Monday, November 30, 2009

America - A Nation of Willing Slaves!


Volume XXVIII Issue XII December 2009Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2009/


America - A Nation of Willing Slaves!


"Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich…..The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?"

Jeremiah 5:25-27, 31



"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

Revelation 13:8-10



"But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."

John 5:42-43


In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine a condition that has developed in our erstwhile great nation, which has brought us to a time such as never was. We are living in a time that is unique in our nation's history, and very few people are taking notice. The United States of America was founded by men and women that wanted to escape oppression and to be free, and great effort was exerted to gain that freedom. We now live in the dark reality of a strong-armed and oppressive federalism that has all of the characteristics and potential of imperial Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Indeed, we are on the very brink of dictatorship in a new world order, just as predicted in various places in the Scriptures. How can this be happening here? Just one generation ago, it would not have been believed to be possible. I was born in the year 1950 and have lived in Wisconsin all of my life. I can truly say that this country is no longer the one in which I was born. We are living in a time when people want to be slaves of a government that will feed them, medicate them, entertain them, indoctrinate them, confiscate the fruit of their labors, and bury them.

We know from reading the Scripture how it angered the Almighty God when Israel complained in the wilderness and wanted to go back and be slaves in Egypt. Instead of seeking the Lord's help, they were so ready to give up their freedom and liberty for the so-called social security benefits of Egypt. It is the same in America today. Where is the dignity, integrity, and honor that was once so important to free men and women?

When I think upon all this, I am reminded of the words of the illuministic futurist, Aldous Huxley, who died in 1963. Huxley was a writer for the Illuminati. He was also a mystic who advocated the use of psychedelic drugs. Huxley also wrote Brave New World and numerous essays. Consider some of his words as follows: "We are in a process of developing a whole series of techniques which will enable the controlling oligarchy to get people to actually love their servitude. A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude. To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda, newspaper editors, and school teachers…..The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing. Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth."

All things considered, we are most certainly moving across the threshold into a one-world dictatorship under the direction of Satan himself. Satan and all who submit to him will be quickly destroyed by our coming Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. One urgent question that demands an immediate answer is: where will you spend eternity? You now have a glorious opportunity to surrender you heart, soul, and mind to the Lord Jesus. He will accept you and save you if you do. Do it now, before your time runs out!

Dark Oppression by the Father of Lies!

It has been truly stated that a man's judgment is only as good as his information. Thus, in order to alter the judgment of people, you must control the information they receive. Here let it be noted that the White House brazenly boasted that they control the news media! This was revealed by the White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn. Dunn also was caught on tape while speaking to high school students in June, stating that one of her two favorite political philosophers was Communist Chinese leader Mao Tse tung. (1) Chairman Mao, as he was known, was a vicious Communist responsible for the mass murdering of tens of millions of people, and this is one of the heroes of Anita Dunn, handpicked by Barack Obama!

It is a sad fact that regardless of what the controlled press may say, Barack Obama is most assuredly illegally seated in the White House. He is not legal because he cannot produce a true and valid copy of his birth certificate proving that he was born in the United States. Here let it be noted that on Sunday, June 27th, 2004, the East African Standard Newspaper featured a headline as follows: "Kenyan-born Obama all set for U.S. Senate." (2) I have a copy of this page in front of me, but when attempting to find a larger copy, I was not surprised to find it had disappeared from the Internet. We must also note that during a 2004 Senate debate Alan Keyes stated that Obama was not a natural born citizen of the United States. Obama laughed and said to Keyes, "Only the President has to be a natural born citizen." (3)

Obama is not an American, much less, an American President. He is totally out of touch with America. A prime example of this is his gross insensitivity to the horrifying shooting that took place at Fort Hood in Texas on the 5th day of the 11th month of this year. It happened midway between Halloween and Armistice Day, which is celebrated at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year. Two days after the shooting was Friday the 13th, and the grief was heavy for the thirteen that died and for the many wounded. The occult implications of this blood sacrifice should be obvious. The witches and Freemasons that control our Government always work their plan around the celestial calendar. We must note that when Obama was informed, he was about to address a Tribal Nations Conference, and instead of stopping and addressing the tragic issue, he opened his speech to the Indians with a light, almost joking attitude, including a "shout out" to Dr. Joe (Medicine) Crow. There was no serious or somber reaction to the tragedy at all as he briefly mentioned it. (4) We must also take note that Obama played down the fact that the shooter, a psychiatrist known as Major Hasan, is an Islamic extremist who shouted, "Allahu Akbar," as he began to pump lead into the bodies of the soldiers and staff at Fort Hood. (5) The words Allahu Akbar mean "Allah is great." We are made to wonder how many other Islamic extremists are in the upper levels of our military and government as programmed units of destruction. It is a fact that Major Nidal Malik Hasan was a graduate of Virginia Tech, where 32 people were mass murdered in 2007. (6) There is a spiritual connection in all of this, and mind control is a program involving occult activity.

Everything about the Obama Administration seems wrong. Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is not permitted to be the Secretary of State under the United States Constitution. The organization known as Judicial Watch has filed lawsuits to challenge the appointment of Hillary Clinton because the U.S. Constitution clearly states the following: "No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof have been increased during such time." This means that Hillary Clinton could not legally occupy her office of Secretary of State until the year 2013. (7)

Does our U.S. Congress really care about anything or anyone outside of their own little world of oligarchic control? On November 6th, 2009, Politico reported that there are 237 millionaires in Congress, and many of the rest of them are not exactly poor. (8) Many of them have never worked a real job even one day in their lives. The U.S. Congress is now working like mad to force a new health care system upon the ones they call "ordinary Americans," while they themselves refuse to go under it in favor of their own health plan. They have declared themselves exempt from what they are trying to force you and I to do!

On October 29th, 2009, the Washington Post newspaper reported that the West Front of the Capitol would be fenced off because the general public was not invited to the unveiling of the House version of the new health care plan. (9) The West Front of the Capitol is always open to the public, but according to Nancy Pelosi's instructions, it was an invitation-only event, and guests had to be handpicked. Protesters shouted against the new and wicked program. It was reported that one man with a bullhorn cried out, "Nazi Pelosi, you will burn in hell for this."

This infamous Government-run health care plan had grown to 1,990 pages on October 30th, and it went on to exceed 2,000 pages later. There are more pages in this health care legislation than there are pages in War and Peace, Atlas Shrugged, or the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy. At a cost of over one trillion dollars for the entire package, the cost per word in this document is 2.2 million dollars! (10)

On November 7th, with the blood ritual sacrifice at Fort Hood completed, the House opened their debate on this new legislation that has the potential to destroy our country. (11) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi quickly broke her promise to post the entire document on the Internet for seventy-two hours prior to a vote. (12) During the darkness of a Saturday night, less than twenty-four hours from the time that discussion began, Pelosi called for a vote and the measure was passed narrowly at 220 to 215. (13)

How heinous and evil is this legislation? Republican leader John Boehner revealed that a separate abortion premium will be charged to all who come under the new health care system, and it will be billed monthly as such! Boehner said the following: "What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run plan. It's right there on line 16, page 96, section 213, under Insurance Rating Rules. The premium will be paid into an U.S. Treasury account, and these Federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services." (14) Think of it! An U.S. Treasury account specifically for abortions from a specific allocated premium that you and I would be forced by law to pay! The Scriptural curses are upon this nation!

What will happen to people who object to the new Obama-Pelosi plan? According to ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp, a Republican from Michigan, the Joint Committee on Taxation, or JCT, confirmed the following: "Failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962, as amended)….and who choose not to pay the bill's new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income) are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 dollars and imprisonment of up to five years." (15) Apparently the words "liberty and freedom" are being redefined for Americans.

The Beast In Your Bloodstream!

On Friday, October 23rd, 2009, Barack Obama declared a national health emergency regarding the H1N1 influenza virus. The White House declared that a thousand Americans died from the virus and millions were infected. The push was on for immunizations, and soon the manufacturers of the vaccine would reportedly enjoy an income of seven billion dollars. Meanwhile, people would be held in the bondage of fear and terror. At least that was the plan. (16) One question that arises is why did Obama refuse to have his own daughters immunized as reported by the Fox News White House Blog?

There are so many unanswered questions and prevailing uncertainties regarding the vaccines for H1N1 influenza that are being foisted upon the people of the world. Why would the German Army get a special swine flu vaccine without the additives given to the general public? According to Immunology Today, the restricted medical practitioner only edition, published on October 13th, 2009, the Bundeswehr soldiers were given a special vaccine called Celvapan, which did not contain mercury and is additive-free. Defense Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe stated the following: "The Bundeswehr needs to be able to quickly and impartially inoculate soldiers and their dependants on foreign missions to ensure they were protected without having them at risk of death or disability from the additives." (17) Why should the general public face such risks?

We also know that in America certain so-called high-risk categories of people are given priority status to receive the H1N1 swine flu shot. One of those categories is pregnant women. As I write this, I am looking at many pages of testimonies of young expectant mothers who miscarried and lost their babies shortly after receiving the swine flu inoculation. My heart breaks for these women and their families. They mistakenly put their trust in people who are working for a system that is under the direction of Satan and his illuministic stooges that occupy the highest offices of our government. They are a dirty bunch!

The October 2009 edition of the American Journal of Pharmacology tells of a shocking program that is currently being developed by a giant drug company, Ely Lilly & Co. It is the plan to include antipsychotic drugs in infant formulas as a kind of "immunization" to help prevent episodes of ADHD in children as they age. The spokesman for Ely Lilly said the following: "There will be ethical issues of course but with ethical control over the drug and with reassurance of its safety, I'm sure objections can be overcome. We predict in five years, 1 in 3 children over 4 will be on antipsychotics as a matter of course….." (18) It is obvious that the children are being targeted in many ways to program them as forthcoming planetary citizens of the New World Order!

These are strange times, so unlike any other era of history. These are the days when Dr. Frankenstein could win the Nobel Prize for creating his monster. In fact, it is interesting to note that the story of Frankenstein took place in the area of Ingolstadt, Germany, which is the place where Dr. Adam Weishaupt first formed the Illuminati, along with Baron von Knigge and three others who met in a cave and used magic ritual to contact the one they called the "Controlling Unknown."

Scientists are continually defying God's order of creation. On October 29th, 2009, the London Daily Mail featured an article with the following headline: "No men OR women needed: Scientists create sperm and eggs from stem cells." (19) The unthinkable is happening, and a curse will come with it. Children without parents! Who will raise them, and who will control them?

Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

Those who are either old enough to remember or have studied history will recall the famous picture of the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt riding in a convertible with a long stem cigarette holder in his mouth and wearing a coat with a fur collar as he traveled up Fifth Avenue in New York City. The caption under the photo said, "Brother, can you spare a dime?" The simple and tragic fact is that most people couldn't spare a dime. It was the time of the Great Depression, and Roosevelt was the multimillionaire "god man" that promised to save the country. We are now in another great depression, even though the government refuses to use those words. As in the first Great Depression, this one is upon us by careful planning and design by the conspirators that we already identified as a dirty bunch!

On October 19th, 2009, the news headlines for CNN Money revealed that the FDIC, which provides insurance to protect the accounts of depositors for up to $250,000 per account, is now broke. In fact, it is in the red until at least the year 2012! (20) It is a Federal insurance company with no reserves! Where is the account protection? In addition to that, banks continue to fail and dig the hole deeper! On November 6th, the Associated Press reported that more banks in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and California were closed on that Friday, bringing the total number of bank failures for the year to 120. (21) On that very same day, Freddie Mac, the second largest provider of U.S. residential mortgages, posted a five billion dollar loss! (22) Indeed, the economic situation in America is so bad that NBC News Chicago reported on October 30th, 2009, that many nice homes in the suburbs of Chicago are for sale for one dollar but nobody wants them. People cannot afford to pay the taxes and upkeep on them, so they sit empty. (23) When I read this, I was reminded of Isaiah 5:9 which reads as follows: "In mine ears saith the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant."

I have written before about the severity of the American national debt, which is astronomical in the truest sense of the word. This debt is also spiraling upward by design as a part of the necessary sabotage needed to destroy the economies of the nation and the world, which will necessitate the creation of a new one-world economic system. The numbers and dates involved never cease to amaze me. Just in time for the witches' sabat of Samhain, or Halloween, the national debt ceiling was raised to thirteen trillion dollars. (24)

The number of unemployed Americans is staggering, and 80% of unemployment recipients in the country are of prime working age, between 25 and 59. Of the top wage earners to lose their jobs, 57% had been working in manufacturing and 24% were in construction. (25) Meanwhile, in Red China the economy is expanding rapidly, and even their auto sales increased 78% in September. (26) On October 15th, 2009, the FDIC told the Associated Press that U.S. banks are about to suffer another wave of trouble as commercial real estate loans go into default. With seven million jobs lost and buildings sitting empty, real estate developers have not paid the banks, and nationwide there is a staggering sum of $500 billion coming due annually. (27) We also see the price of gold skyrocketing to well over $1,100 per ounce! In addition to that, Barrick of Canada, the gold giant, announced on November 11th, 2009, that the world's gold supply is about to run out. New production has been decreasing by 1 million ounces per year for a number of years, and the quality of the ore is becoming very poor and inferior. (28) This is another sign of the times! I am reminded of James 5:1-3, which reads as follows: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days."

We are not far from the mark of the beast and the new cashless system. On November 9th, 2009, Reuters News Service reported that the new rage all over Europe is "chipping parties," which are held at night clubs and other places of entertainment. Young people in their teens and twenties have been implanted with microchips by the thousands as they attend these parties. They are saying that the insertion of the electronic chip is almost painless and is quickly forgotten. Once it is in, there is no need to carry cash, credit cards, or identification for proof of age. The arm is scanned at the door, and the name and photograph of the person comes up on the screen. Drinks are purchased by the scanning of the arm, as are all other transactions. The club owners in Europe are saying it will soon be mandatory to have a microchip implant or you won't get in! (29)

There Is Something Rotten in Denmark!

This popular saying came from the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, when the character Marcellus said, "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark." It is taken from act I, scene IV. But we have something far more serious taking place in Denmark in December 2009 when the leaders of the world gather for their summit on global warming. The stated purpose of the summit in Copenhagen is to save "Mother Earth" from human exploitation, pollution, and ultimate destruction. It is officially called the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Copenhagen, and it is scheduled for December 7-18, 2009, in Copenhagen. Here let it be noted that all the talk about global warming, environmental impact, and save the planet is just a gimmick to conceal their real purpose. It sounds like such a noble cause to save "Mother Earth" and weld the people behind the effort in a grand unity. Just as the "German Fatherland" gimmick was used by Adolph Hitler to weld his purpose together, so this "Mother Earth" gimmick is to unify the entire world. The treaty actually states the words "A world government is going to be created," and this is written as the first of three purporses. The second stated purpose of the conference is to transfer the wealth from the countries of the West to Third World countries in satisfaction of what is called "climate debt." The leaders of this conspiracy are saying that only the major nations of the West have been polluting all of the Earth, not the Third World countries. Therefore, they say, that we owe them reparations. All of this was revealed and verified as true by a former science advisor to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Lord Christopher Monckton. It was clearly and specifically stated by Monckton that the real purpose of this summit was to officially create the One World Government and enforce allegiance to it. (30)

It is all coming together so quickly now, and all the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit together. On October 1st, 2009, it was announced in the news media in England that former Prime Minister Tony Blair is favored to become President of all of Europe to lead the European Union. (31) Tony Blair is heavily involved in metaphysical practice and various forms of witchcraft.

In the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a story was published with the following headline: VeriChip Markets RFID Microchip Implants to ID World International Congress." This world conference was held in Milan, Italy, on November 3-5, 2009, where VeriChip Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Scott R. Silverman made his presentation to this worldwide gathering of experts and leaders. The subject was, of course, electronic identification. (32)

Where are the churches in all of this? Are the leaders of the churches so out-of-touch with God and the Scripture that they don't know or care about Revelation 13:16-17 which reads as follows: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." How serious is this? In Revelation 14:9-11, we read about what happens to those who receive this implanted mark or chip into their bodies as follows: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

The sad fact is that the churches are in on the one-world government scheme and are co-conspirators. The pastors have become modern-day Judas Iscariots, who instead of betraying the Lord for thirty pieces of silver are doing it to buy into the electronic worldwide money vault of the damned! In fact, on November 12th, 2009, the World Council of Churches called on every church in the world to ring their bells simultaneously 350 times during the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. Every church bell in the world is to be rung on the 13th day of December 2009. The bells must be rung 350 times to symbolize the 350 parts per million that mark the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (33) Thus, the churches of the world are to show their support of the new One World Government that is to be born on that day!

End Time Signs and Warnings!

It is the time of the end and things can happen so quickly. On November 10th, 2009, an electrical blackout hit Brazil, and it left one third of the entire population of that nation in darkness. About seventy million people were without power, and this event happened only weeks after that nation was chosen to host the 2016 Olympics. Power officials say a storm was the cause of the blackout. (34) There is no doubt that the Lord was voicing His disapproval of the pagan Olympic games that honor the "sun-god" and other false deities.

Many hundreds of earthquakes continue to shake the earth, and the entire earth is steadily and consistently crumbling as new fissures are forming in various places. In the heavens there are continual events that should cause us to take notice. On November 6th, 2009, a previously undiscovered asteroid seemed to come from nowhere, and it almost hit our earth. With only a 15-hour warning, this massive asteroid came within 8,700 miles of earth, which is 30 times nearer to the earth than our moon, which is approximately 250,000 miles away. (35) This was a near hit and could have been devastating. NASA is greatly concerned about the earth being hit and has a "Near Earth's Object Program" to try to deal with the problem. They know that it is just a matter of time until the unthinkable happens. Our only hope is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Everything is in His Almighty hands and He is in control. Keep looking up as you watch and pray.

In closing, I want to thank all of you who support this prophetic ministry. God bless you now and in eternity. This issue completes another year of publication, and we look forward to beginning volume 29 of the Last Trumpet Newsletter next month. Our praying intercessors are always ready to give your prayer requests individual attention. Please remember to send in your renewal form if you want to receive the Last Trumpet Newsletter in 2010. We don't want you to miss a single issue. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

David J. Meyer

Acknowledgements

01. WorldNetDaily, Oct. 18, 2009, by Aaron Klein, http://www.wnd.com.
02. The Sunday Standard, Jun 27, 2004, The East African Standard.
03. http://volubrjotr.com/2009/10/16/.
04. NBC News, Nov. 6, 2009, by Robert A. George, Chicago, IL.
05. Associated Press, Nov. 6, 2009, by Jeff Carlton, Ft. Hood, TX.
06. The London Times, Nov. 6, 2009, by Giles Whittell, London, England, UK.
07. Judicial Watch Magazine, Sep. 2009, by Tom Fitton, Washington, D.C.
08. Politico, Nov. 6, 2009, by Erika Lovley, Washington, D.C.
09. The Washington Times, Oct. 29, 2009, by Kara Rowland, Washington, D.C.
10. Politico, Oct. 29, 2009, by Jonathan Allen, Washington, D.C. + Dow Jones Newswires, Oct. 29, 2009 by Martin Vaughan. martin.vaughan@dowjones.com
11. Associated Press, Nov. 7, 2009, by Erica Werner, Washington, D.C.
12. The Weekly Standard, Nov. 6, 2009, Washington, D.C.
13. Associated Press, Nov. 8, 2009, by David Espo, Washington, D.C.
14. GOP Leader Office, http://republicanleader.house.gov/blog/?p=666.
15. House Ways and Means Committee, Nov.7, 2009, official press release.
16. Dr. Mercola Report, http://articles.mercola.com.
17. Immunology Today, Oct. 13, 2009, restricted edition for medical practitioners only.
18. American Journal of Pharmacology, Oct. 2009.
19. The London Daily Mail, Oct. 29, 2009, by Fiona Macrae, London, England, UK.
20. CNNMoney.com, Oct. 14, 2009, by David Ellis, staff writer CNN.
21. Associated Press, Nov. 6, 2009, by Ieva Augstums & Marcy Gordon, Charlotte, NC.
22. Reuters News Service, Nov. 8, 2009, by Al Yoon, New York, NY.
23. NBC News Chicago, Oct. 30, 2009, by Steve Rhodes, Chicago, IL.
24. Politico, Oct. 22, 2009, by Manu Raju, Washington, D.C.
25. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oct. 29, 2009, by Joel Dresang, Milwaukee, WI.
26. Associated Press, Oct. 14, 2009, Shanghai, China.
27. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oct. 15, 2009, by Marcy Gordon, AP, Washington, D.C.
28. The London Daily Telegraph, Nov. 11, 2009, by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, London, England, U.K.
29. Reuters News Service, Nov. 9, 2009.
30. WorldNetDaily, Oct. 18, 2009, by Jerome R. Corsi, http://www.wnd.com.
31. The Sun, Oct. 1, 2009, by Graeme Wilson, London, England, U.K.
32. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. 31, 2009.
33. AFP News Service, Nov. 12, 2009.
34. AFP News Service, Nov. 11, 2009, by Marc Burleigh, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
35. The London Daily Mail, Nov. 11, 2009, by Claire Bates, London, England, U.K.

http://lasttrumpetministries.org
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FROM TRUTH TO MYSTICISM - BY GLOBAL DESIGN


By Berit KjosNovember 29, 2009
NewsWithViews.com

Giving thanks to an unknown "god"

"My own faith is rooted in the unshakable belief in God... and an awareness of a constant and holy spiritual presence in all people, all life, and all things."[1] Former vice president, Al Gore

"I am a Christian.... I believe that there are many paths to the same place.... I am a great admirer of our founding charter... and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root in this country.... I think Gandhi is a great example of a profoundly spiritual man who... never slipped into intolerance or dogma."[2] Former Senator, Barack Obama

“Lift us to the level of the universal…. Chant the names of the gods. Start with om: Om Krishna… Om Buddha…"[3] A United Religions worship service (UR was founded by an Anglican bishop)

"The Buddha said, ‘You are God yourself.’”[4] Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol

If you have read 1984 by George Orwell, you probably remember Big Brother's mind-changing creed:

"War is PEACE. Freedom is SLAVERY. Ignorance is STRENGTH."[5]

It illustrates the Soviet double-speak used to confuse, transform, and then unify a compliant mass of contented slaves. And now, seventy years after its publication, Orwellian double-speak is spreading this confusion faster than ever. In this upside-down world, wrong seems right, good is called evil, and lies are simply the new convenient truths. Since feelings count more than facts, illusion reigns, oppression spreads, Jihad is justified, and the Bible is banned!

The true God behind our national Thanksgiving celebrations doesn't conform to America's changing values. But other spiritual options are filling the gaps as they sweep across our land. Blinding eyes to His truth, they cloud history, and mock the faith that built honesty, truth, and integrity into America's foundation. Sad to say, that foundation is now crumbling fast. As God warned us,

"...when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them... [then] your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord your God. ...you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ ...if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods... you shall surely perish." Deuteronomy 8:10-19 [See Warnings]

THE RISE OF A GLOBAL SPIRITUALITY
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On September 17, 1995, I signed in at Mikhail Gorbachev's well guarded State of the World Conference as an official [amateur] reporter. I wanted a first-hand glimpse of the global plans for the 21st Century -- plans that helped build the foundation for today's rapid change.

This was clearly a global event. The former head of the Soviet Union had gathered "nearly 500 senior states-people, political leaders, spiritual leaders, scientists, intellectuals, business executives, artists and youth from 50 nations to begin a process of deliberation on the central question of what priorities, values and actions should guide humanity as it moves into the next phase of development."[6] As Gorbachev announced,

"From the outset I would like to suggest that we consider the establishment of a global Brain Trust [forget representative government] to focus on the present and future of our civilization ... this idea of a Brain Trust can only succeed if endorsed and actively pursued by people who are widely respected as world leaders and global citizens."[7]

The elite speakers and partners in this venture included the elder president George Bush, Carnegie Chairman David Hamburg, Ted Turner, Maurice Strong ( the New Age head of the UN's 1992 environmental conference in Rio de Janeiro), and Zbigniew Brzezinski, founder of the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller. Thirteen years later he became a foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama.

An elegant Baha'i singer in a flowing white gown set the spiritual tone with a prayer to her universal god: "O faithful One... O helping one... Source of all being..." The music was her own, she said -- given by the unknowable, compassionate god of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other spiritual avatars throughout time.

Her prayer-song fit the conference theme. As Mikhail Gorbachev observed during a dialogue on a new form of democracy,

"...there was no trace of the futile debate about what is better, capitalism or socialism.... We should seek a synthesis of ideas and values that have proven their viability..."[7]

That synthesis abolishes all Biblical absolutes. Again and again, the Communist leader and his hand-picked "council of the wise" or "global brain trust" told the assembly of more than 1000 guests and participants that a new set of inclusive universal values must replace the Judeo-Christian world view. Familiar terms must be redefined to fit the new global perspective, while the old beliefs and political systems must be abandoned.

Like many other speakers, New Age author Dr. Deepak Chopra repeated the call for synthesis in his evening plenary speech. He challenged his friendly listeners with this question:

"Can you step out of the river of your own conditioning...? For only then is there an opportunity to create... a new world. We cannot do it the way we have done it in the past. It is time to change the whole paradigm through which we view physical reality."[7]

Apparently, these esteemed visionaries had already made that paradigm shift. The conference left little doubt that the chosen speakers and enthusiastic audience viewed reality from a decidedly evolutionary/universalist perspective -- the kind that popular author Dan Brown promoted through his latest book on the philosophy behind Freemasonry and the mystical Noetic Sciences.

The spiritual leaders addressing the Forum taught either pantheism ("God" in all), universalism (all paths lead to the same ultimate reality), or monism (all is one) as the world's new spiritual foundation. Among them were New Age educator Willis Harman, Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy, Sonia Gandhi, and revered representatives of Vietnamese, Mongolian, and Cambodian Buddhism. Their input during panel discussion and roundtable sessions left no doubt that Biblical Christianity was marked for decay.

Astronomer Carl Sagan showed us pictures of our tiny blue planet in the midst of a vast galaxy in an infinite universe --- then scolded those who still viewed minuscule individuals as significant pieces of the cosmic puzzle.

Had they forgotten the horrors of collectivism -- and the environmental devastation -- spawned by the Communist ideology that Gorbachev never renounced?

MURDER, MYSTICISM AND IMMORALITY
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Sam Keen, author of "Fire in the Belly," gave the closing plenary message:

"...there was very strong agreement that religious institutions have to take primary responsibility for the population explosion.... Cut the population by 90 percent and there aren't enough people left to do a great deal of ecological damage."[7]

The applause was deafening!

Kill millions of people? How? What happened to love, compassion, and concern for the poor? These leaders had called for poverty programs, gun control, and global financial redistribution as if they wanted to save lives. Were these schemes simply a stepping stone toward global control? Did no one care about the individual lives behind the faceless masses?

As in the former Soviet Union, an ordinary person's life becomes worthless in this pragmatic context for global management! The illusive "common good" becomes little more than an Orwellian phrase that limits personal rights and freedom -- but promotes unrestrained immorality. Notice the way Keen rationalizes his values in these quotes from "Hymns to an Unknown God":

"Imagination allows us to sample in fantasy what is inexpedient or demonic to act out. Dionysus, the [Greek] god of excess and ecstasy [same as the Roman god Bacchus], rules supreme in dreamland.... An amoral imagination provides us with the experience in dreamtime of living 'beyond good and evil' that is necessary for the development of Compassion."[8]
That's what mysticism is all about! Experience -- the spiritual experience of an unknown god! A deceptive journey into the realm of demons where lies and licentiousness reign! Perhaps he doesn't realize that such captivating immoral "ideals" have eroded freedom and destroyed lives since the beginning of time.

It's not surprising that Christianity has aroused such hatred. God's Truth -- in contrast to amoral, feel-good myths -- is full of warnings that we ignore at our peril. For example,
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Genesis 6:5

THE SPREADING DARKNESS

The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's latest book includes a dialogue between Robert Langdon (the friendly protagonist) and Peter Solomon (his older friend and mentor, a respected professor, a 33rd degree Mason and the Supreme Worshipful Master). The two men are exploring the Masonic signs, symbols, and secrets hidden in the Washington Monument, an Egyptian obelisk. Notice how God's Word is twisted into a mystical icon of all religions.

“Robert, the Bible does not talk openly for the same reason the Ancient Mystery Schools were kept hidden.... for the same reason the neophytes had to be initiated before learning the secret teachings of the ages.... The Ancient Mysteries and the Bible are the same thing.'...

“Peter, the Bible and the Ancient Mysteries are total opposites. The mysteries are all about the god within you. . . man as god. The Bible is all about the God above you...'

“Yes! Exactly! ... The moment mankind separated himself from God, the true meaning of the Word was lost. The voices of the ancient masters have now been drowned out, lost in the chaotic din of self-proclaimed practitioners [probably pointing to Christians] shouting that they alone understand the Word....'

“We’ve lost the Word, and yet its true meaning is still within reach.... It exists in all the enduring texts, from the Bible to the Bhagavad-Gita to the Koran and beyond. All of these texts are revered upon the altars of Freemasonry because Masons understand what the world seems to have forgotten... that each of these texts, in its own way, is quietly whispering the exact same message.' Peter’s voice welled with emotion. ‘Know ye not that ye are gods?’...

"Peter lowered his voice to a whisper. 'The Buddha said, ‘You are God yourself.’ ... Even the first antipope—Hippolytus of Rome—quoted the same message, first uttered by the gnostic teacher Monoimus: ‘Abandon the search for God. . . instead, take yourself as the starting place.'...

“'A wise man once told me,' Peter said, his voice faint now, 'the only difference between you and God is that you have forgotten you are divine.'”[9]

This deception is the fulfillment of the serpent's promise in Genesis 3: "You will be like God." That has been the driving force within occult orders through the ages. Now it's coming out into the open.

One of the first public celebrities to proclaim this arrogant lie was New Age movie star Shirley MacLaine. "I am God," she shouted to the world back in the 1980s.

I met her at the end of Gorbachev's conference. She happened to walk by, and I asked her what she thought of the conference.

"It was good. It helped raise consciousness," she answered.

"But wouldn't it have raised more consciousness if one of the meals had just been rice instead of gourmet meats and elegant desserts?" I asked. After all, some speakers had emphasized global equality and concern for the poor.

She frowned. "People paid a lot of money to come here," she answered. "They deserved good food."

As George Orwell pointed out, some people in socialist collectives are meant to be "more equal than others!" In a totalitarian system, all the thanks must go to the state and/or its elite rulers -- "equal" or not!

ALL THE MORE, WE WILL THANK OUR GOD!

Both socialism and idolatry have a way of building a sense of entitlement: "I deserve it." But with God, it's different! We don't deserve any of His wonderful gifts! Yet His undeserved grace is available for all who will trust and follow Him!

"...thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ!" 2 Corinthians 2:14
[Order Berit's book Brave New Schools]


Endnotes
1, Al Gore, Earth in the Balance; Ecology and the Human Spirit (Houghton Mifflin, 1992), p. 265.



4, Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol ( Doubleday, 2009), p. 492.


6, Jim Garrison, President of the Gorbachev Foundation, Gorbachev's Plan For A United World.
7, Mikhail Gorbachev's State of the World Conference, September 17-21, 1995.

8, Sam Keen, Hymns to an Unknown God: Awakening the Spirit in Everyday Life (Bantam Book, 1994), pp.164, 82.

9, Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol ( Doubleday, 2009), pp. 491-492.


© 2009 Berit Kjos - All Rights Reserved
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3 Angels' Messages


6And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7Saying with a loud voice,
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

8And there followed another angel, saying,
Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

9And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name
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12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.



Revelation 14:6-12.


Still Think Swine Flu Is Not A Scam? ...

Still Think Swine Flu Is Not A Scam? Listen To CFR Members Plan Artificial Vaccine Scarcity And Admit Media Manipulation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImeSieEZDdU&feature=player_embeddedhttp://


A quote from this video
On October 16, 2009, a symposium of experts from various fields gathered at the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss the current developments of the alleged H1N1 pandemic. The symposium was held for many reasons, but was mostly to generate a consensus and to set policies for the health, media, academia and state and federal governments for the alleged governments for the alleges swine flu pandemic. At the heart of the discussion was how to get the American population to take the unpopular H1N1 vaccines. Related conspiracies: Council on Foreign Relations, H1N1, swine flu, vaccines

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Source: http://conspiracyrealitytv.com/still-think-swine-flu-is-not-a-scam-listen-to-cfr-members-plan-artificial-vaccine-scarcity-and-admit-media-manipulation/

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Protect rights of the disabled, urges Rhodes Scholar

Published: Monday November 23, 2009


André Wright, Night Editor



Jamaica's 2010 Rhodes Scholar, Alecia Johns, chats with committee secretary Peter Goldson after the announcement was made at King's House last Friday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer



The rights of disabled persons should be constitutionally enshrined to protect them from discrimination, Alecia Johns, the island's Rhodes Scholar for 2010, has argued.
Johns, 22, gained the nod for the scholarship last Friday ahead of seven other shortlisted candidates.

"The struggles of the disabled community are very real to me. I would love to see a lot of legal reform," Johns, a first-class honours-decorated final-year student at the University of the West Indies' Norman Manley Law School, told The Gleaner yesterday afternoon.

"I definitely have a passion for human rights and, particularly, working to champion the rights of the disabled. For example, the Constitution, as it is, does not prohibit using disability as grounds for discrimination.

"The Constitution states that we are not to discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, etc., but there is nothing to say one cannot discriminate because of a disability, and even in the newly proposed Charter of Rights, this hasn't been stated," added Johns, a Seventh-day Adventist, who has tutored disabled students. She also participates in Hands in Ministry, a church sign-language group, which caters to deaf congregants.

Fast thinker
The Rhodes Scholar, whose journey of academic excellence started at Wolmer's Preparatory and, later, Campion High, acknowledged that her love affair with law was honed in extra-curricular groups like debate clubs. In fact, she also credited her debating skills and the ability to think quickly on her feet for swaying the selection committee in her favour.

"His Excellency (Governor General Sir Patrick Allen) stated that the candidates were so close that it really came down to the speed of the responses, that was the tiebreaker. ... I attribute that to public speaking and debating."

Tough decision
Selection committee officials had also emphasised the candidates were almost inseparable.
"The candidates, generally, were very strong and very small in number," Peter Goldson, secretary of the Jamaica Rhodes Selection Committee, said on Friday. "They were close together, but the committee thought that Alecia Johns was the strongest candidate, and we really look forward to her going to Oxford University and doing well and making us proud."
Johns will read for the Bachelor of Civil Law, which is actually a master's degree, at Oxford in October 2010.

Rhodes Scholarships, issued mainly to citizens of some former British colonies, are awarded to elite candidates who have wracked up outstanding academic achievements. Strong moral character and an interest in social cases are indices which also play a major role. One Jamaican is awarded annually.

Johns, who has two sisters, has heaped praise on her parents, Patrick and Olive, for their insistence on making sure their girls were well schooled.

"My parents have definitely played an influential role in allowing me to reach this point," she said. "My parents have always been there for me, encouraging me to do well. It was just the right balance of encouragement, without undue pressure."

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P.S.
Further reading on 'key' words; Revelations:
1.Campion College, Jamaica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Campion College, is a co-educational Jesuit high school in Kingston, Jamaica. The school is known for its outstanding academic and sporting record. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campion_College,_Jamaica - Cached - Similar

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Edmund Campion
English Jesuit, martyr, d. 1581. Biographical article.www.newadvent.org › Catholic EncyclopediaE - Cached - Similar

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The Norman Manley Law School is named after the famed politician and lawyer, the late Hon. Norman Washington Manley Q.C. He was born in Jamaica on July 4, 1893, at Roxborough in Manchester. He attended Beckford and Smith High School and later Jamaica College where he distinguished himself as a scholar and athlete. In 1914 he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. He interrupted his studies to serve as a soldier in the First World War and was decorated with the Military Medal for bravery in action.
At Oxford University, he obtained the B.A. and B.C.L. degrees, the latter with First Class Honours. He obtained a Class 1 in the Bar Examinations and was awarded a Certificate of Honour. In the same year he was Prizeman at Gray's Inn. He was called to the Bar on April 21, 1921.
7===========8
Lastly, I believe this is how you transform a church. It worked for the Jews in Jesus' day when the religious authorities went to study in the schools (universities) of Alexandria, Egypt; They eventually Hellenized the church into a philosophical, rather than a Messianic church.
We see in this article above many parallels with "How the Greeks changed the Jewish Church".
Then, we may ask whether there are any Jesuits within the SDA Church?
What do you think?
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Adventist HealthCare Partners with Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to Provide Free H1N1 Vaccine for Expectant Mothers


November 25, 2009

News Release

Adventist HealthCare Partners with Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to Provide Free H1N1 Vaccine for Expectant Mothers


Nearly 500 pregnant women receive injectable H1N1 vaccine from Health & Wellness Team
Rockville, MD - Adventist HealthCare extended its "Help Stop the Flu" campaign this month by collaborating with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to provide free H1N1 vaccine to nearly 500 expectant mothers in the community.

The collaboration with the county is an extension of Adventist HealthCare's 2009 "Help Stop the Flu" campaign, which reminds the community to help stop the spread of the flu through preventative measures, such as vaccinations and hand-washing. Adventist HealthCare, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Washington Adventist Hospital have already vaccinated nearly 2,400 community members and will hold more seasonal and H1N1 clinics as the vaccines become available in the coming weeks.


Expectant mothers were given their free H1N1 vaccinations at three clinics this month. At the first clinic, 246 expectant mothers received the vaccine on November 4 in Silver Spring. At the second clinic, 205 expectant mothers and 30 children received vaccinations on November 12 at Adventist HealthCare's corporate offices in Rockville. Both clinics saw expectant mothers traveling from all parts of Montgomery County to receive the vaccination in order to protect themselves and their babies.


"It is extremely important that pregnant women receive the H1N1 vaccine as they are the highest priority group to receive it," said Judy Lichty, Regional Director of Health and Wellness for Adventist HealthCare. "It's an easy approach to keep both mother and baby healthy."


The H1N1 vaccine was also provided to pregnant women at a Nov. 9 community pediatric flu shot clinic, at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, where 55 children received the H1N1 vaccine.

"Adventist HealthCare's collaboration with Montgomery County helps us expand access to health care for the community, especially the underserved," said William G. "Bill" Robertson, President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare. "It is just one of many partnerships that helps us meet our mission to improve the health of people and communities by demonstrating God's care through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing."


Visit http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/health/programs/flu/index.aspx for information on seasonal and H1N1 vaccine availability.


Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery organization based in Rockville, Maryland, is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. The mission of Adventist HealthCare is to demonstrate God's care by improving the health of people and communities through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing. Adventist HealthCare includes Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Washington Adventist Hospital, Adventist Behavioral Health Services, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living Services, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Adventist Home Health Services, the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children, and LifeWork Strategies.

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Jazz Spiritual Lounge combines music and God

Lara Hickox / Alligator
Members of Campus Advent Lecelle Clarke and Sylvester Lionel perform at the organization’s first Jazz Lounge at the Orange & Brew on Monday night.


JOEY FLECHAS, Alligator Contributing Writer Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:35 am

Under the colored lights of the Orange & Brew stage, Nilson Ramirez told a crowd of about 50 that he still loved his second-grade teacher.

“If God chose tonight to bleach my life, she would still be the highlight of it,” he pined.

The UF junior recited a self-penned, semi-serious poem about love and education as part of UF Campus Advent’s first annual Spiritual Jazz Lounge.

Campus Advent is a student group associated with the Seventh-Day Adventist church.

According to master of ceremonies Paola Ortega, the show was about combining an open mic atmosphere and a God-centered message.

“We just wanted to have a way for people to express their God-given talents,” she said.

UF junior and Jazz Lounge organizer Lecelle Clarke said that as a huge fan of jazz and its artistic approach, she thought it would be a creative way of getting Campus Advent’s name out there.

Performers were recruited by a committee of Campus Advent members, with one criterion at the center of the process.

“It had to be a positive message,” Clarke said.

Ramirez recited two poems, the aforementioned ballad about his unrequited love for one Ms. De Leon and another about growing up with his mother’s caring love.

An a capella hymn, two Spanish guitar solos and a Gospel-infused saxophone solo kept the night moving, as audience members raised their hands and snapped their fingers to show their appreciation.

Ortega was happy that the night fit right in with the idea of Campus Advent.

“Our purpose is to minister and be able to reach out to students,” she said.

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Source: http://www.alligator.org/news/campus/article_32790d46-d8bb-11de-a1a9-001cc4c002e0.html

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P.S. Brew, Spiritual Jazz, God centered message = Laodicea.

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Shoving Match Ensues After Church Runs Out Of Turkeys


Organizers Of Turkey Giveaway Underestimate Crowd
POSTED: 2:33 pm EST November 25, 2009

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Police were called to a church-organized Thanksgiving turkey giveaway Wednesday after the church ran out of turkeys and a shoving match ensued.

More than 125 people waited in line to get a free turkey at the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

When church organizers realized there were not enough turkeys to go around, someone apparently cut in line and started a small fracas.

Reatha Smith, one of the church organizers, said with so many people out of work this year, they had a lot more people show up than expected.

"So we did the best we could and, what somebody (said) happened -- I didn't see it -- (was) somebody pushed somebody," Smith said.

Organizers threatened to shut it down if things didn't change.

No one was hurt and no arrests were made.

Copyright 2009 by WPBF.com.


Source: http://www.wpbf.com/news/21724817/detail.html

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Note: SDA church promoting the eating of flesh; in the latter days no less!

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Document Reveals U.N.'s Goal of Becoming Rule-Maker in Global Environmental Talks


Monday, November 30, 2009 By George Russell


Environmentalism should be regarded on the same level with religion "as the only compelling, value-based narrative available to humanity," according to a paper written two years ago to influence the future strategy of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), the world's would-be environmental watchdog.

The purpose of the paper, put together after an unpublicized day-long session in Switzerland by some of the world's top environmental bureaucrats: to argue for a new and unprecedented effort to move environmental concerns to "the center of political and economic decision-making" around the world — and perhaps not coincidentally, expand the influence and reach of UNEP at the tables of world power, as a rule-maker and potential supervisor of the New Environmental Order.

The positions argued in that paper now appear to be much closer at hand; many of them are embedded in a four-year strategy document for UNEP taking effect next year, in the immediate wake of the much-touted, 11-day Copenhagen conference on "climate change," which starts on Dec. 7, and which is intended to push environmental concerns to a new crescendo.

The major difference is that the four-year UNEP plan expresses its aims in the carefully soporific language that U.N. organizations customarily use to swaddle their objectives. The Swiss document makes its case passionately — and more important, plainly — than any U.N. official document ever would.

The ambitious paper, entitled "The UNEP That We Want," was the product of a select group of 20 top environmental bureaucrats and thinkers, including UNEP's current No. 2 official, Angela Cropper. The document was later delivered to UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
Other participants included Janos Pasztor, currently head of the team pushing U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's unprecedented Seal the Deal lobbying campaign to pressure U.N. member governments into signing a new environmental agreement at Copenhagen; Julia Marton-Lefevre, head of the World Conservation Union; Dominic Waughray, currently head of environmental initiatives at the World Economic Forum; and Maria Ivanova, a Bulgarian academic who is director of the Global Economic Governance Project at the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy.

Another important attendee was John Scanlon, listed on UNEP's website as principal advisor to UNEP's Steiner. Among other things, Scanlon is credited in his UNEP biography with being the leader in developing UNEP's new medium-term strategy, "Environment for Development," covering the period from 2010 to 2013. The draft version of the strategy was presented to a UNEP's Governing Council and a meeting of the world's environmental minister's in February 2008, and subsequently approved.

The Swiss paper was written not by Scanlon but by Mark Halle, the Europe-based director of trade and investment for an influential environmental think-tank, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), which originated in Canada and now operates in some 30 countries. IISD, which still has heavy Canadian government support, bills itself as a research institute promoting policies that are "simultaneously beneficial to the global economy, the global environment and to social well-being."

Even though all of the Swiss participants took part in the brainstorming, the responsibility for the ideas in the paper are his own, Halle emphasized to Fox News, after he was contacted last week about the document. The paper itself says it offers "elements," not a "complete offering," of what UNEP should consider for its role in the years ahead.

Despite those limitations, the report was "very well received" by UNEP's hierarchy, according to Halle, and "it has had a great impact internally." He added, "I have participated in several discussions and presentations of the ideas."

In fact, there is a high degree of overlap between the ideas pulled together at the small Swiss meeting of experts and the ideas that also appear in the new strategic plan for UNEP, a copy of which has been obtained by Fox News.

Those ideas are being espoused at a highly charged time. Both environmentalists and the entire United Nations, led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, are still fervently pressuring governments around the world to sign a legally binding and more global successor to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas suppression, which expires in 2012. At the moment, that deal appears likely to be delayed, at least until next spring, as some wealthy countries, including the U.S., balk at the high cost and potentially crippling economic impact of targets to reduce carbon emissions into the earth's atmosphere, even though President Barack Obama supports an ambitious Copenhagen deal.

But UNEP's strategic plan, as well as the IISD document that grew out of the Swiss gathering, look well beyond the horizon of Copenhagen in suggesting the outlines of the world's environment-centered future, to what the strategic plan calls "the next phase in the evolution of UNEP."

Among other things, both documents argue for:

—a "new and central position for environmentalism in the world's thinking," as the Swiss paper puts it. "The current environmental challenges and opportunities will cause the environment to move from often being considered as a marginal issue at the intergovernmental and national levels to the centre of political and economic decision-making," says the medium-term plan.

—a new position in the international power game for UNEP, reaching far beyond the member governments that currently finance its core budget and make up its normal supervisors. "It will have to make itself relevant well beyond the world of those already concerned with the environment, including very prominently its own formal constituency," as the Swiss paper puts it.

UNEP will "actively reach out to Governments, other United Nations entities, international institutions, multilateral environmental agreement secretariats, civil society, the private sector and other relevant partners to implement the Medium-term Strategy," says the UNEP document.

—a major restructuring of international institutions to merge environmental issues with economics as the central priority. "We require an Environmental Bretton Woods for the 21st Century," Halle argues — a reference to the meeting that laid the foundations of Western international finance and economic regulation after World War II. "The linkages between environmental sustainability and the economy will emerge as a key focus for public policymaking and a determinant of future markets opportunities," according to the UNEP strategic plan.

—new environmental rules, regulations and standards, and the linking of existing environmental agreements, in a stronger global lattice-work of environmental law, with stronger authority to command national governments. The Swiss paper calls it a series of "ambitious yet incremental adjustments" to international environmental governance. Indeed, the document says, UNEP's "role is to 'tee up' the next generation of such rules."

The UNEP four-year strategy puts it more obliquely, and only in a footnote on page 7 of the document: "UNEP will actively participate in the continuing international environmental governance discussions both within and outside the United Nations system, noting the repeated calls to strengthen UNEP, including its financial base, and the 'evolutionary nature of strengthening international environmental governance.'"

—an extensive propagandizing role for UNEP that reaches beyond its member governments and traditional environmental institutions to "children and youth" as well as business and political groups, to support UNEP strategic objectives.
As the Swiss paper puts it, UNEP "should pioneer a new style of work. This requires going beyond a narrow interpretation of UNEP's stakeholders as comprising its member states — or even the world's governments — and recruiting a far wider community of support, in civil society, the academic world and the private sector." At the same time the paper warns that these groups need to be "harnessed to the UNEP mission without appearing to make an end-run around the member governments."

The official four-year plan uses more restrained language in declaring that "civil society, including children and youth, and the private sector will be reached through tailor-made outreach products and campaigns.... Civil society will also be engaged to assist with UNEP outreach efforts." (The term "civil society," as used by the U.N., usually refers to organizations and associations that have received formal recognition from one branch or another of the sprawling world organization.)

—along with increased political leverage for UNEP, bringing increased financial leverage to its cause, once again by reaching beyond the national environmental ministries that traditionally are the organization's financial base to more powerful sectors of government as well as business and other interest groups that will see profit and advantage in the new, environment centered approach.

Says the Swiss paper: "UNEP must focus on priorities that meet two characteristics: they should appeal to the more powerful [government] ministers responsible for economic policy; and they should empower environmental ministers at the cabinet table. UNEP's message is not for environment ministers — the already converted.... It must aim higher."

As UNEP's four-year strategy more circumspectly puts it: "Mobilizing sufficient finance to meet environmental challenges, including climate change, extends well beyond global mechanisms negotiated under conventions. It will require efforts at local, national and global levels to engage with Governments and the private sector to achieve the necessary additional investment and financial flows."

As far as UNEP itself is concerned, the document says, the organization "will raise contributions from the private sector, foundations and non-environmental funding windows…Funds will also be drawn from humanitarian, crisis and peacebuilding instruments, where appropriate."

—Perhaps the most important function both documents see for the newly enhanced UNEP is to seek influence as the world's guiding arbiter of a new measurement of human development. "We believe the environmental argument should be recast in terms of its importance for and potential contribution to prosperity, stability and equity," the Swiss paper argues.

Or, more discreetly, as the strategy document puts it: "Integrated environmental assessments that highlight the state of the environment and trends will be used to inform decision-makers and ensure UNEP plays its lead environmental role in the United Nations system and strengthens its capacity to respond better to the global, regional and national needs of Governments."

According to Halle, however, in an e-mail exchange with Fox News, there are signs that the hugely ambitious role he and his fellow-thinkers sketched for UNEP as religion's main competitor are "beginning to happen." Halle pointed to UNEP's espousal this year of a so-called Green Economy Initiative, a proposal to radically redesign the global economy and transfer trillions of dollars in investment to the world's poorest developing countries, but one that is couched in terms of providing new green jobs, an end to old, unfair carbon-based energy subsidies, and greater global fairness and opportunity. Halle called the development "quite exciting."

The Green Economy Initiative, also called the Global Green New Deal, is a major counterpart to the new treaty on greenhouse gas suppression that all branches of the United Nations, and a horde of environmental organizations, are lobbying loudly to bring to agreement at the environmental summit in Copenhagen.

It is certain to remain a UNEP rallying cry long after the Copenhagen meeting is over — and while the other brainstorming ideas that went into the new four-year strategy, not to mention the strategy itself, go into effect.

George Russell is executive editor of Fox News.


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Seattle police call to suspect on loudspeaker

Last updated November 30, 2009 12:47 a.m. PT
Seattle police call to suspect on loudspeaker


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE -- A hostage negotiator is using a loudspeaker to urge a man sought in the coffee-shop slayings of four police officers to leave a Seattle house and give himself up.
Police shone spotlights on the house early Monday morning and used a loudspeaker to call directly to Maurice Clemmons. Authorities in the region have been seeking Clemmons in the Sunday morning shootings of four Lakewood officers, about 30 miles from the Seattle house.
The negotiator urged Clemmons to call 9-1-1 if he wanted to talk, and said officers were prepared to wait all night.
There was no audible response from the house. Police spokesman Jeff Kappel had earlier said police weren't sure anyone was in the house, and refused to comment on the negotiator's tactics.


Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_officers_shot_seattle.html

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Man and Religion a Synopsis


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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Chick fil-A Wins Customers ... by Closing

Tonight I heard a peculiar program on the radio; I only caught the tail end of the program; but, It was called ABC "Perspective". It was about the Ten Commandments, and I wanted to share it.
I looked on line for it, and found it on ABC Nightline. Great!
Here is what I heard:

Big Crowds With Christian Bent Camp Out Before Restaurants' Grand Openings

By VICKI MABREY and MARY MARSH
Sept. 23, 2009

Where's the new hottest place to be on Wednesday nights?



Avid following: Chick Fil-A fans in St. Petersburg, Fla., line up for a free meal before a new restaurant opens at the stroke of midnight. The celebratory campouts before Chick Fil-A openings evolved as customers hungry for chicken and fun started showing up earlier and earlier to take advantage of the chain's free meal deal. (Courtesy Chick Fil-A)More Photos


Judging by the size of a recent crowd in Dallas, it's parking lots. But not just any parking lots. The real action is on the asphalt outside soon-to-be opened Chick fil-A restaurants.

Four years ago, in order to get publicity for new Chick fil-A openings, the restaurant chain began offering a free chicken sandwich meal once a week for a year for the first 100 people through the door. As word of the grand openings spread, people started coming earlier and earlier for a place in line.

So, Wednesday mornings around 6 a.m., tents sprout up and lounge chairs appear, and for the next 24 hours, there's a party -- with lots of dancing, games and plenty of time for just hanging out.

Getting the coveted First in Line spot in Dallas was Paul Kingery of Norman, Okla.


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"We did a roundtrip from Norman, me and another couple," he said. "I don't know what it is. It's just like, let's do that. It's just a cool company. They're really nice to let us do this, we have a good time." That's more than 300 miles for this roundtrip. Kingery said he and his wife (No. 2 in line) would save $600 this year with the free meals. But while they appreciate the savings, he said, they go because of how they're treated at the restaurants.

"The chicken is great, but their values -- you say 'Thanks,' they say 'My pleasure,'" said Kingery. "I think that's cool."

Juan Sierra, a self-described "raving fan," had only travelled around the state of Texas for openings. But so far, he'd been to 41 of them across the Lone Star State.

At another opening in La Plata, Md., campers were eager to show off their comforts for the overnight.

"Check out my crib here," one told ABC News. "See, I've got my nice little chair here."

In the midst of the hubbub, one figure stands out. He is friendly, unassuming and, even though he's been to nearly 100 campouts, he's as excited to pitch his tent in the parking lot as any of the other campers.

"Hi, I'm Dan," he introduces himself to one group. "Can I get a picture with you?"

"Would you guys like to go take a little kitchen tour?" he asks another.

Dan is Dan Cathy, the president of Chick fil-A.


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Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/10Commandments/ten-commandments-sabbath-holy-chick-fila-closes-sundays/story?id=8570384
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FYI:The Sabbath is not Sun-day! It is Saturday.

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