The Catholic Church - Betrayed By OBAMACARE!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people — the Catholic population — and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample
Bishop of Marquette

Please click the following link for more information:



http://www.theblaze.com/stories/we-will-not-comply-catholic-leaders-distribute-letter-slamming-obama-admin-contraceptive-mandate/



How did the Catholic church get into this "one fine mess"?  Because it saw what it thought was a good deal and signed on.  They thought OBAMACARE was a good deal because they would not have to spend money to pay to insure their lay employees.  What they got in return was hell in a handbasket.  


Sadly, someone did not read the fine print on the contract before they signed on.  Even sadder is the fact that the Obama administration depends upon people and organizations not to read the fine print.  They present a rosy and sunny future, and carefully hide the ugly, seamy and grimy stuff from prying eyes, until it's too late when the trap has been sprung.  


The number one rule today is: If the government is offering it for free, IT IS NOT FREE!


They may say it is "free", but there is some kind of string or condition attached to it which you must adhere to.  True to word, our current and corrupt administration (which cannot be trusted) has cleverly maneuvered The United States Catholic Churches into where they must provide Planned Parenthood services to all of it's lay personnel who are on OBAMACARE!  Regardless of the fact that abortion, contraceptives, etc, are actions which are diametrically opposed to Catholic beliefs!   In one fell swoop, the Obama Administration has effectively destroyed and removed religious freedom for our Catholic Brothers and Sisters.  


An advance warning to our Brothers and Sisters in The Faith and to all Churches.  Before your church signs ANYTHING that has to do with the government (city, state, federal) you MUST lawyer up!  Not a "slip and fall lawyer", but, a constitutional, civil rights, and religious rights specialists.  As the Bible clearly states, "We are dealing Principalities and Powers and Spiritual Wickedness in High Places."


The Christian Law Association is an excellent start.  Please check out their site.


http://www.christianlaw.org/cla/


Parting Shot:
Since this current administration does not respect any religion except Islam, I am seriously wondering who is next?




Hat Tip:  The Blaze, The Christian Law Association

New York City Moves to Ban Churches From Using Public Schools

Pastors Rally to Overturn NYC Schools' Ban on Worship Services

By Stephanie Samuel | Christian Post Reporter

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Days after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a Bronx church’s plea for after-hours school space, church leaders continue their fight to overturn New York City schools’ ban on church services in public school buildings.

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  (Photo: Alliance Defense Fund)
  New York City pastors, state assembly members, council members and churchgoers gathered Thursday at City Hall to urge the city to overturn a policy banning worship meetings in public schools.

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  (Photo: Alliance Defense Fund)
  Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence(L) stands with New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera (R) to announce Assembly Bill A 8800. If passed, the bill will prevent school districts from excluding religious groups from meeting on school property.

Related

• N.Y. Schools Can Ban Church Worship Services, Court Rules
• Churches and the Right to Worship in Schools
• Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Bronx Church's Plea to Hold Services on School Property

Over 100 local pastors and allied legislators took to City Hall Thursday around noon to urge the city council to allow churches to worship in city schools after official school hours. The rally follows a failed attempt to petition the Supreme Court to hear a lawsuit against the Board ofEducation’s policy on behalf of the Bronx Household of Faith.

The high court decided Monday not to accept the case, meaning that the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals’ June decision to uphold the board’s policy against religious activity in public school facilities stands. It also means that BHF church will no longer be able to conduct its worship meetings in the school auditorium it has used since 2002.

That should have been the end of the 16-year battle. But for church leaders, it is instead the beginning of a new legislative push aimed at overturning the school board’s policy.

Assembly Bill A8800 would prevent school districts from excluding groups from meeting on school property because of religious content or the viewpoints of the speech featured in the meetings.

The New York City Department of Education currently allows various groups to use public school buildings as a public meeting space after school hours. The bill asserts that religious groups are entitled to equal access to public space according to law.

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“The government cannot target religious services for exclusion from public buildings when they are open to other similar types of meetings,” Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence said in a statement.

ADF has represented BHF for the last 16 years in its legal battle against the Department of Education’s policy. Justices ruled in a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision for Good News Club v. Milford Central Schools that it was unconstitutional for a public school district to exclude from its facilities a private Christian organization, he has argued.

The New York City Department of Education has consistently rejected Bronx Household of Faith’s request to hold Sunday services at P.S. 15, claiming that allowing churches to use school buildings would be unconstitutional. A federal district court issued an injunction in 2002, prohibiting the department from keeping churches out.

Pastors Fighting Ban on Using School Space

The church also gained a favorable ruling from the appeals court in 2003 and from the district court again in 2007. However, the Department of Education officials appealed and won this past summer.

Unless Assembly Bill A 8800 is passed, churches will be excluded from renting schools for worship meetings beginning Feb. 12, 2012. The bill already has the support of District 14 City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, a Democrat and pastor of New Life Outreach International.

BHF is currently raising money to construct a church building. The church has fundraised over $1 million, but still needs over $375,000 to finish the new building.

Did You Know This? #1

Profits from Girl Scout Cookies are used to support "PLANNED PARENTHOOD"!


You might think I've gone "Nutter" here, but so be it!


I don't know about you're particular town, city, state, or country, but in my neck of the woods (New York City) the Girl Scouts have been running a continuous radio champagne.  It has been stating that for each box of cookies they sell, they send a box to the troops overseas.  Now what can be more patriotic than that?  


After all, the guys and gals overseas would be overjoyed to receive a box of cookies or two!  


But it is all a smoke screen!  The word is out and they are trying to make it seem that they have cleaned up their act!  But don't you believe it!  Planned Parenthood is using our little girls to go out and sell cookies, in order to finance and propagate their wicked causes.  In order words, they are literally selling DEATH!


I cannot tell you what to do, I can only urge you.  Many of my Christian friends have stopped selling these cookies once they found out where the money is going.  After all, how can one as a God-Fearing Christian sell cookies which would finance the MURDER of innocent pre-born life?  In addition to extolling principals which are diametrically opposed to Christian beliefs.


I, myself have stopped buying Girl Scout Cookies on the job (even though I LOVE them) when co-workers approach me.  When asked why not?  I tell them plainly, "The proceeds go to support Planned Parenthood and Abortion.  I am a Christian and PRO-LIFE, therefore I will no longer buy Girl Scout Cookies!"  


From henceforth I get the googly eyes and the mouths drop open. It is truly amazing how many people DON'T know what Planned Parenthood is doing under the guise of a so-called "clean" girl's organization. . . . .


We as Blood Washed Believers in The Lord Jesus Christ need to rise up and get the word out!  Boycott Girl Scout Cookies and boycott The Girl Scouts themselves!  Let them know they either clean up their act, or wind up shutting down due to public outcry and lack of support!


In the meantime please check out the following link.  The information on it will STUN you, if you already don't know it.  I wouldn't be penning this blog if people knew. . . . . . .


http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/


Blessed Be!

OBAMA Turns His Back on People of Faith

Obama HHS Turns its Back on People of Faith

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic Advocate President Matt Smith issued the following statement today in response to the Department of Health and Human Services decision to force religious organizations to provide contraceptive coverage even though it conflicts with their principles.

"This is a fig leaf to faith-based organizations. "Make no mistake - today's decision by the Obama administration is just a stay of execution. People of faith must unite against this administration's constant assault on our religious liberties. "For President Obama to say at Notre Dame he wanted to find 'Common Ground' with people of faith and then allow this decision to move forward, should send a strong signal to people of faith that the 'Closed' sign is on the door. "The pro-abortion lobby is raising a toast today knowing their president came through for them again. "People of faith should contact Congress immediately and ask them to move on the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act authored by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R, NE-01). We must send a message to those in our nation's Capitol who want to remove the core from one of our founding principles found in the First Amendment of our Constitution."

Christian Newswire

Abortion Dishonors Dr. Martin Luther King's Legacy

Abortion Dishonors Dr King Legacy

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Jan. 16, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Radiance Foundation re-releases a powerful video to honor the fight against the injustice of abortion, featuring Dr. King. The thought provoking video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYw0_dRqQk), entitled "EPIDEMIC" deals with the human rights issue of our day, too often dismissed with bizarre euphemisms like "reproductive freedom" and "reproductive justice". Abortion is decimating the black community, outnumbering all other causes of death, combined.

The Radiance Foundation launched their TooManyAborted.com media campaign to expose Planned Parenthood's history of racism and eugenics and unaltered present. Over 400 billboards have been placed across the country, since 2010, to awaken the African-American community about how a billion dollar abortion industry makes millions by killing, disproportionately, black unborn children. In New York City, home of Planned Parenthood, 60% of all black pregnancies end in abortion; in Philadelphia, 50% end in abortion.

"Planned Parenthood brags about how, in 1966, Martin Luther King, Jr. accepted their first annual Margaret Sanger Award. What they don't mention is that abortion wasn't legal then. They don't mention how every birth control initiative targeting blacks, like The Negro Project, failed miserably to lessen poverty. But they repackage it today under the guise of 'choice' pushing The Negro Project 2.0" says Ryan Bomberger, Chief Creative Officer of The Radiance Foundation. As an adoptee and adoptive father, Bomberger (who is black) is a national public speaker who uses design to communicate how each individual's worth, born and unborn, is undeniable and irreplaceable.

Across the country, studies show that abortion mills are predominantly located in disproportionately black neighborhoods resulting in abortions that are over 5 times higher than in the majority population. "EPIDEMIC" ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYw0_dRqQk) reveals the alarming statistics that are the result of the eugenics movement which birthed Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion chain.

"Planned Parenthood is not the savior of the community. They've done nothing to reduce poverty in the black community-ever. Their business depends on abortions, period. They're a billion dollar taxpayer funded organization that fails to reduce the unintended pregnancy rate, but they're highly successful in increasing the number of unborn children killed each year," says Bomberger citing CDC statistics and Planned Parenthood's own Annual Reports.

The Radiance Foundation is working with CPC of Tidewater, Youth and Urban Renewal and Calvary Revival to hold a forum on abortion's impact in the black community at Regent University Theatre in Virginia Beach, VA on Tuesday, January 17th at 6pm. For more information, please call 1-877-517-4463.

Christian Newswire

We WHAT?

Coalition of African American Pastors Director, Dr. William Owens, Credits Evangelical Leader Dr. James Linzey for Gathering Military and Evangelical Support for Ron Paul

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 16, 2012/Christian Newswire/ -- On January 15, 2012, on Geraldo, Senior Ron Paul Campaign Advisor Doug Wead said, "Our voters truly represent the three pillars that are traditional pillars of the Republican Party: the social, the fiscal, and the military conservatives are well represented here in South Carolina."

Photo: Dr. William Owens, Dr. Verna Linzey, Dr. James Linzey at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Civil Rights Activist and Director of the Coalition of African American Pastors, Rev. Dr. William Owens, stated today, "Part of the success of the Ron Paul Campaign in gathering so much military and Evangelical support in South Carolina was due to the endorsement of Evangelical Leader Dr. James F. Linzey, president of the Military Bible Association. As the Ron Paul Campaign headed south from New Hampshire, James Linzey reached out to every pastor and military member in South Carolina, urging them to support Ron Paul for President of the United States."

Jim Linzey is a statesman and churchman who has met with many ecclesiastical leaders and statesmen from around the world. Dr. Linzey believes religion has a role in building bridges to people from all walks of life for the sake of world peace. His outreach to Muslims in Pakistan, building bridges to American Jews, and financing humanitarian missions in Mexico and the Philippines have taken a back seat in the media, as per his preference, so as to not be distracted from the mission he has chosen in his ministry.

Meanwhile, he keeps an eye on American public servants at home. "I believe we must hold our public servants accountable since we American taxpayers are paying their salaries," said Jim Linzey. "That's part of what spirituality is all about. We are taking what belongs to our children and paying public servants, and feeding them, their habits, and their children. I expect accountability as a steward of what God gave me. I would be much more at ease if someone such as Ron Paul occupied the White House. I disagree with him on permitting those with an alternative lifestyle into the military. We can discuss that once he's in office. But for now there are even more dire issues he has agreed to handle that none of the other candidates have the moral courage to tackle: abortion, Second Amendment rights, the money system, and undeclared wars. Republicans have given lip service to crucial issues for forty years with nothing to show for it. Talk is cheap. Faith without works is dead," said Dr. Linzey.

In an interview with Bishop Janice Hollis, another African American Civil Rights Activist working with Senator Arlen Specter for years, and who ran for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in 2008, Dr. Linzey explained how Ronald Reagan as Governor of California signed into law the most liberal abortion law in US history. The nation followed suit. "Since Ronald Reagan was a far right conservative and signed this, how can we be sure that today's moderate Republicans will do better? Many apologize after enacting liberal agendas, but apologies won't bring nearly 100 million murdered babies and tens of thousands of murdered troops to life. I urge liberals and conservatives to support Ron Paul who is not bought by the special interest groups supporting such efforts," said Linzey. Linzey and his mother, Dr. Verna Linzey, spoke at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., where Speaker John Boehner also spoke, for the 2011 Leadership Summit, chaired by Dr. William Owens who worked with Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement.

Bishop Hollis added, "Christians should be more engaged in civics than ever before to defend our religious freedoms and basic civil rights endowed by God and must elect a president that will uphold the Constitution."

Rev. Linzey agreed, saying, "When Americans join the military, the Constitution obligates them to defend America and fight wars only declared by Congress."

Dr. Linzey has recently been phoned by Presidential Candidate of the American Independent Party, Rev. Dr. Wiley Drake, who invited Dr. Linzey to host a town hall meeting consisting of US Military Veterans in San Diego. Dr. Linzey accepted the invitation.

Christian Newswire

Church Worker Sues Church She Works In?

In Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, the Supreme Court Embraces a Narrow Ministerial Exception to Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws

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©iStockphoto.com/LisaIson

Yesterday, January 11, the Supreme Court decided Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC.  The unanimous decision was rendered in a matter of months.  Unanimity was possible because the Justices had some broad areas of agreement, and because their decision was quite narrow.

The Facts of the Case, and the Legal Question It Raised
The question in the case was whether Cheryl Perich could sue her church-school employer for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Following a leave taken so that she could receive treatment for narcolepsy, Perich tried to return to work, but her employer, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church (“Hosanna-Tabor”), fired her.

In defense of its firing, Hosanna-Tabor claimed that Perich was a minister, and that, therefore, it had a First Amendment right to fire her for not following its precepts—one of which, it claimed, was the precept that one should not go to court with employment discrimination claims like Perich’s.

Perich contended, in response, that she was not a minister, just a teacher, and argued that Hosanna Tabor had violated her federal statutory rights against disability discrimination.
Most of Perich’s duties and teaching subjects were secular, but she was a “called” teacher with some religious responsibilities.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that, functionally, she was a secular teacher with few religious obligations and, therefore, that she was not a minister.  It thus concluded that Hosanna-Tabor had no First Amendment defense, and that Perich could invoke federal antidiscrimination law in the suit regarding her firing.

The Supreme Court’s Ruling:  Perich Was a Minister
The Supreme Court, however, rejected the Sixth Circuit’s analysis and concluded that Perich was a minister.

At the oral argument, there was one persistent question that became the argument’s theme:  Can the government force the Catholic Church to include women in the priesthood, or compel Orthodox Jews to include women in the rabbinate?  There seemed to be universal agreement among the Justices and the litigants that the First Amendment certainly forbids that kind of compulsion.

Perich and the EEOC had tried to argue that the First Amendment right of association would separately protect such decisions, so that the ministerial exception need not apply.  The Court, however, found “this position untenable”—explaining that “we cannot accept the remarkable view that the religion Clauses have nothing to say about a religious organization’s freedom to select its own ministers.”

Thus, the case proved to be solely about clergy (ordained or not), and the issue was whether Hosanna-Tabor was bound by federal antidiscrimination law with respect to its clergy—including Perich, as she was a “called” teacher.  The Court held that a religious organization has a First Amendment-based affirmative defense to discrimination claims by clergy.  And, the Court made clear that it meant not only disability discrimination claims, but other discrimination claims as well.

As the Decision Is Narrow, Doctrine in This Area Will Need to Be Developed Further


The upshot is that religious organizations can fire clergy based on disability, race, or gender, and clergy will not be able to sue them for invidious discrimination.  No one becomes clergy in the United States expecting to face such discrimination, but now at least those who are being ordained can know from the start that if they are ever subject to invidious discrimination by their religious institution, they will have no legal recourse.

The decision is quite narrow, however.  Religious organizations—primarily the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints—have argued for at least a decade in the courts that the First Amendment grants them “autonomy” from the law.  Part of their theory has been that courts do not even have jurisdiction to accept cases in which employees sue religious organizations.  However, the Supreme Court straightforwardly rejected that jurisdictional theory.

Instead, the Court ruled as follows: “District courts have power to consider ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] claims in cases of this sort, and to decide whether the claim can proceed or is instead barred by the ministerial exception.”

Thus, if an employee is not a minister, the religious organization at issue will still have to deal with the ADA, and Title VII, the main federal race and gender-discrimination statute.  Cases will turn on the facts concerning whether the employee-plaintiff is a minister.

The “Parade of Horribles” the Court Declined to Address
The Court also acknowledged the “parade of horribles” that the EEOC and Perich predicted would follow if they sided with Hosanna-Tabor.  However, it also pointed out that its decision did not reach or resolve other legal disputes.

The Court’s opinion states, “According to the EEOC and Perich, such an exception could protect religious organizations from liability for retaliating against employees for reporting criminal misconduct or for testifying before a grand jury or in a criminal trial.”  But the Court noted that even Hosanna-Tabor has not gone that far: “Hosanna-Tabor responds that the ministerial exception would not in any way bar criminal prosecutions for interfering with law enforcement investigations or other proceedings.  Nor, according to the Church, would the exception bar government enforcement of general laws restricting eligibility for employment, because the exceptions applies only to suits by or on behalf of ministers themselves.”
Thus, the Court concludes, “The case before us is an employment discrimination suit brought on behalf of a minister, challenging her church’s decision to fire her.  Today we hold only that the ministerial exception bars such a suit.  We express no view on whether the exception bars other types of suits, including actions by employees alleging breach of contract or tortious conduct by their religious employers.”

The Court’s Bottom Line:  Courts Cannot Establish Selection Criteria for Clergy
The Court therefore distinguished other potential legal disputes between clergy and religious organizations.  The ministerial exception, it made clear, does not involve employees other than clergy, and may well not implicate a large range of legal disputes brought by clergy, e.g., a dispute over whether the religious organization paid the full salary and benefits expected in the employment contract.  Standing even farther afield, and not mentioned by the Court, are cases that involve clergy or religious organizations, but that are brought by third parties, such as child-sex-abuse victims.

The bottom line is that the government may not establish selection criteria for clergy.  Religious organizations are free, under the First Amendment, to discriminate by sex, disability, or race.  And they can fire a minister at will, without having to worry about the federal anti-discrimination laws.  But the Court did not hold—or even approach the notion—that religious organizations operate autonomously with respect to any body of law other than the federal anti-discrimination laws.

HAT TIP: Justia.com

Is the Truth About MORMONISM Being Told By CHRISTIAN Leaders?

Satan Cheers Graham, Osteen, Starr for Not Telling the Truth About Mormonism

ST PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 9, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Bill Keller, the world's leading Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, with over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide reading the daily devotional he has written every morning for 12 years on the issues of the day from a Biblical worldview, says Satan is cheering Rev. Franklin Graham, Joel Osteen, and the former special prosecutor during the Clinton impeachment investigation Kenn Starr for being too gutless to tell the truth about Mormon cult member Mitt Romney.

In the past weeks as it becomes more likely former Mass. Governor and member of the Mormon cult Mitt Romney will win the Republican nomination to run against President Barack Obama, more and more high profile Christians are putting politics over souls by not telling the truth about the true beliefs of the Mormon cult and why a Mormon is no more a Christian than a Muslim is.

Keller, who in 2007 was in the national news after coining the phrase, 'A vote for Romney is a vote for Satan," said, "It is sad to see a man of God like Franklin Graham go into the nation media and state that he would vote for a cult member like Romney whose beliefs lead the eternal souls of men to hell. Osteen is a gutless coward, nothing more than a motivational speaker, who ignorantly lies to people by saying that a Mormon is a Christian, when Mormon doctrine is 100% inconsistent with Biblical Christianity. Starr, well known for his Christian views, made the political case why he could vote for a Mormon without once dealing with the spiritual implications of having a cult member as President."

Keller went on to say, "People are free to believe whatever they want. I have no problem with a person of any faith running for office. The only thing I have ever asked Romney or any member of his cult like Glenn Beck to do is to tell the truth. Romney LIES when he calls himself a Christian, since he and members of his cult believe their 'jesus' was created through the sexual union of their 'god' who was once a man, and Mary, meaning their 'jesus' is NOT a deity, is the brother of Lucifer, and once visited the United States. The 'god' and 'jesus of the Mormon cult is NOT the God and Jesus of the Bible, and the final authority for Mormons is NOT the Bible, but the writings of their cult's founder Joseph Smith who was a documented con man, pedophile, polygamist, racist, and murderer."

Keller concluded, "Listen, if Mitt Romney wants to wear magical underwear with Satanic markings that he believes protects him and thinks he will die and become the god of his own planet with an endless supply of women to create spirit babies with, that is up to him. I think it is journalistic malpractice for the media not to at least tell the truth about what Romney and those in his cult believe, while calling anyone with the guts to tell the truth about his cult a bigot. It is inexcusable for Christian leaders like Graham, Osteen, a respected Christian like Starr, and any other true Christian to help perpetuate the lie Mormons are Christians without any concern for the fact the Bible states those who believe a false gospel will die and their souls lost for eternity in hell!"

Keller, the leading internet evangelist for over a decade, said that his concern is not politics, but souls. He has been in the media sharing that the real problems in this nation are not political, but spiritual, and that the answer will never be found in a politician but courageous men and women of God who will help to lead this nation back to God and Biblical Truth. Keller stated, "The fact is each person will one day die. According to the Bible, at that moment, the only thing that will matter is whether you have accepted Jesus as your Savior or not. Since the Tower of Babel in Genesis, Satan has helped create false religions and belief systems to lead the eternal souls of men to hell. Mormonism is such a Satanically inspired belief system, and that is why it is critical for men and women of God to quit worrying about what people will think, but tell the truth about a cult like Mormonism!"

Contact: Bill Keller, bkeller@liveprayer.com, 727-420-7005

About Live Prayer: In 1999 Bill Keller launched LivePrayer.com. It has gone on to become the most successful online Christian ministry in the history of the internet. Each morning, Bill Keller's Daily Devotional that he has written every morning for nearly 13 years is emailed to over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide. Information on Liveprayer is available at: www.LivePrayer.com.

Christian Newswire

Generation Opportunity 4 Young Vets

Unemployment Among Young Veterans Rises Above 13 Percent in December 2011

1 in 3 Veterans Ages 18-24 were Jobless in the Final Quarter of 2011, Up From 1 in 5 in the Final Quarter of 2010

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that joblessness among young veterans ages 18-24 was 1 in 3 for the last quarter of 2011, up from 1 in 5 in the last quarter of 2010. The overall unemployment rate for young veterans in December 2011 rose to 13.1 percent. As reported in USA Today: "One out of three veterans ages 18 to 24 were without work the last quarter of 2011, double the rate of civilian peers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. One in five young veterans were without work in the last quarter of 2010."

"Those who made the decision to serve our nation and to defend the freedoms of all Americans are selfless individuals who, along with their families, have made sacrifices for a cause greater than themselves. The fact that unemployment is disproportionately high for young veterans should be a cause of concern for every American," said Paul T. Conway, president of Generation Opportunity, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor, and former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). "When young veterans - highly trained and tested professionals with a proven ability to learn quickly, operate on a team, and produce results - are unable to find real opportunities in the job market, it speaks to the poor state of our economy. The root of the problem clearly does not rest with the American veteran - the issue is the faltering economy and leadership in Washington that is committed to higher regulations and job killing taxes that inhibit ingenuity and business expansion, limiting opportunities for all Americans."

Generation Opportunity, which has more than two million Facebook fans, is proud to have former and current members of the U.S. Military as fans on its popular Facebook pages "Being American" and "The Constitution." Currently, the organization has thousands of fans serving the nation and defending freedom in Germany, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan, and other posts around the globe.

Generation Opportunity commissioned a poll with the polling company, inc./WomanTrend (April 16 - 22, 2011, +/- 4% margin of error) and select highlighted results for all young Americans ages 18-29 appear below:

Millennials and National Security:

   Greatest threats to national security: National Debt (62%), Energy Dependency (61%) and Indebtedness to Foreign Powers (50%).

·         80% view China as a danger: economic threat (48%), both economic and military threat (28%) and military alone (4%).

·         70% (net) would increase production of domestic energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal, while only 22% (net) would decrease production.

 

Dissatisfaction with Current Level of Employment and President Obama's Handling of Unemployment:

 

·         43% are not satisfied with their current level of employment.

·         Just 31% of 18 – 29 year olds approve of the President Obama's handling of youth unemployment.

 

Delayed Dreams Resulting from a Poor Economy:

·         77% of young people ages 18-29 either have or will delay a major life change or purchase due to economic factors:

o   44% delay buying a home;

o   28% delay saving for retirement;

o   27% delay paying off student loans or other debt;

o   27% delay going back to school/getting more education or training;

o   26% delay changing jobs/cities;

o   23% delay starting a family;

o   18% delay getting married.

 

Leaders In Washington, D.C. Fail to Reflect Interests of Young Americans:

·         69% say the current leadership in Washington fails to reflect the interests of the younger generation.

·         Only 36% believe there is the right leadership in Washington.

·         61% indicated that a candidate's positions on issues and record in office will be more important than charisma and likeability when they cast their vote for President in 2012.

 

Government Spending and Economic Opportunity:

·         76% of overall Millennials would favor a decrease over an increase in federal spending from its current level if given the chance to set America's fiscal priorities.

·         69% prefer reducing federal spending over raising taxes on individuals in order to balance the federal budget.

·         59% of overall Millennials agree the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference.

·         53% of overall Millennials agree if taxes on business profits were reduced, companies would be more likely to hire.

 

ABOUT GENERATION OPPORTUNITY

Generation Opportunity is a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (c)(4) organization that seeks to engage everyone from young adults, to early career professionals, college students, young mothers and fathers, construction workers, current service men and women, veterans, entrepreneurs, and all Americans who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow. Generation Opportunity will continue to engage young Americans on issues that impact their lives and the nation as a whole and encourage them through both social media and grassroots organizing to become more civically engaged and make their voices heard.

Generation Opportunity operates on a strategy that combines advanced social media tactics with proven grassroots tactics to reach young Americans 18-29. The organization's social media platforms – "Being American" on Facebook and "The Constitution" on Facebook – have amassed a total fan base of more than 2 million. Both pages post links to relevant articles and reports from sources ranging from the federal General Accountability Office (GAO), to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Brookings Institution, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and The Heritage Foundation.

 

Read about Generation Opportunity here; visit "Being American" on Facebook here and "The Constitution" on Facebook here.

 

For our Spanish-language page -- Generación Oportunidad – click here.

Christian Newswire