OUR COLUMNISTS The Federal Marriage Amendment: A Necessary Response to an Imminent Threat Guest Commentary by Brian Fahling The inherent dignity of humanity is imprinted in the male-female union because it reflects the beauty of a created order that transcends the individuals who comprise the union. The decree by the Massachusetts Supreme Court redefining marriage to include same-sex couples is a direct assault on the dignity of humanity precisely because it pretends to redefine the nature of humanity itself. An Unholy Union Commentary by Brad Locke The union of sports and the Hollywood mindset, unholy as it is, is merely a sign of society's skewed priorities. We value brainless entertainment over actual mental and emotional stimulation and interaction. Is it possible for Congress to pass a "separation of Hollywood and sport" bill? The Basics of Praise Commentary by David Sisler The good thing about the re-discovery of "Praise and Worship" is that we have added new music to our worship of the Lord God Almighty. The bad thing about the re-discovery is the danger of throwing out the old hymns of the church because that is "old school." In Pursuit of the New Jerusalem Commentary by Mark Creech America is deeply indebted to blacks for their leadership in seeking to usher in the New Jerusalem -- the city of God -- a society where racial equality and oneness prevail. Unfortunately, however, the holy pursuit for the New Jerusalem has often been desecrated. Christians have dishonored it.

...Archbishop James Keleher says Roman Catholic institutions in his Kansas City archdiocese shouldn't invite politicians or others who favor keeping abortion legal. Keleher's statement came a day after Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic who defies church teaching by supporting legal abortion, spoke at the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth. Keleher said it is "imperative that our Catholic churches, schools and institutions make every effort not only to support the pro-life movement, but especially to ensure that the public understands our unequivocal stand." [AP]

...Pro-lifers in the Volunteer State are organizing a grassroots effort in support of a pro-life amendment to the state constitution. In a campaign dubbed "Operation Team Lead!," Tennessee Right to Life is hoping to identify ten "strongly pro-life" households in each of the state's 99 House districts that will actively support passage of Senate Joint Resolution 127. The proposed amendment, sponsored by Republican State Senator David Fowler of Signal Mountain and Democratic State Representative Mike Turner of Nashville, reads: "Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or the funding thereof." By mobilizing nearly 1,000 pro-life Tennesseans, the pro-life group hopes to target state legislators with a large number of contacts from constituents in their own districts. Team leaders within each district will focus their efforts on at least five pro-life churches in their district, asking permission to distribute pro-life resource material through church bulletins and inserts and to set up pro-life education tables at appropriate church functions. [Jody Brown]

...A United Methodist minister who has performed same-sex "marriage" ceremonies now hopes to fight for the homosexual agenda in Congress. Emanuel Cleaver II is the long-time pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. As the first black mayor in the city's history, he worked hard to get special rights for homosexuals. Now the former two-term mayor is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. congressional seat from the fifth district in Missouri. Steve Dennis, the Republican who could be facing the popular Cleaver in November, says when it comes to the homosexual agenda, Cleaver's actions speak louder than words. "He has in the past performed a number of civil union marriages -- or what he'd consider marriages -- and sees no problem with that," Dennis explains, adding that while he expects the homosexual marriage issue to come up during the campaign, it will ultimately not be a winner for the Methodist pastor. "This is a losing issue," he says. "You've got a 70 percent ratio of folks who do not agree that this should be a part of our national agenda [and say] it should not be accepted as normal." According to Dennis, even some of the individuals making up the editorial board for the usually left-leaning Kansas City Star have found Cleaver's pro-homosexual agenda "appalling." [Chad Groening]

...A California champion of religious freedom has come to the defense of Christian who faces termination from her job because of a sincerely held conviction regarding the consumption of alcohol. The Pacific Justice Institute reports that it was contacted by an employee of Rite Aid Corporation who requested to be excused from handling alcoholic beverages because of her conviction against participating in the sale and consumption of alcohol. The employee's supervisor refused to accommodate the request, suggesting that the woman either comply or quit and find another job. PJI's Brad Dacus says people of faith are under attack on a number of battlefronts. "Too often, private and public employers are refusing to accommodate the sincerely held religious convictions of their employees," he says. "As a result, employees are being terminated for their refusal to compromise their deeply held religious beliefs." The law firm has contacted Rite Aid, explaining in a letter the workplace rights that people of religious faith are entitled to under both federal and California law. Because it is clear that the company violated the law, PJI has demanded the employee's request be immediately accommodated, without fear of reprisal. Dacus says while he is hopeful Rite Aid will respond favorably, his firm stands ready to vindicate the woman's rights in court if necessary. [Jody Brown]

...A federal judge has ruled that New York City public schools can exclude Nativity scenes from holiday displays that include menorahs, Christmas trees, and the Islamic star and crescent. Judge Charles Sifton dismissed a lawsuit that sought to overturn a city policy that barred purely religious symbols from school displays, but allowed symbols considered to be a blend of religious and secular. Sifton said the city has lawfully been allowing students of all religions to learn about a variety of Christmastime practices "without feeling threatened by them." A spokesman for the Catholic League, which filed the lawsuit, said the judge's description of the menorah as secular offends both Christians and religious Jews. "The Jewish menorah represents a miracle," says William Donohue. "When last we checked, miracles were considered religious. To say that it is a secular symbol is insulting to religious Jews." [AP]

...An advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the so-called "roadmap for peace" in the Middle East is nothing more than an attempt by President Bush to appease the Europeans. Dr. Dan Schueftan has been labeled "the father of unilateral disengagement." He says disengagement is a better way to handle the Palestinian terrorist problem than is the roadmap for peace being pushed by the Bush Administration. "I certainly agree that the roadmap is no good," Scheuftan says. "President Bush accepted the roadmap in an attempt to appease the Europeans because [it] is a European idea, where the Europeans play a very major role." But the Israeli scholar says the Europeans have become increasingly more hostile to both Americans and Israelis. "It is so fascinating to see how exactly the people who hate Jews also hate Americans," he says. Schueftan says Europeans burning American and Israeli flags together as an act of hostility has created a stronger bond between the two countries than every before. [Chad Groening]

...A North Carolina pastor thinks so highly of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ that he has purchased all of the tickets for the film's first showing in his city. He says he plans to give many of the tickets to people who might be apprehensive about seeing the movie -- including Jewish leaders in his community. Rev. Alex McFarland, founder of Greensboro-based Faith in Focus Apologetic Ministries, says he is hopeful that his plan will help overcome any local controversy about the film. "In our community, there are strong bonds between Christians and Jews -- this movie will not change that," he says. McFarland saw the movie during a recent private screening in Florida. He disagrees with those who contend the film delivers an anti-Semitic message. The pastor notes that all people bear the responsibility for the death of Jesus, and that the movie does not counter that belief. "This movie broke my heart," he says, "but it also uplifted my spirit. Of the people that I spoke with who have seen the movie, they expressed many different emotions -- but anger and hatred were certainly not among them." McFarland points out that Gibson demonstrated his own responsibility for Christ's crucifixion by appearing in the film as the person handing nails to a Roman centurion. [Jody Brown]

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