On July 11, 2009, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “How Real Is God to You?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Just a few weeks ago, many politicians of all persuasions in the UK were caught up in the MPs’ expenses row. The Daily Telegraph’s investigation, “The Expenses Files,” went into how politicians–from Gordon Brown’s Cabinet to backbenchers of all parties–exploited the system of parliamentary allowances to subsidize their lifestyles and multiple homes. Many of these politicians who pass laws about various taxation issues were not so keen to have to pay those taxes themselves, although their constituents were obliged by law to do so. One law for them, it seems, and one law for the rest of society.
 
America’s first President, George Washington, wrote a letter in 1790 to his nephew. He said that “a good moral character was essential in a man.” But as one other commented about the 1990’s, “we have moved on.” That’s a telling phrase that means that now anything goes.

This matter of MPs’ expenses is all about integrity. God’s Word is full of admonition about integrity. And God’s people mustn’t be without that precious commodity.

But what is integrity? According to Wikipedia, “integrity is consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome. It may be seen as the quality of having a sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to the motivations for one’s actions.”

Many politicians may have lacked this quality, but it is a quality that God’s people must have.

The book of Proverbs has this to say about this essential quality: “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3); and, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than the one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1).

There are those who know the importance of integrity. Years ago, a company in the pharmaceutical business in the US, named Squibb, released the following story on a poster board to be displayed in drugstores:

“In the city of Baghdad lived Hakeem. Many went to him for counsel which he gave freely, asking nothing in return. Then came a young man who had spent much time and got little. ‘Tell me, wise one,’ he said, “What can I do to receive the most for that which I spend?’ Hakeem answered, ‘A thing that is bought or sold has no value unless it contains that which cannot be bought or sold.   Look for the priceless ingredient.’ ‘But what is the priceless ingredient?’ asked the young man.   Spoke thus the wise one, ‘My son, the priceless ingredient of every product in the market place is the honour and integrity of him who makes it. Consider his name before you buy.'”

Another story backs up this approach. At the American Air Force Academy, formed in July 1993, a center for character development, Colonel Alexander stated the following in the “proposed character development outcomes,” issued January 21, 1993:

“Officers with forthright integrity voluntarily decide the right thing to do and do it in both their professional and private lives. They do not choose the right thing because of a calculation of what is most advantageous to themselves but because of a consistent and spontaneous inclination to do the right thing. Their inclination to do right is consistently followed by actually doing what they believe they should do and taking responsibility for their choices. In other words, persons of integrity ‘walk their talk.'”

Unfortunately, many UK politicians were shown to be deficient in the recent revelations about their expenses.   Integrity is a quality that doesn’t rate highly with many in the world today, but in the Kingdom of God integrity will be commonplace and will be taught and practiced worldwide. It will be the way of righteousness. A time to “consider his name before you buy,” as Hakeem was advised.

And it will be a time, unlike today, when integrity WILL truly matter!

President Obama was visiting Russia this week in the hopes of improving U.S.-Russian relationships. Mr. Obama did not shy away from challenging Russia. His visit was overshadowed by grave concerns, including that Russia might be preparing for a new war in Georgia. Mr. Obama also announced that he will discuss with the Pope possibilities as to how to bring peace to the Middle East, while the Pope pleaded for the establishment of a world government.

At the same time, Vice President Biden and Saudi Arabia reportedly conceded that they won’t stand in the way if Israel attacks Iran–even though Saudi Arabia later denied that claim and Mr. Obama and State Department Spokesman Kelly were quick to “clarify” Mr. Biden’s statements. Of course, Mr. Biden is known to make undiplomatic and politically incorrect comments–but this does not mean that all of his statements have to be factually incorrect, even though some of them undoubtedly are, as we discuss in this issue. And Saudi Arabia’s “denial” was to be expected as well.

Saddam Hussein’s statements before his death that he was more afraid of Iran than of the USA are interesting in light of the fact that Iran has indeed evolved into the greatest threat to peace in the Middle East–perhaps much greater than Iraq under Saddam could have ever become. All of this shows again the highly questionable and ultimately unsuccessful and counter-productive endeavor of the Bush administration to invade Iraq.

Vice President Biden admitted the mistakes of his government in miscalculating the economic situation, but sadly, it does not appear that the Obama administration has been willing to learn from their mistakes. Instead, it seems that the same wrong course of action will be continued, while analysts warn that, as a result, an economic catastrophe will be inevitable. High debts are not limited to the USA, however. As the Netzeitung reports, Germany is facing the largest debt growth in its history.

The internal turmoil in Honduras continues, while the Wall Street Journal suggests that the USA and the entire world are supporting the wrong side in this struggle. We also observed the outbreak of ethnic violence in Egypt (directed against Germany) and China, showing how fragile “peace” is around the world. Christ’s words come to mind, when addressing events in the end time: “… and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). And even though we hear much about attempts to bring about peace, Paul warns us in 1 Thessalonians 5:3: “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman…”

The WHO announced that the swine flu virus is unstoppable, stating that very soon, up to 2 billion people will have contracted that virus. Again, Christ’s words should ring loud and clear: “… and there will be … epidemics…” (Luke 21:11, Living Bible). And finally, a thought-provoking article by the Financial Times pointing out the abuse of copyright law by big business in violation of its original intent. Rather than free dissemination of opinions and information, the law is used far too often to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). And, the danger of a Big Brother society is lurking around the corner…

President Obama in Russia

The Wall Street Journal reported on July 6:

“Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev reached a framework agreement to reduce their nuclear arsenals but left open a host of vexing issues in US-Russian relations… the widely anticipated agreements reached Monday are not likely to give [Obama] a big boost…

“The Russians are continuing to say they cannot reach a final agreement on a new treaty if the U.S. insists on deploying missile defense systems on Poland and the Czech Republic…”

Obama Challenges Russia

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 8:

“President Barack Obama challenged Russians to bolster the rule of law, recognize the sovereignty and borders of its neighbors and rejuvenate its flagging democracy, even as he reassured the former Cold War adversary that the U.S. is committed to a ‘strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia’… But he demanded that Russia accept the rights of former Soviet clients Georgia and Ukraine to sovereignty, secure borders and independent foreign policies. He reiterated that Russia’s neighbors may join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization if they meet membership criteria…

“There is little evidence of Obamamania in Russia. Although the audience was considered liberal by Russian standards, its reaction was subdued. The half-hour speech went uninterrupted by applause. The ovation at its conclusion was subdued… A poll last week found that… [three] quarters say the U.S. abuses its power to make Russia do what it wants…

“[Obama said:] ‘In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonizing other countries.'”

Is Russia Preparing for War?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 3:

“… the Russian media are now abuzz with speculation about a new war in Georgia, and some Western analysts are voicing similar concerns. The idea seems insane. Nonetheless, the risk is real. One danger sign is persistent talk of so-called Georgian aggression against the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Russia recognized as independent states after the war last August… Independent Russian commentators… note that this has the feel of a propaganda campaign to prepare the public for a second war… The expulsion of neutral observers [by Russia] seems odd if Russia is worried about Georgian aggression. But it makes sense if Russia is planning an attack.

“What would the Kremlin gain? A crushing victory in Georgia would depose the hated Mr. Saakashvili, give Russia control of vital transit routes for additional energy resources that could weaken its hold on the European oil and gas markets, humiliate the U.S., and distract Russians from their economic woes…

“Moscow’s actions are not always rational… That is why it’s essential for the United States and the EU to respond now — by increasing their non-military presence in Georgia, expressing a strong commitment to Georgian sovereignty, and reminding Russia of the consequences of aggression.”

Pope Asks for World Authority

Der Stern Online reported on July 8 that Pope Benedict XVI, in his third encyclical letter–the highest form of papal teachings–pleaded for “a real world authority,” which would need to go far beyond the present UN, in order to tackle the economic world crisis and to secure world peace.

Its publication comes on the eve of Wednesday’s G8 meeting of world leaders at L’Aquila.

Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, had already called for such a world authority. Benedict stated that it is now absolutely necessary to establish it.

The Associated Press reported on July 7:

“Pope Benedict XVI called Tuesday for a new world financial order guided by ethics, dignity and the search for the common good in the third encyclical of his pontificate… Benedict stressed he wasn’t opposed to a globalized economy, saying that if done correctly it has an unprecedented potential to redistribute wealth around the globe. But he warned that if badly directed and if the problems aren’t fixed, globalization can increase poverty and inequality and trigger the type of crisis under way.”

Mr. Obama Turns to the Pope

Israel National News wrote on July 5:

“U.S. President Barack Obama is turning to the Pope to back his vision of a new Arab state on all of Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. The president told the Catholic Italian newspaper Avvenire, one week before a scheduled meeting with the Pope in Italy, ‘It [the Middle East] is a subject I am keen to discuss with the pope. I think he will share my approach.’

“President Obama has dug in his heels in insisting that Israel stop all building for Jews in Judea and Samaria, and the State Department has indicated that the ban should include all of Jerusalem that was restored to Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967… President Obama faces stiff opposition from Arabs to make any concessions before Israel completely surrenders all of Judea and Samaria.”

Saudi Arabia Will Allow Israel to Use Airspace in Attack on Iran…

The Sunday Times wrote on July 5:

“The head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu… that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites…

“Recent developments have underscored concerns among moderate Sunni Arab states about the stability of the repressive Shi’ite regime in Tehran and have increased fears that it may emerge as a belligerent nuclear power… The Israeli air force has been training for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear site at Natanz in the centre of the country and other locations for four years.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 7 that Saudi Arabia vehemently denied the report of the Sunday Times.

America Won’t Stand in the Way, Either…

The Associated Press reported on July 5:

“Vice President Joe Biden signaled that the Obama administration would not stand in the way if Israel chose to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, even as the top U.S. military officer said any attack on Iran would be destabilizing.”

Haaretz reported on July 6:

“Iran is ready to take real and decisive action if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian parliamentary official said Monday. The remarks… came after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden signaled that Washington would not try to prevent any such Israeli assault.”

… Even Though It’s Denied…

AFP wrote on July 6:

“State Department spokesman Ian Kelly rebuffed suggestions from reporters that Biden could be seen as giving the Jewish state a green light to attack Iran…”

The Jerusalem Post added on July 7:

“US President Barack Obama on Tuesday strongly denied that the United States had given Israel an approval to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. Asked by CNN whether Washington had given Israel a green light for such an attack, Obama answered: ‘Absolutely not.'”

Israel and the USA

The Washington Times wrote on July 7:

“One senior Israeli official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, told The Washington Times that Mr. Netanyahu determined that ‘it made no sense’ to press the matter after the negative response President Bush gave Mr. Netanyahu’s predecessor, Ehud Olmert, when he asked early last year for U.S. aid for possible military strikes on Iran.

“Israel is increasingly nervous that Iran is developing the capability to build a nuclear weapon, an intention Iran denies. However, Israel is unlikely to attack Iran without at least tacit U.S. approval, in part because that would require cooperation from the United States. At the very least, Israel likely would have to fly over Iraqi airspace, which is still effectively controlled by the U.S. Air Force.”

G-8 Leaders Set Deadline for Iran Resolution

Deutsche Welle reported on July 9:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters at the summit in the central Italian city of L’Aquila that September’s meeting of the G-20 – the world’s 20 leading economies – would be the deadline for Iran to resolve its nuclear dispute with the West.

“‘We made an effort to accept that we will not reinforce sanctions immediately in order to bring everyone on board,’ Sarkozy said, in reference to Russia’s call for more time to consider fresh sanctions. ‘[The G-20 meeting in] Pittsburgh is the rendezvous. If there is no progress by then we will have to take decisions,’ he added. The G-20 combines major developing powerhouses like China with the G-8…

“The United States and Canada said the world’s main industrialized nations were growing increasingly impatient with Iran’s tactics. ‘All G-8 nations are united. There is a strong consensus at the table that unless things change soon, there will be further action,’ said Canadian spokesman Dimitri Soudas… The United States has had comprehensive sanctions in place for decades against Iran, but its European allies have been reluctant to impose sanctions, preferring to pursue diplomatic efforts…

“G-8 leaders also criticized the Iranian regime’s violent crackdown on anti-government protesters and the “unjustified” detention of journalists in Iran… Ahmadinejad himself was also the focus of G-8 concern over his frequent denials that the mass murder of Jews under Germany’s regime ever happened. ‘We condemn the declarations of President Ahmadinejad denying the Holocaust,’ the eight leaders said in another joint statement.”

Saddam Feared Iran More Than USA

The Times wrote on July 3:

“Saddam Hussein allowed the world to believe that he had weapons of mass destruction because he feared the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran more than an American strike, according to declassified documents records of his interrogation. Saddam said that the dramatic increase in Iran’s weapons capabilities had left him feeling so vulnerable to the ‘fanatic’ mullahs next door that he would have been prepared to forge a security agreement with the United States to protect Iraq from regional threats. He warned that the effects of Iran’s unchecked rise ‘will be seen and felt in the future’.

“The revelation… supports the view of many regional experts that Saddam’s weapons bluff was aimed not at the West but at his old enemy Iran. Many analysts believe that the removal of Iraq as a bulwark against Iran has merely fuelled Tehran’s rise to its current hegemony in the Middle East. Iran and Iraq fought a devastating eight-year war from 1980 to 1988, in which Saddam was supported and armed by the United States.”

Mr. Biden Admits Mistakes…

ABC News reported on July 5:

“Big admission from Vice President Joe Biden today. ‘The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy,’ Biden [said during an ABC] exclusive ‘This Week’ interview in Iraq.

“Biden acknowledged administration officials were too optimistic earlier this year when they predicted the unemployment rate would peak at 8 percent as part of their effort to sell the stimulus package. The national unemployment rate has ballooned to 9.5 percent in June — the worst in 26 years…

“‘We misread how bad the economy was, but we are now only about 120 days into the recovery package,’ he said. ‘The truth of the matter was, no one anticipated, no one expected that that recovery package would in fact be in a position at this point of having to distribute the bulk of money.'”

These statements by Vice President Biden are ridiculous. Even though Mr. Biden and the entire Obama Administration might have misread the economy and the signs of the times, there were voices warning about the inappropriate measures of the US government and the overly optimistic assessment of the economy. The truth is, however, that those voices were ignored or even demonized.

Big Banks Won’t Accept California’s IOUs

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 7:

“A group of the biggest U.S. banks said they would stop accepting California’s IOUs on Friday, adding pressure on the state to close its $26.3 billion annual budget gap… After state leaders failed to agree on budget solutions last week, California began issuing IOUs — or ‘individual registered warrants’ — to hundreds of thousands of creditors. State Controller John Chiang said that without IOUs, California would run out of cash by July’s end.

“But now, if California continues to issue the IOUs, creditors will be forced to hold on to them until they mature on Oct. 2… When the IOUs mature, holders will be paid back directly by the state at an annual 3.75% interest rate…

“The group of banks included Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Wells Fargo & Co. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., among others. The banks had previously committed to accepting state IOUs as payment. California plans to issue more than $3 billion of IOUs in July.”

Irresponsibility of Obama Administration in Light of California Debacle

Bloomberg wrote on July 6:

“With California mired in a budget crisis… Controller John Chiang said the state planned to issue $3.3 billion in IOU’s in July alone… The California morass has Democrats in Washington trembling. The reason is simple. If Obama’s health-care plan passes, then we may well end up paying for it with federal slips of paper worth less than California’s. Obama has bet everything on passing health care this year. The publicity surrounding the California debt fiasco almost assures his resounding defeat…

“California has engaged in an orgy of spending, but, compared with our federal government, its legislators should feel chaste. The California deficit this year is now [about]… $26 billion. The U.S. federal deficit will be… almost 70 times larger. The federal picture is so bleak because the Obama administration is the most fiscally irresponsible in the history of the U.S…

“The Obama administration… is willing to abandon reason altogether to achieve its short-term political goals… Nobody believes that his unprecedented expansion of the welfare state will lead to enough economic growth. Nobody believes that it will pay for itself. Everyone understands that higher spending today begets higher spending tomorrow. That means that his economic strategy simply doesn’t add up…

“Back in the 1980s, Reagan’s own economist, Martin Feldstein, spoke up when he felt that the Reagan administration was pushing the deficit too far. Where are the economists with such character today?…”

Another US Economic Crisis Looming…

The Telegraph wrote on July 6:

“The US economy is lurching towards crisis with long-term interest rates on course to double, crippling the country’s ability to pay its debts and potentially plunging it into another recession, according to a study by the US’s own central bank… Tim Congdon, founder of Lombard Street Research, called [it] a ‘debt explosion’…

“A US crisis would have implications for the rest of the world, in any case… Mr Congdon said the study illustrated the ‘horrifying’ consequences for leading western economies of bailing out their banks and attempting to stimulate markets by cutting taxes and boosting public spending… Should the cost of raising or refinancing public debt in the markets double, ‘the debt could just explode’, he said…”

Germany Faces Largest Debt Growth in Its History

The Netzeitung reported on July 2:

“Germany is threatened with the largest debt growth in its history due to a fall in tax revenue because of the recession… The German state must borrow EUR 507 billion more before 2013… It will affect public spending on a federal, state and local authority level, and could raise the national debt to EUR 2 trillion. The new debts will be spread over the next few years, beginning with EUR 112 billion this year and EUR 132 billion in 2010.

“The debt increase means that Germany will be violating the EU’s Maastricht Treaty for the entire coming legislation period… If Germany’s national debt rose to EUR 2 trillion, the state would end up paying EUR 80 billion a year in interest alone – around one sixth of the current tax revenue.”

Honduras At the Brink…

The Associated Press reported on July 6:

“Already volatile Honduras slid toward greater instability after soldiers blocked an airport runway to keep ousted President Manuel Zelaya from returning, and protests that had remained largely peaceful yielded their first death…  Zelaya’s plane, on loan from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, arrived to find the runway blocked by military vehicles and soldiers… Zelaya instead headed for El Salvador…

“Honduras’ new government has vowed to arrest Zelaya for 18 alleged criminal acts including treason and failing to implement more than 80 laws approved by Congress since taking office in 2006. Zelaya also refused to comply with a Supreme Court ruling against his planned referendum on whether to hold an assembly to consider changing the constitution.

“Critics feared Zelaya might try to extend his rule and cement presidential power in ways similar to what his ally Chavez has done in Venezuela – though Zelaya denied that. But instead of prosecuting him or trying to defeat him at the ballot box, masked soldiers flew the president out of the country at gunpoint, and Congress installed Micheletti in his place.

“The military solution drew international condemnation… no nation has recognized the new government. President Barack Obama has united with Chavez and conservative Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in insisting on Zelaya’s return.”

Venezuela Blackmails Honduras

The New York Times reported on July 8, 2009:

“Venezuela’ s oil minister, Rafael Ramírez, confirmed Wednesday that his country had halted oil exports to Honduras. Mr. Ramírez said shipments of oil, which Venezuela has sold to Honduras at preferential prices, would not resume until that country’s ousted president, Manuel Zelaya, was reinstated. Mr. Zelaya is an ally of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Venezuela sends about 20,000 barrels of oil a day to Honduras…”

Is the World Supporting the Wrong Side in Honduras?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 6:

“Mr. Zelaya’s violations of the rule of law in recent months were numerous. But the tipping point came 10 days ago, when he led a violent mob that stormed a military base to seize and distribute Venezuelan-printed ballots for an illegal referendum…

“Hondurans have good cause for calling on divine intervention: Reason has gone AWOL in places like Turtle Bay and Foggy Bottom. Ruling the debate on Mr. Zelaya’s behavior is Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez, who is now the reigning international authority on ‘democracy.’ Mr. Chávez is demanding that Mr. Zelaya be reinstated and is even threatening to overthrow the new Honduran president, Roberto Micheletti. He’s leading the charge from the Organization of American States (OAS). The United Nations and the Obama administration are falling in line.

“Is this insane? You bet… Hondurans had the courage to push back. Now Chávez-supported agitators are trying to stir up violence… This is a moment when the U.S. ought to be on the side of the rule of law, which the Honduran court and Congress upheld. If Washington does not reverse course, it will be one more act of appeasement toward an ambitious and increasingly dangerous dictator.”

Egypt Furious with Germany

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 7:

“A brutal murder in Germany last week has caused shockwaves in far-off Egypt. Thousands of mourners took to the streets of Alexandria on Monday to protest at the funeral of a pregnant Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death inside a German court in a crime that has provoked fury in her home country.

“Egyptian newspapers have given strong coverage to the death of Marwa al-Sherbini (32), describing the veiled woman as a ‘martyr in a headscarf’ and suggesting the killer was motivated by a hatred of Islam. Mourners chanted ‘Down with Germany’ and scuffled with police after prayers in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria for al-Sherbini, who was murdered on July 1 in a courtroom in Dresden, eastern Germany, by a German man of Russian origin…

“Al-Sherbini, mother to a three-year-old child and three months pregnant, was stabbed 18 times by the man she was testifying against during an appeal hearing, German prosecutors said… Her killer also stabbed her husband, who German police then mistook for the attacker and shot in the leg, prosecutors added. The husband is in hospital and has awoken from a coma…

“The killer… was appealing against a conviction for insulting Sherbini by calling her an ‘Islamist,’ ‘terrorist’ and a ‘slut’ when she asked him to make space for her son to go on the swings on a playground in Dresden, prosecutors said. He had been fined €780 and last Wednesday’s court session had been called to hear his appeal against the ruling…

“The Egyptian Pharmaceutical Association has called for a boycott of German-made drugs… Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, Egypt’s most senior cleric, called the attacker a murderer and said al-Sherbiny was a martyr. But he appealed for calm and said he hoped the murder wouldn’t harm the dialogue between the West and Islam. ‘It was an isolated case,’ he said.”

Ethnic Violence in China–Why?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 7:

“It is still not clear exactly what sparked the worst ethnic violence China has seen in years… Rioting and violence in the Chinese province of Xinjiang has left over 150 people dead, hundreds more injured and thousands under arrest… Whatever the cause, the result was extreme inter-ethnic violence, with angry Uighurs beating Han Chinese in the streets, vehicles and businesses being burned. This led to an aggressive response by Chinese authorities…

“Germany may have more of a vested interest than most in the events as Munich is home to the largest population of Uighurs outside China…

“Business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘Almost a year ago the tanks rolled into Lhasa; last Sunday cars and businesses were burning in Urumqi. The basic problem is that Beijing has never accepted its issues with its ethnic minorities as a political problem. Peking has not tried nearly hard enough to find a mutually acceptable solution… And this terrible situation in Urumqi only shows — once again — how fragile this Chinese super power really is… there are deep rifts right across this country. And how quickly the violence can escalate…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… It is only too clear that ethnic integration in China is experienced differently, by different races. What is also clear is that when those differences are ignored they make for the sort of situation that can explode into violence at any provocation’…

“The conservative daily Die Welt [states]: ‘… China is notorious for not being understanding of other cultures. Ethnic minorities have equal rights here but only on paper. Many Han Chinese treat their Uighur brethren with thinly disguised contempt and racist arrogance… The proverbial spark that set this violent fire had to do with the unexplained deaths of two Uighur factory workers. The fact that such a spark could set such a blaze in Urumqi, a historically multi-ethnic city in which Chinese, Uighurs, Kazakhs, Russians and Tartars have all lived peacefully together, does not bode well.'”

Ethnic Violence Continuing in China…

The Associated Press reported on July 8:

“Thousands of Chinese troops flooded into this city Wednesday to separate feuding ethnic groups after three days of communal violence left 156 people dead, and a senior Communist Party official vowed to execute those guilty of murder in the rioting in western China.

“Long convoys of armored cars and green troop trucks with riot police rumbled through Urumqi, a city of 2.3 million people. Other security forces carrying automatic rifles with bayonets formed cordons to defend Muslim neighborhoods from marauding groups of vigilantes with sticks.

“The crisis was so severe that President Hu Jintao cut short a trip to Italy, where he was to participate in a Group of Eight summit. It was an embarrassing move for a leader who wants to show that China has a harmonious society as it prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Communist rule.

“The heightened security came amid the worst spasm of ethnic violence in decades in Xinjiang… The region is home to the Uighur ethnic minority, who rioted Sunday and attacked the Han Chinese—the nation’s biggest ethnic group—after holding a protest that was ended by police.

“Officials have said 156 people were killed as the Turkic-speaking Uighurs ran amok in the city, beating and stabbing the Han Chinese. The Uighurs allege that trigger-happy security forces gunned down many of the protesters, and officials have yet to give an ethnic breakdown of those killed.

“More than 1,100 people were wounded in the violence… The ethnic hatred in Xinjiang appears to run so deep that many Uighurs won’t express sorrow for the Han Chinese who were attacked Sunday.”

Welt On Line added on July 8:

“Urumqi, Xinjiang’s regional capital, imposed an overnight curfew after thousands of Han Chinese stormed through its streets demanding redress and sometimes extracting bloody vengeance for Sunday’s violence…

“Along with Tibet, Xinjiang is one of the most politically sensitive regions in China. It is strategically located at the borders of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, has abundant oil reserves and is China’s largest natural gas-producing region.

“Xinjiang has long been a tightly controlled hotbed of ethnic tensions, fostered by an economic gap between many Uighurs and Han Chinese, government controls on religion and culture and an influx of Han migrants who now are the majority in most key cities, including Urumqi. There were attacks in the region before and during last year’s Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“But controlling the anger on both sides of the ethnic divide will now make controlling Xinjiang, with its gas reserves and trade and energy ties to central Asia, all the more testing for the ruling Communist Party.”

 

India to Launch First Nuclear Submarine

The Financial Times wrote on July 8:

“India is expected to launch a locally built nuclear-powered submarine later this month, making it one of only a handful of countries with the technology to produce such a vessel… The deployment of a nuclear-powered submarine would be a major step for the Indian navy, which is anxious to maintain its authority in the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The submarine could allow New Delhi to develop a nuclear weapon strike capability from the sea.

“The submarine, the INS Chakra, has been produced at a cost of $2.9bn… and is expected to go into full service in two years’ time…

“India has plans to lease an Akula-class nuclear submarine from Moscow. It is also awaiting the delivery of a 30-year-old refitted Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov. Additionally, India is building six French-designed Scorpene diesel submarines.

“The country lags behind China’s naval might in the region… Beijing [has] a fleet of eight nuclear submarines, some with ballistic missile capability, although it [lacks] an aircraft carrier. The Chinese navy has three times the number of combat vessels (about 630) as India and a personnel strength of 225,000 — five times that of the Indian navy.”

Swine Flu Pandemic Unstoppable

Bild On Line wrote on July 6:

“The head of the WHO has issued a grim warning about the swine flu pandemic gripping the world – the killer virus can’t be stopped! The UN body has revealed that the spread of the disease cannot be halted, but insisted that the majority of cases were mild and not life-threatening. Most sufferers would recover within a week without the need for any treatment, the BBC reported. But there is still a high risk, especially for pregnant women and people with existing health problems.

“World Health Organisation head Margaret Chan… paint[ed] a dark picture about the fight against the virus: ‘As we see today, with well over 100 countries reporting cases, once a fully fit pandemic virus emerges, its further international spread is unstoppable.’

“About 80,000 people have been infected so far in 100 countries, with more than 330 deaths recorded. And the future prognosis is bad – the WHO forecasts that up to two billion people will contract the H1N1 swine flu virus. In the UK alone, it is thought up to 100,000 new cases could be recorded a day by the end of the summer.”

Abuse of Copyright Law by Big Brother Society?

The Financial Times wrote on July 7:

“If you search for Elvis Presley in Wikipedia, you will find a lot of text and a few pictures that have been cleared for distribution. But you will find no music and no film clips, due to copyright restrictions. What we think of as our common cultural heritage is not ‘ours’ at all. On MySpace and YouTube, creative people post audio and video remixes for others to enjoy, until they are replaced by take-down notices handed out by big film and record companies. Technology opens up possibilities; copyright law shuts them down.

“This was never the intent. Copyright was meant to encourage culture, not restrict it. This is reason enough for reform. But the current regime has even more damaging effects. In order to uphold copyright laws, governments are beginning to restrict our right to communicate with each other in private, without being monitored.

“File-sharing occurs whenever one individual sends a file to another. The only way to even try to limit this process is to monitor all communication between ordinary people. Despite the crackdown on Napster, Kazaa and other peer-to-peer services over the past decade, the volume of file-sharing has grown exponentially. Even if the authorities closed down all other possibilities, people could still send copyrighted files as attachments to e-mails or through private networks. If people start doing that, should we give the government the right to monitor all mail and all encrypted networks? Whenever there are ways of communicating in private, they will be used to share copyrighted material. If you want to stop people doing this, you must remove the right to communicate in private…

“The world is at a crossroads. The internet and new information technologies are so powerful that no matter what we do, society will change… The technology could be used to create a Big Brother society beyond our nightmares, where governments and corporations monitor every detail of our lives. In the former East Germany, the government needed tens of thousands of employees to keep track of the citizens using typewriters, pencils and index cards. Today a computer can do the same thing a million times faster, at the push of a button. There are many politicians who want to push that button.

“… where technology opens up new possibilities, our intellectual property laws do their best to restrict them. Linux is held back by patents, the rest of the examples by copyright… Will we let our fears lead us towards a dystopian Big Brother state, or will we have the courage and wisdom to choose an exciting future in a free and open society?”

Cyber Attack on US Government

The Associated Press reported on July 8:

“A widespread computer attack that began July 4 knocked out the Web sites of the Treasury Department, the Secret Service and other U.S. government agencies… Sites in South Korea were also affected, and South Korean intelligence officials believe the attack was carried out by North Korean… forces. The U.S. government Web sites, which also included those of the Federal Trade Commission and the Transportation Department, were all down at varying points over the holiday weekend and into this week… the fact that the government Web sites were still being affected three days after it began signaled an unusually lengthy and sophisticated attack.”

The Bible does not say specifically why Satan will attempt a second coup, but it does give us several hints and indications which we might want to consider.

Prior to the physical creation, God brought into being the spirit world of angels. After God had created the physical universe and the earth, an archangel named Lucifer was placed over one third of the angels here on earth to beautify it. This was long before man was created with the ultimate potential to become a full-fledged member of the God Family. Nothing is said in the Bible that Lucifer or any of the angels had that same potential which would later be given to man.

According to Ezekiel 28:12-16 and Isaiah 14:12-15, Lucifer was perfect as far as his creation was concerned. However, Lucifer made wrong choices–he allowed pride to enter his mind. This pride corrupted his thinking, just like a virus can corrupt a computer. This corruption led him to believe that his abilities were greater than God’s; that he was not rewarded properly by God in accordance with his talents and achievements; and that the way of competition and get was superior to God’s way of give and love and concern for others. He managed to influence the angels under his control to participate in his first rebellion (Revelation 12:4). In resenting God’s government, he did the unthinkable and attempted to overthrow God and take over the rule over the entire universe. Of course, Lucifer, whose name was changed to Satan (meaning enemy or adversary), lost this battle, and he and his angels (now known as demons) were thrown back to this earth where they still rule today.

When God created Adam and Eve, Satan was there to deceive Eve, and he has been deceiving mankind ever since. In fact, Satan has deceived the whole world. He tried to deceive and tempt Christ, but failed. Christ, in defeating Satan, qualified to rule this earth in the near future.

Evidence for the fact that Satan was and is ruling this earth is given at the temptation of Christ, when Satan offered the kingdoms of this world to Him, if He would fall down and worship Satan. All these kingdoms were in and under Satan’s power, and he was able to give them away. Christ never corrected him on that claim, but Christ never fell for Satan’s offer and remained sinless (Matthew 4:8-10). Today, Satan and his demons are still ruling this earth, and they will continue to do so until Jesus Christ–the second Adam–returns to take over all rule. Those whom God has called out of this world must reject Satan’s offer–exactly as Christ did–so they can also qualify to rule under Christ at His return.

It does not seem to make a lot of sense, then, at first sight, as to why Satan would attempt for the second time to overthrow God and to become the supreme ruler of the universe, seeing that his first attempt failed so miserably. Still, the Bible says that he will try again (Revelation 12: 7-9).

What one has to bear in mind is that Satan does not think straight. We might want to consider some humans who keep making the same foolish mistakes and who do not seem to learn from the errors they make. Satan is unwilling and therefore incapable of learning from his mistakes. His mind has been corrupted beyond any hope of change. He does not want to repent and submit to the government of God; therefore, he cannot repent.

This is very similar to “the dog in the manger” syndrome. A vicious dog which does not, of course, eat the straw in the manger, will prevent other animals from eating it. We may have experienced or seen a similar phenomenon in an uncooperative and selfish child who has a toy and doesn’t want to share it with a friend. Rather than following our insistence to share it, he might rather want to destroy it, so the other child cannot play with it. Satan is of the same mindset. He would rather see humankind destroyed completely than turning over his rule to Jesus Christ and those who will rule with and under Him (Revelation 5:10; 20:4, 6).

It is also interesting to consider the behavior of some rats. If a strong animal chases rats into a corner and there is no escape route for them, they will actually turn on each other or on the animal which is chasing them.

The same can be said regarding Satan. Although it is clearly prophesied in Revelation 12 that his second attempt to overthrow God will fail, that fact doesn’t seem to register in his corrupted and twisted mind. Even though Satan knows the Bible, perhaps he does not believe the Bible, thinking he is more powerful than God and what God says, so he can try that second coup and still win. We could see a parallel in certain people today, who know what the Bible says but think they don’t need to obey God and can go about life in a different way.

It is also possible that Satan will launch his second coup because he just does not care. Even though he understands that the Bible predicts that he will lose, he is the destroyer and murderer, and his whole goal in life is to destroy and to kill and to bring pain and suffering to others. The Bible reveals that his demons behave that way too–on one occasion at the time of Christ, a demon tried to kill his human “host”–which would lead to his having to lose the body he possessed and looking in despair for another body–but he just did not care, as he was set on destroying his “host” (Mark 9:17-22). His urge to destroy was too powerful and could not allow him to make a “reasonable” decision–even for himself. There is also another example when Christ allowed demons whom He cast out of men to possess a herd of swine–with the result that the swine threw themselves over the cliff and were killed (Mark 5:11-13).

Satan, the prince of the rulers of darkness, cannot control his urge to destroy and fight God all the way–and so he is trying again to knock God off His throne–even though he knows that God’s Word says that he will fail–rather than wanting to voluntarily transfer to Christ and man his rule over this earth.

We know that the whole world will soon enter the terrible and unprecedented time of the Great Tribulation. That time is also referred to as “Satan’s wrath.” This world will come to the brink of total annihilation, which will be caused by Satan and his demons. If God would not intervene by sending Jesus Christ just at the right time, no flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22). No human or animal flesh would survive. So we see the mindset of Satan exposed here: He would rather see all mankind perish than turn his office and position over to Christ at His return. His demons will participate in that last coup, as they know that their positions will be given to Christ’s disciples who have qualified in this life to rule in the coming Kingdom of God.

Satan and his demons hate God’s Church. They will persecute it in the future (compare Revelation 12:13). Satan is described as a roaring wild lion walking around to see whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). Being compared to a vicious animal–like a poisonous untamable snake–he cannot control himself. He and his demons will try, whenever they can, to destroy God’s people. Paul warns us not to be indifferent about this fact, and he tells us in Ephesians 6:11-12: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the RULERS of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

To summarize, Satan and his demons will attempt another coup against God because they know or at least consider the possibility that their reign of terror will end in the near future. Filled with wrath and a desire to destroy, and thinking perhaps that they still can avert the certainty of their fate and not having learned anything from their previous failed attempt, they will try again and be defeated once more.

Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link

Please have a look at the new design of our website, www.standingwatch.org.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. It is titled, “The Bones of the Apostle Paul–Found?” In the program, Norbert Link discussed the announcement of the Catholic Church that the bones of the Apostle Paul were found in Rome. Der Stern wrote that there is NO EVIDENCE that these were the bones of the Apostle Paul. Die Welt added that there can be no certainty that the bones are those of the Apostle Paul, and that experts DOUBT the accuracy of the Pope’s claim. Zenit admitted that over the centuries the original tomb of Paul “disappeared from view and eventually could no longer be identified.” Why is this? Could it be that the remains of Paul are not to be found in Rome?

The German version of the same program (“Die Gebeine des Apostels Paulus–Gefunden?”) was also posted on YouTube and on our German website (www.AufPostenStehen.de).

A new member letter has been written and will be sent out next week, together with our new booklet, “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today.“

A new German sermon was recorded this week and will be posted shortly. It is the final part in the series on the Nature of God and the Potential of Man and is titled, “Die Zukunft des Menschen” (“Man’s Future.”)

On July 4, 2009, Kalon Mitchell and Michael Link will be giving split sermons, titled, respectively, “The Beatitudes, Part 2,” and “Freedom.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Growing up and being an elementary school-age child, I was told by a much wiser and older friend (a whole 2 grades ahead of me) that there was one God, but with several different names: God, Buddha, Allah, etc. This made perfect sense to me in my understanding of languages and the belief that there was only one God anyway.

Interestingly enough, now, many adults will tell you nearly the exact same thing, without giving it any more thought than a fourth grade student would. In fact, a former President, leader of the United States, in reference to Christians and Muslims, said: “…I believe we worship the same God.”

Within some religions, the god that is the main character, is defined as war-like, arbitrary and unknowable. Others will tell you that Jesus did not come, die and rise from the dead. Even within some of the so-called Christian religions, there can be a vast difference in the description and character of the god being worshipped. In the name of their god, they condone carved images, the killing of unborn babies, situational lies, and “justifiable” murder in war.

But the Bible defines God in a completely different way. God is a Family, consisting of God the Father and God the Son. Both are unified–they are “one.” They are of the same one mindset and have the same one purpose and goal. God is peaceful, trustworthy, and personal. God the Father sent His only-begotten Son to us, who did die and was raised from the dead. God is explicit in His instructions not to have idols, kill, or lie.

What we have then are competing versions of the God or gods that are being worshipped. The plain and simple fact is that they all cannot be true. Rather, only one characterization can be true. For example, either God says it is permissible to steal, or “do not steal” means, do not steal! It cannot be both, because God–both the Father and the Son–is the same always (Hebrews 13:8). God does not change, nor is there any variation or shadow of turning with Him (James 1:17).

There is no moral relativism when it comes to God and His Ways. Instead, He is defined by one specific set of doctrines in the Bible. If we are to be assured that we are worshipping the only true God who is worthy of our reverence and that we are reflecting Him in our lives and actions, we must do it in truth (John 4:24). 

It was a big announcement by the end of last week: Finally, the original biblical Ark of the Covenant will be unveiled! Of course, it did not happen. It was all a big misunderstanding, according to the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia who was visiting the Pope in Rome. Nevertheless, Ethiopia insists they have the Ark, and that they will never allow it to be removed. Is it possible that something like the “ownership” or “custody” of the [alleged] original Ark might lead to violent and perhaps even military confrontations between Ethiopian and Christian and/or Muslim countries in the not-too-distant future?

The Catholic Church announced this week that the bones of the Apostle Paul were found in Rome. However, this claim is definitely false, as our comments explain.

The world was also shocked to learn that after the still ongoing violent unrest in Iran [as well as continued attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq, coupled with military threats from North Korea], Honduras joined the fold. The military action to oust its President, Manuel Zelaya, was strongly condemned by the Obama Administration and the international community, even though Zelaya attempted to subvert the Constitution. Zelaya is a close friend of anti-American propagandist, Venezuela President Hugo Chávez, and, as the Wall Street Journal suggests, America fears a political backlash in Latin America if they were to support the newly appointed interim President, Roberto Micheletti. The developments in Honduras, in spite of America’s attempts to prevent them, show how little influence America has in the region, and Mr. Obama’s “condemnation of the coup” is deeply unpopular with Honduran deputies.

Reviewing developments in Iran, time seems to be running out for that country to avert Israeli and perhaps even European military action against it. In the wake of an Irani “arrest” of British diplomatic staff, all of the 27 EU member states became united in their condemnation and threatened with a “strong and collective response.” The questionable finding of the Guardian Council that no irregularities had occurred during the recent elections did not help to restore any confidence in the reasonableness of Iran’s governmental system. Not surprisingly, however, Germany’s neo-Nazis have voiced in the meantime their unwavering support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his insane measures, which, according to the Netzeitung, even prohibit public dancing and look with disfavor on listening to music.

Turning to the US, Mr. Obama seemingly scored a big victory when the House adopted a costly and expensive climate change bill. Politico’s and Fox News’ articles show, however, how bills are adopted through the questionable means of politics, and how politicians are pressured for their vote–while all of this is justified with the perception of a “greater good.” In the meantime, due to a worldwide loss of confidence in the American currency, the dollar continued to decline against the euro and the yen [even though it is suggested that China’s economy might be in grave danger]; President Obama’s Stimulus Package has FAILED; experts judge the Obama Administration as “lacking leadership and awareness”; California’s former riches have gone to rags; and Der Spiegel explains how Mr. Obama’s meeting with German Chancellor Merkel resulted in–to say it with Shakespeare–“much to do about nothing.”

In another shocking piece of news, it was revealed that the United Kingdom is the crime capitol of Europe.

Finally, and to nobody’s surprise, the German Constitutional Court gave the [politically motivated?] green light for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, but it ordered German lawmakers to adopt legislation to give more power to the German Parliament in EU matters. Most observers expect this new German law to be enacted within the next few months. And Der Spiegel speculates how a future unified Europe under the Lisbon Treaty might look.

The Ark of the Covenant–Lost and Found and Lost Again…

WorldNetDaily reported on June 24:

“The patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia says he will announce to the world Friday [June 26] the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant, perhaps the world’s most prized archaeological and spiritual artifact, which he says has been hidden away in a church in his country for millennia… ‘The Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia for many centuries,’ said Pauolos. ‘As a patriarch I have seen it with my own eyes and only few highly qualified persons could do the same, until now.’ According to Pauolos, the actual Ark has been kept in one church, but to defend the treasure, a copy was placed in every single church in Ethiopia…

“The idea that the Ark is presently in Ethiopia is a well-documented, albeit disputed, tradition dating back to at least 642 B.C… Ethiopians believe it is destined to be delivered to the Messiah when He reigns on Mount Zion – the Temple Mount in Jerusalem… Muslim scholars say it will be found near the end of times by the Mahdi – a messianic figure in Islam.”

But, not surprisingly, it was not supposed to be.

The Ethiopian Review wrote on June 27:

“Yesterday, millions were waiting to watch eagerly the Ark of the Covenant revealed. A day passed but it was not made public. ‘No, the ark is not going to be revealed. Nobody could touch it. If you do so, God will smite you,’ Aba Gebremedhin said… [He] also talked of building a museum in Axum… within two years… [In it] could also be placed the Ark of the Covenant, but this needs to be decided by the Holy Synod, the supreme body of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia [he said].”

Nevertheless, WorldNetDaily added the following on June 26:

“Bob Cornuke, biblical investigator, international explorer and best-selling author… said Ethiopians consider the Ark to be the ultimate holy object, and the church guards the suspected artifact from the ‘eyes and pollution of man… In Ethiopia, their whole culture is centered around worshipping this object’… But according to a statement… by the webmaster for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, there is no chance that the religious leaders and people in the nation will give up their custody of what they believe is the Ark.”

The Apostle Paul’s Bones Found?

CNN reported on June 29:

“Scientific tests prove bones housed in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome are those of the apostle St. Paul himself, according to Pope Benedict XVI. ‘Tiny fragments of bone’ in the sarcophagus were subjected to carbon dating, showing they ‘belong to someone who lived in the first or second century,’ the pope said in a homily carried on Italian television. ‘This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul,’ Benedict said in Sunday’s announcement.”

As will be pointed out below, this tradition is neither “unanimous” nor “undisputed.” In fact, it is FALSE!

The Telegraph added on June 29:

“The announcement of the discovery was timed to mark the end of the ‘Pauline Year’ – 12 months in which the Roman Catholic Church has been celebrating the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of the ‘Apostle of the Gentiles’… The discovery of the bone fragments came shortly after the Vatican announced archaeologists had discovered what they believe is the oldest image in existence of Saint Paul, dating from the late 4th century, on the walls of catacomb beneath Rome.”

Der Stern wrote on June 30 that there is NO EVIDENCE that these were the bones of the Apostle Paul. Quite to the contrary, the magazine points out that the sarcophagus was only built in about 390 A.D., so that the bones could not have been placed there before. The magazine also asks how one can be sure that the bones which were found in that particular sarcophagus were the bones originally placed there, and that those bones were not later replaced.

Die Welt On Line added on June 30 that there can be no certainty that the bones are those of the Apostle Paul, and that experts DOUBT the accuracy of the Pope’s claim.

We can say that the excavated bones, allegedly belonging to a person who lived in the first or second century, are definitely NOT the bones of the Apostle Paul, even IF the age determination of the highly unreliable Carbon 14 method were correct in this case. The reason being, the Apostle Paul’s remains are NOT to be found in Rome.

Even the Catholic news agency Zenit admitted on June 28: “Despite the fact that the original tomb of St. Paul had been the object of profound devotion on the part of pilgrims from the beginning, over the centuries it disappeared from view and eventually could no longer be identified.” There are reasons for that development. For more information, please read our Q&A on the subject of the time and place of the Apostle Paul’s burial.

And Now… Unrest in Honduras

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 29:

“Honduran soldiers rousted President Manuel Zelaya from his bed and exiled him at gunpoint Sunday to Costa Rica, halting his controversial push to redraw the constitution but spurring fresh concerns about democratic rule across Latin America… Mr. Zelaya called the action a kidnapping, and said he was still president. The U.S. and other countries condemned the coup. President Barack Obama said he was ‘deeply concerned’ and called on all political actors in Honduras to ‘respect democratic norms.’ Venezuela President Hugo Chávez, a close ally of Mr. Zelaya and nemesis of the U.S., said he would consider it an ‘act of war’ if there were hostilities against his diplomats. ‘I have put the armed forces of Venezuela on alert,’ Mr. Chávez said…

“Troops with riot shields continued to surround the presidential palace on Monday and armored military vehicles were parked in front… Honduras’s Supreme Court gave the order for the military to detain the president… Later, Honduras’s Congress formally removed Mr. Zelaya from the presidency and named congressional leader Roberto Micheletti as his successor until the end of Mr. Zelaya’s term in January…

“Mr. Micheletti is a member of Mr. Zelaya’s Liberal party. But he had opposed his plans for a referendum that could have led to overturning the constitution’s ban on re-election, allowing Mr. Zelaya to potentially stay in power past January, when his term ends…

“The Obama administration and members of the Organization of American States had worked for weeks to try to avert any moves to overthrow President Zelaya… The efforts accelerated over the weekend, as Washington grew increasingly alarmed… On Sunday, the U.S. embassy here tried repeatedly to contact the Honduran military directly, but was rebuffed. Washington called the removal of President Zelaya a coup and said it wouldn’t recognize any other leader.

“The U.S. stand was unpopular with Honduran deputies. One congressman, Toribio Aguilera, got prolonged applause from his colleagues when he urged the U.S. ambassador to reconsider. Mr. Aguilera said the U.S. didn’t understand the danger that Mr. Zelaya and his friendships with Mr. Chavez and Cuba’s Fidel Castro posed. Retired Honduran Gen. Daniel López Carballo justified the move against the president, telling CNN that if the military hadn’t acted, Mr. Chávez would eventually be running Honduras by proxy. It was a common view Sunday…

“Latin America analysts said the Honduran coup will complicate President Obama’s efforts to re-engage a region where anti-Americanism has flourished in recent years. They said Mr. Chavez is likely to seize on the crisis to depict Central America as under attack… As a result, analysts said Mr. Obama will need to aggressively call for the reinstatement of President Zelaya, despite U.S. concerns that he is seeking to mirror Mr. Chávez’s campaign to secure limitless rule…

“Mr. Casas-Zamora [Costa Rica’s former vice president and a senior fellow at Washington’s Brookings Institution] and other regional analysts said the coup raised questions about just how much influence Washington actually has in Central America, given the Obama administration’s failed effort to avert it. Honduras receives more than $200 million in development aid from Washington annually.”

Reuters wrote on June 29:

“U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday the coup that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was illegal and would set a ‘terrible precedent’ of transition by military force unless it was reversed… Despite Obama’s comments, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the administration was not formally designating the ouster as a military coup for now, a step that would force a cut-off of most U.S. aid to Honduras. Under U.S. law, no aid — other than for the promotion of democracy — may be provided to a country whose elected head of government has been toppled in a military coup.”

The Associated Press wrote on July 1:

“The Obama administration said Wednesday it has suspended joint military operations with Honduras to protest a coup that forced President Manuel Zelaya into exile.”

Reuters added on July 2:

“Rejecting the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, Honduras’ interim leaders dug in for a fight on Thursday… In the worst crisis in Central America in a decade… a standoff… is testing U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration after he promised an era of better relations with the region.”

International Community Condemns Honduras “Coup”

The left-leaning magazine, Der Spiegel Online, wrote on June 30:

“This weekend’s coup in Honduras has been met with general international condemnation. Criticism of the putsch is coming from all sides of the political spectrum… Micheletti has not been recognized, various South American states have withdrawn diplomatic staff and halted trade. The United Nations has called for ‘a reinstatement of the democratically elected representatives of the country,’ the European Union wants to see ‘a swift return to constitutional normality’ and the US, which has strong military ties with Honduras, has also weighed in…

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes:

“‘What makes this coup particularly bad is the complicity between the Honduran parliament and the local armed forces. Only hours after Zelaya was forced to leave the country, Congress presented a blatantly false letter of resignation from him… Zelaya himself wasn’t always a good democrat — he ignored, for example, the fact that the highest judicial office in his country had ruled against the referendum he planned to hold… In any case, a coup was clearly the wrong solution…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘… this situation cannot be justified. It is the duty of centrist politicians everywhere to protest these actions… But they also need to take care that they are not dancing to the same tune that Zelaya’s local allies — leaders like Chavez, Ortega and Morales — are playing. Because the politics of those leaders actually have more to do with the bad old days in Latin America than any pure, new democratic order’…”

But not all are in agreement. Die Welt On Line wrote on June 30 about the “fairy tale of a coup in Honduras.” The paper stated that there was NO coup, but only the parliament-initiated removal of a president who was in the process, step-by-step, to usurp the constitution and bring about a coup himself. The paper also claimed that the violence in Honduras is perpetrated by pro-Zelaya demonstrators who were seen shooting at the police, and not vice versa.

Time Is Running Out For Iran

The Financial Times reported on June 27:

“Iran’s nuclear programme and its post-election crisis dominated talks this weekend among Group of Eight foreign ministers meeting in Italy, with a sense that time was running out for the international community to respond, diplomats said. The ministerial discussions, preparing a wide range of global issues for next month’s G8 summit, also revealed how little they understood of what was happening inside Iran and within the regime…

“Although Israel was not directly mentioned, the diplomats said there was an unspoken understanding of a danger that Israel might take military action against Iran’s nuclear sites if the international community did not make progress on the diplomatic front. The final G8 statement expressed deep concern over the proliferation risks of Iran’s ongoing nuclear programme and called on Iran to ‘seize this opportunity to give diplomacy a chance to find a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue.’ Diplomats said the coded language conveyed a message to Iran that non-diplomatic means – including possible military action – remained a risk it should consider… There was no discussion of drawing up further economic and financial sanctions against Iran…

“Iran has defied UN resolutions demanding that it halt its uranium enrichment programme… Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief who has led on-off nuclear negotiations with Iran, has a mandate to try to re-engage the Iranians, although it is not clear to whom he might talk. Mr Solana was prepared ‘to put more on the table,’ diplomats said, without giving details. But they did not expect Iran to re-enter talks in the near future…

“Western foreign ministers and Japan were relieved that Russia signed up to the final statement which deplored, but did not ‘condemn,’ the post-electoral violence in Iran and expressed ‘solidarity with those who have suffered repression while peacefully demonstrating’… Russia, with its close economic and military ties to Iran, was quick to congratulate Mr Ahmadi-Nejad on his re-election when he visited Russia after the vote.

“The G8 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and US.”

EU Warns Iran

Deutsche Welle reported on June 28:

“The European Union agreed on Sunday that intimidation and harassment of European diplomatic staff by Iran in Tehran would be met with a ‘strong and collective response’… At least 25 people have been killed during crackdowns by Iranian police and religious militia in recent demonstrations… On Sunday, police arrested [nine] Iranians working for the British Embassy in Tehran, claiming they played a role in the post-election riots…

“The international community continues to voice alarm at the violent crackdown on opposition protesters in the election aftermath, but the Iranian government has hit back, accusing Western nations – particularly the United States, Britain, France and Germany – of meddling in the country’s internal affairs.”

EU “Unites” Against Iran

The Financial Times wrote on June 28:

“The European Union’s 27 nations on Sunday joined forces to condemn Iran’s detention of British embassy staff in Tehran, as tensions escalated between Iran and the west in the wake of the disputed elections. After Iran arrested nine local employees working at the UK embassy in Tehran, EU foreign ministers meeting in Corfu said they would respond firmly to any further ‘harassment or intimidation [by Iran] of foreign or Iranian staff working in embassies’… The seriousness of the diplomatic stand-off was underscored by the EU statement in which foreign ministers said they were becoming ‘seriously concerned’ about developments inside Iran… as of Sunday morning four of the nine staff had been released [In the meantime, seven were released.]. The EU statement demanded all should immediately be set free.

“Iranian media said the staff had been detained because of their ‘considerable role’ in instigating riots triggered by this month’s disputed election result… Iran has repeatedly claimed UK diplomats have been interfering in the country’s domestic affairs. Last week Iran forced two British envoys to leave the country, a decision that triggered an immediate tit-for-tat response by London.

“[David] Miliband [Britain’s foreign secretary] roundly rejected Iran’s allegations about the locally hired staff on Sunday. ‘These are hard-working diplomatic staff and the idea that the British Embassy is somehow behind the demonstrations and protests that have been taking place in Tehran in recent weeks is wholly without foundation,’ he said. The UK has been the focus of Iran’s diplomatic protests, partly because the US does not have an embassy in Iran.

“But the troubled relationship between the UK and Iran also has a long history, going back to British involvement in a 1953 coup in Iran… Iran’s leaders stepped up their attacks on the west on Sunday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, denounced what he described as ‘interfering statements’ by western officials.”

The Financial Times wrote on June 30:

“Most of the European Union’s 27 member states will recall their ambassadors from Tehran as early as this weekend if the Iranian authorities refuse to free the [two remaining “detained”] British embassy employees… Amid continuing anger across Europe over the embassy arrests, senior EU diplomats said a co-ordinated diplomatic protest would take place ‘within days.'”

The EUObserver wrote on July 2:

“Iran says Europe is no longer qualified to hold nuclear talks due to its meddling with the post-election protests in the country, with Sweden, as the new EU presidency, calling up officials from the 27-member bloc to discuss the next diplomatic move.”

German Neo-Nazis Support Ahmadinejad

Netzeitung reported on June 25:

“Neo-Nazis in Germany are applauding the repression of protests in Iran and publishing statements supporting the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his hard-line government. Two extremist parties, the NPD and DVU, have managed to contort their racist thinking to embrace the Iranian leader because Ahmadinejad openly advocates the elimination of Israel…

“Censorship in Iran, which makes listening to music a risky business, and outlaws dancing in public, is praised by the NPD, which says the music could be considered decadent and subversive.”

No Irregularities in Iran Elections?

Haaretz reported on June 29:

“Iran’s top legislative body on Monday confirmed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in the contested June 12 presidential recount. The Guardian Council’s official recount of the votes found… no irregularities in the election which brought about the largest protest on Iranian streets since the 1979 revolution. Protesters have claimed that the vote was imbued with massive fraud, but the legislative body has insisted that it was legitimate.”

The Times On Line wrote on July 2:

“Three of Iran’s most prominent opposition leaders flagrantly courted arrest yesterday by denouncing President Ahmadinejad’s Government as illegitimate, one day after the regime said that it would tolerate no more challenges to the election result… Mr Mousavi, 67, is living at home with his family in Tehran, with security and intelligence agents watching his every move. They have arrested most of his inner circle and made it progressively harder for him to communicate with his followers.

“Since Tuesday, when Iran’s Guardian Council declared that a partial recount had confirmed Mr Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election, hardliners have all but accused Mr Mousavi of treason…

“Forced from the streets by the security forces, Mr Mousavi’s supporters are also preparing a campaign of civil disobedience. They are talking of strikes, boycotting goods advertised in the state-controlled media, moving money out of government-controlled banks and giving money directly to the needy instead of government-controlled charities.

“Analysts say that anger will grow and could erupt at football matches, prayer meetings or anywhere that large numbers gather. They say that opposition supporters will go underground and stage lightning demonstrations. They also expect some elements to start launching violent attacks on government targets.

“In a possible sign of the regime’s anxiety Mr Ahmadinejad abruptly cancelled a visit to Libya for an African Union summit yesterday.”

Amidst Violence, Iraqis Happy to See US Troops Leave Cities

On June 29, USA Today wrote the following:

“It was just a week ago that two of his brothers were killed in a bombing in a crowded market, but Haider Abbas Ali put his sorrow aside Monday to celebrate the departure of most U.S. troops from the capital and other Iraqi cities. ‘Their presence has brought nothing good. It is long past the time for the Americans to leave,’ said Ali, who draped himself in an Iraqi flag as he danced with friends prior to Iraqi security forces taking control Tuesday.

“Thousands of Iraqis gathered in central Baghdad’s Zawra Park for a concert to mark the milestone that is part of a security pact that will also require all U.S. combat forces to leave Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010. A countdown clock on a state television channel ticked down at midnight. The Iraqi government has declared Tuesday National Sovereignty Day, six years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein…

“U.S. troops weren’t in sight in the capital Monday. Instead, Iraqi police and soldiers flooded the streets… Some U.S. troops will remain in the cities as trainers and advisers, but most of the 130,000 Americans in Iraq have been relocated to large bases outside urban centers.

“While Iraq celebrated the switch-over, violence continued. The U.S. military announced Monday that a soldier was killed in combat on Sunday, but his name was not released. More than 4,300 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the war began in 2003…

“Many Iraqis at the Zawra park celebration said they are glad to see Americans out of their neighborhoods, but some remain nervous about whether the Iraqi security forces are up to the task.”

House Approves Costly Climate Change Bill

Die Welt Online wrote on June 27:

“President Barack Obama scored a major victory on Friday when the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to slash industrial pollution that is blamed for global warming. The House narrowly passed the historic legislation to cut carbon emissions blamed for climate change, thus handing President Obama a hard-fought victory.

“The Democratic-controlled House passed the climate change bill, a top priority for Obama, by a vote of 219-212. As has become routine on major bills in Congress this year, the vote was partisan, with only eight Republicans joining Democrats for the bill. Forty-four Democrats voted against it.

“Climate change legislation still must get through the Senate. Senators were expected to try to write their own version but prospects for this year were uncertain. After the House vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hoped the Senate can pass a bill ‘this fall’…

“The bill requires that large U.S. companies, including utilities, oil refiners, manufacturers and others, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases associated with global warming by 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, from 2005 levels. They would do so by phasing in the use of cleaner alternative energy than high-polluting oil and coal.

“At the core of the bill, which is around 1,500 pages long, is a ‘cap and trade’ program designed to achieve the emissions reductions by industry.”

Adoption of Climate Change Bill–Politics, Politics and More Politics

Politico wrote on June 25:

“The House of Representatives passed a sweeping climate-change bill Friday – a major victory for President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that left Republicans fuming about a ‘national energy tax’ they said would exacerbate the nation’s economic woes. The vote was extremely close…  the debate leading up to it was intense…

“Republicans accused the Democrats of ramming the bill through the House. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), managing the debate for his party, asked repeatedly if there was even a copy of the current version of the bill anywhere in the House chamber. Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher – sitting in the speaker’s chair although she’s already been confirmed as Obama’s undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security — repeatedly dodged the question.

“Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), one of the bill’s sponsors, finally rose to say that a single copy of the current version of the bill was available at the speaker’s desk – and on the Internet, which members would have to leave the floor to access.

“That wasn’t good enough for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who delayed the roll call vote by reading page-by-page through a 300-page managers’ amendment Democrats added at around 3 a.m. Friday. Boehner seemed to relish the hour-long stunt, picking out the bill’s most obscure language and then pontificating about what it might – or might not – mean. Republicans laughed along with him and roared with applause when he was done.

“Before Boehner took the floor, Republicans asked the House to observe a moment of silence for Americans who would lose their jobs as a result of the bill. Democrats objected. Pelosi argued later that the bill would mean ‘jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.’

“Making his closing argument for the bill he co-sponsored, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) told his colleagues that they had ‘a unique historical opportunity’ to protect the nation’s national security, improve the environment and transform the economy… But in an impassioned speech of his own, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the cap-and-trade bill would exacerbate the recession, disproportionately hurt the poor and ‘hamstring’ U.S. industry. He was followed by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who called the bill a ‘great contribution to human kind’ and attacked Republicans for offering nothing but ‘negative political shots’…

“Throughout the day Friday, the House chamber had the feeling of a place where history was being made… Behind the scenes, the administration worked hard to help the Democratic leadership garner support for the legislation. Obama, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and other administration officials have been calling skeptical lawmakers from both parties for weeks. Energy adviser Carol Browner met with several on-the-fence lawmakers Thursday.”

And Still More Politics…?

Fox News wrote on June 29:

“A top Republican senator has ordered an investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency’s alleged suppression of a report that questioned the science behind global warming. The 98-page report, co-authored by EPA analyst Alan Carlin… argued that the information the EPA was using was out of date, and that even as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased, global temperatures have declined…

“According to internal e-mails that have been made public by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Carlin’s boss told him in March that his material would not be incorporated into a broader EPA finding and ordered Carlin to stop working on the climate change issue… Carlin told FOXNews.com on Monday that his boss, National Center for Environmental Economics Director Al McGartland, appeared to be pressured into reassigning him.

“Carlin said he doesn’t know whether the White House intervened to suppress his report but claimed it’s clear ‘they would not be happy about it if they knew about it,’ and that McGartland seemed to be feeling pressure from somewhere up the chain of command. Carlin said McGartland told him he had to pull him off the climate change issue…

“Reps. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and Darrell Issa, R-Calif… wrote a letter last week to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urging the agency to reopen its comment period on the finding. The EPA has since denied the request… In a written statement, Issa said the administration is ‘actively seeking to withhold new data in order to justify a political conclusion.’

“‘I’m sure it was very inconvenient for the EPA to consider a study that contradicted the findings it wanted to reach,’ Sensenbrenner said in a statement, adding that the ‘repression’ of Carlin’s report casts doubt on the entire finding. Carlin said he’s concerned that he’s seeing ‘science being decided at the presidential level’…

“The controversy is similar to one under the Bush administration — only the administration was taking the opposite stance. In that case, scientist James Hansen claimed the administration was trying to keep him from speaking out and calling for reductions in greenhouse gases.”

Obamas Hold Gay Rights Reception

The Associated Press wrote on June 30:

“Countering criticism that he has done little to advance gay rights, President Obama commemorated the 40th anniversary yesterday of the birth of the modern movement by welcoming its leaders to the White House and reaffirming his commitment to their top priorities.

“’I will not only be your friend; I will continue to be an ally and a champion and a president who fights with you and for you,’ Obama told members of the core Democratic constituency as he and his wife Michelle hosted a cocktail-and-appetizer reception in the East Room marking the four decades since the police raid on New York City’s Stonewall Inn that spurred gay rights activism across the country.”

The Washington Post added on June 30 that Mr. Obama “also drew a parallel between the progress gays and lesbians have made in recent decades and the struggles of black Americans to win equality.”

U.S. Dollar Declines

Bloomberg reported on June 27:

“The dollar declined the most against the euro in a month and dropped versus the yen after China repeated its call for a new global currency… ‘The dollar’s status as a reserve currency is being questioned,’ said Benedikt Germanier, a foreign-exchange strategist in Stamford, Connecticut at UBS AG, the second- largest currency trader. ‘There are reasons to sell the dollar.’”

Stimulus Package Isn’t Working… Job Losses Increase…

The Financial Times reported on July 2:

“The US economy shed another 467,000 jobs last month, signalling aggressive government stimulus measures are failing to unshackle the labour force from the grips of the recession…

“The result was worse than economists predicted and pushed the unemployment rate from 9.4 per cent to 9.5 per cent… a 26-year high. Thursday’s figure shows further erosion from the previous month’s decline of a revised 322,000 drop and knocked wind from the notion that the pace of job losses might be slowing.”

Bloomberg added on July 2:

“Employers in the U.S. cut 467,000 jobs in June, the unemployment rate rose and hourly earnings stagnated, offering little evidence the Obama administration’s stimulus package is shoring up the labor market.”

“We ARE in the Middle of a Financial Crash…”

CNBC wrote on July 2:

“The financial system is crashing… Nassim Taleb, author of ‘The Black Swan,’ told CNBC Thursday… ‘So if I’m going to forecast something, it is that it’s going to get worse, not better… What makes me very pessimistic [is] not seeing any leadership or awareness on parts of government on what has to be done.'”

California–From the Richest to the Poorest…

On June 29, the Financial Times reported the following:

“California… grapples with an unprecedented cash crunch and prepares to begin its new fiscal year deep in the red. Once the US’s richest state, California now has the dubious distinction of having the worst credit rating in the country…”

The Los Angeles Times reported on July 2:

“With budget negotiators at a loggerheads and California government facing a cash crisis, the state controller’s office will start printing IOUs this afternoon for the first time in 17 years. The presses are set to start at 2 p.m., churning out 28,742 IOUs worth $53.3 million that will be dispatched mostly to residents throughout the state still awaiting their income-tax refunds.

“A panel of state finance officials will meet this morning to set the interest rate for banks and other financial institutions that decide to accept the IOUs. Some banks have agreed to honor them, including Bank of America, which will do so until July 10…

“With the California economy hobbled, tax receipts waning and the budget deficit continuing to swell, the governor Wednesday declared a fiscal emergency, and ordered state workers to take a third unpaid furlough day each month. He also issued a new list of cuts to schools and public universities to address a deficit that his finance team now says has swelled to $26.3 billion.”

UK Crime Capitol of Europe

The Telegraph wrote on July 2:

“The United Kingdom is the violent crime capital [sic] of Europe [including in respect to murder] and has one of the highest rates of violence in the world, worse even than America… Analysis of figures from the European Commission showed a 77 per cent increase in murders, robberies, assaults and sexual offences… The total number of violent offences recorded compared to population is higher than any other country in Europe, as well as America, Canada, Australia and South Africa… The figures combined crime statistics for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

China’s Economy in Grave Danger

The Telegraph wrote on June 28:

“China’s banks are veering out of control. The half-reformed economy of the People’s Republic cannot absorb the $1,000bn (£600bn) blitz of new lending issued since December… Fitch Ratings has been warning for some time that China’s lenders are wading into dangerous waters, but its latest report is even grimmer than… suspected… World trade… will not rebound fast in a world where the US savings rate has risen to a 15-year high of 6.9pc…

“So the [Chinese] regime is resorting to hazardous methods to keep excess factories humming: issuing a ‘Buy China’ decree: using a plethora of export subsidies; holding down the price of coke, bauxite, zinc and other resources to lower production costs (prompting a complaint from America and Europe); and suppressing the yuan, again. Protectionism is a risky game for a country that lives off global trade and runs a surplus…

“[China might be] repeating the US tariff blunder of 1930 that brought the world crashing down on Washington’s head… If the world’s biggest surplus state ($400bn) is too structurally deformed to help offset the demand shock as Western debtors retrench, we are trapped in a long deflation slump.”

Obama and Merkel Meet–“Much to Do About Nothing”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 27:

“During German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s White House visit on Friday, one thing topped the agenda: a show of friendship. US President Barack Obama praised Merkel to the hilt, while she returned the compliment. Politics were pushed into the background… The German-American agenda for the meeting was clear this time: A show of friendship — after all the reports of a cool relationship between Obama and Merkel, which have now started to appear in the US as well as the German media…

“The fact that Merkel had prevented Obama from speaking in front of the deeply symbolic Brandenburg Gate was now all forgotten. And the fact that Obama’s team had acted with some arrogance during his Dresden visit and for a long time had rejected the idea of a brief visit to the Frauenkirche was also ancient history…

“The issue that has seen the greatest tensions between the two leaders was hardly mentioned — the response to the global financial crisis and the German [skepticism] about America’s massive state spending that could culminate in an even bigger stimulus package and an even greater budget deficit… That left nothing but harmony in the East Room. The chancellor denied there were any differences with the new US president…

“However even a good natured Obama cannot dispel the worries of many Europeans that they are becoming more marginalized in Washington in the face of the many political problems and increasing number of hot spots around the world. When the German chancellor was presented with the Warburg Prize for her contribution to trans-Atlantic relations on Thursday evening in the Library of Congress, only one out of a possible 435 members of the House of Representatives bothered to turn up.”

You might want to listen to our new StandingWatch program, “America and Europe–Friends or Foes?” [posted on StandingWatch or YouTube] to learn more about the REAL relationship between Mr. Obama and Mrs. Merkel.

German Constitutional Court Gives Green Light for the Lisbon Treaty

The Financial Times wrote on June 30:

“Germany’s constitutional court gave a green light in principle to the Lisbon treaty on Tuesday but suspended its ratification until the German parliament had amended [domestic German] law governing its influence over European legislation… Despite the new hurdle, the ruling was greeted with relief by the government… Berlin is confident that the necessary amendments to its ratification laws can be expedited in the summer, fulfilling its commitment to ratify the treaty before 2010…

“The Bundestag, parliament’s lower chamber, on Tuesday revealed it had already convened an extraordinary session in August for an initial review of the legislative amendments. Final approval should take place on September 8… before the general election of September 27. The bill requires a two-thirds majority on both houses of parliament.”

The EUObserver added on June 30:

“Germany’s highest court on Tuesday ruled that the EU’s new treaty is compatible with German law, so long as the role of the national parliament in EU decision-making is strengthened. ‘The German constitution says yes to the Lisbon treaty, but on a national level the parliament has to have a stronger say in EU matters’, vice-president of the German constitutional court, Andreas Vosskuhle, said… The court in Karlsruhe also said that the treaty and the German constitution would not allow the creation of an ‘EU federal state…”

Deutsche Welle reported on June 30:

“German opponents of the Lisbon Treaty [a group of about 50 lawmakers seeking to stop the Treaty] had argued that the document undercuts German sovereignty. They say that the country’s constitution would be subject to European law… Supporters of the Lisbon Treaty dismiss such fears, and insist that Germany and Europe would become more democratic and more transparent.

“German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble… says the treaty would protect the German constitution, not undermine it. Schaeuble says the [German] constitution’s preamble, dating from 1949, states that Germany wants to be an equal member of a unified Europe which works towards world peace. ‘From the beginning, this constitution was BASED ON EUROPEAN UNITY,’ he says.”

Der Spiegel Online added on June 30:

“Chancellor Merkel welcomed the court’s decision, saying that it was ‘a good day for the Lisbon Treaty’… German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier… said that he was pleased that the court had found the treaty to be ‘completely compatible’ with the [German] constitution. He predicted that the Lisbon Treaty would come into force by early 2010 at the latest.

“If the German Constitutional Court had ruled against Lisbon, it would likely have killed the treaty. It would have given the Czech Republic and Poland a reason not to ratify it and it also could have derailed plans to hold a second referendum on the EU reform in Ireland in early October.

“European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the German ruling. ‘I am confident we can complete the process of ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon in all countries by the autumn,’ he said.”

The Future of Europe–Back to the Core?

Der Spiegel wrote on June 29:

“In times such as these, with no end to the financial crisis in sight, the rotation of the EU Presidency makes one thing patently clear: The European Union needs clearer structures, more integration, and better foreign representation. Moreover, the Czech tenure has revealed that smaller EU countries are not up to the daunting coordination and leadership tasks that a crisis of this magnitude requires… In the financial crisis as in the gas dispute, all eyes were focused once again on the heavyweights in the European Union, namely on Germany and France, without whom no significant European contribution would have been possible at the G-20 summit in April…

“As of July it is Sweden’s obligation… Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is striving to make Georgia, and perhaps Moldova as well, into ‘model nations’ of successful EU engagement. Both countries have sunk into war and unrest in recent months and are practically demanding European intervention… Bildt… would like to position the European Union as a player in the Middle East… He would like to… represent the European Union as an international role model at the Copenhagen climate conference at the end of the year…

“Should the Lisbon Treaty be ratified, Sweden will quickly set clear priorities for the formation of the European foreign service and, accordingly, for the formulation of the responsibilities of both the High Commission for Foreign and Security Policy as well as of the future European Presidency. Both entities should be given as much space and capacity as possible within the European system…”

Over the years, many ideas have been advanced to the effect that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as described in Daniel 4, has some kind of hidden prophetic meaning for us today. In the last Q&A, we discussed Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in much detail. We pointed out that the dream referred to that ancient king and predicted his seven years of insanity to punish his pride. We showed that the dream was fulfilled, exactly as God had pronounced it, and that King Nebuchadnezzar subsequently repented of his pride at the time when his sanity was restored to him.

Some have pointed at Nebuchadnezzar’s “seven years” of insanity and applied it to seven “prophetic” years of punishment for the entire Babylonian Empire. The rationale goes something like this: A “prophetic” year of 360 DAYS is the equivalent of 360 YEARS. [The one day for one year PRINCIPLE is, in fact, biblical in some instances, and is described in passages such as Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:4-6.] If applied in this way, seven prophetic “years” of 360 “days” or “years” each, would amount to 2,520 years. Beginning to count with the time when Babylon fell (which occurred about 539 B.C.), one would reach the year 1982 A.D.

It is also claimed by some that the Babylonian Empire was somehow unproductive for 2,520 years after its ancient fall, but emerged again, beginning in 1982.

As one author puts it:

“The tree of the… dream may represent not only Nebuchadnezzar but the Babylonian Empire as well. Babylon fell in 539 B.C… In essence, the ‘roots’ of the tree remained to sprout anew in the future. Considering this, it has been proposed that the ‘seven times’ could be viewed as seven 360-day prophetic years. The prophetic ‘day-for-a-year’ principle… yields 2,520 years… perhaps stretching from the fall of ancient Babylon to the beginnings of its revival in modern times.”

Another author wrote:

“Daniel records a prophecy about a tree (picturing the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar) that was to be chopped down, but its stump and roots were to remain—bound by a band of brass and iron until seven times had passed… The king’s seven years of insanity partially fulfilled the prophecy. However, the Bible also reveals that a prophetic year of 360 days is the equivalent of 360 years… Seven prophetic years (of 360 days) amount to 2,520 years. Babylon fell in 539 [B.C.]… Seven prophetic times from 539 [B.C.] brings us to 1982—the date John Paul urged Europeans to ‘give life to their roots.’ Since 1982 the modern Babylon emerging in central Europe from its ancient roots has seen dramatic growth.”

Depending on who is identified as modern Babylon, it is also said that the Catholic Church began in 1982 to exert its ever-growing influence on the countries of Europe; or that the nations of Europe experienced a revival, beginning in 1982 [pointing at a Scripture in Daniel 4, speaking of the band of iron and bronze around the tree (verses 15 and 23), which was allegedly loosed in 1982, or that the new leaders of modern Babylon, which are sometimes falsely claimed to be the USA and the Catholic Church, will begin to defeat the ancient Medes and Persians (which are alleged to be modern Iraq and Iran)]. Others make different claims, which are all related, somehow, to 2,520 years of punishment of “Babylon,” followed by a revival and restoration to power.

To complicate matters even further, it is also claimed that Christ’s reference to the “fulfillment” of the “times of the Gentiles” in Luke 21:24 relates, somehow, to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 4. We have explained in a previous Q&A that the “times of the Gentiles” will be fulfilled when Christ returns. We also showed that Gentile kingdoms have ruled throughout the history of man.

Some of those who link “the times of the Gentiles” to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 4 claim that this phrase speaks exclusively of the rule of the ancient and modern Babylonians and that the times of the Gentiles BEGAN in 1982 (when the 2,520 years-long insanity or punishment of Babylon was removed and Babylon’s rule was restored). Others have claimed in the past that the times of the Gentiles would actually END in 1982, and that Christ would return BEFORE the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. (Since Christ has not returned, that concept was subsequently dropped.) Others teach correctly (as we pointed out in our previous Q&A), that the times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled AT the time of Christ’s return.

Can the concept that Daniel 4 contains a prophecy for the ancient and modern Babylonian EMPIRE be proven from Scripture? Is it even biblically POSSIBLE that this idea COULD BE correct?

When we carefully examine what the Bible DOES teach, the answer is, NO!

First of all, as pointed out in our previous Q&A, there is not even the slightest hint in Daniel 4 that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the cut-down tree refers to anyone but Nebuchadnezzar. He was indeed insane for seven years, living with the animals, but when he repented of his pride, the kingdom was restored to him. To apply this scenario of seven prophetic years of insanity to the Babylonian power is inaccurate, as Babylon was not “unproductive” or “paralyzed” from 539 B.C. to 1982 A.D.

In addition, the Bible shows that end-time modern Babylon will behave in a totally insane way and will be responsible for a worldwide catastrophe, which would lead to the annihilation of man if Christ were not to return to save man from himself. Therefore, it cannot possibly be suggested that Babylon was insane from 539 B.C. until 1982 A.D., but REPENTED of its pride and regained its sanity, beginning in 1982.

Those who claimed, albeit erroneously, that the times of the Gentiles would be fulfilled in 1982, after Christ’s return, understood at least that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 4, IF applied to the Babylonian Empire, would require repentance before its kingdom or rule could be restored.

As one author wrote as early as 1953: “[1982 is the year] when the seven times of punishment would be fulfilled…. Since Zechariah 14:1-3 shows that Jesus Christ will return in order to deliver Jerusalem from the Gentiles, it is plain that the second coming of Christ will occur SHORTLY BEFORE the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled… Just as Nebuchadnezzar finally regained his throne and acknowledged God’s authority, so the Gentile nations when their punishment is over, will come up to the kingdom of God and ask to learn of his ways (Micah 4:1-3) so that they also may become begotten and finally born into His kingdom as members of the ruling family of God.”

Of course, the idea that Christ would come back prior to 1982 and that the punishment of modern Babylon would end in 1982 and that they would come to repentance in 1982 was clearly wrong. But at least it recognized the need for Babylon to REPENT–IF we WERE to apply Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 4 to 2,520 years of Babylonian punishment. Those who teach today that Babylon returned to power in 1982 don’t even seem to recognize THAT.

We should also ask, what spectacular event occurred in 1982 which would have indicated that Babylon returned to power after 2,520 years of paralysis? As we have already seen, some of those who preach the prophetic meaning of the dream for the Babylonian system state that Pope John Paul gave a speech in 1982 encouraging Europe to discover its origins and give life to its roots. It is claimed that THIS SPEECH indicates, somehow, the return to power of modern Babylon and the beginning of the growth of the cut-down tree.

The whole concept that one can apply the “seven times” in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to “seven prophetic years” of 2,520 years seemed to have been invented by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Society. They claimed that the destruction of Jerusalem through Nebuchadnezzar [alleged to have occurred in 607 B.C.] began the times of the Gentiles which allegedly ended in 1914 when God allegedly reestablished His Kingdom in heaven. However, as we will show, that entire concept is biblically unconvincing.

First, we need to explain what the Bible says about the identity of modern Babylon. We need to comprehend who Babylon is. For instance, modern Babylon is not a combination of the USA and the Catholic Church, as it has been suggested, and, in passing, the modern Medes are not the Iraqis, either.

As we point out in our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation,” modern Babylon is identified in Revelation 17 as the “WOMAN riding the beast.” That woman is a religious power which has been sitting on the LAST SEVEN POLITICAL AND MILITARY REVIVALS of the ancient Roman Empire. It is true that modern Babylon also describes the military and economic aspect of the Babylonian SYSTEM in Revelation 18, but the fact that the woman (the religious system) has been riding the last seven revivals of the beast (the political system) MUST NOT BE NEGLECTED. This PROVES that Babylon has not been dormant for 2,520 years. Quite to the contrary, BABYLON has been ALIVE and WELL for many centuries prior to 1982.

Note how Revelation 17 describes Babylon. In verse 3, we read that John sees in a vision “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having SEVEN HEADS and TEN HORNS.” Verse 5 explains that on the woman’s forehead, the name was written: “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots…”

That woman is further described as follows, in verse 18: “And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” That city is described, in verse 9, as being built on seven mountains or “hills” (compare, for example, the New International Version and the Living Bible).

Halley’s Bible Handbook writes: “The description of Babylon the great… exactly fits Papal Rome.” Ungers’ Bible Handbook states that the woman “denotes a religious system… the woman has her headquarters in the Beast’s capital, which is the seven-hilled city of Rome.”

Focusing on the BEAST on which the woman sits, we learn in Revelation 17 that the seven heads of the beast are seven kings or kingdoms (verse 10). What John saw in that vision referred to a time when five of the seven kings or kingdoms had fallen, one was, and one was still to come (verse 10). When it comes, it will be ruled by the ten horns or ten kings, giving their power and authority to the beast (verses 12-13).

As we explain in our above-quoted literature, the seven heads of the beast on which the woman sits, are the seven last revivals of the ancient Roman Empire. In fact, Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 tell us that the ancient Roman Empire would be revived TEN times, but the first three revivals occurred through barbarian tribes which did not believe in the religion propagated by the woman. In fact, the woman was responsible for the demise of the rule of these barbarian tribes (the Vandals, the Heruli and the Ostrogoths). The woman did not sit on the first three revivals of the Roman Empire, but according to Revelation 17, she would and did sit on the last SEVEN of the ten revivals.

We learn from history that six of the last seven revivals have already occurred. These were revivals of political and military kingdoms cooperating with the woman–the religious power. Six of these last seven revivals have already occurred under Justinian (bringing about the Imperial Restoration of Europe, by uniting East and West Rome), Charlemagne (crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III), Otto the Great (crowned by Pope John XII), Charles V of Habsburg (crowned by Pope Clement VIII), Napoleon Bonaparte (crowned by Pope Pius VII) and Hitler/Mussolini (who worked closely together with Pope Pius XII).

For instance, under Charlemagne, the revival was called “HOLY Roman Empire,” and under Otto the Great, it was called, “HOLY Roman Empire of the German Nation,” indicating the RELIGIOUS and political nature of these revivals. The last and final revival of the ancient Roman Empire is happening right now in Europe.

To say that biblical Babylon was inactive for 2,520 years since its fall in 539 B.C. is historically inaccurate. In fact, going way back in history, Will Durant explained in “The Story of Civilization,” that the Code of Justinian (who brought about the fourth resurrection of the Roman Empire) “enacted orthodox Christianity into law [and] acknowledged ecclesiastical leadership of the Roman Church, and ordered all Christian groups to submit to her authority.”

In addition, and just focusing on modern events, it still cannot be legitimately said that the Pope’s speech in 1982 signified the revival of the Babylonian system. For instance, it was as early as 1929 when the Lateran Treaties were signed between Mussolini and the Pope, establishing the Vatican City State and the international character of the Holy See, and making Catholicism the official religion of Italy. Four years later, in 1933, Adolph Hitler signed a concordat with the Vatican, purportedly protecting the rights of the Catholic Church in Nazi Germany. Der Stern Online wrote in February of 2004 that Mussolini’s and Hitler’s fascist governments profited from the Lateran Treaties and the concordat, and that the Catholic Church supported the fascist propaganda.

Even when reviewing the very last and still ongoing revival of the ancient Roman Empire, the Pope’s speech in 1982 was not a decisive event, either. We need to emphasize that the Common Market itself was started under the inspiration of Catholic politicians. The Telegraph wrote in 1991 that politicians “such as Adenauer of Germany, Paul-Henri Spaak, Jean Monnet and Robert Schumann… were all deeply influenced by Catholic social teaching.” The Financial Times added on May 22, 1995 that the “idea of a united Europe” has been viewed as “essentially a Catholic concept.” But that concept existed long before 1982. It was in 1957 that the Treaty of Rome was signed by the original six member states. It gave birth to the unification of Europe. Der Stern Online wrote that that treaty signalized the “beginning of the success story of Europe.”

It should be obvious that 1982 was not a decisive year in the development of the last religious/political revival of the ancient Roman Empire. Notice, by contrast, the following years which DID represent milestones in the slow but sure unification of modern Europe. First of all, as mentioned, there is of course the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957, giving birth to the unification of Europe.

In addition, please note the following article, which was published in “Deutsche Welle” on June 27, 2009, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain:

“On June 27 [1989,] exactly two decades ago, then Hungarian foreign minister Gyula Horn and his Austrian counterpart Alois Mock symbolically cut some barbed wire representing the Iron Curtain on the border separating their two countries. Two months later, on August 19, [1989,] some 600 East Germans escaped to the West during a picnic for peace organized at the Austro-Hungarian border during a period when the border gate opened for three hours. [The Wikipedia Encyclopedia adds that commencing with August 23, 1989, more than 13,000 East German tourists in Hungary escaped to Austria. Shortly thereafter, similar incidents occurred in neighboring Czechoslovakia.] In reality, Hungary had already begun to dismantle the Iron Curtain nearly two months earlier, on May 2, 1989.”

The fall of the Iron Curtain was necessary to bring about a united Europe which would embrace eastern European nations.

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, and Germany’s reunification was formalized on October 3, 1990. Of course, a united Germany was and is necessary for a united EU.

On January 1, 1999, the euro was introduced. Newsweek wrote at the time: “The Euro will turn Europe into a superpower… Whether you love the Euro or hate it, know this; nothing so big has ever happened before.” Again, a common currency was and is absolutely necessary for a powerful united Europe.

What we need to remember, then, is that Revelation 17 states that the WOMAN–BABYLON THE GREAT–sits on ALL of the seven last [political/religious] revivals of the Roman Empire. By no stretch of the imagination can it be said, then, that Babylon had no influence on the world scene and that it was kept in chains for 2,520 years since its fall in 539 B.C., or, that the times of the Gentiles BEGAN 2,520 years after its fall; that is, in 1982.

The biblical prophecies and the historical records prove beyond the shadow of any doubt that the dream in Daniel 4 could not possibly be construed as a prophecy, stretching over 2,520 years, beginning with the fall of Babylon and an alleged revival in 1982. The dream in Daniel 4 related strictly and exclusively to the life of ancient King Nebuchadnezzar, containing the timeless message for us today that “the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest [“basest,” Authorized Version] of men” and that “those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Daniel 4:17, 37).

For more information, you might want to view our video-recorded sermon on the topic, “Babylon the Great.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. It is titled, “America and Europe–Friends or Foes?” In the program, Norbert Link is pointing out that in spite of their “unified” presentation during a press conference in the White House on June 26, 2009, President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are “deeply divided” on critical key issues, such as the financial crisis and climate change. At the same time, the EU rendered the “most important decision of the year.” The EU and the USA are on a collision course–without any hope for substantial improvement.

A new German sermon was video-recorded this week and placed on the Web. It is titled, “Lasset Uns Menschen Machen…” (“Let Us Make Man…”) and is the second part in a series on the Nature of God and the Potential of Man. The first part is titled, “War und Ist Christus Gott?” (“Was and Is Christ God?”) and is posted on our German Website.

Norbert Link’s new video-recorded sermon, “Babylon the Great,” has been posted on the Web.

by Aaron Hooper

It’s easy to be alive. To just be. But my time here is short, and there’s no way for me to know just how much time I have. The greatest deception, that I personally have fallen under, is to think that there’s always tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow to take care of the important things. There’s always tomorrow to give an encouraging word to someone who needs it. There’s always tomorrow to start becoming the person that I need to be–that kind of person who obeys and follows God in everything. But when tomorrow comes, that means that today is gone. And today is the only real tangible thing that I have.

We’ve all heard “live today as if it’s your last,” and that is great advice, but every day that comes after today only furthers the deception. So it’s easy to simply think of that as just a nice statement. Every day that comes seems to prove that wrong. Procrastination. Neglect. These are my two biggest shortcomings. Before I know it, important things — bills, family, friends, future plans — can easily get away from me, if I’m not disciplined on a daily basis. I only deceive myself by thinking that tomorrow is any different than today. Tomorrow will come, but today will be lost.

Part of investing in my future is investing in today. The most important things are the little things that I can do in the moment. They add up. If they’re not done, then the moment is gone, and — well — that can really add up too. And not in a pleasant way. In an alarming, turn-your-stomach, self-destructing kind of way. I need to love every moment, please God and my fellow man every moment. I need to use what is given me. All I have is time, but it is in very short supply.