2006: Informing Christians and confronting the culture

In 2006, FPN was able to seize many opportunities to inform Christians and confront the culture on the important moral issues of the day. Here is a list of non-profit actions FPN was able to accomplish over the course of the year:

REGARDING FAITH:

Informed citizens about a Texas county school system that implemented a curriculum to teach children about the Bible (website). Continued a multi-year campaign to educate people who engage in homosexuality that forgiveness and healing are available to those who will repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through the “hopeforhomosexuals.com” website (coalitions, media relations, website). Informed citizens of the ACLU’s attack on another Ten Commandments display in Texas (website). Informed citizens that a Fredericksburg, Virginia City Council member was fighting a court ordered ban on prayers in Jesus’ name at meetings (website). Informed Tennessee citizens of a courthouse in Murfreesboro, defying the ACLU by keeping the Ten Commandments on display (website). Educated Texans about a school district offering a controversial course on the Bible to high school juniors and seniors (website). Informed citizens in California about a county restricting a Christian minister’s free speech at a public event (website). Informed citizens about schoolteachers in California who refused to display pro-homosexual posters in their classrooms (website). Informed citizens in Ohio about a lawsuit filed by a state employee whose First Amendment rights were violated when he was not allowed to post a flyer exposing how donations to a federal program could be used to support anti-Christians causes (website). Informed citizens that a high school in Ohio stopped opening the day with prayer after a newspaper questioned its constitutionality (website). Informed Texas citizens of a court’s decision to allow public school children to hand out religious Valentine’s Day messages to classmates (website). Informed citizens about a rash of church fires in Alabama (website). Informed Alabama citizens about a state legislator who helped defeat a bill authorizing the use of a controversial textbook on the Bible (website). Informed Ohio citizens that public schools in that state would no longer teach there are controversies surrounding the theory of evolution (website). Alerted citizens that two openly homosexual priests were in the running to become the Episcopal Bishop of California (website). Alerted Pennsylvanians about two public universities there facing civil rights lawsuits because Christian students were denied their right to free speech (website). Alerted citizens that the city of San Antonio, Texas faced a lawsuit over praying before the starting of their government sessions (website). Informed citizens of a judge’s ruling affirming a fifth-grader’s right to read his Bible during recess in Knoxville, Tennessee (website). Informed citizens of two federal lawsuits against the Plano, Texas School District for restricting the religious freedoms of Christian students there (website). Alerted citizens to a case of religious discrimination at the hands of the Grapevine/Colleyville Independent School District in Texas, which denied equal access to school facilities for a meeting of a Christian Bible club there (website). Informed citizens that a California university threatened to pull funding from a Christian club because it required student members and leaders to sign a statement of faith (website). Informed citizens that churches in Charlotte, North Carolina were taking a Biblical stand against the sin of homosexuality (website). Informed citizens about Pennsylvania school district censoring the content of a student Bible club (website). Informed Texas citizens that the Plano School District had settled a case against them over their discrimination against Christian students (website). Initiated the successful defense of a Christian businessman near Washington, D.C. after county officials attempted to force him to duplicate a customer’s pro-homosexual materials (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Educated citizens on the first amendment rights protecting a man who was urging attendees at a pro-homosexual festival in Pennsylvania to repent and follow Christ (website). Alerted citizens to a court battle that occurred when Bedford County, Virginia officials tried to prevent a farmer from holding church services in his barn (website). Informed citizens in about a pastor in Virginia who was prevented from praying in Jesus’ name or mentioning Christ at local city council meetings (website). Informed citizens that a Maryland school district refused to allow a Bible club to send flyers home with students despite the fact that other student clubs could do so, and of a subsequent court ruling in the club’s favor forcing the school district to distribute the Bible club flyers (website). Searched for Christian business owners in Arlington County, Virginia to file a lawsuit against that county’s Human Rights Commission for posing a threat to their religious liberties by forcing them to hire and promote homosexual employees (website). Informed citizens that Alabama voters adopted a constitutional amendment defining marriage by a 4 to 1 margin (coalitions, media relations, website). Informed citizens of an ACLU lawsuit threat against a high school for displaying a portrait of Jesus Christ, and the subsequent agreement by school officials not to display “religious content” in the future (website). Informed citizens of Congressional legislation to stop the ACLU’s profiting from its anti-Christians lawsuits (website). Informed citizens that two California girls were being permitted to sue a Christian school for expelling them for homosexual conduct (website). Informed citizens of a new Ohio law requiring all public schools receiving donated copies of “In God We Trust” posters to display them (website). Informed citizens that a high school student in North Carolina who was suspended for distributing flyers sharing the Bible’s perspective on homosexuality won the right to do so in court (website). Informed citizens about a Christian in California who was suing employer Randall’s Food Markets because he was terminated for not working on Sundays (website). Informed citizens that a school district was being sued by the ACLU for allegedly promoting religious activities at an elementary school in Mount Juliet, Tennessee (website). Informed citizens that a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judge had ruled a Christian message on a high school student’s T-shirt was offensive to homosexuals and, in a subsequent case, that the shirt’s message could be censored. (website).

REGARDING THE FAMILY:

Informed citizens of the widespread support, across party lines, for the Texas marriage amendment (website). Encouraged Virginia citizens to contact state senators for the purpose of urging them to keep a version of the Virginia Marriage Amendment that excluded so-called “civil unions” and “domestic partnerships” (lobbying, email, website). Alerted citizens to denials by at least one Virginia senator who did not want people to believe they were reconsidering their support for the Virginia Marriage Amendment. (lobbying, email, website). Educated citizens in Maryland of a Baltimore City Circuit Judge’s decision to overturn a long-standing law defining marriage as between one man and one woman (email, media relations, website). Criticized the poor wording of the Tennessee Marriage Amendment approved by state lawmakers; and criticized efforts by other pro-family organizations to support granting marriage benefits to designated individuals in the form of so-called “reciprocal beneficiaries” legislation (Media relations). Informed citizens about an effort to amend the Pennsylvania state constitution to protect one-man, one-woman marriage (website). Educated Marylanders about a state delegate’s efforts to give voters a say in whether so-called “gay” marriage should be legalized (website). Expressed concerns over the willingness of some pro-family organizations to defend the word “marriage” while permitting so-called “gay marriages” by other names like civil unions (email). Alerted citizens to pro-family leader James Dobson’s endorsement of Colorado legislation that would passively give civil benefits of marriage to homosexual couples (website). Created and distributed an extensive policy paper detailing the critical differences between various state marriage amendment proposals (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Criticized the Speaker of Maryland’s House of Delegates for adjourning the legislative session rather than allowing a vote on an amendment to the state constitution to protect the definition of one-man, one-woman marriage (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Defended the need for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to protect one-man, one-woman marriage (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Informed citizens about a Virginian court’s rejection of a Vermont court decision to honor a “civil union” contract by giving joint custody of a Virginia woman’s child to her former “partner” (website). Alerted citizens that the marriage amendment language proposal passed by lawmakers in Tennessee would allow “˜civil unions’ and/or “˜domestic partnerships’ to be created (website). Informed citizens that Southern Baptist pastors were being urged to speak in favor of a Senate vote for the federal Marriage Protection Amendment (website). Criticized the tardiness of White House support for a Senate vote on a federal Marriage Protection Amendment, making news in the L.A. Times, The Washington Times, The New York Times and several other prominent newspapers throughout the nation (coalitions, media relations, website). Informed citizens of a speech FPN staff members attended by invitation at the White House with the President, who spoke on the importance of protecting marriage with a constitutional amendment (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Published a transcript of the President’s Marriage Protection Amendment speech (website). Defended the importance of protecting traditional marriage and criticized the President’s late, weak support for a Marriage Protection Amendment in a nationally televised debate in primetime on CNN with the leader of the so-called “Log Cabin (homosexual) Republican” club (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Informed citizens that the Marriage Protection Amendment had been defeated in the US Senate (website). Worked to dispel the notion that grassroots support for a federal marriage amendment was slipping (media relations, website). Alerted citizens that the Pennsylvania State House had approved a preliminary proposal to amend that state’s constitution to define and protect one-man, one-man marriage (coalitions, media relations, website). Alerted citizens that the Pennsylvania Senate removed a ban on civil unions from a proposed amendment to the state constitution, as approved previously in the State House (coalitions, website). Informed citizens of actions by courts in New York and Georgia rejecting efforts to redefine marriage to include same- sex “couples” (website). Informed citizens that a federal court reinstated Nebraska’s Marriage Amendment after an unsuccessful lawsuit by homosexual activists to negate it(website). Informed citizens that several pro-family groups in Maryland were working together to seek an amendment to the state constitution to define one-man, one-woman marriage (website). Alerted citizens that a North Carolina court had ruled against a Sheriff who demanded a dispatcher either marry her live in boyfriend, move out, or give up her job (website). Alerted citizens that a lesbian aunt may receive “˜preferential’ treatment in a Texas adoption case (website). Informed citizens that a Harrisonburg, Virginia man was fired for promoting the Virginia Marriage Amendment on his truck in the company website (website). Alerted citizens that voters in seven out of eight states voted to protect marriage on election day, bringing the total number of states with constitutional amendments to protect one-man, one-woman marriage to 27 (website). Urged citizens to contact the Governor of Massachusetts to ask that he reverse his actions that earlier established so-called “gay marriage” in the Bay State (email, lobbying). Informed citizens that the United States Secretary of State referred to the mother of a new Ambassador’s homosexual “partner” as his “mother-in-law” (website).

REGARDING HUMAN LIFE:

Alerted citizens to the truth about a South Korean scientist who manipulated his stem cell research claims (website). Encouraged Tennessee citizens to attend a pro-life rally in their state capitol (website). Informed citizens about a pro-life activist who was arrested for exercising his free speech rights near a state university in Pennsylvania (website). Criticized comments by a U.S. Senator regarding his opposition to a new South Dakota law protecting unborn children because it defended the lives of unborn children who had been conceived as the result of rape or incest (Coalitions). Informed citizens about a stunt by condom makers to pervert the week of Valentine’s Day dubbing it “National Condom Week” (website). Alerted citizens nationwide that Wal-Mart decided to carry the morning-after abortion pill in their stores (website). Informed citizens that the federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right for Tennessee to produce “Choose Life” license plates (website). Educated citizens about two more women who had died as a result of taking the abortion drug RU-486, and the subsequent demand for a recall of this drug by pro-life advocates (website). Informed citizens that a breast cancer research fundraising organization in Texas was contributing large amounts of money to abortion provider Planned Parenthood (website). Informed citizens of an order by officials in West Palm Beach, Florida to stop enforcing a buffer zone around abortion clinics, which had been designed to keep pro-lifers away from the clinic and its clients (website). Alerted parents to a U.N. fundraising scheme involving children who ask for donations to the pro-abortion U.N.I.C.E.F. program while trick-or-treating on Halloween (email, website). Educated citizens and policymakers about the abortifacient nature of the “Morning-After Pill” by producing a widely-distributed policy paper detailing reasons its approval should be opposed by the Food and Drug Administration (coalitions, email, website). Alerted Virginia citizens to a Richmond-based pro-life organization’s list of Virginia businesses that financially support abortion provider Planned Parenthood (coalitions, email). Criticized the President’s support for FDA approval of Over-The-Counter access to the abortifacient Morning-After Pill (coalitions, email, website). Alerted citizens that the Food and Drug Administration made the Morning-After Pill available over the counter (coalitions, email, website). Informed citizens that Waco, Texas leaders revised an overreaching local law to allow pro-life advocates to protest abortion clinics after a federal court of appeals required it to do so (website).

REGARDING HUMAN SEXUALITY:

Informed Maryland citizens about a local school board that appointed a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual activist to their Family Life committee (website). Alerted citizens to a U.S. Senator’s reversal from previous support for adding the term “sexual orientation” to the federal hate crimes act after FPN had lobbied him to do so the previous year (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Urged citizens to pray for the reversal of a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Court decision that upheld the right of public schools to question students about sexual thoughts and behaviors (email). Informed Texas citizens of a Waco priest’s blessing on a new Hooters restaurant (website). Informed citizens nationwide that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hosted, then removed an agency website containing pro-homosexual propaganda (website). Urged Virginia citizens to lobby members of a state senate committee to stop efforts to ban “discrimination” based on “sexual orientation” (email, lobbying). Informed Virginia citizens that a state senate committee had defeated efforts to ban “discrimination” based on “sexual orientation” (website). Alerted NC citizens that a lesbian teacher in that state, who was also a suspected sex offender, was using her post to indoctrinate students (website). Alerted NJ citizens that a school in that state was going to rehire a teacher after his sex change to become a woman (website). Educated citizens in NC that a homosexual advocacy seminar held at that state’s Governor’s school was offered in violation of state and federal law (website). Alerted citizens about Ohio parents who were demanding a school drop inappropriate sex ed booklets (website). Alerted Virginians that a local school board there refused to ban pro-homosexual student clubs (website). Alerted citizens of a California bill to allow promotion of trans-bi-homosexuality to schoolchildren (website). Alerted citizens that a homosexual “˜pride’ event was canceled in Charlotte, North Carolina (website). Alerted citizens a lawsuit brought by a Massachusetts lesbian against two pro-family groups that had exposed the sordid details from a pro-homosexual event held there in 2000 (website). Educated citizens about a California proposal that would trample on the Christian convictions of students with regard to the sin of homosexuality (website). Alerted citizens to the actions an official in the Pennsylvania State Commission who was using his position to promote homosexuality as a normal lifestyle (website). Educated citizens about a battle looming over a proposal to require public schools to teach homosexuality, bisexuality and transgender history in California (website). Alerted citizens to Ford Motor Company’s support for a homosexual rodeo and of a Ford stockholder’s actions to confront the company’s pro-homosexual activities (website). Educated citizens about Starbucks’ promotion of homosexuality (website). Informed citizens about a Sacramento, California rally against mandatory indoctrination of schoolchildren about deviant sexual behavior in public schools (website). Alerted Texans that HEB Supermarkets were promoting the homosexual agenda (coalitions, email, website). Launched a campaign to push for a state-based approach to protecting children from the influence of homosexual activists in the public schools of Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Educated citizens about a California lawmaker who blasted the state assembly for putting government business on hold to celebrate the homosexual lifestyle (website). Informed citizens about a California public school that showed an obscene, sexually explicit R-rated movie in a 9th grade English class (website). Alerted citizens about a California elementary school that permitted teachers to take students to a “gay pride” parade (email, website). Informed citizens that California lawmakers approved legislation to authorize the promotion of homosexuality to schoolchildren (website). Alerted citizens that the ACLU may sue a North Carolina school district for banning school-based “Gay-Straight Alliance” clubs (website). Informed citizens about a new California law there that forces acceptance of homosexuality on businesses, organizations and schools (website). Informed citizens about thwarted efforts of a pro-family activist to confront the San Diego City Council with pictures of the “gay pride” parade they endorsed (website). Alerted citizens that the University of Pennsylvania was hailed by a pro-homosexual magazine as being one of the top 20 most “gay friendly” schools in the Ivy League (website). Informed citizens that a Pennsylvania pro-family group was calling for a state college to acknowledge the link between homosexuality and pedophilia after two homosexual professors were arrested for sexually molesting young boys (website). Produced a policy paper explaining why a proposal to add the phrase “sexual orientation” to the list of “hate crimes” categories should be opposed (coalitions, website).

REGARDING OBSCENITY:

Informed people in Ohio of that state’s right to regulate sexually-oriented businesses there (website). Informed citizens of legislation in Oklahoma to restrict the availability of sexually-explicit materials to adults and help shield its view from young children (website). Filed an official complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against a Fox television network broadcaster, and publicly criticized FOX and NASCAR for permitting obscene language to be broadcast during daytime coverage of a NASCAR race from Bristol, Tennessee. (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Informed citizens that race car drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had expressed support for a five-second television delay during broadcasts of NASCAR races to prevent accidental airing of live profanity (website). Informed citizens about Congressional legislation that would allow cable television customers to pick the channels they want to subscribe to, rather than being forced to receive and pay for offensive channels they don’t want to fund (website). Informed citizens of a new federal law increasing fines for network television broadcasters for each occurrence of obscene words and/or images aired during daytime and/or primetime viewing hours (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Urged concerned citizens to file FCC complaints against NBC stations for broadcasting the “f-word” during their coverage of an NHL championship game (coalitions, email, media relations, website). Worked with local, state and federal law enforcement officials to press for investigation and prosecution of retail businesses who distribute illegal obscenity (coalitions, government relations). Informed citizens about two Texas men who were sentenced to federal prison on obscenity convictions (coalitions, website). Informed citizens of a Pennsylvania pro-family group’s efforts to reinstate a law regulating nude dancing, which a federal appeals court later struck down (website).

REGARDING POLITICS:

Informed citizens that Hillary Clinton’s run for President may be merely a way to position herself as a future Supreme Court nominee (website). Alerted citizens to a Pennsylvania group’s complaint that only one candidate for Governor was supportive of a marriage amendment there (website). Informed citizens about a state lawmaker working to impeach a Maryland judge who had struck down that state’s marriage statute because it didn’t allow for homosexual “marriages” (website). Questioned whether the national Republican Party had a conservative agenda that could be supported by Christian conservative organizations (email, media relations). Criticized attempts by religious liberals to “take back moral authority” from conservative Christians in national politics by proclaiming moral authority comes from honoring God’s Word rather than political posturing (media relations). Alerted citizens to eight U.S. Senators who betrayed their own constituents by opposing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as an exclusive union between one man and one woman after voters in their own states voted to support such proposals (coalitions, media relations, website). Informed citizens that the Governor of Maryland had fired a political appointee for referring to homosexuals as “deviants” (coalitions, website). Urged Virginia residents to ask a U.S. Senator to donate a campaign contribution he received from a pedophile ex-Congressman to a Virginia ex-gay group (email). Informed citizens that a Minnesota police department had suspended a psychologist for his ties to an Illinois pro-family group (website).

OTHER ISSUES:

Alerted citizens that a North Carolina judge had ruled in favor of creating a state lottery (website). Informed citizens that churches in North Carolina were being encouraged to warn congregations of the dangers of gambling (website). Informed citizens that the homeschool movement is gaining strength in California (website).

Examples of FPN media coverage in 2006:

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AgapePress: Profanity During Fox NASCAR Broadcast Outrages Pro-Family Viewers

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AFA Journal: Groups Find Ways to Combat Gay Agenda in Public Schools

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(Baltimore) NewsTalk Radio WCBM: AUDIO/ FPN Policy Analyst Addresses Baltimore Radio Audience

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Charlotte Observer: ‘Quiet Issue’ of Gay Unions Gets Noisier in S.C.

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CNN: VIDEO/ Bush Speech on Marriage Amendment “Fabulous,” But Too Late

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CNN: VIDEO/ FPN Leader puts Marriage Defeat in Perspective

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Family News in Focus: Gay Groups Use Book to Prove Their Lifestyle is Natural

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L.A. Times: A Restive Base Throws the GOP Off Balance

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NASCAR.com: FOX: Equipment Malfunction Caused Slip

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(Raleigh) News and Observer:Word Withers Activist’s EarÂ

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Miami Herald: Group Files Complaint with FCC About NASCAR, Fox and the ‘S-Word’Â