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PA Family Institute

Family Update

by Newsletter

FAMILY UPDATE
Volume 4, Issue 25
September 11, 2008

The Pennsylvania Family Institute's weekly update to concerned citizens.
Michael Geer, President

Attention: PA Family Institute has printable versions of the Family Update that can be downloaded and printed easily!Follow this link to get a 1-page version that you can hand out to your friends and family: http://www.pafamily.org/index.php?pID=78
!Please forward this email to family and friends!
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Quote of the Week
"...we ask a loving God to watch over our troops in battle. We ask Him to comfort the families who mourn. And we ask Him to bless our great land."
~ President George W. Bush
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Pennsylvania News
Remembering 9/11/2001. Relatives of the 2,751 victims killed at the World Trade Center gathered in a park in lower Manhattan for readings from dignitaries and a recitation of the names of the dead. A Pentagon memorial was established today, the first of three major Sept. 11 memorials to be completed. It consists primarily of 184 cantilevered benches, each bearing a victim's name. In Pennsylvania , several hundred people gathered to read the names of 40 victims killed in Shanksville where Flight 93 came down after passengers reportedly stormed the cockpit to thwart terrorists' plans to use that plane as a weapon like the others.
Foster Parents Needed in Pennsylvania. More than 20,000 children were removed from their homes in Pennsylvania for their own protection in the last year. Most will spend up to 16 months in foster care. According to the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are 3,559 children in public foster care in Pennsylvania waiting to be adopted. And there are 14,435 churches in Pennsylvania. What if one family from each church adopted a child?
Interested in learning more about adoption and foster care? Call us at 717-545-0600 to order your copy of the Family Guide to Adoption and Foster Care from the Pennsylvania Family Institute.
Pennsylvania Smoking Ban Goes Into Effect Today. The ban is expected to prohibit smoking in 95 percent of all work and public places in Pennsylvania. However, the day before the ban was put in place, over 700 applications for exemptions were submitted to the State Department of Health. To no surprise, the smoking ban does not apply to casinos.
Legislation to Ban Teacher Strikes in PA Stalled. Three bills that would prohibit teacher strikes in Pennsylvania have stalled in the legislature, with no apparent plans to move forward with them. Three school districts in PA have already had teacher strikes since the beginning of the school year only a week ago. This is a problem that must be addressed to improve the education of children.
What's So Important About the Family? David Feister, former intern, writes from the PA Family Blog: While I firmly believe that the only true marriage is between a man and a woman and that a family does consist of a father, a mother, and children, I am not convinced that we as Christians fully understand why. Many Christians simply point out that Scripture teaches it. This is true, but why does Scripture set this family structure in place? Read the rest of his post and leave your own comments at www.pafamily.wordpress.com.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is the keynote speaker for the Pennsylvania Family Institute Friends of the Family Banquets on Friday, October 10 in Chadd's Ford and Lancaster, Pa. More information and ticket registration are at www.pafamily.org/huckabee.php. Register by September 26, tables are filling fast!
Free Voter Registration Toolkits Available! We offer this to anyone: a pastor, a church liaison, community activist, etc can receive a toolkit free of charge to help organize a voter registration for your church and community. If you would like to receive this toolkit, just send your name and address to the PA Family Institute at mail@pafamily.org or by calling toll free at 1-800-FAMILY-1 or 717-545-0600.
Do you know where these candidates stand on the issues? Don't forget about the Pennsylvania Family Institute Voters' Guide coming October 1st. Order your copies today by calling (800) FAMILY-1! The guide will also be online at www.PAVoter.info.
News posted daily at www.PAFamily.org!
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Pro-Life News
The Four-Month Old Civil Rights Leader. In addition to Barack Obama making history as the first African American to be nominated for president and Sarah Palin taking her shotgun to the glass ceiling, there was a third civil rights barrier broken at the political conventions this year. Trig Paxson Van Palin smashed the chromosomal barrier. Of the cases of Down syndrome diagnosed by prenatal testing each year, about 90 percent are eliminated by abortion. –excerpted from an op-ed by Michael Gerson, printed in the Washington Post. Read the rest.
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Marriage News
"Bride" and "Groom" Unacceptable on Marriage Certificate in CA. A marriage license for a man and woman was denied after they wrote "groom" and "bride" next to "Party A" and "Party B." The California State Office of Vital Records said the handwritten words were an "unacceptable alteration."
News posted daily at www.PA4Marriage.org!
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PFI News
100 Golfers and 40 Sponsors will be at the Pennsylvania Family Institute 2nd Annual Golf Classic to support the City on the Hill Youth Leadership Conference on Monday, September 15 at the Bent Creek Country Club in Lititz.
New Issue of Pennsylvania Families Magazine available! The newest issue of the magazine features a Harrisburg couple that recently celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary! Ask for your copy today by calling (800) FAMILY-1!
Don't Miss Michael Geer's The Common Good and Family Update Radio Shows on Christian Radio Stations throughout Pa. and online through our podcasts.
This Week's Guest: Amy Smith, technical editor for Pennsylvania Families Magazine.
This Week's Topic: The Fall 2008 Issue of Pennsylvania Families Magazine.

The Pennsylvania Family Institute is a non-profit organization made possible through financial donations from our supporters. To donate to Pennsylvania Family Institute, click here: www.pafamily.org/donate
23 N. Front St. Harrisburg, PA 17101 ~ Phone: 717-545-0600 ~ Fax: 717-545-8107 ~ www.pafamily.org

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