GAY AGENDA WATCH:New law means anti-gay comments could lead to seven years in jail

Stirring up hatred against homosexuals is to become a serious crime punishable with a seven-year jail sentence under a law announced last night.The legislation - similar to laws already in force outlawing persecution on religious or racial grounds - {{{will make criminals of those who express their views in ways that could lead to the bullying or harassment of gays.The maximum sentence is longer than the average of around five years handed to rapists.}}}The announcement widened the rift between opposing supporters of freedom of speech and gay rights.Christian groups condemned it as "a law to allow Christians to be locked up for what they believe".But the gay pressure group Stonewall said those who disapprove of homosexuals would have nothing to fear from the law if they express their views in a manner that is """"temperate" and "polite"""".Justice Secretary Jack Straw told MPs the gay harassment law will be included as an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill currently going before Parliament, though ministers have yet to decide the wording.Mr Straw said: "It is a measure of how far we have come as a society in the last ten years that we are now appalled by hatred and invective directed at people on the basis of their sexuality."It is time for the law to recognise this."He raised the prospect of extending the law to cover to "transgendered" people and the disabled.The new law aims to catch those who do not explicitly call for attacks or discrimination against homosexuals, as this is covered by existing incitement laws.Instead, police will be allowed to pursue those who create an "atmosphere or climate" in which hatred or bullying can be fostered. Officials said it would not prohibit criticism of gay, lesbian and bisexual people or joke-telling.The final decision over who has "crossed the line" will rest with the police.Criminal legislation on gay harassment follows the recent Sexual Orientation Regulations which make discrimination against gays an offence against civil law.Last night a CofE spokesman said: "We will be scrutinising any legislation to ensure that it safeguards the safety and rights of minorities without jeopardising wider concerns for freedom of expression, including the expression of religious faith."But Stonewall chief Ben Summerskill said:"We are crystal clear that this is not about constraining anyone from expressing their religious views in a temperate way."It is about preventing people from inciting hatred, whether through the lyrics of rap musicians or Muslim organisations which hand out leaflets saying that all homosexuals are paedophiles."
• Parents will be told if a paedophile posing a threat to their child moves into their home or street under amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill introduced last night.
But there is still no general right for parents to ask if there is a paedophile living in their neighbourhood, as demanded by "Sarah's Law" campaigners after the murder of Sarah Payne seven years ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=486452&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

PS:HERE IS A BILL FOR "LEGALIZED CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION" in the UK,which will extend-I fear- to ALL EUROPE....!So gear up christians in Europe....!!!It's coming to a town near you soon!!!!

It's evident also that the Lord is PREPARING HIS BRIDE....!

This and many other laws will deepen the rift between true and "COMPROMISED" christians even more....!!!!

Maranatha Lord Jesus!!!!!

As in the days of Noah....

Al Qaeda Goes Dark After a U.S. Slip:Enemy Vanishes From Its Web Sites

WASHINGTON- Al Qaeda's Internet communications system has suddenly gone dark to American intelligence after the leak of Osama bin Laden's September 11 speech inadvertently disclosed the fact that we had penetrated the enemy's system.The intelligence blunder started with what appeared at the time as an American intelligence victory, namely that the federal government had intercepted, a full four days before it was to be aired, a video of Osama bin Laden's first appearance in three years in a video address marking the sixth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. On the morning of September 7, the Web site of ABC News posted excerpts from the speech.But the disclosure from ABC and later other news organizations tipped off Qaeda's internal security division that the organization's Internet communications system, known among American intelligence analysts as Obelisk, was compromised. This network of Web sites serves not only as the distribution system for the videos produced by Al Qaeda's production company, As-Sahab, but also as the equivalent of a corporate intranet, dealing with such mundane matters as expense reporting and clerical memos to mid- and lower-level Qaeda operatives throughout the world.While intranets are usually based on servers in a discrete physical location, Obelisk is a series of sites all over the Web, often with fake names, in some cases sites that are not even known by their proprietors to have been hacked by Al Qaeda.One intelligence officer who requested anonymity said in an interview last week that the intelligence community watched in real time the shutdown of the Obelisk system. America's Obelisk watchers even saw the order to shut down the system delivered from Qaeda's internal security to a team of technical workers in Malaysia. That was the last internal message America's intelligence community saw. "We saw the whole thing shut down because of this leak," the official said. "We lost an important keyhole into the enemy."By Friday evening, one of the key sets of sites in the Obelisk network, the Ekhlaas forum, was back on line. The Ekhlaas forum is a password-protected message board used by Qaeda for recruitment, propaganda dissemination, and as one of the entrance ways into Obelisk for those operatives whose user names are granted permission. Many of the other Obelisk sites are now offline and presumably moved to new secret locations on the World Wide Web.

To read more go to:

http://www.nysun.com/article/64163

As in the days of Noah....

Pakistan Clashes Kill 250 in Four Days Near Afghan Border

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan-Fierce fighting between Islamic militants and security forces near the Afghan border has killed as many as 250 people over four days. The battles marked some of the deadliest clashes on Pakistani soil since it threw its support behind the U.S.-led war on terrorism in 2001, the army said Tuesday.Airstrikes hit a village bazaar in North Waziristan tribal region on Tuesday afternoon, killing more than 50 militants and civilians and wounding scores more, said resident Noor Hassan. "The bombing destroyed many shops and homes," Hassan said by telephone from the village of Epi. "We are leaving."Twelve huge explosions rocked the village and bombs also hit the nearby village of Hader Khel, Hassan said.Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said military aircraft struck "one or two places" near the town of Mir Ali and there were unconfirmed reports that about 50 militants were killed. Also Tuesday, a roadside bomb killed two soldiers, the army said.Epi lies about 2 1/2 miles from Mir Ali.The fighting began Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a truckload of paramilitary troops, sparking bitter clashes. The bodies of dozens of soldiers, many with their throats slit, have been recovered from deserted areas of the region, fleeing residents said.The violence comes as Gen. Pervez Musharraf tries to secure another term as president, vowing to shore up Pakistan's troubled effort against Islamic extremism.The army appeared to be resorting to heavy firepower. Pakistani troops have suffered mounting losses as they try to reassert state authority in a swath of mountainous territory where warlords supportive of the Taliban and Al Qaeda have seized control.In a different attack, a powerful bomb ripped through a CD and video shop in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, wounding at least 12 people, police said.Police suspect Islamic militants planted the bomb that wrecked the shop in a crowded commercial area of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan. Eight nearby shops were damaged. Some of the injured were in critical condition."We suspect the involvement of those people who in recent months had sent letters to the CD and video shops, warning them to shut their businesses, saying it is against Islam," city police chief Abdul Majid Marwat told reporters at scene of the blast.Such attacks have become common in Pakistan's conservative northwest, usually blamed on pro-Taliban Islamic militants who deem music and movies to be offensive to Islam, in the manner of the hard-line regime that once ruled Afghanistan.Before Tuesday's airstrikes, the army had reported that battles have killed 150 fighters and 45 soldiers since Saturday. About 12-15 troops are missing. Another 50 militants and 20 soldiers had been wounded.Security forces have rejected a cease-fire proposed by the militants and will "continue punitive action till complete peace is restored" in the area, an army statement said.Pakistan struck a cease-fire deal with militants in North Waziristan last year. U.S. officials criticized the pact, claiming it gave a safe haven for Al Qaeda and provided a rear base for Taliban guerrillas fighting NATO troops in Afghanistan.In July, Pakistan's army redeployed troops at key checkpoints in the region, sparking fresh hostilities.After Saturday's bombing, about 300 militants ambushed an army convoy traveling to the scene, killing 22 troops and wounding 11. Others were captured alive and could be still held by militants, an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.One resident of Isu Khel village said three soldiers came to his home asking for protection but he refused, fearing militants might target him. The three soldiers later escaped in a military truck, said the villager, speaking after fleeing to the region's main town, Miran Shah.
Other residents of Isu Khel and nearby Melagan village said they spotted soldiers' bodies abandoned in deserted areas and a roadside, many with their throats slit.A woman, who fled to Miran Shah, said the bodies of eight soldiers shot dead were covered in dust and one was badly mutilated.The villagers who spoke to The Associated Press requested their names not be printed, fearing reprisals.Security forces have suffered more than 250 casualties in the past three months, many of them in suicide bombings. The government is also trying to secure the release of more than 200 soldiers seized in the South Waziristan region at the end of August.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300335,00.html

As in the days of Noah....

PESTILENCE WATCH:Tasmanian-Devil Cancer Epidemic Due to Genetics

SYDNEY,Australia-Australian researchers have made a breakthrough discovery in understanding a rapidly spreading facial cancer that has decimated the country's Tasmanian Devil population.A lack of genetic diversity in the fierce, fox-like creatures has meant the animals' immune system does not try to fight off the disease, spread through biting, according to a study by the University of Sydney's School of Veterinary Science released last week.The grotesque facial tumors were first spotted in the devil population around a decade ago in the northeast of Australia's island state of Tasmania, where 90 percent of the species has died of the disease.The affliction is spreading south and west, and scientists estimate that within five years, there will be no disease-free population in Tasmania-the only place in the world where the carnivorous marsupials exist outside zoos.Seeking to understand how a facial cancer could be contagious, the University of Sydney researchers found that the tumors had originated from a single cell line that was spread through the population by biting.Because Tasmanian devils are genetically similar, their bodies do not recognize the tumors as foreign cells and do not produce an effective immune response."We propose that this tumor arose in a single individual and has spread through the population by biting during fights for food and mates," lead researcher Katherine Belov said in a statement."Essentially, there are no natural barriers to the spread of the disease, so affected individuals must be removed from populations to stop disease transmission," she said.Scientists estimate that the wild devil population has fallen from around 140,000 in the 1990s to 80,000 in 2006 due to the spread of the tumors, which — by making it difficult for the animals to bite and catch prey — usually lead to their death from starvation within six months.Experts fear the remaining healthy animals could become extinct within the next two decades if they are not isolated from the disease.Since the disease first emerged, scientists have been working to save the endangered marsupials, known for their powerful jaws and bloodcurdling growl. Programs to try to save them include plans to relocate breeding pairs to island sanctuaries.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300446,00.html

As in the days of Noah...

U.S. Foresaw Radiological Weapon to Kill Leaders in Cold War

WASHINGTON-In one of the longest-held secrets of the Cold War, the U.S. Army explored the potential for using radioactive poisons to assassinate "important individuals" such as military or civilian leaders, according to newly declassified documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Approved at the highest levels of the Army in 1948, the effort was a well-hidden part of the military's pursuit of a "new concept of warfare" using radioactive materials from atomic bombmaking to contaminate swaths of enemy land or to target military bases, factories or troop formations. Military historians who have researched the broader radiological warfare program said in interviews that they had never before seen evidence that it included pursuit of an assassination weapon. Targeting public figures in such attacks is not unheard of; just last year an unknown assailant used a tiny amount of radioactive polonium-210 to kill Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London.No targeted individuals are mentioned in references to the assassination weapon in the government documents declassified in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the AP in 1995.The decades-old records were released recently to the AP, heavily censored by the government to remove specifics about radiological warfare agents and other details. The censorship reflects concern that the potential for using radioactive poisons as a weapon is more than a historic footnote; it is believed to be sought by present-day terrorists bent on attacking U.S. targets.The documents give no indication whether a radiological weapon for targeting high-ranking individuals was ever used or even developed by the United States. They leave unclear how far the Army project went. One memo from December 1948 outlined the project and another memo that month indicated it was under way. The main sections of several subsequent progress reports in 1949 were removed by censors before release to the AP.The broader effort on offensive uses of radiological warfare apparently died by about 1954, at least in part because of the Defense Department's conviction that nuclear weapons were a better bet.Whether the work migrated to another agency such as the CIA is unclear. The project was given final approval in November 1948 and began the following month, just one year after the CIA's creation in 1947.It was a turbulent time on the international scene. In August 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb, and two months later Mao Zedong's communists triumphed in China's civil war.As U.S. scientists developed the atomic bomb during World War II, it was recognized that radioactive agents used or created in the manufacturing process had lethal potential. The government's first public report on the bomb project, published in 1945, noted that radioactive fission products from a uranium-fueled reactor could be extracted and used "like a particularly vicious form of poison gas."Among the documents released to the AP — an Army memo dated Dec. 16, 1948, and labeled secret — described a crash program to develop a variety of military uses for radioactive materials. Work on a "subversive weapon for attack of individuals or small groups" was listed as a secondary priority, to be confined to feasibility studies and experiments.
The top priorities listed were:
— 1 — Weapons to contaminate "populated or otherwise critical areas for long periods of time."
— 2 — Munitions combining high explosives with radioactive material "to accomplish physical damage and radioactive contamination simultaneously."
— 3 — Air and-or surface weapons that would spread contamination across an area to be evacuated, thereby rendering it unusable by enemy forces.
The stated goal was to produce a prototype for the No. 1 and No. 2 priority weapons by Dec. 31, 1950.The 4th ranked priority was "munitions for attack on individuals" using radioactive agents for which there is "no means of therapy."

To read more go to:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300318,00.html

As in the days of Noah....

Iranian-Born German Soccer Star Boycotts Israel Game

The tensions in the Middle East seem to have influenced the decision of Iranian-born German international soccer player Ashkan Dejagah's decision not to travel with the national Under-21 squad for a match in Israel.Dejagah, who plays for Bundesliga club VfB Wolfsburg, asked his national team managers to withdraw him from Germany's European Championship qualifier against Israel, to be played in Tel Aviv on Friday, citing "personal reasons.""He came to us citing personal reasons that seemed very plausible," DFB spokesman Jens Grittner said in a statement. Dejagah was quoted by mass-circulation tabloid daily Bild as saying his motive was cultural.{{{{"I have more Iranian than German blood in my veins," he said in a report published Tuesday. "That should be respected, and besides I'm doing this out of respect. My parents are Iranian."}}}}Dejagah was born in Tehran, but later moved with his parents to Germany. He holds a German passport.{{{Iranian citizens have been forbidden from traveling to Israel ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the point from which Iran also began to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist.}}}}

Ex-Bayern Star pulled from Tel Aviv game in 2004

The Under-21 star's decision is not the first to bring the tensions of the Middle East into German soccer. Former Bayern Munich striker Vahid Hashemian, now with Hanover 96, was pulled from the Bayern squad to face Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in a Champions League game in 2004.Although Bayern cited a back injury as the reason for the Iranian's withdrawal, the potential visit proved controversial with opposition to Hashemian's involvement coming from Iran's national sporting body.

Calls for exclusion from national team
Dejagah's withdrawal has stirred controversy in Germany.Bild, Germany's biggest-selling newspaper, called for Dejagah's exclusion from the national team, a call which was backed by Friedbert Pflüger, a leading member of the Berlin branch of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).DFB President Theo Zwanziger meanwhile made his own opposition clear in a statement."I respect the decision of the coaches not to travel with the player because they told me that the player stated private and appropriate reasons," he said. "However, my position and that of the DFB is clear: We will not accept that a German national player refuses to play in an international match for reasons associated with his views on world politics."The Central Council of the Jews in Germany responded with indignation to Dejagah’s decision."It is inconceivable and impossible that a national player initiates his own private Jewish boycott," Vice-President Dieter Graumann told German magazine Der Spiegel’s online portal. "It would be scandalous if the DFB does not take action."

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,2814253,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

As in the days of Noah....

China labels Dalai Lama a supporter of "cults"

BEIJING-China, in its latest tirade against Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, on Tuesday accused the exiled Nobel peace prize laureate of supporting "evil cults" like Falun Gong and Japan's Aum Shinrikyo. China has ruled the mountainous Himalayan region of Tibet with an iron fist since Chinese troops marched in there in 1950.The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against communist rule in 1959 and is branded by China as a "separatist." He says he only wants greater autonomy for the region.In a lengthy signed commentary in English carried by the official Xinhua news agency, the piece said the Dalai Lama "not only has no hatred toward evil cults but instead shows a great deal of compassion for them."The Dalai Lama supported Shoko Asahara and his Aum Shinrikyo cult, who carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 which killed 12 and made thousands sick, Xinhua said, in a piece signed by somebody calling themselves Shi Shan."It was the support and connivance of the 14th Dalai Lama who took the foe for his friend that made Asahara feel secure in the knowledge that he had strong backing," Xinhua said, in typically strong language."It is the 14th Dalai Lama's own deeds that have step by step betrayed his real intentions and political ambitions put under the guise of Buddhism and peace," it added.The Dalai Lama also provided succor to the Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by China as an "evil cult," and its leader Li Hongzhi, Xinhua said."... Even such an evil cult leader who is denounced by many people and had to flee abroad to escape the punishment of laws secured compassion and admiration from the 14th Dalai Lama," it added.Critics have accused China of repressing religious freedom in Tibet and other parts of the country, but Beijing counters by saying it guarantees religious freedom and invests large amounts of money every year to modernize the underdeveloped Tibetan region.Last month, China chided German Chancellor Angela Merkel for hosting the Dalai Lama and demanded Berlin take action to repair damage to bilateral ties.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071009/wl_nm/china_dalailama_dc_1

As in the days of Noah...

Qatar says oil prices should top 100 dollars

Qatar's energy minister said crude oil prices, which have surged recently to record levels above 80 dollars a barrel, should be more than 100 dollars."If we take into account inflation from 1972 to the present day, the real and fair price for oil should be more than 100 dollars," Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah said in remarks aired by Al-Jazeera television on Tuesday.He said such a price was justified by rising inflation, a fall in purchasing power and the weakness of the dollar, which has dropped about 10 percent in value against the euro over the past year.His comments contradict those of OPEC chief Abdalla Salem el-Badri who said in September that current prices around 80 dollars did not reflect fundamentals and were unlikely to last long at that level. On Tuesday, world oil prices continued their fall in Asian trade, with New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, 17 cents lower at 78.85 dollars per barrel in afternoon trade.The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided last month to increase its output by 500,000 barrels from November 1 to help ease prices and send a signal that the cartel cared about consumer countries.OPEC is due to meet again in Abu Dhabi on December 5.Attiyah, whose gas-rich nation is an OPEC member, said the dollar could remain the unit of reference for oil despite its slump."But I cannot predict what will happen in future. Anything is possible," he said.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071009092518.0aihsbyw&show_article=1

As in the days of Noah...

Pakistani jets pound militant stronghold

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan-Pakistani warplanes on Tuesday pounded militant positions in North Waziristan, as fighting raged for a fourth day in a tribal region known as an al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold, an army spokesman said.There has been intense fighting since Saturday night around the town of Mir Ali, and nearly 200 people had been killed before Tuesday's air strike."Aircraft were used to attack militants positions near Mir Ali this afternoon," military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said.Thousands of families were fleeing the town of 50,000 and outlying villages, making their way on foot, in tractor trailers and cars.Arshad had no details of casualties from Tuesday's air strike, though residents and a security official in North Waziristan put the number of people killed at close to 50.Air strikes earlier destroyed most houses around Essori, a village near Mir Ali where most of the fighting was concentrated.
"We don't have any place to live," said villager Mohammad Anwar. "We have sent our children to other areas because children are scared that the bombing could start again."The military had put the death toll from the three days of fighting at 150 militants, and 45 soldiers.

To read more go to:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSP30874520071009

As in the days of Noah....

Iranian students call president "dictator" during scuffle

TEHRAN-More than 100 students scuffled with police and hardline supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday on Tehran University campus and chanted "Death to the dictator" outside a hall where the Iranian president spoke."Revolutionary president, we support you," the hardline students shouted back, pushing and shoving those who were voicing opposition to Ahmadinejad, a Reuters witness said.Liberal-minded students and academics have criticized the president for clamping down on dissent on Iranian campuses, although the president and his government insist they support free speech and welcome constructive opposition.Monday's protest was the second rowdy reception Ahmadinejad has received at a university in less than a year. In December, students tried to disrupt his speech on another campus by hurling firecrackers, chanting and burning his picture."Students should feel responsible in the international arena ... Today's world needs them," state television quoted the president as telling university officials and students in the hall.The television made no mention of disturbances outside.{{{....OF COURSE.....!!!!!}}}}One of the pro-reform students said those allowed inside to listen were handpicked because they supported the president."We were not invited," said the student, asking not to be named.Students and activists say some of those who have spoken out against the president and his government in the past two years have been detained or blacklisted from university courses.Students on Monday shouted: "Detained students should be released". Ahmadinejad's supporters responded: "Hypocrites, leave the university" and waved religious banners.The president, who polarizes opinions in Iran by berating the West and with his populist agenda, had delayed his speech from last week because he felt unwell, officials had said.More than 100 students, who tried to leave the campus to protest, briefly scuffled with campus police who stopped them.{{{{"Fascist president, the university is not a place for you," }}}}students chanted as they marched towards the campus gates.Other rival students, including members of the Basij religious militia, wrestled and punched each other.
GAUGING SUPPORT
Before leaving the campus, some professors gave Ahmadinejad a carpet to thank him for his speech at New York's Columbia University last month.[HAHAHAHAHA] The U.S. university's head introduced his guest as a "cruel dictator". Ahmadinejad said this was rude.
Ahmadinejad swept to office in 2005 vowing to share out Iran's oil wealth fairly and a return to revolutionary ideals. Critics say his policies have stoked inflation and his fiery speeches have provoked Western nations to impose sanctions.In the late 1990s, students formed a bastion of support for the social and political reforms promoted by then president, Mohammad Khatami. In 1999, a student protest against a liberal newspaper closure was routed by baton-wielding thugs. Many students became disillusioned as reforms failed to materialize.Gauging popular support for Ahmadinejad is difficult in the absence of reliable opinion polls. Anecdotal evidence suggests he has many backers in the provinces, particularly poorer areas that have benefited from state largesse. But grumbling in the cities has become vocal.Ahmadinejad's backers were trounced in local council polls in December, particularly in big urban centers like Tehran. His supporters face a new test in the March parliamentary election."I did not vote for him but I was not against him (in the 2005 presidential vote). If I was doubtful last time, I am completely sure this time that I will not vote for him," said a 22-year-old Tehran University student, asking not to be named.Iran is embroiled in a nuclear row with the West, which accuses the Islamic Republic of seeking atomic bombs. Tehran denies the charge and has rejected demands to stop the work. As a result of its refusal, U.N. sanctions have been imposed.Yahya Saffarian, a student who has been suspended from his studies, told an Iranian rights group meeting this month that the government was seeking to remove opponents from campuses."If education is a right, we will not give it up ... and if it is a privilege, it seems a specific group is only entitled to that," he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSBLA82748320071008

As in the days of Noah....

TERROR WATCH:Al Qaeda trying to boost efforts in U.S.

WASHINGTON-Al Qaeda remains the "most serious and dangerous" terrorism threat to the United States and is likely to intensify efforts to place operatives inside this country, a new White House report said on Tuesday."Although we have discovered only a handful of individuals in the United States with ties to al Qaeda senior leadership, the group likely will intensify its efforts to place operatives here in the homeland," the "National Strategy for Homeland Security" report said."We also must never lose sight of al Qaeda's persistent desire for weapons of mass destruction, as the group continues to try to acquire and use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear material," it said.The report said that al Qaeda has protected its top leadership, replenished operational lieutenants, and "regenerated a safe haven" in Pakistan's tribal areas.The report updated the White House national homeland security strategy issued in July 2002."We recognize that our efforts also must involve offense at home and abroad," President George W. Bush said in a letter accompanying the report. "Today, our nation is safer, but we are not yet safe."

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSWAT00823220071009?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

As in the days of Noah....

"GOD" Removed From Capitol Hill Flag.....

Midland Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Camp is among lawmakers objecting because the U.S. Capitol's architect won't allow God to be mentioned in certificates of authenticity accompanying flags flown over the Capitol and bought by constitutents. "This is as insulting as it is absurd," Camp said in a prepared statement. "The architect has gone way too far. If we can put 'in God we trust' on our money, then we can certainly put it on a flag certificate when a citizen wants it there."Camp and dozens of other lawmakers are sending a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi calling for "an immediate review of the authority under which the architect is making these rules, as well as the reversal of this policy which censors our citizens' right to expressions of their faith."A 17-year-old Eagle Scout from Ohio reportedly was denied the request to have a certificate read, "This flag was flown in honor of Marcel Larochelle, my grandfather, for his dedication and love of God, country and family.""I can't believe the U.S. House of Representatives can pass a resolution recognizing the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which we did this week, but can't send out certificates with the word 'God' on them," Camp said. "It doesn't make any sense. The policy needs to be changed. "The controversy over certificate wording has arisen several times in past years, with the architect's office saying religious and political messages should not be permitted, House leadership aides said.One proposed compromise was to put out a uniform certificate of authenticity while allowing members to add messages they choose, but some lawmakers objected to that approach, the aides said.

http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18894793&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472542&rfi=6

As in the days of Noah....

Turkey says ready to send troops into N.Iraq

ANKARA-Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan gave the green light on Tuesday for a possible military incursion into northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels hiding there after a series of deadly attacks on Turkish security forces.Erdogan is under heavy pressure from Turkey's powerful army and opposition parties to take tough action against rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after they shot dead 13 soldiers on Sunday near the Iraqi border.Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul said Turkey's parliament would need to authorise any large-scale military operation-a scenario most analysts say remains unlikely-but he said such permission was not required for limited, "hot pursuit" raids. Washington has urged Turkey, a NATO ally, not to take military action in mainly Kurdish northern Iraq, fearing this could destabilise the most peaceful region in the country."To put an end to the terrorist organisation operating in the neighbouring country (Iraq), the order has been given to take every kind of measure, legal, economic, political, including also a cross-border operation if necessary," Erdogan's office said in a statement."Orders have been given to all relevant institutions to continue to wage a decisive struggle against terrorism and the terrorists," said the statement, issued after a special meeting of Turkey's top anti-terrorism body.The White House said on Tuesday it was committed to working with Turkey and Iraq to combat the PKK. Spokesman Gordon Johndroe would not comment specifically on whether the White House would support any Turkish incursion.
DEADLY ATTACKS
Sunday's attack in Sirnak province was the worst single incident in 12 years. Two other soldiers died on Monday in separate PKK landmine explosions.The previous week, 12 people, including village guards, died when PKK rebels ambushed their minibus in Sirnak province.Turkish television and newspapers have carried extensive pictures of the funerals, with coffins draped in the national flag, watched by grieving wives, children and parents.Financial markets are closely monitoring the debate over northern Iraq, though the lira currency and share prices did not move very much on Tuesday after Erdogan's statement.NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer condemned the latest PKK attacks and pledged the alliance's solidarity."The terrorist threat presented by such violence is unacceptable and Turkey deserves full support of its allies. NATO will continue a steadfast defence against terrorism; we will not allow terrorists to prevail," he said.Turkey signed an anti-terrorism deal on Sept. 28 with Iraq targeting the PKK but failed to win Baghdad's consent to allow "hot pursuit" raids across the border. Their deal focuses on financial and intelligence measures against the PKK.Ankara knows the Baghdad government has little clout in the autonomous Kurdish north, whose authorities are loathe to take action against their ethnic kin in the PKK.An estimated 3,000 PKK rebels use mountainous northern Iraq as a springboard from which to attack Turkish targets.Ankara blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people since the group began its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0989504.htm

As in the days of Noah....

The choice is yours

The story of Nicodemus we looked at last week brings us to a reassuring, yet often overlooked passage: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:17).Jesus came to this world not to come down on people, but to reach out to people.While religion tells us what we must to do reach up to heaven, God reached down from heaven by sending his Son, Jesus. We are not reaching out to God, trying to earn his approval. Rather, it is God reaching out to us. That is the message of the Gospel. It is the message that, through Christ – who lived a perfect life, who died on the cross in our place, and who shed his blood for us – we have the gift of eternal life.But what does it mean to believe? So many people say they believe. But what do they believe? The Bible says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder" (James 2:19). To believe does not simply mean intellectually accepting something to be true. To believe means to adhere to, commit to, have faith in, rely upon, trust in. It comes back to the issue of being born again. To be a believer means not only embracing Christ and Christ alone for salvation, but also turning from your sin and starting life again. Repentance is a part of belief, like two sides of a coin.I fear for those who say they believe but have never repented. There is a lot of confusion regarding the definition of the terms "Christian" and "born again." But how can someone claim to be a Christian and not believe that the Bible is the Word of God? How can someone claim to be born again and believe that Jesus is anything other than the Messiah? How can someone claim to be a real follower of Jesus and yet reject what the Bible clearly teaches? Answer: They can't.How about you? Do you know that you have eternal life? Do you have the assurance of salvation? The choice is yours as to what you will do with this wonderful gift of God. You can gladly accept it or reject it. When someone offers you a gift, you either take it or reject it. You can't say, "I'm neutral on this. I can't decide." Some people may say that they have no choice in the matter, that God does the choosing and not us. They believe that you are either predestined to heaven or to hell. Some well-meaning Christians tend perhaps to overstress the sovereignty of God, and for all practical purposes, do away with the personal choice of humanity in the matter. On the other hand, some others might tend to dismiss the sovereignty of God and instead emphasize the free will of humanity.I don't subscribe to either point of view wholeheartedly. I do believe in the sovereignty of God and predestination. However, I reject the idea of irresistible grace and limited atonement, because I believe the grace of God is resistible, though not easily. I also believe that Jesus Christ died for the whole world, not just the "elect." Otherwise, why would the Bible say, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Psalm 95:7–8)? This, along with other countless passages, implies that the heart can be hardened and grace can be resisted. As evangelist D.L. Moody once said, "Lord, save the elect, and then elect some more!"Christ did not die only for the elect, but for the world: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" (John 3:16, emphasis mine). And, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, emphasis mine).On the one hand, there is free will. We must personally choose whether we will put our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. But on the other hand, it's an undeniable fact that Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16).So how do I reconcile these two approaches? I don't. And thankfully, I don't have to. You don't have to reconcile friends. I simply follow the Scriptural emphasis, recognizing that God's sovereignty and humanity's responsibility are taught side by side in the same Bible.Jesus will receive and reveal himself to any person who will come to him honestly and heart to heart, just as he did with Nicodemus. So don't give up on the unbeliever you have been praying for. And don't give up on yourself. Jesus said, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37).Jesus will receive and reveal himself to any person who will come to him honestly and heart to heart.

By Greg Laurie

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/ and http://www.harvest.org/

As in the days of Noah....

TERROR WATCH:Suicide bombers head to Iraq from Damascus

IN a small flat in Damascus, a young man in jeans and T-shirt draws frequently on a Gauloises cigarette as he describes how he dressed his brother in a suicide belt and watched him blow up some American soldiers at a drinks stall in Iraq.The young man calls himself Ahmed. He is 23 and he has a degree in chemistry. He knows all about explosives.Last year, he says coolly, he took 15kg of TNT, packed it into pouches with some nails and strapped the bomb to his 19-year-old brother’s waist.There was never any doubt that it would go off. Ahmed placed detonators in both his brother’s trouser pockets and a third in a shirt pocket, just in case the others failed. Finally, he slipped wire rings on to his brother’s fingers and attached them to a fourth detonator in the palm of his hand. The thinking was that even if his brother were shot, he would clench his fist and the TNT would still explode.Ahmed had borrowed a drinks stall used by American convoys on the road that winds north from Baghdad past Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit. His brother was instructed to grab some bottles of cola in his free hand and head for a group of soldiers taking a break from their journey.“Go sell them some Pepsi,” Ahmed told him gently. “We will meet in heaven, you and I, and that’s a promise.”Ahmed says his brother kissed him, turned and walked away without a moment’s hesitation.Did he not long to call his brother back, I ask? The question brings tears to his eyes.“He had a smile on his face,” Ahmed replies. “He knew he was crossing to a better place where he would meet his maker as a martyr.”The emotion passes and Ahmed talks with steady self-assurance about his plans to follow his brother’s example. He, too, will take Americans with him when he dies, he says. His ambition is to blast some CIA men to smithereens.The flat where we met was rented by a handler in Damascus, the Syrian capital, who channels aspiring “martyrs” to insurgent groups such as Ahmed’s.Our encounter was arranged as part of a four-week Sunday Times investigation into the world’s biggest suicide bombing campaign. More than 1,300 bombers are said to have struck on foot or in vehicles since the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 – more than all the other suicide bombings of the past 20 years put together.The number this year promises to be higher than ever. The bombers are estimated to have killed and injured more than 4,000 people in the first nine months. Their targets have ranged from lines of police recruits in and around Baghdad to an entire village near the Syrian border where up to 500 died.So who are these bombers and why do they do it? How are they organised? And how much impact are they really making on a war that is sucking ever larger numbers of suicidal volunteers from across the Middle East into Iraq’s vortex of violence.

To read more go to:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2604119.ece

As in the days of Noah....

'Syria won't hesitate to a start war with Israel to regain Golan'

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Sunday following a brief visit to Damascus. High on his agenda in Jerusalem will be Israel's air strike on Syria last month and the American Jewish community's stand on whether the World War I killing of Armenians constituted genocide.Babacan arrived in Damascus on Saturday, and was scheduled to hold talks during his visit there with President Bashar Assad and Foreign Minister Farouk Shara.His visit to Damascus came as ABC News quoted American officials over the weekend as saying that the IAF raid on Syria was planned for several months and was postponed a number of times due to heavy US pressure.According to the report, Israel presented US officials with satellite imagery which clearly showed North Korean nuclear technology in a Syrian facility.According to a US source, Washington officials were astonished by the imagery and by the fact US intelligence had not picked up on the facility previously."Israel tends to be very thorough about its intelligence coverage, particularly when it takes a major military step, so they would not have acted without data from several sources," said ABC News military consultant Tony Cordesman.A different source told ABC News that Israel had planned the strike as early as July 14, and in confidential meetings with high-ranking US officials, debated the appropriate response.Several officials supported Israel's decision to strike, although others, led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, firmly opposed it and offered to publicly condemn Syria for operating a nuclear facility instead.US officials who initially opposed the raid, according to ABC , apparently feared the negative influence it might have over the whole region. Consequently, officials in Washington persuaded Israel to push back the raid, but in September, Israel feared that information about the facility might be leaked to the press, and went ahead with the strike, despite objections by Washington.After the strike, fuel tanks were found on the Turkish side of its border with Syria, something that led to protests to Israel from the Turkish foreign ministry. Babacan, who at the time said "this situation is unacceptable for Turkey," also said that Israel promised a quick investigation of a possible violation of Turkish airspace. Babacan was greeted at Damascus Airport Saturday by assistant foreign minister, Abdul-Fattah Ammora. In addition to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he is also expected to visit Jordan during this Middle East swing.This is Babacan's first visit to the region since being appointed foreign minister in August, replacing Abdullah Gul, who was elected Turkey's president.He visited Israel for the first time in 2004 as Turkey's minister of state for economic affairs. Turkish media reports have said Babacan is expected to play a mediating role between Syria and Israel. If so, he has his work cut out for him, as A-Baath, the official newspaper of President Bashar Assad's government, warned Saturday that Syria would not hesitate to start a war with Israel to restore its control over the Golan Heights.In an article to mark 34 years since the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, A-Baath said: "Our people and our leadership are determined to liberate our conquered lands using all means, methods and ways."Babacan was expected to discuss the US-sponsored Mideast peace conference planned for later this year both with his Syrian, Israeli and PA hosts. Syria has said it will not attend the conference if the Golan issue were not addressed.Babacan did not make any comments upon his arrival in Damascus, but before departing Turkey he said: "The region is going through a sensitive time and we are facing problems, primarily the Palestinian issue and developments in Iraq that could affect the entire region.""Turkey will continue its efforts and contributions for the establishment of peace and stability in the region," he said.Alongside Syria, Babacan is expected to talk with his Israeli interlocutors about legislation that will come before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that would declare the World War I era killings of Armenians a genocide. While this measure comes before Congress every year, this time it seems to have enough votes to pass both the committee and the full House.In August, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reversed its long-standing position on the issue, and said that the events of that period were tantamount to genocide. At the same time, the organization said it opposed legislation on the matter.Jewish organizations in Washington - because of the close Turkish-Israeli ties - have traditionally lobbied against this piece of legislation, and in August Turkey's ambassador to Israel Namik Tan told The Jerusalem Post that Turkey expected Israel to "deliver" American Jewish organizations and ensure that the US Congress did not pass the resolution.Tan said he understood that Israel's position on the matter had not changed - which is that Turkey and Armenia should resolve their differences over this matter through dialogue - but "Israel should not let the [US] Jewish community change its position. This is our expectation and this is highly important, highly important."Turkish and American officials have been pressing lawmakers to reject the measure, and on Friday US President George W. Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan talked by telephone about their opposition to the legislation.The dispute involves the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians during the waning years of the Ottoman Empire.Armenian advocates, backed by many historians, contend the Armenians died in an organized genocide. The Turks say the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in the years before Turkey was born in 1923.Though the largely symbolic measure would have no binding effect on US foreign policy, its passage could nonetheless damage an already strained relationship with Turkey.After France voted last year to make denial of Armenian genocide a crime, the Turkish government ended military ties. Many in the US fear that a public backlash in Turkey could lead to restrictions on crucial supply routes through Turkey to Iraq and Afghanistan and the closure of Incirlik, a strategic air base in Turkey used by the United States. In Israel, too, there is concern that passage of the bill could harm Israeli-Turkish ties.During his two-day stay in Israel, Babacan will meet President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu. He will also go to Ramallah for talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad.

http://www.jp.com/

As in the days of Noah.....

DECEPTION WATCH:Oprah Show Today: "Silence is the Only True Religion"

October 5, 2007 - Today on the Oprah show, Oprah's guest will be the author of the best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert's book is the story of how she left her husband and her life behind and found what she came to call "the only true religion": the silence. Her journey took her around the world, where she learned to meditate in an India ashram. Oprah, who openly resonates with the New Age and meditation techniques, said she is very excited to have Ms. Gilbert on her show. Calling it a "phenomenon" and "a life-changer," Oprah expresses her excitement for the book and the author. Gilbert explains that the first step in her journey was to go on an eating binge in Italy. "I would not have been able to physically do the yoga, the meditation, the hard rigor of spiritual work. So I went to Italy first and I ate my guts out for four months." From Italy, Gilbert traveled to India where she learned to meditate: "There was something about that yoga path that really appealed to me-and you do that through silence and the discipline of meditation-and I really wanted to go pursue that full out." "None of this works without stillness," Liz says. "One of the great teachings that I learned in India is that[[[ silence is the only true religion."]]]During her time at the ashram, Gilbert had a meditative experience where she says "the scales fell from my eyes and the openings of the universe were shown to me." Oprah's promotion of Gilbert and her book will likely cause millions of women (and many men too) to go out and buy the book. And once again Oprah, who has become a prophet and an evangelist for the New Age message, will help lead so many over the cliff of spiritual lostness through meditation (i.e., the silence). Is it any wonder why ministries like Lighthouse Trails show such concern when Christian leaders tell followers, You can't really know God without the silence. Different than finding a quiet place away from noise and distractions, the silence is referring to a stillness of the mind. Ray Yungen, author of A Time of Departing, says it is like putting the mind in neutral. Contemplatives say it is like tuning into another frequency. New Agers call it different things like a thin place, sacred space, ecstasy; whatever it is called, both New Agers and Christian leaders are telling us we must practice silence and stillness if we really want to know God.
Here is a sampling:
"What you need is stillness and silence so that the sediment can settle and the water can become clear." - Ruth Haley Barton, "Beyond Words"

"The basic method promoted in The Cloud [of Unknowing] is to move beyond thinking into a place of utter stillness with the Lord ... the believer must first achieve a state of silence and contemplation, and then God works in the believer's heart." - Tony Jones, The Sacred Way, pp. 71-72"

Progress in intimacy with God means progress toward silence.... It is this recreating silence to which we are called in Contemplative Prayer. - Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, p. 155

"It is through silence that you find your inner being." - Vijay Eswaran, In the Sphere of Silence

"This book [In the Sphere of Silence] is a wonderful guide on how to enter the realm of silence and draw closer to God." - New Age sympathizer, Ken Blanchard, from In the Sphere of Silence website - see above

"[G]o into the silence for guidance" - New Ager, Wayne Dyer, A Time of Departing, p. 18

"While we are all equally precious in the eyes of God, we are not all equally ready to listen to God's speech in his wondrous, terrible, gentle, loving, all embracing silence."- Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, p. 156

"When one enters the deeper layers of contemplative prayer one sooner or later experiences the void, the emptiness, the nothingness ... the profound mystical silence ... an absence of thought." - Thomas Merton, cited in biographer, William Johnston's book, Letters to Contemplatives, p. 13

"In the silence is a dynamic presence. And that's God, and we become attuned to that." - Interspiritualist, Wayne Teasdale, ATOD, p. 55, from a KQED (San Francisco) radio program with Teasdale, 2000

"I do not believe anyone can ever become a deep person [intimate with God] without stillness and silence. - Charles Swindoll, So You Want to Be Like Christ: Eight Essential Disciplines to Get You There, p. 12

"The most important human activity in the life of any believer is spending time with God in meditation," referring to his 3 part series, Meditation: The Power of Silence. - Charles Stanley, 4/11/06 radio broadcast, Be Still DVD supporter (see credits at end of DVD)

"But how do you get these "enlightened eyes"? They develop as a natural result of your time with the Lord-through your solitude, silence, and surrender." from Charles Stanley's website AND "You have to have silence and solitude to be renewed and refreshed." (also from Stanley's site)

"One of the great things silence does, it gives us a new concept of God." - Calvin Miller, Be Still DVD participant

"[I]f we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know to the depths of the marrow of our bones that He is God. There's got to be a stillness." - Beth Moore, from the Be Still DVD (see "Beth Moore Gives Thumbs Up to Contemplative Spirituality")
Interestingly, Elizabeth Gilbert relates a story how a new found meditator/friend experienced "colors," "sounds," "whirling," and "twirling" during his meditation times. This is a description of the kundalini effect (or serpent power) . In Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality, Ray Yungen explains exactly what Gilbert's friend experienced and the spiritual ramifications of going into the silence. Such an experience led mystic and Catholic priest Philip St. Romain to hear the voices of other beings or what he called his "inner adviser."While it is understandable that Oprah would promote the silence because of her spiritual blindness, it is beyond comprehension how Christian leaders are promoting the silence rather than issuing stern warnings against it.

For related information:

"Oprah Winfrey's Spirituality" by Ray Yungen

"Should we wait in silence?" by Larry DeBruyn

"In the Sphere of Silence" and Ken Blanchard

"The Silence of Spiritual Formation"
Click here for an online version of this report.
From the Editors at Lighthouse Trails Research Project

As in the days of Noah....

More Americans Familiar with Big Mac Ingredients than 10 Commandments

Think most Americans know the Ten Commandments?
Think again.
Despite living in a country with a rich and still prevalent Christian heritage – as evident from the Pledge of Allegiance to the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust” – Americans were found to be more familiar with the ingredients of the McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger than some of the Ten Commandments.In a new study conducted by Kelton research in conjunction with the upcoming release of the animated feature film, The Ten Commandments, 80 percent of respondents knew "two all beef patties" were among the ingredients of the Big Mac but only six out of ten could identify "Thou shalt not kill” as one of the Ten Commandments. Also, while 43 percent of respondents – including those who regularly attend worship – could recall Bobby and Peter, two of the least-recalled names from the Brady Bunch, they were less familiar with two of the least recalled commandments – "Remember the Sabbath" (34 percent) and "Do not make any false idols" (29 percent).“This gradual erosion of our knowledge of the Ten Commandments is a pretty serious issue,” said Paul Lauer, founder and president of Motive Entertainment, the group marketing the Ten Commandments film. He adds that he was shocked because these were statistics coming from a country that is known as “a Christian nation.”Lauer, along with makers of the Ten Commandments movie, say they hope the film will inspire Americans to improve their literacy of the Ten Commandments and the Bible. The film, produced by Promenade Pictures, is slated to hit theaters Oct. 19.The family-friendly film tells the story of Moses, the reluctant prophet of God, who leads the enslaved Chosen People from Egypt to the Promised Land. During the journey, Moses, who is also accompanied by his brother Aaron and sister Miriam, delivers the Ten Commandments given to him by God to the people.Ed Naha, the film screenwriter of The Ten Commandments, said that one of the unique aspects of the movie is its portrayal of Moses.“He was actually a very reluctant prophet,” said Naha, who also wrote Honey I Shrunk The Kids. “He tries to talk himself out of the job. It's actually a leap of faith for Moses to accept the job of being God's voice.”The film is unlike other movies carrying the Ten Commandments theme not only because it works more from actual scripture but also because it traces the development of Moses as he gets more comfortable, more assertive, and more connected with his calling, according to Naha.“Our Moses is very close to the Moses found in the Bible,” he added.Naha said his depiction of God in the film is also different from what people might expect. While many people considers God to be “vengeful” and “angry” in the Old Testament, Naha, who grew up Catholic, said he tried to portray God as a fatherly figure. Cindy Bond, president of Promenade Pictures and producer of the animated movie, said her decision to make The Ten Commandments stemmed out of moral duty for her faith and nation. “As a mother, as an industry profession, a wife… and someone who grew up in a Christian household, I watched the erosion of our values in our society,” explained Bond.“The Ten Commandments are the entire backbone of the reason why the United States was started. It's important to bring back the Ten Commandments to the society.”Dr. Ron Wexler, president of the Ten Commandments Commission, which commissioned the survey comparing American’s knowledge of the Big Mac and the Ten Commandments, also stressed the value of the commandments."Knowing and living the Ten Commandments empowers people and feeds their souls, while knowing the contents of a famous hamburger, at most, only feeds the stomach,” said Wexler in news release.The Ten Commandments Commission is a coalition of churches, synagogues, civic and community organizations dedicated to keeping America “One Nation, Under God.”Wexler, who likened the commandments to “principles” according to the Hebrew translation, is also involved in an effort to declare May 6 as “Ten Commandments Day” and has invited people to sign the petition."How empowered we would be as individuals and as a culture if we knew and lived by the very foundation of our moral and ethical codes,” said Wexler.But even if people have no background knowledge of the Ten Commandments, they will still be able to enjoy the film, according to Naha.“I would love for this to just appeal to everybody … no matter what your religion is,” said the screenwriter. “It’s about people having faith and overcoming all sorts of obstacles and being guided by their faith.Viewers will also get a chance to hear a song written and performed by Christian music artist Jeremy Camp for the film.Camp, named 2005 Best Male Artist of the Year by Gospel Music Association, said the song "I Am Willing” is about answering to God’s call in spite of the insufficiencies one may see in himself.“Moses had a hard time stepping out at first. He was saying to God that I'm not a very eloquent speaker,” said Camp.But it’s important to have a “willing” attitude, said the music artist, and tell God,“But Lord, I am willing, to be whatever you want me to be — with arms stretched wide — use me as you will.”“In our own strength we can do nothing but in his strength we can do everything,” he added.The upcoming Ten Commandments film is the first installment of a 12-part series called "Epic Stories of the Bible" from Promenade Pictures. The second release in the series will be Noah's Ark: The New Beginning. Other installments will feature the story of David and Goliath, the battle of Jericho, and possibly Daniel and the lions and Genesis.As part of a grassroots campaign for the movie, Motive Entertainment has launched the “Ten Commandments Challenge,” available on the movie’s website, that will enable participants to test their knowledge about the Ten Commandments and see how well they stack up to the national average in their age bracket.The Ten Commandments will be distributed in 150 markets and shown on 700 screens.
On the Web:
The The Ten Commandments movie trailer at 10commandmentsmovie.com
The Ten Commandments Challenge at 10commandmentschallenge.org..

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071003/29557_Survey:_More_Americans_Familiar_with_Big_Mac_Ingredients_than_10_Commandments.htm

As in the days of Noah....

Abbas thanked for resuming aid to terrorists

A prominent Palestinian Authority figure on Friday publicly thanked Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for resuming official financial aid to Palestinian terrorists jailed or wounded by Israel, and to the families of those killed while attacking Israelis.Intisar al-Wazir, a 66-year-old PLO member more popularly known as "Mother of the Jihad," issued her statement on behalf of a number Palestinian non-governmental organizations that also distribute financial aid to the terrorists and their families, reported Israel National News.The Abbas regime stopped sending money to the terrorists and their families in July and August as it recovered from losing the Gaza Strip to a Hamas coup. But al-Wazir said the Palestinian Authority government had made everything right in September by resuming the transfer of funds most likely received from the US and Europe to the enemies of the Jewish state.Al-Wazir's husband was one of the co-founders of the Fatah movement, along with Yasser Arafat and Abbas. He was eliminated by Israel at his home in Tunisia in 1988. Intisar al-Wazir was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1995 on the strength of her husband's terrorist past.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=14212

As in the days of Noah...

US senators demand 'friendly' Arab states accept Israel

Seventy-seven out of 100 US senators last week signed a letter to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice strongly urging greater pressure on "friendly Arab states" to publicly recognize Israel's right to exist and curb anti-Semitism in their own countries.Nearly every Middle East Arab state has made recognition of Israel's right to exist in the region dependent on a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, Judea (including the eastern half of Jerusalem) and Samaria.But the senators insist that such preconditions are counterproductive to regional peace efforts, and that if the Arab states are not persuaded to change their tone soon, an upcoming US-hosted peace summit is doomed to fail just like every other one before it."As you step up American diplomatic actions and prepare for a future international meeting on the Arab-Israeli conflict, we believe it is essential that other key players in the Middle East also step up and meet their responsibilities," the senators wrote to Ms. Rice."The success of such a meeting, and ultimately the peace process itself, will depend on the cooperation we receive from the larger Arab world, particularly from those Arab states with close relations with the United States who have not yet signed agreements with Israel."As part of their meaningful cooperation, the Arab states must "stop support for terrorist groups and cease all anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incitement," and they must "recognize Israel's right to exist and not use such recognition as a bargaining chip for future Israeli concessions."

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=14205

As in the days of Noah...

Literature Leads to Dramatic Encounter

BIHAR, INDIA-When two first-year Gospel for Asia Bible college students returned to a remote village in Bihar, India, for their usual outreach, they stepped into a scary situation.Kumar and Manesh had done outreach in this village previously. When they arrived, they were happy to see Harun, one of the men they had given literature to on their previous visit. To their surprise, Harun turned angry and started to accuse the two students.“You did some magic through that book,” Harun yelled at the students. Shocked, the students listened as Harun told them that since he got the book, he thought a curse had fallen on his wife.“If you don’t bring my wife back to her former state, I won’t leave you alone,” he threatened.As first-year students, Kumar and Manesh had not had much experience in ministry, and the situation frightened them. The two men called their Bible school leader, who came with two other pastors to help them.The group found Harun’s wife, Lajwanti, running around, acting crazy and out of control in the nearby cemetery. It was getting dark, and many villagers were gathering to watch the spectacle. Harun’s frustration at being unable to help his wife spilled over in anger toward the students.The pastors and students went into this tense situation knowing that the Lord could fix it. They began praying for Lajwanti, who was by this time shouting. Suddenly she fell to the ground, and after much prayer, the missionaries and students witnessed evil spirits leaving her body. She was set free.After the dramatic deliverance, Lajwanti slowly came around, asking who the men were and how she could learn more about Jesus. The pastors directed her to a nearby GFA-related church, where she soon prayed to receive Jesus into her life.However, Harun still refused to believe in Jesus. He clung to the misconception that the Bible college students used some sort of magic to both put his wife in bondage and then free her again. Please pray that he will see the truth and put his faith in Christ. Pray also for the ministry of the two Bible college students to grow.

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07100043.htm

As in the days of Noah....

ENVIRO WATCH:Melting ice pack displaces Alaska walrus

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Thousands of walrus have appeared on Alaska's northwest coast in what conservationists are calling a dramatic consequence of global warming melting the Arctic sea ice. Alaska's walrus, especially breeding females, in summer and fall are usually found on the Arctic ice pack. But the lowest summer ice cap on record put sea ice far north of the outer continental shelf, the shallow, life-rich shelf of ocean bottom in the Bering and Chukchi seas.Walrus feed on clams, snails and other bottom dwellers. Given the choice between an ice platform over water beyond their 630-foot diving range or gathering spots on shore, thousands of walrus picked Alaska's rocky beaches."It looks to me like animals are shifting their distribution to find prey," said Tim Ragen, executive director of the federal Marine Mammal Commission. "The big question is whether they will be able to find sufficient prey in areas where they are looking."According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, September sea ice was 39 percent below the long-term average from 1979 to 2000. Sea ice cover is in a downward spiral and may have passed the point of no return, with a possible ice-free Arctic Ocean by summer 2030, senior scientist Mark Serreze said.Starting in July, several thousand walrus abandoned the ice pack for gathering spots known as haulouts between Barrow and Cape Lisburne, a remote, 300-mile stretch of Alaska coastline.The immediate concern of new, massive walrus groups for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is danger to the animals from stampedes. Panic caused by a low-flying airplane, a boat or an approaching polar bear can send a herd rushing to the sea. Young animals can be crushed by adults weighing 2,000 pounds or more.Longer term, biologists fear walrus will suffer nutritional stress if they are concentrated on shoreline rather than spread over thousands of miles of sea ice.Walrus need either ice or land to rest. Unlike seals, they cannot swim indefinitely and must pause after foraging.Historically, Ragen said, walrus have used the edge of the ice pack like a conveyor belt. As the ice edge melts and moves north in spring and summer, sea ice gives calves a platform on which to rest while females dive to feed.
There's no conveyor belt for walrus on shore.
"If they've got to travel farther, it's going to cost more energy. That's less energy that's available for other functions," Ragen said.Deborah Williams — who was an Interior Department special assistant for Alaska under former President Bill Clinton, and who is now president of the nonprofit Alaska Conservation Solutions — said melting of sea ice and its effects on wildlife were never even discussed during her federal service from 1995 to 2000."That's what so breathtaking about this," she said. "This has all happened faster than anyone could have predicted. That's why it's so urgent action must be taken."Walrus observers on the Russian side of the Chukchi Sea have also reported more walrus at haulouts and alerted Alaska wildlife officials to the problems with the animals being spooked and stampeded.If lack of sea ice is at the heart of upcoming problems for walrus, Ragen said, there's no solution likely available other than prevention."The primary problem of maintaining ice habitat, that's something way, way, way beyond us," he said. "To reverse things will require an effort on virtually everyone's part."
On the Net:
U.S. Marine Mammal Commission: http://www.mmc.gov/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_sc/sea_ice_walrus

As in the days of Noah....

Pressure Builds Up Over Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar’s government stepped up pressure on the country’s Buddhist monks Sunday, threatening to punish all violators of the law. "Monks must adhere to the laws of God and the government," wrote The New Light of Myanmar, a mouthpiece of Myanmar’s ruling junta. "If they violate those laws, action could be taken against them."The announcement comes a day after demonstrators in cities across Europe and Asia joined in protests against the military junta in Myanmar, where dissident groups say more than 200 have been killed and nearly 6,000 arrested in the crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrations spearheaded by Buddhist monks.The junta also announced Sunday that 78 more people have been detained, defying global outrage over its recent violent crackdown on protestors who sought an end to 45 years of military dictatorship."The anger of the world has been expressed about the outrages that have taken place against the people of Burma," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during a televised meeting with Buddhist monks gathered in his 10 Downing Street office before Saturday’s demonstrations began in London.Late last month, the ruling junta of Myanmar, also known as Burma, began a major crackdown on Buddhist monks and the tens of thousands of protestors they they led in peaceful demonstrations.Military troops used bullets, tear gas, and clubs to break up the street protests. The government also launched an intimidation campaign that included late-night arrests of citizens.“People are terrified,” said Shari Villarosa, the acting U.S. ambassador in Myanmar, this past week, according to The Associated Press. “People have been unhappy for a long time. Since the events of last week, there’s now the unhappiness combined with anger, and fear.”The junta's propaganda machine, however, has given a very different account of the situation, reporting that as few as 10 people were killed in the junta’s Sept. 26-27 crackdown and that only some 1,000 remain in detention centers. Furthermore, the paper claims that massive rallies across the country have been staged in support of the government and that demonstrators denounced the recent protests "instigated" by some monks and members of Myanmar’s pro-democracy party.Demonstrators waved placards and shouted "We want peace, we don't want terrorists," the New Light of Myanmar claimed. It reported four rallies in central and northwestern Myanmar, attended by 7,500, 19,000, 20,000 and 30,000 people.While such rallies may have been held, they are widely believed to be stage-managed by the government, with every family in the district forced to contribute one or two members.Meanwhile, on Saturday, crowds of several hundreds marched in cities including Melbourne, Australia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; London; Paris; and Sydney to protest against Myanmar’s junta, hoping to send a message that "the world is still watching." Sixty Nobel laureates also added their voices to the global outcry over the Myanmar crisis, saying they were "outraged" by the "ongoing violent repression" of monks and other citizens.There have also been concerns that Christian leaders could be targeted by the military regime in Myanmar, as the crackdown continues.“We are in total lock-down,” a partner of Release International reported told the U.K.-based Christian ministry. “I have been warned to take precautions because government authorities are coming for me at any time. I was told to stay indoors and keep everything closed. Friends warned me: ‘If they see even a window open they will assume somebody is inside and come to take you.’“Churches cannot meet,” he continued. “We are gathering quietly in small groups of no more than five to pray for our country and our people.’The military has reportedly been using a 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew to move in and arrest suspected dissidents. According to the British Broadcasting Corp., military loudspeaker trucks have been blaring: “We have photographs. We are going to make arrests.”A Christian leader who is running an unofficial church and Bible school told Release International that many shops are closed, making rice and other food more expensive.“We dare not go out far to buy things,” the leader added. “There was a shooting downtown and people were killed. Many students dare not go to the school. Keep praying for us.”Myanmar has been ruled by various military regimes since 1962. The current junta took over after crushing a 1988 democracy movement that led to the deaths of at least 3,000 people.The junta is accused of persecuting ethnic minorities; squashing freedom of speech, assembly and worship; ordering the destruction of churches; instituting child labor and human trafficking; and holding thousands of political prisoners – including Nobel Peace Prize laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.It is also accused of sanctioning sexual violence against women of ethnic minorities, with gang rapes making up nearly half of the reported cases documented against women of the Chin ethnic minority – about 90 percent of which is Christian – according to a recent report by U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Furthermore, at least a third were committed by officers.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071007/29610.htm

As in the days of Noah...

PERSECUTION WATCH:Prayers Urged for Christians in Nigeria After Deadly Riots

To read about these news go to:

http://persecuted-church.blogspot.com/2007/10/prayers-urged-for-christians-in-nigeria.html

As in the days of Noah....

Nationwide Life Chain to Mark 20 Years of Defending Unborn Children

NEW YORK-Millions of pro-lifers and Christians will line sidewalks across cities nationwide this Sunday to peacefully protest abortion.The messages they want to send are clear: “Abortion Kills Children” and “Abortion Hurts Women.”Pro-life advocates, Christians, and churches, from over 1,300 cities in the United States and Canada will participate in Sunday’s National Life Chain, which is marking its 20th anniversary. They will hold signs displaying the event’s two main messages among others, including “Adoption: The Loving Option” and “Lord, Forgive Us and Our Nation.”Life Chain director Royce Dunn said the nature of the life chain is less focused on protest and more on prayer.“It’s an opportunity for the corporate church and every city in town to come to the local sidewalks on Sunday … and enter into a very earnest hour of prayer on behalf of their local communities, state, and nation,” Dunn told The Christian Post.He said that he hopes God will work through the witness of those gathered in the Life Chain “to change hearts on abortion and save lives.”Most Christians and pro-life advocates believe that human life begins before birth and say that abortion amounts to killing a human life.Dunn said that the event’s main message “Abortion Kills Children” is a God-send. He explained the message directly addresses the deep denial Americans have about what abortion is: the killing of children.“While millions of Americans support abortion — some almost passionately — it’s very difficult to find one American that would say they support the killing of children,” said Dunn.
According to Barbara Meara, chairman of the Bronx Right to Life Committee in New York, one out of four babies in the United States is aborted. However, in some places, the rates are even more staggering, she noted.“Here in the Bronx, we have as many abortions as live births,” Meara told The Christian Post.She hopes the Life Chain will remind young women that there are alternatives available such as pregnancy care centers.Over the past years, more and more people have joined in the Life Chain. Last year, one hundred new cities participated in the event and this year one hundred more joined, reported Dunn.On the Life Chain’s website, participants are asked to space themselves 25 to 30 feet apart long their chosen route and to be courteous to surrounding businesses and people in the area.“We’re just people across the country serving the Lord by serving the little ones,” said Dunn.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071005/29591_Nationwide_Life_Chain_to_Mark_20_Years_of_Defending_Unborn_Children.htm

As in the days of Noah....