Friday, March 19, 2010

The pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal


Jeremiah 2

1Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

3Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.

4Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:

5Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

6Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

7And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

8The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

9Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead.

10For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.

11Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

12Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

13For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

14Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?

15The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.

16Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.

17Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?

18And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?

19Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

20For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

21Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

22For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

23How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

24A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

25Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

26As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.

27Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

28But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

29Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.

30In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

31O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?

32Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

33Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

34Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

35Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

36Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

37Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.


King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Blagojevich on 'Backroom' Health Care Deals

http://

The word from Obama: 'Courage'


Updated 7:30 p.m.

By Peter Slevin


STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - President Obama knows a good line when he hears it.

During the presidential primary, he grabbed a South Carolina supporter's call of "Fired up! Ready to go!" and made it a mantra. On Monday, talking health-care reform, it happened again.

Obama was pivoting from a promise to strengthen Medicare to a call for Congress to vote when a woman shouted from the audience at his rally, "We need courage!"

The crowd cheered, and Obama paused in his prepared remarks to repeat the phrase.

"We need courage," he said. "Did you hear what somebody just said? That's what we need.
That's why I came here today. We need courage."

More applause.

"We need courage," Obama said again, then returned to the words scrolling through his twin teleprompters.

But the word, and the sentiment, stuck with him. As he charged into the crescendo of his 30-minute speech, he returned to it.

"The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for these interests, for their future," Obama said. "So what they're looking for is some courage. They're waiting for us to act."

By the end, in a scene reminiscent of the height of his campaign-year popularity in 2008, Obama's words were swamped by crowd's cheers. Sleeves rolled up, his voice rising to a shout, he declared, "I'm calling on Congress to pass these reforms, and I'm going to sign them into law.
"I want some courage. I want us to do the right thing, Ohio. And with your help, we're going to make it happen."


By Peter Slevin March 15, 2010; 3:07 PM ET

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The text of President Barack Obama's speech in Strongsville



By Amanda Garrett, Sun News
March 15, 2010, 1:30PM



STRONGSVILLE -- Here is the complete text of President Barack Obama's remarks at the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center.

"Hello, Ohio! It’s great to be here in the Buckeye State. And it’s even better to be out of Washington for a little while.

"I want to thank Connie and her family for being here on behalf of Natoma. It’s not easy to share such a personal story. I appreciate your willingness to do so. I want you to know that she is the reason that I am here today. I know that she felt it was important that her story be told.

"Last month, I read a letter from Natoma. She’s self-employed, trying to make ends meet, and has for years done the responsible thing: buying health insurance through the individual market. The thing is, sixteen years ago, she was diagnosed with a form of treatable cancer. And even though she had been cancer free for more than a decade, the insurance company kept jacking up her rates anyway, year after year. So she increased her out-of-pocket expenses. She raised her deductible. She was doing everything she could to maintain health insurance that would be there for her in case she got sick.

"But even as she upped her deductible to the maximum, last year Natoma’s insurance company raised her premiums by more than 25 percent. Over the past year, she paid more than $6,000 in monthly premiums. She paid more than $4,000 out-of-pocket for co-pays, medical care, and prescriptions. So she ponied up more than $10,000 dollars. But because she never hit her deductible, her insurer only spent $900 on her care. And yet what comes in the mail at the end of last year? A letter telling Natoma that her premiums would go up again by more than 40 percent.

"She just could not afford it. She didn’t have the money. And despite her desire to keep her coverage – despite her fears that she would get sick and lose the home her parents built – she finally surrendered and gave up her health insurance. January was her last month of being insured. Like so many responsible Americans – folks who work hard every day, who try to do the right thing – she was forced to hang her fortunes on chance. She hoped against hope she would stay healthy. She feared terribly she would not.

"That was the letter. And I understand Natoma was pretty surprised when she found out that I read it – word for word – to the CEOs of America’s largest insurance companies – including the company that hiked up her rates by more than 40 percent.

"This was less than two weeks ago. But then Natoma’s worst fears were realized. Just last week, she was working on a nearby farm, walking outside – apparently, chasing after a cow – when she collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital. She was very sick. She needed two blood transfusions. Doctors performed a battery of tests. And on Saturday, Natoma was diagnosed with leukemia – a serious form of cancer.

"The reason Natoma is not here today is that she’s lying in a hospital bed, suddenly faced with this emergency – suddenly thrust into a fight for her life. She expects to face a month or more of aggressive chemotherapy.

"And she is racked with worry not only about her illness but about the cost of the tests and treatments she will surely need to beat it.

"I’m here because of Natoma.

"I’m here because of countless others who have been forced to face the hardest and most terrifying challenges in their lives with the added burden of medical bills they cannot pay.

"I’m here because I remember my own mother, in the last six months of her life, on the phone in her hospital room arguing with insurance companies when she should have been spending time with her family.

"I’m here because of the millions denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions – or dropped from coverage when they get sick.

"I’m here because of the small businesses forced to choose between health care and hiring.

"I’m here because of the seniors unable to afford the prescriptions they need.

"I’m here because of the folks seeing premiums going up by thirty, forty, fifty percent in a year.

"I am here because this is not the America I believe in – and it’s not the America you believe in.

"And so when you hear people say “start over” – I want you to think of Natoma. When you hear people saying that this isn’t the “right time” – think of what she’s going through. When you hear people talk about who’s up and who’s down in the polls – instead of what’s right or what’s wrong for the country – think of her and the millions of responsible people – working people – being hurt by today’s system of health insurance. And I want you to remember: There but for the grace of God go I.

"This status quo on health care is simply unsustainable. We cannot have a system that works better for the insurance companies than it does for the American people. We know what will happen if we fail to act. We know our government will be plunged deeper into debt. We know millions more people will lose coverage. And we know that rising costs will saddle millions more families with unaffordable expenses – and will force many small businesses to drop coverage altogether. A study just came out yesterday – a non-partisan study – which found that without reform, premiums could more than double for individuals and families over the next decade. Family policies could pass $25,000. Can you afford that?

"We have debated health care in Washington for more than a year. Every proposal has been put on the table. Every argument has been made. I know many people view this as a partisan issue, but both parties have found plenty of areas where we agree. And what we’ve ended up with is a proposal that’s somewhere in the middle – one that incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans.

"On one side of the spectrum, there were those who wanted to scrap our system of private insurance and replace it with government-run health care. But I didn’t think that was practical or realistic.

"On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who believe the answer is to simply unleash the insurance industry, by providing less oversight and fewer rules. I call this the “putting the foxes in charge of the hen house” approach. It would only give insurance companies more leeway to raise premiums and deny care.

"I don’t believe we should give the government or the insurance companies more control over health care in America. I believe it’s time to give you – the American people – more control over your own health insurance.

"That’s why my proposal builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I wouldn’t want any plan that interferes with the relationship between a family and their doctor.

"Essentially, my proposal would change three things about the current health care system. First, it would end the worst practices of insurance companies. Within the first year of signing health care reform, thousands of uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions will be able to purchase health insurance for the first time in their lives. This year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. This year, they will be banned from dropping your coverage when you get sick. Those practices will end.

"If this reform becomes law, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care to their customers starting this year – free check-ups so we can start catching preventable illnesses on the front end. Starting this year, if you buy a new plan, there will be no more lifetime or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care you receive from your insurance companies. And if you’re an uninsured young adult, you’ll be able to stay on your parents’ policy until you’re 26 years old.

"The second thing that would change about the current system is this: for the first time, uninsured individuals and small businesses will have the same kind of choice of private health insurance that Members of Congress get for themselves. If this reform becomes law, Members of Congress will be getting their insurance from the same place the uninsured get theirs. Because if it’s good enough for the American people, it ought to be good enough for the people you send to Washington.

"My proposal also says that if you still can’t afford the insurance in this new marketplace, we will offer you tax credits to do so – tax credits that add up to the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history. After all, the wealthiest among us can already buy the best insurance there is, and the least well-off are able to get coverage through Medicaid. But it’s the middle-class that gets squeezed, and that’s who we have to help.

"Now, it’s true that all of this will cost money – about $100 billion per year. But most of this comes from the nearly $2.5 trillion a year that America already spends on health care. It’s just that right now, a lot of that money is being spent badly. With this plan, we’re going to make sure the dollars we spend go toward making insurance more affordable and more secure. We’re also going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies that currently go to insurance companies. And we will set a new fee on insurance companies that stand to gain as millions of Americans are able to buy insurance. Here’s the point: our proposal is paid for.

"Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the federal government. Americans buying comparable coverage to what they have today in the individual market would see premiums fall by 14 to 20 percent. For Americans who get their insurance through the workplace, costs could fall by as much as $3,000 a person. By now, we have incorporated most of the serious ideas from across the political spectrum about how to contain the rising cost of health care – ideas that go after the waste and abuse in our system, especially in programs like Medicare. Our cost-cutting measures would reduce most people’s premiums and bring down our deficit by up to $1 trillion over the next two decades. And those aren’t my numbers; they are the savings determined by the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan, independent referee of Congress.

"Now, the opponents of reform have tried a lot of different arguments to stop these changes. But maybe the most insidious is the idea that somehow this would hurt Medicare. And I know we’ve got some seniors with us today. So let me just tell you directly: this proposal adds almost a decade of solvency to Medicare. This proposal would close that gap in prescription drug coverage – called the doughnut hole – that sticks seniors with thousands of dollars in drug costs. This proposal will over time help to reduce the costs of Medicare that you pay every month. And this proposal would make preventive care free so you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket for tests that keep you healthy.

"Yes, we are going after the waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare. But that’s because these are dollars that should be spent on care for seniors, not the care and feeding of insurance companies through subsidies and sweetheart deals. Every senior should know: there is no cutting of your guaranteed Medicare benefits. Period. This proposal makes Medicare stronger, makes the coverage better, and makes its finances more secure. Anyone who says otherwise is misinformed – or is trying to misinform you.

"So that’s the proposal. And I believe Congress owes the American people a final up-or-down vote. Of course, now that we’re approaching this vote, we’re hearing a lot of people in Washington talking about the politics. Talking about what this means for November. Talking about the poll numbers for the Democrats and the Republicans. But that’s why I wanted to come here today.

"Because in the end, this debate is about far more than the politics. It's about what kind of country we want to be. It’s about the millions of lives that would be touched and, in some cases, saved by making private health insurance more secure and more affordable. It’s about a woman, lying in a hospital bed, who wants nothing more than to be able to pay for the care she needs.

"And the truth is, what is at stake in this debate is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership. I don’t know about the politics. But I know what’s right. So I am calling on Congress to pass these reforms – and I look forward to signing them into law.

"Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."

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Watching TV leads to Heart Disease, Docs say

Visit msnbc.com for

Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
'>http://

Mountain Media Ministries - Upcoming Spring 2010 Seminar Trip



We are very excited to announce the locations for our upcoming seminar trip this spring. There are still several unconfirmed locations that will be added once they are confirmed.


March 20 & 21 - Roxbury, MA (Boston area) - Salem Hispanic SDA Church
March 27 & 28 - Olney, MD (DC area) - Olney SDA Church
April 3 & 4 - Covington, GA (Atlanta area) - First SDA Church of Covington
April 7 - Stone Mountain, GA (Atlanta area) - Stone Mountain SDA Church
April 10 & 11 - Huntsville, AL - Oakwood University Campus
April 12 - Marrero, LA (New Orleans area) - Marrero SDA Church
April 17 - Fontana, CA (L.A. area) - Fontana SDA Church
April 20 - Palm Desert, CA - Palm Desert Oasis SDA Church
April 22 - Hesperia, CA - Hesperia SDA Church
April 24 & 25 - Santa Cruz, CA - Santa Cruz SDA Church
April 26-29 - Leoni Meadows Camp, CA - Country Living/Gardening Seminars & Workshops
May 1 & 2 - San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Japanese SDA Church
June 12 & 13 - Gladstone, OR (Portland area) - Gladstone Park SDA Church

In our seminars, you will learn the basis for preparation and country living--from a spiritual perspective. And then with that foundation, we delve into valuable practical information on the "nuts and bolts" topics. What will you do when, for whatever reason, you do not have electricity? Will you be able to get water from you well? Will you be able to keep your home warm? Will you be able have food? These are the most basic physical necessities of life, and they are topics that are just as applicable to those currently living in the country as to city dwellers. Almost everyone has become completely dependent for even these most basic necessities, in this modern society of ours. In the Country Living Seminars, we will be exploring how you can become as independent as possible for these basic necessities. How you can not only survive, but also thrive! So that you can be a help and blessing to others in the days ahead. And so you can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
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None of our seminar locations near you?

Come to Leoni Meadows!Click here for more details

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Do you want to learn how to provide for your family's basic necessities of life?
Come from wherever you live to beautiful Leoni Meadows Camp (east of Sacramento, CA)
Enjoy an educational and inspiring 4-day family vacation - April 26-29
Learn skills VITAL to your family's well-being in the days ahead!
Hands-on Gardening Workshops with Master Gardener Lynn Hoag (presenter in our DVD Planting by the Blueprint)
MMM Country Living Seminars on alternative energy systems, independent water systems, heating with wood, canning/bread making/food preservation, affordable country housing, and more...including resource materials
Experience the peaceful forest atmosphere found in tehis special location--where both the spiritual foundations and the practical know-how are combined in an inspirational setting

Leoni Meadows Registration
Call Elizabeth Hoag at (530) 622 - 4968 for additinal info or if you do not want to register online


Click here for online Leoni Meadows seminar registration (this does not include lodging or meals)
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Click here for online Leoni Meadows meal registration (this does not include seminar fee or lodging)
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Click here for online Leoni Meadows lodging registration (this does not include seminar fee or meals)
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Celtic Sabbath-Keepers


Chapter 13

WE KNOW from several sources that Christianity entered the British Isles in apostolic times. (Colossians 1:23.) Rev. Richard Hart, B. A., Vicar of Catton, says:

"That the light of Christianity daawned upon these islands in the course of the first century, is a matter of historical certainty"– "Ecclesiastical Records," p. vii. Cambridge:1846.

Tertullian, about 200 A. D., included the Britons among the many nations which believed in Christ, and he speaks of places among

"the Britons–inaccessible to the Romans, but subjugated to Christ"–"Answer to the Jews," chap. vii.

Dr. Ephraim Pagit, in his "Christianography," printed in London, 1640, gives an interesting account of the early Christians in these islands. Before the church in the British Isles was forced under the papal yoke, it was noted for its institutions of learning.

The Rev. Mr. Hart says:

"That learning and piety flourished in these islands during the period of their independence is capable of the most satisfactory proof, and Ireland in particular was so universally celebrated, that students flocked thither from all parts of the world." –"Ecclesiastical Records," p. viii.

He says, some came to

"Ireland for the sake of studying the Scriptures"–Id., p. xi.

The Coming Of Patrick

Patrick, a son of a Christian family in southern Scotland, was carried off to Ireland by pirates about 376 A. D. Here, in slavery, he gave his heart to God and, after six years of servitude, escaped, returning to his home in Scotland. But he could not forget the spiritual need of these poor heathen, and after ten years he returned to Ireland as a missionary of the Celtic church.

"He had now reached his thirtieth year [390 A. D.]."–"The Ancient British and lrish Churches," William Catheart, D. D., p. 70.

Dr. E. Pagit says that

"Saint Patricke had in his day founded there 365 churches" –"Christianography," Part 2, p. 10.

Dr. August Neander says of Patrick:

"The place of his birth was Bonnaven, which lay between the Scottish towns Dumbarton and Glasgow, and was then reckoned to the province of Britain. This village, in memory of Patricius, received the name of Kil- Patrick or Kirk-Patrick. His father, a deacon in the village church, gave him a careful education"–"General History of the Christian Religion and Church," Vol. II, p. 122. Boston:1855.

Patrick himself writes in his "Confession":

"I, Patrick, . . . had Calpornius for my father, a deacon, a son of the late Potitus, the presbyter .... I was captured. I was almost sixteen years of age . . . and taken to Ireland in captivity with many thousand men"–"The Ancient British and Irish Churches," William Catheart, D. D., p. 127.

Patrick Not A Catholic

To those who have heard of Patrick only as a Catholic saint, it may be a surprise to learn that he was not a Roman Catholic at all, but that he was a member of the original Celtic church. There is no more historic evidence for Patrick's being a Roman Catholic saint, than for Peter's being the first pope. Catholics claim that Pope Celestine commissioned Patrick as a Roman Catholic missionary to Ireland; but William Catheart, D. D., says:

"There is strong evidence that Patrick had no Roman commission in Ireland."

"As Patrick's churches in Ireland, like their brethren in Britain, repudiated the supremacy of the popes, all knowledge of the conversion of Ireland through his ministry must be suppressed [by Rome, at all cost.]"–Id., p. 85.

The popes who lived contemporary with Patrick never mentioned him.

"There is not a written word from one of them rejoicing over Patrick's additions to their church, showing clearly that he was not a Roman missionary .... So completely buried was Patrick and his work by popes and other Roman Catholics, that in their epistles and larger publications, his name does not once occur in one of them until A. D.) 634."–Id., p. 83.

"Prosper does not notice Patrick .... He says nothing of the greatest success ever given to a missionary of Christ, apparently because he was not a Romanist"–Id., p. 84.

"Bede never speaks of St. Patrick in his celebrated 'Ecclesiastical History.'"–"Id., p. 85.

But, writinig of the year 431, Bede says of a Catholic missionary:

"Palladius was sent by Celestinus, the Roman pontiff, to the Scots [Irish] that believed in Christ."–"Ecclesiastical History," p. 22. London:1894.

But this papal emissary was not received any more favorably by the church in Ireland, than was Augustine later received by the Celtic church of Scotland, for

"he left because he did not receive respect in Ireland"–"The Ancient British and Irish Churches," William Catheart, D. D., p. 72.

No Roman Catholic church would have dared to ignore a bishop sent them by the pope. This proves that the churches in the British Isles did not recognize the pope.

Dr. Todd says:

"The 'Confession' of St. Patrick contains not a word of a mission from Pope Celestine. One object of the writer was to defend himself from the charge of presumption in having undertaken such a work as the conversion of the Irish, rude and unlearned as he was. Had he received a regular commission from the see of Rome, that fact alone would be an unanswerable reply. But he makes no mention of Pope Celestine, and rests his defense altogether on the divine call which he believed himself to have received for his work"– Id., pp. 81, 82.

"Muirchu wrote more than two hundred years after Patrick's death. His declaration is positive that he did not go to Rome."–Id., p. 88.

There are three reasons why Patrick could not have been a Roman Catholic missionary: 1. Early Catholic historians and popes avoided mentioning Patrick or his work; until later legendary histories represented him as a Catholic Saint *14. 2. When papal missionaries arrived in Britain, 596 A. D., the leaders of the original Celtic church refused to accept their doctrines, or to acknowledge the papal authority, and would not dine with them. (Compare 1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 John 8-11.) They

"acted towards the Roman party exactly 'as if they had been pagans"–"Ecclesiastical Records," by Richard Hart, pp. viii, xiv. 3.

The doctrines of the Celtic church of Patrick's day differed so widely from those of the Roman church, that the latter could not have accepted it as "Catholic." Patrick, and the churches he established in Ireland, as well as the mother church in Scotland and England, followed the apostolic practice of keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, and of working on Sunday, as we soon shall see. But this was considered deadly heresy by the Papacy.

Columba

Another leader in the Celtic church deserves to be mentioned, Columba, who was born in Ireland, A. D. 521. Animated by the zeal and missionary spirit he found in the schools established by Patrick, Columba continued the work of his predecessor, and selecting twelve fellow workers, he established a missionary center on the island of Iona. This early Celtic church sent its missionaries not only among the heathen Picts of their own country, but also into the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. This Sabbath-keeping church (as did their Waldensian brethren) kept the torch of truth burning during the long, dark night of papal supremacy, till finally they were conquered by Rome in the twelfth century. Professor Andrew Lang says of them: "They worked on Sunday, but kept Saturday in a Sabbatical manner"–"A History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation," Vol. I, p. 96. New York:Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1900.

Dr. A. Butler says of Columba:

"Having continued his labors in Scotland thirty-four years, he clearly and openly foretold his death, and on Saturday, the ninth of June, said to his disciple Diermit: ' This day is called the Sabbath, that is, the rest day, and such will it truly be to me; for it will put an end to my labors.'"–"Butler's Lives of the Saints," Vol. I, A. D. 597, art "St. Columba," p. 762. New York: P. F. Collier.

In a footnote to Blair's translation of the Catholic historian, Bellesheim, we read:

"We seem to see here an allusion to the custom, observed in the early monastic Church of Ireland, of keeping the day of rest on Saturday, or the Sabbath"–"History of the Catholic Church in Scotland," Vol. I, p. 86. Professor James C. Moffatt, D. D., Professor of Church History at Princeton, says: "It seems to have been customary in the Celtic churches of early times, in Ireland as well as Scotland, to keep Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of rest from labor. They obeyed the fourth commandment literally upon the seventh day of the week."–"The Church in Scotland," p. 140. Philadelphia:1882.

But the church of Rome could never allow the light of pure apostolic Christianity to shine anywhere, for that would reveal her own religion to be apostasy. Pope Gregory I, in 596, sent the imperious monk Augustine, with forty other monks, to Britain. Dr. A. Ebrard says of this "mission":

"Gregory well knew that there existed in the British Isles, yea, in a part of the Roman dominion, a Christian church, and that his Roman messengers would come in contact with them. By sending these messengers, he was not 'only intent upon the conversion of the heathen, but from the very beginning he was also bent upon bringing this Irish-Scotch church, which had hitherto been free from Rome, in subjection to the papal chair." –"Bonifacius," p. 16. Guetersloh, 1882. (Quoted in Andrews' "History of the Sabbath," fourth edition, revised and enlarged, p. 532). Through political influence, and with magnificent display, the Saxon king, Ethelbert of Kent, consented to receive the pope's missionaries, and "Augustine baptized ten thousand pagans in one day" by driving them in mass into the water. Then, relying on the support of the pope and the sword of the Saxons, Augustine summoned the leaders of the ancient Celtic church, and demanded of them, "'Acknowledge the authority of the Bishop of Rome.' These are the first words of the Papacy to the ancient Christians of Britain." They meekly replied: "'The only submission we can render him is that which we owe to every Christian"–"History of the Reformation," D' Aubigne, Book XVII, chap. 2.

"'But as for further obedience, we know of none that he, whom you term the Pope, or Bishop of Bishops, can claim or demand"–"Early British History," G. H. Whalley, Esq., M. P., p. 17 (London:1860) and "Variation of Popery," Rev. Samuel Edger, D. D., pp. 180-183. New York:1849.

Then in 601, when the British bishops finally refused to have any more to do with the haughty messenger of the pope, Augustine proudly threatened them with secular punishment. He said:

"'If you will not have peace from your brethren, you shall have war from your enemies; if you will not preach life to the Saxons, you shall receive death at their hands.' Edelfred, King of Northumbria, at the instigation of Augustin, forthwith poured 50,000 men into the Vale Royal of Chester, the territory of Prince of Powys, under whose auspices the conference had been held. Twelve hundred British priests of the University of Bangor having come out to view the battle, Edelfred directed his forces against them as they stood clothed in their white vestments and totally unarmed, watching the progress of the battle–they were massacred to a man. Advancing to the university itself, he put to death every priest and student therein, and destroyed by fire the halls, colleges, and churches of the university itself; thereby fulfilling, according to the words of the great Saxon authority called the Pious Bede, the prediction, as he terms it, of the blessed Augustine. The ashes of this noble monastery were smoking; its libraries, the collection of ages, having been wholly consumed."–"Early British History," G. H. Whalley, Esq., M. P., p. 18. London:1860. See also "Six Old English Chronicles," pp. 275, 276; edited by J. A. Giles, D. C. L. London:1906.

D'Aubigne says of Augustine:

"A national tradition among the Welsh for many ages pointed to him as the instigator of this cowardly butchery. Thus did Rome loose the savage Pagan against the primitive church of Britain"– "History of the Reformation,'' D'Aubigne, book 17, chap. 2.

This was a master stroke of Rome, and a great blow to the native Christians. With their university, their colleges, their teaching priests, and their ancient manuscripts gone, the Britons were greatly handicapped in their struggle against the ceaseless aggression of Rome. Still they continued the struggle for more than five hundred years longer, till finally, in the year 1069, Malcolm, the King of Scotland, married the Saxon princess, Margaret, who, being an ardent Catholic, began at once to Romanize the primitive church, holding long conferences with its leaders. She was assisted by her husband, and by prominent Catholic officials. Prof. Andrew Lang says:

"The Scottish Church, then, when Malcolm wedded the sainted English Margaret, was Celtic, and presented peculiarities odious to the English lady, strongly attached to the establishment as she knew it at home .... The Celtic priests must have disliked the interference of an Englishwoman. "First there was a difference in keeping Lent. The Kelts did not begin it on Ash Wednesday .... They worked on Sunday, but kept Saturday in a sabbatical manner"–"History of Scotland," Vol. I, p. 96.

William F. Skene says:

"Her next point was that they did not duly reverence the Lord's day, but in this latter instance they seem to have followed a custom of which we find traces in the early Monastic Church of Ireland, by which they held Saturday to be the 'Sabbath on which they rested from all their labours."–"Celtic Scotland," Vol. II, p. 349. Edinburgh: David Douglas, printer, 1877. "They held that Saturday was properly the Sabbath on which they abstained from work."–Id., p. 350.

"They were wont also to neglect the due observance of the Lord's day, prosecuting their worldly labours on that as on other days, which she likewise showed, by both argument and authority, was unlawful"–Id., p. 348.

Scotland Under Queen Margaret

Professor Andrew Lang relates the same fact thus:

"The Scottish Church, then, when Malcolm wedded the saintly English Margaret, was Celtic, and presented peculiarities odious to an English lady, strongly attached to the Establishment as she knew it at home .... "They worked on Sunday, but kept Saturday in a sabbatical manner .... These things Margaret abolished"–"A History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation," Vol. I, p. 96. New York:Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1900.

The Catholic historian, Bellesheim, says of Margaret:

"The queen further protested against the prevailing abuse of Sunday desecration. 'Let us, she said, venerate the Lord's day, inasmuch as upon it our Saviour rose from the dead; let us do no servile work on that day. The Scots in this matter had no doubt kept up the traditional practice of the ancient monastic Church of Ireland which observed Saturday, rather than Sunday, as a day of rest"–"History of the Catholic Church in Scotland," Vol. I, pp. 249, 250.

Finally the queen, the king, and three Roman Catholic dignitaries held a three-day council with the leaders of the Celtic church. Turgot, the queen's confessor, says:

"It was another custom of theirs to neglect the reverence due to the Lord's day, by devoting themselves to every kind of worldly business upon it, just as they did upon other days. That this was contrary to the law, she proved to them as well by reason as by authority. 'Let us venerate the Lord's day,' said she, 'because of the resurrection of our Lord, which happened upon that day, and let us no longer do servile works upon it; bearing in mind that upon this day we were redeemed from the slavery of the devil. The blessed Pope Gregory affirms the same, saying: "We must cease from earthly labour upon the Lord's day."'... From that time forward . . . no one dared on these days either to carry any burdens himself or to compel another to do so."–"Life of Queen Margaret," Turgot, Section 20; cited in "Source Book," p. 506, ed. 1922.

Thus Rome triumphed at last in Scotland. In Ireland also the Sabbathkeeping church established by Patrick was not long left in peace: "Giraldus Cambrensis informs us that in the year 1155 [Henry II, King of England, was entrusted by Pope Adrian IV with the mission of] invading Ireland [with devastating war] to extend the boundaries of the church, [so that even the Irish would become] faithful to the Church of Rome." The pope wrote Henry:

"'You, our beloved son in Christ, have signified to us your desire of invading Ireland, . . . and that you are also willing to pay to St. Peter the annual sum of one penny for every house. We therefore grant a willing assent to your petition, and that the boundaries of the Church may be extended, . . . permit you to enter the island.'"–"Ecclesiastical Records of England, Ireland, and Scotland," Rev. Richard Hart, B. A., pp. xv, xvi.

Thus we see, that in Scotland an English queen

"introduced changes which, in Ireland, came in the wake of conquest and the sword. For example, the ecclesiastical novelties which St. Margaret's influence gently thrust upon Scotland, were accepted in Ireland by the Synod of Cashel (1172) under Henry II. Yet there remained, in the Irish Church, a Celtic and an Anglo- Norman party, 'which hated one another with as perfect a hatred as if they rejoiced in the designation of Protestant and Papist.'"–"History of Scotland," Andrew Lang, Vol. I, p. 97.

But whether this triumph of Catholicism over the native Celtic faith was accomplished by the devastating wars of Henry II, or by Queen Margaret's appeal to Pope Gregory, and her threat of the civil law, in either case it lacked an appeal to plain Bible facts, accompanied by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. And, while the leaders of the Celtic church might reluctantly yield to the civil authorities, the people, who had kept the Bible Sabbath for centuries, requested divine authority for Sunday-keeping. For some time the papal missionaries, who preached this strange gospel to the Britons, fabricated all kinds of stories about miraculous punishments that had befallen those who worked on Sunday; Bread baked on Sunday, when it was cut, sent forth a flow of blood; a man plowing on Sunday, when cleaning his plow with an iron, had it grow fast to his hand, so that he had to carry it around to his shame for two years.

Forged Letter From Christ

When the Abbot Eustace, 1200 A. D., was continually confronted with requests for a divine command for Sunday-keeping, he finally retired to Europe, and returned the next year with a spurious letter from Jesus Christ, claimed to have fallen down from heaven upon St. Simon's altar at Golgotha. This letter declared:

"I am the Lord .... It is my will, that no one, from the ninth hour on Saturday (3 P.M.) until sunrise on Monday, shah do any work .... And if you do not pay obedience to this command, . . . I swear to you . . . I will rain upon you stones, and wood, and hot water, in the night .... Now, know ye, that you are saved by the prayers of my most holy Mother, Mary." –"Roger de Hoveden's Annals," Vol. II, pp. 526, 527, Bohn's edition. London:1853.

In that superstitious age such childish fabrications might, to some extent, satisfy some people, but four hundred years later the trouble flared up again.

"Upon the publication of the 'Book of Sports' in 1618, a violent controversy arose among English divines on two points; first, whether the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was in force among Christians; and, secondly, whether, and on what ground, the first day of the week was entitled to be distinguished and observed as 'the Sabbath.' In 1628 Theophilus Brabourne, a clergyman, published the first work in favor of the seventh day, or Saturday, as the true Christian Sabbath. He and several others suffered great persecution."–Haydn's Dictionary of Dates, art. "Sabbatarians," p. 602. New York:Harper and Brothers, 1883.

Several ministers arose in England about this time who defended the Bible Sabbath, and who were bitterly persecuted by the state church. John Trask was put in prison; his wife, a schoolteacher of a devout Christian character, remained in prison for fifteen years. On November 26, 1661, John James, a godly Sabbath-keeping preacher, was hanged for advocating the Sabbath truth, "and his head was set upon a pole opposite the meeting house in which he had preached the gospel."–"History of the Baptists," Dr. J. M. Cramp, p. 351. London:Elliot Stock, 1868.

Dr. Thomas Bampfield *15, who had been speaker in one of Cromwell's parliaments, wrote two books defending the seventh-day Sabbath (1692, 1693), but he also was imprisoned. In 1664, Edward Stennet, an English minister, wrote a book entitled: "The Seventh Day Is the Sabbath of the Lord." But like the rest, he had to spend a long time in prison.

In 1668 he wrote the following letter to his Sabbath-keeping brethren in America: "Abington, Berkshire, England, "February 2nd, 1668. "Edward Stennet, a poor unworthy servant of Jesus Christ, to the remnant in Rhode Island, who keep the commandments of God, and the testimonies of Jesus, sendeth greeting:

"Dearly Beloved:

"I rejoice in the Lord on your behalfs that He hath been graciously pleased to make known to you His holy Sabbath in such a day as this, when truth falleth in the streets, and equity cannot enter. And with us we can scarcely find a man that is really willing to know whether the Sabbath be a truth or not, and those who have the greatest parts, have the least anxiety to meddle with it.

"We have passed through great opposition for the truth's sake, repeatedly from our brethren, which makes the affliction heavier; I dare not say how heavy, lest it should seem incredible; but the Lord has been with us, affording us strength according to our day. And when lovers and friends seem to be moved far from us, the Lord was near us, comforting our souls, and quickening us, with such quick and eminent answers to our prayers, has encouraged and established us in the truth for which we suffer. But the opposers of truth seem much withered, and at present the opposition seems declining away; the truth is strong, and this spiritual fiery law will burn all those thorns which men set up before it. For was there ever any ceremonial law given us? But this law was given from the mouth of God, in the ears of so many thousands–written on tables of stone with His own finger– promised to be written on the tables of their hearts–and confirmed by a miracle for the space of forty years in the wilderness, the manna not keeping good any other day but the Sabbath ....

"It is our duty as Christians, to carry it with all meekness and tenderness to our brethren, who, through the darkness of their understanding in this point, differ from us. We have abundant reason to bless our dear Father, who hath opened our eyes to behold the wonders in His law, while many of His dear servants are in the dark; but the Lord has in this truth as in others, first revealed it unto babes, that no flesh shall glory in His presence. Our work is to be at the feet of the Lord in all humility, crying unto Him, that we may be furnished with all grace to fit us for His work; that we may be instruments in His hands, to convince our brethren (if the Lord will) who at present differ from us ....

"Truly, dear brethren, it is a time of slumbering and sleeping with us, though God's rod is upon our backs. Oh! pray for us to the Lord,' to quicken us, and set us upon watch-towers. Here are, in England, about nine or ten churches that keep the Sabbath, besides many scattered disciples, who have been eminently preserved in this tottering day, when many once eminent churches have been shattered in pieces. The Lord alone be exalted, for the Lord has done this, not for our sakes, but for His own name's sake. My dear brethren, I write these lines at a venture, not knowing how they will come to your hand. I shall commit them and you to the blessing of our dear Lord, who hath loved us, and washed away our sins in His own blood. If these lines come to you safely, and I shall hear from you, hereafter I will write to you more largely The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all'. Amen. "Edward Stennet." –"An Original History of the Religious Denominations," I. Daniel Rupp, p. 71. Philadelphia:1844. .


Source: http://www.sundaylaw.net/books/other/edwardson/facts/fof13.htm
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Facts Of Faith
By
Christian Edwardson

Contents

Chapter 1 The Perfect Guide






















Chapter 12 The Waldenses








Chapter 16 The Reformation










Chapter 21 The Antichrist












Chapter 27 The Jesuits






St Patrick drove out the pagans - not the snakes

Botched translation of text spawned myth of beloved national saint



Emma Quinlan from Castleknock pictured with her pet snake Bubbles




By Tom Prendiville
Sunday March 16 2008

The legend of Saint Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland may be nothing more than misreading of an ancient text.

According to Irish lore, Saint Patrick scattered the serpents and drove them into the sea, though most naturalists are convinced that larger reptiles were never part of our fauna.

Now it's emerged that the myth may have come about because of a too-literal translation of an ancient sixth century text called the Dinnshenchas.

The text carries an account of a sect called the Crom Cruich, who used the symbolism of the snake.

In time, Crom Cruich eventually became a powerful force in Ireland, whose followers used the snake as their symbol. And herein may lie the real story about Saint Patrick driving out the snakes "Crom Cruich which literally means bloody crescent, was a pagan site of worship near the village of Ballymagauran in County Cavan. It's exact location was in the plain of Mag Sleact, which translates into the field of adoration. At its entrance was a large megalithic standing stone which was surrounded by 12 smaller upright lintels. So in a sense it looked like Stonehenge in England."

"The Crom Cruich cult were very bloodthirsty with the faithful expected to sacrifice their first born in his honour to assure a successful harvest. The annual slaughter took place on the pagan feast of Samhain, on November 1, each year," explains historian, Thomais Moriarty, who specialises in pre-Christian Ireland.

It's recounted in the text that Saint Patrick marched on the place with a band of well-armed missionaries, mocked its demons, blessed the place afterwards and then destroyed the site.
"By all accounts, a major battle took place, but Patrick and his well-armed followers won the day.
"The people feared terrible retribution from the pagan god afterwards, but it never came to pass, and from that point onwards, the cult's grip was effectively broken in Ireland for all time.
The event is recorded in the 6th century Dinnshenchas text, otherwise known as the Book of Leinster," adds Thomais Moriarty.

According to Brendan Scott of Cavan County Museum, a standing stone which stood at the entrance to the site was destroyed but the Crom Cruich idol is still in existence: "We have the Kilcluggin Stone which is part of the original Crum Cruich idol. When Saint Patrick came along it was covered in gold and would have stood in the centre. Surrounding it were 12 smaller stones which were covered in silver. There is a rath (fort) at the top of a hill near Ballyconnell in west Cavan called Derryrath, and I reckon that was the original site where Saint Patrick had the battle and destroyed the idol," explains Brendan Scott.

Ireland has two native reptiles which belong to the serpent family: the Common Lizard and the Slow Worm, a legless snake-like serpent measuring several inches long which is native to Clare.
The Common lizard or Lacerta Vivipara, belongs to the same family as the mildly poisonous Adder, which is found in Britain, but not here. The native Irish lizard lives mainly in coastal areas and hibernates until the spring and one of the largest colonies in the country is in Slieve Bloom, Tipperary.
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- Tom Prendiville
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Slaughter Solution or Nuclear Option?



Economy Kept On Life Support While Global Governance Is Organized

By Giordano Bruno

Neithercorp Press - 03/10/2010


Herbert West: Re-Animator




Winter is slowly melting away here in the U.S., and Spring will soon be upon us. Wall Street is currently flush with delight at the year long run of the stock market (driven by fiat bailouts), which at first glance appears to be doing quite well, though international incidences such as those in Dubai and Greece have revealed how shaky the market actually is in the face of any unhealthy news. In the meantime, the dollar, recently on the edge of detrimental value loss, has made a semi-miraculous recovery in the span of a few months, especially as the Euro suffers. Official employment numbers, despite the continuous loss of jobs monthly, have somehow fallen and are for the moment stabilized. Is it time for America to dust off the old credit cards and return to the wild and rollicking carefree spending days of pre-2007? Perhaps not…

While the mainstream media puts on the recovery song and dance, the fundamental problems of the collapse remain the same, and in some cases are growing ever more precarious. Subsections of the public, unaware of the real issues at hand, are holding a misguided jubilee in the tranquil eye of a hurricane, wrongly assuming that the storm has passed.

The world is breathing a hasty sigh of relief at the beginning of 2010, but what are the facts behind the current “peaceful” economic moment? In this article, we will examine whether or not the good news is legitimate, or, if are we being lulled into a false sense of security…

Job Market Statistics Manipulated
At the beginning of the year, official unemployment stood at around 10%. This number of course does not include those people who are off unemployment benefits and still have not found jobs, or those people who are underemployed. The Labor Department then announced their intention to revise their “birth/death ratio” method of calculating job loss, which would supposedly add a whopping 800,000 lost jobs to their books that were hidden before:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/news/economy/jobs_outlook/

Directly after this news was released, markets braced for a substantial increase in the unemployment percentage. Yet, by some act of magic, the unemployment percentage fell to 9.7%!

http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/jobs_picture_20100205/

How is this possible? Well, those of us who were hoping for greater Labor Department transparency (including myself) should have known better. With the Labor Department, two-plus-two NEVER equals four…

As the EPI article above indicates, while the government has reportedly changed their dubious “birth/death ratio” method, they also at the same time changed their “home survey” method. This survey is meant to give the Labor Department an overall view of unemployment percentages, but now the government has sharply reduced the number of households they actually survey, making the results more volatile and easier to manipulate. This why even though nearly a million jobless people were added to the unemployment rolls, the government was still able to report a drop in unemployment percentages. Sound like a dirty trick? Yes, it is…
According to the EPI’s estimates, which are probably still conservative, over 11 million jobs would need to be created in order to bring employment rates to pre-2007 levels. This is called the “jobs gap.” To fill the jobs gap by 2013 (which is about the time frame that the government has suggested it would take for a full recovery) the U.S. would need to generate over 400,000 jobs a month for the next three years! As I think most of you can see, this is not going to happen. Last month according to official numbers the U.S. lost another 36,000 jobs. Jobs are not being created, and will not be created anywhere near the 400,000 a month mark required for a three year recovery.

Also not often reported is the span of weeks at which those who are unemployed have to wait until they find another job. This “lag time” in-between jobs has grown markedly higher in recent months as the chart below shows:

In January of this year alone, 6.3 million people (over half of those unemployed) had been without a job for more than 6 months. This is an astonishing number, and it shows just how out of touch MSM reports of recovery are. Anyone who has been unemployed for more than just one month knows how tense and uncertain such a situation makes life. Imagine the misery of a 6 month hiatus from steady work, not able to fully support ones self and not knowing when you’ll be able to again. The Labor Department, nor the media, seems to take the factor of ‘duration’ into account when considering whether employment is actually in recovery. Nor do they take into account the fact that most of the jobs lost over the past two years were high paying and specialized, while most of the scant few jobs created have been low paying service sector positions.

What is most frightening about this information is that it reveals deliberate mishandling of statistics. Instead of being more open about unemployment numbers, the government is moving to hide them further. But why would they escalate secrecy on the economy?

The Day The Dollar Died
Last week, Li Ruogu, chairman of Export-Import Bank of China, a lender tasked with supporting the country’s foreign investments, stated that China would continue to support the dollar and that reports of a break from U.S. treasuries were “absolute nonsense.” Investors in treasuries this week seemed to take the comment as a good sign that the dollar’s place as world reserve currency is assured. However, one might ask why it was suddenly so important for China to comfort treasury markets?

Interestingly, statements of China’s “affection” for the dollar have come right after their central bank decided to dump $34 billion in U.S. treasuries. Along with other nations, the U.S. suffered the worst one month treasury dump on record so far at $53 billion:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Foreigners-cut-Treasury-apf-1402391707.html?x=0

This follows a treasury dump last year by China of $25 billion, after which we predicted that such dumps would occur more frequently and in larger amounts. Apparently, we were right:

http://neithercorp.us/npress/?p=105
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/91421/6734461.html

Initially, it was reported after their latest dumping of U.S. bonds that China had lost its position as the number one investor in U.S. debt, placing Japan in the top spot. Strangely, only days later this report was rescinded after the Treasury released a statement claiming that China did indeed dump $34 billion in bonds, but, they were still the number one investor in T-bills:

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100217/tbs-us-economy-finance-bonds-china-japan-ec2362a.html

How is this possible? According to the Treasury, they “forgot” to include Chinese treasury holdings in third markets such as Hong Kong and Britain. This is very strange. Who holds these extra bonds and what are they doing sitting in foreign venues? Is it not convenient that these bonds appeared from thin air just as news of China’s treasury dump was hitting the bond market? And now we suddenly have a Chinese finance official attempting to reassure the world that China still wants T-bonds while at the same time they are trying to get rid of them? If this behavior seems confusing it is because this is what occurs when governments lie big; no matter how good they are at it, they can’t make the facts add up.

If one examines Treasury Auctions month-to-month, they would find that “Primary Buyers” of treasuries (who have to buy treasuries when no one else is buying) now dominate auction sales. Indirect buyers, who cannot be tracked, also make up a large portion of competitive bids on treasury bonds. It is suspected that most of these indirect buys are made by the Federal Reserve itself in order to prop up the dollar. The article below explains the process succinctly:

http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2010-02/Something-Very-Strange-Is-Happening-With-Treasuries.aspx

The bottom line is that foreign governments are NOT buying treasuries at volumes necessary to keep the U.S. afloat amidst its ever climbing national debt, and in some cases, they are now trying to quietly and gradually dump what they have so as to not arouse immediate suspicion from the markets. In fact, the Treasury and the Federal Reserve seem to be helping them do this!

The dollar is, in effect, dead, but disinformation and market manipulation, mainly by the private Federal Reserve, is being used to reanimate it for appearances. The result is the conjuring of a kind of “zombie currency,” a Weekend at Bernie’s currency that the Fed props up with strings and pulleys to fool everyone at the party.

The most obvious question here is, why go through so much trouble to keep the dollar around at all?

World Government And The SDR
Since the “Great Recession” began, economic forums and conferences such as the G20, and the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland have spoken of little else except the formation of a centralized world economy and the establishment of a legal body that has the power to run it. At the Davos “workshops,” economists and others present ideas for world governance as if they were the originators of the concept. It may not be surprising to most of us that there is rarely if ever anyone who participates in the WEF meetings that supports the restoration of national sovereignty. In fact, nearly all the participants seem to assume that a world government is the solution to all our ills. It is also important that like the G20, government officials from all over the world attend, including those from the U.S., and that very often the policies developed at these forums end up in legislation and mass media here at home. Meaning, the laws and propaganda supporting forced globalization and world government are fine tuned at the meetings and then brought to America for mass consumption. Below are a couple video examples of Davos workshops:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD9aryKfHGw&feature=player_embeddedhttp://





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfIiI_RzmE&feature=player_embeddedhttp://






It is important to recognize what exactly is being presented in these two videos because they reveal much about our current economic circumstances. The goal of the G20 and the WEF, as they have stated on numerous occasions, is to dissolve national sovereignty. If they had their way, America as we know it would not exist, along with the Constitutional framework that is meant to protect our liberties. To achieve this end, a carefully engineered breakdown of the U.S. dollar is being enacted.

As we have shown, U.S. treasuries auctions have tanked and those long term treasuries already held by foreign nations are being slowly cast off. So far, the Federal Reserve has propped up the dollar by purchasing T-bonds in the place of foreign banks who no longer want them. By continually monetizing this debt, the Fed will inflate an incredible bubble in the treasury market. When will this bubble burst? The key lay in the rules governing Special Drawing Rights.
Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) are securities much like treasury bonds. Their value is determined by a basket of international currencies including the Dollar, the Euro, the Yen, and the Pound Sterling. The IMF claims that SDRs are not technically considered currency, but SDRs serve nearly all the functions of a currency except that they are not available to the general public (yet). It walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, but the IMF would rather not call it a duck. In the end, the SDR is a world reserve currency, and its purpose is to topple the dollar.

Not long after the economic meltdown began, the IMF announced that they would begin the unlimited printing of SDRs. In 2009, within the span of a few months, SDR circulation went from $21 billion, to nearly $204 billion, and this is only the amount they have admitted to:

http://www.imf.org/external/np/fin/tad/extsdr1.aspx

Governments across the world have purchased SDRs, while at the same time dropping U.S. treasuries. China in particular has shown sharp interest in the SDR as a replacement for the U.S. dollar:

http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/dailybriefing/2009_09_03/China_buys__50_billion_in_first-ever_IMF_bonds.html

It may be prudent to mention that China’s heightened dumping of U.S. treasuries began right around the time that the IMF began mass printing SDRs. And, even more disconcerting, the U.S. Treasury also quintupled its supply of SDRs in August of 2009:

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/US%20INTL%20RESERVES.jpg

Being that the U.S. dollar is supposedly the undisputed world reserve currency, why would the U.S. Treasury have any need to buy SDRs at all? Would this not be redundant? Unless, the Treasury knows that the dollar will not remain the world reserve currency for much longer….

Now we get to the tricky part…

The IMF has instituted new rules governing the SDR and those countries who trade it (called “member countries”). Drafting the “Fourth Amendment” governing SDR allocation, the IMF now requires member nations to retain a “special allocation” of the currency much higher than previous allocations. Countries who keep their SDR supply above the required level receive interest payment on their excess. Countries that fall below the required level have to PAY interest on the shortfall. That is to say, if the U.S. were to allow its SDR reserves to fall below the level demanded by the IMF, we would be punished monetarily. Also, under current rules, the interest rates of the currencies that make up the SDR help to determine the interest rates of the SDR.

The IMF claims it only acts as an “intermediary” between countries wishing to trade in SDRs, but since the IMF is the creator and printer of SDR’s, this would ultimately make them the controller of the SDR market, not some outside intermediary.

Participation in the SDR market for now is voluntary. However, what we are witnessing here is the subtle positioning of the SDR as the only alternative in the event that the U.S. dollar fails, and once again, China is the key.

China’s Slow Dollar Dive
The argument is constantly made by mainstream economists that China could never drop its large supply of U.S. T-bills because if they tried, the dollar would collapse, virtually erasing the value of their dollar holdings. The suggestion that “they are as dependent on us as we are on them” is rampant in the MSM, but, if we throw in the wild card factor of the SDR, this all changes.

If the Chinese central bank along with certain others amass enough SDRs over an extended period of time while gradually selling off their T-bonds, the SDR’s could act as a cushion to prevent foreign central banks from losing a large portion of their wealth while the dollar sinks. In fact, in the event that the Federal Reserve raises interest rates on the dollar (perhaps in response to the heightened risk of a mass treasury dump) those holding SDR’s actually benefit, because the interest they receive on their SDR reserves will also go up:

http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/faq/sdrallocfaqs.htm

This would not absorb all of China’s losses in the event of a dollar collapse, but it would be a very effective stop gap, and ample incentive for them to continue dumping treasuries. I believe that this is the exact reason why the dollar and the Dow have been held up by the Federal Reserve for so long. They cannot allow a major dollar depreciation until the SDR is established on the world market as a ready substitute.

A good sign that this process might accelerate would be in the event that China de-pegs the Yuan from the Dollar and allows it to appreciate in value. This would signal that China is moving away from the traditional export arrangement with the U.S. Talks of a Yuan appreciation are already hitting the MSM:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/7386391/China-ready-to-end-dollar-peg.html

Investors in the U.S. will foolishly cheer a rise in the value of the Yuan, thinking that this will increase American exports to China. In reality, China will be preparing to dump the last of its U.S. bonds, and begin exports and imports with the new ASEAN trading bloc:

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201002280656dowjonesdjonline000247&title=asean-exports-to-grow-7-to-85-in-2010--indonesia-trade-min

This new bloc has the potential to surpass profit margins in U.S. markets, especially in the face of extremely weak consumer activity in America. As the U.S. falters under sovereign debt pressure, China will be in prime standing with a ready supply of SDRs and an organized trading bloc to take up the slack of falling exports to the West.

Shock And Awe
The illusion of U.S. recovery seems to be paramount in the plan for Globalist centralization. Every scam imaginable has been fashioned to lure the public into a sense of false comfort. In my original observations on the economic collapse, I believed that we would likely see a “trigger” event in 2010, which would set off a “rolling breakdown” that would not fully climax for a few years. Now, I am not so sure. After examining the facts behind the implementation of SDRs as well as the potentially explosive situation in the treasury market, I believe that a “shock and awe” scenario is becoming more probable. The behavior of the Fed, along with that of the IMF seems to suggest that they are preparing for a focused collapse, peaking within weeks or months instead of years, and the most certain fall of the dollar.

As I think of it now, the advantages of a sudden financial flash flood are numerous. In a drawn out collapse, the Liberty Movement is given a tremendous time advantage, allowing us to double and redouble our membership while the public opinion of the Federal Reserve and the government in general would deteriorate. In a sudden breakdown, our time will be cut short, and the public will be distracted and fearful, desperate for an organized authority to offer any semblance of “order.” A slow collapse allows for the Liberty Movement to work peacefully within the system to build a third party capable of dethroning the current two party farce. A sudden collapse erases all political activity and opens the door to martial law and illegitimate government. And finally, a fast moving meltdown leaves a much stronger psychological impression; a catastrophic waking nightmare, instead of a slow grinding depression. A world government could never be brought about due to the “monotony” of a long slow economic burnout. Too many factors could present themselves in such an extended period that might interfere with the desired end result. Too many variables to calculate. In an abrupt collapse, the Globalists would need only to gage and influence the amount of fear in the populace to a sufficient boiling point then leap in with their intended solution to the problem; centralized global governance.

I feel that in either method, the Central Bankers will fail to reach their ultimate goal, but the prospect of a direct monetary break with limited warning does make the atmosphere much heavier. One can only prepare as much as possible mentally and emotionally, and keep his eyes wide open…
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Posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
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Source: http://neithercorp.us/npress/?p=268
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Mind-Control Coming To A Computer Near You?


Posted on: Thursday, 4 March 2010, 12:55 CST Related Video

The world’s largest high-tech fair is the place to go to find out how you can play games or do daily chores all by just using the power of your mind.

At the annual CeBIT fair, crowds gathered around a man sitting at a pinball table, wearing a cap full of electrodes attached to his head. The man controlled flippers with ease without the use of his hands.

Michael Tangermann, of Berlin Brain Computer Interface, told spectators “He thinks: left-hand or right-hand and the electrodes monitor the brain waves associated with that thought, send the information to a computer, which then moves the flippers,”

Although the technology can be used as a fun gadget, there is so much more it could possibly do. Scientists are researching potential ways the technology would be able to monitor brain waves of motorists to help improve reaction times in a crash.

In an emergency where a driver needs to stop quickly, brain activity kicks in around 200 milliseconds before even the most alert driver can hit the brake. Although, scientists are not thinking that the car should automatically brake for the driver, Tangermann said. He did say, however, “there are various things the car can do in that crucial time, tighten the seat belt, for example.”

Using the monitoring technology, a car could also tell whether the driver is drowsy or not, potentially keeping the driver safe, by alerting them to take a break.

At another booth, spectators watched a man wearing a similar device as he sat in front of a screen with a large keyboard, with letters flashing in an ordered sequence. The user concentrates on a letter flashing on the screen and the brain waves stimulated at this exact moment are registered by the computer and the letter appears onscreen.

Currently, the technology is slow-going -- it took the man about 4 minutes to write a five-letter word -- but researchers are hoping to perfect the technology in the close future.

Another device showed users controlling robots with their mind. The user concentrates on flashing lights from a small box that has lights on each of four compass points. Depending on which light he concentrates on, the robot will move in that direction.

Scientists say the technology is being perfected for use by persons with disabilities, allowing them to communicate and operate devices with their brain. “In future, people will be able to control wheelchairs, open doors and turn on their televisions with their minds,” said Clemens Holzner from g.tec.


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On the Net:
CeBIT
Berlin Brain Computer Interface
Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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