OUR COLUMNISTS Truth Isn't Enough ... You Must Weep Commentary by Matt Friedeman Whether making a political case or not, Christians must be people with a testimony, with a compassionate tale to tell, with compelling emotions to accompany our well-crafted arguments. Love Sick Commentary by Jane Jimenez What does it say for a love sick nation that our love doctors (psychologists) study all about our prefrontal cortex but nothing about love? Ever heard of a PhD in Love? Recruiting Season Commentary by Brad Locke We are faced daily with competing philosophies about life; and like coaches who are recruting players, these philosophies' proponents are coming right into our living rooms. But unlike a college recruiting scenario, there are not multiple viable options. When Bigger is Better Commentary by Mark Creech Only a nation that has completely embraced contraception would baulk at a couple having more than two or three children, and be absolutely horrified at the thought of having 17 like Vladimir and Zynaida Chernenko. Yet this is the current situation in America.

...The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has been asked to overturn a ban on prayers before meetings of a public school board in Louisiana. After reading one prayer thanking God for "your greatest gift of all, your son Jesus Christ," an appeals court judge said to a lawyer for the Tangipahoa Parish School Board, "Tell me how this is not proselytizing." But minutes later, another judge asked an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union why a school board should be excluded from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legislatures and "other deliberative bodies" may open meetings with prayer. Federal Judge Helen Berrigan ruled last year that school boards are different from other panels elected to make laws or rules, because they are integral parts of school systems. [AP]

...A ministry that specializes in counseling people who are considering abortions has found that the Internet is a valuable tool. CareNet is a call line that offers information to women who may be considering an abortion, or even to men faced with a crisis pregnancy. Funded by the Life Donor Network, CareNet handles about 10,000 calls and e-mails per month. Spokeswoman Kristen Hansen says most calls come from people who have no idea where to turn and often have no information about the true nature of abortions. She says they have helped countless women, and the Internet is now playing a large role by getting their information out to the public. "[[About 70 percent of] the women who are looking for help on the Internet ... are strongly considering abortion as an option," Hansen shares. "We have seen that 60 percent of our calls and e-mails coming into our call center are from the Internet. When we connect these women to a pregnancy center in their local community, nine out of ten of these women will choose life for their unborn child." Hansen says it is amazing how people's minds are changed once they have accurate information and find out that giving a child life is always the best choice. CareNet's Option Line number is 1-800-395-HELP. [Rusty Pugh]

...Blowing an earlier report on "a la carte" cable programming out of the water, the FCC has just released a report stating that consumers could be "better off" under such a system -- and could possibly even pay less than they are now for programming they don't wish to have in their homes. Cable providers have argued that allowing their users to bundle their own package of channels would be cost-prohibitive. That argument was propped up by a 2004 study by Booz Allen Hamilton that concluded a la carte was not economical. But a "Further Report" by the Federal Communications Commission [PDF] has found the 2004 report contained "mathematical errors" -- since acknowledged by Booz Allen -- and "relied on unrealistic assumptions and presented biased analysis" in its conclusions. The FCC says with the calculations corrected, three of the four scenarios considered in the Booz Allen study would result in consumers' bills going down anywhere from 3 to 13 percent. Today's report from the FCC, says Concerned Women for America, is exactly what consumers have been waiting for. "The FCC puts the lie to cable magnates' wild claims that a la carte would cost consumers more money and was not economically feasible," says CWA's Lanier Swann. "That argument has fallen flat on its face now that the FCC has shown that consumers could save up to 13 percent on their monthly cable bill." And like CWA has been saying all along in its push for "family-friendly" cable channel bundling, adds Swann, a la carte pricing "will not only put choice back into consumers' hands, it will also put a few dollars there as well." CWA says Congress has no excuse not to act now on legislation calling for cable choice for cable users. [Jody Brown]

...The National Association of Evangelicals has petitioned to intervene in a lawsuit accusing the U.S. Air Force Academy of unconstitutionally imposing Christianity on cadets. Kyle Fisk, executive administrator for the evangelical group, says it wants to help protect the rights of military chaplains and soldiers to have religious discussions with fellow soldiers. Last June, an Air Force task force found no overt religious discrimination but said it observed a lack of sensitivity among some and confusion over what is permitted in sharing one's faith. In August, the Air Force issued guidelines limiting public prayer at official functions and urging commanders to be sensitive about personal expressions of religious faith. [AP]

...The president of the union representing the nation's non-supervisory Border Patrol agents says if the Mexican government doesn't do something about military incursions in the U.S., the American government must take action. T.J. Bonner is president of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents about 10,000 frontline Border Patrol agents. Bonner is concerned about a recent incident near El Paso, Texas, in which armed men wearing uniforms crossed the Rio Grande River in SUVs before being chased away by sheriff's deputies. He says the men were protecting drug smugglers. "It was just a standoff -- no shots were fired. But what's to say that the next time there aren't shots fired?" he wonders. Bonner says there have been "numerous occasions" when shots were fired at U.S. Border Patrol agents and Washington has not stepped up and told Mexico, in no uncertain terms, that "this ends right here, right now." The National Border Patrol Council spokesman says that has to happen. "If Mexico refuses to deal with the problem, then our government needs to deal with the problem," he asserts. Bonner says he does not care about the Mexican government's explanation that the incursions were done by drug cartel members dressed up as soldiers. He says the Mexican government should respect the United States' sovereignty and not allow such incursions. [Chad Groening]

...The head of a national defense think tank believes on way or another, Iran's nuclear ambitions must be stopped -- even if it means using force to do so. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently told a German newspaper that all options, including a military response, remained on the table. Meanwhile, Tehran said it would not negotiate with the U.S. about its nuclear ambitions. Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy, is convinced that talking about the threat is not effective. "I do not think diplomacy is going to stop the mullahs from their current course," says Gaffney. "I think the only way to accomplish that really is to help the Iranian people bring about their overthrow." And while Gaffney is of the opinion that the U.S. should aggressive in doing more toward that end, he admits it might mean an unpleasant alternative. "It may mean that we have to use military force to prevent these mullahs from gaining nuclear weapons, and in the process hopefully help the people of Iran liberate themselves," he says. "But one way or the other, I believe they are going to have to be stopped because the alternative is too horrible to contemplate." Gaffney says if Israel or any other nation feels compelled to take action against Iran, it is in America's best interests to ensure they are successful. [Chad Groening]

© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.

E-mail this page to a friend

Printer-Friendly Version

Read all of our current headlines