'MARRIAGE' In The NEWS- December 2008: The REAL Proposal For Marriage magazine

UK: The Celebrity Oscars: The romantic - and amusing - antics of the 2008 winners and sinners

The Celebrity Oscars: The romantic - and amusing - antics of the 2008 winners and sinners The Daily Mail- UK, December 27, 2008
The Old Rogue of the Year (sponsored by Viagra):
This award is given to the gentleman of 60 or more who most successfully ignored the passing years in his pursuit of the fairer sex. In a hotly contested category, the nominees are...
• SIR PAUL McCARTNEY, 66, who emerged from the wreckage of his marriage to Heather in fine form, squiring a succession of middle-aged beauties, including actress (and former girlfriend of Peter Gabriel) Rosanna Arquette, before settling into the elegant embrace of New York businesswoman Nancy Shevell.
• HUGH HEFNER, 82, who declared in February that his No 1 girlfriend Holly Madison, 29, was, 'the relationship that will last the rest of my life'. By October, however, he'd dumped Holly and the other two girls of the Playboy Mansion, Kendra Wilkinson, 23, and Bridget Marquardt, 35. In their place came 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon. So both of Hef's current girlfriends, added together, are still less than half his age.
• RONNIE WOOD, a stripling of 61, who in a few wild weeks this summer managed to wreck his 23-year-old marriage to wife Jo and fall off the sobriety wagon after a wild bender ended with him falling for Ekaterina Ivanova (right with Wood), a 20-year-old Russian cocktail waitress at a sleazy Soho escort bar. Months later, the couple still appear to be together, but the marriage is beyond repair.
AND THE WINNER IS . . . Ronnie Wood! He entertained us all by being living proof that there's no fool like an old fool, without actually being quite as stomach-churningly sordid as The Hef.

Read on for The Dazzling Dame of the Year (sponsored by HRT), The Prettiest Couple on Earth, Political Co-stars of the Year, The 'Too-Much-Information' Award, Worst Love-Rat Award, Most Hellish Ex: . . .

Was your festive lunch all sweetness and light? We meet the couples who say: 'Christmas killed our marriage' The Daily Mail- UK, By Sadie Nicholas, December 25, 2008
For some couples, the stress of Christmas can bring simmering tensions to the fore. We hear their stories...
Milly Johnson cannot recall the precise moment during Christmas when she decided to leave her husband. The thought flitted through her mind while she was carving the turkey. There was also the sinking realisation that, despite having a house full of festive visitors, she had never felt so lonely in her life. And then, on New Year's Eve, came the last straw. As the clock struck midnight, Milly stood on the doorstep of her five-bedroom home, cradling her three-week-old baby boy in her arms, watching fireworks light up the sky. Upstairs, her toddler son was fast asleep. So too was her husband. Not because he was tired, but because he had been out celebrating with friends all day and was recovering. 'I couldn't take any more,' says 44-year-old novelist Milly, from Barnsley, in Yorkshire. 'I'd felt alone in our marriage for several years, and the stress and emotion of Christmas exacerbated this. 'It was another awful Christmas, during which my husband, Rod, seemed more interested in going out with his friends than spending time with his family. It magnified everything that was wrong in our relationship. 'Christmas had been a nightmare. He'd barely seemed to lift a finger around the house, while I cooked a full Christmas meal, cleaned the house and bought presents, all with a new baby. 'I was supposed to be resting, not running around after someone who was ungrateful. I knew then that our marriage had no future.' Milly's story goes against everything that Christmas is meant to be. And yet while many of us - at least ideally - envisage the festive period as a peaceful, joyful and, above all, family occasion, statistics suggest that increasingly it can end marriages already in trouble. Lawyers across Britain report that the annual New Year's dash to file for divorce is second only to the stampede at the Harrods sale. 'January is our busiest time,' explains Lindsey Canning, a lawyer with Wake Smith & Tofields in Sheffield. Family rows, infidelity at the office Christmas party, and money worries are the reasons most commonly cited by couples filing for divorce at this time of year. . .

Was your festive lunch all sweetness and light? We meet the couples who say: 'Christmas killed our marriage'

RELATED ARTICLE: Happy stressmas: We asked a woman and her mother-in-law to wear stress monitors for three days over Christmas The Daily Mail- UK, By Sadie Nicholas, December 30, 2008
There can be few more testing relationships than that of the mother and daughter-in-law, particularly during the festive season. Research by the website netmums.com showed that a third of women refuse to spend Christmas Day with their mother-in-law in order to avoid hostilities boiling over. Is it really that bad? Femail asked Karen Bremner, 37, and her mother-inlaw Christine Lownds who spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day together at Christine's semi-detached home in West Yorkshire, to wear heart monitors to measure how much stress each woman experienced. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Why we divorce lawyers are having a VERY happy New Year The Daily Mail- UK, By Vanessa Lloyd Platt, January 3, 2007
For me it came as no surprise to learn January 2 is regarded as Black Tuesday for marriages, the end of the road for many dwindling relationships. For as long as I've been a divorce lawyer - some 29 years - it has always been the same; the first working day after the Christmas break is the busiest of the year. It's a bit like the stampede on the first day of the January sales, except we have customers queuing up round the block for divorces, not discounts. On Tuesday, my phone was ringing off the hook with distressed clients wanting to make appointments, with seven women and two men demanding divorces by the end of the day. So why is it that January is such a bleak time for relationships? . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The big day: UK divorce most common today The Guardian - UK, January 8, 2007
More Britons will initiate divorce proceedings today than on any other day of the year, according to a new study. A survey of 100 divorce lawyers by the website insidedivorce.com, which launches today, found that Christmas was often the final nail in the marital coffin, leading to a surge in the number of people instructing solicitors in the new year. The divorce lawyer James Stewart, of Manches LLP, said: "Extra time together can force problems that already exist in the relationship to come to a head. We're expecting this to be our busiest day and indeed our busiest week.". .

When a Woman Isn't in the Mood: Part I Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, December 23, 2008
Given our preoccupation with politics and economics, it is easy to forget that for most of us micro issues still play a greater role in our lives. So here are some thoughts that, as heretical as they might sound, have been found extremely helpful, sometimes even marriage-saving, from listeners to my radio show, which features a “male-female hour” every week. The subject is one of the most common problems that besets marriages: the wife who is “not in the mood” and the consequently frustrated and hurt husband. There are marriages with the opposite problem — a wife who is frustrated and hurt because her husband is rarely in the mood. But, as important and as destructive as that problem is, it has different causes and different solutions, and is therefore not addressed here. What is addressed is the far more common problem of “He wants, she doesn't want.” It is an axiom of contemporary marital life that if a wife is not in the mood, she need not have sex with her husband. Here are some arguments why a woman who loves her husband might want to rethink this axiom. First, women need to recognize how a man understands a wife's refusal to have sex with him: A husband knows that his wife loves him first and foremost by her willingness to give her body to him. This is rarely the case for women. Few women know their husband loves them because he gives her his body (the idea sounds almost funny). This is, therefore, usually a revelation to a woman. Many women think men's natures are similar to theirs, and this is so different from a woman's nature, that few women know this about men unless told about it. This is a major reason many husbands clam up. A man whose wife frequently denies him sex will first be hurt, then sad, then angry, then quiet. And most men will never tell their wives why they have become quiet and distant. They are afraid to tell their wives. They are often made to feel ashamed of their male sexual nature, and they are humiliated (indeed emasculated) by feeling that they are reduced to having to beg for sex. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: When a Woman Isn't In the Mood: Part II Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, December 30, 2008
In Part I, I made the argument that any woman who is married to a good man and who wants a happy marriage ought to consent to at least some form of sexual relations as much as possible. (Men need to understand that intercourse should not necessarily be the goal of every sexual encounter.) In Part II, I advance the argument that a wife should do so even when she is not in the mood for sexual relations. I am talking about mood, not about times of emotional distress or illness. Why? Here are eight reasons for a woman not to allow not being in the mood for sex to determine whether she denies her husband sex. .

RELATED ARTICLE: Passion dies 'as soon as a woman is sure of her man' Daily Mail, August 15, 2006
It is a common complaint for many couples. However amorous they may have been in the first few years of the relationship, after a while the passion fizzles out. Now researchers have provided an explanation. Apparently, a women's libido starts to wane as soon as she feels sure she has got her man. Scientists believe the different sex drives of men and women result from the way humans evolved. . . . . Scientists have found that after four years in a relationship, fewer than half of women say they want to make love regularly. In contrast, men's sexual desire remains just as strong regardless of how long they have been with their partner. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Sacrificial Love: The Christmas Gift that Keeps On Giving Townhall.com, By Marvin Olasky, December 21, 2008
What a good year 2008 has been, personally. This spring the sudden need for a double bypass surprised me. This fall the sudden drop of my modest life's savings by 25 percent surprised me. Neither was pleasant at the time, but since our purpose in life is to learn to trust God more, what's the value of pressure to trust God? Priceless.

RELATED ARTICLE: Three Christmas Reminders: Three timely Christmas lessons hidden in Jesus’ parable. Christianity Today, By Dr. Dave Gallagher, December 1, 2008
In the early part of the 20th century, John D. Rockefeller, was the richest man in the world. His businesses accounted for one of every $30 generated in the entire U.S. economy. In today’s currency that would be equal to a fortune ten times greater than Bill Gates. Rockefeller died in 1937. A newspaper artist drew a cartoon, which posed the question: “How much did he leave?” The answer was in the next panel and said simply, “He left it all.” So it is with each of us—we leave it all. In Luke 16, we find a familiar story. The story is about a steward who is accused by his master of wasting the goods entrusted to him. As Jesus talked, the disciples listened. They realized that he was applying this story to them. As we approach the holiday season, we too must take note of the powerful reminders from the lips of our Lord. This story is about a ‘foolish steward.’ A steward is someone who manages another’s wealth. He or she does not own the wealth—they just manage it. The most important quality of the steward is faithfulness. When the trustee looks at the riches, it must be remembered that they belong to the owner. During this special season, we find three Christmas reminders hidden in this parable: . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Christmas Magic Joseph C. Phillips.com, December 12, 2005
When our children were born, my wife and I decided that Christmas in our home would emphasize the story of our savior’s birth rather than the tale of Kris Kringle. As much fun as Santa might be, it was more important to us that our children understand that all good gifts come from God and not a jolly, fat man in a red suit. . . . . . All these years later, I find myself watching my wife. I will look up, see her across the room and suddenly I am a voyeur. I admire the curves of her body, the shape of her face and the way her hair falls on her shoulders. There are times I am filled with admiration and longing and other times in which I am simply filled with wonder that we are together. Our path was long and bumpy, yet here we are, a family. That cold December night, I couldn’t know how deeply God was blessing me. . .

Jerry Brown asks California Supreme Court to void gay-marriage ban Los Angeles Times, By Jessica Garrison and Maura Dolan, December 20, 2008
-- California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown asked the state Supreme Court on Friday to invalidate the voter-approved ban on gay marriage, declaring that "the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification." Brown's argument on Proposition 8, contained in an 111-page brief filed at the last possible moment before the court's deadline, surprised many legal experts. The attorney general has a legal duty to uphold the state's laws as long as there are reasonable grounds to do so. Last month, Brown said he planned to "defend the proposition as enacted by the people of California." But in his filing, Brown, who personally supports same-sex marriage, offered a novel legal theory to back his argument that the measure should be invalidated. The California Constitution protects certain rights as "inalienable," Brown wrote. Those include a right to liberty and to privacy, which the courts have said includes a person's right to marry. The issue before the court "presents a conflict between the constitutional power of the voters to amend the Constitution, on the one hand, and the Constitution's Declaration of Rights, on the other," Brown wrote. The issue "is whether rights secured under the state Constitution's safeguard of liberty as an 'inalienable' right may intentionally be withdrawn from a class of persons by an initiative amendment." Voters are allowed to amend other parts of the Constitution by majority vote, but to use the ballot box to take away an "inalienable" right would establish a "tyranny of the majority," which the Constitution was designed, in part, to prevent, he wrote. . . . Protect Marriage had earlier received permission from the court to intervene in the case on the side of Proposition 8. At the time, the group had argued that Brown could not be trusted to defend the measure. Pugno said Friday night that he was glad he had asked to intervene. Legal analysts had previously thought the majority of the court was leaning toward upholding Proposition 8. The argument that the proposition was an improper revision of the Constitution appeared to face a difficult path. By introducing a new argument, Brown might find an opening for justices to maintain the right to same-sex marriage, they said. Nonetheless, the attorney general's brief surprised some legal scholars. Santa Clara University law professor Gerald Uelmen, an expert on the state high court, said Brown's argument "turns constitutional law on its head." Uelmen said he was unaware of any case law that supported Brown's theory. He added that he expected the state Supreme Court to reject the argument. "I think it is much too radical for this court," he said. Goodwin Liu, associate dean and professor of law at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law, said it was "extraordinary for the chief law enforcement officer of the state to decline to enforce a law -- even on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.". . .

California AG Jerry Brown asks Supreme Court to void gay marriage ban enacted by Proposition 8

RELATED BLOG & COMMENTS: Kenneth Starr to defend gay marriage ban before state Supreme Court Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2008
Kenneth W. Starr, the former U.S. Solicitor General who led the inquiry into President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica L. Lewinsky, will argue the case in favor of upholding a ban on gay marriage before the California Supreme Court. . . . . .Because it did not trust Brown to mount a staunch defense of the proposition, the group Protect Marriage intervened in the case and filed its own brief. It argues that the same-sex marriages are no longer valid.

RELATED ARTICLE: Benkoff: A different strategy on same-sex marriage NorthJersey.com, By David Benkoff, December 18, 2008
A strong case can be made that more same-sex couples would be protected if the gay and lesbian community in New Jersey and elsewhere would jettison the whole marriage campaign and focus on a new, national strategy of "mutual commitments.". . . . . I propose that my fellow gays and lesbians, in New Jersey and elsewhere, immediately halt all litigation and lobbying to achieve same-sex marriage, and instead push to achieve mutual commitment laws in as many cities and states as possible. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Opposition to California Proposition 8: Hate in the Name of Love Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, October 21, 2008
"...What we have here is truly manipulative. Four justices create a right, and then a sympathetic attorney general renames a proposition so as to protect a 4-month-old right that no one had ever voted to create. And the left accuses the right of imposing its values on society..."

RELATED ARTICLE: Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality Orthodoxy Today, By Dennis Prager
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. . . . .The revolutionary nature of Judaism's prohibiting all forms of non-marital sex was nowhere more radical, more challenging to the prevailing assumptions of mankind, than with regard to homosexuality. Indeed, Judaism may be said to have invented the notion of homosexuality, for in the ancient world sexuality was not divided between heterosexuality and homosexuality. That division was the Bible's doing. Before the Bible, the world divided sexuality between penetrator (active partner) and penetrated (passive partner). . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Deceit of Gay "Marriage" Boundless.og, By David Orland
To justify giving privileges or exemptions or subsidies to some particular group in society, the benefit of doing so for society at large must first be shown. With heterosexual marriage, the case is clear enough. Heterosexual marriage is a matter of genuine social interest because the family is essential to society's reproduction. The crux of my argument, in other words, was that married couples receive the benefits they do, not because the state is interested in promoting romantic love, or because the Bible says so or because of the influence of special interest groups but rather because the next generation is something that is and should be of interest to all of us. And, by definition, this is not a case that can be made for homosexual unions. To that degree, the attempt to turn the question of domestic partnership into a debate about fairness falls flat. . . .

The Duggar family in Arkansas welcomes their 18th child!

Arkansas Family Welcomes 18th Child AOL News, December 19, 2008
- An Arkansas woman has given birth to her 18th child. Michelle Duggar delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long. "The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters." The Duggars now have 10 sons and eight daughters. Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions Wednesday night. She needed the C-section, her third, because the baby was lying sideways. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well Thursday night. "We both would love to have more," he said. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Duggar Family - How They Do It ParentDish, By Caroline Howard, December 11, 2008
How does a couple with 17 kids even find time to get started on #18? "We try to be creative and different, and that can add a spark to the relationship," said Michelle Duggar, who is in fact expecting her next addition on New Year's Day. Michelle and her husband Jim Bob are shooting the second season of "The Duggar Family: 17 and Counting." ParentDish caught up with the couple on a rare afternoon off. . .

RELATED SITE: "The Duggar Family: 17 and Counting: Meet the Duggars." The Learning Channel- Discovery
It's official: The Duggars are a true pop culture phenomenon. With their regular appearances on national talk shows, their countless press clippings and their enormous online following, this 19-member family from Arkansas has all of America talking.

RELATED SITE: Meet the Duggars Discovery Health Features, The Discovery Channel

RELATED ARTICLE: The Fertility Gap: More Christians on the Way TownHall.com, By Chuck Colson, September 12, 2007
Every time you turn around, a presidential candidate whips out his Bible—or a position paper—to let us know how faithful he or she is. Senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) says God "would be happy with the fact that" he's focused on people without health care. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) says we should "discuss religion . . . in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another." Republicans, also, are quick to point out how faith informs their policies. Clearly, the candidates are appealing to America's religious voters—and they are smart to do so. As one social scientist recently noted, they are going to need religious voters for the long term—because Christians are having far more children than their secular neighbors. . . . This is significant, because kids tend to grow up to worship the way their parents do. In a generation or two, we are going to have a bumper crop of conservative citizens. Candidates who appeal to Christians will win more elections simply because of demographics. This is not the first time in history we have seen the demographic power of the Church. Take, for example, ancient Rome. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Married With Children: Could anything be crazier? Salvo magazine, By Kate Bluett
Are You a "Breeder”? You may not be aware of it, but if you have children—or are just heterosexual, for that matter—then there are probably people calling you "breeder” behind your back. Apparently, a person who marries someone of the opposite sex with the intention of raising a family is so-o-o last millennium, and the term "breeder” is intended to hammer this point home. There are a couple of ways that you can achieve "breeder” status. Used primarily by homosexuals, the word can simply mean "heterosexual,” referring to the fact that heterosexual sex can result in conception. But you are even more of a "breeder” if you actually have children, and it is in this sense that hip young singles—gay or not—apply the name to parents who abandoned their previous friends and lifestyles upon starting a family. (Incidentally, a female "breeder” is commonly called a "moo” and a male a "duh.”) Regardless of how it's used, however, the designation is uniformly derogatory, which is probably why no one has said it to your face yet. . .

Obama defends inaugural invitation to Warren USA Today, December 18, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday defended his decision to invite evangelical pastor Rick Warren. Obama cited the "magic" of a diverse nation. The choice of Warren, founder of a Southern California megachurch and best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life, has riled some gay and lesbian advocates, liberal groups and religious leaders because he opposes gay marriage and abortion rights and has expressed what they say are extreme views on the issues. At a news conference in Chicago, Obama called himself a "fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans" and said he will remain so as president. But he said it's important for people who disagree on social issues to work together. "We're not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is be able to create an atmosphere … where we can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans," Obama said. He noted that Joseph Lowery, the dean of the civil rights movement and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, will deliver the benediction on Jan. 20. Lowery, who has spoken out in favor of gay clergy, has "deeply contrasting views to Rick Warren on a whole host of issues," Obama said. Eddie Glaude, a professor of religion and African-American studies at Princeton University, calls Obama's selection of Warren a "sign of how shrewd he is.". . .

RELATED VIDEO: Obama Gay Inaugural Diss? YouTube- CBS December 19, 2008

Obama defends inaugural invitation to Pastor Rick Warren, host of the first presidential civil forum debate at his Saddleback Church (Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: Rick Warren Responds to the Gay Marriage & Obama Inauguration Invitation Controversy Saddleback Church, December 23, 2008

RELATED VIDEO: Obama on Warren Speech YouTube.com-CBS.com, December 18, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Defending Rick Warren: Marriage matters. National Review Online, By Mona Charen, December 29, 2008
What had Warren done to provoke such feelings? He supported California’s Proposition 8, which overturned a state-supreme-court ruling in favor of gay marriage. But wait, Barack Obama opposed gay marriage, didn’t he? He stated explicitly during the campaign that he believed marriage to be the union “between one man and one woman.” His supporters clearly assumed he was being disingenuous. Based on Obama’s other beliefs, the atmospherics of the campaign, and their own hopes, they dismissed his opposition to gay marriage. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Rick Warren: Opposed to gay marriage, not gay partnerships   OneNewsNow, By Rachel Zoll, December 27, 2008
Pastor Rick Warren, chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to pray at his inauguration, said in a video message to his church that he doesn't equate homosexual relationships with incest or pedophilia, but opposes redefining marriage just as any conservative Christian would. Warren said that disagreeing with gay-rights activists on same-sex marriage does not qualify as hate speech and doesn't mean he is anti-gay. He said Obama chose him to give the invocation at the swearing-in to show that people with different views don't have to demonize each other. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Free the Saddleback One   Townhall.com, By Debra J. Saunders, December 23, 2008
Gay civil rights groups -- the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force -- are calling on President-elect Barack Obama to yank his invitation to Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer on Jan. 20. They demand tolerance from others, but won't spare any for those with whom they disagree. Unless of course, that person is Obama, who, like Warren, opposes same-sex marriage. Then they get real ecumenical. Not to mention, very forgetful. "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian -- for me as a Christian -- it is also a sacred union," Obama said at a presidential candidate forum at the Saddleback Church in August. Obama could not make his opposition to same-sex marriage clearer. . . . Then why are gay leaders applauding the election of Obama, while calling on him to exclude the participation of the Warren? It makes no sense -- unless they had convinced themselves that Obama did not mean it when he said he opposed same-sex marriage. As long as they think he lied, he still can be their hero. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Defending Rick Warren Amid The Donuts Townhall.com, By Austin Hill, December 21, 2008
Now if one-hundred percent agreement on policy issues is the requirement for a clergyman to pray at a President’s inauguration, it’s difficult to imagine how any religious leader could in good conscience participate in any inauguration. And if Warren is a self-interested hypocrite in this situation, then we’d probably have to say the same thing of Reverend Billy Graham, for having befriended, met with, and prayed with about a half-century’s worth of American Presidents. . . . Six months ago, many Americans (myself included) were disgusted with what we learned of Obama’s Pastor from Chicago, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. And recently it was disclosed that, because of his failing health, Billy Graham will no longer be paying visits to the White House. Rick Warrren may be emerging in to a role in the life of President Obama that Wright used to play, and that Graham can no longer play. In short, Warren may be America’s next “Pastor to the Presidents” - - and that’s not a bad thing. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Obama to gay protesters: Rick Warren's my inauguration pastor pick   Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2008
No backing down whatsoever today from President-elect Barack Obama in the face of some strong criticism from gay and lesbian interests over his choice of Saddleback's Rick Warren for the invocation speaker at the Jan. 20 inauguration. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Be for gay marriage -- or else   Indiana Gazette, By Jay Ambrose, November 28, 2008
Here's what to do if you aided in the passage of Proposition 8 in the recent California election - dodge, hide, run for the hills. Otherwise, crowds will try to put you out of business, or maybe chant with unhidden bigotry about how you and every other member of your religious group are scum. Avengers will angrily accost you in the streets, even if you are an elderly, frightened woman. They will blacklist you on the Internet and try to cost you your job. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Preposterous Premise for Gay Marriage Townhall.com, By Frank Turek, November 26, 2008
After the passage of Prop 8 in California, homosexuals are still howling that they don’t have “equal rights.” Hopefully, the California Supreme Court will respect the equal rights of voters by affirming Prop 8 because the howls of homosexuals are false. The truth is every person in America already has equal marriage rights! We’re all playing by the same rules—we all have the same right to marry any non-related adult of the opposite sex. Those rules do not deny anyone “equal protection of the laws” because the qualifications to enter a marriage apply equally to everyone—every adult person has the same right to marry. Homosexuals want the court to believe that because of their sexual desires they are a special class of persons that is being discriminated against. In other words, they think that sexual desires guarantee people special legal rights. That’s a preposterous premise! . . . . . . Gay complaints of “discrimination” are bogus as well. Marriage laws do not discriminate against persons, they discriminate against behavior. That’s true of most laws. . . . The nonsensical comparisons to interracial marriage don’t work either. Race is irrelevant to marriage while gender is essential to it. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Defending marriage The Gleaner— Jamaica, By Peter Espeut, November 24, 2008
All 10 of the state's largest newspapers editorialised against Proposition 8, including the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee. A coalition of Silicon Valley executives urged a 'no' vote on Proposition 8, Google officially opposed Proposition 8 "as an issue of equality", Apple Inc also opposed Proposition 8 as a "fundamental" civil rights issue, and donated $100,000 to the 'no' campaign. Many members of the entertainment industry were opposed to Proposition 8. The non-partisan League of Women Voters of California opposed Proposition 8 because "no person or group should suffer legal, economic or administrative discrimination". It sounds like a reasonable - even ethical - position, until you look at it closely. Just because a group supporting a particular type of behaviour exists, does not mean that the behaviour they advocate should be allowed. Using argumentum ad absurdum, would the League of Women Voters of California support the league of rapists, paedophiles and perverts? Would the supporters of same-sex marriages also support defining marriage to include unions between humans and donkeys or dogs because we need to be inclusive? Support for any position, like gay marriage, must be based on the correctness of the position, not just because people have a right to hold a position, which they indisputably do. And, morality is not a matter of populism; when something is wrong, it remains wrong even if millions of people - even influential people and movie stars - powerful private-sector corporations and dozens of newspapers support it. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Yes! Yes! and Yes! on California, Arizona and Florida Propositions 8, 102, and 2! The Real Proposal magazine, October 22, 2008
Who knew that we would ever see the day when it became necessary to define what marriage is in America... or the world for that matter? That said, no one could follow, for any length of time, our continuing coverage on this very critical sociopolitical issue without realizing that, whether we like it or not, the on-going and increasingly aggressive battle to redefine marriage is the next civil rights frontier in America! Most people do not fully comprehend how we got to this place. Many have a distorted perspective on the issues based on what is being fed to us by the mainstream media, who are largely complicit with the homosexual agenda and follow their playbook and manifesto quite diligently in the effort to convert straight America into accepting homosexuality as anything but deviant behavior. Therefore, we urge you to spend some time going through our coverage on the issue. For, without a doubt, the blinders will fall away and it will become clear that there is a very careful, very deliberate, very well financed and orchestrated marketing strategy being executed by radical homosexual activists to normalize same-sex relationships in this country. And you will likely be outraged that somewhere along the way — while most of us who believe in traditional marriage were enjoying our precious freedoms, taking kids to soccer, ordering pizza and watching our favorite shows — we were being manipulated and vilified as society's new "haters," "bigots," and "homophobes."

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The Decline of Men: How the American Male is Tuning Out, Giving Up, and Flipping Off His Future

R.I.P. MEN: They earn less, are pushed around and reduced to sex objects.... or are they? Tin hats at the ready! The Daily Mail- UK, By Amanda Platell, December 17, 2008
It's a subject guaranteed to provoke the fiercest of debates: whether men have been emasculated and marginalised by feminism and the march of women professionally and educationally. It's the question at the heart of a controversial new book, The Decline Of Men by Guy Garcia, which is making waves in America. So is he right? Here, a leading female commentator and the editor of men's style bible GQ give their very different opinions.

TRUTH says Amanda Platell: It certainly says something about the dizzy new heights we've reached in bloke-bashing when a book such as The Decline Of Men could get published at all. Imagine an author turning up with their latest manuscript containing arguments such as: 'At the dawn of the 21st century, men are not just the weaker sex, they are also fast on their way to becoming poorer, dumber, sicker, lonelier. More marginal, more unnecessary, less loved.' Weaker sex? Say that about a woman, or call black Americans a weaker race, and you'd be rightly castigated. But The Decline Of Men does, amid a lot of silliness about the so-called testosterone drain, contain some uncomfortable truths for our beloved brothers. . .

TRIPE says Dylan Jones: If you are mad enough to read Guy Garcia' s new book, The Decline Of Men, you'll enter a world where the male of the species is being out-gunned, out-flanked and outshone by women. In a detailed exploration of contemporary manhood, it attempts to show how we are ultimately doomed. According to Garcia, our confusion has led to rampant male malaise, which has left many of us feeling alienated. Unable to communicate our frustrated thoughts or emotions effectively, too many of us are apparently slacking off and opting out of our manly obligations, part of an entire generation of men who are failing to live up to their potential and failing the mothers, wives and girlfriends who love them. The Decline Of Men is being sold as a wake-up call to this distressing state of affairs. Believe Garcia and you'll believe that rather than working hard to achieve top grades or a promotion at work, too many men squander their energy tracking their fantasy football league scores. Men now drop out of school at a far higher rate than women and are far likelier to die early because of poor health habits. Even the male Y-chromosome is said to be at risk of disappearing one day. The author attempts to show how the feminist movement empowered women - but in doing so castrated an entire nation of men. . .

READ BOOK EXCERPT: The Decline of Men: How the American Male is Tuning Out, Giving Up, and Flipping Off His Future By Guy Garcia, HarperCollins Publisher

RELATED ARTICLE: Child-Man in the Promised Land: Today’s single young men hang out in a hormonal limbo between adolescence and adulthood City Journal, By Kay S. Hymowitz, Winter 2008
It’s 1965 and you’re a 26-year-old white guy. You have a factory job, or maybe you work for an insurance broker. Either way, you’re married, probably have been for a few years now; you met your wife in high school, where she was in your sister’s class. You’ve already got one kid, with another on the way. For now, you’re renting an apartment in your parents’ two-family house, but you’re saving up for a three-bedroom ranch house in the next town. Yup, you’re an adult! Now meet the twenty-first-century you, also 26. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Girly Men: The Media's Attack on Masculinity Salvo Magazine 4, By S. T. Karnick
The tendency of the nation’s schools to suppress boys’ natural way of seeing and doing things, brilliantly documented by Christina Hoff-Sommers in her 2001 book The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young Men, is becoming increasingly evident in the culture. According to Hoff-Sommers, programs in America’s public schools are set up to obliterate all that is masculine and establish femininity as the human norm:. . . . . Thus, the war against boys seems to have created three main character patterns for the adult male of our time: sensitive guys who want to please women; weenies and dorks who want only to be left alone to drink beer and play video games with their dork buddies; and thugs who, in rebellion against their unnatural education, are perpetually concerned with proving their toughness through increasingly loutish behavior. There are, of course, examples of decent, positively masculine males in the culture, but they are becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the products of educational and cultural feminization. . .

New mum Nicole Kidman warned she could turn barren after breaking taboo of playing didgeridoo The Daily Mail- UK, By Richard Shears, December 16, 2008
Nicole Kidman has been warned by Aborigines who say she will not be able to have more children because she broke a sacred taboo by playing a didgeridoo on German television. Aborigine culture bars women from playing the traditional instrument because of a belief it will leave them barren. The Oscar-winning actress blew weakly into the long wooden instrument when she appeared on the TV show with fellow star Hugh Jackman to promote her latest movie, Australia. Jackman playfully danced a jig beside her - but Aboriginal tribes were far from amused when they saw pictures of the actress blowing into the instrument. 'People are going to see Nicole playing it and think it's all right,' said Aboriginal language teacher Richard Green. 'But it will mean she has no more children. It is not meant to be played by women as it will make them barren.' And Mr Alan Madden, a cultural officer with Sydney's Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, said Miss Kidman ought to have known better, particularly after the movie had been made on location in outback Australia. 'I presume she doesn't know of the taboo, otherwise she wouldn't be playing it,' said Mr Madden. But he said movie-maker Baz Luhrmann should have known better 'after working with those traditional (Aboriginal) fellas on the film'. . .

New mum Nicole Kidman told she could turn barren after breaking taboo of playing an Aboriginal digeridoo

RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: Nicole Kidman Cursed By Aborigines PopEater, December 16, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Dealing With Curses, Hexes And Spells Asian Internet Bible Institute
Curses are an unusual topic, but they are real, you can even buy numerous books on how to curse people in most bookstores especially New Age bookstores. They are now part of "teenage witch" type TV programs. However curses are not playthings and are profoundly emotionally disturbing for those who experience them. They are not just angry words or swear words; they are acts of power in the spiritual realm. Curses are mentioned over 200 times in Scripture, and were foundational to the Old Covenant (see Deuteronomy 28-30). God Himself was the first one to pronounce curses – on the earth, on Eve’s fertility and upon the serpent. Curses are not just a primitive superstition; they are spiritual pronouncements recorded in Scripture, that profoundly affect the very structure of reality in some way. . . . The good news is that breaking curses can be surprisingly easy for Christians because we dwell under the protection of the blood of Jesus Christ. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Spiritual Warfare and Breaking Curses Christian-Faith.com, Posted by Michael, February 5, 2007
Neglecting this vital area will cost you more than you can possibly calculate, especially you or your immediate forefathers have been involved in any kind of idolatry or occultism.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Break Curses Christian-Faith.com
Primary reason for curses:. . . . Indications of Curses:. . . Reasons for Curses: . . .. Sources of curses. . . How to be released from the curse. . .

The Notting Hill effect: How romantic comedies can harm your love life

The Notting Hill effect: How romantic comedies can harm your love life The Daily Mail- UK, By David Derbyshire, December 16, 2008
They have long been regarded as the perfect movie for a first date. But according to a study, romantic comedies such as Bridget Jones’s Diary and Notting Hill could be bad for your love life. Rather than being harmless entertainment, ‘rom-coms’ give people unrealistic – and potentially unhealthy – expectations about real-life relationships, scientists say. Researchers found that those who watched romantic comedies were more likely to believe in predestined love than those who preferred other genres of movie. They were also more likely to believe that perfect relationships happen instantly, and were less likely to believe that couples need to work at relationships. Watching just one romantic comedy is enough to sway people’s attitudes to romantic love, they found. Dr Bjarne Holmes, who led the research, said: ‘We are not being killjoys – we are not saying that people shouldn’t watch these movies. But we are saying that it would be helpful if people were more aware and more critical of the messages in these films. ‘The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we realise.’. . .

RELATED BROADCAST: Hollywood's Four Lies- Part 1 Truths That Transform.org, Speaker: Michael Medved
The number one myth about today's entertainment media is that they merely provide harmless entertainment that doesn't influence anyone's behavior. How can you expose this dangerous lie? Part 2

Parenting Issues: Why 'Twilight' isn't for everybody
Yes, it's about old-fashioned romance, but isn't some of the sexual content inappropriate for pre-teens? Los Angeles Times, By Sonja Bolle, December 14, 2008
When a tide of popularity rises, it erases all boundaries. The first sign that "Twilight" was a pop-culture phenomenon was that teen girls who hadn't talked to their parents in years were dressing up with their mothers in vampire costumes and attending midnight book parties together. By last summer, when the marketing for the fourth and ostensibly final book in the series reached the proportions of hysteria (and that was a mild dress rehearsal for the movie release), it had become de rigueur for any self-respecting female reader of any age to read the books. Not only to read them, but to swoon over them, to be overwhelmed by them; to find, as 10-year-old Lyla Polon of Santa Monica wrote, "It's hard for me to face the fact that [the characters] are not real." Much as I like the novels -- and I devoured all of them happily -- I'm appalled to find that a sizable number of the 25 million copies now in print are going into the hands of 10-year-olds. Why would parents whose children are not yet obsessed with sex encourage their kids to read books that are one long, bodice-ripping romance?. . . . . . You might argue that kids are very good at ignoring what they're not ready for. When you ask 10-year-olds what they like about the series, they'll generally mention anything but the romance (see comments from kids below). However, you can't pretend that something isn't worming its way in there. I was once driving a carpool with three 7-year-old boys in the back seat, and we pulled up at a light next to an immense billboard showing a woman dressed in skimpy black lace, perched on a red velvet throne and restraining a Doberman pinscher on a choke chain. There was absolute silence in the back seat as three heads leaned over to peer out the window. Then one little voice piped up: "Do you think she sexes the dog?" Whatever actual information the kid was working on, he definitely got the subtext of the advertisement. (I've wrestled with my feelings about the 1st Amendment as it relates to egregious advertising ever since.). . .

Why 'Twilight' isn't for everybody: Yes, it's about old-fashioned romance, but isn't some of the sexual content inappropriate for pre-teens?

RELATED SITE: StephenieMeyer.com
The Story Behind Twilight

RELATED ARTICLE: The "Twilight" Phenomena Caryl Productions, By Caryl Matrisciana and Paul Villanueva, December 2008
. . . In only a few short years I’ve watched the occult addiction mushroom amongst teens and develop aggressively into a yearning that they’d even sell their eternal souls for. Think of it, the love of a vampire, a being the Bible describes as demon possessed, musters the longing to remain lost for eternity - the very state Jesus Christ died to save sinners from. How diabolical is Satan’s message to our young innocents luring them, through a lust-filled romance, to spend eternity with him and away from the presence of our God of love? Twilight takes occult darkness, introduced in Potter, to deeper, decadent fathoms: overt vampirism, acceptable blood-sucking (in this movie its only animal blood – later? Wait and see!) and sexual lust for the possessed soul (made appealing in its fictionalized form!). The books, akin to the Potter’s series, promote and familiarize their audience with magick, Wicca, supernatural powers and demon possession. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Twilight' sequel release is set: Summit likes a November slot for 'New Moon' Hollywood Reporter, By Carl DiOrio, December 15, 2008
That seems to be the thinking at Summit Entertainment, which Monday slotted the film "New Moon" -- the sequel to vampire romance "Twilight" -- for Friday, Nov. 20. "Twilight" opened with a huge $69.6 million in domestic boxoffice in the Nov. 21 frame this year, and distributors tend to return to the scene of such happy events with future franchise installments. "Same time, same place," Summit distribution boss Richie Fay said. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: What Girls Want: An Edward Cullen to Love Them Townhall.com, By Dr. Miriam Grossman, M.D., December 8, 2008
American girls have a new heartthrob: a tall, gorgeous vampire who is in the eleventh grade. He thirsts for the blood of Bella, his human girlfriend, but learns to “just say no.” What is it about Edward Cullen, the male protagonist of the blockbuster Twilight series, that sends girls from Atlanta to Anchorage swooning? I asked three teen girls I know.
Nava is 14. “He’s cute, and he’s really nice to Bella.”
Kayla is 16. “He’s caring, and genuine. He expresses his love, and risks his life to protect her. And he’s handsome.”
Tanya is 19. “Edward loves Bella and wants to be with her forever, so he controls himself. The self-discipline is very hard on him, but seeing her hurt would be even worse.”
Not bad, huh? Now if only the professionals running our country’s sex education could figure that out. Because that’s what the Twilight craze is about: a guy who adores his girl so much, he’ll do anything to protect her. A guy who won’t allow his girl to get hurt, even if it means saying “no” to himself. That’s what girls want. Contrast that with Planned Parenthood’s description of the “perfect partner”. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: U.S. sides with traditional marriage...for now One News Now, By Charlie Butts, December 26, 2008
The United States has refused to sign on to a United Nations declaration on sexual orientation. In all, 67 nations have signed the declaration submitted by France. Piero Tozzi of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, or C-FAM, explains the document's assertions. "It basically called upon recognition of two new categories in human rights, one based on sexual orientation and the other one on gender identity," he notes. Tozzi says the statement's purpose is to decriminalize homosexual conduct. For now, he contends there is no cause for alarm, but the situation could change in the future. "There is no binding impact. It is purely a moral statement, but once it's in the UN system as it were, it will likely be referenced by advocates," he points out. "And the statements from the French government official Rama Yade said that this is not the end; it is only the beginning." In spite of homosexual marriage being illegal in 70 nations, Tozzi believes it will achieve international acceptance eventually. He adds that while the United States did not sign on to the declaration, the incoming Obama administration might think differently.

RELATED ARTICLE: Homosexual Activists Protest at Vatican, Say Vatican Wants to “Exterminate” Them LifeSiteNews.com, By Hilary White, Rome Correspondent, December 8, 2008
The protests and comments were made in response to the assertion by the Vatican's envoy to the United Nations that the Holy See would not support a UN resolution to “decriminalize homosexuality.” Archbishop Celestino Migliore, told a French news agency last week that the Vatican opposes the declaration because it would place even more pressure on countries to adopt or expand same-sex “marriage” or unions and would generally fuel the movement to normalize homosexuality. . . . . The UN resolution, proposed by France and backed by 50 of the UN’s 192 member states, is set to be brought to the European Union next month, where it is overwhelmingly supported. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: United Nations Urges India to Legalize Sodomy Catholic Exchange, By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, November 15th, 2008
. . .The claim of promoting “public health,” which is also made by anti-family groups in favor of abortion, contraception, and “sex education,” is contradicted by numerous studies linking sodomy to a host of illnesses and pathological behavior, including depression, suicide, violent aggression, drug abuse, venereal diseases, “flesh eating” staph infections, anal cancer, and other related problems. . . . Many of the programs for AIDS prevention celebrated by the UN are also of concern in that they often involve the massive distribution of condoms, which fail up to 10% of the time. Such programs have been associated with dramatically increased rates of HIV infection, despite their stated intentions of curbing the disease. South Africa, for example, increased condom distribution from 6 million to 198 million between 1994 and 1998, but saw a 57 increase in HIV/AIDS related deaths. Similar results have occurred in other countries. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Time to shut down homosexual clubs WorldNetDaily, By Linda Harvey, July 02, 2008
When are public health officials going to intervene and shut down homosexual clubs and other pro-homosexual programs in our schools? Last week, the Centers for Disease Control released a report on HIV/AIDS diagnoses between 2001 and 2006. The data revealed that HIV diagnoses rose over 12 percent annually among MSM – that's males having sex with males – in the 13 to 24 age group. Among all MSM, HIV/AIDS diagnoses are up over 8 percent during that time period (an estimated 1.5 percent annually). Did you get that? Each year, 12 percent more boys and young men were diagnosed with HIV. The trend is straight uphill. Yet homosexual activist groups like GLSEN and PFLAG, in lockstep with the ACLU and even Planned Parenthood, convince educators that safe-sex condom demonstrations, "gay straight alliances," and tolerance and diversity lessons are necessary "support" for those who are presumably born to engage in this behavior. Our beautifully designed 14-year-old boys were created to have anal sex? Right.

RELATED ARTICLE: Homosexuality: it isn’t natural: Ignore those researchers who claim to have discovered a ‘gay gene’, says Peter Tatchell: gay desire is not genetically determined Spiked.com, By Peter Tatchell, June 24, 2008
There is a major problem with gay gene theory, and with all theories that posit the biological programming of sexual orientation. If heterosexuality and homosexuality are, indeed, genetically predetermined (and therefore mutually exclusive and unchangeable), how do we explain bisexuality or people who, suddenly in mid-life, switch from heterosexuality to homosexuality (or vice versa)? We can’t.
[Editor's note: Peter Tatchell is a human rights campaigner, and a member of the queer rights group OutRage! and the left wing of the UK Green Party.]

RELATED ARTICLE: AIDS: Getting the message; Good news on treatment. Bad news on propaganda The Economist, June 5, 2008
It has been known for years that HIV is hard to pass on during normal heterosexual intercourse. Only one copulation in 500-1,000 with an infected individual will do so. The risk comes with certain behaviour (anal intercourse, which risks tearing the lining of the gut; and injecting drugs using dirty needles), certain professions (prostitutes of both sexes) and certain ways of life (multiple, simultaneous lovers, rather than serial polygamy). . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The writing is on the wall for UNAIDS British Medical Journal, By Roger England- chairman, Health Systems Workshop, Grenada, May 10, 2008
The creation of UNAIDS, the joint United Nations programme on HIV and AIDS, was justified by the proposition that HIV is exceptional. The foundations of exceptionalism were laid when the "rights" arguments of gay men succeeded in making HIV a special case that demanded confidentiality and informed consent and discouraged routine testing and tracing of contacts, contrary to proved experience in public health. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Why AIDS is mostly a "Gay" thing after all... Townhall.com, Posted by Kevin McCullough, June 27, 2008
Disturbingly the story casually admits that the group most at risk are boys 13-24. And to be specific - these are males who are having sex with other males... African American males - MOST at risk in the under 25 category... So who is going around raping these 13 year old black boys, and where are the voices condemning these actions from the so-called "leaders" of today's radical sexual activists?

Crist-Rome wedding a celebrity-filled fete
Couple to honeymoon in Southwest Florida Tallahassee Democrat, By Bill Cotterell, December 12, 2008
— Gov. Charlie Crist and Carole Lynn Rome were married in a brief, joyous "family affair" Friday night. The bells of First United Methodist Church pealed as the governor and his bride emerged for a 45-second public greeting after the ceremony. He even took note of loudly chanting protestors, blissfully saying they were exercising their right of free speech. The couple declined presents, citing Florida's gift-ban law that applies to state officers, and their guest list — ranging from television commentator Geraldo Rivera to the elite of Tallahassee's lobbying corps — was a mostly well-kept secret. After their 20-minute wedding, the Crists — she has taken his name — went to the posh Renaissance Vinoy Resort to dine with their guests on grouper, braised short ribs and caviar from a Sarasota County aquaculture firm. They plan a brief honeymoon at an undisclosed location in Southwest Florida. Crist said last week he expected to be back in the Capitol on Wednesday. . . . .In Williams Park, across from the church, about 150 protestors gathered — most of them maintaining a silent candle-lit vigil advocating for gay marriage. Florida voters last month approved a constitutional amendment, backed by Crist, defining marriage as the union of one man and woman. "We are here to bring attention to the fact that this amendment, that Gov. Crist endorsed, deprived us of the right to marry," said Lorna Bracewell. "We are not interfering with the wedding. We are happy for the governor and we're hoping that one day we will be able to get married." . . .

Charlie Crist weds Carole Rome in a celebrity-filled fete (Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: Crists post-wedding news conference Tallahassee Democrat, December 12, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Florida Gov. Crist's wedding tonight marries money to politics Miami Herald, By Fred Tasker, Friday 12, 2008
One Florida newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat, dubbed Friday's nuptials a marriage of power and wealth -- "his power, her wealth.'' . . . For Crist, it was love at first sight when he met Rome on a trip to New York in September 2007. There was a whirlwind of dates -- dinner at the White House with President George W. Bush, a Jimmy Buffett concert -- before he proposed to her last July. ''I was taken with her right away,'' Crist told The Associated Press. "You know how it is when you fall in love. It's pretty overwhelming -- a very cool thing.'' In fact, Crist is walking around with ''puppy dog eyes,'' longtime friend Brent Sembler says. "It's been college since I've seen Charlie act like this.'' Rome returns the sentiments. ''I've never been happier in my life,'' she told the Tampa Tribune. "I have been so blessed to have finally found the man of my dreams. I am so in love with Charlie Crist, I cannot express how blessed I feel.'' . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Florida governor talks about pending marriage, gay rumors TampaBay10.com, July 7, 2008
. . .Governor Crist also responded to rumors about his sexuality. A reporter asked Crist his reaction to some people's preoccupation with his sexuality, and sexual orientation. Crist responded, "Well, you know, when you're in the public eye, and being governor of Florida that's inevitable, you know, I don't really focus on it, I'm just damn glad I found such a wonderful lady." He was also asked if rumors about his sexual orientation or other rumors that he may be a heterosexual serial philanderer bother him. Governor Crist replied, "Well, lack of truth always would be disturbing to somebody."

RELATED ARTICLE: Florida Gov. Crist says he's getting married St. Petersburg Times, By Adam Smith, July 4, 2008
— Florida's most powerful bachelor is getting hitched. Gov. Charlie Crist, single for nearly three decades, on Thursday morning became engaged to his girlfriend of nine months, Carole Rome. . . Crist's famously frugal lifestyle could be coming to an end. While he has never bought a home and earns $140,000 a year as governor, his net worth of about $450,000 was by far the smallest of any other statewide officeholder. Meanwhile, Todd Rome estimated in court records that his ex-wife's income has been as high as $1.48-million a year, and the Romes' numerous properties included a 10,000-square-foot vacation home in Southampton, N.Y. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Talk of the Green Iguana: Will American voters elect the first gay vice president in November? New Times, By Bob Norman, February 28, 2008
The rumors about Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Green Iguana just wouldn't go away. The story goes that the Florida governor frequented the Green Iguana, a bar in Tampa, back in the early 1990s when he was just starting his political career. He was less careful back then, people say, and during his partying at the Green Iguana, he was openly gay. When I got Rick Calderoni, the bar's well-known owner, on the phone, I expected him to stonewall me about it. He didn't. . .

The Gospel Truth: How did I miss what Jesus had to say about me and my marriage?

THE GOSPEL TRUTH: How did I miss what Jesus had to say about me and my marriage? Christianity Today, By Gary D. Chapman, Fall 2008
Someone once told me that marriage is like flies on a window pane. The flies on the inside are trying to get out and those on the outside are trying to get in. I can identify with that picture. For months leading up to my wedding, I could hardly wait to be married. I was in graduate school, and I dreamed about how wonderful marriage was going to be. I had visions of coming home in the evening and studying in our apartment. I could picture her sitting on the couch; when I'd finish studying, I'd look up and our eyes would meet. Won't that be wonderful? I thought. A wife right there in the apartment! After we got married I discovered my wife didn't want to sit on the couch and watch me study. While I worked she'd go downstairs and socialize with people in the apartment complex. And I'd think, This is just like it was before we got married. The only difference is my dorm room was a lot cheaper than this place. Before we got married I had this vision that at 10:30 every night we'd go to bed together. Going to bed every night with a woman. Wow! After we got married, however, I discovered it had never crossed her mind to go to bed at 10:30. At that time of night she was just getting back from visiting the neighbors and wanted to read a book until midnight. I thought, Why didn't you read while I was reading? Then we could go to bed together! Before we got married I had the idea that everybody gets up when the sun gets up. After we got married I found out my wife doesn't do mornings. It didn't take me long not to like my wife, and it didn't take her long not to like me. And we succeeded in being utterly miserable. Everyone told me that if you're a Christian and in love, then in marriage you'll be happy. Well, I was a Christian and I was in love—at least before I got married I was in love. But I was a long way from happiness. My Christian view of marriage wouldn't allow me to entertain the thought of divorce, though I fully understood why others would pursue that option. Being a problem-solver by nature, I set out to convince my wife that we could have a good marriage if she'd just listen to me. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Study: Power in marriage unrelated to who is breadwinner Jerusalem Post, By Ruth Eglash, March 5, 2008
The spouse who is more satisfied with the relationship in a marriage is more likely to give in to the demands of his or her partner, regardless of their respective economic or educational backgrounds, according to new research published this week by Ariel University Center of Samaria. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Old Fashioned Marriage: Men at the Head Joseph C. Phillips.com, March 9, 2008
The argument truly came as a surprise. I was speaking before an audience at Kansas State University and confessed that I am what is known as old school. I believe that men should be the head of the household and that God should be at the head of the house. I explained that I wasn't referring to a division of power - of men being the boss of the house. I have been married far too long to talk crazy. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Why marriage today takes more love, work - from both partners The Christian Science Monitor, By Stephanie Coontz, June 28, 2005.
For hundreds of years, marital advice books have been written for women rather than men, because women were responsible for making a marriage work. And over all that time, their advice to women could be summed up in a single word: submit. . . . Yet many marriage-advice books still claim that the secret to a successful marriage is for women to "surrender" to their husbands' traditional views about gender roles. But recent research shows that this is a bad idea. Today men with traditional ideas about male and female roles are more likely to divorce than men with non-traditional views. It's particularly bad advice to tell women to play games to catch a man, because women tend to grow more discontented with their marriages over time, while men grow more content, even if they initially resisted pressure to change their behavior. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Strong marriages, the biblical way Townhall.com, By Marvin Olasky, June 16, 2005
Leading academic and media institutions, captive to feminism, are not about to provide much guidance on how to build strong marriages. Nor will most people, even those wed in a church, take the time to see what the Bible says about marriage. That's a shame, because the Bible clearly shows the error both of feminists who claim no differences between men and women, and of sexual segregationists who argue that women are to be concerned only with marriage and motherhood. . .

RELATED RESOURCE: The Crazy Cycle: The Foundational Principle of Love and Respect By Emerson E. Eggerichs, Ph.D
OVERVIEW: The powerful truth about Love and Respect is that the conflicts couples experience are not the root problem. Successful couples know that harmony and happiness in marriage are not primarily achieved by solving daily problems. Though these problems are real, they are not the root issue. Find out what the root issue is. This is part of the secret!

Gay Marriage Ban Inspires New Wave of Activists New York Times, By Jesse McKinley, December 9, 2008
— They’re calling it Stonewall 2.0. Outraged by California voters’ ban on same-sex marriage, a new wave of advocates, shaken out of a generational apathy, have pushed to the forefront of the gay rights movement, using freshly minted grass-roots groups and embracing not only new technologies but also old-school methods like sit-ins and sickouts. . . . . [M]any activists seem unwilling to wait for a legal solution and have planned a series of events to keep the issue in the public eye, including a nationwide candlelight vigil later this month, a Million Gay March in Washington next spring and continued protests at county clerks’ offices throughout California. . . . . .Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, a gay rights group in New York, said he applauded the sudden involvement of “people who were either complacent or not reached” during the campaign against Proposition 8. But he cautioned that the advances and methods of older groups should not be discounted. “Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater,” Mr. Wolfson said. “It’s not so much a failure of leadership; it’s an opportunity to bring more people in.” Mr. Palazzolo, the activist-actor-video artist, said it had taken Proposition 8 to reawaken political consciousness that he and many peers abandoned during college. “We’ve been spoiled,” he said. “Because while we knew we’d been discriminated against in the past, we’d never felt it until now.”

Gay marriage ban inspires a new wave of activists (Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: Calling in 'Gay' to Work Latest Form of Protest YouTube.com- AP, December 9, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Day to 'call in gay' finds few willing to strike Associated Press, By Lisa Leff, December 10, 2008
— A daylong work stoppage during which employees were encouraged to "call in gay" to express support for same-sex marriage drew spotty participation nationwide Wednesday, with some gay rights activists praising the concept but questioning its effect. In San Francisco's gay Castro district, residents and merchants said they endorsed the message behind "Day Without a Gay" but didn't think a work stoppage was practical given the poor economy and the strike's organization. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Call in gay' day protests bans on homosexual 'marriage' One News Now- AP, December 9, 2008
Scott Craig, a fifth-grade teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, had no problem requesting and being granted the day off. So many of the school's 60 teachers were eager to show support for homosexual rights they had to make sure enough stayed behind to staff classrooms. About 25 teachers plan to take Wednesday off and to have their work covered by substitutes while they discuss ways to introduce homosexual issues to their students and volunteer at the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Craig said. A letter telling parents why so many teachers would be out went home Monday. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Be for gay marriage -- or else Indiana Gazette, By Jay Ambrose, November 28, 2008
Here's what to do if you aided in the passage of Proposition 8 in the recent California election - dodge, hide, run for the hills. Otherwise, crowds will try to put you out of business, or maybe chant with unhidden bigotry about how you and every other member of your religious group are scum. Avengers will angrily accost you in the streets, even if you are an elderly, frightened woman. They will blacklist you on the Internet and try to cost you your job. . .

IOWA: Attorneys conclude Supreme Court arguments in gay marriage case Des Moines Register, December 9, 2008
Arguments have ended today before the Iowa Supreme Court over a case involving gay marriage. Varnum vs. Brien involves six same-sex Iowa couples who sued Polk County Recorder and Registrar Timothy Brien in 2005, after his office denied them marriage licenses. Polk County District Court Judge Robert Hanson sided with the couples in a ruling last year, but suspended his decision until the high court reviews the matter. The Polk County attorney’s office appealed the lower-court ruling to the Iowa Supreme Court on the grounds that Hanson erred in his 2007 ruling and that the county had followed the “clear, unambiguous language” of state law. Oral arguments today pitted the Polk County attorney’s office against the couples, financed and represented by the national gay and lesbian rights group Lambda Legal. . . . . . Assistant Polk County Attorney Roger Kuhle in his arguments said a ruling that allows same-sex marriage could harm children in future generations by eventually leading to belief that marriage is unneeded. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Iowa Supreme Court hears same-sex marriage case: Experts predict justices will rule against plaintiffs Southern Voice- Atlanta, By Chris Johnson, December 12, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE (PDF doc): Review Of Research On Homosexual Parenting, Adoption, And Foster Parenting NARTH.com, By George A. Rekers, Ph.D.
NARTH Board Member George A. Rekers, Ph.D., Professor of Neuropsychiatry & Behavioral Science, USC School of Medicine, has written extensively on the impact of gay parenting on children and has testified before state legislatures on the importance of the two-parent home with a mother and father. His paper, "Review Of Research On Homosexual Parenting, Adoption, And Foster Parenting" describes the negative impact that gay parents have on their children.

Publicly arguing for traditional marriage is worth it even if I don't change minds

UP FOR DEBATE: Publicly arguing for traditional marriage is worth it even if I don't change many minds. Christianity Today, By Glenn T. Stanton, January 2009 Issue
John Corvino and I are highly unlikely though dear friends who travel long distances for one purpose: to fight passionately with each other in front of large crowds. At the invitation of law schools and student activities groups, we have met at colleges a few times each semester for the last six years to debate the issue of same-sex marriage and parenting. We are compelled by the conviction that it's a topic too important to be left to the cheap exchange of sound bites. And we want to show young people how democracy not only allows but actually demands debate that is thoughtful, passionately disagreeable, yet civil. We have no interest in maintaining a lowest-common-denominator, kumbaya civility. John and I constantly hear disbelief at how we can be so opposed on such a life-shaping issue yet remain friends. . . . . John is honest enough to recognize that being a Christian on a secular campus is no day at the beach. He notes that "his folks" have little reticence about standing up in large forums and asking demanding questions. "My folks," on the other hand, are typically silent or miniscule in number. He sees that after our events, students will approach me quietly, mumble something, shake my hand, and leave. He imagines this is how closeted students struggling with their sexuality would approach him. This observation has recently led John to launch into a sermonette about how we are all the poorer for only one side's involvement— including John, who is cheated out of participating in this section of the evening. At Louisiana State University in 2007, his plea on this point was particularly impassioned. After a long, uncomfortable silence, a mother with her teenage children in tow nervously stood. "I feel very strongly about this issue, but I feel unsafe to speak up," she said. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Costs of an Offensive Analogy Townhall.com, By Michael Medved , December 10, 2008
Why did 70% of California African-Americans vote against gay marriage on November 4th?

RELATED ARTICLE: Friends with the Enemy 365Gay.com, By John Corvino, December 12, 2008
Glenn Stanton is a friend of mine. He’s also badly wrong about same-sex marriage, and I tell him so—frequently, publicly, and sharply. Glenn works at Focus on the Family, a premier organization of the religious right. He and I regularly debate same-sex marriage at campuses around the country. Glenn has written about our relationship in the January issue of Christianity Today, where he describes us as “highly unlikely but dear friends.” It’s a good description. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Jewish case against same-sex marriage The Jerusalem Post, By David Benkof, December 10, 2008
The more same-sex marriage succeeds, the quicker the idea will take hold throughout the government and society that favoring man-woman marriage is a kind of bigotry akin to racism. Teachers will be punished if they teach that marriage is a union of a man and a woman. Students who express distaste for same-sex marriage and state that they only want an opposite-sex spouse may even be reprimanded for being closed-minded. I know that liberal Jews in particular are unlikely to be persuaded by some of the arguments above. But I hope everyone can agree that they are legitimate arguments, and that those of us who agree with Judaism's prescription for man-woman marriage are not narrow-minded bigots trying to make gays into second-class citizens. Rather, we are individuals using our free-speech rights and our votes to help shape a society that is consistent with our values. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Finally, "Straight Talk" From the Homosexual Agenda Townhall.com, By Austin Nimocks, October 20, 2008
We all love and appreciate honesty, and it’s finally coming from the most unlikely of sources—the homosexual agenda. No matter what side of the issues of homosexual behavior you may find yourself supporting, a standing ovation is appropriate. John Corvino, I salute you. You see, back in August, my jaw hit the floor when I read a column Corvino wrote that was breathtakingly honest. You see, for many years, the homosexual agenda’s intentions, goals, and beliefs have been shrouded in smokescreens of “equality,” “benefits,” and “fairness.” Yet Corvino provided a breath of fresh air, telling us what those who engage in homosexual behavior really want: moral approval. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT GOD HATH NOT JOINED: Why marriage was designed for male and female. Christianity Today.com, By Edith M. Humphrey, Originally published September 1, 2004
Our radically confused society is debating the meaning of marriage with increasing intensity. That question leads to a host of other issues—especially the boundaries of sexual behavior and the nature of procreation. No one is untouched by this debate. Confusion in society spreads easily to the church. To help bring a biblical perspective to these discussions, Christianity Today offers this special section, the first of a series. Here we focus on the meaning of marriage in light of the national debate about gay marriage. In future issues, we'll go down other paths. As we address these issues over the long term, we hope to communicate two things: First, a definite "no" to calls to lower the moral bar (whether they come from within the church or from secular critics). And second, a decided "yes" to respect and extend compassion to the people who advocate views and practices we oppose. The issues are too important to fall short in either direction. —Editors

Parenting Issues: The Kids Are Alright. Just Ask Them Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, December 8, 2008
The Josephson Institute of Los Angeles, which studies contemporary ethics and morals, recently released its “2008 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth.” According to the Institute, the “results paint a troubling picture of our future politicians and parents, cops and corporate executives, and journalists and generals.” Troubling, but not surprising. The Report Card was based on a survey of 29,760 high school students across the country. They were asked 62 questions about their actions and their attitudes. The “troubling picture” Josephson referred to came from results like these: Thirty percent of those surveyed “admitted stealing from a store within the past year.” Contrary to what you might expect, girls were not significantly less likely to steal than boys—26 percent versus 35 percent. Whatever drove kids to steal, it wasn’t the impersonal nature of the offense—23 percent admitted to stealing from a parent or relative, and 20 percent acknowledged to stealing from a friend. Inside the classroom, 64 percent admitted to cheating on at least one test, and 38 percent said that they had cheated two or more times during the past year. We ought not to expect people who admit to theft and cheating to tell the truth—and the findings bear that out. Forty-two percent said that they sometimes lie to save money, and 83 percent confessed that they had lied to their parents about “something significant.” As bad as all this sounds, the Institute says that, if anything, it understates the dishonesty of American kids. How do they know? Twenty-six percent admitted that they lied on some of their survey answers. Yet despite all the admissions of lying, theft, and cheating, 93 percent described themselves as “satisfied with their personal ethics.” Seventy-seven percent said that, when it comes to doing right, they are better than most people they know. . .

RELATED QUIZ: What kind of example do you set? Take our new survey for adults Josephson Institute

Josephson Institute 2008 American youth ethics survey results are in...and they are not good

RELATED REPORT: The Ethics of American Youth - 2008 summary: Survey of teens reveals entrenched habits of dishonesty — stealing, lying, and cheating rates climb to alarming rates. Josephson Institute
Josephson Institute's 2008 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth is based on a survey of nearly 30,000 students in high schools across the U.S. The results paint a troubling picture of our future politicians and parents, cops and corporate executives, and journalists and generals.

RELATED VIDEO DISCUSSION: Are America's political scandals just another symptom of a deep spiritual problem? OneNewsNow, December 10, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Moral relativism - the 'troubling' future of America's children OneNewsNow, By Pete Chagnon, December 5, 2008
"I think this is very troubling, and it's just one more indication of how relativism has infected our society and negatively influenced the behavior of young people," Maier notes. "[W]e've seen over the last generation or so a move to question absolute truth and certainly to question biblical truth -- and it really doesn't surprise me that now we are starting to see the result in the behavior of our young people." Another upsetting aspect Maier points to is that these students are the future of America. "These are our future leaders, our future business people, our future parents and spouses," he laments. "If they are willing to lie and to cheat and to steal, it doesn't bode well for the future of our society." Maier also notes that the Christian realm is not impervious to this moral relativism-type of mindset. . . .The fight against the mindset of moral relativism begins at home, according to Maier. He believes parents should start teaching their children at a very young age that money, power, and success are not the most important aspects of life, and that what really matters is a person's character. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers Townhall.com, By Ken Connor, December 7, 2008
If actions speak louder than words, what do recent events at a New York state Walmart say about the state of American culture? On "Black Friday," two thousand people burst through the doors of a Walmart store in Long Island at five a.m., trampling an employee to death in a mad dash to get to sale items before the person next to them. Signs of America's rampant consumerism have existed for decades, but this tragedy takes the cake. . . . There is a common thread that runs through this 1964 case of willful abandonment, the sordid online suicide, and the Walmart trampling: these tragedies occurred because individuals were looking out for their own interests rather than that of their fellow man. Their actions led to the deaths of their neighbors, and for what? A couple of hours of "fun" online voyeurism? A little extra sleep? $50 off of a tv? How did we get to this point in "the home of the brave"? Why do so many Americans exhibit so little concern for their neighbor? Doubtless, there are many causes, but prominent among them is our willingness to sacrifice core principles of human dignity on the altar of convenience. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Moral absolutes: Judeo-Christian values Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager , May 3, 2005
Nothing more separates Judeo-Christian values from secular values than the question of whether morality -- what is good or evil -- is absolute or relative. In other words, is there an objective right or wrong, or is right or wrong a matter of personal opinion? In the Judeo-Christian value system, God is the source of moral values and therefore what is moral and immoral transcends personal or societal opinion. Without God, each society or individual makes up its or his/her moral standards. But once individuals or societies become the source of right and wrong, right and wrong, good and evil, are merely adjectives describing one's preferences. This is known as moral relativism, and it is the dominant attitude toward morality in modern secular society. . .

NEWSWEEK COVER STORY: The Religious Case for Gay Marriage (Click for Related Video)

GAY MARRIAGE: Our Mutual Joy
Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side. Newsweek: Cover Story, By Lisa Miller, December 6, 2008 (From the December 15, 2008 Issue)
Let's try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. "It is better to marry than to burn with passion," says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script? Of course not, yet the religious opponents of gay marriage would have it be so. . . . . First, while the Bible and Jesus say many important things about love and family, neither explicitly defines marriage as between one man and one woman. And second, as the examples above illustrate, no sensible modern person wants marriage—theirs or anyone else's —to look in its particulars anything like what the Bible describes. ". . . . Social conservatives point to Adam and Eve as evidence for their one man, one woman argument—in particular, this verse from Genesis: "Therefore shall a man leave his mother and father, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." But as Segal says, if you believe that the Bible was written by men and not handed down in its leather bindings by God, then that verse was written by people for whom polygamy was the way of the world. (The fact that homosexual couples cannot procreate has also been raised as a biblical objection, for didn't God say, "Be fruitful and multiply"? But the Bible authors could never have imagined the brave new world of international adoption and assisted reproductive technology—and besides, heterosexuals who are infertile or past the age of reproducing get married all the time.). . .

RELATED VIDEO: Discussion on the Newsweek article OneNewsNow, December 9, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Bible angers Christians The Guardian— UK, By Alison Flood, December 1, 2008
A gay version of the Bible, in which God says it is better to be gay than straight, is to be published by an American film producer. New Mexico-based Revision Studios will publish The Princess Diana Bible – so named because of Diana's "many good works", it says – online at princessdianabible.com in spring 2009. A preview of Genesis is already available, in which instead of creating Adam and Eve, God creates Aida and Eve. "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Aida, and she slept: and he took one of her ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from woman, made he another woman, and brought her unto the first. And Aida said, 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of me. Therefore shall a woman leave her mother, and shall cleave unto her wife: and they shall be one flesh.' And they were both naked, the woman and her wife, and were not ashamed." The film studio said it would also adapt and direct the revised Bible as a two-part mini-series, The Gay Old Testament and The Gay New Testament, once it is completed. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: No Case for Homosexuality in Bible   Washington Post- On Faith blog, By Joseph Bottum, John Mark Reynolds, Bruce D. Porter, December 15, 2008
In truth, of course, Meacham and Miller actually know what everyone else knows: The Bible offers no support for homosexual marriage. Christianity teaches love, mercy, and forgiveness for those who do bad things, true enough. Look, for example, at the story in the Gospel of John where Jesus offers his divine love, mercy, and forgiveness to a woman guilty of adultery. He shamed those who would stone her. He taught us all that we are sinners and often hypocrites. And then he told her, "Go and sin no more." He did not reinterpret the Old Testament to proclaim adultery another life-style choice.

RELATED ARTICLE: Turning the Bible on its Head -- Newsweek Goes for Gay Marriage Albert Mohler.com, December 8, 2008
The national news media are collectively embarrassed by the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Gay rights activists are publicly calling on the mainstream media to offer support for gay marriage, arguing that the media let them down in November. It appears that Newsweek intends to do its part to press for same-sex marriage. Many observers believe that the main obstacle to this agenda is a resolute opposition grounded in Christian conviction. Newsweek clearly intends to reduce that opposition. . . . . . Disappointingly, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham offers an editorial note that broadens Newsweek's responsibility for this atrocity of an article and reveals even more of the agenda: . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology  NARTH.com, By Joe Dallas
This three-part series will address the pro-gay theology by dividing its arguments--or tenets--into three categories: social justice arguments, general religious arguments, and scriptural arguments. A brief description of these arguments will be provided, followed by a response/rebuttal to each. . . . When God is reputed to sanction what He has already clearly forbidden, then a religious travesty is being played out, and boldly. Confronting it is necessary because it (the pro-gay theology) asks us to confirm professing Christians in their sin, when we are Biblically commanded to do just the opposite. . .

Editor's Note: The author of this article, Joe Dallas, is the Founder of Genesis Counseling. He has authored several books on homosexuality, among them: * A Strong Delusion: Confronting the "Gay Christian" Movement   * Desires in Conflict   * Unforgiven Sins   * The Game Plan: The Men's 30-Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity   * When Homosexuality Hits Home: What to Do When a Loved One Says They're Gay. A former gay rights activist and staff member of the largely gay Metropolitan Community Church, he has worked with hundreds of men and women struggling with homosexuality and related problems.

RELATED ARTICLE: Q & A: Is Homosexuality a Sin?   Laying Hands.com
Question: "My church has been struggling with the issue of same-sex unions and whether practicing homosexuals should be ordained and so on. My question is, what does the Bible say about homosexuality?"

Answer: It seems that a number of churches and denominations these days are wrestling with the issue of homosexuality. Since this is such an emotionally-charged subject, we need to be especially careful when we study what the Bible says about this. For example, some people use Scripture to justify homosexuality, and other people use Scripture to condemn homosexuality. Obviously the Bible does not support both of these viewpoints (because then Scripture would be contradicting itself), so it is important that we carefully study the Bible with an honest desire to find out God's view concerning homosexuality. . .

RELATED BLOG: Historical Christianity Can Not be Reconciled with Gay Christian(*a) Theology Scripture Refiner's Fire- Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth in Love, January 26, 2008
(*a) The terms "Gay Christian" and "Gay Christianity" are used in this report to describe same-sex practicing unrepentant gays that call themselves Christians and refuse to acknowledge that gay sex is sin. . . . We believe God can forgive any sin including gay-sex, and we believe gays should be accepted in the church body like any other sinners. However, we do not accept their brazen attempt to legitimize immoral conduct that the Bible never commanded us to accept. It is not required for a sinner to repent first before they attend church, and they are welcome to attend, but it is required that they must abstain from injuring the church body by trying to legitimize immorality. In our opinion the gay Christian Movement is a Trojan horse to launch the gay-political agenda into the church. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Dale Martin's "arsenokoites and malakos" tried and found wanting
In the multifaceted debate regarding homosexuality and the church, an issue that has surfaced is the proper interpretation of 1 Cor 6:9-10, where Paul writes that neither "homosexuals nor sodomites" (NKJV) shall inherit the kingdom of God. At first glance, the meaning of "homosexuals and sodomites" seems rather clear. But "Not so!" say those who advocate the normalization of homosexuality. Thus, this passage has become a hot issue with scholars aligning themselves along two basic lines of thought. Some say that the original words in Greek have been translated in an unnecessarily harsh way that condemns all homosexual behavior when in fact, they contend, Paul was merely condemning homosexual rape and other forms of sexual exploitation. Others reject this revisionist interpretation and hold that the traditional translation of the text (for example, as rendered above in the NKJV) is fair and accurate. This would be a traditionalist approach. So, who's right?. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Rights: A Summary of the Debate FaithFacts.com
There are several basic aspects to the cultural debate surrounding homosexual behavior. Here is a brief summary from a Christian perspective. Fairness:. . . While it is very important to strive for fairness for everyone, it is equally important to consider an important concept: While all people are created equal, not all ideas or behaviors are equal. There is, in fact, a hierarchy of ideas. This is intuitively obvious, as well as biblically obvious. And it is the place at which we must begin. It is the key statement that must be made in this debate. In the area of human sexuality, for example, adultery is not morally equivalent to fidelity. Prostitution is not morally equivalent to sex with love. Fornication is not morally equivalent to the virtue of chastity. . . .The Bible. . . The Theology. . . Sanctity of Marriage. . . Born That Way. . . Ravages of the Lifestyle. . . A Loving Lifestyle?. . . A Way Out?. . .

Supreme Court – Obama Birth Certificate -The verdict is in! Black Hills South Dakota News, By Scott Prentice, December 6, 2008
Reading “Traditional News Media” reports you would think it was. Reading headlines and briefs like ABC Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper and I quote: “After the Justices meet -- and assuredly decline to hear the matter -- the anti-Obama activists supporting the case will hold a vigil near the steps of the highest Court in the land.” Or Los Angeles Time reporting – Satire “It may come as something of a shock to those millions planning trips to Washington for the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama that he isn't really legally capable of taking the oath.” And using Obama’s “So called Fake” Certificate of Live Birth [COLB]. The Donofrio case does not challenge Obama's citizenship or the COLB that they display. Donofrio accepts that Obama is a US Citizen but, because Obama's own admission of dual citizenship at birth, Donofrio claims he is not a Natural Born Citizen as required by the US Constitution. (Period) The full orders from the SCOTUS [Supreme Court of the United States] aren't due until Monday December 8th, 2008. If in the unlikely event they don't listen to this case, doesn't mean that this issue is over. As many readers are discovering if you are at all concerned about this issue, you could be labeled “One of those Conspirators” or your one of those who believes the “Crackpot controversy”. Don’t bite into that “Shit Sandwich” as dad use to say. We’re American’s and we have a “God – Given” right to know where our president was born without any ambiguity. When there is so much ambiguity around a situation like this and it is given to the Supreme Court to help us settle the matter, I would highly recommend that the media report the facts and keep their liberal opinions to themselves.

RELATED ARTICLE: Mr. Obama's Eligibility to be Aired Monday at the National Press Club MarketWatch- Wall Street Journal, December 4, 2008
On Monday, December 8, 2008, at 1:30 pm, the We The People Foundation will conduct a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. The licensed attorneys who initiated lawsuits in PA (Philip Berg), NJ (Leo Donofrio) and CA (Orly Taitz), challenging Mr. Obama's legal eligibility to hold the Office of President of the United States, will briefly summarize the facts, legal arguments and status of their cases. They will answer questions from the press. Prior to the start of the conference, at 10 am, the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to announce whether it will consider applications from these attorneys who have asked the Court to delay the proceedings of the Electoral College pending a determination of the underlying constitutional question - the meaning of the "natural born citizen" clause of Article II of the Constitution and its application to Mr. Obama. . .

RELATED SITE: We The People Foundation.org:
Birth Certificate: "Certificate" or "Certification" of Live Birth?
Mr. Obama has only proffered a discredited 2007 computer-generated, unsigned, "Certification of Live Birth" that is suspected of being a forgery. This “short-form” document is NOT the same as an original vault copy birth certificate (i.e., a “Certificate of Live Birth”) as it does not bear a sworn certification of an attendant physician or contain other vital birth information such as hospital location, mother’s age, etc. which are necessary to verify the full citizenship status of a person, i.e., a "natural born" OR "naturalized" U.S. citizen. "Naturalized" U.S. citizens, such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are NOT eligible to become U.S. President.

The US Supreme Court Won't Review Obama's Citizenship (Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: Supreme Court Won't Review Obama's Citizenship YouTube-AP, December 8, 2008 (Update)

RELATED ARTICLE: Will Supremes review citizenship arguments? Lawsuit: Even with a valid birth certificate, 'he still wouldn't be eligible to be president' WorldNetDaily, December 5, 2008
"Don't be distracted by the birth certificate and Indonesia issues," Donofrio writes on his Natural Born Citizen blog. "They are irrelevant to Senator Obama's ineligibility to be president. Since Barack Obama's father was a citizen of Kenya and therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of Senator Obama's birth, then Senator Obama was a British citizen 'at birth.'"

RELATED VIDEO: Obama Citizenship: (Ep. 6: October Surprise) October 10, 2008
In "October Surprise", Molotov Mitchell interviews the plaintiff, Philip Berg, in a stunning federal case against Barack Obama.

RELATED ARTICLE: Where Were You Born, Obama? Townhall.com, By Diana West , December 12, 2008
I think it is nothing less than good citizenship to seek to verify that Obama is a "natural born citizen" since our elites, which include the major political parties and the MSM, failed to bring the matter to its extremely simple resolution long ago. But while important, this isn't just a story about whether we as Americans are right or wrong to ask our president-elect the question about his original birth certificate. It is about whether our president-elect is right or wrong not to answer it. Once again, Barack Obama is treated as though he were not even a part of this story. Those who seek to resolve the birth certificate controversy draw the fire, but not the man who causes it.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Divided States of America WorldNetDaily, By Henry Lamb, December 6, 2008
What happens if it turns out that Barack Obama is not a "natural born" citizen of the United States? Does it really matter? He has won the popular vote; he has, in effect, won the Electoral College vote; and he has nominated an impressive array of high-powered people to lead the nation. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Yes, we did. But we're not ready to throw confetti Editorial- The Real Proposal magazine, Published November 08, 2008
Finally, our nation — and, indeed, the world — has an answer to the rhetorical question of old, "Is America able to elect a Black president?" Well, yes, we can. Finally, we also have an answer regarding whether we would ever retire and move beyond the Jesse Jackson's and the Al Sharpton's as the face of leadership in the African-American community, and the incessant arguing about race relations. Well, obviously, we can. And we should. By virtue of the Afro-Caribbean roots in our diverse family tree at The Real Proposal magazine, we have an enormous interest in seeing the first legitimate African-American contender succeed in the highest office of the land...just not his liberal agenda. And were these issues not sufficient for pause, there are still yet unanswered questions regarding Mr. Obama's background and past affiliations. So, pardon us, if we're not quite ready to throw the inauguration confetti. . .

Voices raised over newspaper column at the University of Washington (Click for Related Video)

Voices raised over column at UW
About 200 people attended a rally Friday at the University of Washington to protest an anti-gay marriage column that ran in the student newspaper, The Daily Seattle Times, By Nick Perry, December 6, 2008
About 200 people attended a rally Friday at the University of Washington to protest an anti-gay-marriage column that ran in the student newspaper, The Daily. Protesters say language in the column, including a reference to bestiality, and the accompanying image of a man standing next to a sheep amounted to hate speech. But speakers differed on whether the paper should be censured. Ana Mari Cauce, the UW's dean of arts and sciences, spoke of her struggles coming out as a lesbian and the hurt she felt in reading the column. "But the antidote to free speech is more free speech," she said. "I am thankful that I am living in a country where everyone has the right to express their opinions." On the other hand, the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) this week passed a resolution demanding the paper apologize. However, The Daily's editor-in-chief, Sarah Jeglum, said she stands behind the decision to run the column and isn't planning an apology. In a Friday column, Jeglum said she had learned "Free speech is for everyone. It's not just for the majority, and it's not just for the minority.". .

RELATED ARTICLE: Letter from editor The Daily- University of Washington, By Sarah Jeglum, December 5, 2008
Here’s what I’ve learned: Free speech is for everyone. It’s not just for the majority, and it’s not just for the minority. It’s not just for people you agree with, and it’s not just for people you disagree with. It’s for you, and it’s for every person on this campus and in this community. On this campus, The Daily is the student voice — your voice. In the end, the only way we can hash out our differences is to voice our opinions, and consider and respond to the opinions of others. The role of a newspaper in all of this is to be a forum for that to happen. . .

RELATED VIDEO: Students rally in response to Daily article The Daily— HuskyCast, December 6, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Opinion article incites rally against homophobia, hate The Daily, University of Washington, By Casey Smith, December 6, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: OPINION: Gay marriage? Let’s stop and think about this The Daily, University of Washington, November 25, 2008
Few issues of cultural importance in America long escape the gaze of a Simpsons’ episode. In the episode titled “There’s Something About Marrying,” the city of Springfield legalizes gay marriage, prompting Homer Simpson to become an Episcopal priest in order to reap lucrative benefits for conducting such unions. Homer very quickly realizes that he could make even more money in nuptials if he is less discriminating, and by the end of the episode he’s proceeding to marry the Sea Captain to the mermaid-shaped masthead of his ship. We laugh about scenes like this and say they could never happen; of course, that’s what our grandparents were saying about gay marriage a generation ago. . . . .There’s also a social consideration. The potential of open homosexuality for creating social dysfunction has been made manifest in the protests against Prop 8 since Nov. 4. Organizations such as the Mormon Church have been intimidated; people who financially supported Prop. 8 have had their names posted on antigayblacklist.com — some have been harassed or even threatened with losing their jobs. This sad reaction illustrates the danger of gay marriage. Now, this is not to suggest that all or even most supporters of gay marriage have acted inappropriately. Once people become accustomed to violating certain social norms, they tend to feel less constrained about breaking others. It’s hard to tell someone they should respect basic social rules — such as not harassing people for honest disagreement — when they already reject other customs, such as traditional marriage. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: When marriage became a 'hate crime' Jewish World Review, By George Will, June 25, 2007
Marriage is the foundation of the natural family and sustains family values. That sentence is inflammatory, perhaps even a hate crime. . . At least it is in Oakland, Calif. That city's government says those words italicized here constitute something akin to hate speech, and can be proscribed from the government's open e-mail system and employee bulletin board. . . . . The flier supposedly violated the city regulation prohibiting "discrimination and/or harassment based on sexual orientation." The only cited disruption was one lesbian's complaint that the flier made her feel "targeted" and "excluded." So anyone has the power to be a censor just by saying someone's speech has hurt his or her feelings. . .

New star-studded Web video protests Proposition 8 Washington Post, By Jake Coyle, December 4, 2008
-- Since Proposition 8 passed in California, much of Hollywood has been up in arms. Now, they are singing and dancing, too, in a new Web video called "Prop 8: The Musical." The video was posted Wednesday on FunnyOrDie.com, the video site co-founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. The site has found a niche in getting professional talent to quickly create topical comedy videos. "Prop 8: The Musical" may be a 3-minute Internet video, but it has a blockbuster cast _ including Jack Black (who plays Jesus), Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho, Rashida Jones and others. . . . . The video was conceived and written by Marc Shaiman, the Tony-winning composer of "Hairspray" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." . . . . Shaiman had been involved in a more serious debate over Proposition 8. After voters approved Proposition 8, which changed the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, it was revealed that Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theater in Sacramento (the state's largest nonprofit musical theater company) had donated $1,000 to the "Yes on 8" campaign. Shaiman's "Hairspray" had played at the theater and he said he would never allow anything he wrote to play there because of Eckern's donation. Others protested and Eckern resigned in November. In an interview Wednesday, Shaiman regretted that it came to Eckern losing his job and said: "It's a tragedy for everyone involved. You'll certainly see that no one called for him to resign.". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: A Response to Marc Shaiman’s Musical Against Prop 8 Townhall.com, By Dennis Prager, December 9, 2008
Marc Shaiman, the Tony Award-winning composer of the film and stage musical “Hairspray,” has done the country a major, if inadvertent, service. He has composed a brief musical piece against California Proposition 8 that takes only three minutes to reveal the ignorance and hate that pervades so much anti-Proposition 8 activism. . .

New star-studded web video, Proposition 8 - The Musical, protests Proposition 8 (Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: "Prop 8 - The Musical"
Starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... : A star-studded cast turns out for Marc Shaiman's "Prop 8 - The Musical." FunnyOrDie.com

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Bible angers Christians The Guardian— UK, By Alison Flood, December 1, 2008
A gay version of the Bible, in which God says it is better to be gay than straight, is to be published by an American film producer. . .

RELATED BLOG: Just A Quick Note To Jack Black About Prop 8 -The Musical KXNet.com- Say Anything Blog, December 4, 2008
Dear Jack, May I call you Jack? I mean, you seem like an amiable guy. I have some questions about your new little video slamming Mormon supporters of Proposition 8: I’m assuming that this is the first of a series of mocking videos and I was wondering when we could expect the next installments and which group that supported the measure would be slammed in it. Will the next installment slam the black community, which overwhelmingly voted against gay marriage? Or the Latino community, which did also? Oh, and I’m eagerly waiting for a future installment in which you take the Muslim community - who really, really hate gays - to task. You and your fellow Hollywood types have shown us how courageous you can be by tackling that the radical Mormons. But - they weren’t the only ones who didn’t support gay marriage. Show us how brave you are by addressing the above groups as well. I know you won’t let us down. Go get ‘em, Jack. I’ll be holding my breath in anticipation of your courage in this matter.

RELATED ARTICLE: Jack Black, Jesus, and Prop 8 Townhall.com, By Frank Pastore, December 4, 2008
The point of the production is to shame the voting public for passing Proposition 8 a month ago, which simply defined marriage in California as between a man and a woman. The musical is clearly intended to spark more “public outrage.” No doubt, more protests, more storming of Mormon temples and Catholic churches and more vandalism against churches will follow. Beyond that, it is likely that more church services will be crashed by same-sex activists—all in the name of “tolerance,” “love,” and “mutual understanding.” The strategy behind this shaming-of-the-public production is simple: lampoon the supporters of the constitutional amendment into embarrassment so that the next time same-sex marriage shows up on the ballot, they’ll do the “loving thing,” and support it rather than reject it, which is the only one true path to social penance, cultural redemption and liberal forgiveness—at least in the mind of the same-sex marriage crowd. What’s new about all this is their overt play, albeit erroneously, of the Jesus card. Yes, even the “No on 8” crowd can “get religion.”. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The New Hollywood Blacklist Townhall.com, By Brent Bozell III, December 5, 2008
Hollywood can still mount a soapbox and recall the dark days when people lost their jobs in show business for daring to take an unpopular political position that was outside the mainstream. Whenever they're criticized, they proclaim, "McCarthyism," accuse their critics of "blacklisting," and condemn the deplorable "intolerance." Hollywood has yet to accept, perhaps even to understand, that it is the entertainment industry that excels at this slanderous behavior. . . It wasn't enough for Marc Shaiman to get Eckern fired. Next, he made a star-studded satirical video (appearing on the comedy website Funny Or Die) mocking opponents of Prop 8, casting the comedian Jack Black as Jesus Christ, who trashed the Bible as hopelessly out of date. It is more of the anti-religious bigotry for which this industry, supposedly so devoted to "tolerance," has become famous. . .

It's time to speak out against the 'Mormon Boycott'

It's Time to Speak Out Against The 'Mormon Boycott' AmericanThinker.com, By William A. Jacobson, December 4, 2008
Supporters of gay marriage have reacted with anger at the passage of California Proposition 8, which amended the California state constitution to provide that only marriages that fit the traditional definition (one man, one woman) will be recognized. The resulting protest movement has devolved into anti-Mormon bigotry which has been met with silence by liberal civil rights groups. The anti-Mormon fervor has become so nasty, and is growing at such a pace, that it is time to speak out against the "Mormon boycott.". . . . .The use of boycotts in support of gay marriage, including by some law professors, preceded the passage of Prop. 8. These boycotts, which aim at suppressing political speech, are distinct from the boycotts of the black civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The civil rights boycotts sought not to suppress speech, but to provide access to goods and services by targeting those people withholding the goods and services. . . . The irony of singling out a religious group which has itself been the victim of discrimination appears lost on anti-Prop. 8 boycott groups. The anti-Prop. 8 boycott efforts have not been limited to Mormons, but Mormons have been the primary focus of public vitriol and at the center of the boycott movement. The evidence is mounting daily that the "Mormon boycott" efforts of pro-gay marriage groups have gone too far, and have devolved into anti-Mormon hate speech. While the web is filled with hate speech by fringe elements directed at many groups, the anti-Mormon efforts are openly embraced and promoted by a wide range of anti-Prop. 8 groups. Anti-Mormon hate speech no longer is on the fringe, it is at the heart of the post-election anti-Prop. 8 campaign. The examples are too numerous to list completely. This sampling reflects the breadth and increasing scope of post-election anti-Mormon activities:. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: LDS Church Investigated by State for Defending True Marriage: The implications of this complaint should be a cause for serious concern to all those who are dedicated to the defense of true marriage. Catholic Online, By Deacon Keith Fournier, November 26, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Political bullying works Jewish World Review, By Cal Thomas, April 5, 2001
Gay rights groups are experienced intimidators. Add to that the effective infiltration of the media, academia, religion and psychiatry by gay rights activists and their sympathizers and you see how this issue has been turned around in a single generation.

RELATED SITE: Above the Hate
Please sign the petition below to join us as we stand together to say "Enough!" to the campaign of hate and intimidation being waged against the LDS Church and other supporters of California's Proposition 8. Now is the time to stand together to protect the rights of minority religious communities to participate in the political process without fear of violence, intimidation, or vandalism.

Will there be a first mother-in-law in the White House? (Click for Related Video)

An In-Law in the White House? AOL News- America in Transition, By Greg Toppo, USA Today, December 4, 2008
— As they stare down their big move to the White House on Jan. 20, Michelle and Barack Obama face a sea of important decisions: Which church to attend? Anyone know a good organic chef? Standard poodle or goldendoodle? Historians also are hanging on another question: mother-in-law or no mother-in-law? The family says they expect Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, to leave her native Chicago early next year and move to Washington to help care for their two young daughters — a job she held throughout the presidential campaign. "If somebody's going to be with these kids other than their parents, it better be me," she told The Boston Globe. It isn't clear whether Robinson will move into the White House; neither she nor Michelle Obama would comment. If she does take up residence with the first family, they'll doubtless face a fair share of ribbing from late-night comedians. A sample so far: From Jay Leno: "Barack Obama's mother-in-law might be moving into the White House with him. See, Joe Biden was right: Hostile forces will test him in the first few months.". . . . . But in the end, says Cambridge University psychologist Terri Apter, the multigenerational Obamas could help make extended families visible again. "It seems unusual for Michelle Obama's mother to move in. You say, 'Oh, my goodness, this doesn't fit my idea of a family.' And yet it is highly consistent with a lot of real families. "Multigenerational families represent 3.6% of households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent survey in 2007, which is up from 2.2% in 2000. An estimated 3.6 million parents live with their grown kids, according to the Census Bureau. . . . . How bad can it get? In Italy, for example, a husband's inability to protect his wife from his mother is now grounds for divorce. Apter thinks Robinson and the Obamas have one huge advantage to getting along in the White House: At 55,000 square feet with 132 rooms, 35 of them bathrooms, the house is very, very big. "That helps, and it's already staffed.". . .

RELATED VIDEO: 60 Minutes: Obama Not Stupid, Won't Compare His Mother In Law To A New Dog YouTube.com

Heidi Montag's Mom: I Give Her Marriage to Spencer Pratt Six Months

Heidi Montag's Mom: I Give Her Marriage Six Months Us magazine, December 3, 2008
Heidi Montag's mom opens up in the new issue of Us Weekly about her "devastation" over her perceived loss of her daughter to Spencer Pratt - whom, she says, may have even drugged Montag before their surprise Mexico elopement. "He's manipulative and seems to have power over Heidi," Darlene Egelhoff, 46, told Us in an exclusive interview from her home in Crested Butte, Colorado the day after Montag, 22, blew off Thanksgiving with her family to stay with Pratt in Cabo San Lucas., the site of her Nov. 20 elopement. "I would like to see a blood test from Mexico. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had her drugged." "Spencer has tried to cut everyone out of her life," Egelhoff tells Us. "I've been honest with Heidi, and it's caused our relationship to decline. I'm more devastated about that than the marriage, because I'm confident the marriage won't work out." Egelhoff - who divorced Montag's dad when she was just 3 and admits she rushed into things too - says they used to be inseparable. "She was my Velcro, always attached to me," says Egelhoff. "I want the best for my daughter - and he's definitely not it. I think Spencer wants to possess Heidi more than marry her.". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Heidi Montag Finds Criticism of Wedding "Extremely Disappointing" US magazine, December 4, 2008
Heidi Montag is speaking out for the first time since marrying Spencer Pratt in Mexico on Nov. 24. Her eloping has shocked many, including her mother, Darlene Egelhoff, who tells the new issue Us Weekly that Spencer may have drugged her daughter to get her to marry him. "I want to make it very clear to family, friends and fans that the decision to marry Spencer was very much mine. It was a beautiful day, and I've never been happier," Heidi tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. "For someone who wasn't even there to suggest otherwise is extremely disappointing.". . .

RELATED PHOTO ESSAY: Look back at Heidi and Spencer's cheesiest moments Us magazine

RELATED ARTICLE: Anne Heche Marries, Uncovers Past: A wedding and a book promotion for Ellen DeGeneres's ex, who tells Barbara Walters that her father sexually abused her when she was a child People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, September 04, 2001
. . . Heche, who split with Ellen DeGeneres in August of last year [2000], reportedly met Laffoon while he was working on a documentary about DeGeneres's stand-up comedy tour. When they were together, Heche and DeGeneres were considered the country's most prominent lesbian couple. As for her memoir, Heche reveals in its pages that she spent the first 31 years of her life suffering from mental illness that she says was triggered by sexual abuse at the hands of her father. (Donald Heche was a choir director in a Baptist church who frequented gay bars at night. Heche found out about her father's double life at the age of 12, as he lay dying of AIDS.). . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Research Yet: Two psychologists show that homosexuals should not be discouraged from seeking change Christianity Today, By Tim Stafford, September 13, 2007
When Stanton Jones first began to study psychology, homosexuality was a malady, listed and described in the official "diagnostic Bible," the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In 1973, that diagnosis was dropped. Now the American Psychological Association's official website states, "The reality is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require treatment and is not changeable." The website warns that "conversion therapy" is poorly documented and could cause potential harm. The American Psychiatric Association's website adds, "[T]here is no published scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of 'reparative therapy' as a treatment to change one's sexual orientation. The potential risks of 'reparative therapy' are great, including depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior." What to make, then, of the apparently sincere personal testimonies of people claiming to be ex-gay?. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study Of Religiously Mediated Change In Sexual Orientation' NARTH.com, By George A. Rekers, Ph.D.
This is clearly the best scientific study yet conducted on change of homosexual orientation and on the question as to whether attempts at such change are inherently harmful. My academic peer review found this investigation to be the most rigorous, well-designed empirical study to date on these questions. This study meets the high research standards set by the American Psychological Association that individuals be validly assessed, followed, and reported over time with a prospective, longitudinal outcome research design. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Book Review: "Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The Well-Intentioned Path to Harm" NARTH
"Psychology, psychiatry, and social work have been captured by an ultra-liberal agenda"
"Misguided political correctness tethers our intellects"
"If psychology is to soar like an eagle, it needs both a left wing and a right wing."
The above statements do not emerge from the pen of a radical, right-wing, fanatical conservative. Rather, they are the conclusion of a new book written by two self-identified "lifelong liberal activists" and influential leaders of the American Psychological Association (APA), who vigorously oppose the illiberalism of their fellow psychologists. Rogers H. Wright and Nicholas A. Cummings have been visible presences in the APA in the following roles:. . . . . Cummings and O'Donohue conclude that psychology has surrendered its professionalism and its science to political correctness. They offer the following examples: APA's support for absolving responsibility for aberrant behavior when it is "hardwired"; the broadening of the concept of victimology where "everyone is a victim, but no one is crazy"; and the reformulation of psychiatric diagnosis because of pressure from activists (p. 8). The author's view of the 1973 and 1974 decisions reclassifying homosexuality is worthy of quoting here: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association yielded suddenly and completely to political pressure when in 1973 it removed homosexuality as a treatable aberrant condition. A political firestorm had been created by gay activists within psychiatry, with intense opposition to normalizing homosexuality coming from a few outspoken psychiatrists who were demonized and even threatened, rather than scientifically refuted. Psychiatry's House of Delegates sidestepped the conflict by putting the matter to a vote of the membership, marking the first time in the history of healthcare that a diagnosis or lack of diagnosis was decided by popular vote rather than scientific evidence. . .

Legislative grandstanding on Proposition 8 insults voters

Legislative Grandstanding on Prop 8 Insults Voters Yes on 8 News, December 2, 2008
– Leaders of the ProtectMarriage.com – Yes on Proposition 8 campaign today accused legislators of “grandstanding for the cameras” in an inappropriate and misguided publicity stunt designed to influence the California Supreme Court in the lead-up to the Court’s scheduled hearing on the validity of Proposition 8. “You’d think that these legislators would be focused on resolving the budget deficit or improving the economy. Instead, they seem more interested in grandstanding for the cameras and thumbing their noses at voters who enacted Proposition 8 by a nearly 600,000 vote margin,” said Ron Prentice, Chairman of ProtectMarriage.com – Yes on 8. “Sadly, with an approval rating hovering at an all-time low of 15%, the Legislature continues to disregard their duties to the citizens of California.” Openly-gay legislators and other members of the GLBT Caucus held a press conference today in Sacramento to announce the introduction of a legislative resolution declaring that Proposition 8 is an illegal “constitutional revision” and thus should be declared invalid by the California Supreme Court. However, the legislators backing the resolution have no apparent qualifications as constitutional scholars to make such a finding, nor does a symbolic resolution have any standing in courts of law. “This resolution adds nothing to the debate about the validity of Proposition 8. It is simply designed to get press coverage for the legislators involved,” said Andrew Pugno, General Counsel of ProtectMarriage.com. “The California Supreme Court, at our request, has already decided to hear the challenges to Proposition 8. We are confident that Prop. 8 will be upheld, as many legal scholars have recently commented. . .

RELATED SITE: Yes on 8 — Protect Marriage.com (Final Approval 52.3%)

RELATED ARTICLE: Proposition 8: Respecting the Will of the People BeliefNet.com Blog: Lynn v. Sekulow, By Jay Sekulow, December 3, 2008
Regarding the legal challenges filed by opponents of Proposition 8, this is yet another example of a court being asked to improperly usurp the will of the people. The voters of California have spoken clearly on this issue on two different occasions (the California Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved traditional definition of marriage earlier this year). The people of California, like the people of countless other states that have been presented with the issue, unequivocally reaffirmed the traditional definition of marriage, and that decision should not be overturned by an activist judiciary. As we pointed out in a letter filed with the California Supreme Court, all perceived doubts regarding Proposition 8 must be resolved in favor of upholding it. . . . . In short, the case is about what "marriage" is, not about whether an individual is denied the ability to enter a "marriage." All adults in California equally enjoy the fundamental right to enter a marriage, i.e., a union between one man and one woman, and no person holds a right to enter any other form of relationship and call it "marriage.". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Anatomy of a Failed Campaign The Advocate, By Ben Ehrenreich, December 16, 2008 Issue
In two short months, the battle over California’s Proposition 8 went from double-digit opposition to passing with 52% of the vote on Election Day. Could the heartbreaking loss have been avoided? Depends on who you ask. . . .

Do You Need a Marital Checkup?
Study: An Annual Tuneup Could Improve Your Relationship ABC News- Good Morning America, By Andrea Canning, Jennifer Pereira, and Imaeyen Ibanga, December 3, 2008
When most people hear the word checkup, they might think of semi-annual dental visits or physicals, but it turns out an examination might also help improve the health of your marriage. Psychologist James Cordova is convinced annual marital counseling can improve relationships, and he said a recent study he led proves it. "Essentially, what we've discovered over time is that marital health, really is a health concern. The qualities of a person's marriage and the extent to which they are doing well in that marriage have a dramatic effect on physical health and mental health," said Cordova, an associate professor of psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. The Study: In a two-year National Institutes of Health study, Cordova followed 68 couples, who varied in age, for six months. On average the pairs had been together for 15 years, with the husbands' ages around 47 and the wives' 44. Half of the married couples were given marriage checkups, which included therapy once a year, and the other pairs received no therapy at all. Cordova found that the couples who participated in the two-session checkup intervention, which included completing a battery of questions and face-to-face assessment, fared better. . . . Cordova said the most common complaint he hears from couples involves not being able to fit their marriages into a hectic lifestyle. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: ‘Marriage Checkup’ Works Psych Central, By Kathleen Doheny (Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.), November 17, 2008

Through Prison Glass: Pam and Robert Griffin have survived a 25 year marriage despite Robert's incarceration

Through Prison Glass Los Angeles Times, By Joe Mozingo, December 2, 2008
This series is based on court and law enforcement documents and interviews with Pamela Griffin and her husband, Robert. Times staff writer Joe Mozingo also interviewed federal prosecutors and agents, corrections officials, sheriff's detectives and former Aryan Brotherhood associates, and attended the Aryan Brotherhood racketeering trial in Los Angeles in 2006-07. He reviewed records of Robert Griffin's parole hearings, his habeas corpus petition and his murder trial, as well as declassified FBI reports on the Aryan Brotherhood and 300 pages of correspondence between Robert and Pamela Griffin.

RELATED ARTICLE: Drifting souls connect: A quarter-century marriage to a man behind bars (Part 1 of 3) Los Angeles Times, By Joe Mozingo, November 30, 2008
. . . She would take yoga classes, attend the opera and travel with friends to the Galapagos, Palau, Peru and Alaska. He would be transported to a Los Angeles courtroom with a steel box over his handcuffs and a hood over his head -- to be tried in one of the largest death-penalty cases in U.S. history. In a physical exile, they would share the closest of bonds. Their correspondence would fill boxes, and they would chat on a prison phone through bulletproof glass for hours at a time. She would not only stand by Robert, she would embark on a two-decade legal quest to get him out. If you both keep these vows, your home will be happy and full of joy," Wipf said that day in the prison yard. Robert put a gold band on her finger. A friend in the prison crafts shop had made it, inscribing runic symbols for "DM" and "DB," Dragon Man and Dragon Bait. "With this ring, I thee wed," Robert said. There was a kiss, but no dancing or cake. For her wedding night, she drove back down U.S. 50 to her apartment, made dinner and went to bed alone. . . . . . She found herself acting as a mediator between Robert and his family, who didn't buy the claims of innocence they'd heard for years now. She defended him when they disparaged him. Yet she struggled with her own doubts. . .

RELATED PHOTOS: Pam and Robert Los Angeles Times

RELATED PHOTOS: A challenging relationship Los Angeles Times

RELATED COMMENTS BLOG: An unlikely union: readers weigh in Los Angeles Times, December 3, 2008
Posted by: Andy Wilkins | December 03, 2008 at 10:41 PM:
What a sad delusional women (sic). This man is part of the Aryan Brotherhood, a racist neo-nazi gang. The evidence he ordered these murders is overwhelming. Yet this woman - seemingly smart, successful - throws away her life for him. Maybe she is afraid of real world relationships, where the man might leave you or things don't work out. So she has a relationship with a man in a cage. Sad. . .

Britney Spears: Ready for Husband Number Three FOXNews.com, December 01, 2008
Take note fellas, Britney Spears is on the lookout for husband number three! In a new interview with Glamour magazine, the comeback queen says she hasn’t given up on love. “In five years, I would like to be married and have a father figure for my kids, someone who is a provider and can be really stable,” Spears says. “It’s hard doing it on your own,” she added. But Spears is hardly the party girl she was just a few short years ago. “I don’t like going out,” she said. “I hate clubs. I hate being around too many people. I love my home and staying in bed and watching ‘Dancing With the Stars’ or reading a Danielle Steel novel. I’m kinda boring.” Spears looks the part of the all-American girl we know and love her as on the cover, in a white button down shirt and bare feet. The images were shot by famed photographer Patrick Demarcherlier in Los Angeles in October. The Glamour interview is hardly the star’s first candid moment in her return to the spotlight. Her MTV documentary, which premiered on Nov. 30, offered a glimpse into the star’s personal life. Fans got to see the star through rehearsals, her family life and her nightmarish experiences with the paparazzi. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Britney Spears Starts Over Glamour magazine, By James Patrick Herman, November 30, 2008
She has her health (and body) back, an album she says is her best yet and the whole world rooting for her. In this Glamour exclusive, Britney Spears talks about surviving her “crazy year” and trying to set a good example for her boys.

Britney Spears: Ready for Husband Number Three Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: Watch Britney Spears in Action! Glamour magazine, January 2009 Issue
“America’s reigning pop princess has a firm grip on fame, fortune and, more important, reality.”

RELATED ARTICLE & VIDEOS: Britney: For the Record MTV.com

RELATED ARTICLE: Kevin Federline: My Side of the Story People magazine, By Marisa Laudadio, December 3, 2008
Britney's ex opens up about raising their sons, the pop star's breakdown – and why he still loves her. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: After that disastrous X Factor performance, Britney Spears high-tails it to New York The Daily Mail- UK, By Richard Simpson and Natalie Trombetta, December 01, 2008
Britney Spears left behind a trail of disappointed fans as she headed for New York yesterday after a 24-hour visit to London. The singer kept herself hidden behind oversized sunglasses and a fedora hat as she touched down at JFK after her whistlestop tour to the UK fell short of expectation. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Britney's mum tells all on her daughter The Sun- UK, By Emily Smith- US Editor, September 4, 2008
Troubled Britney Spears began boozing aged 13, lost her virginity at 14, then started taking drugs at 15, according to a shocking tell-all book by her mum. Wild child Britney allegedly first hit the bottle after joining Disney’s squeaky-clean Mickey Mouse Club. Mum Lynne claims 14-year-old Britney then had sex with an 18-year-old high school footballer soon after she quit the TV show. And she had her first taste of drugs at 15 when she went to Los Angeles to record her debut album Baby One More Time. The sensational revelations were leaked last night ahead of publication of Lynne’s memoir, titled Through the Storm. Lynne, 53, tells how she regrets handing over control of Britney’s career to managers and allowing her daughter to be promoted as a sex object in raunchy videos at such a young age. She believes Britney’s wild behaviour as a teenage star is the root of her current problems. Britney, now 26, has twice been admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward this year. . . . As Britney later pursued her pop career, Lynne let her 16-year-old daughter sleep with teen sweetheart Justin Timberlake, despite claiming she was a virgin. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Is this Ivana's next 'victim'? Newly single Ms Trump latches onto a new toyboy after splitting from husband No. 4 The Daily Mail, December 2, 2008
If Ivana Trump was nursing a broken heart following her split for husband No. 4, she certainly didn't let it show last night. The 59-year-old was spotted cosying up to French model John-David Dery, 22, at an awards night at the Hotel Bristol in Paris. In between kisses and hugs, a high-spirited Ivana also joined in a raucous round of singing with the roving band. Her latest ex husband, Rossano Rubicondi, also appears to have swiftly moved on - he was seen kissing another woman at the J'Adore in Marotta, Italy. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Inside Secrets of the Ivana Trump Wedding Las Vegas magazine— Robin Leach's Vegas Luxe Life blog, April 14, 2008
After a six-year stormy off-again and on-again tumultuous romance Ivana Trump has married her 23-year-younger Italian stallion Rossano Rubicondi . . . . He had the theme music of Rocky played for his entrance! Ivana was attended by 25 bridesmaids, led by her daughter Ivanka as maid of honor. . . . The wedding was literally a TV production in its own right. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Traditional marriage under fire: Who's really to blame? Houston Chronicle, By Daniel Allott, November 9, 2005
Current societal understandings of the marital bond (perpetuated by the entertainment industry) run primarily on the notion that lifelong emotional love is a necessary condition for a successful marriage. When the tingling ecstasy of emotional love fades then one is entitled indeed, even obligated, to dissolve the relationship and seek another lover (just like those couples in the movies). But, without the ability to develop a mature understanding of love, this new love also inevitably fades as certainly as the first. (Second marriages have a divorce rate of 60-70 percent.) This perfect storm of legal, political and cultural conditions has produced a generation of young people who have learned that traditional marriage does not work. Is it any wonder so many are opting out of marriage altogether, or why some marrying couples are choosing to replace the traditional wedding vow " 'til death do us part" with rather less ambitious promises like "for as long as our love shall last," or the utilitarian, "for as long as our marriage shall serve the greatest good"? . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: "The Sanctity of Marriage" Secrets of the City, By Jeannine Ouellette, December 21, 2005
For thousands of years, the aim of marriage had been to establish beneficial kinship bonds and to pool or transfer resources for maximum economic and political advantage. Then suddenly, Europeans and Americans started expecting and even demanding emotional and sexual fulfillment from their marriages. Crises were bound to erupt. . . . Marriage as a required construct of modern social life is undermined by those who divorce and cohabit. But marriage as a free and conscious choice is not. Unlike Allott, I no longer assume that marriage is required in modern social life. Love’s inclusion in the equation has complicated matters and weakened marriage as an institution, but it has also elevated the potential of marriage to be something it never was before—a path to fulfillment and spiritual growth. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Promiscuity: Sex and the citizen: Where people are most, and least, promiscuous   Economist.com, December 15, 2008
How much do sexual habits vary between countries? A great deal, according to a study of 14,000 people in 48 countries. The survey asked respondents to consider seven questions related to sex. Some questions were factual: how many sexual partners have you had in the past year and how many one-night stands have you had? Other questions were about attitudes to sex: is sex without love acceptable, or sex with casual partners? From the answers, the researchers compiled an index of promiscuity for respondents from each country. The result appears to show that Finns and other Europeans are the most promiscuous. . .

RELATED ARTICLE:   Why so many educated, middle class women are now proud members of the One-Night Stand Generation   The Daily Mail- UK, By Diana Appleyard and Alison Smith Squire, Deceber 10, 2008
University lecturer's daughter Jo Day is not quite so uncouth as to have carved notches in her bedpost, but when she talks about sex it's fair to say she has a wealth of personal experience to draw on. 'It's a myth that women can't enjoy a brief encounter as much as a man,' declares the well-spoken 24-year-old, a trainee accountant who lives in Leeds. 'People like to think that women, in particular, are terribly regretful over a one-night stand. But I don't believe that's the case. I think women are as capable of separating love and sex as men are supposed to be.' . . . . Her behaviour is, sadly, all too typical. For a generation of young, university-educated women brought up on a diet of Madonna and Sex And The City (Samantha, the voraciously promiscuous character played by Kim Cattrall, seems to be a favourite role model), the sexual freedom she espouses is clearly something of which to be proud, not ashamed. It has become such a badge of honour that few of her age group will be surprised to learn Britain now has the dubious honour of being the 'easiest' country on the planet with regards to sex. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Understanding the Hookup Culture Townhall.com, By Allison Kasic, October 20, 2008
The hookup culture is a complete inversion of the traditional dating script: “College men used to ask women to go on dates with the hope that something sexual, such as necking or petting, might happen at the end of the date. In the hooking-up era, this sexual norm is reversed. College students, following the hookup script, become sexual first and then maybe go on a date someday.”

RELATED ARTICLE: Casual sex left me feeling worthless: How a one-night stand left one woman emotionally destroyed: New research says women bitterly regret one-night stands. But the emotional damage can go deeper than you think... The Daily Mail— UK, By Helen Weathers, July 3, 2008
In today's heavy-drinking ladette, anything-he-can-do-I-can-do-better culture, the prevailing belief appears to be that what's good for the gander is good for the goose, too, so to speak. But is it? According to new research published last week by Anne Campbell, Professor of Psychology at Durham University, the answer appears to be a surprising no. Indeed, her findings suggest that the majority of women aren't suited to one-night stands at all, no matter how much they try to persuade themselves otherwise. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Morning after the Night Before: Affective Reactions to One-Night Stands among Mated and Unmated Women and Men   Human Nature- Volume 19, Number 2 / June, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Get Chaste: The Dawn and the Eden of a countercultural revolution National Review Online, By Kathryn Jean Lopez, December 5, 2006
Dawn Eden, an editor at the New York Daily News and blogger with an eclectic background, is author of a new book published by Thomas Nelson called The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On. Eden’s tried it both ways, and in the book describes the life-changing experience that came with her decision to stop having lots of sex in the city. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Now you may kiss the bride: Forget sex. Claudaniel and Melody vowed never even to kiss on the lips until their wedding day. Living by the rules they teach, the two abstinence educators waited . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . until Saturday Chicago Sun Times, BY Mary Wisniewski, November 30, 2008
So what is it like to kiss a girl for the first time ever, after she has become your wife? "It was surreal," said Claudaniel "CD" Fabien, 30, after his marriage to Melody LaLuz Fabien on Saturday. "It was like, my other self came out and said, 'Look dude, you're kissing her!' " . . . . The couple will leave for a honeymoon in the Bahamas today, but planned to stay in Chicago on Saturday night. "We got business to take care of tonight," her husband said, doing a little dance in his white suit while his new bride giggled. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Is your ex in bed with you? If your ex is overshadowing your new romance, it's time for an exorcism Times Online- UK, By Andrew G. Marshall, April 4, 2008
It's an inescapable fact that when we fall in love, we bring all our previous sexual experience and conquests into the new relationship. However much we want to make a fresh start, and in the words of Madonna approach our new partner “like a virgin”, it's hard to throw off the past. For many people, the legacy is a positive one, especially if the ex has helped them to feel safe and secure. However, if he or she was possessive, abusive or unfaithful, the past can cast a shadow over subsequent relationships. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Wedding-night consummation losing allure? Fewer couples feel the need to do the deed right away The San Diego Union Tribune- COX News Service, By Helena Oliviero, May 2006
No canoodling on the wedding night? About one in three brides-to-be expect to hop in the sack and snooze after the wedding reception. One in 10 say they anticipate staying up late swapping stories from the big day. That leaves just over half of brides consummating their vows, according to a recent Brides.com survey of 1,057 women. The take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward sex marks a dramatic shift from previous generations, when virgin couples got married early — sometimes years earlier — just to have sex. . .

"Marriage in the News" is not a representation of The Real Proposal magazine...