Over the past few weeks, rioting in Europe and the Middle East has been spawned by cartoons depicting Muhammad in an unpleasant, though possibly accurate, manner. Muslim extremists are outraged by this so-called blasphemous "idolatry" of others through caricatures, even though versions of the cartoons were published in Islamic media as well as those that appeared in the Danish press and in other European newspapers. A few questions immediately come to mind, however. If non-Muslims are "infidels", how can these extremists expect the rest of the world to act as if we were Muslim? How can the non-Muslim world be expected to have in-depth knowledge about every obscure tenet of Islam? And given the violent and vicious actions of these countless Muslim extremists, how can they ever expect to receive any respect of their beliefs if these beliefs produce nothing but hatred and brutality?

Sadly, their fanatical legalism is often politically motivated. Increasing evidence demonstrates that these recent flames of mayhem have been fanned by self-serving political hacks posing as religious leaders in the Middle East and in Europe. Muslim extremists should consider trading in their fanatical legalism for a dose of personal responsibility, which has been historically nonexistent and is still absent. They would serve themselves and the rest of the world well by exchanging their complete self-righteousness for a measure of humility and grace.

Yet again, these thugs and murderers wreak havoc on their own countrymen and innocent victims, all in the name of "Allah". Yet again, their practice of ungodly politics is only thinly veiled under an obvious and unfortunate façade of counterfeit spiritualism. Their inconsistency of action and depravity of spirit contradict their endless claims of godliness.

However, these riots are the latest evidence of a much more serious idolatry that should, in fact, have the undivided attention of these Muslim extremists. They themselves are showing their own true idolatry: their seething hatred, their propensity for utter lack of any culpability, and their inclination toward threats, violence, destruction, and murder. Despite what they claim about "Allah", these are the things that are their true god.

Without meaning any disrespect, I suspect that Muhammad himself would agree that this underlying idolatry of self-centeredness and self-righteousness spawned from the pits of hell is much more critical than anything caused by potentially disrespectful cartoons. Furthermore, I believe "Allah" would be appalled by this pattern of hatred, destruction, and death and would be ashamed that it is perpetually attributed to him.

My Western sensibilities are angered by the violence and inconsistency of these heinous riots. But my Christian heart and mind are saddened and grieved as I witness the grip that Satan has on these people. And I must apply to myself the question I previously asked about Islam’s view of "infidels": I cannot expect unsaved humanity to act any differently than it does.

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Muslims, like every other human, have the problem of a heart contaminated by sin, which will ultimately result in death. Muslims, like every other human, need God’s forgiveness and grace. However, His forgiveness and grace cannot be found through following the words of the Quran or the teachings of Muhammad. There is only one Way...only one Door...to having peace with the one true God. God’s forgiveness and grace are only available through the complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

It started long before Harriet Miers nomination to the Supreme Court. It even started long before John Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court. Conservative concerns about the U.S. Supreme Court started many years ago.

Over the past few decades, the Supreme Court has increasingly ventured far from its Constitutional intent. The Court has become a purveyor of social change and the forced liberalization of America. Moving further from the scope and limitation intended by the country’s founding fathers to interpret the Constitution and various legislation, it has instead become an instrument of secularization and reference to international law. The extreme liberal and secular movements in our country make inappropriate and frequent use of the Court when other governmental avenues - such as the U.S. Congress - are no longer at their disposal.

I feel an incredible amount of pity for Cindy Sheehan. She must still be experiencing intense grief due to the loss of her son, Casey, last year. As a parent, I cannot imagine enduring the death of one of my children. Furthermore, Ms. Sheehan’s personal life appears to be unraveling. In addition to losing her eldest child in the War on Terror, her husband has recently filed for divorce and her mother has even more recently suffered a stroke.

On Tuesday, June 21, Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill, attempted to apologize from the Senate floor for disparaging remarks he made about the treatment of detainees at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The week before, he had compared their treatment to the truly horrendous inhumanities of Nazis, Soviet gulags, and Cambodia's Pol Pot. As part of this "apology", Durbin stated that, "More than most people, a senator lives by his words...occasionally words fail us, occasionally we will fail words." I have to agree with this statement, but it may even be more applicable to Durbin’s apology than it is to his original disparaging remarks.

Just over two weeks ago, fourteen Senators developed and signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" that trumped all other parties under the guise of valid compromise. Through this document, the Senators agreed that "nominees should only be filibustered under extraordinary circumstances." Isn’t that the condition under which the judicial nomination filibuster would be expected to be applied already? Obviously, the Democratic minority already believes these fully qualified jurists meet the definition of "extraordinary circumstances" because of either their personal religious beliefs or their Constitutional approaches to judicial decisions.

Several weeks ago, in the column entitled “The State of the Modern Church”, I wrote about how there are some within the ranks of the Christian church who are either misguided in their application of Scripture or masquerading as being part of the body of Christ while truly having no part in Him. Perhaps a more accurate assessment of the modern church would lead to the conclusion that an increasing number of Christians - at least in Western cultures - have forgotten their citizenship, focus, place, and purpose.

On April 19, Americans remembered the victims of the horrendous attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City 10 years ago, an attack that was the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. The 168 victims in that attack were innocents, ranging from small children playing to young people conducting business to workers simply trying to do their job. We were excruciatingly reminded that the enemy can come from within and can sometimes even be from our own ranks. Furthermore, these ceremonies and memorials occurred against the backdrop of an ongoing and growing threat from within that our government continues to mostly ignore.

In the past few weeks and months, there has been widespread criticism of Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature for intervening in the Terri Schiavo case at the state level. Similarly, there has been much criticism of President Bush’s administration and the U.S. Congress for intervening at the federal level. The criticism continues even after Ms. Schiavo’s death.

The three branches of federal government were established to have primary responsibilities in certain realms of government and to provide checks and balances so that one branch does not become too powerful or overstep its primary responsibility. States also have similar distinctions of responsibilities and checks and balances.

Few events have gripped the nation in recent history as the life-and-death fight surrounding Terri Schiavo. The 41-year old woman has unwittingly become the lightning rod for expressions of both compassion and indifference...for accusations of political opportunism, partisan chicanery, and judicial activism...for the causes either leading to a culture of death or leading to a culture of protection of the most innocent and vulnerable.

The modern church...the body of Christ...appears to be in a terrible state. That should be news to no one, even those who have no affiliation with any component of the church whatsoever. And perhaps I should clarify and qualify my initial statement. The body of Christ is fine, even as it grows and matures. There are some within its ranks, though, that are well-meaning and have good intentions but are nonetheless misguided in their application of Scripture. This situation is distressing and can be dangerous if not corrected. However, there are many who masquerade as being part of the body of Christ while truly having no part in Him. This is perilous. This is heresy. This is an instrument of the enemies of the body of Christ against that body. This is one of the worst ways people can “take the Lord’s name in vain”, claiming to be joined with Him and to represent Him, all the while bringing dishonor to Him and His name and bringing judgment on themselves.