Monday, July 20, 2009

Poll: Sotomayor enjoys public support


Jul 20, 2009


Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor -- whose Senate confirmation seems a foregone conclusion -- also enjoys strong support among the public, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

In the poll, 55% of respondents favor confirmation of Sotomayor, while 36% oppose it.

The numbers track closely with those recorded just before Sotomayor's confirmation hearings began July 13. At that time, 53% said they would vote to confirm the New York jurist, while 33% said they would not.

Sotomayor's level of support is close to that of Samuel Alito, the George W. Bush high court nominee who had support from 54% of poll respondents at this stage of the process. John Roberts, the other Supreme Court member picked by Bush, had support from 60% of respondents before his Senate confirmation.

The USA TODAY/Gallup Poll was based on 1,006 interviews with adults conducted Friday through Sunday by telephone land line and cellphone. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page will have more poll results in tomorrow's USA TODAY -- including new numbers on Obama's approval rating.

(Posted by David Jackson; photo by Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)




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NEXT


Sunday, July 19, 2009

Chocolate, Cheese, Meat, and Sugar -- Physically Addictive Foods

Neal Barnard MD discusses the science behind food additions. Willpower is not to blame: chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances. Dr. Barnard also discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us to eat more and more unhealthy foods. A plant-based (vegan) diet is the solution to avoid many of these problems. Neal Barnard is the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

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Kennedy's Chappaquiddick Marks 40th Anniversary

Photo(Courtesy) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/the-other-president/article1223203/


Kennedy's Chappaquiddick Marks 40th Anniversary

Sunday, July 19, 2009 3:16 PM



The 40th anniversary of the darkest chapter in Sen. Ted Kennedy's life passed quietly over the weekend.

On July 18, 1969, a car driven by the Massachusetts Democrat veered off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island and into the waters near Martha's Vineyard.

Kennedy escaped the submerged car with minor injuries, but his traveling companion was not so lucky. Mary Jo Kopechne, 28, was trapped in the overturned vehicle and drowned.

Kennedy did not contact police until the next day. He later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a two-month suspended jail sentence.

The ensuing scandal dogged Kennedy's presidential aspirations, and he never was able to capture his party's nomination.

Kennedy, now 77, has largely withdrawn from public life since he was diagnosed in May 2008 with a cancerous brain tumor.




The Fractured Limb Epidemic





  1. Sonia Sotomayor Fractured her right ankle on Monday 6/8/09.
  2. Hillary R. Clinton Fractured her right elbow on Wednesday 6/17/09.
  3. Ex - Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher broke her left arm on the w/e of 6/13/09.
  4. Benedict XVI broke his right wrist on 7/17/09.

If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?


John 21


1After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

14This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

18Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

23Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

24This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
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Saturday, July 18, 2009

And (they) knew not until the flood came


3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
...
32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:3, 32-39.

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Jesuit Justice Conference 2009: Transforming the World and Being Transformed


Nine years ago, the Rev. Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., then secretary general of the Society of Jesus, charged the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. with making a priority of their response to justice issues around the world. Accordingly, a permanent National Committee on Justice in Jesuit Higher Education was created. The group is committed to meeting every few years; this year, the Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education 2009 meeting took place on the Fairfield campus from June 18 to 21. The entire campus was reserved for the duration of the event, and sessions were held in various locations on campus.


Keynote speakers for the conference included:
British Robinson, director of public/private partnerships in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator at the State Dept.
Rev. Charles Onyango Oduke, S.J., assistant professor of philosophy at Boston College
Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J., director of the Center for Faith and Public Life at Fairfield. (Read his conference speech, Jesuit Promotion of Justice and Catholic Social Teaching)



To learn more about the conference, visit the Justice Conference 2009 website, and if you have any additional questions, please contact us.


Source: http://www.fairfield.edu/about/adm_just_conf09.html

Note: We can compare this article to the one I posted prior to the event on June 9, 2008: http://endrtimes.blogspot.com/2009/06/jesuit-justice-conference-2009.html;

Save for maybe one item (link to a speech by Ryscavage S. J.) the articles are identical;

And this was the report written after the event took place?

Arsenio.

,,

A reflection on "Caritas in Veritate"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Posted on July 10, 2009) By Fr. Richard Ryscavage, S.J.,
director of Fairfield University's Center for Faith and Public Life

Surprisingly Pope Benedict's first social encyclical does not begin with a discussion of social justice. His starting point is charity and truth. He says that charity is at the heart of the Church's social doctrine; social justice needs social charity love to complete itself. He equally emphasizes the importance of truth in the sense that truth is not relative; there are absolute truths including, of course, the absolute transcendent truth of God our Creator.

He anchors the document in the work of his predecessor, Pope Paul VI, whose famous encyclical Populorum Progessio - on the development of people - was a great landmark of Catholic social thought in the l970s. Benedict echoes Paul VI in stating that authentic human development concerns the whole human person and it concerns every person in the world.

Benedict asks what is new since Populorum Progessio? What social conditions have changed? The Pope answers that the most important change has been the rapid pace of globalization - the integration of many national markets into a global market system and the consequent interdependence of peoples.

His take on globalization is mixed. He says that globalization itself is neither good nor bad. On the one hand he recognizes that billions of people have been lifted out of misery through globalization and the line between rich and poor countries is not so clear as it used to be. He also says that when it comes to international finance "it is not the instrument that must be called to account, but individuals, their moral conscience and their personal and social responsibility". On the other hand, globalization complicates the goal of social justice because the State or domestic public authority has only limited ability to control global economic developments. We cannot rely on the State the way we did in the past. The Pope says the old "binary concept of market plus state is corrosive" and presumably out of date. He sees the need for new thinking and discernment in order to achieve a market driven global economy that makes room for more than the profit motive. Making room for moral reflection in the areas of economics, business and finance is one of the great themes of the encyclical.

Here the Pope introduces the principle of "gift" to counterbalance the principle of profit and self interest. Human beings can act out of charity to go beyond profit-taking and give something freely to the common good.

He envisions a mix of private and public initiatives where corporations while respecting the need to make money can also promote the common good. As examples, he cites corporations that have a philanthropic component or micro enterprise investments that serve social ends.

He also sees the need for a new world political authority "with teeth" in the areas of finance, development, migration, ecology. He speaks of a new world system where the social order would conform to the moral order. This would require a major reform of the United Nations.

Media Contact: Nancy Habetz, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2647, nhabetz@fairfield.edu





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Schools, Parishes Join Campaign on Climate Change



Friday, June 26, 2009
Schools, Parishes Join Campaign on Climate Change

More than 70 Jesuit schools, parishes, communities and organizations across the nation committed themselves to an unprecedented campaign to help reduce climate change which disproportionally impacts the poor and vulnerable. As part of the Ignatian PeaceAction, students from Jesuit schools, parishioners from Jesuit churches and Jesuit communities have committed to pray and act on climate change issues with a particular emphasis on mitigating the negative effects of climate change on the poor.

"The effects of climate change, such as those caused by natural disasters like flooding and droughts, have the greatest negative consequences for those who are the poorest, "said Fr. Jim Stormes (MAR), Secretary for Social and International Ministries for the Jesuit Conference. "And the potential solutions for reducing the changes we are making on the environment have costs associated with them that disproportionally impact those who are least able to take on the additional financial burden. When considering the possibilities to reduce climate change, the Church always tries to bring the voice of the poor to the discussion."

In a poll released today by Zogby International, 55% of the 1,100 U.S. Catholics polled agreed that climate change is a serious problem with two-thirds agreeing that while all of the causes of global warming may not yet be understood, action must be taken now to lessen its impact. 94% of those surveyed said they have or are willing to act on behalf of reducing global climate change and believe that doing so is consistent with their faith.

With the theme "Peace with Creation", this year's Ignatian PeaceAction supports and promotes the St. Francis Covenant to Protect Creation and the Poor, sponsored by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. Participants come from all sectors - from Christian Life Communities to Jesuit high schools, universities, parishes and from Jesuit communities. They have agreed to pray together for a more sustainable relationship with creation and for those impacted by changing climate, reflect on the Church's teaching about environmental stewardship and assess their lifestyles for ways to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.

The St. Francis Covenant to Protect Creation and the Poor campaign is directed by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, a collaborative partnership of national Catholic organizations including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Jesuit Conference of the United States, Catholic Charities, USA, Catholic Relief Services and others.

As part of their PeaceAction activities, parishioners at St. Ignatius Loyola in New York cleaned up an urban garden lot in the South Bronx that is part of the Community Resource Center for the Developmentally Disabled. After their day of service, they will be joining fellow volunteers from St Peter's College in Jersey City later in the day for Mass and an opportunity for prayer and to reflect on what their work means for the environment and how they are also working in service to the poor.

"In bringing together people for a day in care of creation and in service to the poor, we want to actively show that we are committing our collective efforts to raise awareness about environmental change in a practical way that also benefits those in our community who are the most at need." said Fr. Mark Hallinan (NYK), Assistant for Social Ministries at the New York province.

For the students at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., the Center for Service and Justice has started a year-long campaign calling on students and faculty to consider the simple ways that they can each individually make a difference and find ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

"At Creighton, we are working with facilities management on a sustainability awareness campaign targeting undergraduate dormitories and apartment residences along with offices campus-wide. Simple activities like walking to campus or riding a bike instead of driving, turning off computers and lights and even taking shorter showers - all of these small things can collectively make a big difference in the resources that we consume at our university," said Chadi El-Khoury, student coordinator at the Center for Service and Justice at Creighton University. "Though Americans make up just four percent of the world's population, we produce 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuels. But this pollution doesn't just impact us; it affects everyone on the planet via the effects of global warming."

At the Church of the Gesu, a Jesuit parish in Milwaukee, Wis., during the Sunday and daily Masses in late April and early May, parishioners recited a novena for the environment. The church will culminate their PeaceAction activities with the Father Robert F. Purcell Peacemaker awards ceremony on May 3 when 11 students from local Catholic elementary, middle and high schools will receive recognition for their exemplarily efforts at being peacemakers and promoting peace.

Also in Milwaukee, volunteers from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps set out earlier this month to clean up the neighborhood around their urban location and participated in a prayer walk.

"All of these efforts across the nation at Jesuit schools, parishes and ministries reflect a true effort and commitment to be faithful stewards for the environment and to advocate on behalf of the poorest among us who are impacted the greatest by environmental change," said John Sealey, Assistant for Social and International Ministries at the Wisconsin province. "It is all of our combined efforts and our faith in action that is helping bring awareness to this issue."


Source:http://www.jesuit.org/PublicationsMedia/NJN/NJNministries/1022.aspx
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In Support of the People of Iraq

Student activities with the Jesuits at Baghdad College




This site has been archived for historical purposes. These pages are no longer being updated.


. . . the Jesuits of Baghdad College and Al Hikma



Some pages concerning the story of Baghdad College and Al Hikma

As one of 145 American Jesuits who lived and taught in Iraq over a 37 year period and still meets at biennial reunions with the Iraqi graduates who now live in the United States, it is distressing to see in the media the distorted view that many Americans have of Iraqi people. They are being blamed along with Sadaam Hussein for his actions, but in fact ordinary Iraqis are also hostages to Sadaam and furthermore have endured his Baathi regime for two decades.The Jesuits went to Baghdad in 1932 and started two large schools, Baghdad College and Al Hikma University. Both were extremely successful academically, but also were places where Moslems, Christians and Jews worked, studied and played together harmoniously. Although initially suspicious, the Moslems came to admire the Jesuits for their dedication and persistence. They were impressed that the Jesuits held their posts during the short-lived pro-Nazi occupation of Baghdad during World War II and during the 1967 June war with Israel when the American Embassy closed down and all other Americans fled. In both cases, indeed through all 37 years, the Iraqi people supported and encouraged the Jesuits in their educational work. The support of these warm and generous Iraqi people contrasted with the indifference toward the Jesuit work displayed by our own American Embassy in Iraq. In 1968 the Baathi coup d'etat brought about the demise of the Jesuit schools. The Baathi Socialist party moved quickly , closing not only the Jesuit schools but also all private schools in Iraq, just as the Syrian Baathi government had done a decade before. The only ones to come to the defense of the Jesuits were the Iraqi Moslem professors from the Government University of Baghdad. They pleaded in vain with Iraq's new Baathi president: "You cannot treat the Jesuits this way: they have brought many innovations to Iraqi education and have enriched Iraq by their presence." Still the Baathi Socialist government ordered the Al Hikma Jesuits out of the country in November 1968. Hundreds of students came to the Airport to bid them farewell, in spite of threats to their well-being that were indeed carried out by Baathi party members. In August 1969 the Jesuits of Baghdad College were also banished from Iraq. Both schools were taken over and all fifteen major buildings, including two libraries and seven modern laboratories were confiscated by the Baathi party. Over the past twenty-nine years, many of our Iraqi graduates have moved to America and have held ten extraordinary reunions with their former Jesuit teachers, the most recent of which had 1,400 people present. At these gatherings they discuss how they can pass on to their own children the system of values they have received. They appreciate the fact that the quality of their lives has been enriched. Their compassion for others has deepened and they value the spiritual dimension of life. The major concern of these men and women, who are now American citizens, is how to serve others. The Jesuits who worked in Baghdad are unanimous in their high regard of the Iraqi people, and they find the violent characterization of Iraqis very offensive. There is no evidence that ordinary Iraqis in America really support the recent invasion by Sadaam Hussein. To vilify fellow citizens of Iraqi heritage is to repeat the same terrible outrage committed during the second World War against fellow Americans of Japanese heritage.
Published in the Bridgeport Post 12/15/90 and in the Boston Pilot 1/11/91
Written by Joseph MacDonnell, S.J.
Contact Information and Table of Contents for This Site
Mathematics Department Fairfield University Fairfield, CT 06430

email: macdonnell@fair1.fairfield.edu
Voice mail - 203 256-7238 FAX 203-255-5947


These 13 polyhedra symbolize the 13 items of this page which is maintained by Winston Tellis



Source: http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/bag/sadaam.htm


Does the Lord still expect His Remnant to keep the Sabbath?


Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:

Amos 2:4


Many people often ask: Does the Lord still expect His Remnant to keep the Sabbath?


Let us allow His words to reveal if that is so, or not. We will use the formula for interpretation of scripture described in Isaiah 28:10-13: Precept upon precept, Line upon line, Here a little, and there a little.


Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. .......Genesis 2:1-3.


But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:10, 11.


Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. ............. Ezekiel 20:12.


Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my Sabbaths...............................................Ezekiel34:28.


If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:...Isaiah 58:13.M


Jesus himself stated:


Matthew 12:8
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.


Mark 2:28
Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Luke 6:5
And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.


The Prophet Isaiah mentions that the Sabbath will be observed even in Heaven:


For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. ...........Isaiah 66:22, 23.


The final statement I'd like for you to consider; if the Lord still expects the sabbath to be kept?; is one that really get to the heart of the matter; I will again allow the scriptures to explain themselves. What does this imply? The sabbath is to be kept, holy!


And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. .......Matthew:24:19-22.


Friday, July 17, 2009

Pope Slips and Breaks Right Wrist on Vacation

By RACHEL DONADIO
Published: July 17, 2009

ROME — Pope Benedict XVI fractured his right wrist in a fall early Friday morning while on vacation in northern Italy, the Vatican said. He was released from the hospital later in the day after undergoing successful surgery.

Related

Beliefs: From the Vatican, a Tough Read (July 18, 2009)
Times Topics: Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican officials were quick to defuse any alarm over the first medical intervention known to the public since Benedict, 82, became pope in 2005.

“It’s nothing serious,” the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said in a telephone interview. He said doctors had ruled out the possibility that Benedict had been ill before falling.
Doctors operated on the pope’s wrist for about 20 minutes, Reuters reported. Father Lombardi called the operation “not difficult.” He said doctors had inserted pins to help the wrist heal, using a local anesthetic.

He added that the pope would have to wear a cast for about a month. News reports showed Benedict leaving the clinic smiling and waving with his left hand.

In a statement released by the Vatican, the pope’s private physician, Dr. Patrizio Polisca, said that Benedict was “in good condition.”

The Vatican said that the pope had slipped overnight in his room in the chalet where he was staying in the mountainous Valle d’Aosta region.

Father Lombardi said that Dr. Polisca, who travels with the pope, was already in Valle d’Aosta when the pope fell and that he oversaw the local doctors who performed the operation.
In a statement, the Vatican said that Benedict was well enough to eat breakfast and celebrate Mass before being taken by car to the local hospital on Friday morning.

After meeting President Obama the previous Friday, the pope arrived on Monday in northwest Italy, where he is scheduled to remain on vacation until July 29. He is then expected to return to his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome until September.

Father Lombardi said it remained to be seen whether the pope would keep his two scheduled commitments: delivering an Angelus message in two parishes near Aosta on the coming two Sundays.

In recent months, Benedict has appeared tired in some of his public appearances. But he has kept up a public schedule, including an eight-day trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories in May.


Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/world/europe/18pope.html?bl&ex=1247976000&en=7d0339b05bc2733a&ei=5087%0A

Does the type of Music really matter? (Worldly Music)



Eternal things have little weight with the youth.
Angels 506 of God are in tears as they write in the roll the words and acts of professed Christians. Angels are hovering around yonder dwelling. The young are there assembled; there is the sound of vocal and instrumental music. Christians are gathered there, but what is that you hear? It is a song, a frivolous ditty, fit for the dance hall. Behold the pure angels gather their light closer around them, and darkness envelops those in that dwelling. The angels are moving from the scene. Sadness is upon their countenances. Behold, they are weeping. This I saw repeated a number of times all through the ranks of Sabbathkeepers, and especially in -----. Music has occupied the hours which should have been devoted to prayer. Music is the idol which many professed Sabbathkeeping Christians worship. Satan has no objection to music if he can make that a channel through which to gain access to the minds of the youth. Anything will suit his purpose that will divert the mind from God and engage the time which should be devoted to His service. He works through the means which will exert the strongest influence to hold the largest numbers in a pleasing infatuation, while they are paralyzed by his power. When turned to good account, music is a blessing; but it is often made one of Satan's most attractive agencies to ensnare souls. When abused, it leads the unconsecrated to pride, vanity, and folly. When allowed to take the place of devotion and prayer, it is a terrible curse. Young persons assemble to sing, and, although professed Christians, frequently dishonor God and their faith by their frivolous conversation and their choice of music. Sacred music is not congenial to their taste. I was directed to the plain teachings of God's word, which have been passed by unnoticed. In the judgment all these words of inspiration will condemn those who have not heeded them. {1T 505.2}


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Everybody Ought to Know


Everybody Ought to Know


Everybody ought to know,
Everybody ought to know,
Everybody ought to know,
Who Jesus is.

Everybody ought to know,
Everybody ought to know,
Everybody ought to know,
Who Jesus is.

Chorus
He's the Lily of the valley,
He's the bright and morning Star,
He's the Fairest of ten thousand,
Everybody ought to know.

Everybody ought to love,
Everybody ought to love,
Everybody ought to love,
Jesus the Christ.

Everybody ought to tell,
Everybody ought to tell,
Everybody ought to tell,
Who Jesus is.

Everybody ought to sing,
Everybody ought to sing,
Everybody ought to sing,
Glad to Praise Him.

Chorus
He's the Lily of the valley,
He's the bright and morning Star,
He's the Fairest of ten thousand,
Everybody ought to know.

Everybody ought to know,
Everybody ought to love,
Everybody ought to tell,
Who Jesus is!


midi





P.S. I love this hymn; As a child I would often sing it.
However, (in this midi file) the rhythm section and the uptempo is not really need....................Arsenio.


President Obama official schedule and guidance, July 17, 2009.


President Obama official schedule and guidance, July 17, 2009.
By Lynn Sweeton July 16, 2009 10:44 PM
THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 16, 2009


DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2009


In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. These briefings are closed press. The President will then meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.


In the afternoon, the President and the Vice President will meet for lunch in the Oval Office. This lunch is closed press.


Also tomorrow at 11:00AM EDT, NEC Director Larry Summers will deliver remarks at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC. Dr. Summers will provide a progress report on economic policy and Obama Administration efforts to rescue and rebuild the U.S. economy. The Peterson Institute is handling all media logistics and credentialing. For information and credentials, please e-mail Katharine Keenan, kkeenan@piie.com.



In-Town Travel Pool

Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg

Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP

TV Corr & Crew: CNN

Print: MediaNews

Radio: AP

Magazine Photo: New York Times



EDT


9:30AM Pool Call Time


10:00AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Economic Daily Briefing

Oval Office

Closed Press


10:40AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Presidential Daily Briefing

Oval Office

Closed Press


11:00AM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors

Oval Office

Closed Press


12:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet for lunch

Oval Office

Closed Press



Briefing Schedule


3:00PM Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs



##




P.S. Bolds added.

Obama's NAACP speech, New York, July 16, 2009. Transcript

Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images


Obama's NAACP speech, New York, July 16, 2009.

Transcript
By Lynn Sweet on July 16, 2009 6:21 PM



Updated


President Obama's NAACP speech, New York, July 16, 2009.
Transcript of speech as delivered. (Omitted here due to space limitations)
Text of remarks as prepared.

*********

Text of Sen. Barack Obama NAACP speech, Cincinnati, July 14, 2008



THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO THE NAACP CENTENNIAL CONVENTION

Hilton New York
New York, New York

7:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. What an extraordinary night, capping off an extraordinary week, capping off an extraordinary 100 years at the NAACP. (Applause.)

So Chairman Bond, Brother Justice, I am so grateful to all of you for being here. It's just good to be among friends. (Applause.)

It is an extraordinary honor to be here, in the city where the NAACP was formed, to mark its centennial. What we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we, as Americans, have traveled over the past 100 years. (Applause.)

It's a journey that takes us back to a time before most of us were born, long before the Voting Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act, Brown v. Board of Education; back to an America just a generation past slavery. It was a time when Jim Crow was a way of life; when lynchings were all too common; when race riots were shaking cities across a segregated land.

It was in this America where an Atlanta scholar named W.E.B. Du Bois -- (applause) -- a man of towering intellect and a fierce passion for justice, sparked what became known as the Niagara movement; where reformers united, not by color, but by cause; where an association was born that would, as its charter says, promote equality and eradicate prejudice among citizens of the United States.

From the beginning, these founders understood how change would come -- just as King and all the civil rights giants did later. They understood that unjust laws needed to be overturned; that legislation needed to be passed; and that Presidents needed to be pressured into action. They knew that the stain of slavery and the sin of segregation had to be lifted in the courtroom, and in the legislature, and in the hearts and the minds of Americans.

They also knew that here, in America, change would have to come from the people. It would come from people protesting lynchings, rallying against violence, all those women who decided to walk instead of taking the bus, even though they were tired after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry, looking after somebody else's children. (Applause.) It would come from men and women of every age and faith, and every race and region -- taking Greyhounds on Freedom Rides; sitting down at Greensboro lunch counters; registering voters in rural Mississippi, knowing they would be harassed, knowing they would be beaten, knowing that some of them might never return.

Because of what they did, we are a more perfect union. Because Jim Crow laws were overturned, black CEOs today run Fortune 500 companies. (Applause.) Because civil rights laws were passed, black mayors, black governors, and members of Congress served in places where they might once have been able [sic] not just to vote but even take a sip of water. And because ordinary people did such extraordinary things, because they made the civil rights movement their own, even though there may not be a plaque or their names might not be in the history books -- because of their efforts I made a little trip to Springfield, Illinois, a couple years ago -- (applause) -- where Lincoln once lived, and race riots once raged -- and began the journey that has led me to be here tonight as the 44th President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

Because of them I stand here tonight, on the shoulders of giants. And I'm here to say thank you to those pioneers and thank you to the NAACP. (Applause.)

And yet, even as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the past 100 years; even as we inherit extraordinary progress that cannot be denied; even as we marvel at the courage and determination of so many plain folk -- we know that too many barriers still remain.

We know that even as our economic crisis batters Americans of all races, African Americans are out of work more than just about anybody else -- a gap that's widening here in New York City, as a detailed report this week by Comptroller Bill Thompson laid out. (Applause.)

We know that even as spiraling health care costs crush families of all races, African Americans are more likely to suffer from a host of diseases but less likely to own health insurance than just about anybody else.

We know that even as we imprison more people of all races than any nation in the world, an African American child is roughly five times as likely as a white child to see the inside of a prison.

We know that even as the scourge of HIV/AIDS devastates nations abroad, particularly in Africa, it is devastating the African American community here at home with disproportionate force. We know these things. (Applause.)

These are some of the barriers of our time. They're very different from the barriers faced by earlier generations. They're very different from the ones faced when fire hoses and dogs were being turned on young marchers; when Charles Hamilton Houston and a group of young Howard lawyers were dismantling segregation case by case across the land.

But what's required today -- what's required to overcome today's barriers is the same as what was needed then. The same commitment. The same sense of urgency. The same sense of sacrifice. The same sense of community. The same willingness to do our part for ourselves and one another that has always defined America at its best and the African American experience at its best. (Applause.)

And so the question is, where do we direct our efforts? What steps do we take to overcome these barriers? How do we move forward in the next 100 years?

The first thing we need to do is make real the words of the NAACP charter and eradicate prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination among citizens of the United States. (Applause.) I understand there may be a temptation among some to think that discrimination is no longer a problem in 2009. And I believe that overall, there probably has never been less discrimination in America than there is today. I think we can say that.

But make no mistake: The pain of discrimination is still felt in America. (Applause.) By African American women paid less for doing the same work as colleagues of a different color and a different gender. (Laughter.) By Latinos made to feel unwelcome in their own country. (Applause.) By Muslim Americans viewed with suspicion simply because they kneel down to pray to their God. (Applause.) By our gay brothers and sisters, still taunted, still attacked, still denied their rights. (Applause.)

On the 45th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, discrimination cannot stand -- not on account of color or gender; how you worship or who you love. Prejudice has no place in the United States of America. That's what the NAACP stands for. That's what the NAACP will continue to fight for as long as it takes. (Applause.)

But we also know that prejudice and discrimination -- at least the most blatant types of prejudice and discrimination -- are not even the steepest barriers to opportunity today. The most difficult barriers include structural inequalities that our nation's legacy of discrimination has left behind; inequalities still plaguing too many communities and too often the object of national neglect.

These are barriers we are beginning to tear down one by one -- by rewarding work with an expanded tax credit; by making housing more affordable; by giving ex-offenders a second chance. (Applause.) These are barriers we're targeting through our White House Office on Urban Affairs, through programs like Promise Neighborhoods that builds on Geoffrey Canada's success with the Harlem Children's Zone -- (applause) -- that foster a comprehensive approach to ending poverty by putting all children on a pathway to college, and giving them the schooling and after-school support that they need to get there. (Applause.)

I think all of us understand that our task of reducing these structural inequalities has been made more difficult by the state and structure of our broader economy; an economy that for the last decade has been fueled by a cycle of boom and bust; an economy where the rich got really, really rich, but ordinary folks didn't see their incomes or their wages go up; an economy built on credit cards, shady mortgage loans; an economy built not on a rock, but on sand.

That's why my administration is working so hard not only to create and save jobs in the short-term, not only to extend unemployment insurance and help for people who have lost their health care in this crisis, not just to stem the immediate economic wreckage, but to lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity that will put opportunity within the reach of not just African Americans, but all Americans. All Americans. (Applause.) Of every race. Of every creed. From every region of the country. (Applause.) We want everybody to participate in the American Dream. That's what the NAACP is all about. (Applause.)

Now, one pillar of this new foundation is health insurance for everybody. (Applause.) Health insurance reform that cuts costs and makes quality health coverage affordable for all, and it closes health care disparities in the process. Another pillar is energy reform that makes clean energy profitable, freeing America from the grip of foreign oil; putting young people to work upgrading low-income homes, weatherizing, and creating jobs that can't be outsourced. Another pillar is financial reform with consumer protections to crackdown on mortgage fraud and stop predatory lenders from targeting black and Latino communities all across the country. (Applause.)

All these things will make America stronger and more competitive. They will drive innovation, they will create jobs, they will provide families with more security. And yet, even if we do all that, the African American community will still fall behind in the United States and the United States will fall behind in the world unless we do a far better job than we have been doing of educating our sons and daughters. (Applause.)

I hope you don't mind -- I want to go into a little detail here about education. (Applause.) In the 21st century -- when so many jobs will require a bachelor's degree or more, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow -- a world-class education is a prerequisite for success.

There's no two ways about it. There's no way to avoid it. You know what I'm talking about. There's a reason the story of the civil rights movement was written in our schools. There's a reason Thurgood Marshall took up the cause of Linda Brown. There's a reason why the Little Rock Nine defied a governor and a mob. It's because there is no stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child's God-given potential. (Applause.)

And yet, more than half a century after Brown v. Board, the dream of a world-class education is still being deferred all across the country. African American students are lagging behind white classmates in reading and math -- an achievement gap that is growing in states that once led the way in the civil rights movement. Over half of all African American students are dropping out of school in some places. There are overcrowded classrooms, and crumbling schools, and corridors of shame in America filled with poor children -- not just black children, brown and white children as well.

The state of our schools is not an African American problem; it is an American problem. (Applause.) Because if black and brown children cannot compete, then America cannot compete. (Applause.) And let me say this, if Al Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich can agree that we need to solve the education problem, then that's something all of America can agree we can solve. (Applause.) Those guys came into my office. (Laughter.) Just sitting in the Oval Office -- I kept on doing a double-take. (Laughter and applause.) So that's a sign of progress and it is a sign of the urgency of the education problem. (Applause.) All of us can agree that we need to offer every child in this country -- every child --

AUDIENCE: Amen!

THE PRESIDENT: Got an "Amen corner" back there -- (applause) -- every child -- every child in this country the best education the world has to offer from cradle through a career.

That's our responsibility as leaders. That's the responsibility of the United States of America. And we, all of us in government, have to work to do our part by not only offering more resources, but also demanding more reform. Because when it comes to education, we got to get past this whole paradigm, this outdated notion that somehow it's just money; or somehow it's just reform, but no money -- and embrace what Dr. King called the "both-and" philosophy. We need more money and we need more reform. (Applause.)

When it comes to higher education we're making college and advanced training more affordable, and strengthening community colleges that are the gateway to so many with an initiative -- (applause) -- that will prepare students not only to earn a degree, but to find a job when they graduate; an initiative that will help us meet the goal I have set of leading the world in college degrees by 2020. We used to rank number one in college graduates. Now we are in the middle of the pack. And since we are seeing more and more African American and Latino youth in our population, if we are leaving them behind we cannot achieve our goal, and America will fall further behind -- and that is not a future that I accept and that is not a future that the NAACP is willing to accept. (Applause.)

We're creating a Race to the Top fund that will reward states and public school districts that adopt 21st century standards and assessments. We're creating incentives for states to promote excellent teachers and replace bad ones -- (applause) -- because the job of a teacher is too important for us to accept anything less than the best. (Applause.)

We also have to explore innovative approaches such as those being pursued here in New York City; innovations like Bard High School Early College and Medgar Evers College Preparatory School that are challenging students to complete high school and earn a free associate's degree or college credit in just four years. (Applause.)

And we should raise the bar when it comes to early learning programs. It's not enough just to have a babysitter. We need our young people stimulated and engaged and involved. (Applause.) We need our -- our folks involved in child development to understand the latest science. Today, some early learning programs are excellent. Some are mediocre. And some are wasting what studies show are by far a child's most formative years.

That's why I've issued a challenge to America's governors: If you match the success of states like Pennsylvania and develop an effective model for early learning; if you focus reform on standards and results in early learning programs; if you demonstrate how you will prepare the lowest income children to meet the highest standards of success -- then you can compete for an Early Learning Challenge Grant that will help prepare all our children to enter kindergarten all ready to learn. (Applause.)

So these are some of the laws we're passing. These are some of the policies we are enacting. We are busy in Washington. Folks in Congress are getting a little tuckered out. (Laughter.) But I'm telling them -- I'm telling them we can't rest, we've got a lot of work to do. The American people are counting on us. (Applause.) These are some of the ways we're doing our part in government to overcome the inequities, the injustices, the barriers that still exist in our country.

But all these innovative programs and expanded opportunities will not, in and of themselves, make a difference if each of us, as parents and as community leaders, fail to do our part by encouraging excellence in our children. (Applause.) Government programs alone won't get our children to the Promised Land. We need a new mind set, a new set of attitudes -- because one of the most durable and destructive legacies of discrimination is the way we've internalized a sense of limitation; how so many in our community have come to expect so little from the world and from themselves.

We've got to say to our children, yes, if you're African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that somebody in a wealthy suburb does not have to face. But that's not a reason to get bad grades -- (applause) -- that's not a reason to cut class -- (applause) -- that's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. (Applause.) No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands -- you cannot forget that. That's what we have to teach all of our children. No excuses. (Applause.) No excuses.

You get that education, all those hardships will just make you stronger, better able to compete. Yes we can. (Applause.)

To parents -- to parents, we can't tell our kids to do well in school and then fail to support them when they get home. (Applause.) You can't just contract out parenting. For our kids to excel, we have to accept our responsibility to help them learn. That means putting away the Xbox -- (applause) -- putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. (Applause.) It means attending those parent-teacher conferences and reading to our children and helping them with their homework. (Applause.)

And by the way, it means we need to be there for our neighbor's sons and daughters. (Applause.) We need to go back to the time, back to the day when we parents saw somebody, saw some kid fooling around and -- it wasn't your child, but they'll whup you anyway. (Laughter and applause.) Or at least they'll tell your parents -- the parents will. You know. (Laughter.) That's the meaning of community. That's how we can reclaim the strength and the determination and the hopefulness that helped us come so far; helped us make a way out of no way.

It also means pushing our children to set their sights a little bit higher. They might think they've got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. (Applause.) I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers -- (applause) -- doctors and teachers -- (applause) -- not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. (Applause.) I want them aspiring to be the President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I want their horizons to be limitless. I don't -- don't tell them they can't do something. Don't feed our children with a sense of -- that somehow because of their race that they cannot achieve.

Yes, government must be a force for opportunity. Yes, government must be a force for equality. But ultimately, if we are to be true to our past, then we also have to seize our own future, each and every day.

And that's what the NAACP is all about. The NAACP was not founded in search of a handout. The NAACP was not founded in search of favors. The NAACP was founded on a firm notion of justice; to cash the promissory note of America that says all of our children, all God's children, deserve a fair chance in the race of life. (Applause.)

It's a simple dream, and yet one that all too often has been denied -- and is still being denied to so many Americans. It's a painful thing, seeing that dream denied. I remember visiting a Chicago school in a rough neighborhood when I was a community organizer, and some of the children gathered 'round me. And I remember thinking how remarkable it was that all of these children seemed so full of hope, despite being born into poverty, despite being delivered, in some cases, into addiction, despite all the obstacles they were already facing -- you could see that spark in their eyes. They were the equal of children anywhere.

And I remember the principal of the school telling me that soon that sparkle would begin to dim, that things would begin to change; that soon, the laughter in their eyes would begin to fade; that soon, something would shut off inside, as it sunk in -- because kids are smarter than we give them credit for -- as it sunk in that their hopes would not come to pass -- not because they weren't smart enough, not because they weren't talented enough, not because of anything about them inherently, but because, by accident of birth, they had not received a fair chance in life.

I know what can happen to a child who doesn't have that chance. But I also know what can happen to a child that does. I was raised by a single mom. I didn't come from a lot of wealth. I got into my share of trouble as a child. My life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. When I drive through Harlem or I drive through the South Side of Chicago and I see young men on the corners, I say, there but for the grace of God go I. (Applause.) They're no less gifted than me. They're no less talented than me.

But I had some brakes. That mother of mine, she gave me love; she pushed me, she cared about my education; she took no lip; she taught me right from wrong. Because of her, I had a chance to make the most of my abilities. I had the chance to make the most of my opportunities. I had the chance to make the most of life.

The same story holds true for Michelle. The same story holds true for so many of you. And I want all the other Barack Obamas out there, and all the other Michelle Obamas out there -- (applause) -- to have the same chance -- the chance that my mother gave me; that my education gave me; that the United States of America has given me. That's how our union will be perfected and our economy rebuilt. That is how America will move forward in the next 100 years.

And we will move forward. This I know -- for I know how far we have come. Some, you saw, last week in Ghana, Michelle and I took Malia and Sasha and my mother-in-law to Cape Coast Castle, in Ghana. Some of you may have been there. This is where captives were once imprisoned before being auctioned; where, across an ocean, so much of the African American experience began.

We went down into the dungeons where the captives were held. There was a church above one of the dungeons -- which tells you something about saying one thing and doing another. (Applause.) I was -- we walked through the "Door Of No Return." I was reminded of all the pain and all the hardships, all the injustices and all the indignities on the voyage from slavery to freedom.

But I was reminded of something else. I was reminded that no matter how bitter the rod, how stony the road, we have always persevered. (Applause.) We have not faltered, nor have we grown weary. As Americans, we have demanded, and strived for, and shaped a better destiny. And that is what we are called on to do once more. NAACP, it will not be easy. It will take time. Doubts may rise and hopes may recede.

But if John Lewis could brave Billy clubs to cross a bridge -- (applause) -- then I know young people today can do their part and lift up our community. (Applause.)

If Emmet Till's uncle, Mose Wright, could summon the courage to testify against the men who killed his nephew, I know we can be better fathers and better brothers and better mothers and sisters in our own families. (Applause.)

If three civil rights workers in Mississippi -- black, white, Christian and Jew, city-born and country-bred -- could lay down their lives in freedom's cause, I know we can come together to face down the challenges of our own time. (Applause.) We can fix our schools -- (applause) -- we can heal our sick, we can rescue our youth from violence and despair. (Applause.)

And 100 years from now, on the 200th anniversary of the NAACP -- (applause) -- let it be said that this generation did its part; that we too ran the race; that full of faith that our dark past has taught us, full of the hope that the present has brought us -- (applause) -- we faced, in our lives and all across this nation, the rising sun of a new day begun. (Applause.)

Thank you, God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END 7:37 P.M. EDT
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Source: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/obamas_naacp_speech.html


P.S. Highlights added for emphasis.

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy





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Satan Personates Christ--II


And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14.


Satan is preparing his deceptions that in his last campaign against the people of God, they may not understand that it is he. "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." . . . Satan will go to the extent of his power to harass, tempt, and mislead God's people. {Mar 206.1}

He who dared to face, and tempt, and taunt our Lord, and who had power to take Him in his arms and carry Him to a pinnacle of the temple, and up into an exceeding high mountain, will exercise his power to a wonderful degree upon the present generation, who are far inferior in wisdom to their Lord, and who are almost wholly ignorant of his subtlety and strength. {Mar 206.2}

In a marvelous manner will he affect the bodies of those who are naturally inclined to do his bidding. {Mar 206.3}

He will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. {Mar 206.4}

We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we do?--Tell them that Christ has warned us against just such a foe, who is man's worst enemy, yet who claims to be God; and that when Christ shall make His appearance, it will be with power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand angels and thousands of thousands; and that when He shall come, we shall know His voice. {Mar 206.5}

The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation. {Mar 206.6}

Satan is determined to keep up the warfare to the end. Coming as an angel of light, claiming to be the Christ, he will deceive the world. But his triumph will be short. No storm or tempest can move those whose feet are planted on the principles of eternal truth. They will be able to stand in this time of almost universal apostasy. {Mar 206.7}
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Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Ring of Power #5 - Vatican Hoarding [5 of 29]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj0cuc559tAhttp:// width="425" height="344">


Here is the link to the whole series:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DC9854930691809D



Thanks, Tony K.


New World Order = Old Holy Roman Empire?


Catherine and News & Commentary,
July 7, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Pope Benedict XVI called Tuesday for a new world financial order guided by ethics, dignity and the search for the common good in the third encyclical of his pontificate.


In “Charity in Truth,” Benedict denounced the profit-at-all-cost mentality of the globalized economy and lamented that greed had brought about the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.


“Profit is useful if it serves as a means toward an end,” he wrote. “Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty.”


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The Swiss-Italian Connection

Catherine and News & Commentary,
July 13, 2009 at 5:07 pm


Photo: Swiss Guards serve as the Pope’s bodyguards.

On June 3, the Italians seize $134.5 billion in US Treasuries (maybe fake, maybe not) from two Japanese on the Swiss-Italian border. Under the law, the Italians may have the right to claim a healthy % of them.

On June 29th the Pope publishes a new encyclical, immediately prior to the G-8 meeting in Italy and President Obama’s visit to the Vatican, and calls for a new world order government by an international entity with teeth to enforce against US financial institutions.

Then, on July 8th, the Swiss government suddenly tells the IRS to p*** off with respect to the UBS case.

Just a coincidence?

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Source: http://solari.com/blog/?p=3492

P.S. Here's one of the comments/responses to the above post:

katherine
Jul 14th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
With all due respect to the Pontiff, his terribly lengthy, convoluted treatise misses the fundamental point on our Lord’s statement on things political, “Render onto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, render unto God, the things that are God’s”. To translate, our Lord was succintly stating the obvious that government is a thing of man and will always fall short of the mark. God, on the other hand never falls short. He is all, knows all. Seek God and you will find his kingdom, you will never find it in the imperfect world of man. The problem with all these New World Order types is they reside in a self deception, a narcissism that in its resulting inevitable perception of superiority over other mortels, dictates that they act in behalf of God and eventually see themselves as God(s). To proclaim oneself a God is the greatest blasphemy, the worship of the golden idol of self. I find it absolutely frightening that the head of the largest Christian church, the one that claims it is the only true universal church, is joining with the forces of the New World Order, who, quite paradoxically, in implementing their draconian plan for the world, is destroying, the greatest nation ever founded, I believe, inspired by God himself in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Guarantors of life and liberty for the individual, each one endowed by his creator, truly beloved in his or her uniqueness, given the gift of life to enjoy here on earth and in the life that is everlasting. These are the concepts Christ would be mosted interested in for his creation. Social justice is an illusion, created by the likes of Karl Marx, an illusion that destroys freedom, liberty, and all too often life itself. The New World Order is everything our Lord would despise, a cabal of elites, corporations and bankers out to enslave and deprive others for their own self enrichment. Remember, Christ did throw the money changers out of the Temple. That is what His church should be concerned with now - throw the money changers out of the Temple and spread liberty, self determination, freedom and opportunity to the world’s people. God Bless all of you and especially Catherine for her wonderful work to educate and enlighten people everywhere.

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NWO Watch: Bohemian Grove Begins


Catherine, Financial Permaculture and News & Commentary,
July 13, 2009 at 7:07 am


The Bohemian Grove is a private meeting north of San Francisco along the Russian River that occurs for several weeks each July.


“The Bohemian club! Did you say Bohemian club? That’s where all those rich Republicans go up and stand naked against redwood trees right? I’ve never been to the Bohemian club but you oughta go. It’d be good for you. You’d get some fresh air.”


-Former President Bill Clinton to a heckler in 1997.
Watch for a new story - about where we are and where we are going - framed by discussions and consensus at the Grove to emerge in the media in August and when Congress returns after Labor Day.




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4 Killed, At Least 8 Wounded In 6-Hour Bloodbath


Jul 16, 2009 8:02 am US/Central


CHICAGO (CBS)-Three men were fatally shot. One man was fatally stabbed. Police shot one man and at least seven other people were wounded by gunfire -- including an 8-year-old boy sitting in his bedroom -- during an especially violent six hours late Wednesday and early Thursday mainly on the South and West Sides.

Miguel Loreto, 17, of the 5900 block of south Kolin Avenue, was shot in the head at 2936 W. Palmer St. and was pronounced dead at 10:27 p.m. at Norwegian-American Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

At 10:08 p.m. Wednesday, a gunman on a bicycle approached Loreto and shot him in the head, according to police, who said the shooting is possibly gang-related.

Terrance Hollins, 17, of the 7300 block of south Dorchester Avenue, was shot at 6422 S. Eggleston Ave. and was dead on the scene, the medical examiner's office said.

At 11:58 p.m. Wednesday, Hollins was shot during a "gun fight" that also left another man hospitalized, police said.

About 2:30 a.m. Thursday, a man and woman were shot while inside a vehicle and crashed into a building near South LaSalle and West 59th streets, according to police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak.

The 29-year-old man was pronounced dead 4:38 a.m. at Stroger Hospital of Cook County, according to the medical examiner's office, which was not releasing his name pending family notification.

The woman was taken to University of Chicago Hospitals with a gunshot wound to the arm, Kubiak said.

At 4:08 a.m. Thursday, a man was stabbed at 1431 N. Rockwell St. during a fight, police said. The man was pronounced dead at 4:45 a.m. at Stroger Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office, which was not releasing the man's name pending family notification. A man suspected in the slaying was in custody Thursday as of 7:30 a.m.

At 11:22 p.m. Wednesday, an 8-year-old boy sitting in his bedroom in the 6500 block of south Green Street was struck by bullets that came through the window, police said.

The boy suffered gunshot wounds to the back and arm and was taken to University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital in serious to critical condition, authorities said. The boy is expected to survive.

At 11:46 p.m. Wednesday, Calumet Area Gun Team officers shot a man near South Yale Avenue and West 116th Street after he and another man refused to drop their weapons after a report of shots fired, according to a police News Affairs statement.

The man was taken to Roseland Community Hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm and has not been charged as of Thursday morning, police said.

The other man escaped and was not in custody, the statement said.

About 12:30 a.m. Thursday, a man in his 20s was shot in the head at 1109 N. Wood St. -- less than a block from numerous busy Division Street bars and restaurants, police said.

At 12:37 a.m., a 24-year-old man was shot at 7935 S. Cottage Grove Ave, according to police, who said the shooting appears to have been over a $15 debt.

About 12:50 a.m. Thursday, a male was shot in the leg during an argument with a person he knew in the 3500 block of South Western Avenue, police said.

About 1:45 a.m., an 18-year-old man was shot outside at 4433 S. Mozart St. and was taken in "stable" condition to Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, police said.

The STNG Wire contributed to this report.



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Swine flu stops Cherie Blair trip

Page last updated at 12:36 GMT, Thursday, 16 July 2009 13:36 UK


Mrs Blair's office confirmed she had a suspected case of swine flu



Cherie Blair has pulled out of a ceremony at Liverpool Hope University, where she was to be honoured, because she has suspected swine flu.
The wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair was to receive an honorary degree for her work in human rights and her support of the university.
The Merseyside-born barrister had been due to attend the event later.
"Cherie is a good friend of the university and our work," Bill Chambers, pro-vice-chancellor, said.
"On this occasion she had unfortunately had to withdraw, but we cannot comment further."
A spokesman for Mrs Blair said: "She has had to cancel because of a suspected case of swine flu."
Ms Blair's office said it would not comment on whether the mother-of-four had taken anti-viral drugs for swine flu.
The award will now be postponed to another graduation ceremony, either in January or next July.
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5 Officers Shot and 2 Suspects Killed in N.J. Melee


Robert Stolarik for The New York Times
Members of the Jersey City Police Department investigated the scene of a shooting between a shotgun-wielding suspect and the police.

By LIZ ROBBINS and CHRISTINE HAUSER
Published: July 16, 2009

Five Jersey City police officers were shot and wounded — two critically — as they tried to arrest a shotgun-wielding suspect early Thursday, officials said. The first officer was hit during a predawn encounter with the man, and the others were hit in a furious shootout in a building apartment and hallway that erupted when they tried to arrest the suspect, officials said.

Both the first suspect and a second one, described by some as a woman, were killed in the gun battle at 24 Reed Street near Journal Square, the officials said.

One critically injured officers was shot in the face, the other in the neck.

The officer shot in the face had “no signs of life” when he was brought to the Jersey City Medical Center, according to the hospital’s chief of surgery, Nathaniel Holmes, but was steadily improving in the early afternoon. The officer shot in the neck was in surgery and doing well, the Jersey City mayor, Jerramiah T. Healy, said.

Mr. Healy called the incident a “terrible gunfight.” Of the other officers who were shot, one was hit in his bullet-proof vest, another in the arm, and the third was grazed in the leg by a bullet and already released. Several others had minor injuries. The police would not release the names of the officers.

According to another Jersey City law official who requested anonymity because the case was still under investigation, the two people dead are suspected of conducting a robbery in Jersey City with shotguns in June and were under surveillance. The Jersey City police chief, Thomas J. Comey, would not confirm their identities or their gender.

“These individuals were being sought by our department for a major crime,” Chief Comey said, declining to comment on the crime. “This individual came fully ready to go to war with us. This is not a normal shotgun, this is not a street weapon, this is one meant to hunt nothing other than men, and he took it out on our police officer.”

The horrific scene unfolded in a period of about seven hours in New Jersey’s second-largest city that sits in the reflection of Manhattan. Glittering waterfront condominiums rub up against rundown areas like the gritty corner of Reed Street and Bergen Avenue, a neighborhood of three- and four-story buildings interspersed with empty lots of overgrown grass, bodegas and beauty salons that was witness to warfare: two separate bursts of heavy gunfire, erupting about an hour apart.

Chief Comey said that two officers had been sitting in a parked car at about 11 p.m. Wednesday near what they believed to be the suspect’s car when a man dressed in a cloak that appeared to be priest’s garb walked toward the car.

After driving up alongside the vehicle, the officer on the passenger side jumped out to apprehend the suspect. But concealed under the suspect’s cloak was a pump-action shotgun and a strap of ammunition. The suspect pivoted, threw off his cloak and unloaded two rounds of ammunition.

“As he realized we were on him, he shed an outer garment to make sure that he could pull the shotgun up so he could go to war almost instantly, go to battle,” Chief Comey said of the suspect.

The shotgun blast missed the officer on foot, but the pellets shattered the windshield of the police car, grazing the leg of the officer at the wheel. The gunman then fled into the apartment at 24 Reed Street, and the officers called for emergency backup. Officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, under a cooperation agreement, joined the Jersey City police.

The building was evacuated, and about an hour after the first shooting, a team of officers entered.

As soon as they started to break down the door into the apartment, one suspect started firing, his bullets piercing the apartment’s walls and through the halfway open door. The first officer inside the door was struck in the neck. The second officer who, was right behind him, was shot in the face, Chief Comey said.

A furious exchange of bullets followed, and the two suspects were fatally wounded. Officers hurried to carry their wounded colleagues down the flight of stairs to rush them to the hospital.

A little more than three hours later, Dr. Holmes, at the New Jersey Medical Center, was standing among other hospital and law enforcement officials expressing his amazement. The officer shot in the face had no vital signs at first. “So the fact that we can talk about him being in surgery is a minor miracle,” Dr. Holmes said.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/nyregion/17jersey.html?em
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