lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Florida bishop: Voting pro-life ‘is not a matter of imposing a belief’

ST. AUGUSTINE , Florida , October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Bishop Felipe Estévez told the faithful of the diocese of St. Augustine , Florida , that voting pro-life doesn ’ t mean imposing one ’ s religious convictions on others .
“ It is not a matter of imposing a belief , but of being committed to the truth about human life , which , as biological science confirms , begins at conception , ” he wrote in a letter dated October 7 .
“ Those who argue otherwise are not committed to reason , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beings not deserving of the protection of our laws.
” “ Pope Francis has made it clear that if we fail to protect life , no other rights matter , ” he continued .
“ He also said that abortion is not primarily a Catholic or even a religious issue : it is first and foremost a human rights issue.
” The letter , which all pastors of the diocese will read to their congregations on Sunday , November 1 , is meant to help the faithful form their conscience on voting responsibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preeminent threat to life for voters to consider .
The bishop cited the Declaration of Independence ’ s affirmation of the unalienable rights to life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness .
According to Estévez , the Declaration ’ s writers placed life first deliberately .
“ That they were written in this order was no mistake — even the Founding Fathers knew that the right to life surpassed all others in importance : without the right to life , none of the other rights could be protected .
The right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preeminent.
” He reminded the faithful that “ issues of life are under attack , ” mentioning permissive abortion and euthanasia laws that threaten the unborn , the vulnerable , the disabled , and the elderly .
These “ direct attacks on innocent human life , are all intrinsically evil — always and everywhere profoundly immoral , ” he wrote .
He proceeded to focus on abortion as the preeminent threat to life , stressing that “ it is first and foremost a human rights issue.
” Against those who claim that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he argued , “ The Church will always act to promote the dignity and value of every human life from conception to natural death … We seek to promote a Culture of Life through our teaching and our ministries , some of which are threatened by the extreme positions taken by some on issues of life and the family.
” The bishops of Florida have also compiled a Presidential Candidate Comparison chart , showing where Donald Trump and Joe Biden stand on some of the issues that should be important to Catholics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion are listed first .
Trump ’ s commitment to putting pro-life justices on the Supreme Court and his 2017 law allowing states to restrict Title X funding to abortion providers is contrasted with Biden ’ s promise to codify Roe v. Wade and to revoke the 2017 law .
US bishop : Right to life must be ‘ paramount ’ in 2020 election Protecting the right to life is the overriding human rights issue of all time Priests for Life voter guide boils down key differences between GOP , Dem candidates

PETITION UPDATE (3/15/21) -
Reports suggest that the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference (USCCB) is preparing a vote on what to do about pro-abortion Joe Biden (and, presumably, other abortion-promoting politicians) who continues to present himself (themselves) for Holy Communion.
Public excommunication would be a suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of scandalously promoting abortion.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this important petition.
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PETITION UPDATE (2/4/20)
Since Joe Biden was sworn-in on the 20th of January, he has wasted no time in signing Executive Orders to destroy the protections which former President Trump offered to the unborn and to the innocence and modesty of children of the United States.
In one executive order, Biden rescinded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting the federal government from spending taxpayer monies on abortion and the promotion of abortion.
And, in another executive order, Biden seeks to force girls' athletic programs, restrooms, and locker rooms to accept gender-confused males.
Since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was shamefully silent throughout the presidential campaign on the pre-eminent issues of abortion and gender ideology, and what Biden vowed he would do as president, it is cold comfort that their pro-life office is now speaking up about this Administration's wilful disregard for human life and for God's design of human nature (i.e., two biological sexes).
Stated plainly, Joe Biden is as bad as he said he would be, and the bishop, acting in unison (as the USCCB) have an obligation to the Lord (first) and to the faithful (second) to refuse Holy Communion to this grave public sinner.
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by dialoguing with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
A man who continues to use the church as a backdrop for statements about how "Catholic/religious" he is, but, at the same time, is now doing everything in his power to protect the murder of the innocent, needs to publicly repent before dialogue can begin.
The bishops should not dialogue with or congratulate someone who has publicly betrayed the Church's teaching and who is leading others astray.
It's an embarrassment and a scandal for the bishops to continue to allow him to receive Holy Communion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
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PETITION UPDATE (12/10/20)
Prior to the election on November 3, the U.S. bishops did not address Joe Biden’s anti-Catholic position regarding faith and morals as a unified body.
The USCCB, the organization to which every U.S. bishop belongs and which is staffed and led by bishops, remained disgracefully silent in the run-up to the election.
What were the bishops afraid of, losing their charitable tax status with the IRS, or being deprived of fat checks from the HHS (immigration programs) and USAID (foreign aid programs)?
Or, were they just too cowardly to clearly declare Christ's law to be above man's law and risk the ire of a Joe Biden as president?
Either way, the bishops’ lack of clarity in this regard is a terrible scandal in itself and probably greatly contributed to the possible election of a pro-abortion, anti-Catholic Catholic to the presidency.
Given the fact that exit polling shows Catholics split their vote 50-50 for Trump and Biden, even a slight deviation in the heavily-Catholic swing-states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could have produced different results.
The bishops could have spoken out against Biden’s pro-abortion stance collectively, but, again, they were overwhelmingly and shamefully silent.
Because of this, they will be at least partly responsible for the policies advanced by a Biden administration, in the event that Biden is sworn into office.
However, the bishops can, even now, mitigate the damage done by their inaction by taking the following steps: 1) Speak with one voice, as the USCCB, and plainly condemn Biden's pro-abortion stance; 2) Publicly advise Biden not to present himself for Holy Communion because of his scandalous position on abortion and homosexual "marriage;" and, 3) Tell Biden to publicly repent of publicly promoting the wilfull murder of the preborn, sins against nature, and diminishing the natural family.
Thankfully, some individual bishops have spoken out forcefully on Biden's scandalous behavior, and his standing in the Church.
On November 9, Archbishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas tweeted: “A dark cloud has descended on this nation when the USCCB and Planned Parenthood speak in unison in support of a Biden-Harris administration that supports the slaughter of innocents by abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.”
Additionally, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Colorado and Archbishop Charles Chaput have both declared publicly that Joe Biden “should not receive Holy Communion."
But, to add insult to injury, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. has said that he will give Holy Communion to Biden because “it’s a matter of the responsibility that I have as the archbishop to be engaged and to be in dialogue with him, even in those areas where we obviously have some differences.”
And, Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Delaware and Bishop McElroy of San Diego also congratulated Biden in statements, but they have not indicated whether or not they would administer Holy Communion to him.
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by dialoguing with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
A man who uses the church as a backdrop to make sickening political advertisements about how "Catholic/religious" he is, but, at the same time, says that he will do everything in his power to protect the murder of the innocent, needs to publicly repent before dialogue can begin.
The bishops should not dialogue with or congratulate someone who has publicly betrayed the Church's teaching and who is leading others astray.
It's an embarrassment and a scandal for the bishops to continue to allow him to receive Holy Communion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-bishops-concerned-about-pro-abortion-biden-previously-hailed-him-as-second-catholic-president
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abp-aquila-backs-call-for-pro-abortion-catholic-joe-biden-to-be-denied-holy-communion?utm_source=top_news&utm_campaign=standard
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/former-philly-archbishop-biden-not-in-full-communion-with-the-catholic-church
https://www.thesoutherncross.org/news/bishop-mcelroy-offers-prayers-and-congratulations-to-president-elect-biden/
https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/us-catholics-weigh-mixed-reaction-biden-win
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PETITION UPDATE (9/29/20)
Cardinal Raymond Burke has stated that Democratic candidate Joe Biden should not receive Holy Communion because of his support for abortion.
In an interview for Thomas McKenna's Catholic Action for Faith and Family podcast, Cardinal Burke states the following (starting around 5:00):
First of all, I would tell him [Biden] not to approach to receive Holy Communion, out of charity toward him, because that would be a sacrilege and endanger the salvation of his own soul.
But, also, he should not approach to receive Holy Communion because he gives scandal to everyone, because if someone says, 'I'm a devout Catholic," and, at the same time is promoting abortion, it gives the impression to others that it's acceptable for a Catholic to be in favor of abortion.
Of course, it's absolutely not acceptable, and never has been, and never will be.
We give thanks for Cardinal Burke's frankness and clarity. And, we call on every U.S. Catholic bishop to follow Cardinal Burke's lead and call out Joe Biden for his bloody-minded hypocrisy on the issue of abortion.
To reiterate: You cannot be a Catholic and support abortion.
Thank you for continuing to sign this urgent petition.
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PETITION UPDATE (8/17/20)
The Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, keeps claiming to be Catholic but has said he will do everything in his power to support abortion.
And, with his pick of California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, Biden has just cemented abortion into the Democrats' 2020 presidential ticket.
Indeed, Harris is vehemently pro-abortion.
During her time as attorney general of California, Harris played a key role in defending Planned Parenthood over its sale of aborted baby parts (which violated multiple federal laws, according to undercover video of abortion industry personnel).
And, last year, Harris unveiled a plan to essentially force pro-life states to seek permission from the federal government before pro-life laws can take effect.
Additionally, Harris has dangerous views on religious liberty and freedom of speech.
Harris displayed anti-Catholic bigotry in the confirmation hearings of Judge Brian Buescher. Harris cited his membership in the “all-male society” the Knights of Columbus and its stances against abortion and same-sex “marriage” as grounds for rejecting Buescher for a federal district court in Nebraska.
And, David Daleiden, head of the pro-life investigative group Center for Medical Progress, wrote that from his firsthand experience, he considers Harris the “greatest threat to First Amendment civil rights our country has ever seen.”
Joe Biden has seriously erred by taking on Kamala Harris as his running mate, further distancing himself from the truths of the Catholic Faith, especially that every life is sacred from conception till natural death.
Please CLICK HERE to read an article which details one U.S. bishop's warning about the Biden-Harris ticket.
And, please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition.
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Of course, these two things are incompatible: you cannot be Catholic and pro-abortion.
And, a "Catholic" politician's responsibility in this regard is absolute: On pain of serious sin, he or she can never promote abortion because abortion is the wilful murder of innocent preborn human beings, and also because doing so causes grave scandal to the Church and the faithful.
Please SIGN this urgent petition asking the bishops of the United States to refuse to give Holy Communion to Joe Biden until he publicly repents from his scandalous promotion of abortion.
Biden recently promised to “codify Roe v. Wade” as president, adding, "my Justice Department will do everything in its power to stop the rash of state laws that so blatantly violate a woman’s protected, constitutional right to choose."
And, since starting his latest run for the presidency, Biden also flip-flopped against the Hyde Amendment, saying that he would allow federal funds to be spent on abortion - a position he claimed to be against for more than 40 years.
In short, Joe Biden will do everything in his power to enable and defend the wilful murder of innocent preborn human beings.
So, this should not be a hard decision for our U.S. bishops. In fact, in another circumstance, it was already done by an Illinois bishop.
Indeed, Bishop Paprocki, of Springfield, Illinois, invoked Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law to withdraw Holy Communion from two Illinois state politicians who had worked to enact radical new abortion legislation in 2019.
Canon 915 states: "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."
Of course, no-one, least of all the bishops, wants anyone to be deprived of Holy Communion.
A politician who publicly and obstinately advocates for the murder of innocent preborn babies puts himself out-of-communion with the Church and her teaching.
Pro-abortion politicians should not think that they can advocate for the murder of the unborn and receive the Body of Christ at the same time. This would be to defile the Eucharist while giving scandal to the faithful.
Depriving politicians of Holy Communion is not just meant to prevent scandal; it is also designed to bring a grave public sinner to repentance. In this way, such an action is meant to be for the good of their souls, too.
Thank you for SIGNING this urgent petition which calls on the U.S. Catholic bishops to refuse to admit Joe Biden to Holy Communion until he publicly repents from his scandalous promotion of abortion.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Biden: I support abortion ‘under any circumstance’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/joe-biden-i-support-abortion-under-any-circumstance
Catholic priest denies Joe Biden Holy Communion for pro-abortion stance - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-priest-denies-joe-biden-holy-communion-for-pro-abortion-stance
Cardinal McCarrick and the Concealing of Rome’s Position on Denying Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-mccarrick-and-the-concealing-of-romes-position-on-denying-communio
**Photo Credit: Joshua Roberts / Getty Images


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Sorry Netflix, but you don’t get to lecture Americans on moral understanding

October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) —Rather than apologize for the scandal caused by the Netflix movie “ Cuties , ” the company ’ s CEO , Ted Sarandos has dug in his heels , blaming American viewers rather than taking responsibility for the content .
As reported by Deadline , Sarandos said , “ It ’ s a little surprising in 2020 America that we ’ re having a discussion about censoring storytelling .
It ’ s a film that is very misunderstood with some audiences , uniquely within the United States.
” He continued , “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a very personal coming-of-age film .
It ’ s the director ’ s story , and the film has obviously played very well at Sundance without any of this controversy and played in theaters throughout Europe without any of this controversy.
” First , Sarandos is surprised that , “ in 2020 America , ” there is outrage over the sexual exploitation of young girls .
Is this supposed to be something we graduate from ?
Should our concern for the wellbeing of children dissipate as the decades go by ?
Does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we see young girls gyrating in grossly sexual dance moves ?
Is this something that should no longer bother enlightened Americans ?
Should sexual morality be consigned to the Stone Age ?
Second , we did not misunderstand the movie .
We get the fact that the movie speaks against the sexual exploitation of children .
But , as we have stated repeatedly , you do not sexually exploit children to convey the message that sexually exploiting children is wrong .
As I wrote on September 18 , “ The Babylon Bee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the logic of Netflix , it might as well be true : ‘ New Netflix Movie Actually Murders Puppies To Teach That Murdering Puppies Is Bad.
’ Or , to move from satire to reality and create our own headline , ‘ New Netflix Movie Actually Exploits Young Girls Sexually To Teach That Sexually Exploiting Young Girls Is Wrong.
’ ” ( For my previous articles on the movie , see here and here . )
Third , the fact that the movie played well at Sundance , which no one points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards , is totally immaterial .
As Indie Wire noted ( and I previously cited ) , “ The Sundance Film Festival has been shocking audiences — and launching careers — for years.
” An early Sundance winner was the 1989 movie “ Sex , Lies , and Videotape.
” So much for “ Cuties ” provoking no such controversy at Sundance .
That would be like saying , “ The Zombie Film Festival watched the latest episodes of ‘ The Walking Dead , ’ and really enjoyed the shows .
No one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gore.
” Third , it is instructive that Sarandos compared the reaction to “ Cuties ” in Europe to the reaction in the United States .
Thank God that we still have a conscience about these things .
Thank God that we ’ re still disturbed by the thought of young girls being taught these dance moves , let alone filming them in front of an audience as well as being involved in other , inappropriate scenes .
For several decades now , total nudity has been on full and open display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes grocery and department stores , where porn magazines adorn some of the checkout racks .
As bad as things are here in America , and as much as we export porn worldwide , there is still a shred of public decency that we cling to .
I ’ m glad that our reaction to “ Cuties ” is different here than in Europe .
Interestingly , Sarandos didn ’ t compare the reaction of American viewers to that of viewers in other countries where Netflix airs .
I wonder what Muslim viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jordan and Egypt ?
( Oh wait .
Perhaps it ’ s not airing there .
After all , the movie takes a swipe at religious Muslims too . )
And how big a screening is the movie getting in the continent of Africa ?
How are the viewers enjoying it in countries like Cameroon and Sierra Leone ?
What kind of reception is it getting in Singapore and Hong Kong ?
And how about a more conservative European country like Hungary ?
I don ’ t have definitive answers to all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educated guesses .
That ’ s why Bloomberg announced on September 13 , “ Netflix Won ’ t Cancel ‘ Cuties ’ at Home , But Might Have to Abroad.
” As the article by Lucas Shaw explained , “ Netflix has delayed the release of the movie in Turkey , and has yet to provide a new date.
” “ As Netflix has introduced its service to more than 190 countries , it has said people all over the world watch the same kinds of shows , ” he continues .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governments in Singapore , Saudi Arabia , New Zealand , Vietnam and Germany have all asked Netflix to take programs down due to objectionable content.
” It looks like Sarandos was quite selective in his comments , comparing the American response to “ Cuties ” to the response in Europe , as if Americans of all people worldwide have a problem with the content .
The reality is that the movie could not even air in some other parts of the world .
Either way , Sarandos actually paid us Americans an unintended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blush .
That ’ s a badge of honor that we should wear proudly .

The company’s CEO, Ted Sarandos has dug in his heels and refused to apologize for the scandal caused by the Netflix movie 'Cuties', which features pre-teen girls performing grossly sexual dance moves.
October 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) —Rather than apologize for the scandal caused by the Netflix movie “Cuties,” the company’s CEO, Ted Sarandos has dug in his heels, blaming American viewers rather than taking responsibility for the content.
As reported by Deadline, Sarandos said, “It’s a little surprising in 2020 America that we’re having a discussion about censoring storytelling. It’s a film that is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely within the United States.”
He continued, “The film speaks for itself. It’s a very personal coming-of-age film. It’s the director’s story, and the film has obviously played very well at Sundance without any of this controversy and played in theaters throughout Europe without any of this controversy.”
What a telling statement.
First, Sarandos is surprised that, “in 2020 America,” there is outrage over the sexual exploitation of young girls.
Is this supposed to be something we graduate from? Should our concern for the wellbeing of children dissipate as the decades go by? Does the passing of years lessen our pain when we see young girls gyrating in grossly sexual dance moves? Is this something that should no longer bother enlightened Americans? Should sexual morality be consigned to the Stone Age?
Second, we did not misunderstand the movie. We get the fact that the movie speaks against the sexual exploitation of children. But, as we have stated repeatedly, you do not sexually exploit children to convey the message that sexually exploiting children is wrong.
As I wrote on September 18, “The Babylon Bee headline is satirical, but, based on the logic of Netflix, it might as well be true: ‘New Netflix Movie Actually Murders Puppies To Teach That Murdering Puppies Is Bad.’ Or, to move from satire to reality and create our own headline, ‘New Netflix Movie Actually Exploits Young Girls Sexually To Teach That Sexually Exploiting Young Girls Is Wrong.’” (For my previous articles on the movie, see here and here.)
Third, the fact that the movie played well at Sundance, which no one points to as a bastion of high moral standards, is totally immaterial. As Indie Wire noted (and I previously cited), “The Sundance Film Festival has been shocking audiences — and launching careers — for years.” An early Sundance winner was the 1989 movie “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.”
So much for “Cuties” provoking no such controversy at Sundance. That would be like saying, “The Zombie Film Festival watched the latest episodes of ‘The Walking Dead,’ and really enjoyed the shows. No one said a word about the violence and the gore.”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Demand CBS management stop Stephen Colbert's mockery of Jesus Show Petition Text 20650 have signed the petition. Let's get to 22500 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition **Photo Credit: YouTube Screen Capture from Late Show Stephen Colbert's mockery of Christ is not only not funny, it's also cowardly. Over the past three month, the CBS late-night show which bears Colbert's name has resorted to mocking Jesus Christ in irreverent political cartoons. This petition demands that CBS (the network which hosts Colbert's show) put a stop to this mockery of Christ and anti-Christian bigotry. The cartoons' primary purpose is to ridicule Vice President Mike Pence by poking fun at what some may see as a discrepancy in his claiming to be Christian while supporting policies which those people see as 'un-Christian.' Of course, good political satire is fine. But, the problem is that this political satire achieves its end by depicting Christ as both vindictive and silly. In the first cartoon which aired at the end of June, Christ is depicted as following Pence up the stairs of Airforce Two and telling Pence to stop attributing policies to Him. As Pence nears the top of the steps, Christ is depicted as tackling Pence so that he trips and falls. And in the second cartoon which aired at the end of August, the Colbert show depicts Christ as 'crashing' Mike Pence's speech at the Republican National Convention. Just after Pence declares that, "America is a nation of miracles," Christ is depicted as descending to Pence's podium and disgracefully identifying Himself to be "the miracle guy..." On top of this irreverence, the rest of the video depicts Christ as a silly God, Who changes Pence's microphone into fish (obvious reference to Jesus' miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes), and then ascends into Heaven shouting, "That's right. Jesus eats weird stuff. Got it!?!" Mocking what other people hold dear is always in bad taste. But, mocking God, Himself, for the sake of a few laughs, is unacceptable. Would Stephen Colbert's Late Show mock Muhammad with cartoon depictions? The simple answer is: 'Not on Stephen Colbert's life.' And, this fact just proves that Colbert and co. are acting like cowardly bullies when they use silly depictions of Christ to ridicule the Vice President. In essence, they selected a group who they see as weak (Christians) and ridiculed them and their God. Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which demands that CBS put a stop to Colbert's irreverent depictions of Christ. Thank you. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Petition demands CBS stop Stephen Colbert from blasphemously using Jesus to pummel Pence' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/petition-demands-cbs-stop-stephen-colbert-from-blasphemously-using-jesus-to-pummel-pence *WARNING: Irreverent depictions of Jesus YouTube video from Stephen Colbert's Late Show titled 'Jesus wants nothing to do with Mike Pence's policies' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=0&v=o79i7sOPMvQ&feature=emb_logo YouTube video from Stephen Colbert's Late Show titled 'Jesus crashes Mike Pence's RNC speech' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=0&v=i0f34qgyaEA&feature=emb_logo Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Third, it is instructive that Sarandos compared the reaction to “Cuties” in Europe to the reaction in the United States.
Thank God that we still have a conscience about these things. Thank God that we’re still disturbed by the thought of young girls being taught these dance moves, let alone filming them in front of an audience as well as being involved in other, inappropriate scenes.
For several decades now, total nudity has been on full and open display in different countries in Europe. This includes grocery and department stores, where porn magazines adorn some of the checkout racks.
As bad as things are here in America, and as much as we export porn worldwide, there is still a shred of public decency that we cling to.
I’m glad that our reaction to “Cuties” is different here than in Europe.
Interestingly, Sarandos didn’t compare the reaction of American viewers to that of viewers in other countries where Netflix airs. I wonder what Muslim viewers think of the movie in countries like Jordan and Egypt? (Oh wait. Perhaps it’s not airing there. After all, the movie takes a swipe at religious Muslims too.)
And how big a screening is the movie getting in the continent of Africa? How are the viewers enjoying it in countries like Cameroon and Sierra Leone? What kind of reception is it getting in Singapore and Hong Kong? And how about a more conservative European country like Hungary?
I don’t have definitive answers to all of these questions, but I have some educated guesses. That’s why Bloomberg announced on September 13, “Netflix Won’t Cancel ‘Cuties’ at Home, But Might Have to Abroad.”
As the article by Lucas Shaw explained, “Netflix has delayed the release of the movie in Turkey, and has yet to provide a new date.”
“As Netflix has introduced its service to more than 190 countries, it has said people all over the world watch the same kinds of shows,” he continues.
But Shaw goes on to note that “Governments in Singapore, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Germany have all asked Netflix to take programs down due to objectionable content.”
It looks like Sarandos was quite selective in his comments, comparing the American response to “Cuties” to the response in Europe, as if Americans of all people worldwide have a problem with the content. The reality is that the movie could not even air in some other parts of the world.
Either way, Sarandos actually paid us Americans an unintended compliment. We still know how to blush. That’s a badge of honor that we should wear proudly.
Follow Michael Dr. Brown is the author of more than 35 books, including Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the “Church” and the Jewish People, which has been translated into more than twelve languages, the highly acclaimed five-volume series, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, a commentary on Jeremiah (part of the revised edition of the Expositor’s Bible Commentary), and several books on revival and the Jesus revolution. His most recent book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test?
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lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Trump’s COVID advisor: Lockdown architects ‘should be held accountable’

WASHINGTON , D.C. , October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Dr. Scott Atlas , a recently appointed advisor to President Trump ’ s Coronavirus Task Force , said the architects of the COVID-19 lockdowns “ should be held accountable for what they did.
” In a Fox News interview yesterday , Atlas outlined the enormous detriments to public health that result from lockdowns .
He criticized those who were advocating for more lockdowns to help prevent the spread of the virus , saying they were “ simply out of touch with average Americans.
” “ Prolonged lockdowns are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ People have been killed by people who want prolonged lockdowns.
” Atlas pointed to data regarding the hidden effect of lockdowns upon people ’ s health .
“ Forty-six percent of the most common types of cancers were not diagnosed during the lockdown , ” he observed .
This means that as a result , “ people will present with much later , more widespread disease.
” Out of those scheduled for chemotherapy , only half appeared for their appointments , meaning that “ 650,000 Americans ” missed crucial treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is purely “ out of the fear instilled by our so-called public health experts.
” Atlas referred to the effect the lockdowns were having on children and young adults .
Just as a result of closing the schools , the number of child abuse cases has increased dramatically , with “ more than 200,000 cases of child abuse not reported during the two months of spring school closures.
” A CDC report showed that “ one out of four young college-aged Americans have contemplated killing themselves during the month of June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely off the rails.
” But he was even more scathing with regard to the proponents of lockdowns , whom he accused of having committed crimes against humanity .
“ History will record the faces of the public health expertise as some of the most sinful , egregious , epic failures in the history of public policy , ” Atlas stated .
“ They have killed people with their lack of understanding and their lack of caring about not just the impact of cases of COVID-19 , a virus that the overwhelming majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House advisor distinguished between COVID-19 policies and their actual outcomes .
“ They never cared to considered the impact of the policy itself , ” he said , “ and the policy itself has been a complete epic failure , and honestly some people say a crime against humanity — these people should be held accountable for what they did.
” President Donald Trump repeatedly warned about preventative COVID measures being more harmful than the disease itself .
In March , the president famously tweeted , “ We can not let the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” After being discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center earlier this month , where he had received treatment for the virus , Trump urged people not to be afraid : “ Feeling really good !
Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life.
” The Great Barrington Declaration , released on October 4 and already signed by over 500,000 doctors , medical professionals and citizens , warns that “ [ c ] urrent lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically and mentally damaging to society at large .

People of goodwill can disagree about the safety, efficacy and religious implications of a new vaccine for the coronavirus.
But, everyone should agree on this point:
No government can force anyone who has reached legal adulthood to be vaccinated for the coronavirus. Equally, no government can vaccinate minors for the coronavirus against the will of their parents or guardians.
Please SIGN this urgent petition which urges policymakers at every level of government to reject calls for mandatory coronavirus vaccination.
Fear of a disease - which we know very little about, relative to other similar diseases - must not lead to knee-jerk reactions regarding public health, nor can it justify supporting the hidden agenda of governmental as well as non-governmental bodies that have apparent conflicts of interest in plans to restrict personal freedoms.
The so-called "public health experts" have gotten it wrong many times during the current crisis. We should not, therefore, allow their opinions to rush decision-makers into policies regarding vaccination.
And, while some people, like Bill Gates, may have a lot of money, his opinion and that of his NGO (the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) - namely, that life will not return to normal till people are widely vaccinated - should not be permitted to influence policy decisions on a coronavirus vaccination program.
Finally, we must also not allow the rush by pharmaceutical companies to produce a new coronavirus vaccine to, itself, become an imperative for vaccination.
Unwitting citizens must not be used as guinea pigs for New World Order ideologues, or Big Pharma, in pursuit of a vaccine (and, profits) which may not even protect against future mutated strains of the coronavirus.
And it goes without saying that the production of vaccines using aborted babies for cell replication is a total non-starter, as the technique is gravely immoral.
However, if after sufficient study of the issue, a person who has reached the age of majority wishes to be vaccinated with a morally produced vaccine, along with his children, that is his business.
But we cannot and will not permit the government to make that decision for us.
Thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this petition, urging policymakers at all levels of government to reject mandatory coronavirus vaccination.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bill Gates: Life won’t go back to ‘normal’ until population 'widely vaccinated' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bill-gates-life-wont-go-back-to-normal-until-population-widely-vaccinated
COVID-19 scare leads to more digital surveillance, talk of mandatory vaccine 'tattoos' for kids' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/covid-19-scare-leads-to-more-digital-surveillance-talk-of-mandatory-vaccine-tattoos-for-kids
Trudeau says no return to ‘normal’ without vaccine: 'Could take 12 to 18 months' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-says-no-return-to-normal-without-vaccine-could-take-12-to-18-months
Trudeau mulls making coronavirus vaccine mandatory for Canadians - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-mulls-making-coronavirus-vaccine-mandatory-for-canadians
US bishop vows to ‘refuse’ COVID-19 vaccine if made from ‘aborted fetal tissue' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-bishop-vows-to-refuse-covid-19-vaccine-if-made-from-aborted-fetal-tissue
** While LifeSite opposes immorally-produced vaccines using aborted fetal cell lines, we do not have a position on any particular coronavirus vaccines produced without such moral problems. We realize many have general concerns about vaccines, but also recognize that millions of lives have been saved due to vaccines.
*** Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Vatican issues coin of mother carrying ‘earth in her womb’ one year after Pachamama scandal

ROME , Italy , October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Vatican issued a coin depicting a mother carrying the earth in her womb .
The issue of the coin comes almost one year to the day when the idol Pachamama was worshipped in the Vatican gardens in the presence of Pope Francis as part of the opening ceremony of the Amazon synod .
“ The Vatican City State Mint will issue a 10 euro silver coin made by Maestro Oldani , depicting a mother carrying the earth in her womb , to whom we owe care and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with long ears of wheat in her hair , in a reference between past and future that becomes timeless , and therefore eternal , ” states the official description of the coin .
“ The celebration of life on earth is a commitment to take care of the planet , a project to which the Church intends to offer its support , a grandiose and complex work that aims : to promote international action to guarantee everyone a future , the food that is needed , both in quantity and quality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with social development , without which there is no real progress.
” Various media outlets , including the news website owned by the German bishops , made a connection between the coin and the Pachamama statues used in the context of the Amazon synod last year , even though the appearance of “ Mother Earth ” on the coin differs from the statues used in 2019 .
“ The coin recalls the Pachamama statues set up at the Amazon synod in the previous year , which according to the prefect of the Vatican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand for life , fertility and mother earth ’ and should bring the culture of the Amazon region also objectively to the synod , ” wrote katholisch.de .
In the fall of 2019 , Alexander Tschugguel , a young Austrian Catholic , had thrown a number of the controversial Pachamama statues into the Tiber in Rome after they had been prominently featured in a church in Rome for days .
Similar statues had also been used in a religious ceremony in the Vatican gardens on October 4 , 2019 .
Even Pope Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ceremony , people were bowing down to the ground worshiping the statue .
Additionally , the Pope prayed in front of a Pachamama statue at St. Peter ’ s Cathedral on October 7 and then accompanied it in procession into the synod hall .
The Pope confirmed later that the statue was called “ Pachamama ” and apologized for the Pachamama statues being thrown into the Tiber river .
Tschugguel himself tweeted earlier today , “ We can not buy those coins and throw them all in the Tiber , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
And we fight it by publicly opposing this # idolatrousness !
# Staycatholic # staytrue # fightevil !
” “ We are currently going through a terrible year .
2020 is the year of # Corona , # BLM + # ANTIFA riots and violence , # Euthanasia introduced in many countries , # abortion pills made legal or more easy accessible in many countries , ” he explained .
“ Migration problematics everywhere .
This all started or got worse with last years [ sic ] # Pachamama ‘ worship ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you venerate pagan idols no wonder that terrible things are going to happen .
We all knew it and still know it !
And now the # UFN releases 2 new coins to remember this terrible # heresy ?
Catholics resist !
” In response to the ceremonies in the Vatican Gardens , Bishop Athanasius Schneider at the time called on all Catholics — bishops , priests and laity — to offer acts of reparation , protest and correction for the use of the Pachamama statues , which he called a “ new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcefully condemning the use of the Pachamama statue at the Amazon Synod in the Vatican , Bishop Schneider wrote , “ In front of the eyes of the entire world and in the presence of the Pope , there were conducted clear acts of religious adoration of symbols and statues of the pagan , indigenous , South-American religions , the so-called ‘ Pachamama.
’ ” “ Such conduct of the highest Church authority which does not only not forbid the symbols of pagan religions and their worship , but , rather , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the salvation of souls , because thereby the First Commandment is being undermined and in practical terms is being rescinded , ” Schneider said .
Pope Francis seemed to double down on the claim voiced by a number of Catholics that there was nothing wrong with the statues in section 78 of his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia , published earlier this year .
In it , Pope Francis stated that people should “ not be quick to describe as superstition or paganism certain religious practices that arise spontaneously from the life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pope continued that it is “ possible to take up an indigenous symbol in some way , without necessarily considering it as idolatry , ” adding that a “ myth charged with spiritual meaning can be used to advantage and not always considered a pagan error .
”


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Pro-life filmmaker: ‘I wanted to devote my life to defending the vulnerable’

LOS ANGELES , California , October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Movie to Movement is a non-profit organization using mass media to promote a culture of life , love and beauty .
“ The most vulnerable members of the human family were abandoned to violence , and so I wanted to devote my life to defending the vulnerable , ” Movie to Movement ’ s founder and president Jason Jones told LifeSiteNews .
A new documentary just released by Movie to Movement endeavors to reunite Americans , following former NFL tight end and Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth about abortion .
For more than a decade , the organization has produced pro-life films like Bella ( 2006 ) and Crescendo ( 2011 ) , which encourage viewers to “ stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable people in the world.
” “ The best way to promote solidarity is through film and storytelling , because , as film critic Roger Ebert said , films are ‘ like a machine that generates empathy , ’ ” Jones explained .
Since its founding , the movement has used film to promote solidarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copies of their award-winning film Bella to crisis pregnancy centers to encourage undecided women to choose life for their babies , and potentially place their babies for adoption .
“ The women chose life and to give their babies up for adoption because they empathized with the character Nina , and that was something that the pregnancy centers had really been able to gain before , ” Jones said .
In a similar vein , Movie to Movement sponsored a red carpet premiere with celebrities for foster children in Hawaii when they released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At first , the kids didn ’ t know it was for them .
They were afraid to step on the red carpet .
But , once they walked on the carpet , they were so excited , “ Jones shared .
“ They posed for pictures on the carpet , and they were really enjoying themselves .
We wanted to show them that , one day , they can be a pillar in their community.
” Just last month , Movie to Movement released their new documentary , Divided Hearts of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation that Black lives matter because Black lives are sacred , ” Jones said .
“ We set out to make the movie two years ago , and we knew that everything would be ripping apart at the seams when we were ready to release it , ” he added .
“ [ The United States ] was founded on the dignity and vision of the human person — that man has certain unalienable rights given to us by God … The republic becomes divided when we fail to live up to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we deny that principle , ” he explained .
“ Roe v. Wade denied that [ founding ] principle .
Our country can ’ t stand 40 more years , let alone 3 more years.
” Jones further said .
The film endeavors to reunite Americans as it follows Benjamin Watson ’ s journey to find out the truth about abortion — a heated topic since the Supreme Court issued its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade , which decriminalized abortion across the nation .
Divided Hearts of America also attempts to answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divisive issue of our time actually bring us back together again ?
” Readers can get a 20 % discount on Divided Hearts of America by clicking HERE and using the promo code “ mtm .
”

PETITION UPDATE (9/26/2020):
With President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we are closer than we have been in decades to seeing Roe vs. Wade overturned.
We now encourage the Senate to confirm Barrett as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Judge Barrett has a fantastic track recond on sanctity of life issues, has seven children, and is a devout believer. She is the perfect remedy for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's radical pro-abortionism.
Please READ the full story here: 'BREAKING: Trump nominates Catholic mom of 7 Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court'
And then, please SIGN this petition telling the High Court that it's now time to end the activist Roe vs. Wade judgment. Thank you!
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PETITION UPDATE (6/29/2020):
In a decision which has imperiled more abortion-minded women, sentenced more preborn to death, and upset pro-lifers across the nation,the United States Supreme Court decided 5-4 to strike down a Louisiana law requiring basic medical precautions in the event of abortion complications, with Chief Justice John Roberts reversing his own past decision to uphold a similar Texas law.
Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, which held that the Louisiana law was unconstitutional for the simple fact that it was “almost word-for-word identical” to the Texas one the court already struck down in 2016.
In his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged that he had “joined the dissent in Whole Woman’s Health and continue to believe that the case was wrongly decided. The question today however is not whether Whole Woman’s Health was right or wrong, but whether to adhere to it in deciding the present case.”
We call on the Supreme Court to stop supporting the culture of death and overturn Roe vs Wade, now.
PETITION UPDATE (1/20/2020):
Hundreds of thousands of people will gather in Washington, D.C., this coming Friday, January 24th, for the March for Life. They will be praying for an end to Roe vs Wade, as the Supreme Court will hear a crucial, abortion-related case later this year in March. United our voices can change the course of history. Sign this petition TODAY! (LEARN MORE BELOW)
PETITION UPDATE (1/3/2020):
In advance of the Supreme Court's hearing arguments in an important abortion case later this year in March, 207 U.S. Senators and Representatives have signed amicus briefs supporting a Louisiana law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a hospital nearby an abortion center.
Some of these supporting briefs also suggest that now is the time to reconsider Roe vs Wade as sound law.
Please SIGN this petition, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Roe vs Wade.
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More than 60 million Americans have been slaughtered in their mother's wombs as a result of Roe v. Wade. This activist, unconstitutional ruling in 1973 has left countless women emotionally and psychologically scarred.
It was believed by many that Roe would be overturned in 1992 with Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Despite having eight Republican-appointed judges at the time, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold it.
Since then, major gains have been made in the fight for life, and many lives have been saved.
However, Roe v. Wade remains the law of the land, leaving millions of defenseless pre-born children vulnerable to murder.
According to a 2016 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35% of aborted babies are African American, despite black women only making up six percent of the U.S. population. 19% of aborted babies are Hispanic.
We thus again call on the court to do everything they can to end Roe vs Wade.
Now is the time for pro-lifers to join together and ensure that all of God's children have a right to life.
Roe v. Wade must come to an end!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/supreme-court-strikes-down-louisiana-abortion-regulations
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/over-200-congressmen-as-us-supreme-court-to-reconsider-roe-v-wade
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/congress-members-file-competing-legal-briefs-in-key-scotus-abortion-case


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Tucker Carlson: Twitter acts ‘exactly as the Chinese government does’ in suppressing news

October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Twitter ’ s efforts Wednesday to suppress a New York Post article about Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden and his son Hunter mark a “ dark moment ” for freedom of the press , Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared in his evening monologue .
The ongoing debate over free speech on social media took on new urgency Wednesday when Twitter flagged as “ potentially harmful ” a report in the Post about emails indicating that Hunter Biden introduced his father , then the Vice President of the United States , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma , less than a year before the elder Biden openly pressured the Ukranian government to fire a prosecutor tasked with investigating the company .
The Post ’ s Twitter account has been locked , and numerous accounts have found themselves unable to tweet the link to the report .
Those who could were treated to a generic “ this link may be unsafe ” disclaimer before being able to click through to the report .
A Facebook representative said it was also “ reducing its distribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass censorship on a scale that America has never experienced in 245 years , and it 's a threat to all of us , ” Carlson said Wednesday evening .
“ Democracies only function when there is a free exchange of information between citizens .
We no longer have that.
” In response to the ensuing uproar , Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that the company ’ s “ communication around our actions ” was “ not great , ” and Twitter claimed the report was censored because it contained images that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email addresses and phone numbers , ” and violated the company ’ s prohibition on “ hacked materials ” ( the Post denies that the emails were obtained via hacking , and Twitter does not generally suppress stories about illicitly-obtained personal information , such as President Donald Trump ’ s tax returns ) .
“ They did n't apologize for doing this , ” Carlson said .
“ They did n't bother to make up reasonable-sounding justifications for it .
They just did it , exactly as the Chinese government does .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power , you have none .
They do n't have to care about what you think and they don't.
” “ You can see why Facebook and Twitter do n't want to allow you to read it , ” Carlson continued .
“ If Joe Biden met with Burisma executives at the request of his son for the profit of his own family , it becomes very clear that Joe Biden 's previous denials were lies .
Just last year , Joe Biden was telling us he had no idea what his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers have demanded Twitter and Facebook explain themselves under oath , and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has called on the Federal Elections Commission to investigate whether their suppression of the story , less than a month before the presidential election , qualifies as an illegal in-kind contribution to the Biden campaign .

PETITION UPDATE (12/11/2020)
Right before Thanksgiving, YouTube deleted a LifeSite video of a distinguished Canadian physician protesting the "unfounded public hysteria" over COVID-19 and accused us of spreading "medical misinformation."
Our account was suspended, and we were prohibited from posting videos on our YouTube channel for one week. And, while that may not seem like a big deal, it's a huge deal for a news organization like LifeSite.
Then, earlier this week, YouTube again suspended our account – this time for two weeks – over an episode of The Bishop Strickland Show wherein Bishop Strickland said he would not take an unethical COVID-19 vaccine.
We were able to appeal the suspension, and our request was granted.
This means that in YouTube's three-strikes-and-you're-out content-policing, idea-cleansing scheme, we are back down to one strike. But, we still face the threat of losing our account permanently.
And, we're not the only ones.
In a recent turn of events, YouTube just announced that it will remove videos alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
But, what is YouTube afraid of? The truth???
Thankfully, however, there is a one, big bright spot on the horizon: 48 states filed suit against Facebook just this week.
And, although this seems like a step in the right direction, the draconian measures which YouTube just rolled out, which are already wielded by Twitter, are an assault against free speech.
So, the fight for freedom of speech against Big Tech goes on. And, we must do everything we can to protect it!
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-youtube-reverses-ban-on-lifesitenews?
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/youtube-bans-lifesite-over-video-of-bp-strickland-refusing-to-take-corona-vaccine
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/lifesites-channel-was-suspended-by-youtube-heres-how-you-can-still-watch-our-videos
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/youtube-starts-removing-videos-that-contain-allegations-of-mass-voter-fraud
https://tennesseestar.com/2020/12/10/facebook-sued-by-48-states-federal-trade-commission-over-allegations-of-monopolistic-practices/
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PETITION UPDATE (11/18/2020)
Everyone thought the censorship by Big Tech corporations would decrease after the 2020 election, but the truth is that censorship is being felt just as much as it was before the election.
And, given the election outcome, perhaps Big Tech censorship now is even more consequential than it was before the election!
The two biggest social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, and other Big Tech companies, are still censoring and suppressing stories and posts favorable to conservatives, and especially anything that has to do with election fraud.
Here are a few recent examples:
Women for America First organized the March for Trump on November 14, which was shut down by Facebook, MailChimp and Eventbrite. Despite Big Tech’s best efforts to cancel the event, the march went on and gathered a huge crowd.
Twitter has been suppressing a large number of President Trump’s Tweets. Most of his Tweets have been flagged arbitrarily with a warning stating: “This claim about election fraud is disputed."
Please READ this recent article about Big Tech's attempt to choke information conerning the recent Million MAGA March in Washington, DC: '5 things mainstream media won’t tell you about massive DC ‘Stop the Steal’ rally'
Then, please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, which calls on the Congress, the president, and governors to defend freedom of speech as Big Tech continues their rampant censorship.
PETITION UPDATE (10/15/2020)
In a remarkable development, Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham have announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will be issuing subpoenas to Twitter's Jack Dorsey and Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg for their company's suppression of two critical expose news stories about how Hunter Biden and the Biden Family allegedly profited from business deals made because of Joe Biden's position as Vice President.
Please WATCH LifeSite's exclusive video of the announcement by Senator Ted Cruz below.
According to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Lindsey Graham, the subpoenas will be issued next Tuesday, for hearings to be held on Friday of next week.
This is a MASSIVE development, and should be welcomed by those who champion freedom of speech.
Again, this is all happening because Twitter and Facebook refuse to allow their members to share stories which would be favorable to conservatives.
Here's the timeline:
Yesterday, Twitter and Facebook suppressed a NY Post story about how Hunter Biden allegedly profited from introducing a Ukrainian businessman to his then-Vice President father, Joe Biden. The story also alleges that Vice President Biden then subsequently pressured Ukrainian authorities to fire a prosecutor who was investigating the businessman's company.
And, just this morning, Twitter suppressed another expose by the NY Post alleging that the Biden Family improperly profitted from deals made with one of the largest Chinese energy companies because of Vice President Biden's position in government.
But, right after the story broke, Senator Cruz tried to share the latest story on Twitter and was blocked. Twitter says that they are blocking the stories because they claim that the information was obtained illegally. However, Twitter showed no problem allowing illegally obtained information about President Trump's tax returns to be shared.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, which calls on the Congress, the president, and governors to defend freedom of speech as Big Tech continues their rampant censorship.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'GOP senators decry Big Tech censorship of NY Post story exposing Biden corruption' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/gop-senators-decry-big-tech-censorship-of-ny-post-story-exposing-biden-corruption
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PETITION UPDATE (9/17/2020)
Big Tech is out to kill free speech. LifeSite is out to protect it!
LifeSite has been digging deep into the many claims of liberal bias and selective censorship of pro-life, pro-family, and conservative voices on social media.
And, we are now launching our new series 'Uncensored: Big Tech vs. Free Speech', which will unpack how the actions of Big Tech censors actually affect conservative and Christian organization and individuals.
Please WATCH the first video in our series featuring Brigitte Gabriel, the Founder of ACT For America, one of the nation's premier national security grassroots organizations.
Ms. Gabriel's organization, ACT For America, has been targeted by Big Tech especially in the manipulation of search results.
Big Tech “think[s] they are God and they are exercising their godly power over everybody else,” Gabriel explained. "Because in today's world, anytime you want to find out any information about somebody, what do you do? Google. You go to the internet to find out some information about them. When you research anything about somebody, the first thing that comes up [in the search results] is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s labeling of ‘hate groups.’”
“And who are the ‘hate groups’? Family Research Council is a hate group because they are pro-family. American Family Radio is a hate group…LifeSiteNews is a hate group. My organization is a hate group because we sound the alarm about terrorism and protecting our constitutional freedom. And so they try to character assassinate you. And they control the language.”
LifeSite's research shows that Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and others have become far too dangerous for democracy.
They can and do sway elections and public opinion in whatever direction they want, primarily by manipulating search results, tracking our online behavior, and by blocking truthful content from their platforms.
Today, LifeSite is starting to fight back, with facts and with stories of conservatives and Christians who are being negatively impacted by Big Tech's liberal bias.
Please continue to follow our 'Big Tech vs. Free Speech' series which aims to launch a new video each week for the next eight weeks.
And, please sign our petition demanding that Big Tech monopolies are broken up. Thank you!
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ORIGINAL PETITION BACKGROUND TEXT:
The outrageous erasing of the White Coat Summit from the internet is only the latest in a long series of brazen acts of censorship against conservatives and all those who support legitimate free speech.
You may agree or disagree with the efficacy of Hydroxychloroquine against the coronavirus, but everyone should agree on this point:
No Big Tech company should have the power to erase from the internet the medical opinions of licensed practicing doctors simply because they do not like what they have to say about the coronavirus or their experience treating it. Americans and other free peoples do not need leftist computer programmers deciding what the best course of medical treatment is for them.
Google/Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Apple and their Big Tech friends want to control what you see, what you read, what you think, and ultimately, how you vote. Not only do they spend hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbying congress and buttering up big Washington DC think tanks, but now they brazenly and directly censor any content they don't want you to see.
Big Tech, like other interest groups, aggressively lobby to help their businesses thrive, but increasingly, Big Tech is using blatant internet censorship to impose its radical world view over those they consider to be "deplorables."
This must stop, but it won't unless we demand it as forcefully as legally possible. We believe that we have reached the point were Big Tech must be broken up if legitimate free speech is going to survive and continue to thrive on the internet.
Please sign our petition to demand real consequences for Big Tech's suppression of legitimate free speech.
In 2016, emails revealed by Fox News' Tucker Carlson proved that Google tried to influence the election by affecting voter turnout. Thankfully they failed. But they didn't give up. Instead, they have been preparing and testing how to manipulate information to continue to abuse their monopolistic power.
In 2018, Google/Youtube et. al. succeeded in manipulating the Irish abortion referendum by blacklisting pro-life videos, manipulating pro-life search terms and results and intentionally withholding pro-life information. Again, this is not an opinion or a conspiracy theory, Project Veritas obtained first hand information proving the intentional censorship by Big Tech.
And the Coronavirus has just made things worse. You see, scared people are more easily manipulated into giving up their freedom of speech. Children are being kept from going to school, tens of millions of Americans are out of work, and rioting has broken out in most major American cities.
Now, more than ever, freedom of speech is necessary to secure all of our freedoms. Freedom of speech is crucial to truly exercise the freedom to vote for the person that best represents one's own views, or the freedom to decide what course of medical treatment to accept - especially the decision to control what vaccines are administered to our children.
Some experts, like Dr. Robert Epstein, a behavioral psychologist who has testified before congress against Big Tech believes that we may already be too late to control Big Tech's tyrannical control over information.
President Trump took a step in the right direction with his Executive Order calling for increased regulation of Big Tech. But much more can be done and needs to be done right now.
In an era where almost everything is polarized, there is an overwhelming support for breaking up the Big Tech monopolies. A recent Pew poll found that 75% of Americans believe that Big Tech companies have too much influence.
It is time to bring serious accountability to Big Tech for their attempts to use their monopolies to kill free speech.
It is time to break up Big Tech.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Google, Facebook, Twitter shut down ‘frontline’ US doctors who promote ‘cure for COVID’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/google-facebook-twitter-shut-down-frontline-us-doctors-who-promote-cure-for-covid?utm_source=featured&utm_campaign=standard
Americans overwhelmingly agree Big Tech has too much power: Pew poll - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/americans-overwhelmingly-agree-big-tech-has-too-much-power-pew-poll
Leaked Google employee's email reveals effort to boost Latino vote, surprise that some voted for Trump - https://www.foxnews.com/tech/leaked-google-employees-email-reveals-effort-to-boost-latino-vote-surprise-that-some-voted-for-trump
Undercover video proves Google interfered in Irish abortion referendum - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/americans-overwhelmingly-agree-big-tech-has-too-much-power-pew-poll


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Republicans are ready to return to normal but Democrats aren’t, new poll suggests

October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A recent Gallup poll analysis suggests a radical difference in the perspectives on the coronavirus between Republicans and Democrats .
The poll was conducted primarily to gauge the difference between men ’ s and women ’ s attitudes and behaviors towards coronavirus guidelines , but also shows a growing divide between Republicans and Democrats .
The divide between conservative and liberal voters ’ attitudes was noted in the early stages of the crisis , with The Atlantic journal publishing a March 20 article entitled ‘ Red and Blue America Aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pew Research study showed that Republicans and those who lean Republican reported being more comfortable doing everyday activities than their liberal counterparts .
North of the border , the Canadian Angus Reid Institute found a similar disparity between Canadian conservatives and liberals .
The greatest gaps between Republicans and Democrats in the most recent Gallup survey analysis are found in attitudes to indoor mask wearing and in readiness to return to normal .
Whereas 90 % or more of Democrat voters reported always wearing masks indoors when unable to social distance , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of women identifying as Republican reported doing so .
Very few liberals reported being ready to return to normal .
A mere 5 % of male and 3 % of female Democrats reported such readiness .
In contrast , over half of Republicans , both men and women , would be willing to resume normal activities .

PETITION UPDATE (8/27/2020)
Thank you for continuing to SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask orders within their borders.
Facebook has restored the share link for this petition, saying that the decision to block it was a 'mistake...'
Please share with your Facebook friends, but we should all take heed of this warning: when an organization or individuals have to beg, plead and cajole just to express objective truths, it may be time to start looking for other social networking platforms.
Facebook needs to treat its users with respect, no matter their political persuasion. Moreover, Facebook needs to treat objective reality and facts with more respect.
One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop!
Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable.
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PETITION UPDATE (8/25/2020)
Facebook is actively censoring this petition, saying that some people find it 'abusive.'
How anyone could find alternate facts about oppressive mask mandates 'abusive' is incredible...that is, impossible to believe.
This is exactly the kind of censorship which Big Tech is getting a bad reputation for.
The fact that Facebook calls differing opinion and objective reality "abusive" says a lot about Facebook and their agenda to silence reason and logic, not just conservatives and Christians.
But, people are more intelligent than Facebook give them credit for.
And, the more this continues, the more reasonable people will look alternate platforms to share their thoughts and connect with their friends and family. The more that happens, the less revenue Facebook will generate.
All of us have a decision to make, and the time is coming where we might have to tell our Facebook friends that we are moving to another platform.
We are encouraging people to continue SIGNING this petition and SHARING it via other platforms such as Parler and Gab, and to share the link below with your family and friends on Whatsapp, Telegram, Threema and Signal.
Thank you!
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One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop!
Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable.
Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask mandates within their borders.
Public health policies should be based on science and logic, not on the type of political posturing and virtue-signaling which led Joe Biden to recently call for a national mask mandate.
And, public health policies certainly shouldn't lead to a situation where more people could become sick.
But, that is exactly what these mandatory mask mandates are doing.
Here are four inconvenient facts about masks:
1) Masks** are largely ineffective at stopping the transmission of viruses.
The vast majority of masks worn by the public are made from material which cannot filter-out viruses because virus particles are too small to catch or obstruct. Wearing cloth masks to stop a virus is like putting a bee in a bird cage to keep it from flying away.
Wearing a mask for long periods of time ensures that the wearer has a warm and moist receptacle around his or her mouth, on which viruses and bacteria can land and accumulate.
Thus, masks are actually likely to have little effect in stopping the spread of COVID-19 acting as a barrier, but could actually make things worse acting as a receptacle.
2) Mandates which call for masks to be worn outdoors are both absurd and oppressive.
3) There are clearly documented hazards of wearing masks for long periods of time.
4) And, since school is on everyone's mind...
Notwithstanding the above information on the ineffectiveness of most masks against viruses, we don't know if asymptomatic children can even transmit the virus.
But, it was a reported in an article in the July 21, 2020 Uk Times that: "There has been no recorded case of a teacher catching the coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, according to one of the UK government's leading scientific advisers."
And, we also know that children are extremely unlikely to get seriously ill or die from COVID infections. In any case, children cannot possibly be expected to wear a mask properly in a way that would cut transmission.
There are still a lot of unknowns about COVID-19, but we have grown in our understanding of this disease since the beginning of the crisis.
The knowledge we have gained should allow government and health authorities to make more nuanced policies than the current one-size-fits-all mask mandates.
Where are the legislative hearings in county commissions, and state, provincial or federal legislatures before these drastic actions are mandated? Where are the open and transparent debates among experts that provide our representatives with the necessary information to make good policy decisions?
The real pandemic is the panic and the resulting tyranny that is being caused by dictatorial governors, corporate media and the monopolistic Big Tech.
The truth is that COVID-19 is like a bad cold for most people; this is not ebola or the plague.
Of course, the very elderly and those with serious health conditions should take precautions or be quarantined, but the rest of society should begin the long process of returning to normality.
The frenzy to force everyone to wear a mask, at all times, has gone beyond all comprehension, and goes against science and logic.
Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse any mandatory mask order within the borders of their county, state, province, or country.
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART I - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear
'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART II - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear-part-ii
OSHA Document on Surgical Masks and Respirators stating that surgical masks do NOT prevent airborne particles (e.g. viruses) from being inhaled - https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3219.pdf
'PETER HITCHENS: Face masks turn us into voiceless submissives - and it’s not science forcing us to wear them, it’s politics' - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8537489/PETER-HITCHENS-Face-masks-turn-voiceless-submissives.html
**Here, we are referring to the masks worn by the vast majority of the public, not to specialist masks or respirator-type masks.
***Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Closing schools hindered herd immunity, could lead to more COVID deaths overall: new study

October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A recent study published in the British Medical Journal ( BMJ ) found that the closing of schools in response to the novel coronavirus could actually increase overall deaths resulting from the disease .
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh reevaluated a model produced by the Imperial College London earlier this year that prompted the extensive government lockdown measures , including the closing of schools , implemented in the U.K. , as reported by The Sun .
Considering the question of how such school closings would impact the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures and isolation of younger people would increase the total number of deaths , albeit postponed to a second and subsequent waves.
” Though the lockdowns were “ highly effective at reducing peak demand for intensive care unit ( ICU ) beds , ” the researchers explain , these measures “ also prolong the epidemic ” by preventing the virus from naturally moving through low-risk populations and building herd immunity which then serves to protect the vulnerable , including the “ older age groups.
” To this end , the study also shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 would be more effective at reducing the number of deaths than the general social distancing of the entire population .
The researchers thus conclude that “ the somewhat counterintuitive results that school closures lead to more deaths are a consequence of the addition of some interventions that suppress the first wave and failure to prioritise protection of the most vulnerable people.
” This University of Edinburgh study is published on the heels of the Great Barrington Declaration ( GBD ) which was authored by three highly qualified epidemiologists from the universities of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time of this writing co-signed by over 9,600 medical and public health scientists , 25,500 medical practitioners and 455,000 concerned citizens .
The Declaration expresses “ grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies ” and recommends an approach they refer to as “ Focused Protection.
” As supported by the results of the Edinburgh study , the Declaration ’ s “ Focused Protection ” calls for allowing “ those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , while better protecting those who are at highest risk.
” While emphasizing vigilance in protecting the vulnerable , the GBD classifies school closings as “ a grave injustice ” and asserts that “ those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal , ” while incorporating “ simple hygiene measures , such as hand washing and staying home when sick.
” “ Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching .
Extracurricular activities , such as sports , should be resumed .
Young low-risk adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
Restaurants and other businesses should open .
Arts , music , sport and other cultural activities should resume .
People who are more at risk may participate if they wish , while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.
” Defending their position on a recent episode of the Ingraham Angle , Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford was asked how to respond to those who are “ scoffing at the idea of herd immunity ” and reaching a level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and return to normal .
Bhattacharya replied “ Denying herd immunity is like denying gravity .
Gravity exists and herd immunity exists … The question is n't about herd immunity really , the question is how do you safely get there .
The focused ( protection ) strategy that we are proposing where you protect the vulnerable and let people live their lives will get us there more quickly with less loss of life and less damage to other aspects of public health that get ignored .
”


lifesitenews--2020-10-15--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

October 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united daily in prayer , in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade .
Catholics from all over the world—from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , Pakistan , Singapore , the Philippines , India , Indonesia , Australia , New Zealand , Thailand , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Brazil , and other countries—are gathering daily to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Pillari , J.C.L.
, an American priest currently studying in Italy .
Our goal is , by means of this daily rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima , the triumph of Our Lady ’ s Immaculate Heart .
To help obtain that goal , Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide rosary crusade : O Immaculate Heart of Mary , you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother .
Look upon the distress in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church .
In Fatima you warned against these errors , as you spoke about the errors of Russia .
You are the Mediatrix of all graces .
Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope : that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart , so that Russia will be converted , a period of peace will be granted to the world , and your Immaculate Heart will triumph , through an authentic renewal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purity of the Catholic Faith , of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life .
O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother , turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer .
Amen .
+ Athanasius Schneider , Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady ’ s message at Fatima , and about what you can do , please read Cardinal Burke ’ s 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //voiceofthefamily.com/full-text-cardinal-burkes-historic-call-for-consecration-of-russia/ ) .
As St. Padre Pio once said , “ The rosary is the weapon for these times.
” Through prayer , God can shape history , change the world , and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world , through the triumph of Our Lady ’ s Immaculate Heart .
Join us today !
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this rosary , you can access them via this PDF .
This document also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily rosary on LifeSite led by Fr .
Pillari .

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-10-16--New York court backs Christian adoption org that refused to place kids with same-sex couples

SYRACUSE , New York , October 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A Christian adoption agency which only places children with married couples of one father and one mother , has received a court ruling allowing it continue operating , after the agency was ordered to change its policy or close .
In 2018 , New Hope Family Services was told by the New York Office of Children and Family Services ( OCFS ) to alter their position as it fell foul of the New York adoption policies .
The OCFS continued by claiming that New Hope ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against same-sex couples , and that the agency must reverse its policy or close .
It required the agency to state “ that placement with unmarried or same sex couples is in the best interests of the child.
” New Hope clearly identifies as a Christian agency , and states that its “ policy is an exercise of its religious faith.
” Consequently , New Hope filed a lawsuit seeking both preliminary and permanent injunctive relief , to halt OCFS from preventing them from finding homes for children through adoption .
They stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violate their religious convictions and say things that they believe to be false—or shut their doors.
” The appeal for preliminary injunction was turned down in 2019 , prompting New Hope to turn to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals , which reversed the original decision in July of this year .
There , the Court of Appeals ruled that there was “ a plausible suspicion that OCFS acted with hostility towards New Hope because of the latter ’ s religious beliefs.
” The case returned to the New York District court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings on October 5 .
They were granted a preliminary injunction and the court ordered that “ OCFS may not revoke New Hope ’ s perpetual authorization to place children for adoption during the pendency of this litigation.
” It declared that OCFS ’ s action “ demonstrates some animosity towards particular religious beliefs.
” Roger Brooks , the senior counsel from Alliance Defending Freedom , New Hope ’ s legal counsel , said in a statement issued in response to the victory that government officials have no business forcing faith-based providers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing their doors .
“ The need for adoption services in New York , whether public or private , is huge , and New Hope ’ s faith-guided services do not coerce anyone and do nothing to interfere with other adoption providers who have different beliefs about family and the best interests of children , ” Brooks said .
“ Today ’ s ruling signals that the state ’ s attempt to shutter New Hope violated core rights protected by the First Amendment…this ruling means that New Hope can continue offering the exceptional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its lawsuit challenging the state ’ s unconstitutional policy continues , ” he continued .
New Hope describes itself as “ Christ ’ s hands extended to offer help and hope to those with pregnancy , parenting and post-abortion needs in the Syracuse area ; and with adoption needs throughout New York State.
” The organisation receives no state funding and relies entirely on donations .
The organisation holds that there are two sexes , male and female , made by God , and it is the union of man and wife in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise children .
Since its founding in 1965 , it has “ placed over 1,000 children into loving adoptive homes throughout the State of New York ” and the organisation says that , through its adoption programme , it “ strives to save the lives of babies that God has created .
”

The New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) had told the adoption agency to change their policy or close.
SYRACUSE, New York, October 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A Christian adoption agency which only places children with married couples of one father and one mother, has received a court ruling allowing it continue operating, after the agency was ordered to change its policy or close.
In 2018, New Hope Family Services was told by the New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to alter their position as it fell foul of the New York adoption policies.
The OCFS continued by claiming that New Hope’s position was “discriminatory and impermissible” against same-sex couples, and that the agency must reverse its policy or close. It required the agency to state “that placement with unmarried or same sex couples is in the best interests of the child.”
New Hope clearly identifies as a Christian agency, and states that its “policy is an exercise of its religious faith.”
Consequently, New Hope filed a lawsuit seeking both preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, to halt OCFS from preventing them from finding homes for children through adoption. They stated that OCFS were forcing them to “violate their religious convictions and say things that they believe to be false—or shut their doors.”
The appeal for preliminary injunction was turned down in 2019, prompting New Hope to turn to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which reversed the original decision in July of this year.
There, the Court of Appeals ruled that there was “a plausible suspicion that OCFS acted with hostility towards New Hope because of the latter’s religious beliefs.”
The case returned to the New York District court, where New Hope emerged victorious in the proceedings on October 5. They were granted a preliminary injunction and the court ordered that “OCFS may not revoke New Hope’s perpetual authorization to place children for adoption during the pendency of this litigation.”
It declared that OCFS’s action “demonstrates some animosity towards particular religious beliefs.”
Roger Brooks, the senior counsel from Alliance Defending Freedom, New Hope’s legal counsel, said in a statement issued in response to the victory that government officials have no business forcing faith-based providers to choose between contradicting their religious convictions and closing their doors.
— Article continues below Petition — URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade Show Petition Text 61375 have signed the petition. Let's get to 70000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (9/26/2020): With President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we are closer than we have been in decades to seeing Roe vs. Wade overturned. We now encourage the Senate to confirm Barrett as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Barrett has a fantastic track recond on sanctity of life issues, has seven children, and is a devout believer. She is the perfect remedy for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's radical pro-abortionism. Please READ the full story here: 'BREAKING: Trump nominates Catholic mom of 7 Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court' And then, please SIGN this petition telling the High Court that it's now time to end the activist Roe vs. Wade judgment. Thank you! __________________________________________________________________ PETITION UPDATE (6/29/2020): In a decision which has imperiled more abortion-minded women, sentenced more preborn to death, and upset pro-lifers across the nation,the United States Supreme Court decided 5-4 to strike down a Louisiana law requiring basic medical precautions in the event of abortion complications, with Chief Justice John Roberts reversing his own past decision to uphold a similar Texas law. Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, which held that the Louisiana law was unconstitutional for the simple fact that it was “almost word-for-word identical” to the Texas one the court already struck down in 2016. In his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged that he had “joined the dissent in Whole Woman’s Health and continue to believe that the case was wrongly decided. The question today however is not whether Whole Woman’s Health was right or wrong, but whether to adhere to it in deciding the present case.” We call on the Supreme Court to stop supporting the culture of death and overturn Roe vs Wade, now. PETITION UPDATE (1/20/2020): Hundreds of thousands of people will gather in Washington, D.C., this coming Friday, January 24th, for the March for Life. They will be praying for an end to Roe vs Wade, as the Supreme Court will hear a crucial, abortion-related case later this year in March. United our voices can change the course of history. Sign this petition TODAY! (LEARN MORE BELOW) PETITION UPDATE (1/3/2020): In advance of the Supreme Court's hearing arguments in an important abortion case later this year in March, 207 U.S. Senators and Representatives have signed amicus briefs supporting a Louisiana law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a hospital nearby an abortion center. Some of these supporting briefs also suggest that now is the time to reconsider Roe vs Wade as sound law. Please SIGN this petition, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Roe vs Wade. _____________________________________________________________________________ More than 60 million Americans have been slaughtered in their mother's wombs as a result of Roe v. Wade. This activist, unconstitutional ruling in 1973 has left countless women emotionally and psychologically scarred. It was believed by many that Roe would be overturned in 1992 with Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Despite having eight Republican-appointed judges at the time, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold it. Since then, major gains have been made in the fight for life, and many lives have been saved. However, Roe v. Wade remains the law of the land, leaving millions of defenseless pre-born children vulnerable to murder. According to a 2016 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35% of aborted babies are African American, despite black women only making up six percent of the U.S. population. 19% of aborted babies are Hispanic. We thus again call on the court to do everything they can to end Roe vs Wade. Now is the time for pro-lifers to join together and ensure that all of God's children have a right to life. Roe v. Wade must come to an end! FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/supreme-court-strikes-down-louisiana-abortion-regulations https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/over-200-congressmen-as-us-supreme-court-to-reconsider-roe-v-wade https://www.foxnews.com/politics/congress-members-file-competing-legal-briefs-in-key-scotus-abortion-case Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
“The need for adoption services in New York, whether public or private, is huge, and New Hope’s faith-guided services do not coerce anyone and do nothing to interfere with other adoption providers who have different beliefs about family and the best interests of children,” Brooks said.
“Today’s ruling signals that the state’s attempt to shutter New Hope violated core rights protected by the First Amendment…this ruling means that New Hope can continue offering the exceptional support it has provided for decades while its lawsuit challenging the state’s unconstitutional policy continues,” he continued.
New Hope describes itself as “Christ’s hands extended to offer help and hope to those with pregnancy, parenting and post-abortion needs in the Syracuse area; and with adoption needs throughout New York State.” The organisation receives no state funding and relies entirely on donations.
The organisation holds that there are two sexes, male and female, made by God, and it is the union of man and wife in marriage which is the best place to raise children.
Since its founding in 1965, it has “placed over 1,000 children into loving adoptive homes throughout the State of New York” and the organisation says that, through its adoption programme, it “strives to save the lives of babies that God has created.”
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