Barack Obama has become the 44th President of the United States, but some Christians have expressed concerns about his policies on ‘gay rights’, abortion and embryo experiments.
A new White House website, which went live minutes after the President was sworn in, lists his agenda.
The White House agenda on:
See also:
Religious debate
Under the heading of ‘faith’ the White House agenda says the President has “laid down principles for how to discuss faith in a pluralistic society, including the need for religious people to translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values during public debate.”
Homosexual adoption
The President intends to expand adoption rights to homosexual couples, despite overwhelming research showing that children benefit most from a male and female who are married.
Gay employment rights
The agenda includes plans to introduce ‘gay rights’ employment laws. Similar laws in the UK resulted in an Anglican Bishop being successfully sued because he blocked the employment of a homosexual to a church youth worker post.
Hate crimes covering sexuality
The White House wants to expand ‘hate crime’ laws to cover sexual orientation. But critics are concerned that such laws may be framed in a way that could limit people’s freedom to express their beliefs on sexual conduct.
Same-sex marriage
President Obama is a supporter of same-sex marriage. He favours repealing the Defense of Marriage Act – which protects States from being forced to recognise a same sex relationship as a ‘marriage’.
He is opposed to changing the constitution to protect the traditional definition of marriage.
Abortion in the US and abroad
The President has pledged to oppose any constitutional amendment to protect the lives of unborn children. He says he will actively defend Roe v Wade, a legal ruling which effectively legalised abortion in America.
He is committed to ending a ban on federal funding for international pro-abortion groups.
Embryonic stem cells
He also plans to overturn a ban on embryonic stem cell research which involves the destruction of human embryos. This comes at a time when ethical alternatives are proving more successful.
‘Safer sex’ education
He wants to expand ‘safer sex’ education which encourages children to access contraception, rather than an abstinence-only approach which encourages children not to have sex.
Critics of the agenda
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family, founded by Dr James Dobson, has reacted with great concern to the new White House agenda.
“President Obama is no friend of family values, and that is made perfectly clear on the White House Web site,” said Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst at Focus on the Family Action.
“This is the most bold and comprehensive pro-homosexual, abortion-friendly administration agenda we’ve ever seen. And this is no time for Christians to remain silent.”
Alliance Defense Fund
Alan Sears, President of American legal group the Alliance Defense Fund, is surprised at the swiftness of the radical agenda. He said: “Well, that didn’t take long.
“To many, it may seem premature to confront head-on the agenda of the new president, in a week dedicated to celebrating his political success and the peaceful transition of power in our republic. But, sad to say, in the marriage of President Obama’s political destiny to that of these United States, it’s Mr. Obama who chose to cut short the honeymoon.
“No sooner had he finished speaking of his fellow Americans in his inaugural address as a people who ‘have chosen hope over fear [and] unity of purpose over conflict and discord’ than his staff posted, on the White House Web site, a virtual declaration of war against those who oppose the demands for special rights and privileges by those who engage in homosexual behavior.”
Family Research Council
Tony Perkins, of the American policy group Family Research Council, said: “Minutes after Obama took the oath of office, the transfer of power was made complete on the White House website.”
He added that the White House: “now welcomes an extreme collection of anti-life, anti-woman, and anti-family agendas.”
He said: “Under the caption ‘civil rights,’ Obama pledges to fight for nationwide civil unions, repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, homosexual adoption, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, expanded ‘hate crimes’, and over 1,100 costly same-sex benefits.
“He promises to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ as well as block a federal amendment to preserve marriage.
“In exchange for the support of groups like Planned Parenthood, the abortion business is also due for a rich payoff from the 44th President, including his support of abortion-on-demand, more funding for ‘family planning’ programs, embryonic stem cell experiments, and tax-funded abortion.”