OUR COLUMNISTS More Women Go to Church Than Men ... and What to Do About It Commentary by Matt Friedeman Many times, all things being equal, the men who win men to Christ are those who reflect the life and ministry of Jesus: they are purposeful, biblical, no-nonsense, on a mission, and invite others through personal attention to their objectives. Why I Teach Abstinence Commentary by Jane Jimenez Some would have us believe that teaching abstinence is no more than a brief exercise in repeating "NO" in unison. If that's all it is, then why bother teaching abstinence? The Soul of Soccer Commentary by Brad Locke We have our keepers of morality, and we have our uninhibited anarchists. We have our cultists, and we have our universalists. But if you want to find the median of the world's morality, you don't really have to look any further than a soccer stadium. The Heat in the Kitchen Commentary by David Sisler There is a sad attitude in our world today which says our individual sins should not be pointed out and that we should therefore not be held accountable. It is time and past time for Christians to hold up the standard of righteousness and call evil what it is. A Dark Day for North Carolina Commentary by Mark Creech It was certainly one of the saddest days of my life. The arguments made by certain lawmakers on the floor of the North Carolina House in favor of the lottery were unbelievably shallow and morally bankrupt!

...Cardinals in their conclave to elect a new pope could decide to cast their first ballots on Monday afternoon. If not, they will start voting Tuesday, with four ballots each day. At least 77 votes, from two-thirds of the 115 voting cardinals, are needed to elect a pontiff during initial balloting. But under rules updated in 1996 by the late Pope John Paul II, it could shrink to a simple majority at some point in the second week. Since the pope is bishop of Rome, one of Italy's 20 voting cardinals could be chosen. Over half of the voting cardinals are from Europe, 20 are from Latin America, and 11 are from the United States. [AP]

...It's called the "Right to Life Act of South Carolina" -- but it's getting mixed reviews, even from some pro-lifers. The South Carolina House passed the bill last week in a decisive 95-18 vote. The measure's primary sponsor, Representative Ralph Davenport, says it "creates a situation that at conception there is personhood," extending the right to due process and the right to equal protection under the law to unborn children. But according to a law professor from the University of Virginia, the bill's protections are limited. Kim Forde-Mazrui explains that a woman's constitutional rights "trumps state law," essentially meaning the measure would have no force and effect if a woman chooses to abort her baby. In addition, Steve Lefemine, a lobbyist for Columbia Christians for Life, says a "killer amendment" was added prior the start of debate on the bill. That amendment, he explains, provides a "morning-after pill" exception to women who have been raped. Lefemine calls the amendment a "fatal flaw" in the legislation, and is hopeful it will be removed by the State Senate. Bill sponsor Davenport, says one news report, chose not to try to kill the amendment because the measure would receive more votes with it attached. [Jody Brown]

...The Christian Coalition of America has launched a new campaign to get America back on a moral path. Michele Combs, CC's communications director, says the "Let's Take America Back!" campaign has a very simple goal. "We want to take America back to the moral values, back to the intentions of the founding fathers, and back to the biblical principles that this country was founded on," she states. Combs says the Christian Coalition will be holding meetings all across the nation to help accomplish this goal. [Bill Fancher]

...The executive director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University says teens are being bombarded with alcohol advertising. Jim O'Hara says his group conducted a study of thousands of magazine alcohol ads were placed between 2001 and 2003. He says they found that teens saw significantly more ads than did legal-age adults when measured on a per capita basis. "We looked at more than 10,400 ads that cost the alcohol industry almost a billion dollars to place in magazines," the researcher explains. "We found that more than 50 percent of that one-billion dollars worth of ads were placed in magazines with a disproportionate readership of underage youth, ages 12 to 20." O'Hara says in the last ten year there has not been much progress in stopping underage drinking, and he says that coincides with scientific research showing alcohol advertising does influence children to drink. But, he notes, parents and peers affect those choices as well. He says parents need to pay attention to prevent their children from underage drinking. [Mary Rettig]

...A conservative activist says some U.S. Supreme Court justices appear to be getting a little agitated with the criticism that's mounting against them. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is not happy with all of the current criticism focusing on "judicial activism." Jan LaRue of Concerned Women for America says O'Connor has trashed critics of the judiciary. "She actually, in her public statement, linked criticism from extremists to the serious threats that she and other judges receive -- and I think that is very unfair," she says. "It's baseless." LaRue says Justice O'Connor's comments also fly in the face of the First Amendment free-speech rights of all Americans. O'Connor is one of what critics call the "un-American six" who have ignored the Constitution's claim that it -- not foreign law -- is the final authority in the high court's rulings. [Bill Fancher]

...A Christian pro-family activist doesn't think the Republican Party has much of a chance of unseating New York's Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton when she seeks re-election next year. Still, the GOP in the Empire State is already gearing up for the race. The New York State Republican Party has announced a national "Stop Hillary Now" campaign, that promises a Republican "truth squad" will "monitor Hillary's appearances and expose her lies." But first there is the 2006 Senate race, and pro-family activist Gary Bauer thinks Clinton is going to be tough to beat. "I think it's a good idea to start to campaign, but I do believe that Senator Clinton has got a pretty easy Senate re-election ahead of her. Her approval ratings have gone up over the years in New York; she has convinced some voters that she's moved to the [political] center." And looking ahead to 2008, Bauer believes the former first lady will not have to deal so much anymore with her husband's scandal-ridden legacy. "The electorate is constantly changing, and by 2008 there will be many, many people ... gone who lived during the Clinton presidency -- and many new voters who will have no memory of the Clinton presidency, other than what they read in the liberal media." Bauer says he does not see any Republican at this point who is conservative enough to challenge Senator Clinton. [Chad Groening]

...A 13-year-old girl has been mourned at the Florida church where she sang in the choir. Members of the First Apostolic Church of Ruskin say Sarah Lunde almost never missed Sunday morning services. Lunde disappeared a week ago after a church trip. A registered sex offender has been charged with first-degree murder. Officials say David Onstott admitted choking Lunde to death in her family's trailer home. A minister at yesterday's church service said God took Sarah out of her suffering and made her "an angel." [AP]

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