Gym teacher accused of same-sex assault on student

Gym teacher accused of same-sex assault on student
Prosecutor says woman used her Catholic school office for attacks

Posted: December 16, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

A gym teacher and coach has been accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student over a period of 10 months while she worked at a Catholic high school in Somerset, N.J., authorities said.

Pamela Balogh, 39, of Bethlehem, taught and coached the female student, who was subjected to the assaults starting in December, 2004, according to the Somerset County prosecutor's office.

Authorities told The Express-Times that the assaults happened mainly in Balogh's office at Immaculata High School in Somerville.

She's been charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child.

School officials suspended her from her teaching responsibilities, they said.

Balogh graduated in 1985 from North Hunterdon High School and she was The Express-Times' girls' basketball player of the year in 1985. Balogh is a member of both North Hunterdon's and Temple University's athletic halls of fame.

Teacher 'sexpidemic'

The phenomenon of teachers accused or convicted of having sex with their students has come to the forefront of national and international news in recent years.

Some of the cases involving women have been chronicled by WND, including:

Adrianne Hockett: Accused of having sex with a 16-year-old special-needs student in a Houston apartment she rented for the get-togethers. The boy has testified the pair would "have sex, drink beer and smoke weed."

Amber Jennings, 31: Though Jennings was initially charged with having sex with a 16-year-old, the counts against the Sturbridge, Mass., woman were reduced to a single charge of disseminating harmful materials to a minor. She reportedly admitted e-mailing naked photos of herself to a former student. She received no jail time, only two years of probation after pleading guilty.

Amber Marshall, 23: Northwest Indiana woman allegedly had sexual contact, including intercourse, with several students at Hebron High School, and turned herself into authorities, telling police she knew what she did was illegal.

Amira Sa'Di, 30: Clayton County, Ga., woman remarked she didn't think her relationship was inappropriate based on her Internet research, learning the Peach State's age of consent is 16.

Amy Gail Lilley, 36: Inverness, Fla., woman and softball coach at Lecanto High School charged with a lesbian relationship with a 15-year-old girl. She received no prison time, being sentenced to two years of house arrest and eight more years of probation.

Amy McElhenney, 25: Charged with having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old male student, the 25-year-old Hebron High School Spanish teacher and former Miss Texas contestant will not be serving any jail time after a Denton County, Texas, grand jury refused to issue an indictment. While the age of consent in Texas is 17 years, a state law bans sexual relationships between educators and students even if the student is of legal age and the relationship is consensual. She could have faced 20 years in prison if indicted and convicted.

Angela Comer, 26: Middle-school teacher from Tompkinsville, Ky., fled with her alleged lover, her 14-year-old male student, before being tracked down in Mexico where she reportedly planned to marry the boy. She was indicted for illegal sex acts with a minor and returned to Kentucky. Charges include felony custodial interference, two counts of third-degree sodomy and four counts of unlawful transaction with a minor relating to sexual acts.

Angela Stellwag, 24: Delran, N.J., woman accused of having sex in her apartment with a 14-year-old boy she met in school. She was charged with sexual assault for activity that allegedly took place in August 2004. She pleaded not guilty in August 2006.

Beth Raymond, 31: Private-school employee from Pownal, Maine, charged with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree sexual assault of a juvenile male at Eagle Hill School in Greenwich, Conn. In July 2006, she was sentenced to 18 months prison.

Bethany Sherrill, 24: Daughter-in-law of school-board president charged with molesting a 15-year-old middle-school student. Reports state Sherill allegedly had oral sex with the boy and sent him coded text messages. She resigned her position at Jefferson Elementary School in Farmington, Mo., and eventually received 90 days in jail and two years probation, and was forced to register as a sex offender.

Brandy Lynn Gonzales, 27:The Houston-area teacher and her husband were arrested in December 2006 for sexually assaulting students at an elementary school two years earlier. Prosecutors allege that Gonzales met a student at a local movie theater, where she performed oral sex on the boy as well as another student at the theater. Husband Johnny Gonzales is also charged with having performed sex acts with one teen. Prosecutors told the judge they have sufficient evidence to file further charges.

Cameo Patch, 29: Substitute teacher at Tooele High School in Tooele, Utah, arrested for allegedly performing oral sex on a 17-year-old male student. The sexual activity was allegedly consensual, and reportedly took place off school grounds after the pair had exchanged phone numbers in a restaurant. She was sentenced to no jail time, despite despite comments from the judge that a man would have likely gone to prison.

Carol Flannigan, 50: Boca Raton, Fla., music teacher reportedly slept with 11-year-old former student, and also had a simultaneous sexual relationship with the boy's father. In a deposition, the boy's father said he had the same sort of sexual relationship with Flannigan that ex-President Bill Clinton had with Monica Lewinsky. In February 2006, Flannigan was sentenced to five years prison as part of a plea deal.

Carrie McCandless, 29: The former Colorado social-studies teacher, who also happens to be married to the principal, was charged in November 2006 with having had sexual contact with a 17-year-old male student during an overnight school camping trip. The instructor, who also coaches cheerleading, could be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison for sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Cathy Heminghaus, 46: Special-education teacher from Ferguson, Mo., charged with statutory sodomy involving at least three of her students at Ferguson Middle School. She reportedly told friends she had performed oral sex on the children on several occasions.

Celeste Emerick, 32: Police in Huber Heights, Ohio, say the Wayne High School teacher hosted a party where students were shown pornography. Prosecutors charged her with one count of sexual battery, a felony in Ohio.

Christina Gallagher, 26: Jersey City, N.J., woman received no jail time, but was ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines, sentenced to a lifetime registration as a convicted sex offender and ordered to attend therapy for having sex with a 17-year-old student in late 2004. The former Rahway High School instructor was banned from teaching and seeing the student with whom she had sex.

Christine Duda, 39: Teacher at the Normandy Alternative School in St. Louis County, Mo., allegedly took a 16-year-old hearing-impaired male student to her home for sex in December 2005. She was charged with two counts of felony statutory rape and fired by the school district.

Christine Scarlett, 36: English teacher at Strongsville High School in Ohio began a sexual relationship with the 17-year-old captain of the football team, Steven Bradigan, in November 2002 and eventually gave birth to Bradigan's son. Scarlett was fired from her teaching job, but insists nothing improper happened during the time she was Bradigan's teacher. She was never charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

Deanna Bobo, 37: Special-education teacher at Raymond E. Wells Junior High School in Greenwood, Ark., allegedly had sex twice in 2005 with a 14-year-old boy in his own bed while his parents were not home. She denied the charge, but was convicted in September 2006 of two counts of first-degree sexual assault and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Debra LaFave, 25: Tampa, Fla., area teacher received no jail time despite having sex with her 14-year-old male student in a classroom and her Hillsborough County home. In another county, Marion, she was accused of having sex with the boy in an SUV. LaFave claimed at a March 2006 news conference she had a bipolar disorder. The boy's father said LaFave should have received prison time in her plea deal, noting, "It's a horrible, ugly thing that she's done."

Diane DeMartini-Scully, 45: Mattituck, N.Y., woman was the school psychologist at East Hampton Middle School on Long Island when she was accused of having sex with the 16-year-old boyfriend of her own 13-year-old daughter. She allegedly had intercourse and oral sex with the boy on a number of occasions in May 2005 in her home and car. She was arrested after allegedly secretly visiting her young paramour at his new home in North Carolina.

Donna Carr Galloway, 33: Married mother of two found naked in a car with a 17-year-old student.

Elisa Kawasaki, 25: Biology teacher from Fresno, Calif., area, pleaded no contest to sex with a teen boy, and prosecutors dropped four other counts.

Elizabeth Miklosovic, 36: Grand Rapids, Mich., teacher at South Haven's Baseline Middle School pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student she "married" in a pagan ritual in June 2004. Miklosovic is also accused of touching the girl's genitals while camping in public parks. She told the judge before sentencing, "The entire ordeal has been blown totally out of proportion for something that was innocent, kind and nurturing in nature." She was sentenced to five to 25 years.

Elizabeth Stow, 26: Tulare Western High School teacher from Fresno, Calif., area convicted of having sex with three of her students was sentenced to nine years, but the judge suspended that sentence and gave her one year, followed by five years of probation. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

Ellen Garfield, 43: Former student at Solomon Schecter School in Newton, Mass., said his music teacher took him into an empty classroom where she worked, partially disrobed, and coaxed him into having sex with her in 1998. Garfield was acquitted of all charges in September 2005.

Emily Morris, 28: Teacher at Leeds High School in St. Clair County, Ala., faced a possible 20-year sentence, but received one year in jail for having consensual sex with a 15-year-old student.

Erica Rutters, 29: Teacher at Oxford Christian Academy in New Oxford, Pa., allegedly wrote erotic messages to a 16-year-old student and had sexual intercourse with him four times in her apartment. She pleaded guilty to corruption of a minor, and received no jail time, just three years of probation in March 2006.

Georgianne Harrell, 24: Teacher at Holley Elementary School in Sylvester, Ga., charged with performing oral sex on a 9-year-old boy in April 2005, allowing students to gaze down her blouse and slashing her wrists with glass in front of her students. Though she originally pleaded not guilty, she changed her plea to guilty just before trial, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for aggravated child molestation.

Gwen Cardozo, 33: Teacher at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., accused of having sex with a 17-year-old male student. Police charged her with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, and Cardozo resigned her position in March 2005. She pleaded guilty in July 2005 and received a deferred sentence, meaning no jail time if she remains trouble-free for four years.

Heather Ingram, 30: Mathematics, science and business teacher at Chatelech Secondary School in Sechelt, British Columbia, had sex with a 17-year-old student. The relationship cost Ingram her job and reportedly led to the breakup of her 12-year common-law marriage to a man four years her senior.

Jacquelyn Faith Garrison, 19: Substitute teacher at South Central High School in Winterville, N.C., was indicted in January 2006 on charges she was having an improper relationship with a 15-year-old student. The case involves some 50 phone calls and text messages exchanged between Garrison and the boy, who reportedly became uncomfortable when things of a sexual nature came up.

Janelle Marie Bird, 24: Accused of having a two-year affair with a 15-year-old student from East Hill Christian School, in Pensacola, Fla. Declaring her love for the boy, she was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery and two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Though Bird could have received 30 years upon conviction, she was sentenced in 2006 to two years in state prison.

Jaymee Wallace, 28: Basketball coach in Tampa, Fla., charged with having an 18-month lesbian relationship with a student. Authorities say the student, who was 15 when she met Wallace, voluntarily had sex with the coach more than 50 times, in a parking lot at Busch Gardens and often at Wallace's own apartment while a fellow classmate was in an adjacent room. According to the police report, the sexual relationship reportedly began in early 2003, after the student received a note from Wallace saying she "found her attractive and wanted to know if she felt the same way."

Joan Marie Sladky, 28: Redwood City, Calif., woman sentenced to six months in county jail for having sex with a 16-year-old student after pleading no contest to four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation and penetration with a foreign object. The Spanish teacher's relationship with the boy spanned six months, as she reportedly had sex with him once at his home and three times at her residence, which was on the property of the private Baptist church and school where she taught.

Katherine Tew, 30: Married English teacher from Greenville, N.C., arrested for having sex with a 17-year-old boy. She taught at South Central High School in Winterville, N.C., and was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child, but found not guilty of the more serious sex charge. She was not given prison time, and lost her teaching license for at least two years.

Kathy White, 39: Teacher at Lumberton High School in Lumberton, Texas, charged with having sex with a 17-year-old student. The victim, Michael Ferguson, alleges: "She just started grabbing me and hormones were on and it just happened." Ferguson provided KBTV-TV with an e-mail allegedly sent by White, in which the teacher told him, "I get these cravings for YOU and that's not NORMAL! If I had it my way, I'd do you once a week just because it's good."

Kelly Lynn Dalecki, 28: Elementary-school teacher from St. Augustine, Fla., pleaded no contest to charges she had sex with a 13-year-old boy in 2003. The boy's parents reportedly found more than 50 sexually explicit e-mails and pornographic pictures allegedly sent by Dalecki on his computer. Dalecki was sentenced to nearly a year in prison.

Kristen Margrif, 27: Mayville, Mich., teacher accused of having sex with a 16-year-old male student in her car or at his summer workplace in June and July 2005. She was given a one-year delayed sentence in June 2006 on three felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a student, meaning she'll only have to serve probation if she remains trouble-free for a year.

Kristi Dance Oakes, 32: Teacher allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old boy who was in her biology class the previous year. Oakes resigned from her post at Seymour High School in Sevierville, Tenn., and reportedly lost her home and even the job she took at a grocery store after resigning from the school system because of the charges. In July 2006, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Lakina Stutts, 40: School-bus driver admitted to cops she had sex with a 14-year-old student in her home and in a car outside the boy's home.

Laura-Anne Brownlee, 26: Former music mistress at a top private school in Belfast, N. Ireland, was given a six-month suspended sentence on charges of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

Laura Lynn Findlay, 30: Band teacher at Ricker Middle School in Buena Vista Township, Mich., charged with having sex with at least 5 students, one as young as 14. She was sentenced in August 2006 to at least seven and as much as 25 years in prison.

Lynn Saunders, 38: A former basketball star at the College of Staten Island, the gym teacher at St. Paul's School in New Brighton, N.Y., was arrested in March 2005 for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old girl whose family she had befriended. Saunders admitted to touching the girl's breasts and genital area on several dates in February 2005. She received no jail time, only probation and registration as a sex offender. The family is now suing Saunders and the Archdiocese of New York, claiming the girl became suicidal and still suffers from "severe emotional shock, trauma, embarrassment, anxiety and other psychological injuries."

Margaret De Barraicua, 30: Sacramento, Calif., area woman arrested after police found her having sex with a 16-year-old male student in her car while the woman's toddler was strapped into a seat in the back. She pleaded guilty to four felony counts of statutory rape and was sentenced to a year in jail and five years formal probation.

Maria Saco, 28: Math teacher at Lincoln Middle School in Passaic, N.J., sentenced in 2005 to a year in jail for an intimate relationship with a teen student who was 14 when they first met. Saco reportedly gave the boy a key to her apartment.

Mary Kay Letourneau, 34: Des Moines, Wash., teacher did prison time after having sex with a sixth-grade student, Vili Fualaau, in 1996 and eventually had two children by him. She originally had Fualaau in her second-grade class at Shorewood Elementary School in Burien, Wash. The couple has since married.

Melissa Michelle Deel, 32: Bristol, Tenn., teacher at Virginia Middle School pleaded guilty to crossing the state line into Virginia to have oral sex with a 13-year-old male student. As part of her plea agreement, Deel agreed never to profit from the crime, as well as have no contact with the boy and his family without court permission. She was sentenced to a year and two months prison.

Michelle Kush, 29: Substitute teacher at Boone County High School in Florence, Ky., allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy several times during summer break. She was charged with two counts of rape and one sodomy count. In August 2006, Kush was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 30 days on house arrest and five years probation.

Nicola Prentice, 22: British woman from Sheffield, England, given a 12-month suspended jail sentence after she seduced a 16-year-old student and began a 19-month affair.

Nicole Andrea Barnhart, 35: Highlands Ranch, Colo., woman reportedly told police she loves the 16-year-old boy with whom she was having sex. A teacher at Ponderosa High School, she pleaded guilty to felony sexual assault on a child, resulting in a two-year prison sentence and a minimum of 10 years in a sex-offender probation program.

Nicole Long, 29: English teacher at Ayersville High School in Ohio resigned her teaching post after being accused of raping a 17-year-old boy. She pleaded guilty in January 2005 to a charge of sexual battery, and was sentenced in March to three months in jail.

Nicole Pomerleau, 31: English teacher at Olympic High School in Charlotte, N.C., arrested in March 2004 for allegedly having a sexual relationship with her 16-year-old student. The age of consent in North Carolina is 16, but teachers having sex with students is an exception to the law. Though Pomerleau admitted the affair, she got no prison time and did not have to register as a sex offender.

Pamela Smart, 22: Media-services director at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, N.H., had convinced her 15-year-old lover to murder her husband. She was arrested in 1993 and is now serving a life sentence. The Nicole Kidman film "To Die For" is based on her story.

Pamela Rogers Turner, 27: Former model and beauty-pageant contestant also taught at Centertown Elementary School in McMinnville, Tenn. She was arrested in February 2005 for allegedly having a three-month sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy. She resigned her teaching position and was charged with 15 counts of sexual battery and 13 counts of statutory rape. Originally sentenced to 270 days in August 2005, she got in additional trouble in April 2006 for sending text messages, nude photos, and sex videos of herself to the same boy while using her father's cellphone. In July 2006, she was sentenced to seven years for violating her probation.

Rachelle Vantucci, 32: Ex-substitute teacher from Geneseo, N.Y., admitted having sex with a 16-year-old boy she met at a local riding stable. After pleading guilty, Vantucci agreed to surrender her teaching license and register as a sex offender.

Rebecca Boicelli, 33: Redwood City, Calif., woman gave birth to a baby last year and DNA test results gave prosecutors enough evidence to prove the father is Boicelli's former student, who was 16 at the time of conception. She was sentenced to two years in prison.

Rhianna Ellis, 24: Social-studies teacher at the High School for Health Professions and Human Services in Manhattan, N.Y., allegedly began a 10-month sexual relationship with an 17-year-old player on the school's basketball team, and reportedly gave birth to his baby. The teen boy even introduced Ellis to his parents, never indicating she was his teacher.

Robin Gialanella, 26: Teacher at Silver Bay Elementary School in Toms River, N.J., engaged in kissing, and inappropriate conduct and conversations with two sixth-grade boys, ages 11 and 12, in 2003 and 2004. She was sentenced to 364 days in jail with psychotherapy, must register as a sex offender, will be under lifetime supervision and must surrender her New Jersey teaching certificate.

Robin Winkis, 29: English teacher at Central York High School in York, Pa., allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old boy after giving him alcohol. Authorties accused her of five alleged sex acts during October and November 2005. She pleaded guilty as part of a deal, and was sentenced to two to 23 months in jail.

Samantha Solomon, 29: Guidance counselor at the High School for Health Professions and Human Services in Manhattan, N.Y. was fired after school bosses learned she was having sex with a teenage boy. She denies the allegations, attributing them to rumors gone wild.

Sandra "Beth" Geisel, 42: English teacher at Christian Brothers Academy, an all-boys school in Albany, N.Y., allegedly had sex three times with a 16-year-old male student in May 2005, including once on school grounds in the football stadium's press box. Originally indicted in September for three counts of third degree rape, she pleaded guilty to a single count of rape and was sentenced to six months in jail, and ranked as a Level 1 sex offender, the lowest risk.

Shelley Allen, 35: Teacher's aide from Cherokee County, Texas, was arrested in June 2005. Allen was charged with sexual assault of a child and faces a possible 20 years behind bars.

Shelley White, 24: Geography teacher in Britain had been engaged to be married before she kissed a 15-year-old student on at least three occasions. She avoided jail, but received 12 months community service.

Sherry Brians, 41: Middle-school language-arts instructor in Buttonwillow, Calif., originally arrested in January 2006 on suspicion of engaging in lewd acts with a 12-year-old male student, a felony that involves sexual contact. She pleaded not guilty to two counts of annoying or molesting a child under 18.

Stephanie Burleson: Volleyball coach and teacher at Floresville High School in Texas six years ago, pleaded guilty to all charges for molesting a 16-year-old female student. She was sentenced to 10 years probation, and required to register as a sex offender.

Susan Clickner, 47: The eighth-grade science teacher at Blanchard Middle School in Lowell, Mass., was sentenced to serve 18 months for having sex with one of her students in the back seat of her car. Clickner had been accused of luring the 14-year-old during the summer of 2005 into the back seat of her car and molesting him. He later told his parents, who notified police. She also was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Susan Eble, 35: Former teacher's aide is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

Tara Lynn Crisp, 29: Police allege she had sex with a student at least three times beginning when he was 14.

Toni Lynn Woods, 37: Middle-school teacher in Braxton County, W.Va., confessed in 2005 to having sexual intercourse with three juveniles a total of four times and oral sex with one of those juveniles and another juvenile a total of four times. She reportedly described herself as a "monster" when she pleaded guilty. She resigned, surrendered her teaching certificate, and was given consecutive sentences of one-to-five years on four counts of third-degree sexual assault.

Traci Tapp, 28: Gym teacher at Hammonton High School in New Jersey accused of sexual contact with three male students, including having sex in her home multiple times in one night with a 16-year-old. In January 2006, she avoided any jail or probation time by admitting inappropriate touching, but she lost her teaching license.

Nativity Scene Stolen by Abortion Clinic Worker Returned by Police

WICHITA, December 15, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An employee of late-term abortionist George R Tiller stole a nativity scene belonging to Operation Rescue that had been displayed among crosses and other religious items on the public property outside the abortion clinic gate.

The plastic Nativity Scene, consisting of likenesses of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and a donkey were placed outside the notorious abortion clinic, as part of a national campaign called The Nativity Project.

The Nativity Project was launched by the Christian Defense Coalition and Faith and Action for the purpose of affirming the message of Christ's Incarnation as well as the rights to free speech and religious expression. Participants are urged to maintain Nativity Scenes on public property from now until Christmas.

John Rayburn, an employee of Tiller's who supplies security services for the abortionist, told witnesses that the display was "offensive" to him. He picked up the display and placed it behind the fence that surrounds the abortion clinic parking lot.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman summoned the police and asked for the return of his property. After some investigation, Officer D. L. Hinners returned the property to Newman who replaced it back onto the public grassy strip.

A report was filed (case number 06C96619) requesting that the charge of petty larceny be filed against Rayburn for stealing the religious display. The District Attorney's office will make a determination whether or not to pursue the charges.

Operation Rescue is offering free tickets to the movie "The Nativity" to the first 50 people who volunteer to watch over the Nativity display at Tiller's abortion clinic between now and Christmas.

(c) Copyright: LifeSiteNews.com is a production of Interim Publishing. Permission to republish is granted (with limitation*) but acknowledgement of source is *REQUIRED* (useLifeSiteNews.com).

Silent night for fear of offending Jew

Silent night for fear of offending Jew
By Catherine Elsworth in New York
Last Updated: 1:41am GMT 16/12/2006

A school choir was told to stop singing carols at a show featuring a Jewish ice skater because officials feared she would be offended.

The Rubidoux High School Madrigals in Riverside, California, broke off in the middle of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman at a rink where Sasha Cohen, a US Olympic medal winner, was performing in front of fans.

Staci Della-Rocco, the director of the choir, said she complied with the request by a city council employee and police officer to silence the children because "I didn't want to have a big old huge scene in front of my kids".

"This request was simply made by a staff member who was attempting to be sensitive to the celebrity guest, without considering the wider implications... or consulting with her supervisor for guidance," said Belinda Graham, the city development director.

Cohen, 22, however, was "stunned" to learn the choir had been ordered to stop singing on her account, her mother said.

The 2006 Olympic silver medallist is half-Christian and "celebrates everything" at this time of year, said Galina Cohen. "Sasha was stunned. We both thought the voices were just lovely, they were doing such a wonderful job. Christmas carols are part of celebrating the holiday season."

Ron Loveridge, the mayor of Riverside, has apologised to the choir. He called the incident "unfortunate".

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2006.

Hillary hires 'faith guru'

Hillary hires 'faith guru'
Taking cue from Obama, senator gears up spiritual side of presidential campaign

Posted: December 16, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON – With Sen. Barack Obama being treated like a political rock star, in part because of the ease with which he talks about his Christian faith, Sen. Hillary Clinton, another likely candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination has hired her own "faith guru."

Her pick is Burns Strider, the head of religious outreach for the House Democratic Caucus since 2005, according to the Hotline, the online daily political arm of the National Journal.

Strider, originally from Mississippi, was raised a Southern Baptist. He and his family now attend Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Washington, according to the report.

Clinton, a lifelong Methodist, has been talking more about her faith. She is part of an exclusive women's prayer group. She joined while she was first lady. She is also a member of the Senate prayer group.

Polls list Clinton as the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. But Obama, another Democrat from Illinois, has been getting rave reviews over his appearances – many of which have allowed him to discuss his faith easily and openly. He was recently a featured speaker at an AIDS conference convened by Southern Baptist megachurch pastor Rick Warren.

Obama has also assigned a staffer to faith outreach, according to the report. In addition, other Democratic and progressive groups have begun to focus staff members on outreach to religious voters -- many of whom had abandoned the party in the past 20 years.

Bush lives Christian faith, doesn't impose it, Snow says

Bush lives Christian faith, doesn't impose it, Snow says
But spokesman says he doesn't know if annual 'holiday' greeting is secular

Posted: December 16, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

A spokesman for President Bush says the nation's leader lives his Christian faith, but doesn't impose it, and so it really doesn't matter if the annual Christmas greeting card from the White House is a specifically Christian "Merry Christmas" or a generic "happy holidays."

Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House, asked presidential spokesman Tony Snow about the greeting that is coming from the president this year.

"WorldNetDaily notes that in previous years the president has been criticized for sending out generic holiday cards at this time of the year, and thus downplaying the celebration of Christmas, a holy day celebrated by a majority of Americans," he said. "And my question: Does the president believe that the majority of America's Jews, Muslims or Hindus would be offended if the card sent by this practicing Christian president were to mention Christmas, instead of just the season, unspecified?"

"I don't know, Les," Snow said. "The thing is … he's made no secret of his Christian faith. He also believes in religious tolerance…"

"Doesn't he think that they would be tolerant of him? I mean, as a Christian president sending out a Christmas card…" Kinsolving continued.

"You're always asking me, does the president believe, on wonderfully provocative questions that no sensible press secretary would waste time asking the president about. So the fact is that I don't have the opportunity to ask him about Christmas cards," Snow said.

And he said on the "priority list" of projects to accomplish, Christmas greetings are not a top priority for the limited time he has with the president.

"What the president believes is that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior. He also believes that in this time and age it is important to welcome the freedom of all people to worship in accordance with their faith," Snow said.

Bush has made his Christian faith a public part of his presidency many times, and an analysis of his actions by theologian Wayne A. Grudem said he actually has lived his faith much of the time.

A report by Baptist Press just a few weeks ago quoted the research professor of Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Ariz., saying Bush is successful from an evangelical Christian perspective because his work has increased freedom for Gospel proclamation across the globe.

The BP report said Grudem weighed the Bush presidency on 10 issues that include protection of life, marriage/family and the courts, human dignity, the political process, the environment, economics, the war on terror, communication skills and personal character and faith.

Bush "clearly identifies himself as an evangelical Christian" who not only acknowledges the Bible, but reads it and believes it, the report said. Grudem also noted Bush continues acts of kindness and moral leadership aligning with a Christian worldview, despite relentless attacks from political opponents and a secular press.

"I am so very thankful for an outstanding, I think, excellent president," Grudem told BP. "What more could we ask from a president, the man who has the most difficult job in the whole world? I think [he] has continually exhibited personal conduct that is above reproach, giving moral leadership to the nation by example of life and by kindness that amazes me toward those in politics and in the press who continue relentlessly to attack him."

A year ago, when the White House greeting once again did not mention "Christmas," WND founder and Editor Joseph Farah told the Washington Post he threw his out, prompting a media rush to cover the story.

"Because I was quoted in the Washington Post this week as saying I threw my White House Christmas card in the trash upon seeing the "happy holidays" message, I've been accused of being a troublemaker. E-mailers are telling me I should get a life, find something more important to worry about, leave the president alone, find a new country ... You get the idea,"" he wrote.

"Honestly, however, I don't care all that much about the White House Christmas card. I write a daily column and I do a daily three-hour radio talk show. Not once before this week have I ever mentioned the White House Christmas card – even though I have received them annually and been disappointed by them since at least 2002. If the Christmas card issue was that important to me, I had many opportunities to say it," he said in a subsequent column.

The uproar reached the realm of late-night television when NBC's Conan O'Brien opened his monologue with a joke about the controversy.

"President Bush is in hot water," said O'Brien. "He's angered conservatives. He's being criticized by Christian groups because his Christmas cards didn't say 'Christmas.'

"Yeah, in response, the president said: 'You try spelling it!'" O'Brien joked, to a large reception of laughs.

The quote later was picked up by the Associated Press and United Press International, and was published in media outlets across America and the world, including the Scotsman and the Age in Australia.

However, in yesterday's briefing, Snow didn't elaborate on Bush's disagreement with the title of former President Carter's new book, "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid." In promoting that publication on a speaking tour, Carter has explained that it is the Palestinians who are being oppressed and restricted by Israelis in the Middle East and doesn't mention the terrorist attacks on Israel.

"Does the president believe that Israel, which has Arab Muslims as elected members of the Knesset, is guilty of apartheid, as charged in the title of new book by President Carter?" Kinsolving asked.

"No," Snow said.

MARRIAGE DIGEST: Obama's opposition to DOMA differs with other Democrats; ... Romney's '94 comments stir controversy

MARRIAGE DIGEST: Obama's opposition to DOMA differs with other Democrats; ... Romney's '94 comments stir controversy

Dec 15, 2006
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (BP)--U.S. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama is drawing a significant amount of interest for a possible 2008 presidential run by portraying himself as a moderate, but on the issue of "gay marriage," at least, he is to the left of many members of his own party.

During his 2004 run for the Senate seat from Illinois, Obama said he opposed "gay marriage" but also opposed the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that gives states the option of not recognizing another state's "gay marriage" licenses. If DOMA is overturned or repealed, then the other 49 states presumably would be forced to recognize "gay marriages" from Massachusetts.

DOMA's repeal also presumably would force the federal government to recognize "gay marriage," leading to federal tax and Social Security benefits applying to homosexual couples in Massachusetts.

DOMA passed the Senate 85-14 10 years ago, receiving a majority of Democratic support. President Clinton signed it into law, and his wife, current U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, said as recently as this fall she still supports DOMA.

Obama reached out to the homosexual community in 2004, giving an interview with the Windy City Times -- a Chicago-based homosexual newspaper -- and also addressing Times readers in a letter to the editor.

"For the record, I opposed DOMA [the Defense of Marriage Act] in 1996," Obama wrote then. "It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. This is an effort to demonize people for political advantage, and should be resisted ... When members of Congress passed DOMA, they were not interested in strengthening family values or protecting civil liberties. They were only interested in perpetuating division and affirming a wedge issue."

After DOMA became law more than 35 states passed their own laws specifically banning "gay marriage." Also, 27 states adopted constitutional marriage amendments, which provide even greater protection than do laws against the redefinition of marriage.

In his letter published in the Windy City Times, Obama also said he supports repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell policy" and supports passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would elevate "sexual orientation" to the status of race. He also said he supports same-sex civil unions, something 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry also supported.

"I know how important the issue of equal rights is to the LGBT community," Obama wrote. "I share your sense of urgency. If I am elected U.S. Senator, you can be confident that my colleagues in the Senate and the President will know my position."

WHERE DOES ROMNEY STAND? -- Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney has been a champion of conservative values in recent months, but during his 1994 U.S. Senate campaign, he requested support from the homosexual community and sounded downright liberal on some social issues. Romney's 1994 positions recently were recounted in stories by the Associated Press, The Boston Globe and The New York Times. He is considering a 2008 run for president.

Romney lost in that 1994 campaign against U.S. Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, one of Congress' leading liberals.

"I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican party, and I would be a voice in the Republican party to foster anti-discrimination efforts," Romney wrote in a letter to Bay Windows, a homosexual newspaper.

In a letter to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, Romney wrote, "For some voters, it might be enough to simply match my opponent's [Kennedy's] record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will."

Regarding the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuals, Romney told the Log Cabin Club the policy was "the first in a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military."

Those positions seemingly stand in contrast to positions Romney has taken in recent months. He has been a vocal supporter of a constitutional amendment in Massachusetts to reverse the state high court's "gay marriage" decision and even recently filed a lawsuit to try and get the amendment on the ballot. He also has been a vocal advocate of a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"These old interviews and stories have frequently been circulated by my opponents ever since I took a stand against the Massachusetts supreme-court ruling on same-sex marriage," Romney told National Review Online in an interview posted Dec. 14. "This being the political season, it is not surprising this old news has appeared again. But I have made clear since 2003, when the supreme court of Massachusetts redefined marriage by fiat, that my unwavering advocacy for traditional marriage stands side by side with a tolerance and respect for all Americans.

"Like the vast majority of Americans, I’ve opposed same-sex marriage, but I’ve also opposed unjust discrimination against anyone, for racial or religious reasons, or for sexual preference. Americans are a tolerant, generous, and kind people. We all oppose bigotry and disparagement. But the debate over same-sex marriage is not a debate over tolerance. It is a debate about the purpose of the institution of marriage and it is a debate about activist judges who make up the law rather than interpret the law."

As for his current views on "don't ask, don't tell," Romney said, "I trust the counsel of those in uniform who have set these policies over a dozen years ago. I agree with President Bush’s decision to maintain this policy and I would do the same."

Romney also said he opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, saying it "would be an overly broad law that would open a litigation floodgate and unfairly penalize employers at the hands of activist judges."

OHIO COURT LOOKS AT AMENDMENT -- The Ohio Supreme Court heard oral arguments Dec. 12 in a case that will determine whether the state's constitutional marriage amendment prevents domestic violence charges from being brought against unmarried people.

The lawsuit involves a man, Michael Carswell, who was charged under the state's domestic violence law of assaulting his live-in girlfriend. Carswell's attorney contends the amendment prevents such charges being brought.

The amendment text in contention says the state "shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage."

Rachel Hutzel, the prosecutor in the case, told the court the amendment was designed to prohibit same-sex "marriage" and civil unions -- and not to overturn the state's domestic violence laws.

Carswell won at the trial court level but lost at the appeals court.

N.J. PASTOR MAKES STAND DURING PRAYER -- A non-denominational New Jersey pastor likely won't be invited back to deliver the opening state legislative prayer after he criticized "gay marriage" in his moment at the podium.

Vincent Fields, pastor of Greater Works Ministries church in Absecon, N.J., delivered the invocation at the New Jersey Senate Dec. 11.

"We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage," Fields said during his prayer, according to The Star-Ledger newspaper. "We ask you to just look over this place today, cause them to be shaken in their very heart in uprightness, Lord, to do that is right before you."

Senate President Richard Codey, a Democrat, said Fields "will not be back," the newspaper reported. But Fields believes he was doing God's will.

"We're living in a time now where we've got to take a stand spiritually," Fields told the newspaper. "...We're literally setting ourselves up for God to turn his back on us, and if we do, we'll have the chaos in other countries, in this country."

FIRST-PERSON: Remembering the cross at Christmas

FIRST-PERSON: Remembering the cross at Christmas
Dec 15, 2006
By Kelly Boggs
Baptist Press



ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Festooning home and hearth with lights, garland, mistletoe and other “Christmas” paraphernalia is a long-standing tradition for many. I have participated in the annual decoration festivities, but only mildly.

Rather than go for glitz and glitter or class and sophistication in my decorating scheme, I have always chosen to opt for meaning.

My yearly contribution to the neighborhood kaleidoscope of color has always been rather simple. A couple of weeks before Christmas day, I place an eight-foot-tall cross in the middle of my yard. The cross is wrapped in lights so as to make it visible at night. At the foot of the cross is placed plastic lighted figurines representing Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus.

No other lights have accompanied my display. It has always been a cross and a simple manger scene.

The message I hope to communicate by my display is that the real meaning of Christmas is found only when the manager and the cross are taken together. Without the cross, the manager is meaningless. Of course the lack of many lights indicates my belief that Christmas should be celebrated with simple dignity and not gaudy excess.

Of course, everyone does not always grasp or appreciate my effort to convey meaning at Christmas. One year I cloaked the cross entirely in red lights. It was my attempt to emphasize that the blood of Jesus was shed on the cross to pay for mankind’s sin. A visitor to our home commented that she thought it looked like the flaming cross of the Ku Klux Klan.

I decided that the message I sought to communicate via the red lights was just too esoteric. Hence, they were donated to Good Will.

Others have interpreted my lack of lights as a sign that I am cheap. Among those leveling this charge has been my children. While they understand and appreciate the message of the cross and the manager, they long have argued that God even sent a special star and angels to announce Jesus’ birth, so a few more lights wouldn’t necessarily diminish my intended message.

This year, my children got their wish for more lights.

When we purchased our new home this past summer, little did we know that it was in one of those neighborhoods in which everyone is expected –- err, strongly encouraged, to decorate (and I mean really, really decorate) at Christmas. As December approached, it became clear from conversations with neighbors that dad’s simple but meaningful display was not going to cut it in our new neighborhood.

I was told that Christmas festivities are a “big deal” where I live. I was told that everyone in the neighborhood decorates their homes with luminaries and the displays are simply gorgeous.

“People come from all over the area to drive through our sub-division,” I was told.

When I mentioned that my usual Christmas décor was simple yet meaningful, one neighbor gleefully responded, “Oh, we will be glad to help you.” The zeal in her voice let me know that she was serious.

Upon learning of the high expectations for Christmas decorations in my new neighborhood, I jokingly considered suing my real estate agent for failure to disclose such a vital piece of information. If nothing else, there should have been some sort of clause in the deed -- it could even be called the Santa clause -- indicating the necessity to adorn one’s house during Christmas.

Rather than risk shunning, I decided that adding a few lights wouldn’t be such a bad thing. So, I have added clear lights that run along the roof line and frame the windows. Our Christmas tree is visible through a double window and our lamp post is ringed with garland and lights. Luminaries have also been added that line the drive and the walk.

However, in the center of the yard is a cross draped in lights and at its foot a simple manger scene -- which I hope will communicate the reality of Christmas to those visit our neighborhood. The manger has no meaning apart from the cross.

“There has only been one Christmas,” someone once observed, “the rest have all been anniversaries.”

The observation of Christ’s advent is the anniversary of God’s greatest gift to mankind –- eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Even with the extra lights that seem to accompany Christmas, the cross and the manager should always be the center of our celebrations.
--30--
Kelly Boggs, whose column appears each Friday in Baptist Press, is editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message.

Religion gets short shrift on television, study shows

Religion gets short shrift on television, study shows
Dec 15, 2006
By Staff
Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (BP)--Depictions of religion on broadcast television plummeted during the latest season, according to a new study by the Parents Television Council.

In addition, negative portrayals of religion surpassed positive ones slightly, the PTC reported Dec. 14.

The analysis of prime-time programming on the six commercial broadcast networks for the 2005-06 season showed there were only 1,425 depictions of religion, a 39 percent drop from 2003-04, when there were 2,344 portrayals.

During that timeframe, the portrayals of religion were 35 percent negative, 34 percent positive and 27 percent neutral or mixed, according to PTC. The context of four percent of the treatments did not enable a judgment to be made, PTC reported.

The startling box-office returns for the 2004 movie “The Passion of the Christ” has not had the effect on television programming predicted after that phenomenon, PTC President Brent Bozell told reporters in a conference call.

After that movie’s success, “we saw a slew of stories about how ‘Hollywood has gotten religion’ and how Hollywood was seeing the value of programs that had religious themes,” Bozell said. “If you look at the study that we’re releasing today on the state of prime-time broadcast television, you will see that not only did that message never reach the executive suites of the television networks but that, in fact, the television networks have gone in the completely opposite direction from the public mood."

Bozell said the “television entertainment industry is completely disconnected with American public opinion.”

The type of programming often was an indicator of how religion was treated, PTC reported. Reality shows, such as “The Amazing Race” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” were much more positive in their treatment of religion than scripted dramas and comedies. Reality shows contained 58 percent of the positive portrayals on the networks. Scripted programs had 96 percent of the negative depictions.

Other findings in the study of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, WB and UPN included:

-- Fox dominated in the negative portrayals of religion, with 50 percent of its depictions in that category. That was more than 10 percent higher than the runner-up, NBC. WB, which featured the religion friendly “7th Heaven,” had the lowest rate of negative portrayals at 21 percent.

-- CBS led in positive depictions, with 47 percent favorable toward religion. UPN was last, with only 19 percent positive portrayals.

-- ABC had by far the most overall depictions of religion at an average of slightly more than one per hour. UPN had the fewest at one for every five hours. The overall average was one for every 1.6 hours.

The study covered programming from Sept. 1, 2005 to Aug. 31, 2006.

The report, titled “Faith in a Box 2005-2006,” is available online at www.parentstv.org.

Copyright © 2001 - 2006 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

N.J. legislators pass same-sex civil unions bill

N.J. legislators pass same-sex civil unions bill
Dec 15, 2006
By Staff
Baptist Press

TRENTON, N.J. (BP)--The New Jersey legislature passed a same-sex civil unions bill Dec. 14, sending the legislation to the governor and moving the state one step away from becoming the third nationwide to legalize such unions for homosexual couples.

Passage came nearly two months after the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered legislators either to legalize "gay marriage" or civil unions, which grant same-sex couples all the legal benefits of marriage except the title. The General Assembly and the Senate chose civil unions, and New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat, has indicated he will sign the bill into law.

It passed the Assembly 56-19 and the Senate 23-12.

Adoption of the new law would be both a win and a loss for homosexual activists, who had asked the high court to legalize "gay marriage" outright. Once the court declined, they hoped to persuade legislators to do so. Justices gave legislators six months to act. In the end, legislators needed less than a third of that time.

“The court’s decision in Lewis v. Harris gave the New Jersey legislature an historic opportunity to deliver equality, dignity and fairness to families," David Buckel, an attorney with the homosexual group Lambda Legal, said in a statement. "There is no reason to enact civil unions other than to send the message that our families are not worthy of equality. That unprincipled message harms same-sex couples, their children and ultimately all of New Jersey.”

Corzine's signature would cap what has been a disappointing year for homosexual activists. Three state supreme courts -- New Jersey's, New York's and Washington's -- all declined to legalize "gay marriage." Another eight states adopted constitutional amendments protecting the natural definition of marriage.

Nevertheless, the New Jersey bill would place the state alongside two others -- Connecticut and Vermont -- that also recognize civil unions. California has a similar law but calls it domestic partnerships.

New Jersey legislators rushed the bill through committees with the goal of passing it before year's end. Conservatives labeled the civil unions bill a "fake marriage" bill and called for alternatives, but to no avail. The high court's decision, in fact, was both a win and a loss for conservatives, too. Although justices didn't legalize "gay marriage" -- which many conservatives feared they would -- they nonetheless forced the legislature to pass a bill further redefining the family.

The conservative New Jersey Family Policy Council (NJFPC) asked the legislature instead to adopt a bill that would grant marital benefits to any two people living together, such as two sisters.

"This was done in Hawaii as the first marriage battleground state and it appears to have worked quite well," NJFPC President Len Deo told legislators during a committee hearing. "Why shouldn’t we have the ability to debate both solutions to a very complex problem?"

Deo further said any bill should include provisions protecting religious freedom and protecting the natural definition of marriage. Republicans failed Dec. 14 to amend the civil unions to protect marriage.

"As the bill currently stands, without a clear definition of what marriage is, the union of one man and one woman, ultimately this will invite this legislation to return to the [New Jersey] Supreme Court, because it offers no reason for protecting marriage as a separate legal status," he said.

Lambda Legal, which was part of the original lawsuit, said the legal battle is far from over. Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a homosexual group, agreed.

“Mark my words, New Jersey will see the marriage equality law passed by this legislature within the next year or two," he said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Copyright © 2001 - 2006 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

MY BIRTHDAY! MUST READ BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

Dear loved ones

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.

During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.

As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me.

Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" .. as if the party were in his honor! At 12 Midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and ... do you know ... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?

I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me.

I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you.

I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.

See you soon.
I Love you!
Jesus

P. S. Please share this message with your loved ones, before Christmas.

Bolton backs push to charge Iran's leader on Israel hatred

Bolton backs push to charge Iran's leader on Israel hatred

Robert Tait, Tehran
December 14, 2006

THE outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be charged with inciting genocide over speeches calling for the destruction of Israel.

Mr Bolton will appear today among a panel of diplomats and lawyers calling for Mr Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted.

The panel has been convened by a Jewish umbrella group in the US, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations.

The call for legal action came as Mr Ahmadinejad repeated his onslaught against Israel at an international gathering of Holocaust deniers in Tehran.

The President, who has dismissed the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis as a myth, told up to 70 visiting speakers that the Israeli state would soon be wiped out. "Thanks to people's wishes and God's will, the trend for the existence of the Zionist regime is downwards and this is what God has promised and what all nations want," he said. "Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out."

He was praised by several participants for his "bravery and democratic actions" according to a source who was present.

The US and Britain led a chorus of Western disgust at the conference, which the White House labelled an "affront to the entire civilised world".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the meeting as "shocking beyond belief". "What further evidence do you need to have that this regime is extreme?" he said.

Mr Blair singled out the decision to invite David Duke, a former leading Ku Klux Klan member, as proof of Iran's extremism. Mr Duke praised the event as "a tremendous step forward" and said Mr Ahmadinejad said "sensible things".

Mr Bolton will be joined at the launch of the legal action against Mr Ahmadinejad by a Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, and the former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, together with experts from the US, Canada and Israel.

A suit will be lodged with the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which will decide whether to hear the action.

The panel said the Iranian President was guilty of inciting genocide "by making numerous threats against the US, calling for the destruction of Israel and instigating discrimination against Christians and Jews". His words violated a 1948 UN genocide convention, to which Iran is a signatory, they said.

GUARDIAN, AGENCIES

Creation museum pushes 'true history'

Creation museum pushes 'true history'
By Matthew Wells
BBC News, Kentucky

A new hi-tech temple to fundamentalist Christianity is due to open in the heart of Middle America next May, aiming to provide the grandest riposte yet to Darwinian evolutionary theory.

Staff and supporters of the Answers in Genesis organisation call it the Creation Museum.
But secular scientists would take issue with the use of either word to describe the almost completed building that stands just a few miles west of Cincinnati, on the borders of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Wherever you stand on the debate, it is impossible not to be impressed by the effort that has gone into constructing the $27m (£13.5m) museum, which hopes to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

"We have a planetarium to our left, and a virtually-finished bookstore.

"The museum is right under that archway there," said Mark Looy, vice president for ministry relations, standing in the foyer next to an animatronics dinosaur that is munching on a synthetic plant.

Playful dinosaurs

The museum's aim is to bring Genesis - the first book of the Bible - to life for all ages, and promote the belief that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old.

Everybody who works at the museum has to sign on to the belief that the living Earth was created in six 24-hour days - rejecting the convention most scientists view as fact, that life evolved slowly over millions of years.

To hammer that point home, two smiling children clad in tasteful animal skins, work and play alongside a pair of baby Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"You go to some of the major museums and dinosaurs are their teaching icon," said Mr Looy.
"We're going to turn that on its head, and use dinosaurs to show that the Bible presents the true history of the world. We have people, and dinosaurs, together."

There is no mention of dinosaurs anywhere in the Bible, but for every sceptic, there is a committed Christian eager to listen and proselytise.

Alongside the nearly completed museum are the offices and warehousing of Answers in Genesis, which resemble any other medium-sized business complex in the vicinity.

Much of the material is given away free for educational purposes, but the weeks ahead of Christmas are the busiest of the year, as the gift orders pile up.

Even though the complex warren of exhibition rooms is a work in progress, enthusiastic visitors are already appearing.

Qualified staff

Colorado-based Dr Michael Sherwin was touring around with his family:

"I'm a pathologist... When I was studying genetics, it just seemed to me that if I consider one single cell to contain all the information I have to form me - I just don't see how that could evolve."

Answers in Genesis prides itself on having many qualified scientists on staff, including Dr Georgia Purdom, a molecular geneticist by training, from one of Ohio's main universities.

She is concerned that many Christians do not accept the literal truth of the creation:

"It's foundational. If you can't believe Genesis, then why believe any other part of the Bible?
"You can't pick and choose, you can't say this part is right, and this part is wrong," she said, halfway through supervising an online tutorial in her office.

Australian-born Ken Ham is the president of the whole organisation, whose vision has driven the museum project.

He must be one of the very few evangelicals in the US to display a signed photograph of the cricketer Steve Waugh in his office, but touring through the labyrinth of rooms, it is clear what galvanises him most.

Intelligent design

He gives very lukewarm praise to the so-called intelligent design movement, which he sees as giving in to the temptations of evolutionary thinking.

But his attitude towards committed atheist scientists is surprisingly respectful:

"Everyone starts from presuppositions. For example, Richard Dawkins says there is no God: that's his starting point

"He'll admit that he has an a priori assumption of materialism, and we're saying we have an a priori assumption of the Bible."

The sophistication of the animatronics, artwork and modelling, would do justice to the most cutting edge theme park, and the main designer has a distinguished pedigree in Hollywood.
As a born again Christian, he was keen to offer his services, said Mr Ham.

Although professional construction workers are still on site, the cost of the project would probably be in the region of $100m (£50m), if the voluntary effort had been accounted for, he added.

With polls consistently showing that about 40% of Americans believe God created man in his present form, sometime in the last 10,000 years, the museum could focus its efforts entirely on the converted.

Bu Mr Ham says: "We're thinking globally... We've already had indications from people in the United Kingdom and across other parts of Europe, that they're going to be coming here.

"What the Bible would reveal to us, no other book gives an account of the history of the Universe as this one does," he added.

Despite adopting the structure and technology of the most extravagant science museum, it remains that none of it is remotely plausible without first accepting Genesis.

Without taking that leap and rejecting centuries of scientific reasoning, it all resembles just another Disney-style magic kingdom.

Family Centre Could Lose Local Council Funding over Christian Beliefs

Family Centre Could Lose Local Council Funding over Christian Beliefs
Haringey Local Council has warned a family centre wanting to include the word 'Christian' in its new name that it could lose vital funding unless it drops its Christian beliefs.

by Maria Mackay

Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2006, 8:41 (GMT)

The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship (LCF) has spoken out against Haringey Council in London after it threatened a local family centre last month with the withdrawal of vital funds unless it agreed to renounce all expression of Christianity from the voluntary services it provides.

Gosia Shannon, the organiser of a family centre for Eastern European migrants who have settled in London, received numerous letters from Haringey Council warning her of funding withdrawal after the centre sought to change its name from ‘The Polish Drop-In Centre’ to ‘The Polish and Eastern European Christian Family Centre’. The Council warned that the use of the word ‘Christian’ in particular in the name of the organisation could damage current funding.

One letter from the Council read, “We expect all our services to be inclusive and without religious content, so I was concerned to learn that Gosia leads the singing of songs about loving Jesus in every session. I asked Gosia to leave this song out in future but she is still refusing to do so.”

Ms Shannon set up the voluntary centre as an expression of her faith in Jesus Christ, offering among other things mother and toddler groups to help and meet the needs of Eastern European migrants as they seek to integrate and settle into life in London.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, Public Policy Officer at the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, warned that cases of this kind could become increasingly common with the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations next year.

“The scenario highlights one of the main threats posed by the government’s controversial Sexual Orientation Regulations,” she said.

“If the regulations come into force unamended, they will require all local authorities to withdraw funding from Christian voluntary organisations, if those organisations wish to espouse the biblical position on sex outside of heterosexual marriage.”

According to the LCF, Ms Shannon’s family centre had sought to explain to Council officials that it welcomed gay people but “will not promote gay values”.

Thomas Cordrey, Public Policy Analyst at the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, commented, “The dedicated voluntary work done by thousands of Christians across Britain is jeopardised by these regulations. The losers will be the most vulnerable, lonely and isolated people in society who currently benefit from Christian voluntary work. If the government press ahead with these regulations, no Christian organisation in receipt of public funding will be able to refuse to promote or assist homosexual practice.”

Mr Cordrey continued, “The issue is broader than sexual orientation. These regulations deny the ability of Christian organisations to hold to basic truths in the Bible that we should not promote or assist conduct which God says is wrong.”

He called on Christians to oppose the Sexual Orientation Regulations: “Christians must continue to insist that the government alter their stance so that Christian organisations can continue to receive public funding for the work they do, as well as adhere to the Bible’s teaching.”

Copyright © 2006 Christian Today. All rights reserved.

Naseem Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, free after nine months

Naseem Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, free after nine months
by Qaiser Felix

The 30-year-old woman, who is mentally disabled, was arrested after person or persons unknown reported her for allegedly desecrating an Islamic image. She is the second person charged with blasphemy to be released in a month.

Lahore (AsiaNews) – Kasur district court released Naseem Bibi, 30, in prison since last March, ruling that she was innocent of any blasphemy charges levelled at her by person or persons unknown, Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator for the Sharing Life Ministry, told AsiaNews.

Naseem, who was assisted by the group in her legal defence, is mentally disabled. She was arrested on March 3 after some Muslims stated they saw her urinate against a picture of a Muslim place of worship. Fortunately for her, police intervened quickly to prevent her from being lynched by a mob that had gathered on the site of the alleged incident.

The prosecutor in the case charged her under sections 295-B of the Penal Code, also known as the blasphemy law, which imposes life in prison to anyone found guilty of desecrating Islam's sacred texts. The law also entail lighter sanctions against anyone who "offends the Muslim world". But by and large, the law is used as means to settle private matters at the expense of both Muslims and Christians.

Johnson, who helps people charged with blasphemy, said: "We appreciate the court's decision because this case was concocted. Local police made this false case under the pressure of extremists."

The activist added that this "is the second good news for us in a month after Ranjha Masih was cleared by the Lahore High Court on November 10." Mashi could have been sentenced to an eight-year sentence.

Naseem is married with three children. Now she is free to go home to her small village of Kot Fattah Din, in Kasur district.

"We are thankful," Johnson said, "to all the people who have prayed for prisoners of faith—this happy news is just the answer to their prayers. But they have to continue their prayers because there are many other people who are still in jail for their faith."

US polygamist leader pleads not guilty, will be tried on charges of forcing girl to marry adult

US polygamist leader pleads not guilty, will be tried on charges of forcing girl to marry adult

The Associated Press
Published: 2006-12-14 13:20:11

ST. GEORGE, Utah: A judge ordered the leader of a polygamist sect Thursday to stand trial on charges of rape as an accomplice on allegations that he forced a 14-year-old girl to marry and have sex with an older cousin in 2001.

Warren Jeffs, 51, pleaded not guilty Thursday in state court. The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints could face up to life in prison if convicted.

The woman, now 20, was not in the courtroom to hear Washington County Judge James Shumate's decision. She testified last month that she felt "completely trapped and defeated" during a ceremony at a Nevada motel — the "darkest time of my entire life."

The woman, identified as Jane Doe No. 4, left the sect after 3 1/2 years, remarried and had a baby last week.

Jeffs' defense team contends he is being pursued for his religious beliefs.

In his closing argument, defense attorney Wally Bugden told Shumate he would be making a "factual leap" to find probable cause for a trial.

"Saying I don't want to get married is not the same as saying I don't want to have intercourse," Bugden said.

The FLDS sect traces its roots to early Mormon theology, which promoted plural marriage. The modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavows polygamy and renounced the practice in 1890 as a condition of Utah's statehood.

Members of the FLDS consider themselves "fundamentalist Mormons" who continue to believe polygamy will bring glory in heaven. They also consider Jeffs a prophet of God with dominion over their salvation.

Many sect members live in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.

Jeffs also faces felony charges in Arizona, accused there of arranging a marriage between a 16-old-girl and a 28-year-old man, who was already married.

Jeffs, at the time one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives, was arrested Aug. 28 in a traffic stop on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas. He is being held without bail in county jail.

Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved

News Briefs

Commentary & News Briefs
December 14, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown

...The New Jersey Legislature is expected to pass a bill today legalizing civil unions which offer homosexual couples all the rights of marriage without the title. Governor Jon Corzine has said he will sign the bill, which New Jersey's Supreme Court mandated. A Unitarian Universalist minister, Charles Stephens, says his congregation wants lawmakers to legalize same-sex "marriage" -- not just civil unions. Stephens says he does not feel bound by biblical condemnations of homosexuality that were written thousands of years ago. But another New Jersey minister, praying the invocation before the state Senate on Monday, said, "We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage." Moments after Pastor Vincent Fields uttered the prayer, Senate President Richard Codey declared that the pastor is now banned from giving any future Senate invocations. [AP]

...The Anglican Church of Tanzania says it's cutting ties with the Episcopal Church and won't accept any assistance from Episcopalians who condone homosexuality. The Episcopal Church's consecration of an openly homosexual bishop has alienated the American church from fellow Anglicans in much of Africa, Asia and Latin America -- often referred to as the "Global South." The Tanzanian bishops note that they remain "in communion with those who are faithful to biblical Christianity and authority of Scripture who remain in the Episcopal Church." Anglican leaders of the Global South have offered to help conservative Episcopalians set up an alternative structure apart from the Episcopal Church. [AP]

...From Paramount Pictures and Walden Media comes Charlotte's Web, a live-action film adaptation of the classic book by E.B. White that is set to open in theaters on Friday (December 15). The film comes to life through actors of all ages, and both adults and children are likely to be touched by this story of loyalty, trust, sacrifice, self-worth, selflessness, friendship and love. The film not only boasts of positive values and timeless truths, it also plugs reading and writing skills while evoking a number of emotions -- from laughter to crying. Audiences will grow to love the adorable Wilbur the pig who is saved by Fern and befriended by his barnyard gang -- all of whom work together under the leadership of Charlotte the spider to convince others that Wilbur is worth far more than a trip to the smokehouse. Charlotte's Web is rated G and is a top pick for families, especially those with young children. However, it is important to note the film's crude humor that centers on flatulence, belching, and name-calling. Disobedience is seen in Fern's character as well as marital dissatisfaction among a pair of geese who constantly nag each other. But, thankfully, the positive outweighs the negative in this film, and viewers can be sure that the story of Wilbur and his friends will find a special place in their hearts. [AFA Journal]

...If you're a fan of the printed version of Charlotte's Web, yesterday (December 13) was a landmark date as literally thousands of readers around the world joined together to set a new, but as yet uncertified, Guinness World Record for the "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations." The attempt, which was organized by Walden Media as part of campaign to build awareness of the movie version's release next week, took place starting at 12:00 noon (EST) and included readers who gathered in schools, hospitals, libraries, and community centers to read a passage from the story that celebrates the moment Charlotte (the spider) and Wilbur (the pig) meet for the first time. According to Walden.com, 547,826 readers in 2,451 locations, 50 states, and 28 countries read that passage simultaneously during Wednesday's oral offering. The previous record, reports Walden Media, was an oral reading of William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils in March 2004, in which 155,528 students from 737 students through England participated. Walden Media (Walden.com) is encouraging participants to submit all documentation of their reading by January 3, 2007, so the record can be certified. [Jody Brown]

...A pro-democracy activist says a documentary currently being aired in China is nothing more than an effort by the Chinese Communist Party to justify its continued existence to the Chinese people. The 12-part documentary, which is being aired by China Central Television, describes the reasons why nine countries, including the United States, rose to become great powers, and openly discusses how China intends to be one soon. But D.J. McGuire of the China Support Network says the real agenda of the CCP is convincing the Chinese people that it is the only reason why China is moving toward super-power status. "If China were part of the democratic world, it would be much more powerful and much stronger than it is today," McGuire argues. "The Chinese Communist Party is trying to make the Chinese people believe that it is pushing China forward when, in reality, it's holding China back." McGuire says to achieve its goals, the CCP must overcome one huge obstacle: "To maintain the brutal dictatorship at home, they must expand their geopolitical influence abroad," he explains. "And that means directly and indirectly challenging the United States at every turn." McGuire says it is unfortunate that since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the Chinese communist regime has embarked on a campaign of radical nationalism to keep its power. [Chad Groening]

...A terrorism expert and New York Times best-selling author says U.S. Airways was completely justified in removing six Muslim imams from a recent flight between Minneapolis and Phoenix. Brigitte Gabriel, founder and president of the American Congress for Truth, recently published Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America. Gabriel shares her pleasure that U.S. Airways is defending its action in removing the suspicious imams from the flight after passengers became concerned about their behavior. "USAir has every right to do what they are doing," she states. "As a matter of fact, USAir just became my official airline carrier because of what they did with the imams." The captain of the airplane made the right decision, she says. "When you look at the behavior of the imams -- they took the seating configurations used by the 9/11 hijackers; they talked about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden; and they moved around the airplane -- I mean, they were asking for attention," says Gabriel. "So, of course, that's going to arouse the suspicion of the airline passengers, who alerted that crew and who alerted the captain." The former Muslim says it is outrageous that five of the six imams are seeking an out-of-court settlement with the airline. She says she is hopeful U.S. Airways will not buckle to political correctness. [Chad Groening]

...Thanks to their own "sweat equity," people who care, and Habitat for Humanity, several families will be spending their first Christmas in a simple, decent home of their own. For example, after fleeing New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina struck, Rana Rose and her six-year-old daughter returned to find that everything they owned had been destroyed. Now settled into their new Habitat home in New Jersey -- just in time for the holidays -- Rose plans to complete her degree in accounting while working at her new job. When the Ansahs of New York City were told they would soon be the parents of quadruplets, their one-bedroom apartment suddenly seemed even smaller than before. On Saturday (December 16), the Ansahs and four other families will be in the South Bronx when Habitat dedicates a five-story building that they helped to renovate as part of their sweat equity. The Ansahs' new two-story duplex has plenty of space for their four crawling nine-month-olds, and is located right across the street from a playground. And single mom Angelique Overstreet of Springfield, Missouri, who is a house painter by trade, used her professional skills to help other Habitat partner families build their homes -- and to teach them how to complete a professional paint job. A local Habitat spokesperson says the hard-working Overstreet and her three children were to have closed on their own Habitat home earlier this month. Since it was founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 200,000 houses, providing shelter for more than a million people worldwide. [Jody Brown]

© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.

Nigerian gardener plants churches for Christ

Nigerian gardener plants churches for Christ
Dec 14, 2006
By Celeste Pennington
Baptist Press

NIGERIA, West Africa (BP)--Newly formed Zion Baptist Church meets in a clearing near the chief’s compound in Nigeria’s Bauchi State. On a recent Sunday he greeted Harriet Bowman and her 12-year-old son, James, with these words: “The house that does not receive strangers is not a blessed house. As we receive you, our strangers, we are blessed.”

Clint and Harriet Bowman’s own style reflects that Nigerian attention to strangers. Readily, they welcome the new Christians or non-Christians who come to their door. And as they work, their forte is helping, befriending and then mentoring potential leaders. Currently they are investing themselves in a handful of young, Bible school- and seminary-educated Nigerian men.

“Rarely do we start a church. We are behind the scenes, pushing and encouraging,” Clint said, adding that they follow a New Testament model. “In Acts, Paul was always with someone. That is our pattern here.”

Caleb Samuel Mashingil fits that pattern. The Bowmans met him in 1992 when he came to work as their gardener. He was 16 years old and from a broken home.

“I was excited to earn 300 to 400 naira a month,” Mashingil said. “I was also interested in what it would be like to work for them. I thought I would see only the outside of their house, never its inside colors. Instead, they accepted me. I cannot express what it meant when they invited me in.”

Soon friendships developed. One day, Clint asked Mashingil to go with them to the bush to show the “Jesus” film in the Hausa language. Mashingil was interested in what he heard there. With youthful enthusiasm, he told Clint, “Anytime you go to the bush, I will be happy to go with you.”

After Mashingil became a Christian, he felt God’s call to preach. The Bowmans have tried to encourage him in every way possible.

“Our idea is to always be training people,” Harriet said. “When Caleb came to work for us, we made it a matter of prayer. We later found he had a heart for reaching unreached people.”

Mashingil is a church planter among the Zari people, and Clint is his model as he mentors other potential leaders.

“I thank God for the Bowmans,” the young believer said.

Nigeria, with its 910,000 square miles, is about the size of Texas and Oklahoma. Its 127 million people -- roughly half the U.S. population -- are scattered throughout its rural countryside and crowded into its sprawling cities. Because of its relative stability and size, Nigeria is influential both throughout West Africa and the rest of the continent. It represents about one-fourth of Africa’s total population.

The Bowmans are part of a nine-member engagement team for the International Mission Board in West Africa. Their job is to research and locate all the unreached or unengaged people in Nigeria and then initiate strategies for starting work among the nearly 200 groups.

Some of the people groups with new works among them include the Afizere, the Bamburo, the Chawai, the Jahr and the Zari. Southern Baptists are urged to pray for the success of missionary efforts among these people.

Mass. amendment supporters sue legislators in fed. court

Mass. amendment supporters sue legislators in fed. court
Dec 14, 2006
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press

WORCESTER, Mass. (BP)--Supporters of a proposed constitutional marriage amendment in Massachusetts filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 13 against state legislators in an effort to keep the proposal on track for the 2008 ballot.

Legislators have met three times this year but have recessed each time without voting on the amendment, which both supporters and opponents say has the votes for passage. It must pass the legislature twice in order to make it to the ballot.

The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court's Massachusetts Central Division asks the court to declare the legislators' actions unconstitutional and to advance the amendment to the next legislative session. The suit names the 109 legislators who voted to recess during the latest constitutional convention in November.

Legislators are scheduled to meet again Jan. 2 on the last day of the legislative session, but both sides expect opponents to try and adjourn without voting. Such a move would kill the amendment, which received approximately 170,000 signatures to quality it for legislative action. The amendment essentially would reverse the 2003 ruling by the Massachusetts high court legalizing "gay marriage."

The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of VoteonMarriage.org and 10 petition signees, asserts the legislators' actions violated supporters' U.S. Constitutional rights to free speech, to petition the government, to vote and to due process of law.

"Defendants intend, by thwarting a vote on this initiative through administrative delay and denial tactics, to prevent the Plaintiffs and the people of Massachusetts from exercising their right to amend the state constitution," the complaint reads.

Article 48 of the Massachusetts constitution, the complaint asserts, "requires" legislators "to vote on a proposed citizen initiative." Article 48 says, in part, citizen-driven amendments in the legislature "shall be voted upon."

The lawsuit also asks the court to award compensatory and punitive damages to amendment supporters, who, the complaint says, spent in excess of $500,000 to gather the signatures. A jury should determine the exact amount awarded amendment supporters, the complaint states.

“Elected officials should be held accountable when they deliberately violate the law,” ADF attorney Glen Lavy said. “We’re in big trouble if the people who have sworn to uphold the Constitution can ignore it with impunity once they're in office. Holding elected office does not mean that a person is above the law.”

It is the second lawsuit filed in the last month related to the proposed amendment. In November, Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney filed suit at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court -- the highest court in the state -- asking the justices to place the amendment on the ballot if legislators fail to act. The court will hear oral arguments Dec. 20.

The Massachusetts constitution requires citizen-driven petitions receive the support of only one-fourth of all legislators in two consecutive sessions in order to quality for the ballot. Supporters say they have more than that.

Statue honoring Billy Graham’s evangelistic reach on display

Statue honoring Billy Graham’s evangelistic reach on display

Dec 14, 2006

By Jenny Rice

Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Local celebrities, Southern Baptist leaders, denominational employees and other guests gathered Dec. 13 to dedicate a statue in honor of a man who wants no honor -- the Rev. Billy Graham.

The statue -- a representation of the evangelist standing in the shadow of a 17-foot cross, arms outstretched, his hand cradling a Bible -- is fitting of a man who stood in the shadows of the cross of Christ and pointed millions around the world to its redemptive power.

The statue, unveiled during last June’s SBC annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., now is permanently located at LifeWay Christian Resources’ facilities at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Commerce Street in Nashville.

During the dedication ceremony, LifeWay President Emeritus James T. Draper Jr. recalled the initial discussion of building a monument to honor the life and ministry of Billy Graham.

"[Then-Southern Baptist Convention President] Bobby Welch was on a bus trip when he called me saying he had a dream of building a statue of Billy Graham as a reminder to all Southern Baptists that we are soul-winners for Jesus Christ," Draper said. "Today, we are not only honoring a man, we are honoring Christ."

Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell spoke of the impact Graham’s ministry has had on the city throughout the years.

Graham "made many visits to Nashville and each visit has had a lasting impact on this community," Purcell said. "He brought in the millennium in Nashville at a stadium filled night after night with people needing that message.

"Now 10 million visitors through Nashville have the opportunity to see and understand what this messenger has meant to us."

Frank Page, current president of the SBC, shared a personal testimony of the impact Graham has had on his life. Not raised in a Christian home, Page remembered as a child seeing Graham on television.

"Now we stand here recognizing the legacy of a saint of God. More than that, we are recognizing that Southern Baptists are Jesus people. We are here to honor a Jesus man."

Speaking on behalf the family, Graham’s grandson, Will Graham, expressed appreciation for the statue but was quick to express glory to God first and foremost.

"My friends, I know we are honoring Billy Graham, but statues will come and go, cities will come and go, but the Word of God is forever. This is about Jesus Christ," Graham said. "My grandfather is a man who did not compromise, who loved the Lord with all of his heart and was faithful to what God placed before him. He sets an example for us all, not to be great evangelists, but to preach the simple Gospel."

Cliff Barrows, who has traveled and ministered with Graham for 60 years, shared at the dedication ceremony the five passions he saw displayed through the Graham statue: Graham’s passion for the Word of God, exhibited by the Bible grasped in the statue’s hand; his passion for preaching, displayed by the figure’s open mouth; Graham’s passion for the message, with three nails and John 3:16 etched on the base of the sculpture; his passion for the invitation, evidenced by the statue’s outstretched arms; and his passion for the cross.

Barrows left a charge for those who would pass the statue and see these passions. "May those passions captivate your hearts and souls, and as you dedicate your life to those, you will experience power in your life and ministry like you’ve never dreamed."

Atlanta businessman Chris Fryer, one of two private financiers of the statue, expressed delight in seeing the "fruition of the vision."

"The size of the statue and the message is compelling -- this is a great man with a great message," Fryer said. "It will speak to those who pass it telling them that there is ‘room at the cross for you.’"

The statue’s sculptor, Terrell O’Brien, spoke of the process he took to develop his vision for the figure.

"As I began to think of what this should look like, I wanted to go beyond the man. For me, it was about the heart of the Gospel."

Closing the Dec. 13 dedication ceremony, Welch quoted a passage from Joshua 4, when the Israelites built a memorial as a testimony to future generations of what God had done for them.

"This stands here not only to celebrate the Lord’s work through Billy Graham," he said, "but for all generations now and who come after us to know of our commitment to evangelism and discipleship as Southern Baptists."