and a special evening presentation each of those evenings.

8-9:30 – Light breakfast pastries;  Registration

9:30 – 9:35 – Opening Prayer, Calvin Lindstrom, Pastor, Church of Christian Liberty; Christian Liberty Academy

9:35 – 10:00 – Welcoming Remarks, Peter LaBarbera, President, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality:

“From gay pride to gay tyranny”

10:10 – 11:10 – Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University School of Law:

“History of modern ‘gay’ activism and the courts”

11:20-12:20 – Cliff Kincaid, America’s Survival; Accuracy in Media:

“No criticism of homosexuality allowed: combating pro-homosexual media bias”

12:20-1:20 – Lunch Break; light lunch provided

1:20-2:20 – Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California:

“The ‘born gay hoax”

2:30 – 3:30 – Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute:

“Using reason and logic in answering pro-homosexuality arguments”

3:40-4:40 – Arthur Goldberg, JONAH (Jews Offering Healthy Alternatives to Homosexuality), author, Light in the Closet: Torah, Homosexuality, and the Power to Change:

“Can gays change? Is gay parenting good for kids? Presenting the research on homosexuality”

4:50-6:00 – PANEL DISCUSSION and Q & A:

Theme:  “Can the effort to ‘mainstream’ homosexuality in American culture be stopped?”

Panelists:  Rena Lindevaldsen, Matt Barber, Laurie Higgins, Ryan Sorba, Arthur Goldberg, and Greg Quinlan, Cliff Kincaid; Moderator: Peter LaBarbera

Special Thursday evening presentation (Q & A will follow talk):

7:45 – 9:15 – Greg Quinlan, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX); Pro-Family Network:

“An Ex-Gay Christian Discusses Love, Truth and Homosexuality”

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6 (Day Two)

8:00-9:00 – Light breakfast pastries; Registration

9:00 – 10:00 – Cliff Kincaid, America’s Survival, Accuracy in Media:

“The battle over blood: ‘gay’ health risks and public policy”

10:10 – 11:10 – Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University School of Law:

“The zero-sum game: homosexuality-based ‘rights’ vs. religious and First Amendment freedoms”

11:20-12:20 – Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute:

“Corrupting children, politicizing schools: the homosexual youth agenda”

12 :20-1:20 – Lunch Break; light lunch provided

1:20-2:20 – Arthur Goldberg, JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality:

“The gender confusion agenda: ‘transgender rights’”

2:30 – 3:30 – Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary:

“From abomination to ‘gay’: answering ‘queer theology’ — Old Testament”

3:40-4:40 – Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty U. School of Law:

“The legal strategy to stop homosexual ‘marriage’: triumphs and pitfalls”

5:00-6:00 – PANEL DISCUSSION and Q & A:

Theme:  “Returning the debate to behavior – getting off the ‘GLBT’ playing field”

Panelists:  Rena Lindevaldsen, Matt Barber, Laurie Higgins, Ryan Sorba, Arthur Goldberg, Cliff Kincaid, Robert Knight, Robert Gagnon, Gregg Quinlan; Moderator: Peter LaBarbera

Special Friday evening keynote presentation (Q & A will follow talk):

7:35 – 7:45 – Special introduction by Sandy Rios, FOX News contributor and Chicago radio talk show host

7:45 – 9:15 – Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries; author, Radical Rulers: The White House Elites Who Are Pushing America Towards Socialism:

“From destroying DOMA to homosexualizing the military: Obama’s radical homosexual/transsexual agenda for America”

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 (Day Three)

8:00-9:00 – Light breakfast pastries; Registration

9:00 – 10:00 – Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary:

“’But Jesus never said anything about homosexuality’”: Answering ‘Queer Theology’ — New Testament”

10:10 – 11:10 – Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries:

“Destructive legacy: Alfred Kinsey and the (Homo)Sexual Revolution”

11:20-12:20 – Greg Quinlan, PFOX, Pro-Family Network:

“The big, pink plan for a lavender culture”

:20-1:20 – Lunch Break; light lunch provided

1:20-2:20 – Cliff Kincaid, America’s Survival; Accuracy in Media:

“Can you be in support homosexual activism and be conservative’? Confronting the pro-‘gay’ Right”

2:30-3:40 – Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary:

“Agreeing with God: a truly biblical approach toward ‘out and proud’ homosexuality”

3:50-4:50 – Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California:

“Confronting the zeitgeist: new strategies to turn around younger Americans on ‘gay rights’”

5:00-6:00 – Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel, AFTAH Board Member:

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Bleed: stopping Obama’s campaign to homosexualize the U.S. military”

6:00-6:20 – Closing remarks, Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth

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Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen will teach at the AFTAH Academy on the inherent battle in the law between "gay rights" and Americans' precious religious and First Amendment liberties.

Dear Readers,

We’re delighted to announce the debut of our ongoing “Americans For Truth Academy,” designed to train Americans young and old how to answer “gay” activist misinformation and fight the homosexual-bisexual-transsexual agenda. We hope and pray that ‘Truth Academy: Chicago 2010’ will be the first of many Truth Academies held across the United States, and maybe outside the USA some day.

This debut Academy will be one of the most important pro-family conferences on homosexuality ever held in the United States.  Please consider sponsoring a student/young person (ages 14-25) to attend for $99 or attending yourself (or encouraging your pastor to attend). RSVP to: americansfortruth@gmail.com. Rarely will you get a chance to learn from such brilliant teachers on the homosexual issue all in one rigorous seminar.

To reserve a spot, go online to www.americansfortruth.com/donate (designate AFTAH Academy); to sponsor a young person ($99/student), specify “Youth Scholarship” on the online form. Or mail your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. Please RSVP to americansfortruth@gmail.com.

UPDATED ADULT PRICING POLICY: Adults, full 3-day conference: $149, or $50/day; youth ages 14-25: $99 (scholarships available); married couples discount: $199.  Pay online by designating “Truth Academy” however you choose to pay (Paypal or Credit Card) at www.AmericansForTruth.com/donate. Or send your check to: Americans For Truth, P.O. Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.

This August 5-7, AFTAH will bring together some of the country’s leading pro-family experts on homosexuality to teach both young and old how to answer the lies and myths that so readily emanate from the “GLBT” (“gay”) camp. I am very excited about this new project’s potential to reverse years of pro-“gay” brainwashing in the schools and popular culture — corrupting the hearts and minds of  our young people.

Let’s face it: much of the conservative establishment has dropped the ball on fighting the homosexual agenda (or given up entirely), so AFTAH is stepping up to train a new generations of activists to contend with the sexual sin movement that has fooled so many Americans into treating a human wrong — changeable same-sex behavior — as a “civil right.” Please help us make this future-oriented event possible with your tax-deductible donation to Americans For Truth at www.americansfortruth.com/donate. God bless you. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

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Free Book Offer Selections for Sponsoring AFTAH Academy Student:

  • “Homosexuality: A Freedom Too Far,” by the late Dr. Charles Socarides, who fought the American Psychiatric Association’s gay-pressure-induced “normalization” of homosexuality in the early 1970s [hardcover: 312 pp]; or
  • “Out from Under: The Impact of Homosexual Parenting,” by Dawn Stefanowicz. This harrowing yet beautifully written story about Dawn’s troubled upbringing with her promiscuous “gay” dad is required reading for anyone who is tempted to embrace “gay parenting.” (Dawn has agreed to be an instructor at future AFTAH Academy seminars.) [Softcover: 245 pp.]

To order these books without donating to the AFTAH Academy, send $20 postage paid per book (specify which book you’d like to order) or $35 postage paid for both books. Order online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate, or send your check or money order to: Americans For Truth, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.  Complete this online form to apply.

Mission America and Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (www.aftah.org)

9:00 am –9:30 am—Registration—Coffee/donuts in Global Cafe

‘She-males’ Go Topless at Rehoboth Beach — Cop Says It’s Not Public Nudity

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

“It is important to say that under Rehoboth law this was not against the law … In this case, they had male genitalia; therefore, they are not guilty of a crime.” – Rehoboth, Del., Police Chief Keith Banks

If transgender 'she-males' go topless, is it public nudity? Cops in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, say "No." Above, a male-to-female transsexual bares his presumably hormone-induced breasts while riding atop a float at the 2007 Chicago Gay Pride parade. The "she-male" rode for blocks in the parade as police took no action against him. Covered photo: Americans For Truth.

God help us. We have become a sick and very weird culture. In the good old days (before “she-males” existed), they would just call such people “perverts.” America was better off then. Check out in the piece below the anger of the local homosexual activist at the end of this story: no, Steve, what is truly “horrific” is that men are pretending to be woman, growing hormone-induced “breasts,” demanding “rights” based on their twisted gender choices, and then making even a bigger circus out of it all by going “topless” in public.

Can you see the misogyny in action here? In many ways, male transsexuals create in their reconstructed image a crude and deviant caricature of women (what they imagine being a woman is all about). I suppose in this case (and that of the “gay pride” photo above), we see men attempting to “live out” their fantasy — or delusion — of “being” slutty women. Too weird. Besides, in our depraved culture, aren’t there enough slutty women out there already that we don’t need men to “create” some more?

Only a nation that has kicked God to the curb would be on the verge of creating federally-guaranteed employment “rights” based on such unbelievable gender confusion. (That’s what ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, would do.) Imagine all the trouble that activist “trannies” could cause for employers once they figure out the special treatment they can get merely by crying “discrimination!” Heck, they might show up at the company picnic in a low-cut halter top with lots of (fake) “cleavage” showing — just for the fun of it. The rest of us will have to bite our tongues or risk a Lambda Legal lawsuit. Don’t tell me this is what Martin Luther King died for! — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

P.S. Big surprise: Rehoboth is a popular “gay” destination.

____________________________________

WUSA9.com reports:

Transgendered Men Go Topless In Rehoboth

(delawareonline.com) June 3, 2010– Rehoboth Beach and the local Internet have been buzzing for days after a few transgendered men caused a stir on the beach over the holiday weekend by removing their tops and revealing their enhanced breasts.

Police there were called to the beach after lifeguards requested that the sunbathers replace their tops.

“Passers-by came up to the lifeguard and said they were alarmed and unhappy with the females showing their breasts,” Police Chief Keith Banks said. “The lifeguard responded and saw that they were males.”

Banks said police were called because the men originally refused to put their tops back on, but had consented before police arrived. Officers made sure the situation was under control, and no citations were issued.

Banks said it could have been difficult to issue a citation because Rehoboth law defines indecent exposure two ways:

“A male is guilty of indecent exposure if he exposes his genitals or buttocks under circumstances which he knows his conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm to another person.

“A female is guilty of indecent exposure if she exposes her genitals, breasts or buttocks under circumstances which she knows her conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm to another person.”

So the men’s behavior may have been upsetting, but it was not illegal.

Read the rest of this article »

Obama’s ‘Gay Pride Month’ Proclamation

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Obama calls for repeal of Defense of Marriage Act

President Barack Obama's promotion of a government-enforced homosexual and "transgender" agenda will lead to the loss of liberties for those who espouse and defend the natural, historic Judeo-Christian conception of marriage and family.

CORRECTION: Well folks, looks like we’re a year behind in covering President Obama’s declaration of “Pride” in that which is shameful. I accidentally published President Obama’s 2009 “Gay Pride Month” Proclamation instead of the current 2010 version. So below we have included both years’ proclamations so you can compare them. Note that in the 2010 version, Obama calls for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which he is now circumventing piecemeal through “domestic partner” executive orders for federal workers. I apologize for the mistake. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

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Original AFTAH commentary:

America’s pro-homosexual Panderer-in-Chief is at it again….When President Obama proclaims [2009 “Gay Pride Month” statement], “As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit,” I wonder if he’s ever heard of Matt Barber — who was fired by Allstate Insurance Co., after Obama’s “gay” allies over at the Human Wrongs Rights Campaign complained that Matt had written an online article critical of homosexuality (on his own time).

(I don’t recall Matt being comforted at the idea that it was for the cause of “gay equality” that he was cruelly and suddenly thrown into unemployment by Allstate….)

Or how about Elaine Huguenin, a Christian photographer who was fined by the courts under New Mexico’s “sexual orientation” law because she would not take pictures at a lesbian commitment ceremony? (Pro-gay-agenda Libertarians: take note; Huguenin is appealing the decision.)

Wasn’t religious liberty and freedom of conscience one of those “principles upon which our Nation was founded”?

Read the rest of this article »


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