OUR COLUMNISTS So, Now the Church Is the New Whipping Boy for the GOP? Commentary by Matt Friedeman While acknowledging GOP Senator Tom Coburn has courage to "slap around" the Religious Right, columnist Matt Friedeman questions the lawmaker's accusation that the church has played a role in food stamp fraud. The Science of Wisdom Commentary by Jane Jimenez The smartest of Americans are able to prove they are the smartest because they have a 3-inch study of research that agrees with them. Could this have been what killed the lemmings? Beware Ready-Made Role Models Commentary by Brad Locke Too often Christians treat born-again celebrities as ready-made role models, expecting them to be as proficient in their theology as they are in their careers. Unfortunately, many of these celebrities seem to buy into this line of thinking. Rebuking the 'Clergy Letter Project' Commentary by Mark Creech It is most unfortunate so many Christian leaders have concluded that evolution is scientific, whereas creationism and intelligent design are simply religious -- when, in fact, evolution is incapable of being scientifically proven.

...The executive director of Jews for Jesus is coming to the defense of Rev. Jerry Falwell in the wake of a controversial report in a Jewish newspaper. The Jerusalem Post reported this week that Falwell had decided that God has given Jewish people an exemption when it comes to requiring faith in Christ in order to enter heaven. Falwell categorically denied the report, saying that anyone who knows him knows that he believes Christ is the only way to heaven. David Brickner of Jews for Jesus says he applauds the Lynchburg, Virginia, pastor for standing firm on the exclusivity of the gospel message of salvation through Christ alone. But Brickner says the incident illustrates an "ongoing agenda" among certain Jewish leaders who he says want to "undermine Christian evangelism by trying to shape Christian theology." But the strategy is not working, he adds. "Some Jewish leaders just don't understand how central to evangelical Christianity is the teaching that Jesus Christ is the exclusive Savior for all people, including Jews," Brickner states. And conservative leaders like Falwell, says the Jews for Jesus leader, "still represent the mainstream in evangelical circles." [Jody Brown]

...Tony Perkins is concerned about a piece of legislation that is in the early stages of working its way to the floor of the U.S. Senate. The Family Research Council president is convinced the "Lieberman-Levin Amendment," if enacted, would impose unconstitutional free-speech restrictions on grassroots groups like FRC. Perkins contends the measure would give Congress the authority to "scrutinize and regulate" the constitutionally protected efforts of groups to alert citizens to legislative developments in Congress. The amendment has been introduced in the wake of the scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But Perkins says attempts to address concerns emerging from that scandal should not be used to encroach on Americans' basic constitutional liberties. "[T]he amendment approved by the [Homeland Security and Governmental Reform Committee] violates the constitutionally protected right of citizens to petition government, stifles debate, and shuts out the voice of average citizens," says the FRC president. He labels the amendment a "red herring" that effectively removes the focus from corruption within the lobbying community and tries to make non-profit citizen groups the "whipping boy." Perkins is urging that the amendment be stripped from the overall bill when it reaches the Senate floor. [Jody Brown]

...One of 55 House Democrats who've signed a "Catholic Statement of Principles" says it's an effort to keep abortion from becoming their single defining issue. Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro says she and other Catholic Democrats are "very proud of our spirituality," but reserve the right to obey conscience rather than church teachings. The 55 signers say they "agree with the Catholic Church about the value of human life and the undesirability of abortion" and "do not celebrate its practice." But the House members add that they "accept the tension that comes with being in disagreement with the church in some areas." Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life says Catholic Democrats realize that support for legal abortion is costing them votes and are "trying to put as good a face on their position as possible." [AP]

...A conservative says more blacks are turning to the Republican Party, despite the fact that their decision will likely result in attacks from liberals in the African-American community. While more blacks are joining the GOP, it is still not easy being a black Republican conservative -- so says Michael Massie of the group Project 21. "Many of us that dare step away from the crackerbox mentality that you can only think this way and victim-hood and enmiseration [sic] are the orders of the day, then you are attacked," Massie shares. "You are attacked as being a sellout, an uncle Tom, and so forth." Nevertheless, he notes, the Democratic Party's grip on "Black America" is continuing to slip as blacks realize their potential -- and realize their pro-family views are not the core beliefs of that political party. "There's nothing that blacks cannot do, and that's evidenced every day," he says. "This is the United States of America. It is the not the segregated states of America. We are Americans. We are not quasi-Americans or socialist Americans." According to Massie, more than 50 African-Americans will be running for public office as conservative Republicans. [Bill Fancher]

...A Missouri pro-life activist is disappointed that Senator Jim Talent has withdrawn his sponsorship of a bill to ban human cloning. The Republican lawmaker, who is up for re-election this fall, has announced he is no longer a sponsor of the Human Cloning Prohibition Act. He claims the proposed ban could outlaw new developments in embryonic stem-cell research that would not involve cloning or the destruction of human embryos. Larry Weber, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, admits he is disturbed by the senator's reversal. "After years of supporting the pro-life position that [the outcome of] somatic cell nuclear transfers [is] that a new human life comes into being, Senator Talent abandoned his support for the Brownback-Landrieu legislation." That bill, which would ban human cloning, has been pending in Congress the last few years. "Pro-lifers around the state of Missouri are very distressed at his flip-flop on ... this [issue]." Weber points out that somatic cell nuclear transfer is just another name for human cloning -- and contends that if Talent truly were pro-life, he would support the Human Cloning Prohibition Act. [Rusty Pugh]

...The executive director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) says California's Proposition 71 is rightfully being brought to trial by the state's taxpayers. Prop 71, passed by voters in the Golden State in 2004, allowed $3 billion in taxpayer funds to be used for embryonic stem-cell research. To date, no money has been distributed. On Monday, however, a trial began challenging the constitutionality of the law. CMDA's Dr. David Stevens says Prop 71 was flawed from the beginning. He explains that under the law, the legislature has no supervisory role over how the billions of tax dollars would be spent -- and that, he adds, is what has gone to trial. "[T]he fox is guarding the chicken coop," says the CMDA leader. "The people who are actually in charge of deciding who gets this money are exactly the same people who sponsored the referendum and poured millions of dollars into it. The supervisory body is made up in large part by the institutions and organizations that are going to receive the money." Because the measure is being challenged in court, Stevens says, "we're looking at a year or two years at the earliest before funding is going to be released for Proposition 71." Wall Street, he explains, "is not going to certify a bond sale that they're concerned might have some legal problems." Stevens points out it is not just pro-life groups that are joining in the fight against Prop 71. He says taxpayer groups and feminist groups have joined in the challenge as well. [Mary Rettig]

...A Presbyterian minister in San Rafael, California, being tried by the church for marrying two lesbian couples in violation of church teachings says she was following her conscience and the couples' wishes. Rev. Jane Spahr, a lesbian and homosexual rights activist, is accused of official misconduct for conducting the ceremonies in 2004 and 2005. As the first witness in her trial before a church judicial commission, Spahr testified that while she knew the Presbyterian Church USA reserves marriage for a man and a woman, she used the language the couples wanted when she presided over the nuptials. Spahr could face anything from a rebuke to being forced to leave the ministry if she is found guilty. [AP]

...New York University is the site for the first teacher training program jointly sponsored by two prominent pro-homosexual groups -- one educational, the other religious. GLSEN (the Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network) and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) have announced they are teaming to train what they describe as "allies in education" on how to address "anti-gay bias" in schools. The groups claim school officials are often reluctant to intervene in "incidences of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling and harassment" because they do not know what to do. Through the "Training of Trainers" program, the groups say they hope to "encourage, enlighten, and empower [educators] to make change." GLSEN and MCC say they plan to have seven more training presentations around the country. There is no report on whether groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union or Americans United for Separation of Church and State plan to challenge the constitutionality of the training on the grounds it may violate the alleged separation of church and state. [Jody Brown]

© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.

E-mail this page to a friend

Printer-Friendly Version

Read all of our current headlines