Keywords by David Yonke

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I covered the preview of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., a suburb of Cincinnati, last weekend and wrote an article about it for The Blade. The story wound up at the top right corner of the front news page, A-1 -- the holy land for ambitious reporters.
I expected to get a lot of flak for this particular story, which essentially presented the museum's purpose and strategy without the usual mainstream media slam on Creationism. After all, we've heard the arguments against biblical Creationism countless times. But I decided not to get into too much detail about the details of the evolution-Creation debate and just focus on the herculean effort that led the Creation Museum to be such a top-notch facility. I did, of course, offer brief counterpoints every time I described a Creation belief.
Evolution obviously dominates our culture, especially in academic and news circles. Whether that's because of true science or because it's been fed to generations as fact is a matter of debate. A surprising number of people believe in the literal interpretation of Genesis and the six-day Creation but don't have a voice in the media. Evidence of the widespread popularity of Creationism is the fact that $15 million of the $27 million cost of the museum came in the form of gifts of $100 or less.
Whatever one thinks of Creation Science, this museum was paid for with private donations and people have the right to go or not to go. Nobody is putting a gun to anyone's head and forcing them to ingest Creationist beliefs. If anything, it's the opposite: Tax dollars used in schools promote evolution to millions of youngsters without anyone crying foul.
Creationists realize they are mocked around the world by many scientists and many people who think only a lunatic could actually believe the earth was created in 6 days and is 6,000 years old. The museum even addresses such viewpoints with a humorous touch in its "Special Effects Theater."
Anyway, I did my best to write a straight and fair news story without the usual media bias.
To my surprise, museum founder Ken Ham singled my story out in his blog today, a fact that was pointed out to me by a reader in Australia.
To be honest, whenever I get such praise from someone it makes me a little nervous -- I don't want to be a publicist, I want to be a journalist. After looking things over and giving it more thought, however, I decided that Mr. Ham's praise was inspired by my fairness, which surprised even him after years of reading slanted stories in the mainstream press.

Here's a copy of Ken's blog:

Tremendous secular article on Creation Museum

There have been many great articles in the secular press about the Creation Museum. Most have reported our statements very accurately—which we are thankful for. An article I tread in the Toledo Blade is one of the best I’ve read from an accurate reporting perspective.

It begins:

PETERSBURG, Ky. - Ken Ham welcomed the world’s media and hundreds of invited guests to the $27 million Creation Museum here yesterday, calling it a “historic event in Christendom.”

The 60,000-square-foot facility in suburban Cincinnati, which opens to the public tomorrow, is designed to offer a biblical perspective not just on the origins of the universe, but on the meaning of life. And it does so in a way that competes with major theme parks in its entertainment quality, with exhibits created by former Universal Studios designer Patrick Marsh.

Life-size animatronic dinosaurs twist and growl, for example; Noah turns his head as he gives instructions to workmen building the Ark, and seats shake and spray visitors with mist in the Special Effects Theater.

Mr. Ham, 56, a founder of the museum and president and CEO of Answers in Genesis, the nonprofit ecumenical Christian group that built the museum, said the mission is to “challenge people concerning God’s truth and the Gospel.” A native of Australia, where he taught high school science, Mr. Ham said the Creation Museum uses 21st-century technology “to take on a particular paradigm that permeates the world,” referring to evolution.”

You can also read the entire article (here). I have also included photographs of the sign “DefCon says thou shalt not lie” as it was flown back and forth across the Museum skies by the opposition.

I basically did radio, newspaper, and magazine interviews all day today—from New Zealand, Australia, and USA.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

No other figure in modern evangelical Protestantism has done as much to spread the Gospel than Billy Graham. Respected by virtually everybody, consistent in his preaching, Graham is humble, never been hit by scandal, and overall his ministry has been above reproach (except for some ethnic slurs he reportedly made while socializing with Nixon -- what a bad influence that ex-prez was). Graham has led more than 2 million souls to Christ, according to those who keep track of such things.
Yesterday, the Billy Graham Library was dedicated at his ministry's corporate offices in Charlotte, N.C. I really hope to go there someday. You can read more about the museum and the ministry here.
Last week, I spoke with A. Larry Ross, a high-profile publicist who handles the Billy Graham account. Larry also handled the Creation Museum, which is why we were hanging out a little bit. I asked him how Rev. Graham is doing and Ross said he's doing remarkably well for an 88-year-old man. His wife, Ruth, however is very frail. In fact, she was unable to attend yesterday's library dedication.
Rev. Graham is suffering from a number of ailments including macular degeneration of the retinas. He receives injections directly into each eye every month, Ross said, wincing as he told me about it. It sounds extraordinarily painful, but I'm sure God gives the good reverend the grace to endure the procedure.
I saw Billy Graham several times in his crusades, the most recent being in Cincinnati about 4 years ago (guessing on that time frame). To my surprise, there was a guy outside Paul Brown Stadium holding a gigantic sign that said Billy Graham "is sending people to hell."
I stopped to talk to the protester and he said his name is Darwin Fish. For real, he added, and proceeded to show me his driver's license. Born in 1961. His parents were hippies.
Even Billy Graham has his detractors. I found Mr. Fish amusing but disagree with his analysis of Billy Graham's apostasy. If you're interested, you can read Darwin Fish's explanation for why Billy Graham is a false teacher here.
* * *
I finally wrote my article on Bishop John Shelby Spong and his new book, Jesus for the Non-Religious. The Episcopal bishop is a brilliant scholar but his beliefs are far outside the bounds of traditional Christianity: e.g., he says Jesus was not divine, was not born of a virgin, did not perform any miracles, did not have 12 disciples, and did not physically rise from the dead.
Clearly, this type of belief system rattles a few cages, but the bishop believes that it's necessary to shake things up in order to save Christianity from self-imploding. He earnestly believes that myths and legends have obscured Jesus' true message. So... if people were upset with my Creation story, wait 'til they get a look at Bishop Spong.
Last week is was the liberals who fulminated about the Creation Museum coverage; this week the conservatives will storm the castle because of my Spong interview.
As a religion editor, I try to be an equal-opportunity offender (just kidding!).
Toledo, Ohio June 1, 2007

As many local readers know, The Blade and the unions have reached a settlement after 17 months of negotiations, including 14 months after the contract expired and 9 months after the company locked out 5 unions and more than 200 workers.
Although the reporters and editors were not locked out, it remained a looming threat through the whole ordeal, especially after our general manager, who has all the diplomatic skills of Charles Barkley, told Editor & Publisher magazine that locking us out would be "a slam dunk" and "a piece of cake."
My friends ask if I am relieved that the labor strife is over. They've been so supportive through this difficult time, offering words of encouragement and prayers through these stressful months.
I so appreciate their genuine concern and feel bad when I tell them that relieved is not the word to express my feelings.
Devastated is more like it. Depressed. Worried about the future.
First of all, I and my colleagues are taking major pay cuts -- about 9 percent, effective immediately. At one point they talked about 3 percent a year for 3 years, which would have been easier to swallow. In addition, we are paying more for our health care, and our retirement accruals are frozen.
That's a heavy financial blow. Consider also that we went three years without a raise and prior to that, during the boom years of the 1990s when newspapers were raking in the profits and my friends in other industries were getting 7 and 8 and 9 percent raises, we were getting raises of 1 percent.
In addition, a reliable source in management told me that one editor proposed months ago, before the agreement was reached, that management should volunteer to take a pay cut to show that we are all in this together. He was shouted down and even ridiculed for thinking that way.
Besides all that, the company laid off about 30 members of the Newspaper Guild, which includes the newsroom, and is trying to cut staff even further with buyouts and a hiring freeze. We've lost more than 30 of our best reporters and editors to other papers, talented news people who saw the writing on the wall and got out while they could.
In addition, new hires are going to be paid about 75 percent of what current employees earn, with fewer vacation days. We won't be attracting the quality journalists we have in the past, so I hope the owners are not saving a spot on the shelf for another Pulitzer.
It's true that the Blade is and was losing money. Part of it is an industry trend, with the advent of the internet and changing readership habits and lifestyles. Part of it was a lack of vision among decisionmakers as these changes became imminent. Instead of being pro-active, we are dealing with these issues after they've whacked us on the head. Late, and short-sighted.
Meanwhile, Buckeye CableSystem, which the newspaper's owners started with money they earned from The Blade during boon years, earned them a profit of $50 million last year. They claim that that money is separate and doesn't factor into the Blade's financial picture. It wasn't separate when they used the newspaper money to start their cable company.
And finally, the law firm that the Blade hired to negotiate the contract, the notorious King & Ballew of Tennessee, earned millions in fees for their scorched-earth negotiating tactics. The Blade could have saved millions if it had stuck with the attorneys it used in previous contract talks.
So, the contract is settled but I do not feel relieved.
Put it this way: If you knew someone who went into the hospital and came out with their leg or arm amputated, would you ask him if he felt "relieved"? I don't know how to describe all of this in a word or two, but if you've read this far, I think you get the picture. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me and my colleagues.
If you're still in a prayerful mood, pray for The Blade and for the workers who are trying to make the best of a bad situation. Thank you!
Toledo, Ohio June 3, 2007

If you recognize that name, you know what's coming. I recently interviewed Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong, a retired bishop of Newark, NJ, who remains in good standing with the Episcopal Church even though he professes controversial, some say heretical, views and told me he is "witnessing the death of Christianity."
The problem, according to Bishop Spong, is that the New Testament was written by men 40 to 70 years after Jesus' death and that he thinks the writers fictionalized most of the biblical stories to meet the demands and expectations of first century Israeli culture.
For example, the Jews who were looking for a Messiah did not want someone who could be executed by the Romans, so they made up a story about Jesus' physical resurrection.
Jesus' walking on the water was "a Moses story wrapped up in Jesus," the bishop told me.
Overall, Bishop Spong does not believe that Jesus was divine, does not believe he was born of a virgin, does not believe that he performed any miracles, does not believe that Jesus had 12 disciples, and does not believe that Jesus rose from the grave.
These are startling beliefs from a man of the cloth... so you're wondering, what cloth is he cut from?

I found Bishop Spong to be sincere, scholarly and pastoral in the sense that he genuinely wants to help people. He believes most Christians are misled by ancient myths and legends that obscure the "real" Jesus. He believes Jesus was fully human, but that he was so close to God that God was fully manifested in him.
You can read more about his views in his many books, the latest, which I read before my interview with him, is titled "Jesus for the Non-Religious" (Harper San Francisco). My Blade article can be read here.
As a mainstream journalist, I try not to pass judgment on people's beliefs, no matter how controversial or unorthodox. But in this case, in this space, I think it's OK to say that I do not agree with Bishop Spong. I believe the Bible was written by man but was inspired by the Holy Spirit who directed their efforts, and therefore the Bible is divinely inspired and eternally true, not a work of fiction by men trying to cater to their contemporaries.

I remember when I was in high school, at a friend's house, and we were asking questions about the Catholic Church. My friend's mother, whom I had known since childhood, actually kicked me out of her house just for asking questions. It taught me a lesson -- how NOT to be so insecure about your faith that you can't question it.
I think it's good to evaluate contrary opinions. It helps you to determine and to understand why you believe what you believe. You should not be afraid to question the status quo -- it's the healthy thing to do. In that sense, I think Bishop Spong is providing a valuable service. He will force you to defend your beliefs, whether they align with his or not. And for most people, it will be a quick and loud not.
Toledo, Ohio, June 4, 2007

I'm putting on my music-critic hat, just for a few minutes.
Last night I saw legendary jazz-rock band Steely Dan in concert at the Toledo Zoo Amphitheater. This is one band I had never seen before, even though I have been a fan of their songs and albums since I bought a vinyl copy of "Can't Buy a Thrill" when it first came out in 1972. (I must have been about 2 years old at the time -- yeah right!).
The zoo's outdoor amphitheater has a large stone bandshell that was built as part of the 1930s Works Progress Act. The zoo setting and the uniqueness of the old stage gave the show a lot of character. Donald Fagan joked that the building looked a lot like The Alamo. The venue holds about 5,000 people and it was just about sold out last night. On warm sunny nights under starry skies, the relatively small amphitheater is about as good a place to see a show as any.
Fagan said it was the first time in the band's nearly 40-year history that they ever played in a zoo. Midway through the show, one of their crew came out in a gorilla suit and monkeyed around the stage for a few minutes (Fagan and Becker barely seemed to notice).
Unfortunately, the weather was soggy last night. It rained off and on, never in buckets and mostly very lightly, but there was enough drizzle and drops to soak your clothes. And the temperatures were low for a summer night in Toledo -- it was in the low to mid 50s. Umbrellas were banned and I, like many fans, didn't bring a poncho. So despite my windbreaker with a hood, I and my friend, the inimitable Mark "Hound Dog" Vipond, and thousands more endured the show in a cold, damp setting.

Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, before the invention of scissors.

Steely Dan had a lot to live up to meet my expectations, having such a high regard for the band's music, lyrics, quality of sound, and arrangements, and of course their overall smug bicoastal attitude.
The band leaders, keyboardist-singer Donald Fagan and guitarist Walter Becker, were accompanied by 8 musicians -- baritone sax, tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, bass, drums, and guitar -- and two female singers who swung and swayed their way through every song.
The backup band opened things up with a song that showed their impressive chops -- clearly these are all extremely talented jazz instrumentalists.
Then Fagan and Becker strode out, Fagan wearing a thigh-length black leather jacket and blowing on a portable wind-driven keyboard; Becker playing a baby-blue Stratocaster strapped high.
I am not going to go into detail on all the songs played during the hour and 45 minute show, but Fagan's voice was magical -- that New York hipster funk, a tad nasal, tossing off lines from an angle as he tilted his head sideways and back. Wearing shades and sitting at a Fender Rhodes piano most of the night, from my distant seat his body language reminded me of Ray Charles.
If I remember correctly, I believe they opened with "Time Out of Mind." The guitarist who handled most of the leads -- Jon Herington of NYC -- was a monster player, zipping all up and down the frets and cranking it with a clean-but-effects-laden buzz. He reminded me a bit of Carlos Santana, which made me dream for a moment of a concert tour with Santana playing lead for Steely Dan... wouldn't that be something?
The tenor sax player, Walt Weiskopf, also was a major talent, screeching into the honkosphere and careering all over the key signatures like a voracious jazz wizard.
My favorite numbers included the slow burn of "Babylon Sisters," the fast noodling jazz of "Kid Charlemagne," and especially the sly smouldering "Hey Nineteen" and the lofty "Aja". Also, I found myself singing "Josie" all day long... so that tune obviously had a lasting impact.
There were times when the band reminded me of Chicago at their peak -- and that's saying a lot. Sizzling guitar leads, the body punch of a tight horn section, and terrific melodies that never lose their shine.
"Dirty Work" gave the lead vocals to the two female background singers -- the sultry Cindy Mizelle and Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery.
The band was punctual -- starting precisely at 8:30 and ending at 10:01, then coming back for an encore that wrapped at 10:15.
The encore was highlighted by "My Old School." They've closed some shows with "Bodhisattva," another sure crowd-pleaser that I would have loved to hear. I also missed hearing two other faves, "Reelin' in the Years" and "Your Gold Teeth," but that's the way it goes with a band that has too many songs to squeeze into one show. Something's gotta give.
I must gripe about the sound mix. From where I was sitting, the sonic quality was a shambles -- tinny, especially on the lead vocals, making them sound like they were singing inside a tin can. The mix lacked mid-range, and the bass was boomy. I was a little off-center, but not the last section to the side, so I really don't think my location is a justifiable excuse for sloppy sound.
Although that was annoying to my "golden ears," it was not enough to suppress the pure joy of hearing some of my all-time favorite songs played live by a well-rehearsed, world-class band.
I also enjoyed the occasional stage banter from Fagan and Becker, who joked about the guy who takes his "object of affliction" out for a date and ends up sitting there looking cool in his poncho.
I also give credit to them for playing despite the rain. Some bands freak out when it rains during an outdoor show, thinking they're flirting with electrocution... Led Zeppelin caused a riot when they quit a show at Tampa Stadium in the 1970s (I was there) after a couple of songs because of a passing thunderstorm. Anybody who knows Florida knows that summer storms pop up and disappear as regularly as Old Faithful. Then there was the Joe Cocker debacle at the zoo a few years ago (2000?) when fans waited it out for hours after the scheduled start, only to have Cocker bail out on them. I was glad I missed that one.
Steely Dan is an awesome band and an American original... It's always great to see the originators, not the imitators.
* * *
I was "supposed" to interview the band but it never happened. Their manager blamed it on the crazy tour life but I doubt they ever planned to do one... I wrote a preview for The Blade anyway, and you can read it here.
Let's hope they throw out their gold teeth in Toledo again someday.
Here are some good websites to enter Steely Danland:
official website
band dictionary
concert history

Toledo, Ohio June 6, 2007

Did you see the Associated Press story on the actor who played Adam in a 40-second film being shown at the Creation Museum?
I'll print a copy of the article at the end of today's blog. The guy, 27-year-old Eric Linden, owned a sexually-oriented web site (which he has since sold) and did some modeling for a clothing company "with an explicit mascot."
It's a bit of an embarrassment for the devout Christians who created the Creation Museum, which just opened on Memorial Day near Cincinnati. They immediately stopped using the video while they investigate the allegations.
They may have to find a new Adam... but it's really no big deal. The guy is an actor, not a staff member or museum official. He played the part of Adam for a video, following the script. Actors play all sorts of roles. Linden comments that if he played a murderer in a show, it doesn't mean he'd go out and kill somebody.
A similar brouhaha broke out in January, 2006, on a larger scale when I was one of the first reporters in the country to write that Chad Allen, the actor who played a lead role in the Christian film The End of the Spear, was an outspoken gay rights advocate.
The producers of The End of the Spear had already committed to Allen in the role of missionary Nate Saint before they discovered the actor was a prominent promoter of gay rights. They wound up keeping him, and Allen told me he had many long, soul-baring talks on the set with Steve Saint, the 55-year-old real life son of Nate Saint, one of five missionaries killed by the Auca/Waodoni Indians in Ecuador in 1956.
In the end, the filmmakers kept Allen and the controversy that erupted after its release probably only helped at the box office.
It doesn't matter if the person playing the role is an imperfect, flawed, sinner, whether militantly or apologetically so.
I played Jesus in several church productions over the years -- before my dark hair turned gray (well, salt & pepper) and I gained a few (well... who's counting) pounds.
Who knows much about the spiritual life of Jim Caviezel, star of The Passion of The Christ? I've read that he's a good Christian man but how much would that affect the impact of that powerful movie?
The Lord of the Rings, one of my favorite movies (actually a trilogy) of all time, starred a self-described gay atheist, Ian McKellen, as Gandalf. McKellen's lifestyle and belief system detract not one iota from Peter Jackson's masterpiece of a movie.
In my personal experiences as a churchgoer, not counting my job writing about religion, I have had one pastor who had an affair with his secretary, another pastor who was secretly gay, and a third who quit in the middle of a service saying the church board was making his life miserable.
Those men let me down, but their weaknesses didn't affect the truth of their sermons.
That an actor who plays Adam in a religious video once owned a website called "Bedroom Acrobat" means nothing to those who see the video. Whether the museum finds a new Adam or keeps the old one, the Creation Museum's integrity and its mission will not be affected.
(By the way, the photo of Adam and Eve that I took at the Creation Museum and posted in my June 1 blog was of statues, and unrelated to the Adam-on-film controversy. I wonder, however, who modeled for the statue and if he ever did anything wrong? Sorry, couldn't help being a bit facetious.)
Ironically, according to the Bible, Adam was the one who bit the forbidden fruit -- not necessarily an apple, by the way -- and caused all humanity to lose its special place in God's creation. And what did Adam do when God confronted him? He blamed it on Eve, of course ("The woman you put here with me -- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." -- Gen. 3:12, NIV).
* * *
I just spent an hour on the phone with Brenda Lee, a former Jehovah's Witness who wrote a book titled "Out of the Cocoon." She is articulate in providing an inside look at the darker side of this religion. You can read more about her and her book here.
* * *
Here's the AP story on Adam:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS -- The man picked as Adam by a museum based on the Bible’s version of Earth’s history led a different life outside the Garden of Eden, flaunting his sexual exploits online and modeling for a line of clothing with an explicit mascot.
Registration records show that Eric Linden, who portrays Adam taking his first breath in a film at the new Creation Museum, owns a graphic Web site called Bedroom Acrobat. He has been pictured there, smiling alongside a drag queen, in a T-shirt with the site’s suggestive logo.
Mr. Linden, a graphic designer, model, and actor who grew up in Columbus, also sells clothing for SFX International, whose initials appear on clothing to spell “SEX” from afar and serve as an abbreviation for its mascot, who promotes “free love,” “pleasure” and “Thrillz.”
The Creation Museum’s operators, informed of Mr. Linden’s online appearances, suspended airing of the 40-second video in which he appeared.
The clip is one of 55 featured on tours of the museum, near Cincinnati in Petersburg, Ky., which tells the Bible’s version of Earth’s history that the planet was created in a single week just a few thousand years ago.
“We are currently investigating the veracity of these serious claims of his participation in projects that don’t align with the biblical standards and moral code upon which the ministry was founded,” Answers for Genesis spokesman Mark Looy said in an e-mail statement.
Mr. Linden said he is no longer affiliated with the site.
“It’s a different story when you grow up a little bit,” said Mr. Linden, 27. “I’m a Web designer and I was trying to think to the future and capitalize on different domain names, just trying to be clever. I handed the domain name off to somebody, so I really don’t know what’s going on with it.”
Ownership records available through the NetworkSolutions database show Mr. Linden registered the site 18 months ago.
Mr. Linden, who now lives in Los Angeles, said his modeling work for the clothing line is just one of the many jobs that make up his career.
“They’re just like a kind of hip, trendy clothing line,” he said.
He said he learned of the opportunity to play Adam through a childhood friend, and has great respect for the founders of the Creation Museum.
“For the Creation Museum, I did what I did as an actor. It doesn’t necessarily mean I believe in evolution or ... in creation,” Mr. Linden said. “I’m hired to get a point across. On the flip side, if I was hired to play a murderer, that doesn’t mean I’d go out and kill somebody. It’s make-believe.”
Mr. Linden said he was selected for the role from a lineup of contenders because his looks were sufficiently generic.

Toledo, Ohio June 8, 2007

One person's religion is another one's cult. And the people who feel this way feel very strongly about it.
I wrote an article for The Blade about the controversy surrounding Jehovah's Witnesses, who are coming to Toledo for the third year in a row to hold a series of three-day conventions all summer long.
In the past two years, I've written simple, straightforward stories about the Witnesses and the conventions. Each year, I was deluged with emails and phone calls from people who have problems with the religion. They believe it is a mind-controlling cult. Most of the folks complaining about JW's are either ex-members or have family and loved ones who belong.
It's a difficult situation for a religion editor. I respect all religions but I also do not want to present a one-sided story that overlooks glaring controversy.
So I did my research, spoke to three ex-Jehovah's Witnesses who described in great detail some of things they feel are harmful -- among them, that people who leave the religion are often shunned by their families. One woman told me her mother and siblings have not talked to her in 27 years, since she quit at age 18.
Another thing that came up is that JW's do not associate with non-members except when necessary, such as work or business relationships. Therefore the children who grow up in JW families are not allowed to have friends that are not members. This is in addition to not being able to celebrate their birthdays or holidays because that is deemed to be idol worship.
A third concern involves JW's handling of allegations of child molestation. For the religious leaders to conclude that a member is guilty, there must be two credible witnesses. Few child abuse cases have a witness besides the victim, and it is so traumatic that it is easier for a young child to keep it bottled up than to report the abuse to other adults.
One expert in this area told me about a JW elder in Nevada who was accused by 17 different girls of molesting them. The other elders decided that the 17 girls were not credible. The perpetrator was, however, reported to civil authorities who arrested the guy and he was ultimately convicted and sent to prison. However, he remained a Witness in good standing because the religious leaders did not find him guilty. Six months after he was released from prison, the convicted child molester was kicked out of the Jehovah's Witnesses for smoking! I am telling you the truth here, as unbelievable as it may sound.
Well, my article about the allegations involving the Jehovah's Witnesses was not published because it was deemed too harsh. I do acknowledge that I would have liked to have done more research, and am hoping it does run after I expand on it and add more information.
In the meantime, for those who are interested in finding out more about the controversies surrounding this religion, here are a few websites to review:
1. Out of the Cocoon.
2. Silent Lambs
3. Cult Watch
* * *
I took an all-too-brief trip to Virginia Beach to visit relatives and attend the high school graduation of a nephew. We had a wonderful time and that area of the country is one of my favorites.
Interestingly, my nephew who graduated spent Saturday night at his parents' home with us playing games and passed up a graduation party at a friend's house. That is a miracle in itself if you know any other 18-year-old boys. But here's the neat part: That house party turned into a nightmare as police arrested dozens of kids for underage drinking, and probably the parents, too. So our visit helped my nephew stay out of trouble... Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I am so glad we went.
* * *
Last week I went to the regional United Methodist Conference at Lakeside, a quaint resort on Lake Erie, and covered a speech by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection (click here) in suburban Kansas City, Mo. -- the fastest growing church in the United Methodist denomination.
Rev. Hamilton is an amazing pastor and it's no wonder his church has grown so swiftly. For one thing, when I walked up to him he greeted me by name -- my ID card was around my neck, but few people take notice of such things.
Second, he agreed to do an interview on the spur of the moment.
Third, when he addressed the 3,000 delegates he talked about his own background, which I didn't get to include in my Blade article.
The 45-year-old minister said his parents were 16 and 17 years old when he was born. They didn't go to church. When he was a teen, a person knocked on the front door and invited him to church. The visitor had no voice and pressed a microphone against his throat in order to communicate. Hamilton said he was so impressed that this person with a deformity cared enough about him that he came to the door to invite him to church, inspired him to go. It turned out to be a Pentecostal church and got him started on path to becoming a minister.
He attended Oral Roberts University but ultimately joined the United Methodist Church because it offered more of a balance between the heart and the intellect.
Hamilton also said he got married at 17 because he and his future wife were saving themselves for marriage but the Pentecostal preacher kept saying the end of the world was near and they didn't want to miss out on a certain experience before Armageddon...
He also told me in the interview that he has a daughter at Kansas State who attends an Episcopal church because she is drawn to something with a heritage and roots and liturgy, rather than something that's just 15 years old and all based on feelings.
These are kind of asides to the real story, with the link above, which I hope you have time to read. Hamilton's ideas for church growth are phenomenal. Not that he's inventing anything new, but he's using very realistic, practical, and interesting ideas to bring people to church.
* * *
Sorry I've been kind of lax lately with entering new blogs... Things have been crazier than usual around the house and at The Blade. I'll try to keep more current with my postings. thanks for your patience!

Toledo, Ohio, June 19, 2007/

I sat down for a long interview with Rabbi Barry Leff, who is leaving Toledo and Congregation
B'nai Israel to move to Jerusalem. He's only been in town three years but he is a go-getter of the first degree and has been a real asset to the community, not only as leader of the Conservative Jewish Congregation in a pivotal time, when it built a new synagogue, but also active in interfaith and human rights efforts.
On a selfish note, Barry's made my life easier as religion editor. Whenever I needed a comment on breaking news, or background insights into Judaism and Israel, he was almost always accessible and was unafraid to offer a quote, take a stand, or share his expertise. A lot of pastors have to check which way the wind is blowing before they'll offer a comment for publication, but not Barry.

Rabbi Leff, his wife, Lauri, and three of their five daughters (the other 2 are grown) will be living in Jerusalem. He offered me a place to stay if I come over, at least for the first year, when he will be renting a large apartment with extra bedrooms.
I have always thought a trip to the Holy Land would be an incredible opportunity for a series of news stories. Let's see if The Blade has the vision and the support to pull something like this off. If not, I might go over on my own and freelance articles to other publications.
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The controversy continues over the Toledo Mud Hens naming a downtown street in honor of Msgr. Jerome Schmit. The late monsignor helped bring the Mud Hens to town, but testimony in the Father Robinson case showed that Schmit played a key role in stymying the 1980 murder investigation of the priest. Two retired detectives testified that Schmit, Deputy Chief Ray Vetter, and Robinson's attorney at the time, Henry Herschel, knocked on the door of the interrogation room and escorted Robinson out of the Safety Building. That was the last time the priest was interrogated by police.
Local members of SNAP first asked the city, and then the Mud Hens, to remove the honorary sign, saying although Schmit did much for the Hens, there was court testimony that he obstructed a murder investigation of a priest.
The Mud Hens are hemming and hawing, hoping the controversy will fade away. But it's not going to soon. Lee Pahl, nephew of Fr. Robinson's victim, Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, has joined the dispute by writing to the mayor and the Mud Hens saying it is an affront to his aunt's memory to give Monsignor Schmit such an honor.
SNAP continues to keep this issue on the front burner.
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I wrote three articles for tomorrow's Religion section of The Blade: One on the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, which is ordaining a priest next weekend; a column of "appreciation" for Ruth Bell Graham, a woman I admire even though I never met her, and a third article about McCord Road Christian Church adding a $2.6 million addition to its building.
In my Ruth Graham story, I quote one of her famous lines: Asked if she ever considered divorce, she once said: "Never. Homicide, but never divorce."
What a terrific woman she was.
While I never had the honor of meeting Mrs. Graham, I did interview two of her daughters, Ruth Graham McIntyre (now just Ruth Graham, after a divorce) and Gigi Tchividjian, and they gave me a lot of insights about their mother.
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Toledo, Ohio June 22, 2007

The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding of Seattle, Wash., has been an Episcopal priest for 20 years. She said recently that for the last 15 months, she also is a Muslim.
Just as a person can be African-American and woman, she can be a Christian and a Muslim, and feels no need to try to reconcile the two.
The Seattle Times religion writer Janet I. Tu did a great job reporting on Reverend Redding's pronouncement. You can read the story here.
I'm sure Rev. Redding is sincere and I am not one to judge other's beliefs, but saying you are both Christian and Muslim is like saying you are Jewish and Christian, or pagan and Hindu, or a peace activist who supports war, or an illiterate writer.

Yes, Virginia, some things are mutually exclusive, incompatible, and irreconcilable.
The root of Chistianity is a belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet but not divine, and not the Messiah. They believe Prophet Mohammed was given the last revelation from Allah.
A person who professes faith in Jesus cannot also claim the Qur'an as his or her holy book. It's just not possible.
I think this woman's claim of duality represents a further wateriing down of the tenets of each faith. Rather than live by the laws and doctrines of the religion, she, like many others, is opting to pick and choose her beliefs "cafeteria style."
Rather than being both Christian and Muslim, it seems to me that she Reverend Redding is truly neither.
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I wrote two breaking news stories today: One, Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo has agreed to meet with representatives of St. Rose Catholic Church in Perrysburg,who presented him with a petition with 1,500 names asking him to keep Father Thomas Leyland on as their pastor.
Father Leyland, you may recall, criticized the bishop in 2005 for not consulting him or St. Rose's lay leaders when the diocese decided to create a new parish next to his that cut into his church boundaries significantly.
He said the bishop soon decided to remove him as pastor of the 8,100-member parish. Rather than accept an assignment to Wauseon, a small community 40 miles west of Toledo, Father Leyland chose to retire. But then he appealed to the Vatican for help, seeking to overturn Bishop Blair's move and saying he was being punished for speaking up.
The parishioners have rallied to support their pastor but sadly, the bishop was too busy to meet with them this week and so scheduled a meeting for Monday, July 2.
Meanwhile, Father Leyland is scheduled to retire July 1 and the pastor is to start at St. Rose on July 2.
The timing is "unfortunate," one parishioner told me.
The other story I wrote today has to do with the fight over Channel 48 between the former owners and Cornerstone Church. Judge Mary Ann Whipple rejected the former owners' bankruptcy petition for the third time in a year. The former owners' new supporters say the judge is racist.
Meanwhile, the station remains in Cornerstone's control... stay tuned.
Sylvania, Ohio, June 26, 2007