"Now, Then and Always"...Quote Satan

Global Government by 2025?

2010-10-08T23:22:00.002-04:00

This is troubling. [A pdf copy of the report is available on this article link.]
.
Global Government by 2025?
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/45794/

Naughty or Nice? 2009

2009-11-28T10:56:00.006-05:00

Naughty or Nice? 2009
.
- American Family Association:
AFA's 2009 listing of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas
http://action.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147486887
.
- Liberty Counsel
"Friend or Foe" Christmas Campaign
http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=15259

The Compassionate Friends - Worldwide Candle Lighting

2009-11-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

Worldwide Candle Lighting Video

Worldwide Candle Lighting

The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause. As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, creating a virtual wave of light, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries.

The Compassionate Friends - Home

Even When Steeples Are Falling ...

2009-09-06T16:14:00.004-04:00

Lutheran CORE - News And Discussion:
http://commonconfession.blogspot.com/2009/08/even-when-steeples-are-falling.html

http://commonconfession.blogspot.com/2009/08/real-catastrophe.html
.
. How the ELCA Left the Great Tradition for Liberal Protestantism
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/septemberweb-only/135-31.0.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themastersmilieu/message/1152

World’s most popular Bible to be revised

2009-09-01T18:37:00.003-04:00

World’s most popular Bible to be revised
Some gender terms could get makeover in first update in quarter century
.
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 2:52 p.m. ET, Tues., Sept . 1, 2009
.
The world's most-popular Bible will undergo its first revision in 25 years, modernizing the language in some sections and promising to reopen a contentious debate about changing gender terms in the sacred text.
.
The New International Version, the Bible of choice for conservative evangelicals, will be revised to reflect changes in English usage and advances in Biblical scholarship, it was announced Tuesday. The revision is scheduled to be completed late next year and published in 2011.
.
"We want to reach English speakers across the globe with a Bible that is accurate, accessible and that speaks to its readers in a language they can understand," said Keith Danby, global president and CEO of Biblica, a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Christian ministry that holds the NIV copyright.
.
But past attempts to remake the NIV for contemporary audiences in different editions have been plagued by controversies about gender language that have pitted theological conservatives against each other.
.
The changes did not make all men "people" or remove male references to God, but instead involved dropping gender-specific terms when translators judged that the original text didn't intend it. So in some verses, references to "sons of God" became "children of God," for example.
.
Supporters say gender-inclusive changes are more accurate and make the Bible more accessible, but critics contend they twist meaning or smack of political correctness.
.
Earlier revision fell flat
Acknowledging past missteps, the NIV's overseers are promising that this time, the revision process will be more transparent and that they will actively promote what they describe as a long-held practice of inviting input from scholars and readers.
.
The NIV was first published in 1978 and more than 300 million NIV Bibles are in print worldwide; its publishers and distributors say the translation accounts for more than a third of Bibles sold worldwide.
.
The Committee on Bible Translation, an independent group of conservative scholars and translators formed in 1965 to create and revise the NIV, will oversee the new revision.
.
An effort earlier this decade to create a separate version of the NIV that used more gender-inclusive language in an attempt to reach a younger audience fell flat with groups that felt it crossed the line.
.
That edition, Today's New International Version, will cease publication once the new-look NIV is released, said Moe Girkins, president of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Zondervan, its North American publisher.
.
"Whatever its strengths, the TNIV has become an emblem of division in the evangelical Christian world," Girkins said.
.
It was the TNIV that ushered in changes from "sons of God" to "children of God," or "brothers" to "brothers and sisters." In Genesis I, God created "human beings" in his own image instead of "man."
.
Many prominent pastors and scholars endorsed the changes. But critics said masculine terms in the original should not be tampered with. Some warned that changing singular gender references to plural ones alters what the Bible says about God's relationships with individuals.
.
The Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution saying the edition "has gone beyond acceptable translation standards."
.
"We fell short of the trust that has been placed in us," said Danby, of Biblica. "We failed to make a clear case for the revisions."
.
Gender terms
Danby said that freezing the NIV in its 1984 state was also a mistake, however. He emphasized that in the revision, about 90 percent of the NIV will be unchanged.
.
Douglas Moo, a professor at Wheaton College and chairman of the Committee on Bible Translation, said the group is committed to "a complete review of every gender related change."
.
"I am not sure how it's going to come out," Moo said. "We have a genuine, authentic review process ... Everything is on the table."
.
One of the most vocal critics of gender-inclusive translations, Randy Stinson of the Louisville, Ky.-based Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, said the group supports updating the NIV. He credited organizers for their openness.
.
"We're still probably going to differ on the way they handle some of the gender language," Stinson said. "But we're open and anxious to see what they come up with and we're really going to be reserving judgment."
.
Most changes will have nothing to do with gender inclusivity, Moo said. And the TNIV provides a glimpse of likely changes: In the '84 NIV, Mary is "with child," but in the TNIV she is "pregnant." In the NIV version of Psalm 146:9, "The Lord watches over the alien." The TNIV used "foreigner" instead of "alien."
.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32644719/ns/us_news-faith/?GT1=43001
.
FYI: Site page offers a poll 1/2 way down the page.
.
Psalm 146:9 [KJV] The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
http://christiananswers.net/bible/psa146.html
.
I think the word in Psalm's says it all I think.

US Evangelical Lutheran Church Approves Homosexual Clergy

2009-08-28T21:42:00.001-04:00

US Evangelical Lutheran Church Approves Homosexual Clergy
.
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
.
MINNEAPOLIS, August 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Friday, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted in favor of allowing practicing homosexuals, in committed relationships, to hold positions of authority within the sect.
.
By a vote of 559 to 451 at last week's national convention, representatives of the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States decided "to open the ministry of the church to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in committed relationships."
.
"The actions here change the church's policy, which previously allowed gays and lesbians into the ordained ministry only if they remained celibate," ELCA information director John Brook told AFP.
.
"This is not simply rules and procedures for implementing something new," said Rev. Stanley Olson, executive director of ELCA Vocation and Education. "We have these policies because we are committed to having the kind of leaders who will serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who will respect this church and other churches, and who will have the world in view."
.
Members of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Reform), representing over 400 conservative congregations that fought against the homosexualist resolution, renounced the ELCA vote.
.
"ELCA has broken faith with its members and Lutherans worldwide," CORE said in a statement released on Friday.
.
"Lutheran CORE is continuing in the Christian faith as it has been passed down to us by generations of Christians," Rev. Paul Spring, chairman of Lutheran CORE, said in the statement. "I am saddened that a Lutheran Church that was founded on a firm commitment to the Bible has come to the point that the ELCA would vote to reject the Bible's teaching on marriage and homosexual behavior. It breaks my heart."
.
Rev. Spring said CORE will encourage ELCA members and congregations to withdraw financial support from the denomination.
.
"Lutheran CORE leaders are inviting faithful Lutheran congregations and individuals to direct funding away from the national church body because of the decisions made this week by the Churchwide Assembly. Lutheran CORE will participate in and support faithful ELCA ministries, but cannot support ELCA ministries that reject the authority of God's Word," the group's statement stated.
.
Rev. Richard Mahan, pastor at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Charleston, W.Va., told AFP that he believed a majority of his congregation would want to now break away from the ELCA.
.
"This will cause an ever greater loss in members and finances. I can't believe the church I loved and served for 40 years can condone what God condemns," Mahan said. "Nowhere in Scripture does it say homosexuality and same-sex marriage is acceptable to God. Instead, it says it is immoral and perverted."
.
Lutheran CORE announced it will hold a convention in Indianapolis, September 25-26, to plan its further response to the ELCA announcement.
.
To contact Lutheran CORE:
Paul Spring,
Chairman State College, PA
Phone: 814-235-9769
Email: pastorspring@pennswoods.net
.
To contact the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with your concern:
Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson
ELCA Churchwide Office (The Lutheran Center)
8765 W. Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631
Phone: 773/380-2700
Toll free: 800/638-3522
Fax: 773/380-1465
E-mail: info@elca.org
.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09082405.html
.
Lutheran gay clergy vote tests mainline churches

2009-08-16T17:41:00.000-04:00

Started March 23, 2005

In Remembrance of:
--Shawn Earhart
--Theresa Marie Schindler (Schiavo)--Pope John Paul II - Karol Wojtyła.
--Walter Sharp--Jonathan Brickhouse--Trinity Nicole Casey--Anibal Cruz
--Daniel Agosto--Jesstin "Manny" Pagan--Dylan Groene--LaToyia Figueroa
--Baby Figueroa--Reese "Barry" Robertson--Brice Edwards--James Zadroga
--Leona McCleary.
Tallmansville, West Virginia-Sago Miners: --Alva Martin Bennett--Jim Bennett --Jerry Groves
--Terry Helms --David Lewis--Martin Toler--Fred Ware Junior --Marshall Winans --Jack Weaver
--Thomas P. Anderson--George Hamner Jr. --Jesse L. Jones--William Lee "Flea" Chisolm
--John Nelson Boni.
Melville, West Virginia- Alma Miners: --Don Israel Bragg--Ellery "Elvis" Hatfield.
--Kelsey Ann Smith--Daniel Benoit--Tammy Faye Messner--Donald Herbert
-- Caylee Marie Anthony -- Eluana Englaro

List Of PBS Member Stations

2009-07-30T01:52:00.001-04:00

. Listing Of PBS Member Stations - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PBS_member_stations

PBS to Begin Phasing Out Religious Programming From The Airwaves

2009-07-30T00:31:00.002-04:00

PBS to Begin Phasing Out Religious Programming From The Airwaves
.
PBS board members have decided to enforce a rule barring religious broadcasts in a move that spells the beginning of the end for most spiritual shows like Catholic Masses and Mormon devotionals on public television.
.
By Joseph Abrams
FOXNews.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
.
PBS board members, who for 25 years have turned a blind eye to religious programming at some of their member stations' religious programing, have decided to enforce a rule banning the broadcasts -- a move that spells the beginning of the end for religious shows on public television.
.
Six PBS stations currently broadcast "sectarian" programs produced by local religious groups, including the morning "Mass for Shut-Ins," which is popular among elderly and ailing Catholics who cannot attend the daily service.
.
Under the terms of a decision reached by the PBS board Tuesday, those stations can retain their current shows. And all stations can air programs and documentaries that cover sacred topics -- even a newsworthy service, like a papal Mass.
.
But no new religious shows can be offered, and none of the 350 other stations may air any purely spiritual content, a move some groups say is a quiet means of phasing out religion from their airwaves.
.
"PBS' goal is to not have religious programming on PBS affiliates of what we call 'pure' religious (content)" such as Masses or devotional readings, said Susan Briggs, director of Communications for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
.
PBS now will begin enforcing its rule -- on the books since 1985, but never rigorously enforced -- that all stations provide non-commercial, non-partisan and non-sectarian content. That means no ads, no political advocacy -- and, after Tuesday, no new religious transmissions.
.
Early fallout from the board meeting came even before its decision was reached. A PBS affiliate in D.C., Howard University's WHUT, decided to cancel the weekly Mass it had aired for 13 years by the end of July to avoid violating membership criteria.
.
But most of the member stations that air sectarian shows expressed relief Tuesday following the much-anticipated vote by the board.
.
"We're very satisfied with the outcome because it's going to allow the viewers of New Orleans and the many shut-ins and the home-bound that we serve to continue to receive the daily Mass, which is very vital to them," said Ron Yager, general manager of WLAE, the station that serves the city.
.
Federal law does not bar showing the services on public television, but PBS worries that the broadcasts have the appearance of an official endorsement from the network.
.
Allowing such programming to air "would cause the public's trust in PBS to erode, along with the value of the brand," argued its Stations Services Committee, according to a report in the Current.
.
The committee, which is made up of representatives from local networks, reviewed PBS' by-laws for the past 18 months to help move it into the digital era, and it authored the compromise embraced by the board, a PBS spokeswoman told FOXNews.com.
.
But the decision is not being welcomed by critics, who say that funding the stations and allowing them to broadcast devotional services amounts to paying for evangelism.
.
"There is some tax funding involved in public television, and that does make this shade into a church-and-state issue, because in general, we don't use tax dollars to promote sectarian programs," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
.
"What creates problems is when you have taxpayers directly or indirectly subsidizing evangelism," he said in an interview ahead of the board hearing.
.
Religious groups say the programs provide a community service and reflect the makeup and interests of the cities that offer them, and that they are enjoyed by people of different religious persuasions, and even of no persuasion at all.
.
"This is community-based, locally produced programming that fills a community need," said Gibbs, the spokeswoman for the Washington Archdiocese.
.
Wick Rowland, president and CEO of KBDI in Denver, a station that has aired a weekly Mass for about a decade, agreed.
.
"KBDI is a very eclectic television station with a huge diversity of programming with all sorts of political and social opinions," Rowland told FOXNews.com. "No one would mistake us for Catholic television station."
.
But some stations are actually owned are operated by religious groups that hold their sectarian programming sacred, such as KBYU in Utah, which is run by Brigham Young University and airs Mormon devotionals.
.
An underlying tension surrounding the decision was whether such channels would have been forced to split from PBS had the ruling been different.
.
They, too, are expressing relief at a crisis averted.
.
KBYU's managing director said he was "pleased" by the decision from the board of directors, which allowed his station to remain affiliated with PBS.
.
"KBYU has been a PBS member station for nearly 40 years, and we regard it as a tremendous honor to be able to continue to support our local audiences with both national PBS content ... as well as with locally produced content reflective of the values and mission of Brigham Young University," said KBYU director Derek Marquis in a statement.
.
As of Tuesday the only casualty of PBS's reconsideration of its programming is the Catholic Church in Washington, which has agreed to pay $60,000 to air its Mass for Shut-Ins on another network.
.
"PBS is respecting that there is a history of programming," Gibbs, the spokeswoman for the Archdiocese, said of the decision. "It's unfortunate it's not going to continue for us."
.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/16/pbs-begin-phasing-religious-programming-airwaves/
.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/index.html

Couple Ordered to Stop Holding Bible Study at Home Without Permit

2009-06-05T17:58:00.003-04:00

Couple Ordered to Stop Holding Bible Study at Home Without Permit
.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Fox News
.
Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study — unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County.
.
"On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county." David Jones told FOX News.
.
"We told them this is not really a religious assembly — this is just a Bible study with friends. We have a meal, we pray, that was all," Jones said.
.
A few days later, the couple received a written warning that cited "unlawful use of land," ordering them to either "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," the couple's attorney Dean Broyles told San Diego news station 10News.
.
But the major use permit could cost the Jones' thousands of dollars just to have a few friends over.
.
For David and Mary Jones, it's about more than a question of money.
.
"The government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion," Broyles told FOX News. "I believe that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their grave if they saw that here in the year 2009, a pastor and his wife are being told that they cannot hold a simple Bible study in their own home."
.
"The implications are great because it’s not only us that’s involved," Mary Jones said.
.
"There are thousands and thousands of Bible studies that are held all across the country. What we’re interested in is setting a precedent here — before it goes any further — and that we have it settled for the future."
.
The couple is planning to dispute the county's order this week.
.
If San Diego County refuses to allow the pastor and his wife to continue gathering without acquiring a permit, they will consider a lawsuit in federal court.
.
Article Link
.
Video: Freedom Of Religion
.
Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies

My Opinion Concerning Notre Dame and Georgetown Universities.

2009-05-17T18:05:00.006-04:00

"Obama entered the arena to thunderous applause and a standing ovation from many in the crowd of 12,000. But as the president began his commencement address, at least three protesters interrupted it. One yelled, "Stop killing our children."
.
The graduates responded by chanting "Yes we can," the slogan that became synonymous with Obama's presidential campaign. Obama seem unfazed, saying Americans must be able to deal with things that make them "uncomfortable."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090517/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_notre_dame
.
Georgetown and Notre Dame Universities both invited President Barack Obama to speak at commencements. That is ok.

The problem is not with President Obama - and from what I read briefly - I liked his speech to the graduating class.

The problem is with universities presenting themselves as something they are clearly not.

Georgetown removed Christian signage in relation to a request from the Obama Administration - and they did it.

Nortre Dame - on supposedly Roman Catholic grounds - were arresting honorable priests.

It is a shame on both Universities.

As I see it the Universities want it both ways - to dare call and/or present themselves to be Roman Catholic and to pander to the State and popular opinion.

In my opinion both should be stripped of any Church affiliation, funding and backing. To me they are now no different than the University of Pennsylvania or Penn State.

I will correct anyone who has the illusion of referring to them as Catholic honored institutions.

In my view they cannot say they uphold - or are affiliated with - the Church and it's teachings and then follow and pander to a worldly path. They have broken agreements with the Church, and have given the message to the student body that it ok to do that when convenient - that it is ok to dismiss time honored Church teaching when catering to heads of state.

The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, introduced Obama and praised the president for not being "someone who stops talking to those who disagree with him." Jenkins said too little attention has been paid to Obama's decision to speak at an institution that opposes his abortion policy.

You are kidding me.

You cannot have it both ways.

If there were any honor in either of the Universities they would break with this hypocritical illusion and call themselves as they in reality are.

They have been shown as the hypocrites they in fact really are.

I would rather send my grandchildren to a more secular university and know what I am looking at - rather than one who promotes one thing on one hand then promotes it is ok to arrest honorable priests when they uphold what the university was appearing to promote on the other. If I have my two cents into it I will discourage them from attending either of these universities.

The Bible teaches you cannot gain good fruit from a bad tree.

My granddaughter aspires to go to Harvard, and that is ok by me.

-----------
. Georgetown is the oldest Roman Catholic university in the United States, and its religious heritage is used to define the institution. The university's endorsement of Catholic viewpoints has caused controversy at times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown_University

. The University of Notre Dame du Lac (or simply Notre Dame) (IPA: /ˌnoʊtɚˈdeɪm/) is a private Roman Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.

Motto in English: Life, Sweetness, Hope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Notre_Dame

. Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It is also the first and oldest corporation in North America. Harvard University is made up of ten schools.

Motto in English: Truth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090517/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_notre_dame

What I Believe To Be The Upholding Of The Promotion Of Violence Against Women And Children

2009-04-26T12:12:00.003-04:00

1. WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – One day after the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Obama has signed an order to lift the Mexico City policy, a Reagan-era policy that prohibits taxpayer funds from going to organizations that promote or perform abortions overseas.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012309.html
.
2. Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells. WASHINGTON – Reversing Bush policy, President Barack Obama on Monday cleared the way for a significant increase in federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research and promised no scientific data will be "distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda."
.
Obama signed the executive order on the divisive stem cell issue and a memo addressing what he called scientific integrity before an East Room audience packed with scientists.
.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stem_cells_25
.
Obama Unleashes Taxpayer Funds for Embryo-Destructive Research
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09030910.html
.
3. FDA to allow morning-after pill over the counter for 17 year olds - CNN.com
.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Seventeen-year-old women should be able to buy the "morning-after pill" without a prescription within a few weeks, a government spokesman said Thursday. . . On March 23, a federal court ordered that Plan B, an emergency contraception pill, be made available over the counter to those 17 and older, the agency said in a statement on its Web site. The agency will not appeal that order, the statement said. In the order, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman also asked the agency to consider whether the pill should be available to women of all ages without a prescription, saying that such a determination is best left to the expertise of the FDA rather than a federal district judge. . . "Plan B is a high dose of birth control pills. The FDA violated its standards when it made the high-dose Plan B available nonprescription to adults. But now the FDA is making the drug available to minors without parental consent," the Concerned Women for America, a Washington-based conservative Christian group, said Wednesday. "Parents should be furious that the FDA is putting their minor daughters at risk," the group said.
.
Will be made available WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT AND/OR INVOLVEMENT.
http://us.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/22/plan.b.age/index.html

MARRIAGES BLESSED IN CHURCH NOT LICENSED AT COURTHOUSE

2009-02-20T21:54:00.003-05:00

In regards to this article I read in my local paper:
MARRIAGES BLESSED IN CHURCH NOT LICENSED AT COURTHOUSE
.
(Might have to search for the article due to content changing daily)
.
February 20, 2009
.
Name: Rev. Marguerite Earhart
Street Address: P.O. Box 313
City: Spring City
State: PA
Zip: 19475
Country: USA
.
Dear Abby:
.
I read with interest about the idea of Churches only performing 'blessing ceremonies' without the minister signing the marriage license.
.
This has been a topic of concern amongst Christians as far as Churches being forced to do things that are concretely against their beliefs.
.
After pondering this I like the idea. This way Churches would not be forced to perform ceremonies if it conflicts with their church doctrine or biblical teaching.
.
In this way the State can do as they interpret the law to do, and each Church according to higher law or according to their own interpretation and belief.
.
I don't find that it be concretely NECESSARY for a minister of Christ's Church to be obligated to sign a marriage license.
.
I see that there is a mixed view concerning obtaining licenses in the first place to be married.
.
The concrete reasons would be that the law would verify age of the applicants to be of the age of consent, tax purposes for exemptions, and to keep an eye on those who would break the law in regards to polygamy, minors and such.
.
In regards to polygamy alone it could be a tax nightmare which would end up someone not paying any taxes.
.
Would the State then in regards to something like this take away any of the exemptions for everyone - it's a possibility. The State is not really obligated to extend any exemptions.
.
There are those who want the Church to lose tax exempt status - or threaten to sue them - for speaking the truth or being forced to do things that directly conflict with biblical teaching. They do not have an 'income', but function on the generousity of others in direct benefit to the community.
.
The State does try to maintain being active within the community.
.
I'm finding that the real reason for this discussion is the growing antiChristian tone in society.
.
If a couple do not sign a marriage license they are not offically married. Certain States would consider them 'commonlaw' after a period of 7 years or so - being then unoffically married.
.
I find it to be a bit opportunistic as far as being able to then utilize State services that wouldn't be otherwise available to them.
.
It would also go against the true spirit of marriage making it then easier to push the swinging door by not making a concrete committment.
.
I believe that having to obtain a State license to be a good thing.
.
If the State did not monitor in regards to the law and it's enforcement there would be anarchy. Society does not function well that way.
.
The only downside I see is that it could be possibly inconvenient to a couple to have to go to the courthouse for a license/ceremony and then to go for a second ceremony at their place of worship.
.
But if this is the way it has to be then it is. It works for me.
.
But still a sad overall commentary. The Bible does tell righteous believers to 'come out from amongst them' and to have nothing to do with them. The time is coming for that separation to begin to occur I think.
.
The Bible actually teaches that people should remain chaste and single. Marriage - especially in regards to children - is ok, but adultery and divorce is not.
.
My opinion as a result of that is that I don't plan to marry anybody.
.
Many blessings of peace to you
.
http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/dearabby_form.html

Todd Friel on The Prayer That Should Be Prayed At The Inauguration (Wretched)

2009-01-19T23:40:00.002-05:00

Todd Friel on The Prayer That Should Be Prayed At The Inauguration (Wretched)

http://www.wretchedradio.com/

Naughty or Nice?

2008-12-15T18:00:00.001-05:00

Naughty or Nice?
.
AFA's 2008 listing of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas
.
http://www.afa.net/christmaslist.asp
.
American Family Association
http://www.afa.net/

Naughty Or Nice List - Friend Or Foe 2008

2008-11-13T21:35:00.001-05:00

'Naughty Or Nice List - Friend Or Foe 2008'
http://www.lc.org/media/9980/attachments/2008naughty-nice.pdf
.

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=15259

Liberty Counsel

http://lc.org/

Please remember to support those who uphold Christmas.

GAY FASCISTS STORM CHURCH

2008-11-11T18:06:00.002-05:00

GAY FASCISTS STORM CHURCH
.
November 11, 2008
.
On Sunday, November 9, a band of about 30 gays stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. Some were well dressed and were stationed inside Mount Hope Church; others were outside dressed in pink and black. The group of self-described homosexual anarchists, Bash Back!, claims the evangelical church is guilty of “transphobia and homophobia.”
.
The protesters outside the church were beating on buckets, shouting “Jesus was a homo” on a megaphone and carrying an upside-down pink cross. Fire alarms went off inside the church, protesters stormed the pulpit and a huge rainbow-colored flag was unfurled with the inscription, “IT’S OKAY TO BE GAY! BASH BACK!” The church was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers were confronted. There were no arrests.
.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed this issue today:
.
“The real story here is the refusal of the mainstream media to cover what is surely one of the most disturbing events of 2008. If an organized group of gay bashers stormed a gay church, there is not a single sentient person in the United States who wouldn’t know about it.
.
“This is urban fascism come to America’s heartland. It must be quickly stopped before it gets out of control. We are contacting Mike Cox, the Attorney General of Michigan, calling for an investigation.”
.
Please contact Mike Cox at miag@michigan.gov
.
http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1512
.
Catholic League
For Religious And Civil Rights
http://www.catholicleague.org/

Catholic bishops will fight Obama on abortion

2008-11-11T17:53:00.002-05:00

Catholic bishops will fight Obama on abortion
.
By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll,
Ap Religion Writer – 18 mins ago
.
BALTIMORE – The nation's Roman Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights, saying the church and religious freedom could be under attack in the new presidential administration.
.
In an impassioned discussion on Catholics in public life, several bishops said they would accept no compromise on abortion policy. Many condemned Catholics who had argued it was morally acceptable to back President-elect Obama because he pledged to reduce abortion rates.
.
And several prelates promised to call out Catholic policy makers on their failures to follow church teaching. Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa., said he planned to counter Vice President-elect Biden, a Catholic, Scranton native who supports abortion rights.
.
"I cannot have a vice president-elect coming to Scranton to say he's learned his values there when those values are utterly against the teachings of the Catholic Church," Martino said. The Obama-Biden press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas said politicians "can't check your principles at the door of the legislature."
.
Naumann has said repeatedly that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic Democrat who supports abortion rights, should stop taking Holy Communion until she changes her stance.
.
"They cannot call themselves Catholic when they violate such a core belief as the dignity of the unborn," Naumann said Tuesday.
.
The discussion occurred on the same day the bishops approved a new "Blessing of a Child in the Womb." The prayer seeks a healthy pregnancy for the mother and a plea that "our civic rulers" perform their duties "while respecting the gift of human life."
.
Chicago Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is preparing a statement during the bishops' fall meeting that will press Obama on abortion.
.
Along with their theological opposition to the procedure, church leaders say they worry that any expansion in abortion rights could require Catholic hospitals to perform abortions or face legal sanctions. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Chicago said the hospitals would close rather than comply.
.
During the campaign, many prelates had spoken out on abortion more boldly than they had in 2004, telling Catholic politicians and voters that the issue should be the most important consideration in setting policy and deciding which candidate to back.
.
Yet, according to exit polls, 54 percent of Catholics chose Obama, who is Protestant. The new bishops' statement is meant to drive home the point in a way that cannot be misconstrued.
.
"We have a very important thing to say. I think we should say it clearly and with a punch," said New York Cardinal Edward Egan.
.
But Dr. Patrick Whelan, a pediatrician and president of Catholic Democrats, said angry statements from church leaders were counterproductive and would only alienate Catholics.
.
"We're calling on the bishops to move away from the more vicious language," Whelan said. He said the church needs to act "in a more creative, constructive way," to end abortion.
.
Catholics United was among the groups that argued in direct mail and TV ads during the campaign that taking the "pro-life" position means more than opposing abortion rights.
.
Chris Korzen, the group's executive director, said, "we honestly want to move past the deadlock" on abortion. He said church leaders were making that task harder.
.
"What are the bishops going to do now?" Korzen said. "`They have burned a lot of bridges with the Democrats and the new administration."
.
_____
On the Net:
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
http://www.usccb.org/
.
Article Link
.
http://www.associatedpress.com/

CATHOLIC VOTE ON MARRIAGE AND FAMILY: MUCH TO CHEER ABOUT

2008-11-05T17:55:00.002-05:00

CATHOLIC VOTE ON MARRIAGE AND FAMILY: MUCH TO CHEER ABOUT
.
November 5, 2008
.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on the role Catholics played in securing marriage and family rights in the election:
.
“Were it not for Catholics, the institutions of marriage and the family would have taken a hit in places like Arizona, Florida and California. Indeed, in Florida and California, their vote proved to be decisive.
.
“Arizonians rejected gay marriage by a vote of 56% to 49%, though the margin among Catholics was less—51% to 49%. In Florida, the Catholic vote proved to be controlling: overall, the ban on gay marriage won by 62% to 38%, but among Catholics it was 66% to 34%. Californians narrowly defeated gay marriage by a margin of 52% to 48%, but Catholics rejected it by an impressive 60% to 40% differential. A vote in California to support parental notification lost by 52% to 48%, but it won among Catholics by a hefty 58% to 42%.
.
“On both issues, Catholics and Protestants who are regular church-goers clearly supported a ban on homosexual marriage and affirmed their support for parental consent. Unmarrieds and those who don’t go to church overwhelmingly voted for the right of two men to marry; they also voted to deny mothers and fathers of their right to be notified in advance if their child is considering an abortion.
.
“Those who support traditional values, then, tend to be religious and married while those who sport a preference for moral relativism tend to be secular and single. The implications are clear: tax laws, and other public policy initiatives, which are both family-friendly and church-friendly, are critically important.
.
“Because those who reject traditional values and religion voted heavily for Barack Obama, it’s a sure bet the culture war will only get hotter. We expect to be quite busy.”
.
http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1510
.
Catholic League
For Religious And Civil Rights
http://www.catholicleague.org/

Today We Begin to Rebuild the Base and Advance Conservative Values

2008-11-05T12:38:00.002-05:00

Today We Begin to Rebuild the Base and Advance Conservative Values
.
November 5, 2008
.
When the majority of Americans elected Barack Obama, they voted for change over substance and overlooked his left-wing agenda. While the people passed marriage amendments in Arizona, California and Florida, two of those states voted for Barack Obama. When asked to vote on values, they chose traditional marriage, although Obama opposed the marriage amendments.
.
The majority of Americans do not support Obama's left wing radical agenda, but they wanted change for the sake of change. They wanted new leadership. Conservative leaders have failed to remain true to core values, and the people punished them.
.
In order to rebuild our base, the leadership must change. Conservatives have abandoned conservative values and have not governed well. Pastors have not communicated well. Schools and universities have not taught well. Conservative ideas resonate with most Americans, but only when communicated clearly.
.
Today, we begin to rebuild the base. Old leadership must be replaced by new leadership.
.
The values remain the same. The leadership must change.
.
Please READ OUR NEWS RELEASE about this election and rebuilding the base.
.
House and Senate Races
.
Senate Democrats will probably not get the filibuster-proof 60 seats they wanted. It appears they will have 56 seats to 44 for Republicans. U.S. House: 251 Democrats to 173 Republicans with 11 races undecided.
.
Update on State Constitutional Amendments
.
. The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment passed by 62.1% to 37.9%.
.
. California's marriage amendment will pass. Wth 95.7% of the precincts reporting, 52.1% of voters favored passing Prop 8.
.
. South Dakota's abortion ban failed 44.79% to 55.21%.
.
. Arizona's marriage amendment passed by 56.5% to 43.5%.
.
. Arkansas' homosexual adoption and foster parenting ban passed by 56% to 44%.
.
. The Colorado Personhood Amendment, which would define a person as "any human being from the moment of fertilization" is losing 74-26% with 38%of the vote counted.
.
. California's parental notification of abortion for minors failed 52.8% to 47.2%.
.
. Washington passed assisted suicide by 58.81% to 41.19%. This measure allows those who are predicted to have six months or less to live, to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician.
.
. Michigan approved embryonic stem cell research 52% to 48%.
.
. In other states, Ohio voted against allowing casinos, Arkansas created a state lottery, Maryland approved slot machine gambling, Massachusetts decriminalized possession of an ounce or less of marijuana and Michigan voted to allow medical use of marijuana.
.
http://lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=914
.
Liberty Counsel
http://lc.org/

The Pro-Life Day Of Silent Solidarity - October 21, 2008

2008-10-17T21:31:00.003-04:00

Prayer For The Unborn Child
.
Almighty God, our Father,
you who have given us life
and intended us to have it forever,
grant us your blessings.
.
Enlighten our minds to an awareness
and to a renewed conviction
that all human life is sacred
because it is created
in your image and likeness.
.
Help us to teach by word
and the example of our lives
that life occupies the first place,
that human life is precious
because it is the gift of God
whose love is infinite.
.
Give us the strength to defend human life
against every influence
or action that threatens or weakens it,
as well as the strength
to make every life more human
in all its aspects.
.
Give us the grace...
.
When the sacredness of life
before birth is attacked,
to stand up and proclaim
that no one ever has the authority
to destroy unborn life.
.
When a child is described as a burden
or is looked upon only as a means
to satisfy an emotional need,
to stand up
and insist that every child is a unique
and unrepeatable gift of God,
a gift of God
with a right to a loving
and united family.
.
When the institution of marriage
is abandoned to human selfishness
or reduced to a temporary conditional arrangement
that can easily be terminated,
to stand up and affirm
the indissolubility of the marriage bond.
.
When the value of the family is threatened
because of social and economic pressure,
to stand up and reaffirm
that the family is necessary
not only for the private good of every person,
but also for the common good of every society,
nation and state.
.
When freedom is used to dominate the weak,
to squander natural resources and energy,
to deny basic necessities to people,
to stand up and affirm
the demands of justice and social love.
.
Almighty Father,
give us courage to proclaim the supreme dignity
of all human life and to demand
that society itself give its protection.
We ask this in your name,
through the redemptive act
of your Son and in the Holy Spirit.
.
Amen.
.
(Adapted from Pope John Paul II's homily of October 7, 1979.)
.

October 21, 2008
The Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity
.
Since January 22, 1973 over 50,000,000 babies have had their voices silenced through surgical abortion in this nation alone.
.
Over 4,000 children have their lives taken each day in the name of choice.
.
Over 4,000 women are emotionally damaged every day. On October 21st, people from all over this nation will give up their voices for a day in solidarity for these children.
.
http://www.silentday.org/
.
http://www.silentday.org/fliers.php
.
http://www.standtrue.com/index2.html
.
-------------
.
Some additional suggestions:
1. Make a donation to your local pregnancy center.
2. Have a baby shower to benefit your local pregnancycenter.
3. Pray!
4. Pray the Rosary - start a novena - for the unborn.
5. Raise awareness on this critical issue!
.
YouTube Playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=86D5C96B05E6FB9A
.
Pro-Life YouTube Playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F1D8768BFA8BCC52
.
http://pregnancy.about.com/
.
http://www.pregnancycheck.com/pregnancy-ultrasound.html
.
National Right To Life
http://www.nrlc.org/
.
Birthright International
http://www.birthright.org/
.
Lifecall
http://www.lifecall.org/index.html
.
National Fatherhood Initiative
http://www.fatherhood.org/
.
Promise Keepers
http://www.promisekeepers.org/
.
The Motherhood Project
http://www.motherhoodproject.org/
.
Psalm 139:12-17
http://christiananswers.net/bible/psa139.html

Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation

2008-10-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation
.
I noticed that links that I had posted on this topic were pulled from YouTube. I searched for the information in order to repost along with additional information.
.
Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UHeCOeoC_s
.
Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiGgK3VJYu4&feature=related

Stand True Ministries
http://www.standtrue.com/index2.html
.
Live Action's The Advocate
http://www.laadvocate.com/
.
http://www.laadvocate.com/pp/

YouTube Pro-Life Playlist
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F1D8768BFA8BCC52
.
The Pro-Life Day Of Silent Solidarity YouTube Playlist
October 21, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=86D5C96B05E6FB9A
.
Stand True Ministries
http://www.standtrue.com/index2.html
.
Silent Day
http://www.silentday.org/
.
Originally posted 03.01.08 - 10:26 PM

The Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity

2008-10-06T19:16:00.001-04:00

Pray Thursday! Pray For Election Day.

2008-09-18T02:39:00.000-04:00

Pray Thursday!
.
As part of the National Day of Prayer's "Pray For Election Day" campaign, we are asking Americans to meet in corporate prayer. Matthew 18:20 says: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." We ask that every Thursday through November 4th, groups of two or more meet in their homes and businesses from 12:00 noon to 12:30 p.m. to pray for the November 4th presidential and general election. Please join your friends, your family, your co-workers and join me in uplifting our nation's future leaders in prayer.
.
Brian Toon, Vice Chairman
National Day of Prayer Task Force
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6UFq_CSTGA
.
http://www.ndptf.org/election/Index.cfm?Entity=15&Department=24&Dept_Order=1&This_TopicOrder=1&This_SubtopicOrder=4#5
.
http://www.ndptf.org/home/home.html

From My Inbox: Code Amber Displaced by Hurricane Gustav

2008-09-02T23:25:00.000-04:00

Subject: Code Amber Displaced by Hurricane Gustav
- We Need Your Help
From: "Code Amber"
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 9:36 PM
.
Hello Rev. Marguerite Earhart,
.
We will occasionally send you news about changes and additions to http://codeamber.org .
.
Hello,On Sunday, August 31, we were forced to evacuate our Louisiana offices and move operations to a hotel on the panhandle of Florida. Some of you may remember our evacuation from Hurricane Katrina three years ago at which time we were in Florida for over two weeks. We probably will be able to return sooner this time as the damage is not as severe. However, our office in Louisiana has lost power, telephone and high speed Internet access indefinitely which, of course, we need to operate Code Amber.
.
As a result of our displacement, we are experiencing extraordinary Code Amber operating expenses. If you are able, please help Code Amber through this time of crisis by making a small donation. Any amount you are able to contribute will help us continue to operate while we are displaced.
.
Please help us keep Code Amber operating by contributing what ever you are able. Visit http://codeamber.org/index-1.php?nl0902
to make a contribution now, please.
.
Purchases of the Amber Stick Child Id device or the Safety Net Kids Child safety DVD also help with our expenses
http://codeamber.org/idkits.html?nl0902 for the Amber Stick
http://codeamber.org/video.html?nl0902 for the Video
.
Without you, what we have accomplished thus far would not have been possible.
.
Sincerely,
Bryant Harper
Founder
CodeAmber.org
.
http://www.codeamber.org/?tck2

AFP ‘Welcomes’ Pro-Israel Pastor to Washington

2008-07-28T14:49:00.002-04:00

AFP ‘Welcomes’ Pro-Israel Pastor to Washington
.
Texas Evangelist John Hagee Meets Our Own Willis Carto
.
By Michael Collins Piper
.
Dripping in diamonds and gold and draped in designer clothes, hundreds of well-heeled supporters of Texas evangelist John Hagee’s Christians United for Israel poured into the Washington Convention Center, July 21-24, for Hagee’s third annual “Israel Summit.”
.
Big on the agenda was promotion of Israel’s—and Hagee’s—long-standing demand that the United States destroy the Islamic Republic of Iran. Joining the applause for Hagee’s campaign was Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, a featured speaker at Hagee’s “Night to Honor Israel” banquet on July 21.
.
Critics say Hagee’s outfit is cult-like and not Christian at all, and that it places worship of the modern-day state of Israel (and the Jewish people) at its center, rather than devotion to Jesus Christ and His teachings. With this in mind, some traditional Bible-believing Christians greeted Hagee and his followers outside the convention center, waving picket signs and distributing literature exposing the un-Biblical and un-Christian nature of Hagee’s theology.
.
These critics patiently explained to Hagee devotees who dared to listen that Hagee’s theology is not Biblical in origin, but rather a product of the late 18th century and only came to popular attention in the mid-20th century. Critics denounced Hagee as a “Judas goat” and as a “false prophet” and urged him to repudiate the anti-Christ teachings of the Jewish Talmud.
.
Among those seeking to educate Hagee’s followers was AFP correspondent Willis Carto, joined by AFP staffers Vince Ryan, Steve Lombardo, Mike Piper, AFP contributor Pete Papaheraklus, as well as veteran Christian writer E. Stanley Rittenhouse and others.
.
Inside the convention center, Hagee and his followers were warmly greeted by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), an Orthodox Jew who is a strong supporter of Israel and close friend and pivotal spokesman for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).
.
Always popular with the so-called “Christian Right” —despite Lieberman’s devotion to the teachings of the Jewish holy book, the Talmud, which makes unpleasant comments about Jesus—Lieberman praised Hagee, saying Hagee’s support for Israel was “so much more important” than bitter anti-Catholic remarks made by the Texas evangelist.
.
Lieberman said he was “proud” to stand with Hagee and spoke of “the bond” he felt with Hagee and the members of his cult.Other than Lieberman, at least one other member of Congress was advertised as among the guests, namely Rep. Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican. Others who lent their prestige to Hagee’s cult were: Jonathan P. Falwell, son of the late evangelist Jerry Falwell; and neo-conservative pro-Israel Muslim-bashing propagandists Frank Gaffney, Daniel Pipes, Clifford May, Robert Satloff and Dennis Prager. Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)—defeated for reelection and angling for a comeback—and country singer Randy Travis also popped up.
.
Last, but far from least, joining the festivities were the Bilderberg group’s William Kristol, editor of Rupert Murdoch’s Weekly Standard, and Kristol’s close friend and collaborator Gary Bauer, touted as a defender of “family values” in Republican circles.
.
(Issue # 31, August 4, 2008)
.
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/pro-israel_pastor_144.html

2008-07-28T00:40:00.002-04:00

. Next stop, Germany: Ich bin ein beginner!
By Michelle Malkin • July 24, 2008 09:10 AM

. Obama in Berlin: 'This is our moment, this is our time'

. NewBusters
http://newsbusters.org/

Damien ? Speaks In Berlin

2008-07-27T22:33:00.004-04:00

Rapture

-----------

Damien ? Speaks In Berlin

- Be watchful, alert, prayerful and ever vigiliant.

Oprah's 'Church' Video Draws Over 5 Million to YouTube

2008-07-17T00:02:00.002-04:00

Oprah's 'Church' Video Draws Over 5 Million to YouTube

A YouTube video which features talk show host Oprah Winfrey denying Jesus as the only way to God and promoting New Age ideas has received over 5 million views and is still climbing.
.
The under seven-minute video montage, entitled "The Church of Oprah Exposed," was posted about month ago and has since claimed the Top Favorites spot in the Web site's News & Politics category.
.
According to statistics posted on YouTube, the latest streams of visitors are coming from PerezHilton, a Hollywood gossip blog. The author of the blog wrote that "crazy Christians" are behind the effort to demonize Oprah as a "conduit of evil."
.
But many Christians say New Age teachings espoused by Oprah in the video are a cause for concern. They believe the day-time host is distorting Christianity and leading many into spiritual confusion.
.
In a commentary posted on The Morning Call, one pastor likened Oprah's multi-way approach to God to telling a blind man standing at the edge of a cliff that whichever way he chooses to walk is equally safe.
.
"She holds the trendy idea that religions are essentially the same and that there are many paths that lead to God. She irrationally romanticizes the notion that God can be whatever you want him/her/it to be," writes Steven W. Cornell, pastor of a Pennsylvania-based church.
.
One clip in the video shows Oprah blatantly denying Jesus as the only way to God.
.
"How can there be only one way to heaven or to God?" Oprah asked her audience in a show taped years ago.
.
When one woman in the audience asked, "What about Jesus?" Oprah defiantly answered, "What about Jesus?...There couldn't possibly be one way."
.
Another part of the YouTube video shows Oprah hosting her recent Webinar class, in which she promotes New Age writer Eckhart Tolle and his "New Earth" book.
.
A guest caller asked her in the segment how she reconciled certain spirituality teachings with those of Christianity.
.
Oprah went on to explain how her view of God changed after hearing a charismatic preacher describe God as "jealous God" in her late 20s. She concluded that by opening her mind to the "hugeness" of God and accepting that He is love helped her to reconcile the two.
.
"God is a feeling experience and not a believing experience. If your religion is a believing experience…then that's not truly God," she continued to say during the webinar.
.
Frank Pastore, a Christian radio talk show host on KKLA, was among the many Christian leaders who criticized Oprah's views, saying the two worldviews she discusses are actually irreconcilable.
.
"If she’s a Christian, she’s an ignorant one, because Christianity is incompatible with New Age thought," Pastore wrote in his commentary on Crosswalk.com.
.
He went on to list key differences between Christianity and New Age worldviews. In one entry, Pastore said that the meaning of life for Christians is to glorify God while New Age thought showcases enlightenment.
.
"She has an incredible amount of influence over people and an incredible following," Bill Keller of LivePrayer.com told Celebrity News Service.
.
"I believe these New Age teachings are like 'spiritual crack' because people are hungry, the teachings satisfy and then they are hungry again," he added.
.
Keller, who has responded with his YouTube video on the matter, told Celebrity News Service that while many at this point are afraid to challenge Oprah because of her power, he expects more people to begin questioning her teachings over the next six months.
.
http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/April24/2451.html
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NizojZIX7Aw

The List of 52 Members of US Congress Committed to Promoting Homosexuality

2008-06-27T20:06:00.002-04:00

The List of 52 Members of US Congress Committed to Promoting Homosexuality
.
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a Capitol Hill press conference last week, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) announced the formation of the House of Representatives LGBT Equality Caucus. Baldwin introduced the bipartisan caucus and its founding members saying that they all shared "a common mission: to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality."
.
The Caucus will also push homosexuality outside the US by working on foreign policy.
.
A release by the group listed the membership as:
.
Co-Chairs: Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA)
.
Vice Chairs: Reps. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Lois Capps (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Mike Honda (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Hilda Solis (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT)
.
Members: Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Robert Brady (D-PA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Susan Davis (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Phil Hare (D-IL), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), José Serrano (D-NY), Chris Shays (R-CT), Pete Stark (D-CA), Betty Sutton (D-OH), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08061312.html
.
------------
Instead of focusing on pushing the homosexual agenda outside and inside of the U.S.A. how about focusing on finding out how we can have safe food such as healthy tomatoes, and how about focusing on more efforts on rebuilding New Orleans.
.
Certain politicians are more concerned about the homosexual agenda - and people's sexual activity - than whether or not people don't die from eating tomatoes or getting tainted medication from China. I saw on the news a grieving man this week who lost two family members to tainted Heparin they think came from China.
.
Also our ELECTED Represenatives should be more concerned with what is going on here than with every where else in the world. Other nations can deal with there own issues such as homosexuality.
.
Priorities people.

Woman Gets Two Years for Aiding Nigerian Internet Check Scam (PC World)

2008-06-27T06:33:00.002-04:00

Woman Gets Two Years for Aiding Nigerian Internet Check Scam
(PC World)
.
Posted on Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:30PM EDT
.

- A Washington woman was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison and five years of supervised release for her role in an Internet counterfeit check scheme.
.
Edna Fiedler pleaded guilty in March to attempting to defraud U.S. citizens in a scheme known as a Nigerian check scam.
.
Fiedler helped her accomplices in Nigeria send fake checks to people who had agreed to cash the checks on behalf of the sender, keeping some of the proceeds and sending the rest back.
.
The Nigerians found people willing to cash the fake checks via e-mail. They would send their names as well as fake documents that looked like Wal-Mart money orders, Bank of America checks, U.S. Postal Service checks and American Express traveler's checks to Fiedler. They told her how to fill out the checks and where to send them.
.
The recipients most likely thought they were helping out someone who needed a person in the U.S. to cash a check for them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. They were able to get the money by cashing the checks, and sent most of it to either Fiedler or her Nigerian accomplices. However, once the checks were discovered to be fake, the people who cashed them were responsible for the full amount.
.
All told, Fiedler sent out US$609,000 worth of phony checks and money orders. When U.S. Secret Service agents investigating the case searched Fiedler's house, they found additional fake checks worth more than $1.1 million that she was preparing to send out.
.
At a recent conference in Seattle, a representative from the U.S. Postal Service and Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna described ways they're working to shut down these kinds of scams, particularly because they often involve people who don't realize that they're taking part in illegal activities.
.
The U.S. Postal Service recently sent 15 postal investigators to Lagos, Nigeria, and during a three-month period there, they helped intercept counterfeit checks, lottery tickets and eBay overpayment schemes with a face value of $2.1 billion, Chris Siouris, a cyber investigator at the U.S. Postal Inspector, said at the recent conference. Siouris, McKenna and others are pushing for ways to better educate Internet users so that people don't unwittingly help out in these kinds of e-mail scams.
.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/147575
.
PC World Article:
"Woman Gets Two Years for Aiding Nigerian Internet Check Scam"

Catholic Adoption Agency Drops Association with Catholic Church to Comply with Homosexual Adoption Law

2008-06-27T05:40:00.003-04:00

Catholic Adoption Agency Drops Association with Catholic Church to Comply with Homosexual Adoption Law
.
By Hilary White
.
PURLEY, Surrey, UK, June 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - When a Catholic social service agency in south eastern England announced it would shift its identification away from being a Catholic organisation in order to solve its problems with the Sexual Orientation Regulations, some praised the move as a means of keeping a valuable social service organisation operating. But others have said that they are selling out their principles, not to mention millions of pounds worth of assets, for political expediency.
.
The Labour government's Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs), part of the Equality Act 2006, came into effect in April 2007 and require Catholic adoption agencies to either comply with the law and allow children to be adopted by homosexual partners, or close their doors. After the Catholic Church failed to secure an exemption from the law on the grounds of religious freedom, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair offered a "compromise" in which Catholic agencies were given two years to find a way to either comply with the SORs or close their doors.
.
The Catholic Children's Society of the three southern dioceses of Southwark, Arundel and Brighton, and Portsmouth announced their decision to comply with the law, saying they feared a crippling lawsuit if, following the example of their counterparts in Westminster, they tried to flout or ignore it.
.
The Society, based in Purley, Surrey, has voted to change its name to the "Cabrini Children's Society", and to continue its work, which it says is mainly concerned with placing Catholic children with Catholic families. The Society has received funding from Catholic parishes and schools in annual appeals and expects to continue doing so.
.
In response to this decision, postings appeared on popular Catholic weblogs accusing the Society of selling out and abandoning Catholic moral principles on one hand, while maintaining a veneer of ill-defined "Catholic values" in order to continue receiving donations through Catholic parishes and schools. Some Catholics have argued that the Catholic Children's Society has no right to appropriate funds and assets that were donated in good faith by Catholics for religious, not the secular state's purposes.
.
Fr. Timothy Finigan, one of the most widely read British Catholic bloggers, wrote that the Society's regular sources of funding could not "legitimately continue if the charity is now no longer a Catholic charity and is prepared to act contrary to the teaching of the Church".
.
http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/
.
When confronted with this, a spokesman for the Society said that Catholics donated to the Society in order that they continue their work with children and families, indicating that religious sensibilities did not enter into the question directly. "People who give money to our society do so to improve the lives of children," she said. "We've had people emailing and telling us, 'you've taken the right course of action'. We've had a lot of support."
.
She said that since making the announcement, only two donors have contacted the Society saying they would cease donations due to the capitulation to the SORs. One third of the work of the Society, that was founded in 1887, involved the recruiting of Catholic families to adopt Catholic children in the care of government social services. "We are a social care agency, not a ministry of the Catholic Church," she said.
.
The spokesman told LifeSiteNews.com that the decision had not been an easy one, and staff and board members alike are angry that the government has put them into the situation, but that they stand by the decision to carry on with their work. "Nobody likes to be told they have to go against their core beliefs. But that argument was made two years ago and we [the Catholic Church] lost, and we now have to decide how to proceed," she said. "It's shameful that it's happened. Everybody feels very angry about this situation but the bottom line is that we just want to deliver services to children."
.
"We are making a stand to safeguard children and we've had to make certain concessions to do that." The organization insists, however, that despite their capitulation to the law that requires they give equal consideration to homosexual couples, they will be maintaining a "Catholic ethos". She said that the Society will continue to work within the framework of "fundamental Catholic values".
.
When asked if the Society thought that was a "distinction without a difference," she replied, "We are continuing with our Catholic ethos and we will continue to work for and on behalf of the Catholic community to safeguard vulnerable young people and develop families."
.
"We won't have Catholic in our name, but our values and ethos remains Catholic and the Catholic community will continue to fund us so we can continue to support Catholic children."
.
Bishop Kieran Conry of Arundel and Brighton told the Daily Mail, "The government has forced us into this position by obliging the adoption agency to place children with same-sex couples."
.
In a 2003 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, however, the Vatican's highest teaching authority of which he was then the head, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger said that homosexual adoptions "mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development."
.
Fr. Timothy Finigan, the founder of the group Association of Priests for the Gospel of Life, suggested that Catholics who want to donate to children in need while remaining faithful to the teaching of the Church could donate money, baby articles and their time to the Good Counsel Network, a London-based group that helps women in crisis pregnancies.
.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08062608.html
.
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
. After 120 Years of Service UK Catholic Adoption Agency Forced to Close Doors Over Forced Gay Adoptions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08060602.html
. More British Catholic Adoption Agencies to Close Doors instead of Bowing to Sexual Orientation Regulations
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08042306.html
. UK Catholic Church Agency to Cease Adoption Work As Government Forces Homosexual Adoption
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07072706.html
. Catholic Adoption Agency Will Close Before Giving Children to Homosexual Parents, Bishop States
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07073003.html
. Bishop of Lancaster Proposes Catholic Solution to Catholic Adoption Agency Crisis
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08060210.html

The Supreme Court Of Texas

2008-06-02T01:18:00.002-04:00

GRACE: The Texas supreme court sending these children back behind compound walls with no one to protect them. Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson (ph), Nathan L. Hecht (ph), Dale Wainwright (ph), Scott Brister (Brewster) (ph), David Medina (ph), Paul Green (ph) -- I would like to point out, all men.

There were some dissenters. Justice Harriet O`Neil (ph), Phil Johnson (ph) and Don Willett (ph) stuck up for the children, siding with the state.
.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/29/ng.01.html
.
Current Justices
.
1. Wallace B. Jefferson
Republican
Place: Chief Justice
Date Service Began: April 18, 2001
Term Ends: 2008
.
2. Don R. Willett
Republican
Place: 2
Date Service Began: August 24, 2005
Term Ends: 2012
.
3. Harriet O'Neill
Republican
Place: 3
Date Service Began: January 1, 1999
Term Ends: 2010
.
4. David M. Medina
Republican
Place: 4
Date Service Began: November 10, 2004
Term Ends: 2012
.
5. Paul W. Green
Republican
Place: 5
Date Service Began: January 1, 2005
Term Ends: 2010
.
6. Nathan Hecht
Republican
Place: 6
Date Service Began: January 1, 1989
Term Ends: 2012
.
7. Dale Wainwright
Republican
Place: 7
Date Service Began: January 1, 2003
Term Ends: 2008
.
8. Phil Johnson
Republican
Place: 8
Date Service Began: April 11, 2005
Term Ends: 2008
.
9. Scott A. Brister
Republican
Place: 9
Date Service Began: November 21, 2003
Term Ends: 2010
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Supreme_Court#Current_Justices
.
http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/court/justices.asp
.
http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/
.
TEXAS POLYGAMY CASE:
Latest: CPS motion denied, appeals court ruling stands
• TX Supreme Court ruling, 1
• TX Supreme Court ruling, 2
• Texas CPS fights back
.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ng.html
.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/nancy.grace/

Pope Benedict XVI- Visit to USA

2008-04-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI- Visit to USA~ FULL Message and promo

---------------

http://www.nbc10. com/family/ 15937031/ detail.html

Pope Celebrates Mass At St. Patrick's Cathedral
Papal Mass
Pope Benedict XVI leads Mass for priests and deacons at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

http://video. nbc10.com/ player/?id= 242153

--------------

Pope Benedict Holds Final U.S. Mass

Pope Praises American Flock

NEW YORK -- Pope Benedict has celebrated the final Mass of his U.S. visit before a full house in New York's Yankee Stadium.

Papal Mass At Yankee Stadium, Part 1
Special Coverage
Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass in the Bronx.

. http://video. nbc10.com/ player/?id= 242479

. http://video. nbc10.com/ player/?fid= 23055#videoid= 242479

. http://www.nbc10. com/index. html

On NBC10 Philadelphia they have a really good listing of videos. I taped the Mass that was on TV today - 3 hours long, and I'm looking forward to seeing it!

An Email Response From American Bible Society

2008-03-28T18:02:00.001-04:00

Subject: RE: Hello. I have a question concerning an email that I received.
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:49:15 -0400
From: "John Greco" JGreco@americanbible.org
To: "Rev. M. Earhart" lenicheministries@yahoo.com

Greetings -

Thank you for your e-mail.

Please pass this along to any contact regarding this topic - - -

As the American Bible Society is a part of the global Bible fellowship known as the United Bible Societies (UBS), we would request that you please contact the following Bible Society that is in your local region, to assist you with your request:

Bible Society of Nigeria
PO Box 68
Apapa
Lagos State
Nigeria
Tel: +(234)-1 5876471/(234) -1-5457524
Fax: +(44)-207-900- 3360

E-mail: info@biblesociety-nigeria.org

Sincerely,

Customer Service

American Bible Society

A Good Way To Donate Bibles To Africa

2008-03-27T20:14:00.002-04:00

It was revealed to me this evening a good way to donate Bibles to Africa. I belong to American Bible Society's Bible-A-Month Club. They send to me different things in the mail for me to additionally donate to.

This month is to Africa - Kenya.

Believe me when I tell you that the email stuff supposedly from Nigeria for instance are spam. Some people were hurt from them in trying to respond to the email when they actually tried to send the Bibles.

A better way to help different areas around the world to have Bibles is donating to American Bible Society or to the International Bible Society.

ABS's Bible-A-Month Club you can donate $4.00 per Bible each month to go somewhere in the world. They also translate Bibles into different languages as well.

The Lord showed me that this would be a good way to help.

http://www.877thebible.com/877thebible/wggc/

http://www.ibs.org/ministry/project_list.php

I plan to make a donation for Africa towards Bibles.

This would be the best way to respond to the emails sent supposedly from Nigeria requesting Bibles.

Izehinkor Osamado Via Germany

2008-02-17T19:46:00.002-05:00

The newest fraud letter along this line of reasoning I received in my inbox:
----------

From: "Izehinkor Osamado" izehinkor@yahoo.de
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:10:56 +1100
Subject: From your Brother.

Dearly friend in Christ,

I send you greetings from Edo State. I was delighted to write you this letter after getting your contact email. I do not know you but if you are truly in Christ we are my Brother and Sister in the Lord.

I am a Brother in the Lord saved by grace that comes through Christ death and resurrection. I came to know Christ 20 years ago when I was still a civil servant. Since I knew Christ His peace have continued to rule in my life and family. I am married with three children and seven grand children who all live far away from me and my wife. We attend a small church here in Benin City. Our church is blessed with pastor loves the Lord with all his heart and encourages the members to seek a deep personal relationship of intimacy with God. We hold our service in a Primary school building. There are about 40 people who attend the church. Most of the members are old. The reason for this is that our church is one of the few churches here where messages are translated from English to the local Language during service. About half of the people do not understand and speak English language which is the national language. I am an interpreter in the church; I translate to our local language as the Pastor preaches in English. The church here is a place where people find comfort and love from every one and from the Lord. Others may abandon us and forsake us but God will love us always and hold us to himself.

We have a great need in our midst in church. Over 15 of people who can read do not have bibles. The bible is Gods seed of life to a soul and most people here do not have it. The problem is bibles are expensive and people here are too poor to buy one mostly many that do not have a job. I am writing and appealing to you for your kind support for bibles and nothing else. There are no persons or ministry in Nigeria who gives bibles to the saints. Please kindly help us. I am asking for 15 bibles in giant letter words a copy for me, and 14 for our brethren. The giant print or letter words are needed because those to use them are old. I will be very grateful is this request is granted. This love from you for bibles will change lives. We have a committed prayer intercessory team here, if there be any prayer need why not send it, we shall join in prayer. There are testimonies from several prayers.

Our pastor always tells us that the Christian journey may not be easy but the end which is heaven is worth everything. May the Lord give you the grace to serve him till the end. Please write me back.

Joyfully yours in Christ,
Izehinkor Osamado

My pastor mailing address is
P.O. Box 5733,
Benin City, EDO State, Nigeria.
Please send the bibles through this address to me.

Nigeria

2008-02-11T23:16:00.000-05:00

Introduction
.
Background:
Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Despite some irregularities, the April 2003 elections marked the first civilian transfer of power in Nigeria's history.
.
Geography
.
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
.
Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 8 00 E
.
Map references:
Africa
.
Area:
total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km
.
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
.
Land boundaries:
total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
.
Coastline:
853 km
.
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
.
Climate:
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
.
Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
.
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
.
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
.
Land use:
arable land: 31.29% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 65.75% (2001)
.
Irrigated land:
2,330 sq km (1998 est.)
.
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; flooding
.
Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
.
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
.
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
.
Geography - note:
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
.
People
.
Population:
128,771,988
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)
.
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 27,466,766/female 27,045,092) 15-64 years: 54.6% (male 35,770,593/female 34,559,414) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,874,157/female 2,055,966) (2005 est.)
.
Median age:
total: 18.63 years male: 18.71 years female: 18.55 years (2005 est.)
.
Population growth rate:
2.37% (2005 est.)
.
Birth rate:
40.65 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
.
Death rate:
17.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
.
Net migration rate:
0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
.
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
.
Infant mortality rate:
total: 98.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 105.69 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
.
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.74 years male: 46.21 years female: 47.29 years (2005 est.)
.
Total fertility rate:
5.53 children born/woman (2005 est.)
.
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.4% (2003 est.)
.
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3.6 million (2003 est.)
.
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
310,000 (2003 est.)
.
Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
.
Ethnic groups:
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
.
Religions:
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
.
Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
.
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
.
Government
.
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
.
Government type:
federal republic
.
Capital:
Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja; most federal government offices have now moved to Abuja
.
Administrative divisions:
36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
.
Independence:
1 October 1960 (from UK)
.
National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
.
Constitution:
new constitution adopted May 1999
.
Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
.
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
.
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president is elected by popular vote for no more than two four-year terms; election last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%
.
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from each state plus one from Abuja, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (346 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD 34, other 6; note - one seat is vacant
.
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
.
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Democracy or AD [Alhaji Adamu ABDULKADIR]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Chekwas OKORIE]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu ALI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [Saleh JAMBO]
.
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force or NDPVF [Mujahid Dokubo ASARI]; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC [Adams OSHIOMOLE]
.
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
.
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
.
Economy
.
Economy - overview:
Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under the new civilian administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. During 2003 the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. GDP rose strongly in 2004.
.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $125.7 billion (2004 est.)
.
GDP - real growth rate:
6.2% (2004 est.)
.
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2004 est.)
.
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 36.3% industry: 30.5% services: 33.3% (2004 est.)
.
Labor force:
55.67 million (2004 est.)
.
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.)
.
Unemployment rate:
NA
.
Population below poverty line:
60% (2000 est.)
.
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)
.
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.6 (1996-97)
.
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
16.5% (2004 est.)
.
Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2004 est.)
.
Budget:
revenues: $11.78 billion expenditures: $11.47 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
.
Public debt:
20% of GDP (2004 est.)
.
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
.
Industries:
crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair
.
Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2004 est.)
.
Electricity - production:
19.85 billion kWh (2002)
.
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.9% hydro: 38.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
.
Electricity - consumption:
18.43 billion kWh (2002)
.
Electricity - exports:
30 million kWh (2002)
.
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
.
Oil - production:
2.356 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
.
Oil - consumption:
275,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
.
Oil - exports:
NA
.
Oil - imports:
NA
.
Oil - proved reserves:
34 billion bbl (2004 est.)
.
Natural gas - production:
15.68 billion cu m (2001 est.)
.
Natural gas - consumption:
7.85 billion cu m (2001 est.)
.
Natural gas - exports:
7.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)
.
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
.
Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.007 trillion cu m (2004)
.
Current account balance:
$5.228 billion (2004 est.)
.
Exports:
$33.99 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
.
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
.
Exports - partners:
US 48.2%, India 8.1%, Spain 7.4%, Brazil 5.5%, Japan 4.1% (2004)
.
Imports:
$17.14 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
.
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
.
Imports - partners:
US 9.1%, China 8.8%, UK 8.7%, Netherlands 6.3%, France 6.1%, Germany 5.7%, Italy 4.7% (2004)
.
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$14.71 billion (2004 est.)
.
Debt - external:
$30.55 billion (2004 est.)
.
Currency (code):
naira (NGN)
.
Currency code:
NGN
.
Exchange rates:
nairas per US dollar - 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003), 120.58 (2002), 111.23 (2001), 101.7 (2000)
.
Fiscal year:
calendar year
.
Communications
.
Telephones - main lines in use:
853,100 (2003)
.
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,149,500 (2003)
.
Telephone system:
general assessment: an inadequate system, further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made domestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19 earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable; mobile cellular facilities and the Internet are available international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
.
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
.
Radios:
23.5 million (1997)
.
Television broadcast stations:
3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002)
.
Televisions:
6.9 million (1997)
.
Internet country code:
.ng
.
Internet hosts:
1,142 (2004)
.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)
.
Internet users:
750,000 (2003)
.
Transportation
.
Railways:
total: 3,557 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
.
Highways:
total: 194,394 km paved: 60,068 km (including 1,194 km of expressways) unpaved: 134,326 km (1999 est.)
.
Waterways:
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2004)
.
Pipelines:
condensate 105 km; gas 1,896 km; oil 3,638 km; refined products 3,626 km (2004)
.
Ports and harbors:
Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Warri
.
Merchant marine:
total: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 327,808 GRT/608,076 DWT by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 2, Pakistan 1) registered in other countries: 25 (2005)
.
Airports:
70 (2004 est.)
.
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
.
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 18 (2004 est.)
.
Heliports:
1 (2004 est.)
.
Military
.
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
.
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
.
Military manpower - availability:
males age 18-49: 26,804,314 (2005 est.)
.
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,053,936 (2005 est.)
.
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 1,353,161 (2005 est.)
.
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$544.6 million (2004)
.
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.8% (2004)
.
Transnational Issues
.
Disputes - international:
ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; Nigeria initially rejected cession of the Bakassi Peninsula, then agreed, but has yet to withdraw its forces while much of the indigenous population opposes cession; in 2004, some 17,000 Nigerian refugees fleeing ethnic conflicts between pastoralists and farmers in 2002 still reside in Cameroon; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision, the unresolved Bakasi allocation, and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; a joint task force was established in 2004 that resolved disputes over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km land boundary with Benin on the Okpara River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes Chad and Niger
.
Refugees and internally displaced persons::
IDPs: 250,000 (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999) (2004)
.
Illicit drugs:
a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; safehaven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime
----------------
Above information from SiteMeter.com
http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=home
----------------
.
Nigeria
.
Situation in June 2001
.
25. In 2001, Nigeria demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to co-operate with the FATF in the review of its system, and when placed on the NCCTs list in June 2001, met criteria 5, 17 and 24. It partially met criteria 10 and 19, and had a broad number of inconclusive criteria as a result of its general failure to co-operate in this exercise.
.
Progress made since June 2001
.
26. The Government of Nigeria substantially improved its co-operation with the FATF and its willingness to address its anti-money laundering deficiencies. On 14 December 2002, Nigeria enacted the Money Laundering Act (Amendment) Act 2002. This Act enhanced the scope of Nigeria’s 1995 Money Laundering Law by extending predicate offences for money laundering from drugs to “any crime or illegal act,” extending certain AML obligations to non-bank financial institutions, and extending customer identification requirements to include occasional transactions of USD 5,000 or more. In December 2002, Nigeria also enacted the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) (Establishment) Act. The EFCC was inaugurated in April 2003 to investigate money laundering cases from predicate offences other than drug trafficking. (The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency investigates drug and drug money laundering offences). The Banking and other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Amendment Act, also enacted in December 2002, improved licensing requirements for financial institutions.
.
27. Nigeria subsequently enacted the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004 on 29 March 2004 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 on 4 June 2004, which superseded and improved upon the previous versions of these laws. These laws establish: the framework for a broader STR and customer identification system, AML obligations for a broader range of financial and non-financial institutions, and a framework for the Nigerian FIU (NFIU) within the EFCC. The NFIU became operational in January 2005.
.
28. Nigeria made considerable progress in implementing its AML regime as of June 2006. Nigeria also implemented a compliance inspection program for banks and other financial institutions, and joint AML inspections are carried out by both the supervisory bodies and the NFIU. As of June 2006, the NFIU had a staff of 58 (up from 27 in June 2005), and received approximately 1,500 STRs in 2005. The NFIU had referred 42 STRs to investigative agencies. The EFCC prosecuted 29 money laundering cases in 2005, resulting in 12 convictions. For 2006, there were 8 additional convictions and 96 ongoing investigations as of May. In addition, the NDLEA prosecuted 30 money laundering cases in 2005, resulting in 22 convictions.
.
29. On the basis of this progress, in June 2006 the FATF removed Nigeria from the NCCTs list. As is the case with other de-listed jurisdictions, the FATF monitored Nigeria’s implementation of its AML regime, and in particular: investigations, prosecutions and convictions on corruption-related money laundering cases as well as concrete measures adopted to protect the staff of authorities responsible for AML compliance from the risk of corruption, steps taken in order to strengthen further the FIU’s independence and its sustainability in the future, and progress in implementing judicial reforms in order to make the overall process for prosecuting ML cases more efficient.
.
30. After de-listing, Nigeria continued to implement its AML regime. Approximately 150 new STRs were reported from June 2006—May 2007. There were 24 additional referrals to EFCC for further investigation. The EFCC had secured a total of 150 convictions for money laundering and other financial crimes offences. The Nigerian government also had begun implementing a fast track court system to make the judicial process more efficient for the most important cases. Legislation to enhance the judicial process was also under consideration. Nigeria’s NFIU was also admitted into the Egmont Group in June 2007. Based on this progress, the FATF ended formal monitoring of Nigeria in June 2007. Nigeria is a member of GIABA (Groupe Inter-Gouvernemental d'Action Contre le Blanchiment de l'Argent en Afrique), an FSRB, which has mechanisms to review members’ progress in implementing AML/CFT measures.
.
NCCT Annual Report 2006-2007 (Eighth Review) (Page 10 & 11)

Scams - Igho Izekor via Hong Kong

2008-02-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

eLetter 1 that I received:

From: "Igho Izekor"
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:03:03 +1100
Subject: Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

P.O. BOX 5125, GPO AIRPORT ROAD, OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,EDO STATE, NIGERIA.Hello and peace be unto you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope this letters finds you safe in Christ and I have prayed that God will use you as a vessel to meet the needs of His children here.

My name is Igho Izekor and I’m reaching you from Africa. Yesterday after school I sat for some minutes in our school staff office checking the Internet for online books by Bishop David Oyedipo, there I came across your email. I believe it is God’s order for this to happen.

I am married with five children and me and my family fellowship in Jesus Family Bible Church, a small church with a great vision where Jimoh David (jimohd@africamail.com) is the pastor. I am through God’s mercies born again and serving the Lord faithfully pressing towards the mark. I’M one of our church rural evangelists and through God’s grace I’m able to go with the team once a week (Saturdays) to reach souls in neighboring villages. I have very great compassion for lost souls so the evangelical team is the better place I can serve in the church. My occupation: I am a teacher in a primary school and in my school we have a staff computer Internet where I’m now able to reach you. I grew in the village and my parents were farmer but I had the opportunity to acquire western education but not too many people do in my place.

The purpose for writing you is to appeal for your help for bibles. In the past six months we have visited Iguadolor village continually and many people have been won there for Christ particularly the old fathers and mothers. Old persons mostly inhabit the villages here because the young ones are drifting to the urban areas in order to enjoy amenities like electricity and pipe-borne water that are not available in the village. There are up to 50 persons in need of bibles but not all can read. There are four aged couples and five individuals who can read and asking for bibles. They have so much show concern that we are keeping them always in our prayers for provision of bibles for them. We need 13 giant print bibles for these loved ones who are now saved and eager to feed from God’s word. They cannot afford bibles because they are cost much in this place. Please help to supply bibles to these our brothers and sisters in need. The King James Version will be preferable used or ! new. Please send the bibles through my address above. If you have any Christian literature one or two that is enriching to the spirit man please send me.

I pray for you in Jesus name that the Lord will provide for you to help for the need and also bless you as you help.

Bye for now and write soon.

Your in Christ,
Igho Izekor.
----------------
eLetter 2 that I sent in response:

Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:17:48 -0800 (PST)
From: "Marguerite E." briarsandthorns_660@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
To: ighoizekor@yahoo.com.hk

Greetings Igho:

I just received your email, and am pleased that you wrote to me. Is the address that you mailed to me complete, and if I sent something to this address would it be in care of you, or would it be in care of your church and church pastor?

I'm happy to hear about your ministry, and would like to hear more. Does your church - or pastor - have any kind of online site?

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Many blessings to you,
Assuredly in faith,
Rev. Marguerite Earhart

http://lenicheministries.com/

---------------
eLetter 3 From ChristianBook.com

From : CBDOrders
Sent : Monday, November 12, 2007 12:09 PM
Subject : Re: Feedback From Christianbook.com
(Topic: An order you are trying to place)

We regret to inform you that we have temporarily stopped shipping catalogs and orders to Nigeria. This action is due to the extreme cases of theft, fraud, and difficulty in delivering orders that we have experienced, particularly in this country.

We regret the severity of this policy. Thank you for your understanding.

Garret K.
Customer Research Rep
Christian Book Distributors

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Feedback from Christianbook.com Web Site from Rev. Marguerite Earhart
at Sat Nov 10 22:09:31 2007

Hello:

I was curious if you deliver orders to Nigeria? I had a request for Bibles that I would like to send, and wanted to check first with you before I ordered.

Many Blessings to you.
Kindly,
Marguerite.
----------------
Final eLetter Response from igho

Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:08:53 +0800 (CST)
From: "Igho Izekor" ighoizekor@yahoo.com.hk
Subject: from igho
To: "Marguerite E." briarsandthorns_660@yahoo.com

Dear friend in The Lord,

I bring you greetings from Nigeria . I got your response to my mail and I’m very happy hearing from you. I have been praying since I wrote to you and believed that God is going to supply the bibles though I may not know the means. I am happy that the Lord has chosen you to respond to this need and He will also provide the means to fulfill this need as we keep praying. Only a few people can give their resources to serve others of the house hold of faith. I want you to know that God will bless you as you meet this need for bibles for our brothers and sisters in Iguadolor.

Our church is a non denomination church which began in 2002 by Pastor Jimoh David. I knew the Lord in 1995 when a team of Jehovah Witness Watch tower group visited me. But After that moment I started attending a non denominational church because the beliefs of Jehovah Witness is not according to the bible.

I am praying for you and know that God is blessing you. A friend was involved in a motor accident and he is in the hospital and responding to treatment. Please pray for him for speedy recovery. His name is Afeke. He is a Christian and wished that such a thing never happened, but in Romans 8:28 the bible makes it clear that all thing that happens to the children of God is for good. I told him to give God the glory rather for keeping him alive.

My postal address remains P.O. BOX 5125, GPO AIRPORT ROAD , OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EDO STATE , NIGERIA . Please do send them by insured mail so they can be safe on the way. It is our church address and very safe. We have nothing like online site.

Bye for now and write soon. God bless you.

Yours in Christ
Igho Izekor.

-----------------
I decided to post this due to interest that I'm seeing as far as this. I did not respond back to this person named igho with this last email.

I have been getting quite a bit of mail from scammers such as this.

I have been getting fraud letters that are addressed from all over asking me to represent myself to foreign governments as a bogus relative of some dead person and their family in order to gain access to their money and estate. I have been getting letters from people saying they have diseases and are going to die soon so I have to send my information in order for them to send money to me to use for Christian endeavors and such - or for me to just pocket.

These scammers present themselves as widows, infirmed people, pastors, lawyers, etc.

It is absolutely disgraceful.

I delete at least two a week from my inbox.

What makes me mad is that they sound so stinking sincere.

FYI: The Lord knows who you people are too.

My advice is this - if you receive any eletters that are emailed to you that are promising large sums of money, estate - which is FRAUD, and are requesting something that sounds fishy - requesting personal information from you:

DELETE IT.

It is not entirely understood the motivations behind this email requesting large numbers of large print Bibles. I read on another site that it is due to the paying of bribes in getting the Bibles into the country or in the selling the Bibles on the black market.

Whatever the reason in my opinion it is despicable.

AND I haven't heard anything to the contrary.

-------------
Scams - This Walk: November 2007. 11.9.07-9:48PM
http://lenicheministry2.blogspot.com/2007/11/scams-this-walk-november-2007-11907.html

-------------
The Good the Spam and the Ugly
by: Steve H. Graham

http://www.alivingspiritbookstore.com/cgi-bin/shop/products_feed.cgi?Operation=ItemLookup&ItemId=0806528249&templates=default

-------------

2008 Voter Guides From Liberty Counsel

2008-01-18T08:07:00.001-05:00

2008 Voter Guides From Liberty Counsel

Liberty Counsel

Final Vote Results For Roll Call 1143

2007-12-11T22:10:00.000-05:00

H RES 847 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 11-Dec-2007 7:02 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended
BILL TITLE: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.

..........................Yeas.... Nays.... PRES.... NV
Democratic... 195....... 9......... 9........ 19
Republican... 177................... 1......... 21
Independent
____________________________
........Totals... 372....... 9........ 10....... 40

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1143.xml

Passed!!!

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.RES.847:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/index.asp

H.Res 847

2007-12-11T15:07:00.001-05:00

U.S. House to Consider Christmas Resolution
.
Our Washington, D.C. office informed us this morning that the House will consider a Resolusion recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith. H.Res. 847, introduced by Rep. King of Iowa, is on the House calendar for today and will need a 2/3 (290 votes) majority to pass.
.
Contact your representative to express your support for the Christmas Resolution (HR 847). You can get their contact information at: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
.
The Resolution states in part:
.
Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world... Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ...Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others: Now, therefore be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world; (2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide; (3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith; (4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization; (5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and (6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
.
You can read the entire text of the Resolution on our web site in PDF format or on the House web site, where you can also see the list of sponsors and later you can find out how you representative votes.
.
-------------------
My letter:
.
December 11, 2007
.
To The Honorable Jim Gerlach
.
I am writing to you today concerning H.Res. 847, introduced by Rep. King of Iowa. I learned about this from the Liberty Counsel, and it is said that it is on the House calendar for today and will need a 2/3 (290 votes) majority to pass.
.
I am asking for your positive vote on this bill in order to uphold our American holiday of Christmas. I am finding that Christmas has been under fire for the past several years, and that there are influences - that constitute censorship - that wish to negate this fundamental American holiday from the fabric of our society.
.
I have been quite upset over this.
.
Please vote positively on this bill H.Res. 847 to uphold our American tradition.
.
Many blessings to you,
Assuredly in faith,
Mrs. Rev. M. Marguerite Earhart
.
------------------
Liberty Counsel
http://lc.org/
.
http://lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=778

LC Naughty Or Nice List 2007

2007-11-23T15:33:00.002-05:00

Liberty Counsel Naughty Or Nice List 2007

PDF format:
http://www.lc.org/media/9980/attachments/2007_Naughty-Nice.pdf

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=15259

Liberty Counsel:
http://lc.org/

Scams - This Walk: November 2007. 11.9.07-9:48PM

2007-11-17T20:13:00.000-05:00

Scams.
.
Did you get this in the e-mail? I had to google a lot of different phrases to find out how this was a scam. But I found it. Scam-O-Rama had all the information I needed. Click here to read their info. According to their site, shortly after you try and help, they'll tell you it's necessary to bribe some official to get the bibles in, and... well, obviously they don't have the money to do that so, send some money for the bribe.
.
Here's the e-mail.
.
Hello and peace be unto you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope this letters finds you safe in Christ and I have prayed that God will use you as a vessel to meet the needs of His children here.
.
My name is Igho Izekor and I’m reaching you from Africa. Yesterday after school I sat for some minutes in our school staff office checking the Internet for online books by Bishop David Oyedipo, there I came across your email. I believe it is God’s order for this to happen.
.
I am married with five children and me and my family fellowship in Jesus Family Bible Church, a small church with a great vision where Jimoh David (jimohd@africamail.com) is the pastor. I am through God’s mercies born again and serving the Lord faithfully pressing towards the mark. I’M one of our church rural evangelists and through God’s grace I’m able to go with the team once a week (Saturdays) to reach souls in neighboring villages. I have very great compassion for lost souls so the evangelical team is the better place I can serve in the church. My occupation: I am a teacher in a primary school and in my school we have a staff computer Internet where I’m now able to reach you. I grew in the village and my parents were farmer but I had the opportunity to acquire western education but not too many people do in my place.
.
The purpose for writing you is to appeal for your help for bibles. In the past six months we have visited Iguadolor village continually and many people have been won there for Christ particularly the old fathers and mothers. Old persons mostly inhabit the villages here because the young ones are drifting to the urban areas in order to enjoy amenities like electricity and pipe-borne water that are not available in the village. There are up to 50 persons in need of bibles but not all can read. There are four aged couples and five individuals who can read and asking for bibles. They have so much show concern that we are keeping them always in our prayers for provision of bibles for them. We need 13 giant print bibles for these loved ones who are now saved and eager to feed from God’s word. They cannot afford bibles because they are cost much in this place. Please help to supply bibles to these our brothers and sisters in need. The King James Version will be preferable used or !new. Please send the bibles through my address above. If you have any Christian literature one or two that is enriching to the spirit man please send me.
.
I pray for you in Jesus name that the Lord will provide for you to help for the need and also bless you as you help. Bye for now and write soon.
.
Your in Christ, Igho Izekor.
.
Labels: My Readers
.
This Walk
http://this-walk.blogspot.com/
.
-------------------
I really am glad that I discovered this blog 'This Walk'. I was led to this by the Lord when I prayed that he shed light on this email that I received. It seems that many people are receiving this email, and are confused by it. It appears that it is quite deceptive. Anyone with any additional info please post, ok.

2007-11-16T16:30:00.000-05:00

Some luxury hotels buck Bible

.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) --

The American Hotel and Lodging Association said the number of U.S. luxury hotels placing Bibles in rooms has dropped 18 percent since 2001.

.
However, the association said the number of hotels, motels and inns with Bibles in each room has risen from 79 percent in 1988 to 95 percent this year, ABC News reported Friday.

.
Mike DeFrino, senior vice president of hotel operations for the Kimpton Hotels chain, said his company removed individual religious materials from the rooms as part of an initiative aimed at making the chain friendlier to the environment. Phone books also were removed from the rooms.

.
Instead, DeFrino said, hotel guests may receive copies of the New Testament, Old Testament, Book of Mormon, the Koran and Buddhist and Hindu texts at the front desk of the hotel.

.
Elon Kenchington, chief operating officer of the Gansevoort Hotel Group, said the company's hotels kept Bibles out of the rooms in an attempt to "not be sheep" who blindly follow the practices of other companies. He said the hotels offer a library of religious materials that can be requested at the front desk.

.
"The industry, like most things, evolves and changes," he said.

Article Link

Sleep At Home And Keep The Values

The Gideons International

-------------------

(Note: At least some hotels are saying that they have Bibles at the front desk for those who would request it.)

Book Review of "Fat Kid Rules The World" By K. L. Going

2007-11-02T23:12:00.000-04:00

I got the book "Fat Kid Rules The World" by K. L. Going from my local library. This is the only book mentioned in an earlier article that I posted concerning the Illinois School District 126.
-------------------
Illinois School Pushes Smut on Children as Young as 12 with Porn-Laden Book
.
Special to LifeSiteNews.com
By J. Matt Barber
.
http://lenicheministry2.blogspot.com/2007/08/illinois-school-pushes-smut-on-children.html
-------------------
The school district is under fire from parents due to recommending certain books for the summer reading list to 8th graders. ( 12 to 13 year old's) Parents have complained that three of the six books recommended by the school were age-inappropriate due to adult oriented content.
.
I just finished reading "Fat Kid". I like the book a lot, and I would have liked this book when I was a teen. I liked to read, and liked stuff like this. I cannot tell you how many times I read "The Outsiders" - I loved this book.
.
I have to say that I agree with the parents.
.
I believe that the school is playing fast and loose, and being a bit too liberally minded, with the parents and with what the parents believe to be appropriate for their young teens.
.
The standards at the school are in question when content is encouraged like this to 12 and 13 year old's.
.
I agree with the parents that the school should not recommend material that contains content like this without first warning them. The book is not porn-laden or pornographic, but it is of a more adult oriented content.
.
(There are people who would disagree with my more moderate view, and would not approve of their children - young teens reading content like this at all.)
.
The book touches on homosexuality, but not specifically - It seems to be in the context of, or hints at, prostitution. The book touches on suicide, drug use/abuse, drinking, and punk-rock - underground - music. (I remember something somewhat similiar to this as far as the meeting place called "The Dump" in my local area when I was a teen - But I don't live in a large city like NY City)
.
The book does contain graphic language, and some questionable-smutty leaning, adult oriented situation-stuff. The book touches on some serious issues. I would not want my grandchild reading this book until she was much older. I believe that the book would be more appropriate for 15 year old's or so who would be a bit more savvy as far as this.
.
BUT the book is not about the content. It's about young people - specifically two young people (very troubled young people Troy and Curt) - struggling with this content in their world and how it doesn't - on a daily basis - ending up destroying them.
.
The book has a very good story and moral, and would be good for young people to relate to.
.
I very much recommend this book. (Just to older teens and up.)
.
The book received some awards/honors:
-- A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
--An ALA BBYA
--A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
--A Booklist Editors' Choice
--An SLJ Best Book Of The Year
--A Miami Herald Best Book Of The Year
--A Lambda Literary Award Winner
.
The author - From book: K. L. Going
lives in Beacon, New York. Since graduating from college, she has worked as an adult literacy tutor, a ticket agent for an airline, a front-desk clerk at a resort hotel, and a bookstore salesperson. Currently, she works in a Manhattan literary agency. She has lived in Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and New York City. This is her first novel. www.klgoing.com
.

Statistics On Homosexuality

2007-10-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

I was listening to a sermon on Christian radio, and decided to look up the statistics. I haven't been able to find the online sermon as of yet. I was surprised at the statistics that were given.
.
I found this of interest:
.
- Everyone Should Know These Statistics On Homosexuals
- Dr. Frank Joseph
http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a02rStatistcs.html
.
The Statistics on Homosexuality and its Effects
Catholic Apologetics International
.
Posted on 10/13/2005 10:08:23 AM PDT by Coleus
.
The Statistics on Homosexuality and its Effects
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1501855/posts
.
Statistics - same-sex relationships and homosexuality
Up-to-date information on key areas . . .
.
http://www.saltshakers.org.au/html/P/9/B/288/
.
New Study Finds Early Death in Gay 'Marriages'
By Linda Zhang
Christian Post Contributor
Thu, Mar. 29 2007 03:53 PM ET
.
http://www.namb.net/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=9qKILUOzEpH&b=1677341&ct=3714963
.
560am Philadelphia
http://www.wfil.com/

2007-10-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

. Stand True Ministries
. Silent Day

STILES CAUGHT!

2007-10-18T19:06:00.000-04:00

Chester "Chet" Arthur Stiles

BUSTED: Stiles Makes His Courtroom Debut

NEW DEVELOPMENTS: Chester Arthur Stiles made his first court appearance on October 17, 2007 and authorities say he now faces up to 24 charges related to the alleged videotaped sexual assault of an underage girl and an incident involving the molestation of a 6-year-old girl in 2003.

.
Two days prior, cops in Nevada announced that the nationwide manhunt for Stiles ended when Henderson, Nev. cops arrested the 37-year-old fugitive during a routine traffic stop. Police tell AMW that two officers stopped a white Buick Century without plates at around 7 p.m. when Stiles reportedly gave the officers a California driver's license that looked nothing like him. One of the arresting officers, Mike Dye, stated in a press conference that Stiles admitted at the time of his arrest that "he was Mr. Stiles, the person wanted on America's Most Wanted."
.

»The Hunt For A Child Rapist

»Fugitive Case File: Darrin Tuck

»AMW Exclusive Interview: Darrin Tuck

»Inside The Investigation

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=49286

http://www.lvmpd.com/crime/wanted_fugitives_stiles.html

2007-10-17T12:19:00.000-04:00

Health: Breast Cancer Virtual Walk
.
http://cbs3.com/video/?id=47157@kyw.dayport.com
.
http://cbs3.com/health
.
The Virtual Walk For The Gal To Gal Foundation
.
https://www. galtogalwalk. org/

Live Search Club

2007-10-13T18:49:00.001-04:00

I learned about this today, and like it a lot. On Live Search-IE7-I noticed that if you sign up and play selected games, and do Live Search on your account home page, you can have tickets which have value to a charity or school that you pick. I signed up for my local Church school.
.
It seems to be a good way to give to a favorite - listed - charity or school. (They have Christian schools listed.)
.
Live Search Club
http://club.live.com/home.aspx?lc=1033
.
---------------
An Update:
.
I had trouble with Club.live.com
.
I had trouble with Adobe Flash Player - which you would need to play games on this site. Adobe doesn't have a fix for the problem at the moment.
.
I also had to in Internet Options allow the site under 'Privacy' as an ok site, and to allow cookies. When I made this change I haven't had any more trouble with the site - at least at the moment.
.
I'm reposting this since I have been able to overcome the bugs.I like 'Seekadoo' and 'Chicktionary' a lot.
.
http://club.live.com/

2007-10-07T18:59:00.000-04:00

I don't think I heard someone say this as of yet, because everybody has been so shocked and angry.
.
Thank you Darrin Tuck for turning the video into the police which brought to light what Chester "Chet" Arthur Stiles has been doing - which hopefully - God Willing - will bring him to justice soon.
.
If I had found a video such as this, I honestly would have turned it into the police sooner. Whether it was out of fear of being arrested - which happened - not knowing what to do, or for whatever reason the tape was not turned in sooner - the point is Darrin did try to do the right thing, and turned over the video.
.
Darrin did take the risk and did the right thing.
.
I'm thankful that 'Madison' is still with us, and for the most part ok.
.
I noticed with the news reports that Darrin isn't getting any credit at all for doing the right and good thing - even if it is belated.
.
Darrin does look guilty about something - But on this video tape he did the right thing. I'm glad that Darrin didn't decide to burn the tape instead rather than turn it in.
.
My point is maybe he can be given a bit of a break.
.
»Fugitive Case File: Darrin Tuck

Child Found Safe!

2007-09-29T00:48:00.001-04:00

Chester Arthur Stiles

Stiles Now A Suspect In 'Madison' Case

.
In a press conference on September 28, 2007, Nye County authorities officially named Chester Arthur Stiles as a suspect in the videotaped sexual assault of an underage girl. The girl, only identified as a 7-year-old named Madison, is safe and home with her family, cops added. Police stated that the tape was made four years ago when Madison was only three years old. Cops also informed the press that Darren Tuck will soon be behind bars due to a parole violation and his involvement in this case. Now that Madison is safe and sound, detectives in Nevada declared a new mission...putting Chester Stiles behind bars.

»The Full Story »Inside The Investigation

Article Link

2007-09-28T01:35:00.001-04:00

Police Get Tips To Girl's Identity
Detective: Hundreds Of Tips Received On Sex Tape Investigation
.
POSTED: 3:26 pm PDT September 24, 2007
UPDATED: 3:57 pm PDT September 24, 2007
.
PAHRUMP, Nev. -- Officers said they have received more than 100 tips concerning the identity of a girl being abused in a pornographic tape. Nye County police are trying to identify her and her adult male attacker.
.
"It the most disgusting thing you could possibly imagine," Detective David Boruchowitz said. "The worst thing you could imagine happening to this girl happened."
.
Boruchowitz said the girl appears to only be 4 to 5 years old when the tape was filmed and, it appears, she has been victimized a lot. Detectives said the crime is gaining national attention, which has led to hundreds of calls about the identity of the girl and the male assaulting her.
.
"We really know very little," Boruchowitz said. "What we know is Darren Tuck, a local resident, turned in this tape to our detectives division."
.
Tuck told detectives he found the tape in the middle of the desert. Police said that, after an investigation, they found Tuck had possession of the tape for about five months, showing it to others.
.
"He's absolutely not telling the whole truth," Boruchowitz said. "I think Darren Tuck could provide more information that could help us in this investigation, although he's chosen not to."
Detectives said Tuck has no prior convictions or arrests of this nature, but has been charged with possession of child pornography and promotion of sexual acts of a minor. If convicted, he could get sentenced to life in prison.
.
Police are still requesting tips to the identity of this man. If you have any information, call CrimeStoppers at 702-385-5555.
.
Article Link
.
http://www.amw.com/features/feature_story_detail.cfm?id=2169
.
http://boards.crimelibrary.com/showthread.php?p=8998772
.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/nancy.grace/
.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0709/27/ng.01.html
----------------------
I learned about this case from Nancy Grace.
.
Note: I removed 'Madison's' photo by post request who gave me a new update. Thank you to poster 'Anonymous'.

2007-09-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

What's In a Name?
.
A Dutch Catholic bishop says Christians should refer to God as "Allah" in order to have better relations with Muslims.
.
Bishop Martinus Muskens told a Dutch TV show — "God doesn't really care how we address Him."
.
He says Christians in predominantly Muslim Indonesia already call God "Allah." And he predicts that within a century or two — Dutch Christians will be doing the same thing.
.
Muskens says God is above what he calls "discussion and bickering" over his name. He says the name issue is something humans invented .. in order to argue about it.
.
Article Link
.
--------------------
.
Roman Catholic Bishop Wants Everyone to Call God 'Allah'
Thursday, August 16, 2007
.
A proposal by a Roman Catholic bishop in the Netherlands that people of all faiths refer to God as "Allah" is not sitting well with the Catholic community.
.
Tiny Muskens, an outgoing bishop who is retiring in a few weeks from the southern diocese of Breda, said God doesn't care what he is called.
.
"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem," Muskens told Dutch television.
.
"I'm sure his intentions are good but his theology needs a little fine-tuning," said Father Jonathan Morris, a Roman Catholic priest based in Rome. Morris, a news analyst for FOX News Channel, also called the idea impractical.
.
"Words and names mean things," Morris said. "Referring to God as Allah means something."
.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based Islamic civil liberties and advocacy group, backs the idea as a way to help interfaith understanding.
.
"It reinforces the fact that Muslims, Christians and Jews all worship the same God," Hooper told FOXNews.com. "I don't think the name is as important as the belief in God and following God's moral principles. I think that's true for all faiths."
.
Christians who are Arabic speakers speak of Allah when they speak of God, Hooper added.
.
"There's not a theological leap to make on the part of Christians," Hooper said.
.
The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago supports the idea.
.
“I think it will open up doors,” said Janaan Hashim, a spokeswoman for the group representing more than 400,000 Muslim Americans in the Chicago area. “Language is a man-made limitation. I think what God cares about is how we fulfill our purpose in life.”
.
The nation’s largest Catholic civil rights group says Catholics won't get behind the proposal.
.
“Bishop Martinus “Tiny” Muskens can pray to “Allah” all he wants, but only addlepated Catholics will follow his lead,” Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said in a statement. “It is not a good sign when members of the Catholic hierarchy indulge in a fawning exchange with Muslims, or those of any other religion.”
.
Muskens spent eight years in Indonesia, where he said priests used the word "Allah" during Mass.
.
Muskens also has drawn attention for other ideas such as encouraging the hungry to steal bread and offering condoms to combat HIV and AIDS.
.
FOXNews.com's Melissa Drosjack and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
.
Article Link
.
-------------------
.
I learned about this article in the September 2007 Catholic League "Catalyst".
.
Just WHERE IN THE BIBLE does it say that this is an ok thing to do?
.
I know I haven't read it in any of my readings so far.
.
As Christians we are to follow the Christian handbook - the Bible - in our learning to be righteous, worthy and to live the life that God would approve of.
.
It does not at all say that we can invent things as we go along, and do whatever it is we feel is relative to do.
.
I guess it is ok to refer to him as Baal, Ra, Molech and such as well?
.
The Bible does not at all say that we are supposed to have an interfaith with unbelievers. The Bible does not say at all that we all worship one God so we can refer to him as anything we like, to what is "politically correct" or whatever is relative at the moment to call Him.
.
In the Bible it says that if they don't acknowledge Jesus as the Christ and as Lord and Savior they are unbelievers. It says we are to come out from among them, and not be yoked to them.
.
What's in a name matters to the Lord.
.
You can bet He would in fact object being referred to by the name of any foreign pagan deity by a so-called Christian, and He just might not listen to anyone who refers to him by this name or any other pagan name.
.
One question. Will someone that is Muslim refer, or call, to Allah as Jesus?
.
MORE BIBLE READING PEOPLE.
.
______________
.
9.10.07. I have been doing a bit of research on this topic. I posted an article on another of my Blog sites:
.
http://lenicheministries.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-do-many-arab-christians-refer-to.html

2007-09-03T18:33:00.000-04:00

Today is September 3, 2007 - And Today is Labor Day.
.
Happy Labor Day everybody! (I had to work though.)
.
I was watching the Ellen Show, and guess what.
.
I saw my first Christmas commercial.
.
For 'Bringing In The Holidays' at Longwood Gardens.
.
It is not even close to the first day of fall yet. The commercial had snow scenes.
.
It's getting earlier every year.
.
The commercial was festive however, even if it did hurt my eyes. (They were showing snow scenes on Ellen too.)
.
I'm looking for the article link over at NBC.com. I haven't found where it is listed yet on their site. I'll post it when I find it.
.
---------------------
.
I saw the commercial again today-9.4.07- near The Ellen Show.

The advertisement is for a Choir Talent Competition that supposedly NBC10 is sponsoring.

. http://www.nbc10.com/index.html

. http://www.longwoodgardens.org/
.
-------------------
Longwood Gardens is very beautiful to see. If you can arrange a chance to go it is worth the trip. Don't forget your walking shoes though!
.
I haven't had the chance to go as of yet - to my dismay, but plan to change that. I figured out recently where it is located, and want very much to go.

2007-08-31T01:22:00.000-04:00

- -Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police...Mug photo of Sen. Larry Craig- -

I've been hearing and reading about the case of Senator Larry Craig. I watch Nancy Grace, and she played the police tapes that were released to the public. (I'm not so sure that they should have been.)

I am hearing that many are quick to decide that the Senator is guilty of being 'On The Down Low', and solicited sex from the undercover police officer.

I am not hearing that any money changed hands. I'm not hearing that the Senator actually requested certain sex acts from the officer.

I watch "Cops", and it seems that in many prostitution cases this is usually the criteria for busting someone who is seeking sex from a prostitute.

I think the evidence is circumstantial. I don't disbelieve the officer, but maybe the Senator didn't really realize what he was doing in his actions.

I don't think hand and foot gestures are conclusive to establish his clear intent.

But what the officer is claiming does not indeed sound good.

If I were on a jury I would not sentence the Senator due to the evidence being not at all clear in what the Senator's intent actually was, but circumstantial, because the Senator did not actually - in word - request anything sexually - or show clear sexual intent, or did not offer or waive any money.

I think that the Senator should get the benefit of the doubt a bit.

It even crossed my mind that he could of been set up too. It could happen to a man in his position - especially in light of his views.

I'm not making up my mind that the Senator is a degenerate unless I hear him actually admit his wrongdoing or it is more clear at the decision at his trial. I don't think he should step down until the facts are all in.

He is innocent until proven guilty.

Article: Senator Larry Craig: 'I Am Not Gay'

2007-08-29T23:13:00.000-04:00

Pastor's Daughter Speaks Out On Father's Offer To 'Help' Gays

.
POSTED: 10:50 pm EDT August 29, 2007
UPDATED: 11:07 pm EDT August 29, 2007

NBC 10 first told you Tuesday about the sign outside the Cumberland County Community Church sparking controversy in Millville.

.
"I do not believe that people are born gay," Pastor Salvatore Roggio said, speaking in front of the sign advertising "Help for the Homosexual" at this weekend's sermon.

.
Wednesday night, the controversy was hitting home for the church's pastor, NBC 10's Ted Greenberg reported.

The pastor's daughter said that she is a lesbian and just couldn't stay silent.

.
"It is with great sadness that I learned of the public statements my father has made against my community," said Sharon Roggio.

.
She decided to speak out about the message posted outside her father's church, condemning it.

.
"Just as straight people never made the choice to be straight, gays and lesbians never made the choice to be gay," Sharon Roggio said.

.
The 29-year-old, who lives in Michigan, recorded the statement following comments her father made Tuesday in which he said people are not born gay and through Jesus Christ, homosexuals can become straight.

.
A former gay rights activist who claims to have done just that is speaking at the church on Sunday.

.
"I love my father and want only happiness for him," Sharon Roggio said. "But I cannot stand silent and allow false statements against gay and lesbian people to be made any longer."

.
"I believe she is living a life that is not proper," Salvatore Roggio said. "She has a choice to say yes, yes to Jesus Christ."

.
Sharon Roggio said she came out to her parents when she was 18.

.
Her father said Wednesday night he believes she can still change.

.
"I love my daughter deeply. It breaks my heart. I weep over the situation, but that does not change truth. The issue is truth," Salvatore Roggio said.

.
"I couldn't come to bring myself to even think that I could be a lesbian, as I was taught growing up that such a sin couldn't happen to a religious man's family. But I was wrong. And so is my father," Sharon Roggio said in the recorded message.

.
She is also asking her father to include what she calls "the gay and lesbian perspective" at this Sunday's church service.

.
The pastor told NBC 10, however, that while he embraces an open dialogue, he doesn't believe the service would be the right setting for a debate.

.
Previous Stories:
August 28, 2007:

Church Sign Offers To 'Help' Gays

Article Link

Cumberland County Community Church

1987~Celebrating 20 Years~2007

1800 East Broad Street

• Millville, NJ 08332 • USA

• 856-327-2222

Senior Pastor Salvatore Roggio

Mission Statement: "Our Purpose is to bring people into a loving and mature relationship with Jesus Christ and to equip and inspire them to do the same."

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

http://ccmnj.com/

Video page:

http://www.ccbplayer.com/sermons-Cumberland_County_Community_Church-1061.html

Note: The church site is a bit confusing to navigate.

_______

Pastor Roggio, believe me when I tell you this, I can relate to your troubles. Satan hits from all sides. Take Heart, and be firm in the armor of the Lord.

A person cannot indeed change if their heart is against any real change, and does not really want to, or believe that they can, change - if the mindset is geared against hearing the truth or against righteous change.

Therefore change does not, or will not, happen.

You cannot also make a person believe that the Bible - the entire Bible - is rooted in truth.

Sinful and carnal nature is adversarial to that truth.

My dad said to me when I was younger - in reference to me - that you cannot save a person from themself.

I found out over time - and in my heart knew it when he said it to me - that he was right.

2007-08-29T00:09:00.000-04:00

Gay Activists Assault Ex-Gay, Trash Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays Booth at Fair
.
Activist struck PFOX ex-gay over testimony about leaving homosexual lifestyle
.
By Peter J. Smith
.
ARLINGTON, Virginia, August. 28, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Angry homosexual activists harassed and assaulted ex-homosexuals at the Arlington County Fair last week, according to an ex-gay educational and support group.
.
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) reports its volunteers were distributing education materials on same-sex attraction and awareness of ex-homosexuals at their fair booth. Homosexual activists approached them and created a disturbance, spewing obscenities and dashing materials from the exhibit table.
.
The group demanded that PFOX leave the fairgrounds, recognize "same-sex spouses" and rejected arguments that homosexuals could change their sexual orientation although they admitted they knew heterosexuals who had done the same.
.
The confrontation escalated after one activist struck a PFOX ex-gay volunteer after becoming infuriated over the man's testimony about leaving the homosexual lifestyle. A police officer then ejected the activist from the fairgrounds, although the ex-homosexual volunteer declined to press charges citing the example of Jesus Christ.
.
The incident, while not uncommon in PFOX experience, continues to highlight homosexual activists' rejection of tolerance and equal access ideas opposing and competing with the homosexual agenda.
.
PFOX said that several homosexuals had identified themselves as teachers and would make sure that PFOX ex-homosexual materials would not reach teenagers in schools as pro-homosexual materials do.
.
Article Link

2007-08-28T23:22:00.000-04:00

Illinois School Pushes Smut on Children as Young as 12 with Porn-Laden Book
.
Special to LifeSiteNews.com
By J. Matt Barber
.
ASLIP, IL, August 28, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Illinois School District 126, covering Alsip, Hazelgreen and Oak Lawn, has defended its choice to assign summer reading to 12- and 13-year-olds that is replete with harsh profanity and references to teen sex (even teen sex with adults).
.
Prairie Junior High School's required reading list for rising 8th graders gave children six books to choose from over the summer. Parents have complained that three of the six books contain adult content which is highly age-inappropriate. Those complaints, however, have fallen on deaf ears. At a recent school board meeting, school board members said they intend to continue assigning the books.
.
To add insult to injury, the school didn't even have the courtesy to warn these kids - or their parents - about the adult content within the assigned reading. And parents are understandably furious. If one of my daughters came to me at twelve having been assigned this smut, I'd be ticked-off too.
.
Whatever happened to classics like Ivanhoe or Up From Slavery? Sure, some of them may even contain limited profanity and adult content, but there's a big difference. The profane content in Fat Kid isn't sporadic. It's pervasive and gratuitous. The book has 110 pages containing the F-word and other profanities, and there are multiple crude sexual references.
.
With all the objectionable material children are subjected to on the internet, on television and in theatres, it's outrageous that educators, who are charged with helping to mold the minds of these 12- and 13-year-olds, would willingly - if not eagerly - contribute to their moral degradation by pushing this kind of vulgarity on them. It amounts to educational malpractice, and School District 126 should have its mouth washed out with soap.
.
I telephoned Robert Berger, superintendent of schools for District 126, fully expecting him to assure me that this foolishness would be remedied. But instead, his response was defiant, defensive and arrogant.
.
Berger refused to answer me when I asked him several times if District 126 believed that such mature content was appropriate for children. (I wonder; if it's so appropriate, then why wouldn't he defend it?)
.
I asked Berger if one could infer that the district found the material appropriate since it was assigned to children. He quipped, "Infer whatever you want to."
.
No one's calling for a book burning here, but c'mon, these are just kids. Does District 126 have any standards of decency at all?
.
Unfortunately the actions of District 126 are symptomatic of a metastasizing moral malady within our larger system of public education. Kids in public schools across the country are constantly inundated with material which promotes profanity, homosexuality, promiscuity and abortion.
.
The Agenda is pushed and the curriculum set by leftist groups like the National Education Association (NEA), the ACLU and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Even the American Library Association (ALA) gave Fat Kids its "Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature." The book also received a rave review from America's largest homosexual activist literary organization, Lambda Literary Foundation.
.
By constantly lowering the bar on decency, educators are intentionally playing a game of ideological limbo with our children's moral well-being as they seek to create little moral relativists in their own iconoclastic self-image. And they're robbing kids of great reading like Oliver Twist, Treasure Island and many others in the process.
.
How low will they go?
.
By the looks of things in Alsip, Illinois, they're not going to bottom out anytime soon. .
______________
.
Matt Barber is one of the "like-minded men" with Concerned Women for America. He is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law and serves as CWA's policy director for cultural issues.
.
To politely express concerns to the principal:
.
Principal Craig Gwaltney
cgwaltney@dist126.org
.
To contact members of State Board of Education see
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/board/Default.htm
(addresses are at bottom of page)
.
See contact form
http://webprod1.isbe.net/contactisbe/
.
Article Link
.
_____________
.
My opinion still is that the parents should take the high road, and try to find other options to the public (state) schools, and in keeping a close eye on what is introduced to their child.
.
Other options might need to be created.
.
My dad actually set fire to books that I brought home from high school on our front lawn. (I don't know if he ever paid for them or not) I thought he was crazy at the time. I took an elective - I don't remember now what the class was about, and he didn't like the books that depicted the occult and/or witchcraft. ( I had an interest in the topic at the time, and was a troubled kid.)
.
He went through my room. He tore off interesting posters I had taped on my bedroom walls. (One said "In TV We Trust".) He made me put back flowers that I picked from a neighbors garden.
.
He had me so angry more than once.
.
He tried to be a good dad in hindsight.
.
When I was in school the main concern was bad influence from friends - which was easy enough to find.
.
Now it is from adults who cannot discern between moral right and wrong - which isn't entirely new.
.
It is a time where wrong is right, and right is wrong. It's in the Bible where it says this would occur in the latter days.
.
Don't be afraid to speak up, and protest this stuff. Don't be afraid to take it away from your children. Be available, proactive and informed.
.
I'm going to look up one of the books mentioned in the article at my local library, and I'll give a review.
.
Note - 8.29.07: I looked up the book on my local library system, and they have a book called "Fat Kids Rules The World". This seems to be the book mentioned. I'm going to order the book tomorrow, and see the content for myself.

2007-08-13T16:44:00.000-04:00

Socialism In America

by Henry Lamb
.
Socialism in America is alive, well, and growing. Aided by such influential Congressmen as John Conyers, Ranking Member of the House Judicial Committee, David Bonior, the pit-bull-dog who successfully whipped Newt, Maxine Waters, the President's outspoken defender in the impeachment debates, and nearly 60 other Representatives, socialism is advancing in America behind the "Progressive" label. Here are a few excerpts taken directly from the web page of the Democratic Socialists of America.
.
Article Link

2007-08-13T15:47:00.000-04:00

The Communist Takeover Of America -
45 Declared Goals
.
From Greg Swank
12-4-2

2007-08-11T18:42:00.000-04:00

Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships
.
Sat Aug 11, 2:00 PM ET
.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Homosexual Lutheran clergy who are in sexual relationships will be able to serve as pastors, the largest U.S. Lutheran body said on Saturday.
.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in "faithful committed same-gender relationships."
.
The resolution passed by a vote of 538-431.
.
"The Church ... has just said 'Do not do punishments'," said Phil Soucy, spokesman for Lutherans Concerned, a gay-lesbian rights group within the church. "That is huge."
.
The ELCA, which has 4.8 million members, had previously allowed gays to serve as pastors so long as they abstained from sexual relations.
.
The conference also instructed a committee that is developing a social statement on sexuality to further investigate the issue. The committee is scheduled to release its report in 2009.
.
Since the ELCA was founded in 1988, the group has ordered three pastors in gay relationships to be removed from their ministries. The most recent case was decided in July when the ELCA's committee on appeals voted to remove an openly gay pastor from St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta.
.
The gay clergy issue has become a flashpoint in other faiths, including the Anglican Church.
.
Article Link
.
Largest US Lutheran Church Votes to Uphold but Not Enforce Gay Clergy Ban

Don't You Forget About Me

2007-08-11T00:14:00.000-04:00

The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), in collaboration with the Find Madeleine Campaign and with the generous support of YouTube, has created this channel to help reunite missing children with their families.

http://youtube.com/dontyouforgetaboutme

2007-08-08T14:41:00.000-04:00

San Diego Firefighters Forced to Participate in "Gay Pride" Parade File
Lawsuit Against City
~
Subjected To Gross Sexual Gestures and Obscenities Typical of
"Gay Pride" Events
~
SAN DIEGO, CA, August 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Four respected San Diego firefighters were ordered, against their wishes, to participate in uniform on their city fire truck in the city's annual "Gay Pride" parade. During the course of the ensuing three hour long ordeal, the firefighters were subjected to obscene sexual taunts from homosexuals lining the parade route. This included the following statements: "show me your hose," "you can put out my fire," "you're making me hot," "give me mouth-to-mouth," "you look hungry, why don't you have a twinkie (from a man wearing a "Girth and Mirth" t-shirt)," and "blow my hose." These firemen are devoted husbands and fathers. When they refused to respond to the crowd, some in the crowd turned hostile and started shouting, "F-k you firemen" and others began "flipping them off."
~
San Diego area attorney, Charles LiMandri, the West Coast Director of the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is representing the firefighters in their legal claims against the city. LiMandri was also the lead counsel in the successful Mt. Soledad Cross case in San Diego. A 52 year native San Diegan, LiMandri stated: "What happened to these dedicated public servants was inexcusable. The City should have known from past experience the kind of offensive activities that go on at this event. This was a clear case of sexual harassment in violation of state and federal law as well as the City's own code of conduct."
~
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center added, "These firefighters dedicated their lives to save the lives of others. They did not sign on to become unwilling props to a controversial political and social agenda."
~
Continued Thompson, "The constitutional right to free speech also protects the right not to speak. These men should not have to explain to their families, friends and church congregations that their presence at a celebration of lewdness and obscenity in support of the homosexual agenda was because they were forced there by way of a direct order. This is a clear violation of their constitutional rights, and the City must be held accountable. It should never happen again to any city employee."
~
The firefighters were also targets of gross sexual gestures to include the following: exposure of genitals, blowing kisses, grabbing of the crotch, rubbing of nipples, tongue gestures, men hugging and kissing one another passionately, many of them wearing make-up and dressed like women. Although the firefighters were not physically assaulted, the gestures were clearly directed towards them.
~
The so-called "gay pride" parade took place on July 21, 2007 in San Diego. On July 20, 2007, the four firefighters in question were told by their superiors that they would be participating in the parade. All four repeatedly protested that they did not wish to participate. In the past, firefighters that participated in the parade generally did so on a volunteer basis. On the morning of July 21, 2007, however, these same four firefighters were ordered into their uniforms and made to participate in the parade in their fire truck. The firefighters were left with the Hobson's choice of either violating their conscience or being disciplined for disobeying a direct order.
~
While on the parade route, the firefighters were subjected to the most vulgar kinds of sexual harassment. To quote one of the firefighters: "You could not even look at the crowd without getting some type of sexual gesture." This firefighter further added, "If any crew member were to hang up pictures at the station of what we saw, we would be disciplined."
~
Local papers reporting on the parade made no mention of the lewd and offensive behavior that characterized the parade.
~
Brian Rooney, an attorney and Director of Communications at the Law Center who lived in San Diego for over three years while serving as a Marine officer commented, "This event panders to the most base elements of what is advertised as 'America's Finest City'. Even the homosexual community should be outraged and ashamed of the sexual harassment these firemen were forced to endure."
~
Fire Chief, Tracy Jarman, an open lesbian, stated, "This is a fun event and all employees are encouraged to participate." When Jarman was appointed Fire Chief she stated that her homosexuality has never been an issue at the department and she has never seen any gay-related trouble. Rooney commented, "Obviously the environment at the department has changed for the worse since Jarman has been appointed Fire Chief. 'Participation' should be a voluntary act-these four firefighters had no choice in the matter and that is wrong no matter what one's sexual orientation."
~
Thompson commented, "This is another example of how radical homosexual activists in positions of authority force their agenda on unwilling citizens. Although the local media avoided mentioning the debauchery and the obscenity that pervaded the parade, the general public should know what went on and how these firefighters were forced to participate against their will."
~
To politely express concerns:
~
Mayor Jerry Sanders
City Administration Building
11th Floor, 202 C Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 236-6330
Fax: (619) 236-7228
Email the Office of the Mayor:
JerrySanders@sandiego.gov
~
City of Ethics and Integrity:
City Administration Building
202 "C" Street, 9th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: (619) 236-7182
Fax: (619) 236-6067
E-mail: oei@sandiego.gov
~
San Diego Council members:
~
Council President Scott Peters
E-mail: scottpeters@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Kevin Faulconer
E-mail: kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov
Council President Pro Tem Tony Young
E-mail: anthonyyoung@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Brian Maienschein
E-mail: bmaienschein@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Donna Frye
E-mail: donnafrye@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Jim Madaffer
E-mail: jmadaffer@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Ben Hueso
E-mail: benhueso@sandiego.gov
~
Article Link
~
Search Links
~
______________________
~
I learned about this story on my local talk radio. ( The Big Talker-WPHT Phila ) I am appalled. This is one more story on how this agenda is being forced on people who believe that homosexuality to be morally wrong and are uncomfortable with it's active promotion.
~
Now just why would that be? Could the behavior of those along the parade route shed any light on just why this lifestyle should not be accepted or embraced?
~
There are those who are playing fast and loose with the rights of others, and I've seen many instances of laws being passed that infringe on other's constitutional/ legal rights - of where a person's religious belief and moral view are simply being dismissed.
~
There are those who simply do not understand that real change and acceptance does not come from force or imposing their will on others. It does not come from harassment. It does not come from filth or public displays of filth and lewdness. It does not come from dismissing a parents rights/beliefs on what should be taught/forced to their children.
~
How about we give equal time to the American Nazi Party, or have a celebration of Aryan Youth? How about the Church Of Satan? ( After all they are a legally recognized religion in the U.S. )
~
I bet all of the above can throw a pretty good bash of an event. A racist might actually say they cannot help how they are either-maybe misunderstood.
~
They have rights too don't they? Shouldn't they have time to celebrate their rascism and ideology?
~
How about a Heterosexual Pride March!! Has anyone thought to organize that? I can think of many groups that should decide to have equal time and organize a parade.
~
Now that would really shake things up.
~
Now, I have to ask, just where do you draw the line.
~
The media didn't shed light on it because they are also promoting this agenda. It is shadowed in this spirit of 'political correctness' that is starting to choke society and free speech, ideas and personal rights.
~
The 'Gay Pride' parade is mainly a sexually oriented event. It is a riotous event that emphases what people are sexually. Is it any real wonder of all of the shows of offensive and filth lining the parade route?
~
I believe it to be simply a thumbing of the nose and giving the finger to the community and it's faith and moral belief at large. It is an attempt to force it's will and agenda on the majority of the community that is seeing it as forcing it's wrongness and intellectualizing on society in an attempt to make it legalized/normalized wrongness.
~
I do not at all think less of the firefighters. They are being put in the position that many others are dealing with as well of having this agenda forced on them.
~
I pray that the Lord will help them in their suit of the city. I pray that the Lord will use this to show the community what this issue is in reality about, and make the wrongness of it apparent.
~
The Bible states clearly about just how evil these individuals can stoop to.
~
The firefighters have my vote of confidence!
~
Firefighters rock!

2007-07-20T23:13:00.000-04:00

Definition: Guile

guile [ gīl ]

noun

Definition:

cunning and deceitfulness: a cunning, deceitful, or treacherous quality

[13th century. Via French - Old Norse]

guile·ful adjective
guile·ful·ly adverb
guile·ful·ness noun

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/guile.html
~
Quotations From Encarta

Bible

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."

King James Bible

King James Bible 1611, Psalms 34:13-14

http://christiananswers.net/bible/psa34.html

Guile (Quotations)

http://encarta.msn.com/

Wal-Mart Rocks!

2007-07-19T22:54:00.000-04:00

Wal-Mart To Sell Bible Toys

Next month, 425 Wal-Mart stores nationwide will begin carrying faith-based toys from One2believe that target parents who would rather that their kids play with a Samson action figure than a Spider-Man action figure.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/popup?id=3381691&contentIndex=1&page=1

ABC News Nightline
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/

One2believe.com
http://store.messengersoffaith.net/

2007-07-18T22:38:00.000-04:00

The Mother of the Homosexual Movement - Evelyn Hooker PhD

By Hilary White

July 16, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Although few have heard of her outside the movement she helped to shape, the psychologist Evelyn Hooker's contributions to the advance of the homosexual political movement puts her in an historical class with Margaret Sanger, the foundress of Planned Parenthood and institutionalized abortion, and Alfred Kinsey the "father" of the sexual revolution.

Hooker, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles for 30 years, is credited in the medical and psychological community, and most especially amongst homosexual political activists, with establishing that there is no measurable psychological difference between heterosexual and homosexual men. Her work introduced and developed the idea that homosexuality, far from being a mental disorder, is merely a normal minority variant on human sexuality.

Hooker's influential study on the issue, first published in 1957 in the Journal of Projective Techniques, was and still is presented as proof that homosexual activity is normal and as valid a lifestyle as heterosexuality. The first of several studies that Hooker published, the 1957 study served as a foundation for most of the homosexual movement's political and philosophical orthodoxies, including the assertion that any objection to the agenda is born from an irrational fear, since labelled "homophobia."

Born in 1907, Hooker lived long enough to receive the 1991 Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology in the Public Interest, from the American Psychological Association. The citation on the award read, "Her pioneering study, published in 1957 ... provided empirical evidence that normal homosexuals existed, and supported the radical idea then emerging that homosexuality is within the normal range of human behavior."

A report for the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexualityby researcher Jeffrey B. Satinover, cites Evelyn Hooker as "more than anyone else" the one whose work is responsible for normalizing homosexuality.

Satinover writes that Hooker's work has helped the homosexual movement - in keeping with the Marxist theories from which it came - to convince judicial and legislative bodies such as the US Supreme Court that homosexuality comprises an oppressed "class" whose rights have been trampled by irrational prejudice.

Hooker's work itself, however, was the product of a deliberate effort by homosexual activists to bring forward particular, pre-arranged outcomes, an approach that precludes scientific objectivity.

While teaching at UCLA in the late 1940's, Hooker fell in with a group of homosexuals and the newly formed activist organization, the Mattachine Society. Founded by leading thinker and member of the US communist party, Harry Hay, the Mattachine Society members convinced Hooker to embark on a research study of homosexuality on their behalf in order to advance the movement.

The study's subjects were selected entirely by the Mattachine Society, a group that Hooker herself admitted in the report had "as its stated purpose the development of a homosexual ethic...". In the same section she concedes the possibility that homosexuals are indeed pathological. The inadequacy of her methodology was acknowledged by the Journal of Projective Techniques that published it.

In the study, "The adjustment of the male overt homosexual", Hooker administered three standard personality tests to two groups of 30 men, one homosexual and screened by the Mattachine Society and the other heterosexual. Despite the fact that the purpose of the study was ostensibly to examine the possibility of mental instability in homosexuals, individuals who showed signs of mental instability were removed from the groups, which further predetermined the study's conclusion.

As with many other such "groundbreaking" studies seminal to the sexual revolution however, although Hooker's research has been criticised, and for all practical purposes debunked, the movement she helped to launch has not slowed.

To this day, the Hooker study is the only paper referenced in detail on the main website of the American Psychological Association in its discussion of Gay and Lesbian issues. It was one of the two upon which, in 1973, the APA decided to remove homosexuality from the list of psychological disorders. It was the one study discussed in the APA's brief in 2003 in the Lawrence v. Texas case that struck down the criminal prohibition of homosexual sodomy in Texas.

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07071603.html

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
American Psychological Association Pressured to Ban Reparative Therapy
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07071103.html

2007-06-30T12:13:00.000-04:00

National ID Card Rules Unveiled

Ryan Singel - 03.01.07 2:00 PM

Homeland Security officials released long-delayed guidelines that turn state-issued identification cards into de facto internal passports Thursday, estimating the changes will cost states and individuals $23 billion over 10 years.

The move prompted a new round of protest from civil libertarians and security experts, who called on Congress to repeal the 2005 law known as the Real ID Act that mandates the changes.
Critics, such as American Civil Liberties Union attorney Tim Sparapani, charge that the bill increases government access to data on Americans and amplifies the risk of identity theft, without providing significant security benefits.

"Real ID creates the largest single database about U.S. people that has ever been created," Sparapani said. "This is the people who brought you long lines at the DMV marrying the people at DHS who brought us Katrina. It's a marriage we need to break up."

Homeland Security officials point to the 9/11 hijackers' ability to get driver's licenses in Virginia using false information as justification for the sweeping changes.

"Raising the security standards on driver's licenses establishes another layer of protection to prevent terrorists from obtaining and using fake documents to plan or carry out an attack," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a press release.

The 162 pages of proposed rules (.pdf) require:

Applicants must present a valid passport, certified birth certificate, green card or other valid visa documents to get a license and states must check all other states' databases to ensure the person doesn't have a license from another state.

States must use a card stock that glows under ultraviolet light, and check digits, hologramlike images and secret markers.

Identity documents must expire before eight years and must include legal name, date of birth, gender, digital photo, home address and a signature. States can propose ways to let judges, police officers and victims of domestic violence keep their addresses off the cards. There are no religious exemptions for veils or scarves for photos.

States must keep copies of all documents, such as birth certificates, Social Security cards and utility bills, for seven to 10 years.

However, many difficult questions, such as how state databases will be linked or how homeless people can get identity documents, were left unanswered by the proposed rules. Citizens of states that don't abide by the guidelines will not be able to enter federal courthouses or use their identity cards to board a commercial flight.

Sophia Cope, a staff attorney at the centrist Center for Democracy and Technology, says the rules only mention privacy once.

"The Real ID Act does not include language that lets DHS prescribe privacy requirements, so there are no privacy regulations related to exchange of personal information between the states, none about skimming of the data on the magnetic stripe, and no limits on use of information by the feds," Cope said.

The Real ID Act, slipped into an emergency federal funding bill without hearings, originally required states to begin issuing the ID documents by May 2008. The proposed rules allow states to ask for an extension until Jan. 1, 2010.

Cope wants Congress to step in and rewrite the rules. The ACLU and Jim Harper, a libertarian policy analyst at the Cato Institute who specializes in identity and homeland security issues, agree.

"With five-plus years behind us, now is the time to be looking at what works and what doesn't work," Harper said. "Students of identification know that a national ID does not help with security."

Maine has already declared it will not follow the rules, and other states are close to joining that rebellion. In Congress, a bipartisan coalition is forming around bills that would repeal portions of the Real ID Act, but it is unclear if today's rules will slow or accelerate these efforts.

Article Link
_____________________

I think the idea of a national ID card only looks good on paper. This would work if ALL people would cooperate - which they won't. That translates only law abiding citizens will abide by the law. Those are the people that will actually be tracked and their privacy invaded.

Now how do you convince criminals, law breakers or those who think the law is inconvenient to go along with the rules of obtaining a legitimate ID card? How would you convince those working under the table that they need an ID card to work? (That means those who are mowing lawns, busing tables, doing landscaping, housekeepers, building houses in developments, and working in fields, etc.)

I've worked under the table in the past for extra money. I know a lot of people who have. Who I worked for would not have needed for me to have any kind of ID card.

Americans are hiring illegals to save money, get work done, and/or to possibly be shifty on their taxes. These Americans know that they are in the wrong.

An ID card will not change this attitude. Saving money will always win out most of the time. And FYI people are being overtaxed anyway.

What about 'plants' in our nation that live here, possibly born here, keep their nose clean and obtain a national ID card? Believe it or not, people can be recruited in hometown USA - or anywhere else for that matter.

Will the rest of the world go along with a world ID card? Would that be next? Do we stop all travel in and out of the U.S. to keep those out who do NOT have an acceptable ID card, because their nation doesn't feel that they should go along with it.

We don't need or want the New World Order. Even though it might seem like a good idea in how to deal with criminals, law breakers, and those who act as if the law is inconvenient.

I believe most American's will not wish to live in a fascist state - unless of course you might possibly be Michael Moore.
~
An open letter to Michael Moore
28 September 2004 - World Socialist Web Site
~
American ideals are not compatable with Socialism or Fascism.

There is a cost to this, and this does not equate a free society.

There are also costs to having a truly free society.

I don't think that this ID card will help with terrorism or illegal immigration.

The bureaucrats in Washington are clearly out of touch with the people. I'm seeing, of late, we have an emperor with no clothes.

An idea that I have is that everyone who is really bold could decide to disconnect from these two out of touch main parties, and become an independent.

( We did in my house last year. Now I feel free to look at all my options. It's a good feeling too. My dad read me the riot act when he found out I had the nerve to be a republican. I actually finally changed my mind on being a republican once I started to sense deception on the part of the administration. I didn't like the idea of the Port's being under foreign control or helping in this push for nuclear power. I will not be convinced that it is a good idea.

I'm not going to be disrespectful or bash the President however. I don't always agree with him on what he decides to do, however. I believe in a united front and focus for our nation. )

It's easy to do to change party affiliation. If enough people do that the republican and democratic party might get a bit nervous. It would mean that they would lose some of their expected base, and maybe would have to look at what the people might actually be interested in - and in their actual opinion.

- -Think about it.

If the government gets used to routinely passing laws to force people to live in a 'right' or government approved way, they get to like it. It also might be more difficult to turn back the tide back once it's figured out how it's not a good idea for the government to obtain so much control in the first place.

The government can overtake the people, and then can become powerless to change it.

Look around the world and to history. There are plenty of examples.

I learned this recently, now I'm becoming like my Dad. He's been saying stuff like this for I don't know how long, and I didn't really pay enough attention to stuff he was saying - No I'm not being disrespectful. ( Some of the stuff he had to say wasn't always so good.) I listened to him though.

I've been finding him to be more right than not at times.

2007-06-23T01:03:00.000-04:00

Ynetnews - Opinion

Gay parade in Jerusalem Photo: Gil Yochanan

The real fanatics

Gays' insistence on Jerusalem march no better than religious intolerance

Uri Orbach
Published: 06.22.07, 16:49 / Israel Opinion

The ultra-Orthodox were never a symbol of religious tolerance. Yet Thursday in Jerusalem they found excellent partners for their intolerance. Those who marched in the gay pride parade are liberal fundamentalists, as well as zealots when it comes to taking full advantage of rights.

It is a foolish pretension to think and say that "Jerusalem is ours as well, and therefore we have the right to march there."

The argument here is not about the democratic right to march and even annoy others, but rather, it is about the fact the marchers are doing it in Jerusalem of all places, just because it will annoy the ultra-Orthodox â€“ just because it will stir up a dispute.

The gay community is using the well-known trick often used by certain advertising executives of the Tel Aviv ilk. On occasion, they come up with a provocative commercial so that it will be disqualified or at least stir up a storm.

And then, with an innocent look, they play dumb and pretend to be innocent and self-righteous: "Save us! They're silencing us!"

Nothing to be proud of
This inferior type of freedom of expression fans carries the name of democracy falsely. We are not talking about innocent protesters who are fighting for their rights, but rather, marchers who came in order to provoke others and who every year lay a trap for overly irritable ultra-Orthodox.

As to the rights themselves, here we can debate whether the State should be recognizing same-sex relationships as a family.

Yet beyond the principled debate, there is something ugly in the anti-religious coercion. Indeed, people who call themselves liberal and modern have the right to wave their special lifestyle (forgive the mildness) in the face of Jerusalem residents.

High Court of Justice judges indeed went through the rulebook and found no principled difference between Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the Kastina junction. Yet had they lifted their faces from the books, they would understand that life and reality also have a say here.

When right-wing marchers want, for 40 years now, to realize their right to march on Temple Mount, which belongs to the Jews, the judges always find a worthy reason why not to allow this to take place. All that is needed here is the will. When it comes to taking full advantage of rights, one is allowed to use some common sense.

Those are two demonstrations that will never meet in the middle. The ultra-Orthodox certainly come out of this story as illiberal, yet in this tale gays are the real fanatics. They have nothing to be proud of.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3416194,00.html

Israel News: Ynetnews:
http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html

2007-06-23T00:52:00.000-04:00

Gay parade to return to Jerusalem in '08

JERUSALEM, June 22 (UPI) --

Organizers of Thursday's gay pride parade in Jerusalem called the event a success and said it would be held again in Jerusalem next year.

Almost 2,000 people marched in the controversial parade, protected by an estimated 7,000 police officers.

"This is a great victory for the community," organizer Noa Satat told Ynetnews. "We wanted to march at the heart of Jerusalem, and I'm very glad we did it."

Satat expressed gratitude to police for protecting the marchers.

Jerusalem City Councilman Saar Netanel called the parade "a victory."

"We marched in the center of Jerusalem, and our pride flags, which represent tolerance and equality, were flown through the streets, despite the mayor's discontent and his attempt to sabotage the parade," he said.

Police arrested 20 rioters and one suspected bomber who had threatened to disrupt the parade, Ynetnews reported.

The parade was opposed by local religious leaders, who led a mass service before the protest for thousands of followers.

Although the parade was allowed to go on, Ynetnews said police did force organizers to cancel a party that was to follow the parade.

© UPI, Headline News Powered by Bravenet.com

http://pub32.bravenet.com/news/2739005314/137075/2

2007-06-22T00:49:00.000-04:00

Police secure Jerusalem gay pride parade

JERUSALEM, June 21 (UPI) --

Nearly 2,000 people marched in a controversial gay pride parade in Jerusalem on Thursday as 7,000 police officers protected them.

Ynetnews reported that the parade went on as planned thanks to the heightened police presence. Police arrested 20 rioters and one suspected bomber who had threatened to disrupt the parade.

A resident of Jerusalem's Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood had been arrested earlier in the day for allegedly planning to scare people away from the parade through the use of a homemade bomb.

Police said the pipe bomb found on the suspect could potentially have caused injuries if it has been used.

The parade was also opposed by local religious leaders, who led a mass service before the protest for thousands of followers,

While the rally was allowed to commence without incident despite such opposition, Ynetnews said police did force the event's organizers to cancel a party that was to follow the parade.

© UPI, Headline News Powered by Bravenet.com

http://pub32.bravenet.com/news/2739005314/137052/2

2007-06-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

News Release
June 4, 2007

LOOK WHO’S SUPPORTING OBAMA

Yesterday, Senator Barack Obama became the first presidential contender to launch a religious outreach website, faith.barackobama.com. Commenting on it today is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:

“On Sen. Obama’s new website, he lists the testimonials of three controversial clergymen: Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago; Rev. J. Alfred Smith Sr., senior pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California; and Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Roman Catholic Chicago priest.

“Rev. Wright was scheduled to give the invocation at the forum of Obama’s presidential announcement on February 10, but the night before the event Obama rescinded the bid: the Illinois senator knew that his spiritual advisor was so divisive that he would cloud the ceremonies. The black liberation theologian has a record of giving racially inflammatory sermons and has even said that Zionism has an element of ‘white racism.’ He also blamed the attacks of 9/11 on American foreign policy.

“Rev. Smith was honored by the notoriously violent Black Panther Party of Oakland in 1975, and in 1990 was given a community award by the Nation of Islam, an anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic and anti-gay group.

“Rev. Pfleger has allowed Nation of Islam chief Louis Farrakhan to preach in his church; he has been arrested for defacing billboards; he has paid prostitutes to worship at his church; and only last week he staged an anti-gun rally in front of a gun store where he exhorted the crowd to hunt down the owner ‘like a rat’ and ‘snuff’ him.

“While Obama is not responsible for the record of these three clergymen, he is responsible for giving them the opportunity to prominently display their testimonials on his religious outreach website. If these are the kinds of clergymen he admires, perhaps it’s best he shut down his new website and start all over again. It will take more than ‘God talk’ to get Obama out of this jam.”

Article Link: LOOK WHO’S SUPPORTING OBAMA

Catholic League For Religious And Civil Rights
http://www.catholicleague.org/

Faith.Action.Change
People Of Faith For Barack Obama
http://faith.barackobama.com/page/content/faithhome

2007-05-25T03:38:00.000-04:00

Buddhism may become Thai state religion

BANGKOK, May 24 (UPI) --

Thailand, for all purposes already a Buddhist country, appears closer to formally making Buddhism its state religion.

Such a step would be a victory for the Buddhist monks who have been holding public rallies to press their demands. But it could also lead to further divisions in the already violent southern regions which have a large Muslim population.

The demand to make Buddhism the state religion comes at a time when the military-backed government seeks to pass a constitution, hold elections and restore democracy in the country by the end of this year, reports the International Herald Tribune.

The current draft of the constitution has no provision to make Buddhism the state religion but Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of current government, has said, "If a stipulation in the charter to this effect would lead to peace in the country, then it would be better to include it."

One analyst told the Herald-Tribune, "It's going to play into the hands of the militants, and it's going to feed the disenchantment of even moderate Muslims who already feel marginalized."

The campaign by Buddhists stems apparently from growing violence against them in southern provinces. That has included bombings of their temples, the beheadings of their monks and killings of their teachers and residents in the south.

© UPI, Headline News Powered by Bravenet.com

http://pub32.bravenet.com/news/2739005314/132237/3

2007-05-11T01:57:00.000-04:00

SitePal

May - June

1. The Word Became Flesh-John 1: 1-5
http://christiananswers.net/bible/john1.html

2. Prayer:
-Speak, Lord Jesus.
-I will Listen.
-You do not come to my soul
without speaking to me in some way.
-You make your presence known
in the heart and mind of faith.
-I will be quiet,
and let my desires and worries rest,
in order to hear you.
-In silence, I will learn to know
your intimate will in my regard.
Amen.

3. Jesus Teaches Nicodemus - John 3: 16-18
http://christiananswers.net/bible/john3.html

4. The Armor Of God - Ephesians 6:10-20
http://christiananswers.net/bible/eph6.html

5. Bible Commentary
_____
Sources:
1. Holy Bible (NIV) New International Version
2. The Good Shepherd Prayer Book - Pocket Edition

2007-05-04T02:51:00.000-04:00

YouTube Pulls Videos Showing Homosexual Indoctrination of
Elementary School Children

By Hilary White

CAMBRIDGE, MA, April 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A video
has been removed that was posted to the online video service,
YouTube, showing teachers using homosexual materials in class
to promote the normalization of homosexuality to young children.

The film, “It’s Elementary”, was made in 1996 by Women’s
Educational Media, a San Francisco-based group that claims
the film “has served as a catalyst for schools all over the world
to become more proactive in addressing anti-gay prejudice in
the classroom.”

The link to the site on YouTube where the video was, now carries
a message saying, “This video is no longer available due to a
copyright claim by Women's Educational Media.”

The videos were cached on the website of Mass Resistance, a
pro-family lobbying organization.

Read previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
MUST SEE VIDEO - Homosexual Propaganda Fed to Elementary
School Children
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07042407.html

The video can be viewed at
http://www.massresistance.org/media/video/brainwashing.html

LifeSite News-Home
http://www.lifesitenews.com/

2007-04-08T13:27:00.000-04:00

Hello All:

I'm wishing everyone who visits here a very Blessed
Easter!

Here is an ecard for you:

http://greetings.riversongs.com/cards/easter.html

2007-03-24T13:14:00.000-04:00

Today I was listening to Cardinal Rigali's YouTube video on the
fifth Sunday of Lent - "Living Lent". He talks about John 8:1-11
this week-"The Woman Caught In Adultery". My previous
post dealt with a tragic event resulting from this sin.

I was reminded to not be too harsh and judgmental concerning
the woman involved with her student. I've done bad things, and
have shown poor judgement, too in my life. I'm leaving the post
at the moment-I am going to meditate on it, because I believe that
I didn't speak wrongly on the subject. Society has become too liberal
and casual in it's thinking and view of sex.

Many people have their lives in a ruin as a result of this liberal and
casual thinking and view.

I've read a few things on the issue and about victims of sexual abuse
and exploitation. It is something that I have understanding about
being a victim of sexual abuse.

It is never the victims fault.

I know that Sean was 18 years old, and might have, or should have,
known better. (Supposedly the relationship started when he was 17)
Young people/children do not have the frame of reference or life
experience to be able to all around see the consequences of their
actions, or to understand fully the wrongness of something and the
impact it might have on their lives and future. Young people do not
have the understanding of the concrete reality of death and suffering.
They have not, in many instances, developed the full capacity for
empathy.

Empathy is the ability to see something, or feel something, from
the other person's shoes-to feel and understand the pain and hurt
the other person is experiencing.

It's a learned thing.

Young people can be stimulating and fun to be around. An older
person feels young and full of life around them. It's a break from the
mundaneness, or boredom-and isolation-of the daily routine/drudge
and responsibility of life as an adult. It can be a flashback to days of
youth, and it can rejuvenate self esteem.

Young people will also argue it to the death on how grown they think
they are.

They also like money.

Adults have options and understanding that young people are not old
enough to have.

An adult will also argue it to the death how they are not 'changing life',
and how youthful they like to think they are.

Or will just simply refuse to grow up.

Both can argue how age just simply does not matter or that age is just a
number. I found out this is a wrong notion, and is called denial. I've
heard this many times, even thinking it once myself.

We are living in the days where 'wrong' is now perceived as 'right', and
'right' is perceived as 'wrong'. An age phobic society. It is in the days
where people are asserting 'self' over the well-being of others, which for
some is an all consuming pursuit. Lacking in empathy and conscience.
Abandoning home, spouse and family in that self pursuit.

The media highway promotes views without taking responsibility for the
consequences. Promotion of violence, casual and irresponsible sex, and
now given to the task of social reprogramming. (the 'state' schools now
have decided on the same vehicle.) Early sexualization is detrimental
to children, and forces them to become more mature that they rightfully
should be. Studies show this, and also show that a constant diet of
violence has terrible consequences.

Argue what you will-If you take God, and God oriented morality, out of
stuff there are horrible consequences. The Lord will then decide to be
reserved, and does not and will not protect a person from all the harm of
their evil behavior. He will not readily bless someone-or nation-who is in
the wrong, or who condones wrongdoing.

You don't have to believe me on that If you don't wish to, but just watch
and see what occurs as a result of the secularization of society. History
shows this. How many civilizations-atheistic,pagan or secular-can you
name who adopted this kind of view actually exist anymore? It was
revealed to me recently that every so often generation wise lessons
of the past have to be retaught again to the young and naive-that this
lesson has to be learned once again-why certain things are just not a
good idea to promote and allow to flourish. Why dismissing certain
things-like traditions and faith-as unnecessary/inconvenient will bring
about and encourage evil and terrible results.

Argue with me if you will, The United States has been blessed with
prosperity as a result of being a God fearing nation. It we shift off of
that position there will be consequences.

The Lord revealed to me He will give it over to someone else. Hard
lessons have been taught that way by the Lord in the past, and He is
always prepared to teach those lessons once again. He will smite down.
What He gives, He can take away and remove. He will repay.

Israel needs to take note of this as well. There are those of faith fighting
there these secular forces as well. Keep fighting the good fight.

He remembers his true remnant.

The Lord watches, and knows, these individuals and their trying to
remove Him from society, law, and who are persecuting his faithful
remnant. He has an answer for them.

Who should listen to this warning...If the shoe fits.

Time bears out all things.

(On a prior note, the state actually makes a pretty good living on sin
taxes-which they appear to forget in their hypocrisy.)

Back to my original point is that many adults have abandoned teaching
young people something of real value, and as a result are left to their
own devices. Many adults and the media highway are stealing and
negating the innocence of youth. Many young people/children are
starved for adult time-appropriate, good and positive time-and to be
shown that they are cared about.

Better security and monitoring needs to happen in this latter day
with our schools. Parents need to consider other options if their
public school can't or won't comply with that adequately. Children
fall through the cracks due mainly to inattentiveness. Guidance
Counselors need to be more assertive, especially identifying and
reaching the troubled kids. (The schools, I believe, know early on
who these kids are too.)

The Lord reminded me today to be more gentle.

_____

"Living Lent" - The Fifth Sunday - Cardinal Rigali
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3yXEwnYSDM&mode=related&search=
_____
John 8: 1-11

Jesus Forgives An Adulteress

1. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all
the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken
in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4. They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery,
in the very act.

5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned;
but what sayest thou?

6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse
him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the
ground, as though he heard them not.

7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and
said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her.

8. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own
conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even
unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing
in the midst.

10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the
woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine
accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither
do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.

The Criswell Study Bible-Authorized King James Version

http://christiananswers.net/bible/john8.html