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Billy Graham returns to Los Angeles
"If you don't remember a thing I said tonight, I hope you remember that God loves you," evangelist and Christianity Today founder Billy Graham told a crowd of 45,000 last night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

About 2,500 of the attendees came forward at the invitation to respond to the message, which was classic Graham.

While Graham's ministry had one of its earliest energizing moments in Los Angeles 55 years ago, this is actually his ninth crusade in the city — and his 416th worldwide. After that many crusades (he's back to calling them "crusades," by the way), it's hard to find the news in a Graham meeting. Newspapers try hard — here's the Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Star-News, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Ventura County Star, and Press-Enterprise—but the story has always been the same: Graham's sermons are simple, relevant, and direct. Thousands respond. And lately, a key part of the story is that he's getting older.

But it's a story that's still worth hearing with every telling. God's word is proclaimed. People respond. And one of the world's greatest evangelists of all time keeps preaching, knowing that his work has eternal value.

"That's a great thing," he said last night. "To go home and know your sins have been forgiven."

Arlen Specter:

• Specter effectively wins Senate judiciary chair | He has the support of fellow Republicans on the committee (Reuters)
• Santorum keeps low profile with Specter | While home state concerns prodded Rick Santorum to help Arlen Specter, a moderate who supports abortion rights, his own budding national constituency of conservatives pulled angrily in the other direction (Associated Press)
• Judiciary panel backs Specter | GOP senators elicit pledge not to block antiabortion judges (The Washington Post)
• GOP colleagues rule for Specter | The senator is endorsed for judiciary post despite conservative outrage. He vows not to hinder Bush (Los Angeles Times)
• Dobson wary of Specter's ascension | Focus on the Family Action founder declares the senator will be "held to his word" (Press release, Focus on the Family Action)
• Specter wins judiciary chairmanship | Liberal Republican weathers the controversy over his challenge to President Bush on pro-life judges, to the displeasure of family advocates (CitizenLink, Focus on the Family)
• Specter defanged | He gets to be chairman, but on conservative terms (John Tabin, The American Spectator)
• Specter nails enough votes to be judiciary panel chief | With unanimous support from his Republican colleagues on the committee, the Pennsylvania senator issued a formal statement yesterday vowing not to "use a litmus test to deny confirmation to pro-life nominees." (The Washington Times)
• Judiciary panel backing Specter as its chairman | Senator Arlen Specter was under attack by some conservatives as too liberal to lead the Senate Judiciary Committee (The New York Times)

Religion & politics:

• Faith-based White House | A former Bush speechwriter praises the president, but two ministry leaders say the Faith-Based Initiative is leaving their charities out (World)
• Beware the 'moral values' extremists | We no longer have just a geographical Bible Belt. It has now grown to become a Bible corset, a region that would constrain politicians with religious dogma to codify particular ideology into restrictive laws (Bessy Reyna, The Hartford Courant, Conn.)
• Ministers press for moral shift in politics | They focus on crime, housing, education (The Times-Picayune, New Orleans)

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November (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48