OUR COLUMNISTS Jewish-Christian Unity at Easter Guest Commentary by Paul Kengor Ronald Reagan's respect for Jews was ingrained in his upbringing and his faith. He drew upon Christian motivations in interceding to help Jews whenever he could. Anyone who thinks that a Christian who rejoices over Easter cannot reach out to Jews ought to contemplate Reagan's example. Sportsmanship Defined Commentary by Brad Locke When did sportsmanship become devalued? Whether an athlete wins or loses, his comportment should be not so much subdued as controlled. To place too much emphasis on a final score is to elevate the game to an undeserved status. The Power of the Word Commentary by David Sisler When was the last time you were talking with a friend and you overlooked a kindness that had been done for you? Later, did you think of something special you might have said, and think, "I wish I would have said that." The Gospel for Skeptics Commentary by Mark Creech Nearly everyone understands the difference between a believer and a skeptic, but I'm not sure everyone knows the difference between an honest skeptic and a dishonest one.

...A Canadian homosexual magazine's poll says most homosexuals oppose same-sex marriage, and a few want to abolish marriage altogether. Fab magazine editor Mitchel Raphael says that only 36 percent of the respondents favor same-sex marriage. In the report by Baptist Press, the poll also showed that 11 percent of homosexuals responding believe that same-sex couples should refuse to buy into what they called "the oppressive institution of marriage." A little under 10 percent of those responding also said that homosexuals should lead a movement to ban marriage outright. Raphael says the results, though not scientific, may reflect a rejection of monogamous relationships by homosexuals. [Mary Rettig]

...An education analyst is questioning the implementation of transcendental meditation, or TM, in public charter schools in Detroit, Michigan. The schools have been including the TM programs in their curriculum as a way to reduce stress and improve the self-esteem of students. But Focus on the Family education analyst Mark Fey believes pushing TM in government schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. "We've got a clear case of something that is obviously in the religious realm," he says, "and as such it really has no place in public education, especially being promoted through supposed scientific study." Moreover, Fey feels it is an offense to the Detroit parents and citizens affected to have techniques associated with a foreign New Age philosophy pushed onto their children -- without their consent -- in the guise of education. "This is being done at charter schools and particularly targeting African American students," he notes, "and if I was a part of that community, I would be very offended that this organization, coming from the outside and saying what is good for their kids, is moving down this kind of road so quickly." Fey says if the tables were turned and Christians were to advocate prayer to the living God as a way to gain peace of mind, they would be run out of the public school setting. [Jim Brown]

...The American Civil Liberties Union is suing public school officials in Louisiana for allegedly sponsoring a teacher-led prayer group and other religious activities. The federal suit was filed in Shreveport on behalf of two elementary school students who said they were teased for refusing to participate in activities like Christmas caroling at nursing homes. The ACLU's Joe Cook says the children felt "left out" when they were sent to a computer lab while their classmates practiced religious carols. He says the school also displayed a Nativity scene in the library during the holidays. The lawsuit also takes issue with a Christian prayer group that is led by a teacher during recess. [AP]

...The Colorado legislature was the scene yesterday of a dispute between two Roman Catholics over the role of religion in politics. According to an Associated Press report, it all started when Roman Catholic priest Bill Carmody got up to offer the Colorado House's morning prayer. During that prayer he urged lawmakers to let religious faith guide their votes and to be the antithesis of President John Kennedy. Carmody went on to say that too many politicians have followed the example of the first Catholic president of the U.S. by pledging to separate their faith from politics. He called on all lawmakers, regardless of their church affiliation, to vote their convictions, even if it costs them elections. Democratic state representative Alice Madden, who says she was raised a Catholic, took the floor to denounce Carmody's remarks, calling them an unfair attack on Kennedy. Recently, Democratic presidential contender John Kerry, a firm supporter of abortion and stem-cell research, has made news with remarks regarding his decision as a Catholic to separate his religion from his politics. [Fred Jackson]

...A Kansas pro-family activist says across the state line in Missouri, pornography shops are almost as common as fast-food restaurants, and his group is working to make sure Kansas does not suffer the same fate. A Dickinson County, Kansas, grand jury recently indicted an "Adult Superstore" on 29 counts of obscenity. Phillip Cosby of the group Citizens for Strengthening Community Virtues says by using the grand jury approach to enforce Kansas law, the state hopes to keep a lid on pornography. But sadly, across the state line, he says, Missouri has a real problem. "There is quite a contrast on the I-70 Interstate between Missouri and Kansas," Cosby comments, "and I suspect it's because the pornography industry knew this Kansas law existed. Missouri law doesn't read quite the same way. " He says on the Missouri side of the interstate highway, there are porn shops, numerous as fast-food places, and no doubt porn vendors would like to expand across the state line. But the pro-family activist says he hopes that Kansas law enforcement has caught the problem in time to head off the pornographers and "can repel them back across the borders." Quoting the Supreme Court's 1973 "Miller Decision," Cosby observes that obscenity is not protected free speech. He says family values are worth fighting for; and in Kansas, that is what they intend to do. [Rusty Pugh]

...Rising health care costs are forcing U.S. employers to examine who they have on their insurance rolls. Companies are trying to cut costs by weeding out dependents who do not qualify, such as children over a specific age limit. Previously, employers used annual spot checks to allow employees to update their own records, but now the company officials are saying that is not enough. Some major corporations, such as DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company, have turned to intense audits of the insurance rolls. Both Chrysler and Ford are reporting significant savings into the millions of dollars after cutting almost 75,000 ineligible dependents. And now some cities, such as Buffalo, New York, are looking to get into the act. Sam Hoyt, the Democratic representative for Buffalo, says he believes that this kind of oversight could help government and school districts save jobs. [Mary Rettig]

...A conservative author says the media in America has been divided by the political spectrum. Gary Aldrich of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty says over the past few years he has learned that the type of political message one has determines the type of exposure that message will receive in the media. Aldrich believes the major media have polarized, dividing into a politically liberal mainstream and a conservative alternative media dichotomy. "We have our media. They have their media," he says. "They have television, and they have the print media. We have the Internet, and we have talk radio." And Aldrich believes the scales are in many ways beginning to tip toward the right. He says the liberal media's readership and viewing audience is declining, while "ours is increasing rapidly. And, even though today TV is still king in terms of getting a message out, that too is diminishing," he says. Meanwhile, many Washington observers claim the emergence of alternative, conservative media outlets has helped balance the dispersal of news and brought forth a more balanced viewpoint, further highlighting the mainstream media's liberal bias. [Bill Fancher]

...The U.S. embassy in Hanoi has asked for access to a volatile area in Vietnam's Central Highlands where police arrested scores of ethnic minority Christians involved in protests over the Easter weekend. More than a thousand ethnic Christians, collectively called Montagnards, protested in the streets of a provincial capital on Saturday against religious repression and confiscation of their tribal lands. The Montagnard Foundation says hundreds were killed. Scores of people were arrested and others injured in what was supposed to be a peaceful prayer demonstration. Police quickly clamped down on the protests and sealed off the area to foreigners. Vietnam's communist government recognizes only a handful of state-sponsored religions and has clashed many times with Buddhists and Christians. International human rights groups say some ethnic minorities have been persecuted for their beliefs and forced to publicly renounce their faith. [AP]

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