Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Confusion of Many Voices
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Revelation 18:4.
In the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” And in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” 85The Review and Herald, December 6, 1892.
As God called the children of Israel out of Egypt, that they might keep His Sabbath, so He calls His people out of Babylon, that they may not worship the beast or his image....
After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, “Lo, here is Christ, Lo, He is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light.” Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law.... But while Satan works with his lying wonders, the time will be fulfilled foretold in the Revelation, and the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory, will proclaim the fall of Babylon, and call upon God's people to forsake her.86The Review and Herald, December 13, 1892.
When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation. Then the extremity of God's people is His opportunity to show who is the governor of heaven and earth. As a Satanic power is stirring up the elements from beneath, God will send light and power to His people, that the message of truth may be proclaimed to all the world.87The Signs of the Times, June 12, 1893.
Maranatha, p. 189.
Sunday, June 28, 2020
God, Trump & Covid-19
(Facemask: Pexels.com | Map: Pexels.com)
Published
Published
a month ago
Author
Author
Stephen E. Strang
Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from Stephen E. Strang's God, Trump, and COVID-19, which is now available to purchase. Click here to learn more.
The novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, will likely be remembered similarly to the way we recall Pearl Harbor or September 11, 2001. In some ways America will never be the same, and I knew I needed to deal with this by writing a quick update of my book God, Trump, and the 2020 Election. I completed that book in the fall of 2019, and it was released January 14, 2020-around the time news reports out of China were warning of a new virus infecting many.
Fast-forward to April 2020, when I felt compelled to put together God, Trump, and COVID-19—call it part two of the God, Trump, and the 2020 Election message—which I wrote in less than two weeks. Even though you may be reading this after the main threat of the novel coronavirus has passed, I trust that this will help you better understand the events and issues that have changed us irrevocably.
Thankfully, President Trump had quickly shut down the U.S. borders, announcing on January 31 travel restrictions on those coming from China, effective February 2, and then, effective March 16, on those coming from Europe, where the virus was spreading quickly. He declared the outbreak a national emergency on March 13.
At the time, there was sharp criticism from Democrats, most notably Joe Biden, who condemned "Trump's record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering" after he announced the China travel restrictions. Trump said Democrats "loudly criticized and protested" his travel restrictions and that Biden "called me a racist" because of the decision.
Trump may have slightly overstated the Democratic opposition's position. But according to The Hill, on January 31, 2020, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said President Trump's decision to extend the travel ban to six African nations was "outrageous, un-American and threatened the rule of law." That statement didn't age well. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted on January 14 that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus, but by January 23 the organization said human-to-human transmission was occurring.
However, President Trump, whose keen leadership instincts told him to take these actions even as the impeachment farce was wrapping up with his acquittal in the Senate on February 5, was taking action to protect the American people—putting them first. In predictable style the Left and the mainstream media blasted him as an alarmist. Of course, when things got really bad, they changed their tune. After all, the strong Trump economy began to plummet, and companies were shuttered—especially businesses that dealt with the public, such as restaurants and hairdressers. Even most churches closed their doors after March 16, when the president released guidelines recommending gatherings be limited to no more than 10 people.
Even with the stay-at-home orders, some enterprises were considered essential—drugstores and grocery stores, for example. Restaurants and bars had to close except for takeout or delivery. However, churches were considered nonessential, while liquor stores were considered essential! Early reports showed that liquor sales were way up while people sheltered in place.
This created an interesting question about religious liberty. Why did the government bureaucrats consider churches nonessential? We do, after all, have a constitutional right to freedom of religion.
Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from Stephen E. Strang's God, Trump, and COVID-19, which is now available to purchase. Click here to learn more.
The novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, will likely be remembered similarly to the way we recall Pearl Harbor or September 11, 2001. In some ways America will never be the same, and I knew I needed to deal with this by writing a quick update of my book God, Trump, and the 2020 Election. I completed that book in the fall of 2019, and it was released January 14, 2020-around the time news reports out of China were warning of a new virus infecting many.
Fast-forward to April 2020, when I felt compelled to put together God, Trump, and COVID-19—call it part two of the God, Trump, and the 2020 Election message—which I wrote in less than two weeks. Even though you may be reading this after the main threat of the novel coronavirus has passed, I trust that this will help you better understand the events and issues that have changed us irrevocably.
Thankfully, President Trump had quickly shut down the U.S. borders, announcing on January 31 travel restrictions on those coming from China, effective February 2, and then, effective March 16, on those coming from Europe, where the virus was spreading quickly. He declared the outbreak a national emergency on March 13.
At the time, there was sharp criticism from Democrats, most notably Joe Biden, who condemned "Trump's record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering" after he announced the China travel restrictions. Trump said Democrats "loudly criticized and protested" his travel restrictions and that Biden "called me a racist" because of the decision.
Trump may have slightly overstated the Democratic opposition's position. But according to The Hill, on January 31, 2020, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said President Trump's decision to extend the travel ban to six African nations was "outrageous, un-American and threatened the rule of law." That statement didn't age well. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted on January 14 that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus, but by January 23 the organization said human-to-human transmission was occurring.
However, President Trump, whose keen leadership instincts told him to take these actions even as the impeachment farce was wrapping up with his acquittal in the Senate on February 5, was taking action to protect the American people—putting them first. In predictable style the Left and the mainstream media blasted him as an alarmist. Of course, when things got really bad, they changed their tune. After all, the strong Trump economy began to plummet, and companies were shuttered—especially businesses that dealt with the public, such as restaurants and hairdressers. Even most churches closed their doors after March 16, when the president released guidelines recommending gatherings be limited to no more than 10 people.
Even with the stay-at-home orders, some enterprises were considered essential—drugstores and grocery stores, for example. Restaurants and bars had to close except for takeout or delivery. However, churches were considered nonessential, while liquor stores were considered essential! Early reports showed that liquor sales were way up while people sheltered in place.
This created an interesting question about religious liberty. Why did the government bureaucrats consider churches nonessential? We do, after all, have a constitutional right to freedom of religion.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
The power of love and the need to rest
Jun 26, 2020
by Samantha Panchèvre
Spirituality
This article appears in the Digging Into Laudato Si' feature series. View the full series.
(Pixabay/pixel2013)
READ
Chapter 6, sections 5 and 6
In the middle of chapter 6, Pope Francis discusses the important work of love. Yes, love counts as work. He begins by describing how care for nature is a lifestyle, and of the intentional work that's required to love our enemies in order to create "universal fraternity." Then he declares: "We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it" (229).
Francis continues: "Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world. Love for society and commitment to the common good are outstanding expressions of a charity which affects not only relationships between individuals but also 'macro-relationships, social, economic and political ones'" (231).
It takes time and effort to engage politically, especially to do so consistently so that we can shape the institutions and systems around us. Yet, Francis says: "Not everyone is called to engage directly in political life. Society is also enriched by a countless array of organizations which work to promote the common good and to defend the environment, whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as something belonging to everyone" (232).
In a similar vein, Francis also reflects on the importance of rest: "Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world… We tend to demean contemplative rest as something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with the very thing which is most important about work: its meaning. We are called to include in our work a dimension of receptivity and gratuity, which is quite different from mere inactivity. Rather, it is another way of working, which forms part of our very essence. It protects human action from becoming empty activism; it also prevents that unfettered greed and sense of isolation which make us seek personal gain to the detriment of all else… Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity to the rights of others. And so the day of rest, centred on the Eucharist, sheds it light on the whole week, and motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor" (237).
REFLECT
We clearly have a lot of work to do. Earlier in this series, I've spoken about the importance of voting for politicians that truly care about protecting the most vulnerable members of society, supporting the working poor, committing to international developmental goals, and protecting the environment and biodiversity.
However, taking action doesn't always have to be political. Consider the community actions laid out by the pope above. Francis also says this: "Around these community actions, relationships develop or are recovered and a new social fabric emerges. Thus, a community can break out of the indifference induced by consumerism... In this way, the world, and the quality of life of the poorest, are cared for, with a sense of solidarity which is at the same time aware that we live in a common home which God has entrusted to us" (232).
All this means that God's work can come in many forms. What are you called to do?
ACT
If you don't already take one day a week to completely rest (without any serious work commitments), consider adopting one. Like the pope says above, you can still be productive on "rest" days if you're undergoing spiritual contemplation. Every week, use this time to consider the parts of your life that need more love. Maybe you need to be kinder to yourself, or maybe it's a family member or a friendship that needs tending to. Maybe it's your politics or the businesses you support with your money. If you can reflect on this weekly and then take action, you will not only create more inner peace but perhaps a better world too.
Source material:
Laudato Si': Chapter 6, sections 5 and 6The Sunday Law Is Invoked
June 27
Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Matthew 24:9.
As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith. But their steadfast answer is: “Show us from the word of God our error.” ... Those who are arraigned before the courts make a strong vindication of the truth, and some who hear them are led to take their stand to keep all the commandments of God. Thus light will be brought before thousands who otherwise would know nothing of these truths.
Conscientious obedience to the word of God will be treated as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise harshness and severity toward the believing child; the master or mistress will oppress the commandment-keeping servant. Affection will be alienated; children will be disinherited and driven from home. The words of Paul will be literally fulfilled: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12. As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sunday-sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as slaves....
In this time of persecution the faith of the Lord's servants will be tried. They have faithfully given the warning, looking to God and to His word alone. God's Spirit, moving upon their hearts, has constrained them to speak.... Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready to exclaim: “Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we would have held our peace.” They are hedged in with difficulties. Satan assails them with fierce temptations. The work which they have undertaken seems far beyond their ability to accomplish. They are threatened with destruction. The enthusiasm which animated them is gone; yet they cannot turn back. Then, feeling their utter helplessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength.76The Great Controversy, 607-609.
Maranatha, p.186.
TEXAS REALTORS' MASTER BEDROOM' IS OFFICIALLY CANCELED...
Call Back to Slavery, They Say
6/26/2020 10:35 AM PT
The term "master" is officially canceled when it comes to describing bedrooms and bathrooms ... at least when you're searching for a home in Houston.
The Houston Association of Realtors is no longer using the word "master" to hype bedrooms and bathrooms on its Multiple Listing Service ... instead, the realtors are going with the word "primary."
The change in terminology, which happened quietly earlier this month, is already in place on HAR's property listing database ... and it came after several members demanded a review of the language, which some believe carries connotations to slavery.
According to HAR, the change has been raised and considered for several years ... and they are finally pulling the plug on "master." It's worth noting ... Houston has one of the nation's highest African-American populations.
Don't celebrate or scream into the void just yet ... HAR says the change is merely a suggestion, and does not constitute a ban of the term "master."
Other "masters" are already on the way out ... like the Court of Master Sommeliers, which says it will no longer use the word "master" before a wine sommelier's last name.
And, it begs the question, what's next on the chopping block?!?
There's The Masters golf tournament, Oprah's Master Class and Master's degrees to name a few.
Official Statement Concerning Albert Pike Statue
On June 19th, 2020 a statue of Past Grand Commander Albert Pike was toppled from its pedestal in Washington, D.C.
The statue celebrated Pike’s humanitarian successes and his leadership of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The statue was gifted to the people of the United States in 1901. Even though the Scottish Rite no longer had any ownership rights to the sculpture, this Supreme Council has repeatedly voiced its strong support for any governmental decision to remove the statue, because we recognized that its existence could be a concern among some citizens.
We can never condone unlawful acts; otherwise the foundation of our society would crumble. However, the statue has belonged to the people since we gave it to them more than a hundred years ago. Our prayer is that the removal of the statue can be at least a small step toward healing our nation’s wounds.
As Scottish Rite Masons, we prefer to step forward with our fellow citizens, consistent with the Scottish Rite Creed: Human progress is our cause, liberty of thought our supreme wish, freedom of conscience our mission, and the guarantee of equal rights to all people everywhere our ultimate goal.
James D. Cole, 33°
Sovereign Grand Commander
Monday, June 22, 2020
CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN
If you were sexually abused as a child in New York, WE WANT TO HELP YOU
CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN
Comprised of approximately 1.5 million Catholics and nearly 200 parishes, the Diocese of Brooklyn covers the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. As of 2018, more than 60 predator priests, clergy and employees of the diocese have been publicly accused of child sex abuse.
In response to the growing number of accusations, Church officials announced in 2017 an independent compensation plan for survivors of sexual abuse within the Diocese of Brooklyn. Serving more as a stopgap rather than a long-term solution, this plan is extremely limited in its capacity to help clergy sex abuse survivors find justice. We recommend that survivors pursue healing and justice through the New York Child Victims Act and urge you to contact legal counsel prior to taking action.
Comprised of approximately 1.5 million Catholics and nearly 200 parishes, the Diocese of Brooklyn covers the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. As of 2018, more than 60 predator priests, clergy and employees of the diocese have been publicly accused of child sex abuse.
In response to the growing number of accusations, Church officials announced in 2017 an independent compensation plan for survivors of sexual abuse within the Diocese of Brooklyn. Serving more as a stopgap rather than a long-term solution, this plan is extremely limited in its capacity to help clergy sex abuse survivors find justice. We recommend that survivors pursue healing and justice through the New York Child Victims Act and urge you to contact legal counsel prior to taking action.
It’s time for justice. It’s time to bring the truth out into the light. It’s time for accountability and healing. From simply listening to your story without judgment to assistance navigating the complexities of the New York Child Victims Act, we are ready to help New York child sex abuse survivors find justice and healing. Our law firm of legal professionals and advocates has more than three decades of experience working with survivors of sexual abuse and litigating cases against Catholic dioceses and religious orders nationwide. Contact us today. Your information will remain completely confidential.
Share your story. Take legal action. Call us today.
(646)-760-7137 | 55 West 39th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
CLERGY ACCUSED OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN.
The list below contain the names of clergy who were assigned within or working in the New York Diocese of Brooklyn who have been accused of sexual misconduct. While lawsuits were filed involving many of these alleged perpetrators, the vast majority of the claims against these individuals have been settled or have not been fully evaluated in a civil or criminal court. Accordingly, the allegations should be considered just allegations and should not be considered proved or substantiated in a court of law.
All individuals should be considered innocent until proven guilty. In some situations, the statute of limitations has expired preventing cases from being heard in a court of law. The information contained herein is an attempt to compile information already available to the public including information obtained from the media, www.bishopaccountability.org, the Diocese’s public statements, lists and reports that were released to the public, and other sources that have attempted to chronicle this information for public use.
Read more
Friday, June 26, 2020
WEBINAR: Now what? Climate change and coronavirus
Related
Ipsos MORI study: lockdown boosts TV viewing for 18-34s
Source: https://mediatel.co.uk/news/2020/06/05/ipsos-mori-study-lockdown-boosts-tv-viewing-for-18-34s/
BTW: Ipsos Mori means "THEY DIE" in LATIN.
Cuomo, de Blasio wrong to limit worship services, condone mass protests: federal judge
New York Gov. coronavirus orders unfairly targeted houses of worship, federal judge says.
Occupy protesters set up camp outside New York City Hall
A federal judge said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Letitia James, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio "exceeded" their executive limits by limiting worship services and condoning mass protests as the state continues to reopen from coronavirus restrictions.
U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe issued a preliminary injunction Friday on behalf of two Catholic priests -- Steven Soos and Nicholas Stamos -- and a trio of Orthodox Jewish congregants -- Elchanan Perr, Daniel Schonborn, and Mayer Mayerfeld -- in Brooklyn, represented by the Thomas More Society.
They filed the suit in the Northern District of New York after mass protests and looting occurred in the Big Apple following George Floyd's police-related death in May.
CHRISTIAN FIGURES, SYMBOLS TARGETED AMID ONGOING PROTESTS
De Blasio had "simultaneous pro-protest/anti-religious gathering messages" when he "actively encouraged participation in protests and openly discouraged religious gatherings and threatened religious worshipers," Sharpe said in his federal order.
"Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio could have just as easily discouraged protests, short of condemning their message, in the name of public health and exercised discretion to suspend enforcement for public safety reasons instead of encouraging what they knew was a flagrant disregard of the outdoor limits and social distancing rules," the judge added. "They could have also been silent. But by acting as they did, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio sent a clear message that mass protests are deserving of preferential treatment."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were sued by Catholic priests and Orthodox Jewish congregants for using coronavirus restrictions to discriminate against people of faith. (AP)
Thomas More Society Special Counsel Christopher Ferrara celebrated the decision and called Cuomo's executive orders a "sham" that "went right out the window as soon as he and Mayor de Blasio saw a mass protest movement they favored taking to the streets by the thousands."
"Suddenly, the limit on ‘mass gatherings’ was no longer necessary to ‘save lives,’" Ferrara said in a statement to Fox News. "Yet they were continuing to ban high school graduations and other outdoor gatherings exceeding a mere 25 people."
Fauci says task force 'seriously considering' new testing strategy
By Jim Acosta and Sam Fossum, CNN
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said June 26, 2020 that the White House coronavirus task force is "seriously considering" pool testing for Covid-19 and acknowledged to The Washington Post that the Trump administration's current testing strategy has proven inadequate.Alex Wong/Getty Images
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said Friday that the White House coronavirus task force is "seriously considering" pool testing for Covid-19 and acknowledged to The Washington Post that the Trump administration's current testing strategy has proven inadequate.
The proposal is still in the discussion stage, Fauci told CNN, and it was not announced at a task force press briefing on Friday afternoon.
Although President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed the need for increased testing -- and suggested last week that he asked for testing to be slowed down -- the nation is experiencing a surge in confirmed cases, demonstrating the nation's inability thus far to get a grip on the spiraling pandemic.
And Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House's coronavirus task force, claimed during the news conference on Friday that "all 50 states and territories across this country are opening up safely and responsibly" despite the fact that cases have surged in many states and eight states across the country have paused their reopening efforts.
Fauci first mentioned the discussions about testing in an interview with The Washington Post published on Friday morning.
"Something's not working," Fauci said of the nation's current approach in an interview with The Post. "I mean, you can do all the diagramming you want, but something is not working."
Asked about what's not working, Fauci said Friday the US is having trouble identifying spread among asymptomatic individuals and young people, and subsequently, having trouble isolating those individuals. Additionally, he said, the contact tracers are having issues getting into contact with communities seeing potential asymptomatic spread.
A source close to the White House Coronavirus Task Force told CNN that a real schism has developed among the group over the issue of testing.
Several members of the task force feel that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not handled testing well from the beginning. They say it is "unbelievable" that there still isn't a widespread testing program available, such as antigen testing, the type of technology often referred to as a rapid flu test. The source also mentioned the need for "pooled testing," a method of testing that can scale up and test much larger numbers of people.
The way "pool testing" works is by mixing together several samples together into a "batch," or pool, and then test the pooled sample with one diagnostic test. This way you can test a group of, for example, 25 people with one test rather than 25 separate diagnostic tests. If the test comes back negative, then you have eliminated 25 people with one test. If you get a positive result, you go back and test people individually.
Testing has been an issue throughout the handling of the pandemic. The CDC's initial test, given to public health labs, did not work and resulted in a lag in getting tests out to public health departments. As far back as two months ago, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said that the US needed a "breakthrough" in testing to help screen large numbers of people.
The internal push for a better US testing strategy comes after the US Food and Drug Administration recommended such a strategy earlier this month to companies seeking to make tests for mass screening of people for coronavirus. And last month, local health authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan said they managed to test more than 9 million people using 6.6 million tests. Chinese media reported that Wuhan used a pooled testing approach.
"What you need to do is find the penetration of infected people in your society," Fauci told The Washington Post. "And the only way you know that is by casting a broad net."
Earlier this week, Birx pointed to how other nations have used pooled testing and suggested that such an approach could drastically expand the nation's knowledge of how and where the virus is spreading.
"We have gone from about 1,000 tests a day to now over 500,000 tests a day in less than three months, but still we need innovation in testing and I think it's more than just more platforms and more tests," Birx said during an online conference of the American Society for Microbiology on Monday. "If you look around the globe, the way people are doing a million tests or 10 million tests is they're doing pooling."
Birx added that pooled testing would allow for people to return to schools and workplaces with the ability to test on a frequent basis.
Fauci also told the Post on Friday that the high levels of asymptomatic spread of the coronavirus are forcing health experts to rethink how to approach mitigating the spread of Covid-19.
"We now know the level of virus in an asymptomatic person is about the same as the level of virus in
somebody who has symptoms," Fauci said. "So it's like, oh my goodness, how do you address that?"
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Maegan Vazquez and Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.
Internal documents show Trump is at odds with his own experts as virus surges
Jonathan Allen 10 hrs ago
Gallery
© Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Fashion designer and choreographer Jeffrey DeBarathy participates in a fashion show in front of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the Las Vegas Strip on June 25. It kicked off the pro-mask wearing campaign "Mask Up for Nevada" put on by Experience Strategy Associates amid the spread of the coronavirus.
Fashion designer and choreographer Jeffrey DeBarathy participates in a fashion show in front of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the Las Vegas Strip on June 25. It kicked off the pro-mask wearing campaign "Mask Up for Nevada" put on by Experience Strategy Associates amid the spread of the coronavirus.
We can make surveillance work for us
Data mining is a threat to our autonomy, but it also offers opportunities to build a more humane world. We need a new social compact to manage it.
By Iyad Rahwan and William Powers
Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google's parent company, Alphabet, is among the tech executives who have called for new government regulations.GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT/BLOOMBERG
Two horrible events, the COVID-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, have shaken the world, raising consciousness about social, economic, and political problems that had been festering for generations. They could also inspire us to solve a relatively new problem with huge implications for democracy’s future: the growing role of surveillance in our lives.
Surveillance used to be associated mainly with government spies and eavesdropping satellites. But about 20 years ago, the tech industry discovered there was money to be made in tracking people’s personal relationships, political leanings, physical movements, and countless other aspects of their lives. The resulting behavioral data is sold to advertisers and other businesses for commercial use.
It’s called surveillance capitalism — the subject of an influential 2019 book by Harvard Business School professor Shoshana Zuboff — and it’s how Google, Facebook, and many other companies became profit machines. Any digital device or app is a potential tool of the tech-surveillance complex. We’re surveilled not just by our phones, but our Internet-connected cars, our smart speakers and vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and thermostats, even the toys our children play with.
Both kinds of surveillance, government and industry, threaten our privacy, agency, and autonomy. Public concerns about Big Brother prompted modern democracies to place limits on government surveillance of citizens long ago. But as surveillance capitalism emerged from Silicon Valley and spread all over the world, it drew relatively little public scrutiny or pushback.
Partly, this is because this new surveillance isn’t conducted by the government, but by private companies that we allow to surveil us every time we approve one of those “user agreements” we haven’t read. In other words, we bought into surveillance capitalism. Why? Because the same technologies do many other useful things for us and genuinely enrich our lives. In effect, we’ve cut a deal with the tech industry, giving up a lot of our privacy in exchange for substantial utility and pleasure.
Two horrible events, the COVID-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, have shaken the world, raising consciousness about social, economic, and political problems that had been festering for generations. They could also inspire us to solve a relatively new problem with huge implications for democracy’s future: the growing role of surveillance in our lives.
Surveillance used to be associated mainly with government spies and eavesdropping satellites. But about 20 years ago, the tech industry discovered there was money to be made in tracking people’s personal relationships, political leanings, physical movements, and countless other aspects of their lives. The resulting behavioral data is sold to advertisers and other businesses for commercial use.
It’s called surveillance capitalism — the subject of an influential 2019 book by Harvard Business School professor Shoshana Zuboff — and it’s how Google, Facebook, and many other companies became profit machines. Any digital device or app is a potential tool of the tech-surveillance complex. We’re surveilled not just by our phones, but our Internet-connected cars, our smart speakers and vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and thermostats, even the toys our children play with.
Both kinds of surveillance, government and industry, threaten our privacy, agency, and autonomy. Public concerns about Big Brother prompted modern democracies to place limits on government surveillance of citizens long ago. But as surveillance capitalism emerged from Silicon Valley and spread all over the world, it drew relatively little public scrutiny or pushback.
Partly, this is because this new surveillance isn’t conducted by the government, but by private companies that we allow to surveil us every time we approve one of those “user agreements” we haven’t read. In other words, we bought into surveillance capitalism. Why? Because the same technologies do many other useful things for us and genuinely enrich our lives. In effect, we’ve cut a deal with the tech industry, giving up a lot of our privacy in exchange for substantial utility and pleasure.
Related
Facial-recognition tech may have value, but real-time surveillance goes too far
Boston City Council unanimously votes to ban use of face surveillance technology by city government
The other (bigger) privacy problem
Face masks: Why the guidance has changed so much, and how wearing masks can protect the economy
By Holly Yan, CNN 59 mins ago
First, health officials said we shouldn't wear face masks. Then, they said we should. Now, many are saying we must wear masks if we want to keep the economy open and save tens of thousands of lives.
© Kevin Dietsch/Pool/Getty Images WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, takes off his face mask before testifying at a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Capitol Hill on June 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. The committee is investigating the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says everyone "should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities."
"Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms," the CDC said.
Researchers say the payoff would be enormous. If 95% of Americans wore face masks in public, it could prevent 33,000 deaths by October 1, according to the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
So why has the guidance on face masks changed since the pandemic started? This novel coronavirus is still just months old, and scientists are constantly learning more about it -- including more reasons why wearing masks is so important:
-- It's easy to spread this virus by just talking or breathing.
-- This coronavirus is highly contagious. Without mitigation efforts like stay-at-home orders, each person with the coronavirus infects, on average, another two to three other people. That makes it twice as contagious as the flu.
-- It's easy to spread the coronavirus without any symptoms -- either from asymptomatic carriers or pre-symptomatic carriers.
-- This virus has a long incubation period -- up to 14 days -- giving a wide window of opportunity for people to infect others before they even know they're infected.
-- Carriers may be most contagious in the 48 hours before they get symptoms, making transmission even more blind.
In other words, it's not just people who are sneezing and coughing who can spread coronavirus. It'soften people who look completely normal and don't have a fever. And that could include you.
Why did health officials tell us not to wear masks before?
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Forbidden to Buy or Sell
June 24
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:17.
The time is coming when we cannot sell at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him that hath the mark of the beast.65Testimonies for the Church 5:152.
In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell.66The Desire of Ages, 121, 122.
Religious powers, allied to heaven by profession, and claiming to have the characteristics of a lamb, will show by their acts that they have the heart of a dragon and that they are instigated and controlled by Satan. The time is coming when God's people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day.67Testimonies for the Church 9:229.
There is a time coming when commandment-keepers can neither buy nor sell. Make haste to dig out your buried talents. If God has intrusted you with money, show yourselves faithful to your trust; unwrap your napkin, and send your talents to the exchangers, that when Christ shall come, He may receive His own with interest. In the last extremity, before this work shall close, thousands will be cheerfully laid upon the altar. Men and women will feel it a blessed privilege to share in the work of preparing souls to stand in the great day of God, and they will give hundreds as readily as dollars are given now. If the love of Christ were burning in the hearts of His professed people, we would see the same spirit manifested today. Did they but realize how near is the end of all work for the salvation of souls, they would sacrifice their possessions as freely as did the members of the early church. They would work for the advancement of God's cause as earnestly as worldly men labor to acquire riches. Tact and skill would be exercised, and earnest and unselfish labor put forth to acquire means, not to hoard, but to pour into the treasury of the Lord.68Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 292.
In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell.66The Desire of Ages, 121, 122.
Religious powers, allied to heaven by profession, and claiming to have the characteristics of a lamb, will show by their acts that they have the heart of a dragon and that they are instigated and controlled by Satan. The time is coming when God's people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day.67Testimonies for the Church 9:229.
There is a time coming when commandment-keepers can neither buy nor sell. Make haste to dig out your buried talents. If God has intrusted you with money, show yourselves faithful to your trust; unwrap your napkin, and send your talents to the exchangers, that when Christ shall come, He may receive His own with interest. In the last extremity, before this work shall close, thousands will be cheerfully laid upon the altar. Men and women will feel it a blessed privilege to share in the work of preparing souls to stand in the great day of God, and they will give hundreds as readily as dollars are given now. If the love of Christ were burning in the hearts of His professed people, we would see the same spirit manifested today. Did they but realize how near is the end of all work for the salvation of souls, they would sacrifice their possessions as freely as did the members of the early church. They would work for the advancement of God's cause as earnestly as worldly men labor to acquire riches. Tact and skill would be exercised, and earnest and unselfish labor put forth to acquire means, not to hoard, but to pour into the treasury of the Lord.68Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 292.
Maranatha, p.183.
Media-Induced Fear Of COVID-19 Is Starting To Cause A Second Wave Of Severe Economic Panic
Media-Induced Fear Of COVID-19 Is Starting To Cause A Second Wave Of Severe Economic Panic
Fear of COVID-19 absolutely crippled the U.S. economy during the first half of this year, and now it appears that there are some people that are pushing for that to happen again during the second half of 2020. Earlier this evening, I came across a headline that boldly declared that there will be “180,000 U.S. deaths of COVID-19 by October”, and right now just about every mainstream news outlet is running stories about how the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. is surging. And it is definitely true that we are seeing an alarming rise in the number of confirmed cases. In fact, the number of new cases in the U.S. on Wednesday set a new record…
The U.S. broke its record for the highest coronavirus cases recorded in a single day, with 36,358 new positives reported on Wednesday, according to a tally by NBC News.
Wednesday’s cases top the previous highest day count from April 26 — the first peak of the pandemic in the U.S. — by 73 cases, according to NBC News tracking data. The World Health Organization saw its single-day record on Sunday with more 183,000 cases worldwide.
The mainstream media is treating this as some sort of a big shock, but of course the truth is that this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
For months, I have been telling my readers that the lockdowns would “flatten the curve” for a while and that the number of cases would start to spike again once the lockdowns ended. That is exactly what has happened, but anyone with even a little bit of common sense could have anticipated this.
Earlier this year, states in the northeastern portion of the nation were the epicenter for the outbreak in this country, but now it is states in the southern and western sections of the nation that have become the most prominent hotspots…
The U.S. broke its record for the highest coronavirus cases recorded in a single day, with 36,358 new positives reported on Wednesday, according to a tally by NBC News.
Wednesday’s cases top the previous highest day count from April 26 — the first peak of the pandemic in the U.S. — by 73 cases, according to NBC News tracking data. The World Health Organization saw its single-day record on Sunday with more 183,000 cases worldwide.
The mainstream media is treating this as some sort of a big shock, but of course the truth is that this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
For months, I have been telling my readers that the lockdowns would “flatten the curve” for a while and that the number of cases would start to spike again once the lockdowns ended. That is exactly what has happened, but anyone with even a little bit of common sense could have anticipated this.
Earlier this year, states in the northeastern portion of the nation were the epicenter for the outbreak in this country, but now it is states in the southern and western sections of the nation that have become the most prominent hotspots…
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Easing Sunday trading restrictions would 'affect human wellbeing', says Bishop of Shrewsbury
By Rory Smith | Shrewsbury | News | Published: 20 hours ago
People should "raise their voices in objection" to easing lockdown restrictions on Sunday trading, the Bishop of Shrewsbury has said.
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Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury
In a homily during mass at Shrewsbury Cathedral on June 21, Rev Mark Davies said any further de-regulation of Sunday trading would have an adverse impact on “human wellbeing” and any economic benefits would not outweigh “human loss”.
The bishop warned of the loss of “shared human values” which the observance of Sunday as a national day of rest has involved for all in British society and spoke of Sunday being a key element of the country’s Christian identity.
Mr Davies said: “So central is Sunday to the Christian life, that for some 16 centuries public authorities have sought to safeguard Sunday as a day of worship and so a day of rest. From the beginning of the English nation, Sunday was so distinguished as a day different to all other days.
“As we emerge from lockdown, it is regrettable that the government is considering removing the remaining legal protections of Sunday in order to make it a full trading day.
"Proposals for unrestricted Sunday trading may be included within plans to revive economic activity and so place new demands upon the very shop workers and their families who have supported us throughout this crisis.
"Whatever economic advantages the government may calculate the human loss will surely be greater if Sunday becomes just another working day.
"We would be discarding the Christian heritage of a shared day of rest and all the human values which the observance of Sunday has involved. At a deeper level, Britain would be discarding a key element of our Christian identity for by logical extension either Easter and Christmas Day might equally be treated as merely another working day.
“If degrading Sunday as a day of rest, of family, of community, of worship marginally enhanced our faltering economy it would not be justified because of its deeper impact upon human wellbeing. This is a moment for us to raise our voices, so our Christian Sunday is not discarded by a political sleight of hand.”
The remarks follow the government announcement that the relaxation of Sunday trading rules could be a key point of its forthcoming coronavirus recovery bill.
Catholic bishop urges UK to preserve Sunday as a day of rest
Bishop Mark Davies reopens Shrewsbury Cathedral to the public after 86 days of lockdown June 15, 2020. Credit: Shrewsbury diocese
CNA Staff, Jun 22, 2020 / 05:30 am MT (CNA).- A bishop has urged Christians to speak out against plans to relax Sunday trading laws in the United Kingdom as the economy reels from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a June 21 homily at Shrewsbury Cathedral, Bishop Mark Davies criticized the government’s intention to lift the current six-hour limit on Sunday trading.
“As we emerge from lockdown, it is regrettable that the government is considering removing the remaining legal protections of Sunday in order to make it a full trading day,” the bishop of Shrewbury said.
“Proposals for unrestricted Sunday trading may be included within plans to revive economic activity and so place new demands upon the very shop workers and their families who have supported us throughout this crisis.”
“Whatever economic advantages the government may calculate, the human loss will surely be greater if Sunday becomes just another working day.”
The bishop, whose diocese covers the English counties of Shropshire and Cheshire, as well as parts of Merseyside, Derbyshire, and Greater Manchester, said that scrapping Sunday trading restrictions could lead to the downgrading of major Christian celebrations.
He said: “We would be discarding the Christian heritage of a shared day of rest and all the human values which the observance of Sunday has involved.”
Monday, June 22, 2020
Sunday, June 21, 2020
As Spain enters the ‘new normality’ on Sunday, what will change?
Safety measures such as the use of masks will still be obligatory when social distancing of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained
A play park is disinfected in the Spanish province of Ávila.
RAÚL SANCHIDRIÁN / EFE
El País
Madrid - 20 jun 2020 - 03:34 EDT
On Sunday June 21, at 12am, the whole of Spain will enter what the government has classed the “new normality.” After three months, the sixth and final extension to the state of alarm will come to an end. The emergency situation was implemented by the government in the middle of March in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus, and, among other things, confined Spaniards to their homes and prevented them from moving freely around the country, or leaving Spanish borders.
Now that the epidemic is under control in Spain, the country is moving to a new phase of deescalation. But it will not be a situation completely free of restrictions. The regions will be taking control of much of the management of the crisis from now on, and each government will be able to establish its own measures. Madrid, the Basque Country, Cantabria, Aragón, Extremadura, Murcia and Catalonia have already announced that they are working on legislation that will limit the capacity of establishments and avoid new outbreaks.
Not all of the country’s 17 regions are entering the new normality in the same circumstances. Galicia was the first territory to begin the stage on Monday. On Friday it was joined by the Basque Country and Cantabria – citizens can already move between these two regions – as well as Catalonia. The rest of the country is in Phase 3, apart from Madrid and four provinces in Castilla y León (Segovia, Soria, Ávila and Salamanca), which are still in Phase 2. All of them will enter the new normality on June 21.
What does the new normality consist of? In this new stage, which begins on Sunday, mobility restrictions imposed by the state of alarm will end but hygiene and safe-distancing measures will remain. The government has approved a Royal Decree that sets out the obligatory use of masks when a safe inter-personal distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained, with fines of up to €100 if this is not observed. The rules also establish constant coordination between residences and the health system, the adoption of prevention and hygiene measures in the workplace – the organization of work stations and shifts to avoid large groups of people – and health controls in airports.
How long will the new normality last? The measures in this new phase will be in place until the pandemic is considered to be over, either thanks to the appearance of an effective treatment or a vaccine. The regulations set out by the Royal Decree can be complemented with the rules established by each region.
The Church Militant in Mexico: New Book Sets Record Straight on Cristero War
(Cropped book cover)
Books | May. 30, 2020
BOOK PICK: Saints and Sinners in the Cristero War
Charles LewisSaints and Sinners in the Cristero War
By Father James T. Murphy
Ignatius Press, 2019
230 pages, $17.95
To order: ignatius.com or (800) 651-1531
A black-and-white photograph, taken in November 1927, should be an icon of what it means to fight for religious freedom. The man pictured is José Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez, known today as Blessed Miguel Pro. In the photo, his arms are stretched out in the form of a cross … waiting for the end. A few moments later, a Mexican firing squad cut him down for one reason: He was a troublesome Catholic priest who dared to practice his faith.
This iconic photo is a bloody reminder of events not so long ago and not so far away, when the Catholic Church in Mexico was in danger of physical annihilation.
In 1926, a civil war broke out after years of anti-religious repression. It pitted a trained federal army against a rag-tag army of defiant Catholics, many of whom were simple farmers and laborers, who, after years of hostility from their atheist government, took up arms in order to fight for their faith.
Roughly 90,000 died in the three-year civil war, including many non-combatants who were suspected of hiding priests and carrying out the sacraments in violation of the law. And martyrs were made.
Blessed Miguel Pro was not the only martyr to emerge from what history now calls the Cristero War — “Cristero” meaning “warrior for Christ” or “Catholic militant.”
Among others, there was St. José Sanchez del Rio, 14, who, in February 1928, was executed by the Mexican government to for refusing to renounce his faith; and Blessed Salvador Huerta Gutierrez, who was tortured and killed for refusing to disclose the location of two priests on the run. His death in April 1927 made him the only auto mechanic in the communion of saints.
But as noted in Saints and Sinners in the Cristero War, “Blessed Miguel Pro may be the only martyr in the history of the Church whose execution was photographed.”
Catherine Austin Fitts – We are Watching the Mother of All Debt Entrapments
Catherine Austin Fitts – We are Watching the Mother of All Debt Entrapments
Jun 20, 2020
Greg Hunter
Investment advisor and former Assistant Secretary of Housing Catherine Austin Fitts says the Covid-19 crisis is really more of a so-called “Plandemic.” Fitts says, “What we are seeing is a reengineering of the global financial system on the just-do-it method. We saw a lot of smart money get out of the market at the top in January and February. Then, we saw a push to use police powers in the healthcare system to shut down a huge part of the independent economy globally. So, small business and small farms shut down across the board throwing the emerging markets and many small businesses into debt traps. So, we are watching the mother of all debt entrapments going on globally, and that means we are in for a radical reengineering. That’s what we are seeing in the U.S.”
Protesters Fell Albert Pike Monument In Washington D.C.
Live Updates: Protests For Racial Justice
AMERICA RECKONS WITH RACIAL INJUSTICE
Protesters Fell Confederate Monument In D.C., Provoking Trump's Fury
June 20, 202010:29 AM ET
COLIN DWYER
Another Confederate monument has fallen — this time in a city where such memorials were understandably rare to begin with: the nation's capital.
Protesters on Friday night toppled a statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, the only outdoor Confederate memorial in the city. They yanked it down with rope and later set it ablaze as law enforcement looked on.
Perry Stein
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And protesters just toppled the Albert Pike statue in DC
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It was an abrupt end for a controversial monument, which has attracted criticism and often outright confusion from residents.
Born in Massachusetts, the nativist attorney and author fought for the Confederacy and spent much of his time after the Civil War supporting the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The international fraternal organization commissioned the statue in his honor around the turn of the 20th century.
But, lately, even the Freemasons haven't resisted calls to have it removed.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Police entered the Seattle Autonomous Zone
Police enter Seattle's 'no cop' CHOP zone after 'shooter with a rifle in a SUV kills one man and leaves another in critical condition'
Sat, 06/20/2020 - 19:37 — legitgov
Police enter Seattle's 'no cop' CHOP zone after 'shooter with a rifle in a SUV kills one man, 19, and leaves another in critical condition' --Police confirm shooting occurred early Saturday inside the 'autonomous zone' --People reported gunshots near barricaded entrance at around 2.20am --Protesters transported two gunshot victims to nearby Harborview hospital --One victim, a 19-year-old male, was dead on arrival at the hospital --Witnesses say the shooter was a man in a black SUV carrying a rifle | 20 June 2020 | One man is dead and another is wounded after a shooting in Seattle's 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,' also known as CHAZ or CHOP. The shooting occurred at around 2.20am on Saturday near a barricaded entrance to the protest camp, as the anti-police occupation entered its second week in downtown Seattle. Police said in a statement that a 19-year-old male victim had died, and another of an unknown age had life-threatening injuries and was in unknown condition. The shooter or shooters fled the area and are still at large, and police said they had no description of the suspect for the public at this time
Pope Francis warns society against reverting to individualism after the pandemic
By Livia Borghese
Updated 11:55 AM ET, Sat June 20, 2020
Pope Francis addresses doctors and nurses from the coronavirus-ravaged Lombardy region, at the Vatican, on June 20.
Rome (CNN)Pope Francis has warned the world against returning to the "illusion of individualism" after the coronavirus pandemic ends.
Francis made a statement from the Vatican on Sunday, praising healthcare workers in Italy's Lombardy region who stood by their patients during the pandemic's "troubled months."
Lombardy was Italy's worst-affected region at the height of the pandemic.
Francis later warned people to "be careful," and not to allow individualism to again become "the guiding principle of society."
Francis also thanked priests for showing "courage and love to the people."
In April, he said the pandemic could be one of "nature's responses" to humans ignoring the current ecological crisis.
The pandemic radically changed the way the Vatican operates, forcing the Pope to celebrating Palm Sunday mass in an empty church. After months of lockdown, worshippers returned to St. Peter's Square in Vatican City at the end of May.
God's Law Made Void in America
It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. Psalm 119:126.
A time is coming when the law of God is, in a special sense, to be made void in our land [the United States]. The rulers of our nation will, by legislative enactments, enforce the Sunday law, and thus God's people will be brought into great peril. When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land.51The Review and Herald, December 18, 1888.
When the land which the Lord provided as an asylum for His people, that they might worship Him according to the dictates of their own consciences, the land over which for long years the shield of Omnipotence has been spread, the land which God has favored by making it the depository of the pure religion of Christ—when that land shall, through its legislators, abjure the principles of Protestantism, and give countenance to Romish apostasy in tampering with God's law—it is then that the final work of the man of sin will be revealed. Protestants will throw their whole influence and strength on the side of the Papacy; by a national act enforcing the false sabbath, they will give life and vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, reviving her tyranny and oppression of conscience. Then it will be time for God to work in mighty power for the vindication of His truth.
The prophet says: “I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.... And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation. Then the extremity of God's people is His opportunity to show who is the governor of heaven and earth. As a Satanic power is stirring up the elements from beneath, God will send light and power to His people, that the message of truth may be proclaimed to all the world.52The Signs of the Times, June 12, 1893.
Maranatha, p.179.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy asks white Christians to repent, fight for black Americans in wake of police billings
CP CURRENT PAGE:U.S. | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS →
Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy asks white Christians to repent, fight for black Americans in wake of police killings
Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy asks white Christians to repent, fight for black Americans in wake of police killings
Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy addresses racism at Passion City Church in Atlanta, June 14, 2020. | YouTube/Passion City Church
Dan Cathy, conservative billionaire CEO of fast food chain Chick-fil-A, urged white Christians to take advantage of the “special moment” in American history now, to repent of racism and fight for their black “brothers and sisters” in the wake of ongoing protests over the police killings of Rayshard Brooks and other black Americans like George Floyd.
Brooks was shot dead by an Atlanta police officer at a Wendy’s parking lot on Friday night just three weeks after the death of Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. Floyd’s death set off global protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Brooks’ death also sparked fresh protests in Atlanta throughout the weekend including one on Saturday night in which protesters burned down the Wendy’s restaurant where he was killed.
“I think we have to recognize we are in a very special moment right now that the answer is not just for this to go off the radar screen, go back to talking about COVID-19, to talk about world peace, the environment, … politics is going to be coming up here this fall. I believe if we miss this moment we would have failed in our generation,” Cathy said during a robust conversation about race in America just two days later on Sunday at Passion City Church in Atlanta.
In that conversation were Pastor Louie Giglio and rapper Lecrae Moore, popularly known as Lecrae, whom Cathy asked to share his personal experience with racial injustice.
Dan Cathy, conservative billionaire CEO of fast food chain Chick-fil-A, urged white Christians to take advantage of the “special moment” in American history now, to repent of racism and fight for their black “brothers and sisters” in the wake of ongoing protests over the police killings of Rayshard Brooks and other black Americans like George Floyd.
Brooks was shot dead by an Atlanta police officer at a Wendy’s parking lot on Friday night just three weeks after the death of Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. Floyd’s death set off global protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Brooks’ death also sparked fresh protests in Atlanta throughout the weekend including one on Saturday night in which protesters burned down the Wendy’s restaurant where he was killed.
“I think we have to recognize we are in a very special moment right now that the answer is not just for this to go off the radar screen, go back to talking about COVID-19, to talk about world peace, the environment, … politics is going to be coming up here this fall. I believe if we miss this moment we would have failed in our generation,” Cathy said during a robust conversation about race in America just two days later on Sunday at Passion City Church in Atlanta.
In that conversation were Pastor Louie Giglio and rapper Lecrae Moore, popularly known as Lecrae, whom Cathy asked to share his personal experience with racial injustice.
Local synagogues deepen interfaith relationships in time of strife
Ellen O’Brien | Staff Writer
In 2019, more than 400 people attended the concert “A Celebration of Spirit: Strengthening Our Common Bonds Through Music and Faith” with Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Photos by Joel Zolondek
As the nation reckons with a legacy of racism and weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd, local synagogues are building on the Jewish community’s relationship with Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church and its pastor, Terry E. Mackey, to let the black community know that they stand united with them.
“I know that the African American community is reaching out to say, ‘Brothers and sisters in the Jewish community … we want you with us,’” said Rabbi John Linder of Temple Solel. “And we’re going to respond to that.”
Linder attended virtual services at Pilgrim Rest on Sunday, May 31, and invited his congregation to attend with him the next week. Over 100 members of Temple Solel joined the church for services on Sunday, June 7.
Clergy from Congregation Beth Israel, including Rabbi Stephen Kahn, Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin and Cantor Seth Ettinger, also attended services on May 31.
“It’s just incredible to feel the energy of hope and spirituality and commitment and care that that community has,” Ettinger said. “Pastor Mackey is so vibrant and I could not imagine the amount of energy and selflessness it takes to take care of the size of the flock that he does.”
With national protests against police brutality and racism continuing this week, the Jewish community is taking this moment both to offer support and to listen.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Question corner: Which day is the Sabbath and struggling with Mass obligation
JUN 18, 2020 VOICES
BY FATHER KENNETH DOYLE
Q. Is it true that the Church changed the day of the Sabbath? I have always felt that the Sabbath occurred on Saturday, but I have learned that the early Church decided to celebrate the breaking of bread on Sunday because that was the day of Christ’s resurrection.
A. Technically, it is not true that the Christian Church changed the Sabbath day. The Sabbath is still on Saturday (or, more properly, from sundown on Friday), marking the fact that God rested from creation on the seventh day.
In the very earliest days of Christianity, believers – who were mainly Jewish – observed the seventh-day Sabbath with prayer and rest; but very quickly (as Colossians 2:16 shows) Christians began to see this as no more obligatory than Jewish rules on food and drink. The followers of Jesus gathered instead to break the bread of the Eucharist on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) – the day on which Jesus, completing a New Covenant, had made sacred by rising from the dead.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the relationship between Sunday and the Sabbath: “Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God” (No. 2175).
The catechism’s following section goes on to say that “the celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public and regular worship” (No. 2176).
Q. My beloved husband of 35 years passed away two years ago, and I have had great difficulty attending Mass since his death. My husband and I (we had no children) always went to Mass together, and it was the highlight of our weekend. Being present at Mass reminds me of him in the hardest ways imaginable and seems more than I can handle. So, is it still a sin if I do not attend Mass physically?
A. Please relax and be at peace. In your situation, you are not committing a mortal sin – or any sin at all – by not going to Mass. Your emotional condition, which is as real as any physical illness, exempts you from the obligation to attend. And your regular habit of personal prayer is surely pleasing to the Lord.
I do want to comment, though, on your friend’s contention that the obligation of Sunday Mass ceases at age 65; that is simply not true. If a person’s health enables him or her to be present, the responsibility of Sunday Mass attendance continues.
(Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and 30 Columbia Circle Dr., Albany, New York 12203.)
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
French archbishop calls for monthly 'lockdown Sunday'
16 JUNE 2020, THE TABLET
by Tom Heneghan , in Paris
People work out at a fitness center in Lille, northern France, June 15, 2020. In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared 'a first victory' over the pandemic, announcing a return to normalcy.
Sebastien Courdji/Xinhua/PA
French bishops conference head Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort has said the recent pandemic shutdown had shown both the planet and its people needed "a real day of Sunday rest" and suggested France designate one Sunday a month as a locked-down day.
Responding to President Emmanuel Macron’s call for the faiths to share their post-lockdown reflections, he said the 10 weeks of “suspended time” had made people realise how modern life had led to "the constant acceleration of time”.
He said in his written reply: "Many have heard the birds again and have been able to observe the arrival of spring like never before in their lifetime.” Admitting it was probably “a waking dream”, he suggested a monthly “real Sunday rest … for people, but also for cities (and) the Earth.”
De Moulins-Beaufort, who is Archbishop of Reims, said: “Widening our horizons is probably the only way out of the trauma caused by the epidemic and the lockdown imposed on our societies.”
The lockdown period had highlighted the commitment of health workers and the “under-estimated trades that have proven to be essential”, he wrote, and these must not be forgotten afterwards.
The archbishop also hoped the experience of stay-at-home orders would lead to "essential investments so that everyone can have decent housing.”
Moulins-Beaufort saw a wave of solidarity in the widespread acceptance of limits imposed by governments and hoped this would lead to a new appreciation of the value of hospitality.
“The fear of being contagious has been transformed into a desire to be useful to others or to show kindness and attention beyond our usual circles,” he wrote. “The lockdown experience may have given us some cues about how to progress collectively in this direction.
The rapid propagation of the coronavirus around the world was “not due to the evil of a few but the many interactions among peoples these days,” he wrote.
“Doesn’t this lead us to think about migration? Why are certain people assigned to places on Earth where they cannot make a living?” He asked, saying societies had to consider both how to accept more migrants and how to help those who stay home to live there.
De Moulins-Beaufort also asked for hospital chaplains to be allowed more access to the dying, after being banned from accompanying them during the lockdown. “When you die, more affection is better than more medicine,” he wrote.
The bishops conference held its spring plenary on Zoom last week. At that session, Moulins-Beaufort defended his decision to follow government guidelines during the lockdown and not press more loudly for churches to reopen quickly.
“The freedom of the Church ... does not encourage the Church of Christ to claim privileges for itself,” he said. “The State is within its rights when it enacts health rules; it goes beyond its role when it seeks to determine how citizens shall implement these rules.”
by Tom Heneghan , in Paris
People work out at a fitness center in Lille, northern France, June 15, 2020. In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared 'a first victory' over the pandemic, announcing a return to normalcy.
Sebastien Courdji/Xinhua/PA
French bishops conference head Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort has said the recent pandemic shutdown had shown both the planet and its people needed "a real day of Sunday rest" and suggested France designate one Sunday a month as a locked-down day.
Responding to President Emmanuel Macron’s call for the faiths to share their post-lockdown reflections, he said the 10 weeks of “suspended time” had made people realise how modern life had led to "the constant acceleration of time”.
He said in his written reply: "Many have heard the birds again and have been able to observe the arrival of spring like never before in their lifetime.” Admitting it was probably “a waking dream”, he suggested a monthly “real Sunday rest … for people, but also for cities (and) the Earth.”
De Moulins-Beaufort, who is Archbishop of Reims, said: “Widening our horizons is probably the only way out of the trauma caused by the epidemic and the lockdown imposed on our societies.”
The lockdown period had highlighted the commitment of health workers and the “under-estimated trades that have proven to be essential”, he wrote, and these must not be forgotten afterwards.
The archbishop also hoped the experience of stay-at-home orders would lead to "essential investments so that everyone can have decent housing.”
Moulins-Beaufort saw a wave of solidarity in the widespread acceptance of limits imposed by governments and hoped this would lead to a new appreciation of the value of hospitality.
“The fear of being contagious has been transformed into a desire to be useful to others or to show kindness and attention beyond our usual circles,” he wrote. “The lockdown experience may have given us some cues about how to progress collectively in this direction.
The rapid propagation of the coronavirus around the world was “not due to the evil of a few but the many interactions among peoples these days,” he wrote.
“Doesn’t this lead us to think about migration? Why are certain people assigned to places on Earth where they cannot make a living?” He asked, saying societies had to consider both how to accept more migrants and how to help those who stay home to live there.
De Moulins-Beaufort also asked for hospital chaplains to be allowed more access to the dying, after being banned from accompanying them during the lockdown. “When you die, more affection is better than more medicine,” he wrote.
The bishops conference held its spring plenary on Zoom last week. At that session, Moulins-Beaufort defended his decision to follow government guidelines during the lockdown and not press more loudly for churches to reopen quickly.
“The freedom of the Church ... does not encourage the Church of Christ to claim privileges for itself,” he said. “The State is within its rights when it enacts health rules; it goes beyond its role when it seeks to determine how citizens shall implement these rules.”