Fellowship with other Christians is essential for spiritual growth.

Yes, I WAS the one who said that.

 

 

It is so much more comfortable to share your heartaches with someone you have broken bread with.
betty

May I add to share with, not just the heartaches, but in all things good also.

ACLU appeals two Vermont civil rights cases

October 24, 2005

By John Zicconi Vermont Press Bureau

MONTPELIER — The Vermont Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will go to federal appeals court this week, trying to reverse a lower-court ruling allowing officials at a Vermont school ban images of drugs or alcohol on student clothing.

The ACLU will also ask the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to overturn another lower-court ruling allowing the federal government to conduct random screening of automobiles and luggage on ferries that cross Lake Champlain.

The ACLU claims the ferry searches violate passenger rights under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment protecting against unreasonable search and seizures, while the Williamstown Middletown School's dress code violates a student's First Amendment right to free speech — a political statement that used drug and alcohol images.

"Students don't shed their rights when they enter the schoolhouse gate," said Allen Gilbert, executive director of the Vermont ACLU.

U.S. District Judge William Sessions last year ruled that Zachary Guiles' rights were not violated when Williamstown Principal Kathleen Morris-Kortz ordered him to cover up images on a T-shirt that were critical of President Bush.

The shirt referred to Bush as a lying drunk driver who abused cocaine and marijuana, and called the president a "chicken-hawk-in-chief" who was engaged in a "world domination tour." The garment was covered with a variety of images, including cocaine and a martini glass.

The seventh-grader obtained the shirt at an anti-war rally. He was suspended for one day when he refused to cover up the shirt's drug and alcohol images, but was later allowed to wear the shirt if he covered up the drug and alcohol images with tape.

Session's ruled that the school could censor the images because they violated a school policy preventing the display of drug and alcohol images. The judge, however, ordered Guiles' disciplinary record expunged because initially he was also told to cover textual references to cocaine.

The judge ruled that words were different than images and could not be censored if they were used to convey a political message.

School officials are only interested in preventing messages that promote drug and alcohol use, and were happy with the compromise, said Tony Lamb, the school's attorney. But Guiles and the ACLU claimed the student's rights were violated, and appealed Sessions' ruling.

"We think the distinction between words and images when dealing with core political speech is a false one," Gilbert said.

"The judge said you can censor all drug and alcohol images if you have a policy that says so," Gilbert said. "That is an unworkable policy that denies students a chance to engage in further, meaningful discussion about the political messages they are trying to convey."

The appeals court will hear the case Friday.

The Vermont ACLU is also unhappy that the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 granted the U.S. Coast Guard the authority to randomly screen passengers riding ferries across Lake Champlain.

The law allows the Coast Guard to do random searches of car trunks, luggage and backpacks. The ACLU in 2004 filed suit on behalf of Colchester resident Michael Cassidy who uses a ferry to commute to his job in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

The government says the screenings, which it says are no less intrusive than the procedures undergone by airline passengers every day, are useful tools to thwart possible terrorist attacks.

The ACLU, however, claims there is not enough evidence that Lake Champlain ferries are an actual target to justify the searches.

"We are not saying all searches of maritime vessels are prohibited," Gilbert said. "We are just saying these on Lake Champlain cannot be justified. … The government must have a good reason for infringing on your constitutional rights."

U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha earlier this year ruled the federal government has the right to conduct searches on ferries without proof of specific threats.

The ACLU says the law should force the government to spend its limited anti-terror dollars more wisely and should show there are "special circumstances" before conducting searches without a warrant.

"We have to force the government to make better security decisions," Gilbert said. "There are many forms of public transportation. Why do we search ferries in the middle of nowhere crossing Lake Champlain when we don't search a bus that is going right by a federal building in downtown Burlington?"

Carol Shea, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Burlington, declined to comment about the case, which will be argued at the federal appeals court Thursday.

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______________________________

HOW MANY A.C.L.U. LAWYERS CAN DANCE ON THE HEAD OF A PIN?

The "tiny cross" people at the American Civil Liberties Union are at it again. These are the folks with extra-keen eyes and powerful magnifying glasses who examine the official seals of towns and counties, looking for miniature crosses that ACLU lawyers like to trumpet as grave threats to separation of church and state.

This time around, the folks with the magnifying glasses are leaning on the village of Tijeras, N.M., whose seal contains a conquistador's helmet and sword, a scroll, a desert plant, a fairly large religious symbol (the Native American zia) and a quite small Christian cross. "Tiny cross" inspectors are not permitted to fret about large non-Christian religious symbols, only undersized Christian ones, so the ACLU filed suit to get the cross removed.

The cross is obviously not an endorsement of religion, any more than the conquistador helmet and sword are endorsements of Spanish warfare. The courts have ruled, not always consistently, that crosses, as historical references in such seals and logos, are permissible. But the ACLU, these days, is strongly committed to seeing church-state crises everywhere, and thus pushes things way too far.

Last year the ACLU demanded that Los Angeles County eliminate from its seal a microscopic cross representing the missions that settled the state of California. Under threat of expensive litigation, the county complied. The cross was about one-sixth the size of a not-very-big image of a cow tucked away on the lower right segment of the seal, and maybe a hundredth of the size of a pagan god (Pomona, goddess of fruit) who dominated the seal. Pomona survived the religious purge. She is not the sort of god that the ACLU worries about, whereas the flyspeck-sized cross was a threat to unravel separation of church and state, as we know it. What will happen if the ACLU learns that Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Sacramento, San Francisco, St. Louis and Corpus Christi actually have religious names? We shudder to think.

The campaign to remove all traces of religion from public institutions, and in fact from the entire public square, is now far advanced. Part of that extremist campaign is to squelch private expression in and around public schools. Students have been punished for reading the Bible outside of class, for assembling after school to talk about religion, for thanking God or Jesus in a valedictory speech, and for bowing their heads (and therefore presumed to be praying privately) before lunch.

Another fairly common school crisis comes when a class is asked to write an essay or draw a picture of someone they regard as a hero. Mao Tse-tung or Vlad the Impaler will bring no rebuke, but if the hero is Jesus or Moses, watch out.

Last week the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York accepted the case of Antonio Peck, who, as a kindergartner in 1999, had his drawing censored from a class wall display because of church-state concerns. Along with the rest of his class, Antonio was told to draw a picture to illustrate his understanding of the environment. He drew a man with upraised arms, wearing a robe. When asked, the boy said the man was Jesus, who was "the only way to save the world." The trial will decide whether the school was guilty of viewpoint censorship.

In Tennessee, the Knox County board of education is being sued for refusing to allow a 10-year-old to read his Bible during recess. The school argued that recess is not free time and that the school can forbid the reading of religious material during that period. The Phoenix-based Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which defends religious liberties cases, supported the student.

After ADF intervened, a school in Torrance, Calif., backed down from its decision not to allow a student on a dance team to perform to religious music. ADF also defended students who had been forbidden by their schools to participate in the national Sept. 21 "See You at the Pole" prayer and religious event on school grounds. ADF argued that religious expression cannot be treated differently from any other constitutionally protected expression.

As if to prove that church-state objections can be found on the right as well as on the left, the band director at C.D. Hylton High School in Virginia pulled the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band after a conservative objected. He wondered why the school should be allowed to sing about the devil when they are not allowed to sing about God.

Next week: The ACLU sues to ban deviled eggs from the school cafeteria.

________________________

My Note: Instead of banning deviled eggs it will be "Angel Food Cake" or anything labeled "Kosher" that will be banned.

The religious symbol, the Native American zia, mentioned in the article as also being on the village seal is also on the New Mexico flag. The ACLU proves once again by not going after this religious symbol that they are targeting Christianity.

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1Pe 4:9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.


Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.


1Jo 1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jo 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.


Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,


These are just a few of the verses that have to do with fellowship. Also read the book of Philippians.

Take note also that the Apostles always broke bread (also referred to as communion) in fellowship every where they went along with their preaching.

So is it by baptism or grace that we are saved?

This is important because some people might think that unbaptized babies and children who die are going to hell.  

I prefer adult baptism because it puts the responsibilty on the person for their salvation.  Until the child is old enough to make their own decision to be baptized, then the responsiblity is on the parents or guardians.  In the case of someone who was baptized as an infant, I see no problem with that person asking to be baptized as an adult or making a public profession of faith.  In fact, that would good to encourage.

Total immersion is more dramatically symbolic but poses many problems that need to be overcome like:  what should be worn to protect modesty, how can people will physical challenges be immersed safely?   Also it seems that churches that do total immersion might argue that a pool or tank of water is inadequate and have to wait for spring to use a river or lake.  When someone wants to be baptized NOW that does not make sense to me.  And frankly, I am sick of some churches saying that baptism in another church just wasn't as good as baptism in THEIR church.  

So what is it baptism or grace?

Jesus said "He who believeth AND is baptized shall be saved. He that beleiveth not shall be damned

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Which baptism though is being spoken of in Mark 16:16?


Mar 10:38  But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

This baptism is not the works of man but the works of God.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

It requires more than just belief for even the devils believe, it requires the works of God not the works of man.

Jam 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.





Mar 11:28  And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
Mar 11:29  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Mar 11:30  The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
Mar 11:31  And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
Mar 11:32  But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
Mar 11:33  And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Amen AJ, He is the disgner of all that was, is and will be.

No problem on the use of Intelligent Design. I didn't think that you understood exactly what ID teaches. It is nothing more than a week attempt to try to satisfy everyone, a compromise.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A group of conservative Congressional representatives have asked President Bush to order the military to allow denominational prayer.

In a letter to the president, the legislators suggested new Pentagon guidelines are mainly aimed at Christians. They were issued after a scandal at the Air Force Academy involving proselytizing by evangelical Christians, the Capitol Hill newspaper, The Hill, reported.

"We are disappointed and gravely concerned to learn that the Christian military chaplains are under direct attack and that their right to pray according to their faith is in jeopardy," the letter says.

Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., initiated the letter and has gathered signatures from 32 representatives and senators. Most are Republicans, but Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., has also signed along with several of his Republican colleagues on the Armed Services Committee.

The letter argues requiring non-sectarian prayer interferes with military chaplains' First Amendment right to free speech and freedom of religion. The guidelines suggest that prayer should not be a part of routine meetings but can be used for special occasions, including military ceremonies.

Courts Assess Mission to Give Federal Funds to Religious Charities

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 20, 2005; A25

Chalk up a big legal victory for President Bush's effort to help religious charities get taxpayer funding. And score a symbolic win, too, for those who think Bush's "faith-based initiative" is just pork-barrel politics in disguise.

Bush's big victory came Sept. 30 in New York, where a federal judge threw out most elements of a religious discrimination lawsuit against the Salvation Army. Eighteen employees claimed they were fired or demoted because they refused to pledge support to the Salvation Army's mission of "proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord," disclose what church they attended or name gay co-workers.

U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein noted that all the plaintiffs worked for a children's services division of the Salvation Army that gets 95 percent of its $50 million budget from government grants.

But the judge's 48-page opinion upheld the principle that a religious group can hire and fire employees on the basis of their religious beliefs and practices, even if their salaries come from taxpayer funds. That principle is at the heart of the Bush administration's policy.

"It's huge," H. James Towey, head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said of the decision. "It's certainly a vindication of what President Bush has been saying from Day One -- that religious groups do not have to sell their soul, compromise their hiring practices, in order to partner with government in providing social services."

On the other hand, critics of the faith-based initiative got a boost last week when the U.S. Department of Education suspended a $435,000 grant for Alaska Christian College, an unaccredited, one-year school run by the Evangelical Covenant Church.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group, had filed a lawsuit contending that the grant amounted to an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. After sending an inspector to visit the Alaskan school in July, the Education Department agreed. The inspector's report said the curriculum was "almost entirely religious."

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said that over the past two years, Congress earmarked nearly $1 million for the bible school, about $20,000 per student. She called the money "religious pork" brought home by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who took credit for this year's $435,000 grant in a November press release.

Gaylor's group agreed to drop its lawsuit following the grant's suspension. In a letter to the Alaska school, the Education Department explained that it can provide funds to schools with religious affiliations, but the money must be used for secular purposes.

Robert Tuttle, a professor at George Washington University Law School, said the two cases provide "a really nice example of where the faith-based initiative is -- and is not -- likely to run up against legal problems."

Tuttle noted that "a lot of the political action and opposition has revolved around discrimination in hiring." But the legal weak point of the administration's effort to dole out more money to religious charities, he said, is "the lack of clarity about what the government may or may not fund."

Another lawsuit on that question is scheduled to go to trial in Iowa on Monday, 2 1/2 years after it was filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. It challenges the constitutionality of the InnerChange program, a prison ministry run by Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship.

Iowa prison officials maintain that public funds are not used to pay for the religious elements of the program. But Americans United says it is impossible to separate the religious and secular portions of a program that describes itself as "Christ-centered."

There are lingering questions, too, about the Salvation Army. While the judge in New York dismissed the key claim of religious discrimination, he allowed the employees to pursue other allegations. One is that the Salvation Army's social services division gave 10 percent -- a tithe -- of its revenue to the parent organization. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs can sue as ordinary taxpayers if they have evidence that the charity thereby diverted government funds for religious purposes.

Have patience Kris. A garden gets planted just one seed at a time, just one step at a time and in the proper season. God knows which seeds will grow and provides for them in His time so that they will. Sometimes rushing things will have all that work destroyed. God knows what He is doing and will give you the amount of time and the words at the right time. Just keep trying as you have because even if these seeds don't grow you will be blessed by God for nurturing them.

Being disabled myself, I am no longer able to run a business. I did however at one time operate a contractor business and a remodeling business of which I had hired one man with epileptic seizures to install insulation and drywall. Another man that was educationally handicapped due to a mental deficiency to do electrical installations. Another person that had early stages of MS to paint houses.

I currently employ a young lady that is also educationally handicapped as my house keeper (she just happens to be my daughter).

If I had it to do again I would still hire them. Everyone of them were hard working and very dedicated to their jobs.

Amen, prayers said. May he be able to return real soon.