The LORD sits enthroned
http://www.stangoodenough.com/?p=163
The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
(Psalm 29:10)
The following are some election eve thoughts I put down, starting Sunday morning Israel time, November 2, 2008:
I have to say that, 30-odd hours before the polls open in the United States for what has repeatedly been called America's most critical presidential election, I am not discouraged; I am not in mourning; I am not anxious. I am not afraid.
One of two things is going to happen:
Either:
Senator Barack Obama is going to prove the overwhelming majority of pollsters right; he is going to trigger huge celebratory parties in newsrooms across the country that month after month after month systematically skewed their "reporting" to strongly favor the Democrat and sweep liberal public opinion along with them; he is going to consummate his victory in a multi-million dollar bash in Chicago, and he is going to reap the rewards of running the most expensive election campaign and putting out the most expensive political television ad in history. He will also enjoy the rotten fruit resulting from the poisonous deluge upended by his PR minions on Sarah Palin and her family. And, five-and-a-half years after Republican President George W. Bush removed the Muslim Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti from power, Democratic voters who hate Bush will have put Muslim Illinois Senator Barack HUSSEIN Obama into the White House.
Or:
Senator John McCain is going to prove the overwhelming majority of pollsters wrong; he is going to spoil the huge celebratory parties planned for Chicago and for newsrooms across the country that systematically skewed their "reporting" to strongly disfavor the Republican; the New Mexico Sun News, which late October printed a "special collector's edition" with the front page audaciously trumpeting the news that "Obama Wins" is going to have to print a retraction and apology; and together with Sarah Palin he is going to ensure that a bitter taste is left in the mouths of those who poured 600 million dollars into enabling his opponent to run the most expensive election campaign and bankroll the most expensive political television ad in history.
To put it another way:
Either:
We will see God's judgement meted out and America slip into what some have warned will be nothing less than an abyss.
Or: …
We will see God's mercy in action.
I must say I have a wonderful sense of tempered exhilaration at the thought of a McCain-Palin victory against all the odds - and it WILL be against all the odds. News of that win would bring me to my knees before the Almighty for two reasons:
First and foremost, He will have demonstrated His power in a way that will flabbergast - and deeply disappoint - hundreds of millions of people - the liberal, anti-God forces in America and the liberal, anti-God world which, according to a report carried in The Economist last week, was almost universally hoping for an Obama win. God will have bared His holy arm in the site of the nations of the world, and will have laughed the pundits to scorn, exposing the deception of the Democrats, .
And secondly, He will have extended His scepter of grace and mercy yet once more to the United States - that special, mighty nation which HE founded, established and positioned to be the major player on the world stage in our day.
It is hard to hope for such an outcome in the face of the almost unbroken wall of faces and voices that continue through these last hours of the race to predict a "given" victory for Obama.
Today (Monday) as I watch the crowds applauding and encouraging John McCain and Sarah Palin at the rallies in state after state, I feel their fear and hurt for what may lie ahead for their nation.
And as I watch the masses chanting and cheering for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and jeering at every mention of McCain and Palin, I think of the multitudes that scoffed at Noah as he built his ark - laughing off any suggestion of a flood that would come to sweep them away.
"You don't know what you're rooting for," I think. And although my flesh would want to say "you deserve what you will get" my heart is burdened with compassion for them too.
Which brings me to the question: What should Christians' responses should be to an Obama win, and to a McCain win?
These are my thoughts:
If Obama wins, we must ready ourselves for war. Not physical war, but intensive spiritual war against the forces of hell that a Democratic White House and Capitol Hill are gearing up to unleash on Judeo-Christian America. The fields of battle, which have already seen Christians retreating from and being defeated on, include the sanctity of human life in the womb, the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, the purity of God's gift of sex, the innocence of our children's minds, their right to pray in school; their belief in creation. But where we have until now paid perhaps more lip service than anything else to try and turn the tide, we should prepare to pay a probably far more painful price.
If McCain wins, we must prepare ourselves for war. From day one after the election, the last and most fateful thing we can do is heave a sigh of relief and return to life and business as usual. God will have granted an extension of His grace. We dare not take that for granted, not for a moment. The battle raging for the soul of America will only get hotter, more intense, in the coming four years. We will need to fight, to take full advantage of the breathing space we've been given.
And the most important fight of all will be the fight to secure the Jewish state of Israel against the massive global efforts to destroy it. This IS the most important fight because God's curse is guaranteed on every nation that divides up His land and scatters His people. And His blessing is promised to every nation that blesses with His land and His people.
In fact, on day one after the elections Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be returning to the Middle East yet again to push forward with her relentless effort to realize at least one, she hopes irreversible, phase in George W. Bush's two-state-solution that aims to see a Muslim Arab state erected on the historical heartland of the Jewish people.
So - apart from your initial reaction to the final announcement of who has been chosen to be the next president of the United States, may I urge you to respond in the same way no matter what the outcome?
1. Worship and praise the One Who raises up kings and brings them down.
2. Begin immediately to pray for the next leader of your land. [Important note: The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority over us. You don't have to pray for his success or prosperity. You can pray that his policies will succeed or fail. You can pray for him to stay in office, or be removed. You can pray for godly advisors to get to him, and for ungodly advisors to be kept away. Pray for him - and his vice president.]
3. Gird up your loins for war - determined to fight the fight of your adult lives to keep your land from sinking beneath the waves.
The final round of the pre-election Fox News Poll has been released just as I write these words. Obama for the first time wins 50 percent to McCain's 43 percent. More than 40 percent of REPUBLICAN voters polled believe that Obama will win.
Yes, untold numbers of appeals are ascending to heaven as I prepare to post this. People are fasting, weeping, taking hold of God's throne.
As I join my prayers with theirs the Bible verse that comes to my mind is:
Oh, clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. (Psalm 47:1-2)
And the rest of the Psalm with which I began this:
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:11)
Eduardo Verastegui, Producer and Actor, Endorses McCain-Palin Campaign
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07755.shtml
LOS ANGELES, (christiansunite.com) -- Jon Voight, Dennis Miller and Norm Macdonald aren't the only entertainers who voiced support of John McCain for president. Eduardo Verastegui, the producer and lead actor of the award- winning film Bella, announced his endorsement at a Colorado McCain-Palin rally on October 15.
Photo: Eduardo Verastegui with Sen. John McCain and his wife, Cindy. (Photo courtesy of Nilda R. Pedrosa.)
Reaching out to Latino voters, Verastegui says, "I am endorsing John McCain for president because of his commitments to end abortion, protect traditional marriage and reform immigration fairly."
Verastegui joined Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Mel Martinez, as well as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Governor Charlie Crist, at the Miami McCain-Palin rally on October 17.
He reminded the crowd that more than 45 million babies have been killed by abortion in America since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
Verastegui said, "We need to put an end to abortion and political candidates play a very important role in this matter. More than 200,000 Latino babies are killed by abortion each year in the USA. This holocaust must end. That's why we must elect John McCain. He will defend and protect the most innocent of his country, the beautiful babies in their mothers' wombs."
After the rally, Verastegui met with McCain, saying, "Senator, thank you for your commitment to life. I'd like to give you something. Here is a Miraculous Medal blessed by Pope Benedict XVI."
Verastegui recalls, "Sen. McCain said, 'Thank you so much!' Then he reached into his pocket and took out a Blessed Mother Teresa medal that he always carries with him. He said, 'Eduardo, now I am going to keep both of these with me everywhere I go.' I also gave a Miraculous Medal to Mrs. McCain."
"I was touched when I found out that the McCains adopted one of their daughters from Mother Teresa's orphanage in India. There is nothing more beautiful than to give children homes with families who will love them. I hope that one day that I can do the same."
Verastegui believes that unless Americans elect a president who will defend fundamental human rights, no one can expect a sound economy, health care or national security, including immigration reform.
He says, "I can make hundreds of movies like Bella and save babies, but it's never going to be as powerful as a president nominating judges who observe constitutional law. John McCain promises to do this and it is crucial since we are just one Supreme Court justice away from overturning Roe v. Wade.
"On the other hand, Senator Barack Obama is pro-abortion and he has vowed to codify the Roe v. Wade ruling by signing the proposed Freedom of Choice Act. It would strip Americans of their right to protect innocent human lives, even from the savagery of partial-birth abortion, during which the abortionist pulls a baby from his mother's womb, stabs his skull and vacuums out his brains."
Obama also promised marriage rights for same- sex unions, so Verastegui emphasizes McCain's commitment to protect traditional marriage laws.
On immigration, Verastegui says, "I'm grateful to this country for opening the door to my dreams. The United States has been such an amazing blessing in my life and this nation has been a blessing to all immigrants, especially the Latino community.
"However, Obama doesn't represent the values of our Latino community. He has never done anything for us. He doesn't know who we are.
"I am convinced that McCain not only knows who we are, but that he cares about us. When we discussed immigration, he praised Latinos and other immigrants for making important contributions to America. He also talked about his plan for fair reform - reform that includes protecting America while treating all immigrants and their families with dignity.
"My question is this: Where was Obama when the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill was moving through Congress? Obama abandoned the Latino community because he did not want to hurt his political career.
"On the contrary, McCain took a big risk for us. Even though Sen. McCain has realized the need for further reform and revised his immigration plan, he has character - the heroic character to put his country and others first.
"Obama speaks about 'change,' but what change are we talking about? Fidel Castro spoke about change in Cuba. Hugo Chavez talks about change in Venezuela. Others were charismatic well- spoken dictators who promised change, but look what happened to their countries.
"Sen. McCain is the real change we need. He is a real American hero and the leader we need to change and improve the direction of this great country."
Verastegui says, "The right to life is the most important thing to me, so I want to do whatever I can to support the best candidates. That's why I support John McCain and Sarah Palin. That's why I ask all Americans, including Latinos, to vote for them."
Download Eduardo Verastegui's new English and Spanish videos about the sanctity of life and Obama's pro-abortion agenda for free at ObamaMustSee.com and DuraRealidad.com.
Report Clears Palin in Troopergate Probe
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/475299.aspx
CBNNews.com - ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A report has cleared Gov. Sarah Palin of ethics violations in the firing of her public safety commissioner.
The report, released Monday, said: "There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters." It was prepared by Timothy Petumenos, an independent counsel for the Alaska Personnel Board.
A separate legislative investigation recently concluded that Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, abused her office by allowing her husband and staffers to pressure the public safety commissioner to fire a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.
Palin fired Walter Monegan, but denies his dismissal was related to the trooper.
Alaska Personnel Board investigations are normally secret, but the three-member board decided to release this report, citing public interest in the matter given Palin's status as a candidate for national office. Election Day is Tuesday.
Palin had earlier waived her privacy rights, but others in her administration did not and Petumenos sought to keep the matter from playing out in the media.
Petumenos said documents to be released Monday would not include transcripts of separate depositions given by Palin and her husband, Todd.
That deposition was the only one given by Sarah Palin. She was not subpoenaed to answer questions in the Legislature's investigation, though her husband, Todd, gave an affidavit in that probe.
Palin initially said she would cooperate with the Legislature's probe. But after she became John McCain's running mate, she said the investigation had become too partisan and filed an ethics grievance against herself with the personnel board.
Telephone messages left with state Sens. Hollis French, who led the legislative investigation, and Sen. Kim Elton, chairman of the Legislative Council, were not immediately returned.
The Two-Party Monopoly
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,446152,00.html
Those of you voting in Louisiana or Connecticut this week won't have the option of voting for Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr for president. In both states, Barr's campaign insists it had more than enough signatures to put his name on the ballot. But in Louisiana, the courts determined that Barr's campaign missed the filing deadline. That was in part because state offices were closed the week of the deadline, due to Hurricane Gustav. No matter. A federal court determined it would be too expensive to reprint the state ballots to include Barr's name.
In Connecticut, state officials initially said the Barr campaign came up about 500 names short of the 7,500 signatures required to put Barr's name on the ballot. They later acknowledged that they had made an addition error. Barr was only 321 names shy of the minimum. The state then admitted that state officials had actually lost 119 pages of signatures—almost certainly enough to put Barr over the top. Nevertheless, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that Barr would not be on the ballot, citing testimony from Connecticut officials that it would be "nearly impossible" to reprint the ballots to include him.
Meanwhile, in Texas, the tables were turned. Both the Republican and Democratic parties somehow missed that state's deadline to include Barack Obama and John McCain on the Texas ballot. Barr's campaign sued, noting the equal protection problems with allowing the two major parties to skirt campaign rules while holding third party candidates to the letter of the law. Barr was right — Obama and McCain should have been kept off the Texas ballot. But Barr's suit was dismissed by the Texas Supreme Court without comment. Apparently, the Democratic and Republican parties are, to borrow a now-tired phrase, "too big to fail." They're allowed to break the rules.
Bob Barr has no chance of winning the election. But regardless of what you may think of his politics, or that of third-party candidates like Ralph Nader or Chuck Baldwin, this system is rigged. The two major parties have effectively cemented their grip on power by creating laws that make it virtually impossible for upstarts to compete with them. They have effectively done with campaign laws what federal business regulations tend to do in the private sector — protect the behemoth, entrenched dinosaurs that dominate the industry by making it too expensive and difficult for anyone to challenge them.
In addition to ballot access laws, consider campaign finance rules. In his recent special "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics," ABC News reporter John Stossel profiled Ada Fisher, a woman attempting a low-budget, longshot run for Congress in North Carolina with a staff of volunteers. She found it impossible to comply with the election law without hiring a team of lawyers — which of course, she couldn't afford. Written in small print, single spaced, the federal election code spanned one-and-a-half football fields. Eventually, Fisher and her volunteer campaign treasurer were personally fined $10,000 by the FEC for filling late reports.
Stossel then cut to University of Missouri Professor Jeff Milyo, who ran an experiment in which he asked dozens of college-educated people to try to fill out various campaign finance forms and applications. Of the more than 200 people Milyo tested, Stossel reported, "every one of them violated the law." One participant added, "I'd rather not participate in the political process if it means I have to go through the nonsense I went through today."
That's exactly what the two major parties and the incumbents in Congress had in mind. Come up through their party structure, and you'll have a team of lawyers to help guide you through the process. Challenge them from the outside, and the laws they designed will cripple your candidacy.
Consider these two figures: Congress' approval rating right now is a dismal 19 percent. Clearly, we aren't happy with the people who are governing us. Yet 90-95 percent of the incumbents running for re-election to Congress will be victorious on election night. Many will run unopposed. Between gerrymandering their districts to ensure a friendly electorate, campaign finance legislation, debate rules that effectively bar third-party participants, onerous ballot access rules, and the privileges of office, the Democrats and Republicans have ensured that the vast majority of the country will chose only between one of two candidates this year — candidates who, when it comes right down to it, really aren't all that different.
The system we have now selects for the sorts of people who want to make a career of politics. If, in order to successfully run for high office, you have to spend years culling favors and working your way up through one of the two major parties, the winners in this game are going to be the party loyalists and power-hungry climbers who couldn't hack it in the private sector — frankly, the last personality type we want governing.
It ought to be much easier to run for office. As it is now, the first task of anyone challenging an incumbent for federal office is to raise enough money to hire a team of lawyers to ensure that they're complying with the law. It's difficult enough to raise enough money to mount a credible challenge that overcomes the name recognition and other advantages of incumbency. Congress then continually adds to that the enormous costs of navigating more and more layers of an expensive and confusing web of legalese. Defenders of these complex laws then justify them under the guise of "getting the influence of money out of politics."
How clever of them. What they're really doing is ensuring that incumbents stay in office, and that one of two same-ish parties always remains in power.
89 Catholic Bishops Speak Out: In This Election, Abortion is the Defining Issue
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07756.shtml
DALLAS, (christiansunite.com) -- "As Election Day nears, more and more U.S. Catholic bishops - 89, at latest count - are proclaiming that in this election, Catholic voters must make abortion their defining issue," says Sue Cyr, head of the Ad Hoc Committee in Support of Our Bishops. "That means not voting for pro-aborts."
"All Catholics need to hear these bishops' voices," says Mrs. Cyr, "especially those whose favorite candidates are pro-abortion. They need to listen to the following bishops. We've provided the bishops' contact data for the convenience of the news media."
1) Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican: "Catholics who support pro-abortion candidates participate in a grave evil. They must show a change of heart and be sacramentally reconciled or refrain from receiving Holy Communion."
"At this point the Democratic Party risks transforming itself definitely into a 'party of death.'" www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804933.htm
Office telephone: 06.69.88.75.20
2) Bishop Robert Hermann, Administrator, Archdiocese of St. Louis: "Save our children! How can a so-called good Catholic vote for a candidate that supports laws that take the life of innocent children, when there is an alternative?... Save our children! How can a so-called good Catholic vote for a candidate that supports laws that justify the killing of a child that survived a botched abortion? How can such a so-called good Catholic receive the Holy Eucharist?" (column, Oct. 10, 2008)
Archdiocese: 314.633.2222 or 314.792.7000
3) Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas, Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth: "...there are no 'truly grave moral' or 'proportionate' reasons, singularly or combined, that could outweigh the millions of innocent human lives that are directly killed by legal abortion each year. To vote for a candidate who supports the intrinsic evil of abortion or 'abortion rights' when there is a morally acceptable alternative would be to cooperate in the evil -- and, therefore, morally impermissible."
Diocese of Dallas: (214) 528-2240
Diocese of Fort Worth: (817) 560-3300
4) Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Denver: "In the United States in 2008, abortion is an acceptable form of homicide... If you vote this way [for a candidate who supports or promotes abortion], are you cooperating in evil? And if you know you are cooperating in evil, should you go to confession? The answer is yes."
"So I think that people who claim that the abortion struggle is 'lost' as a matter of law, or that supporting an outspoken defender of legal abortion is somehow 'pro-life,' are not just wrong; they're betraying the witness of every person who continues the work of defending the unborn child. And I hope they know how to explain that, because someday they'll be required to."
Archbishop's office: 303-715- 3129 shepherd@archden.org
5) Bishop Rene H. Gracida, retired bishop of Corpus Christi: "This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience. A Catholic cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion candidate." (radio ad, Oct. 2008)) (Download radio spot in English and Spanish at www.RandallTerry.com)
6) Kansas Catholic Conference of Bishops: "[I]t is a correct judgment of conscience that we would commit moral evil if we were to vote for a candidate who takes a permissive stand on those actions that are intrinsically evil when there is a morally-acceptable alternative." Office: 913-722-6633
7) Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J.: "Certainly policies on welfare, national security, the war in Iraq, Social Security or taxes, taken singly or in any combination, do not provide a proportionate reason to vote for a pro- abortion candidate."
Archdiocesan Communications: (973) 497-4190
8) Bishop Robert W. Finn, Diocese of Kansas City- St. Joseph: "But, again and again, I am asked, 'Can a Catholic vote for the candidate who is perhaps the most extreme in favor of abortion, even if they promote other policies which we judge to be good?'...
When a candidate supports ready access to abortion on demand, they are inviting Catholics to put aside their conscience on this life and death issue. Such a candidate is inviting conscientious Catholics to look elsewhere for moral leadership." catholickey.org/index.php3? gif=news.gif&mode=view&issue=20081017 &article_id=5325
Diocese: Phone: 816.756.1850 Toll-Free: 800.246.1850
9) Cardinal Edward Egan of New York City: "Do me a favor. Look at the photograph [of a 20- week preborn baby] again. Look and decide with honesty and decency what the Lord expects of you and me as the horror of 'legalized' abortion continues to erode the honor of our nation. Look, and do not absolve yourself if you refuse to act."
Archdiocesan Media Relations: 1-212-371-1011 Ext. 2990
10) Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics (A Statement by the Catholic Bishops of the United States, 1998):
Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care...But being 'right' in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life. Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the 'rightness' of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community. (sec. 23) - http://www.usccb.org/prolife/gospel.shtml
11) Bishop Robert F. Vasa of the Diocese of Baker, Ore.: "When we have someone who [supports legal abortion] then the other issues, in many ways, do not matter because they are already wrong on that absolutely fundamental issue."
Diocese: 541-388-4004
12) Bishop Joseph Martino, Diocese of Scranton, Pa.: "No social issue has caused the death of 50 million people [as abortion has]. This is madness, people." (to parish forum)
"Our Lord, Jesus Christ, does not ask us to... take up his Cross only to have us leave it at the voting booth door... Let us continue to speak the language of love and affirm the right of every human being to have the value of his or her life, from conception to natural death, respected to the highest degree." (pastoral letter, Respect Life Sunday, 2008)
Scranton Diocesan Chancery: 570-207- 2238
Mrs. Cyr says, "This election presents a stark contrast between a pro-life candidate and one who is the most pro-abortion Presidential candidate in American history. Barack Obama has pledged that his first act as President would be to sign a bill that would undo all the pro-life legislative protections for abortion-targeted preborn babies that pro-lifers have gained in the last 35 years."
"Barack Obama," she continues, "has also promised to appoint only pro-abortion nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court. That would entrench abortion on demand for another whole generation. That would be a disaster for our country and a death sentence for millions more innocent babies."
Catholic Bishop John Yanta Encourages Catholics and Christians to Morally Vote Pro-Life
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07754.shtml
MEDIA ADVISORY, (christiansunite.com) -- Bishop John Yanta, who resides in San Antonio, Texas has been an outspoken defender of the right to life for all persons from conception to natural death. He is a strong defender of Church teaching and encourages faithful Catholics to courageously follow the faith by living out their faith in the public arena. Bishop Yanta is available for interviews with Catholic, Christian and secular media during this final week before the elections.
Bishop Yanta is one of the Bishops in the United States who supports the denial of Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights in their public service, and refuse to repent of this deadly position.
In another teaching moment, Bishop Yanta courageously proclaimed the anniversary of Roe v. Wade a day of fast and abstinence in his Diocese of Amarillo, saying:
"On the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade (1973) Jan. 22 shall be observed in all dioceses of the United States as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life (GIRM, no. 373).
"Therefore I, Bishop John W. Yanta, Bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo, declare Tuesday, Jan. 22 as a Day of Fast and Abstinence.
"I encourage all the people of God to attend Mass that day, pray before the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Rosary, and witness to life. . . .
"'Abortion: The intentional destruction of an unborn child; such an act is gravely contrary to the moral law and the will of the Creator' (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, Glossary).
"Abortion is murder legalized by the Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court Jan. 22, 1973. Pray for the overthrow and repeal of Roe v. Wade. It will happen! Prayer is the greatest power on earth! Make Jan. 22 a day of repentance and reparation. . . ."
Bishop Yanta encourages Americans to vote in solidarity with our Lord and is happy to share the Christian teachings of defending life through voting with audiences across this land.
Obama a Uniter? Actions Speak Louder Than Words
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,446291,00.html
Is Barack Obama a uniter? Since the beginning of the Democratic primaries, unity has been one of his major themes. It proved a strong lure compared to the polarizing Hillary Clinton. That theme has also helped Obama blunt the undeniably bipartisan record of John McCain.
But being a uniter takes some effort. It isn't just about words. Republicans have pointed to Obama's lack of bipartisan accomplishments in either state or federal government. And even Obama's presidential campaign indicates that he has a tin ear when it comes to dealing with those he disagrees with. One of the surest ways to anger others is not giving them a chance to air their views.
Obama's list of heavy-handed actions is growing:
— Last week the Obama campaign kicked reporters from the Dallas Morning News, the New York Post and the Washington Times off the campaign plane — making it difficult for their papers to cover Obama's final campaign appearances. The reporters were replaced with writers from magazines such as Glamour. The editorial pages of all three papers had endorsed McCain.
The Obama campaign explained the decision as simply occurring from an excess demand for seats. But Washington Times Executive Editor John Solomon told radio show host Mark Levin on Friday evening that they had been covering the Obama campaign from the beginning of his run for the presidency, and that those endorsements were "the only one common thread among [the three newspapers]."
Kirsten Powers notes how times have changed — not even Richard Nixon kicked disagreeable reporters off campaign planes, not even his archenemies at the Washington Post.
— Democrats seemed determined to cut back on the few conservative voices in the mainstream media. Obama supports media-ownership caps, which will primarily affect News Corp, the company that owns Fox News and conservative newspapers such as the New York Post. His proposals to increase minority ownership of broadcasting are also designed to change content, no longer leaving it up to customers to decide what it is they want to listen to.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promise more direct regulations on content. They want to re-impose the "Fairness Doctrine," mandating that private radio stations provide what the government determines to be "balanced" coverage and guaranteeing that conservative talk radio will be over. There is a reason why talk radio only really began after the "Fairness Doctrine" ended in the 1980s.
Congressman Mike Pence couldn't get even one single Democratic member of Congress to oppose these regulations last year, and Obama hasn't yet said whether he would veto a bill regulating radio show content.
— There has been what can only be described as thuggish activity. In late August, Milt Rosenberg — a Chicago institution, broadcasting on WGN radio since 1973 — interviewed Stanley Kurtz about the extremely extensive relationship between Obama and William Ayers. Milt, a mild mannered, middle-of-the-road person, tried to have both sides represented and had invited a representative of the Obama campaign. No one from the campaign agreed to appear. Instead, the campaign organized an immediate, massive call-in campaign to force WGN to cancel Kurtz's appearance. When that failed, the campaign organized supporters to call in to the station and simply tie up the telephone lines so that other listeners couldn't ask questions. Others threatened Federal Communication Commission action to revoke WGN's license.
Rosenberg said that he had never seen anything similar to silence discussion during his years on radio.
— Obama has also gone to the extreme of threatening opponents and television stations with legal action for running ads. For example, when ads were run discussing Obama's relationship to Ayers, Obama's campaign demanded that the Department of Justice criminally investigate the group behind the ads. (What criminal charges that were justified by running an ad were never explained.) It is bad enough that a senator demands criminal charges against a political opponent, but Justice Department officials might take this seriously if the president of the United States asks them to press charges.
When the National Rifle Association started running ads warning that Obama had previously supported bans on handguns and massive taxes on bullets, the Obama campaign likewise used intimidation and sent cease-and-desist letters to television stations threatening legal action.
The list is long, but the media isn't the only place that Obama promises to eliminate dissent. Campaign finance laws will surely be rewritten in ways that make it particularly difficult for Republicans to win races. Limits on total expenditures and public financing entrench incumbents, which in this case would be Democrats. For example, when an incumbent president doesn't face a serious challenge during the primaries, he can sit on the public funds obtained during the primaries until the nominee from the other party has been determined, and then use those primary funds to attack his general election opponent. The non-incumbent party's nominee must usually battle for the nomination and typically has reached the spending limit imposed by the taxpayer funding system by March. These challengers are then severely limited in their ability to campaign until their nominating conventions in August. Challengers Walter Mondale in 1984 and Bob Dole in 1996 were pummeled for months with little financial means to respond.
Or take unions, where secret ballots will be eliminated for union certification elections. What is next? Eliminating secret ballots for other elections? Presumably not, but if we care about preventing voter intimidation generally, why don't we also care about that for workers? Don't Democrats trust workers enough to make judgments on their own?
Stronger unions do mean one thing: more money for Democrats' campaigns in future elections.
It is hard to put up with those who disagree. But will Democrats put up with criticism when they have the presidency and Congress and enough votes in the Senate to avoid a filibuster? This will be more power than any party has had for a long time, because even when the Democrats had over 60 votes in the Senate, many of those were conservative Southern Democrats, who no longer exist.
Some Republicans think that this election doesn't matter. That in two years they will come back stronger than ever. Indeed, Republicans might be quite angry and inspired to take things back. But 2012 won't be like 1980. The Democrats plan to tilt the playing field in their favor to ensure a long-term domination in politics.
New Website Targets Undecided Pro-Lifers with Facts, Emotion, Spiritual Adoption
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07753.shtml
ATLANTA, (christiansunite.com) -- The "Undecided Voter" is typically used to describe a person who may still cast a vote either way in an upcoming election. Such a voter is usually targeted in the weeks before the election, since they can play the definitive role in determining the outcome.
For Janice Givens, a mom and homemaker in Atlanta's northern suburb of Alpharetta, the lack of commitment to voting pro-life by those she always considered fellow pro- lifers was stunning. "As we got closer to Election Day, I found many pro-lifers - people I had known for years - were conflicted or misinformed on where the candidates stood on abortion, and therefore were still undecided or not voting to protect the unborn. I found people who I always considered pro- life wavering on the life issues because of current events and basic ignorance on what could happen if we lost this election," says Givens. "Last week, I gathered some friends together who I knew shared my discouragement and shock; we prayed for wisdom and were inspired to do something in the names of the nearly 49 million lives lost to abortion."
In less than a week, the ambitious group of six launched a movement to turn things around. Lisa Fiamingo, one of the co-founders of One Baby One Vote, states the facts, "Forty nine million babies have been aborted in the last 35 years. Twenty five million would have been old enough to vote on November 4. This movement is for them. If we can cast one vote for each of their lives, we can turn this election around."
The website, www.OneBabyOneVote.com, is the center of the grassroots effort. Pushing a very simple, yet powerful mission, the movement's potential to have a significant impact on this election is clearly possible through the hands of committed pro-lifers. There are three steps:
1. Adopt - Spiritually adopt a baby lost to abortion. Name the baby and cast your vote on their behalf.
2. Pray - Join the companion prayer effort - Operation Consecration - a nationwide simultaneous prayer to take place on November 2nd at 3pm EST. Prayer gatherings can happen in homes, churches, open fields or community-wide events in all 50 states.
3. Inform - Through the power of word-of-mouth, share the website and resources such as the Top Ten Questions on Abortion for Undecided Voters.
For many, the most powerful aspect of the movement will be the spiritual adoption. Says Fiamingo, "When the site launched last Friday, and I adopted and named my baby Claire; it was incredibly powerful. I actually wasn't prepared for the effect the simple act of naming one of these babies would have on me. I can't imagine what it will feel like to enter the voting booth on Election Day and cast my vote in Claire's name."
In addition to the spiritual adoption and commitment to vote, the movement includes a companion prayer effort which the six friends have named, Operation Consecration. The word consecrate is a verb which means "to make or declare sacred", and the mission of Operation Consecration is to consecrate every state to God before Election Day and reclaim the nation for the values on which it was founded. People in all 50 states are asked to gather two or more together at 3:00pmET on November 2 (the traditional day of prayer on the Catholic liturgical calendar for the souls of the deceased) and say a prayer of consecration. The website recommends the consecration prayers from 2 Chronicles 7:14-16:
"If my people, humble themselves and pray, and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land. Now my eyes shall be open and my ears attentive to the prayer of this place. And now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart also shall be there always."
The group is asking existing pro-life and faith communities to add Operation Consecration to their scheduled activities in the days before the election. A one-page planning sheet is available in the website. To download the resources, adopt your baby, or just learn more about the movement, visit www.onebabyonevote.com
Vote Against Moral Blasphemy, Vote YES on Prop. 8 to Protect Marriage
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07757.shtml
SAN DIEGO, (christiansunite.com) -- In the upcoming election in California, voters will decide whether the California Supreme Court will continue to illegally recognize same sex marriage and assault the God given institution of marriage. Hopefully California will be added to the ever growing list of States to codify a ban on same sex marriage into their Constitutions. It is very important for California voters to understand that their vote in favor of Proposition 8 will help to support the vote that God made over 6000 years ago in the first marriage of Adam and Eve.
BFA President and Pastor Phil Magnan had this to say about the continued depraved struggle for same sex marriage. "Regardless how people package it, Christ hates the lawlessness of homosexuality. Homosexual marriage is a lawless relationship whether it's legal or not. And I have news for the homosexual community and those who have joined their unholy alliance; God owns the sacred institution of marriage, not the State, so they should stop tampering with what God has joined. Government and the people have a responsibility to uphold what God has instituted."
Magnan continued, "Should I feel discriminated against because I cannot marry my brother or sister or a 12 year old girl? Should I feel discriminated against because society chooses to be godly or moral? Discrimination based on good moral judgment is a protection for the stability of society and upholds godly morals for future generations. A government that allows homosexuals to marry would be endorsing the unnatural. Equal protection under the law should never mean the protection and promotion of what is immoral or harmful. Keeping same sex couples from marrying restrains them from corrupting the wholesome sanctity of marriage.
It is eternally reprehensible that the pro same sex marriage movement is working to codify their perversion of the marital union; which has an even broader agenda. This agenda will end up being forced into the religious institutions around us, as well as force children to accept immorality in every venue of education. Evidence for this is already painfully known in the forced homosexual indoctrination of kindergarteners' in California and Massachusetts. Acceptance of same sex unions will inevitably punish families who oppose it. As a Pastor and Minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the homosexual community must be warned that they are at odds with Jesus Christ Himself, who condemned those who cause children to stumble into sin. It is a cruel and unloving thing to use the institution of marriage to cause our little ones to stumble into this fallen way of life and lawlessness."
BFA is pleased that California's Proposition 8 will help to stop this harmful road to indoctrinating children into immoral relationships and uphold marriage the way that God intended it.
Connecticut Gay Marriages to Begin Nov. 12
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/475263.aspx
CBNNews.com - HARTFORD, Conn. - Gay marriages in Connecticut can start Nov. 12.
Superior Court Judge Jonathan Silbert on Monday scheduled a hearing on that date to enter the final judgment in the case that allows same-sex marriages in the state.
The proceeding is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Attorneys in the court case say that once the hearing ends, couples can pick up marriage license forms at town and city clerk's offices.
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last month that same-sex couples have the right to wed rather than accept a civil union law. Massachusetts and California already allow gay marriages but a question on Tuesday's ballot in California seeks to ban them.
Florida's Marriage Amendment Under Fire
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/475253.aspx
CBNNews.com - Supporters of Florida's initiative to define marriage as the union between one man and one woman are facing heat from opponents over campaign donations.
Florida Red and Blue, an independent group against traditional marriage protection, claims the pro-marriage group Yes2Marriage.org broke election rules by not revealing where donation money came from.
They are asking that Yes2Marriage.org (formerly known as Florida4Marriage.com) be forced to name its donors and pull any TV ads paid for with the anonymous donation funds.
Yes2Marriage.org is the driving force behind the state's "Amendment 2" and defended anonymous donations amounting to about $350,000 in court Monday.
The Liberty Counsel, which represented Yes2Marriage.org, called the suit "desperate."
Liberty attorneys said it "shows [opponents] are in panic" over passage of Amendment 2. They are calling for sanctions against Florida Red and Blue for their "frivolous lawsuit."
A recent Mason-Dixon's poll of 625 likely voters showed 55 percent supporting Amendment 2, while 35 percent opposed. Constitutional amendments require 60 percent approval for passage.
School Clams Up on 'Gay' Pledge Cards Given to Kindergartners
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,445865,00.html
A California school system refuses to say what action, if any, it will take after it received complaints about a kindergarten teacher who encouraged her students to sign "pledge cards" in support of gays.
During a celebration of National Ally Week, Tara Miller, a teacher at the Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, Calif., passed out cards produced by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to her class of kindergartners.
The cards asked signers to be "an ally" and to pledge to "not use anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language or slurs; intervene, when I feel I can, in situations where others are using anti-LGBT language or harassing other students and actively support safer schools efforts."
The school has acknowledged that the exercise was not appropriate for kindergartners.
Parent Adela Voelker, who declined to be interviewed in depth for this report, said she was furious when she found her child's signature on one of the cards. She said she contacted a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in parents' rights.
Meanwhile, a school board member, Jeff Cook, says some type of action should be taken.
"We have a general rule that all instruction should be age appropriate, and this clearly was not," said Cook, who has served on the school board for five years.
Val Joyner, a school district spokeswoman, told FOXNews.com in an e-mail that when deciding what to teach on this subject matter, educators "gather materials from community agencies and other education groups" and that "the materials have grade level indicators which help determine what is age-appropriate."
The district said the pledge cards were intended for middle school and high school students.
Asked last week if the district planned to take action against Miller, Joyner said she would have to look into the incident. On Thursday she told FOXNews.com that she did not have an answer for the question and that she would no longer be doing any media interviews.
Joyner said in an e-mail that Miller, the teacher, "planned to teach students how to become an ally and conflict-mediation through various activities." She added that the district doesn't advocate for a specific cause and/or lifestyle, and it has "no curriculum for gay, lesbian and transgender lifestyles."
The district employs a "Professional Learning Specialist: Equity," who is in charge of gathering material and helping teachers decide what should be taught on the subject matter.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, the group representing Voelker, said parents at the Faith Ringgold School weren't notified of what was going to take place in the classroom.
He said that teaching students as young as pre-school about gay, lesbian and transgender issues is common in California, but that there are "all kinds of material the average parent could find highly objectionable or potentially harmful" to their children.
When asked if the school district did anything wrong, he said, "possibly," but he declined to go into detail or say whether Voelker would sue the district.
Dacus would not comment specifically on whether children who signed the pledge could be held responsible if the school determined that they were not honoring it. He said they are minors and there are certain degrees of limited liability, but from a psychological and emotional perspective, it's a whole different ballgame.
"[There is] tremendous peer pressure put on children to accept a pro-homosexual philosophy and attitude," Dacus said.
Meanwhile, opponents of gay marriage are up in arms over the incident, which occurred as California voters prepare to vote Tuesday on Proposition 8, which would overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage.
"How do you teach a 5-year-old to sign a pledge card for lesbian, gay and transgender issues without explaining what transgender and bisexual is?" asked Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California.
San Francisco Christians take God's love to city's non-believers
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/san.francisco.christians.take.gods.love.to.citys.nonbelievers/21790.htm
SAN FRANCISCO — Out to break the commonly-held notion that Christianity is about judging others, a group of San Francisco Christians braved the rain on Saturday to show only "Agape Love" to the city's needy.
The part music-festival, part-outreach "I AM LOVE…360" event mobilized dozens of youth volunteers from local San Francisco Bay Area churches to Civic Center Plaza to show the love of God in a practical way by handing out free meals, blankets and prayers to the homeless and needy.
"God's love is complete and worldwide. Christians should be the first to reach out to whomever, wherever," Living Grace Fellowship pastor Rodgar McCalmon, who organised the free event, told The Christian Post.
"San Francisco is just a starting point. Hopefully, people see what this event is and go into other towns," he added.
Among believers, the word "love" has become ubiquitous to Christianity. It is rare to hear a sermon in which the pastor fails to mention the love of Jesus and the love of God.
However, while many Christians say the most important thing in their faith is a relationship of love with God and their neighbours, non-Christians still hold negative perceptions of present-day Christianity. According to a 2007 Barna study, 80 per cent of non-Christians view evangelical Christianity as judgmental and hypocritical.
Christians gathered at the I AM LOVE event on Saturday were out to change that perception. Although the election is just a few days away, no one mentioned politics. Communicating — not just speaking about — love was their top priority.
Even though it rained, participants maintained a "rain or shine" attitude.
Actor Stephen Baldwin, who emceed the music festival, said in his opening remarks that he planned to stay the whole in spite of the weather.
"We are here no matter what. That's what I AM LOVE 360 is all about," Baldwin told the umbrella-covered and poncho-wearing audience.
"We are here to be obedient to the Spirit of the Lord. Even if it rains all day, we are going to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to San Francisco."
Philip Bardowell, a former band member of The Beach Boys, performed the song "Day After Rain".
"All the rain will not quench this thirst today," said Bardowell.
Other Christian groups and musicians that took the stage included Todd Agnew, Seventh Day Slumber, Thankfull, Nathan Justin, Missing Piece, JB Blue and Richard Andrew.
As the crowd in front of City Hall swayed and bobbed their heads to live faith-filled music, volunteer Gloria Huerta was standing by the SF Rescue Mission tent, handing out food vouchers to the needy. The ministry was prepared to hand out 5,000 bagged lunches.
Speaking with The Christian Post, Huerta, a member of Raven Ministries in Santa Rosa, said anyone entering the tent for assistance was first presented with the Word and asked if they needed a prayer. Those in need were also told how they could receive shelter and food other days of the week.
Although she acknowledged the outreach lasted only a day, she believed even a word or prayer given out of love can give them the hope they need to connect again.
"A lot of people are out here because of things that happen in their life. Some are here by choice. But we still need to love them anyway. And when the Lord is ready to pull them off the streets, He'll do it," said Huerta, who has worked five years in street ministry.
One of her first experiences was in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, which remains a reminder of how God touched her.
"The Lord broke my heart. He broke me so bad because I could have been one of them. I used to be a druggie," she shared.
As Huerta spoke, several people who had just received their blankets, coats and meal went over to the stage to enjoy the music.
McCalmon said San Francisco is usually not the first choice for Christians to engage in missions.
Christians have the "Sodom and Gomorrah mentality" when it comes to the city, he said, referring to the historical cities that, as recorded in the Bible, were destroyed as a result of sinfulness and sexual deviation.
So "there is not a warm welcoming for Christians in San Francisco", he observed, adding that people commonly perceive Christians as being too judgmental and not loving enough.
But he hopes the event will encourage more Christians to show their love in a city where the need is so great.
"There are over 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco. There are 3,000 unschooled kids in the Tenderloin," reported McCalmon.
In addition to Living Grace Fellowship, other local ministries including ByFaith Productions, San Francisco Rescue Mission and Emmausliving.com helped coordinate Saturday's outreach.
Huerta said that unless Christians engage in outreaches such as Agape Love, they cannot fulfil Jesus' command to be "fishers of men".
"Instead of sitting in the pews, Jesus wants us to get out there and do something," he said.
Rally Held for Troopers over Jesus' Name
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/474920.aspx
RICHMOND, Va. - The name of Jesus was the focus of a prayer rally outside the governor's mansion in Richmond, Virginia over the weekend.
More than a thousand people gathered to show their support for six Virginia state police chaplains, who were forced to resign for praying in Jesus' name.
The Governor's Uninvited Guests
Although Virginia Governor Tim Kaine banned the name of Jesus from public prayers, hundreds of Believers gathered on the lawn outside the governor's mansion to stand up for Jesus and for the rights of chaplains to pray in Jesus' name.
When the state policy was handed down this summer prohibiting chaplains from praying publicly in Jesus' name - State Trooper Mike Honaker knew what he had to do.
"I said, if Jesus is out of the program, than I'm going to have to get out of the program too," Honaker said.
Former chaplain Rex Carter said, "John 14: 13 and 14 where Jesus says, 'If you ask anything in my name' - it doesn't say in a generic name, it says, 'if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.'"
The rally drew young and old - and even a group of bikers - to support the chaplains.
Gordon Klingenschmitt, former chaplain and rally organizer said, "Every time the name of Jesus is stamped out, it spreads like wildfire everywhere else."
Some of the chaplains say this is bigger than a state agency or even the commonwealth of Virginia.
Carter explained, "This is an issue dealing with our religious and our constitutional freedoms."
Honaker added, "This is about the existence and the direction of a nation."
Legislation Pending
The troopers still have their jobs - they're just no longer serving as chaplains.
There is legislation pending in the Virginia House and Senate that would allow chaplains to pray in Jesus' name.
Was world created 6,011 years ago – last Monday?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=79616
How old is the world?
Most people would say: "Nobody knows."
But the author of the book frequently described as the greatest history book ever written,said the world was created Oct. 23, 4004 B.C. – making it exactly 6,011 last Monday.
In the 1650s, an Anglican bishop named James Ussher published his "Annals of the World," subtitled, "The Origin of Time, and Continued to the Beginning of the Emperor Vespasian's Reign and the Total Destruction and Abolition of the Temple and Commonwealth of the Jews." First published in Latin, it consisted of more than 1,600 pages.
The book, now published in English for the first time, is a favorite of homeschoolers and those who take ancient history seriously. It's the history of the world from the Garden of Eden to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Of course, there will be those who disagree with Ussher's calculations of time – especially evolutionists who need billions of years to explain their theory of how life sprang from non-life and mutated from one-celled animals into human beings.
Ussher's arrival at the date of Oct. 23 was determined based on the fact that most peoples of antiquity, especially the Jews, started their calendar at harvest time. Ussher concluded there must be good reason for this, so he chose the first Sunday following autumnal equinox.
Although the autumnal equinox is Sept. 21 today, that is only because of historical calendar-juggling to make the years come out right.
If you think this is a startling fact – an actual date for Creation – you haven't seen anything until you've pored through the rest of Ussher's "Annals of the World." It's a classic history book for those who believe in the Bible – and a compelling challenge for those who don't.
The new edition of "Annals" is one of the most significant publishing events of the 21st century.
In this masterful and legendary volume, commissioned by Master Books to be updated from the 17th-century original Latin manuscript to modern English and made available to the general public, is the fascinating history of the ancient world from the Genesis creation through the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.
Find out:
Why was Julius Caesar kidnapped in 75 B.C.?
Why did Alexander the Great burn his ships in 326 B.C.?
What really happened when the sun "went backward" as a sign to Hezekiah?
What does secular history say about the darkness at the Crucifixion?
Ussher traveled throughout Europe, gathering much information from the actual historical documents. Many of these documents are no longer available, having been destroyed since the time of his research.
Integrating biblical history (around 15 percent of the text is from the Bible) with secular sources, Ussher wrote this masterpiece. Considered not only a literary classic, but also an accurate reference, "The Annals of the World" was so highly regarded for its preciseness that the timeline from it was included in the margins of many King James Version Bibles throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
"The Annals of the World" is a necessary addition to any church library, pastor's library, or any library – public or personal. The entire text has been updated from 17th-century English to present-day vernacular in a five-year project commissioned by Master Books. Containing many human-interest stories from the original historical documents collected by Ussher, this is more than just a history book – it's a work of history.
Special features:
Important literary work that has been inaccessible in book form for over 300 years
Includes CD of Ussher's Chronology of the World – full of colored charts, graphs, timelines, and much, much more
Translated into modern English for the first time
Traces world history from creation through A.D. 70
Over 10,000 footnotes from the original text have been updated to references from works in the Loeb Classical Library by Harvard Press
Over 2,500 citations from the Bible and the Apocrypha
Ussher's original citations have been checked against the latest textual scholarship
One of history's most famous and well-respected historians
Spent over five years researching and writing this book
Entered college at age 13
Received his master's degree at age 18
Was an expert in Semitic languages
Buried in Westminster Abbey
About the book:
Made of the highest quality material: Smyth sewn, gold-gilded edges, foil embossing on front, back, and spine
Cover presented in the style of classic literary works
Packaged in a beautiful box for display purposes and durability
8 appendixes
Fully indexed
Paragraphs numbered
This is one of the most important literary, historical and Christian works you'll ever own, a treasure for any home library. It's a must for your homeschool library.
For generations, this classic work was considered part of the essential reading for educated people. Now you can read it – in English.
As a very special added bonus, when you purchase "The Annals of the World" from WorldNetDaily's online store, you can also receive – FREE – three issues of our acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine, which many have called the best news magazine in the world. That's a $22.50 free value! (Offer good in the U.S. only.) Watch for the free offer during checkout. Order your copy of James Ussher's extraordinary "The Annals of the World" from WorldNetDaily's online store. If you prefer to order by phone, call WND's customer service line toll-free at 1-800-4WND-COM (1-800-496-3266).
Internet collaboration still in infancy: Wikipedia founder
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081101154919.8q6zayy9&show_article=1
The age of public collaboration over the Internet is still only in its infancy, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales told AFP in an interview.
The 42-year-old web guru, in an effort to show Wikipedia's impact thus far, referenced a recent trip to a slum in India where he "met this young man on the street who told me that he had used Wikipedia to pass his 11th grade exams."
"Wow, that's really cool, right? We've had some impact, even in such a place where I'm talking to this guy, and there's mud streets, and cows, and it's really quite a different environment from London."
Wales's popular online encyclopedia allows anyone with an Internet connection to make entries and edit content.
Speaking on the sidelines of an awards ceremony in London, Wales said: "We're really just at the beginning, still, of collaborative efforts."
"In video, right now, we're still back in many ways in the Web 1.0 era," he said, referring to the age before so-called Web 2.0, the peer-sharing model of the Internet of which Wikipedia is almost the definitive example.
"If you look at almost everything on YouTube, it's individuals doing videos, either funny cat videos, or drunk girl videos seem to be quite popular there," he said with a smile.
"What we haven't seen yet in video is large-scale collaborative projects."
Off the top of his head Wales suggested a 90-minute collaborative web video created by interviewing people from all around the world, giving their views on the war in Iraq.
He joked: "This isn't going to be that popular, frankly, a 90-minute movie with people talking about Iraq -- it's going to have a small audience. This can't be produced in the old-fashioned way. It's totally possible now.
"That's just one dumb idea of mine, right? Imagine what we could get if we could get 100,000 people thinking about collaborative video efforts to create documentary films, or comedy, or art, or who knows what.
"So, I think we've still got a long way to go."
He acknowledged collaboration has its limits, noting that if "we said we want to write a novel about loss, and redemption, probably not so much public collaboration, that's really an individual vision and a view of the world."
"But for basic factual information, I think having an open public dialogue and debate and democratic process, seems to be very powerful."
Wales also warned that major steps had to be considered to stop governments abusing ordinary people's personal information, which is increasingly stored in vast computer databases.
He described potential government misuse of private citizens' data as a "concern."
"One of the interesting things to really think about is how, as we're using the Internet, we leave an enormous digital footprint everywhere," he said.
"And not just the Internet, but cell phones, everything else. I'm assuming, if anybody really cares enough, my movements all around the planet are pretty trackable by somebody.
"That's something most people don't think much about, and they don't think much about it because, frankly, no one cares what most people are doing."
He said, however, that as computing power increases, "we need to really think about what are the political controls we need to have in place to prevent governments from abusing that kind of information."
Wales's remarks come after a report last month which warned that European governments are rapidly eroding civil liberties in a bid to gain "unfettered" access to individuals' personal data in the name of tighter security.
The document by Statewatch, a non-profit online civil liberties monitoring group, criticised the EU for viewing data protection and judicial scrutiny of citizens' private information as "obstacles" to law enforcement.
Jungreis urges Jews to prepare for the coming of Messiah
http://www.prophecynews.co.uk/content/view/1045/1/
Jewish inspirational speaker Rebbetzin Jungreis is warning the world is now experiencing the birth pangs that are to herald the coming of the Messiah, and there is just a limited amount of time in which to avert the cataclysmic events that have been foretold to take place during the tribulation period. In a recent interview for Arutz 7, Jungreis said that God is bringing the world closer to redemption, through a process called 'chevlei Mashiach' - the labour pains of the arrival of the Messiah. Citing several ancient Jewish sages and scholars, Jungreis points to a number of signs which indicate that we are now living in the last days, including the global financial collapse, the rise of Islamic extremism, increased lawlessness and the break-up of families. Jungreis also believes that the Messiah must come before 6000 years of human history have run their course, and that the world must mend its ways in order to 'hasten' the arrival of the Messiah and usher in the Messianic era, without having to pass through the time of trouble that has been foretold in the Scriptures.
Quote: "In order to reverse negative prophecies which warn of pain, suffering, famine, and death during the end of days, Rebbetzin Jungreis says one must first understand the imminence of the arrival of the Messiah. This world, as we know it today, cannot last beyond 6,000 years. "Listen carefully, friends, to what I'm telling you. Hashem, Elokei Yisrael, created this world that we are living in today in six days. Every day was a thousand years. This world, as we know it today, cannot last beyond 6,000 years. Right now, we are in the year 5769, which means it's Erev Shabbos of the world. By the year 6,000, Mashiach has to be here. He could come much earlier. But by the year 6,000, he has to be here... the Vilna Gaon said that the last war, Milchemet Gog uMagog, is going to last only 12 minutes because they are going to have such weapons...We know that the final redemption, the final Geula, it's going to be like when you left Egypt – only one-fifth of our people left Egypt. Four-fifths perished... during the plague of darkness. "So I'm appealing to every Jew. Every negative prophecy can be changed. We can bring Mashiach today. Right now, we are living in a period called Erev Shabbat. It's Erev Shabbat, because when Mashiach will come, it will be the day that will be all Shabbat, the seventh day... Let's bring Shabbos early, and let us to bring Shabbos with menucha [ease], with shalom [peace], with simchah [happiness] – Is it possible? Absolutely?! Every negative prophecy can be changed."
Unfortunately many Orthodox Jews have this wrong concept, that the Messiah's coming is dependant on the nation of Israel reforming their ways. The Bible knows nothing of the concept of self-reformation. The Lord Jesus Christ said there was only one thing that would prevent His return. Only when the nation that rejected the King of Jews is willing to say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord", would He be willing to come to them (Matthew 23:39). Sadly many Orthodox Jews are also ignorant of their own Scriptures, which prophesied that the Messiah would be born in the town of Beit Lehem (Micah 5:2). When the Jewish sages were asked where the promised Messiah was to be born, the reply was given to King Herod, "in Bethlehem of Judea", Matthew 2:5. Today the town of Bethlehem forms part of the Palestinian territories. If the messiah the Orthodox Jews are expecting arrives any time soon, he would most likely be born a Palestinian Arab. Even if Israel were to recapture Bethlehem from the Arabs, the Messiah could still not now come out of Bethlehem. For the book of Daniel foretold the exact day that the Messiah would enter into Jerusalem, and how He would ultimately be rejected by the nation of Israel (Daniel 9:25-26). As we can see, the messiah the Orthodox Jews are looking for is not the Messiah of the Bible. The Messiah of the Bible will not return until the nation of Israel is willing to look unto the One Whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10). What about you? Have you looked unto the One Who was pierced for your sins? Jesus Christ died for you. He bore God's punishment for your sins, so that you could be forgiven, and have everlasting life in heaven. Why don't you trust in Him for salvation today.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
America elects its 44th president. A side glance at the Middle East
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5694
The United States’ longest presidential campaign ever was dominated by the promise of a new era by both candidates, Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and John McCain of Arizona. To win the White House, Republican McCain must beat all the polls which uniformly favored his Democratic rival. A record turn-out of more than 130 million is expected, of which one quarter opted for an early vote.
Twenty-four hours before voting, the Grey PR agency of New York City tried to lift the duel above race with a flyer which asked Americans to “Let the issues be the issue.” The flyer was snatched up within hours to become a collectors’ item.
The death of Obama’s grandmother from cancer injected drama into the closing hours of the marathon. In another last-minute development, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate, was cleared in an ethics probe known as Troopergate.
The next US president will have to grapple urgently with seismic dilemmas left over from the Bush administration, notably the global economic crisis, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and, at some point, the long-lingering Middle East conflict.
If elected, Obama would make history as the first dark-skinned president in the White House, but his foreign policies as distinct from his electioneering rhetoric are still an enigma. Although many of his predecessors shed their campaign backers and picked a new team upon entering the Oval Office, still it is remembered that a hard left Chicago group sponsored and largely funded his run.
Many Israeli-American voters voted for McCain as a safer choice for Israel, fearing that pro-Arab figures would step out from behind Obama’s Middle East campaign advisers and be installed in key positions in his administration. Aware of this, Dennis Ross, Middle East envoy under Democratic and Republican presidents, and Martin Indyk, former ambassador to Israel, issued pre-election statements assuring Israel they had nothing to fear from Obama.
However, Rob Malli, who is in close rapport with Syrian president Bashar Assad and the radical Hamas headquarters in Damascus, is still around. Although Obama claimed earlier to have dropped this controversial figure from his team of advisers, DEBKAfile’s Middle East sources confirm that he continued to use Malli discreetly to liaise with Arab leaders as his representative.
A lesser known fact is that Malli is a personal friend of Dr. Samir Thaki, Syria’s top negotiator in the indirect talks with Israel brokered by Turkey. He played a shadowy but firm role in those talks under Obama’s policy guideline to back Damascus’ push for a complete Israel withdrawal from the Golan. This ultimatum kept the Bush administration from backing those negotiations and explains why Assad preferred to stall until a new US president was elected.
If Israel’s transitional prime minister Ehud Olmert goes along with this line – he is still weighing the option - it would represent Israel’s biggest concession ever to an Arab state and hamper the chances of his successor, foreign minister Tzipi Livni, to lead their Kadima party to victory in Israel’s February 10, 2009 general election.
Israel’s opposition has said it would not be bound by any such concessions. However its endorsement by Obama, if he is elected US president, would represent his first step for ushering in his new Middle East policy based on drawing Damascus out of its alliance with Iran. Israel would then find itself on a collision course with Washington in the early days of a potential Obama presidency.
All 435 House seats and a third of the Senate are also up for vote on Nov. 4.
Vote Obama, say Mid-East troublemakers Ross and Indyk
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2546
Two senior US Jewish diplomats who played key roles in pressuring Israel down the discredited land-for-peace road have strongly endorsed Barack Obama for president for the US.
Dennis Ross, formerly a top adviser on Middle East affairs to presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and now Obama's senior adviser on this volatile part of the world, has reportedly been telling Jewish communities around America to vote for the Democratic contender on November 4.
Martin Indyk, the British-born, Australia-raised former US ambassador to Israel was on the stump for Obama in Jerusalem last week.
Ross has himself blamed the utter failure of the Oslo Process on late PLO arch terrorist Yasser Arafat, who turned down Israel's 2001 Camp David offer of the cradle of Jewish civilization in favor of a second intifada.
Despite this Ross, who used to sit with Indyk at the YMCA restaurant on King David Street discussing how best to divvy up the Jews' historic homeland, remains solidly committed to the "two-state-solution" and is expected to renew pressure on Israel to go down that road if his candidate makes the White House.
In an interview run by the center-left The Jerusalem Post last week, Ross said he is "convinced that [Obama] will stand by Israel."
"Do I think that at the end of the day he will do whatever's necessary if Israel's threatened? I do," he added.
Just when "the end of the day" would come for this tiny nation on its postage stamp piece of land surrounded by hundreds of millions of people who hate the Jews and are vying with one another to wipe out Israel, Ross did not say.
Indyk, described by the far-left Israeli daily Ha'aretz as someone who has "made a career of Middle East diplomacy and support for Israel," was a special guest at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Peres Center for Peace when he "spoke directly to widespread Israeli fears that an Obama White House would be less friendly than an administration run by his rival, John McCain."
In a November 1 article published on The Jerusalem Post website, Indyk expressed his belief that Obama "will be a real friend of Israel in the White House and that he will do his best to heal the world. I believe he has the intellect, judgment, temperament, character, and emotional instincts to be a great president for the United States, for the US Jewish community, and for Israel."
A recent poll of The Post readers found that 80 percent believe McCain would be better for Israel's interests, against just 19 percent who put their faith in Obama. America's Jews, however, increasingly out of touch with their ancient homeland and their ancient people, prefer Obama over McCain by some 73 percent.
Israel moves right, or does it?
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2547
With general elections in Israel set for February 10, 2009, the Jewish state's political parties on the right are working to firm up their hawkish credentials as campaigning gets underway.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading the trend in a direction that offers some hope to Jews and Christians concerned about defending Israel's territorial integrity and bolstering the country's defenses against the burgeoning existential threats to its future.
"Bibi," as he is popularly known, chairs the official opposition Likud Party and is widely expected to win the elections.
Sunday morning the news broke that former Likud MK and Minister Ze'ev (Benny) Begin would once again run for elections on the party ticket nine years after resigning in protest against Netanyahu's signing of the Wye River Accords with Yasser Arafat.
Begin announced his intention to run following a reported meeting with Netanyahu Saturday night. Although a political gem in the former prime minister's crown, he made it clear that he wanted no preferential treatment, insisting that he will run for a Knesset seat on his own merits.
The son of the late former Prime Minister Menachem Begin - who was arguably the only Israel leader ever to defy the wishes of an American president - "Benny" is also known as Mr. Integrity.
Like his father, the he maintains a frugal lifestyle, and was noted for having traveled to the Knesset Israeli parliament by bus for the 11 years he served as a Knesset member.
Also Sunday at a press conference called by Netanyahu, former Israel Defense Forces Spokeswoman Miri Regev announced her intention to run for a place on the Likud's list.
While she had defended the Sharon government's uprooting of 9000 Jews from their Gaza homes in 2005, Regev insisted Sunday that while she had not been allowed to reveal her personal political position while in the military, she now wants it known that she was opposed to the "Disengagement."
"It is wrong to give land without receiving anything in return," she said.
In other political developments, four right wing parties announced Monday that they were merging into a single party under the banner of "putting education first."
Described as a "historic: event, the National Religious Party, which is Israel's second-oldest, blended with the National Union, Moledet and Tekumah parties.
The new entity will hold primaries to choose its new leaders.
NRP's Zevulun Orlev said the new party constitutes "unity by the Zionist religious camp," and Knesset Member Tzvi Hendel said "anyone who identifies with our path can join and decide who our leader will be.
"Everyone is invited to [join] the party except for the extremists who are happy when they see Arab bloodshed or happy when they see settlements evacuated," Hendel said.
Less promising were Hendel's words indicating the new party would be willing to go along with the division of Israel's historic lands.
"I believe that all of Israel is ours, but in practice we shall have to divide it," he said. "The question is how, and what is the principle behind this."
A name for the new party will be made known in the coming days.
Leftists dropping off the political branch
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2548
Two arch-leftists recently announced their intention to drop out of politics and enter the private sector.
On October 28, former Meretz Party head, "land-for-war" promoter Yossi Beilin said he was bowing out.
Described as a co-architect of the Oslo "Peace" Process (along with Shimon Peres), Beilin is being "credited" with having changed the political landscape in Israel and charting the course towards a "new Middle East" that - a decade-and-a-half after he oversaw illegal meetings with PLO terrorists - is no nearer to coming into being than it was back then.
Beilin also claims credit for Israel's 2000 unilateral pullout from southern Lebanon; a move that led directly to the meteoric rise in power and influence of the Hizb'allah terror group and the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
Barely had Beilin announced his resignation than fellow Meretz veteran Ran Cohen let it be known that he too was retiring from the ring.
The Jerusalem Post described Cohen, a reserve IDF colonel, as Meretz's "only authority on security issues and its spokesman on socioeconomic issues."
Zionist Israelis charge government ministers with incitement
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2549
Rifts continue to deepen between secular and religious Israelis, with two ministers in the Ehud Olmert government accused Monday of inciting public opinion against the Zionists who live in the historic heartland of the Jewish people.
The Jerusalem Post reports that "[t]he Committee of Samaria Settlers is set to file a complaint against Vice Premier Haim Ramon and National Infrastructures Minister Binymain Ben-Eliezer, claiming that remarks made by the two during a cabinet meeting Sunday constituted libel and incitement against the settler community."
During that meeting Ramon, a convicted criminal himself, charged that the security forces "practiced discrimination and apartheid" in how they dealt with Arabs and Jews involved in "disturbances" in Judea and Samaria."
Ben-Eliezer said of the overwhelmingly religious Jews who live in Samaria and Judea: "They don't think like us; their thoughts are messianic, mystical, satanic and irrational." He reportedly also called for "a blitz" (a loaded German word in Jewish ears) against the settlers.
In a letter to Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz lawyers for the Judea and Samaria communities said they were also thinking of filing complaints against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"Leading the libelers and defamers is convicted criminal Haim Ramon [who] initiated the meeting and called for the arrest of hundreds of civilians on the basis of 'intelligence.'
"Failure to initiate an investigation of the ministers will constitute clear favoritism… Regrettably, you [Mazuz] not only participated in the cabinet meeting but stood aloof while several of the senior ministers (as well as the prime minister himself) made horrible inciting remarks against a community that is almost exclusively gentle, innocent and law-abiding."
Israel, Palestinians to give ME summit briefing
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199629809&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israeli and Palestinian officials will give a rare joint briefing on the state of peace talks at a Mideast summit in Egypt next week, chief negotiators from both sides said on Sunday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would lead Israel's delegation. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his chief negotiator, Ahmed Qureia, would be heading the Palestinian side.
The gathering is being sponsored by the Quartet of Mideast peace makers - the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia.
Israeli and Palestinian officials said that Livni and Qureia would jointly brief the Quartet representatives on their progress after nearly a year of peace talks.
The meeting comes as the US and Israel are choosing new leaders. Any progress made in talks so far could serve as the basis for future talks.
Abbas meets Jordan's king, sees no peace pact with Israel in 2008
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/239716,abbas-meets-jordans-king-sees-no-peace-pact-with-israel.html
Amman - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday excluded the possibility of reaching a peace agreement with Israel before the end of 2008 as envisaged at the Annapolis conference in November last year. "Frankly speaking there will be no comprehensive solution before the end of 2008," Abbas told reporters after talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
"There is no possibility for working out a partial agreement, because we seek a comprehensive accord," he said.
Since the Annapolis conference in November 2007, Israel and the Palestinians have been involved in peace negotiations with the avowed aim of reaching a peace pact that tackles all core issues settlements, refugees and frontiers.
The outcome of the peace talks figured prominently in Abbas' talks with King Abdullah.
"We discussed the attitude that we can take pending the election of a new US administration and the formation of a new Israeli government," Abbas said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was asked by President Shimon Peres to try to form a coalition government, announced earlier this week that whe was unable to do so and instead recommended holding general elections.
For his part, King Abdullah underscored the importance of reaching "a reconciliation" between Abbas' Fatah group and the Islamic movement, Hamas, saying such a step would be "instrumental in fulfilling the objective of setting up an independent Palestinian state," according to a royal court statement.
He promised continued Jordanian support for Abbas in his endeavours "to regain Palestinian rights through the negotiation process."
Mazuz: PM can continue talks with Syria
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199625623&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Basing himself on a precedent-setting High Court ruling from 2001, Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz informed Likud MK Limor Livnat on Sunday that he would not order the government to stop negotiating with Syria.
"When it comes to diplomatic negotiations, the dominant elements in the question of the proper balance that should be struck between the requirement of a caretaker government to take action and the requirement to act with restraint, are political and the decision must be made within the political discourse," Mazuz wrote Livnat, quoting from the verdict handed down by a panel of seven justices on January 25, 2001.
In the High Court verdict, four petitions had been filed during the election campaign to choose a new prime minister after Prime Minister Ehud Barak resigned towards the end of the year 2000. The petitioners called on the High Court to order Barak to stop negotiating with the Palestinian Authority and its president, Yasser Arafat, over a comprehensive peace agreement on the grounds that Barak was head of a caretaker government which did not have the confidence of the Knesset.
In his verdict, Aharon Barak presented the relevant text of the Basic Law: Government and continued, "Are there any formal constraints on the ministers? The answer is no. There is nothing in the law that limits the formal power of a prime minister who has resigned or his ministers, to nothing more than routine acts [of government.]"
Barak also wrote that a committee of experts headed by Justice Zvi Berenson had concluded that a caretaker government should not be restricted to routine activities. Barak added that had the Knesset wanted to change this approach, it could have done so when it rewrote the Basic Law: Government. In fact, the government has rewritten the law twice - once to include the direct election of prime ministers and a second time to cancel that system. Despite this conclusion, Barak added that while there was no special doctrine limiting the powers of a caretaker government, "it must act with restraint and proportionality."
Barak wrote that the question of how a caretaker government should act There is not one single answer that applies to how a caretaker government should act, Barak continued. It must strike a proper balance between taking action and acting with restraint and each case must be examined on its own merits. In Ehud Barak's case, the government was not acting with extreme unreasonability and therefore the court could not intervene, wrote Aharon Barak. This was particularly true since the government could not sign a peace treaty before bringing it to the Knesset for approval. Nevertheless, added Justice Barak, although the court could not intervene, the public and the Knesset could, if they thought fit to do so.
Although Barak did not say so, in the case of Ehud Barak, the Knesset could have amended the law to prevent him from negotiating with Arafat. As for the public, it could vote him out of office, which, in fact, it did a few days later.
In his ruling on Sunday, Mazuz embraced the High Court ruling. "The rules that were established in that verdict apply in our case as well," he wrote.
"Therefore, I do not see any basis for me to intervene. I might add that this opinion does not constitute a position on the non-legal aspects of the matter which, as the court said, the dominant ones are public and political.
Court asked to order end to Olmert-Syria talks
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2550
Israel's High Court of Justice was petitioned Monday to stop disgraced Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from pursuing "peace" talks with Syria in the last weeks of his premiership.
Likud Party Knesset Member Limor Livnat asked the court to intervene a day after Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz ruled that there was nothing illegal about Olmert overseeing negotiations or carrying out any other prime ministerial duties despite his having resigned.
The Israeli press has abounded with reports in recent days alleging that Olmert has indicated a willingness to hand the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for that country's readiness to make peace. This follows unverified reports that US President George W. Bush promised Syria he would squeeze Israel into relinquishing the heights if Syria agreed to move out of Iran's orbit.
"We are dealing with processes whose implications could significantly affect the country for many years to come," Livnat wrote in her petition, according to Ynetnews.
"Such negotiations must not be conducted by a resigning prime minister."
Olmert reportedly faces imminent indictment on corruption charges. He has already been replaced as the chairman of the Kadima Party and only remains in office because Israel has decided to go to early elections next February.
Syria moves more tank-artillery forces south to Israel border
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5693
Lebanese sources and eye witnesses report Syrian tanks, artillery and commando units have taken up battle positions in four villages around Hasbaya opposite Mt. Hermon and northern Israel.
According to DEBKAfile's military sources, Syrian tanks and artillery units continued to move into their new positions Sunday and Monday, Nov. 2-3, so completing their deployment the full length of the Syrian-Lebanese border. Elements of the Syrian 10th, 12th and 14th Divisions and the 3rd Army - withdrawn last week from the 600-km long Syrian-Iraq border - are now poised opposite Israeli positions holding the disputed Shebaa Farms enclave on Mt. Hermon.
Military sources say that whereas opposite the northeastern Tripoli region, Syrian forces are strung out in small clusters of 2 to 3 tanks one or more kilometers apart, their tank units are massed tightly opposite Mt. Hermon and northern Israel.
There are other differences: Heavy Syrian armor is positioned well back from the front-line infantry and commando troops in the north, whereas tanks, artillery and special forces are deployed right up to the border opposite South Lebanon and Israel.
Western and Lebanese military observers relate Syria's military movements to Damascus' threats, growing more strident Sunday, of "painful punishment" for the US Oct. 26 raid in northern Syria unless Washington apologizes, clarifies its action and pays compensation.
These observers stress that Damascus has no real expectation of a US apology or clarification, because Syria knows as well as the US that the target was its own forward military base for terrorist strikes in Iraq.
While insisting that an innocent farm was attacked and the 8 people killed were all civilians, the Syrians are taking advantage of the Bush administration's silence to argue that Damascus has the same right as Washington to carry out cross-border attacks against "terrorist targets" i.e. in Lebanon and Israel. Damascus is winding the tensions up to a pitch where some military action against a US Middle East target or ally in Lebanon or Israel is becoming hard to avoid.
Senior IDF officers and some Western military sources are perplexed by the Israeli government's failure to pursue deterrent action against the Syrian tanks poised in battle array on its border. Instead, the outgoing prime minister Ehud Olmert is busy trying to reviving indirect talks with Syria before he quits, while defense minister Ehud Barak and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni appear unconcerned.
"Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean": Ministers meet in Marseille to endorse its working modalities and to agree priorities for 2009
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1611&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Foreign Ministers from all 43 states of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership meet in Marseille on 3-4 November to endorse plans for the mandate, structure and institutional governance of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean. The initiative, launched at the Paris Summit of 13th July, aims at injecting a renewed political momentum into the EU's relations with the Mediterranean through the reinforcement of shared ownership and the achievement of wider visibility through a far-reaching programme of projects. To these ends, Ministers will examine the details of the Commission's proposals for the functioning of the co-presidency as well as the composition, seat and funding of the Secretariat. In efforts to advance the regional integration process, Ministers will also agree on priorities for the 2009 working programme.
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: "The global and regional challenges we jointly face underline the political and practical imperatives of upgrading our relations with our neighbours. The Barcelona Process has served us well over the past thirteen years; the achievements testify to this – but certain setbacks and limitations remind us also that there is still much to do." And she added: "At the Summit of the Union for the Mediterranean in Paris we agreed to continue working on and to reinforce the positive elements of the Barcelona Process, through closer ties between all members, enhancing their sense of ownership of the process and delivering more concrete benefits for citizens of the region. Now, in Marseille, we will take the next steps forward by confirming the new institutional arrangements and agreeing on a work programme for 2009. I am confident that this will add new direction and dynamism to our relations."
Ministers will decide on the remit and governance of the new institutional structure, the functioning of the co-Presidency and the composition, seat and funding of the Secretariat, taking into account the discussions and proposals submitted by partners. The new proposed architecture will build on the existing foundations and structures of the Barcelona Process. Projects are at the core of the restructured Partnership, and in their sourcing and administration, the Secretariat will strive to ensure that the selected projects promote growth, employment, regional cohesion and socio-economic integration. The Paris Summit has already identified a number of key areas: de-pollution of the Mediterranean; maritime and land highways; civil protection; Mediterranean Solar Plan; Euro-Mediterranean University; and a Mediterranean business development initiative.
Following the Ministers' endorsement the Secretariat will seek the necessary additional funding from outside the traditional existing budget allocations. These funds are expected to come from the private sector, international financial institutions and bilateral cooperation as well as contributions from EU member States and Mediterranean Partners.
Bearing in mind the Barcelona 5-year work programme and the Declaration of the Paris Summit, ministers will outline their Ministerial meetings agenda and agree on the priorities for the 2009 work programme, in line with the key areas identified in Paris. Ministerials are planned for 2009 in the following sectors: Transport; Higher Education; Environment; Trade; Justice, Liberty and Security; Economy and Finance; Sustainable development; and Strengthening the role of women in society.
While the European Neighbourhood Policy will continue to drive bilateral relations in the region with a differentiated approach the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean will complement this policy by strengthening regional cooperation.
More information at:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/euromed/index.htm
Orissa Christians find shelter in Kerala state
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/orissa.christians.find.shelter.in.kerala.state/21796.htm
The government of the Indian state of Kerala has offered to shelter 56 refugees from Orissa, most of whom had fled the state following threats and beatings by Hindu mobs avenging the murder of a Hindu leader.
Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan met a group of riot victims who told of the violence in Kandhamal district, long a trouble spot for violence against Christians.
The Chief Minister said the state government would accommodate them in various centres under the social welfare department.
Achuthanandan said that the refugees were mentally and physically weak and that treatment, food and clothes would be taken care of by the state government.
The riot victims told the chief minister that they had been continuously targeted over the last year and were hiding in the woods to escape attacks by the religious fanatics.
"We have not decided about the future course of rehabilitation. Many of them wanted to go back to their native places in Kandhamal district once normalcy is restored," the Chief Minister's political secretary KN Balagopal said.
The riot victims had reached Kerala in several batches with the help of human rights activists. For the last three weeks, they were given shelter in Thrissur by a Christian prayer centre.
At least 50,000 fled to forests and took shelter in relief camps following violence by Hindu mobs in Orissa since August 25. Over 60 have died and 300 churches have been burned down in one of the largest outbreaks of violence against Christians in Indian history.
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