Family Action Council of Tennessee/Family Action of Tennessee Newsletter

March 23, 2012 | Volume 10

	This Week's Viewpoint
	Fatty Foods, Cigarettes and Abstinence
	This past week the House Education Subcommittee recommended for passage a bill dealing with sex education. The bill, which requires that any sex education courses promote abstinence, certainly is controversial to the liberals who promote sex with no boundaries and encourage promiscuity. But why is promoting abstinence such a controversial public health policy? That is what we’re talking about – a person’s health. I couldn’t frame the issue better than the author of Unprotected whose words everyone should read. "Look at how different health decisions are valued. When Stacey [a college student treated by the author] avoids fatty foods, she is being health-conscious. When she turns down a cigarette, she’s taking care of herself. When she stays away from alcohol, she is being responsible and resisting her impulses. For all these, she is endorsed.... But if she makes a conscious decision to delay sexual activity..." Read more.

	Latest News
	Bill allowing Tennessee's teachers to teach scientific theories in an objective manner passes state Senate
	By a vote of 25 to 8, the Tennessee Senate approved Senate Bill 893, the Teacher Protection Academic Freedom Act, a bill brought by our legislative arm, Family Action of Tennessee. This bill makes it clear that teachers can help students consider the strengths and weaknesses of various scientific theories, including evolution, thereby developing their critical thinking skills. Because the Senate version included an amendment clarifying the bill’s language, it will now go back to the House for its approval. The House had previously passed its version of the bill by a vote of 70 to 23.

	Sex education reform passes first hurdle in Tennessee's legislature
	In another positive development for Tennessee’s families, on Wednesday the state legislature’s House Education Subcommittee recommended passage of House Bill 3621 to the full House Education Committee. This bill provides that our schools are to teach abstinence in their sex education classes and not promote, encourage, or condone sexual activity among our young people. It is now scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee as well as the Senate Education Committee. Watch this short video explaining why the bill is so critically important.

	Tennessee's teachers being given right to join student-initiated prayer activities
	After threats and lawsuits by the ACLU against several Tennessee school systems over the last year or two, the Tennessee legislature is about to wrap up a bill that would make it clear that teachers have the right to join student-initiated prayer activities, such as See You at the Pole, before or after school.

	Obama administration: students should also be given free contraception, including abortion-inducing drugs
	The Obama administration has announced a plan to require universities, including religiously-based institutions, to provide free contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs to their students. This appears to significantly widen the original mandate that had only applied to employees. College students are calling for passage of federal law blocking this mandate, an encouraging reminder that there are a lot of young people who stand for life.

	Tennessee Senator signs letter to curb sex-trafficking in Tennessee
	Having had success in pressuring Craig's List to remove its "adult section" because of sex-trafficking issues, a bi-partisan group of U.S. Senators, including Senator Bob Corker, have now sent a letter to the CEO of Backpage.com asking that it, too, drop its "adult section" because of its use in facilitating child sex trafficking, including some incidents in our own state.

	Businessman files first-of-a-kind lawsuit against Obama's contraception mandate
	A St. Louis businessman has filed a lawsuit, based on his religious objections, against the Obama administration's requirement that he and other private business owners must provide their employees free coverage for contraceptives, sterilizations, and the "morning-after" pill.

	U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from campus Christian groups
	By refusing to hear the appeal, the Supreme Court let stand a Ninth Circuit Court ruling that has allowed religious student groups at colleges to be discriminated against if they don't condone homosexual behavior. Just another reason why Tennessee’s House Bill 3576 is so important. The House Education Subcommittee recommended passage of House Bill 3576 to the full House Education Committee this week.

	"A person's a person, no matter how small."
	Horton, the elephant in Dr. Seuss’ famous children’s story, Horton Hears a Who!, got it right. The same can’t be said of two professors who published an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics in which they claim that if reasons like cost, stress, and inconvenience are good enough to justify abortion, then they’re good enough to justify infanticide.

	Mark Your Calendar
	March 27 - Tennessee Judicial Reform Briefing with David Barton
	Join others this Tuesday evening, March 27, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Salt and Light Institute to hear David Barton. The event is sponsored by The Tennessee Judicial Reform Initiative along with the Faith & Freedom Coalition-Tennessee, the Black Robe Regiment, and 9-12 Project Tennessee. David will cover the topic of restraining judicial activism from his book by the same name. This enlightening book addresses the crisis of judicial activism in today's government, revealing an overlooked Constitutional provision: impeachment, the recourse prescribed by the Founders for an unaccountable judiciary. Register for the event.

	October Baby Opens Today!
	Opening weekend box office receipts are important to the success of any movie. Show your support for pro-family entertainment by seeing October Baby in a theater near you this weekend. Check local listings for October Baby in your area.


	Video of the Week What is Planned Parenthood Really All About? Lets just say, it's not providing mammograms. (Excerpt from American Life League's video Hooking Kids on Sex II) Watch excerpt


	FACT Report Teacher Protection Academic Freedom Bill Passes Senate We Need Godly State Legislature Candidates High-Dollar Social Issues: Connecting the Dots, Cont. FACT Report Archive Heard weekly on the Bott Radio Network: Memphis WCRV 640 AM Nashville WCRT 1160 AM (Full station list below) And on Appalachian Radio Group stations: Kingsport WPWT 870 AM / 100.7 FM & WHGG 1090 AM


	Current Legislation Track legislation FACT is watching in the TN General Assembly.


	Upcoming Events March 29 - Memphis FACT Forum with Bill Warner April 26 - Memphis FACT Forum with David Fowler May 3 - Athens National Day of Prayer Details to be Announced May 31 - Memphis FACT Forum with Nate Kellum June 28 - Memphis FACT Forum with TN Secretary of State Tre Hargett October 11 - Nashville Care Net 2012 Conference

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Our weekly one-minute radio commentary, The FACT Report, is heard on the Bott Radio Network:
Clarksville WNAZ 99.5 FM • Dickson WNRZ 91.5 FM
Gallatin WNAZ 93.9 FM • Lebanon WNAZ 101.9 FM
Memphis WCRV 640 AM • Nashville WNAZ 89.1 FM WCRT 1160 AM

And on Appalachian Radio Group stations:
Kingsport WPWT 870 AM / 100.7 FM and WHGG 1090 AM

Family Action Council of Tennessee, Inc.
2000 Mallory Lane, Ste. 130-167
Franklin, TN 37067-8231
(615) 591-2090

info@FACTn.org