Dream Marriage Conference is Tonight and Saturday

There is still time to sign up for the Dream Marriage Conference, with Jimmy and Karen Evans of MarriageToday, which will be simulcast live tonight, 7 to 9:30 p.m., and again tomorrow morning. The location is Putnam City Baptist Church on N. Rockwell in OKC.

To learn more, click on this link.

Rose Day Snowed Out

Rose Day, scheduled for tomorrow, Feb. 9, has been canceled due to the 6 to 10 inches of snowfall expected in Central Oklahoma overnight.

Today, for the same reason, the state House and Senate passed a resolution of agreement to adjourn until next Monday, Feb. 14.

Doing the Right Thing: Colson Center Producing a DVD Series on Ethics Reform in America

Here's a trailer for a very interesting 6-part DVD series on ethics that will soon be available for your Sunday School or small group.

In the wake of the national financial crisis of 2008, it's an important project that was launched in 2009 by BreakPoint's Chuck Colson, Brit Hume of Fox News, and Princeton Professor Robert George, in cooperation with the John Templeton Foundation.

To learn more, visit www.colsoncenter.org/ethics

See the trailer below:

See ‘The Cartel’ Documentary TONIGHT for Free

The Cartel is an award-winning documentary about the problems in America's educational system. It's received rave reviews nationwide from proponents of excellence in education. You're cordially invited to view a screening of this important documentary tonight, hosted by our good friends with Americans for Prosperity.

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 25
Time:  6 p.m.
Place: Oklahoma Christian University (Davisson American Heritage Building – Auditorium)
2501 E. Memorial Road
Edmond, OK 73013

Viewing the documentary is free, but you must pre-register. To pre-register, please click here.

House Passes Repeal of Abortion-Funding Obamacare

 

(from The Heritage Foundation)

The House of Representatives voted 245-189 Wednesday afternoon to repeal the abortion-funding Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Obamacare represents a historic departure from the federal government’s traditional stance on abortion funding and provides new avenues to promote elective abortion. Since 1976 the Hyde Amendment, which forbids taxpayer funding of abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the mother’s life. When negotiations to include the full Hyde Amendment language in the PPACA failed, President Obama signed an Executive Order prohibiting federal funding of abortion. Unless Congress acts to make the application permanent, however, this order is subject to reversal by either executive decision or judicial intervention.

 

PPACA includes at least three problematic provisions with respect to the federal role in subsidizing elective abortion. The law:

1. Facilitates massive federal subsidies for private health care plans that are offered through health insurance exchanges and will cover elective abortions.
2. Leaves the decision whether certain appropriated funds not covered by the Hyde Amendment will be used to subsidize elective abortions to the discretion of the Secretary of HHS.
3. Appropriates money not covered by the Hyde Amendment for community health centers, the grants from which could also be used to fund abortions.

As a result of the defects in PPACA, a federal tax credit will be made available to assist in the purchase of private health plans that cover abortion. Additionally, the limited and loose conscience protections outlined in the law, combined with inadequate guidance on conscience rights, may leave pro-life medical professionals with no protection to live by their personal beliefs.

The battle to ensure permanent restrictions on federal abortion funding witnessed a major step forward yesterday as House Speaker John Boehner and a bipartisan coalition of pro-life legislators introduced the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act." The act would streamline restrictions on abortion-funding by compiling the numerous annual pro-life riders into one permanent piece of legislation, eliminating the annual risk to these provisions on federal funding of abortion. The bill would also better define conscience protections for pro-life medical professionals. Rep. Joe Pitts, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, also introduced the "Protect Life Act," that would apply Hyde amendment language to the PPACA, prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions.  

Rep. Lankford Challenges Abortion, Defends Sanctity of Human Life on House Floor

As we approach the 38th anniversary this week of the infamous Roe. v. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Oklahoma's new Fifth District Congressman, Rep. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma City), took to the House floor last night to defend the sanctity of unborn human life and to explain how the right-to-abortion is at odds with our core beliefs as Americans.

Correct Link for Os Guinness Speech This Morning

FRC is having some technical difficulties. The link we gave you earlier this morning may not work.

Instead, go to frc.org. Click on the ad at right for Os Guinness and Can Freedom Last Forever?

That should work. After the event, you can also view Dr. Guinness' remarks by going to FRC's home page, click on events, and scroll to find the Guinness speech.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Watch Dr. Os Guinness Discuss ‘Can Freedom Last Forever?’ TODAY at 11 a.m.

You are truly blessed, dear blog reader.

Dr. Os Guinness , the well-known author, philosopher, and founder of The Trinity Forum, is speaking this morning at Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., and worldwide via simulcast, and you now know about it ahead of time!

His important topic: Can Freedom Last Forever? -- the Founders' Forgotten Question, and Where the U.S. is Today.

To view the FRC Web-cast LIVE, please click on this link at 11 a.m. CST today.

Outstanding Free Marriage Conference to be Offered in OKC on Jan. 21

A free marriage conference will be offered to couples on Friday, January 21, hosted by Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Dr. Rod Cooper, professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, was originally scheduled to be the speaker. However, according to the church, he is unable to attend and is being replaced by Dr. Tim Kimmel, left, executive director of Family Matters in Phoenix, Ariz.

This free marriage conference will be held at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 7201 W. Britton Road, Oklahoma City, on Friday, January 21, 2011, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and childcare is provided by reservation; however registration for attendance is not necessary. For more information, or to reserve childcare, please contact the church at 405-722-2550.

For more information about Dr. Kimmel, please click here

New Year Brings New Opportunities for Many!

Happy New Year! Change is in the air in both the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., and in Oklahoma City.

A new Congress takes over in Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma's new 5th District Congressman, Rep. James Lankford, will be sworn in as Republicans take hold of the reigns of power in the House. Will the mistakes of 1994's take-over be repeated, or will the GOP faithfully discharge their duties under the watchful eye of the American people?

In OKC, members of the House and Senate will meet briefly at noon -- following a voluntary joint prayer service -- to officially elect their leadership and rules for the upcoming Session, which begins on Feb. 7.

As Gov. Brad Henry prepares to leave office after eight years, a new bespeckled bust of the Governor will be unveiled at the state Capitol.

Then, next Monday, Gov.-Elect Mary Fallin will make history as she becomes the Sooner State's first woman governor, following a weekend of inaugural celebrations across Oklahoma.

While politicians discharge their duties, we citizens also have important roles to play in this Republic. We must oversee our legislators to ensure that spending is reduced, continued borrowing is stopped, incentives for economic growth are enacted, and important social issues are advanced to help create a moral and just society and to live up to our nation's founding ideals. While we know we can't ever create heaven on earth, we do believe we can do much good work while we're here to impact many lives positively and to leave this earth much better than we found it.

Oklahoma Family Policy Council invites you to join with us in 2011 as we make our voices and views known to our elected officials both in Washington, D.C., and in Oklahoma City.

Aside from the work of politics, there is important work to do in the culture, as well. Families and marriages need to be strengthened within churches, and young people in the public schools -- many from dysfunctional family backgrounds -- need to be loved and taught the life-saving message of sexual abstinence until marriage.

Won't we join with us? The family policy council is here for you. Thank you for your support and prayers as we move forward together in 2011 to meet the new challenges.