Mo' Money we've added a section to our essay on Money, last week's installment of 10 Reasons The Church Isn't Growing. The new section discusses biblical giving, tithing, and how most of our churches have things all backward, lavishing attention, esteem and influence on those who give the most money, while ignoring the poorer church members. when, in fact, it is the poorer church members who are often giving the most, as well-off members tend to give out of their excess, while struggling families usually give out of their need, depriving their families for the sake of supporting the church. But these folks are rarely, if ever, held in much esteem. The new section begins under the headline, "Tithing."

Actor and comedian Bernie Mac died Saturday morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital, his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles. She said no other details were available. Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease. (AP)

The wife of televangelist Joel Osteen is being sued by a black Continental Airlines flight attendant who claims Victoria Osteen, co-pastor of the famous Lakewood church, threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the breast because Brown was slow to wipe up a small spill on Osteen's first class seat. Continental Airlines flight attendant Maria Johnson testified that Victoria Osteen grew increasingly agitated and pushed her co-worker Sharon Brown, "She was demanding that attention be given to her immediately," Johnson said. She added that Victoria Osteen kept saying: "This is ridiculous. I'm a first-class passenger." Just before her testimony concluded, Johnson suggested race might have played a role because of remarks Victoria Osteen made about wanting to deal only with Johnson, who is white, and not with Brown or another flight attendant on the plane, who are black. (AP)

China is spending a reported $40 billion on the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, which I haven't even a marginal interest in. The opening ceremony Friday was four hours long. China is making an unprecedented effort to woo the world while, at the same time, egregiously limiting civil rights and sweeping its dirt--including repression of Christianity--under the rug. I'm not sure why they're doing it, since the world doesn't seem to be buying what they're selling--we know what China is, after all. President Bush issued a stern rebuke to China for human rights violations, then got on his luxury plane and flew out there to watch the games, calling the trip, "Just a sporting event." The complexity of our relationship with China--needing their goods while suffering from a multi-billion dollar trade imbalance, knowing their human rights atrocities while not wanting to rock the boat--makes the Olympics a farce of many dimensions, not the least of which are the millions displaced by China's recent earthquakes. Surely that forty billion could have been put to more constructive purposes.

Former Presidential candidate Senator John Edwards has admitted to having had an affair with a campaign aide while denying charges he fathered a child with her. Look for the GOP to start running ads featuring Barack Obama embracing Edwards, as, this week, the McCain campaign launched the first of what will surely be dozens of negative Obama ads featuring Hillary Clinton's ill-advised primary attacks upon Obama, praising John McCain while diminishing the Democratic presidential candidate. If any of you are wondering why Hillary should not and must not be Obama's veep choice, well, here it is: dozens and dozens of clips of Clinton crossing the line in her criticism of Obama while praising McCain. Hers was a desperate strategy that failed while supplying the Republicans with free attack ad footage. Meanwhile, Clinton is pushing to have her name entered into nomination at the Democratic convention, allegedly to appease disgruntled Hillary supporters, but the real purpose seems to be to further diminish both Senator Obama and the historic significance of his candidacy by featuring an entire evening's roll call of people voting against him. The sheer arrogance of the suggestion would never be tolerated had things gone the other way and Clinton were the candidate, but this is the Clinton way: play hardball. If Hillary can damage Obama enough without getting blamed for it, she'll likely set herself up for a 2012 run or, even more brazenly, attempt to get herself nominated form the convention floor, usurping Obama's win and playing on Democratic "Buyer's Remorse," as Obama continues to underperform in the presidential contest.