Stephen Arterburn – Host of New Life Live

Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries—the nation’s largest faith-based broadcast, counseling and treatment ministry—and is the host of the nationally syndicated “New Life Live!” daily radio program heard on over 180 radio stations nationwide. Steve is also the founder of the Women of Faith conferences attended by over 4,000,000 women.

Steve is a nationally known public speaker and has been featured in national media venues such as Oprah, Inside Edition, Good Morning America, CNN Live, New York Times, USA Today, US News & World Report, and most recently ABC World News Tonight, GQ magazine, and Rolling Stone.

As a best-selling author, Steve has written over 60 books, including the bestselling Every Man’s series and his book, Healing Is a Choice. He has been nominated for numerous writing awards and won three Gold Medallion awards for writing excellence.

Steve has degrees from Baylor University and The University of North Texas as well as having obtained two honorary doctorate degrees.

Clarke Forsythe – Americans United for Life

Clarke Forsythe is Senior Counsel for Americans United for Life. During his 22 years with AUL, Clarke has served in a number of positions. From 2003-2006, he directed AUL’s Project in Law & Bioethics, and he served as vice president and general counsel for six years, overseeing AUL’s nationwide litigation and legislation strategy.  

Clarke has argued cases before federal and state courts and has testified before Congress and state legislatures.

His book, Politics for the Greatest Good: The Case for Prudence in the Public Square, has just been published by InterVarsity Press (IVP). He has a law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law, a B.A. in political science from Allegheny College, and an M.A. in Bioethics (magna cum laude) from Trinity International University.

Bishop Edgar L. Vann on Violence in Detroit

Bishop Edgar L. Vann II of Second Ebenezer Church will lead a three point call to action in response to the chronic gun violence problem and Tuesday’s bus stop shooting of high school students.  A former Detroit Police Commissioner, Vann’s commitment to law enforcement and community in Detroit is well known.  He, along with approximately 50 pastors will pray for a peaceful summer and back to school season, announce a plan to have their congregants and others volunteer to patrol inside and outside of the schools, and ask for all stakeholders to be accountable to Detroit’s children.  He will specifically ask the school district and the state to implement a peaceable schools program and mandatory conflict resolution / violence prevention curriculum in the schools.  “We are especially calling on men to step up and be a presence in our schools,” said Vann, “we need their presence as role models and au thority figures in the community.” 

Accuracy in Media: Honduras Outraged by Obama-Chavez Alliance

Cliff Kincaid, Editor of the AIM Report, joined AIM in 1978. A veteran journalist and media critic, he writes frequent columns and special reports, is the author of several books including The Death of Talk Radio?, and represents AIM at shareholders’ meetings of media companies. He has appeared on The Today Show, Hannity & Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The CBS Evening News, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and The Glenn Beck Show. He holds a B.A. in Journalism and Communications from the University of Toledo and previously wrote for Human Events, Oliver North’s Freedom Alliance, and served as a guest co-host on CNN’s Crossfire. Mr. Kincaid is also founder and president of America’s Survival (www.usasurvival.org).

Fred Sanders: Why I Don’t Pray for Celebrities

Fred Sanders is an evangelical Protestant theologian with a passion for the great tradition of Christian thought. He holds a degree in art from Murray State University and an MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, with a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Since 1999 he has taught in the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University.

Christianity Today: The Scandal of the Public Evangelical

Mark Galli is senior managing editor of Christianity Today and author of A Great and Terrible Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Attributes of God,  Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God (Baker, 2006), Francis of Assisi and His World, and other books.

Christian News Wire: Pentagon Denies Flyover of Patriotic ‘God and Country Rally’ in Nampa Idaho Because of its Christian Content

Patrick J. Mahoney is a nationally known Christian social and political activist, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, and an ordained minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

How Should Evangelicals Respond to the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill?

Dr. E. Calvin Beisner is the National Spokesman for Cornwall Alliance, and Ministerial Assistant, Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC), Broward County, FL

My Fourth of July holiday reading includes Clarke Forsythe’s Politics for the Greatest Good: The Case for Prudence in the Public Square. Forthsythe is writing to and for politically involved Christians who find themselves “frustrated with politics” in the wake of the 2008 elections and the present status of the debate on social issues (evangelicals appear to be losing).

Forsythe includes an extensive quote from Graham Walker, an Augustine scholar, on the constraints of politics in which Walker concludes “…politics is a provisional palliative for the fallen condition.”

Forsythe notes that “…politics cannot be the means for ultimate human fulfillment,” and yet most of us who consider ourselves evangelical conservatives have operated as if it is. Politics and the political system is – at best – a restraint on vice. In no sense can it be said of politics  that it alone can produce ultimate good (ultimate good being defined by natural law and not by individual preference).

Much of the frustration evangelicals are experiencing in the post-evangelical political climate can be ascribed to unrealistic expectations from the political process.

Forsythe:

Prudence recognizes that what can be accomplished through politics is limited by the fallen world. Those limits help us to evaluate and understand the obstacles around us and temper our expectations of what can be effectively accomplished – through politics – even with the best of efforts.

Later he notes:

Part of political prudence is recognizing that politics is limited, that politics is not the most important thing in life, that politics should not take the place of theology…Ultimate questions are properly left to theology and philosophy, because they are beyond the competence of politics.

Forsythe’s conclusions in this regard infer that much of the disenchantment among evangelicals with the political process can be ascribed to our “all-or-nothing” approach to the social issues predominating our political debates (i.e., a ban on all abortions) rather than exercising a willingness compromise incrementally in the pursuit of the ultimate good.

One of the main temptations of the religiously minded, politically involved citizens is letting their zeal race ahead of realism, obstacles, available resources and other contraints. Prudence requires an accurate view of reality and of human nature, both its potential and its limits.

Count me among those disillusioned evangelicals whose hopes for a better future have been enlivened by this reminder that ultimate good can not be achieved through political means, but that politics is merely a restraint on ultimate evil. We should work within the political system not for a carte blanche acceptance of our moral principles, but rather incrementally toward the achieving of goals which are best suited to the common good.

Since the year is halfway over, and since people are impatient and like to make lists, I present the best songs and albums of the year so far. You can probably find everything on iTunes, if you want to check it out.

Best songs of 2009 (so far):

Alela Diane – Lady Divine

Andrew Bird – Anonanimal

Animal Collective – Bluish

Bob Dylan – I Feel A Change Comin’ On

Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Doomsday

Fiction Family – Look For Me Baby

Jars of Clay – Scenic Route

Manchester Orchestra – Shake It Out

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead

U2 – Cedars Of Lebanon

Wilco – Bull Black Nova

A few great albums released so far:

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

Wilco, in my opinion, is the greatest band in the world. And this album is no disappointment. It’s fast, concise, and one of the most pure and beautiful albums this band has recorded.

U2 – No Line On The Horizon

They’ve still got it.

Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Elvis Perkins In Dearland

There’s an abundant of riches in this album. Elvis Perkins is a fantastic singer/songwriter and the whole album is exciting and fun.

Breaking from Drudge:

ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE
Tue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care — a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm! 

Highlights on the agenda: 

ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House. 

The network plans a primetime special — ‘Prescription for America’ — originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate. 

MORE 

Late Monday night, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay fired off a complaint to the head of ABCNEWS: 

Dear Mr. Westin: 

As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC’s astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming. 

Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party’s views to those of the President’s to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party’s opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers. 

In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime. 

Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff