OUR COLUMNISTS Tithing to Ourselves vs. Loving Our Neighbors Commentary by Matt Friedeman We tithe to ourselves, insisted the late evangelist Tom Skinner. And as unpleasant as that perspective is, you have to admit, it is hard to argue with. Teens and Sex -- How Many? So What? Commentary by Jane Jimenez In the business of counting pregnant teens, it is sometimes hard to get our mind around the statistics. But is understanding the numbers really going to help us understand the problem? In Name Only Commentary by Brad Locke It's time a certain school change its name. I'm not talking about an American Indian nickname. I'm talking about Redemption Christian Academy, a prep school in upstate New York. The school isn't being respectful of those who hold a certain name dear. Amnesia Commentary by David Sisler What would it be like to wake up and not remember the evil that you had done, the people you had hurt, the sins you had committed? What would you pay for a little selective amnesia? 'Cheap Grace' Is No Grace at All Commentary by Mark Creech Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined a phrase to address the self-delusion of Lutheran Church members in Germany in his day. In The Cost of Discipleship, Bonohoeffer spoke of those who had only experienced "cheap grace."

...Police in Haiti say they rescued unharmed two kidnapped children and a foster child of a U.S. missionary couple during a raid on an apartment in Haiti's capital. Police say three-year-old Hannah Lloyd, her five-year-old brother David and their seven-year-old foster sister Miriam are the children of Pentecostal minister David Lloyd and his wife, Alicia, of Claremore, Oklahoma. The children were abducted after they left school on Friday and were rescued the next day. Lloyd and his wife run "Missions in Haiti," which helps raise 21 Haitian foster children. Lloyd says, "It's been a pretty rough year, but we feel this is where God wants us to be, and we will stay with our mission." [AP]

...After coordinating the donation of almost 50 recreational vehicles to victims of Hurricane Katrina, a pro-family group in Mississippi is taking their commitment a step further to aid even more people whose homes were damaged by the destructive storm. The American Family Association has announced it is donating $100,000 to the hurricane relief effort knows as 8 Days of Hope, a major volunteer relief effort scheduled just before Christmas. The effort, being organized by a father-and-son team, hopes to bring together 500 volunteers from around the United States to repair homes damaged by the hurricane. According to press statements, the volunteers will be doing such tasks as roofing, replacing windows and drywall, and painting -- with an emphasis on helping those who have been hit the hardest and have no money or insurance to help put their homes back in order. AFA founder Don Wildmon says funds for his group's donation to 8 Days of Hope were given by AFA supporters specifically for the cause. "AFA isn't taking a penny, even for administration," Wildmon says. The relief project, which begins on Saturday, December 10, and concludes on Sunday, December 18, will work through and with local churches along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. (Read earlier 2-part series on 8 Days of Hope) [Jody Brown]

...A Roman Catholic school is canceling a fashion show by the maker of American Girl dolls and books, amid criticism of a girls organization that the company supports. St. Luke School in Brookfield, Wisconsin, notified parents of the decision through bulletins at Masses over the weekend. American Girl's parent company, Mattel, raises money for Girls Inc., formerly the Girls Clubs of America, which the American Family Association calls "a pro-abortion, pro-lesbian advocacy group." Girls Inc. says it accepts lesbianism and provides information to girls who ask about abortion. Money raised at the school fashion show was to go toward a new playground and a refurbished library, but St. Luke's pastor says, "The cost is too high. Our integrity isn't for sale." [AP]

...A pro-life advocate says the fact that a Springfield, Missouri, abortion clinic closed shortly after passage of a new pro-life law is proof that people who kill unborn babies shouldn't be called doctors. A new Missouri law requires anyone performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital within 30 miles of the abortion facility. Immediately after the law took effect, Springfield's only abortion clinic closed because the abortionist at the facility had no admitting privileges. Judie Brown, president of American Life League, says this proves one thing. "It's interesting that that happened so quickly because what it tells me is that, at least in this particular abortion mill's case, those doctors were not qualified to be part of a hospital staff -- if indeed they were qualified to do anything," Brown says. "So we've got a situation in Springfield that I think mirrors the situation in a lot of places in the United States. These are unqualified individuals -- and they make their money killing children." The ALL leader says she honestly believes that a doctor who kills babies should not be called a doctor. [Rusty Pugh]

...A pro-family activist says people should be alarmed over the fact that Catholic Charities of Massachusetts is allowing homosexuals to adopt children. Catholic Charities has placed 13 children with homosexual couples over the past few years. Church leaders say they are just following state law. But Bob Knight of the Culture and Family Institute disagrees with the action. "They have no business deliberately placing children in homosexual households just to please the state," he says. There are some Catholic Church leaders who support and praise the action. Knight wonders how the agency can place children in "motherless or fatherless households by design in which a sin is the central organizing principle of the household?" He says the church has to be held accountable for the adoptions. Many church members want their leaders to fight the law. [Bill Fancher]

...A Medal of Honor winner and former prisoner of war says recent statements and actions by John Kerry have convinced him the Massachusetts senator plans to run for president again in 2008. Last year a group of former POWs released a video titled Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal. Retired Medal of Honor winner Col. Bud Day says it was one of several videos by Vietnam veterans to call attention to the truth about John Kerry's war record. Many analysts believe the veterans played a major role in Kerry's ultimate defeat. But in recent weeks, Kerry has returned to the public forefront once again, criticizing the president on the war on terror in Iraq. Day believes it is a sign that Kerry wants to try for the White House again. "My take on it right now that he's positioning himself to do just that," Day shares. "His strike against President Bush when he was talking about [Bush's] qualifications, things that he had done and so forth, made it pretty clear that he's a candidate again." And Day says he believes that a lawsuit filed against his group by a couple of Kerry supporters is an attempt to put them out of action for 2008. [Chad Groening]

...An Ohio lawmaker says if the federal government is not willing to enforce immigration laws, then the state must do it. Republican Courtney Combs says even though Ohio is a long way from the Mexican border, it has not been spared the impact of illegal aliens coming within its own borders. Combs says the so-called "cheap labor" that the illegal immigrants are providing is anything but cheap for Ohio taxpayers. "They're coming in [and] taking advantage of all the services -- hospitals, education, human services -- and they're not paying any taxes," he explains. "So when we talk about that being 'cheap labor,' that's a misnomer because of all the services that we, as a state, have to provide to them." So Combs is crafting legislation to deal with the problem at the state level. "If they are asked if they are ... in the United States [legally] and they say they are [when they aren't], then you can get them for falsifying official records," the state lawmaker says. "We're looking also at trespassing statutes that could be put in. Right now we're crafting a bill that will be constitutional and that will hold muster." Combs says the illegal alien problem is clearly a public safety issue, as evidenced by the amount of crime perpetrated by illegal aliens in his state. [Chad Groening]

...It was a monumental task, say the organizers -- but the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival has selected its "Jubilee Award" winners for 2005. Doug Phillips, founder of the film festival, says more than 130 films were submitted for consideration by a panel of five judges. The "Best of Festival" Jubilee Award -- a $10,000 grand prize -- went to No Greater Love, a 16-minute film set in Hungary during the refugee flight of 1956. The film, which is based on a true story, contrasts two fathers -- one who is willing to sacrifice for his family, and one who is not. Other awards went to A Journey Home (Best Documentary), Intent (Best Political), Growing Up (Audience Choice), A Journey Through Creation (Best Creation), and Bluestate: Tolerance for All (Young Filmmaker's). Runners-up included The Narrow Path, Her Last Prayer, For God, Family, and the Republic, Gentle Giants, and Why Did the Duck Cross the Road? All the winners, says Phillips, are "worthy films that give glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." Next year's film festival and awards is scheduled for October 19-21, 2006, in San Antonio. [Jody Brown]

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