New Stem Cell Bill Puts Ball in Pelosi’s Court

Last week’s Presidential veto was hailed as a victory for those who do no support the use of human embryos for unproven scientific experimentation. Opponents of this legislature contend that federal funding of this type would find cures for diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson’s. To date, their claims are unproven while other forms of stem cell research have proven to be successful.

While Speaker Pelosi continues to waste time and money on lobbying for methods that destroy life, she is also wasting time and resources at the expense of those methods that are providing results. While I am certain that Pelosi is only interested in creating a debate and pushing the liberal agenda, she will be given another opportunity to prove me wrong. This week, a new bipartisan piece of legislature called the Patients First Act was introduced by Congressman Randy Forbes (R-N.Y.) and Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.).

This new piece of sensible legislation would provide government funds to pro-life alternatives in stem cell research. The new legislation, geared to focusing more funding on already proven, pro-life methods appears to a solid piece of legislation for those looking for new cures without the required termination of embryos.

This bill should turn up on the heat on the Democratic-lead Congress, as their lack of support of this legislation would only indicate that they are interested pursuing the unproven scientific experimentation of embryonic stem cell research that requires the termination of human life.

Thanks for this bill go to the Family Research Council who was instrumental in putting this bill together with a bipartisan approach that also has President Bush’s strong support.

Time will tell, but the ball is now clearly in Speaker Pelosi’s court.

Regent University Abducted by Aliens

Let me get this straight, Rudy Giuliani traveled to Regent University yesterday to deliver a stump speech. After the speech, there was a question and answer session followed by comments from Pat Robertson.

In his speech, Giuliani did not mention his stance on abortion or same sex marriage. Also interesting was the fact no one in the audience asked the former Mayor of New York about either of these issues, both of which he supports. He did however say,"Don't expect that you are going to agree with me on everything, because that would be unrealistic, I don't agree with myself on everything."

After the speech Robertson gushed about the leadership qualities of Giuliani, falling just short of giving him an endorsement. Robertson said, "He may one day become not New York's mayor, but America's leader. So, it's a great pleasure to welcome a dear friend and a great leader."

As the New York Daily News pointed out, "for Giuliani, who remains atop most national polls of Republicans but has struggled to win over pasrty conservatives, it was like manna from Heaven."

Clearly, there is something wrong with this notion of a pro-abortion, pro-gay rights presidential candidate visiting one of America's most conservative Christian universities and not one word being mentioned about two of the most critical issues in United States political history. Clearly, there is something wrong when the founder of the Christian Coalition, an organization founded on Christian principles and doctrine, does not press Giuliani on his views on these issues. Finally, there is clearly a problem when the audience, made up of Regent University students and staff, does not fire off a question aimed at Giuliani's liberal views on these most critical issues.

After reading recounted version of Giuliani's visit to Regent University, it made we wonder if the good people of Regent had been abducted by aliens so that Giuliani could say he just spoke at one of America's finest Evangelical institutions.

But where were the Evangelicals?

Church Politics Send Woman to Jail

Last Sunday, Karolyn Caskey decided that since she just returned to town from her extended winter stay in Florida, she should attend church. She put on her Sunday best and arrived in time for Sunday services at Allen Baptist church in Allen, Michigan, a church she has been attending since 1959. But on Sunday, June 17, Karolyn Caskey became the victim of church politics.

As Mrs. Caskey told me in a recent phone conversation, the problem revolves around the hiring of a new minister for the independent Baptist church. After hiring the new minister, Pastor Jason Burrick, the church members noticed some immediate and troubling changes. “One of the first things he did was do away with all of the deacons and the officers of the church”, Caskey explained. She also shared that the business meetings of the church, once a place to fellowship and share ideas for the church, had become a dictatorship where no ideas were welcomed and silence was the rule. Pastor Burrick, whose Allen Baptist church job was his first, began to rule the church with an “iron fist” and consequently, “drove away members to neighboring churches in the area”.

After a heated argument with the remaining deacons, Pastor Burrick took control of the church accounts and book keeping. For Caskey, this was the final straw. She sought legal advice to determine what she could do protect her church. It was at this time that Mrs. Caskey was told, “This is against the church and church matters should be kept within the church.” After receiving a registered letter in December, forwarded to her winter-home in Florida, she was ordered to a church disciplinary meeting on December 27th. According to Mrs. Caskey, she contacted her lawyer and asked her to represent her in the meeting at the church. The meeting was not held, and through friends in the small town of Allen, Caskey was told that “they were going to try and dismiss me from the church.”

Having just returned from Florida in mid-June, Mrs. Caskey returned to church on the 17th of June and was approached by a deacon who asked her to step outside the church. According to Karolyn, “the deacon then asked me to please leave the church and told me I was not welcome here anymore”. When Caskey demanded to no why, the police were called and Karolyn Caskey was subsequently arrested for trespassing at the request of Pastor Jason Burrick.

According to Sheriff Larry Burchardt of the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office, Mrs. Caskey was arrested for trespassing as she refused an order to leave the church by church officials and a police officer. In a phone conversation with Burchardt, he told me, “The fact is, this was private property, and if someone in charge of private property asks you to leave, it is breaking the law not to do so.”

After a trip to jail in handcuffs, the 71-year-old Caskey says she was ultimately released after paying a $62 fine. Caskey, still shocked by the events of Sunday, June 17th said, “It’s a good thing I did not put that into the offering plate or I couldn’t have gotten out of jail!”

Multiple telephone calls to Pastor Jason Burrick and deacons of the Allen Baptist went unreturned. Karolyn Caskey has a court date on June 26.


Seed Newsvine

Domestic Violence- A Tragic Epidemic

Once again our airwaves have been dominated by the disappearance and subsequent murder of a young mother. Each time one of these tragedies occur, we are all drawn in by the pleas of family members and scintillating analysis of crime scene investigators. More times than not, the outcome of these events end in murder. Months later, the story resumes at the trial of the individual if the authorities were fortunate enough to capture the responsible individual. Once again, after a series of tearful pleas from family members, a verdict is announced and the country moves on without missing a beat.

Startling statistics about domestic violence:

- A woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United State (source FBI, Uniform Crime Report)

- According to the American Journal of Public Health, the second leading cause of death pregnant women in the U.S. was homicide.

- On average, more than three women are murdered by their domestic partners every day. (source: Family Violence Prevention Fund)

- Thhe largest casue of death for pregnant women is homicide

Domestic violence is an epidemic of catastrophic proportion in our country today. In no country in the world is this type of violence so predominant.

Now that this mystery has apparently been solved, perhaps it is time to look into the greater problem- murder as the leading cause of death of pregnant women is an indictment of our country, ourselves and our families.

Former Presidents Should be Seen and Not Heard- Especially Jimmy Carter

I recently wrote about Jimmy Carter’s upcoming appearance at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. At the time, I commented about why such a misguided person would be invited to speak at seminar for church leaders. In a recent conversation with Paul Braoudakis, a spokesman for Willow Creek, he told me that “we are interested in learning from his humanitarian works and outreach ideas, not his political ideas.”

As I said in my column from several weeks ago, I have long respected Bill Hybels; his seemingly innate ability to reinvent himself, find a new path, and expand his universe is something rarely seen, especially in the Christian community. However, I am terribly disappointed that he has chosen the former president to speak to a group of Christian leaders.

At the time, I put it to you, the readers of The Church Report and The CR Daily,and ran a poll question online asking whether or not you felt that former President Jimmy Carter should speak at a leadership forum for Christian leaders. The results: No- a resounding 83% and Yes- a rather impish, 17%. (We received a total of 363,000 total votes over a 7 day period).

Since Willow Creek has decided to invite President Carter to discuss humanitarian issues,perhaps his latest rant regarding Hamas and Fath will change their minds. Addressing a conference of Irish human officials this week, Carter said that the U.S. should stop favoring the Fatah movement. Keep in mind that this was the democratically elected government of Gaza. Carter went on to claim that the U.S. refusal to accept the Hamas election results was “criminal”. So we are clear and understand who plays for what team, Fatah is the democratically-elected government of the Palestinian Authority lead by Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas is a terrorist organization that tried to disrupt the elections in 2006 and is responsible for countless terrorist attacks and makes it their manifesto to destroy Israel. In the last week, Hamas, the terrorist organization that Carter praised for their “superior skills and discipline”, stormed the government offices of Fatah last weekend, lined up leading officials and killed them. They now have control of the government and the people of Gaza and The West Bank, including many Christians who are fearing for their lives.

In recent weeks, Carter has also caused a rift in the Baptist Church over the liberal gathering at the New Baptist Covenant. This event, aimed at bringing faction of Baptists together, has turned out to be a divisive regret. Carter has also been a vocal critic of the Faith-based initiatives of the current administration, saying, “ As a traditional Baptist, I've always believed in separation of church and state and honored that premise when I was president, and so have all other presidents, I might say, except this one.," Additionally, Carter has also been criticized by Evangelicals for his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, where he wrote, “It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombing and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel.” Critics of this book also took issue with the former president’s choice of the word, “apartheid”, in the title. Carter maintains he did mot mean to “equate Zionism with racism.”

I can only hope that the brain trust at Willow Creek will reconsider their invitation to President Carter. I would think that praising a terrorist organization that is currently holding thousands of Christians in peril would not constitute his expertise on humanitarian issues.

Robin Williams- Promotes Movie, Insults Catholics

Funnyman Robin Williams is on the stump promoting the release of his new movie, License to Wed. In the film, Williams plays a protestant minister who forces engaged couples to go through a wacky marriage counseling exercise. But this apparently where the fun stops and insults start.

Williams, who is making the rounds of talk shows and media outlets has developed a shtick centered around Catholic priests, though his character in the movie is not a priest. On a recent Tonight Show appearance, William pretended to be playing the hidden shell game, only this game involved Williams saying, "Here you go. Find the priest, find the pedophile. Find the priest, find the pedophile. Move 'em around, move 'em around. Oh, you found the pedophile." Not done yet, Williams then put his hand over his crotch and said,"You have to realize that if you are a Catholic priest, you have retired this" (referring to his genitalia once again). Williams continued his boorish comments by talking about confession, saying, "But they are going to put you in a small dark box and people are going to tell you the nastiest sexual stuff."

Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League fired back at Williams this week saying,"Isaiah Washington lashes out at one gay person in private, and he is banished from 'Grey's Anatomy'. Robin Williams lashes out against all priests in public and he suffers no consequence. To top it all off, Williams suggests that most molesting priests are pedophiles, when in fact they are homosexuals. But to make a joke about gay priests could get him into trouble."

I think that this movie will fail as the Christian community is excited about the premiere of the Noah's Ark movie, Evan Almighty. Williams is way out of line and promoting a movie by bashing a significant portion of your potential viewers can certainly not be good marketing, but then again, that is Hollywood.

Another Jolting Reality in the Immigration Debate

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and Church Report columnist, has released a new video encouraging everyone to get invovled to secure America. In so many ways, the immigration bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain and Edwards Kennedy is dangerous; Dangerous to our national security, dangerous for our culture and dangerous for our retirement.

Tonight I am headed to townhall meeting in the neighboring town of Cave Creek where a local church is facing the shutdown of the labor center. That's right, a local church here in Arizona has been financing and operating a day labor center. Tensions should be high as the church will try and explain why they are knowingly breaking the law.

Have you had enough? You Know, Enough Paris

Our living rooms, cars radios, inboxes and water-coolers have been besieged by Paris Hilton. It seems that you cannot escape the saga of this celubutant. Every penthouse, outhouse, lighthouse and roadhouse has been drowning in an overabundance of media coverage relating to this Hollywood saga. While I am happy that she has found God, though I do find myself humming John Cash, this is an example of how the media fills up our television options with poppycock!

During this period of intense media coverage the world goes on and real news and real issues happen.

Television news has long been the most offensive lobbyist in the United States. A recent study by the Culture and Media Institute found that 68 percent of Americans believe that media harming moral values and an alarming 54 % believe that the “news media have a negative impact on moral values in this country.”

Other highlights from the eye-opening survey include:

• Acceptance of responsibility to provide for his own needs. 64 percent of heavy TV viewers believe the government should be responsible for providing retirement benefits to Americans, compared to only 43 percent of light TV viewers. 63 percent of heavy TV viewers prefer government health care to private health care, compared to only 43 percent of light TV viewers.
• Acceptance of responsibility to respect the rights of others by practicing classical virtues like honesty, reliability and fairness. 31 percent of heavy TV viewers say they would cheat a restaurant by paying a bill that omitted some items. Only 19 percent of light TV viewers said they would cheat the restaurant.
• Acceptance of responsibility to uphold high moral standards on social and sexual issues like divorce, sex outside of marriage, abortion and homosexuality. 52 percent of light TV viewers would limit the availability of divorce, compared to only 44 percent of heavy TV viewers. 51 percent of light TV viewers describe themselves as pro-life, compared to 37 percent of heavy TV viewers.
• The media are undermining commitment to religion. The more a person watches television, the less likely he is to value religious principles and obedience to God. 47 percent of light TV viewers attend church or religious services at least once per week, compared to 28 percent of heavy TV viewers.
• The media have a seductive effect. The more a person watches TV, the less likely he is to believe the media are influencing the nation’s moral values. 78 percent of light TV viewers believe the media are harming American moral values, but only 58 percent of heavy TV viewers agree.

The obvious conclusion that one can reach by perusing these alarming statistics is simple: the news media is, by and large, uber-liberal and those who watch siginificant amounts of these liberal telecasts are buying into arguments like global warming, same sex marriage, stem cell research and a host of others.

Riverside Church- With Forbes Gone the Bickering Continues

Last Wednesday evening Dr. James Forbes, senior pastor at Riverside Church in New York, celebrated his retirement with a ceremony befitting his 18 years of service at the Manhattan landmark. The lavish 4-hour service was beset with celebrities from music, television, politics, academia and world leaders, but even as this celebration progressed, the battle lines were already drawn.

The Sunday edition of the NY Times reports that since his retirement announcement, church leaders have been bickering about everything from sermon content to finances, politics, racial makeup of the church members and even voting to oust members. According to the Times, many of Forbes’ detractors “have histories at the church that predate him, accuse him of softening Riverside’s political involvement and abandoning his predecessors' intellectual approach for something more evangelical.” It appears the heart of the matter may boil down to a portion of the membership taking the church to court for cronyism and mismanagement of the church budget. The case was thrown out, no charges were levied and the in-fighting continues.

I made some calls yesterday and spoke to several people, who requested to remain anonymous. It seems that the church is suffering from the old guard/new guard syndrome. And, according to one person I spoke with, much has been made about the chairperson of the search committee, a member for only two years. This appointment was viewed as a slap in the face of the old guard, and thus the battle continues. New lawsuits have been filed, in an effort to have the court appoint a receiver to pour through the finances.

The Church does not have a short list put together as of yet. Dr. Forbes, in the Times article acknowledged that he is leaving at a critical time, saying, “Some friends and supporters have said in that in order to sustain our multiethnic history, perhaps the pendulum ought to swing back to the way Riverside Church was before I got here. That is going to be a test of the depths of Riverside’s depth.

There’s a Stranger in My House

Imagine for a moment that you came home from work this evening and found a stranger in your house. This stranger had cleaned out your refrigerator, helped himself to your credit cards and drivers license and even erased your Tivo, only to watch what he wanted. You decide that calling 9-11 is your best option, only this person tells you he will not allow it, instead, he wants you to negotiate with him, so that he can arrange to move himself and his family into your guest room.

In the past week, liberal church leaders are campaigning for this very scenario. People like Jim Wallis and Pastor Derrick Harkins want you to believe that this scenario is “protecting families”. Their use of these specific words, code words for a Christian conservative, is intellectually dishonest and meant only to confuse people from the core of the issues in the now, defunct senate immigration bill sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain.

Immigration reform is important, it is important for the security of the country. If a realistic plan that does not involve amnesty is put into action, the public will be satisfied and the process of getting this chaos under control will begin.

While the issue is complex, I would offer a few simple suggestions:

1. Secure the border with the 700 miles of fence and additional border agents already apportioned and signed off on in the Duncan Hunter legislation. Homeland security already has their appropriations, thus the politicking is not needed and this would create a sense of law and order that has been absent for some time.
2. Require all those here illegally to register within 60 days; anyone not registered within this 60 day period would be deemed a criminal which would allow for much stronger penalties. Those who register would be issued a temporary card and consent for a background check. Those who had criminal offenses of any kind would be deported immediately.
3. Enact stiff penalties for employers who hire anyone not authorized to be here.
4. End the “anchor baby” policy, thus discouraging those from sneaking over the border for the purposes of giving birth to a baby, who, under the current law is considered a U.S. citizen.

I realize that this is a simplified plan, but given the fact those in favor of the now defunct bill could not even agree to an amendment that denied amnesty to gang members and those convicted of felonies, I think these basic step would serve as a starting point and immediately begin the task of securing our border. What this plan does not address, is the overwhelming distress that this would cause to the Social Security system. According to the Heritage Foundation, under the bill sponsored by Kennedy-McCain, the net cost of this plan would result in $2.6 million dollars in retirement benefits.

The immigration issue is a problem of gigantic proportion and tremendous consequence and one that I urge everyone to do their homework on and get involved with.

60 Days for Murder Is Enough to Make a Preacher Swear

I am still puzzled by the case of Mary Winkler and the apparent gross negligence of the judicial system in Tennessee, well, not just Tennessee,more on that later.

The facts of this case are simple: Mary Winkler used a shotgun to shoot her husband in the back while he was sleeping, left him their to die, as he was still alive even after she blasted him, then took the children and escaped the jurisdiction. This case seems pretty cut and dried to me, too bad Fred Thompson is still not on Law & Order, I am sure we will see this parody next season.

Of course, there were allegations of spousal abuse, and some lurid sexual behavior, which, from what I can tell were uncorroborated. I am at a loss to understand the sentencing of a woman who murdered someone who, at the time, was not attacking her. If indeed she was abused, as she claimed, there are other options. Maybe, rather than shooting him in the back while he slept, Mary Winkler should have taken that opportunity to leave the house with her children and seek shelter, call authorities and file a restraining order.

I am concerned that this is just another example of our legal system's malfeasance. Regardless of whether you feel that the court system is punitive or rehabilitative, this sentence certainly sends the wrong message. Furthermore, the legal system, which should also be viewed as a deterrent, falls short of any example of this notion with a sentence that, upon further examination, will equate to a total of only 60 days in mental hospital. As I watched the sentence come down, I could only wonder how soon the next case of murder would make the airwaves.

Also on Friday morning, amid the hustle and bustle of the CR Newsroom, while we were awaiting the sentence of Winkler, Paris Hilton dominated the news coverage. With cameras and reporters following the starlets every move, I could not believe my eyes. In the end, the rift between the LA County Sheriff's office and the traffic court judge had every network putting their on air legal analysts to work. From Jeffrey Toobin, to Mark Gergaos, to Lis Wiehl, each of these television lawyers were offering play by play as if it were the the final minutes of a tie game to determine game seven of the World Series.

The final score: Paris Hilton-- 45 Days for driving on a suspended license, Mary Winkler-- 60 days for shooting and killing her husband.

Willow Creek Chooses Jimmy Carter for Leadership Summit

Yesterday, I received a promotional mailing for the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek. I quickly opened the slick marketing package to learn about this year’s list of speakers and the other pertinent information. Then, like an unexpected punch in the stomach, I saw that former President Jimmy Carter was listed as a speaker, about leadership.

I have long respected Bill Hybels; his seemingly innate ability to reinvent himself, find a new path, and expand his universe is something rarely seen, especially in the Christian community. However, I am disappointed that he chose the former president to speak to a group of Christian leaders whose thirst for encouragement and knowledge leads them on the pilgrimage to Willow Creek every year.

In recent weeks, Carter has caused a rift in the Baptist Church over the liberal gathering at the New Baptist Convenant. This event, aimed at bringing faction of Baptists together, has turned out to be a divisive regret. Carter has also been a vocal critic of the Faith-based initiatives of the current administration, saying, “ As a traditional Baptist, I've always believed in separation of church and state and honored that premise when I was president, and so have all other presidents, I might say, except this one.," Additionally, Carter has also been criticized by Evangelicals for his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, where he wrote, “It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombing and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel.” Critics of this book also took issue with the former president’s choice of the word, “apartheid”, in the title. Carter maintains he did mot mean to “equate Zionism with racism.”

Shortly after the release of the book, 15 members of the board of directors resigned from the Carter Center in protest over the book’s content. After the book release, it was clear that facts were wrong, maps were misconstrued and the book was labeled as a slanted attack against Israel. Shortly after the resignations, it was revealed that Carter had received major funding for his center from anti-Israel oil tycoons in the Middle East. According to published reports, some of the major donors included, the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, OPEC and even the brother of Osama bin Laden.

Of course, the above mentioned activities took place after his presidency. Given the turmoil caused during his presidency: the Iranian hostage standoff, gas rations, inflation, et al, I am left wondering why Willow Creek chose Jimmy Carter to address their forum on leadership.

Rudy, This is God. Can You Hear Me Now?

On the heels of the Republican presidential debate last evening, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Rode Island criticized Rudy Giuliani's stance on abortion stating,"As Catholics, we are called, and indeed required, to be pro-life, to cherish life and protect human life as a precious gift of God from the moment of conception until the time of natural death. As a leader, as a public official, Rudy Giuliani has a special obligation in that regard."

Giuliani, who earlier had been purposely vague on abortion rights, has recently come out to clarify his position. He claims that while he is personally opposed to abortion, he respects a woman's right to choose in a "pluralistic society".

Not yet done with Giuliani, Bishop Tobin called Giuliani's stance, "pathetic, confusing and hypocritical."

With these comments fresh in the news, Giuliani, once again tried to clarify his position on the issue during Tuesday evening's debate. This time, in the midst of his comments, a crash of thunder and bolt of lightning interrupted his microphone. Giuliani glibly remarked thatt this was like being a scared kid in parochial school.

Coincidence, I think not.

CT Magazine, Leaning Left and Emerging?

A colleague at World Magazine recently asked what is going on over at Christianity Today. He noted that the once "industry standard" been going the way of "emergent". I applaud Anthony Paul Mator for raising the issue, it has been on my mind for some time. CT has changed, no doubt? Gone is the solid evangelicalism. It has been replaced with endorsements of Brian McClaren and his anti-evangelical assault on coffee houses and solar power rallies.

Have a comment? I would welcome your input as we all try to sort out this mad, mad world of ours.

Barry Lynn Goes After Bill Keller

Always trying to stay in the headlines, Rev. Barry Lynn has decided to go after Evangelical pastor and talk show host, Bill Keller. At issue here is Keller's disapproval of Mitt Romney, as a Mormon, running for president. Keller made a statement to his 2.4 million member prayer ministry members, that "if you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!" WOW! that is strong, granted, but we can always count on Barry Lynn to run and tattle.

Lynn, ever mindful of the separation of church and state, wants the IRS to revoke the 501c-3 status of Bill Keller Ministries. In his letter to the IRS, Americans United called Keller's message a violation of the ban on partisan politiking by tax-exempt religious groups.

Keller, who has a call-in show on Tampa television, referred to Romney as "an unabashed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago." When asked for comment about the IRS being asked to investigate, Keller said, "let them come after me for making a spiritual statement about Mitt Romney, I would love that."

I am rather surprised how silent the Evangelical movement has been on the "M" word. However, with the arrival of Fred Thompson to the scene, I am certain we will start to hear more Evangelicals pointing out the differences between Mormonism and Christianity.