State Threatens Locals – Marry Gays Or Else

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is warning the county recorders’ offices in his state that workers must process “marriage” licenses for same-sex duos or face possible charges in a court of law.

“If necessary, we will explore legal actions to enforce and implement the court’s ruling, working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health and county attorneys,” he warned on his website.

But an announcement today from a statewide pro-family organization and a public interest law firm with a reach that goes around the world means the issue of same-sex weddings eventually could end up back in court.

The statements from Miller relate to the state Supreme Court’s decision that Iowa must provide same-sex couples access to the state’s marriage processes.

Miller praised the decision as “clear and well-reasoned” and explained it is expected to take effect April 27, since court offices are closed tomorrow.

Source

Vermont Considers Legalizing Teen ‘Sexting’

The Vermont Legislature is considering a bill that would legalize so-called “sexting” between teenagers.

Sexting refers to the exchange of explicit photos and videos via mobile phone. Under current laws, participants can be charged with child pornography, but lawmakers are considering a bill to legalize the consensual exchange of graphic images between two people 13 to 18 years old. Passing along such images to others would remain a crime.

Supporters told The Burlington Free Press they don’t want to condone the behavior but they don’t think teenagers should be prosecuted as sex offenders for consensual conduct.

The bill passed the state Senate earlier this month. The House Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on it this week.

Source

Gay Pledge Cards Given to Kindergartners

A California school system refuses to say what action, if any, it will take after it received complaints about a kindergarten teacher who encouraged her students to sign “pledge cards” in support of gays.

During a celebration of National Ally Week, Tara Miller, a teacher at the Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, Calif., passed out cards produced by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to her class of kindergartners.

The cards asked signers to be “an ally” and to pledge to “not use anti-LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender language or slurs; intervene, when I feel I can, in situations where others are using anti-LGBT language or harassing other students and actively support safer schools efforts.”

The school has acknowledged that the exercise was not appropriate for kindergartners.

Parent Adela Voelker, who declined to be interviewed in depth for this report, said she was furious when she found her child’s signature on one of the cards. She said she contacted a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in parents’ rights.

Meanwhile, a school board member, Jeff Cook, says some type of action should be taken.

“We have a general rule that all instruction should be age appropriate, and this clearly was not,” said Cook, who has served on the school board for five years.

Full Article

Moral Decline Seen As Reason For U.S. Woes

Many believe American has turned it’s back on God and entered what amounts to the modern-day gates of Sodom.  Read more

Americans Struggle With Morality – Report

American society has become more intrigued by moral issues in recent years, as evidenced by the fact that 55% of adults discuss moral issues with others during a typical week. But a nationwide survey by The Barna Group indicates that Americans have also redefined what it means to do the right thing in their own lives.

Researchers asked adults which, if any, of eight behaviors with moral overtones they had engaged in during the past week. The behaviors included exposure to pornography, using profanity in public, gambling, gossiping, engaging in sexual intercourse with someone to whom they were not married, retaliating against someone, getting drunk, and lying. A majority of adults had engaged in at least one of those eight behaviors during the past week.

Cussing is Common

The most common of the eight behaviors evaluated was using profanity in public. Nearly three out of every ten adults (28%) admitted to using such language. Two out of every ten adults (20%) had gambled in the past week (including the purchase of a lottery ticket) and almost as many (19%) admitted to intentional exposure to pornographic images. Slightly more than one out of every ten adults had gossiped (12%), gotten drunk (12%), or lied (11%).

The least common of the activities tested were having sexual intercourse with someone to whom the respondent was not married (9%) and 8% said they had engaged in some form of retaliation during the prior seven days.

The survey showed that admission of adultery was far less common than was admission of sex among unmarried adults. Just 1% of married adults said they had sex with someone other than their spouse during the past week. In contrast, 21% of single adults indicated they had sex with someone during the prior week.

Young Adults Ignore Traditional Morality

Welcome to The Barna Group!