A local Rancho Bernardo newspaper reported that on June 28, “Vandals use paint to deface RB church.” The article said this was a United Methodist church — a Christian church. If this vandalism happened to a Jewish synagogue, this would be considered an “anti-Semitic (anti-Jewish) hate crime” and it would have been reported that way.

Why wasn’t this attack upon a Christian church reported in all newspapers as an “anti-Christian hate crime”? Are the Jews the only religious people hated in this town? Do the Jews, and the Jews only, get favorable news coverage, sympathy from the readers, and protection from “the law”?

         Ronald Gardner

         (Via Internet)

I am a regular reader of Good News, Etc. and have found many articles that have been of interest to me. Others have spurred something within me to act or think about my life and how the Lord has blessed me.

Others, such as Dana Serrano Chisholm’s on “Just When Does Life Begin?” in your July edition, has inspired me to not be silent any longer. I recently read an article in Focus on the Family’s Citizen magazine concerning embryonic stem cell research. Two of the supporters were actors Kevin Kline and Mary Tyler Moore and their stance for embryonic stem cell research. I was saddened by what they believe and how ignorant they are to other forms of stem cell research.

I made copies of the articles and plan to write a letter to each of them and let them know how I feel. Let’s pray that they rethink what they believe. I just wanted to say thank you for this article and the others you have written.

Vaya con Dios

         Thomas J. Eckhoff

         (Via Internet)

Dana Serrano Chisolm’s July opinion is misrepresentative as soon as you hit the deceptive title, “Looking at ‘Fahrenheit 9/11.’”

She has clearly not even seen the film. Instead, she presents a mushy ad populum anecdote about WWII veterans, condemns protestors as anti-troops, and tries without success to tie this to our current military occupation in Iraq. She goes on to question “Fahrenheit 9/11’s” validity as a documentary, and implies it will “incite violence or anti-military sentiments.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. A prevailing message of the film is that our poorest and least educated are often the ones who make the greatest sacrifice for our country, and there is unwavering reverence and appreciation for what they have done, and continue to do. Had Chisolm actually seen this film, she would realize it exposes the questionable motivations of the Bush administration in risking the lives of our soldiers - as well as countless civilians — in Iraq. “F 9/11” takes us onto the Iraqi battlefield, where we are stunned by the youth of the service personnel (the perpetual article reference to our “boys” is heart-wrenchingly accurate), and where we are given an objective look at some troops who are gung-ho for their mission, and others who are wondering what on earth we are doing there.

Chisolm’s bias as a “conservative” is political, proud and unapologetic, while never faith-based (unless you equate “conservative” with “Christian” which, contrary to popular perception, is hardly the case); I find this extremely distressing in a paper called “Good News.” Never does she examine our occupation, or the current administration’s decision to invade Iraq, from a scriptural perspective. Christians should be loathe to discount Michael Moore’s “F 9/11” assertions without first personally examining them. Perhaps we are trying to exempt ourselves from accountability?

Does this film have an agenda? Of course. It asks the American people to look at another perspective, examine the evidence honestly, research it diligently and make up their own minds. Don’t let someone who hasn’t seen this film tell you what others who haven’t seen this film have told them.

Pray for discernment prior to viewing, check it out for yourself, pray some more, and see what the Lord puts on your heart. While you’re at it, ask yourself why we so vehemently defend what the Scriptures say about sexual sin, while endlessly rationalizing what Jesus meant when He taught on violence and greed.

         Wendy Holland

         Blossom Valley (Via Internet)

The coming election forces us to make a serious decision for or against G.W. Bush. While he has not been as forceful a Christian as I would have wanted, he has taken stands on pro-life, has made clear that the infant can not be used as a medical experiment subject for stem cell research, has helped to bring about a truce in the war against Christians in the Sudan, has invoked the Christian traditions of the United States, and has done much to state openly his Christian witness.

Indeed it appears there is no other choice for Christians unless they wish to align themselves with the bitterly anti-Christian forces that support the Democrat Party. The defeat of G.W. Bush will create the circumstances for a long night that will descend upon the United States as the forces that gave us Clinton return to power. As a boy, I rejected the Democrat Party to which my family belonged. I was made to pay a heavy price for that, but I am content in that I hated Communism, hated the Democrat Party for being the stooge of the Communists for so long, and I determined never to support that party again. The left wing of the Republican Party that has come to power in the State of California is no better than the Democrats because it serves the same subversive forces as those Democrats who are leftist to the core.

The re-election of Bush will at least allow the conservative forces to rally and to make some impact on national and international policy. The defeat of G.W. Bush will allow the worst enemies of Christianity to gain a hearing in the White House. Mr. Kerry is looked upon with grave concern by many of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church to which he belongs. In fact, because of his stand on abortion, according to the canon law and the ancient discipline of the Roman Church, he should have been excommunicated by the order of his own diocesan bishop. The problem is that the discipline and unity of the Roman Church has totally broken down in America and the Pope and the bishops are afraid of alienating the liberal bishops who constitute the majority of the Roman hierarchy in America. Thus, a pro-abortion candidate can have it both ways without incurring the ban of excommunication. This punishment has not been used since Pope Pius XII excommunicated all of the Communists of the world and ordered them out of the Church back in the 1950s. Pius had the courage of his convictions and did not hesitate to act. Since that time, he has been slandered and smeared by every left wing stooge in the world.

Today, all Christendom is in peril as the neo-pagans of the world go on the attack. We need openly to support Bush for the reason that he is greatly hated by the anti-Christian forces who have seized control of entire states such as New York, California, Oregon and many other states. The showdown is in November. Every Christian man, woman, and teenager who qualifies to vote must be told where the candidates stand as far as their Christian example is concerned. Kerry is the candidate of the neo-pagans, and he cultivates them. He is not a real follower of Jesus Christ or he would not be the advocate of abortionists and homosexuals. It is time to put this on the line, no matter what the leftists media says. We need to organize the vote now and ensure that every vote is produced for Bush. We need to stop pretending there is any other choice and back the President with everything we have.

         Michael Suozzi

         La Mesa

All people should know that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded by a dedicated Communist and the only liberty he was interested in was the freedom to broadcast the atheistic communist dogma of his party. This group has been able to grow and is now taking the forefront of the efforts to take God completely out of our society. Unfortunately, many Christians have naively joined and/or supported them.

I submit that all Christian organizations should label the ACLU by referring to them as the “Anti-Christian Lawyers Union” and expose them as an agency of the devil. In my opinion, I believe it is sinful for anyone to support this satanic group in any manner whatsoever.

         Martin I. Jackson

         Fallbrook

New job figures and other recent economic data show that America’s economy is strong and getting stronger - and that the President’s jobs and growth plan is working. The Labor Department announced that employers added 288,000 new jobs in April. In total, over 1.1 million jobs have been added since August, with 8 consecutive months of gains.

America has a choice: It can continue to grow the economy and create new jobs as the President’s policies are doing; or it can raise taxes on American families and small businesses, hurting economic recovery and future job creation. President Bush’s pro-growth agenda, strong education system, and policies to help American workers gain the skills to secure good jobs are the right ways to respond to the challenges of our growing and changing economy.

         Melissa Box

         Escondido (via Internet)