Film 'Expelled' Opens in Theaters
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/359679.aspx
The war between Darwin and design goes back 150 years, and the latest battle front in the debate is the basis of the new movie 'Expelled' which released today.
In the film, actor and writer Ben Stein discovers what kind of message evolution communicates in the classroom.
There's the example of Dr. Richard Von Sternberg, editor of a science journal. He allowed an article on intelligent design to be published:
"It merely suggested that perhaps we aren't mud animated by lightning after all," Von Sternberg said.
Intelligent design expert Dr. Stephen Meyer used the movie to talk to scientists who say design is a dumb idea.
One opposer said intelligent design was not a research program. Another commented that it was all propaganda.
"We were accused of being diabolical, theocratic conspirators who were trying to force religion into the classroom," Meyer said.
But Stein says scientists aren't the only ones attacking the idea.
"The media is in on it, the courts, the educational system, everyone's after them." he said.
The attacks are perhaps not surprising when critics suggest Darwinism is not only improbable, but might actually be dangerous.
"The top Nazis in charge of the genocide, and Hitler himself, were clearly followers of Darwin," said one critic. "You need only rid little snippets of Mein Kampf to realize that Darwin was very much in Hitler's mind."
But now, intelligent design has its own defense: a film showing how the concept is treated by the scientific community and what design is all about.
Is the Devil Gaining a Foothold in Rome?
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/360212.aspx
ROME, Italy - In this predominantly Catholic nation the devil is gaining a foothold.
"There is a greater openness towards the devil," Rev. Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's chief exorcist, said.
In fact, Rome has been called the most 'satanized' city in Italy.
"Satanism and the occult are in fashion," said Father Pedro Barrajón, a professor of theology.
Satan En Vogue
There are an estimated 800 satanic cults operating in the country, with more than 600,000 followers. And their numbers are growing.
"The devil's diabolical influence is growing in so many areas of our society. He needs to be driven out!" Pastor Silvano Lilli of International Evangelical Church said.
Leading the battle to drive the devil out of Italy is 82-year-old Amorth.
"This is the room where I do my exorcisms," he said, indicating a small room, not too far from the Vatican. There Amorth uses the practice of exorcism to drive out the devil from possessed souls.
"If a person is not violent, I let them sit in this armchair, and I do the exorcism here. If they are violent I lay them down and if necessary I also tie them down," he said.
Amorth, as the Vatican's Chief Exorcist, is the driving force behind the Catholic Church's renewed campaign against the devil.
He showed CBN News where he works but refused to let us tape him confronting Satan.
"I also use oil. It's the oil used for mass, the same used in a baptism and I've seen that it works. I've seen that it works, so I use it," he said.
Amorth says "exorcism is God's true miracle" to confronting the devil and his handmaidens.
"Medicine and science have cases they can't solve but which are instead solved by exorcism," Amorth said.
Exorcism 101
The devil's growing influence has even gotten the attention of the Vatican. Last year it started offering courses to its bishops on exorcisms.
Barrajón is teaching some of the exorcism classes.
"Our bishops need to know how to confront the devil," Barrajón said. "They need to know how an exorcism is conducted and how to help set people free from the influence of the devil."
Italians got a taste of the devil's influence a couple of years ago when two teenagers were stabbed, bludgeoned and buried alive here in the woods northwest Milan.
Members of a heavy metal band named the Beasts of Satan were convicted in the double murder. One of the victims was allegedly killed because she resembled the Virgin Mary.
"Despite the fact that the presence of the satanic world is fairly widespread, we only knew of rituals where animals were slaughtered. As to rituals involving human sacrifice, this was the first case," Italian police lieutenant Enzo Molinaro said.
Since then, Italian authorities have been grappling with a string of murders linked to devil worship. The Vatican now has priests working alongside law enforcement officers to tackle a wave of satanic crimes.
"We invite the police to sit-in on the exorcism classes so that they can understand the spiritual and theological dimensions of this phenomenon," Barrajón said.
Black Magic if You Please
Many Italians are forsaking priests for magicians, fortune-tellers and faith healers. It's a multi-billion dollar industry that employs thousands of practitioners like Sensitive Mariano.
Mariano, who's real name is Salvatore, claims he received the powers of healing and prophecy as a child.
Today he performs an exorcism on Esperanza, a troubled housewife whose life was falling apart until she saw Mariano on TV.
But the Catholic Church insists that such freelancers are not welcome.
"They are crooks - they are not exorcists.It's possible to pray to God to free a person - but proclaiming themselves exorcists, they are cheating people," Amorth insisted.
But Marco Dimiti says that the Catholic Church's portrayal of Satan is part of the problem.
To many Italians, Dimitri represents the devil. He heads the Children of Satan, a group that reportedly has more than a thousand members.
"We don't have a cult of devil worship. Yhat would be absurd because the cult of the devil would be the cult of evil - but for us, good and evil are subjective to each individual," he said.
In 1996, Dimitri was accused of raping a two-year old boy and a teenage girl in satanic rituals. He was jailed for 14 months before being exonerated by the Italian courts.
"True Satanism puts man at the center of the universe - and is a noble expression. I want to say to Father Amorth what I say to all exorcists. Leave people in peace! "he said.
Possessed - or Mentally Ill?
Amorth is a busy man these days. He says that every week he sees up to 50 people who claim to be possessed by the devil.
"I see a very strong presence of the devil because men are following him," Amorth said. He has helped train some 300 priests in exorcism.
Barrajón says the key is to train the priests on how to differentiate between psychiatric problems and satanic possession.
"This is the key, but I can tell you that those who perform exorcisms, they just have this sense, they just know," Barrajón said.
"Sometimes they look for signs like if the person is afraid of the cross or baptismal water or pictures of Christ," he said. "They shake a lot or start screaming and they may possess extraordinary strength. The priests know what to look for."
Barrajón is encouraging Italians to pray more often, attend church and be aware of an enemy that is very real.
He said. "The actions of the devil are not just limited to here in Italy- his evil spirit is roaming the earth, tempting people. We are trying to educate the society and families about the dangers of his influence."
No priority for Christian Iraqi refugees - EU Presidency
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/no.priority.for.christian.iraqi.refugees.eu.presidency/18132.htm
The EU presidency said on Friday there could be no priority for Christian Iraqi refugees, after German ministers said Europe should take them in.
German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble wrote in Bild am Sonntag newspaper last Sunday that he was worried about the situation of Iraq's Christian refugees.
"We must help here and offer them a home in European countries until they can return to their home," he wrote, ahead of EU justice and interior minister talks on Friday.
The interior minister for Slovenia's EU Presidency, Dragutin Mate, said the idea would be discussed but religion should not be a precondition, as he arrived at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, where Schaeuble intends to raise this issue.
"We will discuss about that but generally I believe that we must accept refugees and give them asylum...without the precondition of religion or of anybody's race," Mate said.
"That is the basic reason why I am afraid it will be very hard to work in that way," Mate told reporters, who had asked if Christian refugees should be given priority.
German Integration Minister Maria Boehmer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party, said this week that: "It is a human imperative that we quickly help the persecuted Christians (from Iraq) and take them in to Germany."
Iraq's small Christian minority has tried to keep out of the sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis since the 2003 US-led invasion. But Christian clergy and churches have been targeted repeatedly in the past few months.
Many of Iraq's Christians have left the country, among the two million refugees who have fled to neighbouring states.
Care alarmed over European pro-abortion resolution
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/care.alarmed.over.european.proabortion.resolution/18136.htm
Pro-Life parliamentarians and the Christian Charity CARE have expressed great concern at the passing of a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe which states that women have a right to access safe and legal abortion.
The ‘Legal Abortion in Europe’ resolution was passed by the Assembly in Strasbourg on Wednesday by 102 votes to 69 with 14 abstentions.
The resolution also calls on all member states to decriminalise abortion 'within reasonable gestational limits'.
Speaking after the vote Nigel Dodds MP, member of the Parliamentary Assembly, said, "This is a very sad day for Europe's unborn children, but the fight goes on."
Hannah Macsween of CARE for Europe in Strasbourg said. "It is of huge concern that the Parliamentary Assembly is seeking to pressure states to decriminalise abortion.
Ms Macsween said it was "shocking" that the Assembly passed the resolution without considering substantial evidence of a link between abortion and subsequent health problems for women, including psychological trauma and pre-term births in later pregnancies.
"Talking about a 'woman’s right to choose' to have an abortion becomes a logical nonsense if it is not complemented with a commitment to a 'woman’s right to know' about all the implications of having an abortion."
Jim Dobbin MP, Chair of the All Party Pro Life Group in Westminster said, "The resistance of intelligent people to the truth, even when it involves gross irresponsibility in relation to a woman’s right to know, is frightening.
"I hope that this development will serve as a wake up call to the people of Britain, underlining the importance of working very much harder at getting the truth about abortion out in the public square ahead of the debate in the House of Commons on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill between May and July.
"We are on the edge of the greatest pro-life battle for 40 years and we need to be ready."
Nola Leach, Chief Executive of CARE, added that all people had a responsibility to become more informed on the key abortion arguments in order to speak out actively against any liberalisation on the issue.
"Britain is acting grossly irresponsibly in relation to both unborn children and their mothers. We all now have a responsibility to engage," she said.
David Fieldsend, Manager of CARE for Europe, said that three amendments had succeeded in making the final resolution "slightly less bad", including one which stated that abortion should take place 'within reasonable gestational limits’.
He said this was particularly useful in the UK where abortion on the basis of disability can take place right up to birth.
The two other amendments affirmed the importance of encouraging young people to delay sexual activity, and acknowledged that counselling would challenge the pressure that some women feel to have an abortion.
The Council of Europe resolution cannot compel member states to change their laws but it could have some influence. The resolution will have to be endorsed by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers before it has full effect.
Netanyahu: No Olmert-Abbas Peace Deal
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/360074.aspx
JERUSALEM, Israel - Likud chairman and opposition leader Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu said if he's elected prime minister, he won't carry out the Olmert-Abbas peace deal.
The election itself would serve as a referendum of the people of Israel, Netanyahu told the Israeli daily Makor Rishon. He also said he would never consider dividing the nation's capital.
"I can say categorically that I will not divide Jerusalem," said the Likud chairman.
In a separate interview with The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu blamed the Olmert government's indecisiveness for failure to end the rocket assault on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has the resources to deal with the situation in Gaza, he said, but were being thwarted by "a failure of political leadership."
"The first thing is to deprive [the terrorists] of sanctuary and the second is to increase the cost to the point of bringing down the regime," Netanyahu said. "Change the rules of the game. It shouldn't be an incremental tit for tat -- that they kill a few of our people and we kill a few of theirs," he said.
"I say we have to go from attrition to deterrence and, if necessary, bring down the regime -- and ultimately, I believe it will be necessary," he said.
"There will be others who rise to fill the vacuum, but we cannot tolerate the current situation. No country would suffer this," Netanyahu said.
If the government doesn't know how to deal with Gaza, "let them clear the way for people who can do it a lot better," he said. "It's unacceptable what is happening in Gaza. The [Olmert government] might think this is the best possible government, [but] tell that to the residents of Ashkelon, Sderot [and] soon of Ashdod," he said.
"Most Israelis understand this is unacceptable and most [foreign] governments I talk to can't begin to fathom why Israel is not using the vast power it has to stop it," he said.
While not lined up with Olmert on political, security, economic policy and education, Netanyahu supports the government's position on the Iranian nuclear program.
"On Iran, you won't hear a partisan position from me because there is none," he said. "There is no coalition or opposition on the nature of the Iranian nuclear threat and the need to roll it back. There is complete unanimity and cooperation between the prime minister and myself," he said.
But on the situation in Gaza and Iranian-backed terror in general, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu is highly critical of the Olmert-led government.
"The unilateral retreat from Lebanon [under former Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 2000] immeasurably strengthened Hezbollah and produced an Iranian base north of the country from which they launched 4,000 rockets [during the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006]. That base is arming itself feverishly now, with 40,000 mostly Iranian missiles of greater range and payloads, which is almost three times what they had before the way," he said.
"The same policy of unilateral retreat from Gaza, which Olmert advocated, produced the immeasurable strengthening of Hamas, leading them ultimately to take over Gaza, giving them a second Iranian base, from which, since the disengagement [in August 2005], they fired 4,000 rockets, as well. That base too is being armed feverishly, as we predicted," he said.
"These two failures should have made people stop in their tracks before they offered a third base here [in Judea and Samaria -- the West Bank], which is essentially what the government is doing," Netanyahu said.
"The public is being told it's all or nothing. You either give everything away or give nothing away. Both courses are unwise and dangerous," he said.
Netanyahu, who as finance minister in the government of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, helped reverse the economic recession brought on by the second intifada [armed Palestinian uprising], advocates "an economic peace" with the Palestinians who are willing, while retaining security control of Judea and Samaria.
So far as Gaza is concerned, Netanyahu believes that "ultimately, we will have to bring down the Hamas regime."
A week ago Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Egypt now has "a common border with Iran," referring to Iranian-trained Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. While Egyptian population centers are 125 miles away, Israeli cities are right on the border.
"Israeli cities and towns literally touch the [Gaza] border. We have a much more dangerous border and ultimately, over time, we let this happen," he said.
Israeli Boy Recovering Well After Attack
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/360254.aspx
Messianic Jews in Israel have been more vocal in demanding their rights since Ami Ortiz, a messianic teen, was injured in a bomb attack last month.
Ami's parents, David and Leah Ortiz, said they've been amazed at how the plight of their fifteen-year-old son has captured the hearts of people around the world.
"We hear from Africa. We've heard from South America, Puerto Rico, Scandinavia, Germany, UK, all over the United States."
"So many people are fasting and praying for us 24 hours a day I've just been amazed, just completely amazed. So I see the Lord uniting us as believers here and uniting other people in a common goal to pray that this thing won't happen again, first of all that Ami will be restored."
"I'm grateful for every person that's prayed. I'm grateful for every person that's written a post card. They write postcards to him from all over the world and he enjoys it so much. I'm grateful for the love people have shown. I'm just grateful."
David and Leah say the medical personnel working on Ami notice his remarkable recovery, including one particular nurse.
"She said it's unbelievable how quickly he's healing. She says it's not to be believed because they see it in front of her eyes. And I told her people are praying all over the world and I said to her prayer works. And she said prayer must work because I see it in front of my eyes what's happening."
Despite his remarkable healing, Ami still needs prayer for complete recovery along with a special prayer request from his mother.
"I'm really praying that he will open his heart to what the Lord has to say to him because then that will make all the difference," she said.
The bomb sent to the Ortiz's blew out car windows three stories below their apartment. Despite the attack, David and Leah pray for their attackers and for good to come out of evil.
"From the very beginning, the Lord has really given me a love in my heart of them. I still can't bless them but I do pray for their salvation from the very beginning."
"That this thing won't happen again and that we will have the freedom, complete freedom one hundred percent that we won't be intimidated in any kind of way to preach the Gospel in freedom."
"They need Him. They need the Lord. And this is not against us, this is against Yeshua. They hate Him and they fear Him. And my heart is the name of Yeshua would be respected in this land. That His name will be lifted up and respected."
In the midst of their ordeal, David and Leah know forgiveness that comes from their savior is vital.
"Forgiveness is important because if they hated Him without a cause and it wasn't against us personally, it because what we represented. So it's against Him and if Yeshua forgives them, we must also forgive them."
Israel to Build 100 Homes in West Bank Territory Claimed by Palestinians for Future State
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351776,00.html
JERUSALEM — Israel announced plans Friday to build 100 more homes in two West Bank settlements, one deep inside the territory sought by the Palestinians for their future state.
Israel's housing minister said Israel never promised to freeze all such construction, although a U.S.-backed peace plan calls for a moratorium on settlement building.
In a television interview, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the expansion of settlements has emerged as a key obstacle to progress in peace negotiations with Israel.
The talks resumed after a U.S.-hosted peace conference in November, but there has been little visible progress. Since November, Israel has announced several building projects in areas of Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinians.
Friday's announcement marked the first time that the government has approved construction deep inside the West Bank, in the settlement of Ariel. It also authoritized new homes for the Elkana settlement.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said such construction "undermines our efforts to make 2008 the year of peace."
As part of the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan, Israel is supposed to dismantle dozens of illegal settlement outposts and halt other settlement construction. Under the same plan, the Palestinians are required to disarm militant groups that attack Israel.
Israeli Housing Minister Zeev Boim said the new apartments are needed to accommodate natural population growth in the two settlements.
"The Israeli government never promised that it won't build in the settlement blocs," Boim told Channel Two TV, referring to large settlements that Israel says it will keep under a final peace deal.
Israeli media said the new construction apparently is part of negotiations between the government and settler leaders. Approval for the 100 homes came in return for the recent voluntary evacuation of two small settlement outposts, a security official said.
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, said the government is caving in to pressure from settlers. "This is making the (peace) negotiations irrelevant and a deal much harder to implement," said the group's Yariv Oppenheimer.
Abbas told the Arab satellite TV station Al Arabiya that it will become apparent soon whether a peace deal is likely.
"It is possible to reach an agreement in a month or two, or not to reach an agreement," he said, according to excerpts from the interview carried by the Palestinian news agency WAFA. "Now we want to deal with these (final status) issues. Settlement is an obstacle, and a main obstacle."
Abbas said he asked Israeli leaders repeatedly about their settlement policy. "Why don't you stop settlement?" he said he asked Israeli negotiators. "If you say ... all the settlements are yours, why then are they on the negotiating table?"
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the newspaper Yediot Ahronot in an interview published Friday that Abbas is aware of Israel's position that it will continue to build in established settlements. Several of those blocs are close to Israel, but Ariel is deep inside the West Bank.
Recent Israeli construction in Jerusalem prompted Abbas to briefly call off peace talks.
Abbas, currently in Russia, is heading to Washington for a meeting with President Bush on Thursday. In his interview, Abbas said he will meet with Bush one more time, on May 17 in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheik resort, after Bush attends Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.
In other developments, Israel sealed the West Bank and Gaza for the duration of the weeklong Jewish Passover holiday, which begins at sundown Saturday. Holiday closures are routine, and bar most Palestinians from entering Israel.
In a West Bank raid, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant leader, Hani al-Kabi, in the Balata refugee camp next to the West Bank city of Nablus. An Islamic Jihad fighter was reported seriously wounded.
Al-Kabi fled a Palestinian jail a month ago, violating the conditions of a deal with Israel that would have granted him amnesty.
US Methodists defer key Israeli divestment measure
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/us.methodists.defer.key.israeli.divestment.measure/18134.htm
United Methodist Church officials on Thursday put aside a proposal that called for the church to divest some of its holdings in companies profiting from Israel's West Bank occupation.
The proposed measure called on the 8 million-member church - the third-largest US denomination - to divest any holdings it had in Caterpillar Inc by January 1.
The Peoria, Illinois, heavy equipment manufacturer sells bulldozers that the Israeli Army has used to demolish buildings in occupied territories.
About $5 million of the church's $17 billion pension portfolio is invested in Caterpillar, according to the church.
The Methodist General Board of Church & Society said it would not present the measure at the church's quadrennial policy-setting General Conference next week in Texas because the dialogue it already sparked with Caterpillar had produced positive results.
Thursday's decision does not mean that the divestment issue is dead when the Methodists meet in Fort Worth from April 23 to May 2. There are several other proposals, including a broader one stating that the church has $141 million invested in several companies "that enable the occupation to continue" and that should be dumped.
The board said the other proposals still deserve consideration by the meeting.
Caterpillar and the proposal from the General Board of Church & Society, however, had been considered a central measure for the debate, according to Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee.
The church and society board said, "Caterpillar has opened discussions with the board, issued a statement denouncing immoral use of its equipment, and has agreed to continued dialogue," the board said in a statement.
It said face-to-face discussions beginning in January between the board and Caterpillar executives, including chief executive James Owens, resulted in the company condemning "illegal or immoral use of any Caterpillar equipment."
Owens is a member of the church.
The divestment concept has been considered off and on by several US churches but none has actually dumped any stock in companies they say are making money by selling products or services to Israel.
The statement from the church and society board said the Presbyterian Church USA and the Roman Catholic Dominican Sisters recently withdrew shareholder resolution on human rights they had planned to present at Caterpillar's annual meeting.
That action came "in light of its stated expectations that customers will use its products in an environmentally responsible manner and consistent with international humanitarian law and norms," the board said.
McCain Camp Uses Obama’s Hamas Compliment as Fundraising Fuel
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/04/18/mccain-camp-uses-obamas-hamas-compliment-as-fundraising-fuel
John McCain’s campaign is seizing on a Hamas adviser’s recent “endorsement” of Barack Obama, trying to suggest that the Democratic front-runner brought the unsavory praise on himself.
In a fund-raising letter sent out Friday, the McCain campaign excerpted the words of Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef, who in an interview Sunday with WABC radio and WorldNetDaily said the terrorist group supports Obama’s foreign policy vision.
“Barack Obama’s foreign policy plans have even won him praise from Hamas leaders,” the McCain letter says. “We need change in America, but not the kind of change that wins kind words from Hamas, surrenders in Iraq and will hold unconditional talks with Iranian President Ahmadinejad.”
Yousef said in the interview: “We don’t mind — actually we like Mr. Obama. We hope he will [win] the election and I do believe he is like John Kennedy, great man with great principle, and he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community but not with domination and arrogance.”
The McCain fund-raising letter also said Obama has “refused to condemn” former President Jimmy Carter for holding talks with Hamas leaders.
Obama, while not condemning Carter, has criticized the ex-president’s decision to meet with Hamas. On Wednesday night he told a group of Jewish leaders that “Hamas is not a state; Hamas is a terrorist organization.”
“We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel’s destruction,” Obama said. “We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist and abide by past agreements.”
Obama Caught in Lapel Flag Lie
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Obama_Caught_in_lie/2008/04/18/89095.html
Hillary Clinton got caught in a lie when she said she had dodged sniper fire during a 1996 visit to Bosnia. Now her Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama has been caught in a “sniper fire” lie of his own.
During Thursday’s debate in Pennsylvania, Obama was asked why he doesn’t wear an American flag lapel pin, as do many other politicians as well as servicemen and law enforcement officials.
“I have never said that I don’t wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins,” he responded.
“That is the kind of manufactured issue that our politics has become obsessed with.”
But Obama did indeed declare that he does not wear flag pins, Andrew Malcolm of the Los Angeles Times noted.
During a campaign stop in Iowa last October, a reporter asked Obama why he wasn’t wearing a flag pin to express solidarity with 9/11 victims.
This is what Obama said back then: “You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we’re talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of important to our national security. I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest.”
Christian Organization Calls for President Bush to Boycott the Summer Olympic Opening Ceremonies in China
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07090.shtml
WASHINGTON -- The Christian Defense Coalition says a boycott by President Bush would send a powerful message to the Chinese government regarding their crushing of human rights and religious liberty.
The boycott would let the Chinese government know that the United States and the free nations of the world condemn the tyranny and oppression of Chinese leaders against their own people.
It would be tragic if President Bush joined the opening celebrations of the Olympics while hundreds of thousands of innocent Chinese are being brutalized and tortured in prisons for their faith and political views.
If Mr. Bush participated in the opening ceremonies, it would give the Chinese government a valuable piece of propaganda allowing them to say, "China's human rights record cannot be that bad if President Bush is personally celebrating the opening of the Olympics with us."
For over 16 years, the Christian Defense Coalition has been a loud and prophetic visible voice speaking out against the human rights violations of the Chinese government.
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments, "It is important for the free nations of the world to stand against the tyranny and brutality of the Chinese government against their own people. Millions of Christians, and those with other religious traditions, are routinely oppressed and even tortured by the government of China. China promotes the barbaric practice of forced abortion and sterilization. Of course, the world has been shocked by the recent oppression of the Tibetan people.
"The most powerful message that could be sent by the United States would be for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games. By boycotting the opening ceremonies, Mr. Bush would affirm to the world that the United States strongly supports human rights and it would remind the Chinese government that they cannot crush and brutalize their own people and expect the world's support.
"Mr. Bush has a unique and historic opportunity during these Olympic games to show the world that the United States stands in solidarity with the oppressed and we can never celebrate while people are being brutalized."
Kaitlin Clare, Program Director for the Christian Defense Coalition, adds, "We ask that President Bush boycott the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics. This is a small sacrifice in comparison to the brutality of the Chinese government towards the Tibetans, its own people and the persecuted Christians living in China. It is necessary to make a statement showing that the United States stands in solidarity with the oppressed and that we oppose the tyranny of the Chinese government."
China state media seeks to cool nationalist anger
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/china.state.media.seeks.to.cool.nationalist.anger/18123.htm
Chinese official media have sought to temper nationalist calls to boycott foreign businesses accused of backing Tibetan independence, urging angry citizens to focus on economic development.
Chinese Internet sites have been awash with calls to stop buying French goods and stop shopping at Carrefour stores after Tibet protesters in Paris upset the Beijing Olympics torch relay.
Following prominent local news reports, Chinese officials and citizens have also vented outrage at a commentator on CNN television who spoke of Chinese "goons" and "junk" products.
But in a sign that Beijing may be moving to cool public anger, Xinhua news agency called for "patriotic zeal to concentrate on development."
The official commentary that appeared late on Thursday night said the boycott demands were an "unadorned expression of patriotic zeal and a sincere demonstration of public opinion".
But it balanced the praise with a warning not to challenge the government's policies of opening to foreign investment.
"Patriotic zeal must enter onto a rational track and must be transformed into concrete actions to do one's own work well," said the commentary widely distributed in the Chinese media.
"Thirty years of reform and opening up have created a China miracle....But we must be crystal clear that for China that has endured so much, the future road will not be all smooth-going."
Many Chinese people are proud about the Beijing Olympic Games in August, and the government has waged a propaganda war against the exiled Dalai Lama, whom it accuses of masterminding riots in Tibet's regional capital Lhasa last month and other Tibetan areas in neighbouring provinces.
Beijing says the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader sought to upstage Olympics preparations and a multi-national torch relay. The Dalai Lama has rejected the allegations, speaking out against the violence and backing the Beijing Olympics.
VOLATILE
The Xinhua commentary echoes official handling of earlier upsurges of popular nationalism when officials sought to rein in volatile anger that could turn against the government.
In 1999, after NATO mistakenly bombed Beijing's Embassy in Belgrade during the war against Serbia and killed three Chinese nationals, angry students and citizens surrounded and stoned the U.S. embassy in Beijing and attacked U.S. consulates.
Hu Jintao, then Chinese vice president and now president, took the lead in cooling those protests, demanding "social stability" and urging people to focus on development.
This time French companies are the main target with activists calling for a boycott of retailer Carrefour, accusing it of helping fund the Dalai Lama.
Some angry citizens have protested in front of Carrefour stores in Chinese cities, holding banners opposing Tibetan independence and calling for shoppers to shun the retailer, media reports said.
An opinion poll in 10 Chinese cities found 66 percent of respondents would support the Carrefour boycott, according to a report on the Xinhua website (www.xinhuanet.com) Only 7 percent said outright that they would not.
But past nationalist boycott campaigns against U.S. and Japanese companies have fizzled with little effect on sales.
One commentator said "narrow nationalism" risked hurting China's image and hurting domestic economic interests.
Higher Food Prices Crippling Countries
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/358295.aspx
It's a problem that's plunging several countries around the world into crisis, and the United Nations says it could wipe out years of progress in the fight against poverty.
Now, increasing food prices have officials calling for emergency measures to avoid famine.
Robert Zoellick, president of The World Bank, has repeated the warning over the last few months.
"In many developing countries, the poor spend up to 75 percent of their income on food. When prices of basic foods rise, it's hard," he said.
In just a year, rice has gone up 147 percent, dairy up 80 percent and grain up 47 percent.
In the last nine months, overall world food prices have risen 45 percent.
The set back in caring for the needy of the world is enormous.
"We estimate that the effect of this food crisis on poverty reduction world-wide is in the order of seven lost years," Zoellick said.
But in many countries, even the middle class is beginning to feel the grip of high prices.
"In places where people weren't desperate before, more people are hungry, more people are cutting out vital parts of their diet including some going to one meal a day," Josette Sheeran of the United Nation's World Food Program said.
Riots have broken out in several countries around the world. People are hungry, and they feel the only option left is to take matters into their own hands.
Protesters in Haiti stormed the presidential palace, causing the fall of the country's government. And in Egypt, violent protests erupted over the high price of bread.
Several factors are contributing to the higher food prices.
The world's largest countries of India and China continue to grow in population, increasing their demand for the world's food supply.
Another key factor is the latest push for clean bio fuels like ethanol.
Many farmers around the globe now grow corn and sugar specifically for this burgeoning market.
So what once went in our stomachs is now going in our cars.
Experts say the fallout from the latest food crisis could cripple entire countries for years.
This is not just about meals forgone today, or about increasing social unrest," Zoellick said. "It is about lost learning potential for children and adults in the future, stunted intellectual and physical growth."
Indiana Judge Dismisses ACLU Challenge, Upholds 'God' License Plate
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351721,00.html
INDIANAPOLIS — A judge has upheld the issuance of Indiana license plates bearing the message "In God We Trust," dismissing a constitutional challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.
Marion Superior Court Judge Gary L. Miller wrote in a 13-page opinion that the plates were comparable to standard plates issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and were created specifically as such by the Legislature.
"Courts are not to second-guess the Indiana General Assembly when it comes to calculations of this sort," Miller wrote, contrasting the `In God We Trust' plates with other specialty plates that require the payment of administrative fees.
Miller said the issuance of the plates did not violate the section of the Indiana Constitution that forbids the Legislature from granting special privileges or immunities not available to all citizens.
The ruling, issued April 10, denies a motion for summary judgment in the suit by the ACLU on behalf of Mark E. Studler, an Allen County resident who has an Environmental Trust plate for which he had to pay extra fees.
Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said Thursday the ruling would be appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals.
"We're obviously disappointed," Falk said. "It's our position still that the differential treatment afforded between the environmental plate and the `In God We Trust' plate ... is unconstitutional, that the Legislature doesn't have the power to say the `In God We Trust' plate is free whereas the environmental plate carries an administrative fee.
"We're disappointed but we will continue to maintain our legal argument," Falk said.
The ACLU must file a notice of appeal within 30 days of the court's ruling.
The lawsuit claimed the BMV gave preferential treatment to motorists wanting the plates, which also feature the U.S. flag, because they don't have to pay the $15 administrative fee that the agency collects on sales of most other Indiana specialty plates.
The 2006 legislation creating the plates specified the state could charge no more for the "In God We Trust" plates than for the standard plates.
BMV Commissioner Ron Stiver said Thursday more than 1.6 million people have selected the "In God We Trust" plate since it became available in January 2007 as one of more than 75 options for motorists.
"The BMV will continue its policy to offer all plate designs without promoting any one license plate design over another and will continue to offer the IGWT plate design at no additional charge, as outlined by the Indiana General Assembly," Stiver said.
Republican state Rep. Woody Burton of Greenwood, who sponsored the bill to create the plate, said he was pleased with the court ruling and confident it would withstand an appeal.
"When we wrote this law we wrote it as a standard license plate costing no extra money — we deliberately wrote it that way," Burton said, adding that it has been very popular among Hoosiers.
Idaho's Anti-Coerced Abortion Law Should be Enacted Nationwide Say 'Silent No More' Leaders
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07093.shtml
STATEN ISLAND, NY -- Idaho's new law establishing the crime of abortion coercion should be enacted in every state say leaders of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, the world's largest network of women and men harmed by abortion.
The measure, which may be the first of its kind, creates criminal penalties and civil liability for anyone who threatens or inflicts physical harm on a pregnant woman in order to force her to have an abortion.
"A statute like this is long overdue," stated Georgette Forney, co-founder of the SNMAC. "Abortion is traumatic on its own, coerced abortion is beyond horrific. Those who oppose domestic abuse and those who seek to protect women and their unborn babies should unite to support this kind of legislation in every jurisdiction."
"It's hard to imagine anyone opposing a bill against forced abortion," added Janet Morana, another co- founder of the SNMAC. "If your concern is for women, you will want those who attack and threaten them punished. If your concern is for the abortion industry, though, you will oppose anything that puts women's lives ahead of abortion profits."
Since the launching of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign in 2003, 2,326 women and men have shared their testimonies publicly at over 200 gatherings in 44 states and six countries where more than 15,000 spectators have heard the truth about abortion's negative aftereffects. More than 4,100 people are registered to be Silent No More. Raising awareness about the hurtful aftermath of abortion and the help that is available to cope with the pain are two of the Campaign's goals.
The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is a joint project of Anglicans for Life and Priests for Life. For more information, please visit their website: www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org
Truth Truck Driver Gets Apology from Olathe Police Chief; Officer Placed on Leave
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07091.shtml
OLATHE, Kansas -- Chief of Police Janet Thiessen of Olathe, Kansas, has issued a personal apology to Ronald Brock, who was ordered to leave town by Sgt. David Haldeman on Tuesday evening or face arrest. Brock was driving a vehicle with photographs of victims of abortion and victims of the Jewish Holocaust of World War II.
Haldeman has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.
Brock confirmed that he received a personal phone call from Chief Thiessen who apologized to him for the incident.
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman received an e-mail correspondence from Chief Thiessen who informed him that an apology had been made and that her officers would be receiving additional training so incidents like this would not happen again.
Sgt. Haldeman had told Brock in a conversation that Brock recorded that he must, "Leave our city, cover it [the signs] up, or be charged, and if you are charged we are probably going to impound the vehicle. So those are your three choices, but leaving this lot is not going to be sufficient in the city of Olathe."
Chief Thiessen told Newman, "I have personally expressed my regret to Mr. Brock, and apologized on behalf of the Olathe Police Department. At times, the line between what is protected free speech and what may be considered obscene can be difficult to distinguish, but it is my responsibility to ensure all Olathe officers clearly understand the law as it is written and correctly apply that law. Based on yesterday's incident, we have begun providing additional training to all sworn officers to help avoid future incidents of a similar nature."
"We very much appreciate that Chief Thiessen took immediate action to issue an apology and remedy the problem with her officers," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Violations of the First Amendment are very serious, because it is one of the strongest protections for a free society. We look forward to returning to Olathe with our Truth Trucks and trust that we will be able to conduct our First Amendment activities without further impediment."
About Operation Rescue Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Limbless evangelist preaches joy in Christ
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/limbless.evangelist.preaches.joy.in.christ/18137.htm
Nick Vujicic is a 25-year-old evangelist whose message about being content in all circumstances takes on new meaning when people see his physical condition – he was born without limbs.
But rather than blaming God for his unique physical condition, he credits his Creator for allowing him to connect with a wide range of audiences including insecure teenagers, unmotivated corporate executives, and hopeless prisoners.
Through his ministry, Life Without Limbs, Vujicic travels around the world to share his inspiring personal testimony about how he found joy and hope in Jesus Christ despite his difficult and painful circumstances.
“No matter who you are, no matter what you’re going through, God knows it,” said the Australian-born motivational speaker , according to the US ABC News channel, which aired his story last Friday on “20/20”. “He is with you. He is going to pull you through.”
As a young boy, Vujicic was teased by other children because of his absent limbs. He recalled contemplating committing suicide at one point in his life by flipping himself off a kitchen bench and hoping to break his neck.
“I used to think that I needed my circumstance to change before I had any hope," he said. "I wanted to know that there was someone else out there in my position, to know that there is hope, that there is more than just the little box that I see in my life."
He noted that in some Third World countries, his condition would be seen as a curse or shame on the family, and that he would have been killed at his birth. But Vujicic’s parents did not see him as such and raised him to look at the bright side of life. His father is pastor of a local church in Brisbane, Australia.
After Vujicic’s birth, his parents did spend months in grief and confusion as to why their son was born without limbs and only a small foot with two toes on his left side. They wondered if they or the doctors had made a mistake, but no answer was to be found. To this day, doctors still do not know what caused Vujicic’s condition.
Vujicic can recall praying for arms and legs before hitting his teens.
"It said in the Bible, 'Ask and you shall receive.' I had faith, and I was actually very angry at God. I didn't understand it,” Vujicic said. “And I thought maybe I wasn't good enough. Maybe that's the reason why He's not answering my prayer. I mean, arms and legs are nothing for God, the Creator of the universe. And so, I prayed for my circumstance to change, but it didn't happen."
Vujicic’s mother, understanding her son’s heart, advised him to focus on his good qualities – his charming personality and friendly gaze.
"Because when people see me talking and speaking, they forget that I have no arms and no legs, and they just treat me like any other person,” he explained. “And I remember ... when I was 6 or 7 years old, I looked at myself in the mirror one day. I wanted to pick out something of my physical features that I knew was good. And I looked at my eyes, and I said, 'You know what? No one can change my eyes.'"
At 17, Vujicic began giving inspirational speeches at school and church-sponsored events. He said his message is especially understood by teenagers, who often feel lonely, rejected, confused and broken.
“That's the level that I come in on, and they (teenagers) can see that straight away,” the evangelist said. “When I get up onstage, they know that I've been broken."
Speaking from his own personal experience, the preacher urges people not to go by the world’s definition of who can have a productive life, a sense of humour, or who can love life.
"We stereotype people in this world. And so ... if the world thinks you're not good enough, it's a lie, you know. Get a second opinion."
Vujicic’s non-profit ministry is now based in southern California where he lives. The limbless preacher said he has made 1,600 speaking appearances in 12 nations.
"I would be obviously elated if I had arms and legs right now ... but I know that God's in full control,” Vujicic said. “And do I believe that He can give me arms and legs? Yes, sir ... The world doesn't understand how you can have these two parallel thoughts, where you can say, on one hand ... 'yes, I believe in the miracle,' and on the other ... say, 'You know what? I'm fully content. I'm not discouraged if He doesn't give me arms and legs."
"That's where I am,” he added. “That's the freedom and victory I have. I believe in a God who can do all things, but if He chooses not to give me arms and legs, I know it's for the better. And I may not understand it, but all I need to know is that He's going to carry me through – that there is a purpose for it."
Poor People Can Produce Lots of Money
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07089.shtml
The following statements are from a letter received from by The Christian Worker Magazine from a reader in Kampala Uganda. This one, like many others, tells of a reality hidden from the world's eyes. Driving Hummers and riding in Limousines, evangelists are spreading the gospel of wealth and greed to an audience who is eager to climb out of the poverty they live in. Poor African people can produce lots of money.
Preaching a powerful message, the well dressed evangelists summons to the isle men, to take a collection given to God. Eagerly pleading for more, his out stretched hands make motions as he speaks of the great blessing that God will poor out on the people. "If you give more, God will bless more; how much do you want to be blessed?" is the plea the audience hears. "It's all about the money," says the reader.
"Things are moving very fast and my observation is that 75% of Christians are conforming to standards to have material possessions and those who are poor are being condemned for not having faith in God."
Using one line from the scriptures, whole sermons are preached to fit the agenda of wealth and prosperity. "There is one pastor I know, in the suburbs of Kampala, who of recent became a millionaire within a single year; something has to be done!"
The term suburbs is genrally used when speaking about modern cities; never would you expect to hear people refer to the suburbs of Kampala, Uganda; yet suburbia is alive as African nations have modern cities being erected as commerce is helping to change African economies.
A devotional Bible study, The Christian Worker's Spiritual Food, is read throughout many countries in Africa. The difference it brings to people's lives is shocking. A simple verse by verse devotional study through books of the Bible is not heard of in most African churches. Yet this type of study is what makes Christians strong and able to see a counterfeit when they drive up.
"Since I subscribed to your teachings 4-5 years back my prayer life has never remained the same. I use the teachings for Bible study and devotions with friends and family groups. The study has brought us far from manipulation of many schemers of the Bible preachers."
When asked about the response received, Lou Austad, the Author of The Christian Worker Spiritual Food said, "Exegetical Bible Study needs to be in every church around the world. Starting at chapter one verse one, people need to not only read the scripture, but study the scripture to see how it applies to their life and to keep in the writer's intended context. Topical preaching is good, but exegetical preaching makes people sound in doctrine."
The Bible must be preached the way it is written. Missionaries and missionary organizations need to insist that the Bible is taught the way it was written. To find The Christians Worker's Spiritual Food Bible study see ChristianWorker.org.
100 Years of Putting Power in Your Pocket
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07092.shtml
LITITZ, Penn. -- The Pocket Testament League is celebrating 100 years of incredible ministry in the United States. Founded in England in 1893, the ministry opened its first US office in Pennsylvania in April, 1908.
Described by 'the Sunday School Times' in 1920 as "the greatest movement of God since the 14th Century," the League has a mission to mobilize and equip Christians to Read, Carry, and Share the Word of God.
Since opening in its first office in Philadelphia in 1908, over 8 million people have pledged to read the Bible daily, to carry pocket-sized Scripture everywhere they go, and to share the Word of God with others if prompted. Over 100 million portions of Scripture have been shared since then, and a great many lives have been changed for eternity.
The League was started in 1893 by a teenage girl named Helen Cadbury, daughter of the president of Cadbury Chocolate Company. She wanted to share her faith at school, but the big family Bible was too bulky to bring. Her dad had pocket-sized Scripture printed, and the girls sewed pockets on their dresses in which to carry these booklets, which led to the name of their new club. Members of The Pocket Testament League (membership was free in 1893, and is still free today) pledge to read some portion of the Bible every day, and to carry special Gospels of John or pocket Scripture with them everywhere they go. They are encouraged to give a Gospel to someone else during the course of their day.
Parley Zartman, the first president in 1908, said, "An oft-opened Bible means clearer vision, stronger faith, prevailing prayer, deeper devotion, consistent living, more loving and loyal service to Him whose face shines out from every page of the old Book." That sentiment hasn't changed in the last 100 years.
The League has a rich heritage, providing Gospels of John for Billy Graham's first crusade in Los Angeles, as well as supplying 10 million New Testaments for Japan at the request of General Douglas McArthur. There are many incredible stories of changed lives. Visit the League's amazing online Virtual Museum at www.pocketpower.org/museum. The museum has stories of the attack on Pearl Harbor, service to the military since WWI, endorsements from world leaders and US presidents, and pictures of the PTL Bible that stopped a bullet and saved a soldier's life.
In spite of its old and rich history, today the League is web-based and high-tech. In the last several years 200,000 people have joined the League, and they have already shared their faith with over 9,000,000 people. In the last two years alone, members have posted on the League's website over 40,000 stories of changed lives. (see www.pocketpower.org/code/stories.php).
Since the League opened its doors in Philadelphia in 1908, a lot of wonderful things have been invented to improve the human experience on this planet: automobiles, telephones, airplanes, the Internet, antibiotics and medical advances to name a few. The Word of God, however, is the only real hope that exists for eternal life. People who want to have this hope, and share this hope, can learn more at www.pocketpower.org.
Tom Cruise, John Travolta: Homo-Novis
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351678,00.html
Is it a conspiracy or just bad luck?
The anti-Scientology video we told you about on Monday afternoon featuring actor Jason Beghe has been removed from YouTube. Sort of.
The original video, put up by videographer Mark Bunker, is gone. YouTube pulled it late on Thursday. In the video, which Bunker made, Beghe describes his 13-year membership in the sect and why he left.
Bunker thinks YouTube took down the video under pressure from Scientology. It’s possible, of course, but unlikely. The video is still up on YouTube in other forms, including here (warning: contains offensive language). It’s also easily found just by typing Beghe’s name into most search engines.
Bunker says YouTube cancelled his account because of previous copyright issues with other videos he’s posted. He says those issues have been cleared up and he should have had time to prove that before they removed the Beghe interview.
YouTube, which is owned by Google, is not the easiest place to get an answer from. Ricardo Reyes, the head of public relations, told me Thursday night, "There’s no conspiracy here." He would not say if Scientology had pressured the video posting site into taking down the Bunker/Beghe video. Reyes e-mailed the official YouTube stance to me later on: "We do not comment on individual videos."
Despite this little flap, Beghe’s video has taken off like a rocket. The Village Voice newspaper here in New York as well as several video outlets have picked up the story about his brave escape from the sect. Some have even taken our original stories without credit. C’est la vie in this case. It was just important that Beghe get his story out to the widest audience possible.
Beghe has more to say, and a longer video, some of which we’ll see here next week. The more he describes the Scientology experience, the scarier it sounds. As he told me the other day: "A Scientologist who’s ‘clear’ believes he’s no longer a Homosapien. He’s Homo-novis, a new race. They believe they are the only hope for this section of the galaxy, starting with planet Earth."
Yes, Tom Cruise and John Travolta evidently believe this, Beghe says.
And, yes, Beghe did confirm with me what he’s talked about on the videos: All Scientology sessions are taped. Every one of them, including those of Cruise, Travolta and all celebrities. Does Beghe care if his tapes ever get out?
"Hell, no," he told me. "They won’t do that anyway because then the whole thing comes out and everyone knows there are tapes. They can’t do anything with them."
Beghe also told me that one possible theory for why the careers of Scientologists tend to go south is that the famous actors, such as Jenna Elfman or Juliette Lewis, "get so involved in thinking only they can save the world" that the sect overwhelms them.
This may be true: Elfman has had little luck since the cancellation of "Dharma and Greg," Lewis gets little acting work, Elfman’s husband, Bodhi, is only known because of Jenna and rocker Beck hasn’t had a real hit album since "Odelay" back in 1996.
As for Travolta, his career had a brief revival in 1994 with "Pulp Fiction." But he’s headlined a series of flops since then from "Be Cool" and "Ladder 49" to "Lucky Number," "Swordfish" and the Scientology-based sci-fi film "Battlefield: Earth." The rare exceptions were non-leads in "Hairspray" and "Wild Hogs."
No comments:
Post a Comment