(A4a1a) indoctrination of elementary and pre-school children

As of 06-11-19, this folder contains 14 articles. item 1 and 2 are about the efforts of some British Columbia Teachers Federation members to legitimise the use of certain pro homosexuality books in elementary and even kindergarten classes. ******* Item 3 is Gwen Landolt's commentary on the Supreme Court of Canada decision to require the Surrey School Board to reconsider it's decision not to approve 3 pro homosexuality books for kindergarten children. ******* item 4 is a poem about a boy who likes to wear his mother's high-heeled shoes ******* item 5 is an article on bullying and its relation to abortion, written by a 9 year old boy. ******* item 6 is about homosexuals flaunting their lifestyle in front of students in a classroom. ******* item 7 NORTH CAROLINA FIRST GRADE BOOK CONTROVERSY ******* item 8 DO WHAT YOU WILL - WHAT WITCHCRAFT TEACHES AMERICA'S CHILDREN ******* item 9 PLANNED PARENTHOOD GIVES KIDS PORN BOOK ******* item 10 NEWTON MASSACHUSETTS KICKS SCHOOL AGENDA INTO HIGH GEAR ******* item 11 SAME SEX "MARRIAGE" GOES TO SCHOOL ******* item 12 PFOX IN TIME MAGAZINE ******* item 13 EDUCATION OR INDOCTRINATION? ******* item 14 FOOD, SEX AND RACISM, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HISTORY LESSONS? ************************************************************************************************************************ item 1 - Copied from BC Parents and Teachers for Life web site. ******* SURREY BOOK CASE TO BE HEARD IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA (posted Oct. 11, 2001) ******* On October 4th (2001) the Supreme Court of Canada granted leave to appeal to the complainants who had challenged the Surrey School Board over its ban on the use of pro-homosexuality primary books as teaching materials. The leave to appeal was in spite of the complainants having missed the sixty-day deadline to file. ******* In a judgement released in September of 2000, in the Appeals Court of B.C., Justice Mackenzie had come down on the side of the Surrey Board and ruled against the December, 1998 decision of Justice Saunders in the BC Supreme Court. (Incredibly, Justice Saunders had ruled, in effect, that parents and other citizens whose morality springs from their religious beliefs have no right to have those morals influence school board decisions. In a cogent argument against the Saunders decision, Justice Mackenzie in his judgement of September, 2000, had asked the following rhetorical question: ******* "Are only those with a non-religiously informed conscience to be permitted to participate in decisions involving moral instruction in the public schools? Must those whose moral positions arise from a conscience influenced by religion be required to leave those convictions behind or otherwise be excluded from participation while those who espouse similar positions emanating from a conscience not informed by religious considerations are free to participate without restriction . . . A religiously informed conscience should not be accorded any privilege, but neither should it be placed under a disability." ******* Now that the Surrey book case is to be heard all over again, we must wonder whether the highest court in the land will see the force of Justice Mackenzie's logic or rule with Justice Saunders against the rights of people of faith. ******* Reportedly (according to The Peace Arch News of October 6th), the legal battles over the book question has drained $764,898 from the school-district funds. Will the public blame the School Board, which has stood up for parental rights, or will they blame the persistent attempts of the local teachers' association and others who are attempting to have the schools act as propagandizing instruments for a pro-homosexuality agenda? *************************************************************************************************** article 2 ******* Subject: TODAY'S FAMILY NEWS for June 14-16 ******* Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 11:15:39 -0700 ******* -----Original Message----- From:[email protected] ******* Sent: Friday, June 14, 2002 3:32 PM ******* To: [email protected] ******* Subject: JUSTICES QUESTION "JUDGEMENT CALL" ON SAME-SEX BOOKS ******* Several justices of the Supreme Court of Canada questioned Wednesday if they have any role in telling a local school board what is or is not appropriate reading materials for children. At issue was the decision of the Surrey school board in 1996 not to allow gay Kindergarten teacher James Chamberlain to use three children's books that feature same-sex families. That, according to Chamberlain's lawyer, Joe Arvay, violated BC's School Act, which states that public education must conform to "strictly secular" principles. ******* Arvay - backed by gay rights activists, civil libertarians and the BC Teachers Federation[*1] - alleged that the trustees, several of whom are Christians, failed in their legal duty to set aside their beliefs when making their decision. The trustees insist their only concern was over whether these books were suitable for children so young. "When you're dealing with five- and six-year-olds, the feeling among the community is that this is a very impressionable age," said board chairperson Mary Polak on CTV's Canada AM. "And caution needs to be followed." According to the National Post, Arvay called this argument merely a cover for anti-gay prejudice. "If these books were about interracial couples, we wouldn't be here [at the Supreme Court]," he stated. ******* In reply, Justice Frank Iacobucci told Arvay that being asked to make essentially "a judgment call" on what is age-appropriate "puts the courts, particularly this court, in a very difficult situation." "Isn't it a little anomalous for this court to order a particular school board to use a particular book?" asked Justice Michel Bastarache. Justice Jack Major questioned why teaching tolerance toward same-sex families "has to start the day the child puts a foot in the classroom." "The other side of the equation," Justice Charles Gonthier added, "is the freedom of conscience of the parents and the fact that they are the primary persons responsible for bringing up their children." ******* As expected, the Supreme Court reserved its decision. Writing Thursday in the Globe and Mail, University of Western Ontario emeritus law professor Ian Hunter predicted[*2] that "given [its] track record, it would be reasonable to suspect that the decision will prove a landmark on the road to the secular society. . . ." But Vancouver lawyer Iain Benson is more optimistic. In an interview, he said he was confident that the court will "affirm that parental rights are a given and that the secular can't possibly exclude the consciences formed by religious belief. If it does, then the only consciences that are in place are those that are motivated by atheistic or agnostic beliefs. And that doesn't make any sense." ******* [*1] http://www.bctf.bc.ca/Publications/NewsReleases/Archive/2000/2000-06-20.html ******* [*2] http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?tf=tgam/common/ ******* FullStory.html&cf=tgam/common/FullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&vg =Big ******* AdVariableGenerator&date=20020613&dateOffset=&hub=comment&title=Comment& cach ******* e_key=comment¤t_row=3&start_row=3&num_rows=1 *********************************************************************************************** item 3 ******* By kind permission of the author, who is a lawyer, I print the following analysis: ******* AN ANALYSIS ******* CHAMBERLAIN VS. SURREY SCHOOL BOARDSUPREME COURT ORDERS HOMOSEXUAL PROPAGANDA IN BC SCHOOLS ******* By C. Gwendolyn Landolt, National Vice President, REAL Women of Canada ******* In an explosive decision handed down the week before Christmas, on December 20th, the Supreme Court of Canada in a 7 � 2 decision decided, in the Surrey BC School Board case, that the latter had failed to consider the important requirement of �diversity� and �tolerance� required by s. 76 of the BC School Act, when it declined to allow three pro-homosexual books for supplementary use in Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes. As a result, in the Court�s opinion, the School Board�s decision was �unreasonable� and cannot stand. ******* As stated by Mr. Justice Gonthier in his dissent (in which he was joined by Mr. Justice Bastarache), the three controversial books pronounced on the morality of same-sex relationships by portraying them as �normal� and �positive�, contrary to the views of the parents in that school district. Positive portrayals are not surprising, since the books were recommended by GALE (Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC). It was a member of this organization, James Chamberlain, who initiated the legal challenge. ******* Under the BC Schools Act, the Minister of Education approves the basic educational resource materials to be used in teaching, but confers on local school boards the authority to approve supplementary educational resource material. These supplementary materials are not required to be used in the classroom, but are available if teachers choose to use them. ******* The Appellant in this case, James Chamberlain, a homosexual kindergarten teacher and a member of GALE, requested that the three contested books be approved for supplementary use by the Surrey Board. It is noted, however, that the Minister of Education did not include books on same-sex parents in its basic resource list, nor did it specify what kinds of families should be identified in the classroom. Moreover, no same-sex parents claimed in this case that there was discrimination against them in the portrayal of family life in the classrooms. ******* The Surrey School Board examined the books, and declined to include them as supplementary educational material on the grounds that the books were inappropriate for such young children, and that their use would interfere with the rights of parents as the primary educators of their children, and would also undermine the relationship between home and school. ******* However, Madam Justice Beverley McLachlin, on behalf of the majority, stated in paragraphs 10 � 25 of her judgement, that parental views cannot override the necessity of public schools to mirror the diversity of the community and teach tolerance to children. She further stated that the decision about whether to approve the three books had a human rights dimension, and that the �courts are well placed to resolve human rights issues.� According to Madam Justice McLachlin, the legislature �intended a relatively robust level of court supervision requiring not a rigid and sometimes jurisdictional approach, but a more flexible functional and pragmatic approach to the issue.� She then raised the question as to whether the courts have expertise equal to or better than the local board relative to the particular human rights issue in the case. She answered her question in the affirmative by concluding that since s. 76 of the BC School Act required �tolerance� and �diversity�, this required the acceptance of all family models. Consequently, she concluded that the Court must exercise a �fairly high level of supervision over decisions involving tolerance and diversity.� ******* Mr. Justice Gonthier, however, strongly disputed this conclusion of Madam Justice McLachlin when he stated: Based on the reasons of the Madam Justice, it would seem that a school board could not exclude any book regarding any family model, because to do so would be contrary to the curriculum�s reference to a �variety of models� being addressed. ******* Madam Justice McLachlin stated, however, that this issue was so important that it �negates the suggestion that the courts should accord high deference to the Board�s decision.� She did acknowledge, however, that the issue �does not involve the strict application of legal rules or the interpretation of the law, and that the legislature intended to let the board and hence the community have a say in choosing resource material. � This is a case requiring the Board to determine how to accommodate the concerns of some members of the community in the context of a broader program of tolerance and respect for diversity. This question attracts court supervision and militates in favour of a stricter standard.� ******* It is important to note that s. 76 of the BC School Act does not include the words �tolerance� or �diversity.� All that s. 76 of the Act provides is as follows: 76. ******* (1) All schools and Provincial schools must be conducted on strictly secular and non-sectarian principles. ******* (2) The highest morality must be inculcated, but no religious dogma or creed is to be taught in a school or Provincial school. ******* The majority of the Court concluded, however, that the words �secular� and �non-sectarian� in s. 76 of the Act must be interpreted as including the words �tolerance � and �diversity.� ******* Thus, Madam Justice McLachlin found that the decision of the Surrey School Board was �unreasonable� in that it failed to promote respect and �tolerance� for all the diverse groups that it represents and serves, and, therefore, the Board acted outside its mandate under the BC School Act. Madam Justice McLachlin concluded that the message of the controversial books was a message of �tolerance.� She finally concluded �tolerance is always age appropriate.� ******* It is clear from Madam Justice McLachlin�s judgement that the Supreme Court may now mould and interpret laws, and determine public policy according to the intention of the judges, but not necessarily according to the intent of the legislators. ******* To sum up Madam Justice McLachlin�s extraordinary decision, she and the majority on the Court, applying what can fairly be described as weak and unpersuasive arguments, usurped for itself the jurisdiction to interfere with and re-interpret the plain words of the BC School Act in order to override the decision of the School Board. The result allows homosexual propaganda to be included in the curriculum. ******* As stated by Mr. Justice Gonthier in his strong dissent, there is no Canadian law or constitutional provision that prevents Canadian citizens from morally disapproving of homosexual behaviour or relationships. He stated, �It is a feeble notion of pluralism that transforms �tolerance� into �mandated approval or acceptance.� He went on to say that �tolerance� does not require the mandatory approval of the books under consideration, and that �tolerance� ought not be employed as a cloak for the means of obliterating disagreement�. ******* Mr. Justice Gonthier further stated in his dissent: Paragraph 143. I believe courts should be reluctant to assume that they possess greater expertise than administrative decision makers with respect to all questions having a human rights component. ******* Further at paragraph 150, he stated: To permit the courts to wade into this debate risks seeing s. 15 protection against discrimination based upon sexual orientation being employed aggressively to trump s. 2(a) protection of the freedom of religion and conscience�. ******* A Tiny Ray of Sunshine ******* There is a slight ray of sunshine in this appalling decision in that the judges agreed that the requirement in the BC School Act that schools operate along �strictly secular and non-sectarian principles� refers to keeping the schools free from inculcation or indiscrimination in the perception of any religion. However, the decision does not prevent persons with religiously-based moral positions on matters of public policy from participating in deliberations concerning moral education in public schools. ******* Madam Justice McLachlin acknowledged this, but also compromised it by claiming that religious views cannot deny equal recognition of a minority group (read: homosexual). ******* She stated at paragraph 19 of her judgement: ******* The Act�s insistence on strict secularism does not mean that religious concerns have no place in the deliberations and decisions of the Board. Board members are entitled, and indeed required, to bring the views of the parents and communities they represent to the deliberation process. Because religion plays an important role in the life of many communities, these views will often be motivated by religious concerns. Religion is an integral aspect of people�s lives, and cannot be left at the boardroom door. What secularism does rule out, however, is any attempt to use the religious views of one part of the community to exclude from consideration the values of other members of the community. A requirement of secularism implies that, although the Board is indeed free to address the religious concerns of parents, it must be sure to do so in a manner that gives equal recognition and respect to the members of the community. Religious views that deny equal recognition and respect to the members of a minority group cannot be used to exclude the concerns of the minority group. This is fair to both groups, as it ensures that each group is given as much recognition as it can consistently demand while giving the same recognition to others. ******* The practical effect of this conclusion, however, is that the religious views of parents may be taken into consideration only when they do not conflict with �respect� and �tolerance� for the views (and lifestyle) of others. That is, parents with religious views must not raise objections to those of same-sex parents and teachers in the schools, since this would be disrespectful and intolerant of them. The views of same-sex parents and teachers in BC are now officially protected under this ruling, as they may now successfully request that their views be promoted in the schools, but, under this ruling, parents who have religious views on opposing homosexuality, may not speak out against it. ******* January 9, 2003 *********************************************************************************************** article 4 ******* GLSEN Book Puts Grade-School Boys �In Mommy�s High Heels� Snide Poem Is Latest in GLSEN�s Cross-Dressing Agenda ******* The following are excerpts from a poem titled �In Mommy�s High Heels� appearing in the book Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents and Teachers. The book is a collection of skits and stories designed for elementary school classrooms, and is distributed by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) through its Web site. (A co-editor of the book is a GLSEN member.) This poem, which is to be sung in class to music provided at the back of the book, is about a boy who brings his mother�s high heels to show-and-tell. Artwork attached to the poem shows drawings of nine different and colorful high heel shoes. ******* The introduction to the classroom performance begins as follows: ******* A young boy is on his knees, or sitting at this school desk, alone on stage. It is important that the audience not see his shoes. ******* The first half of the poem is about the various goofy things the boy didn�t bring to show-and-tell, such as �Mary�s puppy Chuck, that got hit by the garbage truck.� It continues: ******* Who knew when it would come my turn, Their jaws would drop, my cheeks would burn? I�m standing there for all the world to see. ******* I didn�t have a thing to share. I only brought two things to wear. That make me happy, make me tall. They can laugh, but I�m above them all. ******* An instructional note says: �He stands, revealing himself to be wearing high heels.� The poem continues: ******* In Mommy�s high heels the world is beautiful, Let the peasants choke way down below. I�m standing high above the crowds, My head is breaking through the clouds. In Mommy�s high heels I�m ten feet tall! ******* In Mommy�s high heels life�s a fantasy; Ev�ry wish I make is a decree! Let Sissy keep her shrunken heads, Let Mary walk her dog who�s dead. In Mommy�s high heels I have it all!! ******* Here the world is beautiful: Forests of coat racks and shoe trees, A land of hope and shopping sprees! When I grow up I�ll have the cash To go and buy a bag to match! ******* Instructional note: �(Soft shoe dance break, possibly with spoken phrases from the lyrics.)� ******* So let them say I�m like a girl! What�s wrong with being like a girl?! And let them jump and jeer and whirl�They are the swine, I am the pearl! And let them laugh and let them scream! They�ll be beheaded when I�m queen! When I rule the world! When I rule the world! When I rule the world, in my mommy�s high heels! ******* (Comment by Frank Wagner ******* The last 5 sentences echo Michael Swift's words when, speaking for the homosexual community he addressed the heterosexual community witht these words: ******* We shall rewrite history.. We shall be victorious... We too are capable of firing guns and manning the barricades of the ultimate revolution...Tremble, hetero swine, when we appear before you without our masks. ******* note: For a summary of Michael Swift's statement of the homosexual agenda click on the 5th link below and then read the 5th article, HOMOSEXUAL CULTURE, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO NAZI GERMANY) ******* � Excerpted from �In Mommy�s High Heels�; Lyrics by Paul Selig, music by Scott Killian From the book �Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents and Teachers� (a Fringe Benefits book published by Theatre Communications Group). �Cootie Shots�� co-editor Norma Bowles describes herself in the book as a �card-carrying member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education; the Southern Poverty Law Center; the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network; and the National Council of Education Activists.� ******* � Sarah Trafford and Peter LaBarbera. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Culture and Family Institute, an affiliate of Concerned Women for America 1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1102, Washington, D.C. 20005, Phone: (202) 289-7117 Fax: (202) 488-0806 E-mail: [email protected] ******* C&F Report : June 12, 2002 Table of Contents ************************************************************************************************************************* item 5 ******* This essay was written by a nine-year-old boy at the end of October, 1999. His class had discussed bullying, but because he had been away on the day of the discussion, his principal asked him to write an essay on the topic. ******* BULLYING ******* Apparently there has been a large increase in bullying. My school is pretty safe, as far as I'm concerned. You see the bullying is supposed to be more frequent in schools because there are more kids there, but it's not just the kids who are being bullies. You say that there is more violence in kids these days but it's not surprising because the adults are setting a bad example by supporting abortion. ******* Suppose a kid were to kill another kid on the playground. He would be sent to juvenile hall and be severely punished. But when the adults kill babies through abortion they are not getting punished at all. Some people would say that everyone has their own beliefs, and that's true that everyone does have their own beliefs, but some beliefs shouldn't be respected, because they are bad beliefs. When people believe something that is not true, we correct them. For example, some people believe it is allright to beat their wives or own slaves. What we do then is try to correct them somehow, for example by putting someone in jail. But no one is correcting the women and the doctors who both take part in killing the babies. ******* When I was in grade 2 and I had just found out that UNICEF supported this treachery, I tried to warn you. But you intimidated me and said, everyone has their own beliefs and I was afraid. I didn't want to tell you, but my conscience drove me forward. When I brought up my courage to tell you, you didn't seem to care, just saying everyone has their own beliefs. When people have beliefs that are wrong, we must correct them. ******** What's even more sick I believe, is that you were gathering children to support this and they don't even know what UNICEF is doing. Abortion is the most terrible form of bullying. At least the baby should have some way to fight back, but no, they don't even have that chance. No one asks the babies if they want to be killed. ******* Because you are older and in a more powerful position, I do not want to speak to you about this. You will intimidate me and scare me and I don't want you to do this. ******* History condemns people who do things that are wrong and history will condemn us too. *********************************************************************************************** item 6 ******* Original Message ******* From: [email protected] ******* Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 9:50 AM ******* PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE PRESS RELEASE ******* Contact: Attorney Brad Dacus (916) 857-6900 ******* TEACHERS ALLOWED TO FLAUNT "GAY" LIFESTYLES TO STUDENTS ******* Hayward, CA - The Board of Education for the Hayward Unified School District has enacted a policy that allows district employees to "come out" in front of children, claiming that the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 requires such action. ******* More specifically, the school board has adopted a resolution that allows teachers and school staff to openly talk about homosexuality and discuss their own homosexual lifestyles with students during classroom instructional time. In addition, teachers are allowed to include various homosexual figures in their instruction and to read books with homosexual characters such as Heather has Two Mommies. Under the board's resolution, neither schools nor teachers are obligated to provide prior notice to parents, nor are parents given an opportunity to opt their children out of the "instruction". ******* Upon being contacted by concerned Hayward parents, the Pacific Justice Institute immediately sent a demand letter to the Hayward School Board. The letter explained that the school board's resolution completely lacked any legal justification and demanded that the policy be rescinded. "While I agree that no individual should be subjected to any form of harassment or violence, I refuse to allow my responsibility as a parent to be violated by covertly dismantling parental authorization required when sensitive family and sex education issues are addressed as stated in the Education Code," stated one parent. "District board members have failed to honor parental discretion and the law." ******* "Hayward Unified School District cannot unilaterally override parental rights guaranteed by the California Education Code and federal law," said Brad Dacus, President of the Pacific Justice Institute. "The school board mistakenly believes that allowing teachers to flaunt homosexuality to students is required, and they are wrong. In fact, the district is exposing itself to potential costly litigation." ******* The Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. ******* P.O. Box 4366, Citrus Heights, CA 95611 Phone (916) 857-6900 Fax (916) 857-6902 www.pacificjustice.org ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 7 NORTH CAROLINA FIRST GRADE BOOK CONTROVERSY ******* Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 ******* From: "Mission America" ******* Here's an article with details on the NC book controversy, including several notable opinions. One, that it is the "right" of children who come from homosexual-parent families to read stories in school where their families are portrayed positively. This should give us a clue about how more pro-homosexual teaching will be justified. ******* Another is that all the children's book reviewers thought this book was fine. What an indicator of the state of children's literature. ******* Linda Harvey ----------------------- Atlanta Journal Constitution ******* N.C. Parents Angered by Gay Prince Book ******* WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP)--The parents of a first-grader are fuming over the book their daughter brought home from the school library: a children's story about a prince whose true love turns out to be another prince. ******* Michael Hartsell said he and his wife, Tonya, couldn't believe it when Prince Bertie, the leading character in "King & King", waves off a bevy of eligible princes before falling for Prince Lee. ******* The book ends with the princes marrying and sharing a kiss. ******* "I was flabbergasted", Hartsell said. "My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs." The 32-page book by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland was published in March 2002 by Tricycle Press, the children's division of Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, Calif. A follow-up, "King & King & Family", was recently published. ******* The publisher's Web site lists the books as intended for readers age 6 and up. ******* "This book was reviewed by the most reputable children's book reviewers in the country", publisher Nicole Geiger said. "Not one of them said it was inappropriate for children or should not have been published." ******* "There are many kinds of families in this country, and the children in these families and their friends deserve to see their situations in a positive light." ******* Barbara Hawley, librarian and media coordinator at Freeman Elementary School, said the book has been on the library's shelves since early last year. ******* "What might be inappropriate for one family, in another family is a totally acceptable thing", said Elizabeth Miars, Freeman's principal. ******* Hawley said she couldn't comment on the book because she hadn't seen it. She declined to say whether she knowingly selected a book on gay marriage. ******* The Hartsells said they are keeping the book until they get assurances it won't be circulated. But Hawley said all county schools have a committee that reviews books after their appropriateness is questioned, and the Hartsells must make a written complaint and return the book for review. ******* The Hartsells said they intend to file such a complaint and are considering transferring their daughter. ******* Copyright 2004, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. ******* Find this article at: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V0413.AP-Gay-Book-School.html ------------------------- Mail service for Mission America provided by American Family Online www.afo.net ******* Mission America www.missionamerica.com ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 8 DO WHAT YOU WILL - WHAT WITCHCRAFT TEACHES AMERICA'S CHILDREN ******* by Linda Harvey ******* for the original, more readable version go to: http://www.missionamerica.com/witchcraft.php?articlenum=10 ******* "Spells are prayers Witches send out into the universe to effect beneficial change." - Celebrate the Earth, Laurie Cabot, p.31 ******* "The Craft is not a religion of supplication. If you intend to grovel before a God form, please stop here and throw this book away...The Craft gives you the freedom to pick and subsequently honor your own forms of the Divine." - To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft, Silver Ravenwolf, p.43 ******* "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..." - (1 Samuel 15:23) ----------------------------------------------------------- "Twelve-year-old Juniper and her friends Anne and Gena call themselves the Fortunetellers Club. For the past two years they've helped each other using Ouija boards,tarot cards, crystals and other forms of divination."1 ******* So begins the publisher�s summary of the book The Lost Girl by Dotti Enderle. It�s the first in a series called The Fortunetellers Club, a series targeting pre-teen girls and available to curious youth at most major bookstores, right alongside The Babysitter�s Club or Nancy Drew. ******* That's how easily children can now be tutored in the practice of witchcraft through its growing accessibility in a fearless culture.So it's no wonder most American kids today don't recoil in horror, as their parents once did, when a friend says he or she is a witch. Clueless about Christian doctrine and with more and more self-proclaimed witches in their classrooms, churches and neighborhoods, few feel any trepidation about the implications of practicing sorcery. ******* Yet Scripture could not be more clear in its condemnation of witchcraft and related occult activities. From 1 Samuel 15:23 to Deuteronomy 18:10-12 to Galatians 5:19 and many other passages, the warning labels are strong and unyielding. ******* Considerable disagreement exists among practitioners about what witchcraft is. Among the e-mails I receive, many argue vehemently that "wicca" is this or it's not that. "You don't understand witchcraft at all!" is a frequent refrain. ******* What is really meant is that I don't recognize one narrow branch of the "craft," or that I don't approve of witchcraft, or accept the underlying assumptions of the wiccan worldview that allows its practitioners to define it as they do. Without a Christian understanding of truth itself, those involved in sorcery often don't grasp what it is they are doing and why it's a problem. A minority of witches do understand and have made their choice anyway for their own purposes. Yet deliberate rebellion versus default rebellion through ignorance may serve to describe the state of the hearts of the individuals, but in biblical terms, each person is still responsible. Rebellion is still rebellion. ******* I approach witchcraft from a Christian viewpoint, and as with everything else, it didn't make much sense until I became a Christian. Then the patterns, practices and ultimate mistake of witchcraft came into sharp focus through its contrast with Christian principles. Like a knock-off designer dress hung next to a genuine, the distinctions become obvious and glaring. ******* Because of this, I define witchcraft as the practice of attempting to harness the power of the supernatural for one's own purposes, and the power being sought is deliberately and defiantly Christ-less, with no room for "inclusion" of the God of the Bible. ******* WHERE WITCH POWER COMES FROM ******* What witches believe and what actually is may be two different things, and in my experience in trying to communicate with young witches, they are typically not interested in ultimate truth. And this is of course the heart of the matter. Most are attracted to witchcraft because they believe it allows them the freedom to construct a lifestyle and value system of their own, and most attempts to get down to evidence and truth with them evokes a standard response: "Well, you have no right to criticize my beliefs. If your faith works for you, fine; but my faith works for me, so leave it alone." The reaction is as if someone had commented on his/her new hairstyle. ******* The "witch worldview" is appealing for reasons other than its truthfulness. It appears to allow one to be in charge and change the rulebook at will. It offers the tantalizing promise of mystical experiences; it guarantees sexual self-determination. For feminists, it claims to be egalitarian. And it revels in sensual experience, glorifying beauty in nature and in oneself. On the face of it, there's seems no reason to resist. It sounds too good to be true. ******* And, of course, it is. There are ultimate lies and traps buried here, the primary one being the illusion that you are in charge. If the God of the Bible exists, with Christ as Saviour, and I believe there's a wealth of evidence supporting this, then the practitioners of witchcraft are in real trouble. ******* Witchcraft is an array of practices accompanied by a set of beliefs. At the most casual level, some witches are simply interested in the ritual and the lifestyle of liberation. The more involved practitioner will be casting spells; practicing divination through astrology, Tarot cards or other methods; meditating; and using other occult techniques to gain supernatural knowledge and power. Many parents and adults believe correctly that it is possible for a teen to be involved in these activities but not make contact with a "spirit" at all. However, it is clear that some witches do make contact, and this is the ever-present danger. ******* There are several primary ideas among witches about where this power comes from. The individual witch, with others in a coven or circle or as a sole practitioner, can call upon this power and then direct it to a specific use. The power may emanate from one or more presumed deities (goddesses and/or gods), or a more generalized all-powerful deity. Again, in the witch's mind, none of these deities will resemble the Christian Almighty God, nor is there any place among these deities for a Saviour like Christ.2 They may also ascribe to the Hindu concept of a universal force connecting a polytheistic realm, with higher and higher degrees of possible spiritual achievement. It's very common for witches to believe in reincarnation. The non-specific Great God may also resemble the primary deity of many Native Americans. There is a whole American arm of witchcraft that follows the concept of the female shaman, or "medicine woman," as popularized by Lynn Andrews, author of Medicine Woman and Dark Sister, among others. ******* Another common view is that the power comes from within oneself, and is really part of an untapped energy source--a "higher order thinking," or the unused portions of one's brain. The prolific witch writer Starhawk (a.k.a., Miriam Simos) says this energy resembles what the Chinese call "chi." It "flows in certain patterns throughout the human body, and can be raised, stored, shaped, and sent."3 This recalls elements of Jungian psychology with its "collective unconscious" and archetypal myths.4 The irony is that believing one is a god was the original sin of Adam and Eve. Such profound implications still fail to move many wiccans who brazenly plunge ahead into ancient heresy. ******* A combination of these two viewpoints (external vs. internal source) is common among witches, the internal power usually linked with a female deity. Or, a panentheistic force may reside in all things, stored in animals, plants, rocks, trees, and even one's computer or clothing. The arrangement of home furnishings in a specific way to utilize this all-pervasive energy is even the foundation of a New Age decorating craze called Feng Shui, which incorporates witchcraft beliefs.5 ******* And usually witches maintain that power can be "good" or "evil," the idea of "white" witchcraft vs. black magic. In modern witchcraft is a saying, probably developed by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's 6 even though it sounds medieval, "An ye harm none, do what you will." As we will see, the authority about what constitutes "harm" is the individual witch, whose decisions can accommodate various needs and situations. ******* Peter Jones, Ph.D. has written several profoundly insightful books about America's descent into paganism. He believes the current interest in witchcraft is the latest manifestation of alternate spirituality, fueled by popular feminist political goals. In his book Spirit Wars: Pagan Revival in Christian America, he summarizes the five principles of pagan belief: ******* All is one and one is all--the universe is God; Humanity is one, all connected All religions are one; Dualism is the one real problem--good vs. evil, male vs. female, should be resolved by unification, or blurring of absolutes; One solution: we save ourselves, through meditation or recognition of our own divinity.7 ******* The flexibility of this belief system resonates with today's youth, especially in America. Though structurally unsound, it allows the appearance of religious faith while retaining the option to binge on the blessings of affluence, peace and prosperity. Tragically, the biblical foundation of American life and our nation's fruitfulness are intertwined, and as individuals feed on rotten spiritual nourishment, their health deteriorates along with that of the nation. ******* The central issue is reality. The Christian faith is based on historical and spiritual truth and teaches principles that are in direct opposition to the witchcraft view, contrary to those who teach that the two faiths can blend. Christians would say this "power" is the person's own sinfulness in contact with the demonic spiritual realm, disguised as necessary to gain entry into the witch's life ( as in 2 Corinthians 11:14). ******* Very few witches acknowledge anything like this, and will emphatically state that they do not worship Satan. Christians would maintain that in essence, it is Satan's army of demonic spirits that witches may contact, even if they do not realize it. ******* Margot Adler, a well-known practicing witch, seems most attracted to the notion that witchcraft power arises from one's own mind. She accepted the idea of witchcraft after idealizing Greeks goddesses as a child and then as an adult listening to a tape where they were honored as the "Great Mother:" ******* "...A feeling of power and emotion came over me...The contents of the tape had simply given me permission to accept a part of my own psyche that I had denied for years..."8 ******* Her own desires were the guide, not objective facts and evidence. In fact, a rejection of logic in favor of one's own personal experiences and needs is a central theme in witchcraft. Truth is just another power play, women's studies professors tell their female students, based on the patriarchy that is the real sin.9 ******* THE MYTH OF MATRIARCHY ******* One of the reasons witchcraft and its more mainstream label, "feminist spirituality", are exploding in popularity is because witchcraft history fits with the current social goals of equality and civil rights--or so it seems. It is claimed that ancient, peace-loving, sexually-liberated matriarchal cultures worshipped the "Mother Goddess" along with her consort, a horned god. About 35,000 years ago these groups were usurped by militant hordes who followed male gods (like Yahweh, then Christ). Archaeology has purportedly found evidence of these paleo-European civilizations in squat female figurines, drawings of spirals, suns and moons attuned to the seasonal cycle of growth and harvest as well as human fertility. Rituals were performed similar to current witchcraft "spells." This whole belief system was finally forced underground after persecution of witches during the Middle Ages and the burning of perhaps as many as nine million people, mostly women, during the Inquisition conducted by the Holy Roman church. 10 ******* Yet there's little evidence such matriarchies existed. Yes, many ancient cultures worshipped goddesses yet not exclusively, but rather alongside male gods. Priestesses sometimes served as temple prostitutes who performed sexual rites along with religious rituals, a fact frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Males prostitutes are also mentioned, though (Deuteronomy 23:17-18; 2 Kings 23:7; Hosea 4: 13-14) and there's not much evidence that a goddess was preeminent. Nor is there evidence that these cultures were peaceful, and certainly little evidence for societies ruled by women. And suspected witches were imprisoned and executed during the Middle Ages, but there is little to support a figure as extreme as nine million. More careful researchers put the figure at around 40,000 over many centuries.11 ******* Several scholars have pointed out the problems with the ancient goddess culture story. Philip G. Davis in his book Goddess Unmasked: The Rise of Neopagan Feminist Spirituality, carefully debunks, culture by culture, the archeological "support" for these claims. He also traces the rise in the twentieth- century interest in goddess worship and witchcraft not to an age-old tradition resurfacing, but to twentieth century writings of proponents like Elizabeth Gould Davis, Gerald Gardner, Merlin Stone, Riane Eisler, Michael Dames, Naomi Goldenberg, Marija Gimbutas and others. For details which we aren't going to repeat here, I would suggest reviewing this portion of Davis' book.12 ******* In assessing the claims, Davis notes there is "not a single translated text from any of the most important goddess cultures to tell us what these ancient people actually believed." 13 After reviewing the excavations of sites in Malta, Catal Huyuk (Turkey), the Balkans, ancient Britain, the Indus Valley, and Crete,14 Davis summarizes his findings: ******* The findings of our investigation...indicate that none of the societies most often cited as authentic ancient Goddess cultures actually conforms to our expectations. Not a single one provides clear evidence of a single, supreme female deity; not a single one exhibits the signs of matriarchal rule...In each of these cases, the story of the Goddess is a fabrication in defiance of the facts.15 ******* In contrast to the popular matriarchy myth, when one reviews the elements of ancient pagan cultures as revealed by credible archaeology, they are consistent with descriptions found in the Old and New Testaments. From the traditional Christian and Jewish viewpoint, ancient paganism much more likely arose, at least originally, from a rebellion against Almighty God and His laws. And it's happening again where one might least expect-- in wealthy, God-blessed twenty-first century America. ******* THE USE OF POWER THROUGH "MAGICK" ******* Not all witches experience connection with supernatural forces. Some people simply call themselves witches or "wiccans" because of sympathy with feminism or other lifestyle or political views. ******* But others do attempt to contact the spiritual realm, and the more persistent succeed. Adults who dismiss witchcraft as a stylistic trend or rebellious adolescent stage need education, because something supernatural is actually happening, and it's happening with more and more people in America. ******* Margot Adler gives an excellent account in her book, Drawing Down the Moon, of how a group of dabblers in occult practices tried the same ritual three times. The third time, a "non-intellectual" force took hold and "it worked!" 16 Similarly, former witch Kathleen Ward Atchason provides stern warnings about dabbling with witchcraft. She believes many women dabble in the practice and are na�ve about its power. Another ex-witch, Paula Keene, tries to warn people about the danger. "Magic is real and it works," she says.17 ******* The actual practice of sorcery is what today's neopagans call "magick" or "ritual," and these are really terms for spells. Ex-witch Kathi Sharpe summarizes the practice: Unlike Christian prayer, Wiccan rituals usually include the use of props (candles, incense, altar tools, herbs, etc.) and the request goes to whichever god or goddess the Witch worships, or more often to the "forces of nature" as a demand rather than a request. 18 ******* Witches can work alone or in a group, which is often called a coven or a circle, so-named because of the form a ritual often takes--gathering in a circle. Spells can include chanting, dancing, drumming, and the use of drugs or even in some cases, sexual activity. The intensity of the group actions build, which practitioners call "raising energy." It gathers to a peak, called a "cone of power," often accompanied by more serious practitioners with an altered state of consciousness among the head priestess, priest and others in the group. This is the point it is believed where the "power" can be focused and then "sent" toward a goal. Hence the term, "casting" a spell. ******* The goal is to make a change--get a desired job, lover, grade on a test, date for the prom, etc. The idea of prayer to Almighty God and trusting Him with whatever outcome He decides is not at all compatible with the mind-set of the witchcraft practitioner. The witch wants, therefore has to make it happen. It gets down to an issue of control directed by the self. ******* An infinite number of spells exist using many types of props, or the young witch can compose his/her own. Spells are available in growing numbers of books and web sites. The important point is that the witch believes he or she must do certain activities in a specific sequence and call on this non-Christian force in order to accomplish a purpose. In the mind-set of the practitioner, they have bought into a system of "magical thinking," which is the antithesis of Christian belief. ******* The magical mind believes, like superstitious pagans of ancient times, that there is a "correspondence" between what takes place in the material world and what takes place on the supernatural plane.. So, to manipulate that other world, one has to perform little plays down here on earth. The rain dance of the medicine man, or sticking pins in voodoo dolls are examples of this acting- out. Pagan thinking also maintains that sheer intensity of will, focused on the desired goal, will also produce a desired outcome. 19 ******* Sexual rites are employed in some covens to act out the consummation here on earth of a desired spiritual objective. It can serve as an old-fashioned fertility rite. It can also be a means of initiation, or a method for achieving an altered state of consciousness. Modern witchcraft "founding fathers" Alex Sanders and Gerald Gardner20 and many witchcraft writers have been quite open about the acceptability of sex as a part of certain "esbats," or meetings of the coven. Among these are Margot Adler,21 Miriam Simos (Starhawk),22 Susan Bowes,23 Doreen Valiente, Scott Cunningham,24 and Patricia Monaghan.25 ******* The rituals are the core purpose of witchcraft, the focus of "worship," if you will. There are important dates that witches commemorate with celebration which correspond to ancient pagan holidays. These are called "Sabbats." Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sow-een) falls on October 31, Halloween. This is the witch "new year" and its most significant day. Imbolc, or Candlemas, is February 2, a festival of light. The ancient fertility festival of Beltane falls on May 1, which corresponds to May Day. Lammas or Lughnasa is August 1 and is the celebration of the first of the harvest. Witches have four lesser "sabbats"-- the two solstices (winter, December 21 and summer, June 21) and the two equinoxes (spring, March 21 and autumn, September 21).26 ******* Other than spells, witchcraft employs an array of other occult activities. Fortune-telling (divination ) through astrology, Tarot cards, crystals, or other means is common. Charms or amulets are often retained for good fortune. Some witches seek contact with what they believe are "familiars," or the spirits of animals. The goal is to harness the spirit believed to inhabit the animal and target it to a specific objective. ******* Are witches "Satanists"? Do they practice child sacrifice? There are some sensational accounts along these lines. That is not our purpose here. Even though we believe the powers involved ultimately have a connection to the spiritual evil of Satan, so do many other God-avoiding distractions of the secular world. The vast majority of people practicing witchcraft will not get to these extreme levels, and any attempts to have a meaningful discussion with these neopagans will be derailed by these accusations. We don't mean by saying this to minimize the danger of occult practices and the profoundly negative consequences in the lives of practitioners and those close to them. ******* DISINFORMATION AND DELUSION ******* In order to be seduced into witchcraft, a child's mind must be vulnerable to adopting a pagan worldview. The concepts that shape this worldview can be summarized as follows: ******* Focus on self, will and pride ******* Focus on immediate gratification ******* Preference for sensual pleasure over virtue and idealism ******* Fascination with the mysterious and dangerous ******* An anti-Christian bias ******* The youth who has been propped up with inflated self-esteem, indulged from birth, provided shortcuts to avoid learning patience and diligence, and tantalized with sensational entertainment will naturally gravitate toward paganism. What seals the bargain is to prevent this child from seriously evaluating the claims of Christianity, which could bring truth, light and humility to his/her life. Supporters of pagan values foment anti- Christian attitudes by conveying half-truths and misinformation. Seldom do the advocates of pagan beliefs talk about the core issues: point for point, Christian beliefs vs. pagan beliefs. ******* In virtually every witchcraft guidebook or web site is a "Christian-bashing" section. No other faith gets this kind of treatment. It stands to reason, however, since Christianity is the primary obstacle facing those who practice sorcery. ******* Consider this passage from Silver Ravenwolf's book, Teen Witch: Wicca for A New Generation: Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that these institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief...Witches are sick and tired of people in other religions passing judgment and spreading lies about our belief system just because they are insecure in their own faith or don't realize that many paths to God exist in our universe.27 ******* Patricia Monaghan's Wild Girls: The Path of the Young Goddess introduces girls to pagan mythology from many cultures while providing a tutorial in pagan traditions. She writes, "It became clear to me that girls from our culture who have a monotheistic view of God who is always described as 'He' must struggle much harder to find the 'God within' than their male counterparts, who can identify with 'Him.'"28 She misrepresents the Christian faith, which never teaches that God is "within" for males or females, but a separate being Who will indwell believing humans yet always remaining a distinct, Almighty entity. God ( the Holy Spirit) does not indwell non-believers. ******** She adds to the confusion by asserting that the purpose of lighting candles on Christmas Eve is "to celebrate and sustain the inner light of holiness within each of us that corresponds to the Christ child." It's as "magical a ritual as any Wiccan ceremony."29 Most American children don't have the depth of Christian education to immediately discern the error in such breezy comparisons. Too many will accept witchcraft as compatible with Christianity. ******* Margot Adler is much more openly hostile. "The fundamentalist impulse...is, along with nuclear war, the most dangerous peril facing the human race."30 ******* Our children are hearing the most virulent antagonism against Christianity, however, by goddess-worshippers, pagans and witches operating within Christian denominations. The bitter words of revolutionary feminist theologians are the subject of many essays, speeches and books. Elizabeth A. Johnson writes in She Who Is: In the Christian community... for most of its history women have been subordinated in theological theory and ecclesial practice at every turn...They are called to honor a male savior sent by a male god whose legitimate representatives can only be male....This process is strongly aided and abetted by male-centered language and symbol systems...31 ******* The first step toward an answer to this "problem" for Johnson and other radicals in Christian churches, is to change the language. Therefore, God becomes a She, or a goddess, or we can even name ourselves as "gods." Portions of Scripture that refer to God the Father are no longer useful. What does set the parameters of faith for these neopagans is their own experience. Rita Gross, religious studies professor and feminist, sums it up: Since women have been largely excluded from androcentric theology and religious leadership, women's experiences need to be discovered, recovered and taken seriously. When that is done, a new naming of reality begins to occur.[italics in original]32 ******* DEFECTING IN PLACE is a book about women who have remained within Christian churches and many of whom practice goddess-worship and/or witchcraft ritual. "Language is so powerful that to refer to my Creator as Mother, Grandmother of all, Goddess, has changed how I will live forever," an America Baptist clergywoman is quoted as saying. An Episcopalian woman says, "Though we use feminine terms for God in our home, the children hear the traditional God the Father much too often." This book, if accurate, indicates that the nation's churches are replete with female members already involved in practicing witchcraft ritual in church-sponsored women's groups. Youth groups in such churches are no doubt exposed to this compromised theology as well.33 ******* This changing of faith by language and experience need not follow any particularly logical path, either, an attitude that spills over into other ideas and values. Donna Steichen calls this "religion as psychology" and quotes Naomi Goldenberg, a religious feminist, as bluntly admitting this: A remembered fact and an invented fantasy have identical psychological value...Modern witches are using religion and ritual as psychological tools.34 ******* So along with a primitive return to throwing salt over one's shoulder and not stepping on cracks for fear of breaking Mother's back, our children are being convinced that truth is unknowable or irrelevant. And since words are believed to have intrinsic power, one should only say--or allow to be said--those ideas one likes. This concept pops up everywhere. ******* Witch Laurie Cabot writes, "Wording your spell correctly is important. Words are powerful instruments in and of themselves."35 Teen Witch author Silver Ravenwolf says, "We believe that to give evil a name is to give evil power."36 Patricia Monaghan tells girls who become practitioners of magic to be careful about the power of words. "Like any ritual, the repetition of words affects us...words bear messages to our deep mind, from which change is born."37 ******* One belief that crops up often is the notion of shaping and creating God by our actions. This "process theology" was developed by mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead and enthusiastically embraced by Protestants and feminists. Essentially, it maintains that God is changed by the actions of all creation because we are part of God. He is not a separate being, nor is He therefore omnipotent. "God" is evolving, as apparently we humans are also. Our imagination, words and activities are forming "God."38 Conveniently, this allows one to justify any desires or behavior as being part of "God." Witchcraft incorporates this idea everywhere. ******* In fact, the ritual of witchcraft has change as its intention. The changes are in the world--including the goal of the spell itself--but also within each participant and in the Goddess herself, embodying the forces of the universe. In this way, feminist radicals have decided to indeed incite revolution, only at a spiritual level. ******* Rita Gross says, "...it is important to remember that ritual is more important to the feminist spirituality movement than any particular belief...we do not believe in the Goddess; we connect with Her."39 So the youth who tells you he/she is interested in Wicca is probably already involved in the practice of sorcery as well. ******* A NEW DEFINITION OF SIN ******* Reality becomes what the witch wants it to be, so naturally, words take on new meanings. The concept of "sin," witches claim, does not exist for them. Yet there is a sort of witchcraft ethics. As Starhawk explains, "Witches do not see justice as administered by some external authority, based on some written code or set of rules imposed from without. Instead, justice is an inner sense that each act brings about consequences that must be faced responsibly.....In the Craft, all people are already seen as gods...40 ******* Each person--including each child or teen practitioner--is thereby "empowered" to decide on whether any given action is sinful or not. Neale Donald Walsch, New Age writer of Conversations With God for Teens, puts it very simply, as he plays "God" in telling teens, "I do not forgive. That is the first thing you must understand about me. I will not forgive you ever, for anything you do...I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive."[italics in original]41 The Walsch book is being offered in catalogs to public school students by Scholastic, Inc., distributor of Harry Potter books in the U.S. ******* Yet this seeming benevolence is seldom extended to traditional Christians. Neopagans in fact do believe in "sin" but completely re-defined. There will be some kind of judgment for the patriarchy, injustice (defined from a feminist perspective), and intolerance exhibited by Bible-believers. While there is a kind of afterlife, it sounds a lot like Woodstock in the clouds. Ray Buckland writes: There is no separate "Heaven" and "Hell," no "Judgment Day," no "Purgatory," no "Eternal Damnation"! All go to Summerland....There is found rest and peace. One grows young again to eventually be reborn, through the agencies of the Goddess, into the next incarnation."42 [italics in original] ******* Does he really mean all � even Christians? From the adversarial stance taken by witches and goddess-worshippers, this claim of inclusion may be suspect. At the 1998 Re-Imagining God conference in Minneapolis, Donna Hailson, an ordained minister in the American Baptist church and an expert on feminist theology, was along with several other traditional Christian women, ejected from the conference when organizers realized where their sympathies lay. In an atmosphere where goddess names were substituted for God the Father and marginalization of women was decried, there was no tolerance for the viewpoint of these women.43 ******* Yet the girl practitioner of witchcraft is a "young goddess," as Patricia Monaghan calls her. She is "always free to move and explore, to follow her own heart...even in her heroism, she is motivated by her own drives and desires." 44 What if those "drives and desires" include resentment, rage, even a desire to harm someone else? Monaghan cautions but doesn't forbid. "About cursing: while it is sometimes tempting, when angry, to try to cast a curse or hex upon someone, be careful about giving in to such temptation. There is power in words, and it can easily loop back and hit you in the face..." 45 Again it's up to the girl, who, Monaghan envisions in her introduction, may be as young as ten years old.46 ******* Starhawk explains that the idea of cursing is controversial among witches. Some forbid it; others claim it's an important power to retain, because it's connected to "healing," which may include "stopping" someone "who threatens the safety of others."47 Some wiccans might believe this includes Christians. Christ told us, in contrast, to "love our enemies" and "bless those who spitefully use you and persecute you." ( Matthew 5:43-44) That would also include those who are practitioners of witchcraft. Bringing the truth to them through education would be one important aspect of Christ-like love. ******* Harry Potter and his friends frequently harbor desires for revenge on their "enemies," and sometimes they get it. This response is seldom discouraged or punished in the Rowling books. Harry's contempt for his aunt, uncle and cousin, the Dursleys, is glorified and justified. ******* The Dursleys are caricatures of people with conventional values and (worst of all) are "anti-magic." They are portrayed as ignorant, petty and humorless. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry puts a hex on another relative, Aunt Marge, so that her body inflates like a pig. Uncle Vernon is outraged. "'COME BACK IN HERE!' he bellowed...But a reckless rage had come over Harry. 'She deserved it,' Harry said, breathing very fast. ... 'You keep away from me.' And he leaves the house to go to wizard school for another term. Aunt Marge's "sin"? She insulted Harry's deceased parents. 48 ******* If allowed, every human would have different ideas of right and wrong as well as justice. Since humans tend to be self-interested, these "ethics" of witchcraft don't lend themselves to harmonic community living for long, unless everyone in the commune is high on drugs and/or living on a trust fund. Given the stresses and strains of normal living, unchanging standards bring peace, not war. ******* There is also a peace that elicits from responsible leadership, from having authorities, even heroes that we can rely on for some decisions, or to govern parts of life. Yet another aspect of the witch worldview is an ideal of perfect equality and minimal or no authority. ******* "I visualized Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, as any point on a circle. I had a keen desire to tear down crosses and put up wreaths. This God of the circle was the movement of time in the seasons and the renewal of life through birth, death, and rebirth...if we all have value and power, there are no leaders and followers--only sharing circles for dancing, talking or simply belonging." So went the reflections of one woman who attended the 1993 Re-Imagining goddess conference sponsored by Christian churches.49 ******* But practically speaking, how does such a system work? Not very well, and that's yet another example of the unrealistic approach to human nature witchcraft forces on its adherents. Instead of allowing people to be as they are--some naturally leaders in some areas, others gifted as supporters-- witchcraft, while it sounds like freedom, really becomes a new kind of bondage. Like clothes that don't fit, the human community might struggle to make it work, but ultimately it doesn't. ******* Yet this doesn't seem to concern ideologues of witchcraft, who celebrate not just the anarchy of relativist values, but the breaking of virtually all boundaries--age, time, sex, spiritual, death, even biology. Selling this to kids isn't very hard. PoKeMon, YuGiOh and other games and cartoons in the "anime" genre utilize a blending of animate and inanimate, human and animal in an occult tapestry, with sorcery woven in and around the action. Certain characters are "familiars" captured for the use of their power by other characters. Monster characters are conjured up as needed. Certain "rituals" summon certain characters; others have psychic abilities. Ancient myth blends with martial arts themes. Kids are urged to collect as many of the cards representing characters as possible, in order to accumulate "power." ******* And if this doesn't satisfy a child's imagination, there's always the Animorphs series of books for the pre-teen crowd. Published by (again) Scholastic, this series thoroughly acquaints children with the idea of demon possession, only it's not called that. The possession is done by parasites from another planet. Five teens have the ability to defend the earth against these parasites. They can also "morph" (change) into animals, like the occult practice of shapeshifting. And in another twist, the parasites (demons) are not all evil, but one of the teens has made friends with a parasite in order to start promoting "peace."50 ******* When there is no sin, everything is permissible. Blasphemy no longer applies, or so the pagan mind believes. Matthew Fox, an avowed pantheist who is a de-frocked Catholic priest, leads a "Techno Cosmic Mass" once a month in Oakland, California at an abandoned ballroom. Hundreds of people, including many youths, came to one recent program. Reported one attendee, "Celtic music was playing as we entered the cavernous, dark ballroom. Six large video screens were placed around the room...In two corners...were small altars, pagan altars." One altar honored the Celtic goddess Brigid--not the saint of the same name--and a drawing of the Green Man, the horned god believed in witchcraft to be the consort of the Goddess. ******* As the service began, people sat in concentric circles in the room. Matthew Fox spoke into the microphone," We are tired of being preached at in pews!" A small woman led the audience in witchcraft ritual as she "summoned" the powers of the east, west, north and south - - a procedure witches have named "calling the corners." She thrust a dagger, called an athame, into the air as she did so. She spoke about Celtic spirituality, then the crowd broke into wild dancing, which continued for fifteen minutes. After being shown a film about the potato famine in Ireland, people started groaning and wailing. The music rose until it was almost deafening--then stopped. After that, a "communion" service was offered up to the goddess Brigid and to the acts of compassion that we humans do -- following Christ's example. The observer left at this point, not wishing to witness such perversion of the Lord's Supper.50 ******* Christian adults will have to make their own choices about how much "tolerance" can be afforded to the encroachment of paganism in American life. Some have chosen to tell children that loyalty to the Lord means not even picking up a Harry Potter book � when its cover announces a story about a school teaching children about witchcraft. ******* "By their fruits you shall know them." (Matthew 7:16) ------------ Notes: ******* 1 The Lost Girl, Dotti Enderle, Llewellyn Publications, 2002. ******* 2 The name of a "Jesus" or a "Christ" is often used by witches, as many are practicing within denominations of Christianity, or have some Christian background. But these "Christs" as witches believe Him to be do not resemble the real person of Christ presented in Scripture. Christ, being One with the trinitarian God from the beginning (Colossians, Ephesians,) condemned witchcraft, and any witch who has knowledge about Christian doctrine would reject Him on this basis. ******* 3 Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority and Mystery, Starhawk, Harper& Row Publishers, San Francisco, 1987, p.24. ******* 4 Notions and Potions: A Safe, Practical Guide to Creating Magic and Miracles, Susan Bowes, Sterling Publishing, New York, 1997, pp. 78 and 97. ******* 5 Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and other Pagans in America Today, Margot Adler, Penguin Compass, 1986, p.28. ******* 6 "The Scholars and the Goddess," Charlotte Allen, Atlantic Monthly, January 2001. ******* 7 Spirit Wars: Pagan Revival in Christian America, Peter Jones, 1997, pp.26-28. ******* 8 Drawing Down the Moon, p. 20. ******* 9 Spirit Wars, p. 117, 178. ******* 10 The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess, Starhawk, HarperSan Francisco, 1979, pp.26-30. ******* 11 "The Scholars and the Goddess," Charlotte Allen, Atlantic Monthly, January 2001. ******* 12 Goddess Unmasked: The Rise of Neopagan Feminist Spirituality, Philip G. Davis, Spence Publishing Company, 1998, pp.41-52. ******* 13 Goddess Unmasked, p.54. ******* 14 Goddess Unmasked, pp.53-83. ******* 15 Goddess Unmasked, pp.83-84. ******* 16 Drawing Down the Moon, pp.162-165. ******* 17 "Wicca Infiltrates the Church," Catherine Edwards, Insight Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 45, December 6, 1999. ******* 18 www.exwitch.org, article, "What is Witchcraft?" ******* 19 The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview, John P. Newport, William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998, p.225-226. ******* 20 Drawing Down the Moon, p.95. ******* 21 Drawing Down the Moon, pp.9, 110, 125. ******* 22 The Spiral Dance,p.37. ******* 23 Notions and Potions: A Safe Practical Guide to Creating Magic and Miracles, Susan Bowes, Sterling Publishing, 1997, p.14. ******* 24 Witchcraft: Exploring the World of Wicca, Craig S. Hawkins, Baker Books, 1996, pp.79-82. ******* 25 Wild Girls: The Path of the Young Goddess, Patricia Monaghan, Llewellyn Publications, 2001, p.128. ******* 26 From two sources: Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation, Silver Ravenwolf, Llewellyn Publications,1999, pp.42-46; and Wild Girls: The Path of the Young Goddess, Patricia Monaghan, Llewellyn Publications,2001, pp.45-47. ******* 27 Teen Witch, pp. 7-8. ******* 28 Wild Girls, p. 202. ******* 29 Wild Girls, pp.43-44. ******* 30 Drawing Down the Moon, p.viii. ******* 31 She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse, Elizabeth A. Johnson, Crossroad,1993, p.26. ******* 32 Feminism & Religion, Rita M. Gross, Beacon Press,1996, p.198. ******* 33 Defecting in Place: Women Claiming Responsibility for Their Own Spiritual Lives, Miriam Therese Winter, Adair Lummis, and Allison Stokes, Crossroad Publishers. The quotes appear on p.159. ******* 34 Ungodly Rage, Donna Steichen, Ignatius Press, p.71. ******* 35 Celebrate the Earth, Laurie Cabot with Jean Mills, Delta, 1994, p. 32. ******* 36 Teen Witch, p. 8. ******* 37 Wild Girls, p. 78. ******* 38 Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of Catholic Feminism, Donna Steichen, Ignatius Press, 1991,pp.201-210. ******* 39 Feminism & Religion, p.228. ******* 40 The Spiral Dance, p. 36,38. ******* 41 Conversations With God for Teens, Neale Donald Walsch, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, 2001, pp. 85-86. ******* 42 Witchcraft from the Inside, Ray Buckland, Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 130. ******* 43 Speech delivered by Hailson at Damaris Conference, Dallas, Texas, November 6, 1999. ******* 44 Wild Girls, p. xv. ******* 45 Wild Girls, p. 81. ******* 46 Wild Girls, p. xv. ******* 47 The Spiral Dance,p.141. ******* 48 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press,1999, pp.28-30. ******* 49 Re-Membering and Re-Imagining, Nancy J. Berneking and Pamela Carter Joern, Eds., Pilgrim Press, 1995, p.32. ******* 50 See for instance Animorphs: The Sickness, Scholastic, Inc., 1999. ******* 51 "Matthew Fox's Techno Cosmic Mass" Catherine Sanders, SCP Newsletter, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, Spring 2002. ******* Copyright 2004 Linda Harvey, Mission America ******* All contents copyright � 2003 - Mission America To contact Mission America, send E-mail to [email protected] ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 9 PLANNED PARENTHOOD GIVES KIDS PORN BOOK ******* From: [email protected] ******* Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 05:35:50 EDT ******* � 2004 WorldNetDaily.com ******* Planned Parenthood held a conference for children, without their parents, that included distribution of a book deemed pornography by critics. ******* The "Nobody's Fool" 2004 conference in Waco, Texas, this week was from start to finish a "thinly veiled attack on parental rights, public morality and the health and well-being of our children," asserted Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League's STOPP International, a group that monitors Planned Parenthood. ******* Parents were not permitted to attend the conference, which was limited to children in the fifth through ninth grades, ages 10-14, Sedlak said. ******* "Planned Parenthood barred mothers and fathers from attending the actual sessions because Planned Parenthood knows that parental participation would have hampered its efforts to indoctrinate these children into its world of lies and propaganda," he contended. ******* Children in grades seven through nine received a free copy of the book, "It's Perfectly Normal." ******* The controversial sex-ed primer contains detailed explanations on how to perform sexual acts and masturbation, accompanied by sexually explicit line drawings. ******* "This so-called 'educational text' is nothing more than pornography in comic book form," stated Sedlak. ******* This is irresponsible at best and child abuse at worst," he added. ******* On its website, Planned Parenthood of Central Texas says the purpose of the conference is "to provide teens and pre-teens with factual information about growing up, puberty, dating, relationships, sexual issues and sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS." ******* The group says, "We hope this education will encourage better communication between teens and their parents. Most of all, we want your teen or pre-teen to learn how to make the most of his or her strengths and approach relationships of all kinds responsibly." ******* One year ago, John Pisciotta, a Baylor University economics professor, led a successful boycott of the Bluebonnet Council of the Girl Scouts in Waco because of its co-sponsorship of last year's "Nobody's Fool" conference. ******* Planned Parenthood passed out a book, that included the Girl Scouts logo and chapters on masturbation and homosexuality, to young girls. The book also had images of couples having sex and a boy wearing a condom. ******* Pisciotta took action after the council named Texas Planned Parenthood Executive Director Pam Smallwood its 2003 "Woman of Distinction." ******* As a result of national attention gained by the boycott, parents began removing their girls from the Scouts, leading to the closure of several troops and a decision by the council to not sponsor future conferences. ******* In an editorial in the Waco Tribune-Herald, Smallwood responded: "The children of Central Texas now have been given the clear message that the bullying tactics of a few are more successful than an informed democracy." ******* STOPP International has worked closely over the past several years with Pro-Life Waco to reduce Planned Parenthood's influence on their community, notes Sedlak. ******* But the problems will persist, he says, "until parents and all people of good will across the nation stand together to oppose Planned Parenthood's continued assault on our families and children." ******* http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39498 ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 10 NEWTON MASSACHUSETTS KICKS SCHOOL AGENDA INTO HIGH GEAR ******* Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 ******* From: "Mission America" NEWS ITEM: [Monday evening � but coming to a school near you] Three hundred parents jammed the Burr Elementary School auditorium in Newton, MA, in an angry meeting with the principal and superintendent over the high-octane homosexual agenda in the school since the homosexual marriage ruling. Among the complaints: a second grade teacher invited his class to attend his wedding to another man; school-wide celebrations for gay marriage over the loudspeakers on May 17; increased books and lessons on homosexuality in all elementary grades. Even in radical left-wing Newton, which proudly embraces all "diversity", this was too much! ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 11 SAME SEX "MARRIAGE" GOES TO SCHOOL ******* Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 ******* From: "Mission America" ******* Same-Sex �Marriage� Goes to School Out of the Closet and Into the Classroom ******* BreakPoint with Chuck Colson ******* Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley. ******* If you�re looking at the same-sex �marriage� debate and thinking it won�t affect you, allow me to bring the truth home to you�before your own children bring it home themselves. ******* Imagine finding out that your kindergartner�s teacher read the story Heather Has Two Mommies or Daddy�s New Roommate before nap time. Having two daddies or two mommies is just the same as having one of each, she explains. ******* Or perhaps you�ll learn over the dinner table that a special speaker visited your middle-schooler�s health class. The speaker instructed your pre-teen about homosexual sex�in graphic detail. Then the speaker asked for volunteers to role-play. One student was to act the part of �a young lesbian who�s really enraptured with another woman� and who�s �thinking about having sex.� ******* If this appalls you�and it should�you need to know that this is not fantasy, but a foretaste of what will likely become the norm in public schools across America if you and I fail to protect marriage. You see, the speaker and role play I described happened in Massachusettsat a conference. Public school teachers received in-service points for attending, and students were bused from across the country to take part. After the workshop�which was much more graphic than I�ve described� teachers could even sign up to have these same speakers visit their classrooms. ******* The conference was sponsored by a group called GLSEN�the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. GLSEN has sponsored over two thousand Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs in public high schools and middle schools across America and leads an aggressive campaign to, in the words of the Boston chapter leader, �challenge the anti-gay, hetero-centric culture that still prevails in our schools.� GLSEN and groups like it use the legitimate goal of stopping bullying in our schools to advance their real agenda of promoting the homosexual lifestyle. ******* And in 2003, it rolled out a high-school curriculum to present the same-sex �marriage� debate. Just looking at the curriculum objectives shows the bias and coercive strategies of this group. One objective states: �Students should understand both the historical parallels to marriage prohibitions against same-sex couples as well as the similarities among racism, homophobia, and all other oppressions.� Students also have the chance to read about homosexual relations and then consider what it would be like to be in a same-sex wedding. ******* Unfortunately, GLSEN isn�t the only group pumping the homosexual agenda to our school children. Take, for instance, this quote as an example of revisionist history from a textbook called A History of Western Society published by Houghton Mifflin: ******* �Early Christians, too, considered homosexuality a conventional expression of physical desire and were no more susceptible to anti-homosexual prejudices than pagans were. Some prominent Christians experienced loving same-gender relationships that probably had a sexual element.� ******* My friends, if marriage is redefined, we can expect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender propaganda promoted to every age school child, reflected across our textbooks with pictures, stories, and revisionist history. So if you�re sitting out there thinking that legalizing same-sex �marriage� won�t really affect you, think again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For further reading and information: ******* Warren Throckmorton, Ph.D., Gary Welton, Ph.D., and Mike Ingram, �Same-Sex �Marriage� and Schools: Critical Review of the GLSEN Same-Sex �Marriage� Curriculum,� Drthrockmorton.com, 2004. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.) ******* See this chapter 7 outline of A History of Western Society (the point about early Christian attitudes toward homosexuality is found in point II., B., 1., b.). ******* Learn more about the GLSEN conference in Massachusetts. ******* �GLSEN Attacks Faith and Families,� Concerned Women for America, 19 October 1999. ******* Suzanne McDuffie, �Parents Battle Homosexual Activism in Schools,� Concerned Women for America, 31 July 2000. ******* Rebecca Jones, �Gay Activist Groups Promote Gender Confusion,� Concerned Women for America, 19 March 2004. ******* Maggie Gallagher, �In Defense of the Family,� National Review Online, 25 June 2004. ******* Marcia Segelstein, �Sex Ed and Cooties,� BreakPoint Online, 24 June 2004. ******* Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage (Doubleday, 2000). Call 1-877-322-5527 to order. ******* See BreakPoint�s sanctity of marriage resource page. ******* Call 1-877-322-5527 to request the free BreakPoint marriage amendment information packet and the free �Talking Points on Marriage and Same-Sex Unions.� Also available is the Speak the Truth in Love kit (suggested donation: $25). ------------------------ Mail service for Mission America provided by American Family Online www.afo.net ******* Mission America www.missionamerica.com ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 12 PFOX IN TIME MAGAZINE ******* From: "PFOX" ******* Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 ******* PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays) is mentioned in Time Magazine this week (Oct. 10). The front cover of the magazine is entitled "The Battle Over Gay Youth" and cites gay rights organizations and family orgnizations like PFOX that are reaching out to youth experiencing same sex attractions. The article mentions PFOX's role in striving for equal access for ex-gays in public schools. PFOX believes ex-gay resources and information should be made available to youth on the same basis as gay materials that are promoted to youth. ******* Time Magazine is available on newsstands. ******* Time Magazine, School Event Expose Massive Cultural Campaign to Promote Homosexuality to Kids 10/7/2005 ******* By Robert Knight and Benjamin Frichtl ******* http://www.cwfa.org/articles/9144/CFI/education/index.htm ******* �Coming out� age has dropped to 10 for boys, 12 for girls, academic says. ******* A TIME magazine cover story and a recent pro-homosexual school event should leave no doubt that homosexual activists are recruiting kids into homosexual sex and a �gay� identity, using �tolerance� as a ruse. ******* The TIME October 10 piece, �The Battle Over Gay Teens,� which includes not a single reference to the extremely dangerous medical consequences of homosexual behavior, especially for boys, includes these details: ******* � A cocktail party in Manhattan with billionaire liquor magnate Edgar Bronfman, Sr. and Clinton political strategist David Mixner was held in May to raise money for the Point Foundation, a scholarship program to turn �gay� kids into homosexual activists. ******* � From 100 gay/straight alliance (GSA) clubs in schools in 1997, the number has grown to �at least 3,000�nearly 1 in 10 high schools has one, according to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN).� ******* � The average age of males �coming out� as homosexual has �dropped to 10 for gays and 12 for lesbians,� according to the chair of Cornell University�s human-development program. ******* � �Gay kids can now watch fictional and real teens who are out on shows like Desperate Housewives, the dating show Next on MTV and Degrassi (a high school drama on the N network whose wild popularity among adolescents is assured by the fact that few adults watch). Publishers like Arthur A. Levine Books (of Harry Potter fame) and the children�s division of Simon & Schuster have released something like a dozen novels about gay adolescents in the past two years�. Gay kids can now subscribe to the 10-month-old glossy YGA Magazine (YGA stands for �young, gay America�) and meet thousands of other little gays via young gay america. com (sic) or outproud.org.� ******* � ��We�re gonna win,� says [GLSEN founder Kevin] Jennings, speaking expansively of the gay movement, �because of what�s happening in high schools right now.� � Jennings recalls that when he first started raising money more than a decade ago, �the attitude was either �Isn�t it cute that you�re working with kids?� or �Why are you working with kids? What are you, f------ crazy?��� ******* Editor�s note: In other settings Jennings has used the �f-word� to dismiss faith-based opponents, and has said he envisions a day when the schools openly embrace homosexuality. At a GLSEN conference, a teacher said she thought it was important to acquaint pupils with homosexuality beginning in kindergarten because �that�s when the saturation process begins.� ******* � At a youth retreat, the Point Foundation gave out gift bags to students containing, among other things, �a DVD of the film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, in which a teenage boy is masturbated by an adult� and �the Aug. 16 issue of the gay magazine The Advocate, whose cover featured a shirtless man and blared, SUMMER SEX ISSUE.� ******* � �Because he routinely sees young gays on MTV or even at school, a 14-year-old may now feel comfortable telling friends that he likes other boys, but that doesn�t mean he is ready to enfold himself in a gay identity.� ******* The article, to its credit, includes passages about the growing ex-�gay� movement, particularly for youths, and quotes Exodus International Youth Director Scott Davis about his group�s ministry, and Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) Executive Director Regina Griggs about the discrimination faced by groups that help people overcome homosexual desires. ******* But the overall impact of the article helps validate the idea of �gay kids,� and will undoubtedly induce some to act out their sexual curiosity since so many others appear to be doing so. The constant focus on homosexuality becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, much as TIME�s frequent articles during the 1960s and 1970s about the �growing phenomenon� of illicit drug use helped spur some kids to try marijuana and LSD. ******* A Week-Long Effort in the Schools ******* GLSEN, meanwhile, has been extremely active in the schools. Their most recent effort, �National Ally Week,� was held September 19-24. ******* According to GLSEN�s Web site, more than 300 gay/straight alliance groups registered to pass out buttons, organize gender education activities, and promote the homosexual lifestyle. Ally Week encourages the recruitment of �straight� students as allies in the fight against bullying of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) students. The �straight� allies are encouraged to speak out in defense of homosexuality. ******* GLSEN passed out �I am an ALLY� buttons through the GSAs, and the Web site encouraged students to arrange more specific activities to promote acceptance of �gay� students. The listed events included: ******* � �Organizing LGBT pizza parties, and after-school activities like LGBT Jeopardy or LGBT bingo. ******* � Informative tabling in school cafeterias. ******* � Student and/or teacher training workshops. ******* � Asking allies to attend regular GSA meetings. ******* � Constructing pro-LGBT bulletin boards. ******* � Bringing a local LGBT speaker to the school.� ******* Last April, GLSEN sponsored the annual �Day of Silence,� in which kids are supposed to remain silent all day in support of their �gay� classmates. April 26, 2006, is the next �Day of Silence.� ******* This past January, GLSEN headed the coalition sponsoring �No-Name Calling Week,� another platform for discouraging resistance to the promotion of homosexuality to school kids, with the next edition slated in January 2006. In effect, schoolchildren across the nation are being subjected to homosexual propaganda in schools via an event every few months. ******* GLSEN encourages teachers to organize and participate in GSA events. The group provides a web link that supplies educators with pro-LGBT resources. These include �gender liberation� coloring books; �gay� cartoon posters; and several posters challenging traditional views of gender. Teachers can download signs with inverted, rainbow-colored triangles proclaiming �Safe Zone� to put on their classroom door. They can also print off discussion kits on how to organize gender education sessions and start conversations about homosexuality with the children. ******* One poster, titled, �Things you can do to eradicate gender or multiply it exponentially,� features cross-dressing, and has these suggestions: ******* � �Think twice before you ask people if their child is a boy or a girl. ******* � Spend a day in drag. ******* � Refer to everyone by the incorrect pronoun. ******* � Challenge binary gender paradigms over Thanksgiving dinner. ******* � Hang out with children and teach them how to cross dress Barbie and G.I. Joe. ******* � Refuse to check off your sex when filling out forms.� ******* Clearly, the homosexual movement's effort to recruit children has never been stronger than it is now. ### Robert Knight is director of the Culture & Family Institute (CFI), an affiliate of Concerned Women for America. Benjamin Frichtl is a CFI intern and a student at Patrick Henry College. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To subscribe to this list of ex-gay news and views, send a blank email to: [email protected] ********************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 13 EDUCATION OR INDOCTRINATION? - BOOK FOR SECOND GRADERS TEACHES BOYS TO PREFER SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS OVER GIRLS ******* From: News & Views (Wednesday, April 26, 2006) via Robert A. Jason ******* Although teachers across the nation are already using objectionable books to teach elementary school students about homosexual relationships, the newest book to appear, "King and King," is causing an uproar because it portrays homosexuality as being preferable to normal sexual behavior. Certain subtle details in the story are used to insinuate a message in favor of the �gay� lifestyle. The book tells the tale of a crown prince who searches for a mate from among the most beautiful young women of the land, all of whom are shown as defective in some respect. Rejecting each princess one by one, the young prince finally finds his ideal mate, the brother of one of the princesses, and together they become �King and King.� ******* The uproar came after a parent at the Joseph Estabrook Elementary school in Lexington, Massachusetts discovered that the book was being used without parental notification. The school was the same school where David Parker was arrested after he insisted on being notified whenever his six year old son was being taught about same-sex relationships. Despite an existing Massachusetts law which requires parental notification when family life issues are taught in the classroom, the principal of the school insisted that teachers are under no obligation to inform parents when stories about gay marriages are read to the children. Instead, the principal claims that such stories are a matter of equal rights for homosexuals. ******* Interestingly, the companion book offered to children after they have finished �King and King,� is �King and King and Family.� Other books which teach children about homosexual relationships are �And Tango Makes Three� �Jack and Jim� �One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads, �The Sissy Duckling� and of course, the first homosexual lifestyle book for children �Daddy Has a Roommate.� To see pages from the book �King and King� go to ?http://www.massresistance.com/docs/issues/king_and_king/book.html **************************************************************************************************************** item 14 FOOD, SEX AND RACISM, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HISTORY LESSONS? ******* From: John Hof ******* Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2001By MARGARET WENTE ******* Maybe it was the Vegan Food Pyramid that made one mother finally snap. Vaune Davis found it in her son's backpack, along with an application form to the Toronto Vegetarian Society. He'd brought them home from elementary school. A guest speaker had informed the kids that meat eaters were ruining the environment, and causing other children to go hungry. "Where was the Canada Food Guide?" Ms. Davis fumes. "When will the pork producers get equal time?" ******* Welcome to equity education, which has climbed to the top of the curriculum at schools near you. At Frankland school in east-end Toronto, where Ms. Davis's two kids go, the vegan pitch was just the latest in a heavy program of messages devised to teach the kids about diversity, tolerance, and the evils of injustice. ******* Some teachers and members of the parents' council think nothing could be more urgent. But lots of other parents are fed up. ******* "My first problem came a couple of years ago, around Black History Month," says Sydney MacInnis, who also has two kids at Frankland. ******* "They spent the whole month talking about American slavery. And so my kids would come home and say things like, 'Go get my meal! You're my slave!' " Vaune Davis's son brought home books showing pictures of black people being chased by dogs. ******* Then there was gay pride, last June. The grade-ones coloured rainbow flags and made banners that read, "Room 104 Celebrates Gay Pride Week." The grade-fives did a whole display board on homophobia. The parents were caught by surprise. ******* "My seven-year-old came home waving the gay pride flag and saying, 'Mom, I want to be in the parade!' " remembers Ms. MacInnis, who is not in the least homophobic. ******* "Okay, honey," I said. "What's the gay pride parade about?" He didn't have a clue." Another puzzled kid went home and said, "Mom, I don't think I'm gay." ******* "My son has zero interest in sex," says Ms. Davis. "At some point in children's development they should be taught about homosexuality. But in Grade 1?" ******* Both families live in one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Canada. That's one reason why they chose it. What they did not choose was to hand over their children's moral education to Frankland. ******* "This is a neighbourhood where you can see two men or two women holding hands," says Ms. MacInnis. "That's the way I want my kids to learn diversity. I don't need someone else to teach them." Ms. Davis and Ms. MacInnis want their children to grow up colourblind. The trouble is, the school forces them to be exquisitely conscious of race and oppression. "Our neighbours are black, our friends are black," says Ms. Davis. "They're professionals. ******* They're investment bankers or chefs. But the school is teaching my kids to look at black people as victims." Some of the black kids didn't like being singled out, either. ******* Each month at Frankland brings a different lesson about equity. "In October, the children will be learning about a variety of Global Harvest Festivals, different types of food, the way in which food is distributed around the world, the results of the inequities of this distribution and issues around hunger and famine," said a note the principal sent home. That's where the vegan came in. ******* The children also learned that capitalism is really awful. At one assembly, a fifth-grader got up and recited, "The combined wealth of the three richest men in the world is more than the GDP of all the developing nations." "It's sloganeering," says Ms. Davis, who's a news producer at the CBC. Both she and Ms. MacInnis say their values are squarely in the mainstream of liberal Toronto parents. ******* But the school refuses to tell them exactly what equity lessons their children will be learning, for fear that some parents might rise up and object. "It treats us like closet bigots," says Ms. Davis. The Toronto District School Board, the country's largest, is committed to equity education. Its purpose is to promote "critical and divergent thinking," says Frankland's principal. But the parents wonder whatever happened to the transfer of basic information the kids are supposed to think critically about. ******* "In the first two months of school, my 10-year-old studied no history at all," says Ms. Davis. "He can tell you all about Portuguese harvest customs, vegetarianism, Filipino child labourers and children's rights. But he doesn't know the difference between the Parliament and the Senate." ******* Lots of other parents wonder if their schools are losing it. One father wrote me this week to describe his school's latest equity initiative: an exhibition basketball game between the teachers and a team of midgets. The match is supposed to be an object lesson in diversity. ******* "All students have the right to learn in an environment free of restricting biases," says the school's newsletter, by way of explanation. Parents are assured that the midgets always win. ******* "We have," says Ms. Davis, "a system designed to produce compassionate morons." ******* [email protected] ******* For Life, John Hof, Campaign Life Coalition BC 4511 Southridge Cr. Langley, BC V3A 4N7, Ph. (604) 534-4828, Fax. (604) 532-9353, email: [email protected] *********************************************************************************************************

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The following warning is a prophetic message given to me, Frank Wagner, in November of 1974. ******* LISTEN TO THE CRY OF THE ABORTED CHILDREN. THEIR CRY IS NO. THEIR CRY IS A CRY OF TERROR. HEED THEIR CRY. ******* This prophecy is now being fulfilled. ******* For details about the source, meaning and fulfillment of this prophetic message go to ******* http://ca.geocities.com/fwagner4/index.html ******* email me at *** [email protected] ***