“Kids for Christ-mas at the Capitol” is Faith and Action’s effort to recruit Wyoming school-age children through Sunday schools, youth groups and other ministries to participate in this year’s state-wide “Wyoming: Forever West” U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

Each year a Christmas tree is displayed on the famous West Lawn of the US Capitol. A different state is chosen each year to contribute the tree from one of its national forests. This year’s honor was awarded to Wyoming and the tree will come from the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Jackson Hole, where Faith and Action has many supporters.

The Forest Service recommends six to eight trees for selection. However, the Architect of the Capitol makes the final selection and determines which tree will be the official U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. It is estimated the tree selected will be approximately 60 feet tall, about equal to a six-story building.

An additional 75 companion trees will be delivered to the Capitol and placed in federal offices, congressional and senate offices, as well as the United State Supreme Court.

A second part of the official U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree program is an invitation to school age children to contribute thousands of hand-made ornaments to adorn it and the companion trees. While all decorations must respect the particular state’s overall theme, until recently religious or biblical content was disallowed. After Faith and Action and other groups expressed concern over the policy, Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers lifted the restriction.

As a result of the new policy, Faith and Action is encouraging kids in Jackson Hole and surrounding areas to make ornaments reflecting the true meaning of the Christmas season. All the leaders and members of Congress, together with hundreds of thousands of tourists, will view the ornaments on the trees. Ornaments not selected for the main tree on the West Lawn will be placed on trees inside the congressional office buildings.

“Churches and civic leaders in Jackson Hole responded enthusiastically to this challenge,” said Rev. Schenck. “They really got the importance of this unique opportunity. It could be half a century before Wyoming is picked again. This is a rare window in time when children can help restore a Christian witness in the nation’s capital city.”

General information on the criteria for making and submitting ornaments can be found at www.CapitolChristmasTree2010.org.

On Saturday, August 28, 2010, a massive crowd of people gathered in
Washington, D.C. for a “Restoring Honor” Rally. The Rally was called
by Glenn Beck, who has captured the heart of many Americans and raised
the ire of some in the main stream media. The sheer numbers
demonstrated that the rally had support well beyond the persistent
efforts by some in the media to marginalize it. The crowd easily
exceeded 500,000 people.

…The address given by Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin
Luther King, secured this heroic and inspiring woman’s place in
American history. This is the 47th anniversary of her uncle, the late,
great Christian minister and human rights hero, Dr Martin Luther
Kings’ famous “I Have a Dream” Speech. He would have been proud of his
niece. She is an heir of his legacy and certainly has his
extraordinary gift for prophetic rhetoric which can rouse the heart of
a Nation. …The pundits who condescendingly sought to marginalize the
event for weeks before it happened – going so far as to attempt to
paint it with allegations of racism – should have been ashamed. The
stage was filled with men and women of color, who, with the raucous
support of the hundreds of thousands gathered, affirmed our solidarity
as Americans. Dr. Alveda King reminded the crowd that we are ” united
by blood as one race, the human race.”

The address given by Glenn Beck followed, calling the Nation to ‘Wake
Up’. He told the hundreds of thousands gathered in the Nation’s
Capitol that it was time to “Start the Heart of America again.”
Framing his address with copious references to the founders and
founding documents he used the backdrop of the Lincoln memorial and
the Washington Memorial. He honored the heroism of the founders and
the genius of the American experiment. However, he also acknowledged
the limitations and the scars of those who helped found the American
experiment. This was the most significant part of Beck’s address. He
repeatedly explained to the crowd that scars and mistakes are
invitations to learn, change, grow and improve – insisting that this
is true for people and for Nations.

He invited the crowd to continue the “unfinished work” which Abraham
Lincoln referred to in his Gettysburg Address, telling those gathered
to make a choice for the future… This was an historic gathering…

READ MORE!

Implicit in this research will be an account of all of the religious
developments that attended to the founding of the United States, and
the religious thought of the founding generation of Americans.
Particularly important to studying these developments will be an
exhaustive treatment of the three Great Awakenings spread across the
18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Rev. Schenck plans to give special
attention to Puritan theology, thought, and practice – as well as to
American revivalism.

Helping Rev. Schenck in his research has been his friendship with Dr.
James Hutson, chief of manuscripts at the Library of Congress and
America’s foremost scholar on religion in the founding of the United
States. Dr. Huston has authored two books on the subject, Religion and
the Founding of the American Republic and the Founders on Religion.
Dr. Hutson has also done original scholarship on Jefferson’s inked out
marginal notes he made to himself on the first draft of his infamous
1801 letter to the Danbury Association of Baptists, the origin of the
phrase, “separation of church and state.”

Rev. Schenck commented on his current studies saying, “This is not new
information for me because I’ve not only studied it for previous
degrees, but I’ve lived with it as a missionary to Capitol Hill.
Still, there is always a fresh way of looking at things and fresh ways
of getting more out of one’s studies. That’s what I’ve experienced
this week. You can never exhaust such rich subject material.”

Rev. Schenck’s continued pursuit of knowledge for the glory of God is
an exemplary reminder to heed the argument made by Mark Noll in his
The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind: that Christians are to love the
Lord their God with heart, soul, and mind.

Rev. Schenck will return to Washington next week after visiting
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to promote Faith and Action’s Kids for
CHRIST-mas at the Capitol program and Salt Lake City, Utah, to visit
the sites of memorial crosses for fallen state troopers recently
declared to be unconstitutional by a federal court.

…In the Courts own words “having concluded that the Dickey-Wicker
Amendment is unambiguous, the question before the Court is whether ESC
(Embryonic Stem Cell Research) is research in which a human embryo is
destroyed. The Court concludes that it is.”

…The efforts of this administration to use human embryonic life for
deadly experimentation, in spite of the medical science which has
proven that Adult Stem Cell Research, (which never injures or kills)
is far more promising, is not only bad science but it is also morally
reprehensible. On Monday, March 9, 2009, President Barrack Obama
turned a whole class of human persons into commodities to be used by
issuing an Executive Order. The NIH Guidelines which followed treat
human embryos as property, capable of being “manufactured” and used as
spare parts in experimentation which has produced no discernible
scientific results and always kills the human embryonic person.

…..Every “extraction” of embryonic stem cells kills a living human
embryonic person. This is not simply a “religious” position, it is
medical science and the Judge in this opinion acknowledged these
scientific facts. This opinion provides a resource for our work in the
great human rights struggle of our age, restoring the legal
recognition of the fundamental human right to life for all persons
from conception to natural death. READ MORE………..

On August 27th and 28th, Women of Faith will host an all-day
conference providing a unique opportunity for women to come together
in corporate worship. The theme of this year’s conference is “Over the
Top” and it concerns the overabundance of God’s mercy. The featured
speakers at the conference will be Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg,
Anita Renfoe, and Lisa Whelchel.

On the same day that the Women of Faith conference is ending, the
Glenn Beck event, “Restoring Honor,” will be in full swing on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The outspoken Fox News analyst’s rally
promises to be an interesting mix of social conservatives and
libertarians.

Lastly, starting on September 9th, the Unite Rally will commence. The
stated goal of the rally is four days of “spectacular freedom” –
promoting events that will educate, inform, and inspire all who
attend. Included in the rally of American conservatives is a “March
on DC.”

Faith and Action maintains a faithful presence at such events, praying
for an attitude among the people that is not fueled by fear, anger or
resentment, but by a humble, gracious, and nuanced approach to the
issues of the day.

Additionally, anticipation is rising for the October 18th benefit that is being put on by Good N’ Plenty – a family-style restaurant also located in Lancaster County, PA. The famed restaurant has quite a storied history. In 1969, Christ and Dolly Lapp purchased a small farm in pursuit of their dream to one day open a restaurant. Word of the restaurant’s delicious PA Dutch food spread quickly with customers sometimes willing to wait up to two hours for the opportunity to dine at the restaurant. Initially only seating up to 114 people, Good ‘N Plenty would soon add a “Dutch Room” to the restaurant to seat upwards of 600 people. Today, Christ and Dolly Lapp – along with their children and grandchildren – continue to serve guests with their unique home-style cooking.

Good N’ Plenty maintains a unique relationship to its surrounding Amish and Mennonite culture in Lancaster County. The Amish and Mennonite culture is well known for its reluctance to adopt modern conveniences, but what is less widely considered is its historical roots in reformation culture. Shaped by tremendous persecution, they are a people who understand what it is to live in a hostile environment as Christians. Rev. Schenck formed unforgettable memories and forged an unforgettable bond with the region when he was called upon to comfort grieving families in the aftermath of the Amish school shooting in 2006.

Also in Lancaster County is the prestigious Sight & Sound theatre which was founded by Glenn and Shirley Eschelman. They operate the largest, fully dressed live theater in Pennsylvania that includes 150 full time actors bringing the Bible stories to life. The Eschelmans maintain a unique bond with Faith and Action that began 30 years ago when they volunteered to help launch what was, for that time, a high-tech production video.

For more information regarding Lancaster culture, visit http://www.goodnplenty.com/ and http://www.sight-sound.com/.

On August 4, 2010, Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that California’s Proposition 8 which limited marriage to one man and one woman violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause. The case is
called Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Judge Walker may have struck a fatal blow against the American family. It is impossible to overstate how serious this ruling is. The vote of millions of Americans in at least 27 states which voted to protect the institution of the family may be undone by one homosexual judge.

This ruling opens the way for Gays and Lesbians in the State of California to marry unless a higher court intervenes to stop it. Judge Walker, who was appointed to the federal bench by President George H. W. Bush in 1989, has been publically identified in the media as a homosexual. Judge Walker is the first judge to rule that same-sex couples have a right to marry under the Fourteenth Amendment. Prior courts in other states that ruled in favor of same-sex marriage did so on the basis of state law, not the U.S. Constitution.

There were two homosexual couples who brought the lawsuit against Proposition 8. A Lesbian couple named Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier. They are residents of Berkeley, California and raise four children. The other couple are two Gay men, Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami who reside in Burbank, California.

Both couples applied for a marriage license from their respective counties but The Role of Judge Walker’s Homosexuality in the Case were denied the license because of Proposition 8. Proposition 8 was passed to amend the California State Constitution to read: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

On November 5, 2008, the voters of California approved Proposition 8 with 52.4% in favor and 47.6% against. Approximately 7 million voters supported Prop. 8 and 6.4 million voted against it. Prior to Proposition 8, the voters passed Proposition 22 in 2000 which had the same wording as Proposition 8. However, Proposition 22 was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court.

Thus, the need for Proposition 8. Proposition 22 was only a state statute while Proposition 8 was part of the California State Constitution.

By any known legal standard, Judge Walker should have excused himself from the case. The fact that he is a homosexual by definition means that he is personally involved in the case in a most intimate way, his sexuality. He personally benefits from the outcome of the case. It is not known who Judge Walker’s homosexual lover is or if he has one. But if Judge Walker wanted to marry his homosexual lover, Proposition 8 would have prevented him from doing that. Now that is no longer true. Thus, it was impossible for Judge Walker to offer either party in the case a fair trial.

It remains to be seen if Judge Walker will try to benefit from his own ruling by marrying his homosexual lover. Apparently, Judge Walker did not enter into a same-sex marriage during the brief period when it was legal in California.

Approximately, 18,000 same-sex marriages were performed between the timeThe Case Against Proposition 8

The Case for Proposition 8 Prop. 22 was out and Prop. 8 was in. Those marriages are allowed to stand. No doubt the homosexual community must be grateful that Judge Walker did not marry at that time so that he could be available in the present case. Interestingly, Judge Walker is the Chief Judge in the Northern District of California. It would be interesting to know how the case got assigned to him in the first place?

I am sad to say that the Plaintiffs’ lawyers opposing Proposition 8, that is the bad guys, put on an excellent case. They put forward nine expert witnesses. Their experts testified in the following professional fields: two historians, two economists, three psychologists, one social epidemiologist and one political scientist.

Reading from page 28 of the 136 page opinion, Judge Walker characterized their testimony this way: “Plaintiffs called nine expert witnesses. As the education and experience of each expert show, plaintiffs’ experts were amply qualified to
offer opinion testimony on the subjects identified. Moreover, the experts’ demeanor and responsiveness showed their comfort with the subjects of their expertise.”

The Proponents’ lawyers supporting Proposition 8, the good guys, failed to put on a case. Effectively, there is no case for our side in the legal record. None. If somehow we win on appeal in a higher court, it will occur in spite of the record.
Apparently, at one point Judge Walker wanted the case to be televised. When this happened most of our expert witnesses chickened out and refused to testify in court. The record indicates that four of our expert witnesses refused to come forward. They were afraid for their safety. Allegedly, by the time Judge Walker’s idea to televise the case was stopped, it was too late for our experts to show-up.

Choosing good expert witnesses is the lawyer’s job. In a case like this, choosing the best possible expert witnesses is the most important decision the lawyer makes. Cases like these are really a battle between the experts. It is extremely important that a lawyer thoroughly vent his experts, verify their academic credentials, and know what they will say and not say on the stand. In effect, you need to know everything your expert is going to say before he or she gets on the stand.

Our lawyers failed in every respect in this case. Our lawyers had the job to find out which experts are afraid and which are not. We needed experts who will testify in court and defend their testimony out of court if necessary in the mass media. We needed experts who have the guts to defend their professional findings concerning homosexuality before the public. If an expert might be afraid for his personal
safety, it is the lawyer’s job to find out ahead of time and find someone else.

However, this is not the worst of it. We ended up with only two witnesses to appear for our side- David Blankenhorn and Kenneth R. Miller. David Blankenhorn appears to be the primary witness for our side. David Blankenhorn
received a B.A. from Harvard University and a M.A. in comparative social history from the University of Warwick in England. The record indicates that he is the author of two books, Fatherless America and The Future of Marriage.

Blankenhorn was called as an expert witness on marriage, fatherhood and family structure. However, it is not clear why our lawyers called this man to be an expert witness for our side. To be sure, David Blankenhorn opposes same-sex marriage—sort of.

Judge Walker for obvious reasons quoted this statement by Blankenhorn in his decision. From page 48 of the decision:
“Blankenhorn also testified he wrote and agrees with the statement ‘I believe that today the principle of equal human dignity must apply to gay and lesbian persons. In that sense, insofar as we are a nation founded on this principle, we
would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were the day before.”

From this quote, I think you can get a sense of how bad a job our lawyers did in this case. By the way, two of our expert witnesses that chickened out– the lawyers for the bad guys entered their evidence into the record for their side! This was Katherine Young and Paul Nathanson. From page 36 of the record, Judge Walker said: “Plaintiffs entered into evidence the deposition testimony of two of proponents’ withdrawn witnesses, as their testimony supported plaintiffs’ claims.”

This is too much.

Judge Walker ultimately ruled that David Blankenhorn was not qualified to be an expert witness and that the testimony of Kenneth Miller was of little value. It would appear that Miller, a Professor of Government at the Claremont McKenna College testified about the political power of Gays and Lesbians in California.

Finally, Judge Walker pointed out that not one of the official proponents of Proposition 8 appeared in court to defend it One official proponent for Judge Walker Blames the Christians for Harm to Homosexuals Proposition 8 did appear as a witness but for the opposing side! Hak-Shing William Tam appeared as an adverse witness.] In contrast, all four of the
homosexuals appeared in court and testified that they wanted to get married.

In one of the most vicious attacks against the Christian religion by any federal judge in American history, Judge Walker believes he knows who is responsible for the present plight of Gays and Lesbians in America–you and me. Under the heading FINDINGS OF FACT, Judge Walker concluded that based on all the evidence presented at trial that the Christian religion is harmful to homosexuals. The Finding of Facts are the legal conclusions a judge makes in a case and forms the legal basis for any relief granted to one or both parties.

In Findings of Fact No. 77 on page 101 of his decision, Judge Walker states the following:
“Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians.” Judge Walker cited 18 pieces of evidence to support his legal conclusion that the Christian religion is harmful to Gays and Lesbians.

The first two on the list are our own two expert witnesses who chickened out– Paul Nathanson and Katherine Young. As you recall, these are the experts the bad guys flipped to support their side of the case. For example, Judge Walker cited from Paul Nathanson’s deposition the following: “Religions teach that homosexual relations are a sin and that contributes to gay bashing . . . ”

Judge Walker then proceeded to blame the following groups that cause harm to Gays and Lesbians: “the church,” “Many clergy in churches . . . led campaigns against gay rights,” “people who attended church weekly,” the Congregation for
the Doctrine of Faith, Catholics for the Common Good, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Free Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Orthodox Church of America.

Curiously, Judge Walker did not name the Orthodox Jewish Community, the Muslim Community or any other religious community. Just the Christian Community.

In my opinion, there can be no question that Judge Walker feels a deep sense of anger towards the Christian religion. This anger is rooted in his own homosexuality. It is possible that after many years of being denied marriage to his
own homosexual lover, Walker saw that he had a chance to do something about it and he did.

This case was a complete travesty of American justice. The case should be vacated and a new trial should be ordered. The voters in California are entitled to a judge who will not put his sexual orientation ahead of his oath to the Constitution of the United States.

My dear friends, let us pray to our Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that this decision will be over-turned. David W. New is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. area and the author of several books concerning the Constitution including The Constitution for Beginners offered on Amazon.com. His email address is: