OUR COLUMNISTS (Click on photos for archives) Why Your Local Church Didn't Make 'The List' -- and Why That Might Be OK Commentary by Matt Friedeman My church of 200 attenders didn't make the recent list of the 50 most influential churches. But are such rankings a good thing? The Stem Cell Sidestep Commentary by Joe Murray While there is no mistaking the fact that the president's recent veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act was a victory for life, traditionalists must now inform the president that this is not the end of the road. Curing a Disease That 'Wasn't' Commentary by Jane Jimenez The big story about HPV has been the new vaccine introduced by Merck. The bigger story that doesn't make the news is the story about a disease that didn't exist until we had a cure for it. A Message Lost Commentary by Brad Locke We all thought Tony Stewart had turned a corner last year, when he seemed to subdue his fragile temperament and won his second NASCAR Cup championship. Obviously, we were all fooled. North Carolina Judge Lowers Great Moral Standard Commentary by Mark Creech Given an ultimatum, a county employee chose to quit her job instead of marrying her live-in boyfriend or moving out. The ACLU took up the woman's case, a judge ruled in her favor -- and the most egregious effect of the ruling was that it lowered a great moral standard.

...Televangelist Pat Robertson says he hasn't been a believer in global warming in the past, but this summer's record-breaking heat is, quote: "making a convert out of me." On his 700 Club broadcast, Robertson said, "It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air." Switching sides on an issue that divides evangelical Christians, Robertson said, "We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels." The religious broadcaster told viewers, "If we are contributing to the destruction of this planet, we need to do something about it." [AP]

...A New Jersey-based ministry is calling on pro-Israel advocates to help Christians living in Lebanon. Ephesus Saints is a nonprofit organization that raises financial support for churches in the Middle East. The ministry is receiving reports of dire humanitarian conditions for Lebanon's Christians. Tim Fyler, president of the ministry, says the needs are great for Christians in the area -- specifically facilities, pastors and teachers, and training for clergy and layity. "Right now, in Lebanon, if you read the reports and if you go to the Ephesus Saints website, you'll see that there are whole Christian communities that are being wiped out in Lebanon," Fyler notes. He points out that there are more Christians in Lebanon than there are in other countries in the region -- and consequently, many Lebanese Christians are able to lend aid to help others caught in the middle of the conflict. "[T]here are Christian churches, schools, and seminaries that are not only taking care of Christians but, as Muslim areas are being bombed and [the inhabitants are] fleeing right into Christian areas, you've got Christians taking care of Muslims, providing them with humanitarian aid as well as to others of the ethnic groups in Lebanon," he explains. "Even in the line of fire, they're courageously providing aid and comfort to all people that are being affected by this." It is estimated that 30 percent of Lebanon's population is Christian. [Allie Martin]

... Police in Hialeah, Florida, are continuing their investigation into the alleged murder of a baby who survived an abortion attempt at a facility in the city. News reports say a premature baby who was born in the waiting room of an abortion clinic was found dead, in a bag, a few hours later. National conservative radio talk-show host Janet Folger of Faith 2 Action says this situation points out a fact that is often ignored by most people. "This is what goes on behind those doors of what we call 'choice,'" Folger claims. "Forget the rhetoric; forget the slogans. We're talking about kids who are being brutally killed and, in this case, probably put in a bag and left to suffocate." The pro-life activist says because the child was born alive, the case will be treated as a homicide. "But if the abortionist had not been so busy," she continues, "this child would have been dismembered and killed, and no one would have thought twice about it." Folger says while she is glad U.S. law now protects infants who survive abortions and are born alive, she is "ashamed" it is taken 30 years to get to this point. [Bill Fancher]

...The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) says its membership dropped 1.6 percent, to 4.85 million, last year. The denomination blames the membership decline on the disbanding of 31 of its congregations, an update of membership lists in many churches, and a decrease in new members. Over the past 15 years, the baptized membership of the denomination has fallen by about 390,000, with half of that decline occurring between 2002 and 2005. The ELCA is among many mainline Protestant denominations that have seen their membership plummet in recent years amid divisions over homosexuality. [AP]

...An official English language advocate says he hopes an amendment introduced by Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe will put an end to a Bill Clinton executive order that has forced government-supported entities to provide translations for anyone who wants them in any language. Jim Boulet, executive director of English First, says he is appalled by a recent report in The Washington Times that says courts in Maryland and Virginia have increased their budgets for Spanish-language interpreters by about ten percent annually over the past decade because of the influx of more immigrants and illegal aliens. Boulet says any suggestions that the newcomers learn English get the usual response. "We're told that it's racist to attempt to even ask people to learn English," he claims. "In that type of climate, is it any wonder that immigration's a problem?" So Boulet hopes Congress will pass several key bills aimed at dealing with the immigration problem. "We have the chance, when all is said and done, if we were to have the House "enforcement first" immigration bill plus the Inhofe National Language Amendment passed in the Senate, there could be some very good legislation that would get America back on the right track," he suggests. Boulet says Clinton executive order 13166 was actually codified into law in Maryland because legislators there apparently thought it would be a good idea to provide translations for 200 languages. [Chad Groening]

...An immigration reform organization thinks a recently introduced compromise bill on immigration is nothing more than a feeble attempt to get something passed before Congress adjourns for the fall elections. The immigration group says the legislation really benefits illegal aliens, but only gives vague promises to American citizens. The measure was introduced by Indiana Congressman Mike Pence and Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. It would require that the president of the United States certify America's borders are secure, triggering the onset of a massive new guest-worker program. Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) says what constitutes a secure border is completely subjective. "It doesn't really specify what would constitute having our borders under control," Mehlman explains. "And of course, since [President Bush] never really thought it was much of a problem to begin with, it probably isn't going to take much to convince them that the problem is now solved, and we can go ahead and open up our borders to millions of guest workers." Mehlman says the bill offers no incentives for illegal aliens to return home. "Once we certify that the border is under control, [illegal immigrants] are going to be first in line for all these guest worker visas," he says. "So we are actually giving people encouragement to remain here in the United States illegally rather than to return home." The FAIR spokesman says the compromise bill will be taken up when Congress returns after Labor Day. But he believes it would be better to pass no immigration bill than to sign off on a bad one. [Chad Groening]

...When a million won't do, perhaps a billion will -- that seems to be the thinking behind a new gospel tract being produced by the ministry of evangelist Ray Comfort. According to a report from ASSIST News Service, the popularity of Comfort's "Million Dollar Bill" tract, spurred by the U.S. Secret Service's contention that it too closely resembles real money, has motivated him to start producing an even-larger "denomination" evangelistic tool: a "Billion Dollar Bill" tract. Comfort tells ASSIST News that he has done things a little differently this time though, in hopes of avoiding any confusion between the new handout and legal tender: two hidden Bible verses on the front, a 170-word gospel message on the back, full color production, and -- instead of a portrait of a U.S. president -- the image of Charles Spurgeon, whom Comfort describes as the "Prince of Preachers." Meanwhile, Comfort and his ministry partner, actor Kirk Cameron, have published a book containing 30 real-life incidents that show the ability of the "Million Dollar" tract to open doors for sharing the gospel of Christ. Comforts shares that he was tempted to dedicate the book to the U.S. Secret Service. "It was because of them that the million dollar bill received worldwide publicity," he says. The Secret Service seized more than 8,000 of the tracts -- the million-dollar variety -- in June, claiming they violated federal counterfeiting laws. Since that time, Comfort reports he has been unable to keep up with the demand for the tract. [Jody Brown]

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