OUR COLUMNISTS A Pinch of Incense Guest Commentary by Dr. Don Wildmon The founder of the American Family Association says the leadership in the Church -- and in the government -- is not willing to face the "torture" by the media and the liberal elite, and is willing to simply drop their pinch of incense on the altar of political correctness. Risking Success Commentary by David Sisler There is nothing wrong with success. There is nothing wrong with striving for success. The danger comes when the desire for success outweighs our desire for achievement. An Immigration Double Standard Commentary by R. Cort Kirkwood A twist on Orwell: All illegal immigrants are criminals, but some are more criminal than others. That, it seems, is the case for Ernst Zundel, whom the Immigration and Naturalization Service recently arrested. 'Be Prepared, Not Afraid' Commentary by Mark Creech No fear is more advantageous than the fear of God, a reverential awe and respect for the One who made us. The kind of fear that burdens, however, is altogether different.

...The Cincinnati-based group, Citizens for Community Values, has led a campaign to have law enforcement officials enforce, -- or at least threaten to enforce -- obscenity laws against hotels that offer in-room, pay-per-view pornographic movies. The group's efforts appear to be paying off. President Phil Burress, who says this is not a "privacy issue," notes that the latest hotel to make the decision to drop the porn movies is the Cincinnati Marriott North in West Chester. He now believes hotels -- at least in and around Cincinnati -- are getting the message. Burress says that this is the sixth hotel in the greater-Cincinnati area in the last seven months that has pulled hard-core pornography out of their hotels. "On average," Burress says, "we are estimating that it has cost the pornography industry more than $300,000 in in-room, pay-per-view movies." Burress says another major hotel in Cincinnati has announced it will drop in-room porn because the recent developments has caused the company to review its policy and found that it wasn't consistent with customer family values. [by Chad Groening] See Related Story.

...FBI special agent Robert Wright is a "whistleblower" who has pointed out bureau failures in its terrorism division prior to the 9/11 attacks. But after praising a female agent who came forward with a similar story, FBI director Robert Mueller does not want Wright talking at all -- especially about Muslim agents. Earlier this week, Mueller threatened to fire agent Wright just as he was about to walk onto a news production studio at the FOX network. Mueller wanted to talk about Muslim agents who refused to wear a "wire" to record other Muslim suspects in terror investigations. A former agent, Gary Aldrich, can talk about this because he is no longer under the bureau's thumb of control. Aldrich says, "Well, thankfully, I don't have to ask the FBI for permission to speak on something like this [any more] and my sense of it is that any agent who, because of his religious beliefs, refuses to conduct a normal kind of investigation, should go ahead and hand in his resignation and go do something else for a living." Wright says Muslim agents refused to wear a [listening device] in their investigation because, as they put it, "a Muslim does not tape another Muslim." Wright was a special agent in the Bureau's terrorism division prior to 9/11. [by Bill Fancher]

...The president of the Center for Military Readiness (CMR) says time is running out and the president needs to make a military move -- with, or without United Nations approval. Elaine Donnelly of CMR wonders, "If not now, when?" Donnelly says that is the big question. She says those four words really tell the story and they cannot be answered by those advocating further negotiations and delay. Donnelly points out that the weather is becoming a big factor because as the temperature climbs, the warmer weather will make it much more difficult for our troops to operate while wearing protective -- and cumbersome -- chemical protection suits. "That protective gear in itself," Donnelly says, "can be an impediment as the temperature rises in that part of the world. " She says the opportunity to act, and to act effectively, is certainly right now -- or very close to right now. "It can't be delayed indefinitely," she says. [by Chad Groening]

...The Reverend Irvin Baxter is afraid he is already read about the looming war in Iraq -- in the Bible's book of Revelation. The editor of Endtime magazine says he is "75 to 80% sure" that this would be the sixth "trumpet" judgment of Revelation chapter nine -- a war launched around the Euphrates River that kills one-third of mankind. Baxter adds that he hopes he's wrong. But he speculates that the fifth trumpet judgment -- in which the smoke of a great furnace darkens the sun -- may have been fulfilled during the Gulf War when Saddam Hussein set Kuwait's oilfields ablaze. [AP]

...The head of a Christian ministry in Maine says there are only about 50,000 evangelicals in the entire state and that is why he believes the state is so hostile toward President Bush's policy towards Iraq. Michael Heath is executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine. His is upset with the Maine legislature for passing a resolution opposing President Bush's desire to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from power. And it has even been reported that some teachers in the state apparently chastised young children of National Guard personnel that are now serving in the gulf region. For reasons such as this, Heath says Maine has an extremely secular culture. "I don't think the constituency," Heath says, "is anywhere near what it is in the South or in the Midwest and that is because of their culture." Heath says the culture in New England is very secular -- very hostile -- to the way most American's live their daily lives. "The ideology [in Maine] almost mocks traditional Christian living," Heath says. Heath adds that even the state's several hundred thousand Catholics tend to vote for pro-abortion democrats -- despite the church's official pro-life stance. [by Chad Groening]

...The executive director of the Center for A Free Cuba says there is really not that much difference between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and Fidel Castro's Cuba which lies only ninety miles off the coast of Florida. Frank Calzon says economically speaking, the average Iraqis are much better off than many Cubans are. Calzon says the Iraqi people have perhaps, "a little bit more economic freedom in the sense of buying and selling products and that kind of thing." Cuba, he thinks, is somewhat similar to North Korea. Calzon points out that the Cuban government attempts to control everything and that there are really, two levels to Cuban society -- "one for foreigners and high government officials, and the other one for the rest of the Cuban people." And Calzon says Americans should put pressure on the U.S. State Department to hold Cuba accountable for continuing to provide a safe haven for fugitives from American justice. [by Chad Groening]

...Does your church help the hurting? At the recent Promise Keepers pastors conference in Phoenix, the Reverend Tony Evans of the Urban Alternative told a parable about a newlywed whose bride is injured in a car accident. Evans said the bridegroom sees a house with a sign outside that says "Dr. John Smith." But when the young man goes to the door for help, Dr. Smith says he's retired from medicine -- to which the bridegroom angrily responds, "Then take down your sign!" The Reverend Evans told pastors that if their churches don't help people in need, they too should take down their signs. [AP]

...A member of one of the most successful contemporary Christian bands says many critics of contemporary Christian music do not realize that it is okay to exalt Jesus in a vibrant way. With more than 2 million albums sold, Audio Adrenaline has been one of the biggest contemporary Christian music bands for years. Ben Cissell is the drummer for Audio Adrenaline and he says while contemporary Christian music may not be for everyone, it does has a God-honoring message. "What we are doing," Cissell says, "and what everybody on stage is doing -- does not matter. What matters is your relationship with Jesus Christ." Cissell says that all the group is here to do is just be Christian cheer leaders and try to encourage listeners into following Jesus Christ. Audio Adrenaline is currently in the studio working on their forthcoming album entitled Worldwide. [by Allie Martin]

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