This was on today's daily alert email. It breaks your heart to read. As the bible commands, let us pray for the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem, and all Israel.
Sderot's War Children - Anat Meidan (Ynet News)
The most gut-wrenching moment of Monday's rocket attack on Sderot was 8-year-old Maria caressing the forehead of her older brother, Yossi, 10, while he was lying wounded on the floor of the supermarket. There was no screaming, no panic, and no crying.
Yossi, despite the rocket shrapnel that was lodged in his shoulder, the blood around him, and the incredible pain, maintained incomprehensible restraint. He merely muttered that his shoulder hurts, and his little sister, just like a kind nurse, kept on caressing him.
He was a child hero who a minute earlier was still having fun, just like other children anywhere else in the world. He went to play soccer, after leaving his school bag at home.
How many times did they imagine the possibility that they will be wounded, and what it would be like, and what they would do? Did Yossi wonder whether he would lose his leg, just like 8-year-old Osher Twito, who was wounded only two and a half weeks ago and will no longer be able to play soccer?
A 10-year-old boy should not be a wounded hero, and it is completely unnecessary for an 8-year-old girl to see her brother bleeding. On Monday, a Kassam rocket wrested away the innocence and put an end to the childhood of Yossi and Maria, Sderot's war children.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Cigar shaped UFO sighting
Cigar-shaped UFO baffles onlookers
Paranormal
Written by Chris Perver
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Well the children's meetings at the Martyrs have been going really well. I have been helping out on the buses bringing the kids to the meetings, and it has been a real blessing to be able to be involved in such a great work. Over 300 kids have been there each night. Last night was a bit of a challenge, as around four boys on our bus just did not want to behave themselves. But I will miss the meetings when they finish. It was also encouraging meeting a few new friends. I haven't been feeling the best this week. I have had sore eyes and a sore throat and head, so I have been glad of this break from updating the website too. But thankfully not much has been happening this week, so you haven't really missed much!
I saw this article this morning, relating to the UFO phenomenon that we have been discussing lately. This not a recent news event, but some of the comments on this sighting do confirm what we have been saying in regards to the end-time deception. In March 1977, a large cigar-shaped object was observed hovering in the skies of Everton, England. The object was sighted by at least half a dozen eye-witnesses, who's accounts are listed in the article. The object was a dull grey colour and bore no discernable features. It's immense size, measuring around 1000 feet to a mile in length, was what took many onlookers by surprise. It's presence was accompanied by a low throbbing sound. It appeared for a short period of time and then seemingly vanished into thin air. One of the eye-witnesses happened to be a medium, who senced something about this object that the others didn't pick up.
Quote: "John Kelly, a medium who lived on West Derby Road, was walking his dog in Newsham Park that day in March, when he felt an overwhelming urge to look directly overhead. He said: "I saw this greyish long craft, at least a thousand feet in length, just stationary in the sky. "The dog began to whimper, and I experienced a tingling sensation in my head. I got the impression that someone in that UFO – or whatever it was – wanted to be seen in the sky. "I felt that there was someone up there with a huge ego, and I felt he had not come from another world, but another dimension, another plane of existence. It dematerialised and not long afterwards and went back to the world it belonged to."
While I don't condone what this man practices, what he has to say is very interesting. For coming into close contact with these demonic spirits through the occult, he may have been able to sense something that the average person cannot. And it seems what he was able to sense was a very powerful presence behind this object in the sky. If Ufology is closely linked with the occult, and if there are demonic spirits that are manifesting themselves in such a manner so as to deceive mankind, then it should be no surprise that he should sense a being with a "huge ego" wanting to be seen in the sky. Of course the Bible states that it was Satan's ego that ultimately caused him to sin and be cast out of God's presence.
Isaiah 14:12-15
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Jesus Christ said that He beheld Satan as lighting fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). Today Satan and his angels dwell in the first and second heavens (atmosphere, outer space), Ephesians 2:2,6:12. But the day is coming when they will be thrown out of the heavenly places and be cast down to the earth (Revelation 12:12). His lightning descent will not stop there. When Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up His kingdom, Satan will be bound in the sides of the pit for 1000 years (Revelation 20:2), and after that he must be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). The Bible tells us that the lake of fire was prepared by God for the angels that sinned. Human beings were never meant to be there. But the Bible makes it clear that sinners cannot dwell in God's presence. And so after we die we must go down to the pit, and when the 1000 years are ended, we must also face the judgement (Hebrews 9:27) and the prospect of eternal separation from God. But there is good news. Jesus Christ did not come into the world to condemn it. He came to save sinners (1st Timothy 1:15). He died for you. Recognize that you are a sinner in the sight of a holy God. Repent of your sins which have separated between you and your God. Receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).
www.prophecynews.co.uk
Paranormal
Written by Chris Perver
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Well the children's meetings at the Martyrs have been going really well. I have been helping out on the buses bringing the kids to the meetings, and it has been a real blessing to be able to be involved in such a great work. Over 300 kids have been there each night. Last night was a bit of a challenge, as around four boys on our bus just did not want to behave themselves. But I will miss the meetings when they finish. It was also encouraging meeting a few new friends. I haven't been feeling the best this week. I have had sore eyes and a sore throat and head, so I have been glad of this break from updating the website too. But thankfully not much has been happening this week, so you haven't really missed much!
I saw this article this morning, relating to the UFO phenomenon that we have been discussing lately. This not a recent news event, but some of the comments on this sighting do confirm what we have been saying in regards to the end-time deception. In March 1977, a large cigar-shaped object was observed hovering in the skies of Everton, England. The object was sighted by at least half a dozen eye-witnesses, who's accounts are listed in the article. The object was a dull grey colour and bore no discernable features. It's immense size, measuring around 1000 feet to a mile in length, was what took many onlookers by surprise. It's presence was accompanied by a low throbbing sound. It appeared for a short period of time and then seemingly vanished into thin air. One of the eye-witnesses happened to be a medium, who senced something about this object that the others didn't pick up.
Quote: "John Kelly, a medium who lived on West Derby Road, was walking his dog in Newsham Park that day in March, when he felt an overwhelming urge to look directly overhead. He said: "I saw this greyish long craft, at least a thousand feet in length, just stationary in the sky. "The dog began to whimper, and I experienced a tingling sensation in my head. I got the impression that someone in that UFO – or whatever it was – wanted to be seen in the sky. "I felt that there was someone up there with a huge ego, and I felt he had not come from another world, but another dimension, another plane of existence. It dematerialised and not long afterwards and went back to the world it belonged to."
While I don't condone what this man practices, what he has to say is very interesting. For coming into close contact with these demonic spirits through the occult, he may have been able to sense something that the average person cannot. And it seems what he was able to sense was a very powerful presence behind this object in the sky. If Ufology is closely linked with the occult, and if there are demonic spirits that are manifesting themselves in such a manner so as to deceive mankind, then it should be no surprise that he should sense a being with a "huge ego" wanting to be seen in the sky. Of course the Bible states that it was Satan's ego that ultimately caused him to sin and be cast out of God's presence.
Isaiah 14:12-15
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Jesus Christ said that He beheld Satan as lighting fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). Today Satan and his angels dwell in the first and second heavens (atmosphere, outer space), Ephesians 2:2,6:12. But the day is coming when they will be thrown out of the heavenly places and be cast down to the earth (Revelation 12:12). His lightning descent will not stop there. When Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up His kingdom, Satan will be bound in the sides of the pit for 1000 years (Revelation 20:2), and after that he must be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). The Bible tells us that the lake of fire was prepared by God for the angels that sinned. Human beings were never meant to be there. But the Bible makes it clear that sinners cannot dwell in God's presence. And so after we die we must go down to the pit, and when the 1000 years are ended, we must also face the judgement (Hebrews 9:27) and the prospect of eternal separation from God. But there is good news. Jesus Christ did not come into the world to condemn it. He came to save sinners (1st Timothy 1:15). He died for you. Recognize that you are a sinner in the sight of a holy God. Repent of your sins which have separated between you and your God. Receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).
www.prophecynews.co.uk
Friday, February 22, 2008
A day in the life of Isrel... what it's really like.
These daily insights were just to good to pass up, and we don't hear much about this (or the fate of the Gazan/Palestinian Christians) in the media. Who in their right mind would want to live under the conditions the Israelis have to put up with daily?
Israeli Minister: Jerusalem Arabs Oppose Division of Capital - Nadav Shragai
Minister of Pensioners' Affairs Rafi Eitan on Thursday said that Jerusalem must not be divided as part of the peace process with the Palestinians, saying, "we took a poll and found the [Arab] residents themselves don't want to leave. They like it with us." Eitan said that he did not believe that the Palestinian government was able to fight terror, "and therefore we must keep the capital whole, and fight to have it all under Israeli control." (Ha'aretz)
10,000 Israeli Shoppers Head to Sderot
More than 10,000 people from northern and central Israel traveled to Sderot on Friday to carry out their weekend shopping and show their solidarity for the residents of the beleaguered town. Numerous groups participated in the solidarity mission including student organizations, secular and religious communities, and sports clubs. Several municipalities even provided buses. (Jerusalem Post)
Red Alert in Sderot: Living in the Most Heavily Bombarded Place in the World - Philip Jacobson
My guide in Sderot takes me through the local ground rules: 1. I am not to fasten my seat belt. Buckling up prevents drivers and their passengers getting out of a vehicle quickly. 2. I am not to play my car radio. It may drown out the warnings. 3. I am not to have a shower if there is nobody else in the house to hear the alarms. 4. Be extra vigilant when it's foggy. It can confuse the laser-activated warning systems.
And suddenly it comes, a noise like the slamming of a heavy door as a six-foot-long Kassam rocket bursts into the cloudless blue sky, its trajectory marked by a trail of white smoke as it curves towards the town. Almost simultaneously, sirens begin to wail. A woman's urgent voice repeats the words "Red Alert" over public address loudspeakers. For the next 72 hours "Red Alerts" will sound almost continuously as Islamic militant groups in Gaza rained more than 100 rockets on the town during a terrifying three-day attack. (Daily Mail-UK)
for more breaking news, see www.dailyalert.org
Israeli Minister: Jerusalem Arabs Oppose Division of Capital - Nadav Shragai
Minister of Pensioners' Affairs Rafi Eitan on Thursday said that Jerusalem must not be divided as part of the peace process with the Palestinians, saying, "we took a poll and found the [Arab] residents themselves don't want to leave. They like it with us." Eitan said that he did not believe that the Palestinian government was able to fight terror, "and therefore we must keep the capital whole, and fight to have it all under Israeli control." (Ha'aretz)
10,000 Israeli Shoppers Head to Sderot
More than 10,000 people from northern and central Israel traveled to Sderot on Friday to carry out their weekend shopping and show their solidarity for the residents of the beleaguered town. Numerous groups participated in the solidarity mission including student organizations, secular and religious communities, and sports clubs. Several municipalities even provided buses. (Jerusalem Post)
Red Alert in Sderot: Living in the Most Heavily Bombarded Place in the World - Philip Jacobson
My guide in Sderot takes me through the local ground rules: 1. I am not to fasten my seat belt. Buckling up prevents drivers and their passengers getting out of a vehicle quickly. 2. I am not to play my car radio. It may drown out the warnings. 3. I am not to have a shower if there is nobody else in the house to hear the alarms. 4. Be extra vigilant when it's foggy. It can confuse the laser-activated warning systems.
And suddenly it comes, a noise like the slamming of a heavy door as a six-foot-long Kassam rocket bursts into the cloudless blue sky, its trajectory marked by a trail of white smoke as it curves towards the town. Almost simultaneously, sirens begin to wail. A woman's urgent voice repeats the words "Red Alert" over public address loudspeakers. For the next 72 hours "Red Alerts" will sound almost continuously as Islamic militant groups in Gaza rained more than 100 rockets on the town during a terrifying three-day attack. (Daily Mail-UK)
for more breaking news, see www.dailyalert.org
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Internet Newsites trying to eliminate Conservative Voices? (Liberals=Facists)
I know some days I get on a kick and post too many articles for consumption in one day. I love to see the "read" numbers come in, and I know that slows it down, but this I had to post. Deal with it, lol.
Google De-Lists Prominent UN Critic Blogger
February 19th, 2008 by Warner Todd Huston
In another blow against freedom of speech on the Internet, Fox News is reporting that Google has taken the measure of de-listing the work of an anti-UN blogger named Matthew Lee. For several years, Lee has run the Inner City Press, a small news/opinion site that is focused on criticizing the United Nations. But since Google has teamed up with the UN on recent initiatives, Google has found that Lee’s criticism is too much for them to handle.Mr. Lee has been taking after big targets for a long time, so he is no newcomer to the scene. In 1987 he went after Citigroup with his corruption exposes, but since 2005 the United Nations has been his favorite target. He has especially focused on the “inner workings of what could be called the practical-applications arm of the international organization, the United Nations Development Programme.”
As Fox News reports:
Many of Lee’s stories were featured prominently whenever Web users looked for news about the U.N. using the powerful Google News search engine, a vital way for media outlets both large and small to get their articles read… But beginning Feb. 13, Google News users could no longer find new stories from the Inner City Press.
After the Government Accountability Project discovered the plight of Inner City Press and raised their own stink about the de-listing, Google claimed that the de-listing was a mistake but that it would take “a couple weeks” to fix the “glitch.”
“We acknowledged our misunderstanding … but it takes time for the restoration to occur,” [Google spokesman Gabriel] Stricker said. “The glitch will be resolved as soon as possible. We’re working on it.”
The GAP, however is none too happy about Google’s “glitch.” GAP’s international-program director Bea Edwards told Fox that Inner City Press was “the most effective and important media organization for UN whistleblowers.”
“We’re alarmed. The question is, is what user sent the complaint? And it’s probably not too hard to guess. We would guess the complaints came from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).”
This isn’t something new for Internet organizations like Google, however. Google and other Internet organizations like Newsvine and Digg have been embroiled in efforts to eliminate the conservative voice from the Internet for quite some time.
For instance, Newsvine recently canceled the account of the conservative news/opinion site called The New Media Alliance. And, as Noel Sheppard reported back in May of 2006, the conservative opinion site called The New Media Journal was removed from search engines by Google because Google deemed the commentary site a “hate site.”
So, far from being the wild west of opinion, the Internet is seemingly more and more in the grip of leftist organizations that are out to eliminate conservative expression on the net. Add to this the liberals in Congress who want to reinstate the inaptly named “Fairness Doctrine,” and we get ominous signs of the left’s oppressive ideas of “freedom of speech.”
It’s just one more example that Jonah Goldberg is right. Liberals are closer to fascists than any conservative.http://www.bloggernews.net/113908
Google De-Lists Prominent UN Critic Blogger
February 19th, 2008 by Warner Todd Huston
In another blow against freedom of speech on the Internet, Fox News is reporting that Google has taken the measure of de-listing the work of an anti-UN blogger named Matthew Lee. For several years, Lee has run the Inner City Press, a small news/opinion site that is focused on criticizing the United Nations. But since Google has teamed up with the UN on recent initiatives, Google has found that Lee’s criticism is too much for them to handle.Mr. Lee has been taking after big targets for a long time, so he is no newcomer to the scene. In 1987 he went after Citigroup with his corruption exposes, but since 2005 the United Nations has been his favorite target. He has especially focused on the “inner workings of what could be called the practical-applications arm of the international organization, the United Nations Development Programme.”
As Fox News reports:
Many of Lee’s stories were featured prominently whenever Web users looked for news about the U.N. using the powerful Google News search engine, a vital way for media outlets both large and small to get their articles read… But beginning Feb. 13, Google News users could no longer find new stories from the Inner City Press.
After the Government Accountability Project discovered the plight of Inner City Press and raised their own stink about the de-listing, Google claimed that the de-listing was a mistake but that it would take “a couple weeks” to fix the “glitch.”
“We acknowledged our misunderstanding … but it takes time for the restoration to occur,” [Google spokesman Gabriel] Stricker said. “The glitch will be resolved as soon as possible. We’re working on it.”
The GAP, however is none too happy about Google’s “glitch.” GAP’s international-program director Bea Edwards told Fox that Inner City Press was “the most effective and important media organization for UN whistleblowers.”
“We’re alarmed. The question is, is what user sent the complaint? And it’s probably not too hard to guess. We would guess the complaints came from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).”
This isn’t something new for Internet organizations like Google, however. Google and other Internet organizations like Newsvine and Digg have been embroiled in efforts to eliminate the conservative voice from the Internet for quite some time.
For instance, Newsvine recently canceled the account of the conservative news/opinion site called The New Media Alliance. And, as Noel Sheppard reported back in May of 2006, the conservative opinion site called The New Media Journal was removed from search engines by Google because Google deemed the commentary site a “hate site.”
So, far from being the wild west of opinion, the Internet is seemingly more and more in the grip of leftist organizations that are out to eliminate conservative expression on the net. Add to this the liberals in Congress who want to reinstate the inaptly named “Fairness Doctrine,” and we get ominous signs of the left’s oppressive ideas of “freedom of speech.”
It’s just one more example that Jonah Goldberg is right. Liberals are closer to fascists than any conservative.http://www.bloggernews.net/113908
Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis: The Marxist Delusion and a Christian Evangelist
This is a good article analyzing one of Campolo's latest works...
The purpose of Campolo’s letters to two young evangelicals (Timothy and Junia) is to convince them that the “Religious Right” in America is their sworn enemy, and if they wish to get serious about God’s business, which is assisting the poor and oppressed to bring in the Kingdom of God, they must reject the Jerry Falwells, the James Dobsons and the Tim LaHaye’s of the conservative wing of Evangelicalism and stake their claim with the true “progressives,” namely the Sider, Wallis and Campolo camp. This camp will bring forth the Kingdom of God on earth in spite of the constant foot dragging of their non-progressive, conservative, Evangelical counterparts.
Campolo conveniently forgets to mention, or else does not know for himself, that the baggage he asks these two young, naïve evangelicals to carry with them in bringing about the Kingdom is simply a plethora of failed radical ideas and agendas that make impossible any and every effort to establish that Kingdom-- unless, of course, the Kingdom of God is a socialistic "paradise" something on the order of a Stalinist farming collective or Moscow under Brezhnev. Those horrors, and not Campolo's airy utopian dreams, are what his ideas repeatedly yield, and to where they inevitably lead.
Campolo has renamed his leftist camp “the Red-letter Christians.” (7,8) ("Red" indeed.) By this moniker Campolo means that his camp is seeking to put into practice the Sermon on the Mount, which is all in red letters in his Bible. What this name implies about the book of Acts or the letters of Paul, Peter and John is not exactly spelled out. Campolo, for example, never quotes Acts 5:1-4, probably because there the concept of private property is favorably mentioned. Campolo is, at heart, an anti-capitalist (142). So are Sider and Wallis. So are the liberation theologians.
Relative to his two young readers, Campolo’s position is summarized quite frankly and forthrightly: “There was no question in our minds that in the struggle for justice, God sides with the poor and oppressed against the strong and the powerful. For the first time, these students understood liberation theology, and they supported it—if by ‘liberation theology’ we mean the declaration that in the struggle to end injustice God sides with the poor and oppressed against their oppressors” (265.)
So much of Campolo’s book is decidedly ambiguous, one might even say it is flatly contradictory -- not simply when he talks about ethics and public policy, but even when he talks about himself. He claims to be a Fundamentalist and not to be a Fundamentalist; to be pro-life and not to be pro-life; to be anti-gay marriage and not to be anti-gay marriage; to be conservative and not to be conservative; to be anti-capitalist and not to be anti-capitalist; to be liberal and not to be liberal; to believe in universal salvation and not to believe in universal salvation; to denigrate America’s middle class values and to admit being middle class himself; to hate the rapture and not to hate the rapture; to despise dispensationalism and to really despise dispensationalism. One is reminded of Luther's exasperated assessment of Erasmus: He is a slippery eel only Christ can grab.
for full article, see http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/1597/David_Noebel
The purpose of Campolo’s letters to two young evangelicals (Timothy and Junia) is to convince them that the “Religious Right” in America is their sworn enemy, and if they wish to get serious about God’s business, which is assisting the poor and oppressed to bring in the Kingdom of God, they must reject the Jerry Falwells, the James Dobsons and the Tim LaHaye’s of the conservative wing of Evangelicalism and stake their claim with the true “progressives,” namely the Sider, Wallis and Campolo camp. This camp will bring forth the Kingdom of God on earth in spite of the constant foot dragging of their non-progressive, conservative, Evangelical counterparts.
Campolo conveniently forgets to mention, or else does not know for himself, that the baggage he asks these two young, naïve evangelicals to carry with them in bringing about the Kingdom is simply a plethora of failed radical ideas and agendas that make impossible any and every effort to establish that Kingdom-- unless, of course, the Kingdom of God is a socialistic "paradise" something on the order of a Stalinist farming collective or Moscow under Brezhnev. Those horrors, and not Campolo's airy utopian dreams, are what his ideas repeatedly yield, and to where they inevitably lead.
Campolo has renamed his leftist camp “the Red-letter Christians.” (7,8) ("Red" indeed.) By this moniker Campolo means that his camp is seeking to put into practice the Sermon on the Mount, which is all in red letters in his Bible. What this name implies about the book of Acts or the letters of Paul, Peter and John is not exactly spelled out. Campolo, for example, never quotes Acts 5:1-4, probably because there the concept of private property is favorably mentioned. Campolo is, at heart, an anti-capitalist (142). So are Sider and Wallis. So are the liberation theologians.
Relative to his two young readers, Campolo’s position is summarized quite frankly and forthrightly: “There was no question in our minds that in the struggle for justice, God sides with the poor and oppressed against the strong and the powerful. For the first time, these students understood liberation theology, and they supported it—if by ‘liberation theology’ we mean the declaration that in the struggle to end injustice God sides with the poor and oppressed against their oppressors” (265.)
So much of Campolo’s book is decidedly ambiguous, one might even say it is flatly contradictory -- not simply when he talks about ethics and public policy, but even when he talks about himself. He claims to be a Fundamentalist and not to be a Fundamentalist; to be pro-life and not to be pro-life; to be anti-gay marriage and not to be anti-gay marriage; to be conservative and not to be conservative; to be anti-capitalist and not to be anti-capitalist; to be liberal and not to be liberal; to believe in universal salvation and not to believe in universal salvation; to denigrate America’s middle class values and to admit being middle class himself; to hate the rapture and not to hate the rapture; to despise dispensationalism and to really despise dispensationalism. One is reminded of Luther's exasperated assessment of Erasmus: He is a slippery eel only Christ can grab.
for full article, see http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/1597/David_Noebel
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Silencing the Christians...
Everyone needs to watch this series coming out by AFA.
AFA will webcast and the INSPO network will broadcast Silencing the Christians. Sign up to be reminded to watch each episode and take action . Americans are at greater risk of losing their basic freedoms today than ever before in the history of this nation. Political correctness and the voice of the liberal minority are undermining the morals and values of mainstream America.
Renowned author and commentator Janet Parshall takes you on a journey across the country to meet citizens who have been arrested for speaking out at a public rally, students who are being forced to attend classes that require them to recite verses from the Koran and to stage their own jihad and activists pushing social tolerance to such an extreme that the Bible itself is being labeled “hate speech.”
http://www.silencingchristians.com/default.aspx
AFA will webcast and the INSPO network will broadcast Silencing the Christians. Sign up to be reminded to watch each episode and take action . Americans are at greater risk of losing their basic freedoms today than ever before in the history of this nation. Political correctness and the voice of the liberal minority are undermining the morals and values of mainstream America.
Renowned author and commentator Janet Parshall takes you on a journey across the country to meet citizens who have been arrested for speaking out at a public rally, students who are being forced to attend classes that require them to recite verses from the Koran and to stage their own jihad and activists pushing social tolerance to such an extreme that the Bible itself is being labeled “hate speech.”
http://www.silencingchristians.com/default.aspx
Westerners must mount a united front against Islamic law
Dr. Pipes has again come out with an insighful warning that behooves us all to notice. As believers in Christ, we are always to oppose injustice(s), and stand for the rights and freedoms of all. This article by Pipes gives us some links to discover many of the inhumanities imposed by the "will of Allah (i.e. Satan)."
By Daniel Pipes
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Westerners opposed to the application of the Islamic law (the Shari'a) watch with dismay as it goes from strength to strength in their countries — harems increasingly accepted, a church leader endorsing Islamic law, a judge referring to the Koran, clandestine Muslim courts meting out justice. What can be done to stop the progress of this medieval legal system so deeply at odds with modern life, one that oppresses women and turns non-Muslims into second-class citizens?
A first step is for Westerners to mount a united front against the Shari'a. Facing near-unanimous hostility, Islamists back down. For one example, note the retreat last week by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in a dispute concerning guide dogs used by the blind.
Muslims traditionally consider dogs impure animals to be avoided, creating an aversion that becomes problematic when Muslim store-owners or taxi drivers deny service to blind Westerners relying on service dogs. I have collected fifteen such cases on my weblog, at "Muslim Taxi Drivers vs. Seeing-Eye Dogs": five from the United States (New Orleans, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Brooksville, Fl.; Everett, Wash.); four from Canada (Vancouver, twice in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Alberta); three from the United Kingdom (Cambridge, twice in London); two from Australia (Melbourne, Sydney); and one from Norway (Oslo).
News accounts quote Muslim cabbies rudely rejecting blind would-be passengers, yelling at them, "No dog, No dog, Get out, get out"; "Get that dog out of here"; and "No dogs, no dogs." The blind find themselves rejected, humiliated, abandoned, insulted, or even injured, left in the rain, dropped in the middle of nowhere, made late for an appointment, or caused to miss a flight.
Islamist organizations initially responded to this problem by supporting anti-canine cabbies. The Muslim Association of Canada pointed out how Muslims generally regard dog saliva as unclean. CAIR on one occasion echoed this assertion, claiming that "the saliva of dogs invalidates the ritual purity needed for prayer." On another, the head of CAIR, Nihad Awad, declared that "People from the Middle East especially … have been indoctrinated with a kind of fear of dogs" and justified a driver rejecting a guide dog on the grounds that he "has a genuine fear and he acted in good faith. He acted in accordance with his religious beliefs."
However, when the police and the courts are called in, the legal rights of the blind to their basic needs and their dignity almost always trump the Muslim dislike for dogs. The Muslim proprietor or driver invariably finds himself admonished, fined, re-educated, warned, or even jailed. The judge who found a cabby's behavior to be "a total disgrace" spoke for many.
CAIR, realizing that its approach had failed in the courts of both law and of public opinion, suddenly and nimbly switched sides. In a cynical maneuver, for example, it organized 300 cabbies in Minneapolis to provide free rides for participants at a National Federation of the Blind conference. (Unconvinced by this obvious ploy, a federation official responded: "We really are uncomfortable … with the offer of getting free rides. We don't think that solves anything. We believe the cabdrivers need to realize that the law says they will not turn down a blind person.") And, finally, last week, the Canadian office of CAIR issued a statement urging Muslims to accommodate blind taxi passengers, quoting a board member that "Islam allows for dogs to be used by the visually impaired."
CAIR's capitulation contains an important lesson: When Westerners broadly agree on rejecting a specific Islamic law or tradition and unite against it, Western Islamists must adjust to the majority's will. Guide dogs for the blind represent just one of many such consensus issues; others tend to involve women, such as husbands beating wives, the burqa head coverings, female genital mutilation, and "honor" killings. Western unity can also compel Islamists to denounce their preferred positions in areas such as slavery and Shar'i-compliant finances.
Other Islam-derived practices do not (yet) exist in the West but do prevail in the Muslim world. These include punishing a woman for being raped, exploiting children as suicide bombers, and executing offenders for such crimes as converting out of Islam, adultery, having a child out of wedlock, or witchcraft. Western solidarity can win concessions in these areas too.
If Westerners stick together, the Shari'a is doomed. If we do not, we are doomed.
By Daniel Pipes
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Westerners opposed to the application of the Islamic law (the Shari'a) watch with dismay as it goes from strength to strength in their countries — harems increasingly accepted, a church leader endorsing Islamic law, a judge referring to the Koran, clandestine Muslim courts meting out justice. What can be done to stop the progress of this medieval legal system so deeply at odds with modern life, one that oppresses women and turns non-Muslims into second-class citizens?
A first step is for Westerners to mount a united front against the Shari'a. Facing near-unanimous hostility, Islamists back down. For one example, note the retreat last week by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in a dispute concerning guide dogs used by the blind.
Muslims traditionally consider dogs impure animals to be avoided, creating an aversion that becomes problematic when Muslim store-owners or taxi drivers deny service to blind Westerners relying on service dogs. I have collected fifteen such cases on my weblog, at "Muslim Taxi Drivers vs. Seeing-Eye Dogs": five from the United States (New Orleans, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Brooksville, Fl.; Everett, Wash.); four from Canada (Vancouver, twice in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Alberta); three from the United Kingdom (Cambridge, twice in London); two from Australia (Melbourne, Sydney); and one from Norway (Oslo).
News accounts quote Muslim cabbies rudely rejecting blind would-be passengers, yelling at them, "No dog, No dog, Get out, get out"; "Get that dog out of here"; and "No dogs, no dogs." The blind find themselves rejected, humiliated, abandoned, insulted, or even injured, left in the rain, dropped in the middle of nowhere, made late for an appointment, or caused to miss a flight.
Islamist organizations initially responded to this problem by supporting anti-canine cabbies. The Muslim Association of Canada pointed out how Muslims generally regard dog saliva as unclean. CAIR on one occasion echoed this assertion, claiming that "the saliva of dogs invalidates the ritual purity needed for prayer." On another, the head of CAIR, Nihad Awad, declared that "People from the Middle East especially … have been indoctrinated with a kind of fear of dogs" and justified a driver rejecting a guide dog on the grounds that he "has a genuine fear and he acted in good faith. He acted in accordance with his religious beliefs."
However, when the police and the courts are called in, the legal rights of the blind to their basic needs and their dignity almost always trump the Muslim dislike for dogs. The Muslim proprietor or driver invariably finds himself admonished, fined, re-educated, warned, or even jailed. The judge who found a cabby's behavior to be "a total disgrace" spoke for many.
CAIR, realizing that its approach had failed in the courts of both law and of public opinion, suddenly and nimbly switched sides. In a cynical maneuver, for example, it organized 300 cabbies in Minneapolis to provide free rides for participants at a National Federation of the Blind conference. (Unconvinced by this obvious ploy, a federation official responded: "We really are uncomfortable … with the offer of getting free rides. We don't think that solves anything. We believe the cabdrivers need to realize that the law says they will not turn down a blind person.") And, finally, last week, the Canadian office of CAIR issued a statement urging Muslims to accommodate blind taxi passengers, quoting a board member that "Islam allows for dogs to be used by the visually impaired."
CAIR's capitulation contains an important lesson: When Westerners broadly agree on rejecting a specific Islamic law or tradition and unite against it, Western Islamists must adjust to the majority's will. Guide dogs for the blind represent just one of many such consensus issues; others tend to involve women, such as husbands beating wives, the burqa head coverings, female genital mutilation, and "honor" killings. Western unity can also compel Islamists to denounce their preferred positions in areas such as slavery and Shar'i-compliant finances.
Other Islam-derived practices do not (yet) exist in the West but do prevail in the Muslim world. These include punishing a woman for being raped, exploiting children as suicide bombers, and executing offenders for such crimes as converting out of Islam, adultery, having a child out of wedlock, or witchcraft. Western solidarity can win concessions in these areas too.
If Westerners stick together, the Shari'a is doomed. If we do not, we are doomed.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Cuban author blasts Obama Campaign for Guevara support
Another taletelling sign? You decide...
A Cuban historian and author says it's absolutely "unreal" that two of Barack Obama's campaign offices in Houston would prominently display a Cuban flag with an image of one of the Castro regime's most notorious thugs.
Humberto Fontova escaped Castro's Cuba in 1961, and in 2006 published Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him. Fontova says apparently some admirers of the Cuban revolutionary are volunteers for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois). And in several recent reports on Houston's Fox television affiliate, a Cuban flag with Guevara's image can clearly be seen on an office wall.
The Cuban-born author says during the Cuban missile crisis Guevara advocated a nuclear attack on the United States. "He said, 'If the nuclear missiles had remained in Cuba, we would have fired them against the heart of the United States. The Americans are nothing but hyenas fit only for extermination.' The Obama campaign considers this [man's image] an appropriate decoration in their campaign offices?" wonders a disgusted Fontova.
The author was not impressed with an Obama campaign spokesman's response to the controversy, who simply said the Guevara displays were "inappropriate." He says one could only imagine the media reaction if a Mike Huckabee volunteer displayed on a campaign office wall a poster of white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke.
"Can you imagine the media hullabaloo over that? And do you think for even a millisecond that Huckabee could get away with just saying, 'Oh well, that's inappropriate?'" argues Fontova.
Fontova says it is outrageous that Obama reportedly refuses to wear an American flag lapel pin, but some of his supporters can prominently display a Cuban flag with an image of a communist mass murderer.
www.onenewsnow.com, Feb. 18,2008
A Cuban historian and author says it's absolutely "unreal" that two of Barack Obama's campaign offices in Houston would prominently display a Cuban flag with an image of one of the Castro regime's most notorious thugs.
Humberto Fontova escaped Castro's Cuba in 1961, and in 2006 published Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him. Fontova says apparently some admirers of the Cuban revolutionary are volunteers for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois). And in several recent reports on Houston's Fox television affiliate, a Cuban flag with Guevara's image can clearly be seen on an office wall.
The Cuban-born author says during the Cuban missile crisis Guevara advocated a nuclear attack on the United States. "He said, 'If the nuclear missiles had remained in Cuba, we would have fired them against the heart of the United States. The Americans are nothing but hyenas fit only for extermination.' The Obama campaign considers this [man's image] an appropriate decoration in their campaign offices?" wonders a disgusted Fontova.
The author was not impressed with an Obama campaign spokesman's response to the controversy, who simply said the Guevara displays were "inappropriate." He says one could only imagine the media reaction if a Mike Huckabee volunteer displayed on a campaign office wall a poster of white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke.
"Can you imagine the media hullabaloo over that? And do you think for even a millisecond that Huckabee could get away with just saying, 'Oh well, that's inappropriate?'" argues Fontova.
Fontova says it is outrageous that Obama reportedly refuses to wear an American flag lapel pin, but some of his supporters can prominently display a Cuban flag with an image of a communist mass murderer.
www.onenewsnow.com, Feb. 18,2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Unrelentless Rocket attack against Israel (7 yrs. ongoing)
Are Americans beginning to see the truth?
Sderot as Stalingrad - Bradley Burston
The longer the siege against the civilian population of Sderot continues, the more the Palestinians are seen more as aggressors and less as victims. Palestinian rocket fire has turned Sderot into a version of Stalingrad, whose stand against the Germans in World War II came to be viewed by many as the turning point in the war. The world is beginning to view the people of Sderot as true victims of brutality against civilians. The Kassam rockets have acted to delegitimize the Palestinians as a people capable of governing an independent state.
The perceived message of the Kassam is: "We will drive you out of Sderot, and from Ashkelon after that, and out of all the kibbutzim that line the Israeli-Gaza border that were one of the strongest voices in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state. Land for peace is dead. Israel is dead. It's only a matter of time." (Ha'aretz)
from www.dailyalert.org, 2/12/08
Sderot as Stalingrad - Bradley Burston
The longer the siege against the civilian population of Sderot continues, the more the Palestinians are seen more as aggressors and less as victims. Palestinian rocket fire has turned Sderot into a version of Stalingrad, whose stand against the Germans in World War II came to be viewed by many as the turning point in the war. The world is beginning to view the people of Sderot as true victims of brutality against civilians. The Kassam rockets have acted to delegitimize the Palestinians as a people capable of governing an independent state.
The perceived message of the Kassam is: "We will drive you out of Sderot, and from Ashkelon after that, and out of all the kibbutzim that line the Israeli-Gaza border that were one of the strongest voices in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state. Land for peace is dead. Israel is dead. It's only a matter of time." (Ha'aretz)
from www.dailyalert.org, 2/12/08
Monday, February 11, 2008
The End of Athiesm
It's in the Bible, read it!
This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD . Every man's sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' (Ezek. 38:18-23)
With signs reminiscent of all the Heaven-fought wars of the past, the Lord is aroused in anger to execute judgment against the invaders of His land and enemies of His people. And as He has done before, He sows confusion in the hearts of Israel's enemies so that they commence attacking themselves while He unleashes the classic weapons of divine intervention. Earthquakes, plagues, bloodshed, rain, hailstones, and burning sulfur; these are His signature signs. Neither Israel, nor the enemy coalition, nor those watching from afar will fail to interpret them correctly.
So ends chapter 38. Next time we'll see why some think this battle goes nuclear and get another good reason why it's not the last battle of the Age of Man. See you then. 02-02-08
If this interests you, to see excellent teaching on Ezekiel 38, see http://www.gracethrufaith.com/ikvot/the-end-times-according-to-ezekiel-part-3 or just go to www.gracethrufaith.com
This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD . Every man's sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' (Ezek. 38:18-23)
With signs reminiscent of all the Heaven-fought wars of the past, the Lord is aroused in anger to execute judgment against the invaders of His land and enemies of His people. And as He has done before, He sows confusion in the hearts of Israel's enemies so that they commence attacking themselves while He unleashes the classic weapons of divine intervention. Earthquakes, plagues, bloodshed, rain, hailstones, and burning sulfur; these are His signature signs. Neither Israel, nor the enemy coalition, nor those watching from afar will fail to interpret them correctly.
So ends chapter 38. Next time we'll see why some think this battle goes nuclear and get another good reason why it's not the last battle of the Age of Man. See you then. 02-02-08
If this interests you, to see excellent teaching on Ezekiel 38, see http://www.gracethrufaith.com/ikvot/the-end-times-according-to-ezekiel-part-3 or just go to www.gracethrufaith.com
Friday, February 8, 2008
News excerpts on Middle East life
I subscribe to dailyalert email news alerts of crucial events taking place in the Middle East. With all things today moving so quickly toward the end-time, I think it is crucial for us to stay informed to know how to pray and respond to world events.
Change of Heart in Cairo - Noha El-Hennawy
As the border with Gaza was sealed off, the Egyptian state-owned media launched a campaign apparently seeking to overturn public sympathy for the Palestinians. Newspapers have become harsh on the Palestinians, with front-page news about Palestinians shooting at Egyptian soldiers, weapons smuggling, terrorism and reports of false currency in Sinai, posing a threat to Egypt's national security. The new content replaces earlier headlines that showed sympathy with the Palestinians.
Rose-al-Youssef, a state-owned paper known for being the most vocal mouthpiece of the regime, has spearheaded the anti-Palestinian campaign. The paper even denied that Gaza had a humanitarian crisis, hinting that Gazans were well-off. Abdullah Kamal, the paper's editor in chief, wrote, "Each [Gazan] comer spent an average of $260 in three days...the total spending during that period reached $220 million. These figures raise real questions about the financial situation in Gaza." (Los Angeles Times)
See also Egypt Threatens to Break the Legs of Gaza Infiltrators
Egypt said on Thursday it would no longer tolerate Palestinians infiltrating the country from Gaza, and threatened to break the legs of anyone crossing the Rafah border illegally. "Anyone who breaches the border will have their legs broken," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit told the official MENA news agency. Abul Gheit also reproached Hamas for firing rockets into Israel, and said some rockets misfire and hit the Gaza Strip itself, wounding Palestinians. (AFP)
Lebanon in Confrontation with Syria, Iran: Hariri - Tom Perry
The leader of Lebanon's pro-Western majority in parliament said on Thursday the country was in direct confrontation with Syria and Iran, which back Hizbullah in its conflict with the Beirut government. Saad al-Hariri, whose coalition is supported by the U.S., said Syria and Iran and "their local tools" were seeking to "impose a terror, security and political siege" on Lebanon. Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was killed by a truck bomb on Feb. 14, 2005. (Reuters)
Israel: Threats from Gaza Must End Before Establishing Palestinian State - Herb Keinon
A solution to threats from Gaza will have to be found before the establishment of a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told James Jones, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East security, on Thursday. Jones is in the process of drawing up a plan about how to provide security when Israel leaves large swaths of the West Bank under a peace agreement. Government officials said that, considering the situation today in Gaza, an Israeli withdrawal from large parts of the West Bank seems like "science fiction." (Jerusalem Post)
See also Israel to U.S.: We Must Respond to Increasing Rocket Fire from Gaza
Foreign Minister Livni told Gen. Jones: "The firing of Kassam rockets has not abated, and we are currently facing a significant increase. The necessary action to be taken regarding security issues is not only in relation to what will be written in a future agreement, and we must relate to our response to the situation on the ground right now."
"The situation in Gaza must be taken into account in any political process - especially in light of the effects of this process on future security arrangements. This is not a territorial issue - we have withdrawn from Gaza, and the rocket attacks continue and intensify. A real response must be given to the threats from Gaza prior to the establishment of a Palestinian state - as long as the Palestinians see Gaza as part of the state they intend to establish. A solution to Israel's security requirements is not an obstacle to peace - it is a basic condition of any peace agreement." (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Syria Upgrades Missiles with Iranian Help - Barak Ravid
Syria, with Iranian support, has successfully developed a new surface-to-surface missile that would enable it to target with greater accuracy Israeli installations - such as airports, ports and factories - according briefings recently presented to senior ministers. Syria has upgraded the Iranian-made Zelzal surface-to-surface missile which has an operational range of 250 km. and is capable of carrying an especially large warhead. At the same time, Syria has acquired the Russian-made Pantsyr air defense missile system that can pose a substantial threat to Israeli air force aircraft. Damascus has also procured modern anti-tank missiles.
According to Israeli estimates, Syria has tens of thousands of short-range rockets, as well as Scud-C and Scud-D missiles with ranges of 500-800 km., which can effectively strike every part of Israel. However, Mossad head Meir Dagan told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that at this stage there are no indications that Damascus has any plans to initiate a military action against Israel. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinian Rockets Damage Greenhouses in Israel - Shmulik Hadad
Palestinians in Gaza launched nine Kassam rockets toward Israeli communities on Friday. Two of the rockets landed in Netiv Ha'asara and damaged several greenhouses, while one of the rockets crashed into Ashkelon's industrial zone. (Ynet News)
Iranian Regime Fears Its Own Citizens - Editorial
President Ahmadinejad of Iran and his hard-line allies rail against the U.S. and other external "enemies," but who they really fear are their own citizens. The president and his crowd are increasingly nervous about losing next month's parliamentary elections, and next year's presidential vote. Their cowardly solution? Keep potential rivals off the ballot and silence anyone who can give Iran's people a voice - like Zanan, the country's premier women's magazine shut down last week.
In an era of $100 a barrel oil, Iran's people are struggling with food shortages, high unemployment and spiraling inflation. Ahmadinejad has tried to divert attention from those failures with threats against Israel, Holocaust denials, and a confrontation with the UN Security Council over nuclear ambitions. Iranians are not so easily fooled.
The only threat Zanan posed was to the regime's authoritarian and anti-feminist pathology. Ahmadinejad may be able to stifle debate, for a while longer. If Iran's mullahs think that he's strengthening the country, they don't understand Iran's people. (New York Times)
All these and more can be viewed at www.dailyalert.org
Change of Heart in Cairo - Noha El-Hennawy
As the border with Gaza was sealed off, the Egyptian state-owned media launched a campaign apparently seeking to overturn public sympathy for the Palestinians. Newspapers have become harsh on the Palestinians, with front-page news about Palestinians shooting at Egyptian soldiers, weapons smuggling, terrorism and reports of false currency in Sinai, posing a threat to Egypt's national security. The new content replaces earlier headlines that showed sympathy with the Palestinians.
Rose-al-Youssef, a state-owned paper known for being the most vocal mouthpiece of the regime, has spearheaded the anti-Palestinian campaign. The paper even denied that Gaza had a humanitarian crisis, hinting that Gazans were well-off. Abdullah Kamal, the paper's editor in chief, wrote, "Each [Gazan] comer spent an average of $260 in three days...the total spending during that period reached $220 million. These figures raise real questions about the financial situation in Gaza." (Los Angeles Times)
See also Egypt Threatens to Break the Legs of Gaza Infiltrators
Egypt said on Thursday it would no longer tolerate Palestinians infiltrating the country from Gaza, and threatened to break the legs of anyone crossing the Rafah border illegally. "Anyone who breaches the border will have their legs broken," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit told the official MENA news agency. Abul Gheit also reproached Hamas for firing rockets into Israel, and said some rockets misfire and hit the Gaza Strip itself, wounding Palestinians. (AFP)
Lebanon in Confrontation with Syria, Iran: Hariri - Tom Perry
The leader of Lebanon's pro-Western majority in parliament said on Thursday the country was in direct confrontation with Syria and Iran, which back Hizbullah in its conflict with the Beirut government. Saad al-Hariri, whose coalition is supported by the U.S., said Syria and Iran and "their local tools" were seeking to "impose a terror, security and political siege" on Lebanon. Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was killed by a truck bomb on Feb. 14, 2005. (Reuters)
Israel: Threats from Gaza Must End Before Establishing Palestinian State - Herb Keinon
A solution to threats from Gaza will have to be found before the establishment of a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told James Jones, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East security, on Thursday. Jones is in the process of drawing up a plan about how to provide security when Israel leaves large swaths of the West Bank under a peace agreement. Government officials said that, considering the situation today in Gaza, an Israeli withdrawal from large parts of the West Bank seems like "science fiction." (Jerusalem Post)
See also Israel to U.S.: We Must Respond to Increasing Rocket Fire from Gaza
Foreign Minister Livni told Gen. Jones: "The firing of Kassam rockets has not abated, and we are currently facing a significant increase. The necessary action to be taken regarding security issues is not only in relation to what will be written in a future agreement, and we must relate to our response to the situation on the ground right now."
"The situation in Gaza must be taken into account in any political process - especially in light of the effects of this process on future security arrangements. This is not a territorial issue - we have withdrawn from Gaza, and the rocket attacks continue and intensify. A real response must be given to the threats from Gaza prior to the establishment of a Palestinian state - as long as the Palestinians see Gaza as part of the state they intend to establish. A solution to Israel's security requirements is not an obstacle to peace - it is a basic condition of any peace agreement." (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Syria Upgrades Missiles with Iranian Help - Barak Ravid
Syria, with Iranian support, has successfully developed a new surface-to-surface missile that would enable it to target with greater accuracy Israeli installations - such as airports, ports and factories - according briefings recently presented to senior ministers. Syria has upgraded the Iranian-made Zelzal surface-to-surface missile which has an operational range of 250 km. and is capable of carrying an especially large warhead. At the same time, Syria has acquired the Russian-made Pantsyr air defense missile system that can pose a substantial threat to Israeli air force aircraft. Damascus has also procured modern anti-tank missiles.
According to Israeli estimates, Syria has tens of thousands of short-range rockets, as well as Scud-C and Scud-D missiles with ranges of 500-800 km., which can effectively strike every part of Israel. However, Mossad head Meir Dagan told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that at this stage there are no indications that Damascus has any plans to initiate a military action against Israel. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinian Rockets Damage Greenhouses in Israel - Shmulik Hadad
Palestinians in Gaza launched nine Kassam rockets toward Israeli communities on Friday. Two of the rockets landed in Netiv Ha'asara and damaged several greenhouses, while one of the rockets crashed into Ashkelon's industrial zone. (Ynet News)
Iranian Regime Fears Its Own Citizens - Editorial
President Ahmadinejad of Iran and his hard-line allies rail against the U.S. and other external "enemies," but who they really fear are their own citizens. The president and his crowd are increasingly nervous about losing next month's parliamentary elections, and next year's presidential vote. Their cowardly solution? Keep potential rivals off the ballot and silence anyone who can give Iran's people a voice - like Zanan, the country's premier women's magazine shut down last week.
In an era of $100 a barrel oil, Iran's people are struggling with food shortages, high unemployment and spiraling inflation. Ahmadinejad has tried to divert attention from those failures with threats against Israel, Holocaust denials, and a confrontation with the UN Security Council over nuclear ambitions. Iranians are not so easily fooled.
The only threat Zanan posed was to the regime's authoritarian and anti-feminist pathology. Ahmadinejad may be able to stifle debate, for a while longer. If Iran's mullahs think that he's strengthening the country, they don't understand Iran's people. (New York Times)
All these and more can be viewed at www.dailyalert.org
Mr. Obama's Position on Israel
I"m sure for all of you who've been keeping up with the substantive presidential primaries are held in awe of Barrack Obama's foreign policy prowess. Not. This article talks about the make up of his foreign policy advisors. I think we should be wary...
I recommend visiting Obama's website to see his expressions of support for Israel, his stated opposition to Hamas, Hezbolah, and terrorism, and his commitment to Bush's two state initiative. Obama recently reiterated these positions in a conference call with members of the Jewish/Israeli press. The general consensus among the people who participated on the call was that he said all the right things: Among them being a commitment to the survival of the Jewish State. Frankly, his stated positions on Israel do not, at their core, differ from Clinton, Romney, or McCain.
http://www.onejerusalem.org/blog/archives/2008/02/barak_obama_and_1.asp
Well, and as the article goes on to explain, a number of his foreign policy advisers are not the most stellar friends of Israel, and may even lend support to Muslims (his trustee pastor, Rev. Wright, woe to him!)
I recommend visiting Obama's website to see his expressions of support for Israel, his stated opposition to Hamas, Hezbolah, and terrorism, and his commitment to Bush's two state initiative. Obama recently reiterated these positions in a conference call with members of the Jewish/Israeli press. The general consensus among the people who participated on the call was that he said all the right things: Among them being a commitment to the survival of the Jewish State. Frankly, his stated positions on Israel do not, at their core, differ from Clinton, Romney, or McCain.
http://www.onejerusalem.org/blog/archives/2008/02/barak_obama_and_1.asp
Well, and as the article goes on to explain, a number of his foreign policy advisers are not the most stellar friends of Israel, and may even lend support to Muslims (his trustee pastor, Rev. Wright, woe to him!)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
What really happened to the Dinosaurs?
This is an age old dilemma. But is it really a dilemma? One site doesn't seem to think so... and contains alot of fascinating information.
Are There Other Ancient Records of Dinosaurs?
In the film The Great Dinosaur Mystery,24 a number of dragon accounts are presented:
A Sumerian story dating back to 2000 BC or earlier tells of a hero named Gilgamesh, who, when he went to fell cedars in a remote forest, encountered a huge vicious dragon that he slew, cutting off its head as a trophy.
When Alexander the Great (c. 330 BC) and his soldiers marched into India, they found that the Indians worshipped huge hissing reptiles that they kept in caves.
China is renowned for its dragon stories, and dragons are prominent on Chinese pottery, embroidery, and carvings.
England and several other cultures retain the story of St. George, who slew a dragon that lived in a cave.
There is the story of a tenth-century Irishman who wrote of his encounter with what appears to have been a Stegosaurus.
In the 1500s, a European scientific book, Historia Animalium, listed several living animals that we would call dinosaurs. A well-known naturalist of the time, Ulysses Aldrovandus, recorded an encounter between a peasant named Baptista and a dragon whose description fits that of the small dinosaur Tanystropheus. The encounter was on May 13, 1572, near Bologna in Italy, and the peasant killed the dragon.
Petroglyphs (drawings carved on rock) of dinosaurlike creatures have also been found.25
In summary, people down through the ages have been very familiar with dragons. The descriptions of these animals fit with what we know about dinosaurs. The Bible mentions such creatures, even ones that lived in the sea and flew in the air. There is a tremendous amount of other historical evidence that such creatures have lived beside people.
What Do the Bones Say?
There is also physical evidence that dinosaur bones are not millions of years old. Scientists from Montana State University found T. rex bones that were not totally fossilized. Sections of the bones were like fresh bone and contained what seems to be blood cells and hemoglobin. If these bones really were tens of millions of years old, then the blood cells and hemoglobin would have totally disintegrated.26 Also, there should not be “fresh” bones if they were really millions of years old.27 A report by these scientists stated the following:
A thin slice of T. rex bone glowed amber beneath the lens of my microscope ... . The lab filled with murmurs of amazement, for I had focused on something inside the vessels that none of us had ever noticed before: tiny round objects, translucent red with a dark center ... . Red blood cells? The shape and location suggested them, but blood cells are mostly water and couldn’t possibly have stayed preserved in the 65-million-year-old tyrannosaur ... . The bone sample that had us so excited came from a beautiful, nearly complete specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex unearthed in 1990 ... . When the team brought the dinosaur into the lab, we noticed that some parts deep inside the long bone of the leg had not completely fossilized ... . So far, we think that all of this evidence supports the notion that our slices of T. rex could contain preserved heme and hemoglobin fragments. But more work needs to be done before we are confident enough to come right out and say, “Yes, this T. rex has blood compounds left in its tissues.”28
Unfossilized duck-billed dinosaur bones have been found on the North Slope in Alaska.29 Also, creation scientists collected such (unfossilized) frozen dinosaur bones in Alaska.30 Evolutionists would not say that these bones had stayed frozen for the many millions of years since these dinosaurs supposedly died out (according to evolutionary theory). Yet the bones could not have survived for the millions of years unmineralized. This is a puzzle to those who believe in an “age of dinosaurs” millions of years ago, but not to someone who builds his thinking on the Bible.
for full article, go to http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/what-happened-to-the-dinosaurs
Are There Other Ancient Records of Dinosaurs?
In the film The Great Dinosaur Mystery,24 a number of dragon accounts are presented:
A Sumerian story dating back to 2000 BC or earlier tells of a hero named Gilgamesh, who, when he went to fell cedars in a remote forest, encountered a huge vicious dragon that he slew, cutting off its head as a trophy.
When Alexander the Great (c. 330 BC) and his soldiers marched into India, they found that the Indians worshipped huge hissing reptiles that they kept in caves.
China is renowned for its dragon stories, and dragons are prominent on Chinese pottery, embroidery, and carvings.
England and several other cultures retain the story of St. George, who slew a dragon that lived in a cave.
There is the story of a tenth-century Irishman who wrote of his encounter with what appears to have been a Stegosaurus.
In the 1500s, a European scientific book, Historia Animalium, listed several living animals that we would call dinosaurs. A well-known naturalist of the time, Ulysses Aldrovandus, recorded an encounter between a peasant named Baptista and a dragon whose description fits that of the small dinosaur Tanystropheus. The encounter was on May 13, 1572, near Bologna in Italy, and the peasant killed the dragon.
Petroglyphs (drawings carved on rock) of dinosaurlike creatures have also been found.25
In summary, people down through the ages have been very familiar with dragons. The descriptions of these animals fit with what we know about dinosaurs. The Bible mentions such creatures, even ones that lived in the sea and flew in the air. There is a tremendous amount of other historical evidence that such creatures have lived beside people.
What Do the Bones Say?
There is also physical evidence that dinosaur bones are not millions of years old. Scientists from Montana State University found T. rex bones that were not totally fossilized. Sections of the bones were like fresh bone and contained what seems to be blood cells and hemoglobin. If these bones really were tens of millions of years old, then the blood cells and hemoglobin would have totally disintegrated.26 Also, there should not be “fresh” bones if they were really millions of years old.27 A report by these scientists stated the following:
A thin slice of T. rex bone glowed amber beneath the lens of my microscope ... . The lab filled with murmurs of amazement, for I had focused on something inside the vessels that none of us had ever noticed before: tiny round objects, translucent red with a dark center ... . Red blood cells? The shape and location suggested them, but blood cells are mostly water and couldn’t possibly have stayed preserved in the 65-million-year-old tyrannosaur ... . The bone sample that had us so excited came from a beautiful, nearly complete specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex unearthed in 1990 ... . When the team brought the dinosaur into the lab, we noticed that some parts deep inside the long bone of the leg had not completely fossilized ... . So far, we think that all of this evidence supports the notion that our slices of T. rex could contain preserved heme and hemoglobin fragments. But more work needs to be done before we are confident enough to come right out and say, “Yes, this T. rex has blood compounds left in its tissues.”28
Unfossilized duck-billed dinosaur bones have been found on the North Slope in Alaska.29 Also, creation scientists collected such (unfossilized) frozen dinosaur bones in Alaska.30 Evolutionists would not say that these bones had stayed frozen for the many millions of years since these dinosaurs supposedly died out (according to evolutionary theory). Yet the bones could not have survived for the millions of years unmineralized. This is a puzzle to those who believe in an “age of dinosaurs” millions of years ago, but not to someone who builds his thinking on the Bible.
for full article, go to http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/what-happened-to-the-dinosaurs
The Unlettered Prophet
Periodically, I go to a site www.answeringislam.org and peruse through some of its contents. Well today I happened upon this article, and thought it quite impressive. Take a look and tell me what you think.
Who is the Unlettered Prophet?Sura 7 speaks of an "unlettered prophet" who is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel. Muslims have traditionally understood this as a reference to Muhammad. This article presents a careful examination of the characteristics mentioned in Sura 7 and comes to a surprising conclusion.
Read on...
http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/unlettered_prophet.htm
Who is the Unlettered Prophet?Sura 7 speaks of an "unlettered prophet" who is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel. Muslims have traditionally understood this as a reference to Muhammad. This article presents a careful examination of the characteristics mentioned in Sura 7 and comes to a surprising conclusion.
Read on...
http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/unlettered_prophet.htm
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
This is an article by the well-known Hal Lindsey written last fall. I think it still bears significance for us today.
Friday, October 26, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gloom and doom, prophecy and hope
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 26, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Hal Lindsey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007
A new report issued by the German-based Energy Watch Group suggests all the global warming alarmists can stop worrying about the damage being done to the climate by fossil fuel emissions.
Global warming alarmists predict that 50 years from now, fossil fuel emissions produced by human civilization will have catastrophic consequences on the weather. Well, according to the German group, in 50 years, we'll have run out of fossil fuels anyway. It says that global oil production peaked in 2006 – much earlier than most experts had expected. The report predicts that production will now fall by 7 percent a year and that by 2050, there won't be enough left for it to be a factor.
It's interesting, in a morbid sort of way, how there are, for this generation, no positive forecasts. Nobody is looking to the future with hope, despite the efforts of modern politicians to stir us with hopeful quotations from leaders of bygone generations.
Fifty years ago, futurists were talking about flying cars, mega-cities, an end to disease and poverty and the prospects for world peace. The only bump in the road for them was the negligible risk that the Soviets would commit national suicide by launching a nuclear war.
Barring that, the future was looking pretty rosy.
(Column continues below)
Here is the consensus outlook for mankind's foreseeable future, 50 years later.
According to the CIA, FBI and Defense Department, it is a question of "when" and not "if" America will suffer a catastrophic attack by terrorists using weapons of mass destruction.
That's assuming the Middle East doesn't spark a world war involving weapons of mass destruction that draws Russia and America into open conflict.
Surviving that, according to Al Gore, the catastrophic climate changes that threaten human civilization are neither an "if" nor a "when." Gore says it is a scientific certainty, and that it will happen in the next 50 years.
(Gore's weather forecast won him an Emmy, an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize, so don't question his science.)
According to NASA, if the weather doesn't get us, a catastrophic asteroid strike will. A conference on "planetary defense" was convened last March in Washington to coincide with the release of a NASA report entitled, ""Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Analysis of Alternatives."
There hasn't been such a killer asteroid strike in all recorded human history, but that's the point, say those charged with protecting the earth from NEOs. Smaller, continent-shattering asteroid strikes hit every 5,000 years or so.
"So," they argue, as they peer into space telescopes between rounds pacing back and forth, "we're long overdue."
Their competitive pacing partners at the Pentagon, CIA, the U.N. and the Al Gore International Headquarters for Saving the Planet duly echo the same mantra of, "it isn't a matter of 'if,' but 'when.'"
But the German energy group's forecast gives us just 42 years – they say they are sure of both "if" AND "when" – and their forecast predicts a complete "meltdown of society" as supplies dwindle and prices rise, well before we've run completely out of oil.
That's the secular futurist forecast for mankind for the 21st century.
Here's the Bible's forecast for the generation that would see the conclusion of the Church Age, the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation Period.
Jesus said the last generation would witness unprecedented increases in earthquakes, famines, wars and pestilences. He warned, "On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea."
Jesus didn't say that there actually would be a threat of catastrophic climate change, or of cosmic extinction by a random killer asteroid, but rather, He warned of the fear of them.
He said those cosmic and natural signs would be accompanied by a global sense of panic at our helplessness in the face of such impending catastrophe.
"Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken," is how the NIV renders Luke 21:25-26.
But the same Jesus Who so accurately pre-empted the secular futurists by almost 2,000 years said that, for those that place their trust in Him, what appears to be gloom and doom and catastrophe and chaos is actually good news, because, He said, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28 NIV).
If you have a relationship with Jesus, then the time for welcoming Him is fast approaching.
If you don't, then for you, the time to get prepared is quickly running out.
This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58356
Friday, October 26, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gloom and doom, prophecy and hope
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 26, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Hal Lindsey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007
A new report issued by the German-based Energy Watch Group suggests all the global warming alarmists can stop worrying about the damage being done to the climate by fossil fuel emissions.
Global warming alarmists predict that 50 years from now, fossil fuel emissions produced by human civilization will have catastrophic consequences on the weather. Well, according to the German group, in 50 years, we'll have run out of fossil fuels anyway. It says that global oil production peaked in 2006 – much earlier than most experts had expected. The report predicts that production will now fall by 7 percent a year and that by 2050, there won't be enough left for it to be a factor.
It's interesting, in a morbid sort of way, how there are, for this generation, no positive forecasts. Nobody is looking to the future with hope, despite the efforts of modern politicians to stir us with hopeful quotations from leaders of bygone generations.
Fifty years ago, futurists were talking about flying cars, mega-cities, an end to disease and poverty and the prospects for world peace. The only bump in the road for them was the negligible risk that the Soviets would commit national suicide by launching a nuclear war.
Barring that, the future was looking pretty rosy.
(Column continues below)
Here is the consensus outlook for mankind's foreseeable future, 50 years later.
According to the CIA, FBI and Defense Department, it is a question of "when" and not "if" America will suffer a catastrophic attack by terrorists using weapons of mass destruction.
That's assuming the Middle East doesn't spark a world war involving weapons of mass destruction that draws Russia and America into open conflict.
Surviving that, according to Al Gore, the catastrophic climate changes that threaten human civilization are neither an "if" nor a "when." Gore says it is a scientific certainty, and that it will happen in the next 50 years.
(Gore's weather forecast won him an Emmy, an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize, so don't question his science.)
According to NASA, if the weather doesn't get us, a catastrophic asteroid strike will. A conference on "planetary defense" was convened last March in Washington to coincide with the release of a NASA report entitled, ""Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Analysis of Alternatives."
There hasn't been such a killer asteroid strike in all recorded human history, but that's the point, say those charged with protecting the earth from NEOs. Smaller, continent-shattering asteroid strikes hit every 5,000 years or so.
"So," they argue, as they peer into space telescopes between rounds pacing back and forth, "we're long overdue."
Their competitive pacing partners at the Pentagon, CIA, the U.N. and the Al Gore International Headquarters for Saving the Planet duly echo the same mantra of, "it isn't a matter of 'if,' but 'when.'"
But the German energy group's forecast gives us just 42 years – they say they are sure of both "if" AND "when" – and their forecast predicts a complete "meltdown of society" as supplies dwindle and prices rise, well before we've run completely out of oil.
That's the secular futurist forecast for mankind for the 21st century.
Here's the Bible's forecast for the generation that would see the conclusion of the Church Age, the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation Period.
Jesus said the last generation would witness unprecedented increases in earthquakes, famines, wars and pestilences. He warned, "On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea."
Jesus didn't say that there actually would be a threat of catastrophic climate change, or of cosmic extinction by a random killer asteroid, but rather, He warned of the fear of them.
He said those cosmic and natural signs would be accompanied by a global sense of panic at our helplessness in the face of such impending catastrophe.
"Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken," is how the NIV renders Luke 21:25-26.
But the same Jesus Who so accurately pre-empted the secular futurists by almost 2,000 years said that, for those that place their trust in Him, what appears to be gloom and doom and catastrophe and chaos is actually good news, because, He said, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28 NIV).
If you have a relationship with Jesus, then the time for welcoming Him is fast approaching.
If you don't, then for you, the time to get prepared is quickly running out.
This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58356
So much for Global Warming!
So much for Global Warming. This is ridiculous. Here in Ohio, and the North U.S., we've had more snow this winter than in previous years. I think God is laughing at the Global Warming advocates, people trying to unjustly create new ways to tax (burden) the citizens of their countries (for their own profit, might I add)!
This article on Yahoo News reports on the winter storm that is causing so much distress and danger there in China.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080204/lf_nm_life/china_weather_dc
The China Meteorological Administration said the weather was the coldest in 100 years in central Hubei and Hunan provinces, going by the total number of consecutive days of average temperature less than 1 degree Celsius (33.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
This article on Yahoo News reports on the winter storm that is causing so much distress and danger there in China.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080204/lf_nm_life/china_weather_dc
The China Meteorological Administration said the weather was the coldest in 100 years in central Hubei and Hunan provinces, going by the total number of consecutive days of average temperature less than 1 degree Celsius (33.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Monday, February 4, 2008
Will Clinton penalize those who don't subscribe to her health plan?
Seems that Hillary Clinton was pressed about her universal health care plan, whether everyone would have to enroll, and whetehr they would be penalized if the could afford it, and didn't choose it. Her answers are frightening.
The campaign of Sen. Barack Obama is warning voters that Clinton's plan forces everyone to buy insurance, even if they can't afford it. "And if they cannot afford it, then the question is what are you going to do about it? Are you going to fine them? Are you going to garnish their wages?" Obama asked Clinton at one of their debates.
...
According to Clinton, "about 20 percent of the people who don't have health insurance in America today could well afford it," despite its "exorbitant" cost. "So what we've got to do is have shared responsibility. Everybody has to pay something, but, obviously, on a sliding scale."
Stephanopoulos tried again: "And I still haven't heard, if people can afford it and they don't buy the insurance, will their wages be garnished under your plan? Will they have to pay fines?"
...
Pressed a third time on the wage-garnishing question, Clinton said, "we will have an enforcement mechanism -- whether it's that (wage garnishing) or it's some other mechanism through the tax system or automatic enrollments."
Clinton said the "key point" is to implement universal health care. She said the mechanism by which it is achieved -- "going after people's wages, automatic enrollment...whatever the mechanism is, is not as important as...the fundamental commitment to universal health care..."
Does this sound like an intrusive form of government trying to run peoples lives? Can anyone say SOCIALIST?
for full article, go to http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200802/NAT20080204b.html
The campaign of Sen. Barack Obama is warning voters that Clinton's plan forces everyone to buy insurance, even if they can't afford it. "And if they cannot afford it, then the question is what are you going to do about it? Are you going to fine them? Are you going to garnish their wages?" Obama asked Clinton at one of their debates.
...
According to Clinton, "about 20 percent of the people who don't have health insurance in America today could well afford it," despite its "exorbitant" cost. "So what we've got to do is have shared responsibility. Everybody has to pay something, but, obviously, on a sliding scale."
Stephanopoulos tried again: "And I still haven't heard, if people can afford it and they don't buy the insurance, will their wages be garnished under your plan? Will they have to pay fines?"
...
Pressed a third time on the wage-garnishing question, Clinton said, "we will have an enforcement mechanism -- whether it's that (wage garnishing) or it's some other mechanism through the tax system or automatic enrollments."
Clinton said the "key point" is to implement universal health care. She said the mechanism by which it is achieved -- "going after people's wages, automatic enrollment...whatever the mechanism is, is not as important as...the fundamental commitment to universal health care..."
Does this sound like an intrusive form of government trying to run peoples lives? Can anyone say SOCIALIST?
for full article, go to http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200802/NAT20080204b.html
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Big Brother has arrived in Britain?
I just read an alarming article on the acquistion of surveillance abilities within the UK government into the lives of public citizens.
The Act, which has been quietly amended several times (each time handing more powers to the public sector), now gives an unprecedented range of state agencies the right to listen to our phone conversations, tap our emails and open our post.
In the last nine months of 2006, 960 new applications for the right to peer into the private lives of Britons were made every day.
It is a level of Government surveillance that would make even the Stasi, the former East German secret police renowned as the world's most effective intelligence agency, proud.
There are three types of survelliance listed: interception of communications, old-fashioned spying and access to communications data.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) initially only covered the nine most crucial law enforcement agencies (police, the taxman, the intelligence agencies etc).
But this merely delayed the stealthy march of Big Brother. In 2004, the number of groups with the right to poke in our lives expanded to 792; the laws to allow this had been slipped quietly through the Commons by David Blunkett.
As usual, Whitehall got its way by waiting for the fuss to die down. Incidentally, the only group with an exemption from being bugged are MPs themselves.
But the Act didn't merely extend the rights of bureaucrats to check on us, it also forced the larger internet service providers to build into their systems the technological capability to cater for all this snooping.
to see full article, go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=511210&in_page_id=1770
The Act, which has been quietly amended several times (each time handing more powers to the public sector), now gives an unprecedented range of state agencies the right to listen to our phone conversations, tap our emails and open our post.
In the last nine months of 2006, 960 new applications for the right to peer into the private lives of Britons were made every day.
It is a level of Government surveillance that would make even the Stasi, the former East German secret police renowned as the world's most effective intelligence agency, proud.
There are three types of survelliance listed: interception of communications, old-fashioned spying and access to communications data.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) initially only covered the nine most crucial law enforcement agencies (police, the taxman, the intelligence agencies etc).
But this merely delayed the stealthy march of Big Brother. In 2004, the number of groups with the right to poke in our lives expanded to 792; the laws to allow this had been slipped quietly through the Commons by David Blunkett.
As usual, Whitehall got its way by waiting for the fuss to die down. Incidentally, the only group with an exemption from being bugged are MPs themselves.
But the Act didn't merely extend the rights of bureaucrats to check on us, it also forced the larger internet service providers to build into their systems the technological capability to cater for all this snooping.
to see full article, go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=511210&in_page_id=1770
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
