Monday, September 03, 2007

PERSECUTION RISES SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Persecution Heating up South of the Border
By Gary Lane
CWN News
August 24, 2007


CWN.com - Just south of the Yucatan Peninsula, Christians are battling some storms of their own.

Persecution of evangelicals in the Mexican state of Chiapas has intensified this year.

At least 17 major incidents have been recorded since January.

CWN's Gary Lane recently visited San Juan Chamula.

Festivals like the Day of the Dead are customary celebrations in Chiapas. Many villages throughout this southern Mexican state require residents to pay a fee to cover the cost of the events.

But many evangelical Christians say the celebrations are nothing more than hedonistic, drunken orgies. They've refused to give of their time and treasure.

Some have seen their churches destroyed as a result.

A CBN News crew arrived on the scene of a church near San Juan Chamula just hours after its destruction.

Dozens of traditionalists - those who blend pagan Mayan rituals with Catholicism - used pick axes to demolish the Prince of Peace Pentecostal Church.

The destruction of another Pentecostal church in the nearby town of Las Ollas was captured on cell phone video earlier this year.

Men armed with poles and sticks can be see knocking down the tin roof.

The attackers threatened to burn the Christians inside the church.

Church pastor Rosa Hernandez says her life is frequently in danger.

"I am threatened often," Hernandez said. "The men who did this told me they had bullets and they would kill me with a bullet because I am a leader here."

Town leaders, known as Casiques, often take steps to keep evangelicals out of their towns and villages.

Some Christians have been jailed and even killed in Chiapas for sharing their faith with non-believers or for simply venturing into traditionalist Catholic towns.

One directive from the town of San Antonio Las Rosas, dated February 13, 2005, states that it is not permitted to practice or preach a religion other than Catholicism. Those doing so will be expelled and their property seized without compensation for the benefit of the community.

Human rights attorney and pastor, Esdras Alonso, has documented hundreds of incidents. He says most have violated religious freedom liberties guaranteed in the Mexican Constitution.

"Using the argument of lifestyle and customs of the indigenous peoples, they have taken away individual rights," Alonso said. " Lifestyle and customs cannot be above the constitution."

Despite constitutional guarantees, the Casiques often enforce their own laws.

Lorenzo Lopez's cowboy hat still hangs on the living room wall of his San Juan Chamula home. The 20-year-old delighted in wearing western garb and singing Christian praise songs.

Lorenzo received Christ about two years ago at The House of Prayer, a church just down the street from his home.

He used to enjoy playing ball with his two nephews - but no more.

An angry mob killed and tortured Lorenzo for his evangelical faith.

He recently entered their traditionalist village to repay money he had borrowed to pay for his wedding.

His older brother Juan was with him and escaped the attack. Juan says he cries often because of Lorenzo's tragic death.

Other evangelicals throughout Chiapas suffer a different kind of loss. Thousands have been forced from their land and expelled from their villages simply for embracing a non-traditional faith.

Twenty-five-year-old Thomas says he returned to his home in Ocosingo to find part of it in ashes. Neighbors burned it because he was holding regular house-church meetings inside.

"We went to preach in Chilong," Thomas said. "We came late in the night - about 11:00, and we saw everything destroyed here. They don't want people to come here to hear the Gospel."

Thomas' wife, children, parents, siblings and brother's family - 15 people total - now share three small bedrooms.

He remains faithful and he says God has blessed him as a result. The house church still meets here - now outside - every Saturday evening.

And Thomas now owns an old red Volkswagen Beetle car that he uses to take the Gospel message to mountain villages.

He's praying to rebuild his home so his church can once again meet indoors when it rains.

And what if neighbors burn his house down again?

"They can take my clothes, all my property, but we are in God's hands and they cannot burn Christ and the church from our hearts," Thomas said.

Source: http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/219641.aspx

TRAMPS IN TRAINING

T.I.T. WearIn the fashion world, have young girls become tramps-in-training?


In her song about the brutal passage from androgynous childhood into sexualized adolescence, folk singer Dar Williams croons: "Now I'm in this clothing store/ and the sign says 'less is more'/ more that's tight means more to see/ more for them, not more for me." Emily Yoffe's recent shopping excursion with her pre-teen daughter elicits much the same dismay at a culture that equates female attractiveness with bodily exposure.

Mothers identify with Yoffe's plaint and vent their frustrations en masse. For mom of teen, even with an abundance of fashion savvy and resources, filling Lolita's closet with nonsuggestive clothing has become "a true dilemma," even more so on fairyqueen43's limited income. For young girls who fail to conform to skinny norms, such as Melissaru's "well-proportioned" but slightly round daughter, the ongoing quest for decent-fitting clothes "makes her feel just awful about herself, and more than one shopping trip has included tears."




Lest we dismiss these maternal reactions as generational, the ranks of the scandalized include younger women, too. Twenty-one-year-old Nukapei inventories the tweener section of a women's clothing shore: "Khaki skirts high enough to show off panties when the girl bends over (and some even before), plunging necklines, midriff-baring tops, and of course the ever-present snarky graphic tees. I wouldn't want my 18-year-old sister wearing this sort of thing, much less if she was 10 or 12!" Another big sister of identical age expresses shock and indignation at the seemingly widespread phenomenon of younger girls who "dress like total skanks."

Denouncing the cultural trend toward tramp training, encouraged by "popular Bratz dolls" and "sexy clothes" marketed at an ever-younger female demographic, a wary 25-year-old mother wonders with some dread what her 2-year-old daughter's fashion choices will be in 10 years.

As a former teen consumer of risqué attire, mochajasmine offers some reassurance to these jittery parents a decade after the fact: "For what it's worth, I am anecdotal evidence that these shopping choices do not lead to tweenhood delinquency, promiscuity, and death."

Plus ça change remember the 80s? Baci does, in vivid detail:

Satin hot pants and a satin jacket worn with Candie's slides? Tight, pegged jeans (yeah, they did have high waists, though). Tight, girl-cut t-shirts with shiny glitter mottos on them?

Everybody acts like this is all new stuff, when in fact I distinctly remember quite slutty fashions from my own girlhood, and pressure to wear them. I pretty much didn't--my parents would never buy me that stuff.

Indeed, in the history of fashion—or so claims Palabra—one can go back much further to "the very suggestive and ostentatious Rococo period" to discover similarly skimpy cuts for women and girls.

Redbeth77 accuses Yoffe of reading sexual innuendo into clothing where there is none, such as the pussy cat logo for Baby Phat (shortygurlang traces the etymology of the brand name for us here). As far as Victoria's Secret is concerned, "I see nothing wrong with my daughter wearing their Pink line." Adriannasanchez also tells reluctant parents to dispense with their Puritanism and get with the new fashion program.

EarlyBird turns a critique of oversexualized teenage clothing into an overreaching indictment of Western culture and its promiscuous ways. More nuanced is grantoe's observation that the whole debate is "indicative of a deep neurotic split in our American psyches" regarding our hypervigilant protection of children (especially young girls) from sexual predators and our simultaneous sexualization of them.

Discover more about the fascinating world of girlwear in the Fashion Fray. AC6:10pm EDT

Source: http://www.slate.com/id/2172851/fr/flyout

GIVING OUT GOSPEL TRACTS AN OFFENSE

TESTING THE FAITH
Giving out Gospel tracts becomes a federal case
67-year-old man jailed 2 days for violating 'parade' ordinance

Posted: August 24, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a 67-year-old Georgia man who was arrested, held in jail for two days and convicted without being given access to a lawyer for passing out Gospel tracts on a public street.

The action was brought by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Fredric Baumann, who was arrested on the orders of police chief Mike Eason.

The ADF said a Georgia Superior Court earlier this month agreed to its request to overturn the conviction of Baumann, "a Christian man whom Cumming police arrested in April for passing out religious literature on a public sidewalk."

"Christians have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else in America and cannot be treated as second-class citizens," ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman said. "The government should not force them to get special permission before practicing their constitutional right to free speech.

"The fact that the court dismissed the charges against Mr. Baumann is not just significant for him but for all citizens who cherish their First Amendment rights," he said.

A spokesman in the Cumming police department told WND there would be no comment on the case.

The case bears a number of similarities to a case about which WND also has reported, when two members of Gideons International were arrested for handing out Bibles on public property in Key Largo, Fla.

The ADF also was involved in that case, and has reported a Florida judge dismissed all counts against the Gideons.

Bauman had been arrested April 22 for handing out the tracts outside the City of Cumming fairgrounds. Police told Baumann he was violating a city ordinance requiring organizations to obtain a permit prior to such activities.

However, the ADF said, the permit lacked definitions for its provisions, and then said it only applied to private organizations or groups of three or more persons.

The man asked several times to see the ordinance, but was refused. He then served two days in jail and was convicted before a municipal court judge, who sentenced him to time already served.

The trial came without notification to Baumann, so he had no opportunity to seek legal counsel, the ADF said.

"City officials not only acted illegally when they arrested Mr. Baumann, they denied him his constitutional right to due process under the law," Cortman said. "We are glad that this injustice has now been reversed and that Mr. Baumann's right to free speech has been affirmed."

The subsequent civil rights action, then, seeks to have the ordinance, which prosecutors later admitted did not apply to Baumann, struck down. It also is seeking compensatory damages as well as punitive damage from the city.

"The city denied Mr. Baumann his constitutional right to free speech and due process under the law. We are filing a civil lawsuit to have the city's unconstitutional ordinance struck from the books so this doesn't happen again to Mr. Baumann or anyone else," Cortman said.

The complaint alleges violations of free speech, due process and equal protection provisions as well as false arrest and false imprisonment.

The actual city rule reads, in its pertinent part: "Every private organization or group of private persons who wishes to use public property or public roads within the municipal limits of Cumming, Georgia, for private purposes in holding a parade, assembly, demonstration, road closing, or other activity is hereby required to have a permit from the City for the privilege of engaging in any such activity within the City, unless such a permit is prohibited under State law or the activity is otherwise exempted by law, ordinance, or other valid regulation."

It also defines "private organization or group of private persons" as "any firm, partnership, corporation, association, or group of individuals more than three in number, or their representatives, acting as a unit."

The law firm said besides the constitutional issues, the law on its face didn't apply to Baumann as an individual.

The lawsuit said Bauman handed out tracts to people willing to take them, without using any amplification or hindering traffic in any way.

"At approximately 1:15 p.m., Mr. Baumann observed Chief of Police Mike Eason speaking to Mr. Baumann's acquaintance who was distributing religious literature on the public sidewalk near Gate C. Mr. Baumann approached the pair and learned of Chief Eason's demand that the two men immediately leave the vicinity for 'demonstrating without a permit,' Mr. Baumann politely inquired of Chief Eason as to whether the two men possessed a constitutional right to peaceably distribute religious literature on the public side," the filing said.

"Chief Eason, visibly irritated at Mr. Baumann's inquiry, abruptly stated: 'Well, I guess he wants to get arrested.' Immediately Chief Eason ordered Mr. Baumann to be placed under arrest for 'demonstrating without a permit' so as to constitute an 'illegal demonstration.'"

The case said Baumann never was informed of his right to obtain counsel, nor did he have an opportunity to post bail.

"While incarcerated, Mr. Baumann requested use of his his reading glasses so that he could read his Bible ...; this request was denied," the filing said. He also was denied an opportunity for exercise "to offset a medical condition that causes chest congestion when he remains sedentary."

Then without advance notice, he was taken to court where he asked the charges to be dismissed. Instead, the court listened to Eason's testimony and convicted Baumann.

Source: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57304

EVANGELICALS ON GLOBAL WARMING

Warming Draws Evangelicals Into Environmentalist Fold

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 8, 2007; Page A01

LONGWOOD, Fla. -- At 8 on a Saturday morning, just as the heat was permeating this sprawling Orlando suburb, Denise Kirsop donned a white plastic moon suit and began sorting through the trash produced by Northland Church.

She and several fellow parishioners picked apart the garbage to analyze exactly how much and what kind of waste their megachurch produces, looking for ways to reduce the congregation's contribution to global warming.


Pastor Joel Hunter, center, oversees volunteers studying Northland Church trash to assess environmental impact.
Pastor Joel Hunter, center, oversees volunteers studying Northland Church trash to assess environmental impact. (By Phelan M. Ebenhack For The Washington Post)

"I prayed about it, and God really revealed to me that I had a passion about creation," said Kirsop, who has since traded in her family's sport-utility vehicle for a hybrid Toyota Prius to help cut her greenhouse gas emissions. "Anything that draws me closer to God -- and this does -- increases my faith and helps my work for God."

Her conversion to environmentalism is the result of a years-long international campaign by British bishops and leaders of major U.S. environmental groups to bridge a long-standing divide between global-warming activists and American evangelicals.

The emerging rapprochement is regarded by some as a sign of how dramatically U.S. public sentiment has shifted on global warming in recent years. It also has begun, in modest ways, to transform how the two groups define themselves.

"I did sense this is one of these issues where the church could take leadership, like with civil rights," said Northland's senior pastor, Joel C. Hunter. "It's a matter of who speaks for evangelicals: Is it a broad range of voices on a broad range of issues, or a narrow range of voices?"

Hunter has emerged among evangelicals as a pivotal advocate for cutting greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming Earth's climate. A self-deprecating 59-year-old minister who can quote the "Baby Jesus" speech that Will Farrell delivered in the 2006 movie "Talladega Nights" as readily as he can the Bible, Hunter regularly preaches about climate change to 7,000 congregants in five Central Florida sites and to 3,000 more worshipers via the Internet. He even has met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to talk about environmental issues.

While he remains in a distinct minority, and a number of others on the Christian right disparage his efforts, Hunter and others like him have begun to reshape the politics around climate change.

Reaching Across the Ocean



Hunter came to the cause not on his own but rather through a six-year effort by British religious leaders to mobilize their U.S. counterparts on the issue.

"The United States is absolutely key to the question of climate change," said Sir John T. Houghton, a British atmospheric scientist and an evangelical. For nearly a decade, Houghton -- who said he has long sought to "put my science alongside my faith" -- worked to convince Hunter and other American evangelical leaders that their shared beliefs should compel them to focus on global warming.

In 2001, Houghton, a 75-year-old Welshman who has been honored twice by Queen Elizabeth II for his scientific work, walked the grounds of Windsor Castle with Calvin B. DeWitt, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin. The two, later joined by the Bishop James Jones of Liverpool, England, started organizing conferences on both sides of the Atlantic to convince U.S. evangelicals that human-generated warming poses a threat to God's creation.

Not long after that, several prominent American environmental leaders and scientists decided that they, too, needed to win over that same group.


CONTINUED 1 2 3
Next >

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/07/AR2007080701910.html

WHAT'S WRONG WITH FUNDAMENTALISM?

Commentary - 08/18/2007

God's Warriors: What's Wrong With Fundamentalism?
It's fundamentally wrong.

I have just become aware of the upcoming CNN presentation of God's Warriors. Holy smokes!!! View the show trailer by clicking "Behind The Scenes." Is this not an attempt to goad the three major religions of the world (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) into ever more serious fighting against each other? Why would any group WANT these three great religions trying to kill each other? And for what purpose?

Before answering these two questions, what's wrong with Fundamentalism? Where does it say, in any of those three religions' holy books, that it is right to lie, steal and murder? All three religions claim to be Abrahamic religions? Well, what if Abraham LIED? Right in Genesis, it states that he would receive FAME, that HIS offsprings would rule, and that gold and silver resulting from murdering others would go into the LORD's treasury. And then who administers the LORD's treasury? It states that Abraham goes to a mountain top and declares all the land that he can see and beyond, is rightfully his and his offsprings, even though many other groups of people have already been living there for unknown times. Next, it's okay to murder them? And do not forget that he was ALREADY a very rich man, with gold and silver, slaves and animals, and a trophy wife to BEGIN with. Are these not sociopathic traits?

In the past, when the world was much larger in the sense of distance and slower travel time, such mis-beliefs didn't matter too much. Sure, you had your skirmishes, but they did not involve the whole earth. Because of the Internet and jet-set travel times, these mis-beliefs are now seriously running into each other. Who's right? Who's wrong? These are very heated topics. Does anyone give a thought that this mis-belief is being manipulated by an outside group who has sociopathic desires to "own the whole world in fee simple?" (Fee simple, means "lawful ownership, no debt.")

Groups of men have tried before. The British East India Company once bragged that "The Sun never sets on the British Empire." The financial groups that lied, stole and murdered their way to untold fortunes have never truly gone away. The BEIC was formed in 1600. The address of the White House is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The US flag is the BEIC company flag, modified only by putting 13 stars in the blue shield, replacing St. Georges Cross. The state flag of Hawaii IS the BEIC company flag, with only seven stripes instead of thirteen. Of greater interest to me was that the first boat "Malice Scourge" was renamed "Red Dragon." Of course, these are coincidences. Yeah right! These men knew exactly what they were doing, and within 11 years, the King James Bible was published, worked on by 50 men that could be known as "God's Secretaries."

Admittedly, the BEIC was dissolved in 1857 and gave up control to the British Crown. However, think about these questions for a moment. Do you think that these small groups of sociopathic men would ever forget raking in up to 32,000 percent on their investments? Do you think they would give up their land, gold and silver, and other riches and simply fade away? You wouldn't bet your life on it, would you! They quietly went to other parts of the world, using their riches to get more. Today, we call that investing in emerging markets.

With today's technology, such as high-speed communications via satellite, Internet and jet travel, these decendants of the BEIC and others who have joined various groups think that obtaining the original goal of "fee simple" ownership of the earth is NOW possible. Remember, these are sociopaths who think you're just another mammal of the animal world. Rodents are mammals. An "elite" is one who has convinced themselves that they are "entitled" to this loftly position. There are NO elites, just sociopathic men and women who have proved that they will lie, steal and murder without empathy to try and fill their emptiness. The real problem is that is impossible. However, they try. Do you really think that "Barbarians At The Gate" is only a book's title?

So to answer the first question: Why would any group WANT the followers of these three great religions stirred up to kill each other?

Even only watching the trailer, you can see that "God's Warriors" uses symbolism and words to incite strong feelings for one's own religion, and anger/resentment towards other religions. In your mind, replace the Lighted Cross with the Nazi Swastika and you could be re-viewing a Hitler "religious" rally. When people are fighting, they are NOT thinking. They're only using the flight/fight part of their brain. We are not many generations from cavemen times. They are not thinking WHO ELSE would benefit from their constant bickering and fighting. They are not asking WHO is financing THEIR efforts. Won't they be sick in their stomachs when they find out that the ultimate source of their funding comes from the same groups that fund THEIR "enemies?" Most citizens do not have the resources to fight each other, but those who would ultimately win the most from these battles happily provide the necessary resources. Then people thank THEIR god for the funds to carry on the fight against others.

For what purpose? There are certain groups trying to own the earth in "fee simple." I've mentioned this earlier. But who are these financial sociopaths? You will never know their names, and should any one of them be found out and somehow removed, there's always someone to take their place. Individuals don't matter, but the groups can be singled out. They make their money financing destruction, then they make more money financing re-construction, and then simply repeat the cycle. They become richer, while everyone else becomes poorer. When the poor become so poor that they loose private ownership of land, guess who actually owns the land?

Here's an effort to track down the source. First, with six hours of expensive television time, let's see who controls CNN. Cable News Network is owned by Time Warner. The major shareholding block, which I call Barclays and Associates, owns at least 13%. You can control any large corporation that has extensive shareholders by controlling 10% or more. There's no way for me to know who controls Barclays, certainly not the people listed on it's web site. Everyone listed, from top to bottom, is enslaved, no more and no less, than you and I. So don't bother them!!! It will do no good. Believe it or not, they are not the problem.

Since God's Warrior has not yet been presented, I cannot list the sponsors. I will, and you can too. You don't need me. Simply write down the sponsors and then go to finance.yahoo.com. Look up the major holders of each company. You will see the same patterns, and you'll see who expects to benefits from this fighting. Not the company, but the major holders.

You can also see the ownership patterns I've already discovered with the major military providers, the major investment banks, and the major money center banks. They even control the 30 Dow Industrials. You can also see how these groups have already benefited from our military adventures since 2001. To me, this all adds up to Global Economic War.

Sickening, isn't it? I did not enjoy discovering this information. My motivation in sharing this is the hope that my children do not end up slaves, and that their children will not be born into slavery. It's simply amazing that so many of the "living" allow themselves to be ruled by so few of the "dead."



One last thing: If you found information on this site valuable, please help support this site so that this information stays available for those who will pass this way after you.



© 2007 by Edward Ulysses Cate

Source: http://www.greatreddragon.com/

Sunday, September 02, 2007

$4.5 BILLION BET ON CATASTROPHE - 4 WEEKS

August 26, 2007

$4.5 billion options bet on catastrophe within four weeks

Anybody have a clue as to what these 'investors' are expecting?

The two sales are being referred to by market traders as "bin Laden trades" because only an event on the scale of 9-11 could make these short-sell options valuable.

There are 65,000 contracts @ $750.00 for the SPX 700 calls for open interest. That controls 6.5 million shares at $750 = $4.5 Billion. Not a single trade. But quite a bit of $$ on a contract that is 700 points away from current value. No one would buy that deep "in the money" calls. No reason to. So if they were sold looks like someone betting on massive dislocation. Lots of very strange option activity that I haven't seen before.

The entity or individual offering these sales can only make money if the market drops 30%-50% within the next four weeks. If the market does not drop, the entity or individual involved stands to lose over $1 billion just for engaging in these contracts!

Clearly, someone knows something big is going to happen BEFORE the options expire on Sept. 21.

THEORIES:

The following theories are being discussed widely within the stock and options markets today regarding the enormous and very unusual activity reported above and two stories below. Those theories are:

1) A massive terrorist attack is going to take place before Sept. 21 to tank the markets, OR;

2) China, reeling over losing $10 Billion in bad loans to the sub-prime mortgage collapse presently taking place, is going to dump US currency and tank all of Capitalism with a Communist financial revolution. Either scenario is bad and the clock is ticking. The drop-dead date of these contracts is September 21. Whatever is going to happen MUST take place between now and then or the folks involved in these contracts will lose over $1 billion for having engaged in this activity.

"$1.78 Billion Bet that Stock Markets will crash by third week in September Anonymous Stock Trader Sells 10K Contracts on EVERY S&P/Y "Strike" Shorts Stocks "in the money" effectively selling all his SPY holdings for cash up front without pressuring the market downward.

This is an enormous and dangerous stock option activity. If it goes right, the guy makes about $2 Billion. If he's wrong, his out of pocket costs for buying these options will exceed $700 Million!!! The entity who sold these contracts can only make money if the stock market totally crashes by the third week in September.

Bear in mind that the last time anyone conducted such large and unusual stock option trades (like this one) was in the weeks before the attacks of September 11.

Back then, they bought huge numbers of PUTS on airline stocks in the same airlines whose planes were involved in the September 11 attacks.

Despite knowing who made these trades, the Securities and Exchange Commission NEVER revealed who made the unusual trades and no one was ever publicly identified as being responsible for the trades which made upwards of $50 million when the attacks happened.

The fact that this latest activity by a single entity gambles on a complete collapse of the entire market by the third week in September, seems to indicate someone knows something really huge is in the works and they intend to profit almost $2 Billion within the next four weeks from whatever happens! This is really worrisome."

Source: Ticker Forum

SOURCE: http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/08/45b-bet-on-another-911-within-4-weeks.html

IRAN HAS OVER 3,000 CENTRIFUGES

Iran has over 3,000 centrifuges: Ahmadinejad

by Hiedeh Farmani 1 hour, 49 minutes ago President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seen here in August 2007, has said that Iran has reached a key goal in its atomic drive by putting into operation more than 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges in defiance of world powers.(AFP/File/Atta Kenare)

TEHRAN (AFP) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Iran had reached a key goal in its atomic drive by putting into operation more than 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges in defiance of world powers.

His typically defiant announcement came as Iran steps up cooperation with the UN atomic agency to answer questions about its atomic drive, in a move expected to stave off further sanctions for several months.

"They (world powers) thought that by issuing any resolution Iran would back down," Ahmadinejad told Islamist students, referring to the two sanctions resolutions imposed against Tehran by the UN Security Council.

"But after each resolution the Iranian nation took another step along the path of nuclear development," he said, according to the website of state broadcasting.

"Now it has put into operation more than 3,000 centrifuges and every week we install a new series."

The installation of 3,000 centrifuges has always been earmarked by Iran as the key medium-term goal of its nuclear programme which it had originally hoped to reach by March.

A UN atomic energy agency report obtained by AFP last week however said that Iran was still short of 3,000 centrifuges.

It said that as of 19 August Iran had twelve 164-centrifuge cascades operating at its uranium enrichment plant in the central town of Natanz, a total of 1,968 centrifuges.

A further 656 centrifuges were in development, it added.

Gas is fed into the centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, which can be used to make nuclear power and, in highly enriched form, the fissile core of a nuclear bomb.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to manufacture nuclear weapons but Tehran insists its atomic drive is aimed only at generating electricity for a growing population.

Iran agreed a timetable with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month to answer outstanding questions over its atomic drive and confirm its peaceful nature.

The foreign ministry spokesman warned Iran would "reconsider" its cooperation with the UN atomic agency if the Security Council imposed a third set of sanctions.

"We will continue our cooperation with the IAEA," Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters.

"But if there is a new United Nations (Security Council) resolution we will reconsider our cooperation with the IAEA and we will study different options."

Hosseini did not specify what the options were but top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani has already warned that any further sanctions will render Iran's cooperation with the agency "sterile".

The IAEA has welcomed Iran's willingness to answer the questions on its atomic drive as a "a significant step forward" but the United States has expressed doubts over the agreement.

The agency's director Mohamed ElBaradei warned in an interview due out Monday that Iran may be missing its "last chance" if it fails to resolve the nuclear dispute by the end of the year.

"By November, or December at the latest, we should be able to state whether the Iranians are keeping their promises. If they don't keep them, Tehran will have passed by an important chance, perhaps the last,", ElBaradei told Der Spiegel.

However, the IAEA chief urged international players to "encourage" Iran to cooperate. "Beside sanctions, there must also be encouragement," he said, underlining that "sanctions alone will not bring any durable solution."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070902/wl_afp/irannuclearpolitics_070902132920;_ylt=Ai0487NQx87cRJgeG1JOVh2FOrgF

WHERE ARE THE PROPHETS?

September 1, 2007

Where Are the Prophets?

By Gary Vance

I’ve been wondering lately, where are the prophets? Are there any real prophets cut from the same cloth of an Elijah who confounded the evil King Ahab or a John the Baptist who called out the sins of Herod? Are there any among the fundamentally conservative or the progressively liberal wings of Christianity who are willing to break political ranks and speak truth to power?

Solutions to complex issues like war, poverty, healthcare and environmental deterioration will require greater vision than what is currently possessed by those in power and those seeking to replace them. Our nation stands in great need of the truly prophetic.

The populace of American Christianity is generally polarized along the same fault lines as the two political parties who seek to gain the blessing and endorsement of the faithful. Tepid partisan clergy ranging from conservative to liberal on the theological spectrum has generally displaced the prophetic mantle in the public forums of our time.

Much of the upper tier conservative clerics still offer their carte blanche blessings to a political party and president whose values and policies have grossly distorted the Christian image to the rest of the world. The progressive wing of Christianity offers a similar endorsement of the entire platform of the other party. Where is the prophet like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who fearlessly advocated against war and for social justice in the face of both Republican and Democratic leaders and the Church?

I have a question for those recognized as prophets by the theological left and right. Are there points on the platform of your chosen political party that falls short of mercy and justice? If so, then please show some genuine prophetic authenticity and offer divine public correction to these issues. You could help change the errant course we travel as a nation. Our national leaders on the left and right apparently possess no map and have lost their compass. They desperately need prophetic help in the realms of vision and accountability. They do not need your blanket endorsements.

Many conservative and liberal clerics alike have become nothing more than pathetic lap dogs for the two political parties and the special interests they represent. Citizens entering voting booths must make their choices based on their individual conscience, but how can true prophets publicly endorse a single political party when both are corrupt?

Shouldn’t the prophetic office serve as a watchdog of the Church and the State? Prophets point out injustice and speak uncomfortable truth to those in authority regardless of their political party or church affiliation. Their function in society is not bound solely by the parameters of religion. Their authority to rebuke and bring correction historically extends into every social dimension where justice is lacking and mercy is needed.

Where is there a clear prophetic voice rising from the American societal landscape today? Where is the group or individual who dares to expose the injustice committed in our name by our government regardless of who is in power? Why do the preachers of the left and right only rebuke those leaders of the opposite party and never their own? Where is the prophet who is bold enough to confront the harlotry of the Church as she runs recklessly into the seductive arms of corrupt and conscienceless political suitors?

It is a terrible and costly compromise when preachers and prophets offer their endorsement of any party or candidate who is not willing to work legislatively for mercy and justice on every front. It is an even greater compromise when they dare not speak needed confrontational truth to those whom they have endorsed. The fear of losing their privileged place at the trough with the other lobbyists tragically enforces their silence.

Much study and editorializing has been done regarding the influence of fundamental Christianity in the outcome of the 2002 and 2004 elections. Although conservative Christian voters seemed pivotal in the elections, their actual impact in public policy was minimal. Four years of total Republican control of the White House and Congress delivered little that represents the values and concerns of the conservative Christians who endorsed them. Two Supreme Court appointments are the only real solace for the believers who supported this president and his subservient Congress.

Much work is being done among progressive Christians to counter that electoral influence. The 2006 elections show the pendulum of political control is swinging away from Republicans and continues to favor the Democrats in 2008. Will moderate and more liberal Church leaders be willing to speak truth to power when they are the ones being allowed through the turnstiles of the White House and the Congress?

The current influence of the polarized Church is apparently no greater than any other minor special interest group finding identity and nominal representation in the political parties of today. It will always be so as long as the church world allows itself to be exploited and fragmented by the strategists of the two political parties.

A united Church could actually become a powerful purveyor of good in the realm of public policy. This could happen if the conservative and the progressive wings decided to coalesce around a broader spectrum of justice related issues. They could collectively influence both parties to design public policy more reflective of judicious mercy. Is such a thing possible?

God help us. Where are the prophets?





Authors Bio: Gary Vance is an evangelical pastor/writer living in rural Tennessee. He is the author of "Wasn't Jesus a Liberal?" and other published essays.

Source: http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_gary_van_070831_where_are_the_prophe.htm

P.S. The Lord's will is not for more prophets, but, for obedient children:
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30. "Let no man deceive you"... Ephesians 5:6.

Blogmaster

THE SOLUTION TO THE TURMOIL IN IRAQ


EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I don't think so. What do you call it?
A Ploy-rap. A Boondoggle-rap.
An Amrap? Again, I don't think that's the solution.
More money going to that "Sucking Sound"?

Saturday, September 01, 2007

HURRICANE FELIX HEADED FOR GULF

[Image of 3-day forecast, and coastal areas under a warning or a watch]






















HURRICANE FELIX FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 6
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062007
0300 UTC SUN SEP 02 2007

AT 11 PM AST...0300 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DUTCH NETHERLAND
ANTILLES HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE ISLANDS OF
ARUBA...BONAIRE...AND CURACAO. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...
GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF
ARUBA...BONAIRE...AND CURACAO. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA
WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR JAMAICA. A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD
CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.

HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 12.7N 66.9W AT 02/0300Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 20 NM

PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST OR 275 DEGREES AT 16 KT

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 993 MB
EYE DIAMETER 30 NM
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 65 KT WITH GUSTS TO 80 KT.
64 KT....... 15NE 0SE 0SW 0NW.
50 KT....... 50NE 30SE 20SW 40NW.
34 KT.......120NE 75SE 40SW 100NW.
12 FT SEAS..120NE 75SE 40SW 100NW.
WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL
MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT.

REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 12.7N 66.9W AT 02/0300Z
AT 02/0000Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 12.6N 66.1W

FORECAST VALID 02/1200Z 13.2N 69.6W
MAX WIND 75 KT...GUSTS 90 KT.
64 KT... 25NE 20SE 15SW 20NW.
50 KT... 60NE 40SE 30SW 50NW.
34 KT...120NE 75SE 60SW 100NW.

FORECAST VALID 03/0000Z 14.0N 73.2W
MAX WIND 85 KT...GUSTS 105 KT.
64 KT... 35NE 25SE 20SW 30NW.
50 KT... 60NE 40SE 30SW 50NW.
34 KT...120NE 75SE 60SW 100NW.

FORECAST VALID 03/1200Z 14.7N 76.6W
MAX WIND 90 KT...GUSTS 110 KT.
64 KT... 35NE 25SE 20SW 30NW.
50 KT... 60NE 40SE 30SW 50NW.
34 KT...120NE 75SE 60SW 100NW.

FORECAST VALID 04/0000Z 15.4N 79.7W
MAX WIND 100 KT...GUSTS 120 KT.
50 KT... 70NE 50SE 40SW 60NW.
34 KT...130NE 90SE 75SW 120NW.

FORECAST VALID 05/0000Z 16.5N 84.5W
MAX WIND 110 KT...GUSTS 135 KT.
50 KT... 75NE 60SE 60SW 75NW.
34 KT...130NE 100SE 90SW 120NW.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK. NOTE...ERRORS FOR TRACK HAVE AVERAGED NEAR 225 NM
ON DAY 4 AND 300 NM ON DAY 5...AND FOR INTENSITY NEAR 20 KT EACH DAY

OUTLOOK VALID 06/0000Z 18.0N 88.5W...INLAND
MAX WIND 110 KT...GUSTS 135 KT.

OUTLOOK VALID 07/0000Z 20.5N 92.5W...OVER WATER
MAX WIND 65 KT...GUSTS 80 KT.

REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 12.7N 66.9W

NEXT ADVISORY AT 02/0900Z

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

Source: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCMAT1+shtml/012042.shtml

TELEVANGELIST'S CHARGES CHANGE FOCUS

Charges Change Focus on Televangelist
Thomas W. Weeks III, known to his followers as Bishop Weeks and husband of televangelist Juanita Bynum, is handcuffed as he stands with one of his attorneys John Garland in a courtroom at the Fulton County Jail complex in Atlanta, Friday, Aug.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

ATLANTA - Juanita Bynum is known and admired by thousands as a fiery evangelist whose no-nonsense, lead-by-less-than-perfect-example message of self-improvement was seemingly illustrated by her fairy-tale marriage to a man who also is a widely known minister.

The romance, which included a million-dollar wedding, became a nightmare last week when Thomas W. Weeks III was charged with choking his wife, pushing her to the ground in a hotel parking lot and stomping on her.

Her example, of living one's life as an empowered Christian single woman-turned-spouse, now shifts to spouse-turned-survivor.

"The very thing she's been preaching and proclaiming has now blown up in her own life," said Duke University theology professor J. Kameron Carter. "She becomes Exhibit A for her own message."

Since their marriage in an elaborate ceremony in 2002, Bynum and Weeks had both worked out of Global Destiny Church, but had their own independent and successful ministries, attracting tens of thousands to their conferences and selling thousands of books and CDs. She is the star preacher in the marriage, with her successful career as a media personality, gospel singer, author and playwright.

They had become estranged, and on Aug. 22 they met at a hotel to try to reconcile their differences. Within hours, police were called to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where they found Bynum with bruises. According to the police report, she told officers Weeks "choked her, pushed her down, kicked and stomped her ... until a bellman pulled him off of her."

Two days later, Weeks turned himself in to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. He was released on $40,000 bail with the condition that he have no contact with his wife or her sister. On Friday, he was indicted on charges of aggravated assault and making terroristic threats.

Weeks' attorney, Ed Garland, didn't immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

A request to speak with Bynum through her publicist was declined.

Bynum's MySpace page has a message for her followers: "I am currently recovering from all of my injuries and resting well. There are so many great things happening for me in my future, and so much to look forward to concerning my destiny, this too shall pass. The Bible says in Proverbs 4:25 'Let your eyes look right on with fixed purpose and let your gaze be straight before you.'"

Bynum, a former hairdresser and flight attendant, gained wide attention after she preached her breakout sermon, "No More Sheets," at a Christian singles event in 1998 about breaking free of sexual promiscuity. An audience of thousands applauded her raw, no-nonsense delivery, peppered with first-person accounts of her struggle with her spirituality and secular ways.

"I find it very difficult to listen to anybody preach to me about being single when they got a pair of thighs in their bed every night ... telling me to 'Hold on,'" Bynum roared. "I wanna hear 'Hold on' from somebody who's really holding on! I wanna hear 'Hold on' from somebody who knows about struggle!"

She admonished the women in the audience to improve themselves before seeking husbands.

"We ain't got nothing," she told them. "What are you bringing to the table? God is calling you to accountability today! Get yourself together!"

Lauren Aqeel was 10 years old when she saw Bynum's sermon and said it had a powerful effect on her.

"At the time, there were not many female preachers I had been exposed to," said Aqeel, now 18, who added that she felt the call to preach a few years later. "She has been a mentor from afar to me."

Pulpit power couples like Bynum and Weeks lead several successful black churches, with their marriages prominently factored into their ministries and serving as an example to their congregations. Often, the wives also run popular women's ministries that extol the virtues of being a good Christian woman, spouse and parent.

These couples include Creflo and Taffi Dollar, who head World Changers Church International, based in College Park; Bishop T.D. Jakes and his wife, Serita, leaders of The Potter's House, based in Dallas; and Bishop Eddie Long and his wife, Vanessa, who are the faces of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia.

But for Bynum and Weeks, the allegation of domestic violence could have meaning beyond their marriage.

"For all of the strides that have been made to overcome the male dominance that is associated with fundamental Christian expression, this throws light on the ways in which women have been overshadowed in problematic and troublesome ways in the charismatic movement," Carter said.

At a forum Thursday at Spelman College, a historically black women's college in Atlanta, many of the young women in the audience said they were shocked and saddened to hear of the suspected attack on Bynum.

"It just hit me like a wake-up call, that even the strongest can be victims," said sophomore Elizabeth Alexander. "When he was hitting her, her husband had no respect for her role."

Alexander said she sought the opinion of her own pastor, who is male, expecting him to condemn Weeks' actions. Instead, he responded with Scriptures and said nothing of domestic violence being wrong.

"I was thinking, 'This is my spiritual leader. If I'm abused, what do you do for me?'"

Support for Weeks has been strong on his MySpace page. One message posted Aug. 28 reads: "Bishop Weeks, don't be discouraged, but be encouraged. Stand firm and know that the Lord is mighty in battle."

Kera Street, 20, said she is disturbed by such comments.

"She is a victim," Street said. "It can't be supported or condoned by the church."

In an Aug. 31 e-mail to The Associated Press, Jakes said it is time for the faith community to come out of shock over the Bynum-Weeks controversy.

"Knowing the Bible may make you a strong Christian or a great speaker, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the only resource we can draw from or work with to help those in our pews who suffer in silence," Jakes wrote. "Prayer is a good starting point but this is a problem where wise and fair action steps are needed."

Aqeel said the situation brings Bynum closer to her followers.

"It got a point where you didn't see her past anymore," Aqeel said. "You were seeing a polished, well-groomed woman of God. But now you see she's still a work in progress. That's going to create a deeper audience for her."

It's impossible to predict how Bynum's ministry will rebound, Carter said, but it's possible she'll resume with little loss.

"This in no way undermines her significance. If anything, it underscores the importance of that aspect of her message - the need for healthy relationships. It underscores that no preacher is bigger than their own message."

---

On the Net:

Juanita Bynum: http://www.juanitabynum.com/

Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III: http://www.bishopweeks.com/



Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

Source: http://home.peoplepc.com/psp/newsstory.asp?cat=TopStories&referrer=welcome&id=20070901/46d8e3c0_3ca6_1552620070901-302827357

TOWARDS A ONEWORLD RELIGION

September 1, 2007

Towards A One World Religion

By Dana Gabriel

In order to ever realize the creation of a one world government, it only makes sense that there would need to be a one world religion. It will be much easier to control us if we are all the same, therefore there is a push for the globalization of religion. Many believe that peace can only be achieved by uniting the world under one umbrella. Those who have called for a new world order include the late Pope John Paul II and the current Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his papacy, John Paul II preached a message of peace, hope, and the bringing together of all religions. The United Nations and the European Union have also participated and sponsored interfaith meetings, very much paralleling this same theme. My intentions are in no way to bash or single out any religion, but rather to point to the fact that there is a movement, and an agenda by some to create a new religious order. Christian scholars point to a time in the Bible where the world will unite under a false religious and political system.


In the year 2000, the United Nations held its first ever Millennium World Peace Summit. It brought together thousands of the world's preeminent religious and spiritual leaders, thus marking a major step towards the creation of a global religious body. This was the first time such an event had taken place through the UN. A new declaration of peace created the beginning of an era of collaboration between religions, with the UN as its surrogate. All in attendance also pledged their support for the UN and then Secretary General Kofi Anan. The Council of Religious and Spiritual Leaders was also spawned from this summit, which later led to some high-level international interfaith dialogue. New ager Robert Muller, former assistant Secretary General to the UN, states in his book New Genesis: Shaping a Global Spirituality that he believes, “ If Christ came back to earth, his first visit would be the United Nations to see if his dream of human oneness and brotherhood had come true. He would be happy to see representatives from all nations.” He has also shared in a prior statement that world unity cannot be achieved without a one world government and religion. Could the United Nations be positioning itself to be the center of such a religious order? With the further convergence of the New Age movement, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Luciferian occultism, Taoism, Pantheism and Aboriginal Animism through the United Nations, it would be correct to equate the UN as a new modern-day Tower of Babel. By uniting the world under a new religious body, the people would then peacefully accept the UN's agenda and its goals, such as population control and the creation of a one-world government.


Many do believe that in order to achieve a world where there is no conflict, feuds, or wars, there will have to be a bringing together of all faiths. Can everlasting peace ever be achieved? Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, has called for the creation of a world body whose representatives are from all major religions. While addressing the International Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in March of 2006, he stated that the idea of a “ United Nations of religious groups” could “bring a bridge between religions to help the bridge of the diplomatic way.” In June of 2006, the European Union held a high-profile series of interfaith meetings. It was attended by Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist leaders, including the Dahli Lama, as well as some influential European politicians. The late Pope John Paul II sought to draw representatives of all religions into a greater mutual spiritual understanding and a respect of shared values and beliefs.


Pope John Paul II has been praised for bringing a dialogue of friendship and understanding between Orthodox, Christian Denominations, and non-Christians. His mission was one of great reconciliation between all religions, visiting and praying with many, and even preaching in a Lutheran church. He was the first Pope to visit a Synagogue, and to visit a memorial at Auschwitz. Pope John Paul II is credited in further establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the Vatican, thus ending Catholic and Jewish estrangement. Not only did he reach out to Christian religions, he also engaged in dialogues with high priests and witch doctors of voodoo, taking part in animist rites in the Sacred Forest in Togo. In 1986, in Assisi, Italy, Pope John Paul II held prayers for peace, inviting spiritual leaders from 12 of the world's major religions. For the first time in history, leaders from all the major religions assembled in one place, bringing Jews, Buddhists, Shintoists, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Unitarians, traditional African, and Native American religions. Side by side, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant religious leaders prayed for peace, with the Dahli Lama even placing a statue of Buddha on the altar. Pope John Paul II claimed that they were all praying to the same God for the same purpose, and that their spiritual energy was bringing about a new climate of peace. Catholic-Muslim dialogue expanded under John Paul the II's leadership, and he often spoke of a bond between Christianity and Islam, holding them in very high regard
.


For decades, the Catholic church has been seeking a common approach toward Islam, evident by the 1994 Vatican publication “Recognize the Spiritual Bonds Which Unite us,” directed towards Muslims and Catholics alike. John Paul II was the first Pope to enter a Muslim place of worship, visiting the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. He also visited Morocco at the invitation of some of its religious leaders, and in May of 1999, he kissed the Koran. At a later rally with thousands of Muslim youth in attendance, he said, “we believe in the same God, the one God, the living God.” In 1969, the World Council of Churches gathered with Christians and Muslims, setting the stage for future dialogue. There was the Tripoli Christian-Muslim Seminar in 1976, as well as open dialogue engaged through the Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization Research. Pope John Paul II addressed Catholics in Turkey saying, “I wonder if it is now urgent, precisely today when Christians and Muslims have entered a new period of history, to recognize and develop the spiritual bonds that unite us.”


More recently, there was criticism directed towards Pope Benedict XVI for quoting a Byzantine emperor, who characterized some of Mohamed's teachings as evil and inhumane. To try and heal this rift, he later traveled to Turkey and openly called for further Muslim-Christian dialogue, preaching respect for the differences between both faiths, and emphasizing what they have in common. He became the second pontiff to visit a mosque, praying a silent prayer while the Muslim cleric prayed out loud as they both faced Mecca. The ongoing dialogue throughout the years has been aimed towards contributing to world peace. Under the late Pope John Paul II papacy, the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue was established, as he believed that the challenges of peace transcended religious differences.


Many key indicators suggest that we are on the path towards a one-world religion. The Dahli Lama, who preaches a message of peace, believes that it can only be achieved through world, political, and spiritual unity. Alice Bailey, one of the founders of the New Age movement, also envisioned a one- world religion. The World Council of Churches has stated that the practices and concepts from other religions must be introduced into the Christian faith in order to merge them. Former assistant Secretary General to the UN, Robert Muller, states, “The world's major religions must speed up dramatically their ecumenical movement and recognize the unity of their objectives in the diversity of their cults. Religions must actively cooperate to bring to unprecedented heights a better understanding of the mysteries of life and our place in the universe. 'My religion, right or wrong,' and 'My nation. Right or wrong' must be abandoned forever in the planetary age.” The late Pope John Paul II predicted that there would be a day when there would be a unity of faith, and that all religions would worship together. He made important overtures to non-Christian religions and believed in a multi-faith approach. It remains to be seen if all churches, faiths, religions, organizations, and individuals will conform and allow themselves to be co-opted, thus watering down their core principles, and even compromising some of their beliefs in the name of peace and security.



Authors Website: newworldordermustbestopped.com

Authors Bio:

"I do this for the love of my family and humanity. If it sparks debate and leads people searching for the truth then it is all worth it. Keep up the fight against the NWO."

Source: http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_dana_gab_070830_towards_a_one_world_.htm

BEADS TO UNITE BELIEVERS ON ROSARY DAY

Beads to Unite Believers on Rosary Day

Marian Devotion on the Rise, Says Scholar


MEXICO CITY, AUG. 31, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A group of Catholics in Mexico City are inviting all religious and lay movements to join them Oct. 7 for Worldwide Rosary Day.

The main event will be hosted at the Basilica of Our Lay of Guadalupe in Mexico City, but organizers are asking all interested "religious and lay movements from around the world to organize massive rosaries, joining in this Worldwide Rosary Day 2007, in as many locations and countries as possible."

Guillermo Estévez Alverde, one of the organizers of the event, said: "We have already celebrated 11 years of this work and, with our mother's blessing, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, year after year the number of people and countries who join in praying the rosary grows.

"Every year more people and more countries join in to pray the rosary."

Devotion to the rosary, both publicly and privately, is on the rise, claims Mark Miravalle, professor of Mariology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

The Mariologist told ZENIT that one reason for the resurgence is that we live in troubled times: "Moral degeneration, terrorism and war, and even natural disasters, are leading people to look upward for solutions to global problems that appear beyond human control or remedy.

"Like the early Church under persecution, more people are turning to Mary, our advocate, for motherly protection, grace, and courage in these times of moral and global crisis."

Traditional

Also, earlier this year on May 19, Los Angeles hosted the first "Rosary Bowl." The event, hosted at the site of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, drew 60,000 to pray the traditional prayer of the Virgin Mary.

Estévez Alverde said that the organizers of the Worldwide Day of the Rosary don't keep tabs on the specific numbers of participants: "We don't know, and don't want to know how many people unite. That is for us to know in heaven, but after the event, every year, we receive information of rosary events that surprise us."

He said that one year a group in Mexico City gathered some 45,000 people to pray the rosary in a bull-fighting ring.

Another group located in a small fishing village in Alaska gathered their divided families to pray the rosary, "asking in petitions for the unity of families. They really felt that this helped them in unity."

Decrease

Miravalle said that during the years immediately following the Second Vatican Council, there was a decrease in Marian devotions.

"This was due to the incorrect perspective that the council called for a de-emphasis on the Mother of Jesus and her roles," he said. "Nonetheless, this misconception had its negative theological and pastoral effects, and led to a decrease in several Marian devotions that had been generously practiced in the Church."

"The pontificate of Pope John Paul II served as a dynamic corrective to this downward tendency," Miravalle continued.

"His teaching and his person," he added, "radiated a contagious love of Our Lady, and this reintroduced a higher Mariology and a more generous Marian devotion into the Church's theological and pastoral life."

Miravalle said: "Benedict XVI and his magisterium is continuing this Marian renewal in both teaching and praxis.

"In a recent audience -- Aug. 22 -- our Holy Father called young people to 'place your lives and each of your projects under the maternal protection of the one who gave the world its savior.'

"The Pope's words and teachings about Our Lady echo throughout the Catholic world, and sustain this contemporary Marian renaissance of truth and love."

"People in general and families in particular are returning to the rosary as a spiritually and historically proven prayer for Christian holiness and for protection," he said. "John Paul II prayed 15 decades of the rosary every day of his pontificate. More families today are making time for the daily rosary because of the spiritual peace they find, and the spiritual protection they need."


Source: http://www.zenit.org/article-20382?l=english

THE CHURCH WALKING WITH THE WORLD



The Church Walking with the World


"...the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.... As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." John 17:14-18


The Church and the World walked far apart

On the changing shores of time,

The World was singing a giddy song,


And the Church a hymn sublime.




“Come, give me your hand,” said the merry World,


“And walk with me this way!”


But the faithful Church hid her gentle hands


And solemnly answered “Nay!




I will not give you my hand at all,


And I will not walk with you;


Your way is the way that leads to death;


Your words are all untrue.”




“Nay, walk with me but a little space,”


Said the World with a kindly air;


“The road I walk is a pleasant road,


And the sun shines always there.




Your path is thorny and rough and rude,


But mine is broad and plain;


My way is paved with flowers and dews,


And yours with tears and pain.




The sky to me is always blue,


No want, no toil I know;


The sky above you is always dark,


Your lot is a lot of woe.


There’s room enough for you and me


To travel side by side.”




Half shyly the Church approached the World


And gave him her hand of snow;


And the old World grasped it and walked along,


Saying, in accents low:




“Your dress is too simple to please my taste;


I will give you pearls to wear,


Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,


And diamonds to deck your hair.”




The Church looked down at her plain white robes,


And then at the dazzling World,


And blushed as she saw his handsome lip


With a smile contemptuous curled.




“I will change my dress for a costlier one,”


Said the Church, with a smile of grace;


Then her pure white garments drifted away,


And the World gave, in their place,


Beautiful satins and shining silks,


Roses and gems and costly pearls;


While over her forehead her bright hair fell


Crisped in a thousand curls.




“Your house is too plain,” said the proud old World,


“I’ll build you one like mine;


With walls of marble and towers of gold,


And furniture ever so fine.”




So he built her a costly and beautiful house;


Most splendid it was to behold;


Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there


Gleaming in purple and gold.




Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held,


And the World and his children were there.


Laughter and music and feasts were heard


In the place that was meant for prayer.




There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay,


To sit in their pomp and pride;


But the poor who were clad in shabby array,


Sat meekly down outside.




“You give too much to the poor,” said the World.


“Far more than you ought to do;


If they are in need of shelter and food,


Why need it trouble you?



Go, take your money and buy rich robes,


Buy horses and carriages fine;


Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food,


Buy the rarest and costliest wine.




My children, they dote on all these things,


And if you their love would win


You must do as they do, and walk in the ways


That they are walking in.”




So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,


And she heard not the orphan’s cry;


But she drew her beautiful robes aside,


As the widows went weeping by.




Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church


Walked closely hand and heart,


And only the Master, who knoweth all,


Could tell the two apart.




Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,


“I am rich and my goods increase;


I have need of nothing, or aught to do,


But to laugh, and dance, and feast.”




The sly World heard, and he laughed in his sleeve,


And mockingly said, aside:


“The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church;


And her shame is her boast and her pride.”




The angel drew near to the mercy seat,


And whispered in sighs her name;


Then the loud anthems of rapture were hushed,


And heads were covered with shame.




And a voice was heard at last by the Church


From Him who sat on the throne:




“I know thy works, and how thou hast said,


‘I am rich, and hast not known


That thou art naked, poor and blind,


And wretched before my face;’


Therefore from my presence cast I thee out,


And blot thy name from its place.”



"...you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." Leviticus 20:26


"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'


Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18





by Matilda C. Edwards


Best Loved Poems (Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing, 1936), pages 345-347.


This poem was not listed among those that required reprint permission.