Woman Told She Was Going To Die Says She Was Healed
February 22, 2005
CLEVELAND -- An unprecedented number of faith healings in Cleveland are taking place in area churches at a faster pace than ever before, NewsChannel5 reported.
Ted Henry is sharing the stories of many Clevelanders who say they’ve been healed as a result of healing miracles.
Those healed include friends, neighbors, prominent doctors, relatives, media personalities and even people from other states.
What they have in common is that each of them has received some sort of physical transformation through the power of prayer.
Liz Simmons finally saw one of the healers after more than 20 years of multiple sclerosis.
"So I saw him the following week, and that week I was healed of the MS. I do not have MS anymore," Simmons said.
Liz’s story is not unusual. For more than a decade now, a band of healers including a priest, nun and a lay couple come together to pray for the purpose of restoring sick people back to good health, Henry reported. The healings usually take place in catholic churches, but people of all faiths are welcome.
Randy Zinn said what happens here is amazing.
"I had a ruptured disc in my neck and I had been scheduled for surgery at the hospital," Zinn said.
He never needed his surgery. According to Henry, Zinn was healed spiritually by Dr. Issam Nemeh, one of the members of the healing team.
"He said, 'Do you believe in God'? I said, 'I do.' He said, 'Do you believe that God could heal you'? I said, 'I could save you some time here, I believe in a God that could put man on earth, that allows the birds in the sky and who allows the grass to grow. Yes, I believe that all things are possible.' And he said, 'Well, this won’t take very long,'" Zinn said.
In minutes, Zinn was healed, Henry said. These healers travel from church to church. No money is ever accepted. No one is ever refused.
How do doctors view the subject of miraculous healing?
Doctors are taking a new look at the power of Prayer, Henry said. Some report spiritual healings of their own. Dr. Michael Hudec, of Parma, once had cancer.
"But something powerful happened. I always heard of laying on of hands and falling in the spirit and I was a naysayer," Hudec said. "You know in science, as a doctor, you always kind of question stuff like that, until you experience it first hand."
Hudec believes he was cured of testicular cancer by Sister Monica of the healing team. As proof, he points to children he was never suppose to have, and he thanks the nun.
"She doesn’t know it. You know I don’t know her personally, but she is a miracle worker," Hudec said.
And another person who benefited by the miracle workers was Jill Mierau, who was dying in the final stages of cancer.
"By the time I came here, my cancer had so progressed, the lungs were infected, I was on oxygen and you know the pain was really bad. I was on an extreme amount of narcotics for pain relief," Mierau said.
Mierau’s cancer doctor said there was nothing more to do. She gave her two months to live.
"She said, get your house in order. I planned the funeral, bought the grave, did the whole shabang. By May of last year, I was suppose to be dead," Mierau said.
But after coming to the healers, Mierau weaned herself away from most of her medications. Her great pain is gone. She no longer needs oxygen and the sole focus of her attention now is her 10-year-old daughter, Ashley, who gave her a necklace.
"So that represents my daughter, if that means anything. My daughter says to me, 'Mom, what more do you need? You always tell me you need Jesus. So that’s what you need then,'” Mierau said.
She was helped both at the healing church services and at Nemeh's office. Mierau has come a long way since last year. Now, she wants to bring her out-of-town aunt who has fourth stage cancer to the services. And Mierau wants others to know that she is still alive.
"I wish I could tell everybody, because it’s such a wonderful feeling to still be here to know that my life has meaning again," Mierau said. "I am not done yet. You know, I am not done. I have a lot to do yet. I have a 10-year-old girl that I know just needs me."
Henry said that Mierau is an amazing woman, and like many others who said they’ve been healed, she continues to attend the healing services for the purpose of being spiritually supportive of others.
NewsNet5.com - News - Men, Woman Say They Were Cured by Faith Healings
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Let students examine all theories about the origins of life
Yes: Let students examine all theories about the origins of life
JAY SEKULOW
Knight Ridder/Tribune
WASHINGTON - For decades, students have been taught the Darwinian theory of evolution in science classes. Now, thanks to developments in the world of science, there is another theory gaining attention -- that of intelligent design.
Eighty years ago, attorney Clarence Darrow argued in the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee that denying the right to teach Darwinian evolution in schools violated fundamental academic freedom.
Now, evolutionists argue that their theory of life should be the only one taught in schools. What's wrong with teaching intelligent design, which concludes that the uniqueness and complexity of human life points to a superior being that is responsible for the creation of life?
It is science itself that continues to produce evidence to suggest that the creation of the universe was the result of an intelligent creator. We learn more each day about human DNA, which represents the code of life -- specific and unique to each individual.
In his best-selling book "The Case for a Creator," Lee Strobel finds that there are insurmountable questions about Darwinian evolution that are leading some of the brightest minds in the scientific community to reject that theory.
Antony Flew, a well-respected British philosopher and former atheist, recently told a journal published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society that "I think that the most impressive arguments for God's existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries."
Flew, now a theist, added that "I think the argument to intelligent design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it."
Twenty-five years ago, in an article in Science Digest titled "Educators Against Darwin," Larry Hatfield noted that "scientists who utterly reject evolution may be one of our fastest-growing controversial minorities."
And the father of space science, Werner Von Braun, wrote: "The vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator. I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science."
The legal challenges to intelligent design center on the notion that if a superior being created the universe and that superior being is God, then such a theory violates the separation of church and state and cannot be taught in public schools.
But consider what the Supreme Court said about this issue. In 1987, in Edwards v. Aguillard, the high court concluded that "teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."
The court also said that teaching these theories would pose no constitutional problems provided they are not taught to the exclusion of evolution.
If the classroom is indeed, as the Supreme Court has said, "the marketplace of ideas," why not teach multiple theories regarding the origins of mankind -- including intelligent design?
Let's permit students to examine all theories about the origins of life.
By opening the classroom door to intelligent design, educators are not endorsing one theory over another. They are not teaching religion. They are simply fulfilling their obligation to give students an opportunity to study all sides of this issue.
Educators must keep up with science. And it is science that is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that an intelligent creator was the architect for this magnificent universe.
Charlotte Observer | 02/21/2005 | Yes: Let students examine all theories about the origins of life
JAY SEKULOW
Knight Ridder/Tribune
WASHINGTON - For decades, students have been taught the Darwinian theory of evolution in science classes. Now, thanks to developments in the world of science, there is another theory gaining attention -- that of intelligent design.
Eighty years ago, attorney Clarence Darrow argued in the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee that denying the right to teach Darwinian evolution in schools violated fundamental academic freedom.
Now, evolutionists argue that their theory of life should be the only one taught in schools. What's wrong with teaching intelligent design, which concludes that the uniqueness and complexity of human life points to a superior being that is responsible for the creation of life?
It is science itself that continues to produce evidence to suggest that the creation of the universe was the result of an intelligent creator. We learn more each day about human DNA, which represents the code of life -- specific and unique to each individual.
In his best-selling book "The Case for a Creator," Lee Strobel finds that there are insurmountable questions about Darwinian evolution that are leading some of the brightest minds in the scientific community to reject that theory.
Antony Flew, a well-respected British philosopher and former atheist, recently told a journal published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society that "I think that the most impressive arguments for God's existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries."
Flew, now a theist, added that "I think the argument to intelligent design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it."
Twenty-five years ago, in an article in Science Digest titled "Educators Against Darwin," Larry Hatfield noted that "scientists who utterly reject evolution may be one of our fastest-growing controversial minorities."
And the father of space science, Werner Von Braun, wrote: "The vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator. I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science."
The legal challenges to intelligent design center on the notion that if a superior being created the universe and that superior being is God, then such a theory violates the separation of church and state and cannot be taught in public schools.
But consider what the Supreme Court said about this issue. In 1987, in Edwards v. Aguillard, the high court concluded that "teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."
The court also said that teaching these theories would pose no constitutional problems provided they are not taught to the exclusion of evolution.
If the classroom is indeed, as the Supreme Court has said, "the marketplace of ideas," why not teach multiple theories regarding the origins of mankind -- including intelligent design?
Let's permit students to examine all theories about the origins of life.
By opening the classroom door to intelligent design, educators are not endorsing one theory over another. They are not teaching religion. They are simply fulfilling their obligation to give students an opportunity to study all sides of this issue.
Educators must keep up with science. And it is science that is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that an intelligent creator was the architect for this magnificent universe.
Charlotte Observer | 02/21/2005 | Yes: Let students examine all theories about the origins of life
Christian convert killed in Iraq
February 20, 2005
Christian convert killed in Iraq
JihadWatch: Among the clearest evidence of the incompatibility of the Sharia with norms of human rights is its denial of freedom of conscience, and death penalty for those who leave Islam. Here is another story showing that that penalty is by no means a thing of the past. It will be interesting to see what happens to Abd al-Salam in a country where there are many who want to see Sharia rule implemented.
Zakho (AsiaNews/MEC) – A Christian convert from Islam was killed for his faith. Ziwar Muhammad Isma’il, who worked as a taxi driver in Zakho in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, was shot dead by Abd al-Karim Abd al-Salam at a taxi station early on the morning of February 17.
Abd al-Salam approached Ziwar and told him to return to Islam. When Ziwar refused he opened fire with an automatic rifle.
Abd al-Salam fled but was chased by other taxi drivers who, after apprehending him, turned him over to the police.
Abd al-Salam claims that the prophet Muhammad appeared to him in a dream and told him to kill the Christian.
Ziwar, who converted to Christianity seven years ago, leaves a widow and five children. He had been quite open about his faith even though he had been threatened by his relatives and other Muslims. He had been arrested twice but never charged.
Dhimmi Watch: Christian convert killed in Iraq
Christian convert killed in Iraq
JihadWatch: Among the clearest evidence of the incompatibility of the Sharia with norms of human rights is its denial of freedom of conscience, and death penalty for those who leave Islam. Here is another story showing that that penalty is by no means a thing of the past. It will be interesting to see what happens to Abd al-Salam in a country where there are many who want to see Sharia rule implemented.
Zakho (AsiaNews/MEC) – A Christian convert from Islam was killed for his faith. Ziwar Muhammad Isma’il, who worked as a taxi driver in Zakho in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, was shot dead by Abd al-Karim Abd al-Salam at a taxi station early on the morning of February 17.
Abd al-Salam approached Ziwar and told him to return to Islam. When Ziwar refused he opened fire with an automatic rifle.
Abd al-Salam fled but was chased by other taxi drivers who, after apprehending him, turned him over to the police.
Abd al-Salam claims that the prophet Muhammad appeared to him in a dream and told him to kill the Christian.
Ziwar, who converted to Christianity seven years ago, leaves a widow and five children. He had been quite open about his faith even though he had been threatened by his relatives and other Muslims. He had been arrested twice but never charged.
Dhimmi Watch: Christian convert killed in Iraq
Iintelligent design advocate
National debate has local voice
Lake Quivira's John Calvert emerges as an intelligent design expert and advocate
By EDIE HALL The Kansas City Star
For the first 30 years of his life, John Calvert was a self-proclaimed agnostic.
He considered the Bible's teachings a sort of “fairy tale,” and instead relied on human reason to explain the world around him.
Then, at age 37, he “hit a wall.”
Now, the 64-year-old Lake Quivira man is a Christian and sought-after expert in the theory of intelligent design and whether it has a place in public education.
Intelligent design is an inference that certain features of nature are better explained by an intelligent cause instead of a physical cause. It is controversial because of its religious implications.
Calvert, who practiced corporate finance and business litigation law with Lathrop and Gage L.C. in Kansas City for 32 years, retired four years ago to turn his attention to the science standards in public schools.
Calvert has been actively involved in the debate in nine states besides Kansas — from California to North Carolina and Minnesota to New Mexico.
In 2002, Calvert and other intelligent design supporters persuaded the Ohio Board of Education to change their science standards to require students to analyze certain aspects of evolution.
He also has been called to discuss the topic in the national arena on National Public Radio.
Calvert said he enjoys being in the spotlight only to the extent that it allows him to promote his message.
Calvert currently serves as the attorney for eight of the 26 people who make up a committee revising state science standards.
The group of eight submitted a proposal to the Kansas Board of Education recommending that, among other things, the definition of science be changed to allow more than just a naturalistic definition of science.
Hitting the wall
After graduating from college with a geology degree and spending two years in the Army, Calvert went into the legal field.
He became a successful lawyer, and life appeared to be going as he had planned.
But when an unwanted divorce swept away his foundation, Calvert said he had to re-examine his purpose in life.
“The divorce had the affect of really tearing down all the different goals I'd been working toward,” Calvert said. “My family just disintegrated, so at this point I had to start asking, ‘what is the meaning of life?' Human reason will take you quite a ways, but at some point it's not enough.”
Calvert said it was reason that led him to Christianity, although he explored other religions.
“The logic of it just blew me away, particularly in the New Testament — the gospels,” he said.
A genuine relationship
Calvert's second wife, Trudy, said she admires her husband for changing his life at an older age than most.
“It makes me realize how genuine his relationship (with God) is from watching that process, and that enhances our relationship,” she said.
Maurice O'Sullivan, who works in trust and estates tax and executive compensation at Lathrop and Gage, has known Calvert since 1968. He was also around to see the life changes Calvert made.
“John is probably one of the most intelligent people I think I've ever seen, and an absolutely brilliant lawyer,” O'Sullivan said. “He's really an absolutely wonderful human being.”
A worthy adversary
Even those who disagree with Calvert express respect for him.
John Staver, a Kansas State University professor and director of the university's Center of Science Education, is an evolutionist.
Staver served on a panel with Calvert in 2002 where different theories of the origin of the universe were discussed. Staver also serves on the committee that is revising Kansas science standards and has discussed the opposing theories with Calvert at committee meetings, which are open to the public.
“He's a gentleman — a really nice guy,” Staver said. “He argues his points reasonably well. He hasn't convinced me, but he tends to be very effective as a speaker. I don't agree with him at all, but I enjoy our discussions.”
Discovering a design
It was Calvert's love for science and the law, and a newfound belief in God that led him to be a proponent for intelligent design.
“In the late '70s, early '80s, I read an article about DNA,” Calvert said. “It was just beginning to be understood at that time, and I thought, ‘This is really an incredible design.' ”
Calvert began to look for scientific papers about design in nature and found what he called an “unwritten rule” that scientists generally don't accept design in nature because of its religious implications.
“This kind of unstated bias are what we try to make sure doesn't happen in securities law,” said Calvert. “We try not to have any hidden assumptions because if you do — you have Enron.”
Calvert said “design detection,” or how to recognize if an event happened by accident or was purposefully caused, is used in other sciences including anthropology, forensic science and arson investigation.
He believes it should also be allowed in origins science.
That belief, Calvert said, led himself and others to found Intelligent Design Network Inc., a non profit organization that wants public schools to allow the question “where do we come from” to be answered without philosophic or religious bias.
In his corner
Trudy Calvert said she supports her husband's work, although she doesn't take an active role in the intelligent design debate.
“I think people really support and admire him for doing that which he feels strong about — for taking a stand,” she said.
O'Sullivan said Calvert's work ethic and “excellent” judgment could win favor with most people.
“He has a tremendous ability to analyze very complex problems and come up with a series of solutions that comply with the law but that show a good deal of a sense of practicality,” O'Sullivan said.
Calvert gives himself less credit than others do, though.
“I'm very persistent, very patient,” Calvert said. “I'm not a great eloquent speaker, and I'm not really smart. I'm just a hard worker.
“And I have a logical mind.”
And Calvert applies his logic to more than origins science — he applies it to his life.
“I really do think we are designs — made for a purpose,” he said. “Purpose is a huge issue — where do you get your purpose from. I think that relationships are absolutely key. I think our purpose is to build good relationships.”
Calvert said his most important worldly relationship is with Trudy, followed by his children and grandchildren.
And although Calvert said it's sometimes difficult to keep priorities in order, others think he's done a good job so far in life.
“There are certain people in the world that you simply recognize that this is a truly good and fine person,” O'Sullivan said. “That probably is John's greatest characteristic.”
Kansas City Star | 02/19/2005 | National debate has local voice
Lake Quivira's John Calvert emerges as an intelligent design expert and advocate
By EDIE HALL The Kansas City Star
For the first 30 years of his life, John Calvert was a self-proclaimed agnostic.
He considered the Bible's teachings a sort of “fairy tale,” and instead relied on human reason to explain the world around him.
Then, at age 37, he “hit a wall.”
Now, the 64-year-old Lake Quivira man is a Christian and sought-after expert in the theory of intelligent design and whether it has a place in public education.
Intelligent design is an inference that certain features of nature are better explained by an intelligent cause instead of a physical cause. It is controversial because of its religious implications.
Calvert, who practiced corporate finance and business litigation law with Lathrop and Gage L.C. in Kansas City for 32 years, retired four years ago to turn his attention to the science standards in public schools.
Calvert has been actively involved in the debate in nine states besides Kansas — from California to North Carolina and Minnesota to New Mexico.
In 2002, Calvert and other intelligent design supporters persuaded the Ohio Board of Education to change their science standards to require students to analyze certain aspects of evolution.
He also has been called to discuss the topic in the national arena on National Public Radio.
Calvert said he enjoys being in the spotlight only to the extent that it allows him to promote his message.
Calvert currently serves as the attorney for eight of the 26 people who make up a committee revising state science standards.
The group of eight submitted a proposal to the Kansas Board of Education recommending that, among other things, the definition of science be changed to allow more than just a naturalistic definition of science.
Hitting the wall
After graduating from college with a geology degree and spending two years in the Army, Calvert went into the legal field.
He became a successful lawyer, and life appeared to be going as he had planned.
But when an unwanted divorce swept away his foundation, Calvert said he had to re-examine his purpose in life.
“The divorce had the affect of really tearing down all the different goals I'd been working toward,” Calvert said. “My family just disintegrated, so at this point I had to start asking, ‘what is the meaning of life?' Human reason will take you quite a ways, but at some point it's not enough.”
Calvert said it was reason that led him to Christianity, although he explored other religions.
“The logic of it just blew me away, particularly in the New Testament — the gospels,” he said.
A genuine relationship
Calvert's second wife, Trudy, said she admires her husband for changing his life at an older age than most.
“It makes me realize how genuine his relationship (with God) is from watching that process, and that enhances our relationship,” she said.
Maurice O'Sullivan, who works in trust and estates tax and executive compensation at Lathrop and Gage, has known Calvert since 1968. He was also around to see the life changes Calvert made.
“John is probably one of the most intelligent people I think I've ever seen, and an absolutely brilliant lawyer,” O'Sullivan said. “He's really an absolutely wonderful human being.”
A worthy adversary
Even those who disagree with Calvert express respect for him.
John Staver, a Kansas State University professor and director of the university's Center of Science Education, is an evolutionist.
Staver served on a panel with Calvert in 2002 where different theories of the origin of the universe were discussed. Staver also serves on the committee that is revising Kansas science standards and has discussed the opposing theories with Calvert at committee meetings, which are open to the public.
“He's a gentleman — a really nice guy,” Staver said. “He argues his points reasonably well. He hasn't convinced me, but he tends to be very effective as a speaker. I don't agree with him at all, but I enjoy our discussions.”
Discovering a design
It was Calvert's love for science and the law, and a newfound belief in God that led him to be a proponent for intelligent design.
“In the late '70s, early '80s, I read an article about DNA,” Calvert said. “It was just beginning to be understood at that time, and I thought, ‘This is really an incredible design.' ”
Calvert began to look for scientific papers about design in nature and found what he called an “unwritten rule” that scientists generally don't accept design in nature because of its religious implications.
“This kind of unstated bias are what we try to make sure doesn't happen in securities law,” said Calvert. “We try not to have any hidden assumptions because if you do — you have Enron.”
Calvert said “design detection,” or how to recognize if an event happened by accident or was purposefully caused, is used in other sciences including anthropology, forensic science and arson investigation.
He believes it should also be allowed in origins science.
That belief, Calvert said, led himself and others to found Intelligent Design Network Inc., a non profit organization that wants public schools to allow the question “where do we come from” to be answered without philosophic or religious bias.
In his corner
Trudy Calvert said she supports her husband's work, although she doesn't take an active role in the intelligent design debate.
“I think people really support and admire him for doing that which he feels strong about — for taking a stand,” she said.
O'Sullivan said Calvert's work ethic and “excellent” judgment could win favor with most people.
“He has a tremendous ability to analyze very complex problems and come up with a series of solutions that comply with the law but that show a good deal of a sense of practicality,” O'Sullivan said.
Calvert gives himself less credit than others do, though.
“I'm very persistent, very patient,” Calvert said. “I'm not a great eloquent speaker, and I'm not really smart. I'm just a hard worker.
“And I have a logical mind.”
And Calvert applies his logic to more than origins science — he applies it to his life.
“I really do think we are designs — made for a purpose,” he said. “Purpose is a huge issue — where do you get your purpose from. I think that relationships are absolutely key. I think our purpose is to build good relationships.”
Calvert said his most important worldly relationship is with Trudy, followed by his children and grandchildren.
And although Calvert said it's sometimes difficult to keep priorities in order, others think he's done a good job so far in life.
“There are certain people in the world that you simply recognize that this is a truly good and fine person,” O'Sullivan said. “That probably is John's greatest characteristic.”
Kansas City Star | 02/19/2005 | National debate has local voice
Monday, February 21, 2005
Christians Have Neurological Disorder, Are Crazy
AFA.NET
February 21, 2005
Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, says that all Christians are crazy and are unenlightened because of their faith. Maher made the comments on MSNBC's Scarborough Country.
Maher said: "We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion…I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies. I think that flying planes in a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder. If you look at it logically, it's something that was drilled into your head when you were a small child."
"When you look at belief in such things--as do you go to heaven, is there a devil--we have more in common with (Muslin countries) Turkey and Iran and Syria than we do with European nations and Canada and nations that, yes, I would consider more enlightened that us."
Maher said he wasn't speaking only of evangelicals, but included all religious people. He said he agreed with Jesse Ventura "who had that quote about religion is a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers."
Because of their neurological disorder, he said Christians "do not believe in science and rationality." He went on to say the future does not belong to religion. One recalls the famous quote from the Beatles in the 60's that they "were more popular than Jesus."
According to Maher, the Bible is a book of fairy tales, calling the account of Jonah a fairy tale the same as Jack in the Beanstalk.
Had Maher said such things about homosexuals, he would have been immediately fired. But because he was speaking of Christians, his bigotry was acceptable to HBO, owned by Time Warner Inc.
http://www.afa.net/activism/IssueDetail.asp?id=154
February 21, 2005
Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, says that all Christians are crazy and are unenlightened because of their faith. Maher made the comments on MSNBC's Scarborough Country.
Maher said: "We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion…I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies. I think that flying planes in a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder. If you look at it logically, it's something that was drilled into your head when you were a small child."
"When you look at belief in such things--as do you go to heaven, is there a devil--we have more in common with (Muslin countries) Turkey and Iran and Syria than we do with European nations and Canada and nations that, yes, I would consider more enlightened that us."
Maher said he wasn't speaking only of evangelicals, but included all religious people. He said he agreed with Jesse Ventura "who had that quote about religion is a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers."
Because of their neurological disorder, he said Christians "do not believe in science and rationality." He went on to say the future does not belong to religion. One recalls the famous quote from the Beatles in the 60's that they "were more popular than Jesus."
According to Maher, the Bible is a book of fairy tales, calling the account of Jonah a fairy tale the same as Jack in the Beanstalk.
Had Maher said such things about homosexuals, he would have been immediately fired. But because he was speaking of Christians, his bigotry was acceptable to HBO, owned by Time Warner Inc.
http://www.afa.net/activism/IssueDetail.asp?id=154
Friday, February 18, 2005
Cell complexity suggests design, professor says
Cell complexity suggests design, professor says
Friday, February 18, 2005
CANDICE WILLIAMS
The Express-Times
BETHLEHEM -- Evolution might not be able to explain the complex inner structure of cells, a leading biological sciences professor said Thursday.
A packed house at Lehigh University's Linderman Library listened to Professor Michael J. Behe present challenging questions that put Charles Darwin's theory of evolution under the microscope.
Behe is a leading proponent of the theory of intelligent design, which holds that some higher power or guiding force created life. Intelligent design opponents say it is just another name for creationism, or the idea that God created and directs the march of species.
Behe is a tenured Lehigh biochemist who wrote a provocative 1996 best seller titled "Darwin's Black Box."
In his hour-long lecture, followed by another hour-long question-and-answer period, Behe, a Catholic, asked students to consider alternative theories before finding one to support or refute their personal beliefs about evolution.
In his book, Behe suggests the complexity of a cell, with all its unique working parts, may be the creation of an intelligent design -- not an accident of chemistry and physics.
Citing the drama of such biological wonders as the way blood clots, Behe said all of a cell's functions must work in unison for a cell to be effective.
"Can such complexities as a cell be a freak of nature or the product of intelligent design?" Behe asked. "Evolution explains some things. But nothing explains the elegant structures of a cell."
Behe's theories have raised the ire of many in the scientific community who have continued to stand steadfast by all of Darwin's research. Behe defended his research by highlighting several of his critics and then countering their criticisms with his own research.
Behe said he would not refute or disagree with much of Darwin's research or some of Darwin's theory. However, Behe suggests the study of evolution has been blown wide open by recent advances in molecular science, including the discovery of DNA.
Current research will fuel the debate for years to come, he said.
Cell complexity suggests design, professor says
Friday, February 18, 2005
CANDICE WILLIAMS
The Express-Times
BETHLEHEM -- Evolution might not be able to explain the complex inner structure of cells, a leading biological sciences professor said Thursday.
A packed house at Lehigh University's Linderman Library listened to Professor Michael J. Behe present challenging questions that put Charles Darwin's theory of evolution under the microscope.
Behe is a leading proponent of the theory of intelligent design, which holds that some higher power or guiding force created life. Intelligent design opponents say it is just another name for creationism, or the idea that God created and directs the march of species.
Behe is a tenured Lehigh biochemist who wrote a provocative 1996 best seller titled "Darwin's Black Box."
In his hour-long lecture, followed by another hour-long question-and-answer period, Behe, a Catholic, asked students to consider alternative theories before finding one to support or refute their personal beliefs about evolution.
In his book, Behe suggests the complexity of a cell, with all its unique working parts, may be the creation of an intelligent design -- not an accident of chemistry and physics.
Citing the drama of such biological wonders as the way blood clots, Behe said all of a cell's functions must work in unison for a cell to be effective.
"Can such complexities as a cell be a freak of nature or the product of intelligent design?" Behe asked. "Evolution explains some things. But nothing explains the elegant structures of a cell."
Behe's theories have raised the ire of many in the scientific community who have continued to stand steadfast by all of Darwin's research. Behe defended his research by highlighting several of his critics and then countering their criticisms with his own research.
Behe said he would not refute or disagree with much of Darwin's research or some of Darwin's theory. However, Behe suggests the study of evolution has been blown wide open by recent advances in molecular science, including the discovery of DNA.
Current research will fuel the debate for years to come, he said.
Cell complexity suggests design, professor says
Media Ignores Adult Stem-Cell Research
Rusty Pugh
Agape Press
A pro-life advocate says the media virtually ignores the proven results of adult stem-cell research while touting the remote and, so far, unsuccessful practice of embryonic stem cell use.
There are many recent examples of exciting medical breakthroughs involving the use of adult stem cells, a practice that does not require the destruction of human embryos.
Pro-life and medical ethics advocates have urged funding and support for adult stem-cell research because it has been proven beneficial and because, unlike embryonic stem-cell research, it does not result in the termination of human life.
Brad Mattes, executive director of the Cincinnati-based Life Issues Institute, says the media, because of its left-leaning pro-abortion bias, is ignoring some incredible discoveries that have led to actual cures.
'One in particular,' he notes, 'is a 52-year-old woman who was cured from rheumatoid arthritis.
She had it in 28 of her joints; and doctors took stem cells from her sibling and had amazing results. Within a year she no longer needed any medication of any kind.' And Mattes says there are many more cases where adult stem cells have resulted in cures.
Still, he says the use of embryonic cells is pushed by those whose agenda is to legitimize the killing of unborn children, which includes embryos.
News from Agape Press
Agape Press
A pro-life advocate says the media virtually ignores the proven results of adult stem-cell research while touting the remote and, so far, unsuccessful practice of embryonic stem cell use.
There are many recent examples of exciting medical breakthroughs involving the use of adult stem cells, a practice that does not require the destruction of human embryos.
Pro-life and medical ethics advocates have urged funding and support for adult stem-cell research because it has been proven beneficial and because, unlike embryonic stem-cell research, it does not result in the termination of human life.
Brad Mattes, executive director of the Cincinnati-based Life Issues Institute, says the media, because of its left-leaning pro-abortion bias, is ignoring some incredible discoveries that have led to actual cures.
'One in particular,' he notes, 'is a 52-year-old woman who was cured from rheumatoid arthritis.
She had it in 28 of her joints; and doctors took stem cells from her sibling and had amazing results. Within a year she no longer needed any medication of any kind.' And Mattes says there are many more cases where adult stem cells have resulted in cures.
Still, he says the use of embryonic cells is pushed by those whose agenda is to legitimize the killing of unborn children, which includes embryos.
News from Agape Press
Mandatory Pro-homosexual Diversity Training
ADF Sues Kentucky Schools Over Mandatory Pro-homosexual Diversity Training
Jim Brown
February 18, 2005
(AgapePress) - Parents in a Kentucky school district have filed a lawsuit challenging a mandatory one-hour training video for school children that promotes homosexuality as a safe and healthy lifestyle and homosexual orientation as a fixed and unchangeable trait.
Over the course of a two-year dispute, the American Civil Liberties Union pressured Boyd County school officials into a settlement that requires all middle and high school students in the district to undergo pro-homosexual "diversity training." Several families that do not want their children subjected to the mandatory training have sued the Boyd County Board of Education.
The plaintiffs' attorney, senior legal counsel Kevin Theriot of the Alliance Defense Fund, says the school district will not allow parents to opt their children out of the training without a penalty. He contends that the Boyd County school officials have trampled the parents' rights to direct the education of their children.
However, that is only one of the reasons why Theriot feels the schools are on the wrong side of the law. "The second thing," he notes, "is that the school's policies actually prohibit students from even expressing their view that homosexuality is wrong. And, of course, that has serious implications for the free speech rights of the students."
According to the ADF complaint, students are required to undergo the diversity training without expressing any disagreement. As the plaintiff's lawyer points out, the mandatory diversity training hardly teaches diversity when it "puts a gag on students who disagree with homosexual behavior while it actively attempts to change their moral beliefs."
According to Theriot, the mandatory training obviously crosses a constitutional line by denying the students the right to express their personal beliefs. However, he suspects the schools may not have crossed that line willingly, so much as it may have been pushed across it.
"This is one of those situations where I think the school board was pressured into doing something that they knew wasn't the right thing to do, but they didn't feel like they had any option for one reason or another," ADF's senior counsel says. "The problem is, a settlement agreement can't violate the constitutional rights of a third party, like parents and students, and that's exactly what happened in this case."
Theriot feels the Boyd County Board of Education is misguided, and he says the schools' "diversity training" program is phony because it offers zero tolerance for biblical opposition to homosexuality. And whatever the provisions of the settlement with the ACLU were, they cannot stand if they are not consistent with the United States Constitution.
ADF filed its lawsuit against the school district February 15. The Boyd County Board of Education has 20 days to file a response to the complaint.
News from Agape Press
Jim Brown
February 18, 2005
(AgapePress) - Parents in a Kentucky school district have filed a lawsuit challenging a mandatory one-hour training video for school children that promotes homosexuality as a safe and healthy lifestyle and homosexual orientation as a fixed and unchangeable trait.
Over the course of a two-year dispute, the American Civil Liberties Union pressured Boyd County school officials into a settlement that requires all middle and high school students in the district to undergo pro-homosexual "diversity training." Several families that do not want their children subjected to the mandatory training have sued the Boyd County Board of Education.
The plaintiffs' attorney, senior legal counsel Kevin Theriot of the Alliance Defense Fund, says the school district will not allow parents to opt their children out of the training without a penalty. He contends that the Boyd County school officials have trampled the parents' rights to direct the education of their children.
However, that is only one of the reasons why Theriot feels the schools are on the wrong side of the law. "The second thing," he notes, "is that the school's policies actually prohibit students from even expressing their view that homosexuality is wrong. And, of course, that has serious implications for the free speech rights of the students."
According to the ADF complaint, students are required to undergo the diversity training without expressing any disagreement. As the plaintiff's lawyer points out, the mandatory diversity training hardly teaches diversity when it "puts a gag on students who disagree with homosexual behavior while it actively attempts to change their moral beliefs."
According to Theriot, the mandatory training obviously crosses a constitutional line by denying the students the right to express their personal beliefs. However, he suspects the schools may not have crossed that line willingly, so much as it may have been pushed across it.
"This is one of those situations where I think the school board was pressured into doing something that they knew wasn't the right thing to do, but they didn't feel like they had any option for one reason or another," ADF's senior counsel says. "The problem is, a settlement agreement can't violate the constitutional rights of a third party, like parents and students, and that's exactly what happened in this case."
Theriot feels the Boyd County Board of Education is misguided, and he says the schools' "diversity training" program is phony because it offers zero tolerance for biblical opposition to homosexuality. And whatever the provisions of the settlement with the ACLU were, they cannot stand if they are not consistent with the United States Constitution.
ADF filed its lawsuit against the school district February 15. The Boyd County Board of Education has 20 days to file a response to the complaint.
News from Agape Press
Temple Mount: No-prayer zone
Christian, Jewish restrictions abound as Muslims police visitors to holy site
February 17, 2005
Aaron Klein
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Judaism considers it the holiest place on earth. Muslims say it's the third holiest. Christianity reveres the spot as being of great historic importance. But if someone prays there, if he or she is not Muslim, the worshiper will be immediately arrested. Welcome to the Temple Mount.
The Temple Mount is the large area directly behind the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It is the site of Judaism's first and second Temples, the primary area of worship for the Jewish faith and the location in which Gods "shekhina," or presence, is thought by Jews to reside. The area is about the size of 15 football stadiums.
King Solomon built the First Temple at the Mount almost 3,000 years ago, but it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and 70 years later rebuilt by the Israelites returning from exile. It was later refashioned by King Herod at the same site.
Although is not mentioned by name in the Quran, the Temple Mount is also commonly identified by Muslims as the "furthermost sanctuary," the site from which the Prophet Muhammad, accompanied by the Angel Gabriel, made the Night Journey to the Throne of God.
In addition, Christianity considers the area historically important. The book of Luke records that Jesus, raised a devout Jew, was dedicated in the Second Temple in accordance with the Laws of Moses, and describes Jesus' boyhood visit to the Temple, which, it is written in John, he cleansed at Passover and during the last week of his life. Jesus once referred to the Temple as His "Father's house."
Sign at Mount entrance forbidding holy items (Photo: WorldNetDaily).
The Temple Mount was opened to the general public until September 2000, when the Palestinians started their intifada by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers after then-candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the area.
Following the onset of violence, the new Sharon government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, using checkpoints to control all pedestrian traffic for fear of further clashes with the Palestinians.
The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims in August 2003. It is still open but only Sundays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and not on any Christian, Jewish or Muslim holidays or other days considered "sensitive" by the Wafq, the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount.
During "open" days, Jews and Christian are allowed to ascend the Temple Mount, usually through organized tours and only if they conform first to a strict set of guidelines, which includes demands that they not pray or bring any "holy objects" to the site. Visitors are banned from entering any of the mosques without direct Wafq permission.
Rules are enforced by Wafq agents, who watch tours closely and alert nearby Israeli police to any breaking of their guidelines.
WorldNetDaily was given a tour of the Temple Mount Tuesday along with several Christian archeologists. The small group was warned in advance not to bring Bibles and once on the Mount, not to whisper or make bowing movements for fear the Wafq might think a non-Muslim is praying in the area.
The tour guide, Nachman Kupietsky, an Orthodox Jew who covers his head with a baseball cap while in the area and not his usual yarmulke, for fear of being arrested, said, "These rules are very serious. They were made by the Waqf and agreed to by the Sharon government, which is not very religious and just doesn't want any more clashes on the Temple Mount."
Kupietsky told WND of instances in the past few months in which members of his tour group were arrested for breaking various rules.
He said a Jewish woman was detained last summer for putting her head down while sitting on a bench:
"It was a hot day and she just wanted to rest for a few minutes. The Wafq started screaming and the police arrested her. She told me she was held for six hours and had to sign documents stating she would never again return to the Temple Mount.
"You also can't bring anything with Hebrew letters, even secular Hebrew books. The Wafq confiscated many of my tour books. One time I brought a guy who pulled out the Hebrew edition of the [Jerusalem] Post, and they took that from him."
Kupietsky said Orthodox guests who decide to wear yarmulkes are routinely delayed by Israeli police at the entrance to the Temple Mount for up to 30 minutes while they are interrogated about the purpose of their visit.
Area atop Western Wall used by Palestinians to throw rocks at worshipers below (Photo: WorldNetDaily).
Kupietsky began the tour by showing the area directly behind the Western Wall, the section used by Palestinians in 2000 to start their intifada against Israel. The expanse is protected by large pillars and arches, which indicates the Palestinians at the start of the violence threw rocks over the area unable to see their targets below.
Visitors were then brought to the steps of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Christians on the tour tried to enter the mosque, but rejoined the group minutes later saying a Palestinian in worship garb slammed the doors and told them to go away.
Kupietsky took out a picture book to show the disappointed Christians images of the interior sections of the mosque, but a Palestinian cleric who had been watching the tour demanded Israeli police confiscate the book, assuming it contained prayers. A scuffle ensued between the police, the cleric and Kupietsky, but it was finally determined the book contained no Hebrew lettering.
The group was brought further to Solomon's Stables. The Wafq recently excavated the area, and sections were made into a large, new mosque. The excavation and accompanying construction caused major damage to the eastern and southern sections of the Western Wall, which many experts say are now unstable and in need of repair.
Jewish and Christian archeologists charge the Wafq during the excavation disposed truckloads of dirt containing Jewish artifacts from the Temple period. After the media reported this, Israeli authorities froze the construction permit given to the Wafq. The remainder of the dirt now sits in a small garden outside the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Temple Mount area is very well-maintained and the grounds expertly landscaped, with the exception of the garden housing the dirt that may contain Jewish artifacts – that area is littered with garbage.
Dirt with possible Jewish artifacts, covered in garbage (Photo: WorldNetDaily).
Next the tour was brought to the Dome of the Chain, a stone building with a large gray dome, and an area to the north now occupied by Muslim schools that was once thought to house the Sanhedrin, a group of 70 Jewish lawmakers that composed the highest court of the post-Temple Jewish nation.
Visitors were finally taken to a second entrance area to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and were brought through a Muslim quarter back to the Western Wall, where all prayer is legal.
The restrictions surrounding travel to the Temple Mount have many in Israel's religious and nationalistic camps upset.
Likud minister and leader of Israel's Manhigut Yehudit Party Moshe Feiglin told WorldNetDaily: "We gave away our sovereignty to the holiest place of the Jewish people. I can pray in Manhattan, Damascus, Cairo, but I cannot pray in my holiest place because of an Israeli decision. ... I think it's a disgrace that represents more than anything the deepest conflict that Israel deals with – not peace, not security or the Palestinians. It's the conflict between the Jews and themselves over what is going to be their national identity for the coming generations. This identity is represented more than anything else by the Temple Mount."
Yehuda Etzion, head of the Eternally Alive movement for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount, told reporters, "The worst thing is that there is coordination between the Waqf and the Israeli government."
The decision in 2003 to re-open the Temple Mount, even under heavy restrictions, fueled a wave of anti-Israeli incitement in the Palestinian press and a campaign by the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat to have the area closed. Arafat at the time sent letters to Arab leaders threatening "grave consequences" for the "invasion of extremists disguised as tourists, under the auspices of the Israeli police."
Abu Mazen, now Palestinian president, called the tours "provocative" and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the Christian and Jewish visits were "an insult to Muslims everywhere."
WorldNetDaily: Temple Mount: No-prayer zone
February 17, 2005
Aaron Klein
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Judaism considers it the holiest place on earth. Muslims say it's the third holiest. Christianity reveres the spot as being of great historic importance. But if someone prays there, if he or she is not Muslim, the worshiper will be immediately arrested. Welcome to the Temple Mount.
The Temple Mount is the large area directly behind the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It is the site of Judaism's first and second Temples, the primary area of worship for the Jewish faith and the location in which Gods "shekhina," or presence, is thought by Jews to reside. The area is about the size of 15 football stadiums.
King Solomon built the First Temple at the Mount almost 3,000 years ago, but it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and 70 years later rebuilt by the Israelites returning from exile. It was later refashioned by King Herod at the same site.
Although is not mentioned by name in the Quran, the Temple Mount is also commonly identified by Muslims as the "furthermost sanctuary," the site from which the Prophet Muhammad, accompanied by the Angel Gabriel, made the Night Journey to the Throne of God.
In addition, Christianity considers the area historically important. The book of Luke records that Jesus, raised a devout Jew, was dedicated in the Second Temple in accordance with the Laws of Moses, and describes Jesus' boyhood visit to the Temple, which, it is written in John, he cleansed at Passover and during the last week of his life. Jesus once referred to the Temple as His "Father's house."
Sign at Mount entrance forbidding holy items (Photo: WorldNetDaily).
The Temple Mount was opened to the general public until September 2000, when the Palestinians started their intifada by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers after then-candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the area.
Following the onset of violence, the new Sharon government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, using checkpoints to control all pedestrian traffic for fear of further clashes with the Palestinians.
The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims in August 2003. It is still open but only Sundays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and not on any Christian, Jewish or Muslim holidays or other days considered "sensitive" by the Wafq, the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount.
During "open" days, Jews and Christian are allowed to ascend the Temple Mount, usually through organized tours and only if they conform first to a strict set of guidelines, which includes demands that they not pray or bring any "holy objects" to the site. Visitors are banned from entering any of the mosques without direct Wafq permission.
Rules are enforced by Wafq agents, who watch tours closely and alert nearby Israeli police to any breaking of their guidelines.
WorldNetDaily was given a tour of the Temple Mount Tuesday along with several Christian archeologists. The small group was warned in advance not to bring Bibles and once on the Mount, not to whisper or make bowing movements for fear the Wafq might think a non-Muslim is praying in the area.
The tour guide, Nachman Kupietsky, an Orthodox Jew who covers his head with a baseball cap while in the area and not his usual yarmulke, for fear of being arrested, said, "These rules are very serious. They were made by the Waqf and agreed to by the Sharon government, which is not very religious and just doesn't want any more clashes on the Temple Mount."
Kupietsky told WND of instances in the past few months in which members of his tour group were arrested for breaking various rules.
He said a Jewish woman was detained last summer for putting her head down while sitting on a bench:
"It was a hot day and she just wanted to rest for a few minutes. The Wafq started screaming and the police arrested her. She told me she was held for six hours and had to sign documents stating she would never again return to the Temple Mount.
"You also can't bring anything with Hebrew letters, even secular Hebrew books. The Wafq confiscated many of my tour books. One time I brought a guy who pulled out the Hebrew edition of the [Jerusalem] Post, and they took that from him."
Kupietsky said Orthodox guests who decide to wear yarmulkes are routinely delayed by Israeli police at the entrance to the Temple Mount for up to 30 minutes while they are interrogated about the purpose of their visit.
Area atop Western Wall used by Palestinians to throw rocks at worshipers below (Photo: WorldNetDaily).
Kupietsky began the tour by showing the area directly behind the Western Wall, the section used by Palestinians in 2000 to start their intifada against Israel. The expanse is protected by large pillars and arches, which indicates the Palestinians at the start of the violence threw rocks over the area unable to see their targets below.
Visitors were then brought to the steps of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Christians on the tour tried to enter the mosque, but rejoined the group minutes later saying a Palestinian in worship garb slammed the doors and told them to go away.
Kupietsky took out a picture book to show the disappointed Christians images of the interior sections of the mosque, but a Palestinian cleric who had been watching the tour demanded Israeli police confiscate the book, assuming it contained prayers. A scuffle ensued between the police, the cleric and Kupietsky, but it was finally determined the book contained no Hebrew lettering.
The group was brought further to Solomon's Stables. The Wafq recently excavated the area, and sections were made into a large, new mosque. The excavation and accompanying construction caused major damage to the eastern and southern sections of the Western Wall, which many experts say are now unstable and in need of repair.
Jewish and Christian archeologists charge the Wafq during the excavation disposed truckloads of dirt containing Jewish artifacts from the Temple period. After the media reported this, Israeli authorities froze the construction permit given to the Wafq. The remainder of the dirt now sits in a small garden outside the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Temple Mount area is very well-maintained and the grounds expertly landscaped, with the exception of the garden housing the dirt that may contain Jewish artifacts – that area is littered with garbage.
Dirt with possible Jewish artifacts, covered in garbage (Photo: WorldNetDaily).
Next the tour was brought to the Dome of the Chain, a stone building with a large gray dome, and an area to the north now occupied by Muslim schools that was once thought to house the Sanhedrin, a group of 70 Jewish lawmakers that composed the highest court of the post-Temple Jewish nation.
Visitors were finally taken to a second entrance area to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and were brought through a Muslim quarter back to the Western Wall, where all prayer is legal.
The restrictions surrounding travel to the Temple Mount have many in Israel's religious and nationalistic camps upset.
Likud minister and leader of Israel's Manhigut Yehudit Party Moshe Feiglin told WorldNetDaily: "We gave away our sovereignty to the holiest place of the Jewish people. I can pray in Manhattan, Damascus, Cairo, but I cannot pray in my holiest place because of an Israeli decision. ... I think it's a disgrace that represents more than anything the deepest conflict that Israel deals with – not peace, not security or the Palestinians. It's the conflict between the Jews and themselves over what is going to be their national identity for the coming generations. This identity is represented more than anything else by the Temple Mount."
Yehuda Etzion, head of the Eternally Alive movement for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount, told reporters, "The worst thing is that there is coordination between the Waqf and the Israeli government."
The decision in 2003 to re-open the Temple Mount, even under heavy restrictions, fueled a wave of anti-Israeli incitement in the Palestinian press and a campaign by the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat to have the area closed. Arafat at the time sent letters to Arab leaders threatening "grave consequences" for the "invasion of extremists disguised as tourists, under the auspices of the Israeli police."
Abu Mazen, now Palestinian president, called the tours "provocative" and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the Christian and Jewish visits were "an insult to Muslims everywhere."
WorldNetDaily: Temple Mount: No-prayer zone
Large Islamic Presence in Holland
Large Islamic Presence in Holland Concerns Journalist
By Chad Groening
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - The editor of a Dutch Christian newspaper says he is very anxious about the rising influence of Islam in his country and in Western Europe as a whole.
Wim Kranendonk is editor of the Reformatorisch Dagblad (Reformed Daily), which is read by about 60,000 Dutch families. The veteran journalist says the concern about the influx of Muslims started in the 1970s when his country was prosperous and needed to hire cheap labor from North Africa. Then things changed, he explains.
"At the end of the 1970s, the economic situation was bad, and there was not so much work," Kranendonk recalls. Normal citizens and many elected officials, he says, then requested that the government curtail the immigration of Muslims, to no avail. "They didn't stop it," he says, "because of the left organizations in our society."
And because of the high birth rate among Muslim families in the Netherlands, coupled with the immigration rate, he says there are now Dutch towns populated entirely by Muslims. "These people have a high rate of births, so they have big families," he observes. "And then you see in towns where there are only people from abroad. Now we have [about] 600,000 Islamic people in the Netherlands."
According to the newspaper editor, the growing Islamic influence has led to the intolerance of critics, including the brutal murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh last fall.
"I was not a friend of Theo Van Gogh. He was cursing the Lord," Kranendonk says. "But it is an example of how Muslim people don't accept the freedom in the society."
Consequently, he says he is concerned about what the future holds for Holland and the rest of Western Europe. "I am anxious about what [the situation with the Muslim population] will be after another ten or fifteen years," he says.
News from Agape Press
By Chad Groening
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - The editor of a Dutch Christian newspaper says he is very anxious about the rising influence of Islam in his country and in Western Europe as a whole.
Wim Kranendonk is editor of the Reformatorisch Dagblad (Reformed Daily), which is read by about 60,000 Dutch families. The veteran journalist says the concern about the influx of Muslims started in the 1970s when his country was prosperous and needed to hire cheap labor from North Africa. Then things changed, he explains.
"At the end of the 1970s, the economic situation was bad, and there was not so much work," Kranendonk recalls. Normal citizens and many elected officials, he says, then requested that the government curtail the immigration of Muslims, to no avail. "They didn't stop it," he says, "because of the left organizations in our society."
And because of the high birth rate among Muslim families in the Netherlands, coupled with the immigration rate, he says there are now Dutch towns populated entirely by Muslims. "These people have a high rate of births, so they have big families," he observes. "And then you see in towns where there are only people from abroad. Now we have [about] 600,000 Islamic people in the Netherlands."
According to the newspaper editor, the growing Islamic influence has led to the intolerance of critics, including the brutal murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh last fall.
"I was not a friend of Theo Van Gogh. He was cursing the Lord," Kranendonk says. "But it is an example of how Muslim people don't accept the freedom in the society."
Consequently, he says he is concerned about what the future holds for Holland and the rest of Western Europe. "I am anxious about what [the situation with the Muslim population] will be after another ten or fifteen years," he says.
News from Agape Press
MD Citizens Group Irate Over Pilot Sex-Ed Program
MD Citizens Group Irate Over Pilot Sex-Ed Program
Jim Brown and Jody Brown
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - A Maryland school district is under fire for teaching middle-school students that homosexuality and "same-gender sex experimentation" are normal.
The Montgomery County School District is currently overseeing a pilot program in six schools that includes new pro-homosexual sex education curriculum. Once the pilot program ends, the curriculum -- referred to as "Family Life and Human Development Curriculum" -- will be voted on and, if approved, used next Fall in all district schools.
Among other things, says the Maryland-based group "Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum," the material used in the program suggests to adolescents as young as 13 that a sex life is necessary for a good self-image; states that "sex play with friends of the same gender is not uncommon during early adolescence"; and arbitrarily changes the meaning of family to include "two or more people who are joined together by emotional feelings or who are related to one another."
Steve Fisher, a spokesman Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, says the material is appalling.
"They're featuring a very graphic video that's going to be shown to tenth-graders, for example, [showing] a young girl how to put a condom on a cucumber," he explains, adding "there was another consideration where they were going to be looking at a video that talked about flavored condoms." But after the public uproar following the November 2004 decision, "they decided they wouldn't do that," says Fisher.
The group spokesman adds that the district is also encouraging students in their early teens to identify themselves as heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, or transgender -- independent of their parents, church, minister, or religious beliefs. "These social issues are extremely divisive," says the group's website. "It is not the domain of schools to teach students what sexual values to hold."
Minor Advisor
In September the school board appointed an 11-year-old female student to a citizens advisory committee overseeing the program. Fisher says that move sets a horrible precedent.
"Many of us ... are very much concerned [about] the subject matter ... that [the committee will] have to look at and consider and discuss," he says. "We think this is a little bit young to have an eleven- or even a twelve-year-old involved in making decisions about what kind of condom videos need to be shown to tenth graders."
And because the material must be reviewed and discussed by that committee, Fisher's group says the school board is exposing the seventh-grade committee member to "inappropriate, perhaps even adult-oriented" sexual material.
As of January, the student member still served on the committee as a full voting member.
News from Agape Press
Jim Brown and Jody Brown
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - A Maryland school district is under fire for teaching middle-school students that homosexuality and "same-gender sex experimentation" are normal.
The Montgomery County School District is currently overseeing a pilot program in six schools that includes new pro-homosexual sex education curriculum. Once the pilot program ends, the curriculum -- referred to as "Family Life and Human Development Curriculum" -- will be voted on and, if approved, used next Fall in all district schools.
Among other things, says the Maryland-based group "Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum," the material used in the program suggests to adolescents as young as 13 that a sex life is necessary for a good self-image; states that "sex play with friends of the same gender is not uncommon during early adolescence"; and arbitrarily changes the meaning of family to include "two or more people who are joined together by emotional feelings or who are related to one another."
Steve Fisher, a spokesman Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, says the material is appalling.
"They're featuring a very graphic video that's going to be shown to tenth-graders, for example, [showing] a young girl how to put a condom on a cucumber," he explains, adding "there was another consideration where they were going to be looking at a video that talked about flavored condoms." But after the public uproar following the November 2004 decision, "they decided they wouldn't do that," says Fisher.
The group spokesman adds that the district is also encouraging students in their early teens to identify themselves as heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, or transgender -- independent of their parents, church, minister, or religious beliefs. "These social issues are extremely divisive," says the group's website. "It is not the domain of schools to teach students what sexual values to hold."
Minor Advisor
In September the school board appointed an 11-year-old female student to a citizens advisory committee overseeing the program. Fisher says that move sets a horrible precedent.
"Many of us ... are very much concerned [about] the subject matter ... that [the committee will] have to look at and consider and discuss," he says. "We think this is a little bit young to have an eleven- or even a twelve-year-old involved in making decisions about what kind of condom videos need to be shown to tenth graders."
And because the material must be reviewed and discussed by that committee, Fisher's group says the school board is exposing the seventh-grade committee member to "inappropriate, perhaps even adult-oriented" sexual material.
As of January, the student member still served on the committee as a full voting member.
News from Agape Press
Intolerant Homosexual Protests
Illinois Pro-Family Leader Condemns Intolerant Homosexual Protests
Ed Thomas
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - Historic Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, was the location for a scene uncommon to that site last Saturday -- a protest from a radical homosexual group that denounced the church as "a house of hate."
Homosexual activists nationwide proclaimed Saturday as "Freedom to Marry Day." And in Chicago, reportedly, about 30 members of the Gay Liberation Network gathered outside Moody Church to protest against one of two individuals they considered religious bigots, according to the group's signage.
The first of the two people being castigated by the GLN was Moody's pastor, Erwin Lutzer, author of The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage, which he published last year. Protest observer Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute says the minister's book, in which he calls homosexual unions "the most damaging social experiment every to be attempted in this country," apparently gave the homosexual activists all the reason they required to stage the first protest.
Peter LaBarbera
"Yes, Dr. Lutzer had the foresight to warn Christians that they need to oppose the gay marriage movement," LaBarbera remarked. Noting GLN's intolerant response to Lutzer's expression of his Christian views, the Illinois pro-family advocate adds, "Apparently you cannot criticize even homosexual marriage anymore without being called a hateful bigot."
On the steps of Moody church, the protestors held signs with such slogans as "Keep your religion off our rights," and recited chants such as "Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia's got to go," and "Moody is a house of hate." And after finishing up there, the demonstrators marched a block east to the second location they had targeted -- the home of Cardinal Francis George, another religious leader the homosexual activists had declared a bigot for opposing same-sex marriage.
At the Catholic cleric's residence, several protestors again chanted anti-church slogans and waved signs. But this time many of the slogans were anti-Catholic, and new signs came out reading, "Cardinal George is a homophobe." LaBarbara says George and Lutzer were both singled out for protest by the radical pro-homosexual groups simply because they spoke out against the homosexual agenda or urged other believers to stand against it.
The IFI spokesman points out that Lutzer, in all fairness, does not single out homosexuality among other sexual sins but makes it clear that all sin should be opposed and compassionately answered with an offer of the hope that exists for all sinners in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, he observes that the attack against Moody Church is particularly unreasonable on the homosexual activists' part, considering that the church does not heavily involve itself in public policy questions, but instead focuses on evangelism.
"For gay activists to be calling Moody Church, which is not even a super politically active church, a 'house of hate' shows that they are intolerant of all Christian expression on the homosexual issue," LaBarbera says. The pro-family leader warns that if homosexual activists will target a church that is not even particularly visible in culture war political debate, then all Christians who oppose same-sex marriage are subject to attack.
News from Agape Press
Ed Thomas
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - Historic Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, was the location for a scene uncommon to that site last Saturday -- a protest from a radical homosexual group that denounced the church as "a house of hate."
Homosexual activists nationwide proclaimed Saturday as "Freedom to Marry Day." And in Chicago, reportedly, about 30 members of the Gay Liberation Network gathered outside Moody Church to protest against one of two individuals they considered religious bigots, according to the group's signage.
The first of the two people being castigated by the GLN was Moody's pastor, Erwin Lutzer, author of The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage, which he published last year. Protest observer Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute says the minister's book, in which he calls homosexual unions "the most damaging social experiment every to be attempted in this country," apparently gave the homosexual activists all the reason they required to stage the first protest.
Peter LaBarbera
"Yes, Dr. Lutzer had the foresight to warn Christians that they need to oppose the gay marriage movement," LaBarbera remarked. Noting GLN's intolerant response to Lutzer's expression of his Christian views, the Illinois pro-family advocate adds, "Apparently you cannot criticize even homosexual marriage anymore without being called a hateful bigot."
On the steps of Moody church, the protestors held signs with such slogans as "Keep your religion off our rights," and recited chants such as "Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia's got to go," and "Moody is a house of hate." And after finishing up there, the demonstrators marched a block east to the second location they had targeted -- the home of Cardinal Francis George, another religious leader the homosexual activists had declared a bigot for opposing same-sex marriage.
At the Catholic cleric's residence, several protestors again chanted anti-church slogans and waved signs. But this time many of the slogans were anti-Catholic, and new signs came out reading, "Cardinal George is a homophobe." LaBarbara says George and Lutzer were both singled out for protest by the radical pro-homosexual groups simply because they spoke out against the homosexual agenda or urged other believers to stand against it.
The IFI spokesman points out that Lutzer, in all fairness, does not single out homosexuality among other sexual sins but makes it clear that all sin should be opposed and compassionately answered with an offer of the hope that exists for all sinners in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, he observes that the attack against Moody Church is particularly unreasonable on the homosexual activists' part, considering that the church does not heavily involve itself in public policy questions, but instead focuses on evangelism.
"For gay activists to be calling Moody Church, which is not even a super politically active church, a 'house of hate' shows that they are intolerant of all Christian expression on the homosexual issue," LaBarbera says. The pro-family leader warns that if homosexual activists will target a church that is not even particularly visible in culture war political debate, then all Christians who oppose same-sex marriage are subject to attack.
News from Agape Press
Applause in the Airport? Beyond the Beer Commercial ...
Applause in the Airport? Beyond the Beer Commercial ...
It Happens ... It Really Happens
Matt Friedeman, PhD
February 10, 2005
(AgapePress) - Rick from Winona, Mississippi, called my state-wide talk radio program this week. Sometimes, you get a phone call that ought to be read in the broader market.
On the program that day we were discussing the report that some Europeans were disgusted with the Super Bowl commercial of American soldiers getting applause in an airport. The critics thought it too extreme in its patriotism and a possible incitement to further war.
At any rate, Rick (he asked us not to use his full name) called to talk about his experience coming back recently from the fields of war. His words (and they are worth your time reading, only lightly edited):
"I heard you talking about the Super Bowl commercial. I'm a Marine, a re-con Marine. I just got back from overseas, the second week of December, actually. I was injured overseas, so that's why I'm home now.
"But the whole time I was [there, in recovery] we watched the news to see what's going on. And we saw the protests, and we saw what the media was saying about what's going on, and we were worried about what we were actually going to face when we came home. We didn't know what to expect, to be honest with you. From the news media we were seeing, the whole country was basically telling us we're a bunch of jerks.
"I thank God that the troops that are there don't see the news coverage. I thank God every day, because there'd be ten times the number getting killed, just because it would so un-motivate [sic] them.
"Back to the story: there were seven other soldiers that came home with me that day. We flew into JFK, and we were talking on the way back: What's going to happen? What will we be facing? Is it going to be like the Vietnam era, are there going to be people spitting at us?
"We didn't know. We had that much trepidation about it.
"We get into JFK, we step out of the breezeway into the main terminal, and directly in front of us was an elderly gentleman carrying a bag. And he immediately stopped, set his bag down, and the first thing we all thought was, 'Oh, Lord, here we go already.' He just stopped and looked at us for a second, and then tears came to his eyes and he saluted us.
"And -- I'm breaking up now [editor's note: with tears] -- every one of us just started crying like babies. Everybody in the terminal -- I kid you not, at least two to three hundred people -- just started clapping, spontaneously. To me, it was so much worth what we were doing, to realize that people over here actually get what we were doing. We weren't over there because it's fun. We're over there doing a job.
"When I saw the Super Bowl commercial, I just started bawling like a baby again because that was something totally unexpected. We had no idea that people actually appreciated what we're doing, from what we see on the news. We thought we were going to come back and get eggs thrown at us. It was so refreshing to know that what we were seeing on the news is just a bunch of garbage that's being concocted by the media, that 99.9 percent of the country doesn't believe that way.
"I have a couple of more months of recovery. I got hit with a concussion and have some internal damage, but I'm feeling up, doing well, and hopefully I can get back over there with my boys."
It caused some tears in this talk show host's eyes to know there were tears in his. Appreciation, smiles, handclaps -- they can go a long way when a nation is at war, regardless of what the media and some Europeans might think.
News from Agape Press
It Happens ... It Really Happens
Matt Friedeman, PhD
February 10, 2005
(AgapePress) - Rick from Winona, Mississippi, called my state-wide talk radio program this week. Sometimes, you get a phone call that ought to be read in the broader market.
On the program that day we were discussing the report that some Europeans were disgusted with the Super Bowl commercial of American soldiers getting applause in an airport. The critics thought it too extreme in its patriotism and a possible incitement to further war.
At any rate, Rick (he asked us not to use his full name) called to talk about his experience coming back recently from the fields of war. His words (and they are worth your time reading, only lightly edited):
"I heard you talking about the Super Bowl commercial. I'm a Marine, a re-con Marine. I just got back from overseas, the second week of December, actually. I was injured overseas, so that's why I'm home now.
"But the whole time I was [there, in recovery] we watched the news to see what's going on. And we saw the protests, and we saw what the media was saying about what's going on, and we were worried about what we were actually going to face when we came home. We didn't know what to expect, to be honest with you. From the news media we were seeing, the whole country was basically telling us we're a bunch of jerks.
"I thank God that the troops that are there don't see the news coverage. I thank God every day, because there'd be ten times the number getting killed, just because it would so un-motivate [sic] them.
"Back to the story: there were seven other soldiers that came home with me that day. We flew into JFK, and we were talking on the way back: What's going to happen? What will we be facing? Is it going to be like the Vietnam era, are there going to be people spitting at us?
"We didn't know. We had that much trepidation about it.
"We get into JFK, we step out of the breezeway into the main terminal, and directly in front of us was an elderly gentleman carrying a bag. And he immediately stopped, set his bag down, and the first thing we all thought was, 'Oh, Lord, here we go already.' He just stopped and looked at us for a second, and then tears came to his eyes and he saluted us.
"And -- I'm breaking up now [editor's note: with tears] -- every one of us just started crying like babies. Everybody in the terminal -- I kid you not, at least two to three hundred people -- just started clapping, spontaneously. To me, it was so much worth what we were doing, to realize that people over here actually get what we were doing. We weren't over there because it's fun. We're over there doing a job.
"When I saw the Super Bowl commercial, I just started bawling like a baby again because that was something totally unexpected. We had no idea that people actually appreciated what we're doing, from what we see on the news. We thought we were going to come back and get eggs thrown at us. It was so refreshing to know that what we were seeing on the news is just a bunch of garbage that's being concocted by the media, that 99.9 percent of the country doesn't believe that way.
"I have a couple of more months of recovery. I got hit with a concussion and have some internal damage, but I'm feeling up, doing well, and hopefully I can get back over there with my boys."
It caused some tears in this talk show host's eyes to know there were tears in his. Appreciation, smiles, handclaps -- they can go a long way when a nation is at war, regardless of what the media and some Europeans might think.
News from Agape Press
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
WorldNetDaily: Family of slain Christians speaks out
Egyptian immigrants' kin 'not ruling anything out' about motive
February 16, 2005
By Sherrie Gossett
WASHINGTON – Relatives of a brutally slain New Jersey Christian family spoke out yesterday for the first time at a National Press Club news conference.
The bodies of the Coptic-American family, including father Hossam Armanious, 47, his wife Amal Garas, 37, and daughters Sylvia, 15, and Monica, 8, were found bound and gagged with their throats slashed in their New Jersey home on Jan. 14. Hudson County prosecutors are said to be exploring several possible motives for the slayings, including retaliation by terrorists against Hossam Armanious, described as an outspoken advocate for Coptic Christian religious freedom in Egypt and a well-known leader of an online ministry to the Muslim-American community.
Yesterday's news conference included a statement by U.S. Copts Association President Michael Meunier.
"We feel it is extremely important that the public hear the Armanious family members' side of the story and we are pleased to help them express their point of view on this disturbing crime," Meunier said.
Family members were cautious in their speech and unwilling to ascribe any outright motive for the slaying. When questioned by the press, Meunier did say the manner of the slayings was consistent with passages in the Quran that describe how to kill an infidel. The family stressed it is waiting for the investigation to play out. Regarding the possibility the slaying was a jihadist act, family uncle Emile Garas told WND afterward, "We're not ruling anything out."
The Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick, Washington representative of Christian Solidarity International and secretary general of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights, offered a statement relating to concerns over the manner in which the crime is being investigated.
"The investigation is not complete; no suspects have been identified," said Roderick, "and the district attorney's office of Hudson County is pursuing a number of theories related to the motive and nature of the crime. Public statements by that office indicate that theories related to robbery have been given precedence over a possible hate crime as a motive. By stressing that there are no facts substantiating a religious motivation to this crime, the confidence of the family has been eroded that the local investigation will lead to a resolution."
Roderick said that a "great deal in the media" has been made of the potential conflict within the Christian and Muslim communities if the investigation leads to a religious motive. Indeed, an Associated Press story, "Slaying spurs new wave of anti-Muslim bias" detailed community tensions and quoted Ahmed Shedeed, director of the Islamic Center of Jersey City as saying, "We Muslims living in America are getting sick of this crap. Why should we have to apologize for or make a defense of something we had nothing to do with? There is no proof at all that Muslims had anything to do with this, yet we are taking the blame again. Is Islam on trial, or is a killer on trial?"
"The central issue here," Roderick said in his statement, "should not be about communal disputes, but the fact that the perpetrators of this vicious crime are still at large. To avoid pursuit of what may be the most obvious motive of the murder for fear of maligning one part of the Jersey City community or creating a backlash against that community is irresponsible." The reverend indicated he hopes the investigation will confront the case "honestly without the fear of sectarian concerns." Leaders of the communities and social workers are the people most qualified to address those concerns, not law enforcement, he said.
Roderick joined with his colleagues in urging the Justice Department to take a greater lead in the investigation and give special attention to the civil-rights dimension of the case.
"From the perspective of ethnic and religious minorities who have fled religious persecution in their native countries, this case is unnerving," he said. "Many non-Muslim immigrants have told me that they believed that when they fled to the United States from these pressures, they would be safe. This case had made them feel vulnerable."
The American Jewish Committee is also offering their support to the family, with New Jersey Area Director Allyson M. Gall sending a letter to Edward J. De Fabio, Hudson County prosecutor.
That letter read, in part, "While we are well aware that charges have not yet been brought, and that the full circumstances of this horrific murder are not yet known, we also know that there are valid reasons to consider that this may have been a hate crime, or even an act of terror. We cannot stress enough that the current heightened sense of fear in the Coptic community must be squarely addressed."
Gall said that should the slaying turn out to be a hate crime or act of terror, her organization stands willing to give any appropriate assistance to the Coptic and Muslim community, including but not limited to helping organize other ethnic and religious groups to stand together and speak out against the intimidation inherent in such a crime.
Copies of Gall's letter were also sent to Rep. Robert Menendez, Gov. Richard Codey, Jersey City Chief of Police Ronald Buonocore, Mayor of Jersey City Jerramiah T. Healey, Dr. Monir A. Dawoud and Attorney General Peter C. Harvey.
When asked by reporters whether any Muslim organizations had offered support, the family indicated they had received support only from Christian and Jewish organizations.
Family members addressed media rumors that robbery was a motive: "The Armaniouses were not rich. Hossam and his wife, Amal, lived modestly with their two young girls in Jersey City. Despite speculation regarding a possibly robbery, the facts before us today appear to contradict such a supposition. The jewelry in the home, including Amal's ring, worth approximately $3,500, was left intact. As far as knowledge of our own family, the family did not keep large amounts of cash in their home so as to invite such a crime."
They added, "If the primary motive was robbery, why would they have killed each person in such a cruel and vindictive manner? Robbery is certainly not a motive in this case."
The family also dismissed another theory that has been circulated, that of an "old country vendetta" – an attempt to link an old Egyptian practice with the killings of the family. The family offered two reasons such a theory lacks credibility: "First, such vendettas, while common practice decades ago in Egypt, are no longer tolerated or practiced in modern society. Just as rivals in the West no longer engage in duels, so too has the notion of an old country vendetta or "tar" been eradicated from modern-day Egyptian society. Secondly, if such a theory were to be considered, the logical victims of such an attack would be family members in Egypt, and not here in the United States."
The family said other misinformation published in recent reports includes a reference to Hossam Armanious' alleged visit to Egypt last year as a factor in the slayings: "Hossam's last visit to Egypt occurred in the summer of 2002 and played no role in the brutal murder of his family this year."
Family member Garas told WND that the New York Post had asked him if the family had fled persecution. "Not true," Garas told the Post reporter, who he said then published the theory anyway. The family is encouraging media to contact them directly with their questions. "We want the media to get their information right," said Garas.
Family members also said they had no knowledge of any Internet threats against the family and had learned about the possibility after reading about it in the press.
Relatives praised the slain family, saying, "They were hardworking immigrants, devoted to their children, their church and their faith. Indeed, Hossam was a deeply religious man whose activities included engaging in religious dialogue via the Internet, on chat-rooms such as Paltalk, where Hossam practiced his newfound freedom of speech."
"As we grieve the loss of our loved ones," the family said, "we continue to demand and pray that justice be served. We respectfully request that such justice be rendered swiftly. As long as the murderers roam free, our streets are unsafe, and so we implore any person with information regarding the details of these brutal crimes to contact the appropriate authorities."
Members of the Garas family present at the press conference included Ayman, Ferail, Elad Fahmy, Wanas, Alphonse, Milad, Gameel and Emile.
WorldNetDaily: Family of slain Christians speaks out
February 16, 2005
By Sherrie Gossett
WASHINGTON – Relatives of a brutally slain New Jersey Christian family spoke out yesterday for the first time at a National Press Club news conference.
The bodies of the Coptic-American family, including father Hossam Armanious, 47, his wife Amal Garas, 37, and daughters Sylvia, 15, and Monica, 8, were found bound and gagged with their throats slashed in their New Jersey home on Jan. 14. Hudson County prosecutors are said to be exploring several possible motives for the slayings, including retaliation by terrorists against Hossam Armanious, described as an outspoken advocate for Coptic Christian religious freedom in Egypt and a well-known leader of an online ministry to the Muslim-American community.
Yesterday's news conference included a statement by U.S. Copts Association President Michael Meunier.
"We feel it is extremely important that the public hear the Armanious family members' side of the story and we are pleased to help them express their point of view on this disturbing crime," Meunier said.
Family members were cautious in their speech and unwilling to ascribe any outright motive for the slaying. When questioned by the press, Meunier did say the manner of the slayings was consistent with passages in the Quran that describe how to kill an infidel. The family stressed it is waiting for the investigation to play out. Regarding the possibility the slaying was a jihadist act, family uncle Emile Garas told WND afterward, "We're not ruling anything out."
The Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick, Washington representative of Christian Solidarity International and secretary general of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights, offered a statement relating to concerns over the manner in which the crime is being investigated.
"The investigation is not complete; no suspects have been identified," said Roderick, "and the district attorney's office of Hudson County is pursuing a number of theories related to the motive and nature of the crime. Public statements by that office indicate that theories related to robbery have been given precedence over a possible hate crime as a motive. By stressing that there are no facts substantiating a religious motivation to this crime, the confidence of the family has been eroded that the local investigation will lead to a resolution."
Roderick said that a "great deal in the media" has been made of the potential conflict within the Christian and Muslim communities if the investigation leads to a religious motive. Indeed, an Associated Press story, "Slaying spurs new wave of anti-Muslim bias" detailed community tensions and quoted Ahmed Shedeed, director of the Islamic Center of Jersey City as saying, "We Muslims living in America are getting sick of this crap. Why should we have to apologize for or make a defense of something we had nothing to do with? There is no proof at all that Muslims had anything to do with this, yet we are taking the blame again. Is Islam on trial, or is a killer on trial?"
"The central issue here," Roderick said in his statement, "should not be about communal disputes, but the fact that the perpetrators of this vicious crime are still at large. To avoid pursuit of what may be the most obvious motive of the murder for fear of maligning one part of the Jersey City community or creating a backlash against that community is irresponsible." The reverend indicated he hopes the investigation will confront the case "honestly without the fear of sectarian concerns." Leaders of the communities and social workers are the people most qualified to address those concerns, not law enforcement, he said.
Roderick joined with his colleagues in urging the Justice Department to take a greater lead in the investigation and give special attention to the civil-rights dimension of the case.
"From the perspective of ethnic and religious minorities who have fled religious persecution in their native countries, this case is unnerving," he said. "Many non-Muslim immigrants have told me that they believed that when they fled to the United States from these pressures, they would be safe. This case had made them feel vulnerable."
The American Jewish Committee is also offering their support to the family, with New Jersey Area Director Allyson M. Gall sending a letter to Edward J. De Fabio, Hudson County prosecutor.
That letter read, in part, "While we are well aware that charges have not yet been brought, and that the full circumstances of this horrific murder are not yet known, we also know that there are valid reasons to consider that this may have been a hate crime, or even an act of terror. We cannot stress enough that the current heightened sense of fear in the Coptic community must be squarely addressed."
Gall said that should the slaying turn out to be a hate crime or act of terror, her organization stands willing to give any appropriate assistance to the Coptic and Muslim community, including but not limited to helping organize other ethnic and religious groups to stand together and speak out against the intimidation inherent in such a crime.
Copies of Gall's letter were also sent to Rep. Robert Menendez, Gov. Richard Codey, Jersey City Chief of Police Ronald Buonocore, Mayor of Jersey City Jerramiah T. Healey, Dr. Monir A. Dawoud and Attorney General Peter C. Harvey.
When asked by reporters whether any Muslim organizations had offered support, the family indicated they had received support only from Christian and Jewish organizations.
Family members addressed media rumors that robbery was a motive: "The Armaniouses were not rich. Hossam and his wife, Amal, lived modestly with their two young girls in Jersey City. Despite speculation regarding a possibly robbery, the facts before us today appear to contradict such a supposition. The jewelry in the home, including Amal's ring, worth approximately $3,500, was left intact. As far as knowledge of our own family, the family did not keep large amounts of cash in their home so as to invite such a crime."
They added, "If the primary motive was robbery, why would they have killed each person in such a cruel and vindictive manner? Robbery is certainly not a motive in this case."
The family also dismissed another theory that has been circulated, that of an "old country vendetta" – an attempt to link an old Egyptian practice with the killings of the family. The family offered two reasons such a theory lacks credibility: "First, such vendettas, while common practice decades ago in Egypt, are no longer tolerated or practiced in modern society. Just as rivals in the West no longer engage in duels, so too has the notion of an old country vendetta or "tar" been eradicated from modern-day Egyptian society. Secondly, if such a theory were to be considered, the logical victims of such an attack would be family members in Egypt, and not here in the United States."
The family said other misinformation published in recent reports includes a reference to Hossam Armanious' alleged visit to Egypt last year as a factor in the slayings: "Hossam's last visit to Egypt occurred in the summer of 2002 and played no role in the brutal murder of his family this year."
Family member Garas told WND that the New York Post had asked him if the family had fled persecution. "Not true," Garas told the Post reporter, who he said then published the theory anyway. The family is encouraging media to contact them directly with their questions. "We want the media to get their information right," said Garas.
Family members also said they had no knowledge of any Internet threats against the family and had learned about the possibility after reading about it in the press.
Relatives praised the slain family, saying, "They were hardworking immigrants, devoted to their children, their church and their faith. Indeed, Hossam was a deeply religious man whose activities included engaging in religious dialogue via the Internet, on chat-rooms such as Paltalk, where Hossam practiced his newfound freedom of speech."
"As we grieve the loss of our loved ones," the family said, "we continue to demand and pray that justice be served. We respectfully request that such justice be rendered swiftly. As long as the murderers roam free, our streets are unsafe, and so we implore any person with information regarding the details of these brutal crimes to contact the appropriate authorities."
Members of the Garas family present at the press conference included Ayman, Ferail, Elad Fahmy, Wanas, Alphonse, Milad, Gameel and Emile.
WorldNetDaily: Family of slain Christians speaks out
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Uplifting turn to minivan's mountain plunge
Monday, February 14, 2005
By John Ingold
As Joe Sullivan drove toward a sharp curve on notoriously dangerous Red Mountain Pass south of Ouray, he carefully turned the steering wheel to the right to make the turn.
Nothing happened.
Sullivan's minivan - which carried his wife, son and daughter, as well as a friend of his daughter's and her dad - was sliding on a patch of ice at one of the worst imaginable places. The van skated straight toward a drop-off with no guardrail to stop its momentum. Beyond, a nearly 60-degree slope plummeted hundreds of feet from the edge.
Those inside braced for the worst. Terry Holman, sitting in the front passenger seat, said he thought about his daughter sitting behind him and the likely outcome.
"I thought we were done for," Holman said. "It didn't give you a whole lot of time to think. I never dreamed of going off Red Mountain Pass and living through it."
But that's exactly what happened.
Sullivan's trusty Pontiac minivan plunged 400 feet down a steep slope at about 4 p.m. Saturday. Some of those inside shouted as the vehicle tumbled down the mountainside, Sullivan said. The van rolled, maybe just a couple times, maybe more.
"I'm not sure," Sullivan said. "I shut my eyes."
And when it came to rest at the bottom of the ravine with the driver's side facing down, everybody - improbably, miraculously - was more or less OK.
...
Oletski said a few cars a year usually drive off Red Mountain Pass, which reaches an elevation of 11,018 feet. He said he's never seen someone come out of such a crash so well.
"This is the first time I can remember something like this where someone wasn't hurt badly or didn't die," Oletski said. "It truly is a miracle."
Which is perhaps why it was so fitting that Sunday evening, just 24 hours after the crash, the Sullivan family did what they always do on Sundays. They went to church.
DenverPost.com - LOCAL NEWS
By John Ingold
As Joe Sullivan drove toward a sharp curve on notoriously dangerous Red Mountain Pass south of Ouray, he carefully turned the steering wheel to the right to make the turn.
Nothing happened.
Sullivan's minivan - which carried his wife, son and daughter, as well as a friend of his daughter's and her dad - was sliding on a patch of ice at one of the worst imaginable places. The van skated straight toward a drop-off with no guardrail to stop its momentum. Beyond, a nearly 60-degree slope plummeted hundreds of feet from the edge.
Those inside braced for the worst. Terry Holman, sitting in the front passenger seat, said he thought about his daughter sitting behind him and the likely outcome.
"I thought we were done for," Holman said. "It didn't give you a whole lot of time to think. I never dreamed of going off Red Mountain Pass and living through it."
But that's exactly what happened.
Sullivan's trusty Pontiac minivan plunged 400 feet down a steep slope at about 4 p.m. Saturday. Some of those inside shouted as the vehicle tumbled down the mountainside, Sullivan said. The van rolled, maybe just a couple times, maybe more.
"I'm not sure," Sullivan said. "I shut my eyes."
And when it came to rest at the bottom of the ravine with the driver's side facing down, everybody - improbably, miraculously - was more or less OK.
...
Oletski said a few cars a year usually drive off Red Mountain Pass, which reaches an elevation of 11,018 feet. He said he's never seen someone come out of such a crash so well.
"This is the first time I can remember something like this where someone wasn't hurt badly or didn't die," Oletski said. "It truly is a miracle."
Which is perhaps why it was so fitting that Sunday evening, just 24 hours after the crash, the Sullivan family did what they always do on Sundays. They went to church.
DenverPost.com - LOCAL NEWS
China House Church Members Detail Increasing Persecution, Torture
Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 Posted: 3:38:10PM EST
The Christian Post
Members of the underground house church in China detailed the increasing persecution and torture of Christians during a press conference late last week in Washington D.C.
Ms. Liu Xianzhi (Sarah) recounts her experience of torture by Chinese police. Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association, serves as Ms. Liu's interpreter. (Photo: FRC)
Members of the underground house church in China detailed the increasing persecution and torture of Christians at the hands of the Chinese government during a press conference late last week at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
Among those who gave their accounts on Thursday was Liu Xianzhi, a member of the South China Church who was arrested in 2001 and tortured by police into falsely testifying that the pastor of the South China Church, Gong Shengliang, raped her.
With China Aid Association (CAA) President Bob Fu serving as her interpreter, Liu recounted her experience of torture, abuse and arbitrary imprisonment by Chinese police.
According to the Family Research Council—one of the largest and most influential social policy establishments in the U.S.—Liu was brutally beaten by the police and forced to falsely accuse Gong of "raping" her. Gong is currently serving life in prison based on the multiple "confessions" obtained through torture.
“Religious persecution has accelerated in the last few years as the Chinese government attempts to put a halt to the rapid growth of the Chinese church,” stated the Family Research Council (FRC). “These abuses in China have brought a renewed focus by congressional leaders and the UN.”
Recently, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a formal opinion in the case of Yinan Zhang, a Chinese church leader sentenced to two years of "re-education through labor." According to the CAA, authorities convicted Zhang of attempting to subvert the national government" by misinterpreting statements culled from his personal prayer journals and Christian essays.
In concluding, the UN working group stated that China’s arbitrary detentions are a violation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
“It's time for policymakers to take a stand for human rights and religious freedom in China,” FRC President Tony Perkins wrote in a statement released Friday. Perkins encouraged friends of the FRC to “stand with our brothers and sisters in China by urging President Bush and Congress to hold China accountable for its persecution of the Church.”
Last year, the U.S. State Department released its annual report on religious freedom in which it reported that the China Government tries to control and regulate religious groups to prevent the rise of groups that could constitute sources of authority outside of the control of the Government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The report, released on Sept. 15, stated that unregistered religious groups continued to experience varying degrees of official interference and harassment. Members of some unregistered religious groups, including Protestant and Catholic groups, were subjected to restrictions, including intimidation, harassment, and detention. In some localities, "underground" religious leaders reported ongoing pressure either to register with the State Administration for Religious Activities (SARA, formerly known as the central Religious Affairs Bureau) or its provincial and local offices, still known as Religious Affairs Bureaus (RAB).
However, despite efforts at government control, official sources, religious professionals, and persons who attend services at both officially sanctioned and underground places of worship all reported that the number of believers in the country continued to grow.
Christian News - The Christian Post | China House Church Members Detail Increasing Persecution, Torture
The Christian Post
Members of the underground house church in China detailed the increasing persecution and torture of Christians during a press conference late last week in Washington D.C.
Ms. Liu Xianzhi (Sarah) recounts her experience of torture by Chinese police. Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association, serves as Ms. Liu's interpreter. (Photo: FRC)
Members of the underground house church in China detailed the increasing persecution and torture of Christians at the hands of the Chinese government during a press conference late last week at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
Among those who gave their accounts on Thursday was Liu Xianzhi, a member of the South China Church who was arrested in 2001 and tortured by police into falsely testifying that the pastor of the South China Church, Gong Shengliang, raped her.
With China Aid Association (CAA) President Bob Fu serving as her interpreter, Liu recounted her experience of torture, abuse and arbitrary imprisonment by Chinese police.
According to the Family Research Council—one of the largest and most influential social policy establishments in the U.S.—Liu was brutally beaten by the police and forced to falsely accuse Gong of "raping" her. Gong is currently serving life in prison based on the multiple "confessions" obtained through torture.
“Religious persecution has accelerated in the last few years as the Chinese government attempts to put a halt to the rapid growth of the Chinese church,” stated the Family Research Council (FRC). “These abuses in China have brought a renewed focus by congressional leaders and the UN.”
Recently, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a formal opinion in the case of Yinan Zhang, a Chinese church leader sentenced to two years of "re-education through labor." According to the CAA, authorities convicted Zhang of attempting to subvert the national government" by misinterpreting statements culled from his personal prayer journals and Christian essays.
In concluding, the UN working group stated that China’s arbitrary detentions are a violation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
“It's time for policymakers to take a stand for human rights and religious freedom in China,” FRC President Tony Perkins wrote in a statement released Friday. Perkins encouraged friends of the FRC to “stand with our brothers and sisters in China by urging President Bush and Congress to hold China accountable for its persecution of the Church.”
Last year, the U.S. State Department released its annual report on religious freedom in which it reported that the China Government tries to control and regulate religious groups to prevent the rise of groups that could constitute sources of authority outside of the control of the Government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The report, released on Sept. 15, stated that unregistered religious groups continued to experience varying degrees of official interference and harassment. Members of some unregistered religious groups, including Protestant and Catholic groups, were subjected to restrictions, including intimidation, harassment, and detention. In some localities, "underground" religious leaders reported ongoing pressure either to register with the State Administration for Religious Activities (SARA, formerly known as the central Religious Affairs Bureau) or its provincial and local offices, still known as Religious Affairs Bureaus (RAB).
However, despite efforts at government control, official sources, religious professionals, and persons who attend services at both officially sanctioned and underground places of worship all reported that the number of believers in the country continued to grow.
Christian News - The Christian Post | China House Church Members Detail Increasing Persecution, Torture
The Christian’s Calling
2005/2/15 16:20:11
By Michael John McCrae
“26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1COR. 1:26-29)
The calling of the true child of faith can come at any time, from any life situation. It is true that God is not particular. He does not negotiate, but he calls. God chooses.
The Lord does not always look for the biggest or the brightest. He is perfectly capable of proving his points through even the weakest elements of societal man; like me for instance. “Not many wise men after the flesh” are called simply because many of these men think they can reason and negotiate a better plan than what God has laid out. Wise men after the flesh build gods after their flesh. This may satisfy the flesh, but it adds nothing to the spiritual health of a person.
That the mighty become confounded is no surprise. Many of the mighty have surrendered before suffering ignoble defeat. Others have committed suicide rather than face a world court and a sentence of death. Not so the people of the true faith. They have faced their trials and their sentences of death; knowing that they have nothing to be ashamed of. They’ve given their testimony of faith and been killed for it, and while the world calls them “foolish” it is they who have overcome the possibility of eternal death in faithlessness to achieve eternal life.
There is no “wise man after the flesh” that will be able to “glory” before the true God.
"30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1COR.1:30-31)
It is the Lord Christ that brings the believer before the Father in “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”. This is all based on his accomplishment. It has nothing to do with anything man is personally capable of. It is all based in the choice of God. Not even a believer will be able to “glory” before God, simply because he had nothing to do with his spiritual standing.
“1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 COR.2:1-5)
Paul did not use words of enticement in his preaching. He depended on the power of the Spirit of God to move hearts and minds toward the Father. The “demonstration of the Spirit” accompanied Paul’s words to prove the ineptness of the words of men in the light of the authority of the true God. “Jesus Christ and him crucified” was the simple message of the Apostle. Acceptance meant a vibrant spiritual life. Rejection left the hearers in spiritual darkness. True faith stands in the “power of God”. The “wisdom of man” cannot even act as a crutch, capable of keeping faith on its feet.
“6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, and the deep things of God.” (1 COR.2:6-10)
God the Holy Spirit does not indwell a believer to make him a rocket scientist or an archaeologist. He indwells a believer to make him wise in the ways of spiritual warfare. He helps the believer to pray, to care for his fellow man, to love his neighbor as himself. These are foreign concepts, inadequately addressed in the lives of the unfaithful. A true child of the King fully understands these concepts, and with God’s help is able to put into practice those actions that actually support and strengthen faith.
You can look at the “princes of the world”, whether from government, Hollywood, or academia, and know where their strengths lie. Very few give God any credit for their talent or intelligence; preferring to believe they have made themselves. But, that’s okay.
“The deep things of God” belong to the believer and are more to be cherished than all the world’s wisdom. We may not be the “mighty” or the “noble” of the world; it doesn’t matter.
We are the ones who are redeemed.
The Conservative Voice - News
By Michael John McCrae
“26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1COR. 1:26-29)
The calling of the true child of faith can come at any time, from any life situation. It is true that God is not particular. He does not negotiate, but he calls. God chooses.
The Lord does not always look for the biggest or the brightest. He is perfectly capable of proving his points through even the weakest elements of societal man; like me for instance. “Not many wise men after the flesh” are called simply because many of these men think they can reason and negotiate a better plan than what God has laid out. Wise men after the flesh build gods after their flesh. This may satisfy the flesh, but it adds nothing to the spiritual health of a person.
That the mighty become confounded is no surprise. Many of the mighty have surrendered before suffering ignoble defeat. Others have committed suicide rather than face a world court and a sentence of death. Not so the people of the true faith. They have faced their trials and their sentences of death; knowing that they have nothing to be ashamed of. They’ve given their testimony of faith and been killed for it, and while the world calls them “foolish” it is they who have overcome the possibility of eternal death in faithlessness to achieve eternal life.
There is no “wise man after the flesh” that will be able to “glory” before the true God.
"30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1COR.1:30-31)
It is the Lord Christ that brings the believer before the Father in “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”. This is all based on his accomplishment. It has nothing to do with anything man is personally capable of. It is all based in the choice of God. Not even a believer will be able to “glory” before God, simply because he had nothing to do with his spiritual standing.
“1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 COR.2:1-5)
Paul did not use words of enticement in his preaching. He depended on the power of the Spirit of God to move hearts and minds toward the Father. The “demonstration of the Spirit” accompanied Paul’s words to prove the ineptness of the words of men in the light of the authority of the true God. “Jesus Christ and him crucified” was the simple message of the Apostle. Acceptance meant a vibrant spiritual life. Rejection left the hearers in spiritual darkness. True faith stands in the “power of God”. The “wisdom of man” cannot even act as a crutch, capable of keeping faith on its feet.
“6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, and the deep things of God.” (1 COR.2:6-10)
God the Holy Spirit does not indwell a believer to make him a rocket scientist or an archaeologist. He indwells a believer to make him wise in the ways of spiritual warfare. He helps the believer to pray, to care for his fellow man, to love his neighbor as himself. These are foreign concepts, inadequately addressed in the lives of the unfaithful. A true child of the King fully understands these concepts, and with God’s help is able to put into practice those actions that actually support and strengthen faith.
You can look at the “princes of the world”, whether from government, Hollywood, or academia, and know where their strengths lie. Very few give God any credit for their talent or intelligence; preferring to believe they have made themselves. But, that’s okay.
“The deep things of God” belong to the believer and are more to be cherished than all the world’s wisdom. We may not be the “mighty” or the “noble” of the world; it doesn’t matter.
We are the ones who are redeemed.
The Conservative Voice - News
Intelligent design a worthy rival to theory of evolution
Posted on Tue, Feb. 15, 2005
Intelligent design a worthy rival to theory of evolution
BY JAY SEKULOW
Attorney Clarence Darrow argued 80 years ago in the Scopes monkey trial in Tennessee that denying the right to teach Darwinian evolution in schools violated fundamental academic freedom.
Now, evolutionists argue that their theory of life should be the only one taught in schools. What's wrong with teaching intelligent design, which concludes the uniqueness and complexity of human life points to a superior being that is responsible for the creation of life?
It is science itself that continues to produce evidence to suggest that the creation of the universe was the result of an intelligent creator. We learn more each day about human DNA, which represents the code of life -- specific and unique to each individual.
In his best-selling book "The Case for a Creator," Lee Strobel finds that there are insurmountable questions about Darwinian evolution that are leading some of the brightest minds in the scientific community to reject that theory.
The legal challenges to intelligent design center on the notion that if a superior being created the universe and that superior being is God, then such a theory violates the separation of church and state and cannot be taught in public schools.
But consider what the U.S. Supreme Court has said about this issue. In 1987, in Edwards v. Aguillard, the high court concluded that "teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."
The court also said that teaching these theories would pose no constitutional problems provided they are not taught to the exclusion of evolution.
If the classroom is indeed, as the Supreme Court has said, "the marketplace of ideas," why not teach multiple theories regarding the origins of mankind -- including intelligent design?
Let's permit students to examine all theories about the origins of life. By opening the classroom door to intelligent design, educators are not endorsing one theory over another. They are not teaching religion. They are simply fulfilling their obligation to give students an opportunity to study all sides of this issue.
Educators must keep up with science. And it is science that is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that an intelligent creator was the architect for this magnificent universe.
Wichita Eagle | 02/15/2005 | Intelligent design a worthy rival to theory of evolution
Intelligent design a worthy rival to theory of evolution
BY JAY SEKULOW
Attorney Clarence Darrow argued 80 years ago in the Scopes monkey trial in Tennessee that denying the right to teach Darwinian evolution in schools violated fundamental academic freedom.
Now, evolutionists argue that their theory of life should be the only one taught in schools. What's wrong with teaching intelligent design, which concludes the uniqueness and complexity of human life points to a superior being that is responsible for the creation of life?
It is science itself that continues to produce evidence to suggest that the creation of the universe was the result of an intelligent creator. We learn more each day about human DNA, which represents the code of life -- specific and unique to each individual.
In his best-selling book "The Case for a Creator," Lee Strobel finds that there are insurmountable questions about Darwinian evolution that are leading some of the brightest minds in the scientific community to reject that theory.
The legal challenges to intelligent design center on the notion that if a superior being created the universe and that superior being is God, then such a theory violates the separation of church and state and cannot be taught in public schools.
But consider what the U.S. Supreme Court has said about this issue. In 1987, in Edwards v. Aguillard, the high court concluded that "teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."
The court also said that teaching these theories would pose no constitutional problems provided they are not taught to the exclusion of evolution.
If the classroom is indeed, as the Supreme Court has said, "the marketplace of ideas," why not teach multiple theories regarding the origins of mankind -- including intelligent design?
Let's permit students to examine all theories about the origins of life. By opening the classroom door to intelligent design, educators are not endorsing one theory over another. They are not teaching religion. They are simply fulfilling their obligation to give students an opportunity to study all sides of this issue.
Educators must keep up with science. And it is science that is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that an intelligent creator was the architect for this magnificent universe.
Wichita Eagle | 02/15/2005 | Intelligent design a worthy rival to theory of evolution
Pro-Homosexual Public School Propaganda
Lawmaker Calls Pro-Homosexual Play Typical Public School Propaganda
By Jim Brown
February 14, 2005
(AgapePress) - A Virginia legislator is expressing outrage over a public high school play in which two male students engaged in a homosexual kiss onstage.
Delegate Dick Black of Loudon is angered that the Loudon County School District approved the play. He feels schools should not be producing plays that involve or imply any kind of sexual activity, much less "the standard homosexual propaganda" to be found in Postcards from Paradise.
Black takes exception to the presumptions that the homosexual-themed play presents, false notions such as "first of all, that people just fall out of the trees as homosexuals instead of committing specific unnatural sex acts that make them this way," he says. Also, he points out, such propaganda often presents those who object to the homosexual lifestyle on moral grounds as hate-filled and homophobic.
The Virginia legislator contends that the high school's recent production is just more evidence of the homosexual brainwashing that is occurring in America's public schools -- ideas that do not get into the education system randomly or by accident.
"The folks who go and receive education degrees in our colleges are indoctrinated in the notion that homosexuality is a positive thing, a good thing," he asserts, "and when they come out of those teaching colleges and they go into our schools, they carry that agenda with them."
Black believes promoters of the homosexual agenda are using plays like the one presented at Stone Bridge High School, not only to push acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle but also to suggest that there is something irregular about people who hold Christian values. He says the idea that "somehow we're all hate-filled because we don't embrace the very dangerous type of misconduct that they get involved in," is a recurring theme in pro-homosexual propaganda.
News from Agape Press
By Jim Brown
February 14, 2005
(AgapePress) - A Virginia legislator is expressing outrage over a public high school play in which two male students engaged in a homosexual kiss onstage.
Delegate Dick Black of Loudon is angered that the Loudon County School District approved the play. He feels schools should not be producing plays that involve or imply any kind of sexual activity, much less "the standard homosexual propaganda" to be found in Postcards from Paradise.
Black takes exception to the presumptions that the homosexual-themed play presents, false notions such as "first of all, that people just fall out of the trees as homosexuals instead of committing specific unnatural sex acts that make them this way," he says. Also, he points out, such propaganda often presents those who object to the homosexual lifestyle on moral grounds as hate-filled and homophobic.
The Virginia legislator contends that the high school's recent production is just more evidence of the homosexual brainwashing that is occurring in America's public schools -- ideas that do not get into the education system randomly or by accident.
"The folks who go and receive education degrees in our colleges are indoctrinated in the notion that homosexuality is a positive thing, a good thing," he asserts, "and when they come out of those teaching colleges and they go into our schools, they carry that agenda with them."
Black believes promoters of the homosexual agenda are using plays like the one presented at Stone Bridge High School, not only to push acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle but also to suggest that there is something irregular about people who hold Christian values. He says the idea that "somehow we're all hate-filled because we don't embrace the very dangerous type of misconduct that they get involved in," is a recurring theme in pro-homosexual propaganda.
News from Agape Press
Broadcast Indecency Laws Worthless
FRC Attorney: Unless Enforced, Tougher Broadcast Indecency Laws Worthless
By Bill Fancher and Rusty Pugh
February 14, 2005
(AgapePress) - Legislation and representation. Those are two areas of influence a pro-family advocate says could have major impact on the content of television and radio broadcasts in the near future. But unless indecency laws are enforced, he says, nothing will change -- and families will continue to be battered by indecent content.
Pat Trueman says the resignations of FCC chairman Michael Powell and one other FCC commissioner -- reported to be Kathleen Abernathy -- could jeopardize even further the quality of programming on radio and television. Trueman, senior legal counsel for the Family Research Council, points out of the three remaining commissioners, one is pro-decency, one is anti-decency, and one straddles the fence.
Trueman says commissioners who are "pro-decency" are desperately needed to fill the two spots. "The impact of two family-oriented commissioners [appointed] by President Bush could make a monumental difference in the character of network television and radio," the attorney says. "We hope the president will be mindful of the cultural decline in this country and put two good people on the FCC."
Part of the FCC's jurisdiction includes imposition of fines against broadcasters who violate decency statues either through imagery or speech. Several Capitol Hill lawmakers are attempting to clean up the airwaves by introducing legislation that would increase the amount of fines levied by the FCC against broadcasters who have crossed the line. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, a leader in that effort, recently introduced such a measure: the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005.
"We're still moving forward with the decency bill of increasing the fines tenfold for indecent material on over-the-air public broadcast using public airwaves for radio or television," the Republican lawmaker explains. "That bill has been introduced [and has] been referred to the Commerce Committee. The chairman of the Commerce Committee wants to move it quickly."
Brownback says he fully expects the bill to pass early in this congressional session. Co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the legislation would increase the maximum fine for each violation to $325,000 with a penalty cap of $3 million for any single act. Current law caps penalties at $32,500 per offense.
Trueman says measures such as the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 huge steps in the right direction. But strong statutes against indecency sill do no good if they are not enforced, he says.
"But we also have to get the law enforced correctly so it's a 'per utterance' enforcement," the FRC spokesman says. "One show lasting an hour that has five or six indecent images in it should be five or six penalties." Enforcement such as that, he adds, "would really put the fear of God into these networks."
Trueman says fines of those magnitudes would not only get the attention of giant media corporations, but likely would also cause local affiliates to exercise much greater caution in what they allowed to be aired by their station.
Edgy Cable
Meanwhile, while those broadcasting on the airwaves must concern themselves with FCC indecency regulations, cable providers continue to push the envelope with more graphic content. One national cable company, the Adelphi Communications Corporation, recently added "Triple-X" content from Playboy Enterprises to its programming slate.
That move has Trueman upset. He says the five-million-plus subscribers to Adelphia are about to get illegal obscenity piped into their homes.
"Why is a major corporation deciding it's okay to make money on illegal, obscene material?" he asks rhetorically -- then offers the answer. "The answer is lack of enforcement by the Justice Department. This decision would never be even considered had the Justice Department over the last several years been vigorous in prosecuting obscenity."
Trueman believes it will take changes at the Department of Justice before more obscenity prosecutions will take place -- and then future deals like that between Adelphia and Playboy will not happen.
News from Agape Press
By Bill Fancher and Rusty Pugh
February 14, 2005
(AgapePress) - Legislation and representation. Those are two areas of influence a pro-family advocate says could have major impact on the content of television and radio broadcasts in the near future. But unless indecency laws are enforced, he says, nothing will change -- and families will continue to be battered by indecent content.
Pat Trueman says the resignations of FCC chairman Michael Powell and one other FCC commissioner -- reported to be Kathleen Abernathy -- could jeopardize even further the quality of programming on radio and television. Trueman, senior legal counsel for the Family Research Council, points out of the three remaining commissioners, one is pro-decency, one is anti-decency, and one straddles the fence.
Trueman says commissioners who are "pro-decency" are desperately needed to fill the two spots. "The impact of two family-oriented commissioners [appointed] by President Bush could make a monumental difference in the character of network television and radio," the attorney says. "We hope the president will be mindful of the cultural decline in this country and put two good people on the FCC."
Part of the FCC's jurisdiction includes imposition of fines against broadcasters who violate decency statues either through imagery or speech. Several Capitol Hill lawmakers are attempting to clean up the airwaves by introducing legislation that would increase the amount of fines levied by the FCC against broadcasters who have crossed the line. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, a leader in that effort, recently introduced such a measure: the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005.
"We're still moving forward with the decency bill of increasing the fines tenfold for indecent material on over-the-air public broadcast using public airwaves for radio or television," the Republican lawmaker explains. "That bill has been introduced [and has] been referred to the Commerce Committee. The chairman of the Commerce Committee wants to move it quickly."
Brownback says he fully expects the bill to pass early in this congressional session. Co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the legislation would increase the maximum fine for each violation to $325,000 with a penalty cap of $3 million for any single act. Current law caps penalties at $32,500 per offense.
Trueman says measures such as the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 huge steps in the right direction. But strong statutes against indecency sill do no good if they are not enforced, he says.
"But we also have to get the law enforced correctly so it's a 'per utterance' enforcement," the FRC spokesman says. "One show lasting an hour that has five or six indecent images in it should be five or six penalties." Enforcement such as that, he adds, "would really put the fear of God into these networks."
Trueman says fines of those magnitudes would not only get the attention of giant media corporations, but likely would also cause local affiliates to exercise much greater caution in what they allowed to be aired by their station.
Edgy Cable
Meanwhile, while those broadcasting on the airwaves must concern themselves with FCC indecency regulations, cable providers continue to push the envelope with more graphic content. One national cable company, the Adelphi Communications Corporation, recently added "Triple-X" content from Playboy Enterprises to its programming slate.
That move has Trueman upset. He says the five-million-plus subscribers to Adelphia are about to get illegal obscenity piped into their homes.
"Why is a major corporation deciding it's okay to make money on illegal, obscene material?" he asks rhetorically -- then offers the answer. "The answer is lack of enforcement by the Justice Department. This decision would never be even considered had the Justice Department over the last several years been vigorous in prosecuting obscenity."
Trueman believes it will take changes at the Department of Justice before more obscenity prosecutions will take place -- and then future deals like that between Adelphia and Playboy will not happen.
News from Agape Press
British Dhimmitude Watch
2/14/2005
British Dhimmitude Watch
Religious Education students in Britain must now include the letters "pbuh" ("peace be upon him") in parentheses every time they write the name of Mohammed, according to teacher David Holford.
The potential problem has arisen in teaching about Muhammad. The exam board requires that every time Muhammad is written, the letters “pbuh” in parentheses be placed after it. This is shorthand for “peace be upon him”. The writer therefore prays a blessing upon him everytime his name is written, as is the custom of Muslims. So I have to tell my students (over and over if there is any hope of them remembering) that they must bless Muhammad every time they mention his name.
lgf: British Dhimmitude Watch
British Dhimmitude Watch
Religious Education students in Britain must now include the letters "pbuh" ("peace be upon him") in parentheses every time they write the name of Mohammed, according to teacher David Holford.
The potential problem has arisen in teaching about Muhammad. The exam board requires that every time Muhammad is written, the letters “pbuh” in parentheses be placed after it. This is shorthand for “peace be upon him”. The writer therefore prays a blessing upon him everytime his name is written, as is the custom of Muslims. So I have to tell my students (over and over if there is any hope of them remembering) that they must bless Muhammad every time they mention his name.
lgf: British Dhimmitude Watch
Qur'anic references condoning jihad
February 14, 2005
I'm rich! I'm rich!
Robert Spencer
Dear Dr. Badawi:
Below you will find Qur'anic references condoning a religious war, or jihad. Please send me one million dollars as per this statement from 'Muslims seek tolerance' in NorthJersey.com:
Jamal Badawi, an economics professor and Muslim scholar, said the community has suffered from the media's portrayal of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and in particular the suggestion that it condones a religious war, or jihad. He dismissed the idea, and jokingly offered $1 million to anyone who could find it in the Quran.
Here are the Qur'an quotes:
Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. (2:190-191)
Slay the disbelievers. Sounds like a religious war to me. So does this:
Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not. They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Month. Say: "Fighting therein is a grave (offence); but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its members." Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein. (2:216-217)
And this, which identifies the enemies of the Muslims as disbelievers and friends of Satan:
Let those fight in the cause of Allah Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah,- whether he is slain or gets victory - Soon shall We give him a reward of great (value). And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?- Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!" Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith Fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan. (4:74-76)
Here the religious warriors, or the angels who protect them, are to behead those who do not believe:
Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them." (8:12)
Cf. this verse, which also makes clear the religious character of the fight:
Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the Way of Allah,- He will never let their deeds be lost. (47:4)
This one states the goal of the fighting in terms that also make clear that the war is religious:
And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. (8:39)
This one, like many others, makes it clear that the fighting that believers must do is not spiritual, but physical -- otherwise the promise that the believers will overcome long odds would make little or no sense:
O Prophet! rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding. (8:65)
This is the celebrated "Verse of the Sword":
But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (9:5)
Again, hard to see that as spiritual or metaphorical fighting. And this one establishes that the warfare is against the People of the Book, that is, Jews and Christians:
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (9:29)
There are many other such passages in the Qur'an, but I think that should suffice, Dr. Badawi, for you to send me the million bucks.
However, if you would like to see more, please let me know.
Please contact me at director@jihadwatch.org to arrange payment. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
Jihad Watch: I'm rich! I'm rich!
I'm rich! I'm rich!
Robert Spencer
Dear Dr. Badawi:
Below you will find Qur'anic references condoning a religious war, or jihad. Please send me one million dollars as per this statement from 'Muslims seek tolerance' in NorthJersey.com:
Jamal Badawi, an economics professor and Muslim scholar, said the community has suffered from the media's portrayal of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and in particular the suggestion that it condones a religious war, or jihad. He dismissed the idea, and jokingly offered $1 million to anyone who could find it in the Quran.
Here are the Qur'an quotes:
Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. (2:190-191)
Slay the disbelievers. Sounds like a religious war to me. So does this:
Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not. They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Month. Say: "Fighting therein is a grave (offence); but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its members." Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein. (2:216-217)
And this, which identifies the enemies of the Muslims as disbelievers and friends of Satan:
Let those fight in the cause of Allah Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah,- whether he is slain or gets victory - Soon shall We give him a reward of great (value). And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?- Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!" Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith Fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan. (4:74-76)
Here the religious warriors, or the angels who protect them, are to behead those who do not believe:
Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them." (8:12)
Cf. this verse, which also makes clear the religious character of the fight:
Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the Way of Allah,- He will never let their deeds be lost. (47:4)
This one states the goal of the fighting in terms that also make clear that the war is religious:
And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. (8:39)
This one, like many others, makes it clear that the fighting that believers must do is not spiritual, but physical -- otherwise the promise that the believers will overcome long odds would make little or no sense:
O Prophet! rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding. (8:65)
This is the celebrated "Verse of the Sword":
But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (9:5)
Again, hard to see that as spiritual or metaphorical fighting. And this one establishes that the warfare is against the People of the Book, that is, Jews and Christians:
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (9:29)
There are many other such passages in the Qur'an, but I think that should suffice, Dr. Badawi, for you to send me the million bucks.
However, if you would like to see more, please let me know.
Please contact me at director@jihadwatch.org to arrange payment. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
Jihad Watch: I'm rich! I'm rich!
Monday, February 14, 2005
Violent attacks on British Jews hit record high
By Reuters
LONDON - Violent anti-Semitic attacks in Britain have reached "alarming" record levels, according to a report released on Thursday, prompting calls by Jewish leaders for more to be done to protect their community.
The Community Security Trust, which represents Britain's 290,000-strong Jewish community on security matters, said there had been 532 "anti-Semitic incidents" - defined as malicious acts toward Jews - in 2004, including a record 83 assaults.
The total, which included abuse and threats, was a rise of 42 percent from the CST's 2003 figure, and well above the previous record high of 405 in 2000.
"This increase is extremely alarming. The transfer of tensions in the Middle East to the streets of Britain has resulted in an unprecedented level of anti-Semitic incidents," said Michael Whine, director of communications for the CST.
The Trust said 100 incidents were reported in March 2004 alone. In the worst incident, a Jewish teenager had his jaw shattered in the English south coast city of Southampton.
Last month London police said they were hunting a group of black and Asian men said to be behind a string of racist attacks on orthodox Jewish men in the capital.
A few days earlier, vandals daubed swastikas and other Nazi symbols on 10 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery in Aldershot, southern England, the second time it had been targeted.
Britain's chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, said the figures were a cause for concern. "The single most important thing is for our community to enlist others to join in the protest against the attacks," he said in a statement.
"Jews must not be left to fight anti-Semitism alone."
The government described the rise as "totally unacceptable" and said action was being taken. "We have strengthened the law against racism, including raising the maximum penalty for incitement to racial hatred," leader of the House of Commons Peter Hain told parliament.
The leaders of Britain's Anglican and Catholic Christian communities said the findings were disturbing and condemned anti-Semitism.
Rob Beckley, the Association of Chief Police Officers' spokesman on faith matters, said that "...any anti-Semitic incidents are a matter of great concern to the police service ... All hate crime is insidious and destructive and we are committed to taking positive action against those perpetrating such offences."
Worthy News - News from a Christian View
LONDON - Violent anti-Semitic attacks in Britain have reached "alarming" record levels, according to a report released on Thursday, prompting calls by Jewish leaders for more to be done to protect their community.
The Community Security Trust, which represents Britain's 290,000-strong Jewish community on security matters, said there had been 532 "anti-Semitic incidents" - defined as malicious acts toward Jews - in 2004, including a record 83 assaults.
The total, which included abuse and threats, was a rise of 42 percent from the CST's 2003 figure, and well above the previous record high of 405 in 2000.
"This increase is extremely alarming. The transfer of tensions in the Middle East to the streets of Britain has resulted in an unprecedented level of anti-Semitic incidents," said Michael Whine, director of communications for the CST.
The Trust said 100 incidents were reported in March 2004 alone. In the worst incident, a Jewish teenager had his jaw shattered in the English south coast city of Southampton.
Last month London police said they were hunting a group of black and Asian men said to be behind a string of racist attacks on orthodox Jewish men in the capital.
A few days earlier, vandals daubed swastikas and other Nazi symbols on 10 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery in Aldershot, southern England, the second time it had been targeted.
Britain's chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, said the figures were a cause for concern. "The single most important thing is for our community to enlist others to join in the protest against the attacks," he said in a statement.
"Jews must not be left to fight anti-Semitism alone."
The government described the rise as "totally unacceptable" and said action was being taken. "We have strengthened the law against racism, including raising the maximum penalty for incitement to racial hatred," leader of the House of Commons Peter Hain told parliament.
The leaders of Britain's Anglican and Catholic Christian communities said the findings were disturbing and condemned anti-Semitism.
Rob Beckley, the Association of Chief Police Officers' spokesman on faith matters, said that "...any anti-Semitic incidents are a matter of great concern to the police service ... All hate crime is insidious and destructive and we are committed to taking positive action against those perpetrating such offences."
Worthy News - News from a Christian View
Extremists Attack, Beat Six GFA Students
2/13/2005
K.P. Yohannan calls for prayer for serious injuries
This morning, six Gospel for Asia Biblical Seminary students were forcibly abducted and beaten for sharing the Gospel. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where they are now recovering from injuries sustained during the attack.
Jaya, Yogendra, Narendra, Himansu, Kiran and Simon were involved in their regular weekly outreach--distributing Gospel literature, preaching and praying for the sick--when they were surrounded by a small group of men that quickly grew into a crowd.
"We are going to talk about God," the men mocked, and began slapping the students around. Several in the group then dragged the brothers into three-wheeled taxicabs and drove them to a secluded house that was the local headquarters for an extremist anti-Christian organization. A crowd of men, some trained in martial arts, awaited them there. They pulled the students out and began beating them.
"There were no less than five to six people beating each brother," reports a GFA field correspondent. The students were repeatedly kicked, punched and slapped, three to the point of unconsciousness. This particular organization is known for its martial arts training, not so much for defense, but for inflicting intense pain and causing internal injury without much external evidence.
At one point, the anti-Christians left the six students alone in a room for about half an hour. Writhing in pain, they feared what would happen next. But at the same time, these young men kept their focus and remembered their calling.
Kiran spoke up: "This is our reward to serve the Lord," he reminded his coworkers. "Let's tell it to the Lord," Himansu encouraged them. They prayed, clinging to God for His strength and grace.
Soon the group returned and dragged the students back into the cabs, drove them to the bus station, pushed them out and left. The six young men were able to get on a bus and return to the seminary, where they were immediately taken to the hospital. They suffered from severe headaches and internal pain. Jaya was diagnosed with a broken left eardrum, in addition to bruising on his face.
"Please pray for these six dear young men," says GFA President K.P. Yohannan, "that they will completely recover from their injuries and remain close to the Lord. I have no doubt that their suffering is not in vain, and He will use their lives to bear much fruit in the days to come.
"My prayer and firm belief is that our brothers' willingness to faithfully represent their Lord Jesus in the face of such hatred and opposition will only serve to give boldness to all our missionaries as they continue to witness of the Good News of Jesus Christ."
Pray For Them - Gospel For Asia
K.P. Yohannan calls for prayer for serious injuries
This morning, six Gospel for Asia Biblical Seminary students were forcibly abducted and beaten for sharing the Gospel. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where they are now recovering from injuries sustained during the attack.
Jaya, Yogendra, Narendra, Himansu, Kiran and Simon were involved in their regular weekly outreach--distributing Gospel literature, preaching and praying for the sick--when they were surrounded by a small group of men that quickly grew into a crowd.
"We are going to talk about God," the men mocked, and began slapping the students around. Several in the group then dragged the brothers into three-wheeled taxicabs and drove them to a secluded house that was the local headquarters for an extremist anti-Christian organization. A crowd of men, some trained in martial arts, awaited them there. They pulled the students out and began beating them.
"There were no less than five to six people beating each brother," reports a GFA field correspondent. The students were repeatedly kicked, punched and slapped, three to the point of unconsciousness. This particular organization is known for its martial arts training, not so much for defense, but for inflicting intense pain and causing internal injury without much external evidence.
At one point, the anti-Christians left the six students alone in a room for about half an hour. Writhing in pain, they feared what would happen next. But at the same time, these young men kept their focus and remembered their calling.
Kiran spoke up: "This is our reward to serve the Lord," he reminded his coworkers. "Let's tell it to the Lord," Himansu encouraged them. They prayed, clinging to God for His strength and grace.
Soon the group returned and dragged the students back into the cabs, drove them to the bus station, pushed them out and left. The six young men were able to get on a bus and return to the seminary, where they were immediately taken to the hospital. They suffered from severe headaches and internal pain. Jaya was diagnosed with a broken left eardrum, in addition to bruising on his face.
"Please pray for these six dear young men," says GFA President K.P. Yohannan, "that they will completely recover from their injuries and remain close to the Lord. I have no doubt that their suffering is not in vain, and He will use their lives to bear much fruit in the days to come.
"My prayer and firm belief is that our brothers' willingness to faithfully represent their Lord Jesus in the face of such hatred and opposition will only serve to give boldness to all our missionaries as they continue to witness of the Good News of Jesus Christ."
Pray For Them - Gospel For Asia
Born to be a slave in Niger
February 13, 2005
This dhimmi BBC report gives no hint of why slavery still exists in Niger, which is 80% Muslim: because the Qur'an sanctions it.
Slavery continues to blight the lives of many millions around the world. Although officially abolished in some countries two centuries ago, people trafficking, bonded labour and child labour still exist. There are some places on earth that few outsiders visit or know about, vast empty sections of the earth where time has stood still for centuries.
Niger is one of those places. It is a country that you can drive through for hours without seeing a soul.
A nation of vast, barren and windswept landscapes, a country of people who live almost entirely off cattle, and off the labour of human slaves.
Slavery in Niger is not an obscure thing, nor a curious relic of the past, it is an intrinsic part of society today.
A Nigerian study has found that almost 8% of the population are slaves.
You wonder how this can be in the 21st Century and why people do not know about it?
Yes, and the BBC ain't telling, even though it can't conceal that the slave interviewed in this story is named "Fatima," after Muhammad's daughter.
Also note this:
When we spoke to her masters they denied owning slaves. The practice of slavery was outlawed in Niger last year.
Last year. Imagine the outcry if a Western country hadn't outlawed slavery until 2004. Yet moralists continue to speak of slavery in the United States as if it was something sui generis and uniquely horrible in the history of mankind, while ignoring massive evidence of continuing slavery in the Islamic world -- or glossing over its Islamic character, as does this report.
Dhimmi Watch: Born to be a slave in Niger
This dhimmi BBC report gives no hint of why slavery still exists in Niger, which is 80% Muslim: because the Qur'an sanctions it.
Slavery continues to blight the lives of many millions around the world. Although officially abolished in some countries two centuries ago, people trafficking, bonded labour and child labour still exist. There are some places on earth that few outsiders visit or know about, vast empty sections of the earth where time has stood still for centuries.
Niger is one of those places. It is a country that you can drive through for hours without seeing a soul.
A nation of vast, barren and windswept landscapes, a country of people who live almost entirely off cattle, and off the labour of human slaves.
Slavery in Niger is not an obscure thing, nor a curious relic of the past, it is an intrinsic part of society today.
A Nigerian study has found that almost 8% of the population are slaves.
You wonder how this can be in the 21st Century and why people do not know about it?
Yes, and the BBC ain't telling, even though it can't conceal that the slave interviewed in this story is named "Fatima," after Muhammad's daughter.
Also note this:
When we spoke to her masters they denied owning slaves. The practice of slavery was outlawed in Niger last year.
Last year. Imagine the outcry if a Western country hadn't outlawed slavery until 2004. Yet moralists continue to speak of slavery in the United States as if it was something sui generis and uniquely horrible in the history of mankind, while ignoring massive evidence of continuing slavery in the Islamic world -- or glossing over its Islamic character, as does this report.
Dhimmi Watch: Born to be a slave in Niger
Should 'intelligent design' be taught in public schools?
Should 'intelligent design' be taught in public schools?
For decades, students have been taught the Darwinian theory of evolution in science classes. Now, thanks to developments in the world of science, another theory is gaining attention — intelligent design.
Eighty years ago, attorney Clarence Darrow argued in the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee that denying the right to teach Darwinian evolution in schools violated fundamental academic freedom.
Now, evolutionists argue that their theory of life should be the only one taught in schools. What's wrong with teaching intelligent design, which concludes the uniqueness and complexity of human life points to a superior being that is responsible for the creation of life?
It is science itself that continues to produce evidence to suggest that the creation of the universe was the result of an intelligent creator. We learn more each day about human DNA, which represents the code of life — specific and unique to each individual.
In his best-selling book "The Case for a Creator," Lee Strobel finds that there are insurmountable questions about Darwinian evolution that are leading some of the brightest minds in the scientific community to reject that theory.
Dr. Antony Flew, the well-respected British philosopher, recently told a journal published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society, "I think that the most impressive arguments for God's existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries." Flew, now a theist, added that "I think the argument to intelligent design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it."
The legal challenges to intelligent design center on the notion that if a superior being created the universe and that being is God, then such a theory violates the separation of church and state and cannot be taught in public schools.
But consider what the Supreme Court in 1987, in Edwards v. Aguillard: "teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."
The court said that teaching these theories would pose no constitutional problems provided they are not taught to the exclusion of evolution.
If the classroom is indeed "the marketplace of ideas," why not teach multiple theories regarding the origins of mankind?
Let's permit students to examine all theories about the origins of life. By opening the classroom door to intelligent design, educators are not endorsing one theory over another. They are not teaching religion. They are fulfilling their obligation to give students an opportunity to study all sides of this issue.
Educators must keep up with science. And it is science that is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that an intelligent creator was the architect for this magnificent universe.
News-Leader.com | Opinions | Pro: Should 'intelligent design' be taught in public schools?
For decades, students have been taught the Darwinian theory of evolution in science classes. Now, thanks to developments in the world of science, another theory is gaining attention — intelligent design.
Eighty years ago, attorney Clarence Darrow argued in the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee that denying the right to teach Darwinian evolution in schools violated fundamental academic freedom.
Now, evolutionists argue that their theory of life should be the only one taught in schools. What's wrong with teaching intelligent design, which concludes the uniqueness and complexity of human life points to a superior being that is responsible for the creation of life?
It is science itself that continues to produce evidence to suggest that the creation of the universe was the result of an intelligent creator. We learn more each day about human DNA, which represents the code of life — specific and unique to each individual.
In his best-selling book "The Case for a Creator," Lee Strobel finds that there are insurmountable questions about Darwinian evolution that are leading some of the brightest minds in the scientific community to reject that theory.
Dr. Antony Flew, the well-respected British philosopher, recently told a journal published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society, "I think that the most impressive arguments for God's existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries." Flew, now a theist, added that "I think the argument to intelligent design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it."
The legal challenges to intelligent design center on the notion that if a superior being created the universe and that being is God, then such a theory violates the separation of church and state and cannot be taught in public schools.
But consider what the Supreme Court in 1987, in Edwards v. Aguillard: "teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."
The court said that teaching these theories would pose no constitutional problems provided they are not taught to the exclusion of evolution.
If the classroom is indeed "the marketplace of ideas," why not teach multiple theories regarding the origins of mankind?
Let's permit students to examine all theories about the origins of life. By opening the classroom door to intelligent design, educators are not endorsing one theory over another. They are not teaching religion. They are fulfilling their obligation to give students an opportunity to study all sides of this issue.
Educators must keep up with science. And it is science that is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that an intelligent creator was the architect for this magnificent universe.
News-Leader.com | Opinions | Pro: Should 'intelligent design' be taught in public schools?
Bill Moyers' Latest Anti-Christian Lie
By Byron York
TheHill.com | February 14, 2005
On Dec. 1, Harvard University’s Center for Health and the Global Environment gave its “Global Environmental Citizen Award” to the longtime leftist journalist Bill Moyers.
Accepting the award from the actress Meryl Streep — she praised Moyers’s “resourceful, intrepid reportage,” and he praised her “special kind of courage” and declared himself “in the front row of [her] fan club” — Moyers devoted his speech to the dangers that Christian fundamentalists allegedly pose to the environment.
“Remember James Watt, President Reagan’s first secretary of the interior?” Moyers said. “My favorite online environmental journal, the ever-engaging Grist, reminded us recently of how James Watt told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, ‘After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.’
“Beltway elites snickered,” Moyers continued. “The press corps didn’t know what he was talking about. But James Watt was serious.”
And so was Bill Moyers.
The only problem was, James Watt never said what Moyers — and the ever-engaging Grist — said he said.
Watt himself got in touch with the conservative website Powerline to set the record straight. But by then, the “last tree is felled” quote had slowly begun to spread.
• On Dec. 11, The Miami Herald reprinted a portion of Moyers’ speech, including the quote.
• On Dec. 19, an Indianapolis Star columnist quoted Watt’s phantom statement.
• On Jan. 7, a Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist quoted Watt.
Then a few more small papers published the quote.
Finally, on Feb. 6, last Sunday, The Washington Post published a front-page story titled “The Greening of Evangelicals: Christian Right Turns, Sometimes Warily, to Environmentalism.”
The article included this passage:
“Even for green activists within the evangelical movement, there are landmines. One faction in the movement, called dispensationalism, argues that the return of Jesus and the end of the world are near, so it is pointless to fret about environmental degradation.”
“James G. Watt, President Ronald Reagan’s first interior secretary, famously made this argument before Congress in 1981, saying: ‘God gave us these things to use. After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.’”
Two days later, the Post published a correction saying, “A Feb. 6 article quoted James G. Watt, interior secretary under President Ronald Reagan, as telling Congress in 1981: ‘After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.’ Although that statement has been widely attributed to Watt, there is no historical record that he made it.”
Even though the paper admitted error on the major point, one might still quibble with the correction.
The article had said that Watt had “famously” made the statement in question. But a search of the Nexis database finds that the first-ever reference to Watt’s “quote” came in that Dec. 11 Miami Herald excerpt of Moyers’s speech. Watt left office in 1983, meaning that the “famous” quote somehow escaped attention for 21 years.
The Post correction said the phrase had been “widely attributed” to Watt. But according to Nexis, it has been cited a total of 10 times since Dec. 11 — and two of those were in the Post’s original story and in its correction.
The article from which Moyers got the Watt quote was titled “The Godly Must Be Crazy” and was posted on Grist last October. Moyers called it a “remarkable work.” And indeed, it is.
Writer Glenn Scherer reported that a large number of legislators — 45 in the Senate and 186 in the House, to be exact — either “hold are or beholden to” end-time beliefs. That is, they either agree with or depend on the support of people who “believe we are living in the End Time, when the son of God will return, the righteous will enter heaven, and sinners will be condemned to eternal hellfire.”
The same lawmakers, Scherer continued, “may also believe, along with millions of other Christian fundamentalists, that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed — even hastened — as a sign of the coming Apocalypse.”
To flesh out his argument, Scherer cited the alleged quote from Watt. And then he added, “Today’s Christian fundamentalist politicians are more politically savvy than Reagan’s interior secretary was; you’re unlikely to catch them overtly attributing public-policy decisions to private religious views.
“But their words and actions suggest that many share Watt’s beliefs. Like him, many Christian fundamentalists feel that concern for the future of our planet is irrelevant, because it has no future.”
Now, Grist says it is “aggressively looking into the accuracy” of the Watt quotation. But it’s already out there, having gone, apparently without checking, from Grist to Moyers to The Washington Post.
In his Harvard speech, Moyers warned his audience about people blinded by their ideology and religious beliefs. The combination, he said, can make one “oblivious to the facts.”
Well, at least he was right about something.
FrontPage magazine.com :: Bill Moyers' Latest Anti-Christian Lie by Byron York
TheHill.com | February 14, 2005
On Dec. 1, Harvard University’s Center for Health and the Global Environment gave its “Global Environmental Citizen Award” to the longtime leftist journalist Bill Moyers.
Accepting the award from the actress Meryl Streep — she praised Moyers’s “resourceful, intrepid reportage,” and he praised her “special kind of courage” and declared himself “in the front row of [her] fan club” — Moyers devoted his speech to the dangers that Christian fundamentalists allegedly pose to the environment.
“Remember James Watt, President Reagan’s first secretary of the interior?” Moyers said. “My favorite online environmental journal, the ever-engaging Grist, reminded us recently of how James Watt told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, ‘After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.’
“Beltway elites snickered,” Moyers continued. “The press corps didn’t know what he was talking about. But James Watt was serious.”
And so was Bill Moyers.
The only problem was, James Watt never said what Moyers — and the ever-engaging Grist — said he said.
Watt himself got in touch with the conservative website Powerline to set the record straight. But by then, the “last tree is felled” quote had slowly begun to spread.
• On Dec. 11, The Miami Herald reprinted a portion of Moyers’ speech, including the quote.
• On Dec. 19, an Indianapolis Star columnist quoted Watt’s phantom statement.
• On Jan. 7, a Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist quoted Watt.
Then a few more small papers published the quote.
Finally, on Feb. 6, last Sunday, The Washington Post published a front-page story titled “The Greening of Evangelicals: Christian Right Turns, Sometimes Warily, to Environmentalism.”
The article included this passage:
“Even for green activists within the evangelical movement, there are landmines. One faction in the movement, called dispensationalism, argues that the return of Jesus and the end of the world are near, so it is pointless to fret about environmental degradation.”
“James G. Watt, President Ronald Reagan’s first interior secretary, famously made this argument before Congress in 1981, saying: ‘God gave us these things to use. After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.’”
Two days later, the Post published a correction saying, “A Feb. 6 article quoted James G. Watt, interior secretary under President Ronald Reagan, as telling Congress in 1981: ‘After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.’ Although that statement has been widely attributed to Watt, there is no historical record that he made it.”
Even though the paper admitted error on the major point, one might still quibble with the correction.
The article had said that Watt had “famously” made the statement in question. But a search of the Nexis database finds that the first-ever reference to Watt’s “quote” came in that Dec. 11 Miami Herald excerpt of Moyers’s speech. Watt left office in 1983, meaning that the “famous” quote somehow escaped attention for 21 years.
The Post correction said the phrase had been “widely attributed” to Watt. But according to Nexis, it has been cited a total of 10 times since Dec. 11 — and two of those were in the Post’s original story and in its correction.
The article from which Moyers got the Watt quote was titled “The Godly Must Be Crazy” and was posted on Grist last October. Moyers called it a “remarkable work.” And indeed, it is.
Writer Glenn Scherer reported that a large number of legislators — 45 in the Senate and 186 in the House, to be exact — either “hold are or beholden to” end-time beliefs. That is, they either agree with or depend on the support of people who “believe we are living in the End Time, when the son of God will return, the righteous will enter heaven, and sinners will be condemned to eternal hellfire.”
The same lawmakers, Scherer continued, “may also believe, along with millions of other Christian fundamentalists, that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed — even hastened — as a sign of the coming Apocalypse.”
To flesh out his argument, Scherer cited the alleged quote from Watt. And then he added, “Today’s Christian fundamentalist politicians are more politically savvy than Reagan’s interior secretary was; you’re unlikely to catch them overtly attributing public-policy decisions to private religious views.
“But their words and actions suggest that many share Watt’s beliefs. Like him, many Christian fundamentalists feel that concern for the future of our planet is irrelevant, because it has no future.”
Now, Grist says it is “aggressively looking into the accuracy” of the Watt quotation. But it’s already out there, having gone, apparently without checking, from Grist to Moyers to The Washington Post.
In his Harvard speech, Moyers warned his audience about people blinded by their ideology and religious beliefs. The combination, he said, can make one “oblivious to the facts.”
Well, at least he was right about something.
FrontPage magazine.com :: Bill Moyers' Latest Anti-Christian Lie by Byron York
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