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Korean Council to meet in L.A.
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OPINION
Legislation 2008: The good, the bad, the ugly
by Karen Holgate
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Every year California’s state Legislature introduces thousands of bills. In any two-year session, more than 5,000 pieces of legislation make their way through the legislative process. Each year hundreds of good bills get introduced, yet each year people who follow legislation ask, “Why are we always fighting bad bills, and where are the good bills?” Unfortunately, with the political climate in California, very few of the “good” bills get passed; most of them “die” in committee. The flip side is that a disproportionate number of bills deal with “sexual orientation.” What follows is just a brief look at this year’s legislative offerings.
The good
Two examples of good legislation are AB 2085 and AB 2086, both by Assemblyman Bob Huff, R- Diamond Bar. The pair of bills would have modified some of the more controversial elements of SB 777, authored last year by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica. That bill passed both houses and was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. That bill amended two dozen sections of California’s Education Code, which now prohibits any instruction, school activities, or instructional materials that promote a discriminatory bias towards certain categories of people, including homosexuals, bisexuals, transgendered persons and cross-dressers.
AB 2085 simply deleted the reference to “sexual orientation” that was included in SB 777. AB 2086 took a different approach; it required the school to notify parents if discussions about gender identity or sexual orientation were planned and would have given parents the opportunity to notify the school if they wished to opt their child out of the specified instruction. As noted above, however, good bills often fail, and these two have already been consigned to the “graveyard.” They were defeated on a straight party-line vote in the Assembly Education Committee.
Another bill, AB 2888, authored by Doug La Malfa, R-Redding, required any person seeking a job working with children in an unaccompanied capacity to undergo a criminal background check. Opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, this bill also failed to pass its first committee hearing.
On the Senate side, SB 1274, a bill by Mark Wyland, R-San Juan Capistrano, would require that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited every day in public schools and that—by the end of third grade—both the Pledge and the national anthem be memorized by students. What many people don’t realize is that saying the pledge is not de rigueur in classrooms any longer. In some cases, children don’t even know what the pledge is. Efforts similar to SB 1274 have failed in the past.
The bad
From Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who continues to author legislation to make homosexual marriage legal, comes a bill (AB 2567) to memorialize homosexual icon Harvey Milk by designating May 22 as Harvey Milk Day. Harvey Milk, you may remember, was the first homosexual to openly declare his sexual preference and be elected to office in a major city—San Francisco. Although the reasons had nothing to do with his sexual orientation, Milk—along with then-Mayor George Moscone—was shot to death by a political rival in 1978. However, it isn’t enough that the day be declared as special for the general population; no, AB 2567 encourages schools to conduct “suitable commemorative exercises” to acknowledge the “special significance” of the day. This bill is another blatant attempt to indoctrinate children with the idea that homosexuality is commonly accepted, and that it should be celebrated. This is the agenda behind the creation of Harvey Milk Day, encouraging all public schools to give it attention.
Senate Bill 60 is the ongoing attempt by Senator Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, to legalize drivers’ licenses for illegal aliens. Cedillo has brought this bill forward every year since 1999.
SB 1729, by Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, requires nurses and doctors who work in nursing facilities to take mandatory “sensitivity training” that focuses on being “sensitive to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues.” Apparently Senator Carole Migden believes that it isn’t enough for health care providers to treat the health needs of each of their patients with compassion; she now wants to extend special status to homosexuals who are ill over and above the needs of other patients.
The ugly
California is one of the nation’s leaders in extending “domestic partnerships” to co-habitating same-sex couples and persons over age 62. SB 1066, another by Migden, will eliminate the age barrier and allow any two persons living together and not biologically related to file for domestic-partner status. This bill totally undermines the value and sanctity of marriage. Remember that domestic partners now reap all of the state tax benefits historically reserved for married couples. SB 1066, if passed—and there is no reason to believe that it wouldn’t—encourages unmarried persons to live together and to file as domestic partners if, for no other reason, than for the tax breaks. SB 1066 passed its first committee hearing.
As discouraging as it sometimes seems, the good news is that there is a growing movement by parents and churches to reclaim a position of power to change the culture of this state. Their numbers are growing as more and more Christians become aware of what is happening in our state.
Holgate is the legislative director for the California Family Council.
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News content on the Christian Examiner site is only a portion of what is published in our regional print editions.
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by Karen L. Willoughby — BP
LOS ANGELES — A record number of Korean representatives are anticipated June 16-19 at the 27th annual meeting of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America.
The gathering of Koreans from North, Central and South America is slated for the first time in several years on the West Coast, gateway to Pacific Rim nations from which come the nearly 11 million Asians now living in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.
California alone is home to about 260,000 Koreans, the largest concentration of the nearly 1.5 million Koreans and Korean-Americans in the country.
The host church for the Korean Council's annual meeting is Berendo Street Baptist Church, considered by many the "mother church" of most Korean Southern Baptist churches in the Americas because of the Los Angeles church's missionary efforts under the longtime leadership of pastor Don Kim and his wife Esther. Today, Sung Kun Park leads the congregation as its ministry expands to other ethnic groups who have moved into "Koreatown" in Los Angeles.
Berendo Street in 1957 was the second Korean Southern Baptist church — the first was in Washington D.C. Today, about 830 Korean churches affiliated with the SBC are scattered across the nation, with more in Canada and in Central and South America. More than 100 Koreans have trained as pastors and been sent out from Berendo Street to start churches across the world.
"It will be great joy for many to be at Berendo Street," said David Ro, president of what is known informally as the Korean Council. "We will fellowship together and worship together and encourage each other."
While several Korean churches have more than 1,500 people in Sunday morning worship — Berendo Street has about 2,000 — most are small churches of fewer than 50 in worship, Ro explained. Oftentimes the pastor is a first-generation immigrant with significant financial hurdles he needs to overcome to be able to attend the Korean Council.
"It is worth the effort, however," said Ro, pastor of River Dell Korean Baptist Church in River Edge, N.J., and a translator of Explorers' Sunday School curriculum from English to Korean for LifeWay Christian Resources for more than 20 years. "For many of us, this is the only time each year to talk with others who also face the hardships and joys of pastoring people with their feet in two cultures.
FULL STORY
Southern California HIV/AIDS ministry seeks local chapter leaders
Christian Examiner staff report
IRVINE, Calif. — He Intends Victory, an international ministry to those affected by HIV and AIDS, is launching a new branch-based project in an effort to expand assistance nationwide.
Dan Davis, director of the ministry, said the project will expand a network consisting of chapters and ministry associates. The idea is to provide resources closer to a patient’s hometown. The ministry also provides support to families.
Ministry officials will review applications to select committed Christians who, as chapter leaders, can facilitate local support groups and provide community resources on HIV/AIDS services in their geographical territory. Clients will be referred to the chapter leaders from the ministry’s headquarters in Irvine. Each of the chapter leaders will report to the ministry’s board and to Davis.
In addition to the chapter leaders, He Intends Victory also uses ministry associates to assist with phone consultations for people facing the struggles of living with HIV/AIDS.
The ministry has 28 chapters and ministry associates in its national network.
The Orange County chapter of He Intends Victory has been continuously running an open support group for people infected/affected by HIV/AIDS since 1989.
FULL ARTICLE
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