Christian News Brief Monthly Archive - Dec 2003
1 Dec 2003
Most Alabama Residents Support Chief Justice Roy Moore
A poll finds that most Alabama residents support former Chief Justice Roy Moore. The Mobile Register-University of South Alabama poll found that more than 60% of state residents do not think Moore's battle to publicly acknowledge God should have cost him his job. In early November, the Alabama Co ...
1 Dec 2003
Homosexual Marriage to be Hot Topic in Coming Months
It appears the question of whether homosexual marriage will be legalized in the United States may prove to be one of the hottest issues politicians will face in the coming months. Confront it, run from it, or just hope it goes away -- that's the question for liberals and conservatives alike when i ...
1 Dec 2003
Vermont Congress Candidate Says He'd be Terrified if Dean Became President
A retired Air Force pilot who hopes to be Vermont's next congressman says he would be terrified if former Vermont Governor Howard Dean became president. Greg Parke wants to replace ultra-liberal Bernie Sanders as Vermont's only congressman -- and he wants to work with President George W. Bush; no ...
1 Dec 2003
National Education Association Confirms IRS Investigation
The National Education Association has confirmed that it is now the subject of an IRS investigation. The NEA is one of the most powerful unions in America, representing thousands of school teachers. At issue is a charge that the union used millions of dollars in membership dues for unreported poli ...
2 Dec 2003
Jim Sedlak of American Life League Goes on Speaking Tour in Texas
One of the nation's most active fighters against Planned Parenthood's efforts in the areas of sex education, contraception, and abortion is conducting a speaking tour in the Lone Star State this week. Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League (http://www.all.org/hp8.htm) and executive di ...
2 Dec 2003
Christian Missionary in Middle East Says Progress Often Slow
A Christian missionary assigned to one of the most dangerous areas of the world says progress in spreading the gospel must often be measured a few people at a time. "Mike," who cannot reveal his real name or the mission agency that has sent him to the Middle East, says progress there is often slo ...
2 Dec 2003
US Supreme Court Has Two Sides - Statutory and Social Liberalism
One of the nation's leading jurists says the current U.S. Supreme Court is really two courts. Judge Robert Bork, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, has studied the current Supreme Court and its decisions in detail. The former U.S. solicitor general believes the high court opera ...
2 Dec 2003
Former Model and Christian Author Encourages Young Believers to be Passionate for God
A former international model who is also a Christian encourages young believers to be passionate for God, and to step out in faith to make a difference for Christ. In her new book Ignite the Fire, 24-year-old Natalie Moe challenges teenagers to be warriors for Christ with a message of God's love. ...
3 Dec 2003
Dodge Buys into "Sex Sells" Idea
A report indicates the Dodge unit of DaimlerChrysler has become the latest corporation to by into the idea that you need sexual content to sell a product. According to a CNN report, Dodge will sponsor a pay-per-view "Lingerie Bowl" during halftime of the Super Bowl on February 1. The event will ...
3 Dec 2003
Public Must Speak at Ballot Box to End Filibusters
Of all the methods being talked about for ending Democrats' Senate filibuster of conservative, pro-life nominations, an Alabama senator says his is the only one that will work. Republican Jeff Sessions suggests the solution to the nominee problem is simple. "Ultimately this matter will be decide ...
3 Dec 2003
Bush Thanksgiving Visit to Troops a Big Boost
A military analyst says President Bush's surprise visit to American troops in Iraq on Thanksgiving Day will be a big boost for both him and the war on terror. Retired Colonel Bob Maginnis says while the president's surprise visit to Baghdad was a security nightmare, it was also a beneficial act. ...
3 Dec 2003
What if Gore had Won?
In light of the ongoing criticism of President Bush foreign policy, an author and magazine editor wants to remind Americans of what shape the country might be in right now if Al Gore had won the 2000 election. Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, believes former President Bill Clinton is obsessed ...
4 Dec 2003
Insurance Benefits for Same-Sex Partners Violates Michigan DOMA
A Michigan-based public-interest law firm says providing insurance benefits to the same-sex partners of public school employees violates that state's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- but two Michigan universities and the ACLU don't agree. Earlier this fall, the Thomas More Law Center filed a law ...
4 Dec 2003
Hillary Clinton Missed Opportunity in Iraq Visit
Pro-family advocate Gary Bauer says Hillary Clinton missed a great opportunity during her recent trip to Iraq. Bauer suggests the junior senator from New York should learn a lesson from President Bush's visit with American troops. "When President Bush went to Iraq, he raised morale," he says. ...
4 Dec 2003
Israel Thwarting Suicide Bomb Attempts in Recent Months
There has been an uneasy calm over Israel the past couple of months as terrorist bombings seem to have ceased. Josh Block, spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has an explanation for the lull in the bombings. "We've been very lucky because the Israelis have been quite succ ...
4 Dec 2003
Sears Goes Above and Beyond in Supporting Reservists
Apparently one of America's largest retailers is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to showing support for the nation's military reservists. A spokesman for the Sears Corporation has verified that the company is going beyond what is required by law, which says employers must hold ...
4 Dec 2003
All Kerry Can Do is Complain
"He now objects to the war. He objects to the legal steps we're taking. He objects to anything the president does to publicly connect himself with our troops in the field." That's conservative spokesman Gary Bauer's assessment of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Bauer says all K ...
4 Dec 2003
Sky Angel Developing Christian Music Channel with Spirit Communications
If one of your Christmas wishes has been for a music video channel that features artists like Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, and Mercy Me, your gift won't be arriving in time to be under the tree this year -- but Sky Angel says such a channel is in the works and will be launched sometime next year ...
5 Dec 2003
Canadian Leftward Drift Resulting in Rift with US
A report says Canada's increasing leftward drift on social issues is resulting in a growing rift with the United States. According to the New York Times, a more distinctive Canadian identity -- one far more in line with European sensibilities -- is emerging and generating new frictions with the U. ...
5 Dec 2003
Mormons May Bring Back Polygamy if Tom Green Case Overturned
A Christian pastor with a ministry geared toward winning Mormons to Christ says he expects the LDS Church could reinstate polygamy if a convicted polygamist is successful in getting his case thrown out. In 1890, the Mormon Church officially renounced polygamy. But may followers did not go along wi ...
5 Dec 2003
Liberal Radio "Progress Media" in Final Stages
An all-liberal radio network appears to be one step closer to reality. Backers say they are about to finalize the purchase of five key radio stations. The stations are reportedly in five of the top ten radio markets. The company, backed by liberal dollars to bring the network to life, is called ...
5 Dec 2003
Constitutional Scholar Says Americans Ignorant of Basis of Their Freedoms
One of the nation's leading constitutional scholars says a majority of Americans are ignorant when it comes to understanding the basis of their freedoms. Howard Phillips of The Conservative Caucus believes the problems Americans are facing -- specifically, an activist judiciary and its efforts to ...
5 Dec 2003
Toys and Gospel Literature Bound for Sudan
More than 100,000 shoe boxes filled with toys and gospel literature are headed for children in war-torn Sudan. Transport planes filled with the boxes collected by Operation Christmas Child leave this weekend for Sudan. Rev. Franklin Graham will fly to that country to help hand out the shoe boxes t ...
8 Dec 2003
Operation Rescue West Picketing Goes on Unhindered
On December 4, in what pro-lifers are calling a victory for free speech in controversial settings, members of Operation Rescue West (ORW) picketed through the Leawood, Kansas, neighborhood of abortionist Sherman C. Zaremski without incident after the city failed to follow through on threats to arres ...
8 Dec 2003
Christmas Shopping Season Shows that Economy is Bouncing Back
An economic analyst and advisor to President Bush says the good start to the Christmas shopping season is one more sign that the U.S. economy is bouncing back. Financial columnist and Club for Growth president Steve Moore notes that the Christmas season is off to a great start for retailers, but he ...
8 Dec 2003
Totally Me - Chalk to Go Recalled
As Christmas shoppers head out to work on their gift shopping lists, there is at least one item they may want to avoid. A consumer product recall has been issued for a brand of sidewalk chalk sold in the past few months at Toys 'R' Us Stores. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling "T ...
8 Dec 2003
Bombs Found in Christian Schools in Iraq
Bombs have been found in Iraqi Christian schools in the latest round of incidents of harassment of Christians by Muslims in Iraq. According to Voice of the Martyrs, the bomb discovered last month at the school in Mosul was a cluster of low-grade explosive hand grenades that could have caused signifi ...
8 Dec 2003
American Forces Win Big Victories in Iraq
Over the past week, American military forces have won big victories in Iraq by thwarting ambushes and conducting lightning raids. A military expert says this more aggressive tactic will help settle the country down, but it will still take a long time. Saddam loyalists are not alone among the challen ...
8 Dec 2003
Joel Rosenberg Releases New Book "The Last Days"
Author Joel Rosenberg is continuing to share his faith in Christ through the second installment in a series of fiction thrillers. The novelist, who spoke last week at Patrick Henry College in Virginia, is promoting his latest book, titled The Last Days (Forge, 2003). Rosenberg's 2002 success, The L ...
9 Dec 2003
Pro-Family Advocate Laments Washington DC a "cesspool"
A pro-family advocate is lamenting that the U.S. capital is one of the nation's worst and most dangerous places to live. Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families says the latest evidence of this fact comes with news of a proposal by city leaders in Washington, DC, to distribute free condoms ...
9 Dec 2003
Angry Parents Win Battle - "God" put Back Into Song "God Bless the USA"
In Pleasant Valley, California, a group of angry parents have won a battle to get God put back in a popular patriotic song. According to an Associated Press report, Kaila Kaden and her 11-year-old daughter Jackie took issue with officials at Jackie's school who wanted to remove the word "God" fro ...
9 Dec 2003
Bush Will Defend Traditional Marriage
A White House spokesman says President Bush will defend traditional marriage, despite the actions of activist courts. Tim Goeglein of the President's Office of the Public Liaison says the chief executive is vowing to do all he can to defend the traditional definition of marriage. Pro-family activis ...
9 Dec 2003
Michigan Based Mission India Trying to Improve Literacy Rates in India
One Christian ministry is introducing people in the world's most illiterate nation to Jesus Christ. An estimated 500 million people in India, or about half the nation's population, are illiterate. Michigan-based Mission India is trying to improve the literacy rate by providing volunteers to help t ...
9 Dec 2003
Center for Military Readiness President Struggles Through Expensive Court Battles
An advocate for sound military policy says she has had to spend several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees in order to defend her free-speech rights. Elaine Donnelly is president of the Center for Military Readiness. In August, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought against Donnelly by Care ...
10 Dec 2003
Carl F.H. Henry, the First Editor of Christianity Today magazine Dies at Ninety
The pioneering first editor of evangelical Christianity's flagship publication has died. The Associated Press reports that evangelical leader and theologian Carl F.H. Henry, the first editor of Christianity Today magazine, has died at his home in Wisconsin at age 90. Henry attended Wheaton College ...
10 Dec 2003
Tom S Fortson Assumes Leadership of Promise Keepers
At a farewell dinner last Sunday, Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney officially passed the baton of leadership to his successor, PK president and CEO Tom S. Fortson. More than 300 friends, colleagues and family members gathered to honor McCartney and his wife Lyndi. The ministry founder stepped ...
10 Dec 2003
Main Judiciary Committee Approves Bill Providing Same Sex Couples Marriage Like Benefits Without Creating Domestic Partner Registrar
The Judiciary Committee of the Maine legislature has approved a bill that would provide same-sex couples with some of the same rights of married couples, but would not create a domestic partner register. The portion of the original legislation that would have created such a register was dropped in a ...
10 Dec 2003
America Turns to Israel for Advice on Suicide Bombers in Iraq
American military leaders have turned to Israel for advice and guidance in dealing with suicide bombers and terrorist ambushes in Iraq. Josh Block of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee says the response so far has been positive. He says among the countries of the world, the U.S. has no bet ...
10 Dec 2003
Christian Music Today Announces 12 Best New Artists of 2003
The Christian Music Today website has announced its 12 Best New Artists of 2003, along with new artist selections from its first annual Readers' Choice Awards. Among the musical artists listed, four acts appear on both the editorial and readers choice lists: Anberlin, Todd Agnew, Sanctus Real, and ...
11 Dec 2003
Abercrombie and Fitch Discontinues Racy Quarterly Catalogue
At least one pro-family advocate says he is "cautiously optimistic" about the decision by Abercrombie & Fitch to discontinue its racy quarterly catalogue. A&F surprised many pro-family groups this week when it abruptly announced that the catalogue -- described by many as outright pornography -- w ...
11 Dec 2003
JCPenney & Co. Now Under Fire for Line of Sexually Suggestive Clothing
But where Abercrombie & Fitch may have stepped back from its sexually-laced marketing strategy, another major clothier appears to have stepped in to fill the void, says a major pro-family group. JCPenney & Co. is now under fire for a line of shirts for youngsters that, according to the American Fam ...
11 Dec 2003
New York Abortionist Loses License Over Botched Abortion
The New York State Medical Review Board has suspended the license of an abortionist who refused to call an ambulance for a patient after he botched an abortion. The woman was bleeding profusely when she was driven by private car to a nearby hospital where her life was saved. Abortionist Joel Novend ...
11 Dec 2003
Online Test Gauges How Your Worldview Lines up With Biblical Standards
A conservative pro-family leader has developed an on-line test to help individuals gauge how well their worldview lines up with biblical standards. Author and American Family Policy Institute President Brannon Howse is the founder and director of Worldview Weekend, an organization that provides educ ...
11 Dec 2003
Congress Derelict in its Duties in Dealing with Activist Judges
An advocate for constitutional government says activist judges could be dealt a fatal blow if Congress would follow its mandate and use the authority granted to the legislature by the Constitution to keep the courts in check. Many conservatives feel that liberal judges who make law rather than inter ...
12 Dec 2003
Alliance Defense Fund Ensures Childs Right to Read Bible in School
A legal defense organization has helped a Louisiana family win a small victory for religious freedom. When eight-year-old Harrison Kravat brought a book of Bible stories from home to read during his school's individual "quiet reading time," he was told not to bring the book back to school, suppo ...
12 Dec 2003
Taxpayer Free-Speech lawsuit in California Will Continue Says Federal Judge
A taxpayer free-speech lawsuit is being permitted to proceed against the State of California. Campaign for California Families (CCF) is arguing that it was wrong for the state Legislative Data Center to block and delete tens of thousands of "no new taxes" e-mail messages in January 2003. Attorneys ...
12 Dec 2003
Hate Crimes Legislation Support Growing - Conservative Leaders Concerned About Speaking Out Against Homosexuality
Support for "hate crimes" legislation is growing in both houses of Congress, and this has U.S. conservative leaders worried. Family Research Council government affairs director Tom McClusky believes hate crimes legislation that would include prohibition of speaking out against homosexuality would ...
12 Dec 2003
Tensions Rising Between China and Taiwan
A conservative military analyst is not happy with President George W. Bush's reaction to recent events in Taiwan. Earlier this week, Taiwan's leader announced plans to go ahead with a referendum demanding that China stop pointing missiles at his island nation. The decision came despite comments fr ...
12 Dec 2003
Christian Singer Visits Troops in Iraq
A Christian singer who recently spent time with the U.S. troops in Iraq says the soldiers wish they were home for the Christmas holidays, but know they have a mission to fulfill. Christian Contemporary Music recording artist Russ Lee spent eight days in Iraq just before Thanksgiving. The singer says ...
15 Dec 2003
Iowa: We Won't Marry You, But We'll Divorce You!
Question: How can a state that bans same-sex marriages permit same-sex divorce? Answer: Find a judge who says it can. In March 2002, two Iowa lesbians were joined in a "civil union" in Vermont, home state of Democratic presidential frontrunner Howard Dean. But when County Judge Jeffrey Neary sig ...
15 Dec 2003
Public Needs to Act to Halt Judicial Activism
One of the nation's best-known jurists says if people are tired of activist judges, then they ought to do something about it. Judge Robert Bork says there are two ways to go about curtailing judges who attempt to make law that is not in the Constitution. He believes the people of the nation must ...
15 Dec 2003
France Backs Measure to Ban "Conspicuous Religious Clothing" from Public Buildings and Schools
Supreme Court justices who lean toward the U.S. legal system becoming more like that in Europe may soon have another model to follow. Last week a presidential commission in France backed a measure that would ban from public buildings and schools "conspicuous religious clothing" such as Jewish sku ...
15 Dec 2003
Democrats Aren't the Only Ones Concerned with Rising Budget Deficits
Democrats aren't the only ones voicing concern these days about Republican spending habits. Howard Phillips of the Conservative Caucus is also uneasy about the huge deficit Congress and the president are piling up. "You can make a case that we would have been better off if Gore had been declared ...
15 Dec 2003
Full Page USA Today Ad Praises Rumsfeld in Response to MovOn.org "Traitor" Ad
A conservative political website recently published a full-page ad in USA Today praising Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The ad was a response to a full-page spread in the New York Times that labeled the defense secretary as a traitor. William Greene, chairman of RightMarch.com, created the ...
15 Dec 2003
Cliff Kincaid Charges the Clintons Support World Federalist Association - A Group Supporting a One World Government
There could be more behind Senator Hillary Clinton's push for greater United Nations involvement in Iraq than her concern for the safety of American troops. Cliff Kincaid, director of the think tank America's Survival, charges the New York senator is not telling what is behind her strong support ...
16 Dec 2003
Abscence of "Jesus" in National Christmas Tree Lighting Not Intentional
Organizers of this year's lighting of the National Christmas Tree says the absence of the word "Jesus" from the ceremony was not intentional. The man who oversees the Christmas Pageant of Peace ceremony, Roland McElroy, says there was no conscious effort to omit the name of Jesus and that those ...
16 Dec 2003
Christians Must Ask Themselves if They Can Support a Candidate Who Gives Money to Abortionists
A South Carolina pro-life activist says Christians must ask themselves honestly if they can vote for a candidate who voted to give money to the largest abortion-provider in the world. House Resolution 3061, passed by congressional Democrats and Republicans and signed into law by President Bush, gav ...
16 Dec 2003
College Republicans Attacked During "Affirmative Action Bake Sale"
An education-rights group says a group of conservative students in Washington state was physically attacked this fall for protesting against affirmative action efforts on their campus. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education reports that the University of Washington group College Republic ...
16 Dec 2003
African Methodist Episcopal Church Reaffirms Opposition to Homosexual Clergy
The official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is setting the record straight: the denomination opposes the ordination of openly homosexual individuals to the rank of clergy. During a recent meeting in Dallas, the Council of Bishops of the AME Church reaffirmed the denomination's ...
17 Dec 2003
Ohio Celebrates Court Victory in Partial Birth Abortion Ban
Pro-lifers in Ohio are celebrating a federal appeals court ruling that gives the go-ahead for the state to enforce a ban on partial-birth abortions. In a 2-1 ruling that reverses a lower-court decision, the Cincinnati court has ruled that the ban is constitutionally acceptable. The ban was to take ...
17 Dec 2003
Pro-Family Leader Questions Bush's Dedication to Constitutional Marriage Ammendment
A pro-family leader is concerned about comments by President Bush Tuesday night that may indicate the chief executive is not as firmly committed to protecting the institution of marriage as has been thought. Bush stated on ABC News that he would support a Constitutional amendment "which would hono ...
17 Dec 2003
Focus on the Family Says When it Comes to Teen Attitudes on Premarital Sex, Listen to the Teens
Focus on the Family says when it comes to reports about teens' attitudes on premarital sex, people should listen to teens themselves -- and not to the media. A new survey released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy confirms that most Americans, regardless of their age, believe teen ...
17 Dec 2003
Ohio Pro-Family Group Says Porn Problem Not Just in Big Cities
The head of an Ohio-based pro-family group says the proliferation of adult businesses in small towns is proof that the demand for pornography is not exclusive to large cities. Increasingly, owners of adult book and video stores are choosing to locate along lonely Interstate exit ramps in "small-to ...
17 Dec 2003
Mission Opportunities There, But Money Lacking
An official with the nation's largest evangelical denomination says there are more opportunities than ever before for missionaries to serve overseas -- but the money to send some of them is not there. Last year, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Southern Baptist missionaries fell $10 million ...
17 Dec 2003
Saddam's Capture Will Have Mixed Impact Says Terrorism Expert
The impact of Saddam Hussein's capture will have a strong impact on some of America's enemies and very little on others -- that's according to one terrorism expert. Jim Phillips of the Heritage Foundation says the taking of Saddam will have an immediate impact in Iraq. "His capture will demora ...
17 Dec 2003
Top Vatican Cardinal Criticizes US for Treatment of Saddam Hussein
A top Vatican cardinal is criticizing the United States over the way Saddam Hussein has been treated. Associated Press quotes Cardinal Renato Martino who said yesterday that he felt compassion for Saddam after seeing video pictures in which, as he puts it, American forces treated the captured Iraqi ...
18 Dec 2003
Christmas Controversy Abounds in Alabama
A couple of well-known Alabama cities have become the latest hot spots for controversies over Christmas political correctness. Earlier this week, the city council in Mobile voted unanimously to restore the word "Christmas" to the annual parade through downtown this Saturday. But Associated Press ...
18 Dec 2003
Fallout Continues Over "Morning After Pill"
Fallout continues over the recent decision by a federal advisory panel approving the "morning-after pill" -- a so-called "emergency contraceptive" -- for over-the-counter (OTC) sales. Dr. David Hager, a member of the Food and Drug Administration's Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Dru ...
18 Dec 2003
Shadow Government Embarks on Middle East Peace Talks
A shadow government has reared its head in the United States. Critics of President Bush's Middle East policy have begun their own peace negotiations with Palestinians, and they claim to have made progress. But the White House is not impressed. Tim Goeglein of the White House Office of Public Lia ...
18 Dec 2003
War in Sudan May Soon be Over
Goeglein also says the war in Sudan may soon be over. The civil war in the African nation has resulted in the death or enslavement of millions of Christians at the hands of a radical Islamic government. "The civil war there has resulted in a slaughter of people of the Christian faith," the White ...
18 Dec 2003
Author Says Grassroots Americans Can No Longer Tolerate the Lie that Islam is a Peaceful Religion
A successful businessman turned author says ordinary grassroots Americans can no longer tolerate the lie being advanced by the media and by their government that Islam is a peaceful religion. Craig Winn says he has received death threats for speaking the truth about Islam. He recently published Mo ...
18 Dec 2003
Howard Dean Refuses to Open Sealed Record of Years as Governor
Leading Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean has refused to open the sealed record of his years as governor of Vermont. But Cliff Kincaid of the think tank America's Survival has investigated Dean's history and discovered some interesting facts. He says that Dean, as governor of Vermont, ...
19 Dec 2003
Dodge Pulls Sponsorship From "Lingerie Bowl"
A pro-family activists says the fact that the automaker Dodge pulled its sponsorship from the "Lingerie Bowl" is proof that when enough people get angry and take action, corporate America will take notice. DaimlerChrysler, the parent company of Dodge, came under fire from the American Family Asso ...
19 Dec 2003
Christians Don't Want to Hear Things That Make Them Uneasy
It may be a sign of the times that some Christians don't want to hear about things that make them uneasy. A Christian radio station in Columbia, South Carolina, has decided to pull Dr. James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast from its regular lineup because the station manager feels ...
19 Dec 2003
Colorado Woman Cleared of Protesting Abortion on Highway Overpass
One hour every month, Wendy Faustin of Lakewood, Colorado, would stand at the Perry Street overpass and protest against the killing of unborn children. Then she was charged with violating a Denver policy that prohibited all "expressive activity" on highway overpasses. Now a U.S. District Court j ...
19 Dec 2003
Thomas More Law Center Files Brief to Supreme Court Regarding Pledge
A group that defends the religious rights of Christians has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, urging it to reverse a lower-court ruling that says the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. The brief, filed by the Thomas More Law Center on behalf of the Catholic League, argues that the p ...
19 Dec 2003
Group Calls for Toys 'R' Us Boycott Due to Links to Amazon Pedophile Offerings
A group dedicated to saving children from physical and emotional sexual abuse is calling on parents and grandparents to boycott the nation's largest toy retailer because of its association with Amazon.com. Jim Hughes, director of Survivors and Victims Empowered (SAVE), says it is a proven fact: Am ...
19 Dec 2003
FBI Report Shows Drop in Serious Offenses
The latest FBI report on crime shows an overall drop in serious offenses -- and the reason may have something to do with the aging population in the United States. The worst news is that murder rates increased by about one percentage point, but overall violent crime was down three to four percent f ...
22 Dec 2003
Student Barred from Handing Out Candy Canes with Christmas Message
A Texas public school has barred a student from passing out candy canes with a Christian message at his class party. Last week the principal at Thomas Elementary School in Plano told third grader Jonathan Morgan he could not hand out candy with an attached message titled "The Legend of the Candy Ca ...
22 Dec 2003
Scotland Hot on US Heals Regarding Removing Christ from Christmas
It appears the United States is not the only place where efforts are underway to take Christ out of Christmas. By now many Americans have become familiar with several of the various court battles being fought to remove the mention the words Christ and Jesus from Christmas celebrations, especially in ...
22 Dec 2003
Connecticut Artist Wins Right to Display Christian Art in Library Exhibition
A Connecticut artist has won the right to include Christian art in a library exhibition. Earlier this month Mary Morley was scheduled to show an exhibition of her artwork at the public library in Meriden, Conn. However, library officials excluded five pieces from the show because the pictures featur ...
22 Dec 2003
How to Show Appreciation for Veterans this Holiday Season
A Conservative group has come up with a way Americans can show appreciation for U.S. veterans this holiday season. Fred Gedrich of Freedom Alliance (freedomalliance.org) has a Christmas gift suggestion that probably is not on many people's lists. "I would urge all Americans to think of the veteran ...
22 Dec 2003
Israeli Author: Bush Wise to Bluff Supporting Muslims
An Israeli author and lecturer says the U.S. should not be too concerned with statements by President Bush that seem to placate Palestinian terrorists. Whether Bush is inviting Muslims to Ramadan dinners or telling Israel to restrain its self-defense efforts against Palestinian terrorists, conservat ...
23 Dec 2003
Sixth US Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Ruling Against Ten Commandments Display in Kentucky
A divided three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a preliminary ruling against a display of the Ten Commandments in Kentucky. The case involves two courthouses in Pulaski and McCreary Counties which displayed the Ten Commandments, the Bill of Rights, and other histori ...
23 Dec 2003
FDA Meeting on Morning After Pill Stacked Against Critics
Critics of a plan to offer the "morning-after pill" known as Plan B as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug claim the Food and Drug Administration hearing on the issue was stacked against them. Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America says the FDA advisory committee hearing allowed proponents of the ...
23 Dec 2003
France and Germany Humiliated when Other EU Nations Rejected EU Constitution
A European policy expert says France and Germany were humiliated when other European nations rejected their ideas for a European Union constitution, but the document being pushed by those two countries would not be in the best interests of other Union members. Dr. Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Found ...
23 Dec 2003
Dangerous Islamists in the White House?
The head of a Washington, DC-based military think tank is concerned that a conservative activist has used his influence to get dangerous Islamists access to the White House. Frank Gaffney, a former Reagan Administration defense official, is now president of the Center for Security Policy. In a lengt ...
23 Dec 2003
The Most Powerful City in the World Shuts Down for a Day
The most powerful city in the world is poised to shut down for a day -- not because of a threat, a snow storm, or an electrical failure, but to commemorate the birth of a baby in a stable. In the U.S. capital, government offices will close and business will stop on Christmas Day as America celebrate ...
24 Dec 2003
Efforts to Secularize Christmas Increase in Recent Years
A pro-family analyst says efforts to secularize the Christmas holiday have increased over the past few years, especially in the retail industry. Culture and Family Institute director Bob Knight says attempts to take Christ out of Christmas have escalated to the point of removing the word "Christmas ...
24 Dec 2003
Group Says Recent Terror Alerts Reinforce Need for Guns in Cockpit
A gun-ownership rights group says the recent terror alert scare is all the more proof that both commercial airline pilots and cargo plane pilots should have guns in the cockpit, with no interference from the Bush Administration and anti-gun activists. It is now legal for U.S. pilots, commercial and ...
24 Dec 2003
Kirk Talley Target of Blackmail
Authorities in Tennessee have charged a man with extortion after he allegedly tried to blackmail a gospel singer by threatening to reveal that the performer is homosexual. According to Associated Press, Walbert Keith Farmer is accused of demanding nearly $15,000 from southern gospel singer Kirk Tall ...
24 Dec 2003
Some Think US Hindering Israeli Peace Efforts
Israel, the land where the angels first sang of peace on Earth, has known anything but peace over the past 50 years. And there are those who believe the United States government has been making things even more difficult for the tiny nation. Cliff Kincaid of the organization America's Survival says ...
24 Dec 2003
Roman Catholic Mission in Alabama Hit by Thieves... Again
Even in a season characterized by the spirit of giving, some lawless "Grinches" apparently have no compunction about stealing others' Christmas. According to Associated Press reports, for the second Christmas in a row, one Roman Catholic mission in Alabama has been hit by thieves. Officials at Se ...
29 Dec 2003
2003 Busy and Frustrating Year in the Fight for the Unborn
A pro-life activist says 2003 has been both a busy and frustrating year for her cause. Judie Brown of American Life League spend the past 12 months doing what she has been doing for several decades: fighting for the unborn. And she says in 2003, she did a lot of fighting. "This has been a tremen ...
29 Dec 2003
Christian Activist Roughed Up by Pennsylvania Police
A Christian activist says there is little tolerance for pro-life views in one Pennsylvania city. Last week Michael Marcavage, a field preacher with the Philadelphia-based Repent America, was holding pro-life signs on a public sidewalk in Springfield. Marcavage says several police officers arrived, ...
29 Dec 2003
Liberty Counsel Urges Supreme Court to Uphold "Under God" in Pledge
A Florida law firm that helps protect the First Amendment rights of Christians is urging the Supreme Court to uphold the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Liberty Counsel filed a brief with the high court in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. Mat Staver, presi ...
29 Dec 2003
Chairman Believes Bush Will Support Illegal Alien Amnesty Bill
The chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus believes President Bush will support a pending bill in Congress that would give what amounts to amnesty to hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of illegal aliens. When Congress returns in January, both the Senate and the House will consider th ...
29 Dec 2003
US Relations with France, Germany and Russia Expected to Remain Problematic
As a new year dawns, a European policy expert predicts that U.S. relations with France, Germany, and Russia will remain problematic. When President George W. Bush told those nations' leaders their countries would not be able to bid for major reconstruction contracts in Iraq, he send a clear messag ...
29 Dec 2003
Saddam Husseins Capture Has Changed the Middle East Region
Recent developments in Iraq have had a major impact in other places in the Middle East. Israeli Embassy spokesman Mark Regev insists the capture of Saddam Hussein has changed the Middle East region. "Here's a man who ran one of the most despicable, extreme terrorist regimes in the region, and he ...
29 Dec 2003
California Mall Reverses Stand - Allows Church Choirs to Perform
A California shopping mall reversed its stand just before the Christmas holiday, allowing two church choirs to perform amidst the noise and activity of Christmas shoppers. When the children's and youth choirs of Mountain View Community Church were told by The Promenade Mall in Temecula they could ...
30 Dec 2003
Cosmopolitan Magazine Weighs in On Religion
Cosmopolitan, a magazine well known for its heavy sexual content, has decided it needs a bit of religion on its pages. A report in the London Telegraph says Cosmopolitan has hired its first "spirituality editor." Starting in February, Hannah Borno will apparently address topics such as Buddhism, ...
30 Dec 2003
Churches Must Seek Renewal Through Move of God's Spirit
The former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary says it's vital for churches to seek true renewal through a move of God's spirit. Earlier this year, Dr. Ken Hemphill stepped down as president of the seminary in Fort Worth and moved to Nashville to head an initiative by the South ...
30 Dec 2003
Taxpayer Dollars Fund Musical About a Serial Killer
Who would have the gall to finance a musical about a serial killer? The federal government, that's who -- using taxpayer dollars. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, locally-bred serial killer and homosexual Andrew Cunanan will be the subject of a musical theater piece titled Disposable, wh ...
30 Dec 2003
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Has No Problem with School Production Featuring Islam
A group that challenges the free exercise of Christianity in public spaces says it has no problem with a musical program at an Ohio public school that included traditional Islamic songs celebrating Ramadan. Mason Intermediate School recently invited students from the Islamic Center of Greater Cinci ...
30 Dec 2003
Conservative Military Pundit Believes US Reluctance to Support Israel is Weakening Their Resolve
A conservative military pundit believes the United States' continuing reluctance to fully support Israel is causing the Jewish state to lose confidence in itself and its cause. Frank Gaffney, a former Reagan Administration official and now president of the Center for Security Policy, believes the ...
30 Dec 2003
New Family Research Council President Has Busy Few Months
He hasn't been in his new position a long time, but it has been a hectic period for the new president of the Washington, DC-based Family Research Council. Tony Perkins' first few months at the helm of FRC have kept him hopping -- but he says that is the way he likes to be involved. "There's no ...
30 Dec 2003
Travel the Road: Christian Reality TV Show
The executive producer of a Christian reality television show says the program gives viewers an idea of the struggles and trials faced by missionaries. The series, called Travel the Road, follows the year-and-a-half-long adventure of 24-year-old Tim Scott and 28-year-old William Decker as they trav ...
31 Dec 2003
2003 Sees Many Wins for Traditional Family Values
The year 2003 saw many wins for traditional family values. One pro-family activist compares such victories to a snowball that starts small, then gains size and momentum as it rolls downhill. Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the American Family Association, says the past year has been ...
31 Dec 2003
Christian Ministry Responds to Iran Quake
A Christian ministry is responding to the rising death toll in last week's devastating earthquake in Iran. Hardest hit was the city of Bam, where more than 30,000 bodies have been recovered so far. Baltimore-based World Relief is supporting four teams of local Iranian Christians in Bam. The team ...
31 Dec 2003
Standing Together for Our Children Announces Conference Series
An online activism group for moms concerned about their children's souls has announced a series of conferences designed to equip those mothers as they stand for biblical values. "Standing Together for Our Children" -- that's the theme of the conferences sponsored by OneMillionMoms.com, an onlin ...
31 Dec 2003
Highly Acclaimed Musician Refuting Evolution Theory
A highly acclaimed musician is refuting the theory of evolution. Dennis Marcellino is a former member of popular hippie-generation bands like "The Tokens" and "Sly and the Family Stone." Now a professing Christian, he says his heart's goal is to share God with the world. In his book, Why Are ...
31 Dec 2003
2004 Will be a Year of Activism
As 2003 comes to a close, activists are gearing up to push their issues of interest in 2004. The Southeastern Legal Foundation was one of the leaders in the fight against the Campaign Finance Reform legislation signed into law this past year. But spokesman Todd Young says there is another key issu ...