UNDER GOD : PRAYING FOR GLENN BECK FOX NEWSEVANGELIST

Fox Newsevangelist Glenn Beck might be the most prayed for man in America at the moment -- which could be good news for all of us.
A few weeks ago, Beck urged his conservative Christian followers to pray for his protection. "There is (billionaire George) Soros money now being funneled to stop me. The biggest names, the most powerful people on the planet on the left -- I've told you before, they're not going to go away easy . . . Please, keep me in your prayers, keep my staff in your prayers, for safety, for wisdom, please."
Meanwhile, over on the left, Jim Wallis is asking his fellow progressive Christians to pray for Beck. "It should be no surprise that we strongly disagree with many of Glenn's views, but we too believe in a God far greater than all of us. So on this point, let's take Glenn at his word and pray for him to have wisdom as he speaks out on these issues. Tell Glenn you're praying for him - that he'll choose hope over fear."
So maybe neither of those prayer requests are purely nonpartisan. But it does show that Red State Christians and Blue State Christians at least can pray for the same person, if not for the same reasons. That's progress, right? The culture war-weary among us appreciate any sign of progress among the faithful, especially after reading the new 2009 Religious Activists Survey, which shows just how deeply and fundamentally divided religious activists are in this country.
Here are just a few of the lowlights in the survey of 3,000 conservative and progressive religious activists.
Abortion: 95% of conservative religious activists say abortion should be illegal in all cases (60%) or most cases (35%); 80% of progressive religious activists say abortion should be legal in all (26%) or most (54%) cases.
Gay and Lesbian Issues: 82% of conservatives oppose both same-sex marriage and civil unions; 59% of progressives support same-sex marriage, and 33% support civil unions.
Health Care: 6% of conservatives think that the U.S. should have comprehensive national health insurance; 78% of progressive activists think we do.
Torture: 61% conservatives say torture can often (25%) or sometimes (36%) be justified; 79% of progressives say torture can never be justified.
Priorities: Conservatives said abortion (83%) and same-sex marriage (65%) are the most important issues; progressives chose poverty (74%), health care (67%), and the environment (56%).
We've known for awhile that some followers of Jesus veer to his right, others to his left. But why? The researchers from the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron and Public Religion Research drilled down through the tectonic political plates to get to the core of each side's belief system.
"Conservatives generally emphasize an individualist approach to solving problems, with an emphasis on personal morality," the researchers wrote. "Progressive activists are more likely to see the causes of America's problems in structural terms."
In other words, conservatives subscribe to a personal salvation gospel, progressives to a social salvation gospel. The difference can be summed up in two statements the researchers gave to activists on both sides of Jesus.
1. "If enough people were brought to Christ, social ills would take care of themselves."
67% of conservatives agreed, but only 13% of progressives agreed (and 61% of them disagreed).

2. "Social justice is at the heart of all authentic religious values."
77% of progressives agreed with that one, but only 37% of conservatives agreed.
I'm no theologian, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Jesus of the four gospels agreed with both of those statements.
So I have an idea. Maybe we can get the Glenn Beck Christians and the Jim Wallis Christians to form a book club. They all can read the same book each month and then discuss it. I'd suggest they start with the Book of Matthew. Then Mark, then Luke, then John.
Who knows? After four months of reading the same books, they all might find themselves on the same page, and start praying for each other.

BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN GAVIN MACLEOD STARS IN NEW FAITH BASED FILM ' THE SECRETS OF JONATHAN SPERRY '

As Murray Slaughter, he wrote for airhead anchor Ted Baxter on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" for seven years. As Merrill Stubing, he captained the "Love Boat" for nearly a decade after that. Today, iconic TV actor Gavin Macleod says "I know who my admiral is," referring to his faith in God.
Macleod, 78, is a born again Christian now piloting a career in the Christian film industry, and starring in the movie "The Secrets of Jonathan Perry," which opens this weekend.
"I've worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Gregory Peck, Mary Tyler Moore," he told FOX News in an exclusive interview. "[But] the biggest honor I have ever had was to play the role of Jonathan Sperry in this simple but special film."
The film is about three 12-year old boys who are best buddies in the summer of 1970. One of them mows the lawn for an elderly widower named Jonathan Sperry. The two develop a unique friendship as Sperry employs Biblical teachings to help the boy and his friends deal with a bully, a secret crush, and other life challenges.
"The film is about forgiveness," Macleod says. "Forgiveness is one of the greatest tools God has given us."
The movie was written by twins Dave and Rich Christiano; Rich also produced and directed. They're part of the new breed of grassroots Christian filmmakers that include the Kendrick brothers, makers of the surprise box office hit "Fireproof."
Instead of complaining to Hollywood about the films it produces, Rich Christiano says it's time for Christians to put their money where their mouths are. Sperry has no big-name distributor, so Christiano, who worked with Mcleod on the 2002 film "Time Changer," is marketing directly to churches, a technique also adopted by the Kendrick brothers.
The film has a staggered release starting September 18, showing in 118 theaters. Openings are scheduled through November 2009 with a total of 240 theaters onboard so far. Each one is sponsored by a church or group of church members. They advance $2,000 to get the film into the theater. The church will make their investment back if the film grosses $4,500. The movie's web page www.sperrymovie.com links to a site about sponsorship.
Christiano is betting on success in targeted theaters bringing additional theaters into the fold. Hee says theater owners are already calling him because people who want to see the film are calling them, wondering why the film isn’t showing in their communities.
The key to getting churches on board is having a well-known actor to star. Like Kirk Cameron, who starred in "Fireproof," "Sperry’s" Gavin Macleod is a true believer. Christian audiences know the actor is saying lines he personally believes.
It brings "authenticity and validation" to the film, says Mark Dupre, associate pastor at Christ Community Church in Brockport, New York — one of the churches sponsoring a theater showing. Dupre, who also teaches film at Rochester Institute of Technology, says having a strong Christian like Gavin Macleod play the lead is a built in marketing hook, "the equivalent of having the acting genius of a Meryl Streep in secular movie. Captain Stubing is someone America just loved."
Macleod charts his religious conversion back to September 15, 1984, seven years into the popular TV series "Love Boat." His mother had a serious medical condition and was scheduled for surgery. That morning he woke up and prayed to Jesus to "give my mother more time."
Unknown to Macleod, his then ex-wife Patty, who he hadn’t seen in two years, had gotten involved in a Christian women’s prayer group. She’d been praying that her husband would come back to her. Right after Macleod said the prayer to save his mother, he called Patty and asked "can we see each other?" The two repaired their relationship and were remarried in 1985. Gavin’s mother lived several more years.
From the moment he said his prayer, Mcleod says the change was immediate. "My castmates knew I was different. I was hearing with different ears and seeing with different eyes."
After "Love Boat" ended in 1987, Macleod became the spokesperson for Princess Cruises, a job he still holds today. He’s turned down several TV roles because he’s not interested in doing series work again. His passion now is for his faith and the lives he can touch. "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" allows him to be captain of his new calling.

LAWMAKERS BACK OFFICIALS FACING JAIL FOR PRAYER

Two Florida school officials facing possible jail terms for praying in the presence of students arrive in court Thursday enjoying the support of more than 60 members of Congress.
Some of those members, who signed a letter of support and sent it to the two school officials Monday, took to the House floor Tuesday night to denounce what they called a "criminalization of prayer" that "tramples on the First Amendment rights" of Christians.
"The Founding Fathers would be appalled" at the trial of Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and his school athletic director, Robert Freeman, said Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida. His Pensacola-based district includes Santa Rosa County, where the lawsuit is based.
The 9 a.m. trial "is one of the first times we've literally had the potential for the criminalization of prayer in the United States of America," said Rep. J. Randy Forbes of Virginia, chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus.
If the two men are found guilty, "there will come a day," Mr. Forbes predicted, "when the speaker of this house will be hauled into federal court and threatened with jail because she dares to stand at that podium where you stand tonight and ask the chaplain to start our day with the prayer."
Mr. Forbes, Mr. Miller and Rep. Mike McIntyre, North Carolina Democrat, were signatories to the Monday letter to the two educators, assuring them that "we are standing with you in prayer and support as you face your trial." More than 60 members of the House have co-signed.
The two educators are being tried in federal district court in Pensacola for breaching the conditions of a lawsuit settlement reached last year with the American Civil Liberties Union.
The ACLU sued Santa Rosa County School District a year ago on behalf of two students who claimed that some teachers and administrators were allowing prayers at school events, orchestrating separate religiously themed graduation services and proselytizing students during class and after school.
In January, the school district settled out of court with the ACLU, agreeing to several conditions, including the barring of all school employees from promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events.
The ACLU complained to U.S. District Judge Margaret C. "Casey" Rodgers after Mr. Lay asked Mr. Freeman to offer mealtime prayers at a Jan. 28 lunch for school employees and booster-club members who had helped with a school field-house project. The judge then issued a contempt order for the two men.
Mr. Miller criticized the order, saying, "a federal judge has gone well outside the bounds of the Constitution to declare that prayer offered among adults is illegal." There was "zero student participation" at the event, he said. "That the court would somehow consider this action to be criminal behavior is simply unconscionable."
The judge's injunction "tramples upon the First Amendment rights of a specific group of people," Mr. Miller added, "denying them the equal protection that is provided under the very Constitution that we believe in."
The contempt order had also included Michelle Winkler, a clerical assistant who asked her husband, who is not a school employee, to bless an evening meal at a private event in February at a nearby naval base with other school employees. After a 7 1/2-hour trial Aug. 21, the judge removed Mrs. Winkler's name from the order.
Susan Watson, the Northwest regional director for the ACLU's Florida affiliate, said she had not seen the letter from the House members, so she had no comment. Glenn Katon, director of the Florida ACLU's religious freedom project, called the letter "political grandstanding."
Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, the Orlando-based legal group that is defending the two school officials, posted the letter on the group's Web site at www.lc.org, noting that Thursday is national Constitution Day. He said he expects the judge to rule within a few hours.