NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER -- MAY 1, 1997 . . .1997 THEME: "IN GOD WE TRUST" The "National Day of Prayer" provides Christians with a unique opportunity to publicly pray for the moral rebirth of our nation. Many of our traditional family values are being attacked and problems, such as crime, violence, rape, abortion, teen pregnancy, suicide, divorce, pornography, etc., are escalating out of control. PRAYER should be our FIRST line of defense in this battle to "reclaim the moral climate" of our country. REGIONAL SERVICES: May 1, 1997 at 7:00 PM 1) NORTH: Metro Church of Kansas City, 4735 N. Brighton, Kansas City, MO (453-5400); 2) CENTRAL: Paseo Baptist Church, 2501 The Paseo, Kansas City, MO (254-3344) 3) SOUTH: Southside Christian Church, 7304 Cleveland, Kansas City, MO (523-3311) 4) WYANDOTTE: Immanuel Baptist Church, 8822 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS (299-1727) 5) JOHNSON: Olathe Bible Church, 14841 Blackbob Road, Olathe, KS (829-3476) ADDITIONAL SERVICES: May 1, 1997 -- 12:00 Noon to 5:45 PM. Location: Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 2552 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO. Join The World Apostolate of Fatima, Kansas City-St Joseph Diocesan Division and other Catholic Groups in PRAYING FOR A MORAL REBIRTH IN OUR COUNTRY. (For complete program details and/or an informational flyer, call 942-0333 or Family Watch, 455-8660). MILITARY GAY BAN UPHELD . . .A federal appeals court, in a 2-1 ruling in February of this year, upheld the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward homosexuals serving in the military. The court stated, in its ruling, that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was necessary to maintain unit cohesion, preserve privacy and reduce sexual tension. [Family Issues Alert, Vol 5, Nol 8, Public Policy Division, Focus on the Family, Vol. 5, No. 8, 2/19/97]NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS . . .The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has a long history of funding projects, at taxpayers' expense, that have been obscene, anti-Christian and repulsive to the American public. In 1992, Rep. Crane (R-IL) introduced an amendment to have the NEA abolished, stating, "there is no constitutional authority for Congress to give taxpayers' money to individual artists to advance their careers". [The Phyllis Schlafly Report, 10/92] The Crane Amendment was defeated. Other amendments have been introduced since 1992, which would either reduce NEA's funding, restrict funding for obscene subject matter, or even abolish the NEA -- all of these amendments have failed. In 1994, due to the pressure from pro-family groups and individuals, Congress voted to implement a two year phase-out of the NEA. But, now, according to AFA President Don Wildmon, "some very powerful members of Congress, and a handful of rich and influential special interest groups and individuals, are making an all-out effort to keep the tax dollars flowing."Action To Take: Write: 1) Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510; and 2) House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., 20515. Call: 1) Your two U.S. Senators; and 2) Your U.S. Representative at 1-800-962-3524, 202-224-3121, or their local district offices (phone numbers can be found on Family Watch #7). Communicate your concerns about the NEA to your elected officials. [AFA Journal, 3/97] PORN ON MILITARY BASES . . .The 104th Congress passed the Military Honor and Decency Act, which banned the sale of pornographic magazines at U.S. military bases, thus ending the taxpayer-subsidized sale or rental of sexually explicit materials at Department of Defense facilities. Immediately, the new law was challenged by Penthouse publisher, Bob Guccione, arguing that the ban restricted his right to free speech and expression. Penthouse attorney, Michael Bamberger even went so far as to say that the magazine offered "a positive viewpoint that human sexuality is beneficial, is good, ..." Unfortunately, U.S. District Judge, Shira A. Scheindlin ruled in January, 1997, that the Military Honor and Decency Act of 1996 was unconstitutional. Consequently, the U.S. government, which is the largest seller of pornography in the world [Concerned Women for America letter, 3/97] will continue selling explicit sexual materials, which "degrade women, harm children, undermine the morals, integrity, and discipline of our service personnel, and destroy morale that is crucial to military readiness." [Quote by CWA Chairman, Beverly LaHaye, 3/97] Rep. Bartlett (R-MD), who authored the legislation, stated that "in light of recent military scandals regarding sexual harassment, allowing pornography to be sold on military bases was irreconcilable with the government's attempts to prevent further scandals." [AFA Journal, 3/97, p 22]Action To Take: Contact your two U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. Let them know you appreciate their support for banning pornography on military bases and encourage them to take the actions necessary to see that the law is enforced. NAFTA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT . . .Congresswoman Pat Danner (D-MO) has cosponsored the NAFTA Accountability Act, which calls for setting performance standards to measure the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the American economy and to require changes in the trading arrangement when it does not meet those standards. Rep. Danner has voiced concerns about the poor performance of NAFTA for the 6th District, "when over 300 employees of Stride Rite in Hamilton were told the plant would cease operations there by June 6 and move to Mexico.. This comes on the heels of 479 Lee Jeans workers in St. Joseph losing their jobs. Right now, NAFTA seems to be accountable only to the bottom line and certification comes on a pink slip handed out to our workers." Danner points out that this legislation does not repeal NAFTA, but would hold NAFTA accountable to the claims made by proponents as to what NAFTA would accomplish. [NEWS RELEASE, 3/5/97, Congresswoman Pat Danner, 6th District, Missouri] |