A christian blog with a decidedly biblical perspective on the world and events around us. Look around, read, enjoy and feel free to comment. Interesting story, send us the info via our contact page. Subscribe by clicking here.
Subscribe to RSS
Proverbs 26:10
10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Our translation gives this verse a different reading in the text and in the margin; and accordingly it expresses either,
1. The equity of a good God. The Master, or Lord (so Rab signifies), or, as we read it, The great God that formed all things at first, and still governs them in infinite wisdom, renders to every man according to his work. He rewards the fool, who sinned through ignorance, who knew not his Lord’s will, with few stripes; and he rewards the transgressor, who sinned presumptuously and with a high hand, who knew his Lord’s will and would not do it, with many stripes. Some understand it of the goodness of God’s common providence even to fools and transgressors, on whom he causes his sun to shine and his rain to fall. Or,
2. The iniquity of a bad prince (so the margin reads it): A great man grieves all, and he hires the fool; he hires also the transgressors. When a wicked man gets power in his hand, by himself, and by the fools and knaves whom he employs under him, whom he hires and chooses to make use of, he grieves all who are under him and is vexatious to them. We should therefore pray for kings and all in authority, that, under them, our lives may be quiet and peaceable.
- Matthew Henry Commentary
2 Samuel 5:23
And when David enquired of the Lord, He said, thou shalt not go up, but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
Again the Philistines came up to assert their olden supremacy, and again David waited on the Lord for direction. It was well that he did so, because the plan of campaign was not as before.
Those that rely on God’s cooperation must be careful to be in constant touch with Him.
The aid which was given yesterday in one form will be given to-morrow in another. In the first battle the position of the Philistines was carried by assault; in the second it was turned by ambush.
To have reversed the order, or to have acted on the two occasions identically, would have missed the method and movement of those divine legions who acted as David’s invincible allies. – F.B. Meyer
Yesterday we prayed and gained the victory in a certain way, to-day we need to pray again, for God’s method for yesterday may not be His method for to-day.
- Daily Meditations for Prayer
Syria’s Strategic Alliance with Hizbullah
By Jonathan Spyer *
September 7, 2010
We depend on your contributions. Tax-deductible donation through PayPal or credit card: click Donate button, upper-right hand corner of this page. By check: “American Friends of IDC.” “For GLORIA Center” on memo line. Mail: American Friends of IDC, 116 East 16th St., 11th Floor, NY, NY 10003.
President Bashar Assad of Syria this week reiterated his country’s firm strategic alliance with Hizbullah. The occasion for the dictator’s remarks was the latest visit by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to the Syrian capital. Assad’s statement was particularly noteworthy because some in Lebanon and further afield have claimed to discern in recent weeks a growing distance between Syria and Hizbullah. The Syrian president’s latest verbal endorsement of the “resistance” was followed by reports in a Kuwaiti newspaper of a military alliance between Syria and Hizbullah which if correct would make Syrian involvement a certainty in a future conflict between the Shi’ite Islamist movement and Israel.
Hariri’s visit came against the backdrop of the latest mini-crisis to have swept through Lebanon. The clash between Hizbullah members and militants of the small Sunni al- Ahbash group in the neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar, which led to three deaths, has raised once again the issue of privately held weapons. Some observers identified in the fighting a coded message of the type through which Syria sometimes communicates.
The Ahbash group is Sunni Islamist by ideology, but it is also staunchly pro-Syrian. Some Lebanese analysts concluded that last week’s events were much more than simply a squalid brawl between two sets of local Islamist toughs. According to this view, Syria deliberately activated its Sunni Islamist friends against its Shi’ite Islamist ones to make clear to Hizbullah that its unquestioned domination of Lebanon at street level was now open to question.
This contention forms part of a larger view that has emerged in recent weeks, which sees Syria moving away from its close alliance with Iran, in order to reestablish its dominance of Lebanon with the blessing of the West and the Arab world. Whatever the precise reasons for the brawl at Bourj Abi Haidar, however, this larger view is mainly the product of wishful thinking.
Re-domination of Lebanon is certainly a goal of the Syrian regime.
Syria’s agenda by no means coincides with Hizbullah’s in every way, and the record shows past moments of disagreement and tension between them. But as Assad’s ringing endorsement of the “resistance” makes clear, the strategic link between Syria and Iran, and hence Syria and Hizbullah rests on foundations too firm to be disturbed by any momentary or tactical differences.
This is so for two main reasons: Firstly, Syria benefits directly and very significantly from its alliance with Hizbullah and Iran.
Secondly, Syria does not have the power to move back into Lebanon except in cooperation with Hizbullah.
THE 30-YEAR-OLD alliance between Syria and the Islamic Republic of Iran has served Syria well – particularly in the last half decade. There were many in its early days who saw the link as a marriage of convenience against the jointly-hated neighboring regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Yet the alliance survived the fall of Saddam and indeed has proved at its most useful to Syria in the post-2003 period.
Five years ago, following the US invasion of Iraq, and Syria’s subsequent expulsion from Lebanon, the Ba’athist regime in Damascus looked on the ropes. Its demise was being predicted by many Western and regional pro-Western commentators. Yet today, Syria is riding high. The alliance with Iran, and the cover it brings Syria to engage in subverting its neighbors and supporting proxies against them, is the instrument which has enabled the Syrians to engineer their return to strength. It has been said that Syria is a strategic tool, rather than a strategic ally, of Iran. If this is so, Syria is a rare kind of tool which knows how to make its masters work to its benefit.
The Syrian power of disruption in Iraq, in Lebanon and among the Palestinians meant the regime had either to be engaged with or pushed back. The alliance with Iran, with its region-wide ambitions and reach, has given the regime the strategic partner necessary to pursue the path of subversion and confrontation, and deterred those who might have objected to it from putting Syria back in its place.
If Syria is to return to dominate Lebanon, it will do so in partnership with the Iranian power on the ground represented by Hizbullah, not instead of it. This is not a matter of sentiment for Damascus. The Ba’athist regime simply lacks the power to enforce any decision in Lebanon to which Hizbullah is opposed.
Syrian agents have skillfully succeeded in undermining civil order and confidence in Lebanon over the last half decade. But it is Hizbullah which possesses the real power on the ground. The days when Syria could dictate terms to all the players in Lebanon are long gone.
Hizbullah, as a client and instrument of Iran, has effectively outgrown the Lebanese context. Assad’s declaration reflects his awareness of this reality.
It appears that other internal Lebanese elements are aware of it too.
As a result, the initial outcry over the possession of weapons by Hizbullah in Beirut predictably led nowhere.
Interior Minister Zaid Baroud and Defense Minister Michel Murr met with Hariri on Monday, following his return from Damascus. The subject they were scheduled to discuss was an agreement on the control of possession of arms in Beirut. The ministers were quick to state that of course Hizbullah’s arsenal would not be discussed. The weapons of the “resistance” are out of bounds for discussion whether they are being used to strike at Israel, or to defend parking spaces against Sunni Islamists in residential neighborhoods of Beirut. This stance reflects an acknowledgement of reality.
Syria too is unable to ignore this reality. Neither does it wish to.
The Saudi role in backing the government of Lebanon and the growing friendship between Syria and Turkey do not in any way contradict this.
The deep, long-standing alliance with Iran is the cornerstone of Syrian strategy. The latest indications suggest that Syria is with the Iranian alliance until the end.
*
Dr. Jonathan Spyer is a senior research fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, Herzliya, Israel
Analyzing British Jews’ Views: The Opposite of What’s Suggested
By Barry Rubin
There is an interesting recent poll of Jews in the United Kingdom but an article about the poll is equally interesting. I’m not writing to criticize Jonathan Boyd’s analysis but to point out some of the assumptions it reveals.
His article’s theme is clear. Entitled, “The Writing on the Wall,” (suggesting that it is the beginning of the end for British Jewish support of Israel) the idea is that while the poll results show support for Israel it also reveals disquieting trends. My response is that all of the alleged contradictions of what British Jews are in fact not contradictions at all, and an analysis shows their support for Israel is even stronger than it seems.
Here are two aspects to keep in mind:
–Jews should not have to think of Israel as perfect in order to support it. If on one hand the discovery that Israel makes mistakes or has imperfections drives some Jews on the left to reject it completely (Israel is horrible because it doesn’t give the Palestinians everything they demand), those on the right often try too hard to prove Israel is perfect or demand that it fulfill their political standpoint regardless of Israel’s own interests (Israel is falling apart because it pulled out of the Gaza Strip or supports compromises).
–Most of their views are in the context of Israel’s own political spectrum of debate, which the author does suggest, or even policies. In this respect, thinking otherwise shows outdated or mistaken concepts of Israel that often surface in attacks on the country. There are simply ludicrous articles written, often in prestigious publications, by those who only identify as Jews when criticizing Israel and make the silliest errors about analyzing the country.
Boyd notes:
“90 percent of Jews in Britain believe that Israel is ‘the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people,’ 82% consider it to play an important and even central role in their Jewish identities and 72% categorize themselves as Zionists, in contrast to only 21% who do not. Furthermore, an estimated 95% of Jews in Britain have visited Israel at least once, 77% agree that Jews have ‘a special responsibility to support Israel’ and 87% agree that Jews are responsible for ensuring ‘the survival of Israel.’”
Let’s also remember that these people are under an around-the-clock barrage of anti-Israel opinion and information from the British media, universities, and other institutions, which makes their steadfastness all the more remarkable.
“The dovishness of the community comes across very clearly: 67% favor giving up territory for peace; 74% are opposed to the expansion of existing settlements in the West Bank and, perhaps most strikingly, 52% think that Israel ‘should negotiate with Hamas in its efforts to achieve peace.’”
I don’t think the first two points are particularly dovish as such. Israelis overwhelmingly favor giving up territory IF that would secure real and lasting peace. As for expanding settlements, it has been Israeli policy not to do so since…1993. That’s 17 years ago. So supporting that position is not exactly anti-Israeli, indeed Benjamin Netanyahu accepted it back in 1996. I admit the point about Hamas is shocking but perhaps they mean if it ever moderates (don’t hold your breath).
The article continues:
“However, at the same time, the hawkishness of the community is also apparent: 72% consider the separation fence/security barrier ‘vital for Israel’s security’ and the same percentage viewed Operation Cast Lead as ‘a legitimate act of self-defense. Furthermore, fully 87% of respondents believe that “Iran represents a threat to Israel’s existence.”
Those three points aren’t hawkishness, that’s common sense. To have a barrier to keep out terrorists, who killed hundreds of people before it was built and literally none since within Israel’s borders seems a rather proven policy. To attack the Gaza Strip when Hamas had declared the ceasefire ended and was firing scores of rockets appears to make sense. And to think that Iran is a threat to Israel’s existence cannot be described as “hawkish” but as sane.
The article goes on:
“The apparent paradox captures perfectly the nature of Israel’s ongoing dilemma. The peace versus security equation needs to be balanced on a daily basis; most overtures toward peace involve taking risks on security, and most clampdowns on security involve damaging prospects for peace. What Jews in Britain are saying – in much the same way as Israelis are saying – is that we want both.”
Makes sense to me. Then why does he continue:
“My personal view is that there are signs of considerable disquiet in the findings, which indicate that all is not quite as rosy as some would like to believe.
“Consider the following. In our investigation of the state of Israeli society, 67% agree that there is ‘too much corruption in Israel’s political system.’ Approximately six out of 10 believe that both Jewish and non-Jewish minorities ‘suffer from discrimination.’ Three-quarters think that ‘Orthodox Judaism has too much influence in Israel’s society’ and that includes, surprisingly perhaps, almost half of those who self-define as ‘religious’”
Well, Israel’s political system is too corrupt and there is certainly room for improvement but you should hear what Israelis say about these things. Why should this turn them against Israel? Do British people turn against their country-or you could mention any other place in the world-because it has not achieved full justice or has corruption?
But the article doesn’t see it that way:
“Each of these findings suggests that a majority of Jews in Britain is looking at these aspects of Israeli society and struggling in some way to reconcile the realities they see with the values they believe ought to underpin a Jewish state. Perhaps it is the allegations against Ehud Olmert or Moshe Katsav, perhaps it is the growing alienation of Arab Israelis, perhaps it is the stranglehold Orthodox authorities have over the conversion process, but whatever the reason, it is clear that these types of difficult issues are leading some Jews in Britain to view Israel through quite critical eyes.”
Yet these problems and complaints don’t mean that those values aren’t in place. Orthodox authorities only have a stranglehold over conversion within Israel, which does recognize conversion abroad. Perhaps that is a significant point to explain. Even if one favors allowing Reform and Conservative rabbis within Israel to do conversions, upholding Jewish law as it has existed for many centuries should not be described as some shocking misplacement of values.
As for Arab Israelis, the unspoken assumption here is that they are being “alienated” because they aren’t given enough concessions and would be perfectly happy if they were given more, an interesting question for discussion. I wonder what percentage of these people would, even in the midst of its Politically Correct, multicultural, sneezing-at the-wrong-time-is-an-act-of-racism phase?
There’s more. A clear majority of British Jews considers Israel to be “an occupying power in the West Bank.” Forty percent do not think that control of the West Bank is vital for security; 43% do not believe that Israel has “little or no choice in most of the military action it takes.”
And one-third thinks that Israel holds either as much responsibility – or even more responsibility – for the failures of the peace process than its neighbors.
Again, I don’t find this shocking. Since Israel is willing to give up almost all of the West Bank in exchange for peace, it is occupying the territory and is thus stating that controlling the West Bank might not be vital for Israeli security, as long as there is a full peace settlement. And of course Israel has a choice in taking military action. For example, it did not have to attack in 2006 even though Israeli soldiers were killed and kidnapped. It decided to do so.
So there is nothing shocking in these conclusions. All they prove, at most, is that British Jews aren’t far to the right or far to the left of mainstream Israelis.
I thus totally disagree with the article’s conclusion:
“But below the surface, there is evidence to suggest that a significant number of people are starting to ask some probing questions….We should not rule out the possibility that the currently strong foundations might begin to crumble in the years to come. Right now, Jews in Britain remain deeply tied to Israel; the future, however, looks far less certain.”
Well, if it is uncertain it won’t be because they changed their minds but because they have either left Britain altogether or are too intimidated to speak. The fact that Jews are defying a massive tidal wave of elite opinion, university training, and media slander shows the foundations of their loyalty are far from crumbling.
If Jews don’t regard Israel as perfect, that’s a good thing. The my-country-only-if-perfect argument is dangerous because for those who believe it the appearance of flaws may trigger a total rejection. They are simply recognizing, as I have remarked elsewhere, that Israel is in many ways a “normal” country. And in these days of demonization, lies, and slanders that’s just fine.
Incidentally, to see what British Jews have to face, here’s Melanie Phillips’ exposure of how British newspapers distorted Israeli President Shimon Peres’s remarks. There are between one and four such stories every day in the UK.
*
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are Lebanon: Liberation, Conflict, and Crisis (Palgrave Macmillan), Conflict and Insurgency in the Contemporary Middle East (Routledge), The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition) (Viking-Penguin), the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan), A Chronological History of Terrorism (Sharpe), and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley).
Are Your Children Being Indoctrinated? Examining What Schools Give Them To Read
Posted: 24 Sep 2010 02:02 PM PDT
By Barry Rubin
Are your children being indoctrinated? In past Rubin Reports I pointed out that almost the entire social studies’ curriculum of my son’s fourth grade class last year consisted of three topics:
–America has not kept its promises and has been a racist and often bad country. The main example was the World War Two internment of Japanese which was the focus of reading material.
–Immigration is always good (with no mention of illegal immigration or any resulting problems).
–Man-made global warming is a serious threat to human survival.
Other viewpoints—indeed other issues generally—weren’t presented on any of these issues. There was little positive about America.
My son was upset at the portrayal of Israel in Junior Scholastic magazine of September 6, 2010, given to his fifth-grade class to read. So I gave that issue a thorough evaluation, trying to be fair and reasonable in doing so.
Main Article: “Obama’s In-Box” pp. 6-8. An article about challenges facing the President. Most of the short items are balanced—immigration, oil spill, terrorism (domestic only), Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea– in that they present more than one side and avoid partisan language.
There are three exceptions, however:
–The Middle East: This is seriously slanted. After being told Obama wants to make peace the kids are instructed:
“Muslim extremists often use U.S. support for Israel as an excuse to commit terrorist acts. But some Israeli policies, Obama says, work against peace.”
While the first sentence is certainly true, in this context (with no other factors being presented) the kids are being taught that U.S. support for Israel threatens their lives. (Obvious answer: Protect yourself by ending support for Israel.)
As for the second sentence, Obama’s considerable prestige is thrown in to blame Israel for the lack of peace. That’s it. No criticism of the Palestinians. Nothing about Hamas or any hint of anti-Israel terrorism or the goal of wiping Israel off the map.
Do I think this was conscious and deliberate? Probably not. Is it damaging and dangerous? Definitely yes.
–Jobs and the Economy: There’s still a recession, the kids are told, but good news! “In the last two years, the federal government has spent billions of dollars to try to save and create jobs. This has helped pull the nation out of a recession. But unemployment is still nearly 10 percent, and the housing market remains shaky.” An unnamed expert explains: the economy is growing but still slowly.
While the third and fourth sentence provides some balance, this is an endorsement of government high-spending policy. Has this really worked? No contrary view—Stimulus failed; cut spending, recession far from over– is given. Moreover, it should always be pointed out that money being spent doesn’t come from government but from taxpayers.
–Climate Change: This is presented as a major threat to the world. It quotes Obama as saying the United States must act before “the effects of climate change become `irreversible.’” There is no hint that anyone might disagree even with the proposition that minor human actions like cutting auto emissions would make a difference.
Article pp. 2-3: “Beyond the Cleanup: What’s The Long-Term Impact of the Gulf Oil Disaster”
[Important Note: This article is partly balanced by a debate on page 9 over off-shore drilling between the presidents of the National Resources Defense Council and the American Petroleum Institute.]
Message: We must reduce oil use even if this means lower living standards and go to alternative fuels(often unproven) even if they cost more.
Not mentioned: The blow-out was exceptional, deep-drilling was a response to environmental demands. This is almost like saying that the crash of an improperly maintained airplane shows Americans must reduce their dependence on air travel.
Quotes:
“What’s less clear [is] whether this disaster will finally get Americans to reduce their dependence on oil.”
While BP is mainly to blame “Americans also bear at least some indirect responsibility. The U.S. consumes more oil than any other country….This has led to drilling in riskier areas, including ever-deeper sites offshore.” That argument is simply untrue. There are vast areas closer in to shore and elsewhere where drilling has been forbidden by the U.S. government.
Your living standards are too high: “An estimated 71 percent of the oil we use fuels transportation. Most of the rest goes into making products that we often toss out in massive quantities. ”
Quote from fisherman—on National Public Radio (of course)—saying “I don’t see a future for us to catch fresh fish ever again—oysters, crabs.” This is clearly alarmist and is not matched by less extreme quote (terrible damage but we will come back).
Only one proposed solution offered: “President Barack Obama has called for the development of alternative fuels as one way to reduce our dependence. But much more will be needed. Are Americans willing to change their energy habits?”
Article: “We Are Americans Too!” Pages 16-19:
Important Note: The one quote from the play that is arguably balancing is also published as a large cut line prominently displayed: “They don’t know what’s in our hearts. They don’t know that we are loyal.”
Oh no, the Japanese internment story seems to be the main theme of American education. In the play, the father of the family is falsely accused of using his fishing boat to spy and smuggle in supplies for the Japanese army? This is NOT a true story but a PBS play and I doubt that anyone was specifically accused of espionage like this.
The focus is on how badly they are treated, insults, etc. I’m not going over the issue in detail here, only to say that while the action seems wrong and unnecessary from the perspective of almost 70 years later, at the time it was a reasonable thing to do given the lack of information about Japanese immigrant views, genuine fear of a Japanese attack on the Pacific coast, the fact that extensive spying had been done to prepare the Pearl Harbor attack (we now know mainly by the Japanese consulate in Hawaii), the existence of militant Japanese nationalist societies, the legitimacy of the existing Japanese government (in contrast to the usurper regimes in Germany and Italy), and the centrality of obedience to the emperor in the Shinto tradition. None of these points is mentioned in the article and these are never explained in the study of the issue in elementary schools.
My conclusion is that Junior Scholastic editors are partly trying to be balanced and do a better job of it than much of the mass media but that there are still serious examples of indoctrination on some issues.
The National Association of Evangelicals has released a new poll showcasing Evangelicals’ overall commitment to traditional Christian morality and opposition to abortion.
The Gallup poll, commissioned by the NAE, found that 76 percent of Evangelicals believe sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally wrong, 77 percent believe abortion is morally wrong, and 79 percent say that having a baby outside of wedlock is also morally wrong. A high 87 percent of Evangelicals also said that teen pregnancy is morally wrong.
But the NAE also noted that pastors may have a challenge on their hands when it comes to the pastoral care of unmarried women who become pregnant and then fear that having the baby will lead to rejection from the church community.
“We need to encourage couples to courageously and responsibly honor the gifts of sex and life,” said Aaron Mercer, NAE Generation Forum Project Director. “The Bible’s standard for sex is very clear: abstinence outside of marriage and fidelity within it.”
“But when unmarried individuals do have sex and end up conceiving, might they fear rejection from their church family whether or not they carry the baby to term? Whether or not this fear is warranted, we need to consider its possible consequences,” continued Mercer.
The NAE poll also indicated that church communities have confidence in their pastors, and look up to them to engage the challenges of unmarried and teen pregnancy and abortion within their communities.
Approximately 89 percent said they would go to their pastors or other leaders in their church for advice or counseling if they were having problems in a relationship or marriage.
But at the same time respondents said that national leaders were not doing nearly as good a job at addressing the issues of abortion and unplanned pregnancy as local pastors.
On the issue of unplanned pregnancies, only eight percent said national leaders were doing a “very good job” and 18 percent said they were doing a “good job.” National leaders fared little better when it came to abortion: just nine percent said they did a “very good job” addressing the topic, while 21 percent said they did a “good job.”
Local pastors got higher marks: 38 percent said their local pastors were doing a “very good job” talking about abortion, while 29 percent said they were doing a “good job.”
“This data should be a call to action for national religious leaders to more productively engage on this country’s terrible abortion problem,” observed Mercer. “It is also a reminder to local pastors that they are on the front lines. They have the confidence of their congregations and the relationships with their neighbors needed for real success in lowering the abortion rate in their local communities.”
- Prophecy News Watch
New figures from the Office for National Statistics has found that most British people still consider themselves to be Christian. The number of homosexuals, meanwhile, is far lower than previously estimated.
According to the office, 71 percent of the population is Christian. The statistic was welcomed by the Evangelical Alliance, which claims to have bolstered the cause for believers to become more open in expressing their faith.
“Christians have increasingly felt bewildered about what they can and cannot say or do,” Stephen Cave, advocacy director at the alliance, commented. “Of course faith is personal to each individual but that doesn’t mean to say it’s entirely private – far from it.”
“In fact we welcome dialogue with people of all beliefs, including atheists. Where possible we should engage in conversation not confrontation,” he added.
“Our challenge now is to demonstrate that being a Christian is much more than belonging to a certain group. Quite simply it’s about making a commitment to Christ and enjoying the freedom of conscience to do that in public life.”
The survey found that the number of people describing themselves as Christian still far outweighs those who say they have no religion, who account for 20.5 percent of the population.
The figures will be good news to those who believe Christianity should still have a prominent role in public life and indicate that affiliation to the faith remains strong in spite of declining church attendance.
Their release comes just one week after the Pope spoke out against the marginalization of Christianity and attempts to push faith into the private sphere.
Still, the percentage of people saying they have no religion has risen from 2001, when 15.1 percent of the population said they had no religious affiliation.
Meanwhile, Muslims make up 4.2 percent of the population, followed by Hindus at 1.4 percent, Sikhs at 0.6 percent, Jewish at 0.5 percent and Buddhists at 0.4 percent.
The Office for National Statistics also revealed that just 1.5 percent said they were gay or bisexual, amounting to only around 750,000 people in the overall population.
The number is far below figures suggested by the government in 2005, which estimated homosexuals in Britain to number around 3.6 million, and gay rights group Stonewall, which previously estimated that between five and seven percent of the adult population in Britain was gay.
Of those who said they were homosexual, 1.3 percent were men and 0.6 percent were women.
Mike Judge of the Christian Institute suggested that the government should lower its spending on same-sex issues to reflect the figures.
He told the Daily Mail, “A large amount of public money has been spent on the basis of higher figures, which have turned out to be a lie.”
- Prophecy News Watch
During the last days prior to the return of Jesus Christ, one of the many signs heralding His return will be a global apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3) coinciding with a global cry for peace.(1 Thessalonians 5:3) Globalized communications of our day facilitate the rise and speed of this falling away from the faith, and have also been prophesied since the Bible foretells the world will see certain events come to pass. (Revelation 11:9-10; 17:8)
With nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons technology, terrorist threats, combined with several nations increasingly more hungry for power and domination than for true peace, the capability of mankind destroying all life on earth today, is real. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus predicted this capability for world destruction at a time when only spears and swords were the weapons used. (Matthew 24:21-22)
All these factors and more, play into the role of fulfilling the prophecy found in Revelation chapter 13, the time coming when the Antichrist , or ‘false messiah’ forms his one world religion (Revelation 13:12)
To get to the point of global worship of the Antichrist who will rule the world temporarily during the tribulation prior to the return of Jesus Christ , the true Messiah, there must (logically) be a global ‘conditioning’ or preparation, and this begins with apostasy, or the ‘falling away’ from the true faith in Jesus Christ in much of the Christian world. This is happening right now and increasingly so, with the global cry for peace. Jesus Christ is denied as being the ‘only way, truth, and life’ (John 14:6) and in many churches, this truth is excluded (subtly in many cases with a weak gospel) in the name of ‘peace and tolerance.’ How can this happen? What is the motive or inspiration? This is an examination of only a few factors working together to bring about this change.
In an August 30, 2010 article entitled, ‘Religions should unite against radicalism,’ Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, who is leading the project to build a mosque and muslim/interfaith centre near the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks, provides a clue: “we are all in this together … there is a common threat: Radicalism, which exists in all religions.” He further states, “the real battlefront is not between Muslims and non-Muslims – the real battlefront is between moderates and extremists.” In a Daily Times article entitled, “Interfaith harmony for world peace,” the author Mohammed Jamil concludes that the ‘fundamental reason for the turmoil and tension in the world is the absence of a just economic order.’ In his reasoning, interfaith harmony is a means to solve this problem. In 2008, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for interfaith dialogue between Islam, Christianity and Judaism and said at that time, “If God wills it, we will then meet with our brothers from other religions, including those of the Torah and the Gospel to come up with ways to safeguard humanity.” The king, who is the guardian of the holy sites of Mecca and Medina reasoned that the major faiths “shared a desire to combat the disintegration of the family and the rise of atheism in the world.”
The unifying theme in all interfaith dialogue is ‘tolerance.’ While this sounds virtuous and good, it is deceptive for that very reason. There is no question that peace-making is a noble effort. However, in the name of ‘tolerance’ and for the cause of eradicating ‘radicalism,’ it is highly likely that the Christian faith, specifically those who teach and maintain that Jesus Christ is the only way to God as truth – will be viewed as intolerant and bigoted, and even extreme. The increase in religious tensions all over the world in all forms; terrorist attacks, burning of books, arguments against the banning of books from schools, public offices, etc., will likely lead to global restrictive religious laws, in attempt to reduce these tensions, and promote ‘tolerance’ as a means to bring about global peace. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations program is one such body set up for this. An article entitled, “Saudi U.N. Interfaith Movement would “Crush Religious Freedom” provides more insight on this topic.
The blending of faiths, and unifying of world religions in the name of peace, but to the exclusion of truth, is leading the world and those who follow this path into a deceptive trap.
Matthew Ch 7 v 13-14
The Narrow and Wide Gates
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
- Prophecy News Watch
The Earth could have parted the Red Sea, hatching the great escape described in the biblical book of Exodus, a new study finds.
A strong east wind, blowing overnight, could have swept water off a bend where an ancient river is believed to have merged with a coastal lagoon along the Mediterranean Sea, said study team member Carl Drews of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The study outlines a perfect storm that could have led to the 3,000-year-old escape.
“People have always been fascinated by this Exodus story, wondering if it comes from historical facts,” Drews said. “What this study shows is that the description of the waters parting indeed has a basis in physical laws.”
Drew and his colleagues used models that showed that a wind of 63 mph (101 kph), lasting for 12 hours, would have pushed back waters estimated to be 6 feet (1.8 meters) deep. This would have exposed mud flats for four hours, creating a dry passage about 2 to 2.5 miles (3.2 to 4 kilometers) long and 3 miles (4.8 km) wide.
To match the account in the Bible, the water would have to be pushed back into both the lake and the channel of the river, creating barriers of water on both sides of newly exposed mud flats, which is exactly what the models show could have happened.
As soon as the winds stopped, the waters would come rushing back. Anyone still on the mud flats would be at risk of drowning.
As the Bible story goes, Moses and the fleeing Israelites were trapped between the Pharaoh’s advancing chariots and a body of water that has been variously translated as the Red Sea or the Sea of Reeds. In a divine miracle, a mighty east wind blew all night, splitting the waters and leaving a passage of dry land with walls of water on both sides. The Israelites were able to flee to the other shore. But when the Pharaoh’s army attempted to pursue them in the morning, the waters rushed back and drowned the soldiers.
“The simulations match fairly closely with the account in Exodus,” Drews said. “The parting of the waters can be understood through fluid dynamics. The wind moves the water in a way that’s in accordance with physical laws, creating a safe passage with water on two sides and then abruptly allowing the water to rush back in.”
A similar phenomenon is found on Lake Erie near Toledo, Ohio, where water will recede several feet when a strong wind blows through, Drews told OurAmazingPlanet.
The research shows how strong and persistent winds can affect water depths, and will also help with understanding storm surges, Drews said.
By pinpointing a possible site south of the Mediterranean Sea for the crossing, about 75 miles (121 km) north of the Suez reef, where other groups have focused, it also could be of benefit to experts seeking to research whether such an event ever took place.
The study is detailed in the online journal PLoS ONE.
- Prophecy News Watch
Several countries have expressed support for the initiative of the General Assembly President to make global governance a central theme of the current session of the United Nations body.
Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher of Liechtenstein, as well as Sheikh Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa, the Foreign Minister of Bahrain; Xavier Espot Miró, the Foreign Minister of Andorra; and Amr Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League concurred with Joseph Deiss on prioritizing such an important topic.
The leaders voiced their support in separate meetings held with the President on Monday, on the sidelines of the high-level summit being held at UN Headquarters on how to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015.
Outlining priorities for the 65th session at a news conference last week, Mr. Deiss called for efforts to “reinstate” the UN and its 192-member General Assembly to the centre of global governance.
“The challenges which we face today have acquired a global dimension and require global solutions. Our actions must have broad legitimacy and be the result of inclusive processes. We have to improve the mechanisms for information, consultation and cooperation between the United Nations and other actors and tools of global governance,” he said.
Mr. Deiss also met yesterday with Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey; Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss Foreign Minister; Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister of China; and Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Union, his spokesperson reported.
Among the other issues discussed was UN reform – another priority issue for the Assembly President – as well as alleviating poverty, improving international peace and security and the situation in the Middle East.
- Prophecy News Watch
viagra and hearing loss Ed Treatment Natural Female use of viagra female version of viagra 761.
erectile dysfunction vacuums Cialis Dysfunction Erectile Levitra how to get viagra
herbal remedy for erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction Psychological Zocor erectile dysfunction zoloft erectile dysfunction 147.
robin williams viagra Viagra Spray "explore advances in male impotence treatments"
viagra perscription online Natural Remedy Erectile Dysfunction male hormone dhea impotence levels
will ferrell erectile dysfunction Viagra Perscription Online ed treatment with ginko
erectile dysfunction pills evaluated; On Viagra "non prescription viagra"
cialis viagra How To Buy Viagramale impotence age
Cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction cigarette smoking causing male impotence 395. Impotence Viagra The latest treatment for ed topical ed treatment 237.
most effective ed treatment! Viagra 50 Mg actos erectile dysfunction
l dopa for male impotence! Buy Cheap Viagra erectile dysfunction and pravastatin;
male impotence pumps vacu Holistic Ed Treatment cost of viagra
female forcing male sexual impotence; Male Impotence Brochure actos erectile dysfunction
accounting treatment for sr ed Water Ed Treatment Male impotence due to surgery male impotence enema 629.
lamictal erectile dysfunction! Accounting Treatment Sr Ed Ias "buy viagra online"
problems with viagra, Viagra Cheap erectile dysfunction link suggest
"non prescription viagra" Viagra Uk viagra times;
viagra soft tabs? Ed Treatments erectile dysfunction ed treatment
u 3312 viagra cialis Male Impotence Advice yohimbie bark and male impotence
facts male impotence psychological effects
lexapro erectile dysfunction,
erectile dysfunction paypal, Zetia And Erectile Dysfunction straighttalk net erectile dysfunction review
male impotence and solutions? Make Your Own Viagra newest transdermal treatment for ed
tricor erectile dysfunction Hebal Ed Treatmenterectile dysfunction exercise
Viagra and alternatives viagra and blood pressure 767. How To Make Viagra how to take viagra
cialis medication erectile dysfunction Erectile Dysfunction Pills accupril and erectile dysfunction
Subscribe to RSS
