"Fireproof", pro-marriage, pro-faith movie exceeds expectations on first weekend at theaters.

The movie, "Fireproof" a Christian, pro-marriage movie opened as the 4th best grossing movie over the weekend, bringing in $6.5 million. It's the 2nd best grossing movie of the year which was shown in less than 1,000 theaters.

What's unique about "Fireproof" is it was produced by a church and cost less than $1 million to produce. It's about a firefighter who's great at his job but terrible at his marriage. The story line ia about how he restores his marriage by acting on the principles found in the Bible.

They say the acting is uneven, I suppose because it's so low budget, yet the message comes across. I thought the response from LA Times and NY Times was interesting.

"I was hoping and praying for at least a Top 10 opening," said Bob Waliszewski, director of Focus on the Family's Plugged In magazine and Web site. "I'm very excited to see it's No. 4.

"It does send a message that there's still pent-up demand for good, wholesome family entertainment."

Even the mainstream media have been forced to add their accolades. The New York Times called Fireproof "a decent attempt to combine faith and storytelling that will certainly register with its target audience."

The Los Angeles Times went so far as to call it "a mainstream relationship flick."

Steven Isaac, who reviewed the movie for Plugged In, said anyone "in the middle of ugly emotions driven by marital neglect, apathy and want, will surely be compelled by Fireproof to … break out the survival gear right away, putting into practice some of the principles they've just seen brought to life."

I think what's interesting is with the advent of new technology, the movie industry's cost of entry has dropped dramatically. I think the only way to overcome to so much of the garbage in the Hollywood is to supercede it by producing good, appealing movies outside of Hollywood. This will not only attract customers but cause Hollywood to sit up and take notice.

Entertainment industries efforts to mainstream homosexuality

It's reported that the number of homosexual characters on television shows is doubling. This obviously highlights the social Left's influence if not control of the entertainment industry and their desire to mainstream acceptance of homosexuality in the broader culture.

2008-2009 Television Season to More than Double Homosexual Characters

By Tim Waggoner

WASHINGTON, September 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - America's major broadcast networks are upping their promotion of the homosexual movement, doubling the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual scripted characters for the 2008-2009 broadcast schedule since last year.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) conducted their annual "Where We Are On TV" report on the five broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW. GLAAD found that the number of LGBT scripted characters appearing in this year's 88 scripted dramas and comedies jumped to 16 from last year's seven.

This finding has broken a trend, as the proportion of LGBT characters to heterosexual characters fell in the three years before the 2008-2009 broadcast year, from 1.4 percent to 1.1 percent, but increased for this year to 2.6 percent.

Fox, which had no LGBT characters in their broadcast schedule last year, has made the biggest move in advancing the gay agenda with five LGBT characters to appear in this year's schedule. ABC continues to lead the way with seven LGTB characters, while CBS has decided not to broadcast sitcoms with regular scripted LGBT characters.

Non-contract recurring LGBT characters are also becoming more prevalent, with the five broadcast networks this year airing 19, as opposed to last year's 13.

On the other hand, mainstream cable networks have reduced the number of LGBT regular scripted characters to appear in this year's broadcast schedule to 32 from last year's 40.

It's not surprising that those in Hollywood would attempt to push the envelope socially. It's also not coincidental that such efforts coincide with network television entertainment increasingly becoming a cultural wasteland. Fortunately, with the expanded access to cable television and the Internet, there are other venues for receiving uplifting entertainment.

An example of imposing pro-abortion view on Christians and loss of religious liberty

As society continues to secularize, the secular Left becomes less tolerant of those who refuse to toe the Left's line on issues like marriage and abortion. An example of this is a proposed bill in Victoria, Australia which would require medical personnel to perform abortions or make abortion referrals.

The effect if such a law goes into place? Shutting down all Catholic hospital maternity wards and emergency rooms in Australia, according to the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart. It's estimated that one-third of births are carried out in Catholic hospitals.

Historically, churches were the prime movers behind efforts to care for the sick by establishing hospitals. Now the secular elites are apparently willing to force church run hospitals to shut down.

No doubt similar efforts will increasingly be pushed in American society if we continue in a secularist drift.

The lines are increasingly being drawn between those who seek to honor the biblical witness and those who don't. Nominal Christianity is increasingly becoming a non option.

Brains, teens and casual sex -- neuroscience research provides evidence for marriage and abstinence.

The social Left and it's push for contraceptives in our schools and everywhere else in society is motivated by a desire to enable people to be sexually active whenever they want without suffering the negative consequences of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies. The proverbial - having one's cake and eating it too.

Those of us on the other side argue sex isn't a leisure activity but something with profound personal, moral, social and spiritual consequences. The purpose of sex as established by the Creator is continuing the human race and the bonding of a man and a woman in a lifelong, faithful relationship for their benefit and that of others. The Left views this as an antiquated, prudish perspective and irrelevant in today's social and moral ethos.

The problem which suggests that this traditional view of sex isn't outdated but in fact very relevant is the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases which lead to other diseases, like infertility and cancer, and out of wedlock births . None of which have been eliminated by condoms and other contraceptives.

Now there's evidence coming out of neuroscience buttressing the traditional views of marriage and abstinence. It's written up in a new book entitled, “Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting our Children”, coauthored by Drs. Joe McIlhaney, Jr. and Freda McKissic Bush. It highlights “the impact having sex has on the developing brains of adolescents and young adults.”

The book states that:

• “Sexual activity releases chemicals in the brain, creating emotional bonds between partners.
• “Breaking these bonds can cause depression and make it harder to bond with someone else in the future.
  
• “Chemicals released in the brain during sex can become addictive.
• “The human brain is not fully developed until a person reaches their mid-twenties. Until then, it is harder to make wise relationship decisions.”

This new evidence is significant in that condoms and contraceptives can do nothing to prevent the emotional damage resulting from casual sex. There is no alternative other than exercising self control and waiting until marriage.

This new evidence also challenges the assumptions undergirding condom education in our schools that all we have to do is provide students with all the information and they'll make good decisions. The fact that the brain isn't fully developed in the teenage years suggests that's not the case from a biological standpoint.

It's all about worldview: Biden, charity and helping others. Or is that the government's job?

There are more interesting comments coming from Vice President candidate Joe Biden. They reveal how he views the world.

In addition to ticking off Catholic bishops with his pro-abortion views espoused as a self proclaimed practicing Catholic, he's also used Catholic doctrine to support his view that people have a patriotic duty to pay higher taxes. He said, "Catholic social doctrine as I was taught it is, you take care of people who need the help the most."

He sees the answer to the social problems of the day resting squarely on the shoulders of government not private individuals and groups. The Wall Street Journal reviewed the release of his and his wife's tax returns and found that they "reported an average of $380, or 0.2% of their income, in annual charitable contributions over a 10-year period.” He doesn't believe he has a responsibility to help the less fortunate; that's the government's responsibility. That's reflected in him giving close to nothing from his personal income to help the less fortunate.

The problem with his views and actions, which no doubt reflect his worldview, are they're fundamentally wrong. Government is institutionally unable to give to the poor and less fortunate what they truly need the most -- personal involvement and moral challenge and encouragement.

It's said, "Look at a person's checkbook to see what they value." In Joe Biden's checkbook, there's nearly nothing to help the less fortunate.