ISIS’ Worldwide Terrorist Threats

Reuters reported on November 6:

“Moscow suspended passenger flights to Egypt, and the United States imposed new air travel security requirements in the wake of the crash of a Russian jet in Egypt, as Western officials pointed on Friday to the conclusion it was brought down by a bomb… While no official investigation has confirmed that claim of responsibility, countries have been canceling flights and announcing new precautions, leaving tens of thousands of European and Russian tourists stranded at Red Sea resorts…

“U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron have already said the crash might have been caused by a bomb. Moscow initially rebuked Western countries for drawing such conclusions too quickly. But President Vladimir Putin’s decision to suspend Russian flights suggests the Kremlin is no longer trying to avert attention from that theory…

“French TV station France 2 said on its website that the sound of an explosion could be heard on the black boxes recovered from the plane, according to an investigator who had access to them. The investigator ruled out engine failure, it added…

“Decisions by Britain and other European countries to suspend flights to Sharm al-Sheikh left tens of thousands of tourists stranded in one of the most popular destinations for European holidaymakers seeking winter sunshine. Moscow’s decision to follow suit on Friday adds tens of thousands more… The Russian Travel Industry Union, cited by Interfax, estimated there were about 50,000 Russian tourists currently in Egypt and said refunding canceled tickets to Egypt could bankrupt Russian tour operators…

“British attempts to bring home thousands of stranded tourists were thrown into chaos on Friday when Egypt reduced the number of flights it would allow to take them home…”

The Washington Post wrote on November 6:

“The hardening prospect that a Russian airliner was brought down over the Sinai Peninsula by a terrorist bomb is raising concerns that the threat from the Islamic State has dramatically expanded, and it points to the potentially deadly role of insurgents around the world who have allied themselves with the militant group… If the Islamic State indeed destroyed the plane, it would shatter whatever expectation there was that the group could be confined and ultimately defeated within Iraq and Syria — the region where it has seized territory and declared a caliphate…

“There have been arrests of Islamic State operatives in Kosovo and Albania in recent months for allegedly planning attacks in Europe, said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University. ‘But this is the first time that ISIL has crossed the threshold and burst onto the international terror scene,’ he said…

“The apparent ability of the group to smuggle a bomb on board a plane loaded with tourists is disturbing to U.S. security officials, who had comforted themselves with the idea that the Islamic State appeared focused on establishing its caliphate and was so far unwilling or unable to strike outside its immediate area of operations. ‘This is the most significant terrorist-related airline incident since 9/11,’ Hoffman said. ‘So the repercussions for this have to be quite profound.’”

Deutsche Welle reported on November 7:

“The weekly ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung’ (FAS) reported in its Sunday edition that the German government believes the Russian Metrojet airliner was bombed by the ‘Islamic State’ (IS) terrorist group. ‘All available information points to this conclusion,’ a senior German security official told the paper, adding that the aircraft’s sudden drop in altitude, without any irregularities having been recorded in the cockpit, make a bomb ‘very plausible.’”

Subsequently, governmental officials from the USA, Great Britain and Europe have stated that they are “99% sure” that the Russian plane was destroyed by a bomb.

The Associated Press reported on November 10 that “Moscow’s ban on all flights to Egypt in the wake of a Russian plane crash will last for at least several months, the Kremlin chief of staff said Tuesday, dealing a severe blow to Egypt’s struggling tourism industry.”

“The Temple Mount Belongs to Israel”

i24news.tv reported on November 11, 2015:

“[70 senior] rabbis from the Religious Zionism movement have issued a petition claiming the sacred status of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, also known as the al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslims…

“The rabbis have said that they refuse to give up Jewish ownership of the Temple Mount and continue to pray for the construction of the third temple where its predecessors had been…

“Under the headline, ‘We won’t give up the Temple Mount,’ the Rabbis wrote that ‘the Temple Mount belongs to the people of Israel for generations of about 3,000 years now, since it was purchased by King David for its full price from Araunah the Jebusite… The two temples of the people of Israel stood on the Temple Mount for some 1,000 years, before the religion of Islam even existed. No one has the authority to give up the Temple Mount…’

“The rabbis argued that the people of Israel were certain of the fulfillment of the prophets’ vision on the construction of the temple, and ‘pray that we will see it happen soon in our time.’”

Leaders of China and Taiwan Meet for the First Time Since 1949

The Associated Press reported on November 7:

“The leaders of China and Taiwan met Saturday for the first time since the formerly bitter Cold War foes split amid civil war 66 years ago, and though no concrete agreement resulted, both hailed the meeting as a sign of a new stability in relations… In brief opening remarks in front of reporters before going into a closed-door meeting, [China’s] Xi said, ‘History will record this day.’ He alluded to China’s long-cherished goals of unification with Taiwan, saying, ‘We are one family,’ and ‘No force can pull us apart.’

“[Taiwan’s] Ma said, ‘Both sides should respect each other’s values and way of life,’ while adding that relations between the sides were ‘the most peaceful and stable they have ever been.’

“When they split in 1949, both sides aspired to absorb the other, with each claiming the mantle of the only legitimate government of all of China, Taiwan included. Communist Party-ruled China still demands that Taiwan eventually be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, while many citizens of democratic Taiwan increasingly prefer to simply maintain the separate status the island has carved out over more than six decades.

“Critics of Ma in Taiwan are wary that his meeting with Xi and similar contacts will pave the way for Beijing to assert greater control over the island, further deepening its international isolation… China refuses to acknowledge the island as anything other than a breakaway province, and pressure from Beijing keeps Taiwan out of the United Nations and other major multinational organizations…

“Each leader hopes to seal his legacy as one who helped bring decades of division and mistrust to a mutually acceptable end…”

“Let Europe Be Europe!”

On November 9, WorldNetDaily published the following article by Pat Buchanan:

“‘A modern day mass migration is taking place … that could change the face of Europe’s civilization,’ warned Hungarian President Viktor Orban… He erected a 110-mile fence on the Serb border, redirecting hundreds of thousands of migrants away from Hungary to Croatia, thence to Austria and Germany.

“Sunday, after a third of a million had passed through, Croatia replaced a center-left with a rightist party. A fortnight ago, the right-wing eurosceptic Law and Justice Party won a landslide victory in Poland.

“Support for Angela Merkel, who has opened Germany to a million migrants, is plummeting. Bavaria’s CSU, sister party of Merkel’s CDU, is in rebellion. Bavaria has been the main port of entry for the hundreds of thousands of arriving migrants.

“Europe is undergoing the greatest mass migration since World War II, when 14 million Germans were driven out of Prussia and eastern Germany and Central and Eastern Europe. That mass migration halted after two years. But no end is in sight to the migrations from Africa and the Middle East. As long as Europe’s borders remain open, they will come. And the people who wish to come number not just in the millions but the tens and scores of millions. And they know how to get there…

“Under the Schengen Agreement, there are to be no barriers to trade and travel, to the movement of goods and people inside the EU. Yet, across Europe, fences are going up, borders are being re-established, anti-immigrant and anti-EU parties like the National Front of France’s Marine Le Pen, are gaining converts. If the mass migrations are not halted, the rise of nationalist regimes at the expense of Europe’s liberals and leftists is inevitable…

“Optimists point to how America absorbed the 15 million that arrived in the Great Wave of immigration from 1890 to 1920. But they ignore the differences. America’s immigrants were Europeans from Christian nations… those pouring into Europe are Arab, African and Muslim, not European Christians or Jews. They come from other civilizations and cultures. And they are… creating enclaves in Europe that replicate the lands whence they came…

“Will Europe remain Europe if she is repopulated by Arabs, Muslims, Asians and Africans? What will hold Europe together?… One day soon, a voice will arise across the Atlantic calling for an end to this invasion, by force if necessary, and declare: ‘Let Europe be Europe!’”

In light of the last paragraph, the following articles are quite revealing… and frightening, considering the consequences.

“Germany Unable to House 300,000 Refugees”

The Local wrote on November 9:

“Germany doesn’t have the capacity to house hundreds of thousands of the refugees set to arrive in the country over the remainder of the year, a study released on Monday claims… [arguing] that Germany currently only has the capacity to house around half a million refugees. But with almost that number already having arrived in the country – and 380,000 more projected to arrive before the year is out – that means housing solutions are still needed for 370,000 migrants.

“The report included a survey of 300 local authorities in Germany who estimated that a total of 870,000 people would arrive in Germany in the whole of 2015 seeking asylum. Over three quarters of local authorities said that their greatest challenge was finding shelter for all the refugees who arrive at their door. Almost two-thirds also voiced fears over the lack of reliable numbers of arriving refugees…”

Migrant Crisis in Germany

Breitbart wrote on November 12, 2015:

“Germany’s finance minister has warned that an ‘avalanche’ of migrants has been triggered, just as it was revealed that Germany should expect up to 10 million migrants by 2020. According to the calculations of another member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ‘grand coalition’ of parties, the continent can expect nearly 10 times as many migrants as has been projected for this year alone over the next five years…

“The nation is expecting up to 1.5 million this year alone. The numbers began rising sharply immediately after Mrs. Merkel promised to suspend the Dublin agreement in August, and ‘welcome’ any migrant who could make it across the German borders… the German government has no idea how many migrants it has already taken in and begun to process…”

The Local added on November 12:

“Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has warned that the flow of refugees into Germany and Europe could turn into an ‘avalanche’ if not managed properly. ‘Avalanches can be triggered when some slightly careless skier goes to the slope and moves a little bit of snow,’ Schäuble said in Berlin on Wednesday evening. It was impossible to tell at this point whether the avalanche had reached the valley floor or was still in the top third of the slope, he added.

“The comments were a rare statement of position from Merkel’s finance chief Schäuble, who has until recently confined himself to comments on the affordability of the refugee crisis… In recent days, Germany has tightened its refugee policy, re-introducing the so-called ‘Dublin rules’ for Syrian refugees, which would see them sent back to the first EU country they entered to apply for asylum.

“Last week, Sweden asked refugees on their way to the Nordic country to stay in Germany as they were hitting their limit for accommodating migrants. And Merkel faced a mini-rebellion over the weekend from her Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere when he announced his own plans for stricter policies, apparently without the backing of other senior officials.”

Courting Turkey

Deutsche Welle reported on November 12:

“EU officials have announced they will hold talks with Ankara over ways to help stem the migrants crisis… The EU has been courting Turkey for the past couple months in the hopes its leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will take on some of the burden of caring for the migrants. Turkey is home to some 2 million Syrian refugees.

“In exchange for assistance, Ankara has demanded 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in aid from the EU. Brussels has already pledged closer ties with the country and says it is working to pull together the requested amount of money… In October, Merkel paid a visit to Ankara after bomb blasts that left more than 100 people dead in the Turkish capital. The visit was seen largely as an effort by the chancellor to mend relations with Erdogan, especially as both the refugee crisis and the ongoing fighting in the Middle East intensify.”

Ex-German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Dies

Deutsche Welle reported on November 10:

“Schmidt, who led West Germany from 1974 to 1982, died on Tuesday at the age of 96… Schmidt was a politician who believed in plain speaking and whose steadfast refusal to censor himself never detracted from his popularity. He was regularly voted the most popular politician in postwar Germany, despite being contrary and often opinionated.

“In a television interview at the height of the European financial crisis, for example, he didn’t mince words when asked what he thought of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leadership. ‘It would take me a while to come up with a diplomatic answer,’ he said. Asked what he thought of then Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle of the pro-business Free Democrats, his response was similarly caustic. ‘You can‘t seriously expect me to answer that,’ he said.

“Schmidt remained consistently critical of developments in the EU, the feasibility of a multicultural Germany and the Bundeswehr’s mission in Afghanistan, but continued nonetheless to enjoy the respect of the German public…

“For many Germans, Helmut Schmidt earned that respect first and foremost with his handling of the infamous ‘German Autumn’ in late 1977, when West Germany was terrorized by the left-wing urban guerrillas of the Red Army Faction (RAF). The German Autumn reached its high point when the RAF kidnapped industrialist Hanns Martin Schleyer [who was later killed by the terrorists] and hijacked the Lufthansa airplane Landshut with the help of the allied Palestinian group PFLP, landing in Mogadishu, Somalia. Their aim was to force the release of RAF terrorists from German jails. But Helmut Schmidt dug in his heels, refusing to meet the kidnappers’ demands… In a highly fraught mission, Schmidt had the West German counterterrorism group GSG 9 storm the Landshut airplane. All passengers were freed. Had any hostages died, it later emerged, Schmidt would have most certainly resigned as chancellor…

“In 1974, when Willy Brandt resigned over what became known as the Guillaume affair, an espionage scandal revolving around the exposure of an East German spy within the West German government, Helmut Schmidt was his obvious successor…

“His relationship with his own party, the Social Democrats, was never an easy one. He was seen to belong to the more conservative end of the SPD… An ardent believer in NATO, Schmidt was willing to let the alliance station US nuclear missiles in West Germany. His detractors, within his party and among the German public, saw his stance as naive. He defended his position, arguing to those pushing for unilateral disarmament rather than contractually secured disarmament, that ‘history has shown that surrender by no means prevents aggression on the part of the stronger power.’

“It was a stance that the SPD supported with considerable reluctance and wasted no time officially reversing when Schmidt left office in 1982. He resigned the chancellorship after a vote of no confidence, having lost his voting majority in the Bundestag over his refusal to cut West Germany’s social welfare programs…

“In subsequent years Schmidt withdrew from the political arena, becoming a co-publisher of the weekly newspaper ‘Die Zeit’…”

The Washington Post added on November 10:

“Helmut Schmidt… helped complete the transformation of his country from a subdued and still recovering post-World War II ally into the leading political and economic power in Europe…

“Inducted into the Hitler youth movement at 16 and the army in 1937, he served for eight years, fought for a while on the Russian front, was awarded an Iron Cross as an artillery officer and was eventually captured by the British in 1945. He managed to keep secret a dangerous family fact during the Third Reich: His father was an illegitimate child, and his real grandfather was Jewish.

“Mr. Schmidt was a Lutheran, but there was no outward sense that religion played a role in his life… He took a leading role in development of the European Monetary System which, except for the British pound, tied major European currencies together as protection against wide dollar fluctuations…

“On occasion, he spoke broadly about Europe’s common cultural identity, from the Atlantic to the Urals in Russia… In Europe, he deepened relations with France, especially…”

In spite of his faults and limitations, Helmut Schmidt was an influential and popular leader, regardless of whether one agreed with his positions or not.

Britain to EU: Change or We Will Leave

Daily Mail wrote on November 10:

“Mr Cameron insisted major changes were need[ed] as the price for keeping Britain in the EU, and warned his planned referendum could not be reversed, adding: ‘Leave means leave.’ He demanded Brussels rules be rewritten to protect Britain from becoming ‘tangled’ in a United States of Europe [to] ensure non-euro countries are not forced to bail out the single currency. If he gets what wants he will campaign ‘with all my heart and all my soul’ for Britain to stay in the EU in his promised referendum but if they refuse to meet his demands, he will ‘rule nothing out’…

“By far the biggest challenge to other EU countries is the demand for tougher limits on who can claim benefits from Britain’s welfare system ‘to reduce the numbers [of migrants] coming here’… officials in Brussels were quick to point out that he stands little chance of getting a deal on benefits…”

The Washington Post added on November 10:

“Call it the British wish list: an array of demands, aspirations and proposals sent to its partners in the European Union on Tuesday that clarifies battle lines in an intensifying debate over whether Britain should quit the bloc… Cameron has promised to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership in the E.U. before the end of 2017, the outcome of which could fundamentally reshape both Britain and the E.U…

“Cameron argued that the referendum would be ‘perhaps the most important decision British people will have to take at the ballot box in our lifetimes’…

“At the beginning of the year, the chances of Britain leaving the E.U. seemed slim, but polls now show the gap narrowing, with marginal differences between the ‘remain’ and ‘leave’ sides. Analysts say the migration crisis engulfing Europe has made it more difficult for the British government to argue the merits of staying in the group…

“Cameron is expected to face resistance to some of his demands, notably around restricting benefits for other E.U. citizens living in Britain. The freedom to live and work in other E.U. member states is a key tenet of the E.U. project, and anything that appears to be a restriction on that freedom of movement could be challenged. In his letter, Cameron proposed that E.U. citizens coming to work in Britain should not qualify for some benefits unless they had lived in the country for four years.

“European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said that some of Cameron’s demands were ‘highly problematic as they touch upon the fundamental freedoms of the internal market,’ the Reuters news agency reported. He said that ‘direct discrimination between E.U. citizens clearly falls into this last category.’…

“But even if Cameron were to get all of the concessions he wants, there is no guarantee that voters will favor remaining part of the bloc. ‘When we poll British voters, it’s clear they want to go beyond benefit changes. They want fundamental reform on issues of free movement. Voters don’t simply want in-work benefits curbed for migrants, they want fewer migrants — and that’s the awkward reality for David Cameron,’ said Matthew Goodwin, a politics professor at the University of Kent.

“Cameron also stressed that there would be no second referendum on E.U. membership. ‘If we vote to leave, then we will leave. . . . This is our only chance to get this right for Britain and for the whole E.U.,’ he said.”

Setback for Obama’s Immigration Policy

Politico wrote on November 9:

“A federal appeals court has rejected President Barack Obama’s effort to move forward with a series of executive actions he announced last year seeking to give quasi-legal status and work permits to [up to five] millions of undocumented immigrants. The 2-1 ruling Monday from the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit is a defeat for the Obama administration, but one that may have come just in the nick of time to give the Supreme Court the chance to revive Obama’s attempt to make it easier for many immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally to live and work here…

“Obama’s actions announced last November expanded eligibility for a program the president set up in 2012 to allow immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children to get ‘deferred action’ status and be eligible to work legally. The new effort also included a new initiative to grant the same status to illegal immigrants who are the parents of U.S. citizens or green-card holders…

“When Obama announced the new moves about a year ago, he said he was acting because Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. But the decisions drew sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, who argued he was overstepping his powers under the Constitution. Congressional Republicans had seized on multiple statements Obama himself made that indicated the president did not believe he had the legal authority to act on his own to halt deportations and grant work permits…

“‘This decision contributes to the mounting evidence that the president’s executive action on immigration was unlawful and he simply cannot be trusted on this issue,’ said AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)…”

As was to be expected, the Obama Administration announced that they will appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court.

Trump Picks Wrong Fight Against Starbucks

Breitbart wrote on November 10:

“Donald Trump has suggested a boycott of Starbucks over the coffee giant’s un-festive red cups… telling a capacity crowd in Springfield, Illinois, he was shocked by the design, which this year is pure red with absolutely no Christmas-related imagery at all. He also told the crowd to be proud of celebrating the season, saying ‘We will all be saying Merry Christmas again’ if he enters the White House… He added that Starbucks operates a store in one of his buildings, saying: ‘That’s the end of that lease, but who cares?’’

The Washington Post added on November 10 that “the self-avowed Presbyterian and presidential hopeful Donald Trump suggested it might be a good idea [to boycott Starbucks], but even his own church won’t claim him. Instead, many Christians responded to the backlash with backlash, saying that a boycott was pointless and a bit ridiculous.”

Fox News stated on November 10: “It wasn’t too long ago that many of the same folks complaining about Starbucks were defending Christian-owned bakeries and flower shops… we ought not to be telling bakeries and florists how to run their business and we ought not to be telling Starbucks how to run theirs.”

 Christmas has NOTHING TO DO with the Jesus Christ of the Bible. It is a pagan holiday to the core, which was dedicated to the worship of pagan sun gods. As a Christian, one ought not to celebrate “Christmas.” So, not “all” will say “Merry Christmas”, even if Mr. Trump becomes President. Non-Christians would most certainly not say it, and true Christians won’t or shouldn’t, either.

In other developments, Breitbart reported on November 11:

“Wednesday on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said to remove the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, he would have a ‘deportation force.’”

This would without doubt create a logistic nightmare and may result in unparalleled civil unrest and violence.

Mysterious Occurrences in Southern California Caused by US Navy

The Los Angeles Times wrote on November 9:

“The U.S. Navy said it launched a second — and final — missile in a planned exercise Monday afternoon from a submarine off the Southern California coast… The blast-off took place to far less fanfare than Saturday night’s launch, which provoked residents from San Francisco to Mexico to take to social media, posting photos of an eerie-looking bluish-green plume smeared above the Pacific.

“Speculations were wide-ranging, including rumors of an otherworldly alien UFO visit… The Navy later confirmed a ballistic submarine launched an unarmed Trident II (D5) missile in a test flight…

“The Kentucky, the ballistic submarine, conducted the two launches as part of a demonstration and shakedown operation, or DASO, process that certifies the readiness of a submarine’s crew and strategic weapons before returning to operational availability…

“The $31 million missile, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., has had more than 150 successful launches since its first test in 1989. It is capable of hitting a target 4,000 nautical miles away…

“While the risk of nuclear confrontation between the United States and Russia declined after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, it has never gone away. The U.S. military’s nuclear weapons strategy rests on a triad of delivery systems — bombers, submarines and land-based missiles — developed early in the Cold War to deliver warheads anywhere in the world.

“The Pentagon recently embarked on a $355-billion program for modernizing each aging leg of the U.S. nuclear triad over the next decade. The submarine missile test came late Saturday after Defense Secretary Ashton Carter addressed a defense forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley about the U.S. ‘adapting our operational posture and contingency plans’ to deter Russia’s ‘aggression.’ ‘We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot, war with Russia,’ he said to the forum. ‘We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake; the United States will defend our interests, our allies, the principled international order, and the positive future it affords us all.’”

However, the Bible paints a grim picture of US incapability to defend against an all-powerful enemy… which will not be Russia.

Thermal Scanning of Great Pyramid Throws Up Anomalies

The Associated Press wrote on November 9:

“Scans revealed ‘particularly impressive’ anomaly at ground level on [the] eastern side of [the] largest of three pyramids… Two weeks of new thermal scanning of the pyramids of Giza have identified anomalies, including a major one in the largest pyramid, Egypt’s antiquities ministry has announced… The scanning showed ‘a particularly impressive [anomaly] located on the eastern side of the Khufu pyramid at ground level”, the ministry said. The largest of the three Giza pyramids is known locally as Khufu and internationally as Cheops.

“The thermal scanning was carried out during sunrise, as the sun heats the structures from the outside, and then during sunset as the pyramids are cooling down. The speed of the heating and cooling phases was used to uncover ‘hypotheses’ such as empty areas in the pyramids, internal air currents, or different building materials used…”

For interesting facts on the history of the Great Pyramid, please read our Editorial in this week’s Update.

How the Public in the UK Is Deceived

The Guardian wrote on November 10:

“Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species has been voted the most influential academic book ever written…

“After a list of the top 20 academic books was pulled together by expert academic booksellers, librarians and publishers to mark the inaugural Academic Book Week, the public was asked to vote on what they believed to be the most influential… Darwin’s explanation of his theory of evolution was the public’s overwhelming favourite, with 26% of the vote, said organisers.

“Professor Andrew Prescott of the University of Glasgow called Darwin’s 1859 study ‘the supreme demonstration of why academic books matter’. ‘Darwin used meticulous observation of the world around us, combined with protracted and profound reflection, to create a book which has changed the way we think about everything – not only the natural world, but religion, history and society,’ he said. ‘Every researcher, no matter whether they are writing books, creating digital products or producing artworks, aspires to produce something as significant in the history of thought as Origin of Species.’…

“On the Origin of Species was followed in the public vote by The Communist Manifesto and The Complete Works of Shakespeare, with Plato’s The Republic fourth, and Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason fifth…”

The truth is that Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species” and “The Communist Manifesto” are probably some of the worst books ever written. The false concepts and philosophies expressed in them are diametrically opposite to the teachings of the Bible.

Could Mount St Helens Erupt Again Very Soon?

Daily Mail reported on November 5:

“Its scarred and jagged crater is a reminder of the terrible devastation that Mount St Helens wrought over the Washington countryside 35 years ago. Now a new study of the volcanic plumbing lurking beneath the 8,363ft (2,459 metre) summit suggests the volcano could yet again blow its top in an explosive eruption.

“Geologists studying the volcano, which is responsible for the most deadly eruption in US history, have discovered a second enormous magma chamber buried far beneath the surface… They said earthquakes around the volcano are a sign of magma pumping from the lower reservoir into the upper one, and this could reveal clues about an impending eruption… The researchers also believe a second neighbouring volcano – Mount Adams – may also be fed from the deeper magma chamber…

“Researchers claim to have worked out how to accurately predict the eruption of ‘supervolcanoes’ that blanket the earth in giant ash clouds triggering a ‘nuclear winter’… They said a series of distinct earthquakes in the months leading up to the massive eruption on 18 May 1980, which killed 57 people, may have been caused by the pumping of magma from the lower to the upper chamber. This caused the pressure inside the upper chamber to increase dramatically until it erupted explosively…

“Mount St Helens began erupting again back in 2004 producing a new lava dome, but fell silent in July 2008. However, it is still considered to be a high-risk volcano and the US Geological Survey are closely monitoring it for signs for renewed unrest… The scarred and jagged crater of Mount St Helens… looms over the surrounding countryside in Washington. Its current shape is the result of a massive explosion in 1980, but a lava dome has been steadily growing inside the crater since 2004…”

Mormons Against Same-Sex Marriage

Newsmax reported on November 6:

“The Mormon Church… believes that apostasy occurs when ‘an individual or community rejects the revelations and ordinances of God, changes the gospel of Jesus Christ, or rebels against the commandments of God, thereby losing the blessings of the Holy [Spirit] and of divine authority.’

“… church spokesman Eric Hawkins… added in a statement that the Mormon Church’s policy has been against gay marriage for a long time. ‘The Church has long been on record as opposing same-sex marriages. While it respects the law of the land, and acknowledges the right of others to think and act differently, it does not perform or accept same-sex marriage within its membership,’ the statement continued.”

On this point, the Mormons teach correctly that same-sex “marriages” are against the truth of the Bible.

Wide-Spread Sexting in America

CNN reported on November 9:

“Students at a Colorado high school exchanged hundreds of naked photos of themselves, prompting a felony investigation by police and the forfeiture of a football game because many players have been implicated in the sexting scandal, officials said… Students used a photo vault app that hides the nude photos by appearing to be a calculator or media player… ‘When you go into it and you … hold a certain button long enough, a prompt for password comes up. Once you enter that password, then any messages that have been sent from photo vault to photo vault start coming up,’ [an official] said…

“‘For parents that may be having conversations with their children or reviewing cell phones as the superintendent recommended, they need to understand that continuing or ongoing possession of these materials does constitute a very serious crime for the adults and for the children,’ the prosecutor said. Any convictions could involve registration as a sex offender…”

It was reported that children and teens as young as 12 years of age allegedly participated in the sexting scandal in Colorado.

On January 2, 2015, CNN had published the following article:

“More than half the undergraduate students who took part in an anonymous online survey said they sexted when they were teenagers… an astonishing 61% did not know that sending nude photos via text could be considered child pornography.

“[One expert is quoted as saying:] ‘… parents need to be actively involved in their children’s online lives… parents should go over with their child when they get a phone, including setting up a contract so they understand their phone will be monitored… Phones are a privilege, not a right. They should only be given to kids with the expectation that mom or dad will be checking it on a daily basis.’”

On November 6, The New York Times gave some valuable tips for parents as to how to deal with these secret “vault apps” of their children and teens:

“When students were caught participating in an illicit photo ring that was operating out of a high school in Cañon City, Colo., parents and school officials there were quick to say that kind of thing was surely happening all over the country…

“Parents concerned about vault apps can take proactive measures by enabling parental controls. For families with iPhones, parents can screen apps before they are downloaded to their children’s iPhones with a feature called Ask to Buy. By turning on Ask to Buy, whenever a child wants to download an app (whether free or paid), it sends a request to the parent’s iPhone, and the parent can then approve or deny the download. The steps, which are available on Apple’s website, involve setting up each iPhone with Family Sharing and then enabling Ask to Buy for the child’s iPhone.

“For families with Android devices, parents can enable parental controls inside Google Play’s app store… parents can download an app called AppLock on the child’s device and lock down any app that they suspect to be a vault app with a PIN code.

“Websites that focus on digital learning for teenagers provide tips for parents on how to spot a hidden app. Common Sense Media, one such website, detailed some of the ways they use vault apps, and other apps that are used to discreetly take photos…

“A post published on TeenSafe.com said that parents should be proactive about looking for warning signs that teenagers are using vault apps: Hiding phone screens, refusing to give over passwords and a sudden increase in device usage are all red flags, according to the site…”

Sadly, in this day and age of perverse behavior, induced by Satan the devil and his demons, such proactive steps by parents may become very necessary.

“Where Did All the Muslims Go?”

WorldNetDaily wrote on October 31:

“Die Welt [a highly respected German daily newspaper] is reporting that thousands of refugees have left their assigned accommodations. ‘They are simply not there anymore,’ the news outlet reports. Refugees disappear daily from the initial welcoming centers in Brandenburg without giving notice… Several hundred migrants have disappeared each week since the beginning of September without signing in, Ingo Decker, the spokesman of the Potsdam Ministry of the Interior, told Die Welt…

“According to official figures of the state government, more than 17,000 newcomers came into the country since early September. About 7,800 have been housed in cities and villages, about 2,700 people are still in the initial reception centers. That leaves at least 7,000 who have left…

“Paul McGuire, an analyst who has appeared on Fox News and the History Channel…, says the heavy influx of Muslim migrants almost assures there will be another terrorist attack at least as big as what happened in Paris earlier this year at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper office. He said sources in Germany tell him the majority of the nearly 1 million migrants who have streamed into the country are between 18 and 25…

“A large portion of Germany’s missing refugees had not been registered, nor had they applied for asylum, which is a recipe for chaos. The local authorities point out that they have no authority to hold people…”

Europe’s Migrant Crisis… It Will Only Get Worse

Daily Mail wrote on October 31:

“One million more people could flee war-torn Syria for Europe in a dramatic escalation of the migrant crisis, it was claimed yesterday. Turkey is expecting the worsening situation in the country to displace another two million people over the winter. And capital Ankara claimed that half of them were likely to head across its borders into Europe as a result of Russian air strikes in the region…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised Turkey speedier talks on its aspirations to join the EU in exchange for it sealing its borders and halting the flow of migrants. Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: ‘David Cameron has been a cheerleader for Turkish accession to the EU for years. Now [President] Erdogan is blackmailing the EU, using the migrant crisis as his crowbar to prise open European taxpayers’ pockets.’

“He told the Daily Mail: ‘This new demand for 3billion euros annually is directed as much at the guilt-stricken governments of Europe as to his own people as a grubby election promise. Britain should have nothing to do with plans to salve Angela Merkel’s conscience, particularly when we can see the Erdogan government intensifying both its crackdown on the freedom of speech and in the prosecution of its war against the Kurds.’”

The Associated Press wrote on November 5:

“The European Union is predicting that 3 million migrants could arrive in the 28-nation bloc by the end of next year…”

The New York Times wrote on October 31:

“There are more displaced people and refugees now than at any other time in recorded history — 60 million in all — and they are on the march in numbers not seen since World War II. They are coming not just from Syria, but from an array of countries and regions, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, even Haiti, as well as any of a dozen or so nations in sub-Saharan and North Africa. They are unofficial ambassadors of failed states, unending wars, intractable conflicts.

“The most striking thing about the current migration crisis, however, is how much bigger it could still get… There are between six million and eight million people displaced in Syria, along with more than four million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Egypt’s five million or more Copts, the Middle East’s last remaining major Christian sect, are deeply worried about their future in an unstable and hostile country…

“While Yemenis have yet to abandon their homeland in substantial numbers, their plight is worsening daily amid wartime shortages of food and medicine and persistent bombardment by Saudi warplanes. Yemen is not much farther away from Europe than Eritrea, now the biggest source of African refugees, just across the Red Sea, and at some 25 million it is as populous as Afghanistan.

“Nor is it only the Middle East and North Africa that European leaders need to consider… in Nigeria, which already has double the population of Germany, 40 percent of people would emigrate to the West if they could. And the lesson of 2015 — for them and much of the world — is that they can…

“There are now some two million Iraqi refugees, many bound for Europe…”

For more information, please view our StandingWatch program, “Germany’s Disastrous Migrant Crisis.”

Turkey’s Totalitarian Crackdown Against Freedom Continues

The EUObserver wrote on October 30:

“Almost a week after German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Istanbul, Turkish police together with judiciary seized one of the country’s largest media groups [which]… was one of the few remaining critical voices in today’s Turkey, where 60-70% of the press is already controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his cronies.

“The editor-in-chief of Bugun TV, Tarık Toros, managed to continue to broadcast for another 5 hours by locking himself up in the control room. He was then thrown out of the building, which he had run for the last 8 years, by police force. Both Toros and Erhan Basyurt, the editor-in-chief of Bugun daily were immediately sacked by the new so-called ‘trustees’, all from AKP ranks despite the law dictating that they should be neutral…

“Erdogan is a shrewd politician and master tactician. He calculates well and moves quickly when he deems the atmosphere is ripe. Being given red-carpet treatment in Brussels on 5 October to discuss how to stem the flow of refugees to Europe, Erdogan quickly realised that he was no more a pariah in Brussels…

“Erdogan rightly thought that the EU would simply shut up regarding his domestic actions and that he could get concessions from Brussels… as long as he promised Turkey’s help to rein in refugees. Unfortunate as it is, he was right.

“… Commission spokesperson Alexander Winterstein [said] about the EU’s reaction to the seizure of IPEK Media group…  ‘[W]e do not comment on internal developments’. He was in tune with his boss, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker…

“As Human Rights Watch (HRW) and many MEPs put it, the EU seems to betray… its own principles. HRW underlines that the EU is willing to soft-pedal Turkey’s abusive rights record in exchange for its cooperation in stopping asylum seekers and migrants.

“What is also very surprising is that Juncker is behind this… who, back in 1997 as the prime minister of Luxembourg, was strongly opposed to the idea of Turkey being declared a candidate country due to its poor human rights record…”

Politics is SUCH a corrupt and dirty business. It is high time that ALL politicians in EVERY country be replaced by Jesus Christ, which will happen when He returns to this earth to set up the RIGHTEOUS government of God. In the meantime, we will only hear of more and more corruption and betrayal of any “principles” by ALL leaders and potential leaders in this Satan-ruled evil world. To prove this point, see the next series of articles.

Erdogan Wins Decisively in Turkey

The Telegraph wrote on November 1:

“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a decisive victory in the Turkish parliamentary election, with his Justice and Development Party (AKP) winning a majority of seats and defeating the other three opposition parties.  With 98 per cent of the vote counted, the AKP had won 49.4 per cent and 316 seats in the 550 seat parliament, a far better performance than predicted by the polls…

“The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) had a surprisingly sharp fall in its vote from 13 per cent in the last election, which denied the AKP its majority, to bring it dangerously close to the 10 per cent threshold below which it would lose all its members of parliament. This would have left Turkey’s Kurdish minority, with its long history of confrontation with the state, without any effective parliamentary representation…

“In the wake of the AKP’s spectacular victory, it will be in a strong position to take control of all remaining levers of power: army, security services and media. Ever since it first formed a government in 2002, the AKP has been progressively eliminating all opponents in positions of authority in the secular Turkish state founded by Kemal Ataturk. Almost all the state and private media has already come under AKP control, which is one factor explaining its gain in votes. State television has given blanket coverage to Mr Erdogan and the AKP, while largely ignoring its opponents…

“Mr Erdogan will be strengthened by his new mandate to influence events in Syria. He has clearly not suffered in the minds of Turkish voters from his failure to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad… The past three years have also seen the rise of a de facto Syrian Kurdish state in north-east Syria controlled by a branch of the PKK. This has an army of some 25,000 fighters who act in close cooperation with the US air force, despite being repeatedly denounced by Mr Erdogan and Mr Davutoglu as ‘terrorists’. Mr Davutoglu has threatened a Turkish military response if the Syrian Kurds advance west of the Euphrates.

“Mr Erdogan is reported to have wished for direct Turkish military intervention in Syria in the past, but to have been restrained by the Turkish army. After this impressive endorsement by the 58 million electorate on an 86 per cent turn out, he may be better able to push for greater military engagement in Syria.”

Corrupt Turkish Government’s Cover-Up of Corruption Investigation

Newsmax wrote on November 3:

“The victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party this week is a blow to press freedoms and rule of law, Turkish opposition journalist Sevgi Akarcesme tells Newsmax TV. Appearing Tuesday on ‘The Hard Line,’ Akarcesme told host Ed Berliner she now fears for freedom as two of her editors already have been arrested and she has been sued over her tweets. ‘We are one of the remaining free, independent and critical newspapers in Turkey,’ Akarcesme said…

“Erdogan’s victory will make journalists an even bigger target, she said, because they are reporting on a two-year-old corruption case that hits him and members of his family. Police and judges have been jailed as well, including one judge who ordered a jailed journalist freed. ‘The government has done everything in its power to silence opposition media to cover up the corruption investigation,’ she said. ‘This is not a democratic country anymore.’”

For more information as to what will happen to Turkey in the very near future, please view our newest StandingWatch program, “What’s in Store for Totalitarian Turkey?”

“Please, White House, Call It Combat in Iraq and Syria”

The Huffington Post wrote on October 30:

“It boggles the mind that the White House, in announcing the deployment of more Special Operations to Syria, still insists on saying that they won’t have a ‘combat mission.’… The point is, unless the White House can guarantee that these troops will be far behind the wire, surrounded by vetted friends, and out of the reach of any enemy operations, there’s a good chance they’ll be in combat, with mortal consequences.

“In fact, just this past week Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler was killed during a raid to free hostages held by ISIS. He was one of the troops sent over there, also with no ‘combat mission.’ And yet, he was killed — in combat. ‘Of course he died in combat. That’s what happened,’ Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said last Wednesday. Finally, honesty! But, by Friday, Carter was singing a different tune. ‘It [Wheeler’s death] doesn’t represent assuming a combat role. It represents a continuation of our advise-and-assist mission,’ Carter said.

“That brings us to today’s announcement. ‘These forces do not have a combat mission,’ White House press secretary, Josh Earnest said throughout the announcement that the White House was sending additional troops…

“The White House needs to be honest, and needs to prepare Americans for the lives that very well may be lost in combat — if they truly believe that there is no other way to address the rise of ISIS than to deploy more U.S. troops… In the end, spinning military action at the outset almost always ends badly. The White House would be wise to remember that.”

The Guardian wrote on October 30:

“Administration officials were left squirming on Friday to explain how sending special forces to work alongside Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State was compatible with Obama’s earlier promises not to ‘put boots on the ground’ in Syria or ‘engage in combat operations’ against Isis.”

The answer is clear: President Obama does not keep his promises. What else is new in this politically corrupt environment? The next article confirms this.

The Associated Press reported on October 31:

“U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says American special operations troops being sent to Syria will only fight Islamic State militants and won’t become involved in the long-running civil war. Kerry calls IS a threat to every nation and says U.S. policy is clear — the group must be defeated. Kerry isn’t ruling out a further U.S. escalation of the fight, saying he can’t predict the future.”

According to John Kerry, American troops WILL FIGHT in Syria. They WILL have a combat mission. So, in his idle attempt to “explain” President Obama’s decision, he is making matters worse by blatantly contradicting the official position which was expressed by the White House press secretary (see above).

Russian Airline Destroyed by ISIS?

JTA wrote on November 2:

“The Russian airplane that crashed in the Sinai was brought down by an ‘external force,’ according to the airline… The airline’s deputy director, Viktor Yung, said the crew appeared to have been disabled before the crash as well… ‘This explains why they didn’t attempt to contact air traffic and report the incident happening on board’…

“The officials appear to be alluding to a bomb or sabotage. All 224 people aboard the plane were killed in Saturday’s crash… The Sinai affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for bringing down the flight on Saturday, saying it was in retaliation for Russian airstrikes on rebels in Syria’s civil war…”

The Telegraph added on November 4 that the “state of [the badly burned] bodies suggests [a] mid-air explosion.” The Associated Press added on November 4 that the “British government says it is increasingly concerned that a Russian jet was brought down by a bomb and is suspending flights to and from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.”

Newsmax reported on November 4:

“Evidence now suggests that a bomb planted by the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group is the likely cause of last weekend’s crash of a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, U.S. and European security sources said on Wednesday… Robert Baer, a former CIA officer and author, told CNN that he thought a plastic explosive was a likely tool used by the terrorists. He said it would have been quite [easy] for the terrorist group to have the expertise to design such a device. He said the technology was widespread in Baghdad among insurgents during the Iraq war…”

Deutsche Welle added on November 5:

“A top UK official has said there was a ‘significant possibility’ an ‘Islamic State’ affiliate was behind the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt…  a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on Thursday that while Moscow ‘cannot rule out a single theory’ about the crash, he insisted that singling one out at this stage was merely speculation…

“The UK and Ireland have suspended all flights to and from the resort indefinitely pending a review of security. London has called an emergency cabinet meeting and is planning to evacuate its tourists from the resort. News agency AFP estimates about 20,000 Britons were currently there… Almost a million Britons visit Red Sea resorts each year.

“Egyptian officials have stressed the need to wait for the results of an international investigation. Tourism is a key earner for Egypt. The country’s economy is struggling to recover from years of political conflict. The British acted ‘too soon,’ Hany Ramsay, deputy head of Sharm el-Sheikh’s airport told The Associated Press, adding that other countries might follow and suggesting that there may be political and commercial motives at play. ‘They want to hurt tourism and cause confusion,’ he added.”

Common Core and Islamic Propaganda in American Schools

Breitbart wrote on November 2:

“A mindset that has gradually led American parents to leave the education of their children — unchecked — to schools and elitists has spawned controversies such as the promotion of Islam in classrooms and the unpopular Common Core standards… Donna Hearne, former Reagan official in the U.S. Department of Education… tells Breitbart News that a look at the history of Common Core shows the reform is the latest effort by progressive elites to take decision-making about children away from parents and transfer it to government bureaucrats…

“Hearne says the controversial math and English standards reflect teaching that is not based on logic. ‘Children’s brains are no longer trained logically,’ she explains. ‘In math, traditionally we have laid down a knowledge base and then built on it until it becomes automatic. The same with grammar and English as traditional and classic education, but not so now.’…

“With regard to world history, Hearne says as far back as the1930s there was a movement to collect and write curricula that would be hostile to America. The Frankfurt School – which was the source of Critical Theory – was developed with the goal of advancing Marxist philosophy in Germany. Following the Nazi takeover, the Frankfurt School eventually moved to New York and Columbia University. ‘In the states that have seen more of an emphasis on Islam – students wearing the burqas and such – Islam is described as a “religion of peace” and there is limited study of the nation’s Judeo-Christian foundation,’ Hearne says…

“As a Breitbart News investigation recently revealed, the current seventh grade Social Studies standards… were adopted by the state and promote Islam at the same time they also tone down Christianity…

“CBN reported the Saudi government donated millions of dollars to Middle East Centers at universities that received the Title VI funds. Both the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies Center and Georgetown University each received a $20 million donation from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in 2005. The outcome is that through the U.S. taxpayer-funded Title VI university centers, Saudi-funded ‘lesson plans’ made their way into America’s K-12 classrooms. ‘Saudi donations to American universities should be seen in a much larger picture of Saudi promotion of a Saudi point of view,’ Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum in Philadelphia told CBN…”

Debt Without Ceiling

The Washington Examiner reported on November 3:

“The U.S. national debt jumped $339 billion on Monday, the same day President Obama signed into law legislation suspending the debt ceiling. That legislation allowed the government to borrow as much as it wants above the $18.1 trillion debt ceiling that had been in place. The website that reports the exact tally of the debt said the U.S. government owed $18.153 trillion last Friday, and said that number surged to $18.492 on Monday.”

Crazy!!!!

Ben Carson: “Pyramids Were Built by Joseph”

The Huffington Post reported on November 4:

“Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson once vocalized an odd theory about Egyptian history. According to a video unearthed by BuzzFeed on Wednesday, Carson posited in a 1998 commencement address at Andrews University that the pyramids in Egypt were used for grain storage rather than as tombs for ancient kings and queens. ‘My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain,’ Carson said, referring to the Old Testament. ‘Now all the archeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, [something to store that grain] would have to be something awfully big, if you stop and think about it.’

“Carson appeared to be referencing the biblical figure of Joseph, who was sold into slavery in Egypt and later went on to advise the Egyptian pharaoh to store grain due to a coming famine. The famed neurosurgeon, who is currently the front-runner for the GOP nomination, added in the speech that he didn’t think aliens built the pyramids, as some conspiracy theorists have stated… Asked Wednesday by CBS News whether he still believed the pyramids were primarily used for grain storage, Carson said, ‘It’s still my belief, yes.'”

The Times of Israel wrote on November 4:

“Carson added [on CBS News]: ‘And when you look at the way that the pyramids are made, with many chambers that are hermetically sealed, they’d have to be that way for various reasons.’”

This is not an odd belief at all. In fact, it has been established, based on biblical and historical evidence, that at least the Cheops Pyramid WAS built by Joseph and Job.

Americans Are Becoming Less Religious

The Associated Press reported on November 3:

“Americans are becoming less religious, judging by such markers as church attendance, prayer and belief in God, and the trend is more pronounced among young adults, according to a poll released on Tuesday. The share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God, while still high compared with other advanced industrial countries, slipped to 89 percent in 2014 from 92 percent in 2007…

“The proportion of Americans who say they are ‘absolutely certain’ God exists fell even more, to 63 percent in 2014 from 71 percent in 2007…

“Younger people also are less likely to pray daily, at 39 percent… Young adults are also much less likely to attend religious services… Both the 2007 and 2014 studies surveyed more than 35,000 adults and had margins of error of less than 1 percentage point.”

American Jews Even Less Religious

JTA wrote on November 3:

“Compared with the last time Pew surveyed Americans about religion, in 2007, the percentage of Jews who said religion is very important to them grew from 31 percent to 35 percent. Similarly, the percentage who said they attend religious services weekly or more often grew from 16 percent to 19 percent; the proportion of Jews who said they read ‘scripture’ at least weekly grew from 14 percent to 17 percent, and the percentage of those who said they participate in prayer groups or religious study groups at least weekly grew from 11 percent to 16 percent…

“Jews think about the meaning and purpose of life less than American Christians or Muslims — 45 percent of Jews compared to 64 percent of Muslims, 61 percent of Protestants, 52 percent of Catholics and 59 percent of Buddhists…

“Eleven percent of Jews believe the Torah is the literal word of God…

“Forty percent of Jews say they believe in heaven… and 22 percent say they believe in hell… Seventy-nine percent of Jews believe other religions can also lead to eternal life — a higher proportion than among Christians (66 percent) or Muslims (65 percent)…

“While 90 percent of Muslims surveyed said they abjure pork and 67 percent of Hindus said they avoid beef, only 40 percent of Jews abstain from eating pork. Fifty-seven percent of Jews surveyed affirmed they eat pork…

“Acceptance of ‘homosexuality in society’ grew among all Americans between 2007 and 2014, from 50 percent to 62 percent, and among Jews from 79 percent to 81 percent. The religious groups least tolerant of homosexuality in society are Mormons (only 36 percent favor societal acceptance), Jehovah’s Witnesses (16 percent) and Protestant evangelicals (36 percent). Buddhists were the most accepting at 88 percent. Seventy-seven percent of Jews said they support same-sex marriage, compared to 53 percent of all Americans.”

These are some sad figures for American Jews.

Many Healthy People Die from Flu after Vaccination

Health Impact News wrote on October 30:

“Another flu death of an otherwise healthy person after receiving the flu vaccine has been reported in Wisconsin… 26-year-old Katherine McQuestion has died from flu complications, after she received the flu shot. Katherine was reportedly a newlywed, and was required to receive the flu shot as part of her employment…

“A review of the quarterly reports issued by the Department of Justice showing cases in which the government has paid out damages for vaccine injuries and deaths clearly shows that the majority of cases are awarded to flu vaccine victims… Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the most common side effect and injury due to the flu vaccination. It is listed as a side effect with a warning in the flu vaccine package insert…

“Is not one death from the flu in a healthy individual after receiving the flu vaccination worthy of an investigation into the safety of flu vaccines, and the supposed science behind them? When multiple deaths occur, when health officials call it ‘rare’ after healthy individuals die from the flu after receiving the flu shot, does that not qualify as an ‘epidemic?’…

“Dr. Mark Geier explains…that the flu shot causes Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and that the flu shot is not very effective in preventing the flu. He also explains that the CDC [Center for Disease Control] does not follow the law for vaccines in requiring long-term safety testing for the influenza vaccine like they do with other vaccines, as it is impossible to test a vaccine that changes every year. So the flu vaccine is basically an experimental vaccine that they want to give out to 300 million people every year. There are also no studies showing the safety of giving the flu vaccine to the same person every single year…

“Dr. Geier goes on to explain that flu is ‘the wrong thing to vaccinate against’ because you have to keep re-vaccinating against it every year, unlike childhood infectious diseases, such as smallpox, that are only vaccinated for once…”

But the vast majority of gullible people, believing the government-sponsored propaganda of the mainstream left-wing media, have been influenced to conclude that flu vaccines are helpful or even necessary.

You Can’t Be Serious… “Why Trick-or-Treating Is Good for the Soul!”

In this most ridiculous article, which was published on October 30 by the Washington Post, Halloween celebrations were advocated, in spite of the fact that the evils associated with this immoral Satanic feast were clearly pointed out, although they were downplayed or wrongfully denied. The following was stated:

“Although we may not traditionally think of Halloween — with its ghouls and ghosts and toilet paper in the trees — as a night of hospitality, today it functions as one of the few times we really give to those we’ve never met and connect with people outside our network. We should do everything we can to celebrate it.

“Of course, Halloween has its critics. It’s deeply commercial: Americans spent $7.4 billion on it last year, more than any other holiday except Christmas. Adults have co-opted it as their own, as evidenced by the proliferation of the ‘sexy’ witch/devil/cat/pumpkin costumes that have turned the holiday into foreplay. And then there are the perennial warnings that it’s a pagan holiday, or, quite wrongly, satanic. But as far back as the Puritans, the religious right has been bad mouthing Halloween — not for its lack of churchiness but for having too much Catholic ritual about it: All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) were two of the most important dates in the medieval Catholic calendar, and the hallowed eve of Oct. 31 marked the gateway to the two-day celebrations of the dead.

“… if you can’t do it for the sake of your immortal soul, do it for society. Prepare the candy feast. Throw your door wide. And welcome all to your home… Don’t speculate about what the holiday once was. Don’t complain about what it has become. Just keep it going. It may be our best defense against social isolation.”

One has to wonder whether the author can possibly be serious. This must truly be one of the most horrendously stultifying and stupefying articles ever written on the subject of Halloween. For more information about the Satanic character of Halloween, please view our StandingWatch program, “Halloween—a Feast for the Devil?”

Brussels Has Created an Authoritarian “Right-Wing Monster”

The Telegraph wrote on October 23:

“Portugal has entered dangerous political waters. For the first time since the creation of Europe’s monetary union, a member state has taken the explicit step of forbidding eurosceptic parties from taking office on the grounds of national interest. Anibal Cavaco Silva, Portugal’s constitutional president, has refused to appoint a Left-wing coalition government even though it secured an absolute majority in the Portuguese parliament and won a mandate to smash the austerity regime bequeathed by the EU-IMF Troika…

“There can be no fresh elections until the second half of next year under Portugal’s constitution, risking almost a year of paralysis that puts the country on a collision course with Brussels and ultimately threatens to reignite the country’s debt crisis…

“This is a dangerous demarche. The Portuguese conservatives and their media allies behave as if the Left has no legitimate right to take power, and must be held in check by any means. These reflexes are familiar – and chilling – to anybody familiar with 20th century Iberian history, or indeed Latin America. That it is being done in the name of the euro is entirely to be expected.

“Greece’s Syriza movement, Europe’s first radical-Left government in Europe since the Second World War, was crushed into submission for daring to confront eurozone ideology. Now the Portuguese Left is running into a variant of the same meat-grinder.

“Europe’s socialists face a dilemma. They are at last waking up to the unpleasant truth that monetary union is an authoritarian Right-wing enterprise that has slipped its democratic leash, yet if they act on this insight in any way they risk being prevented from taking power.  Brussels really has created a monster.”

Will Britain Stay in the EU as an “Associate”?

The Daily Mail wrote on October 23 about a new report and developments within the “Yes”-Camp which proposes the establishment of an “associate status” for Britain within the EU. However, it is doubtful that Britain will ultimately obtain or maintain such a status, short of leaving the EU.

“Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President, will by [the time of the referendum] have set in motion a series of treaty changes for the next stage of integration as the EU develops into a superstate…

“The report [of the “Yes” Camp] envisages yet further integration among 19 countries in the single currency eurozone, binding them so tightly (financially, socially and politically) that, in effect, the eurozone will become a single country. Not being signed up to the euro, Britain will not be part of this group and will be given a so-called ‘escape clause’, freeing us from any further moves towards closer union…

“It means that David Cameron will be armed with powerful weapons to argue for Britain’s continued membership of the EU, even if he fails to win the concessions for Britain that he has said he aims to achieve. He will be able to argue, very plausibly, that EU membership gives the UK the best of both worlds: that is, we remain part of the wider European trading area, while escaping the onerous burdens of membership of a new European superstate. What’s more, the Europhiles will be helped by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is expected to give her blessing to Britain having ‘associate status’.

“The Yes camp — with Osborne and Mandelson plotting behind the scenes — are convinced that all this will convince the majority of the British people to vote to remain in the EU. Also, they expect the No campaign to be destabilised by these apparent concessions to the British people…”

Tony Blair’s Late “Change of Heart”

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 25:

‘The former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he is sorry for mistakes around the US-led military invasion of Iraq. Speaking to CNN, he also conceded that the war may have helped bring about the ‘Islamic State.’…

“His comments come despite previously telling a British parliamentary committee he would not apologize for the US-led invasion, which his government supported politically and militarily… Last week, a leaked memo suggested that Blair had signed up to the war a year before it began.”

World Would Be Better off with Saddam Hussein and Gadhafi Sill in Charge?

Newsmax wrote on October 25:

“They both committed atrocities against their own people, but GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump says the world would be a better place today if Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were still alive and in charge. ‘I mean, look at Libya. Look at Iraq,’ Trump said Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’

“‘Iraq used to [have] no terrorists. [Saddam] would kill the terrorists immediately, which is like now it’s the Harvard of terrorism. If you look at Iraq from years ago, I’m not saying he was a nice guy, he was a horrible guy, but it was a lot better than it is right now,’ Trump added. ‘Right now, Iraq is a training ground for terrorists. Right now Libya, nobody even knows Libya, frankly there is no Iraq and there is no Libya. It’s all broken up. They have no control. Nobody knows what’s going on.’

“When asked by host Jake Tapper if the world would be better off today with the two despots still in power, Trump replied, ‘100 percent.’”

On that issue, Trump is 100% correct.

The Silent Secession of Eastern Ukraine

Deutsche Welle reported on October 23:

“For the past several months, street and city signs with Ukrainian names have been replaced with signs written in Russian throughout the country’s east…

“During negotiations in Minsk, it was agreed that the 2-3 million residents of the regions surrounding Donetsk and Luhansk would receive more autonomy but remain part of Ukraine. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande most recently reiterated those points during meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Paris this October.

“Yet, exactly the opposite is taking place. Although guns have been silent since the beginning of September, the separation of the coal mining region Donbass from the rest of Ukraine, which was begun in the spring of 2014, is quietly continuing. Largely unnoticed by the world at large, facts are being created on the ground. This is happening without Russia having to formally take control of the region, or having to annex it like it did with the Crimean Peninsula.

“The separatists first introduced the Russian ruble alongside the Ukrainian hryvna months ago. Then, on September 1, the ruble was declared the official currency of the Luhansk Oblast…

“There have also been changes in education. According to media reports, ‘humanitarian convoys,’ as Moscow calls them, brought some 500 tons of schoolbooks to the separatist provinces. Students in Donetsk and Luhansk now learn from Russian textbooks, which are different from Ukrainian textbooks, especially in subject areas such as history. Russian curricula are also being widely adopted.

“… within the framework of the Minsk Protocol, Russia has officially sent military advisers into the rogue provinces. They are charged with overseeing the ceasefire. To that end, the Russian and rebel Ukrainian militaries are operating a shared headquarters… That is how Russia controls the troops…

“On Tuesday, a separatist-friendly online website reported that by the end of this year a government agency is to be installed in the southern Russian port city of Rostov-on-Don with the power to issue Russian passports to residents of the Eastern Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk provinces… Moscow has acted similarly in other former Soviet republics once conflicts became frozen – in Georgia for instance, where Russian passports were also issued.”

Israel Loses Big in Temple Mount Conflict

ynetnews.com wrote on October 24:

“US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that Israel and Jordan have agreed on steps aimed at reducing tensions at a holy site in Jerusalem that have fanned Israeli-Palestinian violence. Kerry said Netanyahu had expressed a commitment to continue enforcing the status quo, which says only Muslims may pray at the compound, while non-Muslims may only visit… Israel will continue to enforce its policy of religious worship, including ‘the fundamental fact’ that it is Muslims who pray there and non-Muslims who visit…

“It should be noted that Israel strongly opposed a recent French initiative to place international observers at the Temple Mount, a proposal that led to the French ambassador being reprimanded by the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem… Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the PLO Executive Committee, said that… Abbas was told by Kerry that Netanyahu had agreed to freeze building in West Bank settlements.”

This new deal will make many conservative Jews very unhappy.

Ridiculous Propaganda by the “Grand Mufti of Jerusalem”

JTA wrote on October 25:

“The grand mufti of Jerusalem said in an interview with an Israeli television station that there has never been a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. There has been a mosque on the site ‘since the creation of the world,’ Sheik Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, who is in charge of the Al-Aqsa mosque on what Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary, said Sunday evening in an interview in Arabic with Israel’s Channel 2. The mosque was built in the eighth century.

“Hussein, who has served as mufti since 2006, has called for suicide bombings against Israelis, the Times of Israel reported Sunday evening. Muslim sources have corroborated historical sources in recording that two Jewish temples have stood atop the site…”

Can the EU Help in Light of US Absence?

The EUObserver wrote on October 26:

“[The] EU and its member states have shown increasing signs of diplomatic activism designed to unlock Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, whether through the United Nations Security Council, in the form of European parliamentary support for Palestinian recognition, or efforts to exclude Israeli settlements from EU-Israel bilateral agreements.

“Despite the inherent potential in this kind of European diplomacy and the considerable expectations built over the last year, 2015 has been a wasted opportunity to fill the diplomatic vacuum left by US disengagement following the collapse of Kerry’s peace-making efforts in April 2014.

“EU leaders have been unable to clearly articulate their own vision for solving the conflict… the EU’s ability to babysit the conflict in the US’ absence has been far from glowing…”

In time, this will change, and Europe will play a decisive role in the Middle East… which will throw the world into terrible disaster.

Germany’s Security Experts Warn Merkel

Breitbart wrote on October 25:

“Germany’s security experts have rounded on the country’s leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, warning that her immigration policy will ‘produce extremists’, and stating that the country is importing ‘Islamist extremism, Arab anti-Semitism, [and] national and ethnic conflicts of other nations’.

“Former Interior Secretary August Hanning told Die Welt Am Sonntag (the World on Sunday): ‘The German security authorities are and will not be able to handle these imported security issues and the resulting reactions’, warning that not only is Germany welcoming Islamist extremists, but that it will foster resentment in the native population.

“He has recommended this week that Germany closes ‘the border for immigrants without an entry permit in accordance with the legislation immediately, and to reject those traveling without an entry permit immediately’.

 “A new 10-point-plan from his office says that Mrs. Merkel should declare that Germany’s abilities to absorb more people are ‘exhausted’, and there should be no entry for those coming from ‘safe’ countries, with an exception for children. He wants the Balkans route into Germany shut off, and a restriction of family reunification, meaning that the 80 per cent male population descending on Germany would not be able to send home for their families. Mr Hanning estimates that each migrant will attempt to bring four more people each with them in the long term.

“And he also wants compulsory integration and language lessons for migrants.

“His comments reflect the concerns of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Bremen district, Ulrich Maurer, who said this week: ‘In recent weeks, we have registered an increase in agitation attempts by Salafis in refugee centres’.

“Mrs. Merkel has been coming under increased pressure from within her party, and even from the political left in her country who have warned about the increasing pressure on Germany’s infrastructure and the general public. Her party’s poll numbers continue to decline…”

The Local wrote on October 26:

“Hundreds of refugees disappear in Germany… many of the refugees have not even been registered by local authorities yet, nothing is known about who they are or where they could have gone…”

Merkel Committing Political Suicide

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 27:

‘For a long time now the German Chancellor has been regarded as the great authority within Europe. But her refugee policy has turned her into a burden for the Union… Within just a few weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s standing in Europe has dramatically decreased…

“She accepted the state’s loss of control over its borders with a mere shrug of the shoulders. And as if all that weren’t enough, she stood up in front of all the other Europeans and declared her personal view of things to be the only one that was morally right. In other words: Germany’s European partners should help it deal with the consequences of a policy for which Merkel is significantly responsible. No one claims that Merkel is responsible for the refugee movement per se – but she has certainly increased the pull towards Europe, and in doing so has made other countries liable, too, against their will.

“… Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, has even openly declared the stream of refugees ‘a German problem’ and is cutting his country off. Following Poland’s swing to the right, Merkel can’t expect concessions from there any more, either. Even Sweden’s head of state, Stefan Löfven, is coming under pressure at home to close the borders. With all of this going on, there can be no more talk of European solidarity. Everyone is trying to save themselves – at others’ expense, if need be.

“However much the Chancellor believes she’s morally in the right, on European refugee policy she is isolated. She was able, for the most part, to push through her views on economic policy because it was a policy the majority of Europeans believed in, even though it was painful. But not only are the majority in Germany opposed to her ideas about accepting an unlimited number of refugees, a considerable majority also oppose her in Europe, and have done for some time. Ultimately, there is no policy that will help with this. Merkel’s personal tragedy is that she is in the process of gambling away the significant authority she had built up for herself in Europe.”

Mini-Summit of 10 EU Nations

The Local wrote on October 26:

“Tensions are high at EU, Balkans refugee summit. The mini summit, called by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, grouped the heads of 10 EU nations, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, plus the leaders of non-EU Albania, Serbia and Macedonia… More than 670,000 people have landed on European shores this year – many of them fleeing violence in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan — in the continent’s worst migration crisis since World War II. Some 3,000 people have died making the dangerous Mediterranean sea crossing…

“Fears are rising that the crisis is threatening the cherished ‘Schengen’ system of borderless travel, one of the bedrock achievements of a united Europe. Faced with a huge influx heading north, Hungary has closed off its borders with Serbia and Croatia. Tiny Slovenia has now threatened to build border fences if it does not receive help, having become the main entry point to the Schengen zone following Hungary’s clampdown… Slovenia, which numbers two million people, has been swamped by more than 60,000 migrants in a matter of days…

‘Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia on Saturday warned they would not accept being turned into a ‘buffer zone’ for the tens of thousands of arrivals streaming into Europe. ‘If Germany and Austria and other countries close their borders … we will be ready to also close our borders at that very same moment,’ Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said…

“The 10 leaders from the 28-nation European Union who are invited to the mini summit are from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden…”

Right-Wing Party Wins in Poland

The EUObserver wrote on October 26:

“The right-wing Law and Justice party swept back to power in Polish elections on Sunday (25 October), winning an absolute majority of 232 seats in the 460-seat parliament, based on exit polls… Its campaign… included more populist elements, depicting Civic Platform as being servile to Germany, feeble on Russia, and putting Poles at risk of ‘diseases’ brought by Syrian refugees under an EU relocation programme…

“The Guardian, a British daily, compared Law and Justice to the far-right, anti-EU National Front in France and the PVV in The Netherlands. The New York Times said Poland is part of a broader swing to the right in eastern Europe, including in Hungary and Slovakia…

“Le Monde, the French paper of record, highlighted [the party’s leaders] links with the Polish Catholic church… German broadcaster ARD accused Kaczynski [the party chief] of ‘hate speech’ on refugees, comparing his pre-election statements to the xenophobic Pegida movement in Germany… The [Italian] Corriere della Sera daily attributed Kaczynski’s triumph to ‘anti-immigrant rhetoric’…”

Migrant Crisis Will Unleash Extremism in Europe

The Telegraph wrote on October 27:

“It is hard to comprehend the stupefying naivety of those, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who thought it a good idea to send out an utterly self-serving signal a few weeks ago inviting anyone who could make the journey to head for Europe. This was ostensibly aimed at Syrians who had fled the civil war in their homeland; but the exodus has been swelled by migrants from many other countries looking for a better life – and who can blame them?…

“This will unleash extremist politics in Europe. In Germany, the anti-immigrant Pegida movement is attracting thousands to its rallies and in France the Front National continues to gain support. Elsewhere, Eurosceptic parties are making inroads. In Portugal, a Syriza-style leftist minority government has taken office opposed to the eurozone’s fiscal rules; and in Poland, the Law and Justice Party is back in power, pledged to oppose any Brussels diktat on migrant quotas. Against this backdrop, which can only darken, Britain has to decide over the next two years whether to remain part of an increasingly unstable organization…”

Benghazi Committee—a Waste of Time and Money

The Washington Post’s Editorial Board wrote on October 23:

“The House Select Committee on Benghazi further discredited itself on Thursday as its Republican members attempted to fuel largely insubstantial suspicions about Hillary Clinton’s role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks [leading to the death of four Americans]. Grilling Ms. Clinton all day, they elicited little new information and offered little hope that their inquiry would find anything significant that seven previous investigations didn’t…

“Ms. Clinton is not blameless. As she admitted, she had final responsibility for the actions of those who served under her. A State Department review found bureaucratic failures that contributed to the relatively light security in Benghazi. While it’s unreasonable to expect Ms. Clinton to have known about [US Ambassador] Stevens’s precise circumstances, she bears some blame for the bureaucratic context in which security decisions were made.

“Yet the major, top-line policy fumble in Libya stemmed not from callousness or incompetence on Ms. Clinton’s part but from the Obama administration’s broader failure to live up to the vision of assertive U.S. engagement…”

Outrage over US Justice Department and “Lawless” Obama Administration

Newsmax wrote on October 23:

“Conservatives were outraged Friday that the Justice Department closed its two-year investigation into the IRS targeting scandal without charging former supervisor Lois Lerner or anyone else at the agency, with tea party activist Mark Meckler slamming the decision as ‘a whitewash and miscarriage of justice.’… Meckler’s organization, which is based in Austin, Texas, has a federal lawsuit pending against the IRS and the Obama administration in the targeting scandal. Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of True the Vote, the Houston group that also sued over the scandal, referenced such Obama administration debacles at the Fast and Furious gun-running scheme and the email probe over the 2012 Benghazi attacks.

“‘This is a lawless administration,’ she said. ‘The FBI closing their investigation is par for course in the Obama administration, where criminals walk free and honest Americans fear their government.’… ‘At every turn, President Obama and administration officials have repeatedly and publicly undermined the investigation into the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups yet today’s announcement from the Department of Justice is still very disturbing,’ said Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, one of the panels investigating the scandal.

“Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, said that the Justice Department’s ‘faux investigation’ warranted an independent probe by a special counsel. ‘It’s an outrage – a mockery of justice,’ he said in a blog post.

“ACLJ still represents many targeted groups in lawsuits on the scandal. ‘We will not give up,’ Sekulow said. ‘We will not stop pressing for the truth. Justice will be served… Americans should never have to fear that the IRS or any other branch of the bureaucracy will target them for their beliefs.”

IRS Head to Be Impeached?

The Washington Post reported on October 27:

“A group of House Republicans led by the chairman of a powerful committee moved Tuesday to impeach the head of the Internal Revenue Service, saying he violated the public trust and lied to Congress as it investigated the treatment of conservative groups. The announcement by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform panel, came four days after the Justice Department formally closed its investigation of the targeting scandal without filing criminal charges.

“The last-ditch effort to remove IRS Commissioner John Koskinen follows through on a threat Chaffetz made over the summer after he called on President Obama to fire the commissioner, whom he accused of erasing back-up tapes containing thousands of e-mails written by Lois Lerner, the central IRS official in the scandal…

“The oversight committee has been investigating the IRS for more than two years, since agents were discovered to have subjected conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status to additional scrutiny.

“Chaffetz was joined by 18 committee Republicans in sponsoring an impeachment resolution, which now goes to the House Judiciary Committee. House Democrats quickly denounced the move as political grandstanding…

“Pursuing impeachment against an agency leader is highly unusual, and a step beyond contempt charges, the mechanism House Republicans tried to use against both Lerner and former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. in past disputes.

“More than a century ago, Congress brought articles of impeachment against War Secretary William Belknap in 1876, after the House of Representatives uncovered evidence supporting a pattern of corruption. He resigned during the proceedings.”

IRS a “Criminal Enterprise”?

Newsmax reported on October 23:

“The Internal Revenue Service is a ‘criminal enterprise’ that should be ‘put to death,’ Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says. ‘They use the extraordinary, almost unlimited power of government that they have and they use it to attack political enemies. They use it to attack conservatives, pro-Israel groups. They hide the records, they destroy the records,’ Huckabee told CBN’s ‘The Brody File.’

“‘The IRS can launch an investigation, they conduct their own investigation, they come to findings and they even get to assess the penalty as a result of their findings. It’s a one-stop shop. That violates the various branches of government that are supposed to be involved in adjudicating us and it is also a violation of… not only the separation of powers but of being able to be innocent until proven guilty.’

“Huckabee made his comments as he discussed his ‘fair tax’ plan, which he says has no need for the IRS. Other tax-reform ideas being proposed by other presidential candidates leave the agency intact, he added. ‘Every one of those plans is tinkering with the tax code. You still have the IRS,’ Huckabee said. ‘They’re still a criminal enterprise. They still need to be put to death and only the fair tax does that.’”

Paul Ryan Doomed as Speaker of the House?

The Washington Post wrote on October 23:

“Paul Ryan is doomed, too… The Wisconsin Republican… will end up in the same position as Boehner — held hostage by the Freedom Caucus… the fundamental problem — no functional GOP majority — will remain…”

Newsmax wrote on October 27:

“The presumptive new House speaker is bashing outgoing Speaker John Boehner, Senate leaders and the White House for their backroom budget deal, declaring the ‘process stinks’… and promised a change in direction…

“Politico reports the deal will actually help Ryan, setting budget levels for two years, lifts the debt ceiling until March 2017, and eliminating the threat of a government shutdown until October 2016. Still, Politico notes, Ryan wasn’t involved in the negotiations and wants to distance himself from it, as it comes under conservatives’ attacks.
“Conservatives, however, appeared resigned to the outcome. ‘We can’t stop it. He’s in league with the Democrats,’ Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie said of Boehner on Tuesday. ‘I mean I don’t think there’s anything you can do at this point.’”

Ryan was elected as the new House Speaker on October 29. In his speech, Ryan declared the institution as “broken.” The New York Times wrote that the House is “divided and chaotic.” As the Washington Post reported, former speaker John Boehner“left Ryan with a fiscal agreement hashed out with President Obama that would increase government spending by $80 billion through 2017 and raised the federal debt limit — enraging hard-line conservatives…”

Carson in First Place?

According to new Nationwide poll, Ben Carson leads for the First Time. Newsmax wrote on October 27:

“Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has sailed past Donald Trump nationally to take the lead in the race for the GOP nomination, a new poll shows. The CBS News/New York Times polls shows:

“Carson, 26 percent; Trump, 22 percent; Marco Rubio, 8 percent; Jeb Bush, 7 percent; Carly Fiorina, 7 percent.

“All other candidates, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Ohio Gov. John Kasich each were the choice of 4 percent or lower. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.”

As Der Spiegel Online reported on October 27, the new poll asked 575 voters. That small figure might not be a convincing representative result for nation-wide voters. In the third Republican Debate on October 28, which was hosted by CNBC, neither Carson nor Trump performed extraordinarily well. The shining moment belonged to Ted Cruz when he blasted the hostile moderators for their inappropriate and sometimes totally irrelevant questions. 

Surprisingly, Newsmax reported on October 29 that “Donald Trump was the huge winner of the third Republican presidential debate — triumphing by a wide margin over Dr. Ben Carson, a new Newsmax poll reveals… Carson… was also topped by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the survey conducted following the Wednesday night GOP slugfest on CNBC.”

It appears that no matter how Trump performs, he turns out to be the winner.

Abortion to Be Outlawed?

Newsmax wrote on October 25:

“Ben Carson would like abortion to be outlawed in the United States. [Carson] said in a Sunday interview on Meet the Press that he would ‘love to see’ the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision overturned, and that he would greatly limit the number of exceptions to a nationwide ban on abortion, including cases of rape and incest. ‘Rape and incest, I would not be in favor of killing a baby because the baby came about in that way. And all you have to do is go and look up the many stories of people who have led very useful lives who were the result of rape or incest,’ Carson said.”

In fact, the Bible does not allow the abortion of any child for any reason.

Trump, Carson and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church

The Washington Post wrote on October 25:

“Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday that he saw no reason to apologize for raising the issue of rival Ben Carson’s Seventh-day Adventist faith during a recent campaign rally. ‘I would certainly give an apology if I said something bad about it. But I didn’t. All I said was I don’t know about it,’ Trump said during an interview on ABC’s ‘This Week’…  Trump dismissed a suggestion by host George Stephanopoulos that by mentioning Carson’s religious affiliation he was trying to ‘send a dog whistle’ to ‘some conservatives [who] claim the Seventh-day Adventists are not Christian.’…

“Trump had brought up Carson’s religion on Saturday, during a rally in Florida. ‘I’m Presbyterian,’ he said. ‘Boy, that’s down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don’t know about. I just don’t know about.’

“Carson, in an interview on Fox News, declined to strike back but noted that Trump ‘went ballistic’ several weeks ago when Carson questioned Trump’s faith, saying the difference between him and Trump was that ‘I’ve realized where my success has come from, and I don’t in any way deny my faith in God.’ ‘So it seems a little interesting that he would now be doing that,’ Carson noted. Carson, who has also said he would not support a Muslim for president, later apologized for the comments about Trump’s faith…

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church has struggled historically to be accepted by mainstream Protestants. It traces its roots to lay theologian William Miller, who predicted the return of Jesus Christ in 1844, the movement was abandoned by some of its early followers and dismissed as a cult after Miller’s prediction didn’t pan out.

“Over the decades, leaders of the church have worked hard to emphasize their belief in Christian doctrine and practices, though some Christians still look at them with skepticism, as they do with Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses…

“Carson, who has said that he was twice baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist, talks frequently about his belief in God and the need to defend religious freedom, but not as much about his specific faith…”

All of the above-mentioned denominations–the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Mormons, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Presbyterian–have certainly some teachings which are biblical, while many are not. We need to point out too that within all of these churches, there are great differences of doctrinal viewpoints of their members and minsters. But based on the worldly definition of “Christianity,” which is limited to just believing in Christ, they would all qualify as “Christian.” The same would be true for those denominations, which are mentioned in the articles below—the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. But when analyzing their teachings, it becomes obvious that many of their doctrines and core beliefs are not in accordance with Scripture.

Will Ben Carson’s Belief in Seventh-Day Adventism Help or Hurt Him?

 The New York Times wrote on October 27:

“In an election season where religion and politics have collided frequently, Mr. Carson’s faith remains a mystery to some and is something that could prove to be a strength and a liability…

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church counts more than 18 million members globally and 1.2 million in North America, but some skeptics see it as a sect out of touch with mainstream Christianity. While the church avoids involvement in politics, Mr. Carson’s emergence as a prominent political figure has presented an opportunity for it to gain credibility…

“During a 1999 interview with the Religion News Service, Mr. Carson said he was happy to attend other kinds of churches. ‘I spend just as much time in non-Seventh-day Adventist churches because I’m not convinced that the denomination is the most important thing,’ he said. ‘I think it’s the relationship with God that’s most important.’

“More recently, however, Mr. Carson made clear that he would always defend his Adventist beliefs against skeptics. ‘I’m proud of the fact that I believe what God has said, and I’ve said many times that I’ll defend it before anyone,’ Mr. Carson told the Adventist Report in 2013. ‘If they want to criticize the fact that I believe in a literal six-day creation, let’s have at it because I will poke all kinds of holes in what they believe.’

“For theological reasons, Adventism has faced tensions with the Roman Catholic and Baptist churches over the years. Last spring, Mr. Carson was invited to speak at a Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference in Ohio, but he faced opposition because of his beliefs and eventually backed out. ‘Dr. Carson is a Seventh-day Adventist,’ a group of pastors from the Baptist organization B21 wrote in protest of his visit. ‘Their official theology denies the doctrine of hell in favor of annihilation,’ they wrote, ‘and believes that those who worship on Sunday will bear the ‘mark of the beast.’

“The church has also had a strongly anti-Catholic strain, and when Mr. Carson decided to attend Pope Francis’ visit to Congress last month, Adventist message boards lit up with questions about his presence with the pontiff. Some questioned him referring to the pope as the ‘Holy Leader’ and wondered, ‘How do such words come from the mouth of a Seventh-day Adventist?’…”

Newsmax reported on October 26:

“Gathered below are 12 things you may or may not know about Seventh-day Adventists and their unique system of belief.

“1. Millerite origins — After studying the prophecies of Daniel, Baptist preacher William Miller predicted the literal Second Coming (advent) of Jesus Christ on Oct. 22, 1844, and formed a large following around this belief.

“2. Great Disappointment — When Christ did not return to earth on the predicted date, some adherents abandoned their faith in the idea of a literal Second Coming, while many continued to find the idea of a literal Second Coming useful to the practice of their faith.

“3. Founding — Out of the Millerite denomination grew the formal Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was founded in 1863 at the First General Conference. At the conference, twenty delegates met in Battle Creek, Michigan, to outline the beliefs of the denomination.

“4. Ellen G. White — Among the original founders was a woman born in Maine named Ellen G. White… White is recognized as having received the gift of prophecy as outlined in Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12, and her writings are seen as ‘a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction.’

“5. Sabbath — Adventists recognize Saturday as the Sabbath, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week.

“6. Body as temple of the Holy Spirit — Many Adventists ‘adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures,’ as they view the body as the vessel for the Holy Spirit. Many abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and narcotics.

“7. Unconscious dead — Seventh-day Adventists believe that those who die lay in an unconscious state until the return of Jesus Christ to earth.

“8. Second Coming of Christ — Adventists believe that Christ, having died on the cross, been resurrected, and ascended to heaven, will return to earth twice more: once to catch up the righteous, and finally to establish heaven on earth.

“9. First resurrection — During the first resurrection, the righteous will be glorified and caught up to meet their Lord.

“10. Millennium — After Christ resurrects and takes up the righteous, he will reign in heaven with them for 1,000 years, while Satan and his angels will occupy a desolate earth with no living human inhabitants.

“11. The End of Sin — At the end of the Millennium, Christ, His saints, and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead will be resurrected, and surround the city along with Satan and his angels. At that time, God will consume them in fire, thus cleansing the earth and the universe from sin and sinners forever.

“12. New Earth — After Satan is destroyed, Seventh-day Adventists believe suffering and death will have passed away, and God will rule with the redeemed in a perfect environment of love, life, and joy.”

As can clearly be seen, the Seventh-Day Adventists combine some elements of truth with many errors.

In particular, Miller’s predictions were obviously wrong: Ellen G. White is manifestly NOT a prophetess of God; there is no biblical prohibition to abstain from alcohol; Christ will NOT return twice to earth, but only once; Christ will not reign in heaven with the saints during the Millennium, but on a beautiful earth, which will be occupied by humans; Satan and his demons will not occupy a desolated earth, but they will be imprisoned during the Millennium in a “bottomless pit”; the Holy City will not descend to earth at the end of the Millennium, but much later; Satan and his angels will not be consumed in fire and destroyed, but after having been thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the Millennium, they will ultimately be “wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”

It is interesting that the above-quoted article admits that Saturday was the “original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week.”

When Women Bishops Rule the Church…

Daily Mail wrote on October 25:

“Britain’s most senior female bishop, who is to become the first to sit in the House of Lords, has said God should not be referred to as specifically male… The bishop said God should not be gendered and said while she knowns many will disagree, she believes the Church of England should use both male and female pronouns when referring to God…”

According to biblical doctrine, women should not be ordained as ministers, and they are NOT to preach in Church. And the Bible clearly states that God is our FATHER, and Jesus Christ is His SON, and no woman preacher can change this undeniable FACT.

Strong Divisions Within the Catholic Church

The New York Times wrote on October 21:

“Pope Francis had encouraged bishops from more than 120 countries to speak freely when they gathered at the Vatican nearly three weeks ago for a broad discussion of family matters to guide the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. And speak freely, they have. The result has been the most momentous, and contentious, meeting of bishops in the 50 years since the Second Vatican Council, which brought the church into the modern era. The meeting has exposed deep fault lines between traditionalists focused on shoring up doctrine, and those who want the church to be more open to Catholics who are divorced, gay, single parents or cohabiting…

“Progressives, led by the contingent from Germany, are pushing for a church that is more welcoming toward divorced, gay and other parishioners who are not living the Catholic ideal of family. The German bishops have found allies among some prelates from Western Europe, Asia and the Americas.

“The traditionalists – whose standard bearers are the African and Eastern European bishops – have resisted any proposals that appear to soften the church’s doctrine that marriage is ‘indissoluble’ and homosexuality is ‘intrinsically disordered.’ In one indication of their fervor, Cardinal Robert Sarah, who is from Guinea and leads the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, told the synod, ‘What Nazi-Fascism and Communism were in the 20th century, Western homosexual and abortion ideologies and Islamic fanaticism are today.’

“Bishops from the United States have revealed themselves to be just as divided as their flock back home…

“The synod can make recommendations, but unlike the three-year Second Vatican Council, it cannot make decisions. That power lies with the pope… it could be many months before Francis issues an official document…

“The pope threw another thunderbolt last Saturday, saying in a private address to bishops that the church needs a ‘sound decentralization’ of authority. He said the church should not be run like a top-down organization with the pope at its summit, but instead should be an ‘inverted pyramid’…  But in his speech, the pope also made it clear that he would be the final arbiter…”

The Washington Post added on October 21:

“At Pope Francis’s closed-door meeting in Rome this month, top clergy are intensely debating whether the church should bend more to the messy realities of modern families, and on Wednesday they released some early reports revealing their deep divisions…  Changing Catholicism’s stance toward such things could begin to unravel the unity of the world’s largest church, say opponents who see the debate in Rome as directly tied to the future of Catholicism…

“Some of the powerful Italian-language groups, meanwhile, suggested bishops should have the final say…

“But not all in the Church are open to change. Division is so pronounced that Catholics are witnessing the spectacle of cardinals writing op-eds about one another… The concern comes mostly – but not exclusively — from traditional bishops and their allies who worry that Francis is stirring extremely dangerous waters by proposing changes that they see as cutting at the very heart of the nature of the Catholic Church and what it means to be Catholic…”

No International Force in Israel to Promote Peace?… At Least Not Quite Yet!

The Times of Israel reported on October 16:

“Israel on Friday rejected Palestinian calls for an international force to be deployed in East Jerusalem to promote calm around the Temple Mount and the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque…

“On Friday, Palestinians torched a Jewish holy site in the West Bank as they staged a ‘Friday of revolution’ against Israel and a man posing as a news photographer stabbed an Israeli soldier before he was shot dead.”

For now, an “international force” may not be deployed in Jerusalem to “promote calm around the Temple Mount.” But the Bible says that this is exactly what will happen in the near future. And the pressure for such a force is building, as the next articles show.

On October 17, the Jerusalem Post stated:

“France [submitted] a ‘presidential statement’ in order to advance a plan to station international observers at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount to ensure that the status quo at the site is preserved…

“Jews revere the Temple Mount as its holiest site, the place where two biblical Jewish temples once stood. The area, is also home to the Dome of the Rock, and is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, which is the third holiest site in Islam… The Palestinian representative at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said he wanted the council to consider deploying an international force at the al-Aqsa mosque to protect Palestinian worshipers.”

Times of Israel added on October 17:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday slammed a French proposal to deploy international observers to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in response to the current round of violence, calling it a fundamentally absurd idea… Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan also criticized the proposal…

“‘The French proposal to place international observers on the Temple Mount is distorted and biased,’ said Erdan, in language that echoed the comments by Netanyahu… ‘Factually, those who turned the Temple Mount into a terror warehouse are the Palestinians. Those who are trying to harm the status quo and prevent Jewish visits are the Palestinians. Those who are inciting and lying about the events on the Temple Mount are the Palestinians,’ he said…

“Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said in response to the proposal that ‘all international involvement on the Temple Mount harms Israeli sovereignty.’..”

Arab States Unite Against Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on October 17:

“Six Arab states are set to submit a proposal on behalf of the Palestinians to the UN’s cultural body to officially claim the Western Wall as part of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (the Temple Mount)… The proposal will be submitted in the coming days to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, known as UNESCO, by Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates…

“The proposal also calls for the international community to condemn Israel for urging ‘its citizens to bear arms in light of [the] recent terror wave’…  The document… refers to Jerusalem as ‘the occupied capital of Palestine.’

“In addition, the Palestinians seek condemnation of ongoing Israeli archaeological excavations near the Temple Mount and the Old City in Jerusalem, as well as for the ‘aggression and illegal measures taken against the freedom of worship and access of Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque…’

“Israel is trying to convince as many countries as possible to oppose the proposal, or abstain. However… the proposal will likely be approved as there is a Muslim and Arab majority on UNESCO’s executive council…”

On October 21, 2015, JTA added the following:

“UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, condemned Israel for what it said are attempts to alter the status quo at the Temple Mount. While the resolution approved Wednesday morning in Paris by the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization dropped plans to label the Temple Mount a Muslim site, the organization recognized Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron as Muslim sites that are part of a Palestinian state. Both sites are holy to Jews and listed in the Bible as the burial places of the Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs.

“The vote was 26-6 in favor of the resolution, with 25 abstentions.

“Before the vote, the six Arab countries that submitted the proposal on behalf of the Palestinians — Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates — removed from the proposal a statement declaring the Western Wall in Jerusalem part of the al Aqsa Mosque complex and naming it part of the Muslim religious site. It also removed references to Jerusalem as ‘the occupied capital of Palestine’ in order to garner support for the proposal.

“The final text of the resolution included condemnation of the ‘aggression and illegal measures taken against the freedom of worship and access of Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque and Israel’s attempts to break the status quo since 1967.’

“Israeli officials and American Jewish groups protested the resolution as a farce and outright lie…”

In the future, Europe under German leadership will be collaborating with Arab states against Israel. We can already see the beginning of that development.

Closing Temple Mount for Jews?

The website of usnews.com published the following article on October 15, which was written by a columnist for Al Monitor, titled, “Why It’s Time for Israel to Close Temple Mount to Jews.”

The article stated:

“These days, Jerusalem has truly been divided, but not by the left. In case anyone has forgotten, a truly right-wing government is in control in Israel. For the first time, the government does not contain a moderating or centrist element as in the past… Ironically, it is a rightist government that is being forced to acknowledge that Jerusalem is, de facto, divided — into the western and the eastern, the Jewish versus the Palestinian.

“After Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967, the two parts of the city were united. With the second intifada (2000 to 2005), Israel began to build a fence to separate peripheral Palestinian neighborhoods from Jerusalem. It has now come to pass that for quite some time, Israel has not exercised sovereignty in the eastern part of the city… East Jerusalem has become a no-man’s land and a fertile hotbed for despair, alienation, isolation and religious extremism. If one adds to the pot the incitement by such actors as the northern branch of the Israeli Islamic Movement, headed by the radical Sheikh Raed Salah, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the roiling social networks, the result is what we are now witnessing. The request for IDF assistance by the Israeli police in the heart of Israel’s capital can be compared to summoning the US Marines to patrol the streets of Washington. The symbols of Israeli sovereignty are in danger.

“We live in an era of surprises. Israel longs for the good old days when a high-quality agent in the vicinity of an Arab ruler and a sophisticated wiretapping system could be relied on as an intelligence ‘insurance policy’ for assessing the odds of a war erupting. This allowed Israeli leaders to sleep well at night. That era is gone, however, and the current intifada — which Palestinians are calling the ‘al-Quds [Jerusalem] intifada’ and some the knife intifada — took Israel’s political echelons by complete surprise…

“This rebellion differs from its predecessors. This one is the first time that there has been no leader on the playing field, no landlord. There is no one entity initiating, conducting or integrating events. There are no assigned targets. There is no one to capture, neutralize or eliminate. This is an unhinged intifada, an odd rebellion that bubbles through the social networks and erupts into barbarism in attacks by isolated individuals or small groups. Young Palestinians (in one case a 13-year-old) attack Israelis with knives, axes and vegetable peelers; they run them over with vehicles; they strike them with axes in spasms of bloody, unexplained and murderous irrationality. Some of the attacks stem from incitement surrounding the Temple Mount (or Haram al-Sharif to Muslims) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“The explosiveness of the Temple Mount issue and whether the next intifada will result from it have been covered by Al-Monitor. There is also more: After the meeting between Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Aug. 18 in Ramallah, an Al-Monitor article cited a warning issued in the form of a concern by the Palestinian leader to the Israeli opposition head: Abbas feared a third intifada and losing control over PA territory. Herzog delivered this message not only to Al-Monitor, but also to Netanyahu, who did not respond. Now he’s probably sorry.

“It is important to emphasize that Israel has no intention of taking control of the Al-Aqsa Mosque or changing the status quo involving the Temple Mount. The Palestinians, however, are more attentive to conspiracy theories based on statements by the messianic Israeli right… Palestinians are convinced that Israel plans on usurping Al-Aqsa. Until the Israeli government takes crystal clear action, such as closing the Temple Mount to Jews for a cooling-off period, there is no chance that the Palestinians’ state of mind will change. If it doesn’t change, this peculiar intifada will continue.”

Netanyahu Stirs Controversy

The Local wrote on October 21:

“Germany on Wednesday stressed its inherent responsibility in the Holocaust, after Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu stirred controversy over his claim a Palestinian leader gave Hitler the idea of exterminating Jews. Asked to comment on Netanyahu’s allegation, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said he would not speak directly on the claim. But he added: ‘I can speak for the federal government, that we Germans recognise that the murderous racial fanaticism of the Nazis was the historical origin of … the Shoah. I see no reason to change our view of history in any way. We know of the inherent German responsibility in these crimes against humanity,’ he added…

“In a speech on Tuesday, Netanyahu suggested that Hitler was not planning to exterminate the Jews until he met Palestinian nationalist Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, in 1941. ‘Hitler didn’t want to exterminate the Jews at the time. He wanted to expel the Jews,’ Netanyahu told the World Zionist Congress. ‘And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said: “If you expel them, they’ll all come here.” “So what should I do with them?” he asked. He said: “Burn them.”’

“Netanyahu on Wednesday backtracked on the claim, denying that he was exonerating Hitler of the responsibility for the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were slaughtered.”

The Associated Press added on October 21 that “Historians quickly noted that the Nazi Final Solution was already well underway at this point, with several concentration camps up and running. Hitler had previously repeatedly declared his lethal intentions for the Jews.”

The Russian-Syrian Pact

The Associated Press reported on October 21:

“President Bashar Assad has traveled to Moscow in his first known trip abroad since war broke out in Syria in 2011, meeting his strongest ally, Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The two leaders stressed that military operations in Syria— in which Moscow is the latest and most powerful addition— must lead to a political process. The surprise visit Tuesday reflects renewed confidence from the embattled Syrian president after Russia and Iran, another staunch ally, dramatically escalated their support recently as Moscow began carrying out airstrikes on Syrian insurgents and Tehran sent hundreds of ground forces…

“A week after Russia launched its airstrikes, Syrian ground troops, aided by allied fighters from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, pushed their way into central and northern Syria in an attempt to drive out rebel and militant groups in control of territories there. So far, Syrian forces have seized a few villages but there has been no strategic victory. Many of the attacks have hit western-backed rebels and al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria, but not the Islamic State group, with its stronghold in eastern Syria.

“The Russian airstrikes have allowed Syrian troops and their allies to launch multiple ground offensives in northern, central and southern Syria as well as in the rebel-held suburbs of the capital, Damascus…”

Bild Online reported that because of the Russian-Syrian Pact, an additional 350,000 Syrians will flee to Turkey by this weekend.

Jimmy Carter Helps Russia

Newsmax reported on October 21:

“Claiming that he knows Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘fairly well’ because they once discussed their ‘common interest in fly fishing,’ former President Jimmy Carter took the initiative to provide maps of Islamic State positions in Syria to the Russian embassy in Washington — a move at odds with the Obama administration… ‘I sent [Putin] a message Thursday and asked him if he wanted a copy of our map so he could bomb accurately in Syria, and then on Friday, the Russian embassy… in Washington, called down and told me they would like very much to have the map,’ Carter said at his Sunday school class in Georgia, according to a video of his remarks first aired on NBC News…

“The Carter Center claims that they sent maps of the Islamic States location to Russia in an attempt to help improve their airstrike accuracy.

“… this is not the first time Carter has shown [h]is support for Russia. Last year, he said that the United States should not impose more sanctions on Russia and that ‘Putin is not going to use military force’ in eastern Ukraine…

“The Pentagon announced Tuesday that the U.S. signed an agreement with Russia to avoid incidents in Syrian airspace where American planes are also bombing Islamic State positions. However, the memorandum with Russia ‘does not establish zones of cooperation, intelligence sharing, or any sharing of target information in Syria’ and does ‘not constitute U.S. cooperation or support for Russia’s policy or actions in Syria,’ Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said…”

Incredible!!!!

Germany Partially Responsible for Migrant Crisis?

Deutsche Welle reported on October 21:

“New figures show that German weapons exports increased yet again this year, especially sales of small arms to countries outside NATO. Critics say you need look no further for the root of displaced people in Europe.

“Despite its promises to rein in the country’s weapon’s exports, the German government is still struggling to  kick its addiction to war profits. The latest arms export report, released on Wednesday, showed that the value of Germany’s arms sales leapt to 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion) in the first six months of 2015 – compared to 2.2 billion euros in the first half of 2014. Germany remains the world’s fourth-biggest arms exporter, behind the United States, Russia and China.

“… countries in the Middle East, South America, Africa and East Asia that are either involved in conflicts or have problematic human rights records have been splurging on German rifles, handguns and other handheld weapons. In the first half of this year, Germany sold guns or ammunition to Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Chile, India, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates (among others). That’s apart from the military vehicles, ships, and other larger military equipment sold to Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Russia, China and Israel – all of which are involved in conflicts or have widely reported human rights abuses…

‘Syria has traditionally been one of the biggest buyers of weapons… Germany delivered nearly 13 million euros in weapons to Syria between 2002 and 2013 – mainly tanks, chemical agents and small arms. In 2014, Germany also delivered 8,000 Heckler & Koch G36 and G3 assault rifles to Peshmerga fighters in Syria. ‘And now we’re surprised that these weapons get used,” Grässlin said [Jürgen Grässlin is an author and prominent German anti-weapons activist]. ‘And the people flee the use of these weapons and the dictators, and they end up, absurdly enough, in the country where the weapons were made that were used to repress their people. That’s why I say: If you sow war weapons, you reap war refugees.’”

Merkel Isolated in Central and Eastern Europe

The New York Times wrote on October 16:

“In Europe, and beyond, Ms. Merkel so far lacks strong allies to achieve her goal of merely slowing the refugee flow. Indeed, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary highlighted Ms. Merkel’s isolation from Central and Eastern European leaders on Friday by closing his country’s border with Croatia…

“Two city-states, Hamburg and Bremen, have already passed laws giving them the right to commandeer empty properties to try to give refugees roofs over their heads — and not tents — as winter approaches…

“In national politics, the fiercest opposition to Ms. Merkel’s decision on Sept. 4 — with Austria — to throw open the borders to tens of thousands of refugees then trapped in Hungary comes from her own conservative camp. Bavaria’s Horst Seehofer, head of the sister party to Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democrats, again this week criticized her government…

“Scores more of mostly local conservative politicians have signed an open letter to Ms. Merkel, which pleads with her ‘to take speedy measures which would reduce the current influx of refugees swiftly and effectively.’ A banner held high as the chancellor addressed a party meeting near Leipzig this week demanded, ‘Dethrone Merkel.’…”

Czech Republic vs. Muslim Migrants

Breitbart wrote on October 18:

“The President of the Czech Republic has warned that Muslim migrants will ‘respect Sharia instead of Czech laws,’ possibly stoning women, and saying that they could increase the practice of veiling, ‘depriving’ the nation of female beauty. Outspoken left-wing Czech President Milos Zeman, 72, was asked if he thought new migrants from the Middle East would respect Czech laws of Friday: ‘Of course not,’ he replied. ‘Unfaithful women will be stoned and thieves will have their hands cut off, and we’ll be deprived of women’s beauty, because they’ll be covered from head to toe…’

“President Zeman is the leader of the left wing Czech Social Democratic Party and is well known for his controversial remarks… The Czech Republic is part of the Eastern, so-called Visegrad group of countries – along with Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – who strongly resisted the introduction of the EU’s forced migration quotas in September.”

Slovenia Refuses to Take In More than 2,500 Migrants a Day

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 18:

“The Slovenian government has said it will only take in a maximum of 2,500 migrants a day, following Hungary’s decision to close its border with Croatia on Saturday.

“On Sunday, Slovenia refused to allow in a train carrying 1,800 migrants from Croatia, after more than 3,000 people surged into the tiny EU member state the day before. Tension is building among thousands of migrants as they remain stranded in fog and cold weather in their quest to reach a better life in Western Europe… Slovenia now fears that if Croatia continues taking more migrants than it is able to send forward, there could be a ‘spillover’ of migrants.”

Anti-Immigration Swiss Party Wins

Reuters reported on October 18:

“The anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party (SVP) won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday’s national parliamentary election… keeping pressure on Bern to introduce quotas on people moving from the European Union.

“Success for the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), coupled with gains made by the pro-business Liberal Party (FDP), led political commentators to talk of a ‘Rechtsrutsch’ – a ‘slide to the right’ – in Swiss politics. Immigration was the central topic for voters amid a rush of asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.”

There will be many more anti-immigration movements in Europe, and the established parties might be facing the same kind of reaction which is happening in the USA.

Servitude in Germany?

Express wrote on October 17:

“… parents in the city of Lubeck were left furious after a school told their children to cook and clean for refugees at an asylum centre. A mother wrote on Facebook: ‘I am definitely not a hater and am really tolerant, but this is taking things too far. Is there a new subject in Lubeck’s schools called servitude?”

These kind of “good works” were also promoted in the Worldwide Church of God after Herbert W. Armstrong’s death and contributed greatly to its downfall and demise, as the true focus of the church’s commission was neglected, which is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14).

Massive Demonstrations in Germany

Reuters reported on October 19:

 “The German anti-Islam movement PEGIDA staged its biggest rally in months on Monday, sparked into fresh life on its first anniversary by anger at the government’s decision to take in hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East.

“PEGIDA, or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, almost fizzled out earlier this year when its leader resigned after a photo was published of him posing as Hitler. But it has swelled again as Germany implements Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to accept a tide of refugees that could exceed a million this year, as she argues that Germany can not only cope but, with its aging population, will benefit in the long term.

“Police declined to estimate the number of protesters but media put it at 15-20,000, somewhat below a peak of around 25,000 in January. Around 14,000 counter-demonstrators urged people to welcome refugees rather than whip up opposition…

“PEGIDA has more than 172,000 ‘Likes’ on its Facebook page and wants Germany to stop taking asylum seekers immediately.

“Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Sunday that PEGIDA’s organizers were ‘hard right-wing extremists’ and everyone who attended their demonstrations ‘should know that they are running after rat catchers’.

“Thomas Jaeger, political scientist at Cologne University, said PEGIDA and the right-wing Alternative for Germany party were being allowed by the government to define how the refugee crisis was perceived by many people. ‘What seems to be worrying a lot of people now is that people from different cultures are coming here, and they don’t know how they will integrate, and that’s quite a diffuse fear, and that’s now being exploited by some political forces.’”

The reaction of the German political establishment and the main-stream media and tabloids against PEGIDA is counter-productive, as many of the PEGIDA supporters are clearly not “hard right-wing extremists.” Such accusation is laughable and will back-fire.

Turkey’s Gaining Importance for a Divided Europe

The Local wrote on October 16:

“The EU and Turkey reached a deal to stem the flow of asylum seekers in exchange for concessions to Ankara… on aid and EU membership talks. Under the plan, Turkey agrees to tackle people-smugglers and take measures to keep more of the millions of refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict from crossing by sea to Europe… [Turkey’s]  demands included €3 billion in new aid – three times the amount the EU has up until now offered – easing visa restrictions, opening new chapters in Turkey’s long-stalled accession negotiations for EU membership, being included on the list of ‘safe countries’ for asylum and to have more Turkey-EU summits…

“Turkey is the main departure point for the more than 600,000 migrants who have entered Europe this year, most of them making the short but dangerous sea crossing to the Greek islands, but some also coming by land…

“The 28-nation European Union has been left more divided than ever by the migration crisis, especially given fears the Schengen zone could collapse as countries try to curb the huge numbers of migrants criss-crossing the continent…”

The Bible shows that in the end, Turkey will be an ally with Europe against ISRAEL!

Merkel Suddenly Supports EU Membership of Turkey… as Europe Needs Turkey

Deutsche Welle reported on October 18:

“Chancellor Merkel has said Germany will support Turkey’s EU membership bid, during a visit aimed at securing Ankara’s help in stemming a migrant influx to Europe. Turkish PM Davutoglu hailed Europe’s ‘better approach.’…

“The German chancellor later met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said he asked Merkel to support Turkey’s EU membership bid. Erdogan added that he also asked France, Britain and Spain for support…”

The New York Times wrote on October 18:

“Desperately seeking help to contain Europe’s migrant crisis, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on Sunday explicitly linked accelerating Turkey’s effort to join the European Union to Turkish cooperation in clamping down on the flow of refugees from Turkey to Europe. Ms. Merkel, who has long opposed Turkey’s admission to the bloc, said she would support speeding up the process, a concession that underscored the importance European leaders place on Turkey’s cooperation in trying to contain what has become the largest flow of migrants since World War II, as people flee violence and deprivation in the Middle East and Africa…

“Mr. Davutoglu continued to press for a ‘safe zone’ in northern Syria, a longstanding priority for Turkey that has been met largely by silence from the international community, because it would require a substantial military operation…

“From the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkey has had an open-door policy for refugees and has spent billions of dollars caring for them… Turkey has made visa-free travel to Europe for its citizens a top priority, and Ms. Merkel said she had agreed to push that issue forward. Turkey is the only country that has been formally accepted for possible membership in the union whose citizens must have visas to travel to Europe…

“Turkey has long sought to join the European Union — formal talks began in 2005 — but the process has stalled in recent years, partly because of European concerns about Turkey’s human rights record and a government crackdown on the news media and freedom of expression. Now, though, the balance of power has shifted in Turkey’s favor. Europe needs Turkey… So the concerns about rights are largely unspoken by European leaders at the moment. For example, a European Union report on Turkey, part of the accession process, that was expected to be deeply critical of Ankara’s record on free speech, has been delayed…”

Merkel Deal With Turkey Angers Left and Right

The Local wrote on October 19:

“Merkel announced in Istanbul on Sunday that Europe would offer financial support to help deal with the roughly 2.5 million refugees in the country… Left-wing opponents of the deal said that Merkel was irresponsibly helping religious conservative Erdogan improve his image at home with just two weeks to go before elections to the parliament in Ankara…

“And voices to Merkel’s right worried that the Chancellor was offering too much to Turkey. ‘We can’t make too many concessions to Turkey,’ Gerda Hasselfeldt, leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) group in the Bundestag (German parliament), told Die Welt on Sunday. ‘EU accession is not on the agenda. There are serious shortcomings in fundamental human rights, especially freedom of opinion and of the press.'”

Merkel’s sudden support of Turkey’s EU membership in consideration of Turkey’s help in the migrant crisis will only lead to a further deterioration of Merkel’s popularity in Germany. In addition, it is highly doubtful that Turkey will become a member of the EU.

European Army Sooner than Later?

Express wrote on October 17:

“European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker provoked outrage earlier this year with proposals for a Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). European People’s Party (EPP) president Joseph Daul has now admitted the European Parliament will try to push through plans that would go far beyond what even Mr Juncker had intended. Under the latest proposals, a common European-wide army would become a force capable of taking on missions of ‘higher intensity’ and even replace national guards at EU borders.

“Bureaucrats in Brussels are trying to capitalise on concerns over ‘Russian aggression’ and the migrant crisis to push through the long-held ambitions for a European army. Whereas Mr Junker’s original vision was for a force capable of dealing with ‘post-conflict peace-keeping’, the European Parliament is now preparing to discuss an aggressive common military force. Mr Daul admitted: ‘We are going to move towards an EU army much faster than people believe…

“The paper released calls for a ‘European operational headquarters’ to replace the system of national governments directing their own forces. The draft plan also demands that power over border control, including European coastguard responsibilities, should be handed to the new army…

“Attempts to form a common defence force have been part of the European project since it began. In 1950, French Prime Minister René Pleven proposed ambitious plans for defence integration, including the setting up of [a] European Army and the appointment of a European minister of defence…

“In March this year, Britain rejected yet more calls from Juncker for an EU army… But, just last month the German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened that if Prime Minister David Cameron failed to support an EU army he would not get any ‘meaningful negotiation of Britain’s relationship with the EU’…”

Germans in America.. an Interesting History

The Local wrote on October 9:

“Around 50 million German Americans live in the US today, according to a 2010 census. The largest self-reported ancestry group in the States, their numbers beat Irish, African, English, Mexican and Italian Americans – and made up around 17% of the American population in 2009…

“The first Germans arrived in the US as early as 1608 – but it was the 1683 movement that truly marked the beginning of America’s German settlement. This was the year in which a group of religious dissidents (Mennonites) approached Francis Daniel Pastorius in Frankfurt am Main… Pastorius [moved to America and] negotiated the purchase of 5,700 acres of land from William Penn – the Englishman who had founded Pennsylvania a few years earlier. On this land, Germantown was born…

“In 1683, Germany didn’t exist as a country. It wouldn’t do so until 1871. Instead, separate German-speaking states mostly ruled themselves as parts of the Catholic Holy Roman Empire. But religious tensions in the German states had exploded since Martin Luther published his ninety-five theses in Wittenberg in 1517, calling people to follow the Bible rather than the Pope. The Thirty Years’ War, which broke out in 1618, was one of the most destructive in European History – and it was against this backdrop that many Germans decided to emigrate…

“In 1688, [Pastorius] and three others signed The Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery, thought to be the first anti-slavery petition presented by white colonies in America. ‘German-American Day’ was celebrated in Philadelphia for the first time in 1883…  But when the First World War broke out, celebrations stopped. During this period, anti-German hysteria reached fever pitch. German-Americans were brutally assaulted, while anything remotely ‘German’ – be it books, music, even street names – was removed or destroyed.

“When the War ended, over 400,000 Germans emigrated to the United States, many of them Jews fleeing the rising Nazi party. But in a bid to hide their ethnicities, many altered their names to sound more American. German immigrants were keen to blend in as soon as possible, avoiding the anti-German sentiment that still lingered across the US.

“Hostilities rose again during the Second World War, as German-Americans found their freedom and rights restricted. Treated as possible enemies, some were forced to carry around identification cards, while others were placed in internment camps. While these hostilities ended soon after the war, it took German-Americans a long time to reclaim their ethnic heritage – a process that continues to this day.

“In 1983 – 300 years since the Krefeld immigrants docked in Philadelphia – President Ronald Reagan proclaimed that October 6th would become German-American Day once again. ‘More Americans trace their heritage back to German ancestry than to any other nationality,’ he noted in his proclamation. In 1987, October 6th was reinstated as a US holiday.

“From Kindergarten and Christmas trees to hamburgers and hotdogs, German-Americans are credited with some of the most recognizable features of US culture to have emerged in the past 300 years. Less than 5% now speak German themselves. But along with annual Oktoberfest celebrations and the German-American Steuben Parade, October 6th is one of many ways German-Americans celebrate and remember their cultural heritage today.”

We need to stress that many “Germans” living in America are actually descendants from the ancient Israelite tribe of Manasseh. Ancient Assyrians (modern Germans) captured and enslaved ancient Israelites from the house of Israel (not Judah), and subsequently both Assyrians and Israelites moved towards central Europe. While Assyrians and Israelites settled there (modern descendants of ancient Israelites can be found today in countries such as France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and the Northern part of Germany), others migrated together to Great Britain, where the tribe of Ephraim settled, while the tribe of Manasseh migrated from there to America. And so, many who think they are ethnic Germans are actually ethnic Israelites from the tribe of Ephraim, who had settled in the United Kingdom, while others, who had settled in the USA, are actually descendants from the tribe of Manasseh.

Clinton’s Email Scandal No Laughing Matter…

Daily Mail wrote on October 16:

“Hillary Clinton could be prosecuted in federal court for failing to tell President Barack Obama about her private email server at the time she was running it, according to a veteran FBI agent. Obama said flatly during a ’60 Minutes’ interview on Sunday that ‘No,’ he did not know Clinton sidestepped security protocols with her a home-brew email setup while she was his secretary of state.

“The FBI agent who spoke with DailyMail.com has had a 20-year career in federal law enforcement and serves in a supervisory capacity in a domestic FBI field office. He said on Friday that failing to put Obama in the loop could be enough to send her to prison for ten years.

“The federal Espionage Act includes a provision that criminalizes ‘gross negligence’ by officials charged with safeguarding national defense information… ‘If investigators conclude that the former secretary [Clinton] was criminally careless in how she approached the security of the sensitive documents in her possession, then this part of the law could be used to prosecute her,’ the agent said, on condition of anonymity…

“The FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server is focusing on whether she violated the Espionage Act – especially the ‘gross negligence’ portions of the statute – according to a report Thursday from the Fox News Channel… It calls for a 10-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of ‘gross negligence’ that permits such information to be ‘removed from its proper place.’ Using an unsecured computer network to host sensitive information could qualify, according to the FBI agent… ‘The only way setting up your own email server for messages about sensitive information isn’t negligent is if it’s deliberate – which is far worse,’ he said.

“Clinton has staked her public defense on a repeated claim that she never knowingly sent or received information through her ‘clintonemail’ domain that was ‘marked classified’ at the time. But the Espionage Act’s text indicates that her intentions may not matter: A lack of judgment in handling sensitive documents could be enough to trigger the statute.

“As intelligence sources spoke to Fox News on Thursday, others at the FBI spilled to The New York Times that they’re furious with President Barack Obama for pre-empting their probe with a declaration that the former secretary of state never put America’s national security at risk… White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest walked that conclusion back on Tuesday, saying that ‘the president was making an observation about what we know so far…’ Obama, he said, was not attempting ‘to undermine the importance or independence of the ongoing FBI investigation.’

“Ron Hosko, a retired senior F.B.I. official who now leads the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, said it was wrong of Obama to ‘suggest what side of the investigation he is on’ while an investigation is still underway. ‘Injecting politics into what is supposed to be a fact-finding inquiry leaves a foul taste in the F.B.I.’s mouth,’ Hosko told the Times, ‘and makes them fear that no matter what they find, the Justice Department will take the president’s signal and not bring a case.’

“Obama previously found himself in hot water with federal investigators following a Super Bowl Sunday interview in February 2014 when he downplayed a then-swirling scandal over the IRS targeting right-wing groups politically. Asked while federal investigators were poring through documents whether mass corruption inside America’s tax-collection agency was a factor, he responded: ‘Not even mass corruption – not even a smidgen of corruption.’ Those remarks were widely seen as prejudicing an ongoing investigation, or sending a televised hint to the FBI that the Oval Office didn’t want to see any aggressive prosecutions.”

Breitbart added on October 16:

“If we weren’t so numb to lawlessness and politicized bureaucracy from seven years of Obama scandals, this would be a national outrage. The President just tried to influence the outcome of a criminal investigation, on behalf of a powerful Democrat politician… Obama has so numbed the American people to corruption and the lawless exercise of power that it’s not surprising to watch him influence an active FBI investigation…

“If the FBI decides to float some charges against Clinton, they had better have battleship armor, or else the same DOJ that swept Operation Fast and Furious under the rug is going to sink them…”

Breitbart also wrote on October 16:

“Mike Huckabee said that the Obama administration has lost the ability to impartially conduct an investigation. ‘Trusting Hillary Clinton to just “come clean” is like trusting a compulsive gambler in a Vegas casino,’ Huckabee told Breitbart News Friday. ‘The American people are sick of games, endless excuses, and political platitudes—and it’s time we appoint a special prosecutor to investigate this serious national security email scandal.’…

“A special prosecutor was appointed during the Clinton administration to work the Whitewater scandal case… An independent special prosecutor can be appointed by the Attorney General. Assuming that Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch will not take this step, Congress can compel her to do so with a majority vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

It is amazing how politics preempt or even violate justice. It is highly doubtful that the Justice Department will bring a case against Clinton, especially in light of President Obama’s highly improper interference… even if the FBI were to find wrongdoing. Hillary Clinton’s testimony before the Benghazi Committee on October 22 was a complete and total waste of time for all participants and the American people. That is why Americans are fed up with politics—and they should be. Bernie Sanders’ staged comments during the Democratic Debate that Americans are tired hearing about Hillary Clinton’s Email scandal would only be accurate for those Democrats who are willing to overlook wrongdoing of their candidate for the sake of their party’s success… a rather dubious position to take.

 It was also reported on Wednesday, October 21, that Joe Biden declared that he will not run for the Presidency, eliminating Hillary Clinton’s biggest potential contender in the Democratic Party, as it is very unlikely that Bernie Sanders will secure the nomination. The Washington Post wrote on October 21 that “the real numbers, including those in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, support the idea that Trump will continue to lead and that he could win the nomination.” It appears that we will face a showdown between Republican contender Donald Trump and Democratic contender Hillary Clinton.

Joe Biden Is Out

Breitbart reported this as well on October 21:

“Once again, by using his Twitter account, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump was able to beat his challengers in immediately shaping a news cycle, this one surrounding Vice President Joe Biden’s Wednesday afternoon decision not to run for president. Trump was also able to get his message out unfiltered by the DC media — that message being how eager he is to run against Hillary Clinton’s ‘terrible record’… Within minutes both left-wing cable news outlets — CNN and MSNBC — ran with Trump’s tweet. It is all they had and all he wanted them to have. It is a whole new media world and Trump keeps proving how well he’s mastered it.”

Regarding the real reasons for Biden’s decision to bail out, Newsmax offered the following explanation on October 21:

“If you listened to the media chatter about why Joe Biden decided to take himself out of the running for president, you’d conclude that it was all about grieving and timing… All of that is true enough as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough, because none of the media’s coverage told the story behind the story—the intrigue and deliberate deception at the highest levels of the political system that ultimately determined Biden’s decision to take a pass on the presidency.

“According to sources close to Biden, the vice president and President Obama, who had been urging Biden to run, held numerous discussions about Biden’s chances of taking on Hillary in the Democrat primaries and knocking her out of the presidential race. In those talks, Biden expressed doubt that he would be able to overcome Hillary’s advantage in timing, money, organization, and ground game.

“The only way he could see himself getting into the race, Biden reportedly told the president, was if the White House assured him that it would support the FBI’s investigation of Hillary’s improper handling of classified documents on her private e-mail system and encourage Attorney General Loretta Lynch to bring down an indictment against Hillary. An indictment—even a misdemeanor—would almost certainly doom Hillary’s chances of getting the nomination…

“Obama stopped short of giving Biden the assurances that he was seeking. And without the president’s promise, Biden decided he had no choice but to bow out..”

Liberals Win in Canada

The New York Times wrote on October 19:

“The nine-year reign of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party came to a sudden and stunning end on Monday night at the hands of Justin Trudeau, the young leader of the Liberal Party. Starting with a sweep of the Atlantic provinces, the Liberals capitalized on what many Canadians saw as Mr. Harper’s heavy-handed style, and the party went on to capture 184 of the 338 seats in the next House of Commons. The unexpected rout occurred 47 years after Mr. Trudeau’s father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, first swept to power…

“Although Mr. Trudeau has been prone to occasional verbal slips since assuming his leadership role, including the use of a vulgar metaphor in response to Mr. Harper’s decision to commit Royal Canadian Air Force fighters to the multinational campaign against the Islamic State, he has grown in stature over the course of the election.”

Pope Francis Can’t Be Serious… Or Is He?

The Associated Press reported on October 17:

“Pope Francis has called for a Catholic Church that is far more decentralized, where the laity play a greater role, bishops conferences take care of certain problems and even the papacy is rethought.

“Francis issued the call during a ceremony Saturday marking the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, a consultative body formed during the Second Vatican Council that was intended precisely to encourage more collegiality in the running of the church by inviting bishops to offer their advice to Rome.”

If Francis is really serious about his comments, then the battle in the Vatican and with conservative bishops will dramatically intensify. The idea to rethink the very existence of the papacy –one of THE core doctrines of the Catholic Church–will never be accepted within the hierarchy of that church, and Francis will be facing an uphill battle and an outright rebellion within the church, if he continues to pursue this course of action.

Putin vs. Obama in the Syrian Crisis

Newsmax reported on October 13:

“President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday slammed Washington for refusing to share intelligence with Russia on Syria, and accusing it of muddled thinking… Late last month Moscow launched a bombing campaign in Syria, saying it needed to target Islamic State jihadists before they cross into Russia, which has a large Muslim population. But Washington and its allies slammed Russia’s intervention in the conflict, saying Moscow was also targeting Western-backed moderate rebels and sought to prop up the regime of Bashar al-Assad…

“Putin’s colorful phrase… comes amid deep tensions over the Russian bombing campaign and cruise-missile strikes that began Sept. 30. The EU demanded on Monday that Russia stop targeting moderate groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned that Russia’s actions ‘will have consequences’ and the bombing ‘will only inflame’ Syria’s four-year civil war…

“U.S. air drops of weapons and ammunition intended for the Syrian Free Army, which is fighting Assad’s regime, could end up in the hands of Islamic State instead, Putin said…”

Obama’s Training Program in Syria Failed

Breitbart reported on September 29:

“The Obama administration has thrown in the towel on a plan to spend $500 million on training ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels to fight ISIS, al-Qaeda, and the regime of Bashar Assad. CBS News reports the program has been quietly ‘suspended’… The program was beginning to draw bitter opposition from Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut… Hillary Clinton has been criticizing President Obama’s Syria strategy as well, claiming that he ignored her advice to build a far more powerful ‘moderate’ rebel force much earlier….

“The first wave of ‘New Syrian Force’ fighters was ambushed by al-Qaeda and wiped out, with many of them killed, kidnapped, or MIA. No one at the Pentagon seems to know what happened to the second wave after they handed American vehicles and ammunition over to al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front in exchange for safe passage. The Russians seem to have a pretty good idea what happened to that second wave, though. ‘First, they are armed and trained, and then they defect,’ President Vladimir Putin said at the United Nations…

“Putin threw some even tougher punches at the mess Obama has made of the Middle East in his U.N. address. Here is the relevant section in its entirety: ‘It is now obvious that the power vacuum created in some countries of the Middle East and North Africa led to the emergence of anarchy areas. Those immediately started to be filled with extremists and terrorists. Tens of thousands of militants are fighting under the banners of the so-called ‘Islamic State.’ Its ranks include former Iraqi servicemen who were thrown out into the street after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Many recruits also come from Libya, a country whose statehood was destroyed as a gross violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973…’

“The New Syrian Force fiasco is a major Obama blunder, part and parcel of the disastrous foreign policy he tried to spin as a success at the United Nations… It turned into the biggest disaster since Jimmy Carter sent helicopters into the Iranian desert. Russia and others looking to redefine the Middle East will use this debacle not just to embarrass the United States, but to persuade anyone considering an alliance with America instead of Russia and Iran to reconsider.”

Syria is developing into a battle field of the big powers, and it is again America turning out to be the big loser.

Germany’s Foolish Attempts to Deal with the Migrant Crisis

The Daily Mail wrote on October 1:

“A German woman is being booted out of her home of 23 years to make room for migrants. Gabrielle Keller is the second such case to emerge in the country as it struggles to cope with an expected influx of some 800,000 refugees… The local municipality has given Mrs Keller until the end of the year to leave her flat in the southern town of Eschbach. Mario Schlafke, the town’s mayor, says the authorities had no choice… ‘’The alternative would have been to set up beds in the gym.’ … Her case comes days after it emerged that a nurse was being evicted from her home of 16 years for the same reasons.

“Yesterday, it was announced that Germany had translated the first 20 articles of the country’s constitution outlining basic rights like freedom of speech into Arabic for refugees to help them integrate.

“Germany’s open-door policy to migrants has sparked clashes with some eastern EU member states, in particular Hungary. It has also fuelled tensions domestically, with riots erupting between left and right-wing hardline groups and fights breaking out among migrant groups.

“With up to 10,000 arrivals each day fuelling voters’ worries, President Joachim Gauck, who has a non-political role, hit a nerve with a speech on Sunday, saying there is a limit to how many refugees Germany can absorb. Aside from the cost and practicalities of looking after so many people – almost one per cent of Germany’s population – many voters are worried about how they will integrate into society…

“Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, also chairman of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), told Bild daily that refugees were welcome but that they have to make an effort to fit in… ‘No one is forced, when he comes to Germany, to change his religion, to alter his private life. But what is important for our culture is that the principles of our democratic society apply to everyone,’ Gabriel added. Refugees had to [learn German and] accept principles such as the division of church and state, equal rights for men and women, the right to be homosexual and freedom of expression, he said. He also pointed out that anti-Semitism is not tolerated in Germany.”

Germany’s failing migrant open-door policy will ultimately contribute to the downfall of Angela Merkel and, in time, the rise of a powerful figure to “deal” with the situation.

The EUObserver wrote on October 10 that “Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande have called on the European Union to show unity and respect the values on which it was built, but stopped short of ideas on how to tackle Europe’s problems.”

Voices asking for Merkel’s resignation become louder.

The Local reported on October 13 that “Germany’s anti-Islam party Pegida stepped up its attacks on Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, slamming her as ‘the most dangerous woman in Europe’ and demanding she resign.” It added on October 9 that “The Bavarian government is threatening to take Chancellor Angela Merkel to the country’s highest court to make her change her refugee policy… Bavarian Minister President Horst Seehofer, of the Christian Social Union (CSU)… and his cabinet demanded that refugees be sent back before they cross the Austrian-German border.”

The Local reported on October 14 that only 33 percent of Germans now agree with the chancellor’s migrant policy—“a decrease of 11 percent since approximately six weeks ago. Around 64 percent of Germans polled were found to disagree. The opinion was widely shared across all of Germany’s main political groups… The results also showed that 56 percent of people surveyed think there were already too many refugees in Germany. This [figure] has risen by 10 percent in just one month. Only… 20 percent… were found to believe that the country could still accommodate more asylum seekers.”

In addition, the current situation has manifested a quite hostile anti-Americanism within the German population, blaming the “Amis” [German short-form for Americans] for the Syrian disaster. The main culprit is former President George W. Bush, while President Obama is still somewhat exonerated for just having “inherited” the bad situation in Iraq and Syria.

Violence in Turkey

Deutsche Welle reported on October 13:

“President Erdogan of Turkey has acknowledged there were lapses in security leading up to the twin bomb blasts in Ankara this week… His remarks came as investigators in Turkey told reporters they suspected a link between the bombings and the southeastern town of Adiyaman, a known recruiting base for the ‘Islamic State’ militia (IS), which has a strong presence in Syria.”

Violence in Israel—a Third Intifada?

JTA wrote on October 13:

“Israelis have become accustomed to dismal news in the past few weeks – mornings and evenings punctuated by stabbings, car attacks and rock throwing. The cycle of random violence has left dozens of Israelis and Palestinians dead, and many fearing the worst: The start of a third intifada, or armed Palestinian uprising, that could claim hundreds more lives…

“Palestinian society as a whole appears to support violence against Israelis. A poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey research last week found that 57 percent of Palestinians support a return to an armed intifada, an increase of 8 percent from earlier this year. Half believe the P.A. has a mandate to stop security coordination with Israel, and two-thirds want Abbas to resign…”

The current violence in Israel will continue. News of Israel reported on October 14 that “Israel deploys hundreds of soldiers in Jerusalem,” describing “Army units to bolster security amid wave of terror attacks” and continuing that “police begin setting up checkpoints in city’s eastern neighborhoods.”

As the next article shows, the violence will culminate in an unparalleled upheaval.

Precise Location of the Two Temples

JTA wrote on October 11, 2015

“The New York Times walked back an article that questioned whether two Jewish temples ever existed on the site of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The article, written by Rick Gladstone, a Times foreign editor, originally published on Oct. 8, read: ‘The question, which many books and scholarly treatises have never definitively answered, is whether the 37-acre site, home to Islam’s sacred Dome of the Rock shrine and Al Aqsa Mosque, was also the precise location of two ancient Jewish temples, one built on the remains of the other, and both long since gone.’

“The article was amended the following day and a correction published in the newspaper. The correction stated: ‘An earlier version of this article misstated the question that many books and scholarly treatises have never definitively answered concerning the two ancient Jewish temples. The question is where precisely on the 37-acre Temple Mount site the temples had once stood, not whether the temples had ever existed there.’…

“The article goes on to cite substantial evidence, including the historian Flavius Josephus and historical records of the Romans documenting the destruction, that the Second Temple stood on the site, likely in the immediate vicinity of the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site for Muslims. ‘The most direct physical evidence of the temple’s existence on the site is the Western Wall, an outer wall spared by Roman destruction,’ the article said. ‘The wall has become a holy site in itself, drawing millions of Jews for prayer.’”

The Bible strongly indicates that a Third Temple will be built, prior to Christ’s return, on the precise location where the First and the Second Temples stood; that is, “in the immediate vicinity of the Dome of the Rock.” This will cause tremendous upheaval, and Europe will be “forced” to invade the region to “establish” peace.

Carson: Heading Towards “End of Days” – Clarifies “No Muslim for President” Statement

Newsmax reported on October 12:

“GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson…  a Seventh-day Adventist, was asked by host Sharyl Attkisson about his views on the biblical prophesies of the end times compared with current world events. ‘Do you think we’re at the End of Days?’ she asked. ‘You could guess that we are getting closer to that,’ Carson responded.

“But he contrasted his own end-time views with those of some Islamic extremists in the Middle East who believe they must take actions to set up a caliphate in order to usher in the prophesies of the Quran… ‘I think we have a chance to certainly do everything that we can to ameliorate the situation.’ Carson said. ‘I would always be shooting for peace. You know, I wouldn’t just take a fatalistic view of things.’

“Carson came under fire for saying… September 20 that he doesn’t think a Muslim should be president. He has since said he meant that any Muslim president would have to put the Constitution over Muslim teachings, as would any Christian president.”

Ben Carson is apologizing and “clarifying” too much. He did so regarding homosexuals and now regarding a Muslim President. What he originally said was clear. Newsmax reported on September 20:

“Ben Carson is unfit to be president for his statement Sunday that Islam is inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution, said his fellow GOP candidate Lindsey Graham… Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations told the Washington Examiner called on Carson to withdraw from the presidential race… Carson expressed opposition to a Muslim being elected president, though he said he had no problem with Muslims being elected to Congress…

“Pamela Geller, the activist who has created controversy with anti-Islamic advertising on mass transit and her Draw Mohammad cartoon contest, praised Carson’s words, saying on her website, ‘Ben Carson is right. Electing a Muslim president would be dangerous.’ Pointing to President Barack Obama, Geller said, ‘He claims he is a Christian, but his father and his stepfather were Muslims and he was raised in a Muslim country. He went to an Islamic school and excelled in Qur’an classes while growing up in Jakarta. Because of his upbringing he is islamophiliac, and his foreign and domestic policies reflect this,’ she said.”

Carson should not have apologized. He was right to say that a Muslim would be unqualified to be President. However, he should have continued that a Jew and a Christian are also unqualified; that, in fact, nobody is qualified to preside over this nation—or any nation, for that matter. It will require the return of Jesus Christ to change this, and ONLY Jesus Christ and those whom HE appoints will be qualified in the eyes of God.

Donald Trump Next US President?

Newsmax reported on October 12:

“Veteran newsman Dan Rather says Donald Trump could be headed to the White House. ‘I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility he gets elected,’ Rather, former ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent and ‘CBS Evening News’ anchor [said]…

“But Rather believes Trump must provide many more details on his ambitious policies… ‘So I think the key question is give me the names of specific people that you will call upon for foreign policy.’ As well, Rather said, he needs to expand on his idea of ridding the United States of all illegal immigrants. ‘He wants to send all of them back to Mexico and other places … but how specifically does he intend to do that? With 10, 12 million people, how’s he going to find them?’

“Rather said one part of Trump’s popularity is his financial independence…”

Obama said on 60 Minutes that Trump will NOT succeed him in office. We will see who is right… Rather or Obama.

 In addition, largely due to the unfavorable reporting in the German press, Trump is completely rejected by Germans, and IF he were to become President, the relationship between Germany and the USA would deteriorate even more rapidly. Trump is being portrayed and viewed as a great danger to German and European interests. On the other hand, note Trump’s comments to high school students, as reported on September 20 by The Associated Press:

“Donald Trump’s advice for high school students in suburban Des Moines, Iowa, is uncharacteristically wholesome: Avoid alcohol and drugs as well as cigarettes. The billionaire businessman and Republican presidential candidate is also encouraging the teens to follow their hearts and do something they love, even if it means making less money.”

The First Democratic Debate… And the Winner Is: Donald Trump

Breitbart wrote on October 14:

“While Tuesday night’s CNN political debate was intended as an opportunity for one of the Democrat Party presidential hopefuls to separate him or herself from the rest of the pack, the best line of the night came from a man who was not even in the room with the debaters nor in the same party. In effect, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump stole the show with a perfectly-timed tweet explaining that Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee spent their night talking about all the free stuff they were going to give away–including ObamaCare benefits and tuition breaks for illegal immigrants–without once mentioning what they would do to make conditions better for U.S. military veterans.

“Amid the Obama administration’s Veterans Affairs (VA) scandal, the punishment for secret waiting lists–which have left veterans dying while the government they served denied them medical care–has been scant, and the agency has seen no substantial reforms. Trump has made veterans’ care a major talking point in his stump speeches… So Trump tweeted: ‘Notice that illegal immigrants will be given ObamaCare and free college tuition but nothing has been mentioned about our VETERANS #DemDebate.’ It was the best line of the night by far.

“The billionaire also overshadowed Democrats in social media engagement. Time declared that Trump ‘won Twitter’ during the debate, based on data saying he picked up 60,000 new followers–about 4 times as many as Clinton. Trump’s tweet at the time of this writing has nearly 11,000 retweets and 17,000 favorites, while Clinton’s biggest tweet of the night only reached 3,300 retweets and 4,800 favorites.”

According to the Washington Post, another note-worthy tweet came from former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee who wrote:  “They believe climate change is a greater threat than Islamic extremism, that a sunburn is worse than a beheading. It’s nonsense.”

While “political experts” are divided as to the Democrat who won the Debate (most feel that it was Clinton), according to a poll published by Time.com and quoted by Bild Online, 62% favored Sanders, a self-declared independent Democratic socialist, while only 12% felt that Clinton had won. According to other polls, Sanders was leading by up to 70%. Deutsche Welle wrote that “Sanders has succeeded in pushing the debate to the left.”

Franklin Graham—The Senate Is Full of Hypocrites

Newsmax reported on September 26:

“‘The hypocrisy of our Senate never ceases to amaze me,’ the evangelist [Franklin Graham] said… ‘They welcomed Pope Francis into their chambers with a standing ovation and then within hours they voted down the bill to ‪defund Planned Parenthood, an organization that not only murders innocent children in their mothers’ wombs but is also guilty of selling body parts from these babies.’…

“Americans must call abortion ‘what it is — murder; and we need lawmakers and leaders who are brave enough to stand and fight for human life,’ he wrote…

“On Thursday, Senate Democrats, joined by some Republicans, blocked efforts to deny federal funds for the women’s healthcare group, making a move to help avoid a government shutdown over the issue on Oct. 1.  Most Senate Republicans had supported the plan to attach the Planned Parenthood defunding to a bill keeping government operating with the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, but 42 Democrats, two independents and eight Republicans banded together to stop the anti-abortion effort. That marked 11 more votes than the 41 needed to block the legislation.”

In Tuesday’s Democratic Debate, Clinton again strongly supported Planned Parenthood.

Pope Apologizes for Recent Sex Scandals

Reuters reported on October 4:

“Pope Francis asked for forgiveness on Wednesday for scandals at the Vatican and in Rome, an apparent reference to two cases of priests and gay sex revealed this month during a major meeting of bishops. ‘Today … in the name of the Church, I ask you for forgiveness for the scandals that have occurred recently either in Rome or in the Vatican,’ Francis said in unprepared remarks during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

“… there have been two scandals involving the Vatican and the Church in Rome in the past two weeks. On Oct. 3, a Polish monsignor working in the Vatican’s doctrinal office since 2003 held a packed news conference in which he disclosed that he was gay and had been living with another man for years. The Vatican dismissed Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa, a theologian, from his job there as well as from teaching assignments in pontifical universities in Rome.

“A spokesman said at the time that Charamsa’s high-profile coming out on the eve of a meeting of world bishops at the Vatican was ‘grave and irresponsible’. It accused him of trying to exert ‘undue media pressure’ on the bishops’ debate on family issues, including the Church’s position on gays…

“The pope also appeared to be referring to a scandal exposed in the Italian media last week about an order of priests who run a parish in a well-to-do neighborhood in Rome. Parishioners in the Santa Teresa d’Avila parish wrote to local Church officials alleging that a clergyman there had had encounters with ‘vulnerable adults’. Newspapers said these took place in an adjacent park often frequented by male prostitutes.

“According to the letter published in the media, parishioners said they had assembled evidence about the clergyman’s illicit activities and were furious to discover he had been transferred to another part of Italy instead of being disciplined.

“Since his election in 2013, the pope has asked forgiveness for sexual abuse of the children by the clergy and for the Church’s treatment of Protestants and indigenous people in the course of its history.”

Apart from “apologies,” what is the Catholic Church doing about the issue?

American Economy Heading for Disaster

 Newsmax wrote on October 14:

“GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump warned that the current stock-market bubble will eventually pop and plunge the nation into another recession. Trump accused Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen of keeping interest rates low in order to shield President Obama from having to leave office during a recession… But don’t be fooled, Trump warns. The nation is on a path to financial disaster…

“Other prominent economic experts agree with Trump and say the government is to blame for placing the U.S. economy in the fast lane to disaster. Newsmax Finance Insider Stephen Moore says that Washington doesn’t understand what went wrong in 2007 and 2008, so the Fed, the White House and Congress are recreating the very same conditions for another financial bubble…”

Proposed Amended US Copyright Law Would Destroy News Sites

Daily Caller wrote on October 13:

“Congress may update digital copyright law affecting aggregator sites, like the Drudge Report and Real Clear Politics, along with news sites in the near future… Drudge Report site owner Matt Drudge told Alex Jones of InfoWars last week that copyright laws could very well end his popular site. ‘I had a Supreme Court Justice tell me it’s over for me,’ said Drudge. ‘They’ve got the votes now to enforce copyright law, you’re out of there. They’re going to make it so you can’t even use headlines.’

“He explained, ‘To have a Supreme Court Justice say to me it’s over, they’ve got the votes, which means time is limited,’ he added, noting that a day was coming when simply operating an independent website could be outlawed. That will end [it] for me…’ said Drudge, adding that web users were being pushed into the cyber ‘ghettos’ of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.”

Such a new law would not be surprising, giving the continuing governmental effort to restrict and violate personal liberties and freedoms.

House Rejects Iran Deal in a Symbolic Vote

Newsmax and Reuters reported on September 11:

“House Republicans Friday slammed the Iran nuclear deal after they voted it down… saying the deal would empower the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism and endanger the future of both the United States and Israel… lawmakers voted 269-162 to oppose the deal. No Republicans backed the accord, while 25 Democrats broke with Obama to reject it… [The number of votes, even though constituting a majority, were not enough to kill the deal or even send the House’s objections to President Obama for his anticipated veto.]

“Ohio Rep. Mike Turner said that he was ‘perplexed as to how any member of Congress can vote in good faith knowing there are secret side agreements to this deal. The president is seeking approval of a deal that largely remains hidden from the public.’…

“Besides voting to reject the deal, the House also approved another resolution that would prevent Obama from releasing billions of dollars that had been held up through five years of crippling sanctions.

“The votes, though considered largely symbolic, were part of an effort by Republicans to underscore their objections despite a Democratic move on Thursday in the Senate that blocked a GOP-led effort to kill the deal by passing a resolution of disapproval.

“‘I am encouraged that House Republicans and principled Democrats voted against approval of the deal and to pass other measures requiring the president to provide information regarding every aspect of the deal negotiated with Iran,” said Oklahoma GOP Rep. Tom Cole. ‘If this deal is implemented, it will almost certainly lead to a nuclear-capable Iran in the near future,’ he added. ‘While the president insists on trusting this dangerous state sponsor of terrorism, he is recklessly jeopardizing the safety and security of America and our allies.’”

Democrats Block Republicans’ Attempt to Sink Iran Deal

The Times of Israel wrote on September 17:

“Senate Democrats foil latest GOP attempt to sink Iran deal. Amendment to keep sanctions unless Tehran recognizes Israel and releases US hostages falls 53-45 on [the] final day to shoot down [the] deal…

“Senate Democrats have turned back the latest GOP effort to undermine the Iran nuclear deal Thursday. Democrats blocked a measure aimed at maintaining sanctions unless Iran recognizes Israel and releases American hostages. The vote was 53-45, short of the 60 votes needed to advance to a final vote. Two previous votes against the Iran deal have resulted in similar outcomes.

“Thursday’s vote saw Democrats even more united, as several who oppose the Iran deal nonetheless voted with their party, rejecting GOP majority attempts to use the issue to political advantage… Thursday is the deadline for Congress to vote against the deal, meaning the measure will likely go into effect next month.”

No Business for US Companies with Iran

Deutsche Welle reported on September 11:

“President Obama’s victory in Congress finally clears the path for his Iran deal. While the nuclear agreement with Tehran could be a boon for European and Asian businesses, US companies will be left in the cold…

“The main feature of the nuclear agreement is that the US and Europe will lift most of its economic sanctions against Tehran. That means that on implementation day – when the IAEA issues an official report verifying that Iran has complied with all its obligations under the arrangement, probably in the second quarter of 2016 – Iran will regain access to the international financial system.

“Tehran will then be able to sell oil again and its blocked funds abroad will be unfrozen. Iran will also be able to engage in trade relationships and sign contracts with foreign entities again – with the exception of American businesses… ‘US companies will remain off limits during the duration of this deal,’ said Elizabeth Rosenberg, a former senior sanctions adviser in the Obama administration’s Treasury Department. ‘The US embargo that prevents US people and companies from doing business in Iran remains basically in place.’

“The reason why American firms will be essentially locked out from doing business with Iran with some exceptions like sales of commercial passenger airplanes is that the US sanctions regime vis-à-vis Tehran is far broader and dates back much further than that of Europe. ‘The US really has two kinds of sanctions in place,’ explained Christopher R. Wall, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration under George W. Bush. Back in the 1990s Washington began to impose various restrictions against Tehran. These direct sanctions penalized American companies for dealing with Iran.

“Then around 2010 the United States started a second round of sanctions, this time aimed at non-US companies engaging in business with Iran, so called secondary sanctions. As part of the Iran deal, the US has agreed to lift those secondary sanctions. ‘However, the direct sanctions will stay in place for the US companies,’ said Wall… ‘And that means that US companies will not be able to engage in business with Iran because they would be violating US regulations’… ‘It will be European and Asian companies and others that will have the ability to expand trade and investment with Iran,’ noted Rosenberg…”

Iran Deal—Real Danger for America

The Times of Israel wrote on September 13:

“The majority of Americans oppose the deal. But deep down… Americans do not feel that a nuclear Iran poses a direct threat to them. After all, the United States is more than 6,000 miles away, with the strongest military in the world. But Americans haven’t been informed of the danger that… is more real.

“Until now, nuclear weapons have been in the hands of governments. Even when those governments are evil to the core, wreaking havoc on the world — as was the case in the former Soviet Union, and is now the case with Russia and North Korea — they still seemed to understand the consequences — both for their own countries and the world — if they ever unleashed their nuclear power.

“Iran, however, is in a different class. Its government is inextricably bound to terrorism, to the belief that terror can change the global balance of power. And so, if this deal will lead to Iran becoming a nuclear power, the danger is not limited to Iran’s using part of the more than $100 billion it will receive after the removal of sanctions to fund conventional terror. The real danger is that Iran will willingly give Hezbollah and other terrorist proxies the capability to carry miniaturized nuclear weapons in backpacks and around their waists.

“So far, only the United States and Russia are known to have miniaturized nuclear weapons so small that they could fit into a backpack. In time, with billions more in its coffers, it’s likely that Iran will be able to do the same… Just imagine if the terrorists at the Boston Marathon were armed with small nuclear weapons. Imagine if the planes that hit the Twin Towers or the terrorists who murdered and maimed in London, Paris, Madrid, Sydney, Tel Aviv and Kenya (the list goes on) were not only suicide bombers, but nuclear suicide bombers.

“Americans must understand that the deal with Iran cannot be separated from Iran’s clear intentions to destroy America. Iran may not be able to hit our cities from its mainland, but it will be perfectly capable of supplying terrorists with small nuclear weapons. Chances are, some will attempt to infiltrate our subways, shopping malls and industrial centers. Conventional terrorist bombs scatter nails and explosives that can kill scores. A nuclear terrorist bomb can murder many, many thousands…”

Iran’s Unexpectedly High Uranium Reserve

Reuters reported on September 12:

“Iran has discovered an unexpectedly high reserve of uranium and will soon begin extracting the radioactive element at a new mine, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Saturday. The comments cast doubt on previous assessments from some Western analysts who said the country had a low supply and sooner or later would need to import uranium, the raw material needed for its nuclear program…

“After decades of effort, Iran… has achieved a full nuclear fuel cycle, ranging from the extraction of uranium ore to enrichment and production of fuel rods for nuclear reactors. Sanctions on companies taking part in Iran’s uranium mining industry will be lifted when the agreement is implemented…”

The Vatican’s Pro-Iran and Anti-Israel Position

Breitbart wrote on September 15:

“The Vatican released a statement Tuesday officially welcoming the nuclear agreement between the P5+1 world powers (U.S., UK, China, France, Russia, Germany) and Iran, stating that the Holy See believes Tehran will reduce its nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. In calling for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, the Vatican also appeared to target Israel, given that it is the lone nuclear power in the region.

“The Vatican ‘values positively this agreement because it considers that the way to resolve disputes and difficulties should always be that of dialogue and negotiation,’ Archbishop Paul Gallagher said in a statement… Gallagher also appeared to single out Israel in calling for ‘the establishment of zones free of nuclear weapons … especially in the Middle East’…

“The news about the Vatican’s pro-Iran deal position comes as Pope Francis is set to visit Washington, D.C., on September 22. He will then be welcomed to the White House by President Obama on the 23rd. On the 24th, he is set to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.”

Either the Vatican is totally naïve, or its stated position reflects a complete anti-Israeli bias.

Obama Provokes Francis

Breitbart wrote on September 16:

“President Obama will apparently test just how far Pope Francis’ notorious tolerance will go by inviting a rogue’s gallery of people opposed to Catholic teaching to greet the pontiff at the White House during his visit next week. In a stunning show of political indecorum, Obama has invited a series of individuals who publicly flout Catholic teaching, including a pro-abortion religious sister, a transgender woman and the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, along with at least two Catholic gay activists.

“The White House was illuminated in gay pride colors on June 26, 2015, after the Supreme Court legalized gay same-sex marriage. One of the invitees, retired Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson, made history by becoming the first openly gay episcopal bishop in 2003 and subsequently the first to divorce his gay partner in 2014, after having previously separated from his wife of 14 years. He has attended a number of religious events with the Obama administration, offering a prayer at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009 and taking part in the 2014 National Prayer Breakfast…

“Though Pope Francis has said that he doesn’t believe in judging persons and is ready to welcome anyone in Christ’s name, he has also said that Catholics do not accept the modern mentality of transgenderism and once said that gay marriage is the devil’s ‘attempt to destroy God’s plan’… Earlier this month, the Vatican officially prohibited transgender persons from being baptismal godparents posing as the opposite sex from which they were born…”

The Pope’s Political Activities Around the World

On September 17, the website of “Indiaeveryday.in” published the following preview of an article from TIME magazine, titled, “Pope Francis and the New Roman Empire,” to be officially released on September 28, 2015. The title is somewhat misleading, as the article does not address at all the “New Roman Empire” (commonly understood as a revival of the ancient Holy Roman Empire as a religious and political union, which is prophesied to occur in Europe), but it makes interesting reading in pointing out the influential role which the pope is playing on the world scene… and behind closed doors:

“… when Obama and Castro sealed the historic deal by telephone on Dec. 16, 2014, they found common ground expressing their gratitude to the Pope… Francis’ popularity as a religious figure in the U.S. gave Obama cover as he cut a deal with godless communists across the Straits of Florida, while the Pope’s credibility as a Latin American shielded Castro as he got in bed with Yankee capitalists…

“Nearly a year after Ortega’s visit, Francis… credited divine inspiration for his own part in the talks’ successful outcome…  the Pope is making the Holy See a player in the most pressing global issues in a way unseen since the early days of Pope John Paul II. From the outset of his papacy he has drawn attention to the Mediterranean migrant crisis… he routinely speaks out about the persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq as he pushes for action to end the wars there.

“He praised the controversial nuclear deal between Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers. His 180-page encyclical on the environment has been called ‘radical’ by one prominent environmentalist and has helped make Francis a perceived front runner for the Nobel Peace Prize. And the State Department has asked the Vatican for help on relocating prisoners from the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, so that it can be closed… Secretary of State John Kerry ‘early on saw Francis as a potentially activist foreign policy Pope,’ says one senior State official…

“Francis’ strategy is bold, both on the world stage and within the Vatican. First, he is injecting himself into high-level diplomacy by taking controversial positions on the biggest issues of the day. His climate encyclical–timed to precede the upcoming U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Paris–pleased backers of aggressive action against global warming but worried conservatives… its language was confrontational…

“In the Middle East, the Pope has alternately pleased and disappointed all sides. His push for the Iran nuclear deal bolstered the White House but angered Israel. The Vatican recognized Palestinian statehood in June, infuriating Jerusalem, but chose not to support Palestinians’ effort to raise their flag at the U.N. before the Pope’s visit there this month… Francis’ willingness to weigh in on hot-button issues is bolstered by his popularity around the world…

“In the U.S., Francis’ approval dropped to 59% over the summer as many came to oppose the positions he has taken. While Obama and many Democrats praised the Pope’s climate encyclical, others, like GOP presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum, said he was in over his head… Within the Vatican itself, there are also some signs of dissent…

“One of the Vatican’s biggest diplomatic prizes, formal relations with China, remains out of reach, but there are signs Francis may be making progress… Chinese state television reported favorably on the Pope’s condolences after the chemical-plant explosion in Tianjin in August. China allowed the ordination of a Roman Catholic bishop in a diocese in central China in early August–the first to take place with the Vatican’s approval since 2012…”

Merkel Under Attack

The Financial Times wrote on September 11:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country has come under fierce attack from rightwing critics in her own ruling coalition, in a sign of growing conservative resistance to her liberal approach… in an unusually direct assault on the government, leading members of the Bavaria-based Christian Social Union, sister party to Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats, criticised the chancellor’s decision to relax the rules for Syrian asylum-seekers looking to settle in Germany…

“They were speaking as Frank-Walter Steinmeier, foreign minister, was due to fly to Prague for a key meeting with his counterparts from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary — the four countries most opposed to EU plans to redistribute the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have arrived in Italy, Greece and Hungary this year… Hans-Peter Friedrich, a former CSU interior minister, said in a press interview on Friday that giving free access for migrants massed in Hungary into Germany was ‘an unprecedented political mistake’ which would have ‘devastating consequences’…

“Horst Seehofer, CSU leader, said Ms Merkel’s decision was a mistake. He told Spiegel magazine: ‘It was a mistake that will occupy us for a long time yet. I see no possibility of putting the stopper back into the bottle.’…

“The CSU is likely to stay on the offensive; it has long called for more restrictive immigration rules for migrants coming from both within and beyond the EU. Mr Seehofer earlier this week said the government had taken ‘the wrong decision’ over Syrian refugees and warned it to pay attention to the ‘concerns and fears of the population’ if it wanted to prevent the rise of the far right.”

Germany Calls in the Army

Express wrote on September 11:

“Merkel calls in the army: ‘Generous’ Germany faces migrant chaos as troops put on alert. Germany has put 4,000 troops on standby as the country buckles under the pressure of the record-breaking number of migrants arriving in the country.

“[German] Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said: ‘For this weekend alone we have put 4,000 soldiers on standby.’ [She] added that the troops would be able ‘to pitch in in an emergency’…

“On Wednesday, the leading conservative newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung wondered if the ‘heterogenous crowds’ could really be transformed into ‘constitutionally loyal’ citizens and taxpayers. Saudi Arabia have controversially offered to help Germany cope by building at least 200 mosques. The rich Gulf state said it would build one mosque for every 100 Middle Eastern refugees who entered Germany.

“The German army order follows a move by the Hungarian parliament to pass laws to allow its forces to use rubber bullets and tear gas on migrants… Janos Lazar, chief of the Hungarian cabinet, admitted that the possibility of terrorism is growing in Hungary following the refugee crisis.

“The decision means that thousands of armed soldiers will be assembled across the Hungarian border with Serbia. Prisoners have also been drafted in to build 10km of 13ft fencing every day.”

Germany Has Reached Its Limit

The Local wrote on September 13:

“Germany’s transport minister on Sunday… called for measures to halt a record migrant influx that has seen the infrastructure of the southern city of Munich buckling. Dobrindt, who is a member of the Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Bavarian allies CSU, warned that the country ‘has reached its limit of capacity’, a day after 12,200 more refugees reached Munich — a key arrival point… The president of the Upper Bavaria region, Christoph Hillenbrand said he did not know ‘how we can cope’, according to the Bild am Sonntag tabloid which headlined its article ‘Munich at the brink of collapse’.”

USA Today added on September 12:

“German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) said Saturday that ‘Germany sees itself in a situation where we are reaching limits,’ news agency dpa reported. He added that ‘the speed is almost more problematic than the number.’”

Germany Is Reinstating Borders

The Local wrote on September 13:

“Germany is reinstating controls at its border with Austria as Europe’s top economy struggles to cope with a record influx of refugees… Passport checks had been abolished for countries within Europe’s Schengen zone, but… [by] reinstating controls, Berlin is seeking to buy time to cope with the influx, according to news magazine the Spiegel.

“Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt had issued a statement earlier Sunday saying that ‘effective measures are necessary now to stop the influx… That includes help for countries from where refugees are fleeing and also includes an effective control of our own borders which also no longer works given the EU’s complete failure to protect its external borders,’ he said.”

Deutsche Welle added on September 13:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised Germany’s decision to reintroduce border controls in comments made to German periodical ‘Bild’… ‘We have great understanding for Germany’s decision and we’d like to express our solidarity,’ Orban said. ‘We understand that this decision was necessary in order to defend Germany’s and Europe’s values,’ Orban added…

“The EU has said that Germany’s reintroduction of controls on its border with Austria due to the arrival of thousands of refugees ‘appears to be a situation covered by the rules.’ ‘The temporary reintroduction of border controls between Member States is an exceptional possibility explicitly foreseen in and regulated by the Schengen Borders Code, in case of a crisis situation,’ the EU said in a statement…

“The Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Milan Chovanec said it will also increase controls on its border with Austria in response to the refugee influx, moments after Germany made a similar announcement…”

In the meantime, Hungary has closed its borders completely and begun to conduct mass arrests of those who still tried to come into the country.

European Pro- and Anti-Migrant Rallies

 The website of samaa.tv reported on September 12:

“Thousands of people joined anti-migrant protests in three eastern European capitals on Saturday… In the Polish capital Warsaw, nearly 5,000 people, many chanting anti-Islamic slogans, marched through the city… ‘Islam will be the death of Europe’, one of the banners said. ‘We’re here so that the government hears our voice and abandons any plans to welcome Muslims,’ shouted one of the organisers after starting the march with prayers which identified the participants as Roman Catholics. Members of far-right fringe parties and football supporters chanted ‘Poles against migrants’ and ‘Migrants today, terrorists tomorrow’.

“Another thousand or so joined a ‘Welcome refugees’ rally in favour of hosting migrants in Poland, a strongly Catholic EU member state which has a population of 38 million and has seen hardly any newcomers arriving… ‘I became a refugee when I had to flee Warsaw as the Germans invaded during the war,’ 80-year-old Danuta Chomiak told AFP as she marched with the crowd. ‘I have a duty to be here today.’…

“All poorer members of the EU, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic on Friday ruled out accepting refugees under a compulsory quota system outlined by the European Commission, rejecting German pleas for European solidarity in tackling the crisis.”

Coming–A European Army

Express wrote on September 14:

“Merkel is pressuring Cameron to drop his opposition against an EU army… The Prime Minister is to be told that Germany would support his bid to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s EU membership if he accepts moves to create a European military force… Mr Cameron has resisted plans for a Brussels-led military force because of the possible impact on Nato…

“It emerged yesterday that policy officials in Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party had drawn up a 10-point plan for EU military cooperation… European federalists have dreamed of a united European army for more than 60 years. But successive British governments have resisted the notion…”

Germany’s Failed Migrant Policy

Breitbart wrote on September 15:

“Germany’s recent, surprise announcement of renewed border controls seems a direct consequence of its ill-fated decision to throw open its gates to all Syrians, a policy that has been fraught with problems from the outset. Since Syrians enjoy a privileged status, suddenly everyone applying for asylum turns out to be Syrian.

“In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Minister of the Interior of the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lorenz Caffier, confirmed suspicions about the origin of many supposed Syrian refugees. ‘At least a quarter of those refugees allegedly coming from Syria are not from Syria, but from other Arab or African countries,’ said Caffier.

“Caffier’s statement echoes the experience of Rainer Wendt, head of the German Police Union: ‘Almost without exception, every refugee pretends to be a Syrian when in fact, many come from other countries, even from sub-Saharan Africa,’ he said. ‘All present themselves as Syrians,’ said a police officer stationed in Bavaria to Spiegel Online, ‘even if they are obviously black Africans.’

“The discovery echoes comments made by the chief of the European border force FRONTEX, who said last week, ‘A lot of people get into Turkey [with] Syrian fake papers, because they know that they’ll get easier asylum in the EU… People who use these fake passports, speak mostly Arabic. They come from North Africa, the Middle East, but are economic refugees’.

“Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has criticised the European policy of open doors to ‘alleged-Syrian refugees’… ‘Many Europeans have also forgotten the lessons of 9/11 as they allow waves of alleged Syrians refugees to stream across their borders and denounce anyone who questions it as being intolerant,’ declared Huckabee. ‘Even as some of the newcomers were attacking and cursing police, throwing bottles, and shouting “Allahu akbar.”’…”

Chaos in Hungary

Breitbart wrote on September 16:

“Hungarian police have opened fire with tear gas against 1500 rioting migrants who are attempting to break through the country’s border fence. Migrants have been chanting ‘Allah hu Akbar’ while pelting police officers with missiles including ‘really big rocks’, bottles, and even food, leading to the crack down. The news follows Hungary’s state of emergency declared yesterday.

“The Hungarian crack down followed the suspension of the Schengen free movement area by Germany and Austria this weekend… Reuters reports that Serbia says it has been informed by Hungary that the Roszke-Horgos border crossing will be closed for the next 30 days, and that Hungarian humvees with mounted guns are moving towards the Serbia border.

“There are reports that some migrants have managed to break through the border fence, and Hungarian police have begun to use the water cannon to deter the rioting migrants, dozens of whom are climbing onto local buildings, hurling rocks at the border police, while others find more ammunition and keep a constantly supply going…

“In the past few days Hungary has begun construction on another border fence, this time on its Romanian border, and has positioned military vehicles along its border to scare off migrants…”

More Chaos in Europe 

Reuters reported on September 17:

‘Helmeted riot police tried to control growing crowds of migrants at a Croatian border town on Thursday, as migrants crossing from Serbia jostled to board buses headed into Croatia… Long queues formed for buses bound for migrant reception centers elsewhere in Croatia.

“Over 100 riot police officers were deployed to control the crowds and keep them back from railway tracks. More than 6,000 migrants have entered Croatia from Serbia since Wednesday morning, after Hungary sealed its southern frontier with Serbia.”

ISIS Terrorists Enter Europe as “Migrants”

The Daily Mail reported on September 17:

“ISIS fighters and economic migrants are able to buy Syrian identity documents that allow them to hide among refugees travelling to Europe with frightening ease, an investigation by MailOnline can reveal. Our reporter was able to buy a Syrian passport, identity card and driving licence from a fraudster in a Turkish border town this week. The genuine documents were stolen from Syria when they were blank. The forger added our reporter’s picture and gave him the identity of a Syrian man from Aleppo killed last year. The documents, on sale for around $2,000, would help an asylum claim in Europe.

“The forger who sold us the papers, said that they are being used by ISIS fanatics to travel undetected across borders into Europe hidden among tens of thousands of genuine refugees fleeing the terror and destruction. Once in Europe they can set up sleeper cells… The revelation comes as Lebanon warned two in every 100 Syrian migrants smuggled into Europe are ISIS-trained fanatics, with most travelling overland through Turkey to Greece.”

It’s America’s Fault

The Washington Post wrote on September 11:

“From the squalid migrant campgrounds in Hungary to the offices of Europe’s elected officials, many… saw the swell of migrants crossing borders as evidence of a failed U.S. foreign policy. Even as President Obama declared that the country would extend asylum to 10,000 Syrians, many blamed the United States for the migration crisis that has walloped Europe.

“In Germany, it is rare that the distant reaches of the political left and right agree on anything. But they do now: The United States is at fault…

“In Britain, the crisis has renewed old arguments about the country’s commitment to the Middle East… U.S. and British commentators have criticized their nations’ policies as wishy-washy.”

“Most Extraordinary Result in Modern Political History”

The Daily Mail wrote on September 12:

“[The] new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tells thousands at refugee rally he wants peace with jihadis… [The] unassuming 66-year-old leftwinger stuns the party by winning on the first round with anti-austerity pitch…

“Jeremy Corbyn this afternoon vowed to lead the opposition to any attempt to bomb ISIS in Syria as he called for a ‘peaceful solution’ to the threat from jihadi fanatics… The Tories immediately claimed Corbyn-led Labour was now a ‘serious risk to national security’.

“In the most extraordinary result in modern political history, the 66-year-old Marxist throwback who has never run anything in his life will now take charge of the party of Keir Hardie, Clement Atlee and Tony Blair… After thanking the unions, attacking the media, and accusing the Conservatives of ‘social cleansing’, Mr Corbyn took his supporters to the Sanctuary pub in Westminster for a victory drink where they hailed former socialist firebrand Tony Benn and sang the socialist Red Flag anthem…

“Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed that ISIS must be destroyed ‘in the interests of civilisation’, insisting it must be ‘degraded and destroyed and ultimately defeated’ through military action in Syria on the scale seen in neighbouring Iraq…

“Labour is now led by the most radical leader of a mainstream party the country has ever seen…”

Jeremy Corbyn—the British Bernie Sanders?

The Washington Post added on September 12:

“Jeremy Corbyn’s stunning transformation from perennial leftist rebel to leader of Britain’s Labour Party upended British politics Saturday and delivered a striking message worldwide: At this anti-establishment moment, parties of the left are just as vulnerable to populist takeovers as parties of the right.

“The Corbyn victory represented an extraordinary rebuke to Labour’s more centrist powers-that-be, especially to former prime minister Tony Blair, who had campaigned vigorously against Corbyn and who argued that his selection would mean the party’s ‘annihilation.’ But interventions from Blair and other party heavyweights apparently did little to halt Corbyn’s momentum and may have even backfired…

“Corbyn’s rise echoes that of another senior-citizen socialist who has come out of nowhere this year to rattle his party’s center-left establishment. Like Corbyn, Sen. Bernie Sanders… has been waging a surprisingly effective insurgency in a campaign that was once thought to be unwinnable… While Sanders is still fighting uphill in his effort to outmaneuver Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Corbyn’s once-quixotic-seeming campaign ended Saturday with a landslide win. Nearly 60 percent of voters backed him over three more centrist rivals just four months after Labour suffered one of its worst-ever defeats in national elections…

“But within minutes of the results being announced, it became clear just how difficult it will be to hold Labour together. Half a dozen prominent Labour politicians announced they would not serve in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, the opposition party’s main vehicle for challenging the government’s policies.

“The Conservative Party also unleashed a stinging attack that previewed what will likely be a relentless drumbeat for as long as Corbyn remains leader of the opposition…

“But Corbyn capitalized on a widespread grass-roots backlash against the political establishment that has grown out of the wreckage of the Iraq war and the widening wealth gap since the Great Recession… He has previously called for Britain to leave NATO, favors unilateral nuclear disarmament and champions the nationalization of vast sectors of the economy, including the railways and the energy industries. He has also said that he will apologize on behalf of Labour for the Iraq invasion and that Blair could face war-crimes charges.

“In his first official act as leader, Corbyn gave an impassioned address to tens of thousands of demonstrators who thronged central London demanding that the government allow in more refugees from Syria and other conflict zones…

“Outside Britain, Corbyn’s victory was welcomed by leftist parties. Syriza, the coalition of socialists and communists that faces its own election next Sunday after a tumultuous eight months governing Greece, called the vote ‘a message of hope to the people of Europe.’ The radical left has also been on the rise in countries such as Ireland and Spain, both of which hold elections in the coming months.

“Corbyn’s victory places him in line to be the party’s candidate for prime minister in the next general election, in 2020. But he did not focus on the 2020 campaign in his victory speech, and analysts say it’s more than likely he’ll face an internal leadership challenge before that vote.

“The emergence of the radical left as a key player in European politics comes at least several years after the far right began asserting itself. In Britain, the anti-immigration U.K. Independence Party had its best-ever result in May elections, proving that voters on both ends of the spectrum are looking for alternatives to the traditional power-brokers…”

Worst Storm Ever for the State of Israel

Times of Israel wrote on September 11:

“The dense sandstorm that has blanketed Israel with thick yellowish-brown dust in recent days is the worst that the Jewish state has ever endured, the Environmental Protection Ministry said Friday. According to the ministry, the current storm, which began Tuesday, and the one experienced in February of this year have seen the highest concentration of dust particles in the air since the creation of the state in 1948, Channel 10 reported… By its second day, the massive sandstorm broke both electricity usage and air pollution records across the country…

“According to figures announced by the Israel Electric Corporation, power usage broke an all-time record as Israelis tried to keep cool — surpassing an earlier all-time high set during a heatwave last month… On Tuesday, air pollution in Jerusalem was 173 times higher than average; in the Negev, 51 times higher than average; and in the Galilee, 32 times higher than average. The ministry on Wednesday evening re-issued a warning advising Israelis against being outside for extended periods, and reminded people to avoid any excessive outdoor physical activity.”

The End of the World–More Fanciful Nonsense of Ignorant and Gullible “Christians”

Newsmax reported on September 13:

“A sizable number of Mormons in Utah are prepping for the end times, which they believe may begin this month… Several makers of survival food and gear report a huge spike in sales over the past few months. The reason is a mix of world events and prophecy from the Bible and a Mormon author who had a near death experience in 2004. The scenario is divided into seven-year periods and begins with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The stock market crashed seven years later – in 2008 – and began a seven-year period of economic uncertainty.

“It has now been seven years since then, and the preppers believe things are aligning this month for the seven years of tribulation as outlined in the biblical book of Revelation. The Jewish high holy days begin on Sunday, and Sept. 28 will have a red full moon, known as a ‘blood moon.’ Revelation also mentions the moon turning to blood. The preppers believe America will be judged for wickedness, and some believe there may be a U.N. troop invasion, technological disruptions and chaos.

“Julie Rowe, a Mormon mother of three and author of the books ‘A Greater Tomorrow: My Journey Beyond the Veil’ and ‘The Time Is Now,’ has fueled some of the speculation with prophecies she said she received after a near death experience in 2004. Rowe said she saw ‘cities of light’ with people living in tents. Some were fed heavenly manna like the ancient Israelites escaping captivity in Egypt.

“Rowe’s books have sold more than 20,000 copies each, leading The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to send out notices that her writings are not endorsed by the church. ‘Although Sister Rowe is an active member of the [LDS Church], her book is not endorsed by the church and should not be recommended to students or used as a resource in teaching them,’ church officials wrote. ‘The experiences … do not necessarily reflect church doctrine, or they may distort doctrine.’”

In fact, these “experiences”—if they were not merely human imaginations—would have nothing to do with godly revelations. The Scriptures do not teach a seven-year tribulation; rather, the Bible teaches a tribulation which will not last longer than 3 ½ years. The phenomenon of the moon turning to blood, as mentioned in Revelation, will appear AFTER the beginning of the great tribulation—not before then. Finally, the UN will NOT attack the USA, but the attack will come from a confederation of ten European countries, under the leadership of the “beast,”, who will still have to be manifested on the world scene. This attack will BEGIN the great tribulation.

When Will the Nonsense End?

Newsmax wrote on September 15:

“As the same-sex marriage debate rages in conservative states, Alabama is getting closer to its own solution: stop issuing marriage licenses altogether. A bill moving through the legislature would do just that…

“It wouldn’t force Alabamians to ‘live in sin,’ but rather would allow them to declare themselves married without having to get the approval of county officials. Instead of issuing marriage licenses, couples would simply fill out marriage contracts – be they same-sex or opposite sex – that probate judges in the state would then file in the state’s official records.”

Left-Wing Jerry Brown on Climate Change and his Accusations to Republican Visitors: “Welcome, ‘Merchants of Destruction!’”

Newsmax reported on September 15:

“As he struggles to bring under control devastating wildfires that he blames at least partly on global warming, California Governor Jerry Brown has an un- welcome message for the Republican presidential candidates gathering in his state for a debate Wednesday. ‘I would challenge these Republican presidential candidates to speak to what is certainly one of the fundamental issues of our time,’ Brown said in an interview. ‘They fancy themselves defenders of life but they actually are willing merchants of destruction. I would like to see them be honest about climate change.’

“Brown, a 77-year-old Democrat currently grappling with a series of wildfires, one of which has destroyed more than 400 homes and burned an area more than twice the size of San Francisco, said none of the 15 Republicans scheduled to appear on stage 400 miles (700 kilometers) south… has a credible plan to deal with climate change…

“Donald Trump… told CNN’s Jake Tapper… that he’s not convinced that humans are warming the planet. ‘I’m a huge believer in clean air,’ Trump said June 28 on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘I’m not a huge believer in the global-warming phenomenon.’ … Ben Carson… said believers in climate change assert it without being able to produce evidence. ‘There is no overwhelming science that the things that are going on are man- caused and not naturally caused,’ Carson said…

“Jeb Bush… has said he believes in climate change, but said there’s no scientific consensus on man’s role. ‘For the people to say the science is decided on this is really arrogant, to be honest with you,’ Bush said in New Hampshire May 20…

“Ted Cruz… dismissed global warming as a ‘pseudoscientific theory’ in a June 29 interview… and asserted that politicians are invoking it to increase their power over people’s lives.

“Marco Rubio… has consistently cast doubt on the scientific consensus of man-made climate change… In April 2015… Rubio said on CBS’ Face The Nation: ‘Humans are not responsible for climate change in the way some of these people out there are trying to make us believe’ and argued that while it’s impossible to tell what the effect of limiting carbon would be on the environment ‘I can tell you with certainty, it would have a devastating impact on our economy.’ During a campaign stop in Londonderry in late August, Rubio elaborated: ‘The climate’s been changing forever and it’s going to continue to change,’ he said. ‘But here’s the bottom line. I’m not supporting any laws that destroy our economy, make life more expensive for our people and don’t change the climate.’

“Carly Fiorina… has said that regardless of whether global warming is human-caused, a single country or state shouldn’t be forced to act on its own.

“Scott Walker… hasn’t articulated a position on the issue… Chris Christie… said he believes climate change is real and at least partly caused by humans, but he said all countries need to do their part to combat it.

“John Kasich… has said that while he believes there is climate change, he’s not convinced about how much human activity is responsible…

“Mike Huckabee… has said climate science is ‘not settled.’

“Rand Paul… voted to endorse the idea that climate change is real and at least partly human-caused as part of an amendment to a bill in January regarding the Keystone XL oil pipeline. But Paul has said he’s skeptical of government action to address climate change.”

Trump Unstoppable?

Newsmax reported on September 17:

“The GOP presidential debate winner Wednesday night was dominant front-runner Donald Trump, a Newsmax Poll finds. In early results from a poll of Newsmax TV viewers, the billionaire businessman logged 46  percent support, while former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina came in second, with 20 percent. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came in third with 9 percent.

“Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who’s been surging in national polls since his first debate appearance on Aug. 6 — and pulled into a virtual tie with Trump…— didn’t fare as well with Newsmax TV viewers, logging only 9 percent. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in just over 5 percent. Gov. Jeb Bush [only reached] 1.45%.”

According to the Drudge Report’s poll, Trump came in first with 52%, followed by Fiorina with 22% and both Cruz and Rubio with 6%. Carson and Paul reached 4%, and Bush only 1%.

Breitbart added on September 17:

“Regardless of how well you think Republican frontrunner Donald Trump performed at Wednesday night’s CNN debate, there is no question he is generating unprecedented interest and excitement. Last night CNN earned its highest ratings ever…”

Wealthiest Muslim Countries Refuse to Take in Syrian Refugees

Breitbart reported on September 5:

“Five of the wealthiest Muslim countries have taken no Syrian refugees in at all, arguing that doing so would open them up to the risk of terrorism. Although the oil rich countries have handed over aid money, Britain has donated more than Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar combined.

“Between 10 and 12 million Syrians have been displaced by the bloody civil war raging in their country. Most still remain within Syria’s borders, but around four million have fled over the borders into neighbouring countries, mostly Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, and beyond.

“Lebanon, which has 1.1 million Syrian refugees, shut her borders to the Syrians in June of last year. Jordan, host to another 630,000, followed suit in August last year, preventing more Syrians from abandoning their country.

“By early August 2015, European states had received nearly 350,000 asylum applications from Syrians, nearly a third of whom applied to Germany for asylum. Another 65,000 have applied in Sweden and 50,000 in Serbia. Hungary and Austria have received close to 19,000 applications each although that figure is likely to rise, while the UK is processing 7,030 applications, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

“Yet amidst cries for Europe to do more, it has transpired that of the five wealthiest countries on the Arabian Peninsula, that is, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, not one has taken in a single refugee from Syria. Instead, they have argued that accepting large numbers of Syrians is a threat to their safety, as terrorists could be hiding within an influx of people…”

The fear of radical Muslim integration is real. See the next article.

Is ISIS Using Migrant Crisis to Infiltrate Europe?

WND wrote on September 5:

“… looking at Europe and America, a migration invasion… is underway. Evidence of that invasion came in February when an ISIS operative confirmed what many already suspected – the Islamic State is using the refugee crisis to form a fifth column of Muslim fighters inside Western nations. The Syrian operative claimed more than 4,000 trained ISIS gunmen have already been smuggled into Europe – hidden among innocent refugees…

“ISIS is believed to be actively smuggling covert gunmen across the 565-mile Turkish border and on to wealthier European nations… The ISIS fighters use local smugglers to blend in and travel within the ranks of a tidal wave of illegal migrants flooding into Europe, both by boat from North Africa and on land through Hungary and Austria into Germany, Belgium and Sweden…

“More than 1.5 million have migrated into Turkey alone, with millions more refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and outside their homes in Syria itself. Almost all of the migrants flooding into Europe are Muslims. Most of the Christians have been hiding in churches and homes in the Middle East, afraid to venture to the United Nations refugee camps, which tend to be managed by Muslims…”

The fact that most Christian Syrians decide to stay, while many Muslims decide to leave, is an interesting phenomenon.

Uncomfortable Questions

The Times of Israel wrote on September 6:

“… Is Europe paying a price for its efforts to stay out of certain recent and ongoing Middle East crises, notably the civil war in Syria? The West has known all along, in terrible, gory detail, that President Bashar Assad has been massacring his own people. And yet, to its immense moral discredit, it has allowed him to carry on doing so… Europe was certainly not insisting that US President Barack Obama punish Assad for his use of non-conventional weapons.

“… had certain world leaders and forums been a little less obsessed with the notion of Israel as the root of all Middle East evil, and a little more focused on tyranny and religious extremism as the root of most Middle East evil, Western diplomatic and economic leverage could have helped alleviate at least some of the horrors that various people in this part of the world are now seeking to escape?

“… do the world powers truly believe that their latest act of ‘statesmanship’ — rewarding Iran for its rogue nuclear program with a deal that sends tens of billions into the regime’s coffers and thus entrenches the rapacious, human rights-abusing ayatollahs in power — is going to foster greater stability in this part of the world?

“What now, for instance, is Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, to do in the face of what is certain to be the ongoing escalation of demands by the world’s oppressed to be allowed to join its citizenry?…  How to prevent the evils of Islamic extremism entering along with its victims?

“… how should Israel be acting? Should the Jewish state throw open its borders to the peoples of the north, brought up to hate us?…  Should we allow people of Palestinian origin to cross from Syria and Lebanon into the West Bank, as PA President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded? Plainly, that would be easier if we were at peace with the Palestinians, rather than deadlocked…

“Too many questions; too few answers. And the validation of a familiar assertion: The Middle East is the dinner guest who never goes home. Ignore it or seek to disengage from it at your peril.”

Pope Francis’ Appeal to Europe’s Catholics

The Washington Post wrote on September 6:

“Issuing a broad appeal to Europe’s Catholics, Pope Francis on Sunday called on ‘every’ parish, religious community, monastery and sanctuary to take in one refu­gee family — an appeal that, if honored, would offer shelter to tens of thousands… The appeal also amounted to interfaith outreach — something Francis has been known for — because the majority of the refugees are Muslims from Syria, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa…

“Thousands of people fleeing war and poverty continued to stream into Austria and Germany from Hungary on Sunday, an extraordinary column of asylum-seekers that showed little sign of abating. With a fresh rush of migrants at Europe’s borders, the broader refugee crisis only looked to be deepening. Austrian authorities said that 2,000 new asylum-seekers had arrived at their border overnight, a day after trains took more than 11,000 people onward to Germany.

“… there remained no European plan in place to handle the torrent of human need… The absence of an agreement has led individual nations to take radically different approaches to the problem. Hungary has built a 108-mile fence of razor wire at its border with Serbia, and leaders have vowed to deploy the army to keep new migrants from entering. Sweden, meanwhile, is offering permanent residency to Syrian refugees… British Prime Minister David Cameron [has] criticized the German open-door approach for spurring a vast flow of asylum-seekers to Europe, many of whom have taken dangerous routes to get there. Cameron has said that the solution to the crisis lies in achieving peace in Syria, not in taking in more refugees…”

Putin Blames USA and EU for Migrant Crisis

Breitbart wrote on September 4:

“The Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the migrant crisis emanating from the Middle East on America. He also blamed European states for backing US efforts to spread democracy, which he said were responsible for the current exodus of people sweeping across the EU… ‘We in Russia say, and I have said it myself, that there will be large scale problems if our so-called Western partners pursue such an erroneous policy, especially foreign policy, in the regions of the Muslim world in the Middle East and North Africa. They continue to engage in such a policy… What kind of policy is it? It is about imposing their own standards, without taking into account the historical, religious, national, cultural features of these regions…’

“Putin commented that he was surprised [at] the US’s criticism of Europe’s handling of the crisis, seeing as it was the US which had created it. He emphasized that America had not suffered at all personally from the crisis, while Europe, which ‘blindly followed US instructions,’ had suffered heavily.’

Sadly, Putin has a point. On the other hand, in supporting Assad, Russia is pursuing some self-serving interests in Syria. Rumors are being circulated that Russia may be willing to intervene militarily in Syria, by sending ships, troops and airplanes, and that Russian forces are already fighting in Syria for Assad.

European-Wide Immigration Deal in the Making?

The Telegraph wrote on September 4:

“European leaders are preparing to create a powerful EU-wide border protection force to deal with the refugee crisis engulfing the continent… the Commission will draw up a list of ‘safe countries of origin’. Migrants from these countries would be returned, because the EU considers them to be sufficiently stable. The list is expected to include all the Balkan States, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Senegal and a number of other African countries…

“Countries such as Germany and Italy called for the EU rapidly to put in place a common asylum system or face the collapse of its cherished right to free movement… Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, and his ministers back the creation of an EU-wide immigration policy and an EU asylum law…”

This example shows that when the EU is faced with a continent-wide humanitarian crisis, it is willing to unite. According to prophecy, the threat of a military crisis will ensue soon, prompting the EU to establish a European army. The next articles show, however, that a solution will not be found easily, and that Britain has strong reservations.

“There Is Not Enough Unity in the EU”

The New York Times wrote on September 9:

“Citing history, morality and economics… Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, urged the bloc to put aside deep divisions over welcoming refugees from war-torn and poverty-stricken nations in the Middle East and Africa and forge a stronger and more unified response… Mr. Juncker cast the crisis as the most compelling one facing the bloc since World War II. It was not only a humanitarian issue but also a test of the European Union’s fundamental ability to act in a unified manner…

“‘There is not enough Europe in this union,’ he said, referring to how the bloc has reacted so far. ‘And there is not enough union in this union. We have to change this. And we have to change this now.’… He also proposed unity on such matters as identifying those who are more likely to be granted asylum, and establishing common standards for how they are treated, rather than a patchwork of national policies…

“Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain… has balked at surrendering national autonomy… Others have argued that guaranteeing spots for migrants will only encourage more to make the journey.

“Mr. Juncker is hardly the first to deliver such an appeal to European leaders. Last November, Pope Francis addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg and challenged its malaise in addressing its problems. ‘The time has come for us to abandon the idea of a Europe which is fearful and self-absorbed,’ the pope said.”

Too Expensive for Germany?

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 6:

“According to a report in the Sunday edition of German newspaper, the ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’ (FAZ), financial costs for Germany could reach anywhere between 9 and 10.5 billion euros by the end of the year… A refugee summit held by the German parliament in July budgeted 5.6 billion euros for an expected 450,000 asylum applications this year. In light of the recent mass influx of refugees from Africa and the Middle East, however, Germany is now expecting to take in some 800,000 by the end of December…

“But there are already ructions within Angela Merkel’s conservative side of the coalition over her handling of the refugee crisis. In a telephone conference late on Saturday, the Bavarian sister party to her Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union, reportedly criticized Merkel for taking in more refugees who were stranded in Hungary this week. CSU General Secretary Andreas Scheuer deemed the move as the ‘wrong decision.’ Several other conservatives also warned of a ‘suction effect’…  Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said that every refugee coming to Europe was heading for Germany, and the country could not afford to deal with the situation alone. It was a ‘completely wrong signal within Europe,’ he said…”

Reuters added on September 7:

“Thousands more refugees were expected to arrive in Germany on Monday after 20,000 came in over the weekend, piling pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel whose open-door policy has made the country a magnet for people fleeing civil war in Syria… German and Austrian officials appeared to have been surprised by the numbers that continued to flow in from Hungary…

“Merkel has been praised by human rights groups for her decision — in response to a growing humanitarian crisis in Hungary — to temporarily ignore European rules which state that migrants must register for asylum in the first EU country where they arrive. But over the weekend there were signs of dissent within her conservative camp, with officials from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) criticizing her handling of the crisis. ‘There is no society that could cope with something like this,’ said CSU leader and Bavarian premier Horst Seehofer said. ‘The federal government needs a plan here.’…”

How Long Will German Acceptance of Hundreds of Thousands of Migrants Last?

The New York Times wrote on September 5:

“As tens of thousands of asylum seekers now pour into Germany, their desired destination, they will be met here by bowls of steaming soup and bread rolls, working bathrooms and an efficient bureaucracy to move them to temporary housing and, possibly, legal immigration status. The arrival in August of more than 104,400 people seeking asylum has strained resources and challenged authorities from Bavaria to Berlin. Yet such logistical problems are manageable for the Germans, who pride themselves on the country’s order and adherence to established rules.

“But the long-term integration of a group of people expected to reach 1 percent of the overall population, most of whom practice a different religion and often hold profoundly different world views, is another question altogether… some fear the outpouring of generosity will not last. The Social Ministry expects the German government to spend 1.8 billion to 3.3 billion euros, about $2 billion to $3.7 billion, in 2016 to cover the refugees’ basic needs, language lessons and job training. As those costs mount, so might resentment.

“Already Germany has experienced a formidable backlash against the migrants — the worst in Europe… Even as the country prepares to mark a quarter-century of German reunification this fall, a spate of violent anti-immigrant protests in the eastern state of Saxony has led to accusations that differences between the two regions still exist, revealing just how difficult it can be even for two peoples who share a language and heritage to feel as one.

“Experts also point to the former West Germany’s far less successful experiment of integration in the 1960s, when that country invited men, most of them from Turkey, to fill the industrial jobs in its post-World War II factories. But they were viewed as ‘guests,’ who would eventually return home, not as future citizens… The descendants of those ‘guest workers’ who remained in the country now make up the nearly four million Muslims in Germany’s population of almost 82 million… the Turkish experience is apparently very much on the mind of [Thomas] de Maizière, [Germany’s interior minister]… ‘Now we will get hundreds of thousands of Muslims more formed by Arabic background,’ he told the weekly [“Die Zeit”]. ‘According to all that I am told by my French colleague, that is a big difference, as far as integration is concerned.’”

Hungary and Austria Close Borders to Migrants

Breitbart wrote on September 7:

“Hungary has had enough. After weeks of turmoil driven by immigrants surging through the country’s frontiers on their way to Germany, borders with Serbia to the south and Austria to the north are being closed in an effort to return order to the nation’s sovereignty…

“Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann told reporters late Sunday night he supports the closures after what he called ‘intensive talks’ with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. ‘We have always said this is an emergency situation in which we must act quickly and humanely,’ said Faymann. ‘We have helped more than 12,000 people in an acute situation. Now we have to move step-by-step away from emergency measures towards normality, in conformity with the law and dignity.’

“Austria’s agreement to once again close its border came after a statement broadcast by state television broadcaster ORF, when Mr Orban said the two countries should state clearly they will not accept more refugees, ‘because otherwise several million people would arrive in Europe.’”

Chaos in Europe 

Breitbart wrote on September 10:

“Borders are being closed and major European Union (EU) treaties are being discarded as tens of thousands of migrants swarm across Europe, overwhelming national police forces in their wake…

“The Serbia-Hungary border was closed last week, and has been in a state of political flux since uncontrollable volumes of people walked the major M5 motorway between Serbian capital Belgrade and Hungarian capital Budapest. Dozens of major arterial routes have been closed across the continent since, as police have been forced to re-route legitimate traffic as the column of immigrants headed north…

“The border between Germany and Denmark was closed last night by Danish police as hundreds of migrants continued their foot journey north to Sweden…  Guardian reports Danish police instructed railway operators to stop all trains going between the two nations ‘until further notice’, with police physically stopping two trains at Rødby, Denmark, and stopping ferries crossing the Baltic.

“Passport checks have been reconstituted on the Danish-German border, possibly for the first time since 2001.

“Austrian police were also forced to close a major motorway after a column of 800-strong immigrant column  ‘surprised’ the force when they walked up the main motorway to Vienna from Budapest… More than 1,700 crossed the border in just the three hours after midnight…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 10:

“Austria has suspended train services from Hungary as it struggles to cope with overcrowding at train stations… The company said domestic services would continue to run from Nickelsdorf – the main border crossing into Austria from Hungary for migrants seeking to travel on to other countries such as Germany… Danish train operator DSB said trains to and from Germany, which were suspended on Wednesday, would start running again on Thursday. Danish police said they were letting refugees travel freely towards Sweden…

“Hungary said its armed forces were taking part in exercises to prepare to guard the border and assist police in controlling the flow of migrants…”

Majority of Brits for Brexit… Caused Largely by the Migrant Crisis

The Daily Mail wrote on September 7:

“A majority of British people would vote to leave the European Union in the wake of the migrant crisis engulfing the continent, a shock new Mail on Sunday poll has found. If a referendum were to be held tomorrow on whether to remain a member of the EU, 51 per cent of British people would vote ‘No’… The survey also found strong backing for David Cameron’s stance in standing up to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who wants the UK to take in a greater share of migrants.

“Growing public support to cut all ties with Brussels came as it was revealed the Prime Minister told Merkel to her face: ‘I could walk away from the EU.’ At a private dinner in Downing Street, Merkel accused him of being ‘too forceful’ in demanding concessions from the rest of the EU. That was why ‘we all hate you and isolate you,’ she said…

“British voters are opposed to opening the door to large numbers of refugees… Nearly three in ten say the UK should accept no refugees at all, while nearly half think we should take 1,000 or fewer. Only one in four favours taking 10,000 or more…

“The Prime Minister will take comfort from support for his handling of the issue so far. He beats Merkel by a clear two-to-one margin. And nearly two out of three say he is right to refuse to sign up to Merkel’s plan to divide up the migrants among all EU countries, with the larger and richer countries taking the most. Only one in five say Cameron is wrong…

“The poll also reflects concern that letting more refugees in could make things worse not better. Nearly six out of ten say it would encourage more people to come to the UK. And there is little appetite for British military intervention against Islamic State to solve the crisis. Nearly half of those questioned oppose such action, against a third who are in favour…”

EU Superstate in the Making?

The Telegraph wrote on September 6:

“Professor Otmar Issing, the chief architect of monetary union through its early years, said it would be ‘dangerous’ to transfer control over tax and spending to the EU federal level before full political union has been established first on democratic foundations. Such a quantum leap in the constitutional structure of Europe – effectively the creation of an EU superstate, with a parliament comparable in power to the US Congress – is unthinkable in the current political atmosphere. It would require referenda across Europe, and a two-thirds majority in both houses of the German parliament. ‘The chances of political union are close to zero,’ he said, speaking at the Ambrosetti forum of world policymakers on Lake Como.

“If Europe were to jump the gun and force the pace of integration, this would lead to a rogue plenipotentiary with unbridled powers over sensitive issues of national life. ‘It is hard to see how it could be given democratic accountability,’ he said.

“Prof Issing, a towering figure in the pre-EMU Bundesbank and the European Central Bank’s first chief economist, said control of budgets must for now be left to national government and sovereign parliaments that are genuinely answerable to their own peoples. ‘Political union cannot be obtained in the European Union by the back door. It is a violation of the principle of no taxation without representation, and represents a wrong and dangerous approach,’ he said…

“Prof Issing has always been open to an authentic United States of Europe similar to the US federal democracy. What he objects to is a deformed halfway house where supra-national bodies take decisions behind closed doors…”

But that is exactly what may happen… and which is already happening to a large extent today.

Building a Christian Fortress Europe?

AFP wrote on September 7:

“Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu on Sunday criticised the ‘ridiculously small’ share of refugees the EU is accepting, labelling the continent the ‘Christian fortress Europe.’ Turkey had taken more than two million people alone from war-torn Syria and Iraq, creating ‘a buffer zone between the chaos and Europe,’ Davutoglu wrote for Monday’s edition of Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily.

“He criticised as low the financial contribution the EU had made in support of Turkey’s effort… There seemed to be the ‘convenient reflex’ to load the refugee problems on the shoulders of Turkey and to build a ‘Christian fortress Europe,’ he wrote. Such an approach contradicted European values, and Turkey as an EU candidate nation could not imagine it had the support of majority of Europeans, wrote the prime minister.

“For Europe, it was time to finally act collectively on immigration, he added, saying that Turkey was ready for a coordinated cooperation with ‘our European partners.'”

Iran’s Continuing Threats

JTA wrote on September 9:

“Israel will not exist in 25 years, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. Khamenei made the threat in a speech to the Iranian people and followed it up with a tweet  on his official Twitter account later on Wednesday. ‘After negotiations, in the Zionist regime they said they had no more concern about Iran for next 25 years; I’d say: Firstly, you will not see the next 25 years; God willing, there will be nothing as Zionist regime in 25 years. Secondly, until then, struggling, heroic and Jihadi morale will leave no moment of serenity for Zionists,’ Khamenei said.

“Khamenei also took aim at the United States, which he called the ‘Great Satan.’ ‘Iranian nation did expel this Great Satan; we barred their direct access and now we must not allow their indirect access and infiltration,’ Khamenei tweeted. ‘We would negotiate and reach agreement in different levels of ‘state, religion or ethnic groups’ with all countries but the Great Satan,’ he also tweeted, indicating that he will not allow talks with the United States on other issues.”

It is amazing that President Obama, who calls Khamenei the “supreme leader,” is willing to strike a deal with Iran. Democrats’ desire to support this deal, due to wrongly understood “party loyalty,” and Republicans’ bickering in the House as to how to oppose it, paint a terrible picture of American helplessness.

Right-Wing Coalition Opposes Iran Deal, Slams Boehner

The Times of Israel wrote on September 9:

“Gathered outside the steps of the Capitol under a blazing sun, a coalition of right-wing organizations gathered to oppose the Iran deal, but while the rhetoric against President Barack Obama blazed as hot as the sun, speakers and audience members spared little vitriol for the Republican leaders in Congress. Three Republican presidential candidates — Senator Ted Cruz, mogul Donald Trump and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore — all took the stage to condemn the nuclear agreement, but speakers also accused the Republican leadership of tacitly giving in to the administration.

“Attendees booed at the mention of Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell minutes after the House floor debate on the Iran deal ground to a halt due to an internal uprising among conservative Republicans in the House…

“Cruz warned businesses that ‘if this president behaves illegally and says you can hand this money over to Iran — that does not exempt you from having to uphold the law.’ US banks, he said, would be subject to ‘billions of dollars in civil liabilities and litigation’ if they facilitate trade with Iran under what Cruz described as an illegitimate agreement. ‘Mitch McConnell and John Boehner can stop this deal if they simply enforce federal law,’ Cruz asserted. ‘If Republican leadership decides that a show vote is more important than stopping this deal, then the single biggest issue in 2016 will be stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.’

“The Republican candidate… said that any presidential candidate ‘should be ready to stand up in January 2017 and rip up this catastrophic deal.’ Trump, who took the stage shortly after Cruz, has said that he would not ‘tear up the deal,’ but would rather look for loopholes and weaknesses in its text… He promised that if he won the election in November 2016, three Americans being held in Iran and one who has disappeared in the Islamic Republic would be returned immediately. ‘I guarantee you those prisoners will be back in the country before I take office,’ he said. ‘I’m telling [Iran] right now.’

“Conservative talk show host Charles Levin… condemned what he described as ‘the capitulation of a Republican Congress’… accusing the Republican leadership of ‘recklessly and deliberately avoiding any direct confrontation with an imperial president… Tell the Republicans in Congress it’s time to step up, enforce the constitution and defeat this disastrous deal.’”

This does not show much confidence in the establishment of the Democrats and the Republicans. But will those who make strong promises really deliver, if they get the chance? In any event, in spite of the clear handwriting on the wall, irresponsible lawmakers blocked attempts to stop the horrible deal. Please note the next articles.

Irresponsible US Lawmakers Approve of the Iran Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 10:

A Democratic minority in the US Senate staved off a united Republican effort to sink the Iran nuclear deal Thursday, edging President Barack Obama closer to a major foreign policy victory. But the parliamentary riposte by Democrats is only a temporary victory as Republicans vow to keep fighting.

“… the Republican motion failed by two votes shy of the 60 needed to advance in the 100-member Senate. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, immediately took steps to push for another vote. ‘This debate is far from over, and frankly, it’s just beginning,’ said House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican. ‘This is a bad deal with decades-long consequences for the security of the American people and our allies. And we’ll use every tool at our disposal to stop, slow, and delay this agreement.’

“But in reality the House’s power to stop the deal is doubtful; it can at best delay ratification. All 42 of the Senate votes not to advance the measure were from Democrats or independents who normally vote with them. Four Democratic senators sided with Republicans.

“Congress had passed legislation that gave it 60 days to review the July accord, which is set to expire September 17… From next week, the Obama administration will be free to start scaling back US sanctions against Iran. The accord aims to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions.”

The Washington Post added on September 10:

“Meanwhile, the House on Thursday evening passed, 245 to 186, a resolution stating that President Obama didn’t fulfill his obligations under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act because Congress has yet to see two confidential side agreements pertaining to the deal — documents the administration says it doesn’t have. The resolution also stated that the 60-day clock for Congress to approve the deal hasn’t started.

“But despite the House vote… the Senate action virtually assures that the deal will be implemented, at least in the short term.”

Politics galore. The only problem is, because of this political maneuvering and these desperate attempts to get votes, the interests of the USA, Israel and other countries in the free world are being neglected, abused and violated.

Pope vs. Trump and Clinton

Breitbart wrote on September 7:

“Politico has called Francis the ‘anti-Donald Trump,’ saying that he differs from the GOP—and Trump in particular—on a host of issues, noting that many of his declarations ‘are at odds with positions held by Republicans.’ No one would suggest that Pope Francis and Donald Trump see eye to eye. The men differ on an array of topics, from immigration to economic reform to the environment…

“One could just as easily, and perhaps more truly, call Pope Francis the ‘anti-Hillary,’ since many of the key positions she trumpets… are diametrically opposed to the Pope’s views. In recent days, the Pope has spoken out against abortion more than any other single issue, while in late July Hillary Clinton reaffirmed her undying support for Planned Parenthood, in the midst of the abortion giant’s scandal over the sale of baby body parts…

“Donald Trump will not be the only one to find himself challenged by what the Pope has to say.”

Pope Francis does not see eye to eye with any of the potential future leaders of the USA.

Left-Liberal Religious Persecution in the USA Continues…

ABC News reported on September 5:

“[Oregon’s] Marion County Judge Vance Day is being investigated by a judicial fitness commission in part over his refusal to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds, a spokesman for the judge said.

“When a federal court ruling in May 2014 made same-sex marriage legal in Oregon, Day instructed his staff to refer same-sex couples looking to marry to other judges… Last fall, he decided to stop performing weddings altogether… ‘He made a decision nearly a year ago to stop doing weddings altogether, and the principal factor that he weighed was the pressure that one would face to perform a same-sex wedding, which he had a conflict with his religious beliefs,’ [spokesman] Korten said…

“The investigation of Day’s conduct comes amid heightened national attention to the responsibilities of public officials who oppose same-sex marriage. Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, went to jail Thursday because of her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Last month, the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct said judges can’t refuse to marry same-sex couples on personal, moral or religious grounds.

“Judges who stop performing all marriages to avoid marrying same-sex couples may be interpreted as biased and could be disqualified from any case where sexual orientation is an issue, the Ohio board ruled.”

Surrendering to Judicial Tyranny?

Breitbart wrote on September 7:

“On Sunday, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, appearing on ABC’s This Week, was queried by host George Stephanopoulos about Huckabee’s blazing defense of Kim Davis, who was jailed for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses in Kentucky. Stephanopoulos started by stating that some conservatives said Davis should not have defied the Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex marriage was legal…

“Huckabee answered bluntly, ‘… Lincoln ignored the 1857 Dred Scott decision that said black people weren’t fully human. It was a wrong decision. And to say that we have to surrender to judicial supremacy is to do what Jefferson warned against, which is in essence to surrender to judicial tyranny’…

“Then Huckabee moved in for the kill, blasting: ‘You’ve got Democrats who ignored the law when it was the law to have traditional marriage. Gavin Newsom in San Francisco as mayor performed same-sex weddings even though it was illegal. Did he ever get put in jail? He most certainly did not. You have Barack Obama and Eric Holder, when he was attorney general. They ignored the rulings of [the Defense of Marriage Act].  Did they ever get put in jail for ignoring the law? They most certainly did not. So when is it that liberals get to choose what laws they support, but a county clerk in Kentucky who, acting on her Christian faith, is criminalized, jailed without bail, because she acted on her conscience and according to the only law that is in front of her?’…”

The Huffington Post wrote on September 6:

“GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee on Sunday defended Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. When asked by ABC host George Stephanopoulos whether Davis had an obligation to uphold the law, even if she disagreed with it, Huckabee argued she did not. ‘You obey if it’s right,’ the former Arkansas governor said… ‘So, I go back to my question, is slavery the law of the land because Dred Scott said so? Was that a correct decision? Should the courts have been irrevocably followed on that? Should Lincoln have been put in jail? Because he ignored it. That’s the fundamental question.’

“The 1857 Dred Scott decision is widely viewed as the worst Supreme Court ruling in history. In it, the Court ruled that no one with African ancestry could be a citizen of the United States and voided prior legislation that had blocked the expansion of slavery into parts of the country…”

The Bible is very clear that we have to obey the law of the land ONLY if it does not violate the law of the Bible, in word and/or in spirit. We must obey GOD rather than man. This appalling development, which is instigated by the left-wing agenda, is a serious threat to religious liberty and freedom. What we see is that a tiny Bible-defying noisy minority, consisting of Homosexuals, Transgender etc,. impose their will on the silent majority of heterosexual American citizens who still claim to believe in the moral standards taught in the Bible. And now notice the next truly incredible article.

Gay Judge Refuses to Perform Marriages for Straight Couples

The website of thepcmdgazette.com reported on September 7:

“An openly gay Texas judge says she refuses to conduct marriage ceremonies for straight couples. No one tried to put her in jail. No federal judges tried to condemn her. The Dallas County Judge Tonya Parker explained her decision at a monthly meeting for the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. ‘I do not perform them because it is not an equal application of the law. Period,’ she said, according to the Dallas Voice, a newspaper for the gay community.

“Parker is believed to be the first openly ‘gay’ African-American elected official in the history of the state… Her refusal to marry people based on the fact that they were not homosexuals wasn’t backed by any faith based belief or anything other than a personal vendetta. So why isn’t this a big deal? Well, most people that go to her and get turned down go somewhere else.

“People that know she is just being an attention seeker go somewhere else without even considering her as an option… So why was Kim Davis jailed and not the judge? Why did this gay couple come from another state, go to the only place not issuing gay marriage licenses, bring the media, then demand Kim Davis denounce her faith? Why couldn’t they have just [gone] somewhere else?…”

The answer is simple: Because some in the gay minority want to impose their radical will on a silent majority. In the meantime, Davis was released from prison, but nothing has changed, and if she refuses to conduct marriages for gay couples, she will find herself in jail again.

Coming—The Mother of All Disasters

The Atlantic wrote on September 2:

“For years before Hurricane Katrina, storm experts warned that a big hurricane would inundate the Big Easy. Reporters noted that the levees were unstable and could fail. Yet hardly anyone paid attention to these Cassandras until after the levees had broken, the Gulf Coast had been blown to pieces, and New Orleans sat beneath feet of water.

“The wall-to-wall coverage afforded to the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina reveals the sway that a deadly act of God or man can hold on people, even 10 years later. But it also raises uncomfortable questions about how effectively the nation is prepared for the next catastrophe, whether that be a hurricane or something else. There are plenty of people warning about the dangers that lie ahead, but that doesn’t mean that the average citizen or most levels of the government are anywhere near ready for them…

“Huge hurricanes could all but wash major cities away. Earthquakes on the West Coast and even in the center of the country could knock out power for months, make running water a distant memory, and deprive residents of the roofs over their heads. A deadly epidemic, such as the U.S. hasn’t seen in 97 years, could take the lives of tens of thousands. A terrorist could unleash an improvised nuclear device in a major city, killing thousands—an event without historical precedent…

“Some [events]—like a major earthquake hitting Southern California—are inevitable, given enough time… the most fearsome threats are the ones that have existed forever, and which humans are powerless to prevent: hurricanes and earthquakes…

“On September 8, 1900, a hurricane struck the Texas coast at Galveston, just southwest of Houston. The gales from the storm are estimated at 120 miles per hour, but the exact number is unknown… Historians now think between 6,000 and 12,000 people were killed. It was impossible to bury so many bodies, so corpses were thrown into the sea. When they washed ashore, a new tactic was adopted: mass funeral pyres. It remains the deadliest U.S. hurricane on the record and, by one measure, the third most costly…

“Miami, too, has been repeatedly struck by hurricanes—but not, perhaps, ‘the big one,’ at least not recently. That happened in 1926, when a storm slammed Miami, moved across Florida to Tampa, and then continued on to hit the panhandle… There’s no way to stop hurricanes…

“The classic [anticipated earthquake], of course, is the one fault line practically every American can name: the San Andreas, running through California. The San Andreas is responsible for some of the nation’s most famous tremors—from the San Francisco quake of 1906 to the 1989 Loma Prieta quake…

“Los Angeles isn’t the only West Coast hegemon threatened by seismic activity. A widely read New Yorker story in July awakened many lay readers to the threat of a huge earthquake in the Pacific Northwest that could devastate Seattle and Portland… The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz lays out the danger clearly: A quake with a magnitude of 9 or greater. Buildings not constructed for an earthquake, like those in Los Angeles. An impact area of 140,000 square miles, with 13,000 dead. And the real clincher: A massive tsunami sweeping in after the quake.

“…a major earthquake around New Madrid could shake Memphis and St. Louis and spread devastation across seven states… the last time there was major activity around New Madrid, in 1811 and 1812, the tremors strongly shook some 50,000 square miles. The shaking was strong enough to ring church bells in Boston. In some places, the ground subsided by more than 16 feet. Boatmen reported that the Mississippi River ran backwards in places as the ground shifted under it.

“What makes each of these scenarios so scary is that they’re inevitable… it’s practically certain that a huge hurricane will hit Miami or Houston, and that a huge earthquake will hit Los Angeles or the Northwest.

“The other major menaces tend to fall into the category of possible… Take the improvised nuclear device… How likely is it that a terrorist group is able to detonate a dirty bomb in a population center? That’s very tough to predict… Or how about a huge epidemic?…

“Each of these Maximum of Maximum scenarios represents a disaster larger than any the United States has ever seen. The swath of destruction they would create seems too large to imagine…”

… but not in the Way Some Ignorant Christian Groups Predict

The Independent wrote on September 8:

“Minority Christian groups have predicted the world will end later this month – when they say a ‘blood moon’ will bring about an apocalyptic meteor strike. Scientists say a ‘blood moon’ will occur on September 28, when the moon passes into the shadow of the earth cast by the Sun (a lunar eclipse) and appears dim and reddish.

“Some religious leaders believe that because this is the fourth consecutive lunar eclipse since April 2014, it is part of a ‘tetrad’ – which foretells a meteorite destroying earth and the end of time.

“Experts at Nasa remain unconvinced…

“The Blood Moon theory has its roots in a passage in the Bible in Joel 2:31 which reads: ‘And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

“Similarly, in Acts 2:20: ‘The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.’ And again in Revelation 6:12: ‘[…] and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood’.

“That a ‘tetrad’ of lunar eclipses, with six full moons in between them, will coincide with an asteroid hitting earth was popularised by US pastors Mark Biltz and John Hagee. They each noted that previous tetrads in history had coincided with noteworthy, tragic and triumphant events in Jewish history… Present day biblical theorists who follow the teachings have been worried that in a period somewhere between September 22 to 28 2015, the world will end.”

We can DOGMATICALLY say that the world will NOT end in September of 2015. Hagee is wrong on this, and he has also popularized the false concept of a secret rapture in his “Left Behind” series… which is totally contradicted in Scripture. The biblical passages, quoted above, speak of a time AFTER the great tribulation has begun… which it has NOT.  For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

Also, we want to remind our readers in this same context of the following “failed prophecy”: 

IWB had reported on March 20, 2015:

“Jonathan Cahn was given a revelation from Almighty God and wrote a book by the name of ‘The Harbinger’. A harbinger is a warning, and in this case it is a pattern of warnings from Almighty God to the American people… I can tell you now that if Almighty God continues His pattern of judgment on the USA, the financial collapse of the US dollar, will happen on Sunday, the 13th of September 2015. This date is the 29th of ELUL 5775 on the Hebrew calendar and the next Shemitah in the Septennial Sabbatical Cycle…”

Of course, the US dollar will not collapse this Sunday. All of these deceiving “prophecies” are just mere human reasoning or demon-inspired… God has NOTHING to do with them. Sadly, some gullible and ignorant Christians and Jews fall for them.

Pope Francis Praises Gay Children Book

On August 28, AFP wrote the following:

“Pope Francis has sent his blessing to a lesbian author of children’s books dealing with same-sex families, wishing her and her wife well in their work, it emerged on Friday. As Vatican officials scrambled to clarify that the message was simply a standard courtesy which did not signal any change in Church teaching on the subject, the author told AFP she had been pleasantly surprised to have received such a positive response. Francesca Pardi, who writes and publishes books such as ‘Why you have two mummies’, wrote to Francis in June after the publishing company she runs with her wife came under fire from Christian groups.

“She included examples of her works, some of which have recently been controversially withdrawn from nurseries and primary schools by a new mayor in Venice. ‘My books present different types of families without setting any of them up as a model,’ Pardi told AFP, praising the pope for having responded in a manner that showed ‘respect and dignity’ towards her, her wife and their four children…

“In his message, the pope wished the two women ‘ever more fruitful work in the service of young generations and in spreading authentic human and Christian values.’

“Francis has signaled that he wants the Church to adopt a more pragmatic and understanding approach to the situation of believers living in gay relationships… But proposals to integrate a shift to a more welcoming tone… have been opposed by conservatives. Bishops from around the world will return to the subject at a Vatican synod in October which will seek to find a compromise on that and other divisive issues…

“Pardi and her partner got married in Spain. Italy is the only major western European country that has no provision for same sex couples to have their unions legally recognized. The center-left government has pledged to enact legislation introducing the possibility of civil unions by the end of this year but there are no plans to legalize gay marriage.”

Zenit published the following “retraction” on August 28:

“Once again Pope Francis is being ‘used’ by those in favor of promoting the same-sex lifestyle. The latest case arose this morning following news of a letter sent by an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State to the author of children’s books that promote ‘different family types.’ The Guardian reported the letter with the headline, ‘Pope Francis sends letter praising gay children’s book.’

“What actually happened is that, as customary, the Secretariat of State responded to a letter sent to the Pope… The official reply on the part of the Holy See followed, in which Father Benedettini himself, describing the tones of Prandi’s letter as ‘respectful and educated,’ confirmed a reply letter had been sent, signed by the councillor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Monsignor Peter Brian Wells. He specified that ‘it was a private answer and, therefore, not destined for publication (something that unfortunately happened).’

“The Vatican spokesman then added that ‘the Pope’s blessing at the end of the letter is to the person and not to eventual teachings not in line with the doctrine of the Church on gender theory, which in no way has changed…”

The pope’s congratulations and blessings do not sound like a “simple courtesy message,” nor is the “clarification” of the Vatican’s spokesman in any way convincing. It is clear that a power struggle between the pope and conservative bishops and Vatican officials is happening in the Catholic Church. It will be interesting to see who will win this war.

Abominable Admission—Judaism Demands Abortion in Certain Cases

The Daily Caller wrote on August 26:

“In recent weeks, presidential candidate Marco Rubio has defended his opposition to abortion in all cases, even to save the life of the mother, by claiming a scientific consensus that life begins at conception. As such, the argument goes, a law protecting the mother’s life over that of her fetus would be criminal.

“He may not know, though, that his position could destroy the lives of some Orthodox Jews like me. Because in our faith tradition, abortion to save the life of the mother is not ‘permitted.’ It is mandatory. Jewish law considers a fetus threatening the mother’s life to be a ‘rodef’ (a pursuer) – similar to a knife-wielding man about to murder someone. Jewish law requires killing a rodef to protect the life of an innocent person.

“Well-respected Modern Orthodox Rabbi Shlomo Riskin has explained the Jewish approach this way: ‘What determines the “right of life” for the fetus is its potential danger. If it “pursues” the mother, threatening her life, then the fetus must be destroyed.’…

“Now, many liberal Jews discussing American politics have incorrectly proclaimed that ‘Judaism is pro-choice’ because our texts and precedents allow abortion in certain circumstances beyond saving the mother’s life – for example to protect her from grievous emotional harm, and in some opinions when the child has a fatal diagnosis portending a short and painful life. But Jewish law does not require abortion in those other cases; it just allows it…

“But that rule does not apply to mandatory termination of life-threatening pregnancies under Jewish law. If the Rubio policy prevails, some traditional Jews will have excruciating decisions to make – like whether they want to pursue secret and potentially unsafe medical procedures; leave the country; or face jail time for doing something we believe God demands.”

This teaching of Judaism is an abomination. The rationale of comparing an unborn child “who must be destroyed” with “a knife-wielding man about to murder someone” is a horrible outgrowth of an aberrant mind. To suggest that God demands the murder of an unborn child under any condition is blasphemy. To be clear, the position of Marco Rubio on abortion is the ONLY correct position taught in the Bible. Please note the next article.

The Pope’s Mixed Message on Abortion

AFP wrote on September 1:

“Pope Francis on Tuesday called on priests to pardon women who have abortions during the upcoming Jubilee year — overruling hardline traditionalists within the Catholic Church. ‘I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness,’ he said.

“In a message outlining special measures for the Jubilee year starting in December, Francis said he knew that while ‘abortion is experienced by some with a superficial awareness’ many others ‘believe that they have no other option’. The Argentine pontiff said he was ‘well aware of the pressure’ that some women were under to abort, adding that he had ‘met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonising and painful decision’.

“Abortion is considered a particularly serious sin and is punishable under Canon law by excommunication, by which those guilty are expelled from the Church and considered to be condemned to Hell in the afterlife… Catholics for Choice, a US-based pro-choice organization, said this was another positive example of Francis trying to bridge the gulf ‘between what the hierarchy says and what ordinary Catholics really do’. ‘However, despite what Pope Francis has said, I do not believe that Catholic women will be queueing up to ask for forgiveness,’ the organisation’s president Jon O’Brien said in a statement. And limiting the period of forgiveness to one year ‘suggests that he still has a blind spot when it comes to women and what they want.”’…

“In his message, Francis also reached out to the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a break-away super-conservative group which refuses to recognize church reforms and has been accused of being mired in anti-Semitism. Vatican expert John Allen, writing for Crux, said by putting measures which will please both liberals and conservatives alike in the same package, Francis had performed ‘a daring pastoral double play’…”

Apart from the mixed and contradictory messages on abortion with a temporary option of forgiveness for just one year, the concept that those who have aborted their child must go to “hell” is of course totally unbiblical, since such a “hell,” as taught by the Catholic Church, does not exist.

Europe’s Migrant Crisis—Worst Since World War II

The Associated Press wrote on August 29:

“Death and desperation mounted in Europe’s migrant crisis Friday as Austrian police said 71 people appeared to have suffocated in the back of an abandoned truck, while an estimated 200 people were feared drowned off Libya when two overloaded boats capsized. More than 300,000 people have sought to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far in 2015, up from 219,000 in all of last year, as European authorities grapple with the largest influx since World War II…

“The International Office of Migration has recorded 2,636 deaths linked to Mediterranean crossings this year, and more may have vanished beneath the waves out of sight of rescuers.

“Each day, thousands are boarding flimsy boats for Italy or Greece, and many more are placing themselves and their families at the mercy of human traffickers by slogging for days or weeks through the western Balkans toward what they hope will be a brighter future. Most are fleeing war, conflict or persecution in countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea…”

Bad News for Migrants

Breitbart wrote on September 1:

“An Afghan man who tore pages out of the Koran and threw them in a nearby toilet ended up making a decision that almost cost him his life, as an angry Syrian migrant mob reacted by chasing him through the streets of a refugee area in Suhl, Germany, this week. In total, over 17 people were injured during the incident, including six police officers and members of the press, according to reports. It remains unknown if the Koran-desecrating man would have survived had there not been a police presence in the immediate area.

“After the Afghan man ripped up the Koran and discarded its pages in a nearby toilet, dozens of Syrian refugees began to chase the individual who had purportedly ruined their holy book. It took a team of armed guards to stop the rioting men, who then began pelting the policemen and security officers with rocks and steel weapons, local reports stated. ‘The Syrian men, armed with iron rods, bricks and concrete blocks, then they went completely berserk. They smashed doors, windows, police cars chased the journalists and tossed about with furniture and other things,’ read a translated report from DKA.

“The violence has continued into Tuesday, the Daily Mail UK reports. Migrants ‘smashed car windows, ransacked buildings and demolished the walls which divide the shelter in the rampage which lasted several hours,’ the report stated. The refugee camp has taken in approximately 1,700 individuals, which is five hundred over what is supposed to be its maximum capacity, local reports said. In order to try and prevent future hostilities, German officials are planning on dividing migrants by their ethnicity…”

Those incidents, based on religious fanatic behavior, will not help Muslim migrants one bit.

Calls for the Army to “Defend” Borders in Europe

Bloomberg wrote on August 31:

“The Czech Republic should defend its borders, using the army to expel ‘illegal immigrants’ because the European Union isn’t curbing the influx of refugees into the bloc, President Milos Zeman said. Zeman’s comments echoed those of other politicians calling for the EU to take action to stem the flood of people into the region from Syria and other conflict areas as they travel through Greece and the Balkan states to western Europe.

“‘Of course I would wish for the EU to strengthen its borders, but I don’t see any real action,’ Zeman told reporters in Prague castle on Monday. ‘Therefore I believe the Czech Republic should take [care] of its borders alone and expel illegal immigrants from the borders, including with the use of the army.’”

Horrible images of East German soldiers patrolling the Berlin Wall come to mind.

The Terrible Fate of Migrants in Hungary

The New York Times wrote on September 2:

“A ragged metropolis of thousands of weary and bedraggled migrants continued to rise here on Wednesday in the labyrinth of underground passageways outside Keleti train station [in Budapest, Hungary]. The Hungarian authorities, saying they were merely obeying European migration regulations, continued to keep migrants out of the station, despite having allowed thousands onto westbound trains on Monday. At the same time, the desperate migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan — most of them hoping to reach Germany — continued to pour over the Hungarian border from Serbia. The construction of a razor-wire fence seems to have barely slowed them down.

“And so, while European ministers squabbled and prepared for a series of meetings to discuss the crisis, vowing to move toward some sort of common and humane response, the squalid city outside Keleti grew and festered, developing new suburbs by the hour…

“Hundreds of thousands of migrants have been seeking refuge in Europe, only to find themselves confronted with a patchwork of incoherent asylum policies across the 28-member European Union. At the same time, anti-immigrant sentiment, stoked by far-right political parties, is fostering a backlash in some countries, including Britain, France and Hungary, where those parties have influenced the political agenda…

“Many of the migrants had valid tickets to board trains to the West, bought in a mad rush on Monday evening and Tuesday morning after the Hungarian authorities allowed some migrants to leave. But because they could not get inside the station, they could not board their trains. And because the tickets were nonrefundable, they watched as more of their precious resources evaporated into the muggy air…

“Outside Hungary’s Parliament building, several thousand people marched Wednesday evening to protest the government’s treatment of the migrants….”

Deutsche Welle added on September 2:

“After the initial joy of arriving in Europe, it becomes clear to most of the refugees in Budapest that they’re trapped at the train station. Police are watching over an increasingly disgruntled crowd of thousands… Right now, it’s a trap with no way out.

“The people here want one thing: To go to Germany. The joy they felt at arriving in the EU has evaporated. When asked what the worst part of his journey so far has been – the war zone, the sea, or the scorching heat in the Balkans – one of the men answers quickly: ‘This here.'”

It’s Getting Ugly in Hungary

Reuters wrote on September 3:

“Hungarian police halted a train packed with migrants bound for the Austrian border and tried to force them to disembark in a town with a detention camp on Thursday, a confrontation that has become a focus of Europe’s migration crisis.

“After shutting migrants out of the main train station in the capital Budapest for two days, authorities allowed exhausted and confused migrants to board a westbound train. Hundreds crammed aboard clinging to doors and squeezing their children through open carriage windows.

“But instead of proceeding to the Austrian border, the train was stopped just west of Budapest in the town of Bicske, where Hungary has a migration reception center, and police ordered the migrants off. Police cleared one carriage, while five more stood at the station in the heat. Fearing detention, some migrants banged on windows chanting ‘No camp! No camp!’

“One group pushed back dozens of riot police guarding a stairwell to fight their way back on board. One family – a man, his wife and their toddler – made their way along the track next to the train and lay down in protest. It took a dozen riot police wrestling with the man to get them up again…

“European public opinion was galvanized by images of a drowned three-year-old Syrian boy face down in the surf on a Turkish beach which appeared on the front pages of newspapers across the continent on Thursday…

“The influx has strained the European Union’s asylum system to breaking point, sowing division among its 28 nations and feeding the rise of right-wing populists.

“The major EU countries have taken sharply opposing positions on whether to offer welcome. Germany plans to receive 800,000 refugees this year, while Britain has set up a program to allow in vulnerable Syrians that has admitted just 216… Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday the problem could not be solved by Britain taking more refugees…

“Prime Minister Viktor Orban [of Hungary], in Brussels for talks with other EU leaders, said Europeans were ‘full of fear because they see that the European leaders … are not able to control the situation.’ In an opinion piece for Germany’s Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, he wrote that his country was being ‘overrun’ with refugees, most of which, he noted, were Muslims, not Christians. ‘That is an important question, because Europe and European culture have Christian roots,’ he said…”

EU’s 30-Year-Old Schengen Agreement Under Attack

The Telegraph wrote on August 31:

“The German Chancellor says for the first time that the Schengen zone, which allows passport-free travel across mainland Europe, cannot continue in its current form unless other EU countries accept their share of migrants. The European Union could be forced to bring back border controls in the wake of the migrant crisis, Angela Merkel said last night…

“Her comments echo those made by Thomas de Maiziere, the German interior minister, who also raised the prospect of border controls earlier this month. And they signal that European leaders are beginning to question whether the EU can continue to exist with open borders as it struggles to cope with the hundreds of thousands of migrants coming into the continent from Africa and the Middle East.

“Her comments came as Austria imposed tough new controls along its eastern border with Hungary on Monday… Mrs Merkel’s decision to raise the prospect of border controls could benefit David Cameron’s attempts to reform the European Union as it would require major treaty change.”

Smugglers Capitalize on Desperate Condition of Migrants

The Daily Mail reported on August 28:

“[There is] a growing number of Facebook pages which offer to smuggle desperate Syrians and Iraqis to mainland Europe for thousands of pounds. The traffickers are seeking to cash in on the thousands of middle-class families who are willing to risk their life savings on the promise of a ‘safe’ passage… Thousands have died crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy craft this year, meaning the traffickers are now playing on families’ fears by offering expensive package deals…

“One Facebook page, titled ‘Safe Journey from Turkey to Greece’, tells its would-be clients they will board a 130ft yacht in the Turkish port of Izmir. It carries a picture of the gleaming white Orient Bosphorus, its upper deck strung with fairy lights. Passengers pay a hefty £2,500 per ticket but are told it is ‘forbidden’ to bring any luggage or to wear headscarves because they must look like Western tourists… The men behind the Facebook page, who do not give their names, insist their boats are ‘100 per cent safe’ and suggest their customers carry digital cameras and laptops to help them look like tourists and evade capture. For those who do not want to risk a sea crossing, the site also offered a two-day route to Austria via lorry for £5,500 per person. In reality, both routes could be deadly, as shown by the grim discovery of 71 migrants’ bodies in a lorry in Austria this week.

“And in fact the ‘safe’ five-star yacht pictured on the site is also an illusion. When the Daily Mail contacted the operators of the Orient Bosphorus, they said it was used only for romantic river cruises along the Bosphorus in Istanbul, and never went to Izmir, let alone across the Mediterranean… For Syrians travelling without valid documents, various shady companies offered passports for sale, with prices starting at £650. Visas for European countries can cost thousands.”

This is an example of human nature at its worst.

The Late Curse of the Balkan War

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 29:

“More than a third of all asylum-seekers arriving in Germany come from Albania, Kosovo and Serbia. Young, poor and disillusioned with their home countries, they are searching for a better future. But almost none of them will be allowed to stay…

 “30,000 Kosovars… have applied for asylum in Germany since the beginning of the year… the country has [also] seen [this year] the arrival of 5,514 Macedonians, 11,642 Serbians, 29,353 Albanians and 2,425 Montenegrins. Of the 196,000 people who had filed an initial application for asylum in Germany by the end of July, 42 percent are from the former Yugoslavia, a region now known as the Western Balkans.

“The exodus shows the wounds of the Balkan wars have not yet healed. Slovenia and Croatia are now members of the European Union, but Kosovo, which split from Serbia and became prematurely independent in 2008, carves out a pariah existence. Serbia is heavily burdened with the unresolved Kosovo question. The political system in Bosnia-Hercegovina is on the brink of collapse, 20 years after the end of the war there. And Macedonia, long the post-Yugoslavia model nation, has spent two decades in the waiting rooms of the EU and NATO, thanks to Greek pressure in response to a dispute over the country’s name. The consequences are many: a lack of investment, failing social welfare systems, corruption, organized crime, high unemployment, poverty, frustration and rage.

“… close to two-thirds of 14-to-29-year-olds want to leave Albania, as do more than half of those in the same age group from Kosovo and Macedonia. They have lost all confidence in their young democracies, and they dream of a better life. They apply for asylum in Europe because that is the only way to obtain a residence permit. But almost all applications are ultimately denied… One of the topics of discussion at the next asylum summit in Berlin on Sept. 9 will be whether Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo should be added to the list of ‘safe countries of origin’ along with Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Hercegovina [This would mean, asylum seekers from those countries would be denied as well].

“And there are, indeed, hardly any reasons to grant asylum to migrants from the Balkans. Even human rights organizations have few objections to classifying these countries as ‘safe,’ with the exceptions that apply to minorities like the Sinti and Roma, as well as homosexuals… After Syrians and Kosovars, Albanians have become the third-largest group of asylum seekers in Germany… Albania became a candidate for EU accession a year ago, but it is also a country where human trafficking and organized crime are rampant… Albania is also the poorest of… 37 European countries…

“Belgrade has become a transit hub for tens of thousands of Syrians, Afghans and Iranians who are flowing into northern Europe via Turkey and Greece. The EU, their dream destination, is located just 200 kilometers from the Serbian capital and around 2,500 refugees arrive in Serbia every day. And so many refugees are arriving in neighboring Macedonia that the government declared a state of emergency last Friday…

“On Thursday, the Western Balkan Conference is set to begin. Ironically, the meeting will be held inside Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, the heart of the former Habsburg Empire. The countries touching the empire’s former external borders still haven’t found lasting peace even 100 years after it unraveled…”

The curse of war does not only apply to the senseless killing of thousands, if not millions of people, but also to the related problems of innocent refugees and migrants who are driven away from their homeland due to the fighting and barbarous acts of “friends” and enemies alike… See the next article.

The Curse of the Syrian War

The Washington Post wrote on August 29:

“While the world’s attention is fixed on the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees swarming into Europe, a potentially far more profound crisis is unfolding in the countries of the Middle East that have borne the brunt of the world’s failure to resolve the Syrian war. Those reaching Europe represent a small percentage of the 4 million Syrians who have fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, making Syria the biggest single source of refugees in the world and the worst humanitarian emergency in more than four decades.

“As the fighting grinds into a fifth year…  [the] conflict has left at least 250,000 people dead in the strategic heart of the Middle East and displaced more than 11 million overall, yet there is still no peace process, no discernible solution and no end in sight. Now, the humanitarian effort is failing, too…

“Syrians accounted for the largest percentage of asylum-seekers in Europe over the past two years, and their numbers are growing fast — 63 percent of the 160,000 people who have washed up in Greece so far this year were Syrian. But Europe is an option available only to refugees with the means to pay the $5,000 or $6,000 fee demanded by smugglers…”

“ISIS Growing Like Crazy”

Newsmax reported on August 30:

“September marks the first anniversary of the U.S. war against the Islamic State group (ISIS), but American efforts are showing little success, NBC News reported on Sunday. Turkey’s recent permission for airstrikes and drone missions to be based there was ‘a huge tactical gain,’ NBC’s Richard Engel reported… but added, ‘ISIS doesn’t seem to be shrinking.’ Engel quoted one U.S. official as saying the terror group’s international branches are ‘growing like crazy,’ spreading  [across] North and West Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan and into the Far East.

“‘ISIS has expanded far more quickly and extensively than Al Qaeda ever did,’ Engel said… The current [U.S.] strategy is based on three pillars, ‘and they’re all shaky,’ Engel said. Retraining of the Iraqi army has been slow, and Iran often calls the shots, he said. Only a few Syrian rebels have been trained, and many have been kidnapped already. The airstrikes have been successful in killing ISIS leaders and fighters, but they all are quickly replaced.”

ISIS Destroys Temples Dedicated to Baal

AFP wrote on August 31:

“Satellite images confirm the destruction of another famed temple in Syria’s Palmyra, the United Nations said late Monday. ‘We can confirm destruction of the main building of the Temple of Bel as well as a row of columns in its immediate vicinity,’ the UN training and research agency UNITAR said, providing satellite images from before and after a powerful blast in the ruins of the ancient city Sunday… UNITAR said its satellite program put to rest any doubts that the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel had been destroyed in the blast… IS already destroyed the smaller Baal Shamin temple at Palmyra last week… UNITAR on Friday also presented satellite images confirming the destruction of the Baal Shamin temple, which the UN’s cultural agency UNESCO called a ‘war crime’… [Baal Shamin was dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilizing rains]…

“The jihadists have carried out a sustained campaign of destruction against heritage sites in areas under their control in Syria and Iraq, and in mid-August beheaded the 82-year-old former antiquities chief in Palmyra. The extremist group’s interpretation of Islam considers statues and grave markers to be idolatrous, but it has also been accused of destroying heritage sites to loot items for the black market and to gain publicity.

“Known as the ‘Pearl of the Desert’, Palmyra, which means City of Palms, lies 210 kilometres (130 miles) northeast of Damascus. Before the Syrian conflict erupted 2011, more than 150,000 tourists visited Palmyra every year. Before the arrival of Christianity in the second century, Palmyra worshipped the Semitic god Bel, along with the sun god Yarhibol and lunar god Aglibol… Construction on the temple began in 32 BC and ended in the second century, and it later served as both a church and a mosque.”

Daily Mail Online added on August 31:

“Constructed in 32AD, the temple [of Bel] was dedicated to gods worshipped by the Semites – a group of different cultures in the Ancient Middle East including Assyrians, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Arabs. It stood on an artificial hill which dates back more than 2,200 years and lavish carvings of the then-known seven planets, zodiac signs and Makkabel the fertility god adorn the monolithic ceiling of its northern chamber… ISIS also destroyed the treasured Lion of al-Lat – the 15-tonne, 3.5m-high piece made out of limestone early in the 1st Century AD. The lion was considered the ancient consort of al-Lat, the goddess of the underworld who abhorred violence…”

Old Testament Israel and Judah were involved in Baal worship for which God strongly condemned them. Baal was a sun god, and today, those who worship God on Sunday, instead on the biblically-commanded Sabbath, are following Gentiles who did worship Baal and other pagan gods on Sunday. God tells us, however, that we must not attempt to worship Him in this way (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

ISIS to Conquer Rome?

Express wrote on August 30:

“ISIS… was founded on the belief that all civilisations will crumble in an imminent apocalypse, with their wild theory also identifying four likely locations for a battle they claim will bring about the end of the world. Three of those sites exist in the Middle East, including two in Syria and one in Israel. But the fanatics have also pinpointed Italy’s capital Rome as the site of another great clash between their soldiers and the West. ‘The Muslim armies are supposed to take over Rome, and eventually they are supposed to take over the whole world,’ explained William McCants, a US expert on jihadism, who has written a new book on the ISIS obsession with the apocalypse…

“Jihadists believe the Prophet Muhammed is said to have remarked that ‘the last hour will not come; until an army vanquishes the Romans at ‘Dabiq or Al-A’maq’. [Dabiq is a tiny town in northern Syria]. Also highlighted as a potential flashpoint is a town just outside the Syrian capital Damascus, while Jerusalem in Israel also gets a mention as the potential epicentre of an apocalyptic clash. But most worrying to those in the West is the suggestion that Rome could also be targeted… The group has threatened to bring in Sharia law in the city… There have also been threats made against the Pope, whose official residence is in the Vatican City…

“According to their theory, ‘nations gathering under 80 flags will confront the Muslim armies’. For many jihadists, the alliance of Western and other powers against ISIS in bombing raids over Iraq and Syria is seen as the fulfilment of that prophecy…  to date, more than 60 nations have committed to fight against the terror network. It means that were a handful more countries to join the growing anti-ISIS alliance, jihadists could act on their terrifying prediction.”

Because of such perceived threats, some have concluded that ISIS is the king of the South, mentioned in the book of Daniel, pushing against Europe (identified as the king of the North). Others have claimed that ISIS or some other Muslim groups will produce the “Antichrist.” None of that is biblical.

However, we do read that Rome will ultimately be destroyed by the modern “Medes” (Ukrainians and Russians), leading an alliance of several military nations from the Far East (the “kings of the East” in biblical terms), and it appears that Iran, for example, will be part of that alliance. Other Muslim countries may be too.

For further information, please read our free booklets, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy” and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

The Ice War

Fox News wrote on September 2:

“President Obama announced Tuesday he would speed up the acquisition of icebreakers to help the U.S. Coast Guard navigate an area that Russia and China increasingly see as a new frontier. The announcement is the latest power play in the Arctic north… Forty percent of the world’s oil and natural gas reserves lie under the Arctic… Russia wants to establish a kind of Suez Canal which it controls. More than a Cold War, Russia may be preparing for an Ice War, and the Pentagon is taking note.

“Last March, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a snap, full combat military exercise in Russia’s Arctic north to mark the anniversary of his annexation of Crimea — with 40,000 Russian troops, dozens of warships and submarines… Russia has reestablished Soviet-era military bases across the Arctic and begun building a string of search-and-rescue stations along its Arctic shores. In April, Russia’s economic minister explained the importance. ‘For us, the Arctic is mineral resources, transportation, and one also should not forget about fish and sea products, and bio-resources. The potential here is enormous,’ Alexey Ulyukaev said.

“Meanwhile, the U.S. only has two functioning icebreakers. Russia has 41, with plans to build 11 more… Meanwhile, the U.S. Army, facing budget cuts, plans to pull out 3,000 troops from Alaska, in what some say is poor timing as the U.S. plays catch-up to Russia in the Arctic.”

The USA is on the losing side of this battle as well.

What DOES the US Constitution Say about Birthright Citizenship?

The Huffington Post wrote on August 28:

“Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said on Friday that he is open to changing the United States’ birthright citizenship policy… During an interview, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt asked the Republican presidential hopeful about the current debate over the 14th Amendment which grants American citizenship to any individual born on U.S. soil… Marco Rubio said he wouldn’t support a law to abrogate birthright citizenship…

“Huckabee questioned the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which reads, ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.’…

“Debate over the 14th Amendment came to the forefront of the GOP primary after Donald Trump called for an end to birthright citizenship earlier this month… Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, like Huckabee, has addressed ‘birth tourism,” particularly in the cases of Chinese women who pay to come to the United States to give birth so their children can grow up as American citizens…”

Breitbart wrote on August 19:

“Talk radio host and author of ‘Plunder and Deceit,’ Mark Levin said that the 14th Amendment does not require birthright citizenship… Host Sean Hannity stated, ‘Rand Paul was right on this, Trump was right on this, Cruz is right on this, Walker’s right on this.’ He then put up a quotation from Citizenship Clause author Senator Jacob Howard (R-MI) during the debate on the 14th Amendment that ‘Every person born within the limits of the United States, and subject to their jurisdiction is, by virtue of natural law and national law, a citizen of the [United States]. This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers, accredited to the government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons.’

“Levin said that people are getting the clause wrong, ‘Because they’re result-oriented. Because they want to insist the Constitution says what it doesn’t say. Moreover, the Supreme Court has never ruled that the children of illegal aliens are American citizens… The clause speaks for itself, the author of the clause made it abundantly, unequivocally clear, let’s add another thing, let’s read the clause together, shall we? “All persons born or naturalized in the United States.” Let’s stop there. If it means what the proponents of birthright citizenship say, it would stop right there. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States” are citizens… Then it says, and, “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”

“Now, you have slip and fall lawyers, some phony constitutional lawyers, they have “Esquire” after their name, they come on TV, they go all over the place [and say:] “Jurisdiction means geography.” Jurisdiction has nothing to do with geography. Zero. It [has] to do with political allegiance to the United States of America. How do we know it? Because they said it. And they also excluded everybody that the left, and some of the Republicans want to include.

“‘Now… there’s another part of the Constitution. It’s Article I, Section 8, Clause 4. Here’s what that says, in plain English. “The Congress shall have power to… establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” Now, you know what that means, that means Congress, not the courts, not the president, not ICE, it means the United States Congress has the power to regulate immigration in this regard… in the 1920s, that’s exactly what it did. The 14th Amendment excludes Indians, that is Native Americans, as US citizens, because they felt that they had allegiance to their own national tribes… I believe it was in 1923, Congress reversed course, and said, “… Under the 14th Amendment and under this Article I, we’ve decided to grant citizenship, national citizenship to all Native Americans.’”

Other scholars and legal experts would of course disagree with Levin’s interpretation of the 14h Amendment.

Mass Deportations Coming?

The Associated Press reported on August 30:

“Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call for mass deportation of millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, as well as their American-born children, bears similarities to a large-scale removal that many Mexican-American families faced 85 years ago. During the Great Depression, counties and cities in the American Southwest and Midwest forced Mexican immigrants and their families to leave the U.S. over concerns they were taking jobs away from whites despite their legal right to stay. The result: Around 500,000 to 1 million Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans were pushed out of the country during the 1930s repatriation, as the removal is sometimes called.

“During that time, immigrants were rounded up and sent to Mexico, sometimes in public places and often without formal proceedings. Others, scared under the threat of violence, left voluntarily. About 60 percent of those who left were American citizens, according to various studies on the 1930s repatriation. Later testimonies show families lost most of their possessions and some family members died trying to return. Neighborhoods in cities such as Houston, San Antonio and Los Angeles became empty…”

A repeat of such a terrible development in the 1930s, as described above, would indeed be an appalling injustice and totally inhumane. However, Trump’s claims so far do not advocate such measures.

Politics Getting Really Ugly

Breitbart wrote on August 28:

“A day after Hillary Clinton compared GOP candidates to terrorists, she has suggested an opponent’s plan to deport illegal immigrants is reminiscent of the Nazis. At a press conference Friday in Minneapolis, Hillary [said]: ‘I find it the height of irony that a party which espouses small government would want to unleash a massive law enforcement effort– including perhaps National Guard and others–to go and literally pull people out of their homes and their workplaces’…  Then she added an image which evoked the Nazis: ‘Round them up, put them, I don’t know, in buses… boxcars, in order to take them across our border.’

“The picture Clinton paints of placing people in boxcars is a potent one because, during World War II, Jews were forced into boxcars and transported to Nazi concentration camps as part of Hitler’s final solution. Clinton’s choice of the words appears extemporaneous but not accidental. She mentions buses then pauses and adds ‘boxcars,’ rather than simply saying ‘trains.’…

“The ‘boxcars’ statement comes just one day after Clinton made another controversial attack on her Republican rivals. At a speech in Cleveland Clinton compared Republicans to terrorists, saying, ‘Now, extreme views about women, we expect that from some of the terrorist groups. We expect that from people who don’t want to live in the modern world. But it’s a little hard to take coming from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States.’ Clinton’s terrorism comparison was widely reported, though some observers wondered why it didn’t get even more media attention, given how extreme her statement was.

“Allison Moore, national press secretary for the RNC, put out a statement blasting Clinton’s remarks: ‘Not 24 hours removed from calling Republicans terrorists, Hillary Clinton reached a new low today hurling Holocaust references at her political opponents,’ she said. ‘Hillary Clinton may be getting desperate over her sinking poll numbers and growing email scandal, but that’s no excuse for this kind of inflammatory and extreme rhetoric.’

“In July, GOP candidate Mick Huckabee used a Holocaust reference during a radio interview with Breitbart News’ Alex Marlow on Sirius XM Patriot. Speaking of President Obama’s Iran deal, Huckabee said, ‘he will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.’ For making this reference, Huckabee was widely criticized in the media. He said later that ‘maybe the metaphor is not a good one.’”

On the other hand, some Republicans have referred to Hillary Clinton as a “criminal” who committed a “crime,” referring to her ongoing E-mail scandal. It was reported that “more than 3-in-5 voters, 61 percent, think Clinton isn’t honest and trustworthy. Overall, more than a third of poll respondents said their first thought about Clinton was some version of: She’s a liar” (Politico, August 27). But maybe politicians (who influence the public by what they say) should think—and think again and again—before they talk. However, who would expect them to do this?

“Dow Posts Worst August Decline in 17 Years”

Market Watch reported on August 31:

“The month of August can be pretty rough for stock investors. But this August has earned its place in the record books, as stocks were unsettled by uncertainty over the state of affairs in the world’s second largest economy, China. As far as Augusts go, this has been the worst in nearly two decades (since 1998) for the Dow Jones Industrial Average…

“Overall it was the sixth worst monthly performance for the Dow and the worst since May 2010.”

High School Students Take a Stand against Crazy Rules

CBS reported on September 2:

“Over 150 Missouri high school students voiced their displeasure about a transgender teen using the girls’ locker room by walking out of class. Students at Hillsboro High School staged a two-hour walkout Monday over 17-year-old Lila Perry, a student who has identified as a female since she was 13, using the girls’ locker room during gym class.

“The school offered Perry a gender-neutral bathroom, which she turned down… Family members of high school students were also holding a protest… Lila has dropped out of gym class for safety concerns, but she still plans on using the girl’s bathroom.”

The left-liberal propaganda in this country knows no limits and bounds, imposing their agenda on others. While claiming to uphold the rights of “minorities,” they are willing to violate the rights of others. We applaud the high school girls for making their concerns known.

US Supreme Court Upholds Another Controversial Decision regarding Same-Sex Marriage

Bloomberg wrote on August 31:

“A Kentucky county clerk must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected contentions that she is being forced to violate her religious convictions. The justices, without explanation, refused to lift a lower court order requiring Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis to resume distributing marriage licenses. She stopped issuing any licenses — and defied an order from the state’s governor — after the Supreme Court ruled in June that gay marriage is a constitutional right.

“The emergency appeal marked an early test of how the Supreme Court will handle religious objections to gay marriage in the aftermath of the landmark June 26 ruling. Davis, an elected official in the northeastern Kentucky county, has become a flashpoint in that debate. She now could face contempt charges if she doesn’t comply with U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning’s order. In addition, the state attorney general’s office has received a request that Davis be prosecuted.

“Davis, who describes herself as a devout Christian, says it would violate her conscience to approve a marriage license to a same-sex couple. She has also barred her deputies from issuing licenses because the documents would bear her name. Davis argued that… [the] Supreme Court’s cases ‘do not create a fundamental right to receive a marriage license from a particular person’… In rejecting those arguments, Bunning said Davis isn’t being asked to condone same-sex marriage. ‘Her religious convictions cannot excuse her from performing the duties that she took an oath to perform as Rowan County clerk,’ the judge wrote.”

Following the decision of the US Supreme Court ruling that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, this new case is further testimony of a country having completely lost its course. As feared, now decisions are made AGAINST those who want to live by the standards of the Bible. Religious persecution in the USA is continuing dramatically. A legal opinion compelling someone to follow rules which did not exist when the person took an oath is very troublesome. It was that kind of reasoning which many Germans adopted when following orders of the Nazi regime, and many soldiers continued fighting for Hitler because they had initially taken an oath to follow their Fuehrer (which, of course, they should have never done). 

The next article is even more appalling… and should send a warning message to all who believe in religious freedom.

In Contempt of Court

Newsmax wrote on September 3:

“A Kentucky county clerk was jailed on Thursday for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, and a full day of court hearings failed to put an end to her two-month-old legal fight over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding same-sex marriage.

“U.S. District Judge David Bunning found Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in contempt then elicited a pledge from five of her six deputies to issue the licenses. But attorneys for Davis said she would deny them that authority, raising questions about the validity of any licenses they might issue…

“Bunning warned the deputies they would be back in court if they refused to resume issuing licenses on Friday…

“Davis’ jailing drew instant criticism from her supporters with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee tweeting, ‘Kim Davis in federal custody removes all doubts about the criminalization of Christianity in this country.’

“Christian lobbying group Family Research Council said religious freedom in the United States was under attack. It urged Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to call for a special session of the state legislature to alter the law to accommodate clerks like Davis. In a statement the governor said a special session was unnecessary and too costly…

“Davis told Fox News earlier she was ready to go to jail for her beliefs. ‘I’ve weighed the cost and I’m prepared to go to jail,’ she told Fox in an interview published on Thursday. ‘This has never been a gay or lesbian issue for me. This is about upholding the word of God..’ Apostolic Christian beliefs are rooted in a literal interpretation of the Bible…”

Religious liberties and freedoms are “criminalized” in this country, as Mike Huckabee put it. What will be next? Will maverick judges hold US citizens in contempt and jail them because they are opposed to fulfilling their “civil duty” of serving as jurors, based on the clear instructions of the Bible prohibiting the same? Will conscientious objectors be incarcerated in case of the institution of the draft because religious beliefs mean nothing anymore in the USA—a country which was founded on the principles of religious liberty and freedom?

Russia Preparing for War Against Europe?

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on August 21:

“Russia is nearing deployment of a new missile capable of targeting… Europe with nuclear or conventional warheads… Pentagon officials said the new naval weapon can be equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads and can reach most of Europe when fired from ships in the Black Sea… The new supersonic missile is capable of being used to strike targets both at sea and on land.”

Is America Responding?

CNN wrote on August 26:

“The U.S. Air Force will soon dispatch its most advanced fighter jet, the F-22 Raptor, to Europe in a show of solidarity with allies that have concerns about Russian actions in Ukraine, Air Force leaders said Monday. ‘Russia’s military activity in the Ukraine continues to be of great concern to us and to our European allies,’ Air Force Secretary Deborah James, the service’s top civilian, said at a briefing…

“James said security concerns prevented her from disclosing exactly when and where the aircraft would deploy… [but] sending the F-22s to Europe is only part of what the Pentagon is doing to reassure allies…

“The U.S. military has been rotating various units through Europe for training and exercises this year. Air Force F-15s, F-16s and A-10s have been part of those rotations. Meanwhile, the Army and Marines have sent tanks and armor to the continent. And on Monday, 400 U.S. and allied paratroopers staged parachute assaults on two airfields in Bulgaria as part of Exercise Swift Response 15, which the Army calls ‘the largest U.S.-led airborne exercise in Europe since the end of the Cold War.’ The total exercise involves 4,500 airborne troops from 11 NATO nations.”

True Heroism

Newsmax reported on August 24:

“The proud father of the U.S. National Guardsman who averted a massacre aboard a Paris-to-Amsterdam commuter train tells Newsmax TV his son’s actions prove America must brush aside political correctness when it comes to fighting terrorism… On Monday, French President Francois Hollande awarded France’s highest honor to off-duty servicemen Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone, their student friend Anthony Sadler, and Chris Norman, a British business consultant.

“The heroic [unarmed] five sprang into action to overpower a 25-year-old Moroccan… who boarded the high-speed train on Friday wielding a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a Luger automatic pistol, ammunition, and a box-cutter.”

It is good to see that some are still willing to risk their own lives to save others. Sadly, these heroic acts stand in grim contrast to a black American homosexual reporter murdering two white straight former colleagues during a live TV broadcast and subsequently killing himself. Predictably, the left and the right tried to make their case for and against gun control, as well as racial and sexual discrimination. However, it was reported that the murderer had several episodes of uncontrolled anger. It seems that Trump had it right when he blamed the incident on “massive mental illness” (Newsmax, August 27). Better yet, we might blame it on demonic influence.

“Merkel Finally Condemns Anti-Refugee Violence”

The Local reported on August 24:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a press conference on Monday that far-right demonstrations over the weekend in the Saxon town of Heidenau were completely unacceptable. ‘There was an aggressive, xenophobic atmosphere that is in no way acceptable. It’s repulsive how the far right and neo-Nazis are trying to spread their hollow messages of hate,’ Merkel said at a Berlin meeting to discuss Europe’s refugee crisis with French President Francois Hollande. ‘But it’s equally shameful that citizens, even families with children, should once again support these things by participating,’ she added.

“Hollande told journalists that ‘no situation, however painful, can justify these acts.’ But he added that growing numbers of refugees were a burden for the countries that were taking on the greatest numbers. ‘We can see what tensions this can bring out,’ he said…

“After clashes erupted in eastern Germany over two nights between police and far-right thugs protesting the opening of a new centre for refugees, Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said Berlin would not stand for hostility against the newcomers… Merkel, faced growing calls over the weekend to speak out on aggression against refugees following the clashes in Heidenau on Friday and Saturday night. Critics also took to social media using the Twitter hashtags #Merkelschweigt (Silent Merkel) and #Merkelsagwas (Merkel, say something)…

“Germany is bracing for a record influx of up to 800,000 asylum-seekers this year and has registered more than 200 attacks against shelters housing or due to house refugees since January…”

As usual, it took Angela Merkel a long time to react. The media again became upset with her because of her silence. Germans begin more and more to lose trust and confidence in her ability to lead the country. The refugee situation will not go away, but only intensify. A charismatic figure WILL arise in Germany to provide a “real alternative” to the current weak government… because Merkel’s days could be numbered.

AFP wrote on August 25:

“Germany scrambled Tuesday to quell a wave of anti-migrant violence, as a new case of suspected arson hit a planned refugee shelter just hours after Chancellor Angela Merkel described xenophobic protests as ‘vile’. A week before 130 refugees are due to move into a temporary shelter in a sports hall in Nauen, a town near Berlin, the building went up in flames… The sudden surge in people coming from war zones such as Syria as well as countries that are not at war like Albania and Kosovo has… exposed anti-migrant sentiment, particularly in eastern Germany, which still lags behind the western part of the country in terms of jobs and opportunities 25 years after reunification…”

Does Berlin Take the Lead in Europe’s Immigration Problems?

The Independent wrote on August 24:

“Berlin took the lead in efforts to resolve the European refugee crisis yesterday by declaring all Syrian asylum-seekers welcome to remain in Germany – no matter which EU country they had first entered. Germany, which expects to take a staggering 800,000 migrants this year, became the first EU country to suspend a 1990 protocol which forces refugees to seek asylum in the first European country in which they set foot…

“All current expulsion orders for Syrian asylum-seekers will be revoked, the government said. New Syrian arrivals will no longer be forced to fill in questionnaires to determine which country they had first arrived in. In the first six months of 2015, Germany registered 44,417 applications from Syrian asylum-seekers.

“The decision piles further pressure on other EU countries – including Britain – which have used the 1990 protocol as the legal basis for refusing to take any share of the refugees  from the Middle East and Africa now pouring into Europe to escape war, oppression or famine. The decision came as Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President, François Hollande, held talks in Berlin to try to come up with solutions to the worst European refugee crisis since the immediate aftermath of  the Second  World War.

“They appealed last night for the creation of a new, Europe-wide asylum policy, in which all 28 EU countries would be expected to take part…”

But does Germany really take the liberal lead, as it is described above? Hardly! Please note the next article, discussing  German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere’s immigration plans. De Maiziere was engulfed in numerous scandals, and some view him as a somewhat ruthless politician who cannot be trusted.

Germany’s [de Maiziere’s] Expected Reaction

Deutsche Welle reported on August 26:

“German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere plans to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Germany through a series of legislative changes… According to reports on ‘Spiegel Online’ on Wednesday, other ministries with the German government have already been sent a four-page document with eleven proposals regarding the ‘Control of Asylum Migration.’…

“Under the reported legislative changes, asylum seekers would stay at an initial reception camp for six months instead of the current three. The aim of this particular measure is to enable authorities to deport rejected asylum seekers quicker…”

A Border Fence (Wall) Is Built in Hungary

The New York Times wrote on August 25:

“The latest surge of migrants crossing the Balkans has brought a record number to Hungary despite government efforts to quickly build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence on the Serbian border to stop them…

“So far, the Hungarian border barrier consists of three layers of razor wire, which the government says will be laid along the 174-kilometer (109-mile) border with Serbia by the end of the month. According to Kovacs, the higher fence a few feet behind the razor wire is also being built ‘as fast as possible’…

“‘Building fences, using tear gas and other forms of violence against migrants and asylum seekers, detention … will not stop migrants from coming or trying to come to Europe,’ said Francois Crepau, the U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. ‘Let’s not pretend that what the EU and its member states are doing is working. Migration is here to stay.’”

Britain has ongoing immigration problems as well.

BBC News reported on August 27 that “Net migration to the UK is at an all-time high, reaching 330,000 in the year to March… The figure – the difference between the number entering the country and those leaving – is more than three times higher than the government’s target. Immigration Minister James Brokenshire called the rise ‘deeply disappointing’”.

UK—In or Out?

Express wrote on August 21:

“The debate over whether to remain a part of the EU has split the country… The arguments both for and against [a Brexit] are varied and complex, so here are five simple reasons why we should cut our ties with the EU – plus five reasons we should stay put.

“Why should we leave the EU?

“1. It would save UK taxpayers money. The EU costs Britain £55million every day – and while we recoup some of that sum, most of it remains in the Brussels’ coffers. The Office for Budget Repsinsiblity estimates the figure is closer to £39.7 million a day when rebates and other receipts are taken into account. Either way, Britons contribute a lot of money to the EU.

“2. Better control of immigration. Membership of the EU means 450 million Europeans can freely live and work in the UK. Withdrawing from the union would give British politicians a stronger grip on who can and can’t come into the country…

“3. Decisions taken closer to home. Campaigners say the EU currently decides 75 per cent of laws affecting Britain. Leaving the union would mean British politicians could take direct action on key issues that affect the country…

“4. The EU is undemocratic. One of the most significant trade deals in a generation – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP – is being negotiated largely in private. And the European Commission, which proposes legislation, is not directly elected. Opponents say the EU is fundamentally undemocratic.

“5. Improved trade. Supporters of a Brexit cite increased opportunities to trade with the rest of the world as a key reason to leave the EU. Bi-lateral trade agreements with fast-growing export markets such as China, Singapore, Brazil, Russia and India would suddenly become available. There are also the examples of Norway and Switzerland, two of Europe’s wealthiest countries – and neither of whom are in the EU…

“Why should we stay in the EU?

“1. Jobs. It is claimed as many as three million British jobs rely on our continued membership of the EU…

“2. Britons benefit from being able to live and work anywhere in the EU. Going on holiday, finding a job abroad and retiring to Europe’s sunnier climes are all made easier by Britain’s membership of the EU. Most countries have an agreement with EU members to waive visas, making travel for those with a British passport both easy and cheap.

“3. Threat Britain would become less influential on the international stage. Most of our nearest European neighbours – and the US – want us to stay in. With the backing of the EU, advocates of the union argue Britain’s voice is enhanced on the world stage, giving us greater influence.

“4. Trade. The EU is the UK’s biggest trading partner, accounting for more than half of our trade. A staggering £400bn is brought in each year through buying and selling within the common market, dwarfing the £12bn we spend on the EU each year.

“5. City of London. Many businesses have threatened to quit the City of London if Britain withdraws from Europe. Top bankers… have spoken out to say London must stay in the EU to ensure it remains a ‘great financial capital of the world’…”

Some of the arguments—pro and con—are rather far-fetched and unpersuasive. In any event, God will see to it that at His time, the UK will leave the EU.

How Germany Puts Britain to Shame

On August 26, 2015, the Local published the following article with the provocative headline: “10 ways Germany puts Britain to shame.” We do not necessarily endorse, agree or disagree with some or even all of the points raised in this tongue-in-cheek article, but felt they might be of interest. (Our apologies ahead of time to our British readers.) But when understanding biblical prophecy, we realize that the article has a sober note. The article was written by Jörg Luyken who was born in Scotland and who “argues that his fellow Brits should pack their bags and move to Deutschland.” Sadly, quite a few Brits will do this in the future… but not voluntarily. Here is the ten-point list:

“1. … Why is the weather so terrible in Britain?…

“2. … Britain is crazily expensive…

“3. Music [in Germany] isn’t terrible…

“4. … Walk into a British bar or club and your nostrils will be assaulted by the stench…

“5. Germans are trusted to drink responsibly [not in Britain]…

“6. … and generally not to be criminals… there is still a basic pact between the German state and citizenry of being innocent until proven guilty. Invasions of privacy are abundant in Britain, as is obvious to any visitor who has dealt with the horribly officious airport security. Most galling, though, is the state’s love of perving on us with CCTV cameras. You can’t move a millimetre in London without being watched…

“7. Germans recycle properly… In Germany you get money back when you return empty cans and bottles. This makes a particular difference at festivals, encouraging people not to just drop their rubbish on the street. Because no such concept exists in Britain, plastic and paper cups are strewn everywhere.

“8. Getting around is easy-peasy (and affordable)… Even in the British cities that have underground lines, you’ll spend about half a day navigating various forms of public transport just to visit a friend who lives at the end of your street. Because the wonders of overground rail and trams are commonplace in most major German cities, you can cross places like Berlin without having to pack three days’ rations first. And on weekends inner-city public transport runs 24 hours… Furthermore,… taking the train from Stanstead to London means you’ve already spent over double your holiday budget by the time you get to London…

“9. German politics isn’t (entirely) made up as it goes along… Britain is squabbling over borders that haven’t existed in practice for hundreds of years.

“10. But then at least Brits know how to cook a good Sunday roast…”

The last point was accompanied by a photograph which was meant to ridicule the accuracy of the statement.

“Greece Names New Prime Minister”

Deutsche Welle reported on August 27:

“The Greek president has appointed an interim prime minister as the country prepares for fresh elections in September…

“Vassiliki Thanou was appointed caretaker prime minister on Thursday by Greece’s President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. Thanou, head of the country’s Supreme Court, will be the first woman to hold the position as the country gears up for snap elections likely to be held on September 20.

“The 65-year-old will assume the post later on Thursday evening, and then appoint a cabinet to be sworn in the following day. Her appointment comes after parliament’s three largest parties were unable to find willing coalition partners.

‘Outgoing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned last week after only seven months in office. Tsipras, facing a revolt from within his left-wing Syriza party, hopes to bolster support for the country’s new bailout program with a fresh election…

“Tsipras is expected to emerge victorious in the September polls, although it is uncertain if he will get enough votes to govern alone or be forced to seek another coalition, though he has already ruled out aligning with any opposition centrist parties. For his part, Tsipras’ maverick former Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis told Reuters news agency he will not partake in the ‘sad’ elections…”

Europe Anxious to Do Business with Iran—and Vice Versa

The Washington Post wrote on August 21:

“Congress is still deciding whether to approve the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, but European political and business leaders aren’t waiting for the outcome… It’s a measure of the radically different views on the deal on either side of the Atlantic. There’s little opposition to the nuclear pact in Europe, and little appetite to reimpose sanctions if Congress nixes the deal…

“German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel rushed to Tehran in the days after the agreement was signed, traveling alongside a business delegation with top officials from some of Germany’s largest companies, including Daimler, Siemens and ThyssenKrupp…

“French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited Tehran in late July. A French business delegation of nearly 100 executives will visit Tehran at the end of September. Top French firms including Renault, Peugeot and Total have all visited in recent months…

“Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Economic Development Minister Federica Guidi visited Tehran in early August, extending an invitation to President Rouhani to visit Rome. They traveled with a delegation of Italian financial firms, and bankers signed a government-backed financing deal to jumpstart Italian investment in Iran…

“British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond plans to visit Tehran on Saturday to reopen his nation’s embassy there, which has been closed since it was stormed by protesters in 2011. He will be accompanied by top British business leaders amid fears that they were lagging behind other countries in the rush to do deals in Iran…

“Austrian President Heinz Fischer plans to visit Tehran in early September, becoming the first European head of state to visit since 2004. He plans to travel with the foreign and economy ministers and other top business leaders. Vienna hosted a major E.U.-Iran trade conference just a week after the deal was signed…

“[Spain’s] Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo; Industry, Energy and Tourism Minister José Manuel Soria; and Development Minister Ana Pastor will lead a trade delegation to Tehran in early September…

“Polish economy minister Janusz Piechociński plans to visit Tehran in September with a business delegation. The country has started a development initiative called ‘Go Iran’ to promote between the two countries…

“Swedish Minister for Enterprise Mikael Damberg will visit with a trade delegation in the fall.”

Europe—modern Tyre and modern Babylon—is described in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation as a very powerful economic bloc with which just about everybody would want to trade.

Israel Almost Struck Iran in 2010, 2011 and 2012

The New York Times wrote on August 21:

“A former Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, revealed new details to his biographers about how close Israel came to striking Iran’s military facilities in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and why it did not despite his and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to do so, according to interview excerpts aired on Israeli television Friday night.

“Mr. Barak, who also previously served as Israel’s prime minister, said that he and Mr. Netanyahu were ready to attack Iran each year but that in 2010, the military chief of staff said Israel lacked the ‘operational capability’; in 2011, two key ministers waffled at the last minute; and in 2012, the timing did not work out because of a joint United States-Israel military exercise and visit by the American defense secretary.

“He noted that the two ministers who balked in 2011, Moshe Yaalon and Yuval Steinitz, ‘are the most militant about attacking Iran’ today… Mr. Barak was known at the time to be a prime advocate for a unilateral Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear plants, something Washington strongly opposed.

“In the weeks since the Obama administration and five other world powers signed a deal with Iran to restrict its nuclear program, Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Yaalon — now defense minister — and Mr. Steinitz have all stressed that Israel retains a military option to stop Iran from making a bomb…”

It is clear that the time had not (yet) come in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Iran Releases Video Depicting Muslim Attack on Jerusalem

Newsmax reported on August 23:

“Two weeks after the Iran nuclear deal was announced, a video was released under the auspices of the Iranian regime which depicts an attack on Jerusalem by the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Muslim allies. The video declares: ‘Israel must be obliterated.’

“The animated video, produced by the Islamic Revolution Design House, shows soldiers preparing for battle. One has the Revolutionary Guard insignia on his arm, another sports the emblem of the Iran-based Iraqi Shia Badr Organization, and a third wears a headband with Hezbollah’s logo… The soldiers are then seen marching toward Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and Old City.

“Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also called for the destruction of Israel. He recently tweeted: ‘We spare no opportunity to support anyone fighting the Zionists,’ The Blaze website reported.”

It is mere insanity to try to strike a “deal” with an Iranian regime which is determined to destroy Israel. But then, maybe Iran is not alone with that desire?

Modern Judaism’s Fanaticism

JTA wrote on August 19 about the owner of a winery in Tuscany, Italy, producing Chianti wine for Israel, but being prohibited to touch the wine  in the process:

“… when it came time to open her signature bottle, the Terra Di Seta Winery’s Chianti Classico 2010 Reserve, she [the winery owner] yielded to Yossi Metzger, an intern with little winemaking experience and a kippah on his head. Metzger twisted the corkscrew and popped the bottle open. ‘We must be crazy to make kosher wine in Tuscany,’ laughed Pellegrini, who, according to Jewish law, cannot touch the wine because she is not Jewish.

“… keeping kosher means the vintners must surrender the actual winemaking process to others. According to traditional Jewish law, only religious Jews may produce kosher wine, and though Della Seta is Jewish, he [sic] does not observe Shabbat. So mashgiachs, or kosher supervisors, hired by the OK Kosher certification agency have to handle everything from the time the grapes come to the winery’s door to when the cork goes into the bottle…”

None of this is biblical. In fact, it is this kind of Pharisaical fanaticism which places true biblical beliefs in a bad light, and which Jesus strongly condemned.

Clinton’s E-mail Scandal—Did Obama Set Up Clinton from the Outset?

The Washington Times wrote on August 19:

“Mrs. Clinton is careening toward possible criminal charges involving her alleged mishandling of classified material on her personal email server while she was secretary of State. And President Obama is driving the bus. She and her team have, of course, reverted to form, blaming everyone but themselves: a ‘right-wing conspiracy,’ The New York Times, overzealous investigators. What they are missing, however, is the one figure who wants her taken out politically, and who has the power to do it.

“She and Mr. Obama have a long history as frenemies. Recall… President Bill Clinton’s famous put-down of Mr. Obama: ‘A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.’…

“If Mr. Obama does not want an investigation to go forward, it does not go forward. Witness the scandals involving the Internal Revenue Service, Benghazi, Veterans Administration and Operation Fast and Furious gunrunning… In those cases, he protested too much. His faux outrage was a ‘tell’ that he had no intention of investigating. In Mrs. Clinton’s case, he’s been quiet. Too quiet. That’s a ‘tell’ that he wants this investigation pursued, likely to the point of charging her.

“He has others talking, however. Each week, there are damaging new leaks about her personal email and server: that despite her denials, she did, in fact, have top-secret and other highly classified materials on the server, that the FBI is conducting a criminal probe and the bureau is ‘optimistic’ it can retrieve the wiped data, that she may have had a second server, that her top aides… are now also in investigators’ sights… These leaks are not happening by accident…

“It may be that Mr. Obama set her up from the start, giving her the green light to use a private server. The White House refuses to say whether she got prior approval, suggesting that they probably granted it. After all, a number of top administration folks had private accounts: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, among others. But they… weren’t likely presidential candidates. It could be that Mr. Obama gave her the OK knowing that he could use it against her at the opportune moment. Which would be now.

“This brings us to the certain presidential candidacy of Vice President Joe Biden, the one person who can effectively give Mr. Obama that third term… The White House is even floating the idea of one-term for Mr. Biden, to reassure voters that they wouldn’t be making a long-term commitment (even though, as an extension of Obama’s presidency, it would be.)

“Like the Clinton investigation, this is not by accident. Once Mr. Biden joins the race, he will enjoy the full backing of Mr. Obama… The Democratic ticket will be Joe Biden-Elizabeth Warren. That’s what Mr. Obama wants. And what Mr. Obama wants, Mr. Obama gets… And Mr. Obama is winning.”

CNN reported on August 24:

“Vice President Joe Biden received President Barack Obama’s ‘blessing’ to make a 2016 bid for the White House, according to a senior Democrat… The President made clear he would not stand in his way or counsel him against a run, the senior Democrat said… While many top Democrats have already signed onto Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, several former Obama advisers tell CNN they would work for Biden if he jumps into the race…”

Breitbart added on August 25:

“White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest signaled that Joe Biden was a suitable candidate for president, as the Vice President currently weighs a potential run for president…”

Newsmax wrote on August 24:

“Hillary Clinton is facing a ‘dangerous’ situation where her email server is concerned, former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Monday… ‘There are other statutes that deal with what happens to you if you are a custodian of public records and you, among other things, alter them or obliterate them,’ Mukasey, who served under President George W. Bush, said… ‘No. 1, that’s a felony, but that statute makes you unqualified, disqualifies you from holding any further office in the United States.’”

It appears as if the handwriting is on the wall…

China’s Black Monday

The Telegraph wrote on August 24:

“An unprecedented collapse in Chinese shares sent tremors through financial markets on Monday, triggering the ugliest day of global trading since the depths of the financial crisis eight years ago. Billions were wiped off indices across the world in a day of frenetic selling which saw the Shanghai composite suffer an 8.5pc decline, its worst one-day performance since 2007.

“The mass panic, dubbed ‘Black Monday’ by China’s official state news agency, was driven by investors’ dashed hopes that Beijing would inject a fresh round of stimulus into its economy at the weekend. China’s benchmark index has now lost all of its yearly gains after a relentless ascent that saw its valuation rise to record levels earlier this year.

“Asian markets crashed on the news, with Japan’s Nikkei closing down 4.5pc and entering official ‘correction’ territory. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng sank 5.2pc, its steepest sell-off in 30 years.

“Emerging markets, most exposed to a waning Chinese economy, saw their currencies continue an abysmal summer rout. Russia’s rouble fell to an all-time low of 70.74 to the dollar, despite desperate attempts by the Kremlin to prop up its value.

“Contagion quickly spread west, decimating European indices, which all suffered record post-crisis losses… Fears soon engulfed Wall Street, where the Dow Jones lost 1,000 points minutes after the opening bell… The dollar… collapsed to a seven-month low against the euro…”

Newsmax wrote on August 24:

“As financial markets are rattled, real estate mogul and presidential hopeful Donald Trump took to social media to remind the public how he’s warned about the dangers of the Chinese economy for months…

“On Monday, the world stock markets plunged after China’s main index sank 8.5 percent — a catastrophic event that is being referred to as ‘Black Monday’ and… the biggest drop since the beginning of the financial crisis. ‘China is taking our jobs, they’re taking our money,’ Trump announce in an Instagram video. ‘Be careful, they [China] will bring us down.’”

Newsmax reported on August 24 about Televangelist Pat Robertson’s unique twist on things.  He said Monday “that the stock market fluctuations were God’s punishment for the United States government funding abortion provider Planned Parenthood.”Even though Planned Parenthood’s conduct regarding the abortion of babies is indeed despicable, Pat Robertson seems to forget that the stock market problem originated in China and not in the USA. In addition, God is very angry with the USA for MANY reasons.

The Washington Post reported on August 25:

“… in China, authorities appeared powerless to prevent a further slide in the country’s ailing stock market Tuesday, as the country’s main share index plunged for a fourth straight day…

“The People’s Bank of China cut its one-year benchmark lending rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.6 percent and its one-year deposit rate by the same amount to 1.75 percent… But experts said the moves were unlikely to be enough to rescue the stock market…”

US Stocks Rebound on Wednesday and Thursday

CNBC wrote on August 26:

“U.S. stocks shot higher on Wednesday, rebounding from six consecutive days of declines that pushed the major averages into correction territory… The major averages closed about 4 percent higher for their best day since 2011. The S&P 500 closed higher, out of correction territory. The Nasdaq Composite closed on the edge of correction, up 4.2 percent on the day. Gains accelerated into the close, with the Dow Jones industrial average ending up about 620 points after rising as much as 637.31 points… ‘From what I’ve seen so far this morning in trades it looks more like bouncing,’ said Tim Dreiling, senior portfolio manager with the Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank… He said it’s ‘a coin toss…’”

Reuters added on August 27:

“Wall Street rallied more than 2 percent on Thursday [and]… fueled optimism that the worst of recent market turmoil was over.

“The Dow Jones industrial average scored its biggest two-day percentage gain since 2008, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite racked up their biggest two-day increases since 2009.”

Homosexuality—a Matter of Choice

Beitbart wrote on August 21:

“This week, YouGov released a poll questioning British people about their sexuality. The poll made headlines because nearly half of all 18-24 year olds said they were not fully heterosexual. More specifically, the poll asked people to rank themselves on the so-called Kinsey scale, a measurement named after fraudulent researcher Alfred Kinsey. The Kinsey scale ranges from 0 (fully heterosexual) to 6 (fully homosexual). All the other numbers represent a range of sexual attractions – 3, for example, would be fully bisexual, i.e. equally attracted to both sexes; 2 would be more attracted to members of the opposite sex than the same sex, but still attracted to the same sex.

“The poll showed that 88 percent of those older than 60 in the United Kingdom identified as completely heterosexual. In each succeeding age bracket, that number dropped: 78 percent for those aged 40-59, 58 percent for those aged 25-39, and just 46 percent for those aged 18-24. The number identifying as completely homosexual skyrocketed for younger generations as well: for those aged 60 or above, just 1 percent identified as homosexual, 3 percent of those aged 40-59, 9 percent of those aged 25-39, and 6 percent for those aged 18-24.

“This poll goes to the heart of the question of whether sexual orientation is purely biological, or whether it is societally impacted…  The argument that sexual orientation is solely a biological phenomenon is extraordinarily weak, and this poll proves it… The rate of non-heterosexual identification in Great Britain has skyrocketed 450 percent in two generations, according to this poll. As society grows not only more accepting of homosexuality, but outwardly celebratory of it… children are taught that morality has nothing to say about choice of sexual partner… people are punished for suggesting that society value heterosexuality above homosexuality… bisexuality becomes the ‘tolerant’ and ‘cool’ sexual orientation… Where once, people embraced the societally-approved standard of sexual orientation, reinforcing heterosexual feelings while rejecting homosexual ones, now they embrace all sexual attractions of every kind, enshrining them rather than treating them as aberrant exceptions to a general rule…

“The question is whether sexual orientation is biological and immutable, as LGBT advocates routinely insist, or whether sexual orientation can be impacted by environment, which would raise serious questions about the nature of educating children on sexuality. This study, now being championed as a great victory by the LGBT community, strongly suggests the latter is true: how we treat homosexuality as a society has massive influence on the sexual orientation of individuals within that society, for good or ill.”

Homosexuality is NOT biological, but socially impacted. People choose to become homosexuals… they are not born that way. We do not deny that a person might be born with certain tendencies which might be caused, perhaps, by biological genetics. For example, a child of an alcoholic might have a greater proclivity of becoming an alcoholic than someone else, and he or she must therefore be extra careful. But, a person is not born as an alcoholic or as a homosexual. And so, a person can choose to stop becoming a homosexual or practicing homosexual conduct, as well as being or becoming an alcoholic. They MUST do so, if they want to enter the Kingdom of God.

Working for a Third Temple

JTA wrote on August 12:

“It’s been nearly two millennia since the Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, bringing to an end the priestly period of Jewish history and commencing the Diaspora. A third Temple has been prophesied, and in preparation for the messiah, [a] nonprofit Jewish group, The Temple Institute, wants to build it.

“Last month, the institute launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo with the goal of raising $125,000 to breed a red heifer, a requirement for Temple purification rituals. It has already raised nearly $33,000 from some 500 donors… ‘For 2,000 years we’ve been waiting for a perfect red heifer,’ said Richman, an institute director in a video for the fundraising campaign. The project, he said, is ‘nothing less than the first stage of the reintroduction of biblical purity into the world, the prerequisite for the rebuilding of the holy Temple.’…

“The project is controversial, of course. The site of the ancient Temples, and thus the prescribed site for the new one, is on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, where sites holy to Muslims – the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque – have stood for 13 centuries. The Temple Institute has admitted that the mosques must be cleared for the building of the Temple to begin…

“Haaretz reported in 2013 that nearly a third of secular citizens surveyed in a poll supported the building of the Temple, and the numbers rise for religious Jews. After the fundraising campaign is complete, the plan is for red cow embryos to be deposited in surrogate mother cows – what Haaretz referred to as essentially bovine Virgin Marys. When birthed nine months later, rabbis will determine if any of the offspring meet the strict kosher cow standards.

“If so, they will be ritually sacrificed and burned at age 2, allowing newly purified priests to ascend the Temple Mount. Then… the holy wars begin.”

 According to biblical prophecy, it is very likely that the Jews will build a Third Temple just prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

“Obama’s Track Record on Radical Islam”

 On August 13, The Times of Israel published the following blog by Morton A. Klein, National President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA):

“Citics repeatedly claim that the reason President Barack Obama agreed to a catastrophic nuclear deal with Iran is his naiveté, his ineptness, and his being out negotiated. Does Obama’s record validate that thesis? Or is there evidence that President Obama’s feelings toward Islam may require a different conclusion.

“President Obama attended Pastor Jeremiah Wright’s anti-America, anti-Israel church for 20 years while calling Wright a ‘great man and my mentor.’ Obama attended radical Muslim racist Louis Farahkan’s Million Man March in Washington – but refused to attend the four million man march against radical Islamic terrorism in Paris. Obama’s closest friends include Rashid Khalidi, Columbia professor, an extremist anti-Israel activist. There are pictures of President Obama having dinner with anti-israel activists Professors Rashid Khalidi and Edward Said.

“Although Obama has called American police and much of America racist, he has refused to ever utter the term, ‘Islamic terrorist’ when Jihadists murdered eighteen U.S. soldiers in Ford Hood and Tennessee and said nothing when two Islamic terrorists attempted to murder hundreds of Americans at a Mohammed cartoon drawing event in Texas. He’s even ordered that federal counter-terrorism training materials used for law enforcement and national security communities to delete such terms.

“It may surprise you to learn that during his first campaign for president, Obama stated that Hezbollah and Hamas have ‘legitimate claims’ (NY Times, May 16, 2008). And during the latest Hamas war against Israel, Obama sent Hamas $47 million, urged Israel to accept an early ceasefire, refused sending critical arms to Israel for several days and unnecessarily stopped US commercial flights to Israel for a short period.

“Moreover, President Obama not only didn’t condemn the Palestinian Authority (PA) for forming an alliance with Hamas but proclaimed he was going to continue funding the PA despite this, even though Hamas’ charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of every Jew! That didn’t surprise me since during a meeting at the White House with Jewish leaders that I attended, President Obama stated we Jews should speak to our Israeli friends and relatives and search our souls [to] see if we’re serious about peace. ‘You and the Israelis think since Israel’s economy is good, there’s little terrorism, so peace is overrated…but Mahmoud Abbas and the PA are sincere about peace.’ [Mahmoud Abbas is a holocaust minimizer, who, with Yasser Arafat, co-founded the terrorist group Fatah].

“What other Arab groups did Obama side with? When he gave his first major speech on the Middle East in Cairo, he invited the Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed terrorist group to attend, despite pleadings against this from US ally Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. When Mubarak was forced from office, why did Obama embrace the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood who came to power, but was cold to new moderate Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah Al- Sisi. Furthermore, why did Obama publicly support rallies to oust US ally Mubarak from office yet refused to support rallies to oust the genocidal, anti-American, anti-Israel president Achmadinejad of the Islamic Republic of Iran, America’s enemy. He was also silent about continuous Iranian rallies, even after the agreement was finalized, calling for ‘Death to America and Israel’ while Iran vowed support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria. And Obama said nothing about Iran’s executing 1000 political dissidents a year, executing gays, imprisoning journalists, and closing dozens of opposition newspapers.

“Maybe this shouldn’t have been surprising since Obama delayed US votes on sanctions on Iran for over a year, fought against additional sanctions, and didn’t fully implement the sanctions that the US Congress passed.”

These are indeed very interesting questions in light of the facts presented in this article.

Ben Carson Tries to Justify His Research on Aborted Fetuses

 Newsmax reported on August 13:

“Ben Carson is defending research he did in 1992 on aborted fetal tissue… The research, which was co-authored by Carson, was revealed by Dr. Jen Gunter, an OB-GYN and pain medicine doctor, who said that while Carson was ‘opining on the uselessness of fetal tissue research to Megyn Kelly, Dr. Carson neglected to mention his own paper… published … in 1992.’

“The section cited by Gunter says that ‘Human choroid plexus, ependyma, and nasal mucosa were obtained from two fetuses aborted at the ninth and 17th week of gestation.’…

“Carson said that research on fetal tissue should not be banned and that it is not immoral… He added that he finds no contradiction between his pro-life views and the research he did…”

Creating a Human Brain…

The Independent wrote on August 19:

“Scientists have succeeded in growing an almost fully formed human brain in a lab for the first time ever. The miniature brain is about the size of a pencil eraser and resembles that of a five-week old foetus. It contains 99 per cent of the genes present in the human foetal brain and has an identifiable structure… The brain has been created by scientists at University. Professor Rene Anand from the department explains: ‘It not only looks like the developing brain, its diverse cell types express nearly all genes like a brain.’”

This horrible “research” is justified in the name of science for finding a cure against certain sicknesses.

… While Destroying Human Brains

BE WARNED about the gruesome nature of the following article. We are republishing portions of it to show how far the twisted mind of man, under Satan’s influence, is prepared to go. And most Americans are willingly ignorant about the terrible abominations which are happening in their country.

Breitbart wrote on August 19:

“In the latest video produced by the Center for Medical Progress, Holly O’Donnell describes a medical technician using scissors to cut through the face of a newly aborted but nearly fully developed baby boy at a Planned Parenthood facility so that his intact brain could be extracted…

“Holly O’Donnell and her Planned Parenthood colleague were harvesting organs that day at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, a mega-clinic in San Jose, California…

“O’Donnell, who turned whistleblower after leaving StemExpress, said the child was the most fully developed she had seen up to that point. She describes in great detail how the newly aborted boy was rinsed off and prepared for dissection… Her colleague then took an instrument and ‘tapped the heart and it starts beating.’… The medical technician said the child was so intact that they could ‘procure a lot from it. We’re going to procure a brain.’ The tech told O’Donnell they would need to ‘go through the face.’ The medical tech took scissors and cut through the child’s lower jaw up through the mouth. O’Donnell was directed to cut the rest of the way through ‘the middle of the face.’… O’Donnell had to take the boy’s remains and put him in a bio-hazard container and ‘then I realized I was the only person ever to hold that baby… That was the moment I realized I couldn’t work for [StemExpress] any more,’ she said…

“Up to now Planned Parenthood has been successful in convincing Americans that the federal funded group performs very few abortions. Planned Parenthood has claimed that abortions make up merely 3 percent of their overall annual ‘services.’ Even liberal outlets have debunked that claim. Even so, polls show that most Americans don’t believe Planned Parenthood performs abortions at all, when in fact it performs more than 300,000 every year, more than any other group, generating more than $100 million in revenue from abortions alone.”

“Sick” is not a word which could remotely begin to describe such inhumane abominations.

Trump To Be Used by God as a Trumpet?

WorldNetDaily wrote on August 12, 2015:

“A Christian minister in Florida has ignited a firestorm over his suggestion that God is using Donald Trump as a divine instrument in the 2016 presidential election cycle… Jeremiah Johnson… said he was praying several weeks ago ‘when God began to speak to me concerning the destiny of Donald Trump in America:

‘“‘The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘Trump shall become My trumpet to the American people, for he possesses qualities that are even hard to find in My people these days. Trump does not fear man nor will he allow deception and lies to go unnoticed. I am going to use him to expose darkness and perversion in America like never before… Many will want to throw him away because he will disturb their sense of peace and tranquility, but you must listen through the bantering to discover the truth that I will speak through him. I will use the wealth that I have given him to expose and launch investigations searching for the truth. Just as I raised up Cyrus to fulfill My purposes and plans, so have I raised up Trump to fulfill my purposes and plans prior to the 2016 election. You must listen to the trumpet very closely for he will sound the alarm and many will be blessed because of his compassion and mercy. Though many see the outward pride and arrogance, I have given him the tender heart of a father that wants to lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy, to the foreigner and the stranger.”’

A big deal is made in the article regarding the alleged connection between the word “Trump” and the biblical use of the word “trumpet.” However, whoever might have spoken to this charismatic minister (if anybody), it was NOT God’s voice which he heard. We must understand that sometimes demons know the future as well and might even speak about it… but one never knows when they lie—and we are specifically warned not to listen to their “prognostications.”

We feel that Trump might be used, to an extent, by God, but most certainly not for the reasons given in the article. For more information, please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Trump Phenomenon—How To Explain It!”

Hillary Clinton’s Email Dilemma

Newsmax wrote on August 17:

“Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s decision to use a private email server, let alone deleting at least half of the communications on it, was ‘extraordinary,’ Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward said Monday, and the omissions remind him of the decisions made by President Richard Nixon back in the 1970s…  Woodward said he expects the investigations to go on for a ‘long, long time and the answers are probably not going to be pretty’…

“He said the FBI, inspectors general and others are ‘furious’ because they have spent hours being trained in the proper use of government email… Woodward said… that Clinton is blaming the controversy about her private emails on ‘dirty politics,’ but he pointed out that it is President Barack Obama’s administration that is investigating her.”

CBS reported on August 19:

“Hillary Clinton continues to be dogged by questions about her use of a private e-mail account while she was secretary of state. CBS News identified two e-mails on her server Wednesday which the intelligence community says contained classified information. The messages were uncovered during an investigation of the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others…

“The emails are among the some 30,000 Clinton turned over to the State Department from her private server. On Monday, the State Department said it had flagged 305 emails, out of the 20 percent it has reviewed, as potentially containing classified information. Clinton has insisted there was no classified information on her server…

“As for the server, Clinton’s attorney confirmed it was wiped clean of all data before she turned it over to the FBI. But the FBI is hopeful that some material may be recovered — or a backup server located.”

“Ukraine Threatens to Tip Europe into Full-Blown Military Conflict”

The Local wrote on August 17:

“German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned on Sunday that conditions in Ukraine once again threatened to tip Europe into a full-blown military conflict. ‘The situation in eastern Ukraine is explosive,’ Steinmeier told Bild Am Sonntag. ‘There’s a lot at stake: if both parties to the conflict don’t pay heed to the peace processs, we could enter a new spiral of military escalation at any time.’

‘Steinmeier has been engaged in a whirlwind round of visits and phone calls over the past week with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in an attempt to bring the two sides together for talks. Sunday saw the ‘most intensive shooting for months’ in Ukraine, a spokesman for the Ukrainian army told journalists in Kiev…

“The OSCE said on Sunday that the separatists had refused its observers access to their heavy weapons, which according to the Minsk Accords signed in February are supposed to have been withdrawn from the front lines. Germany played a key role in brokering a ceasefire between pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine and the Kiev government in February, nearly a year after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine.”

The Battle for Greece’s Membership in the Eurozone

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 14:

“Following six hours of talks in Brussels on Friday, eurozone finance ministers agreed Friday to lend Greece a further 86 billion euros ($96 billion), to be released in stages. Greek lawmakers had accepted a reform package – containing many of the austerity elements voters had rejected in a July referendum – following a lengthy debate in parliament. The agreement is awaiting approval by several parliaments of eurozone countries, among them Germany. If those parliaments agree, which it is expected they will, 13 billion euros should be in Athens next Thursday and a further 10 billion will be set aside at the European Stability Mechanism.”

The Telegraph stated on August 14:

“Greece last night stepped back from the ‘abyss’ as European finance ministers approved a third, three-year bailout to keep the country afloat and avoid a chaotic exit from the Euro… Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said that the past six months had been difficult and testing. ‘Together, we have looked into the abyss. But today, I am glad to say that all sides have respected their commitments. Greece is living up to its ambitious reform commitments’ Mr Juncker said in a statement.  ‘The message of today’s meeting is loud and clear: on this basis, Greece is and will irreversibly remain a member of the euro area,’ he said.

“The first payment to Greece could be €13bn, officials said.  That means Greece will have funds available to cover a debt payment to the European Central Bank due on August 20. And it means that an emergency bailout fund, supported by Britain’s taxpayers, will not be used. A further €10bn cash injection for the country’s beleaguered lenders is expected to follow shortly after…

“However, in a blow to Athens, ministers said the issue of writing-off some of Greece’s debt would not be discussed until October.  The IMF has stated that it will not participate in another bail-out programme unless it receives an ‘explicit and concrete agreement’ on debt relief.

“However, Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German finance minister, and other countries are seeking a ‘binding’ commitment from the Fund to join the rescue programme in October, as he refused to rule out a second bridging loan for Greece to allow more time for talks…”

Sizeable Rebellion in Merkel’s Party Regarding Greece

The Local wrote on August 19:

“German MPs voted through a third European bailout package for Greece on Wednesday, although a large number of abstentions and ‘no’ votes pointed to a sizable rebellion among Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ranks. With 454 voting in favour of the bailout package, 113 against and 18 abstentions, 63 MPs from Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) voted against the plan, while three abstained and 17 were absent altogether – leaving the party with just 228 votes from its 311 MPs.

“Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble had earlier opened debate on the bailout with a final call for his party colleagues’ support. The new deal was ‘in the interest of Greece and the interest of Europe,’ Schäuble told the Bundestag (German parliament). ‘Of course after the experiences of the past months and years, there is no guarantee that everything will work. And doubts are always permitted…’

“Approval of the latest €86-billion emergency rescue plan for Athens was seen as assured given the 504 seats Merkel’s left-right ‘grand coalition’ holds in the 631-seat Bundestag lower house. With the Netherlands, Germany [was] one of the last eurozone countries to vote, after positive results from other countries, including Spain, Austria, and Estonia earlier this week…”

More Money for Greece

Deutsche Welle added on August 19:

“The finance ministers from the 19 eurozone countries gave the green light on Wednesday for the latest round of bailout funds to Greece, according [to] the EU commissioner for the common euro currency, Valdis Dombrovskis. The decision from the Eurogroup clears the final hurdle for Athens to receive its 85 billion euro ($95 billion) in rescue funds. The finance ministers approved the first tranche of 13 billions euros just in time for Greece to meet Thursday’s deadline for repaying about 3.4 billion euros to the European Central Bank.

“The Eurogroup’s move came right after the Dutch parliament supported the third bailout package to Greece, voting down a motion against it by a margin of 81-52. Prime Minister Mark Rutte also survived a no confidence vote called by far-right politician Geert Wilders…”

One will have to wait and see whether Greece will be able to remain a member of the Eurozone. It does not appear likely, however, that it will become one of the prophesied ten “kings,” “horns” or “toes” (member states of the coming Federation of the United Stated of Europe), which will emerge from the Eurozone and hand over their authority to a charismatic political leader, called the “beast” in the book of Revelation and the “king of the North” in the book of Daniel. The conservative German mass tabloid, Bild, is quite upset with the German government and especially with Angela Merkel, claiming that they broke their promises regarding Greece in at least four separate areas.

“Greece Gets its ‘Groundhog Day’ in Bundestag”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 20:

“Remember the film ‘Groundhog Day’? In this 1990s cult classic, an arrogant weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over again, with seemingly no way out of the time warp. What does this have to do with Greece’s credit? A lot.

“The latest loan approved by the Bundestag will not magically lift Greece out of its debt quagmire. It will only reinforce the status quo… it does not solve the underlying problem. Of the 86 billion euros ($95 billion) Greece will receive, 54 billion euros will go to repaying existing debt to the lenders. This creates new debt in order to pay old debt. And this new debt must also be paid at some point. But with what funds?

“Greece’ banks will get a further 25 billion euros to save them from bankruptcy. Again. A bit of the cash will flow into the state budget, but in reality this has already been spent. Greece has enough bills to pay, and, as soon as the money arrives, it will be gone. What then?… If things continue as they have, the answer is obvious: A fourth credit package will follow and then a fifth, and so on.

“And that brings us back to ‘Groundhog Day.’ The arrogant weatherman finds a way out of the time warp by making changes. And that’s what Greece’s creditors have to do. First, they have to realize that they are never going to see their money again as long as they keep replacing old debts with new ones…

“… legislators [who are against a credit package for Greece] are in the Bundestag minority… Maybe they’ll be able to get more people on their side when voting on the fourth bailout or the fifth or the sixth. See you soon in the time warp known as ‘aid for Greece.’”

On August 20, Germany’s mass tabloid Bild Online blasted Angela Merkel, stating that she behaved cowardly throughout the parliamentary debate and that she immediately took off afterwards to fly to Brazil. Bild, a conservative paper, is furious with the German government, and Bild is a very interesting mirror of the overwhelming view point of the German population. One wonders what would happen if a charismatic person such as Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump would arise in Germany.

Greece’s Prime Minister Resigns

“Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned on Thursday, hoping to strengthen his hold on power in snap elections after seven months in office in which he fought Greece’s creditors for a better bailout deal but had to cave in.

“Tsipras submitted his resignation to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and asked for the earliest possible election date.

“Government officials said the aim was to hold the election on Sept. 20, with Tsipras seeking to crush a rebellion in his leftist Syriza party and seal public support for the bailout program, Greece’s third since 2010, that he negotiated…

“Faced with a near collapse of the Greek financial system which threatened the country’s future in the euro, Tsipras was forced to accept the creditors’ demands for yet more austerity and economic reform – the very policies he had promised to scrap when he was elected in January…

“His decision deepens political uncertainty on the day Greece began receiving funds under its 86 billion-euro ($96 billion) bailout program, five years after a previous government took the first bailout from the euro zone and IMF.

“But a snap election should allow Tsipras to capitalize on his popularity with voters before the toughest parts of the latest program – including further pension cuts, more value-added tax increases and a ‘solidarity’ tax on incomes – begin to bite. This may allow him to return to power in a stronger position without anti-bailout rebels in Syriza to slow him down…

“Tsipras had long been expected to seek early elections in the autumn. But he was forced to move quickly after nearly a third of Syriza lawmakers refused to back the program in parliament last week, robbing him of his majority…

“Tsipras nevertheless remains popular among his supporters for trying to stand up to the foreign creditors and with the opposition in disarray, he is widely expected to return to power.

“A Metron Analysis poll on July 24 put support for Syriza at 33.6 percent, making it by far the most popular party, but not enough to govern without a coalition partner…”

UK Powerless in Europe

Express wrote on August 20:

“British government votes failed to block a single European Union measure during David Cameron’s first five years in office, new research showed yesterday. It also suggests that although Britain seems to pick its fights by formally objecting in only a relatively few cases, its No has now not stopped a measure put to a vote from going through for at least 19 years.

“The stark statistics were seized on by eurosceptics as evidence of how powerless the UK is in Europe despite the claims by those who argue British influence in Brussels makes it worth our while to stay at the table… In decisive votes where regulations and decisions were being finally adopted between 2010 and this year, the UK voted No 23 times and abstained 18 times, the new research shows. In each case the measure went through anyway, often with potential to cost British taxpayers billions.

“Taking into account votes held at earlier stages of the legislative process, the UK voted or abstained in vain around 70 times in total – although this was still only a small proportion of more than 600 votes taken over the period. In other cases the UK could not vote because it was not part of the policy, for example by not being in the eurozone…

“Anti-Brussels Conservative MP Philip Davies, whose office based its analysis on data from VoteWatch Europe, said: ‘We are always told we need to be in the EU because of the influence it gives us. But these figures show clearly how little influence we have within the EU. Time and time again we have things imposed upon us against our will and there is nothing at all we can do about it. The case for leaving the EU gets stronger every day.’

“Daniel Hannan, a eurosceptic Tory Member of the European Parliament, said: ‘The actual situation is even worse than the headline figures suggest. British officials in Brussels tend to back down gracefully when they think they’re going to lose and find a face-saving way of doing so, such as claiming to have made some amendment that makes the measure acceptable. So the fact we have been actually outvoted as often as we have is just the tip of the iceberg. So much for the idea that we are gaining influence in the EU.’…”

Britons Have Little Trust in Their Government

Express wrote on August 20:

“A majority of Britons don’t believe a vote to leave the EU in the upcoming referendum will lead to the UK cutting ties with Brussels…

“David Cameron has promised the public a say on whether Britain should remain part of the 28-member bloc by the end of 2017 at the latest. But most remain sceptical that a vote for ‘Brexit’ would lead to the UK unshackling from Brussels.

“Four out of ten believe opting to leave the EU would simply result in the Government holding a second referendum, while 10 per cent said the UK would remain a member of the EU even with a decisive vote to leave. Just one in four believe a ‘No’ vote would result in Britain leaving the EU.

“And voters are also sceptical that the Prime Minister would support an exit if he doesn’t secure reforms. Just 22 per cent of British people believe Mr Cameron is trying to get major changes to Britain’s relationship with the EU. While a similar number say the PM is looking to achieve only ‘minor tweaks’ to the existing treaties.

“UKIP Deputy Leader Paul Nuttall described the figures as ‘depressing’ and added that they ‘reveal the contempt people feel they are held in by David Cameron and the political elite’. He said: ‘People do not believe that their wishes will be respected. They don’t believe that Cameron is serious in his negotiation strategy, and they certainly do not want a second referendum.’…

“Today’s survey by YouGov found support for Britain to remain a member of the EU stands at 44 per cent, ahead of backing for withdrawal from the union at 37 per cent. But a majority of those aged over 40 would like to see Britain cut ties with the union. It comes as research found thousands of people are in the process of applying for dual nationality amid fears of a breakup of the EU.

“In June, a leaked memo revealed the PM had set himself the ‘firm aim’ of ensuring Britain remained in the European Union. Mr Cameron was accused of embarking on a referendum campaign that focused on the perceived dangers of a British exit. The confidential document said: ‘He believes that people will ultimately vote for the status quo if the alternatives can be made to appear risky’…”

ISIS—a Demonic Movement

The New York Times wrote on August 13:

“In the moments before he raped the 12-year-old girl, the Islamic State fighter took the time to explain that what he was about to do was not a sin. Because the preteen girl practiced a religion other than Islam, the Quran not only gave him the right to rape her — it condoned and encouraged it, he insisted. He bound her hands and gagged her. Then he knelt beside the bed and prostrated himself in prayer before getting on top of her. When it was over, he knelt to pray again, bookending the rape with acts of religious devotion… ‘He said that by raping me, he is drawing closer to God,’ she said in an interview alongside her family in a refugee camp here, to which she escaped after 11 months of captivity.

“The systematic rape of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority has become deeply enmeshed in the organization and the radical theology of the Islamic State in the year since the group announced it was reviving slavery as an institution. Interviews with 21 women and girls who recently escaped the Islamic State, as well as an examination of the group’s official communications, illuminate how the practice has been enshrined in the group’s core tenets.

“A total of 5,270 Yazidis were abducted last year, and at least 3,144 are still being held, according to community leaders. To handle them, the Islamic State has developed a detailed bureaucracy of sex slavery, including sales contracts notarized by the ISIS-run Islamic courts. And the practice has become an established recruiting tool to lure men from deeply conservative Muslim societies, where casual sex is taboo and dating is forbidden… Repeatedly, the ISIS leadership has emphasized a narrow and selective reading of the Quran and other religious rulings to not only justify violence, but also to elevate and celebrate each sexual assault as spiritually beneficial, even virtuous… the Islamic State cites specific verses or stories in the Quran or else in the Sunna, the traditions based on the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, to justify their human trafficking, experts say. Scholars of Islamic theology disagree, however, on the proper interpretation of these verses, and on the divisive question of whether Islam actually sanctions slavery…

“Cole Bunzel, a scholar of Islamic theology at Princeton University [points] to the numerous references to the phrase ‘Those your right hand possesses’ in the Quran, which for centuries has been interpreted to mean female slaves. He also points to the corpus of Islamic jurisprudence, which continues into the modern era and which he says includes detailed rules for the treatment of slaves. ‘There is a great deal of scripture that sanctions slavery,’ said Mr. Bunzel, the author of a research paper published by the Brookings Institution on the ideology of the Islamic State. ‘You can argue that it is no longer relevant and has fallen into abeyance. ISIS would argue that these institutions need to be revived, because that is what the Prophet and his companions did.’…

“The use of sex slavery by the Islamic State initially surprised even the group’s most ardent supporters, many of whom sparred with journalists online after the first reports of systematic rape… In a pamphlet published online in December, the Research and Fatwa Department of the Islamic State detailed best practices, including explaining that slaves belong to the estate of the fighter who bought them and therefore can be willed to another man and disposed of just like any other property after his death. Recent escapees describe an intricate bureaucracy surrounding their captivity, with their status as a slave registered in a contract. When their owner would sell them to another buyer, a new contract would be drafted, like transferring a property deed. At the same time, slaves can also be set free, and fighters are promised a heavenly reward for doing so…

“The Islamic State recently made it clear that sex with Christian and Jewish women captured in battle is also permissible, according to a new 34-page manual issued this summer by the terror group’s Research and Fatwa Department. Just about the only prohibition is having sex with a pregnant slave… Beyond that, there appears to be no bounds to what is sexually permissible. Child rape is explicitly condoned…”

 ISIS has become one the most demonically influenced movements known to mankind in recent years. But make no mistake. God is not mocked, and ISIS fighters and supporters will pay a severe price for their abominable crimes and for following their Satanic practices. Also, the article above claimed that only Yazidis were raped and kept as sex slaves [We omitted those statements in our quotes from the article above, since they are patently false,  as the next article proves.]

Breitbart reported on August 14:

“ABC News is reporting that Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi repeatedly raped American hostage Kayla Mueller while she was under ISIS control. The terrorist group murdered the young woman earlier this year… From ABC News: ‘Al-Baghdadi, an Iraqi who calls himself “Caliph” as ruler of the Islamic State, personally brought the enslaved 26-year-old humanitarian aid worker from Prescott, Arizona, to be imprisoned inside the home of Abu Sayyaf, a Tunisian in charge of oil and gas revenue for the group, counter-terrorism officials have told ABC News over the past several months…’

“In February, The Daily Beast reported that President Obama waited almost a month after British intelligence told him the location of American hostages to launch a rescue mission. Obama received the reports in June 2014, but by the time he acted on July 4, ISIS already moved the hostages, which included Mueller, James Foley, and Steven Sotloff, to another location. ISIS executed Foley and Sotloff in August and September.”

The following article about the horrible ISIS murderers is perhaps the most shocking of all, so please BE WARNED.

 Express reported on August 20:

“Savage Islamic State terrorists are reportedly selling off the organs of their sex slaves to fund the regime. A new report by the Middle East Media Research Institute – which monitors ISIS online – claims militants are openly discussing slavery on social media. It says that the terrorists are discussing prices for the women – some of whom are yet to reach their teenage years. The shocking messages also apparently reveal a horrific trade in the ‘possible trafficking in human organs’.

“Earlier this year dozens of bodies were discovered with surgical incisions as well as missing kidneys and other vital organs, according to the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations Mohamed Alhakim. The corpses were found piled up in shallow, mass graves in February.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses Accused of Massive Sexual Child Abuse Cover-Up in Australia

The Washington Post reported on August 14:

“The abuse was meticulously catalogued. From 1950 to 2014, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society amassed 5,000 files detailing sexual abuse of Australian children by 1,006 of its members, who believe that only they — the Jehovah’s Witnesses — proclaim the truth about God.  Young girls were assaulted by neighbors. Teenagers were raped by their fathers. Victims were forced to pray with their abusers…

“In all, 127 church officials were demoted. No one was reported to the authorities. Child abuse was recorded and hidden away. Now, sordid details from the closed world of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are being exposed that could severely tarnish the image of a powerful organization that has 8.2 million members and has mostly avoided scrutiny.

“Two years ago, the Australian government established a royal commission — similar to a presidential commission in the United States — to investigate institutionalized child sexual abuse… The inquiry’s primary target was the Catholic Church, whose record of protecting pedophiles was almost as rampant in Australia as in the United States. To avoid singling out one religion, government officials gave the inquiry wide legal powers to examine any organization that may have covered up abuse…

“Of the religious and ­nonreligious groups being investigated, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are exceptional, experts say. In a converted office in downtown Sydney, the organization’s doctrines and practices are being parsed by lawyers, victims and journalists, providing rare insight into one of the Christian world’s most conservative churches.

“The church, which was founded in Pennsylvania during the 1870s to promote a 1st-century interpretation of the Bible, has emerged as the least able or willing to deal with sexual abuse within its ranks, said Anne Cossins, an associate law professor at the University of New South Wales and an expert in sex crimes who is a consultant for the inquiry…

“Unlike the pedophile priests of the Catholic Church, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have no paid clergy. Abusers are mostly regular congregants, who are shielded from official prosecution by the church’s strict code of moral conduct…

“In 1988, a 17-year-old girl in the state of Queensland was abused by her father, a prominent member of the local Jehovah’s Witness congregation, while her mother and six brothers and sisters were on vacation, according to testimony given to the commission. He gave her alcohol and showed her pornographic movies… While she was being raped, her father quoted passages from the Bible and referred to verses of Scripture about being more obedient… After the rest of the family returned from vacation, the father prohibited her from speaking to anybody he thought she might confide in. ‘If I broke his rules, he flogged me,’ she said. When the teenager revealed the assaults to her mother, she learned that several of her sisters had gone through similar ordeals, including one who was 5 years old.

“The church has strict rules governing moral behavior. If a Jehovah’s Witness becomes aware that another member has committed a serious sin — such as ‘fornication, adultery, homosexuality, blasphemy, apostasy, adultery and similar gross sins,’ according to the commission — they are advised to tell senior men in their congregation known as elders. The process for handling these complaints is based on notions of justice and procedural fairness devised 2,000 years ago and recorded in the Bible.

“The Jehovah’s Witnesses set a high bar for the discipline of their own. Church elders need to secure a confession or the testimony of two credible witnesses to the same incident, two witnesses to separate incidents of the same kind, or strong circumstantial evidence testified to by at least two witnesses. The accuser also has to justify his or her allegations to church elders, often in the presence of the alleged perpetrator.

“Church officials acknowledge the process can be difficult for victims but say they have no choice but to follow the Bible… Those found guilty are often banned from the church for a number of years, or they are demoted in the church hierarchy.

“When the 17-year-old complained to church elders of being raped, two of her father’s friends carried out the investigation… She later filed a police report, left the church and tried to commit suicide. Her father was expelled from the church, convicted of rape and sentenced to three years in jail.

“Four years after the abuse, he was allowed to become a Jehovah’s Witness again. ‘I remember that when it was announced to the congregation, all of the brothers crowded around my father, shaking his hand and patting him on the back,’ his daughter told the inquiry, referring to male members of the church. ‘Despite many people in the congregation knowing what he had done to me and my sisters, I heard members of the congregation say, “‘Welcome back.’”’”

When a religious group mixes truth and error, by using some biblical injunctions together with human-devised wrong ideas, such horrible consequences as described in the article above are predictable and not unusual.

Cheating on Your Mate

Newsmax reported on August 19:

“Some 15,000 employees of the U.S. federal government were reportedly among the 32 million cheating spouses exposed in a hack of [an] online adultery site…  Names, ages, addresses, phone numbers, credit card details and detailed sexual fantasies have been leaked in the hack of a controversial seduction site — and the data included email addresses for U.S. government officials, United Kingdom civil servants and high-level executives at European and North America corporations…

“The Daily Mail reports that  15,000 users have been found to be registered under .gov and .mil email addresses – the official domain names of the American military and government. The website has long boasted that 59,000 Washington residents are members of the infidelity site, and that the district had the highest number of registrations across America for the last three years, the Daily Mail reports.”

Shocking: Most Catholics for Same-Sex Marriage

The Local wrote on August 20:

“A study carried out by a Münster University research group questioned around 12,400 Catholics in 42 different countries…

“Over two-thirds – 70 percent – of Catholics surveyed in Germany wanted same-sex marriages to be recognized and blessed by the church… This puts Germany in stark contrast with Poland, southern Europe and Brazil, where the majority of those surveyed were against homosexual marriage…

“Eighty-five per cent of those surveyed thought priests should choose whether or not to remain celibate. This figure was similar in most other countries, excluding Poland and southern Europe. Even among those Catholics who were fundamentally in favour of celibacy, a quarter thought priests should have the choice whether or not to follow this lifestyle.

“The vast majority of Catholics in Germany were also in favour of female deacons, with 87 per cent stating that women should be allowed to take on this role. In the Catholic Church, deacons assist bishops, and have numerous roles including teaching and distribution of food. But the role is still not equivalent to that of a priest…

“Only around 10 percent of the 7,900 Catholics surveyed in Germany thought divorcees who remarried should be excluded from communion – a subject currently under debate in the Vatican. Catholic teaching states that divorcees who remarry without having had their first marriage annulled are living in sin, making them ineligible for communion.

“However, Pope Francis has begun a high-level debate about whether this can be altered – and in December last year, the head of the German Bishops’ Conference announced that German bishops were in favour of allowing remarried divorcees to receive communion under certain conditions…

“Almost 80 per cent of those interviewed in Germany said they attend church more than once a month…”

Robots Appear Human-Like

The website of wired.co.uk published the following article on August 14:

“Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori devised the concept of the ‘uncanny valley’ in 1970. It’s the point at which a robot is made to appear so human-like — if not quite human enough — that it inspires feelings of uneasiness and revulsion in we mere mortals… But as androids are being developed to be more and more lifelike, copying human gestures, body language and even speech, our simultaneous fascination/horror at the world of uncannily human-like robotics shows no signs of slowing down…

“Created by Uncanny Valley robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro, Erica android is one of the most unnervingly human yet created. Not only can she speak and move, but she can also mimic human body language with disconcertingly accurate facility. Smiling, blinking, grimacing, turning her head as she speaks — you could easily be forgiven for mistaking her for a sentient mortal… But, of course, the very fact that Erica falls short of being entirely convincing is what makes her all the more strange… But it might not be too long before Erica and her mechanical brethren make an appearance a little closer to home…

“Designed and built by Hanson Robotics, Inc., Jules is a conversational character robot with a gleamingly bald head and the stilted voice of an English gentleman. A sophisticated AI creation, he’s made from a pliable, lightweight material called Frubber, which enables him to expressively move his face just like a real human. Jules can also boast of having a ‘statistically perfect face’ — which not many of us mere mortals can lay claim to. He’s also capable of having a ‘natural, interactive’ conversation if you’re so inclined. And Jules isn’t alone. Creator David Hanson has modelled an entire family of humanoids, including Alice, Han and — in honour of the great physicist himself – the Albert Einstein Hubo…

“Kurokawa was created by robotics firm Kokoro and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) as a ‘brother’ for their original — if not quite as ‘humanly’ named — Actroid-F. These super-realistic humanoid siblings are able to have a conversation with each other, and use their range of 12 facial expressions to indicate their reactions to the world around them. They can also imitate the movements of the people they’re watching. After being successfully trialled in hospitals to see how patients felt in their presence… AIST plans to employ the robots in other socially useful ways, including talking to elderly people to help prevent mental decline, and interacting with children who have developmental problems…

“Perhaps it was inevitable that the ultimate in unsettling humanoids would be an AI recreation of maverick sci-fi visionary Philip K. Dick. A dead ringer for the late, great novelist himself… you can watch him muse on everything from Cartesian philosophy to how he picks up new words…”

The question is: Where does it lead, and where does it end? One can be assured that the militaries of this world are eager to get their hands on these androids (if they have not already done so), to advance their further developments into fighting “machines.”

“Possible Home of Mary Magdalene Unearthed in Israel”

Newsmax wrote on August 18:

“Father Juan Solana purchased land in northern Israel to build a Christian retreat center six years ago. By law, he was required to perform test excavations, and soon discovered a first-century synagogue underneath the dirt… According to scripture, Jesus was said to have preached in the synagogues of the Galilee region. The recently unearthed synagogue is the only one in the area that would have existed during Jesus’ lifetime, so it’s very likely that he preached there.  ‘She lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place,’ [said] senior Israeli archaeologist Arfan Najar, who oversees the excavation at Magdala. ‘This is the closest synagogue to Capernaum where He lived. So it was likely He was here many times,’ added Solana.

“So far, archeologists have uncovered mosaic flooring, frescos, pottery, and coins. Their biggest find, however, is the Magdala Stone… In speaking about the carved platform, Solana explained, ‘This is the first time ever a menorah carved in stone has been found out of Jerusalem.’ Additionally, archeologists have uncovered the town’s purification baths and a bowl that was likely for the washing of hands before citizens entered the synagogue. The bowl is over 2,000 years old, and Jesus himself may have washed his hands there.”