OUR COLUMNISTS The Mature and Holy Hope of a Nation Commentary by Matt Friedeman Over a Nigerian dinner a few moments ago, I asked a missionary deep into his second decade about the health of the Church in this nation. I was glad I did. Condoms: Context Counts Commentary by Jane Jimenez Even with the technical expertise of Consumers Union, their report on the reliability of condoms cannot tell us what we need to know about condoms. Fairly Objective Commentary by Brad Locke Sit in the bleachers at enough high school basketball games, and you soon realize how scarce -- or rather elusive -- is objectivity. As far as journalism goes, objectivity is much harder to achieve. Every reporter has beliefs and past experiences that have shaped his perception of the world, and those will inevitably affect his work. Christmas As It Was Originally Celebrated Commentary by David Sisler Christmas used to mean more than great deals on computers and peripherals. The conception of Christmas used to be a teenaged girl, pregnant before marriage, drenched in sweat. She had just pushed her first child into the cold night air of an unheated, smelly barn. Tsunami -- Why God, Why? Commentary by Mark Creech If God is a loving and merciful God, why would He allow such a disaster? The Scriptures teach God didn't create the world in the state in which it is today; suffering was the result of man's rebellion against God.

...Christian Coalition of America is commending the federal judge who rejected Michael Newdow's lawsuit attempting to prevent prayer at the 2005 Presidential Inauguration. The atheist activist's suit alleged that he would be forced to accept unwanted religious beliefs if a minister at the inauguration ceremonies invoked God. But U.S. District Judge John Bates ruled that the "balance of harms," particularly the public interest in the case, did not weigh strongly in favor of granting the legal relief sought by Newdow, which would have required "the unprecedented step of an injunction against the president." The Christian Coalition's vice president of legislative affairs, Jim Backlin, was pleased with Bates' decision and commented, "Thank God there are still federal judges -- including the Supreme Court justices who threw out Mr. Newdow's Pledge of Allegiance lawsuit last year -- who reject the goals of a tiny vocal minority trying to impose their anti-God prejudices on more than 80 percent of Americans who hold traditional values and want God to remain in the public square." President Bush's first inauguration included religious invocations, a tradition with precedents that go back as far as the presidency itself. As CCA noted in a recent press release, George Washington referred to God during his 1789 inauguration, and President Franklin Roosevelt began the practice of including Christian prayer during his second inauguration in 1937. [Jenni Parker]

...As communities around the U.S. commemorate the January 15 birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, some leaders are speculating about whether he would have supported same-sex "marriage" as human rights issue. The slain civil rights leader's widow, Coretta Scott King, has often invoked her late husband's teachings to promote homosexual rights; and in a speech last year she denounced a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban homosexual marriage. But the Kings' youngest child, Bernice King, helped lead thousands of people in an Atlanta march last month calling for an amendment to "fully protect marriage between one man and one woman." Alveda King -- niece of the slain civil rights leader and a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage -- says she joined her cousin in the march because she believes her uncle never intended homosexual rights to be part of the civil rights movement. [AP]

...A member of the governing board of the nation's largest black denomination says Social Security is in trouble today because baby boomers aborted much of the generation that would have supported their retirement. Bishop George McKinney of the Church of God in Christ says, "Part of the problem that we're seeing now with Social Security has to do with the fact that 40 to 50 million people who have been killed through abortions have not taken their role as productive citizens." McKinney says the Democratic Party's support for legal abortion and same-sex "marriage" has cost it support in the black community. The Church of God in Christ is the nation's fourth-largest denomination -- and the largest black church group -- with about five-and-a-half million members. [AP]

...A homosexual California resident who was visiting his ill mother in Marshall County, Alabama, happened to browse across the county website and was offended to read Sheriff Mac Holcomb's statements on the Sheriff department's page, where he called homosexuality an abomination as compared to the cultural moral standards of the 1940s and 1950s. That remark became the catalyst that led to a national spotlight for the Christian sheriff. The visitor e-mailed his objection to Holcomb and copied it to news media, Alabama's attorney general, and many others. Since then, many liberal critics and talk show commentators have debated with Holcomb as he has defended the Bible's position and his own on homosexuality. But the Alabama sheriff sees irony in the situation -- namely that his clearly stated position on homosexuality has been on the department website for more than a decade. "I'm going into my eleventh year, my third term," he says, "and put this out when I [first] campaigned on family values." The sheriff's biblically-based views, according to one Sheriff's Department administrator, have not only been long accepted by his constituents but are also encouraged by supporters from across the country. She says several have contacted the sheriff, urging him "to keep standing strong and do not let the liberals cause him to back down or give up." But backing down is something Holcomb, who keeps a picture of legendary lawman Buford Pusser in his office, seems unlikely to do. [Ed Thomas]

...Global Pastor's Wives Network (GPWN) will host a three-day conference geared toward minister's wives next week in West Palm Beach, Florida. The January 25-27 event is called "Free to Soar" and will bring together women from various denominations and areas around the world for a time of encouragement, counseling, and resource-sharing. The Free to Soar conference is designed to help equip and minister to the women who serve in one of the most crucial roles in the worldwide Christian Church -- the pastor's wife. GPWN was founded by Campus Crusade for Christ co-founder Vonette Bright and is headed by Dr. Lois I. Evans, wife to Dr. Tony Evans of the Urban Alternative. Both the founder and the president acknowledge that being the wife of a Christian minister can be an isolating and lonely experience -- and that such spouses, though often neglected, need counsel and encouragement in facing some very unique issues. The January conference will offer attendees six main sessions and 24 practical workshops, as well as opportunities to hear from several prominent women in ministry. Slated speakers include not only Bright and Evans, but also Kay Arthur, Serita Jakes, Victoria Osteen, Anna Hayford, and many more. Women may register online at the conference site or call 1-888-341-4801. [Jenni Parker]

...A former federal prosecutor says the man chosen by President George W. Bush to head the Department of Homeland Security is well qualified, but he is still likely to face stiff opposition during the confirmation process. Nominee Michael Chertoff was a federal prosecutor, headed up the U.S. Justice Department's Criminal Division, and was a nominee to the Court of Appeals. Pat Trueman of the Family Research Council says all that makes Chertoff an excellent choice to head the department. Trueman says the nominee "is a man who has a sense for criminal justice, who's a hard-nosed prosecutor, can sniff out crime, gathers around him the right people, and I think that he'll be ideal at Homeland Security." But some political observers say Chertoff, despite having been through the confirmation process three times previously for other positions, may not have it so easy this time around. "The Senate will naturally be concerned about this whole new field of heading this oversized department," Truman says, but he predicts that Bush's nominee will "pass with flying colors" in the end. [Bill Fancher]

...Conservative publisher and pundit David Horowitz says no amount of U.S. aid and assistance to Muslim victims of the Southeast Asian tsunami will alter the anti-American sentiments of the extremists who wish the U.S. harm. Nevertheless, he says the U.S. is doing the right thing by leading the way in the disaster relief effort. "We have to fight to win hearts and minds in the Muslim world," Horowitz says, noting, "not all Muslims are lined up with Osama bin Laden. If that were the case, he wouldn't be blowing up sites in Muslim countries." Still, the conservative spokesman says the U.S. should not be "deluded" into thinking it can overcome the incessant propaganda spewed from the Arabic language TV network Al Jezzera. "I think we need to take some measures with the ruling sheik in Qatar, where Al Jezzera is based," he says, adding that it is "a government station, and it needs to be reigned in." However, Horowitz feels it would be difficult to do much about the Arab network because of all the political fallout that would come from the American left. Nevertheless, he says he favors the U.S. continuing its tsunami relief operations, because many Muslims abhor the terrorist activities of the Islamic extremists and appreciate American support. [Chad Groening]

© 2005 AgapePress all rights reserved.

E-mail this page to a friend

Printer-Friendly Version

Read all of our current headlines