Friday, August 31, 2018

Dies Solis in Constantine's legislation



 January 2009 



Abstract

Constantine provided two measures on Sunday's observance. The first one was the institution of a weekly market (nundinae) every Sunday in the district of Aquae Iasae (Pannonia Superior), dated between the years 316 and 321. The second one is the enactment of a general law, directed to the vicar of the pretorian praefect in the City of Rome, Helpidius, that stablished the Sunday as dies festus, and, consequently, an official and private rest day, with some exceptions. The terms of the Constantinian dispositions on Sunday were not relative to Christianity. Namely, Constantine legislated on Sunday under the heathen denomination of Dies Solis ("the Day of the Sun"), and never as the Christian Dies Dominicus ("the Day of the Lord"). In fact, the Constantinian dispositions on Sunday indicated the Dies Solis as a day of weekly rest in order to furnish the Roman citizens a weekly space of time dedicated to the observance of vows to the Roman gods. According to the text of the laws, the first aim of the Constantinian dispositions was the emperor's achievement of heathen piety (pietas), following the Roman consuetudines. Taking into account that these dispositions were enacted during 323-324, the critical period previous to the second civil war between Constantine and Licinius, they could be considered as a form of Constantinian adhesion to Roman customary religious forms, in opposition with the syncretistical religious cults developed by his reival Licinius in the Eastern provinces of the Empire. Nevertheless, the Constantinian measures on Sunday were also meant to the Christian citizens, who recognized the Sunday as the "Holy Day of the Lord" after 324. Later, in 335-336, Eusebius of Caesarea developed this identification in De laudibus Constantini, with the emperor's approvement, but it was not until 386 that the Sunday received a legal sanction as the "Day of the Lord".




Wednesday, August 29, 2018

DOMINIONISM RISING: A THEOCRATIC MOVEMENT HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT




By Frederick Clarkson, on August 18, 2016





Click here to download the article as a PDF.

This article appears in the Summer 2016 edition of The Public Eye magazine.

In June 2016, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) held a private meeting with conservative movement leaders to plot his political future. Attendees afterwards cast him in the role of Ronald Reagan, who’d lost the 1976 Republican presidential nomination to Gerald Ford but led a conservative comeback in 1980 that made Jimmy Carter a one-term president. The thinking was that Cruz did well enough in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries before losing to celebrity billionaire Donald Trump that he could plan to run again in 2020 or 2024. “He was with kindred spirits,” said Brent Bozell, the conservative activist who hosted the meeting, “and I would say most people in that room see him as the leader of the conservative movement.”1

The rise of Ted Cruz is a singular event in American political history. The son of a Cuban refugee and evangelical pastor, Cruz was raised in the kind of evangelicalism-with-a-theocratic-bent that has come to epitomize a significant and growing trend in American public life. That is, dominionism: a dynamic ideology that arose from the swirls and eddies of American evangelicalism to animate the Christian Right, and become a defining feature of modern politics and culture.

Dominionism is the theocratic idea that regardless of theological camp, means, or timetable, God has called conservative Christians to exercise dominion over society by taking control of political and cultural institutions. The term describes a broad tendency across a wide swath of American Christianity. People who embrace this idea are referred to as dominionists. Although Chip Berlet, then of Political Research Associates, and I defined and popularized the term for many in the 1990s2, in fact it had (along with the term dominion theology) been in use by both evangelical proponents and critics for many years.3


Dominionism Defined (click to expand)
Dominionism is the theocratic idea that regardless of theological view, means, or timetable, Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions.



Analyst Chip Berlet and I have suggested that there is a dominionist spectrum running from soft to hard as a way of making some broad distinctions among dominionists without getting mired in theological minutiae.106 But we also agree that:
Dominionists celebrate Christian nationalism, in that they believe that the United States once was, and should once again be, a Christian nation. In this way, they deny the Enlightenment roots of American democracy.
Dominionists promote religious supremacy, insofar as they generally do not respect the equality of other religions, or even other versions of Christianity.
Dominionists endorse theocratic visions, insofar as they believe that the Ten Commandments, or “biblical law,” should be the foundation of American law, and that the U.S. Constitution should be seen as a vehicle for implementing biblical principles.107

Of course, Christian nationalism takes a distinct form in the United States, but dominionism in all of its variants has a vision for all nations.

In many ways, Ted Cruz personifies the story of dominionism: how it became the ideological engine of the Christian Right, and how it illuminates the changes underway in American politics, culture and religion that have helped shape recent history.

Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael, who served as his son’s principal campaign surrogate during his senate and presidential campaigns, has been a profound and colorful influence. The elder Cruz was a member of the Texas board of the Religious Roundtable,4 a leading Christian Right organization of the late 1970s.5 “Our conversation around the dinner table centered around politics—as to why we had to get rid of this leftist progressive called Jimmy Carter,” Rafael Cruz told an interviewer. “Ted got a dose of conservative politics from a biblical worldview for a whole year when he was nine years old.”6 That was the year the Religious Roundtable hosted the historic National Affairs Briefing conference in Dallas. It was held in tandem with the 1980 Republican National Convention, and attended by some 17,000 conservative Christians. It was there that Ronald Reagan famously declared: “I know you can’t endorse me, but I endorse you and what you are doing.”7

Some see Ted Cruz as not only following in the footsteps of Reagan, but fulfilling a religious destiny. “Talk to me about your son and his rise. This must be a thing of God. It’s meteoric,” David Brody, chief political correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, asked Rafael Cruz in an interview in 2013, during Ted’s first year as senator8.Evangelical historian John Fea explained why Cruz might be viewed this way. During a sermon at the New Beginnings church in Bedford, Texas, in 2012, Rafael had described his son’s Senate campaign as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy that “God would anoint Christian ‘kings’ to preside over an ‘end-time transfer of wealth’ from the wicked to the righteous.”

Everything You Want (and Need) To Know About Long-Term Canned Food Storage. (Plus 10 Signs To Look For When It’s Spoiled)



Lisa Egan




You’ve likely got a nice supply of canned goods in your pantry and food storage inventory, but how long do those products truly last?



Will they still be safe to eat when a disaster arises and you need to start popping those cans open and consuming their contents?

“Best by”, “sell by”, “use by”, “best before”, and expiration dates are all terms used on food packaging, and they are often a source of confusion.

Here’s what those commonly used terms actually mean, according to the USDA:
A “Best if Used By/Before” indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.

Regarding infant formula, the USDA elaborates:


Federal regulations require a “Use-By” date on the product label of infant formula under inspection of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Consumption by this date ensures the formula contains not less than the quantity of each nutrient as described on the label. Formula must maintain an acceptable quality to pass through an ordinary bottle nipple.

The “Use-By” date is selected by the manufacturer, packer or distributor of the product on the basis of product analysis throughout its shelf life, tests, or other information. It is also based on the conditions of handling, storage, preparation, and use printed on the label. Do not buy or use baby formula after its “Use- By” date.

In other words, the only items required by federal law to be labeled for expiration are infant formula and some baby foods. All of the other labels you see on foods have been placed there voluntarily by manufacturers.


How the Media Fails Church Coverage



Dissociation and projection.

SOHRAB AHMARI /AUG. 29, 2018




AP Photo/Fernando Lavoz



The Catholic Church—the religious body which I joined in 2016 and which I affirm to be Jesus Christ’s One True Fold—is going through an ordeal. It is an ordeal, perhaps, of the kind that only comes about once every half a millennium or so. As a believer, my feelings seesaw between fear and joy. I fear for the future of the Church. I take joy in the long overdue cleansing, even if it means breaking the false trucebetween orthodox and heterodox forces in the Church.

My concerns as a journalist are a different matter. The open war between U.S. bishops, the medieval intrigue of the Roman Curia, the facts and counter-facts and drip-drip of innuendo—all this is catnip to a working hack. The crisis also holds valuable lessons for all writers, Catholic or not. The most important is this: Always listen to the marginalized, the disgruntled “cranks,” the angry obsessives, those who cry out for justice from the peripheries of powerful institutions.

Most journalists are hardwired to champion the weak and “speak truth to power” and all that. But the grimier incentives of the job can often smother that honorable instinct. The Big Interview with the Big Subject is attractive, and the hunger for access can be corrupting. It is also easy to develop a too-cozy relationship with the flacks, the hired guns who surround the VIPs and take care that their clients don’t make any but good news.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Why the street gang MS-13 is an American problem

Deep State's plot for FISA warrants revealed?

In Missouri, you can be fined for calling plant-based meats, "meat"

Journalist Files FOIA Request To Verify Las Vegas Shooter’s Girlfriend’s Employment With FBI


US News

Journalist Files FOIA Request To Verify Las Vegas Shooter’s Girlfriend’s Employment With FBI

Tim Brown / August 27, 2018/ 733



Over the weekend, I reported on an online search site that turned up the results that alleged Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock’s girlfriend, Marilou Danley, worked for the FBI. On Monday, I filed a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain records that would verify her employment with them.

According to the website Intelius.com, Marilou Danley, 63, worked at the FBI in Atlantis, which is in the Bahamas, and also at One News Page Ltd.

Here’s a screenshot of search results.



Curiously, I have not been able to find out any information about the FBI having offices in Atlantis, so it’s possible that this could be Atlanta or it could be an unofficial office.

It’s highly possible that this search result may have been planted by someone who is no Marilou Danley.

The age and the address history match those we know of tied to Ms. Danley and Stephen Paddock. Interestingly, the address history also claims Washington, DC.

Additionally, this is the same Danley who also had referenced Geary Danley as a relative on her Facebook page prior to it being pulled.

With this in mind, on Monday morning, I filed an FOIA request with the FBI in which I wrote:


“I AM REQUESTING ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE VERIFICATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF MARYLOU DANLEY, THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE ALLEGED LAS VEGAS SHOOTER, STEPHEN PADDOCK, BY THE FBI. ACCORDING TO RECORDS AT INTELLIUS.COMDANLEY WAS EMPLOYED BY THE FBI IN ATLANTIS, WHICH IS IN THE BAHAMAS.”

The 'coup' against Pope Francis



Analysis by Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor

Updated 9:46 PM EDT, Mon August 27, 2018





(CNN)Even before Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano called for Pope Francis to resign on Sunday, the two men had a history, and it wasn't good.

Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, angered some church officials in 2015 by arranging a meeting at the Vatican's embassy in Washington between the Pope and Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates.

During his trip to the United States, the Pope had tried to stay above the country's culture wars. Vigano foisted Francis right into the fray. The Vatican, which tried to distance the Pope from Davis, was displeased. Two years later, Francis quietly accepted Vigano's resignation.

On Sunday, Vigano struck back.


Pope Francis silent on archbishop's call for him to resign

In an 11-page "testimony" released to conservative Catholic media, Vigano accused Francis of ignoring his warnings about Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who led the Archdiocese of Washington from 2000-2006. Under Francis' orders, McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals last month after accusations that he molested an altar boy and seminarians.

But Vigano said the Pope earlier had lifted restrictions on McCarrick put in place by Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2015.

"In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal Church," Vigano wrote, "he must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick's abuses and resign along with all of them."


Monday, August 27, 2018

The Sex-Abuse Scandal Has Come for Pope Francis


GLOBAL



A letter calling for his resignation shows how serious his crisis of credibility has become.

EMMA GREEN 11:21 AM ET


REUTERS


Pope Francis’s credibility has taken a major hit as the crisis over clergy sex abuse continues to roil the Catholic Church. Following weeks of horrifying revelations about the Church’s long-standing mismanagement of allegations against priests, the pope visited Ireland this weekend, asking forgiveness for a long list of “abuses” and “exploitation.” Reporters observed that crowds were nowhere near as large for Francis as they were for John Paul II, the last pope to visit Ireland. Protesters also called for more extensive apologies.

Then, toward the end of Francis’s trip, a prominent archbishop published a letter claiming the pope knew about—and covered up—the wrongdoings of Theodore McCarrick, the former cardinal of Washington who has been accused of sexually harassing adult seminarians and abusing a child over a period of years. Carlo Maria Viganò, the former representative of the Vatican in the United States, called on Francis to resign, along with other “cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses.”

The pope refused to address these allegations on Sunday, telling reporters, “I will not say a word about this.” One of his prominent allies in the United States, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, questioned the veracity of several of Viganò’s claims in a statement. And the pope’s defenders have characterized the letter as a smear against Francis, in part because of Viganò’s past clashes with the pope. The letter reflects the simmering discontent of conservative clergy in Rome, who dislike Francis’s inclination towards reform.

New: CIA Agent Whistleblower Risks All To Expose The Shadow Government

Archibishop's claims against Pope Francis "like an earthquake for the Church"



8:23 AM EDT CBS THIS MORNING

CBS NEWS


Pope Francis refused to answer accusations that he knew about alleged sex abuse by a former cardinal, and allowed him to serve unpunished.

While the pope was in Ireland and meeting sex abuse victims, a former Vatican official made the claims in a letter. This came less than two weeks after a scathing grand jury report in Pennsylvania detailed sex abuse in the Catholic Church.

The 11-page letter by Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican Ambassador to the U.S., claims that in 2013 he told Pope Francis of the allegations of sex abuse against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. But, he writes, the pontiff ignored that, and allowed McCarrick to continue to publicly serve the church for another five years. 



Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, in 2015. The former Vatican Ambassador to the U.S. alleges that Pope Francis was warned of sex abuse allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick in 2013 and did not intercede.Patrick Semansky/AP


The explosive letter called on Pope Francis to resign.

"I will not say a word about this," Pope Francis told reporters. "I believe the document speaks for itself."

The 88-year-old McCarrick resigned from his role as cardinal earlier this summer amid a wave of sex abuse allegations, including many involving seminarians.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

No level of alcohol consumption is healthy, scientists say



12 hours ago



 







A new study says that no amount of drinking is good for you. (iStock)

When it comes to drinking alcohol, the healthiest thing to do is abstain entirely, according to a large, wide-ranging report published by scientists.

Alcohol led to 2.8 million premature deaths in 2016; it was the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability in the 15 to 49 age group, accounting for 20 percent of deaths, according to the researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, who carried out the study.

Millions of people turn to the Nerds to find the best credit cards, up their credit score, land the perfect mortgage and so much more. Ma...


Globally, 27.1 percent of cancer deaths in women and 18.9 percent in men over age 50 were linked to the their drinking habits, according to the study’s findings, which were published in the Lancet medical journal.


Researchers investigated the health effects of alcohol consumption in 195 countries between 1990 and 2016—using data from 694 studies to find out how common drinking was and from 592 studies to determine health risks.

The study, which received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, also analyzed whether moderate levels of drinking could have health benefits—which previous studies have indicated. 

Pope entrusts abuse survivors to Mary

Former Archbishop Says Pope Francis Enabled Abuse By Prominent American ...

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Senator John McCain dies at 81

Litany of Catholic abuse scandals in Ireland


25 August 2018 - 06H00




© AFP | Pope Francis will be making his first visit to Ireland, which was last visited by a pope in 1979 when Pope John Paul II spoke to a crowd of 1.5 million people

LONDON (AFP) -



Accusations of wide-ranging abuse in Catholic institutions in Ireland, including but not limited to the sexual targeting of children by priests, date back several decades.

In a sign of the scale of the abuse, 14,500 people applied for compensation through an Irish government scheme for those abused at juvenile facilities run by religious groups between 1936 and 1970.

As Pope Francis prepares to meet some victims during a visit to Ireland this weekend, his first as pontiff, here are the most prominent cases to come to light:


- Predator priests -

Irish Catholic Church leaders are accused of having protected hundreds of predator priests suspected of sexually abusing thousands of children over decades.

Allegations in Ireland began to emerge in the 1980s, among the first in an eventual avalanche of cases globally.

They prompted criminal cases and Irish government enquiries in the following decades.

The Church published a series of its own probes from 2008, which found sexual abuse allegations against at least 85 priests since 1975.

It put in place detailed procedures for dealing with child sexual abuse in 1996.

But the reviews by its National Board of Safeguarding Children found senior clergy had repeatedly failed to report abuse by priests and misled enquiries before and after that date.

The most notorious case was that of Father Tony Walsh.

Pope Francis' speech was 'disgraceful' and contained 'extraordinary deflection', victims claim



Saturday 25 August 2018



Protesters demonstrate on the Ha'Penny Bridge during the visit of Pope Francis in Dublin, Ireland, August 25, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY



Laura Lynott, Kevin Doyle and Esther McCarthy

August 25 2018 2:56 PM


Clerical abuse survivor Colm O’Gorman has described the speech by Pope Francis at Dublin Castle as an “incredible missed opportunity”.


Speaking after he attended the civic reception for the Pontiff, Mr Gorman said: “It is staggering to me that in 2018 we are still asking a Pope to take responsibility, not for his own actions necessarily but for the actions of the institution that he heads.

 

Protesters line the streets in Dublin

“It’s mind-boggling to me that to ask the Pope to tell the damn truth is a radical thing to suggest.”
Read More: Pope Francis speech: Calls clerical abuse scandal in Ireland 'repugnant', makes thinly-veiled reference to abortion referendum

Asked whether he had hoped the Pope would go further in his comments, the head of Amnesty in Ireland said he should have looked to talk to the people of Ireland.





VIDEO: Pope Francis plants tree at Aras an Uachtarain
Video by: PA


“It’s a huge shame. Frankly it’s rather disgraceful. This is about criminality at the highest level within an institution,” Mr O'Gorman said.

He added: “The Vatican has directed, implemented and instituted a cover of the crimes of clergy, including the rape and abuse of children, of women and vulnerable adults across the world.


God's Chosen People (RH19040804)

European Evangelicals Raising Objections to Unity with the Pope



Issue Date: May/June 2018



Some Evangelicals in Europe are raising voices against their leader's growing romance with the pope. While Pope Francis is making more friendly noises toward Protestants, Bible believers are pointing out that little has changed in Rome's basic, unbiblical doctrines. Francis uses language like "personal relationship" with Christ, "conversion," and "mission," but "there is no hint that he wants to change any dogma that is contrary to Scripture," declared one open letter to the head of the World Evangelical Alliance. Such global "alliances" are always at risk of being influenced away from biblical guidelines to more compromise for the sake of unity.

Fortunately, the grassroots groups of local evangelicals are pressuring the WEA to be cautious. The national evangelical associations from Italy, Spain, France, and Poland are cautioning both their European leaders and those in America to not overlook the pagan teachings of Rome. The Spanish Evangelical Alliance stated that it "cannot ignore the fact that the Roman Catholic Church continues to maintain fundamental doctrines that are not found in Scriptures."

One of the concerns that brought this to a head was a meeting last year between the WEA, the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Pentecostal World Fellowship, and the Vatican. On the agenda was to work on a "common statement" against proselytizing each other's members. For a true evangelical (which means soul winner) this was a major red flag. This presumed that all were truly Christians and did not need to be saved. But this is a new idea. Protestantism was birthed by Bible believers who recognized that the Roman Catholic institution matched the identity of the prostitute church described in Rev. 17 and 18.

By claiming salvation only through the "sacraments" of the church, they consigned everyone else as heretics bound for hell. Millions died in the Inquisition for refusing to bow to the wafer god manufactured by a priest.

Fortunately, there are still some in the world who know Rome's bloody history and recognize that only her approach, not her doctrine, is changed. After the Ecumenical Council (Vatican II) in the 1960s, heretics became "separated brethren," and the counterfeit church began to pose as just another denomination with a different worship style.

But the Virgin Mary goddess is still the primary mediator instead of Jesus —who gets converted to a wheat wafer. And the Bible is still sidelined by the teaching authority of a hierarchy of priestcraft.

If the statement against "proselytizing" should be agreed to, that places the whole one billion plus Roman Catholics off the table for soul winners. If they are truly saved, then the gospel of grace alone, through faith alone, goes out the window. Those who were burned at the stake died in vain.

It is encouraging to know that, even in secular Europe, there are still some who recognize the spirit of error when they see it. The Bible says that many will be deceived in the last days. Those who are yoking up with this counterfeit "church" are in danger of the judgment —for their works sake or even their eternal lives.

The defense against these subtle deceptions is a thorough knowledge of a preserved Bible. Then we must use kindness to firmly speak the truth to those who are deceived. One of the most powerful ways to spread the truth widely is with no-nonsense gospel tracts. The few seconds it takes to hand someone a tract that brings them face to face with an eternal choice.

Those who choose to follow Jesus, we will see again. Those who reject Him will be without excuse before the Great White Throne.




Fanaticism, Secret Sin, and Early Adventism - Bill Hughes


Desmond is Amazing: The 11 Year Old Drag Kid Superstar

The ‘culture of secrecy’ and blackmail that perpetuates abuse in the Catholic Church


August 16, 2018 by Stephen Johnson 


 

(Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)




Over the past 70 years, the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania has been systematically covering up child sexual abuse by priests, according to a new report issued by a grand jury on Tuesday.

The report includes 1,000 identifiable victims, but the real number is likely much higher, considering victims are often too afraid to come forward and some church records have been destroyed or were otherwise unavailable.

The cases detailed in the report include a priest who collected child porn and would routinely play ‘doctor’ with a young boy; a priest who would befriend children’s parents, get invited to stay the night, then molest the children while their parents slept; and incidents that “involved whips, chains, drugs and alcohol.”

Church leaders were aware of the widespread abuse but covered it up or made insufficient improvements, according to the grand jury.

“Despite some institutional reform, individual leaders of the church have largely escaped public accountability,” the grand jury wrote. “Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades. Monsignors, auxiliary bishops, bishops, archbishops, cardinals have mostly been protected; many, including some named in this report, have been promoted.” 

Pope says church still shamed by failure over 'repugnant' Irish abuse




August 25, 2018 / 8:09 AM / Updated 4 hours ago

Reuters Staff


DUBLIN (Reuters) - The failure of church authorities to adequately address “repugnant” clerical child abuse crimes in Ireland remains a source of shame for the Catholic community, Pope Francis said as he made the first papal visit to Ireland since 1979.


Pope Francis arrives at the Presidential Residence during his visit in Dublin, Ireland, August 25, 2018. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez


“I cannot fail to acknowledge the grave scandal caused in Ireland by the abuse of young people by members of the Church charged with responsibility for their protection and education,” Francis said in a speech at a state reception.

“The failure of ecclesiastical authorities - bishops, religious superiors, priests and others - adequately to address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community.”


Reporting by Philip Pullella, editing by Padraic Halpin and Alison Williams




enditnow Emphasis Day Observed August 25th


Global initiative fosters platform for abuse awareness
Aug 17, 2018 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Beth Thomas for ANN




[Photo credit: Getty Images]

Abuse. The statistics are startling. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated1 billion children, aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year. Likewise, a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control showed that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical abuse by an intimate partner throughout the course of their relationship. One cannot turn a blind eye to the abuse so prevalent in society, even in the Church.

In 2009, the Adventist Church launched enditnow, a global initiative to raise awareness and advocate for the end of violence around the world. According to the official website for the initiative, “enditnow is the most important stand the Church has ever taken regarding violence against men, women and children. It is a call to action for all Adventists and supporters to stand up and put into practice those principles we hold true. Domestic violence has been documented as a major issue within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Incidences of abuse follow trends documented in non-Adventist populations. This is why enditnow seeks to increase personal awareness, responsibility, and involvement to effectively help end violence in every family and community.”

One way the Church has created awareness is by designating an annual Sabbath, the fourth Sabbath in August, as enditnow Emphasis Day. The Women’s Ministries Department (GCWM) at the denomination’s headquarters in the U.S. state of Maryland, facilitates the campaign.

Raquel Arrais, associate director for GCWM, explains why an annual Sabbath is necessary. “There are so many people suffering silently thinking the Adventist Church doesn't care. But the Church does care. Observing enditnow Emphasis Day is one tangible way our congregations globally can help to raise awareness in the community, showing that we serve a God of justice and a God of love.”

Arrais continues, “Our purpose also is to create a church environment where all can address this issue in a safe way. The #MeToo movement has become a platform or a forum where many survivors of sexual abuse have the opportunity to bring to the surface the trauma they have experienced. In many ways, this is a venue to break the silence about this very sensitive issue.”

And while there is still much to do, Heather-Dawn Small, GCWM director, says she has seen a change in the attitude of many members who are now willing to talk about abuse and seek solutions.

“GCWM has focused on this since 2002 and there is hardly a church where the topic is not known. The issue of abuse is a social issue we, the Church, cannot ignore. It goes against the essence of who God is – God is love (1 John 4:8),” she says. “To show the world God’s love, we must deal with these social issues of abuse, poverty, illiteracy, etc.”

This year’s theme focuses on Words That Wound: The Trauma of Emotional Abuse. You will find a variety of resources available for planning an enditnow Day by visiting women.adventist.org/enditnow-day or enditnow.org.




Friday, August 24, 2018

Veggie Burgers Are A Must!

Happy Sabbath


What to Watch for at Fed’s Jackson Hole Symposium


Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech on Friday is the main event



Jackson Lake Lodge in Jackson Hole. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual economic symposium runs Thursday through Saturday.

PHOTO: DAVID PAUL MORRIS/BLOOMBERG NEWS


By

Nick Timiraos

Aug. 23, 2018 5:30 a.m. ET


Central bankers and economists from around the world will gather in the mountain resort of Jackson Hole, Wyo., beginning Thursday for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual economic symposium.

The theme of this year’s conference, “Changing Market Structure and Implications for Monetary Policy,” highlights the challenges to the economy stemming from monopoly power and corporate consolidation, including slower wage growth and capital investment. The conference is also set to cover issues such as the potential for technology to reshape how retailers set prices and the trade-offs between stability and competition in the banking sector.

The main event will be a speech by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at 10 a.m. Eastern on Friday. Stephen Poloz, the governor of the Bank of Canada, is set to participate in a panel discussion on Saturday afternoon. The full program—including other speakers, notable attendees and the topics of panel discussions and research papers—is scheduled to be released Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Here’s what to watch for during the conference, which wraps up Saturday afternoon.
Powell’s First Rodeo as Chairman

Mr. Powell is no stranger to the annual retreat, but his speech Friday will be his first there as Fed chairman. The big question is whether he will use it to provide more clues about the Fed’s interest-rate-setting path.


Thursday, August 23, 2018

Mexico Cardinal: Victims Who Accuse Priests Should Be 'Ashamed'




TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images
JOHN NOLTE 

22 Aug 2018



Mexican Cardinal Sergio Obeso Rivera said abuse victims should be “ashamed” to accuse “men of the Church.”

The newly-minted cardinal was speaking to a group of journalists on August 16, just days after the bombshell revelations out of Pennsylvania that some 300 members of the Church abused upwards of 1,000 children over the course of 70 years. This abuse was only possible, according the grand jury report, because of a Church-wide cover up that reached all the way to the Vatican.

“I’m here happy to talk about nice things, not about problematic things, it’s an accusation that is made, and in some cases it’s true,” Obeso River said. “But the evil of many is the consolation of fools, because sometimes those who accuse men of the Church should [be careful] because they have long tails that are easily stepped on.”

The comments could be interpreted as a threat, a threat of exposure if you accuse a priest with skeletons in your own closet.

The cardinal spoke to reporters in Spanish and one interpretation of his remarks reads, “those who accuse us should have a little pain.”

Catholic priest beaten by man saying ‘this is for all the little kids’







An Indiana Catholic priest was attacked in church by man who claimed the assault was for the "little kids."

AUDRINA BIGOS, TWITTER

ASHLEY MAY AND VIC RYCKAERT |USA TODAY | 17 hours ago


A Catholic priest who had finished morning prayers inside an Indiana church earlier this week said he was attacked by a man who told him "this is for all the little kids."


Then, he said, he blacked out.


The priest, Rev. Basil John Hutsko, was knocked unconscious by an unknown person around 9 a.m. Monday at St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church in Merrillville, Indiana, police told the Chicago Tribune.

The incident officials are calling a hate crime occurred the same day Pope Francis released a letter to Catholics condemning sexual abuse by priests. The letter follows the release earlier this month of a grand jury report that found Catholic priests in Pennsylvania abused more than 1,000 children over six decades. Hutsko was not named in the report.

Chief Joseph Petruch of the Merrillville Police Department, also a friend and fellow priest, told CBS Chicago that the attacker grabbed Hutsko, 64, by the neck, forced the priest to the floor and repeatedly bashed his head until he went unconscious.

Hutsko, who was taken to a hospital after the incident, was left with bruises on his face and body.


UK Catholic doctor: Are we witnessing ‘Vatican revolution’ against family?


UK Catholic doctor: Are we witnessing ‘Vatican revolution’ against family?



Lightening strikes the Vatican Feb. 11, 2013, hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation.

Dorothy Cummings McLean
James Risdon

Thu Aug 23, 2018 - 5:28 pm EST



DUBLIN, August 23, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – An English family doctor has suggested that recent developments in the war against the family coming from the highest levels within the Catholic Church indicate the arrival of the final battle between God and Satan.

“Is this the final greatest historical confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, the Gospel and the anti-gospel,” said Dr Thomas Ward at a family conference this week running concurrent to the Vatican’s LGBT-affirming World Meeting of Families (WMOF) in Dublin, Ireland.

“Frankly, are we at this moment seeing an intent at a Vatican revolution which would be a culmination and fulfillment of all three previous revolutions [French (1789), Communist (1848), and sexual (1968)]?” he added.



Ward looked for evidence of a current “Vatican revolution” against the family among examples of how top leaders within the Church, including Pope Francis and many cardinals, have essentially caved in on perennial Catholic teaching about “marriage, contraception, abortion, homosexualism, and parental rights.”

Seven Events Evangelicals Incorrectly Believe Will be Fulfilled in the Endtime


July 20, 2018 James Arendt




My friend Luke shared the below with me. If you study Eschatology from the Bible, you should know that the following doctrines most evangelicals hold to be true are based on a false interpretation of Daniel 9:27, namely, the Antichrist will make a treaty with the Jews and Israel for a 7 year period during which he will allow the Jews to rebuild the temple of Solomon. Please know that this doctrine was created by a Jesuit priest circa 1585, and was rejected by Protestants until sometime in the 19th century through Jesuit infiltration into Protestant churches and seminaries. It began when Darby and Scofield taught dispensationalism. The purpose was to sidetrack Protestantism and to get the Protestants eyes off the Pope and the Papacy as the true Antichrist of the Bible. Did it work? You know it did!

I was asked to give confirming Scriptures for all these points. Normally verses are given to teach a doctrine. In this case I will show how Daniel 9:27 was incorrectly interpreted to support popular but false Endtime doctrines.

My comments of Daniel 9:27 in parenthesis show what Protestants up to the beginning of the 19th century used to teach and believe.

Monday, August 20, 2018

Watch Out California! 53 Major Earthquakes Just Hit The Ring Of Fire In A 24 Hour Period



by Tyler Durden
Mon, 08/20/2018 - 17:25
303
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Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

Is something unusual starting to happen to the crust of our planet?

The USGS defines any earthquake of at least magnitude 4.5 as “significant”, and there were 53 earthquakes that met that criteria along the Ring of Fire on Sunday alone.



If you would like to verify that information for yourself, you can so do right here.

Not too long ago, I wrote about how “Earth changes” seem to be accelerating all over the world, but even I was stunned by the ferocity of the seismic activity that we witnessed over the weekend. Because none of the earthquakes happened in the United States, the mainstream media almost entirely ignored this story, but that is a huge mistake.

The entire west coast of the U.S. falls along the “Ring of Fire”, and experts assure us that it is only a matter of time before the seismic tension that is building up along the tectonic plates in that area is released.



Much of the seismic activity on Sunday was near the small island nation of Fiji, and it is true that Fiji often experiences earthquakes because it sits directly inside the Ring of Fire


Fiji falls in the Pacific Ring Of Fire – a massive horseshoe-shaped area in the Pacific basin.

The ring is formed of a string of 452 volcanoes and sites of seismic activity (earthquakes), which encircle the Pacific Ocean.

Roughly 90 percent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, and 75 percent of the world’s active volcanoes are dotted along the expansive ring.

Problem Reaction Solution: Internet Censorship Edition

South Africa begins seizing white-owned farms



SOUTH Africa has targeted the first two farms for unilateral seizure after the owners refused an offer of one-tenth of the land’s value.



Frank Chung@franks_chung

August 21, 20187:36am


Video
Image


Silent slaughter - Farm attacks in South Africa





A record 400 farmers attacked in 2017, between one or two murdered a week.

March 10th 2018
5 months ago




South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Rodger Bosch/AFPSource:AFP

Ads by Kiosked


THE South African government has begun the process of seizing land from white farmers.


Local newspaper City Press reports two game farms in the northern province of Limpopo are the first to be targeted for unilateral seizure after negotiations with the owners to purchase the properties stalled.

While the government says it intends to pay, owners Akkerland Boerdery wanted 200 million rand ($18.7 million) for the land — they’re being offered just 20 million rand ($1.87 million).

“Notice is hereby given that a terrain inspection will be held on the farms on April 5, 2018 at 10am in order to conduct an audit of the assets and a handover of the farm’s keys to the state,” a letter sent to the owners earlier this year said.

Akkerland Boerdery obtained an urgent injunction to prevent eviction until a court had ruled on the issue, but the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs is opposing the application.

Pope Francis, in letter, addresses latest sex abuse scandal




ANDREW MEDICHINI/ASSOCIATED PRESS/FILE

Pope Francis prayed in St. Peter’s Square earlier this year.

By the Associated PressAUGUST 20, 2018


VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis issued a letter to Catholics around the world Monday condemning the ‘‘crime’’ of priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up and demanding accountability, in response to new revelations in the United States of decades of misconduct by the Catholic Church.

Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said lay Catholics must be involved in any effort to root out abuse and cover-up. He blasted the self-referential clerical culture that has been blamed for the crisis, with church leaders more concerned for their reputation than the safety of children.

‘‘With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives,’’ Francis wrote.

‘‘We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.’’




U.S. Catholics Stand By Their Faith

Sunday, August 19, 2018

This company embeds microchips in its employees, and they love it



The microchips Three Square Market employees had injected in their hands are about the size of a big grain of rice.
Three Square Market


Intelligent Machines

Last August, 50 employees at Three Square Market got RFID chips in their hands. Now 80 have them. 


by Rachel Metz
August 17, 2018


When Patrick McMullan wants a Diet Dr Pepper while he’s at work, he pays for it with a wave of his hand. McMullan has a microchip implanted between his thumb and forefinger, and the vending machine immediately deducts money from his account. At his office, he’s one of dozens of employees who have been doing likewise for a year now.

McMullan is the president of Three Square Market, a technology company that provides self-service mini-markets to hospitals, hotels, and company break rooms. Last August, he became one of roughly 50 employees at its headquarters in River Falls, Wisconsin, who volunteered to have a chip injected into their hand.

The idea came about in early 2017, he says, when he was on a business trip to Sweden—a country where some people are getting subcutaneous microchips to do things like enter secure buildings or book train tickets. It’s one of very few places where chip implants, which have been around for quite a while, have taken off in some fashion.

The chips he and his employees got are about the size of a very large grain of rice. They’re intended to make it a little easier to do things like get into the office, log on to computers, and buy food and drinks in the company cafeteria. Like many RFID chips, they are passive—they don’t have batteries, and instead get their power from an RFID reader when it requests data from the chip (McMullan’s chip includes identifying information to grant him access to the building, as well as some basic medical information, for instance).

Catholics consider withholding donations amid scandals



By IVAN MORENO and JEFF KAROUB | Associated Press





For decades, Michael Drweiga has opened his wallet whenever the donation basket comes around at church, but the latest revelations of priests sexually abusing children brought him to the conclusion that he can no longer justify giving.

Brice Sokolowski helps small Catholic nonprofits and churches raise money, but he too supports the recent calls to withhold donations.

 And Georgene Sorensen has felt enough anger and "just total sadness" over the past few weeks that she's reconsidering her weekly offering at her parish.

Across the U.S., Catholics once faithful with their financial support to their churches are searching for ways to respond to the constant sex-abuse scandals that have tarnished the institution in which they believe, with back-to-back scandals in the past two months.

The most recent came Tuesday when a grand jury report revealed that hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania molested more than 1,000 children in six dioceses since the 1940s — crimes that church leaders are accused of covering up. The report came two months after Pope Francis ordered disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick removed from public ministry amid allegations the 88-year-old retired archbishop sexually abused a teenage altar boy and engaged in sexual misconduct with adult seminarians decades ago. Last month, Francis accepted McCarrick's resignation as cardinal and ordered him to a "life of prayer and penance."

The most recent "whopper of a report" from Pennsylvania, Drweiga said, was enough to make him wonder where his money was going and whether it was being used to cover up abuses.

"In an organization that spans the whole world like the Catholic Church, you don't know where your money is going. And when you read about these priest-abuse scandals it just raises that question to the highest power. What is this money going for?" said Drweiga, 63, who lives in Wilmette, Illinois.

Sokolowski, an Austin, Texas, resident who founded Catholicfundraiser.net to provide advice to Catholic nonprofits and churches, said he's heard from many who are "really sick and tired" of hearing about priests abusing children.

"So the big thing that people are saying is, 'We just need to stop funding their crap,'" said Sokolowski, 36. He said he encourages people to stop giving money to their diocese, which oversees the network of churches in an area, but to keep supporting their local parish and tell their priest and bishop what they're doing.

Calls to financially boycott the Catholic Church are not new. Five years ago, after sex-abuse scandals rocked the archdiocese in St. Paul, Minnesota, parishioners talked about withholding their donations in protest.

But Catholics face a delicate balance because some of the money dioceses raise are shared with parishes, cautioned Dr. Edward Peters, the Edmund Cardinal Szoka Chair at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

"I'm just saying, be careful about punishing the Spouse of Christ and her dependent children because some priests and even bishops, men presumably wedded to her as Jesus was wedded to her, abandoned her so shamelessly," Peters wrote in a blog post Thursday, referring to the Catholic Church.

Sorensen, who lives near Tucson, Arizona, said after the McCarrick story broke, her prayer group sent a letter to her bishop voicing their concerns.

"Then came the Pennsylvania scandal and we thought, 'Oh my God, this isn't over. We thought it was over,'" the 72-yearold Sorensen said. "We thought we were building the new church again."

Sorensen said she doesn't plan to withhold money that she has pledged, including her diocese's Annual Catholic Appeal, but she has spoken with others about the possibility of not giving a regular weekly contribution or only offering money to specific projects.

As for future major giving, she said, "we are definitely waiting to see where all the chips are going to fall."

"It comes down to one thing: It's the message, not the messenger," she said. "I'm a faithful Catholic. ... I will never leave the church. I will fight to save it."

For Eddie Shih, however, the scandal has shaken his faith — one to which he converted about a decade ago and has intensely studied through three years of night school to earn a master's degree in theology.

"I am struggling with it — it's not easy for me," said Shih, a Taiwanese immigrant who lives in New York City and attends several Catholic churches. "I don't think I'll leave the church but I can imagine a lot of people ... will just drop out of the church."

Tim Lennon, the president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said his organization has fielded calls from Catholics who have pledged to stop giving to their church.

"It's an action as opposed to just sitting here doing nothing," he said, but added that it's a symbolic gesture.

"That in itself will not protect children. That in itself will not support survivors. That in itself will not compel ... an attorney general to take action," he said. "It's just a message to the church that it's not just survivors knocking at their door as we have been for the last 30 years."

Ilene Kennedy, a San Antonio resident who attended Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Sunday, said she doesn't know "what the fix would be" aside from "holding the higher-ups accountable." Still, she doesn't think withholding her money from the collection basket is the answer.

"I don't think that we should punish all churches just for that," she said. "I don't think that's right."

___

Associated Press video producer Robert Bumsted in New York contributed to this report.





Pennsylvania AG: Cardinal under scrutiny over report on priest abuse 'is not telling the truth






Pennsylvania AG: Cardinal isn't truthful



By Jake Tapper and Clare Foran, CNN



Updated 10:01 AM ET, Sun August 19, 2018



Washington (CNN)Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is accusing Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, of "not telling the truth" as he attempts to defend himself amid criticism and calls for his resignation over the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing allegations of widespread predatory behavior by more than 300 priests against more than 1,000 children.

The report is critical of Wuerl, who served as the bishop of Pittsburgh for 18 years, from 1988 to 2006, and describes him as one of the bishops who helped cover up abusive behavior. The cardinal's defenders note that he acted to discipline some priests as bishop in Pittsburgh and even fought the Vatican against an order to reinstate a predator priest. After the release of the grand jury report on Tuesday, Wuerl said in a statement that it "confirms that I acted with diligence, with concern for the victims and to prevent future acts of abuse."

The Pennsylvania attorney general disagrees. In a statement to CNN, Shapiro said, "Cardinal Wuerl is not telling the truth. Many of his statements in response to the Grand Jury Report are directly contradicted by the Church's own documents and records from their Secret Archives. Offering misleading statements now only furthers the cover up." Shapiro added that the cardinal "should heed the words of Pope Francis who validated our work in Pennsylvania and support the recommendations of the Grand Jury."

The grand jury report outlines in graphic detail allegations of child sex abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, including the diocese of Pittsburgh. It is based on witness testimony and a review of internal documents from the dioceses. The report concludes that the abuse of children was "brushed aside, in every part of the state, by church leaders who preferred to protect the abusers and their institution above all."

Some claims that Wuerl has made to defend himself do not stand up to scrutiny.

In an interview after the release of the report, Wuerl said, "I think I did everything that I possibly could," when asked if he did enough to stop the activity described.

Father Richard Zula and Father George Zirwas of the Pittsburgh diocese were two of a group of priests who, the grand jury found, "manufactured child pornography" and "used whips, violence and sadism in raping their victims." In 1988, Zula was arrested and charged with over 130 counts related to child sex abuse.

A spokesman for Wuerl noted that Zula had been removed from his ministry before Wuerl came to Pittsburgh in 1988. That is true. According to the grand jury report, Zula took a leave of absence in 1987 prior to the start of Wuerl's tenure as Pittsburgh bishop. The report states that in 1996 Zula was allowed to resign and barred from "seeking future assignments" in the diocese.
But in 1989, Wuerl authorized a $900,000 confidential settlement between the diocese and the family of two of Zula's victims that included a hush agreement.

The diocese under Wuerl's leadership also hired a doctor who worked with Zula in an attempt to lessen his sentence with a statement that the grand jury found "blamed the child victim rather than the adult criminal." 


Saturday, August 18, 2018

Massive earthquake rocks Fiji with 8.2 magnitude tremors – sparking tsunami in South Pacific

QUAKE HITS


The US Geological Survey initially recorded a 7.9 magnitude quake but it was later revised 

Breaking

By Gemma Mullin

19th August 2018, 2:07 am
Updated: 19th August 2018, 2:30 am


A MASSIVE magnitude 8.2 earthquake rocked Fiji on Sunday and sparked tsunami waves in the South Pacific.

The US Geological Survey initially recorded a 7.9 magnitude quake but it was later revised and deemed even more powerful than first thought. 



usgs
1 A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Fiji sparking tsunami waves


The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tweeted: "Fiji #earthquake magnitude revised to 8.2 and small, non-dangerous #tsunami waves have been observed.

"While no hazard is expected for any coastline, but please be observant and exercise normal caution."

The quake was centered about 281 kilometers NNE of Ndoi Island at the remarkable depth of 559.6 kilometers.

So far, there is no information on damages, or injuries.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no tsunami was expected, perhaps considering the quake’s depth.




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The Crusader Who Exposed Pennsylvania’s Sadistic Priests



THE GOOD FIGHT

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU

08.17.18 10:10 PM ET




PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY THE DAILY BEAST

ROME — Richard Serbin remembers the day in 1987 when he met 19-year-old Michael Hutchinson. The skinny young man was in a mental health institution for criminals serving time for robbery and male prostitution. “I can remember that meeting very well,” said Serbin, who was 40 at the time and just getting his bearings in what he thought would be a career dedicated to civil cases against big corporations. “He was very hyper and he got all these candy bars from the vending machine. Then he told me what happened.”

Michael, it turns out, was very troubled. He had been sexually abused from just before his 11th birthday until he was 17 by Father Francis Luddy, a Catholic priest in the Pennsylvania diocese of Altoona-Johnstown who has since died.

Luddy, who was in his 40s at the time, was so close to the Hutchinson family he was also Michael’s godfather. He is one of 301 predator priests exposed in a sickening document released by a Pennsylvania grand jury on Tuesday. That document outlines alleged sexual crimes against more than 1,000 children over seven decades of stunning silence and cover ups across six dioceses in Pennsylvania.

Without Serbin’s diligence and commitment, many of these atrocities never would have come to light. Serbin, who has been defending victims of clerical sex abuse since he met Michael more than 30 years ago, provided the names of 109 predator priests to the Pennsylvania grand jury investigation, and to a prior Pennsylvania grand jury investigation in 2016.

Serbin found his way to Michael’s cell after the boy’s mother, Mary Hutchinson, grew frustrated with a lack of response from the local diocese. She went to visit Serbin in his small office. “She was obviously a brave woman, willing to publicly take on the church on behalf of her son,” Serbin recalls. “Keep in mind that in 1987 no one believed a priest would sexually molest a child.” She didn’t want compensation from the church, Serbin insists. She just wanted her son to get the care he needed.

“He was in a mental institute for criminals. It was close to his 20th birthday,” Serbin told The Daily Beast by phone from Pennsylvania. “Michael was this very slender boy. He had been in prison, he was sodomized in prison, he had borderline intelligence.”



Through Humble Instruments



As the time comes for it [the message of the third angel] to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of Spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power,—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these.

The Great Controversy, p.606 (1888).

 

END TIMES SIGNS: LATEST & CURRENT WORLD NEWS (August 16, 2018)

Friday, August 17, 2018

The Order of Malta: Thousand year old institution, with global impact

Europe migrant crisis: Divided EU will cause chaos to continue, says Macron ally




Emmanuel Macron's ally Florent Boudié said the migrant crisis needs to be solved (Image: GETTY)


MIGRANTS will continue on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean until a joint solution to the refugee crisis is found, French lawmaker Florent Boudié said on Tuesday.


PUBLISHED: 20:50, Wed, Aug 15, 2018UPDATED: 20:59, Wed, Aug 15, 2018


European leaders remain divided over how to deal with migrants rescued at sea, and have struggled to find a solution to discourage them from boarding smuggler boats.

Mr Boudié, a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist La République en Marche party, told France Info radio: “We need to find a collaborative solution [to the crisis]. Because without a common European solution, we will never have the capacity to manage migratory flows.

“Europe must set up a legitimate border police force and agree to work in tandem with countries of origin and transit countries. We also need to adopt a firmer stance on the question of asylum.

“Because if we are unable to differentiate between asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, then in 10 or 15 years’ time, the very concept of the right to asylum will be in great difficulty.


Vatican tells Catholic priest abuse victims: 'The pope is on their side'.



In its first statement on the Pennsylvania sexual abuse report, the Vatican said it must "learn hard lessons from its past."

by Alex Johnson / Aug.16.2018 / 8:36 PM ET



Pope Francis waves to pilgrims from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square during a celebration of the Feast of Assumption at the Vatican on Wednesday.Filippo Monteforte / AFP - Getty Images



In its first comment since a Pennsylvania grand jury detailed allegations of rampant sexual abuse in parishes across the state for decades, the Vatican on Thursday said it felt "shame and sorrow" and told victims: "The pope is on your side."

The Vatican chose to wait two days to react to the 1,356-page report, which alleged that 301 "predator priests" abused more than 1,000 children in six of the state's eight dioceses. Wednesday was the Feast of the Assumption, an important Catholic celebration and a national holiday in Italy.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

The Origins of Our Second Civil War



By Victor Davis Hanson


July 31, 2018 6:30 AM


 

A Trump supporter holds an American flag at a rally in Madison, Ala., February 2016. (Marvin Gentry/Reuters) 




Globalism, the tech boom, illegal immigration, campus radicalism, the new racialism . . . Are they leading us toward an 1861?

How, when, and why has the United States now arrived at the brink of a veritable civil war?

Almost every cultural and social institution — universities, the public schools, the NFL, the Oscars, the Tonys, the Grammys, late-night television, public restaurants, coffee shops, movies, TV, stand-up comedy — has been not just politicized but also weaponized.

Donald Trump’s election was not so much a catalyst for the divide as a manifestation and amplification of the existing schism.

We are now nearing a point comparable to 1860, and perhaps past 1968. Left–Right factionalism is increasingly fueled by geography — always history’s force multiplier of civil strife. Red and blue states ensure that locale magnifies differences that were mostly manageable during the administrations of Ford, Carter, Reagan, the Bushes, and Clinton.

What has caused the United States to split apart so rapidly?

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DNC's Tom Perez Headed Soros Group Lobbying for Illegal Alien Voting Rights





AP/Getty Images
JOHN BINDER 9 Aug 2018


The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman, Tom Perez, previously headed an organization funded by globalist billionaire George Soros that lobbies for giving illegal aliens and noncitizens the right to vote in American elections.

Perez, who now heads the DNC, gloats on his website about his work with the Soros-funded “CASA De Maryland” organization, which most recently successfully lobbied a local Maryland town to extend voting rights to illegal aliens and noncitizens.

“In 2002, Tom started as board president at CASA de Maryland, an organization that provides services to immigrants,” Perez’s website notes. “Under his leadership, CASA experienced monumental growth – from the basement of a church to a $7M headquarters that opened without a lease – and grew from a service provider to one of the largest immigrant advocacy organizations in the country.”

10 Ways To Prep When Real Life Gets In The Way



MONDAY, JULY 23, 2018




Life just gets crazy sometimes. You have places to be, people to see, kids in activities, work to do, and the never-ending to-do list to conquer. Summer always seems to be particularly busy even though school is (usually) on a break and you have more freedom to do what you want.

However, in all of life's busyness, prepping can sometimes get put on the back burner. We want to prep, but we have so much on our plates that we don't think we have time right now to prep. Even though hardcore preppers will cringe when I say this, sometimes that is okay to put prepping to the side for a little bit. We all have times in our lives that we are just plain overwhelmed with priorities and responsibilities. We need to cut ourselves some slack.

Now maybe you are getting a little antsy knowing you need to pay attention to your preps and need to practice those skills. You are just not sure when you are going to have time.

How can you prep with when real life gets in the way? As always, I have some suggestions.