Be Alert!

Terrorists' assignment: Protect Barack Obama

2008-07-23T22:26:00.002-04:00

'Maybe the Israelis will try something,' hints militant bodyguard
WORLDNETDAILY - By Aaron Klein - July 20, 2008
JERUSALEM - Members of the most active West Bank terror organization are set to serve in security forces being deployed to protect Sen. Barack Obama during his trip to the West Bank tomorrow, WND has learned.

Obama is due to visit Israeli officials in Jerusalem and leaders of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank city of Ramallah as part of a wider Middle Eastern and European tour that includes Jordan, France and Germany.

According to security officials coordinating deployments of forces with the PA for Obama's Ramallah visit, members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared military wing, have been called upon by the PA to participate in the protection of Obama, particularly in securing the perimeter during a scheduled meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas. . . .

Brigades leaders, speaking to WND on condition of anonymity, confirmed they will participate in protecting Obama as official members of the PA's security forces.

Many Brigades members, including the group's chiefs, serve openly in Fatah's Force 17 presidential guard units and the Palestinian Preventative Security Services; hundreds of Force 17 and Preventative officers are slated to secure Ramallah during Obama's visit there.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members are slated to serve in a third ring of security forces patrolling the periphery of Abbas' Ramallah compound during the Palestinian leader's meeting with Obama. . . .

Various high-profile Al Aqsa Brigades terrorists serve in Fatah's security forces, including those in Ramallah. The current chief of Fatah's Force 17, Abu Hayyet, is accused by Israel of planning or involvement in at least 10 deadly terror attacks, according to Israeli security officials. - - - -

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=70124

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

A Mystery in the Middle East

2008-07-23T19:16:00.001-04:00

STRATFOR - By George Friedman - April 10, 2008

The Arab-Israeli region of the Middle East is filled with rumors of war. That is about as unusual as the rising of the sun, so normally it would not be worth mentioning. But like the proverbial broken clock that is right twice a day, such rumors occasionally will be true. In this case, we don't know that they are true, and certainly it's not the rumors that are driving us. But other things - minor and readily explicable individually - have drawn our attention to the possibility that something is happening.

The first thing that drew our attention was a minor, routine matter. Back in February, the United States started purchasing oil for its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The SPR is a reserve of crude oil stored in underground salt domes. Back in February, it stood at 96.2 percent of capacity, which is pretty full as far as we are concerned. But the U.S. Department of Energy decided to increase its capacity. This move came in spite of record-high oil prices and the fact that the purchase would not help matters. It also came despite potential political fallout, since during times like these there is generally pressure to release reserves. Part of the step could have been the bureaucracy cranking away, and part of it could have been the feeling that the step didn't make much difference. But part of it could have been based on real fears of a disruption in oil supplies. By itself, the move meant nothing. But it did cause us to become thoughtful.

Also in February, someone assassinated Imad Mughniyah, a leader of Hezbollah, in a car bomb explosion in Syria. It was assumed the Israelis had killed him, although there were some suspicions the Syrians might have had him killed for their own arcane reasons. In any case, Hezbollah publicly claimed the Israelis killed Mughniyah, and therefore it was expected the militant Shiite group would take revenge. In the past, Hezbollah responded not by attacking Israel but by attacking Jewish targets elsewhere, as in the Buenos Aires attacks of 1992 and 1994.

In March, the United States decided to dispatch the USS Cole, then under Sixth Fleet command, to Lebanese coastal waters. Washington later replaced it with two escorts from the Nassau (LHA-4) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), reportedly maintaining a minor naval presence in the area. (Most of the ESG, on a regularly scheduled deployment, is no more than a few days sail from the coast, as it remains in the Mediterranean Sea.) The reason given for the American naval presence was to serve as a warning to the Syrians not to involve themselves in Lebanese affairs. The exact mission of the naval presence off the Levantine coast - and the exact deterrent function it served - was not clear, but there they were. The Sixth Fleet has gone out of its way to park and maintain U.S. warships off the Lebanese coast.

Hezbollah leaders being killed by the Israelis and the presence of American ships off the shores of Mediterranean countries are not news in and of themselves. These things happen. The killing of Mughniyah is notable only to point out that as much as Israel might have wanted him dead, the Israelis knew this fight would escalate. But anyone would have known this. So all we know is that whoever killed Mughniyah wanted to trigger a conflict. The U.S. naval presence off the Levantine coast is notable in that Washington, rather busy with matters elsewhere, found the bandwidth to get involved here as well.

With the situation becoming tense, the Israelis announced in March that they would carry out an exercise in April called Turning Point 2. Once again, an Israeli military exercise is hardly interesting news. But the Syrians apparently got quite interested. After the announcement, the Syrians deployed three divisions - two armored, one mechanized - to the Lebanese-Syrian border in the Bekaa Valley, the western part of which is Hezbollah's stronghold. The Syrians didn't appear to be aggressive. Rather, they deployed these forces in a defensive posture, in a way walling off their part of the valley.

The Syrians are well aware that in the event of a conventional war with Israel, they would experience a short but exciting life, as they say. They thus are hardly going to attack Israel. The deployment therefore seemed intended to keep the Israelis on the Lebanese side of the border - on the apparent assumption the Israelis were going into the Bekaa Valley. Despite Israeli and Syrian denials of the Syrian troop buildup along the border, Stratfor sources maintain that the buildup in fact happened. Normally, Israel would be jumping at the chance to trumpet Syrian aggression in response to these troop movements, but, instead, the Israelis downplayed the buildup.

When the Israelis kicked off Turning Point 2, which we regard as a pretty interesting name, it turned out to be the largest exercise in Israeli history. It involved the entire country, and was designed to test civil defenses and the ability of the national command authority to continue to function in the event of an attack with unconventional weapons - chemical and nuclear, we would assume. This was a costly exercise. It also involved calling up reserves, some of them for the exercise, and, by some reports, others for deployment to the north against Syria. Israel does not call up reserves casually. Reserve call-ups are expensive and disrupt the civilian economy. These appear small, but in the environment of Turning Point 2, it would not be difficult to mobilize larger forces without being noticed.

The Syrians already were deeply concerned by the Israeli exercise. Eventually, the Lebanese government got worried, too, and started to evacuate some civilians from the South. Hezbollah, which still hadn't retaliated for the Mughniyah assassination, also claimed the Israelis were about to attack it, and reportedly went on alert and mobilized its forces. The Americans, who normally issue warnings and cautions to everyone, said nothing to try to calm the situation. They just sat offshore on their ships.

It is noteworthy that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak canceled a scheduled visit to Germany this week. The cancellation came immediately after the reports of the Syrian military redeployment were released. Obviously, Barak needed to be in Israel for Turning Point 2, but then he had known about the exercise for at least a month. Why cancel at the last minute? While we are discussing diplomacy, we note that U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited Oman - a country with close relations with Iran - and then was followed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. By itself not interesting, but why the high-level interest in Oman at this point?

Now let's swing back to September 2007, when the Israelis bombed something in Syria near the Turkish border. As we discussed at the time, for some reason the Israelis refused to say what they had attacked. It made no sense for them not to trumpet what they carefully leaked - namely, that they had attacked a nuclear facility. Proving that Syria had a secret nuclear program would have been a public relations coup for Israel. Nevertheless, no public charges were leveled. And the Syrians remained awfully calm about the bombing.

Rumors now are swirling that the Israelis are about to reveal publicly that they in fact bombed a nuclear reactor provided to Syria by North Korea. But this news isn't all that big. Also rumored is that the Israelis will claim Iranian complicity in building the reactor. And one Israeli TV station reported April 8 that Israel really had discovered Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, which it said had been smuggled to Syria.

Now why the Bush administration wouldn't have trumpeted news of the Syrian reactor worldwide in September 2007 is beyond us, but there obviously were some reasons - assuming the TV report is true, which we have no way of establishing. In fact, we have no idea why the Israelis are choosing this moment to rehash the bombing of this site. But whatever their reason, it certainly raises a critical question. If the Syrians are developing a nuclear capability, what are the Israelis planning to do about it?

No one of these things, by itself, is of very great interest. And taken together they do not provide the means for a clear forecast. Nevertheless, a series of rather ordinary events, taken together, can constitute something significant. Tensions in the Middle East are moving well beyond the normal point, and given everything that is happening, events are moving to a point where someone is likely to take military action. Whether Hezbollah will carry out a retaliatory strike or Israel a pre-emptive strike in Lebanon, or whether the Israelis' real target is Iran, tensions systematically have been ratcheted up to the point where we, in our simple way, are beginning to wonder whether something has to give.

All together, these events are fairly extraordinary. Ignoring all rhetoric - and the Israelis have gone out of their way to say that they are not looking for a fight - it would seem that each side, but particularly the Americans and Israelis, have gone out of their way to signal that they are expecting conflict. The Syrians have also signaled that they expect conflict, and Hezbollah always claims there is about to be conflict.

What is missing is this: who will fight whom, and why, and why now. The simple explanation is that Israel wants a second round with Hezbollah. But while that might be true, it doesn't explain everything else that has happened. Most important, it doesn't explain the simultaneous revelations about the bombing of Syria. It also doesn't explain the U.S. naval deployment. Is the United States about to get involved in a war with Hezbollah, a war that the Israelis should handle themselves? Are the Israelis going to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad - and then wind up with a Sunni government, or worse, an Israeli occupation of Syria? None of that makes a lot of sense.

In truth, all of this may dissolve into nothing much. In intelligence analysis, however, sometimes a set of not-fully-coherent facts must be reported, and that is what we are doing now. There is no clear pattern; there is no obvious direction this is taking. Nevertheless, when we string together events from February until now, we see a persistently escalating pattern of behavior. In fact, what we can say most clearly is that there is escalation, without being able to say what is the clear direction of the escalation or the purpose.

We would like to wrap this up with a crystal clear explanation and forecast. But we can't. The motives of the various actors are opaque; and taken separately, the individual events all have quite innocent explanations. We are not prepared to say war is imminent, nor even what sort of war there would be. We are simply prepared to say that the course of events since February - and really since the September 2007 attack on Syria - have been startling, and they appear to be reaching some sort of hard-to-understand crescendo.

The bombing of Syria symbolizes our confusion. Why would Syria want a nuclear reactor and why put it on the border of Turkey, a country the Syrians aren't particularly friendly with? If the Syrians had a nuclear reactor, why would the Israelis be coy about it? Why would the Americans? Having said nothing for months apart from careful leaks, why are the Israelis going to speak publicly now? And if what they are going to say is simply that the North Koreans provided the equipment, what's the big deal? That was leaked months ago.

The events of September 2007 make no sense and have never made any sense. The events we have seen since February make no sense either. That is noteworthy, and we bring it to your attention. We are not saying that the events are meaningless. We are saying that we do not know their meaning. But we can't help but regard them as ominous.

http://www.stratfor.com/

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Media in love with Obama?

2008-07-23T18:36:00.002-04:00

Recent polls, McCain agree: Press is twitterpated
WORLDNETDAILY - July 22, 2008
A new poll demonstrates Americans believe by a more than three-to-one ratio that the news media is trying to help Sen. Barack Obama win the presidential election this fall, a perception that John McCain has now taken advantage of in a humorous new feature on his website.

McCain's front page invites visitors to vote for their favorite of two YouTube videos that feature clips of reporters gushing in affection over the presumptive Democrat candidate and confessing a media bias.

Meanwhile, a Rasmussen Reports telephone survey taken even before Americans raised their eyebrows over the New York Times' acceptance of an Obama op-ed piece and rejection of McCain's, found that 49 percent of voters believe most reporters are trying to help Obama with their coverage.

Similarly, only 14 percent believe the media is helping Sen. John McCain, and a mere one in four voters (24 percent) believes most reporters offer unbiased news coverage.

McCain's website is now poking fun at the media for creating this perception with its new "Media Love" campaign. "It's pretty obvious that the media has a bizarre fascination with Barack Obama," the site reads. "Some may even say it's a love affair. We want you to be the judge. Click here to watch the new video and vote today!"

You can view the video that was leading the voting when WND went to press below:

[See link below for video]

A second, related report released by Rasmussen shows Americans see bias not only in coverage of the candidates, but in major issues as well. A full 50 percent of Americans polled believe the media is making economic conditions seem worse than they really are, and 41 percent believe reporters are trying to make news of the Iraq war seem unfairly negative. Only 25 percent think most reporters present fair coverage of the economy, with the same percentage believing the American people are getting an unbiased picture of Iraq.

The poll that asked about candidate coverage found self-described Democrats to be far more trusting of the media than their Republican counterparts. A plurality of Democrats (37 percent) see news coverage as unbiased in the presidential campaign, while 27 percent perceive a slant toward Obama and 21 percent a slant toward McCain.

Among Republicans, 78 percent believe reporters are giving Obama a boost, and a mere 10 percent judge the coverage unbiased.

Independents, it seems, tend to agree more with the Republicans. Half of the unaffiliated respondents (50 percent) believe reporters are helping Obama, 21 percent perceive unbiased coverage, and a mere 12 percent see a pro-McCain slant.

Coupled with the perception of bias is an underlying mistrust of the media, with less than one in three (30 percent) doubting most reporters would hide information hurtful to their preferred candidate, while 25 percent were unsure and 45 percent stating they believed reporters would cover up news that didn't fit their bias.

The mistrust of the media, also heavier among Republicans than Democrats, seems to correlate with the way Americans perceive economic issues. Republicans, for example, who are more likely to see media as bashing the economy, are also more likely to view the economy positively. Democrats – who trust the media more and see less of an unfair negative slant – view the economy more negatively.

Of those polled, 59 percent of Republicans affirmed the United States has the world's best economy, while a mere 18 percent of Democrats would make the same judgment.

The poll also showed Republicans are far more likely to trust a stockbroker than a reporter for their economic news.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=70272

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

9/11 third tower mystery 'solved'

2008-07-05T17:55:00.004-04:00

Isaiah 30:19-25
O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, "Be gone!" Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture. Also the oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain and on every high hill there will be streams running with water on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

BBC NEWS [PSB operated by BBC Trust] - By Mike Rudin, BBC, Conspiracy Files - July 4, 2008
The final mystery of 9/11 will soon be solved, according to US experts [Experts? how do we know?] investigating the collapse of the third tower at the World Trade Center.

The 47-storey third tower, known as Tower Seven, collapsed seven hours after the twin towers.

Investigators are expected to say ordinary fires on several different floors caused the collapse.

Conspiracy theorists [Notice how immediately the BBC paints a picture that these are only "conspiracy theroists", in other words, friut-cakes -- but when you read further they actually are professionals who look at these things for a living] have argued that the third tower was brought down in a controlled demolition.

Unlike the twin towers, Tower Seven was not hit by a plane.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, based near Washington DC, is expected to conclude in its long-awaited report this month that ordinary fires caused the building to collapse.

That would make it the first and only steel skyscraper in the world to collapse because of fire.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's lead investigator, Dr Shyam Sunder, spoke to BBC Two's "The Conspiracy Files":

"Our working hypothesis now actually suggests that it was normal building fires that were growing and spreading throughout the multiple floors that may have caused the ultimate collapse of the buildings."

'Smoking gun'

However, a group of architects, engineers and scientists say the official explanation that fires caused the collapse is impossible. Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth argue there must have been a controlled demolition.

The founder of the group, Richard Gage, says the collapse of the third tower is an obvious example of a controlled demolition using explosives.

"Building Seven is the smoking gun of 9/11… A sixth grader can look at this building falling at virtually freefall speed, symmetrically and smoothly, and see that it is not a natural process.

"Buildings that fall in natural processes fall to the path of least resistance", says Gage, "they don't go straight down through themselves."

Conspiracy theories

There are a number of facts that have encouraged conspiracy theories about Tower Seven.

* Although its collapse potentially made architectural history, all of the thousands of tonnes of steel from the skyscraper were taken away to be melted down.
* The third tower was occupied by the Secret Service, the CIA, the Department of Defence and the Office of Emergency Management, which would co-ordinate any response to a disaster or a terrorist attack.
* The destruction of the third tower was never mentioned in the 9/11 Commission Report. The first official inquiry into Tower Seven by the Federal Emergency Management Agency was unable to be definitive about what caused its collapse.
* In May 2002 FEMA concluded that the building collapsed because intense fires had burned for hours, fed by thousands of gallons of diesel stored in the building. But it said this had "only a low probability of occurrence" and more work was needed.

But now nearly seven years after 9/11 the definitive official explanation of what happened to Tower Seven is finally about to be published in America.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has spent more than two years investigating Tower Seven but lead investigator Dr Shyam Sunder rejects criticism that it has been slow.

"We've been at this for a little over two years and doing a two or two and a half year investigation is not at all unusual. That's the same kind of time frame that takes place when we do aeroplane crash investigations, it takes a few years."

With no steel from Tower 7 to study, investigators have instead made four extremely complex computer models worked out to the finest detail. They're confident their approach can now provide the answers. Dr Sunder says the investigation is moving as fast as possible.

"It's a very complex problem. It requires a level of fidelity in the modelling and rigour in the analysis that has never been done before."

Other skyscrapers haven't fully collapsed before because of fire. But NIST argues that what happened on 9/11 was unique.

Steel structure weakened

It says Tower Seven had an unusual design, built over an electricity substation and a subway; there were many fires that burnt for hours; and crucially, fire fighters could not fight the fires in Tower 7, because they didn't have enough water and focused on saving lives.

Investigators have focused on the east side where the long floor spans were under most stress.

They think fires burnt long enough to weaken and break many of the connections that held the steel structure together.

Most susceptible were the thinner floor beams which required less fireproofing, and the connections between the beams and the columns. As they heated up the connections failed and the beams sagged and failed, investigators say.

The collapse of the first of the Twin Towers does not seem to have caused any serious damage to Tower Seven, but the second collapse of the 1,368ft (417m) North Tower threw debris at Tower Seven, just 350ft (106m) away.

Tower Seven came down at 5.21pm. Until now most of the photographs have been of the three sides of the building that did not show much obvious physical damage. Now new photos of the south side of the building, which crucially faced the North Tower, show that whole side damaged and engulfed in smoke.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7485331.stm

Ed Note. If you think WT7 was brought down by fire see these videos:

This one by CNN has a cop warning that the building is about to come down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwjmqkjwnvQ

Here is another short video concerning the WT7 collapse and controlled demolitions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-c-6qkbxd0

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Is Judgment falling on the anti-Christian, anti-Israeli Press?

2008-07-05T14:47:00.007-04:00

Ed Note: A collection of article regarding the industry wide downturn in circulation and ad revenue for Newspapers. There has been a decline occurring for some time due to an aging subscriber base as well as technological changes such as the Internet having had an effect on the industry. However, these concerns are considered within projected circulation numbers and even in some cases certain news organizations such as The New York Times have gained circulation due to growing online subscriptions. But this recent downtrend has caught nearly everyone off guard forcing newsgroups to re-evaluate projected circulation numbers (from which ad revenue is based) and has led to sudden layoffs, staff reductions and even talks of certain publications shutting down their presses for good. Certainly the terrible economy is playing a part in all of this, but I can’t help but wonder if a press that has been so anti-Israel in the face of any rational reasoning and anti-Christian as well is now facing some well deserved judgment from the One whom avenges His people.

LA Times to cut 250 jobs, including 150 news jobs
ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Ryan Nakashima - July 2, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Times plans to cut 250 positions, including 150 jobs in the print and online news departments, amid a continuing industrywide slump in ad sales, the paper's editor said Wednesday.

The decline in advertising, fueled by a weak real estate market, has boosted the copy-to-ads ratio above the industry target of 50-50, giving readers more stories than they can digest, while the paper competes for attention with the Internet and TV, editor Russ Stanton said. - - -

The move followed an announcement last week that the paper's parent, Tribune Co., is exploring the sale of its headquarters in Chicago and the building in downtown Los Angeles that houses the Times.

A half-dozen major newspapers announced layoffs last week totaling about 900 jobs.

Also Wednesday, Journal Sentinel Inc. said it would cut about 10 percent of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's 1,300 full-time employees, and Media General Inc. said it would lay off 21 newsroom employees at The Tampa Tribune by early fall as part of a one-fifth cut in its news staff. - - - -

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080702/la_times_cuts.html?.v=1

Tampa Tribune plans to cut one-fifth of newsroom
ASSOCIATED PRESS - July 2, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Tribune plans to lay off 11 newsroom employees this week and another 10 by early fall as part of a one-fifth cut in the news staff.

Along with the 29 people who took voluntary buyouts and tendered resignations, the job losses announced Tuesday will leave the Tribune with a news staff of about 200, the paper said Wednesday.

The cuts, part of a corporate reduction announced in May, are the latest sign of how the newspaper industry is being hurt by a weakened economy and the emergence of the Internet as an alternative medium for advertising. - - - -

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91LSILO1&show_article=1

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Most Doctors Aren’t Using Electronic Health Records

2008-07-05T12:23:00.003-04:00

NEW YORK TIMES [NYTimes Group/Sulzberger] - By Steve Lohr - June 19, 2008
A government-sponsored survey of the use of computerized patient records by doctors points to two seemingly contradictory conclusions, and a health care system at odds with itself.

The report, published online on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that doctors who use electronic health records say overwhelmingly that such records have helped improve the quality and timeliness of care. Yet fewer than one in five of the nation’s doctors has started using such records.

Bringing patient records into the computer age, experts say, is crucial to improving care, reducing errors and containing costs in the American health care system. The slow adoption of the technology is mainly economic. Most doctors in private practice, especially those in small practices, lack the financial incentive to invest in computerized records.

The national survey found that electronic records were used in less than 9 percent of small offices with one to three doctors, where nearly half of the country’s doctors practice medicine. - - - -

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/technology/19patient.html?ex=1371614400&en=ff467606eb24767e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Even the Leaders Think the Homosexual Activist Movement in Canada is Going Too Far

2008-07-02T11:27:00.003-04:00

LIFESITENEWS.com - By Thaddeus M. Baklinski - May 12, 2008
TORONTO -- EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) Canada, the homosexual activist group that has consistently worked to silence opposition to homosexual activity, has sent a letter to the president and CEO of Canada Post, asking them to censor the mail.

The letter, from current executive director of EGALE Canada, Helen Kennedy, asked for a meeting with Canada Post to discuss the use of the mail by record companies and bookstores to distribute music that EGALE says may promote hatred based on a person's sexual orientation.

But Gilles Marchildon, the executive director of EGALE from 2003 to 2006, says EGALE has gone too far, especially in asking Canada Post to censor material.

In a surprising about face, Marchildon said, "Regarding offensive lyrics by certain artists, I'm glad EGALE has raised the issue because it never hurts to underline the existence of homophobia. But I'm personally not comfortable with inviting government agencies to play a censorship role."

"The danger, of course, is that once you advocate in favour of curbing freedom of expression, where does it stop and who's going to decide where the line gets drawn?" he asks. "Let us recall history. When governments have played the role of censor they've usually done it at the expense of the LGBT community and of its artistic and/or sexual freedom."

The obvious double standard being pushed by the EGALE executive director seems to be wearing away the groups credibility, even within its own ranks.

Marchildon said Egale has failed to explain its position in inviting Canada Post to censor. "In fact," he said, "EGALE is failing to explain much of anything to its members."

In 2004, Egale discussed launching a campaign to shut down LifeSiteNews.com through harassment lawsuits aimed at bankrupting the news service, which received threatening emails from homosexual activists including those from EGALE list-serve members accusing LifeSiteNews.com of hate propaganda and some suggesting criminal prosecution under Canada's new hate crime law.

Derek Rogusky, Vice President of Family Policy and Community Impact for Focus on the Family Canada said, "The reality is that gay activists want to wipe out any dissenting opinion. It is ironic that those demanding tolerance are not offering tolerance as well."

See related LifeSiteNews.com article:

Canadian Homosexual Activists on EGALE List-Serve Discuss How to Shut Down LifeSite

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08051208.html?CFID=2327540&CFTOKEN=5ffb05bb45984ac-DF57FC28-0F25-1491-F07E17BC61EAA50A

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

'Demonic' grunts, barks confront prayer warriors

2008-06-30T16:16:00.002-04:00

Film reveals vitriol, hatred directed at pro-life activists
WORLDNETDAILY - January 24, 2008
A new video posted by the Catholic-based Gloria TV has documented the "demonic" behavior of pro-abortion activists who grunt, bark and shriek in the faces of pro-life prayer warriors in Vienna.

With jaws slack, eyes glazed, tongues hanging out and fingers arched, the abortion activists are in the pay of prominent Vienna abortionist Christian Fiala, according to the video report, which describes the individuals as "a paid attack troop" set in motion to "harass and humiliate the pro-lifers."

The video, available on the Gloria TV website, shows animalistic behavior, with growling, name-calling, barking, groaning, screaming and uncontrolled laughing and giggling sounds.

Father Markus Doppelbauer, who contributes to the editing of the website, told WND that abortion remains a flashpoint topic in Austria.

"Part of the socialist strategy is to systematically denigrate the pro-lifers," he said. "The socialists love to accuse them in public statements of 'psycho-terror' and other atrocities."

Especially picked out as targets are members of Human Life International, which employs street workers to stand on public ground in front of abortion businesses in Vienna and Graz. Some pray quietly and others propose to help mothers-to-be arriving at the abortion businesses, the report said.

He said the new video documents the "demonic screaming and satanic behavior" of the "attack troop." - - - -

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59840

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

U.S. Military honchos 'suppress' chaplain's Baptist services

2008-06-30T16:13:00.002-04:00

Was told being 'born again' has 'no place' in Army life
WORLDNETDAILY - By Bob Unruh - May 16, 2008
An investigation is being sought by a Christian church organization in the United States after the U.S. Army deliberately shut down a service one of its sponsored chaplains was running for U.S. military service personnel at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in Iraq.

The complaint by Associated Gospel Churches, a fellowship of Independent Fundamental Christian churches, has been forwarded to the Army by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., seeking an Army Inspector General investigation.

Rev. G. William Baugham, the chairman of the AGC's commission on chaplains, told WND that the circumstances are particularly egregious since it appears it was a representative from another Christian denomination that closed down the service that had been operated at FOB Loyalty by Chaplain Stuart Kazarovich, who has been endorsed by the AGC.

The services held by Kazarovich were shut down for five weeks, from July 8-Aug. 12, 2007, the organization's report on the situation confirmed.

"Because this information is now in the public domain, the AGC acknowledges that the Fundamental Baptist service led by Chaplain Stuart Kazarovich, an AGC endorsed chaplain, appears to have been suppressed because it was offensive to the brigade chaplain," Baugham told WND in a prepared statement. - - -

WND also has reported on the battle waged by Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who actually was separated from the military for his decision to pray "in Jesus' name." - - - -

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=64495

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Court scolds city for 'hostility' toward church

2008-06-30T16:10:00.002-04:00

Federal judge finds fault with planners seeking to zone out house of worship
WORLDNETDAILY - May 16, 2008
A federal court has taken the unusual step of criticizing San Diego for its "outright hostility" toward a Rancho Bernardo church and its failure to consider "relevant federal law."

The dispute arose when Grace Church of North County approached officials with a plan to lease space in the same complex where a pair of religious institutions earlier operated.

It was too much for city officials. First, the Rancho Bernardo community planning board tried to deny Grace Church a 10-year permit for the property. A San Diego city officer, however, approved a 7-year permit, compelling the board to appeal.

Though community planners knew Grace Church needed 10 years to complete a long-term relocation plan, they whittled the permit down to five years, and made it non-renewable.

"These things have a tendency to become quasi-permanent," warned a former planning board chair, "that's why we're kind of opposed."

City officials and neighboring businessmen argued that a church would "change the complexion" of the area, that it would "send the wrong message to the business community" and that potential building occupants may not want "to be next to a church."

The U.S. District Court of Southern California, however, sided with the church, and took exception to the planning board's behavior.

The court cited the 2000 Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which essentially requires governments to allow churches to operate within reason, to overrule the city's denial of the 10-year permit.

Furthermore, the court stated that Grace Church had faced "decision-making that is seemingly arbitrary and pretextual." The church also had been subjected to "ignorance regarding the requirements of controlling federal law" and even "outright hostility."

In southern California's high-priced land market, such disputes are not uncommon. In 2003, an Oceanside city planner suggested a ban on churches in industrial zones. In 2002, El Cajon refused Foothills Christian Fellowship a place in the Towne Center mall until a lawsuit convinced the city to relent.

The Alliance Defense Fund, a coalition of Christian attorneys who work to preserve religious liberty, represented Grace Church in the dispute. - - - -

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=64496

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Religion Joins Custody Cases, to Judges’ Unease

2008-06-30T16:08:00.001-04:00

NEW YORK TIMES [NYTimes Group/Sulzberger] - By Neela Banerjee - February 13, 2008
MADISON, Ala. - On a January night nine years ago, Laura Snider was saved.

A 27-year-old single mother at the time, Mrs. Snider felt she had ruined her life through a disastrous marriage and divorce. But in her kitchen that night, after reading pamphlets and Bible passages that her boss had pointed her to, she realized she was a sinner, she said, she prayed for forgiveness, and put her trust in Christ.

Four years later, the conservative brand of Christianity Mrs. Snider embraced became the source of a bitter, continuing custody battle over her only child, Libby Mashburn.

Across the country, child-custody disputes in which religion is the flash point are increasing, part of a broader rise in custody conflicts over the last 30 years, lawyers, judges and mediators say.

“There has definitely been an increase in conflict over religious issues,” said Ronald William Nelson, a Kansas family lawyer who is chairman of the custody committee of the American Bar Association’s family law section. “Part of that is there has been an increase of conflicts between parents across the board, and with parents looking for reasons to justify their own actions.” Another factor, he said, is the rise of intermarriage and greater willingness by Americans to convert.

Nobody keeps track of who wins in these religious disputes, but lawyers say that judges are just as likely to rule in favor of the more religiously engaged parent as the other way around. That is because, for constitutional reasons, judges are reluctant to base their rulings primarily on the religious preferences of parents.

Judges do not want to take on custody disputes rooted in religion, said lawyers like Gaetano Ferro, who until recently served as president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Ferro said, “How will a judge say in any rational fashion that Islam is better than Buddhism, Catholicism better than Judaism, or Methodism better than Pentecostalism?”

As a result, more and more states have tried to keep custody disputes out of court by mandating mediation. But the effect has been piecemeal, and religious disputes have proven to be among the most difficult to resolve, lawyers said.

From the age of 1 month, Mrs. Snider’s daughter had lived with her, and later Mrs. Snider’s new husband, Brian Snider, with occasional visits to her biological father.

But in 2003, when Libby was 6, an Alabama court gave primary custody to her father, William Mashburn, after he and Mrs. Snider’s own family argued that the strict religious upbringing Libby received at her mother’s home, which involved modest dress, teachings about sin and salvation, and limited exposure to popular culture, was damaging her.

“We were easy targets because we were made to look like cultists,” Mrs. Snider, 36, said. “I think whether anyone admits it or not, almost all of the ruling had to do with religion. Nothing I had done was called into question except that.”

Generally, custody disputes are resolved outside the courtroom, lawyers said.

Such cases have increased, however, because a generation ago, mothers almost always got custody and were responsible for nearly all aspects of children’s upbringing. But now, both parents are usually involved in raising children after divorce, and that can lead to dispute. Data regarding custody cases are not uniform, according to the National Center for State Courts, but for 10 states for which it has data from 2002, all show an increase in custody cases coming to trial.

Conflicts sometimes arise when an interfaith marriage dissolves or when one parent converts to a different religion after divorce.

In Oregon, a dispute between James Boldt and his former wife, Lia, was recently decided by the State Supreme Court. Mr. Boldt, the custodial parent, converted to Judaism after the divorce and sought to have their son, now 12, convert, and be circumcised.

The court ruled that custodial parents could generally decide if a child should be circumcised. But given the son’s age, it ordered the lower court to ascertain his wishes. If they conflict with his father’s, the court may have to reconsider the custody arrangement, the court ruled.

Tensions can emerge when one parent takes a turn toward fundamentalism. In 2006, the United States Supreme Court let stand a decision by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that permitted Stanley Shepp to tell his 14-year-old daughter about polygamy.

Mr. Shepp and his former wife, Tracey Roberts, were Mormons living in York, Pa., when they married. But Mr. Shepp espoused polygamy as a tenet of their faith.

Ms. Roberts contends that Mr. Shepp spoke to one of her daughters from a previous marriage about marrying him, which he denies. She left Mr. Shepp and has primary custody of their daughter. He was excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for his polygamist views and is now part of a Mormon fundamentalist movement in Utah.

Mr. Shepp petitioned for better-defined custody rights for his daughter, but Ms. Roberts objected because he had exposed the child to polygamist Mormon communities. The court upheld Mr. Shepp’s right to teach his daughter about polygamy, saying it could not find evidence that such teaching harmed her physical or mental health.

Judges risk violating the separation of church and state if they try to choose the faith a child should be raised in, legal experts said. But in situations like Libby Mashburn’s, judgments about parenting can become entwined with religion.

In upholding the rulings of lower courts to grant primary custody to Mr. Mashburn, the Supreme Court of Alabama said the Sniders’s involvement in missionary work took Libby away from her extended family in Alabama. The Sniders are quietly, unapologetically fundamentalist. They believe that American culture, even conservative denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention, has drifted perilously far from biblical teachings. They attend a large Independent Baptist church in Madison, where the music, the sanctuary and the congregants are unadorned and old-fashioned.

Women wear skirts as a sign of modesty. They do not swim in mixed company. They eschew rock music and nearly all popular culture. They do not drink, smoke or swear.

The Sniders have raised Libby, now 11, in that tradition. But it has put them at odds with Mr. Mashburn and Mrs. Snider’s family. Mr. Mashburn and his lawyer declined to comment .

Mrs. Snider said she understood that Libby might wear pants at her father’s home or go to the movies. But she insisted that Mr. Mashburn not swear or drink in front of Libby or expose her to inappropriate movies and music, which, she said, he has repeatedly done.

The Sniders have repeatedly appealed to win back primary custody. They are awaiting yet another decision from a hearing in November.

At the last hearing, Libby, who spends about 40 percent of her time with the Sniders, testified against Mr. Mashburn.

“I’m more of my mom’s religion, and my dad sometimes talks bad about my mom,” she said. “He called it a cult, and it’s definitely not a cult. It kind of makes me mad sometimes. Maybe he thinks her religion may be bad for me, but I think mainly he doesn’t like my mom and is using that as an excuse.”

Some states like California and Connecticut have taken innovative steps to get parents to resolve custody issues outside court. In Connecticut, for example, those seeking a court order have to meet with a family-relations specialist in an effort to negotiate. If that fails, they attend a daylong session to settle their differences before a panel that includes a lawyer and a mental health professional.

Even after a case goes to court, little may be resolved.

Aaron Petty of Minneapolis and Gineen Gove of Black River Falls, Wis., had their daughter, Basyl, 17 years ago. The couple split up when Basyl was 4. Soon afterward, Ms. Gove married, and she and her husband converted to Old Order Amish.

As Mr. Petty saw his daughter over the years, he became concerned, he said, when Basyl was about 11 and he learned that the Goves would not let her go to school past eighth grade, a common decision among the Amish.

Mr. Petty petitioned for primary custody so that Basyl might continue her education. “This case wasn’t about religion for me,” he said. “It was about her education.”

He won the case when Basyl was 14, but she disappeared. Mr. Petty said he suspected Basyl was living within the Amish community. The Goves declined to talk about the case.

“I wanted to offer my daughter options for her future, in case she grew up and didn’t remain Amish,” Mr. Petty said in a phone interview. “At 12, 13, 14, making lasting drastic decisions based on faith isn’t an appropriate time.”

Mr. Petty’s voice caught as he continued. “Was that case worth fighting? In hindsight, no. I haven’t seen my daughter in two-and-a-half years.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/us/13custody.html?ex=1360645200&en=2fa24bb09d77ef8e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

'Gays' shut down discussion of faith

2008-06-30T16:04:00.001-04:00

Psychiatrists pull symposium on 'The Religious Dimension'
WORLDNETDAILY - By Bob Unruh - May 2, 2008
A discussion on religion, homosexuality and therapy that had been scheduled during the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington has been shut down following an attack by a "gay" publication on some of the people planning to participate.

The symposium called "Homosexuality and Therapy: The Religion Dimension," had been in the plans for months at the APA convention in Washington, and was to feature advocates for homosexuality including New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal church and was to be moderated by Harvard psychiatrist John Peteet.

Others scheduled to be on the podium included Grove City College professor Warren Throckmorton, who has studied related issues intensively, and Rev. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

But the event, scheduled Monday, has been yanked from the schedule, according to the APA, because of the "misinformation and rhetoric" that was circulating about the issue.

Peter LaBarbera, of Americans for Truth, said the reaction to a plan to talk "shows the intellectual shallowness of the gay side."

"They're afraid of a debate," he said, noting it wouldn't be correct to "paint Warren Throckmorton as the religious right."

"The gay activists don't want to admit ex-gays exist, when they clearly do," he said.

The attack was launched by the Gay City News publication, which on April 24 denigrated Throckmorton as "a psychologist without state board certification and an advocate for 'sexual identity therapy','' and quoted opponents calling him a "spin doctor of the ex-gay myth."

The article quoted those warning of the symposium's "potential harm."

The APA statement on the cancellation said the organizer "decided to withdraw because a key participant who would have brought balance to the discussion had withdrawn. In addition, misinformation and rhetoric surrounding this event had risen to a level that would hinder the kind of open dialogue and interaction that was originally anticipated." - - - -

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=63198

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

The Moses Code Deception

2008-06-26T18:32:00.002-04:00

SPIRITUAL RESEARCH NETWORK - By Christopher Lawson - Revised and Update March 10, 2008

On the weekend of April 5-6, 2008, there will be a new movie released called The Moses Code. Musician, author and speaker James Twyman, who is the creator and purportedly the gifted "receiver" of The Moses Code, claims that he has been given "the key" to unlock "The Moses Code". He claims that The Moses Code is "...the most powerful manifestation tool in the history of the world." [www.themosescode.com; Interview transcript from Leading Edge, Untiy Radio, Feb 11, 2008]

The Moses Code movie is presented this way:

The film focuses on the power of "Soul Manifestation," drawing upon your own
innate spiritual connection to produce miracles everywhere you go. Many other
films and books have focused on using the Law of Attraction to "get" the things
we believe we need, eg. houses, cars or other goods. The Moses Code takes the
next much more important step-how do we use this law to "give" from our soul,
automatically attracting spiritual blessings into our lives.
[ http://www.themosescode.com/index.php?p=Movie ]

UNLOCKING 'THE MOSES CODE'

Along with a number of other incredible claims made on The Moses Code website, the basic idea behind The Moses Code is that humans can now, "for the first time in 3,500 years" - "insert a comma" into the divine Name of God [I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14)] and see "miracles manifest". Now, in the 21st century, WE can begin to say an unbiblical version of God's Name - " I AM THAT , I AM ", and get what we want - so the story goes.

The claim is being made by James Twyman that this is "the key" to "unlocking" the long lost "Moses "Code". Twyman also claims that in utilizing this "technique" one can "manifest divine miracles" - and that humans can have whatever they desire.

AN OCCULT PERVERSION

Here's the problem though. The Moses Code is based on a blatant occult perversion of the biblical Name that God ascribed to Himself. A basic straightforward reading of the biblical text will reveal what God's intention was when He revealed His Name to Moses. Exodus 3:13-15 clearly states:

13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and
shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they
shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And
God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the
children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

15 And God said moreover
unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of
your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath
sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all
generations.

[Note: The above self-designation of God is also rendered
as I AM WHO I AM. Emphasis and underlining added for emphasis]

James Twyman and The Moses Code movie and book actually change 'The Name' of God to "I AM THAT , I AM" and then utilize it as a self- affirmation to "manifest miracles". They say that the insertion of a comma is "the key" to unlock the "Code" and then God can "manifest power" through humans. But Twyman's God is not the biblical God. If Twyman's God was the biblical God, Twyman would never in a million years take the liberty to pervert 'The Name' of God into an occult technique. We say ocult technique because that is what it is. Only now it has been sprayed with biblical terminology.

Much like the book and movie 'The Secret', this new "Code" claims to bring about 'The Law of Attraction'. The 'Law of Attraction' is nothing more than occultism repackaged for the masses. The idea behind the occult is to tap into so-called "unseen universal energies". How do we know? Multitudinous volumes of occult literature is jam packed with the "Law of Attraction' principles. (See also Word Faith, Positive Confession, Witchcraft, Prosperity Gospel, etc.)

Just for the record, The Moses Code movie Featured Speakers list is comprised of a number of extremely well known and powerful psychic mediums, channelers, New Age intuitives, etc. We issue a strong warning here against all forms of occultism as the God of the bible Himself thoroughly condems it in every form. (For a vast listing of Scriptural warnings and condemnations of occultism see the following links: Sorcery, Necromancy, Spiritism (necromancy and sorcery), Astrology, Familiar Spirits, Witchcraft, Divination, etc.

SELF-AFFIRMATIONS, DIVINE-NESS, AND ANTICHRIST
Through the use of modern technology, people around the world are being trained through movies, books, audio messages, study centers, websites, etc. to claim "I AM - ness" [self-divinity], to claim to be God, or gods, or part of God, etc. (See pantheism, pan-en-theism, polytheism, occultism, New Age-ism, etc.)

These so-called "methods" and "self-affirmations" of "divine-ness" and "I AM THAT, I AM" - ness are simply small prototypes of what will one day happen when The Coming World Leader, 'the Man of Sin' whom the bible calls Antichrist, sits "in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God". When Antichrist does that people will hail him as a god. This is the genius of Satan.

Remember the sober warning of Paul the Apostle"

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or
that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing
himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

THE MOSES CODE'S GLOBAL NEW AGE PEACE VIGIL
Lastly, The Moses Code video and movie are being used as teaching tools in conjunction with a worldwide New Age peace vigil. At over 1000 locations around the globe, "Moses Code" groupies will be attempting to "shift planetary consciousness".

So that our readers can see clearly that we are not misrepresenting the announcement and claim of The Moses Code, the following statement can be found on the The Moses Code homepage:

It's time for the next stage!

The director of The Secret, Drew Heriot,
presents...The Moses Code!

Executive Producer Drew Heriot and Director
James Twyman announce a film that will change the world.

Join millions
of people from every corner of the globe in activating a 3500 year old
technology that has been banned since the time of Moses. Then on April 6th, we
will activate the Code and focus it on the Middle East.

For the first
time a major spiritual film is being combined with a worldwide prayer vigil
focused on shifting the planetary consciousness. There will be over 1000
gatherings that weekend, and you could help sponsor one in your town.

Please join us for an experience that will change the world.

[Bold emphasis in original; underlining added for our emphasis]

A WARNING FROM GOD HIMSELF
One may ask, "Well what happens if I do "The Moses Code" and something r e a l l y d o e s h a p p e n ?"

The answer to that can be found a bit further on in the book of Exodus, in chapter thirteen. We quote the following verses at length in order to clearly show the context in which the warning is given, and also to show that demonic "miracles" can and do happen when false prophets deceive people 'under the guise' of the true 'Name' of God.

In the words of Yahweh Himself, the One Who claimed to be "I AM THAT I AM" (More correctly rendered "I AM WHO I AM", Exodus 3:14)

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a
sign or a wonder,

2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he
spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known,
and let us serve them;

3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know
whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his
commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death;
because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought
you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to
thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So
shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

6 If thy brother,
the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or
thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go
and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto
thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other
end of the earth;

8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto
him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt
thou conceal him:

9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be
first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath
sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the
land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

11 And all Israel shall hear,
and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

We don't stone false teachers and false prophets today, but we are commanded in Scripture to warn people about their deceptions!

- - - - -

NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE MOSES CODE DECEPTION?

If you would like to find out more about the spiritually deceptive nature of The Moses Code technique, you can visit our New SRN Podcast page and listen to my new audio messages we have recorded. - - - -

See Original Article for Emphasis

http://www.spiritual-research-network.com/themosescode.html

The Moses Code - Taking the Next Step Toward a World Wide Awakening

2008-06-26T18:27:00.003-04:00

LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS RESEARCH PROJECT - Coming From The Lighthouse Newsletter - March 4, 2008

On April 5th, The Moses Code film will be released in a "unique synchronized worldwide opening" 1, just a few weeks after this week's release of the book with the same title. The book and film will most likely become best sellers with expected promotion by Oprah Winfrey and others of influence. The book/film is following the release of last year's The Secret, which has remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 59 weeks. The Secret, also a book/film, was highly promoted by Oprah and carries a similar-type message. In essence, both projects focus on humanity being divine and having the ability to alter our personal lives and ultimately alter the world in which we live through hidden mysteries that the projects supposedly reveal.

The publisher of The Moses Code details the theme of the project:

Is it possible that nearly 3,500 years ago, Moses was given the secret for
attracting everything you've ever desired? The Moses Code was first used to
create some of the greatest miracles in the history of the world, but then it
was hidden away, and only the highest initiates were allowed to practice it. In
this book, James F. Twyman reveals the Code for the first time, showing how it
can be used to create miracles in your life . . . and in the world. By
practicing the principles presented within these pages, you'll discover how you
can integrate the most powerful manifestation tool in the history of the world
into your own life.

The Moses Code is a kind of sequel or next step to The Secret that focused on the Law of Attraction, which, if practiced faithfully, promises to help one obtain his or her hopes and dreams. The Secret tells readers and viewers how this is possible: "You are God in a physical body ... You are all power ... You are all intelligence ... You are the creator"( p. 164). Incidentally, the author of The Secret, Rhonda Byrne, thanks a group of spirit guides called Abraham for "their inspirational teachings" (p. xv).

Now, The Moses Code takes followers further along the metaphysical road:

You may have been told that this Law is all about "getting" the things you
want--things that you think will make your life more satisfying. But what if
that's just the first step, and cracking the Moses Code depends more on what
you're willing to "give" rather than "get." That would mean that you have the
power to create miracles in your life right now! It would also mean that you
have the ability, even the responsibility, to use that power for more than just
attracting money, a better car, or the perfect relationship. You're here to use
the power of Divinity itself to create a world based on the laws of compassion
and peace. That's the task that lies before us.

In a YouTube trailer preview of The Moses Code, viewers are instructed to say to themselves I AM statements to help affirm their own divinity and power. In one segment, a man says, "I am the way, I am the truth, I am the light [life]."

Lighthouse Trails spoke with a Moses Code staff member on March 3rd and was told that the film "was re-edited in a significant way" which led "to re-edit the trailer as well." The new trailer (which can be seen on the Moses Code website) is much different than the original one. Dropping from over 5 minutes to 1:41 minutes, the new trailer omits the I AM statements as well as any mention of some of the New Agers who are involved with the project (such as Neale Donald Walsch). In fact, the new trailer focuses mostly on the Old Testament Moses and could lead some to believe this is a Christian film about the patriarch, Moses. However, as can be seen on the Moses Code website, there is a who's who of the New Age involved with this effort.

In The Secret, many New Age "teachers" were part of the project including Neale Donald Walsch, Michael Beckwith, Jack Canfield, and John Gray (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus). The Moses Code project has a far more extensive line up of New Age presenters including Neale Donald Walsch, Andrew Harvey, Cheryl Richardson, James van Praagh, Debbie Ford, Michael Beckwith, and a number of others who are dedicated to the New Age vision for the world.

The Moses Code trailer explains that on April 6th, hundreds of thousands of people are going to have the opportunity to come together in small groups around the world to "radiate this peace and use this technology [the Moses Code] focusing on the Middle East." On the Moses Code website it explains why this is being done: "It is clear to most people by now that when large groups of people gather together for a single, focused reason, miracles happen."

Those who have studied New Age philosophy know that New Agers believe that when a critical mass (said to be based on a physics law) comes together in meditation, the rest of humanity will be drawn in (through a kind of spiritual magnetization), and in this oneness, the earth will be healed. The prerequisite for this to happen is a global, mass meditation by people who believe they are divine and co-creators in the universe.

The Moses Code says that mysticism is the avenue through which we enter a "frequency" that draws us into a sacred space called God, and this frequency can be entered by turning to the I AM field which "helps initiate and enhance sacred experiences.... the potential is promising, particularly with regard to assisting the I AM THAT I AM breathing exercises ... developed for the Moses Code." In an interview with Moses Code author James Twyman, Twyman says that this process was originally called the Maharishi Effect which began with Transcendental Meditation practitioners.

It appears that with the mass success of The Secret, a new threshold had been crossed with the public's acceptance of metaphysical practices and philosophies. What the Moses Code is designed for is to take this acceptance to a new level. The people behind these projects know that they have a narrow window of opportunity to saturate Western society before people become bored or skeptical. Everywhere one looks these days one finds people turning to the mystical and supernatural for the answers to their problems. One prominent Rabbi, who writes on current social conditions, has written that 40% of middle aged men and 33% of middle aged women suffer from various degrees of depression. 2 What better appeal would seem attractive to these millions of people than being able to change their circumstances in a quick and timely fashion. This is what books like The Secret and The Moses Code are offering, and the biblical gospel is seen by these millions as outdated and irrelevant. Our job as Christians is to proclaim the opposite, and in so doing preserve the only message that offers eternal life through Jesus Christ to those who receive Him by faith.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. I Timothy 4:1

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. I Corinthians 1: 18

Database of news and research on The Secret

More Information:
Interview with The Moses Code author James Twyman

See Link for further info and many links

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletter030408.htm

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