Charlie Sheen's Life- How Addiction to Pornography Can Harm Marriages,Children & Careers
NEW YORK, /Christian Newswire/ -- According to press reports, on Monday the 45-year old actor Charlie Sheen filed for divorce from his third wife, just days after an alleged alcohol and drug-fueled rampage at New York City's Plaza Hotel. The rampage began after his 22-year-old "porn star date" for the evening allegedly refused to have sex with him until he paid her $12,000. Coincidentally, this year White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) Week runs Sunday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 7. The goal of the annual WRAP Week is to heighten public awareness of the harms associated with pornography and the need to enforce obscenity laws to curb the proliferation of hardcore adult pornography online and elsewhere.
Robert Peters, president of Morality in Media, had these comments: Following Mr. Sheen's alleged rampage at the Plaza Hotel, I did a "Google search" for information about his use of pornography. What I found at www.thesmokinggun.com was a "Declaration" (dated 4/19/06) that his second wife, Denise Richardson, filed in her divorce case. It stated in part:
"Although Respondent told me that he only used prostitutes during the time he and I were separated, I didn't believe him...Respondent promised that he would not be with prostitutes; however, he told me that he was not going to give up his...pornography habit and that I had to accept it[at p.10]...Respondent came into the house...I told him that I discovered some pornography websites that he belonged to which I found very disturbing (websites which promoted very young children, which looked underage to me with pigtails, braces and no pubic hair performing oral sex on each other). I also told him about other websites I discovered that he accessed involving gay pornography and also involving very young men who also did not look like adults. I also discovered that the Respondent belonged to several sex search type sites, which he looked for women to have sex with...When I confronted Respondent with this information, he did not deny it. I told him that as a mother, I found this information very disturbing because we had two young daughters and that I believed he had a serious problem...I later had an AIDS test which he was upset about[at pp.11-12]...Respondent and I spoke...on April 9, 2006...I told the Respondent that I was very concerned about the children spending the night at his house because of the activities he was involved in with prostitutes...and pornography...I confronted him with information...that he was still having prostitutes at his house. He did not deny this[at p.15]..."
If true, Ms. Richardson's account of her marriage to Charlie Sheen may illustrate several harms commonly associated with addiction to pornography, namely:
· Acting out pornography fueled sexual fantasies with prostitutes
· Progression from viewing hardcore adult pornography to viewing pornography that depicts actual children or performers who look like children
· Children being exposed to a parent's pornography
· A wrecked marriage
Under normal circumstances, such behavior could also result in loss of a job, but Mr. Sheen is a Hollywood celebrity; and these days outrageous behavior often serves to increase an actor's popularity and promote a career. According to a story in Sunday's NY Post, a CBS "network insider" told the Post that Sheen's bosses were "quietly thrilled," thinking that his behavior will boost ratings for "Two and a Half Men." And sure enough, according to a report in Tuesday's LA Times, ratings for Monday's program "soar[ed]."
In Hollywood's Golden Age, there were standards for entertainment content and for actors' off stage behavior. Today, content is often a moral stench and actors' off stage behavior often smells worse. Christian Newswire
Learn More Take Action Share
Abortion Survivor in 'Controversial' Pro-Life Victoria Video
SIOUX CITY, Iowa, /Christian Newswire/ -- Mainstream media coverage of pro-life activities is often hard to come by, and coverage not slanted in a negative light is even more difficult to come by, particularly in Australia. However, the Herald Sun has taken notice of the video that Pro-Life Victoria has produced in their hopes to raise awareness of the changes in law in Victoria in 2008.
With state elections approaching, the truth about the laws in Victoria and how they came about needs to be shared. These changes include no restrictions on the gestational age of a child being aborted, and there being no protection for children who are aborted but born alive. In one year alone, 54 children survived abortion attempts in the state of Victoria, but none are alive today to share their story. That's where Melissa Ohden comes in. As the survivor of a failed abortion attempt in the U.S. in 1977, Melissa now puts a face to abortion around the world, and gives a voice to the unborn children who lose their lives to abortion every day.
As the Herald Sun reports: "Melissa Ohden, from the US, says her mother tried to abort her but doctors and nurses saved her life when the procedure went wrong."'Sadly for me in visiting Australia, I've learned that children aren't afforded that same opportunity,' she says.
"The video also features state DLP MP Peter Kavanagh, who says he can't imagine a worse law than the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 passed in Victoria." To view the video, The Story of a Life, in its entirety, please visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3WHP7Q5dp8. Coming off of a tour of Australia and speaking at pro-life events across the U.S. during the past two months, an interview with Melissa will be airing on The 700 Club on Tuesday, November 9th.
To learn more about Melissa's story or to find out about upcoming events and interviews with her, please visit www.melissaohden.com. Christian Newswire
Learn More Take Action Share
Ex-Latin Kings Barred from Saving Those Still Trapped in Gang Life
Court Won't Let Reformed Members Show Former Peers Way Out of Gangbanging
ELGIN, Ill., /Christian Newswire/ -- All they want to do is give other gangbangers the chance they had. The City of Elgin and the State of Illinois want to stop them. Brothers Elias and Saul Juarez and brothers Ruben and Oscar Sanchez are former gang members, now rehabilitated, whose primary goal is to reach out and save those who are perishing in the downward spiral of street gang life.
A motion to dismiss was filed in Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court, Kane County, IL to allow these new Christians to talk with active members of the Latin Kings about the hope they have found in Jesus, and to stop Elgin's and Illinois State's violation of the free speech and religious rights of these brothers, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.The case that Illinois and Elgin are pressing in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court would not only prohibit the Juarez and Sanchez brothers from spreading their gospel of reformation, but also insists on continuing to label these messengers of changed lives as the gangbangers they no longer are.
The court is attempting to throw the Illinois Street Gang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act at these young men, declaring that they "are members of the Latin Kings."Chicago attorney John Mauck, of Mauck and Baker, is representing the Juarezes and Sanchezes in this matter. He is quick to point out that this is an assertion unsupported by facts. Mauck explained, "We gave Kane County State's attorney Barsanti plenty of evidence that these men had left the gang, but his office insists on continuing legal action against them without a shred of evidence they are still in the gang. The County could just as well assert that Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk are members of the Latin Kings."
Mauck and his clients agree that street gangs are bad. According to many, the Latin Kings are among the worst. Not many members of the Latin Kings are blessed to get out, but Elias and Saul Juarez and Ruben and Oscar Sanchez did, by the grace of God and with the help of the Christian church. Now, they want to help other gang members escape the typical gangbanger's life of crime and infamy.
Armed with piles of letters and depositions from the pastor and parishioners of Christ Redeemer Christian Church in Elgin, the two pairs of brothers are anxious to share these epistles written by those who have been witness to their transformation. These young men are fighting the charges that would ban them from being able to share the faith that transformed their lives with others trapped in a street gang lifestyle. Because of the serious implications the case holds for impeding religious liberty and freedom of speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment, the Alliance Defense Fund has gotten involved. The ADF is a national organization committed to protecting religious freedoms, and is working with Mauck's firm on behalf of the Juarez and Sanchez brothers.
Mauck emphasizes that is not the intent of his clients or their defense "to thwart the efforts of the City and State to stop the dangerous activities of the Latin Kings." He explained that the Juarez and Sanchez brothers "are actually putting their own lives at risk by sharing their stories and the redemptive power of Jesus" that brought them out of the gangbanger life.
To interview Attorney John Mauck, or for more information on this story, please contact Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations at 312-422-1333 or tc@tcpr.net
Family Encourages Others to Turn Their Passion to Action
For the Loeckens, a mission trip meant to change the lives of others ended up changing theirs.
DALLAS,/Christian Newswire/ -- Jay and Beth Loecken were an ordinary family searching for meaning in their lives while living the American Dream. They owned their dream house, drove nice cars, and from the outside seemed to have all they needed. Yet something kept pulling at them -- a stirring, a sense that they were being called to a greater purpose in life. They couldn't escape the feeling that there was more to life than the relentless pursuit of material possessions.
In Passion to Action: How God Uses Ordinary People in Extraordinary Ways (Guideposts Books), the Loeckens share the remarkable story of how they rediscovered another dream and how it turned their life upside down and fulfilled them more than they ever thought possible. It will inspire readers to discover their own passions and put them into action.
In the summer of 2007, the Loeckens headed to Africa on a mission trip with three of their four children. That trip changed their lives. When they returned home to their comfortable lifestyle, they all knew they wanted something more. In April of 2008, the family made the daring decision to sell their home, purchase an RV, and begin traveling the country serving communities in need: crushing cans for a senior center in McCall, Idaho, cleaning used books for a program in Portland, Oregon, and serving meals at the Rescue Mission in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"Being in Africa gave us a true and new understanding of what it means to have a sense of community. The people we met and mingled with for those two weeks really rely on one another. They work together and share everything and don't just think about themselves. They instinctively put others first," says Jay. Upon returning home, the family realized that they had abandoned their dreams, so they made a u-turn, deciding to recreate what they had found on the other side of the world: purpose, joy, simplicity, and service.
The Loeckens knew they were not just called to live their dream, but to encourage others to do the same through their Passion to Action ministry. Their mission is to inspire others, empower them with tools and resources, and mobilize them to put their faith into action.
www.passiontoactionbook.com
Learn More Take Action Share
A Presidents View On Elections
In a Radio Address, NOVEMBER 3, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge
stated: "I therefore urge upon all the voters of our country, without reference to party, that they assemble...at their respective voting places in the exercise of the high office of American citizenship, that they approach the ballot box in the spirit that they would approach a sacrament, and there, disregarding all appeals to passion and prejudice, dedicate themselves truly and wholly to the welfare of their country."
Calvin Coolidge continued: "When an election is so held, it...sustains the belief that the voice of the people is the voice of God." Commenting on political candidates, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in Democracy in America, 1835: "If a political character attacks a (religious) sect, this may not prevent even the partisans of that very sect from supporting him; but if he attacks all the sects together, every one abandons him and he remains alone...Moreover, all the sects of the United States are comprised within the great unity of Christianity."
On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush addressed Congress: "Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists...They hate our freedoms-our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote."
Faith in History program w/ Bill Federer at
http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?p=y2b99484
American Priorities radio w/ Bill Federer, M-F, 1-2pm ET, www.FreedomRadioFM.com
American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with acknowledgement to www.AmericanMinute.com, P.O. Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com
Learn More Take Action Share
A Christian Mandate Upon America
American Minute with Bill Federer
Upon signing the Declaration of Independence, Samuel Adams stated: "This day, I trust, the reign of political protestantism will commence."
The 56 signers were mostly Protestant, with a notable exception being Catholic Charles Carroll of Maryland. New York University Professor Emeritus Patricia Bonomi, in her article "The Middle Colonies as the Birthplace of American Religious Pluralism" wrote: "The colonists were about 98 percent Protestant."
British Statesman Edmund Burke addressed Parliament, 1775: "All Protestantism...is a sort of dissent. But the religion most prevalent in our Northern Colonies is a refinement on the principle of resistance; it is the dissidence of dissent, and the protestantism of the Protestant religion."
Protestantism traces its origins to OCTOBER 31, 1517, when Martin Luther posted 95 questions on the door of Wittenberg Church. Summoned to stand trial before 21-year-old Emperor Charles V, Luther was declared an outlaw. Frederick of Saxony hid him in Wartburg castle where he translated the New Testament into German. Luther later wrote: "I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth."
Faith in History TV program with Bill Federer at http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?p=y2b99484
American Priorities radio with Bill Federer, M-F, 1-2pm ET, www.FreedomRadioFM.com
American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce With acknowledgement to www.AmericanMinute.com, P.O. Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com
Learn More Take Action Share
United States Senator Charles Carroll - Unique
He was the only Roman Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence and he outlived all the other signers. At his death, Charles Carroll was considered the wealthiest citizen in America. His statue was chosen to represent the State of Maryland in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall.
Charles' cousin, John Carroll, founded Georgetown University and was the United States' first Catholic Bishop. Another cousin, U.S. Congressman Daniel Carroll, gave much of the land where the U.S. Capitol is located and was one of two Catholics to sign the U.S. Constitution. Charles Carroll's nephew, Robert Brent, was the first mayor of Washington, D.C., being reappointed by Jefferson and Madison.
In a letter to James McHenry, the signer of the Constitution for whom Fort McHenry was named, Charles Carroll wrote on NOVEMBER 4, 1800: "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time."
Carroll continued:"They therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure and which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments."
"Prayers & Presidents"
http://www.amerisearch.net/store/product_info.php?products_id=65
Prayer & Fast for elections www.PrayAndAct.com
"Agenda" -A documentary from Marx to Lenin to Fabian socialists to John Dewey to Students for a Democratic Society to Saul Alinsky to Bill Ayers to White House's 30 plus Marxist czars! Watch trailer www.agendadocumentary.com
What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur'an-A History of Islam & the United States
http://www.amerisearch.net/store/product_info.php?products_id=60&osCsid=s298ea2sooh8ea9i5udqda2m65
Faith in History program w/ Bill Federer at http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?p=y2b99484
American Priorities radio w/ Bill Federer, M-F, 1-2pm ET, www.FreedomRadioFM.com
Get free copies of the JESUS FILM in 16 Middle Eastern languages to distribute www.ChristForAllPeoples.org
American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with acknowledgement to www.AmericanMinute.com, P.O. Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com
Learn More Take Action Share
