OUR COLUMNISTS The Political Left Gets Religion Commentary by Matt Friedeman The Party of the Left Wing looked at the polls in the last election and noticed something big-time. First, seriously religious people vote. Two -- they didn't vote for the Left Wing. "Fixable!" they thought. And then they schemed. Pelvic Thrusts Commentary by Jane Jimenez In exercise gyms all around the country, body parts are in motion. So ... when was the last time in your gym when you saw the most common body motion in America? Finding Wonderland Commentary by Brad Locke Our sense of wonder is a gift from God that should be tenderly nurtured and closely guarded. Retaining the ability to be amazed is what helps us hold on to truth. 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.

...Nine conservative Episcopal bishops say they'll take Connecticut's bishop to religious court over his suspension of one priest and threat to remove five others. The conflict stems from Connecticut Bishop Andrew Smith's support for the openly homosexual Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Dubbed the "Connecticut Six," the priests had asked to be supervised by a different Episcopal bishop because they disagreed with Smith's support for Robinson's consecration in 2003. Earlier this month, Smith suspended one of the six, Rev. Mark Hansen of Bristol. In a letter to Smith, the nine bishops say they plan to intervene in the case and are prepared to do the same if the five other priests are suspended. (See earlier article) [AP]

...Traditionalists in the United Methodist Church are protesting the suspension of a pastor who refused to let an unrepentant homosexual man become a church member. The denomination's Virginia conference has placed Rev. Edward Johnson on involuntary suspension for one year. As pastor of South Hill United Methodist Church, Johnson had denied membership to a man who was in a same-sex relationship. Leaders of Good News -- an evangelical renewal ministry within the United Methodist Church -- are denouncing that as "a serious error." Good News' chairman, Rev. Tom Lambrecht, asks, "Does the pastor of a local church no longer have the freedom to be discerning about who is ready to be received into membership in the United Methodist Church?" [AP]

...The abortion drug RU-486 has a new FDA warning label -- but a Christian physician says it's just a "Band Aid" fix to a major problem. Four deaths in the past two years have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to mandate another warning on the label of Mifeprex, one of the abortion drugs known as RU-486. Dr. Gene Rudd of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations is frustrated by this new effort. "For them to issue another warning -- especially [for] this particular industry that I do not think is as safety conscious as they should be -- I think is just like a drop in the ocean," he says. Dr. Rudd says those doing the chemical abortions are placing themselves, as well as their babies, at risk. The CMDA has been fighting the FDA over the approval process that led to the availability of RU-486 in the U.S. Rudd's organization charges the FDA violated its own rules and guidelines by putting the drug-approval process on the fast track in the waning days of the Clinton administration. [Bill Fancher]

...A new campaign has been announced that plans to educate the American public on the extreme nature of Roe v. Wade. Catholic leader Frank Pavone of Priests for Life says the education campaign will shock many people. "We've always been convinced that one of the big keys to making progress against Roe v. Wade is to simply expose it," Pavone explains. "Most of the American people still do not know that it permitted abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy -- and most Americans would never agree and do not agree with a policy like that." With the current debate over the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court, Pavone says the pro-life group felt it would be "an excellent moment" to educate the public again on the simple fact that Roe allows abortion throughout pregnancy. "We believe that will then frame this debate in the proper way," Pavone adds, "and people will see that opposing Roe is not only not extreme, but is in fact where most American people end up once they know what Roe actually says." The Priests for Life spokesman is convinced most Americans would not support that court decision if knew the details. [Bill Fancher]

...A group of young pro-lifers is nearing the end of several cross-country walks. "Crossroads" is the name of the event, which features young people walking across the nation and stopping along the way to conduct rallies for the unborn. Group spokesman Andrew Doran says this year's effort features three separate cross-country treks. "One started in Seattle, one in San Francisco, and one in San Diego," Doran shares. "[All three] are going east from the West Coast -- three-month walks, 3,000 miles [each], roughly." Walkers on the three routes are scheduled to arrive in Washington, DC, on August 6. Doran says the walkers carry a message of hope to every city they visit along the way. "All human life is sacred from conception until natural death and should be afforded -- by the law and by the individual, and ... by the culture -- the dignity that every human life deserves," he says. At any given time, Doran says 40 to 45 walkers are taking part in the annual event sponsored by the American Life League. Some, he says, can only go halfway, and others join the group en route. [Bill Fancher]

...Pro-family activist Kathleen Benefield of Louisiana is disappointed that a small town city council has voted to legalize a new form of gambling. The city council of Hammond, Louisiana, has voted to override the mayor's veto of an ordinance to legalize a new form of electronic gaming -- video bingo. Benefield, who is president of the American Family Association of New Orleans, says the people of Hammond have been betrayed. "We see this as an expansion of gambling, and we see it as a means to subvert the will of the people, which was to not have any gambling devices in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana," she says, explaining that the new electronic video bingo games are similar to slot machines. She admits that bingo typically is not viewed in the same light as casino gambling, but contends bingo is gambling just the same. "We do not favor any type of gambling whatsoever," she adds. The Hammond ordinance was introduced after the Louisiana state legislature approved a bill in June that allows video bingo as an extension of existing bingo. [Rusty Pugh]

...W.L. Cati is a former Muslim woman who now runs a Florida-based ministry that is dedicated to sharing the gospel to Muslims. She says a Colorado lawmaker should not have back-tracked on a recent comment suggesting a bold response to any future nuclear terrorist attack on American cities. Cati, founder and president of Zennah Ministries, says U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo should not have attempted to clarify a statement he made on a Florida radio station that the U.S. could consider taking out Islamic sites like Mecca if terrorists detonate nuclear devices in American cities. "You don't backtrack," Cati says. "If you've got guts enough to say it, then you have to stand by it." She says she has had similar demands from Muslims to apologize for telling the truth. "I've had many Muslims demand for me to make an apology, and I said absolutely not, because I know what I know," she explains. "I'm not a person who studied Islam. I was a Muslim. I was there for 15 years, and I have a perspective of Islam. I lived it." According to the former Muslim, destroying Muslim symbols is an effective way to deliver a message. "According to Islam, the only possible way they could ever get into heaven, or paradise, would be through death," she says. "So if you go and bomb a bunch of Muslims, you just sent them -- according to them -- straight to heaven, because they died in jihad for the cause of Allah." But Islam's religious artifacts or "holy sites" are more precious to Muslims than human life, she explains -- which is why destruction of those sites would be an effective response. [Chad Groening]

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