Thursday October 6th is Bring Your Bible to School Day.

Thursday October 6th is Bring Your Bible to School Day. Sponsored annually by Focus on the Family, the event empowers students to take their Bibles to school as a visual way to share their faith with friends and celebrate their right to free speech.  

Sign up for the event and download free age-specific participation guides for students and get other resources, including student testimonies.

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25 Surprising Facts About Religious Rights in Public Schools

From time to time we hear anecdotal stories of the public school systems prohibiting students from expressing their Christian faith. Certainly it does happen, but if challenged, the public schools system often backs down. Also, schools systems often try to purge schools of any recognition of the dominant Christian culture in which we live by doing such things as changing "Christmas break" to "winter break."  Because of a separation of  church and state, school boards do not have to pretend that the school break that happens at the end of the year is not a "Christmas" break.

One reason secularist and politically correct bullies often win is because Christians are so damn meek and mild. Christians do have rights. If you don't stand up for your rights however, you will lose them.

The following list of "25 Surprising Facts about Religious Rights in Public Schools" is copied from an email I received from Tennessee Eagle Forum. Eagle Forum got if from Liberty Institute. To view the 33-page book that contains this list and other information about religious liberty in public schools see the  Religious Liberty Protections Kit for Students and Teachers.

1. Students and educators do have First Amendment religious rights inside public schools.

2. Students can speak about their faith even when teachers must be neutral.

3. Schools cannot treat religious activity differently than other activity.

4. Students can pray during lunch, recess, or other designated free time.

5. Students can pray silently during a school's moment of silence.

6. Students can read the Bible or other religious materials at school.

7. Students can share their faith with fellow students.

8. Schools can acknowledge religion.

9. Students can pray, either individually or as a group, at school athletic competitions, student assemblies, or other extracurricular activities when school officials are not involved.

10. In many cases, a school district can allow student- led prayer before an athletic competition (such as a football game), a student assembly, or other extracurricular event as part of the school program.

11. Students can pray at graduation ceremonies or include religious content in their speeches.

12. A public school can refer to "Christmas" and have a "Christmas party" if the intent is not to advance Christianity.

13. A public school can display Christmas decorations if the intent is to teach and not part of a religious exercise.

14. A public school can include religious Christmas music, art, or drama in a school play or performance if it is used to teach history or cultural heritage and not advance a particular religion.

15. Students can give out Christmas gifts with religious messages at school parties.

16. Students can incorporate their faith or religion in classroom and homework assignments under normal and appropriate circumstances.

17. A public school district cannot be hostile toward religious beliefs.

18. Teachers and other public school employees can discuss religion with students under many conditions.

19. Teachers and other public school employees can discuss religion with other teachers or other school employees.

 20. A public school or a teacher cannot limit religious speech by students unless they limit other speech.

21. Students can have a religious club at their school.

22. Religious student groups can meet on campus whenever other non-curricular clubs can meet.

23. Religious clubs can use the same school resources available to non-religious clubs (e.g., school facilities, bulletin boards, public address system) to promote or facilitate club events.

24. In most states, teachers or other public school employees may attend a religious student group's meetings in a supervisory role.

25. Members of religious student clubs can distribute flyers about meetings and events just like non-religious clubs.

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Karen Bennett and the Swingers Club make Reason TV

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A gay guy walks into a Muslim-owned bakery to order a wedding cake......

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Major victory for religous liberty and a blow to Obamacare. Hobby Lobby wins! Tennesseans Respond.

A major victory for religious liberty was struck this morning when the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5 to 4 decision in the Hobby Lobby case that  the government could not compel Hobby lobby to pay for insurance covering early abortion inducing drugs as mandated by Obamacare. Below are the commends of some prominent Tennesseans.

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, the senior Republican on the Senate health committee and one of 88 members of Congress who joined in filing an amicus brief on behalf of Hobby Lobby, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling: 

The Supreme Court’s decision today makes clear that the government cannot force Americans to defy the basic tenets of their faith simply because they own a business. I am glad the Supreme Court has preserved our Constitution’s protections of religious freedom from another overreach by the Obama administration.

Senator Bob Corker:  This result is a huge victory for all who believe in separation of powers and the rule of law. 

Marsha Blackburn

Congressman Marsha Blackburn:

By attacking the religious convictions of the Green family, the Obama Administration has once again shown its distain for the free expression of faith. With this ruling, I am relieved that the Supreme Court has somewhat blunted the President's endless assault on our individual freedoms and liberties. Barack Obama and his administration need to remember that he was elected President, not king; and that people should be able to practice their faith without fear of big government trampling on the Judeo-Christian values upon which our great nation was founded.

Additionally, this is an important victory for the job creators in our economy. For the past six years, the Obama Administration has destroyed jobs with its insatiable desire to regulate and control. Successful business owners know how best to manage their affairs, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington. The more this Administration meddles in the economy, the fewer jobs that will be created and the more families that will suffer from the lack of a steady income.

The fact that this case needed to be heard at all should demonstrate to all of us that the struggle to preserve American liberty is never-ending.

George Flynn

Dr. George Flynn, candidate Republican nomination for U.S Senate, issued the following statement:   

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a victory to the American people in its ruling that employers can opt out of providing coverage for contraception if they have religious objections. While this is a huge success, the fight is not over.

We must continue to fight to return the Doctor/patient relationship to healthcare, which has been stripped through Obamacare. I have seen this first hand as a doctor and this is why I have worked to develop a the Patient Centered Health Plan, one which includes principles such as portability, free markets, and the right of conscious. We must continue to fight and not give up until we are completely free of Obamacare and its harsh regulations.

David Fowler

David Fowler, President of The Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT), issued the following statement:

Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a great day for religious liberty in our country. The Court rightly recognized that in our country the law should not require individuals to violate the tenets of their religious beliefs in order to operate their private businesses. They have upheld the promise made by our Founding Fathers that this would be a nation in which religious liberty would forever be freely exercised without oppression by civil government.

The abortifacients mandate in Obamacare put individuals in the position of having to choose between obeying the law or the dictates of their conscience. All freedom-loving people in America owe a debt of gratitude to the owners of these two companies for being the latest in a long line of courageous Americans who have stood for freedom against government tyranny and religious oppression.

Hopefully, today’s decision will serve as a strong rebuke to those who have expansive views on the reach of civil government and a disdain for individuals whose religious viewpoints form the basis for their decisions and actions. It is good to know that individual business owners can still carry their religious beliefs into the marketplace when they leave home.  

For statements by other prominent Tennesseans follow these link: Joe Carr, Congressman Scott DesJarlais,  Congressman Fleischmann
Check back for more updates and commentary. 

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Relligious Freedom for wedding vendors bill withdrawn

Homosexuals and their friends, who want to force wedding cake bakers, photographers, caterers, florist and other wedding vendors who find homosexual "marriage" morally repugnant to provide services to homosexual weddings against their will, turned out in force and effectively lobbied the State legislature and the bill which would  have allowed wedding vendors, with a deeply held religion objection, to decline to provide their services to homosexual weddings was withdrawn.

Oh well, if I was forced to bake a cake against my will you wouldn't want to eat the cake. I am sure there will be no shortage of people who either do not object to homosexual marriage or want the business and that there will not be a shortage of wedding vendors for homosexual weddings.  Why the homosexual community wanted to deny wedding vendors with a moral objection to homosexual "marriage" the right to practice their faith, I don't really understand.  I doubt this will be a big problem however.  Suppose two guys are getting married and they call a photographer to photograph the glorious event and the photographer says, "I will photograph your wedding if required to do so, but I find homosexual marriage morally repugnant and would prefer not to do so." I doubt the happy couple are going to want him as their photographer anyway. However, their have been cases where people have been sued for refusing to provide services to homosexual weddings, so I guess it does happen.  I wouldn't want to force anyone to serve me in that way who didn't want to myself, but I guess forcing others to accept your lifestyle as normal is part of the agenda.

TN lawmakers drop wedding vendors bill

Feb. 19, 2014, The Tennessean - A Tennessee lawmaker dropped a bill that would have let wedding vendors turn away same-sex couples after activists in Nashville and beyond waged an intense, weeklong campaign against the measure.

State Sen. Mike Bell announced at a hearing late Tuesday that he would delay consideration of Senate Bill 2566 until at least next year, saying that there was no need for the measure immediately. The bill would have let cake makers, photographers and other vendors refuse to work on same-sex ceremonies, even if courts strike down the state’s constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Several dozen gay rights activists turned out — many in red — to show their opposition to the bill, the culmination of a short yet heated effort to stop the legislation. Bell referenced that effort, saying he had heard from Tennessseans “from Johnson City to Memphis,” for and against the measure, since taking over sponsorship of the bill just five days ago.(link)

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Alexander Joins With Town Seeking To Continue Public Prayers At meetings.

Alexander Joins With Town Seeking To Continue Public Prayers At meetings.

The Chattanoogan,  Monday, August 05, 2013 - Senator Lamar Alexander has joined an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court regarding a case involving prayer prior to a town meeting.  The case is the Town of Greece v. Galloway case, in which the right of a town to start its board meetings with prayer is at issue.(link)

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Andy Miller funds anti-Muslim activist Zelenik's campaign

Sharia law, super PACs roil GOP primaryPolitico
In 2010, Zelenik accused Black of not being more outspoken against the Murfreesboro mosque. During that same race, Zelenik, a former Rutherford County, Tenn., Republican Party chairwoman, ran an online fundraising appeal asking supporters to “stand ...

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Lou Ann Zelenik still opposes the First Admendment and Freedom of Religion

Mt. Juliet, TN—-Sixth District Congressional Candidate Lou Ann Zelenik praised the court ruling today that denied the approval of  “Islamic Center of Murfreesboro”, stating that adequate notice was not given to the public by the Planning Commission of the intentions of the  Islamic group.

“This is a victory for the citizens of  all Middle Tennessee who have been the victims of  ‘taqqiya’ (Islamic lying for the sake of advancing Islam) during this entire process,” said Zelenik,  a leading critic of the construction of the Islamic Center.  Zelenik, as a 6^th district congressional candidate in 2010, openly challenged the project resulting in numerous death threats.  Since then, she has devoted countless hours as Executive Director of the Tennessee Freedom Coalition speaking out against radical Islam and its encroachment into American culture.

She is once again in the race for the Republican nomination for District 6.  “For over 2 years my opponent has been and still is on the sidelines of this issue.  This is not a partisan issue, but an American issue and her silence is deafening”, said Zelenik.

“This was not an issue of freedom of religion.  Islam does not claim to be a religion, but a social and political system that intends to dominate every facet of our lives and seeks to dominate it’s host culture by any means including force and violence.  This case was for equal treatment under the law.  No Christian church or Jewish synagogue would have received this type of treatment from the Planning Commission.”

“I was criticized for being opposed to freedom of religion,” Zelenik stated, “but the reality is that I was speaking for the citizens of Tennessee  who felt they had no voice.  As a political figure, I was proud to stand with other brave citizens who were outraged by the denial of their due process rights.  Those citizens and the attorneys deserve all the credit in the world.”

Anyone interested in her campaign can go by the headquarters at 1253 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet  TN, or call (615) 483-3955. For more information on Lou Ann Zelenik please check out www.VoteLouAnn.com

Comment: Whether or not adequate notice was given in this matter is a technical legal issue that probably needed clarification. I do not fault the court for this very narrow ruling in this case. So, I may actually agree with Lou Ann Zelenik on this ruling. However, I am supporting Diane Black in the 6th District Congressional Republican primary because she is not Lou Ann Zelenik. Should Zelenik win the primary, I would have to carefully consider the candidacy of her Democrat opponent.  Anyone who thinks the world's second largest religion is not a religion is a nut. If you respect the constitution, you cannot ignore the First Amendment.

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Gov. Haslam made right decision in veto of Vandy bill

Gov. Haslam has vetoed the bill that tried to force Vanderbilt University to exempt student religious groups from its "all-comers" nondiscrimination policy.  That policy prohibits discrimination on the part of any student group except for sororities and fraternities. If an avowed atheist wants to join a Christian group, the Christian group would have to admit him.

In vetoing HB 3576/SB 3597, the Governor said, "It is counter-intuitive to make campus organizations open their membership and leadership positions to anyone and everyone, even when potential members philosophically disagree with the core values and beliefs of the organization. I don't agree with Vanderbilt's policy, I think it's wrong. But I just also don't think the state, in this case, should tell a private institution what it should do."

I agree with the Governor. I have been a supporter of the Students fighting for religious liberty at Vanderbilt. I have posted on this blog the video urging alumni to withhold funds to Vanderbilt.  I think Vanderbilt s policy of prohibiting organization from restricting membership to people who adhere to their values and beliefs is simply wrong.  I do not, however, think that everything that is wrong should be illegal. If Vanderbilt wants to deny students on their campus the right to practice their faith, Vanderbilt should have that right. I believe private institutions should be free to discriminate.

I know that many who have followed this issue and many on the religious right are going to be upset with the governor. My morning email is full of denunciations of the Governor's decision.

Below is the email sent out by Kevin Kookogey Chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party:

It is purely a political decision that a school that receives $24 million in taxpayer dollars can be deemed "private."

In the Grove City case (which also included Hillsdale College), the  SCOTUS held that a college which received even INDIRECT funding from the federal government was bound by all federal laws.  In that case, Grove City College and Hillsdale were not recipients of any federal funds, but they admitted some students whose loans were federally guaranteed, like Stafford loans. Even that was enough, in the opinion of the SCOTUS, to deem those colleges "public" and thus bound by all federal regs.  Of course, in order to maintain their independent educational missions, Grove City and Hillsdale wisely determined to no longer admit students who were paying tuition with any federally guaranteed loans.

It seems to me that in the long run this issue with Vandy is better addressed head on by the legislature deeming any school that receives ANY state funding, directly or indirectly, "public" for proposes of compliance with the laws. This would then obviate the need for making special amendments which give the Governor an excuse to veto under specious claims of wanting to limit government, a claim undermined by the Governor's own press release this morning boasting of taxpayer goodies and grants about which he was proud. 

 I think that is dangerous logic. This is an argument for unlimited government. This is big government conservatism.  As conservatives who profess to believe in limited government, we should not be working to expand government control. We should not be advocating dictating to private institutions. Believing in limited government should not just be something we profess to believe when liberals want to expand government to advance a liberal agenda but something we abandon when we wish to advance a conservative agenda. The conservative agenda should be limited government. Governor Haslam showed courage and made the right decision.

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Stephen Siao of Vanderbilt College Republicans on Fox

Outgoing VCR president Stephen Siao and incoming president Abby Sutton will be on Fox & Friends at 6:50 AM EST/5:50 AM CST tomorrow morning to discuss the hypocrisies of Vanderbilt's "all-comers" policy and the pending bill/amendment in the legislature. I will not be up at 5:30 but if this is tuned into a YouTube video, I will watch it and post it.

Congratulations Stephen for making the big time and God bless you for fighting for liberty.

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Dinesh D'Souza at Vanderbilt on “How Christianity Shaped America: Religious Liberty and Liberal Intolerance.”

Last night I had the pleasure of hearing Mr.  D’Souza speak at Vanderbilt University on the topic, “How Christianity Shaped America: Religious Liberty and Liberal Intolerance.”

 Mr. D’Souza is an American immigrant from India. He is the author of several best-selling books and regularly appears on TV news cast and talk shows. He has been called one of the "top young public-policy makers in the country" by Investor’s Business Daily and The New York Times Magazine named him one of America's most influential conservative thinkers. He is a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and is the President of The King's College in New York City.

In his speech he defended Christianity and discussed the challenge of modern atheism and secularism. He spoke for a good 45 minutes and engaged in questions and answers for at least another 45 minutes. He was brilliant! He was thought-provoking, humorous at times, motivational and inspirational. Unlike many political speakers who preach and appeal to the emotions, D’Souza teaches, explains and reasons.

He made the point that Christianity changed the world and that our concepts of human rights and the worth of the individual are Christian concepts. He said that when there is a natural disaster somewhere in the world, that it is America and European countries of the world that send aid. China, Saudi Arabia and other countries have wealth but it is people in the Christianized world that feel they are their brother’s keepers. This concept of having a responsibility for the well being of others is not a Roman or Greek idea, but a Christian idea. In ancient Greece it was common practice to put an unwanted child out on a hillside to freeze to death. We do not have a record of the great philosophers on ancient Greece condemning this practice.

He said that in India, there is a saying that, “the tears of a stranger are as water.” In most of the history of the world, family or tribe was important, and compassion for others was unknown.

He answered the critics of religion and critics of Christianity who point out that horrible things have been done in the name of religion. Much of what is described as wars over religion are really not, he said. The battle between Israel and the Arabs is not over weather Abraham or Mohamed was the better prophet but is a battle over land. He said the war in Northern Ireland was not a war over religious doctrine but was a battle over political control.

To critics who bring up the worst of Christianity such as the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem witch trials, he pointed out that, while these things were terrible, the Spanish Inquisition lasted 400 years and a total of about 2000 people lost their lives or about five a year. In the Salem witch trials, a total of 19 people were killed. He said if you developed a balance sheet and compared those who were killed in the name of Christianity, compared to those killed in the name of atheism, on the atheist side you have the dead of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro and Pol Pot which adds up to many, many millions. The number killed in the name of Christianity cannot compare.

In the question and answer period one young man asked a question that has bother me, and I think many people who have ever examined their faith. The questioner asked how do you reconcile the horrors and genocide and partiality of God as reported in the Old Testament, to the gentle teachings of Jesus which teaches compassion and the value of the individual in the New Testament. D’Souza said that in his view, it is a mistake to view the Bible as a single book but it is rather a collection of books that cover generations. The Bible reveals an evolution of our concept of God as time progresses. God is “revealed” in the Bible over time, he said. He elaborated at length on this and I cannot recall the fine points of this theological argument, but I found it persuasive. Coming from a fundamentalist background, I have heard explanations that failed to satisfy or I have, more often than not, just seen this conflict between the nature of the early God and the nature of Jesus just ignored. I am sure D’sousa’s explanation would not be satisfactory to the more fundamentalist Christians who preach the Bible’s inerrant infallibility.
 

I asked Mr D’Douza about his thoughts about the current situation regarding Muslims in our community. I explained that in Murfreesboro, where a Muslim congregation is seeking to build a mosque, that there has been vocal and widespread opposition. Many of the opponents of the mosque, I explained, argue that Muslims should not have the right to build the mosque and are not entitled to freedom of religion. Those who take this position, I said, argue that Islam is not really a religion but a cult or a way of life or a political systems. Also I told him that there is widespread opposition to any workplace accommodations to Muslim and outrage whenever there is any accommodations.

Mr. D’Souza said that clearly Islam is a religion and a religion with a rich and long history. Islam helped improve the lot of mankind he said. He gave the example of the Bedouin and their practices before and after converting to Islam. He said clearly Muslims should have the rights of any other Americans. We should not make accommodations to practices that compromise our laws, such as we cannot excuse honor killings as an acceptable practice, but if one wants to bow and pray five times a day to Mecca that is a practice that hurts no one else.

A questioner asked Mr. D’Sousa his thoughts about the current situation on Vanderbilt campus which has adopted a policy that prohibits religious organization from discriminating. Under this new policy, a religious organization cannot require that students seeking to join the organization or become a leader of the organization agree with the principles of the organization. A Christian organization, under this new policy, cannot require that their members live what they see as a moral lifestyle or subscribe to the values and tenants of the organization.

The questioner pointed out that sororities and fraternities openly and unabashedly discriminate. These Greek organizations have selection committees and may fail to select someone because of their looks or because they are insufficiently wealthy or just because they don’t think the person would be a good “fit.” How, asked the questioner, can Vanderbilt allow these organizations to be selective and not allow religious organization?

 It is about power, said D’Sousa. Sororities and Fraternities have long established histories and alumni who contribute to the university. The University would not dare try to prohibit this type of discrimination. Vanderbilt being a private university, he said, has the right to establish whatever policy they want. This issue is not about Vanderbilt doing something illegal, but doing something that is wrong.

Of course, liberal academics do not see discriminating against Christians as wrong. Liberals delude themselves into thinking that their discrimination is moral and right and that the discrimination of others is wrong. Universities claim they seek diversity, but it is a certain type of diversity. They really don’t want diversity that includes conservatives or Christians. These people make them feel uncomfortable. They find them embarrassing.

Rod Williams, Dinesh D’Souza, and Gene Wisdom

Another reason this kind of discrimination is occurring is because Christians are not demanding enough. There is too much "turning the other cheek." He said that recently he was to have a debate at a college with an atheist and the Christian group sponsoring the debate said they would prefer that the event be billed as a “dialogue” rather than a debate. The difference, said Mr. D’Souza, between dialogue and a debate is that a dialogue is a debate where no one is allowed to win. It is this attitude of not wanting to appear pushy that puts Christians at a disadvantage. Christians are too meek and mild.

I am so glad I got to see Mr. D’Sousa speak and to meet him. He is a brilliant man and immensely likeable and he makes a strong defense of Christianity and Christianity’s contribution to the world. To learn more about Mr. D’Sousa follow this and this link.

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Tell them you won't give Vanderbilt another dime

Why is Vanderbilt University forcing student groups to abandon their beliefs -- calling bigoted those who want their leaders to subscribe to their principles. Vanderbilt now demands these groups adopt a code of political correctness or be forced off campus. Now it's up to alumni to use their leverage. Call Board of Trust Members John Ingram and Orrin Ingram now. Tell them you won't give Vanderbilt another dime, until they respect religious freedom. Not another dime. Call the Ingram's now at 615.298.8200 and make voices heard.

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Dinesh D’Souza Coming to Vanderbilt

Reposted from The Vanderbilt Torch 

On Thursday, April 19, renowned Conservative thinker and Christian apologist Dinesh D’Souza will be presenting a lecture titled “How Christianity Shaped America: Religious Liberty and Liberal Intolerance” at Vanderbilt University.

The lecture be held at 7 o’clock in Sarratt Cinema and will be over before Rites events kick off on Alumni Lawn that evening.

In the fall of 2010, Dinesh D’Souza was named the President of The King’s College in New York City. D’Souza brings to King’s a distinguished 25 year career as a writer, scholar and intellectual. A former policy analyst in the Reagan White House, D’Souza also served as an Olin Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute as well as a Rishwain Scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford.
Called one of the “top young public-policy makers in the country” by Investor’s Business Daily, D’Souza quickly became a major influence on public policy through his writings.

Illiberal Education, his first book publicized the phenomenon of political correctness in America’s colleges and universities and was on the best seller list for 15 weeks. Subsequent bestsellers include Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, The Virtue of Prosperity, What’s So Great About America, Letters to a Young Conservative and What’s So Great About Christianity, and The Roots of Obama’s Rage. His latest work, Godforsaken, responds to the problem of evil.

A prolific, writer, persuasive debater, and sought after speaker on college campuses as well as many other venues, D’Souza has been named one of America’s most influential conservative thinkers by the New York Times.

The lecture is open to the public and free of charge and is sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and The Vanderbilt Torch.

Join the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/334912846572152/

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Victoria Jackson of SNL joins the anti-Muslim crusade

Victoria Jackson is cute. I like her dim-witted, squeaky-voice, dizzy-blonde persona.  Last summer I saw her  perform at one of the Tea Party events which took place out in the Opryland area in the parking lot of  a sports bar. She sang a song that had a refrain in the chorus where she whispered the words, "there is a Communist in the White House."

I think calling President Obama a Communist is over the top. I never do it. "Communist" has a definite meaning. I know President Obama appointed self identified Communist Van Jones to a czarship and I  know that President Obama has close ties to extreme leftist terrorist Dohrn and Ayers.  Nevertheless, I would not myself call President Obama a Communist. Since he does have these close Communist ties however, and since the song was humorous, I did not feel offended by the song and I enjoyed Victoria Jackson's performance.

Now, Victoria Jackson has jumped on the anti-First Amendment bandwagon which wishes to deny Freedom of Religion to followers of the Islamic faith. I am not naive and I think radical Islam is a threat. However, the response to this threat of people who cherish American values should not be to take the position that American's who follow the Islamic faith should be denied their rights as Americans. If Mosques are in-fact breading grounds for terrorist then that is a law enforcement problem.

There are some dark blemishes on America's historic treatment of minorities: the trail of tears removed culturally assimilated peaceful Indians to the west because white settlers wanted their land; in the Jim Crow south, all-white juries acquitted guilty Klansman for lynchings of Black Americans; and in World War II, we imprisoned 120,000 Japanese without trial because we suspected their loyalty.

In all of these events many good people stood by and said nothing.  I fear that some of the more rabid anti-Muslim activist, if they had their way would destroy all Mosque, force Muslims to convert to Christianity and imprison those who did not. Good people should not stand by and let bigotry grow to a dangerous levels. I am very disappointed when I see people who I otherwise think of as good people advocate denying Muslims their Constitutional rights. I am disappointing when I see people who I otherwise think of as intelligent take the view that all Muslims are Islamic radicals.

This anti-Muslim campaign has unfortunately gained a foothold in the conservative movement. Many self-proclaimed Islamic experts are on the speaking circuit spreading fear and ignorance and on the internet preaching hate and there are no shortage of politicians who are willing to pander to the worst in people. This should not grow unchecked.

In reading the comments that accompanied this story, I think Mark Rogers made a couple good observation:

Victoria Jackson as a spokesman for anything is a better joke than any from her years on SNL

 Mrs. Zelnick as an expert on Islam? Does she read or speak Arabic? Has she read the Koran or any learned commentaries on it? Is she familiar with any histories of Islam not written by people who want to abolish the religion?

Well said Mark.

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Vanderbilt Christian Groups, Citing Religious Freedom, Follow Catholics Off Campus

By Annalisa Musarra, Religion News Service

(RNS) A coalition of 11 Christian student groups at Vanderbilt University are insisting their leaders should be chosen based on shared faith -- the newest front in a growing battle over "religious freedom."

The campus groups, who call themselves Vanderbilt Solidarity, joined together to oppose the university's "all-comers" policy, which says student groups must be open to all students, including in leadership, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. (link)

The alumni association needs to follow suit and take the endowment with them.

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David Barton to appear in Madison on Tuesday

David Barton will be in Madison on Tuesday, March March 27, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Salt and Light Institute, which is located at what used to be the the Madison Hospital, 612 Due West Ave.

He will be providing a briefing concerning judicial abuse, judicial activism, and the lack of oversight and accountability in our judicial systems. He will also address the remedies afforded in the US and State Constitutions as well as provide other solutions. 

This event is being sponsored by The Tennessee Judicial Reform initiative, the Faith & Freedom Coalition-Tennessee, the Black Robe Regiment, 9-12 Project Tennessee, and Gideon's Army. The cost is only $6.27 a person, including the ticket fee.

David Barton heads WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious, and constitutional heritage. David is the author of numerous best-selling books, addresses over 400 groups a year, and has appeared on The Mike Huckabee Show and Glen Beck, as well as ABC, The Daily Show, Fox News, and NPR. Time Magazine called him "a hero to millions – including some powerful politicians," named him as one of America’s 25 most influential evangelicals.

Barton collects early American documents, and his official biography describes him as "an expert in historical and constitutional issues." Much of his work is devoted to advancing the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. In his book "The Myth of Separation", he states his belief that Christians were the ones who were intended to hold public office in America and that Jews and members of other sects were not.  Barton holds no formal credentials in history or law, and some scholars dispute the accuracy and integrity of his assertions about history.

For more information, click here.

Disclaimer: From time to time A Disgruntled Republican may post announcements of interest to the conservative, libertarian, or greater community. Such announcements are posted as a public service to spread awareness and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement.

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Stand up for Religious Freedom: Sign the petition.

If you haven’t already, please go to this website and sign the petition to stand up for our religious freedoms.
The website is StandUpForReligiousFreedom.com.

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Rally for Religious Liberty denounces the "Rape of the Soul."

Rally for Religious Freedom, Nashville

A crowd of about 500 to 700 gathered on the south steps of the Capitol today for a noon rally for religious liberty. I arrived late and missed earlier remarks but as I was walking across the Memorial Plaza, Carol Swain, a Professor of Law and Political Science at Vanderbilt University, was wrapping up her remarks, denouncing the trend across the nation of curtailing religious freedom on college campuses.

 Recently, Vanderbilt University placed five longtime extracurricular religious groups on "provisional status" — jeopardizing their continued role on campus — because these groups required their leaders to share the groups' core religious beliefs. In so doing, the University abandoned its long tradition of religious tolerance, forcing the groups into adopting moral viewpoints contrary to thousands of years of Judeo-Christian teaching. This new policy of religious intolerance is being justified in the name of "diversity."  Professor Swain has been a champion for religious liberty on Vanderbilt campus.

Richard Land

Richard Land President of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention gave a rousing speech denouncing the Obama administration for forcing the Catholic Church to provide contraception coverage to women who are employed by Church entities. He said that President Obama had offered to make accommodation to the Church. “Who do they think they are,“ he rhetorically asked to enthusiastic applause. "It is not up to the government to grant concessions," he explained. “The restrictions in the First Amendment are on the government; not the people,” he said. He quoted Roger Williams saying that when government forces one to violate their conscience it is, “rape of the soul.”

The rally was a testimony to the ecumenical nature of the fight for religious liberty. I remember a time when Catholics and Baptist would not have occupied the same stage. Several nuns were in the audience and several people attending the rally held signs which would indicate they were Catholic. Other speakers and a singer, were probably protestants but their religious affiliation was not mentioned. The closing prayer was by a Lutheran minister.

I missed her remarks if she spoke, but on the stage was Bobbie Patray of Tennessee Eagle Forum. I did not get her name, but a lady delivered a  beautiful and emotional a cappella rendition of "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah."

People leaving the rally for Religious Liberty

This was a great event. Like never before in recent history, the government and secular institutions are waging war on people of faith. All of us who cherish liberty must come to the defense of those whose religious liberty is under attack.


For other coverage of this event see below:

Hundreds Attend Nashville ‘Rally For Religious Freedom'

Rally for Religious Freedom today at Capitol

Crowd gathers for religious freedom rally at Capitol Hill

  video coverage of today's rally Top Stories - Protesters Call for Political Revival at State Capitol

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Public Event: Threats to Religious Liberty: On Campus and Across the Nation

Threats to Religious Liberty: On Campus and Across the Nation

Thursday, March 15, 2012 

7:00pm until 8:30pm 

Carol Swain

Moderator: Carol Swain is a Professor of Law and Political Science at Vanderbilt.

Panel:

Michael Paulsen is a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and is among the nation’s leading scholars of constitutional interpretation.

Jim Blumstein is a professor at the Vanderbilt Medical School and director of Vanderbilt’s Health Policy Center.

Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.

Event is free and open to the public. 

Reserved parking is across the street from the law school.

Sponsors: Vanderbilt Law School, Lee and Kelly Beaman, Campus Republicans, Young Americans for Liberty, Law and Government Program at Vanderbilt Law School, the Christian Legal Society and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

Vanderbilt University Law School

131 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

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