OUR COLUMNISTS Saying Sorry for Lynchings and the Cheap Talk of Congressional Apologies Commentary by Matt Friedeman This year's Senate apology casts a vote of regret for Senate inaction on lynchings. All in favor, say "Aye!" And for those who didn't sign up as co-sponsors (only 15 of 100 senators didn't), get ready for reporters' phone calls. Love Affair With Failure Commentary by Jane Jimenez PBS producers have tremendous power to teach children and parents. So where do they put their energies? Sporting Dads Commentary by Brad Locke Father-son relationships can literally be established or destroyed on the playing fields. Fathers who understand this can make a world of difference in the lives of their sons. 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? 'Thou Shalt Commit Sexual Immorality' Commentary by Mark Creech Most people don't usually think of the Bible as a wicked document. But that's exactly what people thought of the 1631 edition of the King James Version. It seems when the printers went to print that particular edition, an error was made, and the word "not" was left out of the Seventh Commandment.

...With the goal of convincing young people that abortion is a "massive injustice of historic proportions," a California-based ministry has launched an information-laden website it describes as "polished" and "design-savvy." Abort73.com -- a project of Loxafamosity Ministries, Inc., in Burbank -- debuted on the Internet last week, delivering what it calls a "point-by-point abortion education driven by audio, video, animation, photography, and medical illustration." The ministry says it takes more than "conviction" to impact the culture, and that is why the new website gives as much attention to the "package" as it does to the content. "Because the 'package' [of previous pro-life offerings] has been so bad," says a press release from Loxafamosity, "the message is often written off without a hearing" -- and among young people, claims the press statement, it is a "serious blow to the credibility of the pro-life position" when that package lags behind corporate America. In addition to providing extensive information on the truths behind the pro-abortion movement, Abort73.com offers a broad line of Abort 73 merchandise that will allow young people to have an influence well beyond their own campus. Says Loxafamosity, "It only takes a glance to realize that Abort73.com is unlike anything the pro-life movement has ever undertaken -- but a longer stay may well convince you we're on the brink of something historic." [Jody Brown]

...According to the California-based group Campaign for Children and Families (CCF), a state lawmaker's plan to introduce a pro-homosexual amendment to a bill already passed by the State Assembly could very well backfire. Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco has stated he intends to "gut and amend" a bill passed earlier by the Assembly and insert homosexual "marriage" licenses into the legislation. Leno's move comes just two weeks after his bill (AB 19), which sought similar rights for homosexuals, was defeated on the Assembly floor. Randy Thomasson, executive director of CCF, has a warning for Leno regarding this latest move: be careful what you wish for. "The Democrat politicians' addiction to homosexual 'marriage' guarantees that a constitutional marriage amendment protecting marriage rights for a man and a woman will qualify and pass on next year's ballot," Thomasson says, "[and their] obsession with destroying the essence of marriage will keep this issue front and center for California voters." The CCF leader notes that in late July a statewide marriage protection movement called VoteYesMarriage.com will begin circulating petitions in support of the Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative. He contends Leno is "annoying and aggravating average Californians" -- and that voters across the state will "respond in force" to the lawmaker's latest action by signing those petitions to place the marriage protection initiative on the 2006 ballot. [Jody Brown]

...Southern Baptist bikers have invaded Music City USA, the scene of this week's Southern Baptist Convention Annual Conference. The sound generated by the motorcycles is one not normally associated with a meeting of Southern Baptists, but many of them heard a distinctive noise this past weekend when David Burton, director of evangelism for the Florida Baptist Convention, rumbled into Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center on his Harley-Davidson. Earlier in the day, hundreds of members of FAITH Riders Motorcycle Ministries -- based in nearby Cookeville, Tennessee -- delivered toys to needy children at local hospitals, burn centers, and cancer centers. Burton addressed thousands of Southern Baptists gathered in the GE Center after a day-long evangelism blitz, saying that many of the riders ended their day of sharing the gospel with a "big block party" near the riverfront. "[We] saw people saved all day long," he said. "Listen, if you go share the Word, people are going to hear the Word -- and many of them are going to be born again. We can't wait for them to come to us, because the scripture said what? 'Go!' Say it again. 'Go!'" FAITH Riders began three years ago when motorcyclists at the Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Florida, began a ministry to the motorcycle community. [Allie Martin]

...A well-known evangelist says true success for a preacher is not measured by church attendance. Speaking at the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference in Nashville, evangelist Junior Hill encouraged ministers to be a faithful soldier for Christ, as the Apostle Paul said to Timothy. Hill says pastors should be driven by obedience to God's Word -- not by the latest church growth method. "The truth of the matter is, there are some churches that wouldn't grow if Moses was the pastor and Elijah [was] the educational director," Hill stated. "My dear brothers, I think it's high time that those of us who have enough sense to know better say to these so-called 'church growth experts' who have never pastored a church and wouldn't know one if they met it in the middle of the road: 'We don't judge our men of God on the size of their buildings. We judge them on their faithfulness to stand up as a good soldier.'" Hill said methodology should never contradict or violate scriptural principles. [Allie Martin]

...A Republican congressman has retracted his accusation that Democrats were "demonizing Christians" by concluding there was religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The remark by Indiana Congressman John Hostettler came during debate on a proposal by Democrats that would put Congress on record against "coercive and abusive religious proselytizing" at the Academy. Hostettler said, "Like a moth to a flame, Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians." Democrats leapt to their feet and demanded Hostettler be censured for his remarks. Wisconsin Democrat David Obey said his measure was meant "to protect people of all religions." After a half-hour's worth of wrangling, Hostettler retracted his comments. [AP]

...American and Canadian Anglicans are attempting to provide a theological justification for their legitimization of homosexuality. An issue that threatens to divide the Anglican Church is the topic of discussion at a church gathering today (June 21) in England. That is where Anglican bishops from the U.S. and Canada are briefing an international body of bishops, priests, and lay people on their stance on homosexuality. The issue is threatening to split the church and its 77 million members. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams says developments in North America have caused "outrage and hurt" among many Anglicans. The U.S. church appointed an openly homosexual bishops, and the Canadian wing supported the blessing of same-sex unions. The homosexuality issue is a wedge between church liberals, who are mainly in North America, and conservatives, who are strongest in Africa and Asia. Many fear it cannot be overcome. [AP]

...There is a growing feeling in Washington, DC, that a confrontation with Iran is not far down the road. In his new book about Iran, called Crisis Countdown, author Ken Timmerman says the radical Islamic government sponsors Iraqi terrorism and hatred for Americans. "This is a regime now which has become a virtual nuclear weapons state," Timmerman says. "This is a serious threat that we're facing. We have very little time left. We absolutely must take action against the Islamic Republic of Iran." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the same thing in a recent speech, stating: "The world must not tolerate any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon." Timmerman says he knows what Iran would do if it had nuclear weapons. "This is a regime that opens all of its official meetings with chants of 'Death to America,'" he says. And author Jerome Corsi says he also knows what is happening in Iran's effort to obtain nuclear arms. "There are nearly 300 sites in Iran dedicated to nuclear technologies," Corsis says. While Iran is busy electing a new government, observers agree the threat is growing. [Bill Fancher]

...A former Republican congressman is leading a bipartisan effort to reign in some of the powers of the Patriot Act, which the president and the Justice Department want Congress to re-authorize. When Congress approved the Patriot Act in the wake of 9-11, lawmakers included "sunsets" -- or expiration dates -- on some of the most controversial provisions to ensure that they would not be permanent. Now Congress has until December to decide whether to re-authorize the complete Patriot Act. Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, chairman of Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, says the Act ought to be limited to cases that truly involve terrorism or national security. "And we ought to make sure that before the government can gather information on a private, law-abiding citizen," he adds, "they have to have at least a reasonable suspicion that the citizen has done something wrong." Barr says he has no problem working with the American Civil Liberties Union in this effort. "Even though we have very serious differences with the ACLU on a lot of other issues, that should not stop us from working together to accomplish something that, if we don't work together, we will not accomplish." Barr's group received a small victory last week, as the House voted to limit the government's ability to conduct searches at libraries. [Chad Groening]

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