OUR COLUMNISTS Double-Standard Journalism Guest Commentary by James L. Lambert The same media that were reluctant to broadcast the images of Americans' bodies being dragged through the streets of Fallujah appear to have fallen over themselves to ensure the American public sees the images of abused Iraqi prisoners. Rules Aren't Relative; Neither Is Morality Commentary by Brad Locke If the moral relativism so pervasive in today's world were to seep into the sports realm, then organized sports, like our current culture, would be thrown into a state of chaotic regression. 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 Discovery of Noah's Ark: Would It Be A Sign? Commentary by Mark Creech Will an expedition this summer actually discover Noah's Ark? No one knows but God. Perhaps it would be a tangible witness to our own coming judgment. It's a principle with God that the more degenerate the times, the more definite the testimony.

...New Jersey's State Senate majority leader has decided to leave the Roman Catholic church after 57 years rather than vote in accordance with Catholic doctrine. Democratic Senator Bernard Kenny, who supports permissive abortion laws and research on human embryos, says he was given a last warning by church officials to repent or stop seeking communion. Kenny says he told his pastor Saturday that he is quitting the church. Last week, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey took the rare step of saying that he will not receive communion at public services. McGreevey's announcement came after Newark Archbishop John Myers declared that supporters of legal abortion should not receive communion, and the Camden bishop said he would refuse communion to the Democratic governor. [AP]

...There's word today about a column written by Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry in 1996 that casts doubt on his commitment to traditional marriage. Baptist Press reports that Kerry wrote the column for The Advocate, a pro-homosexual magazine, when Congress was debating the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996. That law, which was eventually passed by the Senate 85-14 (Kerry voting with the minority) and signed by then-President Bill Clinton, prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and gives individual states the same option. In the 1996 article, Kerry wrote "echoing the ignorance and bigotry that peppered the discussion of interracial marriage a generation ago, the proponents of DOMA call for a caste system for marriage." He went on to compare marriage to a civil rights battle, and declared "we must all work together as one powerful force to roll over the obstacles of hatred and bigotry in this country." In recent months, Senator Kerry has stated he opposes homosexual marriage. But interestingly enough, his home state of Massachusetts will next week become the first place in the nation to start performing legal homosexual marriages. [Fred Jackson]

...An effort is under way to try to help families who are fed up with being forced to subsidize TV programming that they find objectionable. Brent Bozell of the Parents Television Council says cable companies, by their programming methods, are forcing families to pay for channels they do not want in order to get the channels they do want. "The cable industry argues that parents have the option of blocking channels they don't want. But what kind of choice is that if they still have to pay for those channels?" he asks. Bozell insists it is a completely unfair practice that boils down to this question: "Why should parents have to subsidize cable channels that undermine their core values and beliefs?" A coalition of pro-family groups would like to see the cable companies begin letting families pick and choose their own programming packages. A poll found that 66% of the current cable subscribers would prefer to pick their channels -- and two-thirds of non-subscribers said they might take cable if they could choose the channels. [Bill Fancher]

...A pro-family leader has issued a new warning about the threat that activist judges are posing to the future of the U.S. Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council says activist judges are running rampant over the U.S. Constitution. Schenck believes that as more people become aware of what is happening, they are getting fed up. He says he has no doubt that there is a growing momentum to limit the scope and power of federal judges in this country. "The Founders meant for all three branches [of the federal government] to operate equally and in balance -- that has not been the case," he says. "It almost doesn't matter what a president does anymore, it almost doesn't matter what a Congress does. The only thing that matters is what the federal courts do." Schenck says Americans must rise up and find a way to stop the activist judiciary before all of the citizens' rights are trampled -- just like the balance of power is being trampled. [Bill Fancher]

...Washington Democrat Jim McDermott's recent decision to omit the words "under God" when he led the Pledge of Allegiance in the House chamber has ignited another wave of controversy. Steve Elliott's group Grassfire.org helped organize a massive protest aimed at McDermott's Washington office. Elliott says all such actions deserve a huge response as a way of showing the Supreme Court how the public feels about the issue. Currently the high court is deciding the constitutionality of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge. Elliott says the case has enormous implications. "[We're concerned] that this court could use this case to set a precedent for every public acknowledgement of God," he states. "We've seen what happens with postings of the Ten Commandments and so forth, so I think that the court could use this opinion to ultimately remove the public acknowledgement of God in every instance." Grassfire.org, like the pro-family group American Family Association, has engaged hundreds of thousands of voters to fight for maintaining the Pledge in its current form. [Bill Fancher]

...The legal bills for one city are mounting in a dispute over a Ten Commandments monument. To date, the city of Everett, Washington, has paid more than $70,000 to defend itself against a lawsuit challenging a Decalogue monolith on city property. But city officials estimate the total legal costs could top $100,000 before the battle is over. Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued the city, claiming that the Ten Commandments monument on city property violated the alleged constitutional separation of Church and State. However, city leaders argue that the display is nothing more than a historic landmark that promotes universal legal principles and values -- not a particular religion. The Everett Eagles donated the monument to the city in 1959. [Sherrie Black]

...A co-founder of the world's largest Christian ministry says believers need to pray fervently for the moral direction of America. Vonette Bright spent more than 50 years working alongside her husband, the late Dr. Bill Bright, to oversee Campus Crusade for Christ. She was instrumental in the establishment of the National Prayer Committee in 1979, which led to the creation of the National Day of Prayer in 1988. Mrs. Bright says the nation needs to turn to God in repentance and obedience. "We are at a place of real crisis in our country right now, and I think a lot of it has to do with a belief in God," she shares. "It appears that many Americans today have forgotten that the Bible is the textbook that God has given mankind -- and it's this book that tells us how to relate to God, to each other, to husband and wife, to parents and children." Christians in the United States, she says, need to pray without ceasing for their nation. She believes that the more the country has moved away from an emphasis on God -- and ignored Him in the public square -- the more the nation is witnessing incidents like the Columbine shooting, the Enron scandal, the Oklahoma City bombing incident, and terrorist attacks. "I think God is showing some degree of displeasure with this country because we were established as a Christian nation," she explains. "We were biblically based -- and people do not know that." She emphasizes there are many who are determined not to allow that part of the country's history to be known. [Allie Martin]

...Is American immigration policy undermining its own homeland security efforts? Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, is among those in Washington who thinks it could be. "Federal government runs a lottery for immigrants," he explains, "a visa lottery that gives 50,000 randomly selected people from around the world access to the United States, to move here and eventually to become citizens." Krikorian says the program, which was begun to help illegal Irish immigrants, ends up resulting in an "enormous amount" of fraud. "Some of the top countries that send immigrants under this visa program are the most corrupt countries in the world," he adds. Krikorian says something has to be done to stop this program, or it could be used to funnel more terrorists to American soil. [Bill Fancher]

...A former advisor to the Senate Armed Services Committee says Communist China appears perfectly content to maintain the status quo in North Korea. The expert on China also believes the Korean regime is more dependent on China than ever before. On Wednesday, the six nations negotiating the North Korean nuclear standoff will gather in Beijing to hold what have been described as "low-level meetings." Associated Press reports that South Korea and China say the gatherings are designed to lay the groundwork for the next round of talks. Bill Triplett, author of Rogue State: How a Nuclear North Korea Threatens America, says the North Korean regime is so dependent on Beijing that it is hardly more than a Chinese proxy. "They are very close," he says, "and the North Koreans have less independence and they're more of a proxy to China than they ever have been." Triplett says the U.S. must remember that China has a defense pact with one country: North Korea -- and that North Korea has one defense pact: with China. [Chad Groening]

...Former hostage Thomas Hamill has been greeted with hugs from fellow Christians at his home church in Macon, Mississippi. Hamill, who escaped his Iraqi captors just over a week ago, attended Sunday services with his family. He told reporters before a prayer vigil the night before that he leaned on the Lord every day of his captivity and trusted God for his deliverance. Rev. Greg Duncan told a congregation of more than 100 people at Calvary Baptist Church that he thanks God for the family's strength. He called Hamill's wife, Kellie, "a special mother" for her fortitude through her husband's ordeal. Plans to honor Hamill with a parade have been postponed for now because he has said that what he wants most is to spend some quiet time with his 12-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son. [AP]

© 2004 AgapePress all rights reserved.

E-mail this page to a friend

Printer-Friendly Version

Read all of our current headlines