But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.   Matthew 7:26

Many people today talk about "evolving" on issues. Sounds progressive, tolerant and even intelligent right? The problem is that in order to make a decision on when or when not to evolve, it seems evident that you need a foundation upon which you can rest securely to justify moving in one direction or the other. Without stable ground (terra firma) you're building a sandcastle.

Recently, Senator Lisa Murkowski came out as one of only a handful of Republican U.S. Senators now on board with President Obama in his own evolution of supporting same-sex marriage.

Click HERE for an interview I did recently with KTUU Channel 2 News about this issue. 

Alaska Family Action stands strongly opposed to Murkowski's new and enlightened view on marriage.

As we witness the decline of America reason itself demands we ask, ‘How did our nation come to this?’

How did America, as a Christian nation, come to where it expels God and his commandments from the classroom, but then wonders why its children bring guns to those same classrooms?

How did America, as a Christian nation, allow itself to be redefined as openly hostile to Christianity by atheists, homosexual activists, Muslims and self-described intellectuals?

…where a young school boy who calls his teacher ‘cute’ can be expelled for sexual harassment, but in that same school that same boy can be taught that homosexuality is perfectly normal behavior?

…where an atheist presumes to tell the rest of us that which is either right or wrong, when he has nothing but his opinion to base that differentiation on?

…where a man would vigorously argue for a law which forces medical professionals to leave a child, born alive after a failed abortion, to die cold and alone in a dark corner of a clinic; and where that same man, obviously possessed of a profoundly seared conscience, would then be chosen by Americans to be their President?

… where the Supreme Court, while sitting under an engraving of the Ten Commandments, decides that lower courts cannot display those same commandments?

How did America, the economic engine of the world, allow its children to rank only 17^th in science and 24^th in math, even while drugs and teenage pregnancy ravage those same children?

How did America, the victor of two world wars and the undisputed military leader of the world allow itself to find any common cause with a worldview which relegates its women to the legal status of property and celebrates when its children die as suicide bombers ...just as it coerces a historical, cultural and religious ally to sacrifice its land for a peace that will never come?

These questions have come to describe a once great nation… our nation.  My purpose in asking these questions is to challenge those, who by their calling, are compelled to answer them and who, by that same calling, bear a great deal of the responsibility for that decline.

There was a time in America when those who were called to stand in the pulpit also stood in the public square, as they understood that God saw no difference between the two.  They understood that the Author of the Gospel made no distinction between the climate-controlled side of the church door and the community beyond it.  That same Author compelled them to understand the very clear relationship between the lack of virtue in the community and the problems facing the Church.  They courageously and commonly followed Jesus’ example in Matthew Chapter 23 when He publicly criticized the political and religious leaders of that day as hypocrites six times, blind guides twice, wicked, children of hell and a brood of vipers… and then condemned them to hell. Today, the silence from the pulpit is deafening when our president compels our military to accept homosexuality in the foxhole, even as he throws the bible out of it.

There was a time in America that when a politician of questionable morals ran for office Christian leaders not only sermonized against him from the pulpit, they would then publish that same sermon in the local newspaper, often causing that aspiring politician to crawl back into well deserved obscurity.  Today, the Church won't even consider excommunicating a politician who stridently advocates for the public funding of the butchery we know as partial birth abortion.

In just one generation, we’ve come to believe that we as Christians have no right even to define that which is moral, let alone find a pastor with the courage to criticize a reprobate politician or clergyman.

And in the pulpit itself, while we have no shortage of pastors who have the audacity to ‘marry’ two homosexuals, we have precious few others who will stand, either publicly or privately, to condemn them for doing so.  Likewise, when a pastor is caught abusing a child or a woman, his church leadership tends to shelter him before they protect his victims… all in the name of ‘saving the ministry.’

Nearly two centuries ago a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville traveled the length and breadth of America in an attempt to discover that which made it so great. He concluded simply that, “America is great because she is good.”  But now, it is clear that America is failing because she is simply no longer good.  And she is no longer good because those whose duty it is to teach her people to be good, have become more concerned with filling their pews with those who would fill their offering plates than they are with teaching what, and how, Jesus did.  So while they excel in the teaching that we are to love one another, they fail to even mention the biblical imperatives to fear God and avoid sin.

I’ve heard evangelical pastors comment that they won’t speak against abortion because they don’t want to offend someone who may have had one.  I’ve heard them say they won’t speak against homosexuality because they believe it more important to love the sinner than it is to speak the Truth, conveniently forgetting that Jesus was brutally killed for speaking that same Truth.  Indeed, some have fallen so far from truth and grace they reason that homosexuality between two loving and committed adults is not sin but in fact a good thing, and therefore elect to perform same-sex marriages, even while their church leadership looks on approvingly.

So when our children kill each other or have children themselves; when our young men and boys pride themselves in fathering children out of wedlock: when our society celebrates violence and perverse sexuality as entertainment; when our politicians believe more debt will reduce debt, leaving our once great nation servile to another nation which itself has butchered 350 million of its own children; when we see all this and then look for a place to lay blame… we need look no further than the pulpit.

You see, corrupt politicians and bureaucrats are not to blame for America’s moral, cultural and financial decline.  Neither are failed schools or a legal system which serves justice miserably.  America’s downfall was not heralded by court decisions such as Roe v. Wade, or Lawrence v. Texas, but by the simple failure to preach the whole Gospel from the pulpit and in the public square.

While failed schools, injustice, teen pregnancy and national indebtedness are very real problems, they are merely the natural outworking of a people who have rejected the very notion of their own Creator.  These are a people who have not been taught that it is sin which separates them from their Creator while binding them to their misery.  Indeed, some have even been taught there is no such thing as sin, compelling them to learn the hard way that the most perilous of Man’s endeavors is that of denying his Creator.

As I look to the future and see America’s downfall as a failure of the pulpit, so too do I see its redemption coming from that same pulpit.  When our Christian leaders come to the understanding that the whole Bible is the inerrant word of God and teach accordingly, and when they reassert themselves into the public dialog that is our political discourse these days our once great nation will find itself at the dawn of a new era of greatness, a greatness born of a goodness that can come only from the author of goodness Himself.

So if you are one of those rare pastors who has the conviction to stand for the whole Gospel, not only in your pulpit but in the public square as well, I commend you.  The future of your flock and your country rests squarely on your shoulders.  We all owe you a great deal of gratitude and respect.  The redemption that America sorely needs can come only from what you teach.

But if you are one who believes that politics is best left to politicians, that issues like gay marriage and abortion will somehow work themselves out without divine influence and pastoral leadership, if you are either unwilling or unable to recognize sin and then speak against it,  if you can somehow reason that a politician who argues for infanticide is not only a good man but a good President, I ask that you get down on your knees and pray for the forgiveness and  guidance that comes only from your Creator and his Scripture.

As I speak these words to you I am disheartened, because if I, as a layman, must convince you that you are compelled to speak both of the love of Christ and the fear of God, you have either not been taught well yourselves or you have allowed yourselves to blinded to the whole teaching of God’s Word, either of which disqualifies you from standing in the pulpit.

One day each of us will be held by our Creator to account for both what we did here on his Earth, and what we did not.  I believe that as pastors, as spiritual teachers, you will be held to the highest standard. 

God is going to ask you, “When men debated whether children, children I knew before I knit them together in the womb, should be cut to pieces before their first breath…where were you?”  “When men reasoned that that which I punished at Sodom and Gomorrah was somehow a good and normal thing, where were you?”  “When men claimed that the earth I made for you was in fact your goddess, where were you?”  “When men decided that I was a myth and you came from an ape, where were you?”

As I pose these questions it becomes self-evident that one can stand on but one side of these, and other issues and still be right with one’s Creator. 

I pity the pastor who is unable to answer Him by saying, “God, I stood, I spoke and I fought for your Truth.  I did so in the church you gave me, I did so in the community you allowed me to live in and I did so in the nation you created and blessed me and my family with.”  I pity that man and pray for God’s mercy on him.

In conclusion, if I have offended some by speaking as I have I challenge them to say where I have misspoken.  But keep in mind I am not the first to stand before the clergy to commend them to speak the whole truth of scripture. In his devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers addresses this very issue when he said;

"Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness.  There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, ..."

My purpose in speaking here is to merely communicate the truth, not to offend or appease.

If I have encouraged you in your endeavors to speak "the Word of God in its undiluted sternness" then I have accomplished that which I intended.  If I have failed, it is not because I have not spoken the truth, but that you have chosen to ignore it. 

May God bless you and your ministry with the courage to stand firm for His Word!

The story below is a definite cause of celebration for all of those who believe in natural marriage between one man and one woman. It also proves just how important it is for us to organize at the grassroots level and elect leaders who will vote on principal and not be swayed by the political elite. 

If you think this doesn't concern Alaska because of our State Constitutional amendment defining marriage, think again.  Ohio passed their own amendment in 2004 and it's currently under assault by gay-rights activists in the Buckeye State. This is an ongoing cultural clash that will continue to unfold. May each of us stand strong in a manner that lifts up Truth in a winsome and compelling manner.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE HITS RED LIGHT IN BLUE ILLINOIS - By Sandy Rios - Breitbart TV

What same-sex marriage advocates won in the Illinois Senate on Valentine's Day 2013 was just reversed.  After weeks and months of hard work to accomplish what should have been easy, gay Democrat sponsor Greg Harris could not muster the votes, while Democrat Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, did not even call for a vote to establish same-sex marriage in Illinois.

“Today a broad grassroots coalition of Illinois families of Faith of all creeds and colors took on all the Illinois political bosses from Washington to the Governor’s Mansion to Chicago’s City Hall who tried to pay back the homosexual community for their political support,” said Paul Caprio, Spokesman for the Coalition to Protect Children & Marriage.

Throughout the day, same-sex marriage proponents hammered the Speaker relentlessly, threatening to withhold support for his daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a gubernatorial hopeful.

Equality Illinois and other groups brought in celebrities and generated thousands of phone calls. Governor Pat Quinn pushed hard, purportedly offering back room deals to members of the Black Caucus. But under the leadership of former Democrat Senator the Reverend James Meeks and Bishop Lance Davis, black legislators pushed back. 

Representative Monique Davis, when asked by the Sun Times if same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue, said, “Have they ever hung from trees? Were they ever slaves for 500 years? Then I don’t think so." 

"I don’t think (the issues are) equal… simple as that," she explained. "African-American people have the same right to be conservative on issues that everybody else has.”

With Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, Obama advisor David Axelrod, Republican State Chairman Pat Brady, Republican Senator Mark Kirk, the Chicago media, and hometown favorite President Barack Obama lobbying hard for the measure, it was a stunning defeat. 

The battle in Illinois began just before Christmas 2012, when same-sex marriage activists moved to call a vote during the holidays. Twelve family groups quickly formed the “Coalition to Protect Children & Families.” In an unprecedented act of cooperation, the Illinois Family Institute rallied thousands to the capitol and Family PAC made over 600,000 calls into legislative districts. 

While pastors held breakfasts, the National Organization for Marriage gave financial support and provided expert testimony in Springfield with Dr. Jennifer Rohrbach Morse on the troubling side of same-sex marriage. Cardinal Francis George wrote and spoke with conviction against the proposal, as did Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield. Churches rallied and, in spite of the odds, to the surprise of Chicago media and the much better resourced gay gobby, pro-traditional family forces stopped the vote. 

In the end, it came down to enormous pressure on twenty black Democratic legislators “I think after President Obama came out as a supporter of equal marriage there was a belief that it would be a no-brainer,” Representative Christian Mitchell said. “But I don’t think folks properly understood the influence and role of the church as it relates to African-American politics.”

Illinois is the first state to stop the gay marriage momentum since North Carolina in 2012.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/01/SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE-HITS-RED-LIGHT-IN-BLUE-ILLINOIS

Greg Schmidt serves on the Board of Alaska Family Council, and is an Eagle Scout and Assistant Scoutmaster.  His opinions are his own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any organization with which he is affiliated.

We now know that Scouting is poised to allow youth of any sexual orientation to participate in its program.  Many are surprised that some of the most conservative denominations in the Nation, which charter a significant number of BSA Troops, did not oppose the proposed change.  How can this be?  For those who love Scouting and all that it has stood for in living memory, it is time to carefully read the entire resolution, consider how it is put into place, and ultimately determine whether they can or should remain in this iconic organization.  A great deal will depend on the implementation policy that will be issued from BSA in the coming months.

For some answers, we need to look hard at the proposal as it is written.  The “Whereas” portions of the resolution itself, available HERE , states that “Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting.”  It also identifies that “Youth are still developing … and understanding their duty to God to live a moral life.”   The resolution itself (the portion which is binding) requires youth members to “subscribe to and abide by the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle.” That means believe it and live it.  Scouts are called to demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest standard … consistent at all times (emphasis added) with the values expressed in the Scout Oath.  Since it says “at all times,” one could infer that this is a lifestyle of abstinence (not just while on Scout trips, but while at school and in other social situations.)  As youth standards go, that’s a strong statement (stronger than ever before) that stands against hyper-sexualization of youth in our culture.  Is that what is intended, and how will BSA implement this statement in practice?  The policy then goes on to state that “No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”

Very practical questions about including gay Scouts have been raised by Scouting volunteers.  How will Scoutmasters who voluntarily take on responsibility for youth safety carry out such a policy?  Who can safely tent overnight with whom?  If BSA’s own training identifies that the majority of sexual abuse takes place between youths, will the new standards increase risk to youth, and how will the risk be mitigated?  How will bullying, from any quarter, be prevented? What questions may a Scoutmaster ask of a self-identified gay applicant to his Troop, and will a Christian-Chartered Troop allow a self-identified gay Scout who pledges to “remain abstinent” membership?  What about if a Scout (heterosexual or homosexual) makes no such agreement, and demands affirmation of his sexually active lifestyle?  

But there are foundational questions that go
far beyond the implementation policy.

At a theological level, there seems to be a disconnect between a Scout pledging to “subscribe to and abide by” the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle; and then  declaring a sexual orientation that runs counter to that principle – and is perhaps an act of rebellion against those precepts.  How will BSA resolve this?  In practice, a prospective Scout may come forward and admit he is “struggling with same-sex attraction” and seek guidance, he may also be a well-coached, militant activist, with an LGBT agenda; or anywhere in between.   Will a Scout leader’s appropriate response be different?  To be effective, BSA’s policy and it’s delivery through the Councils must provide both clear and nuanced answers. 

On a cultural level, Scouting now stands astride a fault line between a culture of traditional religious values and secular humanism, at its most volatile flashpoint:  human sexuality among what is most precious to us, our children.   The biblical Judeo-Christian viewpoint has always viewed the expression of sexuality as something sacred, to be expressed within marriage, and a source of a new life (a child) --  while the secular “hook up” culture views sex as simply recreational:  “friends with benefits”, affirming  sex between anyone who consents, and ridding any “new life” consequences as “a burden” to be disposed of.   These two worldviews do not mix well, but both are clearly present in our current culture. BSA leaders at all levels will now need extraordinary wisdom and leadership to navigate this divide.

At a policy level, the BSA resolution correctly addresses this as “social and political” issue that is “not the role of the organization to resolve.”  The issue is indeed social and political, but objections to homosexual behavior are fundamentally on the moral issue, which has become a social and political issue.  The stated mission of the Boy Scouts of America is “to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law,” and moral standards – provided by the giver of all moral reference points -- are clear in the teachings of the religious organizations that Scouts are encouraged to participate in.  Reference to the BSA mission statement is puzzlingly absent in the resolution.  Can policy be developed that courageously addresses the moral issues, but leave the social and political issues alone?  If so, will it allow charter organizations to address the issue in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs?

What exactly is meant by “Sexual orientation and attraction?”  Some claim there are many more orientations than just homosexual.  What if a youth who is genetically a female, but believes herself a male, comes forward for membership and demands to be treated identically as any boy?

Finally, what will be communicated directly to the boys in terms of dealing with this change?  A change in what is messaged to the boys, including addressing this issue in the Scout handbook, or perhaps a new merit badge?  For starters, if BSA can create a patch that celebrates its anniversary or various outdoor skills, surely BSA can create a program and an earned patch that addresses faithfulness to the Scout Oath and fidelity to Religious Precepts – exactly as articulated in the resolution which passed.  

I will not attempt to answer these questions on behalf of BSA – only BSA can respond – but clear behavioral standards, defensible in court, as well as a statement of foundational values upon which these standards rely, will be essential.

Moving Forward

Scouting has been clear that “no member may use Scouting to promote or advance any social or political position or agenda.”  BSA Senior Board members such as AT&T’s Randall Stephenson and Earnst and Young’s Jim Turley, who have publically advocated for elimination of BSA’s former membership policy, would do well to read and reflect on that standard.  If these Board members cannot “subscribe to and abide by” their own BSA standard and continue to act as advocates, they should reconsider their involvement with the organization.    

Executive Scout leaders would strengthen their credibility by forthrightly addressing how their initial attempt to abruptly change BSA’s long-standing membership policy left the majority of Scout parents with reduced confidence in BSA’s Senior leadership.  The shift from a one-way conversation to a “listening exercise” occurred only after a national uproar in the Scouting community;  BSA’s subsequent corporate communication was both delayed and unclear.  With the passage of the resolution, Scouting is truly at a crossroads:  The organization could proactively and energetically engage Scouts and leaders to engage all youth who agree to the Scout Oath and Law, on BSA’s own terms of making ethical and moral choices, precisely as is described in the resolution.  The tools to implement this approach exist, and many extraordinary staff and volunteers remain in the organization to implement them.  If this approach occurs, many youth (including those that greatly need to be exposed to strong, moral role models who care about their development) will benefit.  Or, that prospect may prove to be a pollyanna hope, and BSA could hand over its profound legacy to activists who care far less for the organization and its principles than for their agenda.  If Scouting is to thrive, it will require extraordinary leadership and excellent communication; without both of these, it is at risk of becoming mired in scandal, and known for moral compromise.  

The bottom line:  The full resolution that BSA finally adopted gives reason for hope; the recent actions of BSA senior leadership give much reason for suspicion.  Parents and adult leaders have every reason to watch carefully, and be fully engaged in the coming months.  If appropriate, they should be ready to find and support another venue for the character development of their youth.  If Scouting is to thrive, principled senior leadership which does not just talk about character development but sets the example at all times, is an imperative.

Yesterday was a sad day for the Boy Scouts and especially for the boys that decide to stay within the Boy Scouts program. Below, our friend, Tony Perkins, says everything that can be said regarding the decision made yesterday allowing young boys who are openly homosexual to join the Boy Scouts. For those boys who will not depart from the principles of God, Flag, Country and Morality a new opportunity is now being developed. Click here and fill out the information under the "Contact" link if you are interested in leaving the Boy Scouts and gaining more information about this new organization that is forming.

FOR SCOUTS, A BADGE OF DISHONOR - By Tony Perkins

After two decades of bitter back and forth, one of the last strongholds for morality in America finally buckled. Late this afternoon, despite a relentless push by Scouts in every state, the National Council exchanged a century-old legacy for a false compromise that puts an American tradition on the pathway to extinction. After 103 years of principled leadership, the organization proved that it was incapable of the same kind of courage it's been instilling in American boys since the beginning of the 1900s. By a lopsided vote, delegates ushered into the Boy Scouts a new era of moral compromise, allowing homosexual boys and turning against a majority of members in the process.

It took strong-arm tactics, political sharks, and corporate harassment, but the national leadership of the BSA finally succeeded in forcing through a piece of policy that robs the Scouts of its innocence. And now, by opening the door to gay young people, legal experts say it's only a matter of time before the rule on homosexuality extends to everyone--including adults. Almost immediately, BSA councils, Scouting parents, and leaders of the faith-based organizations that charter more than two-thirds of the packs and troops will have to decide how to respond to this decision, which obligates every unit "regardless of their religious convictions" to comply. In the last 12 months, BSA's official estimates show as many as 400,000 boys will leave the BSA as a result, devastating the Scouts financially and leaving them very few options legally.

In the meantime, Councils that believed the lie that this was just about the youth are about to find out that the fight for the Scouts is just beginning. "The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement," a BSA statement read, "by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue." Unfortunately for them, that sacrifice was already made in today's tragic decision. Now we must stand with the troops across America who remain committed to the guiding principles of scouting that have helped millions of young boys successfully make the journey to manhood.

Please consider passing along the attached Alaska Family Council/Action Job Opening to those you know who might have an interest in joining our team.  Thanks for investing in our ministry and linking arms with us as we seek to be salt and light in the public square.

BOOKKEEPER/CONSTITUENT RELATIONS ASSISTANT  (PART-TIME)

POSITION SUMMARY:  Working under the supervision of the Administrative Director, the Bookkeeper/Constituent Relations Assistant is responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the financial records and donor data for the ministry. This position is part-time (20 hours per week), hours and days worked are flexible and the position is based in Anchorage.  Hourly wage is dependent upon experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Conducts all duties associated with bi-weekly accounts payable including: interacting with staff, vendors and donors as needed; processing invoices; expense coding; and data entry.
• Conducts all duties associated with accounts receivable including: preparing and submitting performing bank deposits; and tracking and following up on all accounts receivables.
• Performs monthly bank reconciliations for AFC/AFA bank accounts.
• Performs credit card reconciliations.
• Enters data into donor database including gifts, pledges, biographical information, event registrations and any other data required for financial development purposes.
• Produces and mails pledge reminders and acknowledgements.
• Generates accurate reports as needed.
• Creates queries, exports, and mailing lists as needed for financial development activities.
• Support other users with database troubleshooting and data extraction.
• Answer phones, direct callers, and take messages
• Performs special projects and duties as assigned.

 REPORTS TO: Administrative Director

 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum of 1 year accounting, financial development or donor database experience preferably with a nonprofit organization
• Good knowledge of standard accounting practices.
• Working knowledge of QuickBooks, Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Must possess a keen attention to detail and a commitment to high quality work.
• Excellent organizational/follow-through skills, ability to multi-task and prioritize responsibilities.
• Fast and accurate data entry skills
• Ability to work with minimal supervision using independent discretion and judgment
• Customer service orientation with the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with staff, donors, and volunteers
• Flexibility to support time-sensitive functions of development activities (such as special events)
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and communicate in a professional manner with AFC/AFA staff, donors and vendors.
• Belief in and support of ministry’s Statement of Faith and strategic objectives to change culture.

Interested applicants should e-mail a resume to [email protected] by May 23rd.

If you haven't heard of Kermit Gosnell - brace yourself.  If you have, please know that this man has served a purpose to educate hundreds of thousands about the horrors of "choice" and that you also can serve by passing this story along to everyone you know.

While the media plays catch up as they are only now beginning to cover the trial, we are focusing on it now because it is a picture of the brutal reality of what abortion does to innocent children. Some would have you believe that Kermit Gosnell’s actions are not indicative of the abortion industry. Planned Parenthood even (finally) condemned his actions in a Tweet after pressure from pro-life activists and others for their silence on the case.

The truth is that Planned Parenthood could care less about Kermit Gosnell and what he did. Their clinics in many states are under investigation for similar charges, and they have never opposed partial birth abortion. They have recently even confessed that post-birth abortion is an option. Planned Parenthood’s lip service is little more than public relations to return all the focus to Gosnell and off their criminal organization.

To get you up to speed on some of the most informative resources we've found on this tragedy, we are providing links to 3801 Lancaster, a riveting and disturbing 20 minute documentary and to this article in The Atlantic.

Both are difficult to process in terms of how we as a society have become so blind.  Both are necessary to help turn the tide in our time on the greatest moral failure of our nation.

Rep. Chris Smith, a lifelong pro-life advocate blasted President Obama and the media for covering up the brutal murder of these children while calling out their hypocrisy over the Sandy Hook shootings. He said:

“If Dr. Gosnell had walked into a nursery and shot seven infants with an AR-15, it would be national news and the subject of Presidential hand-wringing…Will the decades-long major national news media cover-up of the brutality—and violence—of abortion methods ever end?...Will Americans ever be told the horrifying details as to how — and how often — abortionists dismember, decapitate, and chemically poison innocent babies?”

We continue as a ministry to do our part to slow down the tragedy of abortion but we ask others to do their part by shedding light on this story.  The fact remains that people are changing their viewpoints daily. As this episode in Pennsylvania is exposed, it is hard to imagine people doing otherwise.

With the Legislative session now fully two days in the rear view mirror, it's time to provide some perspective on what many are probably thinking of, at least from a pro-family perspective, as a failure.

Although Alaska Family Action was working on several bills, our absolute priority was and is still the effort to put into statute a medically accurate and objective definition of what constitutes a "medically necessary" abortion when State funds are going to be used to pay for it.  According to hours of testimony from experts across the state and country, there is little doubt that we are currently paying for hundreds of elective abortions in our state annually.  This legislation, SB49 in the Senate and HB173 in the House, as much of a Medicaid fraud issue than anything else, would have put an end to the deception being undertaken by abortionists in Alaska who've been using any and all reasons to classify abortions as "medically necessary."

But it was not to be.

The excuses from our allies and foes alike were continuous -

" This is just too controversial."
" We don't have time."
" I don't have the votes to move this forward."
" There are more important matters to deal with."
" We need to have more testimony."
" Politicians don't belong between a woman and her doctor."

And on and on it went until it finally became evident in the final few hours that it was actually not going to happen.

My thoughts that had been building for some time started to become more pronounced -

• Our efforts to "Reclaim Juneau" with a pro-family majority were fruitless. It made no difference if we had a "conservative" legislature or if liberals ruled the roost.
• I was shocked at the inability and inattentiveness of others to focus on this one bill.
• I was sickened by the process and how our priorities were never really others actual priorities.
• I was saddened by the lost opportunity and disheartened as to how it would ever change.

And then God began to open my eyes.

What I so wanted was a victory. Yes it was something I wanted to save lives and right a wrong but the focus was still in the wrong place. It was on myself.

The author of the greatest victory in history was teaching me that He not only uses so called "failures" to achieve victory. He actually prefers to do it that way.

What many at the time thought of as a monumental defeat, the King crucified, was transformed into the greatest victory. Resurrection and hope and life for all who place their trust in Him.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, (literally meaning olive-press in Hebrew) he experienced the weight of what was to be all of the sin over all time - yours and mine and all others. As the olives are pressed down with extraordinary force to yield the oil, so was He pressed by what was to be the weight of the world's sin.

In Luke it says that "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Luke 22:44

We all reach a place where the weight of the world seems upon us. For me, at that place in time, I felt this weight. It was in no uncertain terms, the most disheartened I had been since the ministry had begun in 2005. So many Alaskans had worked so hard and contributed so much to bring our agenda back to the front burner with a new friendly Legislature. We were actually going to save lives.

But God is too great to be glorified only in what we perceive as victories.  We worship a Creator who uses pagan Kings and nations as His servants to exalt His name. He is above the fray. He is always on the throne and is always sovereign.

Temporally, we learned many valuable lessons as we move forward to advance a pro-family agenda in Alaska -

- We learned that we have many allies in place that we didn't know were there.
- We learned that waiting until the end of a legislative session to move creates more difficulties in maneuvering.
- We learned that our friends and the process in Juneau is not perfect but we learned that we aren't either.
- We learned that legislation is not the only/best way to advance pro-family public policy. More later on this.
- We learned that people will always be very slippery on our issues and that it takes time to get a firm grip on intentions, deceptions and manipulations. The sooner you can expose those strategies, the better you can counter them and determine who your die-hard allies really are.
- We learned that many people would prefer that there was not a full time, pro-family voice in the Capitol roaming the hallway as conspicuously as all the others and that, for that reason, we need to step up our efforts even more.

Ultimately, we cannot be flustered with the lower rungs of the ladder. They hold no less significance.

Everything comes from Him
Everything happens through Him
Everything ends up in Him
Always glory! Always praise! Rom 11:36

Thanks for standing with us as we seek to protect families, life, religious liberty and parental rights in Alaska.

Our journey continues.

Great Alaska Council delegates to vote:
Will active homosexuals be embraced
by Boy Scouts of America?

This Saturday, April 13th, from 2-5 pm, the Boy Scouts of America Great Alaska Council will hold a Town Hall meeting at Community Covenant Church in Eagle River, specifically for MEMBERS OF THE SCOUTING FAMILY here in Alaska.  While the gathering will cover several topics, this meeting is the principle format for Scouting families to convey their concerns in person to the three voting delegates to the BSA National Meeting, where this issue is scheduled to be decided next month.

Alaska Family Action is forwarding this information because many concerned families are not aware of this important meeting.  As the crowd is expected to be large, please click here to register if you are planning to attend to help them prepare.

For decades, this honorable group has kept the interest of the boys it serves as the focus of all its actions. No matter what, the Boy Scouts of America could be counted upon to do the right thing and not yield to any social pressure, and has thus far stood strong.

We firmly believe that the Boy Scouts should not jeopardize the safety and moral integrity of Scouting in the interest of social activism. The proposal to relegate the decision on homosexual leaders to local chartered organizations sends the wrong signal from the national body: that political correctness ultimately triumphs over character.

Click HERE to view an ad Alaska Family Action helped sponsor earlier this year in USA Today along with Family Research Council and other family policy councils. Click HERE for excellent resources on this issue provided by Family Research Council.

Present BSA policy, upheld by the US Supreme Court, excludes avowed homosexuals because this behavior is not consistent with a key part of the Scout Oath:  “Morally Straight.”  Nevertheless, Scouting is under tremendous pressure from the homosexual lobby, including corporations, to abandon their long-standing policy.  If BSA caves, many chartering organizations will drop the program, making this venerable part of our national heritage unavailable to millions of boys.

If you are a registered Scout leader, or the parents of a registered Scout, please take the time to attend this meeting and express your concern.  Again, the Council has asked that you pre-register by clicking on this link.

If you are not a part of Scouting, but wish to comment, rather than attend the meeting, please provide feedback to BSA using this link.

One of the most thoughtful statements I've read about this sad episode was the following comment regarding a First Things article recently that went as follows -

" Sexual tension and/or attraction had no place in the former culture of the Boy Scouts. But then children (as we then called them) were allowed a period of stasis which provided them with the time necessary to integrate their sexuality – time to achieve at least the beginnings of mature personhood before being labels as a “this” or a “that” rather than simply a growing boy.

I am certain that a certain number of Boy Scouts have in the past and at this time struggled with questions surrounding sexuality.

But, until now there was no need to announce a particular policy on this question of sexuality. No child who was struggling inwardly with sexual desires was excluded (surely the Boy Scouts were not capable of mind reading) unless he himself or certain interested parties chose to make the matter an issue – in other words, decided to force a confrontation.

Since the organization has nothing whatsoever to do with sexual activity and since all of the members are of the same sex, the reasons for this initiative seem politically motivated."

As this outstanding resource from FRC states," Affirming homosexuality in Scouting would be a violation of the Scouts' own moral code and would jeopardize the well-being of vulnerable young men.  It would introduce issues of explicit sexuality into the lives of boys who join Scouts to learn to camp, hike, and become responsible and respectable citizens. The homosexual lobby is free to start their own organization based upon their own values.  Is it fair for them to force scouts and parents to surrender their values?"

Show up Saturday and make sure your answer to that question is heard.

Would you take ten minutes to make a call or send an e-mail if you knew it might
save 206 children ?

Here's some simple math.

• According to research by abortion supporters, "more than one in three women (37%) who would have obtained an abortion if the state had paid for it instead carried the pregnancy to term."
• Last year in Alaska, 581 women (35%) had their abortions paid for through Medicaid.
• Nationally, studies (go to Table 3) again done by pro-abortion groups, show that only about 4% of abortions are done because of the physical health of the mother.

So, this means that 96% or 558 of the 581 abortions paid for by Medicaid with your money last year were elective.  If Medicaid funding for elective abortions is eliminated, 37% of the 558 women would choose to carry their babies to term.

That's 206 Alaskan pre-born children taking their first breath IF we pass SB49 and/or its companion bill in the House, HB173.

Here's what we know for certain.  One of these bills HAS to get through the House Finance Committee before the end of the session this Sunday, April 14th.

If that happens, I believe firmly that we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass one of these bills and get it to Governor Parnell's desk where he will sign it into law.

The BIG IF is whether or not the House Finance Committee will hear it.  They have their hands full right now but there is absolutely still time to get this important legislation passed. 

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
REQUESTS ALASKA FAMILY ACTION HAS MADE!

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO CONTACT ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS BELOW ON THE HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND URGE THEM TO PASS HB173 AND/OR SB49 OUT OF COMMITTEE. 

THIS BILL IS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS THE OIL AND GAS ISSUES BEING ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW AND NEEDS TO GET HEARD IN HOUSE FINANCE.

Rep Bill Stolze - Co Chair - Eagle River
Rep Alan Austerman - Co-Chair - Kodiak
Rep Mark Neuman - Vice Chair - Wasilla
Rep Mia Costello - Anchorage
Rep Lindsey Holmes - Anchorage
Rep Cathy Munoz - Juneau
Rep Steve Thompson - Fairbanks
Rep Tammie Wilson - North Pole
Rep Mike Hawker - Anchorage (alternate)

This is our chance to eliminate public funding for elective abortions in Alaska and save 206 children on average annually.  What a privilege to be a part of eliminating this stain on our great state. Please, do your part and make your voice heard.  It matters.