Thank you for making Justice 2012 a success!

We want to send a big thank you to all of you who joined us last weekend at Justice 2012 in Costa Mesa, CA!  Your presence and participation made the

night so memorable, and we hope that you had a fun and informative evening with us.

The highlights of the evening included:

  • A very informative presentation concerning Obama’s vision for this nation, how Obama feels about religious liberty, and the importance of Advocates’ work.
  • Advocates attorneys Robert Tyler and Jennifer Bursch related their experiences straight from the courtroom, case updates, and what we can do about the biggest issues impeding our religious and individual liberties today.
  • The gathering of over 400 Christian supporters who are committed to defending religious liberty.  What a great time of community!

For those of you who were unable to join us, we’d like to ask you a question as we look forward to Justice 2013…would you want to experience this event, even if you’re unable to physically be there? We’re considering streaming the event next year, so that you can still have the incredible Justice experience…but you can do it from your home!  If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, please email us at info@faith-freedom.com and simply tell us, “Yes, I’m interested in attending Justice 2013 by live stream.”

Now, as we begin plans for Justice 2013 (already!), we’d like to reach out to any businesses or individuals who would like to take a more active role in the event by donating an item for our live or silent auction. If you have any unused airline miles, a vacation timeshare, a product or service from your business, or anything else that may work for an auction, please contact Lori at lsanada@faith-freedom.com or at(888) 588-6888. It’s never too early for us to start planning for this event, and we appreciate your help – you make this event possible!

National and Local Christian Voter Guides

To help you determine your position on the issues and candidates in the upcoming election, here is a list of some national and local Christian Voter Guides that we recommend.  We hope these help you as you prepare for this very important election! National Christian Voter Guides

California Christian Voter Guides

 

Local Voter Guides for Portions of California

 

Thank you for becoming informed about all of the issues and candidates, and thank you exercising your right to vote! 

Ticket Deadline Extended for Justice 2012 with Dinesh D’Souza

Due to high demand, we are extending our ticket sale deadline for Justice 2012! If you haven’t already purchased your tickets ($150 a plate), we urge you to claim them right now…because our ABSOLUTE, LAST CHANCE deadline for ticket purchases is this Wednesday, October 3rd by 12 noon!

We are so excited to bring you a private and powerful address from our keynote speaker, Dinesh D’Souza – author and director of the box office success 2016: Obama’s America. You will be able to hear from this New York Times bestselling author LIVE, as he discusses how we can liberate America, especially in this important time in our history, and why the work that Advocates for Faith & Freedom does is so important!

In addition, we will be hosting a Chance Drawing, Silent Auction, and Live Auction – so you can support Advocates’ work and have an opportunity to walk away with some amazing gifts and lifetime experiences! Here is a sample of what you will find at Justice 2012:

  • Participate in the Chance Drawing for an opportunity to win a $1,000 Gift Card for the Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach
  • Join the fun of our exciting Live Auctionwhere we have included something for everyone:
    • Autographed Muhammad Ali Lithograph by artist LeRoy Neiman (autographs from both Ali and the late Neiman)
    • An autographed electric guitar from Paul McCartney of The Beatles
    • A Tim Tebow 24" x 30” stretched canvas portrait and autographed NFL Official Game Football, NY Jets
    • A beautiful 3-night stay in Napa Valley Wine Country
    • The ultimate Nascar Experience: Drive a stock car to the checkered flag!
    • Beautiful European 10-Night Vacation for two
    • Country singer Taylor Swift’s autographed Acoustic Guitar
    • Sports Fan Getaway ~ Choose your favorite MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Golf or College Bowl Game
    • Christmas Parade Cruise in Newport Harbor on a private 34' yacht with Advocates attorneys, board members, and 4 of your friends or family!
  • Bid on some amazing items in our Silent Auction:
    • Deep Sea Fishing Trip on a private boat out of Huntington Beach for six
    • America’s Cup Yacht Adventure
    • A vacation to remember to the La Costa Resort Spa and Golf in Carlsbad
    • Fun-filled day trips with tickets for the Dodgers, USC game, Aquarium of the Pacific, Knott’s Berry Farm, Catalina Day Trip, etc.
    • And so much more.....

You only have 48 hours left to get your ticket to this amazing event – experience a commanding keynote address from Dinesh D’Souza; enjoy the fun of our silent and live auctions; and, most importantly, learn more about what Advocates for Faith & Freedom is doing right now to defend our religious liberties!

We hope to see you there!!

Tickets are Going, Going, (Almost) Gone to see Dinesh D’Souza in Costa Mesa!

Tickets are going fast for our Justice 2012 Gala, happening on Saturday October 6th in Costa Mesa, CA. We are very fortunate to have Dinesh D’Souza, author and director of the hit documentary 2016: Obama’s America (out in theaters now) as our keynote speaker.

This intriguing film asks the question, “What will our America look like in 2016 if Obama is reelected and pursues his vision for our nation?” And digging deeper, what is Obama’s vision for America? As Dinesh said in his speech at CPAC 2012, “There’s a lot of personal mystery around Obama, but more than that – there is ideological mystery…. It’s still unclear…what his compass is.”

You can view the trailer of his movie here, and better yet – if you are in Southern California – you can hear Dinesh speak LIVE about the movie, his research, and why fighting for our religious liberties in the climate of our nation today is so vitally important.

We invite you to purchase your tickets today, as they are going fast! Tickets are $150 each, and you can purchase them online or by calling us at 888-588-6888.

We hope to see you there!

Are Our Children Being Hijacked?

For the past few years, Advocates has taken a very special interest in the rights and liberties afforded to our children as students in the public school system. We have done this not only to ensure their rights in the school setting, but also to take a stand for families who want to bring up their children in the moral structure that they choose. Parents and families, we want you to realize that when your children go to school, they will be encouraged, if not compelled, to adopt ideals and morals that do not support what you are teaching them at home. And, to educate you on what is happening in the schools and what your children are or will be facing everyday, we have put together a booklet called “Hijacked K-12”. These are just a few of the alarming situations we came across in our research and experiences:

  • Students may leave school grounds to receive psychological counseling, vaccinations for STDs, abortions or other pregnancy-related treatments during school hours…and the school does not have to provide notice to the parents.
  • The California Teacher’s Association (CTA) now warns its teachers: “Please do not assume anyone’s gender, even people you may have met in the past. A person’s external appearance may not match their internal gender identity.” They have also suggested, “One way of acknowledging the needs of all people is to designate restrooms as gender neutral.” (emphasis added)
  • Schools have not only taken religion out of the public school system, but they have also displayed outright hostility towards students and teachers who espouse Christian views, examples of which we detail in the booklet.

If you are a parent, a teacher, or a student – we encourage you to get a copy of this booklet to educate yourself and your family or colleagues. This information is eye opening and thought provoking, and we have provided tips for how you as a parent or teacher can take action to protect your or your children’s rights!

We want to get the word out about this information as much as possible, and you can help us by doing one or more of the following:

  • Request a booklet. Please call us at (888) 588-6888 to order one or more copies. We are asking for a $5 donation for a hard copy of this booklet, or we can email you a PDF digital copy for no charge, or any donation you’d like to give. The booklet will eventually be available on our website as well.
  • Forward this information on to your friends, family, and colleagues. Please help us spread the word, and let’s get as many people informed as possible!
  • Tell your church, Bible study leader, parents group, private school, or other organizations to contact us to speak. We are willing and ready to get this information out any way that we can, and a great channel for this is speaking engagements. If you or someone you know may be interested in having us speak, please contact Lori Sanada at (888) 588-6888.

We believe that this message is urgent, and we want everyone to know what is happening in our schools, as well as what we as parents, teachers, and concerned citizens can do to protect our students and our families. Thank you so much for your help!

Dinesh D’Souza, Author and Director of the 2016 Movie, will be at Justice 2012!

Recently, the movie 2016: Obama’s America opened in movie theaters around the nation, and it was a surprising hit. The movie was written and directed by Dinesh D’Souza, and it explores the premise: Who is this man who is running our country, and what is his vision for the future of America? And what direction do we as Americans want for our country as we look toward our nation’s future?

Incredibly, this gripping documentary has earned upwards of $20 million so far – more than 5 times the amount the second highest-grossing documentary of the year earned…and this one had barely any promotional budget! Americans are clearly concerned about the upcoming election this year and what is going to become of our beloved nation. Dinesh D’Souza and this movie provide facts about what must be done to ensure that America and our liberties continue to grow, not diminish.

Our own Robert Tyler, Advocates General Counsel, saw the movie recently and stated, “I was astounded at how little we truly know about the man who holds the greatest power in not only our nation, but also the world. It proved to me even more how important the work we do here at Advocates - protecting our religious liberties and defending our individual rights - truly is!" Dinesh D’Souza is our keynote speaker at the Justice 2012 Gala this year, happening in Costa Mesa, CA on October 6. Dinesh will be sharing a message about “Liberating America,” including some of the facts he uncovered about our leader and the direction our nation is now heading, and why it is so imperative to continue fighting for our liberties!

In addition, we are proud to announce the return of Warren Duffy as the emcee for Justice 2012. From 1994 to 2004, afternoon drive-time radio listeners in Southern California tuned in daily from 4 to 7 p.m. on 99.5, KKLA, to hear the award winning talk program “Duffy and Company.” Since leaving the air in 2004, Duffy keeps busy serving as a speaker and leader of “Duffy Tours”worldwide.

Tickets are going fast, and seating is limited...So, if you are interested in hearing from Dinesh D’Souza and supporting our continued fight for religious liberty, please visit www.faith-freedom.com/justice-2012 or call (888) 588-6888 to purchase tickets now.

Sincerely,

Robert Tyler Advocates for Faith & Freedom

 

Delegates at the DNC Boo “Jerusalem” and “God”

The conventions have dominated the news cycle over the past couple of weeks, but a surprising event at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) has left us appalled. Over the course of the last week, it was odd to see that the Democrats’ 2012 platform made not one mention of “God,” whereas the Republican platform makes mention of God 12 times! In addition, there was no statement in the DNC platform about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel. In the past, this has been one point where the Republican and Democratic platforms have always aligned.

It seems that, due to the public outcry and pressure to remain relevant to faith-based voters, the DNC has now recanted. A motion was made to reinstate language about Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the term “God-given,” into the platform.

However, it did not come easily. You can watch the video below to see that the DNC chairman had to call these changes to a vote three times before he eventually passed the motion. And, even then, it was met with boos from the audience of Democratic delegates.

Watch the video by clicking on the image below:

Wine Country Vintners to Church: “We don’t want your kind out here!”

Can churches and wineries coexist? That is the question at stake right now in the face of a Riverside County hearing in Temecula, CA. Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship ("The Barn") is gearing up to file a federal lawsuit against the County of Riverside in the event that the County continues its ban on churches in the Temecula Wine Country, an area that is being expanded from approximately 7,000 acres to over 18,990 acres. A public hearing will occur on Wednesday, August 22, 2012, over the fate of churches in this region. The hearing will position the Wine Country Vintner’s Association against the church congregation and many other Christians from the area.

Trying to be a good neighbor, Pastor Clark Van Wick met with a few vintners in an attempt to appease them, but was told, “We don’t want your kind out here.”

In 1999, the Barn received permission from the County to build a new church in Wine Country after a hotly contested public hearing process where the same vintners opposed the building of the church. However, shortly after this, the County quietly passed a new ordinance banning all churches from the Wine Country. The Barn was grandfathered-in and was the only existing church in the Wine Country at the time. Although the church could still meet in the Wine Country, it would never be able to expand its facilities any further because of the ban that was in place, and no other churches would be able to operate in the Wine Country.

The Barn just recently learned of the ban on churches when it sought to obtain a permit to expand its church facilities and to build a small private country school for grades K-8. Of course, the expansion of the facilities is now prohibited.

Under the current and future zoning ordinances, Wineries are allowed to have giant weddings, concerts and plays, but no new churches can assemble to worship. And the only existing church, the Barn, is prohibited from expanding. Robert Tyler, Advocates’ General Counsel, stated, “Although religious liberty is often exercised in the form of free speech, as in the incident surrounding Chick-fil-A, it is more often exercised in the form of believers assembling together for the common purpose of worshipping God, holding church services, and studying the Bible.” He continued, “We must defend the right to assemble against discriminatory zoning laws and land use regulations or else governmental officials will be able to zone out Christians whenever it is politically expedient.”

Christians in the area have become aware of this situation, and they have taken action! Local churches have submitted over 3,200 letters to the County asking to overturn the ban. For more information on reversing the ban on churches, including links to a television interview and newspaper articles, go to www.WineCountryFreedom.Com.

ACTION POINT

Hundreds of area Christians and church members are expected to attend the planning commission hearing. As a sign of thanks, the church will serve Chick-fil-A to all those who attend during the lunchtime break. If you can and are in the area, please join us and voice your support of churches in Wine Country!

Hearing details: August 22, 2012 9:00 AM Riverside County Planning Commission Hearing Temecula City Hall 41000 Main Street Temecula, CA

What Will America Look Like in 2016?

That is the question at the heart of the upcoming movie, 2016: Obama’s America, directed by conservative journalist Dinesh D’Souza. If Obama is elected for another term, in what direction will he take our beloved nation? Digging into Obama’s past and political aspirations, Dinesh tries to find the truth behind Obama’s agenda for America. With the film opening nationwide this month, some people complain that it is too close to the election to release this type of movie. However, Dinesh stated that he learned some tricks from another documentarian …Michael Moore:

“When he released ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ in 2004 ahead of the election, it sparked intense debate. I learned some lessons from Michael Moore, and hopefully he might learn some lessons from me about handling facts.”

Regarding the movie itself, Dinesh said, “This film is a thriller, whatever you think and regardless of your politics, you are going to leave this movie going ‘wow, I had no idea this was the man that has been in the White House for the past four years.” (emphasis added)

One Washington, D.C. journalist screened the film and declared, “It scared the h- out of me!” Dinesh says the film is so shocking because "much of the material was unreported by mainstream media.”

We look forward to seeing this movie and in welcoming Dinesh as our keynote speaker at this year’s Justice 2012 Gala! If you would like to hear more from Dinesh about “Liberating America,” please consider joining us this year at Justice 2012 at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa on Saturday, October 6th.

ACTION POINT

Here is a list of theaters where the movie 2016: Obama’s America will be playing. If it is playing in your area, we encourage you to go see it, and let us know what you think!

Also, if you’d like to hear more from Dinesh D’Souza, consider attending our Justice 2012 Gala.

 

Purposes that Cultivate Our Hearts

Dear Partner, Over the last two years, my family has developed a particular passion for the people of Haiti due to three recent mission trips my children and I have taken with the Haiti Endowment Fund. Our first mission trip was scheduled just before the earthquake that devastated this small island nation. The earthquake delayed our first trip to Haiti for a short time, a time during which Christian ministries and American humanitarian aid poured into Haiti.

While bringing basic necessities to the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, I have reflected upon the intolerable circumstances of living in Haiti and the blessings we cherish in the United States. If you were born in Haiti, you would likely have suffered from the lack of clean water, lack of food, unending sickness, political corruption, and widespread Voodooworship. However, if you were born in the U.S., you would have likely benefited from the abundance of clean water, healthy foods, antibiotics, democratic values, and widespread Christianity.

Because of God’s blessings, we have been the most generous nation in the world with the provision of humanitarian aid. More importantly, however, Americans have exported Christianity worldwide through the passion of missionaries and humanitarian organizations. In the context of this experience, I have come to view the necessity of our work at Advocates through a clearer lens.It is apparent to me that our work in the U.S. defending liberties has more  importance than  merely  protecting our  individual  right to go to church  or to share our faith.  Rather, the importance of our work extends beyond these liberties to the ability of Christian organizations within the U.S. to initiate and expand their ministries such that their impact is felt worldwide.

For example, we often represent churches that are seeking to rent public facilities in order to hold services but are often denied on the misunderstood application of the so-called “separation of church and state.” Sometimes, churches are wrongfully prohibited

from occupying their own property and, in one specific case, a church-affiliated school was told that it could only expand if the Christian school provided a “secular education Mondays through Fridays.”
            When Advocates stepped-in to defend the Christian school, the City of Los Angeles backed down after we filed a federal lawsuit, and now the school is educating potential ministers and missionaries from a Christian worldview!  If we don’t defend our constitutional liberties, churches may not be able to assemble for services, their teaching may be censored and their ability to send out missionaries and humanitarian aid worldwide may be severely inhibited.Our purpose is greater than mere politics or patriotic principles. We defend the First Amendment right to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our impact will not only be felt here in the U.S., but internationally as well. Please stand with us so that Christian organizations will be able to flourish in the United States minister to the nations.

Robert Tyler General Counsel

Government Investigating the “Radicalization” of Christians?

           Recently, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) spearheaded an investigation into the radicalization of Muslims in America.  In response, Congressman Al Green (D-TX) argued that Congress cannot single out one religion; if the government is going to investigate the radicalization of Muslims, why not look into the radicalization of Christians in America?

Congressman Green said, "People who see the hearings and never hear about the hearing on the radicalization of Christianity have to ask themselves:  ‘Why is this missing?’  Why don’t we go to the next step and ask, how is it that a blue-eyed, blonde-haired, white female in the United States of America can become radicalized to the point of wanting to do harm to this country?”

It should be no surprise that some liberal politicians and media commentators are in support of labeling conservative Christians.

If you adhere to biblical principles, support traditional marriage and are pro-life, this might  mean  that  you  are  a “Radical Christian.”   In  fact,    many  of  us  would   proudly   carry    the label of “Radical Christian.”

However, just like we condemn the violence of radical Muslims, we would also condemn hateful acts of violence that are purportedly carried out in the name of Christianity.

Though some people want to spin this issue into one of discrimination – claiming we can’t just investigate one religious subset of the population – the radicalization of Muslims in America is a great concern for domestic safety due to the jihadist beliefs of many Muslims.

In fact, Dr. Jasser, founder and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (and a devout Muslim), stated, “When we look at the problem of radicalization, the excuses will never run out.  It seems to me that Americans are sitting around doing nothing to combat extremists.”

We will continue to bring any updates to you in the event Congressman Green’s proposal gets any traction in Congress.

       In the meantime, please pray for these ongoing investigations concerning the radicalization of Muslims and for the safety of all Americans from terrorist attacks.