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.

...A Washington-based Muslim advocacy group is condemning the beheading of American businessman Nick Berg in Iraq as a cold-blooded murder. Rabiah Ahmed of the Council for American-Islamic Relations says Muslims are especially horrified that Berg's killers shouted "God is great!" and claimed to be acting in the name of Islam. The killers are shown on the Internet declaring that "the dignity of the Muslim men and women" abused by U.S. troops in an Iraqi prison cannot be "redeemed except by blood and souls." Ahmed says Berg's beheading was "in opposition with what Islam stands for." She adds that American Muslims wish to extend their prayers, condolences and support to Berg's family. On Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham said the killing shows that America is fighting an enemy that "behaves like animals in the name of God." Senator Rick Santorum, from Berg's home state, made the following statement from the Senate floor on Wednesday: "If anybody wants to know what we're fighting, and why we're fighting this war on terror, this is a very good example of it." Pennsylvania's other U.S. senator, Arlen Specter, described Berg's death as "unfathomable brutality" and "a barbaric atrocity of the highest magnitude." [AP/Jody Brown]

...Honolulu now allows religious literature in government buildings. Kelly Jenkins sued the Hawaiian capital for violating his religious freedom. The city employee says his maintenance department supervisor threw away business cards left in the lunchroom inviting people to church and providing directions to the place of worship. Jenkins pointed out that the lunchroom bulletin board contained notices for other non-work matters, such as fundraisers and cars for sale. Jenkins' attorney says the law states that if a government agency allows an open forum for non-governmental expression, it cannot discriminate on the type of expression. Under a settlement agreement, the city issued new rules last month allowing employees to discuss religion, express their beliefs, and share religious literature -- as long as it does not interfere with work requirements or harass other workers. [Sherrie Black]

...What is the most effective way to lead someone to Christ? Almost nine of ten senior Protestant pastors consider relational or friendship evangelism to be the most effective, according to a recent nationwide poll conducted by the Barna Research Group. Also near the top of the list were lifestyle evangelism (68 percent) and event evangelism (24 percent). Other effective methods, according to the study, included door-to-door evangelism and tract evangelism. Two-thirds of the churches represented in the study use printed gospel tracts for evangelism, and about the same number of senior pastors say tracts make evangelism "doable" for people. The Barna study was commissioned by the American Tract Society (ATS) late last year, and the results were released this month to mark the gospel publisher's 179th anniversary. ATS president Dan Southern says the survey indicates there is a need to help churches understand the different ways tracts can be used for evangelism. "The common perception of tract evangelism, according to the study, was handing tracts out on street corners," Southern observes. "But we know that friendship evangelism, door-to-door evangelism, and special event evangelism all provide opportunity for tract evangelism." ATS offers tracts based on current events (such as September 11, 2001) and popular entertainment themes (such as The Passion of the Christ and American Idol), as well as one titled "Your Christian Rights," which helps Christians understand the legal parameters for tract evangelism. [Jody Brown]

...A Second Amendment rights advocate says when it comes to keeping the support of the nation's gun owners, President George W. Bush may be "shooting himself in the foot." Groups that work to preserve the right of Americans to keep and bear arms say they have been betrayed by President Bush. One of those groups is KeepAndBearArms.com. The group's executive director, Angel Shamaya, says Bush has let them down by supporting various gun bans -- most notably the Clinton-Feinstein ban on semi-automatic weapons. Shamaya says because of this, gun owners are going to vote for the third-party candidate, for the Democratic nominee, or not at all. "He's losing our organization's support," he says. "Just one of our members was active in the Bush campaign and claims to have gotten 3,000 people to vote for him in Florida -- and now he's working for a third party. There's a lot of people going third party, and a lot more gun owners are saying they're just not going to vote." Shamaya also cites the Bush Administration's opposition to the arming of airline pilots, which manifested itself in the creation of endless red tape -- which makes it extremely difficult for any pilot to actually carry a gun. [Rusty Pugh]

...An immigration reform activist says Muslim websites are encouraging people from Islamic countries to colonize the United States. Susan Tully, Midwest director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, says she is concerned about what is happening in towns like Hamtramck, Michigan, where Muslims have virtually taken over the community. Tully says Muslims are not encouraging people to become part of the American dream. "They're not coming here to become Americans," she says, "they're coming here, as these websites are saying, and promoting colonization of their own religion, of their own culture in towns and taking them over." She contends that is exactly what is haywire about current immigration policy in the U.S. "It is not any longer about what's good for America," she says, "it's about what's good for everyone else -- and America has to stand by and let it happen." Tully says Muslims understand that their religion is different and not acceptable to most Americans, so by colonizing an area they can take it over to the point where they make the rules. [Chad Groening]

...An organization dedicated to a free Cuba says President Bush needs to move forward with his pledge to help bring an end to the ruthless and brutal dictatorship of Fidel Castro. A presidential commission has recommended that the United States take steps to subvert the planned succession in Cuba, under which power would pass from Fidel Castro to his younger brother Raul. Under the plan proposed by the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba [PDF], Bush has pledged to spend $59 million over the next two years to help promote the goal of a democratic Cuba. Frank Calzon, executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba, believes it is very important to stop Castro's jamming of the Voice of America's Radio and TV Marti. "The Cuban government spends all kinds of resources to block [and jam] the signals [from Marti]," he says. "I think the United States has to use its technological know-how to overcome Castro's jamming." Calzon, who described Radio Marti as something along the lines of Radio Free Europe, believes even an hour of broadcasting a week would have a tremendous impact inside Cuba. Up to $18 million is supposed to be earmarked for such broadcasts. [Chad Groening]

...The number of religious radio stations in the United States has risen to just under 2,000, according to a recent Arbitron report. The report -- titled "Radio Today: How America Listens to Radio 2004" [PDF] -- records an increase of 122 religious radio stations in the past year, to 1.965. According to National Religious Broadcasters, that represents almost one-seventh of all American radio stations. NRB notes that the total includes Contemporary Christian, Gospel, and Southern Gospel formats as well as stations that feature mainly religious teaching programs. [AP]

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