OUR COLUMNISTS Desecrate the Koran -- Riots; Desecrate the Bible -- Yawn Commentary by Matt Friedeman Why is that no one is stimulated to riot or even care much when a Bible is desecrated and shredded, or when people with Bibles are persecuted? But flush a Koran, and protests break out and people are killed or injured. A Recipe for Families Commentary by Jane Jimenez Apple pie without the apples? How would one do that? And why? Sometimes, substitutes just won't do. Sweet Struggle Commentary by Brad Locke Struggle is too often viewed as an obstacle by those lacking patience and foresight, when in reality it is a direct path to success. The fulfillment one receives from hard-earned accomplishment is what makes the struggle so beautiful. Amnesia Commentary by David Sisler What would it be like to wake up and not remember the evil that you had done, the people you had hurt, the sins you had committed? What would you pay for a little selective amnesia? The Cross Is Not a Symbol of Racism Commentary by Mark Creech Regardless if racism is supported by racial mythology, economic privilege, or even perversions of biblical references to different people groups, God has declared over and again that racism, prejudice, and bigotry are sins.

...President Bush is accusing Democrats of obstruction while reaffirming his positions on abortion, homosexual "marriage," and government support for religious charities. Addressing Republicans Tuesday night at a Washington fundraiser, Bush said the GOP will "continue to promote a culture of life" and "will defend the institution of marriage from being redefined forever by activist judges." The president added that Republicans "will continue to support the faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places." Accusing Democrats of pursuing an "agenda of the roadblock," Bush said that "if they have no ideas or policies except obstruction, they should step aside and let others lead." [AP]

...Five-thousand people paid $2,500 each to attend that GOP fundraiser in the nation's capital on Tuesday evening -- and among those who bought tickets were a porn star and her producer. Mary Carey, a former candidate for governor of California, and her cohort Mark Kulkis created a stir when they decided to attend. Bob Knight of the Culture and Family Institute says her participation drew lots of criticism from the pro-family supporters of the Republican Party. "She's obviously just doing this for publicity and trying to make a name for herself," Knight offers, "and she's made the point that the pornography industry is huge in this country, which it is." As to Carey's argument that she pays taxes like most Americans, Knight says, "Well, I'm sure mafia hit men pay taxes also, but that doesn't mean they're upstanding members of the community." The CFI spokesman understands what Carey and her producer are attempting to do. "What they've done is use it as a vehicle to try to embarrass the president, try to embarrass the Republican Party, and just get publicity and become celebrities in their own right." The pair was not invited -- but Knight contends GOP leaders were lax in addressing the problem. "They should have acted swiftly, I believe, and said 'We don't want your money. This is not what we stand for; we honor marriage and family. You guys are using this as a platform to promote just the opposite," he says, adding that the GOP should have refused to sell Carey and Kulkis tickets to the fundraiser. The porn industry generates billions of dollars a year. In past presidential elections, the industry has thrown its support behind Democrats Al Gore (in 2000) and John Kerry (in 2004). [Bill Fancher]

...Afghanistan's Muslim clerics say the United States must apologize for the alleged desecration of the Koran by U.S. troops at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay. The resolution at the end of a meeting of Islamic clergy from across Afghanistan also declares, "Whoever is responsible for these crimes should be handed over to an Islamic country to face trial." The Pentagon detailed five incidents of U.S. guards mishandling the Koran, but none involved flushing it down a toilet. Meanwhile, the Saudi Institute -- a Washington-based human rights group -- says Saudi Arabia "burns and desecrates hundreds of Bibles its security forces confiscate" from Christians. [AP]

...A family-values advocate says when it comes to religious freedom and rights, it is almost always Christians who are discriminated against. Both houses of Congress are considering a bill that, if enacted, would force pharmacists to dispense life-threatening medications -- such as the "morning-after" pill -- even if doing so violates their Christian beliefs. Janet Folger of the group Faith2Action says she is not surprised, because when it comes to religious rights, Christians are usually the ones who are denied. "There's no doubt," Folger asserts. "This is part of what I write about in my book Criminalization of Christianity -- the assault against people of faith. And it is really forcing pharmacists to do something that they can't in good conscience do, which will force them out of their profession of being a pharmacist." At the same time, a judge has ruled that a Philadelphia firefighter who is a Muslim can violate department policy by wearing a beard -- even though it is considered a safety hazard. [Rusty Pugh]

...A pro-family leader is warning that there is one area of judicial activism that is destroying families -- and most people aren't even aware of its existence, she says. Eagle Forum's Phyllis Schlafly believes a terrible problem is being ignored to the detriment of families. "The family courts are taking children away from their parents every day," Schlafly points out. "They don't seem to be bound by rules that we understand in other courts, rules of due process; and the distressing thing is that the pro-family movement in general has not addressed this issue." The Eagle Forum founder says the threat of "family courts" is one which has to be addressed. She insists it is a threat to families that is 20 times worse than the threat posed by homosexual "marriage." [Bill Fancher]

...A new law has been introduced in Congress that will punish sexual predators who go outside U.S. borders to engage in pedophilic activities. Introduced by Florida Congresswoman Katherine Harris, the measure addresses an issue she maintains has needed attention for a long time: pedophiles whose crimes occur outside America's borders. But if her bill becomes law, that would change. She says "when they come back and we are notified of their return, the same laws that apply in Megan's Law or in terms of the sexual predator national list" will cause them to be added to that list. "Carlee's Law," as it is known, would provide what many parents have been seeking, says Harris. "It would establish a national sexual predators list so that anyone may access it -- any concerned parent, any neighbor, any young woman with young children who is now seeing someone from another state," she explains. "This is very important information to get out to the communities." The bill also provides funding for victims and for their recovery. [Bill Fancher]

...According to a high-tech search of the Internet, there are almost 300 million links to pornography -- and almost three-fourths (70 percent) of those are controlled by 20 American companies. The Florida Family Association (FFA) reports those findings obtained by using a program called "PornCrawler," which searched the worldwide web, identified porn sites, and summarized which companies operate those sites. Pat Trueman of the Family Research Council says if those statistics are accurate, "targeted persecution by the U.S. Department of Justice on just 20 companies could have a monumental impact." Two of the 20 American companies, says FFA, operate in Florida -- so the pro-family group has provided details of its investigation to the U.S. attorneys in Florida's middle and southern districts. FFA executive director David Caton is encouraging concerned individuals to contact those two U.S. attorneys, urging them to "vigorously enforce" federal obscenity statutes against the two companies. [Jody Brown]

...The nation's public broadcaster may soon be getting less of your tax dollars. An appropriations panel has recommended that government funding for the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) be cut from $400 million a year to $300 million. PBS supporters say Congress is trying to silence a dissenting voice, but Republicans in the House deny it. They say taxpayer support is no longer necessary like it was when PBS was an underdog competing against the "Big Three" networks. Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, tells Family News In Focus that the need for such funding is no longer necessary. "Public broadcasting is no longer in its infancy," he says. "Given the large [number] of stations available to Americans these days, it makes some sense to cut the federal support drastically." The funding cuts will have to gain approval of both the House and the Senate before taking effect. [Bob Ditmer/FNIF]

...A prominent black conservative leader says he is glad that after a two-year battle with Democrats, Janice Rogers Brown has finally been confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC. But Jesse Lee Peterson believes liberals will go "insane" if Brown is ever nominated -- and confirmed -- to the U.S. Supreme Court. Peterson is founder and president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND). He says Judge Brown is a highly qualified woman who has earned her position -- and not because she happens to be black. "The thing that I appreciate about the Republican platform is that they are advancing these people based on their ability [and] their character -- and not [on their] color," he says. Peterson believes Brown would be an excellent choice someday for the high court, and that such an occurrence would be liberals' "worst nightmare." He says it would "drive the Democratic leadership insane -- and especially the [Congressional] Black Caucus" because Brown's ascension would say to Americans of all colors that they can "make it in this country ... if you work hard, you treat people well, [and] you do what's right ...." Peterson adds that if Brown is ever named to the Supreme Court, it would give liberal African Americans "another black person to hate" along with Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. [Chad Groening]

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