Saturday, February 14, 2009

The Power Elite Playbook: Controlled Conflicts and Staged Incompetence Part 20


THE POWER ELITE PLAYBOOK: CONTROLLED CONFLICTS AND STAGED INCOMPETENCE
PART 20

Deanna Spingola
February 14, 2009
NewsWithViews.com

The war conspirators included a Standard Oil attorney, Henry L. Stimson (Skull & Bones), who was a Thomas Lamont ally, and partner with Elihu Root in a law firm on Wall Street, the nucleus of the powerful American Establishment. Following Washington’s proverbial revolving door collusion strategy between corporate oligarchies and government, Stimson held the following strategic positions: civilian Secretary of War under fellow Skull and Bonesman Taft (1908-1912), Governor General of the Philippines (1926-1928), Secretary of State under Hoover (1929-1933) and civilian Secretary of War under Roosevelt and Truman (1940- 1946), where he managed the drafting and training of 12 million soldiers and airmen, and directed the purchase of 30 percent of the nations industrial output to the battlefield. He was responsible for the internment and subsequent property seizure of thousands of Japanese-American citizens.

Stimson contrived the economic provocations directed at Japan to maneuver them into firing the first shot, also facilitated by Japan-based Ambassador Joseph Grew and many well-place members of the Institute of Pacific Relations who urged Japan’s willing war-hawk leaders to respond. Stimson supervised General Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project, developers of the atomic bomb. Hollister Bundy (Skull & Bones) was Stimson´s special assistant at the Pentagon for the Manhattan Project. His two sons, William and McGeorge Bundy, also members of Skull and Bones, followed in their father’s global government footprints. Later, Stimson, in complete control of President Truman, (Roosevelt had died on April 12, 1945) would personally choose Hiroshima and Nagasaki as inexcusable, non-military targets for those bombs, a message to the world at the beginning of the Cold War, and an excuse for the massive military build-up to shrink the U.S. treasury. Stimson “took credit” for swaying Truman to drop “the bomb” on Japan.[1]

Against the initial concerns of Roosevelt and Churchill, Stimson would later insist on proper judicial proceedings against a minimal number of Germany’s top war criminals. Stimson and the War Department outlined the original proposals for an International Tribunal, which Truman, the incoming president, obediently backed. The results of those proposals ultimately led to the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46, which would affect the development of International Law, a means of establishing a world authority to ultimately supersede all national authorities.[2]

Prior to Pearl Harbor, Tokyo sent daily bomb-plots, cabled from its Honolulu consulate, to the attack fleet using JN-25 radio messages, a very old code. Roosevelt also received Japan’s JN-25 messages. Yet, the U.S. government still refuses to release any of those JN-25 messages because it would reveal that both Roosevelt and Churchill monitored the Japanese attack fleet all the way to Pearl Harbor.[3]

According to testimony at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), Hirohito, dressed in full military uniform, also monitored all radio transmissions from Admiral Yamamoto’s flagship during the night of December 7-8, 1941.[4] Unfortunately, those who perished weren’t privy to any information or warnings. After the war, Hirohito was portrayed as a peace lover who was kept completely ignorant of all warfare decisions and activities -- feigning ignorance or incompetence are oft-used political ploys.

Predictably, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor impacted the American Pacific Fleet of 19 warships, which either sank or were severely damaged. Additionally, 340 naval and army aircraft were either destroyed or critically disabled. Fortuitously, all the newer ships previously stationed at Pearl Harbor had been sent to the Atlantic by Roosevelt. Only the old WWI junk was left in harbor. In his testimony to Congress, Admiral Bloch said: “The Japanese only destroyed a lot of old hardware. In a sense they did us a favor.”[5]

History books omit details about the second Japanese assault against the U.S. in the Philippines. An additional victorious assault established Japan’s dominance and facilitated their plundering conquest of Southeast Asia, the scheme that the Japanese oligarchy and the American-friendly British bankers planned in 1902 when Japan agreed to be “the Crown’s policeman in Asia.”[6]


The Philippine Department Air Force, under General Douglas MacArthur’s direct command, was organized on September 20, 1941. Despite numerous warnings, the allies claimed that Japan would not attack the Philippines until the spring of 1942. So in preparation for that possible attack, Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall (1939 to 1945) dispatched aircraft to the Philippines, 500 miles from the Japanese airbases on Formosa.

MacArthur's headquarters received word of the Pearl Harbor attack at 2:30 a.m. on December 8, 1941 and should have been prepared and vigilant. MacArthur radar-tracked the progress of Japanese planes as they approached the Philippines. He acknowledged them at 140, 100, 80, 60, all the way down to 20 miles away from their target. Then he gave an order to respond. It was, of course, too late.[7] Are repetitive belated military responses evidence of incompetence, or collusion? Similarly, on 9/11, Flight 77, without air traffic control communication and with its transponder deliberately turned off, flew unimpeded towards a Washington “no fly” zone for 45 minutes without a single defensive maneuver – after the towers had been hit. V. P. Dick Cheney was asked repeatedly by a young man if the (stand-down) order still stood as a plane ominously approached the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, as given in Norman Mineta’s testimony before the 9/11 Commission cover-up.

The attack on the Philippines occurred ten hours after the Pearl Harbor attack – on December 8, 1941 at 12:35 p.m. when 196 Japanese Navy bombers struck the U.S. air bases at Clark and Iba Fields, and effectively crippled the Far East Air Force (FEAF) of the U.S. Army Air Force, consisting of 35 Boeing four-engine B-17 bombers and 91 Warhawk fighters, the largest force outside of the U.S. Clark Field also lost the use of its radar units.[8]

MacArthur's reaction to his entire air force being destroyed was an anomaly to say the least. He sequestered himself in his room and refused to talk with anyone, even Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, the air commander. This might be akin to flying aimlessly around the country, as Bush did on 9/11. Additionally, MacArthur had refused to attack Japan’s airbases on Formosa despite orders from someone apparently out-of-the-loop at the War Department. Rather, he had given conflicting orders that guaranteed that the planes would remain on the ground all morning. After the Japanese air strike, Admiral Thomas Hart withdrew his defensive Asiatic Fleet, except for its non-combat submarines.


“Strategically, the destruction of half of all U.S. heavy bombers in the world was more important than naval damage in Pearl Harbor. Either MacArthur had committed the greatest blunder in military history or he was under orders to allow his forces to be destroyed. If it were the greatest blunder in history, it is remarkable that he escaped any reprimand, kept his command and got his fourth star and Congressional Medal of Honor shortly afterwards. Author Gordon W. Prange argued, ‘How could the President ensure a successful Japanese attack unless he confided in the commanders and persuaded them to allow the enemy to proceed unhindered?’”[9]

According to the pre-war Plan Orange, utilized on December 24, MacArthur was to use five delaying positions in Central Luzon while some of his forces, military headquarters and the Philippine government withdrew to Bataan. Accordingly, he sent General Parker of the South Luzon Force to Bataan to prepare defensive positions. MacArthur’s remaining forces would oppose them on the beach and then depart for Bataan and await reinforcement. Plan Orange, though prepared years before, had been reviewed and left unchanged. The land invasion occurred on December 22, 1941, two weeks after Pearl Harbor.[10] On Christmas Eve 1941, General MacArthur, his staff, Quezon and Osmeña escaped from Manila to Malinta Tunnel on the fortified island of Corregidor which became the seat of government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The Philippine gold reserves from the treasury and the gold bullion from the Benguet mines were transferred to Malinta Tunnel, Corregidor’s secure complex.

On January 2, 1942 the Japanese entered Manila. Major General Jonathan Wainwright’s men could have prevented General Homma Masaharu from advancing to Manila but their defective World War I Enfield rifles failed and they fled. Filipino and U.S. forces outnumbered the Japanese invaders by three to two. But they were poorly trained and equipped. The U.S. Had planned to increase armaments but only 20% of their artillery requirements were met. To save Manila from utter destruction, it was declared an open city. Wainwright, according to Plan Orange, withdrew to Bataan. Ultimately, there would be over 100,000 refugees on Bataan. Unfortunately, MacArthur had failed to make adequate logistical preparations in Bataan. Most of the supplies had been left on the beaches and consequently were lost – possibly to opportunists who would soon make a fortune in the black market. On Bataan, the 26th Cavalry eventually had to shoot and eat their horses.[11]

General MacArthur always relied on staff officers and stayed as far away from the enemy as possible. On January 9, 1942, MacArthur boarded a PT boat and made his first and only visit back to the peninsula.[12] U.S. troop reinforcements and supplies, as per Plan Orange, were on their way across the Pacific but were recalled by Roosevelt. Purportedly, the need for food and men in Europe was more important than the needs in the Philippines. Poor planning or poor judgment? This was a death knell for troops who had been fighting for nine long weeks.

The Filipinos took advantage of the chaos in Manila and were killing each other – settling old scores and eliminating enemies. Rape, robbery and looting were widespread. Ferdinand Marcos, who was serving on the U.S. side, took this opportunity to eliminate the man who had testified against him when Marcos had murdered his stepfather’s political opponent. Marcos had been exonerated by his biological father, Judge Chua, and thereby escaped incarceration; the same judge, known as Marcos’ godfather, also paid his way through law school.[13] The economy of Luzon, the largest island, was a disaster. Crops were seized; people were starving. Gangs roamed the streets. Currency was worthless and people paid gemstones or gold for whatever food they could find on the opportunistic black market, a devious way of acquiring any remaining valuables from desperate people. Homes, factories and warehouses were abandoned.[14]

On March 11, 1942, MacArthur, his inner circle, Quezon and Osmeña left Corregidor, the island in the entrance of the Philippines’ Manila Bay, the best natural harbor in the Far East for the Del Monte pineapple plantation in Mindanao, and left via its airstrip for Australia. Quezon then went to the U.S. where he died. Vice President Osmeña became president in exile. For ballast, MacArthur had 20 tons of gold loaded on the U.S. submarine that was leaving for Australia where Roosevelt had assigned him Supreme Allied Commander South West Pacific Area. It is unknown whether this gold was the property of the Philippine government or private property. Manuel Roxas, the man who would later become president, remained in the Philippines to sink the remaining gold reserves in Manila Bay to prevent the Japanese from seizing it.[15]

MacArthur left behind him a huge military fiasco, vowing to return. The 20,000 exhausted soldiers remaining in the Philippines were starving on a third of a ration per day. Wainwright stayed with the troops and took control on March 23, 1942. As many as 8,000 Filipino and 2,000 Americans perished from malaria, starvation, beatings and executions during the infamous Bataan Death March to Camp O’Donnell.[16]

Instead of a reprimand, and because of a good public relations staff, MacArthur played the hero and was given the Medal of Honor because Roosevelt needed a war hero to win public support for the war. Predictably, five months after Pearl Harbor, Japan dominated all of Southeast Asia with its abundant resources. Against all U.S. military regulations, and concealed until 1979, MacArthur accepted a half million dollars from President Manuel L. Quezon for defending the Philippines.[17] Apparently, even ineffectual efforts have their rewards. Arthur MacArthur, Jr. and Douglas MacArthur were the first father and son to ever be awarded a Medal of Honor.

In October 1944, a Navy and Army Court deliberated possible foreknowledge and culpability surrounding the Pearl Harbor attack. Between November 27 and December 6, 1941, officials in the State, War and Navy Departments had received numerous pieces of information giving specific information about the imminent Japanese attack. The courts found Washington guilty of not acting on information that caused the avoidable slaughter of over 2400 individuals. When the verdict was revealed, Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, guilty as charged, offered his resignation which of course was rejected by the powers that be. The verdict apparently was overshadowed by other newsworthy issues. Marshall asserted, under oath, that he considered loyalty to his chief (under the direction of the international bankers) more imperative than loyalty to his country.[18]



Marshall, a member of the secretive pro-war Pilgrim Society, would continue to serve the Power Elite as Secretary of State from January 21, 1947 to January 20, 1949, during which time he and Under Secretary of State, Dean Acheson (1945-1947; CFR, Pilgrim Society, Scroll and Key Society), promoted the U.S. taxpayer-financed Marshall Plan to Aid Europe, devised by the Committee for Economic Development (CED), a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) economic counterpart. Industrial attorney/government official Henry Stimson sat on the executive board of the CED. The Marshall Plan would effectively transfer nearly $100 billion in current dollars to Europe under humanitarian claims – its stated purpose was to provide American jobs, feed the hungry, blah, blah, blah. It would be administered by banker/government official, Averill Harriman (CFR, Pilgrim Society, and Skull & Bones).[19]



Marshall’s misplaced, self-serving loyalty is apparently still shared today by numerous individuals who persistently demonstrate incompetence or faulty judgment and/or intelligence, all at the taxpayer’s expense.

Click here for part -----> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,


Footnotes:

1, Henry L. Stimson, Wikipedia
2, Ibid, Wikipedia
3, Information Known in Washington and Hawaii, October 9-December 7, 1941
4, The Rape of Nanking : An Undeniable History in Photographs by Shi Young and James Yin, Innovative Publishing Group, Chicago, 1997, pg. pg. 282
5, Information Known in Washington and Hawaii, October 9-December 7, 1941
6, Descent into Slavery by Des Griffin, Emissary Publications, Clackamas, Oregon, 2001, pgs. 190-199
7, Pearl Harbor, the Mother of All Conspiracies, “everything that the Japanese were planning to do was known to the United States...” Army Board, 1944
8, December 8, 1941: MacArthur's Pearl Harbor by William H. Bartsch, Texas A&M University Press, 2003
9, Pearl Harbor, the Mother of All Conspiracies, “everything that the Japanese were planning to do was known to the United States...” Army Board, 1944
10, The Marcos Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave, Harper and Rowe, New York, 1988, pgs. 71- 74
11, Ibid
12, Ibid, pgs. 77-79
13, Ibid, pgs. 71- 74
14, Ibid, pgs. 84-85
15, Ibid, pgs. 77-83
16, Ibid, pgs. 77-83
17, The Yamamoto Dynasty, the Secret History of Japan’s Imperial Family by Sterling and Peggy Seagrave, Broadway Books, New York, 1999, pgs. 181-192
18, Information Known in Washington and Hawaii, October 9-December 7, 1941
19, Pilgrim Society Membership List, Institute for the Study of Globalization and Covert Politics

© 2008 Deanna Spingola - All Rights Reserved


Source: http://www.newswithviews.com/Spingola/deanna104.htm

Selling Our Souls In The Name Of Service


SELLING OUR SOULS IN THE NAME OF SERVICE

By Berit Kjos


February 11, 2009
NewsWithViews.com


"Faith-Based Partnerships" BAN TRUTH & Freedom


"Barack Obama will establish a new President's Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships within the White House. The Council will work to engage faith-based organizations and help them abide by the principles that federal funds cannot be used to proselytize..."[1]


"If you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against... the people you hire on the basis of their religion.”[2] Barack Obama


"...we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-19 [The disciples' response when commanded not to share their faith.


Why is our government so hostile to the Christian message? What kinds of social and political goals are fueling this war on God's Truth?
One clue may be found in Barack Obama's "Call to Renewal" speech on June 28, 2006. He said,

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific values. "[3]
Obama hired Pastor Joshua DuBois to head up his Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Considering their diverse backgrounds, the two seem surprisingly compatible. Notice how Pastor DuBois echoes the words of President Obama:


"Our democracy demands that when people are religiously motivated you have to translate your concerns into universal rather than religion-specific values."[4]


Apparently, our new president wants us to trade our Biblical values for evolving illusions! We would be fools to follow such a devious demand!
This paradigm shift began decades ago! Progressive education and compromising churches have paved the way. Trying to please man rather than God, they willingly embraced the enticing "universals" that ban His guidelines.


No plan will undermine those old truths more effectively than Obama's system of "service learning." Through a top-down hierarchy of partnerships -- government, churches and community groups -- trained facilitators at every level will guide group dialogue everywhere until all participants embrace the evolving consensus. [See The Dialectic Process]
While gathering data on each participant, the leaders of this Washington-based communitarian system will--


"...launch a program to 'Train the Trainers' by empowering hundreds of intermediary nonprofits and larger faith-based organizations to train thousands of local faith-based and community-based organizations on best practices, grant-making procedures, service delivery and limitations.
"The Office will host regular training sessions for selected community training partners. These partners... would be supported to travel to Washington and learn how to train local faith-based and community organizations on... remaining in compliance, avoiding proselytizing, understanding hiring rules, and reporting outcomes. These organizations would return to their communities as certified providers of advice...."[1]
Sounds like total government control, doesn't it? Since our president calls each of us to "serve," the participation could be vast. And with next year's National Census (2010) controlled by the White House, not Congress, Obama may request whatever information his plan requires.


Obama's adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski would probably be pleased. This former National Security Advisor -- who founded the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller -- seems to support Marxist totalitarianism. In his book, Between Two Ages, he wrote:


"Marxism is simultaneously a victory of the external, active man over the inner, passive man and a victory of reason over belief."


"Marxism, disseminated on the popular level in the form of Communism, represented a major advance in man’s ability to conceptualize his relationship to his world."


"The technetronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most important information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities."[5]


"I’ve learned an immense amount from Dr. Brzezinski," said Obama.




TWISTING THE FIRST AMENDMENT
On February 5, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order amending EO 13199 signed by George W. Bush and establishing the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In Section 1 on Policy, it states:


"The American people are key drivers of fundamental change in our country, and few institutions are closer to the people than our faith-based and other neighborhood organizations. It is critical that the Federal Government strengthen the ability of such organizations ... to deliver services effectively in partnership with Federal, State, and local governments and with other private organizations, while ... forbidding the establishment of religion....


"Through rigorous evaluation, and by offering technical assistance, the Federal Government must ensure that organizations receiving Federal funds achieve measurable results in furtherance of valid public purposes."


Last summer, Obama gave us a specific outline of his planned "partnerships between government and faith-based and other nonprofit community groups." Much of it was based on the new interpretation of the First Amendment. To our nation's founders -- and to all who came to America seeking religious freedom -- it meant the wonderful promise of the "free exercise of religion" and "free speech."


Since that foundational promise clashed with the socialist vision of solidarity [one of Obama's "universals"], those words have been reinterpreted. Now they are used to silence Christian expressions in schools, public places and public "partnerships." Obama's section on "guiding principles" includes the following:


"Barack Obama believes that our problems require an 'all hands on deck' approach.... Obama also respects the First Amendment.... Obama’s initiative will be governed by a set of core principles for federal grant recipients. In order to receive federal funds to provide social services, faith-based organizations:


Cannot use federal funds to proselytize or provide religious sectarian instruction. Must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. ...cannot discriminate with respect to hiring.... Can only use taxpayer dollars on secular programs and initiatives...."[1]


In other words, participating Christians who long to comfort the needy can no longer share God's encouraging truths. If their church receives government funds to help pay the cost of food for the poor, they cannot pray with a hurting child or sick mother.

Nor can their church refuse to hire leaders whose beliefs and values clash with Biblical values. For example,

"A Baptist agency in Kentucky provides shelter and love to abused and neglected children. But it has also accepted public funds. Since the government regulations tied to federal funding forbid discrimination in hiring practices, the agency has been sued by an openly gay woman who claims she was fired because of her sexual preference."[6]


When President Obama announced the new Executive Order that established this program, he included this warning. Notice how it defines "faith":


"As the priorities of this Office are carried out, it will be done in a way that upholds the Constitution.... The separation of church and state is a principle President Obama supports firmly.... There is a force for good greater than government. It is an expression of faith, this yearning to give back, this hungering for a purpose larger than our own..."[7]
In our troubled times, how many churches will resist the temptation to compromise?


GLOBAL CHANGE
Remember, the First Amendment assures us that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech..." Though intended to protect faithful believers, that assurance has been turned upside down.

No organization has done more to twist that promise into a ban on faith-based expressions than the ACLU. Small wonder, since its founder, Roger Baldwin, despised Christianity. "Communism is the goal,"[8] he wrote in 1935, aligning its ideology with Karl Marx' war on Biblical Truth.
Hilmar Von Campe, a former Hitler Youth and repentant German soldier, is now spreading the warning of totalitarianism through his book, Defeating the Totalitarian Lie. He wrote,

"The Nazis knew that a commitment to God and His absolute moral standards before government would be a great obstacle to exercising their power based on immorality and contempt for life and other people’s rights.... Just as the Nazis did, [the ACLU] strives to cut the connection of the American people to God....


"When I point out that Nazi stands for National Socialist and the ACLU has a Communist/Socialist background, it demonstrates the ideological similarities in the two groups."[9]


Obama's vision of church-and-state partnerships fits into a global government scheme that extends far beyond any visible service. His offer of federal funding to help the poor is intended to sound compassionate, but that's a PLANNED DELUSION! Instead it will speed the implementation of the massive global management system envisioned by previous administrations.


It is all part of the UN plan for worldwide transformation! Its implementation follows the guidelines of Agenda 21 -- a UN treaty ratified by nations around the world. Its strategic steps for America are detailed in its huge manual titled Sustainable America: A New Consensus. Here's just a tiny piece of the huge puzzle:


"Partnerships and collaborative decision making must be encouraged and must involve all levels of government, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, community groups and the public at large."[10]


This system has been called The Third Way, Communitarianism, Consensus Democracy, and neo-socialism -- and all the labels fit. They all point to a network of global control. Local community groups (the social sector) -- partnering with business (the private sector) -- are manipulated like puppets on strings by governments (public sector), which pull those strings through financial incentives and global standards.
According to Sustainable America, new indicators must be developed to measure:


SOCIAL CAPITAL. Increase in citizen engagement and public trust....
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION. Increase in community participation in such civic activities as professional and service organizations.... and volunteer work.


COLLABORATIONS. Increased use of successful civic collaborations such as public-private partnerships, community-based planning, goal-setting projects, and consensus-building efforts.[11]

The worth of the individuals in the community -- HUMAN CAPITAL -- must be measured as well. Obama's offer of " technical assistanc e" will help make sure every detail is included. In the facilitated group setting, a person's views would be documented, their ideas challenged, their values compromised, and their minds molded to fit group consensus. Those who refuse to conform to the new standards for cooperation and mental health would face the consequences. (See The UN Plan for your Mental Health)


The standards for 21st Century spirituality [SPIRITUAL CAPITAL] are outlined in UNESCO’s 1994 “Declaration on the role of religion in the promotion of a culture of peace.” Notice that it begins by focusing on a crisis:


1. We live in a world in which isolation is no longer possible….

2. We face a crisis which could bring about the suicide of the human species or bring us a new awakening and a new hope..

6. Religions have… led to division, hatred, and war...
“Peace entails that we understand that we are all interdependent. ...collectively responsible for the common good.”


“We will promote dialogue and harmony between and within religions…." "We call upon the different religious and cultural traditions to join hands… and to cooperate with us….”[12] More


"Cooperate" points to consensus. To make sure everyone cooperates, the UN and its globalist partners are fast connecting links in this Communitarian system [Agenda 21] designed to force everyone into groups where they can learn to "participate" in their community -- on their rulers' terms. Obama's plan fits right in.


THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Obama's "faith-based partnerships" are not based on faith in our God! The phrase is designed to deceive Americans, eradicate "offensive" truths, replace Christian ministries with secular service, and silence the gospel among those who most need it. As Hilmar Von Campe warns us, it will instead "cut the connection of the American people to God..."[9]
"We must obey God rather than man," said the apostle Peter two thousand years ago. Committed Christians cannot yield to rules that would quench our freedom to share God's Word. [See God's guidelines for Christian service]


Meanwhile, we must prepare to face the kind of hostility that would have been unthinkable in this "land of the free" six decades ago -- even when it seemed normal in totalitarian parts of Europe. The pressure to compromise is spreading fast. How can we resist?
We can learn a lesson from ancient Rome. In his book, How Should We Then Live?, Francis Schaeffer points to the heart of today's battle:

"Let us not forget why the Christians were killed. They were not killed because they worshiped Jesus.... Nobody cared who worshiped whom so long as the worshiper did not disrupt the unity of the state, centered in the formal worship of Caesar. The reason the Christians were killed was because they were rebels....


"If they had worshiped Jesus and Caesar, they would have gone unharmed, but they rejected all forms of syncretism. They worshiped the God who had revealed himself in the Old Testament, through Christ.... And they worshiped him as the only God. They allowed no mixture: All other Gods were seen as false gods....

"No totalitarian authority nor authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state.... Because the Christians had an absolute... standard by which to judge not only personal morals but the state, they were counted as enemies of totalitarian Rome and were thrown to the beasts."[13]





5, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Between Two Ages: Americas Role in the Techtronic Era, (Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn., 1982), pps. 72, 83.

6, Julia Campbell, "Faithful Giving: Will Bush Plan to Support Faith Charities Work?" www.abcNEWS.com, February 6, 2001.



9, Hilmar Von Campe, Defeating the Totalitarian Lie (Crane, Missouri: HighWay, 2008), p.3.

10, Sustainable America: A New Consensus (President's Council on Sustainable Development, 1996), pps. 29, 67.

11, Ibid., p. 20.


13, Francis Schaeffer, "How Should We then Live?" (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1976), pps. 24, 26, 29.


© 2009 Berit Kjos - All Rights Reserved



Doctrines & Commandments of Men


Matthew 15:9
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 7:7
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Colossians 2:22
Which all are to perish with the using; after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Saint Valentine of Rome, ...


Saturday, February 14, 2009
Saint Valentine of Rome, Patron of Happy Marriages


Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Valentine, patron of lovers, young people, and happy marriages.

St. Valentine was a priest from Rome who lived during the third century. During the reign of Emperor Claudius II, he was caught assisting Christians who were being persecuted. He was asked to renounce his faith but he remained steadfast and strong in his faith. He was arrested and imprisoned. The Emperor took a liking to Valentinus but when the priest tried to convert the Emperor, he was beaten with clubs. His Christian courage and faith made him receive the torture with humility and patience.

The Prefect of Rome, finding all tortures ineffectual, ordered the beheading of St. Valentine on February 14, 269. Over a century later, in 494 AD, February 14 was declared his feast day by Pope Gelasius.

Several miracles have been attributed to St. Valentine. One legend says that while in prison, he fell in love with the blind daughter of his jailer, whose sight he restored. On the eve of his death, it was said that he wrote a letter addressed to the jailer’s daughter, which was signed, "From your Valentine.’’

Stories about St. Valentine not only stress his heroism but also the romantic side of him. Today, people send candies, flowers, love letters, and gifts on February 14 in the name of St. Valentine. Married couples and lovers appeal to him for courage and strength in facing problems in their love life.

As we celebrate the memorial of St. Valentine, let us not only remember him as the patron of lovers. Let us be inspired by his strength in trying to defend his faith.

~ Via The Manila Bulletin.

For more information on St. Valentine go here and here.

Prayer to St. Valentine Patron of Sweethearts, Young People, Love & Happy Marriages

Dear Saint and glorious Martyr, who are so popular with lovers, be kind to those whom we love and to us. Teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving. Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other. Let them love each other in God and God in each other. Amen.


Jean M. Heimann at Saturday, February 14, 2009
.
.
.

Supreme Court's Religious Afilliation


Justice
Affiliation


John Roberts (Chief Justice)
Catholic

Stephen G. Breyer
Jewish

Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Jewish

Anthony M. Kennedy
Catholic

Antonin Scalia
Catholic

David H. Souter
Episcopalian

John Paul Stevens
Protestant

Clarence Thomas
Catholic

Samuel Alito
Catholic



Source: http://www.adherents.com/adh_sc.html

Death Threatens Jeremiah (For Prophesying God's Warnings)

Jeremiah 26

1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

2Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

3If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

4And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

5To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

6Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

7So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

8Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

9Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

10When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house.

11Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

12Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

13Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

14As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

15But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

16Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

17Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

18Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

20And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.

21And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;

22And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

23And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

24Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Global Finances Can and Must Change - Here's How


Global Finances Can and Must Change - Here's How


Free photos and audio interviews available, see below


Contact: World Council of Churches, +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 12 /Standard Newswire/ --

The following in submitted by Juan Michel (*):


As the global financial system falters, many civil society and church activists see the crisis as an opportunity to press for long-overdue, radical reforms. The first opportunity for them to do so will come in early April, when the G20 will meet in London.

For once, advocates for economic justice seem not to be alone in recognizing the need for changes in global finances. Stock markets faltering around the planet and giant banks falling into bankruptcy have convinced governments of the richest countries that they have to do something, especially as the financial crisis impacts the "real" economy with massive lay-offs in companies affected by the global credit crunch and shrinking consumer markets.

"But there is a fundamental difference of approach between those who try to refund financial capitalism and those who see a need for a shift of paradigm in the world's economy," says Brazilian economist Marcos Arruda from the Institute on Policy Alternatives for the Southern Cone (PACS). "What is needed is not just some regulations here and there, but real alternatives to the current system which represent a profound transformation."

Arruda was a speaker on proposals for a new international financial architecture at a panel discussion sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) during the recent World Social Forum in Belém, Brazil. This forum is the biggest global gathering of the "alter-globalization" movement, which seeks to resist exploitative economic globalization, instead promoting alternative, value-based forms of social and economic organization.

The quest for viable alternatives to the current global financial system was one of the main issues discussed at the event that took place in the northeastern Brazilian city of Belém, ending on 1 February. Gathering 130,000 social activists from more than 140 countries over six days at the gateway of the Amazon region, the forum also highlighted the environmental crisis and the voices of indigenous peoples.

Aiming at the heart of "casino capitalism"

"Meaningful alternatives to current global finances need to fulfil two fundamental requisites," says Martin Gück, from Kairos Europe, a network of church-related justice movements. Gück was also a speaker at the WCC-sponsored panel in Belém.

"On the one hand, they have to reverse the imbalance of power in the current financial market system, which favours private and public actors - banks and international financial institutions - that are neither legitimized democratically nor accountable to the society. On the other hand, the dominion of finances over the 'real' economy must end."

In other words, what needs to be targeted is the heart of so-called "casino, or gambling, capitalism". For each dollar involved in transactions within the "real" economy - where products or services are exchanged in return for money - there are 35 dollars involved in transactions of a purely "virtual" nature through financial instruments ever more complicated and farther removed from real goods.

The other side of that coin, the so-called shareholder value principle, needs to be turned upside down. Summarized in the dictum of Milton Friedman, one of the fathers of neoliberal economics, the principle maintains that "a company's only responsibility is to increase profits for its shareholders".

According to Gück, "It is no longer acceptable that only the interests of shareholders - and even those understood exclusively in terms of maximization of short-term profits - are taken into account when international companies make decisions."

Solutions to a systemic crisis

In Belém, some 20 civil society organizations and networks concerned with economic justice issues were able to agree on a number of concrete proposals to reform the current global financial system. Complex as the system is, the proposed alternatives are also varied and, sometimes, of a quite technical nature.

However, the basics are clear: "We call for the United Nations, reformed and democratized, to be put at the centre of the reform of the financial system," says Marta Ruiz of the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad), who acted as spokesperson for the financial crisis caucus in Belém.

The list of key proposals includes mechanisms to control international capital flows, an international monetary system based on regional reserve currencies, citizens' control of banks and financial institutions, progressive taxation schemes both at national and international levels, prohibition of speculative funds and non-regulated markets, eradication of speculation on primary products including food and elimination of tax havens.

The crisis is not just financial but systemic, the activists in Belém agreed, and it encompasses multiple crises affecting the environment, social and political structures, food and energy supplies. Owing to this complexity, the solutions cannot be only of a financial nature.

"Behind the financial crisis is the ecological one," says Bertille Darragon, a French ecological activist. "We need to abandon the model of unlimited economic growth and start thinking in terms of 'de-growth' [décroissance] - that is, to decrease the consumption of resources and energy, beginning with the very rich but including the middle classes both in the North and the South."

"A change in our life-style is needed," agrees Wilfried Steen, a Protestant pastor who is executive director of the German Church Development Service (EED). "We Germans have a level of consumption that would require 1.3 planets to be sustainable. That needs to change. From a theological viewpoint every human being has a place in God's creation, so all have the same right to live and to consume."

An alternative development model needs to be "people-led, driven by local demand and based upon regional integration," says Percy Makombe, from the economic justice network of the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA).

In Makombe's view, African countries should "de-link" themselves from the global financial and trade systems, rejecting bilateral and free trade agreements and even repudiating any further aid from developed countries.

"We rely heavily on foreign aid," says Makombe. "But as it is channelled through international financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in order to receive that aid we are forced to open up our markets and put at risk our food sovereignty, and so the whole process ends up siphoning wealth out of Africa."

Reform within the system and reform of the system

Since it is clear that global finances cannot be overhauled overnight, a pressing question is how and where the changes will come from. The answer could be a two-way approach.

On the one hand it is necessary "to create at the local level new forms of 'solidarity economy' within the old system," Arruda says, "forms that are not driven by the logic of private profit and that are sustainable from an environmental and intergenerational perspective".

On the other hand, "we need to make sure that our alternative proposals become mainstream and are taken seriously," says Rogate Mshana, a Tanzanian economist working on the staff of the World Council of Churches.

Even if they do not believe the so-called Group of 20 nations - the eight richest countries plus 12 of the largest emerging economies - can actually put in place a radical transformation, many of the activists gathered in Belém will press their agenda at the meeting of the G20 leaders in early April.

According to Mshana, "nobody has a blue-print for a new model of a global financial system. But as the current system is not the result of some blue-print but of an accumulative step-by-step process along time, so we need to press for transformative reforms at different levels; civil society organizations and churches around the world have a lot to contribute in this regard."

[1,224 words]

(*) Juan Michel is the WCC media relations officer.


Listen to short interviews with the experts quoted in this feature:

http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6581
World Social Forum - photo gallery:

http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6576
Call from the financial crisis caucus in Belém:

http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6582
WCC work on economic globalization:

http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3117
Ecumenical presence at the 2009 WSF (in Portuguese)

http://www.ced-fsm.blogspot.com/
World Social Forum - official website:




Opinions expressed in WCC Features do not necessarily reflect WCC policy. This material may be reprinted freely, providing credit is given to the author.


Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org


The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

Languages


Languages
February 7, 2009, 1:38 pm Posted by J. Peter Nixon


Last night my family and I had the privilege of attending a mass celebrated by the Jesuit Superior General Adolfo Nicolás, who was visiting the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. The school had to set up a tent and seating on the patio outside the chapel in order to accommodate the standing room only crowd.

Fr. Adolfo Nicolás had prepared a homily, but in light of some conversations he had earlier with students and faculty, decided to speak extemporaneously. He spoke of the need for those doing theology in the Church to be conversant in three languages. The first is the language of theology itself, its traditions and technical vocabulary. The second language, proper to the Jesuits as missionaries, is the language of what he called “the frontier,” and in particular the frontier where the poor and marginalized are found. Finally, there is the language spoken by those at the “center,” the language of institutions and those charged with authority.

All three of these languages are necessary and we need to be comfortable speaking each. The problem is that they are not the same languages and they require translation. We need to be patient with one another in this process. The contemporary speed of communication-particularly with the Internet-can make it hard to have this kind of patience. He joked that remarks made in Berkeley can be known in Rome 30 minutes later. I suspect this post is only proving Fr. Nicolás’s point!

In light of the feast day of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Fr. Nicolás spoke of a fourth language, that of “witness.” He told a story of meeting an older Catholic during his time in Japan who had been catechized by Pedro Arrupe himself. “That must have been wonderful,” said Fr. Nicolás, expecting to hear that the experience had given the man profound insights into the faith. On the contrary, said the man, often I couldn’t understand what he was saying. “But I watched him and at the end of a year I said, this man is a good man and if this faith can produce such a man, I will become a Christian.”

I’ll close with an anecdote about my eight-year-old daughter Megan, who was particularly interested in meeting Fr. Nicolás. “Can I touch him,” she said, “or is he too holy?” When my wife laughed, Megan said “I know, I’ll creep up behind him and touch his clothes like the woman in the Bible did with Jesus.” I’m happy to report that no such subterfuge was necessary. We were able to meet Fr. Nicolás at the reception and Megan got to shake his hand. Perhaps she’ll remember this moment if she’s ever ordained a Jesuit…:-)

All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening and one that I thought other members of the community here would be interested in reading about.


Even Satan Claims to Be a Christian


August 15, 2008


Even Satan Claims to Be a Christian

By David J. Stewart

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” -2nd Corinthians 11:14


The Devil himself professes to be a Christian in order to deceive his victims. Satan never appears in his true form, lest he would be exposed for the evil person he is (John 8:44). Revelation 2:12,13 tells us that Satan dwells in the Church, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos… where Satan dwelleth.” Satan works relentlessly to CORRUPT the church, the Word of God, and our young people–to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

The ecumenical movement is one of Satan’s major influences today upon the world. Ecumenism is the doctrine of the ecumenical movement which promotes cooperation and better understanding among different religious denominations; aimed at universal Christian unity. Of course, ecumenism is also Satan’s attempt to corrupt the church by unequally yoking Christians with unbelievers (2nd Corinthians 6:14-17). How can there be UNITY, when the Word of God commands us to SEPARATE? Romans 16:17 states, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.“


The True Light verses Counterfeit light

2nd Corinthians 11:14 warns us that Satan himself appears as a good guy, i.e. as a divine messenger of truth. We hear much talk from the heathen world about “the light“, such as in the Poltergeist movies, and from psychics like Char Margolis. However, the “light” which the Bible warns of is a counterfeit of the true Light. What is the Light? The Word of God is the Light, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). The Gospel is the Light, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2nd Corinthians 4:4). Jesus is the Light, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). John 9:5 states, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Christians shine with the Light of Jesus, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14). John 1:4 sums it all up with the statement “In him (Jesus Christ) was life; and the life was the light of men.” The Light is the Truth, and Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).


Transforming verses Submitting

Satan tries to imitate the Light, and is a master counterfeiter. Satan’s spirit works in the unsaved (Ephesians 2:2) and some of them even become Satan’s ministers, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.” Oh! but they’re NOT of Christ, they are demonic, sold out to the Devil. These are the followers of Lucifer, the prince of darkness. Carefully notice the phrase “transforming themselves“. The Greek word for “transforming” is “metaschematizo“, which means, “to change self“. Hence, there are many ministers today who have never been changed by the saving power of the Gospel; rather, they have only changed themselves to look like genuine men of God. This is very interesting, and a powerful Biblical truth to teach others. MOST religious people today have only changed themselves, in their own self-righteousness. They have never submitted to the righteousness of God found only in Christ Jesus. There can be NO salvation apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which absolutely forbids any self-righteousness whatsoever! “Ye must be born-again“!!! Many ministers and priests today are IMPOSTERS! Roman and Orthodox Catholic priests are ALL liars and imposters, because they are going about to establish their OWN righteousness, instead of the righteousness which is of God “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Here we see the opposite response of changing ourselves–SUBMITTING OURSELVES. Do you see the difference? The foolish person tries to change their OWN SELF to please God, going about to establish their OWN righteousness (Isaiah 64:6). However, the wise person submits in obedience to the Gospel (2nd Thessalonians 1:8)–by coming to Jesus Christ as a sinner under the condemnation of God’s Law (Romans 3:10,19), deserving of Hellfire (2nd Thessalonians 1:8), trusting upon the finished work of redemption (i.e. the shed blood of Jesus Christ) to take away their sins (1st Peter 1:18-19). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” -Romans 10:13. Have you submitted to the righteousness of God, which is Christ Jesus?


Things are Not as They Appear to Be

Thus, having laid a Biblical foundation, it should be obvious to you by now that Satan’s ministers aren’t what they APPEAR to be. They have “transformed themselves” to look exactly like the ministers of Christ. The Pope looks like a righteous man to the naive, and talks like righteous man to the ignorant; BUT when compared to the inspired WORD OF GOD, the Pope is quickly revealed as a man of sin, a liar, and an Antichrist. “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son” -1st John 2:22. But you say, “Doesn’t the Pope believe that Jesus is the Christ” i.e. the Saviour? No, he doesn’t. What? Catholics DO believe that Jesus died on the cross: BUT, they are taught that THE CATHOLIC CHURCH is the vehicle through which they must ride if they want to go to Heaven. Catholics are deceitfully taught that the CHURCH is the way to Christ, who is the way to Heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth of God’s Word. The Vatican has perverted the cross of Jesus Christ to mean that God’s Salvation is found THROUGH the Catholic Church, and not directly through Jesus Christ as 1st Timothy 2:5 states “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” The Bible couldn’t be any plainer.

Satan’s ministers deceitfully come to us as ministers of righteousness. Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Did you read that: “BUT INWARDLY“! False prophets APPEAR to be of God on the outside, like Benny Hinn and Pat Robertson, but INWARDLY they are ravening wolves.


Pat Robertson’s Deception

According to Pat Robertson, Pope John Paul II was a man of “deep spirituality“.

“Pat Robertson Comments on Pope John Paul II’s Passing
CBN.com – VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., April 02, 2005 — I am deeply grieved as a great man passes from this world to his much deserved eternal reward. John Paul II has been the most beloved religious leader of our age – far surpassing in popular admiration the leader of any faith.

He has been a man of great warmth, profound understanding, deep spirituality, and indefatigable vigor. It was my great honor to meet with him at the residence of my good friend, Cardinal O’Connor, in New York, and to sit in the Consistory during the mass he conducted in Central Park. I told him at the time how much the American people loved him, and he merely smiled. That love was shared not only in America but by millions all over the globe.

He has been a steady bridge in the transition of Eastern Europe from communism to freedom. His personal magnetism brought together all Christians in new bonds of understanding.

I pray for the Cardinals of the Catholic Church that they might have God-given wisdom in selecting the successor to this great man. Their task will not be easy, but with God all things are possible.” -SOURCE

You’ve got to be kidding Mr. Robertson. And you call yourself a “Christian”? The Pope is the leader of the biggest false religion in the world, Catholicism! For Robertson to speak such gleaming words of praise towards such a Satanic imposter as the Pope, reveals that Robertson is in league with the Devil himself. No born again Christian who loves the Lord would ever praise the Pope, who is leading one billion people straight into Hell. Pat Robertson praises the Pope because he’d be off TV very fast if he criticized the Pope, and because Mr. Robertson is a leader in the demonic ecumenical movement. Satan uses man’s love of money to control the world. Mr. Robertson is exploiting the Gospel for personal gain, and to promote ecumenism. Pat Robertson has sold out to Satan!

Clearly, Pat Robertson is not what he appears to be. So many false prophets are hiding behind a shallow Gospel nowadays. I looked over cbn.com and couldn’t find a Gospel presentation anywhere. Although they give a basic Gospel presentation on their show, they fail to explain what it really means biblically. Every unsaved Catholic believes the good news (Gospel) that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again three days later. Obviously a person is not saved just because they claim to believe the Gospel. If this were true, then EVERY Catholic, Jehovah’s Witness, Christian Scientist, Mormon, and Seventh-Day Adventist is saved. The truth is that none of them are saved. The truth is that the Biblical Gospel EXCLUDES all self-righteousness, works, forsaking of sins, commitments, sacraments, church membership, praying a prayer, making Jesus your Lord, walking down a church isle, giving your all to Christ, living for God, baptism,…etc. The Only way to be saved is by faith ALONE if Jesus Christ. We do good works BECAUSE we are already saved, not to get saved (Romans 3:20; 4:3-5).


Satan’s True Nature, and the Sinister Ministers Who Serve Him

Satan does not appear as a sinister demon, with horns, and a pitch fork. Such imagery originated from the pagan god, Pan, centuries ago. Although this certainly would fit the character of Satan, it does not represent his appearance. Ezekiel 28:13-19 clearly makes reference to Lucifer “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God … Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. … Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty.” Though some Bible critics today claim that these Scriptures don’t concern Lucifer, verse 13 CLEARLY proves that they DO “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God…” Other than the Lord God, there are only 3 beings ever mentioned as having been in the Garden of Eden: Adam, Eve, and the serpent (Satan). Ezekiel 28:12 reveals that Lucifer was “…full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” Lucifer was created upright; but sin corrupted him as with all God’s creation. Man was created upright. Ecclesiastes 7:29 reads, “…God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” God never created the Devil, demons, or fallen man–sin is the culprit!

More ugly and sinister than any artist’s rendition of Satan, is the true nature of Lucifer. If you want to see demonic horror, then you need only consider the mind of Satan, which many earthly men posses today. 1st Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” Just as a beautiful young whorish woman, who is as a whitened coffin filled with rotting dead men’s bones–so does Satan appear as an angel of light, deceiving the masses of earth. 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15 states, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness…” Why is it that so many people today don’t comprehend these warnings from the Scriptures? It is because they don’t place any value or authority upon the Bible as God’s Word. They are following men–priests and ministers–instead of God but “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8). Jesus stated in Mark 7:9, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” More than any other group of unbelievers, people are going to burn in Hell because they followed men instead of God’s Word.

Satan claims to be a Christian, and his demonic servants have changed THEMSELVES into ministers of righteousness. They are of the Devil, liars, who will take you to Hell with them if you’re foolish enough to follow. Please don’t follow them! Please be aware of false religions. Also, beware of false Christs, and false prophets. Make the Word of God, the King James Bible, your Final Authority! One Book stands, and it’s the precious Word of God!

Satan is a great deceiver, and is deceiving billions today through false religions and ecumenism. Ecumenists say, “God is Love. So let us lay aside our doctrinal differences, and focus on loving and helping one another, as Jesus taught. Let us show the world that love is the answer.” Tragically, the Gospel is perverted in ecumenism and people are only converted over to religion instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing could be more offensive to God. Although God is certainly a God of love, it is never an excuse for sinful compromise with unbelievers. 2nd Corinthians 6:17 states, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” “Unclean” refers to anything which is against Biblical teaching. Christians are to SEPARATE from the ungodly, and from those who falsely claim to follow the teachings of the Bible, but do not. Satan and his ministers only APPEAR as being good; but they are evil. When you don’t know what you believe, it makes it all that much easier for the Devil to deceive you. Thus, every believer should study the Word of God, learning the truth about various doctrines. The truth is not just for pastors or Bible teachers, it is for every born-again believer.

So keep in mind as you see differing faiths heading towards a one-world religious system, that even Satan claims to be a Christian! Behind all the talk of love and diversity, a diabolic agenda exists–the Beast system is being prepared to receive the Antichrist (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-10). The best way to expose Satan’s darkness is to shine the Light of God’s Word upon it.

“In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” -2nd Corinthians 4:4


Let my prayer come before thee


Psalm 88


1O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

2Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

3For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

4I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

5Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

6Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

7Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

10Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.

11Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

12Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

14LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

17They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Mexico 'to fingerprint all mobile phone users'


Mexico will start a national register of mobile phone users that will include fingerprinting all customers in an effort to catch criminals who use the devices to extort money and negotiate kidnapping ransoms.


Last Updated: 11:15PM GMT 09 Feb 2009

Under a new law published on Monday and due to be in force in April, mobile phone companies will have a year to build up a database of their clients, complete with fingerprints. The idea would be to match calls and messages to the phones' owners.

Hundreds of people are kidnapped in Mexico every year and the number of victims is rising sharply as drug gangs, under pressure from an army crackdown, seek new income.

Politicians who pushed the bill through Congress last year say there are around 700 criminal bands in Mexico, some of them operating from prison cells, that use cell phones to extract extortion and kidnap ransom payments.

Most of Mexico's 80 million mobile phones are prepaid handsets with a given number of minutes of use that can be bought in stores without any identification. The phones can be topped up with more minutes via vendors on street corners.

The register, detailed in the government's official gazette, means new subscribers will now be fingerprinted when they buy a handset or phone contract.

The plan also requires operators to store all cell phone information such as call logs, text and voice messages, for one year. Information on users and calls will remain private and only available with court approval to track down criminals.


1/3 of Europeans: Jews caused meltdown


Feb 10, 2009 20:57 Updated Feb 10, 2009 21:22
1/3 of Europeans: Jews caused meltdown


The Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday that a survey it commissioned found nearly a third of Europeans polled blame Jews for the global economic meltdown and that a greater number think Jews have too much power in the business world.

The organization, which says its aim is "to stop the defamation of Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all," says the seven-nation survey confirms that anti-Semitism remains strong.

The poll included interviews with 3,500 people - 500 each in Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain.

It says that in Spain, 74 percent of those asked say they feel it is "probably true" that Jews hold too much sway over the global financial markets. That is the highest percentage in the survey.

Nearly two-thirds of Spanish respondents said Jews were more loyal to Israel than they were to their home countries.

"This poll confirms that anti-Semitism remains alive and well in the minds of many Europeans," said Abraham H. Foxman, the ADL's national director in America. "Clearly, age old anti-Semitic stereotypes die hard."

Foxman said the study's findings were "particularly worrisome" in light of the anger spawned by the global economic meltdown, and following a number of violent acts against Jews or Jewish property after Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip.

Around Europe, several attacks have been reported against Jews and synagogues in France, Sweden and Britain since the Israeli offensive began in late December. Some Gaza protests in Europe have included the use of Nazi imagery, including signs and slogans comparing Israeli soldiers to German troops, the Gaza Strip to the Auschwitz death camp and the Jewish Star of David to the Nazi swastika.

Britain consistently registered the lowest levels of anti-Jewish sentiment, and numbers there have fallen from a similar survey conducted in 2007. Austria also registered a slight drop in the level of anti-Semitism, while in other countries anti-Semitic sentiment either remained the same or deepened, the survey indicated.

Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, who saw the survey before it was published, said he has not seen any rise in anti-Semitism in Poland since the global financial crisis has unfolded. He said an unacceptable level of anti-Jewish sentiment still exists in Poland, but that it is no worse than in other European countries.

The survey showed Polish responses registered a slight rise in all but one area. On the question whether it was "probably true" Jews have too much power in international financial markets, the level was unchanged from 2007.

The survey, conducted by First International Resources Dec. 1, 2008 through Jan. 13, 2009, included interviews with 3,500 people - 500 each in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain. The margin of error for each country was plus or minus 4 percent.

In total, about 40 percent of those questioned said Jews have too much power in the business world, including more than half of Hungarian, Spanish and Polish respondents. And 44 percent said they believe it is "probably true" that Jews still talk too much about the Holocaust.
.
.

Emerging global elite to use new global media to educate 'global citizens'


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Emerging global elite to use new global media to educate 'global citizens'

The following is based on a report by Cliff Kincaid, Accuracy in Media.

Elite members of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, recently considered a proposal for global television network
to usher in a state of “global governance.” The concept strikes some as authoritarian, even totalitarian. But the parent company of Fox News was one of the sponsors of this year's gathering.

The media proposal, which was included in “The Global Agenda 2009” report, is to create “a new global network” with “the capacity to connect the world, bridging cultures and peoples, and telling us who we are and what we mean to each other.” Several prominent U.S. media figures signed on to the alarming and controversial proposal.
Isn’t it nice that we might have a TV network telling us “who we are?” And “what we mean to each other?” Perhaps we will learn that we are global citizens. Perhaps a global leader of some sort will tell us that. Who might that be?


Also In This Edition




AFRICA/EUROPE: Could Putin lose his grip?


This proposal doesn’t come from a fringe organization. The WEF is an exclusive club of very rich and powerful people from around the world. It describes itself as “an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.”
This year’s conference featured speeches by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Chinese Premier We Jiabao. Many U.S. corporations, including some getting Wall Street bailout money, were sponsors. News Corporation, the parent of Fox News, was a “strategic partner” of the event.

Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison, represented the Obama Administration at this year’s event and called leaders from all nations to “seize gladly” the duties of collaborating and boldly embrace “a new era of global financial responsibility.”

But the WEF also envisions cooperation and collaboration in global media ventures. It asks, “How can we save journalism to help it save the world?” Clearly, this is advocacy journalism on a global scale.

Indeed, the list of “Recommendations” says it is imperative to start “Communicating a global agenda, and motivating and mobilizing people to support it…”

Is this journalism? Or is it brainwashing and propaganda?

It says that “a genuine, global voice” is needed that shares a “fundamental commitment” to being an international media voice, and makes mention of “the media voices we think of as international” coming from London (the BBC), Qatar (Al-Jazeera) or Atlanta (CNN).

BBC is known for its anti-American programming, Al-Jazeera for its pro-terrorist slant, and CNN for its left-wing and pro-Democratic bias.

It will take “innovative public-private funding” to bring this new network into being, apparently meaning that the taxpayers in the U.S. will have to be soaked in order to help bring this about. But no price tag is put on the venture and no objection was apparently raised to government funding of such a network on a global basis. An “overview” statement does, however, decry “censorship and self-censorship.”

Elsewhere in the report (page 31) the idea of “international taxation” is proposed for “global action” of various kinds. Perhaps this is a vehicle for raising revenue for the new “global voice.”

The media proposal was developed by one of several “Global Agenda Councils” under the auspices of the WEF. The new TV network proposal was issued under the supervision of Pat Mitchell, the president of the Paley Center for Media and former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Broadcasting Service. She was the chair of the Global Agenda Council on the Future of Media.

Other members of the Council on the Future of Media were Betsy Morgan of the left-wing Huffington Post (former general manager of CBSNews.com); Rui Chenggang of China Central Television, an official political propaganda arm of the communist regime; and Zafar Siddiqi of CNBC Arabiya, a subsidiary of General Electric which is described as a 24-hour Arabic language financial and business information channel.

There is no indication in the published report that the Huffington Post executive raised any objection to working hand-in-glove with the communist propaganda channel. Is the Chinese media model a precedent for the new “global network?”

The conference was covered by media organizations such as CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Forbes and Fox, but no coverage that we could find was devoted to the proposal for a government-financed global media network. Talk about self-censorship!

John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University and the “Rapporteur of the Global Agenda Councils focusing on Society and Values,” summarized the work of Mitchell’s panel. He says (page 46) that, “We believe that this new moment also calls for a new media platform, across all media channels, a global non-profit ‘CNN’ providing a new form of independent journalism to inform, illuminate and deepen knowledge about issues that improve the state of the world.”

According to DeGioia’s biography, he walks the walk and is dedicated to helping “prepare young people for leadership roles in the global community.” His bio adds, “He is a member of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO and Chair of its Education Committee and he represents Georgetown at the World Economic Forum and on the Council on Foreign Relations.”

The media council took advantage of what a description of its work said was an “enormous opportunity” to “redefine the media and its roles in a global, interconnected society.”

Under the title of “Recommendations” (page 182), the Council on the Future of Media declares that “The Council is championing a new global, independent news and information service whose role is to inform, educate and improve the state of the world?one that would take advantage of all platforms of content delivery from mobile to satellite and online to create a new global network.”

It goes on, “In a world where there are calls for global governance as a response to a global financial crisis, where scientific research, capital flows and production chains are globalized, the media and the communities in which we imagine ourselves remain fiercely localized.” Hence, a global network will work against “localized” or national-based systems and convince people to go “global” with their outlook and solutions. In other words, the new network will help undermine old-fashioned notions of national sovereignty and patriotism.

There are 22 members (page 183) of the Council on the Future of Media. In addition to Mitchell and Morgan, American members include:

Alex S. Jones, former media reporter for the New York Times and now Director, Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Susan King, former Washington correspondent for ABC News and now Director, Journalism Initiative, Special Initiatives and Strategy, Carnegie Corporation of New York.

John Lavine, Dean, Medill School of Journalism Northwestern University.

Nicholas Lemann, former Washington Post reporter and now Dean, School of Journalism, Columbia University.

David Nordfors, Director, Innovation Journalism and Senior Research Scholar, Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning, Stanford University.

Monroe Price, Director, Centre for Global Communications Studies, Annenberg School for Communication, the University of Pennsylvania.

Orville H. Schell, Director, Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society.
There doesn’t appear to be one identifiable conservative member on the list. Of course, everyone on the list is a certified objective media professional, neither liberal nor conservative. Just ask them.



Source: http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/ss_media0117_02_10.asp


Note: Bolds and Highlights added for emphasis. ...Blogman.