The 9/11 Cross – Offensive or Inspiring?

Ten years ago on September 11, the most devastating act of terrorism on American soil took place when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City.  When the rubble fell to the ground, two steel beams remained, and they formed the shape of a cross.

Some would call this a reminder from God – that he endures through tragedy, and that he is with us through all circumstances.  However, one group – The American Atheists – have filed a lawsuit saying that the “the 9/11 Cross” should not be included in a Memorial being constructed on the site of the incident.  They say it is unconstitutional and represents a “mingling of church and state.”  If no other religions or philosophies are represented in the memorial, then they want the cross removed.

The group’s president, Dave Silverman, issued this statement: "The WTC cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their god, who couldn't be bothered to stop the Muslim terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross.”

This cross was not man-made – the beams fell into this position, and the resulting cross has become a symbol of hope for many people.  We support the inclusion of this cross in the Memorialand Museum being constructed at the site, and we plan to help in the legal battle in whatever way we can.

What do you think?  Should the Cross remain at the 9/11 Memorial Site?  Let your voice be heard – leave your comment on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Advocates.

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.

Hemet Free Speech Case Goes to Court

“Free speech” is a revered and often talked about principle enshrined into our Constitution.  It is as much a part of the fabric of American political and social life today as it has been throughout our Nation’s history.  It is, however, a principle that must be vigilantly protected and defended as it is increasingly under attack in today’s culture.  As we seek to do just that, those who are tasked with protecting and defending it often do so at great cost.

            Ultimately, “free speech” is not truly free.  Protecting our constitutional rights by becoming embroiled in a lawsuit takes a great toll on those individuals who are willing to do so despite the costs to their families and everyday life.  Several months ago three individuals began a fight to protect against an erosion of our right to engage in free speech in Hemet, California when they read the Bible out loud in front of the Department of Motor Vehicles and were then arrested.  All three men have subsequently experienced the costs that maintaining truly “free speech” can exact.

The non-monetary costs are enumerable and often difficult to bear.  While we may not all agree with the particular method of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ used by these three men, it is indisputable that they are carrying a burden for us all. Should we all choose to remain silent in the face of great costs, our rights will slowly erode and diminish to such an extent that we will not be able to speak freely in the public square.

This month, the first round of the court battle that looms ahead occurred in federal district court in Los Angeles, California.  While we don’t agree with the entirety of the Court’s decision as the Court chose to dismiss a portion of the lawsuit, the most significant aspects of the case will move forward. Please be in prayer as this case forges ahead, recognizing that while “free speech” is not free, it is paramount to our ability to spread the Gospel and live our faith out loud.

ObamaCare – One Mandate Down

Although the national health insurance debate may not directly relate to religious liberty, we felt the Eleventh Circuit’s refreshing decision concerning health care is certainly worthy of reporting.  Last week, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the individual mandate required in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known as “ObamaCare”) is unconstitutional.

According to the Court, Congress cannot "mandate that individuals enter into contracts with private insurance companies for the purchase of an expensive product from the time they are born until the time they die."

The Court further went on to say:

“Few powers, if any, could be more attractive to Congress than compelling the purchase of certain products. Yet even if we focus on the modern era, when congressional power under the Commerce Clause has been at its height, Congress still has not asserted this authority. Even in the face of a Great Depression, a World War, a Cold War, recessions, oil shocks, inflation, and unemployment, Congress never sought to require the purchase of wheat or war bonds, force a higher savings rate or greater consumption of American goods, or require every American to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle.”We celebrate the 2-1 majority vote of the Court to call the ObamaCare mandate unconstitutional.  Since this decision differs from another federal appeals court ruling earlier this year which upheld the individual mandate, this case will very likely go to the US Supreme Court next.

Once a new federal law is established, there are often hundreds of pages of regulations adopted by non-elected officials who implement the law. ObamaCare has raised serious concerns regarding how politicians and regulators will use this new law to promote abortion and other causes that are repugnant to the Christian faith.

If the Supreme Court does not overturn ObamaCare for its individual mandate, we will monitor the implementation of ObamaCare in order to protect religious liberty and traditional values.  We will keep you updated on what happens in the ongoing case of ObamaCare.

Do you know the TRUE story behind our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

In the midst of the War of 1812, three US hostages aboard a British ship wait through the night, hearing the devastating sounds of war raging against a strategic US fort.  In the morning, they wake up at dawn, head to the deck, and look out to see whether the US flag is still flying, or if it has been replaced with a British flag….

Want to know the rest of the story?  Click here to watch a video from David Barton, President of WallBuilders, explaining this amazing moment in our history.

We are excited that David Barton will be our keynote speaker at this year’s Justice Gala!  His intimate knowledge of history – particularly from a religious viewpoint – is incredible, and we are blessed to have him share more about our nation’s forgotten heroes and Christian heritage at our event.

As the icing on the cake, we have Mike Williams – one of the greatest Christian comics today – as our Master of Ceremonies. Be ready to laugh the night away while supporting Advocates for Faith & Freedom!

Justice 2011, taking place on October 1 in Newport Beach, CA, will be one you will always remember…we hope you will join us!

Judge to Rule on Case of Christians Arrested for Reading the Bible Aloud in Public

In February 2011, three Christian men from Hemet, California, went to the local DMV. They stood about 50 feet from the door to the business and, while people waited in line for the DMV to open, one of the men read aloud from the Bible.

Within about 30-40 minutes, a CHP officer arrived, grabbed the Bible from the hands of the Christian reading, and arrested him, saying, “You can preach on your OWN property.”  The other two men asked the officer, “What law was he breaking?”…but the policeman could not give an answer.  While they were still trying to figure out why an arrest had occurred, another CHP officer arrived and arrested the other two as well.

Later, the CHP decided that the charge against these men was “impeding an open business”.  However, the DMV was not open at the time they were there AND they were standing far away from the entrance.

Advocates intervened in this case to protect the freedom of speech that these men are guaranteed by our Constitution, as well as to recognize the false arrests that they endured.  We stood in defense of our clients' freedom of speech and filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court against the CHP for an unlawful arrest.  The CHP then filed a Motion to Dismiss in response to our lawsuit, after which we filed a brief in opposition to their motion.  We anticipate that the judge will decide on the CHP’s motion very soon.

The three men are now being criminally prosecuted for not having a permit.  We believe the charges are unfounded because no permit is clearly required by state law.  Interestingly, the criminal charges were not filed until after we initiated the federal lawsuit.

We are praying for favor from the court and that the judge will see the validity of the arguments we presented in our written brief.

We appreciate your support and encouragement in this important case.  Not everyone will agree with the approach or the type of outreach these men performed, but we should all recognize their Constitutional right to read from the Bible out loud in public.  If this is not protected speech, then the Free Speech Clause would be of little value.

If you would like to see the whole story as it actually played out, you can watch a video of the arrest here.

Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on our progress in this case and others.

Did you know Congress printed the first U.S. Bible?

The theme of our annual Justice gala, on October 1, 2011, is“Defending Our Christian Heritage.”  In a time when the culture war is raging in our Nation, we can’t think of a more relevant topic to share with you.

We are so pleased to have David Barton, president of WallBuilders – an organization dedicated to preserving America’s forgotten history and heroes – as our featured speaker at Justice.  His knowledge of America’s Christian foundation shines a bright light on our history, such as the fact that the first Bible printed in English in the U.S. was printed by our government.

There is so much religious history to our nation’s founding that has been lost or revised along the way.  Other amazing facts that David Barton shares…

• That first U.S. Bible printed by Congress was for use in…our public schools
• The 4 paintings lining the walls of the Capitol show two prayer meetings, a Bible study, and a baptism
• The U.S. Capitol was America’s first megachurch, housing church services every Sunday

You will not want to miss this year’s Justice dinner and auction on October 1, with David Barton as our guest speaker.  This video gives just a sneak peek of what he will be sharing with us about the importance of “Defending Our Christian Heritage”:

Click here to view video

Another Student Vindicated

Whether you are a parent, a student, or have a loved one currently in middle or high school, we wanted to inform you of a recent case we fought involving the rights of a high school student.

In April, the Assistant Principals of Casa Grande High School approached student Maurace Zetino and told him that he could not wear his rosary outside of his clothing while on school grounds.  They said that the rosary could be construed as a gang symbol, and thus it was not permitted to be worn in full view – even though Maurace wears it as an expression of his Catholic religious beliefs.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the law supports the constitutional right of students to express their religious beliefs.Students do not give up their freedoms and liberties when they step foot on campus.

Along with our friend Jay Sekulow at the American Center for Law & Justice, we sent a joint demand letter to the Principals at Casa Grande, informing them of Maurace’s constitutional rights to convey his religiosity. In 1969, in the case of Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Community Sch. Dist.,students wore black armbands to protest the activities occurring in Vietnam. The students were sent home and told not to return until they removed the armbands, but the Supreme Court found in favor of the students and stated that students could express their beliefs – even if not shared by the school – as long as they did not cause “material and substantial” interference with the workings of the school or the rights of others.

Maurace is not a gang member. He does not wear the rosary to offend anyone or cause any kind of raucous. He simply wears it as an expression of his faith.

After our demand letter was sent to the school, attorneys on behalf of the administrators quickly responded and said that Maurace could continue to wear the rosary, and that all disciplinary actions related to this situation would be removed from Maurace’s record. We thank the school and admire their prompt response and resolution of this matter.

If you have a student in your life whose liberties are in some way infringed upon at school, I urge you to take action and stand up for religious freedom. Being a minor student does not eliminate a person of his or her constitutionally supported liberties. If Advocates can help in any way, we are ready and available to do so!

"So Help Me God" Stays Put

Last month, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought by a group of atheists (led by the infamous atheist Michael Newdow who also challenged “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance), challenging the use of the phrase “So help me God” used at the end of the President’s inaugural speech.

This suit originally came about before President Obama’s inaugural ceremony in January, 2009, asking a federal judge to block the use of the phrase at the inauguration.  In addition, this group asked that clergy be barred from conducting an invocation and benediction at the ceremony.

A federal judge claimed that the atheists did not have proper standing to bring this case, and so they were denied.

Later, the atheist group amended the case, seeking to bar all religious reference from the 2013 and 2017 inaugurations. They claimed that these statements amounted to governmental support of religion, which they believed would violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.  The case was filed against the chief justice, prospective prayer leaders, and inaugural committee members.

The appeals court dismissed the case, stating that the President or President-elect decides the content of the inaugural ceremony.  Thus, none of the individuals named in the case had the power to change the content, and since the atheist group did not name the President or President-elect, the case was dismissed.

Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal underscored an important point:

“A court would not have the authority to enter an injunction directly against the president in the exercise of his executive functions or against the president-elect (a private citizen) in the exercise of his personal religious beliefs.”

We applaud the decision of the Court!

A Supreme Court Win for Liberty

With our big government seemingly growing bigger all the time, we celebrate every victory that affords individuals personal freedom and liberties.

Just this week, the Supreme Court decided in favor of the individual and religious liberty.  In Arizona, state taxpayers had challenged a state program that allows tax credits to those who contribute to school tuition organizations (STOs), which provide scholarships to private and religious schools.  In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court found that these taxpayers had no standing, and that, essentially, individuals have the right to contribute their money to the organizations they want to help.  In the decision, Justice Kennedy explained:

“[C]ontributions result from the decisions of private taxpayers regarding their own funds.  Private citizens create private STOs; STOs choose beneficiary schools; and taxpayers then contribute to STOs.  While the State, at the outset, affords the opportunity to create and contribute to an STO, the tax credit system is implemented by private action and with no state intervention…”

We celebrate this victory of freedom and personal liberty, and we are proud to have written the brief on the issue where the case was won!

Planned Parenthood Shows Its True Colors in Undercover Sting

In a shocking undercover video released by Live Action this week, a Planned Parenthood clinic manager helps a supposed pimp and his prostitute (working undercover) with complications arising from their child sex trafficking business.

This clinic manager not only seems to be at ease with what is clearly being described as an illegal sex trafficking group involving underage children, but she also offers advice about how to cover up the young girls’ ages; which abortion clinic to go to so they will not be scrutinized; and how to receive a discount on contraception by claiming that the young girls are “students” – all to make everything look as legit as possible.  In one final sickening act, the manager advises on how young girls can still make money right after having an abortion (“Waist up, or just be that extra action walking by” to advertise sex to potential clients.)

This is despicable on its own, but the larger wrong is that Planned Parenthood receives over $300 million of our taxpayer money on a yearly basis!

Please spread this video to all of your friends and family so more people will be educated about the harm that this government-funded organization is doing.

View the video here: http://liveaction.org/traffick