Lady Liberty Enlightening the World

Broadcaster Glenn Beck really knocked it out of the park yesterday at CPAC. If you didn't see the speech, you really owe it to yourself to see the reruns on C-SPAN or to view the entire speech on YouTube.

Here's a snippet. In this clip below, Beck talks about the Statue of Liberty, now we ususally — and wrongly — think of it today, and how it was originally intended to be received when it was given to the U.S. in 1876 by France on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of our American Independence. It's a "barn-burner"!

Newt Gingrich and Glenn Beck to Speak at CPAC Today

Today, both former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and popular radio talk show host Glenn Beck are scheduled to speak in Washington, D.C., to attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference. For over a quarter of a century, CPAC has been the premier educational and training conference of the Conservative movement.

C-SPAN will carry their speeches live today, Feb. 20th, and we invite you to watch and listen if your Saturday schedule permits.

Gingrich will speak today at 1 p.m. CST. A former history professor, Gingrich is an excellent speaker and always full of ideas and strong opinions.

Beck is scheduled to take the podium at 5 p.m. CST. It is expected that Beck, also a Fox News Channel personality, will talk about the origins and impact of the Progressive political movement of the early 20th century.

He will also likely educate attendees about its continuing huge impact on our nation and its governance, including Progressive assaults on the U.S. Constitution.

If you miss Gingrich and Beck the first time, expect for C-SPAN to replay them later tonight and tomorrow.

Judge Says 2009 Abortion Law Violated One-Subject Rule

Oklahoma County District Judge Daniel L. Owens ruled Friday afternoon in Oklahoma City that a 2009 abortion law, HB 1595, is unconstitutional. The court, writing in Davis vs. W.A. Drew Edmondson, said the law violated the Oklahoma Constitution because it dealt with several different subjects, something the Oklahoma Constituion forbids. Laws must deal with only one subject, Owens said.

Oklahoma lawmakers had bundled several abortion-related pieces of legislation together and passed them as an omnibus measure in 2009, but the judge said that wasn't permitted.

Several of the measures Owens has now invalidated are working their way through the legislative process in 2010, this time as separate bills.

Attorney Teresa Collett, who argued in favor of HB 1595's legality, said she may appeal pending a review of Owen's opinion.

Please Vote for Marriage Network Oklahoma

Marriage Network Oklahoma has an opportunity to win a new Web-site design, courtesy of Element Fusion, and YOU can be a crucial link in helping us to meet this need. Please click on the link below and vote for Marriage Network Oklahoma by Feb. 27th.

http://www.elementfusion.com/2010-giveaway-one-finalists

Also, forward the above link with a short note to all your friends and colleagues, too. Many thanks for voting for Marriage Network Oklahoma! The voting ends Feb. 27th.

State Budget Agreement Reached

Late yesterday, it was announced that Gov. Brad Henry and Republican legislative leaders, Speaker of the House Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, had reached agreement on the state budget for FY 2010. According to their joint news release:

The agreement would spend three-eighths of the Rainy Day fund, or $223.5 million, for the budget shortfall in fiscal year 2010. The remainder of the FY10 shortfall will be filled with other state funds, federal stimulus dollars and revenue generated from previously announced targeted budget cuts to agencies.

The deal would also move a second three-eighths of the Rainy Day fund, or another $223.5 million, into the state’s Special Cash account.

If needed, the funds would be available for appropriation in the fiscal year 2011 to offset the shortfall certified by the Board of Equalization this week.

The agreement will leave one-fourth of the current Rainy Day Fund proceeds in the reserve account. A portion of those dollars could also be accessed if state leaders deemed it necessary later in session.

The agreement also directs additional state funds to education, health care and other areas and preserves a larger share of stimulus dollars for use later in the session.

Pastors, Lay-Leaders Invited to Learn Effective Premarital Preparation at March 4 Workshop

•  How confident do you feel when doing premarital counseling?
•  Do you have a tool to effectively assess a couple in their strengths and needs before marriage?
•  Do you have comprehensive materials to prepare a couple to marry?
•  Would you like to learn how lay leaders can prepare couples for marriage?

Marriage Network Oklahoma is again presenting a training workshop for church and marriage ministry leaders —Preparing Couples for Marriage - "The Foundation of Marriage Ministry"

Workshop will include training for premarital education classes, premarital counseling, resources, and effectiveness

Thursday, March 4, 2010, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Location: 301 NW 63rd St. (just W of Broadway Ext.), Suite 110, Oklahoma City

Cost: $50 person (spouse comes free), MNO partner churches: no charge (partner churches email to register), includes lunch

Deadline for registration: February 26

To register: go to the http://www.marriagenetworkok.net/ , or call Donna Edwards, 405.792.2586, or email donna@marriagenetworkok.net

How Did the Early Christians of Rome Defeat Pagan Sexuality?

That's the interesting topic to be addressed during a free Family Policy Lecture at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. next Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. CST. Thankfully, the lecture will be webcast worldwide by FRC, so you can listen in on the Web if you preregister here.

The speaker will be Dr. Peter Jones., the foremost evangelical scholar on neo-paganism. Dr. Jones, who has advanced degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, and Princeton Theological Seminary, wrote a fascinating book in 2006, The God of Sex: How Worldview Determines Sexuality. The book, which is available here (type Peter Jones in Amazon box), was an exploration of how God's view of sex (after all, He invented it) has been corrupted by today's cultural gatekeepers, who are influenced not by Christian truth, but by Playboy philosophy and neo-pagan spirituality.

Jones, in the book, made a fascinating assertion. He believes the primary goal, related to sexuality, of popular culture, Hollywood, music, new age spirituality, etc., is to convince young people to buy into the idea -- not that they are homosexual or heterosexual -- but that they are personally bisexual. That's why we are seeing things like the infamous on-stage kiss between Britney Spears and Madonna, the emergence of Lady Gaga, etc. Kids are being taught today by popular culture and peers that they can go back and forth like a revolving door between heterosexuality and homosexuality.

It light of this background, it will be wonderful to hear Dr. Jones discuss, How Did the Early Christians of Rome Defeat Pagan Sexuality? Preregister for the Webcast here.