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 Candidate is questioned on morality and decency issues. As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement’s biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution. The criticism, to be aired Tuesday on Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program, comes shortly after an Obama aide suggested a meeting at the organization’s headquarters here, said Tom Minnery, senior vice president for government and public policy at Focus on the Family. The conservative Christian group provided The Associated Press with an advance copy of the pre-taped radio segment, which runs 18 minutes and highlights excerpts of a speech Obama gave in June 2006 to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. Obama mentions Dobson in the speech. Click here to visit the Focus on the Family Web site.“ Read On |
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 A border fence advocate is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff's decision to ignore environmental laws and regulations to complete a two-mile stretch of border fence in Arizona. Earlier this year, Secretary Chertoff invoked a section of federal law that permits him to exempt border construction projects from being stopped due to environmental considerations. A federal judge had issued a temporary restraining order to halt construction of a nearly two-mile stretch of border fence at the foot of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation area, southeast of Tucson.
Two environmental groups -- the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife -- had hoped to permanently halt the project. Chertoff, however, made the judge's order and the lawsuit disappear simply by declaring the project is exempt from those restrictions -- and the Supreme Court has upheld his right to do so. Colin Hanna of WeNeedaFence.com thinks it was a good decision. "The point of the law is that if an environmental law stands in the way of achieving an important national security objective, then the Secretary of Homeland Security has the right to go through a waiver process -- and that's exactly what Secretary Chertoff did," Hanna points out."He issued the waiver, it was challenged, [and was] sent all the way up to the Supreme Court," the activist continues. "The Supreme Court ruled that he was properly exercising a power given him by the Congress." Hanna says it is imperative that the U.S. take steps like building a border fence as a way to strengthen border enforcement before dealing with other issues like a comprehensive border security plan.
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 Having lost her job and her three-bedroom house, Darlene Knoll has joined the legions of downwardly mobile who are four wheels away from homelessness. She is living out of her shabby 1978 RV, and every night she has to look for a place to park where she won't get hassled by the cops or insulted by residents. "I'm not a piece of trash," the former home health-care aide said as she stroked one of five dogs in her cramped quarters parked in the waterfront community of Marina del Rey. Amid the foreclosure crisis and the shaky economy, some California cities are seeing an increase in the number of people living out of their cars, vans or RVs. Acting on complaints from homeowners, the Los Angeles City Council got tough earlier this year by forbidding nearly all overnight parking in residential neighborhoods such as South Brentwood. But some people are just crowding into other parts of the city, including the seaside community of Venice, where dozens of rusty, dilapidated campers can be seen lined up outside neat single-family homes. The stench of urine emanates from a few of the vehicles, and some residents say they have seen human waste left behind. "They're nasty and gnarly," said Venice resident Jeff Scharlin. "We've heard about drug dealing and prostitution in them. I've never seen it, but visually they're a blight and they take up parking space." In Los Angeles, as in many other cities, it is illegal to live in vehicles on public streets. But the law is not easy to enforce. Police have to enter a vehicle to find signs that people are living there, such as cooking or sleeping, and occupants often refuse to answer when cops knock. An easier way is to restrict overnight parking. In L.A., a first offense carries a $50 fine, and subsequent violations can cost as much as $100.
Foreclosed: More People Living Out of Their Cars
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 America remains a deeply religious nation, but a new survey finds most Americans don't believe their tradition is the only way to eternal life -- even if the denomination's teachings say otherwise. The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths.Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching. In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion. |
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Opinions expressed in 'Perspectives' columns published by CentersForDecency.org are the sole responsibility of the article's author(s), or of the person(s) or organization(s) quoted therein, and do not necessarily represent those of the staff or management of, or advertisers who support the CfD. |
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