OUR COLUMNISTS Which Comes First -- Morality or the Economy? Guest Commentary by Matt Friedeman Wall Street is wondering just how seriously this president takes the concerns of the Religious Right. They had better hope the answer is -- very ... The Peterson Verdict: Truth Reclaimed Commentary by Jane Jimenez As America shifts its attention from the Scott Peterson trial to the coming trial for the murderer of Bobbie Jo Stinnett, our search for truth will be harder than we care to admit. Knee-Jerk Unions Commentary by Brad Locke The basic concept of unions is good, but there is ample room for abuse -- and unions also tend to cultivate mean-spiritedness and an almost cult-like mentality. Where Did We Lose Christ? Commentary by David Sisler Christmas without Christ. When the wrappings are all shredded, the presents are scattered or returned and the bills are due, if you do not have Jesus, all you have is one more empty day. And 364 of those are quite enough for one year. What's Really Behind the First Noel? Commentary by Mark Creech Why does the Christmas story hold a place of adoration in the hearts of millions throughout the world? I suggest it is because the evidence in favor of its truth claims far outweighs the declarations of skeptics.

...The parents of Holly Patterson have sued the manufacturer of RU-486 and the Planned Parenthood facility that gave her the abortion pill. Holly died in September 2003 several weeks after taking the drug, which is known on the market as Mifeprex. The lawsuit, filed against Danco Laboratories, claims the drug maker failed to warn doctors of the potential dangers of RU-486. A Danco spokesperson, when asked about the lawsuit, stated that "no causal relationship" had been established between the 18-year-old's death and her use of Mifeprex. But Concerned Women for America says the lawsuit is "well-deserved." Wendy Wright, senior policy director for CWA, says the drug trials of RU-486 were "sub-standard [and] biased," that Danco knowingly distributes the drug to abortionists who violate usage requirements, and that Planned Parenthood "treats women like Holly as collateral damage in their pursuit of more abortions." Wright says the young woman "paid the ultimate price for the FDA buckling to abortion proponents' pressure to approve a drug that has only one purpose -- to kill a human being." CWA is hopeful the boldness of Holly's parents will encourage other family members of RU-486 victims to come forward and hold accountable "those responsible for the injuries" of other women who have taken the regimen. Also named in the suit is the emergency room doctor who treated Holly Patterson. [Jody Brown]

...Christian musician Michael Card says the string of lights on your Christmas tree may have been assembled by an imprisoned Chinese Christian. Card says a ministry called WorldServe is helping support the families of more than 1,100 jailed Chinese pastors -- many of whom are assigned to the painstaking task of stringing thousands of Christmas lights daily. Instead of calling for a boycott, Card says the jailed pastors are asking American Christians to pray for them each time they see Christmas lights. Card says their plight inspired him to write the new song "Lights of Christmas." WorldServe says a donation of $50 to its "Lights of Christmas" program will support the family of an imprisoned Chinese pastor for one month. [AP]

...Conservatives are applauding the appointment of two pro-life senators to the Senator Judiciary Committee. Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families says with the addition of Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) to the Senate committee, conservative values will be well-defended. "I am thrilled by their appointment," Bauer says in his daily newsletter. "Dr. Coburn [an obstetrician] is one of the most effective advocates for the sanctity of life, and Sam Brownback has been a tireless leader on many issues on concern to pro-family conservatives." Jan LaRue of Concerned Women for America is also grateful for the presence of the two on the Judiciary Committee, but for a slightly different reason. "It is likely that there will be a Supreme Court vacancy next year," she notes. "With the additions of Brownback and Coburn to the committee, there will be more watchful eyes on [Arlen] Specter." LaRue explains that her organization has vowed to hold Senator Specter, the incoming committee chairman, accountable for his promise not to impose a litmus test on judicial nominees -- a promise that followed criticism the Pennsylvania Republican received for essentially warning President Bush not to nominate pro-life judges for the federal bench. Brownback and Coburn, CWA says, will help with their "Specter watch." [Jody Brown]

...The Washington Post reports that U.S. taxpayers are funding a project in Nigeria that involves prostitution and the testing of a new AIDS drug. About 125 prostitutes at a brothel in Ibadan are being used in an experiment to see if a new pill will help stop the spread of HIV infections. According to the report, the study seeks to determine if a single daily dose of Tenofovir can prevent infection from taking hold in healthy people in much the same way that birth-control pills prevent conception. The women involved in the study have been taking the drug since July -- but some are taking a placebo rather than the drug that could save their lives, says the Post. The prostitutes are also receiving counseling and unlimited access to condoms. According to the newspaper, the Nigerian case is part of a $50 million worldwide project being paid for by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first results from the study are due in 2006. Researchers say they expect some of the women to contract the HIV virus during the study because almost one-quarter of "sex workers" in Ibadan have HIV. [Fred Jackson/Jody Brown]

...The South Carolina Supreme Court has thrown out a so-called "wrongful life" lawsuit by a mother who claims she would have aborted her child had she known he was severely disabled. Jennie Willis brought the suit on behalf of her eight-year-old son, who is missing most of his brain. Her attorneys argue that she would never have wanted her son to live such a difficult existence, and that a doctor should have warned her in time to get an abortion. But the court unanimously threw out the lawsuit. One justice writes that even someone "with the wisdom of Solomon" could not weigh the difficulties of having a severe defect against not being born at all. The justice says that is "simply beyond the human experience." [Ed Thomas]

...A Christian author, former chaplain, and pastor says depression is all too present in Christians and non-Christians alike during the Christmas season. In his new book When Someone You Love Suffers from Depression or Mental Illness, Cecil Murphey says the Christmas holidays can create not only financial strain, but also can lead to loneliness and depression. "They see these commercials on TV, they go by the stores, they hear the bells and the music," the author observes, "and it's as if they feel they've got to be happy and joyful every moment." So they set very unrealistic goals and try to do too much, he says. "What they forget is that ... if you have something sad going on in your life, it's not going to go away for anybody just because it's the Christmas season." Murphey says the church has been slow to accept those struggling with depression, which he says is often a chronic illness. [Allie Martin]

...A high school English teacher in Tennessee has been honored by the Christian Educators Association International as its educator of the year. Andrea "Andy" Darlington, who teaches in the Shelby County Public School System in the Memphis area, has been named National Christian Educator of the Year -- an honor that carries with it an opportunity to help raise public and professional awareness of Christian values in the public school sector. The 18-year teaching veteran has already been busy doing that on the local level. As noted in a press statement from CEAI, Darlington is known in the Memphis area for coaching and judging writing competitions, appearing on local television, and being active with both church and charitable groups. "I encourage the presentation of Christian faith in the classroom as state laws permit, especially through Christian literature," she says, adding her belief that teaching is a "high calling." Darlington was nominated by her peers in a nationwide competition of all teachers in public and private schools. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. [Jody Brown]

...That white pinpoint of light racing across the sky before dawn on Christmas morning won't be Santa's sleigh or the star that guided the Wise Men to Bethlehem. NASA says it will be the International Space Station -- visible through binoculars or with the naked eye, weather permitting. Associated Press notes that the magi spoken of in the Book of Mathew would have had trouble keeping up with the 200-ton space station, which is orbiting at about five miles per second. NASA says it will cross the continental United States from west to east in about one minute, but will also be visible at other times between Christmas and New Year's Day. [AP]

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