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Stateside, friends of the Burnhams are in the middle of an 11-day fast for the missionaries, which will end on January 17—Gracia's birthday. A national prayer vigil is also scheduled for the 17th.

Meanwhile, Martin's sister, Cheryl Spicer, is returning to the Philippines with her husband, Walter, and their five children. Like the Burnhams, they are also missionaries in the country (as were Martin's parents before their retirement). "We feel pretty safe going back," Cheryl told the Eagle. "We'll be paying attention to our surroundings and aware of any embassy warnings of places not to go. We'll be careful."

• Cash to beat 'living in sin' | British businessman offers teen grandaughters £1,000 each if they get married before moving in with their boyfriend. (BBC)
• Plus: Grandfather values girls' virtue at £1,000 (The Daily Telegraph)
• Plus: Don't live in sin to win (The Sun)
• Sleeping partners | Granddaughters will wish to study the fine print of their grandfather's promise (Editorial, The Daily Telegraph)

• Need for secular public square | In essence, this war is between the forces of democratic secularism, pluralism, religious tolerance and freedom of expression against authoritarian theology (Salim Muwakkil, Chicago Tribune)
• A futile bid to burn away free thought | Born again Christians! Why do they always make me think that it was a waste of hot water and towels, their being born the first time? (Dennis O'Donnell, The Scotsman)
• A religious moment | Osama bin Laden's fanaticism should prompt us to examine our own religious beliefs—and to zealously preserve our secular society (Richard Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times)
• Belief, unbelief can be debilitating if we lack humility | Maybe any knitting together of the world requires a kind of madness, but knit we must. (Stephen Vicchio, The Baltimore Sun)
• Will the real doubting Thomas please stand up? | By choosing Thomas to represent his position of cynical rejection of God, though, Crispin Sartwell betrays how little thought he has given his subject (Bob Rigsby, The Orlando Sentinel)
• Earlier: How can anyone believe in God? (Crispin Sartwell, The Baltimore Sun)

• National crisis, timeless themes shape first sermons of 2002 | Epiphany has special significance this year (The Washington Post)
• Quick dose of 9-11 religion soothes, doesn't change | Religion that calms after national traumas like Sept. 11 is comparable to an aspirin, which eliminates immediate pain. But when religion matures in regular and fixed events over a lifetime, it is like a daily vitamin that strengthens over the long haul. (Gerald L. Zelizer, USA Today)

• ACLU, judge weigh in on 2-1/2-ton Commandments display | Judge Roy Moore has been fighting this and similar battles for 10 years (The Washington Times)
• Watchdog rules over abortion ad | Advertising Standards Authority demands changes from U.K. Life League even though ad only appeared in Catholic publications (BBC)
• East Point can't tout prayer breakfast | Mayor's meeting will continue, but without official promotion (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• Good News names Bush its Layman of the Year | "Few … have shown such moral courage, political deftness and Christian virtue as has this president" says evangelical Methodist group (United Methodist News Service)
• 'Daily Show' segment has devilish time with Inglis | Satirical news program visits town where Satan is banned (Citrus County Chronicle)

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January (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46