OUR COLUMNISTS Moral Equivalency Justified by Major News Groups Guest Commentary by James L. Lambert The American mainstream media has given short shrift to the brutal, ritualistic murder of U.S. citizen Nick Berg by Islamic extremists. Yet within the media's news pages and websites, the Iraqi prison scandal has been highlighted in such a way as to seriously detract from Berg's tragic beheading. EXTREME CAUTION: CONTAINS LINKS TO VERY GRAPHIC IMAGES Charitable Hearts Commentary by Brad Locke Professional athletes who give quietly and for unselfish motives are to be applauded and emulated by the rest of us. However, there is a dangerous, often subtle paradigm established by those who can write the check but can't cash it. While I've Been Gone Commentary by David Sisler David Sisler recaps what has transpired during his two-month hiatus from writing his weekly column. Of particular note, he says, is how the media has rubbed America's nose in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal -- and continues, and continues, and continues to do so. Simply Rearing Pagans Commentary by Mark Creech Between 12 and 15 million evangelical Christian children attend public schools. If the mass majority of these students were to leave public education, it would cripple the one system that is doing more harm to our nation than any single thing except perhaps the popular media.

...Two priests who favor same-sex blessings are leading an Episcopal diocesan task force to develop a same-sex blessing ceremony that is "classically Anglican in tone and format." Revs. Michael W. Hopkins and Susan N. Blue have already performed several same-sex blessing ceremonies in the Episcopal diocese of Washington, DC. The rite, requested by Bishop John B. Chane, should be ready by June. "We want to make sure there's a standard in the diocese, so that what is used is good liturgy," Hopkins told The Washington Times. "Having a standard will help many other congregations to consider it, who are not performing it now." The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer does not contain a same-sex ceremony and Episcopalians declined to approve such a rite at their General Convention in Minneapolis in August 2003. [AFA Journal]

...Vatican decrees are cited as the basis for sanctions being imposed by some U.S. bishops on Catholic politicians who espouse permissive abortion laws. In January 2003, the Vatican's doctrine office issued a directive, approved by the pope, that said a "well-formed Christian conscience" does not permit supporting laws that contradict "fundamental and inalienable ethical demands." Listed issues included abortion and protection of the family. A separate July decree said all Catholics, especially politicians, "are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions." And in 1998, American bishops declared that no official who claims to be "a faithful and serious Catholic" can "support direct attacks on innocent human life" because they "indirectly collude in the taking of innocent life" and lead others into serious sin. But a recent letter to signed by 48 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives warns that the Roman Catholic church will "bring great harm" on itself by denying communion to members who support legal abortion. In the letter to Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the lawmakers said it is not their job to legislate Catholic teachings and that denying the sacrament to politicians for failing to oppose abortion "will revive latent anti-Catholic prejudice." McCarrick heads a bishops' task force considering possible sanctions against Catholic politicians who espouse permissive abortion laws. [AP]

...Once again scientists' unnatural efforts to manipulate God's creation have failed. Recently researchers attempted to create life without the benefits of the male genetic contribution. However, it turns out that the male contribution to an embryo brings messenger RNA, a necessary component of life. The discovery is a setback to those hoping to sidestep ethical considerations in cloning, as well as those looking for a way to populate homosexual families. Daniel McConchie is with the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (cbhd.org). "The way the world, I think, works best," McConchie says, "is the way in which the world has been designed. Within that, homosexuality and people trying to clone themselves and things like that are all outside of what is considered the natural realm." Messenger RNA transcribes DNA and builds proteins essential for life. [FNIF]

...A U.S. Senate conservative says the uproar and outrage over the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib Prison is the result of a loss of perspective. Oklahoma senator Jim Inhofe has been critical of the outrage associated with the prisoner abuse allegations since they first came to light. He maintains that the public seems to have forgotten that America's enemies in Iraq "are people who are hardened murderers, terrorists, insurgents -- many of them have killed Americans. And I think we need to be more concerned about saving American lives than we do protecting the human rights of this type of people." Meanwhile, Inhofe and other U.S. conservatives are still awaiting the international public's condemnation and outrage over the barbaric beheading of Nick Berg by Iraqi terrorists. [Bill Fancher]

...A member of the House Armed Services Committee believes Iraqi insurgents are very aware that the deadline for the transfer of power in Iraq is approaching and are doing all they can to thwart that objective. Kansas Republican Jim Ryun thinks President George W. Bush should be commended for standing firm in Iraq, despite mounting casualties and unceasing criticism from the left. "I applaud the president for what he's doing in his commitment to ensure that this country remains safe and that the world is secure," Ryun says. "He is not wavering," Ryan says, but, "At the same time, it's a difficult process when you have the kind of resistance that we have now." Ryun says the Iraqi insurrections who fight against freedom realize that transition is getting closer and want to do whatever they can to disrupt it. "I'm hoping though that, as we show a strong hand, that will discourage them," the congressman says. Ryun adds that he will continue to support the president in his efforts in the war on terror by assuring that U.S. troops get the resources they need to do their jobs. [Chad Groening]

...Not surprisingly, the war in Iraq has generated harsh criticism from President George W. Bush's opponents. But growing concerns about the course of the war have also seeped into the group that has been one of the president's strongest supporters -- evangelical Christians. Evangelicals made up about one-quarter of the total turnout in the 2000 election. This group is concentrated in the southern and midwestern states, those considered battleground states in the election. And lately, some political analysts are saying that concerns about the Iraqi prisoner abuse and new books decrying the Bush administration and its policies could affect the turnout on election day -- which is potentially a bad sign for the president. However, the analysts caution against thinking that John Kerry may lure voters over to his camp come November. Kerry's distancing himself from the Catholic Church does not resonate well with evangelicals, who identify with Bush because of his outspoken faith. Most analysts still say the incumbent's best bet is a high turnout of evangelicals on election day. [Mary Rettig]

...The Bush campaign may be getting a much-needed boost from some positive reports on the economic front. For American voters, economic concerns rank just under the war on terror on their list of priorities. That is why the latest figures on the economy are being hailed as great news by the Bush administration. As Tim Goeglein of the White House Office of the Public Liaison notes, "With the president's tax cuts taking effect in May of 2003, the economy grew in real terms at 8.2 percent in last year's third quarter, 4.1 percent in the fourth, and between 4.5 and 5 percent in this year's first quarter." The economic analyst says it is important to realize that the standard measure of growth is the gross domestic product or GDP. "And we have to remember," Goeglein says, "the GDP growth has accelerated over the past nine months faster than it has in 20 years." Observers say this latest economic news could well offset a lot of the negativity being hurled at the Bush administration by opponents. [Bill Fancher]

...Gap, Incorporated has acknowledged its connection with an international manufacturing group that treats workers unethically, and a faith-based shareholder's group is calling the corporate confession a step in the right direction. Gap, Inc. admit’s the global manufacturing network it uses to make its clothes offers low-paying work under often hazardous conditions. In an unusual report compiled with the assistance of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, the clothing retailer said it found a range of workplace violations during inspections of more than three-thousand factories worldwide. The company had previously defended those plants that supply its Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic chains. The Interfaith Center's David Schilling says Gap, Inc. has now set up a process to rate the factories it uses on labor standards, and he hopes other companies will follow the retailer's example in monitoring and reforming sweatshops. [Fred Jackson]

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