Cardinal Stafford criticizes Obama as ‘aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic’

Washington DC, Nov 17, 2008 / 02:27 pm (CNA).- Cardinal James Francis Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See, delivered a lecture on Thursday saying that the future under President-elect Obama will echo Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. Criticizing Obama as “aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic,” he went on to speak about a decline in respect for human life and the need for Catholics to return to the values of marriage and human dignity.

Delivered at the Catholic University of America, the cardinal’s lecture was titled “Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II: Being True in Body and Soul,” the student university paper The Tower reports. Hosted by the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, his words focused upon Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, whose fortieth anniversary is marked this year.

Commenting on the results of the recent presidential election, Cardinal Stafford said on Election Day “America suffered a cultural earthquake.” The cardinal argued that President-elect Obama had campaigned on an “extremist anti-life platform” and predicted that the near future would be a time of trial.

For more click here.

Hands Off Our Proposition!!! Religious Liberty at Stake!

With Homosexual 'Marriage' Christian Freedoms Will be Under Greatest Threat in Hawaii, Wisconsin

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, November 14, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has found that over 350 separate state anti-discrimination laws would likely be affected by the legal recognition of same-sex “marriage.” The organization surveyed over 1,000 state anti-discrimination laws -- specifically those prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender, or marital status -- to assess how those laws would affect religious dissenters to same-sex “marriage” if same-sex “marriage” were to be legally recognized.

Based on the data, The Becket Fund concluded that if same-sex “marriage” is recognized by courts or legislatures, people and institutions that have conscientious objections to facilitating same-sex “marriages” will likely be sued under existing anti-discrimination laws, despite the fact that those laws were never intended for that purpose.

Based on an analysis of the laws and what has transpired in other jurisdictions with similar laws, such as Canada, the Becket Fund warned: "Lawsuits will likely arise when religious people or religious organizations choose, based on their sincerely held religious beliefs, not to hire individuals in same-sex marriages, refuse to extend spousal benefits to same-sex spouses, refuse to make their property or services available for same-sex marriage ceremonies or other events affirming same-sex marriage, or refuse to provide otherwise available housing to same-sex couples. This wide-ranging conflict between governments and conscientious citizens would take years of litigation to resolve, assuming that it could be resolved."

The study found that all 50 states prohibit gender discrimination in some way, and only 37 states have explicit religious exemptions to these provisions, many of them quite narrow. This lack of exemptions could become a problem if (as has happened in some instances) religious objections to same-sex “marriage” are treated as a kind of gender discrimination.

In addition, 33 states prohibit at least some discrimination based on marital status, and only 13 of these states provide religious exemptions, some with a wide latitude of exemption, others with only narrow exemptions. Of the 20 states that prohibit sexual orientation-based discrimination, 18 provide exemptions for religious objection.

Hawaii and Wisconsin are especially concerning since, while these states prohibit gender, marital status and sexual orientation-based discrimination, they have no provision for religious exemption from such laws.

"When considering same-sex marriage, both legislatures and the judiciary should recognize the competing religious liberty rights involved," suggests the Becket Fund. "If legislators or judges do recognize same-sex marriage, they should carve out robust religious exemptions for religious dissenters. Additionally, academic institutions and public interest groups should stimulate public discussion on these conflicts and ways to avoid them."

The study is available online here:
http://www.becketfund.org/files/34a97.pdf

Presidential candidate Alan Keyes, AIP leaders sue in CA court to obtain Obama citizenship proof, stop Secretary of State from certifying Electors

Fenton, MI – November 14, 2008

Presidential candidate Alan Keyes, vice-presidential candidate Wiley S. Drake, and the Chairman of the American Independent Party, Markham Robinson, have filed suit in California Superior Court in Sacramento seeking to bar Secretary of State Debra Bowen from certifying to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger the names of Electors, and from transmitting to each presidential Elector a Certificate of Election, until documentary proof is produced and verified showing that Senator Obama is a “natural born” citizen of the United States, and does not hold citizenship of Indonesia, Kenya or Great Britain.

In addition, they have asked that the court issue a peremptory writ barring Senator Obama’s California Electors from signing the Certificate of Vote until such documentary proof is produced and verified.

In response to questions about why the suit was being filed, Ambassador Alan Keyes commented, “I and others are concerned that this issue be properly investigated and decided before Senator Obama takes office. Otherwise there will be a serious doubt as to the legitimacy of his tenure. This doubt would also affect the respect people have for the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. I hope the issue can be quickly clarified so that the new President can take office under no shadow of doubt. This will be good for him and for the nation.”

Former Reagan administration official Ambassador Alan Keyes and Wiley S. Drake were the 2008 presidential and vice-presidential nominees of the American Independent Party, which is the California affiliate of the new national America’s Independent Party.

Mission Viejo, California attorney Dr. Orly Taitz and United States Justice Foundation Executive Director Gary Kreep are representing the plaintiffs in this case.

Copies of the court filing, along with further information concerning developments in this case, will be made available at http://www.AIPNEWS.com, or can be obtained by contacting AIP national chairman Tom Hoefling.

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California Election Results

Prop 8 Passed Defending Marriage!

California’s vote in favor of traditional marriage should give the silent majority comfort that they do have a voice and can and should stand up for this central institution in legislatures throughout the world. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Period.

Prop 11 Passed for Redistricting, which will help conservatives pick up seats the next time around!

Follow the below links for the rest of the results.

Ballot Initiatives: http://vote.sos.ca.gov/props/index.html

State Senate: http://vote.sos.ca.gov/stsen/all.htm

State Assembly: http://vote.sos.ca.gov/stasm/all.htm


Although things went terrible nationally (we elected our first socialist president) the major things in California, that will effect us long term, did not go so bad.

Ryan

Negative Rights and the Role of Government in a Free and Virtuous Society

Natural human rights are outgrowths of the natural law. The natural law provides us with moral directions about how to live in harmony with others and natural rights exist naturally when we live according to those rules. Natural rights then are an effect, not a cause; they are dependent not subsistent.

Recently, this fact seems to have been forgotten, as fringe groups such as pro-sodomy activists, led by lost minds like that of California Superintendent of School Instruction, Jack O'Connell, campaign for the supposed "RIGHT" to engage in and teach the false-normalcy of various anti-social behaviors.

Thankfully, the passage of marriage amendments in Florida, Arizona, and California, and the protection of children from being adopted by active homosexuals in Arkansas shows that most Americans still recognize, at least implicitly or emotionally, the difference between "Rights" and "Negative Rights;" those behaviors which fall within the boundaries of rational choice and those which constitute mindlessness, savagery, and lead to chaos and an eventual loss of natural rights.

If the state were to create a "negative right" such as the right for two persons of the same-sex to marry or create a so-called "civil union," which places mindless, savage, and chaotic-type behaviors on a pedestal and forces there defence through law, rather than those actions which attempt to conform to reality through knowledge and wisdom, then the state and law become unjust; out of touch with reality; repressive and hurtfull,the state and law become ad hoc and whimsical; law becomes the opposite of law. The law should not rebel against itself. The rebellion of natural rights against the natural law is the rebellion of the branches against the tree. If the rebels were ever to succeed, they would soon find that they destroyed the basis for their own existence.

A Short Note on Rights

Natural human rights are out growths of the natural law. The natural law provides us with moral directions about how to live in harmony with others and natural rights exist naturally when we live according to those rules. Natural rights then are an effect, not a cause.

Voters Guide/Find Your Polling Place

This is it! Election Day is Today! GO VOTE!

You may find your polling place by calling 866-OUR VOTE or by visiting http://www.govote.org/

You may also report voter intimidation to the Secretary of State at 866-687-8683!


VOTING GUIDE

California Propositions

Vote YES ON 4!
Vote YES ON 8!
Vote YES ON 11!
Vote NO ON EVERYTHING ELSE!


You can look up your individual county’s Republican Voting Guide here: http://www.cagop.org/county/


DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES! Especially those candidates who have a symbol next to their name!

California State Senate
Do NOT vote for SD 3 – Mark Leno ▼
Do NOT vote for SD 5 - Lois Wolk
Do NOT vote for SD 7 - Mark DeSaulnier
Do NOT vote for SD 9 – Loni Hancock
Do NOT vote for SD 11 - Joe Simitian ■
Do NOT vote for SD 13 - Elaine Alquist ■
Do NOT vote for SD 19 - Hannah Beth Jackson
Do NOT vote for SD 21 - Carol Liu
Do NOT vote for SD 23 – Fran Pavley
Do NOT vote for SD 27 - Alan Lowenthal ■
Do NOT vote for SD 39 - Christine Kehoe ■ ▼



State Assembly
Do NOT vote for AD 1 - Wesley Chesbro
Do NOT vote for AD 6 - Jared Huffman■
Do NOT vote for AD 7 - Noreen Evans■
Do NOT vote for AD 8 – Mariko Yamada
Do NOT vote for AD 9 - Dave Jones■
Do NOT vote for AD 10 – Alyson Huber
Do NOT vote for AD 11 - Tom Torlakson
Do NOT vote for AD 12 - Fiona Ma ■
Do NOT vote for AD 13 - Tom Ammiano▼
Do NOT vote for AD 14 – Nancy Skinner
Do NOT vote for AD 15 - Joan Buchanan
Do NOT vote for AD 16 - Sandre Swanson ■
Do NOT vote for AD 18 - Mary Hayashi ■
Do NOT vote for AD 19 – Jerry Hill
Do NOT vote for AD 20 - Alberto Torrico ■
Do NOT vote for AD 21 - Ira Ruskin ■
Do NOT vote for AD 22 - Paul Fong
Do NOT vote for AD 23 - Joe Coto ■
Do NOT vote for AD 24 - Jim Beall ■
Do NOT vote for AD 27 – Bill Monning
Do NOT vote for AD 28 - Anna Caballero ■
Do NOT vote for AD 35 - Pedro Nava ■
Do NOT vote for AD 37 – Ferial Masry
Do NOT vote for AD 39 – Felipe Fuentes ■
Do NOT vote for AD 40 – Bob Blumenfi eld
Do NOT vote for AD 41 - Julia Brownley ■
Do NOT vote for AD 42 - Mike Feuer ■
Do NOT vote for AD 43 - Paul Krekorian ■
Do NOT vote for AD 44 - Anthony Portantino ■
Do NOT vote for AD 45 - Kevin de León ■
Do NOT vote for AD 46 - John A. Perez ▼
Do NOT vote for AD 47 - Karen Bass ■
Do NOT vote for AD 49 - Mike Eng ■
Do NOT vote for AD 50 - Hector de la Torre ■
Do NOT vote for AD 51 - Curren Price ■
Do NOT vote for AD 53 - Ted Lieu ■
Do NOT vote for AD 54 - Bonnie Lowenthal
Do NOT vote for AD 56 - Tony Mendoza ■
Do NOT vote for AD 57 - Ed Hernandez ■
Do NOT vote for AD 58 - Charles Calderon ■
Do NOT vote for AD 69 - Jose Solorio ■
Do NOT vote for AD 76 - Lori Saldana ■
Do NOT vote for AD 78 - Marty Block
Do NOT vote for AD 79 - Mary Salas ■
Do NOT vote for AD 80 – Manuel Perez