OUR COLUMNISTS Repent or Resign -- What to Say and Not Say from the Evangelical Pulpit Commentary by Matt Friedeman Pastors ought to have the constitutional right to say whatever they want from their pulpits. Even inappropriate and stupid things. But a political right doesn't necessary mean the better part of wisdom. SIECUS Redefines Humanity Commentary by Jane Jimenez Since the beginning of history, mothers and fathers have come together in a married sexual union designed to create children and families. When did this change ... and why? Vain Superstition Commentary by Brad Locke Can a ballplayer sitting in the dugout with a rally cap on really affect the outcome of a game? No more than Pharaoh could have submitted to Moses' request before all the plagues had passed. Jennifer Wilbanks, Teach Us to Pray Commentary by David Sisler We have made God into a puppet. Or worse, a vending machine. Pull His strings, and He dances. Put a request in the slot, push the button, and He delivers. If He does what we asked, He is faithful. And if He does not? 'The One Supreme Asset of the National Life' Commentary by Mark Creech Echoing the words of the great preacher Peter Marshall, columnist Mark Creech says "a mother's role in the family is pivotal to the nation." Indeed ... moms are, as Marshall stated, the "keepers of the springs."

...The Vatican is pleased that the world Anglican communion has distanced itself from the election of a homosexual Episcopal bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions in the U.S. and Canada. Anglican leaders have asked the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada to temporarily withdraw from a key council of the world Anglican communion. The Vatican says that "provides a foundation for continued dialogue and ecumenical cooperation." The Vatican's office on Christian unity also praises the Anglican leaders for affirming "the traditional Christian understanding of marriage and human sexuality." [AP]

...The National Parent-Teacher Association has agreed for a second year to feature a pro-homosexual group at its annual convention while rejecting a group that contends homosexuality is not an inborn and immutable trait. The six million-member parent-teacher organization, which represents 26,000 local affiliates, solicited a workshop and exhibit on public school action against anti-homosexual beliefs by the group Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) for next month's National PTA Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Meanwhile, another group, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) of Alexandria was rejected as an exhibitor at the June 24-26 Ohio convention. PFLAG executive director Ron Schlittler recently told the Washington Times that the National PTA engaged the pro-homosexual group's participation last year at its Anaheim convention because of PFLAG's campaign to "end rampant anti-gay bullying" in schools, and this year the group received an invitation to apply again. Members of PFOX, a group that supports families of homosexuals, educates the public about sexual orientation, and advocates for the ex-homosexual community, is asking pro-family individuals to contact the National PTA and urge them to grant their group and other "ex-gay ministries" equal access. [Jenni Parker]

...A pro-family activist says America's largest retailer is helping to further the homosexual agenda of destroying the traditional family. Wal-Mart has announced its approval of a "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Associates" affinity group for employees. Some pro-family advocates believe is only a matter of time before this group demands same-sex partner health benefits, financial support for homosexual meetings, "pride" parades, and workshops. Randy Sharp, special projects director for the American Family Association, is advising pro-family shoppers to think twice before patronizing a store that openly promotes the homosexual lifestyle. He says by embracing homosexuality, Wal-Mart is now pulling away from the ideals that have helped the retailer foster longtime positive relationships between customers and its neighborhood stores and allying the company with pro-homosexual interests. "Wal-Mart's decision is normalizing a very dangerous and unhealthy behavior," Sharp warns concerned citizens, "and you should care because Wal-Mart is helping to advance [homosexual activists'] agenda, and that final agenda ... is same-sex marriage -- to destroy traditional marriage as between a man and woman." The AFA spokesman is encouraging Wal-Mart customers to voice their objection to the company's endorsement of homosexuality. [Rusty Pugh]

...Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness says it is important for the U.S. military to hold Private Lynndie England and other soldiers guilty of misconduct at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq accountable for their actions. "That does not excuse, however, people who should have trained these people better, who should have transformed them from civilians into disciplined soldiers," Donnelly asserts. The real problem was a breakdown of military discipline, she says, and the fact that troops that had power over Iraqi prisoners "were allowed to behave in undisciplined ways." And, the CMR spokeswoman notes, that includes not only the American soldiers' abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, "but we know sexual misconduct was going on, homosexual overtones. It was run like an animal house." Donnelly says the soldiers who were immediately involved in the abuse should be punished, but she insists that alone will not solve the problem in the long run. The underlying issues are systemic, the military readiness expert contends, and she adds, "I do have a problem with the policy-makers in the Pentagon who seem to think that gender-integrated units [are fine], everybody is interchangeable, sexuality doesn't matter, personal privacy doesn't matter." Donnelly says the Pentagon officials who think this way simply do not "get it" yet; and until they do, military discipline problems like the ones seen at Abu Ghraib are likely to persist. [Chad Groening]

...The leader of a conservative think tank is accusing CBS of offering an anti-American propagandist and communist a platform from which to denigrate U.S. troops and denounce the Bush administration. The female Italian "journalist," who was wounded when the car in which she was riding failed to stop at a military checkpoint in Iraq, voiced her anti-American sentiments on a recent CBS news program, even after NBC had reported on an investigation that apparently cleared the American soldiers of wrongdoing. Cliff Kincaid of America's Survival says he was not surprised at the Italian communist writer's tirade. "She had been anti-American before she went to Iraq," he says, and "she's been anti-American since." Following the shooting incident, the American troops got the journalist to a hospital and helped save her life; but that, Kincaid asserts, did not matter. "She's been attacking America and our troops ever since, and 60 Minutes puts her on the air and gives her a national soapbox," he remarks. According to Kincaid, the broadcast was "an absolutely disgraceful show." [Bill Fancher]

...A retired U.S. Army officer and counter-terrorism expert says the U.S. needs to develop the political will to put a halt to the heroin production in Afghanistan, an illegal trade that has only multiplied since the expulsion of the Taliban regime. Recently the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan vowed to be "relentless" against terrorists that are still dogging the country more than three years after the fall of the Taliban. But retired Army Colonel and Fox News contributor Dave Hunt feels the U.S. must also come to grips with another problem. He says America is the largest consumer of heroin in the world, "but since we attacked Afghanistan -- for the right reason -- the poppy production in that country has increased 60 percent. We have both ends of the heroin pipeline, so all you've got to do is drop a bomb. We have to burn poppy fields. How hard is that?" But what makes matters even worse, Hunt contends, is that profits from the heroin trade are actually funding terrorist organizations. "A friend of mine came back and [told how he] drove for four hours across one field in Afghanistan --just one of them," the retired colonel says. "You can't have that kind of policy and think that we're getting this fight on terrorism correct, because that money for the heroin is being funneled into terrorist organizations. They're running a drug trade to fund their terror. We've got to stop them." Hunt believes if the war against Middle Eastern terrorism is to be successfully waged, the heroin trade must be cut off. [Chad Groening]

...The world youth Bible quiz in Jerusalem has been disrupted by youths protesting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to evacuate all 21 settlements from the Gaza Strip and four from the West Bank this summer. When Sharon was called on to ask a question, several youths shouted at him and held up a sign that said "Jews do not expel Jews." Security guards ushered the demonstrators out of the hall. The annual Bible quiz was part of Israel's independence day ceremonies. Thousands spent the holiday visiting the Gaza settlements in a show of solidarity with the settlers and to protest the planned evacuation. Hundreds more marched to the West Bank settlements slated for removal. [AP]

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