First Amendment

(12/27/2018) Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Knights of Columbus?  To some Democrats - and we are talking US Senators here, not low-level types - the Knights are an extremist organization.

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(12/25/2018) Democrats Question Judicial Nominee About Membership in Catholic Association.  Yes, some Democrats think the Knights of Columbus is an extremist organization.

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(12/22/2018) That Giant Liberty-Sucking Sound From the Tolerant Left.  The "tolerant" Left really would prefer a dictatorship, as long as they were in charge, with criminal penalties for dissenters.  Many already favor criminal penalties even though they are (supposedly) not in charge.

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(12/22/2018) California still targeting Little Sisters of Poor.  It's  a good thing that the tolerant Left never tries to impose their values on others, unlike us intolerant, bigoted evangelicals.  Do I need a /sarc tag?

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(12/14/2018) Federal Judge: Christian Organizations Don't Have To Comply With Obamacare Birth Control Mandate.  Good news!

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(12/12/2018) Restoration Weekend Panel: Religious Liberty Under Attack. David Horowitz and Tony Perkins unravel the Left's hatred of Christians.  This is excellent.  I thought I was well informed about the Left and their attacks on Christianity.  I learned a lot more from this!  Read it!  You won't regret it.

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(12/09/2018) Here’s The Military Chaplain’s Prayer Before The Army-Navy Game.  Has anyone demanded he be demoted and fired yet?  It would hardly be surprising.

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(12/06/2018) School Principal Bans Candy Canes Because The J-Shape Might Mean Jesus.  She banned all sorts of other things as well.  Unfortunately for her, she was also put on administrative leave and her bans rescinded.  The problem is that many progressives are perfectly willing to act on their own initiative to impose their views, and often they succeed with no one the wiser.

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(12/04/2018) Big victory for Christian baker in Colorado.  Well, it is a victory at one stage of the process.  I was thinking about this whole business of "discriminating against gays."  If a heterosexual couple had come in and ordered a custom wedding cake for a SSM, they would have been refused, even though they were straight.  The refusal was not based on who the buyer was, it was based solely on what was being ordered. 

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(11/30/2018) Florida College That Supported Islamist Professor Upholds Christian Ban.  OK, we don't have it as bad as Christians in many other countries.  But this is America, land of the free, with a First Amendment that supposedly ensures freedom of religion.  But we have definitely been heading in the wrong direction for some time.  So what if we are not worse off than other Christians?  We still need to be fighting back, right here in the USA.

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(11/29/2018) Company pays workers to attend Bible study, gets sued.  The headline is accurate, but even after reading the article, I am confused.  The employee claims he was fired for not attending.  It is unclear whether that was the case.

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(11/27/2018) Catholic University dean resigns after questioning Kavanaugh accuser's allegations that led to his suspension.  Note that nothing he said was not true.  We are definitely moving into 1984 territory, where actually truth takes second fiddle to political correctness and the progressive party line.

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(11/27/2018) DOJ tells city to stop unfair treatment of church.  The church was prohibited from renting publicly owned space that non-religious groups were free to rent.

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(11/19/2018) If the Radical Left Takes Over, You Can Kiss Your Freedoms Goodbye.  True.

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(11/04/2018) An Indication That You Might Be Living In A Police State.  An awful lot of people do not believe in free speech, but free speech is a necessary condition for a free society.  Am I being unfair when I say that in America, many on the Left do not want a free society?  I think not.

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(10/27/2018) NYT Defends Publishing Short Story Imagining Assassination of Trump.  And yet they say that it is Trump who is causing all the violence, most of which is committed by the Left.

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(10/21/2018) WaPo Ran Kavanaugh Story With Knowingly False Information.  And this is after they requested information and received it.  They then published what they had wanted to be true rather than what was actually true.

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(09/20/2018) Veterans Understand Why Religious Freedom Is the First Liberty.  Freedom should be free.  That is, you should not have to pay a legal team in order to exercise your First Amendment rights.

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(09/17/2018) SPLC Smears Conservative Christian Organization as Hate Group Ahead of Mike Pence Speaking at Their Annual Summit.  I believe that a strong case can be made that the SPLC is the most powerful hate group in America, if we exclude the Democrats from consideration.

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(09/13/2018) Ark Encounter field trips constitutional, organizers tell atheists.  Does the Left have anything going for it besides threats and intimidation, rather than actually making a positive case for what they believe?  Half of our youth would prefer to live under socialism or communism, rather that capitalism, yet they can't even define the terms. 

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(09/06/2018) Wisconsin student labeled 'disruptive' for passing out 'Jesus loves you' valentines takes a stand.  They said she could only do this in the campus free speech zone, "which requires prior reservation and approval."  So you can only exercise you First Amendment right in a specific "zone" and you have to get prior approval.  Wow!

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(08/25/2018) Hawaii Attorney General Threatens Churches That Speak Out on Political Issues Like Abortion.  One tactic of the Left is to intimidate their opponents into silence by threatening legal action - even when the law does not apply.  Note that churches and other non-profits are totally free to speak out on issues.  But these tactics are quite successful, and they succeed because we allow ourselves to be intimidated.

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(08/19/2018) Planned Parenthood Guilty Of Misappropriation Of Public Funds In Latest Anti-Kavanaugh Ad Campaign.  From a legal perspective, this article is incorrect, since it is Planned Parenthood's separate "action committee" that is spending the funds.  But money is fungible and it is always very bothersome that organizations that receive a lot of government funding, also spend lots of money on political advocacy - typically advocacy that will result in either getting even more government funding, or to prevent losing it. 

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(08/15/2018) Colorado goes after Masterpiece Cakeshop again – this time over “gender transition” cake.  I guess we should not be surprised.  Here is more: Colorado Is Going After Jack Phillips Of Masterpiece Cakeshop Again.  There is good news - he is fighting back with a counter suit against the so-called "Civil Rights Commission."

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(08/14/2018) The Coordinated 'War of Words' Against Trump.  "Journalists" gave Obama favorable coverage and ignored (and still ignore) the many scandals of his administration.  The same journalists give Trump 90% negative coverage and work hard at creating scandals where none exist.  And somehow they think they should be exempt from criticism.  They are just like the celebrities who use their soapbox to pontificate about politics, and when criticized, whine that their first amendment rights are being violated.

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(08/05/2018) The Assault on Free Speech, Continued.  Note that practically all censorship on social media is of conservatives.  Progressives actively and explicitly espousing hatred and violence are rarely censored.  Why?  Because any algorithms are slanted and any human reviewers are likely to be progressives.  It is going to take a lot more fighting bask, à la Trump, and a lot more good judicial appointments to right the balance.  Subscription cancellations are also in order.

 

(08/05/2018) CBS News Tries To Blame Portland Violence On Trump Supporters.  Don't you see?  If Trump supporters had not insisted on having a rally, the antifa crowd would never have needed to commit violence.  And this, my friends, is why I don't not trust any reports from the MSM until they have been verified more than once.  Not just fake news, but selective news.

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(07/30/2018) NYT Publisher Complains to Trump About ‘Potential’ Violence Against Journalists – Ignores Over 500 Violent Attacks on Trump Supporters.  Note that the Times and other MSM outlets have not only failed to condemn anti-Trump violence, they also either fail to report it at all, or make excuses for it.  This all fits a pattern.  When those on the right commit violence (a rare event), it is because we are violent people.  When those on the Left do the same, it is because those of us on the Right made them do it.

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(07/29/2018) New York Times Whines: Stop Attacking Us!  It is funny.  The MSM considers it their job to attack President Trump and his administration - by focusing on negatives stories, ignoring positive ones, publishing innuendo as fact, and reporting outright falsehoods.  And they have the gall to complain about being criticized.  I say heap on the criticism.  They have done nothing to address their fake news problem, and until they address and solve the problem, they deserve even more criticism than they are currently getting.  Here is more on the story: NYT Publisher Cautioned Trump in Meeting That 'Enemy of the People' Label 'Will Lead to Violence.'  

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(07/28/2018) Republicans Say Brett Kavanaugh Is ‘Powerful Voice’ for Religious Liberty.  And so he is.  Court appointments are the main reason I voted for Trump and he has done far better than I hoped.  And not just on court appointments!

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(07/28/2018) MSNBC Caught Faking News: Falsely Claims WH Rigged Helsinki Video.  Well, the whole fake news business is getting passé since we tend to see multiple examples of it every day.  I link yet one more time in order to have the excuse to mention that a number of "journalists" are complaining that people aren't giving them the respect they deserve.  And all the while they are doing nothing to even do some self-criticism, much less make a serious effort to ensure that what they report is actually true.

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(07/27/2018) 7 Big Moments From Pence Address on Religious Freedom.  Good read.

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(07/25/2018) Court Rules Christian Adoption Provider Must Submit to Gov’t’s Sexual, Moral Standards.  It really doesn't seem like some judges actually think the First Amendment exists.  Congress shall pass no law, but I guess judges can do whatever they want.  Which is exactly why we need to keep a GOP president and a GOP Senate.  Judicial appointments are critical.

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(07/25/2018) The Frightening Implications of Keith Ellison's Call for Censorship.  It is not an exaggeration to say that he wants the SPLC - an anti Christian, anti-conservative hate group if there ever was one - to determine what Amazon (and presumably others) should not sell.  When it comes to Christians who actually try to live a Christian life, the Left wants to shut us up, fine us, fire us from our jobs, and put us in jail.  Well, I'm not sure the last one has happened yet (but it has been advocated), but all the others have.

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(06/21/2018) Man Allegedly Asked To Leave Restaurant Over Cross Necklace.  I would emphasize the "allegedly."  It wasn't too long ago that I simply would not have believed this story.  But times have changed and I have to concede that it is quite possible.

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(06/15/2018) Tony Perkins: Trump Is Opening Doors for Religious Liberty, Free Speech.  Note that this article is at a conservative site, but unlike many conservatives sites, the commenters have always been dominated by those with left-wing views.  This has been the case for a long time, and It makes me wonder if the site has been targeted by the Left.

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(06/15/2018) Student Reacts to School Censoring Valedictorian Speech Over Reference to Jesus Christ.  The Left - primarily via Leftist judges and bureaucrats - are well on their way towards pushing Christianity completely out of the public square.  The First Amendment has been and is being turned on its head and is now used to suppress freedom of religion rather than to ensure it.  I understand this valedictorian's unwillingness to disobey the orders of his principal, but it would have been best for him to go right ahead and say what he planned to say about Jesus Christ.  I bet a very large portion of the audience would have supported him.  Unless we stop allowing ourselves to be intimidated, we have lost.  And the longer we wait to fight back, the harder it is going to be to succeed.

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(06/13/2018) Dershowitz: Final nail in the coffin of the ACLU.  There was a time when the ACLU actually had some principles.  Those times are long gone.

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(06/07/2018) This Is Why Masterpiece Cakeshop Is Huge First Amendment Win.  This is from one of the lawyers involved in the case.  I hope she is correct.

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(06/07/2018) 7 Key Takeaways From ACLU Spin On Their Masterpiece Cakeshop Loss.  I think that perhaps the biggest takeaway is how the media, albeit with the assistance of groups like the ACLU, misrepresents the whole case.  They keep saying - without ever correcting - that they were refused service simply because they were gay.  That is simply false.  Note that if they had just wanted to buy a cake, they would have been served.  Also note that if a straight couple had come in and ordered a specialty cake for a gay wedding, they - the straight couple - would have been refused.  But the media has an agenda and they will do whatever it takes to push that agenda.

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(06/06/2018) Having Your Cake and Eating It, Too.  As most of you know, the Masterpiece court decision did not take a stand on upholding freedom of religion.  At best it was a holding action.  But that is better than losing ground and it emphasizes the need to be able to keep appointing good judges to the Supreme Court and to the lower federal courts.  This absolutely means we need to hold on to the Senate - and hopefully increase our majority.  Trump has been appointing really good judges - you, know, ones who actually believe our Constitution means what it says.  You may not like RINOs, but they are voting to confirm, which is far better than any Democrat.

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(06/05/2018) Politics and Free Speech at Dartmouth.  Survey finds Republicans most tolerant.  Surveys have also found that conservatives are less racist (more willing to live in a mixed race neighborhood, etc.).  But those on the Left, the "reality-based" crowd, ignore all this evidence because to accept it will destroy their entire world view which is predicated on the notion that they are superior human beings.

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(06/04/2018) Supreme Court Rules 7-2 in Favor of Colorado Baker Who Refused Gay Wedding Cake.  This is very good news since two of the liberals voted in favor.  I am thankful is was not another 5-4 decision.  Had this decision gone the other way, we could kiss the First Amendment good-bye.  But don't let your guard down, it is still at risk!  Update: Nancy Pelosi Releases Statement on SCOTUS Gay Cake Ruling: Christians Should Bake Gay Cakes.  Of course.

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(05/31/2018) Liberal Judge Re-Writes Constitution, Tells Trump How To Tweet.  To be fair, liberal judges have been re-writing the Constitution for quite some time.

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(05/23/2018) Bill Clinton Nominated Judge Rules Donald Trump Cannot Ban Liberal Trolls from his Personal Twitter Account.  Is it not amazing just how much power judges have decreed that they have over us?  This is totally absurd.  The judge claims Trump is violating their First Amendment rights.  The FA gives us freedom to speak.  It in no way compels others to listen.

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(05/23/2018) Texas cheerleaders are being sued by their own school district. You already know why.  They use a banner with a Bible verse in their routine.  Note that the courts have already ruled in favor of the cheerleaders, but the school district has chosen to fight.

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(05/22/2018) An Invitation to God to Invade Our Schools.  Why fight a battle - the official return of prayer in the public schools - that may take years to win, or never be won.  There is nothing that prevents students in the public schools from praying - though praying in class could be a problem.  But praying before classes or during lunch or other breaks is fine.  It could catch on and even if we don't have official prayers in our public schools, it can only help to ask God to be present in our schools.  Pass it on to your kids if you have any in school - just start out with a like-minded friend or two.  It could catch on.  Added as an action item.

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(05/14/2018) Though Persecuted, Christians and Patriots Are Standing.  We are not persecuted to the degree that Christians in the Middle East or China are.  But unless we stand up now, such persecution is going to come, even to America.  We are certainly sitting back and allowing it to get started.  The First Amendment supposedly protects us, but we can see that there are plenty of judges and lawmakers that are quite happy to ignore it.

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(05/08/2018) Lawsuit: U. Michigan speech code and Bias Response Team “profoundly chill free speech and open discourse.”  The Left has long used lawsuits to get their way.  This should not be necessary, but it is high time we started fighting back and lawsuits may be the most effective way to do it.

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(05/08/2018) Arizona enacts effective campus free speech legislation.  This is both good and bad news.  The bad news is simply that it should not be necessary to pass legislation to enforce the First Amendment at public colleges.  But given that First Amendment rights are being squelched, it is a good thing that some states are doing something about it.

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(05/07/2018) “Bake the Cake” Is Now “Paint the Painting.”  There simply is no question that the Left is trying, by force of law, to attack the expression of Christian beliefs.  And they are using the LGBT agenda to do it, an agenda that hardly even existed 25 years ago.

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(05/07/2018) ‘WHERE TO BEGIN’? NY Mag exposes liberal media’s ‘diversity’ problem in one ‘STUPID’ headline.  The title of the article? "The Liberal Media Can Have Ideological Diversity Without Conservatives."

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(05/06/2018) Pro-Abortion Protesters Storm Google Summit, Demand Removal of Pro-Life Groups From Search Results.  Is this not amazing?  The Left keeps proclaiming their tolerances all the while exhibiting their intolerance.

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(05/05/2018) Outrage: Amazon Drops Alliance Defending Freedom from Charitable Giving Program.  The Alliance Defending Freedom is probably the premier group defending religious freedom in America.  Amazon dropped them because the SPLC has labeled them a hate group.  The SPLC is itself a hate group and for Amazon to be taking advise from them is a disgrace.

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(04/27/2018) OK House Passes Bill Protecting Faith-Based Adoption Agencies’ Religious Liberty.  Isn't it remarkable that we actually have to pass legislation to prevent the progressive agenda being imposed on us by force.  You'd think that the Constitution would take care of this, but not according to modern (progressive) jurisprudence.

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(04/26/2018) California’s ‘You Must Stay Gay’ Bill Reflects Rebellion Against God.  It also reflects rebellion against the Constitution ... to say nothing about science and reason.  And this is all from the "party of science and reason."  This bill will almost certainly become law.  While it is unlikely to survive constitutional muster, who knows?  A large number of people find it perfectly proper to pass such outrageous legislation and there are plenty of judges who are quite capable of rationalizing how the bill doesn't violate the First Amendment.  As mentioned before, it is interesting how "gender" is just a matter of choice, while homosexual  preferences are, in fact, unchangeable.  Apparently progressives are immune to cognitive dissonance.

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(04/20/2018) Will California Go from Banning Religious Books to Burning Them?  This is associated with their banning "gay conversion therapy."  In any case, here is what this latest bill does: Assembly Bill 2943 would make it an “unlawful business practice” to engage in “a transaction intended to result or that results in the sale or lease of goods or services to any consumer” that advertise, offer to engage in, or do engage in “sexual orientation change efforts with an individual.”  Lest you think that even California can't be so insane that they'd pass something in such clear violation of the First Amendment, think again.  It has already passed the Assembly 50-18.  Let that sink in.

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(04/14/2018) Another Democrat Senator Questions Trump Nominee’s Religious Views.  Whenever Christians in America complain about our religious rights being trampled on, the Left says we don't know what we are talking about - we are free to worship.  We are "free to worship," their version of "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  Of course, they are trying to remove Christian expression from the public square and restrict it to houses of worship.  For now ....  And what comes next?  And yet, we have been awfully compliant and as a result, their efforts have been remarkably successful.  The fact is, our religious freedoms are being stomped upon and if we don't start fighting back, we are going to lose them completely.

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(04/12/2018) “The Call of Freedom”: Free Speech and Censorship. Should we trust government agencies to have all the people’s best interests at heart?  No.  The law of bureaucracies is always at work.  The top priority of bureaucrats is always to protect and expand their turf.  It is the rare bureaucrat that breaks this law.  This is why limited and smaller government is so critical.  Note that the law of bureaucracies applies to most politicians, as well.

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(04/09/2018) It Begins: California Senator Introduces Bill to Kill Free Speech, Requires State-Sanctioned Fact Checkers to Approve Online Content.  This would be bad enough simply regarding "news" and politics.  But can you imagine how censored biblical Christianity would be?  Fellow Christians, we. are. under. attack.  We may have it well compared to Christians in the Middle East, China and other places.  But that doesn't make the attack any less real nor reduce our obligation to fight back and stand up for the truth.

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