In the News - November 2003

Orthodox Catholics Urge Bishops to Toughen Cultural Views
By Marc Morano - CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer - November 26, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - Amid the pitched cultural battles over abortion and homosexual marriage in America, the U.S. Catholic Church faces mounting criticism from both the right and left. Conservatives criticize what they call the trend toward a "cafeteria church," in which congregants select which church doctrines to follow. Liberals voice dissent over what they view as the Vatican's reluctance to compromise some of its long-standing traditions.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ratcheted up the inner church debate with the recent announcement of a new commission to study how to deal with Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights.

Online Porn Driving Sexually Aggressive Children
By Patrick Goodenough - CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief - November 26, 2003

Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - Incidents of young children displaying sexually aggressive behavior towards others appear to be on the increase, and exposure to online pornography is a key factor, according to a new study in Australia.

U.S. sees HIV cases rise among gay, bisexual men By Cheryl Wetzstein http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030728-113548-3425r.htm
THE WASHINGTON TIMES - Published July 29, 2003 - The number of homosexual and bisexual men in the United States diagnosed with the AIDS virus has risen for a third year, raising concerns about a revival of the epidemic, a federal health agency said yesterday.

November 26, 2003 - New HIV Cases Among Gay Men Up 17 Percent http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/thrive/2003/nov/26/112601180.html
By JOSEPH B. VERRENGIA - ASSOCIATED PRESS - Federal officials say more signs of "prevention fatigue" are reflected in the latest report on AIDS - a 17 percent increase in new HIV cases among gay men over the past three years.

Library to continue full access - by LISA LIVERMORE Register Correspondent 11/28/2003 http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4780932/22847651.html Urbandale residents of any age will continue to have access to all materials in the city's library despite protests from parents and grandmothers about a policy that allows children to check out R-rated movies. Members of the library board voted Monday to uphold a policy that permits children to use their library cards to obtain any book, video or magazine.

One Man, One Woman - The case for preserving the definition of marriage.
BY ROBERT P. GEORGE - Friday, November 28, 2003 12:01 a.m. EST Last week, in its ruling in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts by a vote of 4-3 struck down that state's marriage law as "failing to meet the rational basis test for either due process or equal protection." The court gave the Legislature 180 days to revise the law in line with the judges' redefinition of marriage as "the voluntary union of two persons as spouses, to the exclusion of all others." If the Legislature fails within that time frame to direct Massachusetts public officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the court will do it for them....... http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004356

State GOP Chairman Called To Duty - Chuck Larson Jr. Leaves Republican Party During Campaign Season - From News Channel 8 November 12,2003:

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party was called to active duty with his Army Reserve unit. Chuck Larson Jr.

Chuck Larson Jr. (pictured, left) goes on active duty Wednesday.

Larson, a major, is a Command Staff Judge Advocate with the 372nd Engineering Group based in Des Moines.

"I believe this is a small sacrifice we're being asked to make based on what our country has endured after September 11th," Larson told NewsChannel 8.

From Des Moines Register 11/26/03: DES MOINES - Lawyer plans to run for Congress again - Des Moines lawyer Stan Thompson announced plans Tuesday for a second bid for Congress in central Iowa's 3rd District. Thompson, a Republican, made an unsuccessful run against Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Ia., in the last election, but said he will run again. He is the first Republican to step forward.

Federal Marriage Amendment Introduced in Senate http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200311/CUL20031126d.html
By Susan Jones - CNSNews.com Morning Editor - November 26, 2003
(CNSNews.com) - Three Republicans introduced a Federal Marriage Amendment in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The proposed constitutional amendment defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman

Reactions to Same-Sex Ruling Make Strange Bedfellows By Randy Hall - CNSNews.com Evening Editor - November 24, 2003 http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200311\CUL20031124a.html
(CNSNews.com) - Last week's Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision granting same-sex couples the right to marry has created some unusual alliances and unexpected conflicts.

Since the court last Tuesday gave state lawmakers 180 days to implement its decision, several Democratic officials in the legislature have been considering a number of politically acceptable alternatives, including implementation of civil unions that would grant many of the rights and privileges of marriage but not use the same term.

But one former mayor of Boston has taken a different approach. Ray Flynn, president of the Catholic grassroots political and policy organization Your Catholic Voice, launched an online petition drive for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as the union between one man and one woman.

Abstinence Message Takes Hold in Southeast Asia http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200311/CUL20031125a.html
By Patrick Goodenough - CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief -November 25, 2003
Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - A small, pro-family organization in Singapore is taking its abstinence message to the Southeast Asian city-state's MTV generation, and it said thousands of 13- to 20-year-olds have pledged to remain virgins until marriage.
Rivals gun for Dean in Iowa debate http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/22852922.html

State issues are emphasized in the most spirited Democratic matchup of the national series.

By THOMAS BEAUMONT Register Staff Writer 11/25/2003

Congressman Dick Gephardt and Sen. John Kerry made a concerted effort Monday to slow the momentum of rival Howard Dean in the 2004 campaign's first nationally televised Democratic presidential debate from Iowa.

The debate was the most spirited in the series put on by the Democratic National Committee and the first to emphasize issues key to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses.

Republican lawmakers don't want Iowa to have to recognize same-sex marriages http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2003/11/19/news/top_news/a1496ebc4814780d86256de300505827.txt

Some Iowa Republican lawmakers say they are concerned with the Massachusetts court ruling Tuesday that found same-sex couples have the right to marry, and will urge Congress to take action.

Federal Trials on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Set for March
By David Thibault - CNSNews.com Managing Editor - November 20, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - Three separate legal challenges to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 will be heard in Lincoln, Neb., New York City and San Francisco on March 29, a little later than the U.S. Justice Department would have liked but much sooner than other federal cases, which often take more than a year to get before a judge.

Jesus Slogan Okay With Federal Judge
By Susan Jones CNSNews.com Morning Editor - November 20, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - A Christian church in Fort Lauderdale may proceed with a holiday display claiming that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season," but it took a court battle for the church to get its message out.

Schindlers to Intervene in Case to Defend 'Terri's Law'
By Melanie Hunter - CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor - November 17, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - A law firm representing the parents of a brain-damaged Florida woman filed a notice of appeal Friday to intervene in her husband's challenge to a new law that allowed Gov. Jeb Bush to order the woman's feeding tube to be reconnected.

Petition Drive Aims to Save the Ten Commandments http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200311/CUL20031117b.html
By Susan Jones - CNSNews.com Morning Editor - November 17, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - A conservative religious group is holding a press conference Monday to announce a "Save the Ten Commandments" petition drive.

Vision America said its petition "seeks to restore our Judeo-Christian heritage, check the secularist onslaught, defend public display of the Ten Commandments and other religious symbols, oppose judicial tyranny, and support the confirmation of federal judges committed to...judicial restraint."

FCC Ruling on 'F-Word' Fires up Pro-Family Groups http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200311/CUL20031118a.html
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor
November 18, 2003

Lamberti chosen to be president of Senate http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4780934/22759497.html

Roy Moore Removed From Chief Justice Post http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200311/NAT20031113b.html
By Melanie Hunter - CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor - November 13, 2003

Bush cheers 'gay' church after 'Marriage Week' http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35539

Bush Signs Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Into Law
By Randy Hall and Susan Jones - CNSNews.com Evening Editor and Morning Editor - November 05, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - Before an emotional audience, President Bush Wednesday signed a law outlawing partial-birth abortions - and promised to defend it in court.

The ceremony took place at 1:45 p.m. in the Ronald Reagan Building

Justices won't hear 10 Commandments appeals - Moore faces trial next week on violation of judicial-ethics charges
Posted: November 3, 2003 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern - By Diana Lynne © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
The Supreme Court won't be deciding the outcome of the pitched battle over suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's Ten Commandments monument.

Justices refused today to hear appeals seeking to put the 5,300-pound granite cube back on display inside Alabama's state capitol. WorldNetDaily reported the controversial monument nicknamed "Roy's Rock" was removed Aug. 28 from the rotunda of the Judicial Building in Montgomery after Moore was suspended by the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission for refusing to comply with a federal judge's ordered removal. He is slated to be tried on judicial-ethics violations Nov. 12 before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.
For the rest of this article: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35402

TV Content Creates New Concerns for Advertisers
By Scott Hogenson - CNSNews.com Executive Editor - November 03, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - In the ever-expanding universe of network, cable and satellite television, there is a similarly expanding need to compete, resulting in a growing number of programs described in terms ranging from edgy and racy, to sleazy and bordering on pornographic.

CCI | Contact Us | Contribute Today | Our Mission | Home

Political Calendar| Amen | Christians in Politics?

State GOP Chairman Called To Duty - Chuck Larson Jr. Leaves Republican Party During Campaign Season - From News Channel 8 November 12,2003:

FCC Ruling on 'F-Word' Fires up Pro-Family Groups http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200311/CUL20031118a.html By Melanie Hunter CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor November 18, 2003

Lamberti chosen to be president of Senate http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4780934/22759497.html

FCC Ruling on 'F-Word' Fires up Pro-Family Groups http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200311/CUL20031118a.html
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor
November 18, 2003