What the USA Should Learn from Greece

CNN’s Jack Cafferty wrote on May 6:

“If the fires and riots in Greece don’t get Washington’s attention, my guess is a 1,000-point drop in the stock market this afternoon might. In less than an hour, the Dow Jones industrial average went from down a couple of hundred – to down almost 1,000 points – before rebounding. The panic was triggered in part by Greece.

“Greece is a world-class welfare state… People retire in their 50s and are accustomed to government handouts at every turn. Now the Greek government says ‘we’re going to have to cut back,’ and people go crazy. Here in the U.S. we have a growing welfare state: Food stamps, aid to dependent children, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, rent subsidies, welfare and millions of illegal aliens.

“We have a $12 trillion debt that we’re unable to pay. And while it ain’t gonna happen tomorrow… at some point, we’re going to be faced with the realization that we can’t do it this way anymore. Something’s gotta give. When that day comes there will be cuts. Drastic, Draconian cuts… suffice it to say that when they start cutting… it’s gonna make a lot of people unhappy.

“The real tragedy is it’s preventable. But no one in Washington has the guts to confront this issue head on. It’s the ultimate act of selfishness and betrayal: We are literally destroying the lives of Americans who haven’t been born yet. Our children, our grandchildren and generations to come will suffer the effects of our irresponsible fiscal policy. Look at Athens. Look at Washington. Do the math.”

Our new StandingWatch program, “Britain and US in Trouble!” discusses the many problems which the USA and Great Britain are facing.

To Save the Euro…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 10:

“The European Union package to bailout Greece, passed just over a week ago, proved to be insufficient. So to ward off what many thought would be a black Monday on the global markets, European Union finance ministers worked late into the night on Sunday night before coming up with a €750 billion package to prop up the euro and forestall further speculative attacks against the currency.

“On Monday morning, the emergency measure seemed to be having the desired effect, with the euro trading above $1.30 — up from the 14-month low of $1.2523 it hit late last week. Asian and European stock markets were up…

“‘The euro zone is certainly regaining confidence,’ European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Monday. ‘Our fundamentals are certainly good.’ Still, with many of the details of the plan not yet widely known, a number of analysts remained unwilling to pronounce the end of the euro crisis…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that the package had become necessary because there had been a ‘broad assault on the euro’ since last Friday. ‘We are protecting the money of people in Germany’… Merkel said… there was no need to rush the bill through as €60 billion was available immediately, if needed. ‘The member states of the European Union yesterday showed that we have the common political will to do everything for the stability of our common currency,’ she said.”

The EU will not fall apart, and the Euro will not disappear, as explained in our recent StandingWatch program, “Is the Euro Doomed?”

German Reactions to Bail-Out Package

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 11:

“The euphoria on the markets was hard to miss on Monday… Day two, though, has seen doubt gain ground as analysts and investors wonder whether the package… will actually bring the euro back to health.

“Christoph Schmidt, head of the economic research institute RWI, told the tabloid Bild that European governments ‘have merely bought themselves time, nothing more’… Wolfgang Franz, head of the German Council of Economic Experts, which advises the government on economic issues, told the Berliner Zeitung that the package pushed through early Monday morning will not provide the euro with long-term stability. The first priority, he said, was ‘putting out the fire. Now it is time to focus on cleaning up — starting right away.’

“The markets seem to agree. After Monday’s rally, the German stock exchange on Monday was back below 6,000 points and the euro had fallen below $1.27 in morning trading after briefly topping the $1.30 mark on Monday…

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘… The separation of powers between monetary and political policy in Europe is now a thing of the past…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… How much sovereignty are democratic states willing to give up in return for such support [?]…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘(The ECB’s decision) shows that it has given in to massive political pressure. On the long term, it could lead to problems. But, on the short term, it was the only correct move. By agreeing to buy bonds, the ECB is mitigating the most urgent liquidity worries in the market and sending a signal to both investors and speculators. To investors, it signals that they no longer need to fear a collapse in prices; to speculators, it signals that it’s not worth it to bet on this happening. The decision doesn’t save the euro yet, but it does set the preconditions for that to happen…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘€750 billion… is large enough to infuse respect, even fear… What’s going on here? And, who is in control of this game?…’

“The website of the influential weekly newspaper Die Zeit writes: ‘Europe will remember this moment in the spring of 2010 for a long time to come. The Greek lies, the chuminess of other euro zone countries, the fright spread by the financial markets with their increasingly unscrupulous bets on the Greek state’s eventual bankruptcy. For a dramatic moment, it looked as though the fate of the entire European Union — a historically unprecedented work of over 60 years — was hinging on a thread from some dubious rating agency.

“‘That we Germans — and 14 other euro zone states — have to pay for Greece, or at least provide it with guarantees, is bitter. And it’s far from a foregone conclusion that the fright will not return. But there’s another aspect that Europeans will look back on one day. The developments of recent weeks have shown just how advanced European integration has become over time — and not just on the paper of treaties in Brussels. It may sound like a paradox after all the disputes, but Europe has been pulled closer together by this crisis…'”

Surprisingly, and as Die Zeit pointed out quite correctly, the current EU crisis will continue to contribute to the emergence of a closer economic and political unification of Europe. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Predictable Debacle for Angela Merkel

BBC wrote on May 9:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party and its coalition allies have been defeated in regional elections in North Rhine-Westphalia [NRW]… Mrs Merkel’s national coalition [has lost] its majority in the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat. The campaign has been overshadowed by the government’s decision to contribute to a huge rescue package for Greece.

“Meanwhile many cities in NRW are on the brink of bankruptcy… The coalition in NRW between Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats mirrored the one at the federal level…

“Our correspondent says local councils in NRW are sinking into debt, with rising kindergarten fees, and libraries and swimming-pools closing. She adds that in Wuppertal, even the theatre is under threat.”

According to German press releases in Bild, Der Spiegel and Der Stern, this is a real debacle for the governmental coalition parties and their leaders, Angela Merkel (CDU) and Guido Westerwelle (FDP). According to Der Stern, all major parties, including the SPD, are to be blamed for this disaster.

Reactions to Merkel’s Loss in State Election

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 10:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s first big electoral test since she embarked on her second term has ended with a sharp rebuke from voters. The slump in support for the governing parties in Sunday’s election in the key state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous, means that she has lost her majority in the Bundesrat, the country’s upper legislative chamber, and thus the ability to push through legislation without seeking opposition support… The government has itself to blame… Fiscal reform, healthcare reform, a return to nuclear energy — all the coalition’s big plans were pulverized on Sunday…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… the darkening clouds over Greece… threatened to turn into a euro storm… the ruling politicians came across as being the victims of a crisis that was increasingly getting out of control.’

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘… Turbulent times lie ahead for the chancellor and her governing coalition’…

“The mass-circulation daily Bild writes: ‘The voters in Germany’s most populous state have given the government a lesson that won’t be forgotten until the end of this legislative period… Merkel’s government has three years to go and has no majority in the Bundesrat…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The Christian Democrats-FDP combination is in decline… because the coalition at a federal level has become a turn-off. The public’s great expectations of the new government have turned into deep disappointment. The CDU-FDP misery has spread to the states. And North Rhine-Westphalia is the first to show it. … The Merkel-Westerwelle coalition is a coalition that came too late, a coalition that is out of date, a product of a past… CDU-FDP is a coalition of parties that are alienated from each other. … Under Merkel’s leadership, the CDU has been transformed… The FDP on the other hand is exactly where it was 20 years ago… Sooner or later the CDU is going to dump the FDP for the Greens. And the Green Party will become what the FDP once was: the joker in German politics, the party that both the SPD and CDU need to court.'”

“Sooner or later,” the Germans will be so fed up with their incompetent government that they will look for “better” and “more promising” solutions, as the next article suggests. Sadly, a charismatic person will emerge in Germany who may appear to bring relief, prosperity and security, only to plunge the world into utter devastation. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

More German Anger Against Merkel

The Daily Mail wrote on May 11:

“German anger at the 750billion Euro Greek bailout is swelling as world markets slid after initial excitement at the bailout fizzled. The headline on the front page of Germany’s biggest newspaper, Bild, summed up the national mood, declaring: ‘We are once again the schmucks [or idiots; “Deppen” in German] of Europe!’…

“Hard-pressed taxpayers – led by a flailing coalition government that could be the template for one soon to be assembled in the UK – are being asked for more sacrifices to save a currency they never wanted at a time when the country has record postwar debt… Now German citizens have also been told that a tax cut is shelved for at least two years, and will probably never materialise in the life of this administration… Bild said: ‘The EU and the Eurozone want to spend a massive 750billion Euros to save the European currency. Germany alone will have to fork out 123billion Euros for its bankrupt neighbours. There is now not enough money for the planned tax cuts here! Are we really the schmucks of Europe? Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “We are protecting the money of people in Germany.” Really?’

“Voters already delivered their verdict on Mrs Merkel’s handling of the Greece crisis by punishing her in a regional election on Sunday which saw her party kicked out of power in North Rhine-Westphalia… There are rumours that the right-wingers in her conservative CDU party are plotting a coup against her – rumours strengthened by the visceral distaste for her latest largesse in trying to prop up the common currency. ‘The biggest “all-in” in the history of poker,’ was how Henrik Enderlein, economics professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, described the massive aid package assembled on Sunday night in an effort to save the Euro from collapse.”

Merkel a Liability for Germany and Europe?

The Times wrote on May 12:

“Once hailed as the undisputed Queen of Europe, Angela Merkel presided over the bleakest Cabinet session of her career yesterday as the German political world pondered whether she could survive the crisis of the Greek bailout… the Chancellor is facing increasing criticism that she is dithering just when decisive leadership is needed.

“Although she does not formally face a general election until 2013, her coalition could fall apart beforehand… Mrs Merkel has to contend with a fractious Cabinet weakened by illness and plotting. She has had to stand by and watch as the European Central Bank surrendered some of its independence to politicians…

“The circle around Ms Merkel has shrunk. Her suspicions about the outside world have grown and her propensity to dither, to delay decisions, once seen benignly as a sign of mature leadership, is now viewed by her critics as serious liability. According to American reports, it took a telephone call from President Obama to Chancellor Merkel, who was in Moscow for end-of-war anniversary celebrations on Sunday, to abandon her caution and embrace a bigger rescue package. A strange way to run Europe, say Ms Merkel’s critics but one that reflects the present poor quality of EU leadership.”

Britain’s Election Woes

ABC News reported on May 7:

“People in Britain woke this morning to an uncertain future. One of the most closely fought elections in decades has yielded no clear winner, and no party strong enough to form a majority government… The division of seats means that Britain has a hung parliament for the first time since 1974. ‘It’s the Mick Jagger election. It’s no satisfaction. Everybody is utterly dissatisfied with the outcome,’ Peter Hennessy, a constitutional expert, told the BBC…

“In order to form a majority government both parties will look to the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition… The Liberal Democrat’s performance was the election’s surprise disappointment…

“News of a hung parliament added to the financial markets’ woes, already troubled by yesterday’s massive plunge in the Dow, riots in Greece and Europe’s mounting debt crisis. The pound fell, London’s stock exchange continued to sink and experts warn that the U.K.’s credit rating could be in danger.

“‘The net result is masses of uncertainty. The new government is likely to be weak at best,’ Alan Clarke of BNP Paribas told Reuters. ‘Even in the case of a coalition, the partners will be constantly looking over their shoulders, and compromise politics will mean that the scope for delivering radical or unpopular fiscal tightening is limited.'”

People in Britain Angry with Politicians

The Times wrote on May 11:

“Citizens of every age, gender, race and background congregate on that expanse of concrete between platforms nine and 14 each day. Commuters and students, pensioners and housewives, wait there for the trains that take them in and out of London from the capital’s southern hinterlands. They are a diverse lot who would normally have little in common, but today is different. Their patience is running out. Increasingly they are united by a shared sense of anger, even betrayal, as the political bargaining and extraordinary post-election limbo drags on.

“This is not what they were promised, they say. On the campaign trail all three leaders pledged ‘change’ and a new, more transparent style of politics. Instead they feel shut out of the whole process by politicians pursuing not the national interest but their own narrow self-interest — the acquisition of power…

“Only one man expressed any optimism. Michael, 43, a post office worker, was going home to Thornton Heath after an early shift. He did not believe in politics, he said. He was waiting for the kingdom of God on earth. ‘The time I’m looking forward to is when there will be no politics and no one doing deals behind peoples’ backs and everything will be fair and just for all.’

“That time might not be far off, he added as he ran for his train. The Bible said the Second Coming would be preceded by signs. The present chaos could be one of them.”

Amen to that!

Britain Has a New Prime Minister… For Now…

The New York Times reported on May 11:

“Britain’s Conservatives returned to power on Tuesday after 13 years in opposition when David Cameron… took over as prime minister from Labour’s Gordon Brown. Five days after a general election that left the Conservatives 20 seats short of a majority, Mr. Cameron cobbled together an unlikely alliance with the Liberal Democrats to form the first coalition government since World War II.

“The strength of that partnership will be tested immediately by the financial crisis facing Europe and Britain’s high levels of debt, which will call for deep and unpopular spending cuts. And the pressure will be on the new government to act swiftly to appease restive markets, which have battered the pound and threaten to downgrade Britain’s debt unless bold measures are taken.

“Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrats’ leader, will be deputy prime minister. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are far apart on many issues, from immigration to relations with Europe…

“Even before Mr. Cameron went to Buckingham Palace to accept Queen Elizabeth II’s invitation to form a government, speculation centered on how long the pact with the Liberal Democrats would last. The party, which emerged in 1988 from a merger between a Labour breakaway group called the Social Democrats and the old Liberal Party, remains an often fractious mix of two competing traditions…

“Many Conservatives said they doubted that the Liberal Democrats could hold to the pledges they were believed to have made to the Conservatives…”

Coalition of Convenience–Will It Last?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 12:

“At 43, Cameron is Britain’s youngest prime minister in 198 years, the 12th to take the government’s helm under Queen Elizabeth II. The first was Winston Churchill. Fashioning a government following last week’s elections… proved difficult, at least by British standards. Normally, the change in power takes place within hours of elections. But this time it was different. Facing a hung parliament, Brown, Cameron and Clegg first had to come up with a coalition government, as is standard procedure in most European countries.

“In Britain, however, the back-and-forth of coalition negotiations is viewed with a certain degree of disgust and mistrust… The British watched with trepidation as negotiating teams from the three parties tried to hammer out an agreement… The back-and-forth shows just how difficult the decision to form a government with the Conservatives was. For the Lib Dems, it came down to choosing the lesser of two evils; forming a government with a Labour Party which had clearly lost the faith of British voters would have been difficult to defend.

“But the pact with the Conservatives is certainly not one of conviction… the two parties have never been particularly friendly and are divided on a host of issues, including immigration, the European Union, nuclear power, nuclear weapons and foreign military missions. The list is long…

“But in the end, the Liberal Democrats felt that a coalition with Labour — a ‘coalition of losers’ as the British press called it — would have been an even greater risk…

“Currently, though, all eyes are on the new government… There are so many predetermined areas of possible conflict that the first fight between the coalition partners cannot be too far off. Especially because the country is in need of restructuring. Cameron himself has said so: ‘This is going to be hard and difficult work,’ he said in his first speech as prime minister, adding that his role was to help the country ‘face up to our really big challenges, to confront our problems, to take difficult decisions, to lead people through those difficult decisions so that together we can reach better times ahead.’

“But British commentators are already expressing doubts about how long the coalition can last. The life span of a hung parliament — where no single party has a clear majority — is usually counted in months rather than years in the UK.”

Cameron Something of an Enigma

The Times wrote on May 12:

“After a month of campaigning in an intently watched general election, five days of political wrangling and 24 hours of frenzied speculation, David Cameron has finally made it to Downing Street. Yet the man at the centre of this remarkable story remains, to many, something of an enigma… Over the past few days, while a ferocious struggle for power took place, Mr Cameron’s character has been cast into relief: his supreme confidence but also a willingness to compromise; self-belief coupled with a gambler’s instinct for brinksmanship…

“Mr Cameron is an idealist, not an ideologue, a pragmatist not a zealot. That is why his best moment came at the darkest hour, when his party had failed to win an overall majority, and the grim and gritty bargaining began. His statement on Friday morning, announcing that he intended to try to forge a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, was the best speech of his campaign: focused, jargon-free, a brave step into the unknown. There is something of the gambler in David Cameron.

“This, then, is the man who will now lead the country, not with the simple, overwhelming mandate he could once have expected, but through an agreement with his former foes… Why is he doing this? Is it out of duty, or ambition, or a desire to change the world? Why would he give up the opportunity to live a fulfilling and comfortable life with his beloved family, of the sort that he enjoyed, for the uncertainty, terrible hours, and brutal stress of life at No 10?

“Politicians, whatever they may claim, are not like the rest of us. To want to be prime minister requires a special sort of madness, an overwhelming, if often hidden, sense of destiny.”

These are remarkable words. There can be no doubt that the outcome of critical political elections is not a matter of time and chance. God is working out a plan down here below, and there are times when He places certain ones in influential leadership positions to carry out His purpose. This is not to say that those leaders are the most competent and godly ones–in most cases, just the opposite is true (compare Daniel 4:17, 32; 5:21).

Europe Today…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 15:

“Making Europe immortal is a very old idea. After being struck by one of Eros’s arrows, Zeus, the father of all Greek gods, fell madly in love with Europa, the daughter of the Phoenician king. When he later realized that his beloved was doomed to pursue the path of an ordinary mortal, he named a continent after her and proclaimed: ‘You shall be immortal, Europa, because the continent that has accepted your body shall bear your name for all time’…

“I am one of those idealists who have always believed in the European idea and will continue to do so. It was and still is incredible how this continent has bundled together its economic, political and military forces, and that there is more that unites its countries than divides them… The absence of war for more than half a century [is] Europe’s greatest achievement… those who were born after World War II take it for granted to a far greater extent than they should…

“After the common currency was introduced, the next logical step would have been to announce the goal of forming a joint military… Instead, Europe has been disintegrating since Maastricht. The house grew bigger and bigger, while becoming more and more warped and wobbly at the same time. More and more additions were built, even though the foundation wasn’t really designed to handle those additions.

“As a result, politicians, in their desperation, resorted to declaring a two-speed Europe. Or… creating an ambitious core Europe and assuming that the slower nations would eventually catch up. It was a pathetic display, and it has long since become reality… Europe, a potentially strong entity, has become a bureaucratic monster and a bad design…

“Instead of creating a joint military, Europe must now be worried about keeping its common currency… Either Europe sees this existential crisis as a chance to correct the mistakes that were made for years, or this potential world power will go down in the history of empires as the first to fail before it even became one. There are reasons to be very worried about Europe. It is as mortal as a Phoenician princess.”

However, the Bible clearly prophesies that Europe will first become a dominating world power before it fails.

Oil Spill Uncontrolled

The Associated Press reported on May 9, 2010:

“[BP’s] first attempt to divert the oil was foiled, its mission now in serious doubt. Meanwhile, thick blobs of tar washed up on Alabama’s white sand beaches, yet another sign the spill was worsening.

“It had taken about two weeks to build the box and three days to cart it 50 miles out and slowly lower it to the well a mile below the surface, but the frozen depths were just too much…

“In the nearly three weeks since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers, about 210,000 gallons of crude a day has been flowing into the Gulf. As of Sunday, some 3.5 million gallons had poured into the sea, or about a third of the 11 million gallons spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster…

“There are 15 boats and large ships at or near the site some being used in an ongoing effort to drill a relief well, considered a permanent if weeks-away fix…

“News that the containment box plan, designed to siphon up to 85% of the leaking oil, had faltered dampened spirits in Louisiana’s coastal communities.”

This man-made disaster is just one of the many contributing factors leading to the destruction of this earth and its environment, just prior to Christ’s return, as prophesied in Scripture (compare Revelation 11:18). 

Volcanic Ash Cloud Continues…

The Associated Press reported on May 8:

“Most flights between Europe and North America [were] delayed on Saturday due to the spreading cloud of volcanic ash stretching across much of the northern Atlantic… Flights [were] rerouted north over Greenland or south over Spain to avoid the 1,200-miles (2,000-kilometer)-long cloud stretching from Iceland to northern Spain… Approximately 600 airliners make the oceanic crossing every day… The plume of ash also forced the closure of 15 airports in northern Spain…

“Until Eyjafjallajokul… the volcano in southern Iceland, stops its emissions, the key to the future course of Europe’s ash crisis will be the prevailing winds. The eruption of the glacier-capped volcano has shown no signs of stopping since it began belching ash April 13. It last erupted from 1821 to 1823.

“Since the ash is reaching altitudes of up to 35,000 feet (10,000 meters), right in the path of most trans-Atlantic flights, it will effectively block the usual routes…”

The Times wrote on May 11:

“The ash cloud that has dogged air travel plans over the last few weeks forced shut the skies above South-west Europe and North Africa today. Passengers aboard a flight to Madeira spent six hours in the plane only to end up back in Exeter where they started because volcanic ash prevented them from landing in the Portugese isle. The Thompson flight with its 160 passengers had to change course twice en route before finally doing an about turn and landing back in Britain…

“Meteorologists say until the volcano in southern Iceland stops erupting, aviation in Europe will be heavily affected by how prevailing winds distribute the ash.”

The eruption of just one volcano in far-away Iceland is causing incredible problems for the entire world. Just imagine the effects when several volcanoes will erupt at the same time, in addition to major earthquakes, tidal waves, and other natural disasters. Sadly, this is exactly what the Bible prophesies to occur soon. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

German Bishop Mixa Gone…

Deutsche Welle reported on May 8:

“A statement from the Vatican said the Pope had accepted the resignation tendered by controversial Augsburg bishop, Walter Mixa, who has been embroiled in a child abuse scandal. The 68-year-old bishop found himself caught up in the Catholic Church’s child sex abuse scandal in April after first denying, and then admitting, that he had slapped children decades ago at a children’s home when he was still a parish priest…

“Further controversy erupted on Friday when prosecutors said they were investigating allegations of sex abuse by Bishop Mixa… German weekly magazine, Focus, reported on Saturday that the pope had been told by senior German clergy of the sex abuse allegations against Mixa before the bishop had tendered his resignation… In recent weeks, a Belgian bishop resigned after admitting he had sexually abused a boy and three Irish bishops quit over their handling of sexual abuse cases.”

Catholic Church Needs Purification

Deutsche Welle reported on May 11:

“Just before landing in Portugal for an official four-day visit, Pope Benedict told journalists aboard his plane that the crisis of child sexual abuse by priests has made the Church realize what he called the ‘terrifying truth’ that its greatest threat comes from ‘sin within the Church.’

“In perhaps the pontiff’s most revealing public comments since the abuse scandal broke two months ago, Benedict said the Church had ‘a very deep need’ to acknowledge that it must do penitence for its sins and ‘accept purification.’ The pope said ‘the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from enemies on the outside, but is born from the sin within the Church.’

“In recent weeks, a number of Vatican officials have accused the international media of waging a smear campaign against the Catholic Church. Facing the worst crisis of his five-year papacy, Benedict said the Church had to seek forgiveness from the victims of sexual abuse, but also noted that ‘forgiveness cannot be a substitute for justice.'”

The Catholic Church does indeed need true and genuine repentance and purification. This would include the abolition of heretical beliefs and teachings, as the next article shows; but talk is cheap.

Catholic Superstition

Reuters reported on May 11:

“The main purpose of the pope’s four-day visit to Portugal is to visit the shrine at Fatima where the Madonna is said to have appeared to three shepherd children six times in 1917. One of the three messages the Madonna is said to have given to the child visionaries — the so-called ‘Third Secret of Fatima’ — was what the Vatican has said was a prediction of the 1981 assassination attempt against the late Pope John Paul. Benedict told reporters he believed that interpretation of the Third Secret, revealed in 2000, could include the suffering the papacy and the Church would have to endure as a result of today’s sexual abuse crisis.”

The “Madonna” did not appear to anyone, and whatever “messages” were given would have been of ungodly origin. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”

Pakistani Terrorists Behind Failed New York Car Bombing?

USA Today reported on May 3:

“A Muslim terror group in Pakistan that is vowing to attack U.S. cities and took credit for a failed car bombing in Times Square is emerging as a serious threat, terrorism experts said Monday. Hakimullah Mehsud, head of Tehrik-e-Taliban and a man Pakistani intelligence agencies once said was killed in a missile strike, appeared in two videos posted on YouTube and militants’ sites recently to say his group is preparing to move beyond fighting U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
 
“‘If you look at the Mehsud video, one thing you can’t worry about anymore is intent,’ said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer in Pakistan. ‘It’s a question of capability,’ he said. ‘Given there is a pretty large Pakistani and Afghan community in the United States, could they find someone here to help carry out an attack? It’s possible.’

“Tehrik-e-Taliban spokesman Qari Mehsud claimed in a third video that the group was responsible for the Saturday night attack in Times Square, in retaliation for the killing of two top al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders last month, he said…

“The group has battled NATO troops in Afghanistan and was accused by Pakistan of assassinating politician Benazir Bhutto. In the past two years it has shown a desire to target NATO countries, experts said.

“‘Regardless of the (Times Square claim) being true or not, they raise the specter of the Pakistan Taliban morphing into a more global platform and direct threat to the West,’ said Juan Zarate, who served as the Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism in the Bush administration.”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on May 4:

“An arrest was made overnight in New York in connection with the attempted car bombing in Times Square, police said early Tuesday… U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr…. identified the man as Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen [in 2009] of Pakistani descent. [According to the Wall Street Journal of May 5, Mr. Shahzad was born in Pakistan and is the son of retired Air Vice Marshall Baharul Haq, a former top Pakistani air force officer and deputy director general of the civil aviation authority; he received two degrees from the University of Bridgeport—a B.A. in 2000 in computer science and engineering, and an M.B.A. in 2005; he is a junior financial analyst, but financially broke; facing foreclosure of his home in Connecticut. He is married to a U.S. citizen, a Muslim woman, since 2008.] ‘It’s clear the intent behind this terrorist attack was to kill Americans,’ Holder said.

“He said Shahzad was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens as he attempted to fly to Dubai [and from there to Pakistan]. Holder indicated more arrests would be made. ‘This investigation is ongoing. It is multifaceted,’ he said. ‘We will not rest until we have brought everyone responsible to justice’…

“The Associated Press reported that the [suspect] had traveled recently to Pakistan [In 2009, he stayed overseas for eight months]… The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incident…”

The Associated Press added on May 4:

“The suspect in the failed Times Square bombing told authorities he trained at a terrorism camp in Pakistan, officials said Tuesday as they worked to unravel the events leading up to the nearly catastrophic attack… The report of training raises the possibility the attack was a coordinated international effort…”

Reuters reported on May 6:

“Pakistan said on Thursday it was unlikely a Pakistani-American arrested over a failed plot to bomb New York’s Times Square had acted alone. Investigations in Pakistan had uncovered possible links between the suspect, Faisal Shahzad, 30, the Pakistani Taliban and a Kashmiri Islamist group, officials and news reports said.”

Nuclear Attack on the USA Certain…

Newsmax wrote on April 29:

“A Hiroshima-sized nuclear device smuggled into the U.S. inside a cargo container detonates in California’s Port of Long Beach, killing 60,000 people instantaneously, exposing another 150,000 to deadly radiation, touching off massive fires and forcing the evacuation of 6 million panicked people in the Los Angeles basin. Could it happen?
 
“Top experts say it not only could happen, it is ‘more likely than not’ to occur within the next several years. Last month the Obama administration admitted that al-Qaida is frantically trying to acquire a nuclear device…

“New York Times best-selling author and Newsmax Contributing Editor Kenneth R. Timmerman, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work exposing Iran’s nuclear program… warns that a nuclear strike against a high-profile American target remains the No. 1 goal of Islamic terrorists. And when they do strike, the experts say, America almost certainly will be grossly unprepared to handle it.”

The Bible prophesies that the USA will be attacked with nuclear weapons. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Israel’s Nuclear Arsenal

A-7 wrote on May 4:

“The United States, which already has tied Israel’s agreeing to Palestinian Authority demands with solving the Iranian nuclear threat, now cites Israel’s nuclear arsenal as the key… A proposal for a ban on mass destruction weapons in the Middle East is being circulated by the Obama administration and Russia. Egypt also is circulating a proposal that links removing nuclear weapons from Israel with eliminating the Iranian threat to become a nuclear power.

“The United Nations this week opened its NPT conference and heard Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad charge, ‘The Zionist regime continues to threaten the countries of the Middle East with its arsenal. It continues to threaten the world’s countries with acts of terror and invasion, and even gets the necessary assistance for its nuclear program.’

“U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed to the conference Monday that the United States has 5,113 nuclear weapons, nearly 50 percent less than most estimates. However, she did not disclose how many weapons have long-range capability. The United States and Russia have ‘enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times over,’ she said…

“An American-inspired Middle East peace, with Israel at the core, remains in the background of the official statements. Besides the Russian-American proposal, Egypt’s position paper calls for countries signing the non-proliferation treaty ‘to disclose all information available to them on the nature and scope of Israeli nuclear capabilities, including information pertaining to previous nuclear transfers to Israel.’

“Washington Post’s Walter Pincus… noted, ‘How the Obama administration deals with the nettlesome problem of Israel’s nuclear arsenal and the establishment of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East will determine U.S. success or failure at the NPT conference.’”

Iran’s Axis Spreads to Austria

A-7 wrote on May 5:

“Austria’s warm welcome this week of Iranian’s foreign minister, along with its increasing trade relations with the Islamic Republic, signal Iran’s widening axis that already stretches to South America. Indonesia, which hosts the world’s largest Muslim population, also has embraced Iran’s ‘strategic ties.’

“Austria’s friendliness with Iran is even more significant because the European country is one of the rotating members of the United Nations Security Council. It has paid only lip service to sanctions against Iran, Simone Dinah Hartmann… wrote in The Wall Street Journal this week.

“’To what degree Austria…would actually support tough sanctions is more than questionable,’ she stated, noting that trade with Iran has flourished the past several years in contradiction to policies of other European nations to distant themselves from Tehran… Hartmann pointed out the bitter irony of Austria’s aligning itself with Iran… ‘Austria prefers to present itself as Nazi Germany’s first victim when in fact it was Hitler’s —born and raised in Austria—first collaborator,’ she wrote.

“The United States, Britain and France objected to the Austrian welcome mat for the Iranian official, which featured a friendly reception including hoisting the Islamic Republic flag along that of Austria and the European Union… Hartmann… also charged that several Austrian companies are suspected of working with front companies that are associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.  ‘Bilateral business relations between Austria and Iran are excellent, but still expandable,’ said the president of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce during a visit to Tehran last year. Austria was once described as the ‘gateway to the European Union’ by an Iranian minister…”

The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 30:

“The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico presents BP Exploration and Production with a problem of unprecedented severity — a limitless gush in very deep waters — forcing the London-based company to grasp for fixes that have never been tried before. The problem with the April 20 spill is that it isn’t really a spill: It‘s a gush, like an underwater oil volcano. A hot column of oil and gas is spurting into freezing, black waters nearly a mile down, where the pressure nears a ton per inch, impossible for divers to endure. Experts call it a continuous, round-the-clock calamity, unlike a leaking tanker, which might empty in hours or days.”

USA Today reported on May 3:

“Some good news swept through here Monday: Winds so far are keeping most of the Gulf oil spill away from shore, and chemicals are doing a decent job dispersing the giant swath of slick crude oil looming off the coast. Charlie Henry, a science coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), cautioned that the long-term path of the oil remains unclear. Officials from Louisiana to Florida said they are still preparing for an environmental catastrophe in days and weeks ahead…

“At least 210,000 gallons of oil a day have been leaking from a well off the Louisiana coast since the Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig operated by BP, exploded April 20 and sank… Efforts to stop the leak have failed… The Gulf… is a crucial habitat teeming with 400 to 600 species, including sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead turtles and sturgeon. The longer the oil remains in the water, the more contaminated the food chain will get…

“Political fallout from the spill continues. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the Gulf oil spill has caused him to withdraw his support for an expansion of offshore drilling off his state’s coast…”

Reuters reported on May 4:

“For the birds that nest in the fragile marshes, swamps and barrier islands of the U.S. Gulf Coast, the timing of a massive oil slick threatening the shore could not be worse… On the Chandeleur Islands — a chain of islands off the Louisiana coast… — about 3,000 brown pelicans, Louisiana’s state bird, are nesting and laying eggs… The dozens of state and national parks and wildlife reserves that line the four Gulf Coast states in the path of the spill are vitally important to hundreds of species of birds that live there or rest there during migrations.

“… even if the oil is kept from shore, birds that fly out to sea to catch fish will inevitably be soiled… Birds are apt to ingest the toxic oil as they feed in the water… Coastal birds like brown pelicans, egrets, herons and ibises are the most vulnerable to an oil spill, because the oil will seep into their habitat and stay there for years. Once it settles into the mangroves and cat-tails of the marshes, oil migrates into the filter-feeding creatures that birds, in turn, feed on — like oysters, clams and shrimp.”

The end-time prophecy of Hosea 4:3 comes to mind: “Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away With the beasts of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.”

German Reactions to the Oil Spill

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 3:

“It could turn out to be America’s worst ecological disaster yet. Oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico following last month’s explosion of a BP oil rig… As 800,000 liters of oil per day continue gushing into the Gulf of Mexico following the April 20 explosion and subsequent sinking of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon, pundits are increasingly comparing the political damage it might do to that suffered by President George W. Bush in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“At stake is not only President Barack Obama’s energy strategy, which only recently called for increased oil drilling on America’s East Coast and in the Gulf. The president’s entire climate plan could be at risk as well. Indeed, Obama embraced oil drilling as part of an effort to attract the votes he will need from Republican Senators to pass his package of climate laws, aimed at limiting US carbon emissions and ending the country’s status as international climate pariah. Now, however, it seems unlikely that he will be able to withstand the increased opposition to drilling from Democrats and from political leaders in coastal states. His grand deal — oil drilling and nuclear power for the right, renewable energy and climate protection for the left — is in danger of collapse.

“Of more immediate concern, however, is the ongoing inability of British Petroleum, operator of the Deepwater Horizon, to stop the oil from continuing to flow into the Gulf and the advance of the vast oil slick toward environmentally and economically sensitive areas of the Gulf Coast. Visiting the area on Sunday, Obama said ‘the oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our gulf states and it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home’…

“Business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘The horsetrading was well thought out: Barack Obama gives Big Oil and the Republicans the ability to drill off America’s shores and in return, they agree to a climate law that they don’t want. But with the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, nothing of the deal remains. What’s more: the disaster… lays bare just how cynical political deals are. For years Republicans and Democrats alike have lauded the safety of deep water oil drilling. Not because they could prove it with facts, but because they didn’t want to counter a trend which the oil companies approved of and voters supported. Now, however, all those who were recently cheering “Drill, baby drill!” have suddenly sunken into silence…’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘We are watching one of the largest disasters in the history of oil production play out in slow motion. By now, the extent of the oil spill is gigantic, covering 9,000 square kilometers (3,475 square miles) — or about half the size of the state of Saxony — and it will continue to grow…’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘The US president’s political enemies’ mouths are watering. They are predicting that the oil catastrophe on the southern coast of the US will be for Barack Obama what Hurricane Katrina was in 2005 for George W. Bush… Obama reacted late, but not too late. And he made a political correction: all oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico will be checked for safety and exploration permits off the Atlantic coast are suspended. Furthermore, Obama’s planned expansion of oil drilling is once again up for debate. The oil catastrophe will be BP’s Katrina, not Obama’s.'”

But that remains to be seen…

Volcanic Ash Cloud Returns…

The Times on Line wrote on May 4:

“Air passengers are facing more travel chaos as a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland re-forms over the British Isles. Flights in and out of the Republic of Ireland will be grounded from 7am today [Tuesday], with Belfast International, Belfast City and City of Derry airports in Northern Ireland also closed.”

Times On Line wrote on May 5:

“The Met Office has said that ash over British airspace has increased in density as emissions from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano have become stronger, meaning forecasts of no-fly zones have been extended farther south. The CAA warned that the situation remains changeable and urged passengers travelling from airports in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North of England and North Wales to contact their airlines to check for cancellations.

“It said that a 60 nautical-mile buffer zone imposed around high concentrations of ash in the skies was close to Edinburgh, Carlisle, Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester airports. Eamonn Brennan, the chief executive of the Irish Aviation Authority, said: ‘We could be faced with this periodically during the summer. We are probably facing a summer of uncertainty due to this ash cloud.’

“EU transport ministers agreed at an emergency meeting yesterday to speed up plans to unify European airspace, which they hope will ease future disruption. Siim Kallas, the EU Transport Commissioner, said that there had been progress on the plan, which would reconfigure the airspace of all 27 member states into nine larger blocks by June 2012.

“However, there was little sign of agreement on a state bailout of airlines, which have lost about £1.12 billion as a result of the ash crisis.”

U.S. Supreme Court Without a Protestant?

CNN wrote on May 3:

“For most of American history, a Supreme Court with no Protestant Christian judges would have been unthinkable. Nearly three quarters of all justices who’ve ever served on the nation’s high court have been Protestant. And roughly half of all Americans identify themselves as Protestant today. But since John Paul Stevens announced his retirement last month, legal and religious scholars have begun entertaining the unprecedented prospect of a Supreme Court without a single Protestant justice. Besides Stevens, who is Protestant, the current Supreme Court counts six Catholics and two Jews…

“President Obama is expected to nominate Stevens’ replacement early this month. Of the three candidates who are reported to lead Obama’s short list, two — Solicitor General Elena Kagan and federal appeals judge Merrick Garland — are Jewish, while one, federal appeals judge Diane Wood, is a Protestant. Obama’s first Supreme Court appointee, Sonia Sotomayor, is Catholic…

“Today, Catholic law schools at Georgetown University, Fordham University, and Notre Dame are considered among the best in the country… And law schools with Protestant roots — like Harvard and Yale — shed their religious identities a long time ago, part of the broader fading of a distinct mainline Protestant identity in the U.S.”

IRS Enforcer of New Health Care Law? Sort of…

USA Today wrote on April 30:

“The IRS processed more than 230 million tax returns last year, paid 127 million refunds and received about 68 million phone calls. The agency is responsible for enforcing a tax code that, at 71,000 pages, makes Anna Karenina look like a comic book. Starting in 2014, the agency will have another task: making sure all Americans have health insurance. Under the law, Americans who can afford health insurance but refuse to buy it will face a fine of up to $695 or 2.5% of their income, whichever is higher. More than 4 million Americans could be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 by 2016 if they fail to obtain health insurance, the Congressional Budget Office said last week. The IRS will be the enforcer — sort of.

“While the IRS can impose liens or levies, seize property or seek jail time against people who don’t pay taxes, it’s barred from taking such actions against taxpayers who ignore the insurance mandate. In the arsenal instead: the ability to withhold refunds from taxpayers who decline to pay the penalty… Still, compliance with the health reform law will be largely voluntary… The IRS is ‘being put in a position where it will be sending notices that will annoy people’ and not much else, says James Maule, professor of law at Villanova University and author of the tax blog MauledAgain. ‘It’s basically designed for failure’…

“In this political environment, even a defanged IRS stirs up powerful emotions… The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the IRS will need an additional $5 billion to $10 billion over the next 10 years to administer the health care law. That projection has fired up activists who believe the IRS should be downsized, or abolished. Some Republican lawmakers have extrapolated from that estimate that the IRS will need to hire an additional 16,500 agents to enforce the health insurance mandate… And enforcement is only one part of the IRS’ responsibilities under the law. The agency will also be in charge of providing tax credits to small businesses, along with refundable tax credits to individuals who can’t afford health insurance…

“Only 64% of taxpayers who called the IRS during last year’s tax-filing season reached an IRS representative… Even more callers could have trouble getting through when the IRS takes on its obligations under the health care law…

“The IRS does a poor job of managing social programs. Critics of the legislation say problems with the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal program that provides tax rebates to low-income working families, illustrate the pitfalls of putting the IRS in charge of administering health care reform… In tax year 2006, the latest year available, IRS made $10 billion to $12 billion in erroneous EITC payments…

“Under the law, millions of middle- and low-income taxpayers will be eligible for subsidies to help pay for their health insurance. Taxpayers with incomes of up to four times the poverty level — currently $43,320 for an individual and $88,200 for a family of four — would qualify… Starting in 2014, insurers will be required to send the IRS a document showing that the taxpayer has insurance coverage. The IRS will match taxpayers’ returns with information it receives from insurers, and individuals who don’t have insurance will receive a letter explaining how much they owe in penalties. Those who ignore the letter could have the penalty withheld from their refunds — but that will only be effective if they’re due a refund… The IRS will have up to 10 years to withhold refunds from individuals who owe penalties… any time they overpay, those monies will be available.”

May 6–Britain’s Election Day

The Times wrote on May 6:

“General election day is a celebration of democracy. And on one of those rare election days — there have been only two in the past thirty years — when a change of government seems possible, it can feel like a day of liberation. Today, however, feels very different. The mood is sombre…

“Britain is in trouble. This election comes at a time when the quiet assumptions of our nation and its politics are in question. It is no longer clear that Britain will be able to remain a great power, or a harmonious society, or one prosperous enough to be able to guarantee its citizens liberty and justice… We can no longer take it for granted that Britain will go forward, not back.

“This country could well become less than it was — less prosperous, less cohesive, less significant in the world: a country where employment among 16 to 17-year-olds is at a record low is one in which business is no longer providing enough jobs for young people. We have increased state spending by 54 per cent in the past 13 years but cannot boast world-class public services. The State has become more intrusive as it has become larger, threatening civil liberties. We are not going forward. We may go back.

“Election day 2010 is the moment when this country will have to stop running away from its debts… The price of our borrowing will have to be paid. Across Europe you can see the social breakdown that is the inevitable consequence of government and people living beyond their means. Murder, arson and riots may be a Greek tragedy today. But this tragedy awaits any European nation that does not begin to reduce its public borrowing…”

The Los Angeles Times reported on May 6:
 
“An analysis by Britain’s main television networks suggested David Cameron’s Conservative party will win 307 House of Commons seats, short of the 326 seats needed for a majority. Polls gave Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Labour Party 255 seats, and Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats 59 seats — far less than had been expected. Small parties got 29 other seats. The result would bear out predictions that this election would not give any party a majority, resulting in a destabilizing period of political wrangling and uncertainty… Even combined, Labour and the Liberal Democrats would not have the 326 seats needed to form a majority in a coalition…”

Europe and the USA

The EUObserver reported on May 6:

“In a highly-anticipated speech to the European Parliament on Thursday (6 May), US vice-president Joe Biden… spared no compliments on the history of EU institutions, with the bloc set to mark on Sunday the 60th anniversary of the Schuman declaration, the key document which laid the foundation of what was later to become the European Union.

“Brussels has a ‘legitimate claim’ to the title of ‘capital of the free world,’ normally a title reserved for Washington, Mr Biden said… Time and again he reassured MEPs of America’s strong desire to have Europe as a ‘strong partner,’ even if they sometimes disagree. The main source of current friction with the EU legislature is the ‘Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme’ (TFTP), sometimes called the Swift agreement due to the name of the main company facilitating international bank transactions, which the US authorities screen when looking for terrorist leads.

“Back in February, the European Parliament struck down an interim agreement allowing US investigators to inspect European data, dealing a blow to Washington’s last-minute lobbying efforts. The No-vote was an expression of the new powers acquired by the EU legislature in the field of justice and home affairs, and was also justified by concerns on privacy and civil liberties.

“A new agreement is currently being negotiated by the European Commission and the US administration, both hoping a deal could be sealed before summer recess. The parliament will then have to give its consent or to strike it down again… Green MEP Jan Albrecht… noted that the Biden speech was ‘a good step forward,’ as it recognised the importance of the EU legislature, but that this still didn’t mean the Swift agreement is a done deal. Issues such as bulk data transfers, the definition of terrorism and the legal basis for the data being transferred to other countries could still trigger a second No-vote if not tackled in the agreement, he warned.”

The Future of Europe and the USA

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 3:

“If the emergency surgery [regarding Greece] isn’t successful, there will be much more at stake than the fate of the euro. Indeed, Europe could begin to erode politically as a result. The historic project of a united continent, promoted by an entire generation of politicians, could suffer irreparable damage, and European integration would suffer a serious setback — perhaps even permanently.

“And the global financial world would be faced with a new Lehman Brothers, the American investment bank that collapsed in September 2008, taking the global economy to the brink of the abyss…

“European governments agree that saving Greece is imperative. They are worried about the euro, and the Germans are concerned about their banks… At the weekend, euro-zone members and the IMF agreed on a €110 billion bailout package over three years. The EU will provide €80 billion in loans, with Germany’s share over three years amounting to €22 billion, including €8.4 billion in the first year alone…

“Euro-zone leaders will formally launch the package, which still needs to be approved by the German Bundestag and a number of other euro-zone parliaments, at a summit on Friday… Even Germany, in international terms a country with relatively sound finances, has amassed enormous debts. If it became caught up in the maelstrom of a euro crisis, the consequences would be unforeseeable…

“But what is the alternative? Should Europe simply allow Greece to go bankrupt instead? In that case, the possible future scenario would happen right away instead. One might argue that it is better to get things over quickly, even if that is painful, rather than prolonging the agony. But one can also hope that everything will turn out for the best in the end. The euro-zone countries prefer to hope, which is why they have agreed to a rescue program that will provide Greece with the funds it can no longer borrow on the open market, now that it is being forced to pay such high interest rates…

“When Greece faces a possible bankruptcy, the euro-zone countries and the IMF come to its aid. But what happens if the entire euro group bites off more than it can chew? What if the United States can no longer service its debt because, say, China is no longer willing to buy American treasury bonds? And what if Japan, which is running into more and more problems, falters in its attempts to pay for its now-chronic deficits?

“The conditions that prevail in Greece exist in many countries, which is why governments around the world are paying such close attention to how — and if — the Europeans gain control over the crisis… Washington is worried about being drawn into the vortex of national bankruptcies itself. The national debt has exploded in the United States in the last two years, more than in almost any other country…

“The US budget deficit has now reached $1.6 trillion, or 10 percent of GDP. The national debt is now over $12 trillion and is forecast to expand to more than $20 trillion by the end of the decade. At that point, Americans will be paying $900 billion a year in interest alone… The disastrous financial situation is in large part due, not to the economic stimulus packages and programs to fight the global economic crisis, but to behavior during the years under former President George W. Bush. At the time, Americans became accustomed to consuming far more than they produced… But current President Barack Obama has also contributed substantially to the biggest American budget deficit since World War II. His healthcare reforms alone will cost the government about $900 billion in the coming years. And the military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will swallow up $160 billion in the coming budget year…

“At any rate, experts like Harvard economic historian Niall Ferguson warn that confidence in the United States could be lost at some point, and that this could come as a complete surprise, with a single piece of bad news serving as a spark and potentially triggering a global conflagration. The ‘alarm bells should be ringing loudly’ in the United States, says Ferguson. He points out that historically, large empires like the Roman Empire and the Chinese Ming dynasty also fell into decline because they had overextended themselves economically…

“In Britain, new borrowing has already reached Greek dimensions… So far, Germany has come through the crisis relatively unscathed, compared with other Western industrialized nations. While Britain and the United States are showing deficits of more than 10 percent of annual economic output for 2009 and 2010, Germany’s budget deficit only totaled 3.2 percent in 2009… This year, the deficit is likely to climb to about 5.5 percent.

“Unlike most other countries, Germany entered the deepest recession of the postwar era with a balanced budget. As a result, the federal government had to take on less new debt to support the economy and banks during the crisis, as well as to fund the higher costs of rising unemployment… Germany, with a triple-A rating, is considered a borrower with a credit risk of almost zero. German government bonds set the benchmark in Europe…”

Kohl Defends the Euro

The EUObserver wrote on May 5:

“Germany’s former chancellor and re-unification figurehead, Helmut Kohl, has defended the euro… and said he has ‘no understanding’ for those against the Greek bailout… Nicknamed the ‘father of the euro’ for his pro-European policies at the end of the Cold War, Helmut Kohl said the common currency is a ‘guarantee for peace’ on a continent that witnessed so many wars in the past.”

What May Come Out of the Greece Debacle…

The EUObserver wrote on May 4:

“The White House is keenly following the fast-changing developments on the Greek crisis, with the US ambassador to the EU expecting the union to move ahead on joint economic governance as a result…

“The diplomat said nobody in Washington had asked him about the possibility of Greece leaving the euro, as mooted by some economists such as Nobel Prize-winner Paul Krugman. But he predicted the crisis will lead to EU institutional change… ‘My own personal view is that … it’s more likely than not that the EU puts some governance structures in place to make sure that this doesn’t happen again. It’s probably easier for them to do that than to deal with a eurozone country leaving the eurozone, which would be quite cataclysmic’… The diplomat said the US has recognised the new law-making powers of the European Parliament.”

Greece in Turmoil

Deutsche Welle reported on May 5:

“At least three people are reported dead as protests in Athens turned violent on Wednesday. Fire officials in Athens revealed that bodies had been found in the bank building, which lay on the route of a march against government austerity cuts… Police said that some 20 people were evacuated from the building, a branch of the Marfin bank group, after it was set alight by protesters.

“Two women and one man had died, police said, with five people from the bank wounded. The bank was engulfed in flames when hooded youths threw petrol bombs during the demonstrations. Officials said that two government buildings had also been set alight… Police clashed with protesters in both the capital and the northern city of Thessaloniki, with tens of thousands of Greeks marching against the government’s harsh new spending cuts amid a nationwide strike.

“At least 50 people tried to storm the parliament building in Athens, throwing rocks at police who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Police estimated the crowd size to be more than 25,000, though other media reports put the number as high as 60,000. In Thessaloniki, youths smashed the windows of stores and fast food restaurants as 20,000 people marched through the city center. The nationwide strike brought Greece to a standstill as unions rallied against major new spending cuts aimed at warding off a financial meltdown…

“Financial markets fell sharply on Tuesday, seemingly unconvinced that Greece’s bailout package will be enough to stop the spread of the financial crisis to other weak eurozone economies in Ireland, Portugal and Spain… Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund [said:] ‘Portugal has been mentioned, but it is already taking measures and the other countries are in a much more solid situation. We have to succeed in avoiding contagion… but we should remain vigilant.’ He added that there was ‘no real risk’ for Europe’s main economic powerhouses, such as France and Germany…”

Der Spiegel Online added on May 5:

“It is the worst violence [in Greece] since the Socialist government came to power in October. Anger has mounted against Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou’s government after it announced cuts in salaries and pensions for public workers and another round of tax increases on Sunday.”

German Media Reaction to the Greece Crisis

The willingness of German banks to help in the Greek crisis has received harsh criticism in the German media. According to it, the banks are again taking advantage of the misery of the people.

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on May 5

“The Greek drama would be easier to bear if the German government finally stopped playing the public for fools. The hastily prepared agreement on a ‘significant, positive contribution,’ to aid for Greece by Finance Minister Schäuble and Deutsche Bank boss Ackermann insults the citizens’ knowledge of economics. The banks will emerge unscathed as creditors and beneficiaries of high-return Greek government bonds as long as governments in the euro zone try to prevent a bankruptcy of Greece with the help of taxpayer guarantees.

“What the banks have agreed on with Schäuble doesn’t even serve as a fig leaf. They declare their readiness to keep open the lines of credit to Greece ‘wherever possible.’ And they want to buy bonds issued by the state-controlled KfW — and therefore guaranteed by the German government — to help finance the billion-euro German bailout to the Greeks. It’s a generous offer, and one that means that the banks can once again only win since there are no more secure bonds anywhere than these.”

The mass-circulation tabloid Bild wrote on May 5

“German banks and insurance companies want to buy Greek and German bonds for a few billion euros and thereby make a ‘significant contribution.’ Hats off? Respect? Not at all! The banks are buying bonds, but the interest and the amortization are being guaranteed by German taxpayers. It doesn’t get more secure than that. The financial institutions have also earned a great deal from the Greek roulette. As long as things were going well, they wanted a market economy — and for the governments to keep out of things. But now that the party is over, no one wants to pay the bill. It has to be urgently clarified how the banks are to be made to do their duty. Either they waive Greece’s debts, or they contribute through a levy to the rescue package.”

The conservative daily Die Welt wrote on May 5:

“For Germany, this is a fateful week. The gigantic aid package that is now being implemented fundamentally changes the conditions within the euro zone. The farthest-reaching decision since the introduction of the euro is happening without public debate, which is just what the German government wants. The involvement of parliament is a pure farce.”

“Finance Minister Schäuble has repeatedly stated that there is no alternative to providing Greece with aid. It is the only way to ensure the euro’s stability, he says. …. Yet no one can seriously promise that the new money will prevent Greek insolvency or a restructuring of its debts. It is pure speculation that is being used to hoodwink citizens and invoke European solidarity as a way to purchase economic and political stability. If the Greeks still go bust after a few months, not only will the taxpayers’ money be lost, but trust in politicians will also be permanently damaged.”

Greece May Break Merkel’s Neck…

The Associated Press wrote on May 5:

“Merkel’s Cabinet agreed Monday upon the German contribution to a three-year euro110 billion bailout by the European Union and International Monetary Fund. As Europe’s largest economy, Germany will provide euro8.4 billion ($10.8 billion) in 2010 and up to euro14 billion more over 2011 and 2012, according to the plan.

“‘Nothing less than the future of Europe, and with that the future of Germany in Europe, is at stake,’ Merkel told lawmakers. ‘We are at a fork in the road.’

“Fallout over Greece’s financial situation has hit the euro, the common currency used by Greece and 15 other EU nations. The euro fell below $1.30 this week [to $1.27 on Thursday, according to Deutsche Welle, dated May 6] — compared to about $1.50 last November… ‘Germany, as the strongest economy in Europe, has a particular responsibility and Germany takes this responsibility earnestly,’ Merkel said. The chancellor made clear that, beyond the current Greek bailout, changes are needed to ensure eurozone countries stick to the deficit rules in future.

“She called for more effective sanctions, such as depriving countries that run excessive deficits of part of their EU structural funds or farm subsidies; at least temporarily depriving repeat offenders of their voting rights; and procedures allowing for the ‘orderly insolvency of a member state.’

“Going ahead with the bailout appears to have hurt Merkel in polls ahead of a regional election this weekend in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. Only 41 percent of Germans believe Merkel has handled the crisis well — as opposed to 48 percent who say she has handled it ‘not so well’ or badly, according to a poll conducted April 29-30 by the Forsa group for Stern magazine… [and it] found a small drop in national support for Merkel’s conservative party, which declined two points compared with a week earlier to 34 percent.”

AFP reported on May 6:
 
“Merkel said it was now up to the European Union member states to reassert their authority and shore up the financial rules governing the bloc.”

To deprive certain more vulnerable and unstable member states of voting rights might perhaps, if implemented, lead to the rise of powerful leading core nations in and WITHIN, NOT OUTSIDE, Europe, as prophesied in the Bible (compare Revelation 17 and Daniel 2).

European Ban on Smacking Children?

The Daily Mail wrote on April 28:

“The Council of Europe is calling for a complete ban on smacking across the continent, saying even the smallest slap can leave psychological damage. One official even compared parents who smack to men who violently beat their wives. The Council says that Britain lags behind other countries who have initiated a ban…

“European judges ruled a decade ago that smacking could breach children’s rights and in the last three years some 20 countries have implemented a ban. Britain is among a handful of European states, including France and Poland, who are holding out against the pressure for a ban. Corporal punishment is banned in British schools but parents have a defence against assault charges on the grounds of ‘reasonable chastisement’…

“Academic research released earlier this year found children who are smacked by their parents grow up to be happier and more successful than those who are never physically disciplined. It revealed children who are smacked before the age of six perform better at school once they reach their teenage years, are more likely to do voluntary work and go to university.”

Isaiah 3:12 comes to mind:  “As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.”

Europe-Wide Ban of Burka?

The Local wrote on May 1:

“After Belgium’s parliament voted to ban Islamic full-face veils, the German vice-president of the European Parliament has called for a ban of the burka throughout Europe. Silvana Koch-Mehrin called the full-body veil an attack on the rights of women… She called the burka a ‘mobile prison,’ saying that those who veil women take away their faces and therefore their personalities… She said she found it unsettling to come across fully veiled women on the street, since she could not tell what their intentions were. ‘I am not afraid, but it does make me anxious,’ she wrote.

“Her commentary follows the approval by Belgium’s lower house of parliament of a ban on the full-face veil. That decision has unleashed debate throughout Europe. It could set the stage for similar moves in other countries, as citizens fear that growing Muslim populations may pose a threat to their liberal and secular values…”

The Washington Post wrote on April 30:

“France, home to Europe’s biggest Muslim minority, is next in line, planning to debate a draft law from mid-May and ban all face veils in public within months. Polls say about 70 percent of voters want some ban, but not all back a complete one… Promoters of a ban denounce the veils as a threat to public security, an affront to women’s dignity, a negation of gender equality or an intrusion of religion on public life. Concern over radical Islamism echoes through their arguments.

“In France this week, both the communist deputy Andre Gerin and the far-right leader Marine Le Pen used the same term — ‘the tip of the iceberg’ — to urge a full ban on the veils. ‘Once we solve the burqa problem, we’ll still have the problem of polygamy, of praying in the streets of big cities, of banning pork from cafeterias, in short all the sectarian demands the French are confronted with daily,’ Le Pen said…

“Bans are under debate in several other European states. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said this week a veil ban was ‘conceivable’ there…

“The moves toward a full veil ban have evoked protests from Muslim leaders in Europe, many of whom do not consider veiling obligatory in Islam but resent laws that single out Muslims… Under Belgium’s draft law, wearing a full facial veil could lead to fines of 15-25 euros (about $20 to $33) and imprisonment for up to seven days. According to the Paris daily Le Figaro, Paris plans to slap a 150 euro ($200) fine on women wearing full veils, with stiffer penalties for people who force others to veil themselves… President Nicolas Sarkozy has described the full veil as demeaning to women…”

AFP reported on May 4:

“Italian police fined a Muslim woman for wearing a full Islamic veil in a street in the northern city of Novara, possibly the first such incident in Italy, city officials said on Tuesday. ‘City police ticketed her last night and she will have to pay a 500-euro (650-dollar) fine,’ Mauro Franzinelli of the Novara municipal police told AFP. ‘As far as I know this is a first in Italy,’ he said adding that the woman could appeal.

“Novara, in Italy’s northeastern Piedmont region, is a stronghold of the anti-immigration Northern League, a key party in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative government. The woman, a Tunisian national, was stopped by police officers outside a post office in the company of her husband. When her husband refused to have her identified by male officers they called in a patrol comprising a woman officer.

“‘City hall adopted a decree in late January banning the burqa in public places and their vicinity, which is based on a commentary by the interior ministry who received a copy of the draft,’ said Franzinelli, who is also a local Northern League official. Covering one’s face — with a veil or a motorcycle helmet — in public has been banned in Italy since 1975.”

Anti-Semitism and anti Gypsy Sentiments

A-7 wrote on May 4:

“Three men sprayed tear gas on an elderly Jew outside a French synagogue Sunday, the second violent attack on Jews in the country in three days. The attackers of the elderly man left behind an anti-Semitic slogan… The attackers, still at-large, launched the attack as the man, described as being in his 80s, was waiting outside to attend daily prayer services… Friday night, assailants brutally attacked a 42-year-old man in Strasbourg, hitting him across the back of the head with a metal rod and stabbing him in the chest… Approximately half a million Jews live in France. Local Zionist groups, along with the Jewish Agency, have been trying to encourage them to move to Israel as anti-Semitism rises throughout Europe and the rest of the world. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon urged French Jews to immigrate to Israel.”

The Associated Press wrote on April 28:

“Robert Csorba and his son were murdered a year ago for being Gypsies… The Csorba slayings were part of an unprecedented string of serial killings of gypsies that stopped after claiming six victims with arrests in August. But Gypsies fear that big gains made by an extreme-right party in national elections over the weekend could further feed the climate of hatred that spawned the murders.

“The Jobbik party exploited anti-Semitic and anti Gypsy sentiment to surge from almost nowhere to 16.7 percent of the voting that ended Sunday. That makes Jobbik — which is linked to combat-booted paramilitaries that staged an anti-Gypsy march in this village three years ago — the third strongest party in parliament.

“Compounding gypsy fears is the fact that Fidesz, the center-right party that won the election, has linked its ‘law and order’ pledge to keeping a closer eye on… Hungary’s estimated 500,000-800,000 Gypsies or Roma. In postelection comments Monday, Fidesz leader Viktor Orban, who is set to be the country’s next prime minister, promised a crackdown on petty crime in language clearly alluding to the Roma…

“Roma representatives do not deny that some of their community are often guilty of petty crime — but said the phenomenon is linked to chronic poverty rooted in age-old discrimination against Gypsies.”

This article shows what is just beginning to emerge in Europe–especially the anti-Semitic undertone. Europe’s problems are giving rise to “solutions” of blame, and the Jews are becoming more and more a target because of their role in the business world. The Gypsies are hated by the Hungarians, and that hatred seems ready to break loose.

Anti-Semitism in Venezuela

A-7 wrote on May 5:

“Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez appears to be leading a drive to make his nation Judenrein, according to a documentary by Nora Zimmett that was broadcast Wednesday night on the HDNet World Report. Chavez expelled Israel’s ambassador to the country… [in] 2009. Simultaneously, he drew closer to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly vowed to wipe the Jewish State off the global map.

“Zimmett expressed shock in her report, and not a little apprehension of her own, while documenting what local Jews had to say about their daily living conditions… Also documented were the frequent publications in the state-run media calling for the expulsion of the Jews, and the speeches by Chavez himself, comparing Zionists to Nazis on national television. The Venezuelan president also had other complaints about the Jews – ‘the descendants of those who crucified Christ’ – implying they are the ones that have all the wealth in the world…”

Aliens a Threat to the Earth?

The Times wrote on April 25:

“The aliens are out there and Earth had better watch out, at least according to Stephen Hawking. He has suggested that extraterrestrials are almost certain to exist — but that instead of seeking them out, humanity should be doing all it… can to avoid any contact… The universe, he points out, has 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of millions of stars. In such a big place, Earth is unlikely to be the only planet where life has evolved…

“Hawking believes that contact with such a species could be devastating for humanity. He suggests that aliens might simply raid Earth for its resources and then move on: ‘… I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach’…

“Hawking’s belief in aliens places him in good scientific company. In his recent Wonders of the Solar System BBC series, Professor Brian Cox backed the idea, too… Similarly, Lord Rees, the astronomer royal, warned in a lecture earlier this year that aliens might prove to be beyond human understanding.”

Arizona’s New Immigration Law

The Associated Press reported on April 23:

“Gov. Jan Brewer ignored criticism from President Barack Obama on Friday and signed into law a bill supporters said would take handcuffs off police in dealing with illegal immigration in Arizona, the nation’s busiest gateway for human and drug smuggling from Mexico… Earlier Friday, Obama called the Arizona bill ‘misguided’ and instructed the Justice Department to examine it to see if it’s legal.

“He also said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level – or leave the door open to ‘irresponsibility by others. That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe,’ Obama said.

“The legislation… makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It also requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants… and makes it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them…

“The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund said it plans a legal challenge to the law, arguing it ‘launches Arizona into a spiral of pervasive fear, community distrust, increased crime and costly litigation, with nationwide repercussions.’

“William Sanchez, president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders Legal Defense Fund, said his group is preparing a federal lawsuit against Arizona to stop the law from being applied. The group represents 30,000 Evangelical churches nationwide, including 300 Latino pastors in Arizona…

“Mexico has warned the proposal could affect cross-border relations. On Thursday, Mexico’s Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging Brewer to veto the law… Guatemala’s Foreign Relations Department decried the measure in a statement saying ‘it threatens basic notions of justice.’

“The law will take effect in late July or early August… Anti-immigrant anger has swelled in the past month, after rancher Rob Krentz was found dead on his land north of Douglas, near the Mexico border. Authorities believe he was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant possibly connected to a drug smuggling cartel. Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants, and its harsh, remote desert serves as the corridor for the majority of illegal immigrants and drugs moving north into the U.S. from Mexico.”

Fox News added on April 26:

“Opponents who fear that Arizona’s tough new immigration law will lead to police harassment of legal immigrants and U.S. citizens who look Hispanic rallied against the measure at the state Capitol Sunday afternoon… Civil rights advocates have vowed to challenge the law in court, saying it would undoubtedly lead to racial profiling…

“Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s office said in a statement Saturday that ‘the Mexican government condemns the approval of the law’ and ‘the criminalization of migration, far from contributing to collaboration and cooperation between Mexico and the state of Arizona, represents an obstacle to solving the shared problems of the border region.'”

Supporters of the law claim Arizona had to act because the Federal government refused to do so. Opponents and critics–including Republican politicians in Arizona, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, many Evangelical churches and conservative newscasters such as Geraldo–fear that the state law will lead to racial and ethnical profiling–which will undoubtedly be the case. Several countries have already reacted with outrage. America’s reputation has not gained credibility with this most recent scenario.

ADL Unhappy With Obama Over Israel

Newsmax.com reported on April 25:

“The Anti-Defamation League has taken issue with comments from President Barack Obama that the ADL says reflect a ‘significant shift’ in U.S. policy toward Israel and the peace process… ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman issued this statement… ‘The significant shift in U.S. policy toward Israel and the peace process, which has been evident in comments from various members of the Obama Administration and has now been confirmed by the president himself in his press conference at the Nuclear Security Summit, is deeply distressing…

“‘The net effect of this dangerous thinking is to shift responsibility for success of American foreign policy away from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and directly onto Israel. It is particularly disturbing in light of the blatantly disproportionate number and the nature of statements issued by this administration criticizing Israel as compared to what has been said about the Palestinians.”

America’s shift away from support of Israel and towards Arab countries is obvious. Israel is losing even its most trusted allies, while other countries become more bold in their outright hostilities towards Israel, as the next articles show.

Egypt vs. Israel

A-7 reported on April 23:

“Egyptian officials have been attempting to rally support in the United Nations for pressure on Israel over its alleged possession of nuclear arms. The attempt was revealed by the New York Sun, which obtained copies of a document circulated by Egypt among UN ambassadors… In the document, Egypt recalls the UN’s 1995 Resolution on the Middle East, which called to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone.

“Egypt wishes to see Israel relinquish any nuclear arms… Egypt also aims to bring pressure to bear by barring sales that could boost Israel’s nuclear facilities… The clause, if accepted, would bar the United States, Russia, China, and European states from selling equipment or materials to Israel that could be used in a nuclear facility.

“The document does not mention any other country by name. Pakistan is a nuclear power that has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and Iran is developing its nuclear capacity while ignoring international calls to allow oversight of its facilities.

“The IAEA, suggested by Egypt to oversee Israel’s nuclear facilities, was headed until recently by Mohammed ElBaradei, an Egyptian who is currently weighing the possibility of running for his country’s presidency. ElBaradei recently expressed support for terrorism against Israel, stating that Israel ‘only understands the language of violence.'”

Syria and Lebanon vs. Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 27:

“Egypt has issued a stark warning of a summer war between Israel and Lebanon. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit passed on messages to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and representatives of the other permanent UN Security Council members, warning that the current Israel-Lebanon tensions could deteriorate into an armed conflict, Israel Radio reported on Tuesday… Aboul Gheit… said Lebanon… considered Israel an enemy state…

“The latest tensions between Israel and Lebanon arose after reports surfaced in Kuwait’s Al-Rai newspaper that Syria had transferred Scud ballistic missiles to Hizbullah. Israel subsequently issued a stern warning that it would consider attacking both Syrian and Lebanese targets in response to a Scud attack on its territory.

“Lebanon’s Western-backed Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri denied the allegations, comparing them to the American charges that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ahead of the 2003 US-led invasion. However, the chairwoman of the US Senate’s Intelligence Committee warned that there was a ‘high likelihood’ that Hizbullah had acquired Scuds. Clinton has said the Obama administration is still committed to improving ties with Syria, despite its ‘deeply troubling’ moves to aid Hizbullah.”

“All Muslims Question Existence of First and Second Temples”

Israel National News reported on April 25:

“Petra, the official news agency of the Jordanian government, recently published a report accusing Israel of ‘Judaizing’ Jerusalem and casting doubt on Jewish history in the Land of Israel. The report also referred to Israelis working in the Old City as ‘Israeli occupation forces.’ The language was used in reporting excavations in the Old City. Previous excavations led to the restoration of the Western Wall tunnels, a series of tunnels under the Old City in which visitors can see the ruins of Jerusalem as it was thousands of years earlier.

“Petra wrote, ‘The Israeli occupation forces started a large scale judaization project…  related to the alleged temple.’ The agency also reported that a Jerusalem Muslim group ‘urged Islamic, Arab and Palestinian move to save Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem from the judaization plans’ [sic]. Calls to ‘save Al Aksa’ have previously led to days of violent riots in and around Jerusalem.

“The Petra report was noted by the Independent Media Review Analysis (IMRA), which expressed concern over the harsh language and the denial of the Holy Temple, noting the possibility that it reflects the views of the Jordanian government. Israel and Jordan have signed a peace treaty, but relations between the countries have not always been warm.

“IMRA contacted Petra, which replied that it did not speak in the name of the government, but noted that Jordanian media have always used the term ‘alleged’ to refer to the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. ‘All followers of Islam’ question the existence of the Temples, a Petra worker stated.

“In addition to literary sources such as detailed descriptions of the First Temple found in the Bible (Kings…, Chronicles, and the Prophets) and the records of the Second Temple in Josephus Flavius, archaeological finds have made the questioning of the existence of the Temples a non starter.”

Nazi Propaganda in the Arab World

Israel National News reported on April 25:

“During World War II Nazi Germany tried to rally support in the Arab world, often trying to find common ground in anti-Semitism. The extent of the Nazi propaganda in Arabic has been revealed in a book titled Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World. Historian Jeffrey Herf based his book on wartime broadcasts in Arabic that were transcribed by the American embassy in Cairo. Thousands of transmissions were sent from 1939 to 1945.

“Instead of spreading European anti-Semitism, the Nazi army focused on playing to existing anti-Semitism in the Arab and Muslim world, Herf writes. While Mein Kampf and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion had both been translated into Arabic by the 1930s, the Nazis quoted the Koran instead, working to convince their Muslim audience that Islam called on them to eliminate Jews… The Nazis attempted to turn Arab rage to the issue of British Mandatory Palestine, claiming that efforts to create a modern Jewish state were part of a widespread Jewish effort to ‘rule the whole world.’”

These well-known facts serve as a reminder that something very similar will occur in the future, when Germany and Arab nations will unite against Israel, as we reported in our last Update.

The Widening Scandal of Obama’s Eligibility–or the Lack Thereof

Canada Free Press wrote on April 24:

“The diversionary search for an authentic birth certificate is ongoing and Obama has now spent in excess of $2 million in legal fees to keep that search alive. Michelle Obama states that Kenya is Barack’s ‘home country’… The Ambassador of Kenya has confirmed the same…

“The US Supreme Court knows what the constitutional condition of ‘natural born citizen’ means. Even the most far left member of that court, Justice Ginsberg, is on record proclaiming that a ‘natural born citizen’ is a birth child of TWO legal US citizens.

“Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi… refused to certify the ‘normal’ language when certifying Obama as the DNC candidate for president in 2008. This is the normal language for certification of nomination for president and vice president, filed by the DNC only in the state of Hawaii…

“‘THIS IS TO CERTIFY that at the National Convention of the Democratic Party of the United States of America, held in Denver, Colorado on August 25 through 28, 2008, the following were duly nominated as candidates of said Party for President and Vice President of the United States respectively and that the following candidates for President and Vice President of the United states are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution:’

“This is the language filed by the DNC in the other 49 states, however…

“THIS IS TO CERTIFY that at the National Convention of the Democratic Party of the United States of America, held in Denver, Colorado on August 25 through 28, 2008, the following were duly nominated as candidates of said Party for President and Vice President of the United States respectively:’

“Note that the language which certifies that Barack Hussein Obama meets all constitutional qualifications is missing in the DNC documents filed in 49 of the 50 states. The certification of constitutional qualification for the office of president was filed only in Hawaii… Whereas the RNC filed the exact same certification document, including the constitutional text for John McCain in all 50 states, Obama was technically certified in only one state, Hawaii…

“Although the [U.S.] congress passed a resolution proclaiming Senator John McCain a ‘natural born citizen’ as the son of two US citizens, no such congressional resolution exists for Barack Hussein Obama… Over four-hundred law suits have been filed across the country asking the courts to force Obama to become the ‘transparent president’ he promised to be, and… are being dismissed before discovery… on the basis that ‘no citizen has proper legal standing’…

“Numerous members of the US Military have refused deployment orders from Obama, on the basis that he refuses to evidence his constitutional qualifications to issue such orders. In most cases, the soldiers have simply been reassigned, so as to avoid any disciplinary action that could end in ‘defense discovery’ which might finally force Obama to open up his files once and for all…

“Nobody spends $2 million in legal fees to hide an authentic birth certificate… Obama is NOT a natural born citizen no matter where he might have been born. Obama’s birth father was at no time an American citizen and on this basis alone, Obama cannot be a constitutionally qualified resident of the White House.

“… sooner or later, one way or another, Obama will have to answer those questions… The longer it takes for that day to arrive, the more dangerous the situation will become. A man not even qualified to hold the office is using that office to destroy the greatest nation on earth…”

As we stated in our last Update, what an embarrassment for the United States that it cannot or will not establish the eligibility of its own President!

Germany’s Afghan War and the Suffering Image of Guttenberg

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 23:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament on Thursday that the mission in Afghanistan is ‘indispensable’ for Germany’s security. The same day, her defense minister got a grilling in parliament over the Kunduz air attack in September that led to deaths of civilians… The deaths of seven German soldiers this month, coupled with disquiet about the Kunduz bombing last September have served to further disenchant the German public with its army’s mission in Afghanistan… The eight-year mission in Afghanistan has never been popular at home, despite being backed by all of the political parties apart from the far-left Left Party…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘For the first time Merkel has had to explain what it means for the Bundeswehr to be de facto at war… Afghanistan has changed her. She didn’t want it to be so, but the war and her political future can no longer be separated.’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘… The new American strategy… will not only cost many American lives, but also German ones. Politicians have to say all of this.’

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘Experienced soldiers and commanders are complaining bitterly about the lack of training for the mostly young, completely inexperienced soldiers [and the] missing or inadequate equipment, the arms that are too light, the lack of air support… The public is not yet fully aware of the full explosive nature of the situation: that the area where the Germans are based is now extremely dangerous again… Insurgents like the Taliban are increasingly popular with the Afghans. Afghan soldiers and police officers, after being trained by the West, are switching sides… These developments, which are plain to see, are bewildering and demoralizing the German soldiers. They don’t believe in a happy outcome.’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… A democratic state can not go to war in perpetuity against the will of its people. … It is not only politicians who depend on fundamental approval, but also the soldiers who are sent to the front in the name of the people…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The moment that Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg became Germany’s most popular politician was during that legendary all-night cabinet meeting about the future of Opel a year ago. While all the other ministers were in favor of a billion-euro rescue package, he preferred insolvency. The image was created of an unusually genuine politician, who would stand up for what he thought was right — regardless of how unpopular that might be. There was little left of this during Guttenberg’s appearance before the Kunduz parliamentary investigative committee…

“‘The public is now getting the impression, however, that for Guttenberg, his own performance is more important than the truth. No investigative committee can answer the question of whether this kind of opportunism tallies with Guttenberg’s claim to credibility. Only the voters can decide that.'”

The ongoing Afghan war might prove to be one of the nails in the coffin of the German government–not only of Angela Merkel, but also of the initially rising and now sinking star of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg–unless a drastic change in their course of action occurs very soon. But the anger of the German population will increase if it is felt that German soldiers are sacrificed on the chess board of the Afghan war in order to appease the United States.

Greece and the Eurozone

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 26:

“On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition of conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) said it would back aid for Greece — one of the 16 EU member states using the euro — if failing to do so could endanger the common currency… Meanwhile, the government in Berlin is seeking speedy parliamentary approval for the €8 billion that Germany would contribute to the loan… CSU parliamentary floor leader Hans-Peter Friedrich has said his party would prefer to see Greece leave the euro zone… However, Merkel has rejected a debate about ejecting Greece from the euro zone…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘Greece is a relatively small economy… This crisis can be managed, but the situation could easily get out of control if there are doubts about the solvency of Portugal, Spain or even Italy. … The over-indebtedness of countries is the central problem at the end of the great recession… The EU and, in particular, Germany have their own interests in seeing Papandreou succeed. By helping him, they help themselves. If Greece were to become bankrupt, the interest on borrowing in Spain, Ireland and elsewhere would become inflated, and the cracks in the euro zone would widen. This would, in turn, affect Germany, whose banks have invested their money in these countries and 70 percent of whose exports go to the euro zone …

“‘Anyone who is serious about the future of the euro and Europe should desist from going on about Greece’s leaving the euro zone. Yes, Greece was not ready for the euro in 1999. But it is now a member, and all of the other members have to accept the consequences.”

“‘From its inception, the euro zone has suffered from an inherent contradiction. The members gave up their sovereignty when it comes to monetary policy but not when it comes to financial policy… An early end of the euro would be devastating for everyone concerned. And there is no reason to be nostalgic about the German mark. The euro performed magnificently during the financial crisis and spared the Europeans difficult and destructive shifts on the currency exchange markets…’

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes:

“‘… Of course Greece pulled the wool over our eyes with its statistics. … But that doesn’t justify throwing it out of the monetary union. Even the thought is poisonous. If an out-of-proportion debt was enough for a parting of ways, then California would have to be thrown out of the United States, Saarland would have to leave the Federal Republic of Germany, and we would never have seen the reunification of Germany. The Greeks are our European brothers and sisters…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“The Greek financial turbulence shows that monetary union — the boldest economic step in the 53-year history of the European Union — is far less solidly constructed than many politicians claimed when the euro was introduced in 1999.

“‘Furthermore, it is now doubtful how prepared euro-zone members are to sacrifice national sovereignty in favor of an integrated fiscal and economic policy — even if some politicians emphasize the importance of giving up national competencies to European institutions in order to deal with the upheavals of coming years.’

“The conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘In the end, Germany is going to transfer billions to Athens. There is no other choice in the face of pressure from its European partners and the financial markets. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to have any taboos. The suggestion from the CSU — that Greece may have to leave the euro zone — may have been described as “totally crazy” by Green floor leader Jürgen Trittin. But does he have a solution for the Greek dilemma?’…

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘All of Europe paid for expansion of the bloc eastwards, and it was Germany that profited the most. It was able to extend its export market to the borders with Russia. It is similar when it comes to aid for Greece. All of Europe is contributing to the rescue plan — and, once again, this will serve the economic interest of Germany above all others.

“‘For a start, the two broke banks, Hypo Real Estate and Commerzbank, are among Greece’s biggest creditors. They would go bust immediately if Athens were to declare bankruptcy — and would have to once again be rescued with German taxpayers’ money. It is much better if all euro-zone states and the IMF organize Greece’s rescue.

“‘Greece is just an outpost. If it was allowed to become insolvent, then Portugal and Spain would be next — and other candidates would follow. In the case of a big crash … all the lovely export surpluses that Germany has accumulated over the decades would disappear. Every single saver would feel the affect of this gigantic destruction of wealth. So, everyone pays, so Germany can maintain its wealth. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that.'”

The Euro Is Here to Stay

Die Tageszeitung wrote on April 29:

“Despite their poor ratings, there is no doubt that the euro countries will rescue Athens from bankruptcy: For the currency, an insolvency would be much more dramatic and more costly than a short-term intervention…

“From the beginning, the United States bitterly opposed creation of the European common currency, which competes with the dollar’s role as a global reserve currency. An escalation of the euro crisis is in its interest. It would be politically naive to believe that US rating agencies, that have a market share of 80 percent, remain neutral in this power struggle. Instead of dithering, the euro-zone countries must immediately help Greece and send the financial markets a clear message that speculative attacks will have no chance against [the] largest single currency zone in the world.”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on April 29:

“Anyone who believes that the Greek crisis is a monetary or technical financial problem is underestimating the situation — and risks falling into an abyss. It’s not just about a country that cheated its way into the economic and monetary union (something everyone knew), and is now unable to survive it. The risk of a market-driven chain reaction, hitting Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland in a way that might truly threaten the stability of the euro, is not the greatest danger on the horizon. Ultimately this is about the whole European project, of which the euro zone is an important foundation.”

The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on April 29:

“If Greece becomes insolvent, then it will not only hurt the German banks who have some €45 billion ($60 billion), and possibly more, in Greece. It could also spark a chain reaction which begins with chaos in Greece and then spreads to Portugal and Spain — and ending up shattering the whole monetary union.”

“Germany, especially, cannot afford for that to happen. Politically, because the decades it took to build up the bloc would be lost. Economically, because resource-poor and export-strong Germany is dependent on open markets, international rules and the monetary union. The German economy could not withstand a new era of the nation-state. Conversely, Germany could even make money from Greece’s salvation if all goes well — after all, the money is being loaned at a good interest rate, not given away.”

Many of the articles quoted above show the compelling reasons why the euro is here to stay and why in all likelihood, Greece will not leave the eurozone, either. In addition, the need for Europe is expressed to totally unite and stand together, as the next article shows.

Greece–The Need for Europe to Stand Together

On April 28, Der Spiegel Online cited the following papers, which agree that the euro states must unite in their economic decisions and build Europe up:

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… the euro nations move quickly and decisively to quell this growing blaze [in Greece]… they must send the money set aside for Greece weeks ago to that country as quickly as possible. At the same time, the euro states must unite in declaring their decision to help Portugal, too, should that nation also fall into serious financial difficulties. A solidarity pact like this is really the only chance to stop the euro zone from falling apart — and it will cost Germany a lot less than if the euro project actually fails.’

“Former German Finance Minister Hans Eichel (1999-2005), of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), writes in the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung: ‘… Germany is the second-biggest exporter in the world, and it will remain that way… Europe must stand together. In its entirety, the euro zone is still one of the largest economic powers in the world. If the member nations stood alone in the 21st century, they would have no chance against 1.3 billion Chinese, 1.1 billion Indians, the superpower that is the US and the developing Brazilian nation. The constitution makes it a German duty to build Europe up. We should move toward this goal!’

“The left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘… the euro currency union needs economic administration…'”

Eurozone Needs Tougher Rules…

On April 29, Der Spiegel wrote:

“The current Greek crisis has shown all too starkly the limits of the euro zone’s sanction and support mechanisms. If the monetary union is to have a future, it needs new rules to keep members in line and bail them out if necessary. Europe is in the worst crisis of the postwar era. For months, the governments of the European Union member states have proven to be incapable of developing a convincing solution for the serious debt problems of individual countries…

“Today, the euro zone needs a common strategy that successfully combines sound public finances with solidarity between member states. On the one hand, the member states must be protected against the excesses of the financial markets. On the other hand, steps must be taken to ensure that the solidarity of member states doesn’t undermine efforts to achieve fiscal consolidation in individual countries…

“The future of the monetary union, however, depends on more than just solving the current debt crisis. An improved balance of growth is also needed, and Germany plays an important part in that respect…

“Anyone in Germany who still believes that losing the euro wouldn’t be such a bad thing fails to recognize how important the euro zone is as a market for our industry. But Europe’s future is also at stake. A failure of the monetary union would call the whole European project into question. European integration has made it possible to transform a continent devastated by wars into a place of peace and prosperity for over half a century. In other words, it’s not just money that is at stake today. It’s also a question of political stability in Europe.”

“Europe’s Next Bankruptcy Candidates?”

Deutsche Welle reported on April 28:

“As the situation in Greece continues to intensify, fears are increasing that the debt crisis will spread throughout [European countries inside the eurozone]… In financial circles, they are referred to as PIGS – Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain – and sometimes even PIIGS, if you include Italy as one of the European countries at risk of going bankrupt in the near future. The common denominator for these eurozone countries is mounting budget deficit coupled with weak economic growth. In Ireland and Spain, the financial crisis has led to the collapse of the construction and real estate industries.”

The article continued that regarding countries outside the eurozone, “Hungary, Latvia and Romania have already received financial aid from the EU and the International Monetary Fund in order to avert state bankruptcy.”

Addressing countries outside the EU, the article mentioned as endangered candidates for bankruptcy “Ukraine… Belarus… Serbia… Bosnia-Herzegovina and Moldova… Iceland… [and] Great Britain.”

Regarding Great Britain, the article writes: “The solvency of Britain’s banks fell in February according to rating agencies. The nation is having trouble working its way out of the recession. Last year its new debt was at about 13 percent – as much as Greece’s.  Britain’s total debt was around 840 billion pounds (967 billion euros), about 68 percent of GDP. The government intends to wait until the next fiscal year to pass a resolution on new austerity packages, after next week’s parliamentary elections. If Britain doesn’t hit the brakes soon, though, it could see a dramatic aggravation of its debt crisis.”

The article concluded: “And what does all this mean for the EU’s largest national economy? Germany’s budget deficit is relatively small, at three to four percent of GDP. Still, the total of Germany’s new borrowing is enormous. By the end of 2013, Germany and its states must obtain 500 billion euros on the financial markets. The entire national debt has risen to two trillion euros…”

Great Britain in Great Trouble

The Daily Mail wrote on April 28:

“Secret tax bombshell: Top think-tank attacks ALL parties for failing to ‘come clean’ over massive scale of spending cuts… Voters are being deceived over huge tax rises and spending cuts needed after the election, economists have warned. None of the main parties has come clean about how they would tackle the record £163billion state deficit, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. But, in a devastating verdict, it said all three parties were downplaying massive planned cuts in public spending.

“The danger of Britain not tackling its deficit became clear yesterday when a downgrade of Greek debt to junk status caused havoc in financial markets and risked sending the nation tumbling out of the single currency. Athens may now even default on its debts, dragging down other eurozone countries such as Portugal, Italy and Spain.”

Britain’s Upcoming Elections

Deutsche Welle reported on April 29:

“… the country looks set for a hung parliament. The Conservatives lead in polls, closely followed by the Liberal Democrats. And the ruling Labour Party is not far behind. This year’s British elections are clearly a three-horse-race… Trailing in third position in the opinion polls, Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown is the neediest. He’s putting out feelers to the Liberal Democrats, covertly suggesting a post-election pact…

“But although Brown sees common ground, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg sees ‘something, frankly, desperate about a Labour Party and their leader Gordon Brown who now try and present themselves as agents of reform.’ Clegg went on to call the idea of an alliance between the two parties ‘preposterous’… That sounds like an offer of an alliance with the conservatives, but conservative leader David Cameron is having none of it…

“British opinion polls suggest that a hung parliament is what a majority of voters want. They seem tired of the same old adversarial politics… They want the parties to cooperate in getting Britain out of the mess it’s in. And the mess is considerable, says John Phillpott of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He sees painful budget cuts ahead. ‘I think the realistic scale of job losses in the public sector over the next five years is in the order of half a million,’ Phillpott told Deutsche Welle.”

On April 29, The Daily Mail warned against a hung parliament. They said:

“A hung parliament could lead to a Greek-style financial crisis, business leaders and economists have warned. They said of a run on the pound and loss of faith in Britain’s ability to tackle its deficit, which is on a par with that of Greece. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said the crisis was spreading ‘like ebola’ across Europe…

“Stock markets and the euro were hit badly yesterday after Spain and Portugal followed Greece in having their debts downgraded. In a poll, 70 per cent of members of the Institute of Directors said they feared a hung parliament could have a negative impact on the economy… Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan are also warning of economic uncertainty if the election fails to produce an outright winner…

“Peter Hargreaves, of financial advisers Hargreaves Lansdown, said: ‘A hung parliament will be the worst possible result for our economy. The pound will suffer the most and could depreciate 10 per cent or 15 per cent.’… Savills, an upmarket estate agency, weighed in with a statement saying: ‘The worst outcome for the housing market would be a hung parliament…'”

Greece’s Fiscal Woes Threaten the USA

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 28:

“A widening financial crisis in Europe is threatening to put a damper on the economic recovery here and abroad… A credit contagion that began in heavily indebted Greece spread Wednesday to Spain, whose economy is much larger than Greece’s, as Standard & Poor’s cut the Madrid government’s credit rating, just one day after slashing Athens’ bonds to ‘junk’ status and downgrading Portugal’s debt as well…

“Even under the rosiest scenario in which a rescue package comes through and the problem is contained, analysts say, European economic growth will slow as more countries feel pressure to raise taxes and take other tough measures to get their fiscal affairs in order… That’s not good news for American businesses, which count on Europe as a major market for a broad array of goods but already have felt the winds of an economic slowdown…”

German Muslim Minister Backs School Crucifix Ban

Deutsche Welle reported on April 25:

“Ayguel Oezkan has created waves before even taking office as social minister in the north-western German state of Lower Saxony. [Subsequently, she was sworn in as social minister.] The 38-year-old, who is a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said in an interview on Saturday that crucifixes have as little place in state schools as do headscarves… Oezkan’s comments have ruffled feathers in her own conservative party.

“Lower Saxony state premier, Christian Wulff, distanced himself from the… minister’s remarks. ‘Christian symbols, above all the crucifix in schools, are welcomed by the state government in Lower Saxony in keeping with the practice of tolerant education on the basis of Christian values,’ Wulff told news agency dpa. He added that students wearing headscarves too were tolerated on grounds of religious freedom but not teachers…

“Stefan Mueller, CDU commissioner for integration, was openly critical. ‘[Oezkan’s remarks] are as absurd as they are appalling,’ Mueller said in a statement. ‘Politicians who want to ban the cross in state schools should think twice about whether representing a Christian party is the right choice. The crucifix is the foundation of our identity, culture, and values,’ he added…

“The 38-year-old Oezkan is the first Muslim woman in Germany to be elected to a ministerial post on the state level. She was born in Hamburg to Turkish immigrants… Her appointment is widely seen as a coup for Merkel’s conservative party who are keen to attract voters from Germany’s large immigrant population.”

A Muslim minister will not be liked in Germany if she tries to do away with the crucifix in state schools. The absurd statement by one politician that the “crucifix is the foundation” of Germany’s “identity, culture, and values,” shows the extent to which people have been deceived–believing that adoring and worshipping an idol would be pleasing in God’s sight.

In a typical political fashion, Oezkan subsequently back-pedaled. Der Spiegel Online reported on April 26: “On Monday… Özkan tried to combat the fire by distancing herself from her own comments and apologizing to her party colleagues for any irritation she might have caused. Lower Saxony Governor Wulff stepped in to help smooth things over, too, stating that: ‘Özkan accepts that crucifixes are welcomed and desired in the schools of Lower Saxony. She is with us on this point. So the matter has been settled.'”

The Presidential “Election” in Austria

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 26:

“In Sunday’s presidential elections in Austria, right-wing populists lost ground while Social Democrats garnered almost 80 percent of votes. Though [Austrian President] Heinz Fischer might call his re-election ‘magnificent,’ the real victors were non-voters — and Jörg Haider’s successors are already busy coming up with their next plan of attack…

“In fact, people aren’t even talking about the politicians who ran in the election. Instead, they’re talking about the group that made up the real majority in the election — non-voters and those who cast blank ballots.

“If you look at the percentages of the vote from Sunday, things look pretty good for the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the incumbent president. Heinz Fischer, who ran in the election as an independent candidate with broad support from the Social Democrats, was re-elected with 78.9 percent of the vote, pushing aside his right-wing populist challenger, Barbara Rosenkranz, of the anti-foreigner and anti-European Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), who only took 15.6 percent of the vote. And Rudolf Gehring, the Christian fundamentalist with somewhat antiquated notions about the role of women in society, came in at a distant third, with only 5.4 percent.

“But the picture isn’t so rosy when you look at voter turnout: According to preliminary results, only 49.2 percent of Austrians cast ballots…

“Rosenkranz and Heinz-Christian Strache, the head of the FPÖ, had already penned an explanation for their failure, which they would recite at every opportunity for the duration of the night. As they saw it, Rosenkranz had been the victim of a media ‘witch hunt’… Rosenkranz apparently failed to mobilize the protest voters who were once an important support for the FPÖ and its splinter party, the Alliance for Austria’s Future (BZÖ) formerly led by Jörg Haider…

“Strache would ultimately like to assume a position on the national political stage. But, before then, he has his sights set on becoming Vienna’s mayor after the elections coming this fall. As his party colleague Graf sees it, Strache’s ambitions are justified. ‘FPÖ supporters don’t want Strache as their federal president,’ he says. ‘They want him to be head of government.'”

Austria is lacking strong leadership, and the Austrian public is becoming more and more disillusioned with their politicians. Although Heinz-Christian Strache would like to walk in the footsteps of the late Joerg Haider, he clearly lacks what some would describe as Haider’s charisma and talents to stir up the masses.

Catholic Church Scandal Continuing

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 23:

“Bishop Walter Mixa, who submitted his resignation Thursday amid accusations of violence and financial irregularities, had to go. But the Catholic Church is mistaken if it believes that it has earned itself some breathing space. The abuse debate will not be silenced.

“For 12 weeks now, the Catholic Church in Germany has been rocked by an abuse scandal. Now a German bishop has quit his office. But Bishop Walter Mixa’s exit was not because of sexually abusing minors, but rather because of a few slaps in the face and the sloppy use of Church funds.

“Sources in the Catholic Church talked of ‘relief’ at Mixa’s departure, while Alois Glück, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, also described Mixa’s resignation as a ‘great relief.’ But this raises the question: Relief from what, exactly? Is it a relief to have finally gotten rid of someone who has long been seen as a burden, given his loose tongue and his conservative attitudes? Or is it a relief to make a reconciliatory gesture to an enraged public which is demanding concrete action on the abuse crisis?… But anyone who knows the course that these kinds of scandals normally take, can only advise the bishops that their hopes of calming the situation are in vain: Things have simply gone too far.

“The abuse debate has now reached a level in which anyone asking questions about the scale of the abuse is seen as playing down the scandal. Those monitoring the subject have long lost count of how many victims there really are. Does the figure run into the thousands or the tens of thousands? And where is the line between unpleasant but minor losses of control, on the one hand, and scandalous crimes, on the other? It’s a line that has been constantly blurred during the recent debate.

“The victim discourse is too tempting — both for the victims and also for their audience. The event that makes someone into a ‘victim’ is often used to explain everything which happens afterwards. One can absolve oneself of responsibility for unavoidable defeats and setbacks — even an entire life which maybe did not work out quite as one had hoped… This inflation of victimhood leads to a creeping devaluation of real abuse cases, which doubtless do exist in shameful numbers. Where everything is given equal importance, individual cases lose their significance.”

When even the left-liberal magazine Der Spiegel begins to come to the defense of the Catholic Church–at least to an extent–then it is high time to wake up and realize what is REALLY happening. However, as the next article shows, many Germans, including Catholics, are not willing at this point to show great sympathy for the juvenile attempts of the Pope and the Vatican to “deal” with their ongoing scandal.

Nearly a Quarter of German Catholics Consider Leaving the Church

The Local reported on April 23:

“Nearly a quarter of Germany’s 25 million Catholics are considering turning their backs on their Church in the wake of the child abuse scandals, a survey published Friday found. The poll of more than 1,000 Catholics by the Forsa Institute published by daily Bild, found 23 percent of Church members said they were thinking of leaving. Even among those who described themselves as devout, 19 percent were considering walking away, the poll found.

“The findings come as the Church faces its gravest crisis of modern times, with decades-old claims of child sexual abuse by priests surfacing in Germany and around the world…

“At the heart of the anger is the belief that the Church is not handling the child abuse affair openly. Just 16 percent of Catholics polled said they believed Church leaders were dealing with the abuse crisis transparently, compared with 77 percent who said it was not transparent.

“Just under a quarter (24 percent) of people thought child abuse was more common in the Church than it was elsewhere in the community… Exactly half believed there was a link between celibacy and child abuse… Yet a massive 81 percent believed celibacy for priests should be abolished…

“The disillusionment was felt most deeply by younger Catholics. Among those aged 18 to 29, just over a third (34 percent) were thinking of quitting. Some 28 percent of those aged 30 to 44 were considering walking away, as were 32 percent of 45 to 59-year-olds and 6 percent of those aged 60 or older.”

Even though many German Catholics are fed up with their Church, the same cannot be said for believers in Portugal, as the following article shows.

The Catholic Church in Portugal

VIS reported on April 22:

“For the occasion of Benedict XVI’s forthcoming apostolic trip to Portugal, due to take place from 11 to 14 May, statistics concerning the Catholic Church in that country have been published. The information, updated to 31 December 2008, comes from the Central Statistical Office of the Church. Portugal, the capital of which is Lisbon, has a population of 10,610,000 of whom 9,368,000 (88.3 percent) are Catholic. There are 21 ecclesiastical circumscriptions and 4,830 parishes. Currently there are 52 bishops, 3,797 priests, 6,007 religious, 594 lay members of secular institutes and 63,906 catechists. Minor seminarians number 279, and major seminarians 444. A total of 129,230 children and young people attend 900 centres of Catholic education, from kindergartens to universities. Other institutions belonging to the Church, or run by priests or religious in Portugal include 34 hospitals, 155 clinics, 799 homes for the elderly or disabled, 663 orphanages and nurseries, 55 family counselling centres and other pro-life centres, 462 centres for education and social rehabilitation, and 168 institutions of other kinds.”

These statistics are staggering. While currently, about 50% of Germans are Catholic, almost 90% of the Portuguese are Catholic. And Portugal is not alone with having an overwhelmingly Catholic population. The overpowering influence of the Catholic Church in virtually all walks of life in many countries around the world should never be under-estimated.

Noah’s Ark–Found?

Adelaidenow.com, the Sunday Mail, AFP and Bild Online reported on April 27:

“Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers believe they may have found Noah’s Ark – 4000m up a mountain in Turkey. The team said it had recovered wooden specimens from a structure on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey that carbon dating proved was 4800 years old, around the same time the ark is said to have been afloat.

“‘It’s not 100 per cent that it is Noah’s Ark but we think it is 99.9 per cent that this is it,’ said Yeung Wing-cheung, a Hong Kong documentary filmmaker and member of the 15-strong team from Noah’s Ark Ministries International. The structure had several compartments, some with wooden beams, which were believed to house animals, he said.

“The group of evangelical archaeologists ruled out an established human settlement on the grounds that one had never been found above 3500m in the vicinity, Mr Yeung said. Local Turkish officials would ask the central government in Ankara to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status so the site could be protected while a major archaeological dig was conducted, he added.

“The biblical story says God decided to flood the earth after seeing how corrupt it had become, and told Noah to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal species. After the flood waters receded, the Bible says, the ark came to rest on a mountain. Many believe that Mount Ararat, the highest point in the region, is where the ark and her inhabitants came aground.”

No Crisis With Different Weather Conditions…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 17:

“The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull has brought European aviation to a near-standstill in the worst disruptions since 9/11… But if the weather had only been a little different, the whole crisis might never have happened…

“One volcano achieved what hurricanes, terrorists and flu viruses never managed — Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt, Schiphol and all of Europe’s other major hubs came to a standstill on Friday afternoon. Airlines cancelled 17,000 flights [just on Friday]… Losses for airlines are estimated at [1.3 billion euros ($1.7 billion), according to Deutsche Welle, April 22]…

“One factor exacerbating this eruption was the fact that the rising magma mixed with ice in the crater. As the blazing hot lava hit the 200-meter (650-foot) thick glacier, the ice turned explosively to steam… Weather also conspired against Europe. Just as the volcano was erupting, the North Atlantic jet stream was passing over Iceland from the northwest, carrying myriad sharp-edged particles on a collision course with Europe’s air fleets.

“‘It’s as if it’s jinxed,’ says Helmut Malewski, who is tracking the ash cloud at Germany’s National Meteorological Service’s central forecasting office. ‘The wind blew from the east all winter. But just now, when the volcano goes active, it blows from the northwest.’ Dryness was another factor. ‘One strong rainstorm over the North Sea would have washed out the ash and helped us dramatically,’ Malewski says…

“The Katla volcano, barely 25 kilometers to the east, has enormously higher explosive power. It also has a rather nasty habit of erupting shortly after Eyjafjallajökull. The last major eruption of Eyjafjallajökull lasted for two years, ending in 1823 when Katla erupted like a massive cannon… So far, Katla hasn’t reacted…

“But there’s still another fire-spewing giant in the area — Heckla. ‘That volcano erupts, with a regularity that astonishes geologists, every 10 years,’ says Thomas Walter of the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam. ‘It is long overdue.’ Such chain reactions are not uncommon for volcanic mountain ranges, especially in Iceland…”

“Escape from Europe”– Wide-Ranging Consequences of Volcanic Eruption…

The Associated Press reported on April 19:

“Stranded travelers are piling into buses, trains and high-priced taxis in a frantic scramble to accomplish an increasingly tricky mission: Escape from Europe. Spain was becoming a dream destination not for its beaches and monuments but simply by virtue of the fact it’s one of the few European countries unaffected by the ash cloud…

“A German rental agency on Sunday was asking more than 1,000 euros — close to $1,400 — for a car one-way from Belgrade, Serbia, to Munich, while another firm demanded 1,850 euros ($2,500) for a Madrid to Brussels rental. In Stockholm… about 50 clients had willingly paid prices of up to 34,000 kronor — nearly $5,000 — to different European destinations from which they had a chance to fly home. Legions of other travelers were simply stranded…

“The ash also caused diplomatic headaches. President Barack Obama was forced to miss the Polish president’s weekend funeral… Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud also delayed bailout talks in Athens on Monday regarding Greece’s economy, leaving the country to watch its borrowing costs hit another record high…”

This shows how difficult it might become in the future to “escape” from dangerous areas. Today, we are talking about just ONE volcanic eruption. Just imagine the additional damage caused by coinciding big earthquakes with huge tidal waves, as well as volcanic eruptions by several volcanoes. Sadly, the Bible prophesies that terrible calamities will strike this planet very soon, combined with outright nuclear war between power blocs and nations having gone mad. Christ spoke of a coming “Great Tribulation”–an unparalleled time of devastation in man’s history or future. He said that if He were not to return, no human being would be saved alive. But He will return, in time, to destroy those who destroy the earth.

War Against Jews With No Borders

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 19:

“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke at Remembrance Day ceremonies on Monday, comforting and commending the families of the fallen… President Shimon Peres, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Chief Justice Dorit Beinish were also in attendance.

“Netanyahu opened his speech with a personal story of his time in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit. He described two young soldiers that served with him: ‘Zohar Link was a handsome and charismatic young man. He was a counselor in the Shomer Hatza’ir youth movement, played the harmonica, loved photography, loved nature. Who knows where he would have gone with his personality? David Ben-Hemo was an intelligent, handsome boy, an excellent athlete, curious, sensitive and modest. He captivated me from the moment I met him. I believe he had a bright future ahead of him.’

“Link and Ben-Hemo were wounded while preparing for a military operation… ‘[David] died in my arms, before we reached the hospital. Zohar died shortly after. I will never forget these moments; both of them remained 19 years old forever.’

“Netanyahu continued with the story of his brother, Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed in the famed 1975 Entebbe rescue operation, which he commanded… ‘We are a nation that seeks peace and prays for peace. Our one hand is outstretched towards peace, we all want peace in our hands, and the other holds the sword of David, in order to protect our nation against those who seek to harm us,’ Netanyahu said…

“Barak spoke concurrently with Netanyahu, at the Kiriat Shaul Military Cemetary in northern Tel Aviv. ‘We stand here, in front of this long row of tombstones, which are the tangible witnesses to the price you paid in blood, dear families, for our nation to live in its land…’ He continued: ‘22,684 fallen is the necessary price, that we did not want, the price of sovereignty in Israel, in this generation…’

“Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky led a ceremony in honor of the 200 Jews killed in anti-Semitic attacks around the world, since the establishment of the State of Israel. ‘Our enemies understand that our strength comes from the… entire Jewish people’s identification with the State of Israel,’ Sharansky said. ‘Therefore, the war against the State of Israel and the Jewish people has no borders. Our enemies attack us not only in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, but also in Argentina, France, England and Bombay.’”

Israel Celebrates 62nd Independence Day

Haaretz wrote on April 20:

“U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders sent Israel greetings and warm wishes on the occasion of the country’s 62nd Independence Day. The relationship between Israel and the U.S. ‘will only be strengthened in the months and years to come,’ Obama said in a special statement. ‘Minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s independence, realizing the dream of a state for the Jewish people in their historic homeland, the United States became the first country to recognize Israel,’ Obama said… Obama also said his administration would continue to work toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…

“Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, meanwhile, sent a letter to President Shimon Peres calling for a resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians and the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Other world leaders including Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Russian President Dmitry Mevedev, German President Horst Koehler, the Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix, Mexican President Felipe Calderon… and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf also sent greetings to Israel for Independence Day.

“Turkish President Abdullah Gul also wrote to Peres, saying, ‘I would like to take this opportunity to repeat and confirm our desire to advance relations with Israel on a basis of mutual interests and by contributing to peace and stability in the Middle East.’ On Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said… ‘The United States will continue to stand with you, sharing your risks and helping shoulder your burdens, as we face the future together…'”

Nice words, but reality paints a different picture. As we reported in recent Updates, including in Update #438, dated April 16, 2010, the United States of America, Europe and the rest of the world are distancing themselves more and more from the state of Israel. As the next article shows, some in Israel sense this danger, but they really do not have or offer any lasting solution. In fact, there ARE NO human solutions, but the Bible shows that it is GOD who must intervene, which He will.

Jerusalem the Eternal Capital of State of Israel

Haaretz wrote on April 20:

“Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the State of Israel and that it will never be divided – ‘neither directly nor indirectly.’

“Addressing a group of foreign diplomats at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, the foreign minister quoted a speech made by former prime minister Menachem Begin, explaining that Begin’s remarks reflected the connection that Jews around the world feel toward Jerusalem – a connection that still exists today…

“The foreign minister also addressed reports of possible future demands on behalf of the U.S. administrations that Israel and the Palestinians make certain moves towards a peace settlement… In response to this, Lieberman said Tuesday that ‘any attempt to force a solution on us without building a foundation of trust between the two sides will only deepen the conflict. Peace can’t be forced – it must be built.’

“Lieberman’s remarks echoed the sentiments voiced by several officials who spoke about the capital in ceremonies marking Memorial Day and Independence Day on Monday and Tuesday. Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said during a ceremony in Jerusalem on Monday that ‘we won’t apologize for the building of Jerusalem our capital.’ Rivlin dedicated a significant portion of his speech to the ‘attack on Jerusalem’…”

The Bible prophesies that Jerusalem will be attacked–not only with words, but quite literally. Zechariah 12:2-3, 8-9 quotes God as saying: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it… In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem… It will be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

Gaddafi: “Obama of Arab Sudanese and Muslim Descent”

Israel National News reported on April 18:

“Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi blessed U.S. President Barack Obama as a ‘friend’ over the weekend in a speech published by the London-based al-Hayat newspaper, labeling him ‘an African from Arab descent, from Muslim descent’… The Libyan leader [said:] ‘He knows he is a son of Africa. Regardless of his African belonging, he is of Arab Sudanese descent, of Muslim descent…’

“’The Arabs hate America, there is no doubt. There is not an Arab that loves America,’ he admitted, ‘and even the leaders who the United States considers allies or friends, hate it. The external love is merely hypocrisy or pragmatism.’ Gaddafi blamed ‘Palestine’ for the hatred, saying ‘The Palestinians today are like the Jews of the past – dispersed in exile and persecuted. Now the Palestinians are at a point where they deserve to have the United States on their side and not on the side of the Israelis.’

“The Libyan leader has been campaigning for a one-state solution – to be called ‘Isratine’ – in which the so-called ‘Right of Return’ would be implemented for millions of foreign-born Arabs, descendants of those who fled the area during the 1948 War for Independence. The bi-national state that would be created in Gaddafi’s vision would be a democratic, nuclear-free country populated equally by Arabs and Jews, and would not be a Jewish nation. Israel, in its current form, would cease to exist.”

This is quite an interesting proposal, as it reflects the gist of a prophecy found in Psalm 83, relating to a confederacy of certain nations against Israel, with the goal, as verse 4 states, to “let us cast them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

U.S. Supreme Court Evades Issue of Obama Eligibility

WorldNetDaily reported on April 17, 2010:

“U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a House subcommittee that when it comes to determining whether a person born outside the 50 states can serve as U.S. president, the high court is ‘evading’ the issue. The comments came as part of Thomas’ testimony before a House appropriations panel discussing an increase in the Supreme Court’s budget earlier this week.

“Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., actually raised the question first amid a discussion on racial diversity in the judiciary. ‘I’m still waiting for the [court decision] on whether or not a Puerto Rican can run for president of the United States,’ said Serrano, who was born in the island territory…

“Yet after Serrano questioned him on whether or not the land’s highest court would be well-served by a justice who had never been a judge, Thomas not only answered in the affirmative, but also hinted that Serrano would be better off seeking a seat in the Supreme Court than a chair in the Oval Office.

“‘I’m glad to hear that you don’t think there has to be a judge on the Court,’ said Serrano, ‘because I’m not a judge; I’ve never been a judge.’ ‘And you don’t have to be born in the United States,’ said Thomas, referring to the Constitution, which requires the president to be a natural-born citizen but has no such clause for a Supreme Court justice, ‘so you never have to answer that question.’

“‘Oh really?’ asked Serrano. ‘So you haven’t answered the one about whether I can serve as president, but you answer this one?’ ‘We’re evading that one,’ answered Thomas, referring to questions of presidential eligibility and prompting laughter in the chamber…

“Justice Thomas had previously resurrected a case challenging Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president not based on his birthplace, but on whether Obama, a child born to a foreign national and admitting dual citizenship, would still be eligible under the Constitution’s Article 2, Section 1 ‘natural-born citizen’ requirement…

“Hints of division within the Supreme Court on the issue existed as far back as December 2008, as Justice David H. Souter had initially denied the case a hearing, but Justice Thomas agreed to bring it back for review. The case did not, however, obtain the required approval of four justices to move it forward to a full hearing. So far, the Supreme Court has not yet heard any case challenging Obama’s eligibility on any grounds.”

Arizona House Requires Obama’s Birth Certificate for Re-Election

The Associated Press reported on April 20:

“The Arizona House on Monday voted for a provision that would require President Barack Obama to show his birth certificate if he hopes to be on the state’s ballot when he runs for re-election. The House voted 31-22 to add the provision to a separate bill. The measure still faces a formal vote. It would require U.S. presidential candidates who want to appear on the ballot in Arizona to submit documents proving they meet the constitutional requirements to be president.”

The issue of President Obama’s eligibility will not go away, even though Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike wished it would, for different reasons. But as the pressure intensifies to get some clearance and closure, so will be the verbal attacks and scoffing remarks from politicians and newscasters from the left, the middle and the right, feeling very uncomfortable with the entire issue. Whatever the truth, it is becoming an embarrassing testimony to the world that the USA is not even able (or willing) to establish the eligibility of its own President.

Germany’s Afghan Dilemma

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 19:

“The presence of German troops in Afghanistan has never been popular back home but with the deaths of seven soldiers in two weeks, public opposition to the mission looks likely to grow. Berlin is now facing increasing pressure to justify the eight-year deployment…

“Yet the German government is not only contending with the public’s distrust of the mission which began in 2002. There is also increased pressure on Germany from its NATO allies to become even more involved in Afghanistan…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘With every dead German soldier in Afghanistan, the calls for an immediate withdrawal grow louder. This reflex shows that the German public is still not clear about the character of the mission. The politicians are largely to blame. Since the beginning of the mission eight years ago they suppressed a realistic description of the situation… Deaths, injuries, battles and heavy weaponry — none of these suit the picture that was painted back then…

“‘New heavy weaponry is unlikely to do much against the Taliban… They are too imprecise to use against insurgents who operate under the cover of the civilian population… These weapons increase the risk of civilian casualties. And that does not suit US Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s strategy of giving priority to the protection of the civilian population…

“‘There are very good grounds for arguing that the entire Afghanistan mission is wrong. However, those who decided to send soldiers have to equip and arm them adequately for such a mission. And anyone who backs McChrystal’s concept has to send more troops rather than howitzers. However, politicians find it easier to talk about war and send heavy weaponry than to actually explain what this is all about: a war-like situation, in which there will be a high number of casualties…’

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘Why are German soldiers in Afghanistan at all?… As the chancellor and her government are still sticking to the military mission there it is their duty to explain it. But she has failed to do so…’

“Former German government spokesman Thomas Steg, a member of the SPD, writes a guest editorial for the Handelsblatt business daily: ‘… The majority of Germans cannot see what the purpose of the mission is… A premature withdrawal would damage NATO credibility, and that of Germany within the alliance. The warning that Germany may isolate itself must be taken very seriously…'”

Deutsche Welle added on April 22, 2010:

“Defense Minister Guttenberg said… sacrifices would have to be made… ‘The new strategy is as dangerous and risky as the entire Afghanistan mission,’ he said… Guttenberg also confirmed that Germany would continue operating in a position of leadership in Afghanistan, adding that Berlin remained committed to the mission despite dwindling public support at home… With over 4,000 troops, Germany has the third largest military contingent in Afghanistan behind the United States and Great Britain.”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle reported on April 22 about Chancellor Merkel’s questionable and weak attempts to justify continued German participation in the Afghan war:

“Thursday’s plenary session in the Bundestag opened on a somber note, as tributes were paid to the 43 German soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan… Chancellor Merkel… used her address to reiterate the importance of the German mission in Afghanistan. She said ‘no one was underestimating’ how dangerous this mission is for Germany’s soldiers… She urged the people and parliament to support the mission… The chancellor also said the mission conformed with both international law and the German constitution. She said to withdraw would be ‘irresponsible’ as Afghanistan would sink into chaos and anarchy…

“Chancellor Merkel said the German soldiers killed in Afghanistan had paid the ultimate price trying to bring democracy and security to the country. She called on parliamentarians to support their efforts, so that ‘girls can go to school, the streets are safe…That’s our mission in Afghanistan’…

“Merkel’s address was met with sporadic applause from her parliamentary colleagues, although several members shouted out dissent during the speech. This dissent in the chamber reflects the unpopularity of the war in Afghanistan. The government has been under increasing pressure to justify efforts in Afghanistan to a skeptical German public. In the most recent public opinion poll, 62 percent of those asked said they wanted Germany to withdraw troops from NATO’s Afghanistan campaign.”

Mainstream German politicians–excluding the extreme Left–support a continuation of German participation in the Afghan war, for fear that otherwise Germany might become isolated. But as Der Spiegel wrote on April 22, US General Stanley McChrystal, who was visiting Germany this week, “revealed a refreshingly realistic view of the Afghanistan conflict. His message: We can win the mission, but that’s not a given.”

In spite of this uncertainty and the lack of public support, German Defense Minister von Guttenberg has promised further equipment and weaponry (but not yet more troops), thereby pushing Germany further and further into continuing military engagement in foreign lands, and that not (just) for “defense” purposes. As the Bible prophesies, this development will backfire and it will have terrible repercussions for the entire world.

Demands for a United States of Europe

The Daily Mail and the EUObserver reported recently about two radically different imagined scenarios regarding the future of the euro.

The Daily Mail wrote on April 16:

“Germany may be poised to quit the euro to set up a smaller monetary union because of the Greek crisis, according to a leading City economist… Joachim Fels, co-chief global economist at investment bank Morgan Stanley in London, warned the Greek rescue proposal sets a ‘bad precedent’ for eurozone member states and makes it more likely that the euro area ‘degenerates into a zone of fiscal profligacy, currency weakness and higher inflationary pressures’. Mr Fels suggested Berlin may be ‘better off with a harder but smaller currency union’.”

However, the EUObserver, while pointing out the dangers regarding the survival of the euro, discussed a totally different scenario. The EUObserver wrote on April 21:

“A Citigroup note to clients has warned that the eurozone is likely to fall apart unless the European Union’s member states fuse both on the fiscal and political level. ‘Europe needs to stand up and decide if it is going to be a “United States of Europe” or a “patchwork quilt” of independent states,’ reads a note by Tom Fitzpatrick, chief technical analyst at Citigroup in New York.”

As the Bible prophesies that continental Europe–modern “Babylon”–will become for a while the most powerful economic bloc on earth, the common currency of the euro for entire Europe is necessary. The creation of a new additional and separate currency for ten European nations or groups of nations (which are described in Revelation 17 and Daniel 2), is just not feasible in the light of biblical prophecy. Consequently, the proposal, as discussed by the EUObserver, has some interesting and convincing merit; namely, that the present crisis pertaining to Greece and perhaps other European countries will FORCE Europe to totally unite as an economic and political (and military) power bloc.

German Bishop Mixa Tenders Resignation

On April 22, Der Spiegel reported about German media reactions to the announcement of German Bishop Walter Mixa’s resignation:

“Embattled German Bishop Walter Mixa submitted his offer to resign to the Vatican on Wednesday amid allegations that he physically abused children and misappropriated church funds… His move followed a highly publicized request from two German bishops, urging him to temporarily step down from his position until the investigations have run their course. In Thursday’s newspapers, German editorialists welcomed news of Mixa’s offer to resign, saying his role as a representative of the church had become untenable among the flurry of accusations.

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘Right now, Mixa is ill-suited to play the role of pastor and head of a large diocese. He has continued to refuse to give candid explanations, preferring to hide behind vague pleas for forgiveness for everything and nothing…’

“The center-left Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘These days, in real life, the word “Catholic” stands for physically abusive or lustful priests. People are leaving the church in droves…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes… ‘Finally. Finally, Walter Mixa, the bishop on the edge, is stepping down. He is clearly not resigning because he has realized that he cannot reasonably perform the duties of his office as long as it is unclear how violently he … struck children in his care and how deeply he dug into the coffers of the local orphanage foundation. Rather, he is stepping down because the pressure on him has become too great… That — and not his individual deeds — is the reason why Mixa is resigning. Anyone who thinks this way should not be a bishop.”

Obama’s Nuclear Proliferation Summit

The Associated Press reported on April 12:

“Presidents, prime ministers, and top officials from nearly 50 countries mingled Monday on the threshold of President Barack Obama’s nuclear proliferation summit, the largest assembly a U.S. leader has hosted since the founding conference of the United Nations in 1945. Obama wants world leaders to confront the threat of nuclear arms falling into the hands of terrorists — a specter he labels ‘the single biggest threat to U.S. security.’ And he’s looking at the high-profile security forum here to help him reach his goal of ensuring that all nuclear materials worldwide are secured from theft or diversion within four years…

“At an unofficial parallel conference of more than 200 international nuclear experts, participants said too many around the world don’t share the concern that nuclear terrorism is an urgent threat… American nonproliferation expert Robert Gallucci told the conference he believes it’s ‘probable’ over time that terrorists will detonate an atomic weapon in a city somewhere…”

Burma–A New Nuclear Foe?

Yahoo! News wrote on April 14:

“Even as President Obama won agreement from world leaders this week to block the spread of nuclear weapons, the United States is facing a new—and unexpected—nuclear foe: Burma… Intelligence officials fear the paranoid, iron-fisted generals who run Burma see a nuclear program—and ultimately, a nuclear bomb—as a way of securing their hold on power forever…

“While most of Burma’s 50 million people live in shocking poverty, the country is rich in natural resources; the junta earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the sale of natural gas, hardwood and the fabled Burmese rubies cherished by the global gem dealers. Although it denies interest in a nuclear weapon, Burma does not hide all of its nuclear ambitions. In 2007, it signed an agreement with Russia for the construction of a small nuclear reactor on Burmese soil…

“Last June, Japanese authorities announced that they had broken up a criminal smuggling ring that was attempting to export a high-tech magnetometer to Burma…

“In 2007, Burma and North Korean restored diplomatic and military relations after a 24-year break… The alliance between the Burmese and North Koreans brings together two of the world’s most isolated, repressive and,—some would say—loony governments.”

U.S. Economy in Great Danger

Die Zeit, a highly respected German newspaper, wrote on April 8:

“The U.S. Economy is facing a new downfall.” The article continued:

“Careful–Appearance is deceptive. The seed of coming problems has been sown and can already be seen in part. But: One has to be willing to see them… The Middle class is not doing good… Smaller banks have no access to governmental financial help, as all the money has been given to the big banks. The consequence is that credit for the middle class is tremendously suffering… The recovery only affects a few big companies– the majority has still huge problems…”

Discussing the unparalleled rise of the price of copper (8000 dollars for one ton) and the rise of oil and the possibility that a barrel of oil will soon cost 150 dollars, the article said: “Such increase of over 40 percent within 12 months has in the past always led to a recession.”

The Deceitful New Health Care Bill

The Los Angeles Times reported on April 13:

“Public outrage over double-digit rate hikes for health insurance may have helped push President Obama’s healthcare overhaul across the finish line, but the new law does not give regulators the power to block similar increases in the future. And now, with some major companies already moving to boost premiums and others poised to follow suit, millions of Americans may feel an unexpected jolt in the pocketbook. Although Democrats promised greater consumer protection, the overhaul does not give the federal government broad regulatory power to prevent increases.

“Many state governments — which traditionally had responsibility for regulating insurance companies — also do not have such authority. And several that do are now being sued by insurance companies… At least in the short term, regulators will be able to do little more than require insurers to publicly explain why they want to raise rates. Consumer advocates think that will not be an effective deterrent against premium increases such as the 39% hike that Anthem Blue Cross sent some California customers last year.

“… congressional rules prevented Democratic leaders from including the rate control provision in the final healthcare package… Prior approval requires insurers to submit proposed rate increases to regulators… Insurers cannot raise premiums without explicit permission from the regulator.

“Some states have given prior approval authority to their insurance commissions and have used it to force down premiums… California… does not have the power to block health plan increases… A handful of states, such as Missouri, do not even require insurers to publicly disclose rate hikes.

“The new federal healthcare law would step up oversight of health insurers in states with such limited regulation. The bill directs the secretary of Health and Human Services to work with state regulators to develop a process for reviewing proposed premium increases to determine if they are unreasonable. Insurers that propose such hikes would be required to post justifications on their websites. Stepping up regulation doesn’t promise to be easy…”

That certain health insurance companies are free to operate in a mafia-like fashion and are permitted to bleed its customers to death by increasing annual premiums in excess of 30 % is of course an abomination and a testimony for the terrible state this country is in. It also shows the complete lack of competency of certain state regulators who should have prevented these hikes from occurring. But it is also an outrage that Washington’s political spin machine has misrepresented what the new health care law would or would not accomplish, and the American people are facing a rude awakening.

“Obama Not Qualified to Be President”

Canada Free Press reported on April 12:

“On page 31 in the transcribed text of the March 25, 2010 session of the Kenyan Parliament, there is a brief statement by the Kenyan Minister for Lands (Mr. Orengo). What Mr. Orengo says is nothing short of a bombshell, and yet not a mention has been made anywhere in the mainstream media. I think, for obvious reasons.Here is the text of the salient portion:

“‘… If America was living in a situation where they feared ethnicity and did not see itself as a multiparty state or nation, how could a young man born here in Kenya, who is not even a native American, become the President of America? It is because they did away with exclusion’…

“Since the first report of Barack Hussein Obama’s doubtful heritage surfaced, those citizens brave enough to swim upstream have been ridiculed, defamed, derided and denounced, and not just by uberliberals such as those infesting the halls of MSNBC, but by members of their own political demographic… at the very least a congressional inquiry into our sitting President’s birth record should be instigated…

“Consider NPR, National Public Radio, not a common hotbed of conservative opinion. NPR reported Obama’s birthplace as Kenya, not Hawaii.  During the presidential campaign, Michelle Obama, one who should know where her husband was born, listed Kenya as Obama’s birthplace… No less a personage than the Kenyan Ambassador to the U.S. confirmed Mrs. Obama’s assertion, using the phrase that Barack Hussein Obama’s origins in Kenya were ‘well-known’. This was backed up by the Kenyan Parliament on the day after the 2008 election. On November 5, 2008, the Kenyan Parliament refers to Obama as a ‘son of the soil’.

“That phrase may mean little in U.S. English, but in African culture it means a lot… it means that the current sitting American President is a Native Kenyan, not American…

“It seems to me that the assertions by the Kenyan Parliament are more than serious enough to warrant action… I cannot accept the suggestion that this statement of fact was anything other than just that… Barack Hussein Obama is not qualified to be the U.S. President.”

“Merkel’s Difficult Friendship with Obama”

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 12:

“Angela Merkel is traveling across America this week. It’s a country she loves, but the German chancellor is still having trouble connecting with Barack Obama. Her political style couldn’t be any more different from that of the US president. She’s fighting to prevent the US from disregarding or dominating the Europeans…

“The two years in which Merkel has interacted with Obama have been filled with tension… He is precisely the president she didn’t want to see in office… At the moment, the partners on both sides of the Atlantic are disappointed with each other. Whenever the Americans want something from the Germans, they are guaranteed to be turned down: on prisoners from Guantanamo, on sending significantly more soldiers to Afghanistan and on new economic stimulus programs.

“Merkel, on the other hand, was repeatedly appalled last year at how inconsiderate the Americans were of German or European interests. Whenever she spoke to Obama about climate protection, he was only concerned with the consequences for the United States. When the Americans settled on a new strategy for Afghanistan, they didn’t ask their allies first. Merkel also suspects that the United States is not interested in reining in the financial industry…”

As we have pointed out for many years, the relationship between the USA and Germany and continental Europe will consistently deteriorate in these last days.

Germany’s War in Afghanistan

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 12:

“Germans have a difficult relationship with war, for obvious reasons. But the current government’s attempts to play down the war in Afghanistan are cowardly. It’s time for Germany to face reality and initiate an open debate about the purpose of its mission… For quite some time, the key question has been what the Germans actually can and want to do to help change things for the better in Afghanistan. The answer is that militarily they can do practically nothing. The reason for this is not that their soldiers are poorly trained or that their equipment leaves something to be desired. Germany’s military restraint reflects a conscious policy — one that aims to keep the war in Afghanistan from becoming a political problem back home.

“Chancellor Angela Merkel is keeping her distance from the war… Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is conspicuous by his deafening silence. Thus, when the German defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, said that there is a situation in Afghanistan that would colloquially be called war, his choice of words was perceived as an act of liberation.

“Yes, there is a state of war in Afghanistan, that poor and mistreated country in the world’s most dangerous region. War is terrible. War kills civilians, including women and children. War also often changes the soldiers that fight it. There is no such thing as a just war because unjust things always happen, often accompanied by atrocities and barbarity. Yet asymmetrical wars against terrorists and insurgents are clearly an integral part of the 21st century. And sometimes, despite all reservations, fighting a war is the right thing to do…

“It is a good thing that Germany, mindful of its 20th century past, has a difficult relationship with war. Its governments, however, tend either towards dramatic exaggeration — as with former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who used Auschwitz as an argument for the Kosovo war — or towards dramatic downplaying, as Merkel and Westerwelle are currently doing…

“Today it is simultaneously more difficult and easier to justify the war in Afghanistan. It is more difficult because many illusions concerning democracy and stability in the country have been shattered. At the same time, it is easier because there is general agreement that Afghanistan should not fall again into the hands of the Taliban and al-Qaida. An even worse scenario would be if Pakistan, a nuclear power, were to be left at the mercy of extremists…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel… has to take political responsibility. This starts with the simple acknowledgment that Germany is conducting a war in Afghanistan that the chancellor feels is right. The long phase of understatement is over. The distant war has come home to Germany, and, after the period of fleeing from reality, it is now high time that Germans talk openly about war and death.”

All propaganda aside–when a left-liberal magazine like Der Spiegel advocates German participation in war, it is high time to wake up.

And the Afghan War Drags On…

The Sunday Times wrote on April 12:

“Nato plans for a massive operation in southern Afghanistan suffered a major setback yesterday when soldiers opened fire on a bus, killing four civilians [including one woman] and injuring at least a dozen more… The shootout yesterday morning sparked angry protests. Elders inside the city said what little faith people still put in the coalition had evaporated.

“‘The operation hasn’t even started yet, but every day they kill civilians,’ said Haji Wali Jan. ‘Even they must know a bus is full of civilians? If they are afraid of a bus how can they continue with an operation in Kandahar?’… Securing Kandahar city – the country’s first capital and the spiritual home of the Taleban – is seen as a key test of Barack Obama’s 30,000 soldier surge…

“The bullet riddled bus is the latest in a long and bloody line of civilian casualty incidents which threaten to undermine public support for the presence of foreign troops. President Hamid Karzai, who has wept in public demanding Nato stop killing innocent people, issued a statement condemning the attack and offering his condolences to the victims yesterday.”

…And On…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 15:

“Four German soldiers are reported dead in an attack on a military patrol in Afghanistan, less than two weeks after a deadly ambush in the same region… the soldiers were attacked with shoulder-fired rockets during a patrol between Kunduz and Baghlan. An as yet unknown number of Bundeswehr troops have been seriously injured.

“The attack came a day after German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg made a surprise visit to Afghanistan…

“The government in Berlin appeared this week to be taking steps to better equip its troops. On Thursday the Financial Times Deutschland reported that the government planned to order 60 Eagle IV armored vehicles from Swiss manufacturer Mowag. Another 90 will be ordered in 2011 according to current government plans, the paper reported.

“During his visit on Wednesday, Guttenberg had already pledged to improve the soldiers’ equipment. He promised to send two large armored howitzers, TOW anti-tank missiles and additional Marder armored personnel carriers.

“About 4,500 German troops are stationed in Afghanistan now. They currently have around 975 armored vehicles from various manufacturers… but… Guttenberg wrote that 600 of the vehicles needed to be replaced in light of an increased threat from roadside bombs and other attacks.

“Guttenberg said in the letter that the armored vehicles were needed as quickly as possible — especially considering the government’s plans to bolster the number of Bundeswehr troops in Afghanistan to 5,350. German involvement in Afghanistan remains a controversial topic for voters.”

Poland–A Firm U.S. Ally

The Associated Press wrote on April 11:

“Poland, a nation of 38 million people, is by far the largest of the 10 formerly communist countries that have joined the European Union in recent years. Last year, Poland was the only EU nation to avoid recession and posted economic growth of 1.7 percent. It has become a firm U.S. ally in the region since the fall of communism — a stance that crosses party lines. The country sent troops to the U.S.-led war in Iraq and recently boosted its contingent in Afghanistan to some 2,600 soldiers.

“U.S. Patriot missiles are expected to be deployed in Poland this year. That was a Polish condition for a 2008 deal — backed by both Kaczynski and Tusk — to host long-range missile defense interceptors. The deal, which was struck by the Bush administration, angered Russia and was later reconfigured under President Barack Obama’s administration. Under the Obama plan, Poland would host a different type of missile defense interceptors as part of a more mobile system and at a later date, probably not until 2018.”

Poland–A Secure Part of the EU

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 12:

“As the world mourns the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the 95 other victims of [an] airplane crash in western Russia on Saturday, German commentators are having a hard time agreeing on what Kaczynski’s legacy will be for Poland and its foreign relations.

“After being seen off by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Smolensk, the coffin carrying the body of Polish President Lech Kaczynski arrived at Warsaw’s military airport Sunday, where it was greeted by tens of thousands of mourning Poles, including his identical twin brother, former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, and his daughter Marta.

“Kaczynski was one of the 96 Poles — including dozens of political, military and religious leaders — who died Saturday when his aging Polish government Tupelov airplane crashed in thick fog while trying to land at the Smolensk airport in western Russia. The delegation was traveling to nearby Katyn to commemorate the 70th anniversary of a 1940 massacre in which the Soviet Union’s secret police executed more than 20,000 Polish military officers and intellectuals. Russian investigators who have examined the plane’s flight recorders have not been able to determine that there were any technical problems with the plane and instead suspect pilot error may have been involved in the crash.

“Poland has declared a week of national mourning, and its acting president, Parliament Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, has said that he will soon call for early elections, which must be held by late June. A funeral for the deceased president will not be held until the body of his wife, Maria, has been identified and returned to Poland. Identifying the bodies is expected to take two to three days and require the use of DNA analysis. In Russia, which Poland has long viewed as its historical oppressor despite recent moves toward reconciliation, President Dmitry Medvedev declared a national day of mourning.

“In Monday’s newspapers, German commentators mourn the victims of the crash while musing on Kaczynski’s legacy. They don’t seem to agree on whether he kept Poland in the past or brought it forward, or whether recent improvements in Polish-Russian relations were happening because of or in spite of him.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘… Perhaps the country can now succeed in doing what its politicians and intellectuals have failed to do in the post-Cold War period — reconcile the nation with its past, help Poles arrive at a common understanding of their own history and depoliticize this history. Kaczynski belonged to the group of politicians that is so obsessed with the past that it continues to divide the Polish people and make Poland a problematic partner in Europe… Poles should understand the catastrophe as an appeal to free themselves from the chains of their own history… Poland doesn’t need any more victims. It has found its place in Europe…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘One of the key thrusts of Lech Kaczynski’s presidency was keeping alive the memory of the crimes that Germany and the Soviet Union committed against the Poles in the 20th century…’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘… Poland is more secure and stable than ever. It is part of the EU and NATO, a beneficiary of America’s protective umbrella and no longer has to fear being ground down between Germany and Russia… While the majority of other national economies, and particularly European ones, have contracted, the Polish economy has continued to grow… Poles can be proud of what they have achieved in the last 20 years. And, from that, they should draw the energy and the confidence they’ll need to get past this horrific loss as well…'”

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 11:

“Germany had taken a complacent attitude toward its small and supposedly weak eastern neighbor. It advocated for Poland’s EU membership and believed that to be enough penance for the Nazis’ crimes… Germany is Poland’s most important trading partner and in the western part of the country especially, German mayors meet with their Polish counterparts and Polish businesses work together with their German neighbors every day.”

Controversy in Poland

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 15:

“Controversy has erupted in Poland over a decision not only to bury President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, among the most august in the country’s history, but also to bury them at all before the investigation of the airplane crash that killed them has been closed…

“If all goes according to plan, they will be buried in a state funeral Sunday at the 1,000-year-old Wawel Cathedral, whose crypt has been the resting place for Polish monarchs and national heroes for over 600 years. Still, the decision to do so — which, according to the AP, the Kaczynski family made along with Catholic church without public debate or a vote in parliament — has sparked a wave of protests… The crux of their argument is that, despite his tragic death, the often-controversial president does not merit a place among the most esteemed figures in the country’s history.

“In Thursday’s newspapers, German commentators tend to agree with the protestors, attributing the decision to the surge of emotion spawned by the tragedy. They also worry that burying him before the investigation is complete will merely provide more fodder for the suspicious.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The overwhelming majority of Poles viewed Kaczynski as an often blundering president who was not held in high regard by Poland’s European neighbors…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… While he was alive, no one in Poland would have thought of granting him a place among the kings and intellectuals in Poland’s history. The only thing elevating him to this level is the swelling of emotion felt in the core of Polish society.'”

“Poland–How To Move On…?”

On April 11, Deutsche Welle quoted the following additional comments from German newspapers:

“In an editorial, the Tagesspiegel am Sonntag called Kaczynski’s untimely death ‘a dagger in the heart.’ The Berlin-based newspaper paid tribute to his legacy, while acknowledging the often difficult relationship he had with fellow European heads of state. ‘This little man quite often drove Angela Merkel and many other European leaders to the edge of reason with his mix of provinciality, unpredictability and cunning,’ an editorial stated. ‘Yet this little man, he actually did something very big in Poland.’

“Meanwhile, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper concentrated on the ‘cynical twist of fate’ that the crash occurred en route to the Katyn memorial service to commemorate Poles massacred by Soviet troops in World War II. ‘The big moments in recent Polish history are almost all tainted with blood,’ the paper said.

“The daily Bild am Sonntag  ran the headline ‘Poland, we are crying with you,’ on the front page. Inside, the paper devoted its first eight pages to the tragedy, including a full-page picture of the crash scene. In their online coverage of the tragedy, Bild.de quoted the Polish ambassador to Germany, Marek Prawda, who openly wondered about the future of the Polish politics. ‘A big part of the Polish political class is no longer there,’ Prawda told the paper.  ‘It raises the question of how we will move on…'”

Israel Mourns for Poland

Haaretz reported on April 11:

“Israel’s leaders on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, calling him a true friend of the Jewish people and praising his efforts to heal the scars of the Holocaust. The Nazis erected their major death camps on occupied Polish soil – killing more than 3 million Jews, most of them from Poland. That strained Polish-Israeli relations after World War II.

“In recent years, ties improved dramatically and Israel considered the Kaczynski-led Poland to be among its staunchest European allies… The outpouring of grief was not limited to leaders. Ordinary Israelis flocked to the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv to light candles and lay flowers.”

Preparing for the Third Temple on the Temple Mount

A-7 News reported on April 13:

“Moslem leaders [of the Palestinian Authority] repeatedly claim that the Temple Mount – the holiest site in Judaism, where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac, where the two Holy Temples stood, and where the third is to be rebuilt – has no Jewish history or background… Similarly, Islamic Movement chief Raed Salah has said, ‘We reiterate for the 1,000th time that the entire Al-Aqsa mosque [on the Temple Mount], including all of its area and alleys above the ground and under it, is exclusive and absolute Moslem property, and no one else has any rights to even one grain of earth in it.’

“Jordan, too, has not waived its demands for sovereignty and responsibility over the Temple Mount. Jordanian government minister Abdel Salam Abbadi said last week that Jordan’s 1988 decision to disconnect from Judea and Samaria did not mean that it detached itself from Jerusalem and the holy sites…

“To counter this approach… various Jewish groups in Israel seek to cement the Jewish bonds to the Temple Mount. They visit the Mount whenever possible, attempt to secure rights for Jews to visit and pray there, arrange marches outside the Temple Mount gates, and raise Temple Mount awareness with events, classes, pamphlets, exhibits and more.

“Among them are The Temple Institute, the Organization for the Renewal of the Temple, the Sanhedrin, the Organization for Human Rights on the Temple Mount, and others… The Organization for the Renewal of the Temple has initiated a petition/letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, urging him to add the Temple Mount to his new list of sites preserved as National Heritage sites. The letter states that though ‘the Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world for the Jewish people, yet the Muslim authorities, aided by Israel Police, systematically deny the right of religious expression on the Mount to all non-Moslems. On numerous occasions the High Court of Justice has upheld the Jewish people’s right to pray at the site, yet the police continue to prevent this. Furthermore, Jewish visitors are harassed and degraded… Please, end this travesty and allow Jewish freedom of expression at the Temple Mount. I urge you include the Temple Mount in your “Heritage Plan” of sites significant to the Jewish people.’

“The Temple Institute, engaged in education, research, and development towards the Holy Temple in accordance with Biblical law, recently held its 29th annual Temple Institute Passover Symposium… Issues discussed included questions such as, ‘Will massive digital screens allow worshippers to observe the work of the High Priest from a great distance? Will computers be used to keep track of the sacrifices, public and private? Will special impurity-proof buses be used to transport Passover pilgrims and their Paschal offerings?'”

Obama’s Attacks on Israel

On April 12, Newsmax published the following article by former New York Mayor and Democrat Ed Koch:

“I weep as I witness outrageous verbal attacks on Israel. What makes these verbal assaults and distortions all the more painful is that they are being orchestrated by President Obama. For me, the situation today recalls what occurred in 70 A.D. when the Roman emperor Vespasian launched a military campaign against the Jewish nation and its ancient capital of Jerusalem.

“Ultimately, Masada, a rock plateau in the Judean desert, became the last refuge of the Jewish people against the Roman onslaught. I have been to Jerusalem and Masada… The Jews of Masada committed suicide rather than let the Romans take them captive. In Rome itself, I have seen the Arch of Titus with the sculpture showing enslaved Jews and the treasures of the Jewish temple with the menorah, the symbol of the Jewish state, being carted away as booty during the sacking of Jerusalem…

“The most recent sacking of the old city of Jerusalem — its Jewish quarter — took place under the Jordanians in 1948 in the first war between the Jews and the Arabs, with at least five Muslim states — Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq — seeking to destroy the Jewish state.

“At that time, Jordan conquered East Jerusalem and the West Bank and expelled every Jew living in the Jewish quarter of the old city, destroying every building, including the synagogues in the old quarter and expelling from every part of Judea and Samaria every Jew living there so that for the first time in thousands of years, the old walled city of Jerusalem and the adjacent West Bank were ‘Judenrein,’ a term used by the Nazis to indicate the forced removal or murder of all Jews. Jews had lived for centuries in Hebron, the city where Abraham… pitched his tent and where he now lies buried, it is believed, in a tomb with his wife, Sarah, as well as other ancient… patriarchs and matriarchs…

“My loyalty and love is first to the U.S. which has given me, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants, so much. But, I have also long been cognizant of the fact that every night when I went to sleep in peace and safety, there were Jewish communities around the world in danger. And there was one country, Israel, that would give them sanctuary and would send its soldiers to fight for them and deliver them from evil, as Israel did at Entebbe in 1976.

“I weep today because my president, Barack Obama, in a few weeks has changed the relationship between the U.S. and Israel from that of closest of allies to one in which there is an absence of trust on both sides… our closest ally, the one with the special relationship with the U.S., has been demeaned and slandered…

“I believe President Obama’s policy is to create a whole new relationship with the Arab states of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, and Iraq as a counter to Iran, the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the Muslim world, which we are now prepared to see in possession of a nuclear weapon… I am shocked by the lack of outrage on the part of Israel’s most ardent supporters… Members of Congress in both the House and Senate have made pitifully weak statements against Obama’s mistreatment of Israel, if they made any at all. The Democratic members, in particular, are weak…

“To those who call me an alarmist, I reply that I’ll be happy to apologize if I am proved wrong. But those who stand silently by and watch the Obama administration abandon Israel, to whom will they apologize?”

Obama’s Far-Reaching Shift

The New York Times wrote on April 15:

“It was just a phrase at the end of President Obama’s news conference on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder of a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreement. When Mr. Obama declared that resolving the long-running Middle East dispute was a ‘vital national security interest of the United States,’ he was highlighting a change that has resulted from a lengthy debate among his top officials over how best to balance support for Israel against other American interests.

“This shift… is driving the White House’s urgency to help broker a Middle East peace deal…”

Hungary Shifts to the Right

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 13:

“The people of Hungary shifted to the right in their general election on Sunday, evicting the Socialists from government after eight years, handing the center-right Fidesz party of Viktor Orban a strong mandate to form a government and making the far-right Jobbik party the third-strongest force in parliament…

“German media commentators are worried about the resurgence of nationalism in Hungary and wonder whether its political system is strong enough to cope with the hate-filled polarization that has swept the country. The Jobbik party got some 17 percent after campaigning on a deeply xenophobic platform. Commentators said Jobbik makes the Freedom Party of the late Jörg Haider, the Austrian populist, and Dutch right-winger Geert Wilders seem moderate.

“Left-wing Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘Twenty years after the end of the collectivist dictatorship, Hungary has turned into a grubby hive of nationalism in which far-right blood and soil ideologies are flourishing, pseudo-democrats are hailing the glorious history of the Magyars and militant racists are fighting against an allegedly “overflowing” number of foreigners and ethnic minorities living in the country by parading around the streets with machetes and Molotov cocktails…’

“‘The right-wing extremists of the Jobbik party and their militant followers from the New Hungarian Guard have been engaging in unabashed badgering of homosexuals, Roma and Jews. They raid districts where Roma people live and are campaigning for the restoration of Greater Hungary by demanding the incorporation of all the provinces of Romania, Slovakia, the Ukraine and Serbia in which Hungarian ethnic minorities live…

“‘The incoming prime minister, Viktor Orban, and his Fidesz party… gave the right-wing extremists the feeling of being secret allies in the fight against the post-communist Socialists, and the sense that they may even one day be allowed to join government. When Jörg Haider’s Freedom Party joined the government in Austria there was an uproar in Europe. The Hungarian Fidesz party is even more right-wing than Haider’s people in many respects. Europe has ignored this development far too long…’

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The former model country Hungary is a prime example of what can go wrong if reforms are carried out too late…’

“Conservative Die Welt writes: ‘Hungary has been unable to escape the clutches of a difficult history that has been laced with defeat and has therefore fuelled national resentments. It’s worrying that more than two-thirds of Hungarians have opted for parties that either toy with right-wing populism or are openly reactionary. The crisis, which is not just economic, has brought the ghosts of the past back onto the political stage. The propaganda of aggressive self-pity has worked, and last Sunday was a black day for minorities such as the Roma. Europe can only hope that the electoral success of the right-wing extremists will serve as a warning to the new prime minister, Viktor Orban. He must now clearly distance himself from the ghosts that he himself has helped to awaken.’

“Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Hungary hasn’t developed a sense of democracy or any enthusiasm for the parliamentary system…’

“Berlin daily Tagesspiegel writes: ‘The victory of the national conservative Viktor Orban and the entry of the far-right protest party Jobbik into the Budapest parliament are a desperate and resigned reaction to a miserable economic situation, a rapid rise in debt and increasing social dislocation in the country. They are of course also a punishment for the Socialists, who ruled for eight years and destroyed themselves as a serious political force… Central Europe is part of the whole of Europe once again. But its political structures aren’t stable enough to withstand the severest political quakes. Hungary is in the process of putting the new era of freedom and self-determination to a dangerous test.'”

Hungary, as an integral part of a united Europe, may be a precursor of things to come…

The Euro Jumps…

The Sunday Times wrote on April 12:

“The euro surged to a one-month high and stock markets in Asia rallied today as traders welcomed a €30 billion (£26.5 billion) loans package [at well below the market rate]  for Greece, agreed by the currency’s [Eurozone] member countries to help the country tackle its debt crisis.

“The euro surged to $1.3691 against the dollar, its highest level since mid-March, although concerns about the long-term nature of Greece’s debt burden and worries about how the loans package would be implemented limited its gains… A further sum will be available from the International Monetary Fund as part of the package, understood to be between €10 billion and €15 billion.”

The BRIC Nations–A New Power Bloc

The Indian edition of Zeenews.com reported on April 14:

“The BRIC nations — Brazil, Russia, India and China — are set to wrestle with international pressure to back sanctions against Iran when they hold the second-ever summit in Brazil at the end of the week. The diplomatic issue is expected to be raised at the Friday gathering in Brasilia, along with other matters involving the four countries, which together represent 40 percent of the world’s population and which have emerged as an increasingly powerful bloc on emerging economies. The meeting is sandwiched between a Washington summit early this week on nuclear security, and a looming UN Security Council vote on whether to broaden sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

“The United States, Britain, France and Germany have been urging the BRICs to support sanctions against Iran… Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the five permanent council members whose power of veto mean they must support or at least abstain on any sanctions resolution. Brazil is a temporary UN Security Council member with no veto power, but it is one of Iran’s biggest defenders at the world body’s top table — and therefore the focus for lobbying by the Washington and other Western capitals.

“Thus far, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has shown no sign of acquiescing, even after a trilateral meeting with US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday…

“The BRIC nations together accounted for nearly half the world’s growth this decade, and 16 percent of the world’s economic output, according to the IMF.”

We can expect to see a growing world influence, especially in political, economic and MILITARY matters by the “BRIC” nations.

More Strong Earthquakes

Foodconsumer reported on April 11: “The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the Solomon Islands on Sunday April 11, 2010 at 08:40 p.m.”

Sky Channel reported on April 11:

“Is it almost time for the big one? We’ve seen a string of large earthquakes in the last year. Haiti, Japan, Mexico, Southern California… and now Spain. Early Monday morning in Granada, Spain (Sunday evening on our east coast), a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck. The epicenter of the quake was 15 miles southeast of… Granada, and about 230 miles south of Madrid. Major damage has not been reported and is not likely considering the tremor was at a depth of 400 miles. Geophysicist Susan Potter said that ‘when an earthquake is deeper, the seismic energy is absorbed by the Earth. So there will be less damage expected in the epicenter area’. We’re wondering if these quakes will continue, and where the Earth will decide to shake next…”

Subsequently, the Associated Press reported on April 14:

“A series of strong earthquakes struck a mountainous Tibetan area of western China on Wednesday, killing at least [600] people and injuring more than 10,000 as houses made of mud and wood collapsed, officials said. Many more people were trapped, and the toll was expected to rise.

“The largest quake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey as magnitude 6.9… The USGS recorded six temblors in less than three hours, all but one registering 5.0 or higher. The China Earthquake Networks Center measured the largest quake’s magnitude at 7.1.”

Volcanic Eruption in Iceland

Deutsche Welle reported on April 15:

“Hundreds of people in Iceland were evacuated and flights across northern Europe were grounded Thursday after a volcanic eruption in southern Iceland. The eruption, on Wednesday, melted part of a glacier, triggering flash floods and causing property damage…

“Airlines canceled flights in Britain, Norway, Sweden and Denmark due to poor visibility and the possible damage that volcanic ash can cause to aircraft engines. German flag carrier Lufthansa said it was halting some flights as airspace over parts of northern Germany was closed to civilian air traffic.

“Flights in and out of London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, as well as other British airports were canceled until at least 17:00 GMT, including many transatlantic flights. In Scotland, the airports in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh were also closed. Travel delays to Europe were reported as far away as San Francisco in the United States… Airports in Sweden, Norway and Denmark were closed indefinitely as a giant cloud of ash and smoke affected visibility in the region. About 100,000 passengers in Norway were stranded at Oslo airport due to the disruptions… The cancellations were also expected to spread to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and northwestern Russia starting Thursday afternoon…

“This is the second volcanic eruption in Iceland in a month. The earlier eruption, at the same glacier in March, was the first since 1823 and spewed lava for weeks.”

BBC News added on April 15:

“Up to 4,000 flights are being cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark among others… The volcano is still spewing ash and the wind direction is expected to continue bringing clouds into UK and European airspace for some time to come.

“The UK’s airspace restriction was the worst in living memory, a Nats spokesman said. Some 600,000 people are thought to have been affected.”

The Telegraph wrote on April 15:

“Volcanic ash, which consists of the pulverised rock and glass created by the eruptions, can jam aircraft machinery if a plane flies through the plume, shutting down the engines. Ash can also be sucked into the cabin itself, contaminating the passengers’ environment as well as damaging the plane’s electronic systems.”

The Catholic Church’s Misconduct

The Associated Press and MSNBC reported on April 14:

“In an investigation spanning 21 countries across six continents, The Associated Press found 30 cases of priests accused of abuse who were transferred or moved abroad. Some escaped police investigations. Many had access to children in another country, and some abused again.

“A priest who admitted to abuse in Los Angeles went to the Philippines, where U.S. church officials mailed him checks and advised him not to reveal their source. A priest in Canada was convicted of sexual abuse and then moved to France, where he was convicted of abuse again in 2005. Another priest was moved back and forth between Ireland and England, despite being diagnosed as a pederast, a man who commits sodomy with boys…”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on April 15:

“Pope Benedict XVI for the first time addressed the Vatican’s handling of the sex-abuse crisis, saying the Church should ‘do penance’ in response to recent public attention to its ‘sins’… ‘We Christians, even lately, have often avoided the word “penance”… Now, under the eyes of the world that speaks of our sins, we see that doing penance is grace and we see how penance is necessary,’ he added. The excerpts of the pope’s homily did not specifically mention sex-abuse by priests.”

Even when trying to at least indirectly address the grave misconduct of the Vatican, the pope resorts to unbiblical and ungodly concepts such as “penance”–something which the Bible nowhere teaches.

Homosexuality to Blame for Pedophilia?

Der Stern wrote on April 13:

“The ‘foreign minister’ of the Vatican [Cardinal Secretary Tarcisio Bertone, also referred to in the article as the right hand of the Pope] defended again the criticized celibacy within the Catholic Church and blamed instead homosexuality for the crimes perpetrated on the children.”

The article continued:

“Bertone says that scientific results justify his opinion: ‘Many psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that there is no link between celibacy and paedophilia, but many others have shown, I have recently been told, that there is a relationship between homosexuality and paedophilia. That is the truth and the problem.'”

Reuters reported on April 14:

“Gay groups and politicians condemned Pope Benedict’s number two on Wednesday for calling homosexuality a ‘pathology’ and linking it directly to sexual abuse of children. The comments made by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone during a visit to Chile… and the controversy they caused, were splashed on mainstream Italian newspapers on Wednesday. The French foreign ministry and in some Catholic blogs that support the pope also condemned the cardinal’s remarks…

“Gay rights activists reacted with derision and outrage. ‘This is a scientific absurdity. The World Health Organization calls homosexuality a variation of human behaviour. It is paedopholia that is a pathology, a crime, not homosexuality,’ said Franco Grillini, a former parliamentarian who was at the vanguard of Italy’s gay rights movement.’

“A front-page editorial in Rome’s left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper titled ‘The Confusion in the Church’ said Bertone’s comments would end up causing the Church more ‘harm to itself, not homosexuals.’ Bertone was also criticized by Alessandra Mussolini, a right-wing parliamentarian whose grandfather, wartime Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, sent gays into internal exile. ‘You can’t link sexual orientation to paedophilia . . . this link risks becoming dangerously misleading for the protection of children,’ Mussolini said.

“ArciLesbica, Italy’s main lesbian rights group, accused the Vatican of using ‘violent and deceptive statements’ to divert attention from its abuse scandal and said Italian parents should consider removing their children from Church-run institutions.”

It is of course true that most pedophiles are homosexuals, but not all homosexuals are pedophiles. To try to exculpate FORCED celibacy is denying one of the problems for pedophilia. Rather than making necessary changes in unbiblical doctrines, the Catholic Church is determined to continue its wrong practices, which are based on paganism and human traditions. And as critics of the church are becoming louder and more vocal, so will the church in its response.

In a clumsy attempt to “clarify” its position, the Vatican only added insult to injury. BBC News reported on April 14:

“A spokesman provided ‘data’ to support the claim, but also said Church leaders were not trying to make assertions of a ‘psychological or medical nature’… Vatican spokesman… Lombardi insisted the cardinal had not been making an assertion, but also detailed its ‘statistical data’ on the abuse of minors by priests… ‘Church authorities do not consider it their responsibility to make general statements of a specifically physiological or medical character, which is why they naturally refer back to experts’ study and ongoing research on the subject,’ he said.”

This is stunning! The Catholic Church is unwilling to say what SIN is–rather leaving it to “experts” to explain the reasons for sinful conduct!!!

To Arrest and Try the Pope?

Deutsche Welle reported on April 12:

“Richard Dawkins, the British scientist and Christopher Hitchens, the British-American author and journalist – both vocal atheists – support efforts to ascertain whether Pope Benedict XVI can be arrested and tried when he comes to Britain in September. Hitchens is paying lawyers to look into the possibility of prosecuting the pope for crimes against humanity in the wake of the sex abuse scandal that has embroiled the Catholic Church worldwide. While Dawkins is not contributing financially, he says on his Web site that he ‘wholeheartedly supports it.’

“Hitchens has hired human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC and solicitor Mark Stephens from the London law firm Finers, Stephens Innocent, who both believe they can make a case against the pope. ‘It is clearly a crime against humanity to be complicit in the cover-up of a crime against humanity, and that would be susceptible to being heard before the ICC [International Criminal Court] in The Hague,’ Stephens told Deutsche Welle.

“‘The alternative is, if and when the pope comes to this country [the UK] in the autumn, individuals who have been abused will be able to bring criminal proceedings in the criminal courts of the UK,’ he explained. Robertson also believes that the Holy See can no longer ignore international law. The Catholic Church’s cover-up of cases of abuse in Ireland, for example, he writes in the British newspaper The Guardian, ‘amounts to the criminal offence of aiding and abetting sex with minors.’

“Pope Benedict is to be in Britain from September 16-19, the first papal visit to the country since 1982. Stephens argues that the pope is not a head of state, so he does not have to be granted immunity from prosecution, and could, therefore, be arrested on British soil. ‘The Vatican is not a country, as you and I understand it, it’s not a member of the UN, the US prevented it from becoming a member of the United Nations,’ he told Deutsche Welle…

“The Catholic Church has been rocked by allegations of sexual abuse in the US, Ireland, Austria and, most recently, the pope’s native Germany… A recent poll by the newsmagazine Focus shows that the majority of Germans have no faith in the Roman Catholic Church and a quarter of the Catholics surveyed are considering leaving the Church in the wake of the recent revelations…”

All legalese and atheist thinking aside, such a lawsuit, even if it were to be permitted to be pursued, should be destined to failure, as the Vatican is viewed as a state or a country, and the pope is considered as the head of the Vatican STATE. IF a British court were to rule otherwise and actually try the Pope, this would result in condemnation from the entire “Christian” world. Of course, stranger things have happened… After all, the Bible prophesies that ultimately, Britain, the USA and the state of Israel will be hated by all other nations.

Contaminated Vaccines

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) wrote on April 7:

“On March 22, 2010, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials adhering to the precautionary principle advised American doctors to suspend use of Rotarix vaccine until the agency finds out why DNA from a swine virus… was found in the live rotavirus vaccine… Rotarix is a genetically engineered vaccine… created by isolating human rotavirus strain infecting a child in Cincinnati and using African Green monkey kidney cells to produce the original viral seed stock from which all Rotarix vaccine has been made…

“Contamination of vaccines with animal viruses is not new. In the 20th century, polio vaccines given to tens of millions of people worldwide were contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40), which was found to cause cancer in animals and is associated with human brain, bone and lung cancers but the government denies SV40 is causing those cancers in humans…

“There has been controversy about the link between experimental polio vaccines tested in Africa in the 1950’s and 1960’s that were contaminated with a monkey virus… Soon after the polio vaccine trials in Africa… HIV… emerged… Many questions about the failure of researchers and technology to screen for monkey viruses in those vaccines remain to this day…

“Vaccine manufacturers have long used cell material that comes from the bodies of mammals, including humans, monkeys, cows, pigs, dogs and rodents, as well as birds or insects to make vaccines now in use or to make experimental vaccines. There is an inherent risk of contamination with viruses and other microbes (or DNA from those microbes) that can escape detection during the vaccine development, testing, licensing, manufacturing and oversight process…

“In searching for ways to make seasonal influenza vaccines in a faster, easier and less expensive way than relying on chicken eggs for production, drug companies have experimented with using dog kidney cells and human fetal retinal cells. However, these cell lines have been documented to cause tumors in animals, especially dog kidney cells…

“There are lots of questions about how the manufacturer of Rotarix vaccine and the FDA both missed the pig virus DNA contaminating the original seed stock and all doses of Rotarix vaccine given to more than one million American children in the past few years… What about the significance of finding bird viral DNA in measles vaccine and the monkey viral DNA in RotaTeq vaccine?…

“The contamination of Rotarix vaccine is only the latest in a long history of vaccine contamination issues that require a re-examination of the way vaccines are made and tested… The big question people are asking is:  why do drug companies making vaccines continue to use cells from animals, birds and insects that can be contaminated with viruses and other adventitious agents that are hard to detect? The FDA was right to suspend use of Rotarix vaccine until they know more. Hopefully, this serious vaccine production and testing issue will be addressed immediately by vaccine manufacturers. If not, the next pandemic or serious health problem affecting large populations may be one that comes out of a vaccine lab.”

Drugs, Poisons and Heavy Metals in Our Meat

The Huffington Post wrote on April 15:

“Washington dumped some more bad news Friday afternoon when the USDA’s Office of Inspector General issued a damning and unsettling report on the department’s ‘National Residue Program for Cattle.’ It found gaping holes in the safety of American beef production, including residue of drugs, poisons and heavy metals in the meat we eat.

“It’s a stomach-turning, chilling read… ‘Based on our review, we found that the national residue program is not accomplishing its mission of monitoring the food supply for harmful residues,’ the USDA’s oversight office wrote. The audit revealed that USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), along with the FDA and EPA, ‘have not established thresholds for many dangerous substances (e.g., copper or dioxin), which has resulted in meat with these substances being distributed in commerce.’

“Even worse, the federal government does not attempt to recall meat, ‘even when its tests have confirmed the excessive presence of veterinary drugs,’ the audit said… some US beef is contaminated with heavy metals like copper and arsenic, antibiotics like Flunixin, penicillin, and Ivermectin, and a host of pesticides – all of which are used in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), better known as factory farms.”

Major Mexican Earthquake

Trading Markets reported on April 4:

“A nuclear power plant in Southern California remained intact after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook the region on Sunday, authorities said. The temblor did not result in the shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in the region… The nuclear plant is built to withstand a 7.0 earthquake 5 miles (8 km) away, according to San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)…

“The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at 7.2 magnitude, correcting its previous measurement of 6.9 magnitude. The quake struck in Baja California, Mexico, southeast of Mexicali, at 5:40 p.m… The shaker rocked all of Southern California, and sent high rise buildings in Los Angeles and San Diego rocking back and forth.

“Nearly 2,400 customers lost power in Dana Point… near Los Angeles… In San Diego County, more than 600 customers lost power in Borrego Springs when the earthquake struck… Three strong jolts including a magnitude-5.1 aftershock were felt in the Imperial County desert east of San Diego in the hour after the magnitude-7.2 quake struck. Magnitude-4.5 and magnitude-4.3 aftershocks came before and after… The earthquake was also felt in Phoenix and Las Vegas…

“The epicenter for the quakes was under a small volcanic caldera that last erupted about 10,000 years ago, located about 20 miles ( 32 kilometers) southeast of the border crossing between Calexico, California, and Mexicali, Mexico. The caldera, which is home to a large geothermal power plant, has been delivering small-to-moderate quakes for the past several months.”

More and stronger earthquakes will occur soon, including in the United States. Christ referred to earthquakes, which will increase in strength, as one of the signs indicating His return.

Use of Nuclear Arms–Major Shift in Policy

BBC News reported on April 6:

“President Barack Obama’s administration has unveiled a defence policy to significantly narrow the circumstances in which the US would use nuclear arms. But its Nuclear Posture Review warned that countries breaking the rules would remain potential targets. The US strategy document also raised concerns about a ‘lack of transparency’ in China’s nuclear programme. The review comes two days before Mr Obama and his Russian counterpart sign a landmark nuclear arms reduction pact.

“The deal, agreed last month, commits Russia and America to big cuts in nuclear warheads and is to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), which expired last December… The document is carefully worded – it limits the use of nuclear weapons but carves out exceptions to use them against countries that break the rules – in other words countries like North Korea and Iran…

“President Obama though is likely to be criticised by both sides- the left will say he should impose a blanket ban on the use of American nuclear warheads. The right will say he’s undermining the credibility of America’s nuclear deterrent by limiting the circumstances in which it can be used…

“For the first time, the US is ruling out a nuclear response to attacks on America involving biological, chemical or conventional weapons. But this comes with a big caveat: countries will only be spared a US nuclear response if they comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – this does not include Iran and North Korea…

“The new nuclear pact – which Mr Obama is due to sign on Thursday in Prague with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev – commits the former Cold War rivals to significant cuts in their weapons’ stockpiles. The treaty would restrict both Moscow and Washington to a maximum of 1,550 warheads each, about 30% less than currently allowed, the US says. But Russia drew some lines in the sand on Tuesday, warning it could pull out if it decided a US missile defence shield, proposed for Europe, threatened its security.”

While America is willing to sign this Treaty with Russia unconditionally, in its attempts to “buy” allies, Russia reserves the right to withdraw. The Bible prophesied that America’s and Britain’s allies will finally turn against them.

The New York Times added on April 5:

“… the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary. Mr. Obama’s strategy is a sharp shift from those of his predecessors… For the first time, the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or launched a crippling cyberattack… White House officials said the new strategy would include the option of reconsidering the use of nuclear retaliation against a biological attack, if the development of such weapons reached a level that made the United States vulnerable to a devastating strike.

“Mr. Obama’s new strategy is bound to be controversial, both among conservatives who have warned against diluting the United States’ most potent deterrent and among liberals who were hoping for a blanket statement that the country would never be the first to use nuclear weapons…

“The most immediate test of the new strategy is likely to be in dealing with Iran, which has defied the international community by developing a nuclear program… Mr. Obama said he was now convinced that ‘the current course they’re on would provide them with nuclear weapons capabilities,’ though he gave no timeline…

“There are five declared nuclear states — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China. Three states with nuclear weapons have refused to sign — India, Pakistan and Israel — and North Korea renounced the treaty in 2003. Iran remains a signatory, but the United Nations Security Council has repeatedly found it in violation of its obligations, because it has hidden nuclear plants and refused to answer questions about evidence it was working on a warhead.”

It should be clear that this announcement will weaken the USA militarily. The Bible prophesied that in these last days, America will lose the pride of its power and will become increasingly unwilling to defend itself, even in times of war.

The New Arms Reduction Agreement–Experts Skeptical

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 8:

“The presidents of the United States and Russia have signed a new arms reduction agreement in Prague signalling a willingness to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But experts on the whole are largely disappointed…

“The Prague signing this week is being sold by Washington spin doctors as further evidence of Obama’s courageous commitment to reducing nuclear weapons and his desire to ‘reset’ relations with Russia but experts are skeptical of how historic the agreement will turn out to be and whether Obama’s vision is anything other than a utopian pipe dream…

“Nick Witney, a transatlantic and defence expert at the European Centre for Foreign Relations… believes that… the agreement suggests the US focus is moving away from Europe and that this could have repercussions for European defense. ‘The US is no longer worried about defending Europe from those land invasion scenarios of the Cold War…’, he said. ‘… What will happen is that the Europeans will be forced to look more at their own defense strategies and spending…’

“… some eastern European nations are nervous at the growing détente between the US and Russia for other reasons, particularly the possibility of President Obama acquiescing should Moscow demand an end to plans for a US missile shield in Europe in return for full disarmament cooperation in future agreements.”

This development highlights the ongoing discussion in Europe about the need for coordinated European defense strategies and the establishment of a European army.

New U.S. Health Care — Nothing But Confusion…

The “McClatchy Newspapers” wrote on April 6:

“Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them. Questions reflecting confusion have flooded insurance companies, doctors’ offices, human resources departments and business groups.

“… the call center had been inundated by uninsured consumers who were hoping that the overhaul would translate into instant, affordable coverage. That widespread misconception may have originated in part from distorted rhetoric about the legislation bubbling up from the hyper-partisan debate about it in Washington and some media outlets, such as when opponents denounced it as socialism…

“Adults with pre-existing conditions are frustrated to learn that insurers won’t have to cover them until 2014 (though those under 18 will be protected in late September); then they become both hopeful and confused upon learning that a federal high-risk pool for them will be established in the next few months…

“The Obama administration is embarking on a years-long public education campaign about the overhaul, including a Web component. However, much of the guidance will depend on Department of Health and Human Services regulations that are still being developed.

“Parents of young adults, including those who are preparing to graduate from college this spring, have heard that the overhaul will let them keep their children on their insurance plans until they reach age 26. That starts in September, however; they have to determine how to cover them until then. A new wave of inquiries could come next month as federal COBRA subsidies for laid-off workers dry up…

“Americans who already have good coverage aren’t so worried about the immediate implications, but some admit that they’re plenty confused… Many small business owners are nervous about requirements being phased in… Suntan businesses face a new excise tax starting in July as part of the overhaul. Other business owners are trying to understand new Internal Revenue Service reporting requirements related to business-to-business transactions that will kick in as a result of the new law. Others are looking ahead to coverage mandates for 2014 and calculating how many part-time versus full-time employees they should have to best contain costs.

“While Obama has been touting a tax credit for small businesses that offer employees health coverage… many small businesses wouldn’t be able to participate… The president has begun traveling the country to talk about the new law to ordinary Americans… However, Obama’s remarks were laced with enough political rhetoric to dilute his policy message…”

Violence in Iraq

The Associated Press reported on April 4:

“Suicide attackers detonated three car bombs near embassies in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 42 people and wounding more than 200 in back-to-back bombings. Authorities said they foiled two other attacks aimed at diplomatic targets. The bombings came two days after a chilling execution-style attack by gunmen who raided homes south of Baghdad, killing 24 people, many of them believed to be anti-al-Qaida fighters. The rise in bloodshed after a relative lull deepened fears that insurgents are seizing on the political uncertainty after last month’s close parliamentary elections to sow further instability.

“Sunday’s blasts went off within minutes of each other – one near the Iranian Embassy and two others in an area that houses several embassies, including the Egyptian Consulate, and the German and Spanish embassies… The force of the blasts shook buildings and rattled windows miles away. AP Television News footage showed civilians outside the Iranian Embassy loading casualties into police vehicles and ambulances. Stunned victims in bloody clothes fled the scene as smoke rose…

“While overall violence has dropped considerably in Iraq since 2006 and 2007, the ability of insurgents to carry out large well-planned attacks against prominent targets in the heart of Baghdad shows that significant security lapses remain.”

To believe that there will ever be rest and peace in Iraq prior to Christ’s return would reflect hopeless naivety. In addition, Europe is outraged about revelations of prior misconduct of American troops in Iraq, as the next article shows.

Europe Outraged Over American Misconduct in Iraq

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 8:

“In the latest high-profile leak of sensitive material onto the Internet, the Web site WikiLeaks has published a video showing an attack on civilians by US soldiers in Baghdad three years ago that killed a dozen people. It has been authenticated by a senior US military official. The video was recorded by cameras in US Apache helicopters and records a deadly attack on a group of civilians from the air. It was later discovered that the group included two employees of the Reuters news agency…

“The Berliner Zeitung says it is hard to support the US military view that the 2007 attack was a fight between insurgents and soldiers. ‘The leaked WikiLeaks material shows bloodthirsty soldiers coldly pursuing their business’…

“‘There is only one word to describe what happened that day: murder,’ writes the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The newspaper criticized the soldiers ‘casual’ use of ‘excessive force’. ‘Nothing in the images suggests the victims were terrorists or insurgents,’ it writes. ‘The pilots were not fired on, there were no comrades on the ground, it was broad daylight and visibility was good — all the usual excuses which the military usually uses for civilian deaths. Instead, it shows trigger-happy American soldiers, talking into the camera, calmly killing a dozen people.’

“The Polish daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita says the video undoes some of the good work that American troops are doing abroad. ‘So you win a war. Build hospitals in Iraq, roads in Afghanistan, train the local police and organize free elections. But all of America’s good intentions are overshadowed with one compromising video recording,’ it writes.

“Writing on the Guardian’s ‘comment is free’ site, Douglas Haddow highlights the similarity between reality and warfare computer games. ‘It demonstrates how similar the logic of the Apache pilots is to that of the average gamer,’ Haddow writes. He adds that the video forces the viewer ‘to simultaneously confront both the deplorable unreality of American aggression and the grim fate of those caught within its scope’…

“The video shows the ‘omnipotent war machine’ according to German daily newspaper Der Tagespiegel. It writes that watching the video is like being involved in a vile and cynical reality television show…”

Violence and Unrest in Afghanistan

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 6:

“On Friday, Taliban fighters ambushed and killed three German soldiers in Afghanistan, leaving eight wounded, four severely. In a separate incident, German Bundeswehr troops killed six Afghan soldiers in the northern Afghan region of Kunduz. The incidents have added new fodder to a public debate over Germany’s role in Afghanistan that has intensified following the killing of civilians in a bombing strike against the Taliban in September.

“Over the weekend, German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg offered an assertive response to the tragic developments. Speaking to the press on Sunday, the defense minister addressed the incidents, rejecting criticism at home that German troops had been underequipped and ill-prepared for responding to the Taliban ambush, and apologizing for the accidental killing of six Afghan soldiers in the ‘friendly fire’ incident…

“The incidents come on the heels of an increasingly tense situation between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Afghanistan’s Western allies. On Thursday, the Afghan leader accused the United Nations and the international community of helping to perpetrate [a] ‘vast fraud’ during last year’s presidential elections…

“Even though Karzai didn’t mention the United States by name, the American government described the speech as ‘genuinely troubling.’ Karzai attempted to control the damage by calling Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, but then he turned around and expressed repeated anti-NATO sentiments at a private meeting of around 70 Afghan politicians on Saturday… He also accused the US of interfering in Afghan affairs and said the Taliban insurgency would become a legitimate resistance movement if the meddling doesn’t stop…

“German commentators express their concern over the recent turn of events in Afghanistan…

“The left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘Karzai is clearly determined to become his own man… What this means for democracy and human rights — let alone women’s rights — is unthinkable. But it is not as if the international community has been particularly interested in this issue over the past year — even though that was the justification for war in the Hindu Kush in the first place…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… For the Americans and their allies, Karzai’s unconcealed verbal attacks have caused political discomfort. For it was they who put Karzai in office and, despite obvious vote rigging, it was them supporting him over the past year. Karzai himself is no innocent lamb… Now that it lacks any real means to pressure Karzai, the West must be prepared for more nasty surprises. It is not unforeseeable that he will enter into a relationship with some part of the Taliban in the near future…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The road to reality is paved with death. It wasn’t so long ago that one German defense minister, Franz Josef Jung, insisted that Afghanistan was a “stabilization mission” for the German armed forces. Then, in September 2009, dozens of people were killed in a bombing on a river in Kunduz ordered by a German colonel. This led new Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to come up with the phrase: “Conditions similar to war.” Three dead Germans and six dead Afghans, killed by German armed forces, later and Guttenberg is saying one can speak colloquially, at least, of “war.”

“Reductions in the number of foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan will begin in 2011. This promise matches reality about as well as trying to put a beer bottle cap on a coffee cup. And Guttenberg’s words of “war” only make this disparity more marked. If the German Bundeswehr is at war, then the debate should be not only about pulling out, but also about what the military is allowed to do until then. Should the military be limited to defending itself — or should it allowed to attack? How many victims are we willing to accept — from among German soldiers, from among Afghan soldiers and in extreme cases, from among the civilian population? Or will the majority in the German parliament and in the German public no longer support war under these circumstances?’

“The conservative newspaper Die Welt writes: ‘… On Good Friday, the US Air Force declined to attack entrenched Taliban fighters — even though, in this case, German soldiers were truly in danger. Under no circumstances should any civilians get killed as they were in the Sept. 4 air attack in Kunduz, the thinking went. But the Taliban can also tell when their enemies are hesitating — and Karzai can sense it too.'”

As is the case with Iraq, we will not see any peace in Afghanistan, either, prior to Christ’s return. It is interesting that Germany is realizing that they are at WAR, and demands become louder that German soldiers must be allowed to ATTACK, not just to defend themselves. At the same time, the German government, including Defense Minister Guttenberg, are becoming more and more unpopular while trying to justify the unexplainable–why German soldiers should continue to fight in Afghanistan. This is especially true in light of the report that the US Air Force refused to come to the defense of German soldiers.

Coming–The Third Temple?

The Jerusalem Post reported on March 29:

“While tensions continue to simmer around the Temple Mount after riots in and around the capital’s Old City earlier this month, a new campaign calling for the construction of the Third Temple atop the holy site has made its way to the sides of 200 Egged buses in the city, which now sport posters featuring a picture of a rebuilt temple on the Mount…

“The posters… were sponsored by the Our Land of Israel group, which is led by Rabbi Shalom Dov Volpo and activist Baruch Marzel… The campaign’s organizers chose to plaster the posters on buses whose routes take them through predominately Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.

“With regards to the campaign, Volpo said Israel is waiting breathlessly for the coming of the messiah and the rebuilding of the temple. ‘The Arabs and President Obama know that the Temple will be built on the Temple Mount,’ he said. ‘Instead of the temporary buildings that are there today.’”

The Bible strongly suggests that a third temple will be built in Jerusalem PRIOR to Christ’s return. This development, in conjunction with the beginning of sacrifices, will catapult the region into incredible unrest, turmoil and war.

Turkey Accuses Israel

AFP reported on April 7:

“The prime minister of Turkey, Israel’s only ally in the Muslim world, on Wednesday branded the Jewish state the ‘principal threat to peace’ in the Middle East. [His] remarks… marked a new low in rapidly deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey, which once had close military and political ties. ‘If a country uses disproportionate force in Palestine, in Gaza — uses phosphorous shells — we’re not going to say “bravo”,’ he declared, referring to Israel’s January 2009 offensive against Hamas-controlled Gaza.”

The Bible foretells that in the end, Turkey will turn against Israel.

UK General Election on May 6

BBC News reported on April 6:

“Political leaders have headed off on the campaign trail after Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the UK general election would be held on 6 May. He said he would seek a ‘clear’ mandate to continue the ‘road to recovery’, as Labour bids for a fourth term. David Cameron, whose Conservative Party has been ahead in the polls, said they offered ‘hope’ and a ‘fresh start’. Nick Clegg, leader of the UK’s third biggest party the Liberal Democrats, said only they offered ‘real change’….

“Mr Brown said: ‘We will say to the British people: “Our cause is your cause”‘… But Mr Cameron said he offered a ‘modern Conservative alternative’ and his party offered ‘hope, optimism and change’ and a ‘fresh start’. ‘It’s the most important general election for a generation. It comes down to this. You don’t have to put up with another five years of Gordon Brown.'”

These slogans sound all too familiar. But real change, hope and optimism will ONLY come, when Jesus Christ returns.

The Pagan Easter Festival

The Frederick News Post wrote on April 4:

“While most people can explain what Easter represents, they are at a loss for words when asked about the origins of the Easter Bunny and the egg hunt tradition… Many websites… trace the nonreligious celebration of Easter to pagan practices. Most accounts suggest the modern Easter Bunny sprang from pre-Christian fertility lore. The rabbit was the most fertile animal known, and it came to represent new life as spring emerged.

“The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival honoring Eastre, their goddess of fertility… What we know as the Easter Bunny was first mentioned in Germany during the 15th century… The rabbit was known as Osterhase… in Germany… It is thought that Germans who settled in Pennsylvania brought their homeland’s Easter tradition to the U.S. Tradition held that the bunny would lay brightly colored eggs for good children who made special nests in their caps or bonnets the night before Easter.”

The celebration of Easter is based on pagan worship. Even though some professing Christians seem to realize the true origins of Easter, they don’t really seem to care. However, our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–Man’s Holidays or God’s Holy Days,” explains WHY it is wrong to celebrate Easter.

The Roman Catholic Scandal

The following articles show that the sex scandal is not going away any time soon. The strategy of the Vatican and the Roman Church, not to admit guilt and instead to attack the “accusers,” may pay off. More and more faithful Catholics will ultimately become tired of the accusations and they will come to the defense of their organization.

Even though some bishops in Europe openly disagree at this time with the Vatican’s strategy, the overwhelming majority, especially in Latin America, welcomes and endorses it.

In the light of biblical prophecy predicting a total alienation between Catholics and Jews, it is also interesting to note that the Catholic rhetoric has angered Jews and again strained the relationship between that church and the Jewish communities.

Vatican on the Attack

The New York Times wrote on April 4:

“A prominent cardinal, in a marked departure from Easter Mass tradition at the Holy See, stood before Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday and delivered a very public show of support in the face of growing anger over the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal — a topic that the pope stayed resolutely aloof from in his Easter appearances.

“The remarks by the prelate, Angelo Sodano, a former secretary of state and the dean of the college of cardinals, came among a chorus of denunciations by church officials of what they have framed as a campaign of denigration of the church and its pontiff.

“Shortly before the Mass started, with thousands of pilgrims filling a rain-swept St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Sodano offered special greetings to the pope, wished him a happy Easter and said the bishops and 400,000 priests around the world stood by him. ‘Holy Father, the people of God are with you, and do not let themselves be impressed by the gossip of the moment, by the challenges that sometimes strike at the community of believers,’ Cardinal Sodano said…

“Benedict rose to greet Cardinal Sodano with an embrace, clasping his shoulders warmly and shaking his hand. Vatican observers said they could not recall such an appearance in past Easter celebrations in St. Peter’s…

“The church hierarchy, from local bishops to the cardinals who run the church to Vatican officials, have grown increasingly aggressive in lashing back at sweeping criticism of the church, and more pointedly, at charges that Benedict failed to act strongly enough — both as a bishop in his native Germany and as leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith before coming pope — against pedophile priests. The congregation had overall responsibility for such cases starting in 2001, and selectively before that. Benedict became pope in 2005.

“The divide between the church and its critics, who include victims’ rights advocates and lawyers, editorial voices and even the archbishop of Canterbury, has widened in the past two weeks, in the week of continuing disclosures about a history of molestation of children by priests in parishes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France.

“Leading the charge has been the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, which on Sunday published a summary of comments over Easter weekend in support of Benedict from bishops around the world. The headlines said Benedict was the target of ‘crude propaganda’ and a ‘base defamatory operation.’

“Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the archbishop of Mexico City, said Benedict was facing ‘defamation and attacks of lies and vileness because of a few dishonest and criminal priests.’ Lima’s archbishop, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, said the church’s enemies have mistreated the pope with ‘an unusual lack of respect for the truth and an incredible show of cynicism.’ Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, the archbishop of Paris, cited an ‘offensive that aims at destabilizing the pope, and through him, the church.’ Carding Vingt-Trois said such an offensive ‘should not hide our failings and our eventual errors.’

“The closing of ranks notably included a sermon delivered before the pope on Good Friday by the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, who equated the criticism of the church over the priest sex abuse scandal with anti-Semitism, antagonizing both victims’ groups and Jewish leaders. That appeared to go too far. The Vatican’s official spokesman disassociated the Holy See and the pope from the sentiment, and Father Cantalamessa backtracked in an interview published Sunday in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera…”

Vatican Angers Jews

Regarding Cantalamessa’s comments, quoted above, Deutsche Welle reported on April 3:

“Stephan Kramer, Secretary General of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the comments were ‘impertinent and an insult to the victims of sexual abuse as well as victims of the Holocaust.’ Kramer added that the Vatican ‘is falling back upon the regular methods it has used over the decades to suppress and hide any affairs which compromise’ the Catholic Church…

“The Vatican quickly tried to distance itself from the comments, saying they ‘should not be interpreted as an official position.’ But, some Jewish groups are insisting on a personal apology from the pope for the words delivered by the priest. ‘These hurtful remarks were made in the presence of the pope and the pope himself should take responsibility and apologize for them,’ said Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the international Jewish human rights group. Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo di Segni, also condemned the sermon by the pope’s personal preacher…”

The Local added on April 3:

“Kramer said he finds it highly unlikely the pope’s preacher would make such a statement without Vatican approval. ‘It was a step taken at a high level to relativise anti-Semitism and the Holocaust,’ he said, adding that such remarks make religious dialogue between Jews and Catholics impossible. The Central Council of Jews in Germany has also criticised a German bishop for comparing the criticism by the press of the Church over the predator priest scandal to Nazi methods.”

Vatican Strongly Condemned by European Bishops

Deutsche Welle added on April 4:

“The celebrations leading up to Easter Sunday have been overshadowed by European bishops condemning the church’s role in child abuse cases…

“The leader of Germany’s Roman Catholic bishops, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch said the Catholic Church must examine its ‘dark aspects as well as our own shadowy sides’… Belgian Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard of Mechelen-Brussel also denounced what he called the ‘guilty silence’ of the Church, criticising officials for often caring more about the reputation of priests rather than the abused children.”

Fresh Scandal in America

Deutsche Welle reported on April 4:

“In the United States, a fierce defender of Pope Benedict XVI during this ongoing scandal has now come under personal scrutiny. Court documents show Cardinal William Levada reassigned a priest and alleged child molester in the 1990s without warning parishioners… He was asked if he had warned parishioners about the Oregon priest’s past – inappropriate sexual behaviour with teenagers in the 1970s. He said no. Levada now heads the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and was chosen for the post by his predecessor and then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger…”

Latin American Catholic Church to the Defense

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 2:

“In Latin America, home to nearly half the world’s Catholics, church leaders are reacting cautiously, if at all, to the sex abuse scandal rocking the Vatican. Few of the region’s top clerics have spoken out since allegations of pedophilia and other crimes committed by priests in Europe and the United States began stacking up at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI. Many, not surprisingly, have leaped to the pope’s defense…

“Roman Catholicism is planted deeply in Latin American culture. Most Latin Americans grew up in the church, and the hierarchy is generally quite conservative, thanks in part to efforts by the Vatican under the late Pope John Paul II to displace leftist priests… The Latin American Bishops Conference, in a statement published Friday, expressed solidarity with the pope and lashed out at the ‘baseless’ and ‘calumnious’ news reports — mostly in the U.S. — that suggest Benedict was an accomplice in covering up rape and other crimes by priests.

“Some experts on the Vatican are predicting that the sex abuse scandal will spread through Latin America. The region has already seen a number of cases… In Brazil, the world’s most populous Catholic country, three priests are under police investigation, suspected of having had sex with altar boys and other children and teens for years.”

Vatican Under Attack

On March 31, 2010, The Economist  printed the following telling cartoon:

Current Events

This week, we focus on the EU deal pertaining to Greece, showing Germany’s dominant influence in Europe. The BBC wrote it was a deal “on German terms,” and MSNBC commented that it was “a clear victory for German Chancellor Angela Merkel.” The mass tabloid Bild wrote: “By taking on our chancellor, Europe has bit off more than it can chew.” And Der Spiegel Online said that all EU member states fell in line “like dominos.” Reuters concluded that “the masks have fallen” and that we have now reached a “more German Europe,” with the possibility that for those “outside the euro zone or the EU, the outcome could be a two-class Europe in which an inner core, under strong German influence, increasingly calls the shots.” Times on Line warns of a future clash between Germany and Britain.

In other news, the number of deaths or injuries of American troops is sky-rocketing, while America refuses to sell any major weapons to Israel, but it is more than anxious to sell advanced weapons to Egypt and the Arab League states, including Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At the same time, Arab nations are uniting against Israel, asking Europeans to help them in their endeavor.

Insurance companies are already beginning to circumvent the mandates of the new U.S. Health Care law, and its constitutionality is being challenged in court. Suicide Chechen bombers killed innocent civilians in Russia, allegedly in “retaliation” of the brutal treatment of Chechen civilians by Russian soldiers, showing that violence only breeds more violence.

The widening worldwide Catholic sex scandal has been described by CNN as the worst crisis the Catholic Church has ever faced. However, the Vatican and the Pope remain defiant, and while denying many of the allegations, they become more and more aggressive toward those who criticize them. Irresponsible claims by an irate leading Catholic publisher were made this week on CNN’s Larry King show, shouting that there was “no shred of evidence” for any culpability of the pope or the Vatican. Other Catholic leaders even went so far as to blame the “attacks” on the pope on the devil. Lack of trust by Germans–Catholics and non-Catholics alike–in the pope or the Catholic Church has reached unparalleled low levels, as more and more scandals are being revealed almost on a daily basis and the roles of the current and former popes in these scandals are being scrutinized.

Der Spiegel Online asked in an editorial why the pope does not simply resign, concluding that this is unlikely, due to his [false] claim that he is the spiritual successor of the Apostle Peter. The magazine also warned about the dangerous course of conduct Ratzinger has been taking since becoming pope: “… he has done more damage to his church than good. He has strained relations with Jews several times, he played with fire in relations between Christians and Muslims with his Regensburg address, he angered the indigenous people during his Latin America trip, he has alienated Protestants and he has shown himself to be conciliatory to Holocaust deniers. Even loyal Catholics have been stunned by the course of action he has taken.”

While the Catholic Church is confronted with its abominable sex scandal, Germany’s openly homosexual Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, announced that he will be the official patron of the eighth annual Gay Games in Cologne this summer, and scientists spend over 10 billion dollars in their vain and futile attempts to learn more about the beginning of the universe.

This is the crazy world we are living in!

German Deal on Greece….

BBC News reported on March 26:

“All 16 eurozone countries have backed a financing plan to help debt-laden Greece, which will include IMF money… The plan was worked out at a summit in Brussels. Greek PM George Papandreou called it ‘a very satisfactory’ move. The president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said the deal was significant ‘not just for Greece, but for the stability of the eurozone’…

“It was, as is so often the case, German approval that swung it, and it is a deal done on German terms. Early on in this crisis the idea that the IMF would be involved in bailing out Greece was regarded as a humiliation for Europe; but Germany insisted that the IMF would play a role, and so it will, alongside loans from individual members of the eurozone.

“There’s more in the deal that Germany wanted – a call for strengthened surveillance of economic and budgetary risks and a task force to look at what further measures are needed.”

MSNBC and the Associated Press wrote on March 25:

“The deal at a summit meeting Thursday night in Brussels was a clear victory for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had taken a tough line on any bailout. She demanded that a rescue for Greece only come when the country runs out of other options and said it must include the IMF… Germany sees itself as a fierce defender of prudent budget spending and is unwilling to use its taxpayer money to help Greece, which overspent and faked budget figures for years…”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 26:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel managed to convince the rest of the euro zone to back her concept for a Greek bailout…

“In the end, it was like dominoes. French President Nicolas Sarkozy indicated his agreement early in the week; the rest of the euro zone leaders followed just prior to the beginning of the European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday evening. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Luxembourg’s leader Jean-Claude Juncker, European Central Bank boss Jean-Claude Trichet — one European torch-bearer after the next gave up their opposition to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“… Merkel was able to bask in a brief ray of domestic popularity as a result. Even the tabloid Bild found room for a bit of Merkel-related triumphalism. ‘By taking on our chancellor, Europe has bit off more than it can chew,’ read the paper’s Thursday headline…

“Merkel sees the new German toughness as providing a way forward for the euro zone. Someone has to stand up for the currency’s stability, seems to be her position. Indeed, she even appeared prepared to abandon her famous pragmatism in her defense of the euro…”

A More German Europe

Reuters wrote on March 26:

“The masks have fallen. From now on, we will all be living in a more German Europe, with economic policy driven by Berlin’s hair-shirt export-or-die model. That is the lesson of a deal among euro zone leaders on a financial safety net for debt-stricken Greece, adopted largely on German conditions on Thursday after months of wrangling that battered confidence in the single European currency.

“‘The politics of the EU are undergoing a fundamental change at present, with Germany becoming increasingly willing to cast off the shackles of the past and make its voice heard,’ said RBS analyst Timothy Ash in a research note… ‘This will ultimately lead to German political and financial hegemony without sublimation,’ said Ulrike Guerot of the European Council on Foreign Relations…

“In the tradition of EU leadership, it was euro co-founders France and Germany who negotiated the compromise on Greece that was then ratified by the other 14 euro zone members, and eventually by the whole 27-nation EU… France made most of the concessions to convince Merkel not even to open her chequebook but at least to agree to show it… Merkel’s domestic weakness may have made her more assertive in Brussels and others more willing to accommodate her…

“Britain and Poland were irritated that decisions affecting the continent’s future, including on EU budget discipline, were being taken by the 16 euro zone leaders while they were in the dark, waiting outside the room. Even those inside the meeting had little option but to accept Germany’s conditions for a fallback mechanism to protect the euro zone against a possible sovereign default. ‘Next time we might as well just phone to find out what’s been agreed by France and Germany,’ one EU diplomat said…

“For those outside the euro zone or the EU, the outcome could be a two-class Europe in which an inner core, under strong German influence, increasingly calls the shots.”

The Bible prophesies that Europe will unite and that Germany will play a leading role. Ultimately, we will witness the emergence of ten European nations or groups of nations–a “core” Europe–being led by a charismatic political and military leader of German or Austrian descent.

Coming Clash Between Germany and Britain?

Times On Line wrote on March 27:

“David Cameron was facing the unwelcome prospect last night of a referendum on Europe after Germany called for a new EU treaty to strength the rules of the eurozone. The demand from Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, left the Tory leader — or Gordon Brown if he is re-elected — on course for an early clash with Germany over plans that would be seen as heading towards a European economic government.

“Both Labour and the Conservatives are committed to a referendum on future treaty changes but none had been on the agenda until the Mrs Merkel’s intervention yesterday. The move is particularly unhelpful to Mr Cameron, who would want to develop a good working relationship with the EU after years of hostility, and particularly with its Centre Right leaders. Tories fear that any referendum in Britain could turn into a wider debate on whether Britain should stay in the EU…

“Mr Cameron could argue that Mrs Merkel’s demands would not directly affect Britain and need not trigger a referendum. She will also have difficulty convincing France, Sweden and others that a new EU treaty is needed after the drawn-out process of passing the Lisbon Treaty.”

It is very likely that Britain will ultimately exit the EU.

Number of U.S. Troops’ Deaths and Injuries on the Rise

The Associated Press reported on March 27:

“The number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan has roughly doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year as Washington has added tens of thousands of additional soldiers to reverse the Taliban’s momentum. Those deaths have been accompanied by a dramatic spike in the number of wounded, with injuries more than tripling in the first two months of the year and trending in the same direction based on the latest available data for March…

“After a summer marked by the highest monthly death rates of the war, President Barack Obama faced serious domestic opposition over his decision in December to increase troops in Afghanistan, with only about half the American people supporting the move. But support for his handling of the war has actually improved since then, despite the increased casualties…

“A rise in the number of wounded – a figure that draws less attention than deaths – shows that the Taliban remain a formidable opponent. The number of U.S. troops wounded in Afghanistan and three smaller theaters where there isn’t much battlefield activity rose from 85 in the first two months of 2009 to 381 this year, an increase of almost 350 percent. A total of 50 U.S. troops were wounded last March, an average of 1.6 per day. In comparison, 44 were injured during just the first six days of March this year, an average of 7.3 per day.”

America’s attempts to play a decisive role in foreign affairs are doomed. God announced thousands of years ago that because of America’s unwillingness to obey Him, He will withhold His blessings from the nation.

No More American Weapons for Israel?

A7 News reported on March 25:

“The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) revealed in a January report that was updated recently that… over the last year, the Obama administration has refused to approve any major Israeli weapons requests. Government sources asserted that the refusal represents a new White House policy to link arms sales to the Jewish state with the Netanyahu government’s willingness to submit on Washington’s demands that Israel surrender Judea, Samaria and most of Jerusalem to the American-backed Palestinian Authority…

“[There are] American plans to sell F-16s, Harpoon Block 2 anti-ship missiles, Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, fast attack craft and helicopters to the Egyptians. In addition to the advanced weapons sold to Egypt, Washington has also approved more than $10 billion worth of arms sales to Arab League states, including Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates…

“According to the report, the failure to sponsor Israel’s qualitative edge, which violates a pledge given more than 40 years ago to maintain Israel’s military superiority over its neighbors, began not with Obama but under the previous administration of President George W. Bush… A major U.S. policy shift came in 2004, when the Bush Administration needed Gulf Arab help for the American-led invasion of Iraq – particularly after Turkey denied Bush entrance into Iraq from the north – and wanted to bolster Washington’s influence and ability to deal with regional problems…

“According to the report, the U.S. aid to Arab states has hampered Israeli military cooperation with Washington…”

America is trying to buy allies in the Arab world, but this attempt is not sanctioned by God and doomed to fail.

Arabs vs. Israel

AFP wrote on March 27:

“Arab leaders open their annual summit on Saturday determined to send a clear message to Israel that any plan to ‘Judaise’ Jerusalem would spell doom for the Middle East peace process. The summit is the first to be hosted by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, the longest-serving Arab head of state who considers Israel the ‘enemy’ and has frequently lambasted Arab countries who seek peace with the Jewish state.

“It comes amid a spiral of violence that an Israeli general said killed two soldiers and four Palestinians on Friday as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to stay the course with his east Jerusalem settlement policy… Pro-Western and radical Arab leaders have also been angered by the opening of a restored 17th century synagogue near the Al-Aqsa mosque compound — home to Islam’s third holiest site…

“Libya, which wants the summit to be one of unity, has also invited UN chief Ban Ki-moon, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to address Saturday’s opening session. Ban arrived Friday and met with Arab officials, including Abbas, to brief them on last week’s meeting of the Middle East Quartet — the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations — which called on Israel to halt settlements.”

The Bible prophesies that many Arab nations will unite against Israel, and that Germany will ultimately be part of that anti-Israel confederation. Are we beginning to see the fulfillment of this prophecy?

The New Health Care Law…

The New York Times wrote on March 28:

“Just days after President Obama signed the new health care law, insurance companies are already arguing that, at least for now, they do not have to provide one of the benefits that the president calls a centerpiece of the law: coverage for certain children with pre-existing conditions. Mr. Obama, speaking at a health care rally in northern Virginia on March 19, said, ‘Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.’

“The authors of the law say they meant to ban all forms of discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes, birth defects, orthopedic problems, leukemia, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease. The goal, they say, was to provide those youngsters with access to insurance and to a full range of benefits once they are in a health plan.

“To insurance companies, the language of the law is not so clear. Insurers agree that if they provide insurance for a child, they must cover pre-existing conditions. But, they say, the law does not require them to write insurance for the child and it does not guarantee the ‘availability of coverage’ for all until 2014.

“William G. Schiffbauer, a lawyer whose clients include employers and insurance companies, said: ‘The fine print differs from the larger political message. If a company sells insurance, it will have to cover pre-existing conditions for children covered by the policy. But it does not have to sell to somebody with a pre-existing condition. And the insurer could increase premiums to cover the additional cost.'”

“Congressional Democrats were furious when they learned that some insurers disagreed with their interpretation of the law…”

… Will It Survive?

The Washington Times wrote on March 29:

“The same Supreme Court justices whom President Obama blasted during his State of the Union address this year may ultimately decide the fate of his crowning achievement as more than a dozen states have called on the courts to strike down the health insurance mandate of Democrats’ health care overhaul – a move that would threaten the entire law.

“Two major constitutional challenges have been levied against the new law, one by the state of Virginia, which enacted a law exempting its citizens from the federal health insurance mandate, and another by Florida and 12 other states. Legal scholars are divided on the merits of the cases, and even Congress.. has said it’s an open question whether the provision could pass constitutional muster.

“At issue is the scope of the federal government’s power over states and individuals. Critics of the law say the requirement that all Americans buy insurance or pay a fine, if allowed, would mean that Congress has virtually boundless authority to compel actions. Proponents argue that legal precedents support an expansive reading of the legislative branch’s license to regulate such activity… The mandate, which doesn’t take effect until 2014, is central to Democrats’ goal of insuring about 32 million more Americans.”

After all the time, money, political maneuverings and efforts spent and waisted on the new health care laws, it might have been all for nothing… As the Bible says: When the Lord does not build the house, the laborers toil in vain.

Suicide Bombings in Russia

Deutsche Welle reported on March 31:

“The Islamist group ‘Emirate of the Caucasus’ has claimed responsibility for this week’s Moscow metro bombings, a Chechen Internet site said on Wednesday. In a video statement recorded on Monday, the leader of the group, Doku Umarov, said the purpose of the attack had been to avenge ‘the massacre by Russian invaders of the poorest residents of Chechnya and Ingushetia, who were picking wild garlic in the Arshty village on February 11, 2010, to feed their families.’

“In the video… Umarov warned of fresh strikes against Russia, saying soldiers stabbed their victims to death and then ‘mocked’ their corpses. He told Russians that ‘war will come to your streets, and you will feel it with your own lives and skins.’

“The video – the authenticity of which couldn’t be independently confirmed – was the first claim of responsibility for Monday’s metro bombings in Moscow that killed 39 people. In response, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered security forces to apprehend the masterminds, saying they would be caught even if police had to ‘scrape them from the sewers.'”

Even though these kinds of suicide bombings must be condemned, it is true that the Russians have dealt with utmost brutality in their “fight” against Chechen civilians. As Christ said: “When you take the sword, you will perish by the sword.”

Vatican Under Attack

The New York Times wrote on March 24:

“Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit. The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the priest should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal.

“The documents emerge as Pope Benedict is facing other accusations that he and direct subordinates often did not alert civilian authorities or discipline priests involved in sexual abuse when he served as an archbishop in Germany and as the Vatican’s chief doctrinal enforcer. The Wisconsin case involved an American priest, the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, who worked at a renowned school for deaf children from 1950 to 1974…

“Father Murphy not only was never tried or disciplined by the church’s own justice system, but also got a pass from the police and prosecutors who ignored reports from his victims, according to the documents and interviews with victims. Three successive archbishops in Wisconsin were told that Father Murphy was sexually abusing children, the documents show, but never reported it to criminal or civil authorities.

“Instead of being disciplined, Father Murphy was quietly moved by Archbishop William E. Cousins of Milwaukee to the Diocese of Superior in northern Wisconsin in 1974, where he spent his last 24 years working freely with children in parishes, schools and, as one lawsuit charges, a juvenile detention center. He died in 1998, still a priest…

“The Vatican’s inaction is not unusual. Only 20 percent of the 3,000 accused priests whose cases went to the church’s doctrinal office between 2001 and 2010 were given full church trials, and only some of those were defrocked… To many, Father Murphy appeared to be a saint…”

In a related article, the New York Times wrote on March 24:

“The fallout from the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church settled across Europe on Wednesday, as prosecutors said they were weighing criminal charges against a priest suspected of molesting children in Germany, and Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of a bishop accused of mishandling allegations of abuse in Ireland.

“… church officials in Munich said the priest, the Rev. Peter Hullermann — whose transfer in 1980 to an archdiocese led at the time by Benedict, then Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, has drawn the pope himself into the nation’s child abuse controversy — had been accused of molesting a minor as recently as 1998.

“The latest revelation comes as church officials in northern Germany say they have “credible evidence” of at least two other cases of sexual abuse committed by Father Hullermann in the 1970s, adding to a trail of accusations that suggest a pattern of abuse over two decades. During that time, church officials repeatedly transferred Father Hullermann to new parishes and allowed him to work with children, even after a 1986 conviction for sexually abusing boys.”

On March 25, The New York Times published the following editorial:

“Pope Benedict XVI’s latest apology for the emerging global scandal of child abuse by predatory priests — an issue that the Roman Catholic Church should have engaged years ago — is strong on forgiveness but far short of the full accountability that Catholics need for repairing their damaged church.

“With the scandal spreading across Europe, Benedict apologized to Irish Catholics last week for the “sinful and criminal” sexual abuse of thousands of children across decades. But he made no mention of the need to discipline diocesan leaders most responsible for shielding hundreds of priests from criminal penalties by moving them from parish to parish to continue their crimes.

“The pope’s apology fell short not only for Catholics in Ireland, but for those in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, where hundreds of new allegations are emerging to be investigated by a Vatican office that has but 10 workers to do the job…

“It was hard to see how Vatican officials did not draw the lessons of the grueling scandal in the United States, where more than 700 priests were dismissed over a three-year period. But then we read Laurie Goodstein’s disturbing report in The Times on Thursday about how the pope, while he was still a cardinal, was personally warned about a priest who had molested as many as 200 deaf boys. But church leaders chose to protect the church instead of the children. The report illuminated the kind of behavior the church was willing to excuse to avoid scandal.

“… what is most urgently needed was well described by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel — ‘truth and clarity about everything that took place.’”

… And Now Also in Italy…

MSNBC wrote on March 25:

“Revelations that the Vatican halted the investigation of a Wisconsin priest accused of molesting some 200 deaf boys have eerie echoes in Italy, where 67 deaf men and women accused two dozen priests of raping and molesting children for years… The two cases are the latest in a burgeoning abuse scandal on both sides of the Atlantic that now threatens to tarnish the papacy itself…”

What Did Pope John Paul II Know?

The Associated Press wrote on March 26:

“The Vatican is facing one of its gravest crises of modern times as sex abuse scandals move ever closer to Pope Benedict XVI – threatening not only his own legacy but also that of his revered predecessor… as attention focuses on Benedict, a perhaps thornier question looms over how much John Paul II, beloved worldwide for his inspirational charisma and courageous stand against communism, knew about sex abuse cases and whether he was too tolerant of pedophile priests.

“John Paul presided over the church when the sex abuse scandal exploded in the United States in 2002 and the Vatican was swamped with complaints and lawsuits under his leadership. Yet during most of his 26-year papacy, individual dioceses and not the Vatican took sole responsibility for investigating misbehavior.”

Should the Pope Resign?–Ratzinger a Dangerous Pope!

Der Spiegel Online published the following editorial on March 25:

“Allegations that Pope Benedict XVI may have had detailed knowledge about instances of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church continue to mount… With his authority eroded, why does he even remain in office?

“When is it time for a pope to resign? Margaret Kässmann, the former head of the Protestant Church in Germany, stepped down in February upon deciding that she no longer had the necessary moral authority for her office after being caught driving drunk. But how much authority does Pope Benedict XVI still enjoy?

“These days, what is left is disappearing almost daily. Each new detail about the role he played in his church’s handling of instances of sexual abuse erodes it further. But a pope doesn’t just resign. He is not the CEO of a company, not the head of a political party — he is the direct spiritual descendent of the Apostle Peter.

“It is, in theory, possible according to church law. Canon 332, Paragraph Two, provides for a papal resignation, allowing the pope to step down whenever he wishes and without asking anyone for permission. But in the long history of the Catholic Church, it is extremely uncommon. Pope Celestine V was the most recent church leader to resign — 700 years ago.

“And even if numerous abuse victims have long been calling for Benedict to stand down, it is simply not papal to turn one’s back on the papacy. Instead, the Vatican prefers to reject any accusations that have been made as being fully unfounded… The Church’s motto has long seemed to be ‘the perpetrators first.’ They were taken good care of — the victims, however, were left to their own devices.

“Since 1982, Ratzinger had been responsible for that part of the Vatican which deals with cases of sexual abuse. Who, other than he, was responsible for the Church’s path? You can rename Ratzinger ‘Benedict,’ SPIEGEL wrote in the face of the euphoria over the German pope that spread here after his election to the papacy in 2004, but you can’t take Ratzinger out of the pope. Since then, as pope, he has done more damage to his church than good. He has strained relations with Jews several times, he played with fire in relations between Christians and Muslims with his Regensburg address, he angered the indigenous people during his Latin America trip, he has alienated Protestants and he has shown himself to be conciliatory to Holocaust deniers.

“Even loyal Catholics have been stunned by the course of action he has taken. And now, on top of all that — one area where he has been consistent over the decades has been in his negligence in dealing with pedophiles within his own institution… What happened behind the facades of the Church is still far from being an open book… Evil has been perpetrated inside one of the highest moral authorities, one whose men have preached from the pulpit in the finest detail about what is right and what is wrong…”

Vatican’s Denials and Attacks

BBC News reported on March 25:

“The Vatican has condemned claims that Pope Benedict XVI did nothing about a US priest who is suspected of molesting up to 200 deaf boys decades ago. A Vatican newspaper editorial said the claims were an ‘ignoble’ attack on the Pope and that there was no ‘cover-up’… One victim told the BBC that the Pope had known ‘for many years’… But the Vatican’s rather lame excuse for lack of any action is that canon law, as Church law is called, ‘does not envision automatic penalties’…

“Meanwhile, one of the Pope’s top aides, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, told reporters there was ‘a conspiracy’ against the Church, without specifying who was responsible.”

Times On Line wrote on March 28:

“Pope Benedict XVI has opened Holy Week indicating that he will ‘not be intimidated’ by accusations against the Vatican over the clerical sex abuse crisis. In his Palm Sunday address the Pope said that Jesus Christ ‘leads us towards courage which does not allow us to be intimidated by the chatter of dominant opinions, towards patience which supports and sustains others’…

“Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, former archbishop of Milan and at one time a contender for the papacy, told an Austrian paper that priestly celibacy should be ‘reviewed’ as a possible cause of abuse by clergy. The Vatican has rejected suggestions that celibacy causes abuse, and Pope Benedict this month reaffirmed it as ‘a gift to God.'”

If All Fails–Blame It on the Devil…

The Catholic News Agency (CNA) wrote on March 31:

“Noted Italian exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, commented this week that the recent defamatory reporting on Pope Benedict XVI, especially by the New York Times, was ‘prompted by the devil.’… ‘There is no doubt about it.  Because he is a marvelous Pope and worthy successor to John Paul II, it is clear that the devil wants to “grab hold” of him.’ Father Amorth added that in instances of sexual abuse committed by some members of the clergy, the devil ‘uses’ priests in order to cast blame upon the entire Church: ‘The devil wants the death of the Church because she is the mother of all the saints.'”

Pope Can’t Testify–Enjoying Immunity as Head of State

Reuters reported on April 1:

“Pope Benedict, accused by victims’ lawyers of being ultimately responsible for a cover-up of sexual abuse of children by priests, cannot be called to testify at any trial because he has immunity as a head of state, a top Vatican legal official said on Thursday… the pope is protected by diplomatic immunity because more than 170 countries, including the United States, have diplomatic relations with the Vatican. They recognize it as a sovereign state and the pope as its sovereign head…

“The Vatican has taken off the gloves in its response to media reports alleging the pope mishandled a series of abuse cases before he was elected. It launched a frontal attack on the New York Times on Wednesday night by posting a long statement on its website… by Cardinal William J. Levada, who succeeded the pope… as head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department.”

The Catholic Church is a religious STATE, patterned after other STATES–a fact which has clearly been prophesied in the Bible. See Revelation 13:11-15.

Germans–Little Trust in Catholic Church or the Pope

The Local wrote on March 24:

“Trust in the Catholic Church has taken a heavy blow… with barely one in six Germans saying they had confidence in the Church in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal. German-born Pope Benedict XVI has also suffered a crippling blow to his authority, with fewer than one in four people saying they trusted him personally, the poll published by Stern news magazine found.

“Just 17 percent said they trusted the Church and 24 percent the Pope. That compares with 29 percent and 38 percent respectively in a similar poll taken at the end of January. The poll taken by the Forsa surveying firm found that, even among Catholics, only a minority trusted either the Church or the Pope. Just 39 percent had confidence in the Pope, down from 62 percent at the end of January, while 34 percent trusted the Church, down from 56 percent.

“Among non-denominational Germans, just 5 percent said they trusted the Church. By comparison, the Protestant Church’s standing has barely been affected by the recent resignation of its leader Margot Käßmann, who was caught driving drunk. Some 42 percent of Germans said they had faith in [the] Church compared with 44 percent at the end of January. Among Protestants, trust was at 65 percent, actually a slight rise on the 64 percent registered six weeks ago.”

As has happened in history on numerous occasions, when the pope or the leadership of the Catholic church were criticized, they responded by launching out–sometimes with violent means–against those who dared to question them. The current reaction of the Vatican or leading Catholics was to be expected. Many Catholics begin to see what their leadership is all about, but they are too much “Catholic” in their heart than to think of leaving the organization. However, God tells us: “Come out of her [modern Babylon], my people, least you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelation 18:4-5).

Germany’s Foreign Minister Patrons Gay Games…

The Local reported on March 25:

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has agreed to be the official patron of the eighth annual Gay Games in Cologne this summer… On July 31, Germany’s first openly gay minister and vice chancellor, who is in a long-term relationship with entrepreneur Michael Mronz, will kick off the quadrennial games at the Rhein Energie Stadium.

“Westerwelle’s participation was a ‘clear signal for more tolerance and acceptance of homosexual people in our society,’ Gay Games Cologne 2010 director Annette Wachter said, adding that organisers hope this will enhance how the athletes are received in their daily lives. More than 12,000 athletes from around the world are expected at the games, which run from July 31 to August 7 in the city.

“The first Gay Games event took place in 1982 in the California city of San Francisco with the aim of fighting discrimination against lesbians, gays and bisexuals.”

In spite of modern “enlightenment,” God calls homosexuality a sin and does not endorse the practice.

The Atom Smasher…

The Associated Press reported on March 30:

“The world’s largest atom smasher threw together minuscule particles racing at unheard of speeds in conditions simulating those just after the Big Bang — a success that kick-started a mega-billion dollar experiment that could one day explain how the universe began. Scientists cheered Tuesday’s historic crash of two proton beams, producing three times more force than researchers had created before and marking a milestone for the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider.”

If scientists would only believe the Bible, all that money could be saved and used for proper purposes.

God tells us: “In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). And: “All things were made through Him [the Word, Jesus Christ], and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). And: “God… has in these last days spoken to us by His Son… through whom also He made the worlds…” (Hebrews 1:2). And finally: “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults?”

Health Care–The Fight Is Just Beginning…

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 21:

“Democrats may feel today as though they just fought — and won — the equivalent of a 100-year war. The House passage Sunday night of sweeping healthcare legislation ends months of caustic debate over the plan and the way it was enacted, marked by a steep decline in approval for Democrats almost everywhere. Now, they hope, the discussion will finally shift in their favor.

“President Obama was spared a devastating defeat, and squabbling lawmakers showed they could accomplish something epic and important in the face of unanimous GOP opposition. That should count for something, they hope, at a time when many voters had written off Washington as utterly dysfunctional…

“But in fact, the political battle is just beginning. The party now must live or die with its landmark legislation in hundreds of congressional districts across the country, in the most hostile midterm election climate Democrats have faced since the Republican landslide year of 1994…

“This year figured to be tough for Democrats, whatever happened Sunday. The party holding the presidency almost always loses House seats in the first midterm vote. Since World War II the average is 16. (It’s been pretty much a wash in Senate races.) Democrats would be thrilled if that were the outcome Nov. 2, but it seems highly unlikely…

“For Democrats, the next several months will be spent trying to hold down their losses, which makes passage of the gargantuan healthcare bill all the more audacious — especially when the chief animating force in politics today is a profound mistrust of Washington and anger over the expansive growth of government…”

USA Today wrote on March 22:

“Some Republicans have already promised to make repeal of the legislation a major theme of the 2010 campaign year, and beyond… Lawyers for both sides are gearing up. Legal challenges could focus on parts of the health care bill, such as its requirement that all Americans buy health insurance or face financial penalties…”

“US Health Care — Bad for the World”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 22:

“Obama has made history. His health care package is the most important reform America has seen in decades. But what is good for the US may not be a positive for the president himself — nor for the rest of the world…

“There is little doubt that the reform package, which guarantees health care coverage for 95 percent of Americans, is one for the history books. It was a scandal that the world’s richest country for so long offered its citizens such pitiful protection against illness or injury… Nevertheless, [Obama] cannot really celebrate the reform that he promised for so long… Insurance companies will get millions of new customers, but no real competition. Their shares are currently skyrocketing — they are the true winners of US health care reform.

“The president, in other words, won the moral debate, but he is paying a high price… One thing… seems clear: the debate over health care is far from over… Every other issue has become a sideshow, particularly those outside the borders of America. The Afghanistan mission: of marginal interest. Protecting the environment: postponed. Peace in the Middle East: off in the distance. Sanctions against Iran: delayed. Europe: not even worth a trip.

“The one remaining global superpower has succumbed to navel gazing. The nature of Obama’s hard-fought victory means little will change in the near future. On the contrary: Now he must explain to the country and to his own party why the entire health care journey, as all-encompassing as it turned out to be, was worth it in the end. He will have little time for anything else.”

The ongoing fight pertaining to health care reform will only contribute to America’s demise. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Obama the Antichrist?

Mail On Line wrote on March 24:

“Nearly a quarter of Republicans believe the Democrat president ‘may be the Antichrist’, according to a survey. An even greater number compared him to Hitler.

“Mr Obama was jubilant this week after securing his £626billion healthcare reform plan. But his triumph seems only to have inflamed his critics among the evangelical Christians from America’s heartland who kept George Bush in power for eight years and have demonised his successor.

“More than half of the Republicans… believed the president was secretly Muslim, something he has consistently denied. And 67 per cent of Republicans who responded believed Obama was a socialist, despite his central leanings.

“The startling results came as lawyers representing 14 U.S. states filed lawsuits yesterday challenging an overhaul of the country’s $2.5trillion healthcare system, minutes after President Barack Obama signed the landmark legislation. One joint lawsuit by a dozen Republican attorneys general and a Democrat claims the sweeping reforms violate state-government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments.

“Virginia went to court separately, while Missouri Republican Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder said he would like to join the suit. The joint suit, led by Florida, was filed with a federal court in Pensacola, according to the office of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. In addition to McCollum, the Republican attorneys general from Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington joined the suit.

“The lawsuit says the law – which expands government health plans for the poor, imposes new taxes on the wealthy and requires insurers to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions – violates the Constitution’s commerce clause by requiring nearly all Americans to buy health insurance. Mr McCollum said: ‘It forces people to do something – in the sense of buying a healthcare policy or paying a penalty, a tax or a fine – that simply the Constitution does not allow Congress to do.’

“Mr McCollum, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run for Florida governor, said the healthcare reforms would add $1.6billion to Florida’s spending on the Medicaid health program for the poor. The Justice Department, which is responsible for defending U.S. law in court, pledged to vigorously fight any challenges to the new healthcare law… The White House agreed the suits would fail…

“But on the most historic occasion of his presidency so far, vice-president Joe Biden managed to put his foot in it. Gaffe-prone Mr Biden inadvertently broadcast the F-word to America after he introduced the President to sign his much vaunted health reform bill into law yesterday. After hugging Mr Obama at a…ceremony in the White House, Mr Biden leaned in and whispered in the President’s ear: ‘This is a big [omitted] deal.’

“The remark was caught on microphones recording the event that was shown live across the country. By last night, the clip was being replayed all over the internet.”

The idea that President Obama could be the “antichrist” is of course utter nonsense. For more information on the concept of the “antichrist,” please read our Q&A on the topic. Many confuse the idea of the “antichrist” with the prophesied “beast” and/or “the false prophet.” But President Obama is neither. For more information on these two future personalities, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy,” and “Is That in the Bible? — The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

“Clinton Warns Israel”–Worst Crisis for Decades

BBC News reported on March 22:

“US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Israel to make ‘difficult but necessary choices’ if it wants a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Mrs Clinton warned that the status quo was ‘unsustainable’… Her comments come amid a dispute between the US and Israel over plans for 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out halting settlement construction in the city.”

Times On Line wrote on March 24:

“Two separate meetings between President Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, failed today to produce so much as an official photograph as a deep chill settled over US-Israeli relations and secrecy shrouded any efforts to repair them. The Israeli Prime Minister was due to fly home from Washington after three days marked by fierce Israeli defiance on the issue of settlements and an extraordinary silence maintained by both sides after his three-and-a-half hour visit to the White House.”

BBC added on March 24:

“Differences remain between Israel and the US, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, the White House has said. President Obama urged the Israeli PM to take steps to build confidence in the peace process, during ‘honest’ talks on Tuesday, spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Mr Gibbs added that the US was seeking ‘clarification’ of the latest plans to build homes in occupied East Jerusalem. Mr Netanyahu’s trip came amid the worst crisis in US-Israeli ties for decades.”

Reuters reported on March 24:

“In a move sure to anger Palestinians and frustrate Western proponents of a freeze on settlement construction, a city official said approval was given to develop a flashpoint neighborhood from which Palestinians were evicted last year. Word of the move came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed an unusually low-profile meeting in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama for fence-mending talks, after their open spat over East Jerusalem earlier this month.”

Jordan: “Israel Playing with Fire”

AFP wrote on March 25:

“Israel is ‘playing with fire’ in expanding Jewish settlements in annexed Arab east Jerusalem and attempting to alter the Holy City’s identity, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on Thursday. ‘We have warned repeatedly that Israel is playing with fire, and Jordan rejects and condemns all measures aimed at changing the identity of Jerusalem and the displacement of its Christian and Muslim Arab population,’ the king said in an interview with Jordanian journalists.

“‘East Jerusalem must be the capital of an independent Palestinian state which should be established as soon as possible… Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967…’, the king added…

“Abdullah said Israel’s settlement policy risked damaging relations between Israel and Jordan, already ‘frosty’ because of Israeli actions that threatened to ‘destabilise the region and put all Middle East peace efforts at risk.'”

Israel in Isolation?

The Washington Post wrote on March 24:

“The two-week-old dispute between Israel and the United States over housing construction in East Jerusalem has exposed the limits of American power to pressure Israeli leaders to make decisions they consider politically untenable. But the blowup also shows that the relationship between the two allies is changing, in ways that are unsettling for Israel’s supporters.

“President Obama and his aides have cast the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not just the relationship with Israel, as a core U.S. national security interest…

“The cooling in the U.S.-Israel relationship coincides with an apparent deepening of Israel’s diplomatic isolation. Anger has grown in Europe in the wake of Israel’s suspected misuse of European passports to kill a Palestinian militant in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced the expulsion of a senior diplomat over the incident, an unusually drastic step for an ally. Relations with Turkey, a rare Muslim friend of Israel for decades, have hit a new low…

“Arab leaders have long said that a peace deal would be possible if the United States pressured Israel. But many experts say such hope is often misplaced. In the case of East Jerusalem, Netanyahu believes that a halt to construction represents political suicide for his coalition, so no amount of U.S. pressure will lead him to impose a freeze…”

The Bible predicts that in the near future, the state of Israel will find itself more and more alone–without any support from its allies. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today!”

Sarkozy Suffers Bruising Defeat

The EUObserver wrote:

“President Nicolas Sarkozy suffered a bruising defeat in the last round of France’s regional elections on Sunday, with his centre-right party losing in all but one of the 22 mainland regions. Some cabinet ministers are likely to be reshuffled as a consequence. The Socialist Party, Greens and other left-wing allies took some 54 percent of the vote at a national level… leaving Mr Sarkozy’s Union du Mouvement Populaire (UMP) at just 36 percent, the centre-right’s worst showing in 50 years…

“Right-wing veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen… mounted something of a comeback, whose National Front party did well enough to stay in the race in 12 mainland regions, depriving Mr Sarkozy’s party of about 10 per cent of voters. His daughter Marine also won some 22 percent of the vote in her region, suggesting she may inherit the leadership of Mr Le Pen’s party once he retires.”

Will Guttenberg Resign?

Deutsche Welle reported on March 19:

“Members of the Green Party and the Social Democrats are saying that Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg should resign if he lied about being ill-informed regarding a fatal Afghanistan airstrike. ‘If Guttenberg is found to have lied in connection with a central leadership decision, his position as defense minister is no longer viable,’ Social Democratic Party whip Thomas Opperman told the Berliner Zeitung on Friday. The Greens’ spokesman for defense matters, Omid Nouripour, told the ARD television network that Guttenberg should step down if that is proven to be the case. But Nouripour added that he had not yet seen proof in that direction.

“Germany’s former top military officer, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, told the inquiry on Thursday that Guttenberg had been well briefed about the September 2009 airstrike, which killed as many as 142 Afghan civilians. That contradicts Guttenberg’s earlier claims that he was relying on incomplete information when he initially described the attack as ‘militarily appropriate.’ He later rescinded that statement. ‘Minister zu Guttenberg has up to now failed to explain in any way how he came to his mistaken evaluation and how he corrected it,’ Rainer Arnold, the Social Democrats’ expert on defense policy, told Deutsche Presse Agentur on Friday…

“Guttenberg was serving as economics minister when the incident occurred in September 2009. He became defense minister when Prime Minister Angela Merkel assembled her second cabinet last February. Guttenberg replaced fellow Christian Democrat Franz Josef Jung, who resigned in the scandal’s aftermath.  Jung will go before the committee next week. Guttenberg’s appearance is scheduled for April 22.”

Possible reconstitutions of the French and German governments might be revealing in light of biblical prophecy. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

Vatican Silent on Catholic Sex Scandal in Germany

The Associated Press reported on March 20:

“Pope Benedict XVI rebuked Irish bishops Saturday for ‘grave errors of judgment’ in handling clerical sex abuse and ordered an investigation into the Irish church but did not mention any Vatican responsibility. In a letter to the Irish faithful read across Europe amid a growing, multination abuse scandal, the pope doled out no specific punishments to bishops blamed by victims, and Irish government-ordered investigations, for having covered up abuse of thousands of Irish children from the 1930s to the 1990s.

“Ireland’s main group of clerical-abuse victims, One in Four, said it was deeply disappointed by the letter because it failed to lay blame with the Vatican for what it called a ‘deliberate policy of the Catholic Church at the highest levels to protect sex offenders, thereby endangering children’…

“The letter directly addressed only Ireland, but the Vatican said it could be read as applying to other countries. Hundreds of new allegations of abuse have recently come to light across Europe, including in the pope’s native Germany, where he served as archbishop in a diocese where several victims have recently come forward. One priest suspected of molesting boys while the future pope was in charge was transferred to a job where he abused more children.

“While a cardinal at the Vatican, Joseph Ratzinger penned a letter instructing bishops around the world to report all cases of abuse to his office and keep them secret under threat of excommunication. Irish bishops have said the letter was widely understood to mean they shouldn’t report the cases to police.”

German Reaction to Benedict’s “Apology”

On March 22, Der Spiegel Online published reactions of the German press to Pope Benedict’s most recent “apology”:

“Though highly anticipated, the apology was not well received. Many slammed the letter for not including a requirement that Cardinal Sean Brady, head of the Irish church, step down. Requirements that other church leaders be punished were likewise missed by victims groups…

“In Germany… expectations that the pope might finally break his silence on the church abuse scandal that has shaken the country in recent weeks remain unfulfilled. Hundreds of people have come forward since the end of January with stories of sexual maltreatment perpetrated by priests and by teachers at Catholic boarding schools.

“Of particular concern are allegations that the pope, back when he was the Bishop of Munich in the 1980s, knew of one particular abusive priest from Essen, who had forced a young boy to perform oral sex before being transferred to Munich. According to SPIEGEL information, the pope, then called Joseph Ratzinger, was aware of the church’s decision not to turn the priest over to the police. Just weeks later, the abusive priest was once again working with children, a fact which Ratzinger may also have known about…

“Conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘The pope has done little to indicate the way forward for churches in Ireland or Germany, so that they may atone for past wrongs as well as avoid doing harm in the future…’

“Left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘The central issues of the scandal will remain. Now, as before, and despite all his warm words for the victims, the pope shies away from any debate about sexual morality in the church. And one can only hope that his public silence about the abuse cases in Germany, is not because the pope himself was unhappily involved in such a case when he was the archbishop of Munich…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘… the letter is not going to rescue the church from the crisis it is currently enmeshed in. The letter will not do this because it is addressed to the Irish church only. The letter localizes a problem that actually affects the church throughout the world.”

“‘And the pope’s letter is also problematic when it tries to come to grips with the reasons for the abuse. Benedict XVI suggests that these problems arose because of a moral laxness in the clergy and church that arose after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (eds note: the 1960s reforms that the church brought about in acknowledge[ment] of the changing modern world). The pope says these were mistakenly interpreted as a softening of moral standards. With respect, this is nonsense. Many of the cases from the more distant past, which are currently coming to light, demonstrate this…’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘Had the pope actually said anything about the occurrences in his homeland, the letter’s impact on the church worldwide would doubtless have been greater. Even without that, the text is explosive. That bishops protected perpetrators, that camouflage and concealment were not exceptions: The head of the Catholic church has never been as clear about any of this before. His call for the church to be subject to the law of the land is an unmistakable instruction to all who abide by the church’s rules. But his pastoral letter will not dispel all of the dark clouds hovering over the Catholic church. Nor will it put to rest the debate over celibacy, that so many in the church find so troubling…'”

Even though the Catholic Church is under attack, it will play a prominent influential role in the near future. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

“No Alternative to the Euro”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 12:

“Another general strike in Greece shut the financially beleaguered nation down on Thursday. But… now nobody [in Germany]… believes there is any danger to the euro’s long-term survival.

“In the Financial Times Deutschland, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble writes in a signed editorial: ‘… There is no alternative to the monetary union. The euro has established itself as the second most important currency in the world, and as a currency in which to invest…'”

The Euro–Built on a Lie–But Predestined to Stay…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 9:

“The notion that the European common currency is based on nothing but a series of lies is now taking its toll. All of the founders of the euro knew that the new currency could only be stable if all member states committed themselves to sound financial policy and, in the long run, spent only as much as they collected in tax revenue. But many ignored this principle right from the start… The first lie was soon followed by the second. The euro-zone members had promised to support the common currency with a common policy. The problem was that they were not prepared to make good on their promise.

“… a second Europe, which remains largely concealed from the public, currently exists in parallel to the public Europe of summit meetings, government statements and official visits…

“Since joining the euro zone, the 16 euro countries have violated the deficit rule, under which net new debt cannot exceed 3 percent of GDP, 43 times. Most of the infractions have occurred in the last two years. Greece is at the top of the list of violators…

“On the one side are the EU’s heavyweights, headed up by Germany. The new currency has made them more competitive, and they now produce far more than they consume. On the other side are countries like Spain and Ireland, which attracted large amounts of foreign capital, and where wages and asset prices rose rapidly…

“Many now feel vindicated, including Harvard Professor Martin Feldstein, a prophet of the euro’s demise for many years… But such considerations are naïve. It’s possible that the euro was indeed introduced too soon. But that is by no means an argument to abolish it prematurely. It is clear that a fracture in the monetary union would not just be a political disgrace, but also an economic catastrophe. For 10 years, European businesses and banks have become accustomed to a uniform European basis of calculation. Reversing it would trigger economic disruptions so severe that the Greek crisis pales by comparison.

“Europe doesn’t need a new currency. What Europe does need is the culture of stability, transparency and credibility that its governments have promised citizens, but have never created. Although the euro zone has a common monetary policy, it lacks a shared financial and economic policy… Even if the Germans are far from supporting a European economic government, as the French have long advocated for the euro zone, the German government believes that cooperation on economic policy must be coordinated far more closely and intensified in the future…

“The recent crisis shows, however, that even small countries can jeopardize the entire common currency project. ‘European leaders are now realizing that the members of the monetary union are all in the same boat,’ says one senior Brussels diplomat, ‘and that its members, for better or worse, are dependent on each other.'”

A European Two-Class System? — But No Exit from the Eurozone

Reuters wrote on March 8:

“When they negotiated the 1991 Maastricht Treaty, Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Delors believed that European Monetary Union would lead inevitably over time to a closer political union with more federal governance. But the flaws revealed by Greece’s fiscal jam seem more likely to hasten a two-class system in which ‘grown-ups,’ led by Germany, exert ever more control over wayward ‘children’ such as Greece, but accept no reciprocal scrutiny…

“Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso proposed last week giving the EU executive new powers… French President Nicolas Sarkozy has seized on the Greek crisis to revive ideas of a ‘European economic government’ that would coordinate member states’ economic policies and keep the euro exchange rate competitive against the dollar and the yuan. But Germany, the biggest economy, has made clear it does not want EU surveillance of its own export-oriented policies, which generate big current account surpluses that economists say are partly responsible for widening imbalances in the euro zone…

“A two-class euro zone has been a reality since 2004, when EU budget discipline rules applied more strictly to small countries were suspended, then rewritten to avoid sanctions against France and Germany after they repeatedly breached the deficit limit. The Greek crisis has strengthened that trend, whether or not Athens ends up being bailed out by its partners… Any financial support for Greece is likely to be an ad hoc arrangement, with Germany calling the shots as Europe’s de facto lender of last resort. Berlin would attach draconian conditions to deter potential emulators.

“This two-class euro zone will likely cause resentment and aggravate mistrust between large and small member states, and between North and South. It may be how power works in the real world, but the EU was created to do things differently…

“The… most improbable option is that a country might be tempted to walk away from the euro zone. The price of a euro exit would be enormous in devaluation, extra borrowing costs, diplomatic isolation, unemployment, loss of purchasing power and at least short-term loss of investment. Strikingly, there is no serious discussion of this in Greece or other euro states under pressure.

“Debate about temporary or permanent exits from the euro is largely confined to countries and people who opposed monetary union all along and forecast it would end in tears.”

German Government in Disarray

Time Magazine wrote in its latest edition, dated on March 22:

“When Germany’s Deputy Chancellor and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle held a briefing for reporters in Berlin last month, he arrived exuding an aura of defiance and ebullience. It didn’t last… Five months after Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party began forming a new center-right government with Westerwelle’s probusiness Free Democratic Party (FDP), the alliance that was billed as a marriage made in heaven is on the rocks. The government has been riven by infighting, bitter personal rivalries and squabbles over policy direction. The partisan bickering has grown so bad it threatens complete inertia…

“Merkel’s main headache is Westerwelle, whose various job titles seem to have given him carte blanche to be the government’s unofficial troublemaker. Finding himself holding the balance of power following 11 years in opposition, the ambitious politician is enjoying his first taste of power. Even though his main job is Foreign Minister, Westerwelle has flexed his muscles on domestic issues from tax reform to health care to nuclear power…

“One recent crunch came when Westerwelle launched a blistering attack on Germany’s cherished welfare state, criticizing handouts for the long-term unemployed. Raising welfare benefits smacks of socialism, Westerwelle wrote in the daily Welt newspaper on Feb. 11. ‘Whoever promises the people effortless prosperity encourages late Roman decadence.’ The FDP leader went on to argue that those who work should always get more than the unemployed and that young jobless Germans should take up community work like shoveling snow…

“Criticism of the welfare state touches a raw nerve among Germans. They have jealously guarded social benefits since they were introduced by Otto von Bismarck, the ‘Iron Chancellor,’ in the 1880s. Bismarck’s system — designed to win over workers and increase productivity — guaranteed every citizen social insurance, including a pension, national health insurance and disability benefits. Westerwelle thinks that should change, and is also pushing for lower taxes and a new simplified tax system… Merkel was not amused…

“The government’s bickering is set against the backdrop of the ongoing economic crisis, which remains the key issue for voters. Germany may be officially out of recession but Europe’s biggest economy is struggling to get back on its feet… Germans are disgruntled.”

Even though it is perceived that presently there is no alternative to the current German government, stranger things have happened. It only takes the manifestation of a powerful charismatic leader who would seemingly be able to bring back order and direction to a disorderly government. Some have suggested that Germany’s Defense Minister Guttenberg might be such a man–but as the next article shows, this analysis seems to be far-fetched and unsupportable by the current facts.

German Defense Minister Guttenberg’s Star Is Sinking

Deutsche Welle reported on March 13:

“German Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg has been sharply criticized for sacking a general who wrote him a letter asking for the reason why Military Inspector General Wolfgang Schneiderhan was sacked in last year. ‘It looks like the heads of disagreeable oddballs are rolling just because they have a different opinion than the minister,’ Green party speaker Omid Nouripour told the daily Mitteldeutsche Zeitung… Following Schneiderhan’s dismissal in November 2009, Brigadier General Henning Hars, a former military attache to Washington, wrote a letter to the defense minister asking why the high-ranking officer had been dismissed. Hars also asked Guttenberg for his assessment of the controversial Kunduz air raid, which killed a large number of civilians in northern Afghanistan last September. Hars did not receive a response to his letter.

“Defense Minister Guttenberg then used his right to move General Hars into involuntary retirement, according to a report in the Tagesspiegel newspaper. A few days ago, Hars received his discharge papers from German president Horst Koehler… “Rainer Arnold, a spokesman for the opposition Social Democratic Party, criticized Guttenberg’s decision. ‘Of course a minister can send a general into retirement if he has no confidence in him,’ Arnold told the newspaper Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger. ‘But I have the impression that it’s the military leaders who do not have any more confidence in the Minister,’ Arnold added.”

Praised as the rising star in German politics, Guttenberg has come increasingly under attack for his controversial actions, especially pertaining to Germany’s participation and conduct in the Afghan war. The German press, like Der Stern, recently portrayed him as a showman with much talk and little substance.

Germany Third Largest Weapons Dealer

The Local reported on March 15:

“Germany has doubled its arms exports over the last five years, making it the world’s third largest weapons dealer after the United States and Russia, according to a new study released on Monday. Sales of mainly submarines and armoured vehicles helped Germany capture 11 percent of the global arms market, compared to 30 percent and 23 percent for the United States and Russia, the study from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

“Warships made up 44 percent of all arms exports, while armoured vehicles accounted for 27 percent… Fourteen percent of Germany’s arms exports went to Turkey, while Greece bought 13 percent and South Africa imported 12 percent… The growth is part of a worldwide increase of 22 percent in weapons sales in the last five years, particularly in the trade of extremely expensive fighter planes.

“SIPRI warned of an arms race in tense regions like the Middle East, North Africa, South America and South Asia. Meanwhile Greece has become one of the world’s top-five importers despite being on the verge of bankruptcy.”

If we were to include all the additional European arms exports, it stands to reason that Europe would probably be the world’s largest weapons dealer.

Widening Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal in Germany

Bild Online wrote on March 9:

“Germany has been shocked by the scandal surrounding the world-famous choir. Victims were forced to endure excessive force, including violence, whipping and perverse sex games from teachers and even headmasters.

“Many of them are still suffering today… producer and composer Franz Wittenbrink, who was at the Regensburg Cathedral choir boarding school until 1967, believes that the school staff did have some knowledge: In the school an ‘elaborate system of sadistic discipline connected to a sexual lust’ was in existence, according to ‘Spiegel’… ‘Everyone knew it,’ Wittenbrink added.”

Vatican Tries to Defend Pope in Sex Abuse Scandal

The Associated Press wrote on March 13:

“The Vatican on Saturday denounced what it called aggressive attempts to drag Pope Benedict XVI into the spreading scandals of pedophile priests in his German homeland. It also insisted that church confidentiality doesn’t prevent bishops from reporting abuse to police. The Vatican’s campaign to defend the pope’s reputation and resolve in combatting clergy abuse of minors followed acknowledgment by the Munich archdiocese that it had transferred a suspected pedophile priest to community work while Benedict was archbishop there.

“Benedict is also under fire for a 2001 church directive he wrote while a Vatican cardinal, instructing bishops to keep abuse cases confidential. Germany’s justice minister has blamed the directive for what she called a ‘wall of silence’ preventing prosecution… Irish bishops have said the document was widely taken to mean they shouldn’t go to police. And victims’ lawyers in the U.S. say the document shows the church tried to obstruct justice… The Catholic church in Switzerland has become swept up in the scandals.”

Deutsche Welle added on March 13:

“In a reaction to the widening pedophile scandal in Germany, the Vatican has rallied around the pontiff, claiming that ‘certain elements’ had launched a targeted campaign to discredit the Catholic Church… The pope’s former diocese in Bavaria on Friday said he was involved in a decision in 1980 to move a priest who was suspected of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy. Instead of undergoing therapy, the priest was assigned to a Munich parish without restrictions. Six years later, the priest was given a suspended jail sentence for child sex offenses during that period.

“The diocese claims this was a decision made by then-vicar general Gerhard Gruber, but the head of the Catholic lay reform movement in Germany, Christian Weisner, has rejected that interpretation, saying that due to the Church’s hierarchal structures, it was the pontiff – then Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger – who was ultimately responsible.

“On Friday, the head of Germany’s Catholic Bishops Conference, Robert Zollitsch, briefed journalists about the situation in Germany, where more than 100 reports have emerged of abuse at Catholic institutions, including schools and one linked to the prestigious Regensburg choir run by the pope’s brother from 1964 to 1994…

“The recent raft of revelations prompted Weisner to express his disappointment that the pope had ‘not found any words of sympathy (for the victims), nor asked for forgiveness and reconciliation.’

“The president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, Alois Glueck, told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in an interview on Saturday that the Church needed new structures. He said it was time to consider whether ‘church-related conditions’ had promoted the abuse and that the issue of celibacy for priests should be re-examined…

“In another blow for the Catholic Church, an opinion survey conducted by the Emnid Institute for a German television news channel on Friday found that 86 percent of those polled had lost faith in the church leaderships’ willingness to pursue the sex abuse allegations.”

Forced Celibacy the Root of Evil…

Mail On Line wrote on March 11:

“In recent weeks the church has been rocked by a series of abuse scandals in Ireland, Holland and Germany [and Austria]… It is thought that many Catholic priests privately believe a married clergy is the obvious solution to a number of problems confronting the church, from the shortage of priests to the recent sex scandals.

“The celibacy rule for priests was not part of the early Christian Church but was introduced in the Middle Ages. A number of early Christian fathers were married, including St Peter himself, according to St Mark’s Gospel.”

“The Devil Is in the Vatican”

Times On Line wrote on March 11:

“Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that ‘the Devil is at work inside the Vatican’, according to the Holy See’s chief exorcist. Father Gabriele Amorth, 85… said that the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as ‘cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon’. He added: ‘When one speaks of “the smoke of Satan” [a phrase coined by Pope Paul VI in 1972] in the holy rooms, it is all true – including these latest stories of violence and paedophilia.’

“He claimed that another example of satanic behaviour was the Vatican ‘cover-up’ over the deaths in 1998 of Alois Estermann, the then commander of the Swiss Guard, his wife and Corporal Cedric Tornay, a Swiss Guard, who were all found shot dead… A remarkably swift Vatican investigation concluded that Corporal Tornay had shot the commander and his wife and then turned his gun on himself after being passed over for a medal. However Tornay’s relatives have challenged this. There have been unconfirmed reports of a homosexual background to the tragedy and the involvement of a fourth person who was never identified…”

Bild Online added on March 11:

“The chief exorcist also spoke of an attack by Satan on Pope Benedict XVI (82): ‘The Pope fought with the Devil on Christmas Eve. Satan threw him to the ground.’ He was referring to an incident where Pope Benedict was attacked and pulled to the floor by a mentally unstable woman.”

For more information on the Roman Catholic Church — past, present and future — please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” “Europe in Prophecy” and “Is That in the Bible–the Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

The End of the Road for President Obama?

The Telegraph wrote on March 8:

“The descent of Barack Obama’s regime… has been swift and precipitate. It was just 16 months ago that weeping men and women celebrated his victory over John McCain in the American presidential election. If they weep now, a year and six weeks into his rule, it is for different reasons.

“Despite the efforts of some sections of opinion to talk the place up, America is mired in unhappiness, all the worse for the height from which Obamania has fallen… 15 million Americans, or 9.7 per cent of the workforce, have no job. Many millions more are reduced to working part-time. Whole areas of the country, notably in the north and on the eastern seaboard, are industrial wastelands. The once mighty motor city of Detroit appears slowly to be being abandoned, becoming a Jurassic Park of the mid-20th century; unemployment among black people in Mr Obama’s own city of Chicago is estimated at between 20 and 25 per cent. One senior black politician – a Democrat and a supporter of the President – told me of the wrath in his community that a black president appeared to be unable to solve the economic problem among his own people. Cities in the east such as Newark and Baltimore now have drug-dealing as their principal commercial activity…”‘

“Mr Obama benefited in his campaign from an idiotic level of idolatry, in which most of the media participated with an astonishing suspension of cynicism. The sound of the squealing of brakes is now audible all over the American press; but the attack is being directed not at the leader himself, but at those around him…

“The root of the problem seems to be the management of expectations. The magnificent campaign created the notion that Mr Obama could walk on water. Oddly enough, he can’t…

“There are lessons from the stumbling of Mr Obama for our own country as we approach a general election. Vacuous promises of change are hostages to fortune if they cannot be delivered upon to improve the living conditions of a people. The slickness of campaigning that comes from a combination of heavy funding and public relations expertise does not inevitably translate into an ability to govern. There is no point a nation’s having the audacity of hope unless it also has the sophistication and the will to turn it into action. As things stand, Barack Obama and America under his leadership do not.”

Biblical prophecy shows that America will not recover substantially from its present crisis. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Obama Disappoints Israelis and Palestinians

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 15:

“Hopes were high in the Middle East when US President Barack Obama took office last year. But instead of progress toward peace, he has shown indecision and hesitancy. With many in the region united against Iran, he is in danger of letting a golden opportunity slip through his fingers…

“Never before had a US president enjoyed such trust in the Middle East — and gambled it away in such a short time. Obama has vacillated to an extent that has confused friend and foe alike…

“US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Jerusalem, where he assured his hosts of Washington’s ‘absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel’s security’ — only to discover, hours later, that the Israeli interior ministry had just approved the construction of 1,600 housing units for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem. Biden was so angry that he showed up an hour-and-a-half late for a dinner with Netanyahu and his wife. ‘I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem,’ he said afterwards. ‘It is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now.’ It was undoubtedly a brazen insult to Israel’s powerful ally. Nevertheless, sympathy with the Americans has been muted. ‘Mr. Obama has himself to blame,’ the Financial Times remarked drily…

“Obama’s failure in the Middle East is but one example of his weakness, though a particularly drastic and vivid one. The president, widely celebrated when he took office, cannot claim to have achieved sweeping successes in any area. When he began his term more than a year ago, he came across as an ambitious developer who had every intention of completing multiple projects at once. But after a year, none of those projects has even progressed beyond the early construction phase. And in some cases, the sites are nothing but deep excavations…

“He set out to negotiate with Iran. He courted the regime… But the end-of-the-year deadline he had loudly proclaimed passed without incident, and yet Iran’s uranium centrifuges in Natanz and Qom are still up and running. Although Iraq held an election two Sundays ago, the results are so ambiguous, and the situation is so unclear, that Ray Odierno, the commanding general of US forces in Iraq, is thinking about delaying the withdrawal of his troops — which would represent yet another breach of Obama’s campaign promises.

“Obama has turned his attention to Afghanistan, sending an additional 30,000 troops to the country. But even that measure was announced and then withdrawn in the same speech. The troops were deployed in 2009, but their withdrawal is set to begin by mid-2011. By announcing his plans for the deployment and withdrawal of the troops at the same time, Obama didn’t exactly create the impression of supreme decisiveness among America’s enemies in Afghanistan…

“Obama can hardly count on gaining the support of allies, partly because he doesn’t pay much attention to them. The American president doesn’t have a single strong ally among European heads of state…

“In the Middle East, the irresolute Obama is missing an opportunity to bring about peace that he… will not be offered in its current form anytime soon. Never before in Israeli history have Jews and Arabs been as united as they are today, in the face of the Iranian nuclear threat. Indeed, the Saudi Arabian foreign minister has spoken openly of the need for a military strike against Iran.

“SPIEGEL has learned that Western intelligence services believe that the Saudis would even provide the Israelis with access to their airspace for such a strike… The Arab states are no longer the ones who benefit from the Middle East conflict. Instead, it is the Iranian leadership, whose ruthless rhetoric and nuclear program has the Arabs just as nervous as the Israelis.

“Nevertheless, Obama continues to stand alone on the world stage, seemingly without a goal and oceans removed from achieving a solution to the toxic Middle East conflict… The Palestinians no longer trust him, and the Israelis don’t take him seriously, as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ‘apology’ to Vice President Biden demonstrated last week. Netanyahu said that he regretted the ‘unfortunate timing’ of the settlement announcement. Netanyahu’s spokesman claimed that the premier had not known about the settlement plans — one of the biggest construction projects in Jerusalem.

“It isn’t as if the US government had no leverage to convince Israel to at least make minor changes to its settlement policy. The Jewish state receives about $2.5 billion (€1.8 billion) in annual military aid alone from Washington. Some of Obama’s predecessors had no qualms about threatening Israel with cuts in aid. President Gerald Ford did it in 1975, because he felt that the Israelis were too inflexible in negotiations with Egypt. President George H.W. Bush held back $10 billion in US government loan guarantees until Israel agreed to participate in the planned Madrid peace conference. Even his son, President George W. Bush, froze some of the loan guarantees in 2003, when Israel began building a ‘security fence’ that penetrated deeply into Palestinian territory.

“Obama, on the other hand, has shied away from setting tough conditions for Israel. Many of his critics blame that stance on his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, 50. In Washington, every Democrat who would like to but doesn’t dare to criticize the president is turning against Emanuel. They see him as a dark Rasputin exerting his virtually hypnotic control over Obama. In Arab countries, many believe Emanuel is an Israel agent, and they cite his background as proof. The son of a Zionist underground fighter, he served in the Israeli army as a civilian volunteer, despite being an American citizen.

“Obama’s many mistakes in the Middle East are reflected in the low opinion of Emanuel held among Prime Minister Netanyahu’s staff members, who see him as a despicable figure. In their view, it was Emanuel who incited Obama against Israel and was responsible for Jerusalem’s and Washington’s troubles with the settlements.”

US-Israeli Relations at All-Time Low

The Dutch newspaper, NRC Handelsblad wrote on March 15:

“Will Israel succeed in imposing its will on the United States again? Or will it be forced into compliance this time around?

“Last year, prime minister Netanyahu’s government ignored Obama’s demand to freeze the construction of settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories. Last May, American secretary of state Clinton emphasised that all construction had to stop… Last November, Netanyahu announced construction would indeed cease for ten months, but this freeze did not apply to East Jerusalem, where the foundations for some 3,000 homes had already been laid, and some other projects.

“Washington responded warmly to Israel’s offer. The small nation had succeeded in imposing its will on its biggest ally. Last week, the American vice president Joe Biden visited Israel to improve US-Israeli relations. The US had persuaded the Palestinians to return to negotiations with Israel, if only indirectly, even though construction of settlements continued. On the second day of Biden’s visit to Israel, its government announced it would be building another 1,600 homes in occupied East Jerusalem. Biden condemned the announcement, Netanyahu apologised (for the timing of the announcement, not for the construction itself) and, as far as Israel was concerned, the matter was now a thing of the past.

“But on Friday, secretary Clinton lambasted the Israeli prime minister over the phone, calling the Israeli act ‘deeply negative’ for American-Israeli relations. David Axelrod, one of president Obama’s chief political advisors, went even further, calling the Israeli move ‘an insult’ to the US which ‘undermined this very fragile effort to bring peace to that region’ on the American TV-programme Meet the Press. ‘For this announcement to come at that time was very, very destructive,’ he added. The relationship between the two countries has rarely been as bad as it is now.

“This morning, Israeli officials and newspapers reported that the American government would not be satisfied until the entire construction project had been scrapped. This has put the Israeli prime minister in a tough spot. The Ramat Shlomo settlement is an orthodox-Jewish stronghold, and the construction project there is considered of utmost importance to his orthodox coalition partner Shas. It was Shas-minister Eli Yishai who announced the plans in the first place.

“Netanyahu needs the Shas’ support, otherwise his coalition might fall apart. But Netanyahu also needs the US’s support. Not only does it depend on the billions in economic and military aid, it also desperately needs the US’s political support against Iran’s nuclear programme which Israel considers an ‘existential threat.'”

How Ridiculous Can It Get?

The Sacramento Bee reported on March 14:

“It was every businessperson’s nightmare. Arriving at Harv’s Metro Car Wash in midtown Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. ‘They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending,’ says Harv’s owner, Aaron Zeff. The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff’s on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was … 4 cents.

“Inexplicably, penalties and taxes accruing on the debt – stemming from the 2006 tax year – were listed as $202.31, leaving Harv’s with an obligation of $202.35.

“Zeff, who also owns local parking lots and is the president of the Midtown Business Association… [is] trying to figure out how penalties and interest could climb so high on such a small debt. He says he’s never been told he owes any taxes or that he’s ever incurred any late-payment penalties in the four years he’s owned Harv’s.

“In fact, he provided us with an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the IRS that states Harv’s ‘has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due.’ IRS spokesman Jesse Weller isn’t commenting ‘due to privacy and disclosure laws.'”

This serves as just one example proving that human rule is bound to fail. Godly justice would never allow anything grotesque like the above to happen. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Watch Putin’s Coming Soviet Union!

Times On Line wrote on March 9:

“The Soviet Union is gradually being rebuilt as Vladimir Putin eyes a return to the Kremlin. The man who declared the collapse of the Communist state to be the ‘greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century’ appears determined to forge a new empire.

“The latest evidence emerged in a suggestion by Igor Shuvalov, First Deputy Prime Minister in Mr Putin’s Government, that Russia may abolish the rouble and create a common currency with Kazakhstan and Belarus. The three states have already established a customs union and plan to form a single economic market by 2012. Mr Shuvalov said… that it would be modelled on the euro.

“The last time these countries had a common currency, of course, was in Soviet times. Mr Putin was quick to extend an invitation to join the customs union to Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s new pro-Russian President, when they met in Moscow on Friday. Were Ukraine to sign up, there would be a common economic space encompassing the ‘Big Four’ republics of the Soviet era, with a combined population of 213 million and stretching from the European Union to China. Its political, military and economic centre would be in Moscow, where Mr Putin is expected to reclaim the presidency in 2012 for up to 12 more years…

“Other ex-Soviet republics would find it hard to resist the gravitational pull of a single currency and economic space. Armenia’s economy is almost completely owned by Russian companies already… Russia’s history of political interference in its former Soviet satellites has no comparison in the EU.”

The Bible predicts that in these last days, a militaristic alliance, under Russian leadership, will become a mortal enemy to a united EU. The resurgence of the Soviet Union would be another piece of the prophetic puzzle, leading to Christ’s return, which we are commanded to watch.

EU: Iran Is Building Nuclear Weapons

Israel National News reported on March 3:

“The European Union announced Wednesday that it agrees with the position of the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Tehran is secretly developing nuclear weapons for military purposes. In a statement given to the Council of Trustees of the Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union said that Europe will support any action against the Iranian nuclear threat agreed upon by the UN Security Council.”

Deutsche Welle reported on March 13:

“Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said the EU remained committed to seeking a UN resolution on sanctions against Iran, but lacking that, the 27-nation block would take action on its own.”

A war in the Middle East, involving Israel and Iran, is likely to occur soon. And it is very possible that as a consequence, the EU will intervene in an effort to “bring peace” to the region.

“US Prepares for Total Destruction of Iran”

Scotland’s The Sunday Herald wrote the following on March 14:

“Hundreds of powerful US ‘bunker-buster’ bombs are being shipped from California to the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in preparation for a possible attack on Iran. The Sunday Herald can reveal that the US government signed a contract in January to transport 10 ammunition containers to the island. According to a cargo manifest from the US navy, this included 387 ‘Blu’ bombs used for blasting hardened or underground structures. Experts say that they are being put in place for an assault on Iran’s controversial nuclear facilities. There has long been speculation that the US military is preparing for such an attack, should diplomacy fail to persuade Iran not to make nuclear weapons.

“Although Diego Garcia is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, it is used by the US as a military base under an agreement made in 1971. The agreement led to 2,000 native islanders being forcibly evicted to the Seychelles and Mauritius… A shipping company based in Florida, Superior Maritime Services, will be paid $699,500 to carry many thousands of military items from Concord, California, to Diego Garcia…

“‘They are gearing up totally for the destruction of Iran,’ said Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London, co-author of a recent study on US preparations for an attack on Iran. ‘US bombers are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours,’ he added…

“For Alan Mackinnon, chair of Scottish CND, the revelation was ‘extremely worrying’. He stated: ‘It is clear that the US government continues to beat the drums of war over Iran, most recently in the statements of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. ‘It is depressingly similar to the rhetoric we heard prior to the war in Iraq in 2003.’

“The British Ministry of Defence has said in the past that the US government would need permission to use Diego Garcia for offensive action. It has already been used for strikes against Iraq during the 1991 and 2003 Gulf wars. About 50 British military staff are stationed on the island, with more than 3,200 US personnel. Part of the Chagos Archipelago, it lies about 1,000 miles from the southern coasts of India and Sri Lanka, well placed for missions to Iran.”

Dutch Government Collapses Over Afghanistan

The collapse of the Dutch government will have wide-reaching consequences, not just for The Netherlands, but also for Europe and the future of the Afghan War. Sentiments against America’s insistence to continue the war will increase in Europe and force European governments to either follow public demands to withdraw their troops, or risk their political survival.

The EUObserver wrote on February 22:

“Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende said on Sunday… that his country’s troops are likely to be pulled out of Afghanistan by the end of this year, a move he said may prompt other wavering states – including EU members – to think about doing the same… The centre-right leader was speaking a day after his government collapsed over the issue. The Labour Party quit the coalition on Saturday, saying it could not agree to a Nato request to extend the Dutch mission beyond 2010…

“There is also tension between contributing countries. Germany, which has the third biggest contingent behind the US and the UK, has its troops mainly stationed in the less risky northern part of the country. Fighting is heaviest in the south. France, which has just over 3000 troops in Afghanistan last month said it will not be sending any more, while London is feeling the political toll of the high number [of] British soldiers who have died in Afghanistan – over 100 last year…

“The move is a set-back for US President Barack Obama, who has been arm-twisting EU nations to do more in Afghanistan since making it a key plank of his foreign policy…

“The collapse of the government could result in a swing to the right in the 16-million strong country, which has been suffering from tensions over how to treat its Muslim and wider immigrant communities… Polls show that the anti-immigration Freedom Party, which was second only to Mr Balkenende’s Christian Democrats in last June’s European elections, may gain the most from the coalition’s dissolution.”

German Reactions to the Dutch Debacle

On February 22, Der Spiegel Online reported on the reaction of the German press to the collapse of the Dutch government, and the Afghanistan mission in general:

“The Dutch government is the first to collapse in a dispute over NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan. German media commentators say other NATO member states could share the same fate if they continue to ignore growing public opposition to the mission. The home front, it seems, is starting to crumble… The Afghan mission is unpopular across Europe and other governments will get into trouble too if they keep on ignoring public concern, say editorial writers at leading German commentators.

“The Dutch withdrawal is expected to fuel public debate in Germany, which has over 4,000 troops in Afghanistan. The mission has become even more controversial since an air strike ordered by a German commander on two hijacked fuel trucks in the northern region of Kunduz killed several civilians, possibly dozens, in September 2009…

“Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘The alliance no longer seems able to muster and preserve the unity without which the war will scarcely be winnable. The political home front is crumbling at a time when the alliance is making a tremendous military and political effort to turn the situation in Afghanistan in its favor. This shows that the public and politicians are losing patience with the Afghanistan mission. The political class is now, for the first time, prepared to take the consequences. The Dutch government is the first to have stumbled and collapsed over the war…

“‘It is only a matter of time before the pressure in other capital cities becomes so great that politicians will be forced to choose between staying loyal to the alliance and their own political survival… The writing is on the wall. If NATO doesn’t soon outline a clear plan for its withdrawal, more and more national governments will organize their own pullout in response to public pressure. Even at the cost of doing lasting damage to the alliance.”

“Conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘The collapse of the government in The Hague could open the European floodgates. Madrid, just like Berlin, can no longer sell the Afghanistan operation as a peace mission. In Britain too, public support for the mission is increasingly brittle…’

“Left-wing Berliner Zeitung writes:

“‘The Netherlands was always regarded as a reliable partner in NATO and the EU. They were rewarded for their loyalty with top jobs in international organisations. The collapse of the coalition marks a break with that foreign policy tradition. Dutch policy has undergone a reversal and shows how domestic political calculations will in future dominate foreign policy…'”

It is perhaps interesting to speculate whether The Netherlands, as the prophetic Zebulon–a modern descendant of one of the tribes of the ancient House of Israel–will be or won’t be a part of the final ten nations or groups of nations, which are prophesied to rise in Europe just prior to Christ’s return. For the identity of modern nations in biblical prophecy, please read our Q&A on the matter.

The EU in Afghanistan

The EUobserver wrote on February 24:

“The EU’s new envoy to Afghanistan, Lithuanian diplomat Vygaudas Usackas, has said he aims to demonstrate that new member states are up to handling the bloc’s top overseas postings… Mr Usackas… will in April leave behind his family to go to Kabul, where he will take charge of around 80 staff as the EU Special Representative to Afghanistan and the head of the EU delegation in the Afghan capital.

“The move will see him become the second ever person from a new EU member state to lead one of the EU’s 136 foreign missions, six years after the 2004 round of enlargement. The first was by a Hungarian diplomat in Norway. But the Afghanistan job is of a different magnitude.

“Afghanistan is a theatre of war for over 110,000 foreign troops including armed forces from 25 EU states… But unlike in Lithuania, where public opinion supports the war, other EU countries are starting to pull out. It is also a huge recipient of EU aid, with around €8 billion pumped in by the European Commission and member states over the past eight years, and hosts one of the union’s fastest-growing police missions.

“Mr Usackas’ job will be to advise President Hamid Karzai on the conduct of parliamentary elections in autumn, to help build Afghan government structures in pacified territories, oversee the influx of aid and speak on behalf of the EU… The new EU envoy warned that Nato-caused civilian deaths, such as the incident in Uruzgan last Sunday which saw 27 casualties, are generating opposition to the international presence both inside Afghanistan and in Europe.”

Europe is getting more and more involved politically and militarily–including and especially in areas outside Europe.

Afghan War Unwinnable

BBC reported on February 23:

“Sixty-four per cent of British people think the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable, a BBC poll suggests… Only 27% agree that the government has given sufficient support to UK forces… The data was collected between 19-21 February 2010, while more than 1,000 British troops were taking part in Operation Moshtarak as part of a 15,000-strong Nato and Afghan offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Helmand province…

“63% of respondents to the Newsnight poll agreed when asked if they thought that whoever formed the next government after this year’s general election should commit to removing Britain’s armed forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2010. It is widely expected that a general election will take place in early May.

“When asked whether the war in Afghanistan was unwinnable, older people were gloomier than the young about the prospects of success. Seventy per cent of people aged 55 and over agreed that the war was unwinnable, compared with 58% of those aged 18-24. Otherwise, the response to this question was virtually unchanged since polling last November, suggesting that Operation Moshtarak might not have made an impact on the public.”

France’s Warship Sales to Russia “Very Risky”

The EUObserver wrote on February 19:

“Georgia on Thursday (19 February) warned Europe against a proposed French sale of warships to Russia, as it would allow Moscow to invade any former Soviet republic ‘within hours,’ echoing concerns raised by Baltic leaders that the deal is in breach of an EU code on arms trade. During a visit to London, President Mikheil Saakashvili said that the warship sale was ‘very risky’ and would ‘reward’ Russia’s continued military presence in Georgia’s breakaway provinces, in violation of a French-brokered ceasefire agreement after a brief war in 2008.

“Russia is negotiating a €500 million deal to buy at least one Mistral, an assault ship capable of carrying up to 16 helicopters and a 750-strong landing force. It has also expressed interest in three others.
 
“Mr Sarkozy has defended the sale, saying ‘one cannot expect Russia to behave as a partner if we don’t treat it as one.’ The deal would be a considerable boost for France’s Saint-Nazaire shipyard, which builds Mistrals…

“The Georgian leader also referred to remarks made last year by admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, the commander of Russia’s navy, who said that if his country had such a ship in 2008, it could have won the war against Georgia ‘in 40 minutes instead of 26 hours’… Vladimir Putin was now searching for a new conflict to underpin his bid to recapture the Russian presidency in 2012, Mr Saakashvili claimed.

“Baltic ministers last week also warned against the deal with Russia, which would be the first time a Nato country sells advanced military technology to the former Cold War enemy. There is no EU law governing arms sales by member states. But in 2008 the bloc adopted a political commitment not to sell weapons or components to countries which violate human rights, pose a risk to regional stability or hurt the security interests of EU allies. The code was signed into life by the French EU presidency four months after the Georgia war…

“Earlier this month, a Pentagon spokesman said the US’s ‘friends and allies’ in Eastern Europe had ‘good reason’ to be nervous about the deal. On Wednesday, Moscow signed a military treaty with the Georgian breakaway province of Abkhazia, which has access to the Black Sea. The deal includes setting up a Russian military base for at least 45 years. Moscow has currently about 1,700 troops in the self-declared independent province, despite the ceasefire agreement stipulating a scale-back in its military presence.”

Europe has had its history of signing pacts and making deals with Russia, only to break them later. There can be no doubt that Russia is on an aggressive course against nations which once belonged to the Soviet Empire. The Bible predicts that the relationship between the prophesied ten European nations or groups of nations and a power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership will deteriorate and end in an out-right war.

“USA and Britain Are Next…”

A-7 News reported on February 24:

“Meeting with foreign ambassadors in the Knesset on Tuesday, Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin (Likud) said, ‘If the trend doesn’t change, the U.S. and Britain will be next in line’ to pay the price for the world’s double standards, and for their willingness to fight, in the war against terrorism.

“‘According to the standards laid down by the Goldstone investigation,’ Rivlin said, ‘Winston Churchill should have been charged with war crimes, as should the American and British armies in Iraq. In the meanwhile, though, only Israel is paying the price of the double standard that does not differentiate between attacker and victim, or between terrorism and self-defense.’

“The Goldstone Commission, charged by the United Nations with investigating Israel’s counter-terrorist Cast Lead offensive against Hamas-run Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009, accused Israel of war crimes, attacks upon civilians, and the like. ‘If the trend doesn’t change,’ Rivlin continued, ‘the next in line to be accused will be the members of the militaries of Great Britain, the U.S., and the other countries of the free world.’

“Some 70 ambassadors and foreign representatives took part in the Knesset event, which dealt with the fight of the democratic countries against terrorism… Rivlin warned of another terrific loss of life such as occurred in World War II… ‘Terrorism is trying to paralyze and silence democracies fighting against it,’ the veteran Jerusalemite Knesset Member said… Rivlin called on the nations of the world to stand by Israel in its fight against terrorism – a struggle that he said is ‘beginning to take on dimensions of World War III.'”

“PIIGS to the Slaughter”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 22:

“As speculators attack the euro, Europe is facing a growing threat of national bankruptcies. The consequences would be dramatic for the whole of the continent, especially German banks, which are highly exposed to risky debt. EU politicians are willing to pay almost any price to help the beleaguered countries…

“Europe is indeed currently the hottest topic on the global financial markets. The value of the battered euro has been falling since the Greek government confessed to the actual scope of its debt — and since it became clear that things are not looking significantly better in the other PIIGS countries (the acronym refers to Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain).

“There has never been this much uncertainty. No one knows whether the Greeks will manage to solve their problems, whether and how other countries will come to their aid, whether the crisis can be confined to Greece or whether it will spread like wildfire among the PIIGS — and end up tearing apart the European currency union…

“The financial industry is back to its old tricks, playing with the greatest possible amount of risk. In the past, it speculated with the debts of American homeowners and, as a result, triggered the biggest crisis in the world economy since the Great Depression of the 1920s. Now it is gambling with the debts of entire countries…

“It is no coincidence, however, that the speculators have not zeroed in on the dollar, the British pound or the yen. Although the United States, Britain and Japan are also groaning under the burden of their debt, the euro is much more vulnerable, for both historic and political reasons. The weak southern countries, members of the so-called Club Med, have always been seen as problem cases. They have lived beyond their means and neglected the need to be competitive, they have built up — partly in full view, partly cleverly hidden — enormous mountains of debt, and they have avoided hard-hitting reforms. These conditions existed before they became members of the euro zone, and they did not improve afterwards.

“The other euro countries looked the other way. Initially, before the establishment of monetary union, they looked away because they didn’t want to jeopardize their political goal of a European common currency. Later, it was because they themselves were benefiting from the euro. The German export economy, in particular, was able to expand continuously…

“The euro has been a success story until now. During the recent financial crisis, the common currency proved to be a blessing at first, particularly for the smaller countries. But as debt levels increased, the problems, previously suppressed, became more and more evident…

“US investment bank Goldman Sachs, in particular, has its finger in several pies at once: as an adviser to the beleaguered governments — and on the side of the hedge funds that are speculating against the Greeks. Goldman Sachs was also involved when the Greeks tried to hide their debts from Brussels. In 2002, the US bank helped them exchange a portion of their dollar and yen debts, worth $10 billion, into euro debts. Goldman even granted Greece a loan of €1 billion, which was never reported as such to Brussels, and collected €200 million for its efforts… even the new Greek government… cannot manage without the US investment bank…

“The situation would spin completely out of control if, in addition to Greece, countries like Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain got into difficulties… German banks are apparently the ‘principal creditors in Spain and Ireland, and the second-most important creditor in Italy’… Early last week, the German-French duo brought the remaining finance ministers in the euro group on board. Officially, all are still cloaked in silence and behaving as if bailouts will not be necessary. Nevertheless, the package of measures is beginning to take shape. The German Finance Ministry expects support for Greece to amount to between €20 billion and €25 billion. All the members of the euro group are expected to participate, including those, like Spain and Portugal, who also might find themselves needing help soon… The assistance is to consist partly of loans and partly of loan guarantees… the official version is that the participating countries will not assume any of Greece’s debt, which would be forbidden under the treaty. Instead, they will add new debt to the existing debt, something that the rules do not prohibit…

“The Finance Ministry officials are also thinking about creating a new institution… to handle future bailout efforts. This European fund would provide financing to countries in difficulty. It is still unclear how the new rescue fund will be financed. There are two conceivable options: Each member state’s contribution could be based on either its share of ECB capital or the level of its deficit. The second solution would be fairer: the worse a country’s financial policy, the higher its contribution. In other words, the biggest sinners would be required to pay the highest indulgence.

“Such an institution doesn’t exist yet, which means that European politicians will have to make do with what they have. The financial strength of the donor countries could soon be depleted. This could force ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet to buy up the debt of the countries facing bankruptcy — which is tantamount to printing money. Although this is prohibited under the Maastricht statutes, the EU finance ministers already demonstrated that the treaty could be amended if necessary when, in 2005, they stealthily relaxed the 3 percent criterion for government debt. Such a bailout would come at a high price: It would turn the European monetary union into an inflation union.”

The present European crisis, caused by Greece and blamed on U.S. banks, might be another stepping stone to the unification of ten leading and powerful European nations or groups of nations within larger Europe, as prophesied in Scripture. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Germany Urges Catholic Church to Come Clean on Child Abuse

Deutsche Welle reported on February 21:

“German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger leveled criticism at the Bishop of Augsburg, Walter Mixa, who she said was ‘hiding behind polemic excuses instead of contributing to clearing up’ the matter. The controversial bishop had previously told a local newspaper that the media and the ‘so-called sexual revolution’ were partly to blame for the problem of child abuse in society…

“The minister’s comments come to a backdrop of a widening scandal involving allegations of sexual molestation at Catholic schools throughout Germany dating back to the 1960s…

“Hamburg Archbishop Werner Thissen said the scandal was the result of ‘structural problems’ in the church… An association of Catholic lay people… has also called on bishops to come clean, and admit that cases that have come to light are not isolated.”

Der Spiegel Online added on February 24:

“The Catholic Church in Germany is under pressure as more and more cases of sexual abuse come to light. Now the government is demanding that the Church take rigorous action to investigate the incidents… But Benedict XVI remained silent…

“New allegations of abuse by members of the Catholic Church are emerging every day… Despite the apparent urgency of the situation, Germany’s highest-ranking Catholic… had been unavailable for comment for weeks during the scandal…

“In reacting to what is probably the biggest scandal within their ranks in decades, German bishops have seemed helpless and dazed, sometimes concerned about the victims, but often stubborn, out of touch with reality or ignorant — and generally confused…

“Even the German government is unequivocally calling upon Church leaders to take action — an extremely unusual approach in the context of the relationship between Church and state… The prevalent view within the clergy, however, is still that sexual assaults are isolated cases, the regrettable transgressions of brothers gone astray… At the same time, the many new suspected cases indicate that abuse of children and adolescents was apparently widespread throughout the Catholic world…

“Given their experiences, however, many victims have little confidence in an investigation conducted by precisely the institution that concealed the abuse, sometimes for years or even decades.”

It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the Catholic Church will do to get itself out of this mess. Please watch our new StandingWatch program on this important issue, titled, “Why Catholic Sex Abuse?”

Head of German Lutheran Church Resigns Over Drunk Driving

Deutsche Welle reported on February 24:

“The head of the Lutheran Church in Germany, Margot Kaessmann, announced her resignation at a press conference on Wednesday after being pulled over for drunk driving days before… Her resignation as head of Germany’s Protestants and Hanover’s bishop is effective immediately, but she will remain a pastor in the local Hanover church…

“Police had stopped the 51-year-old, who was driving a car provided by the Church, for running a red light in Hanover on Saturday night. A test showed her blood alcohol level to be 0.154 percent, three times the legal limit for driving in Germany, prosecutors said.

“‘I am shocked at myself for committing such a grievous error,’ Kaessmann had told Bild newspaper. ‘I am aware how dangerous and irresponsible it is to drink and drive. I will accept the legal consequences’…

“Kaessmann was elected in October 2009 to be the first woman to head the Protestant Church in Germany, an umbrella organization that unites Germany’s 25 million Protestant Christians. She was a controversial choice, because she was divorced. Kaessmann was viewed as a modernizer and a supporter of improving ties with Catholics. She gained attention recently by calling for a pullout of German troops from Afghanistan, saying there was no such thing as a just war.”

The Habsburg Legacy

The Habsburg Empire was for many years a predominant force in continental Europe and constituted the seventh resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire and the fourth resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. Even though it is very unlikely, based on the facts set forth below, that the Habsburgs will ever come to political power again in Europe, stranger things have happened in history.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 19:

“Many tourists take an underground detour to the Imperial Crypt, an internationally famed heritage site beneath the city of Vienna… When night falls, loneliness sweeps in around Leopold I. The deceased emperor lies inside his coffin… The man who lies buried beneath this dusty splendor was once the continent’s most powerful monarch. Leopold I reigned over the Holy Roman Empire for nearly half a century, beginning in 1658. He drove Turkish forces back from Vienna, defied King Louis XIV of France, and paved the way for an empire that stretched as far as the Netherlands, the Carpathian Mountains, Silesia, and Sardinia. Of the 146 Habsburg relatives to Leopold I who are interred in that part of the crypt open to the public, only Emperor Franz Joseph I reigned longer. But resting in his robust copper coffin since 1916, Franz Joseph I hasn’t yet needed to visit the workshop…

“The crypt provides one of the prime attractions within Vienna’s historic city center… Nearly 400 years’ worth of coffins and heart urns are collected here. Reform-inclined emperors lie alongside crowned warmongers, murder victims like Empress Elisabeth — better known by her nickname ‘Sisi’ — lie alongside suicides like her son Rudolf, who was the heir apparent. The remains of blue-blooded relatives from the houses of Bourbon, Parma, Burgundy and Aragon also rest here. The Habsburgs became a major power through their strategy of nonviolent annexation through marriage.

“Today, though, aside from the monks and the city of Vienna, only a ‘Society for the Preservation of the Imperial Crypt,’ with around a thousand members, sees to it that the deposed Habsburgs’ Valhalla, at least, still reflects the family’s former splendor. ‘We were dispossessed, so we didn’t even have funds available for restoration,’ complains Karl Habsburg, loyal grandson of the last emperor and now himself head of the House of Habsburg…

“Even 90 years after it enacted the Habsburg Law, the Republic of Austria still greets requests from the former dynasty with ‘limited enthusiasm’… The decision from April 3, 1919, still holds. The Habsburgs were dispossessed of private property held in family funds, denied the right to run for election, and forbidden to remain in Austria, unless they renounced in writing their claims to the throne and their affiliation with the deposed dynasty.

“Carl Ludwig, son of the last Habsburg emperor, was interred in the family crypt in January 2008. He refused his entire life to meet the full demands of the Habsburg Law, and paid for it with more than half a century of being denied entry to the country. Carl Ludwig was the younger brother of the heir to the throne, Otto von Habsburg, and took part in the Allied landing at Normandy in 1944 in an American uniform. He felt he had sufficiently proved his republican sentiments.

“Using the relics of the fallen dynasty as a tourist attraction but ostracizing the family’s heirs is typically Austrian, living descendents of the family argue. Michael Salvator Habsburg, a great-grandson of Emperor Franz Joseph I from the Tuscany line, has the same complaint. His ancestors, the historian says, relinquished their claim to the throne and remained in the country, yet still have not been rehabilitated…

“To this day, Vienna continues to supplement individual EU laws at the national level with conditions concerning the Habsburgs, as if a return to the throne remained a constant threat. Any remaining concerns that the republic is in danger of collapse, though, should be dispelled by the appearance of the elderly gentlemen who make up the Teutonic Master Guard Corps. They come every year on November 20, the anniversary of Franz Joseph’s death, to sing ‘God Save the Emperor’ in the Capuchin Church above the vault and then gather to pray in the crypt chapel below, within view of the vault’s last three empty marble plinths.

“It ‘doesn’t take much of a stretch of imagination’ to guess who is meant to take these last places of honor, Karl Habsburg commented shortly before his mother’s death two weeks ago. Karl’s father Otto, 97, has joked that the Capuchin monks seem to eye him with particular attentiveness during his visits to the crypt — ‘to take measurements for later’…

“What should be done, for example, with the monstrous copper coffin standing around uselessly at Vienna’s Central Cemetery? It was originally meant for Emperor Charles I, but he was buried in Madeira, where he was forced into exile. Since his beatification in 2004, the emperor’s resting place on the island has drawn more tourists than ever before. The autonomous Portuguese archipelago declines to transfer the tomb to the Imperial Crypt in Vienna…

“One gets a clearer sense of the ephemeral nature of things down here, adds Michael Salvator Habsburg. ‘The Christian Western world speaks out of the depths of the crypt,’ he says. ‘You can sense continuity and legitimation here.’ But things are different above ground, amid the daily life of the republic, Habsburg comments: ‘A government thinks first and foremost about its pension rights.'”

Scientists Retract Global Warming Study

The most important aspect in the following article is the fact that scientists openly admit that they make mistakes of such a magnitude that they can have wide-ranging consequences. It is high time that our “modern” and “sophisticated” civilization begins to place its trust and belief in God–rather than in erring scientists–and that it rejects scientific “knowledge” when it is in clear contradiction to the revealed Word of God–the Holy Bible.

The Guardian wrote on February 22:

“Scientists have been forced to withdraw a study on projected sea level rise due to global warming after finding mistakes that undermined the findings.

“The study, published in 2009… confirmed the conclusions of the 2007 report… It used data over the last 22,000 years to predict that sea level would rise by between 7cm and 82cm by the end of the century.

“At the time, Mark Siddall, from the Earth Sciences Department at the University of Bristol, said the study ‘strengthens the confidence with which one may interpret the IPCC results.’ The IPCC said that sea level would probably rise by 18cm-59cm by 2100, though stressed this was based on incomplete information about ice sheet melting and that the true rise could be higher.

“Many scientists criticised the IPCC approach as too conservative, and several papers since have suggested that sea level could rise more…

“Announcing the formal retraction of the paper from the journal, Siddall said: ‘It’s one of those things that happens. People make mistakes and mistakes happen in science.’ He said there were two separate technical mistakes in the paper, which were pointed out by other scientists after it was published. A formal retraction was required, rather than a correction, because the errors undermined the study’s conclusion.”