Free Republic

WASHINGTON – Some of the top leaders in Christian pro-family activism – including James Dobson of Focus on the Family – met in Salt Lake City yesterday to plot a strategy if Rudy Giuliani or another supporter of legalized abortion is nominated by the Republican Party as its presidential candidate. Not only was there a consensus among activists to withhold support for the Republican nominee, there was even discussion about supporting the entry of a new candidate to challenge the frontrunners. It's no secret that Dobson, founder of one of the largest Christian ministries in the country, has no use...

Catholic Pro-Abortion Ontario Premier Confronted at Campaign Debate by Pro-Life Candidate Pro-life singer David MacDonald runs against Premier Dalton McGuinty in Ottawa South By Paul Lauzon and John-Henry Westen OTTAWA, September 28, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In Ottawa South, Liberal Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's riding, well-known pro-life singer David MacDonald is running for the Family Coalition Party. MacDonald has posted numerous signs and delivered over 10,000 pro-life and pro-family flyers in the riding. In a moving and dynamic presentation at an all candidates debate Wednesday - with Premier Dalton McGuinty looking on - MacDonald spoke of his experiences as a Broadway...

Catholic School Board calls Pro-Family Group "Extremist Hate Group", Board Defends Pro-Gay Manual Board's family life committee said to have approved homosexual-activist counselor who is raising male child with his homosexual partner. By  Mauro MacMillan WATERLOO, Sept 27, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com)  In an attempt to divert attention from a controversial pro-homosexuality resource that the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) has approved, the Board has taken to calling into question the motive and character of the Defend Traditional Marriage and Family (DTMF) group that brought the issue to light earlier this year. At the heart of the issue is a teacher...

A speech by a "parental rights" activist in Gloucester has been canceled after a gay marriage advocacy group threatened to protest what it deemed "hate speech." Cape Ann Marriage and Family, which characterizes itself as "pro-family" and has been active in advocating for a popular vote on gay marriage, had planned a meeting at a Main Street pizza parlor featuring a lecture by David Parker of Lexington. Parker is suing the state for the right to be notified when issues of sexuality, including gay marriage, are discussed in his young son's school. The case was initially dismissed but is on...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today FRC Action announced that GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson will speak at the Washington Briefing 2007: Values Voter Summit on Friday October 19. Senator Thompson becomes the seventh presidential hopeful to commit to address the largest gathering of pro-family activists in the nation's capital.

President George Bush Proclaims September 24 Family Day 2007 WASHINGTON, DC, September 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The following text is a proclamation by President Bush: Families are the cornerstone of our Nation. On Family Day, we underscore our dedication to strengthening America's families and recognize the importance that the bonds between parents and children hold for the future of our country. Parents and family members are the first and most important influence in a child's life. Families offer a stable and nurturing environment by providing love, guidance, support, and comfort. They help young people gain the skills they need to...

Halton Catholic School Board Approves Controversial HPV Vaccinations on School Premises All three student trustees supported resolution to ban the vaccine from Board's schools but did not have right to vote By John-Henry Westen HAMILTON, September 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a move which came as an unexpected shock to many in the pro-life movement, the board of trustees at the Halton Catholic District School Board voted 4-3 to reject a motion to forbid the controversial HPV vaccine to be offered or administered on the Catholic school board's premises for the duration of this school year.  The board has instead...

Amnesty International Organizes Worldwide Gay Protest Against Nicaragua By Peter J. Smith MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After enshrining abortion as a human right in its humanitarian mission, Amnesty International has now stepped up its campaign to target nations that criminalize sodomy as grave violators of human rights, beginning with Nicaragua. Last week Amnesty International through its affiliates orchestrated international protests outside Nicaraguan embassies and consulates in Germany, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Mexico, Paraguay, Sweden and Taiwan, demanding the repeal of Nicaragua's sodomy ban. "Article 204 contradicts numerous provisions in international human rights law," said an Amnesty press release....

Maryland's Highest Court Upholds State Law Favoring Traditional Marriage ANNAPOLIS, September 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Today, the Maryland Court of Appeals, in a 4-3 decision, upheld the state's marriage law, which says "only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this state." In January 2006 the circuit court for Baltimore City struck down the marriage law (Family Law Article 2-201) as discriminatory on the basis of sex, in violation of the Maryland Declaration of Rights, in the case of Conaway v. Deane. Maryland's highest court reversed the circuit court, ruling today that the marriage law did...

Christian Psychologist Sues Minneapolis After Being Fired for Membership in Pro-Family Group MINNEAPOLIS, September 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit last Tuesday in federal court on behalf of an Illinois clinical psychologist who lost his contract with the city of Minneapolis because of his membership with a politically conservative, pro-family organization. "Pro-family, Christian conservatives cannot be treated as second-class citizens," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum.  "Government officials do not have the right to end someone's contract on the basis of religion or political viewpoint.  The city of Minneapolis is engaging in...

Ireland 1986-2006: 500% Increase in Divorce; 400% Increase in Cohabitation without Marriage Cities much worse off than rural areas By John-Henry Westen DUBLIN, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new report from The Iona Institute based on a detailed analysis of Census 2006 - the first analysis of its kind published to date - reveals the full extent of changing family structure and marriage breakdown in Ireland. The analysis shows marriage breakdown by age and region and includes colour-coded maps of major Irish cities illustrating this down to the electoral division level. According to the analysis, marriage breakdown has increased...

Ontario Liberal Premier McGuinty Boasts of Legalizing Homosexual 'Marriage' Frequently touts his Catholic faith and comfortable with acting and speaking against Church moral teachings By John-Henry Westen TORONTO, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Xtra, a Canadian homosexual newspaper has published interviews with political party leaders from the province of Ontario.  Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty was not available for the interview but sent the paper written comments in which he boasted of his role in bringing homosexual 'marriage' to the province. "Together, we moved early in our mandate to pass legislation that allows gays and lesbians to recognize their love through...

Study Finds Divorce Negatively Affects How Much Care Child will give Elderly Parent PHILADELPHIA, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study has found that divorce, even when the kids are older, can have negative affects on the amount of care children will provide to elderly parents. And that spells trouble for the baby boomer generation. Temple University researcher Adam Davey, Ph.D. has found the impact of divorce and remarriage can predict about whether a child will provide more involved care in the future. A divorce may have happened over 30 years ago, but the changes it caused can have...

Ontario Court Refuses Appeal of Three-Parent Case By Hilary White TORONTO, September 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) has linked the recently released statistics on the decline of legal marriage in Canada to the so-called Three Parent case. In that case an Ontario judge ruled that a five-year-old child was the legal offspring of the father, biological mother and the mother's lesbian partner. The court has refused to hear any appeal of the 2006 case which means that in Ontario, not only the legal institution of marriage but the biological nature of the family has been...

Ontario City's Catholic Trustees Oppose HPV Vaccination in Schools, Stall Implementation By John-Henry Westen SAULT STE. MARIE, ON, September 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Elected trustees of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB) have objected to implementing a plan to vaccinate girls in the Board's Catholic schools with the controversial HPV vaccine.  The recently developed HPV vaccine is designed to prevent the sexually transmitted disease Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer.  HPV is not preventable with condom use.  The vaccine has had little long-term testing and is thus of concern to some health-care professionals. "This is...

Chilean Homosexual Non-Discrimination Law Fails Following Protest Activist Believes Bill's Proponents Will Try Again on September 11th By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman CHILE, September 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A bill whose opponents warned would make opposition to homosexuality illegal in Chile was quietly defeated last week when it was removed from a scheduled vote in the Chilean Senate, according to Salvador Salazar, president of Muevete Chile! (Go Chile!). The tabling of the measure followed a campaign by multiple groups and individuals to encourage senators to oppose the measure and preserve the Chilean people's right to speak against homosexual behavior. The bill,...

Pope Benedict Encourages "Child-Poor" Europe to Open up to Life Called attention to the demographic implosion in Europe By John-Henry Westen MARIAZELL, Austria, September 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In his homily delivered Saturday at Mariazell during a Mass to mark the 850th anniversary of the Marian shrine's founding, Pope Benedict XVI called attention to the demographic implosion in Europe for a second time on his pastoral visit to Austria.  "Europe has become child-poor: we want everything for ourselves, and place little trust in the future," he told the assembled crowd. On Friday, Benedict addressed political leaders in the nation pointing...

California Senate Votes to Impose Same-Sex "Marriage" on State Bill was project of homosexual activist state Assemblyman By Hilary White SACRAMENTO, September 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Democrat-controlled Senate of California has approved a bill imposing homosexual "marriage" on the state. The Senate voted 22-15 to substitute the term "two persons" for "man and wife" in state references to marriage. Bill AB43 was the project of state Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco, a homosexual activist. It was opposed by every Republican member of the Senate and supported by all but three Democrats. WorldNet Daily quoted California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger...

Melinda Tankard Reist | Friday, 17 August 2007 Focus on media: A toxic culture for girls The shameless exploitation of little girls by commercial interests is poisoning a generation. Living in a sex-saturated society we are used to seeing the image of women cheapened. But baby dolls who know how to "flaunt" their sexuality? Provocative underwear for little girls, and "pole dancing" kits for them to entertain their families and friends with suggestive moves - and be paid in play dollars for it? If we care about children the time has come to put a stop to this ugly...

Carolyn Moynihan | Wednesday, 5 September 2007 Dogs in prams Childless Japanese women push the country's culture of cute too far. It is not unknown for little girls to try and dress the family cat or puppy in baby clothes and wheel it about in a pram. Mostly they don't succeed but the instinct is understandable enough. A live pet is much more interesting than an inanimate doll, having the warmth, cuddliness and cuteness of a real baby, and it makes playing mothers so much more fun. It seems perfectly natural and predictable behaviour. An adult woman trying the...