OUR COLUMNISTS African 'Aid' Not All It's Cracked Up to Be Commentary by Matt Friedeman Let's not give any more money to Africa -- regardless of what our Live8 rock stars are saying and the guilt they are trying to lay on us at the current G8 summit. Medically Accurate Cowards Commentary by Jane Jimenez Trojan brought condom ads to mainstream television last month. One hopes next month they will buy a little more time to offer Americans the medically accurate truth about condoms. Itching Ears Commentary by Brad Locke Failure is inextricably tied to self-esteem for many people, but those who don't fear failure are the ones who succeed most often. When nothing else can cause a person to re-examine his approach and fix it, failure will often do so. It is a great teacher. 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? Preaching a 'Celebrity Gospel' Commentary by Mark Creech A "celebrity gospel" is when a preacher compromises the gospel of Christ in order to achieve or sustain a celebrity status. Columnist Mark Creech offers two examples of preachers he says are proclaiming a celebrity gospel of late.

...If rumors of the impending retirement of another U.S. Supreme Court justice turn out to be true, conservatives believe President Bush could change the direction of the high court before the end of 2005. Speculation persists that Chief Justice William Rehnquist may soon join Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in retirement. Tom Fitton of the public legal watchdog firm known as Judicial Watch believes that eventuality could have major implications for the future of the judiciary. "Justice Rehnquist retiring would give the president a double opportunity to make his mark on the court," Fitton explains, "and steer it away from its activist agenda, especially on social issues like abortion, prayer in schools, the display of the Ten Commandments on public property, and related topics such as gay marriage." The Judicial Watch spokesman notes that President George W. Bush campaigned for re-election on the promise that he would appoint justices who share the strict-constructionist philosophy of high court justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia. If Bush is true to his word, Fitton is hopeful that the appointment of such judges to the federal bench will ring the death-knell for judicial activism. [Bill Fancher]

...A Christian group that tries to help people escape from homosexuality is again drawing attention from state investigators. Tennessee's Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities wants to know if Love In Action International is conducting improper counseling sessions with unlicensed personnel. Love In Action recently was investigated by the Department of Children's Services on a child-abuse complaint that was found to be unsubstantiated. John Smid, Love In Action's executive director, says his group does not provide psychological, drug or alcohol counseling but helps people overcome homosexuality through faith in Jesus Christ. Love In Action's work, particularly with teenagers, has drawn protests from pro-homosexual advocates. [AP]

...This year marks the 30th anniversary of the world's largest ex-homosexual ministry, Exodus International. The ministry is commemorating the milestone at its annual Freedom Conference, scheduled for the week of July 18 at Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center in Asheville, North Carolina. This largest annual gathering of former homosexuals will feature more than 60 speakers, including many experts in the fields of gender identity, counseling, and theology. Exodus International president and former homosexual Alan Chambers says both the organization and the "ex-gay movement" have seen tremendous growth over the past 30 years, and "We continue to hear from many who are hungry to hear about the freedom we have experienced." He adds that the world is often unaware of the hundreds of thousands of people, like himself, who accepted the false "born-gay" message and silently struggled with unwanted same-sex attractions. The 2005 Freedom Conference speaker roster includes Joe Dallas, former staff member at the pro-homosexual Metropolitan Community Church; pastor and educator Dr. Jerry Falwell; Christian musician and former homosexual Dennis Jernigan; and Dr. Nancy Heche, a counselor and psychotherapist whose daughter, Anne Heche, was involved in a highly publicized homosexual relationship with actress-comedian Ellen DeGeneres. This year the Freedom Conference offers a new feature specifically targeting young people -- its first Youth Day event, designed to facilitate discussion with teens on issues surrounding biblical sexuality. [Jenni Parker]

...South Carolina's African Methodist Episcopal churches are joining the state Department of Juvenile Justice in providing places where young people can go after school and during the summer. Presiding Bishop Preston Williams says the centers will be an outreach to minority youth, but will be open to all teens, because, in his words, "We are all God's children." A.M.E. Church officials announced the program during their annual Christian Leadership Congress. Participating churches will receive state and federal funds to provide mentoring, tutoring and recreation to help teens stay out of trouble. The teens will not have to join a church or participate in religious activities. Karry Guillory of the state Department of Juvenile Justice says, "We are not going to push religion on anyone." [AP]

...The Boy Scouts of America is disappointed that a federal district court has sided with the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit involving the U.S. military's assistance to the scouting organization in presenting its national jamboree at an Army facility in Virginia. BSA spokesman Robert H. Bork feels it was "totally ridiculous" for the federal judge to side with the ACLU in its contention that the military's assistance of the Scouts violates the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution. "As part of the judge's decision in the case," the BSA spokesman notes, "the Pentagon can no longer offer any support to the Boy Scouts in their jamboree. The argument that the ACLU has made, again, is that this constitutes the establishment of a religion, as they contend that the Boy Scouts are a religious organization." The district court's ruling will not affect the 2005 Jamboree, which is scheduled to begin later this month at Fort A.P. Hill. However, Bork says if the decision stands it will affect the 2010 event, which corresponds with the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. However, the U.S. Justice Department is representing the Pentagon in its appeal of the federal court's ruling. Bork says he believes the government will ultimately triumph, and the 2010 event will take place at Fort A.P. Hill as planned. [Chad Groening]

...One expert feels a new study linking the use of pornography and the abuse of children, while not surprising, should serve as a wakeup call to the American public and to law enforcement officials. Richard Whidden of the National Law Center for Children and Families says the results of the recent survey found a definite link between the use of kiddie porn and those who molest children. Whidden says the results come as no surprise, and the study "once again galvanizes us and shows us that this problem of child pornography is one that needs to be addressed for the safety of our children and our families across the country." The study was conducted by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It found that the vast majority of child molesters are involved in Internet porn consumption, and that 36 percent of them gave their victims pornography. [Bill Fancher]

...A Mississippi lawmaker says the U.S. Supreme Court overstepped its bounds with its recent ruling allowing state and local governments to seize private property and give it to another private entity, thus generating more tax revenue. Republican Charles Pickering is part of a group of congressmen who believe the right of eminent domain should be limited, and that the government can seize property only for public use and only after just compensation to the property owner. But economic development is not legitimate public use, Pickering says, adding, "Historically, we've had higher, more stringent standards." Pickering and other members of Congress believe it is important to "protect the very sacred individual property rights," he says, "and the best way to solve this is in the marketplace through willing buyers and sellers, not through government action, government taking or government coercion." The Mississippi conservative says Congress, in an effort to limit the effect of the eminent domain decision, has enacted an appropriations bill stating that if any locality takes property under this "very broad" Supreme Court ruling, "no federal funds shall be used for those types of projects." Pickering says the congressional action is intended to send a strong message to the high court that it went too far. [Chad Groening]

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