OUR COLUMNISTS Is the Church Ready for the Competition? Guest Commentary by Dr. Marc Newman What goes on in a movie theater is the same thing that goes on in church -- worldviews are being established, behaviors are condemned or condoned, even issues about transcendence are being resolved. Deadly Ambition Commentary by Brad Locke Many athletes can't see beyond the finish line. Life to them is empty without a trophy to be won. If they only knew that there is a prize so much greater than those perishable wreaths, a glory so much more worth their time and energies (I Corinthians 9:25). Voting: Privilege and Responsibility Commentary by David Sisler The 2000 campaign should have erased forever the excuse of non-voters that, "My vote doesn't matter." As an American, voting is your privilege. As a Christian, voting is your responsibility. No Middle Ground Here Commentary by Mark Creech The Bible teaches the nation that forgets God shall be turned into hell. Quite frankly, the question every American should be asking this election is this: "Is my vote supporting what God demands of the state?"

...African Anglican bishops are rejecting last week's church report on reconciling divisions over the U.S. Episcopal Church's consecration of an openly homosexual bishop. The bishops are attending a conference hosted by Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola, who says, "The Western world is embroiled in a new religion which we cannot associate ourselves with." Akinola says the African Anglican bishops will discuss building their own seminaries to train priests in a biblical theology that is consistent with African culture. The Nigerian archbishop says that in the U.S. Episcopal Church, "Men and men are cohabiting, which is taboo in African culture." Akinola recently visited the United States, where he offered alternative oversight to Episcopalians alienated by their church's consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson. Africa accounts for about half of the world's 77 million Anglicans. [AP]

...Questions are being raised about John Kerry's "moral compass." Reports during the course of the election campaign have referred to efforts by the Kerry camp to attract some of the so-called "religious vote." But Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families says when the Democratic presidential candidate talks religion, it is important to compare his words with his actions. For example, Bauer points to one recent speech in which Kerry stated that the "ethical test of a good society is how it treats its most vulnerable members." Bauer says it is obvious the Massachusetts senator was not speaking of unborn babies because Kerry has repeatedly voted in favor of continuing the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. Bauer also notes that Kerry "has made it clear that all of his court appointments will be committed to the continued destruction of 3,000 unborn children every day." [Fred Jackson]

...A top Vatican cardinal insists that the release of a new church doctrinal handbook isn't linked to next week's U.S. presidential election. Among other things, the handbook says there is not any legitimate "right" to abortion, which it condemns as a "horrendous crime." Cardinal Renato Martino says the handbook's release was timed to coincide with this week's long-planned Vatican meeting on social issues. When Martino was asked whether faithful Catholics can vote for candidates who back laws permitting abortion, a Vatican spokesman intervened and said, "The Holy See never gets involved in electoral or political questions directly." But the spokesman said bishops could, if they desired, weigh in on campaign issues to "illuminate the consciences of the faithful." [AP]

...Anti-George Bush billionaire George Soros has a new shadow -- it's called RightMarch. Soros, who is reportedly worth $7 billion, has given millions to various 527 groups created with one objective: to defeat the president's re-election bid. He is also traveling the country on a speaking tour. But at every stop, RightMarch is there. William Green, founder of RightMarch, says Soros is doing what he said he would be doing: putting his money where his mouth is -- and that's why his group is following Soros. "What we're doing is taking out full-page ads in all the states where he's going to be appearing, where he's going to be taking out his ads," Green explains. "We're running nationwide [print and radio] ads as well, basically to expose who this man is." Green says he also wants to expose Soros' ideology and agenda. The billionaire in being investigated by state and federal officials who question the non-partisan status of his 527s. [Bill Fancher]

...The latest polls indicate support for President Bush among black voters has gone from 9 to 18 percent of the black population in the last four years. Black conservative leader David Almasi says voters are paying closer attention this time around. There are several issues defining the candidates, he says, that are going against the usual issues -- "the main one being gay marriage," he says. But Almasi says the Democratic candidate is not listening. "John Kerry has been warned on many occasions that he's not addressing the issues that the African-American community wants addressed," Almasi explains, noting Kerry's propensity for talking about his Vietnam war record and his foreign policy plans, but not about "kitchen-table issues like education and taxes." Since black voters make up 10 percent of the total vote, the president -- with 18 percent of their vote -- is one full percentage point better than he was in the 2000 election with those black voters alone. [Bill Fancher]

...The chairman of the Republican Party of Texas says she is confident that two 13-term Democratic congressman will be defeated in next month, thanks to the new congressional districts carved by the legislature. Martin Frost and Charles Stenholm have each been in Congress for 26 years. But thanks to the controversial redrawing of the state's congressional boundaries, both men are fighting for their political lives this fall. Frost is taking on incumbent Pete Sessions, while Stenholm is squaring off with one-term Congressman Randy Neugebauer. GOP state chairman Tina Benkiser is confident both Republican candidates will win. "Their campaigns are very good; they're very grassroots-oriented. They understand the people that they represent," she says. "I truly do believe that both of them are going to be victorious on November 2." Benkiser says the Democrats are upset that the voters of the Lone Star State no longer support them. "We have put forth ideas [and] candidates whose values resonant with Texas voters," the GOP state leader says, "and so it's the voters that have put Republicans in charge, and the Democrats are just mad at them about that." Benkiser says there is a possibility that the GOP could pick up as many as six congressional seats in November. [Chad Groening]

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