Monday, December 30, 2013

Every Taxpayer is a Serial Killer

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) disclosed the latest figures in its 2012 annual report, which covers October 2011 through September 20, 2012.
 
Planned Parenthood performed 327,166 abortions last fiscal year while collecting more than half-a-billion dollars from U.S. taxpayers … according to its most recent annual report.  The numbers represent a modest decrease from 2011 levels, when Planned Parenthood performed a record setting 333,964 abortions and collected $542.4 million … or 45.2% of its total revenue from government funding.
 
Rita Diller, National Director of American Life League said, “Once again, the abortion industry figures show a business in decline.”  The Susan B. Anthony List noted, “In 2012, abortions made up 93.8% of Planned Parenthood's pregnancy services, while prenatal care and adoption referrals accounted for only 5.6% (19,506) and 0.6% (2,197), respectively.  For every adoption referral, Planned Parenthood performed 149 abortions.”
 
Planned Parenthood reported a total of 3-million clients in 2012, meaning that 11% of all Planned Parenthood clients received an abortion.  The figures are significant, as PPFA continues to maintain that ‘abortion services’ represent only 3% of its overall functions – a number that it arrives at by separating abortion out from a bundle of other services that a client may receive at the same time as undergoing the abortion.
 
In addition to direct abortions, Planned Parenthood distributed 1,590,133 ‘emergency contraception’ kits … which can work as an abortifacient.  At least 3,225,030 of Planned Parenthood's 10,933,765 reported services provided abortion or potentially abortion-inducing drugs to women. These business ventures generated $1.21 billion in total revenue … allowing the nation's largest abortion provider to turn a $58.2 million profit in 2012.
 
I’ve written far more extensively on the ‘Sanctity of Human Life’ in my latest issue of The Clarion Call.  You can pull-down a pdf copy at www.fortsnellingmcf.org in Volume 3 Issue 1.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Friday, December 27, 2013

The Democrat’s Constitutional Threat to Religious Freedom

When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Democratic majority blew up 2-centuries of Senate practice by repealing the filibuster on most presidential nominees, they immobilized a key procedural protection for the rights of minorities.
 
Whereas before 60-votes were required to end debate on a nominee, now only a simple majority of 51-senators can silence opponents and force a final vote for or against confirmation.  The 60-vote threshold forced supporters and opponents of a nomination to temper their views … thus encouraging reasonable compromise rather than straight-up all-or-nothing votes that can enable a majority to tyrannize a minority.  That's the theory anyway.
 
Here's the first example: Last week, Senate Democrats confirmed Cornelia Pillard to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  “That makes two additional Obama nominees on the court with the lightest workload, and it gives leftists a 6-4 advantage on the court that hears most challenges to executive actions,” according to the Patriot Post. Pillard, a tenured Georgetown University law professor, is a former Clinton administration Department of Justice political appointee.  She is, according to Patrick Brennan of National Review Online, “probably the most extreme of President Obama's” many federal judicial nominees.  How extreme is she?  In 2011, Pillard said of a case (then before the U.S. Supreme Court) that the idea that “the Constitution requires deference to Church decisions about who qualifies as a minister ... seems like a real stretch.” The Justices unanimously disagreed with Pillard, and affirmed that the government has no power to tell churches who they can and cannot hire as ministers.  If Pillard’s view prevailed, there would be no such thing as separation of church and state, nor would the 1st Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom be anything other than mere words.
 
Pillard now has power; she is now part of a liberal majority of the appeals court with the most influence on what is commonly referred to as the second most important court in the country.
 
This comes at a time when, as a Washington Examiner editorial points out, liberals are assaulting the traditional understanding of religious freedom on many fronts.  Sooner or later, Pillard will have to decide a case whose outcome could determine which side wins the liberal war on the 1st Amendment.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Survey Says – Christmas Should be About Jesus and Publicly Celebrated

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, a large majority (75%) of American adults surveyed believe that Christmas actually should be celebrated in public schools.  Interestingly enough, most (67%) Americans also said that “Christmas should be more about Jesus than Santa Claus,” revealed the survey.
 
Contrary to some school administrators, groups and even judges’ perceptions of what are acceptable holiday celebrations, such as Christmas, are protected by the U.S. Constitution.
 
“Public schools’ confusion about this issue and the legalities of celebrating Christmas in other ways has been largely caused by inaccurate information about the ‘Establishment Clause’ spread by certain groups opposed to any religious expression occurring in public,” noted the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in a letter sent last month to thousands of school districts.  ADF Senior Counsel, Kevin Theriot added, “The Constitution both allows and protects the celebration of Christmas in public schools.  We hope the materials we are providing to school districts will help clear up the misinformation that groups attempting to cleanse all traces of religion from the public square have spread for far too long.”
 
With (or without) this understanding, let me wish you and yours a most blessed Christmas … as we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world who came as the Christ Child of Bethlehem to redeem fallen humanity.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Monday, December 23, 2013

Going to Jail for Not ‘Frosting the Cake’

For Jack Phillips … owner and baker at Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado … crafting a wedding cake (like serving as a bridesmaid or bridegroom) constitutes participation in the marriage ceremony.  That's why Jack is now facing jail time for his refusal to bake a cake for homosexual couple … Charlie Craig and David Mullins … and any other gay couples who may request one for their ceremony.
 
While confirming Jack's Christian belief as “authentic,” administrative law judge, Robert Spencer, ruled earlier this month that Phillips must bake cakes for gay marriage ceremonies when asked to, from now on … or go to jail.  “Phillips believes that if he uses his artistic talents to participate in same-sex weddings by creating a wedding cake,” acknowledged Judge Spencer, “he will be displeasing God and acting contrary to the teachings of the Bible.”  Phillips believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God; its commands are binding on him.  God's intention for marriage is the union of one man and one woman.  But then Spencer stated that Phillips' position “fails to take into account the cost to society and the hurt caused to persons who are denied service simply because of who they are.”
 
Lead lawyer for Phillips … representing him pro bono and part of the Alliance Defending Freedom team … is Nicolle Martin, who noted that her client is determined to follow Jesus Christ “regardless of the personal cost.”  Martin said, “American citizens should not have to live in fear of a prison sentence merely for disagreeing with the government's opinion. All Americans should remain free to honor God in our lives and in our work. The government has no business threatening Americans with jail time for simply exercising their constitutionally-protected freedoms of religion and speech.  Every American, whatever you think about this issue, should fear a government that ignores the 1st Amendment in order to exercise this kind of power over its citizens.”
 
The case now goes to the Colorado Court of Appeals.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Friday, December 20, 2013

Utah’s Latest Ski Slope … Called ‘Slippery Slope’

A federal judge in Utah has struck down part of that state's law banning polygamy, after a lawsuit was brought by the stars of the television reality series “Sister Wives.”  [polygamy n. a marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time]
 
Last week’s ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups threw out the Utah State law's section prohibiting “cohabitation,” … saying it violates constitutional guarantees of due process and religious freedom. But the judge said he would keep in place the ban on bigamy.  [bigamy n. the fraudulent or otherwise impermissible act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another]
 
The 91-page decision comes months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a separate federal law (the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act) that defined marriage as between only one man and one woman … a major legal, political, and social victory for homosexual couples seeking recognition of their same-sex unions.
 
The current suit (Brown v. Buhman) was brought 2-years ago by Kody Brown, a Utah resident and his four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn) who together have 17-children.  Their lives are chronicled on the TLC cable television program – “Sister Wives.”  They claim their privacy rights were being violated by the decades-old law, passed around the time Utah became a state.  They are members of a fundamentalist branch of the Mormon Church known as the Apostolic United Brethren Church.
 
Brown and his family said in a statement they were grateful for the ruling. “Many people do not approve of plural families,” he said, but “we hope that in time all of our neighbors and fellow citizens will come to respect our own choices as part of this wonderful country of different faiths and beliefs.”
 
There was no initial reaction to the ruling from Utah officials, but they are expected to appeal.
 
Some religious groups criticized the ruling.  “This is what happens when marriage becomes about the emotional and sexual wants of adults, divorced from the needs of children for a mother and a father committed to each other for life,” said Russell Moore, of the Southern Baptist Convention.  “Polygamy was outlawed in this country because it was demonstrated, again and again, to hurt women and children.  Sadly, when marriage is elastic enough to mean anything, in due time it comes to mean nothing.”
 
It is an indisputable fact that the Bible defines marriage as between one man and one woman (Genesis 1-2); and that after “the fall” of humanity into the realm of evil’s sin, God temporarily allowed polygamy to occur … without giving it any explicit moral approval.  Jesus [God incarnate] came to clearly state (Matthew 19:3-6) the essence of marriage as established by God “who created them from the beginning” and “made them male and female” and also said that “a man shall … hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  He also affirmed that marriage is therefore an institution God creates between a man and a woman, because He calls marriage a relationship between two people whom “God has joined together.”
 
Civil government has a moral responsibility to define and regulate marriage in keeping with the Creator of the institution.  It is the bedrock of any stable society.  To do otherwise is to further send this nation down the slippery slope where others will argue for a woman’s right to marry her son or a man his daughter or a man his sister … if that is their desire and preference.  [We’ve already started down this trail with the recognition of homosexual ‘marriage.’] 
 
This was the fundamental question at stake in the Mormon polygamy controversy from about 1845-1895.  Although Utah territory, which was dominated by Mormons, applied for statehood seven times (beginning in 1849), the U.S. Congress did not permit it to become a state until 1896 … only after Utah finally agreed to insert a ban on polygamy in the state constitution.  Thus the government imposed a condition to statehood within the U.S. – a national standard for defining marriage.
 
This Brown v. Buhman lawsuit is about people who are not just claiming a ‘private right’ for themselves, but are demanding a right to change the definition of marriage that has been long-standing in our society.  A marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution would be the most effective way to establish a uniform understanding of marriage once again in America.
 
It’s hard to overstate the importance of laws concerning traditional marriage.  The future of the nation’s children depends in large measure on how we define marriage and whether we continue to encourage and protect it.  The future lives of millions of men and women in society will be affected by the way in which we define marriage.  It is the foundational institution in our society, and it affects everything else.  The battle to preserve Godly marriage must be waged and won on many fronts.  We must be aware of incremental steps designed to weaken the institution of marriage.  As we have come to see, one incremental advance by the same-sex marriage movement will only lead to another (e.g., polygamous unions, polyamorous unions) and before long, homosexual marriage will seem like only a small step.  We must draw a line in the sand …because without a Spirit-led revival it will be difficult to turn back.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A Victory for Religious Freedom

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) reports the following ‘religious freedom’ victory in Montana: “Alliance Defending Freedom sent Kalispell and Whitefish Public Schools a letter commending the school districts for rejecting two secularist groups’ attempts to stop student choir members from voluntarily participating in a community Christmas festival held at a local church.  ‘Schools should not have to think twice about whether they can allow choirs to participate in community Christmas events,’ said Litigation Staff Counsel Rory Gray of ADF.  ‘Courts have unanimously allowed students to sing Christmas carols at school.  Nothing changes when they sing the same Christmas songs at a community festival instead.  We commend the districts for rightly ignoring the baseless threats delivered by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).’ ”
 
The Alliance Defending Freedom letter explains that “every federal court to examine the issue has determined that including Christmas carols in school choir performances fully complies with the 1st Amendment.” These performances at a church or elsewhere do not promote religion, but allow students “to serve the wider community with their talents, see and learn from other choirs’ techniques, and gain valuable performance experience in front of a large audience.”  The letter also emphasizes that ADF is ready to freely assist public schools if the ACLU and the FFRF take legal action and continue their “unfounded demands that school choirs be excluded from the community Christmas festival.”
 
“A handful of misguided complaints and a misunderstanding of 1st Amendment law should not be allowed to harm students and deprive them of educational experiences that serve the community,” added Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco.  “We hope other school districts will follow Kalispell and Whitefish’s example and reject the religious discrimination these groups promote.”
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Monday, December 16, 2013

A Testimony to the Divine’s Ten vs. A Tombstone to the Devil’s Temptations

The debate over ‘freedom of religion’ in America … expressed in public places … rages on. Oklahoma state's legislature recently approved a monument of the Ten Commandments on public ground.  A group called ‘The Satanic Temple’ has followed suit, claiming Oklahoma's actions have paved the way for a “public-friendly” Satan-related monument “for young children.”  The move is a clear attempt to make a statement.  The fact is: The Satanic Temple is based in New York state … even though they are petitioning for a monument in Oklahoma.
 
The Satanic Temple has launched a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo (an international fund-raising site where anyone can raise money) in an attempt to procure the financial backing to construct the Satanic monument.  If the organization does succeed in raising the money, it is believed that the bid will be rejected by Oklahoma lawmakers.  In that case, The Satanic Temple says, “all funds will go toward efforts to appeal or contest the rejection, and/or place another Satanic monument in another relevant location.”
 
As of a few weeks ago, the campaign has only raised $120 of its $20,000 goal.  Advocates claim that the benefits of erecting their Satanic monument next to the Ten Commandments would include: sending a message to the world that the U.S. embraces its pluralism, promoting non-discrimination, upholding the Constitution, appeasing the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), creating an “object of play for young children,” and (of course) providing “an homage to Satan.”
 
The ACLU is on the same page as The Satanic Temple.  Brady Henderson, legal director for ACLU Oklahoma, said: “We would prefer to see Oklahoma's government officials work to faithfully serve our communities and improve the lives of Oklahomans instead of erecting granite monuments to show us all how righteous they are.  But if the Ten Commandments, with its overtly Christian message, is allowed to stay at the Capitol, the Satanic Temple's proposed monument cannot be rejected because of its different religious viewpoint.”
 
Lucien Greaves, the man behind the push for a Satanic monument, launched an unsuccessful effort a few months ago to garner support for The Satanic Temple's participation in New York's Adopt-a-Highway Campaign.  Amazingly, that venture found 67 funders and raised $2,244. The AP reports that Greaves credits Republicans and Rep. Mike Ritze in particular for furthering the Satanic cause: “He [Rep. Ritze] is helping a Satanic agenda grow more than any of us possibly could,” Greaves said. “You don't walk around and see too many satanic temples around, but when you open the door to public spaces for us, that's when you're going to see us.”
 
The Satanic Temple's attempts to become relevant and make a statement on religious freedom will likely drag on far beyond the monument bid.
 
For me, the difference between these two monuments would be like the contrasts of day and night; life and death; truth and lies … for these are among the dissimilarities between the religion of Judeo-Christians and the occult of Satanism.  The followers of Satan are as ‘fallen’ as the one they worship.  Is there really a need for a monument to a defeated foe?  Lord knows, there is a dire need within our society for the Godly principles of life and living as found in the Ten Commandments.  They certainly shouldn’t share the some real estate … any more than they are a part of the same kingdom.   
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Friday, December 13, 2013

Choose You This Day!

The 2014 People's Choice Awards may be the scene of a minor skirmish in the United States' culture wars, as a miniseries based on the Holy Bible will go up against an LGBT-themed television movie.
 
In the ‘Favorite TV Movie/Miniseries’ category, the hit History Channel miniseries  “The Bible” has as one of its competitors the HBO movie “Behind the Candelabra.”  Other nominees for the award are FX's “American Horror Story,” the social media B-movie sensation “Sharknado” from SyFy, and “The White Queen” miniseries from STARZ.
 
Produced by husband-and-wife-team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, “The Bible” was a 10-part miniseries that went through the stories of the Old and New Testaments, with the last episode airing on Easter Sunday 2013.  A major ratings success, “The Bible” was nominated for three primetime Emmy Awards, including ‘Outstanding Movie or Miniseries.’  “The Bible” won ‘Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries’ and ‘Movie or a Special and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries.’  “We have worked so hard for four years now, it has been a labor of love that deepened not just our faith but our marriage and our friendship,” said Downey in an earlier e-mail to The Christian Post.  “We are very grateful to the academy for recognizing the Bible series and we are thrilled to share this nomination with our cast and crew from all over the world who worked hard with us to bring the story of our Bible to the screen.”
 
In the HBO film “Behind the Candelabra,” the 6-year homosexual relationship between celebrity piano player Liberace and a much younger bisexual man named Scott Thorson is recounted.  Starring Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as Thorson, the film was based off of an autobiographical novel.  Steven Soderbergh, the film's director, said in an interview with NPR in May that he was initially concerned that the movie would lack an audience outside of the LGBT community.  “There was a sense that the movie wouldn't have any appeal outside of a gay audience, and that that audience wouldn't be big enough to return the investment.  And so we just couldn't get anybody to do it,” said Soderbergh.  “It's a very emotionally intimate movie, and there are scenes between them that are almost uncomfortable in their intimacy.”
 
For its part, “Behind the Candelabra” won several primetime Emmy Awards and beat out “The Bible” for the ‘Outstanding Movie or Miniseries’ honor.
 
Begun in 1975, the annual People's Choice Awards prides itself as being the award where the viewers get to decide which entertainment programs are honored with distinction.  So who will the people choose for the ‘Favorite TV Movie/Miniseries’ category?
 
Not knowing ‘who’ constitutes ‘the people’ makes me very reluctant to guess the outcome of which movie/miniseries gets the award.  Given these two choices, coupled with the reality of humanity’s fallen nature and attraction toward sin [what God explicitly prohibits], there’s a good likelihood that the HBO (Holy Bible Opposite) film will be selected.  After all, when ‘the people’ had the choice between Jesus and Barabbas … well we know how that went down.  [If you don’t, read Mark 15:1-15.]   
 
Regardless, the truth of God’s Word will remain for eternity … well beyond the shelf-life of plastic photographic film or DVDs.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Billboard Campaign Blasts Belief – But Christ Brings Blessing

According to a local ABC news affiliate, the Greater Sacramento Chapter of the Madison, WI based Freedom From Religion Foundation is erecting 55-billboards just as the Christmas season gets into full swing.  The campaign … part of an ongoing endeavor titled, “Out of the Closet” … hopes to let atheists know that having God in your life is not a necessity.
 
“It’s because atheists are starting to speak up and they’re beginning to identify each other and find out they’re not alone,” said Judy Saint, president of the atheists’ group chapter.  “There are a lot of non-believers and this time of year, they feel like they’re all alone.”  Saint said the movement is not about being anti-God, but that it’s acceptable not to embrace a god.  Happiness and goodness, she said, are not exclusive to having a higher being in your life.  “You don’t have to have a god in your life,” Saint said.
 
Some of the billboard quotes include: “A life of love, no gods required;” “No gods, no devils, no worries;” “Live for now, not for after;” and “I believe in people, not gods.”
 
Fox News reported that Roman Catholic Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said of the billboard campaign, “While I’m not happy about these billboards, I am certain people still, when they look deep down in their soul and in their heart, find a spark.  They believe in a higher power.”
 
Annie Laurie Gaylor, who is associated with the atheists’ organization, stressed that the billboard campaign is not meant to insult Christmas but, instead, to urge people to ignore the religious messages behind it.  “The whole month of December is taken over in a celebration of the religious beliefs, in particular Christianity, and it’s just as if the whole month turns non-believers into outsiders,” Gaylor said.  Gaylor would not disclose the cost of the billboard campaign, but said it would run throughout the holiday season.
 
I certainly have no objection to the ‘freedom of speech’ rendered by these atheists who want to spend their resources (I think rather foolishly) on these billboards.  God forbid that our society should have a season (the month of December) with such words as love, joy, hope and peace … all of which the Christ Child brought to our fallen race.  Only God is love … as demonstrated when He became human and dwelt among us to teach us of brotherly love toward one another and of self-sacrificing love on Calvary’s cross. Jesus taught us not to be anxious for anything, but to seek His kingdom and righteousness … and everything else that really matters will be provided by the Heavenly Father.  The gift of God is an inner peace that’s beyond human comprehension, and a hope that is beyond the limits of this earthly existence.  And all of this gives me great joy!  This is truth in advertising … not the message of these billboards.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Monday, December 9, 2013

The Case of the Confiscated Christmas Cards

After the Thanksgiving break at Brooklet Elementary School, the returning boys and girls discovered that their teachers’ Christmas cards had been removed from their posting in the hallways outside their classrooms.  This long-standing tradition was ordered by the Georgia school’s administration.
 
Robb Kicklighter’s wife is a third grade teacher at the school.  He said many teachers are disgruntled by the administration’s decision to confiscate the Christmas cards.  “They took down the cards so the kids can’t see them,” he told Todd Starnes of townhall.com.  “Some of the cards had the word ‘Christmas’ and some had nativity scenes.” Kicklighter said the cards were put behind an office door so only teachers could access them.  “It’s really sad because the students looked forward to seeing those homemade Christmas cards every year,” he said.  “It’s stirred a lot conversation.  This has been a tradition and the kids are wondering what happened to the cards.”
 
The Christmas card censorship comes as the Bulloch County Board of Education cracks down on religious expression in their schools. Teachers have been ordered to remove any religious icons or items from their classrooms … ranging from Bibles to Christian music.  Teachers have also been instructed to avoid student-led prayers … by turning their backs on the students who are praying.
 
“It’s an attack on Christianity,” Kicklighter said.  “It seems like every time we turn around, someone is offended.”
 
Hundreds of outraged residents have joined a Facebook page to protest the crackdown – and many are vowing to attend a school board meeting to let school officials have a piece of their mind.
 
The Board of Education released a statement noting that there are “established legal requirements to which we must adhere.”
 
I don’t know what these ‘so-called’ “legal requirements” may be, but this I do know – It is a violation of the U.S. Constitution.  The government is prohibited from impeding the “free exercise of religion.”  This constitutional ‘right’ has been misinterpreted (yet again) as ‘freedom from religion.’  The Bulloch County Board of Education is on the wrong side of this cultural war … and I believe they will learn (real soon) to surrender to the will of the constituents who put them in office.  This “legal requirement” will be another casualty of the ‘War on Christmas.’   
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Friday, December 6, 2013

About the Afterbirth of Abortion

Here is a book you won’t find on the book shelves of any Planned Parenthood clinic.  The deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research (a leading bioethical research institute) released a new book at the University of Toronto a few weeks ago.  It highlights ground-breaking research by medical professionals into the physical, psychological and social complications that women experience as a result of abortion.
 
The book – Complications: Abortion's Impact on Women has been nearly10-years in the making and includes over 100 interviews with women who have had abortions along with contributions from a variety of physicians, psychiatrists and researchers.  This information was compiled and analyzed by authors Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, Dr. Ian Gentles and Dr. Elizabeth-Ring Cassidy.
 
Dr. Gentles said the book's poignant conclusion is that “abortion is a psychological and physical disaster on women.”  “Every doctor, teacher, counselor, minister, health policy maker, elected government official, nurse and woman who has experienced an abortion or might contemplate one needs to have this book,” he said.
 
Using data gathered from over 650 papers (mostly in medical and psychological journals), as well as a number of books and official publications, the ill effects that abortion has on women are undeniably laid out in 21 systematic chapters.  The book examines data concerning abortion complications in an effort to reach medical professionals, counselors and women contemplating abortion since this information is largely unknown and unpublicized.  The book concludes that abortion is detrimental in all areas of women's health, and includes substantive evidence demonstrating the link between abortion and a variety of health problems including: breast cancer, infertility, autoimmune disease and mental health problems … along with a multitude of other complications.
 
“This book comes as an enormous relief to many of us who have been studying abortion for decades.  Finally, there is a credible, evidence-based resource to inform medicine, psychology, and law.  Moreover, the science is now available in a condensed and easily accessible form to women facing difficult pregnancies and coping with ill-effects of the procedure,” writes Dr. Priscilla Coleman, PhD, professor at Bowling Green University.
 
Given the multi-million women who have aborted near 57-million babies over the past 41-years since the Roe v. Wage Supreme Court decision legalized abortion in America … all of whom are approaching their own mortality … it’s not difficult to imagine how many are dealing with complications.  Spiritually speaking, many are now facing the acute awareness of facing their Creator and giving an account of their actions come Judgment Day.  Can a just God forgive those who break His commandment ‘not to murder’ and sheds innocent blood?   
 
There is a good likelihood that someone reading this blog is experiencing ‘spiritual’ complications.  Perhaps you had an abortion or accompanied one who did or insisted that your daughter/wife have an abortion. Listen: Jehovah God has outstretched arms waiting to comfort and forgive those who come to Him with contrite hearts.  His provision of comfort is all encompassing – it covers all hurts, all needs, all failures.  His ability to forgive the repentant sinner through His plan of salvation via the substitutionary sacrifice of His sinless Son … who voluntarily paid the price of shedding His blood for your wrongdoings on the cruel cross of Calvary … sets the captive free from the bondage of guilt.  Bottom line: There is nothing (including abortion) that can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Who Has the Rights & Responsibilities for Educating Children – Parents or Public?

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Attorney General Eric Holder to respond to the Home School Legal Defense Association's (HSLDA) petition on behalf of the Romeike family – a German home-schooling family who fled to the United States to avoid Germany’s persecution … just because these Christian parents home-schooled their children.  In September 2006, the European Court of Human Rights outlawed home-schooling in Germany; and home-schooling families have been threatened with state seizure of their children and imprisonment.
 
James Mason, HSLDA's Director of Litigation, sees this as a hopeful sign that the Court will hear the case.  “The government initially waived its right to respond, apparently thinking that Romeike v. Holder wasn't worthy of the Court's consideration,” he said.  “Clearly, someone in the Supreme Court disagrees.  While the odds of the Court taking any case are very low, this has increased the chances— but it is impossible to predict whether the Court will ultimately accept the case.”
 
The Court is considering the case.  Now, the Justice Department has until December 19 to respond (or ask for an extension) … which means the final briefing might not happen until February of 2014.
 
“We are pleased by the Court's interest in the issues we have presented in our petition.  Romeike v. Holder gives the Court an opportunity to address important religious freedom and human rights issues.  We hope that after due consideration of the government's brief they will agree to hear our case,” says Michael Farris (HSLDA).
 
Why would this be a matter of religious freedom and human rights?  Because there is no shortage of Biblical references placing the primary responsibility for training children on their parents – not the government. (see Deut. 6:4-7; Prov. 1:8, 4:1, 6:20, 10:1, 13:1, 15:20, 23:22, 31:1; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:20-21)  What is striking about these passages of scripture is the complete absence of any indication that government has the responsibility for training children or for deciding what children should be taught.  The consistent pattern implies that parents, not the government, should have the freedom to decide how best to educate their children.  This is the complete opposite of the polices of communist countries, who take children from their parents at a young age and seek to indoctrinate them with communist propaganda that in many cases is contrary to the convictions of the parents … particularly Christian parents.  And it is complete opposite to the policy of the government of Germany today, which will actually take children from their parents by force in order to compel them to attend state-run schools … even when parents object to the immoral and anti-Christian values taught in those schools.
 
Lest you think this has no relevance to the U.S.A., think again!  The treat has reached American shores.  In July 2009, a 10-year-old home-schooled student in New Hampshire was ordered by a judge to attend public school because the girl “appeared to reflect her mother’s rigidity on questions of faith” and the girl’s best interests “would be best served in a public school setting” and by learning “different points of view at a time when she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief … in order to select, as a young adult, which of those systems will best suit her own needs.”  The judge issued this order even though the ‘marital master’ who evaluated the young lady said she was “well-liked, social, and interactive with her peers, academically promising, and has more than kept up with the academic requirements of the ___ public school system.”
 
Whether you have a school-aged child or not, are you willing to allow parental rights and religious liberty to be denied of parents who wish to educate your children according to the tenants of their faith?  If your answer is ‘no,’ then don’t wait for a court decision … but state your case in the court of ‘public opinion.’
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Monday, December 2, 2013

Corporate ‘Religious Conscience’ Comes to Court

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up two cases involving challenges to the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate (a.k.a., Obamacare) requiring employers to fund abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception.
 
The two cases include a claim brought by Hobby Lobby, where the federal court of appeals blocked the HHS mandate, and a claim brought by Conestoga Wood, in which a different federal court of appeals upheld the mandate.  (You can gain more background by reading my blog postings of September 25, August 5, and August 2.)
 
“Americans are awakening to the fact that the Affordable Care Act is far from a done deal,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.  “The courts are just now beginning to respond to the many constitutional challenges, including the constitutionality of the employer mandate and also the free exercise of religion that applies to individuals. Obama's healthcare reform, the biggest funding of abortion in history, is on a collision course with the sincerely held religious beliefs of many individuals and businesses.  The HHS mandate presents a classic conflict with the free exercise of religion.  I think it is apparent that the … abortion mandate will be struck down because it violates the free exercise of religion.”
 
The key question before the Court is whether corporations should be treated the same as individuals when making free exercise of religion claims rooted in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  A 1993 federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act made it easier for people to sue when a government action restricts their religious rights. One of the questions before the Court is whether corporations can also sue.  This issue comes before the Court 3-years after a major ruling in which the Court was seen to side with the notion of ‘corporate personhood.’  On a 5-4 vote, the Court endorsed broad 1st Amendment free speech rights for corporations in the campaign finance context in a case called Citizens United v. The Federal Election Commission.
 
Striking down this portion of the HHS mandate will not stop Obamacare, but it will prevent the federal government from forcing abortion and contraceptive funding upon religious employers or companies operated by people of religious conviction.
 
Whether you are pro-life or not, everyone needs to earnestly watch and pray for this U.S. Supreme Court decision that affects everyone’s constitutional right of religious conscience.
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Friday, November 29, 2013

Which Book is Not Fiction … But Full of Truth?

What do these three books have in common?
The Holy Bible
The Hunger Games
Fifty Shades of Grey
If you were to have shopped last week at Costco’s in Simi Valley, CA you would know the answer.  All three of these books are ‘fiction’ according to the bookseller.
 
Pastor Caleb Kaltenbach made that shocking discovery while he was shopping for a present for his wife.  “All the Bibles were labeled as fiction,” the pastor said.
 
Kaltenbach pastors the Discovery Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in southern California.  He thought there must be some sort of mistake so he examined the bookshelf, and found every copy of the Holy Bible with a sticker that read, ‘$14.99 Fiction.’  The pastor knew something must be amiss so he searched for a Costco employee … hoping for an answer.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anyone willing to answer his question.  Since no one in the store was willing to offer assistance, he snapped a photograph of the Bible and tweeted it to his flock.  He said, “People are pretty shocked and upset. We are supposed to be living in an era of tolerance, but what Costco did doesn’t seem too tolerant.”  (Do you think Costco would mistakenly label the Koran as fiction?  I doubt it!)  Pastor Kaltenbach said, “If they don’t believe in the Bible, that’s fine – but at least label it as ‘religion’ as some bookstores do, or ‘inspiration’.”
 
So does the warehouse store that sells laundry detergent by the gallon have a problem with the ‘Word of God’?  Todd Stames of FoxNews.com called Costco headquarters in Issaquah, WA … hoping to get answers. The nice lady who answered the phone told Stames she was aware of the issue and chalked it up to a “human error at a warehouse.”  “It’s all fixed,” she said.  But actually, it’s not fixed … because there are Bibles in the Simi Valley store still marked as ‘fiction.’  At that point, the woman on the phone became not-so-nice and promptly informed Stames that Costco doesn’t talk to the press.  “Nothing to report,” she said curtly.
 
Pastor Kaltenbach said he’s not one to speak out on such offenses to his faith, but seeing the ‘Good Book’ labeled as ‘fiction’ was a bit too much to take.  “On the one hand Christians should not yell out ‘persecution’,” he said.  “We aren’t living in Iraq or Iran.”
 
But on the other hand, there are those of us who believe that we do need to stand up for our faith and we need to be vocal about our concerns. That’s a message that resonates with pastor and author Robert Jeffress. “Let’s hope Costco’s explanation is true and not the result of having been caught attempting to marginalize the very foundation of Christian beliefs, the Bible,” said Pastor Jeffress.  “Christians need to call out organizations like Costco whose actions undermine Christianity – regardless of whether those actions are accidental or intentional.” Steven Smith, of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the fiction label identifies the thinking of the labeler more than the content of the book. “To label the Bible fiction is a practical front for an ideological foundation that assumes things spiritual are unreal,” said Smith.  “What is odd about this choice is the glut of books in the ‘religion and spirituality’ sections in mainstream bookstores.  However, as large as ‘spirituality’ sections are, there must not be any room for Christianity.  Modern thinking on spirituality is too exclusive to allow for the Bible.”
 
Of course, this entire episode may never have gone ‘global’ had a Costco employee in Simi Valley, CA simply answered Pastor Kaltenbach’s question.
 
Say, isn’t Simi Valley, CA where President Reagan is laid to rest?  Yes, he is.  Perhaps his ‘living’ neighbors need to hear from the ‘dead’ – “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”  (On February 3, 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared that year as the “Year of the Bible” in America.)
 
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel