URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
"Supreme Court to Revisit Public Prayer "- CBNNews.com; Tuesday, November 05, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/November/Supreme-Court-to-Revisit-Public-Prayer/
Public prayer goes before the U.S. Supreme Court again [today]. The case involves the small town of Greece, N.Y., which still holds prayer before its public meetings. ... The High Court itself asks for God's protection before every public session, and in 1983 it ruled an opening prayer does not violate the First Amendment. But a federal appeals court in New York ruled against the town's meeting prayers, saying the prayers violated the Constitution by "stressing Christianity." [PRAY that in the decision the court hands down next June, it will uphold the rights of Americans to express their religious views without government interference as it has since even before its founding.]
NEWS ALERT: Monday, November 04, 2013 - Saeed's Life in [Greater] Jeopardy After Prison Transfer - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/November/Saeeds-Life-in-Jeopardy-after-Prison-Transfer/ Saeed Abedini, an American pastor imprisoned in Iran for his faith, is facing life threatening conditions after a recent prison transfer, the America Center for Law and Justice reports. Saeed's family says he has been moved from the brutal Evin Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison, known to be an even more dangerous jail. "Going to Karaj is a severe punishment," Loes Bijnen, a Dutch diplomat from the embassy in Tehran, described the jail in a 2005 report. "Once in there one stops to be a human being," she wrote. "One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence."
According to the ACLJ, Saeed is in a ward with those convicted for crimes like rape and murder.
Family members tried to visit the pastor Monday but were told he isn't allowed to have visitors in the new prison. The transfer to this prison is a deeply disturbing development and can only be viewed as a move that puts Pastor Saeed's life directly at risk," ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow warned. While there is broad bi-partisan support for a Senate resolution calling for Saeed's release, Sekulow says it's crucial President Barack Obama step in "directly and forcefully" to save his life. [PRAY for President Obama to forcefully speak out against this latest development; for the pastor to be finally released. (See below for more info.)]
NEWS ALERT: Oct. 23: "Christians Fleeing IRAQ Area Once Considered Safe," - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Christians-Fleeing-Iraq-Area-Once-Considered-Safe/ "Increased violence in northern Iraq is pushing Christians out of that part of the country. The Kurdish north was considered a safe area for Christians fleeing from violent persecution in the central and southern regions. But bombings in recent months are causing panic and many are fleeing the country. Al qaeda has claimed responsibility for several of those attacks. Some Christians have been told by local police that they "should not be in Iraq because it is Muslim territory." The Christian charity Open Doors International is urging people around the world to pray for Christians in Iraq. They say that if the persecution continues, there may be no Christians left in Iraq by 2020.[PRAY that believers in Iraq will know God's protection and provision; that believers will know[ whether they are called to flee or remain and persevere; and that their persecutors may come to hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ. - Stan]
"SYRIAN Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
Continue to Pray for EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
Oct. 14, NORTH KOREA -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
Oct. 14, NORTH KOREA -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
IRAN - Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"The Reality of ENDA" - By Ryan T. Anderson, November 4, 2013 [NOTE: There was a time not many years ago when the title of this post would be considered the beginning of a tasteless joke. But tragically it speaks to a real life occasion that can happen at any time today. And now, the U.S. Senate has passed a law (ENDA) that will - among other things - make such an occurrence entirely legal. (Imagine such occurrences with children involved!) PRAY that - as expected - the U.S. House will reject this bill when it votes on it in the near future.]
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"The Reality of ENDA" - By Ryan T. Anderson, November 4, 2013 [NOTE: There was a time not many years ago when the title of this post would be considered the beginning of a tasteless joke. But tragically it speaks to a real life occasion that can happen at any time today. And now, the U.S. Senate has passed a law (ENDA) that will - among other things - make such an occurrence entirely legal. (Imagine such occurrences with children involved!) PRAY that - as expected - the U.S. House will reject this bill when it votes on it in the near future.]
"The Reality of ENDA" - By Ryan T. Anderson, November 4, 2013 [NOTE: There was a time not many years ago when the title of this post would be considered the beginning of a tasteless joke. But tragically it speaks to a real life occasion that can happen at any time today. And now, the U.S. Senate has passed a law (ENDA) that will - among other things - make such an occurrence entirely legal. (Imagine such occurrences with children involved!) PRAY that - as expected - the U.S. House will reject this bill when it votes on it in the near future.]
President Obama urged Congress to pass the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in a blog post [2] published late last night. All Americans should oppose unjust discrimination, but ENDA does not advance that goal. In fact, it moves us in the wrong direction, as a new Heritage Backgrounder [3] explains. [see link to great article below]
President Obama asks in his blog post: “Does it make a difference if the firefighter who rescues you is gay—or the accountant who does your taxes, or the mechanic who fixes your car?” Of course it doesn’t. But sexual orientation and gender identity are used to describe behaviors as well as identities [3], and sometimes it could be reasonable for businesses to consider the impact of behaviors at the workplace. No doubt these are difficult and delicate issues, and that is why they are best left to those closest to the decision—not a one-size-fit-all rule from Washington.
ENDA would impose liability on employers for alleged “discrimination” based not on objective employee traits but on subjective and unverifiable identities. It would create new protected classes—based on an “individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity”—that would expose employers to unimaginable liability. ENDA could require employment policies that undermine common sense about a host of workplace conditions, especially regarding issues surrounding gender identity.
The bill defines “gender identity” as “the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms…of an individual, with or without regard to the individual’s designated sex at birth.” In other words, it creates special rights for transgendered individuals—males who dress and act as females, and females who dress and act as males—and forbids employers from considering the consequences of such behavior in the workplace.
Issues concerning gender identity are difficult. All ought to agree that young children should be protected from having to sort through questions about gender identity before an age-appropriate introduction. ENDA, however, would bar employers from making certain decisions about transgendered employees.
Although ENDA includes some exemptions for religious education, it provides no protection for students in other schools who could be prematurely exposed to questions about gender identity if, for example, a male teacher returned to school identifying as a woman.
Moreover, we can’t deny the relevance of biological sex in many contexts. An employer would be negligent to ignore the concerns of female employees about having to share bathrooms with a biological male who identifies as female. Failing to consider these repercussions raises a host of concerns about privacy rights. But ENDA would prevent taking these concerns into account.
America is dedicated to protecting First Amendment freedoms while respecting citizens’ equality before the law. But ENDA does not protect equality before the law; instead it would create special privileges that are enforceable against private actors. ENDA raises concerns about free speech and religious liberty, about freedom of contract and government interference in the marketplace, and about marriage and culture.
In short, ENDA seeks to regulate employment decisions that are best handled by private actors without federal government interference. ENDA disregards the consciences and liberties of people of goodwill who happen to not share the government’s opinions.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/11/04/the-reality-of-enda/
URLs in this post:
[2] blog post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/enda-congress_b_4209115.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
[3] a new Heritage Backgrounder: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/11/enda-threatens-fundamental-civil-liberties
Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
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