Global Cooling — Please Do Not Panic

British policy advisor says Gore is in 'panic' mode

Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 4/1/2008 12:00:00 PM

British environmental analyst Christopher Monckton says Al Gore's latest attack on global warming skeptics shows the former vice president and other climate alarmists are "panicking."

On Sunday, CBS News correspondent Leslie Stahl asked Al Gore on the television show 60 Minutes what he thinks of people like Vice President Dick Cheney who doubt that global warming is caused by human activity.

"I think that those people are in such a tiny, tiny minority now with their point of view, they're almost like the ones who still believe that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona, and those who believe the earth is flat," replied Gore. "That demeans them a little bit, but it's not that far off."

However, Lord Christopher Monckton, a policy advisor for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during the 1980s, says the former vice president can enjoy his "flat earth fantasies" for a few months, but in the end, the world will be laughing at him.

"The alarmists are alarmed, the panic mongers are panicking, the scare mongers are scared; the Gores are gored. Why? Because global warming stopped ten years ago; it hasn't got warmer since 1998," he points out. "And in fact in the last seven years, there has been a downturn in global temperatures equivalent on average to about [or] very close to one degree Fahrenheit per decade. We're actually in a period ... of global cooling."

Monckton contends Gore is now "panicking" because he has staked his reputation as a former American VP on "telling the world that we're all doomed unless we shut down 90 percent of the Western economies." He also contends that Gore is the largest "global-warming profiteer."

Gore's group The Alliance for Climate Protection is currently launching a new $300 million ad campaign that demands reforms in environmental law to help reduce the supposed "climate crisis." But Monckton points out that in the U.K., Gore is not allowed to speak in public about his "green investment company" because to do so would violate racketeering laws by "peddling a false prospectus." He says that fact came about after a British high court found Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, riddled with errors.

Monckton challenged Gore to an internationally televised debate on climate change last year.

Oprah Preaches False Gospel

Oprah labeled 'false prophet' and 'conduit ... to Hell'

Jeff Johnson - OneNewsNow - 3/27/2008 8:00:00 AM

A Christian author who was saved out of the new age movement says media icon Oprah Winfrey has become a false prophet for a false Jesus.

Oprah Winfrey identifies herself as a Christian. But she says that, when she was a young woman, she was disturbed by a pastor's declaration that the God of the Bible is a jealous God. "And something about that didn't feel right in my spirit because I believe that God is love and that God is in all things," she told her television audience. "And, so, that's when the, the, the search for something more than doctrine started to stir within me."

Warren Smith, author of Reinventing Jesus Christ: The New Gospel, is a Christian who was saved from the new age movement. He says Oprah's search led her to Marianne Williamson and the new age teachings of A Course in Miracles.

"Marianne Williamson was on Oprah back in 1992 with her book about the Course in Miracles," Smith recalled, "and back then, Oprah said, 'I believe that the principles of A Course in Miracles can change the world' -- and she's saying the same thing today."

Williamson is now promoting A Course in Miracles through daily classes on Oprah's XM satellite radio channel. "I will be on Oprah & Friends every single day talking about the ideas in A Course in Miracles," Williamson said during a promotional announcement for the program. "We can have miracles. We can have greater inner peace. We can shift from an experience of fear to an experience of greater love."

Oprah told her audience that she has no problem reconciling the differences between the new age religion she is now promoting and the Christian faith she claims. "I reconciled it because I was able to open my mind about the, um, the absolute, indescribable hugeness of that which we call 'God,'" Oprah said. "I took God out of the box."

But Smith, appearing on the March 11 edition of the AFA Report, said the false teachings of A Course in Miracles should be obvious to any Christian. "Here are some of the lessons: Lesson 29, 'God is in everything I see.' Lesson 186, 'The salvation of the world depends on me.' 253, 'My self is the ruler of the universe.' 337, 'My sinless-ness protects me from all harm,'" Smith said, quoting from the lessons. "This is the Bible upside-down."

Smith also criticized Oprah for the selection of Eckhart Tolle's new age book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose as her book of the month.

"It reminds me of Jeremiah 5 where he says, 'A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land, the prophets prophesy falsely and my people love to have it so,'" Smith explained. "What is more wonderful these days than Oprah? A wonderful and horrible thing is happening in the land, the prophets prophesy falsely. Oprah -- by now teaching this class with Eckhart Tolle -- is no longer a pointer to deception. She is a false prophet and part of it herself."

Christians have an obligation, Smith concluded, to point out the error of Oprah's new age "christianity," even if doing so means risking public ridicule.

"Unfortunately, Oprah does so many things that are really good [that] people make the mistake of thinking that she's on to something with this whole spiritual deal," Smith argued. "What she's doing is, she's creating a new worldview. They're calling it a 'shift' that will prepare people for when the next shoe drops.

"And this will be the way that world peace would be achieved," he said, explaining the new age philosophy behind A Course in Miracles, "by everybody adopting this view that 'we're all one because we're all god, we need to come together, we need to be in unity.'

"And the only people who are going to hinder that are the people who are saying, 'No, we're not God. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.'

Internet evangelist Bill Keller, appearing on Fox News Channel's Cavuto Report, echoed Smith's warnings, calling Oprah the queen of the new age gurus. "These new age teachings are really sucking in millions of people to these false philosophies, these false theologies, and they're literally leading people to Hell," Keller said. "Oprah, whether she knows it or not, is really being a conduit to lead people to Hell."

Feminists Celebrates Baby Killer

Tiller's appearance at NEA-hosted event draws pro-lifers' attention

Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 3/26/2008 6:00:00 AM

The National Education Association is being denounced for hosting an event honoring infamous abortionist George Tiller who is facing 19 criminal charges for performing illegal late-term abortions.

George Tiller, a man many pro-lifers call "Tiller the baby killer," received a standing ovation at the Feminist Majority Foundation's annual Women's Leadership Conference held recently at the NEA's headquarters in Washington, DC. During his talk, Tiller attempted to justify his work by showing the approving audience pictures of babies he had aborted who had fetal abnormalities. The Feminist Majority Foundation then announced it was launching a new campaign designed to keep Tiller's Wichita, Kansas, abortion mill open.

Two employees with the group Students for Life of America secretly videotaped a conversation they had with Tiller after the event. Executive director Kristan Hawkins, who conducted the interview with the abortionist, says when she questioned Tiller about his views on infanticide, he stated that he was not even aware of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. [Editor's note: The videotaped interview is available at the group's website.]

"He said that he has done abortions up until the day before delivery -- so that's 36 weeks, 35 weeks [in the womb]," says Hawkins. "He also said [if] you have 15 or 16 [abortions] and one slips out with a heartbeat, that's not a viable fetus." And the pro-life activist claims Tiller stated that if a baby is born alive during an abortion, "that's just sloppy medicine, that's just sloppy technique."

Hawkins says the National Education Association has no legitimate explanation for hosting Tiller. "It's pretty sickening," Hawkins shares. "We've have a lot of pro-life teachers write the NEA since we put the information out."

The activist's husband, who is a teacher, had written the NEA about its hosting of the conference and its guest speaker. According to Hawkins, the NEA responded that it sometimes allows "likeminded groups" to use the building for a small fee or no charge at all. "So they're classifying the Feminist Majority Foundation as a likeminded group," she points out. "Now this is an extreme pro-abortion organization."

Hawkins says although the NEA has a long history of pro-abortion activism, many pro-life teachers viewed the Tiller appearance as the "final straw" and have subsequently chosen to leave the union.

Expelled is Making Waves Before Its Release

Oxford Scientist Examines the Benefits of Hitler's Breeding Program

by Lawrence Ford

In a supposed “letter to the editor” last week for the Sunday Herald of Scotland titled “Eugenics may not be bad,” Oxford professor Dr. Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion and leading evangelist for Darwinian evolution, defended the need to examine the positive benefits of selective human breeding or “eugenics” as Hitler had attempted in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Actually, the Sunday Herald had lifted the Dawkins content from the Afterword in a new book by John Brockman titled What is Your Dangerous Idea?

Eugenics is defined as “the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population, esp. by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits (negative eugenics) or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive eugenics)."1

Some have called eugenics “racial hygiene,” a cleansing of the races to promote the good and eliminate the bad.

Hitler’s Nazi regime enacted the “Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring” in 1933, which effectively gave the Third Reich free reign to forcibly sterilize selected segments of German society as determined in the “Genetic Health Courts.” Other Nazi laws went further, such as Action T4, resulting in the euthanizing (aka murder) of millions by the end of the war, mostly Jews.

Dawkins, who has been called “Darwin’s Rottweiler” because of his aggressive defense of Darwinian evolution and his even more scathing attacks upon people of faith, considers the idea of eugenics natural:

…if you can breed cattle for milk yield, horses for running speed, and dogs for herding skill, why on Earth should it be impossible to breed humans for mathematical, musical or athletic ability?

If there is no difference between cows and horses and dogs and humans, then Dawkins’ logic is rational and humans should expect to live on the Planet of the Apes, where we will eventually be bred for utilitarian purposes by more highly-evolved apes.

The scenario is, of course, ridiculous, but the moral vacuum in Dawkins’ reasoning still pushes him to toy with the possibilities:

I wonder whether, some 60 years after Hitler's death, we might at least venture to ask what the moral difference is between breeding for musical ability and forcing a child to take music lessons. Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and they are good ones, which would probably end up persuading me. But hasn't the time come when we should stop being frightened even to put the question?

Not surprisingly, Professor Dawkins has also backed a proposal for the United Nations to confer human rights on apes.

The Apostle Paul commented on this Godless logic long ago:

“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25 NASB).

References

1"eugenics." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. 26 Nov. 2006.

Annual Parade of Nonsense

It never fails. Every year around Easter time the cable channels blow the dust off some pathetic programming about Jesus. I mean this stuff reeks to high heaven. I was just surfing the channels the other day and saw about 30 seconds of a program before the appearance of the resurrected Lord was called an hallucination. That is a bold statement coming from people on the other side of the globe, 2,000 years removed from the events in question. I was immediately infuriated and gave them no more of my viewing time. Such lunacy does not deserve anyone's ratings. Those who watch such drivel are probably already in the same camp with its creators.

You see, it strikes me as odd that these programs will completely ignore the obvious evidence and they focus on some abstract nonsense like psychology to explain the physical appearances of the God-Man Jesus Christ after His very public death. If the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were done in secret, to, say, 3 people, and the appearance was only once or twice during a few days following the death of our Lord you may be able to excuse this nonsensical conjecture. However, the historical record is clear: Jesus appeared to multiple people on various occasions over a period of 40 days. Some of these people were friends and relatives I suppose, but not all of them had the opportunity to compare notes and share their experiences with one another. They were people from various walks of life, in different environments under different circumstances. This was no trick of lighting, no imagined voice in the wind. Jesus made physical contact. He ate with His followers on more than one occasion in His resurrected state. Even the skeptic Thomas was overwhelmed by the evidence of a living Christ.

And let us not forget the testimony of Paul. As many scholars agree that Paul himself was merely reciting an early creed of the church when he tells that Jesus appears to more than 500 people at one time. Imagine that. Over 500 eye witnesses. If this appearance was an illusion, then something potent must have been in the drinking water of the day. There is no way to explain away the physical, bodily appearances of Christ that the apostles confirmed again and again.

One way to understand the idiotic ramblings of modern day skeptics is to understand the arrogant attitude they have toward people in the ancient world. They discount every testimony of the ancients that does not agree with their world view, believing that everyone that existing over 200 years ago must have been delusional and uneducated. After all, we know that miracles cannot take place, that there is no god and no one can be raised from the dead. With that supposition firmly in place, there is no reasoning with these people.

If they discover many more ancient manuscripts further confirming the testimony of the apostles. If someone uncovers Noah's ark. If miracles happen right in front of their eyes, they will not believe. This faith is a product of the Holy Spirit and not the reason of man. Apart from the Holy Spirit no one will believe and no one can believe. All the testimony of the ancient world will merely fall on deaf ears unless a person has an encounter with God in the person of the Holy Spirit.

God can use evidence or He can draw people to Himself without any evidence. People like Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel came to Christ and they may think that it was the evidence that persuaded them. They are dead wrong. We all are faced with the same evidence. Some pay more attention to it, some study it, some avoid it. But the bottom line is that God draws people to Himself. Everyone knows enough to be without excuse but no one knows enough from the evidence to choose Christ. Those who choose Christ are those who have had their eyes opened. Eye witness testimony can't do that. This faith is a gift from God and it comes to the scholar and the illiterate, the priest and the heathen, the one who thinks he is searching for the truth and the one who is running from the truth.

I want to be so angry at the fools who produce documentaries dismissing the Christ and His power. In the end, however, I feel pity. They have eyes to see but they cannot see. They have ears to hear but they do not hear. They will pay dearly for those they have misled through their endless documentaries that deny the obvious. But it is only obvious to those who have the Holy Spirit.

Evidence or no evidence—what makes the difference is the work of God in the heart of man.

Homosexuals Clamp Down on Free Speech

Okla. lawmaker threatened with legal action for practicing free speech

Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 3/21/2008 6:00:00 AM

Oklahoma state lawmaker Sally Kern has had to obtain legal representation in the wake of a barrage of tens of thousands of hate-filled emails and threatened lawsuits after she spoke publicly about the dangers of the radical homosexual agenda.

During a recent speech at a Republican club meeting, Sooner State Representative Sally Kern said she was concerned that the homosexual agenda would destroy the nation and that the threat the movement poses is as big a threat to the nation as terrorism. She also told how young public school children are being indoctrinated into believing that the homosexual lifestyle is normal.

Reaction to her speech, which was posted on YouTube, was swift from homosexual activists. Kern said she received more than 27,000 emails to her office and home computers, many of them filled with profanity and vulgarity.

Now Kern is being represented by the Thomas More Law Center. Attorney Brian Rooney says his client has been threatened with legal action for expressing her First Amendment right to free speech. He believes homosexual activists will use the incident to push for hate crimes legislation.

"Really [it's] a ploy to try to intimidate Representative Kern in particular, and the state legislature in Oklahoma in general, to try to get these laws passed that favor them and end up criminalizing Christianity," he says.

Rooney explains that in addition to defending Kern's right to free speech, the Law Center wants to deliver a message to those threatening the lawmaker.

"[We're] making sure that these advocacy groups for the radical homosexuals know that a Christian public-interest law firm is involved, and that Representative Kern does not back down one iota from what she said; she stands by that," says the attorney. In addition, he says his firm wants those groups to know that "if there's any ill-conceived or misguided lawsuits against her that we will defend her free of charge."

Rooney says legal action may also be taken against some homosexual advocacy groups who erroneously reported that Kern's son was homosexual. Rooney says many media outlets reported that information, despite the fact that the homosexual groups did not have the correct name of Kern's son.

Four years ago, Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between one man and one woman.

Religion of Violence Turns to Lawsuits

Islamic activists threaten to sue Dutch newspaper over Muhammad cartoons

Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 3/17/2008 12:30:00 PM

Robert Spencer, a leading critic of Islam, believes a group of Islamic activists may successfully shut down free speech in Denmark if they follow through on their threat to sue nearly 20 Danish newspapers and magazines for republishing pictures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

In February Denmark's leading newspapers reprinted one of the 12 original cartoons of Muhammad that were printed in 2005. The papers said the reprint, which occurred after Danish police uncovered a plot to kill the cartoonist, was meant to promote free speech. Now Islamic activists plan to file lawsuits in Jordanian courts because the country's penal code says publicly slandering religious figures is an offense that carries up to three years in prison.

Robert Spencer is director of Jihad Watch, a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He does not believe the Jordanian courts can enforce the lawsuits' penalties, but he thinks they could serve to intimidate some in the West who do not understand what is at stake.
"[T]he effect they want is to chill free speech in the West," Spencer notes. He believes it could happen because "Western officials in general don't understand what is at stake here."

The Muslims have learned that the lawsuit approach can be much more effective than violence, Spencer says. "I do think they want to emphasize that this is not just something that thugs on the street are trying to effect, but something that they believe involves [the entire] Islamic world. And so they are ... trying to present a more favorable, more acceptable demeanor to the West," Spencer adds.

Besides the periodicals, the Islamic group also plans to sue the editor-in-chief of the Danish newspaper that first published the drawings, as well as the paper's cartoonist.

Thoughts on Capital Punishment

Weak and wimpy societies forbid the use of capital punishment. They put forth various reasons, but it seems that they cannot distinguish between lawful execution and murder. They see no difference. So, in their eyes, the government that executes a murderer becomes just another murderer. They do not understand the simple Biblical principle that when a person commits murder they forfeit their right to live. This is a reflection of the immense value of human life that is, perhaps, unique to Christianity.

Whoever sheds man's blood,
By man his blood shall be shed,
For in the image of God
He made man.
—Genesis 9:6

For those who will protest that this is an Old Testament passage, you have not read Romans 13.

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;

4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

9For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Notice that in Romans we see that government is an avenger sent by God to bring wrath. Whose wrath? God's. Notice also that the government is supposed to cause fear. This is not a weak and permissive government that overlooks crime.

Do criminals fear punishment in America? I believe they do not and one of the reasons is that the government is both slow and weak in punishing crime. There is a disconnect between the crime and the punishment because of an extremely slow and broken legal system. When people who are already convicted sit on death row for years awaiting their execution, hoping for another appeal, isn't there something terribly wrong here?

My solution:
For capital murder cases, the death penalty should be required for anyone who is convicted. They are allowed one appeal, with a time limit for that appeal (just long enough to schedule and prepare the case). If the time limit passes, they forfeit their right to appeal and are executed immediately. If they have their one appeal and it fails to overturn their conviction, they are to be executed within one week of the appeal.

For those who claim that the death penalty does not deter crime, I would say that we really don't know because it has never been done right (swiftly) in modern American society. But even if it did in no way deter crime, it would still be just and necessary. See the Genesis passage above. The focus of the verse is not on deterring crime, but on honoring life created in God's image. It therefore has a greater purpose. It has to do with who God is and what He has created, why He created it and how He desires to be known and understood. Therefore the debate is deeper and more precious to those who call themselves Christians. It is not a political issue, but a theological one. As Christians we have to not only support the death penalty personally, we must fight for it in the public arena and the courts. Other passages of Scripture indicate that God holds an entire society responsible when the blood of innocents is shed with no justice. Therefore America has much to fear from this Holy God.

You Did Not See This Here

Whatever you do, please do not distribute these images. Do not post them on your blog, do not post them in public places, do not email them to your friends. For heaven's sake, do not distribute these images in any way, shape or fashion. These images are for your eyes only. There will be severe consequences if you share these images with others. If these images begin to appear all over the web, in everyone's email or in public places I cannot be responsible for the scandle that follows. Please show every restraint. I am begging you. DO NOT COPY OR DISTRIBUTE THESE IMAGES! It is not our intention to offend some wrong-headed zealot.

But if you do copy and distribute these images, take comfort that you are only offending someone who is already screwed up.

Clinton Wants To March In Gay Pride Parade

Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 3/10/2008 4:00:00 AM

Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, does not think marching in a so-called "gay-pride parade" is a proper venue for the president of the United States.

However, one presidential candidate has made a pledge to do just that – Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York). She says that Clinton made her pledge in the Washington Blade – a Washington newspaper serving the homosexual community. "...Really now! We've seen these gay pride parades in San Francisco and elsewhere," exclaims Donnelly. "Is this really an appropriate role for the President or the Commander in Chief of our armed forces? I don't think so..."

According to Donnelly, there is virtually no difference between Clinton and Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) when it comes to advancing the gay and lesbian agenda. Obama recently wrote an open letter to the homosexual community pledging to end the ban on open homosexuals serving in the military, as well as repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

Donnelly says both Clinton and Obama would force the homosexual agenda on American citizens by force of law.

Koran Exposed in Upcoming Film

Religion of Freedom Upset Again

JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Thousands of Afghan students chanted slogans and burned Danish and Dutch flags Sunday in the latest in a series of protests over perceived insults against Islam.

The protesters in the eastern city of Jalalabad denounced an upcoming Dutch film that reportedly criticizes Islam's holy book, the Koran. They also condemned Danish newspapers' recent republications of a cartoon that depicted the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban.

The several thousand demonstrators shouted slogans against Denmark and the Netherlands. They also chanted "Death to America" and "Long live Al Qaeda."

"We don't want Dutch and Danish forces in Afghanistan. If our government does not kick them out, we will continue our demonstrations until they leave Afghanistan," said one protester, university student Qari Ibrahim. "If these forces do not leave, we are prepared to carry out suicide attacks against them."

Denmark has 780 troops in Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force. The Netherlands has 1,650.

Similar protests have broken out in at least half a dozen other Afghan cities including the capital, Kabul, where 200 lawmakers shouted "Death to the enemies of Islam" outside the country's parliament Tuesday.

Last month Denmark's leading newspapers reprinted a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad after Danish police said they had uncovered a plot to kill the artist, whose drawing was one of 12 that triggered deadly riots across the Muslim world in 2006.

The reprinting triggered another wave of demonstrations in Islamic countries.

The protesters were also angry over right-wing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders' upcoming short film, which reportedly portrays the Koran as fascist.

Afghanistan is a Muslim nation where criticizing the Prophet Muhammad or the Koran are crimes that are punishable by death. Islam generally opposes any physical depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.

List of Thwarted Terrorist Attacks since September 11, 2001

The following is a list of known terror plots thwarted by the U.S. government since Sept. 11, 2001.

• December 2001, Richard Reid: British citizen attempted to ignite shoe bomb on flight from Paris to Miami.

• May 2002, Jose Padilla: American citizen accused of seeking "dirty bomb," convicted of conspiracy.

• September 2002, Lackawanna Six: American citizens of Yemeni origin convicted of supporting Al Qaeda. Five of six were from Lackawanna, N.Y.

• May 2003, Iyman Faris: American citizen charged with trying to topple the Brooklyn Bridge.

• June 2003, Virginia Jihad Network: Eleven men from Alexandria, Va., trained for jihad against American soldiers, convicted of violating the Neutrality Act, conspiracy.

• August 2004, Dhiren Barot: Indian-born leader of terror cell plotted bombings on financial centers (see additional images).

• August 2004, James Elshafay and Shahawar Matin Siraj: Sought to plant bomb at New York's Penn Station during the Republican National Convention.

• August 2004, Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain: Plotted to assassinate a Pakistani diplomat on American soil.

• June 2005, Father and son Umer Hayat and Hamid Hayat: Son convicted of attending terrorist training camp in Pakistan; father convicted of customs violation.

• August 2005, Kevin James, Levar Haley Washington, Gregory Vernon Patterson and Hammad Riaz Samana: Los Angeles homegrown terrorists who plotted to attack National Guard, LAX, two synagogues and Israeli consulate.

• December 2005, Michael Reynolds: Plotted to blow up refinery in Wyoming, convicted of providing material support to terrorists.

• February 2006, Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Zand Wassim Mazloum: Accused of providing material support to terrorists, making bombs for use in Iraq.

• April 2006, Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee: Cased and videotaped the Capitol and World Bank for a terrorist organization.

• June 2006, Narseal Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera, Burson Augustin, Lyglenson Lemorin, and Rotschild Augstine: Accused of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower.

• July 2006, Assem Hammoud: Accused of plotting to hit New York City train tunnels.

• August 2006, Liquid Explosives Plot: Thwarted plot to explode ten airliners over the United States.

• May 2007, Fort Dix Plot: Six men accused of plotting to attack Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey.

• June 2007, JFK Plot: Four men accused of plotting to blow up fuel arteries underneath JFK Airport in New York.

• March 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: Mastermind of Sept. 11 and author of numerous plots confessed in court in March 2007 to planning to destroy skyscrapers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Possessed Students Sent Home

More than 100 Ugandan students were sent home from school this week after they mysteriously became hysterical, it is being reported by news24.com.

School officials in the western district Hoima said the children were possessed by demonic spirits.

“The situation is bad…They are chasing everybody including teachers and fellow pupils, throwing stones, banging doors and windows,” the school’s headmaster Vincent Kitende said.

Kitende contends a similar incident occurred last year and affected more than 200 students.

Religion of Peace at it Again

JERUSALEM — Hamas Islamists have claimed responsibility for a Jerusalem shooting attack at a Jewish religious school that killed eight people, Reuters reports.

Hamas militants cheered over the deadly shooting as thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza to celebrate Thursday amid recent armed conflicts in the Hamas-controlled strip.

Earlier, a gunman entered the library of a rabbinical seminary and opened fire on a crowded nighttime study session Thursday, killing eight people and wounding nine before he was slain, police and rescue workers said. It was the first major militant attack in Jerusalem in more than four years.

Previous reports said there were two gunmen and quoted a death toll of at least 10.

"This heroic attack in Jerusalem is a normal response to the crimes of the occupier and its murder of civilians," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

Hamas stopped just short of claiming responsibility for the Jerusalem shootings. "We bless the operation. It will not be the last," Hamas said in a statement sent to reporters by text message.


Israeli defense officials said the attacker came from east Jerusalem, where the city's Palestinians live. They have Israeli ID cards that give them freedom of movement in Israel, unlike Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Police would not provide more details Friday, but several residents of the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber gave his name as Alaa Abu Dhein, 20, and said he had worked as a driver at the seminary. His family set up a mourning tent Friday and hung green Hamas flags outside their home.

Abu Dhein was arrested by Israeli authorities four months ago and then released two months later, they said. The residents would not give their names because the family had not authorized them to release the information.

At mosques in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, many residents performed prayers of thanksgiving — only performed in cases of great victory to thank God.

At his West Bank headquarters, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack. "The president condemned all attacks that target civilians, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli," a statement said.

The day's violence, which also included a deadly ambush of an army patrol near Israel's border with Gaza, was likely to complicate attempts by Egypt to arrange a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants. The U.S. is backing the Egyptian effort.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev harshly condemned the shooting and said the Palestinian government must take steps against the extremists — not just denounce their attacks.

"Tonight's massacre in Jerusalem is a defining moment," he told The Associated Press. "It is clear that those people celebrating this bloodshed have shown themselves to be not only the enemies of Israel but of all of humanity."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who only on Wednesday persuaded Abbas to return to peace talks with Israel, condemned the attack as an "act of terror and depravity."

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the attacker walked through the seminary's main gate and entered the library, where witnesses said some 80 people were gathered. He carried an assault rifle and pistol, and used both weapons in the attack. Rosenfeld said police were also searching for an explosives belt.

Two hours after the shooting, police found the body of the eighth victim. Rescue workers said nine people were wounded, three seriously.

David Simchon, head of the seminary, said the students had been preparing a celebration for the new month on the Jewish calendar, which includes the holiday of Purim. "We were planning to have a Purim party here tonight and instead and instead we had a massacre," he told Channel 2 TV.

Yehuda Meshi Zahav, head of the Zaka rescue service, entered the library after the attack. "The whole building looked like a slaughterhouse. The floor was covered in blood. The students were in class at the time of the attack," he said. "The floors are littered with holy books covered in blood."

Witnesses described a terrifying scene during the shooting, with students jumping out windows to escape.

One of the students, Yitzhak Dadon, said he shot the attacker twice in the head. "I laid on the roof of the study hall, cocked my gun and waited for him. He came out of the library spraying automatic fire," he said.

Police said an Israeli soldier in the area then shot the man dead. After the shooting, hundreds of seminary students demonstrated outside the building, screaming for revenge and chanting, "Death to Arabs."

The seminary is the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in the Kiryat Moshe quarter at the entrance to Jerusalem, a prestigious center of Jewish studies identified with the leadership of the Jewish settlement movement in the West Bank.

It was founded by the late Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Hacohen Kook, the movement's spiritual founder, and serves high school students and young Israeli soldiers, and many of them carry arms.

"It's very sad tonight in Jerusalem," Mayor Uri Lupolianski told Channel 2 TV. "Many people were killed in the heart of Jerusalem."

In Lebanon, Hezbollah's Al-Manar satellite TV station said a previously unknown group called the Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh and Gaza was responsible for the attack. The claim could not immediately be verified. Mughniyeh, a Hezbollah commander, was killed in a car bomb in Syria last month. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the assassination.

Hamas stopped just short of claiming responsibility for the Jerusalem shootings. "We bless the operation. It will not be the last," Hamas said in a statement sent to reporters by text message.

At mosques in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, many residents performed prayers of thanksgiving — only performed in cases of great victory to thank God.

About 7,000 Gazans marched in the streets of Jebaliya, firing in the air in celebration, and visited homes of those killed and wounded in the last Israeli incursion. In the southern town of Rafah, residents distributed sweets to moving cars, and militants fired mortars in celebration.

Rice said she spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to express U.S. condolences to the people of Israel and the families of the victims of the attack in Jerusalem.

"This barbarous act has no place among civilized peoples and shocks the conscience of all peace loving nations. There is no cause that could ever justify this action," she said.

Abbas had briefly suspended talks to protest an Israeli offensive in Gaza that killed more than 120 Palestinians.

The attack came on the same day Egyptian officials were trying to mediate a truce between Palestinian militants and Israel. The proposal, backed by the U.S., would stop rocket fire on Israel in exchange for an end to Israeli attacks on militants and the resumption of trade and travel from Gaza.

An Israeli official confirmed that Israel is open to the idea of letting guards from Abbas' moderate Fatah movement oversee Gaza's borders — one of the main tenets of the truce idea. But the Israeli spoke before the shooting, and it was not immediately known whether his country's position would change.

The Egyptian proposal reflected a growing realization that Israel's current policy of blockade and military action has failed to weaken Hamas, which has proven its ability to disrupt a U.S.-sponsored drive to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by the end of the year.

Still, a deal between Hamas and Israel was far from certain, with Israel fearing the militants will use any lull to rearm and Hamas raising tough conditions, such as a demand for Israel to stop targeting militants in the West Bank as well as Gaza.

Other militant groups are also likely to disrupt any attempts to restore calm. Early Thursday, Palestinian militants set off a bomb on the Gaza border, blowing up an Israeli army jeep and killing a soldier. Late Thursday, Israel said it shot a group of militants trying to plant a bomb in the same area. Palestinian officials said four militants were wounded in an Israeli ground attack.

This was the first major attack by Palestinian militants on the Jewish side of Jerusalem in the last four years, although police and the military claimed to have foiled many attempts.

Between 2001 and 2004, at the height of Palestinian-Israeli fighting, Jerusalem was a frequent target of Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings on buses.

Media silent on Obama's controversial interpretation of scripture

Jim Brown and Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 3/5/2008 10:00:00 AM

Conservative media watchdog Bob Knight says the national media virtually ignored Democratic presidential frontrunner Senator Barack Obama's recent use of the Sermon on the Mount to justify homosexual civil unions.

Senator Obama (D-Illinois) boldly declared in a campaign speech recently that states should legalize "same-sex unions" for homosexuals. "If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount," says Obama. "Which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans."

Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Media Institute, says the major television networks and most major newspapers did not report on Obama's remarks, which Knight says amount to a severe distortion of scripture. "You've got a presidential candidate invoking the Sermon on the Mount to justify an issue position ... that contradicts 2,000 years of church teaching — and the media snore through it," he remarks.

And as to Obama's contention about an "obscure" passage in the Book of Romans? "Number one, it's not obscure," responds Knight. "It's well known by millions of Christians. Number two, it's not the only word in the Bible about this topic."

There are several reasons, Knight believes, that the press chose to gloss over the senator's revisionist interpretation of scripture.

"Number one, they may be biblically illiterate themselves -- so they really don't know how much he's stretching scripture or distorting it," he argues. "Number two, they probably agree with his point of view since most of them are pro-gay activist. Or number three, they feel that he's the candidate they like and they know that this could be quite controversial if people found out about it — so they're not talking about it."

In general, adds Knight, the media have been "remarkably uncurious" about Obama's view of moral issues. "He's said a number of shocking things," says the pro-family spokesman. "He's defended his stance on abortion. He's now promoting homosexuality by citing the Sermon on the Mount."

Knight says he found it amusing the Dallas Morning News carried a story on Obama's speech — mentioning he took great pains to say he was not a Muslim, but entirely ignoring his comments on civil unions.

The media watchdog suggests that if former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had cited scripture to back public policy, it would have been reported heavily by the media. Knight cites as an example the Huckabee "floating cross" debacle and the ensuing media coverage. "[Reports about that] were on all the networks; it was all over the media," he points out. "But here's Obama actually citing scripture to take a very controversial stand on a hot issue, and they don't even find that newsworthy."

The only major print media outlets that covered Obama's civil union comments, notes Knight, were the political blogs of the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Times.

__________

For more on what the Bible says about homosexuality, see this link: http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1302

Not Equality

Mark my words. Write them down and refer back to them when what I write is forever etched in history. The homosexual agenda is not equality. They want an unquestioned and uncontested superiority in all issues of rights and privileges. They don't want just the right to call their sick unions "marriage," they want to be guaranteed special rights. They don't want to have equal opportunity for adoption, they want preferred treatment so that they get first choice in adoptions. And they will whine like babies if they don't get it.

They want us all to close our eyes to the danger of raising children in a perverted atmosphere. They want us to forget thousands of years of common sense and decency that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. They want us to think that we are bigots if we stand up against them to protect our children from their indoctrination.

Good people will stand against them. We will not be silent. We will not go quietly. In a world where there is even debate about what marriage is and whether it is ok for children to be raised by two men or two women, there must be a cry for righteousness and decency. If we do remain silent, surely the wrath of God will come suddenly and we will wake up too late to avoid the mayhem.

Going Against the Tide of Rhetoric and Panic

Global Warming: Is It Really a Crisis?
Monday, March 03, 2008
By John R. Lott, Jr.

John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton all promise massive new regulations that will cost trillions of dollars to combat global warming. McCain says that it will be his first task if he wins the presidency. After consulting with Al Gore, Obama feels the problem is so imminent that it is not even really possible to wait until he becomes president.

Ironically, this political unanimity is occurring as global temperatures have been cooling dramatically over the last decade.

Global temperatures have now largely eliminated most of the one degree Celsius warming that had previously occurred over the last 100 years. Hundreds of climate scientists have warned that there is not significant man-made global warming.

A conference in New York on Monday and Tuesday this week will bring 100 scientists together to warn that the there is no man-made global warming crisis.

Yet, we just keep on piling on more and more regulations without asking hard questions about whether they are justified.

New mileage per gallon regulations were signed into law last year that will mandate cars get 35 MPG. The rules will make us poorer, forcing people to buy products that aren’t otherwise the best suited for them. More people will die because lighter cars are less safe, but we are told this is all worth it largely because of global warming.

But much of what gets passed is arbitrary. Was there anything scientific about picking 35 MPG instead of, say, 30 MPG other than the desire to do more? And how do these regulations fit in with all the gasoline taxes we have that are already reducing gas use?

To see if all this makes any sense there are really four questions that all have to be answered "yes."

1) Are global temperatures rising? Surely, they were rising from the late 1970s to 1998, but "there has been no net global warming since 1998." Indeed, the more recent numbers show that there is now evidence of significant cooling.

2) But supposing that the answer to the first question is "yes," is mankind responsible for a significant and noticeable portion of an increase in temperatures? Mankind is responsible for just a fraction of one percent of the effect from greenhouse gases, and greenhouse gases are not responsible for most of what causes warming (e.g., the Sun).

Over 100 leading climate scientists from around the world signed a letter in December stating: "significant new peer-reviewed research has cast even more doubt on the hypothesis of dangerous human-caused global warming."

In December a list was also released of another 400 scientists who questioned the general notion of significant manmade global warming.

3) If the answer to both preceding questions is "yes," is an increase temperature changes "bad"? That answer is hardly obvious.

Even the UN’s original draft stated that an increase in temperature of up to two degrees Celsius would be good for many regions of the globe. Higher temperatures could increase ocean levels by between seven inches and two feet over the next 100 years.

Although some blame global warming for seemingly everything, according to others higher temperatures will increase the amount of land that we can use to grow food, it will improve people's health, and increase biological diversity.

4) Finally, let's assume that the answer to all three previous questions is "yes." Does that mean we need more regulations and taxes? No, that is still not clear.

If we believe that man-made global warming is “bad,” we still don’t want to eliminate all carbon emissions. Having no cars, no air conditioning, or no electricity would presumably be much worse than anything people are claiming from global warming.

You want to pick a tax that just discourages carbon emissions to the point where the cost of global warming is greater than that of cutting emissions.

Too little of a tax can be “bad” because we would produce greenhouse gases when their costs were greater than the benefits. But too much of a tax also makes us poorer because we won’t be getting the benefits from cars or electricity even when the benefits exceed the costs that they would produce from global warming.

What is often ignored in the debate over global warming is that we already have very substantial taxes on gasoline, averaging 46 cents per gallon in the US. Even if one believes that gasoline use should be restricted to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the question is whether our taxes are already restricting use "too much" or "not enough.” But simply saying that carbon dioxide emissions are bad isn’t enough.

In fact, William Nordhaus, an economics professor at Yale and former member of President Carter’s Council of Economic Advisors, puts the “right” level of gasoline taxes at around 10 cents a gallon today, reaching 16 cents per gallon in 2015. Nordhaus’ analysis assumes that the answers to the first three questions are “yes.” If anything, while gasoline taxes are partially used for such things as building roads, it seems quite plausible that, even accepting Nordhaus’ assumptions, current gasoline taxes are much too high to deal with the harm from global warming.

However good the intentions, the debate over global warming is much more complicated than simply saying that the world is getting warmer. It is too bad that these questions won’t be getting a real debate this election. The irony is that those who sell themselves as being so caring aren't careful enough to investigate the impact of their regulations.

John Lott is the author of Freedomnomics and a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland.

Obama to Use "Bully Pulpit" To Advance Homo Agenda

Obama has said he would support reading books about 'gay marriage' to second-graders.

Posted on Feb 28, 2008 | by Michael Foust
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama sought the support of voters in the homosexual community Feb. 28, telling them in a letter that if elected president he would work to pass laws important to that constituency and would use the "bully pulpit" to urge states to grant same-sex couples the legal benefits of marriage.

The 770-word letter was posted on a section of Obama's campaign website devoted to homosexual issues. He and Hillary Clinton have worked for months to get the votes of the homosexual community, even appearing in August at a historic Democratic presidential forum devoted solely to homosexual issues.

In the letter, Obama touted his past record on such issues and said he would continue that record if elected. He used the acronym LGBT -- which stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender" -- six times.

"As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws," he wrote. "I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples -- whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage."

He once again said he backs the "complete repeal" of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law passed in 1996 that gives states the option of not recognizing another state's "gay marriages." It also prohibits the federal government from recognizing "gay marriage." Ever since it was passed homosexual activists have viewed it as a significant legal barrier to nationwide legalization of "gay marriage."

"While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether," he wrote. "Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does."

Austin Nimocks, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal organization that supports the Defense of Marriage Act, said overturning DOMA "would lead to the recognition of everything the homosexual agenda stands for, including same-sex marriage."

"A repeal of DOMA would mean that the federal government is acknowledging and supporting same-sex couples, and that would be in Arizona and everywhere else," Nimocks told Baptist Press. "And it would start with the extension of certain federal benefits, the filing of joint tax returns by same-sex returns, and it would chip away at the institution of marriage in every state -- and most egregiously in those states that have voted through a constitutional amendment or a law to protect marriage between one man and one woman."

In the years since DOMA was signed into law, more than 40 states have passed various types of laws prohibiting "gay marriage," including 27 that have passed constitutional marriage amendments.

"To suggest that DOMA in some form or fashion prevents states from fashioning their own marriage law is just disingenuous at best," Nimocks said. "To repeal DOMA means that every American taxpayer would be forced to fund the homosexual agenda."

Obama also said he supports "age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception" and favors lifting "the federal ban on needle exchange[s]." During a September Democratic debate he said he would be comfortable with teachers reading to second graders a children's book, "King & King," supportive of "gay marriage."

In the letter he asserted that in multiple forums -- talking to rural farmers or to Baptist parishioners -- he has talked about the need to "fight homophobia."

"I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country," he said. "To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike."

Obama also mentioned in the letter his speech in 2006 during an HIV/AIDS conference at Saddleback Church, where Rick Warren pastors. At the time Warren released a statement saying he disagrees with Obama on abortion and other issues.

Following is the full text of Obama's letter:

"Equality is a moral imperative. That's why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have co sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

"As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples -- whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

"The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.

"We also need a president who's willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones -- and that's what I've done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention. I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign -- from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King once preached.

"Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.

"Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike."

Forcing Their Agenda

Christian Photographer Hauled before Commission for Refusing Same-Sex Job
By John Jalsevac

New Mexico, January 30, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The case of a Christian photographer who refused to photograph a same-sex "commitment ceremony", was heard before the New Mexico Human Rights Division on Monday.

A same-sex couple asked Elaine Huguenin, co-owner with her husband of Elane Photography, to photograph a "commitment ceremony" that the two women wanted to hold. Huguenin declined because her Christian beliefs are in conflict with the message communicated by the ceremony.

The same-sex couple filed a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Division, which is now trying Elane Photography under state antidiscrimination laws for sexual orientation discrimination.

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a legal alliance that is dedicated to defending and protecting religious freedom, sanctity of life, marriage, and family, is currently defending Elane Photography.

"On Monday we defended Elane Photography in court, saying basically that no person should be required to help others advance a message that they disagree with," ADF Senior Counsel and Senior Vice-President of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, Jordan Lorence, told LifeSiteNews in an interview today. "That's a basic First Amendment principle. The government is punishing Elaine photography for refusing to take photos which obviously advance the messages sent by the same-sex ceremony - that marriage can be defined as two women or two men."

In their complaint the homosexual couple has sought for an injunction against Elane Photography that will forbid them from ever again refusing to photograph a same-sex ceremony. They have also requested attorney's fees.

"Depending on how far up the ladder this goes of appeal that could be a lot of money," said Lorence. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Lorence said that the ADF is framing its case in a similar fashion to the 1995 Supreme Court "Hurley" Case. "In the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade case the US Supreme Court said that the State of Massachusetts could not punish a privately run parade because it refused to allow a homosexual advocacy group to carry banners and signs in the parade. They said that would be compelled speech, ordering the parade organizers to help promote a message they do not want to promote. To apply the discrimination law that way violates freedom of speech. We are making a similar kind of argument in this case."

Lorence said that this current case is demonstrative of a "tremendous threat" facing those with traditional views on marriage and family.

"I think that this is a tremendous threat to First Amendment rights. Those who are advocating for same-sex marriage and for rights based upon sexual orientation keep arguing, 'We are not going to apply these against churches. We are going to protect people's right of conscience. We are all about diversity and pluralism.'"

But, in practice, says Lorence, "Business owners with traditional views or church owners with traditional definitions of marriage are now vulnerable for lawsuits under these nondiscrimination laws. There are 20 states that have these laws where they ban sexual orientation discrimination. Most of the major cities in the United States also have these kinds of ordinances. So these are a big threat, as the federal government debates whether to make this a blanket nationwide law.

"We see that these [non-discrimination laws] are not rectifying some unjust discrimination, but being used to punish those who speak out in favor of traditional marriage and sexual restraint," he concluded.

Lorence said that the ADF is "cautiously optimistic that the commission will do the right thing." If the New Mexico Commission, however, decides against Elane Photography, Lorence said that the ADF would appeal the decision all the way up to the US Supreme Court if necessary.

Worth More Than a Thousand Words

I am not talking about photographs. I am talking about forgiveness. When Christians forgive, even the most horrible of transgressions, it speaks volumes about our God and His church. It leaves the world speechless. It is better than a gospel track or a sermon.

Remember the massacre in the Amish community and the amazing forgiveness given. This also happened with the families of the victims in Colorado. Forgiveness. It is Christlikeness.

Remember that when someone tries to equate Christianity with any other religion, especially Islam. I don't think forgiveness is even on the radar of Islam. Vengeance is more their cup of tea.

See the contrast.

More Saudi Fun & Games

A university professor allegedly caught in a Saudi-style honey trap has been sentenced to 180 lashes and eight months in jail — for having coffee with a girl.

The man, a prominent and well-respected Saudi teacher of psychology at Umm al-Qra University in the holy city of Mecca, was framed by the religious police after he angered some of their members at a training course, his lawyer said.

The academic has not been named by the local media, which have given his case wide coverage, but one senior Saudi journalist told The Times he was Dr. Abu Ruzaiz, a married man in his late 50s with children.

“He is highly respected and above-board. Nobody believes the religious police’s version of what happened. The whole of Jeddah (the main city near Mecca) is in uproar about this. Everyone believes he is innocent and was set up,” the journalist said.

Contact between unrelated men and women is strictly prohibited in the desert kingdom where religious police, commonly known as mutaween, patrol public places in teams to enforce their brand of ultra-conservative Islam.

Usually bearded and often wielding canes, they ensure women are not harassed, sexes do not mix and shops close for prayers. They are under the command of the Saudi Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Abdullah Al-Sanousi, the academic’s lawyer, told local newspapers that his client had drawn the ire of some of the Commission’s staffers for speaking at length during a training session about how important it was for them to be polite to the public. Some of the trainees also wanted revenge because they had failed the course while others were not happy with their examination results.

Ruzaiz is said to have received a call from a girl purporting to be one of his students who asked to meet to discuss a problem that she did not want to talk about over the phone. The professor agreed to meet at a family cafe, provided she brought her brother along as a chaperone.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find the girl alone, and was promptly surrounded by religious policemen who handcuffed him and hauled him into custody. He was accused of being in a state of khulwa — seclusion — with an unrelated woman.

His lawyer insisted that because the two met in a public place frequented by hundreds of families, the question of khulwa, or illegal seclusion, never arose. The commission, however, insists that the family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant only for families and close relatives.

The professor is said to have taped a later conversation with the girl in which she admitted that she had been sent to the cafe by the religious police. The professor is relying on an appeals court to overturn the verdict. His lawyer has urged local human rights associations to back his plea for reviewing the case.

A spokesman for the Commission in Mecca denied that his officials had conspired against the professor. “They are honourable people and would not create such a trap for any kind of personal revenge,” Ahmad Kasim Al-Ghamdi, told Arab News, a local paper.

The controversial case is the latest of several involving the often over zealous religious police that brought widespread international coverage that has embarrassed the Saudi authorities.

Kim Howells, the British Minister for Middle East Affairs, raised the issue of human rights with the Saudi authorities during a visit to the Kingdom this week. “He also mentioned certain high profile cases that have made international headlines recently,” a British official told The Times.

A 37-year-old American businesswoman and mother-of-three was recently thrown in jail for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop.

In another high-profile case, an illiterate Saudi woman is hoping that King Abdullah will spare her life after she was condemned to death for “witchcraft.” Her accusers included a man who claimed that the woman, Fawzi Falih, had made him impotent with her sorcery.

An international human rights group said Falih — who faces being publicly beheaded — was allegedly beaten by religious police and forced into fingerprinting a false confession.

Prosecutors are currently investigating 57 young men arrested last week for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca. They were accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to catch the attention of girls. The men insisted they were just trying to “have fun” without “imposing themselves” on the women.

And a teenaged victim of a gang rape was sentenced last year to 200 lashes and six years in jail for having been in an unrelated man’s car at the time. She was pardoned by King Abdullah, although he maintained the sentence had been fair.

Using the "S" Word

It is time for good Christian people everywhere to start using the "S" word. I mean we need to call sin what it is. We have been such cowards going along with the culture and letting the media define our terms and our values. Stop it. Just stop it. Wake up and start using biblical terms to describe what we see in our neighborhoods, workplaces and homes. Take the flack that comes with it and be a man.

When you step back and think about it, we are letting a bunch of sissies (as we used to call them) intimidate us into silence. We are letting arrogant women dictate how things are going to be. We allow a runaway government take our money and waste it on bankrupt programs. We are so afraid of offending someone we create some mealy-mouthed language that does not mean anything.

Stop. The. Insanity.

Get over the idea that we need to be liked or even respected. In a hedonistic society the only thing that is respected is self indulgence. If you think that our message as Christians will be harmed by our boldness and rejection of cultural rot, you have not thought things through. It is our boldness and our resolve that will give us the platform to speak the truth. Imagine the shock to a numb society when the righteous lay aside their pleasantries and just say it like it is. I am tired of walking on eggshells so that sissies and reprobates can feel good about themselves. Who is going to recognize their need for a change or a savior when we line their path with pedals and perfume?

Fleeing the Indocrination

California pastor Ron Gleason is calling for parents to remove their children from public school after California lawmakers passed their version of affirmative action -- and he's asking churches to ease the discomfort in the process.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed into law SB 777, making it unlawful to criticize homosexual, bi-sexual, and transsexual teachers. Dr. Ron Gleason, director of the group California Exodus, says the bill goes even further.

"Schools are not allowed to say 'mommy' and 'daddy' anymore," Gleason states. "Children will be taught that sexual orientation and gender are merely a matter of personal choice -- and they will be taught to find what is 'right' for them."

The website for Gleason's group argues SB 777 essentially makes it lawful for public schools to "indoctrinate" children as young as pre-kindergarten to accept as normal and morally acceptable homosexuality and "other sexually deviant lifestyles." In addition, says the group, the legislation represents a "complete reversal of 2,000 years of Christian moral teaching on human sexuality, family, and marriage."

In response to the legislation, California Exodus is calling for concerned parents to remove their children from the California public school system. But Gleason says the goal is not just to send children to safe schools, but to schools that are academically sound. According to Gleason, CaliforniaExodus.org offers resources for parents who wish to take this sort of action.

Dr. Gleason also acknowledges the financial impact that decision could have on some families, so he is calling on churches -- with a willing membership and facilities that are largely vacant during the week -- to rethink how they spend their money.

"For a million dollars you could do an awful lot to set up a cooperative school or even your own school," he suggests. "And I think that's going to take some rethinking ... some re-prioritizing [and] some recommitment. But these are the types of things that can be done, and I believe that it's worthwhile to do it."

Dr. Gleason says that parents should be seeking a unity between church, school, and home in order to take care of the children God has entrusted to their care.

Ok Ok I take it back

Earlier I posted that homosexuality was useless and pointless. I take it back. Homosexuality does have a purpose.

It is to show us just how depraved and wicked people are and to contrast that with how holy and good God is. It is like the old cliche that says you can't appreciate the light unless there is darkness, or appreciate the warmth without the cold or appreciate the food without the hunger.

And so I admit that homosexuality is important. It shows us what filth mankind will stoop to as they race away from God and His truth. It gives us a negative to appreciate the positive. For those who have a family, you can rejoice, for you could have fallen into such perversion that you would have never known the joy of raising children or having a spouse. Normal family life is something made more precious by those who seek to destroy it or who stand on the outside jeering.

I Invented Global Warming!

Uughh. I meant I invented the Internet!

More Sharia Nonsense

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia began interrogating 57 men Saturday who were arrested after allegedly flirting with women in front of a shopping mall in the holy city of Mecca, a local newspaper reported.

The country's religious police arrested the men Thursday night, alleging behavior that included dancing to pop music blaring from their cars and wearing improper clothing, according to the Okaz newspaper, which is deemed close to the government.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice runs the religious police, who are charged with enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic lifestyle.

Its members patrol public places to make sure women are covered and not wearing make up, the sexes don't mingle, shops close five times a day for Muslim prayers and men go to the mosque and worship.

The police — informally known as the muttawa, literally "enforcer" — don't wear uniforms. But they are recognizable by their long beards and their robes, shorter than the ones normally worn by Saudi men. They also shun the black cord that sits atop the headdress worn by most Saudi men.

Women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear a long, enveloping black cloak called an abaya and to cover their hair with a headscarf.

The newspaper report said the men who were arrested Thursday could be released if they could prove they did not flirt with any women. Otherwise, they will be transferred to court and stand trial, the paper added.

Religion of Freedom

Saudi Arabia's religious police have issued a rare public statement defending their arrest of an American woman living in Riyadh, jailed for sitting with a male colleague at Starbucks.

Yara, a businesswoman and married mother of three, said she was strip-searched, forced to sign false confessions and told by a judge she would "burn in hell" before she was released on Feb. 4.

Late Monday night, The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice publicly denounced her with a statement posted on the Internet, saying her actions violated the country's Shariah law.

"It's not allowed for any woman to travel alone and sit with a strange man and talk and laugh and drink coffee together like they are married," it said.

"All of these are against the law and it's clear it's against the law. First, for a woman to work with men is against the law and against religion. Second, the family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant for families and close relatives," it continued.

The Commission contested Yara's version of events, saying she was never strip-searched or forced to sign confessions.


It accused her of wearing makeup, not covering her hair and "moving around suspiciously" while sitting with her Syrian colleague, who was also arrested, but later released.

Speaking from the family's home in Jeddah where they have lived for eight years, Yara's husband, who did not wish to be named for safety concerns said: "We are afraid for our lives, for our family and from further harassment."

"The things that they are suggesting about my wife, of course it isn't true. She's a professional businesswoman and she was at a café, not at a bar. They are coming up with ways to justify their actions."

Yara's story captured international attention and has fuelled fierce debate within Saudi society, where reformers and human rights groups are pressuring the government to liberalize.

The powerful religious police have launched a crackdown on the local press for its criticism of the religious police and its handling of the incident.

The "Mutaween" has vowed to sue two newspaper columnists who have written in Yara's defense, saying: "The Commission has the right to sue the writers because of the lies they are spreading. It gives the wrong idea of Saudi Arabia."

Yara, a managing partner in a finance company, has meanwhile returned to work in Jeddah, though she no longer travels to her company's offices in Riyadh where the incident took place.

Her family is contemplating a return to America, saying they feel caught in the middle of a greater debate in Saudi society between conservatives and reformers.

"There are a lot of Saudis who are angry and they are using Yara's story to say 'Enough of these people in our country.' Regardless of whether we agree or disagree, we don't want to get further punished for this," Yara's husband said.

Mrs. Obama — Ashamed of America

You may have seen the reports that Mrs. Obama said, "for the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm proud of my country." So clearly she has been ashamed of America. I don't care what your feelings are about the Iraq war, you still should take pride in your country. Politics should never cause you to waver in your pride and commitment to your country.

If Mrs. Obama has been unable to stand to her feet, place her hand on her heart and acknowledge her pride during the star-spangled banner; then you have to question her patriotism. America is not Washington, D.C. America is not the Iraq war. America is not the bickering of polititions. But apparently she got confused.

'Evolution as fact' among Florida's new proposed education standards

Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 2/18/2008 2:30:00 PM

The Florida State Board of Education will be voting on new educations standards on Tuesday, but one of the more than a dozen "big ideas" being proposed has parents across the state up in arms.

The Board of Education has proposed 18 "big ideas" in an attempt to raise educational standards across the Sunshine State. But one of the supposedly major ideas mandates that evolution be taught as fact, and that it be taught as the "fundamental concept underlying all of biology."

According to the Orlando Sentinel, parents across the state have flooded the Florida Department of Education's website, denouncing the new science standard. Many parents have threatened to pull their children from public schools if the new evolution standard passes, and others have called for evolution to be taught as theory alongside creation and intelligent design. However, officials are rejecting those ideas as religious indoctrination.

But Attorney David Gibbs with the Florida-based Christian Law Association says that the evolutionists are the ones who are indoctrinating. "It's an [attitude of] arrogance. It's almost got a religious-like ferocity to it that any notion that there is a God, any notion that there was intelligent design, any notion that evolution is not true will not be tolerated."

State Representative Marti Coley reports she has heard a large outcry from her constituents on the new evolution standard. In response she is drafting legislation that would require evolution to be taught as theory rather than fact.

"When you look at national publications like from [groups like] the National Academy of Sciences, they even acknowledge that it is impossible to prove with absolute certainty a given explanation," she points out. "I think it would be irresponsible to teach it as a fact rather than what it is -- evolution is a theory [and] it should be taught as a theory."

The Florida State Board of Education is set to debate the vote throughout the day on Tuesday with a decision expected later in the afternoon. Gibbs says he is hopeful that this element of the new education standards will be eliminated in that vote. But if the standards pass as-is, Gibbs says some form of legal challenge by a teacher or parent could be filed.

The Board of Education has refused to comment.

Abnormal Reproduction

I am so thankful that homosexuals cannot reproduce naturally. But how do they continue to grow in number when they should become extinct?

Homosexuals reproduce using three methods.

1. Propaganda — In the schools and through the media homosexuals spread their twisted ideas of what is normal and healthy. You dare not disagree or challenge their weak logic. They were born that way, a creature that cannot reproduce nor raise healthy offspring. Though small in number, homosexuals seem like a larger group because of their infiltration of the arts and entertainment industries.

2. Indocrination — After the initial message goes out, then there is the monotonous drumbeat of doctrines that homosexuals have to remind themselves of, in spite of science, morality, religion and common sense.

3. Molestation — Children are brought into the "lifestyle" with the sickest of abuses. Then the children feel guilty or scared, are told it's normal, threatened...blah blah blah. It's hard to grow up normal when you are victimized repeatedly by sickos.

All three methods involve desensitizing people to the obvious perversion of the lifestyle and the emptiness and uselessness of it. If you see enough "cool" or "funny" homosexuals on prime time tv, you may begin to imagine that they are normal and that their passions are just like your own. Their relationships are presented as just the same as heterosexuals, and equal in value to other relationships. However, the homosexual lifestyle is INCAPABLE of producing children, incapable of raising them properly and completely out of touch with the "preparing for future generations" mindset that governs normal family life. Thus homosexuality is inherantly selfish and short sited.

But something in the heart of us all longs to have children. Therefore homosexuals are adopting kids. This is their attempt at being normal and connecting with the future, and producing a generation that has no clue that their filthy lifestyle is abnormal and sick. After they have conquered marriage and made it meaningless, they will focus all their efforts on guaranteeing their right to adopt children. I predict that not only will they demand equality with normal married couples, but they will demand preferencial treatment when it comes to adoption. And our confused society will consider or even grant them that treatment. It is the very opposite of common sense and decency.

Our children will increasingly become the roadkill on the highway of homosexual activism.

More Perverted Blog Postings

In my effort to offend as many freaks as possible, I will now turn my attention to homosexuality.

It is my sincere belief that homosexuality cannot survive in a struggling, warrior society. It is too weak and frail, useless and pointless. It only thrives where there is luxury and laziness, excess and gluttony. And it only thrives where people forget the importance of family and child rearing. You know, where society forgets the important stuff, things that make society strong and vibrant.

In America, we have let the government become the caregivers of our women and children, releasing men to contemplate their navals and fall in love with each other. Women, likewise, broadsided by confusion and emptiness turn to twisted passions that can produce no offspring and no real happiness. Children do without strong fathers and nurturing mothers, but they have drug infected Hollywood and sports to keep them passified. They are trained from an early age not to criticize or challenge the downward spiral of sick perversion in society. They need not speak out about not having a father in the home, or about mommy's new friend who spends the night. They must go to school and learn that all this is normal and healthy. That way they can be truly happy. Sooner or later there will be a generation of children that simply never saw a normal home life and wouldn't recognize the classic family unit if it stood up and slapped them in the face. This is already reality in some communities. Tell me if you don't have a sense of wonder and appreciation when you see a black man actually involved with his kids. What a rarity these days in some communities.

In all this negative soup, we have to remember that God is still on the throne and He can send revival at any time, rescuing us from the filth of ourselves and our society.

Islamic Prayer Causes Uproar

An Iowa lawmaker says it's not appropriate for an Islamic religious leader to give a prayer on the floor of the State House which calls for "victory over disbelievers."

It has been a common practice in the Iowa State House for individual members of the Legislature to invite religious leaders to open each day of legislative business. But in January, on the opening day of the 2008 session, Democratic State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, the only Muslim member of the Iowa Legislature, invited a Muslim cleric to give the prayer.

During his speech, the cleric included the phrase "victory over disbelievers" -- words that prompted reaction from some of the lawmakers, including Republican Gary Worthan. "The way the Jihadists interpret that phrase -- 'victory over disbelievers' -- there are only two ways to attain that, and that is either convert them to Islam or kill them," says the lawmaker. "That's the literal interpretation that the Jihadists use -- and so that struck right at my heart."

Worthan says in the weeks since the controversial comment, many lawmakers have received calls from people criticizing the prayer. But he says Abdul-Samad sees nothing wrong with the cleric's words, insisting they are simply a doctrinal part of the Islamic faith.

The Republican state representative says he hopes any future Islamic speakers will be sensitive to the feelings of non-Muslims. "Tolerance has to be a two-way street," says Worthan. "We're tolerant of their religion and beliefs .... They also need to be tolerant of our perceptions."

Trying to Appease the Viper

As seen in the last post, appeasement and cooperation is not really possible with Islam. They don't want to fit in, or have equality. They want everyone to convert to Islam or face the consequences. A partial acceptance or tolerance of Sharia law cannot accomplish anything but whet their appetite for more influence and control of the legal system and society as a whole.

Once Sharia law is implemented, we will see the end of religious freedom.

I am not a prophet, just a person looking at the obvious. Ask yourself, in nations where Sharia law is supreme, do you find religious freedom? Do you find ideas, political discussion encouraged? Do you see open and healthy discussions about the person and nature of God and government? Can you find, in that society, the government taking a hands-off approach to religion and expression? Can a person criticize the government and culture with impunity?

No, Sharia law belongs in the desert regions of the middle east, among the oil fields and palaces of tyrants. It does not belong in any western culture. Can you see the clash, the unavoidable conflict? Yet we continue to play with fire.

Not So Fast You Idiot – It's All or Nothing with Sharia Law

A spokesman for the Anglican Communion Network says he's shocked that the Archbishop of Canterbury is calling for the adoption of some aspects of Islamic Sharia law in the United Kingdom.

During an interview with the BBC, Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, said introduction of Sharia law in the U.K. was unavoidable because some citizens do not relate to the British legal system. "On the one hand," stated Williams, "Sharia depends for its legitimacy not on any human decision, not on votes or preferences, but on the conviction that it represents the mind of god." He also said Muslims should not have to choose between cultural loyalty and state loyalty.

Although Dr. Williams said some aspects of Sharia law, which include beheadings for drug traffickers and its attitudes to women, could not be permitted, public outcry throughout Great Britain and the world about his comments was swift.

Peter Frank is a spokesman for Bishop Robert Duncan, who oversees the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, a member of the Anglican Communion Network. Frank says Dr. Williams' comments are not realistic because those who favor Sharia law typically want it implemented for everyone.

"What he seems to be hoping for is that there could be some aspects of this legal system accepted or put in place, but not others," Frank observes. "However, for those parts of Islam that are campaigning for this, they very naturally want all of Sharia law."

Frank points to northern Nigeria as an example, noting Sharia law has been instituted there. "And the goal is always to institute [Sharia] for everyone; and not just for limited parts of it to those who voluntarily opt in, but for the whole community."

The archbishop, he concludes, is "not putting something forward that's going to satisfy and thereby integrate the people that he's hoping would be integrated by it."

British government officials said Sharia law could not be used in the country's legal system. In addition, officials in the British government -- liberals, moderates, and conservatives -- were quick to criticize Williams' comments.

Statistics

Let us guess that a minimum of 85% of terrorism is Islamic. More realisticly, it would be more like 95%. In any event the link it undeniable and, if it weren't for our politically correct environment, shocking. If such statistics were true of a religion such as Christianity, the media would be quick to focus on that and make it a major headline. Yet we are told that the terrorist are "extremists" or "radicals." No, they are Muslims. Koran believing, Imam following, prayer saying devoted Muslims.

What percentage of Muslims are terrorists, or terrorists sympathizers? That is a harder question. Certainly there are non-terrorist Muslims, but are they typical or unusual? I would say that the majority of Muslims would not strap a bomb on themselves or fly a plane into a building. But a shocking number would, and have. And a shocking number praise those actions, or at least don't oppose it. In fact, there has been little outcry from the Muslim community condemning terrorism, especially from the leadership. This speaks volumes. I suppose the attack upon America and its ideals is just too popular among the Muslims. Rather than just repeating the refrain "religion of peace" they should use their platform to say "this is evil and it must stop."

It's Beginning

Sharia law begins to take root in the UK.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7232661.stm

Admit the Truth but Cease to Care

As science and technology march on to reveal more and more about life in the womb, it becomes more difficult to deny that there really is life in the womb. Ultrasound has given us a view into a hidden world and now surgery on unborn children is becoming more common. Even secular sources, known for preaching the party line on abortion and women's rights, are now giving statistics about when the heart begins to beat and when a child in the womb begins to move and react to various stimuli. It seems incredible that these media outlets that were so pro-abortion are now stating the obvious: that the child in the womb experiences and reacts with real feeling and emotion.

On the other hand, in our society we see a much darker shift also taking place. Even as we, as a society, begin to accept the reality in the once dark womb, we at the same time have ceased to believe that the existence of life is anything special or worthy of protection. Life has become cheap even outside the womb and therefore we see heinous acts against people of all ages. People shoot each other over the most trivial things. Children beat one another to death just for the heck of it. Parents torture and kill their own children without remorse. Is it a morbid focus on these things in society by the media, or are we seeing a terrible outbreak of senseless killing in society? Perhaps it is a mixture of both.

Certainly there have always been sick and horrible crimes commited. Some are unknown while others make headlines. Recently there seems to be no lack of brutality reported in every media outlet. But whether this indicates an epidemic of violence or just a morbid focus on these crimes by the media, still, life is cheapened and we slowly grow numb to the horrors of sick and brutal behavior. A few generations ago these reports would have created such an outcry that the perpetrators would certainly fear for their lives. Today they can expect short sentences and quick parole.

So in the coming years we may face a day when even the most pro-abortion person has to admit that life begins at conception. However, with the same breath, they will say that it no longer matters. The value of life depends upon whether a person is wanted, attractive, healthy or appears in our lives at a convenient time. If you are in the womb or out, your life's worth is a matter of social whim and societal fickleness. And when a society forsakes God and the understanding of the value of all human life, lock your doors, watch your back and hope that you do not fall ill or lose favor with your neighbors. Don't rock the boat. Don't be controversial. Don't speak out against the evil of the day. Just protect yourself by fitting in and, for God's sake, be payed up on your life insurance.