Friday, October 01, 2010

America - Under the Influence Of False Religion and Bondage!


Volume XXIX Issue X October 2010
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/


America - Under the Influence Of False Religion and Bondage!

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

Job 1:7

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

Isaiah 14:12-15

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

Revelation 12:9-12

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

I Peter 4:7


In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine the current events of our time in these last days and the reason things have happened in the way that they have happened. We will look at the root and the cause of all the pain, misery, strife, and sin we see slowly wearing away and eroding this world and the people who live in it. "How did things get this way?" you might wonder. Ultimately, every problem this world faces today is due to the effects of sin.

The very first sin was committed by Lucifer while he was still in heaven. He was a powerful angel and being lifted up with pride, he decided that he was going to be "like the most high." In essence, he wanted to overthrow God and take His place on the heavenly throne. God thrust Satan out of Heaven because of his horrific sin, along with some of the angels which had aligned themselves with Lucifer. While some angels were cast out of Heaven, others left voluntarily. In total, one third of the angels left Heaven and became what we now call "demons."

Of course, being cast out of heaven didn't damper Satan's lust for power. Since that time he has sought to take over and control God's creation as he wanders "to and fro in the earth." His goal has always been to control and enslave the population of the world, and to do that he would need a one world government. Satan has inspired many evil men throughout the ages to do his bidding. They were men such as Alexander the Great, the Caesars of ancient Rome, religious leaders such as the popes of Rome, Muhammad, and tyrants of more recent years, such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Numerous wicked men began to form clandestine orders and secret societies, some of which still exist today. Additionally, countless other men and women have been manipulated and used by Satan without them even realizing it.

The good news is that you do not have to be under the bondage of Satan. Through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we have victory over sin, death, and hell. I urge you to submit your heart to God while you still can. We don't know how much time we have left, but the hour is late, the days are evil, and the time is short. None of us are promised tomorrow. Call upon the Lord, repent of your sins, and He will deliver you.

Economic Bondage!

When we consider the economies of the United States and various countries around the world, things seem pretty bleak for most people. Sure, Barack Obama still insists that things are improving, but for most of us that improvement is happening at such a slow pace that we don't even notice it.

The cost of Obama's stimulus plan has been exponential, and many of the programs it funded have been failures. To date, we've seen little improvement in the unemployment rate, and the housing market lost all momentum after the first time home buyer's tax credit expired. We have to ask ourselves: was it really worth spending hundreds of billions on a stimulus package that so far has only yielded a very miniscule amount of economic growth? Furthermore, it's immoral to stimulate growth at the expense of our nation's future generations. All of the money Obama borrowed for the stimulus package and all of the other debt piled on top of that will eventually have to be paid by our children, our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren if this world should tarry that long. Our government is spending more money than we have and passing on the burden of repayment to Americans who haven't even been born yet!

The United States can only sustain these extreme levels of debt for so long. Eventually, there will be no recourse other than to raise taxes on Americans. David Stockman, former director of President Reagan's Office of Management & Budget, stated in an interview, "We are going to have to be honest with the American people and say we are, unfortunately, going to have to pay a lot more in taxes to fund the government." (1)

Simply raising taxes won't be enough, however. The government will also need to implement new taxes. One such tax is the upcoming requirement that all Americans purchase health insurance. Although Obama originally insisted that the new health insurance requirements were not a tax, his Administration is now claiming that it actually is a tax, and because it is an exercise of the government's "power to lay and collect taxes," the requirement is legal nationwide and not subject to regulations on interstate commerce. It was only last September when Obama stated, "For us to say that you've got to take responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase." (2) Clearly, it was always a tax. Why else would the IRS be the agency levying the monetary penalty if we refuse to buy insurance?

We are living in a time when we're beginning to see the very fabric of American society unravel. In areas of South Dakota, Michigan, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, local governments are so cash-strapped that they can no longer afford upkeep on some of their local roads. Their solution has been to convert paved roads to gravel. (3)

In Oakland, California, budget constraints have forced the police department to lay off eighty police officers. Because of this unfortunate decrease in law enforcement personnel, the Oakland Police department has created a list of forty-four crimes they are no longer able to respond to in person. These crimes include grand theft, burglary, vehicle collision, identity theft, and vandalism. Instead, victims are directed to report those crimes online. (4)

Over 120 schools in the United States have been forced to give their teachers involuntary furloughs in order to cut costs. This has reduced the school week to four days instead of five for many children. Other communities around the country have been forced to cut public transit services, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, has turned off one third of its 24,512 streetlights. (5)

It's a well-known reality that the cost of higher education has been soaring over the last few decades. In fact, the number of Americans still paying off more than $20,000 in student loans a decade after graduating has doubled since 1990. (6) The cost of college at public universities has spiked by 30% since 1980. (7) Now, because of these hard economic times, college graduates are having a difficult time finding employment, and 80% of them are moving back in with their parents after graduation. (8)

The unemployment rate currently sits at 9.6%. While Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke remains optimistic that the economy will continue to improve, economists at Goldman Sachs and BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research are projecting an average economic growth of less than 2% in 2011. Many other economists seem pretty glum as well. Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS, Inc., said, "The economy is stagnating. Consumer spending isn't going anywhere. Unemployment is going to be very slow to come down, so we'll be stuck in the mid-9 percent range for a while." Jonathan Basile, an economist at Credit Suisse in New York had this to say, "The reason for the darker mood is there's a slowing in more than one area of the economy at the same time. Demand is not accelerating, and firms see the uneven recovery and all this uncertainty, so they're hesitant to invest and hire." (9)

A big part of the reason our unemployment is so high is because so many jobs formerly held by Americans have shifted to India, China, and elsewhere around the world. It's interesting to note that in a recent Fox News poll, 62% of respondents indicated that they feel the United States is on the decline. (10) Here let it be noted that China has now eclipsed Japan as the world's second-largest economy, and it's estimated that China will overtake the United States' slot as the world's largest economy within ten years. (11)

There is much more that could be said about the economy. I realize that reading these reports may make it difficult to maintain a positive outlook. However, we serve a mighty God, and He is able to supply our every need. Most of us will probably never be wealthy in this world. But as we work for God, we lay up treasures in heaven. No one can take these away, and the earthly governments of this world cannot tax them!

Islam - The False Religion Of "Peace"!

There's been a lot of controversy over the religion of Islam lately. Much of the recent outrage toward Islam has been spurred by plans to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque just a few blocks from Ground Zero in New York City where Muslim terrorists flew hijacked commercial flights into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Many prominent figures, including President Obama, have stepped forward to publically defend the construction of the new Islamic building. While it's true that from a legal standpoint the building has a right to exist, constructing it so close to Ground Zero feels much like an attempt to gloat over the attack perpetrated by Muslim extremists nine years ago.

The imam (Islamic teacher) behind the construction plans of the mosque near Ground Zero, Feisal Abdul Rauf, was sent on a "three-nation outreach" trip to the Middle East in August of 2010 by the U.S. State Department. This trip was all expenses paid, and the $16,000 tab was funded by American tax dollars. (12) I wonder if this U.S. State Department would also like to send Christian missionaries on a publically funded "outreach trip." After all, that would only be fair!

There are many people insisting that Islam is a peaceful religion. Barack Obama, despite his claims to be a Christian, seems particularly fond of Islam. During a speech delivered on June 4, 2009, Obama said, "America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." Obama also stated in the same speech, "As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith." Obama also quoted from the Quran during that speech. (13)

If Islam is a religion of peace, why do their followers persecute Christians in nations that are predominantly Islamic? In Indonesia, Christian church services are often interrupted by Muslims chanting "infidels!" and "leave now!" Muslims have thrown shoes and water bottles at Christians, and on September 12, 2010, one Christian worshipper was stabbed and a minister was pounded on the head with a wooden plank. (14)

Why is it that if you draw a picture of Muhammad, Muslims will attempt to kill you? Why is it that if you threaten to burn a Quran, Muslims will chant "death to Christians!" These hardly seem like the reactions of a peaceful group of people. But if we really want to understand why they react in such a manner, we need to look no further than the Quran itself. The so-called "holy book" states, "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution of [Muslims] is worse than slaughter of [of non-believers]... and fight them until persecution is no more and religion is for Allah." Another verse in the Quran reads as follows, "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them." (15) There are numerous other verses in the Quran along those same lines.

Barack Obama and several of the politicians in power will generally insist that the violent Muslims are just the "extremists." Actually, the "extremist" Muslims are the truest adherents of the religion as they follow the Quran more closely than their less zealous brethren. The majority of Muslims in the United States aren't terrorists and probably never will be. They have, for the most part, been Americanized. However, there are a large number of violent "extremist" Muslims all over the world, and some of them are most likely in America. One such example is Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist who shot and killed twelve people and wounded thirty-one more at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009. (16)

I believe it is part of Satan's plan to put Christendom and Islam against each other to the detriment and destruction of both religions. This would clear much of the playing field, so to speak, and make his goal of a one world government and a New World Order much easier to implement.

The False Religion Of Earth Worship!

Although there's often much talk of extremist Islam, there is another group of dangerous radical extremists which do not receive a lot of attention. These people worship "Mother Earth," and they believe that this planet is overpopulated and being destroyed by humans. Adherents of this religion consider human beings a "cancer to the earth" and believe that the population of the world must be drastically reduced.

One such extremist was the now deceased James J. Lee who stormed the headquarters of the Discovery Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland, on September 1, 2010. Lee came in wielding a gun and carrying what he claimed were explosive devices. He took three employees of the Discovery Channel hostage and demanded that the channel and its affiliates cease what he deemed to be programming that endorsed human reproduction. Lee had previously written on his website, "Saving the planet means saving what's left of the non-human wildlife by decreasing the human population. That means stopping the human race from breeding any more disgusting human babies!" (17) Lee also referred to babies as "parasitic human infants" and said the Discovery Channel should air "programs encouraging human sterilization and infertility." (18) Police officers eventually shot and killed Lee after a nearly four hour standoff. (19)

While most people would agree that James J. Lee was a deranged madman, few people seem to realize that some of the world's most prominent billionaires share the same views on human population. They are men such as Bill Gates, Maurice Strong, and Ted Turner, who because of their vast wealth also wield a great deal of power and influence. It was Bill Gates who stated during a recent seminar, "The world today has 6.8 billion people. That's headed up to about 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps ten or fifteen percent." (20) Maurice Strong is a powerful Canadian businessman and billionaire who is heavily involved with the United Nations. He once stated, "Licences to have babies incidentally is something that I got in trouble for some years ago, for suggesting even in Canada that this might be necessary at some point, at least some restriction on the right to have a child." (21) Maurice Strong has praised Ted Turner many times, and some theorize that it was actually Ted Turner who was responsible for erecting the Georgia Guidestones.

The Georgia Guidestones is a large granite monument located in Elbert County, Georgia, in the United States. There are ten guides inscribed on the structure in English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. The guides call for, among other things, the earth's population to be reduced and maintained to a level under 500 million as well as the establishment of a new one-world language and the formation of a world court in which to handle disputes. The final guide states, "Be not a cancer on the earth - leave room for nature - leave room for nature." (22) It's interesting to note that there are ten guides carved in stone, which basically outline Satan's plans for this world. This seems like a direct mockery of God's Ten Commandments, which were also originally carved in stone.

The Continued Erosion Of Privacy!

Every month I see news stories come across my desk that detail the continual and rapid erosion of privacy in the United States and the world. The federal government, state governments, municipal governments, and global corporations are growing ever bolder as they attempt to find new ways to intrude upon our lives. I'm sure if people from only a few generations ago could see what's happening these days they would look on in amazement and horror. If this world survives another fifty years, will we have any privacy left?

Last month, Time Magazine reported that it is now legal for government agents in nine states to sneak onto your property, attach a GPS device to the bottom of your car, and track you wherever you go. This was the technique used back in 2007 when DEA agents in Oregon snuck onto the property of Juan Pineda-Moreno, a man they suspected of growing marijuana. They attached a GPS device to his jeep while it was parked in his driveway and tracked him wherever he went. When Pineda-Moreno learned of their actions, he challenged the DEA in court. A three-judge panel ruled in January 2010 that this was an acceptable form of surveillance and the DEA's actions were perfectly legal. (23)

In July 2010, it was announced that Unilever had added GPS tracking devices to fifty packages of their Omo laundry detergent in Brazil. The GPS device activates when a customer removes the box of detergent from the store shelf. Agents of the company then use the device to track the customer to his or her home, and then they give them a pocket video camera as a prize. (24) Could this contest be a way to test technology for future use? Personally, I would be upset to learn that goods which I had purchased at the supermarket were used to track me to my home.

In Cleveland, Ohio, city officials are rolling out new high-tech trash and recycling carts embedded with radio frequency identification chips. (RFID) The chips are being implemented so city workers can track how often households put out their recycling carts. If records indicate that the recycling cart hasn't been brought to the curb for an extended period of time, city workers will then sort through the resident's trash. If there are more than 10% worth of recyclable material in the trash, the offending household could be fined $100. City officials from Alexandria, Virginia, announced plans earlier this year to implement similar trash tracking technology, and some cities in England have reportedly been using the same technology for quite some time. (25)

Several communities in Wisconsin, particularly around the Milwaukee area, have adopted new city ordinances which require stores that purchase used goods to take pictures of the merchandise they buy and pictures of the people from whom they purchase the items. They are then required to submit the photos they took to the local police department. While some communities have exemptions for clothing and bookstores, other communities are more strict, requiring every used book and clothing item be reported to the police. Stores are then required to hold the merchandise for a set period of time -- ten to thirty days -- before they can resell the items. Chuck Fletcher, a police detective in Greenfield, Wisconsin, stated, "If you take anything secondhand, you need to know the integrity of your customer. They say, '99% of my customers are honest' but what about the other 1%?" (26)

More Food Contamination!

In this modern era of mass-produced food and rapid nationwide transportation of goods, it's becoming increasingly difficult to prevent contamination in our food supply. Thus we've been seeing massive food recalls in greater frequency as the Food and Drug Administration struggles to maintain a safe food supply in the United States.

In August 2010 there was a massive egg recall in this country as more than 1,500 cases of salmonella food poisoning were reported after Americans consumed tainted eggs. The recall spanned 550 million eggs in over a dozen states, and it involved over twenty brands of eggs. (27)

But the food recalls didn't stop with just the eggs. A Buffalo, New York, based company called Zemco, which is a unit of Tyson Foods, recalled over 380,000 pounds of deli meat that had been distributed to Walmart stores because of a possible Listeria contamination. (28) Cargill Inc. has recalled over 8,500 pounds of ground beef after it was discovered to be tainted with a rare strain of E. coli. (29) Even pet food has been subject to recalls as Proctor and Gamble's Iams pet food brand was found to be potentially contaminated with salmonella. (30)

A Shaking, Quaking And Erupting Creation!

We continue to see significant natural disasters happening all over the globe in these last days. The American states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Iowa, and New Mexico; as well as the countries of Brazil, China, Pakistan, and various others have all seen significant flooding in 2010. There have also been wildfires, earthquakes, and even volcano eruptions in recent days.

The Mount Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupted for the first time in four hundred years on August 29, 2010. The volcano erupted again on September 3, 2010, and shot ash more than a mile into the air while reportedly triggering over fifty earthquakes. (31) There was also a volcano eruption, which resulted in the evacuation of 8,000 people, in Colombia last month. (32) Earthquakes will continue to be a problem. AFP reported last month that researchers at University of California-Irvine and Arizona State University have discovered that earthquakes in California are more frequent than they had previously realized, and the "big one" could hit at any time along the San Andreas fault line. (33) As we watch natural disasters continuing to intensify, it should serve as a continual reminder that we need to look up, for our redemption draweth nigh!

In closing, I want to encourage you all to put your hope and trust in Jesus. It is getting ugly out in our world, so saturated with sin, and there are momentous things happening as we get ever closer to our Saviour's glorious return. As we watch and pray and see all that is happening, it becomes easier to see Satan's footprints all over this world while he wreaks havoc and turmoil at seemingly every turn. But there is nothing to be afraid of if we abide in the love of Christ, for as the disciple John wrote, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." Thank you to all who support this ministry. If you have any prayer requests, do feel free to send them to us, and our teams of intercessors will give them each individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.


Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. Bloomberg Businessweek, August 12, 2010, by Tom Keene, New York, NY.
02. New York Times, July 18, 2010, by Robert Pear, Washington, D.C.
03. The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2010, by Lauren Etter, Spiritwood, ND.
04. CBS 5 / KCBS / Associated Press, July 15, 2010. Oakland, CA.
05. New York Times, August 7, 2010, by Michael Cooper, New York, NY.
06. Financial Times, July 31, 2010, by Edward Luce.
07. Marketwatch, September 7, 2010, by Kurt Brouwer, http://marketwatch.com.
08. The Baltimore Sun, June 20, 2010, by Jessica Anderson, Baltimore, MD.
09. Bloomberg News, September 11, 2010, by Shobhana Chandra and Alex Tanzi, Washington, D.C.
10. Fox News, July 30, 2010, by Dana Blanton, http://foxnews.com.
11. Associated Press, August 17, 2010, by Joe McDonald, Beijing, China.
12. Associated Press, August 19, 2010, by Matthew Lee, Washington, D.C.
13. Huffington Post, June 4, 2009, by Jennifer Loven, Cairo, Egypt.
14. Associated Press, September 12, 2010, by Associated Press, Bekasi, Indonesia.
15. The Religion of Peace, http://thereligionofpeace.com.
16. Fox News, November 6, 2009, by Michelle Maskaly, http://foxnews.com.
17. Afro Briefs, September 4, 2010, by Afro Staff, http://afro.com.
18. Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2010, by Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles, CA.
19. Afro Briefs, September 4, 2010, by Afro Staff, http://afro.com.
20. YouTube Video, http://youtube.com/watch?=-0gvDkVcFkl.
21. BrainyQuote, http://brainyquote.com.
22. Wikipedia, http://wikipedia.org.
23. Time Magazine, August 25, 2010, by Adam Cohen.
24. AdvertisingAge, July 29, 2010, by Laurel Wentz, New York, NY. http://adage.com.
25. Cleveland.com, August 20, 2010, by Mark Gillispie, Cleveland, OH.
26. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 8, 2010, by Doris Hajewski, Milwaukee, WI.
27. RightPundits, August 30, 2010, by Andrew Zarowny, http://rightpundits.com.
28. Associated Press, August 24, 2010, by Associated Press, Buffalo, NY.
29. Associated Press, September 3, 2010, by Martiga Lohn, St. Paul, MN.
30. RightPundits, August 30, 2010, by Andrew Zarowny, http://rightpundits.com.
31. World News Examiner, September 5, 2010, by Rebecca Kelley, Indonesia.
32. AFP, August 25, 2010, by AFP, Pasto, Colombia.
33. AFP, August 21, 2010, by AFP, Los Angeles, CA.

Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at http://pastormeyer.org.

http://lasttrumpetministries.org
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Bedbugs hit Howard Stern's NYC studios, limousine

Posted: Sep 29, 2010 10:28 AM EDT
Updated: Sep 29, 2010 11:48 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) - The office where shock jock Howard Stern airs his show has joined the ever-growing list of New York City buildings hit by bedbugs.

Stern said on his Sirius XM Radio show that the building was treated over the weekend and was 100 percent bedbug free on Monday.

He said his limousine also had to be fumigated after dogs sniffed out the bloodsuckers there.

The pests have been discovered in theaters, clothing stores, office buildings, housing projects and posh apartments throughout the New York City, and a resurgence of bedbugs is being seen across the U.S.

Pest control workers have called New York City the epicenter for the outbreak. The city has a plan to fight the spreading infestation, including a public-awareness campaign and a top entomologist to head the effort.

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Information from: WNBC-TV, http://www.wnbc.com
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Source
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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Rafael Correa President of the Republic of Ecuador and the current President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations


Rafael Correa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (Spanish pronunciation: [rafaˈel βiˈsente koˈre.a ðelˈɣaðo]; born April 6, 1963)[1] is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and the current President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations.
...

Background

Correa was born in Guayaquil and earned an Economics degree at the Universidad Catolica in 1987. Following his degree, he worked for one year in a mission at a kindergarten run by the Salesian order in Cotopaxi Province, where he acquired some knowledge of quechua, the language of the majority of the native pre-Columbian population concentrated in the Andes region. In addition to Spanish, he speaks French, Quechua, and English.[4]
In June 1991, he received a Master of Arts in Economics from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. He later studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Master of Science in Economics in May 1999, and later a PhD in Economics in October 2001. According to The Washington Post, Correa's adviser at the University of Illinois, Werner Baer, supports his former student. "He appreciates the market to a certain point, but he knows that the market left alone concentrates wealth", he said. "He is not going to do anything foolish... because he is a fairly open-minded person."[5]
In 2005, Correa served as economy and finance minister under President Alfredo Palacio. During his four months in office, he advocated poverty reduction and economic sovereignty. Correa was skeptical of a free-trade deal with the United States, did not take the advice of the International Monetary Fund, and worked to increase Ecuador's cooperation with other Latin American countries. After the World Bank withheld a loan (citing the changes to the oil income stabilization fund), Correa resigned from Palacio's government. Correa had also proposed the issue of government bonds at a lower interest rate than the contemporary one (8.5%); Venezuela was to purchase half of the new bond issue. Correa claimed in his resignation letter that the sale was done with full presidential authorization, but cited lack of support from the president as a factor in his decision to resign.[6]
When Correa resigned, polls showed he had the highest credibility of any official in the administration at the time, with 57% of Ecuadorians saying that they trusted him.[7]
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President of Ecuador
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 15, 2007
Vice President Lenín Moreno
Preceded by Alfredo Palacio

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President pro tempore of Unasur
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 10, 2009
Preceded by Lucio Gutiérrez

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Minister of Economy and Finance of Ecuador
In office
April 20, 2005 – August 8, 2005
Preceded by Mauricio Yepez
Succeeded by Magdalena Barreiro

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Leader of PAIS Alliance
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 19, 2006

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

Born April 6, 1963 (1963-04-06) (age 47)
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Political party PAIS Alliance
Spouse(s) Anne Malherbe
Alma mater University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Université catholique de Louvain
Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil
Religion Roman CatholicismSignature
...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Correa was sworn into the Presidency on 10 August 2009, the same day as Ecuador's bicentennial.[67][68] His speech took place in front of several South American dignitaries, such as President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Bolivia Evo Morales, President of Cuba Raúl Castro and President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez.[67] Correa used the opportunity to promise a continuation of his “socialist revolution”, his plans to end poverty and to go on “stamping out the structural causes of poverty”.[67] He also said the actions of the media were opposing his government.[68] He claims that the continuation of his "citizens' revolution" policy is intended to ensure all citizens are equal.[66]

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Read More @ Wiki
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Ecuador army rescues captive President Rafael Correa


30 September 2010 Last updated at 23:43 ET


The battle outside the hospital took place hours after Mr Correa entered


Soldiers in Ecuador have rescued President Rafael Correa from a police hospital after a day of protests by security forces angry at benefit cuts.

Mr Correa was rescued after soldiers opened fired on dissident police.

Moments after being freed he appeared on the balcony of Quito's presidential palace and spoke to thousands of cheering supporters.

He thanked the crowds and said he had just lived through the saddest day of his government.

The violence came after dark on a day of unrest in Ecuador that the president and his supporters said amounted to an an attempted coup.

Mr Correa had been holed up in the police hospital, where he was treated after being hit by tear gas in a confrontation.

Hundreds of police, angry over a law that would cut their benefits, appeared to have prevented him from leaving the clinic.

Under cover of darkness Mr Correa was reportedly smuggled out of the hospital in a wheelchair even as a gunbattle between troops and police was under way.

Unrest had been reported across Ecuador on Thursday amid anger at a new law cutting benefits for public servants.

Speaking to his supporters, Mr Correa said he hoped the events of the day would serve "as an example to those who want to bring a change and stop the citizens' revolution without going through the polls".

Mr Correa said at least one police officer had died during the gunbattle at the clinic. Earlier there had been unconfirmed reports that one person had been killed and several injured during the unrest.

There are unconfirmed reports that a second army operation against dissident police is still under way in Quito.

'Kill the president'

The drama began on Thursday morning when members of the armed forces and police angry at the austerity measures occupied several barracks and set up road blocks across the country.

TV stations showed images of police setting tyres on fire in the streets of Quito, Guayaquil and other cities. The National Assembly building was also occupied.

Police also took control of Quito's international airport for several hours.

In an emotional speech to soldiers from Quito's main barracks, President Correa tore at his shirt and said: "If you want to kill the president, here he is. Kill him, if you want to. Kill him if you are brave enough."

Moments later Mr Correa was forced to flee the barracks wearing a gas mask shortly afterwards when tear gas was fired by the protesters.

The president was later treated for the effects of the gas at a police hospital. His supporters said that dissident officers were preventing him to leave the clinic.

Mr Correa has blamed the Patriotic Society Party (PSP), led by Lucio Gutierrez, for fomenting the unrest, and said "all bad elements" in the police force would "be removed".

During the day Mr Correa received strong support from governments throughout the Americas, with a string of Latin American nations and the US all speaking up for the embattled president.
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Source
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Masters Of The Universe



madcownews March 29, 2007
-The Secret Birth Of The Federal Reserve -

Was there a takeover of the US by international bankers?

Visit the scene of a crime so perfect that, for thirty years, no one knew it had even taken place. Investigate the birth of a criminal conspiracy to rob each and every bank vault in
America.

The true, behind the scenes, story of the birth of the US Federal Reserve.
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Fire in the minds of men



jimjamoo6 February 13, 2009
Illuminati in America

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Tyler Clementi Update: Facebook Status Hinted At Jump Off George Washington Bridge

Posted on 30. Sep, 2010 by Troy Stange in Headlines


In what has become a developing story, it appears that Tyler Clementi hinted that he planned on jumping off of the George Washington Bridge.

Tyler Clementi has been in recent headlines after his roommates violated his privacy and filmed him with another boy in his dorm room. A clear violation of privacy, the accused definitely feel disgusted with their actions.

On September 22, Tyler Clementi’s Facebook status was “Jumping off the gw bride sorry.” Items of Tyler Clementi were then found by the George Washington Bridge last week.

Police eventually found a washed up body in the Hudson River, though it has not yet been confirmed that it is Tyler Clementi.

The parents of the 18-year old teenager are pursuing legal action. Both Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei have been charged with invasion of privacy after it was reported that they placed the camera in Tyler Clementi’s room on September 19. The camera then streamed online the footage of Tyler and another male together in the room.

Tyler Clementi was a student at Rutgers University. Investigators found his wallet by the George Washington Bridge last week that contained both his driver’s license and his freshman ID card.

Paul Mainardi, the attorney representing the Clementi family, has released an official statement:
“Tyler was a fine young man, and a distinguished musician. The family is heartbroken beyond words. They respectfully request that they be given time to grieve their great loss and that their privacy at this painful time be respected by all.”
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Thousands Tour ADRA's Global Village on Opening Day

School children surround the Stilt House at ADRA's Global Village Washington, D.C., USA ... [ANN] VIP representatives from the United States government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank and other organizations, and thousands of visitors...
19 Apr 1998,


School children surround the Stilt House at ADRA's Global Village

Washington, D.C., USA ... [ANN] VIP representatives from the United States government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank and other organizations, and thousands of visitors and schoolchildren visited the opening day of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency's (ADRA) Global Village on Thursday, April 16, on the United States Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C.

At the opening ceremony, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delegate for the District of Columbia, said, "I am pleased that ADRA and its sponsors have brought the world to Washington. When the President went to Africa a few weeks ago, I don't know if he went into a mud hut, but I am thrilled that children from the district will have a chance to be in a mud hut and to experience how people live in other places."

Other visitors to the opening day of ADRA's Global Village (AGV), the one-of-a-kind traveling, educational exhibit, were Brian Atwood, USAID administrator; Elaine Wolfensohn, educator representing World Bank; and Charles T. Manatt, International Business Council chairman of the D.C. Board of Trade.

Almost 1,000 school children from as far as New York state also came to tour the event. At least 200,000 people and 10,000 school children are expected to visit AGV before its closing day on April 29. The five-acre event is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, located directly in front of the Smithsonian Castle, between Jefferson and Madison streets.

"The impact of ADRA's Global Village in the Washington, D.C. area and abroad will last long after the habitats are gone," said ADRA President Ralph S. Watts, Jr. "It's something you have to experience for yourself by stepping inside the temporary home of a refugee, or grinding cornmeal from the seat of a bicycle. The experience is unforgettable."

AGV features 10 life-size habitats including a southeast Asian stilt house, African Masai kraal and Latin American choza. At the 10 learning stations, visitors discover the importance of clean water, "beasts of burden," bridges, and marketplaces. At the Pack-A-Box station, the last stop on the 2- to 3-hour tour, school children are taking direct action against the poverty they've just learned about.

"At Pack-A-Box they are busily packing boxes of clothes and personal hygiene items for needy children overseas," explains Casey Bahr, ADRA Central Office director of development education and one of the creators of the village. "We also talk with students about what they've learned and encourage them to think about how to continue helping others."

At this particular event, the items the children are packing will go to Haiti and, as Norton happily noted in her opening speech, some of the boxes will benefit three charities right here in the district: Martha's Table, For the Love of Children and Bailey's Making the Grade.

"Global Village is cool!" said a couple of Maryland schoolchildren while taping up a box of items at the Pack-A-Box tent. "You get to see how other people live. We're not used to what other people are used to." One of their mothers added, "It makes me appreciate what I have and what others don't."

"Isn't it great to be doing something worthwhile," said eight army cadets after personally packing a box.

ADRA developed Global Village as a way to expand children's world views and to foster an understanding of universal human needs, equality, interdependence, and the importance of cultural differences. The goal is to help children learn how to make a difference in a world shared with many people. The first AGV in October 1992 brought more than 24,000 people to the campus of La Sierra University in Riverside, California. AGV has also been displayed in Rome; Utrecht, the Netherlands; Dayton, Ohio, and other locations.

ADRA, developed in 1956, is an independent, humanitarian agency supported by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the specific purpose of individual and community development, and disaster relief. As a nongovernmental organization (NGO), ADRA helps people in more than 145 countries without regard to ethnic, political or religious association.

This year alone, among other projects, ADRA has shipped close to US$2 million worth of aid to North Korea as part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance to the famine-stricken country. Approximately one-third of the inhabitants of the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) now have access to immunization and health education after the opening of ADRA's health education center in Naxcivan City and 44 health posts in outlying districts and villages. ADRA also provided 348 senior high school students of ADRA's Education Program for Liberian Refugees in Cote d'Ivoire with high school diplomas.

"We want to thank all the sponsors and hundreds of volunteers who helped make this event possible," said Watts. "An event like this can't be done with just a handful of people. It really takes the effort of hundreds. By the time this event is over, we will have a total of almost 3,000 volunteers from our own organization, the World Bank, NBC4-TV, USAID, and others helping to make this possible."

Sponsors for ADRA's Global Village include ADRA International, the World Bank, NBC4-TV, InterAction, Adventist HealthCare, Target Stores, Citibank, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and other partners. [Report: Beth Shaefer; pictures: Dixil Rodriguez]


Global Village attracts people from Media coverage at Global Village all walks of life...

. Source: Adventist News Network


Note: Bolds and Highlights added.
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Dem gov candidate Jerry Brown, former Jesuit seminarian, discusses politics and his spirituality


Reuters Pictures 12 hours ago
Democratic candidate Jerry Brown speaks at the first of three debates in the California governors race at the University of California, Davis September 28, 2010.

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PHOTO (Courtesy)http://www.daylife.com/photo/08QYdnGbM5f60?q=alternative+energy

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown has some unique credentials as a former Jesuit seminarian -- and takes some unusual questions from the press as a result.

In Newark Thursday, talking alternative energy at PetersenDean Roofing and Solar Systems, he was queried about how he reconciles his political ambitions -- as a former two-term governor, who's run for president three times -- with his past in religious life.

He said he believes "civic engagement, at its best" can reflect "the Christian commitment to do justice, seek mercy and to be compassionate -- and to create a more just society."

Good question from the LA Times, and our very own SFGate.com Shaky Hand Productions was there to bring you right to the campaign trail to hear his complete answer.

But Brown, the State Attorney General, wasn't inclined to open up completely to reporters on this theme of religion and spirituality. Asked -- twice -- if he still meditates, Brown said firmly "that's not something I care to discuss."

Check out the moment: VIDEO @ Article

Weigh in with your reactions: do you care about candidates' spirtual or religious beliefs? Should they discuss them publicly -- or even be asked about them by the media?

Posted By: Carla Marinucci (Email, Twitter) September 24 2010 at 10:56 AM

Source

UN names official space 'host'

By TODD VENEZIA

Last Updated: 8:19 AM, September 26, 2010

Posted: 2:23 AM, September 26, 2010


E.T. -- phone the UN!

If an alien ever lands in your back yard and says, "Take me to your leader," the United Nations is giving you someone to call.

Mazlan Othman, an obscure Malaysian scientist, will be named as the Earth's official alien-spacecraft greeter. She's expected to announce her new role at a conference next week.

While Hollywood and most Americans assume the president of the United States would speak to aliens on behalf of earthlings, the United Nations thinks real extraterrestrials should get a more globalized response.

Othman, head of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, backs that view.



REUTERS
Mazlan Othman

"The continued search for extraterrestrial communication, by several entities, sustains the hope that someday humankind will receive signals from extraterrestrials," she said in a recording of a recent speech, reported by the Sunday Times of London.

"When we do, we should have in place a coordinated response that takes into account all the sensitivities related to the subject. The UN is a ready-made mechanism for such coordination."

At the upcoming conference in Britain, Othman is expected to tell delegates that the recent discovery of hundreds of planets around other stars has made the detection of extraterrestrial life more likely than ever before -- and that means the United Nations must be ready to coordinate humanity's response to any "first contact."

Othman is an astrophysicist who got her Ph.D. in New Zealand.

Scientists who work with her say her job is essentially to be the mouthpiece for mankind.

"Othman is absolutely the nearest thing we have to a 'Take me to your leader' person," said professor Richard Crowther, a space law expert with the United Kingdom Space Agency.

Alien arrivals aren't the only cinematic-style issues that Othman's office investigates.

It's also in charge of deciding what to do if a deadly asteroid is found to be on a collision course with Earth.

The last UN official picked as Earth's official mouthpiece provoked controversy.

In 1977, two Voyager spacecraft went into space with recordings that were meant to be a message from Earth to intelligent life in the galaxy.

The voice on the message, however, belonged to then UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, who was later discovered to have been an enthusiastic member of the Nazi party during World War II.

todd.venezia@nypost.com
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Monday, September 27, 2010

The Sign when every Protestant denomination had been successfully infiltrated and overcome by the Jesuits


Alberto Rivera is an ex-Jesuit priest who offers some very valuable insight in to apostasy of the Protestant churches of today. He carried out many evil deeds for the Jesuit Order. However, he responded to the leading of the Holy Spirit and left the Jesuits and became a follower of the Lord, Jesus Christ. While some of his understandings of Scripture were not correct, Rivera was very clear on the role of the Jesuits and the Vatican in history. Eventually, Rivera died a martyr, having been poisoned by the Jesuits. Rivera discussed the Jesuits’ desire to infiltrate and takeover all Protestant churches and lead them to follow the papacy. He stated that a sign would be given to Jesuits worldwide when every Protestant denomination had been successfully infiltrated and overcome by the Jesuits.

The sign was to be when a President of the U.S. took his oath of office facing an obelisk. For the first time in U.S. history, the swearing in ceremonies were moved to the West front of the capitol, and President Ronald Reagan faced the Washington-Monument. This happened January 20, 1981. -- Jack Chick, The Godfathers, Alberto Part Three, Chick Publications, page 26.

Some may think that Alberto does not know what he is talking about.
They probably believe that their church has not been taken over by the Jesuits. Consider this:

1. Is your church still protesting against the tyranny of the papacy?
2. Does your church still teach that the papacy is the anti-Christ, or is it, or is it something that your church once taught, but now shies away from because it is not politically correct?
3. Does your church engage in celebration style church services that are more contemporary with the times and have more upbeat music? This was part of the papacy’s plan at Vatican II in taking over all the churches.
4. Is your church forgetting their historic teachings and becoming more modern, casting away the old truths as relics of the past?
5. Are your church periodicals finding more and more good things to say about the papacy, even considering the Vatican leaders to be fine Christian people?
6. Is your church willing to join the ecumenical movement, even if it means sacrificing some basic teachings or principles that the church once believed?


If you can answer yes to one or more of these questions, or yes to all of these questions, then Alberto Rivera is right. Are there any major religious bodies or denominations today that don’t meet these criteria?
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The Enemy Unmasked, Bill Hughes, pp.149-150.
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The Truth About the Jesuits Part 1 of 2

(UPDATE) VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED; SEE THIS VIDEO: http://endrtimes.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-truth-about-jesuits.html



zackmcnell April 15, 2009
Note: As of January 2009 the Superior General of the Jesuits is Adolfo Nicolas.

The world is controlled by the Jesuits, Black Nobility, and the Vatican. The Jesuits are a military organization not a religious order. The vatican and the Jesuits are not Christianity. The New World Order is controlled by elite jesuits and the black pope Adolfo Nicolas. The world bankers are NOT top of the food chain. They all follow the jesuit order and follow the supreme jesuit general aka black pope Adolfo Nicolas. The other jesuit elites are Adolfo's 6 generals which is known as his assistance. Adolfo directs and guide the white pope and tells him what to do and say. The white pope is not a christian. When Jesuits and the Vatican say they believe in God they are referring to Lucifer as the God. Christians have been fooled for centuries that the Vatican is pure and good when the Vatican and the Jesuits have destroyed sovereign nations across the globe. The illuminati was created by the Jesuits in the 1700's because at that time Jesuitism was banned in 80 countries. People at that time knew the Vatican was corrupt and desired world dominance. A lot of ppl are now learnin about the new world order but they are being taught the fake jew banker world order. Yes i know world bankers have great power but they all follow the vatican. Think about it, every world leader goes to and respects the Vatican no matter what religion they believe in. The black pope Adolfo and his 6 generals control the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican Bank(richest bank in the world), space laws, maritime laws, other jesuits, jesuit teachings in the Vatican, Knights of Malta, illuminati, black nobility, CIA, FBI, other secret services, Council of Foreign Relations, Bilderberg, IMF, multiple world banks, FED, and the trilateral commission. The illuminati, Bilderberg, CFR, IMF, etc is told what to do and is given ideas form the Jesuit Elite, The Jesuits also sank the titanic to kill the elite who opposed the FED in order to create the FED. The Jesuits were the ones that came up wit the idea of the UN. Alex Jones is a fraud and a half truther. He was hired by the Vatican to do alternative media because the Jesuits knew people were eventually gonna find out about the nwo so if you cant stop the truth from coming out then the next best thing is to control the way the truth is heard by putting NWO doublle agents in alternative media. Alternative Media has been hijacked and is now corrupt. You can still go to infowars but remember you are being told only certain things about the NWO. This is why Alex never talks about knights of malta, pope, roman catholic church, vatican, and the jesuits. His own sister goes to a jesuit school! So the REAL NWO is a jesuit world order not a jew world order!

http://www.vaticanassassins.org/
http://www.spirituallysmart.com/

Stephen Colbert's testimony: Mocking Congress?


September 27, 2010 10:00 am

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer confirmed Sunday that Democrats can be just as cranky as Republicans when being made fun of on their own turf. According to the New York Daily News:

Even some Democrats thought Stephen Colbert's Capitol Hill routine was more gaffe than goof.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called the Comedy Central star’s bit, which had some laughing and others groaning last week, "not appropriate."

"I think it was an embarrassment for Mr. Colbert more than the House," the Maryland politician said on "Fox News Sunday."

"What he had to say was not the way it should have been said," Hoyer added.

The "Colbert Report" funnyman was invited to testify before the House Judiciary Committee by Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a move that rankled some.

"I think that he mocked the hearing process," Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa, said after the hearing on Friday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported Colbert.
King's reaction is in line with the Beltway consensus that Colbert made a "mockery" of Congress with his satirical testimony on immigration reform. King, who confessed he had never watched "The Colbert Report" in the past, was evidently so unprepared for some face-to-face humor that he ordered his staff to flag any unflattering footage Colbert may have aired of him.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) preempted everyone else's crankiness by inviting the comedian to leave the House Judiciary Committee hearing before he could speak. Conyers and his colleagues looked every bit the part of elderly curmudgeons protecting their lawn as they sat poker-faced during Colbert's act, while their younger aides, seated behind them, cracked a few smiles and laughs.

I'm not a regular Colbert viewer; I probably take in more hours of early-morning rebroadcasts of congressional hearings on C-SPAN than late-night Comedy Central. But I'll give Colbert this: If there's any issue for which Congress deserves some face-to-face mockery, it's immigration reform.

-- Paul Thornton

Photo: Stephen Colbert. Credit: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
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Hillary Clinton on Walmart



weneedhelp February 02, 2008

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Related:

www.publicintegrity.org/clintonwalmart/index.htm

Hillary Clinton: The Wal-Mart Videos
By Bill Hogan and Alan Green

Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton has studiously avoided discussing her five-and-a-half-year tenure as a director of Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer.

Clinton, who served on the Wal-Mart board from November 1986 to May 1992, while she was first lady of Arkansas, makes no mention of the experience in speeches, nor is it listed in her official biography or referenced anywhere on her campaign’s website. Indeed, as The New York Times put it last year, her stint as a director of Wal-Mart “remains a little known chapter in her closely scrutinized career.”

But a mammoth archive of Wal-Mart video footage that has gone all but unnoticed in the 2008 presidential campaign may shed new light into Clinton’s relationship with the company. In this segment from 1991, for example, made public here for the first time by the Center for Public Integrity, Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, introduces Clinton at the grand re-opening of the company’s original store in Rogers, Arkansas. “Without any question,” he says, “you’ve added more to our board than any person we’ve ever had on that board.”

In the video, Clinton is effusive in her praise of the company that she has now all but disowned. (In 2005 her Senate reelection campaign went so far as to return a $5,000 contribution from Wal-Mart’s political action committee, citing “serious differences with current company practices.”)

“I’m so proud of this company, and everything it represents,” Clinton says in the video clip. “Anytime I travel and I tell people I’m from Arkansas . . . Wal-Mart’s on top of the list, and everybody wants me to tell them about Wal-Mart and Sam Walton and Helen Walton and all of the Wal-Mart associates. It makes me feel real good about what we’re able to do and what we can show and the sort of leadership we’re given.”

For now, the video archive—maintained by a production company that for more than two decades recorded many shareholder meetings and other Wal-Mart events—is the clearest window into Clinton’s relationship with the company. According to The Associated Press, Wal-Mart has refused to release minutes of its board meetings during the period she was a paid director of the company.


Hillary Clinton was on Wal-Mart's board of directors

WARD HARKAVY, VILLAGE VOICE, 2000 - Twice in three days last week, Hillary Rodham Clinton basked in the adulation of cheering union members. Her record of supporting collective bargaining, however, is considerably worse than wobbly. Pity the thousands of unionists at last Tuesday's state Democratic convention who chanted her name, and the hundreds of retired Teamsters at Thursday's luncheon in midtown who had interrupted their Founder's Day meal to hear the corporate litigator turned union-loving Democrat deliver a campaign speech.

They would have dropped their forks if they had heard that Hillary served for six years on the board of the dreaded Wal-Mart, a union-busting behemoth. If they had learned the details of her friendship with Wal-Mart, they might have lost their lunches. . . In 1986, when Hillary was first lady of Arkansas, she was put on the board of Wal-Mart. Officials at the time said she wasn't filling a vacancy. In May 1992, as Hubby's presidential campaign heated up, she resigned from the board of Wal-Mart. Company officials said at the time that they weren't going to fill her vacancy.

So what the hell was she doing on the Wal-Mart board? According to press accounts at the time, she was a show horse at the company's annual meetings when founder Sam Walton bused in cheering throngs to celebrate his non-union empire, which is headquartered in Arkansas, one of the country's poorest states. According to published reports, she was placed in charge of the company's "green" program to protect the environment. But nobody got greener than Sam Walton and his family. For several years in the '80s, he was judged the richest man in America by Forbes magazine. . .

Was Hillary the voice of conscience on the board for American and foreign workers? Contemporary accounts make no mention of that. They do describe her as a "corporate litigator" in those days, and they mention, speaking of environmental matters, that she also served on the board of Lafarge, a company that, according to a press account, once burned hazardous fuels to run its cement plants. . .

The Clintons depended on Wal-Mart's largesse not only for Hillary's regular payments as a board member but for travel expenses on Wal-Mart planes and for heavy campaign contributions to Bill's campaigns there and nationally. . .

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart's first lady, who also benefited from Wal-Mart stock, solicits support from union workers. Which makes her words to the elderly Teamsters last week especially poignant: "You can count on me to stand up for the right to collectively bargain!" Right on, sister!

www.villagevoice.com/news/0021,harkavy,15052,5.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/14/AR2005051400765.html
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Report: US would make Internet wiretaps easier

– 1 hr 22 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Broad new regulations being drafted by the Obama administration would make it easier for law enforcement and national security officials to eavesdrop on Internet and e-mail communications like social networking Web sites and BlackBerries, The New York Times reported Monday.

The newspaper said the White House plans to submit a bill next year that would require all online services that enable communications to be technically equipped to comply with a wiretap order. That would include providers of encrypted e-mail, such as BlackBerry, networking sites like Facebook and direct communication services like Skype.

Federal law enforcement and national security officials say new the regulations are needed because terrorists and criminals are increasingly giving up their phones to communicate online.

"We're talking about lawfully authorized intercepts," said FBI lawyer Valerie E. Caproni. "We're not talking about expanding authority. We're talking about preserving our ability to execute our existing authority in order to protect the public safety and national security."

The White House plans to submit the proposed legislation to Congress next year.

The new regulations would raise new questions about protecting people's privacy while balancing national security concerns.

James Dempsey, the vice president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an Internet policy group, said the new regulations would have "huge implications."

"They basically want to turn back the clock and make Internet services function the way that the telephone system used to function," he told the Times.

The Times said the Obama proposal would likely include several requires:

-Any service that provides encrypted messages must be capable of unscrambling them.

-Any foreign communications providers that do business in the U.S. would have to have an office in the United States that's capable of providing intercepts.

-Software developers of peer-to-peer communications services would be required to redesign their products to allow interception.

The Times said that some privacy and technology advocates say the regulations would create weaknesses in the technology that hackers could more easily exploit.
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For Muslims, Day of Celebration Amid Controversy

Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

The American Muslim Day Parade, an annual event since 1985, was held Sunday in Manhattan.


By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Published: September 26, 2010

The scene seemed surreal, yet oddly poignant: at a silent, deserted intersection in the center of Midtown Manhattan, beneath bland corporate logos and brick office buildings, hundreds of Muslims knelt on a sprawling tarpaulin, faced due east and commenced the midday call to prayer.

The ceremony, held along a blocked-off portion of Madison Avenue, marked the start of the American Muslim Day Parade on Sunday, an annual event, first held in 1985, that brings together Muslims of many ethnicities and nationalities who worship in the New York region

The parade is intended as a celebration of diversity and pride in the Muslim community, but this year it had a difficult context: national controversies over a planned Islamic center and mosque near ground zero, the threatened desecration of Korans by anti-Muslim ministers, and recent incidences of what the authorities called hate crimes against Muslims, including a New York City cabdriver who was slashed.

Some marchers had feared protesters on Sunday, but only the occasional Christian missionary appeared. Still, the turnout was far smaller than at the city’s better-known ethnic parades, and a few organizers speculated that safety concerns kept many Muslims away. “Some people are too scared to show up,” said Zaheer Uddin, executive director of the Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan New York, a sponsoring group.

But many participants, while acknowledging their concern over the increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric, said the troubles had only further encouraged them to attend this year.

“This has been a tough year for Islam,” said Shahid Khan of East Northport, N.Y., who brought his entire extended family into the city for the event. He and his children wore traditional Muslim clothing, outfits that he said they did not otherwise wear during the year.

“This is for my children to see different cultures, different people speaking different languages, marching together under the banner of Islam,” Mr. Khan said. “We want to come down here more than previous years to show we’re united against this bigotry.”

The participants included imams wearing full-length religious garb and more secular Muslims in T-shirts and denim. A group of Muslim police officers, in full uniforms, marched the length of the parade.

A lieutenant with the fire department of Elmsford, N.Y., Syed Alirahi, said: “We are public servants. Most of us are born here, live here and die here. We’re going to fight for our country. Today is our opportunity to show ourselves to other people, and our contributions to the country as Muslims.”

Still, for all its celebratory nature, the event could not stray far from recent controversies.

“To the man sitting in the Sunshine State, I feel sorry for that man,” said Shamas us-Zaman, the event’s master of ceremonies, referring to Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who gained worldwide attention for threatening to burn Korans. “We want to send a message to these kind of sick people: Muslim Americans respect the holy Bible, the Koran and other religious books.”

A version of this article appeared in print on September 27, 2010, on page A18 of the New York edition.
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To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart


Psalm 95


1O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

3For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

5The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

6O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

7For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

8Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

10Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

11Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

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(To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart. Hebrews 3:15)
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Sunday, September 26, 2010

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus

Illustration (Courtesy) http://versebyversebibleteaching.com

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.


Galatians 3


1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.


King James Version (KJV)
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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Interfaith movement brings world closer to global religious system

September 21st, 2010 3:24 pm ET

During the last days prior to the return of Jesus Christ, one of the many signs heralding His return will be a global apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3) coinciding with a global cry for peace.(1 Thessalonians 5:3) Globalized communications of our day facilitate the rise and speed of this falling away from the faith, and have also been prophesied since the Bible foretells the world will see certain events come to pass. (Revelation 11:9-10; 17:8)

With nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons technology, terrorist threats, combined with several nations increasingly more hungry for power and domination than for true peace, the capability of mankind destroying all life on earth today, is real. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus predicted this capability for world destruction at a time when only spears and swords were the weapons used. (Matthew 24:21-22)

All these factors and more, play into the role of fulfilling the prophecy found in Revelation chapter 13, the time coming when the Antichrist , or 'false messiah' forms his one world religion (Revelation 13:12)

To get to the point of global worship of the Antichrist who will rule the world temporarily during the tribulation prior to the return of Jesus Christ , the true Messiah, there must (logically) be a global 'conditioning' or preparation, and this begins with apostasy, or the 'falling away' from the true faith in Jesus Christ in much of the Christian world. This is happening right now and increasingly so, with the global cry for peace. Jesus Christ is denied as being the 'only way, truth, and life' (John 14:6) and in many churches, this truth is excluded (subtly in many cases with a weak gospel) in the name of 'peace and tolerance.' How can this happen? What is the motive or inspiration? This is an examination of only a few factors working together to bring about this change.

In an August 30, 2010 article entitled, 'Religions should unite against radicalism,' Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, who is leading the project to build a mosque and muslim/interfaith centre near the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks, provides a clue: "we are all in this together ... there is a common threat: Radicalism, which exists in all religions." He further states, "the real battlefront is not between Muslims and non-Muslims - the real battlefront is between moderates and extremists." In a Daily Times article entitled, "Interfaith harmony for world peace," the author Mohammed Jamil concludes that the 'fundamental reason for the turmoil and tension in the world is the absence of a just economic order.' In his reasoning, interfaith harmony is a means to solve this problem. In 2008, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for interfaith dialogue between Islam, Christianity and Judaism and said at that time, "If God wills it, we will then meet with our brothers from other religions, including those of the Torah and the Gospel to come up with ways to safeguard humanity." The king, who is the guardian of the holy sites of Mecca and Medina reasoned that the major faiths "shared a desire to combat the disintegration of the family and the rise of atheism in the world."

The unifying theme in all interfaith dialogue is 'tolerance.' While this sounds virtuous and good, it is deceptive for that very reason. There is no question that peace-making is a noble effort. However, in the name of 'tolerance' and for the cause of eradicating 'radicalism,' it is highly likely that the Christian faith, specifically those who teach and maintain that Jesus Christ is the only way to God as truth - will be viewed as intolerant and bigoted, and even extreme. The increase in religious tensions all over the world in all forms; terrorist attacks, burning of books, arguments against the banning of books from schools, public offices, etc., will likely lead to global restrictive religious laws, in attempt to reduce these tensions, and promote 'tolerance' as a means to bring about global peace. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations program is one such body set up for this. An article entitled, "Saudi U.N. Interfaith Movement would “Crush Religious Freedom” provides more insight on this topic.

The blending of faiths, and unifying of world religions in the name of peace, but to the exclusion of truth, is leading the world and those who follow this path into a deceptive trap.

Matthew Ch 7 v 13-14

The Narrow and Wide Gates

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it."
"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."



WorldEconomicForum January 24, 2008
http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting
25.01.2008
Faith and Modernization
Faith is playing an increasingly influential role in this century's political, economic and social landscape, while intercultural divides are diverting valuable resources away from addressing the pressing global issues of today.

Are the religious mores of faith-based societies an impediment to, or an asset to, social progress, political order and economic development? What prospects exist for collaboration between the West and the Islamic world on fulfilling the economic agenda of the Makkah Declaration of the Organization of the Islamic Conference?

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia
Mahdi Hadavi, Founder and President, Porch of Wisdom Cultural Institution, Islamic Republic of Iran
David A. Harris, Executive Director, American Jewish Committee, USA
Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington DC (2001-2006), USA
Rick Warren, Author, Saddleback Church, USA

Chaired by
Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1997-2007); Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008

Source: http://www.examiner.com/canada-bible-prophecy-in-canada/interfaith-movement-brings-world-closer-to-global-religious-system
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