President Obama’s controversial statements about the right and the wisdom of Muslims to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York have angered and divided the nation even more. If the president’s motives were to propagate religious tolerance in this country, then he achieved the opposite. His hosting of a Ramadan dinner in the White House did not help, either–considering that he previously abandoned the National Day of Prayer. Following Mr. Obama’s statements and subsequent clarifications and re-clarifications, local opposition to the erection of mosques increased. One church in Florida announced that it will hold a “Koran-burning” on September 11. We are reporting about some interesting facts pertaining to Ramadan and Mr. Obama’s upbringing.

In addition, many Hispanics feel betrayed by Mr. Obama and his administration, as well as the Republican Party, due to perceived broken promises pertaining to immigration reform.

China is moving away from the U.S. dollar in lieu of the euro, and voices are being heard again reporting about and advocating a two-speed Europe under German leadership. Pat Buchanan warns that the USA, due to its mountainous debt and unreasonable spending on non-essential governmental workers in Washington D.C., is a nation on the way out.

Disagreements between President Obama and General David Petraeus regarding Afghanistan are surfacing. Die Tageszeitung wrote: “… The war in Afghanistan doesn’t just reveal the impotence of the Americans — It also shows the impotence of President Obama.'”

Former U.N. Ambassador John R. Bolton warns that Israel might attack Iran within the month of August, even though he is skeptical that this will happen, and Haaretz speculates that Israel might attack Iran within a year, even without a green light from Washington. We are also reporting about Iraq’s uncertain future, following this week’s continuing withdrawal of American troops.

It was announced that a “new superbug from India could spread around the world — in part because of medical tourism — and scientists say there are almost no drugs to treat it.”

Russia’s wildfires are still burning out of control–notwithstanding the cover up by the Russian government–and the catastrophe in Pakistan has been described as unprecedented, with nationwide destruction reportedly eclipsing the scale of ruins witnessed in previous natural disasters, such as the Asian tsunami of 2004, the 2008 earthquake in China and the earthquake in Haiti in January of 2010.

Bad news is just accelerating. Several major earthquakes struck this week, including near Jackson, Wyoming (4.3); in Sicily, Italy (4.5); in Ecuador (6.9); and in Guam (7.2).

We conclude with two articles by the German left-liberal magazine, Der Spiegel, testifying to the incredible lack of the upholding of Christian morals in that country.

The euro is on the rise again–and Germany is becoming once again Europe’s growth locomotive. There is also revived talk of a core Europe led by Germany, and Der Spiegel reminisces on the miracle of Germany’s postwar reconstruction–pointing out that former Nazis had some part to play in that process. At the same time, it was revealed that East Germany was planning to attack and take over West Berlin–as late as one year before the Berlin Wall fell.

As Germany closes down a “radical” mosque in Hamburg, the German press questions the reasoning and timing of the action, but focuses also on the perceived need to step up Germany’s war against radical Islam.

Turning our attention to ongoing worldwide catastrophes, we are reporting on heavy flooding in Central Europe and Russia’s ongoing fight with its wildfires.

Focusing on the political leadership in the USA, we are concluding with articles on California’s move towards legalization of same-sex marriages and Michelle Obama’s “extravagant” vacationing in Spain.

We begin reporting on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding with Marc Mezvinsky and the underlying problematic phenomenon of increasing interfaith marriages. We are also addressing the ongoing problem of “gay games” and “gay parades,” for instance in Germany and Jerusalem, as well as the most recent decision by a federal “gay” judge on same-sex marriages.

Several articles claim that President Obama is out of touch with reality, including on issues such as the Afghan war, the health care reform or the Gulf oil spill, while it was revealed that the USA has a plan to attack Iran and while the killing of US troops in Afghanistan is getting worse.

Newly elected British Prime Minister David Cameron, who “has not been afraid to say what he thinks during a string of recent foreign trips,” has been causing furor in Pakistan, which is at the same time being plagued by the worst floods in the country’s history; and while Vladimir Putin is preparing his comeback as President and Russia enacts a dangerous law, and while the Netherlands are heading towards “the most conservative Dutch government in history,” German military experts and politicians are pleading for the retention of compulsory military service and a powerful and influential German army.

We conclude with a frightening development of diminishing plant plankton worldwide, which could lead to the death of sea birds and marine mammals “in huge numbers.” 

While “White House spokesman Robert Gibbs condemned the release of classified documents on the Afghanistan war, calling it a ‘breach of federal law’ that is the subject of ‘an ongoing investigation,'” (New York Times, July 26, 2010), Der Spiegel and other papers concluded that the documents “indicate that, after almost nine years of war, a victory in Hindu Kush looks farther away than ever.” In addition, Admiral Mullen stated that “more NATO troops will die in Afghanistan as violence mounts over the summer.” These developments show that Presidents Bush and Obama, as well as their international allies, have been pursuing a totally wrong course of action in regard to Afghanistan.

In addition, according to the former CIA Director Michael Hayden, military action against Iran is becoming “more likely,” and rumors are surfacing that Israel might attack Lebanon. How accurately has Jesus Christ announced, well in advance, the signs of our times: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars… For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… All these are the beginning of sorrows…”” (Matthew 24:6-8).

While Germany and France begin to patch up their differences; Great Britain antagonizes Germany and France over Turkey; and Europe’s economic prospects are brightening (with perhaps some interesting developments leading to a prophesied “two-speed” Europe); the future of the USA looks grim; and revelations that much of the U.S. federal bail-out money went to foreign banks and much of U.S. monetary help for Iraq and Afghanistan went awry, will not restore any confidence in US leadership.

We are reporting on police misconduct in the USA, as well as the death toll during Germany’s Love Parade and the angry outcry against a commentary by a former German public TV announcer who was comparing the Love Parade with God’s wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah. We are focusing on a new sex scandal of the Catholic Church in Italy; and we explain that “the euro coins issued by the Holy See will now be used on the streets of the Vatican City.”

We are writing about a remarkable reconciliation between the Lutheran and the Mennonite or Anabaptist Churches in Europe; controversial comments by Director Oliver Stone about, amongst other things, Iran, Venezuela, Hitler, the Holocaust and the “Jewish domination of the US media”; and conclude with an article reporting on “the world’s record hailstone,” preparing us for worse things to come (compare Revelation 8:7; 11:19; 16:21).

We begin reporting on the “miraculous” economic recovery of Germany and the euro. Notwithstanding all gainsayers and self-proclaimed prophets who declared and still declare Europe’s and Germany’s economic collapse, Germany is once again the “number one in Europe”–signifying an end-time development which the Church of God has announced for more than seventy years. And while the EU becomes more assertive in political matters, Angela Merkel is being pushed into isolation, and her days of political survival may be numbered. It will be interesting to see who might replace her in the office of German Chancellor.

In other news, the British paper, The Telegraph, published a biting editorial listing President Obama’s failures; USA Today voiced the opinion that the special relationship between the USA and Britain is over; and unless repealed soon, Obamacare is visibly becoming a nightmare and surely a contributing factor to this nation’s economic downfall. BP’s attempts to stop the Oil Spill may or may not be successful; and an unsettling report in the Washington Post reveals the extent of incredible and problematic secrecy within the US government.

The sex scandal in the Catholic Church–and now also in the Lutheran Church–is continuing, and the Vatican is scrambling to undo damage caused by the announcement of its new rules, which view the ordination of women as priests and the sexual abuse of minors by clerics as “crimes.” An interesting article by the New York Times discusses the weekly Sabbath–but unfortunately, it confuses the “Christian” Sabbath–Sunday–with the “Jewish” Sabbath. If we follow the Bible, then there is only ONE weekly Sabbath–and it is neither called the Jewish nor the Christian Sabbath. Rather, God established His Sabbath and He made it holy. It is the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, made the Sabbath for man, when He made man (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Mark 2:27; John 1:1-3, 14; Colossians 1:16).

While a report shows that the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating, we conclude with an article in the New York Times, reporting on soldiers who want to become conscientious objectors. As the paper points out correctly, they will only be recognized when they are “conscientiously opposed to participating in war in any form, based on a sincerely held religious, moral or ethical belief. And the person must have had a change of heart since joining the military, when the person signed a form saying he or she was not a conscientious objector and did not intend to become one.” With that standard, those won’t qualify who want to become conscientious objectors because they are only opposed to homosexuals serving in the army, or who are only opposed to fighting in certain wars. 

We begin with reports about Great Britain–including the Oil Spill disaster in the Gulf, which affects more and more BP’s survival and the entire British economy, and the turmoil within the Anglican Church, indicating a potential mass exodus to the Catholic Church, which becomes more and more “bold” in its position regarding its ongoing sex scandal, ruling that a Catholic monk in Bavaria who admitted to wrongdoing “did nothing wrong.” The Catholic Church is also engaged in additional battles–including in its fight against ordination of women priests and the legalization of same-sex marriages (which occurred this week in Argentina). The Roman Church seems to be losing right now—but it will soon surprise the world.

While White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden “must have misspoken” when he reported that one of his top priorities, as given to him by President Obama, was to reach out to Muslim countries, Europe is becoming more and more determined to prevent its European Muslims from inflicting their life style on others.

The Swiss decision to free Roman Polanski and not to extradite him to the USA was met with approval and applause by Europeans and condemnation by the USA. While the relationship between the USA and Europe is constantly deteriorating and the EU is continuing to flex its political muscles, we are being warned that the US national debt is destroying the country from within like cancer. And not unlike Catholic priests who are unwilling to report their pedophile counterparts, many US doctors refuse to speak out against their incompetent colleagues.

Israel admits to some wrongdoing during their recent raid on the Gaza flotilla, and a bomb attack in Uganda by a Somali Islamist group, foremost targeting Ethiopians, brings into focus the volatile situation in that part of the world.

We conclude with ridiculous concepts by the world’s “most intelligent” scientist who is now explaining what aliens look like–for instance those living on planet Jupiter. Truly, this world’s wisdom IS foolishness with God.

Alarmed expert voices are telling us that we are about to enter another Great Depression–or, that we are already in it, and have been for a while. We are also reporting about outrageous and costly provisions within the new U.S. healthcare law and the fact that President Obama is on a collision course with the U.S. Supreme Court. 

While the leaders of the USA and Israel deny any frictions or rifts between them, the opposite should be obvious. And while Iran is facing new sanctions (sort of) from the USA and Europe, China and the Gulf seem to have other ideas. 

With the Polish Presidential election of the EU’s “dream candidate,” Poland’s future as part of the EU and the Eurozone seems secured. While life for Angela Merkel has become more difficult due to a change of leadership in Germany’s most populous state, leading perhaps soon to a change in the chancelorship in Berlin, no changes can be observed in the Catholic Church’s position toward their ongoing and widening sex scandal or the continuing dangerous endeavor of deepwater drilling.

We report on the devastating economic situation in the USA and around the world and quote warning voices that we might be “in the early stages of a third depression,” and that we ought to prepare for a “post US-dollar world.” The US Congress is about to enact sweeping financial legislation, which might have a serious negative effect on the US economy, and the US Supreme Court ruled that all Americans have a fundamental right to bear arms. While some applaud the decision as having confirmed constitutional rights, others warn of the inherent dangers of further violence in this country. At the same time, a proposed wide-ranging cybersecurity bill might severely limit constitutional rights of private citizens.

Over 850 Jewish rabbis issued a statement opposing the appointment of Jewish Elena Kagan as a new member of the U.S. Supreme Court, as they feel that she “turns traditional Judaism on its head.” Der Spiegel analyzes what may be behind President Obama’s appointment of David Petraeus as new commander in Afghanistan and concludes that the surprising appointment “holds unmistakable risks for Obama.”

Focusing on the G-20 meeting in Toronto, Canada, we report on the incredible waste of money spent on security and the inconsequential “decisions” which were reached at the summit. While the disagreement between the USA and Europe–and Germany in particular–is “set to continue,” President Obama’s performance at the summit has been characterized as “a setback on the global stage.”

We are reporting on Germany’s rocky election of their new President and the adverse consequences for the current German government, and point out that Turkey has begun to retaliate against Israel, and that we can expect further concerted action against the Jewish state.   

We are addressing religious confusion, including those who misinterpret the identity of the woman riding the beast in Revelation 17, and we show the scientific confusion of those who make the false claim that “the human foetus [fetus] cannot feel pain before 24 weeks,” concluding that “anaesthetics for the foetus are not needed when it is terminated.” In addition to this claim being outrageous, as the scientific evidence is such that babies in the mother’s womb do feel pain, at least between the eighth and twelfth week, and that a nine-week old baby resists being “terminated,” this horrible proposition also totally ignores the fact that abortion is murder.

We conclude with a report on the ongoing crisis of the Catholic Church and controversial action by the country of Belgium against the church.

We begin reporting on the ongoing innumerous and ever-increasing difficulties and problems which the Obama administration is facing. The quoted articles warn that the very fabric of our society is being undermined and a real fear is lurking that our democratic principles and institutions are being abandoned.

While the Arabs are deeply divided and even sporting events such as the current World Cup in South Africa do not change this, but rather intensify the hostilities, they are united in their hatred against Israel. At the same time, the relationship between Israel and Europe, especially Germany, is deteriorating, and even Israel’s announcement, bowing to international and US pressure, that they will ease the Gaza blockade, may not change Israel’s isolation. The concept, propagated by some based on their misunderstanding of Scripture, claiming that Germany would enter into a seven-year treaty with Israel, which would be broken after 3 1/2 years, must be rejected as unsupportable in the Bible.

An interesting proposal of a “two-tier” euro system is currently being discussed, which could have much more merit than the unrealistic suggestions that the euro would be abandoned. The new proposal envisions the creation of a “‘super-euro’ zone, which would initially include France, Germany, Holland, Austria, Denmark and Finland. The likes of Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and even Ireland would be left in a larger rump mostly Mediterranean grouping.” Of course, we can safely say, based on the Bible and history, that if such a “two-tier” euro system was to be adopted, countries like Italy and Spain would become part of the “euro-super” zone.

In addition, the relationship between the USA and Europe is constantly deteriorating.

For more information as to what is in store for Europe, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.” You might also want to read our free comprehensive commentary on the book of Revelation, titled, “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

We also report about the future of Poland. Last Sunday’s election was “closer than expected,” and the “July 4 runoff between the two [candidates] looks likely to be a neck-and-neck race.” German commentaries point out that nothing less than Poland’s political and economic survival is at stake.

We conclude with two articles describing the ongoing battle of the Catholic Church, questioning the willingness of the Pope and the clergy to really do anything productive about the sex scandal or regarding “aberrant” priests.

We are reporting on Turkey’s ongoing dubious performance related to the tragic flotilla clash and the raising of the Turkish flag on the Temple Mount; the condemnation of Israeli politics through prominent Jews; Iran’s involvement in Gaza; and Saudi Arabia’s denial of their willingness to assist Israel in a potential strike against Iran.

In European news, warnings are being heard that even though there is no fear that the euro will disappear, there are concerns that the survival of Europe’s democracies may be in jeopardy, and that the German government might collapse.

The terrible war in Afghanistan will continue for sure and become even more violent and bloody, after vast mineral wealth has been discovered in the country.

Rumors continue that President Obama is really a Muslim; and we report on America’s incredible indebtedness to China.

Turning our attention to the ongoing oil spill, the U.S. government is contemplating action which will involve “transition costs” for the American people; and we observe a potential widening of a rift between the US and GB over the oil spill.

We publish an interesting news article, titled, “Gulf Oil Spill Disaster and Biblical Prophecy,” and quote, among others, the following statement: “.. there are global problems that tie our world together as never before – for better and for worse, and there are few simultaneous threats that compare to the financial, social and environmental issues we are facing today. We are living in a time when history cannot repeat itself, because we have never experienced anything like this before.”

While the Pope is sorry about the sex scandal in his church and among his clergy, he is absolutely opposed to any abandonment of celibacy, which is perceived as being largely responsible for the problems of the Catholic clergy. Der Spiegel discusses the incredible wealth of the Catholic Church and the largely unknown fact that the German government pays the church each year millions of euros. [Our new German AufPostenStehen program titled, “Das liebe Geld der Kirchen” (“The Dear Money of the Churches”), discusses this unique situation.]

The superstitious belief in witch doctors is high in Africa, and so is the superstitious belief in the “god of medicine” in the Western word, especially in America. But, for instance, indifferent doctors and hospitals are using far too much medical radiation for the identification of sicknesses of unsuspecting patients, thereby drastically increasing the risk of their patient’s cancer.

We conclude with articles warning about the end of the world through a space storm and large asteroids, which did damage this earth in the past. As the Independent wrote: “The next one can happen any time…”  In addition, we experienced this week several major earthquakes, including one in India (with a magnitude of 7.5), and several earthquakes and aftershocks in Southern California (including one with a magnitude of 5.7).