"Am I therefore become your enemy,because I TELL YOU THE TRUTH...?"
(Galatians 4:16)

BIG BROTHER WATCH:Newest Trend-Personal Scanners at Food Stores

SCAGGSVILLE, Md-Stephanie Cerneck doesn't go through the checkout line at her supermarket anymore. Or even the self-checkout line.She uses a personal scanner offered by the Bloom grocery store near her home, scanning each item as she takes it off the shelf and bagging as she shops. When she's done, she pays at a terminal at the front of the store."When I come up to the checkout, everything's already bagged, I go to my car, I'm done. No waiting in line," she said at the suburban store between Washington and Baltimore.The handheld scanner lets customers keep a running tally as they work their way through the aisles, allowing them to spend more time shopping and less time waiting to check out.Today, personal scanners are more common in Europe, but their use is growing in the United States as grocers introduce high-tech tools that promise to make shopping more convenient and seem less like a chore.In Maryland, scanners are available at Bloom stores in Scaggsville and Rockville and a Martin's Food Market in Eldersburg.Scales with printers let customers create bar-coded tags for fruits, vegetables and other produce that isn't priced. Bloom stores also have computerized kiosks that print out recipes and a map showing where the ingredients can be found.Once shopping is finished, customers head to the front of the store-a process that involves scanning a bar code generated by the personal scanner, swiping a personal card and-of course-paying. Shoppers are randomly picked for audits to ensure items haven't been placed in the shopping cart without being scanned.Karen Peterson, a Food Lion spokeswoman, said the subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group has the scanners in about half of its 52 upscale Bloom stores and shoplifting has not been a problem. The company offers the scanners to give its customers "another option in the way they like to shop.""It saves time, they can watch what they're spending, it's a convenience," Peterson said.Tracy Pawelski, spokeswoman for Martin's parent company Giant Food Stores LLC, said 11 Martin's stores offer scanners.The scanners are "purely about convenience for customers" and do not replace store employees, who can be deployed elsewhere in the store, Pawelski said.Lisa Sympson, a mother from Laurel, Md., said the scanner was easier and "a lot faster, too," saving her about 15 to 20 minutes a trip. "So, that's quite a bit of savings for me.""To the extent that this makes the checkout process quicker and helps them with their purchasing decisions, it seems like a real winner for consumers," said Marshall Kay, a retail analyst with the consulting firm Kurt Salmon Associates.One system built by Motorola Inc. is used in 1,000 stores in Europe and more than 100 in the United States, said Frank Riso, senior director of the company's retail solutions group.Besides keeping track of items as they are dropped into the cart, shoppers can use the scanners to build bridal and gift registries."You can scan everything you'd like people to buy for you," Riso said.Shoppers also can use the scanners to create lists of items for delivery, such as bulky items at hardware stores, Riso said.In New England, some Stop & Shop supermarkets offer an International Business Machines Corp. system that arms shoppers with a scanner and wireless touch-screen display attached to the shopping cart.Plano, Texas-based Media Cart Holdings Inc. also offers a "kiosk on wheels" system that includes a cart-attached screen that flashes relevant ads as users walk through the aisles. It also has a scanner for keeping track of what's put in the cart.William Stewart of Sykesville avoided lines while shopping with his father at the Eldersburg Martin's store. Stewart said he prefers the system over the traditional checkout, except for its occasional problems accepting coupons."I do miss the interaction with the cashiers because my dad and I are people persons. But you do beat the line and, once you get used to it, it pretty much works for itself," Stewart said.Sue Jones of Sykesville said the system makes shopping with her child easier."I usually have a little one, so it's easier to check out," Jones said. "I scan the little bar codes and at the end I can just pay. Usually by the end that's when she starts to scream, so I can get out fast."
As in the days of Noah....

Parents, churches urged to model holiness for young people

A Christian comedian, musician, pastor, and speaker says young people need to be taught they are special in God's eyes, no matter their background or upbringing.John Graytravels the nation talking to young people and singles about God's plan for their lives. This week, Gray was in Tupelo, Mississippi, for the "Unifest" conference, a gathering of churches throughout the state focusing on spiritual, social, financial and other issues.Gray says young people today are growing up in a society that does not value God's Word and commands. To counter that, parents and churches, says Gray, must teach and live out pure and holy lives as an example to young people. He sites the example established by generations of Jewish families."One of the things that the Jewish people have done throughout their generations is they've done Deuteronomy 6," he explains, "to bind the law of God as frontlets between your eyes and to literally ingrain your children from the time that they can understand."In demonstrating purity and holiness, Gray adds, parents and churches need to convey the message to young people that the Word of God is their only option. "It's [their] only alternative to a life of brokenness," the pastor states, "and we've got to teach and train [them in that]."Gray is singles pastor at Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, and the senior director of student ministries at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, also in Georgia.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/06/parents_churches_urged_to_mode.php
Hear This Report
As in the days of Noah...

Teen Suicide: A Matter of "Sexual Orientation" or Sex Abuse?

Some activists claim that issues of confused sexual identity are driving the documented increase in teen suicide attempts. The latest issue of a publication from the Journal of the American Medical Association, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (APAM), June 4, 2007 begs to differ. Research from Columbia University Medical Center, published in APAM, cites different reasons for girls' and boys' suicides. The researchers collected data from over 8,000 students in New York City high schools in 2005. For females, recent dating violence is a primary cause of attempted suicide. For teen males, a lifetime history of sexual assault is associated with suicide attempts. Dr. Elyse Olshen, lead researcher for the study, reported that girls who have been physically abused by a boyfriend are 60 percent more likely to attempt suicide than those who have not. For boys, sexual abuse over an extended period of time is more likely to be the determining factor for male teen suicide.Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) point out that suicide rates for teens have tripled since 1960-making it the third leading cause of adolescent death and the second cause among college students.The activist groups, not letting facts stand in their way, continue to claim, based on a flawed 1989 study that has been totally discredited, that 30 percent of all teens who attempt suicide are homosexuals. Instead, teen suicide reports from the major psychological and pediatric associations either do not even mention sexual identity or mention it near the bottom of a long list of other risk factors associated with teen suicide. Other teen suicide factors-family breakup through divorce, alcohol or drug abuse, and family dysfunction-are mentioned in all the major health organization publications as the main factors in teen suicide.The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identified the strong risk factors for teen suicide as: depression, alcohol or drug abuse and aggressive, disruptive behaviors. They also mentioned family loss and instability and unplanned pregnancy. Suicidal teens, they reported, feel alone, hopeless and rejected and are especially vulnerable when they have experienced a loss, humiliation or trauma, such as poor grade, breakup with boyfriend or girlfriend, argument with parents, parental discord, separation or divorce. The APA declared that 53 percent of young people who commit suicide are substance abusers.The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) identifies feelings of anger and resentment and the inability to see beyond a temporary situation as the main factors in teen suicide attempts. KidsHealth quotes Dr. David Sheslow, a pediatric psychologist, who identifies drugs and alcohol as leading causes of suicide in teens. Further, KidsHealth reports, "A teen with an adequate support network of friends, family, religious affiliations, peer groups or extracurricular activities may have an outlet to deal with his everyday frustrations. A teen without an adequate support network may feel disconnected and isolated from his family and peer groups. It's these teens who are at increased risk for suicide." Other problems identified by KidsHealth are: divorce, alcoholism of a family member, domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, repeated failures at school, substance abuse, self-destructive behavior.The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) publishes a fact sheet about teen suicide. Causes they list? Stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, fears about growing up, divorce, formation of a new family with step-parents and step-siblings, moving to a new community. They clearly identify suicide feelings as a "mental disorder." They do not mention sexual identity struggles.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in their publication about preventing teen suicide, identifies the "long term impact of child abuse" as the leading cause of attempted suicides among women. They emphasize the greater pressures of modern life, competition for grades and college admissions as well as increased violence in the media as contributing factors. They also cite the lack of parental involvement because of divorce, parents' work schedule and limited family life. One study reported that 90% of suicidal teenagers believed that their family does not understand them.Viewing teen suicide through the distorted lens of the homosexual activists puts large numbers of teens at risk. Those who insist that the problem of teen suicide is primarily among teens who struggle over their sexual identity overlook the vast majority of potential teen suicide victims -those who have other emotional or psychological issues, those who abuse drugs and other substances, and especially those who have suffered sexual violence and abuse. The problems of emotionally and physically battered teens must be faced and their minds and bodies healed; otherwise, the rate of teen suicides will continue to rise.In the tragedy of teen suicide, when a political and ideological agenda takes precedence over truth, teen lives are lost.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/13178/BLI/dotcommentary/index.htm
As in the days of Noah...

Radio reaching young people in Russia

Russia (MNN)-Young people in Russia are facing incredible obstacles. The orphan population is growing. Drug and alcohol abuse is common. HIV/AIDS infection rates are almost as high as those of Africa. And materialism is beginning to become more of a god than in years past.Far East Broadcasting Company is addressing many of these issues through local programming. FEBC's Director of Russian Ministries is Rudi Wiens. He says talk radio is a great vehicle to do this. "We have a weekly one hour talk show that is done out of Moscow to AIDS related kind of issues. That is becoming [very] popular, and newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations quote some of our material from our broadcast there."
According to Wiens, while discussion of HIV/AIDS is important, they're also addressing the orphan population by talking about foster care and adoptions. "We talk about these issues and encourage Christians to be willing to pray about it -- maybe to take in some children from the orphanages and more and more Christians do that. And, it really has some impact on the society."While the government has cracked down on some radio stations because of their political views, FEBC is non-political. "We share the Good News, and we help socially as well. [We talk about] social problems, like alcoholism and drug abuse, which isn't actually in opposition to any government."FEBC has radio stations in four cities. "Three of them are AM stations. [One is] in the city of Khabarovsk. Then Moscow and St. Petersburg, the two largest cities in the west [we have AM stations], and also, the largest city in Siberia, Novosibirsk."However, they air a daily program on closed circuit radio.Wiens says FEBC is still using short-wave as well. "We still broadcast from Saipan 7 hours a day by short-wave. Short-wave is not as popular today, but still there are those distant areas in which it is the only source of the Good News for many, many towns."Wiens believes the evangelism potential is incredible in Russia."There are hundreds of thousands [of people] that regularly listen to us by short-wave and the same on local stations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Khabarovsk it's more like in the dozens of thousands who regularly listen, but potentially there are millions."
As in the days of Noah...

Primate embryos signal cloning breakthrough

HUMAN therapeutic cloning is now one step closer after US researchers for the first time created primate embryos and obtained embryonic stem cells from them.The successful creation of two colonies of embryonic stem cells, or ES cell lines, from rhesus macque monkeys is considered a big step towards human therapeutic cloning.The news will be of immediate interest to Australian scientists as they are now permitted to use somatic cell nuclear transfer, a technique that holds promise in the study of disorders such as multiple sclerosis, cardiac disease and spinal cord injury.While scientists have cloned a range of animals from mice to sheep, until now they have been unable to clone embryos and create ES cell lines from primates, a group that includes humans, apes and monkeys.The announcement from Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Division of Reproductive Sciences at the Oregon National Primate Research Centre in Portland came last night at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, held in Cairns.
Dr Mitalipov would not speak to the media, but Alan Trounson, director of Monash Immunology, confirmed the breakthrough. "We have to see the publication," he said. "But I am very excited by the work."According to Professor Trounson, Dr Mitalipov and his colleagues used conventional SCNT to create the cell lines - that is, they obtained ordinary cells from two monkeys, then inserted the gene-bearing nucleus of the cells into a monkey egg emptied of its nucleus, and artificially stimulated the egg.The egg develops into an early-stage embryo, a blastocyst. Dr Mitalipov's team extracts ES cells from the blastocyst genetically identical to cells from the donor monkeys. Finally, they use the cloned ES cells to produce self-replicating stem cells.
As in the days of Noah....

Report Claims Parents Wary of Media Violence

(CR)-According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, two-thirds of parents are very concerned with the amount of sex and violence in the media. A survey released Tuesday also indicated there would be broad support for new federal limits on such material on television.According to the survey, “Parents, Children & Media: A Kaiser Family Foundation Survey,” 65 percent of parents say they “closely” monitor their children’s media use, while just 18 percent say they “should do more.”When asked if exposure to violence in the media contributed to violent behavior in children, 43 percent of parents said “a lot,” while 38 percent said somewhat. About a quarter of parents (23 percent) say inappropriate media content is one of their “top” concerns as a parent, while another 51 percent say it’s a “big” concern, but not one of the top concerns.Parents were also asked if they thought exposure to sexual content contributed to children becoming involved in sexual situations before they are ready. More that half of the parents (55 percent) said that sexual content concerned them a lot.One in three parents (34 percent) say they are “very” concerned that their children are exposed to too many ads in the TV programming they watch, while 35 percent say they’re “somewhat” concerned, 18 percent say they are “not too” concerned and 11 percent are “not at all” concerned.“While parents are still concerned about a lot of what they see in the media, most are surprisingly confident that they've got a handle on what their own kids are seeing and doing - even when it comes to the Internet,” said Vicky Rideout, vice president and director of Kaiser’s Program for the Study of Entertainment Media and Health.Among parents who have used any of the media ratings, the proportion who say they find them “very” useful has increased over the years, from 43 percent to 58 percent for video game ratings, 45 percent to 56 percent for music advisories, and 42 percent to 49 percent for the TV ratings.The survey also found that parents are particularly confident in monitoring their children’s online activities. Nearly three out of four parents (73 percent) say they know “a lot” about what their kids are doing online (among all parents with children nine or older who use the Internet at home). Most parents whose children engage in these activities say they check their children’s Instant Messaging (IM) “buddy lists” (87 percent), review their children’s profiles on social networking sites (82 percent), and look to see what websites they’ve visited (76 percent) after they’ve gone online.
As in the days of Noah....

Church Member Reports Seeing Jesus in Tree Near Church

(CR)-A member of St. Michael’s church in Memphis, Tenn., claims to see the image of Jesus in the trunk of a tree near the church. She said that she noticed the image a few days ago.
The tree is in a garden located not far from the church, where it stands between two other trees. Some members of the church say this scene is reminiscent of the three crosses on Calvary.
Pictures of the tree do indeed show a face formed of bark on the trunk of the tree. Members of the church in wet Tennessee believe the image to be that of Jesus Christ.
As in the days of Noah....

Australians Flock to Embrace Buddhism

The Dalai Lama has just completed a tour of Australia, boosting what is the country's fastest-growing religion. Australia has more Buddhists per capita than anywhere else in the Western world. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports on how this religion has moved beyond Asian immigrant communities and into the mainstream.Tibetan nuns chant traditional prayers-an increasingly common sight in Australia.There are about 350 thousand Buddhists in the country in this mainly Christian nation, and government census data indicate that number is up almost 80 percent from 1996. The Buddhist population eclipses the size of Australia's Muslim population.Mark Allon an expert on Buddhism from the University of Sydney says the faith's roots here were established by settlers from Asia."We have many immigrants from Buddhist countries. Many Asian immigrants recently and even historically-they brought with them Buddhism," Allon said. "So among those communities you have an interest in Buddhism, a preservation of their religion and culture. Then you also have an interest among the wider Australian community, non-Asian community, resident community, in Buddhism and that has been going on now for almost 100 years."Experts who study religious trends in Australia say many converts to Buddhism found the teachings of some Christian churches too rigid and intolerant of questions about the faith.
Converts say Buddhism gives them freedoms they have never had before.
To read more go to:
http://www.VOANEWS.com
PS:Many new converts to Buddhism found the teachings of some christian churches are "too rigid and intolerant of questions about the faith"They add that Buddhism gives them "freedoms they have never had before".This shows me that many,many people out there are not really seeking for "THE TRUTH" but for some type of "religion" that makes them feel good,calm their conciousness and don't challenge them about their sin"
They may feel good know,but...what will it be of their souls when they die????

Many people find true christianism to be"rigid and intolerant"
....Well the Bible says:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate,and broad is the way,that leadeth to destruction,and many there be which go in thereat;Because strait is the gate,and narrow is the way,which leadeth unto life,and few there be that find it."(Matthew 7:13-14)
As in the days of Noah....

Tremors Close Volcanoes National Park-Hawaii


As in the days of Noah....

Working Toward the Big Dream:ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT

Representatives of the United States and the European Union signed a new "transatlantic economic partnership" at a recent summit in Washington DC. Ms. Angela Merkel, president of the European Union, and George Bush, president of the Untied States, (see photo) agreed to set up an "economic council" to move ahead with regulatory convergence in some 40 areas, including intellectual property, financial services, business takeovers and open skies-the ability to fly to airports anywhere in Europe and America without the need for passports or visas.The American dollar may soon be replaced with the "amero," a suggested new currency (similar to the "euro"), allowing Canada, the US and Mexico to move toward a "North American Community"-a union similar to the European Union. Someday soon, borders will be open, requiring no passports or visas. Instead, an embedded mark in the hand or forehead will be used for instant personal identification. The problem of illegal aliens will be solved. We will all be one big happy family.Are you wondering why such moves are being made without asking for a vote of the citizenry?The answer lies in the United Nations' move toward one-world government. Plans are afoot to divide the world into ten economic/political regions. The United Europe is one region, and the North American Community is another. Around the world, regions are currently being developed. Some are further along than others, but 2010 appears to be an achievable goal for the emergence of world government.In a recent issue of Foreign Affairs magazine (a CFR publication) , Benn Steil, director of international economics at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) advocated the globalization of all currencies. In his article entitled, "The End of National Currency," he said, "The right course is not to return to a mythical past of monetary sovereignty, with governments controlling local interest and exchange rates in blissful ignorance of the rest of the world. Governments must let go of the fatal notion that nationhood requires them to make and control the money used in their territory."He continued, "In order to globalize safely, countries should abandon monetary nationalism and abolish unwanted currencies, the source of much of today's instability.Monetary nationalism is simply incompatible with globalism." He also stressed that "the dollar's privileged status as today's global money is not heaven-bestowed. The dollar is ultimately just another money supported only by the faith that others willingly accept. Reckless U.S. fiscal policy is undermining the dollar's position even as the currency's role as a global money is expanding. A new gold-based international monetary system surely sounds far-fetched, but so, in 1900 did a monetary system without gold." Steil imagines the ultimate solution is to privatize a global currency through a gold-based international monetary system.
So far, the euro and the amero are in the works. We do not yet know what the other eight world currencies will be called, but we can be sure that plans are being formulated. Why do we think this? Because, in April l968, a group of 30 people from ten industrialized countries met in Italy, to organize the "Club of Rome." They studied the social and economic problems our world will face in the future, and their findings were published in two books: The Limits to Growth and Mankind at the Turning Point. In The Limits to Growth, the statement is made that our population will continue to multiply at an ever-increasing rate. In the autumn of 2000, Earth's population reached six billion. As of April 10, 2007, another 594,322,780 babies were born- reaching toward 6.6 billion-and the world's population continues to increase every day. According to statistics, there are 3.2 billion acres of land on planet Earth. That estimate includes the mountains and the deserts. Of this acreage, about half is presently under cultivation. According to their study, it takes about four-tenths of an acre to feed one person for one year. That's hardly enough to feed our planet's present population. But as the population growth continues, men will have to use more land for the building of roads and houses, business districts and cities. Eventually, men will have to find new methods of watering the deserts and cultivating the mountains.Our world's supply of land will barely feed our present population. Yet, the amount of available land is decreasing rapidly. As men build more cities and roads, there will be less land available for crops. By the year 2050 there may not be enough land to feed the starving masses of humanity.The Club of Rome also reported that the resources of our world are diminishing.They claim that even taking into account such economic factors as increased prices with decreasing availability, it would appear at present that the quantities of oil, platinum, gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead are not sufficient to meet demands at the present rate of expansion.By the year 2050, several more minerals may be exhausted if the current rate of consumption continues. If you are wondering why gasoline prices continue to climb, just remember, the supply will not last forever. In the long term, oil companies can see that demand is outstripping supply.In 1976 the Club of Rome issued their second report in a book entitled, Mankind at the Turning Point. In this report the following analysis is given: "By the year 2025 the demand for food in southeast Asia will be a catastrophic disparity." And then with emphasis, the statement is made that "if, during this coming half-century, a viable world system emerges, an organic growth pattern will have been established for mankind to follow thereafter."If a viable system does not develop, projections for the decades thereafter may be academic. The most precious of all resources is food, and, according to an UNESCO report, it has been calculated that the availability of food per capita worldwide has not increased since 1936, and actually has decreased in recent decades.Twenty years ago, world stockpiles of food for emergency relief amounted to an 80-day supply. Today, those reserves are sufficient for only 30 days consumption. Before World War II, the world was about evenly divided into regions that imported food and regions capable of exporting food. Since then, some regions-most significantly Latin American and Eastern Europe-that were exporters, have become importers. According to the present estimates, only the United States and Australia can be considered as major potential sources of food supply. According to the Club of Rome, America is the hope of the world.But what would happen if our food supplies were curtailed-if America was not able to supply the world? According to the report the number of people under 15 years of age who will die of starvation by the year 2025 is estimated to be around 500 million. The world population is increasing on such an exponential curve that there is no way men could possibly save the human race from itself.According to the Club of Rome, the only feasible solution to the overwhelming problems facing our world in the near future is laid out in five parts: First, a global approach must be made to the problem. Second, investment, rather than commodity aid, must be made to underdeveloped nations, except for food. Third, a balanced economic development must be considered for all regions. Fourth, an effective population policy must be implemented. Fifth, worldwide diversification of industry-a global economic system.According to this group of intellectuals from ten of the world's leading industrial nations, only a proper combination of these measures can lead to a solution. Omission, they said, of any one measure will surely lead to disaster.Their only answer is world government; and they have set about to achieve their goal. A United Europe is becoming a workable reality. A new one-world monetary system is being developed. Talks continue between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico-in spite of our need for secure borders.The devil has a plan for enslaving the human race. Details are spelled out in the book of Revelation. It all boils down to the "mark of the beast." Come to think of it, wearing your bank account on your skin is the only way to keep someone from stealing it. Identity theft is being touted as the world's leading problem that begs to be solved. Personal identification embedded in one's flesh would replace the need for passports and visas, currency and coins.Finally, the world is looking for one man who can solve all of its problems, supply all of its needs, and save the human race. When he is needed, he will be there as Satan's "man of the hour."The Antichrist will set about to accomplish what the Devil has been planning for 6,000 years.He will establish a one-world government. He will attempt to get rid of God and set up himself upon the throne of this world. He will try to make slaves out of the human race.
But that is not the end of the story. He will only succeed in bringing the world to the brink of disaster. All of his efforts will end at Armageddon, and the real Savior will appear to take His rightful place as the master problem-solver. Only He who created this world can save it.Jesus Christ is coming back. When He comes, there will be no more famine; no more hunger; and no more starvation. He will establish a thousand years of peace and prosperity. He will establish His throne and take His rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords.The Apostle Paul paraphrased Isaiah's prophecy as he said: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philip. 2:10); and Isaiah wrote: "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:9) -- when Jesus comes!
by J. R. Church
As in the days of Noah....

MacArthur says emerging church dangers go far beyond 'style issues'

John MacArthur says most Christians are not aware of the dangers posed by the "emergent church" movement. The Christian author and pastor says the underlying theology of the movement goes against scripture.In his new book The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an age of Deception, MacArthur says the battle for truth, according to God's Word, is a battle that must be fought by Bible-believing Christians. MacArthur says while the emergent church talks of reaching people by appealing to the culture, emergent church leaders do not have a high regard for the unchanging truth of God's Word.However, MacArthur says most Christians are not aware of the problems associated with that. "Most Christians would see the emerging church the way they see a lot of other movements that have come along -- as a change in style," he says, adding, "I think that's the small subtlety of it. The style is basically an accommodation for the culture-sometimes at its very own level, its worst level."MacArthur says the root problem of the emergent church is far beyond style issues, because it actually rejects truth, doctrine, and theology-all of which, he says, are important. "If you have no doctrinal commitment, you're left with a kind of indescribable 'spirituality'-that's the buzzword; and that's mysticism," says the pastor. "That's essentially paganism; and they're beginning, of course, to read the mystics. They're following a flow of sort of historical, quasi-Christian mysticism."MacArthur says Christians must rightly interpret and proclaim God's Word to a lost and dying world -- and must beware of methods of the emerging church, whose leaders, he says, question biblical truth.
To read this article go to:
As in the days of Noah...

Global Meditation Same as Spiritual Formation Meditation

The following excerpt has been taken from the Lighthouse Trails Research Newsletter:
LTRP Note: The article below is from the Global Peace Meditation Day website, talking about an event that took place in May. It is crucial to understand the significant role meditation plays in building a global society that teaches God is in all humans and all creation (a society which will negate the Gospel message of Jesus Christ). If you are someone who does not see the connection between the current Christian contemplative prayer movement (i.e., spiritual formation) and what is described in this article below, we beseech you to examine the evidence and compare it to the Word of God. We think you will find that the meditation they speak of in the article is the same as the meditation performed through spiritual formation throughout mainstream Christianity today. From Global Peace Day Meditation"[T]he aim of the meditation is that of bringing together in different parts of the world, a critical mass of citizens who are interested in and spiritually committed to meditating or praying to heal our planet, by means of the power of their collective consciousness:"An experiment destined to signify a point of no return in the collective consciousness, instigated by two organizations of world fame known for their long-standing campaign to promote a culture of peace in the world: the Laszlo Foundation, created by Scientist and Nobel Peace Prize candidate Ervin Laszlo and the Club of Budapest, which includes famous figures such as the Dalai Lama, Liv Ullmann, H.E. Vaclav Havel, Pir Vilayat Inayat-Khan, Sir Peter Ustinov, H.E. Mikhail Gorbachev, Peter Russell, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, Desmond Tutu and Peter Gabriel."
As in the days of Noah....

Training Teens to Twist the Truth

"Last year I was asked to teach the high school Sunday school class for four weeks," wrote Dan Titus, a visitor to our website. "At the end of each lesson the students broke up into discussion groups. I presented the questions for them to discuss. One group decided they would rather discuss the latest R-rated movie. The discussion leader had no problem with them changing the discussion. Another group looked at the questions on I Thessalonians and said, 'We don't need to discuss this.' It dealt with persecution, but the group had no interest in the Bible." Unusual? Not according to the Barna Group:"Our continuing research among teenagers and adolescents shows that the trend away from adopting biblical theology in favor of syncretic, culture-based theology is advancing at full gallop."This gallop toward all-pervasive pluralism shouldn't surprise us. Taught to stress tolerance more than truth, few dare criticize even blatant compromise. Sensuality, immodesty, insolence, mysticism... anything goes, if it can draw a crowd and teach new values. "Our church announced 'that the youth would be going on a retreat,' a troubled parent told us. It promised "Twenty-four hours spent living, learning and serving in the inner city: Issues of poverty, justice and homelessness will be explored through various debriefing and service components. Students will be challenged to realign their perspectives, passions and pursuits with those of Christ.""The buzz word 'debriefing' sounds suspicious to me," the mother added. "So does 'realign their perspectives -- as if Christianity has not been effective enough in the past so we have to 're-imagine' and 'rethink' God's Word in light of the world." She continued,"My daughter struggles with obedience to parents, submitting to authority, and loving the elderly. It seems to me that the youth group should encourage growth in those areas...."We left another Baptist church about 4 years ago because of the youth pastor's successful start of an emerging church, which included lectio divina techniques, visualization in the sanctuary, contemplative prayer and various other new age influences. All this while our youth room set up prayer stations, icons, candles and promoted on-line labyrinth prayers. It seems like our children are being used as lab rats for someone's idea of a cool way to feel spiritual, experience new environments, and check off that 'service project' box."
Source:http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
As in the days of Noah...

Pakistan's abuse of blasphemy laws decried


Incessant persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan, a country perpetually recognized for its poor track record in upholding religious autonomy, is generating increased concern from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.A recent news release from the USCIRF expressed outrage over the Islamic country's abuse of its blasphemy laws, which implement punishments, including death, to any person who defiles the name of Muhammad."Pakistan's blasphemy laws are inherently arbitrary, and they de facto restrict freedom of speech and other freedoms guaranteed by international human rights norms," said Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer in the written statement. "These insidious laws lend themselves to misuse and abuse, resulting frequently in severe violations of freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan."Younis Masih, a 29-year-old Christian Pakistani, was a victim of his country's manipulation of the blasphemy laws. According to the USCIRF news release, Masih asked that a noisy group of Muslims remain quiet around his home in September 2005 after his nephew had died and his family was in mourning.Angered by Masih's request, the group of Muslims accused him of insulting the Islamic religion, which signifies blasphemy under Pakistani law, the news release stated. The situation sparked repeated attacks on other homes in the area that belonged to Christians, and Masih and his wife were beaten during the attacks. Masih has been imprisoned for nearly two years and was sentenced to death May 30.The USCIRF cited Masih's case as one of many in which due process is ignored. Pakistani laws passed in October 2004 declare that only a senior police official can bring an indictment against a Pakistani accused of blasphemy. However, the USCIRF news release said this requirement is not consistently followed."In fact, the case against Younis Masih demonstrates that the officially required new procedures are not even heeded," Gaer said.As a result, a blasphemy indictment can be placed on an individual without any evidence or proof of intent, USCIRF says. There is no penalty for bringing a false allegation, meaning that extremists often use the blasphemy laws to threaten religious minorities such as Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus.In addition, trials for Pakistanis accused of violating the blasphemy laws are often chaotic. Records show the accused are attacked and sometimes killed by vigilantes while waiting for trial. Pakistanis who receive an acquittal at trial often are forced to flee the country because of persistent threats from vigilantes.Pakistan received international backing for its blasphemy laws in March by successfully presenting a resolution at the United Nation's Human Rights Council in Geneva that supports drastic measures to "halt the defamation of religions."The USCIRF news release indicated that although these measures are implemented in the name of religious tolerance, they "routinely criminalize and prosecute what is deemed —- often capriciously by local officials in countries where such laws exist —- to be 'offensive' or 'unacceptable' speech about a particular religion."Concern about religious persecution in Pakistan does not end with the blasphemy laws. A current draft bill before Pakistan's National Assembly would enforce the death penalty for individuals accused of apostasy -- that is, converting from Islam to any other religion. The bill states that testimony from two or more adults is sufficient evidence to impose the death sentence."This proposed bill would violate human rights standards because it would criminalize an internationally protected right," Gaer said. "Every effort should be made by the government of Pakistan to ensure that such repressive legislation is not passed."The USCIRF has requested that the U.S. government urge Pakistan to instigate policy changes to the blasphemy laws, such as requiring an investigation of death threats and full due process during trial. Such measures by the Pakistani government would eliminate current loopholes and place the country on a path to ultimately dismantling the blasphemy laws.In addition, the USCIRF is encouraging the U.S. government to press Pakistan to withdraw the draft bill on apostasy and implement more stringent efforts to eliminate Islamic extremism in the country."The commission calls on the U.S. government forcefully to raise all of these serious religious freedom concerns promptly with the government of Pakistan," Gaer said. "These repressive measures exacerbate religious tensions rather than advance freedom of religion, and have no place in a country that claims to respect rights."Jennifer Thurman, a senior at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., is a Baptist Press intern in Washington, D.C.
As in the days of Noah...

NIGERIAN TRIBAL CHIEF ACCEPTS CHRIST

Nigeria's Idoma people group, which numbers approximately 1 million people, now is led by a Christian chief.About 14,000 people made public decisions for Christ when a missionary team showed the "JESUS" film in Idoma towns and villages. One team member had an opportunity to present a Bible to the Idoma chief and share the plan of salvation. The chief was moved by the gift of the Bible, a team member said."After I shared Christ with him, the chief asked me to write down the prayer, how to pray to receive Christ," he told Mission Network News. "The pastors we were working with were very ecstatic. They had told me that meant that he wanted to go pray to receive Christ, kind of in private." The team later received word that he did accept Christ.Local pastors and JESUS film workers conducted follow-up ministries with those who made decisions during the screenings.
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=25924.
As in the days of Noah...

U.S. Arab allies among worst slave traffickers

NASHVILLE,Tenn. (BP)-Five Arab countries allied with the United States-Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar-are among the world's worst offenders in human slavery and sex trafficking, according to a new report from the U.S. State Department.Among other atrocities, the annual "Trafficking in Persons Report" documents the problems of children sold into prostitution and forced to become child soldiers. Sixteen countries named in the report have 90 days to improve their efforts to combat trafficking or face possible economic sanctions.U.S. Ambassador Mark Lagon told Reuters news service it was "especially disappointing" that many of the countries ranked lowest were Middle Eastern nations that have the money to combat the problem. Congressman Chris Smith criticized the fact that 32 countries-among them U.S. allies like India-were kept out of the lowest category.An estimated 800,000 people-most of them women and girls-are sold into servitude each year. Perhaps half of those are minors.
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=25924.
As in the days of Noah...

Father of scientific climatology calls global warming theory hooey

Reid Bryson, known as the father of scientific climatology, considers global warming a bunch of hooey.The UW-Madison professor emeritus, who stands against the scientific consensus on this issue, is referred to as a global warming skeptic. But he is not skeptical that global warming exists, he is just doubtful that humans are the cause of it.There is no question the earth has been warming. It is coming out of the "Little Ice Age," he said in an interview this week. "However, there is no credible evidence that it is due to mankind and carbon dioxide. We've been coming out of a Little Ice Age for 300 years. We have not been making very much carbon dioxide for 300 years. It's been warming up for a long time," Bryson said.The Little Ice Age was driven by volcanic activity. That settled down so it is getting warmer, he said.Humans are polluting the air and adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, but the effect is tiny, Bryson said."It's like there is an elephant charging in and you worry about the fact that there is a fly sitting on its head. It's just a total misplacement of emphasis," he said. "It really isn't science because there's no really good scientific evidence."
Just because almost all of the scientific community believes in man-made global warming proves absolutely nothing, Bryson said. "Consensus doesn't prove anything, in science or anywhere else, except in democracy, maybe."Bryson, 87, was the founding chairman of the department of meteorology at UW-Madison and of the Institute for Environmental Studies, now known as the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. He retired in 1985, but has gone into the office almost every day since. He does it without pay."I have now worked for zero dollars since I retired, long enough that I have paid back the people of Wisconsin every cent they paid me to give me a wonderful, wonderful career. So we are even now. And I feel good about that," said Bryson.So, if global warming isn't such a burning issue, why are thousands of scientists so concerned about it?"Why are so many thousands not concerned about it?" Bryson shot back.
"There is a lot of money to be made in this," he added. "If you want to be an eminent scientist you have to have a lot of grad students and a lot of grants. You can't get grants unless you say, 'Oh global warming, yes, yes, carbon dioxide.'"Speaking out against global warming is like being a heretic, Bryson noted.And it's not something that he does regularly."I can't waste my time on that, I have too many other things to do," he said.But if somebody asks him for his opinion on global warming, he'll give it. "And I think I know about as much about it as anybody does."
To read more go to:
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/197613
As in the days of Noah....

SIGN of the TIMES:40-year-old former teacher marries 16-year-old student

A 40-year-old high school teacher and cross country coach has resigned and married a 16-year-old student.A marriage license shows Brenton Wuchae married Windy Hager in Brunswick County on Monday. The county board of education approved Wuchae's resignation yesterday, a week after he had requested it.Wuchae coached Hager at South Brunswick High School, where she was a star runner. He lives less than two miles from her home on Oak Island.Hager's parents say they did all they could to keep the couple apart after noticing a deeper-than-usual friendship between them. The Hagers say they reluctantly signed a consent form allowing their daughter to marry her coach.Schools Superintendent Katie McGee says she was shocked and disheartened.Wuchae was hired in 2004.
http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=46411
PS:As it's been reported in many many media web sites and because of we watch in the news there's a teachers rampage nation wide of abuse towards children and teenagers in public schools across America.Who is to blame?Parents?The school system?Lust?...All of the above!
We keep on spiralling down into moral decay more and more and more.
As in the days of Noah....

END TIMES WEATHER:Drought continues to plague East Tennessee farmers

Federal help is on the horizon for farmers suffering from a crop-killing drought spanning almost three seasons.Between the Easter weekend freeze and the extended dry spell,Tennessee farmers say they need to lean on the federal government."Five-tenths of an inch of rainfall is all we've received in the last six weeks and it's just had a devastating toll on the corn crop,"said David Richesin.Richesin runs Cherry Brook Farm in Loudon County. His corn crop is normally tall and green this time of year, but this year's plants are yellow and barely touch the knee."We're looking at the size and scope of our operation and trying to evaluate a business plan as to what we're going to have to do," Richesin said.The combination of the Easter weekend freeze and the recent lack of rain damaged more than just the corn."My children and my wife can testify that I've been extremely concerned and depressed with the situation," said Richesin.Monday, Senator Lamar Alexander visited Richesin's home and spoke with a room full of farmers about their concerns."Whatever we can do, we'll do," Senator Alexander said.Two months after the Easter freeze, Senator Alexander is now asking the Secretary of Agriculture to declare all 95 counties in Tennessee disaster areas."That would make farmers hurt by the freeze eligible for low-interest loans up to the full amount of their losses," said Senator Alexander.But the loan only applies to damage from the freeze, not the current drought. For now, Richesin and other farmers have no choice but to look to the short-term weather forecast for help."When they talk about it's going to be a beautiful weekend or a beautiful day, remember there are a lot of farmers that a beautiful day would be an all day rain," Richesin said.The low-interest loans will not be available to farmers for a few months, but Senator Alexander hopes that the money will help those farmers hit hardest by the freeze.
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=46360
As in the days of Noah...

LOVE WAXING COLD:Prisoner girl who's never seen sunshine

POLICE in Germany have rescued a seven-year-old girl from a remote farmhouse where she has not seen sunshine or met another person other than her mother since birth.Authorities fear the girl is severely psychiatrically disturbed and she has been handed over to experts in a clinic for treatment. The girl lived as a prisoner in the farmhouse at Ursberg near Augsburg in Bavaria.She had never been allowed out, was kept in darkened rooms and has skin like parchment, according to police. She has no education, has never seen a TV show, listened to a radio, been read a fairy tale or petted a dog.
Like the character in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, she is "virtually feral," according to one police officer.Police and welfare officials swooped on the farmhouse last Thursday after receiving a tip-off that the 45-year-old woman was hiding a child in the house.The girl's uncle lives nearby but he has not been arrested. Police believe the woman became a suspect among locals for buying childrens' clothes which led to the tip-off.In a highly bureaucratic country like Germany it is baffling how she managed to have the child without her being registered somewhere.According to reports the house was a rubbish tip of rotting food, paper and tins.
A local newspaper said at least one child living near the farmhouse had glimpsed the child through a window and told her parents:"There is a little girl in the strange house."Prosecutors are pressing cruelty charges against the mother as the investigation widens into how the child's existence could have been a secret for so long.Earlier this year in Austria, three children aged seven to 18 were rescued from a house in Graz in similar circumstances. the eldest is expected to have psychiatric problems for the rest of her life.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=958022007
As in the days of Noah....

'Jesus' Film on Verge of Reaching 1,000th Translation

The ”Jesus” film-the most translated and widely distributed film in history-announced Tuesday that it is on the verge of reaching its 1000th translation.As one of the most effective evangelism tools with more than 6 billon viewers globally over 28 years, the “Jesus” film has been seen and translated far more times than top Oscar-winning films such as “Gone With the Wind,” “The Sound of Music,” and “The Wizard of Oz.”When the 1,000th translation milestone is reached, the one million primarily Ho speaking people in India will be able to hear the Gospel story in their “heart language.” Already through the film more than 200 million people have accepted Christ as their Savior.“The ‘Jesus’ film is life-changing for so many reasons,” Jim Green, executive director of The JESUS Film Project, said in a statement. “As viewers see the compassion of Jesus and hear His Word in their own heart languages, they are drawn to Christ. As Jesus said, ‘When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to Myself.’”The “Jesus” film debuted in the United States in October 1979, triggering requests from around the world for translation of the film in people’s native language. The film, produced by the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry, created the first 30 translations of the film in its first full year in 1980.The 100th translation of the film was completed through the Tok Pisin version for Papua New Guinea in 1986, only seven years after the film’s release. By that time, more than 315 million people had watched the Jesus’ film.By 1999, the Karamojong people in remote villages in Uganda received the 500th “Jesus” film translation. The film’s Gospel message of love and peace replaced the tribal aggressive culture in the villages. Some 3 billion viewings were reached in 1999 and more than 108 million had reportedly followed Jesus globally by that year.“People don’t realize how complex a task translation is…. There’s the whole understanding of communicating, meaning not only across languages, but across cultures in a way that the resulting translation is both accurate in meaning, and also communicates effectively,” explained Dr. Katy Barnwell, director of training and consulting with The Seed Company, in a statement.The Seed Company, part of the Wycliffe Bible Translators family of organizations, partners with the JESUS Film Project to translate the Book of Luke and a script for the film in two to three years.But “Praise God for the openings He’s given for some of those situations where it looked impossible,” Barnwell said, giving an example of a church that sprouted during a recent translation project.The ”Jesus” film was produced in 1979 by John Heyman, in cooperation with Campus Crusade for Christ and distributed initially by Warner Brothers. The film is often shown in remote, third-world locales using a makeshift screen and portable projector – often drawing an audience of first-time movie watchers. The “Jesus” film team said it plans to continue translation of the film well beyond its 1,000 mark, focusing on languages with more than 100,000 speakers.
As in the days of Noah....

Interfaith Convocation Unites Anti-Hunger Advocates in Famed Cathedral

WASHINGTON-Thousands of believers from different faith groups united with the common goal of eliminating world hunger at the famed Washington National Cathedral on Monday.The second annual Interfaith Convocation on Hunger brought together pastors, rabbis, imams, and people of faith to call on Congress and the president to renew their commitment to end hunger.“You can’t connect with God if you walk away from hunger or if you don’t take it seriously,” declared the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, the.anti-poverty Christian group that organized the convocation.The convocation was part of The Gathering 2007, a national Christian conference that seeks to mobilize and build a stronger network among Christians to end hunger.The Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw, president of The National Baptist Convention USA, delivered the featured message using the parable of the rich man and Lazarus interpreted through the lens of the anti-hunger campaign.Shaw noted that when alive, one man was living well while the other was not. However both were men, and both died.The poor man Lazarus would lie at the gate of the rich man and only desire crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.“Not leftovers … but crumbs that accidentally fall from the table,” Shaw noted. “No desire for a place at the table. No desire for even a table of his own. Just crumbs.“Look what poverty can do to the psyche of a person,” Shaw said connecting the biblical parable to modern poverty and hunger and their effects on poor people.Shaw called poverty and hunger not an issue of capital but rather one of morality and justice, and urged those in attendance to raise the issue and take action.Other faith leader who participated in the interfaith convocation included Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, national commander of The Salvation Army; the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Imam Yahya Hendi, the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University; and Rabbi Jack Moline, chair of the Interfaith Alliance & Social Actions of The Rabbinical Assembly.The Gathering 2007 participants will end their four-day event with a Capitol Hill Lobby Day on Tuesday.
PS:More and more "interfaith" gatherings everywhere.....!!!!!!Everything is getting ready to prepare people thru desensitation for the Antichrist.
As in the days of Noah....

CULTURE of DEATH:Oregon Lawmakers Poised to Vote on Clone-and-Kill Bill

Taxpayers would fund the destruction of human life....!!!
The Oregon state House will vote on legislation Wednesday that would allow tax dollars to go to researchers who want to clone human embryos, then kill them for their stem cells.The bill, HB 2801, would create a Human Stem-Cell Research Committee and a grant fund, which the committee would use to provide funds to researchers.Dawn Vargo, associate bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said special-interest groups that are pushing the legislation are using scientific phrases such as "somatic cell nuclear transfer" to hide the fact that it's about cloning humans."Don't be fooled," she told Family News in Focus. "This bill promotes the creation of human life through cloning for the sole purpose of destroying it for research."Not only is life-destroying embryonic stem-cell research ethically wrong, because it requires the destruction of human life, but, Vargo added, it's also scientifically problematic."There has yet to be a single human clinical trial using embryonic stem cells, because of their unpredictable and tumor-causing tendencies," she said. "Whether it's called 'therapeutic cloning' or 'somatic cell nuclear transfer,' this legislation would encourage human cloning, which creates and destroys a unique member of the human species."
To read more go to:
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004873.cfm?eafref=1
As in the days of Noah...

Christians remembered on World Refugee Day

Jordan (MNN)-The United Nations has designated today, June 20, as World Refugee Day. Some 40 million people worldwide are already uprooted by violence and persecution, and the situation only appears to be getting worse.Today World Vision is calling attention to the plight of the thousands who have been displaced from Iraq. World Vision's Ashley Clements, speaking from Jordan, says the situation is getting worse. "The refugees that are arriving are getting poorer, and those that are here are also getting poorer.It's [getting] longer and longer since the kids have been in school here- some of them up to two or three years. The time is really now when something has to change. Without international support, it's not going to happen."Clements describes the Iraqi situation alone. "There are over two-million of them spread across the Middle East. It's a huge burden for these countries. Jordan, in particular, has now got the highest ratio of refugees to local population in the world."There are 750,000 refugees to Jordan's population of just under six million.Christians and other minorities make up the majority of those fleeing Iraq because they're facing increasing amounts of persecution. "Most of them have no way of defending themselves. Some are pacifists, so they won't defend themselves. So the situation is even more dire." Clements says World Vision is providing informal education, trauma counseling, basic medical care and other humanitarian needs.However, this crisis has given Christians a chance to talk about their faith."They're very interested in why we're out here. So, we talk about the religious and moral imperative that we feel about working for them. And, they tell us about what they experienced and how vital they see Christianity in Iraq itself."A simple response won't be enough to this crisis."It won't be simply a few months worth of care that's needed. This is actually many years worth of financial support to support the host governments in the region preparing for these refugees. So, we really need funds from the international community to help these children go to school, access medications-health care, and resettlement."
As in the days of Noah...

Anti-Pride Parade Protests Take a Turn

Leading hareidi-religious rabbis say that anti-Gay Pride Parade protests should be put on a low burner. "Prayers are more effective than rallies," they say. Rabbi Shmuel HaLevy Vozner, Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, and other leading rabbinical sages in Bnei Brak have issued a statement against participation in the "protests and similar events" against the upcoming gay-pride parade in Jerusalem. The homosexual march is scheduled to take place along King David St. in Jerusalem on Thursday at 5 PM, followed by a rally at 8 PM. Some 7,000 policemen will be on hand to try to neutralize violence, though Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco says he has no illusions that the event will be "violence-free." "We again warn regarding the gathering of youngsters in the streets of Bnei Brak for protests and similar events," the rabbis wrote, "and we hereby present our position, the position of Torah, that the Sages are not pleased with these gatherings, and whoever studies Torah should guard himself and stay away from them." The rabbis even say that it is known that the organizers are reckless and "do not have fear of G-d opposite them, and joining up with them is a spiritual danger... A significant number of them are not yeshiva students, but youngsters from other towns who are looking for an excuse to go wild, burn trash bins and destroy public property... Our strength is in our mouths, in prayer to G-d that He will bring down a spirit of purity to enable us to serve Him truly." A broadcaster on a hareidi radio station told Army Radio today that even participation in "peaceful" demonstrations is not recommended. "We feel that the best way to deal with this issue is quietly," he explained, "so as not to expose our children any more than necessary to this evil [of homosexual behavior]."
Source:Israel National News
As in the days of Noah...

Hundreds of Gazans trapped in tunnel on way to West Bank

EREZ CROSSING, Gaza Strip-Trapped by Israeli tanks and Hamas gunmen, hundreds of Palestinians holed up in a stench-filled concrete tunnel at the Erez border crossing Tuesday, desperate to flee the Gaza Strip.Israel has kept the border passage closed, saying free passage could lead to a mass flight to the West Bank, which is separated from Gaza by about 30 miles of Israeli territory, and destabilize the area.
The Palestinians -- unable to go forward and fearing what could happen if they return to Gaza proper -- remained crammed inside the 900-foot-long tunnel, living amid trash, human waste and the debris from recent looting that stripped bare even the crossing point's small mosque.Israeli officials, meanwhile, permitted a food shipment into Gaza for the first time since Hamas seized control in five days of fighting with the Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That eased concerns about a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished coastal territory of 1.4 million.As the border-crossing standoff stretched on, the scene inside the tunnel grew increasingly desperate.Women, children and men sat between two high concrete walls forming a corridor about 30 feet across, looking tired and grimy. Suitcases and trash were strewn about. Some people sat on mats, others on bare asphalt, including several men with bloody bandages on their legs.A breeze barely stirred in the passage, which is lighted on the Israeli side. The tunnel has no toilets and reeked of urine and perspiration."It's disgusting. People are using the walls as toilets. The women are suffering," said one man, refusing to be identified out of fear for his safety. He said people were on edge and fighting over food.In one instance, a crowd attacked a food cart, "and only the strong got the food," the man said. Later, Israel sent in five cartons of food, he said. "There was order because they made everybody sit down," he said.The man said some in the tunnel feared Hamas members had infiltrated the crowd to spy on them.
To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah...

Bill in Canadian Senate Seeks to Eliminate Parents' Right to Use Spanking as Discipline

In response to a debate on spanking that took place yesterday before the Senate Committee of Human Rights (SCHR), the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC) presented a research report indicating their disapproval of the proposed new legislation.The debated bill, S-207, would take out Section 43 of the Criminal Code (allowing spanking), thereby forbidding parents to spank their children, effectively making it criminal behaviour.The IMFC report begins by outlining some of the evidence in favour of spanking. After Sweden outlawed it in 1979, for example, links were established between the new policy and a rise in violence. While last year, Dr. Jane Millichamp of the University of Otago in New Zealand released a study that examined 1000 children over 30 years. The study concluded, "Punishing children by spanking does not make them more aggressive or anti-social as adults." Many other past and recent studies have reached similar conclusions.A 2002 poll in Canada revealed that 72% of the Canadian population wanted to retain the right to spank their children. A total of 57% also admitted that they never actually disciplined them in this way.
David Quist, executive director of the IMFC, underlined the need to distinguish between child abuse and child discipline. While the first is a crime of violence or neglect against the innocent, the second is a necessity for the proper development of the child and his adaptation to society, says Quist.The IMFC report uses this distinction to support a parent's right to spanking as an acceptable means of training, pointing out that "Children need to learn morals and ethics, right from wrong, acceptable and unacceptable behavior.""Normative spanking is not abuse and is one of the many teaching and disciplinary tools that many parents need to have at their disposal," says the report.Each child is unique, the report argues, and needs to be disciplined in a particular way, and who should know how to do this better than a child's parents? As Justice LaForest stated in a Supreme Court of Canada Decision (2006): "Although [the parents'] liberty is not a parental right tantamount to a right of property in children, our society is far from having repudiated the privileged role parents exercise in the upbringing of their children."
"This role translated into a protected sphere of parental decision-making which is rooted in the presumption that parents should make important decisions affecting their children because parents are more likely to appreciate the best interests of their children and because the state is ill-equipped to make such decisions itself."Quist concludes that rather than eliminating spanking, the government should focus on major areas where proper child-raising could be aided. Among these would be to encourage officials to "lower the tax burden on families," as well as "support childcare programs that meet the needs of all parents," and "bring forward programs that keep moms and in particular dads involved in their children's lives.""In keeping with the theme of Father's Day," Quist specifically focuses on the crucial role of fathers for children's well-being. Children who are raised with an active, present and supportive father have higher academic scores and a lower rate of delinquency, depression, teen pregnancy, drug use, and other high-risk behavior. Adolescent males are also more likely to maintain a stable marriage in future.A parent's right to spanking has been challenged for the past decade in Canada. In 2004, due to the action of certain special-interest groups, the Supreme Court of Canada criminalized spanking of children under aged 2 and over 12. In January of the same year, the Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law, a group of anti-corporal punishment extremists, unsuccessfully argued that spanking should be entirely abolished from the criminal code.During the debate yesterday, justice department official Gillian Blackell defended the need for spanking, reports the Montreal Gazette. She told the committee, "If Section 43 was simply repealed, any non-consensual force that a parent or teacher uses on a child or pupil could be an assault, given the broad definition under the Criminal Code.""There would no longer be a statutory defence to criminal charges where the force used is minor corrective force of a transitory or trifling nature." As a result, "parents who physically put a reluctant child in a car seat or remove a child to their bedroom for a time-out are applying non-consensual force and could be convicted of simple assault."At present, the committee has recommended in an official report that spanking be banned from the Criminal Code by 2009.
Source:Life Site News
As in the days of Noah....

Christian Monastery Attacked in Gaza

During the recent fighting in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah, the Christian community in Gaza was also targeted.The Palestinian paper Al-Ayyam reported that “Armed masked men… stole, destroyed and burned down a monastery and a church school in Gaza, after they bombed the main gate with RPG shells… they destroyed the main gate of the monastery with an RPG shell, and then entered the church and destroyed everything in the monastery: The crosses, the holy books, computers and photocopy machines." They appeared to be members of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, however, the Hamas has directed the blame at the Palestinian Authority police.It should be noted that while this may have been a Hamas attack on the church, the Christian community has been suffering under Fatah rule as well. Ever since the West Bank cities were given over from Israel to the Palestinian Authority the Christian population has been living under very difficult conditions.
Palestinian writer Khaled Abu Toameh recently reported in The Jerusalem Post on the ruin of the Christian community of Bethlehem:"The conditions of Christians in Bethlehem and its surroundings had deteriorated ever since the area was handed over [from Israel] to the PA in 1995…. 'Every day we hear of another Christian family that has immigrated to the US, Canada or Latin America… The Christians today make up less than 15 percent of the population'… "Samir Qumsiyeh [said]: "I believe that 15 years from now there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem."When the West Bank was under Israeli administration the Christian population of Bethlehem was over 60%.This attack on the Gaza church, though more aggressive than the actions in Bethlehem, seem to be part of a Palestinian pattern of marginalizing the Christian community.The article from Al-Ayyam appears below.As the story of the Christian community in Bethlehem is important for the understanding of the Christian predicament under the Palestinian Authority, The Jerusalem Post article has likewise been reprinted below.
Al-Ayyam, June 18, 2007.--Armed masked men, said to be part of Al-Qassam [Hamas] Operational Force, stole, destroyed and burned down a monastery and a church school in Gaza, after they bombed the main gate with RPG shells…Father Manuel Muslem, the leader of the Latin community in Gaza, said that the armed men who carried all sorts of weapons, including machine guns and RPG launchers, burst in to the monastery and the Al-Wardiya Church school yesterday after they destroyed the main gate of the monastery with an RPG shell, and then entered the church and destroyed everything in the monastery: The crosses, the holy books, computers and photocopy machines… And he explained that the damage caused to the monastery, only on the inside, will require over 100,000 Jordanian Dinar to restore, all the more so the walls and the outer gates which were damaged by the shells and were entirely destroyed.Muslem indicated that he got a phone call from President Mahmoud Abbas, who expressed his identification and his love for the people of the Christian community… similarly, President Abbas promised the church that the [Palestinian] Authority will be the faithful protector to its people, without differentiating between a Christian and a Muslim.In a response to the blame directed at the [Hamas] Al-Qassam Brigades and the Operational Force… the spokesman of the Operational Force, Islam Shahwan, said that the events of theft, destruction and burning of some of the institutions are absolutely not part of the values and measures of our people…
As in the days of Noah....

Billy Graham Looks Forward to Joining Late Wife

The sense of loss of Ruth Graham is beginning to sink in, said the Rev. Billy Graham."I believe the Lord has brought us to this point;I am looking forward to the day when we'll have the next service here," said the 88-year-old evangelist at a private interment Sunday, referring to when he will be buried at his wife's side.Ruth Graham was laid to rest at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the Prayer Garden at the newly opened Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday. She died on Thursday at the age of 87."Ruth was an incredible woman. I wish you could look in her casket because she is so beautiful," said Billy Graham on Saturday during a public memorial service in Montreat."I sat there a long time last night looking at her, and I prayed, because I knew she had a great reception in heaven."The Grahams were married for almost 64 years and have five children and 19 grandchildren.Ruth was remembered by family members for her adventurous spirit, wit and motherly and spousal love. But above all, the thousands that gathered for the public funeral said good-bye to "truly a good servant" of Jesus Christ."Mama was a lot of fun, but she also believed the Bible, lived the Bible and taught the Bible," said son Franklin Graham on Saturday.His sister Anne Graham Lotz shared similar testimony, saying, "She loved our Daddy, but greater was her love for God. She taught us to love our Daddy and to love Jesus."Not only was Ruth Graham's passing mourned by her children, but the entire nation felt the loss of a mother."[I]t was almost like being at my mother's service in 1994; for Ruth Graham was a spiritual mother to all believing Christians," wrote Bill Gray, a Christian writer, in The Conservative Voice.Still, her contribution to the world will not be forgotten."Ruth Graham was a truly magnificent woman whose strength, courage, and selfless dedication to her husband, her family, and to Jesus Christ benefited our nation and the world," said a statement by Joel and Victoria Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. "She will be truly missed but not forgotten."The impact of Billy Graham and the support of his wife in spreading the message of the Gospel throughout the world have been felt for more than six decades and continues to this day and towards generations ahead through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Billy Graham Library, which opened June 5.Even Saturday's funeral service did not leave out the message of the saving power of Jesus Christ for all to hear."No one who attended this service, or who watched on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), can say that they have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ - for they heard it today in this Memorial Service for Ruth Bell Graham," stated Gray in a commentary.With a bed of lilies – the Christian symbol for resurrection – adorning Ruth's casket, Billy Graham kissed a red rose and prayed for several minutes before placing it on the casket on Sunday. The five children followed."The Bible says the Lord has prepared a place for us and I know He has prepared a home for her – I hope she saves a room for me," said Graham of his wife, according to The Associated Press.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070618/28042.htm
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SIGN of the TIMES:Report: Church of England is Racist

Black and Asian clergy members are unlikely to reach high office in the Church of England and minorities are sometimes marginalized in parish churches, an internal review will show, a newspaper reported Sunday.According to the Sunday Telegraph, the report says little has been done to confront "institutional racism." The report was commissioned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and completed ahead of the church's General Synod next month."Parish clergy are part of the problem," the newspaper quoted the Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the chair of the committee that produced the report, as saying. "Whether consciously or unconsciously, they are not encouraging black people who are in their churches to come forward."Our report shows there are some who are aware of the issue and acting to improve the situation, but the church is still a long way from reaching an acceptable level of equality."A spokesman for the Church of England said no official comment could be made on the report's contents until it is released.But the report "acknowledges that while much progress has been made, there is still some way to go before the Church represents the model of equality which it believes Christ's Gospel calls for," the spokesman said, on condition of anonymity in line with church policy.
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PESTILENCE WATCH:50 million Europeans suffer from neurological diseases

About 50 million people in the EU suffer from neurological diseases such as epilepsy, migraines, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, strokes and dementia.These disorders account for 35 percent of the total health care burden in this region. That means not only a lot of human suffering but also a burden of some Euro130 billion on the European economies, noted Professor Ionnis Milonas, chairman of the annual Congress of the European Neurological Society at Rhodos.The latest research findings are also being discussed at the ENS Congress. Researchers are presenting innovative methods for repairing nerve damage and reporting about their studies on the therapeutic potential of stem cells in treating multiple sclerosis.Rhodos, 18 June 2007-"Neurological diseases are increasingly widespread throughout the world, especially in Europe, and incur heavy costs,"warned Professor Dr. Ioannis Milonas at the annual Congress of the European Neurological Society (ENS) on the Greek island of Rhodos."According to WHO data, neurological diseases as well as mental and neurosurgical suffering account for no less than 35 percent of the health care burden in European countries," noted Professor Milonas, head of the Department of Neurology at the University of Thessaloniki and chairman of the ENS Congress.Elaborating on current data, Professor Milonas noted that there are about 46 million cases of neurological diseases such as epilepsy, migraines, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and stroke among the 466 million inhabitants in the EU (excluding the two new members Romania and Bulgaria, but including the non-members Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). A further five million people suffer from dementia, a disease classified both as a neurological and a mental disorder...
To read more go to:
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=26543
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Saudi: Gulf Arabs Won't Join Iran Attack

Gulf Arab countries will not be used as a launch pad for any military attack on Iran, a powerful Saudi royal was quoted as saying on Sunday.Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdul-Aziz said Iran had no interest in striking its oil-producing Arab neighbors if it comes under attack from the United States."I think the brothers in Iran are totally aware that ... Iran will not be a source of harm for their neighbors and brothers ... These countries (Arab neighbors) will not be a source of harm for Iran," he said in remarks late on Saturday carried by state news agency SPA."Respect and consideration are mutual. I speak for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (relations)with Iran and for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," he added, referring to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.Naif urged Iran to hand over militants suspected of plotting against the kingdom.Iran extradited a number of Saudi suspects to the kingdom in the past. Some of the suspects have been released after being cleared.He also called on Tehran not to meddle in Iraqi affairs.Sunni Saudi Arabia had accused Iran of backing Shi'ite death squads killing Sunnis in Iraq, and of backing an opposition front led by Hezbollah in efforts to bring down the Sunni-backed government in Lebanon."Creed does not justify intervention in Iraqi affairs," he said.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/6/18/133820.shtml?s=tn
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Prosthetic Legs Open Doors for Godly Hope in Ghana

A unique Christian ministry that provides prosthetic legs to amputees left the United States for Ghana on Thursday to offer not only supplies and American expertise, but also hope found in Jesus Christ.Also, as part of their trip, Standing with Hope founders Peter and Gracie Rosenberger, joined by their 15-year-old son Grayson, will introduce Grayson’s $11 Bubble Wrap cosmetic covering for prosthetic legs that won him first place in a national Bubble Wrap contest sponsored by Sealed Air Corporation.Before their departure, Peter Rosenberger spoke to The Christian Post about his wife’s tragic car accident, which left her a bi-amputee, and the strength and hope their family has found in Christ to overcome their difficult situation and share their hope and the Gospel with other amputees in Ghana.
To read more go to:
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ALERT:Walid Shoebat on FOX News tonite and tomorrow

Walid will appear on Hannity and Colmes tonight at about 9.30 pm Eastern Time and tommorow June 20th on Fox and Friends at about 7.15 am Eastern.The topic of discussion will be the crisis in Gaza and Hamas.
To visit his web site go to:
http://www.shoebat.com/
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'Dead' man awakes during Buddhist prayers

AN 87-YEAR-OLD man in Taiwan Province who was thought to be dead awoke while relatives recited Buddhist prayers for hours at his mourning hall.Doctors said the man, who has been bedridden for a long time in Chiayi County, would die quickly if the oxygen hoses keeping him alive were removed, the China News Service cited Taiwan media as saying.The man's family took him home, hoping he would die in his own house according to local traditions, the report said.Relatives dressed him in burial clothes and placed him in the mourning hall without the oxygen hoses, the report said.However, the man awakened and breathed heavily as family members recited sermons, the report said.The family was stunned and sent him back to hospital, the report said.Funeral parlor employees said it was a miracle, according to the report.The man is now under medical observation and doctors can't explain what happened, said the report.
As in the days of Noah....