Jon Kennedy (Xnmp editor)

Stephen Franks: "I am Jewish. At the same time I am not embarrassed, ashamed or resentful when someone wishes me a "Merry Christmas". Instead, I am pleased with the fact that folks remember the origin of December 25, rather than the presents. A greeting of Merry Christmas is a sign of happiness, the true reason for the holiday and a way to show religious freedom. When stores and communities have the Menorah or a Manger scene, it shows the diversity and tolerance of our nation. Yet, when stores, schools and communities declare a "Seasons Greetings" or a "Holiday Sale" I cringe. The season is a religious one. The "Sale" is using a religious occasion for selling commercial products."

Michael Medved via Town Hall: "The questions and answers with Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori eloquently (if inadvertently) demonstrate the bankruptcy of the Religious Left. If the movement’s attitudes toward marriage and child-bearing reflect the trendy ideas of secular environmen-talists rather than timeless Biblical truth, then who needs religion? Most Americans understand that the purpose of organized faith is to bring unchanging values to bear in challenging and modifying the fads and temptations of the moment. Religion means nothing if we rather begin with fashionable contemporary ideas and use them to alter the fundamentals of faith. Moreover, what’s the point of maintaining any sort of organized Christianity if one of its most prominent leaders will instinctively condemn her own faith tradition while excusing or dismissing the violent excesses of the deadly Muslim enemies of the Christian world?"

Syndicated columnist Terry Mattingly: "Father John A. Valencheck of the Diocese of Cleveland...received a postcard—addressed 'Occupant' —from a megachurch promoting its free Starbucks coffee and Krispy Kreme Donuts. It's hard for Catholics to compete in this marketplace, he noted in an essay entitled, 'Mass Marketing Mass' in the Adoremus Bulletin. The ultimate temptation is for priests to embrace the 'bedrock assumption that the Mass is a painful event' and that they need to make major changes in order to survive. 'One solution is to make the Mass pass as quickly as possible, apparently on the assumption that the people who are there do not want to be there....'"

Columnist Michael Coren in Toronto Sun: "So should we care what Elton says about anything? Not really. Problem is, he speaks for and represents a growing trend in the western world. In a culture where pop stars and afternoon television presenters shape opinion, good old Elton has a great deal of influence."

John-Henry Westen in LifeSite: "Emily Brooker, a student in the Missouri State University's School of Social Work, sued the university after being punished by a professor for refusing to lobby in favour of homosexual adoption. Only weeks after launching the suit, the university has settled out of court and disciplined the professor in question. Professor Frank Kauffman had assigned Brooker, and her classmates, to write a letter to the Missouri Legislature expressing support for homosexual adoption. She refused to do so because of her religious objections and was charged with a 'Level 3 Grievance,' the most serious charge possible, and faced the possibility of having her degree withheld "

By Alan Cooperman and Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post: "The growing acceptance of gays in popular culture and the fact that homosex-uality has powerful advocacy groups made the stance necessary, Baptist leaders said. 'In our day and time, no other sin marches so defiantly across our national landscape,' Mark Harris, the head of the committee that introduced the measure, told the 2,600 delegates, or 'messengers,' assembled at a convention hall in Greensboro, N.C."

"'The Nativity Story,' a new movie that tells the narrative of the birth of Jesus Christ, won’t be in theaters until December, but Anne Graham Lotz has already seen it. Lotz, who is Billy Graham’s daughter, was one of the dozens of pastors, religious scholars and historians who were consulted on the script. Still, she says, she was nervous when the studio, New Line, brought the film to North Carolina to screen it for her. 'I’d never really had any communication with Hollywood before this, and my impression is that Hollywood doesn’t quite get it when it comes to Christians,' she says. 'So I was very concerned about showing the movie to people before I’d seen it. I just didn’t know what the finished product would be.' As the final credits rolled and the lights came up, she had her answer. 'I’m not an emotional person,' she says, 'but when I finished watching it I … it was just over-whelming to me, the tenderness and beauty of it. The tears came down my cheeks. I couldn’t speak.'"

Detroit News: "'Merry Christmas' is making a comeback. Wal-Mart this week joined a growing number of retailers who are once again using 'Christmas' in their holiday advertising campaigns. America's largest retailer took the word out of its advertisements last year, but is bringing it back after a massive public outcry, which included 700,000 people signing petitions. Wishing for a bigger holiday season after a sluggish fall, the chain said Thursday that 60 percent more of its merchandise will be labeled with 'Christmas' this year. And customers will hear Christmas carols as they shop. Kohl's Corp. and Walgreen Co. also are putting the word Christmas back in their advertisements. Macy's, after using the more inclusive 'Happy Holidays' in its ads and in-store promotions in 2004, resumed the use of 'Merry Christmas' last year and will continue."

Irish Examiner: "Sir Elton said: 'I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely. Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate.' He added: 'The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave? Why aren't they coming together?'"

Robert Lee Hotz in Los Angles Times: "What a problem religious faith poses for learned men of empirical mind. How it baffles, angers, frightens them, prompts them to domesticate it or uproot it, leaf and bough. In a trio of new books, three scientists — an English evolutionary theorist, a bestselling philosopher-turned-neuroscientist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist — take Christianity to task. Their works comprise a new testament for atheists, in which science is the only acceptable gospel."

Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service: "with Christ, the apostle Paul came to understand the importance of self-giving and that his life should be dedicated to living for Christ, not for an improved form of himself. St. Paul said how people are made just in God's eyes and saved by Jesus is 'pure grace, an unmerited gift of God's radical love' and is not dependent on performing good works, the pope said. To be justified means to be embraced by 'God's merciful justice and to enter in communion with him and, as a consequence, to be able to establish a much more authentic relationship with all our brothers and sisters,' he said. The pope said St. Paul's writings help define Christian identity as being about 'receiving Christ and giving oneself to Christ,' not about searching for oneself."

In Townhall.com: "David Kuo is right [in Tempting Faith] about one thing: Christians involved in politics must maintain their independence; without that, we play into the hands of those — Republicans and Democrats — who would use us. Both parties are doing and saying things to attract so-called values voters. And I say good: I'd like to see Republicans and Democrats work to protect innocent human life at every stage, stop AIDS, end the destruction of the family, and take care of prisoners and the poor. But Kuo is dead wrong to suggest that that Christians ought to enter into a time of 'fasting' from politics. These words, which I wrote in 1987, that so influenced David are true today: 'Christians need to influence politics for justice and righteousness.' But we must do so 'with eyes open, aware of the snares . . . Today Christians may find themselves suspect — I have experienced this myself — to the very people on whose side they are fighting. But that is the price they must pay to preserve their independence and not be beholden to any political ideological alignment.' That's what I wrote in 1987; that's what I mean today."

Syndicated column: "'It's hard to talk about the Foley story without talking about hypocrisy,' said journalist Jeremy Lott, referring to the congressman's spectacular fall after discovery of his explicit digital messages to teen-aged male Capitol pages. 'I mean, Mark Foley's a hypocrite, the Republicans are hypocrites, the Democrats are hypocrites and lots of journalists are hypocrites, too. Right now, I can't think of anyone in the Foley affair who isn't being accused of being a hypocrite by somebody and lots of the anti-hypocrites are being hypocritical, too.'"

Carol McGraw and Paul Asay in The State: "The sanctuary was full at New Life Church as congregants gathered for their first Sunday service without the leadership of the beloved Haggard. Haggard was fired Saturday by the church's Board of Overseers, who cited the pastor's 'sexual immoral conduct.' The mood was a mixture of sadness and determination that the church will go on. The service was rife with tears, hugging, anger and calls for forgiveness. The congregation stood and applauded for acting senior pastor Ross Parsley, for the overseers, and for a letter written by Gayle Haggard, but not for the confession submitted by beleaguered pastor Ted Haggard. Haggard will seek intensive mental and spiritual counseling from nationally-prominent pastors Jack Hayford and Tommy Barnett and Focus on the Family Chairman James Dobson. The Rev. Larry Stockstill, head of the oversight board, said: 'Today you're seeing both the goodness and the justice of God. We can be mad at God, say that it's not fair, the timing is terrible, or we can say "blessed be the name of the Lord."'"

AP's Judith Kohler via SFGATE: "Experts agree the Rev. Ted Haggard's fall from grace is bound to have political repercussions — but say it might help, not hinder, Colorado Republicans and their causes....For instance, Vice President Dick Cheney visited Colorado Springs on Friday to cam-paign for Doug Lamborn, who is running a tight race against Democrat Jay Fawcett for a seat in Haggard's reliably Republican district. Rep. Joel Hefley is retiring....Religious conservatives, outraged by the way the accusations were made, could give Lamborn the edge he needs in his battle with Fawcett, a former Air Force officer trying to become the first Democrat to win the seat, Loevy said."

Collin Hansen in Christianity Today: "Ted Haggard resigned Thursday afternoon as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, amid allegations that surfaced Wednesday about involvement with a male prostitute. Haggard also placed himself on administrative leave as senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, pending a church investigation."

Ted Olsen, Christianity Today: "In an e-mail to staff members of New Life Church, acting senior pastor Ross Parsley says that some of the accusa-tions against Ted Haggard are true. 'The board of overseers has met with Pastor Ted,' Parsley wrote. 'It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true. He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation.'"

Brian Gray via the Timesplus: "In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus told his disciples, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the earth." Nowhere, and this may come as a surprise and a shock to some of my fellow Christians who view religion and politics as the same thing, did he tell his disciples to legislate their beliefs."

Associated Press via WTAE: "A Christian student has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Missouri State University of violating her constitutional rights. Emily Brooker said a professor required students to write and sign letters urging the Missouri Legislature to approve homosexual adoption and foster parenting. When she refused, arguing that to do so would violate her religious beliefs, Brooker said she was accused of an insufficient commitment to diversity and was brought before an ethics committee that asked if she viewed gays and lesbians as sinners."

AP's Rachel Zoll in USA Today: "'There's a lot of discontentment,' said Marvin Olasky, editor of the Christian newsweekly World and a framer of the 'compassionate conservative' language used by Bush. 'But unfortun-ately for most conservative evangelicals, there's no alternative.' That does not mean the Republicans can rest easy. Damage over the past two years could cost Republicans on Nov. 7 if disenchanted evangelical voters stay home. And tensions with a core constituency would muddy the run-up to the 2008 presidential race. In the Nov. 7 election, control of Congress is at stake with all 435 House seats and 33 of the 100 Senate seats up for grabs. Voters will also elect 36 governors. Democrats can take a majority in the House with 15 more seats, and in the Senate with six more."