POLITICS CULTURENEWS

CATALYSTC U R E

Fall 2

012

www.urbancure.org

3 5 9Inside the Beltway- What’s happening in D.C.?

The Economic Impact of Abortion

Obamacare takes on Christian Beliefs

What does the Word of God say

about abortion?

Can school and housing vouchers

really help me?

How the federal deficit affects me ,

the individual?

Where do you draw the line?Race vs. Religion:

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

CURE Staff: President - Star Parker Vice President - Robert Borens Marketing & Media, Catalyst Editor - Daniel LandolfiOutreach & Education - Lonnie PoindexterPrograms - Aaron BuchhopDevelopment - Dan AndersonAdministration - Matthew RedmondController - Angel Nenninger Web Master - Clint Gillespie

Board of Directors: J. Kenneth Blackwell. Board Chairman John BedrosianAlan Dye, Webster, Chamberlain & Bean

Star Parker, Center for Urban Renewal and Education Johnny Stevens, March Oil Company

Virginia Thomas, Liberty Consulting, Inc.

Board of Advisors: J. Kenneth Blackwell, Family Research Council

William B. Allen, Michigan State University

John D. Ashcroft, The Ashcroft Group

Dr. Ben Carson, Johns Hopkins University

G. Marcus Cole, Stanford University School of Law

Nancy Epperson, Philanthropist

George Gilder, Gilder Technology Funds

Robert P. George, Princeton University

Kay Cole James, The Gloucester Institute

Michael Medved, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host

Edwin Meese III, Heritage Foundation

Marvin N. Olasky, Patrick Henry College

J.A. Parker, Lincoln Institute

Matthew D. Staver, Liberty Counsel

Walter E. Williams, George Mason University

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ABORTION................4

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND THE BLACK CLERGY...........5

CURE POLICY SUMMIT................6

PATIENT PROTECTIONAND AFFORABLE CARE ACT.......8

ECONOMICS 101............................9Definiton of Debt vs. Deficit

{ Thoughts from Star Parker }

by Star Parker, CURE President

2

We should spend our attention on

restoring the values that could rebuild families, produce more children and

stop destroying the unborn.

“

“

It’s unfortunate, I think. We deceive ourselves to permit the assumption that values and behavior are not the real drivers behind our economic problems. The fiscal crisis of our entitlement programs is the direct result of these values and behavior. The fiscal soundness of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is rooted in the assumption that those who work can fund the needs of our elderly through payroll taxes. In the case of Social Security, we’re talking about retirement income; in the case of Medicare, health costs of the aged; and Medicaid, long-term care of low-income elderly.

When these programs were founded, using payroll taxes to fund care for our elderly seemed like a viable idea.The bottom has fallen out, however, because of changes in our behavior. There are fewer and fewer workers per retiree as result of longer life spans and a shrinking workforce. In 1950, there were 16 working Americans for every retiree. Today, there are fewer than three. By 2030, it’s projected there will be fewer than two. This crisis is 100 percent focused on how to cut the spending and zero attention is spent on restoration of values that could rebuild families, produce more children and stop destroying the unborn.

According to a new Gallup poll, for the first time the majority of Americans feel that government should not promote any particular set of values. In 1993, the first year that Gallup did this annual survey, 53 percent said that government should promote traditional values and 42 percent said that no particular set of values should be promoted. Now, in this latest survey, it is the opposite: 52 percent say no particular set of values should be promoted and 44 percent say government should promote traditional values.

With no rebirth of traditional values that could lead to more babies, caring for our elderly will become an increasingly onerous burden. Where can this soulless materialism lead? In a Sept. 16 New York Times op-ed, Steven Rattner -- a New York investment banker and former counselor to the Treasury secretary in the Obama administration -- provided a shockingly candid answer. The op-ed began by saying, “We need death panels.” Rattner then qualified this by saying, well, maybe not “exactly.” But, he concluded: “We may shrink from ... stomach-wrenching choices, but they are inescapable.”

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

Inside the beltway

In 1965, 70% of black children were raised in married households: today 70% of black children are raised in single households.

African-American women have 30% of all abortions but black females make up less than 14% of the female population of the United States.

Medicaid pays for 40% of all births and 60% of all long term senior residential care.

The Black Median Household income among wage and salary workers is $29,328, where all other races are at $35,856.

5.5% of African-Americans receive public cash assistance which is twice that of the national average. Even more startling is that 26% of Blacks receive some sort of food stamp assistance.

Black persons under 65 years without health insurance coverage: 18.9%; black adults 18 years and over without a usual source of health care: 21.5%; Black children under 18 years without a usual source of health care: 5.9%.

Black males ages 30 to 34 have the highest incarceration rate of any race/ethnicity. Of the total 2.1 million male inmates in jail or prison, Black males represent the largest percentage of 35.4%, followed by white males with 32.9%, and Hispanic males at 17.9%.

Our Work Continues Because...

3

CURE POLICY SUMMIT

During the month of September, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education hosted their exclusive annual policy summit. Pastors and members of Star’s Presidents Circle came in from across the nation representing more than 21,000 people to hear from congressional leaders like Congressman Allen West, Congressman Jim Jordan, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, and Congressman Steve Southerland. Congressman Jim Jordan is the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee which carries over 145 congressman and advocates for socially conservative legislation.

POLICY INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN

Launching in November is the Policy Institute for Children. While child welfare services cost American taxpayers $25 billion annually, foster care funding is based on reverse incentives: the longer a child remains in fostser care, the more federal dollars flow to the state. The state is mandated to establish a “case goal” for every foster child. More than half of all foster children have a case goal of reunification and 25% have a case goal of adoption. However, for 20,000 foster children, states have not established any case goal at all.You can reach them online at: www.PolicyInstituteForChildren.org.

THE ANTI-POVERTY INITIATIVE

Jim Jordan, who spoke at CURE’s Policy Summit and is the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, leads “The Anti-Poverty Initiative.”

Material poverty is often a symptom of deeper and more intransigent problems, like fatherlessness and community breakdown. That’s why personal responsibility, healthy relationships beginning with strong marriage, and civil society institutions are critical to fighting poverty and social breakdown. This initiative will seek to make policy more responsive to these realities. Building on the success of past proposals like welfare reform and school choice, policymakers will learn from community leaders about additional promising solutions in areas like foster care, financial literacy, violence prevention, and promoting healthy marriage.

Aspects of this initiative will include, but not be limited to, the following:

· Forums and Outreach with Community Leaders· Research and Education· Policy Briefs· Policy Solutions (such as welfare reform and school choice)

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

Today, the abortion industry is a billion dollar business whose life blood depends on the shed blood of aborted children inside the wombs of their mothers.

And much like the United States Supreme Court Dred Scott Decision of 1857, the United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade Decision of 1973 refused to acknowledge the person of the child inside the womb and instead constitutionally gave birth to a rabid and racist billion dollar abortion industry. Just as slaves in the 1800s were viewed as economic liabilities the moment they became free so today our children, yet in their mothers’ wombs, are viewed as economic liabilities the moment they are born.

However, IS IT TRUE that ending the life of a developing baby

provides a stepping stone to women seeking to advance personally and professionally? IS IT TRUE

that children, born to parents struggling

economica l l y , are a financial drain to the A m e r i c a n

economy?

Let’s take a closer look and see for

ourselves, the massive economic impact of abortion in

America. There used to be 16 workers

in America for every person on Social Security.

That number is now down to 3. Soon, it will only be 2 workers. The

average worker will have to pay more than $6,000 in taxes, just to support

one person receiving $12,000 a year in Social Security benefits. If you are paying $4,000 a year in Social Security premiums now, that will go up by at least 50%.

Our Social Security system will simply GO BUST for lack of workers to pay into it. Every life lost from abortion is one less future worker, consumer, taxpayer and future parent of the next generation. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, multiplied by the number of abortions per year, since abortion became legal, is the best measure of that loss.

Over the last 45 years the abortion industry has taken in an estimated 26 billion dollars from abortion. But the cost to the country, as a whole, in terms of lost GDP, has been 2,000 times that amount (a cumulative 50 trillion dollars) or roughly 3 times our national debt (1).This economic impact is compounded also by wide acceptance of contraception, which has reduced births by another 25 to 30 million people. That adds another 20 trillion dollars to lost GDP.

Federal aid to Planned Parenthood is expected to reach 450 million dollars this year. That’s almost half a billion taxpayer dollars going directly to the largest abortion provider in the country. That’s $1,250 for every abortion Planned Parenthood performs Planned Parenthood estimates that, under the President’s healthcare plan, abortions should rise by 20% or more. Is our personal convenience today worth the economic stagnation our children will have to endure tomorrow?

What if you were offered $100,000.00 right now? Or a job for a penny (1�) a day, doubled for 31 days? Which would you choose? If you chose to work for a penny (1�) a day that was doubled for 31 days, You would have earned $10,737,418.24. The difference between 100,000 dollars today and 10 Million dollars tomorrow is why we do the math. The economic impact of

abortion is a 50 to 70 trillion dollars lost in GDP and the future stagnation of our American economy. The financial handwriting on the wall is clear.

Abortion has disproportionately impacted Black Americans. Instead of lifting the most vulnerable members of our society out of poverty, abortion increases poverty! According to an article posted by the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. on February 27, 2012, “The high rate of abortion in the Black community is very sobering and sad. African Americans make up about 12% of the US population but account for 30% of abortions. Hispanics are over represented as well, though not as steeply. They account for 25% of abortions while being about 17% of the US population.”

“Staggering Numbers – Since 1973, over 15 million black children have been lost to abortion. Over 1,400 black children are killed every day through abortion. The current African American Population is approximately 37 million. What this means is that if those 15 million aborted babies had survived and had some children of their own, the African American population would be almost double the size it is today. Half are gone in 40 years.”

As more Americans move toward retirement age, abortion assures that there will be little to no tax base available to fund their retirement when Social Security fails. Essentially the economic impact of abortion is the Fast-Track To National Suicide!

Pastor Walter Hoye is President of the Issue4Life Foundation and a member or the CUREnet Pastor Network.

Sources:GDP and abortion data from the U.S. Statistical Abstract 1978-2011; Guttmacher Institute, subsidiary of Planned Parenthood; GDP impact analysis by Dennis Howard, Movement for a Better America. www.movementforabetteramerica.org Footnote:1. National Abortion Federation, Liberalization of Abortion Laws, “Between 1967 and 1973 one-third of the states liberalized or repealed their criminal abortion laws.” Reference: http://bit.ly/8Xjio6.

The Economic Impact of Abortion: Dred Scott, Abortion, and the GDP

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CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

Same�Sex�Marriageand�Black�Clergy�Division

Barack Obama, the nation’s first president to openly endorse homosexual marriage, continues to provoke strong division among African American Christians, particularly the clergy. Obama’s polarizing pronouncements, endorsements and policies have wreaked havoc on the black community’s previously tight knit fabric of families, churches and friends. While some are deeply and sharply divided over supporting Obama’s homosexual obsessed activism, a growing number of African American Christians are vowing to boycott the election (including yours truly). Christian voters have been handed a no-win situation. Obama is a candidate whose win will mean the cold blooded execution of the innocent blood will flow unabated. An Obama victory will mean increased political power for the homosexual activists whose infectious perversion has already poisoned nearly every sector of society.

The Associated Press reported on this growing dilemma in a story African American Christians waver over vote.Some black clergy see no good presidential choice between a Mormon candidate and one who supports gay marriage, so they are telling their flocks to stay home on Election Day. That’s a worrisome message for the nation’s first African-American president, who can’t afford to lose any voters from his base in a tight race.

The pastors say their congregants are asking how a true Christian could back same-sex marriage, as President Barack Obama did in May. As for Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon nominee from a major party, congregants are questioning the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its former ban on men of African descent in the priesthood.

In 2008, Obama won 95 percent of black voters and is likely to get an overwhelming majority again. But any loss of votes would sting.

“When President Obama made the public statement on gay marriage, I think it put a question in our minds as to what direction he’s taking the nation,” said the Rev. A.R. Bernard, founder of the predominantly African-American Christian Cultural Center in New York. Bernard, whose endorsement is much sought-after in New York and beyond, voted for Obama in 2008. He said he’s unsure how he’ll vote this year.

It’s unclear just how widespread the sentiment is that African-American Christians would be better off not voting at all. Many pastors have said that despite their

misgivings about the candidates, blacks have fought too hard for the vote to ever stay away from the polls.

Reflecting on the growing schism, Evangelist Mario Murillo warned “Time is running out men of God. Do not end up on the wrong side of history. You will never live this down.”

North CarolinaNowhere is the division more palpable than in North Carolina, where Obama personally intervened unsuccessfully to defeat a state amendment banning gay marriage. One of the standout leaders, Dr. Patrick Wooden of Upper Room COGIC is now the target of pro-Obama black ministers. One minister accused Wooden of attempting to sabotage Obama. Rev. Curtis Gatewood, a minister at Love, Hope and Justice Ministries wrote he was bothered by Wooden’s work to protect male-female marriage.

Gatewood wrote, “your politically motivated attempt to stigmatize the President as a violator of God’s word regarding his position on “marriage equality”, while saying nothing regarding Romney’s numerous scriptural violations is hypocritical and sinfully uses the Bible as a political football in a game our community cannot afford to play or lose.”

Wooden responded by saying “I, along with my wife, church and other members of the Christian community, have been trying to get an amendment to protect marriage on the ballot for over 8 years. As you know, Speaker Black would not allow it to be brought to the floor for a vote. Neither would Speaker Hackney. However, during the mid-terms in 2010, the Republicans made history by taking control of both the House and Senate in North Carolina. When we tried to get it on the ballot at that time, the NAACP called it a nasty trick to get people to come to the polls to vote against President Obama. To prove that it was not designed to hinder Obama we moved it from November to the May primaries. If you recall, (since you don’t have selective amnesia) in March of this year, the President inserted himself into North Carolina politics and commented on the Marriage Amendment. Despite his efforts, your efforts, the NAACP, President Bill Clinton, Clay Aiken and the fact that we were outspent 2 to 1, we prevailed by the help of the Almighty.”

Commentary from Pastor DL Foster, Founder and Executive Director of Atlanta based Witness Freedom Ministries. Pastor Foster is a member of the CUREnet Pastor Network.

5

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

September marked a very busy month for CURE starting with the launch of our Economic Empowerment and Traditional Marriage Policy Summit on September 10th and 11th. The inaugural event took place at the historic Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC. with a pre-event reception held at the Washington Court Hotel.

Attending the conference were CUREnet member pastors from across the country, including attendees from Ohio, Mississippi, New Jersey, Texas, New York State, Maryland, and as far away as California. Attending pastors represented churches with congregations as large as 16,000 members.

Christian lawmakers just back in session from the summer break made it a point of making time in their busy schedules to come and speak to the pastors. Noted speakers included: Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Congressman Steve Southerland (R-FL) who’s resounding oratory to the pastors really connected with them. Commented many of the pastors, “we think the congressman missed his calling, he should have become a preacher”.

Distinguished subject matter experts also spoke including: Austin Nimocks, Sr. Vice President of Alliance Defending Freedom who covered Traditional Marriage and the Black Family, Crises and Challenges; Jackie Cissell, member board of directors for Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) who spoke on Education Reform and School Vouchers for at-risk communities; and Distinguished Fellow, Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy, Dr. William B. Allen who spoke on the American Ideals and Public Policy.

Our keynote speaker was Congressman Allen West (R-FL) who gave an inspiring call to arms for Black conservatives. He later stayed and met each pastor individually. The conference introductory speech was done by CURE Chairman of the Board Ken Blackwell. Mr. Blackwell is a Senior Fellow at Family Research Council (FRC) and former Ohio Secretary of State.

Lonnie Poindexter, Director of Outreach and Education and Star Parker, founder of CURE moderated the event. Mr. Poindexter’s personal positional statement, at the beginning of the summit, set the tone and resonated with the pastors and other attendees. Here is the excerpt from that statement:

“A runaway slave is a liberated person. I too am a runaway slave. I’ve been off the plantation since 1990. I was not willing to stay ensnared by the confines of popular opinion, political correctness and/or what the principalities may dictate in the highest office in the land.

I am a conservative, a traditionalist; I have a Biblical World View. I measure any and all positions and agendas, be they political, religious or secular by the tenets set forth in the

Word of Almighty God. In short, I am a Man of God. I not only believe in Thee Supreme Being and His Son, I also actually believe in what He says.

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall 7

September marked a very busy month for CURE starting with the launch of our Economic Empowerment and Traditional Marriage Policy Summit on September 10th and 11th. The inaugural event took place at the historic Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC. with a pre-event reception held at the Washington Court Hotel. Attending the conference were CUREnet member pastors from across the country, including attendees from Ohio, Mississippi, New Jersey, Texas, New York State, Maryland, and as far away as California. Attending pastors represented churches with congregations as large as 16,000 members and as small as less than 100 members.

Christian lawmakers just back in session from the summer break made it a point of making time in their busy schedules to come and speak to the pastors. Noted speakers included: Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Congressman Steve Southerland (R-FL) who’s resounding oratory to the pastors really connected with them. Commented many of the pastors, “we think the congressman missed his calling, he should have become a preacher”.

Distinguished subject matter experts also spoke including: Austin Nimocks, Sr. Vice President of Alliance Defending Freedom who covered Traditional Marriage and the Black Family, Crises and Challenges; Jackie Cissell, member board of directors for Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) who spoke on Education Reform and school vouchers for at-risk communities; and Distinguished Fellow, Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy, Dr. William B. Allen who spoke on the American Ideals and Public Policy.

Our keynote speaker was Congressman Allen West (R-FL) who gave an inspiring call to arms for Black conservatives. He later stayed and met each pastor individually. The conference introductory speech was done by CURE Chairman of the Board Ken Blackwell. Mr. Blackwell is a Senior Fellow at Family Research Council (FRC) and former Ohio Secretary of State.

Lonnie Poindexter, Director of Outreach and Education and Star Parker, founder of CURE moderated the event. Mr. Poindexter’s personal positional statement really connected with the pastors and other attendees. Here is the excerpt from that statement:

“A runaway slave is a liberated person. I too am a runaway slave. I’ve been off the plantation since 1990. I was not willing to stay ensnared by the confines of popular opinion, political correctness and/or what the principalities may dictate in the highest office in the land.

I am a conservative, a traditionalist; I have a Biblical World View. I measure any and all positions and agendas, be they political, religious or secular by the tenets set forth in the Word of Almighty God. In short, I am a Man of God. I not only believe in Thee Supreme Being and His Son, I also actually believe in what He says.I have learned that my brothers are those that stand with me. We may not have the same color of skin, come from the same neighborhood, same station in life, or worship at the same church. But we foundationally agree on the principles set in faith in ALL of God’s Word.

I am not a victim, nor do I have a victim’s mentality of entitlement. I am in fact a victor, an overcomer; I was vindicated by the blood of the cross. I hold no one accountable ultimately for my station but God and He alone. Conversely, I am obligated only to God and God alone who in His Word commands us to love our neighbors as our selves, but also to call out sin and speak the truth.

It is time for men and women of God to stand up for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God. It is not a time for politics, partisanship, favoritism or gamesmanship. Fore the future of family, society and by default civilization is at stake. I will not support nor endorse any man, organization or political entity that endorses the redefinition of the keystone and foundation of civilization which is family. Who will stand with me?”

The events activities included a history tour of Capitol Hill. There were photo-ops with the congressmen and a roundtable discussion at the conclusion of the event where the pastors were able to candidly discuss their vision, victories and struggles relative to informing their congregations and communities on the social policy decisions in our nation’s Capital and how those decisions effect their local community.

I have learned that my brothers are those that stand with me. We may not have the same color of skin, come from the same neighborhood, same station in life, or worship at the same church. But we foundationally agree on the principles set in faith in ALL of God’s Word.

I am not a victim, nor do I have a victim’s mentality of entitlement. I am in fact a victor, an overcomer; I was vindicated by the blood of the cross. I hold no one accountable ultimately for my station but God and He alone. Conversely, I am obligated only to God and God alone who in His Word commands us to love our neighbors as our selves, but also to call out sin and speak the truth.

It is time for men and women of God to stand up for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God. It is not a time for politics, partisanship, favoritism or gamesmanship. For the future of family, society and by default civilization is at stake. I will not support any man, organization or political entity that endorses the redefinition of the keystone and foundation of civilization which is family. Who will stand with me?”

The events activities included a historic tour of Capitol Hill. There were photo-ops with the congressmen and a roundtable discussion at the conclusion of the event where the pastors were able to candidly discuss their vision, victories and struggles relative to informing their congregations and communities on the social policy decisions in our nation’s Capitol and how those decisions effect their local community.

Lonnie,

It was such a pleasure meeting you and the entire CURE team. The meeting was informative and exciting. I am looking forward with great anticipation developing greater associations in the future. We celebrate our 78th church anniversary within the coming weeks. I look forward to your site visit to Rehoboth about the first week in October if your schedule permits.

Please give my sincere thanks and appreciation to Star.

God bless,

Bishop Keith G. Allen

Star,

I want to thank CURE so much for the invite and the opportunity to be a part of the Summit. It was a tremendous experience – meeting other conservative pastors and hearing from Christian congressmen and women fighting in Washington. Everything was excellent, the hotel, the food, the tour and of course the Summit.

Please pass on my deep appreciation and gratitude to everyone involved for the invitation to the Summit. Praying that God would bless CURE and expand its territory.

Blessings,

Pastor Ron Jackson

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

Should Christian’s leaders be forced to comply with a law that is at odds fundamentally with core faith based values?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, essentially forces Christian Americans to buy into a government run healthcare system which they religiously disagree on both moral and economic grounds.

After the Supreme Court ruled the healthcare law to be a “tariff” or tax; religious groups who refuse to purchase healthcare that would violate their religious conscience learned they will be penalized.

As Health and Human Services officials recently clarified, institutions must pay for insurance that includes coverage of abortion and birth control. If mainstream churches follow their faith beliefs, they will be heavily taxed. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that “about 4 million” (or 1.2% of the population) will pay the penalty in 2016.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), maintains that Obamacare is a fundamentally flawed legislation because it makes American taxpayers complicit in the deaths of countless unborn children.

Taxing or penalizing institutions which choose not to buy insurance because of religious reasons is a clear violation of the First Amendment’s free exercise clause. PPACA’s contraceptive coverage mandate requires all employers and educational institutions including faith based universities, hospitals, and charities, and other enterprises owned or controlled by faith based organizations that disagree with the use of contraception on doctrinal grounds to pay. Religious Education institutions would be required to allow for contraception coverage and abortion coverage for acts that are clearly and dominantly discouraged by those organizations religious convictions.

Justices Kagan and Ginsburg have already voiced defense for the rights of religious groups in opposition to the healthcare law, Justice Kagan made it clear that there could be a reasonable religious case made: David Green, Founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, one of the Largest Christian owned privately held companies, filed a suit against the Obama Administration stating by being required to make a choice between sacrificing our faith or paying millions of dollars in fines, we essentially must choose which poison pill to swallow, “We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate.” Justice Ginsburg clarified that First Amendment objections would make any mandate unconstitutional:

A mandate to purchase a particular product would be unconstitutional if, for example, the edict impermissibly abridged the freedom of speech, interfered with the free exercise of religion, or infringed on a liberty interest protected by the Due Process Clause. -- Nat’l Fed. of Ind. Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. ___ (2012) (Ginsburg, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part).

This bill interferes with the free exercise of religion specifically for Catholics and Christian Scientists who don’t receive a religious exemption and are being taxed for adhering to their beliefs. So under Justice Ginsburg’s qualifications, this law is unconstitutional. As Justice Ginsburg implies, if a bill is unconstitutional for one group, it’s unconstitutional for the entire nation. The Supreme Court cannot unfairly exempt certain groups and not exempt others. Therefore, if the Court decides this law is an infringement on Christian Scientists’ religious freedom, the mandate would be unconstitutional.

This Law mandates the faith community to finance the abortion business. Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net, agrees that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act fail’s to protect the most vulnerable patients in America: our unborn children. Instead, she says, it sets up a legislative framework for regulations which force employers to fund life-ending pharmaceuticals and establish a funding source for abortions in subsidized insurance plans. “I am deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court has left intact a law imposing coercive mandates on employers and individuals, specifically where those mandates directly conflict with their consciences and Constitutional right to religious liberty,” Delahoyde says.

It is important to point out, the Hyde Amendment, introduced by republican congressman Henry Hyde in Illinois on September 30, 1976, though not permanent, restricts federal funds to pay for abortions.

Religious Leaders and lawmakers have a civil and moral responsibility to act now and in any future health care legislation, to protect the conscience rights of all faith-based medical professionals and employers, overturn this law and speak up for religious liberty. Future health care legislation must also uphold the long-standing Hyde amendment prohibition on using taxpayer monies to fund or subsidize abortion.

The Christian populace has a moral imperative to hold the incoming Administration accountable to upholding the religious libertiesof employers.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at Odds with Core Faith Based Principles

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CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

Debt vs. DeficitThe national debt is the total of all outstanding debt owed by the federal government. This total also includes the interest it must pay on any borrowed money. Debt happens when the government doesn’t collect enough money to cover the amount they spend.

The deficit is the balance of what’s left between government receipts and spending in a single year. They’re tied to each other, but there is a difference. The deficit is a yearly total. The debt is a running total of those years to date.

The Debt CeilingBefore 1917, Congress had to approve all borrowing when the government asked for money. Then as the United States entered World War I the government needed more flexibility so Congress created the debt ceiling.

The debt ceiling is a cap on how much debt the U.S. government can carry. Since its inception, the debt ceiling has frequently been raised — 74 times since March 1962 and 10 times since 2001.

How the Debt is FinancedSavings bonds (long term, held for10+ years), notes(can last between1-5 years), and treasury bills (short term borrowing, usually lasting 30-90 days) are three ways the government helps to pay off their debt. These are commonly referred to as securities.

The government will “sell” these securities to people, corporations, and foreign countries on the premise they will give you your money back with interest. (This is the interest we first talked about when defining the national debt.)

And while much of the debt is held by Americans, corporations, and the government (city, state, and federal level), the highest foreign holders are Mainland China and Japan with $1.14 trillion and $1.1 trillion respectively as of July 2012.

Let’s put this into perspective.If you had a small business that made $100 a month and your expenses were $125, you would be running a $25 deficit each month. At the end of the year it would turn into an overall deficit of $300. Fast forward five years with the same figures, your running deficit would still be $300 a year but you would have a total debt of $1500.

Now, with your debt growing every year, you decide to “sell” the debt by issuing I.O.U. notes to your family, friends, and even friends of friends. The notes state that in a year you will give

monies owed plus 10% for the lending. This helps you pay off all the current debt you’ve accumulated. But that doesn’t solve the problem because you still have a running deficit.

At the end of the year, you are $300 in the red, but now the people you gave I.O.U.s to are ready to turn them in for the amount you promised them. If you were to give all parties what you

owe them, the new debt total becomes $1950. At this juncture you could always issue more notes to pay off the people you already owe- which if people don’t believe you will pay them back, they won’t buy them.

To break the cycle, you are left with a few options. You can create a budget and reduce your expenses to work within the means you have or you can raise your rates to compensate for

your losses. Either way the goal here is to balance the budget so a profit can be made.

The same works with the government. They have a deficit this year of over $1 trillion dollars. Their overall debt, the accumulation of all the previous years, is over $16 trillion. Money owed

to the people/countries/investors who bought the United States’ I.O.U.s must be paid off. If the investors and lenders believe the U.S. can’t pay its national debt, they stop loaning the government money and the interest rates go up for banks and consumers.

Debt is left to be repaid through higher taxes and/or spending cuts. Which do you see happening?

ECONOMIC$ 101: Debt and the Deficit

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CURE CATALYST | 2012 FallCURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

CURE CATALYST | 2012 Fall

What is your church name __________________________Pastors full name ________________________________Spouse name ___________________________________Spouse birthday __________________________________Anniversary ____________________________________Title: _Pastor _Dr. _Senior Pastor _Elder _Minister _DeaconAre you a full time employee at your church _Yes _NoFormal education : _College Degree _Advanced Degree _Seminary (Name) _______________________________

Are you African-American _Yes _NoWhat party are you affiliated with (circle one) Republican Democrat Independent LibertarianYour name if filling out the questionnaire for your pastor_______________________________________________

Where do you get your primary daily newsNewspaper/Magazine _____________________________Television ______________________________________Internet ________________________________________Radio _________________________________________Other _________________________________________

Does your ministry utilize social media _Yes _No

Are you willing to make a media appearance on CURE’s behalf? _Yes _No

On a scale of 1 to 5 please rate importance to you with 1 being very important and 5 being of little importance Abortion __ AIDS __ School Choice __ Economics/ Deficit __ Family Life __ Healthcare Reform __ Crime/ Gangs __ Housing Vouchers __ Race Relations __ Social Justice __ Tax Reform __ Traditional Marriage __ Social Security __ Welfare Reform __

What area(s) would you like CURE to focus on to assist your ministry efforts __________________________________

Your Church region, please circle East West Midwest North SouthChurch address _________________________________City __________________________________________State ________________________________________Zip __________________________________________Church phone number ____________________________Website _______________________________________Mobile number __________________________________Your Email _____________________________________Twitter account _________________________________Years in ministry _________________________________Church denomination _____________________________Number of members _____________________________

Your primary news station, please circle ABC BET CBN CBS CNN C-SPAN FOX NBC TBN MSNBC GBTV Other _______________

Have you ever written an op-ed letter to an editor_Yes _No

Are you a CUREnet member Pastor _Yes _No

What are three major outreach ministries at your church?1. ____________________________________________2. ____________________________________________3. ____________________________________________

What are your three primary concerns1. ____________________________________________2. ____________________________________________3. ____________________________________________

What is the ethnic breakdown of your congregation______________________________________________

Additional Comments________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your participation in our questionnaire. Please put the completed survey in the provided return envelope and mail to our offices.

Hello pastors and members of the clergy community, CURE endeavors to improve the services we provide to the church community. Please take a moment to answer our confidential questionnaire to help us understand how to better serve you.

Does your ministry have a school? _Yes _NoIf yes, what grades do you teach? _____________________________________________________________________

A Conservative Voice on Issues of Race and Poverty

CURE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. All donations are tax deductible.

With the fi rm belief that the answer to poverty is faith, freedom and personal responsibility, Star Parker founded the Center for Urban Renewal & Education (CURE) in 1995 to provide a voice of reason on issues of race and poverty.

As the leading black conservative think tank in the country, CURE promotes a biblical worldview—in the media, at-risk communities, and on Capitol Hill.

The philosophy of CURE is that the role of the federal government is to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: not to redistribute wealth, monopolize education, manipulate commerce, and/or dehumanize charity efforts. The work of CURE is to defend unborn life, capitalism, parental rights and private property.

CURE president Star Parker is a nationally recognized author, media commentator and syndicated columnist. She had years of fi rst-hand experience in the grip of welfare dependency, and now, as a social policy consultant, Star Parker is bringing new energy to exploring and promoting market based public policy to fi ght poverty and empower the lives of the poor.