International Social Pulse

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL PULSE

Period: July 2003

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END-TIME CHURCH / PLURALISM


GREETINGS

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QUICKVIEW OF UPDATED INDEXES http://cephas-updates.cephasministry.com

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:: GREETINGS to the newcomers to this list. We'd like to introduce ourselves. We were Mormons for 20 years and prayed about a ministry and six months later God led us to the truth: out of the cult. From there information about all the cults and the present development came to us and we have moved what we could find out to the public. We are fundamental Bible students and do not belong to any organization anymore. These newsletters prove why we had to leave the world system. We do not solicit for funds nor do we have a membership. We have an email group that gets information when we upload new information and a newsletter whenever it is possible time wise. We love the Lord with all our hearts and minds. Our Statement of Faith is at the top of the page on the http://www.cephasministry.com/index2.html

::We believe every word in the KJV Bible and believe it is the Word of God and that Jesus is the Christ, God Himself, who spilled His blood on the cross for our sins and rose again to prepare a place for those who accept 'His' righteousness as their righteousness. They are those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, Jews first and then Gentiles. We expect to be raptured in a pretribulation Rapture to live with God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who are one God, forever. We pray the Lord will bless you with a thirst for truth and a desire to serve Him exclusively, In Christ Jesus, Cephas Ministry / Cephas Library

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It is written: "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." ( John 6:26-35 KJV)."

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Especially if you are a Believing Child of God join us for spiritual fellowship by signing up for our new
Nicholas Scrolls email group. Of course all are invited to come and read what Nicholas has to share about our present spiritual situation. http://www.cephasministry.com/subscribe.html

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A NEW SPIRITUAL BOOK: "APOSTASY REVEALED"
The author is Nicholas A. Stivers, Treble Heart Books, 2003, 213 pages of exciting exhortations for believers. Nicholas writes that these works are dedicated to all the true followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who was is and will always be our only Salvation. To Him belong all the power, glory, honor and dominion, here now and ever after. To all who have died on account of Him, to all of you who will die on account of Him, to all who suffer for His namesake, may you receive your reward in full measure, Amen. Content: 1) To All Who Call Themselves Christian 2) Hear All Gentile Nations 3) Are You Saved? 4) Master Are You There? 5) The Appointed Ones 6) Those in the World And Those Of Whom The World Is Not Worthy 7) Revelation And Testimony 8) His Sovereign Government 9) Seek Not to Offend And Be Not Offended 10) Out Of Seven Churches 11) Apostasy Revealed 12) And Signs to Accompany Them 13) Another Witness Speaks 14) Drink and be Nourished. Eat and be Satisfied! 15) Love Your Neighbor and Your Brother 16) Ask and He Will Answer You 17) Witness to the Nations. Check out the special offer for free tape of your choice. http://nicholasscrolls.cephasministry.com/order.html

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NO FOLLOWUP AND MORE AMERICANIZING THAN EVANGELIZING
One of the biggest problems today is that there is followup on New Testament churches in the mission fields. They lead folk to Christ but do not make disciples. In the New Testament, they made disciples. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42). Making disciples is what Jesus meant by saying, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:20).
There are more missionaries giving out the Gospel in more countries today than at any time since our Commander and Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave His fourfold order! But many are not going about this eternal, important business the New Testament way. Some go, preach the Gospel, see souls saved, baptize them, and move on to other areas. One missionary told me that over a period of years he covered one whole continent, won 5,000 to Christ, and baptized them. I asked him if he trained the new converts and organized local churches. He said that he did not; he just considered it his business to lead them to Christ and baptize them. Yet, our Lord told us to lead them to be saved, baptize them, and teach them all things which He commanded us.
Others do mission work from the standpoint of social betterment. They do more Americanizing than evangelizing. Usually they establish compounds, schools, hospitals, agricultural projects, and maybe after ten or fifteen years, a local church which is pastored by the missionary himself. They so often distrust the nationals, counting them too ignorant to lead in local churches. Source: http://www.wayoflife.org
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VATICAN REAFFIRMS CELIBACY TIMED TO INFLUENCE THE EU CONSTITUTION
In spite of the fact the Bible calls for family men in 1 Timothy 3:1-9 when addressing qualifications to be overseers of a church, the Vatican insists on celibate unmarried men. "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."
The Vatican said priests should be dedicated to attracting more candidates by better explaining the priesthood to lay Catholics and encouraging families and children to consider religious vocations, in other words train up children to follow the pope's admonition. In an exhortation by the pope that European leaders drafting the first EU constitution make reference to the role of Christianity in the past has played in shaping the continent. Earlier this month, EU negotiators finalized a draft of the constitution that made no reference to God or Christianity; despite lobbying from the Vatican. Opponents argued that such a reference could undermine the secular nature of the bloc. Italy, which took over the EU presidency on July 1, 2003 planned to reopen the debate before the final review of the text in October 2003. (The Tampa Tribune 6.29.03)

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STATE ATTORNEY WON'T CHARGE ACCUSED PRIEST
Polk Country girl alleged lewd acts, but the Polk County State Attorney's Office said Monday that there is insufficient evidence to charge former Lakeland priest with lewd conduct on a 12-year-old girl. Assistant State Attorney said that there is clear evidence that the suspect has engaged in inappropriate conduct with regard to sexual affairs with adult women which have caused tremendous hardships upon their families.. Rev. Peter Uniowski of St. John Neumann Catholic Church stands accused of a second-degree felony which could get him a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. (TTT* 6.24.03)

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CATHOLIC ORDER TO KEEP ABUSER PRIESTS
Leaders of the Roman Catholic religious orders decided Saturday that sexually abusive priests should be kept away from children but not expelled, a less restrictive plan than the zero-tolerance policy bishops adopted earlier this year.. The Conference of Major Superiors of Men, an association of heads of groups such as Benedictines and Jesuits, acknowledged its members had sometimes failed to sufficiently discipline errant clergy.. Conference leaders said they believe some abusers can recover and serve the church in administrative jobs far from young people. In their document Saturday, the religious orders pledged the men would undergo treatment and remain under close watch... Like the bishops decided to remove offenders from positions that require face to face contact and all church work and, in some cases, from the priesthood. (TTT* 8.11.2002)

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POPE'S MOVE HINTS AT SUCCESSOR
Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi to the Milan Archdiocese. A moderate will lead one of the largest and most influential archdioceses in the world. "The Vatican is setting up Tettamanzi as a strong candidate," said Wilton Wynn, a Rome-based expert on papal politics. "He is being put in position for the next enclave." Tettamanzi is 68, now and is clearly the leading candidate of the powerful Italian bloc. "On doctrine and morals he is extremely rigid.. but on a political level.. he's a critic of globalization," said Sandro Magister, a Vatican-watcher for a leading magazine. (TTT* 8.11.02)

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EX-PRIEST TO VICTIMS: 'I AM DEEPLY SORRY'
To avoid the possibility of life in prison, "I would like to admit to having administered or attempting to administer enemas to several boys between the years of 1983 and 1985, when I was a priest at Sacred Heart Church," said Schaeufele, 55. "I realize that this was a breach of trust for which I am deeply sorry. I ask forgiveness for the pain that I may have caused anyone." .. Schaeufele also faces a third capital rape charge involving a boy who attended St. Rita Catholic Church in Dade City where he was priest and, later, pastor from 1985 - 1991. Each of the three charges he faces carried a mandatory life in prison term upon conviction. He was allowed a plea deal to reduce the sentences to 30-year prison terms. (TTT* 6.21.03)

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1ST GERMAN BISHOP TO STEP DOWN IN SCANDAL
Vatican urged the German to resign after a woman accused him of sexually abusing and injuring her during an exorcism. Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Franziskus Eisenbach, 58 the first bishop to step down amid a spate of sex-abuse cases that has forced out senior clerics in the United States, Poland and other countries. The Vatican said the resignations did not amount to an admission of guilt. The Mainz diocese has denied the allegations. (TTT* 4.17.02)

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BISHOP HIT AND RAN, POLICE SAY
He avoided charges in sex abuse scandal. Police said they believe Bishop T.J. O'Brien, 67, was at the wheel of his Buick Park Avenue when he allegedly hit a man jaywalking on Glendale Ave. in Phoenix on Saturday evening. James L. Reed 43, was pronounced dead at a local hospital after the accident... O'Brien's car with broken windshield and other damages, is towed from his home. (TTT* 6.17.03)

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MANY CATHOLIC BISHOPS PERSIST IN DENYING THEIR OWN GUILT
Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Kaeting, who for the past year led the National Catholic Review Board, the 13-member commission set up by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to explore and explain the causes of the child sex abuse scandal, stepped down Monday, a week after a provocative interview with the Los Angeles Times angered influential bishops.
"I have seen the underside that I never knew existed," said Keating, a devout Catholic, as recounted in the Times, I have not had my faith questioned, but I certainly have concluded that a number of serious officials in my faith have very clay feet. That is disappointing and educational, but it's a fact... to.. hide and suppress, I think is unhealthy. Eventually it will all come out." He specifically criticized Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, one of the most powerful men in the Catholic hierarchy in the U.S. .. A flabbergasted Mahony (and other bishops) didn't like being compared to the MAFIA and publicly questioned Keating's leadership. Mahony agreed to turn over church records to prosecutors only after being threatened with a grand jury investigation... Such stonewalling continues to sicken and sadden the Catholics in pews. as does the bishops' continuing refusal to even censure those among them who shuttled predatory priests from parish to parish... In his resignation letter, Keating rightly refused to back down or apologize for his statements. (TTT* 6.19.03)

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CHURCH TO REIMPOSE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON SEX ABUSE
A joint commission of U.S. bishops and senior Vatican officials has decided to reimpose a 10-year statute of limitations on the Roman Catholic Church's internal disciplining of American priests accused of sexually abusing children, Cardinal Francis George said Thursday. The decision appears to be a retreat by the American bishops from a key part of the zero-tolerance policy adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops four months ago in Dallas in response to the nationwide scandal over priestly sexual abuse. In addition, the joint commission tightened the definition of sexual abuse in the Dallas policy and decided that accused priests could not be permanently removed from ministerial duties unless they are convicted by a church tribunal, George said. It was what was feared by victims. "Catholics need to know that abusers will be taken out of ministry and stay out of ministry, regardless of when their first offense occurred," he said. "We are back to an ambiguous, murky policy that priests, not lay people, will have the key role in interpreting." (TTT* 11.1.02)

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PAM LECLERC BEOMES FEMALE CATHOLIC PRIEST
Paul Combs, a bishop of the Old Catholic Church in North America, doesn't believe Jesus would have a problem with females priests. He said Pam LeClerc is just following her calling. Paving the way a group of small branches in Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana and New Jersey, she becomes the first female priest for the community, which includes about 1,000 followers. LeClerc became "the Rev. Mother" after ordination at the Cathedral of Jesus of Nazareth. Married 29 years to her college sweetheart, Marty, she is the mother of two grown children. "The Eucharist is the one thing that means the most to me," she said. "HOLDING GOD IN MY HANDS. And I can't find that in any other religion." (TTT* 6.6.2003) It's obvious that the Bible itself has become obsolete because what is transpiring here is not Biblical.

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RICHES OF THE KINGDOM
A St. Petersburg diocese scandal shows bishops' unlimited discretion in handling church funds. Bishop Lynch lavishly spent on the bishop's former spokesman and near constant companion Urbanski.. But the steepest tab from their friendship was a $100,000.00 severance that Urbanski, 42, collected from the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg last year after privately accusing the 60-year-old bishop of sexual harassment. Here is a partial list of the total value of the real estate that the diocese owns: $10,133,295 - Christ the King Catholic Church, Tampa - $5,824,400 - Clearwater Central Catholic High - $5,479,200 St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Clearwater - $5,196,722 St. Lawrence Catholic School, Tampa - etc.. between 10 properties the diocese is worth $55,328,376. (Sources: 2001 property assessments, First American Real Estate Solutions). This is only a small part of the big picture. The Catholic Church is the biggest nongovernmental institution in the United States. A top-down hierarchy with thousands of parishes, it collects $7.5 billion a year through 47,000 priests controlled by 375 U.S. bishops who answer largely to themselves.
Believers stand by Catholicism. "The church has nothing like shareholders," he says. "It's not a democracy. There's no one for the bishop to report to." Brady is among liberal Catholics who see this as reason to worry that loyal believers are being fleeced. "The bishops have unlimited resources, by their fundraising capability within a captive Catholic audience," Brady says. "When you control all the strings and you negotiate the settlement, you can spin it any way you want.".. Many are furious with Urbanski and angry that details of the case are still spilling into the open. (TTT* 4.21.02)

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FORT LAUDERDALE MUSEUM TO HOST VATICAN TREASURES
Art treasures from the Vatican's priceless permanent collection with be featured at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale from August 23 to November 23, 2003 at 1 E. Las Olas Blvd. It brings together 300 works of art and historically significant object tracing 2,000 years of church leadership, beginning with St. Peter and culminating with Pope John Paul II. (TTT* 5.25.03)

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A NEW BOOK: 'HERESIES OF CATHOLICISM - THE APOSTATE CHURCH The book was written by John Schroeder, former Catholic and author of "Heresies of Catholicism The Apostate Church." It's 302 pages, ten chapters and exposes as rank falsehood Rome's longevity and authority claims, the "Sacred Tradition" debacle, the Marian doctrines, the papacy, the mortal /venial sin invention, temporal punishment, Purgatory, indulgences, the non-sacrifice of the Mass, confession of sins to priests, transubstantiation, the sacraments, infallibility, where the heresies came from, the original sin scam, infant baptism, the satanic source of Marian apparitions, the incredible contradictions within the huge 800-page 1994 Catechism, etc. Preachers are praising it. Former Catholics will, too. jschro265@aol.com. Bible Baptist Ch., Bogart, GA. The book is available in the traditional bookstores. We have it listed for amazon http://a2zbookdepot.adelink.net/catholic_books.html

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ROMAN CHURCH STILL CLAIMS SUPREME AUTHORITY OVER THE WORLD
Battle Cry, May/June 2003 ".. As a cauldron boils [politically], major world forces are jockeying for position. Though receiving little attention by the press, the pope in the Vatican is a major player.
Vatican philosophy was aptly presented by Dr. Arthur Hippler in a recent issue of the conservative Catholic weekly, The Wanderer. "There is only one institution that has the legitimacy to address the common good of nations, only one institution that has been founded by God directly over all men of every nation, and that is the Catholic Church," he writes.
This quote is in an article in which he claims that for hundreds of years, the Vatican restrained violence and "restricted warfare on pain of excommunication." "After the past five centuries of revolution against the Church, nations continue to seek some authority to do the work she once did. But only to the Church did God give authority to govern all men."
Hippler rightly points out that the UN is currently being pushed as an international public authority charged with the peace among the nations. But he calims that its "authority" must come from God, not from the consensus of the members.

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CHURCH, FOE ON SAME SIDE FOR ONCE OR SO IT SEEMS
Scientology critic recants testimony. A leading critic of Scientology turned on the lawyer he had paid to champion his cause. Multimillionaire Robert Minton remains a church critic according to his new attorney, but he no longer trusts or supports Tampa lawyer Ken Dandar in a lawsuit against the church stemming from the 1995 death of Lisa McPherson... Dandar accepted more than $2 million of Minton's money to keep the wrongful death lawsuit going, and then told Minton to lie under oath about the total amount, Minton testified. Also, Dandar persuaded Minton and others to sign sworn affidavits that bore false testimony, Minton told Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Douglas Baird. Minton is recanting that testimony because he fears going to jail for perjury, he said on the witness stand... Friday's hearing was a continuation of the church's ongoing quest to have Dandar removed from its lawsuit against McPherson's estate. That lawsuit, which Baird already has decided in the church's favor, is over a breach of contract arising from the wrongful death case. Baird has yet to decide how much money the estate - and possibly Minton - should pay the church... The wrongful death charges against the Church of Scientology was dropped after former Medical Examiner Joan Wood recanted her original finding in the case. (TTT* June 2003)

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RELIGIOUS OR RUDE? SCIENTOLOGISTS STIR UP YBOR
For months, well-dressed Scientologists have lined parts of the street, passing out pamphlets and asking passers-by to take a personality test. Now, Ybor City residents and business owners are complaining to the city that they are being harassed by Scientology recruiters who follow them down the street and won't take no for an answer. The Church of Scientology of Tampa has quietly run a bookstore in Ybor City and on since 1997, but recently has beefed up its presence in the entertainment district. (TTT*)

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SCIENTOLOGY GETS A BREAK IN FRANCE
Judge ends inquiry for lack of progress. A Paris judge has ruled that a 13-year-old case against the Church of Scietology alleging fraud and illegal practice of medicine cannot go to trial because the statute of limitations has expired, a judicial official said Tuesday... The criminal probe into 16 church leaders was opened in 1989 after a criminal complaint was filed by a former Scientologist, Juan Esteban Cordero. He accused the group of "progressive mental conditioning" that led him to spend more than $167,000.00 on Scientology related courses. However, in 1998, hundreds of documents that were to be used as evidence in the case disappeared from the justice Ministry. The judge handling the case then, Marie-Paule Moracchini, was taken off the case. Olivier Morice said he would appeal. (TTT* 7.31.02)

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BERNICE EDWARDS DIES IN PRISON
Bernice Edwards, a former National Baptist Convention publicist acquitted of stealing millions from companies hope to sell products to 8.5 million black Baptists, died Monday in federal custody. Prosecutors said she and former convention President Henry Lyons used church funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including the joint purchase of a Tierra Verde estate and expensive jewelry. Lyons was convicted of racketeering and theft to five years and is due to be released in November of this year. Edwards 46, pleaded guilty to tax evasion after being acquitted of fraud and served 18 months. She was sent back for violating her probation and set for release on June 23, 2003. She was a single mother of four children. She was suffering from a pulmonary condition and an autopsy is pending. (TTT* 5.7.03)

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'VIRTUES' AUTHOR HAS GAMBLED AWAY MILLIONS IN CASINOS
Former Secretary of Education William Bennett, whose 'Book of Virtues' and speeches espousing traditional values have made him rich and famous, is a high-stakes casino gambler, reports published. "I've gambled all my life, and it's never been a moral issue with me. I like church bingo when I was growing up," Bennett told reporters for Newsweek and Washington Monthly. Joshua Green an editor at Washington Monthly, obtained documents from several casinos indicating that Bennett has lost about $8 million in the past decade at leading casinos. (TTT* 5.3.03)
I shop for homegrown tomatoes and salad items at a fruit stand and got friendly with the people who work there. The middle aged lady who waited on me is so caring that you know instantly that she is a believer in the Gospel and she was fretting that the fruit stand was closing for six weeks and she would not have an income. She said that she plays bingo and spends $40 a night and was wondering where she was going to get her bingo money and money to eat. I brought up the Catholic church that I wasn't a member but my sister-in-laws both learned the habit at church and moved to Las Vegas to satisfy the urge when it grew bigger and bigger. She admitted that she is also a member of the Catholic Church. Here we have three sets of people who have suffered dire consequences by being members of the Roman Catholic Church. (CMI)

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JESUS-LINKED BOX A HIGH-TECH FAKE, EXPERTS CONCLUDE
The scholars concluded that the box was an original dating back 2,000 years, but the inscription on it was much more recent, though they could not pinpoint the date. The story of the box began to unravel this year, Israeli authorities said, when Oded Golan, its owner, tried to sell a second seemingly priceless artifact, a stone tablet in Hebrew that would have been very important to Jewish history. The "Joash Tablet" would have provided evidence for Israel's claim to the disputed Temple Mount, also one of Islam's holiest sites and a root cause of fighting between Jews and Muslims. The Antiquities Authority ruled Wednesday that the tablet also was a fake, and a bad one at that. However, the burial box still has many believers. The committee said it could not rule out the possibility that the single word "Jesus" on the box was authentically inscribed, and the box does appear to date to the first century... The letters probably were scanned by computer into a template and carved by an expert chiseler or machine, archaeologists said. (TTT* 6.19.03)

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THE CHURCH OF OPRAH
I remember when Oprah was interviewed for the first time after she was chosen to become the icon of blacks having achieved equal rights. I read her biography which pointed out that she had the faith in God and even though I am white, I was content to follow her shows for a very short time. She seemed to personify the American dream of rising out of poverty to the top, the possibility that most people cherish about the U.S.. It became evident very quickly that she would not be a good influence on Christian women.
Oprah was all over the Tampa Tribune expressing inexcuseably what she has become after accepting Satan's invitation to serve him. He did put the world at her feet as a reward but Satan shows his denegrading, demoralizing effect when you look at the advertisement of her show and read commentaries about her. The media takes full advantage of that.
Walt Belcher, a TV critic, credits her with changing talk shows to marketing machines. He recalls being rather flippant about her when she first came on the scene nationally and said, "had he known she would one day become The Big O, he might have knelt at her presence and kissed the hem of her garment. Those who worship at the Church of Oprah will cram the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday June 21, 2003 for her sold-out 'Live Your Best Life Tour'. No one knew in 1986 that Oprah would become a pop culture icon and an inspiration to millions of women. When I told her she was being called a cross between Pearl Bailey and Sally Jesse Raphael, a black female dynamo, a slimmer version of Nell Carter and the "Donahue-buster," she laughed out loud. "Honey, I'm all those things," she said. "I succeed because I believe in myself. I am what I am. I don't pretend to be anything..."
Oprah Winfrey led 2,700 of her new best friend on a spiritual journey Saturday in Tampa. In what was part camp meeting, part revival and part pep rally. Winfrey took the stage and brought the crowd to its feet - and much higher... During five hours Winfrey spent with workshop participants, she told personal stories meant to inspire people to find and live their passion... Since the age of 3 when she read Bible verses in church, she said she knew her calling was to be an inspiration to others. (TTT 6.20.03)
She is anything but an icon for Christianity. All one has to do is look at her body language and listen to a few of her presentations to see through what she has become. To us she is the perfect example of having yielded to the temptation Satan presented Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:8-10 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Jesus did not beget fame and fortune but was stripped of his of all worldly possessions, even his clothing and nailed to the cross for his message.

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ANOTHER BOOK HOT OFF THE PRESS: 'LAUGHTER CALLS ME'
A young woman's search for truth leads to a courageous battle to save her children. Author is Catherine Brown, published by Lighthouse Trails Publishing Company, 158 pages, 2003. This remarkable book takes you where few books dare to go. "One of the main reasons sexual exploitation of children thrives is because many people do not talk about it and even go into denial. That is what the perpetrators count on - the secrecy, the shame and the guilt associated with these crimes so that it becomes very difficult to seek the truth and reveal the total picture. Relying on her Christian faith as a support system, this story demonstrates Catherine's persistence and utilization of the greatest weapon against sexual exploitation of children - public awareness and education." Roger Young, Special Agent, FBI, retired. The book is passionately written, absolutely necessary, stunningly honest - it's a story you won't forget. - David R. Dombrowski, chief editor. -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0972151214/ichthusfasttrack
or direct: http://www.lighthousetrails.com/books.htm

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IRS CONTINUES TO DUN BAKKERS
Agency says the pair owe $3 million still to the IRS. Their Praise The Lord empire, sprawling Fort Mill, S.C., theme park and retreat - Heritage USA - drew 6 million visitors at its 1986 peak. But the ministry collapsed following revelations of Bakker's sexual encounter with a former church secretary. He later went to prison for bilking followers out of $158 million. Usually, the IRS has 10 years to collect taxes, but recent court filings show the agency continues dunning Bakker and Messner for taxes some more than 20 years old. (TTT* 11.3.02)

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THE LONE STAR STATE OF TEXAS, A STRONGHOLD OF FREEMASONRY, GETS BACKLASH WITH THE SODOMY RULING WHICH UNDERCUTS LAWS AGAINST ALL ILLICIT SEX ACTS.
U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 decision overturning the Texas sodomy statute and rejecting a prior court's reasons for upholding a similar Georgia law 17 years ago feels right writes the Tampa Tribune as their opinion. Justice Scalia warns: "State laws against bigamy, same-sex marriage, adult incest, prostitution, masturbation, adultery, fornication, bestiality and boscenity are likewise sustainable only in ligtht of [the Georgia case's] validation of laws based on moral choices". "Every single one of these laws is called into question by today's decision; the court makes no effort to cabin the scope of its decision to exclude them from its holding."
Indeed, now the court has used the right to privacy to legitimitize a historically illegitimate activity, how can it continue to restrict other such activities? With this ruling will come challenges to laws designed to protect traditional families and marriage. Some will cheer that outcome, but ALL AMERICANS SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR HUGELY CONSEQUENTIAL CHANGES. (The Tampa Tribune 6.28.03)
"The impact of the Supreme Court decision is minimal in Florida," said Batey, professor of criminal law at Stetson University College of Law. Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of Liberty Counsel said the ruling could weaken the state's efforts to defend it's law, banning gay adoptions. Rosie, talkshow host, who recently left the field is involved in Florida's resistance to allow her to adopt a child being that she is gay.
Until the 1970's, Florida law made a felony of "the abominable and detestable crime against nature, either with mankind or with beast." That law was struck down in 1972 by Florida Supreme Court, which ruled it wasn't specific about what acts were covered. In 1974, the Legislature repealed the law," said Batey. Batey, faculty adviser to the law school's Lambda Legal Society, which advocates for gay rights, said, "I think it's a wonderful thing what the U.S. Supreme Court did.. " (The Tampa Tribune 6.27.03)

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SODOMY RULING USED TO CHALLENGE 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
A former Army lieutenant colonel who was discharged in 1997 for being gay has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and the military sodomy statute. This lawsuit is based on the recent sweeping Supreme Court opinion in Lawrence v. Texas which declared that the Texas sodomy statute violated the right to privacy. The former soldier, Loren S. Loomis was one one week shy of the 20-year career that would have entitled him to full retirement benefits. The Army discharged Loomis, who was wounded in the Vietnam War, won two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart but deprived of his benefits due to his homosexuality... A gay rights group is assisting Loomis. (TTT* 7.9.03)

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BOY SCOUTS THROW OUT GAY MEMBER
Philadelphia - Just weeks after a local Boy Scout council unanimously voted to adopt a nondiscrimination policy regarding homosexuals, it has ousted an 18-year-old Philadelphia Scout who publicly said that he was gay. Gregory Lattera received a certified letter on Saturday from the Cradle of Liberty Council stating: "We have received information that has compelled us to revoke your registration. We therefore request that you sever any relationship you may have with the Boy Scouts of America." .. Lattera, a lIfe Scout, a rank second only to an Eagle Scout, said Wednesday that he cried when he read the letter. "I'm not just another gay kid. I'm a real person... Cradle of Liberty Council leaders, said that expelling Lattera was a local decision. (TTT* 6.13.03)

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GUESS WHO WAS HOSTING 'KNIGHTED' RUDOLPH GIULIANI IN TAMPA NO OTHER THAN DRS. RANDY AND PAULA WHITE AT THEIR CHURCH'S 'WITHOUT WALLS INTERNATIONAL AUDITORIUM'
America's newly, knighted by the Queen of England, leading man, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, will teach the church audience "How to Lead in Business and Life" and here is why you need to attend. 1) Acquire greater vision and a determination to see your dreams become reality. 2) Learn proficiency skills that will make you more effective and efficient in your career. 3) Crisis management. 4) Learn how to assemble a network to utilize untapped talents of your team. 5) Create high moral in workplace. 6) How to inspire star performers. 7) Generate pride , unity and devotion among superiors and subordinates. 8) Leadership skills. 9) Honor heroes. 10) Feel terrific about helping build the much-needed Tampa Bay Community Empowerment Center. It will house a Teen Youth Center, Child Development Center, Vo-Tech Training, and Small Business Assistance Programs.. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION MESSAGE?

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EXPENSIVE WALLS - POWER PASTORS GIVE, GET A LOT
Supporters of Randy and Paula White say they have no problem with their displays of wealth. Tampa - When preachers Randy and Paula White bought the $2.2 million red-brick house on Bayshore Boulevard last month, they were already thinking ahead to November. "We always do a 'Table in the Wilderness' Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless," says Randy White, senior pastor at Without Walls International Church. "Now that we have the space to do it in our own, we'd like to find a way to bus them here for the party." A spacious yard is attached to the 8,000-spare-foot, five-bedroom English manor home. And the Whites' church has its own buses. IN HIS SERMON "PROSPERITY OR POVERTY," White announced he and his wife had bought this house. Their taste in cars reflects their substantial income.: She drives a Mercedes sedan, he a Cadillac Escalade. The side of Randy White's car is emblazoned with "Big Daddy" - nickname bestowed by inner-city kids served by church's many missions. Randy and Paula White married in 1988 and in 14 years they claim 15,000 members and offer 250 ministries from job training for welfare recipients to a teen rock club. Randy is a fifth generation preacher. Much of their money comes from tax dollars through the faith-based initiative.

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NEW CHURCH TREND: PASS THE COLLECTION PLATE AND CHARGE IT
Some reject using credit to donate. For millions of parishioners across the country, there is a new way to give to their local church: 'charge it.' From Lutheran congregations in the Middle West to Greek Orthodox parishes in Florida and Manhattan, to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of San Jose, California, a rapidly growing number of churches are embracing electronic giving, a fundraising tool common among charities and nonprofit groups, but, until recently little used.. Parishioners can use special envelopes to charge monthly donations to their credit cards, or they can add their offerings and gifts to God to the list of monthly bills that can be paid online or through automatic bank account transfers.. They can donate even while away on vacation and earn frequent flyer miles on their donations. Churches can count on a steady stream of revenue even when they don't show up for church. .. The Southern Baptist Convention uses the slogan: "one people, one purpose, one click" but it does not permit electronic giving... Jack Wilkerson, vice president for business and finance for the Baptist group said, "God says you bring the offering as an act of worship." "My approach is, we're trying to approach a spiritual problem in the heart of people mechanically. One of these days we're going to wake up and say, "What happened to our churches?" (TTT* 8.11.2002)

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FUNDING SURPRISED CHURCH MEMBERS
Peters 66, attended the nondenominational Living Water Church in Tampa and got hooked on Pastor Ron Clark's passion-filled sermons, his knowledge of the Bible and charisma like Peters had never known. He was shocked at the 10-piece band at worship, the shouting, the clapping and raising of hands, and flags of many nations (Marilyn Hickey's invention), not crosses, hanging in the sanctuary. What was going on behind the scenes was disclosed when the Pastor and his wife got into a bitter divorce dispute.The Clark's earned a $70,000 salary each, plus a $78,000 tax-exempt housing allowance, according to court testimony. The money bought a horse farm and ranch values at $500,000 and a $275,000 rental home near Orlando. Peters said that they were taking up two or three collections per service during the five years Peters attended. Peters, a retired civil engineer, lives in an apartment, $347-a-month and supplements his income at a nursing home. Belinda Clark is seeking $7,000 a month in support of their two teens from her former spouse. Clark has asked the court to declare the church a marital asset and wants half. Ron Clark resigned his position. He testified that he has no money for his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Church membership has dropped from 2,000 to 400. (The Tampa Tribune 7.3.03)
The full story http://www.cephas-library.com/wordoffaith/living_water.html

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CHURCH LEFT IN LIMBO BY ARREST
The congregation of the First Christian Church of Trinity faces an uncertain future following the arrest of its minister on a drug charge. Tarpon Springs police arrested Robert Clark on one count of possession of crack cocaine on April 20, records state. He has since resigned from First Christian. First Christian was established as a result of a split in the ranks of First Christian Church of Tarpon Springs in 2001. (TTT* 5.18.03)

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EVANGELICAL LEADERS DEPLORE ANTI-MUSLIM STATEMENTS
Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, leader of global missions agency called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion. But evangelicals do not stand behind that statement. At a meeting, evangelical leaders denounced as 'dangerous' and 'unhelpful' the anti Islam remarks made in the past year by leaders in their own movement and proposed new guidelines for churches to follow in relating to Muslims.
At the same time, the religious leaders reaffirmed their commitment to proselytizing, and they accused mainline Protestants and groups such as the World Council of Churches of holding 'naive' dialogue sessions with Muslims that minimized differences. The meeting came at a time when Christian leaders are divided about whether to coexist with Muslims or convert them.
43,000 congregations were represented by the National Association of Evangelicals and the Institute of Religion and DEMOCRACY a conservative Christian group in Washington that often critiques mainline Protestantism. In interview, Calvert said that when he was working on the Iraqi border in Lebanon with the Red Crescent relief agency, Graham's comments were circulating widely. "It's used to indict all Americans and used to indict all Christians," said Calver, who is British. "It obviously puts lives and livelihoods of people overseas at risk." (TTT* 5.8.03)
As born again believers what side should we be on? Any ideas? Here is what the Word of God states in regard to other doctrines: 2 John 1:8-11 "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

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HARRY POTTER'S MAGIC TOUCH
A St. Petersburg teen believes his late mother had a hand in his winning a trip to hear J.K. Rowling read from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." David Dawson, 14, grew interested in the Harry Potter books a couple of years ago, just before his mother got sick and died unexpectedly. "I just miss her all the time," he says simply. She was on Dawson's mind last month when he sat down at the computer to enter an essay contest sponsored by Scholastic Inc., Potter's American publishers, as a way of promoting the newest book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." The thesis: "IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SPECIAL POWER TAUGHT AT HOGWARTS, WHAT WOULD IT BY AND WHY?"
(for uninitiated, Hogwarts School of WITCHCRAFT and Wizardry is where witches and wizards learn their craft.) Dawson wrote: "Although I am only 14 years old, I have the experiences of a broken heart due to the death of my mother, and it still has not healed. For this reason, I AM DETERMINED TO ACQUIRE THE POWER OF HEALING BROKEN HEARTS. I loved my mom and she is gone. I would like the sadness to start lifting somewhat."
He won and all-expense-paid trip for two to London to hear Rowling read from "Order of the Phoenix" on June 26 at the Royal Albert Hall. Dawson likes to think that his mother had a hand in his good fortune. (TTT* 6.19.03)
If Dawson's mother had a hand in it, she would have been condemming her own son straight to hell. Parents will be responsible for that if they allow their children to read any of the Harry Potter books. When a person gets this witchcraft into their minds it attracts more and more and they go deeper and deeper into the occult experience.
Addressing the final phase when Jesus returns in Isaiah 10:16-19 idol worshippers will be given over to a cruel lord. "Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard bearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them...
Isaiah 19:2-7 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more."
To counteract this onslaught by Satan on our youth, we offer an excellent video why parents must be vigilant and keep these books away from their children.
Harry Potter Witchcraft Repackaged, Making Evil Look Innocent by Jeremiah Films.
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y02Y6722230Y1051080/002-3844924-5431215

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SIGMUND FREUD WAS A MEMBER OF OF THE VIENNA BNAI BRITH LODGE
Freud, although born into a Jewish family, had never set foot in the land of Israel until July 2002. Shlomo came home. Analyst of Freud's philosophy say that his cultural value, and how he influenced cultural memory, is his most important impact on Western civilization. This includes Freud's views on religion which are controversial, if not nearly as influential, as his explorations of the human psyche.

Freud was born into a traditional Jewish home in Freidberg, Moravia. His father Jacob, upon his birth, inscribed for young "Shlomo" his personal copy of the Bible. But Freud was anything but religious. In Civilization and Its Discontents, he describes religion as "so patiently infantile, so foreign to reality, that for anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view in life."

For Freud, mythology, spirituality, and religions are on the same level: they are are humanity's means of dealing with the fact of morality. He collected antiques and religious objects and studied and wrote about the universal nature of religious phenomena, all of which Freud considered as manmade, in order to explain away philosophical difficulties. "How enviable, to those of us who are poor in faith, to those inquirers seem who are convinced of the existence of a Supreme Being!" he wrote, "To the great spirit the world offers no problems, for has himself created all it institutions."

Despite his own lack of faith, Freud was fascinated by religions, even Judaism, declaring: "There is an element of grandeur about everything to do with the origin of religion, certainly including the Jewish one, and this is not matched by the explanations we have hitherto given." If Judaism had no place in his life, Freud did identify himself as Jewish; he stoutly resisted to temptation of a Christian conversion of convenience taken by many other prominent Austrian Jews of his day, and was even a member of the Vienna Bnai Brith Lodge. (The International Jerusalem Post 7.5.2002)

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RABBI WANTS HOME WORSHIP
Neighbors, officials demand services end. The living room of Rabbi Yosef Konikov's house doesn't look much like a synagogue. A table covered with brownies and sodas for visitors who come to pray and study. On the wall is an oversized photo of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the deceased leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of ultra-religious Jews who try to bring secular Jews back to ritual practice. Local code enforcement officials last month concluded that Konikov is illegally operating a synagogue in a residential area. After numerous complaints from neighbors about cars parked around Konikov's house, Orange County's code enforcement board gave him 60 days to stop holding prayer services or face a $50 a day fine. Konikov is fighting back with a federal lawsuit that accuses the county of violating his religious rights. "Do I give up my faith or just move out of town?" said 27-year-old Konikov. (TTT* 4.21.02)

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SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION IS U.S.THEOLOGY IMPLICATED BY AMERICAN MONUMENTS Evolution is part of a racist religion. The teaching of spiritual evolution is a vast taught theology in the United States and across the world. This teaching is that a spirit begins as an animal, and through evolution and reincarnation, will evolve upward into a human of the darker races. The spirit will then reincarnate upward, evolving through the races until it reaches the white race. After the spirit reaches the blond hair and blue eyes stage, it will then evolve into the last stage which is a god-man. The teaching says that every individual can evolve into a god, and that the Caucasian race is the highest evolved race. This religion is found in many Egyptian teachings, in Hinduism, and is sometimes referred to as the cycle of life which is represented by a swastika. There are far more than one religious sect in this nation that teaches spiritual evolution, or that teaches this beliefs to their inner circle of leaders. Many of these groups do not give all the information on their beliefs to their followers, they only teach them part of their beliefs in order to keep them in their groups. some only teach that man kind is evolving into a god. They may lead them to believe that man kind is in it's infancy, and use this as a justification for man's inability to solve all the world's problems like a god-man should be able to. They are not telling them, however, that they believe that some races have evolved further than others. Some groups may tell them that their spirit guides are lesser evolved spirits, and leaving that open to individual interpretation. They do not expand on the fact that their teachings of lesser evolved spirits being used as a 'spirit guide,' are in reality lesser evolved races which they believe exits only to serve them. They do tell their followers that they are evolving upward into a god, but do not continue further than that concerning this teaching. The fact is that many of them believe that they will become a god-man, and that only the male will evolve into a god. Many worship deities that are Egyptian, along with a mixture of other deities, as the Egyptians also held to the spiritual evolution teaching. They have erected statues to their deities across our nation, on almost all of the government lands. The 'Statue Of Liberty,' is the goddess Ishtar, the 'Washington Monument,' is an obelisk- a symbol for the god Osiris. Horus is represented on our one dollar bill in the representation of the 'eye of Horus.' There are many pagan deities worshiped by the spiritual evolutionist groups that were erected as monuments to their gods, which are scattered across the nation in every state.
.This teaching is now found in many groups, some are as follows: Mormonism- founded by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, both former Freemasons. Until the the 1970's civil rights lawsuits, an African American was not allowed to enter the Mormon temples due to their teachings concerning spiritual evolution. Freemasonry- The Knights Of The Klu Klux Klan Masonic Lodges, Fraternal Order Of Police Masonic Temples, The Thule Society (founders of the Nazi Party), Knights Templars Masonic Lodge, Rosicrucian Masonic Lodges, Rossi Cross Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge (publisher of NEW AGE magazine), York Rite Masonic Temple, Grand Lodges, Eastern Star, and all other Masonic temples. Albert Pike, a member of the Knights Of The Klu Klux Klan and the Scottish Rite, rewrote the decrees for the Masonic lodges making their doctrines universal in the lodges, calling them 'free and accepted masons.' Fraternities- The Skull And Bones Society, a now large ivy league fraternity, requires the bone of a Native American or African American in order to join their fraternity, proving their beliefs in spiritual evolution. For the full story go to:
http://www.cephas-library.com/evolution/spiritual_evolution_us_theology.html

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FILIPINO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES SEIZED
Two captives beheaded, says army general. Muslim rebels linked to al-Qaida beheaded at least two of the six Jehovah's Witnesses they kidnapped in the southern Philippines. The heads of two male hostages were found in an open-air market in the town of Jolo along with notes collin for a holy war, said Brig. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, commander of the army on the southern island of Jolo.. The two men were seized with four women as they sold Avon cosmetics. (TTT* 8.22.02)

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PRAISE THE LORD AND PUT A 10-SPOT ON MR PAT TO WIN
Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson says he sees no contradiction between his condemnation of gambling and his ownership of racehorse Mr. Pat. "I don't bet, and I don't gamble," Robertson said. "I just enjoy watching horses running and performing. "I wish horse racing was not supported by gambling," he said. "The people I see at the track, they don't seem to love horses..." Some religious experts say Robertson is violating the spirit of his conservative Christian message. "The notion of an evangelical entering horse racing and gambling - well, he can pretend all he wants that he's in it for the beauty of the sport, but you can't look at it that way," said University of Chicago theologian Martin Marty. "The whole culture of horse racing involves gambling, and all the money comes from people trying to hit it big gambling. This is like saying you're investing in a bordello but aren't in favor of prostitution." (New York Times 4.31.02)

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NIXON TAPES JEWISH REMARKS PUT EVANGELIST ON THE SPOT
Rev. Billy Graham apologized Friday for a 1972 conversation with former President Nixon in which he said the Jewish "stranglehold" of the media was ruining the country. The conversation was among 500 hours of Nixon tapes released by the National Archives. "I deeply regret comments I apparently made in an Oval Office conversation with President Nixon.. some 30 years ago," Graham, 83, said in a prepared statement "They do not reflect my views, and I sincerely apologize for any offense caused by the remarks." In the conversation, the evangelist expressed disdain for what he saw as Jewish domination of the media. "This stranglehold has got to be broken or the country's going down the drain," he said. "You believe that?" Nixon says. "Yes, sir," says Graham. (TTT* 3.2.02)

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BILLY GRAHAM KNIGHTED
The world's best known evangelist was made an honorary knight by the Queen of England in early December. 2001. Billy Graham had the title bestowed upon him in Washington, D.C., by Sir Christopher Meyer, the British ambassador, The London Daily Telegraph reported. In November, the 83-year-old, the 83-year-old announced that the ministry will move its international headquarters from Minneapolis to Charlotte, N.C. ( Charisma Magazine February 2002 )

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EVANGELIST SOFTENS CRITICISM OF ISLAM
Franklin Graham has softened his criticism of Islam after coming under fire for calling the religion evil. In a column is The Wall Street films were evil people, "but I decry the evil dome in the name of Islam," the Associated Press reported. The president of Samaritan's Purse and head of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association sparked a storm of protest when he called Islam "wicked and violent." His comments were disavowed by the White House, which has repeatedly said Islam is a peaceful religion. (Charisma Magazine February 2002)

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ROBERTS LIARDON LEAVES MINISTRY
The healing evangelist cited a personal moral failure as well as heart problem. Pastor and author Robert Liardon is stepping down from ministry after admitting to a moral failure. He is taking a three-month leave of absence to seek "professional and church counseling related to a recent short-term homosexual relationship," according to a statement issued December 20, 2001 on behalf of his Embassy Christian Center in Irvine, California. (Charisma Magazine February 2002)

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SCRIPTURE CANDY'S FISHSHAPED MINTS SAMPLED AT CHRISTIAN RETAILERS
Orlando embraced 11,000 delegates from 51 countries to represent the Christian retail industry and wrapped up their 54th annual gathering. Carol Cameron of 'Sign of the Fish' said she sold 600 copies of "The Purpose Driven Life." The book has sold 4 million copies in general. It spawned its own cottage industry of products, music and church-based studies based on its lessons. "Its considered the book of the century, apart from the Bible," said Carol Cameron. Ken Shartle, youth pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Leesburg plays a Christian card game aimed at young people at the conference. "It's a great outreach for kids," he says. Christian products accounted for $4.2 billion in 2002. Wal-Mart and Target began stocking selective faith-based products a few years ago. (TTT* 7.17.03)

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G12 CELL CONFERENCE - A NEW ANOINTING?
Through the government of 12 Dick Bernal brings hope to India revolutionizing the standard of living through missionary work among equipping local pastors digging wells to bring fresh water to needy villages. MOTTO IS UNLIMITED CHURCH GROWTH THROUGH THE ANOINTING OF MULTIPLICATION. (Charisma)

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GLOBAL / LOCAL POLITICS

THE FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE -WHAT BETTER PLACE TO GIVE A COMMENCEMENT SPEECH?
:: Mission Statement of the Georgetown University Jesuits
:: The Georgetown University Jesuits are an apostolic religious community grounded in love for Jesus Christ and animated by the Ignatian spiritual vision of helping others and seeking God in all things. As members of a worldwide Society within the Catholic Church, we are committed to the service of faith and the promotion of justice.
:: We serve God's people at the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit [led by the Black Pope] University, established in the religiously inclusive and international spirit of Georgetown's founder, John Carroll. We witness to the compatibility of faith and reason, work to extend knowledge and cultivate a University community that reflects the conviction that the good life is a life lived generously in the service of others. We are privileged to labor along with our colleagues through scholarship and teaching, pastoral work and spiritual formation, administration and hospitality.
:: As friends in the Lord, we support one another in our ministries through a common life of worship and prayers, simplicity, spiritual conversation, encouragement, respect and affection. We reflect and plan together with discerning love so that all our present and future endeavors at Georgetown might be done for the greater glory of God.
:: What is the life of Christ? Is it the "good life"? John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. John 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

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TRAPPED IN THE MATRIX
For total article click on this link: by Berit Kjos, May 2003
:: Chris, a Canadian youth leader, painted a far more positive picture of the movie's tension between reality and fantasy: :: "I first got onto [the Matrix] when our apologetics teacher at Bible school sent people to the theatre to watch it and write a review of it....It has some strong Christian parallels for sure. I would not go so far as to say it is a 'Christian' movie, but it is certainly something we can use to relate the good news of Christ....
:: "The goal of new age is to enter a state of nothingness in order to connect to the Divine consciousness... Matrix, on the other hand, is not about entering into a nothingness but finding true reality."
:: Chris is wrong about the New Age. Though built on the foundation of Eastern religions and earth-centered spirituality, it downplayed Nirvana's nothingness and established a multi-faceted belief system far more flexible and appealing to Western hedonism. But Neo's search for wisdom to save the "awakened" rebels of Zion could never lead to "true reality." Instead, the ingenious plot twists truth into an enticing lie that mimics the New Age and matches Gnosticism.
:: Gnosticism (from gnosis, the Greek word for knowledge) is an "umbrella word" for all sorts of occult philosophies. The early Gnostics sought salvation and supernatural power through esoteric knowledge -- a secret gnosis, not just ordinary knowledge. They saw the rest of the world held captive to evil, while they were the enlightened remnant who found spiritual freedom and transcendence in secret wisdom.
:: Hidden knowledge is key to the Matrix as well. Ignorance and illusion has, like a blanket, covered the minds of the people and kept them in bondage. Only the secrets revealed first to Morpheus, Trinity and other rebels, then to the reluctant Neo, can free them from the evil machines and the programs that rule them. It's mind over matter, for spiritual insights alter physical realities. Or so it seems.
:: The main source of secret wisdom is an elderly female oracle. As in ancient Greek myths, where the oracle functioned as a spiritual medium for the gods, her answers were ambiguous. But Morpheus had no doubts about her authenticity. "She can help you find the path," he told Neo in Matrix 1. Moments later, Neo stood in her reception room, where some of her young students were practicing their magic. A blue-eyed boy with shaved head and a Buddhist-like robe told him how to bend spoons with his mind. Neo succeeded on his first try.
:: Chris, a Canadian youth leader, painted a far more positive picture of the movie's tension between reality and fantasy: "I first got onto [the Matrix] when our apologetics teacher at Bible school sent people to the theatre to watch it and write a review of it....It has some strong Christian parallels for sure. I would not go so far as to say it is a 'Christian' movie, but it is certainly something we can use to relate the good news of Christ.... "The goal of new age is to enter a state of nothingness in order to connect to the Divine consciousness... Matrix, on the other hand, is not about entering into a nothingness but finding true reality."4 Chris is wrong about the New Age. Though built on the foundation of Eastern religions and earth-centered spirituality, it downplayed Nirvana's nothingness and established a multi-faceted belief system far more flexible and appealing to Western hedonism. But Neo's search for wisdom to save the "awakened" rebels of Zion could never lead to "true reality."
:: Instead, the ingenious plot twists truth into an enticing lie that mimics the New Age and matches Gnosticism. Gnosticism (from gnosis, the Greek word for knowledge) is an "umbrella word" for all sorts of occult philosophies. The early Gnostics sought salvation and supernatural power through esoteric knowledge -- a secret gnosis, not just ordinary knowledge. They saw the rest of the world held captive to evil, while they were the enlightened remnant who found spiritual freedom and transcendence in secret wisdom.
:: Hidden knowledge is key to the Matrix as well. Ignorance and illusion has, like a blanket, covered the minds of the people and kept them in bondage. Only the secrets revealed first to Morpheus, Trinity and other rebels, then to the reluctant Neo, can free them from the evil machines and the programs that rule them. It's mind over matter, for spiritual insights alter physical realities. Or so it seems.
:: The main source of secret wisdom is an elderly female oracle. As in ancient Greek myths, where the oracle functioned as a spiritual medium for the gods, her answers were ambiguous. But Morpheus had no doubts about her authenticity. "She can help you find the path," he told Neo in Matrix 1. Moments later, Neo stood in her reception room, where some of her young students were practicing their magic. A blue-eyed boy with shaved head and a Buddhist-like robe told him how to bend spoons with his mind. Neo succeeded on his first try.
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THE HIDDEN TRUTH: OVER 140,000 AMERICANS WERE KILLED DURING THE IRAQ WAR [unverified]
http://www.cephas-library.com/purpose_driven_are_there_any_safe_churches.html

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U.S. GIVES BECHTEL A MAJOR CONTRACT IN REBUILDING IRAQ
:: Washington, April 17 — The Bush administration awarded the Bechtel Group of San Francisco the first major contract today in a vast reconstruction plan for Iraq that assigns no position of authority to the United Nations or Europe.
:: The award will initially pay Bechtel, a closely held San Francisco company that posted $11.6 billion in revenue last year, $34.6 million and could go up to $680 million over 18 months.
:: But those amounts could be only a fraction of what it costs to rebuild Iraq's airports, water and electric-power systems, roads and railroads.
:: The reconstruction of Iraq, a task that experts have said could cost $25 billion to $100 billion, is part of a broad American-led effort to stabilize the country and set up a new government.
:: The American taxpayer will pay the initial contract costs, but Iraqi oil revenue is supposed to eventually pay for much of the reconstruction.
:: Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government a week ago, the Bush administration has effectively shut out the United Nations from any postwar role in Iraq.

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INTENT ON AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION
Jay Alan Sekulow writes: "It is the constitutional responsibility and obligation of the Senate to provide "advice and consent" to the President's judicial nominees. But some politically motivated Senators seem intent on AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION through the use of a filibuster! They will do whatever they can to keep some of the President's well-qualified nominees from ever reaching the federal bench." Sekulow is getting signatures to petition to U.S. Senators and encourages adding a generous financial gift to the petition.

The latest was that there will not be any retirements by members of the Supreme Court during this presidency. They have closed ranks to keep control on the liberal agenda.

As our freedom to choose is increased most likely to test God's subjects, Christians are challenged to walk the narrow road because they love God, not because they are forced by law into compliance with God's Word. If Christians obey the first commandment Jesus gave in Matthew 22:37 ".. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" they would know precisely what God expected from them by knowing the context of the Word of God, which holds warnings on how to go to hell and how to have your lamps filled with oil waiting for the Rapture / Resurrection.
For more go to: http://www.cephas-library.com/sodomy/what_is_the_issue_of_sodomy.html

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NEW POWERS TO SNOOP SOUGHT DOMESTIC ACCESS FOR CIA, ARMY :: Washington Bureau by Tom Brune - May 3, 2003 - The Bush administration is secretly trying to expand the investigative powers of the CIA and military, allowing them to demand personal and business records of people in this country, government officials confirmed yesterday.
:: If enacted, the new powers would broaden the scope under which the CIA and Defense Department could legally gather sensitive records from businesses and other organizations in the pursuit of foreign intelligence and terrorism investigations, civil liberties advocates and experts said yesterday...
:: Civil libertarians and privacy advocates called the proposal an "outrage" and complained it represents "a radical change in U.S. law" that should be openly debated as an important policy matter and not discussed only behind closed doors.
:: The provision containing the proposal was quietly attached to the intelligence authorization bill being considered in confidential sessions of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, officials said.
:: Democrats on the committee on Thursday discovered the provision, objected to it and after debate won its removal, according to officials and advocates. But the provision still could be re-introduced in the Senate committee, on the Senate floor or in the House before Congress finally approves the intelligence authorization, officials and advocates said.

SENATORS ON THE COMMITTEE REFUSED TO COMMENT.
:: The exact language of the proposal remains secret, but those familiar with it said it would grant authority to the CIA and the military to use administrative subpoenas known as "national security letters," which require no court approval or any public reporting and now are almost exclusively used by the FBI.
:: The letters, authorized by law in the 1980s, require Internet providers, credit card companies, libraries and other organizations that maintain records to disclose information such as phone records, financial records and e-mail logs.
:: Under provisions of the Patriot Act passed in 2001, the CIA and military intelligence can gain access from the FBI to information collected through national security letters.
:: Under the new proposal [Patriot II], the CIA and military would not have to rely on the FBI. The CIA could demand records for individuals if they were relevant to not only investigations of counterterrorism and counterintelligence, but also for any foreign intelligence, including international organized crime and drug trafficking. The proposal would limit the military's use of the letters to counterterrorism.
:: Privacy and civil liberties advocates said they were concerned about the proposal's redefinition of the CIA's role, which by its charter is not to have domestic investigative, law enforcement or subpoena power.
:: They noted the Patriot Act blurred the lines between the FBI's authority in domestic investigations and the CIA's role in international probes.
:: Kate Martin of the Center for National Security Studies said the proposal would erase that line and in effect create two new domestic spying agencies.
:: James Dempsey of the privacy advocacy group Center for Democracy and Technology said, "It is an outrage that an institutional failure and a [CIA-FBI] turf war is being translated into an erosion of civil liberties." © 2003, Newsday, Inc.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uscia033266285may03

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WHITE HOUSE REFUSES TO RELEASE SEPT. 11 INFORMATION
:: Washington - May. 05, 2003 - Knight Ridder Newspapers by Frank Davies - The Bush administration and the nation's intelligence agencies are blocking the release of sensitive information about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, delaying publication of a 900-page congressional report on how the terrorist assault happened.
:: Intelligence officials insist the information must be kept secret for national security reasons. But some of the information is already broadly available on the Internet or has been revealed in interim reports on the investigation, leading to charges that the administration is simply trying to avoid enshrining embarrassing details in the report.
:: Disputed information includes a well publicized warning from an FBI agent that al-Qaida supporters might be training in U.S. flight schools and the names of the president and his national security adviser as people who may have received warnings that a terrorist attack was possible before Sept. 11, one official said...
:: In December, the joint inquiry produced a summary of findings and recommendations on how to improve intelligence, but the complete report was withheld so agencies could review and declassify some portions of it...
:: An intelligence official familiar with the review process said on condition of anonymity Monday that "the process has taken time because many portions of the report need to remain classified to protect sources and methods."..
:: But an official familiar with the report said one topic of disagreement was the so-called Phoenix memo of July 2001, in which an FBI agent warned his supervisors that Osama bin Laden's followers might be enrolling in U.S. flight schools.
:: The joint inquiry, in a Sept. 24 staff report, included portions of the memo and summarized how it was handled and ignored by FBI officials. Most of the memo is on several Internet sites. Now intelligence officials want to block releasing excerpts of the memo...
:: The Bush administration also consistently have fought identifying top officials, including the president and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, who may have received warnings in 2001 that bin Laden's network planned to hijack commercial aircraft...
:: Goss said there was "no cover-up of vital information" and predicted the final report will include some embarrassing details but "no 'gotcha' material about any administration."..
:: When Roemer recently tried to read transcripts of closed-door interviews from last year's probe, the Justice Department blocked him, citing possible executive privilege. (Knight Ridder Newspapers correspondent James Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.) http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/5792329.htm

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ELECTION OF GAY EPISCOPAL BISHOP ELICITS JOY AND OUTRAGE New York, 10 June (ENI) * Reactions ranging from joy to outrage have greeted the election of the first openly gay man as a bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States, prising open an issue over which church members are bitterly divided. In being elected the bishop coadjutor of the diocese of the state of New Hampshire, V. Gene Robinson also becomes the first openly gay bishop elected within the worldwide Anglican communion. [June 10, 2003]
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TINY IDs CN TRACK ALMOST ANYTHING THE WASHINGTON TIMES by Audrey Hudson - Computer chips the size of grains of sand have become the latest trend among manufacturers seeking to track everything from automobiles to underwear to razor blades. http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030609-122709-8176r.htm

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RUPERT MURDOCH WAS IN THE NEWS RECENTLY TRYING TO CHANGE THE FCC RULES TO PURCHASE WEBTV. HE ALREADY OWNS TOO MUCH MEDIA, I.E. FOX NEWS and many others.
:: Is it any wonder? He contributed heavily to the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Rupert was very instrumental in trying to get former President Clinton impeached on ridiculous charges. Why are foreigners buying all this influence over our direct lives in the United States? The media runs our daily life if we are not under the Holy Spirit.
:: LOS ANGELES 03-Sep-99 (CWNews.com) - Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch donated $10 million toward the construction of a new $163 million cathedral complex in downtown Los Angeles, according to a newspaper report on Friday.
:: The Los Angeles Times newspaper said Murdoch, chairman of the international conglomerate News Corp., made a donation from his family foundation toward the building of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles called the donation "an extraordinary gift" and said the money will be set aside for the cathedral's conference center.

* Legend TTT = The Tampa Tribune

ISRAEL


500 PROTESTING SHARON - ABU MAZEN MEETING
Press Statement 17 May, 2003 - Some 500 citizens are protesting now across from the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem under the banner "Fight Terror - Don't Talk to It"
Among the speakers: MK Arieh Aldar, Nissan Slomiansky and Ofir Cohen whose three children were wounded in their legs in the school bus attack in Kfar Darom carried out by Dahlan's deputy. Dahlan is participating now in the meeting with Sharon.
Yehoshua Mor Yoseph ( Yesha1@netvision.net.il ) Spokesman, Yesha Counci

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EGYPT ANNOUNCES HUGE OIL DISCOVERY CAIRO [MENL]
6/3/03 - Egypt has discovered a major oil reserve in the Gulf of Suez.
BP Egypt said last week that it discovered a huge reserve at the Saqara well in the Gulf of Suez. The company said the well, the biggest discovered by the company since 1989, could contain up to 80 million barrels of crude oil.
The company said this would allow BP to pump up to 50,000 barrels a day from Saqara. Last month, BP was awarded exploration rights in three new blocks of the Gulf of Suez.
BP, through a joint venture with the state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Co., is said to account for one-third of Egypt's oil production. The company said the Saqara discovery penetrated the Nubia reservoir at the deepest oil-water contact every recorded in the Gulf. [ editor@menewsline.com / www.imra.org.il ]

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IDF UNCOVERS "RESISTANCE TUNNEL" FROM EGYPT
IDF uncovers "resistance tunnel" from Egypt as Mubarak opposes "terror" - Aaron Lerner Date: 3 June 2003
Less than an hour after Egyptian President Mubarak proclaimed opposition to "terror" Israel Radio reported that the IDF has uncovered another tunnel from Egypt to the Gaza Strip for the smuggling of weapons.
While Egypt is obligated by its treaty with Israel to prevent the operation of these tunnels, it has consistently followed a policy of, at best, benign neglect regarding the tunnels.
It should be noted that while Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab participants at the Sharm meeting oppose "terror" that this is not relevant to the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is because their position is that murdering Israelis is not "terror" but instead "national resistance". The tunnels therefore are not illegitimate "terror tunnels" but instead "resistance tunnels".
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis - http://www.imra.org.il )

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BACKGROUND BASIC LAW - ACTING PRIME MINISTER
IMRA: Israel Radio reported (27 Feb 2003) that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has appointed MK Ehud Olmert Acting Prime Minister. Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asked yesterday that his responsibilties include this position but Sharon declined his request. The following excerpts from Basic Law: The Government relate to this position. Under the Basic Law, the Acting Prime Minister serves a maximum of 100 days before the Government meets to "designate another of the Ministers who is a member of the Knesset and of the Prime Minister's faction to be Interim Prime Minister pending the constitution of the new Government."]

Basic Law: The Government (2001) - Unofficial Translation http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00hd0 ...

Acting Prime Minister.
16. (a) Should the Prime Minister be absent from Israel, meetings of the Government will be convened and conducted by the designated Acting Prime Minister. (b) Should the Prime Minister be temporarily unable to discharge his duties, his place will be filled by the Acting Prime Minister. After the passage of 100 days upon which the Prime Minister does not resume his duties, the Prime Minister will be deemed permanently unable to exercise his office. (c) Failing the appointment of a designated Acting Prime Minister, or should the Acting Prime Minister be prevented from fulfilling his duties under sections (a) and (b) above, the Government shall designate another Minister to exercise that office. ...

The Resignation of Prime Minister.
19. The Prime Minister may, after notifying the Government of his intention to do so, resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the President of the State. The resignation of the Prime Minister shall be deemed to be the resignation of the Government.

Death or permanent incapacity of Prime Minister.
20. (a) If the Prime Minister dies, the Government shall be deemed to have resigned on the day of his death. (b) Should the Prime Minister be permanently incapacitated, the Government shall be deemed to have resigned on the 101st day during which the Acting Prime Minister served in his place.

Prime Minister or Acting Prime Minister ceasing to function as member of Knesset.
21. (a) Should the Prime Minister cease to function as a member of the Knesset, he will be deemed to have resigned; the Government shall be deemed to have resigned the same day. (b) Should an Acting Prime Minister cease to be a Knesset Member, he shall cease to serve as Acting Prime Minister. ...

Authority to disperse the Knesset.
29. ... (h) An Acting Prime Minister shall not be entitled to exercise the authority of the Prime Minister under this section. ...

Continuity of Government.
30. (a) When a new Knesset has been elected or the Government has resigned under sections 18, 19, 20, 21 or 29, or if a request is submitted under section 29(b), the President of the State shall begin proceedings for the formation of a new Government, as laid out in this Basic Law. (b) When a new Knesset has been elected or the Government has resigned (sections 18, 19, 20, 21 or 29), the outgoing Government shall continue to carry out its functions until the new Government is constituted. (c) A Prime Minister who has resigned shall continue to carry out his functions pending the constitution of the new Government. If the Prime Minister has died, or is permanently incapacitated, from carrying out his duties, or if his tenure was ended because of an offense, the Government shall designate another of the Ministers who is a member of the Knesset and of the Prime Minister's faction to be Interim Prime Minister pending the constitution of the new Government. (d) A Government that serves under subsection (b) may appoint a Knesset Member as a Minister in place of a Minister who has ceased to serve; the appointment of a Minister under this subsection does not require the approval of the Knesset. ( www.imra.org.il )

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