Freedom of Conscience and Religious Liberty

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(Photo: Reuters/Larry Downing)

Protester Julia Mitchell holds a sign at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as arguments began to challenge the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers pay for contraception and abortion-inducing drugs as part of an employee's healthcare, in Washington, March 25, 2014.

March 26, 2014|10:45 am

What if the federal government ordered you to act against your conscience - to take part in something you believed to be objectively wrong - or else be punished with huge fines?

This is no idle question. It describes exactly what is happening in America today: The Obama administration is ordering businesses and other organizations with 50 or more employees to have their insurance plans cover drugs and devices which can cause early abortions. To many business owners, that means either cooperating in grave evil, dropping insurance they have always provided their workers, or being forced out of business.

Just ask David and Barbara Green, owners of the giant chain of Hobby Lobby stores. Just ask the Hahn family, Mennonites who own Conestoga Wood Specialties. These courageous Americans are defending not only their own rights but also those of all Americans who wish to live their lives and run their businesses in accord with their free consciences and their deepest beliefs.

That is why the public policy groups and the women's coalition that we represent signed an amici curiae ("friends of the court") that was filed with the Supreme Court of the United States in two lawsuits against Obama Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. While we do not take a position on contraception, we do assert fiercely our freedom of conscience and religious liberty.

The cases center on ObamaCare's Health and Human Services mandate, which uses the threat of ruinous fines to coerce private individuals and organizations into becoming complicit in abortions - to, as our brief says, "violate religious beliefs by covering in health insurance plans devices and drugs that can prevent an embryo from implanting in the womb." In doing so, the Mandate directly attacks the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom. It also contradicts several federal laws that protect the people's conscience rights concerning abortion, such as the Church Amendment of 1973.

The mandate's departure from respect for conscience rights is deepening our nation's social and political divisions. It plainly creates a national conflict over religious freedom by trampling upon the conscience rights of the many Americans who oppose abortion. Those Americans, it should not even be necessary to point out, include millions of women such as ourselves who cherish and champion the right to life and who prize and defend Americans' rights of conscience and religious liberty.

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Freedom of Conscience and Religious Liberty

Eco campaign to clean up Abu Dhabi mangroves

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Abu Dhabi: Eco tour operator Capt. Tonys, hotel Park Hyatt and Yas Marina conducted a clean up drive at the mangroves near Yas Island as part of the UAE Green Festival.

Several students from two Abu Dhabi schools - Al Muna and The British International School also took part in the drive. Called Dolphin Bay due to the number of dolphin sightings here, the eco initiative on the uninhabited island near Yas Island resulted in the collection of 20 bags of waste.

We wanted to do something to celebrate the UAE Green Festival and thought we could start by cleaning up the mangroves in Abu Dhabi, said Arabella Willing, Marine Biologist at Park Hyatt.

We went deeper into the mangroves where we split the children into teams. We also told the children about the importance of mangroves and why they are so important.

Capt. Tonys said school children were involved to create awareness about the fragile eco-system. We are an eco-conscious company and use these areas regularly for our eco tours and cruises. We wanted to also raise awareness amongst children to protect the environment and therefore tied up with the schools, said Antonio Neto, owner of Capt. Tonys.

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Eco campaign to clean up Abu Dhabi mangroves

MMAjunkie Radio (noon ET): 'Cyborg,' Carl, Moraes, Whiteford, Marshman, Hill

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MMAjunkie Radio today welcomes to the show Cristiane Justino, Steve Carl,Marlon Moraes, Robert Whiteford, Jack Marshmanand Dave Hill.

In addition, well give away tickets to WSOF 9 and Bellator 114.

Cyborg visits the boys in the studio. On Friday, she co-headlines Lion Fight 14 in Las Vegas. Carl defends his welterweight title on Saturday at WSOF 9 in Las Vegas against Rousimar Palhares. Moraes fights for the inaugural WSOF bantamweight title against Josh Rettinghouse on Friday. Whiteford will take about his recent UFC 171 victory. And Marshman and Hill fight at Cage Warriors Fight Night 10 on Saturday.

MMAjunkie Radio airs today from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9 to 11 a.m. PT), live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the three-hour show at http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio, or watch it live on select television markets as part of Fight Now TV.

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MMAjunkie Radio (noon ET): 'Cyborg,' Carl, Moraes, Whiteford, Marshman, Hill

Meet the Cyborg Teaching Musicians How to Play Color, Not Sheet Music

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Neil Harbisson is a colorblind artist who conducted the first concert using colors instead of notes. Here, he's capturing the colors of Barcelona's Palau de la Musica, the concert's venue, which he then translated into a musical score. Image: Vodafone

Neil Harbisson is a colorblind artist who conducted the first concert using colors instead of notes. Here, he's capturing the colors of Barcelona's Palau de la Musica, the concert's venue, which he then translated into a musical score.

Harbisson, who listens to colors through an eyeborg implanted in his skull, taught a youth choir and quartet how to translate colors into notes. Each color we see has a frequency that emits a high-pitched note. Image: Vodafone

Harbisson, who listens to colors through an eyeborg implanted in his skull, taught a youth choir and quartet how to translate colors into notes. Each color we see has a frequency that emits a high-pitched note.

During the concert, Harbisson played conductor/light technician, changing the colors on stage to prompt the musicians to change notes. Image: Vodafone

During the concert, Harbisson played conductor/light technician, changing the colors on stage to prompt the musicians to change notes.

Harbisson with his eyeborg. Image: Vodafone

Harbisson with his eyeborg.

Neil Harbisson is a colorblind artist who conducted the first concert using colors instead of notes. Here, he's capturing the colors of Barcelona's Palau de la Musica, the concert's venue, which he then translated into a musical score. Image: Vodafone

Neil Harbisson is a colorblind artist who conducted the first concert using colors instead of notes. Here, he's capturing the colors of Barcelona's Palau de la Musica, the concert's venue, which he then translated into a musical score.

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Meet the Cyborg Teaching Musicians How to Play Color, Not Sheet Music

Arnold Schwarzenegger Says His Cyborg Ages in 'Terminator: Genesis'

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March 26, 2014 06:02:24 GMT The 'Sabotage' actor explains that the robot he returns to play in the Alan Taylor-directed movie will age.

explains how he will return to play a supposedly-never-aging robot in "". In a chat with MTV News, the actor says that his older appearance makes sense because the cyborg in this franchise will age.

"The way that the character is written, it's a machine underneath," the 66-year-old star explains. "It's this metal skeleton. But above that is human flesh. And the Terminator's flesh ages, just like any other human being's flesh. Maybe not as fast. But it definitely ages."

He spills more beans, "Terminator deals a lot with time travel, so there will be a younger T-800 and then what that model does later on when it gets reprogrammed, and who gets a hold of him. So it will be all kinds of interesting twists in the movie, but I feel so good."

"It will be challenging," the former Governor of California adds, "because it will be a new director, and it will be a really action packed movie. And sometimes it does get more difficult when you're 66 years old and doing this kind of action, versus when you're in your 30s or in your 40s."

Fresh of his directing gig in "", Alan Taylor is tapped to helm the new "Terminator" movie. will play Sarah Connor, will star as her son John, and will portray his father Kylie. It will arrive Stateside on July 1, 2015.

In a previous interview with Collider, Schwarzenegger said the movie would have the same feel as "Terminator 2". He explained, "There's hardcore action and it has some really great visual effects in there, but not over the top. It's not a Thor type of movie, even though it's the same director. It has good special effects, but just enough to say, 'Wow, where did that come from? How did they do that?' "

A new casting report mentions "" star John Boyega who is in talks for "" is also eyed for an important role in "Terminator: Genesis". Rumor has it, he is a contender to play the son of Miles Dyson who was the man responsible for the creation of Skynet. Dyson was played by Joe Morton in the previous film.

AceShowbiz.com

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Says His Cyborg Ages in 'Terminator: Genesis'

@CNN @ErinBurnett misguided errounous comments about Panama Beaches apr 20th, 2014 – Video

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@CNN @ErinBurnett misguided errounous comments about Panama Beaches apr 20th, 2014
View Panamenian beaches here: https://www.michantin.com/?p=3165 This is CNN anchor Erin Burnett talking about a beach in Panama on a totally unrelated topic ...

By: Anel Salas

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@CNN @ErinBurnett misguided errounous comments about Panama Beaches apr 20th, 2014 - Video

Beaches Jazz Festival supporter launches petition to save funding

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ABOVE: Beaches Jazz Festival organizer launches petition to save funding. Carey Marsden reports.

This post has been updated to properly identify the individual behind the petition as a festival organizer.

TORONTO A Beaches Jazz Festival organizer has launched an online petitionto urge Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne to restore funding to the free summer event after its request for a $120,000 grant was rejected.

The festival, which attracted an estimated 500,000 people last year, received $75,000 from the Celebrate Ontario program in each of the last six years.

Organizers were told on March 13 that they would no longer receive the funding this time around.

This year, the festival is in danger of being drastically reduced in size and scope, reads the petition, posted at change.org by Joanna Katchutas, the festivals Multi-Arts and Photography program coordinator.

Critics argued the move seemed odd as the governing Liberals awarded a $300,000 grant to multimillionaire rap star Drake to stage his two-day OVO Fest in Toronto this summer.

BELOW: The Beaches Jazz Festival has been denied a provincial grant it has received in the past. Carey Marsden reports on March 20.

Tourism Minister Michael Chan defended the decision on Monday, saying Celebrate Ontario is a competitive program, which attracted 441 applications last year, and supports many events across the province.

Unfortunately this year, the jazz festival, the proposal they submitted they were not able to make it, he said.

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Beaches Jazz Festival supporter launches petition to save funding

RVCC astronomy educator chosen for NASA research flight

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Theresa Moody from the New Jersey Astronomy Center (NJACE) at Raritan Valley Community College has been selected for a special NASA program for educators. The Astronomy Educator/Program Manager will participate in NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which will become a flying classroom for educators in the next few months.

As a SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador, the High Bridge resident will join one of 12 two-person teams representing educators from 10 states. Each will be paired with a professional astronomer to observe first-hand how airborne infrared astronomy is conducted. After their flight opportunities, Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors will take what they learn back to their classrooms and into their communities to promote science literacy.

SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP jetliner fitted with a 100-inch (2.5-meter) effective diameter telescope. The aircraft flies at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet (12-14 kilometers), above the water vapor in the Earths atmosphere, and collects data in the infrared spectrum.

Moody and her teacher partner, Margaret Holzer of Chatham High School, will participate in the SOFIA flight during the week of May 10-17. Holzer and Moody will co-design a variety of investigations on Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum. These investigations will be designed to integrate the new Science and Engineering Practices as described in Next Generation Science Standards and will draw on existing NASA resources and investigations. Once designed, Holzer will implement these new investigations into her high school classroom and Moody will include them in workshops offered at NJACE's Science Education Institute.

SOFIA offers educator teams unprecedented access to infrared astronomers and the unique capabilities of an airborne observatory, said John Gagosian, SOFIA program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Previous Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors teams have witnessed SOFIA's world-class astronomical science and have used this experience in hundreds of science, technology, engineering and math teaching opportunities throughout the United States.

Educators are selected through a rigorous peer-reviewed process for this yearly professional development opportunity, said astronomer Dana Backman, manager of SOFIA's education and public outreach programs at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA. To date, the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program has flown 15 teams totaling 31 educators from 17 states, and we look forward to working with this new cadre of educators as they take NASA science into their communities.

As the program manager of the NJACE Science Education Institute, Theresa Moody has been designing and co-facilitating teacher professional development workshops at RVCC since 2006. She also has more than seven years of experience teaching physical science and astronomy at an inner-city high school in Bridgeport, Conn. She has facilitated trainings both nationally and internationally, including the Queen Rania Teaching Academy in Amman, Jordan. She is also an active volunteer, qualified observer and Board member of the New Jersey Astronomical Association, where she leads monthly Young Astronomer programs for children.

The New Jersey Astronomy Center for Education (NJACE) includes a 100-seat Planetarium and the Science Education Institute. The Science Education Institute offers high quality customized professional development programs for school districts, ranging from one-day workshops to long-term partnership programs. This year, NJACE provided 14 different science workshops on the RVCC campus, including programs for K-12 teachers, museum providers, amateur astronomers and college educators. In addition, NJACE provides consulting services to numerous districts and other educational organizations. For more information, visit raritanval.edu/njace.

SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The aircraft is based at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA, manages the program. Ames Research Center manages the SOFIA science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) in Columbia, MD, and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart.

For additional information about SOFIA, visit nasa.gov/sofia or dlr.de/en/sofia. To learn more about SOFIA's science mission and scientific instruments, visit sofia.usra.edu and dsi.uni-stuttgart.de/index.en.html.

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RVCC astronomy educator chosen for NASA research flight