The Scriptorium

I don’t think that Ben and Jennifer would mind me posting this, but I have a prayer request this morning for a good friend, Randy.
Randy has cancer and is going to have to undergo both chemotherapy and radiation therapy soon. He is a Christian, but is in need of both direct healing from God and support of his spirit. I know that God listens to us when we pray. Please pray unceasingly for Randy. Please pray that God will completely heal him and that God will lift him up when he is feeling bad, sick and worn out. Please pray also for his wife and children, that they will feel God’s comfort and protection over them.
Please add him to your prayer list at church and let’s put the power of the internet to good use by collectively praying for Randy.
Thank you for your prayers!
-Steve

Even ignoring the Biblical aspect of the withdraws, we have already seen that it hurts Israel security rather than helping it.

KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ, Israel – A group of prominent rabbis is calling on President Bush to refuse political and financial support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to evacuate most of Judea and Samaria, stating the withdrawal is against U.S. interests, and that it violates basic tenets of Jewish law.
“U.S. interests are being impacted by Israel’s proposed retreat from terrorist strongholds in Judea and Samaria. In addition, as rabbis our obligation is to teach, guide, and lead our congregations to conduct their daily lives in accordance with Jewish Law. This holds especially true in a matter of life or death threatening the residents of Israel,” stated a letter sent to Bush and signed by leaders of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of over 1200 rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis.
Congress members include some of the most esteemed Orthodox rabbis in the Jewish world.
Olmert is attempting to push through a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, mountainous territory that is within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel’s international airport. The territory is also commonly called the West Bank.
The rabbis point out in their letter to Bush that villages slated for withdrawal from Judea and Samaria are mentioned throughout the Torah.
They state a withdrawal from the area violates Jewish law because an evacuation will lead to massive violence.
“There is a clear definitive ruling in the Jewish Code of Law ‘Orach Chaim’ Chapter 329 which rules that it is strictly forbidden to give up even one inch of a Jewish border town to foreigners because it will lead to bloodshed. How much more so regarding retreating from holy land that enemies bent on your destruction have already stated will be used to launch attacks against Jews,” states the letter to Bush.
The rabbis wrote to Bush that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza last summer has already impacted regional U.S. interests and that Olmert’s proposed Judea and Samaria evacuation will have “disastrous” consequences for the American-led war on terror.
“Israel’s 2005 retreat from Gaza has been perceived as a cave-in by the role-model of counter-terrorism. It paved the road to Hamas’ electoral victory and upgraded the posture of Islamic Jihad and al-Qaida, thus providing friendly platforms for Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and the pro-Saddam elements. The Gaza retreat has established the largest terrorist base in the Middle East, threatening accelerated anti-U.S. terrorism.
“Bolstering the Palestinian profile by enforcing a withdrawal in Judea and Samaria constitutes a present and immediate lethal danger to pro-U.S. regimes in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states and will establish an enormous terror sanctuary threatening US troops in the Gulf area. It would also undermine Israel’s posture of deterrence, which is critical to the enhancement of regional stability.”
The rabbis urged Bush against “morally or financially supporting Israel’s disastrous withdrawal plan.”

Original Link.

Even ignoring the Biblical aspect of the withdraws, we have already seen that it hurts Israel security rather than helping it.

KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ, Israel – A group of prominent rabbis is calling on President Bush to refuse political and financial support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to evacuate most of Judea and Samaria, stating the withdrawal is against U.S. interests, and that it violates basic tenets of Jewish law.
“U.S. interests are being impacted by Israel’s proposed retreat from terrorist strongholds in Judea and Samaria. In addition, as rabbis our obligation is to teach, guide, and lead our congregations to conduct their daily lives in accordance with Jewish Law. This holds especially true in a matter of life or death threatening the residents of Israel,” stated a letter sent to Bush and signed by leaders of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of over 1200 rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis.
Congress members include some of the most esteemed Orthodox rabbis in the Jewish world.
Olmert is attempting to push through a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, mountainous territory that is within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel’s international airport. The territory is also commonly called the West Bank.
The rabbis point out in their letter to Bush that villages slated for withdrawal from Judea and Samaria are mentioned throughout the Torah.
They state a withdrawal from the area violates Jewish law because an evacuation will lead to massive violence.
“There is a clear definitive ruling in the Jewish Code of Law ‘Orach Chaim’ Chapter 329 which rules that it is strictly forbidden to give up even one inch of a Jewish border town to foreigners because it will lead to bloodshed. How much more so regarding retreating from holy land that enemies bent on your destruction have already stated will be used to launch attacks against Jews,” states the letter to Bush.
The rabbis wrote to Bush that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza last summer has already impacted regional U.S. interests and that Olmert’s proposed Judea and Samaria evacuation will have “disastrous” consequences for the American-led war on terror.
“Israel’s 2005 retreat from Gaza has been perceived as a cave-in by the role-model of counter-terrorism. It paved the road to Hamas’ electoral victory and upgraded the posture of Islamic Jihad and al-Qaida, thus providing friendly platforms for Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and the pro-Saddam elements. The Gaza retreat has established the largest terrorist base in the Middle East, threatening accelerated anti-U.S. terrorism.
“Bolstering the Palestinian profile by enforcing a withdrawal in Judea and Samaria constitutes a present and immediate lethal danger to pro-U.S. regimes in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states and will establish an enormous terror sanctuary threatening US troops in the Gulf area. It would also undermine Israel’s posture of deterrence, which is critical to the enhancement of regional stability.”
The rabbis urged Bush against “morally or financially supporting Israel’s disastrous withdrawal plan.”

Original Link.

This is an interesting development. I like it though.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian cabinet ministers and legislators from the Islamic Hamas, increasing pressure on militants to release a captured Israeli soldier and witnesses said tanks moved into northern Gaza, widening Israel’s largest military operation in the year since Israel pulled out of the seaside territory.
Adding to the tension, a Palestinian militant group said it executed an 18-year-old Jewish settler kidnapped on the West Bank of the Jordan River. Israeli security officials said Eliahu Asheri’s body was found buried near Ramallah. They said he was shot in the head, apparently soon after he was abducted Sunday.
Palestinian security officials said Israeli forces detained Palestinian deputy prime minister Nasser Shaer and three other cabinet ministers, as well as four legislators in Ramallah. Two others were arrested in the town Jenin they said and Israeli news media reported a roundup of Hamas legislators in Jerusalem and other locations. More than 30 legislators were detained, Palestinian security officials said.
Army Radio said the arrested Hamas leaders might be used to trade for the captured soldier. Israel had refused earlier to trade prisoners for the soldier’s release.

Original Link.

Oh this was just choice. As if anyone was willing to believe that pali terrorist actually could carry out a threat like that. Anyway, suckering teens into blowing up innocent Israelis is more their speed anyway.

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) – A threat by a militant group to use biological and chemical weapons if Israel invades the Gaza Strip is probably a bluff, an expert here said on Monday.
The Al-Aksa Martyrs’ Brigades (the militant wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction) said it would surprise Israel with new kinds of weapons if Israel invaded the Gaza Strip.
“With the help of Allah, we are pleased to say that we succeeded in developing over 20 different types of biological and chemical weapons…after a three-year effort” the group said in a leaflet distributed on Sunday.
“We say to Olmert and [Defense Minister Amir] Peretz: Your threats of invasion do not frighten us. We will surprise you with new weapons you have not faced until now,” they said. “As soon as an [Israeli] soldier sets foot on Gaza land, we will respond with a new weapon.”
The group said that it would declare “open warfare without limits” if Israel invaded the Gaza Strip.
But Israeli counter-terrorism expert Dr. Ely Karmon described the statements as “wishful thinking.” They already indicated that they had chemical weapons in 2003, he said.
It’s “psychological warfare,” said Karmon. Hamas tried to put chemicals in explosive belts worn by suicide bombers and it didn’t work, he said.

Original Link.

I really don’t have a problem with protecting the flag. The right to free speech is trodden on any time a Christian wants to talk in public, so don’t give me that old song and dance. People can use other methods of protest to get their point across.

(CNSNews.com) – As a flag protection amendment nears a vote in the U.S. Senate, the Bush administration issued a statement Monday applauding congressional efforts to protect the flag — a “cherished symbol of national unity and of the sacrifices so many Americans have made in defending the nation,” the statement said.
Senators began debate on the amendment Monday afternoon and a vote is expected this week. The House of Representatives passed the amendment in July 2005 for the sixth consecutive time.
S.J. Res. 12 reads, “The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.” The amendment itself does not criminalize flag desecration but it does give Congress the authority to do so.
A constitutional amendment is needed in light of a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that overturned state laws against flag desecration. The Supreme Court ruled that flag burning, for example, is constitutionally protected free speech, and there are people across the political spectrum who support that free-speech argument.
Supporters of the flag protection amendment note that every state has passed resolutions urging Congress to pass the measure and send it back for ratification.

Original Link.

Look at what disengagement has done. Now Israel is going to have to go back into Gaza, but as invaders this time. The media is going to have a hayday with this one. Well done, Olmert…NOT!
Can you please not make the same mistake in the West Bank?

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) – Israeli troops massed along the Gaza Strip border on Monday, ready to launch a major ground offensive if a kidnapped Israeli soldier is not returned immediately.
Israel said it is holding P.A. Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his Hamas-led government responsible for the early Sunday morning assault on an Israeli army outpost at Kerem Shalom on the Gaza-Israeli border near Egypt. Two Israeli soldiers were killed, four wounded and a seventh wounded and kidnapped in the sneak attack.
Palestinian gunmen tunneled half a mile under the Gaza border fence, came up 975 feet into Israel and attacked the outpost and a tank from behind, the army said.
Two Palestinians were killed in the ensuing battle. The remaining terrorists blew a hole in the fence and retreated back into Gaza, taking Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit with them.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and top ministers involved in security decisions gave the army the go-ahead to prepare for battle in the Gaza Strip and said they were holding the P.A. responsible for Shalit’s well-being.
“No person or organization will have immunity at this time,” the cabinet said in a statement.

Original Link.

For those of you who didn’t know yet, Ben’s dad has had a very bad heart attack and is in very serious condition. Ben and Jen have left to be with him and may be out of pocket for awhile.
In the mean time, Jen has asked me let y’all know what is going on.
She said she should have an internet connection at the hotel, so she may be able to blog some.
I’ll also try to contribute some interesting stuff (don’t all of you groan at once).
Anyway, please join me in praying for Ben’s dad and also for Ben, Jen and all their family.
God Bless!!
-Steve

If the homosexuals can’t silence the truth about their lifestyle choices by name calling (such as intolerant, bigot, racist) then they’ll resort to having the children of people who oppose homosexuality beaten up.

(AgapePress) – The young son of a Massachusetts pro-family activist was physically assaulted by fellow elementary school students on the two-year anniversary of same-sex “marriage” in the state.
On May 17, first-grader Jacob Parker was beaten up by a group of eight to ten kids on the playground at Estabrook Elementary School in Lexington. Just weeks before the assault, his father and mother had filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the school.
Last year, David Parker was arrested and jailed for refusing to leave the school until officials agreed to grant him the right to opt his son out of classroom discussions on homosexuality. The Massachusetts father believes the assault was incited by parents who are upset with his opposition to homosexuality.
“What we’re concerned about,” Parker says, “is actually the environment being created in the schools, where children, maybe in the normal course of scuffling, will translate the aggression that they may be hearing from parents and administrators to other children.”
The pro-family advocate suspects the physical attack on his son may have occurred because parents and school officials are angry over his stand for traditional marriage in Massachusetts and have allowed these feelings to influence kids who attend Estabrook Elementary. Also, he notes, back issues of the “biased” Lexington Minuteman newspaper were placed on a table in the school library for children to read the local coverage of the lawsuit.

Original Link.

Now look, give them a break. They’re not paranoid, they just know everyone is out to get them.

(CNSNews.com) – A homosexual activist group, seeking the elimination of the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, continues to allege that the Bush administration conducted domestic spying on homosexual and anti-war student protesters in New York and California. But a spokesman for the activist group admits he has no evidence to back up the charge.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) has filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in order to obtain any federal documents referring to the investigation and/or surveillance of the New York University (NYU) homosexual advocacy group OUTlaw and the University of California at Santa Cruz group Students Against War.

Original Link.

Our “good” friend, Cindy Sheehan, has gone to Canada (to bad she won’t stay there) to show support of the handful of U.S. service people who are AWOL. Momma Sheehan sure has spit on her son’s grave alot, along with many other brave service people who have given their lives for their country.

A group of American military deserters publicly embraced their new lives in Canada on Saturday with the support of “peace mom” Cindy Sheehan, who said she wished the son she lost in Iraq was among them.
“I begged him not to go to Iraq,” the anti-war activist said through tears at a rally in support of the former soldiers, who wore black T- shirts emblazoned with “AWOL.” “And I wish he was standing up here with these people because he didn’t want to go.”
Sheehan was making her second visit to Canada in support of sanctuary for those fleeing the U.S. military. The Canadian government has so far denied political asylum to U.S. soldiers who have sought it but appeals are pending.
“They’re trying to deport me,” said Darrell Anderson of Lexington, Ky., who arrived in Canada by way of Niagara Falls in January 2005. He spent seven months in Iraq with the Army’s 1st Armored Division and received a purple heart following a roadside bomb attack before deciding during a leave he would not go back.
“When I was in Iraq, we were killing innocent people for oil. It was obvious they didn’t want us there,” said Anderson, 24, who is petitioning to remain in Canada.
The gathering at a park in the town of Fort Erie, across the border from Buffalo, N.Y., was organized by peace groups on both sides of the border.

Original Link.

Anyone who actually believes that the website Al Jazeera is a legitimate source of news is a fool. About the only thing they can spout is anti-Israel, anti-American, hate filled propaganda. Not all that different then the so-called newsworthy satellite TV network by the same name.

The Middle East news website Al Jazeera published a provocative photo purporting to show a “massacre” by Marines in Haditha, Iraq, despite the fact several papers already issued retractions admitting the image was of fishermen executed by terrorists months before the incident under investigation.
The Times of London and the Chicago Sun-Times issued apologies last week before Dubai-based Al Jazeera – which is not associated with the Arab satellite TV network – published the photo with a caption referring to the infamous slaughter of civilians by U.S. troops during the Vietnam war.
“The Haditha massacre is far worse than My Lai,” the caption read.
After receiving complaints, Al Jazeera replaced the photo but maintained the caption, issuing a statement that said:
“Al Jazeera Magazine’s editorial team deeply regrets and apologizes for the previous mistake of publishing a wrong picture for this story.”

Original Link.

This is the security Israel got in return for evacuating their territory. Also, who in their right mind is going to believe a slimy pali terrorist anyway?

On Wednesday, Israel informed Hamas Authority leader Haniye that he himself could be the next target of Israeli missiles if the Kassam rockets don’t stop. According to some reports, Haniye ordered them stopped.
At the same time as Ismail Haniye was supposedly ordering Hamas terrorists in the field to lay down their rockets, Hamas administrators were preparing a ceasefire offer to Israel: Israel must stop all targeted killings of terrorists, and Hamas will cease its rocket fire. However, Hamas is not the only terrorist group in Gaza, and in fact Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the Popular Resistance Committees have not agreed to stop their attacks on Israel.
After firing more than 100 rockets from Friday through Tuesday, Hamas was, in fact, quiet yesterday. Only one Kassam was fired in the course of the day – an Islamic Jihad affair that landed close to a strategic infrastructure just south of Ashkelon. The rocket caused no damage.
Israeli officials have implied all along that Israel would not initiate an escalation in hostilities, but would only respond to attacks by the terrorists.

Original Link.

This is just ridiculous. The MPAA assigns the PG or “Parental Guidance” rating to movies to serve as a warning flag. Usually this pertains to movies containing “mild profanity, violence, or brief nudity.” However, a new Christian movie was given a PG rating because it was too evangelistic. I kid you not. I wish this was satire, but it’s not. In order to keep my blood pressure on an even keel, let me just refer you to the Scripps Howard News Service article. Soon, any mention of Jesus will warrant an “R” rating, while graphic sex and violence will be downgraded to “G”. Here’s the contact info for the MPAA if you care to let them know how you feel.

The operational commander of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, is toast, courtesy of two 500lb laser-guided bombs. Al-Zarqawi was an experienced tactician who directed the terrorist operations and was no figurehead. Yes, he will be replaced, but finding a replacement as adept and skillful as Al-Zarqawi will be no easy task. This is a win for the Iraqi people and for the armed forces (Task Force 145 in particular) that tracked down this monster and permanently ended his respiration. Yet Democrats just can’t be happy.

Some Democrats, breaking ranks from their leadership, today said the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq was a stunt to divert attention from an unpopular and hopeless war.
“This is just to cover Bush’s [rear] so he doesn’t have to answer” for Iraqi civilians being killed by the U.S. military and his own sagging poll numbers, said Rep. Pete Stark, California Democrat. “Iraq is still a mess — get out.”

There are more quotes from the loony left there at the WATIMES article. Michelle Malkin has Rep. Stark’s contact info for anyone wishing to drop him a line.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer can’t stand all this good news. Their main page led off with main detractions. Here’s a screenshot:

Congratulations to our troops and to the Iraqi people. A big, juicy raspberry to our liberal media and politicians! PPBBbbb!!!!

Thanks to Steve from www.worshippingchristian.org for blogging for us yesterday. We apologize that our blogging has been hit and miss lately. Jen will return to blogging shortly, now that she’s got the right heart medication and is starting to feel better. Thanks to those who have kept her in your prayers.

I believe this is going to be an issue with voters, just like the immigration issue. Guess we’ll see how it plays out.

The Senate rejected a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but supporters say the measure is gaining ground and today’s vote should help energize the Republican base.
The 49-48 tally was 11 short of the 60 needed to hold an up-or-down vote by the full Senate. A roll call showing how senators voted can be found here.
A sponsor of the joint resolution, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., warned opponents will have to answer for their positions.
“People are going to be responsible for this vote,” he said. “We are making progress in America on defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.”
Forty-five states have acted to define marriage in traditional terms, as a union between one man and one woman.
But one GOP opponent, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told the Senate he won’t support the federal amendment because most Americans “are not yet convinced that their elected representatives or the judiciary are likely to expand decisively the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.”
Along with McCain, Republicans Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Judd Gregg, Arlen Specter, Lincoln Chafee and John Sununu voted against the cloture vote, which would end debate and move to an up-or-down tally. Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson and Robert Byrd voted for cloture.

If one of your senators is mentioned in the paragraph above, I’d sure consider let them know how unhappy you are with them.

Original Link.

This is the line the homosexual activist have been trying to shove down our throats for years. Now they have Senator Kennedy on board for it. No surprise there. Well Mr. Kennedy, a vote against this amendment is a vote against families and values.
By the way, just what does a Kennedy know about marriage anyway?

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The U.S. Senate will vote this week on the Marriage Protection Amendment, a bill which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. Senator Edward M. Kennedy was quoted today as saying, ‘A vote for this amendment is a vote for bigotry pure and simple.”
Kennedy, who claims to be Catholic while opposing the Church on every major tenet of morality, was blasted by Catholic League president Bill Donohue.
“A vote for the Marriage Protection Amendment is a vote to maintain the traditional understanding of marriage as it has been accepted for thousands of years all over the world,” said Donohue. “To brand those who support this amendment as bigots is mud-slinging: it is analogous to those who would call foes of the amendment ‘gay lovers.’”
Donohue recalled that in 1996, President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act which denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages and allows states the right to deny recognition of gay marriages that have been performed in other states. “Only 14 senators voted against this bill, and Senator Kennedy was one of them,” Donohue pointed out. “Thus, his proclaimed opposition to gay marriage is nothing but an empty gesture: he refuses to do anything that would protect the institution of marriage from legislative or judicial tinkering.”
Donohue also noted the public support for the measure. “In the last election, all 11 states that had same-sex marriage on the ballot voted against it, including states with a ‘progressive’ reputation like Oregon,” he said. “Moreover, more than 80 percent of the states have passed Defense of Marriage Acts.”
Donohue reminded Kennedy the “Catholic” that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is in favor of a constitutional amendment.” He also noted that “Black ministers, like Bishop Harry Jackson of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, have rallied in favor of the amendment. Even in New York City, surveys show the people don’t want same-sex marriage.”
Concluding Donohue asked, “Are all these people bigots, Mr. Kennedy?” Answering the rhetorical question with: “Reasonable people may disagree whether a constitutional amendment is the right remedy, but only fanatics will call those who support it bigots.”

Original Article.

This is what Sharon’s and Olmert’s withdraws have brought on Israel.

JERUSALEM – The Jewish state is headed toward a major, violent confrontation with the Palestinians while Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria will “not help” to decrease the terrorism, according to an Israeli army assessment.
The prognosis will be released in an official Israeli Defense Forces report to be published next month. It follows a series of WorldNetDaily exclusive interviews in which the leaders of every major Palestinian terror organization said recent events here are leading them to launch what they call a third intifada – or violent confrontation against Israel. The terrorists warned of suicide bombings, rocket attacks against Jewish communities and “a few new surprises in our arsenal.”
“The new intifada is only a question of time and this will be the hardest and the most dangerous one. It’s just about timing until the order to blow up a new wave of attacks will be given,” Abu Nasser, a senior Al Aqsa Brigades leader from the Balata refugee camp in northern Samaria told WorldNetDaily in an interview.

-snip-

Army: Violence to escalate with evacuation…
Al Aqsa Brigades: ‘We’ll kill Israelis to revolt against Hamas’…
Rocket war against Israel…
Islamic Jihad: ‘The Israelis should wait for our surprises’…
Hamas developing guided rockets, bomb-laden planes…
‘Terror forced Israel out of Gaza, will get us rest of Jewish state’.

Read the article here.

I’ve said for quite some time that the U.N. is more of a thorn in the side of society than the helpful organization that it was originally supposed to be. I don’t think the U.N. is getting it’s “black eye” from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. I think they are doing it to themselves.

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations’ No. 2 official accused the U.S. government of keeping Middle America in the dark about the world body’s good works, a rare direct criticism that drew an angry response Wednesday from Ambassador John Bolton.
Bolton called Tuesday’s speech by Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown a “very, very grave mistake” that could undermine Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s efforts to push through an ambitious agenda at the world body.
“I spoke to the secretary-general this morning, I said ‘I’ve known you since 1989 and I’m telling you this is the worst mistake by a senior U.N. official that I have seen in that entire time,”‘ Bolton told reporters on Wednesday.
“To have the deputy secretary-general criticize the United States in such a manner can only do grave harm to the United Nations,” Bolton said.
In the speech, Malloch Brown said the United States relies on the United Nations as a diplomatic tool but doesn’t defend it against criticism at home, a policy of “stealth diplomacy” that he called unsustainable.
He lamented that the good works of the U.N. are largely lost because “much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.”

Read the rest here.

Most Americans with cognitive abilities know that there is no such denomination of U.S. currency as a $1 Million bill. However, because one person who apparently lacks such cognitive prowess allegedly tried to deposit a gospel tract with a fake $1,000,000 bill on one side into her bank account, the U.S. Secret Service is going after the ministries who distribute this tract.

If and when the Secret Service visits the offices of Living Waters Ministry in Southern California to collect more “counterfeiting evidence” in the form of gospel tracts disguised as $1 million bills, agents better be armed with a warrant.

Ray Comfort, the world-renowned evangelist and head of the ministry, says he is not inclined to turn over any more copies of one of his most effective tools for witnessing his faith just because some Treasury agents demand them.

Comfort was advised by his attorneys not to hand over the same gospel tracts seized Thursday in a raid on Living Waters’ partner ministry in Denton, Texas.
…
The controversy began Thursday about 1 p.m. when Secret Service agents visited the Great News Network in Texas and threatened with arrest Tim Crawford for hiding evidence in a counterfeiting investigation and seized 8,300 gospel tracts designed as “million-dollar bills.”
…
Before he got off the phone, Rudus was convinced the agents were going to drop their demand for the Great News Network’s tracts.

But later, he reports, the agents again demanded them from Crawford, threatening him with arrest for “concealing evidence.” Rather than face arrest, Crawford turned over the approximately 8,300 million-dollar tracts the group had stored. The agents left a receipt and their business cards.

Comfort told WND he was stunned by the action of the Secret Service and expects agents to visit his offices soon. He said he has no plans to abandon the use of the tracts, which are among the most popular of the many his organization distributes. Living Waters is known for its television program, “The Way of the Master,” and an association with actor Kirk Cameron.

“I’m not going to stop printing them,” Comfort said. “How can you possibly counterfeit something that is not real – a $1 million bill?”
…
The tracts are also clearly marked on the front: “This bill is not legal tender.” It also includes the message “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” the words “Department of Eternal Affairs” and a picture of President Grover Cleveland. The website address for the radio program of Comfort and Cameron, “The Way of the Master,” is also emblazoned on the “bill.”

That’s the million dollar question (pun intended) – how can anyone counterfeit something that doesn’t exist?! As Comfort’s attorney pointed out, by the logic used in this case, if someone tried to deposit their Monopoly money into the bank, the Secret Service would have to go after all the Monopoly money out there! I’m typically a huge supporter of law enforcement – federal, state, or local. However, I think the Secret Service is bordering on harassment here.

If you thought the culture war couldn’t take a wierder turn, think again. DC Comics is bringing back the heroine Batwoman. This comic, which will be marketed to children, brings Batwoman back as an openly lesbian caped crusader. If you think this is wrong, you might want to consider boycotting DC Comics. If your child wants a new Batwoman comic, keep in mind the message your child will receive.

Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closet.

DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year. The 5-foot-10 superhero comes with flowing red hair, knee-high red boots with spiked heels, and a form-fitting black outfit.

“We decided to give her a different point of view,” explained Dan DiDio, vice president and executive editor at DC. “We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That’s one of the reasons we went in this direction.”
…
“She’s a socialite from Gotham high society,” DiDio said. “She has some past connection with Bruce Wayne. And she’s also had a past love affair with one of our lead characters, Renee Montoya.”
…
“This is not just about having a gay character,” DiDio said. “We’re trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We’re trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world.”
…

The (Ir)reverend Barry Lynn (of Americans United for Separation of Church and State) rides again. He’s conned another activist judge - one Robert Pratt – into trampling the first amendment under the auspices of enforcing it. In a lawsuit filed by Barry and AU, Judge Pratt has ruled that Prison Fellowship Ministries must repay the state of Iowa about 1.53 million dollars and vacate Iowa prisons. PFM’s Innerchange Freedom Initiative was aimed at improving prisoner behavior and reducing recidivism (repeat offenders), and was successful in doing so.

A judge has ruled that a Bible-based prison program violates the First Amendment’s freedom of religion clause by using state funds to promote Christianity to inmates.

Prison Fellowship Ministries, which was sued in 2003 by an advocacy group, was ordered Friday to cease its program at the Newton Correctional Facility and repay the state $1.53 million.

“This calls into question the funding for so many programs,” said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the suit. “Anyone who doesn’t stop it is putting a giant ‘sue me’ sign on top of their building.”
…

A press release by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley says it well:

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 2, 2006—For over 10 years, the InnerChange Freedom Initiative has produced dramatic results in changing the lives of hardened criminals and stopping the revolving door of crime. A holistic and Christ-centered faith-based program, it equips prisoners to successfully re-enter society. The program presents viable solutions to challenges that state and local governments have struggled with for decades, with the vast majority of funds provided privately. It is surprising that the court has ruled against one of the few programs that offers real hope for stemming the tide of habitual crime.

This decision, if allowed to stand, will enshrine religious discrimination. It has attacked the right of people of faith to operate on a level playing field in the public arena and to provide services to those who volunteered to receive them. In addition, the decision fosters a “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” approach to fighting crime. It assumes by warehousing criminals and providing no services to help them change, that society will be safer when they get out. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The courts took God out of America’s schools, now they are on the path to take God out of America’s prisons.

It is our belief that The InnerChange Freedom Initiative is constitutional and well within the framework of the safeguards of the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We firmly believe that the 8th Circuit will overturn the decision of Judge Pratt and protect the rights of all Americans, even those in prison.

The InnerChange Freedom Initiative looks forward to appealing the case to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals next week.

As this is being posted late Saturday night (PDT), this is actually old news. Therefore, I won’t spend much time on it. However, we shouldn’t overlook that Canadian authorities have arrested 17 homegrown would-be terrorists who were loaded to the gills with explosives. What do this Canadians have in common with other terrorists around the world today? Yup, they’re Muslims. The “religion of peace” suffered from bombus interruptus thanks to the Canuck Mounties. Good on ya, eh?

Canadian police foiled a homegrown terrorist attack by arresting 17 suspects, apparently inspired by Al Qaeda, who obtained three times the amount of explosive ingredients used in the Oklahoma City bombing, officials said Saturday.

The FBI said the Canadian suspects may have had “limited contact” with two men recently arrested on terrorism charges in Georgia. About 400 regional police and federal agents participated in the arrests Friday and early Saturday.

“These individuals were allegedly intent on committing acts of terrorism against their own country and their own people,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. “As we have said on many occasions, Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism.”
…
Alvin Chand, a brother of suspect Steven Vikash Chand, said outside the courthouse that his brother was innocent and authorities “just want to show they’re doing something.”

“He’s not a terrorist, come on. He’s a Canadian citizen,” Chand said. “The people that were arrested are good people, they go to the mosque, they go to school, go to college.”