Abia: Worshippers sent out as Adventist Church seals headquarters over leadership crisis

The church leaders sent the worshippers out of the church premises and locked the gate with a padlock immediately after Saturday’s service.

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA • SEPTEMBER 23, 2023

Seventh-day Adventist Church


The Seventh Day Adventist Church on Saturday sealed off its Abia North Conference at Umuoriehi, in Umuahia North Local Government Area, over a leadership crisis rocking the headquarters.

The church leaders sent the worshippers out of the church premises and locked the gate with a padlock immediately after Saturday’s service.

They displayed placards with different inscriptions at the gate, such as “Sealed,” “End of an era,” and “We pray for a new era of unity, peace, mission-mindedness and genuine spirituality,” among others.

Speaking with reporters, Godson Chukwuocha, leader of the Umuahia/Ubakala/Umunneochi Zone, said they were ending the leadership crisis that had lingered at the church headquarters for the past four years.

Mr Chukwuocha said the members were assembled from the 17 districts that make up the conference.

He said the church decided to pass “a vote of no confidence” in Pastor Enyinnaya Uguru with his executive and asked them to leave office because their tenure had expired.

Mr Chukwuocha said Mr Uguru and his executive had been occupying the position for the past 12 years and had refused to leave, as against the church policy of four-year tenure.

He explained that their tenure expired in February, but the union, which is superior to the Conference, extended it to August after the plea by Uguru and his executive.

“The union again extended it and expected them to organise another election and hand over to a new executive between September 21 and September 23, but they refused,” he said.

Also, Iroabuchi Alozie, the secretary of the zone, said the church has a policy document that stipulates a four-year tenure.

According to him, today (Saturday) is supposed to have been the swearing-in of the new executive.

“But because we are men and women of integrity, we will not watch impunity continue in the Church of God.

“This is the fourth year we are in this crisis, and we cannot continue like this. We want to stop it now,” said Mr Alozie, the Umuahia District’s secretary.

The district leader, Adventist Women Ministry, Priscilla Ogidi, said the women had pleaded with Mr Uguru and his executive to leave the office for peace to reign, but they refused.

A pastor in Umuahia District, Festus Uzochukwu, expressed displeasure over the leadership crisis, saying, “This is God’s church, and there’s no battle anybody can fight for God.”

Eberechi Uwaoma, the assistant secretary of the youth wing in the district, said the church hierarchy was aware of the crisis and had ordered Mr Uguru and his executive to vacate, but they didn’t.

Mr Uguru or any of his executives could not be reached for comment despite attempts by reporters, as they were said to have left their residences in the church premises before the service.

(NAN)

Source

A Time Of Upheaval And Uproar

Volume XXXVI Issue IX September 2017
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

Proverbs 15:1-3 

"An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression."

Proverbs 29:22 

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7 

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again consider the events unfolding around us in these days of upheaval and uproar. It is no secret that the United States of America is a sharply divided country today. The widespread acrimony in America has been spurred by reports from the mainstream media, which are designed to tell the American people what to think and how to feel. For example, recent news stories have suggested that radical extremist groups on the so-called "alt-right," such as the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazis, are thriving under the Presidency of Donald Trump. Yet, these hateful groups, which have little in common with genuine conservatives, represent an infinitesimal portion of the American population. According to a report by the liberal news outlet known as Alternet, the Ku Klux Klan, or KKK, is estimated to have between 5,000 and 8,000 active members in the United States today. (1) This is a tiny percentage of the 323 million people who live in this country. In reality, the organization has shrunk drastically in recent decades, a fact which prompted the Anti-Defamation League to publish a report in 2016 entitled "Tattered Robes: The State of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States." This report declares the following: "Despite a persistent ability to attract media attention, organized Ku Klux Klan groups are actually continuing a long-term trend of decline. They remain a collection of mostly small, disjointed groups that continually change in name and leadership. Down slightly from a year ago, there are currently just over thirty active Klan groups in the United States, most of them very small. However, the association of Klan members with criminal activity has remained consistent." (2)



When we see news reports regarding hate groups in America, it can sound frightening. For instance, the aforementioned article from Alternet cites data from the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC, which indicates that there are 917 active hate groups in the United States. (3) This same data was also used in a report by CNN which was published in August 2017. (4) It is important to realize, however, that the SPLC's list of hate groups include groups that are very small in size. In some cases, the so-called hate groups listed are not hate groups at all, but are simply included because they oppose homosexuality and abortion. (5) Yes, there certainly are hate groups in America, and they do have repulsive beliefs. However, the impact of these groups is greatly amplified by the media, and you can be certain that members of these offensive organizations revel in the attention.



On the days of August 11 and August 12, 2017, protestors descended upon Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, to demonstrate against the planned removal of a statue of General Robert E. Lee, who served the Confederate Army in the American Civil War. The planned event was attended by numerous alt right organizations, including Neo Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, amongst others. (6) Conversely, counter-protestors also attended the rally, which included members of a far-left anarchist group known as Antifa, (7) the Revolutionary Communist Party, (8) and numerous other associations. As the event unfolded, it became obvious that numerous individuals came looking for a fight, and brutal and frequent brawling ensued. Oddly enough, reports indicate that police officers stood by and silently watched as many of these skirmishes occurred. (9) After the rally was finally quashed on August 12, 2017, a protestor reportedly rammed his car into a crowd of counter-protestors, which resulted in the death of a 32 year-old woman and injuries to 19 other individuals. (10)



In the aftermath of this hate-driven spectacle, blame was passed around like a hot potato from group to group. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and the state's Secretary of Public Safety, Brian J. Moran blamed the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, because the civil rights group had sued the city of Charlottesville to allow the protest to take place at Emancipation Park. "We were unfortunately sued by the ACLU, and the judge ruled against us. That rally should not have been in the middle of downtown: to disperse all those people from the park where they were dispersed all over the city streets and it became a powder keg," Governor McAuliffe stated. (11) In response, the executive director of the Virginia branch of the ACLU, Claire Gastanaga, placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Charlottesville Police Department. "The situation that occurred was preventable and our lawsuit challenging the city to act constitutionally did not cause it," Gastanaga insisted. She further went on to write, "The lack of any physical separation of the protestors and counter-protestors on the street was contributing to the potential violence. They did not respond. In fact, law enforcement was standing passively by, waiting for the violence to take place, so that they would have grounds to declare an emergency, declare an 'unlawful assembly' and clear the area." (12)

The Sign to Leave Large Cities

 June 21

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. 

Matthew 24:15, 16.



The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation [the United States] in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.

For years I have been given special light that we are not to center our work in the cities. The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God's planning, but the planning of a power that we should in no wise acknowledge. God's Word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned.

The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities.... Educate our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children....

Erelong there will be such strife and confusion in the cities, that those who wish to leave them will not be able.

We are not to locate ourselves where we will be forced into close relations with those who do not honor God.... A crisis is soon to come in regard to the observance of Sunday....

The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its false claims, and this will mean oppression to those who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord....

If in the providence of God we can secure places away from the cities, the Lord would have us do this. There are troublous times before us.

Maranatha, p.180.

The Nations in Conflict

Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict, but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels with their living cargo will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of Satanic agencies, but they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:967 (1900).
.
Last Day Events, p. 238,239.
.

Catholic Church in Egypt Release Statement on Violent Protests

Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria

Photo (Courtesy) Wikipedia

Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac States Situation is Not Political Struggle But a War on Terrorism


Cairo, August 19, 2013 (Zenit.org) Junno Arocho Esteves

The Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Ibrahim Isaac released a statement today regarding the dire political situation occurring in Egypt. Violence erupted after Muslim Brotherhood supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi began killing and burning churches, schools and state institutions in protest.


Patriarch Isaac, who also serves as President of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Egypt, stated that Catholic Church in Egypt felt the need to clarify the reality of the current situation “out of love for our country and in solidarity with all lovers of Egypt, Christians and Muslims.”

The Catholic Church in Egypt, he said, expressed their “free, strong and conscious support for all state institutions, particularly the Armed Forces and the police for all their efforts in protecting our homeland.”

Patriarch Isaac also conveyed their appreciation to nations who understand “the nature of the events” while rejecting any interference by foreign countries to influence Egypt or its internal affairs.

The statement also thanked Egyptian and International media for objectively reporting the news and events that have occurred. However, the Catholic Church of Egypt strongly condemned “those media that promote lies and falsify the truth in order to mislead world public opinion.” The President of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Egypt also thanked the honorable Muslim compatriots” who have aided in defending the Churches and institutions which have been attacked by Islamic extremists and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“We address the international conscious and all national leaders that they understand and believe that what is happening in Egypt now is not a political struggle between different factions, but a war against terrorism,” the statement read.

Concluding the message, Patriarch Isaac expressed his condolences to the families of the victims who have died in the conflict and asked the Lord “to heal all the injured.”


Source
.
.
Related
.
,
Statement of the Catholic Church in Egypt

Cairo, August 19, 2013 (Zenit.org)

Here is translation of the statement made by Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac, president of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Egypt, on the violent situation in Egypt.


* * *

With pain, but also with hope, the Catholic Church in Egypt is following what our country is experiencing: terrorist attacks, killings and the burning of churches, schools and state institutions. Therefore, out of love for our country and in solidarity with all lovers of Egypt, Christians and Muslims, we are trying to do our best to communicate with friendly organizations around the world to clarify for them the reality of events taking place in our country. We would like to express the following:

Our free, strong and conscious support for all state institutions, particularly the Armed Forces and the police for all their efforts in protecting our homeland.

Our appreciation of sincere nations to understand the nature of events while flatly rejecting any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Egypt or to influence its sovereign decisions whatever the direction might be.

Our thanks to all Egyptian and international media that report the news and events objectively and impartially while condemning those media that promote lies and falsify the truth in order to mislead world public opinion.

Our thanks to our honorable Muslim compatriots who have stood by our side, as far as they could, in defending our churches and our institutions.

Lastly, we address the international conscious and all national leaders that they understand and believe that what is happening in Egypt now is not a political struggle between different factions, but a war against terrorism.

In conclusion, we express our condolences to all families and relatives of the victims. We ask the Lord to heal all the injured.

+ Ibrahim Isaac

Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copt Catholics
President of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Egypt

Source
.

Cyprus delays vote on tax raid on savings

By Associated Press

Monday, March 18, 2013



PhotoCypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, left, and President of the Parliament Yiannakis Omirou ... more 

VIDEO:

Runtime: 01:01 Raw: Cyprus Delays Key Vote, As Protests Ensue


NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A vote on a bailout package for Cyprus that includes an immediate tax on all savings accounts has been postponed until Tuesday evening.

Yiannakis Omirou, the speaker of Parliament, said the delay was needed to give the government time to amend the deal reached over the weekend that prompted an outcry from those who thought their money was safe.

In order to get €10 billion ($13 billion) in bailout loans from international creditors, Cyprus agreed to take a percentage of all deposits — including ordinary citizens’ savings — an unprecedented step in Europe’s 3 ½-year debt crisis.

The news was a big surprise and stoked fears that deposits in other countries could be targeted. Shares around the world and the euro took a pounding Monday even though the Cypriot economy accounts for only 0.2 percent of the combined output of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro.

“The damage is done,” said Louise Cooper of CooperCity. “Europeans now know that their savings could be used to bailout banks.”

The Cypriot government is now trying to modify the terms of the original deal and in particular to get a better deal for small savers with less than €100,000. The weekend deal foresaw a one-off levy of 6.75 percent on those savings, rising to 9.9 percent for those above the €100,000 mark.

Lawmakers in Nicosia are considering how to amend the deal without reducing the total €5.8 billion earmarked to be raised through the measure. One solution doing the rounds is to make the tax more graduated: placing a one-time 3 percent levy on deposits below €100,000, rising to 15 percent for those above €500,000.

Still, the government has a battle to get a majority in the 56-member Parliament — a scenario that could cripple the Cypriot economy.

Some 25 lawmakers from communist AKEL, socialist EDEK and theGreen party have said they would vote down the levy that they had criticized as disastrous.

Any modification must be approved by the other eurozone finance ministers before the Cypriot parliament can vote on it.

“I believe (the levy) was a bad idea but they imposed it on us,” Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris told reporters in Parliament Monday. Sarris said the levy was the least worst option since the country’s euro area partners had insisted on a much larger savings cut.

Cyprus‘ banks were closed Monday for a scheduled public holiday.


Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/18/cyprus-delays-vote-tax-raid-savings/#ixzz2NuQNWPxd
.

Our New New Tone: ‘There Will Be Blood!’ ‘Civil War!’

The Campaign Spot

Election-driven news and views . . . by Jim Geraghty.



By Jim Geraghty
December 12, 2012 7:48 A.M.


From the midweek edition of the Morning Jolt:


The New ‘New Tone’ of Our Politics, From Michigan: ‘There Will Be Blood!’

The massive public tantrum of Wisconsin’s unions didn’t work in that state in 2011, but labor unions are willing to try the same in Michigan.

Conn Carroll:

“There will be blood,” State Representative Douglas Geissthreatened from the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives today as the body debated legislation that would make Michigan the nation’s 24th right to work state.

“I really wish we had not gone here,” Geiss continued. “It is the leadership in this house that has led us here. The same leadership that tried to throw a bomb right on election day, leading to a member switching parties, and came in at the 11th hour with a gotcha bill. For that, I do not see solace, I do not see peace.”

But wait, there’s more!

Jimmy Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said Tuesday he expects Michigan unions and lawmakers to break out into “civil war” after the state’s legislature passed right-to-work bills that would weaken unions’ power.

“This is just the first round of a battle that’s going to divide this state. We’re going to have a civil war,” Hoffa said on CNN’s “Newsroom.” The Republican-controlled state House passed two bills that had already been approved by the GOP-dominated state Senate. Gov. Rick Snyder, also a Republican, is poised to sign the bill, which would allow workers at union-represented employers to forgo paying dues.

“There will be blood!” “We’re going to have civil war!” Meanwhile, outsidethe state capitol:

Tempers flared Tuesday morning here at the state Capitol as police — some on horses — moved into to break up a mob scene as the Republican-controlled House approved a contentious right-to-work bill.

Thousands of union members and friends of organized labor gathered to show their opposition, at times heated, to the legislation that prohibits unions from forcing unionized employees to pay union dues or join labor groups.

Gov. Rick Snyder had not yet signed the bill into law, although he has signaled that he would.

By mid-morning, the Capitol was a scene of chaos as union members and organizers from pro-right-to-work Americans for Prosperity got into a shouting match. Wisconsin Reporter’sRyan Ekvall, at the scene, said right-to-work opponents grew increasingly agitated over AFP’s signs.

“There was some pushing and shoving. At one point, I was in the middle of the crowd; it was like a mosh pit where you couldn’t control yourself. You were being moved with the crowd,” Ekvall said.

He saw two lines of police officers forming, “marching like military,” with four officers mounted on horses. They dispersed the crowd and restored peace to the section of the grounds. Before doing so, union members pulled up the tent stakes, and the tent collapsed with some AFP members inside, according to witnesses at the scene.

Our Christian Schneider spoke with David Fladeboe of Americans for Prosperity, who was working security outside the tent:

Fladeboe said the tent, for which AFP-Michigan had received a permit a week earlier, held between 30 and 40 people before protesters began stabbing at its straps with knives. He said that at first, protesters were targeting random straps to avoid being caught — then, finally, they focused on one corner of the tent in an effort to pull it down. Fladeboe said that even once several of the straps were cut, the local police on the scene did little to help the volunteers re-secure them.

Eventually, protesters were able to snap one of the tent stakes in half and pull it from beneath the tent, causing it to collapse. Fladeboe said that despite reports that the tent had been cleared of people before it went down, there were about a dozen people still trapped inside after it had fully collapsed. “You could see people inside of it trying to get up, and you could see the tent moving,” he said — a problem exacerbated by the fact that protesters began “stomping” on top of the collapsed canvas while volunteers tried to help those trapped inside.

Before it had collapsed, the tent was held up by two 20-foot poles, which had to have fallen for it to collapse; volunteers were worried that those poles could have landed on someone stuck inside the tent. There also was hot coffee and hot chocolate served inside the tent that could have burned people if tipped over.

Fladeboe said that once the tent was clear of people, the protesters began pushing and shoving them — it was only then that the police got involved.

Here’s what’s left of the tent. A sports feature writer at Detroit Free Press characterizes the union mob’s reaction to the AfP tent as “taking the bait.” I suppose that’s one way of looking at it; it says something about those union members that all it took to “bait” them into a frothing mass of violence was someone being present and expressing a different opinion than them.

And then poor Fox News contributor Steven Crowder, best known for making funny videos, got punched in the face repeatedly and chipped a tooth.

“Even if you hate me, nothing I could have done warranted being suckerpunched and threatened with murder,” Crowder said.

Instapundit reader Michael Lotus writes:

No matter what Obama does, there is going to be a lot more of this.

These guys are out of ideas, out of money, and have no sane argument to make for what they want everyone else to pay for.

Thank God for camera phones. Even ten years ago, they would have done a lot worse, and gotten away with it.

And to answer your question, my guess is Obama says nothing and the news media does not cover it, which means it never happened.

Or it would mean that if it weren’t for camera phones and the Internet.

Crowder showed good restraint. If he had thrown a punch, he’d have been stomped to death.

Glenn adds, “We need to identify this guy and make an example of him. And his union bosses. I’ve pledged $1000 toward the reward fund.”

“Obviously this is just another example of the Koch brothers’ inciting violence,” groans Jonah, with a good video posted in the Corner.

Our Jillian Kay Melchior was at the capitol and found:

Few of the protesters I spoke to argued against right-to-work on the merits. Instead, their complaint seems to boil down to the suggestion that this is an attack on representative government. Many of them seemed to think that if they don’t get to exercise their political rights through direct democracy, they are being denied their freedoms outright.

That’s a profound misunderstanding of the American political system (and most every political system, ever).

Iowahawk summarizes, “What’s the difference between Mafia and unions? One threatens to kill you if you don’t give them money, the other dresses snappy.”

Source


Related:

.

Dem Rep. Doug Geiss threatens from house floor "THERE WILL BE BLOOD"

dentonexable

.

Analysis: Weeks before U.S. election, Mideast gives Obama perfect storm

A protester shouts slogans after sustaining injuries from a confrontation with riot police who fired tear gas at them outside the U.S. embassy in Sanaa September 13, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

By Peter Apps and Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON | Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:06am EDT

(Reuters) - An eruption of violent unrest across the Middle East is confronting President Barack Obama with the most serious challenge yet to his efforts to keep the Arab Spring from morphing into a new wave of anti-Americanism - and he has few good options to prevent it.

Less than two months before the U.S. presidential election, a spate of attacks on embassies in Libya, Egypt and Yemen poses a huge dilemma for a U.S. leader who took office promising a "new beginning" with the Muslim world but has struggled to manage the transformation that has swept away many of the region's long-ruling dictators.

On top of that, even as he tries to fend off foreign policy criticism from Republican rival Mitt Romney, Obama is grappling with an escalating crisis in U.S.-Israeli relations over Iran's nuclear program and increased bloodshed in Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad has defied international calls to step aside.

Obama's Middle East woes deepened this week with a series of mob attacks on U.S. diplomatic compounds and the killing of America's ambassador to Libya. Demonstrators were incensed by a U.S.-made film they consider blasphemous to Islam.

With the White House fearing further violence in the region after Muslim prayers on Friday, Obama and his aides were scrambling to re-calibrate their approach to the problem. Warnings were issued to Muslim governments around the world that they would be expected to help protect U.S. interests.

All of this may simply point to a larger challenge that will endure well beyond November's U.S. vote - an apparently growing gulf between the United States and increasingly assertive Islamist forces within the Middle East.

The irony is clear.

With his vaunted 2009 speech in Cairo, Obama had hoped to "reset" relations with the region and ease some of the ill feeling stoked by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and "war on terror" rhetoric of Obama's Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.

The Obama administration was caught flat-footed by a wave of pro-democracy revolts last year that toppled autocratic leaders - some, like Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S. ally. But Washington gradually gave cautious backing to the goals of the Arab Spring movement.

Now, with much of the U.S. optimism that accompanied the Arab world's uprisings seemingly gone for good, Washington faces an apparent rise in Islamic activism and declining influence over countries it once counted as allies.

OBAMA STILL POPULAR

"There are a lot of moving parts and it's important not to make too many generalizations," said Hayat Alvi, lecturer in Middle Eastern studies at the U.S. Naval War College. "But it does seem that the politics are getting more complicated as we go forward, not just in the region but also here in the United States."

Within the region, Obama himself remains much more popular than many predecessors. But scenes of U.S. embassy property being trashed first in Cairo and then Yemen in anger at the film insulting the Prophet Mohammad were potent reminders that potentially violent anti-Americanism remains very much alive.

The most serious attack killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three of his colleagues in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi - a city saved only last year from the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi's forces by Western air power during Libya's civil war.

While Libya's government was swift to condemn the attack there and pledged to work with the United States to find those responsible, it was the equivocal initial response from Egypt's new President Mohammad Mursi - condemning the video but not the Egyptian mob - that infuriated Washington.

Obama pointedly told the Spanish-language network Telemundo that Egypt's Islamist-led government should not be considered a U.S. ally, "but we don't consider them an enemy," he added. Obama later spoke to Mursi and delivered a blunt message that Egypt must cooperate in protecting American diplomatic facilities.

The White House will be watching closely to see that Mursi follows through. At stake may be the fate of $2 billion a year in foreign aid, much of it for the military, that the United States gives Egypt, a source close to the U.S. administration said.

"The Egyptian authorities can't play any sort of a double game here," said Ari Ratner, a former Obama administration appointee, Middle East expert and now fellow at the Truman National Security Project. "If the government of Egypt still expects to get significant American aid and investment, (it needs) to be very clear on the unacceptability of these events and actively work to calm the situation."

Mursi, however, may feel he has little choice. Like the government of Pakistan, also often accused of a "double game," he must walk an awkward path between the superpower whose support he needs, and extremists - or even simply regular voters - in his country with strong religious or nationalist views.

POLITICAL WORRIES DRIVING RHETORIC?

That those leading the United States have their own political pressures is clear.

The speed that the diplomatic mission attacks became politicized highlights the domestic dangers for Obama whatever he does, particularly with Romney accusing him of "apologizing for America".

Romney faced his own backlash at appearing to play politics with the issue, with pundits across the political spectrum accusing him of opportunism during a national tragedy.

But clearly feeling the pressure, Obama kept up his defense of his Middle East policy on Thursday and sought to prevent public opinion from turning against him on the issue.

"Now I know that it's difficult sometimes seeing these disturbing images on television because our world is filled with challenges," he told a campaign rally in Colorado. "This is a tumultuous time we are in. But we can and we will meet those challenges if we stay true to who we are."

At the very least, the events of this week will deepen the already-profound caution over getting further involved in Syria, underlining misgivings about allowing rebels there to get more sophisticated and lethal weapons.

"The U.S. is not going to jump into the fray in Syria," said Alvi, of the U.S. Naval War College. "Even before the attacks in Benghazi and Cairo, they were gun-shy."

(Editing by Warren Strobel and Philip Barbara)

Source

Chicago Teachers On Strike

September 11, 2012 at 10:00 AM

Teachers strike in Chicago puts reform, resistance, respect and big politics in the spotlight.

Public school teachers cheer as they march on streets surrounding the Chicago Public Schools district headquarters on the first day of strike action over teachers’ contracts on Monday, Sept. 10, 2012 in Chicago. For the first time in a quarter century, Chicago teachers walked out of the classroom Monday, taking a bitter contract dispute over evaluations and job security to the streets of the nation’s third-largest city — and to a national audience — less than a week after most schools opened for fall. (AP)

The country’s got an education crisis, and Chicago’s got a teachers strike. Talk about an epicenter. The President’s hometown. His former chief of staff, the Mayor – Rahm Emanuel. His education secretary, Arne Duncan, Chicago’s former school boss, now pushing reform nationally.

Rahm Emanuel wants reform. Chicago teachers want respect. And air conditioning. And more computers. And textbooks that arrive on time. Now it’s all boiled over, in the middle of a presidential campaign.

This hour, On Point: the Chicago teachers’ strike, the nation’s education.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Joel Hood, reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

Steven Greenhouse, the labor and workplace reporter for The New York Times.

Laura Washington, columnist with the Chicago Sun Times.

Timothy Knowles, director of the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute .

From Tom’s Reading List

Chicago Tribune “Talks between Chicago’s school board and the city’s striking teachers failed to produce an agreement Monday, leaving more than 350,000 children locked out of the classroom for a second day.”

New York Times “The high-stakes strike by 26,000 public school teachers in Chicago is only the latest episode in which the nation’s teachers’ unions have been thrown on the defensive in the face of demands for far-reaching changes.”

Source

.

The Sign to Leave Large Cities

June 21

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. Matthew 24:15, 16.

The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation [the United States] in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.

For years I have been given special light that we are not to center our work in the cities. The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God’s planning, but the planning of a power that we should in no wise acknowledge. God’s Word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned.

The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities.... Educate our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children....

Erelong there will be such strife and confusion in the cities, that those who wish to leave them will not be able.

We are not to locate ourselves where we will be forced into close relations with those who do not honor God.... A crisis is soon to come in regard to the observance of Sunday....

The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its false claims, and this will mean oppression to those who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord....

If in the providence of God we can secure places away from the cities, the Lord would have us do this. There are troublous times before us.

Maranatha, p.180.

..

Avoiding Labor Conflicts

[Appearing in pamphlet, Country Living, 7, 9, 10-12.]

The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive. Again and again the Lord has instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities, into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; for in the future the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one. We should now begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again: Get out of the cities into rural districts, where the houses are not crowded closely together, and where you will be free from the interference of enemies.—Letter 5, 1904. {2SM 141.1}

Avoid Party Strifes

Men have confederated to oppose the Lord of hosts. These confederacies will continue until Christ shall leave His place of intercession before the mercy seat, and shall put on the garments of vengeance. Satanic agencies are in every city, busily organizing into parties those opposed to the law of God. Professed saints and avowed unbelievers take their stand with these parties. This is no time for the people of God to be weaklings. We cannot afford to be off our guard for a moment.—Testimonies for the Church 8:42 (1904). {2SM 141.2}

The trades unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble such as has not been since the world began.—Letter 200, 1903. {2SM 142.1}

Conflicts Between Trade Confederacies and Labor Unions

The work of the people of God is to prepare for the events of the future, which will soon come upon them with blinding force. In the world gigantic monopolies will be formed. Men will bind themselves together in unions that will wrap them in the folds of the enemy. A few men will combine to grasp all the means to be obtained in certain lines of business. Trades unions will be formed, and those who refuse to join these unions will be marked men.—Letter 26, 1903. {2SM 142.2}

Preparing for the Issue

The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities. My warning is: Keep out of the cities. Build no sanitariums in the cities. Educate our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children {2SM 142.3}

Our restaurants must be in the cities; for otherwise the workers in these restaurants could not reach the people and teach them the principles of right living. And for the present we shall have to occupy meetinghouses in the cities. But erelong there will be such strife and confusion in the cities, that those who wish to leave them will not be able. We must be preparing for these issues. This is the light that is given me.—The General Conference Bulletin, April 6, 1903. {2SM 142.4}

To Preserve Our Individuality

For years I have been given special light that we are not to center our work in the cities. The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God’s planning, but the planning of a power that we should in no wise acknowledge. God’s Word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned. {2SM 143.1}

We are now to use all our entrusted capabilities in giving the last warning message to the world. In this work we are to preserve our individuality. We are not to unite with secret societies or with trades unions. We are to stand free in God, looking constantly to Christ for instruction. All our movements are to be made with a realization of the importance of the work to be accomplished for God.—Testimonies for the Church 7:84 (1902). {2SM 143.2}

In Disregard of the Decalogue

These unions are one of the signs of the last days. Men are binding up in bundles ready to be burned. They may be church members, but while they belong to these unions, they cannot possibly keep the commandments of God; for to belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue. {2SM 143.3}

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27). These words sum up the whole duty of man. They mean the consecration of the whole being, body, soul, and spirit, to God’s service. How can men obey these words, and at the same time pledge themselves to support that which deprives their neighbors of freedom of action? And how can men obey these words, and form combinations that rob the poorer classes of the advantages which justly belong to them, preventing them from buying or selling, except under certain conditions?—Letter 26, 1903. {2SM 143.4}

Unions that are Formed or shall be Formed

Those who claim to be the children of God are in no case to bind up with the labor unions that are formed or that shall be formed. This the Lord forbids. Cannot those who study the prophecies see and understand what is before us?—Letter 201, 1902. {2SM 144.1}

Selected Messages, Book 2, p.141-144.

.