tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363244182024-03-18T13:15:35.730-07:00EndrTimesAND THE THIRD ANGEL FOLLOWED THEM, SAYING WITH A LOUD VOICE, IF ANY MAN WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, AND RECEIVE HIS MARK IN HIS FOREHEAD, OR IN HIS HAND.
*** REVELATION 14:9Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.comBlogger26836125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-68147882062244370072024-03-18T11:28:00.000-07:002024-03-18T11:28:36.441-07:00Former President Obama Spotted Entering, Leaving 10 Downing St...<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/bZcpmU4-bb0?si=G9xtg1U1BI_Cm5il" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-18946573873706250812024-03-18T11:07:00.000-07:002024-03-18T11:09:54.648-07:00 Controversial 'Civil War' Movie Prompts Debate Over US SchismStory by AFP<div><div><br /><img height="299" src="https://www.barrons.com/asset/external-media/afp/AFP9914373766139158623377496374410796681911---1.jpg" width="400" /><br /><br /></div><div>'Civil War' director Alex Garland deliberately leaves the specific origins and politics of the conflict vague in his film</div><div><span face=""Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Midlevel", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 12px;">©</span><span face=""Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Midlevel", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 12px;"> </span>LISA O'CONNOR<br /><br /><br />A major film that imagines a second civil war in the near-future United States has highlighted fears about the divided state of the nation ahead of November's presidential election.<br /><br />"Civil War," which premiered at the SXSW Festival this week and hits theaters April 12, pictures a three-term US president in Washington DC battling secessionist forces from California and Texas.<br /><br />The movie stars Kirsten Dunst as a journalist travelling through a broken, dystopian nation. The FBI has been disbanded, and military drone strikes launched on US citizens.<br /><br />In early reviews, The Atlantic noted an "uncomfortable resonance in these politically polarized times." Rolling Stone said "you might accidentally mistake" the film's futuristic premise for the present.<br /><br />So, just how plausible is the film's scenario?<br /><br />The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, was recently criticized for seemingly joking he would be a "dictator" on "day one" if he wins a second term as president. He faces charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.<br /><br />Biden has accused his predecessor of embracing "political violence."<br /><br />A survey by the Brookings Institution and the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) last year showed 23 percent of Americans agree "true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country."</div><div><br /></div><div>Related video: Civil War Movie Trailer (Dailymotion)</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
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</div><div>But William Howell, a University of Chicago political science professor, said while there is cause for concern about rising political violence, "talk about 21st-century muskets being fired at one another isn't very helpful."</div><div><br />Political elites and Congress are more divided than ever, but polarization among the public is "overstated," said Howell.<br /><br />Survey responses to vaguely worded questions do not necessarily speak to on-the-ground realities about how people will actually behave, he added.<br /><br />"I don't think we're on the brink of a civil war," said Howell.<br /><br />"It's more diffuse than that... a hollowing out of the state, a sabotage of administrative agencies, the disaffection of the larger public."<br /><br />"All that can be true, and it also not be the case that we're about to line up as we did in 1861, and en masse begin slaughtering one another."<br /><br />On the other hand, author Stephen Marche believes "the United States is a textbook case of a country headed for civil war" -- just not in the way depicted by the movie.<br /><br />Marche's book, "The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future," uses political science models to suggest five scenarios that could plausibly trigger widespread internecine conflict.<br /><br />These include anti-government militias clashing with federal forces, or a president being assassinated.<br /><br />Political violence "becomes acceptable, and in a certain sense, inevitable, because people don't feel that their government is legitimate, and that therefore violence is the only response," said Marche.<br /><br />"I would say that to a certain extent, that has already happened in America."<br /><br />Cautioning that he has not yet seen the movie, Marche says a conflict fought along geographical lines like the North-South civil war of the 1860s is unlikely.<br /><br />More likely than state-on-state violence would be a "massive, splintering chaos," reminiscent of the late 20th-century "Troubles" in Northern Ireland.<br /><br />In Marche's book, retired US Army colonel Peter Mansoor says a new conflict "would not be like the first civil war, with armies maneuvering on the battlefield."<br /><br />"I think it would very much be a free-for-all, neighbor-on-neighbor, based on beliefs and skin colors and religion. And it would be horrific."</div><div><br /></div><div>- 'Fault lines' -<br /><br />In the film, director Alex Garland deliberately leaves the specific origins and politics of the conflict vague. He has said the movie is intended to be "a conversation" about polarization and populism.<br /><br />It offers little exposition, and focuses on the horrific daily reality for American citizens and journalists.<br /><br />"We don't need it explained -- we know exactly why it might happen, we know exactly what the fault lines and the pressures are," Garland told the audience at Thursday's premiere in Texas.<br /><br />The movie's "three-term president" appears to invoke the fears held by many Americans that Trump -- if re-elected -- could ignore the US Constitution's two-term maximum, and refuse to step down after four years.<br /><br />"It's hard to think otherwise, if you just take him at his word -- and I think we would be mistaken not to," said Howell.<br /><br />If that scenario was reached, said Marche, talk of a civil war may already be redundant.<br /><br />"If there's a three-term president, America has already ended," he said. "There's no United States anymore."</div></div><div><br /></div><div>amz/hg/st</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/controversial-civil-war-movie-prompts-debate-over-us-schism-4b0241e9" target="_blank"><b>Source</b></a></div><div><br /></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-21510250639134653562024-03-18T10:29:00.000-07:002024-03-18T10:29:27.678-07:00Civil War | Official Trailer HD | A24<iframe width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/aDyQxtg0V2w?si=5Sokk6mw-rJkBklS" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-21906093604500617222024-03-18T09:38:00.000-07:002024-03-18T13:15:04.668-07:00Agenda 21 - Rosa Koire - Behind the Green Mask<iframe width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/s1IacmUWVa4?si=zIXrSaHxgD3zhcHl" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-51390260249351686302024-03-17T05:10:00.000-07:002024-03-17T05:10:49.780-07:00March 3: European Day for a Work-free Sunday<br /> <img height="336" src="https://europeansundayalliance.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/My-project-1-1.png" width="640" /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://europeansundayalliance.eu/category/news/"> NEWS</a>|<a href="https://europeansundayalliance.eu/march-3-european-day-for-a-work-free-sunday/"> MARCH 1, 2024</a></div><div><br /><br />On this year's annual European Day for a Work-free Sunday the European Sunday Alliances launches its manifesto for the upcoming EU elections<br /><br />On the occasion of this year’s annual European Day for a Work-free Sunday on March 3, the European Sunday Alliance reminds that synchronised resting time is an effective tool to counter loneliness and highlights its importance for the mental health of workers.<br /><br />In the view of upcoming EU elections in June 2024, the European Sunday Alliance calls on Members of the European Parliament and candidates to the upcoming European Elections to support the <a href="http://europeansundayalliance.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/European-Sunday-Alliance-EU-elections-manifesto-2024-draft-20231212_06.pdf">Elections Manifesto</a> of its Steering Committee to recognise the value of the establishment of a weekly common day of rest, by tradition on Sunday, at the EU level for all citizens.<br /><br />On the occasion of the European Day for a Work-free Sunday, the European Sunday Alliance is glad about support for a work-free Sunday as expressed by a series of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from different political groups, among them Brando Benifei (S&D, Italy), Gabriele Bischoff (S&D, Germany), Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, Germany), Dragos Pislaru (Renew, Romania), Dennis Radtke (EPP, Germany), Evelyn Regner (S&D, Austria), Michaela Sojdrova (EPP, Czech Republic) and Tomas Zdechovsky (EPP, Czech Republic) – and, as sponsor of the European Sunday Alliance, Miriam Lexmann (EPP, Slovakia):</div><div><br />
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</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://europeansundayalliance.eu/march-3-european-day-for-a-work-free-sunday/" target="_blank">Source</a></div><div><br /></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-58252919982141902722024-03-17T04:34:00.000-07:002024-03-17T04:38:03.125-07:00The Beginning Of The Sunday Law Movement? | EYES ON THE TIMES | Marie Diaz<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/SVzrg7-r6-c?si=PT63D9Mj5VvgXlbU" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-78214400172196016022024-03-16T10:43:00.000-07:002024-03-16T10:46:54.316-07:00US Senate Committee Hearings on a 32-hour Work Week Argued that People Cannot Attend Church on Sundays if They Work 70 Hours<br /> <a href="http://adventmessenger.org/">ADVENT MESSENGER</a><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br />US Senate Committee Hearings on a 32-hour Work Week Argued that People Cannot Attend Church on Sundays if They Work 70 Hours</span><br /><br />March 14, 2024 by <a href="http://adventmessenger.org/author/webadmin/">Andy Roman</a> <div><br /><div><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="768" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hSpwNQAdR5ZDppzlkyizuPnv_7vwlxF0Pqc6Flr_w4uj0AgjaLF87TnJtfNom1eYa1ysp2AWvGT15Zf5JHolQEWZ1GZMSdc5M2x-PRxWkOzQ2ttmoskTfSAgBpA1Kpv7BPEJDLgHKARrxBAGA4d2xIbsytlYi4tAkkZR2PeNOjBYSevlPcJ7/w400-h272/Senate-Sunday-Rest-768x524.jpg" width="400" /></div><div><br />The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions heard a speech by Connecticut Democrat Senator Chris Murphy on Thursday, March 14, 2024. [1] The committee hearings addressed the need for a 32-hour work week that would give Americans more time for leisure activities such as family socials and <span style="color: red;">Sunday church services</span>. Speaking to Mr. Shawn Fain, International President of the United Auto Workers Union, Senator Murphy said that the reason for the drop in religious attendance is that individuals are simply too exhausted after their week of work. In response, the head of the union reaffirmed that those who work too much don’t have time for worship on <span style="color: red;">Sundays</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div>
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<br /><br /></div><div>The following exchange occurred in our US Congress between Senator Murphy and Union President Fain:<br /><br />Senator Chris Murphy: “There’s a pretty wild thing happening in America today: in 2000, 70 percent of Americans belonged to a religious institution, but today that number is 50 percent. There has been a pretty precipitous decline in the ability or willingness of Americans to go to church or to a religious institution on a regular basis. And I think that has lots of broad impacts in our society. There are a lot of reasons for that, but one of them is that Americans just have less free time. When you have to work 70 hours to get the same standard of living for your family that 40 hours would have gotten you a few decades ago, you don’t have time to go to Wednesday night Bible study; <span style="color: #ff00fe;">you might not have the ability to even attend church services on a Sunday</span>. You can talk about church if you want or if you don’t want, but it is just true that some of the leisure time activities, some of the institutions that Americans found value and meaning in, are less accessible when you have to work these long hours. I’d love to just hear your thoughts on that.”<br /><br />Shawn Fain, UAW President: “One of the biggest, one of the things we talked about was the 32-hour work week when we put that in our contract talks was the fact that we wanted to create work life balance … And as I say when you’re working multiple jobs to live paycheck to paycheck or you’re working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, something else is sacrificed in that, and that’s what ends up happening. You have to sacrifice, you know, the ability to go to church. If it’s something else to do on a Sunday, maybe you get a Sunday off and you haven’t slept all weekend, and you spend the whole day sleeping. I mean that that is a reality a lot of workers face on some of the schedules they work … I do believe Congress has an obligation here, spending priorities and regulations. And that may be an ugly word to some people that represent business.”<br /><br />Senator Chris Murphy: “Well, listen, I agree with you. I think we should have an interest in leisure time. We should have an interest in making sure that people are able to find value outside of work. A lot of people find value in work, and I’m glad that they do, but a lot of people find more value by the institutions and the social clubs and the churches that they affiliate and spend time with outside of work. But that is just less accessible for people today and that should be a public policy interest of the United States Congress. I appreciate this hearing allowing us to talk about that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”<br /><br />A sitting US senator is urging policymakers to get involved in ensuring that people have more time for church and recreation. According to Senator Murphy, the desire for more leisure ought to be considered a “public policy interest of the United States Congress.” This is a call being made in a Senate committee to reduce the work week, and one of the justifications is so that people can get back to church on Sundays. It’s not simply a call, though. A bill to cut the workweek down to only 32 hours has already been introduced. [2]<br /><br />“The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet’s words: ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’.” (Great Controversy, p. 592).<br /><br />Sources<br /><br />[1] <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/workers-should-benefit-from-new-technology-and-increased-productivity-the-need-for-a-32-hour-work-week-with-no-loss-in-pay">https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/workers-should-benefit-from-new-technology-and-increased-productivity-the-need-for-a-32-hour-work-week-with-no-loss-in-pay</a><br /><br />[2] <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1332">https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1332</a><div><br /><br />© 2014-2023 Advent Messenger | All Rights Reserved</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://adventmessenger.org/us-senate-committee-hearings-on-a-32-hour-work-week-argued-that-people-cannot-attend-church-on-sundays-if-they-work-70-hours/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Source</span></a></div></div><div><br /></div></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-85407328643686321362024-03-16T10:05:00.000-07:002024-03-16T10:05:20.555-07:00‘This Is Not A Radical Idea’: Bernie Sanders Promotes Benefits Of A 32-H...<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p56ngYobD10/hqdefault.jpg)" width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/p56ngYobD10?si=1pkvVWf9a2bxeNTc" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-2356957506761981242024-03-16T04:00:00.000-07:002024-03-16T04:00:00.242-07:00SDA & the United Nations - Isaiah 2/Micah 4__Elder Patrick Jones<iframe width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/_geOHAWcf9c?si=Wg3er1-ZbBV5PEcx" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-47125247575026905212024-03-14T19:05:00.000-07:002024-03-14T19:29:29.950-07:00The Three Angels Messages History & The Seven Thunders<iframe width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/C3t6-HAoKJ8?si=UQJpB-vUqYNih45p" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-57184636688087856012024-03-11T09:23:00.000-07:002024-03-11T09:23:31.042-07:00Fallen Angels Play This HAARP -- Babylon's Weather Modification - Angel Velazquez<iframe src='https://www.brighteon.com/24b40240-c7f6-4eb1-a785-ec26e2467182?t=0' width='640' height='370' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-90765925352868175682024-03-11T06:13:00.000-07:002024-03-11T06:13:45.377-07:00Nation’s intelligence chiefs to tell Congress world remains a dangerous place<br /><br />By <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/jamie-mcintyre/">Jamie McIntyre</a><div><br />March 11, 2024 7:03 am<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fdaily-on-defense%2F2913144%2Fnations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place%2F"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Nation%E2%80%99s+intelligence+chiefs+to+tell+Congress+world+remains+a+dangerous+place&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fdaily-on-defense%2F2913144%2Fnations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place%2F&via=dcexaminer"></a><a href="https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=Nation%E2%80%99s+intelligence+chiefs+to+tell+Congress+world+remains+a+dangerous+place%20%0A%0A%20https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-on-defense/2913144/nations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place/"></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-on-defense/2913144/nations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place/&title=Nation%E2%80%99s+intelligence+chiefs+to+tell+Congress+world+remains+a+dangerous+place"></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Nation%E2%80%99s%20intelligence%20chiefs%20to%20tell%20Congress%20world%20remains%20a%20dangerous%20place&body=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-on-defense/2913144/nations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place/"></a><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-on-defense/2913144/nations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place/#"></a><br /><br />WORLD AS DANGEROUS AS EVER: Led by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, the nation’s top spymasters and law enforcement officials will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee <a href="https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/hearings/open-hearing-worldwide-threats-4">today</a> and the House Intelligence Committee <a href="https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=116929">tomorrow</a> about the growing threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, among others.<br /><br />Also appearing before the committees to testify about the “Annual Worldwide Threats Assessment” will be CIA Director William Burns, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Brett Holmgren, National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.<br /><br />China, which is building up its military at a “breathtaking” pace and making increasingly ominous statements about forcing unification with Taiwan, is once again expected to be identified as posing the greatest long-term challenge to U.S. national security. “Countries around the world see a unipolar order, and they seek to challenge it,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS yesterday. “In China’s case, they want, if not to replace, at least to be an alternative to the American-led system.” <br /><br />“One of the things that Sen. Rubio and I have done on a bipartisan basis is try to go industry by industry in America and warn them of the potential theft of intellectual property, $500 billion a year,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Intelligence Committee chairman, said sitting alongside Rubio on CBS’s Face the Nation. “China is investing in quantum computing, in bioengineering. … I think we need to compete against that.”<br /><br />“The vast majority of innovation is still taking place in this country,” Warner added. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-on-defense/2913144/nations-intelligence-chiefs-to-tell-congress-world-remains-a-dangerous-place/" target="_blank">Source</a></div><div><br /></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-11778991937626935892024-03-10T18:54:00.000-07:002024-03-10T18:54:48.959-07:00BLUE BOOK No 2: Behavioral control using electromagnetic waves<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/dhCGE0lQXko?si=C_FL-ss1jZjJREOy" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-15254599845463216472024-03-10T04:30:00.000-07:002024-03-10T22:11:44.285-07:00The Case for Building Wealth with Richard Werner FULL INTERVIEW<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/BwH7WgQeP9o?si=itS3FCLNMXm3VEa7" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-13891180923828181712024-03-09T09:36:00.000-08:002024-03-09T09:36:56.993-08:00GLOBAL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS FOR REFUSING TO RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST/...<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/4jcUC9eBm8A?si=quEozmsK_1b-hCAN" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4jcUC9eBm8A/hqdefault.jpg);" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-73255498206292861672024-03-09T04:51:00.000-08:002024-03-09T04:52:22.234-08:00ROAD TO 2030 | A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)<br />FEBRUARY 28, 2023<div><br /><img height="288" src="https://virchowprize.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Sustainable-Development-Goals_Series_History_News-gif.gif" width="400" /><br /><br /><br />In 2023, the world has reached the mid-way point for attaining the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development. On this occasion, the Virchow Foundation for Global Health will highlight history, progress and the challenges ahead for reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<br /><br />Key dates in 40 years of sustainable development<br /><br /><br />The development and adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals builds on decades of work done by countries and the United Nations. Before the first world conference on the human environment, hosted by the United Nations (<a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/stockholm1972">UNCHE</a>) and its Member States in Stockholm in 1972, environmental issues had not been given adequate attention from neither the public nor policy makers. During the UNCHE, a series of principles and an action plan was adopted from all participating countries. One significant outcome of the conference was the creation of the <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/">United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)</a>.<br /><br /><br />Eleven years later, in 1983, the “Brundtland Commission”, named after and led by Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, was established. Also known as the <a href="https://www.environmentandsociety.org/mml/un-world-commission-environment-and-development-ed-report-world-commission-environment-and">World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)</a>, or within the United Nations as the “UN Special Commission on the Environment”, the aim was to help direct countries globally towards sustainable development (1). The <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf">“Our Common Future”</a> Report (also known as Brundtland Report) was published by the commission in 1987 shortly before their disbandment. It defined sustainable development for the first time as “a development that fulfils the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to fulfil their own needs” linking social, economic, cultural and environmental issues (1).<br /><br />In June 1992, held on the 20th anniversary of the UNCHE, more than 178 countries adopted the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/publications/agenda21">“Agenda 21”</a> action programme during the Earth Summit, the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992">United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)</a>, which took place in Rio de Janeiro. The Agenda 21 was a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment (2).<br /><br />After the Earth Summit and Agenda 21, the next milestone was the unanimous adoption from all Member States of the Millennium Declaration during the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/newyork2000">Millennium Summit</a> in New York. The start of a new millennium posed a unique opportunity to create a new strategy, adapted to the latest realities and needs of the world in the twenty-first century. The Summit, held in September 2000, was the largest gathering of heads of states and governments of all time until then. It led to the elaboration of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to be achieved by the year 2015.<br /><br />
<p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br /><br />From MDGs to SDGs<br /><br /><br />The <a href="https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml">Millennium Development Goals</a> formed the blueprint to reduce extreme poverty and started an unprecedented global effort to tackle the issue of poverty. The following international eight goals, including numerical sub-targets and deadlines, were formulated (3):<br /><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger</li><li>Achieve universal primary education</li><li>Promote gender equality and empower women</li><li>Reduce child mortality</li><li>Improve maternal health</li><li>Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases</li><li>Ensure environmental sustainability</li><li>Develop a global partnership for development</li></ol><br />This Agenda unified nations and states, drove progress in several areas and kick-started global movements and initiatives (4) to combat these global health issues. Twelve years after the adoption of the Millennial Development Goals, the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/rio20">United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)</a> took place with two main themes: how to develop a green economy in the context of and the institutional framework for sustainable development (4). The declaration <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1298">“The Future We Want”</a> was adopted, listing a set of suggestions and measures for high-, middle- and low-income countries to consider implementing principles of sustainable development into reality. In Rio de Janeiro, the decision was also made to start the process of evolving the MDGs to a set of SDGs as well as organising the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf">UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development</a>.<br /><br />A year later, in 2013, an <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/owg">Open Working Group (OWG)</a> consisting of 30 members was tasked by the UN General Assembly to develop a proposal on the Sustainable Development Goals. During Rio+20 it was established that these goals should be limited in number, aspirational and easy to communicate. No further specific elaborations had been proposed. Previously, the MDGs faced serious criticism from the global community, inter alia, the missing role of equity, gender issues, lack of strong objectives and disparities between nations (5). These were acknowledged by the OWG during their process.<br /><br />In 2015, the General Assembly began their negotiation. The <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/negotiations">post-2015 development agenda</a> was Member State led with the necessary and broad participation from different sectors and stakeholders. This process resulted in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/summit">UN Sustainable Development Summit.</a> The Agenda 2030 consists of 17 Goals with 169 targets and, as of this year 2023, a total of 3581 related events, 1342 publications and over 6700 actions.<br /><br />2015 was a milestone year for global health and sustainable development with the adoption of several significant agreements to shape international policies, including the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/frameworks/addisababaactionagenda">Addis Ababa Action Agenda</a> on Financing for Development, the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/frameworks/parisagreement">Paris Agreement</a> on Climate Change and the <a href="https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030">Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction</a> (6,7).<br /><br />The United Nations implemented the campaign <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/decade-of-action/">“Decade of Action”</a> in 2020, marking ten years to deliver the 2030 Agenda. The global community has recognised the urgency for global action and cooperation. At this point of time, we have the necessary resources and tools to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, overall progress is not made with the desired speed nor at the required level to reach these targets.<br /><br />With the world now at a crossroad and halfway to 2030, the Virchow Foundation for Global Health will highlight all seventeen goals separately and ask: what has been achieved by the joint global activities? Where is accelerating action urgently needed? How did the global pandemic effect the progress of the goals and what might precede the year 2030? This series of posts will uphold the “Decade of Action” campaign while counting down to the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/SDGSummit2023">2023 SDG Summit </a>in September.<br /><br />We must mobilise everyone, everywhere; demand urgency and ambition; supercharge ideas to solutions and facilitate powerful cooperation for development (8). Let us unite – for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships.<br /><br />References<br /><br /><a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_441">Springer Link</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://sdgs.un.org/publications/agenda21">United Nations | Department of Economic and Social Affairs | Sustainable Development – Agenda 21</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">United Nations | Millennium Development Goals</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/40Years_sustainable_Development_sept13_Access.pdf">Sustainable Development – Key dates </a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877943/">PubMed Central </a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.undp.org/sdg-accelerator/background-goals">UNDP | SDG Accelerator</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://thesustainablemag.com/environment/the-history-of-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/">The Sustainable Mag</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/decade-of-action/">United Nations | Sustainable Development Goals | Decade of Action</a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://virchowprize.org/vf-road-to-2030-history-of-sdgs/" target="_blank"><b>Source</b></a></div><div><br /></div></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-80108275440349092352024-03-08T17:57:00.000-08:002024-03-08T17:57:56.102-08:00Invisible Empire A New World Order Defined Full (Order it at Infowars.com)<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NO24XmP1c5E/hqdefault.jpg)" width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/NO24XmP1c5E?si=vzgHoybY2s7YqHPj" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-80904053683096405522024-03-08T11:04:00.000-08:002024-03-08T11:04:43.678-08:00Responding To The State Of Dis-Union Address. Principle & Truth over Emo...<iframe width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/rXZ662OJZUE?si=GictLvB5bD64k1v_" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-50307490730924083702024-03-08T07:37:00.000-08:002024-03-08T07:37:28.313-08:00John Cornyn Delivers Blistering Tirade On Biden Ahead Of Presiden...<iframe width="640" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/q52qD9hZozU?si=yA7aCrUqf051Fg9r" frameborder="0"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-51127907020219898002024-03-07T15:34:00.000-08:002024-03-07T15:34:34.865-08:00Adventism’s Prophetic Bulwarks Under Continuing Assault from the New Theology<br />December 26, 2021 by <a href="http://adventmessenger.org/author/elvis-placer/">The Remnant Herald</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEiUT4wB7I7i5yGRnlZOxGWumB_F9aWSti9O-qXqaMlSMTgz8o8U080wBLwixlZjj8wKKHBDJFkG8qzKe-OSiiwlX5VQNmaiUqMH40fDYds2cFVR9OUo3I4-7hqm0QHsNQqc-SVuvdG48QmXKYVRCAq4X8KFn0SodCIxE9Ku1UXQCo7acsnLEn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="320" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEiUT4wB7I7i5yGRnlZOxGWumB_F9aWSti9O-qXqaMlSMTgz8o8U080wBLwixlZjj8wKKHBDJFkG8qzKe-OSiiwlX5VQNmaiUqMH40fDYds2cFVR9OUo3I4-7hqm0QHsNQqc-SVuvdG48QmXKYVRCAq4X8KFn0SodCIxE9Ku1UXQCo7acsnLEn=w640-h378" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />“The great waymarks of truth, showing us our bearings in prophetic history, are to be carefully guarded, lest they be torn down, and replaced with theories that would bring confusion rather than genuine light.” Selected Messages, volume 2, p. 101 (Manuscript 31, 1896)<br /><br />If ever there was an expression of INDELIBLE, UNQUESTIONABLE, ABSOLUTE TRUTH that ought to be accepted uncritically, this quote fits that category —<br /><br /><br />“Satan is constantly endeavouring to attract attention to man in the place of God. He leads the people to look to bishops, to pastors, to professors of theology as their guides, instead of searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves. Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influence the multitudes according to his will.” (The Great Controversy, pp. 413, 414. 1884 edition; Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 413)<br /><br />The peril of placing one’s understanding of truth in the hands of a minister or theologian was vividly portrayed by the enemy himself, who declared:<br /><br /><br />“The people accept their ministers’ explanations of Scripture, and do not investigate for themselves. Therefore, by working through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will.” (Ibid, p. 340. 1884 edition; Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 338).<br /><br />One of the most startling acknowledgments made in recent decades with regards to doubts and uncertainties that engulf many a theological mind came from none other than Dr. Desmond Ford himself. Whatever the context and intent of his remarks, they highlight how destructive it is, in the name of scholastic freedom, to quibble and speculate over God’s Word:<br /><br /><br />“No sensible person looks for infallibility in the doctrinal structure of any church. That would be impossible. At the close of a series of more than 100 hours of instruction in one debatable field, I once told my students: ‘Half of what I have told you is wrong, but I don’t know which half.’ Teachers and church leaders at best are only one-eyed leaders of the blind.” Spectrum, November 1988, p. 61. Auburn, California.<br /><br />It was such lectures by Dr. Ford at Avondale College that alarmed “The Concerned Brethren” — a group of lay people, retired ministers, evangelists, and administrators in Australia who warned our people from the 1970s until their deaths regarding the doctrinal apostasy of the New Theology. In December 1975, they wrote to the leadership of the Australasian Division, declaring:<br /><br /><br />“We, the undersigned, retired ministers and laymen of the Church, wish to humbly express to you our very deep concern regarding the downward trend of the teaching being given to our trainee ministers at Avondale College — our future leaders.<br /><br />“At a meeting of some of the responsible and representative older men held recently, many disturbing proofs were cited, concerning the distortions of truth that are being taught these young people. Brethren, we are deeply concerned for the safety of the church of God. There is an attempted shift in the foundations, and we fear that ere long, a tremendous split might well take place in the Church. This must be avoided at any cost, while avoiding a compromise of truth. Subjects such as: righteousness by faith; the age of the earth; the inspiration of the Scriptures; the seventieth week of Daniel; the two-apartment sanctuary in heaven; the Spirit of Prophecy, and a number of other subjects including the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, as believed and taught by the pioneers of this Church, are being undermined by those who lean towards modernist teachings and worldly scholarship in the Theology Department at Avondale.<br /><br />“As retired workers and church officers, we feel that the established Seventh-day Adventist Church is being white-anted and if not checked immediately, disastrous results will accrue…Our earnest prayer is that God will give you great wisdom and direction, as you consider what should be done to avoid the greatest crisis in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Australasian Division.” The Remnant Herald, February 2001, p. 957<div><br />
<p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br />In the field of prophetic exposition (which this article shall be confined to), Pastor Llewellyn Jones (a retired minister from Melbourne, Australia) was the first of “The Concerned Brethren” to publicly document Dr. Ford’s revisions to key verses in Daniel and Revelation. In 1974, Pastor Jones issued a thin booklet, A Review of Dr. D. Ford’s “New Teaching” on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel, warning the reader —<br /><br /><br />“That it is highly questionable whether Adventist theological students can immerse themselves in the exegesis of Futurist scholars without, at least to some extent, embracing the presuppositions on which that false exegesis is built.” Page 6. Burnside Press. Wahroonga, Sydney, Australia. 1974<br /><br />Years of exposure to the writings and teachings of theologians from different denominations (including those of the late Professor F. F. Bruce, the famous Plymouth Brethren intellectual, from whom Dr. Ford received a doctorate of philosophy degree in New Testament studies in 1972, after spending 24 months at Manchester University, England) molded Des Ford’s thinking away from historic Adventism. In the field of eschatology (the study of last day events), his conclusions were diametrically opposed to what the Seventh-day Adventist movement has taught from its infancy, as these examples clearly reveal:<br /><br />• The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)<br /><br /><br />“We have also noticed that many things can be said with certainty regarding what Antichrist is not. He is not any past personage. He belongs to the future and not to history.” The Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Eschatology, p. 246. Manchester University. Manchester, United Kingdom. July 1972<br /><br />“In a bygone polemical era, Protestants assumed this usage in 2 Thessalonians and thereby found an effective club to batter the papal antichrist. This view, however, ignored not only the eschatological setting of 2 Thessalonians 2, but also the truth that the Christian church must cease to be such once the Antichrist becomes its tenant.” Ibid, pp. 248, 249<br /><br />• Little Horn (Daniel 8:9), Vile Person (Daniel 11:21)<br /><br /><br />“…only Antiochus Epiphanes fulfilled the chief specifications of Daniel 8’s little horn, and the vile person of Daniel 11. All other fulfillments, such as pagan and papal Rome, are fulfillments in principle rather than in detail.” Daniel 8:14, The Day of Atonement and The Investigative Judgment, p. 469. Evangelion Press. Casselberry, Florida. 1980<br /><br />• Year-Day Principle (Genesis 29:27; Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6)<br /><br /><br />“It is quite impossible to prove that the year-day principle is a biblical datum.” Ministry, October 1980<br /><br /> • Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27)<br /><br /><br />“We feel it unwise to take a literal approach to the numbers and dates of Daniel 9:24-27.” Good News For Adventists, p. 36. Good News Unlimited. Auburn, California. 1985<br /><br />• Deadly Wound/Papacy/Antichrist (Revelation 13)<br /><br /><br />“Thus Revelation 13:3 is an illusion to Christ’s victory over Satan at the cross…1798 meant nothing whatsoever to the Christians of John’s time; it means little to us today!…Let us notice how historicism limits the symbol of Antichrist. Undoubtedly, the papacy of the Middle Ages, with its blasphemous claims, persecuting tendencies, and internal corruption, was a fulfilment of the Antichrist prophecies. But it certainly did not exhaust the Antichrist symbol. We must not give the papacy that much credit! … Adventism’s limited understanding of Antichrist is seen also in its interpretation of Daniel 7-9, and Revelation 13-14, 17-18.” Ibid, p. 5<br /><br />The historical development of prophetic interpretation in the Christian era (particularly by the Waldenses, the Reformers and the Millerites) — meticulously documented in LeRoy Froom’s four-volume series, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers (Review and Herald Publishing Association, Takoma Park, Washington, D.C. 1946-1954) — was devalued by Dr. Ford. The New Theology, having disannulled the weight of evidence in support of Adventism’s Protestant expositions on the “Antichrist,” categorically dismisses the unfolding of current events in relation to the papacy as having any prophetic significance for the people of God in the closing stages of this earth’s history:<br /><br /><br />(Quoting Dr. Ford): “Christians of the first century had a fairly good idea of what John the Revelator was saying. They understood him to be addressing events in their era, not nineteen centuries beyond. Secondly, historicism ignores the fact that prophetic symbols are deliberately impressionistic so they have recurring situations elsewhere in history. Thirdly, historicism fails to see that apocalyptic literature (like Daniel and Revelation) does not claim to set forth a detailed blueprint for 2000 years of history. On the contrary, everything foretold could have been speedily fulfilled to the generation which first read its pages.” Ibid, p. 19.<br /><br />Dr. Ford claimed majority support from his theological peers for the positions he espoused, but his beliefs on such points (mirroring those of fallen Protestantism) were in defiance of the Spirit of Prophecy:<br /><br /><br />“The light that Daniel received from God was given especially for these last days…The very name ‘Revelation’ contradicts the statement that it is a sealed book. ‘Revelation’ means that something of importance is revealed. The truths of this book are addressed to those living in the last days.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 112, 113<br /><br />“All need wisdom carefully to search out the mystery of iniquity that figures so largely in the winding up of this earth’s history…He has called them to expose the wickedness of the man of sin who has made the Sunday law a distinctive power, who has thought to change times and laws…” Ibid, p. 118<br /><br />“Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us.” Selected Messages, volume 3, p. 338 (Letter 74a, 1897)<br /><br />In light of all this, it was inevitable that Dr. Ford had much to say in disagreement with Sister White:<br /><br /><br />“Despite E.G. White’s confirmation of the Lisbon earthquake, the Dark Day, and the falling of the stars as a fulfilment of Christ’s predictive Olivet discourse, they are no longer relevant signs to our generation of the nearness of His coming. The allusions to these events in The Great Controversy are an application suitable for the people first addressed — Adventists of the nineteenth century.” Ministry, October 1980<br /><br />At this juncture, the reader may be tempted to ask: what’s the point of going through all this history on Dr. Ford? It is because the New Theology has evolved from that era to promote more erroneous ideas that negate our prophetic message. How? By claiming that our views on Revelation 13 are totally out of date, that Sunday laws are not likely to be a feature of end-time events, and in some circles, it is even stated that God Himself is not able to foresee and foretell the future!<br /><br /><br />THE BIBLE SAYS: “The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure…for it is written…” Daniel 2:45; Matthew 4:10.<br /><br />When one engages in dismantling the framework of truth, there is no telling how far that work of apostasy will go, as we have seen over the last several decades.<br /><br />The balance of this article will address present reappraisals on prophecy in three contested areas:<br /><br />— Open Theism (God cannot predict the future)<br /><br />— Papacy/Sunday Laws Not a Feature of the End Times<br /><br />— The Great Controversy a 19th Century Perspective<br /><br /> —————————-<br /><br />Open Theism is a modern theological term invented by Seventh-day Adventist scholar Dr. Richard Rice. In 1980, Dr. Rice’s book, The Openness of God: The Relationship of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Free Will, was published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, in which he advocated this theory. Open Theism teaches us that the future is open to various potentialities — beyond any definite knowledge of God — because it is yet to be fulfilled. It is a point of debate that has been waged for centuries — the apparent friction between man’s freewill and God’s omniscience (all-knowing capacity).<br /><br />The late Pastor Bob Trefz (formerly the editor of Freedom’s Ring and Cherith Chronicle) refuted this heresy of Open Theism most convincingly:<br /><br /><br />“The theological problem of freedom versus foreknowledge is resolved immediately when one looks at it from the perspective of God, not man, and from the very name, I AM. God lives in a different dimension than man. God preserves man’s freedom, but because God sees the future like we see the present, He knows in advance the decisions that man, in his freedom, will make. Therefore God knows in minute detail what the future will be and, on that basis, God gave John on Patmos the accurate picture of what will transpire at the end of time.” Cherith Chronicle, March-April 2016, p. 17. Woodland, Washington.<br /><br />As good as this rebuttal is, we need not rely on the words of a man to resolve this so-called enigma. Scripture and Inspiration can answer this challenge.<br /><br /><br />“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9, 10<br /><br />(See also Isaiah 42:9; Jeremiah 1:5; Daniel 2:28)<br /><br /><br />“I AM means an eternal presence; the past, present, and future are alike to God. He sees the most remote events of past history and the far distant future with as clear a vision as we do those things that are transpiring daily.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, p. 1099 (Manuscript 5a, 1895)<br /><br />“Before Him who ruleth in the heavens, the mysteries of the past and the future are alike outspread…” Signs of the Times, February 13, 1893<br /><br />“To Christ, the present and the future, the near and the far, were one.” The Watchman, February 11, 1908<br /><br />This truth is clearly evident when one reads about the tears Jesus wept for Jerusalem as He foresaw the destruction of the city at the hands of the Romans (Luke 19:41-44) and the future of the Jewish people in the millennia ahead —<br /><br /><br />“What, then, was the grief of Him WHOSE PROPHETIC GLANCE TOOK IN NOT YEARS, BUT AGES?” The Great Controversy, p. 21. 1884 edition. (Capitalization supplied by the Editor)<br /><br />Tragically, the heresy that denies God the capacity to have a perfect knowledge of the future whilst preserving our liberty to choose our own destiny has well and truly infiltrated Adventism. According to Pastor David Larson (the son of the late stalwart for truth, Pastor Ralph Larson), Open Theism was first brought into the Church through the lecture classes of Dr. Jack Provonsha at Loma Linda University around 1957 (website of Spectrum: Richard Rice Discusses Open Theism. Blog — November 11, 2007). Other men began to teach this error in the leading universities of the denomination. Pastor Bob Trefz wrote of his own personal encounter with Open Theism in the early 1970s:<br /><br /><br />“There was a new heresy that was sweeping the world of theology when I was at the Seminary [Andrews University] — that God does not know the future, that God can be surprised. I remember William Johnsson, later the Editor of the Adventist Review, propounding this theory at the Seminary.” Cherith Chronicle, March-April 2016, p. 18. Woodland, Washington<br /><img src="http://adventmessenger.org/wp-content/uploads/Pauline-Ford-1.jpg" /><br /><br />Dr. Jon Paulien (left) with Dr. Desmond Ford at Campus Hill Church, Loma Linda on September 2008. <br /><br />Shades of this error have also been linked with aspects of the “apotelesmatic principle” (regarding eschatology — it is open to varying degrees and times of fulfilment and different methods of interpretation). A flawed impression is left in the mind that somehow God is not able to provide a clear, definite outline of events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. Dr. Jon Paulien, an avid supporter of Dr. Desmond Ford’s theology, delivered a talk in 2015 in his capacity as professor of religion at Loma Linda University, entitled, Revelation 13 and the Papacy — Bible Prophecy and the Pope’s Visit. In his lecture, Dr. Paulien declared that end-time events are akin to a blank page — “prophecy is not a done deal.” In Dr. Paulien’s mind, the last days are so opaque that there is even room for the Catholic Church to experience a spiritual revival! Thus, Revelation 13 may be fulfilled in a totally different way!<br /><br /><br />“And the good news for the Catholic Church is that while I believe that Revelation 13 indicates that the papacy of the Middle Ages — the way I look at it, that’s the way I see it — that is sort of the poster child for everything that has gone wrong with the Christian church through the ages, does seem to suggest that it’ll have a rebirth at the end of time…God is not done with the Catholic Church, and God is not done with the pope…So don’t be too proud that you are on the right side of prophecy and don’t be too condemnatory of those who are on the other side, because HISTORY ISN’T FINISHED YET…<br /><br />“THAT FUTURE IS NOT WRITTEN YET.” Ibid, pp. 12, 13. (Capitalization supplied by the Editor)<br /><br />Dr. Ian Paisley at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, France on October 11, 1988.<br /><br />These sentiments reveal that Dr. Paulien is now deliberately engaged, like Dr. Ford before him, in dismantling the prophetic structure of Adventism. Dr. Paulien may be highly embarrassed if a Dr. Ian Paisley were to appear at one of his talks and boldly assert his beliefs about Rome, as did the Irish Unionist leader at the European Parliament in October 1988, when he proclaimed in a booming voice to Pope John Paul II:<br /><br /><br />“I refuse you as Christ’s enemy and Antichrist with all your false doctrine.” Website of The Huffington Post (United Kingdom): Watch the Moment Ian Paisley Called Pope John Paul II “The Antichrist.” September 12, 2014<br /><br />Like Dr. Ford, Dr. Paulien limits the Church of Rome in the Middle Ages as having a fulfilment in Bible prophecy, but not the full scope of it down through time to the end. Like Dr. Ford, Dr. Paulien curtails our biblical focus on Rome through the use of the apotelesmatic principle in revising prophecy. Like Dr. Ford (quoting from The Star, March 15, 1982. Christchurch, New Zealand) —<br /><br /><br />“A new movement within the Seventh-day Adventist Church was bringing it much closer to the mainline evangelical churches, a prominent California-based Adventist theologian, Dr. Desmond Ford, said.”<br /><br />—Dr. Paulien is working to deliver a more “inclusive approach to different faiths,’ claiming that “the negative messages of Revelation 13 … [are] not at the core of what it means to be an Adventist Christian.” One person in the audience at Loma Linda in 2015 (during the visit of Pope Francis to the United States) understood exactly where Dr. Paulien was coming from:<br /><br /><br />“…don’t you feel that, rather than preaching the end-time, biblical Seventh-day Adventist prophetical message that we have all come to hear about or know what’s going on as far as the pope — the Jesuit pope’s interest in America, haven’t you just preached an ecumenical, World Council of Churches, let’s all get along — let’s not talk about Revelation 13 Seventh-day Adventist prophecy, but let’s just kind of Lutheran World Conference — we’re all going to be one, and maybe the Adventists are wrong. I feel like I think though it was well intended, I think it did the opposite effect.” Cherith Chronicle, March-April 2016, p. 11<br /><br />Upon reading this, we should not be surprised to see Dr. Paulien now advocating that Sunday laws may not be a feature of end-time events in the 21st century — they could have happened in the 19th-century as delineated in The Great Controversy when it was first published. The inference that The Great Controversy is only a 19th-century Adventist perspective on eschatology is one that was claimed as such by Desmond Ford, Reinder Brunisma (Adventist Today, November 7, 2018), and Robert Brinsmead. As a case in point, Bob Brinsmead belittled The Great Controversy by contending that –<br /><br /><br />“The Great Controversy is so saturated with a nineteenth-century world view that much of it is credible only to the reader who has first accepted Mrs. White as a prophet. This book is convincing only to Adventists. It tends to be more cultic than any of the books Mrs. White wrote for the public.” Judged By the Gospel, p. 193. Verdict Publications. Fallbrook, California. Second Printing. November 1980<br /><br />Dr. Paulien joins an increasingly long line of pastors and theologians who have sapped the confidence of our people in The Great Controversy. By claiming that the deferment of the fulfilment of a prophecy therefore mandates a change in its interpretation (quoting from The Coming Sunday Law Dilemma Featuring Jon Paulien. YouTube — October 31, 2020) —<br /><br />Minute 30: “As circumstances change, the fulfilment of Revelation 13 could take other forms than the ones that seemed so clear in 1888.”<br /><br />— Dr. Paulien relegates The Great Controversy to the dustbin of irrelevancy, to the “historical trash heap”!<br /><br />Minute 27: “…we should be careful not to assume that the end-time will be identical to Great Controversy in every detail.”<br /><br />Minute 28: “The idea of a worldwide Sunday law made a lot of sense back then. The world was quite different than today.”<br /><br />Minute 30: “Great Controversy fits perfectly with exactly what was happening in the world in the 1880s.”<br /><br />Minute 41: “What she was describing in Great Controversy was about her present and her near future.”<br /><br />Sister White made it abundantly clear that the end-time issues outlined in The Great Controversy are relevant for the very last days — meaning, not restricted just to her era! Note also her statement about Sunday:<br /><br /><br />“The Great Controversy should be very widely circulated. It contains the story of the past, the present, and the future. In its outline of the closing scenes of this earth’s history, it bears a powerful testimony on behalf of the truth. I am more anxious to see a wide circulation of this book than for any others I have written; for in The Great Controversy, the last message of warning to the world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books.” Colporteur Ministry, p. 127 (Letter 281, 1905)<br /><br />“The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 7, p. 141<br /><br />In Australia, a pastor from the Victorian Conference followed the thinking of Dr. Paulien in an article published in the Adventist Record, July 20, 2021, entitled, “Present-Truth and Predicting The Future: Have Adventists Got It Wrong?” He cited Jonah and Nineveh as a central case in demonstrating how prophecy is susceptible to conditionality. A salient point, though, was ignored in the delivery of this argument — deferment of a prophecy’s fulfiment does not give license to a new interpretation of the original prediction! Nineveh was still destroyed (as foretold in Nahum 3:7, 19), approximately 170 years after Jonah’s warnings of doom; the children of Israel did eventually occupy the promised land in fulfillment of the prophecy spoken to Abraham (Genesis 13:14-17), although they experienced a delay of forty years (Numbers 14:34). With regards to the Sunday law crisis of the 19th-century, the following caveat is not once referred to by those who now teach that our views on Revelation 13 need to be revised:<br /><br /><br />“But this need not be, JUST AT THIS POINT IN TIME, if the church is aroused to her duty and her work. A vast responsibility is devolving upon men and women of prayer throughout the land, to petition that God may sweep back this cloud of evil and give us a few more years of grace to work for the Master.” Review and Herald Extra, December 11, 1888 (Capitalization supplied by the Editor)<br /><br />The omission of any reference to the efforts of some of our leading brethren who answered the call to exert their efforts on behalf of religious liberty (notably A.T. Jones, who testified before U.S. Senator H.W. Blair in Washington, D.C., in December 1888, against a Sunday closure bill sponsored by the senator [it was subsequently defeated, in large part, due to A.T. Jones’ superb rebuttals]) deprives our people of knowing one of the reasons why Sunday laws were not enacted over a century ago. Furthermore, our current generation of believers are wholly ignorant of this statement made by the pen of Inspiration in 1901 as to why there has been such a long delay in the Lord’s return:<br /><br /><br />“We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel; but for Christ’s sake, His people should add sin to sin by charging God with the consequence of their own wrong course of action.” Evangelism, p. 696 (Letter 184, 1901)<br /><br />The delay in the fulfillment of a predicted event does not amount to a change of the event itself! This principle, though, is rejected out of hand by the New Theology. Pastors, theologians, and conference officials are now telling our people that what the servant of the Lord wrote about end-time events needs to be qualified at virtually every single turn!<br /><br /><br />“It would go against both the guidance of Scripture and Ellen White herself if we were to suppress our study of Bible prophecy based on a conditional nineteenth century end-game and feel that we have it all figured out…We cannot base our interpretation of it [Revelation 13:11-17] on Ellen White’s end-time scenarios that were conditional upon developments in her day…Given that her outlook on the last days was based on conditions that were clearly not met, we need to factor this in when reading what she said regarding the end times.” Adventist Record, July 20, 2021<br /><br />These comments mirror those of Dr. Paulien who, in turn, was very much influenced by the theology of Dr. Ford. In 1970, Claude Thompson, a professor at that time from Chandler School of Theology (USA), delivered a very sobering assessment that is worth noting:<br /><br /><br />“We should take a look at theological seminaries. They may be doing more harm than good.” Quoted in The Rise of Theological Liberalism and the Decline of American Methodism, p. 150. James V. Heidinger II. Seedbed Publishing. Franklin, Tennessee. 2017<br /><br />The title of the above book could easily be adapted to what has transpired in Adventism for over 60 years. Denominational leaders who met in Takoma Park for the 1973 Annual Council uttered this timely warning:<br /><br /><br />“One of the greatest threats to our institutions of higher learning is seen in the counterfeit philosophies and theologies that may be unconsciously absorbed in worldly institutions by our future teachers and brought back as the ‘wine’ of Babylon to Adventist schools (Revelation 14:8-10; 18:1-4).” Australasian Record, April 29, 1974<br /><br />The fruit of believing the error of the New Theology is the destruction of our confidence in the “more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19). Let us resolve not to put our trust in erring men, but only in the word of God!<br /><br />About The Remnant Herald: The Remnant Herald is an Australian publication produced by Remnant Ministries. The current editor and author is Elvis Placer, and we have reproduced this article with his permission. You can contact Elvis Placer through email at <a href="mailto:rh1844@pm.me">rh1844@pm.me</a> or call the office clerk at +61 3 9706 2173 to request a FREE subscription to the Remnant Herald.<br /><br />PHOTO CREDITS<br /><br />First photo: Shutterstock<br /><br />Second photo: Personal<br /><br />Third photo: Shutterstock<br /><br />Fourth photo: Noelrt<br /><br />Fifth photo: Watchman Africa<br /><br /><br />© 2014-2023 Advent Messenger | All Rights Reserved<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://adventmessenger.org/adventisms-prophetic-bulwarks-under-continuing-assault-from-the-new-theology/" target="_blank">Source</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-82849852877859511102024-03-05T17:53:00.000-08:002024-03-06T01:37:39.885-08:00The Pursuit Of Knowledge<br /><br /> <img src="http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2019/ltn.jpg" /><br /><br />Volume 43 Issue Three March 2024<br /><br />Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916<br /><br />Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org<br /><br /><br /> “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8<br /><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The Pursuit Of Knowledge</span><br /><br /><br />“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”<br /><br />Genesis 3:1-5<br /><br /><br />In the first book of the Holy Bible, we find a story about the origin of sin and the fall of man. The story, recorded in Genesis, chapter 3, reveals how a serpent beguiled the first human beings, Adam and Eve. The serpent first enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge with the promise that her eyes would be opened and she would know “good and evil” for doing so. Eve then gave the fruit to Adam, and he, too, gave in to temptation. Perhaps the most tragic detail of this story is the fact that both Adam and Eve already had the knowledge of good. Genesis 1:31 tells us, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Thus, everything in the Garden of Eden was good, and everything that Adam and Eve knew and experienced on a daily basis was good. The only knowledge to be gained by eating the forbidden fruit was the knowledge of evil.<br /><br />A lot has changed since those ancient days. One thing that has remained constant, however, is mankind’s voracious appetite for knowledge. The knowledge acquired over millennia has changed the world for better or worse depending on your perspective.<br /><br />A Century Of Innovation<br /><br />The world was very different a century ago. Radio was still a young technology, and although the incandescent light bulb was developed in the late 1800s, only about half of all American households had electricity in 1925. (1) Even as electricity became more widely available, the very first television was demonstrated by a young inventor named Philo Taylor Farnsworth in San Francisco, California, on September 7, 1927. (2) The United States is about 247 years old. Thus, this land of opportunity that the American people call home existed without these amazing inventions longer than it has existed with them.<br /><br />Although radio and television very much changed the world, no modern innovation has had a more profound role in transforming society than the computer. What is truly remarkable, however, is how much computers have advanced over the last eighty years. In February 1946, the first general-purpose electronic computer was put into service by the United States military. Known as the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, this massive machine occupied a room measuring 30 by 50 feet. The machine had 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, and 500,000 soldered joints. It weighed an astonishing 30 tons. (3)<br />
<p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br /><img src="https://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2024/ltnmar24_web_reg/ltnmar24_web_reg.001.jpg" /><br /><br /> <br /><br />By the 1970s, computers existed that were small enough to fit on a desk. In 1973, Xerox built the first computer with removable storage, a graphical user interface, and a mouse. Known as the Xerox Alto, the machine was never sold to consumers, (4) but one of the computers was placed in the Oval Office of the White House in 1978 at the behest of former President Jimmy Carter. (5) The features of the Xerox Alto would inspire the design of one of the most famous computers ever made – the Apple Macintosh.<br /><br /><img src="https://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2024/ltnmar24_web_reg/ltnmar24_web_reg.002.jpg" /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer Company in 1976. Their first product, known as the Apple-I computer, sold at a retail price of $666.66. (6) The following year in 1977 Apple released the Apple-II computer. This machine was the first to bear what would become one of the most iconic logos in history, an apple with a distinctive bite mark. (7)<br /><br /> <br /><br /><img src="https://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2024/ltnmar24_web_reg/ltnmar24_web_reg.003.jpg" /><br /><br /> <br /><br />It is often believed that the forbidden fruit consumed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was an apple. Although the Bible never specifically says the fruit was an apple, the association is there by tradition, and one cannot help but wonder if the logo represents man’s quest for the knowledge of good and evil. When the logo’s designer, Rob Janoff, was asked why the apple has a bite mark, he claimed this was done so users would not think the image is a cherry. However, he also suggested that the story of the forbidden fruit also played a role in the design. "When I explain the real reason why I did the bite it's kind of a letdown. But I'll tell you. I designed it with a bite for scale, so people get that it was an apple not a cherry. Also, it was kind of iconic about taking a bite out of an apple," Janoff explained. (8)<br /><br /> <br /><br />Most of us use modern technology every day. While it is a useful tool that allows us to learn and communicate, we should be cognizant of the fact that the advanced devices and technology of today will no doubt play a pivotal role in our adversary’s plan to bring about a global antichrist system. Indeed, the entire world is undergoing a dramatic tech-driven transformation as technologies that resemble the science fiction of yesteryear become the reality of today.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Is This The Future?<br /><br /> <br /><br />One of the side effects of living in an increasingly digital world is the attachments we form to our devices. For example, the ubiquitous nature of smartphones has led to a phenomenon that scientists refer to as “smartphone separation anxiety,” or “nomophobia.” According to a piece published by Psychology Today in 2020, nomophobia is defined as “a fear or anxiety of not having a mobile device or not having access to a mobile device when it’s needed. It has also been more broadly described as the fear of feeling disconnected from the digital world.” (9) According to a report published by PC Magazine in May 2023, people check their phones, on average, 144 times per day. (10) The article also reports that 89 percent of Americans check their phones within the first ten minutes of waking, 75 percent feel uneasy leaving their phones at home, and 47 percent feel a sense of panic or anxiety when their cell phone batteries go below 20 percent. (11) Without a doubt, the population at large is increasingly immersed in technology, but in the coming years, many people may become more attached to their devices than ever before. In fact, people are already beginning to wear computers on their heads.<br /><br /> <br /><br />On February 2, 2024, Apple launched its newest product, a “spatial computer” known as the Apple Vision Pro. According to a press release from Apple, the device “seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world and unlocks powerful spatial experiences in visionOS, controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — a user’s eyes, hands, and voice.” (12) In other words, this sophisticated headset, which the user wears like a pair of goggles over the eyes, can display a computer environment mixed with one’s surroundings. Influencers on YouTube who tried the expensive new wearable computer were quite impressed with its performance. “It’s an imperfect product, but to me, at age 42, this is without a doubt the most profound piece of technology I have ever experienced, and that was not my expectation,” said Casey Neistat, a YouTuber with 12.6 million subscribers. He later went on to say, “In my life, I’ve never experienced something that is such a quantum leap in technology as the Vision Pro.” (13)<br /><br /> <br /><br /><img src="https://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2024/ltnmar24_web_reg/ltnmar24_web_reg.004.jpg" /><br /><br /> <br /><br />In a review published by CNBC on January 30, 2024, writer Todd Haselton was also quite impressed with the device. “It’s easily the most fun I’ve had with a new product in years,” he wrote. He further commented, “I’m convinced that if Apple eventually sells cheaper versions, we’ll see millions of people using them in the coming years.” Finally he gushed, “This is an entirely new type of computing, providing a whole new world of experiences. It feels like the future.” (14)<br /><br /> <br /><br />Could millions of people someday walk around with spatial computers mounted on their heads? If this does indeed come to pass, we are in for a very strange future. Aside from the oddness of seeing people wearing computers and making peculiar gestures, are there any dangers to using the Vision Pro and other mixed reality devices?<br /><br /> <br /><br />It should be noted that people's view of the outside world when they use the Vision Pro isn’t the real thing. It’s a high quality video image of the outside world that is then mixed with a virtual environment. As such, the device can warp the user’s sense of reality. A recent study conducted by Stanford University suggests that excessive use of this new type of computer can rewire the human brain. “Even though the world you are looking at is real, it certainly has a video-game-like ‘otherness’ to it,” said one of the study’s co-authors, James Brown. (15) Thus, even though you can see people around you when you wear the headset, they feel like characters in a video game rather than real people.<br /><br /> <br /><br />The study further reported that prolonged use of mixed reality headsets produced a slew of side effects. Users had trouble performing simple tasks such as pressing an elevator button or putting food in their mouths. All eleven people who participated in Stanford’s field tests reported bouts of “simulator sickness” with symptoms such as eye strain, nausea, dizziness, and headaches. (16)<br /><br /> <br /><br />Perhaps the biggest danger that the Vision Pro presents is addiction. Addiction to our devices with screens is already widespread. What if people decide they prefer to spend the majority of their time in a mixed reality environment instead of the real world? Interestingly enough, a piece published by Fortune Magazine on January 18, 2024, suggests that the Vision Pro will be able to give doctors and teachers a “superpower.” (17) Given the immersive nature of mixed reality devices, though, using a Vision Pro for prolonged periods of time is akin to surrendering our minds to Apple.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Perhaps the Vision Pro will remain a niche product or fade into obscurity over time. The biggest impediment to widespread adoption is the price tag. With a retail price of $3,500, the Vision Pro is not a device that the average American family could easily afford. Nevertheless, whether you call it mixed reality, augmented reality, or spatial computing, how we see and experience the world could dramatically change in the not-too-distant future.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Getting Into Your Head<br /><br /> <br /><br />Apple is not the only tech company looking to alter the human perception of reality. Eccentric billionaire Elon Musk, who runs a group of companies including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and X (formerly Twitter), also owns a company called Neuralink, which is hard at work perfecting a “brain computer interface.” This interface, which comes in the form of a microchip that is implanted in the brain, has been in development for years but had never been implanted in a human test subject until January 2024. On February 19, 2024, Musk offered a brief update on their first human test subject. "Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with no ill effects that we are aware of. Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen by just thinking," Musk wrote. (18)<br /><br /> <br /><br />The secrecy surrounding the project has alarmed doctors. “[Neuralink is] only sharing the bits that they want us to know about. There’s a lot of concern in the community about that,” said Sameer Sheth, a neurosurgeon at the Baylor College of Medicine. (19) A brief critique from The Hastings Center also lambasted Musk’s handling of the matter. “Opening up the brain of a living human being to insert a device, particularly someone with serious medical problems, deserves more than a two-sentence report on what is, in effect, a proprietary social media platform not distinguished for its reliability where facts are concerned. This human research subject, their family, all potential future research subjects and patients, the medical community, and all of us deserve more,” the authors wrote. (20) Considering that Neuralink was under a federal investigation in December 2022 for causing the deaths of about 1,500 animals during research and testing, (21) concern for the first human test subject is undoubtedly warranted. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Musk has outlined grandiose plans for the Neuralink chip in previous statements. While other companies that produce brain chips tout their products as a way for users to overcome paralysis and motor function loss, Musk envisions his chip as a means for human beings to keep up with artificial intelligence. “Even in a benign AI scenario, we will be left behind. With a high-bandwidth brain-machine interface, we can actually go along for the ride. We can have the option of merging with AI,” Musk boasted in 2019. (22) In 2023, Musk suggested his chip could be used to treat conditions such as depression and morbid obesity. “I think you can solve a very wide range of brain injuries, including severe depression, morbid obesity, sleep [disorders and] restoring memory in older people.” (23) Of course, this level of brain manipulation goes beyond helping a paralyzed person restore lost functions. Such manipulations would alter people’s thoughts and behavior.<br /><br /> <br /><br />To be sure, Elon Musk is not a man of typical ambitions. In a piece published by the New York Times, the iconic newspaper accused Musk of having a savior complex. “SpaceX is to make humans a multiplanetary species, so we can escape to Mars if something apocalyptic happens to earth. Tesla’s mission is to move humanity past a hydrocarbon economy toward a sustainable future. His new firm xAI is there to help prevent artificial intelligence from taking over the world. Neuralink, which embeds technology into people’s brains, is there to help the blind see and the paralyzed walk. You can’t get more savior-like than that,” the piece declares. (24) Yet, if Musk fancies himself a savior, his services are not needed. I only have one Lord and Saviour, and He is Jesus Christ. The position has not been vacated, nor will it ever be. Needless to say, I will never take the Neuralink chip.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Interestingly enough, Neuralink may soon have competition from China. In 2023, a 60-person laboratory was opened in China. It’s sole purpose is the development of brain-machine interfaces. In a press release from January 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced plans to “make breakthroughs in key technologies and core devices such as brain-computer fusion, brain-like chips, and brain-computing neural models.” The first products could become available in 2025. (25)<br /><br /> <br /><br />Knowledge Is Power<br /><br /> <br /><br />The saying, “knowledge is power” is often attributed to Sir Francis Bacon. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was also known to be fond of this statement. Thus, it is easy to see why humanity has exerted so much effort into acquiring more knowledge. When the computer was invented, it enabled humanity to learn more efficiently than ever before. After that, the Internet came along with seemingly endless amounts of human thought scrawled out on the digital pages of the World Wide Web. The development of the Internet has given users unprecedented access to information and disinformation, too. Now we see new technologies emerging that go beyond anything our forefathers could have conceived in their minds.<br /><br /> <br /><br />In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about generative AI featured in such applications as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Interestingly enough, a collaborative piece written by Henry Kissinger (now deceased), former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and dean of the Schwarzman College of Computing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Daniel Huttenlocher was published on February 24, 2023, by the Wall Street Journal. The piece, which is entitled “ChatGPT Heralds an Intellectual Revolution,” goes on to surmise, “As its capacities become broader, they will redefine human knowledge, accelerate changes in the fabric of our reality, and reorganize politics and society.” The article later goes on to state, “Machine-learning systems have already exceeded any one human’s knowledge. In limited cases, they have exceeded humanity’s knowledge, transcending the bounds of what we have considered knowable.” (26)<br /><br /> <br /><br />The biggest tech companies in the world are jockeying for positions to lead the realm of artificial intelligence. Microsoft, which has long been one of the wealthiest companies in the world, recently became only the second company in history to be valued at three trillion dollars. This monumental period of growth was sparked by the company’s early investments in AI. (27) The only other company to ever reach three trillion dollars in value is none other than Apple Inc. (28)<br /><br /> <br /><br />In truth, the knowledge of artificial intelligence, which is often faulty and deceptive, will never be able to equal or surpass the matchless wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God. In Romans 11:33-36, we find these inspiring words, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” You can find the most essential knowledge ever revealed to humanity written on the pages of God’s Word. If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Thank you all for your continued support of this ministry. It is our hope and prayer that God will bless you all. If you have any prayer requests, great or small, we again invite you to send them our way. Our team of intercessors gives each request individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Samuel David Meyer<br /><br />This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online at<a href="http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate"> </a><a href="http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate">http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate</a>.<br /><br />Acknowledgments<br /><br /> <br /><br />01. National Park Service, December 21, 2023, nps.gov.<br /><br />02. New York University, By Mitchell Stephens, stephens.hosting.nyu.edu.<br /><br />03. University of Pennsylvania, seas.upenn.edu.<br /><br />04. ToastyTech, toastytech.com.<br /><br />05. Midland Daily News, May 26, 2016, By Midland Daily News, ourmidland.com.<br /><br />06. BBC News, November 15, 2007, By BBC News, bbc.co.uk.<br /><br />07. Slashgear, July 3, 2022, By Dave McQuilling, slashgear.com.<br /><br />08. Ibid.<br /><br />09. Psychology Today, February 4, 2020, Reviewed By Daniel Lyons, M.A., psychologytoday.com.<br /><br />10. PC Magazine, May 19, 2023, By Emily Dreibelbis, pcmag.com.<br /><br />11. Ibid.<br /><br />12. Apple Newsroom, February 2, 2024, By Apple Newsroom, apple.com.<br /><br />13. NBC News, February 5, 2024, By Kalhan Rosenblatt, nbcnews.com.<br /><br />14. CNBC, January 30, 2024, By Todd Haselton, cnbc.com.<br /><br />15. StudyFinds, February 6, 2024, By StudyFinds Staff, studyfinds.org.<br /><br />16. Stanford University, February 2, 2024, By Jeremy N Bailenson, Brian Beams, James Brown, Cyan DeVeaux, Eugy Han, Anna C. M. Queiroz, Rabindra Ratan, Monique Santoso, Tara Srirangarajan, Yujie Tao, and Portia Wang, vhil.stanford.edu.<br /><br />17. Fortune, January 18, 2024, By Mark Gurman and Bloomberg, fortune.com.<br /><br />18. Reuters News Service, February 20, 2024, By Kanjyik Ghosh, reuters.com.<br /><br />19. Quartz, February 26, 2024, By Bradley Brownell, qz.com.<br /><br />20. The Hastings Center, February 12, 2024, By Arthur Caplan and Jonathan D. Moreno, thehastingscenter.org.<br /><br />21. Reuters News Service, December 6, 2022, By Rachael Levy, reuters.com.<br /><br />22. Wired, July 17, 2019, By Adam Rogers, wired.com. <br /><br />23. The Daily Beast, December 24, 2023, By David Axe, thedailybeast.com.<br /><br />24. The New York Times, September 21, 2023, By David Brooks, nytimes.com.<br /><br />25. Quartz, January 30, 2024, By Maxwell Zeff, qz.com.<br /><br />26. The Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2024, By Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher.<br /><br />27. CNN Business, January 24, 2024, By Nicole Goodkind and Elisabeth Buchwald, cnn.com.<br /><br />28. Ibid.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2024/03_24.html" target="_blank"><b>Source</b></a><div><br /></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-47957362586506408652024-03-04T16:16:00.000-08:002024-03-04T16:16:32.629-08:00This Isn't Worship<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/scT8vmw8wMY?si=QH_7ZeTFE9_hHfGb" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-70505071372975435732024-03-02T06:15:00.000-08:002024-03-02T06:15:51.062-08:00The Theological Error of Spiritual Formation By Dr. Bob Payne<br />From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase<br /><br /><br />Editor's Note: Today we present a warning to Christians to understand and avoid one of the most serious heresies of our time. The "spiritual formation" movement has absolutely nothing to do with the Word of God. It has more in common with Roman Catholic mysticism and the New Age movement. But it has gained a foothold, and worse, in even some of the most reputedly conservative churches, colleges, and seminaries.<br /><br />This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of The Review, an official publication of the <a href="http://www.ibfna.org/">Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America</a>. The author, Dr. Bob Payne, is pastor of the Baptist Church of Danbury, Connecticut and the current moderator of the IBFNA. We reproduce it here with his permission, and with special thanks to Dr. Kevin Hobi, pastor of New Boston (New Hampshire) Baptist Church, who is the editor of The Review. - Dr. Paul M. Elliott<br /><br />Many years ago when my daughter was looking for a Christian college to attend, she, my wife, and I visited the campus of a well-known, now-defunct fundamental Christian college. In one of the buildings, I recall seeing a sign for one of the administrators that read something like, "The Director of Spiritual Formation." Although spiritual formation was a rather strange term that gave me pause, I could not just outright reject the term based upon my apprehension. As far as I knew, it was simply a new, trendy term for discipleship. I had a lot to learn!<br /><br />The Background of Spiritual Formation<br /><br />As time went on I learned that the term spiritual formation actually came from ancient paganism and Roman Catholic mysticism. One author describes the term as:<br /><br />A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplative prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being used, and in nearly every case, you will find contemplative spirituality and its 'pioneers' such as Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Henri Nouwen. Spiritual Formation is based on 'spiritual disciplines' that can be practiced by people of any faith to make them more 'Christ-like.' Rebirth through Jesus Christ and regeneration through the Holy Spirit are not essential. Rather it is a works-based 'theology' that has strong roots in Roman Catholicism and ancient paganism.[1]<br /><br />The article just cited went on to describe the related term contemplative spirituality. The author describes it this way:<br /><br />A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). Common terms used for this movement are 'spiritual formation,' 'the silence,' 'the stillness,' 'ancient wisdom,' 'spiritual disciplines,' and many others.[2]<br /><br />Gary Gilley also describes the roots of the spiritual formation movement:<br /><br />Some trace the roots of the Spiritual Formation Movement to 1974 when Father William Menninger, a Trappist monk, found an ancient book entitled The Cloud of Unknowing in the library at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. This 14th century book offered a means by which contemplative practices, long used by Catholic monks, could be taught to lay people. As Menninger began teaching these contemplative practices, his abbot, Thomas Keating, along with Basil Pennington, another Trappist monk, began to spread the concepts Menninger was teaching. But it was Richard Foster's 1978 book, The Celebration of Discipline, that launched the popularity and present interest in spiritual formation. It was by this landmark book, described by Christianity Today as one of the ten best books of the 20th century, that Catholic and Eastern Orthodox disciplines, practiced by the Desert Fathers and Mothers as well as monks and hermits, were introduced to evangelicalism. These disciplines were not completely unknown to evangelicals who were familiar with church history, but they were now being repackaged and offered as a means of spiritual growth and maturity. In fact, the implication was that without the use of these ancient contemplative methods true 'spiritual formation' was not possible.[3]<br /><br />To those holding to this false doctrine of spiritual formation, prayer, Bible study, walking with Christ, and becoming active in the local church are not enough. We need to return to the ancient spiritual disciplines that are able to keep our flesh in check. As these false teachers expound their twisted doctrine, it is common for them to use just enough biblical terminology to lure unsuspecting and uninformed believers over to their side, even though what they are teaching is incredibly divergent from sound doctrine.<br /><br />According to those who adhere to the spiritual formation movement, our prayer life is not good enough unless we practice "contemplative (centering) prayer." This practice has roots in the occult. Matt Slick rightly connects these "spiritual disciplines" with the emerging church movement, and says that contemplative prayer, "is the practice of relaxing, emptying the mind, and letting one's self find the presence of God within. It involves silence, stillness, patience, sometimes repeating something, and the practice of 'not knowing' as the person seeks God's presence."[4] This definitely does not fit the description of prayer that we find in the Word of God!<br /><br />We find that in the spiritual formation movement Bible study is not enough either. Another "spiritual discipline" needs to be practiced, known as "sacred reading" (lectio divina). This is more than just reading the Bible, or the type of meditation of which David speaks in Ps. 119:148: "that I might meditate in Thy Word." A downloadable brochure from contemplativeoutreach.org gives some details about this strange practice:<br /><br />Lectio Divina is one of the great treasures of the Christian tradition of prayer. It means Divine Reading, which is reading the book we believe to be divinely inspired. This tradition of prayer flows out of a Hebrew method of studying the Scriptures which was an interactive interpretation of the Scriptures by means of the free use of the text [allegorical hermeneutics] to explore its inner meaning. It was part of the devotional practice of the Jews in the days of Jesus.[5]<br /><br />On the back page of the brochure it says in very new-age fashion:<br /><br />Being transformed into the Word of God is a process that happens as we faithfully read, reflect, respond and rest in God's Word.<br /><br />An attitude of resting in God's presence becomes a part of our daily lives. We become a channel of God's presence to others.<br /><br />Living in union with God, we are able to transcend ourselves as the 'center' and experience all in God and God in all.<br /><br />Our energy becomes one with the Divine Energy. We become merciful, compassionate and loving as God is merciful, compassionate and loving.[6]<br /><br />This is manmade theology that has absolutely nothing to do with the Word of God. It has more in common with Roman Catholic mysticism and the New Age movement.<br /><br />There are other unbiblical and/or occultic practices in the spiritual formation movement that we don't have time or space to cover, such as fasting, journaling, silence, observing the liturgical calendar, Christian yoga, prayer labyrinths, etc. I will leave those to your own investigation and study.<br /><br />Fundamental Colleges and Spiritual Formation<br /><br />Just the other day I was doing a web search for schools that have courses in "Spiritual Formation." I was surprised to come upon one course in a school that claims to be a fundamental Baptist college. The title of the course was "Spiritual Formation and Discipleship." Now, I cannot say that schools that have courses like this are necessarily teaching mystic and occultic practices. What I can say is that they are definitely using mystic and occultic terminology.<br /><br />The obvious question is "Why would an institution that professes to hold to sound doctrine use this type of jargon?" Some may do it because it is required by their accrediting agency (a topic for another article). Others may do it because it is the latest evangelical buzz word. Whatever the reason, even though the classes may be biblical (and I do not know that they are), these terms must be avoided.<br /><br />Some may object and ask, "What difference does the label make as long as they are teaching the truth?" The church that I pastor, the Baptist Church of Danbury, Connecticut, seeks to consistently interpret the Word of God with a normal hermeneutic. Let's say that I continued to be faithful to the Word of God, but changed the church name to Danbury Church of Latter Day Saints. As a Bible believer, would you have a problem joining my church? I think you would! Why? The answer is simple: words mean things, and labels do matter.<br /><br />Beth Moore and Spiritual Formation<br /><br />Surprisingly, the message of Beth Moore has become quite captivating to some ladies in our fundamental Baptist circles. Although there are a multitude of theological reasons why you should steer clear of her (such as the obvious violation of 1 Tim. 2:12), spiritual formation is definitely one of those reasons. I will provide a couple of examples of Mrs. Moore's heretical teaching concerning spiritual formation.<br /><br />Matt Slick, in his internet article on Beth Moore, provides one example of her mystic practice of contemplative prayer. His article points to a YouTube video of Mrs. Moore's preaching that was taken down [i.e., later removed]. He quotes her as saying, "A true lover of God once spoke about practicing God's presence. To me that's such a part of contemplative prayer. That we are able to absorb the reality that as we commune with God through prayer that He is with us, that His Spirit for those of us who are in Christ fills us, that we are drawn near to Him, that our souls find rest in Him." Matt Slick goes on to explain that in the video Mrs. Moore was praising Brother Lawrence, who was an apostate Roman Catholic monk.[7]<br /><br />Another YouTube video[8] gives an example of her belief in what we described earlier in this article as Lectio Divina. The video shows Beth Moore dramatically reading a selection of Scripture. Following the reading, Mrs. Moore states, "Without any comment, please, let's pause and be still, and ask Jesus to speak His word to us." There follows a long period of silent, emotional meditation while the large crowd tunes in to their inner selves, presumably waiting for Jesus to "speak His word to them." Hasn't God already spoken His Word to us? This practice has a greater similarity to eastern mysticism than it does to the Word of God.<br /><br />Stay far away from Beth Moore and her false teaching.<br /><br />A Bible-Believer's Reaction to Spiritual Formation<br /><br />False teachers of the first century threatened the early church with their incipient Gnosticism. They communicated to the Christians that faith was inadequate to a have a relationship with God. Instead, they needed the mystical knowledge (gnosis) that only those teachers possessed. Spiritual formation is a modern Gnosticism, which promises believers something deeper than what they possess. To those teachers, practices such as studying the Bible and prayer are good, but you need the "spiritual disciplines" if you want true spiritual depth in your Christian life.<br /><br />Paul's warning to the believers in Colossae rings as true today as it did then. It warns us of modern false teaching to be avoided: "Beware lest any man spoil [more literally, cheat] you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8). May God give us the grace and courage to stand against the philosophy and vain deceit of the spiritual formation movement.<br /><br />References:<br /><br />1. Lighthouse Trails Editors (Nov. 15, 2011). An Epidemic of Apostasy - Christian Seminaries Must Incorporate "Spiritual Formation" to Become Accredited. Retrieved January 23, 2019 from <a href="https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=7733">https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=7733,</a>.<br /><br />2. Ibid.<br /><br />3. Gary Gilley, Roots of the Spiritual Formation Movement. Retrieved January 23, 2019 from <a href="https://tottministries.org/roots-of-the-spiritual-formation-movement">https://tottministries.org/roots-of-the-spiritual-formation-movement</a>.<br /><br />4. Matt Slick, Centering Prayer (Feb. 25, 2008). Retrieved January 23, 2019 from <a href="https://carm.org/centeringprayer">https://carm.org/enteringprayer</a>.<br /><br />5. Lectio Divina: Listening to the Word of God in Scripture (PDF Brochure). Retrieved January 23, 2019 from <a href="https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/sites/default/files/private/lectiodivinabrochure_2018_0.pdf">https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/sites/default/<br />files/private/lectiodivinabrochure_2018_0.pdf</a>.<br /><br />6. Ibid.<br /><br />7. Matt Slick, Beth Moore. Retrieved January 24, 2019 from <a href="https://carm.org/beth-moore">https://carm.org/beth-moore</a>.<br /><br />8. Posted by Tom Manning (Jan. 12, 2014). Beth Moore Leads Lectio Divina-Lite at Passion 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2019 from <a href="https://youtu.be/JX9HcmxfyDQ">https://outu.be/JX9HcmxfyDQ</a>.<br /><br />sac0227<br /><br />Copyright 1998-2024<br /><br />TeachingtheWord Ministriesmmmmm<a href="http://www.teachingtheword.org/">www.teachingtheword.org</a><br /><br />All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only,<br />for non-commercial purposes, provided that this copyright notice is included.<br /><br />We also suggest that you include a direct hyperlink to this article<br />for the convenience of your readers.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.teachingtheword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=5449&url=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0">More Articles</a><br /><br /><br />Copyright 1998-2024 TeachingTheWord Ministries<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.teachingtheword.org/apps/articles/?articleid=224878&view=post&blogid=5449" target="_blank"><b>Source</b></a></div><div><br /></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-48860959305657035862024-03-02T04:01:00.000-08:002024-03-02T04:01:49.360-08:00He Leadeth Me - A Cappella Hymn<iframe frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://youtube.com/embed/JsQ6N11kh_w?si=3dmAE507uZTP8bGl" width="640"></iframe>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324418.post-87006345430265771862024-03-02T02:29:00.000-08:002024-03-02T02:29:50.832-08:00Reps. Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal make unannounced trip to Cuba: Axios<div><br />By Al Mayadeen English<br />Source: Axios<div><br />28 Feb 2024 15:57<br /><br />The visit has drawn fire from Republican lawmakers.<br /><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHziQp_EtQiC41geiKT3darZOA2PpMJl53ibjf3Y1QtG0BQP4w0BecIiZ3xtz8lsuBpFwJVpdVchJ0P8nEGSM9brsJARKoE1BiEOOEX9XNeiaGD1bZtOvGsNAAwUEZ3LPzs0sOPLdCtUz6fhNLg7vEHccgWzVtMXRG3ts48VGh9acyLs1-IMh/s1000/43ff75a7-9ae7-49b1-ae39-3811e765e4e5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHziQp_EtQiC41geiKT3darZOA2PpMJl53ibjf3Y1QtG0BQP4w0BecIiZ3xtz8lsuBpFwJVpdVchJ0P8nEGSM9brsJARKoE1BiEOOEX9XNeiaGD1bZtOvGsNAAwUEZ3LPzs0sOPLdCtUz6fhNLg7vEHccgWzVtMXRG3ts48VGh9acyLs1-IMh/w400-h266/43ff75a7-9ae7-49b1-ae39-3811e765e4e5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., left, speaks about the threat of default as Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during a news conference, on May 24, 2023, in Washington. (AP)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br />It has been confirmed to Axios by a spokesperson for the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) that two CPC leaders made an unannounced trip to Cuba while the House was on recess last week.<br /><br />Initially reported by the Miami Herald, spokesperson Mia Jacobs stated that <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-house-votes-in-support-of-israel-after-jayapal-comments">Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)</a> and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the chair and deputy chair of the CPC, respectively, met with "people from across Cuban society and government officials to discuss human rights and the U.S.-Cuba bilateral relationship," Jacobs said.<br /><br />Both <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/rep-omar-removed-from-foreign-affairs-panel-over-anti-semiti">Jayapal and Omar are public critics</a> of the American economic embargo on Cuba.<br /><br />Even though US lawmakers occasionally travel to Cuba, those trips are usually open and overt in American and Cuban governments and news.<br /><br />The Miami Herald reported that Cuban state media "traditionally highlight American lawmakers going to the island, usually framing their visit as a gesture of 'solidarity' with the Cuban people or support for <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/cuba-expresses-solidarity-with-venezuela-following-us-sancti">ending the U.S. embargo</a>".<br /><br />On X, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said, "It's outrageous that Members of Congress would visit a country that jails, abuses, and murders their citizens and supports Iran, Russia, and Communist China against our interests."<br /><br />After the news went public, Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) said, "Communist Cuba must remain on the <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/160-lawyers-mostly-us-urge-biden-to-take-cuba-off-terror-lis">List of State Sponsors of Terrorism</a>."<br /><br />Earlier in January, a group of 160 lawyers, mostly American, called on US President Joe Biden to remove Cuba from the so-called "State Sponsors of Terrorism" (SSOT) list.<br /><br />"Given the tremendous economic, social, humanitarian, and commercial effect placement on the SSOT list has had for the Cuba people, maintaining it for such pretextual reasons continues to be <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-cuba-to-restart-talks-on-law-enforcement:-state-departmen">a stain on U.S. foreign policy</a>," the letter considered.<br /><br />The Reagan administration first placed Cuba on the SSOT list in 1982, after which Cuba witnessed decades of US sanctions, assassination attempts, and subversion to topple Cuban leader Fidel Castro.<br /><br />In 2015, then-US President Barack Obama removed Cuba from the list. However, relations deteriorated under his successor Donald Trump, who reinforced sanctions on the Caribbean island nation.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/reps--ilhan-omar--pramila-jayapal-make-unannounced-trip-to-c" target="_blank">Source</a><div><br /></div></div>Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15187175364549955205noreply@blogger.com0