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.

...Recently, liberals have attacked President Bush and his administration for holding regular, voluntary Bible studies in the White House. Critics say such practices violate the rights of non-Christians. But Concerned Women for America spokesperson Sandy Rios does not see it that way. "I don't know of any country in the entire world," Rios says, "who expects that when other people move there, that suddenly they have to become like those people." Rios says Arab-Americans should not expect that we suddenly become less Christian because they choose to live in the United States. Rios made her comments recently on CNN. [by Allie Martin]

...Recently, a special operations force destroyed a terrorist organization's stronghold in the Philippines and managed to take out several key terrorist leaders at the same time. Jim Phillips of the Heritage Foundation says we can expect more of those type of operation in the future. "From now on, most of the war against terrorism," Phillips says, "will be this kind of 'in the shadows' type of operation rather than an out-and-out war such as in Afghanistan." According to Phillips, the war against terrorism will be largely, a clandestine war. He says Americans will not hear about most of what happens. "But every once in a while," he says, "if there is a major victory, I think we will hear about it." Because the terrorist cells are spread across the globe -- and in small clusters, such special operations will be required to root them out of seclusion. [by Bill Fancher]

...A new study says violence on TV could have a long-lasting impact in the real world. Psychologists at the University of Michigan say people who watch violent television as children behave more aggressively as adults -- even as much as fifteen years later. Researchers say the study is one of the few TV violence studies that follows kids into adulthood. They say the effect appeared in both sexes regardless of how aggressive a person was as a child. Ed Vitagliano is director of research for the American Family Association. He says the survey is no surprise to those who have been following research on this issue. Vitagliano says, "The link between television violence -- and now, increasingly -- the link between other media-violence like video games or movies, has been fairly well established." He says although it is not a causative link, the link has a very strong correlation and he thinks that the increasingly violent nature of our culture should be a real concern for parents -- and the population in general. The study is in the March issue of the journal Developmental Psychology. [by Jim Brown]

...Democrats may pay a steep price for their stonewalling of judicial nominee Miguel Estrada. A Republican bid this week to end the democratic filibuster of Miguel Estrada's nomination failed when the required 60 votes did not materialize. The GOP need the support of nine Democrats, but only four ended up crossing party lines. Now, according to the Washington Times, Republican strategists are gearing up to use that against the Democrats who will be running in the 2004 elections. Senator George Allen of Virginia is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He says for those who opposed Estrada, they are going to have to explain that decision to their constituents back home in places like Louisiana, Florida and California -- states with a large number of Latino voters. The Times quotes Republican and Democratic pollsters who agree the Democrat's treatment of Estrada is likely to boost President Bush's profile with Hispanics. In fact, the chairman of the state Republican Party in New York has even suggested that Estrada move to New York to run against Senator Charles Schumer -- one of the key Democrats who has been fighting Estrada's nomination to the federal bench. [by Fred Jackson]

...An aviation school that trains pilots and mechanics for missionary work is moving from Tennessee to Washington State. Moody Bible Institute says the move this summer will help reduce costs for the ministry. Institute spokeswoman Heidy Hartley says Moody Aviation has employed about 35 people in Tennessee, but will have less than five employees in Spokane, Washington. She adds that the program's fleet of twenty aircraft also will be reduced to under five. Instead, Moody Aviation will conduct training using planes owned by Spokane Community College's aviation maintenance program. In addition, Moody will contract with the college for classroom instruction, flight training and aircraft maintenance. Moody's aviation program began in 1946 and has trained more than half of the missionary aviation personnel serving around the world today. [AP]

...Members of a Texas youth group say they all escaped from a bus just before it exploded into flames Sunday night. The chartered bus was one of two carrying 188 people from Austin's Hyde Park Baptist Church on a mission trip to New Orleans. Witnesses say that when a rear tire blew, sparks flew, and within a minute or so the entire bus was ablaze, shooting flames and debris 20 feet into the air. Interstate 10 near Vinton, Louisiana, was closed for about an hour. Vinton's assistant fire chief said the teen-agers and adults did a great job of getting away from the burning bus. [AP]

...A Saudi Arabian official says [non-Islamic] churches will never be allowed in his country. Defense minister Prince Sultan told reporters at a news conference that Saudi Arabia -- as the birthplace of Islam -- will never allow churches to be built on its territory. He is quoted as calling those who want churches in Saudi Arabia, "fanatics." The Sultan also says "nothing can contradict" his country's Islamic character "even if we lose our necks." But U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says a country that permits only one religion is not a free country at all. "I think religious freedom," Boucher says, "is generally defined to mean 'all religions' and not one particular one. If you have only one religion, then you don't have religious freedom." Last week, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom complained that the U.S. State Department left Saudi Arabia off its list of countries that violate religious rights. [by Sherrie Black]

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