Sending the 'Very Best'? - Hallmark Introduces New Line of Cards for Gay Marriage

Hot on the heels of the California Supreme Court decision to allow same- sex "marriage," Hallmark Cards is cravenly introducing a new line of greetings cards celebrating "gay marriage." Playing it safe with generalized images such as two tuxedos and taglines like "one promise, two hearts," there is no mention of the words wedding or marriage. Hallmark can easily market the cards for civil unions and domestic partnerships should the California decision go against them and be overturned in November.

Hallmark prides itself on "quality, innovation and caring." A family-owned business since 1910, Hallmark has grown into the most recognized greeting card chain in the nation. For over 50 years, families have gathered to watch the award winning Hallmark Channel for quality movies based on American values and pro-family principles.

Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), said, "Hallmark is jeopardizing its brand as a family-friendly company. Customers used to be able to trust Hallmark to produce quality products that were safe for all ages. Now parents will need to steer their kids from Hallmark's section of the greeting card aisle and away from its previously heartwarming movies for fear that they too will push homosexual messages."

Janice Crouse, Director and Senior Fellow of CWA's Beverly LaHaye Institute, said, "By latching onto the latest fad generated by the homosexual special interest groups, Hallmark is negating its image as a wholesome company that promotes American values and pro-family principles in its products. American businesses have a corporate responsibility to the public that buys their products. Instead of bolstering campaigns by special interest groups like the homosexual activists, corporations like Hallmark should be protecting American culture from those forces that would destroy the family and create a public environment that is detrimental to general well- being, especially children's well-being."

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

Gay Marriage - Why Is It A Bad Idea?

Anonymous wrote a comment regarding my post from yesterday. Here is his comment, along with my reply... and more on some of the reasons why allowing gay/lesbian couples to marry is a bad idea:

anonymous wrote:

"the sky is not falling. tax paying adults should be able to marry same sex partners. honestly, im not comfortable with it either, but its just, and fair.
'pain, promiscuity, and death', due to same sex marraige? do you really believe this? the status quo has already brought p, p & d to california, and to our American society in general.
im gay, but no immersed in the culture. i will agree most gays i know are promiscuous, and mentally ill, and live exclusively in gaydom. those arent the ones interested in marraige. there are many gays who DO want that, and are capable of being "normal", loving people, adjusted to mainstream society."

The sky is not falling, BUT there will be consequences that may make it seem as though the sky is falling in future generations.

Yes, I really believe that pain, promiscuity and death will continue to be a result of homosexual unions. You said it yourself, "most gays you know are promiscuous..." That kind of sexual immorality leads to pain for the perpetrator and their victims. As we all know, AIDS is primarily a gay disease. It causes THOUSANDS of deaths around the world each year. Not only do I believe it -- but the facts show those words to be 100% true.

If people who choose homosexuality want unions, let them have their own ceremonies and unions amongst their lifestyle partners. Giving a chosen (and destructive) behavior legal standing across the realm of society is just plain wrong. It's a bad idea from ALL angles.

Setting aside religious values for a moment... Think about the problems that can and will come from gay marriage. Divorce, which is rampant among married couples, will exponentially increase in the gay population. It's a proven fact that most "gay couples" don't last more than a few months to around two years. Then, there's the issue of divorce settlements, etc. that will inevitably tie up an already overburdened judicial system. Case precedence and legal wrangling will lengthen any meaningful decisions within the realm of these relationships.

Next, think about spousal benefits. What a can of worms to be opened there!?! Then, there's insurance. Allowing homosexual partners benefits on insurance policies will most certainly be the straw that breaks the healthcare system and insurance reimbursement cycle's back. It's a proven fact that those who choose homosexual lifestyles are more susceptible to disease. When both partners are highly likely to have or contract an STD, HIV or AIDS, healthcare costs will effectively skyrocket -- which will drive up premiums. And one result will be more people who are uninsured or under-insured -- include those who chose homosexual unions.

The worst problem, IMO, will be the toll on America's children. Gay couples will most certainly demand adoption rights. Since any thinking person will have to admit that even children know in their hearts that homosexuality is not normal or natural, there will be many confused, frustrated and mal-adjusted children in our culture. Then, when their two dads get divorced, the court enters the picture again. Custody, visitation rights, and on and on it goes. Society wasn't built the way it has been built in order to hold people down -- but to help everyone live together in some sort of harmony. Adding a promiscuous, predatory lifestyle choice to normal society (and call it acceptable) will surely harm everyone in the end -- but mostly the children who will be victims from several angles.

Lastly, children will most assuredly become victimized by the predatory nature of homosexuality. It's a proven fact that many men who now live the gay lifestyle were sexually abused by another man when they were a child. Placing children, especially young boys, into a home with two homosexual men is just plain dangerous. The result will be more sexual predators, more pedophiles -- and more pain, promiscuity and death.

Do the research for yourself. The extreme end of the homosexual agenda wants sex with children legalized. Keywords for your interest: NAMBLA, Human Rights Campaign, man boy love. The truth is out there.

Sincerely, I challenge you to think ALL of this through. I am not the most eloquent writer in the world. Yet, the points made here are compelling, you must admit. If you refuse to think this through, you are denying the very real possibility of America's future.

Homosexuality is a choice some people make. God gave us all free will to make choices. Although the Bible is clear that homosexuality is a sin, it is like all other sin -- a choice. If people choose it, they will live with the consequences. I respect their choice and love the people while abhorring their sin. BUT... BUT... American society should NOT have to endure the results of allowing such a choice to become a mainstream part of our culture. It's an extremely bad idea that will have a high cost -- not only in terms of money, but in terms of human losses.

TOPIC: Sin, As Defined by Americans
From Albert Mohler.com
As is so often the case, research comes with both good news and bad news. Ellison Research conducted a survey of representative Americans to find out what the public believes about sin. The good news is the simple part -- the vast majority of Americans believe in sin.

According to the Ellison Research study, 87% of Americans believe in the concept of sin, defined as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective." That is good news of a sort, since the absence of any notion of sin would spell social and theological disaster. It is somewhat reassuring to know that most of our neighbors believe that at least some acts are "almost always considered wrong." It is hard to imagine how we would sleep at night if a majority believed otherwise. But all that reassurance quickly dissipates when the rest of the data are considered. It turns out that Americans do not have a very clear idea of which acts are sin.

A significant majority of Americans were agreed that the following are sins:

• Adultery - 81%
• Racism - 74%
• Using "hard" drugs such as cocaine, heroine, meth, LSD, etc. - 65%
• Not saying anything if a cashier gives you too much change back - 63%
• Having an abortion - 56%
• Homosexual activity or sex - 52%
• Not reporting some income on your tax returns - 52%

A "significant percentage" of Americans agreed that these acts are also sinful:

• Reading or watching pornography - 50%
• Gossip - 47%
• Swearing - 46%
• Sex before marriage - 45%
• Homosexual thoughts - 44%
• Sexual thoughts about someone you are not married to - 43%
• Doing things as a consumer that harm the environment - 41%
• Smoking marijuana - 41%
• Getting drunk - 41%
• Not taking proper care of your body - 35%

A much smaller percentage believed that these acts are sins:

• Gambling - 30%
• Telling a "little white lie" to avoid hurting someone's feelings - 29%
• Using tobacco - 23%
• Not attending church or religious worship services on a regular basis - 18%
• Playing the lottery - 18%
• Watching an R-rated movie - 18%
• Being significantly overweight - 17%
• Not giving 10% of your income to a church or charity - 16%
• Drinking any alcohol - 14%
• Working on Sunday/the Sabbath - 14%
• Spanking your child when he/she misbehaves - 7%
• Making a lot of money - 4%
• Dancing - 4%

There are surprises here, at least as measured against similar surveys. The Ellison Research survey indicates that only 52% of Americans believe that homosexual acts are sin and only 45% defined sex before marriage as sin. These two data points may indicate the evaporation of biblical morality in the worldviews of many Americans -- at least when it comes to sex. The worldview of personal autonomy, wedded to the Sexual Revolution, may have produced a moral reversal on these matters of sex. Homosexual acts and extramarital heterosexual acts are clearly identified as sins in the Bible. This research indicates that only adultery is generally understood to be sin.

The spread of legalized gambling goes hand-in-hand with the fact that only 30% of Americans believe that gambling is a sin. America is becoming a continental Las Vegas. There is more to the data, of course, and the full report makes for interesting reading.

For Christians, a few observations are in order. First, we do not find out what acts are sinful by asking our neighbors. Christians believe that God alone has the right to determine sin, and that the ultimate authority for determining sin is the Bible -- not a poll. Second, these data seem to indicate that Americans think of sin only in terms of what we do, not in terms of who we are. The Bible reveals sin to be what we are as fallen humanity, not merely the acts we commit or fail to commit. Third, Christians understand that sin is, most importantly, an act of rebellion and disobedience against God himself. Surveys like this point to the fact that most Americans think of sin as acts against other humans or acts against the self (as in gluttony). When sin is seen only in this perspective, all that remains is a negotiable social etiquette. Fourth, this report reminds us of the evangelistic challenge we now face. The loss of a deeper sense of sin means that many (if not most) Americans see themselves in no need of salvation. As a previous generation of Christians knew so well, we have to communicate the "sin word" before we can explain the "grace word" in evangelism. Keep these points in mind as you take a look at this report -- and be reminded why we lock our doors at night.

TOPIC: Ken Blackwell Speaks Out About "the real Barack Obama"

An editorial by Ken Blackwell

It's an amazing time to be alive in America. We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.

We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender. Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics. The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts. Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton. Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record.

Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost. Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant. Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial "beauty." Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks.

Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk. Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on "the rich." How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.

Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, "All praise and glory to God!" but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have "hijacked" - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.

The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of "bringing America together" means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs. But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton. It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.

TOPIC: Syphilis Skyrockets in U.S. -- STDs Raging in Gay/Bisexual Men

Article by Daniel J. DeNoon

A raging epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases in gay/bisexual men drove U.S. syphilis rates up 12% in 2007 -- the seventh consecutive year of syphilis increases. Meanwhile, a CDC study found that tests for another common STD -- gonorrhea -- miss one in three infections among men who have sex with men. Those findings alone are troubling enough. But the picture becomes bleaker against the background of a surging HIV epidemic. "This increase in syphilis represents a major concern for the health of gay and bisexual men," Kevin Fenton, MD, director of the CDC's HIV/AIDS center, said at a news conference. "STDs increase HIV transmission. And if a person is already HIV infected, syphilis can increase viral load [a measure of HIV activity in the body]." Fenton announced the new STD data at this week's National STD Prevention Conference in Chicago.

Syphilis Surges Again
The syphilis numbers are shocking because just a decade ago, the U.S. was on the verge of eliminating the disease. Now 3.7 out of every 100,000 Americans -- and 6.4 out of every 100,000 American males -- carry the infection, which can cause blindness, brain damage, and death if untreated. Rates among men are six times higher than rates among women. This, Fenton said, is largely because of huge increases in syphilis infections among men who have sex with men. About 60% of all recent U.S. syphilis infections occurred in these men. African-Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by syphilis. Syphilis rates are six times higher for African-American men than among white men, and 13 times higher for African-American women than for white women.

Read the entire article here...

EDITORIAL: What keeps coming to mind as I read these articles is that proverb: "Whatever a man sows, that he will reap." Many Americans have sewn sexual immorality and cheered for homosexuality for the past 30 years. Now, our society is reaping what we have sewn. One in four teenage girls has an STD. Syphilis is running rampant among homosexual men. HIV/AIDS is an ever rising tide among those men (and women) who choose to engage in risky behaviors such as homosexual sex, IV drug use and multiple sex partners. Our former President taught kids that oral sex isn't really sex. Madison Avenue offers sex in almost every advertisement -- from shoes to automobiles to restaurants. In the mall, Abercrombie & Fitch coaches young teen boys on how to seduce young teen girls, while the Body Shop shows tweens how to dress like prosti-tots.
Yes, we are reaping what we have sewn. It's hard to feel sorry for those who are infected. The risks are widely documented. The church has been at the forefront (although always maligned) of promoting abstinence and fidelity. Our culture is in a sexual disease ridden state -- and we can ONLY look in the mirror to find who should be blamed.

TOPIC: Top 'Gay' Organization Comes Clean: 'HIV is a Gay Disease'

by ChristiansUnite.com Staff

In a public statement last Friday, Matt Foreman, outgoing Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, rattled the homosexual activist community by joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pro-family organizations and a growing number of homosexual activists willing to admit that homosexual behavior is both extremely high-risk and primarily responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

Addressing the topic of AIDS, Foreman drastically deviated from the "gay" lobby's party line by admitting, "Internally, when these numbers come out, the 'established' gay community seems to have a collective shrug as if this isn't our problem. Folks, with 70 percent of the people in this country living with HIV being gay or bi, we cannot deny that HIV is a gay disease. We have to own that and face up to that."

A little over a year ago, Lorri Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles-based Gay and Lesbian Center, similarly shocked the "gay" community by stating that, "HIV is a Gay Disease. Own it. End it." Foreman's admission comes on the heels of a letter from Matt Barber, Concerned Women for America's (CWA) Policy Director for Cultural Issues, inviting Foreman and other homosexual activists to work together in discouraging homosexuals from engaging in the high-risk behaviors researchers recently determined are responsible for the epidemic spread of a potentially deadly strain of staph infection among certain segments of the "gay" community. The CDC has acknowledged that many of those same high-risk behaviors, such as male-male anal sex, are chiefly responsible for spreading HIV/AIDS.
Matt Barber addressed Foreman's admission: "It's extremely encouraging to see Matt Foreman, a homosexual activist who has for so long been in denial about the dangers of the lifestyle he has promoted, publicly coming to terms with the undeniable perils of that lifestyle. I only hope he will now stop promoting homosexual conduct and push for other liberal elites, especially those running our public schools, to do the same. Educators must truthfully address the 'gay' lifestyle's potentially deadly consequences. It's criminally reckless for the National Education Association (NEA) and liberal educators to put political correctness and a deceptive political agenda above the lives, health and well-being of America's children. The evidence is there for all to see. 'Gayness' is not about 'who you are,' it's about 'what you do.' The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has now, in effect, acknowledged that reality. Their honesty is refreshing and unexpected," concluded Barber.

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

TOPIC: Dear Abby: You're Wrong on Homosexuality and 'Gay' Marriage

Article from christiansunite.com

Stephen Bennett, founder of www.TheParentsGroup.com, a worldwide support group for parents, family members and friends who have loved ones who are homosexual, responded swiftly to the flood of e-mails and calls from his group's members regarding "Dear Abby" and her controversial statements on "gay" marriage, and her support of the homosexual lifestyle."I got into the office an hour or so late today and my e- mail was flooded with people questioning 'Dear Abby's' comments. The phone has been ringing off the wall ever since," said Bennett.
Bennett, a former homosexual himself, now married almost 15 years to his wife and the father of his two children, said, "Sorry 'Dear Abby' - You are WRONG on this one!"

"Jeanne Phillips (aka Abby) is opining a lot about how very little she knows. Her using buzz words as 'homophobic' and 'inclusive' and 'judgmental' are to scare people into believing she is 'right.' Homosexual family members need to be loved and be treated with respect, yet going as far out on a limb as Phillips did, is showing FALSE love and is actually harmful. We encourage families to love their 'gay' identified loved ones unconditionally, yet without ever condoning or accepting the behavior. It's a fine line one learns to walk - and when you speak the TRUTH in love - it pays off. 'Dear Abby's' ignorant advice will only cause more harm and pain to a confused society, and not only to the homosexual individual, but to EVERY family member and friend involved," said Bennett.

Bennett ended, "'Dear Abby,' stick to what little you know -- and forget about that which you don't. Encouraging young 'gay' men to accept themselves as such can lead to an early death. I wonder how you would respond to several of our Parents Group members, whose sons have died excruciating and painful deaths due to HIV/AIDS. Try comforting these inconsolable parents. What, I wonder, would you say to these distraught parents, 'Dear Abby'? Maybe, 'That's just life! You can do it! Get up now and move on!' I suggest Jeanne Phillips talk to people like me and a 75-year-old mother in our group whose son walked away from homosexuality after many years. Phillips is brainwashed, ignorant and uniformed. You want the truth 'Dear Abby'? Give me a call."
Stephen Bennett is the founder of www.TheParentsGroup.com, a worldwide Christian organization, helping parents, family members and friends deal biblically with a loved one's homosexuality. Bennett has been on most every major network and cable news program and is available for interviews. Call (203) 926-6960. Stephen's office is located in Huntington, CT.

TOPIC: 'Gays' Mock Jesus with Last Supper Take-Off-Bread and Wine Replaced with 'Sex Toys'

Article from christiansunite.com

Organizers of San Francisco's hedonistic Folsom Street Fair - sponsored by Miller Brewing, Co. - have portrayed Christ and His disciples as half-naked homosexual sadomasochists in the event's promotional advertisement. The bread and wine representing Christ's broken body and lifegiving blood are replaced with sadomasochistic sex toys in this twisted version of Da Vinci's The Last Supper.
"A picture's worth a thousand words," said Matt Barber (quoted below), Policy Director for Cultural Issues with Concerned Women for America (CWA). "Scripture says that God is not mocked, yet it doesn't stop people from trying. As evidenced by this latest stunt, open ridicule of Christianity is unfortunately very common within much of the homosexual community."

'Gay' activists disingenuously call Christians 'haters' and 'homophobes' for honoring the Bible, but then lash out in this hateful manner toward the very people they accuse. In their version of The Last Supper, Christ, Who gave His life for our sins, is despicably replaced by sin itself as the object of worship.

We're calling on California's elected officials - Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Schwarzenegger and Senators Feinstein and Boxer - to publicly condemn this unprovoked attack against Christ and His followers. We further challenge the media to cover this affront to Christianity with the same vigor as recent stories about cartoon depictions of Mohammed and other items offensive to the Muslim community.
"What's equally shocking and offensive," continued Barber, "is the fact that California taxpayers are forced to help foot the bill for the Folsom Street Fair." The City of San Francisco sanctions the event, shuts down several city blocks and provides police for security. The most unimaginable and vile acts of debauchery are commonplace during the fair.

Senator Larry Craig was arrested and driven out of the Senate for allegedly soliciting public 'gay' sex, yet during this event the city of San Francisco suspends the law and allows 'gay' men and women to parade the streets fully nude, many having sex - even group orgies - in broad daylight, while taxpayer funded police officers look on and do absolutely nothing.

The mainstream media should cover this event with cameras in hand. There's an unbelievable news story here. The Folsom Street Fair is reminiscent of Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, and the media should document exactly what the city of San Francisco is allowing to occur - in public - in the name of 'tolerance.'

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

TOPIC: Enough of the ACLU, Says the American People

Article from ChristiansUnite.com

On June 15th, Californians have a golden opportunity by uniting in a show of strength outside the offices of the ACLU of Orange County. The picket and protest were originally organized by Lake Forest residents in response to litigation the ACLU filed against the city in February but has been expanded due to ACLU actions locally and across the state.

"Cities, counties, states and even private businesses and persons are relentlessly targeted by the ACLU in pursuit of deconstructing America's moral infrastructure and creating a godless society", states Nedd Kareiva, director of the Stop the ACLU Coalition. "When someone or a city dares to resist the ACLU, it is frequently bullied into submission to its will, often with threats of costly lawsuits".

California is a state hard hit by the ACLU, both policy- wise and in taxpayers' wallets. The ACLU successfully sought removals of crosses on the seals of L.A. County, the city of Redlands and a makeshift steel one at the Mojave Desert and nearly succeeded in removing the Mt. Soledad cross in San Diego. They sued the city of Escondido for seeking to curb illegal immigration while threatening other communities seeking to do similarly. And with its pursuit of assisted suicide and same sex marriage in California's legislature, the ACLU seeks to overturn previously enacted voter referenda.
ACLU policies and lawsuits have affected California children. Its faithful defense of Planned Parenthood has thwarted prosecutions of child molesters and prevented parents from knowing when their teen girls sought abortions. And its support of homosexual teaching and activities in public schools and unrestricted pornography has gravely hurt many families.
"The ACLU has met its match in the courts with legal groups like the Alliance Defense Fund & Liberty Counsel taking them on", says Kareiva. "However, outside these excellent firms, Americans have had little say-so against the ACLU until recently. The Coalition represents God-fearing Americans by raising massive public awareness of ACLU policies and positions and organizing more rallies like this one. Only when huge numbers of Americans mount sustained resistance of the ACLU's agenda will America truly be kept safe and free."

BTW, did you know that the founder of the ACLU was a Communist sympathizer?