ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

The Florida Senate President Jim King hastily apologized for a prayer 'in Jesus' name' on Wednesday:

Dr. Clayton Cloer, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Central Florida, gave a lengthy invocation, giving thanks for God, the Legislature, the nation's military and the "freedom for people to believe in Jesus Christ."

Cloer, a guest of Sen. Daniel Webster, R-Winter Garden, concluded by invoking the "name of Jesus."

Moments later, a frustrated King took the Senate podium and said that ministers who lead the Senate in daily prayer are supposed to deliver a nondenominational blessing. He then reached out to the Senate's six Jewish members.

King, by the way, is an Episcopalian.

ARE YOU SPIRITUALLY CHALLENGED?

According to a recent poll, most men aren't:

More than half of American Christian men questioned in a survey were only marginally satisfied with their church experience, and most ranked family, money and health as more important than spirituality, according to a study released Wednesday by Promise Keepers. The survey also found that most of the respondents did not feel spiritually challenged.

The study, conducted by California-based Barna Research Group, surveyed 415 randomly selected men in six major cities who considered themselves ``committed born again Christians'' or ``active church members.''

I suspect that people who rank money ahead of spirituality on their priorities list would think they aren't 'spiritually challenged'. I would suggest that, in modern PC speak, is exactly what they are.

I understand that it speaks to a real need, but I also find that those who want to be more 'spiritually challenged' are usually people who duck out the back of the church building as the last 'amen' is uttered.

NO WONDER SCHOOLS ARE IN TROUBLE!

The now former (well, until Friday still current, but he's nowhere around) Fayette County (KY) School Superintendent Ken James left this gem of a memo conclusion behind:

"There is a comprehensive discrepancy regarding the goal for reduction ... Directors stated that they not only met the deficit but also exceeded it. ... Again, communication did not occur in some cases with the appropriate employees that oversee a particular area and process."

Dr. James' new job? Arkansas State Education Director

ASHLEY, SAY IT AIN'T SO!

Michelle Malkin takes Ashley to task for her appearance at this past weekend's pro-abortion rally:

Pro-abortion leaders must be ecstatic. In a sea of angry (Hillary Rodham Clinton), haggard (Cybill Shepherd) and ghoulish (Whoopi Goldberg) women shaking their fists and waving coat hangers, Ashley's pretty smile helped put a softer, gentler and more glamorous spin on the morbid march for "reproductive rights."

Ashley's message to millions of young American women and girls: Opposing the partial-birth abortion ban is fun! Morning-after pills are cool! Sex without consequences rules!

But Ashley learned better, because mother Naomi certainly knows the truth:

Naomi has spoken eloquently for years about how she firmly rejected abortion as an unwed teen and repeatedly witnessed the miracle of life as a labor and delivery nurse. "I've seen ultrasounds ... you know that those babies are real," she told TV talk-show host Sally Jesse Raphael in 1998.

Ashley has long been a favorite of mine because of her undying devotion to my Kentucky Wildcats. In fact, she was actually at UK at the same I was. I guess we didn't hang out in the same circles since I don't recall ever seeing her.

It's too bad Ashley doesn't show as much sense when it comes to human life as it does when she cheers for the Wildcats.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

A group is planning a trip to Turkey in hopes of finding Noah's Ark:

A joint U.S.-Turkish team of 10 explorers plans to make the arduous trek up Turkey’s tallest mountain, at 17,820 feet (5,430 meters), from July 15 to Aug. 15, subject to the approval of the Turkish government, said Daniel P. McGivern, president of Shamrock—The Trinity Corp. of Honolulu, Hawaii.

The goal: to enter what they believe to be a mammoth structure some 45 feet high, 75 feet wide and up to 450 feet long (14 by 23 by 138 meters) that was exposed in part by last summer’s heat wave in Europe.

Of course, people have been going to Ararat for decades hoping to find the ark. I remember when I was just a little kid going to theaters and watching a docu-movie about an expedition to Ararat. No one has come back with anything that could be substantiated yet.

I hope they find it. I do believe that Noah's ark came to rest on "the mountains of Ararat." That doesn't necessarily mean this Mount Ararat, of course. I'm not going to hold my breath.


Also at MSNBC:
Mummies everywhere

Smithsonian Roman villa exhibit.

OK, YOU'RE STARTING TO CONVINCE ME

Maxine Waters at yesterday's pro-abortion march: 'I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion.'

From The Corner on National Review Online

NO GRACE AT VMI

The Supreme Court has let stand a lower court ruling The New York Times > News > banning VMI Supper Prayers:

The court rejected an appeal by a current and former superintendent at the nation's oldest military college defending as constitutional the tradition of offering a brief, nondenominational prayer before the evening meal.

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote a dissent that Chief Justice William Rehnquist joined. Scalia, a conservative who supports government accommodation of religion, said the appeal raised ``weighty questions'' that ``deserve this court's attention.''

What do the prayers say?

The prayers at VMI, founded in 1839 as a state-funded military college in Lexington, Virginia, were written by the school's chaplain. He composed a separate supper prayer for each day.

The prayers, read by a cadet, begin with ``Almighty God,'' ``O God,'' ``Father God,'' ``Heavenly Father,'' or ``Sovereign God.'' Each day's prayer was dedicated to giving thanks or asking God's blessing.

The prayer, which lasted less than 30 seconds, was part of a supper roll call ceremony held every night except Saturday. The cadets were not required to recite the prayer.

Let's see, 'Congress shall make no law'. Hmmm. When did VMI become Congress. When did they make a law?

RETURNING TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

Mel Gibson's movie The Passion will get a one-time showing in Israel, the very land where Jesus lived, taught and died (but didn't stay that way). Of course, some aren't too happy about it:

The Tel Aviv Cinematheque is in final negotiations with Gibson’s production company for a one-time showing of the film in Israel, probably in a few months, cinema manager Alon Garbuz said....

Garbuz said the cinematheque has been criticized for its decision to show the movie.

“I think that those who think that the film is anti-Semitic shouldn’t come see it,” he said. “No one has the moral duty to decide for the public what they can see.”

Jewish and Christian clergy will oversee a discussion with the audience after the viewing.

Israel’s censorship board could prevent the screening if it deems the movie is anti-Semitic, but Garbuz said he has received word the board won’t stop the showing.

I continue to find it amazing how this movie highlights fundamental differences in worldview and belief.

COULD BRITNEY BE BANNED FROM LOUISIANA?

A bill now in the Louisiana legislature could have the effect of virtually banning native Britney Spears from her home state:

People who wear low-slung pants that expose skin or "intimate clothing" would face a fine of up to $500 and possible jail time under a bill filed by a Jefferson Parish lawmaker.

State Rep. Derrick Shepherd said he filed the bill because he was tired of catching glimpses of boxer shorts and G-strings over the lowered belt lines of young adults.

The bill would punish anyone caught wearing low-riding pants with a fine of as much as $500 or as many as six months in jail, or both.

"I'm sick of seeing it," said Shepherd, a first-term legislator. "The community's outraged. And if parents can't do their job, if parents can't regulate what their children wear, then there should be a law."

The bill would be tacked onto the state's obscenity law, which restricts sexual activity in public places and the sale of sexually explicit items.

Isn't there just a part of you that hopes it passes?

[Link via Drudge]

PROSTITOT BACKLASH

We've all seen the pre-teen/early teen girls in their Christina-Britney costumes, heavy makeup, tight clothes midrifs everywhere. (Back in my day girls were doing essentially the same thing dressing as Madonna.) But other pre-teens have coined a term for them, and the backlash has begun against the...Prostitots:

"They're called 'prostitots,'" said Anna Miressi, a Kingston, N.Y., high school freshman who claims the term is commonly used among her peers. "It's those girls at the mall with the tight jeans and belly shirts. They're in between the age group of 10 to 13 or 14." ...

The 15-year-old prefers a less revealing wardrobe, which includes "jeans that fit me but that are not so tight that I can bounce a ping-pong ball off my butt."

Miressi has no body piercings or tattoos, and her makeup includes eyeliner — "just on the top lid" — mascara, shimmery eye shadow and Chapstick.

"I try to look as natural as I can because I really don't like the whole heavy black eyeliner thing," she said.

Miressa is part of a trend amongst the young reacting against it all.

Having teens reach out to teens is one of the best ways to combat the emotionless sexual imagery they see in the media, said [Rutgers' Susan] Wilson, whose organization's Web site SEX, ETC. encourages teens to talk through the adult experiences and expectations they have.

About 32,000 teens a day log on to the site, which includes stories written by teens on sexual health issues such as: "Hooking Up: Harmless Fun or Health Risk?" "Older Guys: Dreamy or Dangerous?" and "Sexy Teens on TV: Is That All There Is?"

"We hear from kids from all over the country that the stories have convinced them to choose abstinence," Wilson said. "There's no moralizing or preaching — it's teens talking to teens."

As a father of two girls, all of this causes my worry antenna to go into red alert.

THE SNUB OF THE PASSION

You've got to give Hollywood credit for being consistent. The problem is that would be consistently wrong. Mel Gibson is shopping his movie The Passion of the Christ, which is nearing the $400 million mark in domestic box office revenues alone, to television. The problem is no one seems interested:

Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions has been shopping the movie to TV. Only ABC has confirmed turning it down, but executives speaking on condition of anonymity said it was doubtful for CBS, NBC and Fox, too....

The movie has also reportedly been shopped to pay cable networks, where content would not be much of an issue. HBO would not comment, but executives there have privately said the network has a full plate of movie premieres already scheduled for the next year.

Showtime has passed on the movie, a network spokesman said.

We certainly know about the delicate sensibilities of the modern television executive. They always want to steer clear of anything controversial or violent. *cough* *cough*

I suppose Mel will be forced to scrape by on DVD sales and, perhaps, periodic theatrical re-releases of the movie. I'm sure he'll weep all the way to the bank.

A BAD BET

The Supreme Court has thrown out the appeal of an Indiana state trooper who objected to doing casino work

The state trooper had said that the gambling enforcement assignment would force him to violate his religious beliefs.

Benjamin Endres sued the state and lost. He wanted the Supreme Court to use his case to require law enforcement agencies to accommodate the religious views of employees. Justices refused to take on another religious case.

Endres, who is Baptist, said he was not opposed to general casino crime-fighting, but could not go along when the state designated him a full-time gaming officer and ordered him to report to a casino in Michigan City, Ind.

A federal law protects people from discrimination based on religion. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said the law does not require police and fire departments to assign workers to duties compatible with their principles.

I think there's little doubt that Endres could have been accomodated very easily by his employers. But it's also the case that law enforcement tends to place you in an environment populated by unsavory sorts. There are few undercover assignments at church potlucks.

But does anyone think that if Endres was a homosexual, a minority, a woman or, say, a Muslim or a Buddhist bringing a discrimination complaint and not a white male Baptist his arguments would have been taken a little more seriously?

WHO WRITES THE CHECKS?

Financial scandals are nothing new in the world of churches. The Episcopal Church in Lexington, Kentucky is dealing with one right now:

[Chris] Platt allegedly wrote himself 19 checks worth $13,020. He wrote an additional 53 "for cash," checks totalling $13,930, Hall said. Another church check, for $250, was mailed to American Express, apparently to pay for Platt's private account, Hall said. In addition, Platt apparently used church money to make payments on a personal loan from BankOne, she said.

It's unclear what many of the checks were used for since Platt kept poor records and little documentation, Hall said. Some of the expenses that are documented are unusual for an Episcopal priest. Platt paid his National Rifle Association dues and purchased a book called Erotique with church money.

While I appreciate any Episcopalian who is a member of the NRA, the problem starts with the fact that Platt had the checkbook. Bad idea. Any time there's money there's temptation (root of all kinds of evil, remember?), and they should have known better. I don't have a church checkbook. I don't want one.

I understand financial difficulties, although I recognize they are often more the result of poor management than too little money (I'm speaking from experience here). Platt had little excuse in the income department:

Divorced, bankrupt, unable to pay his bills, the Episcopal priest was struggling to get by on an annual compensation package of $79,000.

Ah, if only I could struggle with $79,000! Trust me, in Lexington that's not too shabby.

The purpose of this isn't to rail on Platt. I actually do sympathize with him, probably more than I should. But churches really ought to know better. A few years ago a church in Lexington discovered one day that they didn't have a treasury any more. The treasurer--relieved of his duties--sought forgiveness, but the money was gone. There have to be checks on this sort of thing. I know of a church out there somewhere where the minister's mother served as treasurer. Not a good idea, either.

"Um, yes Mom. That's a legitimate expense."

"Well, if you think Erotique will help your studies..."

You get the idea. Think people--think!

MAYBE THE PARENTS NEED TO GO INSTEAD

A survey has found that more than a quarter of parents will lie so their children can attend church schools:

More than a quarter of parents are willing to lie to get their children into good schools, including pretending to have Christian beliefs a survey has found.

Pretending to have religious convictions, using false addresses or even trying to bribe headteachers are some of the tactics parents are prepared to employ, according to a YouGov poll.

The survey findings will be particularly applicable for church schools, many of whom have policies of giving priority to children of families who say they have a religious belief or attend churches connected to the schools.

You like to see everyone with the right priorities.

MEL, THE CRITICS & "KILL BILL"

Rabe Ramblings has done some heavy lifting by tracking down a wide array of movie critics who were shocked--shocked!!--by the violence of "The Passion." Oddly, they don't have the same misgivings about the new "Kill Bill, Vol. 2."

LittleA joins Rabe in the expose.

[Thanks to Susanna for the link.]

NEW FACE ON THE TURIN SHROUD?

Scientists claim to have discovered a new face on the back of the Turin shroud:

Italian scientists have found a matching image of a man’s face and possibly his hands on the back of the Turin shroud, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, one of the researchers said on Thursday.

The discovery that the ghostly image on the back of the linen cloth matches the face that adorns the front is likely to reignite debate over whether the shroud is genuine or a skilful medieval fraud.

“The fact that the image is two-sided makes any forgery difficult,” Professor Giulio Fanti of the University of Padua told Reuters.

The findings of Fanti and Roberto Maggiolo, both from the university’s department of mechanical engineering, were published this week by a journal of the Institute of Physics in London.

Fanti said the discovery would support those who maintain the cloth is genuine.

Interesting, but I'm still a shroud skeptic. We shall see.

BUT WILL HE BE ATTACKED BY LOT'S PIRATE SHIP?

With Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' making religion 'hot' in Hollywood Columbia is hoping to cash in with a dopey idea:

A new spec screenplay has created a lot of heat in Hollywood thanks to Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg's THE PASSION OF THE ARK was sold to Columbia Pictures for $1.5 million dollars, with another million waiting for the two writers if the project gets greenlighted. It's a huge sale for the industry, especially for two previously unproduced screenwriters, but that's the kind of heat that high concept religious movie ideas have in the wake of Gibson's CHRIST film.

THE PASSION OF THE ARK is set in the modern day and follows a regular man who is told by God that a second great flood will be coming. God instructs the man to build an Ark like the one Noah made thousands of years ago.


All of the major studios were going after Florsheim and Stolberg's screenplay but it was Columbia that ponied up the most to own it.

And there you have it. Hollywood clearly has tuned into the American heartland...

[Thanks to Mitch for the link.]

Hard Saying of the Day

And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him. (Mark 12:17)

SALVATION ARMY SUED: UPDATE

Mark Kellner has an update on the previously posted on lawsuit by the New Yorck Civil Liberties Union against the Salvation Army for expecting employees to support its religious goals:

Regarding the Army's social service programs, the ACLU affiliate claims, "The Salvation Army has improperly infused religion into the workplace."

The Army, an evangelical church that came to New York City 124 years ago, says it may have to revise some of the forms. But it won't back down.

According to Gary McCaleb, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, the suit could spell trouble for other faith-based groups. "If the NYCLU prevails in this case," McCaleb said, "some of the most effective groups—faith-based groups—[will] either have to surrender their faith-based distinctive, … or they will have to decline government funds."

The Army says it began reemphasizing its Christian character in September 2003 after new leaders came to the New York City unit.

The emphasis in the above is my own. Theosebes has warned against the siren song of government money. Where goes government money goes government regulations and goes the ACLU.

JEWS VS. MORMONS

Jewish groups are trying to stake their ground and stop Mormons from posthumously baptizing Holocaust victims:

Researchers say Mormons have continued to baptize Jewish Holocaust victims into their faith posthumously, despite having promised to discontinue the practice.

"We are very hopeful that we will be able to convince the church to stop," Ernest Michel, chairman of the New York-based World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, said Friday. If not, Mr. Michel said, his group will consider other options, "possibly legal steps."...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long collected names from government documents and other records worldwide for posthumous baptisms. Church members stand in to be baptized in the names of the deceased non-Mormons, a ritual the church says is required for them to reach heaven.

The practice is primarily intended for the ancestors of Mormons, but many others are included, since the church believes that a person's ability to choose a religion continues after death. Non-Mormon faiths have objected to the baptisms.

Yes, the Mormons get odder and odder, and the Jewish groups get touchier and touchier.

But the Jewish groups have pulled out the big gun: Hillary Clinton. Everything will be settled now.