Pages

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Patriot Act Senate showdown gets underway


Washington (CNN)The Senate reconvened on Sunday afternoon for a rare session in a last-ditch -- and increasingly improbable -- effort to renew provisions of the controversial Patriot Act that are aimed at fighting terrorism.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, vowed Saturday to "force the expiration of the (National Security Agency) illegal spy program" and Senate rules make it all but certain that he will succeed if he follows through on his pledge.
The showdown is largely centered on a key Patriot Act provision that allows the NSA to collect and store telephone metadata on millions of Americans. Paul says it's an example of government overreach.
"This is a debate over your right to be left alone," Paul said on the Senate floor on Sunday.
The fight comes just as the chief sponsors of the USA Freedom Act proclaimed on Sunday that they have the votes to pass that bill, which would effectively end the bulk data collection program.


Read more
.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

International: 48 organisations endorse a joint statement for the World Humanitarian Summit




02 March 2015




A large truck delivers aid to Syrians in Aleppo (Jesuit Refugee Service).


Relief services are time-sensitive. We cannot wait to act. All states, donors and aid agencies must follow core humanitarian standards to ensure that the millions affected by conflict across the world get the assistance and protection they need, when they need it.

Rome, 2 March 2015 – Together with organisations such as Christian Aid, Caritas International, the Islamic Relief Worldwide, and the International Rescue Committee, the Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) calls on humanitarian actors and states in conflict regions to "re-affirm their commitment to respect and to promote the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, towards any stakeholders involved in humanitarian crises."

JRS, alongside 47 other agencies, signed a joint statement in Hungary in late February to protect the fundamental right of those affected by conflict to access humanitarian aid. The NGOs developed the statement as part of the European consultations that will contribute to the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit hosted by the United Nations. The signatories recognise that "humanitarian action is driven by a sense of humanity, a willingness to relieve human suffering, regardless of culture, origins or religion."

Humanitarian aid operations are a matter of international solidarity, which should not threaten national sovereignty. Governments in conflict regions must not only provide national humanitarian support, they must also facilitate the work of others actors in the region to deliver humanitarian aid, the statement urges.

In many volatile and insecure environments, lines are blurred between military and political activities (i.e. counter-terrorism tactics) and humanitarian aid, making it difficult for aid agencies to operate. The joint statement insists that governmental and institutional funding must remain independent of political agendas. Furthermore, the NGOs call on conflict-affected states to "allow and support full unimpeded access to all people in need of assistance and promote the safety, protection and freedom of movement of humanitarian personnel."

"We are in the midst of some of the worst humanitarian crises since World War II: the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Syria. Reaching people quickly and effectively must to be our priority. We call on governments to cooperate with international humanitarian actors and to hasten the delivery of relief services," JRS International Director Peter Balleis SJ said.

"Relief services are time-sensitive. We cannot wait to act. All states, donors and aid agencies must follow core humanitarian standards to ensure that the millions affected by conflict across the world get the assistance and protection they need, when they need it."

Consequently, the support provided by outside actors must remain needs-based, rather than be used as a crisis management tool by donors. The aid agencies should abide by these humanitarian principles to remain accountable to those they serve. The signatories call on all international actors to "review and design all humanitarian policies in compliance with the humanitarian principles and enhance existing commitments for good donor practices such as the Good Humanitarian Donorship principles."

The World Humanitarian Summit next year aims to find innovative methods to approach humanitarian crises and reduce persons' vulnerability. Looking forward, Fr Balleis said "next year's World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul is the time to stress the importance of these humanitarian principles. Only then will we have a solid foundation from which to serve others."

Jacquelyn Pavilon, International Communications Assistant


Joint Statement on humanitarian principles endorsed by 48 humanitarian NGOs as a common contribution to the World Humanitarian Summit consultations as of 27 February.


Today, the humanitarian sector faces an unprecedented number of protracted and acute humanitarian crises, such as the crisis in Syria, in Central African Republic, in South Sudan or the regional Ebola crisis, compelling humanitarian actors to stretch existing structures and practices to breaking point. Considering the role the World Humanitarian Summit may play in the future of humanitarian action, it is of utmost importance that the international community uses this opportunity to reaffirm the shared value of humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

The humanitarian principles emerged from International Humanitarian Law and are based on a common understanding that humanitarian action is driven by a sense of humanity, a willingness to relieve human suffering, regardless of culture, origins or religion. They are encompassed within the core of key humanitarian references, such as the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief or the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.

NGOs are operating in exceptionally volatile and insecure environments where political agendas are interfering with the delivery of humanitarian aid, causing increased threats to the safety and security of humanitarian aid workers and assets, and in some situations hamper impartial access of affected population to relief operations. For example, the growing numbers of counter-terrorism laws and measures adopted by States and inter- governmental organizations are restricting humanitarian actor's ability to develop partnerships, run projects in complex environments, and are delaying programs implementation. The involvement of some donor states in stabilization operations in many contexts where humanitarian aid is needed, are increasingly blurring lines between political, military and humanitarian objectives, thus reducing humanitarian NGOS abilities to deliver aid. Therefore, due respect of the principles implies that governmental and institutional funding must remain detached from political or other agendas.

While affected states keep the primary responsibility to organize and deliver humanitarian support, they also have the fundamental duty to facilitate the work of other actors in situations when international solidarity is requested to answer the needs. Relief operations should not be considered as a challenge to State sovereignty nor the humanitarian imperative be undermined by making national sovereignty an excuse.

We concur that re-shaping aid is urgent with new actors and new donors playing bigger roles. Humanitarian aid must remain based on the needs as assessed by humanitarian actors and donors should abstain from using aid as a crisis management tool.

Consequently humanitarian NGOs, concerned about the threats posed on these principles, take the opportunity of the World Humanitarian Summit to strongly reassert their commitment to the humanitarian principles, as being critical in guaranteeing people in need will have safe access to humanitarian aid. The humanitarian principles must be fully supported and adequately implemented by states and all organizations, and systematically feed all policies and practices on humanitarian aid.

As humanitarian NGOs involved in crises around the world today, we strongly call upon Humanitarian actors, Donors, States and all parties involved in conflicts, to:
  • Re-affirm their commitment to respect and to promote the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, towards any stakeholders involved in humanitarian crises, and re-affirm the value of the humanitarian imperative;
  • Review and design all humanitarian policies in compliance with the humanitarian principles and enhance existing commitments for good donor practices such as the Good Humanitarian Donorship principles;
  • Reaffirm and protect the fundamental right for affected populations to access humanitarian aid;
  • Allow and support full unimpeded access to all people in need of assistance and promote the safety, protection and freedom of movement of humanitarian personnel.

We request that these recommendations be fully part of the outcomes of the World Humanitarian Summit.

Signatories

ACF International, ACT Alliance, ACTED, ADRA, Alianza por la Solidaridad, Arche noVa e.V., Bioforce, CARE International, Caritas Internationalis, CBM International, Center for Vicitms of Torture, ChildFund International, Christian Aid, Comitato Internazionale Sviluppo dei popoli (CISP), Concern Worldwide, DanChurchAid, Danish Refugee Council, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, Finnish Church Aid, Habitat For Humanity International, Handicap International, Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe, HelpAge International, International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Jesuit Refugee Service, Life for Relief and Development, Malteser International, MEDAIR, Médecins du Monde, Mercy Corps, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, People In Need, Premiere Urgence - Aide Medicale Internationale, Questscope for Social Development in the Middle East, Relief International, Secours Islamique France, Solidarites International, Terre des homes, The Lutheran World Federation, Tierarzte ohne Grenzen, Welthungerhilfe, World Vision International

Contacts
Camille Gosselin
cgosselin@handicap-international.org

Pauline Chetcuti
pchetcuti@actioncontrelafaim.org



Press Contact Information
James Stapleton
international.communications@jrs.net


Source
.
.

Jesus Return Is Very Near - More Evidence







Published on May 17, 2015
...........

On May 7, 2015, from 8-10 PM CT, Tim Saxton and Steve Wohlberg will appear LIVE on 3ABN discussing the signs of the times, the two beasts described in Revelation 13, the mark of the beast (see Revelation 13:16,17), and the nearness of earth's final events.

.

It’s a great sign of Christ’s soon coming



And here’s our dear brother running for president of the United States. What does it mean? The masses of the civilized world will soon find out. And so will you!



Dear SDA friends around the world, Read all the boxes in this letter, then come back here and we’ll talk about what’s happening

Faith: The verse talks about the seven last plagues filling up the wrath of God. And it talks about the triumph of those who have gotten the victory over the beast, its image, and its mark. So what does our brother Dr. Ben Carson, and atheists, and the Sunday law have to do with it? And how will it all affect us? 

Pastor Jan: Are you ready? Here we go -

Once upon a time there was an atheist driving down the road. There he goes. He didn’t know that he was on his way to hell - when he could be - if he came to dear Jesus - on his way to the joys of heaven. But what bothered him at that moment was the fact that he was becoming tired and exhausted from having to continually turn his eyes and head to look up into the sky every time someone came within sight, who, below the waste (waist), was wearing colored shrinkwrap. 
As the lost soul was wondering what to do, a church came into view. He had never been in one before. As he went zooming by it, he said - “The hypocrites. They wear shrinkwrap as much as atheists do! I know what I’ll do! The next church I come to, I’ll go in and have a talk with them.” 
By and by, there it was - a large church on the right. So he pulled into the parking lot, got out, walked up the front steps, opened the door, and went in. 
There he was - - in church - - for the first time in his life! Wondering what would happen now, he didn’t have long to wait. After a few seconds, a nice person came up wearing shrinkwrap and gold rings. The atheist said - “Did you know that everywhere you go, you are showing everyone the exact size and shape of your private part

Hope: Then what happened? 

Pastor Jan: There was a scream! While the atheist stood watching, the poor soul ran out and drove away. 

Hope: The atheist didn’t know what dear Jesus would have said, but do you think that his effort resulted in a revival and reformation of holiness, modesty, and purity? 

Pastor Jan: The Bible says, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” II Tim. 3:13. What does that mean? The meaning of it is all around us every day as a sign of Christ’s soon coming. Just today a lady who used to live in AR said that the governor [at that time] came to her area and spoke to the young people in the school. She said that many secret service men were with him, and that they parked in her yard, and ran over her flowers and crushed them. She said that after he left, horrible things happened in the school because he told the students - as young as the 3rd grade - that oral sex is not a sin. The fiend was trained by the highest Jesuits in Jesuit Georgetown University, and was helped by Jesuits in his work for the devil. This man revealed publicly on the radio that his wife communicates with demons in the form of people like Eleanor Roosevelt. I’ve already shown you a picture of the wife being blessed by a witch doctor. The man is now trying to help his wife to run for president of the United States. 

Charity: Who is this Jesuit-trained man and his wife? 

Pastor Jan: It’s a secret. 

Faith: Do you think that the situation with colored shrinkwrap is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy and a sign of Christ’s soon coming? 

Pastor Jan: Watch closely - “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths... Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.” Isa. 3:10-17. 
Notice the word, “discover.” Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary says that “discover” means, “To lay open to view; to disclose; to show; to make visible; to expose to view something before unseen or concealed.” Examples in the Bible are 1Samuel 14:8; & Prov. 25:9, which says, “Discover not a secret to another.” “The LORD will discover their secret parts.” Isa. 3:17. The RSV & the ASV say, “will lay bare.” 

Hope: Isa. 3:17 has been fulfilled! This fulfilled prophecy is too important to ignore! People today by the tens or hundreds of millions - especially in “Christian” nations of the world - are fulfilling it! It’s a great sign of Christ’s soon coming. Because of the devil’s shrinkwrap fashion, the Lord has discovered “their secret parts” to the view of everyone in the stores, in the schools, on the sidewalks, in the malls, in the yards, on the beaches, in the restaurants, in the parking lots, in the courthouse, in the offices, in the shops, and right in the churches themselves. Many of these dear people are not atheists like the poor lost man was, but are church members. The prophet said - “Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things.” GC 588. 

Charity: What other signs are happening now of the soon coming of Jesus in the sky? 

Pastor Jan: In my May letter, you saw Senator Sylvia Allen in the AZ Senate chamber - recorded by CNN - proposing a debate on a national Sunday law as a way to help our evil society. I described in detail the implications of what the senator said. I said that she - as a lawmaker - started a snowball rolling - slowly and small - but destined to pick up size and speed - never stopping - [though Senator Allen is now out of the picture] - until her suggestion is put into practice by papal controlled powers in America - while the foolish virgins laugh and sleep until the “mark of the beast” is finally enforced as an act of worship to the “beast” of Rev. 13.


.
.

Sen. Allen would make church mandatory. God help us.




EJ Montini, The Republic | azcentral.com11 a.m. MST March 26, 2015




EJ Montini: Our Father who art in heaven ... could you please take a moment and come down here?


(Photo: Rob Schumacher / The Republic)




Our Father who art in heaven ... could you take a moment out of your busy schedule and come down here, please?

We need You to explain a few things to Arizona state State Sen. Sylvia Allen.

(I know. You're shaking your head, aren't you? This might be too daunting a task even for YOU.)

Allen, as You know, is a Republican from Snowflake, a Tea Party favorite who wants to pretend Arizona is an independent country rather than a state, and who believes government should stay completely out of people lives -- unless she can use her position to help out a son-in-law who got into some hot water over behavior with some of the inmates he was guarding at a women's prison.

But that's another story.

Anyway, Big Guy, they were debating a gun bill at a legislative committee meeting at the State Capitol this week so, naturally, Allen brought up religion.

(In Arizona, complete lack of logic is natural. But, you know that, too)

This was one of those crazy bills in which lawmakers want people to be able to bring concealed weapons into public buildings. Allen got upset because a few people expressed common sense opposition to the idea. Lawmakers here cannot abide common sense.

Allen said, "Probably we should be debating a bill requiring every American to attend a church of their choice on Sunday to see if we can get back to having a moral rebirth," adding "that would never be allowed."

She hinted that guns in public buildings might be necessary until there is a moral rebirth.

(I couldn't find anything about that in the New Testament, but I'm no biblical scholar.)

"I believe what's happening to our country is that there's a moral erosion of the soul of America," she said.

Allen later told the Arizona Capitol Times that she wished things were more like they were in the 1950s.

(Again, I know what you're thinking: Civil rights problems. Women's rights problems. Voting rights problems. Segregated schools.)

Allen told the Times, "People prayed, people went to church. I remember on Sundays the stores were closed. The biggest thing is religion was kicked out of our public places, out of our schools."

I'm not sure that even a Supreme Being such as yourself could get through to the lesser beings in the Arizona Legislature, but perhaps You could take a moment and explain to them the Constitutional reason for a separation between church and state. And perhaps explain as well that religion and morality are not something that comes from public schools, but from our faiths, our families and, ultimately, ourselves.

I'm not one for mixing religious faith with newspaper work, but I say this with both exasperation and solicitation:

God help us.



Source
.

Friday, May 29, 2015

JFK on Secrecy


The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings… Our way of life is under attack. Those who make themselves our enemy are advancing around the globe… 
no war ever posed a greater threat to our security. If you are awaiting a finding of “clear and present danger,” then I can only saythat the danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent…
For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence–on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day.It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed.”

John F Kennedy, 35th President of the United States.

.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert Indicted For Lying To The FBI, Evading Currency Transaction Reports



Matt Vespa | May 28, 2015







Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has landed himself in hot water with federal authorities for lying to them about cash transactions that were being made to someone blackmailing him (via Chicago Tribune):


Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has been indicted on federal charges alleging he agreed to pay $3.5 million in apparent hush money to a longtime acquaintance blackmailing him, then lied to the FBI when asked about suspicious cash withdrawals from several banks, federal prosecutors said.
The stunning indictment of the longtime Republican powerhouse alleged he gave about $1.7 million in cash to the acquaintance, identified only as Individual A in the charges, to “compensate for and conceal (Hastert’s) prior misconduct” against Individual A that had occurred years earlier.
Hastert, a former high school teacher, served eight years as House speaker and has been working as a lobbyist in Washington since stepping down from office in 2008.
Hastert, 73, of Plano, was charged with one count each of structuring currency transactions to evade Currency Transaction Reports and making a false statement to the FBI, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He will be arraigned later at U.S. District Court in downtown Chicago.
According to the seven-page indictment, Hastert withdrew a total of $1.7 million in cash from various bank accounts between 2010 and 2014 to give to Individual A. In December, Hastert began structuring the cash withdrawals in increments less than $10,000 to evade bank reporting requirements, the indictment said.
When questioned by the FBI about the withdrawals, Hastert lied and said the cash was for his own use, according to the charges.
“Yeah, I kept the cash. That’s what I’m doing,” the indictment quoted Hastert as telling agents.

You can read the indictment here.



Source
.
,

THE TWO BEASTS - America, The Papacy and World Domination







Published on May 28, 2015


Full creadit to evenatthedoors: https://www.youtube.com/user/EvenAtTh...

The two beast kingdoms continue to scheme for world domination.

.

Rick Santorum 2016 Presidential Announcement Speech!








Published on May 27, 2015

Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) announced his intention to seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Republican Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania, announced Wednesday that he is running for president.

"Working families don't need another president tied to big government or big money," he said in Cabot, Pa.. "And today is the day we're going to begin to fight back."

Santorum, who appeals to his party's social conservatives, won the Iowa caucuses in 2012 and, donning his trademark sweater vest, challenged eventual GOP nominee Mitt Romney in several other states.

Santorum enters an already-crowded Republican field. According to Real Clear Politics' most-recent average of polls, he is in 10th place among his party's presidential hopefuls. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has a slight lead over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who are tied for second place. Most major polls show them all trailing Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Rick Santorum Launches Second White House Bid

Republican former senator seeks to appeal as a champion of the working class
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum formally launched his second presidential campaign on Wednesday, attempting to bolster his reputation as a social-issues warrior with an appeal as a champion of the working class.
“I am proud to stand here among you and for you, the American workers who have sacrificed so much, to announce that I am running for president,” Mr. Santorum said at his launch event in Cabot, Pa.

He criticized big government, pledged to roll back regulations seen as hurting industry, and promised to offer a “clear and conservative” vision for America.


Mr. Santorum, who opened the speech with a piece of coal in one hand and an American flag in the other, hopes that reaching out to lower-income Americans—combined with his base of support among evangelical Christians and the party’s most conservative voters—will propel him ahead of better-funded candidates with establishment backing.

The strategy builds on his 2012 bid as a lunch-bucket conservative with a populist economic tone and a focus on social issues, an image that appealed to voters who felt eventual nominee Mitt Romney was insufficiently conservative.

“There’s a real opportunity for a candidate to come forward with a plan that’s going to provide upward mobility for everybody and unite the country in a way that we haven’t seen in a long time,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” last month.
Republicans, Mr. Santorum says, must improve their standing among the roughly 70% of Americans without a college degree—voters who feel the party has turned its back on them.

At a gathering of social conservatives in June 2014, he criticized fellow Republicans for heeding the interests of corporations and Wall Street at the expense of “average working Americans.”

Mr. Santorum has called for an overhaul of the tax code to encourage “working, saving and giving while discouraging overconsumption,” and for eliminating corporate income taxes for U.S. manufacturers.
.
.

Heavy rains, flooding forcing snakes to seek higher ground in Arkansas



Heavy rains, flooding forcing snakes to seek higher ground in Arkansas- KATV 


Posted: May 27, 2015 11:44 PM EDT

Updated: May 27, 2015 11:44 PM EDT

By Matt Mershon, Reporter



LITTLE ROCK (KATV) -Emergency rooms, even veterinarians' offices are reporting more and more snake bites. Recent heavy rains in Arkansas are the apparent cause of the problem. Snakes and other animals are seeking higher ground as flooding ensues.

Not only have heavy rains either flooded and washed away the natural habitats for Arkansas native snakes, making snakes seek shelter elsewhere, much of the snake's food supply is on the run as well due to the high waters.

“If the rats and mice and other small animals that they feed on have moved out, they're following that prey source,” said Neil Curry, facility director at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center.

Curry said most of the snakes people will end up encountering are probably harmless, but both venomous and non-venomous can and will bite if provoked.

Out of 36 species of snakes in Arkansas, only six of those species are classified as venomous. The way, although not easy, to tell the difference is that non-venomous snakes tend to have more rounded features – rounded head and pupil. A venomous snake tends to have more slit-like eyes and more rigid head.

The most common venomous snake in Arkansas is the copperhead. The cottonmouth snake, commonly referred to as a water moccasin, is the only venomous water snake.

There are three rattlesnakes common to Arkansas – the Western Diamond Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake and the Western Pigmy Rattlesnake. The last venomous snake is the Texas Coral Snake.

“If it's red, yellow and black, you don't want to mess with it,” commented Curry regarding the Coral snake. Two snakes native to Arkansas mimic the Coral snake, but are not actually venomous.

Keeping a well-groomed lawn and making sure brush piles are cleared away give snakes less room to hide. If cleaning up brush, be sure to do it with a rake first to potentially dislodge any unwanted creatures seeking shelter.

As warmer temperatures approach, the inclination to wear sandals, flip-flops or just be plain barefoot isn't a great idea if snakes are lurking.

“A study pair of boots can make a big difference,” said Curry.

Snake bites, regardless of being poisonous, can still hurt and be dangerous. If not treated properly, snake bites from non-venomous snakes can become infected.

“Soap and water and remain calm,” recounted Curry as two things to do post-snake bite. “We always say get your car keys, get to the doctor, have it checked out and they'll take appropriate action if it is determined that it's a venomous snake,”

Rule of thumb is if you see a snake and don't know what type of snake it is – just leave it alone. Snakes try to avoid people.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says they can identify pictures of snakes. You can upload a picture to the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center for identification directly to their Facebook page or by messaging them by clicking here.



---

P.S.

Moral of this story - ⬆

Animals know when to head for the hills...
.
.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Rubio: Catechism May Be Branded 'Hate Speech'

Rubio: Catechism May Be Branded 'Hate Speech'





Contact: Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, 212-371-3191, pr@catholicleague.org

NEW YORK, May 27, 2015 /Standard Newswire/ -- Bill Donohue comments on remarks made by Sen. Marco Rubio:


Sen. Rubio told Rev. Pat Robertson that anyone who supports traditional marriage is being labeled "a homophobe and a hater." He said "the next step is to argue that the teachings of mainstream Christianity, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is hate speech...."


Rubio does not exaggerate. As if to prove him right, he was immediately branded as "anti-gay" by People for the American Way. Mediaite also sounded the alarm.

Gay organizations and publications that routinely brand traditional marriage advocates as bigots include the Human Rights Campaign, GayStarNews, the Advocate, lgbtqnation, Towleroad, and GLAAD. Non-gay groups that do the same include Media Matters, Salon, Huffington Post, and Think Progress. The Southern Poverty Law Center is the most irresponsible: an entity that believes in marriage as a union between a man and a woman runs the risk of being called an "anti-gay hate group."

The lunacy never ends. Last year, a traditional marriage conference at Stanford University was condemned as "anti-gay." Moreover, just staging the event was enough to provoke warnings that it might occasion a "significant increase in suicide" among homosexuals. Two years ago, the CEO of Starbucks said that if anyone didn't like his company's pro-gay marriage policy, "you can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company." He said this while saying Starbucks wants to "embrace diversity of all kinds." Save for diversity of thought.

Rubio is right to warn that we are getting to the point where the Catholic Catechism will be condemned by the high priests of tolerance for its alleged hate speech on sexuality. Our side needs to respond with vigor. The Gaystapo is on the move.

Contact Rubio's presidential website: contact@marcorubio.com



Source:  http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/9204410302.html

.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

NATO chief reacts to Russian surprise military exercises:


 


CBS27 May 2015 | 00:44 | FOCUS News Agency



Picture: AFPWashington. 


NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CBS News he does not see any immediate threat against any of the 28 nations that make up the largest peacetime alliance in the world, despite Russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine and unannounced military exercises near member states' airspace.
"We urge Russia not to...do these kinds of snap exercises. Every nation has the right to exercise its forces, also Russia, but they should do it in a more transparent and predictable way to avoid any misunderstandings," Secretary-General Stoltenberg to CBS News Chief White House correspondent Major Garrett.

© 2015 All rights reserved. Citing Focus Information Agency is mandatory!

Source
.
.

IRS says data thieves accessed information on 100,000 taxpayers




CYBER CRIME



6:53 p.m. ET





Joe Raedle/Getty Images


From February to May, data thieves were able to gain access to the tax return information for roughly 100,000 taxpayers, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Tuesday.

During those four months, the thieves attempted to get information 200,000 times through the agency's "Get Transcript" online application, Reuters reports, and were successful about half of the time. It wasn't a hack, since the cyber criminals already had names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and other personal information that they used to access the system. IRS data outside of the application was not affected, and the agency said it plans to strengthen its security measures.

Koskinen did not share any information on who might have been behind the attack, and said the data theft was intended to steal information in order to submit fraudulent tax returns next year. "We're confident these are not amateurs," he said. "These are actually organized crime syndicates that not only we but everyone in the financial industry are dealing with." Catherine Garcia

Source
.
.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Fighter Jets Scramble Following at Least 6 Threats to Planes

 
By MEGHAN KENEALLY (@mkeneally) and JOSH MARGOLIN (@JoshMargolin)

May 25, 2015


At least six flights were impacted by threats at airports in New York, New Jersey and Boston today, according to airlines and law enforcement.


JFK Airport:

An Air France plane was escorted to JFK Airport in New York City this morning after an anonymous threat was made against the flight, law enforcement officials told ABC News. The FBI said the plane has since been checked and cleared with "no incidents or hazards reported on board the flight by either the passengers or its crew."
Authorities said that the decision to have the plane escorted by two fighter jets was done "out of an abundance of caution" after the Maryland State Police McHenry Barrack, in Garrett County, received an anonymous call of a “chemical weapons threat” aboard Air France Flight 22, which was en route from Paris to the New York City airport.

The tip was called in at 6:45 a.m. on an untraceable line and the caller did not identify himself, a senior federal official told ABC News. Two F-15 planes were scrambled and followed the plane into U.S. airspace, but they flew in a way so that the passengers and crew would not be able to see the military planes, sources said.
The Airbus A-330 has since landed and was taken between two runways and locked down while the threat is investigated. A police dispatch that was sent out after the jets were scrambled noted that the area where the plane was taken is generally known as the "hijack site" because it is the area used in such scenarios. During an initial investigation, nothing dangerous has been found on board, the federal official told ABC News.

A Saudi Airlines flight from Saudi Arabia was also escorted to a remote area at JFK. It was cleared and passengers were brought back to the terminal, officials said.
For an American Airlines flight from Birmingham, England, to JFK, the pilot was initially instructed to taxi to a remote area, but the threat was determined not credible and the plane was cleared to go to the terminal.


Newark Airport:

Two flights to Newark, New Jersey, were also affected -- a Delta Air Lines flight from London and a United Airlines flight from Madrid, authorities said.


Logan Airport:

A threat also turned up negative for a Delta flight from Paris to Logan Airport in Boston, authorities said.  


Source

.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

One World Trade Center - A Stamp Of The Illuminati





Published on May 10, 2013

Support independent media by contributing to the PFT Fundraiser: http://www.gofundme.com/2sghd4
or
Donate through Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...

The "One World" Trade Center has achieved a milestone today as it has reached the symbolic height of 1,776 feet. Is there a correlation between the ancient order of the Illuminati, or is this merely symbolic of the year of America's independence?

Spire permanently installed on WTC tower:
http://www.wral.com/spire-being-perma...

Watch the Toronto Hearings on 911:
http://www.pressfortruth.ca/911-exten...

Get the Toronto Hearings on 911 on DVD:
http://www.pressfortruth.ca/pft-shop/...

For over 7 years now Press For Truth has been working tirelessly to bring you groundbreaking documentary films and hard hitting video reports. I've produced 5 documentary films in that time ("The Nation's Deathbed", "United We Fall", "Into The Fire", "The Toronto Hearings on 911" and "The Turning Point") with my 6th film about food and organic farming on the way. In January of 2012 I launched http://pressfortruth.tv/ where I produce video reports on a daily basis from Monday to Friday in an effort to be a true contender who is capable of countering the propaganda that we receive from the mainstream media. But it certainly has not been easy considering that I am completely independent with no funding from any outside sources. I rely entirely on the support from our viewers through DVD sales, donations and http://pressfortruth.tv/memberships. Over the years I have been providing a service that many Canadians and others around the world have come to love and appreciate, however the only way I'll be able to continue is if I receive some much needed financial support from the PFT viewers. And that is why I'm launching a fundraising campaign called the "Press For Truth Moneybomb" in the hope that I will be able to continue to work for you by covering important events and producing videos and films that expose the global elite and their agenda for a new world order. So today I would ask that you please consider making a donation to the PFT fundraiser so that I can continue to Press For Truth!
Your donations will help me to produce a new groundbreaking documentary, to cover Bilderberg 2013 and to be able to continue to provide video reports on a daily basis at Press For Truth.

Donations can be made in many ways. If you use debit cards, credit cards or paypal then you can make a contribution through either this link:
http://www.gofundme.com/2sghd4 or directly through Paypal at this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
(which saves me from giving "gofundme" 5% of each donation I receive)

If you do not use either of those services you can always send funds directly from your bank via an etransfer to dan@pressfortruth.ca (which is ideal because it saves me from having to pay a percentage of your donation to either "gofundme" or "paypal")

The other option is to send either cash, check or international money order made out to:
Dan Dicks
P.O. Box 125 Station B
Toronto, Ont, M5T 2T3

I will continue to work day in and day out to the best of my ability to provide this necessary service to Canadians and others around the world. I've sacrificed many things and have dedicated my life to Press For Truth in an effort to make this world a better place...but I can't do it without you, so please consider making a contribution to the movement by donating to the PFT fundraiser!

When it comes to investigative journalism and documentary film making Press For Truth has emerged as one of Canada's leading groups who are on the front lines of fighting the new world order. You can support Press For Truth and help us continue to do this work by contributing to the Press For Truth fundraiser:
Support independent media by contributing to the PFT Fundraiser: http://www.gofundme.com/2sghd4
or
Donate through Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...

PFT DVDs and Merch:
http://www.pressfortruth.ca/category/...

http://www.facebook.com/PressForTruth
http://www.youtube.com/weavingspider
https://twitter.com/PressForTruth
http://twitter.com/#!/DanDicksPFT
.
.

Pope’s Focus on Poor Revives Scorned Theology



EUROPE


MAY 23, 2015



Archbishop Óscar Romero, assassinated in 1980, was beatified on Saturday in San Salvador after many years of stalling by conservative Catholic officials. CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times


VATICAN CITY — Six months after becoming the first Latin American pontiff, Pope Francis invited an octogenarian priest from Peru for a private chat at his Vatican residence. Not listed on the pope’s schedule, news of the September 2013 meeting with the priest, Gustavo Gutiérrez, quickly leaked out — and was just as quickly interpreted as a defining shift in the Roman Catholic Church.

Father Gutiérrez is a founder of liberation theology, the Latin American movement embracing the poor and calling for social change, which conservatives once scorned as overtly Marxist and the Vatican treated with hostility.

Now, Father Gutiérrez is a respected Vatican visitor, and his writings have been praised in the official Vatican newspaper. Francis has brought other Latin American priests back into favor and often uses language about the poor that has echoes of liberation theology.


RELATED COVERAGE






And then came Saturday, when throngs packed San Salvador for the beatification ceremony of the murdered Salvadoran archbishop Óscar Romero, leaving him one step from sainthood.


Salvadoran followers of Archbishop Romero, who focused on marginalized communities, visited Carmen Ayala Lopez, 80. CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times



The first pope from the developing world, Francis has placed the poor at the center of his papacy. In doing so, he is directly engaging with a theological movement that once sharply divided Catholics and was distrusted by his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Even Francis, as a young Jesuit leader in Argentina, had qualms.

Now, Francis speaks of creating “a poor church for the poor” and is seeking to position Catholicism closer to the masses — a spiritual mission that comes as he is also trying to revive the church in Latin America, where it has steadily lost ground to evangelical congregations.

For years, Vatican critics of liberation theology and conservative Latin American bishops helped stall the canonization process for Archbishop Romero, even though many Catholics in the region regard him as a towering moral figure: an outspoken critic of social injustice and political repression who was assassinated during Mass in 1980. Francis broke the stalemate.

“It is very important,” Father Gutiérrez said. “Somebody who is assassinated for this commitment to his people will illuminate many things in Latin America.”

The beatification is the prelude to what is likely to be a defining period of Francis’ papacy, with trips to South America, Cuba and the United States; the release of a much-awaited encyclical on environmental degradationand the poor; and a meeting in Rome to determine whether and how the church will change its approach to issues like homosexuality, contraception and divorce.

By advancing the campaign for Archbishop Romero’s sainthood, Francis is sending a signal that the allegiance of his church is to the poor, who once saw some bishops as more aligned with discredited governments, many analysts say. Indeed, Archbishop Romero was regarded as a popular saintin El Salvador even as the Vatican blocked his canonization process.

“It is not liberation theology that is being rehabilitated,” said Michael E. Lee, an associate professor of theology at Fordham University who has written extensively about liberation theology. “It is the church that is being rehabilitated.”

Liberation theory includes a critique of the structural causes of poverty and a call for the church and the poor to organize for social change. Mr. Lee said it was a broad school of thought: Movements differed in different countries, with some more political in nature and others less so. The broader movement emerged after a major meeting of Latin American bishops in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968 and was rooted in the belief that the plight of the poor should be central to interpreting the Bible and to the Christian mission.

But with the Cold War in full force, some critics denounced liberation theology as Marxist, and a conservative backlash quickly followed. At the Vatican, John Paul II, the Polish pope who would later be credited for helping topple the Soviet Union, became suspicious of the political elements of the new Latin American movements.

“All that rhetoric made the Vatican very nervous,” said Ivan Petrella, an Argentine lawmaker and scholar of liberation theology. “If you were coming from behind the Iron Curtain, you could smell some communism in there.”

John Paul reacted by appointing conservative bishops in Latin America and by supporting conservative Catholic groups such as Opus Dei and the Legionaries of Christ, which opposed liberation theology. In the 1980s, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — later to become Pope Benedict XVI, but then the Vatican’s enforcer of doctrine — issued two statements on liberation theology. The first was very critical, but the second was milder, leading some analysts to wonder if the Vatican was easing up.

From his 1973 appointment as head of the Jesuits in Argentina, Francis, then 36 and known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was viewed as deeply concerned with the poor. But religious figures who knew him then say Francis, like much of Argentina’s Catholic establishment, thought liberation theology was too political. Critics also blamed him for failing to prevent the kidnapping and torture of two priests sympathetic to liberation theology.

Some in the church hierarchy considered Francis divisive and autocratic in his 15 years leading the Jesuits. The church authorities sent him into what amounted to stretches of exile, first in Germany and then in Córdoba, Argentina, a period in which he later described having “a time of great interior crisis.”

He practiced spiritual exercises and changed his leadership style to involve greater dialogue. When he was named archbishop of Buenos Aires, his focus became those left behind by Argentina’s economic upheaval.

“With the end of the Cold War, he began to see that liberation theology was not synonymous with Marxism, as many conservatives had claimed,” said Paul Vallely, author of “Pope Francis: Untying the Knots.” Argentina’s financial crisis in the early years of the 21st century also shaped his views, as he “began to see that economic systems, not just individuals, could be sinful,” Mr. Vallely added.

Since becoming pope, Francis has expressed strong criticism of capitalism, acknowledging that globalization has lifted many people from poverty but saying it has also created great disparities and “condemned many others to hunger.” He has warned, “Without a solution to the problems of the poor, we cannot resolve the problems of the world.”

In Argentina, some critics are unconvinced that Francis’ outspokenness about the poor represents an embrace of liberation theology. “He never took the reins of liberation theology because it’s radical,” said Rubén Rufino Dri, who worked in the late 1960s and 1970s with a group of priests active in the slums of Buenos Aires.

To him, Francis’ decision to expedite Archbishop Romero’s beatification was a political one, part of what Mr. Rufino Dri views as a “superficial transformation” of the Catholic Church as it competes in Latin America with secularism as well as other branches of Christianity.

“It’s a populist maneuver by a great politician,” he said.

Others offered a more nuanced view. José María di Paola, 53, a priest who is close to Francis and once worked with him among the poor of Buenos Aires, said the beatification reflected a broader push by Francis to reduce the Vatican’s focus on Europe. “It’s part of a process to bring an end to the church’s Eurocentric interpretation of the world and have a more Latin American viewpoint,” he said.

Father di Paola added that while Francis had never proposed evangelizing under the banner of liberation theology during his time in Argentina, his commitment to the poor should not be questioned. “Francis’ passage through the slums of the capital influenced him later as a bishop and pope,” he said. “Experiencing the life values of the poor transformed his heart.”

As pope, Francis has expanded the roles of centrists sympathetic to liberation theology, such as Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras, in contrast to the clout once wielded in Latin America by conservative cardinals like Alfonso López Trujillo of Colombia, who died in 2008.

“Trujillo represented the thinking that liberation theology was a Trojan horse in which communism would enter the church, something that is finally coming undone with Pope Francis,” said Leonardo Boff, 76, a prominent Brazilian theologian who has written on liberation theology.

Many analysts note that John Paul and Benedict never outright denounced liberation theology and slowly started to pivot in their views. In 2012, Benedict reopened Archbishop Romero’s beatification case. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, a staunch conservative who heads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s enforcer of doctrine, became a proponent of liberation theology after working in Peru, where he met Father Gutiérrez. The two men have since written books together.

“There was no rehabilitation because there was never a ‘dehabilitation,’ ” Father Gutiérrez said, contesting the idea that liberation theology was ever cast out of the church. “In past years, there was talk of condemnation, and people believed it. What there was was a critical dialogue, which had difficult moments but which really was clarified over time.”

Francis often urges believers to act on behalf of the poor, saying if they do, they will be transformed. For those who knew Archbishop Romero in El Salvador, this transformation was notable. Once considered a conservative, he began to change in the mid-1970s, when he was the bishop of a rural diocese where government soldiers had massacred peasants. Shortly after he became archbishop of San Salvador, he was horrified when a close friend, a Jesuit priest, was murdered, and he soon began to speak out against government terror and repression.

“He began to surprise people,” said Jon Sobrino, a prominent liberation theologian who became close to Archbishop Romero and credited his transformation to his embrace of the poor

“They made him be different, be more radical, like Jesus,” Father Sobrino said. “He drew near to them, and they approached him, asking for help in their suffering. That was what changed him.”

In 2007, Father Sobrino had his own clash with the Vatican when the doctrinal office disputed some of his writings. He refused to alter them and described the freeze on Archbishop Romero’s beatification as Vatican hostility.

“It has taken a new pope to change the situation,” he said.


Jim Yardley reported from Vatican City, and Simon Romero from Rio de Janeiro. Elisabeth Malkin and Gene Palumbo contributed reporting from San Salvador, and Jonathan Gilbert from Buenos Aires.



.

Coming to America II



  • Pope Francis is set to arrive in Washington, D.C., on the evening of Sept. 22. He will visit the White House the following morning, celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass will be primarily for bishops, consecrated and religious men and women, seminarians and representatives from humanitarian and Catholic charitable organizations. Francis will then address a joint meeting of Congress.
  • Francis arrives in New York on Sept. 24. He will address the U.N. general assembly. According to Auza, Francis is scheduled to attend an "interethnic meeting" with a diverse representation of New York residents. He is also expected to visit Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York.
  • Francis arrives in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 26, for the Festival of Families. According to Catholic News Agency, it's likely the pope will visit a children's hospital or juvenile prison. He will  celebrate papal mass on Sunday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway outside the Philadelphia Art Museum. Some 2 million people are expected to attend. It has not been announced if a ticketing system or reserved seating will be in place for the mass.



Source of Visit schedule:
.
.

America, listen to Pope Francis this summer



Letters to the editor11:05 p.m. CDT May 19, 2015





(Photo: TIZIANA FABI / AFP/Getty Images)


EDITOR: This coming September, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church is coming to the United States to participate in three major events: to Philadelphia for an international conference on the family; to Washington, D.C. to address a joint session of Congress and visit the White House; and to New York to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. And before all of the above, a pilgrimage to Cuba.

From the disintegration of the family to planetary warfare, the pope will have much to say. Perhaps his fundamental theme will be what he calls the "globalization of indifference," our need to extend divine mercy to human persons who have been marginalized, kept in poverty by the marketing mechanisms of planetary capitalism.

Before the pope's arrival in the U.S., we will have an opportunity to read an apostolic letter on the global environs we share with one another, in which our lives are so deeply embedded. Often going by the words "global warming" and "climate change," this document, the product of much study, is presently in the hands of translators and printers, to be distributed in June.

Many of us have waited decades for this kind of prophetic papacy, its impact just beginning to be felt in our daily lives.

Ray Stroik,

Stevens Point


.

Hour Of The Truth: The Vatican Jesuit Global Conspiracy - Conclusion on hidden “Founding Fathers”






joggler66

Published on May 22, 2015

Episode 11
On this Broadcast we will continue the reading of the booklet ‘The Vatican Jesuit Global Conspiracy’ and go deeper into the relation of the Carrolls (Daniel, John and Charles) in the founding of the United States in 1776.
The video was edited, for the full broadcast go to
http://www.granddesignexposed.com/jor...
I, Jörg from YouTube channel joggler66 am the host of the shows and I will have guests who will participate in the conversation.
The basis of authority in these broadcasts is the 1611 King James Bible, the only uncorrupted WORD OF GOD in the English language today.
My Guest and Co-host today is Walt Stickle from http://www.granddesignexposed.com/
Make sure to visit that website for further studies on all subjects concerning the Jesuits and the NWO (Old World Order Restored)
On this site you can listen and participate via chat room to the live broadcasts:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/...
also you can rate and comment on the broadcast here.
This is the homepage of Hour Of The Truth:
http://www.granddesignexposed.com/jor...
where you can find the broadcasts after recording, additional links and information. You can not only listen to the broadcasts but also download them in mp3 format to spread the messages to other brothers and sisters in Christ.
You may also, under creative commons rules, re-upload and share this video.
Documents and research used for this broadcast/video (aside from the ones pasted in the video itself):
Mystery Babylon News Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysteryb...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysteryb...
This will be the read:
The Vatican Jesuit Global Conspiracy
http://www.granddesignexposed.com/dow...
If you have any questions concerning other links or whatever question you have you can contact me via commenting on the video or sending a PM in YT.
Almost forbidden books (PDF library!)
https://drive.google.com/folderview?i...
.
.

The Power Behind the New World Order






EYEOFILLUMINATI2012

Published on Jun 5, 2013

A Documentary about the New World Order and the Powers behind it.
Illuminati Game "SECRET WORLDS": http://bit.ly/secret-worlds
How To Make A Full Time Income Online: http://mindlifestyle.com
Find the cheapest flights & hotels online: http://yournexttrip.net
JOIN US: https://www.facebook.com/ArmyAnonymous
.
.

Venezuela's currency fell off a cliff




HANNAH DREIER, ASSOCIATED PRESS

54 MINUTES AGO




ReutersVenezuela's President Nicolas Maduro


See Also





A staggering plunge in the free-market value of Venezuelan currency sent people scrambling to sell off their depreciating bolivars Friday.

The widely followed website DolarToday, which tracks exchanges along the Colombian border, reported that the South American country's currency lost a quarter of its value over the last eight days.

The site's app has become so ubiquitous that everyone in smartphone-obsessed Caracas seemed to find out about the crash through 400 to the dollar at the same instant, as DolarToday sent out a series of alerts announcing the new numbers under the headline "hyperinflation!"

Venezuelan currency was trading at 415 bolivars per dollar Friday, according to the site. That's down from 300 bolivars per dollar on May 14. It stood at 173 when the year started.

While many black market dealers paused transactions until the rate stabilizes, some Venezuelans said they had changed money at the 400-bolivar rate Friday.


REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsVenezuela's annualized inflation rate reached 63.4% in August 2014, with consumer prices rising by 3.9% that month, the central bank said, reaching a fresh six-year high as President Nicolas Maduro wrestles to control spiraling prices.



It was not immediately clear what prompted the sudden drop, though a Barclay Capital Inc. report issued Friday described the underlying cause as government expansion of the money supply.

"We do not see any signal of change from the authorities but these risks should make them reconsider their policies," it said.

Barclays projected the Bolivar could dip as low as 600 to the dollar this year.

The administration of President Nicolas Maduro keeps tight control over the legal exchange of bolivars, using a byzantine three-tier system. It is meant to subsidize crucial imports, but has led to widespread corruption and speculation.

The strongest rate is 6.3 bolivars per dollar. The weakest official rate, which was billed as an alternative to the black market when it was rolled out earlier their year, has inched up to 200 bolivars per dollar. The fact many are willing to pay double that price for black-market dollars indicates the supply is limited.

The Maduro administration has been hoarding dollars as it grapples with falling oil prices. That has contributed to shortages and other economic distortions.





DolarToday's homepage.



DolarToday is openly hostile to the socialist government and carries news stories attacking it. But the site insists its exchange rate reports are based on actual trades at exchange houses on the Colombian side of the border and are not manipulated to undercut the government.

In April, Maduro repeated his assertion that the site's shadowy managers, whose identities are not public, are collaborating with the speculators and opposition leaders he blames for the country's problems. He accused them of purposely sowing chaos and promised to have them arrested.

"We're going to put those people at DolarToday who are waging an economic war against Venezuela behind bars, sooner rather than later" he said.

The site, which is sometimes blocked within Venezuela, responded with a cheeky video documenting its popularity set to the club hit "Turn Down for What."



Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/currency-tumbles-as-venezuelans-look-to-offload-bolivars-2015-5#ixzz3au0sJyQt
.
.

The dark side of meditation and mindfulness: Treatment can trigger mania, depression and psychosis, new book claims



Theory is that techniques help relieve stress and live for the moment
But 60% of us have apparently suffered at least one negative side effect
Experts: Shortage of rigorous statistical studies into the negative effects of meditation is a 'scandal'

By HARRIET CRAWFORD FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 05:56 EST, 22 May 2015 | UPDATED: 11:20 EST, 22 May 2015



Meditation and mindfulness is promoted by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Brand, who boast of its power to help people put stress out of their minds and live for the moment.

But the treatment can itself trigger mania, depression, hallucinations and psychosis, psychological studies in the UK and US have found.

The practice is part of a growing movement based on ancient Eastern traditions of meditation.

However, 60 per cent of people who had been on a meditation retreat had suffered at least one negative side effect, including panic, depression and confusion, a study in the US found.

Scroll down for video 




Meditation can trigger depression, hallucinations and psychosis, controversial research has claimed

And one in 14 of them suffered ‘profoundly adverse effects’, according to Miguel Farias, head of the brain, belief and behaviour research group at Coventry University and Catherine Wikholm, a researcher in clinical psychology at the University of Surrey.

The shortage of rigorous statistical studies into the negative effects of meditation was a ‘scandal’, Dr Farias told The Times.

He said: ‘The assumption of the majority of both TM [transcendental meditation] and mindfulness researchers is that meditation can only do one good.

‘This shows a rather narrow-minded view. How can a technique that allows you to look within and change your perception or reality of yourself be without potential adverse effects?

‘The answer is that it can’t, and all meditation studies should assess not only positive but negative effects.’

The British study involved measuring effect of yoga and meditation on prisoners, and its findings were published yesterday in the psychologists’ book, The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?.

Inmates at seven prisons in the Midlands took 90-minute classes once a week and completed tests to measure their higher cognitive functions in a ten week randomised control trial.

The prisoners’ moods improved, and their stress and psychological distress reduced - but they were found to be just as aggressive before the mindfulness techniques.







Meditation and mindfulness is promoted by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Brand, who boast of its power to help people put stress out of their minds and live for the moment






Ms Wikholm told The Times: ‘It is hard to have a balanced view when the media is full of articles attesting to the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.

‘We need to be aware that reports of benefits are often inflated ... whereas studies that do not discover significant benefits rarely pick up media interest, and negative effects are seldom talked about.’

But a study published last month in The Lancet claimed that mindfulness meditation practice could be as effective as modern drugs at beating depression.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) led to similar outcomes as antidepressants when treating the mental disorder.

The guiding principle of mindfulness is to live more ‘in the moment’, spending less time going over past stresses and worrying about future problems.

It is a secular practice that is said to help people recognise and overcome negative thoughts while noticing small pleasures.


Source
.