Saturday, September 03, 2011

Vatican rejects Irish criticism over sex abuse

Father Federico Lombardi addresses the media Saturday at the Holy See in Vatican City over claims that the Vatican sabotaged Irish bishops' efforts to report sex abuse by priests to police.
Pier Paolo Cito /ASSOCIATED PRESS

Father Federico Lombardi addresses the media Saturday at the Holy See in Vatican City over claims that the Vatican sabotaged Irish bishops' efforts to report sex abuse by priests to police.

THE NEW YORK TIMES


— In a rebuke to Ireland, the Vatican said Saturday that it had never discouraged Irish bishops from reporting sexual abuse to the police and dismissed claims that it had undermined efforts to investigate such abuse as "unfounded."

The Vatican's statement was the latest salvo in a diplomatic standoff with Ireland since the release in July of the latest in a series of scathing Irish government reports into sex abuse by priests and evidence of a widespread cover-up.

The report said the Vatican had encouraged bishops to ignore child-protection guidelines adopted by Irish bishops, including mandatory reporting of abuse to the civil authorities.

The July report found that clergy members in the rural diocese of Cloyne hadn't acted on complaints against 19 priests from 1996 to as recently as 2009, long after Irish bishops had issued guidelines in 1996 to protect children.

The Vatican also dismissed as "unfounded" a statement by the Irish parliament that Vatican intervention "contributed to the undermining of the child protection framework and guidelines of the Irish state and Irish bishops."

The Vatican said Saturday that claim was unsubstantiated and the result of a misinterpretation of a confidential 1997 letter to the bishops of Ireland by a former Vatican ambassador. The ambassador wrote that he had serious reservations about the child-protection policies adopted by the bishops under intense public pressure in 1996, saying that they violated the due process of canon law.

The report on the Cloyne case said that letter "effectively gave individual Irish bishops the freedom to ignore the procedures."

In its response Saturday, the Vatican noted that Irish bishops defined the policies as an advisory document and had never asked the Vatican to incorporate them into canon law.

It added that bishops had "never been impeded under canon law from reporting cases of abuse to the civil authorities."

Source


Burning Man sells out for first time in history

By Liz Kelly Nelson

September 3, 2011 6:19 PM ET

burning-man-festival-la-times.jpg
Now in its 25th year, the Burning Man festival -- an annual eight-day experiment in community, art, self-expression and self-reliance -- sold out for the first time.

Black Rock City, the temporary community that rises from the Nevada desert every year to host the event, is expected to draw 50,000 attendees this year. That's the limit the U.S. Bureau of Land Management allows for the site -- a dry lake bed two hours from Reno. Burning Man 2011 kicked off on Aug. 29 and wraps up on Monday (Sept. 5).

And on Saturday (Sept. 3), the Big Burn of the Man will take place at 9 p.m. ET. Don't worry - if you didn't make it to Nevada this year, you can watch in a live streaming webcast.

This year's theme is "Rites of Passage." From the event's official site:

"[M]oving from one state of being into an unknown other obliges us to face our innermost insecurities, and it requires faith, a willingness to leap off the ladder of ordered existence."

And it's mainly up to attendees to figure out their own rite of passage. The event bills itself as purposefully unorganized -- hence no big acts booked to play on stages. Instead, the events that transpire each year are created by the event's "citizens."

In case you missed it, here's our guide to everything you need to know about Burning Man.
Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz
Photo/Video credit: Los Angeles Times

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A Christianity that is spiritual will be opposed by the children of disobedience


Jesus Himself never purchased peace by compromise. His heart overflowed with love for the whole human race, but He was never indulgent to their sins. He was too much their friend to remain silent while they were pursuing a course that would ruin their souls,--the souls He had purchased with His own blood. He labored that man should be true to himself, true to his higher and eternal interest. The servants of Christ are called to the same work, and they should beware lest, in seeking to prevent discord, they surrender the truth. They are to "follow after the things which make for peace" (Rom. 14:19); but real peace can never be secured by compromising principle. And no man can be true to principle without exciting opposition. A Christianity that is spiritual will be opposed by the children of disobedience. But Jesus bade His disciples, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul." Those who are true to God need not fear the power of men nor the enmity of Satan. In Christ their eternal life is secure. Their only fear should be lest they surrender the truth, and thus betray the trust with which God has honored them.

The Desire of Ages, p.356.
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"I spake openly to the world;.. and in secret have I said nothing"

19The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

20Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

21Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

22And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?

23Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

24Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

John 18:19-24.
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Am I a Phariseee … or a Publican?


By Pastor Doug Batchelor



A Shocking Parable

In Jesus’ day the Pharisees were considered among the most pious and religious of all the believers in God. On the other hand, the publicans were branded as unfaithful and unjust extortionists. They were seen as the mafia of their day. You can see why, then, that Jesus’ conclusion of this parable literally stunned His audience. It was an outrageous and politically incorrect illustration to suggest that a publican would be justified and saved while a Pharisee would be unforgiven and lost. We’ll look more at this later, but Jesus turned their ranking system upside down.

These men represent two groups, but we are not talking about two groups in the world. Rather, these two men represent two opposite destinies, the saved and the lost, among those who go to church. Every professed believer today falls into one of these groups. One of these men represents me. One represents you.

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Friday, September 02, 2011

Neal C. Wilson's compromise (2011)



General Conference President--Neal C. Wilson--states under oath in Court:

"Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint, and the term 'hierarchy' was used in a pejorative sense to refer to the papal form of church governance, that attitude on the church's part was nothing more than a manifestation of widespread anti-popery among conservative protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist church is concerned."
Reply Brief for the Defendant, p 4, case #C-74-2025 CBR. March 30, 1975.

In 1985, Neal Wilson denied ever making such a statement. He states:

"Our position is not changed. But our work is not to denounce the Roman Catholic church. We speak the truth and let the truth do the cutting. We have not consigned anything to the 'trash heap,' as one publication has charged. We are not watering down or diluting the message. I regret that statements get into print that do not give an accurate picture."
Pacific Union Recorder, Feb 18, 1985.
(See Testimonies, vol 5, p 94-95 regarding perjury, and Testimonies to Ministers, p 304).

(1)Source: http://www.lightministries.com/sda/id1217.htm
--- ---------- ------------ ------------ ------

"there is another universal and truly catholic organization, the Seventh-day Adventist Church."
(Neal C. Wilson, General Conference President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Adventist Review, March 5, 1981, p 3).

(2)Source: http://www.sdaapostasy.org/sdaeyes.htm
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Is Kaddafi the New bin Laden?

Let's all remember that before Kaddafi was enemy number one there was Osama Bin Laden.
We can also remember that before that Kaddafi was an off again and on again enemy of the United States.

How is that for an accurate comparison?

Besides falling from grace again, Moamar Kaddafi has gone through a name spelling change, just like bin Laden did before him. The same way that Peking is now Beijing, and Bombay is now Mumbai; The Colonel's name is now spelled Muammar Gaddafi. Osama bin Laden's name was also transformed from its original accepted English spelling to Uzama or Ozama bin Ladin.

What's with all these spelling updates? Are we trying to fool the Spelling Bee candidates?

Anyway, I wonder if Kaddafi is the new bogeyman now that Osama bin Laden has been bagged and buried at sea? ('as prescribed by Muslim traditions'). Speaking of Muslims: I can remember when the accepted spelling was Moslem, and I believe that before my school days it was Musulman. Well, the word Muslim is now pronounced Mooslim by many political correctness experts. Also, Afghanistan is now pronounced Af-hawney-stan and Pakistan is Pawki-stan. Well, that's neither here nor there! Yet, I return to the fact that Kaddafi is the new bin Laden (persona non grata): Since the al Qaeda leader is dead, and Syria's Assad is protected by the Russians and Red China; Kaddafi is the new enemy par excellence, until a new detestable countenance can be found. Can you remember 'pineapple face' Noriega? Well until a new Emmanuel Goldstein (target) character can be identified, Kaddafi will be it.

Now let's play the usual game of Hide and Seek.
Ain't this fun?
Ain't this predictable?

Emmanuel Goldstein


Emmanuel Goldstein's ominous face on a telescreen in Michael Radford's 1984 film adaptation. Played by actor John Boswall.


Arsenio.


Emmanuel Goldstein photo source: Wikipedia
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“The holy obligation of participation in political life”

San Bernardino diocesan coordinator of Justice for Immigrants offers political ‘examination of conscience’ for Catholics


(Editor’s Note: The following is an article posted Aug. 26 on the blog of the Diocese of San Bernardino by Kathi Scarpace, diocesan coordinator of Justice for Immigrants.)

In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do.” (Faithful Citizenship 13). Uh, oh. This hot potato is the teaching of the Church. And this hot potato is something that we should be teaching, and modeling, for our children and teens.

Here is a little examination of conscience.

Are you registered to vote? Do you vote only for the president or do you vote in every election? Have you offered to help your 18-year-old register to vote?

What issues are important to you and why? How does your stand on these issues align with Catholic social teaching? Do you know what Catholic social teaching is?

How do you learn about the issues important to you? Who do you listen to for political advice? Have you asked your teen his or her opinion on an issue that matters to you?

Do you know who your legislators are? Have you ever called or visited an elected official? Why or why not? How do you participate in the life of your town or city?

The word “political” comes from the Greek root word, polis or city. Greeks valued participation in the life of the city. Are you involved in a civic event, e.g., a bike race, a parade, a fundraiser? Do you bring your children with you to help with the event? What lessons are you teaching?

What does “separation of Church and state” mean to you? Have you ever read the bishops’ document, Faithful Citizenship? How does your faith impact your political point of view? If your faith does not influence your political perspective, why not? As Father Bransfield of the US Catholic Conference writes, “Conscience insists that human dilemmas are moral concerns long before they are political points of view.”

“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” This dismissal could be translated, “Go and make a difference.” Making a difference, for Catholics, often means charity. Charity is the needed tourniquet that stops the bleeding; political action is a surgery that closes the wound. Young people want to make a difference and an impact on the world. Political actions: voting, participating in civic events, learning about the issues of the day, reflecting on Church teaching and communicating our concerns and values to our legislators and our children, are ways we can fulfill the holy obligation of participation in political life.

Nothing to be scared of.

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CIA shifts focus to killing targets

By Greg Miller and Julie Tate, Published: September 1


The Washington Post's Anqoinette Crosby talks with reporter Greg Miller about the Central Intelligence Agency's increasing role in counter-terrorism efforts.

In the decade since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the agency has undergone a fundamental transformation. Although the CIA continues to gather intelligence and furnish analysis on a vast array of subjects, its focus and resources are increasingly centered on the cold counterterrorism objective of finding targets to capture or kill.

The shift has been gradual enough that its magnitude can be difficult to grasp. Drone strikes that once seemed impossibly futuristic are so routine that they rarely attract public attention unless a high-ranking al-Qaeda figure is killed.


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Heavy rainstorm plods towards US Gulf Coast


(AFP) – 1 hour ago

MIAMI — A tropical depression loomed off the US Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing oil rig evacuations and threatening to swell into a major storm that could dump heavy rains on Louisiana over the weekend.

Oil companies have been evacuating workers from rigs in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the storm, and Louisiana has declared a state of emergency at a time when the US northeast is still grappling with floods from Hurricane Irene.

The National Hurricane Center -- which has issued tropical storm warnings for the coastal areas from Mississippi, to Texas -- said the storm was creeping north at just two miles (3.2 kilometers) an hour.

But it said the new weather system, provisionally called Tropical Depression 13, could strengthen to a tropical storm and hit areas of the coast where memories are still fresh of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on Thursday declared a state of emergency, warning of the threat of "extremely heavy, prolonged rainfall resulting in very high tides for coastal parishes and the possibility of flash floods."

He said some areas could receive receive up 12-15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of rainfall over 48 hours during the Labor Day holiday weekend, based on current forecasts.

"We know from experience that it?s best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Jindal said.

The new disturbance was packing winds of 35 miles (55 kilometers) per hour and was centered about 240 miles (385 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the NHC said at 0900 GMT.

"The depression could become a tropical storm later today," the NHC said, adding that tropical storm-force winds were being reported on nearby oil rigs.

ExxonMobil said it was evacuating approximately 140 employees and contractors from Gulf Coast offshore platforms expected to be in the path of the storm.

"Gross production of approximately 11,000 barrels per day of liquids and 60 million cubic feet per day of natural gas has been shut-in," the oil giant said in a statement.

BP said it had begun evacuating "all personnel from its operative assets in the Gulf of Mexico" on Thursday, but did not indicate the impact on production.

Shell said weather conditions were interfering with evacuation efforts and it might be safer to leave some workers on their rigs.

"Our priorities at this time continue to be ensuring the safety of personnel, protecting the environment and minimizing production and operational impact," the Anglo-Dutch energy giant said in a statement.

Shell said it had begun to shut down some production, but that the impact so far had been "minimal."

Anadarko said it had shut in production at all eight of its facilities and was evacuating all personnel -- about 100 people.

Chevron said it was evacuating "non-essential personnel" and that production has not been affected.

The new storm approached as US President Barack Obama declared a "major" disaster area in New Jersey and announced plans to visit the flood-hit state on Sunday to view damage wrought by Hurricane Irene, the Atlantic season's first.

Thousands remain cut off by flooding in Vermont, New Jersey and upstate New York in the aftermath of Irene, which killed nearly 50 people.

Meanwhile, Katia was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday but was expected to regain strength as it moved westward in the Atlantic, the NHC said.

Katia was 750 miles (1,205 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands at 0900 GMT -- too far to affect any land mass -- and there was a chance it would cycle north and disintegrate without hitting the North American mainland.

Source
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Review of 'Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church' by Jason Berry

What does a church do when faced with potentially having to pay billions of dollars in damages to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of its clergy?
Review of 'Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church' by Jason Berry

Cover of "Render Unto Rome."

What does a church do when faced with potentially having to pay billions of dollars in damages to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of its clergy? As Jason Berry documents so well in his compelling new book, "Render UntoRome," the Catholic Church's initial response was to fight the charges.

Highly placed bishops and cardinals denied any knowledge of such abuse or claimed that proper procedures had been followed in sending known pedophiles from one parish to another, where they often committed the same vile acts. High-priced lawyers argued that even if such evils had taken place, the statute of limitations had passed and victims were not entitled to compensation. And perhaps worst of all, high-ranking church officials in the Vatican and the United States branded the accusers as liars.

Apologies were almost as hard to come by as restitution.

We know that ultimately such tactics failed miserably and that archdioceses across the country and around the world have either lost or settled lawsuits that might bankrupt a major corporation — over $700 million in damages in Los Angeles alone.

So how does an archdiocese pay for these damages and the hefty legal fees associated with them? Some archdioceses have actually filed for bankruptcy, while insurance payments and loans from banks with ties to the Vatican have helped others cover the costs. But, sadly, all too often the short answer has been on the backs of good, innocent parishioners.

According to Berry the church has shut down more than 1300 parishes in the U.S. since 1995. Some of these closings were legitimate due to declining attendance and other factors; however Berry's focus is on those churches with vibrant congregations, strong balance sheets, and, in many cases, parishioners themselves willing to raise the funds to meet any operating deficits.

Why were so many of these parishes targeted? According to this painstakingly researched book, it was because closing them would allow the church to sell off their real estate, much of which was extremely valuable. Whether the money reaped from such sales should "follow the parishioners" or go to the archdiocese to use as it pleased has, understandably, been the subject of much contention and even litigation.

This battle pitting observant Catholics against their local bishops and cardinals came to a head in the midst of the sex scandals plaguing the Church. Parishioners whose places of worship were to be shuttered and whose land holdings were to be sold argued that if closure was inevitable, sale proceeds should go to the congregations, not, as often appeared to be the case, to settle the lawsuits based on misdeeds that were none of their doing.

In "Render Unto Rome," Berry focuses his intelligent eye on two cities, Boston and Cleveland. In each of these locales, the architect of post-scandal downsizing was a less-than-likable bishop named Richard Lennon. Berry questions the bishop's reasoning and motives in closing over 60 parishes in Boston alone — where it just so happened that lawsuits and settlements from the infamous Cardinal Law era totaled over $150 million.

Berry knows the church landscape as well as any living investigative journalist. Almost 20 years ago, he documented the sex scandal in "Lead us Not into Temptation." And in 2004, along with the late Gerald Renner, he wrote the highly-regarded, "Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of Pope John Paul II."

Berry knows how to find the story lines that humanize the stomach-turning behavior of the pedophiles, those who protected them, and those who sought to clean up the mess in less than savory ways. In "Render Unto Rome," Berry follows the fascinating Peter Borre, a Harvard-educated Boston businessman likened to Don Quixote. After his church, which catered to working class immigrants, was slated for closure, Borre embarked on an effort to keep it and other churches open using tactics ranging from civil disobedience to sophisticated appeals to the Vatican.

At one point Borre brought petitions bearing 3500 signatures to the chancery in Boston's Brighton neighborhood. "'We're not interested in petitions,' the priest uttered. Borre asked what they should do with the petitions. The cleric, whom he recognized as a chancery official, retorted, 'You should go f--- yourself,'" writes Berry.

With his business background, Borre became curious about church finances: "How did a 'land rich' church manage its assets?" Berry ably chronicles the history of local churches sending money to Rome and the lack of financial transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the Vatican and its archdioceses.

Most disturbing is the case of Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, the Mexican-born priest who founded the Legion of Christ. Numerous men, some of them now clergy, charged Maciel had sexually abused them when they were young. Berry follows the gifts that flowed from the cash-rich Legion to the powerful CardinalAngelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state from 1991 to 2006. With Sodano as his protector, Maciel enjoyed the support of Pope John Paul II. Condemnation and removal from duties came only after Pope Benedict XVI took power. At that time it was revealed that in addition to pedophilia, Maciel had fathered children with two women and had committed incest with one of his sons.

While Maciel is as close to evil as any character in this tawdry story, many of the other principals are more complex. So many of the cardinals and bishops took admirable positions in fighting for civil rights, world peace, and immigrant rights, that it is hard to imagine they could recycle known pedophiles throughout the system and play dumb when caught. Sadly, their allegiance to Rome seemed to trump those Rome was supposed to serve.

Chicago, which has not escaped the scandal, escapes Berry's focus…almost. He notes that three years after the Catholic Church adopted a youth protection charter in 2002, "Cardinal Francis George…put an accused pedophile back in ministry over warnings from his advisory board. The priest reoffended, went to jail, the archdiocese paid heavily to the victims —and Cardinal George was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops."

Steve Fiffer is the author of several books, including the memoir "Three Quarters, Two Dimes, and a Nickel."

"Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church"
By Jason Berry
Crown, $25, 432 pages

Source
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Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church

Conversations with David Lewis

Jason Berry – Render Unto Rome

David speaks with author Jason Berry about his book Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church. This book chronicles decades of secrecy, scandal and deceit in the Catholic church, but not on the expected subject matter. Instead this book examines how the hundreds of millions of dollars in weekly tithings from congregations worldwide is spent and accounted for from local diocese to Vatican City.

CWDL - Jason Berry - Render Unto Rome

Source: http://1690wmlb.com/jason-berry-render-unto-rome/

Birthplace of evolutionary theory now inhabited by creationists

Slideshow: Galapagos Creationists

Perhaps the most famous animal endemic to these islands, the Galapagos giant tortoise can live to be over 100 years old and weigh nearly 900 pounds. (Photo: Tony Azios)

Perhaps the most famous animal endemic to these islands, the Galapagos giant tortoise can live to be over 100 years old and weigh nearly 900 pounds. (Photo: Tony Azios)

By Tony Azios

Perhaps no place on earth is more closely linked to the theory of evolution than the Galapagos Islands. It was here, off the coast of South America, that Charles Darwin found evidence that new species can evolve through natural selection.

But these islands have undergone major social changes in the last twenty years, and a growing number of people who now call the Galapagos home do not believe in evolution.

“We base ourselves on the Bible,” says Esther Tacuri, a Seventh-day Adventist missionary. In front of the Adventist church on the Galapagos island of Santa Cruz, along bustling Charles Darwin Avenue, a large wooden sign reads: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

“We don’t believe at all that man came to be by sheer chance, or that man evolved from monkeys,” says Tacuri. “We really believe that God created man in the image and likeness of God.”

Another Adventist missionary, Lucrecia Cobos, says the vast majority of people who live here share this view.

“It is said that this is the center of evolution, but in my experience visiting with people in their homes, I never hear them talk about it,” she says. “On the contrary, the people here are much more accepting of the word of God.”

This point of view represents a big change for the Galapagos.

Jack Nelson moved to Santa Cruz Island from the United States in 1967, when only a few hundred people lived here. He says back then many of the residents came from North America and Europe, and many had some involvement with biological research.

“The local people were much more in contact with visiting scientists,” he says. “The people who live here now overwhelmingly have come from a very different kind of history.”


The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador, and roughly thirty thousand Ecuadoreans have moved here from the mainland in the past twenty years. They have come in search of jobs in fishing and tourism. Nelson says many of these newcomers haven’t had much science education.

At the Charles Darwin Research Station, where tourists and schoolchildren come to learn about the unique animals found on the islands, Park Service guides are hesitant to talk about evolution.

Víctor Carrión, a senior official with the Galapagos National Park, says that to stay on good terms with the community, the Park Service does not overtly promote Darwin’s theory. Instead, it focuses its message on conservation efforts, which “one hundred percent of the public supports,” he says.

But even if people say they support environmental protection, the growing population here has caused serious environmental damage.

Fishermen illegally harvest sea cucumbers and shark fins to sell to China. Locals import invasive plant species for their gardens, and those plants then spread into the wild where they threaten native varieties.

Jack Nelson – the American who moved here in 1967 – believes these environmental problems can be traced, in part, to the local population’s waning appreciation for the science of evolution.

“This is a national treasure,” he says, “and that it’s being managed rather carelessly in a lot of ways is not helped along by the fact that you have a really large population that doesn’t get it.”

But another longtime resident of the Galapagos sees it differently.

Marco Antonio Aguirre moved here with his family forty years ago to serve as a Jehovah’s Witnesses missionary. He now owns a bed and breakfast on Charles Darwin Avenue called La Peregrina (The Pilgrim).

Aguirre has also seen environmental destruction in recent years, but he argues that a belief in God’s creation may inspire people to help with conservation efforts.

“In my case, for example, it causes me to show much more respect for what we have,” he says. “And so I think that believing in a creator would be positive in that regard.”

While Aguirre does not believe in the theory of evolution, he does respect the scientist behind it. He says Darwin was a brave and insightful man who struggled to reconcile his ideas about life on earth with the Bible’s creation story.

Even those who disagree with Darwin are often grateful for what he did for the Galapagos, bringing world attention, tourists, and pride to the islands.

Source

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Thursday, September 01, 2011

USCCB, CRS urge advocacy for foreign poverty assistance


September 01, 2011

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services are urging Catholics to prompt their members of Congress to continue to fund international poverty assistance programs.

“Life-saving poverty-focused international assistance that fights hunger, disease and makes drought-prone communities more resilient to hunger crises is less than 1% of the budget,” according to the USCCB and CRS. “While our nation’s leaders must address the deficit, we desperately need your help now to protect proven and effective poverty-focused programs.”


http://donate.crs.org/site/DocServer/2011-8-25-Deficit_Action_Alert.pdf?docID=7343&autologin=true
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The “conclave” of Catholic parliamentarians at Castel Gandolfo

09/ 1/2011

Three days behind closed doors: the International Catholic Legislators Network discussed non-negotiable principles and discrimination against Christians
andrea tornielli
castel gandolfo
The “conclave” of Catholic parliamentarians at Castel Gandolfo

A gathering behind closed doors, with no journalists, press releases, or published speeches, not even from the Pope: that was the meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network, a network of Catholic parliamentarians from around the world - Europe, United States, Australia, Korea, and Latin America - held between 25 and 28 August at Castel Gandolfo, 500 meters from Benedict XVI’s summer home.

The network, started last year by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, and Lord David Alton of Liverpool (member of the British House of Lords known for his battles against abortion), brought together eighty people, including top-level politicians from various countries, to discuss urgent policy issues in different countries. Along with the defense of “non-negotiable principles,” the private “conclave” displayed a concern for persecution and discrimination against Christians and “criticisms and attacks against the Church in a time of economic crisis.”

There were some observers from the Secretary of State at the meeting (held at the Castelvecchio Hotel and ending with a private audience in the Apostolic Palace with Benedict XVI and Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone), but not from the Italian Conference of Bishops. In Italy’s delegation, there were three representatives of the UDC (Rocco Buttiglione, Luca Volontè, and Paola Binetti), and Massimo Introvigne, OSCE Representative for the Fight against Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination - especially against Christians. Along with twenty members of the European parliament there was Hungarian minister Zoltán Balogh, former French minister Christiane Boutin, former Slovak Minister of Justice Ján Čarnogurský, Austrian Undersecretary Sebastian Kurz, and Secretary of International Relations for the Mexican ruling party PAN, Rodrigo Ivan Cortes. From Usa, Jeff Fortenberry republican deputy from Nebraska and father Frank Pavone, charismatic leader of pro life american movement

The four seminar sessions, which were mentioned by the Pope in his speech, reflect the Holy See’s priorities: life and family, persecution and discrimination against Christians, education, and finally the difficulties of Catholics in communications and the media.

“The general tone of the event,” explains a Vatican source who was present during the entire closed-door seminar, “was strongly anchored in the non-negotiable principles, especially abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage and freedom of education.” In particular, representatives from the United States strongly insisted that with regard to the upcoming elections “the first criterion for choosing a candidate must be his position on life and family.”

During the debate, a fourth principle was added to the three non-negotiables: “a commitment to oppose both the bloody persecution of Christians in many parts of the world, with specific actions taken by Western States and Parliaments to put a stop to what many see as a real humanitarian emergency,” and the discrimination that, according to meeting participants, is worming its way into the West as well. This is a theme that Benedict XVI already touched on in his speech to the diplomatic corps at the beginning of this year.

In particular, the participants repeatedly pointed out attempts “to strike at the Church, taking advantage of the economic crisis to attack its tax exemptions, as well as making generalizations that distract from the real problem of pedophile priests to attack the clergy in general, and laws against homophobia that limit the freedom of expression of Catholics and also, for example, the freedom of Catholic orphanages to exclude homosexual couples from adoptions.”

The members of the network of Parliamentary Catholics cited gay, feminist, and anticlerical organizations as the origins of these attacks. Along with the defense of the family, life, and freedom of education, they asked politicians to “take a stand on the very direct attacks on the Church that are being unleashed in numerous parts of the world.”

The closed-door seminar was presided over by Lord Alton and Cardinal Schönborn. The Austrian cardinal wanted the meeting to include time for prayer and adoration, and alternated participation in the International Catholic Legislators Network with the Schulerkreis, the traditional meeting of Pope Ratzinger with his former pupils, who were at the pontifical residence at Castel Gandolfo during those same days.


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A Corrupt Earth Filled With Violence!

Volume XXX Issue IX September 2011
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
A Corrupt Earth Filled With Violence!

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Psalm 14:1-3

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Hebrews 11:6

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
I Timothy 6:6-8
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"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
Genesis 6:11-13

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again examine the current events of our day and the mounting evidence that we are indeed living in the end times. For many people, the thought that we could be living in the last days fills them with a sense of dread and woe. Yet, as Christians we know the trials and tribulations now occurring must come about to fulfill the prophecy of God's Holy Word. Living in this world has become increasingly uncomfortable for God's people. However, we can rejoice in the knowledge that our Lord and Saviour will return very soon.

The signs of the times abound all around us. Yet there are many professing Christians who openly admit that they do not want the Lord to return. Instead, they have grown attached to this world and seek to push our God's glorious appearing past their lifetimes by stating, "Perhaps He will come in a hundred years." The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a fearful event that we should dread. Rather, it is the event that every child of God should be longing to see. For as it says in Hebrews 13:14, "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

Weak Christianity And Growing Unbelief!

I believe that Christians become spiritually weak when they fail to obey the command of Jesus to watch and pray and "look up" for our soon coming redemption. Sadly, many churches these days do not consider the end times to be a point of emphasis despite the fact that the Bible does emphasize our Lord's return, and it is the focal point of much of the New Testament. Instead, a growing number of churches and ministries are seeking to make their organizations more appealing to the mainstream. One such example is a ministry known as Campus Crusade for Christ, which is planning to change the name of its group in early 2012. The new name for the organization will simply be "Cru" since the name of Christ is considered off-putting to some. Steve Sellers, the vice president for the ministry stated, "We felt like our name was getting in the way of accomplishing our mission." Mr. Sellers went on to say, "It has nothing to do with political correctness. It has everything to do with how we can be effective at what God has called us to do." (1)

To further weaken mainstream Christendom, new versions of the Bible are released regularly, several versions per year in some cases. David Lyle Jeffrey, a former provost of Baylor University, lamented the flood of new versions, stating, "I think we are drifting more and more to a diverse Babel of translations. When we have so much diversity, we lose our common voice. It is in effect moving away from a common membership in the body of Christ into disparate, confusing misrepresentations of the rich wisdom of the Scripture, which ought to unify us." (2) Leland Ryken, an English professor at Wheaton College, shared a similar sentiment. "When there is a wide divergence among Bible translations, readers have no way of knowing what the original text really says. It's like being given four different scores for the same football game or three contradictory directions for getting to a town in the middle of the state," Mr. Ryken said. (3) Of the various versions of the Bible recently released, three in particular have caused a great deal of controversy. These versions are the 2011 revision of the NIV, which has been reworked to use gender-neutral language (4); the New American Bible, which has changed the passage in Isaiah 7:14 to say "the young woman" instead of "virgin" (5); and the Common English Bible, which has changed Jesus' title "the son of man" to "the human one." (6)

Unfortunately, the barrage of Bible versions have left many who identify themselves as Christians confused and frustrated. In I Corinthians 14:33, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." When Christians are confused, they become spiritually frail. This is painfully evident in a 2010 Pew Research Poll, which found that only 50 percent of Christian respondents could correctly list the four Gospels, and only 63 percent knew that Genesis is the first book in the Bible. Ironically, the survey found that non-believing atheist and agnostic respondents were more readily able to correctly answer questions regarding Christianity. (7)

Although the United States of America is usually regarded as a primarily Christian nation, the segment of the population identifying themselves as secularist or atheist has doubled over the last twenty years and now accounts for 15 percent of the American people. According to an article by the German publication Der Spiegel, churches in America are losing up to one million members per year. In other countries, the percentages are even worse with 40 percent of the population in France and 27 percent of the population in Germany claiming that they do not believe in God. (8) As I consider the circumstances of religion in the Western world today, I cannot help but think of II Thessalonians 2:3 in which Paul warns us, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first..." I believe we are living in the time period of that great falling away.

I want to encourage all of my fellow believers to stay strong in the faith. The Scriptures are now being fulfilled at a startling pace, and the signs Jesus told us to watch for are growing more apparent each day. If you feel confused or frustrated and unsure of what you believe, I urge you to call out to God. If you earnestly study the Bible and remain steadfast in prayer, you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Saviour. Despite what the skeptics of this world might say, I have seen God work, and I know that He is our helper in the time of trouble, our great physician in the time of sickness, our provider in the time of need, and our Comforter in the time of sorrow. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by fully surrendering your heart to the Lord.

America's New Debt Deal!

It was Obama's former White House Chief of Staff and the current mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, who once stated, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." (9) Perhaps Mr. Emanuel's philosophy is shared by the members of the United States' Congress who led America to the brink of defaulting on its debt before passing yet another debt ceiling increase. The crisis had all the markings of a carefully choreographed soap opera, which with the help of constant mainstream news coverage left many Americans fearful of what might happen if a new deal was not reached. It was no surprise to me that our Congress, which has exhibited a flair for the dramatic in the past, waited until the very last minute to push a deal through.

After the long battle between the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, our lawmakers emerged with a debt deal which they claim will immediately implement approximately 900 million dollars in spending cuts. Additionally, a new committee has been formed to find and implement at least 1.2 trillion dollars in spending cuts by the start of the 2013 fiscal year. (10) While the cuts in budget spending seem significant, an article published by Forbes explains why the new deal has not solved America's debt crisis. "The Congressional Budget Office currently projects that $9.5 trillion in new debt will have to be issued over the next 10 years. Even if all of the reductions proposed in the deal were to come to pass, which is highly unlikely, that would still leave $7.1 trillion in new debt accumulation by 2021. Our problems have not been solved by a long shot," states the article. (11)

The new committee, which has been formed to find and implement budget cuts, consists of six Democrats and six Republicans. On the Democratic side, this so-called Super Congress consists of Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, Senator Max Baucus of Montana, Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Representative Xavier Becerra of California. On the Republican side, the Super Congress members are Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, Representative Dave Camp of Michigan, Representative Fred Upton of Michigan, and Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas. (12) This group of twelve men and women, who along with the president form a council of thirteen, have a level of unprecedented power never before seen in the United States of America since any legislation they introduce cannot be filibustered or amended by other members of Congress. In essence, they have been tasked with determining the fate of the United States. If legislation by the Super Congress should fail to pass, the new deal calls for sweeping automatic cuts to defense, social security, health care, and other programs. It is an interesting strategy to be sure, for if this so-called Super Congress should fail to pass the required spending reductions, the cuts would kick in automatically, and both sides could say, "We didn't do it."

Although the debt ceiling has been raised and we have been told that catastrophe has been averted, the American people are extremely unhappy with the performance of their government. The approval rating of the United States Congress is now at a historically low 14 percent. (13) Additionally, a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports found that 46 percent of respondents believe the majority of our Congress is corrupt. (14) As of August 17, 2011, the approval rating of Barack Obama has declined to a paltry 39 percent. (15)

On August 5, 2011, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered the credit rating of the American government. The previous credit rating, which had been AAA, was lowered to AA+ with a negative outlook. In their official report, S&P explained their rationale for the downgrade, stating, "We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process. We also believe that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration agreed to this week falls short of the amount that we believe is necessary to stabilize the general government debt burden by the middle of the decade." (16) It is pertinent to note that such a credit downgrade had never occurred in the United States before. This very well could be just the beginning as more downgrades in the future remain a very real and plausible possibility.

Will There Be Another Recession?

In the wake of the S&P credit downgrade and the volatile stock market swings, many economists are wondering if we could be heading for another recession. "Going back into recession now would be scary, because we don't have the resources or the will to respond, and our initial starting point is such a point of weakness. It won't feel like a new recession. It would likely feel like a depression," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. (17) Dan Duffie, a professor of finance at Stanford, also expressed concern. "So far it's not as bad as 2008, but it could get much worse because the sovereign debt concerns are much more global than the subprime mortgage risk of 2008," Duffie said. (18) Nicholas Perna, economic adviser to Webster Financial Corp., commented in a recent interview, "We're lucky if we escape recession this year. The odds of recession have risen significantly." (19) Interestingly enough, a study by Rasmussen Reports indicate that a majority of Americans believe the 2008 recession never ended in the first place. (20)

While the United States may not technically be in a recession at this time, the outlook for the economy is gloomy at best. A recent report published by the non-profit news group ProPublica provided some sobering data. The annual rate of growth for the gross domestic product, or GDP, in the United States was only 1.3 percent between April and June and 0.4 percent between January and March of 2011. Nearly nine million jobs have been lost since 2008 with only 1.8 million jobs recovered. The "official" unemployment rate has been hovering around 9 percent for the last 28 months. (Please remember that the official unemployment rate is always much lower than the actual unemployment rate due to the methods the government uses to tabulate the unemployed.) The report also indicates that 210,000 jobs would need to be created each month to return to a normal rate of unemployment in eleven years. (21) Unfortunately, during most months of 2011, job growth did not even reach 210,000. The number of jobs created month by month in the year 2011 are as follows: January - 36,000 jobs; (22) February - 192,000 jobs; (23) March - 216,000 jobs; (24) April - 244,000 jobs; (25) May - 54,000 jobs; (26) June - 18,000 jobs; (27) July - 117,000 jobs. (28)

To make matters worse, immediately after Barack Obama signed the new debt ceiling into law on August 1, 2011, the United States' Treasury added more than 200 billion dollars worth of commitments to the country's gross debt. In doing so, the United States is now in a similar predicament as other nations, such as Japan, Greece, Jamaica, Lebanon, Italy, Ireland, and Iceland, are where the level of debt exceeds the gross domestic product. (29) The bleak conditions that the American people are now facing because of the excessive amount of debt and poor economic conditions prompted billionaire Howard Marks to say, "In addition to balancing the budget and growing the economy, I think we have to accept that the coming decades are likely to see U.S. standards of living decline relative to the rest of the world. Unless our goods offer a better cost/benefit bargain, there's no reason why American workers should continue to enjoy the same lifestyle advantage over workers in other countries. I just don't expect to hear many politicians own up to this reality on the stump." (30)

The United States may never return to the level of prosperity it once enjoyed. Even if the economy does improve to some extent, it will be a very long and bumpy ride. In these days of uncertainty, I am thankful that we can trust in our God to provide for our needs despite what the present circumstances of this world may be. Many of us are not wealthy and never will be, but I firmly believe that God will always give us enough. Whether the Lord chooses to give us little or much, we can be in a state of peace and contentment. For as the Apostle Paul wrote in chapter 6 of his first epistle to Timothy, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

A Land Filled With Violence!

Another sign of the tumultuous times we live in is the riotous spirit that has engulfed much of the planet. Since December 2010 there have been protests, demonstrations, and riots in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. (31) Despite the passing of several months, the unrest has continued and even intensified in some areas; particularly in Syria. Large protests have also been occurring in Israel since mid July 2011 with hundreds of thousands of angry people gathering in the streets to protest the high cost of living. (32)

Poor economic conditions and backlash from government austerity programs has also led to demonstrations and riots in Spain, Portugal, and Greece. (33) In Great Britain, areas of London and other cities descended into a state of chaos during the early days of August 2011 as buildings, vehicles, and garbage dumps were set ablaze by rioters who were enraged over police brutality. News reports indicate that at least 186 police officers were injured, 4 people were killed (34), and approximately 3,100 people have been arrested as of August 15, 2011. (35)

The social distemper in the United States, which I wrote about in last month's issue of the Last Trumpet, has not abated. In fact, the situation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has grown so severe that Mayor Michael Nutter has imposed a curfew banning all children ages 13 to 18 from the streets after 9 P.M. The new curfew is an attempt to quell mobs of young people who have been carrying out violent muggings. "Parents who neglect their children, who don't know where they are or who they are with - you're going to find yourselves spending quality time with your kids in jail together," Mayor Nutter stated. (36)

Sadly, the violence which has been common in Chicago and various other cities around the United States has even spread to my home state of Wisconsin. On the night of August 4, 2011, a mob of young people attacked attendees of the Wisconsin State Fair as they prepared to leave the event. According to news reports, the mob was roaming the streets in the vicinity of the fair and punching, hitting, kicking, and otherwise assaulting their victims. According to one witness, "It was like a scene you needed the national guard to control." (37) Another witness recounted his terrifying experience as follows, "I saw them grab this white kid who was probably 14 or 15 years old. They just flung him into the road. They just jumped on him and started beating him. They were kicking him. He was on the ground. A girl picked up a construction sign and pushed it over on top of him. They were just running by and kicking him in the face." (38)

In Genesis, chapter 6, God declared to Noah that he would send a flood to destroy the world because the earth was corrupt and "filled with violence." In these last days, we once again have a world filled with violence, and God will only allow this behavior to continue for so long. In Luke 17:26 Jesus warned us, "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." The tumult we are now seeing all over the world is yet another confirmation of Scripture and further evidence that our Saviour is coming soon.

Has The Mark Of The Beast Arrived?

Most Christians are familiar with Revelation, chapter 13, and the prophecy that a new system would be established in the last days that would force the people of the world to take a mark in their right hand or forehead if they wish to buy or sell. There have been many advances in technology throughout the years, such as the barcode system and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. As technology progressed, Christians often wondered how much longer it would be before the new Beast system would be implemented. In August 2011 new technology was announced that could very well be the vehicle used to bring forth the mark of the beast.

An article by Science News published on August 11, 2011, tells of a new malleable technology that bends with ease and could bridge the gap between man and machine. It is a sticky film containing a very thin and flexible array of electronic and computer components, which can be applied to the human body. The technology was developed with health monitoring in mind; however, the other potential uses of the technology go far beyond that. John Rogers, one of the coauthors of the study of this new technology stated, "I think creative folks out there will think of things we haven't even contemplated." (39) The article in Science News claims, "The adhesive electronics pick up signals from people's heartbeats when stuck on the chest, skeletal muscle activity when stuck on the leg, and brain waves when stuck on the forehead." (40) Michael McAlpine, a nanoengineer at Princeton University was gushing over the technology. "This is a huge breakthrough. This goes beyond Dick Tracy calling someone with a cell phone on the wrist. It's having the wrist itself house the device so it's always with you." (41) According to researchers cited in Science Journal, "The materials and mechanics ideas presented here enable intimate, mechanically 'invisible' tight and reliable attachment of high-performance electronic functionality with the surface of the skin in ways that bypass limitations of previous approaches." (42) With the help of this technology, people will soon be able to receive a "mark," which will literally make them part human and part computer.

Meanwhile, the push toward a new cashless monetary system is steadily moving forward. In April 2011, it was reported that the University of Maine would begin testing a new program for students to pay for their meals in the dining areas. "Instead of swiping your MaineCard, the program is going to identify you by the palm of your hand. It takes a snapshot of the veins and creates a black pattern that it then converts into an encrypted algorithm," said Benny Veenhof, director of technology management at the University of Maine. (43) Regarding the system, director of operations for Black Bear Dining, Kathy Kittridge said, "The majority of the people I talked to saw how quick it was and thought it was kind of cool. If you forget your MaineCard, you will always have your hand." (44)

A May 2011 article announced that McDonald's was in the process of installing 7,000 new self-serve touch screen kiosks in Europe. Steve Easterbrook, president of McDonald's Europe hailed the new technology as a method to increase efficiency and build a database of information regarding its customers' ordering habits. The new kiosks do not accept cash. (45)

PayPal, the money transfer company widely used to conduct person-to-person electronic money transactions over the Internet, is now claiming that cash is becoming obsolete. "Consumers are increasingly giving up traditional payment methods such as cash and checks and turning to a more modern - and anytime, anywhere - form of payment. We believe that by 2015 digital currency will be accepted everywhere in the U.S. - from your local corner store to Walmart. We will no longer need to carry a wallet," said PayPal president, Scott Thompson. (46)

In closing, I know there is much more I could write about in this newsletter if space would permit it. There is still a severe drought in much of the southern United States. Millions of people are starving to death in the African nation of Somalia. The uprising in Syria has led to the death of thousands of people and the potential for a war with the Western world as leaders from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France and Germany call for the defiant Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, to step down from power. The earth continues to quake and shake throughout the world, including significant quakes in the disaster-weary nation of Japan. These are truly days unlike any other time in history. I am so thankful that we can rely on God to get us through these difficult times. There is certainly much to endure in these times of distress, but as Jesus told us in the book of Matthew, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Thank you to all who support this ministry. This is a challenging job, but I thank God for the opportunity to do it. It is my hope and my prayer that this newsletter has been a blessing to you, our readers. If you have any prayer requests, please do not hesitate to send them our way. Each request will be given individual attention as we carry your petitions before the throne of the Almighty. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements

01. Fox News, July 21, 2011, By Todd Starnes, http://foxnews.com.
02. The Kansas City Star, October 22, 2010, By Daniel Burke, http://kansascity.com.
03. Ibid.
04. The Reading Eagle, July 24, 2011, By Bill Uhrich, http://readingeagle.com.
05. Time Magazine, March 4, 2011, By Alexandra Silver, http://time.com.
06. Christian Post, July 13, 2011, By Nicola Menzie, http://christianpost.com.
07. Pew Research Center, September 28, 2010, By Pew Research, http://pewresearch.org.
08. Der Spiegel, August 11, 2011, By Hillmar Schmudt, http://www.spiegel.de.
09. YouTube Video, http://youtube.com/watch?v=1yeA_kHHLow
10. OMB Watch, August 16, 2011, By OMB Watch, http://ombwatch.org.
11. Forbes, August 1, 2011, By Peter Schiff, http://forbes.com.
12. The St. Louis Beacon, August 12, 2011, By Robert A. Cropf, http://stlbeacon.org.
13. CBS News, August 4, 2011, By CBS News and the New York Times, http://cbsnews.com.
14. Rasmussen Reports, July 27, 2011, By Rasmussen Reports, http://rasmussenreports.com.
15. ABC News, August 15, 2011, By Devin Dwyer, http://abcnews.com.
16. Standard And Poor's Official Report, August 5, 2011.
17. CNN Money, August 10, 2011, By Chris Isidore, http://money.cnn.com.
18. CNBC, August 11, 2011, By CNBC, http://cnbc.com.
19. Seeking Alpha, August 17, 2011, By Harlan Levy, http://seekingalpha.com.
20. Rasmussen Reports, August 9, 2011, By Rasmussen Reports, http://rasmussenreports.com.
21. ProPublica, August 2, 2011, By Braden Goyette, http://propublica.org.
22. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, February 4, 2011.
23. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, March 4, 2011.
24. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, April 1, 2011.
25. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, May 6, 2011.
26. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, June 3, 2011.
27. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, July 8, 2011.
28. US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Official Report, August 5, 2011.
29. AFP, August 3, 2011, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
30. Business Insider, July 22, 2011, By Courtney Comstock, http://businessinsider.com.
31. Wikipedia Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring.
32. CNBC, August 9, 2011, By Mark Koba, http://cnbc.com.
33. Ibid.
34. CNN, August 12, 2011, By Laura Smith-Spark, London, United Kingdom.
35. BBC News, August 15, 2011, By BBC News, http://bbc.co.uk.
36. The Daily Express, August 15, 2011, By The Daily Express, http://express.co.uk.
37. WTMJ4 News, August 5, 2011, By The WTMJ News Team, http://todaystmj4.com.
38. Ibid.
39. Science News, August 11, 2011, By Laura Sanders, http://sciencenews.org.
40. Ibid.
41. Ibid.
42. Newsy, August 12, 2011, By Charlie McKeague, http://newsy.com.
43. Maine Campus News, April 3, 2011, By Matthew Soucy, http://mainecampus.com.
44. Ibid.
45. Financial Times, May 15, 2011, By Louise Lucas, http://ft.com.
46. The Independent, July 1, 2011, By The Independent, http//independent.co.uk.

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

Comments regarding this newsletter or topic suggestions may be submitted to editor@lasttrumpetnewsletter.org.

If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.
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