WHO WILL LEAD THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT...

With a generation of Christian right leaders dead or aging, the founder of the conservative evangelical group Focus on the Family says he's concerned about the movement's future leadership.

James Dobson told a group of Christian broadcasters Tuesday night that the passing of Jerry Falwell, the Rev. D. James Kennedy and Ruth Bell Graham represent the end of an era.

The radio talk show host noted that others like Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Pat Robertson and Chuck Swindoll will also soon pass from the scene, and questioned the impact on the conservative Christian church.

"It causes me to wonder who will be left to carry the banner when this generation of leaders is gone," Dobson told an audience of nearly 1,400 at the National Religious Broadcasters conference. "The question is, will the younger generation heed the call? Who will defend the unborn child in the years to come? Who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world? Who's going to fight for the institution of marriage, which is on the ropes today."

This is an ever ready question to be answered. The better way to answer it may be phrased; "What style of leadership does the Christian Community need for the future?" What is it that God is asking of His church in today's culture, and can we find those individuals who can fill this described void.

Listen, there is no desire within me to leave the 'core issues' of abortion (protecting God's created life in the womb) or marriage (God's created unit called the family) in the cultural wake, but I do agree with the younger generation - and some of our brothers and sisters on the opposite side of the political aisle - we do need to embrace new issues that relate to God's Word and His desire for His church in today's generation. 'Social Justice' issues are a part of this 'growth'. AP 

GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION IS DANGEROUS...

On the surface, it is a convention filled with new technologies and new ways to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But underneath the bright lights and demos, a battle is brewing -- a battle between federal government and the Church. Should the church be concerned about US Senator Grassley's investigation and probe into a few select ministries? I've stated from the outset, this move by Grassley is dangerous to ministry in America. CBN News 

BUSH SUPPORTS WAR WITH FAITH...

President Bush delivered a rousing defense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Tuesday, mixing faith and foreign policy as he told a group of Christian broadcasters that his policies in the region were predicated on the beliefs that freedom was a God-given right and “every human being bears the image of our maker.”

In a 42-minute speech to the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Mr. Bush called upon European allies to step up their efforts in Afghanistan, and conceded that recent security gains in Iraq “are tenuous, they’re reversible and they’re fragile.” Still, he insisted his troop buildup there is succeeding. NY Times 

THE NEW SINS OF TODAY...

Failing to recycle plastic bags could find you spending eternity in Hell, the Vatican said after drawing up a list of seven deadly sins for our times. The "sins of yesteryear" - sloth, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and pride - have a "rather individualistic dimension", he told the Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper. The new seven deadly, or mortal, sins are designed to make worshippers realize that their vices have an effect on others as well. The London Telegraph 

TEENAGE STD'S ARE GROWING, AS IS - OBVIOUSLY - SEXUAL ACTIVITY...

At least one in four teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease, suggests a first-of-its-kind federal study that startled some adolescent-health experts.

Some doctors said the numbers might be a reflection of both abstinence-only sex education and teens' own sense of invulnerability. Because some sexually transmitted infections can cause infertility and cancer, U.S. health officials called for better screening, vaccination and prevention.

Only about half of the girls in the study acknowledged having sex. Some teens define sex as only intercourse, yet other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some diseases. Among those who admitted having sex, the rate was even more disturbing — 40 percent had an STD.

"This is pretty shocking," said Dr. Elizabeth Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center's Children's Hospital in New York. Christian Post