END-TIME
CHURCH / PLURALISM
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|
It is written: "When Jesus knew in himself that
his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend
you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where
he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life. But there are some of you that believe
not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed
not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I
unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were
given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples
went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto
the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."
(John 6:61-68 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
- -----
- NO FOLLOW UP AND MORE AMERICANIZING THAN EVANGELIZING
- One of the biggest problems today is that there is follow
up 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
pastured 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 behavior, 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 female
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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- 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.
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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 Scientology
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 ediotr 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 flippent
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://a2zbookdepot.adelink.net/social_issues_5.html
- 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 legitimatize
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)
- -----
- 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)
-
- 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
- -----
- GUESS WHO WAS HOSTING CATHOLIC & 'KNIGHTED' RUDOLPH GIULIANI
IN TAMPA DRS. RANDY AND PAULA WHITE AT THEIR CHURCH'S
'WITHOUT WALLS INTERNATIONAL AUDITORIUM'
- America's 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?
- 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.
- -----
- 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)
- -----
- 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
- -----
- 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)
- -----
- 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
condemning 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 worshipers 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 neighbor; 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
- -----
- 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)
- -----
- 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)
- -----
- 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
- -----
- 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 calling 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)
- -----
- 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)
- -----
- 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)
- -----
- 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 )
- -----
- 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)
- -----
-
GLOBAL / LOCAL
POLITICS
|
|
- Denver International Airport
Murals Spell Out
- US Spiritual and Physical Future
in 1995?
|
|
On a recent trip to Denver we were confronted once again
with the murals at the DIA. They are frightening to Christians
as well as American citizenry since one speaks of death to Christianity
as we know it, one speaks of bio warfare and the destruction
of the twin towers and the Lotus is referring to the worship
of Mother Earth as our god. |
|
- This picture is illustrated on the right hand bottom part
of a large mural which has at the center an Indian woman also
in a casket with a halo around her head to make sure we get the
point about Christianity. Notice the dead child's right hand
is clutching a bouquet of flowers as well as the Holy Bible.
On the mural the cross is very visible. You can see it when you
know where to look. It is slightly hidden and most people probably
don't see it.
-
|
|
-
|
Here we have the whole mural from
which the casket of the little girl was taken. You can see the
Indian as well. Notice the background depicting the country,
it is in flames. This was done prior to 1995 when there seemed
to be peace world-wide. |
-
|
Note the eagle on his hat looks down which is unusual.
If anyone knows what the significance of that is let me know.
When the eagle looks to the left it means peace. This eagle is
not bringing peace. |
-
|
Here we have bio warfare, the soldier wears a mask. The
rainbow represents New Age. The Twin Towers and the Peace Dove
gored by an old fashioned weapon.. The uniform dates back to
the WWII Germany. Death and destruction. What is this message
about? |
|
 |
This represents the new world. Notice the threats are gone.
The fire is gone and we all live happily ever after. The lotus
flower represents a fruit eaten that causes indolence and dreamy
contentment. The Lotus plant relates to Hinduism |
|
-----
- PRINCE CHARLES RELEASES DETAILS OF FINANCES
- Some believe that Prince Charles has the credentials according
to his crest to be the royal king to represent the Antichrist
when the time comes. One reason he doesn't fit the Biblical description
is that Prince Charles loves women, where the Antichrist doesn't.
In a first disclosure of Prince Charles's bulk income was close
to $17 million, an increase of 27% from last year of which only
$5 million came from taxpayers. Charles is apparently an astute
businessman. He owns a lucrative organic food business specializing
in cookies, chocolates, etc., farms, shops, offices and investments. (The Tampa Tribune 7.3.03)
-----
- WTO WILL ALLOW EU TO IMPOSE $4 BILLION SANCTION AGAINST THE
U.S.
- The penalty is based on U.S. tax exemption. Geneva - The
World Trade Organization said that the European Union can impose
$4 billion in sanctions against the United States, a figure 20
times bigger than any sanction allowed in the past, because of
tax breaks given to U.S. corporations operating abroad. Delighted
by the verdict, the EU vowed to go ahead with plans to impose
the sanctions by working on lists of targeted products, including
textiles, foodstuffs and automotive parts to nuclear reactors,
unless Washington ends the tax policy... Tax breaks to American
companies, coupled with a second benefit not challenged by the
EU, is expected to save U.S. companies an estimated $4.8 billion
this year. A WTO arbitrator rules that the EU is entitled to
impose as much as $4 billion a year. (TTT* 8.31.02)
-----
- SYRIAN LEADER RAISES DOUBTS ABOUT EXISTENCE OF AL-QAIDA
- Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published
Sunday that he doubts the existence of al-Qaida, the group blamed
for the Sept. 11 attacks. "Is there really an entity call
al-Qaida? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?" Assad
asked, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba.
Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born Islamic extremist who heads
al-Qaida, "Osama cannot talk on the phone or use the Internet,
but he can direct communications to the four corners of the world?"
Assad said. "This is illogical."
- Such speculation is popular among some in Arab world who
say Washington has manufactured or exaggerated the threat posed
by al-Qaida to paint Muslims as dangerous. On Mideast matters.
Assad complained that the United States put Israel at the center
of its dealings with Arab states. "America is happy with
Syria and the Arab countries when Israel is happy with them,"
he said. "Israel is a state that occupies our land, and
we are required to take its interests into account? What logic
is that? We say America is the effective power, our relationship
should be direct with it." (TTT* 5.26.03)
-----
- PALESTINIAN CABINET CHOSEN
- The new Palestinian prime minister named a Cabinet in line
with a leadership overhaul the United States sought, keeping
a key security job for himself and appointing several professionals
and reformers. Obstacles arose as Palestine leader Yasser Arafat's
Fatah group postponed a meeting to approve the panel, indicating
Arafat's displeasure, and three demoted ministers were reportedly
refusing to join the new team. Once the Cabinet of Mahmoud Abbas
is approved, possibly this week, President Bush is expected to
unveil a "road map" to Palestinian statehood, starting
the clock ticking on the three-year plan. (TTT*
4.14.03)
-----
- U.S. DOLLAR PUSHED DOWN AS EURO CLIMBS HIGHER
- The U.S. dollar fell to a four-year low against the euro
Monday, inching closer to its all time bottom after U.S. Treasury
Secretary John Snow said a weaker dollar would help U.S. exports..
Economists said Snow's comments Sunday on ABC's "This Week"
set off the latest surge by indicating the U.S. government wouldn't
take steps to halt the dollar's slide. (TTT*
5.13.03)
-----
- LATEST BOMBING IS AIMED AT IRAQIS WORKING WITH U.S.
- AMADI, Iraq, July 5 — by Shaila Dewan, Patrick Tyler.
Seven Iraqi police recruits died today as explosives packed into
a utility pole near a police station went off during the graduation
ceremony for the first American-trained class for a new police
force. It was the latest in a series of attacks that initially
focused on American and British forces in Iraq and that appear
to be escalating to include Iraqi security forces cooperating
with occupation forces. The blast followed by one day the release
of an audio message that claimed to be from Saddam Hussein, calling
on Iraqis to resist the occupation by the Americans and the British
and to punish any Iraqis who cooperate with them. Iraqis on Friday
had warned reporters that they had heard that a large attack
was being planned for this weekend.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/international/worldspecial/06IRAQ.html?th
-----
- LIBERIAN LEADER ANNOUNCES THAT HE WILL STEP DOWN.
- MONROVIA, Liberia, July 6 — by Somini Sengupta: Charles
Taylor, the guerrilla leader who became president and was then
indicted as a war criminal, announced today that he would leave
his country and accept refuge in nearby Nigeria.
- Mr. Taylor did not say when he would go, but he dangled his
earlier promise to step aside once an international force arrived
in this country to monitor a cease-fire deal between his forces
and the rebels who have sought to topple him. Mr. Taylor has
in recent days warned of potential bedlam if his sudden departure
leaves a power vacuum. (New York Times 7.8.2003)
-----
- BUSH, HITLER COMPARISON BLASTED
- Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's justice minister said this
week that President Bush's "method" of pressuring Iraq
was similar to tactics employed by Adolf Hitler because both
sought to divert attention from domestic problems, a German newspaper
reported. Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin was quoted as
saying the United States "has a lousy legal system"
and "Bush would be sitting in prison today" if current
U.S. laws against insider trading were on the books when he worked
in the oil industry in Texas. The reported remarks, a new example
of anti-U.S. sentiment in an election campaign leading up to
voting Sunday, quickly brought calls from the opposition for
Daeubler-Gmelin's resignation. (TTT* 9.20.02)
-----
- BUSH, EUROPEAN UNION LEADERS PATCH UP TIES, LOOK TOWARD IRAN
- Allies united on Iran. Bush and the EU leaders agreed on
the need to press Iran on its nuclear program, even though Iran
insists that they are developing nuclear facilities to generate
electricity and not the build weapons, a contention that President
Bush rejects. EU bans biotech foods which puts Bush and the EU
partners in an impasse over genetically modified foods. An EU
ban of such products has sparked accusations of protectionism
from U.S. farmers, who widely use plants that are biologically
modified to increase their yields or to reduce vulnerability
to disease. It is a sore spot in diplomacy. (The
Tampa Tribune 6.26.03)
-----
- TOM RIDGE, A JESUIT, A WOULD BE PRESIDENT?
- Another major change is the 'Line of Succession' change that
is sailing through Senate. So far the Republicans have won every
round. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge could move up to
eighth in line of presidential succession, leapfrogging 10 other
Cabinet members in a congressional effort to better prepare for
a catastrophic attack on Washington. Under legislation approved
by the Senate and pending in the House, Ridge would move from
18th to eighth, behind Attorney General John Ashcroft and in
front of Interior Secretary Gale Norton, in the line to succeed
the president in a disaster. The measure sped through the Senate
again without debate. The new lineup would be: Cheney, Hastert,
Stevens, Powell, Snow, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Ridge, etc. (The Tampa Tribune 7.1.03)
-----
- ASHCROFT SEEKS FURTHER POWERS
- Attorney General John Ashcroft, under fire for jailing hundreds
of illegal aliens after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, told
Congress that he needs even broader anti terrorist powers. Ashcroft
said the Patriot Act, which Congress enacted needed to be expanded.
Ashcroft wants stiffer penalties for terrorism crimes including
death and life imprisonment - as well as the authority to hold
those suspected of such crimes indefinitely before trial. He
also wants broader authority to prosecute those who provide "material
support" to terrorist groups... Struck by the timing of
the request, Laura Murphy of ACLU complained that Ashcroft has
not provided full disclosure. A 198 page report found that some
detainees were physically and verbally abused, kept locked in
brightly lighted cells for all but one hour each day and denied
access to attorneys. (TTT* 6.6.03)
-----
- 9/11 SUIT SEEKS $100 TRILLION
- August 16, 2002 Victims' relatives: Saudis had Al-Qaida connections.
In a potential complication for U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia,
more than 600 relatives of Sept. 11 terrorism victims filed a
lawsuit that accuses seven foreign banks, eight Islamic foundations
and three members of the Saudi royal family of financing Osama
bin Laden and his terrorist network. The relatives said that
their lawsuit seeks $100 trillion, aims to crush the financial
pipeline that supports terrorism. The lawsuit also names as defendants
the Sudanese government and the Saudi construction conglomerate
run by bin Laden's family.. (TTT* 8.16.02)
President Bush tightened up on access to information about
the incidents. He appointed Dr. Henry Kissinger to head an investigation
by the White House staff into the events of 9/11 which fell through.
Kissinger removed himself from this appointment due to a conflict
of interest shortly after he was appointed. Access to documents
slow, the 9/11 Commission complains (TTT* 7.9.03).
The group is trying to file a report by election.
- Leaders of a federal commission investigating the Sept. 11
attacks complained that the Bush administration has been too
slow to provide access to key documents and is intimidating witnesses
by insisting the CIA and FBI "minders" attend sensitive
interviews. The chairman of the commission, former New Jersey
Gov. Thomas H. Kean, said the delays are threatening the panels
ability to meet its congressionally imposed deadline and produce
a final report before the 2004 presidential election.. Kristen
Breitweiser and Lori Van Auken both lost husbands on Sept 11.
and they advocate that Congress extend the commission's May 2004
deadline. (TTT* 7.9.03) We have video
of the report to Congress of the National Commission on September
11th attack of May 23, 2003 http://a2zbookdepot.adelink.net/video_library.html
-----
- COLIN POWELL'S SON RELAXES FCC RULES ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP
- The federal government's top media watchdogs approved a sweeping
deregulation of broadcast industries, boosting the ability of
companies to navigate rapidly changing markets, but raising fears
about their control of information and entertainment. In a bitter
split along party lines, the Republican majority to the Federal
Communications Commission - led by Chairman Michael K Powell
- voted 3-2 to relax regulations that prevented TV stations from
merging with local newspapers and restricted how many stations
one company could own, both nationally and locally. The broad
revision of long-standing ownership rules clear the way for further
consolidation by the biggest media conglomerates enhancing the
economic prospects of companies such as News Corp. and Viacom
Inc. More mega-mergers are expected. (TTT* 6.3.03)
-----
- 400 RICHEST AMERICAN FILL ONLY 1.6 % OF UNCLE SAM'S COFFERS
- A sharp cut in capital gains tax rates in 1997 encouraged
long-term holders of assets, such as privately owned businesses,
to sell them, and big increases in executive compensation thrust
corporate chiefs into the ranks of the nation's aristocracy.
The 2000 data.. from the IRS indicates that salaries, dividends
and other forms of income have continued to rise since 2000,
even as the stock market has fallen. But their taxes grew at
a much slower rate. During the nine years of tax returns that
were examined for the new report, only a handful of taxpayers
showed up in the top 400 every year. Fewer than 2200 taxpayers
made the cut even once. There were a few incomes of more than
$1 billion a year in the group, but none as high as $10 billion.
(The Tampa Tribune 6.26.03)
-----
- WHEN THERE'S NO PLACE LEFT TO GO
- The front page of Pasco Tribune was dedicated to the homeless.
Residents form a prayer circle before a meal at the Holy Ground
Homeless Shelter in Hudson. They report a surge of homeless in
June. They cater to the growing population of homeless women
and children. They and thousands like them in Pasco County -
have one thing in common. They have no place to live and can't
afford to find anywhere anytime soon. Thousands more are likely
on the verge of homelessness, advocates say, and with cuts in
government funding, answers may be harder to find. "It's
people like you and me," said Lisa Barabas. We are seeing
more and more and its overwhelming." The shelter had plans
for expansion but had to drop plans for lack of funding. (TTT* 7.6.2003)
- -----
- SALVATION ARMY TO CLOSE FOOD PROGRAM FOR POOR
- Dip in donations cited; some neighbors are pleased. The Salvation
Army of Hillsborough County, an organization synonymous with
soup kitchen, announced Wednesday it will stop its daily feeding
of 400 to 500 homeless and poor people. The popular food line
on Florida Avenue will end May 4, saving the nonprofit agency
$400,000 annually - about the same amount as its shortfall in
donations for 2002, said Steve Vick, general manager. "It
finally got to the point that we could not bear the load anymore,"
Vick said.. (TTT* 4.10.03)
- -----
- CENSORSHIP ON THE RISE: HIGH COURT OKS FILTERING OUT PORN
IN LIBRARIES.
- Opponents contend that it is censorship. Justices ruled that
the government can withhold money from libraries that won't install
blocking devices, EVEN THOUGH THE TECHNOLOGY SHUTS OFF MORE THAN
PORNOGRAPHY. "To the extent that libraries wish to offer
unfiltered access, they are free to do so without federal assistance,"
the main ruling said.. A librarian said some savvy computer users
know how to bypass the filters and access pornographic sites
on library computers. Judith Krug, of the American Library Association,
predicted that many libraries would consider rejecting federal
funding rather than installing filters... Congress has passed
three anti-pornography laws since 1996. The Supreme Court struck
down the first. The second was blocked by justices from taking
effect. The first two laws were criminal statutes involving Web
operators. The latest approach, in the 2000 law, shifted the
focus to libraries dependent on federal money. Under the law
filters are required for all library users, not just children..
(TTT* 6.24.03)
- -----
- SWAT TEAM ACTION CONFUSES 911 CALLER
- Mary Thorne awoke to glass breaking in her living room, jumped
out of bed and saw a SWAT team surrounding her home. "I
saw them through the kitchen window with guns and shields,"
Thorne said Friday. "They kept saying, 'Open the door.'
But I was afraid if I did, they would shoot me. I didn't know
what was happening." The Pasco County Sheriff's Office deputies
were sent to the Geneva Drive home after Thorne called 911 at
2 a.m. Tuesday during a fight with her husband. She is grateful
her husband was arrested on two domestic violence charges, but
unhappy with how things were handled. (TTT* 4.5.03)
-----
- CONNECTICUT HIGH COURT CALLS FETUS A BODY PART
- Conviction was upheld in a miscarriage attempt. Connecticut
Supreme Court ruled May 7, 2003 that a fetus is a body part,
akin to teeth, shin and hair that are eventually shed. The ruling
unanimously upheld the conviction of a man who tried to induce
a miscarriage by slipping his girlfriend labor-inducing drugs.
"The fetus may both be a part of its mother as well as its
own individual being," wrote Chief Justice Williams J. Sullivan.
Sandoval was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to
induce a miscarriage. The woman gave birth to a healthy son later.
Gov. John Rowland is expected to raise the penalty to 10 - 25
years in prison for such an attempt in the future. (TTT*
5.8.03)
- -----
- BAR CODES ON MEDICATION MAY SAVE PATIENTS' LIVES
- New System from FDA keeps track of doses. Every medication
given in the hospital soon will carry a lable with a supermarket-style
bar code that can be matched to patients and help ensure they
get the right dose of the right drug at the right time. Thursday's
proposal by the Food and Drug Administration is part of a series
of government steps to help prevent deadly medical mistakes that
claims tens of thousands of lives each year. An estimated 7,000
hospitalized patients die annually because of drug errors, where
a wrong drug or a wrong dose is dispensed. The bar code system
will allow nurses and others to check electronically that the
drug is the proper one. The proposed regulation which is expected
to be finalized early next year, also will apply to most drugs
sold over the counter. (TTT* 3.14.03)
- -----
- SMALLPOX VACCINE COMPENSATION PROPOSED
- After months of delay, the Bush administration is proposing
a compensation fund for people injured by the smallpox vaccine,
trying to plug the most prominent hole in its inoculation program.
The proposal, which Congress would have to approve, is based
on a similar compensation package available to police officers
and firefighters injured on the job. The government would pay
$262,100 for person WHO DIES OR IS PERMANENTLY AND TOTALLY DISABLED
BY THE VACCINE. Those less severely injured could receive up
to $50,000 plus medical expenses. (TTT* 3.6.03)
- -----
- 38 COMMITTED SUICIDE UNDER OREGON LAW IN '02
- Thirty-eight people in the state killed themselves with help
from their doctors in 2002, the highest number in the five years
that the state's physician-assisted suicide law has been in effect.
- A state report in the New England Journal of Medicine showed
that doctors wrote 58 prescriptions in 2002 for terminally ill
patients who qualified under the voter-approved law, and 38 committed
suicide. (TTT* 3.6.03)
- -----
- ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER
- UN Center on Human Settlements, UN Nations Development Program,
World Bank, World Trade Org., Rockefeller Foundation, The Earth
Charter (and their 'bill of rights,' for mankind), Earth Council,
UN General Assembly, Commission On Global Governance, UN Trusteeship
Council, World Constitution and Parliament Association, many
Robert Muller globalist new age groups such as Advisory Council
of the United People's Assembly 1996), Action Coalition For Global
Change, UNESCO United Nations Educational The Scientific and
Cultural Organization, World Affairs Council, UN Rights Of The
Child and Goals 2000, Lucis Trust, International Foundation Of
Learning, World Service Authority, Action Coalition For Global
Change, United People's Assembly, New Zealand Forum For United
Nations Renewal, Global Ratification and Elections Network, United
Planetary Assembly and Coordinating Citizens Peoples Assemblies,
United Peoples Advocates and Global Virtual Assembly World Peace
Conference, Robert Muller Schools (and the world core curriculum,
school of ageless wisdom, Alice A. Bailey (education in the new
age), Global Citizenship 2000 Youth Congress Call For Leadership,
United Religions Org., Gorbachev Foundation, The World Conference
on Religion and Peace or WCRP, UN Religions Charter, Global Interfaith
Summit, United Nations Conference On Environment and Development,
World Watch Institute, UN World Conference On Women, Green Cross
International, Convention On Biodiversity, State Of The World
Forum, Global Security Programme, New York Council On Foreign
Relations, Trilateral Commission, Esalen Institute, UNICEF, World
Future Society, World Healing Day, Center For Conscious Evolution,
New World Center, Federal Energy Administration, Quartus Foundation
[email contributor]
- -----
- PROPAGANDA SOUNDS LIKE RUSSIAN THINK TANKS
- .From these groups we are now hearing propaganda that sounds
as if it is straight from a Russian think tank, with coined terms
such as, having a 'people's parliament,' a 'people's assembly,'
a network to 'represent,' humanity, a 'peace movement,' 'global
ethics,' global citizens groups, 'global education leaders',
'Our Planetary Home', 'the human family,' 'fulfillment of the
individual,' 'physical sensing skills,' 'world core curriculum,'
'shaping a global spirituality,' 'cosmic minded', 'change in
consciousness,' 'becoming a cosmic unit,'universal truth,' 'new
Aquarian age,' 'new social order,' 'cooperative consciousness,'
'visioneering,' 'planet elder,' 'mother Earth,' global society,'
'citizens of Earth,' 'one Absolute Value,' 'the new age perspective
of global unity,' 'gathering of the tribes,' 'interfaith directives,'
'ecumenism,' 'interfaithism,' 'unity,' 'common good,' 'common
goals-ideas-visions,' 'United Religions Charter,' 'sacred waters
in a great bowl of unity,' 'individual religious paths,' 'plan
for united religions,' 'unifying vision,' 'limited Earth's resources,'
'service to Earth,' 'intelligence community,' 'global neighborhood,'
'global I.D. number,' 'global income tax,' 'global court,' "the
Earth Charter Benchmark Draft," 'eco-logic,' 'coercion of
the civilian pollution,' 'sharing the wealth,' 'all things equal,'
'New International Order,' 'global crisis,' 'overpopulation,'
'abortion mandates for overpopulation,' 'global brain trust,'
'council of the wise,' 're interpreting the Bible,' 'order out
of chaos,' 'world healing meditation,' 'new age 'christ for our
generation,' 'psychic healing,' , Planetary Commission For Global
Healing, 'Association Of Research And Enlightenment, inc.' [email contributor]
- -----
- FAITH INITIATIVE USED TO LURE VOTERS
- Republicans are using the prospect of federal grants from
the Bush administration's "faith-based initiative"
to boost support for GOP candidates, especially among black voters
in states and districts with tight congressional races this fall.
Top government officials overseeing the program, which is designed
to funnel federal social service grants to religious groups,
have appeared at Republican-sponsored events and with GOP candidates
in at least six states. The events often target black audiences,
such as a recent South Carolina seminar to which about 1,600
black ministers were invited. The events hosts explained how
the federal program will distribute about $25 million in grants
to community groups affiliated with churches and other private-sector
institutions.. Those who attended received follow-up letters,
on GOP stationary, explaining how to apply for grant money. (TTT* 9.18.02)
SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE REGAINS DOLLARS
NYT - By Dennis Overbye - Years after Congress ordered NASA to
pull the plug on a survey looking for alien radio signals from
the stars, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI,
as it is known to aficionados, seems to have gradually achieved
a modicum of respect in the halls of Washington.
The most recent indication appeared at the end of last month,
when NASA named 12 groups that had won five-year grants to participate
as "lead teams" in its Astrobiology Institute, which
investigates the origin and future of life in the universe. (New York Times 7.8.2003)
-----
ISRAEL
- ISRAELI COURT BROADENS THE DEFINITON OF 'JEW'
- Reform, conservative conversions qualify. Jerusalem - Judaism's
Reform and Conservative movements won a landmark legal victory
Wednesday, as the Supreme Court ruled that the government must
register as Jews those Israeli citizens converted here by non-Orthodox
rabbis.
- Reform and Conservative Jews hailed the decision, handed
down by an extended panel of 11 justices. Orthodox rabbis bitterly
denounced it. Both sides agreed that the ruling would shape the
destiny of the Jewish people.
- "This is huge," said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, a Jerusalem
spokesman for North American Reform Jewry. "Now, finally,
Israeli citizens living in Israel who have undergone Reform conversions
will enjoy the same rights and standing as all other Israeli
Jews."
- But Zevulun Orlev, a parliamentarian with the National Religious
Party, likened the court's decision to "a terrorist attack
on the [Jewish] people's unity." The court, Orlev said,
"won big-time today. The Jewish people lost big-time."
- Seven years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that Orthodox Judaism
could not monopolize conversions in Israel. It said then that
non-Orthodox converts who enter Israel under the Law of Return
may be registered by the state as Jews. But successive governments
ignored the court's decision, refusing to register as a Jew anyone
converted by a Reform or Conservative rabbi.
- Non-Orthodox converts will still have to prove they are Jewish
according to Halakha, or Jewish law, in order to be married in
Israel. (TTT * 2.21.2002)
-----
- KARL ROVE DECIDED FOR BUSH: ISRAEL'S RED LINES IGNORED, PA
STATE WITHOUT ELIMINATING TERROR WASHINGTON [MENL]
- President George Bush has resolved a dispute within his administration
over U.S. strategy to establish a Palestinian state.
- Administration officials and senior sources in Congress said
Bush resolved several issues that concerned U.S. policy to establish
an interim Palestinian state by the end of 2003. The officials
said the decisions concerned policy issues as well as appointments
to oversee the so-called roadmap. The roadmap, drafted by Washington,
the European Union, United Nations and Russia, also envisions
a Palestinian state with permanent borders in 2005.
- "There were some heated discussions within the top echelon
of the administration over the principles that would guide the
roadmap," an official said. "The debates were both
between and within agencies and the president resolved them on
the eve of his arrival in Sharm [e-Sheik] to meet with Arab leaders."
- Most of the issues, the officials and congressional sources
said, were submitted to Bush's chief political strategist Karl
Rove. They said Rove, who engineered the Republican victory in
Congress in November 2002, has been granted major input in U.S.
foreign policy as part of an effort to prepare Bush's reelection
campaign in 2004. Rove accompanied the president during the Sharm
e-Sheik and Aqaba summits.
- The administration officials and congressional sources said
a key debate was whether to link the establishment of an interim
Palestinian state to the elimination of Palestinian insurgency
groups by the Palestinian Authority as well as an Arab commitment
to stop funding such groups as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They
said officials in the Defense Department and National Security
Council said such a condition was vital to ensure that a Palestinian
state would not endanger U.S. and Israeli interests in the region.
- As late as Saturday, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz
asserted that Bush had maintained the linkage between a Palestinian
state and an end to insurgency groups. Wolfowitz said the issue
was a key element in Bush's pledge in June 2002 for the establishment
of a democratic and peaceful Palestine.
- "As President Bush said last June, the United States
supports the establishment of a Palestinian state if Palestinians,
in turn, embrace democracy, confront corruption and reject terror,"
Wolfowitz, addressing a security conference in Singapore, said.
"The roadmap lays the foundation for this state. It also
lays down markers for what Palestinians and Israelis must accomplish."
- But officials said Bush decided not to impose conditions
for the establishment of an interim state. They said that instead
Bush expressed his determination to achieve a Palestinian ceasefire
as well as an Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip.
- Another issue that at one point divided the administration
was whether Bush should press Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin
Abdul Aziz to stop all Saudi funding to Hamas. Several officials
had argued that a halt in Saudi funding to Hamas would help the
new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, who has pledged
to end Palestinian attacks against Israel.
- The State Department rejected the proposal, officials said.
They said Assistant Secretary of State William Burns argued that
Riyad has taken significant steps to stop the funding of groups
deemed as terrorists and has allowed a U.S. interagency team
to monitor the investigation of the May 12 suicide strikes in
Riyad.
- Burns and other officials warned that raising the Hamas issue
with Abdullah could endanger other U.S.-Saudi cooperation against
Al Qaida. In the end, Bush decided not to press the Hamas issue
with Abdullah during their meeting on Tuesday, officials said.
- "The Saudis told the president that they are making
renewed efforts on the fight against terrorism, including particularly
on the financing of terrorism," U.S. National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice told a briefing in Sharm e-Sheik on Tuesday.
- The administration also argued over the content of the communiques
for the summits in Sharm e-Sheik and Aqaba. Officials said Pentagon
and National Security Council aides wanted the communiques to
include the U.S. commitment to the continuation of a Jewish state.
They said the proponents, including several leading House and
Senate members, argued that this would reassure Israel that Washington
would reject a Palestinian demand for the return of millions
of refugees and their descendants to their homes in Israel.
- Bush, however, decided in favor of a recommendation by Secretary
of State Colin Powell not to include any mention of a Jewish
state in the summit communiques. Instead, Powell told a news
conference in Sharm that the United States envisions Israel as
a Jewish state alongside a "contiguous" Palestinian
state.
- "Israel, to live side by side in peace with Palestine,
must be always seen as a Jewish state," Powell said. "That
has implications, as we go forward, as to how we will negotiate
some of the difficult issues that remain in front of us."
- Officials said the most heated dispute concerned the appointment
of a presidential envoy to monitor the roadmap. Ms. Rice urged
the president to appoint outgoing U.S. ambassador to India, Robert
Blackwill, as the U.S. monitor of Israeli and Palestinian commitments
to the roadmap. Blackwill is regarded as a personal friend of
Bush.
- But Powell was said to have opposed Blackwill's appointment.
Blackwill often clashed with Assistant Secretary of State Christina
Rocca in the ambassador's support for Indian-U.S. defense relations
and the inclusion of Israel in a strategic alliance with Washington
and New Dehli.
- Finally, Bush agreed not to appoint Blackwill and asked Powell
for his recommendation. Officials said Powell recommended Assistant
Secretary of State John Wolf, responsible for State Department
policy on nonproliferation. Wolf served in the State Department's
Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs under the administration
of President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and 1988.
- "The struggle was basically over whether the National
Security Council or the State Department would be responsible
for the roadmap issue," an official said. "State won
and it will largely determine the tactics and pace of the process."
[ Independent Media Review and Analysis Website:
www.imra.org.il ]
- -----
- SUMMIT OF INTERFAITH CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH ZIONISTS CONVENED
- The Interfaith Zionist Leadership Summit - a broad-based
conference of Jewish and Christian Zionists - will convene at
the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, was May 17-18.
- Sponsored by Zionist House (Boston-based, founded in the
late 1940s) with the National Unity Coalition for Israel, the
Summit's co-sponsors include the Zionist Organization of America,
Americans for a Safe Israel, the Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs (JINSA), Christians Israel Public Action Campaign,
The Apostolic Congress, Christian Coalition of America and the
International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem. A complete list of
co-sponsors is included in the attached ad.
- The summit was addressed by such distinguished authorities
- concerned for both Israel's future and America's national interests
-- as former Ambassador Alan Keyes, Janet Parshall, Gary Bauer,
JINSA President Tom Neumann, Middle East expert Daniel Pipes,
American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Ledeen, Christian
Coalition of America President Roberta Combs and Joe Farah, editor
of WorldNetdaily.com. A full list of speakers is available at
www.zionistleadership.com.
- Panel discussions covered such timely issues as: The Road
Map for an Imposed Settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,
-- Islam and Terrorism -- A Palestinian State, U.S. Security
and Israel's Future -- Media Ignorance and Bias in Coverage of
the Middle East -- Confronting Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism
on the College Campus -- The Occupied Territories and Other Canards
-- and Forging a Jewish-Christian Alliance for Israel.
- Organizers expect the Summit attended by more than 1,000
leaders and activists, who will formulate future strategy for
the growing coalition of Christian and Jewish Zionists. At the
conclusion of the Iraq war, it's crucial for Israel's friends
in the Christian and Jewish communities to unite to assure that
the Jewish state is not put in mortal danger to appease the Arab
world and its partisans. That ultimately would not serve U.S.
national interests in the region or worldwide. [Source:
www.imra.org.il ]
-
- * Legend: TTT = The Tampa Tribune
|