Pro-Abortion Zealots Masquerade as Objective Filmmakers

A Report from Claire Hartford

As usual, we were in front of the Bellevue abortion mill yesterday morning, praying and attempting to present to clients the good news of abortion alternatives. Quint and I were up near the entrance for awhile when we were joined by Bill and Valorie. There had been 4 clients go in early and soon 4 more clients came in. Valorie and I took turns talking to these women about the alternatives to abortion.

Shortly before Mark and Carol joined us, a young gal came up and said that she was doing a documentary on abortion centering on the Nebraska fetal pain law that goes into effect in October. She said she and her two colleagues were from New York and were interested in this bill and how it would affect abortion. She asked all of us if we would sign a waiver saying we gave them permission to film us. Valorie looked over the document and pointed out to the ladies some of its flaws. We politely refused to sign it.

That particular morning was one of those rare times that Denny wasn't around the corner. We had an outreach at a local nursing home early that afternoon and he had to get his work done on for Vital Signs Blog before 11. So I called him at home for some advice. He did a bit of checking and found out that this film crew was anything but independent or objective. In fact, they were pro-abortion activists, deeply entrenched with late-term abortionists Leroy Carhart and Warren Hern. He also pointed me to Julie Schmit-Albin from Nebraska Right to Life for more details.

Denny also said they could call him and we could arrange interviews with him, Julie, the Attorney General of Nebraska and any of several others. But he then added, "Don't hold your breath, hon. These guys don't want to really represent both sides. They're only there to do a hatchet job on pro-lifers and to sell these abortionists as sweet, altruistic boys. You can't do anything about them, of course. But don't be fooled by them either."

When I confronted the "film crew" with this information, they lied again. They claimed they were sincerely wanting to get both sides of the abortion issue and they knew nothing about being featured on the abortionists' web sites. But, of course, they were given the red carpet treatment from the abortionist -- who is so paranoid about cameras and tape recorders that he won't even allow clients to bring purses into his building! And, not surprisingly, they refused Denny's offer for interviews and even refused to interview the counselors of the pro-life pregnancy center just a few yards away.

Some balance!

I decided I'd better take a few pictures in self-defense. But I courteously explained to the abortion promoters why I was doing so. I frankly told them that we have been instructed by our lawyers to get photos of anything unusual at the clinic and, sorry to put it this way, ladies, but you are quite definitely unusual!

I also told them that because they kept lying to us that they had done enough filming us for today. And they complied.

When it was time for us to go, we went across the street to our cars to have a final prayer together. Val stayed behind to speak again to one of the film crew. She shared the gospel with her and suggested she might find Pastor Tim Keller’s book, Reason for God, of value since his book was written specifically with skeptics of Christianity in mind. And because Keller’s church is in New York, where the girls said they were based.

Val then decided to go the extra mile by driving home and bringing back a copy of the book. After waiting quite awhile for the girls to come out of the abortion clinic, Val was pleased when the girl did receive the book. In that brief conversation, Val again spoke of the girls being disingenuous in their claims. The young lady replied, “We don’t like to tell a lot of people about what we do.”

Sadly, that's a statement that could describe just about every facet of the promotion and practice of abortion.

Please be praying that God thwart the evil designs of this pro-abortion film project and that these young ladies, already hardened in a post-modern, anti-Christian mindset, would seek out the liberating truths that were shared with them by the Christians yesterday morning. Pray that they will be honest enough to read Tim Keller's book and find the answers that God wants so much to reveal to them.

And keep praying for the sidewalk counseling team there at the abortion clinics. We need it.

Obama's Aunt Zeituni: An Illegal Immigrant Living Off the U.S. Taxpayer

As Dan Hauge, my long-time friend who alerted me to this video clip, put it -- Ho-boy!

Ho-boy, indeed. WBZ-TV in Boston provides this first clip (there's another coming up tomorrow) of their interview with Barack Obama's aunt. It's a doozy -- an interview which shows Aunt Zeituni to be as self-centered, secretive and specious in spiritual matters as her famous nephew.

It's also remarkable evidence of our wasteful welfare state, of our twisted immigration system, of Barack Obama's hypocrisy (he wants to take care of America but won't take care of his own relatives), and quite possibly, of a corrupt legal system.

Pass it on.

Obama Drops "The Creator" From Declaration of Independence

A mere mistake or something more profound? Either way, Barack Obama's omission of the Creator when quoting from the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence is troubling indeed. Jeffrey H. Anderson over at the Weekly Standard comments on the incident.

The most famous words in the Declaration of Independence — and almost surely the most famous words ever written by an American — read, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

On Friday evening, when President Obama addressed the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, he quoted that passage as follows (on the clip at 22:30): “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal [pause], endowed with certain unalienable rights: life and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

In Obama’s version, there is no “Creator.”

Only two plausible explanations spring to mind. One is that President Obama isn’t very familiar with the most famous passage in the document that founded this nation; that even when plainly reading from a teleprompter, he wasn’t able to quote it correctly. The other is that President Obama doesn’t subscribe to the Declaration’s rather central claim that our rights come from our “Creator” (also referred to in the Declaration as “Nature’s God” and “the Supreme Judge of the World”).

Only the president likely knows for certain which of these two explanations is true, or whether perhaps there is another. His nearly 4-second pause before he omits reference to our Creator, however, is peculiar. He stares at the teleprompter, purses his lips, blinks several times — as if confused, disturbed, and/or in the process of making a decision — and then proceeds to use his alternate wording.

An "Exhausted" Democrat is an Embarrassment for Obama

Just when President Obama figured to be getting his groove on in his campaigning efforts for the mid-term elections -- bombastically blaming, bashing and turning into bogeymen his Republican opposition -- a "hot dog and beans" confrontation with a worried, disappointed Democrat dominated the day's coverage.

Indeed, the damage is continuing to spread for the video clip of the incident ended up going viral, forcing the Obama-friendly media to go off message and talk instead about a lousy economy, the failed policies of Team Obama and disaffected Democrats like Velma Hart.

Now keep in mind that Mrs. Hart remains loyal to President Obama. She admires him, retains hope in him and applauds him for the "progress" he has made these last two years.

Nevertheless, that dramatic moment when she dared to confront the President and express her frustration and fears about his leadership represents a crucial problem for Democrats. For it reveals that even Obama's supporters are no longer enthralled with him. He is no longer the Great Hope, the Great Communicator, or the Great Anything. In fact, when you get right down to it, the President has proven to be arrogant, out-of-touch, remarkably uninspiring, and downright ineffective in running the country.

Velma Hart created a fearful awakening for Democrats yesterday, one in which they realize just how many independents and Democrats they've lost and how difficult it will be to generate a "get out the vote "enthusiasm from their former friends.

Today's Posts

Hustle Up

The Next Hare-Raising Stage of Cuba's Revolution

Want To Save the USA $5.5 Billion? In Two Weeks?

Did You Miss These Terrific Reads?

Dems Hope Words & Photo Ops Will Make Voters Forget Leftist Policies

Hustle Up

With a week's agenda that includes sidewalk counseling, two presentations of "When Swing Was King," preparations for the Vital Signs Ministries quarterly board meeting, two books to read, blogging, a "Faith Informer" article to write, watching out for Mom, meetings, lawn work, and figuring out how to upload onto YouTube our new "Church History and Abortion" presentation, we're going to need a little extra energy and organizational prowess.

And a few extra prayers. So, thanks ahead of time, for saying a couple for us.

The Next Hare-Raising Stage of Cuba's Revolution

Cuba’s communist leaders are laying off more than 500,000 workers from their bloated government payroll and telling them to get jobs in the private sector. Just one flaw in the planning: There is no private sector -- at least, not much of one. The Castro brothers have spent the past 50 years systematically eliminating it...

There are 5.1 million government employees, about 1 million too many, estimates President Raul Castro. He proposes first laying off those who frequently don’t show up for work and don’t do much when they do. This doesn’t sound like the most promising human capital to build a private sector basically from scratch.

But, he told the National Assembly, “Now we have to erase forever the notion that Cuba is the only country in the world where one can live without working.” Since the average monthly wage is $20, you’re barely living if you do work.

These layoffs are to be completed by next March. By then, according to a Communist Party document obtained by the Associated Press, the workers put out on the street will have found raising rabbits, painting buildings, making bricks, collecting garbage, piloting ferries, driving taxis, repairing cars, cutting hair and making candy and dried fruit...

Read the full editorial in the Puerto Rico Daily Sun.

Want To Save the USA $5.5 Billion? In Two Weeks?

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) introduced a bill this week that would require two weeks of furlough in 2011 for federal civilian employees. The furloughs would save taxpayers $5.5 billion, according to a release about the bill.

"[Furloughs] provide slight problems but they provide large solutions to the budget trouble we face," Coffman said.

Coffman's bill, H.R.6134 would make two weeks of unpaid non-consecutive furlough days mandatory, reduce appropriations for salaries and expenses for legislative branch offices, and provide a 10 percent reduction in pay for members of Congress. There are exceptions for national security or reasons related to public health or safety.

In his introduction to the bill, Coffman pointed out that at least 24 states have instituted short-term furloughs, mentioning that Furlough Fridays are happening at the state and local levels.

"I would like to make the U.S. Government as cost conscious as the states," Coffman said. "My legislation is a start."

P.S. Ron Rizzo, a friend and political activist in Colorado notes that Coffman's bill is getting no play whatsoever in the media there. Same thing in the national press. As Ron says, "This is a major statement. America would learn first hand the expense of this bureaucracy."

It certainly deserves passing along...like to your Congressperson asking him or her to co-sponsor the bill ASAP. Just use this page to get the e-mail address of your respective politicians and then use the little envelope icon at the bottom of this post to send it to them.

C'mon -- it's quick, painless but an oh-so-valuable act of citizen advocacy.

Did You Miss These Terrific Reads?

Despite last week's hectic schedule (which kept me away from blogging, Facebook or doing my usual browsing of internet news), I did manage to catch a few terrific reads. I sure hope you did too. But if not, I list them below -- all quite important and provocative articles.

* Toby Harnden in the Telegraph, "John Boehner: the second of 12 kids from Ohio who is Barack Obama's elitist target."

* J.P. Freire in the Washington Examiner, "Police continue to harass citizens who record them."

* A WSBTV (Georgia) news story, "County Sues Farmer, Cites Too Many Crops."

* Michael Barone's column, "Gangster Government Stifles Criticism of Obamacare."

* Daniel J. Flynn in Human Events, "Talker-in-Chief Barack Obama."

* Louis Case in American Thinker, "ObamaCare's Fatal Flaw?"

Dems Hope Words & Photo Ops Will Make Voters Forget Leftist Policies

With the elections coming up, President Obama and his party are desperate to improve their image. It is, of course, too late to make any changes in the Democrats' expensive, far left policies that have so disgusted the American people -- not that the Democrats would want to anyway -- but something must be done to draw attention away from the dramatic failures of the last two years.

Thus, it's time for the usual tactics: Blame Bush. Distort the facts. Use scare tactics.

And, for the first time since last spring, go to church.

Blog Break

It's a very hectic week with other Vital Signs activities and family matters so I'm taking a brief sabbatical on the blog. See you next week.

Today's Posts

Reflections on the Anniversary of 9/11

From Disaster to Triumph

Among the Costs of Going Green -- Unemployment

Why Fight for Marriage?

Protesting America's "Anti-Muslim Frenzy"

Reflections on the Anniversary of 9/11

The following is a repeat post from last year.

Some Late Evening Reflections on the 8th Anniversary of 9/11

Yes, it's been a very busy day but I wanted to share just a few reflections on this, the eighth anniversary of the jihadist attacks on America.

I was out of the country when it happened, serving as part of a Joni and Friends' "Wheels for the World" team in southern Poland. We had heard a couple of rumors in the late afternoon of September 11 about something very bad happening in the U.S. but we couldn't learn any details. I remember us (there were five Americans on the team) talking of the possibility of a major California earthquake or perhaps an assassination of President Bush or some other public figure. It was a harrowing time not knowing.

We didn't learn the full extent of the horror until that evening when we got to a local pastor's home where we could watch the BBC reports. As you undoubtedly were, we were stunned and could hardly take it in. Thousands dead. Terrorism on an unprecedented scale. Swelling fears of what was going to happen next.

And for Americans overseas like us, we couldn't even join hands with family and friends to find comfort and some sense of balance. It was really difficult. But it was nothing even close to the angst being felt by those whose loved ones had been murdered. They would never hold their hands again.

After a few minutes of watching those terrible film clips of the planes flying into the Towers, I was overcome. The others stayed there in front of the TV, sadly entranced by the program. But I thought it was producing a lot more confusion and fear and journalistic egoism than helpful news. And how many times could I view those scenes of a fiery holocaust without losing my mind?

I walked out into the night and prayed; then I cried a little and prayed some more.

I eventually started walking in the general direction of our hotel which was about a mile or so away, but I veered off occasionally into side streets and little parks. Several Poles, recognizing that I was American, came up to share my grief. Many were weeping; some wanted to shake my hand or even embrace me. None of us could communicate anything substantial with words...but we communicated nevertheless those most important things of the heart: sorrow, sympathy and an understanding that only God could bring peace out of such catastrophe.

I managed to speak to Claire that night. How important a blessing that was to us both. Incredibly, throughout the eight days or so that we remained in Poland, we were able to keep up fairly regular communication. We prayed together on the phone; we reminded each other of our security in Christ; and we shared strengthening passages of Scripture we were reading.

And we kept working.

There in Poland we had people who needed wheelchairs. We had several outreaches planned in conjunction with local churches to help people receive and get fitted to these sorely-needed machines. I also had speaking engagements besides. And Claire had work to do too. I had to warn her early on about the trap of becoming addicted to the news coverage, that all-too-typical feeling that you have to have an ear to the TV constantly in order not to miss any single detail. But no matter what, we have lives to lead, people to serve, and a mighty God to worship.

We counseled each other that we must not let these wicked terrorists do any more damage to us than they already have. We cannot let them drive us into caves in fear for our lives nor shut up our testimonies for Jesus Christ just because they hate Him with such irrational and evil virulence. We must move on.

But we must not forget.

No, never that. We must remember just how terrible are the "doctrines of demons" and how very high are the stakes involved in spiritual warfare. We must be willing to count the costs of genuine Christian discipleship and then, by the grace of God, live out those truths every day. We must fight back against evil and ignorance and tyranny, coming out from the safety of our sanctuaries (safety which is, after all, only illusory) and invest our lives in fervent intercession, bold evangelism, and the winsome virtues of compassion, justice and productivity.

Neither should we forget how Americans were drawn to God in those days of heartbreak and fear following those four abhorrent attacks...only to set Him aside as quickly as possible. Indeed, by the time I got back to the States, the "turning to God" had almost turned completely back round to the same preoccupations with entertainment, making money, the most petty of partisan politics and other "business as usual" pursuits.

People even acted embarrassed that they had, if only for a brief time, thought seriously about matters of mortality, God, prayer and the critical role of religion in society. The terrorist attacks had shocked us deeply but once we thought we were again safe, we quickly returned to the same secular courses we were in beforehand. And now we're eight years further down the way, with developments since then in our culture and our political structure that are more than secular; they are distinctly and determinedly anti-religious.

Did we forget 9/11? Of course we did. Did we arrogantly convince ourselves that we didn't need God after all, that we could achieve peace and prosperity and progress and popularity even with the Islamic fanatics who attacked us -- if we just put a certain person in the White House, thus not needing to bother with such ugly, cumbersome things as repentance, revival and real religion? Of course we did.

But still, there is hope. If Americans recognize that God is there and He is not silent, that He desires our very best (in this life as well as the much more important life to come), that His righteousness is completely and forever satisfied as men and women believe on the sacrifice of Christ for their salvation, there is still a whole lot of hope. Hope for our idol-worshiping nation, for His slumbering Church, and for every single person on the planet.

These are some of the things I'm thinking about on this, the eighth anniversary of the jihadist attacks on America.

From Disaster to Triumph

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of Eternal Perspective Ministries, the nonprofit Christian ministry started by best-selling author Randy Alcorn. Except Randy wasn't a best-selling author then. He was a pastor, intent on shepherding his flock and having his hands way too full with that job to think about writing as a career or pursuing pro-life activism or anything else.

So what happened to change all of that? Randy was the target of two viscous lawsuits brought by an abortion clinic. And just how God turned the evil intentions of that abortionist into the remarkable spiritual triumphs represented by Eternal Perspective Ministries and the millions blessed by Randy's books are quickly reviewed by Randy in these two blog posts: Part One and Part Two.

Go ahead, get an inspirational start to your weekend by reading them. You'll be glad you did.

Among the Costs of Going Green -- Unemployment

Like many other American workers are discovering, one of the effects of going green is going on the unemployment line. For although there are burgeoning opportunities for new products (due to government-mandated energy requirements), the costs of manufacture are driving companies overseas.

Therefore, when the last major GE factory making ordinary incandescent light bulbs in the United States closes this month in Winchester, Virginia, the workers there cannot simply transfer to the new GE factory which is building the new CFL bulbs.

Commuting to China just isn't practical.

President Obama has spoken eloquently about his dreams of seeing "Made in USA" on a whole batch of new products -- from light bulbs to cars to plastic toys. But without an enormous shift in government (and labor union) policies, that simply cannot occur. Production costs here cannot even begin to compete with those available in other countries.

In reporting on this story, the Washington Post suggests that "Under the pressures of globalization, the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States has been shrinking for decades, from 19.5 million in 1979 to 11.6 million this year, a decline of 40 percent. "

But that doesn't tell the whole story -- unless within those "pressures of globalization" the Post reporter includes such things as U.S. government taxes, U.S. government regulations and U.S. government acquiescence to trade unions which deny a person's freedom to work at a wage he's willing to take.

Until changes in those policies occur (and they certainly are nowhere on the horizon), the flight of manufacturing jobs (even of the greenest kind) will continue until there's just nothing left.

Why Fight for Marriage?

In "The Case for Marriage," the editors of National Review Online have produced a very thoughtful essay. I recommend it highly.

Protesting America's "Anti-Muslim Frenzy"

Mark Tooley reviews an "Interfaith Summit" created by the Islamic Society of North America which denounced religious intolerance, disrespect and hatred -- not in general, of course, just as it is aimed at Muslims.

In fact, the meeting produced a manifesto that aggressively, self-righteously denounced America's "anti-Muslim frenzy" though the document contained no specific examples beyond the proposed burning of the Koran by a strange Florida preacher and opposition to the Ground Zero mosque.

Opposition to the GZM? That qualifies as "anti-Muslim frenzy?"

Sadly, but not surprisingly, the matter of Muslim leaders calling for jihad and the extinction of the West was not mentioned by the participants. Also completely absent from the manifesto was any mention of the mobs of Bible-burning, flag-burning, hate-spewing Muslim youth that regularly gather throughout the world. Or the violent attacks made on Christians in those countries governed by Muslim majorities? Or the acts of arson, destruction, terrorism, and murder.

So much for a comprehensive vision of religious tolerance.

Noted leftist Richard Cizik, the former National Association of Evangelicals lobbyist who now works for the Soros-funded New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, used the phrase "Shame on you!" to castigate conservative Christians who are "casually trampling on religious liberty" and undermining the Constitution's First Amendment.

But the shame is on Cizik and the others involved in this despicable sideshow. For as they wail over non-existent crimes performed against Islam, they divert attention away from the most important issue; namely, the deadly atrocities being committed daily around the world in the name of Islam.

Did I mention that the National Association of Evangelicals signed on to this manifesto? And the Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Washington?

What were those guys thinking when they signed a document that not only excoriated Americans for their religious bigotry, that omitted the priority issues of Muslim violence against Christians, and that included a reference to the Koran as "a sacred text that for centuries has shaped many of the great cultures of our world, and that continues to give spiritual comfort to more than a billion Muslims today?"

Tooley has more in his American Spectator article, including these excerpts:

Somewhat creditably, chief of the National Council of Churches Michael Kinnamon actually mentioned "minority Christian communities around the world who live in Muslim countries who feel threatened because extremists use what is happening in this country (anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions) as a pretext to violence." He did not mention that persecution and marginalization of Christians and other religious minorities in many and perhaps most majority Muslim countries will persist with or without "anti-Muslim rhetoric" in the U.S. and is in fact commanded by Islamic law, practiced to some degree even by "moderate" Muslim regimes. But Kinnamon was unique at the interfaith summit's press conference for not focusing exclusively on the purported persecution of Muslims in the U.S. Somewhat more dubiously, he lamented that Western Christians have historically often been guilty of "intolerant rhetoric." And he insisted that Christians should "speak out on behalf of Islam as a peace-loving, peace-teaching faith."...

The potential Koran burning, though unsavory and undoubtedly a poor witness by a Christian congregation, is presumably protected by the First Amendment, no less than blasphemies against Christianity, or desecrations of the American flag. Would this same interfaith summit have urgently convened to excoriate destruction of Christian symbols? Or would some of these same largely liberal religious officials have instead solemnly warned of the need for tolerance in that situation? And do all skeptics of the Ground Zero mosque really deserve to be morally ranked with the aspiring Koran-burning pastor and categorized as innately hateful and bigoted?

To what extent can criticism of religion be tolerated without qualifying as hate speech? Majority Muslim countries typically ban perceived blasphemies against Islam and many would like to see international law follow their example. Increasingly liberal Western democracies, fueled by high octane political correctness, are criminalizing criticism of Islam as "hate" speech. Where do the church officials from this interfaith summit stand on the constitutional protection of such speech? And if universal Islam is innately "peace-loving" and "peace-teaching," then why does even the possibility of a Koran's destruction by an obscure pastor arouse the frightful possibility of murderous mobs around the world?...

Today's Posts

Haley Barbour Warns Pro-Lifers: Don't Run Down Rabbit Trails

A Sly Old Dictator Makes a Luncheon Confession

Obamanomics: The Gig Is Up

"The Most Anti-Business President" in History?

Burning Books vs Burning People

China Reconsidering It's Forced Abortion Crimes

Haley Barbour Warns Pro-Lifers: Don't Run Down Rabbit Trails

Haley Barbour, the Mississippi governor and former RNC Chairman who is thinking about running for President should be heartily encouraged by Republicans and conservative independents...to forget about it!

For a fellow who describes the passion and priority of pro-life activists to stop abortion as "taking your eye off the ball," running "down rabbit trails" and "using up valuable resources" will certainly not create enough faith, enthusiasm and dedication among the people to win a national election.

Remember Bob Dole and John McCain?

To so completely and condescendingly dismiss the "moral conservatives" (arguably the most important group among Republican supporters) shows an alarming degree of insensitivity, not to mention an inexplicable lack of political acumen.

I'm scratching Barbour from my dance card.

Here's the story from LifeNews.com.

A Sly Old Dictator Makes a Luncheon Confession

Was it something he ate?

Fidel Castro let slip a couple of strange admissions to Jeffrey Goldberg while they were having lunch the other day. One of them was the brutal dictator's second-guessing himself on the Cuban missile crisis back in 1962. Maybe he shouldn't have urged Khrushchev to shoot nuclear weapons into the United States after all.

And secondly, Castro suggested that Cuban-style Communism wasn't working very well anymore. That's certainly a no-brainer (well, except for dolts like Oliver Stone and Sean Penn), but it is nevertheless a pretty shocking confession from the fellow who is still head of the Communist Party.

Could it be that Fidel Castro had a bit too much wine with his filet of sole? After all, there has been no further comment about any of this from Castro or the Cuban government since that luncheon.

Or could it be that the bearded thug finally realizes he's getting ready to meet the God he's stridently denied and is therefore dropping a few "true confessions" in hopes they will mitigate his decades of telling lies?

Or could it be that Castro is playing the Western media as he has done since the revolution? After all, Cuba is in quite dire straits and the Brothers Castro are desperately looking for economic deliverance. And they consider the removal of the U.S. trade embargo as a key part of their plan. So what's a few sly admissions over dessert...or letting a few of the government's political prisoners go...if it helps the Obama administration justify to the rest of America why the tired old coots in Havana should get U.S. trade and tourism?

Call me a cynic, Monty, but I'll choose door number three.