OUR COLUMNISTS Muslim or Mormon for President? Commentary by Matt Friedeman Better to be Jewish or Catholic rather than evangelical if running for president anytime soon. And, for whatever it's worth, the Oval Office probably won't be used five times a day for prayer facing Mecca anytime soon. Who Holds the Moral Ground in the Immigration Debate? Commentary by Joe Murray Genesis' teaching is clear -- the concepts of nationhood and cultural identity have been an integral part of the human experience from the beginning. How Young Is Too Young? Commentary by Jane Jimenez Amazing, but true. In an age known for campaigns to prevent teen pregnancy, none of the "sexperts" are willing to declare an age too young for sex. Gambling With Truth Commentary by Brad Locke Despite what some well-known sports columnists tell you, gambling is dangerous. It can ruin lives, it can cost you your family and dignity, and it is intrinsically bad. Out-of-Bounds Campus Drinking Commentary by Mark Creech Eliminating alcohol outlets, not adding them on college property, is a proven, successful strategy for protecting students.

...Former California Representative Bob Dornan says there is plenty of room for hope that Congress will continue to act positively on sanctity-of-life issues. Dornan, a consultant for the American Life League, believes the outlook in the U.S. legislature is solid for pro-lifers and their issues. He says some of the pro-life, conservative men and women who have been elected to Congress in 2000, 2002, and 2004 "are as strong as any of the pro-lifers I've ever served with." That fact, the former lawmaker notes, "gives you a little hope for the future that maybe we can turn some of this around." Dornan is unhappy with the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to revisit the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in America. The court's attitude makes no sense, the pro-life activist says. Even though legalized abortion has "coarsened American life," he asserts, "even though it's introduced a violence into our country that the youngest of our children are introduced to as soon as they begin to leave the house with some independence, those precedents that are so ugly and anti-Christian ... we're going to leave in place." Dornan says he wants to see U.S. Christians step up pressure on elected officials and the courts to remove what he calls the disastrous fruit of judicial activism. [Bill Fancher]

...A federal appeals court says an Illinois university must reinstate a student group whose status was revoked because its members must pledge to adhere to Christian beliefs. The Christian Legal Society sued Southern Illinois University after the school revoked the group's registered status, meaning it no longer could use the university's facilities or name and was ineligible for school funding. The university said the society's faith requirement violates the school's affirmative action and nondiscrimination policies. But Christian Legal Society attorney Casey Mattox says, "A religious student organization should not be required to sacrifice its integrity at the altar of political correctness." Monday's ruling requires restoration of the group's status while the lawsuit proceeds. [AP]

...The American Family Association says Ford Motor Company has scheduled a meeting of regional managers July 16 and 17 to discuss how to deal with an ongoing boycott by the pro-family organization. AFA is boycotting Ford because of the automaker's support for homosexual groups promoting same-sex "marriage." More than half a million families have signed AFA's "Boycott Ford Pledge," and the group reports that Ford sales have dropped, declining by 5% in March, 7% in April, 2% in May and 6.8% in June. Meanwhile, Ford's stock value has dropped 13% since the boycott began in March. AFA chairman Don Wildmon says AFA met with Ford officials three times last fall in an effort to avoid the boycott, and even had an agreement at one point; however, he says Ford's chairman reneged on that deal and instead "bowed to the demands of a handful of homosexual groups to continue supporting them." More than 40 pro-family groups have asked Ford to remain neutral in the culture wars, but Wildmon says the auto giant has refused. "Bill Ford is willing to take the company into bankruptcy if necessary to continue Ford's support for homosexual organizations," the AFA chairman says. [Jenni Parker]

...A Christian researcher says American pastors are not perfect, and the church needs to know that. According to a survey from the Barna Group, a majority of Christian pastors in the U.S. say they struggle with personal relationships, and a quarter of pastors say they are introverted or shy. Barna researcher David Kinnaman says this should remind Christians not to take their church leaders for granted. "I think the most important thing is to emphasize how difficult the role of pastoring is," Kinnaman points out. Although most pastors say they feel confident in their abilities to teach, many tend to struggle with the interpersonal dynamics of pastoring. What the survey shows, the Barna Group spokesman explains, is that God uses people of all personality types in the church. "We were looking in this research for a snapshot of pastor's perceptions, and the kinds of challenges that they seem to be facing," Kinnaman notes, "and so this research underscores just how diverse people are within the pastoring ranks." [Natalie Harris]

...A Middle East expert says today's attack by the Hezbollah terrorist group against Israel is just more proof of the danger Israel faces each day. The powder keg known as the Middle East could explode after today's attacks, according to one regional expert. Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum says Hezbollah is sitting on thousands and thousands of rockets that could strike deep into Israel. "It's a matter of time until these are used," suggests Pipes. "They might be used in conjunction with the crisis in Iran, they might be used in conjunction with the crisis in Gaza; but pretty clearly, at some point they will be used. This could be that point -- I'm not predicting it will be, but it could be." Pipes says Israel is in a difficult position right now regarding what form of retaliation to take. "The last couple of weeks have been devoted toward winning back a single soldier," he points out. "Well, what happens if the Palestinians kill him? What happens if they release him? It's all contingent on one soldier." Today's attacks left more than a half dozen Israeli soldiers dead and two taken hostage. [Bill Fancher]

...Next month's international homosexual pride parade in Jerusalem has united the Holy City's often hostile Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities in angry opposition. The march is the centerpiece of a seven-day WorldPride festival starting August 6. Organizers say their goal is to promote cross-cultural unity in a city torn by conflict. But Christian leaders have condemned it, Jewish radicals have put a bounty on participants, and Muslim clerics have threatened to flood the streets with protesters. One of Israel's two chief rabbis is urging Pope Benedict to join him in condemning the march. In a letter to the pontiff, Rabbi Shlomo Amar says, "The evil are coming upon [Jerusalem] to desecrate its honor and to humiliate its glory with acts that the Torah despises." Jerusalem police say they have not decided whether to grant a permit for the march. [AP]

...Pro-Israel advocate Gary Bauer says there is more to a series of terrorist attacks on Israeli soldiers than people recognize. Today's Hezbollah attacks on the Israeli military are not an isolated event, says the chairman of the Campaign for Working Families. "The axis of evil and its allies are doing their best to go on the offensive, and to tie up the United States and Israel in as many ways as they can," says Bauer. He warns that the West is facing a concerted effort. "It's not a coincidence," he says, "that we see the developments in North Korea with missiles, [or] that we see Hezbollah attacking Israel today, killing seven Israeli soldiers, kidnapping two others, which is clearly an act of war." In addition, Bauer suggests, Tuesday's railway bombings in India are also a part of an effort to wage attacks on western civilization. [Bill Fancher]

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